Chapter Eight
Raven and Slade's Christmas.
Hiya,
How are our lovely readers and reviewers? Sorry, but it isn't going to be a romance. The story's heading where it's heading. We don't know where that is though. This is all on a whim!
Anyways, since it's Christmas soon , we should give a longer thanks.
The Imperfect Me: thanks for reviewing every chapter. It means a lot. You look at every detail of the work we put in, and it's great. You comment on all the little things most people just ignore and bother to take in all the text and the implications. You give us constructive criticism and tell us how to improve and when we have. That's what a progressing author needs. Thanks so much for that!
Gingerstorm101: thanks for every single review you've given. They're refreshing and amusing! Sorry that there's no romance, but it'll still be centric on Slade and Raven. You telling us to update is partially why we do. Thanks!
Lust for Life: thanks for your reviews! Sorry, but it's not going to be romance. It's almost set in stone. But don't worry, they'll be good moments between them. Thanks for all your encouraging reviews.
The Amethyst Eyes: thanks for all your reviews. Plus, you've taught SRF how to spell amethyst. We appreciate how you give views on what you think they are, and you have good ideas. It's good to know you think this story's good because it's taken effort and time. Thanks again.
ravenkakashiluv26: Thanks for every review. Thanks for all the ideas and reviews, it really does mean a lot. It's also good to know that the gradual change with relationship is working. Thanks!
And as to anyone who has ever reviewed (Eagle Wolf05, Lust for Life, Blood Dragon XIII, Angel Toaster, DiminjaWillois, j, WinterYoung, XLucy0117X, KittyKuddler14896, Gingerstorm 101, The Imperfect Me, The Amethyst Eyes, ravenkakashiluv26) thank you so much! It really means the world! Your words have not been wasted on blind eyes! We've taken in all your reviews and appreciate them!
Also, to all you readers, thanks for reading our monster of a Fanfic, made by time and effort, plus our brains!
Anyways, enough with the thankful rambling, here's the really long chapter!
Enjoy: Slade and Raven's Christmas!
Christmas. Well, they could be creative. Make decorations out of a notepad in their sack? A Christmas tree out of a few unfinished food-stuffs- mashing them together until a small spike shows above the clump of snack-bars?
They could give tokens to each other as gifts- to show how close in friendship they've gotten, Raven could give him a button and Slade could take off his mask, it wasn't simple, but they had to find something.
Maybe Raven could find various ways to seem happier, and Slade could go to a bit of trouble to making the holiday special for someone reluctant to celebrate with him.
But really, all they could do, without getting told off by the jail guards, or annoying each other, would be to sit beside one-another, and imagine Christmas back home. Imagine a warm fire place, filled with friends and showy gold's, greens and reds!
Or, instead of making themselves depressed, they could give each other the best gift of all. They could rally up-together, like they had gotten used to doing, and they could escape.
They, however, needed a bit of Christmas cheer, and a cunning plan- which tired minds never seem to be able of creating.
It was Christmas though, and they could afford a day off. They just didn't want to spend it cramped up within a jail cell.
It seemed as though someone knew this, as the hole in the door opened, revealing a bulky and rough man's face at the door.
This man was what one would call a Prison Warden. They say, characters within stories that aren't important, don't deserve a name.
That's the same to this man. No offence of course to him, but he isn't important.
"Prison S and Prisoner R, follow me. It's for the annual Christmas celebration in jail. Try anything, and well, you lose the privilege and you're good as dead."
Slade looked at Raven, begging for trouble, but she shook her head. He vented a sigh. She stoically faced the warden. "Okay. We won't try anything," Raven said slowly. Slade just stared at the man.
The warden nodded, and opened the door. Raven was powerless, otherwise she would have agreed with Slade. Being a hindrance wasn't an experience she wanted to have.
They followed him down to a open door, all other exits sealed off, and locked. It must have been the system.
They stepped inside, and the door locked behind them. They refrained from bashing it open again.
The warden explained. "It's nothing special. Just a bigger room you'll spend Christmas in. Enjoy it, and Merry Christmas. You'll find a toilet, a shower and some things to entertain yourself with."He left. "Merry Christmas!" Raven called over her shoulder, half expecting no reply. Manners were something she could still keep. After all, the man had done nothing wrong...and in truth, neither had she.
The room was larger, and they were alone in it. With white walls and secured exits, it was a plain jail 'playroom', of sorts.
Two cheap looking Christmas dinners were laid out, with paper and pencils. Two soft looking chairs also were put out. They both sat in them, sinking into the leather. The four legs creaked under each chair, supporting their weight.
"Merry Christmas, Raven." Raven glared at him.
"Merry Christmas, Slade," she hissed, "It may be Christmas, but remember, it's nothing at all merry."
He stared at her, and his grey eye met her amethyst ones. The windows were the eye to the soul.
Raven looked distant, as if she were somewhere else. Or wanting to be somewhere else. He knew she'd rather be at home with the Titans, and she was probably wondering about what they were doing.
Slade spoke, "I know, there are issues between us. Hero and villain. Not everything is black and white..."
Raven interrupted, glaring. "And there's grey in-between. I already know. I've been told it enough already! I don't need to be told it by you of all people. I understand. Don't underestimate me."
That was another example of her level of maturity, not including her short temper.
"Believe me, I don't. And careful, Raven. You wouldn't want your temper to flare. Anyways, do you want to talk?"
She sighed, in defeat. "I guess so. It doesn't matter about emotion's, this power clamper won't let me make anything explode. We can start after I've had a shower and we've eaten. There's nothing else we can do."
She walked to the shower and toilet, separated by a barrier, for privacy. She was glad for that.
Raven peeled off her cloak, her boots and her leotard. Stepping into the shower, she switched it on. Warm water left tingles on her back and she savoured every second of it. She didn't want to come out, but she had to. She didn't want to face reality.
After a few minutes of rinsing and cleaning, she got out, and draped a towel round her body.
She dressed quickly, before stepping out back into the open room.
Slade stepped in straight afterwards, and Raven heard him rush into the shower. (Not after removing his garments, of course)
Once he was out, they dragged the seats to the table and began to eat their lunch. It was a few Brussels sprouts, a thin slice of pinkish turkey, some grey mash and some off-white gravy.
It wasn't bad, compared to their usual cereal bar composed meal. It felt good to have anything cooked to eat, even if it had probably been savoured in a few tins for the past ten years. The meal was eaten in silence, with the frequent but quiet clatter of plastic forks on Styrofoam. They washed the food it down with a cup of water each.
"So," Slade began, starting conversation. "Do you think we're 'low risk' criminals, if we're even allowed in here?"
Raven turned her head away from his lone eye, and gave a small sigh. "Probably."
"I thought you said you were okay with a chat?"
She clenched her fist. "I am. Just there's so many things I could be doing, rather than being here."
Slade knew what she meant. "Like what? Christmas with the titans?" That was exactly the thing.
She didn't answer. He took that as a yes.
They sat there for what felt like hours, but was only minutes. Boredom claimed their minds.
Raven walked over to the paper, and started to write. She was by no means an artist, but she could write instead. It would suffice.
Slade followed her, and craned his head to read it. Raven covered it with her arm, annoyed.
Before Slade could comment, Raven spoke. She just needed to change the subject. "I know we're both bored so, let's talk. What would you rather be doing now?"
He decided to play her game. "I'm quite content in being here, actually. I didn't have any plans. What would you rather be doing?"
Raven was amused. She supposed he would be planning world domination or something else to ruin Christmas.
"I'd rather be at Titans Tower. Robin would be grinning, telling us what to do- his annoying music, booming from the Tower stereo system, would have some sort of Christmas wording to it. Beastboy and Cyborg would be complaining about what Christmas dinner to make...in the end they'd make both, and pile our plates high with tofu turkey...and...Real turkey." Raven paused, smiling at the thought, "Oh and Starfire would be sitting with Robin, flirting, most definitely."
She didn't elaborate because she didn't want to give any more information to Slade then necessary. It could be used as leverage. She could trust him with tit-bits though.
She smiled, seeming happy. Slade looked at her. "And where, Raven, do you fit in?"
"I'd be reading a book, sitting in the corner. I'm perfectly content with just observing."
"But that's not being part of it. That's being an spectator. The member who isn't included."
She wasn't smiling now. "I am included. I just choose not to be sometimes."
Raven turned away. She picked up the pencil and continued to scribble away, sensing that the conversation wasn't headed to the best place.
He stared at her neat, stylised handwriting. "What are you writing?"
She smirked. "If I tell you, then will you go away and do something?"
He nodded and Raven's smirk seemed to grow. "I'm writing about everything that's happened to us. It's quite a lot actually. I just need to remember it all." She laughed nervously.
Slade chuckled, amused. "It has been quite an adventure. And if we get back, I'll be sure to look at you in a different light."
Raven thought that sounded slightly perverted, but knew it wasn't intentional. "Well, I'm not sure if we'll meet again. If we do, I'm not sure how I'll see you."
Silence met them for a while. Raven had a sudden thought. "Slade, what did you want me to see you as?" He was caught off guard but he had an answer, like always.
"We aren't enemies, are we?" She shook her head. No, they weren't.
"We aren't against each-other yet, but we aren't best friends either. We're in an alliance, we've helped each-other. We have different views and motives, different morals though, so no, that doesn't make us enemies." It sounded like she was trying to convince herself.
"Never knew you could explain yourself like that, my dear, it was very... meaningful." Her cheeks tinted ever so slightly.
He had changed the subject, like she had. "You didn't answer my question."
He stood up, coming closer to her. "That doesn't matter. But, Raven, I have something I'd like to give you, a Christmas present, of sorts."
She hesitantly held out her hands. He placed something in her hand. She grasped the handle. A knife.
"You had a knife and you didn't tell me! We could've escaped earlier! What else do you have hidden in that pouch and belt?"
"Quiet," he ordered, so they wouldn't draw attention, "I figured to act like I had nothing, so they wouldn't take it away from us. Anyways, we'll escape. What I have hidden in this pouch and belt is none of your business," he retorted.
She nodded. "Well, what are we meant to do with the knife?"
Slade had a plan, as always. "This knife was made out of a meteor, one from Smallville's almost yearly meteor shower. It's roughly indestructible, and should tear through that collar of yours. You break us out; we pick up our sack, and leave. Okay?"
She nodded, again. He walked behind her and took the knife from her hand. Moving carefully, he began to cut it off gingerly.
Raven could feel his warm breath on her neck. She stood still, like a statue. The sound of metal on metal could be heard, till the collar fell to the ground, with a small crash.
He handed her the knife back, and she placed it on her jewel belt, hiding it within her cloak.
Immediately alarms blared. "Prisoner escape! Prisoner Escape! Report to stations! Report to stations! Priso..." It continued to screech.
They ran back to their cell and Raven blasted the door off, literally. Grabbing the sack, they turned around to come face to face with ten burly guards.
"Stop. Put your hands up." Slade rolled his eye. Raven also did. Guns were reloaded, pointed at them.
She was tired, she just wanted to go home. They didn't go all through this to be put in jail again. Grabbing the knife and pulling it out of her belt, the guards shot.
Raven put up a shield, and both found themselves safe. The guards glared. They couldn't care less. Fight or flight, well they didn't need to waste effort.
She stabbed the knife into the wall, and carved a doorway. She kicked it down. The cutting was surprisingly easy. "I like the gift, Slade."
He smirked inwardly. The knife wouldn't be too much to give, since he had plenty more advanced weapons.
Raven grabbed a blanket out of the little haversack, and spread it out of the ground. "Get on, and hold tight onto my waist. Grab the sack too."
He did as he was told, begrudgingly. He could feel her shiver with his arms around her stomach. He was sorely tempted to tickle her, but removed such childish thoughts from his head. Raven used her powers, and dragged the now dirty blanket across the sand, taking them far away from the jail. The wind blew in their face, and she gave the smallest smile.
Once her mind gave the slightest hint of pain, Raven made the blanket skid to a stop at an empty clearing. They'd spend the rest of Christmas night here.
It felt... relaxing for them to be able to have a warm fire to sit around. It was a strange sense of Deja vu. They both exhaled, leaning in to the heat. The sky had darkened considerably. Raven could guess that people back in Jump City were probably having a better time than she was. Perhaps they were partying, or at the fair...or at the beach.
The silence was good sometimes, but she didn't want to be left to her thoughts "So... how did you get the blade?" Slade watched her fiddle with the knife's handle in her hand. It had an intricate pattern of black, with silver lines running through. At the bottom, it had his insignia: the trademark S, carved into it. Raven didn't know what to think, whether she should destroy it or not.
He spoke, "Business meetings. It's quite a story. Why do you ask? I thought you preferred the silence."
Raven didn't mind answering this question. "I do. It's just been too silent lately, and I don't want to keep mulling over my thoughts. We have time, you can tell the story."
Slade nodded. He found it strange for the lonely empath to initiate conversation, and to continue talking too.
"Lex Luthor called me. The Criminal underground is like the JLA, we all meet at times. He wanted me to see if I could search the meteor shower and find out anything about it. I took one to my lair for analysis, but Lex wanted me to deal with the Man of Steel, and though I hate to admit it, I'm sure I couldn't defeat Superman without wasting time.
So, using the meteor, I paid a blacksmith to make it into a knife. It would have been a sword but I decided I have enough of them."
He took the knife, spinning it with ease. "Its' light, compact, almost indestructible, and strong. Quite an impressive knife indeed. It should slice things like butter, shall we say."
He handed it her back, and she continued to fiddle. "Thank you, Slade. Merry Christmas."
Slade could sense her uneasiness with such a phrase, but could understand. "Merry Christmas to you too, Raven. Do you have a gift for me?"
She raised her eyebrows. "Erm... not really. How about you can ask me any question, and I'll answer?"
Slade thought this a brave offer. "That seems sufficient. What do you see me as? I know I've asked you before, but you never gave a direct answer."
She seemed hesitant, but she had signed herself up for it. She couldn't back down.
"I see you as a cold, confident criminal. You've done many bad things, knowing the consequences and actually knowing what's good or bad. You're sane, and actually plan and calculate all the possibilities. But you're also cold, uncaring. You don't mind violence, or tearing apart someone's life. You're clever, cunning, indifferent yet caring, fast, logical, sarcastic, and so on. You are determined, and if you want something, you'll try for it. I see you as a man who knows what's good and bad, but doesn't act as it. You aren't necessarily evil; you've just done bad things for certain reasons. I can't judge though, I'm not necessarily the best either...and it's not like I know why you do these things anyways. Maybe you have reasons..."
After she trailed off; everything shrank back to silence, a tranquil, and unperturbed silence. Raven didn't want to believe she had actually spilled it out, but it was a Christmas gift.
She gained back her confidence. "What do you see when you look at me?"
Slade chuckled. "Another question, another day. It's getting late, we'd better rest."
Raven agreed. "It's been an okay Christmas, much better than I'd have thought it would be. Goodnight, Slade."
She fell back at her blanket and glanced at the stars. They always shone so brightly. Maybe they'd lead her home, like they lead the wise men to Jesus.
She couldn't tell. By the time her head turned away from Slade she was asleep.
Slade laughed. The girl really was tiring herself out. "Goodnight, Raven," he whispered, careful to not wake her. He too, fell asleep with a grin on his face.
-
Thanks for reading! And for the sake of our sanity, Review! Sorry for the crap chapter.
Merry Christmas and a happy New Year,
SRF and QLF
Next chapter: The Titans' views!