"FIGHT ME, BATMAN! DAMN YOU, I SAID FIGHT ME!"

Robin slashed and thrust his icy spear at the Dark Knight. Batman dodged and blocked every strike he could, but he was amazed as to how much improvement Robin has shown in the art of combat since joining the Titans. His fighting skills have become much sharper, quicker, more focused, and far more ferocious. The Batman would be more than glad to pat him on the back and congratulate the Boy Wonder; however, now is not a good time.

Robin leapt into the air and smashed his spear downward on the Dark Knight's head with tremendous speed. Batman leapt out of harm's way. Robin's spear slammed into the steel floor and ate right through it! Keeping the spear in motion, Robin now began to swing his spear downward and smashed it right out of the floor in a 180-degree motion, right underneath the Batman! Batman somersaulted away from the surprise attack, but the spear slashed Batman's face, right up the left cheek. Batman landed on his feet and slowly wiped the blood off his face.

The Batman still kept his cool, breathing steadily and focusing on his opponent.

Robin's eyes continued to glow deep blue, letting the blood drip from the tip of his very spear. Breathing heavily and grinding his teeth, Robin pointed his spear right at Batman's very heart. Batman didn't flinch at all and lowered his iron kendo stick.

"… Why? Why didn't you kill me when you had the chance? Why didn't you kill me five years ago?" Robin asked.

"Why would I do such a thing? You were alone, Tim. Every one of them was dead except you. You were frightened, and you lost every person you ever loved. You were just a child-

"I WAS NOWHERE CLOSE TO BEING A CHILD! Why, Batman? Why…"

Robin lowered his weapon. Trembling, Robin bit his lip and felt a tear trickle down his face. The spear slipped out of his hands and clanged onto the floor. Another tear came down his face as he collapsed to his knees. Robin couldn't keep it in anymore. Robin covered his face and cried.

Batman didn't show it, but watching his surrogate son break down cut through his very heart. The Caped Crusader knelt down to the Boy Wonder and placed his hand on his shoulder to bring him comfort.

"… Why? Why did you let me live?"

Suddenly, images came right at Robin like an incoming car heading right for a deer. All the images were in black and white. None of them were pleasant. Dreadful, silver daggers. Tattoos of wolves' fangs. Bodies maimed and bludgeoned, bodies all around him.

A one-eyed man watching, folding his arms and laughing at him.

Remarkable. You're far better than I'd expect…

Robin flashed his eyes open, feeling a sense of horror. Trembling with fear, Robin looked at his hands. A pair of glowing, red marks appeared before his very eyes, glowing wildly out of his palms. Robin looked down his body. More red marks appeared.

"… Oh no…" Robin whispered. Batman noticed the marks glowing out of his entire body. Batman grabbed his Batarang and threw it right at the Red Alert button near the entrance, hitting it dead aim.


All of Titans Tower went under Red Alert. Cyborg was the first to enter the Main Control Room. Beast Boy and Starfire arrived at the same time. Raven was last, teleporting right by her comrades.

"Dude, what's going on here?" Beast Boy asked.

"Trouble! And it's right in the Tower!" Cyborg said, pointing to the screen. All of them were on level 35, and the beeping 'trouble' icon was on level 5.

"It is coming from the Extreme Combat Room!" Starfire said.

"… Batman and Robin are in there. Oh my gosh… ROBIN!" Raven exclaimed. Whatever conflicts they had were brushed aside for now. Their leader was in grave danger, and they all know they have to work together!

"Raven! Teleport us to the Extreme Combat Room immediately! We won't get there in time by foot!" Cyborg commanded.

"I'm right at it, boss!" Raven responded. With her powers, Raven engulfed herself and all her friends into her mystical raven. The enchanted raven screeched and flew right through the floors and walls, heading for their endangered leader.


Robin screamed and writhed in pain as the marks all over his body glowed even brighter. Robin collapsed to the ground and squirmed, feeling as though dozens of hands were clawing at his very being. His eyes stopped glowing blue and now began to glow red. Batman was helpless to do anything.

"… You have to get out of here, Batman. Get out of here before it's too late! If you stay here, you'll die!"

"I'm not going to leave you, Robin! Not like this! Help is on the way!"

The raven flew right into Extreme Combat Room and released all of the four Titans. As soon as they all landed on their feet, the mystical raven returned to its master. All four of the Titans were completely shocked from what Robin has become.

"ROBIN!" Raven screamed. She ran to her beloved, but red lightning blocked her path. More red lightning shot right out of Robin's body, deadly enough to fry flesh into cinder. Batman and the Titans did everything they could to avoid such a deadly attack, from agility to animal morphing to flying. Robin slowly stood up and sadly looked to his comrades.

"… I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for what I put all of you through. Goodbye…" Feeling his insides burning, Robin turned his back to his comrades and blew away the entire wall with one word. Seeing the exit dead-on, Robin quickly flew right out of the Tower to keep his self-destructing body away from his friends and his surrogate father. He knew from the moment the marks of Scath appeared that if he stayed, everyone around him would get blown away and be reduced to nothing but bones. His consciousness, his spirit: all of it was fading away. Robin flew faster and faster, flying close enough to the clouds. What he saw next up in the bright blue sky brought a tear to his eye.

It was the sun, reaching full eclipse.

When the sun fully eclipsed, Robin exploded into a bright red light. The sky started turning red, and red clouds began to form. Thousands of citizens of Jump City looked up to the sky, mixed with feelings of wonder and terror. Thunder boomed and red lightning flashed.

Batman, Starfire, Beast Boy, Cyborg and Raven looked up to the very sky.

"It's… it's a red storm. I can't believe we're having a red storm…" Beast Boy said.

"… What happened to Robin?" Starfire asked, preparing for the answer.

Raven collapsed to the ground and looked down at her hands, looking as though she committed a horrible murder.

"… WHAT HAVE I DONE?" Raven exclaimed. Her blood ran ice-cold as she raised her head, shut her teary eyes and screamed like never before. The scream was filled with rage, sadness and deep regret. Cyborg and Beast Boy tried to comfort the sorceress.

Starfire grinded her teeth, fell to her knees and slammed her fist into the floor. She smashed her fists into the floor again, and again, and again. Tears began to leak out her eyes as she stopped taking her frustrations on the Tower. Starfire buried her face into her arm and cried.

"I can't believe he's gone. None of this makes any sense," Cyborg said quietly.

"… What the HELL is THAT?" Beast Boy shouted, point his finger to the sky.

A huge, red demon with four eyes, weird antlers and a long tail fell out of the red storm and landed right into the dead center of Jump City. Seeing a demon on the loose, thousands of citizens screamed for their lives and hauled ass, either getting into their cars or fleeing by foot.

"I am Trigon! And NONE of you shall ever see the sun rise ever again! At last, I am FREE!"

Trigon smashed his fist into a skyscraper, demolishing it immediately. As he heard more screams, a smile crept onto his face. Two more towers came down from his bare fists. Three more from his tail.

With a face of stone, Batman took out a pair of batarangs and transformed them into razor-sharp swords.

"Titans. It's time to get to work."

… to be continued.