Back to Reality, or something like it

Garlo stood in the center of the simulation room, a training area specifically for environmental sparring matches. Usually if he were to enter this room, it would be to observe others. No one had actually faced him in a long time, though he had done some private practicing. Now, however, he had an opponent. Raven stood directly across from him, waiting for him to attack first, for several minutes neither moved. Finally she lost her patience. "What are you waiting for? I thought we were going to go at it."

He smiled beneath his mask. "Giving you one last chance to reconsider."

She smirked at him, leaning lightly to her left, giving him the deception that she would move in that direction once they started. "Dream on."

"Very well, there are two ways to lose. Fall unconscious, or yield. Other then that, there are no limitations." He stepped back and stretched lightly, she could hear his bones cracking as he moved. "Vic, load program GARLO."

A screen opened on the wall, Vic's face frowning at his friend. "Isn't that a little unfair, she's a rookie man. You can't expect her to fight in that type of situation."

Raven spoke up, "What exactly is this program?"

Vic turned his face toward her, "A combination of several environments, like a deserted city half buried in the desert. It changes constantly, at random. A building might pop up from nowhere, it might go from blistering sun to freezing winds to acid rain within seconds. It was created for those who are of super elite status, to train for the unpredictable. Not for anyone else. A total of eight people in the entire base are allowed to access it. Definitely not a place you would want to face him. It wouldn't be fair Garlo, choose a different program."

Before the masked man could reply, the woman said something that sparked a deep anger from within him. "No, I chose the game and the stakes, let him chose the field." She looked straight at Garlo, "It will let him feel in control. Let the baby have it's bottle after all."

Vic burst out laughing, Raven swallowed a large lump in her throat. She could see the anger in the green eyes from across the room. It was at least as large as the entire roof of Titan Tower, so that was saying something. Finally being able to let her emotions out was staring to get her into trouble. Resisting the smart ass comments was harder then she thought, no wonder BB had done it so often.

He tossed his mask to the side, letting it fall to the ground. Grinning wickedly, he said just loud enough for her to hear. "I hope your a screamer."

The double meaning in his words sent a shiver down her spine, but she just played the same game. "Even if I lose, BEAST BOY, you will be the one screaming and barely conscious."

Vic was laughing like a mad man while the program was set into place. Several buildings materialized between the two fighters, a synthetic sky appearing above, and knee high water covering the ground. It was amazing, she could even feel the cold from the water beneath her boots.

Ducking left between two buildings, she made her way to the last place she had seen Garlo. Moving as silently as possible, she paused when the sound of foot steps in the high liquid came from her left. Turning slowly, she followed the sound of the noise.

Leaning against a wall, she waited for her prey to pass looking at her hand. From what she saw, her gasp gave her position away. Ducking behind another doorway, she ducked low hoping for a chance to study the abnormality while hiding. Staring at her hand, she flexed the now twice as long fingers with sharp talons coming off the end. The blackened skin covering all the way to her upper arm. This was connected to her powers somehow, but it wasn't the time to try and figure it out.

Running her finger nails along the wall, she saw the deep indentations of her own claws work. This could be a handy weapon. Taking a dagger from her thigh, she threw it straight across the alleyway from her, making a lot of noise. Then she waited.

Her wait wasn't long, as water treading footsteps moved past her in the direction of the noise. waiting only a moment more, until he had passed, she turned the corner and ran right at his figure in the sudden foggy and wet environment.

Her energy enhanced fist buried itself into the side of his chest. A low grunt came form the man as they both did a light dance along the floor. Garlo silently cussed, Vic had done this on purpose. The machine knew he hated water, so he gives him a situation where he is in constant contact with the stuff.

And this girl, so quick, so stealthy, had gotten the first hit, she was really getting under his skin, and he liked it. He couldn't remember ever loosing the first hit to a human. His heart started pumping overtime, jerking his body to the left, he sent them each flying in different directions. When he finally stood, he didn't notice the large indentation from the impact in the cement wall. His opponent had disappeared completely, only a red splatter over the wall she had hit was any sign that she had been there.

Raven stood back and watched, holding her right shoulder in the blackened claw that was her hand. This wouldn't last long at this rate. That attack had hurt her. He didn't know it though. Taking a deep breath, she fell beneath the water, and glided silently over to where Garlo now stood searching for a sight of her. Grasping his ankle, she jerked her body from the water, all of her strength going into pulling him from his feet. Garlo's place slammed face first into the ground, water snorting up his nose. Groaning he stood.

Whipping around, he expected her to dodge the first attack, by the knee bringing up the rear hit her right in the face. As he moved forward with a flurry of punches and kicks, elbows and knees, he was amazed that not only did she block most of them, but attempted many of her own. A solid stroke of the claw cut deeply into his face. He could feel the sweat running over his body. His heart was pounding a mile a second. A swift kick sent her flying backward, giving Garlo a moment to compose himself.

Raven hit hard, her shoulders and elbows killing her. She didn't know she could hit that hard, and this claw was enhancing her strength, at least in that arm. It didn't matter though, after that last attack she knew unless she pulled off something big, he would destroy her.

She felt something slide along her fingertips as she rose. Thinking quickly she shoved it in her pocket for later. As she looked up, he was running at her again. Swing after swing went her way, she could hear his breath becoming raged over her's. He was extremely sweaty from exertion, and his movements were more stiffened then before. He was trying to concentrate, she just didn't know about what.

That damned girl, making him think all those thoughts. Bringing parts of his body to life for the first time in a long time. Even this close contact with her was making him breath harder. He had to end this now, before his mind was consumed with those images. Swinging hard for the face, he screamed in pain as his fist came in contact with a metal mask.

Raven held up the mask she had only found a moment ago, using it as a shield against his swinging fist.

A hard kick sent her rolling to the side, the mask now far from reach. Garlo once again stood over her, this time raising his foot, about to stomp her head in. She couldn't give him any satisfaction. She didn't blink as she saw it descending, until it was so close she could feel the tip of his heel on her nose.

His breath was ragged, heart beat, erratic, and his eyes would only focus when they were on her. Moving away from her to hide his obvious physical arousal, he grabbed his mask and replaced it over his face. "I yield."

She wondered how the short fight had taken so much out of him. "You could have won." It wasn't a question.

He didn't even turn to her, "I don't win things like that, I am offered them for free." It was a truth, but somehow she didn't think he took many offers up.

The simulation faded as Garlo left the room. "What about my prize?"

"Vic will send you directions to my room, until then, brag to everyone you meet, you are the first to even survive that training coarse against me." He spoke quickly to hide his emotions.

"Why did you let me win?"

It was a question, and she had made him promise. "I...You touched me in a way that I haven't been touched in a long while. I didn't want to end up winning the match and losing control. It becomes a problem. Now I have to go release some tension."

He left quickly, unwilling to take on more questions, and not wanting to know where the actions from those answers might lead.

Raven sat against a wall, holding her arm. It was definitely going to hurt in the morning. Vic's voice made her damn near have a heart attack right there.

"I know who you are Rave."