Our Time In Reverse - What it Takes
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Chapter 71: A Bloody Martyr
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Her skin full of blood and fire burned her to the edges as his voice prodded, kicked as an unborn base at her gullet.
"Raven??" Beastboy ran to her as Richard gripped his own skull. "No…no, stop! I didn't want her to-
~ This has to happen. Finish it, rip open the gem to allow Trigon here. You have no other way out this time. DO IT!~
Dick saw that the other Robin had a staff to his throat. "You…see what happens when you act like you can't get over yourself?? We all didn't care about the serum, moron…We wanted you to get it through your skull that Slade is using you. He always WAS!"
"What can I do, then?? I can't take it back!?" Dick yelled at Todd. "You took something that was mine, and you're going to have that like I never could…I'm not hero…I don't know who I am anymore…"
Wait…
Todd saw that Dick was faking this. Calling Slade out while stalling. His very last stance.
"He'll be here to take me away again. Raven needs to get out. I won't –
Raven's scream ripped under Bb's arms as Starfire flew to her. "No more yelling, it is….not the time that is right. Richard? Will you not save our city together?"
"It's not mine." Dick swallowed. "I could have hurt all of you…I…-
The floating sound of a whipping copter had Dick spin his head round to see Slade's upgraded robots and his own new fire powers from the craft. "You're relieved from duty, apprentice." Slade pressed a button on his gauntlet as Dick's world went black.
"NO!" Starfire shouted as she shot bolts out. Slade has a fire – force field around the copter as the robots ran hell over the city to keep the Titans scared.
"This is it, isn't it, mama. Why you wanted us out of your head?"
Raven groaned as he touched her face, so heated by this evil deep inside. "Don't let anyone near Rave, Bb." Cy ordered the teen to not let Slade kill her to free Trigon. "If she goes, the world as we know it-
Dick groaned as he started to come to, Slade's eye wider as he narrowed it to shock the bad pup again. "Stay down."
"N….o…you…made me, this…" Growled the teen as every shock seemed to make him angrier. He lunged at the man and his arm, pulling off the worst kick as Slade leaned against the copter door for support. Pulling out his staff, it was made to turn to fire at both tips. "Need I remind you just who you are speaking to? I didn't just stop your self - destruction. I made it possible to rise above your self- doubt. The Titans are getting in the way. They need to be annihilated. You are –
"No."
Slade gripped the staff harder as he swung with a battle cry. Past due ln punishment as Trigon groaned inwardly.
~ It may be a prolonged wait, mortals. I will see to my child gutting her stomach to set me free if I must, on my own.~
Bb saw the weird fireworks swell as he did anything he could, kissing her and trying to push back at the evil entity from another plane.
~ Don't focus on him, Rae. I'm gonna help you see this through. Just try to fight it. Please!~ He telepathically was linked as Richard parried a hit barely before a bunch of bots came after him in the scramble.
"You need a branding. I should have considered that mental scars never hold. Well?"
"I'll take therapy for life over a full body cast. Thanks." Dick shouted as he sent the bot flying at the copter, its propeller on a turn as the thing combusted and time….
Stopped.
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Slade couldn't stop his eye movement yet Richard saw Raven cringing while the others remained stilled by this new ability to stall time itself.
Slade grunted as Trogon gave him a time frame to come out of the cursed state. Richard scrambled on working limbs and took her in his arms, bridal style as he ran for dear life to hide.
Hide…what was he doing? Why did she spare him??
"Rob…."
"No." Dick gritted as he hoisted her higher. "I'm not him. Jason is…"
"You….can't….-
"Quiet." Dick bit his lip and ran to a pier block that was in view and a destroyed cab car from the blast.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry….hold on, stop…" He recited as he stored her inside. Slade couldn't see her. He had to try to get the man to chase him across the world. As long as it took.
"Don't go…" She pulled his arm and then let go. The blaster reminded her of who he was until the mask came off. "I won't let…him get to you. Stay quiet. So, please…" Brow falling out of sympathy, he left her and tried to sneak back before time rewound.
The cracks in the shell, holding the man melted, as metal and magma. His cocoon of caprice would fade away, and action would take place below. Slade would never forget what Richard had committed. He'd mark his skin with the S brand he shouldn't have shirked since the boy's very conception.
He held his ground, getting to a space where he could get Slade to follow him. Away from Raven as he swiped up her coordinates and connected it to Starfire's comm link. When time went along again, she'd be saved.
Dick went and ran for the one thing he could. A train as he got onto it, and took off once the world had gone back into a calm.
Slade stormed after the signature as Raven's had vanished with the magic of Trigon. Blocked?
~ Her power is fierce and growing. You must not fail me. Your protégé is a traitor!~
Slade sighed. Taking out an amulet, he put it upon his brow while Trigon spewed his expletives wilding in the mad man's ear. ~ YOU MUST NOT! I WILL ENSLAVE GHE HUMAN RACE! I WILL –
With a blink, their link was cut. " Ta- tah for now , overlord." Slade didn't think Raven needed to be blown to bits. He'd keep Trigon in time out while his next task, was to cut down a runaway Renegade.
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