Teen Titans in Colors
Chapter Eleven
Trigon: Unhinged

There was a great, terrible sound, followed by a deathly, awful silence, and during the middle of this sound, everything around the Titans glowed brightly. Then the world went utterly and completely black as the light and sound faded..

After a few moments, Robin was finally sure he wasn't dead himself, and began checking on his friends. "Is everyone okay?"

"I'm... alive, at least," said Oz. "Much to your annoyance, I'm sure."

"Present," said Kori.

"Yo. I'm still here," Cyborg piped in. "What was that?"

"My suit identified it as something similar to Delirium's powers, only pure evil and on a MASSIVE scale." This came from Ragnarök.

"Dude! Don't say things like that!" came Garfield's voice. "I'm allergic to pure evil."

"Beast Boy," Robin said. "This really isn't a time to be joking." Robin's mindset was switched into leader mode now, so he started giving orders. "Starfire, give us some light."

In a moment, a green glow filled the room, which was mostly undisturbed, save for the light fixture shaken from the ceiling. Robin gasped when he realized that it was now made entirely of rock instead of metal and glass.

"But a small example of what Trigon's power is capable of," said Oz upon seeing Robin's reaction. "Let's get out of here."

Robin nodded. "I'm still the leader here," he said. "Cyborg, knock the door down."

Cyborg did so, and the Titans stepped out into a brave new world. One made entirely of stone and lava and ash.

"Oh my..." Oz was dumbstruck. "The whole bay? The whole planet? How much of the world is like this?"

"I thought you'd faced him before!" Beast Boy said.

"I have! But it was never like this! His power was smaller; this corruption spread slowly. This makes no sense. Could Trigon be that much more powerful in this dimension?"

"You tell us," Rag said. "You're the 'expert' here." His tone was rather mocking, though not bitter.

"If things are different, if Trigon is more powerful here," Oz said solemnly, "then I don't know what we can possibly do to stop him. It nearly cost me and the Titans of my universe our lives."

The Titans made their way through the Tower, knocking down all the walls and doors that stood between them and the stairs, and eventually found their way to the roof. Saying Trigon was big and bad was one thing. Heck, Beast Boy and Cyborg had sort of seen him when they had gone into Raven's mind. There, 'Trigon' had only been a manifestation of Raven's rage, though.

Nothing in a million years could have prepared the Titans for the reality. The city was twisted into a mess of metal and rock; the bay was full of magma, the water gone. There was the stench of brimstone everywhere. And in the middle of the city, in all his dark, mad, evil 'glory' stood Trigon.

He was terrible to look at. Simultaneously regal and hideous by human aesthetic standards, the demon stood ten times as high as Titans Tower, his muscular blood-red body looming over all as if the true lord of the planet. What chance could the Titans have against something so terrible, so awful and awe-inspiring? Robin couldn't vocalize any of this, but Oz apparently saw the question in his face.

"There is a weapon that can defeat him—what I gave Raven won't do it, not here. He's too powerful. But there's a weapon in the possession of Jason Blood. If Starfire could take me there..."

"Out of the question," Robin said. "She and Cyborg are our heavy hitters, and we need all the help we can get."

"I'm going to get the only help you'll need." Oz replied.

"You can take the R-Cycle then," Robin said.

Oz arched an eyebrow. "How am I supposed to take the R-Cycle? Trigon's powers touched it too."

Robin reached into his belt and pulled out a small device. It was based on the same technology Chang used to compress the matter of his battle armor into his interface suit—the one he had been wearing when Ryand'r and Karas had come to Earth. Tim pressed a button on top, and threw it down.

Light blossomed and formed into a shape... the R-Cycle. "Not in this world."

"That's convenient," Oz said with genuine surprise in his voice. "We don't have this technology in my world."

Robin nodded. "Well, mark that down AFTER we've saved the earth. I'm letting you go only because you can't possibly make things worse, though, so this doesn't mean we're on good terms."

"Never have been, Tim," Oz replied cryptically. "Never have been."

oooo

Slade stood and watched as the gargantuan new ruler of the earth took his first steps on his new planet. "Does it please you, my liege?" Slade asked.

"It does indeed, Slade." Trigon's voice boomed loudly, causing the whole city to rumble.

"Now. I expect my reward. Return to me that which I lost." Slade knew he let a hint of his distrust and anger at Trigon creep into his voice, and he didn't care. Once Trigon had given him what he wanted, their 'friendship' would be terminated.

"In time, servant," Trigon said with a warning in his voice. "You would do well to learn patience."

Slade grimaced within his mask. He would have to wait it seemed. Wait for revenge, for justice. After what Trigon had done, Slade didn't care who killed Trigon. Only that the demon died a horrible, agonizing death, and that it be very soon. Even if it meant allying with the remainder of the Titans...

Hm? Movement. Slade looked down at Trigon's feet, and saw something stir, though obscured by the energies of the fading portal... it looked like...

Raven? But not Raven at all. She was a mere child, no older than ten! This was an odd development. Had the creation of the portal somehow not destroyed the girl? Had it rather reverted her to an earlier stage of her life?

Or was this merely some sort of illusion or machination of Trigon?

Slade observed...

The child struggled to her feet, whimpering in pain as the hot mess of stone and asphalt burned her skin.

"Wh...where am I?" she asked. "What happened?"

"Daughter!" Trigon smiled wickedly. "Welcome to our new home!"

The young Raven whimpered. "Home? You... you're Trigon, aren't you."

"Indeed," the demon said. With a gesture, a small bubble of fire appeared to encompass the little girl, and flew up till it hovered near Trigon's head. "I am your father, the ruler of the earth, TRIGON THE TERRIBLE!"

"You may have created me, but you're not my father!" Raven blurted. "You're just a big ugly devil! I hate you! You took my mother away!"

"Dear daughter," Raven said. "Your mother would but turn you against me--her and that witch Azar. But they... have been taken care of."

Suddenly, an utterly massive ball of green light slammed into Trigon's face and exploded. Slade followed the trajectory of the attack back to the square in front of Trigon, where he saw them...

The Titans were here, and Slade thought it a perfect time to make himself scarce.

oooo

"Release our friend!" Robin demanded even as Starfire's hands cooled, the remnants of the energy she used to form the massive starbolt fading away.

"I don't care how big you are!" Cyborg said. "You're going down."

"I'd have some sort of witty or cool banter to say here," said Collin started, "but I'm relatively new."

Beast Boy caught himself just staring at the Raven. "What have you done to her!" He demanded. And though Trigon ignored what everone else had said, he seemed somehow affected by Beast Boy's question.

"My dear daughter? I've done nothing. She did this to herself, willingly bringing me into the world to escape the pain."

"That's a lie!" Beast Boy blurted. "Raven would never give in, not for you!"

"You underestimate me, mortal," Trigon said. "And who said it was my tortures she succumbed to? She sacrificed her teenage body and the painful memories that came with it to escape the pain of loss. A pain that will be magnified when I destroy you! Trigon inhaled, and then blew out a huge stream of fire, descending towards the Titans, an orange writhing thing that radiated evil.

"No!" Starfire blurted, her anger rising and becoming fuel for a pair of eye beams, which slammed into Trigon's fire breath, and were then reinforced by waves from Cyborg's sonic canon. Neither of them affected Trigon's attack in the slightest...

KRAKOOOM

The wave of fire breath impacted with a massive explosion, leveling several blocks of the town and turning the ground into a charred, molten surface of stone. It should have vaporized the Teen Titans, but it didn't. They still stood when the smoke cleared, but now, they were all surrounded by a shield, a shield made of pure energy...

Green energy, from a ring of great power.

And there they stood, like true titans of myth, in between Trigon and the teenagers. The Justice League: Green Lantern. Wonder Woman. Hawkgirl. Booster Gold. The Question. What relation those five could possibly have—well, except for Green Lantern and Hawkgirl's well-publicized ex-romance—may well be lost to time.

"Holy crap!" Ragnarök blurted. "How did they survive Trigon's alteration?"

"Who cares!" Cyborg said. "The cavalry is here!"

"We're not out of the woods yet, Titans." Robin approached the Justice League slowly.

"This is an interesting development," Trigon said. "But it will avail you little. I am truly all-powerful in this place!"

"Great Hera," Wonder Woman blurted. "What is this thing and how did you kids survive?"

"We have been wondering the same thing about yourselves," Starfire replied. "It seems unlikely that you were locked in a room full of runic symbols designed to ward of demons."

Wonder Woman just raised an eybrow at the teenager.

oooo

"Robin, Vic." John Stewart was the picture of a soldier, not showing a hint of his stress. "Care to explain?"

"That thing is Raven's father," Robin said.. "An arch demon called Trigon the Terrible."

"And where is Raven?" asked Hawkgirl.

"There." Beast Boy pointed towards the child hovering in the bubble. "I don't know what he's done to her, but somehow—"

"Is she supposed to be just a child?" John said.

"It's a side effect of letting Trigon in the world, apparently," Robin said. That drew a glance from John, so Robin explained. "She didn't do it willingly, I assure you. He coerced her somehow."

"I'll get her," he said.

Flying up, John sent the energy of his ring out to retrieve Raven from the fiery bubble in which Trigon was holding her, but with a casual gesture, Trigon stopped the power of the ring. The green energy found itself struggling against an unseen demonic force, unable to get closer to Raven. The green power and invisible force warred a bit longer, but the Green Lantern was forced away.

"I can't break through." John shouted down at the ground.

"Let me handle this!" muttered Shayera as she flew up, her Nth Metal mace drawn back and ready to swing. She collided with the invisible field and bashed it with her mace, causing it to scatter, disrupted by the metallurgy.

Shayera had just made it to Raven and started to break the bubble, when Trigon back handed her away. Hawkgirl went tumbling through the air until Wonder Woman caught her. Booster Gold and John joined the two women in the air, leaving the powerless Question on the ground.

"So," Question said, turning in the direction of the Titans. "Your name is Victor?" He extended his hand to Cyborg. "So is mine."

"Uh... Nice to meet you," Cyborg said.

oooo

In the sky, the four flying Leaguers unleashed their powers on Trigon. Wonder Woman tried attacking his head, grabbing one of his antlers and trying to break it off, but to no avail. John's ring was having little effect on it too, and Booster Gold's high-tech and expensive energy field could barely make a scratch.

"Skeets," called Booster to his droid. "What do you know about Trigon?"

"Trigun... Bzzt." The android searched it's data banks. "Trigun is a sci-fimanga series with a steampunkWild West theme created by Yasuhiro Nightow in 1995, and adapted into a 26 episode anime series in 1998 by Madhouse. It is the story of Vash the Stampede—"

Booster cut him off. "Not Trigun; Trigon!"

If Skeets said anything after this, it was drowned out by a massive roar of pain from Trigon. Booster looked up and saw that Shayera had made contact with her mace to the bridge of Trigon's nose, and the magic-disrupting properties had struck a nerve, so to speak.

"Well," Booster said aloud. "I could just set back and let Shayera kill him. They'll give me a little credit just for being here."

"Your weapon causes me pain!" Trigon bellowed at Shayera. "Identify yourself."

The red-haired heroine smirked. "I am Shayera Hol of Thanagar. You look upon the slayer of the dark god Icthultu." She extended her mace. "And the weapon that finished him off!" Shayera blasted forward and smashed Trigon some more across the face before his eyes glowed, and blasted her with a massive beam of his Death Glare.

She batted it away, but the demon drove her back. Soon, the Booster realized that not only was Shayera attacking Trigon's head, but that the Teen Titans were attacking him down below, knocking out his knees, burning or toes, or, in Cyborg's case, launching explosive missiles up his loincloth. Booster cringed at the thought of it...

Trigon again bellowed in pain, and then literally leapt into the air, and away from his attackers, fire exploding in the air around him. "YOU DARE OPPOSE THE OMNIPOTENCE OF TRIGON?" He bellowed. "Mere mortals! Your efforts are surely futile, for I cannot die! Icthultu was but a mere child next to me!"

"Who but the gods themselves are that old?" Wonder Woman shouted smugly, even as Trigon began to shrink, presumably so that nobody could get between his legs anymore.

"Foolish amazon, I AM a god--the only one this universe will worship!" From a distance, Trigon began blasting at the approaching Justice League and Titans, driving them back. "Mortal hands cannot undo me!"

John glanced at Diana. "Since when are you mortal, princess?" he asked.

"Since never," Diana returned.

"Enough talk!" Robin shouted, he and Ragnarök being carried by Starfire as the Tamaranian flew by. "Let's finish this."

"You are indeed persistent," Trigon said. "Perhaps you would be less so were someone other than myself your adversary." And with that, he hurled the dark ball of fire that encapsulated Raven at the Titans, knocking Starfire out of the sky...

Booster started to look back, but decided he should go after Trigon. He... might could possibly find a way to be useful. Maybe.

oooo

The impact of the bubble containing Raven shook a whole city block, and the Titans dodged out of the way. Their friend, they decided, was the most important thing right now, and so they all rushed to her aid.

"Raven!" Robin blurted. He ran to the crater and pulled the little girl within from the rubble. She wasn't moving...

"Is she okay?" Starfire asked. "Please say that she is alright!"

"I don't know."

"If he's hurt her I'm going to..." Beast Boy trailed off when he saw Raven's limp form. "Is she...?"

Robin laid her out on the ground and checked her pulse. Faint, but there... "She's alive," he said with a mixture of relief and exasperation.

Then, something happened. Raven's chakra glowed, and her eyes shot open, turning from violet to red, and splitting into four. The girl hovered off the ground and suddenly, the fire encasing her reappeared, and then seemed to go INTO her, filling her, empowering her...

Corrupting her. For what emerged from the flash of red light was not the Raven they knew. It was something else, something darker. Something evil. Her skin was flushed red as Trigon's, her eyes glowing pits of evil power, and her now-tattered cloak and leotard were jet black.

Her body was once again in the shape of a teenager's, but her mind was gone, replaced by this... abomination.

"Greetings, friends," Red Raven said. "It is a good day to die."

"Raven... no!" Beast Boy sobbed. "This isn't happening!"

Red Raven promptly blasted him into the wall with a dark talon of energy.

"Get used to it. This is me now, who I was born to be. The Raven you knew no longer exists." Raven attacked Robin next, driving her fist into his stomach and then spin-kicking him into a brick wall. Starfire attacked too, but was dispatched by an ice spell, one that Raven cast with but a gesture.

"YOU AREN'T RAVEN!" Cyborg blurted, blasting at her with the sonic canon. "Now DIE!"

"Victor, Victor," Red Raven said. "You disappoint me."

Extending her hand, Raven caught the wave of sonic energy and held it, not fazed in the least. She walked forward, stressing Cyborg's gun and his ears as the sounds echoed back at him, until the feedback exploded, bursting the eardrum in Cyborg's biological ear and causing it to gush blood.

Ragnarök attacked last, hurling rocks at Raven. But the demoness dodged them easily and grabbed Rag by the throat. "Bow before my father if you wish to live," she said.

"Glomp you!" Rag said, using his geokinesis to blast Raven away, right into a Starbolt. Robin attacked too, smashing the demoness with his bo staff.

Raven lifted at hand, and created a shield dome around the two of them, which the remaining Titans began to attack futilely.

"Timothy." Raven said. Her fingernails extended outward, becoming six inch blades, and she leapt at Robin, murder in her glowing eyes. The two collided, blade and bo in a fight that exhausted Tim but seemed only to make Raven stronger.

She lashed her claws at him, but he threw his head back and deflected her follow-up strike, then dived forward and kicked her into the black shield she had made around them, even as the Titans outside pounded on it with their respective attacks.

"They can't get in. Not until you die, anyway. I'm supplementing the shield with the excess power of your soul, Timothy. A power that has no limit!"

"Shut up," Robin bit out, snapping his bo out so fast the movement was almost invisible. It slammed into Raven's face, magenta blood flowing onto her red skin from her mouth and nose.

"You'll pay for that!" Raven extended a hand, and fire appeared within the dome and blasted Robin backwards. He could feel not only the heat, but the air that remained rushing into the fire. Which meant that even if he didn't get cooked, he would suffocate! Robin staggered backwards and began pounding on the dome, trying to break out. But the futilely of this only made his resolve stronger, and that in turn strengthened the shield. And his body, unlike Raven's assessment of his soul, clearly had its limits. If he didn't get out quick, it would soon reach them.

Suddenly, something whirred through the air and slammed into the dome, and the magic barrier began to fall apart. Robin took the opportunity and hurled himself out of it with what little strength remained, hitting the ground on the other side hard and rolling into a kneeling position.

Suddenly, an orange and black figured blazed by, hurling two more of the shuriken that had released Robin from his prison... "Slade." Robin's word was a mixture of bitter admission and a question.

Slade slammed his feet into Raven and sent her flying halfway across the block, out of the back ally and into the streets. Slade followed up with a smack from his bo-staff that sent the demoness flying into the twisted remnants of the Noisy Lighthouse (which still hadn't opened for a day of business since Emmanuel had slain its patrons)...

The building collapsed on top of Raven, pinning her down...

Slade picked up his three shuriken and explained, "I bought the remnants of a Thanagarian weapon on the black market after the invasion, and had them melted down into practical weapons. In the event attack by such... magical beings." Slade paused and looked over to the team leader. "Robin. You want to win this battle; come with me. And that isn't a request."

"You expect me to help you?" Robin bit out, joining the rest of the Titans around Slade.

"Believe me, Robin, if you knew what Trigon has taken from me, you wouldn't question my help. I want that demon to suffer, and then I want him to perish."

"Slade," Cyborg said, leveling his canon at the archvillain. "You expect us to help you based on nothing but your word?"

"Cyborg." Slade turned around. "I don't expect you to trust me. I only expect Robin to. We're like two sides of the same coin. Besides. I only need him. You have to stay here and keep the witch and her father busy while I take you to the one thing that can destroy Trigon."

"Yeah right!" Collin blurted. "What help could you possibly have?"

Before Slade could answer, the entire bar exploded as Raven burst out of it, carried on column of black energy.

"We don't have time for me to answer that!" Slade barked. Then he grabbed Robin's wrist and took off, dragging the tired teen with him while the remaining Titans watched, not knowing what to do.

"Do as he says!" Robin shouted back. "We have nothing to lose by trusting him!"

"You're the leader!" Cyborg sighed, even as Raven swooped down to attack again.

"NO!" Starfire blasted the witch into what once was an apartment, and Cyborg followed her strike up with missiles launched into the same building.

"Bring it on!" Collin shouted, hurling daggers of rock into the shadows of movement he thought he saw in the clearing smoke. Beast Boy transformed into a massive gorilla and prepared for Raven's next strike...

And when it came, he was the target... Raven's soul self slammed into him, blasting him out of the alley towards the lava-filled bay, where Raven's body had teleported. The Titans pursued, taking the battle out into the open.

oooo

"Here. Take this," Slade said, handing a small vial to Robin. "It will help you regain your strength. Or maybe I gave you poison, and it will just kill you. You decide."

Robin glared at Slade bitterly, and drank the vial. Instantly, he felt better. "I noticed the mark on your head is gone."

Robin couldn't see Slade's face, but he imagined a bitter smirk. "I'm nobody's servant," Slade answered.

"So why are you helping me?"

"Believe it or not, I never wanted this to happen to the world. I had a deal with Trigon, and he has failed to fulfill his end. And even had he, I would help you for revenge alone. Have you not wondered why my son Grant is not here?"

Robin looked up at Slade. "To tell the truth, that hadn't even crossed my mind."

This seemed to really irk Slade, because Slade glanced down with murder in his eye. "No, I suppose not. To you, he was just another criminal. But he was my son."

"Was?" Robin's eyes grew wide.

"Grant is dead. Trigon murdered him."

"How many sons have you murdered?" Robin asked pointedly.

Slade shot that glare at him again. "That monster may have seduced a human and given life to your precious Raven, but he is no father. A father's love is not in him."

Robin looked down. This was a new side to Slade, one he hadn't seen. Weakened. Vulnerable.

"What happened?"

"Grant discovered what Trigon really wanted. Up until the night you heard the prophecy, my son believed that Trigon only wanted Raven for whatever reason. He had no idea who the devil really was. But when he found out, he wanted no part in any of it. He tried to walk away, told Trigon and myself he wanted out. So Trigon burned him alive, right before my eyes. And LAUGHED." Slade's eye was full of indignation, and in Robin's eyes, hypocrisy.

"You have the audacity to judge a murderer?" Robin said.

"Tread lightly, boy," Slade shot. "I take no pleasure in killing. I'm no sadist. I merely do what needs to be done. Much like yourself."

"I'm nothing like you."

The whole time, Robin and Slade had been talking, they had been moving ever closer to the old library, and now Robin found Slade leading him down into it, down into the chamber with the giant hand of Scath.

"Why have we returned here?"

"This is where the prophecy was meant to be fulfilled. I forced Trigon's hand, forcing Raven to unleash him in the city. I had thought he would be more vulnerable out in the open."

"But?"

"I miscalculated. Though it does seem that my actions did have some benefit. The Justice League. Raven must have somehow... protected them before allowing her father to enter the world."

Robin thought on this a moment. "How did you force Trigon's hand?"

"Simple. I made it so that Raven could not resist him any longer. How I accomplished that, you'd try to kill me if I told you."

Robin glared at Slade, wanting for not the first time to pour out all the hate and vitriol in his heart onto that man. But he could not, for at the moment, they were allies.

"This library leads to the caverns under the city. The place where Trigon found me. There is a portal there to places where mortals dare not tread. That is where we have to go."

"Not yet," Robin said. "Not until you tell me what I'm after."

"A ring. A very powerful ring," Slade answered. "That is all I will say for now."

oooo

And while the Titans fought Raven, and Slade and Robin delved into the underworld, Question watched the Justice League battle on against Trigon from a mesa that had once been a tall building.

Hawkgirl continued to trouble Trigon with her mace, but now that he was weary of it, he was managing to keep it away from him mostly.

"John!" shouted Shayera as she was blasted away, "can I get some help here?"

John flew to her and caught her in a green glove, and then let go when her momentum let up. She flapped her wings, lifting out of his grasp, and circling around. "He seems to be countering my mace now. Can you think of anything else?"

"I got nothing," John said, blocking anther death glare with a shield from his ring. "But I need to recharge my ring. Can you and Diana hold him off?"

"Negative!" Wonder Woman shouted. "I think my arm is broken."

"Think?"

"This is the first time it's happened!" Diana shot back. "It's not every day I fight someone of this power."

"Hey guys!" Booster Gold called. "If you don't mind!" Booster dodged away from a swing from Trigon's claws. He had held up much better than anyone had expected, mostly by staying back and attacking only when opportunity presented itself. But hey, if it keeps you alive...

"Right." John batted the shot away. "Shayera... see if you can set Diana's bone back in place. I'll hold him off until you're ready."

"But your ring—" Shayera trailed off. "Right. Do it."

John blasted forward, forming a giant axe with his power ring, and lashing it at Trigon, tying to knock away any energy attacks the he launched. This worked at first, but Trigon started firing random blasts, and soon the sky was so full of flack that he had to back off and put up a shield around himself and the women...

"Booster!" he shouted. "Get back here!"

"I have an idea!" Booster shot back. He blasted forward, dodging the blasts he could and hoping his shield could hold against the ones that he couldn't. "Trigon! Hey you!"

"Silence mortal!" Trigon swiped at him, but Booster dodged away, and flew close enough for Trigon to hear.

"Wait! I just have a question! Who would win in a fight: you or Satan?"

"HAH!" Trigon chuckled. "You must be joking. That wimp of a demon retired years ago. Now he owns a Nightclub down in Los Angeles."

"You don't say?" The confused Booster glanced southward, down the coast, down towards the City of Angels. How ironic.

Trigon nodded. "He was never really much of a brawler anyway. Lies were always his specialty."

"And you're honest Abe, huh?" Booster asked, nervously.

"Of course not," returned Trigon. "I'm perfectly capable of deception when it suits me. But I am all-powerful. Why would I need to lie constantly?"

"Oh." Booster thought this over for a moment, hoping that Trigon didn't suddenly vaporize him...

oooo

John couldn't believe it. Booster Gold was actually hovering there, having a CONVERSATION with TRIGON THE TERRIBLE. "What is this world coming to?"

"John," said Shayera. "While he's distracted, now would be a good time to recharge your ring."

John felt like smacking himself in the head. "Right."

With his will alone, John pulled his lantern out of its pocket dimension, and recited the oath.

In brightest day

In blackest night

No evil shall escape my sight

Let those who worship evil's might

Beware my power

GREEN LANTERN'S LIGHT!

Green energy coursed from the lantern into John's ring, and the field around him surged. He was ready. Now was Trigon?

"And then there is Nathea," Trigon was laughing. "DON'T get me started on Nathea!"

"She a pain in the—?"

"IS SHE EVER. I'm supposed to be omnipotent and I can't stand her." Trigon sighed impatiently, almost as if he was waiting for something. "Well. I AM omnipotent."

At that moment, an idea stuck Booster Gold. It was utterly, completely insane, but... it was worth a shot. "If you were all powerful, you'd be able to lock yourself in this plain cardboard box with no way of escaping, and to make it interesting, you'd also be able to be forced back into said box every time I want to. Can you do that?" Booster produced a cardboard box from seemingly nowhere.

"FOOLISH MORTAL! Of course I could do that. You underestimate me by far."

"Oh. Well then, do it."

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Trigon asked, his demeanor suddenly derisive. "It was a nice try, mortal, but you still shall die." Trigon then pistoned back his fist and punched Booster Gold halfway across the country.

"Well, that went well," John said, the remaining three flight-capable Justice Leaguers preparing to fight again.

"You think Booster will be alright?" Hawkgirl asked.

"He's resilient if nothing else," Diana said.

Trigon again looked as though he were waiting for something, and just as John was about to demand to know what, something happened... Yellow power began seeping from all over the planet, seeping INTO Trigon...

"What in the blazes?" John flew back, not knowing what was happening.

"FOOLS. Weren't you curious why I picked your All Hallows Eve of all days to set up my kingdom? FEAR is the reason. Sentient fear."

And suddenly, though Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl were still baffled, John and Vic Sage knew. The Yellow Impurity had returned.

"John!" Diana demanded. "What in the name of Zeus is going on?"

"This can't be happening. He—it was destroyed!"

"WHO?" From Shayera. "Who was destroyed?"

"Parallax!"

oooo

Oz continued on on the R-Cycle, moving at at least 120 miles an hour on the blazing fast thing. If it were smaller it would be a hydrogen crotch-rocket. He only had about 45 more minutes until he got to Jason Blood's place...
The whole Earth was desolate, everywhere he looked nothing but stone people and twisted, hellish landscaping. The worst thing to see was planes that had fallen out of the sky when the world changed. Most of the people inside probably shattered when the aircraft hit the ground...

So dead was the world, that despite all Oz had said and had seen in his life, it chilled him literally to his bone. It also meant that a Booster Gold-shaped meteor crashing into the ground right in front of his bike was the LAST thing he expected, and had to swerve to avoid the bike falling into the crater.

Oz didn't even look back to see what it was, though. If Trigon was attacking him with washed-out-hero-shaped meteors now, he had to speed up. He pulled back on the throttle, and blasted off. He had a weapon to find...


Author's Note: Parallax is an evil entity from the DC comics Universe. I will have my own explanation of his story in the next chapter, but you might want to familiarize yourself with the official comics version anyway. My version will be based on the show, as always.

And to Prisionero. Colon P! I told you I'd use it!