Demonic Awakening IV The Unforgiven xXxXxXxXx She wanted to give up on everything, and explain to Raven that it was all a mistake, that she was terribly sorry for what she had done. But there was no turning back now. In order for her to repent for her sins, she would have to finish exactly what she started. As the winds blew hard against her form, blonde strands were forced to one side, shadowing a portion of her face and only allowing one sapphire hue to see her opponent before her. Her eyes were full of rage and hate, the same expression as the man standing confidently before her. Her fingers were clenched so hard, if it weren't for the gloves, her nails would most likely have drawn blood to her palm. Her jaw was clenched tightly, as her silent raged fueled her to not turn and run. No. She would not run from this fight, not anymore. This fight she would give her life for. This man had taken everything from her, and she held the opportunity to return it ten fold. No words were needed when Terra had showed up in Slade's layer, several hundred meters below the Earth's surface, and a perfect battle ground for the element of rock and stone. There was no turning back for her now. She had left her goodbyes with Raven in a note tied to a rock she regretfully threw through the sorceress' window a week after this had all started. She didn't want to go back to the tower, but without her communicator, she didn't want to fight the man without at least voicing out what her heart yearned to admit. Such thoughts placed aside, Terra stood full of regrets, completely against what Raven had said to her, but her bridge had been burned. There was no turning back. Even if she were to be forgiven, Terra would never be able to live with herself. The guilt was too much. Her plan was to not only take out Slade, but to take out herself as well. Slade finally rose from his colossus chair that stood in front of several monitors that held screen shots of the Titans Tower currently being rebuilt. They were quickly shut down as he stepped down the steps toward the girl, cracking various tendons and bones, and readying himself for battle. "Shall we get started?" Terra's fa‡ade flinched for only a moment before she launched herself forward in an all out sprint toward the man. Sure, she could have caved in the ceiling upon him, but that would be far too easy, and far too painless. She had more planned for this mercenary. He taught her how to fight, how to dodge, how to use her opponent's movements to her own advantage, and how to conserve her energy. Yes, this was to be Terra's final stand. xXxXxXxXx Raven leaned against the wall of the hallway, having been unable to break down in front of her friends. She had made the mistake when she first arrived to the destruction of her home, and she wasn't about to make the same mistake again. She had acted as normal as she could during the reconstruction of her home, but her energy could only take her so far before her emotions became too much for her to bare. Her palms were flat against the wall while her head hung low, her attempts to escape the carnage that was the living room the most difficult task she had come to face thus far. Every member of her team questioned her reason for leaving her duties of restoring the ceiling and she would now come to thank the heavens for Robin's observational skills. It was him and only him that allowed her the time she needed to rest. The hallway was torn to shreds, with pieces of the floor and ceiling missing, and metal shards sticking out every which way. Girders were bent and twisted beyond repair, and Raven was finally relieved when she came to her room, her door fully intact, and ironically enough the only portion of the tower where battle hadn't reached. She would have to remember to thank Koriand'r for that. She hadn't spoken more than three words since her outburst several nights before, even to Koriand'r. Quite frankly, she was afraid of what would come out of her mouth. Since then, it had been nothing but a nod or shake of her head, with mild facial expressions answering the more exotic questions. She forced open the doors after regaining her composure, the electricity still not up on her side of the tower. She breathed out a sigh after forcing them open fully, her head the first part of her body to enter through the frame, lowering while her hair shadowed over the rest of her face. Instantly, she knew someone had been in here. She could see the prints of Slade's bots upon her what was once a stainless carpet, the window next to her bed shattered, and the laptop upon her desk hooked up and opened, frozen mostly due to the virus Slade's bots had uploaded throughout the system. She would have to ask Cyborg for the same software he used to reactivate the main computer system. She attempted to close the door behind her, but her strength wouldn't allow her to close it fully. She halfheartedly pounded her fist against the metal frame and pushed off the wall, hypnotically making her way toward her bed. Her small hand reached up to undo her cloak, letting the light weighted material float to the ground, as if it would lighten the burden Raven felt upon her shoulders. Terra. She had trusted her far too easy. The look in her eyes when she begged for forgiveness. Raven's eyes closed as she remembered the girl's words, fresh in her memory just short of a week ago. "I'm so sorry, Raven ... I truly am, and I know it's wrong of me to ask for your forgiveness, but you told me earlier tonight that sins could be forgiven. Please ... I don't want to lose you as a friend." "Slade was right. You don't have any friends." Her eyes closed tighter as her head fell into her hands, elbows quickly propped up by her knees. Her legs had lifted in an attempt to rid the pain in her stomach from rising, but it did no good. Guilt. It was a powerful emotion, and Raven could do nothing to subdue the pain. If Raven had just tried a little more, none of this would have ever happened. She had to continue to push the girl away when she first arrived, and had to be so weary to trust her when she returned. True, she worked for Slade when she came back to the Tower, but she had her suspicions. She should have questioned her, should have trusted her. Terra would surely have opened up to her, wouldn't she? Would she have? All Raven had to do was ask, right? "Raven?" The sorceress felt her body still after hearing the voice. Had she been trembling? Her muscles were so tight, she wasn't even sure, but her hair was a complete mess and shadowing over her already darkened eyes. As she pulled her hands away, she felt moisture upon her palms. Had she been crying? "Raven, are you alright?" I'm far from alright. "Raven? Please respond. I am worried about you..." "It's open," Raven finally spoke, her voice barely audible and her throat dry and very parched. Had it been that long since she truly spoke? When she felt the girl's surprise of hearing her voice, she had her answer. "Ra ... Raven," Starfire began to speak, stuttering slightly as she stood uncomfortably near the doorway. She watched as the sorceress kept a cold glare to a certain spot on the wall, staring as if her eyes would burn a whole right through it. The princess was afraid to have the girl look in her direction, but couldn't stand the lack of attention the sorceress had often given her. She held one leg to her chest, hugging it tightly while her chin rested on her knee, the other leg hanging over the edge of her bed. Starfire, realizing she hadn't spoken since she entered, took a few hesitant steps toward the girl. "The others ... we are all worried about you, Raven." Raven shrugged her shoulders, once again reverting to silence and avoiding eye contact at all cost. Raven couldn't break down again, especially not in front of Koriand'r. She had to keep herself distant. Don't let anyone else get close, don't let them see you ... see you like you were mere moments ago. "Please, Raven," Starfire pleaded with the girl, knowing all too well the emotional wall the sorceress had always attempted to keep up around her. "Why is it you wish to not speak?" "What do you want from me, Koriand'r?" Raven's silence was suddenly shattered as her eyes closed, lowering her head even further. "Do you want me to say that I'm alright? That everything will be okay?" "Raven ..." Starfire was more than shocked over her friend's sudden outburst, and took a step back. "I can't," Raven finally said after a solid minute. "I don't know what will happen now, I don't know if anything will be alright, and things will never go back to the way they were." Starfire had never seen her friend like this. Even though she had gotten the sorceress to open up to her, there were still things she had yet to find out about the girl, and her constant shielding of emotions were something she had never been able to break. Seeing the girl looking so fragile, weak, and vulnerable ... Starfire just didn't know what to do. "That bitch," Raven's voice became uneasy as her eyes opened, misty and clouded lilac hues attempting to keep focused on the carpet while they filled with tears. She tried to hold out for as long as she could, but she just couldn't take it any longer. "That stupid fucking bitch lied ... she lied to me. So ... why? Why do I feel like it's my fault?" "Raven, it is far from your fault," Starfire seemed to find her voice rather quickly, not as fearful as the girl as she once was and quickly moved to comfort her. "Terra ... she was confused. I do not believe she would have turned on us without having a reason." "It's my fault," Raven repeated, despite Starfire's words. She closed her eyes tightly, as the night continued to replay freshly in her mind. "I could have stopped this all if I had just been nicer to her when she first arrived ... I could have help her, trained her to control her powers more ... but instead, she found someone else." The thought of Slade merely enraged the sorceress more as she finally crumbled under the weight of her own guilt, falling to the floor on her knees while smashing her hands down hard onto the carpet. She let out a scream as she smashed her fists repeatedly against her floor, punch after punch, hoping that Slade could feel each strike she placed, wishing to the gods above that she could tear the man limb from limb. If she had anyone to blame, it was him. Several of the lights in the hallway shattered under her own lack of control. "Raven!" Starfire attempted to pull the girl back up, and grasped the girl's shoulders. Raven's body tensed to the touch, but the stirring of emotions had grown far beyond her understanding. "What was it..." Raven cried out as her muscles grew tired. Starfire strained, but still couldn't catch the girl's question. Her body trembled as the redhead pulled the smaller girl into her arms. "What was it he had that I didn't? What was it that made her trust him over me?" Finally, Raven collapsed into Starfire's body, wrapping her arms as tightly as she could around her, crying loudly into her shoulder. "Why did she leave, Kori? WHY?!" xXxXxXxXx Terra threw her right arm outward, hurling a piece of lifted rock toward the mercenary. Slade leaped forward, dodging the strike and reached behind his back, pulling out his extending metal staff. He landed a few meters from the girl and ran toward the elemental, who raised her arms in defense. Just short of two meters, a wall of rock lifted, preventing Slade from entry. Terra then rolled to the right, just as the mercenary tore through her wall with his staff, forcing it to crumble against his weapon. She quickly pushed herself up and dodged a punch from the man who had trained her and raised her knee just in time to parry a round house kick aimed to take out her ribcage. Terra knew the man was attempting to keep close range combat to prevent her from using her powers, though as Slade himself had taught her, always turn your weakness into your strength. Cocking her right fist back, she hurled it forward, which was easily blocked by Slade's left wrist. He then grabbed tightly onto it and hurled the girl across the room. Terra spiraled her body around, going from landing back first to perfectly on her feet, extending one arm outward while the other pressed firmly against the ground, steadying her landing and lifting up dust all around her. She quickly pushed herself up as Slade came running toward her, straightening her back as she raised her arms defensively in front of her. His right leg came up for a round house, and Terra leaped back onto her palms, back flipping out of the way. As she came up to her feet again, she had to raise her right arm, blocking a left hook that would have taken her head right off, the man's power far greater than she expected. Her boots skidded back from the parried blow, and brought up a cross-arm block just as Slade's boot came crashing into her chest. Terra was hurled backward onto her back, but with a quick twist of her legs, she managed to flip back, just as the metallic boots of the mercenary slammed into the very earth she had once laid upon. With both arms cocked back, she hurled one forward, sending a mix of dirt and mud from the ground next to her right into the single eye of Slade. As he attempted to wipe the grim from his face, she hurled another ball of much, forcing him off balance. With a smirk, the blonde launched herself forward, letting loose a mixed flurry of punches and kicks, each one hitting their mark. Her tiny fists crashed into his chest and face while a quick leap into the air sent a roundhouse kick to the side of his head. Slade stumbled to one knee, and while she still spun she was able to use the same leg, as well as added momentum to deliver a second roundhouse, this one sending him crashing to the ground. Terra took two leaps back while bringing her hands up above her head, surrounding them in a yellow hue. Just as the man finally freed his vision, he was forced to roll hastily to his side as a small portion of the ceiling fell, spiked pillars aiming to end his very life. The race was now on, as Terra continued to rush herself backward, forcing more distance between herself and Slade as she hurled rock after rock toward the man, taking down portions of the ceiling and pieces of the wall, the environment around her a complete arsenal of unlimited ammo. Slade continued to dodge his way out of falling rocks and impaling spikes. Each attempt to get closer to the girl proved futile, as the ceiling would begin to cave in ten meters ahead of him. He had trained the girl well, far too well. He rolled forward, barely missing his body being crushed by a large bolder, and leaped to the right, just missing a baseball-sized rock that could have done some moderate damage. He reached behind his back, pulling out his own arsenal of weaponry, and hurled three disks out in Terra's direction. The blonde had become too cocky in her attacks to notice the disks, and they spiraled right into her, blowing up a portion of uplifted earth in front of her and threw her back, forcing her right into a pile of rocks. Slade then came rushing over, spinning his metal staff around and leaping into the air, aiming to impale the girl right through her chest. Terra let out a quick gasp as her eyes widened, pressing her palms to the ground and allowing it to sink inward. When Slade came crashing down with his attack, the ground had been replaced, and Terra's body was no where to be found. As his head turned left and right, it was unprepared for the leather boot that came crashing into his temple, sending him flying toward the wall and forcing him to his knees. Terra landed from her flying side kick and actually allowed the man to come up to a stand, wanting to look him in the eyes before she delivered the final blow. Slade spun his body around much faster than Terra anticipated and hurled another disk outward, this one exploding a few meters in front of the girl. There was a blinding white flash, so bright that it not only lit the entire cavern when it exploded, but forced the girl's pupils to become completely lost. She closed her eyes immediately, rubbing them in an attempt to rid herself of the white light she still saw, the attack leaving her completely blind. She felt a fist land heavily into her abdomen, forcing her to arch forward and let out a mix of air, saliva, and blood. Her eyes went wide from the strike, and suddenly felt her hair roughly grabbed, her head forced down into Slade's knee. A sickening crunch sounded from the strike as it knocked her head back, blood erupting from her nose and lips while she attempted to regain her footing. The mercenary now let loose his own flurry of punches, each one striking harder than the last and forcing her body back farther and farther. A fist landed into her stomach, twice across her face, directly into her chest, and one right under her chin, an uppercut that knocked her into the air. Slade circled his leg around and placed the heel of his foot into her chest and forced her to the ground. He leaped up and cocked his right arm back, aiming to crush the girl's skull with his large fist. Terra, knowing Slade's fighting style and sensing the final blow was about to come, let out a scream as she hurled her left arm across her chest, forcing a rather large portion of the wall to her side to come crashing across her, luckily smashing right into Slade and hurling him far across the cavern. Her lungs forced out a cough as she turned to her side in an attempt to push herself up. Her vision was blurry, but the white screen was finally gone. She felt dizzy, and her head felt as if it were about to either explode, or implode. She couldn't help but let out a failed chuckle to the thought, not even able to determine what kind of pain she was in. Slowly but surely, she was able to drag herself to her knees, her head hanging low while she heard her old trainer slowly getting to his feet as well, lifting her vision to view the man looking more furious than she had ever seen him. The look was enough to not only please the elemental, but fuel her to continue her fight, and she too brought herself to her feet to lock herself in another melee round of hand-to-hand combat. xXxXxXxXx "How's the operation going?" Raven asked as she straightened out her ruffled cloak through the mirror of her closet, fixing her hair and making herself look presentable. It was as if the girl hadn't even broken down at all, like she only needed to vent and now she was completely back to normal. Starfire stood next to the girl, still worried, but glad that Raven seemed normal. She doubted that the girl was the same on the inside. "The construction workers arrived just as I came to see you," Starfire replied as she brushed a strand of hair that fell over her vision. "Robin wanted me to see if you were alright, since you have not spoken a word since the attack." "I'm better now," Raven said as she looked herself in the mirror one more time. Her eyes were tired, and dark markings circled them, making her look as tired as she felt. Sighing reluctantly, she turned to face the girl, finally looking her in the eyes. "Thank you, Koriand'r." "It is my pleasure, friend," Starfire nodded her head, though worry was still upon her face. "But are you certain you are alright?" "I just needed to vent," Raven replied simply, turning toward the door. "I'm better now." Starfire turned to follow her, but the sudden crunching from underneath her boots caught her attention. The sound forced the sorceress to turn her head only a moment before she shrugged carelessly. "It must have happened during the attack," Raven said as she pressed her hand to the sensor next to her door, opening it once more. "I do not believe I remember seeing damage to your window," Starfire stated, remembering fighting the bots that had exited Raven's room. Upon further investigation, the Tamaran found the source of the destruction. "What is this?" "Hm?" Raven turned her head again, seeing Starfire crouching down next to her bed. As Raven walked over curiously, she noticed Starfire holding a rock, with a folded piece of paper banded to it. The sorceress' eyes instantly widened, knowing good and well the source of its owner. Before Starfire even had a chance to unfold the paper, it was snatched by Raven, and quickly skimmed. The girl's fa‡ade shattered for the second time as she neared the end of the letter. The girl's brows lowered while she crumpled it up in her grasp. She then dropped the paper floor. Raven's movements had been so fast, the paper hadn't even reached the carpet before the girl was gone. xXxXxXxXx Terra's head launched backward, as a powerful uppercut nailed her directly in the chin. The strike forced her to slide a few feet back, but her stance didn't falter, and she quickly recovered in time to block a roundhouse kick that wound have taken her head right off. She quickly dropped to the ground as her other arm raised to block a hook punch. She forced the arm back and used her other hand to deliver a quick jab to the mercenary's midsection, and followed up with another stronger punch, then an uppercut. She landed two of the three punches, but it gave her time to take a breath before Slade came in for the offensive again. Terra arched herself backward, barely missing another right hook and bright her knee up, only to be blocked by Slade's palm. She stomped down with the same foot onto his own, and used the momentum to hurl herself into the air, spin her body around and deliver a devastating spinning roundhouse kick that would have knocked his head off. Unfortunately for the girl, the man was able to raise of his own, much stronger arm, grasping the girl's ankle fully and spinning her around. With a mighty throw, Terra was hurled across the room, but a quick motion of her hand launched a rock upward toward her feet. With the ability to regain her composure, Terra placed her palm to the rock and brought herself high up into the air, her palm glowing brightly. As Slade ran toward the girl, tiny particles of dust lifted at her command, spiraling around her and creating a sand storm, enough to blind the mercenary as he slowed his pace immensely and shielded his one eye. Several rocks were launched in his direction, each one smashing as they hit his chest, crossed arms and back, forcing him to crouch down in a defensive state. Reaching into the back of his utility belt, Slade pulled out a small device, and created a smoke screen of his own, and disappeared from the blonde's view, silence for once falling over the arena. As both dust clouds cleared, Terra stood upon her rock, high above the point of her summoned sandstorm, looking about for the lost mercenary. A zipping sound from behind her caught Terra's attention, but by the time she turned, it was far too late. Slade tackled the girl from above right off the rock she stood upon, hurling them both to the ground. They rolled several times, before Slade pinned the girl's arms up above her head with one of his hands, while delivering a strong punch across the side of her face. Blood sprayed out from her mouth as the side of her face hit the canvas, sending her into a dazed state. Slade reached for his belt again, while Terra's vision remained blurred from the strike. As a sharp pain pricked the side of her neck, the mercenary slowly leaned over to whisper into her left ear. "I let you have your fun, apprentice," he stated in a low tone. "But playtime's over." xXxXxXxXx "How are computer operations going?" Robin asked Cyborg as he took a break from ordering various construction workers around, rubbing the back of his neck while tucking the clip board under his arm. It was fairly nice for the city to recognize the Titans as heroes and thus help them to rebuild their home incase of attacks, but for security reasons, Robin himself investigated each one, and only allowed up to ten people to help with the project, which really slowed things down. Although Beast Boy stated Robin was beginning to sound paranoid, Robin said he'd rather be safe and slow, than sorry and dead. The changeling kept his mouth shut after that statement. "We've got a new firewall set up, and I'm inputting the new security password combination now," Cyborg announced while physically connected to the computer, as well as typing various keys upon an extended panel from the wall. Robin nodded, then moved his hand from his neck to his shoulder, stretching his arm as he worked on his shoulder. "Why don't you take a break, man. Me and B.B. can handle things from here." On cue, there was a crash from below, to which several of the city's workers were yelling out the changeling's name. Said teen then shouted out various apologies, and Robin merely sighed. "Well, I can handle things from here," Cyborg attempted to correct himself with a hesitant laugh. "I'll give him something to do that won't involve anything electronic." "Robin!" The two titans turned instantly to the source of the voice. Starfire came rushing into the room with a crumpled up piece of paper in one hand while her other arm flailed about. The girl's face was stricken with worry as she flew directly to their teams leader. "Robin," the Tamaranian Princess shouted while she attempted to catch her breath. "Raven has ... Terra ... she1" Confused as he was, all his questions would be answered as Starfire passed him the very note that force Raven to fly form her living quarters. His eyes focused upon the hard-to-read hand writing and read quietly to himself. Beast Boy had instantly appeared by his leader's side. The thought of his blonde-haired friend having dragged his attention from causing further frustration to the helpful construction workers. Raven, You said to me that once someone realizes they've made a mistake, they are instantly forgiven as long as they are prepared to confront responsibility for their actions. Well, I think I'm finally able to face my demon. I never had a place to call home until I met you and the rest of the Titans. You all took me in and helped me out when I needed it. But I was scared. I've always been scared, Raven. I've never had a place to call home before, because I'm always afraid of messing things up. Every time I get comfortable, I do something to make people force me to leave, most of the time because of my powers. This time, however, it was because of my actions. Raven, there's no way I can ever explain how truly sorry I am. I realize now just how heartless Slade really is, and see now why you are always skeptical about who you trust. I respect you so much more for it now, and I wish things could have been different. The night I left the tower, I would give anything to have just listened to you and stay, but I can't turn back time. There's nothing I can do to make up for what I've done either, no matter how many times I apologize for it. I put you, and your friends at risk. I should have known better, but I truly believed in Slade's word, and thought for once that I could have a place to call home. But now I realize that I'll never have a home. I'll never be able to have a place to fit in because my powers are just too destructive. So, what I'm going to do now in hopes to atone for some of the damage I've caused is to confront my true demon, Slade himself. His base is located to the south of the city, near an old inactive volcano within the heart of the mountains. I figure I have the upper hand, since he taught me everything he knows, and his entire base is surrounded by rock; my specialty. I know I can't ask for your forgiveness, and I know things will never be the same between us. Instead, I'm going to take out this monster once and for all, and if everything goes accordingly ... well, let's just say you wont have anymore headaches from me. Before I go to fight, I just wanted to let you know just how I feel about you Raven. The time we shared together may have been short, but I think I got to know more about you than anyone else in the tower, besides Starfire. But the night on the rooftop of the tower, I think we really connected with one another. You showed me a side of you that I don't think I've ever seen you show to anyone, Raven, and it touched me more than I even realized at that point. I just wish I had the courage to have acted on my emotions. I know it's hard for you because your emotions are connected to your powers, but bottling them up inside isn't always good either. Eventually, you might explode, and I fear that from you. Wow, this is my seventh attempt at writing this letter because I didn't want it to be so long, but once again I find myself writing more than I expected. Raven, I'm really so very sorry for what I've done to you, and your friends. I know you said to me that I don't have anymore friends, and I believe you ... but you'll always be the closest thing to me. I was never able to connect with someone like I did with you that night, and I hope that things go a lot better for you than they have for me. Please, don't come for me, because I know the hero inside of you would, no matter what I've done in the past. I must face him by myself. I just want all this pain to end ... I just want it all to end. I just can't stand to be hated by someone that ... that I really truly liked. ~Terra P.S. I'm sorry to have to break your window, but I can't deliver this personally. Toward the bottom of the message, there were several erase marks, especially toward the last two sentences. Robin had skimmed through the long letter rather fast, skipping over the more private parts of it and straight to the parts speaking of Slade. Slade's hideout, Robin had the location. His eyes turned up to the worried look of Starfire in an instant, while he crumpled up the paper in his fist. His blood boiled to the thought that the girl would face the menace alone, knowing good and well just how powerful Slade truly was. He also knew the relationship his teammates had with Terra, for she was the reason the city's construction workers were working around the clock to repair their home. "What did it say?" Beast Boy asked, having only read two or three lines in before Robin lowered the letter. His brows lowered in concentration, already knowing the thought of Starfire. "Terra went to go fight Slade alone," Robin relayed, deciding to keep the rest in his own mind. Beast Boy didn't need to know anything else in the letter. "She what?" Beast Boy threw his hands out, while he became as worry struck as Starfire. "We gotta go help her!" "But she's the enemy," Cyborg announced, though his voice was lacking. It was apparent he too was worried for his former teammate. "I think Raven went to help Terra," Starfire announced unsteadily, as she rubbed her upper arm with her other hand. Robin's eyes lowered as he stared at the crumpled up piece of paper in his hand. His fingers curled up into a tightly balled up fist, now knowing the response his teammates were looking for. "Titans, Go!" xXxXxXxXx "This is quite amazing, Tara," a sharp voice interrupted her attempted slumber. Through the fog, the blonde fought, until a bright light flashed from above her. Her half opened eyes squinted in an attempt to see, her mind a long haze and vision completely blurred. Her body felt like dead weight, as if her blood had been pumped with liquid lead. "You hold a unique power, but you don't have the correct chromosome in your body. Normal Meta-Humans have a unique chromosome that's different than normal human beings, but all of yours are completely normal." Terra had no idea what the man was talking about, but it sounded oddly familiar. It hurt too much to think about it. Her body ached from the previous fight, and her muscles wouldn't obey any command her brain gave them. She felt something cold entering into her arms, and her heart race in fear. "What ... what are you doing to me?" Terra's fear was evident in her shaken voice, her blurred vision and inability to lift her head left her completely in the dark to the actions of the mercenary. Slade merely grinned as he leaned over the girl's face, upside down to her current position. "Studying you like the insect you are," he said without emotion, while his hands moved with some sort of blurry metallic object toward her neck. She felt a sting, similar to the one she had felt earlier, and soon her vision turned black again. This was it, all her attempts to fight against him were for nothing. Her own fight against her inner demons she had lost against, and she had failed herself. Not only that, but she had failed Raven, and her once called teammates. She had promised that she would end Slade's terror, and only helped him in achieving his ultimate goal; control of her powers. His voice was the last thing she heard before her effort to actually fight slumber faded. "And taking what's rightfully mine." xXxXxXxXx The shadows of the room collected together in a swirling of black energy, forming a large enough circle for the sorceress to fit her body through. The black energy dispersed as Raven pulled back the hood to her cloak. Azure leather boots touched the surface of the dirt flooring while the lights flickered due to an energy surge. Raven's focused was placed forward as her senses stretched out in search of the Earth element. Her emotions were restless, and her attempts to keep them calm had all failed. Her mission remained the same, however, despite the arguments in her mind. Terra, as much as she disliked to say it, had to be helped. There was no way she would hold up against Slade even if the girl was able to fully control her powers. Even with the entire Titan's team against him, he had escaped on numerous occasions. With an endless supply of robot armies at his fingertips, Raven had begun to fear the worst when she had first received the letter in her room. Her eyes easily adjusted to the darkness once the four light bulbs in the room simultaneously shattered, one of the many traits inherited by her father's blood. She cautiously made her way forward, watching out for any sort of trap. She wasn't too sure she could trust the girl's words, but they had struck something inside of the emotionless mage that she had once thought to have been lost. There was also the fact that she had stated not to follow her that told the girl that she was in fact telling the truth. The guilt Raven had felt during the past few days had forced her to fly blindly to Slade's hideout, without the help of her teammates. Now more than ever she had wished they were with her as she walked down the darkened hallway. Stupidly, she had left her communicator back at the tower in her room. Her hands were stretched outward as the walls began to narrow, and followed the pathway to a large metal door that seemed far too likely to be apart of the cave structure. Her eyes narrowed as her senses picked up two life forms deeper within the cave beyond this doorway. Her breathing intensified beyond her control, and her heart raced along with it. She couldn't describe the feeling welling up inside of her, but her adrenaline rushed beyond her control. Her hands pressed against the cold surface, and concentrated her energy against it. Her fingertips sparked a small amount of black energy, and once again she was able to open up a portal that would bring her to the other side of the doorway. She collected herself within the shadows of her own energy, and passed straight through the door to the other side. Her legs were first to pass through, along with her arms and the rest of her body to follow. As her head was forced through the solid metal and appeared on the other side, she was unprepared for what she was about to encounter. Slade's entire hand gripped the girl's face and lifted her into the air. His arm wound back and forced the back of her head to slam against the metal door which sent the sorceress into a daze. Stars greeted Raven's vision after everything went black, her vocal cords announcing a rather groggy groan to the unexpected strike. He slammed her against it again, then again before he hurled her forward across the dirt flooring. Raven skidded to a stop several meters from the mercenary, coughing up the dirt that picked up all around her and attempted to push herself up. "Slade," she spat out in a distaste that seemed to make her blood boil in rage. This was the man that Terra had chosen over her to teach her? Her teeth grinded against one another as her jaw clenched tightly shut, her rage just begging to take control at this point. She could almost sense the smirk behind the man's one-eyed mask as his eyes lowered upon her. She stood up without brushing the dirt from her leotard and cloak, glaring hatefully to the creature before her. To her, this man held no humanity in him and was a mere beast hiding within a human form. He'll pay for his crimes with... "We've been expecting you," Slade announced, interrupting the dark mage's thoughts as he extended his arm outward while the other folded behind his back. His outstretched arm pointed to Raven's right side, and she turned to see a source of light that hovered over a metal plate. Her eyes widened as the plate began to tilt vertically, a frail human girl strapped to it with a metal contraption throughout her body, seeming like armor at a first glance. Raven knew better than to just judge the attire based on its looks, focusing upon the two plates that were stuck to the blonde's skull. "I'm rather disappointed that you are the only one to show up, but it's to be expected ... especially with my apprentices' choice of actions as of late." "Terra," Raven gaped to the unconscious girl strapped to the bed, then turned hatefully toward the man with an extending of her own arm. "What the hell did you do to her?"" "I only did what I felt necessary," Slade announced with a casual roll of his hand, completely unfazed by Raven's anger. "The girl wanted to leave without paying her debt to me." "Debt?" Raven's voice questioned aloud on its own accord. Slade's eyes then lowered as they focused from the sorceress to the blonde. He lifted the folded arm behind his back which revealed a newly acquired bracelet. He pressed a button that forced the blonde's eyes to open to reveal a pool of sapphire completely void of life. Her pupils were contracted to the point that it seemed they weren't even there, and her face was lost of all emotion. "Complete control of her powers." End Part IV
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