Chap. 11
Trust
"Why didn't it kill him?" Heatstrike swore, as he tried to get to his feet. "It frigging wiped the ground smooth as glass!" "You think I know?" Lightweaver swore, as she slowly got up. Raven said nothing as she got up, but she turned to face her father, who was quite close to them already. "You really thought you could beat me." Trigon sneered as he walked closer to them. "Foolish girl. You are mine! Everything you are is because of me. Even your powers are mine! How can you defeat me with me own powers?"
But as Trigon spoke those words, he sparked something in Raven's mind. The empath raised her hand, forced away the shadowfire for a minute, and reached out with her own power. The black energy covered Trigon, halting his footsteps and freezing him in place. "What are you doing?" he cried, as he struggled against the blackness. Raven's response was to turn to Lightweaver and say, "We have to try again." "What good will that do?" the Knight asked. "He'll just heal himself." "No, Nelson's plan will work now. We forgot something; Trigon's not in his own body. He's in Brett's body, which can heal almost anything. But my powers are derived from his. As long as he's trapped in them, the beam will go through Brett's body and right to Trigon's spirit." But Lightweaver was still not convinced. Raven threw up her hands and said, "Sara, we said we'd have to trust each other. You need to trust me now!"
For a moment, the fox lingered, then brought up her blade. "Let's do it." She said. Raven quickly joined the sword to it, and they fired again. The beam shot forth, through the black aura and into Trigon's chest. The demon began to glow with a strange power, as he howled in pain. Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and when it faded, the heroes saw the result of their endeavors.
Trigon was still in Brett's body. But now he was fighting with Brett for control of it. Literally. The beam had managed to split them, but not completely. From the waist down, nothing had changed, but now there were two upper bodies, fighting for control. Brett and Trigon, now reduced to his demon form, grappled with each other, tearing and clawing. The others watched in amazed horror as it all unfolded. "Well, this was unexpected. "Heatstrike said. "You think?" Sara answered.
But then, Brett managed to reach around and grab Trigon in a headlock. Bringing him down to waist level, he screamed, "Shoot him! Shoot him now!" "But you'll die!" Raven yelled back. "Do you think I care? Shoot him!" Brett screamed, doubling his grip on the monster. Raven stepped back, unsure of what to do. She wanted to destroy her father, but to destroy Brett as well...
But then she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she saw Lightweaver's armored face. "Give them back." The fox said. "What?" "Give Brett his powers back." "Are you insane? If I do that,Trigon will get them too!" "No he won't. They're not his. Raven, I trusted you, and we're halfway there. You have to trust me to finish it." Raven was silent for a moment, then nodded. Again, instinct guided her, as she raised her hand towards the struggling pair. The shadowfire burst out in a stream, and shot into Brett's chest. The bat was so shocked, he let go of Trigon, as the power soaked into him. The demon, seeing what was happening, reached up, trying to take the power for himself.
But a she reached into the flames, they burned him. Now I get it. Raven thought, as the armor began to leave her as well. Brett turned to Trigon, and echoing Raven's thought's, said, "The power belongs to me, Trigon. It belongs to the necessary evil. It does not belong to you!" With that, he slammed his hands onto the demon's face and poured the black flame onto him. The demon screamed, as his body began to burn away, but he could not escape. Within minutes, all of Brett's powers were returned to him, and the flames of the shadowfire had destroyed all traces of the demon within him. Brett stood there, clad only in his torn jeans and looked over at Sara, Nelson and Raven, now returned to their normal states. They smiled at him, and he smiled back. Then his eyes rolled up in their sockets, and the bat began to fall. Hewould've hit the ground, but the girls' were at his side at light speed,grabbing before he hit.
"Master!" Slade cried out, as he looked with horror into the flames. Turning back to the heroes, he said, "The day is yours. But the war is not over." He disappeared in a blast of fire. "What just happened?" Beast Boy asked. "I think we won." Bartman answered, as the flame wall vanished, and they saw Nelson, Sara, and Raven emerge, carrying an unconscious Brett between them.
