'Till I Collapse

Finding herself in tight spots was not at all odd for Raven. She only had a century's worth of enemies who were only waiting to be given a chance so they could lash out with their stolen guns at her. In this peculiar encounter with a forgotten enemy who had been last recalled falling into a burning fortress on Beverly Hills she had traditionally won the first battles. And as her pride got a little to her head, She'd been betrayed by her lucky stars.

In other words. SHE was the one hanging from the cliff.

Her competitor seemed to be quite proud of his achievement; he was the first man who had knocked her off a cliff. "I told you..." He said. An odd smile played on his lips. "I will be back."

"So you are back. Did your ass got missed being kicked by me so much that you came all the way down here, to meet the girl Lucifer is scared of?"

"Aww, You can't be all that."

"Oh yeah?" She said flipping her hair which usually fell before her eyes. "You shouldn't be talking so... Remember?"

He winced, of course he remembered.

"You do. SO you see you better kill me fast, Alec, Cause if my leash gets untied then I'll be using that gun... on you."

"Why would I?" He yelled. To her eyes he seemed like a little child fussing over bedtime.

"You would if you had the brains to know who I am which you obviously don't." She said. "You don't even get me after what I did to you."

"But why should kill you fast? What if I want a slow painful death for you?" He said as if he'd won in some point of an argument. "You look like the type of person who would enjoy that kind of thing."

"Because, you fool, there will always be a chance of escape." She smirked as she placed her feet on a rock, Swung backwards a few times, jumped, arched her body, and landed on the cliff... Feet first.

She was standing in front of a very startled Alec. Reacting almost on instincts she grabbed the gun and snatched it from his hands. After dropping the cylinder on the ground, she threw it down the cliff. She was absentminded throughout the process, more concerned on Alec's reaction than anything else. His eyes widened and he stared at her with a look of a clueless monkey.

"Trust me, kid," She said straightforwardly. "You don't want to bring a weapon into this."

His eyes then narrowed into little slits of Ice Blue. "Whatever" and he drew his fist to his.

Before he could react otherwise, she kicked him in his stomach. Arching back he held his stomach, owing under his breath, he narrowed his eyes at her until they were barely slits. She smiled coldly and jerked him to herself by his hand, and then, placed a firm arm over his neck and another around his waist, disabling him to break free.

"This is the part I like the most." She said, rather gleefully.

He placed his hands behind her arm, which strangled his neck, and pushed. But her arm was somewhat like the vises of a jungle.

"Now, What did I ask you before?" she said tilting her head. "Oh Yes.. Your Boss."

That name, that word seem to crack every nerve in him, he broke free, pushing her arms with such a surprising new force, that seemed to develop miraculously in him, that even she was almost caught stunned.

Before he would say anything, Before she had the chance to grab hold of him and pin him down. He jumped. Without a word. Without a moan. Without hesitation he jumped off the cliff leaving her in a stunning silence.

It was not the first time.

That was the problem. And it made her furious. Absolutely furious

"Jackass!" She swore and kicked at a pebble, which took off and dived 200 feet into the cliff.

She had encountered many of his pawns. Mostly Street urchins, those were the most easiest to find for her. All loyal as lost puppies to him. All ready to give up their lives for him. All of whom ended their own lives before revealing anything about him to her. Like young brave, stupid, soldiers at war. Very stupid.

Her aunt flashed through her mind. Since she was seven her aunt moved to Port Huron to take care of her, because her parents had 'died'.

Her aunt, poor aunt Everlyn. She always tried to help Raven. Get her to start talking about her 'problems'. Well, not only Aunt Everlyn. The entire neighborhood did something to help. Invite her to their little parties. Some boys had asked her to school dances, even if she hadn't notice their insignificant existence on planet earth. She wasn't a part of their society.

She had considered, giving all this up, returning home in vain, to just live like a normal teenager. A normal human being. And stop making Aunt Everlyn worry too much. Just become a part of society, Hang with friends. And more importantly make some friends.

But she will not.

Never.

She still remembered her father. Bright, shining, and smiling. He had told her never to lay astray, follow her what her heart wants. Because that's what she needs.

And Raven needs revenge.

It's funny how some people dub tasks they did not even try as 'Impossible'. If something's lost you don't lay open your hands and wait for it to fall there. You go look for it.

The all time lord of drug-dealing.

Hi I'm looking for the Lord of Drug-dealing. That isn't the best way to make friends.

Demolishing the illegal drug business wasn't her goal. Maybe a side goal, since her father had loathed drugs. Her goal was to find him. And then go find his wife.

How does she expect to get revenge if she just waited to be struck by lightening like an idiot? She would rather be ran over by a train, hit by lightening twice at once, and then be eaten by wild animals then to rather not see her father revenge... and more importantly, her own.

That Woman killed everything that's bright and innocent in her. She killed a child, and her lifeline. Most importantly she smothered murdered.

So she will forever go on this obsession of hers, and no matter what she won't let fate run over her like an eighteen-wheeler. She would never let anything in her way. Hell, she'll shoot eighteen times in the heart to if she must to get rid of it. She won't give up even if there wasn't any evidence, any clue to lead the way to Her.

The clouds cleared up revealing a perfect silver moon. She sat down on a rock, staring up. Her father always loved the night.

Another day, another death, another no hint.

Sighing, she stood up. Thank God her grandma was ill in Lansing, Aunt Everlyn went over to nurse her, if she hadn't. She'd have to see Aunt Everlyn hectic and still awake, awaiting Raven's arrival.

Why did Aunt Everlyn did that to her? Didn't she have work in the morning?

Family could be... Weird.

As she started to walk away. Her eyes spotted something, that she didn't exactly notice before.

She had an absent memory of clicking a button and dropping the cylinder to the ground before throwing the original revolver down the cliff.

She had found a piece of the puzzle... After all these years.

A paper was folded over the cylinder. Alec intended to hide that from her.

She scrambled over there, her cat's silent steps disappeared. All she could care about was finding that. She wanted to find the first piece of the puzzle.

She opened slit after scrambling through for a few times, trying to take a good grip on it. She felt like a child again. A young girl who tried to entrap soft sand in the palms of her hands. scrambling and falling over herself.

Opening she read the word out loud:

'Find me, Find me

You want to find me…

Are you a fool?

You say no.

Yet to try find me.

A fool you are but here's a hint.

I am next to where every woman's heart lies.

The center of power.

Next to the one that glimmers in the light.

I am near bodies of the dead.

I lay beneath hardiness, innocence, and the brilliancy of the fifty.

Find me, Find me.

How will you find me?

Find me, Find me.

If you can.'

Raven felt her hands tremble. Her body slumped backwards and stopped from collapsing to the ground by a large tree. Her body rested against the tree bark as her mind raced for answers.

Nothing came up. Nothing could come up.

What the Hell!

Frustrated and Exhausted. Raven had another memory of her classmates happily chatting of some celebrity. While she crossed over the names of the men she killed last night off her Hit List. They seemed to be at peace. Smiling, Happy... Idiots!

Even so, Ignorance IS bliss.

'Quitters never prosper' a voice said in her head. She was used to have it ringing in her head

She took another look at the newfound 'Hint' read it again. Twice. Thrice.

"Every achievement is a victory. And remember, Kid, Even if you feel broken down and still don't have an answer, Take a goodnight sleep and try again tomorrow. You'll get there eventually. " her dad had said. "Promise me, Kid, You'll never give in?"

The 7-year-old smiled a toothy grin. "Promise!"

Raven looked another look at the poem. Without reading... Just words scribbled across the paper... Words could be the most difficult of codes. But she will never give up..

'' 'Till My Legs Give Up.

'Till My Eyes Burn Out.

'Till They're Sought Out.

'Till My Bones Collapse. '' She sang, as she rode all the way home