Fan Fiction ❯ Raven's Destiny ❯ Soulless ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Since I obviously don't own the copyright to Teen Titans, I'm taking advantage of the Fair Use Clause of the Copyright laws to write a story with them in it. Who knew the government would protect the little guys? Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

 

Authors Note: As anyone who cares to look can see, there are a lot of this type, Raven's destiny coming to pass or being stopped, of stories being posted. If you like my story, or even if you don't like it but want to read a good story around these lines, please check out: Know what's wrong with prophecies? by XRR. It's possibly the best of this type of story I've read. Also, you will note that this chapter is noticeably shorter than the prologue. It's probably going to stick at this length from now on. Call the prologue a fluke, or call it a phase by me, but I've been writing a lot of shorter chapters.

 

Chapter 1: Soulless

 

The Skies Will Burn

Flesh Will Become Stone

The Sun Will Set On Your World

Never To Rise Again!

- Slade

 

Raven fell back against the dark alter stone, the accursed rock that she had been bound to just moments before. It didn't matter anymore, nothing would. The world was gone, it's people turned to stone, and the prophecy was fulfilled. All the times she had fought alongside her friend, every villain they had defeated, all the times they had saved Jump City, and it turned out that she was the worst villain of all, a traitor, hiding her destiny from her friends and then destroying them and the world. She closed her eyes and tried to block out the world, to block out her failures and her treachery. It didn't matter; the look on Robin's face, full of shock and horror instantly appeared in her mind.

Raven had not cried since Malchior's betrayal, and even then it had been only one tear… but now, now it didn't matter if her powers ran wild. She really didn't care if the entire church fell down on her, she might even welcome it if it happened, so she cried. The tears fell from her violet eyes, streaming down her face and spilling onto the obsidian stone beneath her. Her powers ran rampant around her, a few of the stone supports shattered, and rubble fell into the pews, crushing the charred and blackened wood, but none fell on her. She couldn't possibly be that lucky, not this day.

Above her the sky had turned red, as if the sky itself burned. The world's once beautiful skies distorted and inverted by the demonic force that had been released. Trigon was emerging from the portal, slowly, as if to savor this complete domination of the newest of hell's realms.

“Glorious, isn't it?”

Raven rolled her head to the side, standing at the end of the line of pews stood Slade. Slade was still alive; he too was immune to the spell's power as he was Trigon's messenger.

“Is something the matter? You seem…” His head ticked to the side, a stream of red moonlight hitting the black side of his mask, “perturbed.”

Raven's mind spun, her hatred wouldn't get the best of her again, but she would kill him. Edging herself from under the birdarang she sat up.

“I knew he wouldn't do it, that's why I left you two alone.” Slade said, strolling forward between the ruined pews, “I made a foolish mistake by making him my apprentice, far too weak.”

“He was stronger than you'll ever be…” She said, tensing as he continued over a small pile of stone that had fallen from the ceiling. He was getting closer, not only to her, but also to a part of the roof that had been badly damaged by her magic. If he was under it, she could use what she had left to collapse the ceiling on him…

“Then why is he stone and your world destroyed?” Slade took a few steps forward, finally coming under the cracked and damaged portion of the roof.

Raven closed her eyes, “Azarath Metrion ZINTHOS!” The ceiling was shrouded by dark energy Raven threw her arms forward causing it to rupture, and then released the rocks, the solid stone collapsing in and falling earthward towards Slade. Slade looked up, looked back to Raven and managed to shake his head before being crushed. The stone crushed him, and the floor cracked, Raven watched it for a moment, breathing heavily.

Two hands fell heavily on her shoulders and a chill went up Raven's spine. She could feel him, inches behind her, as he leaned in to speak to her, his voice barely above a whisper, “You know, Raven, it's amazing what you can do when you don't have a soul to hinder you…” Slade grabbed her chin and twisted her to face him, “Of course, you'll be finding that out soon enough.” He shoved her away and she tumbled from the dark alter stone hitting the cracked marble floor of the cathedral.

“You see, Raven, you are Trigon's priestess, you can't avoid your fate. You might as well accept the inevitable damnation your position requires.” Slade said casually as he made his way around the massive black stone to face her.

“Never…” Raven turned, hands sheathed in shadows, which she threw at him sending forth a wave of giant black claws. Slade made no effort to avoid them, letting them grab him and throw him to the back wall.

“Do you really think that Trigon will simply allow you to deny your fate Raven? When he arrives your soul is forfeit. It wont be long until you see things my way.” Slade said, not bothered by the fact he was pinned.

“I will never bow to his whims.” Raven said with a scowl.

“That's what they all say, you will come around eventually.” Slade said mildly.

Raven shook her head, standing. For one moment she actually smiled at the statue that lay before her, “Robin didn't.”

Slade paused, then burst forward, shattering the black claws that bound him. “Robin is dead, as are all your friends.” Raven tumbled backwards, her magic falling apart before her. Slade stomped forward to the dark alter stone, grabbing it and with a grunt of exertion, lifting it. “And I shall prove that to you now.” He took a few steps forward, the dark alter stone held above his head, until he was standing feet away from Robin. Lifting the stone as high as he could, he suddenly threw it forward, to shatter her friend. Raven's eyes went wide and she threw her arms forward, encasing the stone in dark energy, holding it back just inches from her friend.

“NO! I will not let you harm him!” She yelled as loudly as she could through gritted teeth. The stone was thrown backwards at Slade, smashing into his stomach and sending him backwards. Raven quickly stood, ran to Robin and enveloped both of them in her dark aura. She would not allow her friend to be smashed, not when there was even the slightest glimmer of hope she could bring them back…

The shadow bird fell through the cracks of the building, seeping through solid earth and entering the sewers. The sewage blazed filling the cave with acrid smoke and invisible gasses, the water that had once occupied this space had turned to magma and had burned away the waste and other materials that had filtered down. The walls were lit by the soft red glow of the molten rock as it traveled through the man made lava tubes.

Raven found a small outcropping that was still a few feet above the lava. She carefully placed the statue of Robin on the ground then landed next to him, covering her nose as it was assaulted by the vicious stench. She gagged, leaning against him for support. The heat was unbearable, the air was stagnant, and it hurt to breathe. The stench of brimstone was unmistakable and it burned her eyes, Raven blinked away tears as her eyes began to water.

“We can't stay here long… it isn't safe.” She murmured to herself, looking around through tearing eyes. She couldn't stay in one place for very long, if Slade found her and Robin… she shuddered involuntarily. The look on her friend's face, mouth agape in abject horror, fit the situation perfectly.

Fire erupted violently from the lava, the flames spitting up several feat into the air in a completely unnatural fashion, licking the roof of the tunnel. Slade exited threw the flames, which died behind him, allowing his black suit to be silhouetted against the wall by the very lava he walked upon. “Oh Raven…” Slade's voice rang out and Raven looked to the edge of the sewer tunnel. “There you are.” He was enjoying this; he enjoyed playing this sick game of cat and mouse. He sauntered towards her, waving his finger at her like a patronizing parent, “You really shouldn't run away like that.” Raven backed up a few steps, backing into Robin. She gnawed on her lip with uncertainty, she couldn't leave Robin here, but she couldn't just keep dragging him around for Slade to find and smash.

She had to get Robin away from Slade before he was reduced to rubble… the darkness enveloped them again, and she quickly transported them away, flying through the sewers and out into what was once a street. The landscape was desolate, no building truly stood, many were a wall or two at most, and many had cracks running all the way down to their very foundations. The streets were fractured and covered with debris. What had been the vibrant Jump City mere hours ago was now little more than ruins. She looked about desperately; most of the basements were far too clogged with wreckage to place Robin in. Slade would be here in a matter of moments… she couldn't place him under anything too heavy for fear it might just break him without Slade's interference. Using her powers she lifted Robin up, hovering him over to a small wall, laying him down on his back and covering him with as much debris as she could.

Behind her she could hear Slade chuckle, the sounds of his footsteps and the sound of stones and bricks cracking beneath him. They were all unsettling sounds, and Raven ran. She knew she couldn't completely avoid him, but she had to draw him away from Robin. The road was uneven and she stumbled, nearly falling forward several times, but she refused to look back. He wanted to have her look back, wanted to see the fear in her eyes. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. She dodged down another street, nearly falling onto a jagged piece of rebar that stuck up from a part of a collapsed wall.

Behind her she heard laughter, “There really is no point Raven. Trigon will be here in a matter of hours. He will be rising with the sun, the dawn of the first day of a new, glorious era.”

The voice was getting closer, as were his footsteps. Raven felt the air around her getting hotter. The runes on her skin seemed to burn, the patterns glowing a fierce red. Perspiration dripped from her forehead, running down her face and mating her hair. The heat emanating from the runes was so intense that the sweat that trickled upon them simply evaporated. The heat intensified, the air that blasted across her back sent her hair on end, except for the accursed runes that covered her.

Her body was in chaos; the physical exertion from battle, fleeing, the use of her powers, and an unholy heat sapped her strength. The very air seemed to burn, the hot wind striking her from all directions, pushing past her parched mouth and into her lungs. Everything ached and burned, the breath she drew in was burning her from the inside. Her muscles begged for relief and her skin crawled, beads of sweat forming at every pore. Finally, her body rebelled against her, giving up. Raven took a few, last shambling steps forward and collapsed, landing on a pile of debris.

Slade took the last few steps, bridging the gap between him and her as she lay there, wheezing, dragging in heated breath. Behind his mask, he smiled. She could barely move. The heat he had created and the constant exertion from running had sapped every ounce of strength from her slender form. He held his burning fist to within inches of her face, enjoying the look on her face as she tried meekly to pull away. “I told you I would catch you Raven. It was only a matter of time.” He pulled back, letting the flames on his hands die out.

“Slade… damn… you…” She mumbled in a hushed and defeated tone.

“It's far too late for that.” He said, tilting his head to the side, then leaning in to look at her more fully, his eye going every inch of her face. Finally he reached her eye, “You know, Raven, I could have burned you. I could have hit you with a pillar of flame so hot that your skin would have peeled away like scorched wax paper, your blood would have boiled you from the inside out, your organs would have burst, and your flesh would have sloughed off your bones as they themselves melted inside you. But, Raven, I decided against that. Do you know why?” She looked up at him, unwilling or unable to say a word, her parched lips held in a tight line. His eye studied her face for a long moment then finally he shook his head, “You see, Raven… that would have been too quick.”

He lifted his hand, balling it into a fist, letting the flames erupt and engulf it fully. He pulled back, ready to deliver a punishing blow when suddenly a pillar of stone shot from the ground, slamming into him and sending him back a few feet. He stumbled backwards, and then slowly turned to look at the new combatant, hatred spilling forth from his unconcealed eye.

“Get away from her!”