PART 2: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

And if the cloud bursts thunder in your ear

You shout but no one seems to hear

And if the band you're in starts to play different tunes

I'll see you on the Dark Side of the Moon

Chapter 10: BRAIN DAMAGE

If it hadn't been obvious that the world had been coming to a close before, it certainly was now. News reports broke into every station, alerting every household to the disasters outside. Plagues of locusts invaded the Middle East, Asia's rice crops had failed, and the seas were becoming choppy and vicious, tearing apart ships with the greatest of ease.

The winds blew the skies apart. And if they didn't, something else would. A pilot reported, following a crash, that what could only be described as a demon had taken his ship and tore it in twine. It worked slowly, taking to the wing. It waved to a passenger inside, it said, and then seemingly vanished whenever the person called for aid.

It played like an old Twilight Zone story, until the end the creature cackled through the ship as it descended madly to the ground below.

What else filled the alien sky was unspeakable. Birds of strange and unusual color filled the air. Some attacked planes, only to find themselves squashed.

The world's airways were sealed. The roads and seas were in turmoil. People huddled together in their homes, waiting for the disasters to cease. Out of fear of the unknown, for one brief moment, mankind was at peace.

**************************

"We're not doing any good just waiting here," Changeling complained. "I mean, look at this. Robin's looking utterly wasted, and after what he went through, do you even think he'll survive?" The hospital room they sat in was morbid. The outside noises of patients being rushed in a constant reminder of the earthquakes that had shattered much of the city.

"I don't know," Cyborg said. Arsenal sat looking at the emaciated form, almost spellbound. "What is it?"

"Never seen anything like this happen to a guy before," he said. "I've worked with the Oracle system for, oh, how long now and I ain't ever seen anything this bad." He looked honestly frightened. "Why'd it have to happen to him?"

"I can't give these answers," Cyborg said. "Wait, tell us a bit about the Oracle program you work for. You've helped us here and there, and yet we've never even heard of you before."

"Sure you have," he looked down to Robin, "He did anyway. It's an organization that a bunch of superheroes felt was necessary. You know, a way of getting information of oppression that they'd on their own be helpless against. Batgirl's one of the big contributors. The one working on this case for the most part's my girl, Donna."

"How did Slade get access to it if it's for heroes?" Changeling asked.

"Because not everything I do," said Slade, opening the door, "Is necessarily evil. Plus, I called in a favor from her." He handed a file to Cyborg. "I'm not about to read it to them," he whispered, heading out of the room. There was a moment of silence.

"Jesus Christ," Cyborg muttered. He seemed to sincerely mean it. "This is bad."

"What?" Changeling said. He sounded frightened. The other boys looked up, trying to make sense of what was going on. "What what what?"

"Even if he makes it through this, there's a high chance he'll have major brain damage." He frowned, "He won't be Robin again."

They didn't hear the argument outside, but a meek doctor stared down the dark expression of Slade Wilson, trying his hardest not to blink. "What do you mean, brain damage?"

"There's, there's a very large area of his brain that seems to have, er, " he adjusted his glasses, "Shut off. We really can't explain it. This has never happened before in the history of medical science."

"You're full of it," Slade said. "You don't know what's wrong there. You don't know what's going on his brain, so you immediately say he may never, ever wake up?"

"That's just one of the possibilities," the doctor said. "I'm afraid that it's more likely he'll be mentally retarded. I don't know how much of his speech center works. He'll be an empty shell looking out on the world. A vegetable."

"I won't accept that, and you can be damn sure Batman won't," Slade said. He stormed out of the hospital, shooting the doctor a dangerous look as he left. The doctor entered the room to see the Titans look at him, trying to reason through the information.

"I see you've been alerted. May I have my notes back, please," he asked. "Thank you. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news."

"It's all right," Cyborg said. "We knew the job was dangerous when we took it. Can we just ask you don't take off the mask?" The doctor nodded in agreement. "He'd appreciate it, we think."

"I hate to say it," Arsenal said, "But as much as I'd like to help him, we need to get to the Vatican. There was rumblings down there. They say the Pope was evacuated."

"How long ago was this?"

"Six hours," Arsenal responded. "We need to be there pronto." They rose quickly, except Tempest, who suddenly moaned, holding his head. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," Tempest admitted. "Ever since I got these powers, there've been weird moments where I felt something going on in my head. That was just the strongest." He rose. "Sorry. Let's just get going."

"Okay, wait a second." Changeling whipped out a cell-phone. "Hey, Lilith? It's us. Get the jets warmed up. We need to hurry on to Rome. I know it's dangerous to fly. What? What do you mean the pilot quit?"

"Problems?" Arsenal said. "I can fly it."

"We have one," Changeling said. "Yes, I know you're worried. No, you can't come with us-- what do you-- look! No! No! All right. But just on the trip there. Your dad would kill me if he knew I-- okay. Love you too," he said, rolling his eyes. "Bye." He put the cell-phone away. The others just looked at him. "What?"

"Nothing," Cyborg said. "I'm just wondering what kind of girl would insist on flying a sky where the most natural thing you're going to run into is a penguin."

*************************

Lilith looked out the window to a world of horrors and mockeries. Things seemed so much different from a couple days ago. "You okay?" Changeling asked her. "You don't look so good. Maybe we should drop you off across the Atlantic. Find you someplace nice to stay."

"No," Lilith said, with as best a smile as she could muster, "I'm okay."

"All right," Changeling responded. "You sure?" he asked, a second later. "Because we can."

"Yes, I'm fine," she said. Changeling looked nervous, but resigned to let her stay. The ship was moving at a slow pace. "What's taking so long?"

"Er guys, got some bad news here. We're about to hit some turbulence." Arsenal's voice was coming in over the pilot's speaker. They looked to one another, muttering in confusion. "And by turbulence, I mean flock of demons." They looked out the window. There were hundreds of monstrous creatures following the plane, coming in from each side. "So, please buckle your seatbelts and hold on to your stomach distress bags." The plane took a sharp dive. It continued eastward, moving lower, and turning slightly southbound.

"You maniac!" Cyborg yelled. "That's not how you drive one of these things." One of the cabin doors were torn open. "Oh Good Grief, not now," he took aim and shot the demon before it could get in. It fell out of the plane and spiraled down to the ground below before it finally reclaimed its footing. "You are a horrible pilot."

"I heard that," Arsenal's voice came on again, "And I'd like to see you do better when there's a gremlin on the wing." There was indeed a creature on the wing. It was tearing apart the wing. It looked up at the window and gave them a rude gesture. "A very rude gremlin."

"I'll get it," Changeling said.

"No, I'll handle it," Tempest said. There was a burst of water that rocketed towards the gremlin, hitting it off the wing. "There, that was easy." The Gremlin was still holding on by the skin of his teeth. "You know, I was hoping he wouldn't do that."

"Okay," Cyborg muttered, "This is just getting crazy." The Gremlin began to crawl its way back onto the wing. "Try to hit it again."

"I may hit the engine!" Tempest said. "I don't want to think of what that'll do to the system."

"It's just a little water," Changeling said. "How's it going to hurt."

"Under the pressure I'd need to knock that thing clean?" Tempest said, "A lot. It could tear the turbine a new hole."

"Okay, okay," Changeling said. "I'll get it." He went to the doorway and leapt out, transforming midair into a falcon. He cried out as he launched at the demon, who tried his best to wave it away."

"I've got a clear shot," Tempest said. Water arced about the plane, hitting the demon straight in the back, sending it flying. Changeling hurried to get back into the plane.

"Slow down, Arsenal, we need to get Changeling back on the ship," Cyborg said. He looked at Lilith, who was beginning to look very nervous. "What's wrong?"

"I, I just had a vision," she said. "A flash of premonition." Cyborg rolled his eyes. He wagered she write it off to women's intuition next. "I know I sound like I'm saying it's my woman's intuition, but I'm really sure I just saw something."

"Saw what?" The ship began to arc upwards, and Changeling managed to clamber on. Cyborg rushed to help. "There you go, man. Worried me for a second."

"You were worried? My arms are tired!" he whined, waving them around for humorous effect. "Dude, what's up with Lilith?"

"I just had a bit of premonition," she said. "I think it's some omen."

"Er, guys," Arsenal's voice said, "Hate to ask, but did you know that we're out of fuel for some reason?"

"Oh no," Lilith said.

"Out of fuel? We had a full tank when we left!" Cyborg complained. He peeked his head into the cockpit. "What happened."

"That smart money's on a demon bursting the fuel canisters open." He gave Cyborg a one-up, "Hey, don't look so glum. You don't have a thing to worry about, I'm an expert on crash landings. I've survived three all ready."

"How come you were in three plane crashes?" Changeling demanded. "And why didn't you mention this beforehand?" There was no response from Arsenal. The plane took a downward dive towards Italy. "Oh god. We're all going to die."

They landed without too bad a mark in the off the coast of Italy, close to France.

*************************

The Titans looked at the coast of Italy. They could see the tower rising higher and higher as they watched. "This is nuts," Changeling said. He was dragging the group along as an Orca whale. "I mean, look at that."

"It's just a few more miles," Lilith encouraged. She watched the skies as they clouded over around it. The surreal skies seemed almost tranquil in comparison. "I think we're in for a lot of trouble."

"That's why you're staying by the coast," Cyborg said. "We don't want you getting hurt."

"Especially not me," Changeling offered.

"And if you do, we wouldn't forgive ourselves. So, for our sakes, please?" He looked for her reaction. Her brow furrowed a bit, but she agreed peacefully. "Thank you."

The waves quelled under Tempest's presence. Arsenal looked to him, "So, you're the new Sea God are you?"

"Not really, but that's what the position's been called," Tempest explained. "It's really just a powerful wizard, something like Dr. Fate. It's the undersea equivalent. The open seas are where I hold the most power." Arsenal whistled. "How about you. Why are you doing all the work for this Oracle program?"

"It seemed like a good gig."

"I mean, why are you running around doing all this?" Tempest asked again. "It doesn't seem very fair to have you running all their errands while they find they divvy up the information."

"It's not all that," Arsenal said. "I've spent my time behind the computer screen too."

"I see."

"It's not as easy as it looks. You've got to go through all the agents, and we've got a few, some undercover like I was, and some out in the open gathering information. It's a hard job, but you get used to it. Between that and this, I'm also in a band."

"Really," Tempest said. "Reminds me of Tula. She did a bit of singing back in Atlantis." He looked at the water beneath him. It moved slowly in time with his breath. Arsenal looked a bit unsure of what to say, but put a hand on Arsenal's shoulder.

"Look, I heard about that. Aquaman got a lot of the survivors to safety," he said. "I'm sure she's one of them."

He didn't seem content. "I hope so."

"Is she, y'know?" He tried to gesture it out, but fumbled about aimlessly.

"What?" Tempest asked, looking more and more confused as Arsenal adjusted his shades and tried to reword what he said.

"Are you and her, er, dating?"

"She went with Arthur and me on some adventures when we were kids, that's about it," Tempest said. "We never talked much besides that. She was more up to date with the fashions and all, and I just helped Arthur's adventures. It's just that I couldn't bare it if something happened to her."

"Sounds like an unrequited love to me," Arsenal said. "I'm sure she's all right. Don't worry."

"Okay," Changeling said, "What about you. How did you and Donna meet?"

"Donna and I met working as members of a team to stop some thing called the Antithesis. Along with the Flash, we kind of had to help our mentors stop acting weird." Arsenal shrugged, "It was a fun mission, and we kept in touch. Eventually, we started dating. I love her and all, but between you and me, she can sometimes get just a tad naggy."

"I hear that," Cyborg laughed.

"What's wrong?" Tempest asked Lilith, who was hugging her knees to her chest. "You look upset."

"It's nothing," Lilith said with a smile. "Nothing at all."

"There is," Tempest said. "What is it?"

"I just, I just knew what was going to happen on the plane. I'm worried that I'm changing in ways I never imagined," she said.

"Lilith?" Changeling called, "You sound scared."

"I, I'm not. I'm just a bit confused," she said.

"We're almost there," Changeling said. They looked at the coast of Italy. It was a most in disarray. Animals and humans both sat looking at the massive structure, unsure of what to make of it. It writhed as if it were alive. Its dark windows reflected the sun's fading orange lights as if they were red. The creatures that flew in the sky, unfamiliar birds and demons, looked down at the ravaged earth beneath them with a delighted smile.

*************************

The clink of the chain made Batman look up from his self-imposed slumber. A ghastly figure crawled in. Whatever it had once been, it no longer remotely resembled. It had withered, weak skin the color of ash, and the muscles in its form had long since lost any firmness. It looked like an empty carcass lumbering towards him, but there was definitely something familiar.

"Eat," it commanded, simply, taking some kind of slop from its bucket. "It will make you feel better."

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm no one," it answered. "No one of consequence." It took its tattered cowl and forced it over its face. "Please, eat. I do not wish to be caught with this food."

"Why are you doing this?" Batman said, letting it place a spoon in his mouth. He couldn't move his arms or legs, as both had been swallowed by the architecture. He took another bite. It felt good to have some sustenance in his body.

"A memory. A memory compels me to help you. I saw your battle." it said. "I must hurry. If I am caught, we'll both be in trouble."

"Wait. My belt," the creature looked at it. "Open the second pocket." There was a small tracker in there. "Activate that." The creature did so and placed it back in the pocket. "Thanks."

"I will be around again in a day. I fear if I come anymore than that we'll be caught."

Batman watched the withered form stumble out the door on its blistered feet.

**************************

Arsenal stared at the skyscraper with a pair of high-tech binoculars, focusing in on its every corner and terrace. Above them, the moon had appeared, and there was signs of an eclipse. It had been an hour from sundown, and after making sure Lilith was safe, the group had moved towards the tower. To their surprise, the trip had taken much less time than they had expected. "An eclipse," Changeling muttered, "That's unusual."

"Didn't think one was scheduled," Cyborg said. "It's early by a month or something." Tempest shrugged. "Well, anyway. We got to get inside that tower and do something."

"Right," Arsenal said, "But how do you suggest we do this?"

"Well, we need to get inside. There's probably some kind of security," Cyborg said. "The world's still moving, so I'm going to guess that the world's not over yet."

"Right," Arsenal said. "But what if there's no door."

"What?" Cyborg asked. "Let me see those!" He took them and looked down at the bottom of the tower. "There's gotta be. Maybe on the other side."

"We can look," Arsenal shrugged, "But it's my professional opinion that there is no door there."

To be sure, they walked up to the building, only to find another group holding a very similar argument. "Definitely no door on this side or that." Arsenal looked at the group, and began to whistle. The one speaking, a man in macabre rags, looked up. "Oh, hello. You again."

"You know, we just keep meeting up at the worst places," Arsenal said. "Can you please leave?"

The HIVE looked at the Titans, and spent a brief minute studying the state of their ranks. "Where's Wonder Boy and Sunshine?" Jinx asked. There was a tense glance between her and the rest of the team.

"Resting."

"The cutie-pie's sick?" Harley whined. "Aw, I was hoping to show him my new toys!"

"If I may so inquire," said the Scarecrow, "What are you doing here?"

"We're here to stop Trigon from ending the world," Tempest said. "Whatever's going on, it's reaching quickly to its climax."

"And so just leave," Arsenal yelled. "I don't want any of your creepy fear gas messing anything up."

"Well, that works out go--" Mammoth was silenced by Jinx placing a hand to his mouth. This wasn't about who'd do the job, anymore. The ego was involved now that they knew their competitions.

"Do you lugnuts even have a plan?" Gizmo asked, scoffing. "I mean, seriously. We've been preparing. What have you snot-sniffers done?" Changeling wanted to lash out, but Tempest brought his hand up.

"We've been trying to come up with a plan ourselves," he said. "However, we've had more stressful concerns to deal with."

"Like what? Did your grandpa pass away?" Leslie asked, mockingly. There was no holding back Cyborg's outburst.

"Okay, that's it. We fight right here and right now. Winner goes in, loser goes home!" The others tried to calm him, though Changeling's glare seemed to echo the sentiment.

"What did I say?" Leslie asked, infuriatingly innocent. Arsenal walked up to Jinx and looked her over.

"I know all about you." He proceeded to whisper something in her ear. The other HIVE students leaned in, except Scarecrow, who looked almost embarrassed by his teammates attitudes towards this. "And remember, I'll tell everyone about that."

"Okay everyone," Jinx squeaked. "We're going to back away slowly. This is their funeral first and foremost."

"Didn't want to go in anyway," Gizmo said.

The group backed away and watched the Titans as they examined the building. "No doors. Can we break the windows?" Cyborg muttered. Arsenal whipped out his bow and arrow.

"One way to find out," he said. He fired a trick arrow at the window. It hit it, and vanished. There was no ripple effect in the surface, no sound effects, just a simple vanishing trick. "That was weird."

"I'll say," Cyborg said. "Maybe it's magic?"

"Maybe, Cyborg. And maybe I'm a super hero," Changeling said.

"Don't be so hasty, Changeling," Tempest said. His hands glowed as he focused his arcane energies. "I may not be near water, but I can still muster a little bit of magic. Let's see," he said. He touched the surface of the material and vanished just like the arrow. There was a pause among the Titans as they again examined the surface.

"Okay, am I the only one creeped out here?" he asked. "What just happened? Was he vaporized? What?"

"Calm down," Tempest's voice said. "I can still hear you. Come on. The door's open. Just touch the surface." They did, with a second's hesitation, and soon found themselves in what appeared to be a modern skyscraper foyer. It was empty, and the walls were a slick black color, but it was definitely modern.

Around the foyer, massive paintings adorned the walls. They looked at the one, front and center, with a mixture of awe and confusion.

*************************

Lilith couldn't take her eyes off the building. Something strange filled her mind as she looked at it. It was as if the tower was shedding memories into her brain. She could see an impish dandy standing against a mighty demon, the landscape torn and twisted by the forceful entry from a distant dimension. Besides the imp stood a young woman, whose face and features had been dotted with demonic highlights. The mighty demon's name echoed. Trigon the Terrible.

Trigon stared at the imp, all four eyes focusing on him. "Daughter, when I sent for you, was this the form that I sent?"

"Yes," The Daughter of Trigon, named Raven, said. "He continued to be my most trusted aid."

"That is impossible, I dispelled him," Trigon said. "He had served his purpose and that's all I needed of him."

"Oh," the imp known as the Black Cat said, walking towards Trigon, "Isn't that such a sob story. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, Trigon. Ever since I learned that my purpose was just to find a way to release your daughter's emotions for you to take over, I planned and I plotted, and all those plans and plots anchored me to existence. I refused you once, and now, I refuse your existence instead."

"Trifling imp," he said. Energy rained down on him. He simply moved between dimensions, leaving only his smile to watch. "I forgot I blessed you with that power."

"Yes," BC said, "It's so fun. But now, now that we've said hello, it's time for you to say goodbye."

"You traitorous little--!" Raven said, sending energy forces towards him. BC danced to the side. She continued to set reality to burst at it seams. BC just dodged, and laughed. "Father, if I may, let me destroy him."

"I couldn't refuse that face," he said, his voice a careful monotone drawl. "Go. Destroy him. Let me see how you have developed your skills." Trigon took a seat on the rooftops of the former Vatican City.

"At once, Father." Raven let loose a slew of attacks at BC, who jumped and dodged with perfect comical time. He took some pratfalls under one reality burst, and then ducked to the side cowardly of a piece of rubble. What mattered though was that nothing managed to touch him, no matter what speed they were going at.

She took the earth from behind him, gently, in her grasp, and let it rise up at him. He dodged it, a feat she declared impossible. "Father, I don't understand how I could miss!" she complained. Trigon only watched the fight with mild interest.

"My name is BC," he said, "It means the Black Cat, and that means bad luck for you to have crossed my path!" He jumped up into the air. "And now, the finale." He flipped, throwing down shadowy daggers at the ground. They touched Raven's own shadow and latched to it. She found herself frozen. "And I learned that one from TV," he laughed. He took a bow.

"You enjoy putting on a show." Trigon rose, "I like you, imp. Join me and free my power from your seals, and I shall make you a grand jester. The world's denizens are yours to entertain, and make them slothful and closed to whatever wishes I have of them. Now, daughter, we have work still to do. There are things that have to be done."

"No," BC said.

"You would refuse my very generous proposal?"

"Yes," BC said, "Because unlike you, I know who's got the full deck here. And it's me." He created a card deck to demonstrate. "Come, let me read you your fortune! Come one, come all!" He took out a card, "Ah! It's The Devil. And isn't that a lovely picture!" He turned it around, and the image on it was none other than BC. "It says your life will be invaded by trouble. And that will lead to," he turned the next card over, "The Tower!" It was an image of the World Trade Center on fire, "I think we both know what this means. The Tower that must be constructed, but it leads to a separation. I wonder whose. And, of course, no course is complete without a little of," he turned the third card over. It was Death, "The Death Card. And in this case, it doesn't mean 'change' or something wussy like that."

"You're taunting me," Trigon said. "It won't work."

"Oh, but it already has." BC laughed, the seals glowing brightly, "I know seals are barriers against dimensional entry, but my own body is all ready between dimensions, so I can access the power I've sealed away while you," he pointed, "Can't. Because I'm the one with that power, and you're the one who granted it to me." BC laughed, "See how this works out? Me me me!" He waved a finger.

"I see," Trigon said. "You wish to challenge me. Very well." He drew himself up to his full might. "I am Trigon the Terrible, the one true God of this universe."

"I don't want the Universe. I don't even want Heaven or Hell," he said, "All I want is power over Earth." The two demons brought their attacks to the fore. Trigon's massive power shook the earth as it rumbled towards BC. The Earth tore open and spikes of black energy moved upwards. BC didn't move. He just batted them to the side and moved towards Trigon.

"Fascinating," Trigon said. "You do have some power."

"Oh, I have more than some," BC said. "Remember you're only fighting at one-fourth your full power, sir."

"Insolence. My power is of such a magnitude that even without that much of it I can squish you."

"Then do so!" BC encouraged. "I'll even stand still. Go ahead. Squash me." Trigon roared, rising his hand up to swat the annoying creature. As it came tumbling down to the ground, it began to burn from the speed. There was a grand sound from the area, and a bright light engulfed the scene.

*************************

There were distant noises above the foyer that the spellbound didn't notice. The creeping creature looked down, its chain at its full length. It saw the creatures below, but could not leave the floor to greet them. It just stared, looking ready for whatever would come next. It heard the footsteps behind it, and turned. "Master," it bowed, resigned.

BC looked different than before. His face was more noble than slippery. His hair had grown about him, giving him the sensation of a mane, and slick cat-like ears popped through it. Otherwise, his manner of dress and speech had remained largely the same, though he had indulged himself a cape to give him an air of authority. "Ah, good. They've arrived. Please, take care to watch this."

The Titans below looked at the portrait of the Black Cat with a mixture of awe and confusion. It wasn't anything they had ever seen, but both feral and beautiful in its own twisted way. Whoever it was, though, it did not resemble the monstrosity that had inhabited Raven's head. "Is this Trigon?" Arsenal asked.

"I don't think so," Changeling said. "I think Trigon's big and red with four eyes and everything."

"And horns," Cyborg said. "This guy's just like a rampant furry or a cast member from Cats."

"I'll take that as a compliment due to my love of Andrew Lloyd Webber," BC laughed, descending the stairwell. "Welcome to the Tower at the End of Time. Or as I like to call it, the beginning of the new era."

"You really like yourself, huh?" Changeling snidely asked.

BC passed the mirrored surface of a bright column. He smiled at his reflection, and moved to greet the Titans, "I'm happy to finally be able to see you. But I know you all already. You, Arsenal, I barely know. I hear you're a real bad boy, though. I bet that's covering up some sexual insecurity or another." He passed by Arsenal without so much as a second glance. "The Sea God, Tempest, replacing the pesky Leviathan. You're probably having a lot of headaches. That's just the usual when the torch is passed. You get a sense of what's happened."

"Is that what all those pains are?" Tempest asked himself. BC just moved to the next Titan.

"Cyborg. Cyborg the ever dependable big brother. You were always there for Starfire and Raven. They spoke so highly of you."

"You knew them?" Cyborg asked. "I've never seen you before!"

"Silence," Cyborg found his mouth welded shut. "And Beast Boy. Or whatever you started calling yourself. Beast Boy, Beast Boy, Beast Boy what are we to do with you? Always moving your mouth." He slapped BC's cheek playfully. "It's a pity that you never say anything."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm so glad that we can all finally talk together like this!" he laughed. "I've waited so long for this moment! So what game shall we play while we wait for the world to end?" He created a small hourglass. "We've got about two hours to play. I do hope you last longer than the Justice League."

"Wait, what?" Changeling asked. "When'd the Justice League get here?"

"Before the tower was constructed," BC said. "They tried their hardest, yes. But in the end it amounted for little more than becoming another brick in the wall."

"If you hurt them--!" Cyborg yelled.

"Calm down, young man," BC laughed. "No, no. They're still alive. But they're being constantly drained to fuel the growth of this tower." He smiled, "And you will be too, if you fail." The Titans readied themselves

Arsenal loaded his bow. "Are we going to fight?" There was a laugh from BC. "Well?"

"You look hungry," BC said. "Come, we'll to supper."

************************

"Okay," Jinx said. "We should go in after them."

"Not that I'm voicing any dissent," Scarecrow said, "But... why?"

"Because," Jinx said. "If they fail, we're going to have to do this solo. And don't let me remind you that if they get beaten before we beat them, it's not going to look good on our resumes."

"However, if they win, and without their heavy hitters," Gizmo said. "We'll look good. Oh, and you'll likely get a lot of extra credit and be able to skip classes or something. I dunno. Snot-barfing frosh."

"Hey!" Harley muttered. "That's rude!"

"Regardless," Scarecrow said. "How are we supposed to get in there?"

"Same as them?" Mammoth asked.

"I think so. There is a lot of magic in this," Jinx said. She brought her hand up to the structure and fell through it. "Oh Sweet Shiva." She looked at the monstrous monolithic cavern that they had been brought into. And the strange creatures that crawled and hobbled through it carrying a tray full of slop. "What is this place?"

**************************

"So, this is my crowning achievement," he said, showing them a medal that appeared to be made out of a bottle cap, "For defeating Trigon. It was a cunning scheme, if I may say so myself."

The Titans looked bored or furious at the situation. They had barely touched their food, which seemed to be appealing, but still they were too angry at this state of affairs to eat. "What's wrong?" BC asked. "Do you not like my company?"

"What happened to Raven?"

"What happened to who?" BC asked. "Oh, her! Well, Raven, as the daughter of Trigon, has a bit of her existence based around him. When he was ultimately destroyed by yours truly, I wasn't exactly sure what would happen to her. Whether or not the human half would claim dominance or not. To my surprise, it didn't. In fact, nothing bothered to replace the demon side."

"So she's...?" Changeling said. He looked horrified.

"Alive? Oh my, yes!" BC said. He clapped his hand. "Servant, more food!" The hobbled creature wandered in with a tray. It looked pathetic and wrinkled under their scrutiny. "You see, what happened was she became less than human and less than demon. A monster. Say hello, Raven."

The creature looked up at them, "Hello." Its voice was a broken harp. It had no substance, and it only whispered like a memory. The Titans rose to their feet to look at her. Cyborg looked wrecked.

"No way," Cyborg murmured. "What happened to you, Raven?"

"I explained it," BC said. "When I destroyed Trigon, she became this monster. She can't even feel emotions. I've been testing. Tell me, Raven, do you love me like a servant should."

"Yes," the creature whispered.

"See! No emotion! No defiance and no spirit! I wanted to discipline her for her disobedience, but that's quite hard when she does everything as I ask her. And I can't just discipline her anyway," he muttered, "Because she can't even feel pain. Isn't that right?"

"Yes," she said. Changeling put his hand on her cheek, but felt no warmth. "Beast Boy," she murmured. "You look well." There wasn't a trace of concern in her voice. It was just a monotone.

"Oh geez," Changeling said. "You left her like this?"

"What'm I supposed to do?" BC asked, complaining. "I don't know how to restore her short of resurrecting Trigon, and we don't want that, now do we?"

The Titans just looked at her helplessly. "We have about an hour left," BC said. "I'd like to show you around I may. Come, Raven, let's show our guest's where they'll be staying. They'll be in good company."

The Titans followed Raven as she led them through the tower's upper levels. "Well," BC said, "Having been good friend's with Raven, I can tell she probably remembers feeling happy around you all. So I imagine that's why she's being so talkative."

"I can't believe you," Cyborg said. "How can you feel so nonchalant about this? And why are you bringing about the end of the world anyway? You destroyed Trigon! You can stop it." There was a pause, and then a careful laugh.

"You know, that's funny," BC said. "Tell me, Raven, do you remember what I said about the moon?"

"No," Raven said.

"Wonderfully. Then you won't mind me elaborating for our guests here. You see," he said, "There's always been myths connecting the moon with a sense of insanity. Insanity being what we should all aim for because reality is disconnected and painful. They've told about fairies in the moonlight, and wolf-men." He sighed, "But they're all wrong. Especially when they talk about a dark side of the moon. There is no dark side of the moon, you see," he said, "In fact. It's all dark."

He smiled, "I apologize. But this has all been a very clever ruse."

**************************

Lilith walked towards the tower on her own expedition. It wasn't that safe, she admitted, but she was getting nervous. The air was getting tighter. It was almost if all the oxygen on the planet was being drained. This didn't leave her feeling confident. "Where are they?" she murmured, approaching the foot of the tower.

She hadn't ever seen the man standing by the door before. His armor, his mask, and his stance made her nervous, but the movement he made towards her was anything but aggressive. "Come," he said. "I was wondering if you can figure out the riddle of this contraption?"

"Why me?"

"You seemed to have an idea what you were doing," he said. "My name's Slade. I'm an ally of the Teen Titans."

"You are?" Lilith asked. Her voice was suspicious. "How do I know for certain."

"I could have killed you," Slade said, "But I didn't. You're Beast Boy's girlfriend, right?"

"Changeling," Lilith corrected.

"Same difference. I know for certain that Batman is in here. Robin's utility belt went off a little while ago," Slade said. "I'm assuming that this is some manner of prison, so I thought I'd repay a favor."

"Okay," Lilith said. "But the Titans came here a little while ago and they've vanished too. They should be around here somewhere." He touched the surface. "No way in and no way out."

"Strange," Lilith said. "There's a door here."

"What?"

"It's closed, but there's definitely a door here." Lilith patted the surface, "It's too heavy for me to open. Can't you see it?"

"To be quite honest, no." Slade looked at Lilith with an air of confidence. "But if you can show me where it is, I'll open it."

"It's massive," she said, "At least two stories high and made of heavy wood." She held onto a handle. "It's got these, but I doubt anyone less than Superman could open it."

Slade took the handle from her, "Extraordinary." He felt it, moving it up and down, before pulling on it. The door began to move, ever so slightly backwards. Slade looked to be pushing himself to his limit. It moved another two inches before he was out of breath. "Impossibly heavy."

"I think I can sneak through." Slade placed his hand on the surface, and found himself staring at a door that had not been there before. "What is it?"

"So this is what you saw. Fascinating. I wonder what's causing all this."

"I don't know," Lilith said. "I don't even know what's happening to me. I'm starting to see things in the past and future, and things that aren't even there."

"You're probably experiencing the awakening of a latent meta-gene," he said. "It's a bit frightening, but you'll manage. My son went through a similar process." He walked through the strange foyer. "I wonder what if this is a real location or merely an illusion. I mean, certainly it's got a diabolical design, but what does it really look like?"

"Nothing. It's all blank."

"There are signs of a struggle," he said. "Odd. We should head upstairs. We'll get closer to the answers from up there." Lilith perked up, looking upwards.

"Wait, Mr. Slade," she said. "I hear something." There was another sound, this time closer and much more earth-shattering. It was a scream, a female scream.

***********************

The demons were too quick to be touched. They had taken apart the HIVE in a matter of seconds. They were now being dragged, leashed like common animals, towards a room on the highest floor of the tower. It was a miserable parade, and the Teen Titans watched as each of them was thrown into the wall, which then came to life as if to devour them. Jinx let loose a shrill shriek as it touched her and threw her back into itself, leaving only her mouth and chest exposed. "The Tower itself has been growing at an exceptional rate due to the Meta-humans I've been using to feed it. Usually, we have had to deal with set-backs. And with our schedule already being tight," he shrugged, "Let's just call it dumb luck."

"What do you mean, a clever ruse?" Cyborg asked. He tried to move to save the HIVE, despite his own dislike of the group, but the demons snarled and hissed in such a manner that he drew his hands back. "You don't strike me as clever." His mouth was shut again.

"Oh, but I am. You see, my purpose, my sole purpose, was to make Raven betray the team. By using her own affections for you and your teammate, that was easy. She gave in so easily despite all her efforts. That's when the demon side, the side who wanted to be like her father, took over and began infecting people with the Trigon Seeds. These seeds," he brought an image of one out of thin air, "Are simple. In less than seven days, it becomes too much and the victim will succumb to the seed completely, and that power is transferred to Trigon upon his resurrection. Simple way of smuggling in his power."

"I merely played down the importance of these seeds, telling Raven they were merely her servants. She picked one immediately," he said, "And I couldn't do anything about that. However, I paced when the other three were chosen, so I made sure they wouldn't last too long."

"Then Robin was..."

"... an unexpected quirk," BC said. "Pity, really. I was hoping to see him. Oh well. I heard about the fight. Raven was very impressed with your detective work."

"Er, thanks," Cyborg said. "How did she know?"

"Just a connection to the seeds. They're directly related to Trigon, so they're directly related to her. Confusing, I know," BC said, "This is before the beginning of time. They never knew that user-friendly would be a big thing."

"And you were using this for what reason?"

"I wanted to break free!" BC said. "And now that I have, I'm no longer restricted by his commands."

"Wait," Tempest said. "You're part of Trigon. When you destroyed him, wouldn't he have destroyed you."

"You'd think that," he said, "And to be frank, I was worried about it to. I speculated by absorbing Trigon's power, I'd remain alive, and thankfully I did. I would have been less than her if I did that." He indicated Raven, who moved to show them the next floor.

"Wasn't this the highest level five minutes ago?" Changeling asked. "Is it really growing that fast?"

"Why, yes," BC said. "And this, by the way, is your room. You'll be staying here for the rest of eternity, feeding this tower and what have you. I so hate to give exposition and run, but it's important. We have about a half hour left, and we need to get prepared for the big announcement."

"We're not going without a fight," Changeling said, "You do know that, right?"

"Oh, yes," BC laughed, "I knew you'd say that. Come on. Punch me. Right across the kisser. I'll give you a free shot." Cyborg moved to punch him, using this moment to his advantage. He punched BC with as much force as he could muster.

His metal prosthetic arm fell to the ground in pieces.

"I'm sorry," BC said, "But that just happens." He gave a flourish of his cape. And vanished. Except for his mouth, which hung like the Cheshire Cat. "You know, this is why I don't go to parties. The chicks hit on me and fall apart. But I digress." BC resurfaced a distance away, moving towards the Titans at a slow pace.

"This guy has a worse sense of humor than you do," Cyborg muttered to Changeling.

"Thank you for that," Changeling muttered back.

Arsenal fired arrows, which just bounced off. "Okay, I think we can safely say that this guy is invulnerable. What then," he asked, "Do we do."

The magic bolts that Tempest summoned pushed him back. "Keep behind me and hope that we can hold him off until help arrives."

"If help arrives," Arsenal said. He moved behind Tempest anyway. "You seem to be able to slow him down."

BC laughed, disappearing again, and reappearing behind the Titans. "It's simple as this. I move between a second dimension. The fourth, actually. Simple mathematic principal behind it. I'm basically repeating my dimensional coordinates in a sequence that will, as it continues, move me closer to Pi. Fascinating concept, I think. Mr. Charles Ludwig Dodgson was a genius. An insane pedophilic one, but a genius nonetheless. And as I said, I appreciate insanity."

He threw the Titans to the ground with a wave of his hand. "And as much as I appreciate the sincere effort you've put into all this. It's time to put an end to this. Hopefully you've come to understand the nature of my game. Pleased to meet you. Hope you guessed my name."

***********************

"Look at him," Slade said, looking over Batman, who had apparently fallen asleep. He looked weak and frail, locked within the wall without a way of getting out. "Just drained. Whoever is doing this is truly devious."

"Who are you?" a whisper asked. They turned to see the half-completed face of Raven. It looked like a Picasso to Slade. "What do you want?"

"We're here to find out whoever did this so we can free these people." Raven looked at the girl, and looked her over.

"She must stay here."

"She's coming with me," Slade said. "Who knows what dangers lie here. We already saw marks of the scuffle in the foyer." Raven thought, and then agreed to take them. They reached the top floor in time to see BC looking up at the moon. It was within arm's reach. Though they must have had to walk up millions of flights of stairs, Slade considered, it had felt as if it had only taken about ten minutes. The hourglass he held was nearing its final sand. "Who are you?"

"They call me the Black Cat." He looked at the moon. "It's beautiful, isn't it? The Eclipse is nearly past, too. We made it just in time."

"What?"

"We're going to connect the moon and the Earth. That should throw things off enough to finally end this humdrum existence. And then we can move on to our new existence. It'll be a much better one. More abstract. None of these laws of physics holding us back."

"What are you blathering about!" Slade demanded. He took out his gun. "Answer me."

"That won't work. Your Titan friends are already finished. Raven, please, throw them into the wall. They should do quite nicely for the last additions to this tower."

Raven looked conflicted.

"You're Raven?" Lilith asked. The two of them shared an exchange. There was a brief flood of defiance in Raven's head, but it stopped when BC glared at her. "Do what you have to."

"I would regret this," she said, "If I could."

"I understand." Lilith said.

"I'm not sure you noticed," Slade said. "I have a gun pointed at you."

"Oh, that's nice," BC said.

"No, really." Slade cocked the safety. "I do."

"I imagine!" BC said, mockingly. "Are you really going to fire that thing at me?"

"Yes."

"Are you really going to shoot me?"

"Yes."

"I think that's marvelous!" BC said. There were six gunshots, and six flattened bullets hit the ground. "Well. Now that you've had your fun. Raven, if you would." Lilith was already being devoured by the wall when Slade was thrown in. He resisted with all his might, but the wall was too strong. Taking his struggling arms, he was brought back into the building, and the next layer began to form.

It touched the moon.

*************************

Mad the Swine looked at Robin. Robin looked at Mad the Swine. It was a strange moment before Robin jumped to his feet. "What happened? Who are you? Where am I?" he asked with a flurry of speed and confusion.

"Complicated. Mad the Swine. Limbo." Mad smiled. "I'm pleased to finally meet you! Starfire told me so much about you. You're the very image of a saint in her eyes."

"I'm not."

"How do you know? Did you know Peter personally?" Mad said. He gave a mysterious smile. "He's not exactly the pinnacle of human piety when all's said and done."

"Starfire, is she here?" Mad nodded. "I want to see her."

"Slowly, now. We have a lot to talk about." Mad took Robin's hand and led him along like a child lead his parents to something that had caught his eye. Robin could barely keep up with Mad's energy. "So much to talk about and so little time."

"Wait, wait. What happened, exactly. As simply as you can put it."

"As simply as it can be put," Mad said, "What happened was simple."

"What? Tell me!"

"But if I did that," Mad said, "You'd lose hope."

"I promise I'll listen to your explanation. Just tell me what happened!"

"The end of the world."

.

.

.

.

Listen to the wise man

Listen to the man, listen to the man

Listen to the mad man...

end chapter 10

END PART 2: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

PREPARE FOR INTERMISSION 2: Inner Garden