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A/N: Well here's a really long one. Lots happening in this one and the final battle is coming soon. Some good moments in here and some really bad ones too. I think even I outdid myself on being cruel to Raven this time. This was a tough chapter to write and I'm not sure exactly how I feel about it. It may be drastically changed if I feel the need to but I am pretty lazy so who knows. If everything goes as planned, I should have two more chapters up by tomorrow afternoon. Depends if I ended up with a job or not. So without further interruption here is my 5000 word insult to the English Language. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans so lets not try and sue me since I don't have anything to sue for.
Ch 18: Truth of Pasts
Beast Boy and Terra sat nervously in the infirmary watching Robin pace relentlessly back and forth. Cyborg was busy patching up SoulBurn again who had taken a beating from the combined efforts of Slade and the usage of his power. Despite his current task, Cyborg could not ignore the tense feeling in the atmosphere. It had taken his best effort to convince Robin to come back to the Tower rather than go on a rampage across the city searching for the two missing Titans. Fortunately, SoulBurn had promised Robin some answers if he was willing to come back which he did receive.
Robin now knew how Terra had come to be in the tower and exactly what the connection was between that and the terrible destruction that had occurred the world over. SoulBurn had explained the information that he had read in the book and how everything was in fact his fault. His release of Terra had somehow triggered the great tragedy that was occurring and had set the stage for the culmination of the prophecy. The titans now knew when the end would come.
All in all, Robin had taken the news better than everyone expected. Cyborg expected him to absolutely explode and attack SoulBurn on hearing everything yet Robin had restrained himself. He was still a single misstep from going ballistic, but fortunately Beast Boy was keeping his mouth shut and not saying anything stupid.
The Titans would have been surprised to know what was in fact going through the head of their leader when he heard all the news. He had been ready to blame everything on SoulBurn, blame him for the world going to shit and the capture of Raven and Starfire. He so badly wanted to bring revenge for everyone that had been hurt by SoulBurn's release of Terra but in the end he could not do it. He realized that SoulBurn had no ill intention when he brought Terra back though a terrible price was paid for his actions. Robin thought back to when he had become Red X, when he believed he was doing the right thing to stop Slade though only serving to hurt everyone around him and nearly costing Beast Boy his life.
Even to this day, he never let himself forget what he had done, continued to beat himself up for doing what he had done. He never let himself forget the look in everyone's eyes when they had all found out what he had done and those images continued to haunt him. He knew better than anyone what SoulBurn was probably doing to himself right now because of how things had turned out. He knew there was nothing he could say to SoulBurn to make him feel better or worse. SoulBurn had had the best of intentions but only served to increase the amount of innocent blood on his hands. He would forever punish himself for what had transpired, just as Robin continued to punish himself for his tragic mistakes.
Robin turned to look at SoulBurn. The look on his face was just another image that would be ingrained in Robin's mind forever. Robin remembered the broken look that SoulBurn had worn when he first spoke of all the innocent souls he had been forced to steal for Slade. This new look was a thousand times worse. It almost hurt too look at it. Why does all this tragedy seem to follow this guy around.
Robin let out a deep sigh as he stopped pacing. Approximately thirty-six hours until the final sunset mentioned in the book. A day and a half to rescue Starfire and Raven and stop the ultimate evil, the devil himself. Robin wasn't even sure where to start. He hadn't been able to find Slade before, how was he going to do it now. This was all too much. He so wished that Starfire was here. She always made everyone feel better. He so wished Raven was still here. She always helped him figure things out when he got stuck.
"Raven…" Robin quietly said the word to himself. Everyone heard it but no one said anything. It was not there place to say anything right now. Robin composed himself once again and spoke to Cyborg.
"So is SoulBurn going to be alright Cy?" Cyborg turned from SoulBurn to respond.
"Physically, I think he'll be fine. Nothing is broken and I've taken care of the smaller cuts and bruises and did my best to shut the hole in his chest so he should be fine. This guy heals remarkable fast so he should be fine in a day or so." Robin looked at SoulBurn who had looked up to meet his gaze. SoulBurn's eyes were completely empty.
"Well a day is all we really have for any of us to heal." Robin turned to Terra who was sitting quietly next to Beast Boy. "Terra…are you willing to help us in this fight?" The young blonde looked to Beast Boy then quietly answered.
"Yes Robin if you'll let me. I have a lot to make up for, especially to the Titans and I will do anything I can to stop what is coming. I will help you rescue Raven and Starfire." Though she looked meek and afraid, there was a cold determination in the blue eyes of Terra. Robin nodded his head at her response.
"Welcome home Terra." Terra's face instantly lightened as she gave the Titan leader a warm smile. Beast Boy placed an arm around her as a smile graced his face as well.
"Alright everyone listen up. Take the next few hours to relax, sleep, or whatever you want to do. If you've never done something before and want to do it, then I suggest you do it. Once the time hits 10 tonight, I want everyone to be ready in the main room. We start searching then and we don't stop until this is all over, one way or another. SoulBurn, I want you to stay in the infirmary for now and rest. The rest of you are free to do as you like for the next few hours. Please make the most of it."
Everyone took in the words of their leader. Everyone was thinking the same thing though no words were said. They all knew they could easily be dead soon along with the rest of the world. Beast Boy and Terra were the first to get up and leave. The two left quitely hand in hand. For the next few hours, the two would become one and would express to each other the love that they both felt for each other. Even if it was only for a little while, the two would find comfort within each other and feel a love that had been denied to them for so long. For just a little while, they were both normal and free, and could be together.
For the first time since they returned, SoulBurn allowed something other than pain and misery show on his face. It was only for a few seconds though Robin caught it. A small smile crept to his face when he watched Beast Boy and Terra leave together. It was that same smile Robin had seen on him when he spent time with Starfire. It was a look of contentment. The purity of the love the two felt was also felt by him. If only for a moment, the pain within SoulBurn was eased by something as beautiful as true love continuing to shine within the darkest of times.
Cyborg and Robin turned off the lights of the infirmary and walked out together leaving SoulBurn to rest. Cyborg began speaking as the two walked away.
"I think I'm going to call Bumble Bee over at Titan's East. Maybe they can help us. I don't know why but I haven't been able to get a communication to them in some time. Probably cause there just as busy as we were with all the destruction. Also, there's something I always wanted to tell her that I never had to guts too. I guess better late than never." Robin didn't respond. A silence passed between the two as they walked "She's alright Robin. Both of them are. There tough girls. They can handle themselves." Robin stopped walking at these words.
"You know I never got the chance to tell her I love her. Even after everything that happened, I never had the chance to tell her. I'm...I'm afraid I wont have the chance to ever tell her now. That thought scares me." Cyborg placed a hand on this friends shoulder.
"We'll get her back Robin and you can tell her all you want and if its any consellation, I think she already knows. I think deep down inside she knows exactly how you feel and deep down inside, she feels exactly the same way. Have faith Robin. After everything that has happened, something good is bound to happen for us." Robin gave Cyborg a small smile.
"Thanks Buddy. I needed to hear that."
"That's what I'm here for Rob. Well that and kicking butt and patching you idiots up when you get hurt." The two laughed as they started walking again.
"So your positive SoulBurn will be able to fight when the time comes."
"Like I said Rob. The guy will be physically fine but that's not what concerns me. A lot of people are dead Rob and he blames himself and the problem is there's some truth to that. Bad stuff seem to have a way of being directly tied into this guy despite him having good intentions. He'll be ready to fight, but I'm not sure what mental state he'll be in to fight. If that guy snaps and lets loose his power well we'd be hard pressed to stop him. However, I do have the feeling he's still got a role to play in all of this. I mean Slade doesn't refer to you as the Key when he's taunting you for nothing." Robin immediately stopped moving.
"What did you just say?"
"I said Slade called SoulBurn the Key when they were fighting. I barely heard him say it as I had just arrived and most of what Slade was saying was blocked out by some explosion. SoulBurn probably didn't mention it because he probably dosen't even remembered Slade saying it after the beating Slade gave him. I don't know what it means but if SoulBurn's track record tells us anything, it probably means something bad for him and the rest the world. I don't know man. For some reason, I think he's are best hope right now. Something tells me he's here for a reason and when the time finally comes, I think he'll make a difference. Something about him just gives me hope. I don't know man. Thinking about this stuff though too much will probably make my head explode. Well I'm going to go make my calls. See you later Rob."
Robin barely noticed Cyborg walking away. He was still standing there replaying this newly discovered fact in this head. He knew he had heard something about a Key before but he couldn't remember from where. His detective instincts told him this was something important. Robin thought as he walked to his room. He walked in and sat at his desk chair. He always did his best thinking there, alone and in the dark.
Two hours would pass before it finally hit him. Raven's Vision! Raven had told him about a vision she had. In it her father had told her that the Last of the Fallen was the Key to unlocking his prison. Slade had called SoulBurn the Key. What did it all mean? It had to mean…Robin's face suddenly darkened. Lucifer was the original fallen angel and SoulBurn, if all this is correct is the last of the fallen. SoulBurn was a fallen angel? Maybe there was a reason all this darkness seemed to follow SoulBurn around. Maybe it was because he wanted it to follow him. Maybe it was because he was the one creating it. SoulBurn might be more connected to Raven's Father than he was letting on.
Robin was becoming angry, a strong anger that welled deep from his very core. Thousands of treacherous and paranoid thoughts started filling his head. All the rage he had managed to suppress was beginning to seep out and cloud his better judgment. SoulBurn was the reason the world was going to hell. SoulBurn was the reason Raven wasn't with him right now. Everything was fine until he appeared. How many were dead because of him? He wasn't helping us he was slowly working to bring Trigon into this world. Any blame Robin could think of would be put on SoulBurn. Robin pulled a birdarang from his belt. He stared at the razor sharp edge of it. He was going to get some answers from SoulBurn, one way or another and if the answers weren't what he wanted to hear, SoulBurn would pay dearly.
Starfire awoke in a dark place. She found that her arms were bound together. The binding was attached to a chain that was securely attached to the ground. She attempted to use her powers to break free but found she could not. The chains withstood her strength and when she tried to gather energy the chains glowed and she found her powers useless. She surveyed the dimly lit room and found Raven close to her in a similar situation though she was still unconscious. Raven's cloak was gone and Starfire could see small cuts on her legs that were still bleeding slightly. Starfire tried to go to her but found that the shackles kept her a few feet from her friend.
She remembered she had been chasing after the robot that had been holding Raven. The battle was chaotic as robots kept appearing to fight and Robin had resumed his violent, single-minded fighting style normally associated with Slade. He was not there to give orders and she had found herself alone fighting back the hordes of robots. She had been doing well when Brother Blood suddenly appeared. She could feel him trying to take control of her of mind though she tried to resist. Having to try and maintain her control gave the robots the time to converge on her and knock her out. This is where she ended up. She watched as Raven began stirring.
"Friend Raven. Please tell me you are okay." A soft groan was heard from Raven as she adjusted to the chains binding her. She rubbed the side of her head where she had been hit by Slade.
"I'm fine Starfire. Do you know where we are?"
"No Raven I do not. I am sorry." Raven took in her surrounding and let out a deep sigh.
"No need to apologize Star. Its not your fault." Raven wrapped her hands around her body. She felt exposed without her cloak. She looked over at Starfire and tried to give her a reassuring smile but she couldn't manage to do it. She suddenly felt the marks on her body begin to burn again and she soon knew why. Slade opened a metal door on the far side of the room and entered followed closely by Brother Blood.
"Ah good you both are awake. Did you girls have a nice slumber party?" Slade's question was met by a growl from Raven.
"Shut up you bastard." Slade only laughed in response.
"Always trying to be the tough one Raven. How very foolish. You know you've lost yet you continue to fight. You really do belong with Robin. Both of you are so pathetic." Raven shot forward at Slade but was stopped by the chains that bound her. She could feel rage building within her but did not feel her darker side taking control.
"Raven Raven Raven. You will find that those chains nullify your powers just as they prevent little Starfire over there form using hers. You should feel lucky that you can truly express yourself right now without fear of your powers. A fortunate side effect for you though I'm sure I can find a way to make it unforutunate." Raven pulled back quickly. She lowered her head as she spoke.
"You have me Slade. There is no need to keep Starfire. Why is she here?" Both girls could tell that a sadistic grin had crossed Slade's face. Brother Blood was not wearing his trademark smile though.
"She is needed to help open the Gate my dear Raven. Her blood is of the purest and will help unlock one of the seals that keeps your Father imprisoned. And of course she is one of my prizes for my duty to your father. You see she will become my personal possession when your Father comes. I will be able to do what I like with her and I promise that she no longer will be pure when I am done with her." Again Raven shot forward with anger at Slade. Starfire only huddled back as far away from Slade as she could get whimpering slightly. She may have been naïve but she knew exactly what Slade was talking about.
"You will never touch her you monster. I will make sure of it." Had her powers not been blocked right now, Raven was sure her eyes would have been glowing red. Slade once again only laughed in response.
"I was told that you did not kill Terra when you had the chance. She did betray you and try to kill all your friends. What stopped you from ripping her limb from limb? I know you wanted to. Raven calmed herself and spoke.
"Yes I still harbor some resentment for what Terra did to us, but I am not a killer. I didn't kill her because I realized how wrong it was and I will not become a slave to the darkness inside of me."
"Really now Raven. You think you're not a killer. Do you not remember what you did to Malchior. Do you not remember what you did to Azarath. Do you have any idea what happened the first time you truly lost control?"
"You know nothing of my past Slade." Raven glared at the man with a look of hate that would have turned any man to ash but Slade was no longer just a man.
"Oh but I do Raven. Your father was nice enough to fill me on your past. You see you are a killer. In fact, you've killed more people than I could ever dream of killing. When the people of Azarath came for you after Azar died, you were alone and afraid. She was the only thing you had to cling to and without her you didn't know what to do. Your father came to you inside your mind and told you he could make it all better. You were foolish enough to listen to him. You've always wondered what happened to Azarath well it was You that happened to Azarath. You unleashed your full power on that planet and decimated its population."
"Shut up! It can't be true. I'm not a monster." Raven's voice almost gave out as she finished speaking.
"Oh but you are. All those lives you viciously took makes you that. However, it is what you did to your mother that truly makes you a monster." At the last comment Raven looked up at Slade. There was a look of helplessness that had almost never been seen within the dark empath. Starfire struggled violently against the chains trying to break them. Slade was hurting her friend and she needed to stop it. However, the chains held firm and Slade continued his taunting
"Did you know it was never her choice to be kept away from you. She was always told it was better for you to not be allowed to become emotionally attached to her. You never had a mother because everyone was afraid of what the effect on your powers would be because of the emotions you would have for her so she was forced away from you. Do you know what you did to her when she confronted you during your rampage." Raven's whole body shook with emotion she had never felt before so strongly. Starfire looked helplessly at her friend as tears began to fall from Raven's eyes. Starfire couldn't help it but started crying as well.
"Stop. Please stop." Starfire begged Slade but he paid no attention to her words.
"Your mother tried to stop you. She tried to reason with you. For probably the first and only time of your life, she told you she loved you to your face. And do you know what you did, you ripped her heart right from her chest. It was you Raven who destroyed Azarath. It was you who murdered your own mother. How she could of loved a monster like you I'll never know."
A piercing scream filled the room as Raven finally broke. Her sobs echoed off the wall as she curled into a ball and cried violently. Starfire tried to reach out to her but could not get close enough because of her restraints. Slade started laughing as he turned around and disappeared into the darkness. Brother Blood lingered for a moment. His face contained a look of regret and pity. The look quickly faded as he turned and left shutting the door behind him. In the end it was Starfire and Raven alone.
Starfire was forced to watch her best friend cry uncontrollably knowing there was nothing she could do or say to stop it. For the first time in her life, the normally repressed Raven had the opportunity to freely express any emotion she could, and Slade had made sure that the only emotion she could express was the deepest sadness and pain. Starfire did not know how long she sat watching Raven cry before Raven finally passed out from the strain the emotions were causing her. Starfire had no idea how many tears she had cried as well at the heart breaking sight. All she knew was that she would stay awake as long as was needed to watch over her friend and be there for her when she woke up.
"Robin…please come soon. She needs you now more than ever. Please hurry." Starfire's words were spoken only to the dark walls of the room they were in but she still prayed that Robin would hear them.
. A lone figure limped down one of the hallways of the tower. SoulBurn moved slowly toward his room. He had left the infirmary a few hours after everyone else had gone deciding he preferred to sleep in a real bed. As he moved through the dark hallways of the tower he suddenly felt another presence come out of nowhere. He found his body being slammed up against the wall as a sharp metal object was pressed up against his throat. He barely flinched at the contact by the metal.
"Hello Robin. Is there something I can help you with?" He could hear the snarl emit from Robin.
"Don't be so damn smug with me. Now I want answers and I want them now. What the hell are you?" A look of slight confusion could be seen in SoulBurn's eyes but that did not deter Robin. He slammed SoulBurn hard against the wall again causing SoulBurn to wince because of his already bruised body from the fight with Slade. "Answer me damn it!"
"I'm sorry Robin. I don't know what you want to hear." Robin let out a deep breathe and glared at the taller man in front of him as he drew a small amount of blood from SoulBurn's throat.
"Cyborg told me that Slade referred to you as the Key. Raven told me of a vision she had and in it she was told that the Last of the Fallen was the Key. Now, tell me, what the hell are you?" SoulBurn's eyes widened at the information. Robin could hear him muttering the phrase to himself as if it was giving him pain. He lowered his head and spoke quietly.
"Robin. You have to believe me when I tell you I just don't know. I don't know anything about who I really am."
"Liar!" Robin again slammed SoulBurn up against the wall. "Your working for them aren't you. You chose to do what you did. You chose to kill all those people." Robin's words were filled with malice.
"Never!" SoulBurn roared as anger could be seen on his face. "How dare you accuse me of that. I would never help those monsters. I will destroy them all!" At that moment Robin was a little afraid of the man he was supposed to be intimidating. His eyes had started glowing blue and Robin noticed a small bit of black energy outlining his body. As quickly as it came, the energy and anger disappeared from SoulBurn. His eyes once again regained their normal look
"I…I am sorry Robin but I don't know. You have to trust me." The look in SoulBurn's eyes made Robin falter slightly but he wasn't ready to stop yet.
"What did Slade tell you when you fought? I want to know exactly what he said."
"He told me that a piece of Trigon was within me since Trigon's imprisonment. He told me that I shared the same fate as Trigon. He said that I was destined to be the Key and that nothing I could do would change that." SoulBurn sounded strained as he spoke the words as if something about them effected his entire being. Robin quietly contemplated the words though he did not give SoulBurn any room to breathe.
"How is that possible? Raven said Lucifer was imprisoned millions of years ago. How could you have a piece of him inside you from back them. You can't be any older than me."
"I wish I could answer your questions Robin but I just do not know."
"I think I understand one thing though. You share the same fate as Trigon. The Key is the last of the fallen. It could only mean one thing SoulBurn. You are a fallen angel just like Lucifer. You were cast out of Heaven just like the monster we're trying to defeat."
"No, that's not possible. That can't be possible." SoulBurn's eyes had grown wide as he shook his head in disagreement.
"It makes sense SoulBurn. It all fits. You are just like Trigon." Robin wanted to kill SoulBurn right then and there until SoulBurn did something completely shocking. He started crying. Robin watched as tears started falling from the young man's eyes. Robin was confused. If he really was what he was being accused of, he would never cry. SoulBurn met Robin's gaze and started quietly speaking.
"As I told you on the roof when I spoke to you about Raven not that long ago, I am simply following my instincts in all this. My instincts compel me to feel guilt for the lives I've taken. They compel me to fight against the coming darkness by all your sides. They compel me to do all the good I can to protect all that does and ever will exist. I can't tell you for sure what I am Robin nor can I tell you what fate I am destined to have. I can't tell you how I am the Key or how I am the Last of the Fallen . All I can tell you is that ever fiber of my being tells me to continue to fight against Trigon. I will not stop until the prophecy is diverted and I will die if it means returning Raven and Starfire safely to you. Please, you have to believe me."
Robin stared up into SoulBurn's clear blue eyes. He felt himself staring directly into SoulBurn's soul and could see no lies within it. Robin lowered his head and removed the birdarang from SoulBurn's throat.
"I'm sorry SoulBurn. I…" Robin was cut off by SoulBurn.
"There is no need to apologize Robin. There will never be a need to apologize for this." Robin punched the fall in frustration.
"I should have been there to protect Raven. I should have kept on eye on Starfire when we were fighting in the streets. I failed the two best people in my life for a second time. This is all my fault, not yours." SoulBurn did not know what Robin meant by failing a second time but he could tell it meant something very deep to him. He gently placed a hand on Robin's shoulder.
"We have less than two days before the prophecy will be fulfilled. The entire world is in chaos and we've lost two very important people, but I do promise you Robin that we will find them and we will stop all of this. We will not lose this battle." Robin got the feeling that he was listening to one of the speeches he gave to the Titans to inspire them during battle and he couldn't help but smile at the slight corniness of it.
"Yeah. We have been known to do the impossible before." A quiet chuckle was shared between the two in the dark hallway. Robin was about to say something when he suddenly felt a wave of emotions slam into his mind. He fell to his knees gripping his head as it felt like it was going to explode. The emotions reminded him of the ones he had felt when he watched his parents fall and die but even these were far more painful. Pain, Sadness, Sorrow, Hopelessness. They were all streaming into his mind. He could tell SoulBurn was trying to talk to him but he could not hear the words. Another wave of emotion slammed into his mind, and he let out a scream. Mercifully, Robin blacked out a few seconds later but not before realizing that the emotions were coming from Raven.
