"The Duo of Death! Raven and Slade!"
The Master's voice rang over the room as gasps of surprise echoed his pronouncement. All eyes went to Raven and Slade, standing beside each other already, two bright lights shining down on them both. Raven's throat felt tight as she felt the wave of emotion from everyone around her. There was shock, intrigue, and a fair amount of suspicion. Her eyes went to Robin, standing with Batman on the opposite side of the room. His face was annoyed and angry as he looked at Slade, and Raven felt his panic at the two of them being in close contact for any length of time.
Shaking herself of her stupor, Raven gritted her teeth sending an angry look at the Master of Games.
"Woah, woah, woah," she argued, "I thought you said the pairs were based on experience partnering up in the past!"
"WE," Raven gestured between her and Slade who was watching her with a bemused expression, but she picked up on his own confusion at the pairing despite his apparent nonchalance, "have never worked together!"
The Master of Games crossed his arms and raised a brow, a smirk on his face. "Didn't the two of you end the world together?"
The whisperings that had been going on immediately ceased, and Raven felt the color drain from her face. She didn't dare look at Constantine or Zatanna, she could feel their glares on her skin. Not knowing where to look, Raven glanced at Slade. He met her eyes, cocking his head to the side. Despite her intense hatred of the man, in that particular moment, they seemed to come to the same conclusion. Both looked back to the Master of Games.
"That feels like a stretch," they said together.
The Master looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking his head and grinning like a madman again. "Were you not under the employ of the demon known as Trigon, Slade? And Raven, were you not the method by which Trigon came to Earth? Am I wrong in saying you went willingly with Slade to bring about the apocalypse and that without his help, the end would not have come?"
Raven and Slade both stiffened, and despite his mask covering it, Raven could sense the angry emotions playing on his face.
Seeing them hesitate to disagree, the Master's grin widened and he clapped his hands. "As I expected. Seeing as the two of you have, ironically, both the greatest death toll and savior count, and there are an odd number of teams, you two will receive a bye in the first round. After all," the Master waggled his brows, but his voice darkened, "you've already killed everyone here once."
Raven swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to think of a counter argument, half hoping Slade's penchant for quick retorts would come in handy, but the masked villain was apparently in as much a stupor as Raven.
The Master's deranged eyes went back over the crowd, his voice rising as he announced, "The first round begins in the morning! You will find the brackets displayed in your shared room. Happy strategizing!"
"No, wait!" Raven tried as the hair on the back of her neck stood up again, and she was blinded by light. She felt the jarring sensation of her body being forcefully moved through space and stumbled forward once she was on solid ground once more.
Catching herself, Raven stood straight, rubbing her eyes as her senses adjusted to the new surroundings. Gone was the expansive dome room filled with whispering voices and judgmental eyes. Now, Raven stood by the entry of a small, simple dormitory room. The only things in the room were a small couch and coffee table, a square table and two chairs, a glowing monitor on one wall with a tournament bracket displayed on its screen, and a single king bed taking up the center of the room.
Raven stared at the bed, becoming acutely aware of the dark presence behind her. Suddenly, she felt unable to look at Slade, her body stiffening as she absorbed the situation she found herself in. The room was completely silent, not even their breathing disturbing the quiet.
After what felt like an eternity, Raven remembered the ability to move. With her cloak snapping behind her, she turned and pushed right past Slade, ignoring his narrowed eye and wave of annoyance. Her hand went on the handle of the door, and she pulled.
Nothing. The door didn't budge.
Grunting in frustration, Raven tried again, pushing and pulling against the door to no avail. A few feet away, Slade's annoyance had turned into amusement as he watched her struggle. It only frustrated Raven more. Were those the only two emotions the man was capable of?
Her teeth ground in anger, her body tense and bristling. Her eyes began to glow as darkness surrounded the door. She forced all of her anger with the situation and Slade at the door, ready to watch it crumble beneath the pressure of magic, but instead of crumpling into a metal heap, Raven's magic snapped back at her, a rune on the door coming to life and rejecting her attempt. The sudden power of the rune threw Raven backwards, sending her flying to the ground.
"Ugh," Raven groaned, her hands massaging her temple.
A hearty laugh filled the room, and Raven's eyes sprung open as Slade stood above her, looking down at her on the ground with his arms crossed and his chest moving up and down as he laughed.
"Well, that was adorable," Slade mocked, not offering any sort of help as Raven shoved herself back and struggled to her feet, her head pounding.
His laugh sent a fresh wave of anger through Raven as she stood. Glaring, she tried and failed to keep her voice level. "At least I'm doing something. I don't see you trying to get out."
Slade cocked his head, appraising the young woman before him. With a quick stride, he turned and moved back to the door, fiddling with the handle a few times before shrugging and walking back to Raven. "The door appears to be locked."
Raven's eye twitched, and she found it harder to keep calm. "That's it? You're just going to accept this?"
Despite the mask, Raven could always tell when the devil was smirking.
"I've never had issues accepting my destiny, gem," Slade sneered, his visible eye glittering with devious joy.
"Do not call me that," Raven fired back. "And this isn't destiny, Slade. This is some bullshit tournament put on by a maniac."
Slade tsked, "Language, Raven."
Raven's hands clenched by her side, dark power building. "It figures you'd want to be part of this. You're just as insane as he is!"
"Is this how you speak to the other Titans? No wonder the Justice League doesn't want you. You really shouldn't talk to your partners that way."
"YOU are not my partner," Raven spat, her eyes turning a dangerous blend of red and black. She felt herself losing a grip on her rage, but for once, she didn't mind. If she tore Slade apart, she doubted she'd lose sleep over it.
Slade gasped in mock offense. "But, Raven, you and I have such a strong history. I mean, we really did make a good team." His voice was taunting and overly satisfied with himself, it grated on Raven's nerves.
Raven's eyes were red, a darkness expanding behind her. "Do you want me to remind you of who it is you're talking to, Slade?" she hissed. "Do you want to relive the last time you and I were a team?"
Slade looked completely unfazed by her threat. His hand went to his chin as he looked upwards, pretending to think. "Technically, I wasn't alive then, so I wouldn't be reliving it."
The arrogance, the nonchalance, the complete dismissal. She wasn't sure which it was, but staring at him so casually standing before her set Raven off. With a shout, she thrust her hand forward, a tendril of darkness lashing out for Slade, but before it reached him, a weapon in the upper corner of the room that Raven had failed to notice, shot straight at Raven, the pulse electrocuting her, making her scream and lose her focus. Her magic disappeared, and she dropped to her knees, panting.
"Hmm," Slade hummed, "so that's what that does."
Raven's body was shaking from the electric pulses, but she still found it in her to shoot a withering stare at the man. "Fuc-c-c-k-k yo-u-u-u," she stuttered through chattering teeth.
"You really must watch the language, Raven," Slade tsked again, turning away from her and admiring the weapon, "what would the other heroes think?"
Just as Raven was about to respond, a robotic voice sounded through their room.
"Rule number 2.0.a: Violence against other competitors is prohibited outside the arena. Any attempts on another's wellbeing shall result in appropriate preventive measures. Side effects of such preventive measures may include injury or death. No team or person shall receive additional time or allowance due to side effects of protective measures. Further violence against competitors will increase the effectiveness of preventative measures."
"Raven, of Azarath," the voice continued, enunciating her name carefully, "this is your first strike. Three strikes will result in termination."
Slade chuckled, his eye returning to her. "Would you like to try again? Who knows, maybe you'll beat the laser."
Part of her wanted to. Really wanted to. Consequences be damned, but her body was still recovering from the first pulse. Instead, Raven used the chair nearby to pull herself to her feet and looked toward the ceiling. She could see now that there was a weapon in opposite corners of the room along with a set of cameras. Focusing her attention on one of the cameras, she tried to stand tall and look demanding.
"Fine, no thrashing Slade. Can we at least get a second bed?" Raven shouted at the camera.
A long moment passed before the robotic voice returned. "The rooms have been designed for the physical needs of their occupants."
Raven scowled. "And the physical needs of these two occupants requires two beds."
The silence between the responses of the voice was beginning to annoy Raven as much as Slade's existence. "The size measurements of the occupants indicate the spatial requirements of the sleeping utility to be appropriate. Request denied." With that, a decisive click sounded, indicating whatever was answering Raven was gone.
Immediately, Raven's eyes flashed towards Slade as he moved to the bed and laid down, completely relaxed.
"What are you doing?" Raven demanded.
"Claiming my side," Slade practically purred, absolutely content and enjoying Raven's discomfort.
Raven's face twisted in disgust and disbelief. Surely, he didn't expect…. "We are not sleeping together."
"I don't mind you're a virgin, Raven," Slade said immediately, and Raven imagined his face was contorted into some twisted version of a human smile.
Raven paled before she blushed, her eyes wide in horror. She tried to form words and failed, her body shifting awkwardly on the spot. "That… that isn't what I meant," she finally squeaked out, feeling extremely embarrassed and uncomfortable under his steady gaze.
She felt his delight grow, and Raven instantly felt foolish. He was trying to get under her skin. With a hateful scowl, she turned to the small couch in the room. It wasn't large, but it would have to do. Summoning her magic, she lifted it up and shifted it to be as far away from Slade on the bed as possible, turning it to face him, so she could keep an eye on him at all times.
"Fine," she muttered as she moved the couch in position. "I'll sleep here."
Slade had watched her the entire time, his grin wide beneath his mask. When she dropped dramatically onto the cushion with a pout and her arms crossed, Slade laughed again, his eye closing and his hands clasping behind his head as he settled onto one side of the bed. "Suit yourself, Titan, but don't complain to me when you're tired and stiff tomorrow."
Raven scowled, settling herself on the couch and refusing to let her eyes leave the villain. No matter what "preventative measures" were in place, Raven didn't trust Slade, and she didn't trust the Master of Games or his competition. She would not let herself be caught off guard. With a sigh, she resigned herself to a sleepless night.
A/N: I'm having a lot of fun writing this one, and I know it's a bit tropey, but I hope you all enjoy it, too!