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Death58

06-07-2006, 12:50 AM

I'm back to write on another fan-fiction, a sequel that I actually promised I would write. Unfortunately it's taken me a very, very long time to come up with a plot for it. . .and I've been practicing a little bit of writing on my own to get the tone just right or at least as close as possible. Also, this is the end of the trilogy! Um-to say the least this is the most mental I've ever gotten in any of my fics. If you've read the other two, you know exactly what to expect.
-NOTE-To understand any part of this, it's almost required to read my other two fan-fictions Teen Titans: Happy Endings and Teen Titans: Remnants.
"I think I'll blow my brains against the ceiling. And as the fragments of my skull begin to fall. Fall on you tongue like pixie dust. Just think happy thoughts and we'll fly home."
My Chemical Romance, Headfirst for Halos.

-Teen Titans: Coda.-
Prologue
‘What a beautiful hell.’

No longer was there a journal to write. . .

No longer was there a friend there to save her from the fall. . .

There was nothing, and that in itself is worth volumes to the mind.

In the middle of the sanitarium, a room number that needs no mention sat a girl alone in the corner of her four walled prison. Indigo strands of hair danced in front of her face as she merely glanced at the walls that seemed to inch in on her every single day. Oddly enough there were no tears, something that her lifestyle could simply not allow. Tears, emotion, anything sort of feeling could lead to massive destruction. It didn’t matter then, though, there were no friends waiting for her outside those four walls; that also meant that there was no reason to even try to escape.

The girl sat hunched over, knees against her chin, wrapped in a ball. There was no strange rocking because the drug haze took care of any nervous reaction. Her glazed eyes simply stared at the window which allowed a solitary beam of moonlight to appear through, the white light making no contrast against the white walls, bed, ceiling, her clothes, and window panel. Even her abnormally pale skin blended against her surroundings.

The only thing that made the moonlight any different was that it reached through the cracks of the small crisscrossed wire that rested in the middle of it. There was something alluring about it, a much needed darkness for her to grab onto in her world of white, a color supposedly associated with all that is good. Getting up from the ground is and simply strolling over to the window was something that she wished for more than anything, but even that was not possible. There wasn’t even a recollection of how she wound up setting in the corner of her prison. Of course there was another matter to consider. . .

I. .am. . .R-Rav. . .Raven. How long could she keep onto that bit of information in the eternal fog which was now her life? It would be five, ten minutes at most.

Raven. . .I am Raven. . .I am Raven. . .I am Raven. . .I am Raven. . .I am Raven. . .I am Raven. . .I am Raven. . .I am Raven. . .I am Raven. . .I am Raven. . .

Matt A

06-07-2006, 10:49 AM

Wow.

I'm tempted to just leave it at that, but seeing as I'm not allowed...well, you weren't kidding when you said this was mental. I mean, you've had Star become a cyborg, Raven die, Star go insane and become evil, Raven come back to life, Star try to kill everyone, Star die (in one of the most beautiful death scenes I've ever read, by the way), and let's not even get started on the emotional stuff, but I don't think any of that has gone as far as you have right here. Not even I have ever been twisted enough to reduce Raven to this decaying shell, having lost so much that even her own name is now slipping away, any attempt at mental or physical activity (even insane stuff) so far beyond her she'll never be getting it back. And considering what this woman has survived in the series so far, all I have to say is this: what the hell happened to her?

Oh yes, and wow once again. All matters of Hitchcockian-level mentalism aside, that scene was also one of the most stunning pieces of description I've ever seen. The sense of absolute rock-bottom, the sheer haunting power of "this is as bad as it gets, and it's never getting better", was perfectly conveyed, exerting a very powerful grip on the imagination. This is a picture not of insanity, but of absolute, all-consuming emptiness...and there are few things either more beautiful or more frightning than nothing.

If it sounds like I'm raving, then that's because I am. If the rest of the story is even half as good as this, then this'll still be you at the very peak of your powers. I need say no more than that.

-Matt A-

Death58

06-07-2006, 10:36 PM

Yah, quoting in Matt's style. . .hope you don't mind.
Wow.

I'm tempted to just leave it at that, but seeing as I'm not allowed...well, you weren't kidding when you said this was mental. I mean, you've had Star become a cyborg, Raven die, Star go insane and become evil, Raven come back to life, Star try to kill everyone, Star die (in one of the most beautiful death scenes I've ever read, by the way), and let's not even get started on the emotional stuff, but I don't think any of that has gone as far as you have right here.Um-Thanks. . .You've kind of put a little event time line as to what's happened to the main characters of this series of fics so far, and also thanks for calling Star's death one of the beautiful death scenes you've read. I'm very, very flattered.
Not even I have ever been twisted enough to reduce Raven to this decaying shell, having lost so much that even her own name is now slipping away, any attempt at mental or physical activity (even insane stuff) so far beyond her she'll never be getting it back.Wow. You're probably one of most twisted, disturbing writers on the board. This is pretty much the ultimate compliment. I'm glad to shock you with Raven's condition.
And considering what this woman has survived in the series so far, all I have to say is this: what the hell happened to her?It will be answered in Chapter One. Of course I'm giddy for what's happening after that. . .this fic takes a turn that's very, very. . .strange. At least, stranger than what I have done before.
Oh yes, and wow once again. All matters of Hitchcockian-level mentalism aside, that scene was also one of the most stunning pieces of description I've ever seen. The sense of absolute rock-bottom, the sheer haunting power of "this is as bad as it gets, and it's never getting better", was perfectly conveyed, exerting a very powerful grip on the imagination. This is a picture not of insanity, but of absolute, all-consuming emptiness...and there are few things either more beautiful or more frightning than nothing.I'm actually quite speechless after that. .thanks.
If it sounds like I'm raving, then that's because I am. If the rest of the story is even half as good as this, then this'll still be you at the very peak of your powers. I need say no more than that.Thanks, again. Coming from the guy that writes the always high quality 'The Bad Seeds', I almost feel like I don't deserve the compliments given here. I shall try my best on this.;)

Alpha Man

06-08-2006, 02:33 PM

Death58

06-14-2006, 07:05 PM

I'm almost afraid to say anything. One, because Matt's review will blow this one right out of the water. And two, because I haven't read the previous two stories. However, I think you'll appreciate positive feedback no matter who it comes from, so I'll review anyway. Besides, this could present an interesting opportunity for you: there will always be people out there who haven't seen the movies that came before the current one, so it's the job of the author (or director, if we're following the movie analogy) to have it make sense to everybody. Are you up to the challenge?Thank you! I very much appreciate all the feedback I get, and from the writer of another awesomely written story(Raven:The Nest). As for what you are asking for as far as writing this for everyone. . .I will very much try my best, but this gets very, very convoluted.
Moving right along, I have to say that the prologue was one of the creepiest and most bone-chilling pieces of literature I've read at this forum, rivaling Edgar Allen Poe.Wow. . .That means that I've done my job with the prologue.:D
The total ambiguity of the prologue and the descent of the character into utter nothingness leaves and provokes a small but apparent sense of sympathy for her, especially to those of us who have been depressed. This, however, is the depression to end all depressions. I have a feeling that Raven's lack of feeling will have to affect everyone else at some point.:evil: Hopefully, ambiguity will fade away like Raven's name.:D

Superb beginning, Death58! I love it!Thanks. . .Raven will eventually effect everyone else, and yes the ambiguity will fade soon enough but. . .I must say that it'll get really, really bad before it gets better. After all, Raven had to hit insanity before reaching this. Thanks for the feedback!
By the way, this is on short hiatus for I am on vacation. I have half of the first chapter written though, so it should be soon.

Death58

06-17-2006, 11:13 AM

Okay, so. Chapter One. Yeah, sorry it took so long. This was actually supposed to be a little longer but-well-I cut it down so it would be much better to read in one sitting. Actually I'm just lazy, and it worked better to end the chapter where I did. So it's another flashback. Enjoy.

Chapter One
‘Crimson in a world of white.’
-Eight months before-

It takes him five months after Starfire’s funeral to finally call me. Five months. Raven made her way inside the old apartment building from the blizzard trying to pelt it with snow flakes outside. Her hand quickly pushed open the cheap, plastic door, swinging it open and quickly snapping it shut. The ambient sound from the outside world went mute with the closing of the door. I hope the bastard doesn’t expect hugs and kisses. Wrapping her arms tightly around the edges of her white trench coat, she exhaled in some form of relief and made a dash up the stair case. He probably wants help with one of his cases, something which requires the assistance of a former Teen Titan.

To her left at the top of the stairs stretched a long hallway, the final room at the end of it being her point of destination. The journey for this would be difficult. Raven’s powers were barely under control again and seeing him would probably bubble up all sorts of emotions. She had to make sure nothing would happen. Damn you.

When the door came very near, she grew timid, each step forward another wish to go backward. With a slow, calculated like movement, she drew her fist up to the door keeping it only inches from the actual surface of it. After about a minute, she finally tapped on the door. From within the apartment slow, heavy footsteps grew louder only to stop immediately. Two clicks later, the door knob turned to reveal a tall man with long black hair, a muscular but slender figure, and a large metal staff in his left hand.

Keep it together. “Nightwing.” The word fell from her mouth like a lead balloon.

“Rachel.” Awkwardly the two stood in the doorway until finally Nightwing simply turned away from Raven, walking back into his living room without a word. He’s still as cocky as always.

She grabbed the edge of the door, closing it behind her with a strange cracking sound. Her breathing became more difficult as she glanced around at the walls; on them were so many newspaper clippings of unsolved murders, kidnappings, and some exploits on the Teen Titans themselves that it became overwhelming for her to merely stand in the middle of the room. So many memories. . .

There was a thud, pushing Raven out of her day dream, “I wanted to tell you that I’m leaving Jump City.” No conversation. None. Pleasantries were no longer part of his life. He simply got to the point, which usually jarred everyone that he talked with.

What? “What?” Is he going to leave me here alone? “W-What are you going to do?” There was a strange cracking sound again. I-I don’t want to be completely alone. “Damn you.” He has to stay, please god. Something began to sound like it was under pressure, a sound that was like a bowing board.

Already in his full blue and black costume, Nightwing grabbed at the black mask laying on the end table beside his couch. His eyes instantly went white, cold, and lifeless, which really didn’t seem different to Raven at that moment. “I’ve finally traced the leader of-”

“Damn you!” I should kill him. The door to the apartment began to bend outward, the cracking and creaking increasing in volume. “Y-You’re still chasing after ghosts. . .Slade’s dead Robin, get that through your skull.” It was going to explode soon. “You’re still trying to find another villain like him so you can fill up some sort of emotional hole that’s been there since I’ve met you. Stop thinking about the dead be it Starfire or Slade, or stop thinking about criminals and maybe just think about one of your friends.”

“I called you, didn’t I?”

Splintering into thousands of pieces, sending Nightwing behind the couch in a mad rush, Raven’s emotions had finally taken precedence over her powers. “At least let me go with you I-I don’t want to rot here. . .”

“I’m going alone. . .”

“Please, I-”

“I said no. I can’t-Starfire died and she doesn’t get to come back, but you-you. . .uh.”

The tears began to stream down Raven’s face. One could almost see the final few pieces of the girl shatter into nothingness. Nightwing’s mouth dropped for a second, trying to form the right words. A tremor went through Raven’s body, and she simply turned to the broken door, stepping over the wood chunks and past the tenants who were brave enough to see what carnage was ensuing right outside their doors. Nightwing stood in the middle of the apartment just staring at the door way.

Is that truly how goodbyes work?
* * * *
There is absolutely nothing in the entire world that can prepare you for those final moments of your life. The tick-tock of some fated clock of sorts is hard to comprehend when you actually take a moment to think of what will happen when that clock stops. What will become of you? Where will you go?

If you want to go one deeper, think about what would happen if you tried to stop that clock by ending your own life. Faint moments before an act like that, though, one does not allow thoughts such as these to creep in their heads. Freedom is the only thing in a person’s mind when they are about to commit suicide. . .absolute freedom.

The snow still seemed to beam down in harsh chunks upon the inhabitants of Jump City when Raven pushed open the door to the outside world, her hands shaking so much that even turning the door handle was difficult. She glanced around radically, merely turning toward the intersection, cars speeding by her, blowing her coat into the air.

She walked to the edge of the street corner. A nervous foot came off of the sidewalk, and she took her first step into freedom.

The chrome bumper managed to smash straight into the girl’s face, her left eye basically losing all vision almost instantly; blood sprayed onto the cement like a small geyser, coinciding with nauseating cracking sounds escaping from many places on her petite body. After a screech of tires, the event was over. A crumpled heap of a being laid in front of the blinding head lights of the car. Oddly, the snow seemed to slow down to an almost serene pace.

I don’t care what happens next. . .

But don’t save me. . .

Please. . .

Voices seemed to echo all around her from seemingly no where in her dark little corner of the world.

“Oh my god!”

“Did you see that? She jumped right in front of that car!”

“I recognize her from-”

“Why would someone-”

“Is this, like, for a movie?”

Raven’s eyes opened up in a spasm as she lay on the ground, rapidly moving around from place to place. Her chest jerked up and down as her body tried to get air with failing results. Faces seemed to blur in and out of view of her remaining eye, the voices from each face talking as though the world had been flipped to slow motion. Copper. After a gurgling sound, blood sprayed out of her mouth in a coughing fit.

“I’m calling an ambulance. . .” Someone had said it. A man. If she could have concentrated, she would have broken every bone in his body to stop him from calling.

The crowd of people around her glanced down upon her with a wince of pain in their eyes. Her white trench coat looked like it had been through a crimson rain storm, snow white contrasting with the dark red in a beautiful picture of a gothic goddess finally gaining her own piece of heaven. Every minute that the ambulance delayed was another minute that her invisible chains broke off a little more, one by one.

Finally. . .

Those final moments seemed to torturously extend on, gasping, spasming, and the once burning pains turning into dull sensation that became difficult to feel. In fact, it was becoming difficult to feel anything.

“Hold on!” That man seemed to think he was doing something heroic. A mere civilian was trying to save her, a person that was at one time was known as a Teen Titan.

A Teen Titan. Images of a cybernetic Starfire stepping out from the living room in Titans Tower immediately filled her head, along with the events occurring after it. . .Her own death at the hands of Terra, and the unwanted resurrection. . .A wheel chair bound Terra. . .One rainy night when Starfire’s life was extinguished, that one rainy night when her life had spiraled down to this, a lonely girl broken and bloody in the middle of a street.

I just have to stay awake long enough.

Sirens cut through her already flimsy thoughts.

Why?

The snow around her was melting in a crimson mess.

Matt A

06-17-2006, 12:58 PM

DeathscytheVII

06-21-2006, 07:12 PM

Holy crap death, i shivered when I read Raven's attempted suicide. You had very beautiful and vivid imagery, the crimson on white snow as your title is called ;) but at the same time, very spine chilling. You seem to have a great grasp of psychology, reading that last update really gave the reader an idea of what a person's mind goes through when they contemplate and attempt suicide.

Damnit, I'm starting to despise this nightwing, not only because he was too gutless to help Starfire when she needed it inside Arkham, but also because he's abandoning Raven in her hour of need. What a Clorbag :mad:

Anyways, Death, keep this up! I can't wait to see where this goes!

Rever76

06-27-2006, 09:40 AM

*!?*

Once again Death58, you prove that words are insufficient to describe this darkand brutal portrayl you have of the Titans.
I've got half a mind to hold up the DC executive board and make them give your own universe of their comic lines, like Marvel's Ultimate universe, except yours would be with this dark and grungy feel you have.

I have to say though, your B******D putting them through more and more emotional and physical torture.

You've portrayed Raven as a skitzophrenic-psychic
Nightwing as an almost two-faced hero, fighting the good fight in public, but a Clorbag in person!

KEEP THIS UP!!

Death58

06-30-2006, 12:53 AM

Though I've already said it at great length, I thought the prologue was brilliant. In fact, I thought it was so brilliant I was sure nothing could top it.

Naturally, I was wrong.

How good was that chapter? I can't even find words to describe it, that's how good it is. Your powers of description are as spot-on as ever, the decay and emptiness and blood and snow all mashing together into a truly haunting scene. More so than the prologue, this is where we can truly understand just how wretched Raven really is, a supposedly dark and mysterious girl who's so afraid of being alone that she'd rather die than lose all human contact. It's somewhat fitting that a girl who's been through so much pain should try to end her life in such a simple way, and it's even more fitting that she is instead doomed to the fate we saw in the prologue. Like Starfire dying in the rain in Remnants, having Raven's final mental collapse happen amidst the white snow (an image of fun and innocence if ever there was one) just made it all the more beautiful.

So that's how good it is. And the only way from here is up, I think.Thank you once again Matt. . .I feel undeserving of praise like that. Yes, Raven is truly disturbed and I figured after everything that she's been through, this seemed like the only logical next step. . .the next chapter is going to be a bit shocking, though. It kind of contrasts this one a lot, but it'll all make sense in the long run. I just hope I continue to make you happy with this. Having Raven's fall happen in snow is something that's going to be really recurring in this story, so pay attention to the color white. It's not a good color(and recently I found out that it's actually tied with death by tribes, monks, ect).
Holy crap death, i shivered when I read Raven's attempted suicide. You had very beautiful and vivid imagery, the crimson on white snow as your title is called ;) but at the same time, very spine chilling. You seem to have a great grasp of psychology, reading that last update really gave the reader an idea of what a person's mind goes through when they contemplate and attempt suicide.

Damnit, I'm starting to despise this nightwing, not only because he was too gutless to help Starfire when she needed it inside Arkham, but also because he's abandoning Raven in her hour of need. What a Clorbag :mad:

Anyways, Death, keep this up! I can't wait to see where this goes!I tried to give the subject of suicide the utmost respect, but I also wanted to show just how horrible something like that is. That's a relief to know that the psychology of it was handled okay. . .Yes, hate Nightwing. I'm going to play him almost as a semi-villain in this. I want my readers to absolutely hate him by the end of this fic. Thank you very much Deathscythe!
*!?*

Once again Death58, you prove that words are insufficient to describe this darkand brutal portrayl you have of the Titans.
I've got half a mind to hold up the DC executive board and make them give your own universe of their comic lines, like Marvel's Ultimate universe, except yours would be with this dark and grungy feel you have.

I have to say though, your B******D putting them through more and more emotional and physical torture.

You've portrayed Raven as a skitzophrenic-psychic
Nightwing as an almost two-faced hero, fighting the good fight in public, but a Clorbag in person!

KEEP THIS UP!!I would love to have my own universe of DC to screw around in, actually. Any sort of recommendation I can get would be happy with me. To be honest, I've always wanted to write a comic book. . .maybe I'll succeed with those aspirations later on in life. Believe me, I know I'm a b*****d for the stuff I've done in these fics. . .and I'm still not done. What I have planned for this one is pretty. . .messed up to say the least, even in accordance to what I've done in the past. And once again, I want you to hate Nightwing! Thanks Rever!

By the way, yes my new avatar reflects this story. . .

dimmy52

07-02-2006, 04:37 AM

Un...believable...

This is, quite simply, the most brutal, most shocking piece of writing I have ever read, and because of that I cannot stop reading. The description, the vivid imagery is simply perfect, bar a few, extremely minor punctuation errors, probably from over eagerness in posting it ;)

For the love of all things holy, KEEP WRITING!

Cheers, Dimster, Delta Member One.

Death58

07-22-2006, 05:38 PM

One year later. No dear reader, this isn’t the start to my next chapter, that’s a little bit below this. As of July 20th, I’ve been here for a year. Wow, what a trip it’s been. I never thought that one website could be so addicting, but the WFWC proved me wrong. I would go into dramatics as to the hows and whys of me joining this place, but no. It doesn’t seem necessary. Make your own assumptions with my screen name and writing style, I’m dramatic enough in my fics.

The point is that I like to write, something that I never really did much prior to Teen Titans: Happy Endings. I mean I did write, just not a lot. More than all that though, the WFWC was a place that basically greeted a newbie like me with open arms. All the users here seemed so kind and eager to help me, as well as encouraging me to write more. I had never seen a place online with that much of a family type atmosphere.

So here is my celebration of sorts, and a sad announcement that this is my final fan-fiction I’m going to write here. I’m out of ideas after this fic and I feel as though that’s okay now to go away. Besides, how many times can I write about totally mind f**ked girls in asylums until it gets boring?

I’m still here for the moment, though, so let’s forget about that. Maybe once I’ll be working toward a happy ending. . .yeah, even I didn’t buy that. Thank you all who inspired me, encourage me, and just basically used to have random conversations with me. Really, I’m just shocked. One year later.

PS: To answer your question, in real life, I really don't look like the guy standing next to Raven in this picture (http://teentitans.toonzone.net/tt/reviews/sisters/15.jpg).
Un...believable...

This is, quite simply, the most brutal, most shocking piece of writing I have ever read, and because of that I cannot stop reading. The description, the vivid imagery is simply perfect, bar a few, extremely minor punctuation errors, probably from over eagerness in posting it ;)

For the love of all things holy, KEEP WRITING!Thank you so much. Yes, I always get so excited to release a new chapter that I forget to edit really well. I'm so very happy that this is shocking and brutal. It's not quite over yet.

And yes, I will follow your orders and continue writing Dimmy.

Wow. A month since a chapter was released, and not nearly worth the wait.

Yeah, this isn't over by a long shot. I'm really sorry it took so long, but I'm kind of dealing with something at the moment. Whatever though. This is it, and the ending may or may not suprise you. I don't like my descriptions in this chapter as much as the other two. . .

Chapter Two
‘Save the public, screw the individual.’
-Eight months before-

“I-I need back up. . .oh god. . .please. . .” The man was only hospital security, being paid rates that were absolutely insulting, and it had finally come down to a life or death situation which he was completely unprepared for. Sure, he had fired a couple shots, the perpetrator had fallen and everything was okay. . .until they had gotten up again. There were a couple more shots as he ran down the hallway, darting into a storage closet. He silently prayed for any kind of miracle in the intense darkness of the small room.

He edged his hand along one of the shelves, trying to find something that might somewhat fortify his position in the little room. With a scream escaping from the outside of the room, he stopped, holding his pistol toward the door. It didn’t take long for the metal door to bulge open, a horrible screeching sound as the bubble in the middle of it grew larger. The guard silently prayed as the screws in the hinges flew out like bullets straight into the ceiling, with the entire door exploding open onto the floor.

What looked like black electricity began to arc around the inside of the door frame, followed by a figure totally drenched in a black aura. He held up the gun one last time, replying to the creature with a few more rounds. It was to no avail. Each shot marked off another chance of getting out of there right up until the final one. One more press of the trigger released the last bullet, the casing falling to the floor with an almost deafening sound. In a panic, the man pressed the trigger again for a resounding click.

He dropped the gun to the floor, “N-No. . .”

The one eye of this black energy creature simply stared at him, nothing but silence filling the small supply room. A box flew in front of the figure, opening up to reveal four medical scalpels. They floated out one by one, all pointing at the guard as they reached their position in the air. The box dropped, and the scalpels flew forward. There was an agonizing scream and then silence.

All four scalpels stuck out of the guard’s throat in a nice little row. After a couple of gasps, his body fell to the floor, a wet sound escaping from him as the scalpels were pushed further into his neck, not to mention the growing puddle of blood on the floor.

It slowly glanced up from the carnage that lay on the ground, concentrating on the blood sprayed wall. Black energy began to form in a circle around the middle of the wall. A high pitched sound echoed through the little room, followed by little cracking sounds.

The wall shattered into so many fragments that it was almost as if it were made out of wood. Two hands grabbed around the edges of the gaping hole, smoke rolling away into the night air. Through the smoke fog, though, a glowing white eye still managed to make itself visible. With a blurred motion, the black figure flew out of the smoking hole in the hospital, flying to the top in mere seconds. It landed on the roof, both feet causing a small explosion of white powder to spray into the air.

Breathing heavily, the being merely stared out over the massive skyline of Jump City.
* * * *
I should have known. By the time Nightwing had gotten to the hospital, the police already had the parking lot swarmed with dozens of squad cars, even more sirens echoing in the distance. He stared down at the lot, surveying the area from the top of a nameless business building. At the top of a building, the snow flakes seemed to pierce one’s skin as they drifted on any part exposed to the outside world. Within moment, his inner monologue of what he assumed was happening ended and a grappling hook had been produced in his hand.

With the press of a small cyan button on the side of it, there was a loud sound like a gun, as well as what could be mistaken as a muzzle flash. The thick, long wire extended over to the hospital, right above the gaping, smoke filled hole in the side of the building. It was best to try and get into the building with as little attention drawn to himself as possible. In a swift movement, he tied one end of the grapple to an old air conditioning unit beside of him then produced a bird-a-rang which he quickly pulled over the top of the large, black wire.

This should be fun.

Nightwing took a step onto the edge of the building, staring over in a moment of hesitation, vertigo starting to creep around the edges of his being. He jumped, allowing himself to slide down the grapple with the bird-a-rang, each snow flake now smashing into his face like a storm of needles. When he reached the smoking hole, he let go of the bird-a-rang, plowing right through the smoke and into a dark room. As soon as his feet hit the ground, the ground went out from under him in a messy slip.

Back to the ground, his eyes quickly adjusted to the body lying next to him, and the fact that he was laying in the essence of another human being. Even after the years of terrible things he had seen, it was still foreign when you came close to carnage like this. In seconds he was on his feet again, darting out the door, and through the hallway of the hospital.

Blood lined the floors and the bottom of the white walls so much in this section of the hall that it looked like someone had painted with crimson paint. Bodies lay in mutilated fragments, looks of fear splashing across each frozen, splattered face. One man was slowing his pace, life draining out of him as he tried to place his intestines back in his body. Nightwing simply glanced at him for a second then continued to the stairway.

He opened the door cautiously, listening for footsteps. Near the top of the stairwell were almost inaudible footsteps echoing.

I should have known they’d send a SWAT team in. . .

Reaching down to his belt, he grabbed out one small, metallic ball. They have no idea what they’re dealing with. There was a moment or two where he paused at the missing grapple hook, somewhat angry that he had already used it. He would have to dart up the stairs and somehow still manage to-

An explosion erupted from the door to the roof, managing to destroy any plan that Nightwing had. It was time to rush into another situation blindly and try to figure out some way to make it all work out in the end once he got there.

Each step he ran still managed to be cautious and careful, an appearance which he had seemingly perfected over the years. It had taken mere moments to get to the top of the stairs, four unconscious, possibly dead people laying on the stairs, hanging over the railing, or slumping against the wall. He darted out into the flowing storm of snow, whirling his staff. Through the perfect canvas of snow flakes, a creature seemingly made of black energy stared at him with one piercing, white eye. Nightwing walked toward the creature, the energy around it dying down as it simply stared in his two white, lifeless eyes.
* * * *
There was a car. . .

A-An explosion. . .

There was just an explosion.

Oh my. . .god. . .Oh my god.

She opened up one eye, one of them wrapped in a bandage making visibility completely gone. Raven was laying in about five inches of snow, the wet cold from it sending a chill throughout her entire body. She sat up weakly, glancing around in confusion. There was a moment of horror when she glanced down at the hospital gown she was wearing; it was drenched in blood. In fact, she was drenched in blood, droplets falling off her hair and gown like she had taken a bath in it.

Raven felt herself become lightheaded, throwing up instantly in a fright. With a glance upward, she found herself in a locked stare with Nightwing.

“W-What. . .What’s happened. . .” Tears ate around the bottoms of her eyes, shining even in the dark, snow drenched night.

Nightwing simply pulled back his trademark silver bo-staff.

The last thing Raven saw was the end of the bo-staff smashing into her face.

SecretNinja

07-23-2006, 01:47 AM

Matt A

07-26-2006, 06:03 AM

Not for the first time, I have absolutely no idea what to say. That...well, that was pretty damn genius. Perhaps not as genius as the first two chapters, but that merely classes it as an A rather than an A*.

Anyway, to the specifics. Though we could see it before, it's clear now that Nightwing is one cold-blooded bastard: Starfire's downfall must have hit him even harder than I thought. Even with someone like him, I would've expected a more supportive treatment of an obviously confused and traumatised Raven, but what he did instead was one of the most brilliantly surprising moments I've ever seen. Clubbing her in the face was a move that was just so...him, I think. And all the more so considering his reason: after all, whilst she wasn't aware of it, Raven did massacre half a hospital ward. To your eternal credit, you didn't let us forget just how much of a threat she can really be, thus making Nightwing's cold-hearted actions throughout the entire chapter disturbingly justifiable. Disturbing, it seems is what you do best.

[tips virtual cap]

More, please.:anime:

-Matt A-

PS: If you're looking for story ideas, I've got a few I can provide.;)
PPS: Was the picture a rhetorical statement?;)

DeathscytheVII

07-26-2006, 02:13 PM

So i see batman ain't the one with the stone cold heart after all. It seems Starfire might have made something snap inside him, that makes him unable to interact with people or at least, show some humanity anymore. Gosh, i was so shocked, i thought he was going to put the bo staff back after he saw raven! :o The girl was confused and didnt know what was happening. Of course, you still keep it justifiable, and part of us knows that cold blooded logic dictated that course of action, but we at the same time feel sympathy for her. Nightwing just acts without hesitation, both logical, and chilling still :D

Quasi villain is right Death, i hope he gets whats coming to him or whatever sharp blunt object you can think of :D

And one year! congrats dudE!

SecretNinja

07-26-2006, 07:28 PM

I like how Matt A makes my reply/comment look like a piece of toilet paper on the curb:p ...Pfft Death58 will like it anyways, it shows...love ...of fanfic-ness.

Im waiting for more:D

-S-N-

Death58

07-30-2006, 03:01 PM

Holy crap, i love your writing and your view point on things, and the way you put things into perspective. Gah! Your amazing. I cant even put it into words... i think this sums it up: alkhdsjlashdhadlandlfl,kskd.fnnsbf455s##$fsnaskfa

Good, now that we got that sorted out.

-S-N-

PS: Did i tell you i love you?:pWow. . .quite the feedback. You like my view points as well? Hhhmm. . .not a thing that too many people share with me when it comes to how 'not so optimistic' I really am. See calling me amazing just makes me feel all happy. . .and now I know you love me.:p
Not for the first time, I have absolutely no idea what to say. That...well, that was pretty damn genius. Perhaps not as genius as the first two chapters, but that merely classes it as an A rather than an A*.

Anyway, to the specifics. Though we could see it before, it's clear now that Nightwing is one cold-blooded bastard: Starfire's downfall must have hit him even harder than I thought. Even with someone like him, I would've expected a more supportive treatment of an obviously confused and traumatised Raven, but what he did instead was one of the most brilliantly surprising moments I've ever seen. Clubbing her in the face was a move that was just so...him, I think. And all the more so considering his reason: after all, whilst she wasn't aware of it, Raven did massacre half a hospital ward. To your eternal credit, you didn't let us forget just how much of a threat she can really be, thus making Nightwing's cold-hearted actions throughout the entire chapter disturbingly justifiable. Disturbing, it seems is what you do best.

[tips virtual cap]

More, please.:anime:

-Matt A-

PS: If you're looking for story ideas, I've got a few I can provide.;)
PPS: Was the picture a rhetorical statement?;)An A rather than an A*? That works for me. I'm just happy to get an A! Yes, I made sure that you remembered that even though Raven is broken, her emotions are still able to cause more damage than almost anything else. I also agree that Nightwing clubbing her in the face was something that I thought would be how he would react. .Although he could have at least said sorry, right? I feel like the point of this fic, above all else, is to show you situations that every reader will get a different feeling from. This is one of them; you can either think Nightwing is justified in what he is doing, or he's being a hard ass. Either way, you have an opinion on this, so it matters.

And if you have story ideas, I would be happy to write a couple, with any help you could provide. The only thing my mind comes up with is really tragic things. . .and I want to do something more, as you would put it, black humor.

Also. . .maybe that picture question wasn't as rhetorical as you'd imagine.
So i see batman ain't the one with the stone cold heart after all. It seems Starfire might have made something snap inside him, that makes him unable to interact with people or at least, show some humanity anymore. Gosh, i was so shocked, i thought he was going to put the bo staff back after he saw raven! :o The girl was confused and didnt know what was happening. Of course, you still keep it justifiable, and part of us knows that cold blooded logic dictated that course of action, but we at the same time feel sympathy for her. Nightwing just acts without hesitation, both logical, and chilling still :D

Quasi villain is right Death, i hope he gets whats coming to him or whatever sharp blunt object you can think of :D

And one year! congrats dudE!Thanks on the year congrats! I never even imagined it would fly by so very quickly. . .I'm no longer a newbie on the board!:D Anyway, yes, Starfire's death made something snap in Nightwing's head that will never, ever be the same again. What makes it worse is that he never told Star how much he truly, truly loved her. . .even though he did kind of abandon her to keep his own sanity in a way. I thought you might enjoy that cold blooded logic. . .it reminds me of Fixit! Which, even though I had this planned out before I read that part of your fic, that did cross my mind when I actually wrote this. Yes, I'm sticking to the whole, "Nightwing is a villain," vibe. . .heheh. . .that was a maniacal chuckle. Ignore it.
I like how Matt A makes my reply/comment look like a piece of toilet paper on the curb:p ...Pfft Death58 will like it anyways, it shows...love ...of fanfic-ness.

Im waiting for more:DHey, you took five minutes, or however long of your day out to read my rubbish, and comment on it too. I consider that an extreme compliment to anyone that does that, no matter how long the comment. So thank you. And obviously I get the whole love. . .of my fan-fic. Obviously.:sweat: More is still to come.

Oh, and this is for Matt in reference to the next chapter. . .although I think everyone can make their assumptions.
. . .
. . .
"We have just lost cabin pressure."

SecretNinja

07-30-2006, 10:35 PM

Wow. . .quite the feedback. You like my view points as well? Hhhmm. . .not a thing that too many people share with me when it comes to how 'not so optimistic' I really am. See calling me amazing just makes me feel all happy. . .and now I know you love me.:p

Maybe....its because...im as not so optimistic? :shrug: I dunno. Good...im glad that your happy that i called you amazing.:p

Hey, you took five minutes, or however long of your day out to read my rubbish, and comment on it too. I consider that an extreme compliment to anyone that does that, no matter how long the comment. So thank you. And obviously I get the whole love. . .of my fan-fic. Obviously.:sweat: More is still to come.

Pfft...you may believe its rubbish...but i definetly dont! And so does the rest of the readers. I thought you would get the whole love thing :)

Oh, and this is for Matt in reference to the next chapter. . .although I think everyone can make their assumptions.
. . .
. . .
"We have just lost cabin pressure."

:eek: Cabin fever? lol Just kidding...I have no clue really what that means...so ill just say i do!
...
...
I understand what this means! But i wont say anything! Cause i dont want to ruin it you know...;)

Later -S-N-

Matt A

08-01-2006, 10:22 AM

And if you have story ideas, I would be happy to write a couple, with any help you could provide. The only thing my mind comes up with is really tragic things. . .and I want to do something more, as you would put it, black humor.

Some are funny, some are not: it depends on your point of view.;) I'll PM you a few summaries as soon as I get the time.

Oh, and this is for Matt in reference to the next chapter. . .although I think everyone can make their assumptions.
. . .
. . .
"We have just lost cabin pressure."

Well, that just made my day.:anime:

There are a few million ideas now running through my head, all of them zero-kelvin cool. But just to narrow things down a little, are we talking a

"It's called a changeover. The movie keeps on going, and no one in the audience has any idea."

moment?;)

-Matt A-

Death58

08-01-2006, 05:44 PM

Pfft...you may believe its rubbish...but i definetly dont! And so does the rest of the readers. I thought you would get the whole love thing :)Well. . .um. . .thanks.:anime:
Cabin fever? lol Just kidding...I have no clue really what that means...so ill just say i do!
...
...
I understand what this means! But i wont say anything! Cause i dont want to ruin it you know...;)

Later -S-N-Well, I'll say this Ninja, there is going to be quite a kick out of this next chapter. I'm a little nervous about it, to be honest. You'll get what I mean about that saying once you read the chapter. . .and thanks for replying back to me!;)
Some are funny, some are not: it depends on your point of view.;) I'll PM you a few summaries as soon as I get the time.You know my point of view on many things, so I'm sure if it's offensive in any way, or dark, I'll probably find it funny. Sounds like a plan.
Well, that just made my day.:anime:

There are a few million ideas now running through my head, all of them zero-kelvin cool. But just to narrow things down a little, are we talking a

"It's called a changeover. The movie keeps on going, and no one in the audience has any idea."

moment?;)I thought you might enjoy that. . .after all, this fic was inspired by Fight Club, and The Bad Seeds in a way. Yeah, that little quote can mean a lot of different things, right?

Also, the quote you used. . .well, that quote right there explains the ending of this next chapter absolutely perfect. Hopefully, you don't see where I'm leading.:evil:

Death58

08-11-2006, 01:38 PM

This is that next chapter, the one I promised would be shocking. The pacing is slow, yet really fast in another respect, so there's not much I can say without spoiling it. I like how the ending of this chapter came out, and from your point of view, you're going to hate me if I don't resolve the cliff hanger soon.:evil:

By the way, the quotes used are from the film Fight Club. I don't take credit, ect., ect. Just wanted to make that clear. . .along with a thanks to Matt for introducing said film to me. Right. . .so. . .Enjoy.:raven:

Chapter Three
‘Crystal clear.’
-Present-

The short, portly man glanced at the little brown clipboard like it was in some other language. All the different medications that graced the little page attached to the board were enough to make a horse forget where they were, much less a human being. Stroking the tip of his beard, he simply shook his head, wondering why it would be a good idea to enter the room in front of him. Of course, the doctor had heard the horror story of why such a girl wound up in this hell hole of an asylum, and simply put, that place was hell. One wondered why such a hardcore case of schizophrenia was taken to a mere teaching hospital.

A shattered, broken girl being dealt with on a daily basis by twenty somethings that didn’t even know how to deal with multiple personality disorder, much less someone that transformed into some sort of monstrosity when she got bent out of shape. Of course, she wasn’t the only hardcore case in the sanitarium because after all, this was Jump City, but she was far and above the worst case in the hospital. That’s why veterans like him were called upon every once in a while by ‘old friends’. What had those ‘old friends’ gotten him into.

He sighed as the orderly in front of him grabbed a key and twisted the door to her room open. The portly doctor nodded his head, “Thank you.” With a nervous pace in each step he made into the room, it was made even more nerve racking by the sound of the door being slammed shut behind him, the face of the orderly appearing through the small window in the door. Ignoring the cowardly display of the coworker, the doctor simply glanced at the bed.

In the bed lay a young girl, no more than just a twenty something herself, staring up at the ceiling through glazed eyes, those standard white blankets draped on her clear to the base of her neck. God. . .it’s a wonder she’s even awake. He glanced to the corner a cold, hard, metal chair propped up, cob webs stretching from wall to chair. The doctor wiped the webs away, opening the chair up and placing near the bed. Setting down, he changed the page on the clip board, a pen almost materializing from no where.

“Rachel.”

There was silence.

“Rachel. . .”

It was followed by a reply from the girl, but it was only incoherent mumbling. There was something uniform about it, like she was actually trying to form words, but nothing would come out.

“M-Maybe. . .we’ll talk some other time Rachel.” He got up from the chair, and set it back in its rightful corner. No wonder it was draped with cobwebs and a layer of dust. The doctor knocked on the door, the door almost opening instantly.

Another orderly stood at the door with a tray full of small, plastic cups, all filled to the brim with different assortments of pills. “Couldn’t get her to talk, could ya?”

“Um-No. . .Of course with all of the medications that she receives on a daily basis-”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. She’d be easier to talk to and all that.” The orderly smirked,
“I’ve heard this before.”

“I assumed as much. . .Have any of her family stopped in at all? A girl like that shouldn’t be devoid of all contacts from her past.”

The orderly paused, a blank stare targeting the visiting doctor. After a moment or two of awkward silence, the orderly shook his head, “You’re definitely from out of town.” He sighed, still trying to keep all the little cups of pills tilted on the small tray resting on his hands like a waiter, “She really doesn’t have any family, man. . .I’m sure you’ve heard about the whole incident at that hospital a couple months back, who didn’t.” The man shook his head, “I don’t think any of what she considered ‘family’ is coming.”
* * * *
It was a white ceiling.

In fact, it was always white.

It was white, had a crack in the corner, but almost as smooth as a sheet of metal.

The cobwebs and the crack seemed so out of place in the clean confines of Raven’s room. She had basically memorized each and every detail of her room, only to forget them the next day to begin anew. That perfect environment was interrupted when the door opened up, revealing a tall, muscular man holding a tray with seven little, clear plastic cups lined up in nearly perfect rows.

“Mmmmmmmmm. . .” Raven used what little strength she had, attempting to sit up in her bed to greet the orderly. It often occurred to him that she might actually be trying to ask for help, or answers, or some sort of contact with the outside world.

“Hey, Rachel, how’s my girl hanging today?” Over the months, a bond had formed between the two, of course. Two dopey, sleepy eyes tried to gaze at him through soft strands of hair dangling over her face. Only one thing ruined Raven’s perfect, almost porcelain like skin; a scar now resided over her eye, thought it was barely noticeable from a distance. The orderly just smiled at her, setting the tray of meds on a stand beside Raven’s bed. “Maybe tomorrow. . .”

“Ssssstttaaaa. . . .”

He began the normal, daily routine for Raven, grabbing a cup filled with dozens of circular, purple pills. With the greatest of ease, he gave each pill to her one by one, carefully watching her so she didn’t choke or gag. This day, though, by the second pill, a static sound escaped from the communicator on his belt.

“We have a situation down here!”

Grabbing the device quickly, he quickly talked into it, confusion taking precedence on Raven’s face. “Man, I’m giving a patient their dosage for today, and-”

“I don’t care, just-just come down here!”

He ran to the door in a panic, glancing back at Raven to give her one last little smirk, as if to say everything would be okay. The door closed and her environment was comfortable once again.

Peaceful.

Sleep wasn’t far behind the man’s departure from the room.
* * * *
Being jarred awake is never the best way to start a day, especially when you set up in bed at a pace that’s reminiscent of stepping on the wrong end of a rake. Blood played a small sound track in her mind as it raced back down to the lower portions of her body, muscles seemingly relaxing with recurring flow of blood. Slowly relaxing again, quick breathing changing over to a slower pace, she laid back into the soft confines of her mattress. Drenched in sunlight from the window, along with it a film of sweat, Raven allowed the world to stop spinning long enough for her to get some semblance of a grip back onto the ground.

“That’s one way of starting your day. . .wait. . .”

She repeated the same motion once more, the covers draped over her almost making forcing themselves over the front of the bed. I-I can actually talk. . .and. . .

“Hello.” The raspy voice sounded almost familiar in nature, but oddly different from what she remembered. A pause followed in her own thoughts as she even realized that things were clear, and she actually could remember things. Like her name.

I’m Raven. “I am Raven.”

Wow. . .I-I feel awake.

A surge of happiness came over her, followed by the fear that she might do something terrible again if her emotions became too overwhelming. Control, I have to always be in control. . .wait, nothing’s happening. Maybe. . .she gained back the control she had over her powers all those years before. Maybe. . .

Her legs shifted over the side of the bed, her emotions dying down rather easily. In moments, her small feet were on the ground, after a slight jump. Wow. It took a couple of seconds to gain her balance, but Raven found herself walking from one end of the room to the other with little or no problems, aside from a little stumbling.

Wow. . .I wish I could stop saying wow.

The thoughts racing through her mind quickly stopped as the door opened up, a man in a lab coat standing in the door way.

Now, I hold my breath. . .

“Excited about your big day, hhm?” He smiled at her, a warm, father-like smile, “You most certainly deserve to be after all your hard work.”

Hard work? “Ummm. . .”

Hard work?

“I brought you some things that you might enjoy having back. . .I-I’ll leave you alone for now. Knock on the door when you’re done.” The doctor sat a large, plastic bag on the bed, containing clothing, abruptly leaving after doing so.

Raven stared at the door for a moment, wishing at least to have a couple of her questions answered, and why the man talked like he was from an old comic book. She quickly turned her attention to the plastic bag, unraveling it quickly to find something truly odd; folded nice and neatly was a blue cloak, along with her black leotard bottomed outfit, and matching shoes.

What the hell is going on? Where did he get these clothes? I bet I can’t even fit into them. . .but. . .well. . .

A few minutes passed while she attempted to put those iconic garments back on, only to come to the realization that the clothes did fit, perfectly. Raven made her way to the door, knocking on it like the doctor had instructed. It came open quickly, Raven staring face to face with the doctor himself.

“I finished the paperwork on you already, so you can just go down to the lobby and wait for your ride. I don’t want you flying just yet.”

At that point, her mouth was gaping open in utter confusion. “Okay.” She simply followed him through the many corridors of the hospital, down a stairwell, finally reaching the lobby, mind racing quicker than ever before.

The receptionist at the desk glanced over at Raven, smiling ear from ear, “Great to hear you’re finally getting out of here, and stuff.” She was a blonde girl, definitely coming off of a high of some sort. Setting leaned back in the chair, one hand grasped an energy drink of some sort while the other held a controller; she was watching some strange movie on the television.

“Just let me know if you’ve seen Tyler.” The girl blushes when she realizes how loud she kept the volume, pressing the pause button.

“Eh-Sorry about that. . .I just need something to pass the time.” She smiles, that self-conscious smile that someone gives when they know that they’re around a crazy person. Raven felt herself wanting to leave the situation at hand.

“I’m sorry that I can’t see you off, but I have some other patients to attend to. . .so. . .” The old doctor held out a hand.

What is going on? She shook his hand nervously. The doctor simply turned away from her and went back down the hallway on his merry way. Raven made eye contact with the receptionist again, the girl simply turning back to her movie as quick as humanly possible, the volume blaring once again.

Raven walked over to the uncomfortable, plastic chair in a row with a dozen others, holding her knees nervously awaiting that ‘car ride’ the doctor said would come.

Why was I even released? I-I did something-

The two glass doors opened up, a gust of warm air blowing in strongly.

-really terrible and I don’t even-

She glanced up at the two figures that were stepping through.

-know what. . .

A teen age girl walked through with a boy that was considerably shorter than her, both of them staring directly over at Raven. The girl let out a childish chuckle, hovering up from the ground, flying directly to Raven, picking her up in a monstrous bear hug.

“Friend!” Purple mini skirt, red hair, orange skin, green eyes. . .

“It is great to see you once more!” The overpowering hug. . .

“I missed you so very much!” The child like aura you can feel a mile away. . .

Well, if it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck. . .

“S-Star. . .Starfire?” Air seemed to vanish into nothingness.

The blaring volume of the television cut through Raven’s thoughts just perfectly, “We have just lost cabin pressure.”

Matt A

08-12-2006, 08:10 AM

What...the...hell?:eek::confused:

Even as an avid follower of Fight Club, that chapter was deeply, deeply confusing. I think it's a given that everything after Raven waking up wasn't real, but was it just a dream, or something more sinister? Given the references, I'd say the latter: I have a few ideas on the exact situation, but I'll keep them to myself for now.

Either way, the chapter was very cool. One thing you are very good at is describing the frailties of the human mind, and though it didn't quite match the prologue (like it was going to), the depiction of Raven's illness was simply brillant. Her inability to do anything at all was quite frightening, creating a great deal of pity - usually hard for me - which made her dream/hallcination an even more eerie sequence: even before I twigged it wasn't real, the sheer oddness of it was compelling. And when Starfire appeared...well, that was just unsettling. I suppose part of what helped was that, even in the hallucinatory bit, none of the staff really gave a toss: a chilling sense of just how low Raven has sunk.

So, like I said, a cool one. And yes, I'd like a resolution to that cliffhanger ASAP.;)

-Matt A-

SecretNinja

08-12-2006, 11:44 PM

Its really odd because when I started to read this my media player started playing Medicating by Boys Night Out :

When you wake up to white walls and endless halls
There's an emptiness that echoes through it all
So sit back in your bed, with your mind medicated
And your senses stuck on the sick scent of the dead

Freaky. But freaky is good. ;)

Once again another absolutely great chapter. I agree with Matt A, you are really really REALLY good a describing in general the soft more emotional parts of the mind. I like it. Its good :) The whole Starfire ordeal, i also thought "dream" or "MEDS" :p But then again that could be the idea for us to think that... Or it couldnt! We shall have to find out...write it up :)

-S-N-

Death58

08-20-2006, 03:20 PM

I've been gone for a bit(Canada. . .which is about an eight hour drive for me, and yes I live in America), so I haven't had time to write or read. Though, I plan on reading as much as I can today.
What...the...hell?:eek::confused:

Even as an avid follower of Fight Club, that chapter was deeply, deeply confusing. I think it's a given that everything after Raven waking up wasn't real, but was it just a dream, or something more sinister? Given the references, I'd say the latter: I have a few ideas on the exact situation, but I'll keep them to myself for now.

Either way, the chapter was very cool. One thing you are very good at is describing the frailties of the human mind, and though it didn't quite match the prologue (like it was going to), the depiction of Raven's illness was simply brillant. Her inability to do anything at all was quite frightening, creating a great deal of pity - usually hard for me - which made her dream/hallcination an even more eerie sequence: even before I twigged it wasn't real, the sheer oddness of it was compelling. And when Starfire appeared...well, that was just unsettling. I suppose part of what helped was that, even in the hallucinatory bit, none of the staff really gave a toss: a chilling sense of just how low Raven has sunk.

So, like I said, a cool one. And yes, I'd like a resolution to that cliffhanger ASAP.;)It's good to hear that you got the exact response I wanted to this chapter. I thought that it had a lot of that feeling of Fight Club, but still completely screwed up in it's very own right. As to your question as to whether this was a dream or not. . .well. . .I can't say either way right now. It's a little early in the story to divulge that secret. All I can say is that it is going to get very, very, very confusing, but it will all make sense in the grand scheme of things. A little hint for you; this is not set up in chronological order. Make of that what you will.

Thanks for saying that it was cool, and I'm glad my descriptions of Raven's mental state haven't gotten old. I thought Starfire showing up would be pretty cool, and have a big impact. I was chuckling in an evil fashion the entire time I wrote the chapter. The cliffhanger will be resolved in a very drawn out fashion. . .and hopefully it's totally worth it. Thank you once again Matt.
Its really odd because when I started to read this my media player started playing Medicating by Boys Night Out :

When you wake up to white walls and endless halls
There's an emptiness that echoes through it all
So sit back in your bed, with your mind medicated
And your senses stuck on the sick scent of the dead

Freaky. But freaky is good. ;)

Once again another absolutely great chapter. I agree with Matt A, you are really really REALLY good a describing in general the soft more emotional parts of the mind. I like it. Its good :) The whole Starfire ordeal, i also thought "dream" or "MEDS" :p But then again that could be the idea for us to think that... Or it couldnt! We shall have to find out...write it up :) Well. . .Ninja, that kind of is creepy. Sounds like my type of music as well.;) Yes, freaky is very, very good. Thanks; I like describing the general disturbances with the mind. As for your theories on the Starfire thing. . .well, you never know, you might be right, and you might be wrong. Either way, I'm hoping you'll enjoy the ride. I will try and write it as soon as I possibly can. Thanks!

SecretNinja

08-20-2006, 09:43 PM

I've been gone for a bit(Canada. . .which is about an eight hour drive for me, and yes I live in America), so I haven't had time to write or read.

Holy poo. I live in Canada! Did you see me?!?!! Probably! Cause you know Canada is so small...and...uh...freezing.

I listen to good music...:)

I think you should write this chapter:p

DeathscytheVII

08-21-2006, 06:15 PM

I, like matt, have seen the movie fight club, and i gotta say, i was completely confused as to what to perceive as reality or not in that update. Pretty nice trick there hehe, the reader is just as confused as raven as she flashes through these visions. That last line just totally confused the heck out of me, so ill have to wait and see what the next update is about.

Man, bringing in starfire at the end was even more chilling, i;d never thought id see the day when Starfire's friendly lines scared me. Haha, but leave that to Death XD

Once again, i applaud your portrayal of the psychological state Raven is going through. Whether its insanity, depression or some other medical term i dont know, you can just emphasize with what shes going through. I'm always amazed at how you can make us cringe so much from the psychology alone, then later, you manage to find even more ways to make us shiver. Just amazing.

LucheLibre

09-03-2006, 12:08 AM

I certainly have to go back and reread your first two stories. I think it will be definitely worth my time. :-)

First, I will reemphasize some of the other's comments. Your writing has certainly improved by a grand measure. You seem to have completely integrated active diction into your style. By that I mean the verbs work on the subjects, and not the objects. Of course, I may have harped on that sometime forever ago, but anyway...

Since you have received so much praise on most every aspect of your writing, I won't go into length about what I liked, since most of it has been said already. However, I do have one concern, and it is rather broad in nature.

Reading your story, I have been interested in - yet not totally surprised by - the evolution of the perspective of your story. You began in the prologue with a display of narrator-perspective in third person. Combined with strong imagery, this was good. Interestingly however, the beginning of your first chapter began with first-person perspective in third person language. To be clear, I'm not including or referring to Raven's thoughts, but rather the narration, as usual. I didn't see this as problematic, since the prologue and chapters proper often serve different purposes. However, the second section of the first chapter suddenly reverts to second-person, and then reverts back to 'first-person-in-third-person' without a break. I may just be reading the wrong books, but I have never read a third-person book that addresses the reader directly, especially mid-stream as you have done. This throws off the flow of the perspective and, in a sense, cracks the 'frame' of perspective that exists in every story. Given the style of your story, Raven does not have any sense of an audience, nor does the 'narrator.' Similarly, it's why you don't see a first-person story talk about things that the storyteller could not know or see, or, even more simply, not narrating in third-person at all.

Boiled down, that section muddies the image that Raven is telling that chapter, and not some faceless narrator. A good story needs that image in order to really draw it's reader more thoroughly.

Chapter two is nearly perfect as far as this particular subject is concerned. The narrations of Raven and Nightwing are practically first-person with only slight slip-ups in certain details that can hardly be held against you. The first section with the guard is slightly odd in this regard, as it starts out with heavy guard-perspective and moves to narrator-perspective, but I figure this was convenient for you, and the pace is good, so I can't really complain much about it.

The first section of Chapter three was perhaps the most glaring example of my point. That section was very detached from the characters. It's best shown by your first words, "The short, portly man..." That's the perspective of a nameless observer. The man himself wouldn't narrate like that, even if he was using third-person. If the rest of your story was written like this, there would be no problem, but you have put great effort into making much of your prose as first-person and personal as possible, even while using third-person language. Sentences like those and others that begin with 'outside-observational' words like "At this point..." jar the reader and, for a moment, suspend him above the scene. I doubt this is what you want.

Consistency of perspective is what I'm asking for here. For the most part, you are sticking to this strength. But, in my humble estimation, the detractions I mention need to be prevented from showing in future chapter. Given your personality and your considerable improvment in many areas of writing, I have no doubt that you will give consideration to my thoughts and see if they have merit.

Death58

10-08-2006, 02:30 PM

BELOW ALL THIS IS THE NEW CHAPTER. SKIP IF YOU WISH.
Holy poo. I live in Canada! Did you see me?!?!! Probably! Cause you know Canada is so small...and...uh...freezing.

I listen to good music...:)

I think you should write this chapter:pI liked Canada a lot, actually. Of course when I was there, it was really, really warm, contrary to your freezing comments. It was really clean too. . .As for your next chapter wishes, look below all this.;)
I, like matt, have seen the movie fight club, and i gotta say, i was completely confused as to what to perceive as reality or not in that update. Pretty nice trick there hehe, the reader is just as confused as raven as she flashes through these visions. That last line just totally confused the heck out of me, so ill have to wait and see what the next update is about.

Man, bringing in starfire at the end was even more chilling, i;d never thought id see the day when Starfire's friendly lines scared me. Haha, but leave that to Death XD

Once again, i applaud your portrayal of the psychological state Raven is going through. Whether its insanity, depression or some other medical term i dont know, you can just emphasize with what shes going through. I'm always amazed at how you can make us cringe so much from the psychology alone, then later, you manage to find even more ways to make us shiver. Just amazing.Well. . .Yeah, I thought you would find Star's return a bit unnerving. As for the reality and visions question, you'll be surprised to learn just what that's all about. Raven is going through something rather. . .strange. I promise, though, pieces will begin to come together in this chapter only to fall apart in the end. Thanks so much for the psychological comments!:D I try really hard on that. . .Thanks for commenting this! It's always appreciated!
I certainly have to go back and reread your first two stories. I think it will be definitely worth my time. :-)If you would like to, that would be cool. It would also fill in a lot of details.
First, I will reemphasize some of the other's comments. Your writing has certainly improved by a grand measure. You seem to have completely integrated active diction into your style. By that I mean the verbs work on the subjects, and not the objects. Of course, I may have harped on that sometime forever ago, but anyway...Yeah, but I'm glad to know you think I've gotten better.
Reading your story, I have been interested in - yet not totally surprised by - the evolution of the perspective of your story. You began in the prologue with a display of narrator-perspective in third person. Combined with strong imagery, this was good. Interestingly however, the beginning of your first chapter began with first-person perspective in third person language. To be clear, I'm not including or referring to Raven's thoughts, but rather the narration, as usual. I didn't see this as problematic, since the prologue and chapters proper often serve different purposes. However, the second section of the first chapter suddenly reverts to second-person, and then reverts back to 'first-person-in-third-person' without a break. I may just be reading the wrong books, but I have never read a third-person book that addresses the reader directly, especially mid-stream as you have done. This throws off the flow of the perspective and, in a sense, cracks the 'frame' of perspective that exists in every story. Given the style of your story, Raven does not have any sense of an audience, nor does the 'narrator.' Similarly, it's why you don't see a first-person story talk about things that the storyteller could not know or see, or, even more simply, not narrating in third-person at all.I see what you mean by that. . .Personally, I did it just to throw off my readers. What I'm going for is a very, very confused feeling in that chapter, which means a slight deviation from what is considered normal in most pieces of writing. I want you to realize that I want to try something new here, something that isn't exactly what you see everyday. . .which is exactly what you got from it. At that moment, I wanted the reader to feel detatched from the scene at hand because Raven was becoming detatched from the entire situation at hand. I hope that makes sense.:sweat:
Chapter two is nearly perfect as far as this particular subject is concerned. The narrations of Raven and Nightwing are practically first-person with only slight slip-ups in certain details that can hardly be held against you. The first section with the guard is slightly odd in this regard, as it starts out with heavy guard-perspective and moves to narrator-perspective, but I figure this was convenient for you, and the pace is good, so I can't really complain much about it.Thank you. I wanted you to kind of sympathize with the guard, so I took the easy way out; I made it in his point of view right up until he died. It's a cheap trick, though.:sweat:
The first section of Chapter three was perhaps the most glaring example of my point. That section was very detached from the characters. It's best shown by your first words, "The short, portly man..." That's the perspective of a nameless observer. The man himself wouldn't narrate like that, even if he was using third-person. If the rest of your story was written like this, there would be no problem, but you have put great effort into making much of your prose as first-person and personal as possible, even while using third-person language. Sentences like those and others that begin with 'outside-observational' words like "At this point..." jar the reader and, for a moment, suspend him above the scene. I doubt this is what you want.There you have me. I would chalk it up to changing perspectives, but really it's just kind of some sloppy writing to be honest. Plus, I got overly enthusiastic with that chapter, which meant editing was not exactly top notch. Hehe. . .
Consistency of perspective is what I'm asking for here. For the most part, you are sticking to this strength. But, in my humble estimation, the detractions I mention need to be prevented from showing in future chapter. Given your personality and your considerable improvment in many areas of writing, I have no doubt that you will give consideration to my thoughts and see if they have merit.I actually gave your words quite a bit of thought when writing this next one. Unfortunately, I needed to switch in and out of perspectives for this one as well. They're subtle, but needed for pacing reasons. I tried to stick with what you were saying, though, for the most part. So if you keep in mind that I'm attempting some new things for myself writing wise, you may enjoy this next chapter a lot more. Thanks for the comments, though. Very, very appreciated.:anime:

So. . .now that I've gotten that out of the way, what next? A new chapter after about a month! It's not nearly worth the wait! Things have gotten too happy around here without me and I can't have that. This chapter was interchangeable with something else that could have been written here(which will now be chapter five). Also, I highly, highly stress the Joker Rating here. This chapter will shock you in many, many ways. . .um. . .maybe. You guys know me, though, so maybe not.

Chapter Four
‘Let me jar you awake. . .’

Pphhtt.

The sound still managed to be there, among the pattering of the glass rain against cold concrete. Unconsciously, a sigh escaped her lips, the past couple minutes swinging by her at such a speed that none of it seemed real. She opened one of her eyes, a warm sensation creeping down her cheek. In the center of the building was a broken window, the fragmented edges of it finally ending their trip onto the earth. Gazing toward the sky, she saw how very cloudless it was, and still utterly white, almost blinding. She tried to lift an arm up, strength completely sapped, but it awkwardly managed to remain in mid air. In fact, her legs were dangling in mid air as well almost like she had been caught by something.

She took one more glance, those past couple minutes allowing themselves to flood back into her mind. With a slightly higher raise of her head, she realized why she was floating. Eye lid closing again, she rested her head back into the very nothingness she had been worrying about.
* * * *
“Terra!”

“What Beast Boy?”

“Um-Nothing. . .”

“You always do this to me, just-just. . .What is it?”

There was a childish pitter patter of feet across the room behind Terra, like an excited boy waiting to show his mother a new trick he had learned. With quick perfection, her hands grasped the bulky wheels of her wheel chair, spinning them in just the correct way to do a complete turn around. As always, there was Beast Boy right there waiting to show something new, very much like that little boy with a new trick learned. It was odd to see him revert to his old self over all those months since the incident with Starfire. Terra had assumed it was something about being around her, or perhaps a survival technique. Either way it was far better than the shot gun toting psycho he had turned into.

Of course it had only taken mere seconds for BB to make it across the small confines of the apartment. The apartment itself was nothing really that special, a beautiful view of the Metropolis skyline being the only thing setting it apart from a normal apartment. Tan carpet, yellowish walls, a white ceiling, and a kitchen just small enough to make sure Terra couldn’t get into it with her wheel chair. Cooking food was impossible for her then, which she always silently laughed about. Beast Boy was surprisingly good at cooking, though.

The headline of a news paper flashed into Terra’s field of vision, “Look!”

“Um. . .Nightwing saves a bus full of children.” She paused for a moment, raising an eye brow as her gaze went back above the paper with a single finger pressing down on it. “He always does something to get into the paper, and it’s never anything more spectacular then what we used to do.”

Pulling the paper back like he had been burned, Beast Boy smirked slightly, “I know. . .it just. . .you know, it just makes me think back. . .”

“To when you used to be in the paper, with all your friends. . .your family.” Her blue eyes always had a way of softening up in just the right way to make you spill the secrets of the world into them. Terra leaned forward in her wheel chair, extending her arms. Leaning down to her, Beast Boy hugged her tightly for a couple of moments, causing the world to stop if only for a few seconds.

He leaned up smiling widely at her, his eyes locked with hers for only a couple moments. In a strange fashion, they seemed to leap up toward the window, shock etching its way into every corner of his face.

“What?” Turning slowly in her wheel chair, she glanced at the window drenching down light behind her. For a moment or two it was silent, the only sounds echoing out from Beast Boy’s feet. He moved the curtain aside for a moment, his eye line darting around the out side. His face lit up for a second like a camera had flashed.

“I-I thought I saw something. . .like something big just flew by. . .person big. . .and a bright light.” Sighing, his posture relaxed itself as he began to turn, and he shrugged, “I guess it was nothing but. . .” Every muscle in his body instantly tightened up once again, his stomach churning as adrenaline began to take him over.

“Famous last words.”

Beast Boy’s body smashed against the wall, immediately sliding down in it a rag doll fashion upon impact. Terra glanced down at his body for only a few moments, then back at the figure in front of her. Things quickly went black, winter bursting in all around her, wind seemingly circling like a tornado. As quick as her world had gone black, light shined again, the tips of black wings punctuated in detail from the ambience of the window.

Terra’s head shot backwards as she felt a hand grasp her hair in large chunks. She screamed, “Please. . .don’t. . .”

Heat from someone’s breath entered Terra’s ear, the words spoken low, almost to a whisper, “Remember. . .you deserve every single bit of this.”

The wheel chair tipped over backwards onto the ground, Terra flying out of it as the intruder continued their grasp on her hair. Her body continued to go through the air until the hair lost all slack, going completely stiff, causing her body to stop its quest through the air and rather down onto the coffee table set up in the middle of the living room. Splitting into glass shards instantly under the weight of a human being, Terra found herself cut all over, one shard finding its way into her eye.

“Sadly, I meant for that to happen.” Pain stopped coursing to Terra’s hair as it was gently let go of. “I think I might have some ‘unresolved issues’.”

That voice was echoing above Terra. She tried to stop the shaking that seemed to have control of her body; it wouldn’t stop. In the blurry echoes of her vision, a boot came into view, causing a little recoil as she expected it to smash her in the face. One boot, then another, went by somewhere behind her. The floor vanished from beneath her and the window stumbled back into view, the next couple events already playing through the shattered pieces of her mind. Terra was spun around to stare her attacker straight in the eyes, who simply gave a quick smile.

Those moments in front of the window went fast, so fast that Terra had barely even felt the explosion of her body bursting out from the window. Plummeting all three stories went just as quickly, an old chain link fence waiting directly below her.

Pphhtt.

The sound still managed to be there, among the pattering of the glass rain against cold concrete. Rusted portions of the fence went splintering off, the pole smashing hard into her back. Unconsciously, a sigh escaped her lips, the past couple minutes swinging by her at such a speed that none of it seemed real. She opened one of her eyes, blood escaping down from her mouth, a slight trickling sound coming from the ground. Her eye glanced toward the broken window just as two black wings made themselves apparent in the building’s wound, and after a few moments of contemplation, gazed at the large metal pole sticking out just below her rib cage.

It was so odd to see the massive streams of blood on the tip of the pole with the realization that it was her essence. A trickling sound began to patter against the ground beneath. Her head leaned back gently, thoughts, worries, and pain leaving her.
* * * *
TERRA!

That thought had exploded into his mind as soon as consciousness did. Beast Boy stood up from the wall, glancing at the shards encapsulating the ground with utter despair, especially those tainted with blood. He stumbled over to the center of the living room; blonde hair lay there in a pile. With a gust of wind, his gaze fell onto the broken window, sending him promptly to it. Beast Boy shot his gaze to the street below to find the horrible discovery.

“No. . .no, no, no. . .please, no. . .”

Jumping out the window, his posture heroic as he flew through the air, only to change into that of a bird until one small foot touched the ground, and he was a man again. In front of him was Terra, blonde hair drenched red, so much red on the ground that he was already stepping in it from a couple feet away. Zombie like in his movements, his gaze fell upon her face, peace across it. One eye was bloodied shut but the other was closed normally, just like she had been sleeping.

“I-I. . .I can’t. . .I can’t take this. .” Tears violently came out as his entire body wretched with each sob, his walk away from her ending in a stumbling vomit.

“You have to admit there’s a bit of irony here, so in a way this entire situation is funny.” The winged figure put an arm around Beast Boy’s shoulders, “You just have to put this in a positive light.”

He smashed the creature across the face, sending it recoiling backwards a couple feet. “Y-You son of a. . .I knew I should have. . .”

“Pathetic.”

The winged creature flew so quickly, it was more of a black blur than an actual flight. A hand grasped his neck, blood veins moving and popping with each intensifying squeeze of this hand. Beast Boy gagged as he kept punching the arm leading up to it; he couldn’t concentrate enough to even change into an animal. The other hand darted toward his rib cage, fingers ripping through his skin and in between the ribs. In seconds, he felt his ribs become twisted both ways, cracking sounds escaping at absurd rates. When the hand around his neck finally let go, he fell forward onto his knees face first into the concrete ground.

“After all you’ve been through I thought your death would’ve been far more. . .epic.” A booted foot turned him over slowly, “I guess everything can’t be like the television though.” The creature lifted a hand, black energy pooling up into a sphere.

It took so long for the energy to quite building up, almost like the person doing it was craving the moments before hand. The black ball shot forward, Beast Boy’s world turning into a whitish, black mess for a couple seconds, followed by absolute darkness. His body lay in the middle of the street, the upper portion of it nothing more than a smoking remnant, completely charred. A feather dropped to the ground beside of his body, a fallen feather for a fallen hero.

The creature walked to the end of the street, smiling at a person who stood froze on the street corner like they had been paused. It raised its hand quickly, a barrier of energy growing smaller and smaller until it reached the creature’s fist, the person gaining all abilities to move once again. Just as quickly as it had appeared, the demon vanished. He froze as he witnessed the two bodies in the street, which had seemingly appeared from nowhere.
* * * *
It was odd how he was never in the white house, like any normal president should be. He just didn’t feel safe there, somehow, like the entire world could go crashing around his ears and he didn’t have fifteen different safety nets. Of course the irony of all that is that it was true. In the Luthorcorp building, high above the lives of average humans, the president of the United States sat in his massive office going over some sort of paper work. The suave office allowed a beautiful view of Metropolis, with an aquarium at the edges of the large window behind his desk. Lex Luthor, of all animals, surrounded himself with sharks all day.

Lex took a moment to lean back in his chair, a hand gracing across his oddly hairless head. It was swiftly interrupted by the ringing of a phone, his eyes going down to it in anger.

After a quick glance at the caller ID, he finally grasped the small device after a couple rings, his tone wavering, “This had better be important.”

“This is a secure line, right?”

Lex paused for a moment, wondering if the man on the other end of the line was serious. After waiting a couple seconds, he finally answered, “Yes, of course it is.”

“You always want to be updated on important information, so I thought-”

“Get to the point, I don’t have all day.”

“Two of the Teen Titans have been eliminated sir.”

“Hhhm. . .Good.” He quickly put the phone back down on the receiver, recalling his ordeal with the Teen Titans in Jump City those couple months back. Lex leaned back into the soft, leather confines of his chair, smiling.

Matt A

10-08-2006, 05:35 PM

:eek:, :eek: and :eek:. And even :eek:.

I get the feeling this story is going to be your Masterpiece. Seriously, every single chapter thus far has been a work of utter genius, and this one was damn near the best of the best of the lot: a superlative piece of reader manipulation.

The brief opening segment seemed like it was from Raven's POV, just after Nightwing floored her at the hospital (I'm not sure why, but there you go), which made me feel a little surprised when the action suddenly cut to Terra and Beast Boy. Then again, that kicked off as a cute little domestic scene, a nice way to see what has become of these two Titans since Remnants: for once, they seemed to been handed a nice life, which made me feel all warm inside.:anime:

And then it changed. There was the moment of :eek: as the intruder beat up a disabled woman; there was :eek: as said woman got it in the eye; then :eek: as she was murdered, with further :eek: as I realised that the opening segment was a flash-forward of this moment; and a final :eek: and :ack: as Beast Boy got eviscerated by black energy. Oh yes, and not to mention :eek: at you having the stones to kill off two lead characters in the very same scene in which you introduced them: brave stunts are your forte, but you surpassed yourself with that one.;):anime:

As for Luthor...well, that's an interesting move. What was a blackly amusing cameo in Remnants (Supes' nemesis as US President!:anime::evil:) has now seemingly turned into a far bigger and darker plot point: I'm 90% certain that he wasn't as big a motivator behind this chapter's events as he seems to be, but I've learnt the hard way to reserve judgements on your stories. Either way, we still have the prospect of a demonic Raven going crazy and massacring all her former friends (this one I am willing to state), which is going to be very highly awesome.:anime::evil:

So, to sum up: a 5* chapter in a 5* story. Be proud.;)

-Matt A-

dimmy52

10-09-2006, 06:37 AM

Oh my God what is this?! This story is ****ing insane!

With the killing and the badass nemesis and the mental hospitals and crazy Raven and argh... crazyness!!! Write more! For the love of all that is good in this world, I command you to write!

On a more serious note, this simply has to be the most twisted masterpieces I have ever read, anywhere. Your descriptions and vivid imagery are just amazing!

So write!

Cheers, Dimster, a very amazed Delta Member One

SecretNinja

10-14-2006, 01:24 AM

:eek: :eek: :eek: :D :D :D :) :) :) ;) ;)

Ive already told you how much i love your story so let me just say this then : ......I FRIGGIN LOVE YOUR STORY!

The winged creature flew so quickly, it was more of a black blur than an actual flight. A hand grasped his neck, blood veins moving and popping with each intensifying squeeze of this hand. Beast Boy gagged as he kept punching the arm leading up to it; he couldn’t concentrate enough to even change into an animal. The other hand darted toward his rib cage, fingers ripping through his skin and in between the ribs. In seconds, he felt his ribs become twisted both ways, cracking sounds escaping at absurd rates. When the hand around his neck finally let go, he fell forward onto his knees face first into the concrete ground.

That was my favorite. I just like it...alot. GOOD! Well im speechless and its like 2 in the morning here and Canada:p So...ummm i promise a more descriptive reply next chapter

-S-N-

P.S: Remember how i said Canada is cold? Well on Thursday it snowed. Yup...it snowed on October 12th.
...
Im secretly an eskimo by the way.....

Death58

04-08-2007, 12:56 AM

The new chapter is below. If you wish, skip all this, and jump right in.
I get the feeling this story is going to be your Masterpiece. Seriously, every single chapter thus far has been a work of utter genius, and this one was damn near the best of the best of the lot: a superlative piece of reader manipulation.Yes, that last chapter was definitely my favorite that I've written so far. Including this next one, unfortunately.
The brief opening segment seemed like it was from Raven's POV, just after Nightwing floored her at the hospital (I'm not sure why, but there you go), which made me feel a little surprised when the action suddenly cut to Terra and Beast Boy. Then again, that kicked off as a cute little domestic scene, a nice way to see what has become of these two Titans since Remnants: for once, they seemed to been handed a nice life, which made me feel all warm inside.:anime:Yeah. . .they were happy. I just had to ruin that, though, or else it wouldn't be my fic.
And then it changed. There was the moment of :eek: as the intruder beat up a disabled woman; there was :eek: as said woman got it in the eye; then :eek: as she was murdered, with further :eek: as I realised that the opening segment was a flash-forward of this moment; and a final :eek: and :ack: as Beast Boy got eviscerated by black energy. Oh yes, and not to mention :eek: at you having the stones to kill off two lead characters in the very same scene in which you introduced them: brave stunts are your forte, but you surpassed yourself with that one.;):anime:I didn't think I would get away with killing the two at once. . .but I want my readers to know that no one is safe in this fic. No one. Also, that paragraph simply makes writing this an absolute joy. That's exactly the response I want.
As for Luthor...well, that's an interesting move. What was a blackly amusing cameo in Remnants (Supes' nemesis as US President!:anime::evil:) has now seemingly turned into a far bigger and darker plot point: I'm 90% certain that he wasn't as big a motivator behind this chapter's events as he seems to be, but I've learnt the hard way to reserve judgements on your stories. Either way, we still have the prospect of a demonic Raven going crazy and massacring all her former friends (this one I am willing to state), which is going to be very highly awesome.:anime::evil:Well. . .Luthor isn't done yet. I have something interesting in mind for him. As for your ideas on a demonic Raven. . .well. . .this next chapter is really going to mess with you then.
So, to sum up: a 5* chapter in a 5* story. Be proud.;)Coming from a writer of your caliber, I'm definitely proud.
Oh my God what is this?! This story is ****ing insane!:evil: With the killing and the badass nemesis and the mental hospitals and crazy Raven and argh... crazyness!!! Write more! For the love of all that is good in this world, I command you to write!After a spell of massive. . .writer's block, I will do as you wish.
On a more serious note, this simply has to be the most twisted masterpieces I have ever read, anywhere. Your descriptions and vivid imagery are just amazing!

So write!

Cheers, Dimster, a very amazed Delta Member OneThanks. That means quite a bit, actually. Especially considering the descriptions in your own fics. . .
Ive already told you how much i love your story so let me just say this then : ......I FRIGGIN LOVE YOUR STORY!Um. . .Wow. That is awesome. I'm easily swayed by a review like that, oddly enough.
That was my favorite. I just like it...alot. GOOD! Well im speechless and its like 2 in the morning here and Canada:p So...ummm i promise a more descriptive reply next chapterWell, as long as yours speechless, I've done my job. Thanks for replying, though. . .as for the part that I didn't quote about the snow. . .wow. I've really needed to update this.

So yes, if some of you are still left, I'm back. I'm a bit rusty, though, so if this next chapter seems a little off, I apologize. Still, give me a chapter or two and I'll be back into the swing of things. This chapter is really odd, which I figured was a good note to start off on again. After, and I've counted, at least 7 rewrites(all of which didn't really do anything at all)I came to this. I like this chapter, but it is no where near the chapter before it, at least in my opinion.

Chapter Five
“Ghosts and dreams.”

It goes without saying that it’s such an odd feeling to have your insides explode into a toilet bowl for no reason other than a stress related ‘attack’ of sorts. After that, the world keeps on spinning, making that awkward decision as to whether or not it is going to make you faint. Oddly, that causes one extra problem; are you going to smash your head into the toilet seat, causing massive bleeding if you hit it just with the right amount of force? These aren’t really normal problems that people usually face. Although, to be fair, having your friend surgically transformed into a robot bent on killing you isn’t really a normal problem.

Thankfully, at that moment, Raven didn’t have to deal with a robot. Her vision blurred badly as she felt the force of one of those stress related vomiting sessions. Shaking legs finally collapsed underneath her after a couple seconds, and she fell to the ground with a force that kind of came out of no where.

“Ugh. . .ugh. . .ugh. . .”

The tremors that violently coursed through her body only moments before finally stopped, which was a plus. She was also fairly sure that she didn’t get her cloak completely covered in vomit.

“Raven. . .are you okay?” A voice shot out from beside of her, at least she thought. It seemed so far away.

What? Raven paused for a moment, allowing the voice to register in her mind. She gave her own voice a quick test. “W-What?” It still seemed distant. In fact, it didn’t even seem like her own.

“I said are you okay?” Someone had apparently turned the volume up in her little world of confusion. Raven slowly arched her head over to the source and stared for a moment. It was Robin.

“Does it. . .Does it really look like I’m. . .I’m okay to you?” There was a strange pause, and for a moment, the bathroom of Titans tower seemed to get just a bit smaller than it already was. Of course, she should not have even been in Titans tower at that moment. Raven should have been in her bed, in the sanitarium, drooling the day away. This was not that, so to speak.
* * * *
-An hour or so before. . .-

The blaring volume of the television cut through Raven’s thoughts just perfectly, “We have just lost cabin pressure.” The secretary in the lobby could have at least had the courtesy to turn the television down at that moment or at least have picked something that didn’t match Raven’s thoughts in such a scary way.

Starfire released Raven from the absolutely overpowering hug that had a great chance of causing some internal injuries of some sort.

What. . .the. . .hell?

“Friend. . .I am overjoyed to see you once again!”

What. . .the hell?

“D-Do you not recognize me?”

Starfire is dead. . .I held her. I held her in my arms as she went.

“Star. . .give Raven some room for a moment.”

That’s not Nightwing. . .that’s Robin. As in ‘Teen Titans’ Robin. What the hell?

Raven simply tilted her head at the two ghosts standing before her. Her already dreadfully pale skin began to turn more so, along with this strange floating, cold feeling that floated into her head. In fact, her entire body had begun to change into a colder version of itself colliding with the heat exploding through the open doorway of the lobby.

“Um. . .let’s get you back to the tower Raven.”

The walk to the T-car was an overall numb experience. Just as walking back into the tower had been, staring at ghosts that couldn’t possibly exist in the here and now. In fact, when they had got back to the tower, the other Titans were waiting with a sign that read ‘Welcome Back Raven!’ Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Terra stood at the massive doors wearing wide grins. Raven ignored them as she simply walked by them. Their voices of welcome were all far away, muffled by some unseen force. Perhaps it was that vomit had been fighting its way to an explosive ending the entire time she even set eyes on any of the old members.
* * * *
-Present-

“I don’t. . .I don’t understand what’s going on. . .” Raven used the edge of the toilet to balance herself as the two small legs beneath her fought to get some sort of footing. “Leave me alone. . .I just want to be alone.” Her breath was starting to become labored as emotion oddly flooded the tone of her voice.

Robin stood absolutely shocked at the inflection he had never heard before. “Um-Yeah. . .are you sure you’re okay Raven?”

“Just. . .go.”

For a long moment, Robin just kept his glance on her. His eyes were dissecting her at that moment, trying to weigh the entire situation out. It was that same damn look he gave all those super villains right before the battle started.

I’m. . .losing my mind, but this a** still seems the same.

“Okay. . .but. . .this is Titans tower.” A smirk crept onto his face, “You aren’t going to be alone for long. You should know that better than anyone.”

Robin closed the door behind him swiftly, replacing his figure with of Raven herself. The reflection from the mirror on the back of the door caught her off guard. She was staring at a sixteen year old girl that had long since been gone. In other words, she was a ghost, just like the others seemed to be. Raven watched as the figure on the mirror gently tried to stand up straight, messy hair drenching across her face in random strands, a gem glinting elegantly through the indigo chaos.

Ghost. I’m a ghost.

The figure staring back couldn’t be her. If she isn’t even real herself, how can anything else be? A world plagued of ghosts and dreams. She walked closer to the mirror, rubbing her had down across it, right on the girl’s face that stared back. With a slight movement, Raven took it off of the mirror and placed it on her face. It was cold, pale, and lifeless. As always, she was like a walking corpse.

Her gentle hand quickly went into a ball. With a swift movement, she had smashed the large mirror in front of her, blood pouring out of her as if a bucket of it had been dropped to the floor. With a quick glance at the blood seeping from her hand and the massive blotch on the cracked mirror, her head once again swam. The cracked pieces on the mirror seemed to push back out, with the blood remaining. Almost as quickly as the mirror had righted itself, the blood fell down it, giving her reflection red wings.

The wings quickly shifted to a pitch black color. With the same subtlety, the figure in the mirror grew taller, its skin became paler, and its hair changed color. It rushed at its own boundary of glass, launching the mirror off of the door and toward Raven. She collided with the mirror as it made its way through the air, fragmented pieces creating a storm. This had all occurred so quickly that her mind had not yet registered what happened. In fact, she stood for a minute or two afterward simply staring at where the mirror had been.

With a sudden burst of life, if it could even be called a burst, she glanced down in an almost drone like state at the cuts now draped across her entire body. All the small cuts were blazing in pain, but there was a smile that found its way across her face.

I’m real.

Matt A

04-12-2007, 07:52 PM

You know, it's kinda ironic. I've been waiting six months to see a new chapter, not entirely patiently, and now that you've finally gone and posted something, it takes me four days to review it. I've been busy, sure, but not as busy as usual, so I don't really have an excuse this time.

Still, I'm here now, so I suppose it doesn't matter.:shrug: And on that note, to the review.

Was this as good as your previous? Not entirely. It was very, very good, I admit, but still not quite up there. Then again, at the risk of extreme sycophancy, "merely average" for this story is about the same as "extreme brilliance" for most others, so I suppose the above don't tell us a great deal.;)

But this chapter, even by your standards, wasn't just merely average. In a way I can't quite put my finger on, it lacked the X-factor of previous highlights (chapters three and four being notable examples), but even then, it was still, as I said, very, very good. It maintained that odd mixture of grimness, confusion and almost poetic beauty that has been flowing strongly thus far, and perhaps makes the story so powerful, not to mention also ramping up the other key ingredient here: a sense of nameless menace, that something we can't see has just gone horribly, horribly wrong in a way we can't understand. X-factor or no, this kind of cocktail is most compelling.:D

However, important though the above paragraph may be, it isn't entirely what I want to say. As you probably know by now, whilst I consider style to be key, I'm still far more interested in content...and it's here that the real enjoyment of this chapter lies. We finally get a continuation of the "Fight Club" plot element (for lack of a better term), working with a cliffhanger that has been bugging us all for eight months: there aren't any answers here, sadly, but the new questions at least direct our ponderings. In particular, there is the following mystery: the "Fight Club" half of the plot and the "post-Remnants homicidal rampage" part of the plot, based on comments in this chapter, seem to be based in different realities. Unless there's some kind of inter-dimensional weirdness going on here (wouldn't put it past you, but still unlikely), one of these two realities has to be imaginary...but which one, and in whose mind? It's tempting to come down on the Fight Club side at the moment, but with you, nothing's ever quite that simple.;)

Hence the brilliance of the mystery. The story is simple to follow, but at the same time, we're left with that "what the hell is going on?" feeling that drives all narrative interest. It's a good thing.:D

And that's not all. Raven's state of mind here was almost perfectly encapsulated: a profound existential terror, utterly incapable, as we are, of figuring out what is real and what is not. The way in which she decides, using her powers to cut herself with mirror shards, is signature you: grotesque, bizarre, absurdist and haunting, plus one or two other things I can't quite put a handle on. Throughout the whole chapter, even in this "real" moment (frankly, her "experiment" is still mostly inconclusive), her sense of disconnection is all-encapsulating, a deathly silence that goes beyond the page and into your own head. I think this might be more of a style thing than a content thing, but you know, who really cares? The results are startling either way.:D

On a similar note, here's how I first figured out that this chapter was cool. Simply put, when you start with a description of someone throwing up, you know you're onto a winner.:p:D

There's a few more things I can say here, but I've already spent at least two hours on this. More to the point, it's ten to one in the morning, and I need to sleep. So I'll just end off with my usual summary: as I said before, not as entirely outstanding as previous chapters, but in every sense that can be readily measured, still bloody brilliant. Another one to be proud of.:D

-Matt A-

DeathscytheVII

04-13-2007, 08:31 PM

Wow. Death, Just wow. After such a long absence you return with a great update :D

FIrst of all, i'll reply to the first post, since i never really got around to it. I never expected that you would have had Beast Boy and Terra Murdered just like that. Two characters that were pivotal in the last two stories gone like that, it was something i never expected. The brutality of their deaths also made me cringe. As if i thought they hadn't suffered enough. Somehow, I think their nemesis has something to do with Raven's unbalanced state. But yes, it seems as though all the tragic elements that have been building up in the first two stories are finally starting to reach their climax with these characters. I can only wonder what will happen next :o btw, great lex cameo :D

On another note, the mental imagery with Raven is once again spot on, and very chilling to read. From her hallucinations of her titans tower team to her perceived happiness of feeling pain, it was just chilling. With all those thoughts and false dreams going through her head, she had no idea what she was anymore, so she needed pain in order to feel SOMETHING, to make her realize she was a person. That alone makes it very scary :o

Well Death, its good to see you posting again :) i should get back to mine too haha.

paranoidguy103

05-13-2007, 03:19 PM

Good story. This last chapter was great. I got a little lost in the order of events in the story though, but it was good nonetheless. Can't wait to see how the story develops.

SecretNinja

05-13-2007, 10:15 PM

OH HEY DEATH58!

Guess who i saw yesterday YEP. MCR. They were pretty awesome ;)

But anyways im glad you posted the next chapter. I really hope you post more cause this story deserves to be finished.

Death58

09-24-2007, 01:12 AM

I think first of all, I owe an exceptionally long apology to those that read my fan fiction. The only thing I'm going to say is that life seemingly imitates art occasionally. In my case, that's a bad thing. These are things that aren't necessary to be brought out here, though.

Thanks for the exceptional comments on the last one. . .I'm going to reply to them as soon as possible. For now, though, I'm just going to repay them with an update to this. The story will conclude in the next month, so never fear.

Chapter Six
“Maggots.”

Nightwing had always somehow enjoyed the absolutely frost bitten feeling he’d gotten anytime he stepped into a morgue. The darkness, the dank smell, and the knowledge that the people around him weren’t going to mess in his life any time soon all made for an oddly comforting feeling. In this particular morgue, though, the feeling wasn’t as comforting.

One of the ceiling tiles dropped down to the ground with almost no sound against the cement floor. There was a moment or two of waiting, just to see if there was anyone left in the room at the moment. After no scream, or any sound of alarm, he allowed his body to drop to the ground with less sound than the ceiling tile had made. It was the perfect spot.

Directly in front of him was a silver wall, lined with small doors that went from side to side in a perfect geometric pattern. Inside each door was another cold, lifeless shell, each one ironically able to tell more of a story than most living people. Nightwing needed the story of two of them. With one more look at the dimly lit room behind him, noticing that his only companions were a couple of lumps under white sheets, his eyes darted to each small door.

The first door he opened was the worst. There was a blast of cold air and then a lingering smell of rotten meat. Even though he had seen worse, smelled worse, one can never really prepare for it other than diving right in, so to speak. The first visible portion on the corpse’s body was the small tag strapped onto the large toe, giving a name. He glanced at it for a moment. It read, ‘John Doe’.

How original.

Nightwing closed the door as quietly as he could, and continued his search for a bit, opening door after door, a surprise waiting inside each compartment. Some bodies were absolutely fine while others were mutilated in absolutely horrifying ways. His prize finally came when one door introduced a name tag he had been waiting for.

He couldn’t help whispering, “Terra. . .”

With more force than he would have imagined necessary, he pulled the tray out to reveal her entire figure, a momentary pang of emotion building up in the back of his throat. Terra looked as though someone had put gray make up on her entire body, black rings even accentuated under her eyes. A gaping hole was in her chest, made worse by the small bits of her ribs sticking out from the sides of it. The only solace he could take in the entire situation was that. . .her face looked peaceful, despite the large gash where her eye was supposed to be.

Something smacked against the floor behind him, “What’s going on here?”

Nightwing glanced back to see a man in a white coat dropping a bag of doughnuts. In a matter of seconds, the already limited amount of light in the room went dead. Nightwing was out of there in a matter of moments, leaving at befuddled lab guy with his oh so quiet friends.

The entire night time Metropolis skyline came back into view as he set foot on the roof top of the hospital, each wave of wind providing a new definition of the word cold. He cursed under his breath as he stepped toward the edge of the roof, glancing at the people walking slowly in the winter like air that twirled around them. Light snow danced on the edge of each gust of wind, biting the inhabitants of the night with a cold clasp. Overall, if it hadn’t been for the snow, this feeling would have been much like the morgue below, cold and dark.

As always, his thoughts were punctuated by some sort of sound in the distance. It was some sort of explosion, crash, or something. This was most likely an overzealous villain plotting to take over the local coffee store while sporting a costume that resembled a melted box of crayons. On reflex, Nightwing was already flying through the air on a grappling hook, swinging from building to building until the sounds became almost deafening. When his feet hit the pavement of the street, the scene in front of him looked like something out of one of his own nightmares.

Cars had been tossed everywhere, water from shattered pipes blasted twenty feet in the air, people were stupidly running in all directions, and at the head of all this was a mammoth of a man clutching something-or someone in his hands in a delicate fashion. Nightwing only needed a couple of steps to see exactly who stood in the middle of the chaos. The ambient light of the city doused Cyborg in a heroic lighting, which would have been made better had it not been for the fact that he was holding a very dead Blackfire in his hands. She had been severed in half right at her hips.

“C-Cyborg?”

There was no response from the sobbing giant. Nightwing took a couple of steps closer, gently trying to close the distance.

“Cyborg?”

All movement stopped as Cyborg finally glanced up from frozen face of Blackfire. Even the sobbing had come to a halt as the two of them stared at each other for a couple of seconds.

He simply held Blackfire closer, “H-He took her from me. . .”

Nightwing began to move again, each step calculated, “Who took her from you?”

A blast of energy escaped from someplace up above straight into Cyborg’s chest, sending the titan into the ground with an eruption of concrete, topped off with what was left of Blackfire being sent into the air and right back to the ground.

The chaos surrounding the area had stopped. . .

The screams went silent. . .

The sirens were no where to be found. . .

It seemed as if the people dropped off the face of the earth.

There was just a loud thumping sound. . .

Thump. . .

Wait. . .

Thump. . .

It was his heart. Nightwing could feel his heart trying to make his ribs shatter into a thousand fragmented pieces. He knew what had just happened, why everything had went silent to him. He knew that when the cloud of smoke cleared. . .this sick feeling in his stomach was only going to get worse.

It. . .It can’t be just like that.

The smoke rolled around into the air in a strange fashion, like a snake curling up to the moon above. At the bottom of the smoke pit lay a charred body. There was no goodbye, no final team up against whoever had done this. Cyborg was gone.

All that remained was some sort of mechanized thing that seemed fused into the crater that it lay in. The skin of his face looked like it had been boiled, like a vampire doused in the rays of a morning sun.

No. . .

Face down, only feet from him, was the upper portion of Blackfire’s body. Her hair lay tattered over her face, green blood seemingly drenched completely over her body. Just like that, they were gone.

Just gone. . .

“It’s quite a shame really, how you all came to this city to see your two fallen comrades, like maggots to a rotting corpse. . .”

The curtain was opening up, and from above, the final player of the performance was revealed. Nightwing simply glared up at the source of the voice, fighting back the shock that had built up in every single one of his limbs.

“You missed most of the show already, Robin.” A tall figure was gently gliding to the ground, two large black wings helping his journey to the ground. Its feet hit the ground with a certain amount of poise and beauty.

“Oh my god. . .” He was going to vomit in a moment.

The figure that was standing in front of him was a ghost. It was an undead creature that had been disposed of long ago.

“I’m sorry. . .you go by the name of Nightwing now, don’t you?”

Nightwing grabbed for the staff that was on his back, flipping it out with the same form he had always used. “Slade.” He said it as though he knew that this day would come. Somewhere deep down inside Nightwing, he had always thought that Slade was an evil that didn’t just die.

“As much as I would love to be your angel of death at the moment, I must bid you goodnight.” Slade simply chuckled at him, kicking the charred body of Cyborg into even smaller pieces. “You serve a much greater purpose-”

In seconds, the distance between Nightwing and Slade had closed. His feet were off the ground. Soaring through the air, the staff was darting straight at Slade’s head only to stop as if someone had hit a pause button on reality itself. Nightwing was literally frozen in the air.

Slade simply stood there holding a single hand up. “It’s time to come home, Nightwing, and if you don’t know what I mean, just watch the news in the next couple days.” With that, his large wings began to flap, and he elegantly ascended up toward the sky. When he was out of distance, nothing more than an ambiguous dot in the night, Nightwing fell to the ground. In seconds, he was bathed in some sort of bright white light which followed Slade. It was as though a barrier had been placed over the area around them.

The Teen Titans really were a rotting corpse. . .

All that remained was himself and a crazy girl in an asylum.

The odds were being stacked.

Death58

06-22-2008, 03:24 PM

I have vowed to finish this thing, and I really must. This is a chapter that I've had in my head for nearly a year. Unfortunately, I left a distinct detail out of chapter five that makes this one feel a bit put together. I fixed it the best I could, but over entusiasm gets the best of us sometimes. I hope you guys enjoy it. Respond please if anyone is still out there that used to read this...

I wish the old regulars were still here.*sigh*

Chapter Seven
‘Ashes, ashes, we all fall…’
-Present-

This feels familiar, but I can’t place it…

“What were you even thinking?” There was a pause as Robin simply stared at the girl on the couch. There really was no true safe answer for the question, so she simply decided to remain silent about the subject. What was she supposed to say?

I was attempting to feel real, Robin.

The thought itself almost made Raven chuckle, if it hadn’t been for the fact that the boy wonder was standing in front of her at least attempting to piece together the mystery that even she couldn’t figure out. She knew that he wasn’t going to answer until she did.

Covered in cuts from head to toe, she said the only thing that could possibly come to mind in a situation where the other party really shouldn’t know more than the face value of it all. “I don’t know. . .” There was a shattered mirror and enough blood to say other wise. Hopefully Robin was going to have a very stupid day at being a super hero.

“Raven. . .I’m your friend.” He was breaking into the same old speech again. “Friends trust each other and look out for each other. . .” The harsh tone the teen had started out with was quickly fading to that of a worried one. “If you’re still having problems, let me know, I can help.”

He set down beside of her on the couch, gently putting an arm around her. Raven fought back the momentary urge to rip the arm off of her shoulder in a complete rage. Whilst she didn’t do that, the rage still had built up in her.

“Robin. . .just stop asking questions, I don’t need your help.”

With that simple comment, Robin threw his hand off of her and headed out of the room without a single word.

Without a single word?

It was far too easy. Usually there would have been some sort of epilogue to the conversation that he would have gotten in right before he left the room, something to let her know that he was upset and worried.

Robin just left the room?

Raven stood up from the couch, clutching the hood over her head. It’s not like it would help much for the obviously noticeable cuts all over her body, but it would provide momentary passage back through the tower so she could clean up the mess in her room and bathroom. Through shadow drenched corridors, Raven was once again in her room. Like chrome snow, the glass lay across the carpet of her room in a strange almost powder like pattern, leading straight into the pitch black bathroom, with shards here and there flickering crimson in the low light.

She took a breath and attempted to clean up the shards with her powers which, of course, worked only in her imagination. The room in front of her remained without action, like the lost thoughts of a Star Wars fan using ‘the force’ to move things. She turned quickly to get a broom and a scoop to clean up the mess but managed to come eye to eye with the ocean toned eyes of Terra.

“Raven-what happened here?” Terra glanced at the battlefield on the ground, the gashes that seemed to bleed profusely all over Raven. “Did you do this to yourself?” The tone was far too accusing for the situation.

Accusations coming from a one time traitor; yes, I can sense the irony. “Why, do you believe that I am still ‘sick’?” The tone met perfectly with Terra’s tone, but it had a much harsher edge to it. Anger began to well up somewhere within Raven and she immediately picked up one of the glass shards from the ground, a memory from where ever it happened to come from smashing into the forefront of her mind.

Terra’s eyes widened in shock for a moment as the glass shard scraped across her bare stomach then she let out a gagged scream. Starfire kept a malicious smile across her face, an almost inaudible chuckle escaping from her lips as the muscle in her hand fought the urge to plunge it straight into Terra’s forehead. The crimson mark began to grow as droplets arced over Terra’s stomach.

The shard in Raven’s hand fell to the ground immediately as Starfire barged into the room. She glanced at Terra, who stood dumbfounded at what had just transpired in Raven’s head. Slowly, Raven draped her hood over her head, allowing only the darkness of her face to be shown to the outside world.

“Do you need my assistance friends?” Silence had become another member in the room, standing in the middle of the three girls that filled Raven’s old bed room.

We’re all ghosts here…

“Raven, are you really okay?” Terra put a hand on her shoulder.

They’re like cardboard cut outs of the people I knew…

“Yes dear friend, are you fine?” Starfire put a hand on her other shoulder.

This feels so stiff, so unnatural.

Like always, Starfire contorted her expression to that of a worried one, “Raven?”

Glass shard, plus being in the loony bin, plus screwed up memories equals. . .

Terra widened her eyes in absolute disbelief as her entire body jolted backward only slightly, blood droplets covering her face in little specks. Extending out from the center of Terra’s chest was a glass shard which Raven had her hand wrapped around. Like a waterfall, the blood poured from the center of her chest to the ground in rhythm with her heart beat. In gurgled reply, Terra tried to speak, tears pouring down her face and blood raining out from her mouth.

Starfire recoiled at the sudden death strike against Terra. The plunged shard made its way out of the center of Terra’s chest and edged its way across Starfire’s throat, green mist exploding out into the air and spattering the wall, the Tamaranean quickly falling against the wall in rag doll fashion. That was too easy. Though her legs were beginning to shake, Terra still stood in shock at the river of blood coming from her chest. Raven finished the girl by smashing the glass shard so hard into her neck, through the wind pipe, that there was a crack as bone from her spinal cord snapped. Leaving the shard in the wound, Raven nonchalantly put out a hand and pushed Terra from her forehead to the ground.

What’s next?

The front door to her room bubbled outward slightly as soon as the thought struck her. Starfire began to slide back up the wall, blood still draining from the wound in her neck, followed by Terra. Both of them moved like zombies toward Raven, stopping only a foot away.

In unison, the two began to speak, “You really have lost it, dear Raven.”

“Who are you-what the hell is going on?” Raven simply stood her ground, keeping defensive against the two girls that she had already killed.

“Soon enough, things will begin to come together, I promise you.” The two dead girls patted each of Raven’s shoulders, their heads shifting around in disgusting ways. “You are merely a siphon of power that I am using.” The girls laughed in a monotone fashion. “You could have stayed here as long as you wanted, in this universe, and you would never have known the difference.”

“I knew the difference, I’ve felt it before, when I died before-a moment or two when everything seemed just fine, is the same feeling I have here, like a dream.” The door that had been bubbling behind the two girls finally exploded, black energy escaping from it. A strange room became visible through the gaping doorway.

Terra and Starfire turned to her, pleading, “I am offering you happiness. The world beyond this threshold is the one you don’t want to go back to.”

Her feet moved forward, numb to the ground beneath her. The voices behind her still tried to plead, beg even. Raven stepped through the threshold, collapsing to the ground immediately afterward, the voices dying away. Cold air struck her immediately as nothing but a hospital gown seemed to be draped around her once more. The ground seemed to be made of glass, her reflection peering back at her. Once again, Raven was older. As her eyes shifted past her own reflection, the top of the Jump City skyline came into focus. From far above, she was staring at the rooftops of some of the tallest buildings in the city. In fact, she could see the entire stretch of the city if she moved around the room.

It seemed as though she was standing on a checker board layout of windows that looked down upon the city. Attempted to stand up, stumbling a bit; the door she had come through now seemed like large gothic doors you’d see on the entrance to some ancient fortress. Directly across the room were doors exactly like it. The room was large and circular, the ceiling dome shaped, the center of it housing some kind of energy source that glowed a strange green.

The other set of large doors began to open up, a figure stepping through intense white light. It paused for a moment in the open doorway, “You!?”