Chapter 27: Hell on Earth

Writer's Note: SR, near the beginning.

"Damn, do these things spawn on damp locker room floors or what?" Cyborg yelled as he hacked apart another demon creature, this one a one-eyed tentacle monster. He was going to take a three-hour shower when this was over. If he survived.

Cyborg and Beast Boy were doing their best to protect Robin and Starfire (the former was tending to the latter's injuries), but they could only do so much against the relentless tide, even when they used their normal abilities on top of their special weapons.

Beast Boy's griffin form crushed two more bone-mane creatures under his claws, but he was getting tired.

"Damn!" Cyborg said as a little demon leapt over him and headed for the couple. "ROBIN!"

Robin turned just as the little creature leapt for his face. He yelled and managed to grab it, throwing it away, but it got back up, pulling out a small dagger and jumping again…

And then a green bolt blew it apart. Robin blinked, and then turned back to where Starfire was. She had slung her bow over her shoulder before she had caught Robin, and when he had looked away she had pulled it back off and fired.

"Let's go Robin." She said. "Let's show them the true meaning of hell."

"Hey wait a sec. Where's Noel?" Cyborg asked.

Savior stared at the demonic countenance that Raven now possessed, the orb-gun at his side.

"Poor boy. I guess to you, looks matter." Raven said, laughing.

"You're not Raven."

"I knew you would say that. I am boy. I am her true self. Don't you love me any more?"

"You're not Raven's true self. You're everything she despises. I know what she would want, and I'll do it!" Savior yelled, jerking the gun up.

Black energy encased it and it flew out of his hands. Before he could react the daggers were also yanked away from him. Raven smirked.

"Poor boy. Fated to love something like me."

Savior fumbled for his case of holy water, but Raven laughed and raised her arm. The box was yanked out of his grip and crushed, the water falling onto the ground and hissing. Savior looked at his last weapon vanishing, and then he turned hard eyes on Raven.

"Only thing left for you is the sword…" Raven said.

Savior leapt at Raven.

And stopped dead, encased in black power.

"And you won't be getting to that."

Beams of force flew out of Raven's eyes and slammed into Savior. The black energy released him as he staggered back, and then Raven threw twin black bolts of force, slamming into his chest and face and throwing him backwards. He bounced along the ground and was still.

Raven walked over to him. So easy to hurt him. It was almost boring. Indeed, she seemed to have really hit him hard in the face: he was holding his mouth like it was about to fall off.

He tried to get up as she approached, but three bands of black energy appeared over him, pinning him down. He grunted and then Raven leaned down, looking into his face.

Flashbacks of his long ago dream flowed through Savior's head as Ravens stroked his cheek.

"And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, and the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor, and thy soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor…" Raven said, quoting Poe as she leaned right down to Savior as if she was going to give him a farewell kiss, even as one of her hands glowed with the telekinetic bolt that would crush his skull. "Shall be lifted…"

And Savior sprayed the holy water he had drunk out of the last vial, the vial that had been in his pocket, out of his mouth and right into Raven's face. She screamed and recoiled, grabbing at her face as it burned. She had been wrong. He hadn't been grabbing his face in pain. He'd been drinking the vial and concealing it from her. Savior flipped up to his feet.

"Let that be our sign of parting, not bird but fiend that has been upstarting! Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonium Shore!" Savior yelled, mangling some of Poe's work as he threw strands of the Shimmer out, wrapping them around the demon Raven. "Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul has spoken! Leave my love for her unbroken, QUIT THE BUST ABOVE MY DOOR!"

And Savior threw Raven into the Fang, still impaled into the rock. She struck it and screamed as the power within it lanced out and blasted her, throwing her up and away.

Savior saw her land, and looked to see if she was dying. No, she was just stunned, as he had gambled. But she was down for now.

Rage flowed through him. He'd had to hurt Raven. Trigon would pay!

Savior walked up to the sword and pulled it out, and then started for the demon lord.

"Trigon, king in thy own mind, yet without the power to e'en ME bind! I must know now and so I query, does this great struggle make you merry?" Etrigan laughed as he dodged another force beam from Trigon's eyes. Trigon roared and held out his hands. Ravens spewed from his palms, evil demonic versions of the bird. In a flurry of wings, claws, and beaks, they attacked Etrigan.

"I wish I had my own clairvoyance, else I could avoid this new annoyance!" Etrigan said as he spewed fire from within him, burning the birds to ash as dark as their feathers. But the ravens provided the distraction that Trigon needed as he swung his fist, smashing Etrigan across the black landscape that continued to creep outward from what had once been the Titans' Tower.

Demons leapt onto Etrigan, but with a roar he tore them apart with his bare hands. Trigon fired beams at him again, but Etrigan brought one hand up and the beams deflected off the fire that exploded into being on his palm. A fire he threw back at Trigon. Trigon roared as it exploded on his chest.

"Trigon, Trigon, so big and strong, but your reign will be short instead of lo-UGH!" Etrigan yelled as Trigon caught him with a fireball, blowing him across the landscape again.

"Doesn't he ever shut up?" Trigon growled, as he leapt off the stone T that the Titans Tower had become. It irked him that he had to actually move, but he would make sure Etrigan paid the price for his foolishness ten times over.

"I am starting to grow weary Robin…" Starfire said as she fired bolt after bolt at the attacking demons. Robin had long since stopped noticing individual characteristics: they were all ugly, they all wanted to kill him, and they all bled really yucky stuff. That was all he needed to know.

Indeed, the guck they bled was starting to get into Cyborg's joints, and Beast Boy was rapidly running out of forms that could use the claws correctly. And Robin, lacking any special weapon, had quickly exhausted every tool on his utility belt just to keep the demons back. It looked bad.

The new rifts that kept opening were not helping, as Beast Boy, as a gorilla, grabbed up a demon, stabbed it, and then threw it away. The woman with knives for fingers was knocked back into the rift just as she was emerging again, a barely heard curse escaping her mouth as she failed to get out of hell again.

"Holy moly! Look at that!" Cyborg said, as a 25-foot giant who seemed to be composed entirely of black metal armour thundered towards them, stepping on any smaller demons that got in the way. Starfire opened fire on it, but it barely seemed fazed as it kept walking towards them…

And walking…

And walking…

And falling, as the giant tumbled, crushing most of the demons in front of it under its mass. Robin blinked, and then saw the back of the giant was dissolving into ash, due to the sword stuck into its back.

Savior pulled the Fang out with the Shimmer, walking over. The falling giant had cut down greatly on the number of demons attacking them, and they had finished the remaining number off by the time Savior got there.

"Here guys. Backup." Savior said, throwing the daggers and orb-gun to the Titans.

"Mine!" Beast Boy said, claiming the gun. Robin picked up the discarded clawed gloves and put them on, and Cyborg picked up the knives and attached them to his arm.

"Lead the way, Fearless." Savior said.

"Titans…" Robin began.

The rift spewed forth a new group of demons. Robin stopped his chant as the Titans attacked them. A grossly fat creature with an extended neck attacked Cyborg, but three swings of his axe hacked off the creature's arms and head. The head flew away, falling at Beast Boy's feet.

"HEY! I'LL SWALLOW YOUR SOUL! I'LL SWALLOW YOUR SOUL! I'LL SWALLOW YOUR SOUL!" The head screamed at Beast Boy's feet.

"Swallow this." He replied, and blew the head apart with the orb-gun.

The Titans were cleaning up when an even fatter and grosser creature somehow managed to cram its bulk through the rift. But no sooner did it show up then all the Titans attacked it. The woman with knives for fingers started getting out of the rift again just as the huge creature gave up the ghost and died, falling back and blocking the rift with its bulk.

"As I was saying, TITANS GO!" Robin said, as the group headed for Trigon.

Etrigan stood his ground as the fiery blasts flew at him, the heat so great it seared even him. He countered with his own blast of fire, but Trigon stopped it with a blast from his eyes and kicked Etrigan into the air. Etrigan flipped in mid-flight and threw twin fireblasts into Trigon's face. Trigon stumbled back, roaring.

"As a young spawn I read, of your great powers while in bed. I'm almost crushed as I now find, your power had indeed declined." Etrigan chuckled.

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Trigon roared, and hurled twin fireballs at Etrigan. The explosion could be seen twenty miles away, and would have sent all the Titans flying had they not dived for cover.

"Stupid rhymer! I AM TRIGON! You are nothing compared to me! No one can defeat me!"

"Then I guess we're no one!"

Starfire and Beast Boy opened fire as Trigon turned around, blasting his eyes. He roared, covering them as he tried to counter. Showing more guts then brains, Cyborg charged in and buried the axe into Trigon's foot. Trigon bellowed again and fired beams of force at Cyborg, but he missed due to the angle, and Cyborg attacked again by ramming the daggers into the limb. This time, Trigon used a claw swipe, and that didn't miss as it sent Cyborg flying into a rock face, the daggers breaking off in Trigon's foot, as Cyborg hadn't had a chance to pull his arm out.

"YOU FOOLS! I WILL INCINERATE YOU!" Trigon roared, throwing a fireball at Starfire. He missed, and when Starfire fired another arrow at Trigon's face, Robin leapt up to Trigon's side via his staff and clawed a four-foot wound across his stomach. Trigon roared again. Robin noticed that when evil demon gods and their ilk ran into trouble, they tended to do a lot of roaring and yelling about how they would utterly destroy their enemies.

Then Beast Boy shot Trigon in his still open mouth. The noise that Trigon made definitely indicated that hurt. Beast Boy then showed great brains by dropping the gun and turning into a cheetah, running like hell while Trigon fired after him. This proved to be a brilliant tactical move, as Etrigan made his grand return by jumping on Trigon's face and clawing at his eyes and the chakra in his forehead. Beast Boy ran back, grabbed up the gun, and continued to fire. Cyborg returned, worse for wear but still ready to fight, and the Titans flew, ran, and jumped around Trigon as they attacked where they could.

In the back of his head though, Robin was puzzling over something. Jason Blood had said their weapons were "too weak" to hurt Trigon. Yet they seemed to be working. Perhaps Jason had been off? Because their weapons seemed to be just as effective as the sword…wait a second, where had Noel disappeared to?

"ENOUGH!" Trigon bellowed as he threw Etrigan into the T-Tower. He roared and held up his hands above his head as fire exploded on them, and then he fired his force beams into the balls. Lasers and fire blasts radiated out from his hands and laid waste to the surrounding landscape, blowing Starfire out of the air again and nearly incinerating Beast Boy and Robin. And thought they didn't die, the attack still left all the Titans down and nearly out, their bodies burned and bloody.

Trigon lowered his arms, breathing heavily. This was absurd. He was being forced to expend effort, and that…

"TRIGON!"

Trigon's ears pricked up, and he turned to look at the voice.

On a chunk of rock that pointed to the sky stood Savior, the Fang in hand. Trigon cocked his head.

"So, the fool who decided to sacrifice himself for love arrives. I will enjoy killing you." Trigon said, and fired his force beams. Savior threw the sword up to protect him, and it did deflect the blast somewhat, but the general attack was just too strong and sent Savior flying backwards. Trigon laughed.

He stopped laughing when Savior got back up, and it was then he took a good look at the sword, and finally recognized it for what it was.

"No…who are you to oppose me?"

"Are you a god?" Savior asked. Trigon arched one of his eyebrows. That was an unusual question, but the answer was obvious.

"YES!" he thundered.

"Well then, the name of the blade is who I am. I am he who would dare bear fangs at God!" Savior yelled, and ran.

Trigon snorted and raised his hand, combining two of his attacks as he summoned his demonic ravens again. But instead of attacking him, they flew at Savior like projectiles, striking the ground and erupting into demon fire. Explosions detonated around Savior as he charged.

Trigon growled and added his other hand to the firing, but even as blasts erupted all around him Savior didn't back down.

And then a fire blast exploded across Trigon's face. Trigon roared in surprise as Etrigan laughed.

"Curse that I must ever rhyme, but dodge now or you will have no time!" Etrigan said. Trigon blinked. It wasn't possible…

Savior leapt up via the Shimmer and slashed across Trigon's chest, opening up a seven foot wound. Trigon's bellow shook the heavens, as Savior flipped and turned…

And was encased in black energy. For a second Savior thought Raven was back, but it wasn't her, it was Trigon, holding his wound with one hand and reaching out with the other as he gripped Savior with whatever power he was using.

"You dare. You DARE!" Trigon bellowed. "You dare hurt me? I am Trigon the Terrible! LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT IT MEANS TO FEEL PAIN!"

Trigon clenched his fist.

Savior thought he had felt pain before, but what he had felt was nothing compared to the soul-rending torment that tore through him, reaching deep into the core of his being and exploding with an agony that was almost beyond comprehension. Savior opened his mouth but no scream came out, even as the pain swelled to a climax and then ended with a sudden, shattering blast as he fell backwards, feeling as if all his bones were gone and his muscles has been bathed in acid.

The Titans watched in horror, unable to do anything in the two seconds where the black energy clenched and then tore away from Savior, pulling something with it.

Something white that writhed and thrashed as it appeared in Trigon's hand, like a wounded animal.

"Good god…" Cyborg said.

"Trigon…ripped the Shimmer right out of Noel." Robin said.

Trigon roared his laughter and threw the material aside, the white line still thrashing. Savior was down and he wasn't getting up, as Trigon summoned a new fireball to finish the job.

"NO!"

The blasts from Starfire's and Beast Boy's weapons, Cyborg's sonic cannon, and one last remaining freeze disc from Robin slammed into Trigon's side, throwing off his aim, but the fireball still exploded near Savior and he vanished from sight. Satisfied that if he wasn't dead he was probably close enough, Trigon turned back to the Titans, his anger growing again. These children had actually hurt him, and they refused to surrender! To a being like Trigon, that had conquered millions of worlds without much effort, this was an affront beyond his tolerance. This time, they WOULD die.

"TITANS, GO!" Robin yelled.

"Yes, GO TO YOUR DEATH!" Trigon roared, and fired twin blasts of power out of his arms. The Titans tried to counter with their weapons, but his blast cut through it and exploded in their midst, throwing them around like rag dolls.

"Now I will…"

"Here here is Etrigan, your enemy who is more then man!" came the yell, and then Etrigan leapt onto Trigon's head again, sending blasts of demon fire into his skull. Trigon roared and clawed at the annoyance, taking several powerful blasts to his hand so that he could grab Etrigan. This time he didn't throw him, he held him in his hand and summoned a fireball with Etrigan still there. The fireball detonated instantly, throwing Etrigan into the air, and Trigon blew him out of the sky with his force beams, sending him across the landscape again.

Why did he have to do this himself? Where were his minions, his daughter? He should not have to suffer the humiliation of having to deal with such insects, especially ones that has actually hurt him before…

Trigon's jaw dropped. The Titans were still alive. And they were getting up again, finding something in themselves that Trigon had never thought was possible.

"Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve, are mortal and e'er doomed to grieve, but perhaps due to their briefest time, their potential's far beyond our kind!" Etrigan said, getting up himself. Trigon looked around.

He couldn't believe he had to do this, but it had become apparent that if this kept on he might actually be in trouble. And he would rather resort to this then be like that.

Robin had puzzled on how the "lesser" weapons had managed to harm Trigon. The truth was, being a demon, territory was very important when it came to power. When he had overwhelmed his daughter's annoying human side and banished it, her summoning him had given him an automatic foothold in this realm, a foothold he had immediately begun spreading with a simple use of his power. He didn't like doing this, but being imprisoned in the Nether-verse had weakened him, and he needed to regain his strength. But, even weakened, he was certain that the small amount of territory he had claimed would allow him enough power to deal with any problems until he had corrupted the whole planet. Once he had that foothold, his power would quickly be restored to its former peak, and nothing would be able to stop him.

But his current territory, for lack of a better term, had failed to provide enough "battery power" to defeat the Titans. Therefore, he had no choice but to speed up the process and corrupt the whole planet instantly.

But to do THAT, he'd have to cast another spell, and that spell would use pretty much all of his current power, but once it was completed it would be returned to him tenfold. Then he would be truly invincible, and crush the Titans and any others who would dare oppose him.

Trigon growled, a growl that build to a roar as he threw his hands up into the air, as black and red power exploded on them, blasts and bolt crackling around him. He spoke in a language that no human had ever heard, a language that they were incapable of understanding.

But Etrigan understood it, and he knew.

"I am a demon, I have my pride, to humans I give little mind. But for mankind, I have a plan! And it shall not stop! SO SWEARS ETRIGAN!" Etrigan roared as he spewed fire from his mouth. But the fire stopped before it could strike Trigon. There was simply too much power around him.

Trigon poured all his power into the spell, and it began. The slow crawl of the blackness that had consumed the T-Tower, the island, and some of Jump City suddenly became an insane push, the darkness blasting over the city in an instant and to the cities beyond. Trigon could feel the reality shifting to his wavelength, felt more portals opening up as demons beyond number arrived to their new kingdom.

Raven floated up, laughing.

"Yes father! YES!"

"You young who take the name of those, who gave birth to the gods of Greece, the time towards final fight now flows! Do not fail now, or we're all fleeced!" Etrigan roared, leaping at Trigon. But the invisible barrier that had blocked his fire also blocked him, throwing him away. He bounced along the ground, swearing in some demon tongue.

"You heard him, ATTACK!" Robin yelled, and the Titans charged.

Until black energy encased them, stopping them dead. Smiling, Raven floated down.

"Enough. It is time. Enjoy this sight Titans, it will be the last one you ever have." Raven said.

Trigon continued his spell, feeling the drain but knowing he had won. There was no one left to oppose him. No one…

A bloody hand appeared, reaching up and grabbing a ridge in front of Trigon. Trigon blinked, and then another arm appeared, holding a sword despite the fact that it was so burned it looked ready to fall off. No, it couldn't be…

Noel pulled himself up onto the ridge, clutching the Fang. He didn't know how he was still standing, but he knew what he had to do.

"My god, Noel's still alive." Beast Boy said.

"And he has the sword! Go Noel! You can do this!" Robin said.

"Stupid, stupid child." Trigon said, recovering from his mild shock. "You still stand? Fool, you should have let yourself die. It would be a mercy compared to what I plan to do to you for your impudence."

"I may just surprise you." Noel replied, even as a bolt of power swept by him and turned everything to his right side to black ash.

"Believe that. But there is nothing left for you to do. That blade cannot defeat me!"

"No, it can't." Noel said, as he remembered what Etrigan had said. For all the strength of the blade, it required something more.

"Young boy named Christmas, now I tell
Of this the weapon to banish hell
The Fang is ever many things
Halberds, swords, and magic rings.

But know now this! There is a price!
That must be paid once but not twice
To slay Trigon, no minor deed
The blood of the purest heart must bleed."

"But I know what might." Noel said, raising the sword. Perhaps this is doomed to failure, perhaps it always was…but I'll do it anyway! For this world, the Titans, and Raven!

Trigon watched as Noel raised the sword some more…and then turned it around.

"What?"

"Noel what are you DOING!" Robin screamed.

And then Noel drove the sword through his own chest, piercing the blade right through him. All the Titans and Trigon gaped at this act.

Noel shuddered, staggering.

"So you choose the coward's path after all. How human of you." Trigon said, as Noel fell to one knee, blood pouring from his chest.

The shuddering that came from Noel suddenly stopped.

And then Noel moved one of his hands and began pulling the blade back out.

"I gave the Fang as was our bargain, but sure as I'm not Etrtragan, but not a moment did I hope, that vict'ry would favor that dope!" Etrigan said.

Gritting his teeth so hard his jaw cracked, Noel pulled the Fang back out of his chest, the sword slick with his blood. Heart's blood. Slowly, he turned the sword around and gripped the handle.

Blood leaked from between his teeth.

"I'll…" Noel whispered, as he took a step.

And then he stopped, falling over onto his side, the Fang falling from his hand and clattering onto the ground. He had exerted every bit of strength of will he had, but he couldn't overcome his own body's limitations.

"Oh no…Noel…" Starfire said, tears leaking from her eyes as his teammate made the ultimate sacrifice, all in vain.

Trigon chuckled, and then he threw back his head and roared his laughter. Evil, triumphant laughter.

"What is it that the losers say? 'Its not who wins, its how they play'. But I know now, with Noel's death, we have all taken our last breath." Etrigan said. Perhaps he would survive, but he had a feeling that the human race had just seen its end. Soon they'd be little more then souls for Trigon to play with. Even the mightiest metahumans would be no match for Trigon's dark powers…

Then some movement caught his eye. He turned his head and saw the energy, a tangled coil of line, thrashing around. Noel's power, the Shimmer. They had theorized that the energy seemed to possess some kind of self-awareness, a sentience of sorts, and the way it moved suggested they had been right: not a power that Noel called upon but a living creature separated from its host.

At least until it floated up into the air and then flew off towards Trigon.

(Writer's Note: For the upcoming dramatic moment, you'll know it when you see it, if any of you have actually seen a certain cartoon, please imagine the dramatic tune done by flutes that played at the end of Digimon Season 4 when Sasuroomon or whatever his name was formed).

"I see, I hear, I taste, I smell, and now I say 'What in HELL?'" Etrigan said. And then, driven by a weird urge, he chased after the Shimmer to see.

The Shimmer flew through the air, even as the light that came from the Fang grew brighter as it too floated up, the blood on it vanishing. Trigon looked at it.

"What?"

The Shimmer flew past him, spiraled up the rock face that Noel had collapsed on, and then picked up Noel as light exploded from the Fang. Noel floated upward in front of Trigon.

"NO! WHAT IS THIS!" Trigon yelled.

"What's going on? What happened?" Beast Boy said as the ground began to rumble.

"I always thought that he would fail, I knew in pain that he would flail, but I thought the duty then would fall, to another more pure without his gall." Etrigan said.

And the Fang flew backwards, touching Noel's chest and then absorbing into him as light exploded from him and the Shimmer as it reconnected with Noel, beams of radiance flying out and all over the place.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Raven shrieked as one of the beams grazed her, and her black energy holding the Titans shattered as she recoiled away from it, even as the shining light flew up till it was level with Trigon's face.

"Logic and reason have been shirked! His impossible plan! It worked! IT WORKED!" Etrigan said, as he arrived near the Titans.

"What happened?" Robin said.

Etrigan's voice took on a wistful quality as he recited.

"But know now this! There is a price!
That must be paid once but not twice
To slay Trigon, no minor deed
The purest blood away must bleed.

I told him this, he knew the threat
In a thousand years I'd never bet
That alone he would succeed
But now THIS! The impossible deed!

The sword by mortal hands is wielded
Against his fate his is unshielded
But now the sword and he are one
I know not how this deed is done!

The Fang had users, pure and chaste
Always their blood was put to waste
Their lifeblood left, the demon's scheme
Put them in eternal dream

But now I see him use the Fang
And what's more, he and it are one
He now shall defeat the demon gangs
And all who worship Lord Trigon!"

Noel opened his eyes, his whole body encased with white glowing power that flowed and shimmered off him.

Trigon clenched his teeth and then roared in pure rage. This wasn't happening!

"It doesn't matter what you do, boy! This world is mine now! I AM ITS GOD!" Trigon bellowed as six holes ripped open in the air around him and demons poured out. "BOW TO ME!"

The demons charged at the floating Noel, who just cocked his head and looked at them.

And then he thrust out his arms, and a myriad of Shimmer lines flew out, tearing through the hordes and burning them to ash. Trigon's jaw dropped in surprise, and then the lines impaled through his shoulders.

"NO!"

Noel flew at Trigon, holding out one arm as a blade of light extended from it and grew to giant proportions as he made his final attack against Trigon, who was in the final moments of his spell and could do nothing more to defend himself.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The blade of light slashed out, and brilliance exploded off of Trigon, blinding the Titans and stopping all the demons in their tracks.

The light then faded, revealing Noel back to the way he was, battered, bruised, and bloody, standing on Trigon's forehead via the Shimmer and with the Fang buried in Trigon's chakra, piercing into his forehead. He looked down into Trigon's eyes.

"Go back to hell."

And then he twisted the sword, like a key opening a door. Trigon screamed in rage and fury as reality tore apart behind him, revealing a shimmering mass of dark colours that humans could barely comprehend.

A giant wind started up, as the demons summoned by Trigon were pulled back into the realm they had escaped, squealing and screaming their futile defiance. The corrupting taint Trigon had sent out stopped and then reversed itself, reality reverting to what it had been.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Raven shrieked, as she hunched over, as if trying to resist the wind. "NO, I HAD IT! I…AIYYYYEEEEEEAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

And then the red flesh ripped right off of Raven's body, the new eyes literally ceasing to exist as she returned to her human form. The flesh flew off her and barely managed to stop, forming into a crude human shape.

"This is not possible! I am your true self! I cannot be banished…!" the floating red flesh somehow wailed as Raven turned around, rage burning in her eyes.

"You are not my true self. You are everything I despise. This world and I will not tolerate your presence!"

"Raven, I am you! I will always be you! Accept it and let me…"

"NEVERMORE!" Raven screamed, slamming her hand out and smashing her demonic side, literally tore from her flesh and soul, with the power she possessed, a power she had due to her birth father, but a power she would no longer stand to be tainted by his evil. Her evil side wailed as it was cast out, flying into the rift.

"THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING! A HUMAN CANNOT DEFEAT ME! I AM TRIGON! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!" Trigon bellowed as he was pulled backwards towards the rip, back into his old prison. Noel could feel the terrible darkness and cold in the rip, and knew he had to leave.

"Trigon, it's not impossible. It's inevitable."

And Noel yanked the Fang out. There was one final burst of light, as the island the Titans were on returned to its normal state, the T-Tower becoming steel and glass once more, and one final scream of anger and defiance as Trigon was pulled back into the Nether-verse.

Then the rift closed shut, and all was silent.

"Sons of Adam, Daughter of Eve, doomed to die and doomed to grieve, against all odds you triumphed yet, and now you have earned my respect." Etrigan said, as the Titans finally allowed themselves to relax, exhaustion and pain overwhelming most of them. But they had won, and it was truly a sweet thing.

"Raven!" Starfire said, looking at her restored comrade. Raven was going to go check on her friends and then leave, but Starfire saw her and flew over, giving her a hug.

"You are yourself again! I am so glad!"

"You're…not mad at me?" Raven said, confused.

"For what? For being unable to resist your father? Raven, he's an extradimensional demon. You're human. You did all you could, and in the end, you didn't get banished with him. That's all I need to know." Robin said.

"Are you ok Rae?" Beast Boy asked.

"Ugh…that physical separation with my evil side shell-shocked me…I think I'll need some rest before I can use my powers again…but they should come back. They are mine, not his."

"Good. But I'm just curious though. Will this be happening again any time soon? Because I'll be a little less prone to forgive you if this is a yearly thing or something." Beast Boy said.

"Hey, we have…oh god, Noel!" Robin said. In the distance he could see Etrigan had gone to something, and the Titans ran over there.

Noel was on the ground, his eyes flickering. The Fang lay on the ground nearby.

"Noel! Oh no, what happened?" Robin said.

"Noel…oh god Noel…" Raven said, kneeling down next to the badly injured Titan.

"Trigon…is he…?"

"Gone. You did it Noel. You saved me." Raven said.

"We all saved you…I'm just glad I could…" Noel said, coughing.

"Noel, let me heal…"

"No…too late…"

"No, don't talk like that! You'll be fine!" Robin said.

"Yes, Raven can heal your terrible life-threatening wounds which you stupidly inflicted on yourself!" Starfire said.

"No…"

"Why did you do this, Noel?" Raven asked.

"Because no matter what our future could be…I wanted to make sure you HAD a future Raven…and that's enough…" Noel said as he eyes started to close.

"NO! NO!" Raven yelled.

"In the end, I just hoped…I surprised you…"

And then his eyes closed, his head going limp against the ground.

"Noel…oh no…" Raven said.

"But know now this, there is a price, that must be paid once but not twice. To slay Trigon, no minor deed, the purest heart away must bleed." Etrigan repeated as he looked at Noel's body. "Never before, in all my time, have I seen so great an evil slain, by one so born of primordial slime, of purest heart and soul and brain."

Raven looked up at Etrigan.

"Born of lust, but now true love, that greatest thing below and above, made his goal pure, and pow'r the same, and next to that Trigon was lame." Etrigan went on. "Born of Adam, born of Eve, his fate to die, his fate to grieve. His power pure and very great…yet he could not avoid his fate."

"Oh no…Noel…" Starfire said, her eyes starting to tear up. Beast Boy sniffed, about to start crying himself.

"No, I will not let it end like this!" Robin said, pushing Raven aside. He looked at the blood-soaked cut in Noel's shirt where he had stabbed himself and grabbed it. If he had to crack open Noel's chest and massage his heart back to life while holding the wound closed he'd…

Robin tore the shirt open.

And found no wound. Not even a scar. The blood on the shirt was from before, not now, and as Robin goggled at this, Noel opened his eyes.

"Surprise." He said.

"What! Oh Noel you're all right! YOU ASSHOLE!" Raven screamed, first hugging Noel and then punching him across the face. "I OUGHTTA KILL YOU FOR THAT!"

"Noel is not harmed! He will live!" Starfire said, doing her own hug. "But that was stupid you clorbak valgranuk!" she added, stepping on his foot.

"OW! Hey guys stop it, you really will kill me!" Noel said.

"DON'T tempt me." Robin said, grimacing at Noel. Noel cowered, and then the look softened.

"As stupid as that trick was Noel, we're all glad you're all right. You beat Trigon."

"Hey, I said what I meant. I couldn't have done it without you. We all beat Trigon. I just…played a fairly major role." Noel said, walking over and picking up the Fang. "And it's good to have you back too, old friend." Noel added as the Shimmer sprang from his right hand. It moved around him, almost like it was dancing with joy.

Clapping suddenly attracted the Titans' attention, and then turned to look at Jason Blood, giving them applause.

"You truly did do well, all of you. And I'm glad I could help." Jason said.

"Who's he?" Beast Boy said, pointing.

"That's Etrigan's other side, Beast Boy." Robin replied.

"What? Geez, why would he ever want to switch? That Etrigan is one ugly…!"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Cyborg said. Beast Boy sighed.

"So…what happens now?" Noel asked.

"You did not kill Trigon, unfortunately. But you struck him a mortal wound, and when he was expending most of his power in order to corrupt this planet. It will take him time to regroup, and he will have to start anew in trying to escape the Nether-verse. Also, there are beings in the Nether-verse that may want to take advantage of his weakened state. Trigon is a cunning foe, but I think it may be a while before you are bothered by him again."

"Care to give an exact time frame on that?" Cyborg asked.

"Such things are forever in doubt. It may be a year, it may be a decade, it may be an eon. But know for now, you have won. And for that you have my thanks and respect."

"We also still have your weapons. Here." Robin said, giving Jason the clawed gloves back. The other Titans had lost their weapons, but a quick search of the battlefield turned up all but one of the daggers that Cyborg had used on Trigon.

"It does not matter. There are others where those came from." Blood replied when Robin apologized for being unable to find the weapon.

"And this belongs to you as well. I think it would be best if you kept it in your possession." Noel said, giving Jason back the Fang.

"Indeed. For a power does not have to be dark and evil in nature to corrupt." Jason said, putting the sword in the special bag he had gotten from somewhere and the one he had put the other weapons in. "And with that, I bid you farewell."

And Jason Blood disappeared into the night. After he was gone, Beast Boy took a long sniff of the air.

"Ah, I love the smell of napalm in the evening. Smells like…victory."

"That is not napalm Beast Boy. That is the smell of the Tower. Raven trashed a good part of it, remember?" Starfire said, pointing.

"What? OH NO! OH NO!" Beast Boy and Cyborg yelled, taking off. The remaining Titans glanced at Raven, who blushed deeply. "Sorry." She said.

The remaining Titans followed the running two into the Tower, and caught up to them in the lounge.

"REJOICE EVERYONE! The Gamestation is unharmed!" Beast Boy whooped.

Everyone else facevaulted.

Some time later, Noel was resting outside on one of the rocks. He was still too charged on adrenaline to sleep, and also, his bed had been right in Raven's path when she had gone through the ceiling. So he lay on his back and stared at the stars and the moon, thinking about how much prettier the night was in comparison to some things.

He didn't so much see her as he sensed her, but before he could get up Raven actually sat down next to him.

"Hello Raven. Feeling ok?" Noel said, leaning on one arm so he could look at her.

"Yes. How about you?"

"I'll live."

"Yes, I guess so." Raven replied.

There was no more conversation, so Noel laid back down on the rock and continued looking at the stars.

"Noel…remember what I said?"

"About what?"

"About us…"

Noel didn't reply, unable to think of anything to say. He was about to get back up again when Raven suddenly shifted and laid down on top of him, looking into his face as she pulled her hood back.

"Surprise." She said, and then she kissed him. This time, she didn't pull away, and this was no dream. Just Raven.

And indeed, her lips were slightly bitter, but also quite sweet.

Noel reached up, pulling her to him, and she responded, finally free to express herself as she wanted, with nothing getting in the way.

And nothing floated, and nothing exploded. All that happened was a couple momentarily forgetting their powers and their backgrounds and finding peace and happiness through themselves.

The two were oblivious to the outside world as they finally lost themselves in the other, but what happened was so quick that they probably wouldn't have noticed it.

On the ground nearby lay the dagger that the Titans had missed, the blade still slick with Trigon's blood. And so it lay there.

Until the hand darted from the shadows. Literally. A hand emerged from darkness itself to scoop up the dagger. A face, born from the same shadows, peeked out, looking at the dagger and then up at the couple. Raven was considered pale, but this man surpassed even her with the amount of time not spent in the sun. He looked at the two for a few seconds and then literally vanished back into the darkness.

When he re-emerged, he was no longer on the island, but on a building several hundred feet away, on the docks. He had not walked or flown there, or swam or boated. He had moved through the shadows themselves, and he re-emerged on the roof.

The redheaded female started when he showed up. The black-haired female did not, indeed she didn't react at all. Possibly because of the bandage tied around her eyes.

"Well well, I guess you weren't just playing voyeur, were you?" the redhead said, looking bitterly over at the island. She couldn't see it at the moment, but a moment ago she had tracked her comrade's progress via some powerful binoculars, and she had seen the embracing couple. It made her feel sick, and angry inside.

"What has Shadowmaster brought, Sizzle?" the blindfolded girl said in a quiet, mousy tone. The way she spoke always creeped Sizzle out. Then again, a lot of things creeped her out.

"You got me, maybe the boss will know it is. He sent him." Sizzle said.

The one who had grabbed the dagger, known as Shadowmaster, slipped over and handed the dagger to the blindfolded girl so she could feel it.

"Don't touch the blade." Said a new voice.

"What's so great about that anyway?" Sizzle complained. "We could have been discovered!"

"That blade is coated with the blood of the high demon Trigon. It will be a crucial piece in my plan. Well done Shadowmaster."

The very pale man nodded. Sizzle grimaced.

"Here master. Take it." The blindfolded girl said, getting up and walking over to the figure that faced away from the roof.

"Thank you Murdercrow." The figure said, taking the dagger.

"Well, what now?" Sizzle asked.

"Yes master, what are we to do now?" Murdercrow inquired.

The figure slid the dagger into a small jar that would keep the blood fresh. But not for long. Indeed, considering how long the dagger had lain there before Shadowmaster had been able to fetch it, he was surprised it was still wet. Maybe demon blood was different somehow.

The man put the jar away and pulled the sword out of the ground, turning towards the T-Tower and sliding the katana into the sheath on his back.

"I think it's time to remind these children why they should fear the night."

I would like to give credit where credit is due: all of Etrigan's lines were written by my fellow author BobCat. Go read his stuff. Now.

Next: JUSTICE!