Chapter 10: challenge
Dinner had been ready not long after. Unsurprisingly, Raven had "digested" what Slade had told her, as he pointed. It was in itself not a much unexpected factor. Raven wasn't sure just how much of her power would be needed to create the portal and summon her father forth. Clearly such a task would need a massive expenditure of energy, regardless. If she was truly born, created to become this portal, it was her own body's natural processes that would trigger this "collecting" of energy for the moment. Raven would've eventually realized this on her own without Slade's intervention.
Since she was reserving her strength, than what exactly triggered it to come this far? Had this chain reaction started as a result of the other night when Slade used her mind and body? Or was it just her natural clock ticking? If it was the later, than it would seem her body was involuntarily performing the necessary requirements for her destiny, which pointed to an involuntary creation of the portal. If she were to inevitably do this against her will, then why bother to send Slade to force her to open the portal?
Reserving energy, it seemed, didn't hinder her powers any. She could manipulate her dark energy easily enough, lift and move things on will. Even earlier that day when she had helped speed the healing process in Slade's mind that she was fully capable to every extent of her powers. The only power that seemed to be affected by this was the power Slade stated, all loose energy she would usually expel on accident from emotional outbursts. She usually used more energy during these emotional times if she didn't properly meditate.
Noticeably, when Trigon and Slade had effectively sealed her meditation from her, it allowed for more energy to be expelled during those emotional times. That would then allow for more energy to be reserved than usual now that she was collecting energy at all. Raven assumed this was not by coincidence. But then, why? Why send Slade after her at all then if her father was going to go by this route anyway?
It could have been that in order for Him to easily interrupt her meditation, she would need to be distracted, and Slade was perfect for that.
Raven chewed on the inside of her cheek as this thought flitted past, walking on her way to where Slade had 'invited' her presence to dinner. She didn't want to eat, especially not after the moves he pulled on her during his demonstration. Besides, Slade should have been well enough aware that she hardly ever ate with her friends, she barely ate at all. By eating dinner with him, Slade knew it would've bothered her.
That was all right, she had to tolerate it. She needed him to love her. Perhaps not love-love, but at least perhaps a love from servant to master. Ha, what was she thinking? Like that would happen any time soon. This was expected of someone who hated serving anyone and much rather preferred to be the master. Still, Raven had to try. She needed his loyalty at least to her instead of her father, and for that she had to tolerate him, try to make him closer without getting too close either.
That seemed almost impossible too. They both knew each other's minds from the inside out. She even concluded that they more or less loved to hate each other. It was like love, but not really. It didn't seem to make her choice of action any easier.
Wintergreen, whom had been guiding her to Slade's whereabouts, paused before a wide glass door and opened it for her. It led to an outdoor balcony, one that faced the city and its booming life, though it wasn't directed towards the Tower. Raven stepped outdoors and treaded towards a table that Slade was all ready seated at.
Raven stopped when she reached the table, looked once down at the white box placed across from Slade, then to the one in front of him, back to hers, then up to his face. Dead panned, she uttered, "Take out?"
"I'm sure you can imagine that our unexpected visit left Wintergreen unprepared. The pantry's empty, and he spent his time finding your wardrobe instead of grocery shopping.," Slade put it, his unmasked face smirking ever so subtly.
Raven just continued to stare.
"Chinese seemed the most agreeable between the two of us.," Slade finished, his voice growing somewhat annoyed with her actions, or lack thereof.
Raven grabbed the end of the chair to pull out, but stopped herself. No, she wasn't hungry, and she was still somewhat mad with him.
"Why?" It was a low growl.
"Fine, don't eat.," Slade stated. He opened the flaps of his box and reached for the chopsticks that were given with his meal.
Raven's dark energy snapped the chopsticks in two. "Not until you answer me."
Slade scowled. "Why what, Raven?" He waved his hands to the food in front of them. "I thought you wanted me to be civil."
"Why did you tell me about my powers not acting up," Raven stated, ignoring his own questions.
Oh that, Slade mused. What he had done must have driven her nuts in the time it took to bring the food home. It was such a simple answer. His mind, now merged with hers, had discovered easily what decisions Raven was trying to make. As his master ordered, it was to dish back what Raven was attempting to do to him. If she was shown her inhibitions, she may feel more inclined to become "romantically" involved. And who wouldn't fall for Slade Wilson? Terra was easily charmed enough.
"Really, Raven. If you haven't figured it out all ready, it isn't even worth the breath to explain it.," Slade warranted out.
Raven's eyes narrowed in a seething rage, and Slade was almost ready for her to hiss at him, but none of the sort came. Instead, she pulled the chair out and sat down, submitting to eat in silence. The answer could have easily been taken from him by either another brisk encounter of his mind or from the charter in his neck. Raven was sick of using both…and how could she ever make Slade love her if she constantly inflicted such pain on him all the time? The empath would have to draw the line somewhere.
Satisfied with her response, Slade picked up the shortened, broken end of his chopsticks and began to eat with the nibs, in silence equal to hers. Though, truthfully Slade didn't require food. He didn't require sleep, for that matter. He was virtually the living dead, granted a pardon into life, but with the consolation prize of immunity to most mortal flaws. With the exception of Trigon and even Raven, it was likely nothing could really destroy him.
Considering Raven spared him on some level left him to delve further into the task her father had originally consented to him. To mess with her mind and body, how else was love to be obtained? She was all ready ill of mind, and what little sanity she had left was just thin grasps at straws. Anyone's body could be worked in one shape or form, and Slade had all ready proven he had the power to do that to her.
That had been no surprise, Slade inwardly mused. The demon girl was so caught up in abstinence from human contact at all that there surely was some area of built up tension he could exploit. Demon or no, she was still a maturing girl, a teenager nearing adulthood, and would certainly have evidence of lust in there somewhere. It would just take finagling to find it.
In fact… His blue eye narrowed slightly in a very cat like way, now would have been the perfect time to push his limits once more.
Grinning to himself, he stood from his seat, carton in tow, and moved past her without even a glance. Raven's amethyst eyes danced slightly, darting to catch a glimpse of him heading towards the door. Either he was finished, full, or wasn't hungry any further. The empath shrugged it off. It didn't really matter; she could eat in silence alone. Her shoulders loosened slightly from the realization.
Slade watched this from inside the room. He smirked, deciding a few minutes of solitude would be enough to ease whatever foul mood she had remaining. Just enough time to place his dinner remains in a refrigerator. It didn't take long to make it to the kitchen, although the travel was odd in a way. The very fact he was dead made him look at things from a somewhat different perspective. On some level, it made him feel like a ghost, which wasn't entirely an uncomforting thought.
Food in proper place, he nodded towards Wintergreen, turning to leave the door.
"Slade?"
The one eyed antagonist turned. He raised an eyebrow in quiet inquiry.
"Slade, I'm not going to ask you where you've been the past year and a half," his similarly aged friend questioned, "But I am worried. That Markov girl ended up betraying you, just as the Titan's boy. Another apprentice…I don't think it's good for you."
Slade took Wintergreen's concern with a grain of salt. "She isn't an apprentice."
"Then what is she," even more concern seemed apparent in the British man's face. "What attracts you to this titan?"
"I don't know." Slade had said it before his brain could establish a wittier remark. He paused, wondering a moment whether the answer was to the first, the last, or both of Wintergreen's questions. It was dismissed quickly. The answer didn't matter, not to him, and not to Wintergreen.
Once more he turned to leave.
"Will you be leaving again?"
This was asked, as Slade noted, out of the most concern. Their friendship ran deep and strong, and it was a shame that he had died as he had.
"Whenever the kid decides to pull out, I will follow." Slade paused, waiting for a question of explanation. None came. Thankfully Wintergreen knew enough not to question his motives entirely.
The discussion having been finished, Slade finally left and returned to his quarry. Raven had looked relatively calm as he had predicted. It was time to make his move. With stealth beyond human capabilities, enhanced by the power of Trigon, Slade effectively slipped back outside.
Raven was not immune to his tricks.
"Obviously you don't realize I can easily sense you." She lifted her head and landed her eyes dead center on Slade. "I'm sure if I had to; I could feel wherever you were in a city."
Slade smirked, rolling off the disadvantage that this had left him. "Is that an invitation to play Hide and Seek?"
"Hadn't we played enough of that the night before?" She countered. "And the time before that? And before that?"
"Hmm, I see what you mean. Tell me then" Casually he began to step behind Raven's chair, stalking around her. The effectiveness did seem diminished by the fact he was not donning his steel toe boots. "What game do you propose?"
Raven turned her head ever so slightly, following his movements as he made his rounds. Clearly the fiend was up to something, and Raven wasn't entirely sure she would enjoy it. It didn't take a brain surgeon to predict these actions would involve something heinously lecherous. But the ever present fact stayed at the front of her mind. If she wanted to gain Slade's loyalty and love, she would have to give a little. That meant of course submitting occasionally to these moments. And if she could survive the copulation between her mind and body, than she could survive a little hooky.
"I'm not much for games.," she honestly replied back.
"Oh, that's right," Slade rolled his eye somewhat. "There is always chess. Your memories do state that."
Raven picked once, twice more at the remains huddled down in the corner of her box, as if fidgeting. Finally she half tossed, half threw the chopsticks down.
Standing, she stated, "All right. I can play chess."
Slade stopped instantly, his hands still held behind his back. "Excellent. However, you do realize I never play chess without some sort of wager."
Oh, there had been that, Raven gave a sideways pout for a split of a second. She hated games, but yet what was she afraid of? Slade wasn't quite in the position to be making all of the rules such as he had with Robin and Terra. The empath was confident in her abilities, after all. Hadn't she beaten Cyborg, a man who had the technology to analyze every move imaginable and compare it to a boundless collection of strategy, countless times?
Slade would be a reasonable opponent, but he still was no match.
"Alright…," she mused allowed, looking at him for a moment before staring out at the city, "If I win…you'll promise that you'll leave my friends out of anymore of our business until it's time the portal opens."
Slade contemplated this a moment. "That seems reasonable. The master hasn't much use for your friends, and neither do I." He moved his body back around the table, stepping between her and her view of the city. "If I win—"
"Do you really need to say it," Raven practically dead panned. "I think I get the jest…"
"Then, shall we begin?" He turned to leave, but once more he was stopped by the gray hand sliding into his and effectively holding him back. Slade glanced over his shoulder. "Yes?"
There was a minor curious expression on her face, though her eyes were laced with some suspicion.
"Aren't you even going to ask me why I'm consenting to this?" Her voice was terse.
Slade slipped his hand from hers, offering a small smirk accompanied by the narrowing of his eye, just so that it reminded her of the expressions when his mask was in use.
"If I haven't figured it out all ready, it isn't even worth the breath to explain it." He reiterated with slight alterations. The smile deepened as he slipped back within.
Raven peeled the leotard that clung to her body with the sealant of her own sweat. The thing was taken from the 'wardrobe' Slade had mentioned for her, as her own leotard was still being cleaned and treated, and it was disgusting in its own right. But while it was still horribly nasty to have any clothing literally sticking to her skin, it still felt good on some level to know she had actually done something. It was just that it felt much more appealing that she discarded the clothing, however.
Scrunching her face at the mere act of peeling, Raven opted to take everything off as swiftly as possible and simply ducked into the running shower. Steam and hot droplets sprayed downward in a soothing mist, and the dark empath groaned with a welcome comply of warmth the shower yielded. For a moment she stood, her face raised to catch the splattering stream, than she turned and tilted her head back to thoroughly soak her hair. Easily enough, her mind wandered.
Slade had won. He had managed to beat her at chess, a game that Raven had well endowed confidence in her ability to win. It seemed that despite that, Slade had managed to beat her. It wasn't a fluke; he didn't somehow manage to win by pure chance. By nature, both of them were brooding creatures, constantly on the defense, and Slade was always hiding his master plans to be revealed as enormous surprises.
This was not the case at all. Raven gnawed almost bitterly on the inside of her cheek, just at the shame of losing to him in such a manor. Slade never played the game in the manor he played the titans in life. He played with force. There were no defenses; there were no insane misleading moves to lure her pieces into traps. All there was had been the playing field and all her pieces dying left and right. All Raven could do was hold a measly defense as long as possible, but eventually her line broke. Slade took her King and Queen by pure force, and with incredible ease.
Raven had the snaking suspicion that Trigon in someway told Slade all the moves she was planning to make. At the moment she had lost her battle, the thought struck fear in her, for she still hadn't known what Slade had wanted for winning.
The prize for her defeat was perhaps more startling and surprising than the fact that Slade had managed to beat her. It was a workout of her body and mind by all means, but there wasn't an order for sex, or mental intercourse, or anything remotely near the lecherous moves he had made on her in the past. Slade had wanted an all night, no bars, full force, anything goes combat.
That was right.
He had spared her from anything sexually intense just to pick a fight with her.
Slade had referred to it as friendly sparring. Raven referred to it as slaughter. Anyone normal would never survive it. The Titans would last a small time, but would fall eventually. Robin could last a while… but it was something no one truly had the endurance for. On normal circumstances even she would've succumbed to Slade's strength. This wasn't the case.
The fortitude she'd gained seemed infinite. Her powers were evolving to levels she couldn't imagine, and during the bloodbath that was Slade's casual fight, Raven simply embraced it. Now, now as she was rinsing the lather from her purple tresses, Raven realized just how terribly strong she was becoming. It was what it was like to be a demon, and Raven couldn't deny that in a manor, she liked the power. The pale magus shuddered.
The battle lasted until the first streaks of dawn broke the horizon. With Slade's entire estate established as the battlefield, there were many places to war, many places to hide, and many elements to use tactfully. Nothing was left unaccounted for to be honed in and perfected. Raven respected Robin and his capable way of managing all the titans training sessions. But when it came to a real test, Slade was god. It was no wonder Robin worked them like a maniac. Often Beast Boy would joke that Robin worked them to the bones. If that were true, in comparison Slade worked her to the marrow.
Clean water clung to gray skin, sliding down it when movements sent them on their way. Together the droplets collected the grime, dirt, and blood from the vigorous exercise and washed it away. Raven began to give attention to the rest of her body. Since the house was owned by a man, there was only a bar of soap in supply. Raven ignored this fact, just glad to scrub away everything.
As these actions commenced, she couldn't help but reflect upon the night before, when Slade finally took her mind and body. She had let him have her, despite all the chasing, all the horrible things he'd threatened and had done to others… Raven felt far from dirty. More so, she felt confused.
Not why she had allowed it plagued her mind, but how? How did she just fall into such a bout of insanity to allow it to occur? Such a blessing wouldn't have been given from her father; he would have wanted her to be broken from the actions. If it had happened once, could it happen again? Was it in some way connected to some demonic defense mechanism?
Raven shook her head, wiping the suds from her body gently. No, there was no way she could know that for sure. She may have been half demon her entire life, but there were so many things she didn't know about her blood that it would be impossible to tell without another demon for comparison. And Raven would be content to never meet another demon.
But there was Slade. The man had died and survived to serve under her father. Surely the antagonist had met a slew of demons in that time. Again Raven shook her head. His memories clearly dictated that Trigon was the only he had encountered.
It would be redundant to even ask him such a thing, even if he did know. Slade never told anyone straight out anything, there was always something lying beneath. Which lead Raven to wonder, why all this? Why the night long battle? This was the first time Slade had done anything that wasn't meant to get up inside her. The absence of reason left her standing dumbfounded in the path of the showerhead.
It couldn't have been that he was actually trying to be civil like I said?
An unsettling prick rushed up the witch's spine. Raven's brows knitted together as she knew what such a sensation meant. Coupling with Slade's mind allowed her to easily feel out his presence, and he was there. Lurking no doubt; and the empath did not appreciate a peeping tom. Raven wasted no time by summoning a towel with her powers and using it to wrap protectively around herself. Ever so cautiously, Raven moved and stuck her face out from within the spacious shower booth and inspected the place with her scrutinizing glare.
Hissing vehemently, "Slade, don't even think of doing anything."
"Do what? I just want a quick shower like you."
Instantly Raven's body spun around to find that Slade was all ready in her shower and making use of her absence in front of the shower head. Digits gripped the soft fabric of her towel tightly, anger rising easily up in her. That was as far as Raven allowed for it to be displayed. Allowing for a more disgruntled face, Raven demanded, "Just what the hell are you doing in here?"
Slade's lips twitched into the tiniest of smug expressions. He knew his sudden 'appearance' would leave his young charge somewhat upset. That was all right. Let her be upset, when was she not? As long as she was kept on her toes, Slade was doing his job.
Finally he ushered an answer as his hands scrubbed the bar of soap against his chest. "I didn't know you were deaf, Raven."
This only seemed to infuriate her more, but again Raven tried her best to keep her emotions from getting the better of her. She wanted to be as civil as she wanted Slade to be, least her plans fail.
Regardless, the entire prospect of Raven trying to conceal this anger left Slade quite amused.
"Slade, you live in a mansion, you have more than one shower.," Raven iterated rather clearly. "So why are you in mine?"
At this, Slade finally turned his head and body in such a way to look at the other, but in the modesty of concealing his front. Casually his eye lowered to take in her curves. Raven took notice of this instantly and crossed her arms, as if it would stop him from gazing at her further.
Slade made no cover to roll his eye; he did it confidently in her sight. "Please Raven. If I had wanted to look I would have taken the towel."
He took a moment to step further into the shower for a rinsing. His face turned back to hers. "Besides, I've all ready seen it."
Raven swallowed with a little unease at that comment.
"And I'm sure you've all ready stolen a glance to my gluts, so I'd say we're even."
His face turned around, and he counted slowly off in his head. Three. Two. One.
Raven's eyes darted down and her face flushed red instantly. It was like when you were told not to do something, and you did it on pure impulse and as a subconscious motion. This was the case…and Raven would be wrong to deny the "landscape" was very view worthy.
Slade grinned once more to himself, almost sensing that she had taken a peek. It was time to yet again push his limits. With the night long run, it was possible and likely that the titan wasn't rested to the point he was. It wouldn't be too terribly difficult to widdle down her defenses. Let's see how far she would let him go.
For a moment he remained silent, hand resting on the shower knobs. This he spent debating just what to do first, and if he really wanted to turn off the shower while doing it. It also served a second purpose, to make Raven anxious.
He began to turn around to face her and Raven darted to the other side of the curtain, her face a flustered red with the very thought Slade was about to show everything. It didn't matter that she had seen him all natural through his own mind. It had all ready happened though, they were memories. This was now, where she was actually present. Big difference.
Maintaining her back to the curtain, she stumbled briefly over her words and pressed, "Y-you still haven't answered me Slade."
His face poked out behind her neck, and purposely he breathed out on her, "Must I?"
Her entire body tensed, but Raven wouldn't—no, refused to show it bothered her, or that she enjoyed it, anymore than that. "Must you be so intolerable?" Her voice was firm, her emotions in control, though the tint to her face was fighting to stay.
"Must you be so suspicious," Slade asked.
His head disappeared back within the shower, but his large hands found their way to Raven's shoulders. She tensed once more, but she contained her mind, forcing panicked thoughts to rest. Gently he pulled her slowly back behind the curtains and into the shower once more.
Instead of fighting right away, Raven simply closed her eyes, held in her breath, and allowed for Slade to pull her back against his front. For a moment there was some contraction, but eventually his chest and her back fit neatly against the other. His arms enveloped around her shoulders nicely.
Raven briskly past his mind with her empathy as gently as he had led her back into the shower. There was some mischief behind his feelings, but his lust seemed not to have been primarily at the forefront of his actions. He was testing her.
The empath exhaled a long deep breath. "Slade, what are you doing?"
"Our wager isn't over," he responded, "There's still time before dawn."
That almost made a rise of an exasperated sigh from the empath. He was kidding, right? It was practically dawn, and she hadn't seen him for an hour since. It was logical to assume that the battle was over and he had grown tired of it. That was why she had stepped into a shower in the first place.
"Really?" Raven issued a response in a not so amused dead tone. By her voice, one knew she did not say it as a question. She began to turn around to him, but his arms locked strongly, allowing her only a jerk before she settled to remain where she was. Tersely her eyes narrowed, "Is that your only reason for interrupting my shower?"
"Yes." Slade's arms loosened just some. His voice seemed to be pushed by a chuckle, but there wasn't mistaking the emphasis of his words. "We had agreed upon dawn."
"It's close enough." It was rationalizing. She was ending this game he was presenting.
"Then you're forfeiting? That doesn't sound like you, Raven. I expected more of a fight."
Her eyes rolled. "If it will get you out of my shower, than yes, I forfeit."
He paused in answer, simply holding her snuggly in his arms, the only soundtrack to the environment being the pattering of the still running shower. If one didn't know better, a casual glance upon the two may conclude they were casual lovers.
Raven was almost obligated to think that as well. That was if she let the present crisis of her life fly out of her brain. Still…despite that ever present foreboding knowledge, it felt warm and comforting, encompassed and being held by strong arms.
What was she thinking? It was all right if Slade thought those things of her, that was the point of allowing this, but she couldn't allow herself to do the same. Raven didn't appreciate or find this sort of selfish comfort in anything. But it did just feel so good to forget, to feel his hands begin to crawl down her body…
Raven snapped herself out of her regressing thoughts. Slade must have noticed this because his movements halted directly after the fact. She began to turn around in his arms once more, and this time Slade let her do so.
Piercingly, she glared up at him. "I said you won, now get out."
"Raven, tell me you haven't heard the saying 'To the victor goes the spoils'?" There was that glint in his eye, that mischievous arrogant pride she had sensed earlier.
He inspected her silently, briefly. Watched as her amethyst eyes wavered with a mix between aggression and pleading, noticed the pinkish tint that refused to go down in her cheeks, and the defiant glare, a challenging glare. Truth was, after spending the entire night fighting, there would be little left of her energy reserves to spare. Even if Raven truly wanted another fight, it would be likely he'd win.
Fighting, unfortunately, was not the answer he had been trying to obtain. He did step into the middle of her shower, while she was vulnerable, and acted rather possessive of her. Slade opted to pull back from the previous night's tactic. Without words or warning, he lowered his lips to her face. Not to her lips, but to the forehead, kissing the rhombus shaped charka resting there.
Raven went rigid in his grasp. She wasn't quite sure what or even how she felt at the unfamiliar sensation of anything touching such a sensitive spot. Not many touched her, not even her mother. Kisses were a rarity before Slade's intervention. Having a tender token placed there was confusing and plain off.
Slade lifted his face from her, releasing her quite calmly. He began to walk to the shower's exit.
"W—What did you…Why," Raven stammered at him, struck with even more confusion by his sudden actions. She was certain he would've gone further….would've pushed her more. It was cruel of him to lead up to the very impression it was coming, but hadn't that been exactly what he had done with the game of chess? Once more she brushed past his emotions, satisfaction was present.
He was satisfied? With a simple kiss? On her forehead? What was going on!
Slade looked back at her. "How could 'spoils' be better defined than stealing a kiss from the gem?"
The gem. Those words haunted her and sprout up the thundering words of the prophecy once more. Raven's lips curled downward in a grimace. It was just another reminder; another mallet beating into her brain that time was running out. Time was running out for her to manage an exemption for her friends. Slade had to love her.
It was likely that crazy side of her was pushing up, but Raven did the only thing she could think of that may instill the concept of love into Slade. She forced an emotional breakdown.
Tears weld up easily in her eyes, sobs escaped her throat, and her body trembled, all in 'reaction' to Slade's comment. It was a sad and pitiful sight, and she would have normally curled up and died if she ever allowed herself to do such a thing. Raven was still desperate. She would do anything for her beloved friends. If that meant showing emotions she wouldn't willingly, than she would.
Slade stood perhaps dumbfounded as Raven set into action. He straightened his body, looking down at her with a calculating face. "I see you're taking advantage of your powers 'emotional' conditions." There was minor disgust on his voice, stating his disapproval that she was using this advantage to weep.
Raven lifted her tear soaked face from her hands to glare teary eyed at him. "You have no idea what it's like! To live day in and day out knowing you're some ticking time bomb 'gem' ready to kill everything!"
Her face buried immediately into her hands. It was…inexplicably easy to do this, which intrigued Raven to some degree. They were false tears, false emotions, but it was just so simple to rig them, to act them out.
"You forget, Raven." She took a peek from her hands once more and Slade tapped the side of his head, indicating their mental connection.
"That's no comfort to me," she pushed, forced a conflicting voice from her gut, before a gasping breathy sob. Raven followed it with an achy, anguished groan of depression.
Slade had seen enough. He approached her again, placing warm hands on bare shoulders, his chin and cheek moving to nuzzle the top of her head. Raven could have smirked, but instead hid this by burying her face into his chest instead of her hands. His arms snaked around her and pulled her closer against him, holding her with appeared to be a comforting and protective embrace.
Chokingly, she continued "I-I don't want to be this…! I'm tired of fighting…!"
"Then stop fighting." He instructed it, pulling back to look down at her. Her broken face pleaded up to him. "Forget it, for a while."
He lowered his face, this time his lips meeting with hers. There was a moment where it was just him, where Raven hesitated. Her mind was in disorder now, she had wanted Slade to comfort her, to have affection for her, but she was uncertain she wanted him to go this far with her. There was little choice. It…It was still for her friends. She would follow through with this.
Raven reciprocated with fervor. This only encouraged Slade the more, and he went further. He took her there, hot and ready in the shower, 'comforting' her with a momentary distraction from the plight that gnawed away at her. When it was done, he left her, quivering and sweaty against the shower tile. She slid down it to the ground as Slade threw back her towel, his only words of exchange before leaving, "You can finish your shower."
Raven's flushed face remained hung and lowered, hands meekly grasping the towel and meekly covering herself with it. For a while, she just sat there alone, wondering, contemplating, recovering…
If she had only done it for her friends' protection…why had she enjoyed it so much?
Amused would not be the correct term that Slade Wilson could aptly describe how he felt that moment. Delighted, content, thrilled, and just down right tickled seemed more to put across what was swimming about in his being. He was doing his job, and although he loathed and detested with every fiber of his undead being that he was some one's humble servant, that particular task was to his liking.
It was a horrible obsession, Slade admitted. To force himself on children. He knew to be true to himself, however, and what was apparent to him was clear as day. Slade didn't particularly enjoy the fact he molested children. Well, technically speaking he did enjoy it, but there was always some part of him that felt disgusted. But it was something he was willing to sacrifice for the power it gave him. It asserted him as master of all his teenaged recruits, it made him feel in control. And most always, such an act instilled obedience in his victims, something obtained when mere physical breaking would not.
If Slade could avoid the route, he did. There were some cases though that needed the extra mileage; this was of course to be expected, though in Robin's case Slade did it merely for the pleasure of it. Slade remembered all of them, and to some degree they haunted him. On come level, a seemingly non existent level for the masked antagonist, Slade was somewhat thankfully that someone else could share in the burden of those dreaded images. It seemed to have been one of two advantages to the mental bond he shared with Raven. The second? Being able to sense some of her emotions as well, a very rudimentary empathy at best, but still useful.
Raven had been in sheer confusion and conflict. He could spend hours just picking apart at her brain as she was left to debate the choice between self sacrifice, lust, or simply just trying to interpret his actions towards her. The fact she had even faked such a dramatic display of emotions just so that he would use her was a very delicious, if not conniving way to go about it. Again Slade reminded himself of his earlier ramblings to her being a most worthy choice for an apprentice.
Most of all, the fact Raven was even attempting such actions proved the one thing Trigon had ordered recently of him. He was ensnaring her heart to some degree, and she was confused and guilty of the matter.
Slade's mask clicked into place before his visage and Slade was in the flesh once more.
It would be ineffective to do anymore with the portal after their entanglement. The bird was weary and drained in body, mind, and spirit. Knowingly she would be passed out for the remainder of the day, using the down time to abundantly over fill her power reserve. It was why he had proposed the training to begin with. All of it was tolerance build up. Yes, Raven was reserving the extra energy from her emotional outbursts to create the portal, but that still wasn't enough. The bar must be raised through endurance to widen the jar to fill, so to speak.
Regardless, his activities engaged with her post dawn shower would suit to fester in her for several hours. Later he would check on the 'healing wound' and agitate it as needed. That left him to fill the remainder of his day with work.
Work. Slade technically didn't have work. Now that he served Trigon the Terrible, any of his previous exploits and future plans was of no relevant immediate importance. It made for finding something to fill his time unpleasant at most, but Slade was no slacker. He had in mind what he could do for at least a little while.
With suite, armor plating, and the familiar mask on, Slade was ready to dabble in a little business, both personal and otherwise. Sitting now before a console panel, Slade brought up a connection with his previous lair hidden under Jump, the alleged resting ground of Terra. The screen blipped, then flashed, then brought up the face of one aged individual.
"Brother Blood," Tala, the acclaimed priestess from Gotham greeted him. "To what do the brethren owe this pleasure?"
"There is no need for formalities, Tala." Slade cooed.
In honesty, Slade detested the title. It served to remind him of his servitude to the demon who ensnared his afterlife. Not only was it a blow to his pride, but the title belonged to that of Hive's recent Brother Blood. That particular Blood had originally been this Blood that referred to Slade as. When Blood had lost interest in finding Trigon's Chosen Child and focused all efforts on Cyborg, he was stripped of his benefits and responsibilities. This also included a very possible special punishment from the demon himself. Now the duties and task were bestowed upon Slade.
"Of course.," the robed woman agreed with a subtle smile, one better found on a contemplating snake.
"I am calling in regards to your progress." Slade emphasized in his steely slow tone.
Progress, which is what Slade deemed the process of the gathering hoards, these crazy masses that seemed to worship Trigon. During Slade's down time, he had been educated, a grander "job training." From his newly found knowledge, Trigon was the demon offspring created between the union of a priestess on a dying world and their culture's summoned devil. This had occurred far off in another dimension. As Trigon grew into an able being, he destroyed, conquered, and then migrated to new dimensions to repeat the process. Though he had never completely made it into the dimension of Earth, knowledge of his existence had through varying mystics, specifically a former servant of Trigon's: a demi-god by the name of Azar.
Where Azar came from was never ultimately discovered, or it had been lost in details through many retellings through word of mouth. Azar was the only force who seemingly opposed Trigon's existence. When Trigon's threat was exposed to the people of Earth so many centuries ago, the masses were split. Many of the population worshiped Trigon, and many opposed his inevitable coming, no matter how far down the road it was. Naturally this created a tense underground battle between the two sides. Followers of Trigon would be caught and killed, until they banded in an underground circuit, laying ground rules to protect themselves and their master. One rule had been that Trigon would be known as Scath so it would seem there were no worshippers of his around. Those that used these rules were soon called the Blood Clan.
The one to create the set of rules had been deemed the first Mother Mayhem, for mothers always established rules to protect their children. The first Brother Blood seemed to have been appointed by Trigon himself to one whom had bathed in blood.
Like Trigon's followers, Azar's loyal ones claimed to follow her wisdom and guidance against the threat. Azar declared of knowledge to the destruction of Trigon, but to what the plan of action truly was had never been unearthed. It seemed a part of this plan was related to Azar's ultimate departure from Earth accompanied by other devoted individuals stating to start a world of passivity. We know this world as Azarath.
Slade's knowledge of the world between dimensions would have halted there if it had not been for his mental copulation with Raven. From what he could interpret of her memories, the demi-god Azar passed on but not without heirs to her powers. There was a second Azar, the one Raven had known personally as a mentor. This Azar was the great, great granddaughter of the first. She was owner of the rings Raven recently took to wearing on her digits, but was not the writer of the acclaimed Book of Azar. That prestigious honor went to the first.
Eventually Trigon had grown weary of his actions, but only because he had climbed himself up to the top and found it lonely. And on that lonely peak he had for the first time saw the dimension containing Earth and its vast quantities of super beings and meta-humans. Trigon attempted access to the dimension, but was denied by the force of Azar, whom eventually confined him to the rocky undersurface chamber Slade had come to known him in.
Knowing he could not leave his prison without outside help, he summoned the aid of the Blood Clan. Trigon had declared his desire for a child, one who would forever love him, serve him, help and continue his work when he could not. The Blood Clan saw to it, and The Mother; Angela Roth; was raped by Trigon after given the briefest of times to breach his prison to do so. This event was later deemed the Immaculate Conception, and The Child; Raven, would eventually be born.
It was an event celebrated and collaborated by Clan members scattering the globe. Tala was famous amongst the members for luring and manipulating Angela, known as Arella, to her fate in Trigon's clutches. Such an action earned her a likely and highly probably chance to becoming the next Mother Mayhem, though there hadn't been one for decades.
Coming full circle to remembering the gathering members reminded Slade of the progress. Slade encouraged in a pressured, irritated voice, "The progress, Tala."
If Tala felt nervous, she didn't display it. "Brethren have made the pilgrimage from all regions of the world. Those that we have expected to arrive have, and there are still many more coming to make the sacrifice on your word."
Ah yes, Slade's "word." The privilege of being Brother Blood meant he had final say. That was at least one perk he liked about the title, he could at least control the minds of millions from across the world.
"The gem is beginning her natural functioning. She is storing energy for the portal's gestation. It is time." His voice was cold and meticulous, but commanding at the same time.
It had an affect on Tala, for her eyes gleamed in a twinkle that was only found on the demented and clinically insane. The priestess who had seen the conception of the Child was now coming to see all the fruits of her labor pay off.
With a crazed face, she announced over a loudspeaker, "It is time! Commence the forfeit to our lord and master! Relinquish your souls, and serve him well!"
Slade's screen fizzed for a moment while he watched with silent intent. Tala's end shifted to a new visual, most likely feed from many working cameras still installed within the area. The camera focused upon the lava rich hole that he had created when crawling out of the harsh element. It was the very same hole that Robin and Cyborg had spotted upon stumbling on Tala's mass weeks earlier. Many similarly robbed individuals lined up in a massive line, long enough to envy any amusement park waiting lines. The first in the line kneeled and prayed before the bubbling mass. Once finished, he tumbled forward and collapsed into the molten accumulation. Then another came, and another, and another…
It brought Slade a knotting unsettling feeling inside him. The visuals made him recall his own death. Hidden behind his slit mask, Slade scowled bitterly. But it was necessary. He assumed—no he knew Raven would leave and return to the titans eventually, likely before her inevitable destiny to fulfill. An army would be needed to bring her out, with the power she would have by that time. These men and women would become that army, an army of fiery, molten beasts.
Thankfully Slade had little time to dwell over what he was exposed to, for the screen flashed back to Tala. Although she appeared of twisted glowing content, there was something clearly leaving her on edge. Slade silently noted this.
"There is one matter that concerns me, before our conversation finishes. The Mother," Tala half hissed the title, "She is in Jump."
"The Mother…," Slade mused uninterested. His mind raced briefly, Raven's memory surging in his brain. Now the villain knew of which she spoke. "You mean the gem's mother."
And what importance does her arrival mean? Simply put, Slade saw it nothing more than Trigon dotingly hurting the woman who birthed his child. Other than using her as emotional grief and turmoil to Raven, Slade realized no point in pursuing the mother. He could, after all, effectively give Raven grief without mentioning her mother. What Trigon wanted with Arella was his own agenda, not his.
Tala apparently saw otherwise. "He will want his bride in attendance to witness the glorious event. I am asking your permission to seek her out."
Slade mused silently. One way or another, no one would be escaping anyone's fate from here on out. Raven would bring her father to earth, and if Trigon deemed it, Arella would be watching somewhere somehow. Tracking her down and tying her up was unnecessary, and a waste of time and effort.
"No." Slade voided her request. The resentment in her face easily showed through the false smile she presented. Ah, Slade noted, so Tala had another plan for Arella than what she let on. Perhaps he would look for this Arella after all…
"Continue building the ranks. It won't be long before they will be needed.," The final order sent out. The link was then shut off.
Slade's lips pulled into a dark grim expression of contemplation. For a minute he sat in silence. Images of the woman he had never met personally wafted to the forefront of his mind. They swirled like a raging hurricane, swamping his psyche with visions he lived through Raven's eyes.
Trigon wanted Raven to love him? Slade's lips began to turn up ever so slightly. Then it would be in his best interests to protect her mother. It would appear that his personal business could wait a little longer; he now had something to fill his day with. The ever so clever man stood from his perch, excited for what the task would hold.
AN: Ooh boy…that was a long break from writing. My biggest apologies to everyone, and my largest thanks to everyone who's read Radience and left comments lately. You guys rock, I love you all!
Last chapter I'd said I was a college student, part-timer, etc. Well, those curious, I did manage to pass my classes with the grade I wanted, miraculously enough. Although I did get a C on my lab practical in biology oO. Must've been all the fetal pig fumes.
Anyway, after semester was over, I was ready to write again, only everything still felt forced and just didn't flow well for me. I figured it was time to take a break from writing in general, so I actually played Final Fantasy 9 for about a month-two months. Then, I ended up going to a My Little Pony (my other hobby) mini-convention type deal in June, and as a result managed to get a few different art commissions. Those had to come first.
Finally, I managed the time to revise everything I felt was somewhat forced and didn't manage to fit quite right. I should be at the stage to start incorporating elements from the End episodes, but that's a little while off from posting…
All right, actual note type stuff. Don't think I have all that much to say about the take-out scene. The shower bit was amusing to me. When that was written, a friend of mine suggested they needed to do dirty stuff in the shower, heh heh. So I gave in and did it. It actually was just one of those parts that sort of grew into several different parts in order to break the writing up to add it. But that's ok, it allowed for the nice little area with Slade.
Slade's inner musings concerning Trigon, Azar, and Arella were rather fun to write up. I had to find some way to explain why it is we see Trigon imprisoned and wanting to emerge on Earth. If you look at Wolfman-Perez era Titans, the first 6 issues covered the battle with Trigon in which Trigon went into that imprisonment. Since the cartoon strayed so far from that, I needed to create an alternative to it. Azar seemed a good escape-goat. Most of the history Slade goes over I believe is incorrect, but seemed to make a good bridge, nonetheless. So please don't try to correct me.
Uhm…I guess that's all for now, kinda feel sleep deprived and I gotta go into work in an hour.