"Is it just me," Raven began as the duo walked along a path, enjoying nature as it was always meant to be by people, "or have we slacked off slightly in our training?"
Gecko merely laughed at her, walking along side, hand-in-hand.
"I wouldn't call it slacking off," he corrected, "it's a well-deserved rest period. More or less a lighter training regime if you will. I know you're all gung-ho to learn, Rae, but sometimes, you just have to take things a little slower."
Raven wrapped her free hand around his neck, swing her body in front of him.
"Just like us?" She toyed with him.
Gecko leaned in to accept a kiss from his dearest Raven, looking intently into her eyes much like he always had and will.
"Exactly like us," he answered with a smile. "Out of all seriousness though, over the past few months, you've basically mastered weapons styles and techniques as well. You just progress so quickly that you're making a life-long martial artist look like nothing when you can learn what took them years to achieve in mere months, even weeks at times. I've said it many times, but every time, it still retains truth. You are just simply amazing and there is no other like you in this world, I'm sure of it."
"Stop, David," Raven played, even though it wasn't far from the truth, "you're making me blush."
Gecko only wrapped his arm around her as they walked down the path bathed in sunlight, listening to the gentle breeze careen through the leaves of the trees to their left, and peering to their right for the breathtaking view of the valley below, shadows of clouds high above dancing across the floor. Master Hui's pagoda was barely visible on the horizon across the expanse, but would remain as a direction to get home.
"I never could before," Raven commented as they strolled through the beautiful atmosphere, "but now I know why you are so keen to being one with nature, David. I mean, once you live it and not just look at it, it's simply astonishing. It becomes a part of you, and you hold a new respect for any and all living creatures, both big and small. I understand why you love it so much."
"What about you, do you love it?" Gecko questioned of her, "it's one thing to understand something, but another to enjoy it."
"Oh, I assure you," Raven added, watching birds flutter their graceful wings as they took flight; "it's definitely something to love. So peaceful, charming, serene…almost perfect."
"Almost?" Gecko second-questioned in a jokingly manner, "it's perfect to me."
"There's no such thing as perfect though," Raven corrected with a smirk, "but its okay to have the next best thing, is it not?"
"I agree with you there," Gecko reasoned, nodding his head, "but I'm more than happy with the next closest thing to perfect…and that's you."
She blushed ever so slightly at his compliments. Even though she had heard them on a daily basis, even many a day, they all seemed to touch her every single time. It was a feeling that she did indeed enjoy greatly. Yet, something didn't feel…right. Raven did love David with her heart and soul, as they shared so much in common, and he was a most noble and brave man, but something was…missing. She couldn't place her finger on it, nor could find it to begin with, but something wasn't present that didn't make it feel right in her mind. Her first assumption was probably the only one she had, and was probably true. It was the fact that she still had feelings for Garfield, yet it had been so long. Nearly 4 years had been between them, and he was to have surely gotten over what he had shared for her, or that is what Raven thought. With Slade's original plan to revive Terra for his bidding once more, the serum she bestowed upon him was the answer to his pain and suffering that he had for losing her. Raven may have been "dead" to Garfield, the Titans, even the whole world, but she knew no matter how much he had "gotten over it", there would always be pain in his heart from losing the one he cared for. The Titans all shared this grief, but his seemed to be the deepest and darkest wound of all. It's one thing to lose a friend, but it's another to lose a loved one, and that is exactly what Garfield had lost. She only hoped that he had managed to find happiness in her wake to soothe the pain to a tolerable level. Yet, it only brought more thoughts of what was to happen. Raven loved Gecko, but had feelings for Garfield. She was literally torn between two people she cared for greatly, and separated nearly by a world. Raven shook her head of the confusing, jumbling thoughts and possibilities that lie ahead of her. Now, it was time to be happy…be happy with David.
"Rae, you alright?" He questioned, concerned at the look she had upon her face.
"What? Yeah, yes, I'm fine, David, I was just thinking."
"About?" Gecko curiously pried.
"My friends, the Titans, everything that has happened, the usual," she pointed out half-truthfully.
"I'm more than certain you will reunite with them one day," Gecko assured, "I promise you. I won't stop until you do."
Raven smiled as she looked into his eyes.
"That's nice to know and I really do appreciate it, David."
He returned her beaming smile, something that she rarely ever did, even now of lately in her seemingly bliss. In the half a year of officially being with her, Gecko had seen her smile only a handful of times, yet, he knew that she was happy, and probably the happiest she had been in ages, if not her life. A fragile heart that hung in the balance and Gecko was the only thing keeping it from shattering upon the rocks of loneliness and the feelings of abandonment. Even though her friends would never do such a thing, it was only natural to feel that way. She knew it as well, but it was human nature to do so.
"Maybe if I take her mind off of things just for a few minutes, it may help her out in the long run," Gecko contemplated, searching around for the perfect distraction. "Ah, that will do."
It was a lone, white rabbit, contently feeding on the tall grass along the edge of the path in open daylight.
"Hey Rae, watch this," he stated, releasing her hand as she stood still, "I'm going to catch that rabbit."
"I don't know about it, rabbits are pretty fast," Raven innuendoed to a challenge.
"Come on, It's me we're talking about here," Gecko laughed as he prepared to leap into action, stalking his prey.
With a mere moment's hesitation, he jumped, attempting to pounce on the unsuspecting creature. Just as he was about to capture it, the animal took off, leaving him to catch nothing but a facefull of dirt. Raven only laughed at his antics as the rabbit continued to leap and bound around with Gecko in tow, narrowly missing at each try. It finally grew bored with the chase apparently, and rocketed past Raven, darting into the thick treeline, Gecko kicking dirt out of playful frustration.
"Let me show you how it's done," Raven informed in her usual manner, climbing into the dense overgrowth before her. Light was nearly absent from the density of the trees overhead, their canopy blocking the sun's rays. It wasn't long, only a mere ten feet or more into the wooded area that Raven found the rabbit, eating away again. Once more, it didn't take Raven, as it did Gecko, as a threat, and remained idle.
"I've got you now," Raven whispered as she prepared to leap for it. Just as she gained footing to do so, the rabbit disappeared beneath a dark object. The object appeared to be a hand. She looked on in confusion, growing closer, but not sure as to what had happened.
"Little rabbit? Where did you go?" Raven sing-songily asked of the animal, finally laying eyes on it once more, but it appeared to be in a large figure's grasp. The object merely squeezed his hand tightly, causing the rabbit to cry out in pain as its fragile bones snapped beneath the pressure. The figure tossed it aside, looking at a crouched Raven before her, who was more than frightened. Her fright grew to terror as a single shaft of sunlight penetrated the canopy above her, reflecting off of the figure's head. The bronze half of a mask shone, the evil smirking eye looking at her with no remorse. Raven remained frozen in place, completely petrified. Her logic told her to run or at least get away, but her body refused to cooperate. He drew back his right hand, preparing to attack.
Meanwhile, Gecko was catching his breath in the breezy, open air of the path.
"Come on, Rae, don't worry about it," he called to her, "I'm sure it's long gone by now. Besides, it's getting late, we need to start heading back if we want to make it before sunset."
There was no response, only the seemingly chaotic chattering of the birds as they always did.
"Raven?" He asked once more, standing up, "You alright? Rae?"
He heard her yell out in pain, followed by her body quickly exiting the treeline through the air, rolling to a stop.
"Raven!" Gecko rushed to her aid, helping her up. She sat there, eyes full of terror while she held her head, looking in the direction from whence she just came. "What's the matter? Are you alright?"
"I-I-It's S-S-S-"was all that she could manage in her fright, her ashen gray skin pale, nearly white as paper.
"It's what?" Gecko pressured, fearing for her safety.
The evil laugh of a man that both of them had come to know and hate with every fiber of their being sounded from the trees, causing both of them to refocus on where Raven had just come from. It grew louder and more intense as it appeared he was growing closer.
"S-Show yourself!" Gecko ordered, preparing to defend Raven, taking up one of his many martial arts stances.
Indeed, the figure showed himself, but both Gecko and Raven refused to believe what they saw, and wished it had remained unseen. Without a scratch, no worse for wear, the black-clothed, armored, person that remained anonymous behind a mask that was synonymous with the vilest evil on the face of the planet stood before them, slowly raising his head to make eye contact with Gecko, and far from taking him as a threat.
"Well, well, well," Slade's voice emitted clear as day in its usual demeanor, "what do we have here? I find both my former apprentice and a victim of forgotten past at the same time? This really is my lucky day."
"What the-," Gecko commented, looking at Raven as she sat, petrified with fear, "I thought you said you killed him?"
Slade only let out an amused huff, just short of a laugh.
"T-t-there's no way," Raven managed, shaking her head, "t-t-this is not possible, y-y-you're d-"
"Dead?" He interrupted, shifting his focus to her, "Raven dearest, don't you ever listen to what you are told? I'm something that cannot be killed by you, him, or anyone else. Though, it does feel great to be alive, doesn't it?"
"I killed you with my own bare hands!" Raven finally exclaimed out of anger, still attempting to believe what was in before her.
"Obviously you failed in your attempt," Slade coolly replied, not even recognizing either of them as a threat. "Yet, I am quite pleased to find him here, a surprise really. Not only do I get to eliminate my apprentice, but I can finish what I started so long ago. Tell me, David, your master, how is he doing these days?"
Gecko narrowed his already furrowed stare, gritting his teeth, but remaining in place. His first priority was to protect Raven, but the thought of vengeance crossed him mind instantaneously.
"I see your in no short supply of anger, David," Slade taunted, turning his focus back to Raven as he nonchalantly walked about, hands clasped behind his back in his usual manner. "I will admit you have proved to be an…amusing quarry to say the least, child, but after these 3 long, tedious, and monotonous years of searching for you on your world trek…I am really looking forward to ending your life. You know what they say child, an eye for an eye…and I plan on removing your good one personally."
That was the final straw, Gecko refused to hear anymore of his threats, especially directed towards Raven. In a flash, he leapt into action, drawing his sword. Slade's eye grew in surprise at his impressive speed, so much enough as he was unable to prevent the inevitable. With a single targeted slash of his pristine blade, it sliced through Slade's neck without any friction, let alone sound. Gecko stood poised upon finishing the move, Slade stunned, then his body going limp as his head rolled free of his body. Yet…something didn't feel right to him, he inspected his sword, finding not a single trace of blood or any sign he had inflicted a death blow upon him.
"T-that was easy," Raven commented in disbelief, standing up, still unsure if it was a dream or not.
"A little too easy," Gecko replied, turning his head to see Slade's body, as well as speak to Raven, "stand back, something's not rig-"
Raven watched in horror as Slade's lifeless body stirred, slowly picking itself up off of the ground, calmly walking to its severed head, even taking the time to dust it off while he tucked it in his arm before placing it on his shoulders, all accompanied by a sinister low laugh that made her skin crawl. Gecko spun around out of sheer disbelief. Even after sustaining a fatal blow, he merely shrugged it off as if it were nothing.
"That…tickled," he jested, dusting his shoulders off as well. His wound sealed as his neck and head reconnected, making him look good as new. What was present was beyond mortal comprehension. Raven looked closer; finding what she dreaded and hoped was not true. Yet, her hopes were false. Clear as day in the middle of his forehead sat the Mark of Scathe, one of the many symbols of Trigon the Terrible. Slade was not mortal.
"What the f-, how is that possible?!" Gecko exclaimed out of anger, "That should have killed you!"
"Please," Slade replied, "I wouldn't allow the likes of you to kill me. You or this…little girl that pretends to play the big hero. Face it, you two; you don't stand a chance of defeating me. Besides, David, your presence here is a classic example of "wrong time, wrong place", I thought a nearly a decade of pain and torment was enough for you, I suppose I thought wrong. Now be good children and surrender your lives to me."
"Answer me one thing, Slade," Raven ordered of him as she stood there, getting his attention, "why are you working for my father again? After what he did, why are you stupid enough to be his minion once more?"
"If you only understood, child," Slade replied, "I didn't elect myself to do this, but it was an opportunity out of that god-forsaken realm your father calls home. He wanted you eliminated to prevent him from ever being sent back if he decided to attempt conquest again, I wanted out of his hellish dimension. Not only am I doing him a favor, but I'm getting what I want, how quaint."
"He'll just stab you in the back again," Raven fired back, "what's the point of doing this, just for the vengeance?"
"That's where you're wrong," he informed, keeping a keen eye on Gecko, who was more than interested to hear how Slade was revived in a sense. "Once you're…disposed of, I get my freedom, but that's not all. With my newly-earned freedom comes these most wonderful powers. One of which your precious lovebird, David, has just witnessed."
"Whatever he has planned isn't going to happen," Raven protested, "I will stop it here and now."
Slade merely chuckled.
"Even in your darkest hour, you always prove yourself to be brave and ever-vigilant, Raven dearest. That was one quality that I selected you for being my apprentice. Despite what happened to me, I honestly can say you were by far the best and most accomplished. Yet, even those separating qualities won't be enough to save you. Without your friends, you are defenseless; this will be very easy indeed."
"You'll have to go through me first!" Gecko exclaimed, leaping into action once more.
"Sounds exciting," Slade calmly replied, spinning around to accept Gecko's challenge.
Gecko's blade cut through the air, Slade his intended target once more, but all he found was air this time. Aptly dodging his attack, Slade prepared to deliver a counterblow. Off-balance and vulnerable, Gecko prepared for the worst. Yet, just as Slade brought his own hand up to attack, Raven's foot crashed into the side of his face, sending him rolling away from the impact, enough even to surprise Gecko.
"I'm not so defenseless myself," Raven half-heartily taunted, even though it was more of a declaration.
"Thanks for the save, Rae," Gecko commented, knowing he was in a bad position only moments before.
"You owe me," she informed as her eyes remained trained on Slade, watching him rise to his feet.
"Not bad, Apprentice, not bad at all," Slade's eerie voice complimented in an odd way as he adjusted his jaw, the sickening sound of bone cracking back into place audible. "Seems you've been busy in our absence apart from one another, haven't you?"
"Maybe I have what of it?" Raven quickly asked of him defensively, keeping a fighting stance, "it's plenty to finish you off it that's what you're wondering."
"Oh, I beg to differ," Slade continued, "before, it was you're powers that separated you and I, now, you are nothing more than a normal little girl. Where you have lost, I have gained. The tables have been essentially turned, and I do believe it is I that has the advantage now. Even without them, you would prove to be far from a threat in my current state."
Without another word, Raven went on the offensive, quickly closing the gap between her and Slade. A flurry of attacks intended for Slade all failed to land, his agile form easily dodging them as if Raven was mockery of a combatant. He finally caught one of her straight attacks with his own right hand, quickly clenching down on her fist with enough force to cause the bones in her hand to pop, on the verge of breaking. Raven fought to free her hand from his vice-like grip he had upon her. She only strained against the pain, attempting to not let Slade see he truly was hurting her.
"Even with your so-called training, you've gotten soft in my time away, child," Slade taunted, leaning in close to her face. "With this pathetic display, you really have any hopes of defending yourself?"
Slade's words were cut short as Gecko's blade traveled up the exposed torso of Slade. The fabric of his uniform ripped with the vertical slice, but quickly mended back together as he stumbled from the force of the attack, releasing Raven's hand before it was nearly crushed by his supernatural strength.
"We're even," Gecko smirked, "you okay?"
Raven tested the flexibility of her hand, opening and closing it, even though it pained her.
"Yeah, I'm fine; I've had worse," she admitted, "so, what's the plan? One of us alone can't take him on."
"Let's work together then," Gecko logically replied, replacing his sword to its sheath. "It only makes sense. He may have been able to take us before, but powers or not, he can't hope to defeat our combined might."
Raven nodded, watching Slade's unusually calm person begin to walk back within striking distance.
"Still attempting to defend those you care, are we, David?" Slade delivered, "you can't protect Raven no better than you can protect yourself. Surrender and I may feel generous enough to let you live. My fight is with Raven, not you."
"You lay another hand on her and I'll rip you to shreds with my own bare hands," Gecko growled, almost an animalistic look in his eyes, "you've already taken someone close to me, I'm not about to let you take her too."
"You will fall the same as your master. Looking back, I should have killed you as well, it would have saved me the trouble of doing so now."
"You go high, I go low?" Raven commented, seeing he was clearly angered, nearly grinding his teeth.
Gecko merely nodding, focusing everything he had to strike, and hopefully put Slade down for good.
"Tick, tock, children, time is running out," Slade beckoned, standing erect as he awaited whatever they had to throw at him. "your futures look very bleak."
In tandem, Raven and Gecko took off, their movement nearly blended together flawlessly as one single force. That force had only one thing on its mind as it erupted forth…the destruction of Slade. Yet, it appeared Slade was far from taking either of them as a threat. In fact, he was far from combative, merely standing there; idle as Raven and Gecko attacked, growing closer and closer by the second.
"That's it," Slade thought, narrowing his eye in their attempt, "make this…interesting."
Gecko's fist aimed for his head, but was aptly dodged. Raven followed with a sweeping kick to Slade's torso, only to have similar results. It wasn't unusual to have an attack dodged, but it was the degree of severity they were experiencing. Even after years of tough, rigorous training, Slade was making them look like amateurs, nay, novices. His hands remained clasped behind his back, relaxed, and in no hurry to retaliate to his quarry. This savage exchange of various blows and strikes that seemed to be relentless only ended with Gecko and Raven backing off to catch their breath, nearly exhausted from striking nothing but air. Determination was still written on their faces, perspiration forming from exertion.
"What's the matter? Tired already?" Slade taunted, remaining ever-vigilant in his composed stature. "I hate to inform you, but it is going to take more than that to even hope of making any progress."
"Don't worry," Raven managed through her breaths, tightening her fists, "we're just getting started."
Raven led off this time around, sending a devastating kick targeted for Slade's head. Yet again, he easily dodged, but instead of making them look like fools as he had done thus far, he quickly took hold of her leg, gripping it tightly. Using her inertia against her, Slade spun around while having a hold on her leg, lifting her free of the ground. Raven let out a yelp of surprise as she went unwillingly along for the ride through the air. Slade slammed her body down into the ground before him with shattering force, sending out a fissuring effect. Dazed, Raven attempted to get to her feet, but the notion was quickly squelched by Slade as he quickly delivered a punishing kick to her abdomen, sending her skidding across the ground. Her tumbling, sliding person crashed into Gecko as he charged forth in hopes of following up Raven's original intentions, but had become a rescue of sorts. The two of them came to a halt not much father from the original point of contact.
"Pathetic," Slade scoffed, "I really expect better of you, Raven. I can understand him being a failure, but you? How far have we really fallen?"
Raven didn't hesitate to show what she thought of him as she began sprinting headlong in Slade's direction, emitting a growl of frustration. Gecko was slower to rise in recovery from the actual collision, unable to actually stop her in his dazed state. Instead of having Gecko's aid, as well as relying on intuition, Raven was fueled by nothing more than sheer anger and hatred for the man that ruined her life. Ironically, Slade was far from even recognizing Raven at the moment, but even for him, there was a…sinister look in his eye. His calm demeanor was giving way to something that no one had witnessed before, not even Slade himself.
"Too slow, child," he taunted as he evaded her attacks with ease, "indeed you've learned a great deal...but is nothing compared to what I've acquired."
Slade grasped her wrist as he evaded yet another attack. Raven retaliated with her free hand, only to have similar results. Beneath his dire grasp, Raven struggled to writhe her way free, but it was to no avail. She noticed something different about him, his strength, speed…everything, seemed so…inhuman. Indeed she had thought she had ended his life, but he was to have been killed before by the violent force of erupting lava, and yet he lived. She had nothing to explain why Slade had become so powerful, but needed to find out how to combat it if she hoped to live, let alone defeat him. His grasp forced her arms to her sides, clenching her as he lifted her free of the ground before him.
"When will you learn that your end is inevitable?" Slade hissed in her face, squinting out of his sheer amusement, "death isn't all that bad, Raven, I've experienced it quite well. Just let it overtake you and all your suffering will come to an end."
Even in her predicament, Raven remained calm. Her only rebuttal was a rather simple one; she spit right in his eye. While in his distracted state, Raven continued with her thought-out plan.
"Go to hell," she informed, bringing her right foot back as far as she possibly could, and swiftly lodging it in his groin.
Sure enough, even in his empowered state, Slade was still of human nature, and felt pain, immortal or not. He instantly released her, stumbling backwards as he writhed in pain. It wasn't the first time she had injured him in such a way, and at this rate, it wasn't the last.
"Just like old times," Raven quipped, watching him writhe in pain.
Slade's infuriated stare made contact with her as she stood confidently before him, seeing she had found somewhat of a weakness in his "invincible" state.
"You'll…regret doing that," Slade managed in his injured state, "you will pay dearly for it."
"We'll find out," she added, seeing Gecko was finally to his feet again. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," he assured, focusing back on Slade, "it's going to take more than that to keep me down."
Slade didn't hesitate, after suffering such a humiliating, and painful, blow from Raven, he wasn't about to sit back in amusement any longer. He rushed forward, preparing to attack. He brought his hand back as he was forward in motion. Raven read his form as Gecko had instructed her to do against an opponent, and brought her hands up into position to protect herself in defense. Slade's fisted hand crashed into her defense, but instead of nullifying much like she was accustomed to in her sparring sessions, it sent a shockwave of pain through her entire body even in her blocking position, and the remainder of the devastating force sent her sliding across the ground on her feet, living trowels of disturbed earth nearly 20 feet in length. The pain screamed as she slid to a stop, unable to move her arms, only falling to her sides. Before Raven could even think of what had happened, Slade's fist crashed into her face, sending her sprawling across the grass in agony. Gecko retaliated, but Slade was too fast, dodging his attack, and sending his knee sharply into Gecko's midsection, dropping him to his knees. Slade's foot sent Gecko backwards with tremendous force, sliding to a stop, a path of destruction etched in the earth. Slade's feeling of victory was quickly squelched as Raven caught him off-guard, landing a powerful kick to his chest, throwing him off-balance, allowing her to finish off with a sweeping attack that took him off of his feet. In her anger towards him, whatever honor and respect she showed for her opponents as she had done in the past had subsided and give way to that of revenge. With a driving fist, Raven came down, targeting his head, full of confidence that it would make contact and inflict some damage on this juggernaut of a force that they had combated thus far. Her confidence vanished as Slade's large, powerful hand clasped around hers, stopping it in its tracks. With a quick snap of his arm, he threw her over, flipping her on to her back just as he rose to his feet. In a single fluid motion, Slade mimicked her own attack, nearly crushing her underneath the immense strength he possessed. Luckily, she rolled to the side just in time to evade it, feeling the earth beneath where she had just previously vacated fissure and crack as a minute shockwave emitted forth. In his blind rage towards Raven, Slade was completely oblivious to Gecko as he lashed out with a vicious attack, quite possibly saving Raven from disaster as she regained her senses from being slammed into the ground. Gecko's own personal vendetta fueled him as he pressed forth, landing blow after blow, keeping Slade on the defensive. In his flurry of attacks, Gecko took hold of Slade's wrist, pulling him forward. Off-balance and off-guard, all he could do was weather the storm. With a sharp, upward kick, Gecko's foot snapped the bones of Slade's arm, sending out the disgusting sound of breaking with enough force to not only cause his arm to bend nearly 90 degrees at the wrong angle, but it was clear that Slade's shoulder was dislocated as well. Even for a man with his powers, he still felt pain to a degree, and this was no different. He reeled back, clutching his arm, nearly growling at the ferocity that came forth from his broken bones. Gecko wasn't about to stop, seeing he had finally injured the monster before him. Another lethal kick landed, nearly spinning Slade's head completely around, the supporting vertebrate merely shattering beneath the force. Out of breath and nearly exhausted, Gecko stood poised to strike again, but his stamina spoke otherwise. Raven finally rose to her feet, seeing the disturbing image that Slade had become. He had fallen to a knee, his head nearly lying over unnaturally. For a moment, the carnage came to a halt; all that could be heard was the sounds of nature around them.
"Is he…" Raven managed, checking her mouth for blood, finding a minute amount. She only hoped her thoughts were true.
"No," Gecko interrupted, heaving for breath, his brow furrowed in anger, "even after that…he's still…"
A bone-chilling chuckle came forth in a lowly tone from Slade as he remained in place. He lifted his head slightly from its clearly broken position, his eye shrunk to nearly nothing as it made the difference in making contact with his enemies. His chuckle grew to a laugh of maniacal proportions, enough to send shivers down even the most courageous spines, Gecko and Raven's included. Even with his severe and would-be lethal injuries, he stood up once more.
"The two of you humor me so," Slade hissed, slowly holding up his wounded arm, then quickly thrusting it back into socket, flinging it forward to realign the bones in his forearm with disgusting results. "Both of you actually think you can defeat me if you try hard enough," He continued with a matching tone, his neck popping and cracking as he adjusted it to its normal position once more. "A shame your efforts are so misplaced and misguided. Do let me know when I can start trying."
Raven only gritted her teeth in sheer rage, attempting to contain it. It was finally clear what they were up against as she took a closer look. All that shone back at her was the blood-red smearing of a mark that she knew all too well. It was apparent that Slade's threats were proving to be quite true, and quickly turning into declarations. Despite the odds, Raven wasn't about to give up now.
"Any other ideas?" Gecko managed through his own anger, wiping away a trickle of blood from his forehead, "That's twice I've killed him and he keeps coming back like nothing's happened."
"Thank my father for that one," Raven commented, watching Slade slowly close the gap. "Last time he had these powers, it took all of my friends to even put a dent in him, and that was throwing everything we had at him. He's even stronger than before, and it's only us."
"We're stronger as well," Gecko added, "together, we'll prevail through anything."
Even though he meant his words as encouragement to continue, Raven knew that this was not an attempt for victory, but a struggle for survival. Having inter-dimensional powers bestowed upon him once more and a thirst for vengeance didn't help matters any for them. Raven's days of running away were far behind her, and this was no different, she and Gecko were to stand their ground and defeat him…or die trying.
"Are you children done making peace with death yet?" Slade hissed, "This is growing rather tiresome. I assure you I'll make it quick."
"Not in this life or the next," Raven replied, snapping into her stance, spitting a mouthful of collected blood as well.
Gecko followed suit, not falling prey to Slade's ways.
"Before we begin our little…game once more, answer me this," Slade began nonchalantly, "as your opponent, how do you rate me thus far?"
"As a evil, maniacal, psychopathic, egotistical, heartless bastard," Gecko quickly informed out of anger.
"So close, but not the answer I was looking for," Slade obliged, "Raven knows best what I speak of. Tell me Raven dearest."
"You're using my father's powers just like last time, what's so special?" She snapped. "You're still the arrogant asshole I've always known you to be."
Slade let out a huff of a laugh that turned into a chuckle, then on par with a cackle, something that one would expect from someone one the brink of insanity.
"Oh, you're gravely mistaken," he finally regained his composure, "indeed Trigon granted this…fantastic power upon me once more, but it appears he has been quite…generous."
Without warning, Slade's right hand ignited into a raging inferno, sending forth a fireball. Raven and Gecko quickly evaded as it spread upon the ground, setting fire to the dry grass upon the ground. Their visages remained unfazed by his display of power.
"Still not impressed?" Slade toyed in his usual manner, only inciting their anger that much more. "Ah, yes, this is nothing new to Raven, and it will take much more to get to you, won't it David?
In an instant, a shockwave of immense heat emanated from Slade's body, swaying the grass and surrounding vegetation with it. The heat was enough to cause Raven and Gecko to attempt to deter it away from their eyes with a raised arm, squinting. Quickly following was a blaze that scorched the earth to a charred black, frizzling any and all combustible material within 15 feet of his position, except it wasn't just a burst of flames, but his entire body had become sillouetted within the flames as they danced across his person, glowing in the midday sun. Right at his feet had turned the earth into molten slag similar to a lava flow of a volcano from the sheer The fire continued to lap as it climbed to his head, engulfing it as well, his eye gleaming brightly in a shade of hellfire red that Raven had never seen before. It almost appeared that Slade had ascended beyond his mortal threads into that of a demon. It appeared it wasn't far from the truth.
"Ooookay, that's new," Raven managed, keeping her composure the best she could, even for her, this is proving to be quite difficult. For once in a really long time, she was truly frightened to her core.
"He turned himself into a walking candle, big deal," Gecko commented, but even though he put on a façade, he was feeling the same fear that Raven was experiencing.
Slade appeared to just be looking himself over, standing before them without a care in the world. He finally made eye contact with them, his hands erupting with blazing flames, ready to be used at his disposal.
"Play time's over," he uttered in a deep, growling voice that seemed to crawl beneath their skin, knowing that he was indeed true. Slade's demonic aura that settled within him by the aid of Trigon had finally taken over his mortal shell. He sent forth another raging attack of his powers, putting Gecko and Raven on the defensive once more, scrambling to avoid the fireballs that splashed where they once were, scorching the tranquil earth to a hellish landscape. Powers or not, especially to this degree, Raven refused to give in, and made a charge at her opposition…head on. Slade drew back, appearing as if he was going to retaliate to whatever Raven had planned, who was in a similar position as she leapt, ready to pounce upon him in a sense. Only a fraction from striking, Slade's grip, icy cold despite his flaming disposition, wrapped around her neck, strangling her as she was stopped dead in her tracks, dangling helplessly above the ground. She gasped for air, grasping at his deathgrip upon her throat, kicking, but to no avail. With a mere squint of his eye, as if he was smirking distastefully beneath his mask, Slade turned, pulling Raven along, and with a sharp snap of his arm, threw her over his shoulder and right into the ground, nearly headfirst. Gecko attempted to retaliate out of revenge, only to be knocked away like he was nothing. Slade was focused on one thing and one thing alone; Raven. His fight was with her, not him, but he wouldn't mind eliminating the nuisance that has plagued him thus far as well. Gecko's rage only grew as Slade continued to target Raven, even disrespecting him as an opponent. He refused to be taken so lightly, especially by the likes of his Slade. Still dazed, lying on the ground, all Raven could do was hope to regain her senses. Yet, despite Gecko's intrusion, it still wasn't enough, as Slade's heel came crashing down her sternum, knocking what wind she did have from her lungs, causing her to gasp for breath. Just as she began to stir once more, Slade's boot lodged itself in her side, sending her skidding across the ground.
"Leave her alone!" Gecko yelled as he attempted to strike Slade once more, only to have it end in disaster once more as Slade smile spun around, connecting with a backhanded fist, driving him straight into the ground.
"Don't worry, David," Slade hissed as he turned back to Raven, "be patient, you'll get your turn."
Raven had finally made it to her hands and knees while Gecko essentially distracted Slade, regaining her bearings. Her vision had finally returned to normal, but she continued to heave for breath, coughing as well. Just in the passing seconds, she immediately noticed that Slade was no longer himself in a sense, but his vengeance had taken over, shedding his mortal coil, and becoming a demonic being hell-bent on slaying her. If Raven was to ever feel fear, it was now, and she was in no short supply of it. Slade's impending footsteps grew closer and closer to her.
"I have to get up," she told herself in her mind, but it was to no avail, her lack of breath said otherwise.
"What's the matter, Raven dearest? Feeling a little…tired? Where's that warrior's spirit I witnessed only moments ago? Oh, of course, silly me, you've seen the true face of death, how could I forget that."
Just as she attempted to stand up once more, Slade brought his foot back with all his might, and sent it forth, connecting cleanly with her head, the force dealing its punishment to her face around her good eye. His attack sent her flipping end over end, and sliding to a stop, face up, groaning in pain as she clutched at the right side of her face. Blood flowed from a deep gash above her eye from the impact of Slade's foot, sending tendrils of the red fluid between her fingers and down the contours of her face. Blood managed to find its way into her eye itself, stinging her into temporary blindness, finding no serenity in her predicament. Gritting her teeth from the pain, she rubbed vigorously at her eye in an attempt to return vision.
"You're making this too easy," Slade informed as he slowly approached, powering up a blast of flames that was only rivaled by those of Hell. "Even I managed to hold my own against you and your powers when I was human. Just because our positions have changed is no reason to give up. Now that I'm so close to achieving victory, it feels hollow because you are less than a threat now."
"I'll give you a threat!" Gecko exclaimed as he attacked once more out of desperation, the sight of Raven's injuries fueling his rage, which was already appearing to be primal and animalistic in nature just by the look in his eyes. His eyes themselves appeared to have morphed to that of a reptile's, bright green with a thin sliver of black for an pupil. A hint of dark, emerald green even began to pigment itself on his skin. Slade merely gripped his fist as he attempted to strike, nearly crushing his hand as he squeezed, causing him to yelp in pain, struggling to get away. He managed to get a deep slash in with his sword, only to have it seal once more in an instantaneous manner with his free hand, Slade appearing less than amused at his efforts.
"I told you to wait your turn, are you so keen on meeting death early?" Slade hissed in his face, the heat from the fire that engulfed his body easily transferring to the surface of Gecko's skin, making him far from comfortable. "Let me finish off your little girlfriend and you can join her."
Before Gecko could even think of mouthing a reply, a blast of fire sent him flying from Slade's hand and into the thick jungle, crashing.
"Now," Slade commented, turning back around, "where were we?"
Raven was on her feet, squinting her eyes out of pain, heaving for breath, but ready to defend herself once more.
"Are you going to make this interesting now?" Slade taunted, amused with her actions. "Please do so, I like it when my prey is…frightened."
She remained dauntless in his verbal assault, keeping what composure she retained. Raven was worried about Gecko, but the raging beast was focused on her once more, so her priorities took a minor shift for the moment. Yet, Raven was doing all she could to survive, let alone see. The blood that managed to seep into her eye had blurred what sight she still possessed, and all that she could see was a inferno that was Slade, glowing hazily in her eyes.
"I can't see…bastard" she commented in her mind, still blinking frantically as she steadied herself for whatever Slade had planned. Even in her near panic, she managed to find relaxation as she remembered what was always told by David: "Always rely on your training, and you can do no wrong."
With a deep, clearing breath, Raven allowed her eyes to close, sealing her sight into darkness, and enhancing her other senses. She wasn't about to let all of her training and teachings from Gecko and Master Hui's animals go to waste, especially when she needed them most.
"Vision is deceptive," Raven remembered, hearing it in the form of The Snake's slithering voice, "your worst enemy is your own sight. Trickery and treachery are all it knows as it lies to you when you need it most. You must feel your enemy, eliminate the deception. You must eliminate your vision."
Out of sheer defiance, even after the trouncing she had taken thus far, Raven's outstretched hand motioned for Slade to "bring it".
"Very well, Apprentice," Slade commented at his own amusement, preparing another fireball meant for her, "merciless this will be."
He launched the built-up flames in Raven's direction at an alarming speed, hoping to finish her off once and for all. Yet, to his dismay, Raven's senses were indeed in tune, proving she truly didn't need eyesight to effectively defend herself as she easily evaded Slade's attack. Surprise on his part was putting it lightly. Once more, he tried again with a similar attack, only to have similar results. Rage began to cloud his judgment as Slade became infuriated, using his powers in a continuous jet of flames, following Raven as she continued to dodge. With her enhanced senses, Raven quickly moved in, catching Slade off guard, the first time since the beginning of their little skirmish. With sheer concentration and execution of the highest caliber, her open palm was sharply thrusted into his midsection, putting him off-balance. Raven followed with a devastating upward attack that snapped Slade's head back with lethal force, yet, she was far from finished. In Slade's stumble, her leg swept his feet from beneath him, and on the way down, her elbow swiftly connected with his chest, forcing him to the ground, fissuring the earth beneath him. To avoid any type of counter, Raven somersaulted in a backwards motion, keeping her distance from Slade. A slight smirk graced her face.
"Not bad for someone that's blind," Raven taunted to her own success. "Come on, just when I start having fun, you lie down on the job. You know what they say, you can dish it, then you can take it."
Slade merely stood up, popping his neck back into place from its grotesque positioning, as well as dusting his shoulders off, the look in his eye far from amused.
"It's going to take more than that to even conceive hurting me, child," Slade lowly informed, keeping his composure, "let's see how you like this."
Slade's fist tightened as he gathered his powers within it, but closed them, clutching it within the palm of his hand. The energy contained was shining through the cracks between his fingers with intensity unparalleled, ready to explode. Eyesight or not, Raven knew something bad was happening, and her other senses painted the picture for her.
"You're not the only one with new tricks," Raven informed, preparing to attack as well. It was now or never to find out if the techniques that Gecko had taught her were going to pay off. What better way to find out than to prove herself against her living nightmare of a former master. The two forces continued to approach one another, a mid-collision bound to happen in dramatic fashion. With superb concentration, Raven remained calm, and used her senses to find Slade's exact positioning in order to strike. Even with all of her training and dedication, her skills were not quite mastered. Just as she was about to strike, her intended target his chest, but was sadly mistaken as she felt the incoming heat of Slade's attack tightly clenched in his fist. It was far too late for her to stop the inertia. It was Slade's intention all along. With force rivaled by no other, the two attacks crashed into one another, sending a shockwave that unsettled any loose dirt, even surrounding vegetation, all of which was literally ripped free from the wind sheer. To Slade's surprise, it wasn't the initial contact that fazed him directly, but like a follow up of energy surged into his fist from Raven's own, crushing his hand with ease, causing bone to break, contort, and brutally snap into a disfigured shape with a white shard sticking out of the back of his hand. Despite having somewhat of a success, it came at a price for her. Slade's energy erupted forth into her own fist and across her hand in a hellish blaze, literally cooking her flesh. Both stumbled back, surveying the damage they wrought and received. Raven's forearm and hand were severely burned, steam still emanating from her flesh, the sleeve of her outfit burned away. Her arm fell to her side in blinding pain; Slade had rendered it useless without inviting the onslaught of the most seething negativity she had ever experienced. Meanwhile, Raven managed to look up, blurred vision, only to see Slade take hold of his fractured hand, forcing the bones back into place in quick succession, making a fist as if nothing had happened. After flexing it a couple times, he merely looked up at Raven.
"Impressive technique to say the least," Slade commended in a voice that didn't fit it at all. "but once more…it is not enough. When will you figure out you are only prolonging the inevitable?"
Raven stood there, shocked; giving everything she had thus far, and resulted to nothing. No amount of training, techniques, or hope could possibly defeat this beast. Even if she had her powers, she doubted it could combat the demonic abilities her father bestowed upon Slade. In truth, and it was finally beginning to get to her, it was over before it started.
"I've…failed," she thought, eyes wide with fright, "he has taken everything…and it wasn't enough. My injuries are too great to stand a chance…it's…over."
Raven fell to her knees, almost succumbing to the truth, but the wave of doubt that had just washed over her quickly subsided to that of her true colors, bravery and courage that knows no bounds.
"I'm glad you finally see things my way, child," Slade beckoned as he approached, "if you had only done this sooner, things would have been less…complicated. I'll request your father treats you with dignity after I complete his request, I'm more than certain he will be…ecstatic to be reunited with his offspring."
"No," Raven commented, gripping the dirt upon the ground as she raked her fingers through it, digging into the earth. "it's not over until its over. I've braved storms more fierce than this, I have traversed the world practically by foot, trained in different aspects of martial arts and living life in its fullest. My mother sacrificed her well-being to revive me, breathing life into me once more…I refuse to throw that away. Now is not my time. I make my own future, not him, I decide whether I live or die. I choose to live."
Though in pain of unknown proportions, Raven crawled to her feet as Slade approached in his ever-ominous manner, staggering as she stood with weak knees trembling beneath her very weight, only adding to the weight she already bore on her shoulders from the obligated promise she made to reunite with those she loved.
"Having second thoughts? You always were a complex and difficult individual, Raven. It was one thing that appealed to me in your selection as my apprentice. Yet, the very thing that I despised and led to your rebellion against me is that complexity. Allow me to simplify things for you."
Slade's ablaze from leapt forth before an injured Raven could contemplate a plan of action. With a sharp, yet powerful, blow connecting cleanly with her head, Raven's body slammed into a tree after a short distance, sliding to the ground upon it, winded once more. Her world was black, unable to even see, let alone feel her surroundings. The blind, deaf, and mute couldn't even compare to what she was experiencing as she called out, but nothing could be heard. She wasn't sure if she was dead or not, but pain numbed what sense she retained, so either way, it would have been impossible to tell. Either way, Raven was truly uncaring at the moment, as both seemed to be hell, one living, and one eternal. She chose the hell on earth, she chose to live…and only hoped to. Her sense seemed to quickly return as she felt the eerily cold hand clamp around her neck with tremendous force, reminding her that she was indeed alive, and struggled for breath once more. Slade's hand applied pressure as Raven struggled against it, feeling herself being taken into the air once more with ease by his superior strength, demonically enhanced or not.
"One…more…" Slade drew out in a hiss, clutching her, "one more and it will all be over."
Raven couldn't see for her life, literally, but it didn't take her much effort to figure out what he was saying. She braced herself the best she could for the worst in the situation, but it didn't provide much comfort. Slade drew back, his fist drawn tightly, assuring it wasn't going to take more than one more attack to finish Raven off for good. Time was running out for Raven, she needed a miracle. Even though not one for religion in general, Raven was praying, she didn't know to who and didn't care, just as long as someone heard her words of mercy.
"SLADE!" A familiar voice called out from behind him in a growl of a tone, getting his attention as he looked over his shoulder.
Gecko had clawed his way from the growth, a fury ignited in his eyes as they literally glowed red, his teeth grown to razor-honed points of something animalistic with the beginnings of claws to match. The green patches upon areas of his body had finally taken over, scales easily distinguishable of a reptilian nature.
"Ah, look who decided to join us once more," Slade taunted, not amused at all by Gecko's transformation. "I was just about to finish my…business with Raven, it will be your turn shortly."
"Don't…touch…her…again," he threatened, far from warning him anymore. "Let…her…go…now."
"You want me to let her go, do you?" Slade toyed, swinging Raven around as he turned to face Gecko. He could hear Raven chocking for breath as she drew labored air, clutching at Slade's hand nearly completely around her neck, applying immense pressure.
"NOW!" Gecko ordered, appearing as if his own humanity had slipped away, and only cared for the life of Raven's.
"If you insist," Slade hissed, his free hand gripping tightly around Raven's face and head, and with a full-body motion, swung her body around and slammed her straight into the ground, head-first. Raven's body fell limply to the ground quickly after. Expecting the worst, Gecko watched in horror, but despite what he witnessed, he knew, almost felt that she was still with him, but barely. "Oh, I'm sorry, but you didn't say how I was to release her."
That was it.
Gecko's pupils, or what remained, gave way to glowing red, his last shred of humanity subsided to his demonic aura. With clutched fists and a hunched, powerful stance, he let out a roar void of his usual nature. One by one in quick succession, large black spikes similar to his claws jutted from his skin upon his forearms, three on each. The rear of his pants ripped away violently as a long, scaled tail of emerald erupted forth as well. As the tail formed, spikes like the ones on his arms pierced his hide in quick succession all they way to the end of his tail to the top of his head. Gecko's toed boots literally blew apart into shreds as large, reptilian feet, complete with razor-sharp talons. With a mouthful of teeth sharpened to lethality, scales of emerald shine, and claws of midnight black, Gecko had fully transformed. His humanity had faded to demonic power.
"I may be cursed with this demonic power on my mother's behalf," Gecko thought, "but I will use it to protect what I love. Too many have fallen in tragedy, the vicious cycle stops now. This is my curse, but his demise."
"Well, this is interesting," Slade commented, looking on as Gecko finished his transformation, red glowing eyes staring intently at him. "Do you think this is going to be enough to stop the likes of me?"
"Demon against demon?" Gecko growled, bearing his teeth, "you're no match for me."
Without warning, Gecko leapt forth with vicious tenacity, well before Slade could react, slashing violently across his throat, laying it open with ease as molten slag and fragments ripped free of Slade's body with the motion, causing him to stumble out of the force impacted upon his person. Despite powers, it was obvious he could still feel a fraction of the pain. Gecko wasn't about to stop there and waste a perfect opportunity. Another slash dug deeply into his inferno of a body with similar results, quickly followed by another, and another. A flurry of strikes continued to come forth from Gecko, all connecting with lethality yet to be witnessed by any. He was out for blood, in this case, Slade's life. He had harmed Raven, and dared to show his face once more to shatter what peace they had made together, this was not going to go unpunished. For his master, for himself, and most of all, for Raven, Slade must die. With a final slash in an uppercut manner, Slade's head snapped backwards with his neck vertebrae snapping, his mask coming unlatched, landing nearby as it resonated to a complete standstill in the dirt. Yet, Slade remained standing before a nearly exhausted Gecko, his wounds dripping with molten magma, flowing as if it had replaced the blood in his very veins. He staggered, but regained his footing, slowly lifting his head back to make eye contact with Gecko. Two black raging infernos against the hellfire red that coated his exposed skull. His fatal wounds quickly healed over as they had done before. It was apparent that nothing was going to stop this monstrosity.
"What a pathetic display," Slade hissed in his face, "you call yourself a warrior…what a disgrace."
"I have your disgrace right here, you ba-" Gecko attempted, only to have Slade quickly attack with a backhand strike, knocking him off balance, and followed through his other fist, engulfed in his powers. With explosive energy, Gecko crashed through several trees before rolling to a stop, despite his demonic form, he was no match for Slade's awesome might. Coughing he crawled to his feet, clutching his chest, his eyes remained trained on him. It appeared that Slade's words had finally come to a halt, he was done talking. Gecko knew what was left, and he didn't like the remaining task.
"If I am to die," Gecko thought, "then I die with honor. I only regret one thing. I regret not being able to protect the one I love…I regret failing Raven. I may not be the one to finish Slade off for good, but someone, somewhere, will complete the task. Someone of the likes of him will be taken care of."
Just as Gecko prepared to launch forward in retaliation, a fire-laden stream of Slade's powers quickly wound around his arm, wrapping tightly as it constricted. With a quick jerk of his arm, Gecko was taken through the air, flying towards Slade himself. All Gecko could do was watch on as Slade's free hand drew back, prepared to connect with the aided force of his travel in the air. With destructive force, a violent fireball erupted as Slade's fist connected, sending Gecko through the air once more. Just as he landed and rolled to a stop, Slade released a charged blast of his powers upon Gecko's fallen person, sending a plume of flames erupting forth. As the smoke and dust cleared, David laid there, clothes tattered from his transformation, returned to his human form, and unconscious.
"Now that this…nuisance is taken care of," Slade commented, turning back to Raven, seeing she was yet to move from the spot he had slammed her into the ground. It was unclear if she was alive or not, but Slade was going to make sure. His assumptions have already cost him his life twice, no since in risking it thrice.
Darkness.
Darkness and seething pain that wished death would come was all that Raven could feel or see. The only thing her ears heard was intense ringing, a sign that was not welcomed to say the least. It didn't help matters any that all she could taste was the bitter copper of her own blood. Her first encounter with Slade as his apprentice was nowhere near as excruciating as she felt now. The darkness finally began to subside finally, but she was still unable to move from the shock of Slade's last attack. She found herself laying upon the ground, a small pool of her blood managed to collect near her head, Raven fearing for the worst. Though in pain, she was completely coherent, so head trauma of a lethal nature wasn't probable, at least at the moment anyways. In any case, Raven wasn't experiencing the most enjoyable thing in the world. Unable to move, her body lifted free of the ground, surprisingly at that.
"A-am I…dead?" Raven thought, thinking it was her soul self leaving her mortal shell. The raging grimace of Slade's unmasked face, if that was what it was to be called, appeared in her blurred vision, accompanied by the immense heat of the flames as the fluttered in the breeze before her, unnatural, just like Slade himself. To her despair, she wasn't dead, but in Slade's clutches once more, knowing that life was already fleeting, and the end was soon to follow. Raven hung limply in Slade's hand, her head laying over, barely able to keep her eyes open.
"Oh, I have waited so long for this, child," he sneered, "too long. I will admit, you put up quite a valiant effort, but alas, like always, it will never be enough. I wish I could say this wasn't personal and only business…but that would be a blatant lie. Nothing can save you now, not the Titans, not your boyfriend, and most definitely not yourself."
Raven managed enough energy to roll her head and spit in what would have been his eye, only to hear it sizzle away and evaporate, Slade unmoved.
"I've…heard enough of your talk," Raven spoke weakly, heaving for breath to stay alive. "Do…whatever it is that you are going to…do. Life has grown…monotonous anyways."
"What a delight," Slade hissed in her face, "not only are you defeated, but the spirit that defied me, that defied all…is finally shattered. You and your broken soul will be granted a final release on my part, so be thankful."
"Shut up and do it already," Raven winced in pain, feeling as if this truly was the end. Even in her throws of life, she had grown weary of his insisting blabbering. Yet, her thoughts continued to cross through her mind:
"My friends will never see me again…but they already believe I'm dead, so it's probably for the best. I regret that I couldn't stop Slade, but most of all, I regret failing David. He needed me at his side to even think of standing a chance against him…and I failed. I do ask for his forgiveness. I only hope he lives to do so, I know my time is up."
"Say hello to your father for me, Raven dearest," Slade beckoned as he slowly drew his hand back, clenching it into a fist, his demonic powers manifesting within it. The energy glowed intently with only one purpose intended; Raven's demise.
Meanwhile, Gecko's unconscious form began to stir once more. Exhausted and hurt, he was in no condition to continue fighting, but his heart and soul told him otherwise to protect the one he loved. He already lost his master, the closest thing to a father, he wasn't about to lose Raven, the only significant other he contemplated spending his life with. Slade perpetrated the first, and he was damned to let him take Raven from him. Yet, his transformation that proved ineffective against Slade had played against him, taking away what strength and energy he had left. He struggled to his feet, finally adjusting his sight to find Slade holding Raven in his grasp, preparing to finish her.
"No…" he managed, attempting to climb to his feet, only falling to his knee, "Raven…Please…no."
With an outstretched hand, Gecko attempted to sway the inevitable, but it was to no avail, he was too far away and no longer a threat to Slade.
Slade let out a growl of anger as he began to launch his attack to a defenseless Raven, the energy ready to burst forth from his closed fist. Raven winced, closing her eyes, preparing for the worst, and only hoped it was quick. Midway through his strike, Slade abruptly halted, surprise in his eyes. He released Raven, allowing her to fall to the ground in a heap, still able to see what was happening to him. Slade stumbled backwards, surprise still evident in his eyes.
"W-what's happening?" Slade managed, looking at his hand, his power disappearing from it. The flames upon his body slowly died down to nothing, leaving only his mortal shell that all was accustomed to seeing. "What's going on? My powers…"
His surprise turned to terror as he looked at his hand, watching his body begin to deteriorate, his skeletal remains beginning to be revealed beneath. Slade's flesh literally disintegrated as the particles began to break free, fluttering in the wind and falling to the ground, all that remained was his bleached bones. He watched in horror as nearly his entire arm had dissipated, falling to his knees. Slade still moved his arm, attempting to get to the bottom of what was going on.
"Trigon…" Slade uttered in anger, watching this effect continue upon his person, "you dare to double-cross me once more?"
"It was not I, mortal," Trigon assured within the confines of Slade's mind, "this is beyond my comprehension, I am powerless to stop it. Something else is causing this, and I can do nothing."
"What is possibly more powerful than you?"
"I didn't say it was more powerful, mortal, I said it was beyond my comprehension. I lack a path between the mortal world and my domain. Your predicament is caused by another mortal."
Trigon's voice faded away as he lost contact with his realm. Slade's body was nothing more than shreds of fabric from his uniform and a ribcage void of any internal organs. He sat upon hands and knees, doubled over from his lack of strength…as well as body.
"Whoever has done this will pay dearly," Slade swore, rather disliking his current situation with a passion. "Consider yourself lucky, Raven. If we ever meet again, you will die."
Raven was barely conscious, let alone able to hear what he spoke of. As his body disappeared, he felt an uneasy power growing, and knew it wasn't something he was going to enjoy.
"No…this cannot happen," Slade denied, but it was all too true, and luckily for her, it was a miracle. Apparently her prayers to someone of a higher calling had answered. "No…no…" A light grew within his body, and then rocketed forth, igniting his remains in a blaze only rivaled by hell itself. The intense heat incinerated his bones to nothing more than dust upon the scorched earth, but not before uttering his last denial, "NOOOO!!!!"
As quickly as it had begun, it was over, Slade was gone, all that was left was bits and pieces that began to be carried by the wind.
"He's actually…gone," Raven managed, but her injuries were far too great, consciousness quickly faded into a darkness that she had only experienced once before, accompanied by the frigid cold release as life began to leave her. Her world had finally faded to black. The only thing she had experienced before this was…death, and it felt all too familiar.
"I…don't want to die," Raven thought in her fleeting moments, "I've come so far and so close, now is not my time. I promised…everyone, that I wouldn't fail. I can't break that promise."
"Raven?" Gecko's voice called out concerned, but it seemed so far off. "Raven?"
Gecko had managed to make it to her, finding her unconscious, checking her over for serious injuries, but all that worried him was the severe head trauma that Slade inflicted upon her. He placed his head upon her chest, listening for breathing, but his heart sank and began to feel sick to his stomach.
"No," he frantically scrambled, placing a forefinger and index on the right side of her neck, feeling for a pulse. This only confirmed his darkest fears. "Please…no, for the love of-"
Gecko quickly maneuvered himself, placing his hands on her chest, beginning CPR in hopes of keeping her alive.
"Don't you die on my, Raven, we've come too far," he uttered, tears in his eyes, but keeping composure. Even for him, it was proving to be a daunting task. After completing the respiratory portion of the maneuver, he continued with the pulmonary, tilting Raven's head back, pinching her nose closed, and hoped to breathe life into her with his own. After a couple cycles, he checked her extremely faint pulse, very slow and weak enough to be considered arrest. There was no change, if anything, it had gotten worse. It only forced him to try even harder, as Raven's very life hung in the balance, and he wasn't about to stand idle and watch her expire before his very eyes. It was becoming apparent that his attempts were in vain though, Raven's eyes remained closed, her heart still, and not a single breath to alert her vitality. David simply remained kneeled at her side, taking Raven up in his arms as tears streamed down his face, holding her close. He sobbed over his fallen Raven, still unable to contemplate what had befallen Raven, and refused to believe it.
"I'm…sorry, Raven, I…failed," he managed through his tears, chocking upon them. "I failed…and lost you."
His tears fell from his cheeks, intertwined with the blood from his wounds, making the mixture very fluidic in nature, much like water. From his cheeks, the blood-laden tears landed upon Raven's face in droplets, some even landing in her grievous wounds upon her face and head. It appeared that they did not just land…but were absorbed.
"Wha…Where am I, what's going on?" Raven questioned herself within her mind, feeling the pain that she did before. "Everything…hurts. Pain means one thing…I'm alive. Barely, but I'm here."
She overheard Gecko's sobs of sorrow, knowing that he must have taken her for deceased.
"I feel that he has something to do with this, but I know not of it's origins. It does not matter, but now, I need rest…and lots of it."