Author's Note: Thanks for all your encouragement.

Chapter 2: The Broken One

Name: Victor "Cyborg" Stone
Activities: the TRUE Champion of the Video Game Tournament (right back at you BB!)
Best School Memory: Building the T-Car. That baby's not something you easily forget.
Favorite Band: Linkin Park, Tupac
What You'll Miss Most: My car. Duh.
Often Caught Saying: "BOOYAH!"
Favorite Quote: "There are too many people, and too few human beings."– Robert Zend
The two companions entered a seedy bar with the theme of a sunken ship hull– rusted metal and bolts everywhere.

"What are we doing here?" Robin whispered to his friend as he was bumped by a large, unfriendly looking guy with the tattoo of a snake on his right biceps.

Beast Boy smiled. "Looking for Cyborg, of course!" he said as he sat down at the bar. Robin joined him looking wary.

Suddenly, there was a crash behind them and Robin sat poised, hand ready to grab his trusty bo staff, but Beast Boy stopped him.

"Yo, Simon!" came a booming voice from behind them. "How many times do I gotta tell you? No throwing furniture in my bar!"

The man smiled at the bartender then picked up the table he'd thrown at the wall to prove some point or other.

Meanwhile, Robin froze.

"I know that voice..." he whispered to himself. Slowly, he turned and his jaw dropped. An old tarnished half robot stood cleaning glasses with a rag, his head down. He had obviously aged, premature wrinkles forming at the corner of his human eye, which had lost some of its spark over the years. The half of him that was machine seemed much the same, however, although it seemed in need of a good shine. But he was still the same man Robin remembered..

"Hey Vic, how about a scotch on the rocks over here, whaddya say?"

He raised his head and smiled at the young blonde who had hollered, whipped out the bottle and expertly poured it in a shot glass while sliding it down the table.

"Not a problem, Sarah. Just be careful how many of those you have this time," he said with a wink. "Remember what Greg did to you after that?"

She rolled her eyes and pulled back her hair, revealing a livid bruise. "Like I need reminding."

"I keep telling you, girl, you gotta get rid of him."

She smiled. "You're always right, Vic, but I don't know. Something about Greg makes me..."

"Crazy?" the bartender offered and laughed. "I know the feeling. There are some people... they can do anything to you and you just can't help but forgive them. Sometimes that's good. Mostly, and especially in your case, it ain't. Believe me, I know. You gotta get out of his apartment and you gotta find someone who wouldn't hurt you even if the world was in jeopardy and he needed to in order to save it. Sometimes, the world just ain't worth it."

Beast Boy was laughing and shaking his head. "Man, you wouldn't believe it, would you? Cy, here, working. If I'd have known he was gonna turn out to be a bar keep, I woulda begged for free drinks in advance. Well, you know, back when I could enjoy them. Damn mortality."

But Robin wasn't listening. The sight of his metallic friend struck an odd sense of awe in him. There he was, his old friend, now fifteen years older and fifteen years wiser, still somehow majestic, even if all he was doing was squirting beer out of a nozzle that he handled like a cowboy's gun.

By now, he was laughing at what some other drunk guy had just said as he turned away from him and Sarah and shook his head as he cleaned more cups, standing right in front of Beast Boy and Robin with his back to them.

"Hey Victor, could you get me a Guinness?" yelled a guy from behind Beast Boy and Robin.

"Sure thing–" Cyborg began as he looked over his shoulder, but paused and dropped the glass he was washing. He frowned at them a moment and Robin felt a little awkward, but refused to look away. Somehow, he felt, that would disrespect his friend.

"... Robin?" he said. Then, a slow smile spread across his features. "Robin!" he boomed, throwing his arms out invitingly. Robin started laughing as Cyborg leaned over the bar and pulled him over it in his embrace.

"Good to see you too, Cyborg," he said.

But the bartender shook his head. "Just Victor again. Like it used to be." Then, his gaze shifted and his grin widened. "Beast Boy, my man! You don't look that much different than the day you died!"

"Well, I try," said Beast Boy with a modest shrug, dusting invisible dust off his shoulder with his hand.

Robin looked between them, confused. "Was I the only one surprised to see a ghost?"

"Had a crazy wizard or something in here a few nights ago," said Cyborg. "He was mumbling something about how the dead will be born again, to look out for an old friend or some such nonsense. There's only one friend I know who's dead, so I just expected..." he shrugged and smiled and slapped Beast Boy's hand. "Damn, kid, it's good to see you again!" He laughed and looked up at Robin with his shining human eye and dull robot one. "And you, too, Rob."

"Unfortunately, this isn't a social call," said Beast Boy seriously. "But we're gonna need Cyborg, not Victor."

The old half-robot saluted Beast Boy enthusiastically. "Count me in. Big bad going down, then I want a piece of it. I've been aching for a good battle lately. I kinda miss my crime fighting days."

"You seem to be doing fine," said Robin, looking in the direction of the blonde girl he called Sarah. Cyborg followed his gaze and smiled.

"I still help people, only in a different way. I'm living a pretty good life. Got friends, a roach-infested apartment and little cash. And a job I love. Two out of four ain't bad, if I do say so myself." He smiled as he paused looking at Robin, wondering what his life was like these days. Wondering how he dealt with Raven's turn and Starfire's disappearance. But he didn't ask. Instead, he took a deep breath and said "So, what's going on?"

"Like you said, Big Bad," said Beast Boy. "We're both a little fuzzy on what. All we know is that it's the reason I'm back and it'll end the world."

"Apocalypse stuff, eh?" Cyborg muttered. "You sure Raven isn't involved?"

At the mention of her name, Robin turned away sharply, avoiding his gaze.

Cyborg coughed, uncertainly. "Er... right. Well, then I guess we better get cracking. I can get Alex to cover for me while I'm gone," he said, pulling out his pager. But Beast Boy's eyes were on Robin.

"We have to make one more stop first before we go all out in this battle thing. Someone who's bound to know more about this than the two of us."

"Who?" asked Cyborg. "A source? A diviner, witch, psychic, what?"

Beast Boy grinned. "Yes," he said.

"Yes what?" Cyborg asked, confused. But Robin was looking at him now, his eyes wide.

"We have to find her, don't we?" he said. "I mean, really find her?"

"You knew it would come to this, man," said Beast Boy.

"Yes what?" Cyborg repeated, looking from one friend to another.

Beast Boy stood up, followed by a reluctant Robin. "Well, time to see what all the fuss is about," he said.

"Yes what!" Cyborg demanded.

Beast Boy grinned. "We'll fill him in on the way there, shall we?"

"So what have you been doing the past fifteen years, Robin?" Cyborg asked, grabbing a jacket.

But just as they were about to leave, there was a huge crash. Cyborg sighed and turned. "Simon, goddamn it, do you ever learn–?" He stopped when he looked to the door and noticed that it wasn't Simon causing the ruckus.

Screams filled the bar. "Demon! Demon!"

A few men in the bar broke off chair legs and pulled out chains ready to teach the demon a lesson or two. But Robin beat them all to it.

The old Titan swiped the demon across the face with his bo staff. Instantly, the demon fought back with force, extending long sharp claws and slashing Robin across the face, leaving four red scars. Robin ignored the blood on his cheek and mouth and swung his leg up to kick the demon's head, almost breaking his neck with the swift blow, but not quite. The demon lunged at him and he fell to the floor, the claws digging deeper into his shoulder. He raised his knee and used it to kick the beast's stomach and push him off. The demon regained his balance and was on his feet again, a little disoriented. Robin took full advantage of this and extended his bo staff again and attacking full force.

Cyborg turned to Beast Boy. "I take it he's been doing this a lot?"

"Professional Demon Hunter," said Beast Boy. "Calls himself 'Nightwing.' Can you believe it? Nightwing. What a wimpy name."

"It has some dignity," Cyborg replied as Robin continued to bash the demon. "I mean, there are worse names."

Final, Robin succeeded in pinning the demon against the wall with his bo staff across the beast's shoulders. "Who sent you?" he demanded.

"Rob, he's a demon, nobody sent him!" Cyborg called over to him.

Robin only pressed the bo staff up under the beast's chin, threatening to choke. "This is a Koolash demon. A mercenary for hire. And this breed can talk. So speak, you slime ball!"

"Aw, dude, that thing's dripping on my floor!" Cyborg moaned, gesturing at the green goop dripping from the demon's body. "Alex won't like cleaning that up."

The demon's breath was shaking as it retracted its claws. "No employer. I just came in for a beer."

Robin frowned. "What?"

"Honest! Figured the last days on earth, a guy should enjoy himself rather than work," said the Koolash.

"Then why'd you attack me?" Robin asked.

"I believe it was you who attacked me? And hey, I couldn't pass up a good fight when it was just handed to me like that." The demon smiled, baring very jagged fangs.

"Wait," said Beast Boy, stepping up behind Robin. "You said the last days on earth. So, you know the world's going to end?"

"No," said the beast sarcastically. "I have Cancer and I only have a few days to live. Dude, everyone in the dimensions knows Loki's on a rampage."

Behind them, Cyborg started at the name, his eyes wide, but said nothing.

"Loki, who's Loki?" Beast Boy demanded.

"Uh, he doesn't like to make himself known much in this dimension," said the Koolash, hesitantly. "He's just big on ruining the other ones. Doesn't like humans. At all. So if I was you, I'd stay far away from him. No, you don't want anything to do with Loki, bad, bad idea. Bad idea. Did I mention bad? Now can I go now?"

Beast Boy and Robin exchanged looks. With a sigh, Robin retracted his bo staff and put it away.

The Koolash rubbed the place on its neck where Robin had left a red mark. The demon looked over at Cyborg. "So, do I get a drink or what?"

Cyborg shook his head, exasperated. "Just get out of my bar," he said with a sigh and slight smile. The Koolash didn't ask twice as he clumsily ran out the door.

Seconds later, a brown haired guy wearing a tie-dye shirt was in the doorway, looking perplexed.

"Vic, man..." he said, taking in the scene. "What the hell happened here?"

Cyborg walked up to him and handed him a mop and bucket he'd picked up from behind the bar. "Have fun, Alex," he said with a grin, then gestured for his friends to follow him out.

"So," said Cyborg, turning to his companions as he led them to his car. "We can take my wheels. But where to now? Your contact, wizard, shaman whatever?"

Beast Boy looked at Robin who refused to look anywhere but towards the dark. "Yes."

"No," Robin said.

Beast Boy looked at Cyborg and smiled. "Yes."

And they started climbing into Cyborg's car. Perplexed, he finally followed them in, with one last demanding "Yes what!"