Hey yo, author here! Probably going to be a slight delay for Chapter 16, with some things I have coming up, but have already have some draft ideas for it. But in the mean time, I thought I wouldn't make people wait for the next one and this chapter's an absolute monster to make up for it (longest chapter yet!). I like to think that this is starting to cook nicely, but anyway, hope ya'll enjoy. As usual, thank you for all the reviews, follows and favs and if you're new here, why not drop one of the former!
As always, much love - Seadavid41
I don't own Teen Titans or any DC properties mentioned, otherwise we would have got to see Nightwing in more than just one episode.
Ch. 15 Pride
The forests of Alaska were normally the absolute picture of peace and tranquility. A hotspot for nature lovers and hikers alike, they were the perfect place to escape to if you needed a break from the concrete jungle or even just wanted to get in touch with nature. This was not the case with this particular stretch of forest. Throughout the land, silence reigned, except for the cacophony being made by two individuals. Nature held it's breath. The predator at the top of the food chain had been challenged, and it had accepted without question.
Deathstroke flew the trees, the fire propelling him forwards, scorching the greenery, as he maneuvered his way through the dense foliage. Closely behind him, the Beast followed, it's fur singed from choosing to go through the flames rather than around them. This was his territory and he knew how to navigate it. Using branches to navigate with far greater ease than his prey, he had a few times only been inches away from sinking his claws into Trigon's, once faithful, servant.
Without warning, Deathstroke stopped in the air, and turned around, swinging his axe overhead in a massive arc that would've cleanly sliced most living creatures in half. The Beast, who had been about to strike again, raised both arms above his head, and caught the blade, with one hand pressing in on either side, halting it's momentum entirely, without having to touch the sharpened tip. However, the focus it had needed to pull that off had distracted him from Deathstroke's other means of attack.
The Beast turned his attention back to Deathstroke only to see the Mark of Skath burn bright before he was hit with a headbutt that exceeded the strength of any mortal man. The Beast was sent back twenty feet, blasting into a tree spine first. Deathstroke went to take a second to breathe, but he could already see the Beast beginning to rise to it's feet. However, he had some time to assess a hypothesis of his.
Deathstroke raised his arms into the air, gesturing at an invisible crowd. "So this is the mighty Beast…the creature that inspired fear even amongst the Titans…the creature that tore Beast Boy away from his precious little friends. I must say…you're not living up to the hype. I can see why the Titans discarded you with such ease."
The Beast looked at the man before, with a rage flowing through him like never before. In the back of it's mind, it could feel a sub-conscious, trying to calm it down and stay focused, but the Beast was way beyond that at this stage. It let out a primal roar that felt like it shook the very ground it stood on, before lunging forward towards it's foe, it's only intent being to kill.
Deathstroke took this as his cue to continue leading the Beast through the forest. The Beast would eventually catch him if he stayed in his preferred terrain. He needed to bring this fight to an open area, where he could see the creature at all times. He had noted the Beast's reaction to his words. Beast Boy may have mastered when he could summon the creature, but he still had no control when he handed over the reigns to it. The boy he had spoken to not long before was reasonable, and in actual fact, quite calculating. This creature lacked Beast Boy's cunning. For lack of a better word, it was an animal, and that meant Deathstroke could take it down.
Deathstroke was broken out of his thoughts by a sudden impact to the back of his skull, forcing him off his flight path, where he awkwardly collided with a rocky outcropping. He grimaced and looked over at his shoulder, where his armour had cracked, revealing some of the potentially vulnerable body that lay beneath. He rapidly looked for the beast only to see it coming towards him from quite a distance away. An uprooted tree not too far from him, which looked very much like it had been thrown, provided the source of the impact.
Deathstroke quickly got to his feet and resumed his flight, and noted that the rocky outcropping was only the beginning of a new terrain. In the distance, trees became less and less common, and solid stone became the dominant environment. After another minute, Deathstroke risked a glance behind him and took satisfaction in seeing the Beast now chasing him on foot. Just ahead of him, the stone habitat gave way to a sheer drop, a waterfall raging slightly to the north of it. A fall from there would land the victim in a freefall directly into rapids. Deathstroke grinned under his mask. He had his plan…and here he would make his move.
Deathstroke stopped his flight and turned to face the Beast, axe at the ready. He focused on his goal…the power he had gained from Trigon's followers…the devastation he would bring to this world. It flowed through him like lave flowing down the side of a mountain. He could feel himself heating up, his power surging. He shut his eyes tight, as it threatened to become too much. But then, it calmed…it was under his control.
Deathstroke opened his eye. Gone was the human eye of the Slade Wilson, for it had been replaced with a red the colour of fire…the colour of blood. At this point, Deathstroke didn't feel human anymore…he felt like a God. He gripped his axe in one hand tightly, before looking at the oncoming beast before him. He grinned like a lunatic…like a demon.
"Come here Garfield Logan…I'll show you the difference between having power and knowing how to actually use it!"
The Beast roared and continued advancing, jumping up into the air, with both fists raised above his head, a clear sign that his intent was to pulverise the man before him. Deathstroke raised his other hand, focused for a second, and let out a white beam of concentrated fire. The Beast not expecting a different form of attack, had already set himself to barrel through it when the beam connected. The Beast was blasted backwards, tumbling along the ground, in a manner that would've killed any other living creature.
Once it came to a stop, it got back to its feet, although noticeably slower. Once again, the Beast noted a voice in the back of his head, screaming at him that something had changed and that it should retreat. The Beast did not retreat, especially from a creature that had invaded his territory. However, rather than sprinting forward, the Beast moved forward cautiously, assessing the enhanced threat before him. With parts of it's fur still smouldering and a selection of cuts and burns smattering it's body, including a particular nasty one over his right eye, mirroring the wound of his other-half, the creature looked like it had come straight out of hell.
Deathstroke walled forward with confidence, twirling his axe in his hand. Abaddon's advice had been prudent. He could feel the power from his new followers…their hopes…dreams…they flowed through him, giving him strength. He was the successor of Trigon on Earth and he would prove it by annihilating a creature that had never been bested. He raised his axe at the noticeably wounded Beast before him.
"For all your power…all your strength…you are still nothing but a filthy animal…and it's time someone put you out of your misery…you'll be losing a lot more than your eye this time."
Raven was not in a good mood. The Titan alarm going off twice on one day was normally bad enough, but not only did the alarm signal the arrival of a villain bearing her father's symbol, but it was a villain who was interrupting the Titan's ability to follow up on her lead on Beast Boy. She had information on where Beast Boy was in the current moment. The longer they were delayed, the greater the chance that he could move, or something could happen. Needless to say, Raven was going to make Johnny Rancid wish he had never escaped the sanctuary provided by his little block of ice.
She was currently sat in the T-car in the passenger seat beside Cyborg, with the others in the back. Johnny Rancid stuck to main roads usually, to maximise the carnage he could cause, so Cyborg's plan was to cut-him off. If they got close enough, Raven, Starfire and Bee would pursue in the air. So for the moment, Raven sat in the passenger seat, unable to follow up on Beast Boy, not able to beat Johnny Rancid to a pulp yet and knowing that Phobia had been telling the truth about Deathstroke returning to Jump City in the coming days. All in all…Raven was not in a good mood.
Her mind couldn't help but drift back to her connection to Beast Boy…and what had transpired between them. She had no idea what to make of his thoughts when had changed back from the Beast. After all his time away…from the Titans…from her…a memory of the two of them was his link to the real world. She had asked for a sign and while he definitely didn't mean to do it…he had sent one. She thought back to Starfire's words in the aftermath of Beast Boy's disappearance. Did she still think of him as someone who she could be something more with? Azar, could Beast Boy be friends with any of the Titans at all after this? If Deathstroke had become as powerful as Phobia thought he was, and Beast Boy wasn't here…would it any of it even matter?
Raven shut her eyes and focused on the road ahead. She couldn't think like that. Her entire life, she had raged against her father…her destiny and she'd defied fate. The Titans had defeated Trigon and the Titans would defeat Deathstroke too. One thought did linger in the back of her mind though. If part of Beast Boy's absence was because he was tracking Deathstroke alone, and he found out he was heading for Jump…for the Titans…would he come back?
Raven was jolted from her thoughts as Cyborg slammed on the brakes, sending the occupants of the car surging forward. Raven was about to lambast Cyborg for the lack of warning, when his voice rang out through the car.
"EVERYONE OUT NOW!"
Raven looked at him confused, before looking past him towards his driver side window, only to see the flaming motorbike of Johnny Rancid, with the man himself sat atop it, currently manifesting one of the largest fireballs she had ever seen. Raven undid her seatbelt and fell out of the passenger door. Cyborg started clambering over to her door, not wanting to exit via the side of the mad man, but Nightwing, Starfire and Bumblebee we're still struggling to get out of the back.
Raven acted without thinking. She flew over the driver side of the car and stared down the villain before her. Normally, Rancid was full of quips and terrible one-liners, but today, with his new power, he chose to keep it simple. He continued to laugh like a madman, his eyes wide and feral.
"Titans! Deathstroke sends his regards!"
Raven watched as he unleashed the fireball at the her and the T-car's other occupants. She closed her eyes, and found her centre. Rancid had made a deal with Deathstroke, which to her, basically meant he had sided with her father. He had interrupted her chance to find Beast Boy, and he was currently trying to burn the Titans to ashes. She could feel her emotions raging within her, but not in disagreement, but in sync. They all had the same goal right now…Take. Johnny. Rancid. Down.
Raven opened her eyes, her pupils flashing a brilliant white, before she summoned a massive shield with her powers. The fireball connected with it and Raven strained under the force, but she held firm. She then wrapped the shield around the edges of the fire, essentially trapping it within a ball of her powers before launching the sphere into the city sky, where once it was safely out of range, she allowed the orb to dissipate and the fire burned for a second, before disappearing without a trace.
She turned back from the sky, to look at Johnny Rancid, a look of pure fury in her eyes. She was aware of the other Titans coming to stand behind her, taking up offensive positions. For the first time since they had arrived, Johnny Rancid had stopped laughing and was now staring at Raven with a mixture of contempt and…something darker.
"I should have known that the Gem would be able to defend itself…Deathstroke would not have been pleased if I had killed it…no, no…he needs the Gem."
Raven couldn't hide her shock. Rancid was talking like a man possessed and he had called her the Gem. But that prophecy was finished. It was aimed at her on her sixteenth birthday…it was over? Raven felt her blood run cold. If Deathstroke had somehow found a use for her and the prophecy…well she was more than familiar enough with it to know how it ended.
Nightwing stepped in front of Raven, who he saw was clearly shocked by the words coming from the motorcyclist. "Enough games Rancid! New powers or not, you're not a match for us and you know it!"
The grin returned to Johnny Rancid's face. His stare seemed to burn a hole in the Titans before him, even though it looked like he wasn't focused on any particular one, like his gaze was all encompassing. "Yes, yes, I know that the Titans will defend the Gem like they did before, but you are no match for Deathstroke. He will march on the tower with an army and he will take the Gem by force! Bring however many heroes you want, you will be annihilated. Deathstroke comes to claim…he comes to sire the end of all things mortal….ahahah….ahahaha…AHAHAHA!"
Nightwing couldn't help but notice some similarities between the man before him and some of the prisoners of Gotham City's most infamous asylum. But he was done listening to the words of a man who had been driven mad. Nightwing withdrew his bo staff and got into a low fighting position, knowing the Titans behind him would back him up.
Johnny Rancid smiled with glee. "Yes, yes excellent. Can't kill the Gem, no, save the Gem for Deathstroke. But other Titans are fair game. I'll burn you to a crisp!"
The Titans didn't give Rancid another chance to get the jump on them. Cyborg and Robin began their assault on the ground, while Starfire, Raven and Bee took to the sky. Rancid sent out a wave of fire in their direction, before revving his motorbike back to life. For all intents and purposes, it looked like the Titans were marching into a battle inside an inferno.
The Beast and Deathstroke circled each other, each slightly more hesitant to rush straight into the brute force combat they were previously engaged in, but for very different reasons. The Beast was still trying to size up his foe and figure out what had changed, while Deathstroke was analysing his enemy for weakness. He knew he had the intelligence and strength to bring it down, so there was no need to rush in, no matter how strong he felt. Also, his foe was wounded from the blast he had just caught him with. He was looking for a limp, a favoured side, a grimace of pain…anything to indicate a weak spot.
The Beast was enraged. It had long stopped ignoring the voice in it's head telling it to retreat and assess it's options. No, this trespasser would be silenced right here and right now. The Beast's right arm was screaming at him, but it was the top predator in this environment and it would not show weakness. It knew a suitable challenge when it saw one and it would not give the man any knowledge about where it was vulnerable.
Deathstroke smirked as their little dance continued. "I must admit, I wish you were in some semblance of control in this situation Garfield. Defeating you like this…yes, it will be satisfying, but I'm worried it will lack the closure I desire. Will I see recognition in your eyes when I land the killing blow? And not the recognition of an animal knowing it's days are numbered…but the recognition of a man who knows that he wasn't good enough?"
The Beast growled, low and deep, the noise reverberating down through it's entire body. This man talked too much. The Beast wasn't one for analysing a foe to intensely, relying on brute strength and speed most of the time, but it was able to identify when a foe was over-confident. The Beast got low, and coiled, like a cobra ready to strike.
Deathstroke stopped circling and got into a defensive stance, "Go on Beast Boy…make your move."
The Beast did not need a second invitation. Springing forward on it's hind legs, the Beast closed the gap between the two of them almost instantly. While the Beast had originally positioned himself for the overhead strike he had utilised already in this fight, it had seen that Deathstroke was anticipating it. At the last he second, he feinted, getting underneath Deathstroke's guard, bringing his left arm down and up in a massive arc, it's claws scarping the ground, delivering an earth-shattering uppercut, sending Deathstroke up into the air.
The Beast, sensing his opening, leaped upwards, intending to get above the body of his adversary, so it could spike him into the ground. It sailed upwards, ready to make contact again, when Deathstroke, without warning, propelled himself forward, as his prowess in flight once again gave him the advantage. The Beast now hung in the air, turning rapidly to try and keep track of the fast-moving assailant. For all it's strength, the Beast could not fly.
Suddenly, Deathstroke, who had maneuvered himself into a blind spot, fired himself forwards, landing a devastating shot to the ribs of the Beast, who howled in pain. A split second later, the Beast took another blow to the back…and then the head…and then the back again. The Beast was caught in no man's land, as it began descending to the ground. It noticed that in the fighting in the air, it was no longer positioned over solid land, but rather over the waterfall over the edge of the cliff. Through the pain, the Beast felt the voice screaming in it's head. It was asking for control…it had a solution. For the first time in it's existence, the Beast handed over the reins while in combat.
Deathstroke was accelerating forward, intent on landing a fatal blow, when the hulking figure of the Beast disappeared, causing him to rapidly pull-up. In it's place, a pterodactyl had appeared, and noticing Deathstroke's pause, the animal gave a screech before launching itself at his opponent, digging it's talons deep into the gaps made in his armor. It noted a crack on Deathstroke's mask, most likely from the uppercut and it began biting at it, attempting to unveil the face behind the monster before him. Deathstroke desperately tried to pry the winged creature of off him as the pair of them careened towards the ground, eventually creating a degree of separation with a solid blast of fire. The pterodactyl gave a cry of pain and dislodged itself, correcting it's flight before it could hit the ground. Deathstroke was also able to adjust his descent so that he landed on one knee.
Deathstroke looked up, noting how has his vision was blocked by his mask, which had been suitably massacred by the flying dinosaur. With a roar of rage, he reached up ripped the torn side off, so that only half the mask remained, revealing pale skin and grey hair, their faded nature clashing with the blood red colour of his eye. He scanned his surroundings and his eyes locked on the changeling, who stood before him in his human form. But his attention was not on Deathstroke. He was clutching his head and shaking. He could only vaguely hear him from the distance he was at.
"No…we worked together…it doesn't have to be one or the other…"
Deathstroke grinned evilly. In Beast Boy getting control back, even for just a few seconds to avoid a life or death scenario, he had landed his best shot of their fight. Now, since they were back on solid ground, the Beast wanted to finish what it started. Deathstroke wouldn't have it any other way. The Beast and the changeling in sync would be a difficult proposition. Just Beast Boy would be interesting. But just the Beast?...Deathstroke would take that fight.
"What's wrong Garfield? Does your little friend not want to come out to play? Have I sent it away scared? It seemed to want control pretty badly when I threated Raven earlier…it must not care as much as it thinks it does…and neither must you."
It was such a simple ploy and any other adversary would have brushed it off. But Deathstroke wasn't dealing with a normal adversary. He was dealing with an animal and a reactionary one at that. Beast Boy didn't even last a second after that, giving a scream of pain before he transformed and the Beast stood before Deathstroke once again. There was murder in it's eyes, blood dripping from numerous wounds along it's body. Deathstroke wasn't in particularly great shape either, but he knew…this fight was almost over.
"Come on Beast…let's finish this."
Nightwing dipped behind another overturned car as Johnny Rancid sent another fireball in his direction. To say the B-list villain had been slightly more impressive in this outing would be an understatement of the highest order. Even with three Titans having aerial advantages, no one could get near the demon biker. Most, if not all the villains that the Titans had fought, had shown some kind of restraint in their destruction. When the Hive Five robbed a bank, they damaged the building, but not the entire street. Even when Slade and Terra had taken over the city, for the most part it was preserved, as Slade did not want to his new empire to look a mess.
Johnny Rancid had always been a chaotic villain, with seemingly no motive other than, "go really fast and damage public property", but his actions had moved from the irritating to the insane. When Starfire or Bee approached from the air, he sent a burst of fire that could consume the whole street. If Nightwing or Cyborg approached on the ground, the villain would maneuver on his bike and barrel towards them, leaving the road looking like it had been through an earthquake. Raven had inadvertently been moved into the role of defence, as her powers seemed to be the only thing that could shield the other Titans from Rancid's new abilities.
Nightwing couldn't help but think about what Rancid had said. The recent breakout of the villains involved with the brotherhood. If Rancid said Deathstroke was bringing an army, and if even some of them were villains with enhanced abilities like he was seeing first hand now…He shuddered. That was a problem that would be dealt with after the mad man before him had been subdued. Nightwing jumped out from behind the car, detonating a set of smoke bombs as he did so for cover. Using his grappling hook, he latched onto a nearby building and ascended out of the smoke to survey the scene.
The street looked like the latest infrastructure built in hell. Lamp posts and overturned cars littered the road and fires burned unchecked in patches. Johnny Rancid sat atop his bike in the centre, focusing a concentrated beam of fire at Raven, who had a shield of her powers up in front of Cyborg, who looked like he'd taken a nasty shot to the side of the head. Robin sent two birdarangs the biker's way and was pleased to see that they both found their mark, embedding in his upper arm. Rancid gave a growl of pain before locking eyes with Nightwing.
With a grin that only a psychopath could produce, Rancid turned his bike and aimed it at the building Nightwing was grappled too, before revving his engine and accelerating towards the base. Nightwing originally thought that Rancid was going to barrel straight through the wall and could only gape in surprise when Rancid hit the wall, and as smooth as if it was taking a corner, the motorbike began ascending up the face of the building, leaving a trail of fire in its place.
Nightwing was caught in Rancid's crosshairs and didn't have any obvious way out. He looked down at the rapidly approaching villain, before a flash of red couldn't help but make him smile. Just as Rancid was about to flatten Nightwing, he propelled himself of the building, leaping over the motorbike and began plummeting to the floor. He held his arms out in freefall and only had to wait a few seconds before he felt soft hands slip into his own and his descent stopped. He looked up into he face of Starfire, who was covered in a layer of dust and debris from the battle, but looked unharmed otherwise. Starfire looked down at him, with a smile. "I thought you might be doing the needing of a lift."
"Yea, I mean, I knew you were busy, but I thought it wouldn't be too much to ask."
Starfire brought Nightwing gently back to the ground, where he wrapped her in a quick hug before turning back towards the building. Bee was currently distracting the biker alone and without any word, Nightwing suddenly felt Starfire bolt into the air from behind him, intent on helping out her fellow Titan. Nightwing took a second to stare after his girlfriend. One second, she was saving him and the next, she was straight back into the battle…God he loved her.
Nightwing turned his attention to the Titans on the ground and sprinted over to Raven and Cyborg. Cyborg was propped up against a car and Raven was using some of her healing magic against the side of his head. Nightwing got down on one knee to assess the situation.
"How is he?"
"I'm fine Robin, honest, just took some nasty hits and I can feel that I'm gonna have to do some repairs tonight, but I'm good to go ba-"
Raven help up a hand, silencing the larger titan. All the Titans knew this at this stage, but when Raven was playing the role of medic, you did not argue with her. You sit down, you stopped talking and you behaved like a good little patient.
"My magic is having some effect and in a regular person, this would be a simple fix, but with Cyborg's electronics, there's only so much I can do. I've healed his physical injuries, but a simple sensitivity test showed he doesn't have any control of his right arm or leg right now."
Nightwing looked at Cyborg with a raised eyebrow. "You're fine? What we're you gonna do, hop?"
"…I didn't say it was my best idea."
The conversation was cut-off by the sound of a massive crash and a scream from overhead. All three Titans looked up to see Johnny Rancid, still driving on the side of the building, as if that was normal, and a crater in the building directly opposite him, that was smoking and smoldering. With his cybernetic eye, Cyborg could see Bee fluttering around the hole in a panic, and he could only assume that it was Starfire that had been the cause of the impact. Cyborg looked back and could tell that Raven and Nightwing had come to the same conclusion.
Rancid turned his attention to the group of Titans still on the ground and revved his engine again, driving down the face of the building at over a hundred miles an hour. Nightwing was about to sprint towards the villain, when a pale hand across his chest stopped him in his tracks.
"Stop…stay with Cyborg, we can't leave him alone during this…my powers have been the most effective so far."
"Raven, I won't let you face him alone. We don't know enough about his new powers. It's too dangerous and –"
"Nightwing, you have two teammates out of action, one of which is being attended too already. Cyborg is about to be in the middle of a battle zone if someone doesn't get him out of here. My powers have always been able to counter Trigon's and I am the best chance we have of stopping him right now. Be the leader we need you to be and you know this is the right call."
Nightwing stopped, but they both knew they only had seconds. It didn't take long for him to make a decision. "Once Cyborg is in a safe place, I'm coming back."
"I wouldn't have expected anything less."
Nightwing shot her an appreciative look before helping Cyborg to his feet and heaving his non-functioning arm over his shoulder, before slowly moving him away from the wreckage of the street. Raven turned to face the biker, who's arrival was now imminent, the sound of his laughter filling her mind. "Time to end your joy ride."
Raven stepped forward and planted both her boots into the ground, digging her heels into rubble of the street. She closed her eyes, feeling her power flow through her. Then her eyes snapped on.
"Azerath Metrion Zinthos!"
Johnny Rancid's bike became engulfed in Raven's powers and the bike came to a complete halt, sending the surprised biker straight over the handlebars towards the sorceress. Raven wasted no time. She released the bike, wiped the sweat off her brow and used her powers to lift a lamp post behind her.
"Batter up."
Raven swung the lamp post and connected with the airborne and oncoming Johnny Rancid, like a baseball bat connecting with a ball for a home run, sending him crashing into the side of the building he had just driven down. With one last flick of her wrist, Raven engulfed Rancid's bike again and sent it flying down the road, out of the reach of Deathstroke's lackey. Through the smoke and ash thrown up by Rancid's impact, Raven could already seen movement, as the villain emerged from the rubble. His hands were aflame, his eyes burning with malice. Raven watched as he reached into his jacket pockets with both hands, revealing a savage pair of knives.
"Can't kill the Gem no…but the Gem attacked me first and caused me pain…so I will hurt the Gem."
Raven summoned her powers to her hands, allowing them to be engulfed in her magic, the black power swirling at her finger tips. She pulled up her hood, to try and block both the sun and some of the debris that was in the air from getting in her face. Then, she stared down her opponent, her eyes glowing white.
"You couldn't if you tried."
Rancid made the first move, sending a ball of fire Raven's way, forcing her to block the attack, before rushing her, knives out and alight with fire. Raven recovered in time to prepare for the attack, dodging the first slash and bringing both her hands up and catching the second slash over her head with her powers. She could feel the heat of the blades through her magic. She grit her teeth and dug her heels in as Rancid tried to overpower her. He took the opportunity to lean in close.
"Your group is not so tough without the green one. Deathstroke told me what you did…even for a villain like me, that's cold."
Raven shoved Rancid off before levitating herself off the ground and sending several objects flying at him. Lamp posts, fire hydrants, street signs…anything that had fallen during the battle was an eligible missile. Rancid did a decent job evading everything, but couldn't avoid taking a garbage can to the stomach, winding him and taking him to a knee. Raven was quick to advance, but was caught by surprise when Rancid shot up suddenly, sending one of his knives flying. It embedded in Raven's shoulder before she could put up a shield and Raven released a yelp of pain as the searing hot-metal entered her skin.
Rancid rushed Raven quickly, full on tackling her to the ground as Raven removed the knife and threw it to the side. During the scuffle, Raven couldn't help but hear Rancid continue to talk the entire time. "Yes, yes…tried to kill the green one, who had already been through so much…when Deathstroke's army comes…he will not come to help you…not if Deathstroke has his way."
Raven threw the mad man off her and before Rancid could recover, Raven got to her feet, her eyes ablaze, and she vanished, replaced by her corporeal Raven. It flew towards Rancid and without any hesitation, grabbed the villain in one of it's claws and took to the air, before careening downwards and driving him into the city street below, sending dust and debris high into the air. Nightwing, who had just arrived back at the scene, had only been able to watch what he hoped was the final act of the battle as a bystander.
"Raven!...Raven!...Where are you!?"
Nightwing's attention was grabbed by the sound of coughing and as the dust settled his eyes came to focus on the figure of Raven on one knee in front of a crater in the street. Nightwing sprinted over, just in time to catch a falling Raven, who's powers were completely spent. Nightwing took a second to look up, acknowledging the unconscious form of Johnny Rancid in the crater, the slow movement of his chest up and down indicating that he was alive. Raven shifted in Nightwing's grasp and slowly pushed herself back up onto her feet.
"I'm okay…just…it's been a long day."
Nightwing grimaced. "It really has…Bee is with Starfire and Cyborg. Starfire took one of his fire bolts full blast, but she seems to be okay. We can assess everyone properly at the tower."
Raven nodded, before turning at the sound of coughing coming from the crater. At the noise, Robin descended and immediately cuffed Rancid around both his arms and legs. He wasn't going anywhere and that was good. Raven had a question.
She descended into the crater beside Nightwing and turned the villain over onto his back so that he was facing the sky, his eyes squinting as he looked into the sun. Raven took some comfort in his discomfort. Nightwing looked at her inquisitively, but she had no time for explaining.
"You said that Beast Boy wouldn't come if Deathstroke had his way. What do you mean by that? What do you know?"
Rancid looked up at Raven and for the first time since coming back around, he brandished one of his evil grins, whilst trying to hold back coughing fits. "Deathstroke has forces…he must communicate with them, yes, yes…can see what he wants from us…what his current priorities are…he fights the green one as we speak…Deathstroke will spill his blood first…the first Titan to die in his crusade."
Nightwing and Raven looked on at Johnny Rancid in horror, before Nightwing grabbed him by the scruff of his jacket and yanked him upwards. "You're lying! We won't buy into your pointless mind games!" Rancid laughed maniacally, before breaking into another coughing fit. "Is that so?...Why don't you ask the Gem…she already knows I speak the truth." Nightwing turned to Raven for confirmation that Rancid was lying and his heart sunk.
Raven had dropped to both her knees and her eyes were wide and terrified. She was vaguely aware of Nightwing waving his hands in front of her face and his lips moving, but there was no sound. Her blood had run completely cold and her skin had become covered in goosebumps. She only felt like this one time before and that was when Robin's visions of Slade had almost killed him after she had established their connection. She had only established connections with two people and Nightwing was right in front of her. Rancid's words were true…Beast Boy was fighting for his life and Deathstroke was winning.
Raven snapped back to reality and turned to Nightwing, cutting off whatever he was going to say.
"Nightwing, deal with Rancid, I have to connect with Beast Boy."
"Raven, what's wrong? Right here? Do you not ne-"
"NIGHTWING! THERE IS NO TIME! RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!"
Nightwing, having now put two and two together regarding Rancid's words and Raven's fear could only nod numbly as Raven clambered out of the crater and took up the lotus position in the middle of the decimated Jump City Street. It was hardly a serene spot for such a connection, but it was her only choice. Raven closed her eyes and felt herself lift off the ground. Before, she had always taken her time establishing the link, not wanting to rush things in case it hurt her or Beast Boy. But this time, she had no other option.
Raven felt the familiar connection, but there was no mental wall in place this time. Raven moved forward and watched as the darkness in front of her exploded into colour.
The Beast was in trouble and it knew it. It had always been the apex creature at the top of the food chain, whenever he took control of a situation. It's brute strength and speed had never found an equal, until the battle that it was in now. There was a limit on how many times it could burst through another fire blast or shield it's face from it with it's bare arms. Deathstroke kept taking to the sky and unwilling to risk being caught out again like it was before, the Beast made the decision to stay firmly on the ground.
The voice in the back of it's head had been silent since it resumed control. It had been a while since it made it's presence felt the way it did, but the Beast was protective of those it considered his to protect. It knew of Raven…knew how she was connected to it…to them. It would not allow those words of Deathstroke to go unpunished. But Deathstroke was quick, his accuracy with his ranged attacks sharp and his precision with close range attacks, either with his axe or his fists, was ruthless. The Beast had managed to landed a few more hits, no doubt, but it had been the one on the worse-end of this combat. For the first time, it was unsure how much longer it would be able to last. But it would not relent. It ruled the lands he occupied, no matter where they were and it would not show weakness.
The Beast eyed Deathstroke above him, floating just out of reach, carefully watching his opponent movements for his next attack. Deathstroke could sense that an opportunity to finish this was going to arise soon. Unless the Beast changed it's tactics, Deathstroke would claim the life of his first Titan. Deathstroke shot two balls of fire down at the Beast, who instead of bracing itself, made he effort to dodge for the first time. Realizing his foe had inadvertently shown that he couldn't take anymore of his inferno's, Deathstroke did not let up, sending off a continuous barrage of fire balls, chasing the Beast across the rocky cliff terrain. He wasn't expecting to catch it, but merely tire it out.
After throwing a last volley, Deathstroke flew in the last fire balls jet stream, catching the Beast off guard, as it wasn't expecting his opponent to come in so close, landing a brutal hook across the face of the Beast. The Beast stumbled back, the vague outline of a scorch mark in the shape of a fist on the Beast's face. Deathstroke didn't push his advantage, instead choosing to wait, simply withdrawing his axe from behind his back. He would let the Beast be its own downfall.
The Beast recovered, shook it's head, and charged Deathstroke, it's claw primed to shred he man before him to pieces. Deathstroke dropped low to avoid the first swipe, but was caught on the upper arm by the second. Through out the course of the fight, the Beast had slowly but surely sliced open Deathstroke's armor to the point the Beast was often finding flesh when it did connect. Deathstroke grit his teeth, and turned, delivering a vicious back hand to the Beast to dislodge him.
The Beast didn't let up, pushing it's opponents discomfort and leapt upwards, looking to deliver a crushing blow. Deathstroke smiled, half his mouth being visible due to the disappearance of half his mask. Deathstroke timed his dodge to perfection, slipping beneath the inbound Beast and sending a plume of fire upwards as he went, catching the Beast in the blaze. On the other side of the creature, knowing that he only had a split second that had been afforded to him by his most recent hit and a combination of all the damage the Beast had taken, without taking the time to line-up his shot, Deathstroke gripped his double-bladed axe with both hands and swung with all his might. Deathstroke found his mark.
The Beast howled in pain as Deathstroke turned to assess his work. On impact, he had actually let go of the axe, which was now lodged deep into the side of the Beast. The Beast had managed to get his hands up to block the blow, but this wasn't fire it was blocking…this was steel made in the fires of outer perdition. The Beast looked down at the wound, and Deathstroke could see recognition in the animals eyes. This fight was over. Deathstroke held out his hand and called the axe back, wrenching it free from the Beast, eliciting another howl of pain and without any hesitation, Deathstroke sent a massive fireball straight into the prone Beast's face, sending him flying towards the cliff edge. The Beast rolled along the floor, before coming to a stop mere feet from the edge. It was battered...and beaten.
Deathstroke walked towards the creature slowly, relishing in his victory. "Do you understand now Garfield? This is the difference between you and I…you could have been great…a leader in a new world, if only you had accepted my offer. Instead, you sent your raw power to battle against someone who actually knew how to use theirs…this result was never in doubt Beast Boy…"
The Beast attempted to rise to his feet, but the wound on its side was proving too much to overcome. It should have heeded the words of the voice in it's head, but it had been stubborn and prideful. Even looking for the voice now, it couldn't find it. Even though it had no motivation to leave, the Beast finally took the advice…and retreated.
The hulking figure of the Beast began to shrink down before Deathstroke, revealing Garfield Logan on his hands and knees, burned and cut, coughing up blood. Deathstroke smirked down at the Titan. "My offer still stands Garfield…I have shown you that I can control my power…stand by my side…and I will pass this knowledge onto you…you can become greater than you have ever been before."
Beast Boy was only vaguely aware of Deathstroke's offer. He had been lost during his last transformation, having next to no memory of the events since he took control in the air and now he knew that he was in trouble. But that wasn't even what occupied his mind the most. He could feel her. He knew the connection instantly…she was watching him right now, he could feel her screaming in his head, but she sounded so far away. He wanted to reach out…to say things he should have said a long time ago…to put things right…but Beast Boy was tired…just so…so…tired.
Beast Boy looked up into Deathstroke's face, seeing his outstretched hand, knowing that Raven was seeing what he was seeing. He held his eyes for a second before spitting out a mouthful of blood at Deathstroke's feet.
"You already know my answer."
Deathstroke withdrew his hand and looked down at Beast Boy in disappointment. "A pity…I'll be sure to send the Titans your regards."
Without any further hesitation, Deathstroke created a focused ball of fire and blasted the entire portion of the cliff that Beast Boy was prone on into oblivion, sending debris and the Changeling over the side and down towards the cascading waterfall below. Beast Boy felt himself falling, still aware of Raven's voice screaming in his head, but he had no answers for her. Despite all his extra training, his time away from everyone…he still wasn't enough, and he had spent the majority of his final moments as the monster that everyone feared. Beast Boy let his eyes close. His final thoughts were of warm feeling he could feel spreading throughout his body, before everything went black.
After a few seconds, Deathstroke strode over and peered over the edge, looking down at the cascading water. He knew there was no surviving that fall, whether you were a Titan or a Beast.
"You could have been so much more…but you chose to live and die like an animal."
Deathstroke turned away from the cliff. He had already moved onto his next objective…and that lay in Titans Tower in Jump City.
Raven had seen everything. The Beasts defeat on the end of Deathstroke's axe, Beast Boy's defiance in the face of death, Deathstroke's final offer which he had declined. She had felt every one of his thoughts. That he wasn't good enough…that he was the monster everyone feared…that he had left things unsaid. Raven had been screaming at him in his mind when she felt him accept his fate. No. Absolutely not. There was zero chance that Beast Boy was going anywhere while they had unfinished business. Raven felt her entire being align with itself. She could feel every one of her emoticlones swirling in her head like a storm, coming together for a common goal.
Raven didn't even know if that was possible, but she raised her hands and allowed her healing magic to seep out into Beast Boy's mind, noticing that her magic was glowing white as she did so. She felt his pain, the sheer agony he was, but that he had not shown to Deathstroke, and she tried to heal him by talking it into herself. She saw Beast Boy get blasted off the cliff and knew time was off the essence. She increased her efforts, letting out a scream of both effort and pain as she continued to try and save him. He was so far away…but they were connected and it was his only chance. Raven noticed that Beast Boy's world was slowly going black. For a final moment, Raven gave absolutely everything, the pain almost becoming too much for her…and then there was silence.
Raven fell to the Jump City street with a scream, her legs moving out from underneath her. She was aware of herself being propped up, but she was still too shaken to move or even acknowledge whoever had helped her. It took several seconds before she became aware of conversation around her.
"We have to move her Cyborg, we can't stay here."
"Nightwing, she's basically catatonic, I don't know what you want me to do!?"
"But what is wrong with friend Raven? Why was she participating in meditation in a place such as this?"
"Rancid said something about Beast Boy being in trouble and that he was fighting Deathstroke. I thought he was ly-"
"He was telling the truth."
Raven could feel all eyes snap to her, and she immediately became aware of a slender pair of arms wrap around her shoulders.
"Raven, please don't do the scaring of us like that again, we were…what happened Raven…and why are you white?"
Starfire had caught herself when she noticed Raven was on the verge of tears. She looked between the other Titans, who were waiting for her answer, but not actually sure if they wanted to hear it. Raven cleared her throat.
"Beast Boy was fighting Deathstroke…as the Beast…and he lost."
Silence. A sound that Raven was beginning to get incredibly sick of…a sound amongst the Titans that was usually filled by the Changeling. Raven raised her hands, slowly becoming more and more aware of how much pain she was in and looked at her cloak, which was indeed a brilliant white, a sign that in her effort to save Beast Boy, all facets of who she was had united.
"Deathstroke was going to kill him…so I…I tried to heal him through our connection, or take some of the pain from him…anything to help him…but…but…"
She looked up at as a hand came to settle on her shoulder and locked eyes with Cyborg, who looked like he was on the verge of tears as well. "It's okay Raven…take your time."
"I felt like it might have been working…but…Cyborg…at the end...I couldn't feel him."
Raven didn't even have time to assess Cyborgs reaction, as her body and mind finally began to register the amount of pain she had absorbed. She could only vaguely recognize someone calling out her name as, much like it had for Beast Boy, everything went black.
