[Louis’ name is the French pronunciation. (Pronounced “Louie”)]
(Three weeks after the Prelude)
(Beast Boy is asleep on the ground, Louis, Ed, and Raven standing around him.)
Louis: Phew! I’m glad you finally showed up when you did! We’ve been running from Beast Boy for weeks! Thanks for putting him to sleep for us.
Raven: Don’t mention it.
Edward: (Scottish accent) He’s been stomping around the building causing all sorts of damage! I just hope we don’t have to cover the insurance.
Raven: (Picks up Beast Boy) Figures. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he doesn’t cause you guys any more trouble. Beast Boy, you fucking idiot!
Louis: (Respectfully) Hey, Raven?…….Maybe you shouldn’t be so hard on the kid. If anything, you should be angry at us. I know you’ve had a very difficult past and you don’t like sharing it with people. I’m sorry we invaded your privacy without your consent, and that we put Beast Boy on the spot. Just…..take it easy on him, okay?
Raven: (Sighs) Sure…..And I’m sorry I overreacted. You guys were just doing your job. (She opens a portal behind her) Later. Good luck with your show. (She walks into the portal with Beast Boy and teleports out).
Edward: (Chuckles. He looks slightly impressed.)
Louis: What’s so funny?
Edward: It’s just….I’ve never seen you act so….mature.
Louis: “Be bold and strong in your enemy’s face. Confess your faults with courage and grace. Honor and faith are your sword and shield. From the knight’s path of chivalry, you shall never yield.”
Edward: That’s a nice poem. Did you come up with that?
Louis: It’s something my dad always told me, though he’d say it in French. Part of our family code.
Edward: I’m sure your father would be proud he raised such a noble son. So! Shall we press on with this battle?
Louis: Oui, monsieur! Lemme just pull up the old one on Sta.sh. (He searches for the old battle on Sta.sh, but can’t find it. He gets the feeling something’s wrong.) Uuuuum, Ed? I think we have a problem.
Edward: (Concerned) What, Louis, what?
Louis: I can’t find the file with the old fight!
Edward: What the hell–see if it’s on the main page!
(They search on their main DeviantArt page. They find Part 2 and the Epilogue, but not Part 1)
Louis: What the hell!? Where’s the first………..Oh, no!
Edward: What!? What happened!?
Louis: I remember now–when I went to copy the old Part 1, I deleted it by accident!
Edward: (Stronger Scottish accent) YOU DELETED IT!? YA DOATY, NUMPTY, ARSE-FACED, DOBBER-HEADED, USELESS FECKIN’ MORON!!!
Louis: Look, I fucked up, okay!? I’m sorry!
Edward: Sorry!? Do you remember how long it took us to write that!?
Louis: Yes, I remember! But we’re better writers now than we were back then! If we did it once, we can do it again! Besides, we still have Part 2 and the Epilogue intact. So we don’t have to do this completely by scratch! Think of it as working with a clean slate!
Edward: (Calms down) Aye. You’re right. It’s only Part 1, right? We can do this!
Louis: Hell yeah! So are you with me, Ed? (Extends his hand)
Edward: Till the bitter end, my brother. (Grabs his hand tightly)
(Several months later)
Edward: Alright! The combatants are once again set! It’s time to end this debate for a second time!
Louis: It’s time for our new, improved, remastered DEATH BATTLE!!!!
Opening Movie:
October 31, 2021
Titan Tower, Jump City, USA
10:00PM
“Happy Halloween, Titans!” Beast Boy shouted with enthusiasm. He was dressed in a Black Panther costume from the MCU movies, minus the mask. The green-skinned human was happily munching on handfuls of candy from a hollowed-out Jack-O-Lantern.
“Yes! Let us celebrate this most wonderful of Earth holidays!” Cheered Starfire, cosplaying as Rey from Star Wars. She and her pet worm Silkie were gorging themselves on several slices of pizza……which they covered in syrup and ice cream.
“Mmmmmm! These pizzas are so delicious!” The Tamaranian said, with Silkie chittering in agreement.
“Uuuuuuh, Star? No offense, but syrup and ice cream doesn’t really go together with pizza.” Said Robin, the leader of the Teen Titans.
“Oh? Should I use the ketchup and horseradish instead?” She asked.
Robin paused. “……Y’know what, nevermind. Enjoy your food.” And they did just that without hesitation. Starfire still didn’t quite understand how things work on Earth, but at least she was having fun.
Speaking of food, the kitchen and den was filled with several tables full of pizza boxes, a large cake, and tofu dogs and burgers made by Beast Boy (to Cyborg’s dismay).
Robin and Cyborg were playing House of the Dead 4 on an arcade cabinet they built together. Robin, whom most would assume would dress as his mentor Batman, was actually cosplaying as Joker from Persona 5. Cyborg spray-painted his metal body bright red and yellow to match Iron Man’s famous armor.
Beast Boy meanwhile was flipping through Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other services to find a good horror movie for the team to watch. He eventually found a good one to watch on HBO Max.
“Hey, guys! I just found The Conjuring is on HBO! You guys wanna watch that?”
“In a minute, BB!” Cyborg said. “Me and Robin are fighting the final boss.” The final boss in question was The World, a gigantic monster made of ice crystals.
“Where is our friend Raven?” Starfire asked the others. “Why does she not join the festivities?”
“You know Raven. She’s not exactly the type for parties. She’s probably in her room, reading.” Robin answered.
“I do wish that our friend would open up to us every now and again.” Starfire lamented. “It isn’t a complete party with only the four of us.”
A few minutes passed with Robin and Cyborg focusing on their game.
“BOOYAH!!!” Cyborg cheered when they’d finally finished off the boss. He and Robin laughed and shared a high-five in celebration.
“Why don’t ya go an’ see if she’s up for watching The Conjuring?” Cyborg said to Beast Boy.
“Uuuuh, Cy? You sure it’s a good idea to send me to talk to Raven? I’m pretty sure she’d rip my lungs out the moment I step in her room.”
“Why? Because you set up a catapult trap that launched a key lime pie in her face yesterday?” Cyborg taunted.
“She was quite upset about that.” Starfire recalled. “I believe she said that she would–*a-hem*–‘Rip Beast Boy’s F-ing spinal cord out through his A-hole, and strangle him with it’ the next time she sees him.” She refrained from using Raven’s colorful language.
Robin and Cyborg just exploded with laughter while Beast Boy complained, “Ah, come on, guys! She knew it was an accident! That prank wasn’t even meant for her, it was for Cyborg!”
“Too bad my CPU can see three steps ahead of your dumb pranks, funny guy!” Cyborg replied.
“All right! You wanna wrestle, Tin Man!?” Beast Boy shouted as he turned himself into a green gorilla.
“Bring it, homie! Let’s see what you got!” The two idiots started fighting right in front of the TV, much to Robin and Starfire’s embarrassment.
“Ugh, perhaps it is best if I go invite Raven. She might be more receptive to the words of another female.”
“Good idea, Star. I’ll get these two knuckleheads to settle down.” Robin replied. While Robin moved to intervene in the fight, Starfire took Silkie with her and floated down the hallway towards Raven’s room.
Raven was alone in her room, as eerily quiet and dark as she preferred it to be. She was dressed in her usual attire: a midnight blue cloak that carried a hood and concealed a leotard of the same color.
The lights were shut off, and the windows draped save for a small sliver of moonlight that was just bright enough to allow her to read.
The Azarathan was surrounded by dozens of large, thick books, many of which she’d already read several times over. Four of them were suspended in mid-air by Raven’s telekinetic power, which she also used on herself. She kept all her focus on the book right in front of her, which told the story of a whip-wielding vampire hunter on a quest to slay the evil vampire lord Dracula. She was on the last few chapters.
“Richter at last reached the tallest tower of Lord Dracula’s twisted castle. With the Vampire Killer firmly in hand, the fearless Belmont climbed the last few steps towards the mad vampire’s throne room. Richter stood firmly in front of Dracula. Their eyes met with fury and resentment.”
“Die, monster! You don’t belong in this world!” Shouted Richter.
“It was not by my hand that I was once again given flesh.” Dracula replied. “I was called here by humans who wish to pay me tribute.”
“Tribute!? You steal men’s souls and make them your slaves! Mankind ill needs a savior such as you!”
“What is a man!? A miserable little pile of secrets!” Dracula tossed away his wineglass and rose from his throne. “But enough talk! Have at–“
Raven’s reading was interrupted by a knock at the door.
“Hello? Raven?”
“Piss OFF, Beast Boy!” Raven snapped at the door.
“Raven! It’s me, Starfire!” Said the voice on the other side.
“Oh. Sorry. Give me a second.” The blue-haired Titan gently lowered herself and her books to the ground and walked towards the door. She opened it, and saw Starfire in her Rey costume while cradling Silkie in her arms.
“Sorry about that, Star. What’s up?”
“Everyone is celebrating Halloween in the living room, and we would love for you to join!” Starfire had an excited smile on her face.
Silkie also chittered excitedly.
Raven looked uneasy. “I appreciate the invitation, Starfire. Really, I do. But I think I should probably pass this year.”
The alien girl looked disappointed. “Raven…are you still upset at Beast Boy over the prank?”
“I’m not fucking upset over–” Raven took a breath to collect herself. “Okay. Maybe I am, a little.”
“Your anger is justified, Raven.” Starfire said. “But the more you hold onto it, the more it will hurt you inside. Besides, it was truly an accident. I’m sure Beast Boy would apologize if you give him the chance.”
“I’ll….I’ll think about it.” Raven replied.
“Anyway, we are about to watch The Conjuring on HBO Max. Are you interested in joining?”
“I probably shouldn’t. You remember the last time I watched a scary movie, I lost control of my powers and turned the tower into a haunted house?”
“Oh……that’s true. Well, at least still consider it. We would love to have you at the party.”
Starfire flew back towards the TV room with Silkie.
Raven closed the door and returned to her books. However, she was too distracted by her last conversation with Starfire to focus on reading.
“Maybe Star’s right.” She thought. “I should just get out of the room and enjoy the night. Halloween only comes once a year, after all. And maybe I should just forgive Beast Boy for–“
All of a sudden, a large white hole emerged in Raven’s room without warning! The hole began sucking in the room inside like a tornado. Raven was caught in the wind force, unable to run or fly away.
“Wh-what the fuck!?” The surprised Titan shouted. She cried out to her friends for help, but her voice was drowned out by the noise.
Raven was completely sucked into the white portal, and vanished from her room along with it.
Just what the hell was going on!?
October 31, 1842
Wygol Village, Wallachia, Eastern Europe
10:30PM
The white portal opened itself up and spat Raven out just as violently as when it sucked her in. She rolled painfully on the ground until she came to a stop.
“Wh–what the Hell just happened?” Raven mumbled as she rose from the ground, her whole body throbbing in pain. She found herself in what appeared to be some Eastern European village.
It was a small hamlet whose only buildings consisted of a church, a general store, a blacksmith’s workshop, and other small businesses. Creepily enough, Raven recognized this town as Wygol Village from one of her Castlevania novels. It was well into nighttime, as the streets were empty and dark. Far above, the stars and moon were concealed behind a cloak of heavy, thick clouds.
Of course, Raven was hardly a stranger to darkness, but she was a stranger to this place. She opened the GPS app on her T-Comm, which turned out to be useless since it couldn’t receive a signal. She then checked the device’s internal clock to see the current date. To her shock, the text on the screen read “10/31/1842.”
“What!? 1842!? I’m two centuries into the past!?” Raven gasped. She tried to use the T-Comm’s emergency beacon to contact her friends, only to get no response. Raven immediately shut it off.
“Tch! Idiot!” She scolded herself. “Of course the Titans can’t respond. None of them would even be alive this far back in time. Looks like I’m on my own this time.”
She tried opening magic portals of her own, but those would quickly disappear, as if someone or something was cancelling them out.
Frustrated and running out of options, the young sorceress decided to meditate for a few minutes. Maybe she would get some clues from her future..
“Azarath Metrion Zinthos.” She chanted. “Azarath Metrion Zinthos.”
In her vision, she saw a massive, gothic cathedral a few miles north. Inside the cathedral was a cavernous sanctuary, with colorful stained glass windows around the perimeter; a golden, chandelier in the shape of a cross; and a large tapestry at the very front of the sanctuary depicting the Virgin Mary cradling a newborn Christ in her arms.
The sanctuary only had one occupant–a young woman, who was praying silently. The girl had long, black hair that dropped onto her back like a waterfall. She wore a slim, navy blue dress that largely exposed her arms and back, each covered in strange, red tattoos. The mysterious woman rose from her seat and smiled, saying….
“Welcome to the Order of Ecclesia. My name is Shanoa.”
“What the hell?” Raven thought, completely dumbfounded. “Who is this girl? What’s Ecclesia? Why is she waiting for me? What the hell is going on here!?” The vision only left Raven with more questions than answers. But it did give her one answer…
“Whoever this woman is, she obviously has something to do with why I’ve gone back in time. If I’m gonna have any hope of getting home, I’m gonna have to speak to this ‘Shanoa’.”
With nothing to lose, the Teen Titan lifted herself into the air and flew north to this place called “Ecclesia” in search of answers.
“At least I can’t say I had a boring Halloween when I get home.”
The Order of Ecclesia
(about 10 miles west of Wygol Village)
10:45PM
Deep within the sanctuary, Shanoa sat in the front row, whispering the Holy Rosary.
“Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our–“
*TAP. TAP. TAP. TAP.*
Shanoa halted her praying as she heard footsteps echoing from behind. “At last. She is here.” She thought. “My mission will soon begin.”
Two huge wooden doors creaked open, and Raven crept inside. Shanoa didn’t need to turn around. She knew perfectly well who her guest was.
“Um…hello?” Raven cautiously greeted her new “host”. “I don’t know how to explain this, but I’ve just been sort of…taken back in time and ended up in…whatever this place is. I was just wondering if you know anyone named ‘Shanoa’.”
Silence.
“Hello? Didn’t you hear me?” The Azarathan asked more assertively. “I said, do you know anybody named Shanoa? I need her if I’m gonna have any chance of getting home! Are you listening to me?”
The Wallachian finally spoke up, but it wasn’t the answer her visitor wanted. “This night–this All Hallows’ Eve. It is indeed a terrible one, is it not?” She turned her eyes towards a stained window on her left.
“For much of its history,” Shanoa recounted, “The peace of this small country has been threatened time and time again by Lord Dracula. For centuries, the legendary Belmont Clan has defeated the mad vampire and protected all of Europe from his tyranny. But tonight, Wallachia is plagued by another great evil–one far more powerful than Dracula could ever hope to become. And now with no Belmont Clan to step in, the task falls upon me to eliminate it.”
“Dracula? The Belmont Clan?” Raven thought with astonishment. “All of this is from my Castlevania novels!” Raven thought. “I thought those were all fictional! Just who is this woman?”
“Um, that’s an…..interesting story and all, but it still doesn’t explain who you are or what I’m doing here.” Raven said.
The vampire huntress laughed quietly and turned to see Raven. “You’re right, how rude of me.” She said, “Allow me to introduce myself.”
“Welcome to the Order of Ecclesia. My name is Shanoa.”
“See? Was it really so hard to just give me a straight answer?” Raven said. “Anyway, my name’s–“
“No need to introduce yourself.” Shanoa interrupted. “I know exactly who you are…Daughter of Trigon.” Her voice suddenly turned cold and menacing.
Raven’s eyes widened! “Wh-what!? How do you–“
SLAM!
The doors behind Raven slammed shut, as if some force was trapping her in!
(Stop music)
“For you see…” Shanoa explained, “I was the one who brought you here through time.”
“You–what!? You’re the one who did this!?” Raven spat in a mix of shock and anger.
The raven-haired Wallachian raised her hand, which glowed with a strange, powerful energy. “
My master Barlowe empowered me with this Glyph, with which I can tear open rifts in time, and draw out anyone whom I wish to my era. It also prevents anybody from warping back. And don’t bother trying to escape. Every door in this church has been shut by a powerful magic since you’ve arrived. You’re trapped in here with me.”
“Why!?” Raven demanded. “Why go through all this trouble to set me up!? What the hell are you trying to accomplish!?”
“My goal is to accomplish the mission that my master bestowed to me: to destroy you, Raven of Azarath.
Raven didn’t respond, but the terrified look across her face spoke volumes.
Shanoa continued, “My master gave me a vision–a short glimpse into a dark and ugly future. Two centuries from now, your body will be used to summon your creator Trigon the Terrible, an ancient and evil creature so powerful that it will obliterate all life across Earth, reducing it to a hellish wasteland. In the name of God, humanity, and the Order of Ecclesia, I, Shanoa, cannot allow you to fulfill this horrid prophecy!”
Shanoa summoned a steel blue rapier into her right hand and took a fighting stance.
“Prepare yourself, demon! I am the morning sun, come to vanquish this horrible night!”
The cornered Raven tried to reason with her. “L-look,! Shanoa! I know what Trigon plans to do with me, but please believe me! I don’t want anything to d–“
“Culter!” Shanoa threw a dagger across the room. It barely missed Raven and landed in the door behind her. The titan felt a small cut across her left cheek. She touched it and saw a drop of blood on her fingers. At that point, Raven was officially pissed off. She put on her hood and charged her hands with her Soul-Self.
“Alright, bitch! If that’s the way it’s gonna go down…”
(Artwork Commission by Pepsi-Jem.)
Raise Thy Swords!!!
“Azarath Metrion ZINTHOS!!!”
Raven fired a black beam of energy from her hands at Shanoa.
The Wallachian rolled to her right and took cover behind one of the pews as Raven fired small, rapid bursts of her soul-self at her. She reduced several church benches to splinters, but failed to hit Shanoa. The vampire huntress leaped out of her cover towards Raven, who intercepted her with another magic blast.
Shanoa fell as she was hit, but performed a graceful backflip and landed on her feet. The vampire huntress fired two bolts of lightning using Vol Fulgar, both of which were deflected by Raven casting a black barrier. The Teen Titan decided to use some air superiority and took flight. As she hovered several feet high, Raven fired more bursts of her soul-self while Shanoa scampered away. Each magic beam exploded like a grenade, creating holes and broken wood where the pews used to be.
Shanoa cast Arcus to summon a giant bow and arrow. The weapon launched a giant crimson arrow that split into multiple smaller ones and rained down. Raven simply caught the arrows with her magic and redirected them at Shanoa. Shanoa rolled backwards to dodge the falling arrows. She avoided most, but one arrow drew a small, but sharp cut down her leg, earning a grunt of pain from her.
The Wallachian hid behind a half-destroyed bench. She tore a piece of her dress and used it to bandage her wound. Shanoa looked back at Raven with frustration.
“Damn it!” She thought. “I’m getting nowhere fighting her from a distance! If there was only some way to get past her defenses.”
Instead of pressing her attack, Raven lowered herself back to the floor. She hoped there might be a chance for her and Shanoa to talk this out.
“Please, Shanoa! Just hear me out! I’m not what you think I–” Raven paused, knowing that was a lie. “Okay, fine. I am. But I swear to you I want nothing to do with Trigon or his stupid prophecy! We don’t have to fight like this! I’m begging you, let’s just talk about this!”
Raven’s pleas fell on deaf ears. All Shanoa was thinking about was her next move. The vampire huntress peeked up and noticed the huge cross-shaped chandelier hanging right over Raven’s position. That gave her an idea. Shanoa cast Vol Fulgar and fired a lightning bolt at the hook keeping the chandelier in place. The heavy metal fixture plummeted to the ground right on top of Raven.
“Shit!” The Teen Titan gasped as she used her magic to stop the falling chandelier before it could smash her. With a loud grunt, she threw the heavy object through a nearby wall of the church. When she turned around, she saw that Shanoa was no longer at her hiding spot.
“Damn it! That bitch!” Raven thought. “She used that chandelier to distract me! Where the hell did she get to!?”
Raven cried in pained surprise when a sword pierced her right shoulder from behind! The blade quickly exited her body, and Raven fell over and clutched her wound in pain.
Standing behind her was Shanoa, holding a steel rapier with a blue hilt. Her plan had worked. She finally struck the first blow.
Shanoa stood ready with her saber, ready to strike at Raven again. The Teen Titan turned around, still keeping her hand on her wound. Though she was hurt, Raven gave an impressed smile.
“Not bad.” She chuckled. “You made me let down my guard.”
“And now that I’m within striking distance, you’re finished!” Shanoa barked back.
“It’s not over yet! You’re not the only one who plays hide and seek!” Raven opened a portal beneath her feet and fell through before closing the portal above her. Shanoa was surprised, but didn’t let that lower her guard. She looked around the room carefully, waiting for Raven to reappear.
The Titan opened another portal from behind and attacked Shanoa with a roundhouse kick to the back of the head! As Shanoa kneeled over, Raven warped out again before reappearing and punching Shanoa in the jaw. The cycle continued for several minutes, with Raven opening and closing portals and striking her foe’s limbs, chest, and face. Raven opened one more portal right below Shanoa and emerged with a powerful Shoryuken-like uppercut! The mighty punch sent Shanoa flying several feet in the air backwards. She performed a rolling flip backwards and landed safely on her feet.
The Wallachian rose to her feet, no worse for wear despite the few bruises she’d received.
“Impressive. It seems you’re not so defenseless at close range.” Shanoa said. “But I’ve survived worse beatings by creatures much more powerful than you! You’ll have to do better than that to defeat me!”
“Trust me, I’m just getting started, bitch!” Raven spat back.
She levitated some broken stones and pieces of wood and sharpened them into spikes. Raven fired the weaponized rubble at Shanoa, who cast Scutum to summon a tall steel shield to protect her. The makeshift projectiles crumbled harmlessly against the shield, leaving Shanoa unharmed. The Wallachian charged forward, using Falcis to summon a large scythe to her hands. Raven fired more black beams, only for Shanoa to dodge them with a corkscrew jump.
The Teen Titan then used her magic to project a wall to hold back Shanoa. The older woman slashed her scythe into the wall over and over to pierce it. Raven did her best to stand firm, but she couldn’t focus due to the stinging stab wound in her shoulder. Shanoa’s strikes caused cracks to form in Raven’s barrier, which only deepened with each hit. Shanoa traded her scythe for a large, iron hammer. With her last swing, she smashed through Raven’s wall and into the Titan herself!
Raven was smashed several feet backwards through the air! She flew several feet backwards and crashed to the ground. By some miracle, her spine didn’t snap from the impact, but it still wounded her severely. Raven barely managed to get to her feet, but was too late to stop Shanoa from charging in.
The Wallachian swung widely with her scythe, drawing a long scar acros Raven’s body. Shanoa then cast Ignis to unleash a ball of fire. The fiery projectile caught onto Raven’s coat, forcing her to remove it before it burned her. Shanoa ended her combo with a powerful gust of wind using Ventus. The roaring gale blew Raven and slammed her back-first into the massive wooden door. She hung for a few seconds before hitting the ground with a crashing *THUD.*
Agony.
That word was nowhere close to what Raven was feeling right now. As powerful as she was as a sorceress, she was still very vulnerable to being hit. The Teen Titan was covered in multiple bleeding bruises and lacerations around her body. Raven’s chest and back felt like they were on fire. A line of blood ran from her forehead down to her left eye and the edge of her lip. Raven tried to stand back up, but her arms and legs were too weak to support her weight. Her vision was blurred, but she could tell Shanoa was walking towards her to finish her off.
“Shit! It hurts so much! Everything hurts! This pain is all I can think about!” Raven screamed inside her head. “Is this it? Is this how I’m going to die? Kidnapped and murdered two hundred years in the past by some witch who barely knows me? No! No, no, no, no, no!“
Suddenly, Raven began to feel something other than the pain. Not a physical sense, but rather an emotion. Not even a singular emotion, but a wave of different ones all at once. Fear. Rage. Humiliation. Despair. Spite. And finally, all of those emotions coalesced into something much darker. Something much more powerful and primal. Finally, Raven understood what she felt.
Hatred. Pure, absolute hatred.
“Shanoa. This is all her fault. This is all because of that–that arrogant, self-righteous bitch!“ Raven thought as she gave into her hate. “I’ll kill her! I’ll kill her! I’LL FUCKING KILL HER!!!”
Shanoa stood over Raven with a cold and merciless glare in her eyes. Her target was too weak and battered to even stand. This fight was all but over. All that was left now was to put Raven out of her misery. Shanoa switched her sword for a halberd, a long polearm with a heavy axe blade at the tip. She held the tip of her halberd behind and aimed for Raven’s neck. One quick downward swing should be enough to sever Raven’s head from its body.
“This is the end for you, demon.” Shanoa said. “Your death will ensure that Trigon will never threaten this world. Return to your master in hell!” The vampire huntress raised her axe upward and prepared to swing!
But all of a sudden, Shanoa’s body just–stopped! She didn’t stop herself by choice–she was held in place by a red aura surrounding her body. “Wh–what is this!?” She thought. “Why can’t I move!? It’s as if my whole body has turned to stone.”
Shanoa struggled and fought to break herself free, but that only made the binding force stronger. She could feel a dark presence of malevolence radiating from the power.
The Wallachian looked with shock as Raven found the strength to stand back up. The Titan’s right hand was pulsing with the same crimson energy that ensnared Shanoa. She looked at Shanoa with a chilling glare of hatred and violence.
Raven was now practically a different person. Her clothes, hair, and even her skin all became dark red just like her magic. She now had a set of four red eyes that glowed like four burning lakes of fire. No longer was she the quiet, rational girl she always was. Now she was a raging, vengeful monster filled with Trigon’s hatred. In other words, she was now Red Raven.
Raven was still wounded, but she was to angry to feel any pain or weakness. Her only desire now was to kill the woman who caused them! She charged her other hand with her magic and used both to lift Shanoa off the floor.
Shanoa’s arms and legs were constricted, as if she was bound by an invisible rope. For the first time since this battle started, the vampire huntress was truly afraid. “Dear God! What have I unleashed!?”
“Shut up and die, you stupid, sanctimonious BITCH!!!”
Raven fired a crimson beam that sent Shanoa flying halfway across the cathedral. She landed hard on the floor. Her dress was scorched, and her chest burned like it was on fire. She stared fearfully at Raven, burning red with her father’s hatred flowing through her.
“Who the hell do you think you are!?” Raven snarled. “You kidnapped me out of my own time, lured me into a trap, and tried to murder me! What gives you the right to do any of this!? You’re not a hero–you’re just a coward and a hypocrite! And I’m going to enjoy staining this whole church red with your blood!”
Shanoa fearfully got back to her feet. “What have I done? This girl–she’s driven mad by Trigon’s rage! She’s become just as powerful as Lord Dracula himself! What do I do now? I have no chance against something like this!” Shanoa shook her head and pushed her fears aside.
No! I can’t think about that! As long as Raven lives, she’s a threat to all humanity! “I must destroy her, even if it costs me my life!” Shanoa summoned another sword into her hand and took a fighting stance. From here on out, she wasn’t only fight to serve her master. She would fight to protect her own life.
Red Raven held out her hands for her next attack…but strangely, nothing seemed to happen.
Shanoa looked at her foe with quiet apprehension. “I know not what other sorcery she’s planning, so I must remain cautious. This girl is unpredictable.” But nothing could prepare Shanoa for what was to happen next.
Without any warning, all of the stained glass windows shattered, and a loud, unnatural wind howled around the sanctuary. The ghostly wind extinguished every candle in the church, leaving it dark except for the pale glow of moonlight. This is exactly what Raven needed.
Blind and confused, Shanoa roared, “Coward! You would dare hide away in darkness!? Show yourself!”
Raven responded–not with words, but with a maniacal laughter that could be heard several miles away. When her laughter died down, Raven asked, “What’s the matter, afraid of the dark!?”
Suddenly, the Wallachian felt something like a gang of snakes crawling around her body. All at once the invisible force squeezed Shanoa’s body and pulled her to the floor! Unable to break free, Shanoa dropped her sword and was dragged painfully across the floor.
In front of Shanoa stood Raven, charging her hands with boiling rage. The intense red light hurt, but allowed Shanoa to see what took hold of her body. Three shadowy tentacles sprouted from the floor by her enemy’s power. Raven continued charging her hands, her rage bathing nearly half the sanctuary in a crimson glow.
“I’m going to send you and your pathetic little church to Hell!” The mad Titan boasted.
“This isn’t over yet, hellspawn!” Shanoa lifted her left arm, which was still free.
“Vol Luminatio!” A large sphere of light magic struck Raven in the face, causing her to reel back in pain. The black tentacles released Shanoa’s body, giving her enough time to fall back. The vampire huntress fled to the darkened half of the church behind her. Raven quickly recovered from the attack, still burning with rage.
“Damn you! Damn you! Damn you! Damn you! DAMN YOU!!!” Raven screamed at Shanoa each time she fired a bolt of energy at her. Each attack blew a massive hole in every wall of the building like a storm of artillery shells. Shanoa took cover behind a broken pew near the altar. She witnessed her beloved chapel being blown to pieces all around, but kept her focus on the fight.
“Something’s gone wrong with Raven’s tactics.” She thought. “She’s so consumed by rage that she can no longer think. Her anger has rendered her shots aimless. Inaccurate. Sloppy. Perhaps I can use this to my adva–”
Shanoa’s train of thought was derailed as a stray bolt buzzed past her face–Raven’s shots were inaccurate, but they were still powerful. Shanoa slid back behind her cover, waiting for her chance to strike.
Meanwhile, the frustrated Titan focused her magic into a singular beam. She fired her beam from left to right, tearing through every wall of the church like a giant drill. Little did Raven know–or care–that she was destroying the pillars and flying buttresses that supported the main ceiling.
Shanoa yelped and ducked beneath the deadly beam of magic that nearly decapitated her. As she rose, she suddenly felt a violent quaking across the chapel as multiple stones fell from above. The Wallachian looked up and was horrified to see what was happening!
“You idiot!” Shanoa roared to Raven, “Do you realize what you’ve done!? You’ve crippled the church’s support to the ceiling! This entire building will implode and crush us both!”
“So be it!” Red Raven replied. “If I go down, I’ll take you with me!” The Daughter of Trigon levitated again and fired beam after beam of her magic at Shanoa.
The older woman’s situation was dire. If it wasn’t Raven’s barrage threatening to kill her, it was the massive chunks of stone and wood plummeting to the ground. Desperate and running out of options, Shanoa cast two Glyphs: a Scutum shield above her head, and more orbs of light with Vol Luminatio. However, her shots were more to distract Raven than to actually hit her. The constant dodging from falling debris made it impossible to aim.
Before either woman knew it, their whole fight became a battle of attrition. The crumbling sanctuary exploded into a brilliant light show as red bolts and white orbs streaked across. Each of their shots blew through each wall of the chapel, making its collapse all the more imminent.
Exhausted and weak, Shanoa tanked two of Raven’s red bolts. Her body burned painfully, but she still held her ground. This drawn-out fight had taken so much from Shanoa that her projectiles became smaller and weaker. Like the collapsing cathedral, Shanoa couldn’t keep standing forever.
Meanwhile, the Raven projected a wall shield that harmlessly reflected several of Shanoa’s shots away. One of the shots bounced directly into the ceiling! The impact caused a downpour of stone and wood. The mad Titan projected a large dome shield that kept her safe while the Wallachian ran and just barely avoided being crushed! Shanoa knew all too well what just happened.
“She’s taken out the main vault! That was the last thing supporting the ceiling! Nothing can hold it now! I have to get out of here!”
The panicked Wallachian raced through a large hole on the east wall, dodging several raining rocks and debris along the way. She barely escaped the imploding chapel in time and made it to the grassy, moonlit wilderness. Behind her, the doomed sanctuary spent its final, painful moments as it moaned and shuddered beneath its own weight. Raven was still inside, holding up her crimson shield with all her might against the avalanche of stone and wood.
“I don’t care what happens!” Raven thought defiantly. “I’ll be damned before I let some stupid building crush me!”
Outside, Shanoa could only in sadness as her beloved sanctuary–the one she’d spent her childhood alongside her master Barlowe and childhood friend Albus–be reduced to rubble. A huge cloud of dust and debris rushed out and enveloped Shanoa, who coughed violently as the ashy cloud filled her lungs. Finally, everything went silent. The sanctuary–the Order of Ecclesia itself–was destroyed.
Were this an ordinary time, Shanoa would fall to the ground, mourning the loss of a place that was her home since she was a child.
However, this wasn’t an ordinary time. She still had a mission to accomplish. As much as it hurt her, the vampire huntress would not dare allow herself to cry. Not until she finally defeats Raven.
Fighting back the tears that pooled in her eyes, the Wallachian slowly walked towards the formless pile of rocks and wood that used to be the church. She cast Secare to make a blue longsword appear in her right hand. She’d hoped that the collapsing church would’ve somehow broken through Raven’s shield and crushed her…but she strongly doubted it. As always, Shanoa prepared herself for whatever her foe was holding in store for her.
Across from Shanoa stood Raven, who was still being protected by her glowing red dome shield. Within moments, the shield vanished, leaving its caster in plain sight. Her blood-red clothes were dotted by several cuts and scratches, and a small trickle of blood spilled out of the right side of her mouth, but none of that concerned her.
“You irritating little cockroach!” Raven hissed. “Not even a falling church can end your pathetic life!”
Shanoa took a small amount of pride with that. “Not happy to see me, I presume?” She replied tauntingly.
“What are you trying to prove!?” Raven shouted. “Look around you! I just smashed your entire church to the ground! All this, for what? To save the world from a prophecy you barely understand? What complete bullshit! You think I’m a coward, but we both know deep down, you’re just a sad little girl, desperate to please your heartless master who sent you on a suicide mission! You’re the coward, Shanoa! Not me–“
“Silence, you monster!” The Wallachian roared back. “Your words are nothing more than the insane rantings of a pitiful creature, driven to madness by her own power!”
Shanoa raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, but it’s not your power now, is it? It’s the power of Trigon. Your father. Your fury has allowed his evil to reduce you to this senseless, deranged monster! In the end, you, Raven, are nothing more than his puppet. His plaything. And I’ll be sure to put you out of your misery, one way or another!”
“I’m tired of listening to your crap.” The Teen Titan replied. “Let’s end this, once and for all.”
Raven focused her focused her magic to create a two-handed sword that glowed a demonic crimson. Raven grabbed her sword with both hands, ready to sever Shanoa’s head from her body.
No more words were spoken, each woman took one last glare at each other, preparing themselves for their final duel. By the time this Halloween is over, someone’s blood was going to be spilled.
Raven charged in with her sword and sliced downwards at Shanoa, who merely sidestepped and parried the Titan’s blade. Raven regained her balance and swung at her foe’s neck, before Shanoa blocked the attack and pushed Raven back. The vampire huntress retaliated with a few quick slashes at Raven’s torso. The Titan took a few hits, but managed to guard against the rest of Shanoa’s attacks. Shanoa focused her magic on her left hand and cast Confodere to equip herself with a second rapier.
Using both her swords, the Wallachian attacked overwhelmed Raven with many heavy slashes and thrusts. Shanoa swung her two blades down to Raven’s head, but was blocked by the latter’s sword, forcing them into a deadlock. Both women pushed against each other with all her strength, but Shanoa was the dominant force. She walked forward, forcing Raven down with each step.
The Titan needed to act before she loses this tug of war. She charged her right hand with magic and fired at Shanoa’s sword-wielding hand. The searing heat from the blast forced Shanoa to drop her sword, leaving her open to a much bigger beam. The blast sent Shanoa crashing into a crumbled piece of wall behind her.
The attack wasn’t enough to kill Shanoa, but she was still badly hurt. The Wallachian shifted her head to avoid being impaled by Raven’s sword and kicked her away. The vampire huntress then stood and slashed the Titan across her forehead. Raven reeled back in pain as blood poured onto her face, but she continued fighting.
The two swordswomen battled ferociously, clashing, blocking, and parrying each other’s blades. However, this long duel was exhausting both of them, and it was only a matter of time until one of them had reached her limit. Unfortunately for Shanoa, she was reaching her limit. She was tired. Very tired. She knew she wouldn’t have enough magic or stamina to keep this up.
It didn’t take long for Raven to notice. “Awwwww……Getting tired, aren’t we?” She said mockingly. There was little Shanoa could do except cry out and step back every time she took a hit from Raven’s sword. The Teen Titan fired a beam of her soul-self at Shanoa, sending her tumbling across the ground. To make matters worse, she’d lost hold of her weapon mid-flight. The Wallachian could barely stand up, let alone fight anymore. At this point, it was only a matter of time before she lost.
“I can’t let it end this way!” Shanoa thought in desperation. “Th-there has to be one last option–some Glyph I haven’t used that can turn all this arou–” Her next thought made her pause in terror.
“Not that Glyph! It’s borne of Dracula’s demonic power! If I use it, then I’ll–”
“No. There’s no other way. If this girl lives, the world will be in jeopardy! I will–I must use that Glyph!” With what little strength she had left, Shanoa rose stood back to full height.
Raven slowly walked towards her enemy with a sadistic smile. “Isn’t it funny?” She taunted. “Wasn’t it less than an hour ago you found me in a similar position? Wounded. Helpless. Beaten. Irony’s a real bitch isn’t it?” She raised her sword to chest-height, preparing to impale the Wallachian. “Well then, I guess this is where we say goodbye. So long and good riddance, ‘Morning Sun’!” Raven thrust her blade at Shanoa…
…Only for the latter to dodge and fire back with a bolt of lightning. The surprise counterattack was sent Raven a few feet away–which was exactly what Shanoa needed.
“No……..this is where we say goodbye!”
Drawing from her remaining magic, Shanoa swung her right hand up and roared,
“Dominus Hatred–Light, fall like rain!”
A pool of light appeared before Raven’s feet and shot out six glowing spears that rocketed her skyward! Those same spears crashed back down to the ground, stabbing through Raven’s body on the way. The Daughter of Trigon felt something…strange about this attack. It was more powerful–more demonic–that what Shanoa threw at her before. She had no time to process this before Shanoa summoned her next spell.
“Dominus Anger!”
Shanoa cast two large fireballs that shot right into Raven’s full body, sending her soaring further back. This left her open for Shanoa’s final Dominus spell:
“Dominus Agony!”
Shanoa’s was coated in a dark violet aura that gave her one last burst of power. She didn’t have much time left, but she was going to use all of it to end this fight once and for all!
“It’s time to die!”
Shanoa charged forward and slashed at Raven with various swords. She knocked Raven into the air with the first two swings and sent her flying backwards with the third.
“Light and darkness! Strike!”
While Raven was airborne, Shanoa used both Vol Luminatio and Vol Umbra to pelt her with orbs of light and darkness. The magical orbs pulverized the hapless Titan, each one exploding like a swarm of guided missiles. The barrage ended quickly, but left Raven battered and weak. Losing consciousness, she began falling to the ground. But that wouldn’t be Shanoa’s final blow.
“Wind, to me. RAGE!!!”
Shanoa got right underneath Raven and prepared her last and strongest attack. She focused on her back tattoo and used Pneuma to charge it with wind magic. Right before Raven fell on top of her, Shanoa unleashed a mighty torrent of wind that sent Raven back into the air! The Titan rocketed dozens of feet into the sky and crashed back down to earth with a bone-crushing *CRACK!*
(Stop music)
And with that, the fight was truly over. Raven was laying facedown on the ground again. The impact from the fall smashed her ribcage and punctured her lungs and heart. The trauma caused internal bleeding in multiple areas and fatally damaged her organs. Meanwhile, Shanoa was still standing, albeit badly weakened after using the Dominus Glyphs.
Raven’s fury and hate faded away. All she could think about now was the searing pain and her impending demise. Her body and clothes reverted to their original blue color.
“Sh-shit.” Raven thought. “It’s over. I can’t fight any longer. I’m going to…” She looked at the pile of rubble and debris surrounding her that used to be the cathedral. “What have I done? I was so consumed by rage that I… Maybe Shanoa’s right. I am just a slave to my father’s will. Maybe the world would be better off without me.”
Her last thoughts was of her friends back at Titans Tower.
“Robin. Starfire. Cyborg. Beast Boy.
I am so, so sorry. You’re all the greatest people I ever met. And you were a real family to me. Thank you for giving me the chance to know you.”
Raven shut and lay permanently still. She was completely dead.
Shanoa had won. She had nothing left to lose. The Wallachian closed her eyes and awaited what was to come next. Her heartbeats and breaths became slow, and her body was shutting down. Her legs felt fragile, like two glass sculptures ready to break. The Dominus Glyphs had sapped away her remaining life force. Within minutes, she too will be dead.
However, she had no regrets. “What’s done is done.” She thought. “I knew this would happen, but it matters not. I fulfilled my mission. With Raven’s death, Trigon will never bring his evil to humanity ever again. This way, I can die knowing that I saved this world from its destruction.
If only I could see Albus just one last time…”
With a small smile, the Wallachian took one last look at her fallen enemy. She then collapsed on the ground right beside her, never to raise again.
A cold wind passed over the two fallen warriors.
The Battle Is Over…
Louis (Exhaustedly) Merde. I can’t believe it took yet another year to rewrite another of our old fights. This WordPress site is such a pain in the ass to work with.
Edward: We wouldn’t have had such a hard time if one of us hadn’t deleted the first bloody half of the fight! You stupid numpty!
Louis: I already said I’m sorry for that! And we still managed to get something close to the original, right? So shut the fuck up!
Mage: (Sighs) Even so, this battle still ended with both Raven and Shanoa dying, just like before. I just know we’re gonna get lambasted in the comments section.
Louis: It wasn’t all bad the last time. And besides, we still have the Epilogue to tie it all together. So, let’s just explain once again why this battle ended the way it did. Truth be told, this battle wasn’t an easy one to decide, even after six years since we first finished it.
Edward: Raven and Shanoa have surprisingly many things in common: they’re extremely powerful mages known for using creative strategies and adapt to most situations..
Louis: Raven’s soul-self power was far more powerful than Shanoa’s Glyphs, but the way she used them pretty much limited them to projecting shields, throwing large objexts, and making solid constructs like Green Lantern.
Edward: On the other hand, Shanoa’s Glyphs were far more versatile, giving her access to weapons like swords, axes, bows, lances, et cetera. Because of this, Shanoa was able to counter whatever Raven could dish out. However, with great power comes great flaws, and these two were certainly no exception.
Louis: True, very true. First of all, both women are glass cannons: they can definitely dish out punishment, but they’re not so good at receiving it. Each one could only take so many hits until either one goes down for good.
Edward: Not only that, but each has their own share of personal weaknesses too. As for Raven, she’s a heavily defensive fighter. She prefers to keep her opponent at a distance or outsmarting them using her flight, telekinesis, or teleportation. But this means that she’s in big trouble when she has to fight up close, as her martial arts skills are well…lacking.
Louis: Shanoa has the opposite problem. She’s all about offense–charging in sword swinging like “LEEROOOOY JEEEEENKIIIIINS!”. While she does have long-range magic Glyphs as well, she tends to use them only when she’s not in a good position to shove a sword up her enemy’s ass.
Edward: And now we come to the two’s most critical flaws. For Raven, it was the rage-induced insanity brought onto her by her Red Raven form. In the first half of this battle, Raven was in control of her emotions, allowing her to think strategically. However, she was eventually overwhelmed when Shanoa got in close to her. The sheer hatred and fury Raven felt at that point allowed her to turn into Red Raven, thus becoming a lot like her father–a raging, bloodthirsty monster. She became twice as powerful, but lost her ability to think calmly, leaving herself open to counterattacks.
Louis: And as for Shanoa, her biggest weaknesses were her three Dominus Glyphs. Conceived by Dracula’s dark power, The Dominus Glyphs take away the life force of whoever uses them, which is why Shanoa only uses them as a last resort. In the last climax of this fight, Raven had pushed Shanoa into a corner. In a last-ditch effort, Shanoa cast her Dominus Glyphs, which gave her the power she needed to put down Raven for good. However, using them took away Shanoa’s life as well, ending the battle for both of them. Ironically, Shanoa’s greatest power was ultimately her greatest weakness.
Edward: Oh, and what about Raven’s White form? She only gets into that state very rarely, and usually happens only when she becomes free from her father’s influence on her mind. Rather hard to do that in the middle of a fight, especially when she’s already consumed by rage. So……with all that said, who should we declare the winner?
(Louis and Edward take a few minutes to deliberate.)
Edward: Well, the last time we ended this in a tie. But….since Shanoa did technically defeat Raven….maybe we’ll give this one to her?
Louis: Fine by me. Both women gave it their all and fought spectacularly. Even though it cost her life, Shanoa proved that even Titans can be toppled.
.THE WINNER, JUST BARELY….
….IS SHANOA.
Raven (Loser):
* Soul-self was more powerful, but less versatile (+/-)
* Defensive fighting allowed for tactical and creative thought.(+)
* Powerful at long range (+)
* Weaker when fighting up close. (-)
* Basically limited to flying, shooting beams, throwing objects, teleporting, and creating objects. (-)
* White Raven could only be achieved by Raven’s total freedom from Trigon’s possession. (-)
* Critical Weakness: Red Raven form made her twice as powerful, but took away her strategic thinking (+/-)
Shanoa (Winner):
* Glyphs were less powerful, but more versatile (-/+)
* Rushdown tactics allowed for quick thinking and adaptability (+)
* Weapon Glyphs made her excellent at close range… (+)
* Vulnerable at long range. (-)
* Limited to battling up close and occasionally using her environment (-)
* Critical Weakness: Dominus powers are extremely powerful, but drain Shanoa’s life. (+/-)
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