12 advance chapters in my Patreon.
Patreon.com/Saintbarbido.
::------------------------------------------::
(General P.O.V)
Raven's quick thinking ensured that Davian hadn't fallen to his death. She had a feeling that Dr. Fate's unprovoked attack, would make the house a little too hostile to them. It was after all his tower.
"Mr. Nelson!"
She yelled, fists lighting up with power. She didn't want to fight but the magical aura wafting off him told her it would be wise to get ready to defend her life.
"Snap out of it!"
In response, the hue of golden energy coating him seemed to get deeper.
"Daughter of Trigon. Another threat to Order. What makes you think Kent is in control?"
Fate asked, floating closer.
Raven's eyes widened, then a furious expression crossed her face.
"Let. Him. Go!"
She warned, eyes turning completely red.
"No."
Fate answered, slapping both hands together.
The distance between the walls on either side of Raven decreased as the concrete collapsed into itself, with her in the middle.
Raven spread out her hands, forming large claw constructs around them that pushed against the walls.
"You're going to try better than that!"
She spat out.
Dust rose up as a roaring phantom of a dark bird rose up from underneath her cloak. The phantom widened it's beak and fell unto Fate's position, dark flakes swirling inside. The Lord of Order looked unfazed as he flew forwards. A burst of white light leaving his form and killing the shadow descending on him.
"You stand no chance."
Fate told her. Magical circles appeared on both of his palms. Bigger yet copies of the same circles appeared on the walls and floor around them.
"You're severely outmatched. Did you forget I control everything here?"
The concrete and stone rippled, turning into mud that pulled onto Raven's feet, her ankles sinking down. She looked around, panicking.
'Calm your nerves child. Fear is a tool. Use it, don't allow it to use you.'
Azar's voice spoke up from a memory Raven had of training to stay in control of her emotions. The world was closing in on her but a glint of determination appeared.
"Not everything."
She responded, a swirling dark portal appearing underneath her. She went through it and came out behind Fate.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"
Raven called out, streaks of black lightning springing out of her hands and carving a path through the dust towards Fate. She poured all her energy into the attack to the point she could feel the strain on her soul self.
A shield of yellow blocked the attack quite easily.
"What?"
Raven couldn't believe it.
"My turn."
Fate pushed forward his hand and his own version of golden lightning jumped out.
(Elsewhere)
A sudden surge of heat assured yes that was Lava. Davian could hear the sounds of battle from the floor above him, through the hole he had created with his body. Knowing that Raven would be preoccupied, he twirled his sword, clutching the handle tightly before driving it onto the wall a few feet below the hole he had crashed through.
Not a minute later, the rope holding him up unceremoniously unravelled. Davian felt immense relief. Had he been a second late, he would be cooking in that red blazing hot soup. He breathed heavily as he looked down and saw the level of the Lava rise up.
"I gotta get out of here."
He told himself, judging the distance between him and the hole above. Sweat dotted his eyebrows as the heat from the lava increased temperatures.
(With Raven)
Raven saw the attack blast past her multilayered shields and streak it's way to her body. Then the ground rose up in a tidal wave of concrete rubble, dust and metal. A crescent arc of purple light smashed onto the ceiling of the very much destroyed hall, causing an avalanche of material to fall unto them.
"*Cough* Davian...are you okay?"
Raven asked out loud as her eyes found the figure of a glowing Davian stand at the front, his back to her. He was breathing heavily.
"I had to break through the floor below us."
He caressed the walls of the tower.
"I'm sorry for hurting you."
Raven stumbled forward,
"What...what was that?"
She wondered, reaching Davian just in time to see the rubble before them tremble, golden light breaking through the mess of debris.
Davian banged the sword in his hands at his hip, bringing Raven's attention there.
"Something I've been keeping as a surprise for you."
"You can shoot energy arcs from your sword."
She said, more as a statement than a question.
"Pretty much."
Davian craned his head to stare at her. Raven gasped.
"Davian you're...
"Don't worry,"
he turned fully to her. On his face, a hollow mask was partially formed, encasing the corner of his left side and eye. The lone eye glowed purple under the white material of the bony mask.
"I'm in control."
He assured with a small grunt, eyes pinched slightly.
The tower trembled before Raven could speak.
"Petulant brats."
Fate stated, the debris blocking the way rising up under a yellow aura. Then each individual piece, from a huge whole brick to a tiny grain of sand begun to combine or rather recombine, reforming the once destroyed hall.
Fate stood in the middle of the lone pathway,
"I can unmake...time."
He announced with arrogance and flair.
Davian stepped back with a nervous expression, hands rising up in surrender.
"Dude is seriously flexing. Bruh chill."
Fate looked at him in confusion.
"Chill? Mmmh. I can sense the false bravado. You need a way out of this so you stall for time..."
He floated closer to the pair.
Raven's feet touched the end of the hall. Past it and the maze of staircases hung in the air. She could fly but Davian couldn't. What were they supposed to do?
"You are not natural boy, you upset things. There's a balance to be maintained here. I can't allow you to cause more ripples."
Meanwhile Fate kept on monologueing.
"Raven, make the strongest shield you can, when I say 'now'."
Davian whispered. Raven gave a short curt nod.
"So I wonder, what hope will you cling to when you can't run anymore?"
"The only reason I endured that speech was to wait for you to get closer."
Davian changed tactics. The fear washed off his face, as a confident smirk replaced it.
'Flash Step!'
Davian shouted in his mind. The crude result was nothing like a Flash step. For instance, too much power was wasted. Reiryoku exploded out of his feet in a flash of white condensed energy, burning the ground and depleting more than a quarter of his full Reiryoku reserves. But Davian achieved his objective, getting pushed forward at speeds close to sound.
In what was like an instant he was behind Fate. Davian, dug his feet onto the floor, using a thick layer of Reiryoku to brake, before spinning on one leg.
Dr. Fate could only stay rooted as Davian slashed out with his weapon. Accompanying the move was a single word. A single word that seemed to resonate around.
"Now!"
Raven immediately took flight, thrusting her hands out.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"
A shield of pure darkness layered itself over the entrance to the hall, blocking it fully.
On Davian's side, the minute he roared out the signal to Rachel, his whole focus was on the push and pull motioning happening within him. However, he pulled now more than he pushed, breaking the balance. The mask on his face crept to cover his entire face. He could feel the rapidly rising illogical hate towards life. And the hunger...the hunger was the worst part of it.
None of that mattered now, for in Davian's mind, he was giving it his all. His everything. The culmination of the bare specks of what he had learned.
"Getsuga...Tensho!!"
The sword aura eagerly launched out, purple and ominous. Enormous as it shredded the whole hallway apart, swirling with sharp winds that sliced the art and tapestry. The Chambers along the hall were fully exposed in the wake of the attack, the floor of the Alchemy chamber above them dropping on their heads.
Dr.Fate was drowned in the light and Raven was left reeling back as her shield cracked and groaned, but held on still. She had never known Davian was that powerful. And to think that sword attack had been created specially for her.
Finally things calmed down and she deactivated her shield.
Raven couldn't see what had happened, she did not let her guard down as she floated towards the smoking hole.
Through the dust she saw a form, standing up in rags, scratches and soot covering his body.
"Davian?"
Raven called out, pushing away the dust by flapping her cloak and producing a gale of wind.
"Hey..." Davian replied while struggling to breath. His face was red and puffy.
"I failed..."
He bit out, grasping at his neck. That's when Raven saw the full picture.
Dr.Fate was behind Davian, one hand wrapped around the back of his neck, squeezing it tightly. But this Fate was different. Half of the suit was burnt, leaving patches of holes that were covered by mystical light.
"You hurt me. I can feel you trying to take back control of your body, it's futile."
Fate observed. Davian gurgled in response. He could feel the monster just a few layers under his conscious mind. It was hangry. It hungered for the soul of this being that called itself the Lord of Order. Something about him rubbed the monster the wrong way. It was angry because Davian was letting this happen.
'No. I can't let you destroy this place. The tower is part of Kent's legacy.'
Davian was going to find another way out.
That was all before the pain.
Fate's grip on Davian's neck, tightened again, completely cutting off his air supply.
"Its only right I pay you back for the pain twofold."
Lightning washed down the Sorcerer's palm, electrocuting Davian in yellow streaks. The teen opened his mouth wide in agony.
"Stop this! You're going too far!"
Raven warned, ready to abandon all control and really hurt something. Her voice took on a deeper tone. Her eyes flashed a dangerous red.
"Too far?"
Nabu asked, cocking his head in confusion.
"Too far is Kent allowing the both of you to exist in this realm. One, the daughter of a multidimensional demonic entity and the other an error, a mistake that should not see the light of day. I am only doing my duty."
As of to punctuate his words, the lightning took on a darker hue.
'Do something!'
Davian looked deep into Raven's eyes and saw the plea. His palm tightened. His sword was lying a few feet away and Fate was doing something to his body. The lightning not only hurt, it paralyzed him. The only thing he could was call it out. And that was out of the option.
Darkness was creeping on him very quickly.
"Let him go or I will destroy you."
Raven informed Fate, gliding to hover above them, a writhing mass of blackness rising up from within her cloak.
'...name...'
The whisper came into Davian's mind.
'Am...I...am I going to die again?'
Davian wondered to himself.
'...you will if you don't call my name..."
A deeply arrogant voice spoke up, assuring with an air of confidence.
'Your name?...'
Davian was losing consciousness.
The response from the voice came after something jerked him away, a blast of blue magical energy that separated him from Fate.
"Enoz gnisserppus cigam!"
"I got you."
Raven swooped in and...Davian was already on his feet, one hand braced against the wall, the other hand rubbed his neck, silently. Raven touched down and walked forward, only for a dark feeling to grip her heart. The energy coming off Davian...it felt like death.
A few feet away, Fate was facing the new arrival.
"Oh dear." Davian's savior said.
"And to think Kent was right about you getting out of control, Nabu."
Giovanni Zatara addressed Fate.
"At least he was smart enough to arrange for me to intervene."
12 advance chapters in my Patreon.
Patreon.com/Saintbarbido.
::------------------------------------------::
(General P.O.V)
Raven's quick thinking ensured that Davian hadn't fallen to his death. She had a feeling that Dr. Fate's unprovoked attack, would make the house a little too hostile to them. It was after all his tower.
"Mr. Nelson!"
She yelled, fists lighting up with power. She didn't want to fight but the magical aura wafting off him told her it would be wise to get ready to defend her life.
"Snap out of it!"
In response, the hue of golden energy coating him seemed to get deeper.
"Daughter of Trigon. Another threat to Order. What makes you think Kent is in control?"
Fate asked, floating closer.
Raven's eyes widened, then a furious expression crossed her face.
"Let. Him. Go!"
She warned, eyes turning completely red.
"No."
Fate answered, slapping both hands together.
The distance between the walls on either side of Raven decreased as the concrete collapsed into itself, with her in the middle.
Raven spread out her hands, forming large claw constructs around them that pushed against the walls.
"You're going to try better than that!"
She spat out.
Dust rose up as a roaring phantom of a dark bird rose up from underneath her cloak. The phantom widened it's beak and fell unto Fate's position, dark flakes swirling inside. The Lord of Order looked unfazed as he flew forwards. A burst of white light leaving his form and killing the shadow descending on him.
"You stand no chance."
Fate told her. Magical circles appeared on both of his palms. Bigger yet copies of the same circles appeared on the walls and floor around them.
"You're severely outmatched. Did you forget I control everything here?"
The concrete and stone rippled, turning into mud that pulled onto Raven's feet, her ankles sinking down. She looked around, panicking.
'Calm your nerves child. Fear is a tool. Use it, don't allow it to use you.'
Azar's voice spoke up from a memory Raven had of training to stay in control of her emotions. The world was closing in on her but a glint of determination appeared.
"Not everything."
She responded, a swirling dark portal appearing underneath her. She went through it and came out behind Fate.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"
Raven called out, streaks of black lightning springing out of her hands and carving a path through the dust towards Fate. She poured all her energy into the attack to the point she could feel the strain on her soul self.
A shield of yellow blocked the attack quite easily.
"What?"
Raven couldn't believe it.
"My turn."
Fate pushed forward his hand and his own version of golden lightning jumped out.
(Elsewhere)
A sudden surge of heat assured yes that was Lava. Davian could hear the sounds of battle from the floor above him, through the hole he had created with his body. Knowing that Raven would be preoccupied, he twirled his sword, clutching the handle tightly before driving it onto the wall a few feet below the hole he had crashed through.
Not a minute later, the rope holding him up unceremoniously unravelled. Davian felt immense relief. Had he been a second late, he would be cooking in that red blazing hot soup. He breathed heavily as he looked down and saw the level of the Lava rise up.
"I gotta get out of here."
He told himself, judging the distance between him and the hole above. Sweat dotted his eyebrows as the heat from the lava increased temperatures.
(With Raven)
Raven saw the attack blast past her multilayered shields and streak it's way to her body. Then the ground rose up in a tidal wave of concrete rubble, dust and metal. A crescent arc of purple light smashed onto the ceiling of the very much destroyed hall, causing an avalanche of material to fall unto them.
"*Cough* Davian...are you okay?"
Raven asked out loud as her eyes found the figure of a glowing Davian stand at the front, his back to her. He was breathing heavily.
"I had to break through the floor below us."
He caressed the walls of the tower.
"I'm sorry for hurting you."
Raven stumbled forward,
"What...what was that?"
She wondered, reaching Davian just in time to see the rubble before them tremble, golden light breaking through the mess of debris.
Davian banged the sword in his hands at his hip, bringing Raven's attention there.
"Something I've been keeping as a surprise for you."
"You can shoot energy arcs from your sword."
She said, more as a statement than a question.
"Pretty much."
Davian craned his head to stare at her. Raven gasped.
"Davian you're...
"Don't worry,"
he turned fully to her. On his face, a hollow mask was partially formed, encasing the corner of his left side and eye. The lone eye glowed purple under the white material of the bony mask.
"I'm in control."
He assured with a small grunt, eyes pinched slightly.
The tower trembled before Raven could speak.
"Petulant brats."
Fate stated, the debris blocking the way rising up under a yellow aura. Then each individual piece, from a huge whole brick to a tiny grain of sand begun to combine or rather recombine, reforming the once destroyed hall.
Fate stood in the middle of the lone pathway,
"I can unmake...time."
He announced with arrogance and flair.
Davian stepped back with a nervous expression, hands rising up in surrender.
"Dude is seriously flexing. Bruh chill."
Fate looked at him in confusion.
"Chill? Mmmh. I can sense the false bravado. You need a way out of this so you stall for time..."
He floated closer to the pair.
Raven's feet touched the end of the hall. Past it and the maze of staircases hung in the air. She could fly but Davian couldn't. What were they supposed to do?
"You are not natural boy, you upset things. There's a balance to be maintained here. I can't allow you to cause more ripples."
Meanwhile Fate kept on monologueing.
"Raven, make the strongest shield you can, when I say 'now'."
Davian whispered. Raven gave a short curt nod.
"So I wonder, what hope will you cling to when you can't run anymore?"
"The only reason I endured that speech was to wait for you to get closer."
Davian changed tactics. The fear washed off his face, as a confident smirk replaced it.
'Flash Step!'
Davian shouted in his mind. The crude result was nothing like a Flash step. For instance, too much power was wasted. Reiryoku exploded out of his feet in a flash of white condensed energy, burning the ground and depleting more than a quarter of his full Reiryoku reserves. But Davian achieved his objective, getting pushed forward at speeds close to sound.
In what was like an instant he was behind Fate. Davian, dug his feet onto the floor, using a thick layer of Reiryoku to brake, before spinning on one leg.
Dr. Fate could only stay rooted as Davian slashed out with his weapon. Accompanying the move was a single word. A single word that seemed to resonate around.
"Now!"
Raven immediately took flight, thrusting her hands out.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"
A shield of pure darkness layered itself over the entrance to the hall, blocking it fully.
On Davian's side, the minute he roared out the signal to Rachel, his whole focus was on the push and pull motioning happening within him. However, he pulled now more than he pushed, breaking the balance. The mask on his face crept to cover his entire face. He could feel the rapidly rising illogical hate towards life. And the hunger...the hunger was the worst part of it.
None of that mattered now, for in Davian's mind, he was giving it his all. His everything. The culmination of the bare specks of what he had learned.
"Getsuga...Tensho!!"
The sword aura eagerly launched out, purple and ominous. Enormous as it shredded the whole hallway apart, swirling with sharp winds that sliced the art and tapestry. The Chambers along the hall were fully exposed in the wake of the attack, the floor of the Alchemy chamber above them dropping on their heads.
Dr.Fate was drowned in the light and Raven was left reeling back as her shield cracked and groaned, but held on still. She had never known Davian was that powerful. And to think that sword attack had been created specially for her.
Finally things calmed down and she deactivated her shield.
Raven couldn't see what had happened, she did not let her guard down as she floated towards the smoking hole.
Through the dust she saw a form, standing up in rags, scratches and soot covering his body.
"Davian?"
Raven called out, pushing away the dust by flapping her cloak and producing a gale of wind.
"Hey..." Davian replied while struggling to breath. His face was red and puffy.
"I failed..."
He bit out, grasping at his neck. That's when Raven saw the full picture.
Dr.Fate was behind Davian, one hand wrapped around the back of his neck, squeezing it tightly. But this Fate was different. Half of the suit was burnt, leaving patches of holes that were covered by mystical light.
"You hurt me. I can feel you trying to take back control of your body, it's futile."
Fate observed. Davian gurgled in response. He could feel the monster just a few layers under his conscious mind. It was hangry. It hungered for the soul of this being that called itself the Lord of Order. Something about him rubbed the monster the wrong way. It was angry because Davian was letting this happen.
'No. I can't let you destroy this place. The tower is part of Kent's legacy.'
Davian was going to find another way out.
That was all before the pain.
Fate's grip on Davian's neck, tightened again, completely cutting off his air supply.
"Its only right I pay you back for the pain twofold."
Lightning washed down the Sorcerer's palm, electrocuting Davian in yellow streaks. The teen opened his mouth wide in agony.
"Stop this! You're going too far!"
Raven warned, ready to abandon all control and really hurt something. Her voice took on a deeper tone. Her eyes flashed a dangerous red.
"Too far?"
Nabu asked, cocking his head in confusion.
"Too far is Kent allowing the both of you to exist in this realm. One, the daughter of a multidimensional demonic entity and the other an error, a mistake that should not see the light of day. I am only doing my duty."
As of to punctuate his words, the lightning took on a darker hue.
'Do something!'
Davian looked deep into Raven's eyes and saw the plea. His palm tightened. His sword was lying a few feet away and Fate was doing something to his body. The lightning not only hurt, it paralyzed him. The only thing he could was call it out. And that was out of the option.
Darkness was creeping on him very quickly.
"Let him go or I will destroy you."
Raven informed Fate, gliding to hover above them, a writhing mass of blackness rising up from within her cloak.
'...name...'
The whisper came into Davian's mind.
'Am...I...am I going to die again?'
Davian wondered to himself.
'...you will if you don't call my name..."
A deeply arrogant voice spoke up, assuring with an air of confidence.
'Your name?...'
Davian was losing consciousness.
The response from the voice came after something jerked him away, a blast of blue magical energy that separated him from Fate.
"Enoz gnisserppus cigam!"
"I got you."
Raven swooped in and...Davian was already on his feet, one hand braced against the wall, the other hand rubbed his neck, silently. Raven touched down and walked forward, only for a dark feeling to grip her heart. The energy coming off Davian...it felt like death.
A few feet away, Fate was facing the new arrival.
"Oh dear." Davian's savior said.
"And to think Kent was right about you getting out of control, Nabu."
Giovanni Zatara addressed Fate.
"At least he was smart enough to arrange for me to intervene."
