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Ch 36: A Moment to End It All

Everyone stared wide-eyed at the towering form of Lucifer. His true form was indeed terrifying to behold. The sky itself seemed to turn red and Robin was sure the temperature had increased 50 degrees in an instant. Robin moved as fast as he could toward SoulBurn who was still lying unmoving on the ground. Beast Boy and Terra too were making their way over to the fallen form. Raven was still working her healing power on Blackfire who was cradled in Starfire's arms. Mas was trying to get Bumble Bee to snap out of her catatonic state but was having no visible effect on the girl who still continued to sit there staring at Cyborg's body.

Tremors seemed to disrupt the ground as they walked causing everyone to stumble slightly. Lucifer seemed to take no notice of them and was currently on a rampage through the city punctuated by loud, animalistic roars and blasts of fire ripping through buildings as if they were nothing. Beast Boy turned over SoulBurn who seemed to finally be coming too. His two eyes opened and they both were the pale blue that they originally had. The dark eye had faded back to normal. Beast Boy helped him to his feet, though very slowly. Another roar ripped through the city as SoulBurn looked up at Lucifer as he leaned on Beast Boy for support.

"This isn't possible. He should not have been able to exist in this realm outside my body. He should have been pulled back into Hell." Everyone knew that SoulBurn was talking to himself, trying to figure out what was going on. Eventually, a small smile formed on his face.

"I understand now. He's become mortal. By entering into this realm within a mortal body, he lost his immortal standing." Robin listened carefully.

"So what does that mean exactly?"

"It means for the first time, Lucifer can be truly killed. Immortal beings can only be killed by other immortals but now that he is mortal, the greatest evil in existence is vulnerable."

"Well I hate to break it to you, but there's not much left to oppose him. All of us are injured and drained and we barely survived against him when he wasn't even in complete control of you." Beast Boy's voice had a hopeless and dark tone to it. SoulBurn responded.

"I don't know either. It seems as if Lucifer has succumbed completely to his demonic rage. He is nothing more than a beast right now and will not stop until everything is destroyed. He will not stop until Hell stretches to all the corners of the vast Universe. Something has to be done but you are right Beast Boy. I don't think we have a chance. This is my fault in the end. I should have been strong enough to prevent his control. He was right. These deaths are all my fault. This situation is my fault. We all are going to die."

Starfire who had slowly floated over as Raven had taken her unconscious sister was now directly in front of SoulBurn. Everyone was surprised when she slapped him across the face.

"Do not talk like that! There is always hope. We must not allow our friend's lives to be sacrificed in vain. My sister will wake up and there will be a world for her to enjoy. We must fight!" Everyone simply stared at Starfire in awe but no ones eyes wider than SoulBurn's.

"Blackfire is alive?" Raven's voice came from behind the group.

"She will survive but only as long as the rest of us once my father notices us." Everyone turned to Raven who floated over carrying Blackfire with her powers.

"She's alive…Thank God." SoulBurn closed his eyes for a second but opened them with a more serious look to them. However, we still have to stop Lucifer and I know of no way. I can barely move right now. The separation drained me completely and I believe only my power would have stood a chance right now. I couldn't even teleport if I wanted to." Robin who had been surprisingly quiet the entire time took a moment to speak up.

"I have an idea. I know of one thing that may end this once and for all." Everyone stared at him waiting for his plan.

"Raven, I need you to teleport me back to the tower. The rest of you start heading in that direction away from Lucifer. Get away from the city." Raven spoke next with concern in her voice.

"What are you planning Robin? Robin gave her a warm smile.

"What needs to be done to save everything. Now everyone move." Terra picked up everyone on a piece of street. Even Mas who was leading Bumble Bee over like someone leading a small child got on. Raven continued to stare at Robin who only smiled again.

"Alright Raven, let's go."

Raven teleported Robin back to the tower, to the hallway in front of his room. A million thoughts were screaming in Raven's head. She had no idea what Robin was planning and she was unable to get a lock on anything going through his head. She knew he wasn't running away, but rather only getting everyone to safety but he was going to do something and it was whatever that something was that scared her. Robin was only in his room for a few seconds before he came running out.

"Alright Raven, get me back to the city." He looked into Raven's eyes and saw that she was staring at the object in his hand. Her voice came out barely above a whisper.

"What are you going to do with that?" Robin's face was an emotionless mask.

"I'm going to do what needs to be done, for the good of everyone." Raven felt Robin open up his mind to her and she could see what he was planning. She instantly grabbed on to him in a hug.

"Please no. Richard please don't. There has to be another way. I can't lose you. I can't live without you." Robin wrapped his arms around her, holding her as she cried.

"Shhh Raven. You know as well as I do there is no other way. I have to stop him and there is no other way to do it." Raven pulled away and looked up at Robin.

"I'll go with you. I'll teleport us out of there before it's too late. Everything will be okay." Robin felt something shatter inside him as he looked at the hopeful look in her eyes as he shook his head.

"It won't work Raven. I have to make sure nothing goes wrong, make sure it goes off. Plus, you don't teleport fast enough to escape yourself and SoulBurn has no power left to do so."

"Then I'll die with you. I'll stand by your end until the very end." Again Robin shook his head.

"No Raven. Only one more life shall be sacrificed. You will live. You have to live." Robin removed his mask and stared right into her eyes, opening his entire mind to her, and she did the same. The both were one essence for a few seconds before Robin pulled away.

"Its time to go Raven." Raven continued to feel the tears flow down her face but knew what had to be done. Robin pulled her tightly to his chest with his one arm as they both disappeared into Raven's power.

Eventually, the two appeared back in the heart of the city. The two recognized their surroundings as being the same as the visions Raven used to have before the prophecy was stopped. Buildings were nothing but rubble. Fire's raged out of control everywhere and even lava now flowed through the streets. Lucifer could be seen still continuing his rampage as a blast from his eyes decimated a nearly by apartment building. Lucifer was bringing Hell on Earth and he had started with Jump City.

Robin could feel Raven refusing to let him go though he gently nudged her off him. He stared into her eyes one last time as he kissed her, filling the kiss with all the love and passion he felt, enough love for a thousand lifetimes. When he pulled away, Raven's eyes were still closed and she was visibly trying to avoid completely breaking down right there.

"Go to the others Raven. Help everyone recover." Raven's eyes opened and she nodded.

"I love you Richard." He could feel himself starting to cry as the look in Raven's eyes was heartbreaking.

"I love you my beautiful Raven." One final embrace, and Raven was gone. Robin now stood alone in what was once the heart of a beautiful city now reduced to a burning wasteland. His body was hurting all over, including what was once his arm, yet nothing hurt more at this moment than his heart.

He started walking slowly toward Lucifer who let out another monstrous roar followed by a dark laugh. He seemed to finally take notice of the only living being still in the city. The enormous form turned around spotting a single mortal standing defiantly in front of him.

"Who dares come to oppose me? Who dares to stand against my power?"

"You know who I am so stop acting like an asshole." Robin laughed slightly. Despite everything, it wasn't everyday you got to be a complete jerk to the devil with the knowledge that it would all end very soon. "It is time to put you down like the dog you are." Lucifer only laughed.

"Ah yes. The one who chose to love my daughter. The most pathetic of all who opposed me. At least they had some power but you…you are nothing but a powerless mortal, nothing but a human being." Robin only continued smiling at the taunting.

"Have you come to beg for your lives, come to beg that I spare my whore of a daughter. You are wasting your breath. Everyone will die." Again Robin said nothing but only smiled. It was clearly starting to make Lucifer angry as the air around him seemed to be catching fire.

"Answer me when I speak to you mortal! Why have you come here?"

"I have come to destroy you. I have come to send you to oblivion." Robin's voice was filled with confidence which caused the great demon lord to laugh.

"Do you truly understand who you speak too? I am Lucifer, greatest of all creations. I am beyond perfection and all shall burn at my hands." The entire city shook though it did not phase Robin at all.

"I think its you who doesn't understand who there talking to. My name is Robin, formerly known as Richard Grayson. Son to murdered parents. Protégé to one of the greatest men alive. Leader of the Teen Titans and lover of the most perfect woman I have ever seen. Friend to all and protector of all that is pure and innocent. And this," Robin held up an object that had Lucifer had not noticed before. "Is a fully powered and upgraded Zynothium Power core."

Lucifer studied the belt that Robin had built in order to create his Red X persona, used to attack his friends and try and bring down Slade, and recovered from the fake Red X when it was stolen. Its creation was the single greatest mistake he had ever made and now it was the last hope.

"And why should I care what that is mortal." Robin smiled.

"Well I assumed someone who claims to be so great and all-knowing would know what this is, but I guess I can give you a quick science lesson." Lucifer growled loudly and the impudence of this single, weak mortal.

"You see, it's a very powerful reactor core, extraordinarily small in size but more powerful than almost anything else ever seen. It has one flaw though. It is highly unstable and when something as powerful as this is unstable, bad things can happen. Especially if I push a few of these buttons in a specific order which will cause this power core to go critical annihilating everything within, oh I'd say about 15 city blocks." A full smile formed on Robin's face as the four massive, burning eyes of Lucifer widened in what Robin knew was surprise and fear.

"Go back to the darkness Lucifer. No one wants you here." Robin pushed the buttons as Lucifer charged up a massive amount of energy in his hands with every intent of obliterating Robin before he succeeded in his plan. Lucifer never stood a chance. A small flash of red light in Robin's hand signaled the reactor had reached critical and almost instantly, a massive amount of energy was unleashed. Robin's body was disintegrated instantly. Only a second later, the energy shot out in all directions, creating an expanding dome of destructive red energy. Lucifer screamed in pain but was quickly silenced forever as the energy hit him, ending him just as fast as the rest of the surrounding area.

After disappearing from Robin's side, Raven headed toward the aura's that were her remaining friends though she could not get her mind off of Richard. She had been tempted to turn around as she flew away but knew Richard wanted to live and she knew that was his final wish. She could not deny him that. Eventually she reached her friends appearing in the middle of the group. Everyone able to, jumped back at her appearance though quickly calmed down as they saw it was Raven. Terra studied her dark friend and noticed her eyes were puffy and red and yet a dead look seemed to be her in eyes. Something was terribly wrong. Starfire, however was the first to speak.

"Where is friend Robin? Has he not come to explain the plan to defeat Lucifer?" Raven did not turn to answer her. She only looked down at the ground in front of her and everyone could tell her body was shaking slightly. SoulBurn who had been cradling Blackfire's still unconscious form gently laid her down on the ground and stood up. The second Raven arrived he could tell something was terribly wrong. Her entire essence was in turmoil and it seemed like it was ready to tear itself apart.

"Raven, what has happened to Robin? Where did he go?" Raven turned to look at SoulBurn but very slowly. He too could see the dead look in her eyes.

"He has gone to end it all." Beast Boy spoke next.

"Hey I know Robin is great and all and I love him to death, but what could he possibly do to stop Lucifer by himself. I mean he doesn't really have any powers." In a heartbeat Raven was in front of Beast Boy grabbing him by the front of his shirt pulling him down to her level.

"You have no idea what he is capable of. You have no idea what he is willing to do to save us."

Raven's eyes frightened Beast Boy. There was so much going on in them that he barely could look at them. The sheer intensity of her gaze was unbearable. SoulBurn was about to ask another question when he felt something hit him. It was fear and the most shocking part about it that it was unmistakably from Lucifer. He could tell Raven felt it too because they both looked back at the city that they sat on the edge of.

The two people stood next to each other waiting for something to happen. One being created of Heaven and one being created of Hell, both could feel the importance of this very moment. It only took a few seconds more before a huge blast of red energy could be seen and heard erupting from the city. The final attack of a simple, powerless mortal, born simply of this planet.

Everyone had to shield their eyes as the blast intensified. As quickly as it came, the blast was gone. When everyone finally was able to see clearly again, their eyes widened in shock. Most of Jump City was gone, nothing left but an empty crater. A ring of still standing buildings surrounded an enormous crater of nothingness and most importantly, Lucifer was gone as well. SoulBurn had felt it immediately. Robin's life had been extinguished and with it so had Lucifer's. Whatever noble act he had done at the cost of his life had succeeded and the universe was now safe. In the end, the universe had been saved by a single man willing to die to save all those he cared for.

SoulBurn could feel the pure anguish coming from Raven as she dropped to her knees, still staring in disbelief at the sight in front of her, though she knew this would occur. She too had felt the death of her soulmate. Tears started falling down her cheeks but the same look of deadness continued in her eyes. SoulBurn knew immediately that though only one good soul had been lost, the best parts of Raven had gone with it and he feared she would be gone forever. Eventually everyone seemed to understand what had just happened and the tears started to fall. Robin was gone.