Corruption

Raven glanced around the lounge at her team, silently waiting for them to quiet down. She had been meditating when Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Robin broke into an extremely loud fight over a newly-released game: Texans vs. Zombies. Each boy was convinced that he was the best at this simulation and made that known to the rest of his opponents. Of course with pride on the line, arguing ensued and it had not ceased for half an hour. Starfire, on the other hand, peppy and excited as always, was trying to settle the matter by explaining that "each one them was skilled at controlling miniature men with hats and strange accents at killing the previously dead". The boys would then pause for a moment; look at Starfire, with confused yet not surprised looks on their faces. This hiatus would not last, for one of the boys would make another comment concerning fat mothers and vulgarities, thus beginning the screaming at one another again. Raven rolled her eyes, hoping that soon enough they would put aside their differences and agree to disagree, but she knew that would never happen in her lifetime. Not with videogame pride on the line. She sighed, un-curled her fingers, which were in the usual position for meditating, rested her arms at her sides, pushed off the lounge couch, and shuffled, clearly annoyed, to her room. The team had barely noticed her departure. It was late afternoon, and the Sun was just beginning to set over Gotham. The hallways of Titan's Tower remained dark, due to lack of windows, which helped alleviate some of Raven's sensitive migraine. She pinched the bridge of her nose with her index finger and thumb, and closed her eyes when the echoing headache became too intense to continue down to her room. She then would stop in her tracks, and lean on a wall, catching a pained breath. Her headaches had become increasingly worse this past year and she was unable to discover the cause of it. It was always something in her life that seemed to cause her pain. Two years ago, her father, Trigon, an inter-dimensional Devil, destroyed her body, causing her to become a portal to the Earth, thus destroying everything. However, her friends had saved her from her grim fate and restored life to Earth and countless other planets that had been conquered by Trigon's armies. So, it was either Armageddon causing Raven pain or the most dreadful headaches. She laughed at her own joke, and continued walking, eager to get to her room, her bed, and meditate in a tranquil setting. Finally, she arrived and entered her macabre room. Dark ornaments of miniature gargoyle statues, pentagram carvings on her wooden tables and runes of shadowy magic decorated her room. Books containing information on witchcraft and specific spells littered the scarlet carpet. Shelves were filled with vials and jars of unique ingredients needed for spells, and, of course, her closet, which had nothing but blue cloaks and black suits. She stifled a yawn and tip-toed around the books, making her way to her bed, which had black and blue ravens as the cover sheet. She smiled at its appropriateness. She hopped on her bed, which squeaked as she crawled over it. She then began to sit cross-legged and clear her mind. As the migraine began to ease, she chanted her words of power to begin the ritual:

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"

She repeated these phrases multiple times to achieve a proper meditation. After a few moments, she felt her body begin to lift, and her soul begin to open up to her. Her soul-self, in the form of a giant, black raven, soared out of her body and lifted her above the world, space and time. She remained in her room, yes, but her spirit hovered with her avatar raven. It was one of her favorite things to do in her solitude. She loved to sense the feelings of everyone in the world, to relate to them soul-to-soul. A couple of times, she had found rather attractive men, and entered their heads, wishing to get to know a stranger. Better than speed dating, she thought. She liked to think of the millions of emotions of different people as a black pool of feelings and sensations. Only extremely loud feelings ever rippled the pool and she would swim to them and wonder what was occupying their thoughts. When she was lucky, sometimes she would find a criminal or a villain the team was tracking, trace them down, and capture them. But only novice criminals ever made suck mistakes, the people of Gotham knew of her power and if they wanted to rob a store or murder someone, they knew better than to let their emotions get the best of them, hard as it was to contain such feelings of anxiety and rage. She was so free in this world, separated from the existence of being a hero, having to have responsibilities and duties constantly occupying her mind. Sometimes she wanted nothing more than to stay in this pool of nothingness and abandon her heroism. But, she loved her team too much, and she knew it would never last. Nothing good ever does, she thought, her father had taught her that. A wave of emotion in the pool interrupted her sad thoughts. She was surprised; no one ever felt such feelings. A ripple was normal, but a wave? She'd only encountered it once. She dived into the pool, hoping the knot forming in her stomach wasn't correct. She reached the emotional host, and sighed. Unfortunately, knots are always what she feared most. Slade. It had been two years since she'd seen him. He had helped the Titans defeat her father (but then he also helped capture Raven, and bring Trigon into the Earth, permanently scarring her for life…), but then disappeared. He had gotten away, and never made a sound after that. Why now? She went deeper, into his thoughts. They were as usual: Rage, vengeance, lust, and incomprehensible sadness. It was different this time, however, the emotions felt shallow. She tried to inject herself deeper into his subconscious, but he would have none of it. He felt her, swimming in his thoughts, trying to read his mind. He smiled, prepared. He blocked her out, then, and she froze.

"Hello, love," he said, causing Raven to get chills up and down her spine. She remained silent, unwilling to fan the flames of his twisted psyche. He chuckled.

"Tsk-tsk Raven you should know better than to enter someone's thoughts unannounced," he jeered. "It ruins all surprises in store."

She felt him smile cruelly again. She found it strange to know he was smiling; he always hid behind the expressionless metal mask of his. She had enough. She was pulling out, she had to tell the team he was back, and she didn't want to be inside his head any longer. However, when she tried to pull out, he stopped her, hooking her back in and refusing to let go. Raven gasped.

"Impossible! How are you doing this!?"

Another chuckled pierced her thoughts.

"I've picked up some new tricks while I was away," Slade stated simply. "But you will learn of them soon enough, dear girl. Now, don't you have some Titans to panic?"

He released her then. And she flew back into her body, shakily. She still heard his maniacal laughter resonating through her skull, haunting her mind.

Chapter 2

Raven dropped back onto her bead, gasping for breath. Slade's back, and he's coming for us, she thought, he has new powers, new strengths. Her hands began to shake. She was slowly processing this event and found it difficult to comprehend. How did he control me? How did he pull me back? The idea that Slade possessed a sliver of Raven's power greatly frightened her, especially with the expertise at which he used it with. Where did he gain such power? Slade is human, therefore incapable of casting, much less controlling, magic to the extent that he did. When he was undead, the rules were broken, and my father gifted him with such power, but took it away. This isn't possible! Raven ran a still-shaking hand through her rich, violet hair, taking a deep breath and trying to relax. She hopped off the bed and looked in the mirror above her wooden table. She studied her pale face, much more white than usual, and the increased length of her hair. She had grown these past years. She was taller, stronger, and looked much older. She could hardly believe her age, 18. She felt so old, and another birthday was just around the corner. Her body was maturing, no longer was she painfully thin, she had curves and muscles had finally become visible in her arms and legs. Her face, once childish, was a shadow of its former self. It was longer, leaner, and her cheekbones were noticeable and had risen in her face. Her eyes, so large and round remained similar, but seemed to have a mature look to them. Her hair, which at the moment was slightly tangled and hanging wildly about her shoulders, was at least, 3 inches longer, and darker, almost black but shining with violet tints. She looked 21 but felt like a child still. She placed her slender hands on the table and broke eye contact with the mirror. She had to tell them, they couldn't be left in the dark. She sighed, it would be difficult to break the news to Robin, he was so haunted by Slade for so many years, and even today she hears him muttering in his sleep. After a few deep breathing sessions and self-help mumblings, she pulled down her hood, covering her pale face, as to not completely freak her friends out, and strode out the door. She would make this right, they would catch Slade and all of this will be a faint memory in a few weeks. How terribly wrong she was.

Chapter 3:

Raven entered the lounge again, finding it more and more difficult to keep herself from going into a panic attack. The others had moved on to other routines of the day. Starfire was combing her long, scarlet red hair and trimming her nails, Robin was reading his favorite weapons magazine Nun-Chuck and intently reading its articles, and Cyborg was tinkering on his arm, while Beast Boy handed him tools, each time morphing into a different animal. Raven quickly walked to Robin and tapped him on the shoulder. His head snapped up immediately, his face going from puzzled to worried at the sight of her eyes.

"Raven?" he asked, concerned. "What's the matter?"

She cleared her throat and shifted her eyes away from Robin's piercing gaze.

"Something's happened," she said. "We need to get the team together. I have something to tell all of you."

Robin was still worried, his mask scrunching up with his ever-furrowing brow. Yet, as he saw her intensifying troubled expression, he backed off and agreed. He called the others over, who became just as puzzled as him. They all shuffled over to the pit in the middle of the room, and sat on the couch there. Raven, followed them as well, but remained standing in front of them, trying to muster the courage to tell all of them.

"Go ahead, Ray," Robin encouraged.

She cleared her throat again and transferred her weight between both her feet, rocking nervously. She sighed finally, relinquishing her fear for a moment.

"Slade's back," she stated and quickly kept talking to staunch the flow of outcries coming her way. "I was meditating and I found him. He felt me in his head and knows that I know he's back. He's gained some sort of new power. I don't know how but he somehow pulled me back into his head, and that would only be possible if he somehow gained a part of my power."

She looked up and studied their faces. It was as she expected. Cy was skeptical, Starfire was scared, BB's jaw was laying on the floor he was so shocked, and Robin…he seemed calm on the surface but Raven sensed his overflowing rage and hatred radiating from his body. It was silent at first, but shouts soon filled the room. All of them aimed at her, questions firing every second. Robin motioned for silence, and the team immediately obeyed. Robin was the first to speak.

"Ray, are you sure he's back?"

Raven's tempered flared slightly.

"Of course I'm sure! I went inside his head. His emotions followed suit, I saw his memories and his voice was just the same. Robin, he's back, trust me."

Robin nodded gravely, as did the others. BB spoke next.

"Do you know where he is?"

Raven sighed.

"No, I pulled out of there the minute he gave me a chance. Plus, he blocked me out after a couple seconds."

She sensed Robin's anger was rising. He would try to blame this on her at some point: For not tracking him, for showing weakness to him, for not fighting harder. However, an anxiety began to pulse inside the room, a question that was on the tip of everyone's tongue, but they were unsure whether to ask it. Raven raised a violet eyebrow. She stared at the team, trying to get one of them to ask it, when no one did she resorted to forcing it out of them.

"What?"

They all connected eyes with each other, picking straws for who would be the one to ask it. Apparently, Starfire lost.

"Well…you see…Raven…" she stammered. "We were wondering…"

"Spit it out, Star!" Raven snapped.

Taken aback Star's eyes began to shine with unshed tears. Raven softened her tone.

"Sorry, Star, but this is really stressing me out," Raven pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry I took it out on you. Continue."

Immediately Star's mood brightened and she smiled a sympathetic grin to Raven. Raven resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Star tried again.

"What did he say to you?" she squeaked.

Raven expected this, but hoped no one would ask it. She knew it might be important in trying to decipher a location or a plan, but any contact with Slade became a repressed memory in her mind, and it was painful bringing it up. She ran through the conversation in her mind. It was strange; it felt like he was warning her. He paid such particular attention to her. Why am I so important? She asked herself.

"Well, he said…" Raven started but before she was able to finish, a searing pain pierced her. She doubled over and fell to the ground. Her friends rushed over but stopped just a few feet from her, their bodies frozen. She had seen this before. Time had stopped, and only she was left to carry on. She was confused. I know I didn't cause this. Who did? Laughter erupted in her mind. Slade.

"Let's not give them too much information now," Slade said in her mind. "Where would be the fun?"

Raven's blood boiled over, and she very much wanted to let her demon blood overtake her and rip Slade limb from limb. Why do I always have to be the good guy?

"Get out of my head!" Raven snarled. She felt his emotions seep into her; he was entering her thoughts, overtaking her body with his cold, dark presence.

"Why, love?" He asked sincerely. "Your mind is just longing for me to enter, control, subdue. I've been here for quite some time now; I have filled every dark corner of your mind. Can you deny it? In your restless nightmares, can you deny that you see my face? Hear my voice? Feel my touch? Face it, my dear, you and I are intertwined together, a slipknot of destiny."

His narcissism is really getting out of control, she sneered. But she could not deny his statements, well except the last one, that was just bullshit. She was haunted by him, but not just him, her father, which gave way to the crippling memories of Slade. Sometimes she still thought about his manipulation of Terra, and how through her, he had tried to drown Raven in mud. Goosebumps quickly spread when she thought of the inanimate arms reaching at her to pull her down into the thick, tainted water. She shook her head. Don't let him get to you, she reminded herself, but how easy it was to remember. Those nights during Trigon's rise to power, when Slade tracked her down and tormented her, threw her off a building, captured her, haunted her thoughts, her soul. She still felt those feelings of fear, and realized how much she despised Slade, but also how much he truly frightened her.

"Whatever it is you want Slade, it will never happen. You've failed at every attempt thus far in your conquest to power. We're going to bring you down, just like always."

Raven remained vigilant in trying not to show him a splinter of weakness, but she could not hide the feelings beneath the surface from him: fear, dread, misery.

"Dear child, I've already won. There is nowhere to run or hide. There is nothing for you to hold on to. I have you corner and crushed. The object of my desire is already in my possession."

Raven scoffed.

"You're bluffing. Why go to all this trouble when you could have killed us all by now?"

This question was met with amused chuckles. He was laughing at her; she sensed his pride and arrogance swell in him.

"I believe you missed my point, love," he hooted. "Poor girl, you are so blind. This isn't about killing your friends-though their day will come soon enough-this is about you. You are the missing piece. The object I desire most, that is currently in my possession."

Now it was Raven's turn to laugh in his face. How stupid did he think she was? To think she would help him? Good freakin' luck, she thought.

"You're insane! Calling me blind!? Hardly," she said. Man that felt good! She thought, smiling to herself. What felt better was to sense his increasing rage seethe through him. Her smile widened.

"Stupid girl, I have a secret for you," he said. "With my new found powers, I could destroy you, your team, and everyone on this planet. But, that is no secret, of course, I'm sure that crossed you mind at some point."

He was smiling under his mask, goading her. She remained quiet, unable to hide her curiosity to what his so-called "secret" was.

"You and I, dear child, are soul-linked."

Raven felt her head spin, her vision fade, and she knew she was going to faint, and fast. Just as gravity abandoned her, her body was brought upright, by an unseen host.

"You are not getting away that easy, love," Slade hissed. "You deserve to hear the story."

She was being held up, her body was limp but she remained standing, she could barely make out his words, but somehow they lodged themselves in her brain.

"Raven do you remember what happened two years ago? Do you remember that night on top of the skyscraper? Do you remember your hair, your clothes, your skin? You looked ravishing in the pooling moonlight. The power inscribed on your body, the abnormality of it all fascinated me. The touch is what made it so delectable. I held your life in mine, felt your heart beat in unison with mine, and I knew you had to be mine. When your father resurrected me, he infused me with his power and partially with yours, and then when I took my flesh and blood back, it amplified the effects tenfold. However, I needed something more. Yes, with my new powers I could easily take over this planet or just kill you all. But there's nothing to that, without a bloodline of my own. I thought I would never get the chance until just a few hours ago, when you stumbled into my head. Unknown to you, however, is that you were falling into a trap. Unaware that as you struggled to wiggle free of my grasp, I had already sank my teeth into you, linking your soul and mine."

She felt another wave of nausea surge through her. Slade and her!? Slade!? Her!? Was he tormenting her? Is this just a nightmare? Is she asleep right now, safely tucked in her covers? After repeatedly telling herself to wake the up, she realized he was telling the truth. It felt like twenty trucks had consecutively hit her. Her spirit sank low, so low. Down, down, down it went, leaving her body an empty shell. A thought hit her suddenly, and she didn't have any reason not to ask it.

"It was you giving me those migraines, wasn't it? Trying to get me to meditate more often? Trying to increase your odds of me stumbling upon your emotions?" she muttered, already knowing the answer.

"Of course," he retorted. "I'm also responsible for Robin's nightmares. Hoping that maybe you would soothe his mind and find me there, waiting for you. I must say, Raven, you remained surprisingly cold to him."

Guilt washed over her. Poor Robin, he didn't deserve to get dragged into this as well. Anger rose in her stomach and her demonic blood sizzled. Suddenly, she grabbed her mind and yanked it out of Slade's presence. Well, at least she tried to. Chastising clucks came into her mind.

"Not so fast, dear girl," Slade cooed. "There's more."

She had had enough. She couldn't take it.

"No! Let me go, Slade! Please!" she begged. "Stop this!"

Her mind was working itself into a frenzy and she thrashed against his control. She was a trapped animal fighting against the cage. Pain hit her, then, and hit her hard. It radiated through her body, and her mind relinquished its futile attempts to escape. The force that held her up, let go and she crashed into the floor, curling into a ball on the ground. Sweat dripped off her face and onto the carpet.

"Isn't that better?" Slade coaxed.

His voice became velvet, and she wanted nothing more than to give in. To let him in and never let go. Oh, how he tainted her. Wait, no, don't Slade, please. She thought a last attempt to appeal to any mercy he had. Of course, he continued.

"Yes, Raven, you already know," he stated. "You, love, are to be the one to continue my bloodline. Congratulations."

Slade could not hold on to her any longer as her mind slipped through his fingers. Blackness took her in its reassuring wings, cradling her. Yet, she still heard him, chuckling softly at her weakness in her blackout.
"Oh please let it be a dream," she whispered, her last waking plead.

But she already knew. It wasn't.