I kind of sneaky added chapter 4 since I had a placeholder there, so I'm not sure it updated people who are following the story- make sure you're caught up on the last chapter before jumping into this one!

Also, I searched and searched, and could not find anything hinting at Adonis's real name. Official or unofficial, not even a suggestion! So, this is what you get. A random name pulled out of my... heart.

[CW: this chapter gets pretty graphic. I made myself a little uncomfortable writing it, lol. This story is violent, and rated M for a reason- please take care of yourself!]

Chapter 5

-1 week earlier-

Gabriel DuPont sneered at the newspaper displayed in front of him.

"THREE YEARS WITHOUT TITANS. WHERE ARE THEY NOW?"

It had been a long time since he'd bothered thinking about those losers. Who gave a shit where they were now? They were gone, and that's all that mattered to him. After that time he kidnapped the witch, they threw him in prison and he spent a long year being abused there. He'd be happy to hear they were all dead (which he totally could have accomplished if it weren't five versus one). He moved on without reading the paper further, concocting a daydream about some horrible accident that could take out all of the Titans in one fell swoop. 'One can hope,' he mused, though he'd never been the lucky type.

'Sometimes you must create your own luck...'

Gabriel froze. He'd dealt with his fair share of mental illness, having been diagnosed with a slew of disorders as a child, but he'd never heard voices before. He stuck his finger in his ear and wiggled it rapidly. He must be tired. The walk home from his overnight shift at the gas station always took it out of him, though he didn't feel particularly exhausted compared to any other day. When he didn't hear anything else, he shrugged it off and continued home.

Gabriel walked through the front door of his bachelor pad, as he liked to think of it, which in reality consisted of a mattress on the floor, a large flat-screen he'd stolen from his old roommate, also on the floor, and a kitchen stocked with not much else than ramen noodles and beer. Speaking of which, he opened his fridge to reach for a cold one and grunted when he found that it was empty. He slammed the refrigerator door shut, tugging his jacket back on to the tune of some gossip channel on TV.

"We spoke with Kori Anders, previously known as Starfire of the Teen Titans, about what the team is up to nowadays-" Blind, sudden rage flashed through Gabriel, and he scooped up the t.v. remote, flinging it at the screen which instantly blackened. The audio continued on, unaffected.

"I am a reporter for Metro News 11," Starfire's cheerful voice started over the speaker. Gabriel let out a barely human screech, launching toward the television and ripping the cord from the wall. His head pounded painfully, sharper and sharper, and he fell to his knees as he clutched at his short, dark hair. He heaved the scarce contents of his stomach onto the floor, toppling over as he shuddered violently. Tears leaked from his eyes, dripping onto the dirty floor as he laid there helplessly, petrified. Was this dying?

Then, suddenly, it ended. The headache was gone, his body felt like his again, and he sat up warily, a slow hand swiping clumsily at his damp face. "What the fuck..."

A drink was needed now more than ever, Gabriel decided. He crawled to the keys he'd dropped a few feet away, then stood, stumbling out the door without bothering to lock it. What did he have to worry about someone stealing? His bare mattress? He shoved his way past a couple lingering outside the front door to his building, and they cursed at him as he staggered away. He made the short trek to the liquor store, not bothering to think of the time of day as he tried to yank open the locked door.

"FUCK!" he wailed, startling a few nearby pedestrians as they passed him, keeping their distance. He shook the door violently, but the lights were off and it was obvious that he wasn't getting his fix here. Gabriel squinted around him as the sunlight burned his eyes, his skin, suddenly feeling as though his blood was boiling beneath the surface. He skittered into a nearby alley, hiding amongst the shadows as he tried to work out where he could get alcohol at this hour.

Then, he saw her.

Her appearance had changed slightly over the years, but she was unmistakable with her violet hair and that stupid rock on her face. 'Her fault...' a voice hissed. Hatred flowed through him and he growled, actually growled, wondering only briefly what was happening to him before another jolt of excruciating pain wracked his body. He fell to his hands and knees, panting as the sensation began to pass, and he looked up to watch her walk into a cafe. So Gabriel waited. And when she exited a short while later, he didn't question the sudden desire that ran through him, the pull he couldn't ignore if he tried.

He didn't try. He followed her around the city for hours, to the post office, to the grocery store, and to the library she spent an agonizingly long time perusing. And when she finally departed, a tote bag full of groceries hooked over her shoulder and arms stacked with several books, he followed her home.

Raven did not live very far from him. Not far at all. Gabriel slithered up the staircase far behind her, doing his best to avoid being caught, and crouched in front of her apartment door after she closed it behind her. His skin felt like it was on fire, and he breathed in her scent wafting from under the door as he itched incessantly, blood collecting under his fingernails and trickling down his arms. When he peeled away an old scar, however, he fought back a hiss and blinked at his surroundings. Why was he here again?

Gabriel made it halfway down the deserted stairwell before his lucid state crashed and burned, doubling over at the fingers combing through his brain, grey matter squelching and shifting and rearranging. He tumbled down to the landing, curling into the corner as he writhed and waited for it to end. After an excruciating minute, it did. Gabriel stood as though nothing had happened, brushing himself off and sauntering down the remaining stairs to the first floor. A homeless man gasped as he exited the building, and Gabriel shot a snarl his way, eyes black and empty. He contemplated taking care of the man then and there, but the voice commanded him to lose interest and he turned away, stalking across the street to take his spot in the darkness, staring at her window.

And he stared, and stared, and stared. All. Night. Long.

The next day he followed her still, his opportunity finally presenting itself when she stupidly took a shortcut through an abandoned alley. It was too easy. He was on top of her in an instant, ecstatic as he played with his prey. He didn't care to question the inhuman claws that ripped her clothes to shreds and gouged the skin underneath effortlessly. He relished the scream that escaped her, muffled by his shoulder over her mouth as he pressed his nose to her hair, inhaling deeply. He leaned back and grinned at the confused terror filling her eyes. He had never been this happy, ever. No words could describe the sheer joy he felt as he dug a bony finger into the long slice on her leg, warm blood gushing over his hand as she cried out.

This thing was his. Ignoring the weak thumps of her fists against his chest, he plunged deeper, through flesh and muscle and tendon until his nail scraped against her femur. His toy, no one else's, and he sifted through the cacophony of voices in his head to find one that knew how to get her to his home without raising alarm. But then, she was gone. She'd been there, her body writhing gloriously beneath his a mere second before, but now he looked down and there was nothing but stained concrete below. Had it all been a horrible, wonderful dream? Gabriel surged up and released a long, feral shriek, then crumpled as the pain filled him all at once, stealing away his consciousness.

10/25 4:02 p.m.

Garfield L: 'Can we talk?'

Raven pulled her phone from her pocket to check the time, sighing at the message she'd missed. She glanced around to make sure no nosey customers (or managers) were around, then sent a quick reply.

10/25 4:46 p.m.

Raven: 'My shift ends in 15 minutes, do you want to meet somewhere?'

"Rachel!" Raven jumped as her manager, Josh, sauntered up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She instantly shrugged it off and took a step back, staring blankly at the middle-aged man who didn't grasp the concept of personal space. "Can you stay a little later tonight? We just got a shipment I could use some help organizing."

Raven's phone vibrated in her hand, and she glanced at the screen.

"Sorry, I actually have plans."

Garfield scooped up some sand, watching absentmindedly as it sifted through his fingers. The waves crashed rhythmically onto the shore before him, and he closed his eyes, sighing deeply. He felt her presence before he heard her.

Raven floated down behind him silently, keeping her feet glued to their spot in the sand. She shifted her boots slightly, watching the sand slide off the tops while she waited. He knew she was there, she was certain of that much; Garfield had never been someone you could sneak up on. His senses were keen and he had always been more observant than he liked to let on.

"Hey, Rae," he said finally. She took that as her invitation to go and sit beside him, drawing her knees up to rest her arms and chin upon them. It was an unseasonably warm day, and she soaked in the gentle breeze as the sun beat down on them from above. She glanced sideways at him, wondering if he had changed his mind about meeting with her. He'd asked to talk, but wasn't exactly bursting with conversation, so she looked around idly at their surroundings.

"Why here?" she asked quietly. Gar smiled softly and followed her gaze behind them, to the massive T-shaped tower that still stood firmly upon the island.

"Nostalgia, I guess." He turned back to face the water, and she noticed when his eyes briefly flashed to her hands, searching for the wound she'd all but forgotten about. He fidgeted uncomfortably. "Is your hand okay?"

"It's fine, Gar," Raven ducked her head a little, trying to meet his eyes, but he stared stubbornly at the sand in front of him. "Really, it's okay-"

"It's not okay." He looked at her then, hard eyes boring into her own. She didn't need to be an empath to know how much this was affecting him, it was written all over his face.

"Garfield, it was an accident. It healed almost immediately, it's not a big d-"

"I'm so sorry, Rae," he interrupted her again, shaking his head. "I know what you're saying, but I still lost control and hurt you and I'm so pissed at myself. I'm sorry."

Raven watched him for a moment, and before she could stop herself, she reached for his hand, squeezing it gently.

"Garfield." She waited for him to stop staring at their clasped hands in shock and meet her eyes. "It was an accident. I will never be afraid of you." She didn't wait for him to reply before she released his hand, standing up with finality and brushing herself off. Wordlessly, she began walking toward the tower, cautiously trying the closest door when she neared the base. To her surprise, it swung open. She looked back at Gar, who was now approaching behind her, looking equally intrigued.

Three years hadn't done as much damage as she'd expected to the interior of their former home. There was evidence of animal activity (which Gar confirmed as they passed a pale yellow stain on the floor, his sensitive nose scrunching at the faint scent), but the fact that they were surrounded by water on all sides must have helped avoid having it ransacked or vandalized. They made their way up the stairs quietly, an unspoken agreement to let the other take it all in. When they entered the eerily untouched common room after only a few minutes, Gar finally broke the silence with a low whistle.

"Wow."

"Yeah..." Raven breathed, "Wow." She headed toward the kitchen area, dragging her finger through a thick layer of dust on the counter as she peered around. Something felt... odd. She chalked it up to the bittersweet memories, trying to shake off the feeling and set her path back toward Garfield, who was staring blankly out of the colossal windows on the other side of the room. She bumped the edge of the counter with her side as she tried to exit, and she hissed in pain as she reached for the healed wound. Gar was at her side immediately, though his voice sounded weirdly distant.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine," Raven breathed, though she wondered if that was true as the pain only got worse and that damn voice began muttering incoherently. "It was just... deep... might need more time to..." She fell to the floor abruptly before she could finish the thought, clutching at her leg with her other hand. She looked underneath it, thinking she must have somehow reopened or reinjured the spot, but both her shirt and jeans were clean and dry, no fresh blood in sight. And yet, she suddenly felt as if she was back in that alley, could feel Adonis on top of her as he experimented with her body, digging around in her flesh and scraping his nails down her bone. With a shriek of pain she fell into Garfield, who was in a full-fledged panic now.

"Raven! What's wrong?! What do I do?!?"

Raven couldn't hear anything, couldn't see anything. Her blood rushed in her ears and her vision was swimming with stars, consciousness wavering. The voices multiplied and grew louder, still unintelligible but deafening nonetheless. The agony centered in her leg rapidly spread to her whole body, and her head pounded. She fought the urge to slam it into the ground and knock herself out to escape this pain.

'Raven...' a soft voice pushed through the others. She winced, tears flowing freely down her face as she squeezed her eyes shut.

'Raven...' She just wanted to leave. To leave this plane of existence and go somewhere, anywhere that wasn't this hell she was trapped in.

'Raven...' The pain came to a head and she gasped for breath, her lungs were on fire and everything burned, burned, burned.

"Raven." Her eyes snapped open and she was met with a blur of green, her vision swimming until a pair of emerald eyes finally came into focus. The pain disappeared instantaneously, only a dull throb lingering behind in her abdomen.

"Raven." Gar repeated, grasping her face between his hands as he absently brushed tears away with his thumbs. His brows were knitted together, fearful eyes staring down hard at her. Raven gasped and bolted upright, confused at the feeling of sand beneath her hands. She was on the beach again. Had he carried her out here? Gar fell back into a seated position, dragging a hand through his hair and forcing the breath he'd been holding through his lips.

"I'm... I..." Raven stammered. Confusion was etched into her features and she couldn't find any words that would make sense of the situation.

"Rae, what happened?"

She looked back to the tower, to the closed door which would surely have been locked, then up to the windows that contained the common room, eight stories up. There was no way they had climbed that many stairs. "We didn't go inside." It was more of a statement than a question, but she looked to Garfield for confirmation anyway. His brows furrowed again, following her gaze to the tower and then bringing his attention back to her face.

"No," he responded slowly, "We didn't go inside."

Raven nodded, then double checked the spots where she'd been wounded a week prior. Nothing. They were completely healed, at least on the outside. She had a long, narrow scar from her hip to her knee, and another, smaller one on her side, but nothing else stood out.

"Raven, what happened?" Garfield asked again, his tone slightly more demanding.

Raven sighed. "I don't know." It was the truth. She didn't know what was happening to her, only that it was getting worse and she felt helpless to stop it. She met his eyes, and he was startled to see fresh tears brimming in hers. "I'm scared."

The next day, Raven slept until 11:00 a.m., when her alarm rang to remind her about lunch with her friends. She startled awake, silencing the device and wiping the sweat from her forehead. Her time on Titans Island the day before had effectively drained her, and she still felt weaker than usual as she stood from her bed. Forcing herself to move in spite of her exhaustion, she made her way to the shower, vowing to have caffeinated tea today.

An hour later, she arrived at the ritzy restaurant and immediately realized she was underdressed. She'd expected the affair to be casual, but thankfully she spotted Richard, Kori, and Victor seated outside on the patio. That at least felt a little less formal.

"Hey Rae!" Gar chirped behind her, and she spun to find him dressed in slacks and a button-up shirt.

Raven folded her arms with a groan, pinching the bridge of her nose. "So, I'm the only one who didn't get the memo that this was an upscale occassion, then?"

Gar blinked at her, puzzled. He hadn't even noticed her clothing; frankly, he was just doing his best to pretend he wasn't still insanely worried about her after yesterday. She'd barely said a word to him during the hour they spent waiting for her to regain her energy, at least enough to make it home. He'd offered to fly her, of course, but she shot that idea down immediately. Stubborn. Thankfully, there'd been no more incidents for the rest of their time together, but she didn't seem to know what had happened and therefore had no way of preventing it from happening again. It frightened him to think that she could be alone if that time came.

Gar shoved the thought away and returned his attention to the present. His gaze traveled down to her outfit (Raven tried to hide the way her cheeks tinted), and he failed to see the issue. She was dressed casually in ripped denim overalls, with a black long-sleeved shirt underneath and canvas slip-on shoes. He peered around at the restaurant's other patrons, and sure, she may be dressed less elegantly, but she sure as hell looked more comfortable (and attractive, if he were being honest) than any of them.

"You look fine." He shrugged, shooting her a toothy grin before vaulting over the short fence into the patio area. Raven rolled her eyes and unlatched the gate, making her way over to the group where Gar was already sitting.

"Friend Raven!" Kori gasped, leaning over the table and accidentally dunking her hair in a small bowl of olive oil dip as she hugged the empath. Richard passed her a napkin when she sat back down, not even pausing in his conversation with the other two men. "I have exciting news," Kori said to Raven as she took the napkin, scrubbing at the drenched portion of her long locks. She leaned over to place a quick peck on Dick's cheek before returning her attention to Raven, and the man blushed a little as he continued talking.

"There is a ball taking place for Halloween festivities," Raven immediately opened her mouth to protest where this was going, but Kori continued on, "You are coming, this is not up for the debate nor is it the news I have to share." Raven narrowed her eyes at the alien girl, but politely saved her objections as she took a sip of her water.

Kori leaned in closer again, and Richard reached over to subtly slide the condiment dish out of the way while she whisper-squealed, "I have found for you a male companion!"

Raven choked on her water, coughing into a napkin while Kori just giggled maniacally. "Oh, think of the fun that we will have!" she went on, oblivious to her friend's plight. Raven finally managed to catch her breath, glancing over to the men in panic, all three of whom were pretending not to notice the conversation taking place. She looked pleadingly at Kori, but she knew she was done for as soon as she was met with those twinkling eyes and a pout. Raven dropped her face into her hands with a groan.

"Fine..." she mumbled, deflated. She opened her mouth to ask about whatever suitor Kori had managed to rope into her shenanigans, but was interrupted by a sudden growl nearby. Everyone quieted as they turned toward the sound, spotting a barely-recognizeable Adonis perched on the ground just outside the restaurant's entrance.

Kori gasped softly as they took in his appearance. He somehow looked even worse than he had at the hospital, currently half-transformed and caught somewhere horrifying in the murky waters between man and monster. Enormous muscles bulged randomly all over his body, while other sections appeared gangly and frail. His skin sagged, stretching like a balloon with each ragged inhale and going concave on the exhale. Black, veiny tendrils covered the parts of his body that weren't hidden by clumps of deep maroon fur. And his face... it barely resembled a face belonging to any creature. His eyes were blacker than ever and deeply sunken. His nose was clearly broken, jutting to the left at a grotesque angle. His cracked lips sheened with the blood and pus seeping out, trickling down a chin already engulfed by dark, dried crimson.

A sharp pain surged through Raven's head, and she winced just when the beast perked its ears and whipped its glare toward their table.

"Raven..." Richard muttered quietly, "Get out of here."

She snapped her gaze to him. After what that thing had done to her, there was no way in hell she was leaving them behind with it. "Absolutely not." Richard glanced to her, shooting a look that would have had her obeying when he was still their team leader, but that was in the past and now, she would rather die than be somewhere else while her friends were attacked. "No." She doubled down, ignoring whatever look he sent next to turn and watch Adonis again. His hackles were raised as he stared back, but he wasn't moving.

A guttural noise to her right brought her attention to Garfield, still seated but staring unblinking at Adonis, knuckles white and muscles tensed and ready. Everyone but Victor rose slowly from their seats, unsure what to do or expect.

"What the hell happened to him?" Vic mumbled as he continued tinkering with his arm, booting up weapons that hadn't seen the light of day in years. Adonis crouched lower.

"Be ready," Gar growled, "He's not leaving here without a fight."

The world seemed to still for a brief moment, then Adonis launched himself over the metal rail. His foot caught the top of it, ripping it down, but it didn't slow his momentum at all. Raven threw up a shield just in time as he came down upon a civilian couple hiding under their table. Kori was firing starbolt after starbolt at him, which singed his fur but didn't otherwise seem to affect him. He continued pounding mercilessly on the shield.

"We have to get away from the restaurant!" Raven shouted to the others, capturing the beast's attention. Adonis ceased pummeling the shield and turned on her, crouching low again before a familiar, sickening smile spread over his face. He didn't seem to notice the new wounds that split open with the grin, blood dripping from them onto the concrete below.

Raven's eyes flashed red as she met his gaze, the memory of his previous attack stirring up rage within her. "Come and get me," she uttered lowly, phasing into the ground as she dropped her shield. She was hoping to distract him from the innocent bystanders when she reappeared in the middle of the empty street, and distracted he was, but fast, too.

"Raven!" She heard Kori screech as she emerged, but it was too late. Adonis seemed to somehow anticipate where she would materialize, and he was upon her as soon as she arose through the asphalt. He used one massive hand to pin her down by her throat, the other gripping her hair to yank her head to the side so that he could sniff at her, just like he had a week prior. She felt the tip of a claw begin digging into her neck, and she tried to manifest her powers to engulf a nearby streetlamp, but the lack of oxygen was affecting her ability to concentrate. Just as panic began to well up inside her, a green blur moved in the edge of her vision, and Garfield rammed him off in the form of an elephant. The tusk impaled Adonis's bicep, and he screeched in pain when the elephant lifted him by the wound and tossed him away violently.

Gar morphed back into his human form as Kori swooped in again, her sundress flowing around her as she threw a volley of starbolts at Adonis, who squawked when one caught him in the jaw. He tumbled even farther away and, with the beast distracted for now, Garfield ran back over to Raven, joining Richard in helping her stand. She clasped her throat, still catching her breath, and met their concerned gazes.

"I'm fine," she rasped as she accepted the help and pulled herself to her feet. A roar rang out, and they turned just in time to see Kori smacked aside with a yelp.

"Kori!" Richard shouted, immediately running to his fiancee. Adonis stood between the couple, an infuriating grin still plastered to his face as he readied an attack for the panicked man. Richard reached for the holster at his hip, pulling out a pistol and firing at the creature's torso. He seemed entirely undisturbed as his flesh absorbed the bullets, waiting until Richard was only a few feet away to raise his colossal hand above him. He hurled the fist down, but just before it had the chance to connect, a blue beam blasted the beast in the side, blood spraying as he went soaring and collided with a parked car. Adonis crumpled to the ground in a heap while Dick raced over to Kori, helping her stand as she rubbed at her shoulder gingerly.

"Booyah!" Victor shouted, blowing at the thin stream of smoke floating out from the end of his arm cannon. "I did not know if that was gonna work," he admitted as he cautiously moved toward Adonis's limp body, quickly joined by the others. Raven's hands teemed with black magick, and a voice began to softly mumble in the back of her mind as they slowly approached the monster. He panted heavily, a quiet whimper emanating from him until they were only a few feet away, when suddenly he leapt to his feet, swiping at the group. They jumped back, preparing for another fight, but they froze when Adonis went stock still, the air charged with the chilling sound of something being slowly torn open.

He let out a long, low whine, reaching for his back before he suddenly collapsed in front of them. His face slammed into the ground with a sickening crack, and it became obvious why he'd fallen- the skin of his back was split down the middle, torn jaggedly as though it were nothing more than a sheet of paper. His spine jutted out, a mess of angled segments that shouldn't have been capable of supporting anyone, much less the enormous creature it inhabited. Alarmingly, the bones were black, barely visible through the blood spewing over him like a waterfall. Garfield gagged at the stench wafting from the body, turning away to try and hold down his breakfast. The how was unclear, but they knew without a doubt:

Adonis was dead.

Dun dun dun! Chapter 6 should be up within the next few days. I haven't received any new reviews since I started rewriting this fic- no pressure, but I would love some feedback if you are so inclined to share your thoughts. Much love!