Author: This is the final part of the fight. So I know I said I was going to have two last chapters to make it end at 20.. well, since the chapters were short, I just combined them. Thank you all for reading, reviewing, favoriting, following! You all made this story soooo worth writing and I enjoyed every moment of it. Haha! n_n I hope you enjoy the ending chapter. :P! Thanks again! ^ ^
Disclaimer: DC isn't mine. Just what I've created.
[MaraJade57]
Yeah. :P You finally found out more about the other subjects. I do hope you enjoy this last chapter. :D
He whispered a word that activated her other power. "Luminary." Lightning cracked in the sky.
Luminary.. the word vaguely flitted through her mind and she was drawn back to her time in that prison of a house.
[Flashback]
She'd overheard the conversation, having been spying since it was amusing to see how much she could do without being spotted. The scientist had been talking to some of his underlings, who were all decked out in clean white lab coats.
"-they'll each have some unique power to divide them." One was saying.
"Won't the chemical effect more than just what they can do?" Another frowned, a male.
"Yes. Some may experience physical change, emotional, mental, internal. Some will become new people, other's will only slightly change. They will rely on that one thing to not only activate their powers, but to fuel it to a new level..." The first trailed off.
The scientist chuckled. "You'll need Luminary, the Lunar Ring."
Ruba blinked, pressing herself against the wall she hid around. What was the Lunar Ring?
"Isn't that untested? Will that even work?" A female questioned, her head tilted.
"If the powers themselves work then so will the key to utilizing their full potential." The scientist mused softly. "It will only work, though, when a large quality of energy has already been expended and the user has complete restraint. It is the polar opposite, the loss of control, the extreme pressure releasing."
"My god, Morgan, what have we created?"
"Swords. Shields. Warriors. Defenders. However you wish to view them." The scientist, Morgan, smiled.
A taller man rubbed his face. "This seems like a bit too much, Morg. I was expecting, at the start, mature young adults to work with, not misguided.. orphan pre-teens and younger." This was the frowning male.
Morgan shrugged. "No one will miss them. Besides they'll thank us years from now. They are our angels. You can understand that, Gabriel."
The male snorted. "If you say so, doc."
Ruba slinked away.
[End]
It was as if a click echoed inside of her, a door unlocked. The flood came and she wasn't prepared for it. No dam could hold it back, no wall could keep it out. She hugged herself as she doubled over, groaning in pain.
Slade stepped away, smirking beneath his mask.
"What did you do to her?!" Sari yelled, but his voice was muffled as she was overwhelmed by her powers. The air around her was literally consumed by red energy that hissed and writhed.
She was losing control. She could no longer suppress it inside, the energy would not listen, would not respond. She felt like she was on fire.
She cried out as a sharp pain punctured her chest, like her heart had been stabbed and so she grabbed at her chest, eyes squeezed shut. It was unbearable. Thunder boomed overhead.
She heard Sari's voice getting closer, but it wasn't coherent. It was like he was far away. She opened her eyes, face sweaty from the agony.
"S-Sari.. get b-back.." She said through clenched teeth. From the corner of her eyes she could see Slade standing with his arms linked at the base of his back. She focused on Sari, but his face was blurry, she couldn't see clearly through the tears leaking from her green-grey orbs.
"No, Ruba, I'm not leaving you! What did Slade do to you?" He was standing before her, wincing when her red energy grazed his body. He had his arms outstretched, yet pulled back as if unsure if he should touch her or not.
"I c-can't control.. it! You need.. to g-get away! Please!" She started to sob and more tears fell to trail down her cheeks. "He.. activa-vated it.."
"What? I don't understand." He took a step closer and a bit of energy smacked into his stomach, pushing him back, but he pressed on. He extended his hand and grabbed hold of her shoulders. He cried out as suddenly energy slammed into his left side.
"Sari! Ruba!" Having stood dumbfounded Silvy finally rushed toward the pair, being careful of the shifting visible crimson energy.
"Get back!" The words ripped from her chest in a deep snarl, her eyes flashing with smoky red along the edges.
"Sari! You have to let go or you'll get hurt!" Silvy's voice was nearby and she could feel Sari gripping her shoulders tightly.
San stood back, realizing what was happening. Oh no. She ran forward, going to stop Silvy before it was too late.
Silvy grabbed hold of Sari, intent on pulling him away right as a surge hit Ruba's body and exploded outward, but instead of being released into the air it channeled into both Sari (who was holding her shoulders) and Silvy (who was now clutching Sari's arm) and she watched in horror as their bodies writhed in red energy. A force zapped out and knocked San back, who cried in pain from the blow.
When the surge ended she was completely drained as she sank to her feet.
Before her, unmoving on the ground with smoking clothes, laid Silvy and Sari. She scooted forward and reached out, her hands shaking as she felt for a pulse..
Yet she was greeted by none.
Robin was speechless. He'd watched, unable to move, silent, as everything happened so quickly. Her powers were out of control and now, because of whatever Slade had done to her, Sari and Silvy were on the ground, still as rocks. A bit away was San who was holding her chest as she flailed on the ground.
He watched as the energy faded and the park grew quiet. Ruba sat like a statue for a second, her fingers on their necks.. before she finally withdrew her hands.. and started to cry even more. The vision had come true.
He felt cold terror wash over him.
Slade couldn't stop the smirk from spreading on his hidden face. He had won.. or, at least, he had gotten two obstacles out of the way to his apprentice. He folded his arms across his chest, watching the scene from within the shadows of a large tree.
Ruba felt shattered, like a broken glass. She was damaged forever and sorrow took hold of her. Everything else no longer mattered.
She had killed Sari and Silvy.. and San was likely dead as well. She hated herself, the vision happened. Sari said it wouldn't. It did. It was all her fault.
All her senses dimmed until she felt empty. Her choking sobs were muffled by her closed ears and the scent of burnt cloth and flesh stung her nose. Her mouth went dry and her heart ached as her skin felt cold and yet hot. She hugged herself again and laid forward to where her forehead was against the ground, crying into the grass.
Strong arms grabbed her arms and pulled her up, but she had no strength to fight back or even stand on her own. She was drawn into a chest and she just cried her sadness into whoever it was.
Slade held her close as she broke down, his arms supporting her sagging body. She was shaking badly and even through his suit he could feel the warmth radiating from her. She was burning up. The overload of energy had caused the fire of her true other power to reveal itself. She'd been in pain because where her energy had protected her from the heat of her own element had been sent out, leaving the fire to rage in her system. The collision of fire and energy had caused the explosion, which had been sent into her two friends instead of around her fully.
"Grieve, Ruba." Slade whispered into her ear, smiling devilishly. "Grieve."
It began to rain.
She was whisked away, taken from that gruesome scene by her 'master'. She no longer cared. For the past week she wouldn't speak, merely went about in a daze and when she looked it was as if she were a ghost merely floating by. Slade knew it was only a matter of time before he could mold her. She'd been broken. She was his.
During that week Slade had went and retrieved Atty, who had been interrogated by Robin a day after that event.
They were at the Haunt for the moment. They were going to pack and head to an island a friend of his owned to train and make her into the perfect apprentice. Wintergreen was coming too. Atty, on the other hand, was heading to New York for other matters.
Wintergreen frowned as he watched the girl sitting at the table. She was so lifeless, a glass held between her hands. She hadn't drank from it, the steam thin from several minutes of simply staring at it. Her once sparkling eyes were now vacant.
She glanced up at him and tilted her head before moving to stand. Wintergreen pursed his lips. "How are you feeling?" He asked, curious.
Slade had told him that she had been in a fight with him and had killed two of her friends. She must be going through such an ordeal.
She slowly shrugged. "I feel.. as hollow as a cup." She glanced down to her full tea and her lips twitched. "I'm not thirsty, sorry.."
"It is fine, child. Go rest. We have a long trip ahead of us." He said with a tender smile.
She nodded, trailing off toward where her old bedroom was. She hadn't been there since the morning the Titans stole her away from Slade. That felt like years ago.
She trudged along until she saw something- her door was open. She slowed her step to peek inside and saw Slade with his back to her, staring at a picture she had kept. It was of her and Sari two years before in a small area just beyond Nashville, Tennessee.
He turned at her presence and she eyed the picture, her expression hardening. "Why keep a picture of the one you killed?" His words stung her, but she ignored her desire to retort back bitterly.
She kept her tone even, neutral. "To remind me to control my powers."
Slade chuckled. "I will assist in that, apprentice."
She shrugged her shoulders, unemotional. "As you wish, master."
He blinked behind his mask. She hardly spoke since her return and he could feel the tension between him and her given their argument and fight previously. "You are no longer hostile toward me."
She gazed at him darkly and yet her face showed defeat. "I no longer care. Do with me as you will."
"In time you will come around to my teachings.. and my views." He set the picture down onto her bed and stepped past her, pausing only to pat her shoulder once. She tried not to flinch at the contact.
She sighed as she was alone. Yeah, she needed to rest. She laid down on the bed, lifting the picture to study it. Sari had a smile on his face, his hair ruffled from the breeze of that day's afternoon. Her own was in a ponytail and slightly messy, her smile matching his in sincerity.
Moisture welled in her eyes as she closed them, missing her friend, her ally, her brother.. and she also kind of missed Silvy. San was staying with the Titans until she left for Colorado next week. There she would find Ember and from then on she'd complete Silvy's wish to unite the users.. all with the exception of Atty, Ody, Ruba and the dead. That left only Vito.
"Barrett.. I'm so sorry.." Ruba whispered. "I couldn't stop it..."
She finally fell asleep after crying for awhile. Later she was woken up and from then the trio left for Molven Island, located somewhere in the Pacific.
The burial of San's duo allies had taken place just two days after their death. They were buried in an old graveyard just outside of Jump City and not many people were present for the service. Just the Titans, some people Sari had saved throughout his time in Jump and the funeral workers. It rained on that day too.
San rubbed her face. She had no more reasons to stay here any longer. She had work ahead of her. She had to find Ember and Vito. They were the last three energy users (herself included) that really mattered.
A hand suddenly found a place to rest on her shoulder and she glanced back to see Robin standing there. The Titans knew of her mission and wished her luck.
"Hey."
"Hello." San greeted back with a ghost of a smile. She was sad that Silvy and Sari had died, but she would move on. She was realistic. People passed on. She wouldn't cry over them and waste away. She'd continue with her life.
"You leaving today?" He asked and she glanced down to her magical satchel at her side. She grabbed her cloak and threw it on, nodding.
"Yeah. I have two users I have to find, for Silvy."
"Look.. I know it's hard for you, with him gone-" He started, but she snorted.
"Just because I loved him doesn't mean I'm destroyed that he's dead. I understand death. It's a part of life. I will not weep and wonder what might have been. I'll forge my way ahead because now I have his goal under my fingers." She said calmly, her tone unemotional. She was tired. She hadn't been sleeping much since that day. She pulled out the communicator, holding it out. "This isn't mine to keep."
"Well, you're always welcome here, San." He said with a smile. "And it's yours." He folded her fingers around it. "You've earned it."
She returned the expression. "Thank you, Robin." She put the device away and held out her hand, feeling a strange warmth fill her chest. It was the joy of acceptance.. and friendship. He shook her hand and she moved past him, walking down the hallway with her head held high. She had a mission to complete.
Ruba sat on a small, private plane, a bored expression on her face. She sort of.. looked forward to the training. It would take her mind off of Sari. God, the thought of him made her go crazy with guilt.
It was all her fault. She got the two killed.. San probably hated her. She couldn't go back to the Titans. They would reject her, without a doubt.
She glanced over in her seat to see what Slade was doing. He had a leg crossed over the other, an open newspaper in his gloveless hands. His mask was removed and he looked just as bored as she felt. Wintergreen was steering the plane with the help of a trained co-pilot.
"Slade.." She muttered hesitantly.
"Mm?" He didn't look up, merely kept reading the page he was on. When she didn't immediately answer he lifted his head to study her across the aisle from him. She seemed skittish, as if scared suddenly. Her jaw was shifting, her eyes were lowered and she had a slight tremble to her fingers. "Yes, apprentice?"
"I just.. I wanted to.. apologize for my behavior. You were right.. in a way. I didn't belong with the Titans or Sari.. I got him killed.. because of my stupid powers.." She said softly, her tone full of the sorrow she'd been trying to avoid. "I don't want to hurt people that I care about.. and even though you tried to manipulate me.. you didn't lie. I thank you for that."
She could see his expression and his good eye widened, the brow raising in wonder. His lip seemed to twitch, but these changes only appeared for a few seconds before they slid away into a blank face. "Apology accepted. While I won't say I told you so I will say this; you will always have a place by my side. Perhaps some day.. even more." He hinted at something that made her stomach flutter. She knew what he meant. Adoption. "And you are welcome. I have no reason to lie. I 'manipulated' you because I didn't want you hurt, but you rebelled."
He returned to reading the paper and she frowned. "Yeah, I know." She peered out the window, watching the ocean rolling by like thousands of blue tree tops.
Slade was right. She belonged with him.
They were almost to the place she'd call home for a long while. ;She smiled for the first time in several days, a genuine expression.
The prospect of having a father again sounded nice.. and even though they had fought.. she still liked Slade. Maybe she could change him, make him warmer to people instead of the loner he mostly was. Yeah, that'd be nice.
In the distance she could see a medium sized island coming into view. "Home.." She whispered, resting her head against the window, that smile there still.
She had a long road to travel, but she wasn't alone.