AN: Hey everyone! Today is a very special day for me! Today… is the fifth anniversary of me joining this site! I can hardly believe it; it feels incredible to have traveled this far. And so, I want to thank all of you who have given my fanfics (especially this one) love and support. I wouldn't have gotten this far without all of you.

Chapter 45 Airborne Chase

Finally. Frigging finally! After walking for hours, battling sore feet as well as the anxiety as to what would happen if the Trigons found them, the Ravens were now on the edge of Jump City. Titans Towser was just one simple boat ride or flight away. Raven couldn't help but let out a breath when she saw it, even laughing a little bit. This… it had almost felt like this moment would never come. Raven had worried that all the pain and fear that she had dealt with would mean nothing in the end. To see all of this finally reach said end made her feel… happy. An unusual emotion for any version of the dark sorceress, but Raven really felt as though things were starting to go her way.

"Okay." She adjusted her feet before looking up at Raven. "That's your Titans Tower?"

Raven nodded, still wearing her trademark stoic expression. "It's pretty cool." She stepped toward the shoreline, letting out some breaths when she did. "We're in the home stretch Raven; we'll be safe and sound in no time." She rose into the air, holding out her hand for her double to take. "Come on; let's not waste any time."

Raven smiled. She walked up to her double, firmly taking her hand in hers. They rose even higher into the air, with Raven's excitement and relief rising as well…

"Well well well."

Both Ravens gasped. They turned, and their eyes grew wide when they saw Trigon floating right behind them. There was a sort of heat in his four eyes, a heat that could make even the strongest people shudder. Raven's stomach churned as she looked at her father, and she sweated more than usual.

This is not good.

"It's nice to see you, Rachel and Angela." Trigon got in closer, his glare becoming both more concentrated and more furious. "You left such a strong impression on me that I knew fate would have us meet again."

Chills ran up and down Raven's arms and spine. She wanted to scream; she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs and cower in the corner. Being on the receiving end of these horrible looks her Dad was giving her and her double… this was the worst feeling in the world. There was no way that it could get any more unbearable.

SPLASH!

Never mind! Both Ravens turned around, with Raven cringing when she saw the other Trigon standing in the water. He completely blocked out the view of Titans Tower, and the shadow he cast over everything was dark enough to be mistaken for the night. Raven swallowed a lump, and she only grew more nervous as Trigon hopped out of the water.

"I've been waiting for this for far too long.' Like Trigon before him, he glared at the Ravens, his eyes glowing with a wicked red. Raven felt herself shrinking under his gaze. Seriously, she had thought TRIGON'S glare was unbearable!

"Here is what you will do, my dears," said Trigon. He wobbled a little on his one leg, almost falling to the ground. Even with that, he didn't look any less intimidating, which was a feat to be sure. Raven's insides twisted into knots, and she felt like she was right on the cusp of throwing up. "You will give me the rest of the little Raven's power. If you fail to comply, then the consequences will be extremely dire."

Raven stole a glance at her double's face, noticing that she too looked frightened and taken aback. At least for a second; she just as quickly put on a determined face. Raven could make an educated guess as to what she was thinking, and while she was grateful for it, she also was scared to the nth degree. Raven, please don't do anything reckless. We can't afford to lose at this stage of the game.

"We will never give you Raven's powers." She rose even higher into the air. "If you want them, you'll have to get through me first."

She then did something that Raven never in a million years would've expected. She zipped into the air, traveling at speeds comparable to a rocket ship. She zoomed towards Jump City, with Raven grasping her hand with all the strength she had at her disposal. Her sweating didn't dissipate though; if anything, it just got worse.

"Raven, are you crazy?"

"Maybe," Raven said, all without stopping.

"TRIGON!" Trigon shouted at the top of his already booming voice. "GET THE RAVENS! NOW!"

Raven looked behind, her stomach lurching when she saw her dad chasing after the two of them. Raven looked behind as well, but even still, she didn't stop. In fact, she sped up, creating a scenario where the city beneath the two of them was just a blur of colors.

"Come on, Ravens! All we want is the power within one of you so we can obliterate the multiverse! Is that so much to ask?"

More for the sake of retaining her sanity than anything else, Raven faced forward. Raven zipped around the various buildings, cutting it really close when it came to avoiding them. Raven harbored a guess that the reason why she was doing this was because she was trying to get Trigon to crash into the buildings while chasing after them. A good plan… but one that was far from effective. Raven saw Trigon swerving out of the way of the buildings just in the nick of time, growing angrier with each glass window he failed to break.

"THIS IS NOT HOW THIS IS GOING TO END!" He clapped his hands together, and red arcane bolts shot out of them. Some of them were right on the cusp of hitting Raven, making her let go of her double's hand and fall to her death. They thankfully avoided them, but the fact that they got as close as they did didn't do Raven's ramped-up mood any favors.

"Raven, he's using magic!"

Raven turned toward Trigon. "Well. Two can play at that game."

She fired some black arcane blasts at Trigon, a practice that made Raven smile. Yes! They were fighting back! They actually had a way to beat Trigon and make the distance between the three of them even greater! Raven's heart jumped for joy, her hope rising by a considerable degree.

That is, until Trigon growled and sent a barrage of red arcane bolts in the Ravens' direction. Trying to dodge these bolts was like trying to avoid rain in a thunderstorm, and it once again made Raven fear for her life. She closed her eyes, unwilling to watch if something were to happen to Raven and send both of them falling to the ground. Unfortunately, doing that made things worse, as now that she couldn't see, she could feel the strength of the wind rushing around the two of them, and she heard the sound of the arcane blasts whizzing past her ears. She had no choice but to open her eyes, which she did…

"AAH!" Raven got hit by one of the arcane bolts, and she started to fall. Raven's heart raced, and for a brief second, she feared that this was the end for them. She looked down at the pavement below them, the pavement that they would go splat on… unless he did something to stop this. So, she took a breath.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

She activated her own flying power, stopping Raven from falling as she held her up in midair. It felt so good to be able to fly again… but mere seconds after she did, she heard the whispers in her mind again. They seemed louder than before, more wicked and mocking. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she even put her hand up to the gem on her forehead. Please, she thought. Please don't be released, please don't be released…

Thankfully, Raven finally managed to recover. She gripped hold of her double's hand again and began flying. While she didn't say anything, Raven sensed a strong bout of gratitude fill her. It made her smile. It also made her feel good, knowing that she had single-handedly been responsible for saving Raven. What made it feel even better was the fact that it had mostly been Raven who had done the heavy lifting when it came to keeping the two of them safe, and now Raven had finally done something to return the favor. It felt good. It felt really good.

"OH, FOR THE LOVE OF PETE!" Trigon bellowed. He held out his hand, which glowed with the red aura that Raven would recognize anywhere. He telekinetically lifted a car from off the ground, chucking it at the Ravens. In response to this, Raven flew upwards, avoiding getting hit. As she shot into the stratosphere, she looked down and telekinetically picked up some objects too. She hurled them at Trigon, with some of them hitting him directly in the face. That sight… the sight of Trigon falling back down to earth and making a huge dent in the road when he landed, was possibly the most satisfying thing Raven had ever seen. She even laughed a little. She was about to tell her double that she did a good job…

Until Trigon landed in their way. Before either of them could properly react, he snatched the Ravens and gripped them in his fist. Raven gasped, and her double struggled. Right as Raven was beginning to worry about coming out of this situation alive, Trigon threw them down to the ground. He did it hard, so hard that when Raven landed, it felt as though her back had snapped in half. She groaned, trying to lift herself up to look at her double.

"Raven…" her heart skipped a beat when she saw Raven, unconscious right next to her. "Raven, are you…"

To her terror, Raven's father floated up to them and activated his telekinesis yet again. Raven gasped as his signature red aura surrounded her double, holding her in midair. Since she was unconscious, she didn't even have the opportunity to struggle. Raven gasped, jumping to her feet. Her heart pounded in her ears as she looked at Raven.

"Dad, let her…" she gasped again, an icy cold fear growing with her when she saw that Trigon had something in his open mouth. With its orange glow, there wasn't a doubt in Raven's mind what it was. There was also no doubt in her mind what her father wanted to do. "DAD, STOP!"

Trigon laughed from up above. He hopped over to the three of them, grinning as he did. "Finally, my Mini-Me has done something smart." He glared down at Raven. "Now, little demoness, you have a choice. If you care for my daughter and want her to live to see another day, then you will give me what's left of your demonic power. Otherwise… your father will destroy your friend."

Raven looked at her double, still unconscious in the air. No… no! This couldn't be happening! Her dad couldn't do this! He had been known for doing some horrible, wickedly evil things in the past, but THIS? He couldn't do this; he just couldn't!

"Uh…" Raven hesitated, her legs starting to shake as she tried to figure out what to do. She couldn't give up her demon… and yet, Raven would die if she didn't. She couldn't let her new friend die… oh, but if she didn't, then the whole multiverse would be in danger! The Trigons would destroy everything until there was absolutely nothing left. What could she do? Oh, what could she do…

"It seems you don't seem to care about my daughter as much as I originally thought," Trigon said, his voice maliciously pleased. "Oh well. Trigon, do your worst."

Trigon beamed. He opened his mouth extra wide, the fire in his throat growing even brighter and stronger when he did. Raven gasped, her heart rate going through the roof.

"NO!"

Without even thinking, she activated her powers, causing the gem on her forehead to crack. Black ooze shot out of it, completely covering her. When she was completely covered, she shot toward her double, wrapping her slimy black wings around Raven right as Trigon shot a stream of fire at her. It hit Raven's wings, which filled the young hero with relief. Raven was safe. Oh, thank goodness, Raven was safe…

"Too easy," Trigon said.

Before Raven could react, something sharp and hot hit her in the back.