Fan Fiction ❯ Raven's Destiny ❯ Intervention, Divine Or Otherwise ( Chapter 5 )

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 4: Intervention, Divine Or Otherwise

 

What this town needs is the intervention of God Almighty. Anything else just isn't going to cut it.

- Charlie Landers

 

Terra was vaguely aware that Raven was helping her out through a semi-collapsed doorway. It all seemed wrong somehow, she thought to herself, looking down at her numb arms. It's all wrong. Without warning, Raven grabbed one of Terra's arms and placed it around her shoulders, getting a better grip as she hefted Terra outside into the courtyard. Terra looked at it somewhat surprised, then her eyes fell upon Raven's frustrated, dirt and sweat covered face. She was over exerting herself, then again, her chest was burning, her legs were shaking, and her arms were completely numb. “We have to get out of here…” Raven murmured, but Terra wasn't sure she was saying it to herself or to her. Everything just seemed… and then she heard the scream.

It wasn't truly a scream, more like a yell. Terra looked back, looking back into the dark hallway. Inside Cinderblock was yelling, a loud guttural, completely inhuman sound that can only be described as pained. Terra felt sick to her stomach; that yell… Slade was still alive… and… she didn't want to think about it. But the yell didn't end, why didn't it end? Raven struggled to get Terra to move again, but she was looking back at the hallway. The yell had disturbed Raven as well, but they had to keep moving. Slade had already freed himself…

With no time left, Raven simply pulled Terra along, causing her to stumble and fall to her knees before she regained her senses. “We have to get out of here.” Raven said, and then started to run. Terra looked up, struggled to her feet, and then they broke into a sloppy run, nearly falling several times over the debris scattered across the courtyard. It was an odd ball shaped rock that finally caught her foot at an odd angle causing her to fall. Terra landed on the ground hard, a sharp rock found it's way through the torn armor and pierced her calf muscle, she gritted her teeth and rolled over, pulling the stone out to find… she blinked a few times then looked it over.

A… finger? It was a finger, a human finger, turned to stone, true, but a finger nonetheless. She blinked a few times and slowly moved to the rock that had tripped her. She turned it over and gagged; it wasn't a simple rock but rather it was someone's petrified head. She blinked a few more times then scrambled away. Raven saw her scuttling across the dirt, backing away from a rock, “Come on, we have to get out of… here…” Raven's mouth fell open slightly, looking back at the rock and recognizing it's true origins. Looking around she realized the entire courtyard was filled with stones. This wasn't a courtyard, this was a graveyard. Maybe it was cynical of her, but Raven simply chalked it up as yet another reason to leave.

Slade stepped into the field softly, a mockery of a smile on his face. Raven was stunned, although not from what he thought. “Are you really surprised to see me?”

Raven looked up resignedly. Slade was standing at the doorway, fire wrapping around his hands as he prepared to send another endless torrent at them. Throwing her arms forward she erected a barrier around herself… then to her horror she realized Terra wasn't with her, still staring with mute horror at the petrified skull that lay on the ground in front of her. The fiery onslaught headed towards them and Raven gasped.

“Terra!” Raven yelled, and Terra seemed to regain some semblance of rationality, once again trying to block the oncoming wave of flames with her arms.

The heat spread forward, bowling her over but no flames touched her. Looking up, she saw Raven standing in front of her, the flames washing over her. “NO!” Terra screamed tossing up what little stone she could to block it. Raven took an unsteady step backwards and fell, her chest heaving. She wasn't burned, and Terra tensed, “You weren't burned…”

Raven nodded, “Hellfire can't affect me.” Only then, did she realize her mistake.

Terra shook her head confused, “Hellfire?”

“Yes, Hellfire, I'm surprised you haven't told her about that, seeing as how I used it on her. Why don't you tell her what I did to her Raven? I'm patient, I can wait.” Slade seemed to have appeared next to Terra's makeshift barrier, only a few feet ahead of them.

“Raven…” Terra said, slowly trying to back away from him, but finding nowhere to run to.

“Or would you prefer I tell her Raven?” Slade tipped his head to the side, letting the flames on his hand dance and flicker wildly.

Raven pursed her lips, and then bowed her head, she couldn't protect Terra at such close range, there was nowhere to fall back to, but at least this would buy her time… “Terra… the reason you can't feel your arms is because he's burned away a part of your soul.”

“Good girl.” Slade said in a somewhat happy voice.

Raven didn't dare turn around to look at the terrified look on Terra's face, all she heard was a slight whimper as Terra looked at her arms, “My… soul?”

“That's right Terra… your soul.” Slade murmured, as Terra looked at herself horrified. Terra's mind raced, the one part of her that wasn't supposed to go away… that was supposed to survive anything, her soul…

Slade took a step forward, but Raven barred his path, “You monster…”

The fire in Slade's eye grew ever so slightly, leaping from the socket and burning all the way up to his forehead, “Out of my way girl unless you want to burn first.”

Raven put her hand to Slade's chest, her blood boiling, for the first time this day figuratively instead of literally, and shot a black claw into his chest. Slade looked down, and then looked her in the eye, “Not good enough.”

Slade backhanded her, sending her sprawling onto a pile of shattered stones. Raven looked up, but Slade ignored her, taking a few slow steps towards Terra instead. Terra was whimpering, fear and panic consuming her as she backed all the way to the outer wall of the prison. All Raven could do was look on helplessly as Slade pursued her, slowly, making a show of what he was doing. It was like watching a horror movie in slow motion; the villain seemed to slow reality to a crawl as he pursued his helpless victim. Slade kneeled down in front of her as her back reached the wall. Raven scrambled to her feet on shaking earth, the rocks seeming to scuttle around her feet in an attempt to throw her off balance.

The roar is what finally caught Slade's attention as he looked back to see a massive pile of flesh, a large human sized hole in the center of what might be considered the chest, rushing at him. Cinderblock's battle howl rang through the enclosed prison courtyard. The meaty fist landed squarely in Slade's chest, driving him through the wall just above Terra. Cinderblock's rammed his way through the wall as well, missing Terra by mere feet on one side. Shakily trying to rise, she fell again, landing on her hands and knees. Looking behind her she found Cinderblock's arms rising and falling from behind the wall, but heard nothing other than his fists smashing into the earth.

Raven raced to Terra who was once again trying to stand. The earth was quaking, Cinderblock's fists landing blow after relentless blow with such force that it shook the very earth around him. Terra nearly fell again, but Raven caught her outstretched arm, steadied her and held her up. A tremendous yell from behind them made them look back to see Cinderblock being enveloped in flames. His flesh peeled and burned, revealing bone and muscle beneath. The acrid scent of burning flesh filled Raven and Terra's noses. Still Cinderblock did not fall, struggling and smashing the earth around him. Slade appeared on top of the wall, jumping onto it and then back flipping off of it just as Cinderblock smashed it. He turned and looked at Raven and Terra the flame in his eye flickering wildly. “Suffer.” He hissed, and shot a column of flame at them from one hand while shooting another at Cinderblock. His eye never left the girls, the hatred burning there seemed to penetrate through Raven's barrier.

The fist smashed into Slade's side sending him flying towards the girls. He twirled in mid-air and landed on his feet, skidding backwards. Slade looked up, facing Cinderblock as the beast continued it's maddened charge. The stones and claws ripped into his back, but he couldn't let that draw his attention away from Cinderblock. Growling Slade slammed his hands together sending a solid blade of flames into Cinderblock, creating a twisted Celtic cross in his chest as it burned slightly above and below the empty hole in his chest. The bone melted and small drops of ivory marked Cinderblock's trail as he continued despite the injury, completely ignoring it. Terra and Raven stood in near shock seeing him overtake Slade crushing him beneath his foot, but not stopping. Raven pushed Terra off to the side then dove to the side, just barely avoiding being crushed under his enormous girth.

Terra looked up, “Whose side is he on?!”

Raven scowled, “The pain has driven him insane…”

Cinderblock slowed to a halt, slowly turned around, threw back his head and let loose a primordial roar. “We have to get out of here Terra.” Terra simply nodded, this time getting to her feat without Raven's aid. Slade was getting up as well, pulling himself from the ground he had been embedded in.

Terra growled, “Not this time.” Tossing forward her numbed arms she willed the ground around him to grab him and hold him. The stone surrounded him, but flames burst from everywhere, shattering the stone and knocking Terra onto the flat of her back groaning.

“Foolish girl.” Slade bristled; standing and wiping some dust off. “Did you really expect that to hold me?” Cinderblock roared and lunged at Slade. Slade's eye narrowed and he lunged through the hole he had created in Cinderblock earlier, rolled to stop then advanced on Terra.

Raven stood on shaky legs, barring his path, “I wont let you destroy her soul.” She murmured. Slade paused, then punched her in the gut, causing her to double over. If it was even possible it seemed like he was sneering at her.

“What are you going to do, Raven?” He leaned down, looking her in the face, the fire from his eye was intense, and she nearly pulled away, “You can't even stand, let alone fight.” Raven kept her baleful glare on him, but he was right. She had been weakened from constant fighting and injuries. He pulled back his arm and slapped her across the face again, then returned towards Terra.

Raven fell hard, head landing on the ground, painted a sickening red color. She was so weak, she could barely keep her eyes open. This struggle had taken too much out of her. The rays of the moon ebbed, disappearing as it dipped into the shattered outline of the city. The last few rays fell upon her and suddenly she felt it. Her destiny was set in motion, truly, her father was returning. The pain that had wracked her body dissipated, a weird and unpleasant feeling of well being and happiness filled her. It sickened her to realize that some part of her was happy this was happening. The tattoos suddenly surged with power, the dull red marks becoming shining red beacons. The tattoos were going mad with power, a rush of energy preceding Trigon's release. Raven struggled against the ungodly power that welled within her, but then she heard Terra scream. Using what little energy she had she managed to look over to where Slade stood above her, holding his flaming hand over her chest plate, not burning her directly, but letting the heat cook her. She was screaming, writhing in agony.

“No.” Raven closed her eyes and accepted the power fate delivered her. Power of the damned given to a hero was power nonetheless. Raven stood up painfully, grim determination covering her face. Dark energy began to encompass her body, twisting around the red rune and finally covering them as well. Slade paused, sensing this behind her. Despite knowing it's origins Raven used the energy, her body encompassed in dark energies.

Slade looked at Raven, taking his attention away from Terra who curled into a fetal position from the pain, “You've accepted your father's boon.”

“Just to destroy you.” She growled, and then sent dozens of darks claws at him, ripping at him and tearing into his seared flesh. For the first time that day, Slade fell back, unable to handle Raven's onslaught. Raven couldn't control everything happening, her eyes shifted between her natural color and the demonic red. She began to grow, slowly, her cloak stretching to keep her legs and body hidden from view. More tendrils of darkness slipped from beneath, attacking Slade who threw flames about wildly. This time it didn't have an effect, the flames simply landed on the tendrils and languished, dying out before any damage could be done. Slade backtracked, fighting off the black claws and whips that surrounded him.

Terra looked on in horror, her friend was becoming what she most despised. “Raven…” she cried out feebly, the burns on her chest actually felt icy, everything about her burned, except her arms... “…don't…”

Despite Cinderblock's battle roar, the crackling of Slade's fire, and the twisted thoughts echoing in her own head, she somehow managed to hear Terra. The energy that coursed through her was corrupting her, destroying her. She had fought too long, her entire life, to make sure that never happened and now she was simply accepting it because there was no other option? No… she had to fight back… she had to fight on… there would be some way to fix this…

The tendrils of energy fell away from Raven and she fell to one knee. Slade bristled; she had once again avoided her father's desires because of that wretch of a former apprentice of his. Growling he stood, but it was far too late. Cinderblock grabbed him; a frenzied roar of pain and delirium filled his ears as he was hefted up in front of Cinderblock. He could see the girls getting farther and farther away, and there was a sudden jerk as his back hit the top of the wall above Cinderblock's grip. Cinderblock continued on despite it, smashing the edge of the wall and falling, still holding Slade, to the lava below. The creature, burned and scarred, roared in confusion one last time before slamming into the superheated rock and beginning to dissolve. Slade fell free from Cinderblock's grasp taking a few steps back and admiring the horrendous suffering Cinderblock endured during the last moments of its existence. Its arms flailed, its eyes went wide and it made an actual scream, not a roar, a scream. And then it stopped moving, its arms slipping down and into the lava. There was a brief pause and Slade looked up. Above him, Terra and Raven watched in shock.

“He… died…” Terra murmured.

“So will Slade.” Raven said and without warning jumped from the ledge. She had rejected her father's power but she wasn't about to injure herself to spite him. At the very least Slade would attend to that before she killed him. Freefalling towards him she put her arms in front of her unleashing two massive claws of black energy hurtling towards Slade. Slade raised an arm above his head and fired an inferno of fire upwards. The two impacted and for a moment it seemed as if both were equal. Then Raven's claws began to get pushed back. Terra looked on in horror as the black claws were forced back, foot by foot, inch by inch until they were dissolved completely and Raven let loose a choked cry as the flames hit her.

“No…” was the only word that escaped Terra's mouth as she saw it happen. Raven managed to come through the flames fly a bit up, but then it happened. Raven's eyes went wide and she uttered an unnatural scream. Her arms fell loosely to her sides, as if they were unable to move, but then every muscle in her body stiffened as if frozen. Her entire body trembled; her black aura surrounded her and then… it shattered. The black energy seemed to explode apart. Raven's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she plummeted towards the lava.

“NO!” Terra yelled, pulling out a slab of stone beneath her. It would hurt, but not as much as the lava would. Raven landed heavily, made a jerking motion and then stayed still. Terra sighed with relief, but then her eyes widened again as flames erupted from beneath it, scarlet tongues licking up the sides. Slade stopped the flames for a moment, looking up at her. Terra quickly pulled the stone slab away, putting it on small landing that jutted out of the cliff. Slade waited, taunting her. Terra gritted her teeth and, despite the pain that wracked her frame, stood with solemn resolve. The stone beneath her shattered dragging itself from the ground and taking Terra into the air. Slowly she descended, making sure to pass Raven on the way. Raven lay there, only the shallowest movement of her chest showed that she was alive.

Terra stopped the rock a few feet above the lava, her blue eyes narrowed on Slade, “What did you do to her?”

Slade shook his head, “Your friend is dead. Her soul was removed, she's nothing more than a husk.” He almost sounded happy.

“You're going to suffer for what you did.” Terra said shaking then pulled her arms to her sides as the wall behind her shattered into dagger like rocks. With a yell she launched them forward. They crashed into the wall of flames in front of Slade and simply dissolved in the inferno. Chest heaving from exertion she watched in horror as he simply stepped through.

“Terra, Terra, Terra.” He shook his head with each time he said her name, “You poor pathetic girl.” Terra sneered, but Slade ignored her, “Do you really think you can kill me? Without your friend no less?”

A small, weak smile crossed her face, “I did it the first time without her help.”

Slade was silent for a moment, annoyed, releasing his frustrations in a wave of flames. The stone beneath her wheeled her out of the way, flying above and around the flames as they followed her, always keeping pace or outpacing the flames. They stopped suddenly and she was face to face with Slade who rammed her off the stone and into the stone cliff behind. Terra heard more cracks and unbearable pain filled her as the world began to spin. The breath was knocked from her chest, the chest plate bent inwards preventing her from drawing in a full breath. Slade let go of her, watching her fall towards the lava. He shook his head and began a slow ascent towards Raven.

The world seemed to come so close so quickly, Terra's matted and mangled hair began to blacken and burn as the heat of the lava intensified. No… it couldn't… end like this. A small boulder was yanked out and she landed on it, barely able to hold herself up. She moaned as she felt the soles of her shoes begin to melt, but quickly pulled away, avoiding Cinderblock's fate. She stared down at the lava, the bubbling red and yellow mess beneath her, burning and boiling, it had nearly destroyed her as it had nearly destroyed the city once before. Her eyes opened in realization and she looked up to see Slade approach Raven.

Slade was caught completely off guard as the stone slammed into him, sending him hurtling out of the sky and landing solidly on the lava. He looked up at Terra, the fire in his eye growing and burning skyward. Terra collapsed against the cliff from sheer exhaustion, watching him.

He slowly stood, walking on top of the lava, his head slowly moving side to side. “Don't you understand Terra? Lava cannot hurt me, it cannot burn me.”

Terra stared at him for a moment, head bobbing and barely held aloft to keep her view of him, “Do you…” she coughed up some blood, flinched, and continued, “know what lava is Slade?” He paused, head tilting to the side for the briefest of moments. Terra smiled despite the pain and threw her arm forward, sending lava in a spike like form into Slade's chest, “Rock, molten rock, but rock nonetheless…” Slade stared down at it in disbelief, then shattered it as it began to harden. Another one drove itself through his ankle, and then one through his back, more and more pierced right through him. He smashed them away, but Terra kept her power coming.

“Lava is easy to manipulate…” She said, “I learned that in the cave…”

Slade roared as more and more lava spikes found their way into his chest and body, boring growing holes into him. He unleashed a wall of flames, enveloping himself and everything around him. But the lava was unaffected; Terra drove more of them into him. Everything seemed to be going fuzzy in her eyes, but Slade was finished, his chest almost completely empty, holes puncturing every aspect of his form. He looked up at her, his hand slowly moving towards her as well, but that was grabbed by a lava whip and was sheared off. Terra was blacking out, she could feel the pain overwhelming her, but Slade had to die. Slade let loose one more yell and Terra drove a spike of lava into his empty socket, killing the fire within. He fell to the lava, still not sinking in. “This time… stay… dead…” Terra murmured, and used the last of her strength to make sure he was pulled into the lava and beneath… and then everything went dark.

44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 4444444

 

Raven's eyes flickered open, the excruciating pain that coursed through her replaced with complete emptiness. There… was nothing to her… she looked at her hands, her body, she couldn't feel anything. She let out a horrified scream, but it was drowned out by Trigon's triumphant roar.