Chap. 33
Return of the Gem
About twenty minutes later, just enough time for the group to change into their uniforms, the T-Car shot out of the Tower garage. After using the ferry to reach the land, Nightstalker steered it through the dark city night, journeying deeper and deeper into the city. As they traveled, the New Titans looked at each other in confusion, not understanding where they were going, or what their purpose was. Only Sara and Eddie shared Brett's grim look, for only they had any idea what was going on, and the dark implications that it brought. But knowing did not lessen their fear; it made it grow.
After close to an hour and a half of traveling, Brett finally screeched the T-Car to a halt. "We're here." He said, as the New Titans began to exit the car.
"And what's here?" Manimal asked, as he looked around. Indeed, there was nothing around in this abandoned part of the city, except a large pile of rubble in front of them.
"I'm guessing this used to be someplace?" Sunblaze asked.
"You'd be right. There used to be a library here." Lightweaver answered.
"So we came here to return some overdue books? I think we're a little late." Manimal said.
"It just looked like a library." Nightstalker replied, as he began to move through the rubble. "But there was nothing in here that should ever be read. And there were things in the basement that nearly spelled the end of the world."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Terra asked, as she rubbed her arms, against a cold she couldn't feel on her body, but in her soul.
"You'll find out." Groundquake answered, coming close to her. "Just stay close to me."
Before anyone else could ask a questions, Nightstalker pushed aside a large piece of rubble, and found what he was looking for. "Everyone, over here." He called out. As the New Titans gathered around him, the bat reached down and pulled the trapdoor open, revealing a long flight of stairs that led deep into the ground.
"We're going down there?" Kestrel asked, her voice tight.
"Yes. And I doubt we'll be alone when we get there." 'Stalker answered.
"Good." Kestrel answered, as her eyes narrowed. The young girl pushed aside Manimal and Terra and would've gone down first had Nightstalker not taken her arm.
"I lead the way. There's things down here you don't know how to deal with." The bat said.
"Slade's down there. He has my parents. I want the first shot at him." Kestrel answered back.
"You'll get it. But until then, you are going to listen to me and wait in the line."
Kestrel was quiet, but after a moment nodded her acceptance. 'Stalker nodded his thanks, and turned to the others. "The order doesn't matter except for one thing. Owl, I want you at the back."
"OK." She replied, trusting her grandfather's knowledge. With that, Nightstalker turned and headed down the stairs. One by one, the others followed, leaving Owl for last, as instructed. The young girl watched them walk down, sticking to her orders. Finally, Sunblaze headed down and Owl followed. Slowly, she made her way onto the stairs, not knowing what to expect. But the second that she put her foot on the first step, Owl felt something perverse in the air, something evil. But that faded in seconds, only to be replaced by a series of images that bombarded her mind without warning.
Owl staggered as she saw a city destroyed and engulfed in flame, stone statues lining the street, and from the ruins of the Tower, a huge figure, that looked over all he surveyed and laughed at it's destruction. As Owl watched, she felt herself being drawn to the figure, closer and closer, until she was right in front of its laughing face. The face noticed her then, and it looked at her. But it was so encased in shadow that none of it could be seen, save four glowing red eyes. Terrified, Owl brought up her arms, trying to escape the terror….
"Katie! Katie are you all right?"
"Huh?" Slowly, Owl drew her arms away from her face, and saw Sunblaze in front of her, his arms on her shoulders.
"What happened?" she asked groggily.
"I'm not sure. I turned to make sure you were following us, and you were staring off into space. After a minute, you started to look like something was coming after you and you drew up your hands. That's when I started to wake you up. What happened?"
"I-I'm not sure." Owl answered, shaking her head to clear the cobwebs. "But I think I'm ok."
"You sure now?" Sunblaze asked.
"Yeah. Let's keep going."
"All right. But be careful, I don't want anything to happen to you." Sunblaze said, as he turned away quickly to hide his blushing face. As he walked off, Owl gave a small smile and followed.
The New Titans worked their way down the stairs for what seemed like an eternity. But eventually, the stairs ended into a huge corridor. But Nightstalker simply told the group to make their way through it, and kept walking. After a moment's hesitation, the others followed. This time, the trip was much shorter. The corridor ended after a few minutes, leading into a gigantic room, littered with rubble. A column of light shone down from the ceiling, right into the largest pile.
"What is this place?" Terra asked, as she looked around in fear and awe.
"It seems… familiar." Owl said. "Grampa, what is…."
"Do you know what happened to Raven after Trigon took her in her dreams?" Nightstalker asked.
"The Tower said she vanished into the city." Terra answered.
"She came to the city, but she didn't vanish." 'Stalker answered. "She came here. This place is the entire reason she was drawn to Jump City. This is a, well I didn't want to steal from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but it works best. This is a Hellgate. A spot where Hell pokes it's way through the surface of Earth and draws those sensitive to evil through its call."
"But why would Slade come here?" Sunblaze asked, as Owl trembled a bit at the words. "You said before that Trigon was damned by Heaven and Hell. So I doubt they'd help his servant."
"Because this Hellgate is special." Nightstalker answered. "This is a Hellgate that was never supposed to be made, and one that both sides have done their best to close. This Hellgate goes right into the part of Hell where Trigon is damned. He can't escape through it, but his power sometimes leaks through. It's why there used to be a huge stone hand over in that lightsteam; to symbolize Trigon breaking through. That's how I knew it was here, and tonight, the anniversary of Trigon's emergence, the day of weakness for this Hellgate, if someone knows how to exploit it. If Slade was going to come from anywhere, it would be here."
"Bravo, Nightstalker." Said a voice that all in the room recognized. "I was wondering how long my little puzzle would throw you off."
"Slade!" Terra sneered as her eyes glowed in anger. "Come out here and show yourself! We've got some unfinished business to take care off!"
"Why Terra, what a surprise. I didn't think that you'd ever wake up from our last little encounter. Of course, I shouldn't be surprised. I didn't see you down there either, so you had to be alive."
"Shut up!" Terra screamed back, as the others tried to figure out where the voice was coming from. "What did you do with the Titans? Bring them back!"
"And why would I do that? They're not in pain where they are. Of course, they're not truly happy either; the little problem with limbo."
"Enough Slade." Nightstalker said. "Come out and let's do this. Stop hiding in the dark."
"Poor Nightstalker, always so impatient. Truthfully, I'd like to fight, but I can't. Being a disembodied soul has that drawback."
"But then how did you get the Titans?" Metallix asked.
"I can appear fully in your world for a time, but I'm afraid if you ever want to see your parents again, I'm going to have to be alive."
"Forget it Slade." Owl said, his firm voice hiding her fear. "Our parents would never want us to help you. Besides, how could we possibly do that?"
"Don't you know?" Slade answered. "It isn't what they can do, it's what you can do. All you have to do is tap into the power that your mother gave you. The power your real grandfather gave her. You see, he needed someone to wish him out too. Someone that was akin to him. Trigon may not be able to escape anymore, but I can. All I need it a Trigon spawn to wish me out, and look what I have here."
"I'll never help you." Owl said through gritted teeth.
"My dear, in this place, with my power, you don't have a choice."
Before anyone could question that, Owl suddenly began to scream in pain. Collapsing to the floor, she writhed in agony as the others ran over.
"Oh my God, what's wrong? What's happening to her?" Sunblaze asked in horror as he watched her squirm on the ground.
"I don't know, just hold her down before she hurts herself." Metallix answered, as he held her arms down on the ground. Sunblaze nodded, and quickly moved to hold her legs. But a second later, both of them loosened their grips as something else began to happen. As they watched in horror, red marks began to cover Owl's body, spreading over her skin and clothes. The two Titans didn't know what it meant, but Nightstalker took one look and he knew.
Whirling around, he screamed, "Goddamnit she's not yours! Get away from her!"
"Oh isn't she? Isn't this her legacy, her duty? The power in is in her; the gem has been re-forged. Now, let her release me, or the pain will never end, and you will never see your Knights or Titans again."
The voice faded away, as Owl's cries of pain followed. Slowly, she brought herself up, only to stare at her hands a moment later. Seeing them, she looked at Nightstalker with a look that remained him so fiercely of her mother, he had to avert his eyes for a minute.
"Grampa, what is this? What's happening to me?" she asked, holding out her glowing palms.
The Nightstalker was silent a moment, then answered; "Something I didn't ever want to see. Those markings are Trigon's symbols. He's put the same power into you that he did into Raven. And you have to use it the same way. Katie, the only way we can get out of this and save the others, is for you to call Slade back into the world like Raven called Trigon."
"Brett no!" Lightweaver said, as she grabbed his arm. "You can't make her do that; if we let Slade out there's no telling what could follow."
"And if we don't, Raven and the others stay in limbo and Katie will have to deal with this for the rest of her life." Nighststalker answered. "This was his plan all along, to make us let him out into the world, and I don't see any way out of it."
"But.." Lightweaver began, only to have Owl put up her own hand in protest. "Grandma, he's right." Slowly, the girl rose to her feet as she kept speaking. "There's nothing else we can do. I have to save them, and this is the only chance we have do it."
"But Katie," Sunblaze said, frantically trying to reason with the girl. "when your mom did this, it nearly destroyed her. What if that happens to you?"
"Slade doesn't have that much power." Nightstalker said.
"What if you're wrong?" the young boy cried out. "What if she dies?"
"Then it's my choice." Owl said. As she reached out and took Sunblaze's hand, she said, "I'm scared too. But I have to try. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't."
For a moment, Sunblaze stared into her face, trying to figure out what he could say to dissuade her. But instead, he hugged her close and said, "Come back."
"I-I will." Owl said, as she relished the moment for as long as she could. But finally, Sunblaze let go and backed away. Owl turned then, as the others gave what they knew could be their last goodbyes. Each of them embraced her, each of them looked on her with eyes filled with tears. But she finally was able to turn to the column of light in the center of the room. Slowly, she walked towards it, Nightstalker following every step. When they reached it, the bat whispered, "You have to recite an incantation. The rest will do itself." The bat whispered the words to her; Owl nodded her reply. She walked into the light then, as she heard her grandfather say, "I couldn't have been prouder of you."
Then the words faded, as the power of Trigon began to take hold. Quickly, Owl spoke the words of the incantation;
The gem was born of evil's fire.
The gem shall be his portal.
He comes to claim. He comes to sire
The end of all things mortal.
The power shot out of her eyes, and into the ceiling as the others watched in horror. For a second, the light absorbed it, then it changed to a dark red. The light suddenly slanted then, as it directed itself into the rubble. Suddenly there was a flash of red, so bright it blinded the New Titans. But when it cleared, Sunblaze saw Owl lying on the ground, unconscious, but still alive. With a cry of joy, he ran to her, as Nighstalker met him there. For a moment, the two of them relished their happiness, but it ended in a heartbeat.
A footstep echoed through the room, then another, then another. Slowly, the group turned to see the figure of Slade walk out of the shadows. The villain took a deep breath, as if he was tasting air for the first time. "My flesh and blood." He said, looking at his restored body once again. Turning his gaze upward, he saw the New Titans staring in abject horror. "Thank you." Slade said to them. "Now you can die."