Chapter 5: The Beginning Of The End
The next day, everything was back to normal, except that Beast Boy had a bit of a problem breathing. During the night, J.T. left a note on Beast Boy's door. It simply said "If you tell, I will kill you." Beast Boy heeded the warning, because he knew J.T. was serious. The day was just like every other, down to the smallest detail. That night, storm clouds started to billow in and J.T. and Terra both had an unusual feeling that something was amiss.
"Terra, tell me you've got this feeling that…" said J.T.
"Something bad's going to happen?" Terra interrupted.
"Yeah. Because I don't know why, I've got this feeling that something's amiss," J.T. replied.
"Uh huh. I don't know why, but something is seriously wrong. It's like the forces of nature…" said Terra.
"Are out of balance?" J.T. asked.
"Yeah. Wonder if Raven's feeling the same way?" Terra asked.
"Who knows? Go ask her," said J.T.
"No way, I'm not going to ask her," Terra replied.
Just then, Raven walked into the room.
"You guys talking about me?" Raven asked.
"Oh, uh, Raven, uh, hi. No, we weren't talking about you. We were wondering if you've got this bad feeling that something's wrong," J.T. stuttered.
"I was just coming to ask you guys the same thing. Something's definitely wrong. I can sense it," Raven replied.
"Something is going to happen. Something that will change the course of the world. And it's going to happen tonight," said J.T.
"Tonight?" Terra asked.
"Yes. Somehow or another, something will alter the world. And it's going to happen tonight," said Raven.
"If it's happening to us, maybe it's happening to other people," said Terra.
-Up in the Clouds-
Sure enough, Terra's prediction was right. At that same time, Thunder and Lightning, the two youths who caused a mess of trouble some time ago, were looking down at the earth. Thunder had this same feeling that something was wrong.
"Something troubles you, brother?" Lightning asked.
"Yes. I sense something is happening on earth. Something…evil," Thunder replied.
"Evil? Perhaps we should go down to earth and investigate this matter," said Lightning.
"Yes, this would be an appropriate decision," said Thunder.
So the two youths headed down to earth in a flash of lightning and arrived in a blast of thunder.
-Over in Steel City-
Over in Steel City, Aqualad was having images of a possible future event. Just then, Speedy and Bumblebee came over to console him.
"You okay?" Bumblebee asked.
"I don't know. I thought I sensed something. Something really bad," Aqualad replied.
"Well whatever it is, I'm sure we can handle it," said Speedy.
"No, it's not like that. It's something that only a certain few can stop," said Aqualad.
"And you're sure you're one of the certain few that can stop this 'ultimate evil'?" Speedy asked.
"Yes. I'm almost 100 percentsure," Aqualad replied.
-Anyway, Back in Jump City-
Back in Jump City, J.T. and Terra sat awake in J.T.'s bed, dreading whatever was going to happen. A few rooms over, Raven somehow found sleep. But she wouldn't sleep long. Back in the caves, Slade had just seen the events.
"Master, she's asleep. The time to strike is now," said Slade.
"Yes, now is the time," a voice boomed out.
A sinister red light burst out of the cave and into Titans Tower! It snaked its way around the corners, under Raven's door and into Raven's room! The light filled the room and flowed into Raven's shakra. The symbols on Raven's body glowed a dark crimson light and Raven shot awake. Raven sat up with a blank stare on her face, similar to what you'd see on the face of a zombie. Raven unconsciously got out of bed, floated to the window and her powers blew a hole in the window! All throughout the tower an explosion could be heard booming from Raven's room. Everyone met up by Raven's room and saw her not in there!
"What happened in here? Cyborg asked.
"Whatever it is, Raven's probably in trouble," Robin exclaimed.
"Guys, you go back to bed. Robin, you, Terra and I will go after Raven. If anyone can talk some sense into her, it'd be us," said J.T.
"All right, that sounds like a plan," Terra responded.
"Let's go, then," Robin shouted.
J.T. and Terra waited for Robin, who went to get his glide cape and his R-Cycle, and then they headed off to find Raven. They traced her signal to the cavern where Terra killed Slade, where Slade came back from his eternal slumber and where Terra was frozen in a rocky tomb and revived from her imprisonment.
"This place gives me the creeps," said Terra, shivering with fright while she talked.
"There is a stench of unholy magic filling the air," J.T. snarled. "It's suffocating. Can't you guys smell it? Malevolent forces are at work here."
"Something's definitely wrong here," Robin replied. "And I know Raven's in trouble."
"Well what're we doing flapping our gums? Let's go save Raven," said J.T.
J.T., Terra and Robin ran into the large chamber and saw Raven floating over a large glyph on the floor with Slade's back to the mouth of the cavern. Slade turned and saw the Titans coming.
"Ah, Robin, Terra and J.T. Blade. So you have come to see the apocalypse?" Slade asked.
"Wrong, Slade. We've come to stop you," Robin replied.
Slade chuckled. "There is no way to stop the inevitable, Robin," said Slade.
"The only thing that's inevitable is your defeat," J.T. shouted. "Now let Raven go and maybe I'll consider showing some mercy."
Again, Slade merely chuckled. "You cannot stop her destiny. What she hasconcieved she will become!"
"What're you talking about? Raven's one of us," Terra shouted.
"You know so little. She is destined to bring about the end of the world," Slade said.
"You speak nothing but lies. Why would Raven want to do this?" J.T. asked.
"Because it is her birthright," Slade replied. "And it seems it is about to begin."
Raven's powers started to flow all throughout the cavern. The dark powers she possessed were starting to break through the seal! J.T., Terra and Robin made a desperate lunge for Raven in an attempt to snap her out of this trance she was in, but it was too late! The seal began to crack, and then a fist about five and a half feet in diameter broke through the ground!
"He has been released. It has begun," said Slade.
"No! This, this can't be what the legend stated," J.T. shouted.
"What legend?" Robin asked.
"It's a long story. One we don't have time for. Whatever that thing is, we've got to stop it, and fast," said J.T.
Robin pulled out his battle staff, J.T. created swords of flame from his hands and Terra braced herself, as if she was going to immediately use her powers. The fist retracted back into the ground, and then another fist broke through! Then an arm erupted through! Robin threw some electric disks, J.T. blasted a stream of fire at the hand and Terra used her powers to cover the already-opened holes. But their efforts were in vain. A dark light flew from the hand and the three young heroes careened into a wall.
"Slade, you have served me well," a voice erupted from the holes.
"Thank you, master," Slade replied to the voice.
"But now it is time for you, and my daughter's, service to me to expire," the voice blasted.
Suddenly, something happened to Slade! His clothes started to burn, his gloves and boots melted, his flesh deteriorated and he began to crumble like a cookie.
"What—what's happening?" Slade shouted.
Soon, nothing was left of Slade but a pile of ashes and his mask, his face never being revealed. Then, Raven fell from her trance, the symbols on her body faded and she plummeted from the perch she was on. Robin fired a grappling hook at the ceiling and grabbed her before she could hit the ground. Then, she awoke in his arms.
"Nnnngh…Robin? Where am I? What happened?" Raven asked.
"I'm not sure, but you released that," Robin exclaimed as he pointed to the arms coming from the ground.
"No! Trigon," Raven shouted.
Then, something emerged from the large hole in the ground. First were some horns, then a flash of long white hair, then something with red skin!
"I have been released," the beast shouted. "To me, servants of darkness! Turn this world to rubble!"
And then, pale white apparitions came from the holes! Robin moved in front of Raven, hoping to protect her.
"Raven, get out of here! Quick," Robin shouted.
"I'm not leaving without you, Robin," Raven shouted back.
"No, Raven, get as far away from here as possible. You're exhausted," Robin shouted back.
"Robin, this is suicide. Don't try to defend me," Raven shouted.
"There's no time for debate! Just go," Robin shouted.
"Hey guys, here's an idea: let's all get out of here," Terra shouted.
"Terra's right! Let's get out of here," Robin shouted. "Raven, come on!"
"I can't move my legs," Raven shouted.
Robin ran to Raven, picked her up and carried her out of the cave. Terra used her powers to keep the rocks from falling on the Titans, and the four superheroes somehow managed to escape with their hides intact. But as the Titans were making their escape, the same apparitions that had escaped from Trigon's seal were also pouring out of the world's volcanoes! They began to spread throughout the world and the people of the world were all becoming statues! Even back at Titans Tower, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Starfire were desperately trying to evade the apparitions, but to no avail. In downtown Jump City, the three superheroes faced the same fate as did the rest of the world. Thunder and Lightning were investigating a possible cause of the disturbances, but Lightning was cast to stone! As for Thunder, a mysterious purple aura surrounded him and that was turn to stone! In Steel City, Aqualad was experiencing a similar effect of a blue aura surrounding him and protecting him from becoming a statue. Back in Jump City, an apparition had finally gotten a hand on Robin! He accidentally dropped Raven and was quickly swarmed by apparitions. It took approximately five before he was cast to stone. Then, they turned their attention to J.T., Terra and Raven. Just as the apparitions were going to attack, a red aura surrounded J.T., a yellow one surrounded Terra and a black aura around Raven and the three were attacked! The world had been laid to rest. The sky became a blood red color, the seas became lava and the ruins of the cities laid waste to became mere perches for the four-eyed ravens that now inhabited the earth.
OOS: Ok, I know it's kind of a grim ending to a chapter, but maybe things will get better! That is, provided you haven't been turned into a statue. Hey, what the…what's going on! AAAAAGH!
The Almighty J.T. Blade has been turned into a statue.
The story may possibly be continued by the Not-So-Almighty J.T.
Just J.T.
