Chapter 16

Message in the dark

Genesis appeared on the roof of Titan's Tower and looked out at the sun setting over the city. It had been a month since Onyx had turned away from the light and the wounds it caused where still healing.

"Will they be ok?" asked Chaos as he appeared behind his sister and looked at her.

"I don't know, they are still trying to come to terms with what happened" Genesis replied as she continued to watch the sun set, tears gently poured from her eyes.

"I know my sister but we both knew that this would happen" sighed Chaos as he walked up to Genesis and stood beside her, joining her in watching the sun disappear on the horizon, "And to think I used to like the dark" he smiled as he looked at his sister.

"I know but why did it have to be him?" Genesis asked as she moved closer to her brother and wrapped her arms around his waist. Chaos smiled as he put his arms around her and hugged her trying desperately to comfort her.

"I didn't know you liked him in that way?" he smiled as he looked down at his sister, who looked back up at him and managed to smile weakly. She didn't bother answer his question because Chaos knew what was in her heart, she just returned to watching the sun as it finally disappeared and darkness crept over the city.

"Please come back to the light Onyx" she whispered as she cried softly in her brothers arms. They suddenly disappeared in a bright light and left the roof of the tower empty once more.

Nightmare walked through the city that he had once called home and looked around himself with interest. So many things to destroy and so little time to do it in, he thought as he put on his sun glasses and stopped at a window and looked at his new appearance. He had decided to change his appearance ever since he had become Nightmare, he kept his hair the same but that was all that remained of Onyx. He know wore a long black coat and a plain black suit but the most horrifying thing about him was his eyes, they where no longer the pale blue that girls had loved to look into they where now pools of darkness reflecting the nature of his soul. He looked evil and he loved looking evil.

"Whoa your that Onyx dude from the Titan's" exclaimed an excited teen from behind Nightmare. Nightmare just smiled as he put his sunglasses back on and faced the teen.

"That's right" hissed Nightmare as a sinister smile appeared on his pale face. The teen shied away from him a little as Nightmare looked at him.

"C…Could I have your autograph please?" stammered the boy as he held out a piece of paper and a pen, his hands where trembling slightly.

"My pleasure" smiled Nightmare as he snatched the pen from the boy and proceeded to write something on the paper, the sick smile remained on his face, "There you go" he hissed as he handed the paper back to the frightened teen. The fear the boy gave off was like an exquisite wine to Nightmare he revelled in it.

"Thanks dude" smiled the boy as he read what Nightmare wrote on the piece of paper. His face suddenly changed from that of joy to that of terror as he read the message Nightmare left him. Nightmare laughed as he grabbed the teen and dragged him into a nearby alley way kicking and screaming. The screaming suddenly stopped as a sickening slashing noise was heard from the alley way. The piece of paper blew out of the alley way smeared in blood, Time to die Paul Appleby was all that was wriiten.

Nightmare whistled cheerfully as he knelt down and tore the boys head off in a single motion. He continued to whistle as he used the head much like a paintbrush and wrote something on the wall in blood.

"Not my best work but I still like it" he hissed cheerfully as he threw the head into a nearby bin and left the alley way.

"Now to get their attention" he smiled as he pointed at a nearby church. The church was suddenly struck by a bolt of crimson lightning causing it to burst into flames, people fled out of the burning building making Nightmare laughed sadistically as he felt their terror. He turned away from the inferno and walked down the street, his coat flapping about in the wind, his laughter echoing throughout the city.

Raven sat in her room alone, this time however she had every single candle in her room lit so that her room was full of light. Ever since the day Onyx left she had afraid of the dark.

"Raven you in there?" asked Robin as he gently knocked her door. Raven didn't answer, she didn't even raise her head to respond to his question.

"Come on Rae I know your in there, do I have to break the door down?" he asked as he knocked even louder than before. Raven couldn't help but smile as she stood up and walked over to her door. Robin breathed a sigh of relief as he heard her unlock her door and open it.

"I'd like to see you try" she smiled as she opened the door and looked up at Robin, huge bags where under her eyes.

"Are you ok?" Robin asked as he hugged her gently in his arms.

"I'm fine" replied raven as she yawned slightly and relaxed in his arms. Robin didn't believe her but he didn't want to say anything, he knew she was still hurting over Onyx leaving.

"It's ok Raven let it all out" Robin said as he gently rubbed her back and looked at her relaxing slightly in his arms.

"I'm afraid" Raven whispered back as she began to gently cry against his chest. Robin just held her in his arms and swayed her gently, letting her cry against his chest.

"I'm afraid to" Robin admitted as he held Raven and looked into her tear filled eyes. She just smiled as he wiped away her tears and kissed her gently. The kiss helped her forget all about how dark the corridor there where standing in, it made her feel safe. Their kiss was suddenly interrupted as the alarm system went off filling the tower with noise and light. Cyborg appeared as if from nowhere and looked at Robin with a grave look on his face.

"What's the problem?" Robin demanded as he looked at Cyborg, but kept hold of Raven's hand.

"There's a church on fire downtown" Cyborg simply said as he turned and ran towards the garage, where Beast Boy and Starfire where waiting.

"Ok Titan's here we go" Robin said as he jumped into the T man and waited for raven to climb in beside him, "Let's get moving!" he yelled as he pressed down on the accelerator and sped off towards the city with the T car right behind them.

"Get that fire under control!" screamed the senior fire fighter as he watched his men battle against this seemingly unnatural blaze.

"Watch where your spraying Pete!" yelled another fire fighter as he desperately held onto his hose.

"Sorry Jeff but this thing is unlike anything I've seen before" replied his friend as he pointed his hose at the burning church.

"Is there anything we can do to help officer?" asked Robin as he pulled up next to a police officer, who was trying to keep the crowd back.

"Yeah you can help get that fire out" replied the officer as he looked at Robin , who just smiled back.

"Ok Starfire you help keep the crowd under control the rest of us will try and put this fire" said Robin as he got out of the T van and looked at the rest of the titan's.

"Be careful" Starfire said to Beast Boy as she kissed him before she ran over beside the police officer, who was desperately trying to keep the crowd back.

"TITAN'S GO!" Robin yelled as he ran towards the inferno followed by the remaining Titan's.

Nightmare sat perched on the roof of a nearby building and watched the fire crews and the titan's battle against his fire. He chuckled as he watched Robin throw several Carbon dioxide grenades into the blaze only to watch them seemingly feed the flames. He smiled as he watched Beast Boy transform into a huge green elephant and use his trunk like giant water hose and sprayed water onto the fire. He watched as Cyborg blasted several fire hydrants allowing raven to use her powers to channel the water directly onto the burning church. He frowned as he watched Starfire risk her life time and time again to save people from the burning debris that was being thrown all over the place.

"I think they've suffered long enough" he smiled as he clapped his hands together and made the flames slowly die away. He then stood up and disappeared into a pillar of darkness laughing at how they valiantly battled against his little flame.

"BOOYA!" cheered Cyborg as he watched the remaining flames be put out by the fire crews hoses. Beast Boy joined in on the celebrations as he returned to his human form and danced about with Cyborg. Robin was about to join them until he noticed Raven looking at a strange alley way.

"You ok Raven?" he asked as he walked up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not sure" she simply replied as she walked towards the alley way, "Cyborg could I have a little light please?"

"Uhh sure Raven" replied Cyborg as he left Beast Boy to celebrate with Starfire and walked over to Raven, "Here we go" he said as he activated his shoulder light and shone it down the alley way.

"What is it Raven?" asked Robin as he joined them in looking down the alley way.

"That" replied raven as she pointed into the alley way and covered her mouth, her hands where trembling. There just beyond Cyborg's light was what looked like the remains of a body that had been torn to pieces. The smell of blood and death still lingered in the air and made Cyborg nearly throw up.

"What did you find?" asked Starfire as she and beast boy walked towards them.

"Star stay back" replied Cyborg as he turned away from the alley way and looked at her.

"But.."

"I said stay back!" he yelled before he could finish her sentence. Starfire fled into Beast Boys arms, who was about to start on Cyborg until he noticed a look of fear in the metal man's human eye.

"Maybe it's best if you don't look down there" smiled Beast boy as he hugged her and kissed her forehead gently. Robin took out a torch from his belt and venture into the alley way, putting his cape over his mouth to try and block the smell. He stopped whenever he came across what looked like a human head, he nearly threw up as his foot brushed against it but managed to keep calm as he walked up to the main body. He knelt down beside it and sighed.

"Who could have done something like this?" he asked himself as he took of his cape and placed it over the body. He then used his torch to look about the alley way for any clues to what happened here. He stopped looking as his torch stopped on the wall and he noticed something that looked like writing.

"Yo Cyborg!" he called back as Cyborg turned back towards the alley way and entered it cautiously. He breathed a huge sigh of relief whenever he noticed that robin had covered the body with his cape.

"Yeah man?" he asked as he looked at Robin who was still looking at the wall.

"Could you shine your light against that wall please?" Robin asked as he took a step back ad kept his eye on the wall. Cyborg did as commanded and turned his light towards the wall illuminating it, making the writing clearly visible.

"Oh my God…" gasped Cyborg as he put his hand over his mouth as he looked up at the wall and read what it said. Robin just tightly clenched his fists and gritted his teeth together as he also read what was written on the wall.

The light of life shall soon be extinguished

And be engulfed by the darkness of Death

The sky shall bleed red with blood as the battle for life begins

The darkness is coming and nothing can stop it

Let your last nightmare begin

"What does it mean?" asked Cyborg as he looked over at Robin desperately for an answer.

"He's back" replied Robin as he turned his torch off and left the alley way.

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Hurray another chapter has been completed. I hope you liked it. Should have anther posted by tomorrow so until then take care people and LATER DAYS!