Once, there was only darkness.
Then, the light came, and the two did battle. The darkness was ultimately cast from its position of supremacy, even as the light fractured and scattered amongst the life that bloomed, the unified radiance reduced to seven lesser strands.
Among that life were the inhabitants of the planet Maltus. One member, Krona, committed a terrible deed that scarred existence. In penance for his actions, the Maltusians swore to protect and bring order to the cosmos. They relocated to a planet named Oa, and became known as the Guardians of the Universe.
But the Guardians were not perfect. In their best intentions, they committed many errors. Factions of Guardians broke off to pursue the goal of peace and order in their own fashion, or washed their hands of the whole affair. Ultimately, the Guardians would learn to harness a mighty light fueled by willpower, and create a organization of protectors to bring their justice, order, and peace. It was known as the Green Lantern Corps, and their radiance would stand against many foes and powers, including some of their very number. The Guardians, as said, were not perfect, even in their selection of who to serve as Green Lanterns.
The Guardians also never knew that the light they seized control of was just one of the diffused strands, a part of a greater whole.
Nor that the darkness that had opposed this greater light was not gone.
Or perhaps they did, for recorded in their ultimate tome of knowledge, the Book of Oa, was a terrible prophecy. It spoke of a War of Light, and the ultimate end of the Green Lantern Corps. Whether it was from hubris, willful ignorance, or perhaps fear, the Guardians hid this knowledge away, refusing to acknowledge it.
It is too late now.
A new light arose, the yellow light of fear, spearheaded by the ultimate enemy of the Green Lantern Corps, the fallen Lantern Sinestro. This new Sinestro Corps would only be the first, as the other colors of the light would soon rise. The red light of rage. The orange light of avarice. The violet light of love. The blue light of hope. The indigo light of compassion. All would form their own Corps, in their own fashions. And none of them could tolerate the existence of some of the other aspects.
The War of Light has begun.
But that was not the worst.
Every Green Lantern knew the oath.
"In brightest day, in blackest night…"
As the War of Light continues, all will learn that this is no abstract terror to enforce a creed.
The blackest night is very real. With light seeking its own destruction, the Darkness has returned. It believes life is an aberration that has poisoned its once-perfect existence. It will brook life's blasphemy no more.
It will have it all back. By the power of the black light.
"The Blackest Night falls from the skies…
The darkness grows as all light dies…
We crave your hearts and your demise…"
Boogeymen Gaiden: The Carriage
Part 1: The Nadir of Yesterday
"The blackness of the night recedes, so does the nadir of yesterday. The child I am forgets so quickly."
-Sylvia Ashton-Warner
"I see black light."
-The last words of author Victor Hugo
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"You seem distracted. Is something bothering you?"
"What? Oh, no I was just…taking some comfort that the office hasn't seemed to change much…I suspect that's about all that didn't change after…what happened. To the world, this last time."
Silence.
"Do you think you'll need another donation? It could be troublesome, as I don't want anyone tracing anything to this institution…"
"If it's troublesome, why make the offer?"
"…my world has intruded on yours so much…and neither you, nor this place, deserves it. If I can't prevent it…I could at least try and fix it…"
"So was Darkseid's ability to do what he did somehow under your control, or do you just feel guilty?"
"…I feel like I should have come back here more. But there was just so much crap after the Battle of Metropolis…we had a year of the Titans recruiting, trying to form new teams, splitting up, not even mentioning the mess of the Everyman Project and Black Adam…then we stabilized in time for the Sinestro Corps to invade…and then…then…"
"Then what?"
"I'm not sure…I'll come back to that in a sec. You see, I'm back because of what happened during the last dark time. That…and something else."
"Care to explain then?"
"During what happened, with Darkseid…someone died. True, many people died, and most of them are just as tragic…but this person…it just seems impossible they could die. They were so…damn good, for lack of a better term. I'm sorry, I can't give details for obvious reasons…but this person…they were a lynchpin in so many ways. With them gone…I don't know. I just don't know…"
"Well, you're still here, doing what you can do to help people."
"Yes, and I won't let this stop me, but…there's something else. The something else I mentioned a second ago. Before Darkseid. I…I think I might have done something really bad."
"What do you mean by bad?"
"…there was an incident…about a year ago. It involved that constant problem we had around those times, I believe I mentioned it once or twice. This incident…I don't know what happened. I woke up and it was over, and apparently whatever happened during that time was blanked from my memory. I was given a report on what went down from a survivor, and it should have ended there…but…something changed. The way the survivor treated me changed. She tried to hide it, and move on…but I'm not a complete fool for love, Dr. Sidlakus. The way she's acted this past year…something happened during the incident. And if it affected her this deeply, and she still won't tell me…then it must have been so terrible that none of us could literally handle the truth. And if it was that bad, then how could…"
"How do you know it was something you did, not something that was done to you?"
"I think there might have been something of both in there. If it was just one or the other, I suspect our relationship would be over or back to normal. Instead…I thought we'd hit a rough patch last Christmas and fixed it up, but as time went by…it just wouldn't return to normal. There was always something there, looming over it. And the worst part is…I don't think I really want to know what I did. Or what someone made me did. At least until that person died, in this last crisis, and I was reminded that nothing lasts forever. I…"
Silence again.
"We see so much DEATH, Dr. Sidlakus. Not just in life terms. We watch innocence die, peace of mind die, the concept of normalcy die, minds die…hell, I think I may have actually met Death itself. Or an aspect. Or the overall guiding force. There's a lot of theological confusion over who seems to be in charge when it comes to life ending: I think I met the top being in charge, but there are others who think they are death. Or run death. Or run death as it comes in certain ways. Or they're impersonating, which is really-grahahhhhh. water please."
The silence this time was briefly interrupted by a thud of a glass hitting the table.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you."
"I didn't do anything."
"Ahuh…I'm beginning to wonder if this is really something you can do therapy about, doctor. There was nothing I could do for that person who died…and as for my relationship…what can I do if she won't tell me what happened or let go of what I did…or worse, if what I did was so bad she can't let go…"
"You certainly seem set on the idea that there's nothing you can do. Why do you assume that?"
"…this life I live doctor…it's not one of action. It's one of reaction. Something happens, and we react to it…and we just hope our reaction is good enough. Hell, I've done nothing but react ever since…since…"
"Since what?"
"…my mother. How she died…heh. But who says I hold the monopoly on that? Those of my teammates who didn't start off with dead parents, it's because those parents were evil or gone entirely…so much death in my life. I have to wonder if it's healthy."
"Hmmmm…when did your mother die?"
"Years ago. So much has happened, I can't remember just when…oh yes, I was seventeen. I ran off, things happened, and you know the rest."
"Can you honestly say that as a minor, you had more control over the things happening in your life back then than you do now?"
"…no. But it seems like I traded control in the hands of malice to control in the hands of chance. In either case, the only assurance is death, it seems."
"Death is inevitable, and sadly, sometimes sooner then we expect. That doesn't mean that it's all there is to look forward to."
"No…but it's always there. Sometimes worse."
"Worse?"
"Most of the time, you find your way to it. Sometimes though…that's not enough. Sometimes, it seems to seek you out."
"Considering the work you do, is it really all that surprising? You and your teammates take on the world's ills as a burden. While it's certainly a noble and good cause, it has its costs."
"I wonder…when will the costs become too high?"
"That's for you to decide. It's your life…don't leave the choice for others to make for you."
"…hmmm. A poem comes to mind."
"Oh?"
"Because I could not stop for death…he kindly stopped for me. The carriage held but just ourselves…and immortality."
"HEY WHITEHEAD!"
"GIEEE!" Noel snorted as he jerked up in the chair, blinking a few times before he fully registered the laughter coming from the computer banks in front of him.
"…you could have gone about that with more tact, Cyborg." Noel said.
"Where's the fun in that?"
"You've been hanging out with Gar and Rob too much."
"Don't use real names in the field, monitor boy!" Came Beast Boy's voice on another channel. Savior sighed as more laughter rippled from the several communicators in contact with him.
"One, fearless leader, I was talking to CYBORG, who tends to use the communicator inside his head and hence no one can hear him. Two, you should hold your communicator up to your ear, barring circumstances, so that no one could overhear you anyway. THREE, just because Robin made you the leader in his absence while he's busy in Gotham doesn't mean you should just toss your weight around at any excuse."
"How dare you hurl such abuse at our beloved Dictator for Month!" Rob's voice crackled on his communicator band. Savior ignored him.
"Four, I expected a better insulting title than that."
"Couch potato!" Rob said.
"Oracle!" Terra chimed in.
"Monitor…guy…yeah I got nothing." Beast Boy lamented.
"The View Screen Tzar!" Starfire said.
"…actually I kind of like that one. I petition for that to be the actual title." Savior said.
"Sure, why not?" Beast Boy replied.
"Excellent, oh beloved King of the Tower!" Rob said. Savior groaned.
"For the last time Gauntlet, you can't borrow my new SemiFinal Fantasy game until I'm done with it!" Beast Boy said.
"SIC SEMPER TYRANNUS! Titans of the world unite! Overthrow the hated dictator! You have nothing to lose but your chains!"
"My next petition is the next time we send Gauntlet somewhere to investigate reports of one of our villains, we don't let him bring his communicator." Noel said.
"Petition granted."
"If I may invoke the procedure of the parliament to take the floor, this would be, how do you earthlings say, dumb. What if there were an emergency? Surely friend Rob is simply joining in on our good natured fun." Starfire said.
"…yes. Of course. Good natured ribbing. That's all it is…" Gauntlet said.
"Anyway, Gauntlet. You've been in Eisenstaedt a bit. Have you tracked down Mikron?" Savior asked.
"Yeah, I've figured out where he was. It was just a matter of figuring out which place was getting takeout three times a day. Eliminating the one with the six hundred pound shut in…" Savior could almost hear the full body shudder. "But yeah, I was just about to bust down the door and inflict some samurai-jack-tion on Gizmo."
"You do that. Be careful Gauntlet. The record might be in your favor, but streaks are meant to end." Savior said.
"Oh please. This is GIZMO. He's who we warm up with on the way to take down Mumbo. Short of Geoff Johns making him the focus of a mega crossover, there's no way he's ever going to be tough."
"Just don't waltz in there trying to deal with him in the style of a soft shoe routine or something." Beast Boy said.
"Nah, I'm gonna be efficient about this. After all, I'm ten miles from home. If I don't spend at least a day there Mom would…" This time Noel knew that he heard the shudder. Rob often talked about the disadvantage of having a ninja as a mother. "Well, time's a wasting!" Gauntlet said, as his communicator blinked out.
"Right then. How about everyone else?"
"Cyborg and Beast Boy, by the docks. Nothing happening."
"Starfire over the suburbs. Nothing to report."
"Terra over downtown. Gridlock, but that's hardly a crime."
"And everyone else is in the tower." Savior said.
"You sure View Screen Tzar?"
"Let me check." Savior said, and mimed pressing a few buttons. "Yes, everyone's here."
"You fool! How do you know they haven't all been replaced with pod people?!" Beast Boy said.
"Because they'd have gone after you first for eating all their brothers, Beast Boy." Savior said, and cut communication.
The quiet of the room didn't last long.
Tap tap tap.
"Thank you for not picking this time to practice sneaking up on me." Savior said, not looking as the alien Scalpel emerged from the shadows. It really was amazing how well he could hide in them sometimes, considering how garish his clothes were.
"Well, there's sneaking, and then there is sneaking." Scalpel said.
"Yes, keep telling yourself that. Is someone trying to kill us?"
"What? No…"
"Is the building burning down?"
"No…"
"Then I need to focus on my job Nigel. We can play board games later, or whichever Earth entertainment you're enthused with this month."
"Hm…Here is a thought that I've been working on; no."
"What?" Noel said, actually spinning around in his chair to face the alien. Scalpel could read the clear tension in his body, though he suspected it was Noel's well-justified paranoia kicking in. After all, you could never be sure if the teammate talking to you was a robot or a clone. He idly wondered if Noel had a gun concealed nearby, and was confused for a moment about why that thought so deeply disturbed him.
"This isn't a hard job Noel. Tim's got the whole building wired. If there's trouble, you not only will know in seconds, but you can address it from virtually any room. You don't have to sit in front of the main console. In fact, I'd venture that in the past, you'd be long gone and using the nearly empty building for other purposes."
"For the last time Nigel, I did not eat your orange slices."
"Don't be dense, organ-sack. I'm talking about Raven." Scalpel said. He wondered what it said about him that he was able to tell the subtle differences between Noel's oblique tensions: this one was clearly different from when Noel had briefly suspected Nigel was going to attack him.
"What about Raven? She's having her own quiet time."
"Yes, and she used to spend it with you. That doesn't seem to happen much these days."
"And Tara and Gar aren't spending a third of their waking hours snogging any more. That's just the way of relationships Nigel. Here on Earth, anyway."
"I would accept that answer, if it were not for the fact that you should have already gone through the breaking-in part of the relationship." Scalpel said. "Look Noel, maybe this is none of my business."
"Perhaps not." Noel replied, though his tone and his stance of resting his head on his index finger indicated he wasn't as wholly dismissive as his sentence indicated.
"You had been dating her for a few years before I knew you. Very little had changed. But things just haven't been…the same for you two. Not since…well, last year. You seemed to be getting somewhere last Christmas, but it's slid back since then."
"Back and forth really. Nigel, you act like I'm not aware of this."
"Then why aren't you doing something about it?"
"Like what?"
"Fight for her man! Is she not worth it?"
"Worth dying for. Worth killing for. Worth going to hell for." Savior mused.
"You should stop reading those graphic novels Noel."
"But they're so charming in their silliness." Savior said.
"You're avoiding my question." Scalpel said. Noel sighed.
"Nigel…how I feel, she knows that. It's up to her to decide what to do. She either needs to patch it up completely or…the alternative." Savior said. Scalpel didn't need his elongated ears to catch the slight hitch in Noel's voice on those last words.
"Then what's wrong?"
"I don't know. She won't tell me."
"Noel, I'm not an idiot. Clearly something happened last year, during that time we had our minds blanked."
"Raven debriefed us. She told us what happened."
"What if she was lying?"
Noel had no answer to that.
"…what if she's the one who blanked our memories? It would explain…"
"I had J'onn check it out, Scalpel. Whatever happened, it's GONE. And I can't go back and ask him again, as you very well know. So maybe, just maybe, I'll take her at her word."
"…and that is that?"
"…I can only offer her…the best of myself. I try my hardest to get that. What else is there?"
"There are things you can never prepare yourself before Noel."
"Maybe not." Noel said, spinning back around to face the monitors. "I've said my piece. Unless you have a pressing matter I can actually do something about, you should go organize your files or something. Before we have a meteor land on us, or an alien invasion, or the usual nonsense."
Scalpel stared at the back of Noel's chair for a moment, and then turned and melted back into the dark room.
For a few seconds, before the room was illuminated with light.
"You shouldn't sit here in the dark. Damages your eyes." Scalpel said from where he was standing next to the wall switch. Savior glanced over the chair, as Nigel tipped his hat and left.
"…and I didn't even notice. You really have affected me, sir." Savior said to himself. "I bet wherever you are, it's probably too bright for your taste as well."
Raven's own room was dark as well, though that didn't affect her ability to read the book she was perusing. The fact that text glowed helped, as she floated off the ground in her usual meditative position.
She was not startled by the banging on the door. She'd sensed the person coming nearly twenty seconds before she'd arrived.
"Enter."
Sophie Mathews' rotund figure looked rather absurd as she entered: her lower half was covered by her costume, but Sophie had taken the upper half down and had it dragging behind her. Her torso was covered by a T-Shirt that read BIG FUN, and she had her full-face mask shoved up on her forehead to serve as a makeshift bandanna.
"Raven? Yeah, I need some of that enchanted thread you made. Costume tweaks."
"It's over there." Raven said, pointing at one of her shelves. Sophie headed over, appearing to hunt through the boxes.
She didn't need to: she knew exactly where the thread was. Much like Scalpel, she had her own motives.
"So, how's things?" Sophie asked, lifting a box out and looking through its various components before placing it back cautiously.
"The usual." Raven replied. Sophie lifted another box, pausing as she looked at its contents.
"How's Noel?"
There was no immediate reply, though it came as Sophie started to turn around.
"He's the usual as well." Raven said. "Was he trying to up your cardio training again? I thought by now he'd accept you're just going to be round. Especially after the Darkseid mess, and all the running you did. Never lost a step."
"Eh, you know him." Sophie said, finally selecting the box with the thread and making her way to Raven's desk. Sophie sometimes wondered why Raven had such a thing: both the sorceress and her books levitated. Perhaps sometimes one just needed a desk…or maybe it was for someone who read and/or wrote in a more traditional manner. Sophie checked the chair, making sure it concealed no sinister motives, before placing herself down and starting to stitch away. "So…shall we just get to it?"
Sophie's turned back kept her from seeing Raven's poor excuse for a poker face. After Trigon's demise and her freedom from her emotional prison, Raven had never quite managed to return to the look of absolute blankness she'd given so readily before. At least when she wanted it, anyway.
"What, Sophie?"
"How are things going with Noel?"
"I told you. The usual."
"Despite the fact that for ten months, which is nearly a year mind you, you and he might have essentially been strangers?" Sophie said, feeding the thread through a small needle with steady hands.
"It hasn't exactly been the best time for relationships, Sophie. Especially with Darkseid."
"That was over back in May. The last time you two were acting like I know you to, it was June. Since that brief return to form, it's slid back to this. If you've decided the relationship has peaked, then maybe you'd best end it and move on."
"What? No, that's not what…"
"Then what?" Sophie said.
"…it's personal."
"That scored a resounding one out of ten on the excuse-o-meter."
"It's also the truth, Sophie." Raven said. Sophie tried to spin the chair around, only to discover she'd forgotten it was a more traditional type of chair. She settled for getting out of it instead.
"What did he do?"
"…he didn't do anything, Sophie."
"Garbage." Sophie said. "If he didn't do anything, this would be over. The fact that you keep quiet and that this keeps sliding back and forth means whatever did happen…we were DRUGGED, Raven. You said that yourself. What did he do…"
"Stop assuming, Sophie. You know what assumption does."
"You're not leaving me much choice."
"How is this YOUR business, Sophie?"
"Raven…you're my friend."
"I know." Raven said. "Don't think I don't know it or appreciate it. But if you are my friend, you should take me at my word."
"So what's this then? Some sort of half-assed denial?"
"If you are going to keep assuming circumstances, then consider that maybe, just maybe, some things take a long time to be resolved." Raven said quietly.
"So you're avoiding making the decision?"
"No. I am…I am doing what I think is best, Sophie."
"And if that destroys what you have?"
"…then it's time has come. Everything dies eventually, Sophie." Raven said. "You don't always get to see it coming. Or get a chance to stop it. Sometimes, all you can do is all you can do."
"I realize that everything dies, Raven. I work in the business. But at the moment, this seems less like nature and more like euthanasia."
"…sometimes, if you care for something…that's what needed." Raven said.
Sophie sighed heavily, rolling her eyes: she dearly wanted to speak again, say something like 'Of all the people in the tower, you're the last person I would have thought that would fall for such drivel'. Instead, she turned and left the room. She could sew elsewhere.
Raven didn't need to have Sophie speak, nor did she have to be the mind reader she was to hear her anyway.
But even that didn't change anything. For all her efforts, and the efforts of others (she almost expected the strange dimension-hopper Titan Metatron to stroll out of the shadows of her room and start tossing off his usual insightful babble), she still couldn't come to grips with what had happened that night, almost a year ago. She'd tried, but she could seemingly only bring herself back to the way things had been for mere moments before that terrible night reared its ugly head again. Even seeing Noel at his best, as she knew was his true self, during the Darkseid horrors and the rebuilding afterward, even knowing that he was even trying to go to therapy…it wasn't enough.
Not even knowing who was responsible fixed it. She'd been attempting to decide on an approach to that for nearly a year, and gotten nowhere. She really was between the devil and the deep blue sea.
Maybe she should end it. Neither Noel nor her were the same people when they'd started their relationship, her a cursed victim of a supposedly inescapable fate and him desperately seeking a substitute for a family. Maybe now, since they'd changed so much, this was something they couldn't recover from.
But…she didn't want to do that either
Like many nights in the past, Raven again found no answer to her feelings. Crispin had said her choice would carry a price. If she'd gone back, she would have still paid it.
The price, however, seemed to be beyond her ability to pay. Eventually, something would die for it.
Much like everything eventually did.
"Didn't work out, did it." Scalpel said, sitting and sharpening his secondary glaive as Sophie walked in.
"You can tell from my tread?"
"No, that just told me you were coming. The rest was guesswork." Scalpel said. "Noel seems to think that there's nothing he can do and that the ball is in Raven's court."
"What if he was told he had more of a role to play than that?"
"I get the feeling he wouldn't know what to do then either."
"So then, what do we do now?" Sophie said, sitting down and picking up one of her firearms: watching Nigel work had reminded her she needed to do her own busywork. "Except sit here without an idea because I used to be a semi-reclusive geek and you're an alien with only a small grasp of human culture?"
"Maybe we should just let it go by itself, Sophie. If I learned anything from my species' constant wars, it's that sometimes the battle is against you and to resist will make things end worse."
"I'm just worried it will rip apart everything."
"Everything? I think the Titans are strong enough to survive a breakup between a couple." Scalpel said, as he held his weapon up the light. Satisfied, he collapsed it and secreted it within his cloak. "You're worried that you'd end up with nowhere to go, aren't you? That's why you're imagining the worst and actually getting involved in this."
"No, at the end of the day I'll always be able to bus tables or get a job elsewhere and start over; I'd just prefer not to."
"True. I suppose I'd be more out of luck." Scalpel said. "What DO you think happened? Last Halloween?"
"In truth, with how deeply it's affected Raven, I think I'm happier not knowing." Sophie said. "Some things you should never face."
"What if you still have to face them?"
"Then it's like seeing your own mother angry." Sophie said. "You know you're in trouble, but there's no getting out of it."
In truth, Noel wasn't as passive about his situation with Raven as Nigel suggested, but much like Raven, he was at a loss to figure out an answer.
When was the last time he'd had no answer to a question? Noel couldn't recall. He always tried to be ready to find a solution to anything, even the tough questions. He wasn't the only one: he recalled a time when Robin had been giving one of his 'team touchup' sessions, where the Titans ran obstacles courses and did teamwork exercises of the physical and mental variety to ensure they'd remain sharp and a well-oiled machine despite what surprises the world threw at them. Specifically, he recalled a question Robin had asked during one.
"When will you kill?"
"What?" Terra said. "Did you say kill Robin?"
"Yes Terra."
"I thought you hated killing. That we do all this work so we don't have to."
"Trying to avoid doing it and knowing the time when it may be inescapable are two different things, Terra." Savior said. "Anything else you want to ask in this vein, Robin?"
"Actually, yes. When would you die?"
"At the end of my life. Hopefully at age 100 in bed surrounded by naked women." Cyborg said.
"Very funny Cyborg, but I do mean it. All of you. When would you kill, and when would you die?"
"I would die for any of you. And if need be, kill as well." Starfire said quietly.
"I don't know man. I think I'd try to find a third option, but…yeah. What Star said." Cyborg said.
"I…don't know if I could kill. On purpose. I know there was…but I was just trying to…yeah." Terra said. "As for dying…not sure. I can't tell here, where it's quiet and safe, anyway."
"Being able to turn into a bunch of animals gives you a funny way of looking at killing. I guess if I couldn't do it if it was needed, one of them could." Beast Boy said. "But I'd die for what's important."
"When it comes to what's important to me, death and killing are just words." Raven said. Robin didn't ask for her to specify.
"When it's needed." Savior said.
"Never and for my friends, if I had the nerve." Morgue said. Scalpel had not given an answer: Robin had understood why.
"Rob, just you left."
"…when would I die? Don't know. Would I die for any of you? I'd be HURT for any of you, no problem. I don't know if I'd die for you if I was thinking straight. Hasn't come up yet." Gauntlet said. "When would I kill? If there was an actual war. If not doing so would cause mass suffering. I'd avoid it. I'd do everything I could to avoid it."
The Titans stared at Rob in silence.
"What?"
"I think they expected for you to give the comical answer first and the serious one second, Rob." Cyborg said.
"Some things are serious."
More silence.
"…I think they REALLY wanted a comical answer as well, Rob." Savior commented.
"Uh…guy walks into a bar, owtch?" Gauntlet said. The attempt prompted boos and several empty foam cups tossed in his direction.
"Is there a right answer to those questions?" Terra asked.
"The day this world has a right answer to such questions is the day I leave it and never come back." Starfire said. In the end, Robin didn't have to add anything to that.
That was one of the worst kind of questions, the kind you never hoped to answer. But just as bad was one you couldn't. For someone like Noel Collins, it was even more of a sore spot. Especially considering it involved the woman he loved.
He wasn't one to hope for another disaster: the last one had been particularly bad, and it hadn't done anything to help him and Raven in the long run. But lacking the repair that could be found in crisis, what was left?
The repair in horror?
No, that was pointless. Besides, Noel had had enough horror in his life.
But life had no say here…
Through space, the mass of objects streaked.
Any obstacle that got in their way was annihilated like it wasn't there. Sometimes, aspects of the mass broke off and flew off in other directions, but its main body stayed on course.
The third planet from a normal star.
One last, solitary part of it broke off as the mass approached the blue sphere, slashing down into the non-existent atmosphere of Mars. Its tale was for another story, as the cluster of objects ignited with heat, falling down through Earth's sky.
And with air to carry sound, the constant litany of the objects, the black rings, became clear.
"FLESH."
The rings scattered, streaking off to all corners of the globe. Never stopping its dark mantra.
"Flesh. Flesh. Flesh. Flesh. Flesh. Flesh. Flesh. Flesh. Flesh. Flesh. Flesh. Flesh. Flesh. Flesh. Flesh. Flesh."
Until landing, as one ring crashed into the earth and bored down to what awaited it.
"Morton Aaron of Earth, RISE."
The black hand exploded up from the ground, its rotting hand clenched in a fist, the black ring blazing on its finger.
"The sovereign Lord will destroy death forever."
With a start, Savior jerked up. Had he almost dozed off, again? That wasn't like him.
No dreams this time…come to think of it, that had been a very strange dream he'd had to begin with. Dreams tended to be far more disjointed and strange then the firm recollection he'd just had.
Almost like it was telling him something. But what…
He should speak with Raven. Maybe she could shed some light on it.
…just as soon as he checked in with the others.
"Savior here. Report status. Over." Savior said.
"What, bothering us already? Nothing's happened whitehead." Cyborg teased.
"You're certain?"
"I have not seen anything." Starfire said.
"All quiet on the western front. As well as wherever here is." Beast Boy said.
"This city needs more hybrids. The SMOGGGGGGGGG." Terra complained.
"…right then. Carry on." Savior said, and broke communication. Well, nothing stopping him from going to Raven now.
Right…
Nothing.
Gauntlet was unaware of anything happening in the heavens as well, as he looked down at the (as usual) warehouse below him. At least it wasn't abandoned, but what it was said to hold on computer records and what it actually held was wholly different. Not really enough difference to interest the artifact-possessing hero, as he stifled a yawn.
"I knew I should have spent more time sleeping last night and less time re-watching Red Vs Blue." Gauntlet said, as he rubbed his eyes. "Well at least it's just Gizmo. Okay…"
While elsewhere, three rings streaked down…
"FLESH."
Gauntlet, not feeling in the mood for a quiet entrance, settled for the classic 'jump through a window and pose dramatically' introduction.
"Okay evildoers, prepare to be hammered against the…anvil of…justice?" Gauntlet said, looking around. He'd expected to have started to be pelted with defensive fire from…well, defenses.
Not that Gizmo had neglected defense. They were just already broken, the various guns limp on their turrets, some slashed apart and some still smoking from when they'd exploded. The 'already-beat-on' look was shared by some of the computers and devices scattered around the room.
Someone had already been here and picked a fight.
"…I hate these Halloween fics. Nobody plays by the rules!" Gauntlet said, as he brushed some glass out of his hair and looked around. "Okay fine, what is it this year? I wonder if it's J-Horror. Note to self: burn all my VHS tapes…"
Gauntlet spotted the trio of laser dots on his chest then. A moment later, he actually saw who was producing them.
The young woman stayed crouched where she had been when Gauntlet had made his noisy entrance, though the only reason Gauntlet could tell that was because of the shape of her hips. The rest of her body was covered in various high-tech devices…well, some high-tech. There was clearly some low tech in there as well, based on what appeared to be the modified cell-phone attached to the woman's shoulder armor. All in all, the female was wearing devices on her chest, belt, boots, and both arms, one of which was now aiming what looked to be a laser-cannon at Gauntlet's chest. The most noticeable feature of the tech was her helmet: it completely covered her features, with a front entirely of white segmented glass that reminded Gauntlet of a helmet from Halo.
"Hi Gizmo! I like the new look. Much nicer to look at." Gauntlet said.
"…who are you?" The geared female said, her voice a metallic rasp through her helmet.
"Carl Knott of Earth, RISE."
"I keep telling Murray, if I never get any screen time, nobody's gonna know who I am…"
"What?" The female said, as the tip of her weapon began to glow. "Who is Murray?"
"My publicist. But that's not important. Hey whoa, no need to drain the battery!" Gauntlet said, throwing up some yellow energy from his artifact just in case. "I'm Gauntlet, America's favorite Teen Titan, as measured in action figure sales!"
"…you're…one of the Titans." The female said.
"Yup! So this is either where you shoot me or team up with me. Which is it? Choose wisely, because I have an appointment with a certain midget."
"…The Titans are set in Florida. This is not Florida…"
"I thought we were in California."
"What?"
"In fact, I could have sworn we were actually moved to California somewhere. Were we moved back? No wonder I have so many boxes in my closet."
"…WHAT?" The female said, clearly deeply confused.
"But enough about retcons, unwritten due to frankenfanon or not. What's your name?"
"Giovanni Lombardi of Earth, RISE."
The helmet of the female in front of him did not hide the narrowed eyes Gauntlet knew she was giving him.
"Look, can we move this along? I'm not here to chat with you. Unless you're single. In which case let's trade numbers. Where's that cell phone…damn it must have left it at the hotel. Really should have gotten more sleep…"
"Cipactli."
"What? Oh, echo in here." Gauntlet said. "Again though, what?"
"My name is Cipactli."
"Cipactli? That sounds like a name of a decent Tex-Mex restaurant. I'm guessing that's your cape-name." Gauntlet said. "I didn't know Eisenstaedt had any local talent. You must be new."
"…Yes. I am." Cipactli said, lowering her weapon. "What are you doing here, supposed Titan?"
"Wendell Wussman of Earth, RISE."
" I'm here to pick up Gizmo. He was running some sort of Fonzi scheme or something, I didn't really pay much attention. So, what's the haps? And why haven't I been called a snot-sniffer yet? I'd have expected Gizmo to be here by now. Where IS the leader of the Lollypop Guild? He's usually pretty protective about his stuff." Gauntlet said, looking around. "Like, this one time, I think it was between naptime and foodnap time, that's my favorite time, you see, Beast Boy and me tried to steal, er, borrow his X-Wii Station…"
"His what?" Cipactli said, cocking her head even as she made adjustments to her main arm weapon.
"Oh, he rigged up a machine that can play any video game ever made. But that's not important. What's important is, Beast Boy still has a small bald spot in the middle of his back from Gizmo's plasma rifle. He doesn't let people touch his things. He kept saying it a lot, actually, while he was shooting at us."
"…Mikron O'Jeanus is over there." Cipactli said, pointing to a corner that Gauntlet hadn't inspected. Gauntlet hopped over, discovering to his mild surprise Gizmo pinned to the wall via some sort of wire net, the tiny tech genius' equipment clearly overloaded and broken. Gauntlet was spared Gizmo's usual annoying patter by dint of the fact he was unconscious.
"Hey, nice job! Those Hive Five guys are pretty tough…well, except Gizmo really. Still, good work for someone new to the superhero industry." Gauntlet said. "So the question is: are you his girlfriend, and if so, does that make him a gay robot?"
"…your words sound like language, but they continually lack meaning." Cipactli said. "Again, why are you here? You're a fair distance from your home grounds."
"I was sent to track down Gizmo. I did. Then you took away the fun part. Oh well." Gauntlet said. "So, what's a nice metahuman like you doing rifling through Mini-Luthor's gear?"
"…I'm something of a scavenger. He's a tech genius. Thought I'd see if I could scrounge something."
Gauntlet briefly considered the moral implications. Was it right to steal from Gizmo simply because he was a villain? After all, the munchkin hadn't done anything TOO overt lately. Not like say, Dr. Light, and Gauntlet shuddered at what had happened to him.
In the end, the Titan shrugged it off. Compared to the moral grey areas he was used to, this was white as driven snow.
"So, find anything good?"
"…aren't you going to contact the authorities to take Mikron O'Jeanus into custody?"
"He isn't getting out any time soon. In fact, I'm already ten minutes ahead of schedule. So I have fifteen minutes to burn: can't have Savior start thinking I'm efficient. Then he'd give me less of a time budget." Gauntlet said. "So…come here often?"
"…what?"
"Um, that is…you seeing anyone?" Gauntlet said. A moment later his Inner Rob piped up, specifically to say 'OH GOD DAMN IT, YOU GO RIGHT FROM YOU COME HERE OFTEN TO…THAT'S IT, I QUIT!' before Gauntlet heard the sound of a slamming door.
"You are currently the only one in my field of vision." Cipactli said: her tone was blank enough that Gauntlet couldn't tell if she was using dismissive sarcasm or she actually didn't realize what Gauntlet was asking. A moment later, he heard the sound of a door opening in his head again.
'Wait, this either means we've been shot down or she's a robot who needs to be taught the meaning of love and humanity and junk! There's a chance! This time, just show interest in what she's doing!'
"Heh heh, um…so what does Gizmo keep around? Anything on his hard drive you wish you hadn't opened? And pardon me for asking, but just what…"
Cipactli's head abruptly snapped to the side.
"…did you bring assistance?"
Gauntlet's Common Sense was tingling: if she WAS a villain, she could be edging him into a trap. However, he decided to keep it honest. Besides, his force field was up, so he felt pretty secure.
"Yup, this is a solo mission."
"Then what am I reading about to-oh shit." Cipactli said, and immediately dove for cover.
The wall exploded a second later, and Gauntlet's fortunately-up shield was pelted with enough debris to drive him backwards.
"Dramatic convenience strikes again!" Gauntlet cursed, as he tried to wave away the debris-smoke. "So what enemy have the mists of Avalon delivered this time? Slade? Joker? Catman? Maybe Pantyhose Taro again, man that was a…weird…crossover…"
The thing that had hit Gauntlet was the smell. It filled the room, a bizarre mix of what Gauntlet could only describe as rotting tissue and high-grade engine oil. Gauntlet had smelled some odd things before, but this was new even to him.
"ROBERT CANDIDE…" A raspy voice said. "YOUR LIFE IS OURSSSSSS."
"…wait, a villain's here for ME?" Gauntlet said.
"FLESSSSSSSSSSSH." The speaker said, as the trio of forms that had entered through the wall became clear.
"…gasp." Gauntlet said. "It's you."
"Beast Boy, can we go home now?"
"I told you Terra. One hour of patrol. There's still twelve minutes left."
"But nothing's HAPPENING." Terra mock-whined. "I'm BORRRRRRRREDDD."
"Terra, the last time you said you were bored…well, we're still finding marshmallow fluff on the ceiling."
"I wish arcades hadn't died out. They'd be a good place to hide." Terra grumped. "Oh that reminds me: ha ha, the record is still 76-65."
"Dude, it's Frogger, it doesn't matter."
"You thought it mattered when the score was 50-49 in your favor."
"Can you two flirt somewhere else? I'd like to keep my last meal down." Cyborg said on his own communicator line.
"Hey, we put up with your nuclear…" Terra started.
She almost didn't see the sword.
Beast Boy recoiled as a scream of surprise slammed into his ear, before his communicator went quiet.
"TERRA!" He yelled: a moment later a crunching groan echoed off in the distance, and Beast Boy turned to see a puff of debris-smoke. He acted without thinking, as he transformed into a bird and took off.
"Hey, what they…hey! Wait for me!" Cyborg yelled, as he raced along the rooftops after Beast Boy. "Terra, come in! What's going on?"
"…we should not have separated." Starfire mused, seeing the cloud in the distance herself as she jetted off towards it.
Terra herself was regretting her earlier words, as she crouched on her rock platform, the skyscraper behind her having suffered a massive gorge. Terra really hoped that the people inside hadn't been close to the windows, as she stared at her attacker, her communicator having been dropped in the chaos and lying broken in the streets below.
"WHORE OF BABYLON." Her attacker hissed, thrusting out his arm. The black ring ignited, ebony power forming into another massive flaming sword. Terra jerked her rock to the side, barely avoiding the scything blow: at least this time she'd kept her attacker from hitting the building.
No, not just her attacker. She knew him.
Even with his formerly white outfit stained black with graveyard dirt.
Even with the skin on his bare arms blackened to near-pitch. Skin he should not have had.
Even with his face stuck halfway between living and the visage of a skull. A face she'd never thought she'd see again.
"Godsend?!" Terra said.
"INDEED! RETURNED FROM THE HELL YOU TRIED TO CONDEMN ME TO! BUT THE LORD LIFTED ME UP, TO STRIKE YOU DOWN!" Godsend bellowed, as his ring formed flaming arrows and sent them flying towards Terra.
Terra spun her rock around and kicked off it, sending the hunk of stone crashing into the arrows as Terra free-fell to the streets below. She reached down and yanked up another platform for herself, pulling it up under her and swiftly adjusting her momentum so she didn't get crushed by terminal velocity, as Godsend flew down after her.
"Fear before him, all the earth: the world shall also be stable, that it not be moved!" Godsend yelled, and fired off a blast of black piercing energy that tore up the street towards Terra, sending cars tumbling through the air. Terra thrust out her own hands, the streets becoming extensions of herself as she rapidly molded the concrete into hands and grabbed the cars and tumbling civilians, even as she yanked her platform up and away from the blast. She angled away from Godsend, sweat streaming from her forehead as she furiously tried to maintain concentration.
"GET OUT OF HERE! GO!" Terra yelled at the people below.
"They devoted the city to the LORD, and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it-men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, and DONKEYS!" Godsend intoned, forming another black sword of flames.
"Eeek." Terra whimpered.
Starfire's fist sent Godsend crashing into another building.
"He who lives by the sword will die by the sword." Starfire said. "I am not too surprised to see you returned, sent of God. I am also not surprised to see you unchanged."
"Star…what's going on? How the heck did Godsend come back?" Terra said
"I don't know friend Terra, but he's not done yet." Starfire said, as Godsend erupted from the building.
"AND LO HE SAID-" Was all the religious lunatic got out before he got a Starbolt and rock blast to the face, sending him crashing down to the street.
"We will have to contact aid. Where is your communicator?"
"Lost it!"
"Unfortunate." Starfire said, as she reached for her own.
The fist of black power slammed into Starfire's back, sending her crashing into another building.
"HUH?" Terra said: there was no way Godsend could have gotten behi-!
He hadn't, as another blast of black power shattered Terra's rock platform and sent her tumbling to the ground with Starfire.
Savior was spared his need to keep pondering his navel as his communicator array buzzed. However, it wasn't the main line.
"This is the Titans."
"Whoever on line thi-…acle!"
"What?" Savior said, recognizing the voice. "Babs, is that you?"
"Sending thi-all superhero…vital info!" The communication array crackled. "Planetary assaul…ck Lanterns…!"
"Why the hell do we always have interference when it's vital info and never when…actually, we never get anything but vital info, but still, this is annoying!" Savior snapped as he tried to stabilize the lines.
"They're…animating…orpses…people we….you have….!" Was all the remaining words that came through before the band completely collapsed to static. Whoever had sent the info must have been in a terrible hurry.
"…I don't like this…" Savior said, as he tried to contact the Titans. "Titans, come in."
"What? Noel? Noel get down here! We have trouble!" Cyborg said.
"What? What kind of trouble?"
"No time! Get down here!"
"On it!" Savior said, springing to his feet
Just as the wall near him exploded in another shower of debris.
A moment later, all the lights in the room snapped off.
"Terra! Are you all right?" Beast Boy said as he landed next to the stunned geokinetic.
"Gar…?" Terra said.
"Yeah, and me too." Cyborg said, appearing out of the dust to check on Starfire, who was rubbing her head. "I've contacted the others. They'll be here soon."
"What hit us…" Starfire asked.
"Gar…it's Morton. He came back."
"What? You mean Godsend? How did…" Beast Boy said.
"The same reason we all did…"
Beast Boy's veins filled with ice. He never thought he'd hear that voice again. He could barely turn to look in that direction, as several new forms emerged.
"Who's…who…uh…" Cyborg said, as his own mouth went dry.
"Mark Logan of Earth, RISE."
"Marie Logan of Earth, RISE."
"Silas Stone of Earth, RISE."
"Elinore Stone of Earth, RISE."
"You wretched aberration." 'Marie Logan' said, as Garfield Logan found himself looking at the blackened, rotting face of his long dead mother, her burial dress covered with the dirt of the grave.
"…mom…no…can't be…"
"FLESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSH." Marie Logan said, as she raised her black ring, and a clawing hand ripped towards the Titans.
It hit Raven like a bolt of lightning, almost at the same time the wall of the Tower was exploding.
How had she missed it until then? She'd sensed Sophie coming, and she was a friend. How had she not sensed THAT? Was she so wrapped up in her own problem? Had she become that selfish?
The depth of her failing became clear as the emotions slammed into her. Pain. Terror. Shock. Her teammates had encountered something so vile it was like re-living last year all over again…
The sensations slammed into her anew, as she fell to one knee. This one was more familiar then the rest. She was sleeping with the bearer.
"Noel."
"What the hell…are our defenses just a formality or something?" Savior cursed as he whipped out the Shimmer, even as the emergency lights began kicking in.
"Noeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllll…"
Few words could freeze Savior in his tracks. This did it, as much as the speaker did, as the smoke cleared.
"Crystal Collins of Earth, RISE."
"Give your mother a hug." Crystal Collins said.
All across the world, rings fell. And rose once more on the fingers of the fallen and gone.
Even on three small, unmarked graves in a quiet cemetery.
"Skye Winston of Earth, RISE."
"Joshua Smythe of Earth, RISE."
"Hailey Ann Roxx of Earth, RISE."
And across the world, deep under the heart of snow and howling wind, a figure jerked in his throne, a goblet of black liquid flying from his hand and crashing onto the chess board in front of him, scattering the pieces.
"…well." The Lord of the Night said. "This can't be good."
"…By my black hand, THE DEAD WILL RISE."