AN: No real excuse for the lateness of the chapter other than simple laziness. But as the I have the next couple of chapters planned out and then the first arc of the story will draw to an end. Once that's done I'll take a small break from Second Chance to work on my other works and take a break in general. You'll know when I resume work by the posting of a new chapter oddly enough.
Aliensvspredator5- Blood's take on all this will come about during the next story arc. Sorry for making you wait but people need a break once and awhile. Thank you for reviewing and enjoy the chapter.
whisper dark rose- Ok, that was a monster of a character expiation. I do wish you'd create a profile so we could discuss this in greater detail because the review section of the story isn't quite the place for that. PM me if you do create a profile. Heres hoping you enjoy teh chapter.
READ ON BRAVE READERS. READ ON.
Raven blinked open her eyes and found herself staring into Jake's. Though lifeless as they were she found they still held the warmth that she'd seen back in the mindscape. She exhaled a breath she'd been holding since she'd entered his mind, a testament to how much time slowed in one's mind.
She closed her eyes and sat up off the bed, to the concerned stares of her teammates. In a calm a voice as she could manage she spoke to all of them. "Robin, Cy, Starfire, BB." She addressed them one at a time, locking eyes with each as she spoke their names. "I need you guys to trust me here. Jake…" she honestly didn't know how to explain this to them. "Jake's dying, and there's not a lot I can do."
Every one of them were crushed at the proclamation. "But I'm going to try something, its a long shot and he… he probably wont survive. Even if he makes it he won't be the same as before. So I need you to trust me, and in leave us until I call for you." Her eyes pleaded them to trust her, let her do what needed to be done.
Robin nodded, understanding the request but not the reasons behind it. "Raven, were behind you one hundred percent here, if there's anyway we can help we're here for you."
Raven looked down, averting her gaze knowing if she let them in on what she was about to do they'd condemn her for even thinking about it. And she wouldn't blame them, what was about to be done was something even her father wouldn't consider, albeit for different reasons. "Robin please. This is something that I have to do myself." She pleaded him to understand.
He seemed to get the message as he motioned for everyone to leave before turning himself to the door. As he crossed the threshold he spared one last glance over his shoulder. "Raven, I know more than anyone what it feels like to need to do something, finish something by yourself. And, I know asking for help is hard at times, but you don't have to do this alone."
Once the door clicked shut she reached out with her powers and locked it from the inside. Next she concentrated power in her hand and grabbed his wrist. The gem in her forehead gleamed like a small sun as her soul self spread over his unconscious form. Slowly engulfing him she began to chant her mantra in hopes of limiting the damage by staying focused. The energy devoured his body, leaving no portion to see the light. In doing this she set his body in a stasis like state, she didn't need him dying halfway through the ritual after all.
Finally the darkness retreated and as skin met the light of day, patches of it burned until they were easily distinguished runes written in a long forgotten language. Though similar in form to her own ritualistic tattoos their purpose was entirely different. She could practically his aura contorting, channeling the energy to the specifications of the ritual.
The symbols burned all up and down his arms and legs, seeming to shine through his clothes even. On his chest the runes wrapped around in circles, spiraling into one another in ever smaller print. The finishing touch, an S burned into he forehead. The mark of Scath.
The lights dimmed as she began to chant, and the runes running over his body began to pulsate. Steady and rhythmic as that of a heartbeat they lit up in a dim light only to fade to black once more. As her chanting grew faster and louder so did the pulses.
Finally she stopped the chant and reached for a scalpel on the tray beside the operating table. She placed the blade in the palm of her hand and closed a fist around it. Quickly as one could blink an eye she ripped it out of the clenched fist. She moved the closed hand an inch over the rune in his forehead. A singular drop of the red fluid escaped and fell to meet the person below it.
As soon as it made contact it was vaporized in a pitch black flame, but its work had already been done. All the runes on every part of his person lit up a fiery red. His blood vessels lit up like neon lights beneath his skin, glowing like the very blood they held was lit a blaze. Inches above his body a ghostly aurora sprang forth, the barely visible conduits ferrying supercharged energy lit up just as his blood vessels had. All leading to the center of the glyph on his chest where the light spiraled inward following the writings below it.
Raven healed her hand and disposed of the bloodied scalpel. Looking back at Jake's unconscious form she felt tears threatening to escape her eyes. Now the deed was done all she had to do was hope Jake would pull through, all she could do however was wonder if she had done the right thing.
Jake awoke sat up against a cold wet surface, the ground beneath him held no more warmth that the wall behind him. He took this in along with the scent of smoke in the air. Smoke and Blood, the unmistakable stench of death carried on the wind straight to his nose was almost enough to make him lose his last meal. Finally deciding to open his eyes and fully examine the world around him he was greeted with a sight that was truly the closest thing to hell he'd ever seen.
He was sitting in a four foot trench, walls of bare mud and covered in blood. The ground other than where he was sitting was littered with still groaning corpses and shell casings. As he stood he looked over the side of the pit and saw it got much worse. The sky was a blood red, columns of smoke all but obscuring the distant horizon. The sun was blocked out completely by the rising black towers. The ground was covered in bodies, some blown to pieces, others tangled in the miles of razor wire strung out over the no mans land. Most were riddled with bullet holes by the hundreds and the worst looked to have even been crushed. And yet, of all of the thousands of bodies that should have been dead every one still retained consciousness and awareness of their surroundings.
The gruesome war torn battle field stretched on for miles in every direction, in the distance bombed out bunkers were left to crumble, all along the trench gun nests were dug out and fortified. But not even with all the soldiers that had been present could they have held against what had literally ripped these men to pieces.
He was so caught up in examining the world he now stood in, trying to piece together how any of this was possible, he missed a figure Jump into the trench behind him. The lone humanoid figure stood eight feet tall with a tattered cloak covering it from head to toe. The black fabric was ripped and covered in blood, as it blew in the ever present wind it revealed the grey, rotting flesh of the being underneath. Under the hood four glowing red eyes glared at its target.
Jake saw movement out of the corner of his eye and looked to see his shadow on the ground before him. Then he noticed the other shadow barely past his feet. Raised what appeared to be blades over its head to strike at him while his back was turned.
Instinctively he dove forward, and feeling the wind off the edges of the blades considered himself to be damn lucky. As he recovered from the roll he looked back to assess his opponent. The two foot blackened blades extended out of the tattered cloak where its hands should have been, and as it pulled them free of the dirt its eyes locked on to him like a guided missile.
It stood to its full height and dragged the edge of one blade across the back pf the other. Metal screeching on metal assaulted his ears but Jake didn't flinch, instead he turned to face the new arrival. It repeated the possess with the other blade and after another loud screech it attacked.
Almost faster than he could blink it shot off after him. It threw a bladed arm forward past his vain attempt to block and sunk it deep into his right shoulder. Jake barely had time to react to the other incoming blade but it was enough. He grabbed the wrist behind it and twisted with all the strength his left arm possessed. Two loud snaps followed by a howl of pain by the creature were all that could be heard in the deafening silence.
As the creature recoiled several more jumped in existence to aid their injured brother. Two atop both sides of the trench and another seemingly sprang forth from the ground itself in front of Jake. All the eyes locked onto him were making him very uneasy and remembering how fast they were he did what seemed a good idea at the time.
Fast as he could he lunged forward, feigning an attack. The creature before him easily dodged the would be attack by jumping an impossible distance straight into the air. Jake however didn't stop, instead he used the newly created opening and took off in an all out sprint down the network of corridors carved in the Earth. The four above him delayed for half a second before charging after him.
Jake couldn't get fifteen feet down the trench before something slammed into his back like a freight train. He tried to recover but the dead weight on his back wasn't quite as dead as he hoped. Dual blades sunk deep into his back, the cold metal burned as it cut through him like a knife through butter. His arms gave out and he joined the pile of corpses on the ground.
Once more an all to familiar darkness engulfed him and the cold returned. The color faded from his vision and everything started to fade away. The energy fast draining from his limbs he somehow found the strength to lift his head out of the mud. And what he saw was an eight foot monstrosity raising its bladed arms high over its head.
In what he was certain would ne his final moments his mind asked one question witch he honestly couldn't answer. 'If this is hell, what would happen if I died?' With than truly random thought he dropped his head and closed his eyes.
It was then that four distant cracks sounded in quick succession. The gunshots tore through the silence as quickly as they tore through the four creatures standing above him. And as the echoes bled into nothingness he heard footsteps drawing ever closer. Combat boots striking the soft dirt made little noise but in the silence that engulfed this world they might as well have been stepping on landmines.
Jake gathered all his remaining strength to sit up to look at the new arrival. What he saw was what appeared to be female in appearance but there were no defining characteristics. Her body was hidden by a heavy trench coat and her face was veiled in shadows. Just as he was about to speak she lowered herself to his level and placed a hand on his injured shoulder.
As a soft white glow emanated from her hand she turned so light could strike her face and reveal it to him. When he first glimpsed at her he swore it was Raven, but closer inspection showed this was not the case. Though looking almost exactly like her the person before him held wisdom from years of hard learned lessons that Raven had yet to achieve.
In a voice as a mother would speak with her child she spoke to him. "Listen very carefully Jake. Our time here is limited and there is much to discuss. For now we must get you somewhere safe to rest, then we may begin."
Jake backed away slightly, this person, so familiar yet so unknown already knew more about him than he was comfortable with. On top of that she seemed so unaffected by this place, almost like it was native to her. "What? How…" his mind buzzing with so many questions he couldn't find the voice to ask them with.
The woman just cracked a small smile, "All in due time child. For now we must move." As she stood she pulled Jake with her, who was now feeling good as new, aside from the being in hell part.
As he looked at her face one last time, just to confirm it wasn't her he gathered all his remaining brain cells to form one sentence. "Who are you?"
The woman started down the way she had come from and called out over her shoulder. "For now, you can call me Arella.
AN:How Before the flames erupt I wish to say I know that isn't what Arella looks like. But come on, how put of place would a solid white cloak look on a battlefield from WWI in hell be. With that said please do find it in your hearts to review.