Raven Rewritten

Lola - Rewrite 1

Pain. Indescribable pain. My skin was ripping itself off my body, like I was a snake shedding its skin. Icy daggers bit into my legs and arms, writhing around, trying to force more blood out of my wounds. Oh god, my wounds. My left leg was twisted weirdly beneath me, my right sticking out at an odd angle. Nearly all the skin from my left shoulder was gone, and my arm hung limply at my side. The sun was too bright as it forced its way through my eyelids, shedding light on the terrible thoughts in my head with alarming speed. The only comforting one was that it would all be over soon - I was going to die. No one could survive that fall. The sea rumbled beneath me, lapping at the rocks I was lying on, teasing me.
'I can help you', it whispered. 'Just let me reach you'.
I relaxed, ready to escape the world I loathed so much - a need only satisfied by death itself.
I felt a push in the small of my back, and I smiled. I was free at last - just a few more excruciating seconds...

'Lola'

It wasn't the sea that was talking.

My eyes snapped open, a move I immediately regretted as the light flooded in and I fell back onto the rock, swearing loudly. I opened one eye, cautiously this time. The sun was blocked by a shadow now, and I squinted up at what was casting it. A girl stood above me, her auburn hair pulled back into a neat. She was dressed in a strange silvery material that reflected her surroundings, making her seem invisible.
'Salt water helps it heal quicker', she said. When I didn't move, she gave me a swift kick in my back again, and I rolled over the edge of the rock and into the swirling water below.
A torrent of swear words left my mouth as the salt seeped into my wounds. I used my one good arm to thrash about in the water and pull myself back to the rock. The girl folded her arms and raised an eyebrow as I struggled.
'Wow Lola, you're so brave', she said sarcastically. 'How you were ever a successful assassin, I'll never know'.
'What?' I spluttered, spraying water all over her. The corner of her mouth twitched up into a grimace as she flicked the globules of spit and water from her jacket.
'You heard me. You were an assassin - a good one too'. She looked me up and down. 'Apparently'.

I shifted my weight onto my good arm, wincing. As much as I hated to admit it, the sea water had helped. I could see the first stages of scabs forming all over my body. I spat out more water and sand, unable to get the words out.
'Having trouble?' sneered the girl.
I looked up again. That sneer reminded me of someone. someone from a time before this one, before Clark and Matt and marriage - a person that laughed at and criticised everything I did.
'Hardison?' I croaked.
A foot was suddenly in the middle of my stomach, pinning me down to the rock. My tired, battered body couldn't fight for long, so I lay there defeated, panting.
'Don't you dare compare me to her', she spat through gritted teeth.
'Why?'
'Because I hate her a thousand times more than you ever could', she finished, kicking my shoulder. I fell backwards into the water and it rushed into my eyes, my lungs. I pulled myself up again, choking.

When I resurfaced, she was gone.