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Slade shot directly at her without warning and she realized this would be different form their other sessions. This would be full contact with little holding back. She supposed she deserved it thanks to her new injection and she actually didn't mind. She looked forward to finding out how much her new and improved body could take.

She thought he was going to swing the pole at her head but when she lifted her own to block he moved it down and contacted her leg. To her surprise it didn't collapse but instead snapped taught and she stayed standing if somewhat unstable. He tried to elbow her in the ribs but she stepped back and avoided the collision.

Trying to punch him he stepped aside and caught her arm twisting it behind her back. "Not good enough." For a brief moment she was paralyzed by pain before she could react. As she tried to reverse it he flipped his arms to the left and she landed on her back. Reaching out she blasted him onto his back and leapt at him with her own staff seeking to bring it down on top of him.

Unfortunately he trapped it with his own and kicked both of his legs at her knees. The force behind his kick knocked her down and now it was him on his feet. "Interesting. Good job mixing your powers with hand to hand combat but still too sloppy."

Raven arched her back and leapt to her feet and tried to back hand him. "Too familiar, try something new." He caught her hand before it his him and knocked her feet out from under her. Even as she landed she rolled backwards and got to her feet, in time to see him drop his pole.

Before it hit the ground he kicked it at her and she had to duck as it soared over her head. Raven was actually amazed. She could actually anticipate his moves even if she couldn't avoid all of them. She finally understood why he was such a good fighter.

As she straightened she made like she was going to hit him but when he reached for her hand she instead kicked out and hit him in the chest, making him stagger back a step. "Impressive." Despite her success he didn't seem fazed and pressed his attack. Trying to hit her she remembered his earlier move and twisted his arm behind his back.

Without hesitating he spun her around and tried to flip her but she remembered the move from before and managed to stay standing. Stepping back she bought herself a second to think through her situation. Obviously he was better. With the injection and the powers already at her command she was stronger but he had much more experience.

Thinking back she remembered Cyborg had gotten him on the defensive by hitting his back and not letting up. She decided to try that. Ducking his next attack she got behind him and kicked him in the small of his back. Like before he arched it and was knocked off balance.

He whirled around as she tried to kick his throat, but he grabbed her foot and again flipped her to her back. Rolling to the side she avoided his foot as he brought it crashing down. He was relentless in his pursuit finally getting her close to a wall.

As Raven noticed her situation she tried to force him on the defensive by punching at his face but he slapped it aside and spun her sideways pinning her to the wall with her back to him. She tried to break free but his grip was too tight and she couldn't break it.

Finally she stopped pressing back and surrendered her weight letting herself slump forward. Surprised his grip slipped and she slid to the floor and rolled behind him. Before he could react she kicked the back of his legs and he fell to the ground in a heap.

Coauthor Note!!! Okay I've been asked to finish this chapter so now, it's my turn.

Before she Raven could congratulate herself he was back on his feet when she was just getting to her knees. Finally he pulled her to her feet and spun her to the ground this time holding her down. Trapped she realized there was no way out of this one and stopped struggling.

Slade paused as he found himself on top of her and his mouth went dry. From this position he saw a weakness in her that he had never noticed before. His felt sweat gather on his brow and his throat tighten as the feel of her beneath him made his stomach twist and his brain race.

This was something entirely new to him. His heart began to race as he felt something he'd never felt before. This wasn't supposed to happen to him; he was supposed to be cold and uncaring. Toward the rest of the world he was, but there was something about Raven that set him on edge and made him nervous.

It wasn't normal for him. She was his apprentice nothing more. True he had taken her in and she had served him well, but there was something else that he couldn't even fathom. And truthfully it scared him half to death that a girl only a few years beneath him could affect him in such a way.

Raven swallowed at the look in Slade's eyes and she could almost read his mind. She saw the confusion mixed with something else she couldn't identify. If she didn't know better she almost thought it was compassion. What surprised her more was the fact that she reciprocated the feeling.

She suddenly felt faint at the sight of him. Slade had always seemed invincible and untouchable by the things of the world. She thought back to what had happened two nights ago and realized something that had evaded her before. Slade did have a weakness. Though it may be his only one it was a big one and it shocked her to her core.

She was his weakness. Maybe not when she was little but that made twice in the past few months that he had gone out of his way to rescue her. She hadn't really thought about it until now. He could have found another apprentice easily, but he had instead risked himself to save her.

She thought about what she had almost said when she brought him back and realized it was true. She was quite fond of him. Raven tried to tell herself it was simply because he had raised and protected her when no one else would have, but she knew the truth. It was something more. She was captivated by the power and mysteriousness of him and the fact that she was the only one who knew his weakness surprised her. She had also never realized how much he meant to her until then.

The feel of him and the tension in the air made her dizzy that had nothing to do with the injection she had given herself. She couldn't breathe as he tilted his head and his eyes flashed. Raven was frozen in place not knowing what to do, until something in his eyes changed yet again.

Suddenly he pushed himself back and got to his feet. Extending his hand to her he helped her up and left the room quickly without saying a word. Raven stared after him with an aching she couldn't identify.

Back in his room Slade stood with his head against the door thinking over what had almost happened. There was no denying what he felt and unfortunately he knew she noticed it. Frustrated he slammed his head against the door, and let the pain was through him temporarily clearing his head.

Removing his mask he tossed it on the floor and dug his palm into his eye trying to cause some sort of pain that he could focus on instead of the one in his chest. Having little success he decided instead to pass out and sleep through it avoiding the emotions.

Lying back on his bed he tried to escape his thoughts but failed miserably, his dreams filled with her presence and feelings he couldn't escape.

Coauthor Note!!! Okaythat was my take. Say what you want and I'll get the comments somehow. The regular author should be back in a few days. P.S. I don't do fiction I'm the journalism major.