Napolean Dynamite clone: Thanks for the review...hope you've read more than just chapter one by now...as for the villain idea...hold on to that...it sounded good...use it and write somethin yourself, cause i found my villain

JustIce37: Tanks again, i's always nice to see loyal reviewers...hope you stayon until the end

kkori: Yeah she is...and I'm thinkin Raven will be more powerful in season 5 now tha trigon is "gone"

waiting for the other chaters: Ok...clam down, and breathe...it takes me a few days to post between chapters (ok more like a week or two)...anyway, glad you liked it, and I hope you read through to the end.

NOTES: Again, I want to post the discaimer that this is still not the final chapter. I now know for sure there are only 2 left. I know exactly what is going to happen in both chapters...now it's just a matter of getting down in print. THat makes a total of 19 chapters for this story once it's finished (I originally predicted between 8 and 10). Hopefully the ending will be as good as it sounds in my head.

I think this chapter is gonna make people mad...

So without further delay...

Chapter Seventeen: The Final Hurdle

Another week passed, and the surviving Titans were released from the hospital. Much to everyone's surprise, Vortex had made a full recovery. In spite of everything his body had been through, Vortex was determined to do enough living for both him and his sister. They held a funeral for their fallen teammates the following day, and a large crowd gathered to honor the memory of the young heroes. Nightwing remained in the back of the crowd and watched in silence as they laid his only daughter to rest. Starfire, however, hovered above the coffin with her hand resting gently on the lid. Tears flowed freely down her face as she pulled her hand away and flew to the back of the crowd where she buried her head in Nightwing's shoulder.

Fireball was an orphan, and had no family aside from her brother, who was standing near the coffin with his eyes to the ground. Vortex was never one to cry, but it seemed the reality of his sister's death had finally reached him; his entire body was shaking as he sobbed uncontrollably. Nano stood next to him with a hand resting gently on his shoulder. "I'm gonna miss ya sis…" He turned his back and slowly walked away. The gathered crowd followed his example and began to return to their lives.

Long after the crowd had gone, Terra remained standing before the graves staring intently at the ground where her friends were laid. "I knew it was a trap. I knew…" she said softly. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to find Changeling standing behind her. "You didn't do anything wrong," he said trying to comfort her. "You did your best to protect Beast Boy, and, when that didn't work, you gave your all to protect your team." He shook his head, "You're the greatest hero this city has ever seen, Terra." He stared deeply into Terra's eyes, "You didn't just lose a fight…you watched your team crumble and had to bury two of your friends because of it. Being a super hero is a dangerous life, but if watching two of your friends die doesn't break your spirit, nothing will."

Terra looked at him through watery eyes and smiled slightly. It was hard to believe that something so profound had come from Changeling, but it definitely made her feel better. She finally managed to whisper a soft "thank you" before she forced herself to leave the grave site and return to the Tower. Deep down, she knew he was right. There was no point in wasting time looking for something that would never be found. Though, the more Terra thought about it, the more determined she became to prove the world wrong and bring Beast Boy safely back to the Tower.

Terra stared blankly at the monitor for some sign of progress in her search. She had been unsuccessful for days, but was not about to lose hope. More than a dozen windows were scattered across the screen, and each held a live feed from various locations around the city. The images continued to change at regular intervals to display different buildings and street corners; all of which appeared normal. Terra rubbed her head gently and sighed before tuning her communicator to Beast Boy's signal. Once again, she was greeted the familiar static that now dominated that particular broadcast.

"Give it a rest, Terra," Vortex moaned from the entryway as he walked into the room. "You're never goin to find 'im. Beast Boy's gone." Terra didn't bother to turn around, "He's not gone. Not yet." Vortex shook his head, "Changeling said not to waste your time…" Terra stood up as she cut him off, "Changeling doesn't give the orders around here." Vortex nodded, "Well, I know, but he does 'ave a good point…" Terra slumped back down into the chair and started to shut down the search program, "I know, but I don't want to just give up on him. After everything his parents did for me…" Vortex groaned, "Oh, don't start with the guilt trip again Terra. There's a difference between you an' Beast Boy. Deep down, Nightwing an' the others knew you were never a lost cause. But Beast Boy….he's possessed by Trigon. He's just plain evil.

Terra shut off the monitor and stood up slowly, "And, I was basically possessed by Slade. Even he's 'just plain evil'…" Vortex shook his head, "Even Slade has a good side, Terra. I know you heard what 'appened the first time Trigon came after Raven. Slade fought side by side with Nightwing to bring Raven back, and when they 'it Trigon again, Slade was right there with them…fighting to save the world." Terra glanced out the window, "I don't care. I'm not going to stop looking until I know for sure. If there is any hope for Beast Boy, then I'm going to do my best to help. An, even if Trigon has taken control, then we still need to find Best Boy and make sure he never gets the chance to hurt anyone else."

Beast Boy was huddled in a ball in the back of a dark cave and breathing heavily. He had spent the days since he ran from the Tower putting as much distance as possible between himself and the Titans. He already hated himself for murdering his friends, and he swore nothing like that would ever happen again. Trigon had pushed harder than expected, and managed to get the best of him, but somehow Beast Boy managed to regain control long enough to flee from his home. Deep down, a feeble voice in his head continued to tell him what he did was an accident, and there was still hope for his life, but Beast Boy had stopped listening to his inner voice more than a week ago. Trigon had entered Beast Boy's body, and because he had no psychic powers, the demon was trapped and bound to Beast Boy's soul. It was impossible to tell if the comforting words were coming from his conscience, or the vile monster that constantly threatened to take control.

"You cannot hide from me forever, Beast Boy," Trigon whispered softly. His voice seemed to exist in the very air of the cave. "I am part of you now, and it is only a matter of time before I break your spirit." Beast Boy shook his head. "And then what," he asked sarcastically, "I don't have any psychic powers, so I won't exactly be useful." Trigon laughed quietly, "But you are bound to your mother's spirit and, through that connection, I will channel her power." Beast Boy shook his head, "No…you won't. I…'killed' whatever part of her spirit that was left. That's the only reason you took control." Beast Boy smiled, almost triumphantly, "Without my mom…you're helpless." Trigon roared inside Beast Boy's mind, "I am far from helpless foolish child. The prophecy will be fulfilled. I will take control of your world."

Trigon was right about one thing. Beast Boy knew it was only a matter of time before he took control. Beast Boy couldn't fend him off forever. Trigon had become Beast Boy's own, personal demon, and the darkness inside him grew with every breath. For the moment, the two coexisted within Beast Boy's body as two separate minds, but soon Trigon would overpower Beast Boy, and the two would become one. "It's terrifying, isn't it," Trigon asked, taunting his helpless victim, "knowing that soon your body will bow to my every command, and you, Matthew Logan will cease to exist." Beast Boy growled, "I won't let that happen." He could almost feel Trigon smiling inside of his brain, "Unfortunately, you don't have a choice."

Nightwing sighed heavily, "Terra, you need to let it go. This is one of those things that's beyond your control." Terra shook her head, "I can't just give up on him, Nightwing. He was one of us." Nightwing nodded, "Exactly. He was one of you. Now, he belongs to Trigon." Terra glared at him, "All the more reason to look for him. You remember what happened…he killed two of his teammates. We don't want that to happen again." Nightwing hesitated a bit. It seemed like he had not fully recovered from the death of his daughter. "I know," he said finally. "We're looking into it. Beast Boy is under the League's jurisdiction now. He's been possessed by a very powerful demon. We've battled Trigon before. You need to step don and let us take care of this." Terra sighed, "If there's any way to save him…" Nightwing cut her off, "We'll do whatever we can for Beast Boy, but, by the time we find him, it may be too late." Terra shook her head, "Fine…but if there's anything we can do to help…" Nightwing smiled slightly, "I'll let you know." Nightwing reached over and switched off the communicator before Terra had a chance to say anything else.

He heard footsteps behind him, and turned around to see Beast Boy standing in the doorway with a troubled look on his face. "Beast Boy? What…" Beast Boy cut him off, "I'm turning myself in." Nightwing opened his mouth to speak, but Beast Boy gave him the chance. "I know what I did to Falcon and Fireball. I lost control…I let Trigon take over." Nightwing could see the tears welling up in his eyes. "I don't want that to happen again," he said softly. "I thought you guys could…" Nightwing cut him off, "Lock you up?" Beast Boy nodded. Nightwing walked over and put a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder, "We can help you Beast Boy." Beast Boy pulled away and looked down at the floor. "No you can't," he said sadly. "It might work for a little bit, but sooner or later, he'll take over for good. I don't want that to happen…but I don't exactly have a choice."

Changeling walked into the room and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his son. Beast Boy turned around and made eye contact with his dad then quickly looked away. He could feel Trigon's spirit urging him to kill his father, but he was determined to resist. Changeling took a step forward, "Beast Boy…what…" Beast Boy shook his head and cut him off, "Don't play dumb Dad…" Changeling sighed, "We can help you." Beast Boy turned around and looked his dad square in the eye. "No," he said firmly. "You can't" His body twitched slightly as he spoke, and Nightwing knew Beast Boy was fighting for control. "If you don't lock me up," he said softly, "I'll find someone who will." He blinked a couple times then started to leave the room. Nightwing and Changeling stared at each other for a moment after Beast Boy was gone. Nightwing gave a slight nod, and Changeling ran out of the room and hurried after his son.

"Beast Boy…Beast Boy! Matt!" Beast Boy stopped, but didn't bother to turn around. "Don't run away from this. There has to be something we can do to help." Beast Boy shook his head, "There's not." Changeling reached out and put a hand on his sons shoulder. "Please…Matt. I don't want to lose you too." Beast Boy wheeled around and pulled away from his dad, "Don't touch me!" He narrowed his eyes and started to back up. Changeling stared at him, "Are you ok?" Beast Boy shook his head as a faint hint of red started to appear in his eyes. Changeling stepped back as a threatening grin appeared on Beast Boy's face. "You had a chance to lock me away," he said. "I did my best to do the right thing…but you had to be a hero and try to save me." Changeling shrugged, "That's what I do." Beast Boy shook his head, "I'm not in the mood for you're jokes right now, Dad."

Beast Boy took a step forward, "Right now, Trigon is telling me to kill you." Changeling shook his head, "Don't do it." Beast Boy shrugged, "That's not really up to me anymore." Beast Boy started to advance on his father. The red glow in his eyes was fading in and out, and scattered tears were sliding down his face as he spoke, "I'm doing my best to fight it Dad, I swear." Suddenly, Beast Boy stopped moving forward. He smirked and shook his head. "You had your chance," he said finally. The tone in his voice had changed; it sounded as though Beast Boy was mocking his father. Changeling looked around, but the hallway was empty. Beast Boy shrugged, "All alone…" Changeling glared at him, "You don't actually think you can fight me do you?" Beast Boy shrugged, "Yeah…I do."

Before Changeling had a chance to react, Beast Boy lunged forward and threw himself on top of his father. On the way down, he morphed into the man-beast and tried to claw at his father's throat, but Changeling responded quickly and copied his son's move. He kicked his feet out and threw Beast Boy down the hall. Changeling jumped to his feet and lunged at Beast Boy. He slammed his feet into Beast Boy's chest as he landed. Beast Boy roared in pain and rolled over onto his side. Changeling stepped back and returned to normal. He shook his head, "Why Matt? You know you can't beat me." Beast Boy groaned but refused to respond. Changeling stepped forward and offered a hand to his son. Beast Boy grabbed the hand and slowly climbed to his feet.

Changeling sighed, "Now…just take a deep breath…everything's gonna be fine." Beast Boy shook his head. He kicked Changeling hard in the stomach and sent him flying. Changeling gasped for air as he landed hard on his back. He rolled over and pushed himself onto his feet. Changeling looked around, but they were still alone. Beast Boy stepped forward slowly. He changed back to his normal shape and smiled, "The Watchtower's a big place, Dad. It could be a long time before anyone else walks by." Changeling shrugged and wiped the sweat from his forehead, "Then I'll have to hold you off." Beast Boy smirked, "Not gonna happen."

Beast Boy jumped forward and morphed into a cobra. Changeling tried to move out of the way, but he was much slower than his son. Beast Boy sank his poisonous fangs into Changeling's leg. Changeling howled in pain as Beast Boy released his grip and returned to normal. Changeling's hand was pressed firmly against the bite, but it was no use. He could already feel the effects of the venom. His leg was already limp, and Beast Boy knew it. He morphed once again into the man-beast and bent low over Changeling. Beast Boy grunted with satisfaction at the look of fear on his father's face. Changeling closed his eyes as Beast Boy raised a massive paw. Without hesitation, Beast Boy brought his claws down and sliced through his father's throat. Blood flowed freely from the wound and Beast Boy returned to normal with a satisfied smile on his face.

Then, the smile faded and Beast Boy collapsed to his knees. He started sobbing uncontrollably as he watched his father bleed to death. "No…" he whispered softly, "Not again…" He buried his face in his hands. "The last obstacle has been eliminated." Beast Boy looked up at the sound of the familiar voice in his head. "How could you," he asked through the tears. Trigon's voice echoed inside his mind, taunting him, "It had to be done. You no longer have any ties to this world. Your mother was your strength, and your father was your conscience. Without them, you are mine!" A dark laugh echoed through the hall, but Beast Boy knew no one else would have heard it. He lowered his head and sighed. There was no use fighting anymore. Trigon had won. The tears flowed freely down his face, "I have no psychic powers. You'll be trapped in my body. At least you won't be able to destroy the world." Beast Boy could feel his spirit being pulled away from his body. "Then I will use your body to take it over…"

Beast Boy closed his eyes slowly, and after a brief pause, they opened again, but now, they had a new owner. Trigon's spirit and will had merged with Beast Boy's memories. The two had finally become one. He looked down at Changeling's lifeless body and smiled. Then, he stood up and ran away. The Watchtower was a big place. It would be a long time before someone found Changeling's body. By then, Beast Boy would be impossible to find.

End Chapter 17

Hope you liked it...I know, I've been kind of hung up on the death thing lately, but I'm weird like that. As for how Beast Boy got in and out of the watchtower...I leave that up to your imagination.