Fan Fiction ❯ Raven's Destiny ❯ The Cost Of Redemption ( Chapter 4 )

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.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoy and don't forget to check out XRR's Know what's wrong with prophecies? which is about to finish up. Also, anyone who loves Inuyasha as well as Teen Titans may be interested in my crossover, Shards Of Hope. Without further ado, enjoy the story.

 

Chapter 3: The Cost Of Redemption

 

Hell is yourself and the only redemption is when a person puts himself aside to feel deeply for another person.
- Tennessee Williams

 

Slade raised his hands, both enveloped in flames. Terra and Raven looked between each other, nodded, then sent forth a black claw and a hunk of stone flying at Slade. Flames erupted from Slade's hands, melting the stone and destroying the claw long before it actually reached him, but the flames themselves surged forward towards the girls. Raven gritted her teeth and quickly threw up a wall of shadows around them. The flames slammed into it, the force simply ripping through and shattering the barrier entirely. Raven gasped as her shielding fell, Terra's wall of asphalt replacing it mere feet from them.

Terra looked back desperately, “I don't think this is going to hold!” She yelled, watching the street she tore up to protect them turn into a black sludge.

Raven snapped back into reality, grabbed Terra and enshrouded her in darkness. The fire destroyed the thing barrier and rocketed towards them, but hit nothing but the air as a black bird flew straight down into the earth.

Terra stayed silent, letting Raven guide them away from Slade. She wasn't even sure she could even speak while inside… she wasn't exactly sure what to call what was happening actually. It was a completely alien feeling, almost as if her body was not her body, and that she was floating around in space. It scared her, not being able to control her surroundings. She drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down as she was stuck in one of the most uncomfortable experiences she had ever been in. Even if Slade had been the person who had taught her how, it was dangerous for her not to be in control.

Raven looked back at Terra. The girl was shivering a little, curled tightly up upon herself. Raven looked away, deciding this location would be safe enough for now. Terra landed softly on the floor and the black bird disappeared revealing Raven. Terra was still trembling a little bit, but as feeling returned she looked up. For a moment, she was certain Raven was looking at her with concern, but it quickly returned to it's normal inscrutable expression. “Terra, are you ok?” Raven asked flatly.

“What… what did you do?” Terra looked up, trembling.

Raven watched her carefully, unsure why she was so scared, she had seemed certain just moments before while fighting Slade, and now she was trembling. It didn't make sense, “I teleported us away from the battle. It should take Slade a while to find us.” Raven stopped, “Terra, why are you trembling?”

“I… that just felt really weird….” Terra shuddered, bad memories flooding into her mind.

Raven frowned to herself; she had never needed to teleport Terra before. The others had told her about the experience, a feeling of detachment and a loss of control, but she had never thought about its effects on Terra. Raven understood the Terra's fear at the thought completely; she had that fear but had never had to deal with it. Terra hadn't been so fortunate.

Raven slowly put out her hand and Terra grabbed it, letting Raven help her up. Terra nodded, trying to force the thoughts out of her mind. She found a distraction as she looked around. It was a building, most of it heavily damaged, but still standing, pillars of cement and stone surrounded them, but the ceiling was smashed revealing the sky. “Where are we?”

Raven smirked, “The last place Slade will expect us to be.”

Terra paused, “Where is that?”

“Jail.” Raven said bluntly, and then looked around. The building was the only one she had seen standing besides Titans Tower, and that had been a mental vision of the Tower given by Slade when they had `met' the first time. They were inside the main entrance chamber of the jail, a barren chamber with a small hallway leading to the cells.

“It's ironic…” Terra chuckled to herself wryly, looking down at the floor.

Raven raised an eyebrow, “What is?”

Terra shook her head then looked at Raven with an uneasy smile, “This may be the first time we don't want Slade to go to jail.”

Raven grimaced; even though she did find Terra's gallows humor amusing, the thought of Slade finding them was not an appealing one. Raven opened her mouth to say something, but whatever it was immediately fled from her mind when she heard it. She looked around slowly, she heard a dull, muffled sound from down the corridor, “No…” she murmured to herself, taking a few steps back, “…he couldn't have found us this quickly, there's just no way…”

Terra got up, now hearing the slow plodding from down the dark hallway. She looked to Raven who was backing away. Slade was already here, playing more head games with them. Being his former apprentice, she knew he would try to intimidate them… the thought sickened her, remembering how she had actually worked for someone so sadistic and evil. She gritted her teeth, standing in front of Raven and positioning herself to look directly down the hallway where he would be coming from.

The sounds grew louder, a dull thud every few seconds. They couldn't see anything down the dark hall, the roof was still intact, and the echo was getting louder. Raven shook her head; they were too loud, far too loud. It sounded like a giant was pounding it's way towards them, not her father's puppet. Terra looked back at her, also concerned when it sounded like an elephants was coming down the hallway instead of the slow, confident stride Slade enjoyed using. Raven braced herself, and Terra followed suit, preparing for whatever monster Raven's father would send at them.

A massive roar erupted from the hall, echoing and bouncing off the walls. Raven froze… that… sounded so familiar from where though? She didn't have time to think on it as the beast emerged from the hallway. Its skin was pink, like a normal human's, but it was nowhere's near the size or shape of a normal human. It was angular, squared, in a few places flesh jutted forward in an awkward rectangular design. Terra's jaw dropped and she stood in shock. She couldn't even react when the beast backhanded her, sending her into the wall with bone breaking force. She groaned and collapsed, unconscious.

Raven snapped herself back to reality just in time to see the beast lift its massive fleshy arms above its head. Raven quickly lunged to the side, barely avoiding the fists as they smashed down into the concrete. Raven quickly dodged away from the beast, getting between it and Terra's helpless prone form. The beast stood up, fully bathed in the red light that shone through cracks in the roof and Raven gasped, “…Cinderblock?”

The monster reared back and roared, then launched itself at her. Raven tossed her arms forward, black claws extending from her to attack the disgusting flesh golem that stood in front of her. The claws slammed into Cinderblock, rending soft flesh from a plate of bone behind it. It didn't stop its mad rush at the girl, and she had no time to even fling herself out of the way. The bulky monster simply barreled over Raven, running her over instead of actually attacking her. Raven was saved from being trampled by the fact he kicked her instead of stepped on her. Raven landed several feet away, mere feet away from Terra who was beginning, slowly, to move again. Cinderblock didn't seem to notice, intent on crushing Raven this time. Raven raised an arm in a feeble attempt to protect herself from being crushed. She could see his foot, a massive lump of flesh, falling towards her, and she closed her eyes. At least her father wouldn't have her… she thought to herself.

But nothing happened, until she heard a loud crash from a few feet away. She opened her eyes to find Terra standing, barely, and Cinderblock on the ground, a pillar of stone sticking up from the ground. Terra's wobbly stance, knees close together and feet far apart, barely held her up as she braced herself against the stone that had moments ago saved Raven from a painful death. Raven looked to Cinderblock, which was beginning to get up.

“How…” Terra began, “… is HE still alive?” She let out a small huff and collapsed to her knees, grabbing her sides. Blood trickled down the sides of her lips and trailing down her chin.

Raven stood and covered Cinderblock in a barrier or shadows, slowing him down. “I don't know… probably the same effect that freed you…” Raven said, edging closer to Terra. Cinderblock roared, pushing against Raven's shields until they snapped, a burst of shadow energy flinging both Terra and Raven backwards. Raven quickly got back to her feet, but Terra lay there moaning lowly. Gritting her teeth, Raven once again got in front of Terra. Cinderblock roared again, slamming his fists into his chest almost like a giant furless ape, then charged again. “Not this time Cinderblock.” Raven muttered to herself then yelled “AZARATH METRION ZINTHOS!” The burst of shadow energy slammed fully into Cinderblock's chest shattering the bone casing that had once been a design and sending him flying backwards. Raven collapsed to her hands and knees panting, the last attack draining what remained of her strength.

The loud thud on the other side of the room was the only comfort that was brought to her. Cinderblock certainly wasn't dead, but at least he wouldn't be getting up soon. Raven's eyes felt like lead, the strain of battle, dehydration, and sheer pain simply took over and she collapsed onto the broken concrete, slipping out of consciousness.

 

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The world was ablaze, Slade stood next to her, but did not attack. The most sickening moment was when she realized she didn't want to attack him. Her father rose from the ground, shattering the last remnants of the old world. Slade's hand rested on her shoulder and she looked at it with a bit of disdain, “The messenger does not touch the priestess.” She actually felt a tinge of satisfaction when she said that.

Slade removed his hand, holding it behind his back as he had often done while he was alive, “How does it feel Raven?”

“Raven is dead.” Her voice sounded different, the pace was the same, but the tone was different, hollowed out.

“Your father shall rule for the rest of eternity.”

“Since when did you waste time stating the obvious?” Raven turned and glared at Slade.

Slade apparently didn't notice, “Your friends, Trigon wishes they be destroyed.”

Raven felt the smallest of smiles cross her lips, and with no effort created a pool of inky blackness in front of her. The statues, all five of them, slowly pushed their way threw setting themselves upon the smashed and scorched earth. Four of the Titans were cowering, shocked expressions covering their features. Robin still held a birdarang, the one she had so foolishly attempted to have him kill her with. The fifth statue was the one that truly struck out. Terra looked out of place, almost looking liberated instead of fearing for her eternal salvation. It disgusted Raven. With a single gesture Terra shattered into a million pieces, stone showering onto the ground. Then Raven turned her attention to her other friends…

 

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The bile rose from Raven's stomach, stinging and burning as it reached her throat. She vomited in reflex to the dream her father had implanted within her. She had felt emotions during it, happiness at her friend's destruction, at her father's coming. She had never been so sickened and violated in her entire life. Never. For a moment she wanted to curl into a little ball and cry, but the hand that rested on her back, slowly shaking her prevented that. Terra, grasping her ribs, kneeled alongside her.

“Raven… come on, Raven, please…” Terra grunted in pain, breathing heavily and speaking too quickly hurt. She didn't know much about anatomy, but she was certain she had shattered one of the bones in her chest. Raven seemed to spring to life, her head turned to the side and she vomited. Terra grimaced, noting the blood mixed in with the bile. Raven had internal injuries. There was a silence from Raven that scared Terra and she put her hand on what remained of Raven's cape and the leotard beneath. She immediately pulled back, her hand felt like it had hovered over a furnace. The cloak itself had been singed revealing more red lettering on her back. Her skin was covered in odd-looking red ink. “Raven… are you ok?”

“No…” Raven would have cried if she could have, “He was inside my mind…”

Terra almost followed Raven in vomiting, but managed to keep it down, “Slade? How did he…”
Raven sat up shaking her head weakly, “My father, the one who controls Slade now…” Terra shuddered, the thought of someone being able to control Slade, suborning his will… Who on earth could do that? Raven continued, “…he did it… he did all of this.” Her hand swept out, and then fell to her side.

“It is beautiful, isn't it?” Raven's shoulder's fell, Slade had found them.

Slade stepped into the room, nonchalantly; his jaw was hanging open slightly. If he had still had cheeks or lips it might have been a smile, but now it was little more than a disturbing play at a skeletal grin. Terra and Raven attempted to stand again, barely able to help each other up from their accumulated wounds at this point. Slade raised his arm lazily, and shot flames at the pair, causing them to separate to dodge. Perhaps they were unable to create shields at the moment, Slade wondered to himself, then twisted the flame and sent it at Terra. The blonde haired girl in the damage suit of armor gasped and tossed a rock into the path, allowing it to take the brunt of the assault then created a wall of stone in front of her. Slade shrugged, continuing to walk towards Raven all the while. Terra would be fun to play with later, but at the moment, Raven was his target. Her father had shown him the way while she `slept'. A weakling, falling asleep during her time of glory, Slade idly wondered how she could possibly serve such a high position for her father.

Terra waited, watching Slade but blocking out the flames that continuously shot from his hand, then twisted and moved back towards her. He was advancing on Raven, who was flinging attack after attack at Slade. He ignored them, even when they tore gashes into his chest, acting as if nothing was happening. Throwing up her hands with a shout, Terra momentarily took her attention away from creating and holding a barrier for herself and destroyed another barrier. Terra gritted her teeth as the flames burst through her own barrier… this was going to work, but it wasn't going to be pleasant.

Raven gasped when she saw Terra's shield collapse, the flames rushed through the hole and there was an agonized scream. Slade paused, turning around, to look at his former apprentice but he never got the chance. At that moment, Cinderblock, all 4 tons of the massive beast he had become, landed squarely on Slade. Raven was momentarily stunned, watching Slade completely disappear beneath Cinderblock's mammoth girth. The cement around him shattered, throwing Raven off balance and she fell to the floor in a disheveled heap. She quickly regained her bearings, finding Cinderblock, apparently unconscious, lying on the floor. She heard a low moan escape from Cinderblock and then he was silent. There was a long silence, and everything seemed to stop. Raven stood there, this was far from over, crushing Slade didn't seem to faze him, but Terra had given them a short reprieve… TERRA!

Raven's eyes went wide and she ran to the scalded stone barrier that had protected Terra. The center was burned through; the stone was running in rivulets to the ground. Inside Terra lay silently, not moving. There were no visible burns; her armor had survived the flames without damage. A slight motion caught Raven's attention and she looked to see Terra's terrified eyes. Her mouth was moving, but no words were coming out. The pained look on her face was almost too much for Raven to bear. In a soft, nearly inaudible voice Terra finally spoke, “Did it work?” Raven's eyes widened and her jaw fell loose. Terra had… planned this? Raven looked on in shocked disbelief. “Did it work?” Terra repeated, closing her eyes, and turning her head to the side.

“Terra… what happened? Are you ok?”

Terra didn't respond, except for a few tears rolling down her face. Raven swallowed the hard lump in her throat, and then stepped inside the barrier. Inside she found some flames still burning the inside of the stone. The flames flickered, not going out despite having no source of fuel. Hellfire. Raven's shoulder sunk and she quickly grabbed Terra, almost cradling her. Slade had been using hellfire, no wonder there hadn't been any burns… it hadn't scared her body it had burned her soul.

“I can't feel my arms…” Terra's looked back at Raven, fear gripping her, “… why can't I feel my arms?”

Raven didn't waste time explaining, grabbing Terra and hefting the girl to her feat, nearly dragging her away, all the way murmuring “It'll be ok Terra…” repeatedly. Terra was in a dazed state barely aware of her surroundings… how large of a blast of hellfire had she received. Her soul would be scarred forever. She hadn't known about this, about anything, Raven had failed to tell her just like she had failed to tell her other friends and Terra was going to suffer because of it. Raven managed to reach the exit of the building, but debris kept her from opening them. Letting Terra rest against a wall, Raven used her powers to move it away. The red light shown into the hall, and Raven's heart fell. The moon was deep in the sky, it was almost dawn. It would be sunrise soon, and then she would loose her soul…