It didn't

Nothing happened, both sides still processing what happened. Each one doing mental math at their chances going forward.

Then Cole saw the Golem’s head snap towards him, it’s 'eyes" glowing bright red. And the starting motion of its right shoulder.

“Oh shi..”

It was a lazy hurried uppercut, something before easily dodgable, but Cole knew his body. He couldn’t move in time while he was like this. The boxer put his arms up in an X to guard and tried summoning his Shadow to slow the blow, any amount at all. He was tapped out of juice though; only a flimsy thin sheet of darkness answered his call.

The fist broke through that weak barrier without slowing as it slammed into Cole. He was fairly certain he heard the crunch of something, several somethings probably, breaking as his body recoiled from the hit. The **** of the blow carried Cole up off his feet and flung him through a wall on one side of the alley. Cole didn’t even process his body breaking through the brick and mortar… or was it steel and wood? His vision was blurred and the agony was coming in waves as his nerves came back online to the pain.

“Wall or garage door… the hell did I hit…” Cole thought as he tried to progress where he was and his body's state. The where was hard to tell, some sort of back storage room it seemed; completely devoid of light save for the hole he made. His body however was an easier thing to analyze.

Legs? Check, barely move them but they work.
Arms? Hurt like hell, can’t move his left, still attached though.
Head? Right Eye cloudy, that’s bad. Mask is probably torn up.
Body? Something feels wet on his left side.., did he slam into a water pipe or something?

He was still breathing though as he tried to get up. That failed miserably, but the third try saw Cole stumble up and groggily head back through the opening. One step, two steps three…., and his body just broke as he fell. He barely got his legs under him so he would fall on his face, instead falling to a more kneeling position. Cole was simply unable to move anymore.

“Heck if it wasn’t for Cupid’s adjustments and that Potion, I’d probably be dead.” Cole darkly thought as he tried to raise his head to take in the alleyway.

“Oh fuck you…” was all he could say about what he saw.

The Golem has stayed where it was, too busy absorbing the dumpster that clung to its arm. That wasn’t the soul crushing part; Cole assumed it would heal from the damage if his attempt failed. It was the bright glow coming from the thing’s shoulder, visible though the massive wound Cole had left in it. The same glow that came off that orb that started this whole thing.

“It’s in the shoulder… it’s in the god damn shoulder…”

Cole had completely failed to even touch the Orb. It slowly floated it’s way back to the torso as the damage healed up, pulsing like a heart as the Golem finished closing the wound. The stone figure seemed to flex a bit, trying to see if it's range of motion was still intact. An exhale of air was heard through the alleyway. Slate let out the held breathe he wasn’t aware he was still holding, as he gave off a nervous laugh.

“Ooooh woo woo boy, that was close.” A smile forming on his face, “I’ll be honest that was a clench moment there. I gave you good odds on finishing it there but hey, when you look like you’re covered in Darkness as you ran forward, that was suspicious. So had to do something." Slate gave a shrug before adding, "Good try though.”

“You… you moved it, at the last minute…” Cole fought to say, his breathes long and painful. His right hand gripped hard in a fist to try and focus his rage into some outlet, even if it was useless like this.

“Yeah… yeah I did.” Slate’s hand glowed that yellow energy again, “Just kinda had its internal rock shift the core out the way. Again, good try, I wasn’t expecting that big attack from you. Good try real good try.” He made a small show of clapping before giving a motion with his hand to which the Golem answered the command.

“Time to just put you down though. Don’t hate me for this though, you’re just too dangerous.” Slate called out with a shrug and a dismissive wave.

Cole could only watch as the construct grabbed another dumpster, it’s hands crunching the sides as it started to lift it.

“Not…. Even gonna..” he grumbled, his throat going dry as he realized what was happening.

“Come close? No, no no, nononono; again you seem too dangerous and have a knack for pulling tricks out of your sleeves.” Slate shot back as he made a slow motion towards the Golem, “Nah easiest thing to do is just crush you from range. You seem half dead already but, I’m not stupid enough to give you a chance.”

"Besides those damn eyes are freaking me out." Slate thought as he stared at the crumbled figure. Even half dead already, something about the man's eyes through that stupid ripped up wolf mask of his; those weren't the eyes of a dead man...., or even a man really.

No..., whatever this guy was, his eyes made Slate feel like he was up against a cornered beast. Bloodied, wounded, but not dead. This wanna be hero couldn't have anything left in the tank right..., that's what his mind told him. But something about this told Slate, deep in his bones, to just keep his distance. That fire in those eyes weren't out yet..., and the man had surprised him enough already.

"Pretty sure they were a different color too.... but that might be blood in them now...., whatever. Over thinking this." Slate mused to himself as he motioned for the golem to get on with it, "Turn this guy into paste from distance is the safest thing to do..., rather not see him try to pull a 'You're coming with me' move or something."

Cole could only stare at his **** slowly being prepared. His family not knowing what happened to him, Charlotte not hearing from him again, the Titans robbed of their friend due to his stupidity…., Raven…., Raven!

Cole’s good eye widened as the Golem reached the apex of its throwing stance.

“That… that was kinda cheap of you…” Cole called out as the Golem paused to take aim.

“Oh don’t hate me cause I won. Don’t be a poor sport on me at the end here.” Slate called back as he folded his arms, “You did well but lost in round three. Take your loss with some dignity.”

"Two on one don't seem fair to me. Would have won if you didn't move it." Cole shot back, leaning backwards just a bit as he accepted what was coming, "I mean moving that core was a good play but what the hell was I supposed to do there?"

"You know, if you live through this, SOMEHOW, come back and try dismembering it next time?" Slate fired back as he brought a hand up. One quick wave it and would be over...

"That's a good idea."

Slate turned fast to see where that new voice had come from, but a much closer and louder sound drew his attention back. Like the sound of massive metal on rubble..., like that of those massive power saws they use to get trapped victums out of collapsed buildings or car wrecks. Snaping his head back to the Golem, he saw two onyx black massive buzz saws had been slammed vertically through the Golem's arms, causing the pair to fall to the ground along with the dumpster they held.

"What in the he..."

Slate's curse was cut off as before his eyes, the darkness seemed form too more buzz saws, this time horizontal, cutting the golem at it's 'knees' and around it's shoulders. The Golem, the ace his boss had given him, had just been instantly bisected twice into six parts now. Before anything could fall to the ground, that inky void started to sprout several tiny little buds across the surface of the blades. With a small twitch, each bud extended out into a sharp point, as if several long needles were summoned by the void. Each needle ripping into the Golem's body, piercing through it's hard stone and punching out the other side. More and more needles were formed, each one growing longer and larger as it turned the rock body into a pincushion from the inside out.

The thug's eyes were drawn to a soft glow around one needle. It was the core, one of the shadow pin things had pierced right though it and was extending longer than the rest of it's kin. Up and up, into the air above him where it stopped before it quickly retracted, leaving the orb hovering in place as it was freed by the needle. Before being caught by an outstretched hand.

It was a woman. Just.... floating there in the sky. A long cape or cloak covered the majority of her body, the edges of that black fabric looking shredded and cut just right to make Slate think of feathers. What was under that was a long body suit, crisscrossed with different belts and buckles, with a number of small objects attached to them. Some sort of guard was in place over the woman's..., well ample chest and hips, along with her stomach. Long stockings or maybe boots covered her legs too, and long gloves adorned her hands. He couldn't see her face, a veil of darkness seemed to cover her face..., it looked shaped like that of a bird's head.

https://upload-os-bbs.hoyolab.com/upload/2022/06/18/174481087/65a2ed6a851b489a091060117d86abba_714594827398303012.jpg (Something like this but maybe less edgey/evil looking)

"You don't need this.... do you?" The woman's stern voice called out as she waggled the orb in her grip, "It does seem too valuable for someone like you."

"Aright... I'm done with this," Slate grumbled as his power answered his building rage, coating him in yellow energy, "I'm just gonna bur..."

He didn't get another word out before he found himself in the air, just floating there. What had this woman just done....., what could this woman DO?

"Sorry, I have experience with someone like you." The woman's voice came from beside him.

He snapped to his right and saw the woman was right next to him, how'd she get there that fast. Before another thought could cross his mind, a black covered fist slammed into his face. Slate had a moment of pain before he blacked out .

"Puppeteer too it seems." Raven grumbled as she wrapped him up in darkness before floating the both of them down to the ground. With a flick of her hand, that showy mass of blades and needles started to melt back into the darkness, leaving nothing but rubble behind.

"I suppose that does explain why he didn't come back though." Raven thought as she looked over the scene, noting the mother and daughter couple huddled in fear of her. Along with two more knocked out figures. "Better safe than sorry." the heroine thought as she wrapped them up tight too.

"Thank... thank you." The little girl called out as her mother held her.

"Well..., we couldn't just leave you to them could we..., Partner?" Raven called out as she carefully selected her words.

She was gonna strangle him. First vanishing, then getting into a fight, then being a 'hero' like this; everything she wanted to try and AVOID while in this place, Cole had just gone and done it. Well better check on him first before chewing him out. God he was just like BB in some ways. Raven started floating over to the boxer, only for her anger to start turning to fear.

Cole looked like hell. His left arm was clearly broken, gashes all over his body, a large wound over his right eye that didn't look like it was seeing anything, bits of rock and metal embedded into his flesh; how the hell was he still alive? Raven hurried over, crouching and tearing off parts of her cloak to use as bandages.

"God DAMNIT ... Why didn't you wait for me? Why were you this STUPID to risk your... BOTH our lives like this you.." Raven started, her voice loud but shakey. Only for Cole not to respond. "Hey... HEY DUMBASS! Answer me alrea..."

Raven's words died in her throat when she saw a massive amount of blood on his clothes, on his left side. The side that had a length of metal poking out of it.

"Cole... focus Cole!" Raven cried, patting his face hard, trying to get him awake and focused, "Cole wake up! COLE!"

"COLE!!!"

There was darkness and pain..., and something else.