A year passes in the cavern.
Two years.
Dust settles high on the floor.
Refuse from wandering animals gathers in the corner.
The statue rests still in the center.
The plaque still whispers its words at the girl's feet.
Her arms remain stretched out.
Her mouth stands ajar.
And in the corners of her eyes—as the days wear on—the first of many cracks starts to show.
She walks forward. Carving through black oblivion. Carrying the chains.
Eyes set and firm. Vapor pouring out of her nostrils. A thick black soup with blue waves. And a chaos beyond churns louder and louder. Laced with the mischievous peak show of warmth. Untouchable. But ear-shattering.
"All hail Brother Blood." "All hail Brother Blood."
"All hail Brother Blood."
"All hail Brother Blood." "ALL HAIL BROTHER BLOOD!" "ALL HAIL BROTHER BLOOD!" FLASH!!
Cyborg marches firmly down a hallway of black stone.
Scars and scrapes stretch across his metal features.
His twenty-one year old face is a frozen frown.
His human eye glares.
Something is blinking in his left arm.
In cadence to his heavy steps.
The chanting voices throb down the hallway.
Haunting.
In demonic unison.
"ALL HAIL BROTHER BLOOD!!"
"ALL HAIL BROTHER BLOOD!!"
"ALL HAIL BROTHER BLOOD!!'
Far beyond is the wide-mouthed exit of the hallway.
A red aura drips in with torchlight.
Cyborg marches forward.
His fists clench.
Voices squabble electronically forth from his built-in communicator.
Brother Blood's got Raven! He's going to attempt a sacrifice!!
Dude! No way!! What's he want with her?!
Isn't it obvious?? The Church of Blood worships Trigon. They think by slaying her, they can bring her demon father into this realm!!
No!! We must save her!! Cyborg?! Cyborg?! Where is Cyborg?!
Beats me, Star. Nightwing? I think you saw him last.
Cyborg?? Cyborg, come in!!
Cyborg! Respond! That's an order!
Cyborg, whatever you're doing….don't go in that chamber alone!! We can buy some time for Raven!! Wait for Changeling, Starfire, and I to join you--
Cyborg grits his teeth.
He flicks a wrist.
Click.
The communicator shuts off.
He approaches the mouth of the tunnel.
Two guards in crimson robes turn and see them.
"Hey!!"
"Heretic!!"
"Get him!!"
Cyborg merely raises his titanium fist--
WHACK!!
He slams the first guard's face in.
The man's nose splits in two.
The second dives at him.
"RAAAUGH!!"
Cyborg pivots and slams his fist into the man's gut.
CR-CR-CRACK!!
His ribs shatter internally.
"SNKKK-KKKT!!"
Cyborg tosses him bloodily to the floor.
He flicks his wrist.
KL-KL-KL-KL-KLAK!!
A sonic cannon forms in its place.
Cyborg takes a step out into the open.
A sea of chanting, red-robed forms fill a huge, stone amphitheater built into the earth.
In the center is a round stage surrounded by a bubbling pool of blood.
A gray-haired man with an inhuman skull crowned on his head stands in the center.
Behind him—sitting dazedly in a chair on the edge of a blood pool—Raven rests.
Helpless.
Bound.
The gray man raises his arms.
He shouts: "BEHOLD!! THE GREAT MOTHER OF OUR LORD!!"
The robed figures bow in reverence.
Brother Blood pants maniacally.
He gestures and yells: "WITH THE FINAL SACRIFICE, SHE SHALL BRING PURITY TO THE WORLD!! I SHALL LEAD THE LEGIONS OF EARTH UNDER OUR GOD!! I SHALL BRIDGE THE SPIRIT OF THE DEAD WITH THE WARMTH OF THE BLEEDING!!"
"ALL HAIL BROTHER BLOOD!!"
"YES!! YES!!"
The gray man convulses insanely.
His voice echoes throughout the chamber.
"LET THE CLEANSING OF THE EARTH BEGIN!!"
The robed church body all exhale as one.
A red mist fills the air.
The blood pools bubble.
Raven groans, drugged.
Brother Blood twirls about from the center of the cavern.
His graying eyes settle on a figure.
A titanium figure.
He gasps.
Cyborg frowns.
He aims his sonic cannon out.
And…..
ZAAAAAAAAAAAAP!!
A blue stream of sonic energy throttles forward towards the center.
Twenty rows of robed skulls explode into red mist from the intensity of the blast.
Bodies collapse.
Bodies spin.
Voices shout.
"RAAAAAAAUGH!!" Cyborg charges forward.
"SEIZE THE HERETIC!!" Broth Blood points a gnarled finger through the chaos.
Robed figures leap on the android.
Cyborg grits his teeth and bats them away with bone-crushing arms.
More and more acolytes pounce on Cyborg.
Daggers and fingernails.
The young man's dark skin splits into red streaks in a dozen places.
He spits out blood, lets out a shout, and fires off the thrusters in his feet.
THWOOOOFT!!
Bodies are thrown every which way as he lifts up, nearly touches the ceiling, and sails down.
Brother Blood steps back just in time.
CRUNCH!!
Cyborg lands on the center of the ampitheatre.
He crouches, recovers, and stands up straight.
Teeth gritting…he aims his sonic cannon straight into the old man's face--
TH-THWISH!!
Brother Blood acrobatically spins and shoves two magically charged fingers into the cannon's structure.
CRAA-AACK!!
"AUGH!!" Cyborg cries out and steps backwards, his right cannon falling apart.
Brother Blood grins, snarls, summons up red energy in his hands, and launches them at the android's body.
FLASH!!
Cyborg dives out of the way.
The red bolts strike the ground behind him, shattering the stone asunder.
Cyborg jumps up to his feet and swings his left fist.
Brother Blood ducks and parries.
Cyborg takes the blow and kicks Brother Blood back.
The Titan and the cult leader engage in a free-for-all battle of titanium fists, spinning kicks, sparkling dives, and red bolts.
The crowd of robed figures shout and cheer and chant exaltations to their leader.
Pale arms pump forth from robed figures.
Red.
Scarlet.
She emerges from them. Naked and cold blue. Dragging chains and holding a fresh, rusted pair hanging over
her thin arms. With a quivering lip and a breath of vapor……she stares forlornly
at the battle between the two combatants.
"Nnngh!!" Cyborg charges Brother Blood.
Brother Blood braces himself.
His eyes shimmer crimson.
And….
FLASH!!
A bolt of red shoots out explosively into Cyborg's chest.
ZZZZTTT!!
"AUGH!!" the android Titan stumbles back.
A huge gash has formed in his chest.
Leaking sparks and wiring.
He pants, half slumping to his knees.
Brother Blood stands victoriously before him.
Fingers dancing with red sparks.
Teeth barred and pale.
Raven sits in the chair behind the center of the ampitheatre.
Bound.
Groaning.
Violet eyes barely open up.
She looks at Cyborg tiredly.
She mutters: "Get away….get away….my father is being summoned….get away…."
Cyborg pants….pants….pants….pants….
Dying.
"………………" She stares sadly. Her hair hangs blonde turning silver… Her shoulders shake. She cringes. Teeth showing. Lips blue. Eyes leaking……leaking…… Her arms move. Blurring through the red robes around her. Twirling cold rust in the cavern's air. Swishing……Twirling…… The girl chokes. Her wrist flicks forward. The chain sails outward from her grasp. It flies. It sails into Cyborg's body. And disappears. The android twitches.
His human eye narrows.
His electrical circuits flare momentarily.
"Heh…heh…heh…..," Brother Blood slowly chuckles.
Cyborg struggles to stand up.
His right arm cannon dangles dead at his side, wires and conductive juices spilling out.
Blood seeps out of his dark lips.
Brother Blood marches towards him, waving red-sparking fingers.
"You cannot stop me, Cyborg. I have stolen your technology. I have stolen your talents. And now….I have stolen your friend. The girl is dangerous. She is a vessel. She must die to bring in our heavenly Lord. There is nothing you can do, Cyborg. Let the Church of Blood have its way."
Cyborg stood up.
Shaking.
The crowd of robed figures murmur.
She watches. Shivering.
"What??" Brother Blood smirks. "Going to fight the inevitable? You are outnumbered, Cyborg. Not just by me…but by all of the Lord's dedicated children. Who are you to resist me?"
"I am…..not resisting….you….," Cyborg shudders.
Raven blinks.
Brother Blood's eyes narrow.
"I am…..letting….the Church of Blood….have its way…."
"How? Just how are you doing the will of the Church?"
Cyborg looks up.
His red eye flares.
SWOOOOSH!!
He leaps up.
THWAP!!
He grabs Brother Blood with a right-hooking arm.
The cult leader gasps.
Cyborg grabs something from his titanium shell
A black shield generator.
With a flick of his wrist, he tosses it over at Raven's feet.
Cl-Cl-Clank!!
VROMMMM!!
A force field wraps around her and her chair protectively.
Raven gasps.
Cyborg snarls and presses a button in his left wrist.
The light blinks in his right eye faster.
His entire core lights up.
Cyborg says:
"I'm giving you one last sorry-ass sacrifice, PUNK!!"
Brother Blood stares wide-eyed at the flaming core of the android.
Beep-Beep-Beep-Beep-WREEEEEEE!!
"NOOOOOOOO!!"
Cyborg explodes.
BOOOOOOOOM!!
Blue flames erupt outward, sheering the flesh and muscle off of Brother Blood's bones.
The fountain of blue plasma shoots out among the entire church.
The crowds of robed figures flinch and scream.
The girl blinks.
FLASH!!
Their robes fall to the ground…empty and smoldering.
And Cyborg's shell of a body—a metal case with black, charred bits hanging off it—collapses besides Brother Blood's skeleton.
ZZZZZT!!
The force field around Raven lasts through the explosion before gently shorting out.
The girl sits in her chair.
Dazed.
The sole survivor.
Mouth agape.
She gazes at the blackened center of the ampitheatre.
"Cyborg?"
Silence.
"Cyborg??"
Silence.
"…..V-Victor??"
"………………," the girl stares. She hugs her naked self. He eyes fall to the floor. And as three shadows run, fly, and dash in from the back of the
cavern one minute too late… Snow falls. Snow falls in the cavern. And everything turns black. Except for the endless floor. Snow settles. Cold white and blue. Cold…… Vapors rise. Vapors fall. The girl shudders. Mist spreads forth from her lips. And…… In the center. The young man stands up. His naked body a pure sheen of dark flesh. Cold with condensation and spirit tears. She looks up at him. He turns around. Chocolate eyes gazing across the landscape. Frost slowly forms on his bald crown. Flakes shimmer down past his eyes. He scans the emptiness. He starts to shiver. He starts to shake. And then…… He sees her. "Cy-Cyborg……," she murmurs.
He exhales. "Somehow……," he says…a voice deep and throaty, "……I knew that I
would be seeing you first." She bites her lip. He gazes behind him. The faint shadow of Raven kneeling by the charred remains sigh
into oblivion before him. He reaches his hands towards the sight of three late heroes……but
stops stretching when they too disappear. And he's frozen. Like a statue. He breathes it all in. As if he's been expecting it all along. He says: "I guess……there is nobody to blame." "I'm here to kill you." "Huh??" he turns and looks at her. "What'd you say, Terra?" "I said I'm here to kill you, Cyborg." "…………are you now?" He fights his shivering. He rubs a cold hand across and even colder scalp. "I can't say I didn't deserve it." "What's that supposed to mean?" "I don't know. I just……don't know anymore……" "As long as they get a longer lease on the warmth……," he
murmurs. A beat. "Maybe……," he adds, shuddering. "Maybe they'll find out
something I never got a chance to." Silence. He hangs his head with a sigh. He shakes it. "What am I saying? They won't find anything. They won't find
anything at all. I'm not going back. And you……" "……………," she looked at him pensively. He gestures. "You have a job to do." "I don't want to do it." "I know, Terra. I know."
A beat. She slowly steps towards him. One naked step after another. He watches her approach. The snow becomes thicker. The air colder. The mist. The mist……… "I must ask one thing……" She stops. "What is it?" she shudders. His eyes curve. "Did you ever want to kill me? At one time? When you
were…warm?" A beat. She exhales: "Why else would I be here?"
He nods. "Good point, Terra. Good point." He then pointed. "Do me a favor." "Am I not already?" "Do me another favor, then." "Okay……" He gazes again into oblivion. He says: "When it comes to be their time…do not give them the opportunity
to think. It's a little less painful that way." "What is there to think about, Cyborg?" Vapors come out from his lips. "Another good point—" But she touches him. And he jerks.
And the vapors stop coming out of his lips. And…… He turns to stone. Freezing over from the top to bottom with granite. From her touch. And. He sleeps. Forever. She clenches her eyes shut. She bites her lip. Frost spreads outward from her lids and lashes. And…… YANK!! "AAAUGH!!" she falls back into the snow.
THWUMP!! Rusted metal constricts around her naked neck and shoulders. She winces. And when she opens her eyes. She gasps.
More chains. Heavier. Collecting around her person. She shudders. She coldly looks at Cyborg's stone statue. She looks at the added chains. She closes her eyes. And…… Falls backwards. YANK!! Through the darkness. YANK!! Spinning and spinning and spinning and-- YANK!!