Here we go, everyone! The scene you've all been waiting for!

Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer!

Wondering how it's going to end, don't yah? Well, you'll just have to read on a bit. I think I've made you suffer enough…

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.


She turned around suddenly, her heart throbbing madly in her chest. Her violet eyes widened as she peered through the dank darkness to perceive the figure. He was gazing back at her, his own eyes filled with relief at finding her and indistinguishable hate towards her captor. He stood behind an iron-wrought gate, something Raven had not noticed until now, that separated the three of them. The door through which Beast Boy had entered, the only one in the entire room, shut ominously and unknowingly behind him, locking itself mysteriously.

Ignatius smirked with an aura of malice, spreading out his arms in welcome. He strode over towards Raven, his icy fingertips about to touch her. Beast Boy glared with contempt, trying to reach through the gate.

"Sir,"

"Beast Boy!" she cried.

"This is indeed an unparalleled delight! I had rather hoped that you would come!" He bowed mockingly, his eyes never leaving Beast Boy's. "And now, my wish comes true. You have truly made my night!"

Raven turned to look at him, her voice filled with fear and her complexion paler than ever. "Let me go," she demanded fiercely, though she could not help squeaking with fear.

They both turned to look at Beast Boy when they heard his high-pitched voice yell through the metal lock. "Free her! Do what you like, just let her go! Have you no pity?"

Ignatius gritted his teeth, grasping Raven's arm roughly and bringing her face closer to his. "Your lover makes a passionate plea," he spat venomously, his blood boiling.

Raven turned her face from his tight grip, calling over her shoulder, distressed. "Please, Beast Boy, it's useless!"

Beast Boy could not help the next words that poured from his lips. "I love her! Does that mean nothing?" He looked at Raven, whose hand flew to her mouth in astonishment and momentary gratification, and blushed feverishly, even as he addressed her kidnapper with fury. "I love her! Show some compassion!"

Ripping Raven behind his back, he stood in front of her, flames literally coming to the tips of his fingers in a jealous rage. "The world showed no compassion to me!"

Beast Boy leaned against the iron gate, trying to see Raven behind Ignatius's back. "Raven…Raven…let me see her!"

Ignatius stepped beside her, his manner once again accommodating and less hostile. He seemed to be figuring something out, and this scared Raven. Beast Boy took no notice.

"Be my guest…sir…"

He went over to his desk, leaving Raven to stand in stunned stock, while he pulled a lever, lifting the gate to let Beast Boy in.

"Good sir, I bid you welcome. Did you think that I would harm her?" His voice was cynical, as if he thought Beast Boy mad for thinking Raven was in any sort of danger at all. As Beast Boy walked closer, Ignatius's eyes light up with eagerness, for Beast Boy was walking right into the middle of a ring of gun powder. "Why would I make her pay for the sins which are…"

Suddenly, as Beast Boy reached the middle of the ring, Ignatius spurt fire from the ground, leaving Beast Boy in a smoldering circle of flames.

"Yours!"

Beast Boy gasped audibly with surprise, while Raven tried to use her powers to lift Beast Boy from the trap. Ignatius looked at her struggling, and smiled evilly. He then looked in Beast Boy's direction, his eyes glittering along with the flame as Beast Boy tried to transform into an animal to save himself.

"Transform into a crab, now!" he shouted tauntingly. "Use what you've learned from your obstacle courses! Nothing can save you now…except perhaps Raven!"

Turning away from Beast Boy's desperate plight, he threw a threatening message to Raven, whose own fear betrayed her as her body started to shake with panic.

"Start a new life with me, buy his freedom with your love! Refuse me and you send your lover to his death! This is the choice...This is The Point of No Return!" His voice echoed through the cavern, the only sound being its penetrating resonance and the crackle and hiss of the fire.

Raven, softly and then with growing emotion, said in her most dangerous, tense voice, "The tears I might have shed for your dark fate…grow cold and turn to tears of hate!" Her shriek left her feeling completely unwholesome, while the entire room with filled with the phantasmal shadow of the inferno and the stench of smoke and burning rubber as the flames licked Beast Boy's attire.

Beast Boy, struggling through the fire to talk to Raven, jumped into the air to call over the flames to her. "Raven!" he shouted, his voice filled with the utter tone of surrender. "Raven…forgive me, please forgive me!"

Even while Beast Boy begged for her forgiveness, she turned to look at Ignatius with disgusted eyes, her voice low and spiteful. "Goodbye to you fallen idol and false friend. We had such hopes, and now those hopes are shattered!"

Impatient with her relentless pleading, Ignatius tried to shout over her. "Too late for turning back. Too late for prayers and useless pity!"

Beast Boy, trying to be heard behind the crackle of the flames, screamed as loud as he could. "Raven, say you love him and my life is over!" Although she could not see, tears stealthily rolled down his cheeks.

Ignatius ignored Beast Boy's plea, only addressing Raven with growing annoyance. "All hopes of cries of help. No point in fighting!"

Together, without realizing it, the two boys shouted in unison, "For either way you choose,"

"You cannot win!"

"He has to win!"

Grasping her arm once more, he screamed into her face, the fire dancing in his eyes wildly. "So do you end your days with me? Or do you send him to his GRAVE!" Saying the last word, Beast Boy's hand caught fire momentarily, and he screamed in pain.

Putting it quickly, he choked out, "Why make her lie to you to save… me…?"

Suddenly, as if bombarded with emotion, the three teenagers cried over each other's voices, each desperate to achieve their own purposes.

"Past the point of no return-."

"Ignatius…"

"For pity's sake, Raven, just say no already!" Beast Boy screeched behind the wall of flames.

"…who deserved this?" Raven's voice quavered with hurt and ultimate anguish.

Ignatius ignored their appeals. "…the final threshold!"

"Don't throw your life away for my sake!" Beast Boy tried persistently to convince.

"His life is now a prize which you must earn!"

"….Why do you curse mercy?" Raven's demeanor was stone-cold and hard, but her eyes held such a desperation and sorrow that her own monotony betrayed her.

Beast Boy almost spoke to himself, finding it so hard to be listened to, although both Raven and Ignatius heard him. "I fought so hard to free you…."

"Ignatius…."

"You've passed the point of no…

"Return…"

"You deceived me…" She stared at him, as if coming to a conclusion for the first time, and it utterly disgusted her. "I gave you my mind blindly," she stated bluntly.

He stared at her coldly. From the inside of his cloak he withdrew the Dominatio Talisman, and held it uncaringly in his hand. His voice with was laced with anger, as if he could bring the whole building to extinguish if he was not answered immediately.

"You try my patience," he held out the necklace to her. "Make. Your. Choice," he hissed.

Never looking at Beast Boy, who could now see over the dying flames that Ignatius was disregarding, Raven looked sadly upon Figaro, and then down at his hand. Taking the Talisman gingerly from his hand, she placed the chain around her own neck, and felt the certain vibration of emotion pulse through her once more. With all monotony bereft, Raven could now truly express what she had so longed to express for some time.

"Pitiful creature of darkness…
What kind of life have you known?
God give me courage to show you…
You are not…alone!"

Without warning, without hesitation, without meaning to, she did. He wasn't even sure if it was real or not, if he were asleep and dreaming, if he were truly dying right there and then, it happened.

She kissed him alive.

And what a kiss it was. The kiss he had longed for all his life, the one he knew he could never win freely, he did, and she made it last. Grasping the sides of his face passionately, she pressed her quivering lips onto his own and let her free emotions flow, giving him the purest pleasure he would ever enjoy in all his life. The kiss was wet, for salty tears of anguish and wretchedness coursed down their cheeks, though whose tears they were, they could not tell. As Beast Boy looked on in utter horrification, Ignatius knew that he was totally defeated. Her sacrifice, and at the same time commitment, were too much for him to bear.

Pulling away gently, Raven could not help but smile at her fallen friend, and for the briefest of moments, she thought she saw bliss in his eyes. But as quickly as it came, it was gone, for suddenly he drew from her touch and her connection, and, heartbroken, walked away. The fires surrounding Beast Boy completely wiped out, as if with the final breath of death, and left him gasping for air on the cold, stony floor of the antechamber.

In the background, far, far away, Raven swore she could hear the rest of the titans pouring down the staircases leading to the secret lair. Ignatius, as if hearing it too, drew away from them and looked down at the floor, as if waiting for the end to come.

Like lightning, the rest of the titans assembled through the doors. Robin, Starfire and Cyborg ran over to Beast Boy's side, and, helping him up, glared angrily in Ignatius's direction.

Raven flew up to them- astonished that her powers were working- and held them back from doing something she knew they would do. "No…," she pleaded distractedly, her face drenched in tears. "Leave him be. It's over now…." They could not help but sense the guilt and helplessness in her voice. Looking over at their fallen foe, without even a fight or a word, they left, carrying Beast Boy with them.

As they approached the single, haunting door, Robin looked over his shoulder. "Raven, come on."

Looking back at Ignatius, she shook her head. "Go without me," she said quietly.

"Raven, no-," Cyborg began to argue.

"I'm coming," she prompted, she instead walked back over to Ignatius.

He sat near his desk, cradling the box that held the Talisman that was now around Raven's neck. As she approached, she could hear the soft melody of Ignatius's singing voice, something she rarely heard and cherished very much, weave its way into the shadows and silence.

"Masquerade,
Paper faces on parade
Masquerade
Hide your face so the world will never find you...

He looked up, his tear-stained cloak now discarded and his body trembling with sobs.

"Raven, I love you….."

Frowning, Raven lifted her hands to the clasp around the chain and undid it, wordlessly placing the Talisman into Ignatius's clenched fist. Watching him for a moment, she saw him close his fingers over the chain tightly, as if cherishing the piece of stone and metal, and without a word, disappeared into a dark, misty abyss.


Yes, this time he's definitely gone. Makes you a bit sad, doesn't it? Ignatius/Figaro was a good character...and I think he has a lot of mystery, which is why I left a lot of questions answered with him. It's sort of like the Phantom with how there are certain things we will never know.

I'm going to write my ending chapter after this to sum up the story. I hope you all enjoyed this series, and please tell me how I can improve on my writing!

Scathac's warrior: I have talent? My writing is genius? You're the best! Thank you very much! Very philosophical of you, I'll have to use that sometime!

Me: Thanks for the review, keep them coming!

Fantasy Obsessed: I was wondering why you didn't review! It made me sad! I'm sorry I didn't have a lot of PoNR... I wasn't sure how I could fit that in. Lol. I'm glad you like my story so much, though! Hope you liked the chapter!

Steve-Racer: Lol. You're too funny. I didn't want to Punjab him, I would cry! Lol. But if I had to Punjab Raoul (from POTO) I wouldn't mind too much...

Blonde Shadowcat: Yes, again, I'm really sorry about the mix up! I can't remember who this 'Kate' was…no matter…
Lol..persnickity, I like that word. Anyhoodles, it's okay to feel sorry for him. If you didn't before, I imagine you do now. Or not. Or whatever, lol. Thanks for being loyal!

I remain, to the very last chapter, your obedient servant of this tale,

StakeMeSpike04