Episode 15: In the End
Note: This is based on the three-parter "The End." Yeah, I know it's a long chapter, but it was a long episode! It's probably rather weird, but writing it was a release for me, after theses and whatnot.
As the title suggests, this is how the episodes would be if my heroes were part of them.
When Raven woke and saw the red marks all over her, the first person she thought of was the Muse.
Despite Slade's threats, she still thought the Muse would save the world from Trigon's destruction. She had been reading the book that the Muse gave her. It was so dense! She'd thought she'd never get out of Leviticus. But it was interesting, all those laws the Holy One required of His people. One verse was her mind. She turned to it just to make sure she had it right, "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear a grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD." She did love the Titans as friends, almost as brothers and sisters. It was so hard to express when you weren't allowed to have emotions! Perhaps today should be different. She reached over, picked up her communicator, and pushed the button that signaled the Muse's device.
Back in Dakota, the cheerful Teen Titans music woke Precious up again. This time, though, it wasn't so early. It was just now 6:00. She fumbled around until she picked up the round communicator. "Hey Raven," she said.
"Good morning Muse."
"Is everything ok?"
"It's a nice day. Muse, I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your friendship. I keep thinking about how you said you considered me a big sister. I know it's hard for you to tell, but it really means a lot to me."
"Wow. I never thought you'd say that to me Raven."
"Why don't you come over to Titan Tower? I'd like to spend the day with you."
"Alright. Can I bring along Static and Gear?"
"Absolutely. I'd like to get to know them better."
"OK. We'll be over in a few hours. Thanks for inviting us."
"You're welcome." Raven snapped shut her communicator. Then somebody knocked. Raven knew who it was before she opened the door.
"Don't worry," he thought to her. "I didn't run all the way here like last time. I got a friend to take me here."
"Ragnarok, why are you here?" she said.
"I had nightmares all night. I remembered how you helped me last time, and I was hoping that you would know what to do."
"Come down stairs, quietly. I think everybody else is asleep." She led him down to the kitchen, where she started brewing herbal tea. "This tea will quiet your sorrow and calm your fears," she explained.
"Today's the day," Ragnarok said aloud.
She turned back to him, stunned. "How do you know?"
"I'm a prophet, remember? I know you told me to forget, but I can't forget it all. I try. I really do. That's what all the nightmares were about, you see."
"I was afraid of that." She handed him a mug of steaming tea. "You can fix it however you want, but don't put in too much sugar. It will make you nervous."
"OK." Ragnarok stared at his reflection in the cloudy surface of the tea. He took a sip, then added a few spoonfuls of sugar to it.
"Listen, today is going to be a good day. I want it to be perfect for all of my friends. Why don't you stay down here, and we'll all have fun together?"
"No!" Ragnarok slammed down his mug. "I don't wanna have fun! I don't wanna enjoy myself! Do something to me that will keep me from doing it! Chain me up! Lock me away! Put me into a deep sleep so that I won't wake until it's over! I don't want to do it! I don't want to make you destroy the world! I don't want to die!" He started crying.
"Drink the tea," Raven said in a flat voice. Ragnarok nodded and drank, but he was still crying. Raven didn't say anything else until he was done. "Follow me."
She led him up the stairs and around the corner, then opened a door. "This is your room again."
"Exactly." She went in and approached a small table. "I can do all that you ask, but it will not make a bit of difference. With or without you, the prophecy will be fulfilled. But you don't have to be a part of it. The Muse is coming today."
"She is?"
"Yes, I just invited her. I know about your feelings for her. Why don't you take her to the pier this afternoon?"
"The pier?"
"Yes. It's a carnival down there. Do you like carnivals?"
"Yes, they're fun. But if I'm down there–"
"I want you to go."
"Why?"
She opened a drawer in the table and pulled out a jewelry box. "So that you can give her this."
"What is it?"
"I made a very difficult trip to get this for her. I had an out-of-body experience, which I don't do often. It was the only way to keep it secret, so that my father would not know what I was doing. I nearly was not allowed to get it and take it back here, but I managed. It will give her powers that she has used only once before. She'll know what it is."
He looked at it. "No, I don't think so. I like the Muse, but I'm not ready to give her something so . . . special."
"If you don't feel comfortable giving it to her, just say that it's a birthday gift from an old friend." Ragnarok hesitated, but he took the box and put it in his pocket. "Make sure she gets it," Raven sternly ordered. Ragnarok nodded. Raven looked out the window again and smiled. "At least the Holy One blessed us with a beautiful day."
Ragnarok looked out the window too. "It's raining," he said aloud.
"Mom, I'm driving Precious out of town. She has something she wants to show me," Richie said.
"Alright, Honey, be safe," Mrs. Foley answered.
"I'll take my cell with me." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "I love you, Mom."
"Love you too, son."
"Bye Aunt Maggie!" Precious called and waved as she and Richie were leaving. She got into Richie's car. They drove to the gas station and parked in the back. There they got changed, met up with Static, and started flying toward Titan Tower.
"So, what's going down, Muse?" Static asked.
"I don't know," she answered. "Raven wasn't really clear on why she was inviting us. I don't feel right about all of this. I mean, I feel good, but it's also like . . . well, like Mommy would say, it's like somebody walked over my grave. Of course, that's not possible, is it? I'm not dead, so I don't have a grave for anybody to walk over."
"It's a figure of speech," Gear said. "It's like an uncomfortable sensation out of nowhere. But why would you feel like that?"
"I don't know. I guess I feel like something's going to happen, something bad. It's not that I don't trust Raven, but when we were talking, she was smiling really big. That's not like her style at all." She flew down and sat on a park bench. The others joined her. "Listen guys, there's something I need to tell you about Raven."
"What's up?" Static asked.
"Well you see, the last time she called me, she had some unusual news. She called me just to talk alone. It was odd. But she said that she–"
Just then, Backpack went off. "Muse, can this wait? We got a Metahuman heading this way."
"A Metahuman? All the way out here?"
Just then there was a roar. A thing that looked like a dozen blackheads came running toward them. It picked up a biohazard truck and gulped down its contents.
"Man, that is so bad for your complexion!" Static yelled. He leapt into action.
"What do you say we pop that pimple, Muse?" Gear said.
"You know, that only makes it worse," she said.
"Doesn't stop you from doing it."
"True. Let's go!"
"You know, my sister used electrolysis to make her acne go away," Static said. "I didn't see much results, but maybe you'll fare better." He struck the beast with a large electronic blast. The thing exploded, but then the goop got together and reformed its frame. Static was covered in the red, clay-like stuff. "Ewwwe, pus," he moaned. "Do we have any baking soda zap caps, Gear?"
"I'll check," Gear answered.
"Look! Here comes backup!" the Muse yelled. The Teen Titans were coming up fast.
"Alright, give it up for the home team!" Static cheered.
"Plasmas!" the Muse heard Raven say relieved. "It's just Plasmas!"
"Hey Raven!" the Muse called.
"Oh, good you made it!" Raven said with a wave. "Hey, look who else I brought."
Bringing up the rear, running as fast as he could, was a masked boy in a cape.
"RAGNAROK!" the Muse cried overjoyed. He waved back.
"Titans, go!" Robin ordered. They attacked Plasmas, but the monster beat Robin back. Raven caught Robin with her powers and set him down safely. "Thanks Raven, I owe you one," he said.
"Yeah, ok," Raven replied.
Cyborg picked up a whole building and hit Plasmas with it. The beast hit the pavement and exploded. The heroes looked down and saw a young man lying in the red slime.
"That must be why you read him as a metahuman," Muse said to Gear.
"Shh!" all the Titans hissed at her, but it was too late. The young man opened his eyes and turned back into the monster.
Cyborg hit it with a sonic cannon, but Plasma exploded again. This time, the slime swarmed around him. Starfire flew into the beast and came out with she and Cyborg covered in snot. Plasmas exploded out at them, but Raven protected Cyborg with an invisible wall. Plasmas then slithered over to the biohazard truck and split it open. Beast Boy had changed into a crow and was charging at the monster. Plasmas grabbed Beast Boy and sneezed on him. Beast Boy change back and said, "Ewwe! There's only one thing worse than goo."
"Sneeze goo," Raven finished his thought.
"Come on, Ragnarok," Muse said. "Let's bake him!"
Ragnarok pointed at the monster, and a wall of fired surrounded Plasmas. It was clearly uncomfortable for the beast. He was boiling! He kept going around as though he were looking for a way to escape but couldn't find it.
"Hey, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!" She created a bubble around him, but Plasmas was still sloshing around.
"That's only going to hold him back for so long," Raven said. "Leave this to me." She approached the monster. " Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos!" A black spirit came out of her and flew into Plasmas, and it exploded!
The Muse alone applauded as Raven flew down. Most everybody was staring at her. Raven just smiled, wiped the slime off her hood, and said, "Anyone up for pizza? I'm buying."
"Sounds good, home girl," Static said, "just as long as it's not pepperoni. I'm kinda sick of Zitface."
The pizza went by really quickly. When there was only one piece left, everybody reached for it. All the Titans got into an argument for who deserved it most. Static and Gear satisfied the argument by getting up to order another pizza.
"That was a cool trick you played with that monster back there," the Muse said to Raven.
"Thanks. It's really hard, and I just recently mastered it."
"Hey, have you been reading–?"
"Yeah, and I really like it. It's very interesting. I'm in the Psalms now."
"Wait, you're still in the Old Testament?"
"That's right. It's really dense. It takes me a while to get through."
"Well, wait till you get to the New Testament. That where it really gets interesting."
"OK. I can't wait." She looked like she meant it.
The Muse lowered her voice and said, "You think you'll be ready when the time comes?"
Raven paused and looked away for a moment, but then she looked straight at the Muse and said, "Yes, I do."
"OK, good." She looked over at Ragnarok, who was sitting in a corner a seat away from everyone. He looked lonely there, so she got up and sat next to him. "Hey, Ragnarok."
"Hey." Nobody noticed Raven's eyes glow for a second, but Ragnarok sensed it. "Hey, Muse, um, I was just thinking about that concert you let me go to last year."
"Yeah, it was crazy wasn't it? I still think about it, too."
"We don't do things like that much anymore, do we?"
"No, we don't," the Muse answered sadly.
"So I was just wondering if you would like to go to the pier this afternoon?"
"The pier?"
"Yeah, it's like a carnival. You like carnivals, don't you?"
"Sure, I love carnivals! That sounds like fun! I'll ask Raven about it if we all can go."
"Uh, actually, I was hoping that it would just be you and me."
"What? You mean, like a date?"
"Guess so."
"I don't know. I mean, it's a sweet gesture and all, but it would be kinda rude, wouldn't it? I mean, Raven invited us all down here, and if we go out and do our own thing, it's like we're shunning her hospitality. See, I got in trouble once when . . . "
Ragnarok looked over at Raven for a moment, and she nodded. "Well, it was Raven's idea."
"It was!" The Muse looked over at Raven, who just smiled back. "Um, ok, sure, let's go."
"Alright, I think it opens in an hour. So when we're done here, we can head over."
"Here it comes!" Static said as he came back with a box. "One large pizza, extra cheese! Dig in, mez amis!"
"Hey Gear," The Muse said as he sat down, "Ragnarok just asked me out on a date!"
"No kidding?"
"No! We're going to the pier in an hour!"
"Well then, somebody's got to chaperone, and I guess that's me."
"Chaperone?" Static said. "Bro, their 16!"
"Yeah, but mentally they're 12 or 13."
"We'll be fine," the Muse said. "We're just going to have carnival fun. We're not going to do anything else, right Ragnarok?"
"Uh . . ." He looked over at Raven for a second, and then answered, "Yes, you have my word."
"Alright, I trust you," Gear nodded, "but you better be back before dark!"
"We will!" the Muse nodded cheerfully. Ragnarok looked away.
"Hey Muse, wait!" Static whispered. "What was that thing you were going to tell us?"
"Tell you? What do you mean?"
"You were going to say something about Raven!"
"Oh yeah. Well, it would be kinda rude to say it now, wouldn't it? I mean, she's right here."
"Then maybe we should go outside where we won't look so conspicuous."
"You know, maybe I'm wrong. I may be thinking about the wrong thing. Eli said this was Raven's idea. She knows that I'm lonely since you guys started going to college. Maybe she set this whole date thing up as a surprise. Why don't I tell you later?"
"You sure? I mean, I know you're excited about going to the pier, but if this is more important–"
"I don't think it is. Yep, everything's fine. You're gonna eat that piece?"
Ragnarok and the Muse went straight from the pizzeria to the pier. They went on the log ride first. The Muse screamed so loud on the dive down, but she loved the big "splash!" They went on the merry-go-round. Ragnarok looked so heroic to the Muse on his black Pegasus, and she rode next to him on a white unicorn. He reached out, and she held his hand for about half the ride. They ran through a house of mirrors as though it were a maze. When they found each other, they both laughed. They watched a magic show, played a ring toss game (neither one of them won), rode bumper cars, and made silly pictures in a photo booth. They saved the best for last, the Ferris wheel.
"It's beautiful up here," the Muse said.
"Yeah," Ragnarok nodded.
"Thanks so much for taking me."
"No problem." Ragnarok looked outside.
"You know, you're been really quiet. Is everything ok?"
"Uh . . . This is fun."
"It is. Man, it's gotten dark real quick. Odd for a summer day, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is."
"I saw a sign that said they have fireworks at sunset. Maybe they'll start early tonight."
"Yeah . . . they probably will."
"Hey!" Beast Boy cried. He bent over and picked something up. "'Find a penny, pick it up,' something, something, something, 'good luck!' Wow, it's my lucky day!"
"If the Muse were still here, she would have gotten it first," Gear said. "She still picks up lucky pennies, probably because for a while they were her only source of income."
"I guess it works then. Nobody's luckier than the Muse."
"Anybody up for an extreme game of stankball?" Cyborg offered as he held up a ball made up of stinky socks.
"Yeah, sure," Raven nodded.
"What are the rules?" Static asked. Cyborg didn't answer; he looked stunned, as did all the other Titans.
"You hate anything extreme, or stanky!" Beast Boy observed.
"Well, I haven't tried it before," Raven shrugged. "Who knows? I might have been wrong all this time."
"Raven, would please join me in the painting of the toenails later today?" Starfire begged.
"Sounds like fun."
Static was starting to get the picture. "Then, when you're done with your pedicure, how's about you and me go out on a date, Sugar?"
Raven frowned. "That's going a bit too far."
"Then maybe a comic book run?" Gear suggested. "We can get some collectibles, or maybe we'll find comic books of ourselves. That's always surreal."
"I've always been curious to try graphic novels. I'll trust you to show me what's good."
"OK, Raven, what going on?" Robin said. "Pancakes, pizza, stankball, toenails, comic books, inviting Ragnarok and the Muse out here for no apparent reason, then sending them out to the pier?"
Raven withdrew. "What's wrong with you guys? It's not a crime to do nice things for your friends, is it? Come on."
"Hey," Gear said as he put an ultraviolet visor over his helmet and pointed up. "If I'm not mistaken, that's a solar eclipse! Odd, they didn't say anything about a solar eclipse on the news today."
Suddenly, Raven thrashed around. Glowing marks appeared on her arms. Static caught her. "Dude, glow-in-the-dark tattoos? They make those?"
But the Titans looked terrified. "Why didn't you tell us?" Robin asked sadly. "It's happening, isn't it?"
"What?" Gear and Static said together.
"Please, Raven," Starfire said, "today is the day? It is–?"
"The end of the world," Raven whispered.
Nobody said a word. Gear and Static looked at each other in fear and confusion. The Titans were all frightened and sad, but nobody looked more despondent than Raven.
"Static, give her to Cyborg," Robin ordered. "Come on, guys. You know what to do."
"Know what to do? We don't have the slightest clue!" Static answered.
"Just follow us. We'll explain everything."
They returned to Titan Tower in silence, but once they got back, Static couldn't keep his peace. "This is all a joke, right? I mean, we got hidden cameras on us, right? We're totally punk'd. This isn't something to joke about, ok?"
"We're not joking, dude," Beast Boy said.
"But the end of the world? It can't be the end of the world!"
But Robin started talking about a plan. He put his hand on a panel, and a door opened to a blue, well-lit room with symbols gracing the walls. "You did all of this for me?" Raven asked.
"We're ready to take on Trigon!"
"Trigon?" Gear said. "The demon?"
"I thought he was locked up in you-know-where!" Static said.
"Quiet!" Robin said. "I told you, we're going to explain!"
But as Robin and Raven continued to talk, it didn't sound explanatory. The Titans led her in. "You'll be safe in here," Cyborg told her as he let her down. "Everything's ready. I installed all the latest technology. Nothing alive is getting in here."
"And these symbols should keep out everything else. We took them out of your books," Starfire cheerfully explained.
But then, Raven's eyes grew wide. She remembered Slade's words, "You will try to lock yourself away under the protection of technology and holy symbols. But this boy, this prophet, will come forth with the key. He will have secret knowledge that will set you free from your prison and your father's. He will carry forth your fate."
"I appreciate your doing this for me. This is all great, but this is just what they expect," Raven said. "It's not going to work."
"Well, it's better trying something than not doing anything," Static said. "My sister tells me all the time that if you have an option, you gotta try it."
"But that is not all. I am afraid that one of our own might get . . . hurt."
"Don't worry. We'll be watching you from up there," Robin assured her, pointing up to a red window. They walked out, except for Beast Boy who went back in.
"OK, man, what's all this about portals and Trigon and the end of the world?" Static yelled as soon as the door closed.
"Up to the control room, then we'll explain."
"I've had enough waiting! If it's the last day on earth, I want to know about it!"
"It's no one's last day!"
"But-but, she just said–!"
"The control room!"
"Fine."
Cyborg got everything on line. "Alright, here's the deal," Robin said. "Raven is Trigon's daughter."
"What? How'd that happen?"
"She didn't go into details," Cyborg answered. "I don't think we want to know."
"It has been prophesied that on her birthday, the events would be set in motion," Robin said. "Marks were placed on her body. Then on one day shortly after, Raven will become a portal that will release her father from his prison, and he will . . ."
"Destroy the world." Static whispered.
"That must have been what the Muse was trying to tell us," Gear said. "But how did she know?"
"Raven just recently told us," Robin said. "She probably told the Muse too. Ragnarok came here by himself a few months ago. He came specifically to see Raven. She had him up in her room for about an hour."
"And she doesn't let anybody go up there!" Beast Boy added.
"Something bad was going down with that kid," Cyborg said. "He ran almost the whole way here."
"He was frightened, as though he had been chased by a dreadful Eirskybeast."
"But when he left, he was fine," Robin said. "Raven didn't talk about what happened. We asked what he wanted, and she said it was between her and Ragnarok. So he may know more about this than we do."
"Alright, so what do we do?" Gear asked.
"Exactly what I said we were going to do! Weren't you listening?"
"Should we call the Muse back?"
"I don't know," Static said. "Raven went out of her way to make everybody's day enjoyable. I think she wanted the Muse to enjoy her last moments with someone she cares about. We may want to carry out Raven's last wishes. We'll see where this goes anyway."
"Yeah."
About half an hour later, Raven fell from her meditative state. Starfire said something about Trigon contacting Raven, and Cyborg picked up something on the radar.
"Shouldn't one of us stay behind?" Static said. "What about what she said, that one of our own may get hurt?"
"Whatever's on our scanner, there's a lot of them," Cyborg answered. "We need all hands on deck." The Titans ran out. Gear and Static reluctantly followed.
The Muse mentioned being hungry, so Ragnarok used his last couple of bucks to buy her a funnel cake.
"I love funnel cake!" she said. "Thanks so much."
"OK." He took a knife and cut it in half. One side was bigger than the other. "Sorry, I meant to make them equal. I'm not good at that. Do you want the smaller side or the bigger side?"
"Well, what do you want?"
"I want you to be happy."
The Muse smiled in surprise.
"Uh, I mean, I want you to pick."
"Well, I am really hungry, so would you mind if I get this part?"
"Sure."
She put the bigger half on another paper plate, pulled off a small bit, and popped it into her mouth. "It's good!"
"Yeah, it is," he nodded. "So. . . . your real name is Precious?"
"That's right."
"I like that. It's pretty."
"I like your name too, Eli. It sounds soothing."
"Um, Muse, you are very special to me. I think you are the only person who really cares about me so much."
"What about your family?"
"They don't care. They don't even ask where I go when I'm out as Ragnarok."
"That's sad."
"Yeah. Um, Muse, if I die, I don't want you to be sad."
The Muse choked on the little bit of funnel cake she was chewing. "What?"
"And I don't want you to go looking for me. You promise?"
"Eli, what are you saying? Why do you think you're going to die?"
"Please, don't make me explain it. I don't want to talk about it."
"Alright, but you're breaking my heart!"
"Please, promise me."
"I can't! Of course I'll be sad when you die! You're a wonderful friend and the best superhero partner ever. And if you die, I'll feel like I lost part of myself. But here's what I will promise. I know this is a dangerous job, and you don't have very many powers. Maybe that's why you're disturbed. I promise you, no matter what, I'll do my very best to keep you from harm. As Static would say, I got your back. Does that make you feel better?"
Ragnarok didn't answer for a while. The Muse didn't know what to say. Then he suddenly looked up. "I have something for you." He pulled out of his pocket a jewelry box and placed it on the table.
"Sorry, Ragnarok. Mommy says I can't accept presents from boys. I trust you and all, but I got to follow her rules. I don't want to explain that either."
"But it's not from me," he said. "It's a birthday present from an old friend."
She looked at him quizzically. Slowly, she slid the present toward her. "Birthday present?" she whispered to herself. "It's not my birthday." She picked it up, undid the latch, and opened it.
Inside was a golden chain with an opal.
She stared at it in wonder. "How did it come here all the way from Themyscira? It still so beautiful!"
Meanwhile, a voice sounded in Ragnarok's ear, "Hello, Eli. Remember me?" Ragnarok head jerked to the side. Slade was standing next to him. "It's not the first time I caught my associate smooching on the pier. It's time, my prophet." He seized Ragnarok's wrist. "No time to say goodbye to your sweetheart. We're already running late."
"No, I don't wanna go!"
"You have no choice! Prophets don't only speak for others. They set themselves up as examples, and that's what you're doing."
"I do have a choice! You can't control me anymore!"
"Watch me." He dragged Ragnarok away.
The Muse was too entranced by the dancing colors in her necklace to see what was going on. As she put the jewelry on her neck, she glowed brilliantly. It was only then when she looked up to see Ragnarok walking away. She couldn't see Slade. "Eli, why are you leaving me?" she called out to him.
He didn't answer. She kept trying to follow, but eventually she lost him in the crowd. The last time she saw him, she thought she saw something red flash on his forehead. Seeing it made her panic. She completely forgot that she had wings or that she had means of communication with her friends. She just ran all through the park calling Eli's name.
Eli continued to the tower, half in a trance and half awake. He tried to pull free from Slade's grip, but Slade only held tighter. As they approached the big T building, Eli saw the heroes engaged in battle with–
"The men of fire! From my vision!"
"Did you think I was fooling around?" Slade said.
Eli saw Cyborg set up a humongous cannon with Gear helping him manage it. "NO ONE'S GETTING IN HERE!" Cyborg shouted.
"What do we do?" Eli whispered.
"We go in the back way, while they are occupied. Come." Slade led the way inside. Eli followed so quickly, it almost felt like flight. They came to a shut door with an access panel. "Don't touch it, just hold your hand up to it." Ragnarok did so. His hand glowed, there was a tone, and the door opened. Raven was lying face first on the floor. She was muttering to herself something that sounded like, "No, Father, don't get him involved in this. He's just an innocent boy."
"Now," Slade said handing him a scroll, "read this." Eli tried to read it, but the words were foreign to him. He kept stumbling over them. Finally, Slade controlled Eli's speech so that he could speak the words correctly. The lights all went down.
Eli walked into the room and knelt down to Raven. She opened her eyes just slightly, just enough so that she could see. "Prophet?" she whispered.
Eli sadly bowed his head.
"I am ready," Raven weakly whispered.
"Please, don't let them do this."
"I wish I could, but there is nothing to be done now."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Trigon will come, no matter what we do. But you don't have to do this, Prophet. Save yourself."
Eli turned around, but Slade was blocking the way. "I can't," he sighed. He placed one arm beneath her back and one arm underneath her knees. It felt like she weighed nothing. Eli stood. Then he felt a pain on his wrists. He screamed, then looked down and saw that he was bound to Raven with chains made of fire. One hand was chained to Raven's arm, and the other hand was chained to her leg.
"Just in case you have second thoughts," Slade said. "Come. Dusk approaches."
Eli hesitated. He looked into Raven's face once more. She just looked back with watery eyes and said, "Go!" He had no choice but to obey.
They went outside through the front door this time. The men of fire immediately stopped fighting and stood at attention. "Hey, what gives?" Static said.
But everyone else saw. "Ragnarok?" Robin asked.
"Raven?" Starfire asked.
"Where's the Muse?" Gear asked.
"What are you doing, dude?" Beast Boy yelled.
"I have come to take her somewhere safe," Ragnarok answered in a flat voice.
"She is safest in the room we made for her!" Cyborg yelled. "PUT HER BACK THIS INSTANT!"
But then, the Mark of Scath burned on Ragnarok's forehead, and he answered in a distorted voice, "Foolish mortals! Do you not realize that she is safest in the arms of her father?"
Robin glared at Ragnarok and said in a growling whisper, "Traitor!"
The word cut Eli to the marrow, but Slade made him respond with an attack. Fire glowed from the mark of Scath on Ragnarok's forehead, but before it could be unleashed, Raven stretched forth her free hand and shot all of the heroes with a black lightning bolt. They all fell unconscious.
"Goodbye. Be safe," she whispered. Then she looked up at Eli and said defiantly, "Let's go." Eli followed Slade; the men of fire surrounded them on all sides.
At one point, they came to the ocean. Eli levitated over it. It was the first time he could remember that he actually flew by himself. If his purpose wasn't so ominous, the experience would have been almost enjoyable. Dogs howled mournfully as Eli passed by. He heard an owl hooting. If it weren't for the eclipse, it would still be daylight. And as the old superstition goes, when an owl hoots in the daytime . . .
They came to an old library labeled with the Mark of Scath . As he stood at the door, Eli suddenly yelled, "I can't do this! Why must we do this? I won't do this! Come on, Raven!" He turned around.
"NO!" she sharply ordered, but it was too late. The men of fire turned into a wall of flame, blocking his path. Eli felt burned just standing in front of the wall.
"Playing with destiny is a very dangerous game," Slade said. "But what would you know about games? You can't even play chess!"
"Yes I can!" Eli answered. "Mr. Wayne taught me!"
"You only played chess once. Ever since then, you only thought you knew all about it. You thought you knew all the moves, didn't you? Well, you made a serious flaw that left you wide open. That's right, Eli. I checkmated you. You've lost every game since."
"No! I've won every game!"
"Open you eyes boy, and stop being naive! There is no way you can win, no matter how hard you try. In the end, it won't matter."
As Slade's words sunk in, Raven had an argument with Slade. Evidently, Trigon promised him something, and she told him he wasn't going to get it. The men of fire attacked Slade, and Raven, with four red eyes glowing, ordered them to let him go. They left Slade behind. Instead of proceeding, however, Eli fell on his knees, and he wept bitterly. His helmet dropped to the ground. As Eli's tears hit Raven's face, her eyes became normal again. She reached up with her free hand, removed Ragnarok's rubber mask, and looked into his innocent, blue eyes. "Ragnarok, I know this distresses you. You are not part of the prophecy. Put me down, and I will go the rest of the way alone."
"I can't. We're chained to each other."
"No, we're not. The chains are only in your mind."
"But they're more real to me than reality. Besides, it will do no good. If I escape, I must have you with me."
"I can't come, you know that."
Eli cried harder. "I don't understand! You said they have no control over me!"
"They don't, but they have plenty of control over me."
"It's not fair! All the horrible things I saw, and you heard what Robin said. I'm Judas! Over five billion people will die today, and their blood will be on my hands!"
Raven reached up again and wiped away his tears. "No, Ragnarok. The guilt is not your own. It is mine, only mine. If you must be part of this, it is not of your doing. You are not a traitor; you are forgiven." She smiled. Something about saying those words made her feel better. Then she said, "Did you give the Muse that necklace?"
Eli nodded.
Raven smiled again, and her eyes became brighter. "Then all will be well," she whispered. "Trust me. Now, dry your tears. We must meet my father without weakness, because fear is what he wants to see. That's it. Rise, and let us go. Time is growing short."
Ragnarok looked up to a hole in the ceiling. "It's raining again."
Raven looked up. "I don't understand. It's a clear sky."
"But it's raining inside."
Raven reached up and touched his temple. She could see the image in his mind. He was standing in the middle of the rain, and every drop felt painful. The rain was his own sadness and pain, and it was coming down very hard, soaking the poor boy. She knew she couldn't make the rain stop, but at least maybe she could redirect his thoughts to sunshine. "I see that you enjoyed your time on the pier."
"I was terrified of what was going to happen, but yes I did. So did the Muse. I loved being with her for one last time. Thank you for letting us go and not chaining me up, like I wanted."
Raven smiled one more time. "It makes me happy that someone enjoyed their last day, and I'm so glad it was you."
And as she spoke, Ragnarok felt something slip into his chained hand. It felt like a coin.
The Titans rose and pondered what happened. "That does it! I'm calling the Muse!" Gear grabbed his Shock Box.
Before he could say anything, the Muse's anguished voice yelled on the other end, "I CAN'T FIND ELI!"
"We know, Muse, he was just here! Listen, the whole thing you wanted to tell us about Raven, we know it now. It's happening."
"Oh no!"
"And Ragnarok's with her!" Static added.
"What?"
"We're going to try to stop it!" Gear said. "Meet us at–where, Cyborg?"
"She's heading for the old library," he answered. "Everything's destroyed all around it, you probably won't miss it!"
The Muse flew on her own until she found a building with a strange insignia. Just inside the door, she found a horned helmet and a rubber mask. "Oh, Eli!" She searched around the building, calling his name. After about fifteen minutes of her unproductive search, she went inside.
Ragnarok and Raven approached a large tower shaped like a hand. "It is time," Raven said. "The prophecy will be fulfilled." Ragnarok walked closer to the tower, but then they heard energy blasts behind them. The Titans, Static, and Gear had arrived. The men of fire came down on them, but with a wave of Raven's hand, the heroes were released.
"Let her go!" Robin demanded.
"I can't!" Ragnarok cried. "I want to, but I can't!"
So Robin tried to talk some reason into Raven, and all she did was prove how stubborn she was. She created a wall of darkness between them. Then, as the heroes tried to get through the force field, Ragnarok and Raven slowly ascended the tower. Steps appeared before them. With every step, Ragnarok's heart pounded harder. His ears rang. The internal rain was pouring down on him harder than ever. He knew what was going to happen. Raven only looked up resolute.
And as they entered the hand, Ragnarok heard a scream, "RAVEN! ELI!" It was the Muse flying behind the force field, and she looked just as lovely as she did in his vision. Her appearance filled Ragnarok's heart with hope and terror at the same time.
Raven saw her too. Ragnarok could hear the telepathic message she sent to the Muse. "Darkness is conquered by light." Ragnarok looked at her as if to ask her as if it were true, but she made no implication. He lowered Raven down. The chains disappeared. He pulled her up to a seating position. She levitated "Indian style."
"And now mortal, one last prophecy will you speak," a voice more evil and malicious than Slade's ever was commanded in Eli's head.
Ragnarok placed his hands on Raven's shoulders, and he spoke the words the new voice said in his mind. Raven, who knew the words by heart, spoke them with him.
"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 red marks glowed brilliantly all over Raven's body. She screamed. The red marks encircled her. A bright light formed around her middle. Eli was thrown back. A copper coin fell from his hand. Raven disappeared in the light. Then fire filled the sky. The new portal crushed the tower. Eli fell. He could hear the Muse scream his name. When he reached the bottom, he was still alive, but just barely.
Then the awful monster that Eli had seen appeared. The beast looked down at Eli. "Thank you," he said. "Your work is done."
He reached forth and made a grabbing motion around Eli. The boy felt terrible pain and then . . . the rain stopped. The Muse couldn't stop screaming. The great beast looked up at her, waved his hand, and a white light washed over her. The last thing she heard was the beast proclaim, "THE EARTH IS MINE!"
"Precious? Precious? Open your eyes, Precious."
Precious opened her eyes, and she was lying in a flower bed in paradise. The flowers blooming all around her had the sweetest scent she ever smelled. A waterfall flowed beside her, and when the sun struck it just right, it made rainbows. And sitting beside her, stroking her hair, was an old friend.
"Opal! It's been so long!"
"I know. I missed you."
"I thought you were always with me."
"I am, but I miss you coming to my home."
"Just a moment ago, I saw something terrible. Where are my friends, and what is that in . . . ?" She looked down at her hands. She was still tightly holding Ragnarok's helmet. "Did it really happen?"
"It doesn't matter. You're here now. Come on, I got new things to show you."
And Precious got up and followed her old friend. She had no idea of the real destruction all around her. She couldn't see the raven that tried to lead her to her friends.
The other heroes, meanwhile, had just tried to face Trigon using their powers and remnants of Raven's power. They failed miserably and landed in what was left of an arena.
"Of all the places we could crash and burn, why did it have to be here?" Beast Boy moaned.
"Alright peeps, I have a plan!" Static said. "Gather 'round. OK, we go underground, and we form a brave, new world of superhumans, and we'll attack Trigon again in a hundred years. Starfire, Robin, I've seen how you look at each other. You're going to be married. I'll perform the ceremony. Your job is to make a humongous family. Cyborg, Gear, you work on cloning technology. Beast Boy, you're their guinea pig."
"Awe, dude!" Beast Boy whined.
"And what will you do?" Robin asked.
"Well, I guess I'll be president."
"What?" Cyborg gasped.
"Hey, you guys are going to be busy. Somebody's gotta be in charge, and since I thought of the idea–"
"Static, your plan's not going to work," Gear interrupted
"Well, it works in all the movies: War of the Worlds, 1984, Planet of the Apes . . ."
"Have you even watched those? They're dystopias! They fall apart!"
"You got any better ideas?"
"Look!" Starfire cried . She was standing at the top of some stairs, pointing at something. Everybody joined her. They saw someone meandering through the ruins holding something golden in her arms. "The Muse! She survived!"
"Oh, thank goodness!" Gear sighed.
"Good, another female. That makes things easier," Static said.
"Give it up already!"
"OK!"
Static, Gear, and Starfire came closer to the Muse. As she got a better look, Starfire gasped. "She has Opal! Joy!" She flew even quicker and hugged the Muse tightly.
"Uggh!" the Muse cried and pushed her away.
"Muse, what is wrong? It is I, your friend Starfire."
The Muse turned toward her, but her eyes look right through Starfire.
"Oh no, she's reverting!" Gear said.
"Reverting? What is this reverting?"
"She's becoming more autistic. Here, let me see her hat." He came closer to her. She resisted his touch, but he managed to get to her. He didn't even take the hat off but scanned it with his technology. "Everything's functioning normally. Strange. Maybe I should get Cyborg to give me a second opinion."
"Or maybe it has nothing to do with the Magic Hat," Static suggested. "Sharon told me about a psychological disorder where body parts just shut off after somebody experiences a traumatic event. You know, like if you saw somebody murdered, you might go blind. Nothing physically wrong with your eyes, they just don't work. Well, the Muse saw the worst thing ever. She saw Trigon return, kidnap her best friend, and destroy the world in less than five minutes. Maybe her brain shut itself off to the real world."
"How can we turn it back on?" Starfire asked.
"Normally, that would take a lot of rehab. I don't think we have that kind of time. Gear, you're going to have to think of something."
"Truth, we do not have time. She has Opal with her. We must reach her so that she can use it!"
"Have any idea what Opal is?" Static asked Gear.
"None whatsoever."
They took the Muse over to the arena. "Dude," Beast Boy remarked. "She's like, Super Muse!"
"Whoa, I didn't realize how radiant you are!" Static said.
"Check out her eyes!" Cyborg said.
"How'd she get like this?" Robin asked.
"It's Opal!" Starfire said. "We found it at Themyscira. That magic necklace brought dead things back to life and cleared away evil and corruption. It thrived on the Muse's imagination, but it was stronger when Raven and I were with her. I didn't completely understand that part. She said, 'I don't need your powers as much as I need you.' We placed our hands on her shoulders. We gave her something; I could feel it, but what it was I wasn't sure. Our strength? Our imagination? Our powers? Whatever it was, it gave her great magic. She used it to send Slade away. I think the Muse understands what happened the most."
"So you think if we joined together with the Muse and her magic necklace, we can defeat Trigon," Cyborg said. "Teamwork and magic hasn't done much for us lately in his battle against him. I still think that Raven is the only one who can help us."
"I just can't believe she's gone," Robin said.
"That's because she isn't," a cold voice said from the darkness. A figure stepped out of nowhere.
"Slade!" Robin yelled. The Titans charge at the foe. He dodged from their attacks, and then he held out his hand.
"Don't be so hasty to fight me. I call a truce. I have come to help."
"We don't want your help!" Cyborg replied.
"Oh, so I see you can handle things all by yourself? Raven can be saved."
Starfire threw him against a wall. "You will not dishonor her with your deceit!"
"We ain't buying what you're selling!" Cyborg added as he pointed his cybercannon to Slade.
"I see you're not familiar with the concept of a truce. I'll enlighten you. It means that for a brief period, we do not fight or threaten each other. We put our differences aside and work together for a common goal. In this case, the goal is to find Raven."
"Why do you want to help us, Metalhead?" Static yelled.
"That's my business. For a truce to work, we must treat each other with respect."
"But we saw Raven become the portal!" Starfire said as she put Slade down. "She was destroyed!"
"Raven has fulfilled the prophecy of her birth. That part of her existence is complete, but another part exists . . . for the moment."
"Tell us where she is! We'll go get her!" Cyborg demanded.
"No. Only one of you may go."
"She's our friend! We all go, or we don't go at all," Beast Boy shot back
"Then she's doomed. There are many things about Trigon that I understand, once of which is that he is almost omniscient. His eyes and mind are everywhere, but he can be distracted. The rest of you must divert his attention."
"We tried that already, and we bit the dust!" Static said.
Slade surveyed him harshly. "It's the end of the world. Did you expect it to be easy? I don't expect you to win. I don't even expect you to live, only endure."
"I'll go with you," Robin said.
"Robin, no!" Starfire cried.
"It's our only chance to save Raven. Besides, I told her that I owed her one earlier."
"Trigon is still weak after his return," Slade told the others. "You may be able to survive with this." He held out a ring. "It is a ring of Azar, crafted by the same order that imprisoned Trigon. I know from experience that it works." Starfire took the ring from Slade's hand.
"Now, before we go, there is one other matter." Slade walked past the other Titans toward the Muse. Gear was trying to take Ragnarok's helmet out of her hands, but she only held it tighter. "Believe it or not, young man, I know a lot about the autistic mind. I can break her out of her state."
"I don't believe it," Gear replied. "I've studied her mind for years to invent this hat."
"Have you been there?" Before Gear could ask what he meant, Slade touched the Muse's forehead. Trigon took away most of his powers, but he left one.
Slade appeared standing in the path that Precious and Opal were walking. "Slade!" Precious cried.
"What are you doing here?" Opal demanded.
"I've come to speak with you, girl. You are in danger."
"There is no danger here," she said. "This is Prism Falls."
"I hate to break it to you, but this is not reality." He came closer to her and passed his hand before her eyes. "This is reality."
The Muse blinked a couple of times. "GUYS!" She gave Gear a hug. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Oh, Starfire! I thought I heard your voice, but I couldn't find you!"
"Welcome back, girlfriend!" Static greeted.
Beast Boy turned into a rabbit and hopped happily up to her. She petted him, and he gave her little rabbit kisses. She hugged everybody, and she cried happy tears. Her tears looked like rainbows. As she let go of Robin, she looked around and noticed two people were missing. "Where's Raven? And Ragnarok?"
Everybody's smiles faded away. "Um, Muse, I hate to say this, but, um . . . they're gone," Robin said.
"Gone? They can't be gone. Maybe they wandered off."
"No. They've been destroyed."
"How can that be?"
"Look around you," Slade said coldly. "Has your eyes been clouded so much with flowers and friendship that you have not seen the hand of Trigon?"
"Oh no!" The Muse flew above the arena. "It did happen." She saw Eli's helmet in her hands. "Why? I was too late!" She cried again, this time out of sadness. "I should have told her to read the New Testament first." But then she remembered something Raven said. "This is not the end," the Muse said to herself. "Darkness is conquered by light." She flew back down and dried her tears. "So, Slade, what has happened to Raven and Ragnarok?"
"Well, he was just telling us that there's a possibility that Raven can be saved," Robin explained. "I'm going with him to find her. As for Ragnarok . . . well, you're not going to like this . . ."
"Ragnarok is with Trigon," Slade interrupted. "To be quite frank, he's bait."
"Bait?" Gear said.
"Trigon has accepted that he and the Muse are fated to meet, but the outcome of their battle together is uncertain. He wants to catch her when she's vulnerable, and seeing her friend in his clutches will make her feel very vulnerable indeed. She is safest with me."
"Alright, I'm really not believing that."
"You forget, young man, I used to work for Trigon. I know his plans, and I know he is determined to destroy her. I can keep her from what he has planned."
"No, she needs to stay with me! I'm family."
"That's touching, but I'm afraid family bloodlines won't save her."
"It's ok, Gear" the Muse said. "I know Slade, and I believe that he'll protect me. If he has another motive, that's when I'll worry. I'll go."
"Wait a minute, I thought you said only one of us can come," Robin said.
"At the moment I said that, the Muse was incapacitated," Slade explained. "Besides, there will come a place where the path splits. You will need to go one way, and the Muse and I will go the other."
"Very well," Robin nodded. He and the Muse said goodbye to everyone, and all the other heroes assured them that they will do the best they could to take out Trigon.
"We have work to do," Slade said. "Come Robin, Muse." They followed him down a spiraling, dark stairwell. They came to a door with the Mark of Scath painted on it.
"I know that sign!" the Muse cried. "That's the same–"
"It's the Mark of Scath, Trigon's symbol," Robin explained.
"I must warn you both," Slade said. "If we do succeed, you might not like what you see."
"We don't care. Keep going," Robin said. So they pushed open the door. They came to a lake of molten lava. Slade ferried the heroes across the treacherous lake on a boat. On the way, Robin argued with Slade of why he helped Trigon.
"I know why you did it," the Muse said sleepily. "You said we would dance and sing as we watched the world burn. This is what you wanted, wasn't it? It's what makes you happy."
"I said that?" Slade asked.
But the Muse just leaned back in the boat, looked down into the water, and sang, "He is dead and gone, my lord, he is dead and gone. At his head a grass-green turf, at his heels a stone." She reached her hand into the burning water.
"NO!" Robin screamed and pulled her back.
"Idiot child!" Slade reprimanded. Just then, men of fire came out of the fountains and the lake. Everyone jumped out of the boat. Robin and Slade fought them. The Muse only stared. When they tried to attack her, she just backed away. When they got too close to her, they disappeared.
It seemed like the heroes got them all, but then one man of fire rose in a sneak attack. Slade didn't move, but Robin got him. "What about the deal of you truce?" Robin yelled.
"Old habits die hard," Slade answered. But then another one rose to attack. It aimed for the Muse. She just looked up at it. Robin knocked it out of the way.
"Why aren't you doing your part?"
"It just looked so pretty," she answered in a dreamy voice. "I've always been intrigued by fire. How it dances, how it changes colors, how it," (she sighed), "reminds me of Ragnarok."
"Have you forgotten how dangerous it is?" Slade asked.
Robin shook his head. "Muse, Ragnarok betrayed us. We tried to keep Raven safe, but he snuck behind out backs and took her out himself. It's because of him that the world was destroyed."
"No, you're lying."
"He's not lying, just ignorant," Slade answered. "To punish Raven for asking you for help, Trigon sent me to get inside your friend's mind and torture him. We decided that the best way to destroy him from the inside out was to make him like Cassandra, a prophet who no one would listen to. He was autistic already. He odd behavior would cause people to simply think he was getting worse and not offer him help or sympathy. And then Trigon placed on him a great curse, according to the law. He saw the Titans putting that room together. He knew what it was for. So he placed on Ragnarok a destiny to live up to his name, that he would take Raven out of the room and lead her to her fate. And there, he would share her fate. Ragnarok did not want to do it, but just like Raven, he had no other choice. He was no more a traitor than she."
"I saw him. I saw him fall from the tower. He . . ." She looked once more at the helmet.
"You said he's with Trigon," Robin said.
"He is, what's left of him anyway," Slade answered harshly. The Muse wailed. "But he's not really dead yet. Trigon is drinking in the boy's life energy, his soul. He's between life and death."
"Even if he was alive, though, he'd be in bad shape."
"Trust me, I know the feeling. We'll talk about that later."
The Muse wouldn't move. "He knew it was going to happen. The last things he said to me, he wanted me to be happy, he didn't want me to be sad if he died. And I told him I wouldn't let him be harmed. I, I failed him." She hugged the helmet close to her chest and silently cried.
Robin rubbed her shoulder. "There was nothing you could do, if he was in the same situation as Raven. But if there is hope for Raven, there should be hope for Ragnarok."
The Muse stopped crying. "Hope. That's it. It was a prophecy. That means . . . oh Robin, that's just what I needed to hear! Thank you!" She hugged him.
"You're welcome. Um, I don't understand, though."
The Muse beamed. "There is hope, Robin, for Raven, for Ragnarok, for the world! It's a secret Raven told me herself. I'm not sure if I can tell you here."
"Whatever it is, it can wait," Slade said sharply. "We're losing valuable time."
"Come on," Robin said. They proceeded down the path in silence for a while. Then Robin turned to the Muse and said quietly, "You know, I can't help but wonder, how did you survive?"
"Survive what? Trigon's destruction?"
"Yeah, you had to have been one of the first things he saw, and if you're such a threat to him, why didn't he take you instead of Ragnarok?"
"I don't know." The Muse fingered her necklace. "This may have something to do with it. Ragnarok gave it to me before he left me. He said it was a birthday present from an old friend. I still haven't completely figured out what he meant. It's not my birthday. What about you? How did you survive?"
"Before Raven was taken, she attacked us with an energy bolt. We thought it was just to knock us out so that she could get away, but I wasn't so sure. Before I lost consciousness, I heard Raven say, 'Be safe.' She put some of her own powers into all of us. We were protected from Trigon's destruction, and we could work together to take on Trigon with a remnant of Raven's powers. But you were nowhere near us when she gave us that blessing. In fact, where were you?"
"I was still on the pier, panicking. I wasn't in the right frame of mind at that time. So, did you do it yet?"
"Yeah. We faced him together. Starfire told us that Raven's powers went out of control when she felt too emotional, so all of us concentrated on our anger. But the power we released was not enough. Trigon was knocked out for about two seconds, and then he banished us from his presence. That's when we found you."
"Uh, Robin, I hate to sound critical, especially to a more experienced superhero and in dire times like this, but . . . you did the wrong thing."
"What do you mean?"
"This isn't some RPG where you just wait until your Magic Points reach their maximum and attack the head boss. This is a real demon! You attacked Trigon out of hostility, which is a byproduct of hate. It's that kind of energy that he feeds off of. Your attack only prodded the flames of a great fire."
"So you're saying we made things worse?"
"I don't know about that, but to be honest, if you fight evil out of anger and hate, you're no better than him!" She pointed to Slade.
"Alright, if you're so smart, what should we have done?"
"Now, there's no need to be angry with me!"
"Sorry, I'm not angry, just frustrated. I just want to do things right the next time."
"There are more emotions than anger, you know, emotions that are deadly to evil. Raven might have realized it, and she tried to get you to realize it. Think, Robin. Why did Raven give you that blessing?"
"To fight Trigon!"
"Think harder. Why else?"
"Because she wanted us to survive."
"Yes. Why?"
"Because we were her friends. Because . . . she cared about us."
"You're getting warmer."
Robin was quiet. Finally, he threw up his hands. "I can't think of anything else!"
"Robin, there's only one force that can defeat Trigon. It's–"
But just then, Slade slipped and fell off the path. The Muse gasped and flew down. She helped him back on his feet. Robin slid down. "Are you ok?" The Muse asked Slade.
He took his hand away from her. "I'm sure that made your day, Robin, to see your favorite enemy slip and fall."
"I'm here to rescue Raven, not pity you," Robin replied coldly.
The Muse sighed sadly. He had not seen at all.
"I suppose this is the place where we must go our separate ways."
"Yes. You will find your friend down that path. What I seek is in a much . . . hotter place."
"That's it? No double-cross? No implied threat?"
"I held up my part of the truce. It's a shame that only the villain can uphold it honorably."
"This doesn't change anything! If we meet again–"
"I wouldn't expect anything less. Come, Muse."
Robin went up to her first. "You watch yourself. I don't trust him."
"I do."
"Why?"
"Because he knows what Trigon is up to."
"But he may be leading you directly to Trigon!"
"If that's the way it is, that's the way it is. But remember what I told you. Have faith."
"What was it you were going to say? What can defeat Trigon?"
"Why don't you ask Raven herself? She knows."
"Alright I will. Be safe, Muse."
"You too." And she went back to Slade. "A hotter place, huh? It's not where I think it is, is it?"
"It is, actually."
"You sure I'll be able to take it?"
"If you were protected from Trigon's power, you have nothing to fear. Yet just to make certain you are not harmed, stay close to me."
"OK, I trust you. You know Slade, I wonder," the Muse pondered. "You know Trigon better than I do. Why did he destroy the earth? I can understand that he wants to lord over it, but what's the point if there's nobody to lord over?"
"He has his reasons. It is not my place to divulge them."
"Fair enough. Now, what is it we're looking for?"
"My life."
"Your . . . what? If you're not alive, how can we be conversing here?"
"Let just say I am currently incomplete. My experience with apprentices has been most . . . unfortunate. Your betrayal led to my incarceration again . . . and ultimately my demise. But I was lucky. Something was looking out for me that day. It seemed like a simple arrangement, really, do a few chores and get back my flesh and bone. And I must say, the fringe benefits were most enjoyable. A pity things did not turn out as planned. The moral of this story: never make deals with an interdimensional demon without a little protection."
"I can see a lot of morals before that point. But let me see if I understand. Robin has gone to save Raven, and I have come to save . . . you?"
"A deal is a deal."
"But are you keeping me from my real purpose, to face Trigon? Was there a prophecy made about me?"
"As I have said, you will face him when the time is right, but I cannot tell you how it will end."
"Raven told me that you sold your soul, but what price did you truly pay? I will help you, Slade, only if you meet one condition. If you become alive again, you must change. You must become a kind man, a generous man. You can keep all of your cunning and intelligence, because that's the best part of you, but you must use it in other ways. You must learn to love."
"I agree to nothing of the sort."
"If you don't agree to it, you're on your own! I'll find Trigon and Eli by myself, and if I perish, I perish!"
Slade hesitated. Then he turned around. "Very well. We will form a compromise. You help me find what I have lost, and I will stand by your side and offer my assistance when you face Trigon. If necessary, I will aid you in destroying him."
The Muse gave a satisfied smile. "Ironic, isn't it? Now you're the apprentice, and you are rebelling against your master. Guess Robin, Terra, and I taught you more than you taught us."
"Do you accept my terms or not?"
"It's a deal." They shook hands.
Up on the surface, the heroes were fighting their evil carbon copies. Evil Starfire divulged Robin's secret location to Trigon. The demon smiled. "I know."
"You know?" everyone said together.
"I have known of your rescue mission before your minds even conceived of it, and I have known before even you that your plan will come to nothing. I expect no threat from you. Of course, you would have known this as well, had you listened to . . . my prophet."
"Prophet?" Static said.
Trigon smiled and opened his enormous hand. There lay a boy wrapped in a golden cape. A feeble ray of sunlight seemed to rest on his body.
"Ragnarok," Starfire gasped.
"Eli," Gear said.
"I put words into his mouth myself," Trigon said. "They went unheeded. You believed him to be a traitor, a rogue. And now, he is my food. And when I am done with him, he will be food for worms."
"Give him back to us!" Static yelled.
"Who are you to threaten me, mortal? He is my prophet, and I will do with him what I please." And he closed his hand around the body again.
"So you were my apprentice?"
"Yes. Don't you remember?"
"Not clearly. I purposely removed your memory from my mind when you defeated me. Trigon returned some of your memories to me, but it feels distant like a dream. I remember Terra and Robin much more than I remember you." Slade looked down at her. "Tell me, why?"
"Why what?"
"Why would I make you my apprentice? You may be powerful, but you are a slow-witted idiot. My other apprentices had much more skill and intelligence than you. What was I thinking?"
"I don't know. I asked you, but you wouldn't answer. I think you were trying to change me. You nearly killed me when you found you couldn't, but I forgave you. I missed you, Slade. I thought the Death Penalty was a little steep. I think Robin missed you too." Slade didn't respond. Slade and the Muse faced down a deep pit. "You fly down. I prefer to take the hard way," Slade advised. He leapt into the cavern.
Even with her own radiance, it was difficult for the Muse to see. "Magic," she whispered, and her opal became a sphere of light. Slade slid on the rocks. Once again, the Muse helped him up, but she recoiled in terror. His mask had fallen off, and she saw a terrible, one-eyed skull looking at her. "It's just like my dream, only then you were dripping with slime."
"Get me my mask!" Slade ordered. "I am embarrassed of this state as you are."
"No, you're embarrassed. I'm terrified."
"Whatever. Either way, it will be gone soon." The Muse handed Slade his mask, and he slapped it on.
They went down into a lava-filled cave. Another door with Trigon's insignia was down there, and a masked guard holding a large two-headed axe guarded the door. "The hollow journey of your empty vessel ends here," the guard coldly stated. "You cannot reclaim that which you lost."
"Maybe so, but I have nothing to lose." Slade attacked the faceless guard, but he fought back and raised his terrible axe. "Now, Muse!"
"Stop!" the Muse ordered. The guard was frozen.
"She is alive!" the guard yelled. "She is not permitted to be here!"
"I am a villain. I break the rules," Slade answered. He continued to fight the faceless guard physically, and the Muse made energy blasts from her opal to fire at him. But he was too strong for both of them. Slade managed to push him into the lake of fire, but the guard rose out unscathed.
"You cannot hope to defeat pure evil!" the guard said.
"Actually, I'm not very good myself," Slade answered. He pushed a button which set off a bomb he put on the door. It exploded. "Quick Muse! In here!" Slade yelled. They ran into the door. Inside were a bunch of hearts kept in bell jars. "Here it is."
"Wilson, Slade," the Muse read on its label. "Wilson? Like the tennis ball?"
"Don't laugh," he said as he reached for the heart.
"I don't know if you want that one. Look how black and shrived it is. And, oh my goodness! Here it looks like somebody took a bite out of it. It has white pulp, like an apple."
"It's my heart, and it will do."
"Who ate your heart, Slade? Was it not yourself?" She grabbed another bell jar. "Please, why don't you take this one? It's red and full, much more healthy. It will serve you better."
"It is still beating. That means the owner of it is still alive. I don't think they'd be too happy with me if I stole their heart. No, this one will do." He held the black, shriveled heart to his chest, and it disappeared into its spot. Slade took a breath. "That's much better. Come. We have a demon to defeat." He went toward the door and then turned back. "Wait a minute. There are only eight people alive right now. You offered one of their hearts to me."
"Yes. It was my own."
She hoped that he would see her selfless act that it will finally transform him, but Slade only glared at her. "Foolish girl! How can you expect to defeat Trigon if you gave me your heart? Let us return to the surface before you do something more foolish!"
"Just one second." She searched very, very quickly for one heart, grabbed it off the shelf, put it in her pocket, and ran out the room. Meanwhile, Slade took the faceless guard's battle axe.
"Her powers are gone?" Cyborg asked. "She can't help us?"
"At least we still have that ring of Azar thingy so Trigon can't–" But before Beast Boy could finish, Starfire held out fragments of a broken ring. "Oh, crud."
"What about the Muse?" Gear asked.
"She was with Slade," Robin said. "I haven't seen her since we found that fork in the road. But she told me there is hope, and I believe her."
"So let's give it all we got!" Static said.
"But how do we fight him without getting the stuffing kicked out of us?" Gear said.
"And how do we procure the Ragnarok back?" Starfire asked.
"I told the Muse of how we fought Trigon earlier, and she said we fought him wrong. When we came to him in anger, we only fed the flames. The Muse told me that only one force can defeat Trigon." He took one look at the young Raven, and then he smiled. "And I think I know what it is!"
"What is it?" Beast Boy asked.
"She knows," Robin answered, satisfied. "Darkness is conquered by light."
"What do you mean, Robin?" Starfire asked.
"Let's just fight as we did before, for Raven!"
"For Raven!" they all replied. Then they all took off and did their thing. Their hurt Trigon to a degree, but then his eyes glowed with evil fire.
"My patience is wearing thin!" the monster roared. He beat them with a red light, and they were trapped in a glowing sphere. "Your world is ended! Your time is–"
But then, someone struck him from behind and cut off his antler crown. It was Slade with his monstrous axe. The distraction freed the heroes from their trap. "I am no one's apprentice!" Slade yelled.
"If Slade is here," Robin said, "then that means–"
"Look!" Starfire yelled. "Starfire!"
"I am looking at you, honey," Static quipped.
"No, up in the sky!" They saw a streak of light coming toward the beast.
"That's no shooting star," Gear said. "That's . . ."
"TRIGON!" a voice yelled. The flying object stood still in midair and stared the beast in the face. "I believed it was foretold that we would meet."
"MUSE!" all the heroes cheered.
"Yes," Trigon replied to her challenge. "It was also foretold that your heart would be too grieved for what had happened to the earth that you would be too weak and foolish to take me."
"Funny thing about prophecies from your home. Do you know their secret? Your astute daughter picked up on it. They always spell out doom for the human race, but they fail to mention redemption and salvation. There's always a hidden prophecy to turn them around. In this case, yeah, I am grieved of what happened to the earth, but I'm gonna make my grief and concern work for Earth's advantage instead of your own!"
"And what of your friend?" Trigon held out his hand to show her Eli's body again. "The life is almost entirely gone from his body. Even if you stop me, he is entirely beyond hope."
Trigon lay the body on the ground. The Titans moved out of the way. The Muse flew down to him. Seeing his body was indeed more than she could bear. She held back her tears and gently placed back on Eli's head his horned helmet. Then she looked back up at Trigon. "There is always hope for those who trust in God! Darkness is conquered by light!"
Then her Opal began to glow brilliantly. She levitated slightly. Trigon started to shield his eyes, but he still reached for the Muse as though he meant to squash her.
"I cannot do this alone!" she cried. "Friends, help me. Don't think of this foe and what he has done. Think about all the good things in this earth before he came! Think of your loved ones! Think of each other! But most of all, think of what we are fighting for!"
All of the heroes gathered around the Muse and put their hands on her shoulders and her arms. Each person began to glow and levitate with her. They all stared steadfastly at Trigon. The light became bigger and brighter. Trigon looked more frightened.
Then, the Muse felt a small hand hold hers. She looked down and saw young Raven holding on and smiling. The Muse nodded at her, then turned to Trigon. Slowly, though, she could feel the hand growing in hers.
"It's still not enough!" Robin said.
"What should we do?" Starfire cried.
"Slade!" the Muse yelled.
"I've done my part," he called back.
"No, you did not! You said you'd aid me in destroying Trigon if necessary, and it IS necessary! Come here!"
So he came up and held her hand. The light became somewhat brighter. Just a little more . . .
And then, the Muse felt a bead of water hit her knuckle.
"MAGIC!" the Muse and most of the heroes shouted. The white light shot forward and engulfed the beast. He gave one last roar, and he was gone. The Muse collapsed, exhausted. But then, she looked up and saw a figure in white fly up create another white light in the sky. Who is this? Could it be . . . Opal?
She opened her eyes to brilliant sunlight. The Muse found herself on the sofa in Titan Tower. "Oh, it's a new day! And it's beautiful!"
"Good morning." Raven was sitting next to her, and she was smiling.
"Raven! You're back!"
"Yes. I've been using my powers to get you back to strength again. While I was waiting, I've been reading ahead in that Bible you gave me. You're right. The New Testament is interesting. I don't know if I completely understand it, though."
"Well, I know some people you can talk to." The Muse flew up to the window. "So, the Earth is back to normal? Who have we to thank for that?"
"All of us. Helping you banish my father brought back my powers, and they were stronger than before. It's almost like I had the strength of all the Titans. I used my new powers to set everything right, so I had to give up a lot of that strength. But it was worth it, right?"
"Absolutely."
Raven hugged her. "Muse, I knew you would save us." But then she backed away, and a sorrowful look crossed her face. "I do have sad news."
"Ragnarok?"
Raven levitated outside. Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Static, and Gear stood around a platform where the body of Eli lay. His mask was placed at his side. "I healed many of his wounds, but too much of his soul is gone. There's nothing more we can do. We're going to bury him at sea."
"He was a devoted friend," Robin said consoling the Muse. "You were lucky to have known him."
"Do not worry," Starfire said. "When you see lights up in the sky, you will know he is looking down on you in favor."
"Wait," the Muse said. "There is something more we can do." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a very slowly beating heart. She placed it on Eli's chest, put his hands over it, and kissed his nose. Then she backed away.
The body groaned and twitched. Eli opened his eyes. "Hi, Muse," he said weakly.
"Hey. How are you doing?"
"I feel . . . drained. Cyborg? Do you have any more of that fruit punch flavored sports drink?"
Cyborg was stunned, but then he said enthusiastically, "Sure, man, I'll mix a drum up!"
"How'd you do that?" Static asked.
"You can thank Slade. If I didn't join him on his errand, I wouldn't have found it."
"There something I still don't understand," Robin asked. "Why did Slade have to join us? I could hear Raven say in my mind 'Darkness is conquered by light,' and he's darkness through and through."
"He was searching for something that he lost, something that he wanted. I wanted him to find something else that he lost, something that he needed."
"What was it?"
"The light, of course."
"What is that light? Is it unselfishness, thinking of others before thinking of oneself?"
"Well, yeah, that's part of it. It's love."
"Love!" Robin made a face. "Love and villains don't really mix. We learned that the hard way."
"But it's what we're supposed to do, love our enemies. As long as you have such blinding hatred for Slade, you'll never truly see."
Robin just scratched his head. Then he turned around to Eli. "Ragnarok, I'm sorry I called you a traitor. I didn't know what was going on."
"Is ok," he answered.
"And to make it up to you, I hereby make you an honorary Teen Titan." He handed Ragnarok a communicator. "Now you don't have to run all the way here if you need us. You can just give us a call, and we'll pick you up in the T-Sub."
"Thanks." He looked up. "Raven, I'm glad to see you're ok. I didn't see it before."
"Well, you only saw what my father wanted you to see."
"Oh, and Raven." The Muse took the Opal off of her neck and handed it back. "You were responsible for getting this, aren't you?"
"I was. You figured it out, didn't you?"
"A birthday present from a friend. It took a while, but then I remembered whose birthday started this whole mess. I guess we need to take this back to Themyscira."
"Why?" Raven said. "It's yours!"
"Well, it belongs there. Something might foul up the water again."
"I doubt that."
"Look, if I kept it, I may repeat a phase of my life that I may not be able to get out of."
"Very well. I'll see to it, but I want to leave it somewhere where you can get it easily. You are much more powerful when you have it with you. You know, maybe it would be good for emergencies."
"OK. Now guys, if you don't mind, I'd like to go out and do some thinking."
The Muse flew around town for a while, and then she saw a familiar shadow. She flew down to him. "Hey."
"Don't give me that," Slade said. His one eye was turned away from her.
"I just want to say thank you. If it wasn't for you–"
"I don't want to hear it."
"You have changed, you know."
"I haven't changed. I'm still a villain."
"You can't deny that you've changed. You'll always bear the mark."
"It was only a moment of weakness. That power of yours going through me touched a nerve, worked a chemical reaction."
"Well, if that's your story. I guess I'll see you later, Tennis Ball."
"Until then." Slade's eye gazed at a nearby mirror. He found it hard to admit, but when that silly girl offered her heart to him, it was rather touching. He could still see the rust mark down the copper side of his mask, where a tear fell.
Next Episode: First Trip to Tokyo–See what "Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo" would have been if the Muse got to come along.
