Into the Depths – Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine
Deliverance

June 21st, 2009. Sunday, 7:21 am.

“Rose, that is a terrible idea,” said Joey, his hand becoming a permanent resident against his forehead. He didn’t even notice that he reverted to his usual way of talking, which he had developed over the past years. The reflex was strong, instead of using his newly acquired vocal cords.

“Oh, come on,” snapped Rose. She punched her hand, her grey blue eyes glinting dangerously. “The buzzard isn’t going to expect a full frontal assault. This is our chance to catch him off guard.”

“Or be plunged to our deaths to be burned up in the fiery lava below,” said Cyborg, sounding both aggravated and light hearted at the same time.

There was an exasperated sigh; it was warranted: they’d been talking – note, heated discussion, better known as arguing – for fifteen minutes since Dick and Slade’s departure.

“When you guys come up with a plan, let me know,” said Beast Boy, with another sigh, added with the roll of his eyes. He flopped backwards onto a nearby rock face. Starfire sat down next to him, letting out a low sigh, too. Her gaze fell upon the location of the stairs which Dick and Slade had taken.

“We need strategy in this or else we’ll fail,” said Joey.

“This thing is supposed to know everything,” retorted Rose. “A little ‘strategy’ is gonna do us nothing when he knows what we’re going to do, even before we do it. Now a punch to the face requires absolutely no thinking. Let’s just slug the Godzilla wannabe in the nose and be done with it! We can take him!”

Joey closed his eyes, as if in pain.

“Is she always like this?” asked Cyborg.

“Indefinitely, yes.”

“Excuse you,” said Rose slowly, her words coming out in a dark, suggestive purr. “No one asked you to express your opinion here.”

Joey blinked. His face lifted in a light expression, but his eyes darkened with sly mischief.

“Cyborg did.”

The arguing only intensified after that.

Starfire watched the group, her mind completely elsewhere than the matter at hand. She couldn’t stop thinking about Dick and about what he had told her. It both made her heart fly to the heavens and sink into the depths of the earth.

‘I love you.’

He loved her, more than just a friend, more than what they had been for all this time. He felt the same as her. It was mutual, finally they felt the same. It was enough to fuel every energy of Starfire’s soul. With its power, she could fly endlessly, until the heavens and earth faded away in the span of a millennium upon millenniums.

But why had Dick said it to her at the very moment he did?

Starfire could only fear for the reason. Dick did not think he would come back. Perhaps he thought he would never return or they all would fail and become like the rest of the people of this planet. Perhaps… he thought they would all die and he would never have the chance to tell her his feelings.

Whatever the reasons, they were all bad.

Starfire’s clasped hands tightened together. If anyone else had held her hand, the force of her power would’ve crushed their bones. She glanced up at the others. Rose was now prodding Joey in the chest, her grey blue eyes flaring with anger, while Joey merely looked annoyed. Cyborg was trying to interject with his own opinions in between the sibling argument, but with no success.

Then, Starfire’s eyes drew along Rose’s back and rested upon the long pure white hair, which was drawn up into a thick ponytail. All the noise of voices faded somewhat as Starfire focused her thoughts.

There was no time to be fighting. Dick’s survival rested on them. They had to distract Trigon. If Starfire wanted any kind of future with Dick, one that was more than what they’d had all these years, then she had to do something about it. A future with the one she loved had so much potential. How dearly she wanted that! There was nothing more she wanted than to be by his side, to continue their life together, and one day even start a family.

But such a future, such a life, all that couldn’t happen if they didn’t do their job. She couldn’t wait for the others. The one she loved with her entire soul needed her.

Her hands loosened.

A deep breath was taken, before Starfire pulled the elastic band – which was on her upper right arm – down the length of her arm, until she removed it completely. Starfire could feel Beast Boy’s eyes on her as she stretched the band around her fingers. With a final glance at that white hair, she drew her fingers through her own hair. In moments, Starfire had most of her hair smoothed back, and then with nimble fingers, she used the thick band to tie it all together. When finished, most of her hair was pulled back into the ponytail, save for two strands that hung beside her cheeks.

There was no more time to waste.

“We should do both,” said Starfire, her voice quiet. At first, the others didn’t seem to notice her soft interjection – although, she had Beast Boy’s full attention. It was in a few short moments later, when Cyborg glanced over at her. His eyes widened briefly. Then, Starfire took a deep breath and said, much louder, “We should do both.”

Somehow, her peaceful, yet commanding voice silenced the fighting. Joey gave her his full attention, while Rose folded her arms and took a stance of pure grumpiness.

“We cannot waste any more time,” said Starfire. A warm breeze brushed against the back of her neck, a sensation she wasn’t used to; but somehow, the lack of heat and weight against her neck was empowering. “The more we talk, the more time Trigon has in seeing Dick’s objective. Those who wish to attack Trigon head on should do so. Those who wish for a more shrewd attack should do so. There are enough of our members that we could achieve this.”

Silence.

In the unrelenting silence that followed her words, Starfire suddenly lost her confidence. Did she say something wrong? Was she too assertive? Was she too demanding? She wasn’t one to be the leader; that had always been Robin’s job, and after which, Dick’s job.

Had she done something wrong now, in her efforts to aid Dick?

“All right!” cried Rose, smashing her fist against the palm of her hand again. “You heard the smart girl, brother. I’ll go give Trigon a piece of my mind, while you all come in for the sneak attack.”

With her simple words, everything seemed to fall into place now; Starfire couldn’t hold back the smile.

Beast Boy hopped onto his feet, his hand bolting into the air. “I’ll give him my wet-willy maneuver!”

“Sounds like a plan, BB,” said Cyborg, a hint of a smile finally lifting the edge of his mouth.”

“You better get going, then, Rose,” said Joey. “We’ll come in right after you.”

The light in Rose’s eyes was positively demonic and the smile that lifted her face made it worse. It was only a second before she whirled around and raced towards the upper area of the library. A minute after she was out of sight, her taunting, mocking words rang clear through the nearby land.

“Oi! You overgrown buzzard! Your Mama was a fat cow, while your Daddy was a scrawny antelope!”

The roar that followed signified Rose’s success in being a distraction.

Joey motioned towards himself and the others flocked around him. Starfire’s heart rose as she knew they were now, finally, helping Dick in his mission. She couldn’t help him directly, but she was going to do all she could to support him.

As the group turned towards their massive opponent, the breezy wind brushed against them, gently carrying the weight of Starfire’s hair from off her back. Determination filled her soul.

Wait for me, Dick.

ooOOOOOoo

June 21st, 2009. Sunday, 9:40 am.

Dick didn’t know where he was going now. He was bearing the weight of Slade against his side – the man was not light – and the weight of what he had to accomplish. He had to save Raven and he had to save Slade; all the while, make it back alive with the two of them. Then, save the world, after that.

Yeah, no pressure – not at all.

In the back of his mind, he could hear an all too familiar voice softly whispering negatives. ‘You can’t save anyone. You can’t even save yourself. You’re weak. See? You’re falling beneath his weight. Just stop it – stop trying. You can’t restore Slade’s body. He is a dead man. You’re not going to find Raven. She is dead. You cannot save the world. This is your tomb; you will die here.’

Dick had to fight against body and mind. His bleeding hand throbbed painfully – he hadn’t had time to take care of it. Not only did he have take each step after another, his mind constantly assaulted his heart and spirit. With each step forward, it was getting harder and harder to carry on. But after all that had happened, he wasn’t about to fail.

It didn’t matter if it was easier to just stop.

It didn’t matter if Raven wasn’t there.

It didn’t matter if they couldn’t restore Slade’s body.

It didn’t matter what demons lay in the darkness.

Dick wasn’t going to stop; he wasn’t going to fail; he wasn’t going to give up – no matter how easy it would be to drop to his knees and let the world fall around him, he was going to keep stepping forward.

And then, all the while, as he dragged Slade with him, Dick felt as if his steps were guided. Whenever he tried to go a different route, he felt a powerful draw towards the direction he should go. So, he continued on. Slade seemed out of it during this time, something Dick had never experienced before with this man. Slade drew in deep, almost rattling breaths, as if his lungs shook against his very ribs.

And with those sounds, Dick had to ignore the rising fear for the man’s life.

Soon, the dark caverns opened to reddened sky, yet it didn’t feel as if they had reached the surface. The air was clearer here and Dick finally could draw in a deep, expanding breath without choking and feeling sick to his stomach. The sulfuric heat no longer oppressed the senses. The land ahead was built like a bridge, yet it didn’t appear manmade.  Pillars rose high along the edges of the bridge, the points slim, yet the rest of the pillars’ surfaces were rough and jagged. Further than that, Dick saw something along the lines of an ancient church, which was fallen into ruins.

Dick slowly lowered Slade to the ground, near the entrance of the dark caverns. He rested the man against the wall, hoping that Slade would be able to recover soon.

“You should’ve left me behind, Dick,” whispered Slade. The man took another rattling breath. “I would’ve been able to gather enough strength to keep going after awhile. You’ve wasted valuable time.”

Oh, yeah. You sound like you’re in fantastic condition.

Dick knelt down in front of Slade. The man’s head was bowed and it was apparent that he wasn’t going to look up at him. Dick put a hand on the man’s shoulder.

Come on, Dad. Do I really have to spell it out for you?

“You didn’t like it when I stopped calling you ‘Dad’, did you?” asked Dick, keeping his voice soft.

The man drew in a deep breath, one which rattled less, before shaking his head. “No, I didn’t, and I never thought I’d feel such a way until you stopped.”

Dick smiled. “I didn’t like it either. So, you know why I could never leave you behind.”

Slade shook his head. He didn’t say anything right away. He reached out and clasped Dick by the upper shoulder, his hand wrapping around Dick’s neck with a firm, yet gentle tenderness. That cold, loving hand squeezed. Dick vowed to make that hand warm once again.

When Slade finally spoke, his voice was somewhat hoarse with emotion. “You are the most annoying, aggravating brat of a child that I have ever had the immense pleasure of associating with – and one I am proud to call my son.”

Dick smiled.

Then, there was a familiar sound; those sizzling, hissing sounds that could only mean one thing: fire demons. Dick jumped to his feet, whirling around to face the new enemy. A handful fire demons flowed out of the ground.

As more fire demons appeared, the number becoming much more numerous, Slade growled. “This is getting annoying,” he snapped heatedly. He tried getting up, but it proved too difficult for his failing body. He let out another, more audible growl, before withdrawing his broadsword from off his back in a single, swift motion. Even though he was seated on the ground, leaning against the wall in a supposedly weak position, he still managed to look extremely dangerous.

“Dad, you rest,” said Dick, holding up a hand. “I’ll take care of this.”

“I’m not an invalid, you impudent boy!” barked Slade, more than irritated. “Don’t you dare start thinking that or you’ll regret it!”

Dick grinned. “I know, I know,” he said, digging into his utility belt. “Just let me take care of this. I have a new toy to try out.”

Thus, he pulled out two of his latest boomerangs – properly dubbed birdarangs, not that he was about to let Slade know. The man would crack up and effectively make fun of him for hours. With a click, they connected together and extended into a rapier blade. There was a sharp intake of breath from Slade.

“When did you develop that?” asked Slade, sounding surprised and impressed.

“During my free time at the Tower,” said Dick, smiling at the man. The smile softened after a moment. “I… wanted to be more like you.” He lifted the blade into the air slightly. “Though, this suits me better than a broadsword.”

The fire demons charged. A rush of excitement surged through Dick; he met their charge. With a single slice, he brought two of the fire demons down. They swarmed him, surrounding his every escape route. Dick swung the rapier with confidence; fire shattered, the ashes falling to the ground. Dick lost count as he swung, sliced, and stabbed the weapon towards every fire demon that advanced on him.

As the final one fell to the ground, after being stabbed in the chest, Dick disconnected the two boomerangs. He came back to Slade’s side to help the man to his feet.

“I don’t need your assistance,” said Slade with an annoyed huff, pulling away from Dick’s proffered hands. “I must admit, though, excellent work on that rapier.”

“Thanks—”

The man suddenly grabbed Dick’s left hand and forced the palm upward. Dick let out an involuntary gasp as the pain surged from the sharp action. Darkened blood mixed with fresh bright blood covered his entire hand. A gash, about two to three inches long, extended the length of his palm in a diagonal stroke.

“Tsk.” There was a click of the tongue. “I knew I saw blood on the ground earlier. Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?”

Dick withdrew his hand, curling his fingers against the inflamed palm.

“I’m fine. It’s just a scratch.”

“Oh, for—That is not just a scratch,” snapped Slade, scoffing. “That is a slash. In the very least, you should bandage it. You could lose mobility in that hand if it’s not treated right.”

“I don’t have anything to bandage it,” said Dick, looking away. “Look, we don’t have any time, so it’s okay. It doesn’t hurt very much—”

Slade grabbed Dick’s injured hand, which only made Dick gasp again because of sudden pain. He gave the man a glare, but didn’t pull back his hand.

“Don’t do that!”

“Doesn’t hurt much, hm?”

“You didn’t have to test it!” snapped Dick. The man let out a low sigh, though Dick was sure there was a chuckle hidden in it. Slade softly traced the edges of the open wound. Pain pulsed beneath the touch and yet, there was something different about it. The flesh tinged in response.

“I just don’t want you to be hurt,” whispered Slade.

Dick smiled, nearly forgetting the pain. “I’m okay, don’t worry—”

He stopped short, as something unexplainable occurred. The tinge in his injured flesh grew even stronger. It overrode the pain, leaving a warm burning sensation amongst his skin – yet, it didn’t hurt. Then, before Dick’s eyes, he watched as the open gash in his hand slowly knitted back together. Though the action of knitted flesh was slow, the entire wound healed within a few seconds. Only the remnant blood remained.

Dick jerked his hand back, clenching it and unclenching it in test. There was no pain. His actions became more intense as he repeatedly clenched his hand. Then, he rubbed both his hands together, before lastly kneading his thumb into the palm of his left hand.

“It’s gone,” said Dick, barely unable to believe it. He didn’t stop moving his hand, trying to make sense of it. “There’s no pain. The wound is gone. Why—I don’t—What happened?”

But the silence from Slade could only mean he was just as shocked as Dick was by this.

“The tests came out negative,” whispered Slade. “There’s no possible way you could heal like that.”

“Uh, hello,” said Dick, showing Slade his palm. “Something did!”

“And anyway, your hand had been injured earlier. If it were by your power, then it should have healed you right away.”

“Mmm… You didn’t spit on me, did you?” asked Dick, both in accusation and in teasing. Slade snorted in amusement.

“No, I’m afraid not.”

“Oh, good. I don’t think I could live that one down.”

Slade, it seemed, couldn’t hold back: he let out one snort, before it turned into a single deep laugh. It was short and yet, Dick welcomed the sound. Afterwards, Dick held out his hand.

“Whatever it was, we’ll find out later,” said Dick. “Come on, I’ll help you up.”

And Slade’s amused mood appeared to vanish at those words.

“I can get up on my own,” said Slade, annoyed. “I have my own two feet and I can get on them by myself.”

After a few minutes and when it became obvious that Slade wasn’t going to get up on his own, he accepted – albeit grudgingly – Dick’s help. However, he refused to allow Dick to help him walk. While Dick really wanted to help, even if Slade was a bit grouchy about it, he could see improvement in the man’s mobility. So, he walked beside the man, watching carefully, in case of sudden weakness. And while his mind tried to wonder about the sudden healing of his hand, he forced his mind to stay on the two jobs at hand.

A mysterious healing was far less worrisome than a mysterious injury, after all.

“Blast it, boy, stop hovering over me,” snapped Slade, but without any real heat to his words. Dick only smiled mischievously.

“Only when you stop rocking back and forth.”

“Impertinent brat,” muttered Slade. “Just you wait until we get home…”

The man continued to mutter underneath his breath. Dick said nothing in return, although he couldn’t hold back the glowing grin on his face. As the two of them walked along the length of the bridge, something white caught Dick’s eye. Within a landscape of black and crimson, Dick became alert. He heard Slade inhale deeply.

“Go, I’ll catch up,” said Slade, his tone urgent.

Raven.

Then, Dick knew what and who it might be. He nodded and ran forward. He heard the flutter of a cape; out of the corner of his eye, he saw the fabric flash of white. He turned to the source of the sound, seeing the trail of white vanish behind a large fallen boulder. Dick wasted no time in following it. However, when he reached it and looked behind it, there was no white.

Then, there was a soft cry, as the sound of flesh hitting rock struck a moment before. Dick once again turned towards the sound and found a cloaked figure a few feet away from the boulder. In a moment, Dick was only a foot away. He dropped to his knees and reached out. He gently lifted the end of the white cloak to see small, thin legs. The knees were scratched slightly. The figure turned around, just as Dick released the fabric. The hood of the cloak fell back, revealing the unmistakable likeness of Raven.

But she was so young.

Bright violet eyes were wide with childlike innocence, something Dick had never before seen in the girl’s expression. Her small arms drew inward, her body curling defensively. Within those innocent eyes, however, there bore a glimmer of suppressed pain and heightened fear.

“Raven,” breathed Dick.

She couldn’t be older than seven or eight, a mere child. That wasn’t their Raven. This was someone so different, one who only emulated the original. Trigon had stolen their dear friend away.

But as Dick locked eye contact with the little girl, he knew that though this wasn’t the Raven he’d always known, this girl still held a part of that friend.

“Who are you?” asked Raven, trembling with fear.

“I’m a friend,” said Dick. “Don’t you remember?”

As Dick leaned forward, she whimpered and pulled back from him, her violet eyes glistening with fear. Her eyes flickered between Dick and Slade – who had limped forward with difficulty – her fear growing with every glance. Dick settled back on his heels, hoping to appear less threatening towards her.

“It’s okay, Raven. We’re not going to hurt you,” whispered Dick, putting up his hands.

“How–how do you know my name?” asked Raven. Her little voice was so soft, so frightened. “Why are you here?”

Whatever Dick had been expecting to find within the depths of the earth, this little Raven was not it. An injured Raven, yes. A forgotten Raven, yes. A lost Raven, yes. But he hadn’t expected such a drastic change in the Raven they had known and who had been their friend. This Raven wasn’t the stoic girl, who held her emotions to herself, who never let anyone know how she felt, both in speech and in body language. This little Raven bore her emotions and fears within her bright violet eyes.

And there wasn’t anything more Dick wanted to at that moment than draw this little girl in his arms and protect her.

“You’re lost, aren’t you?” asked Dick, keeping his tone soft and gentle. The little girl nodded worriedly. She drew back slightly, still visibly suspicious of Dick. He let a sad smile lift his features. “I’ve been looking for you. You got lost and I was so worried about you.”

The light of hope brightened within those violet eyes. The little girl leaned forward somewhat.

“You were? You were worried about me?”

Dick nodded, new hope of his own rising in his heart at the earnest, yearning expression within Raven’s face.

“You were my friend,” said Dick softly. “But something happened and we were separated. Do you remember anything at all?”

Her eyes said it all. She nodded barely, while saying, “No.” Her expression never wavered, but all the answers were there – and Dick knew she remembered.

“I know you’re afraid,” whispered Dick. “But you don’t have to be any more. I’m here to protect you.”

Raven’s lips trembled and she shook her head. Her arms curled around her chest.

“I know why you’re here and it’s not going to work.”

“What?”

“I can’t do it!” cried Raven. “Look at me! I’m a weak little girl. I can’t do anything; my powers are gone. I can’t defeat Trigon. I’ll just get in the way. So, you can just go back. I’m sorry you wasted a trip.”

Dick slowly drew in a long breath, before he let it out in the same manner. “Oh, Raven,” he murmured. The little girl ducked her head, as if waiting for some reprimanding words. Dick carefully lifted his right hand and rested it in the air in front of her, the palm facing upward in a beckoning gesture. “I didn’t come for that,” he whispered. Raven’s head popped up. “I came here for you.”

Those violet eyes glimmered; big tears formed a moment later, slipping down her cheeks in deep streams. Her expression crinkled; her tears fell; her mouth opened in despair; her hands drew upward to her eyes. Then, she began to openly sob, as only a child could.

Dick wasted no more time: he completed the distance, grabbing her beneath her upper arms and lifting her into his own. She was small and she fit so perfectly there. Her legs automatically wrapped around his waist; her arms slipped around his neck; her head dipped into the protection of his shoulder.

“Why?” cried Raven, her soft voice broken with sobs. “Why would you come?”

Dick held her tightly, patting her gently on the back.

“Because, you’re my friend.”

The poor girl started crying even harder now. Dick turned around and glanced at Slade, giving the man a sheepish smile. He stood up, hefting Raven higher in his arms. He put a finger to his lips and started walking back the way they had come. Dick walked slowly, so to allow Slade the time to keep up with him. He tried not to make it obvious, but the man was quick on his feet. Slade didn’t make any mention of it, though.

And all the while, little Raven cried in Dick’s arms.

It was soon, however, that Raven began to quiet down. She stayed in his arms, content to be carried. After a few minutes of walking through the darkened, overheated caverns, Slade put a hand onto Dick’s shoulder. Dick glanced to the left to see Slade’s head dipped slightly, his chest heaving deeply. The man was taking those rattling breaths again. Dick shifted Raven’s weight in his arms, before he turned somewhat to face Slade, but he avoided dislodging the man’s support while doing so.

“Dad, are you all right?” whispered Dick. He felt Raven stiffen in his arms. He patted her on the back again. Slade merely nodded, taking another moment to take deep breaths. Then, after a moment, the man looked up and continued forward. With another pat on Raven’s back, Dick continued at the slow pace.

Soon, they came to the point where they had fallen downward. Dick looked up and instantly knew there would be no easy route going up. There had to be another way.

“If we go that way,” began Slade, pointing over the fallen debris of rocks. “We should find the door to the underworld.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “Hold up, they have an actual door? Anyone can just walk right in.” He paused, before adding, “Not that I’d think anyone would want to.”

“Not so fast, there’s a gate guardian. As his name suggests, he guards the door. Few have ever defeated him. Even in the event of his death or destruction, he always returns to his post.”

“So, basically, any method is fair game?” asked Dick.

“Exactly.”

“Good, this should be easy. No holding back, then.”

Slade let out a low scoff.

“In my condition? This is ridiculous, I can barely stand without wobbling like a toddler.”

Dick only smiled, keeping his worry to himself, and gave the man a pat on the back. Dick wasn’t about to tell Slade that he wasn’t going to let him defeat the guardian. Dick was going to do it, alone. The fight would be easier if he didn’t have to worry about his father’s condition.

They continued down the pathway, climbing over the fallen debris and going downward even further into the depths of the earth – Dick pursed his lips into silence as he watched Slade struggle, even with his help. Fifty steps down a long stairway and two near heart attacks – on Dick’s part; the man kept losing his footing and almost falling face first if it weren’t for Dick’s quick reflexes – they finally reached the bottom, where a grey door with intricate patterns could be seen at the end of the pathway.

Sure enough, a tall, muscular guardian stood at the door. His armor covered much of his skin, though of what could be seen of his skin showed that he wasn’t exactly human. Visible skin was grey, while beneath the helmet which the guardian wore, two red eyes shone through its metal.

Well, this might not be as easy as Dick had originally thought.

“It was foolishness on your parts in coming here,” said the guardian. His voice was deep and gravelly. “You have only brought a terrible death to yourselves. You should’ve accepted your fates.”

Dick let Raven down, slipping the girl downward with careful control. Her hands clutched at his arms as she clung to him. Raven looked up at Dick and he smiled at her, patting her gently on the head.

“Stay here,” whispered Dick. “This man here is my father. Even though he looks a bit scary, he’s not going to hurt you, okay?”

“Wait a minute, Dick, you’re not doing this alone.”

“Dad,” began Dick, looking back at Slade. He pushed Raven towards the man. “Watch over Raven.”

“Dick—”

“I can do it, Dad. Let me do this for you.”

After all you’ve done for me, this is the least I can do. I’m sorry I stopped believing in you.

As Dick turned around, there was a sharp intake of breath from Slade. There were no more protests, however, and Dick knew he had the man’s support. He stepped forward and pulled out two of his boomerangs, immediately connecting them. A rapier appeared.

“So, you would come to your death, too.”

“Nope,” said Dick, lifting the rapier and sliding into a fighting stance. “I’m not dying today. I have a world to save; I have a family to get back to – I have a whole lifetime to fill. And I’m missing just one piece of the puzzle to have all that. You’re gonna give my father his body back, one way or another. Of course, there’s always an easy way or the hard way.”

The guardian lifted an arm into the air. A long, grey, double sided scythe appeared in his hand.

Ooo, the fun way.

Dick bolted forward. The clash of steel rang through the cavern. His feet slid against the ground from the force of the blows; the scythe weighed down against his thin rapier. With a cry of strength, Dick threw his rapier back, forcing the scythe away. The guardian didn’t lose momentum; he swung the dual sided scythe downward. Dick flipped back, just at the tip of the axe end of the scythe smashed into the ground.

I can do this.

Dick stabbed his rapier into the ground and quickly pulled out two more boomerangs, connecting them so they formed into a second rapier. He ducked just as the scythe swung towards him. The whoosh blew over his hair. Dick grabbed his first rapier and swung them together in pattern.

Steel clashed against ancient steel; sparks flew with every opposing strike. Every blow was parried against Dick, despite his increasing speed. He had never fought like this before and he was sure Slade had never seen him fight with dual blades. But after all the training the man had given to the Teen Titans, Dick had wanted to do something that stepped up his own ability and power.

And once again, he found himself wanting to impress the man who had become his father – to make him proud.

As Dick’s speed increased even more, the guardian matched him with perfection. Steel upon steel rang every few seconds as Dick fought the enemy. The scythe swung with such infinite speed, it was as if it were made of feather – and yet the weight in which it smashed into Dick’s blades made his body rattle, down to his very bones.

Then, as the guardian swung his scythe, Dick glimpsed an opening. He leapt into the air, landing on the metal rod of the scythe. He ran up its length, intent on stabbing the guardian in the neck. Just as he lunged forward, slashing his second rapier horizontally as well, his footing flipped to the side; the scythe turned sideways and Dick fell to the ground onto his back. He rolled to his left, narrowly avoiding the terrible axe blade of the scythe.

The metal smashed into the ground, breaking the earth apart like putty. Rocks shattered and flew in all directions, hitting Dick in the face. A shout made him look up.

“Dick!”

Sparks shattered into the air, dying out immediately after initial contact. Dust flared upward. Broken rocks dug into Dick’s back. Sweat beaded down his temples; the heat of the fight making the cavern even more unbearable in its temperature. As the dust settled, Dick could see up into the guardian’s eyes. Dick’s arms flexed in strength as he held off the axe end of the scythe from chopping him in half. The axe slide against his rapier, the sound sending chills down Dick’s spine.

“You will die here,” said the guardian, calm as ever. Pressure was applied. Pain flared through Dick’s upper body. He could felt his arms giving way; his teeth clenched against it. The power intensified; the guardian was determined to crush him. The ground was slowly giving way beneath Dick’s back.

“I’m not dying any time soon!” growled Dick through his teeth. With a rush of adrenaline, he shoved upward. The guardian’s power loosened slightly, and with that opening, Dick slide out beneath the scythe. The ground shattered above his head, as Dick rolled between the guardian’s legs. He bolted to his feet and swung his blades at the guardian’s open back.

Steel clashed; Dick rolled to the side out of the way and paused, stabbing one of his rapiers into the ground to steady him. All his muscles screamed in pain; his skin was hot from perspiration; his lungs gasped for breath. The guardian slowly faced him, his dark eyes gleamed beneath his helmet.

“You are just a weak human,” said the guardian. “You do not have the power nor the strength to defeat me. You cannot hope to win.”

Dick focused on his breathing and on resting. He kept his eyes on the guardian, but he didn’t move. However, his eyes caught the crouched figure behind the guardian. Little Raven was standing at Slade’s side, her eyes wide with fear and awe.

But what gave Dick the most strength was the expression inside the only visible feature in Slade’s face – that grey blue eye, which was wide with the same fear, but mixed with an immeasurable amount of pride and awe.

That alone made everything worth it.

With a determined grin on his face, Dick drew his rapier from the ground and bolted forward. His crying muscles couldn’t be heard; the pain in his lungs couldn’t be felt; the heat couldn’t be noticed. There was only one thought that drove Dick’s entire being.

WIN!

The speed of the crashing, slashing blades intensified. Sparks danced, sparkled, and clanged with every contact of steel. In the flight of the fight, Dick circled the guardian, forcing his enemy to move around to parry the blows. And then, when the guardian’s front faced the large door of the underworld, Dick made his move: he jumped off the door and stabbed forward; but his attack missed as the guardian blocked the blow with the rod of his scythe. Dick rolled out of the attack.

“You know, you’re right,” said Dick, with his back to the guardian. “I might not be able to win against you in a fight, but you forget one important fact.” Dick slowly rose to his feet and turned around. A sly grin spread across his face. “You don’t just need power to win in a fight. You also need a bit of ingenuity.”

A beeping sound quickened from behind the guardian. He glanced back, just in time to see an ammunition disc on the door. A second before the explosion, Dick raised a mock hand in parting and said, “Sayōnara.”

The explosion shattered the door.

Rocks flew in all directions. There was a thunk as the guardian’s helmet landed on the ground, while Raven gave a loud squeak of fright when the scythe slammed into the ground near her. White light streamed in a single blast from the door, before slowly dissipating. As Dick looked inside, he could see further light coming from deep within the earth. He glanced back at Slade, where he could see the unending pride within the man’s eye.

“Well?” asked Dick, releasing one of his rapiers. The boomerangs were then stored back into his utility belt. He kept one rapier out, however. “Are you back to normal?”

Slade didn’t move for a moment, before seemingly to shake himself out of a daze. He shook his head. “No, I am still the same.”

Dick let out an elaborate groan. “What does a guy have to do around here to get his father’s body back?”

Slade let out a snort, before changing it into a light cough. Dick sighed, but with a smile on his face. He let out a wave and began to walk towards the door.

“I’ll just be a minute.”

“Dick, wait!” said Slade, sounding alarmed. “You can’t go in there. What if you can’t come back out?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be right back,” said Dick, waving his hand dismissively. He knew Slade was going to panic now, but the door was open and there was no way he wasn’t going to try. He wanted Slade back to normal, no matter what. And anyway, the moment he sensed something off, Dick would bolt out of there like no tomorrow.

“Dick!”

And with that, with no hesitation, Dick crossed the threshold of the doorway to the underworld.

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