XV

The Terrible

The small holographic display over the meeting table was already magnifying the point of interest in the city. The image pixilated for a moment before clearing, and all ten Titans and their guest fixated on the new image. It was the top of a natural rock pillar that stretched at least two hundred meters across. The old observatory—at least what was left of the structure—now filled the center of the table. Its converted laser cannon was in plain view as a result of the observatory being cut in half, gutted down to nearly the framework.

"Okay, Rob, you know what?" Cyborg broke the silence, leaning slightly back in his seat. "You lost me. How does 'I have a plan,' lead to this ol' thing?"

"Yeah," Beast Boy added. "That site's been condemned since that whole Red-X mess and the duke-out with Chang."

Robin nodded quietly. "The site might be condemned, but that doesn't mean it isn't operational. The structure's turning mechanism should still work, with enough power. And restoring the cannon shouldn't take too long."

"Ummm," Speedy struggled with what to say. "You're going to make a cannon to fight this Trigon guy with?"

"It's a long shot, but if we're going to defeat him, we have to use everything we have. Raven's told us that he's currently trapped in another realm, but not permanently."

"It's possible for him to escape," Zerrich said, "but it would take most of his strength just to open a single vortex. It's why he sends out scouts instead. If he's going to open a portal to another realm, he needs it to be the right one. The one with Raven present."

Robin and the rest of the team had been told precisely what Raven's importance to her father was. She was his anchor. Without her nearby, Trigon would simply be whisked back to his prison realm in a matter of moments. It had been the reason why the Demon had made so many attempts to produce offspring. His potential children spelled his freedom.

"If he could succeed in opening a portal here," the Boy Wonder continued, "doing so would greatly weaken him. We have an advantage."

"So, what would power the cannon?" Speedy asked.

Robin took a deep breath. "The same thing that powered it the last time."

Bumblebee looked around the room before looking back to Robin. "Tell me if I got this wrong, but I read that Chang used xenothium the last time."

Robin didn't answer. The concept itself was going to be controversial, he knew. Xenothium was something he didn't ever want to mess with again. But this was something a lot bigger than anything the Titans had faced. Cyborg placed his hand loudly on the table.

"Nu-uh. I ain't playin' with no xenothium. That stuff's nasty, unpredictable..."

"And the most potent," Robin interrupted. "We don't have much choice."

Cyborg glared back at Robin. "Y'know, dawg, the last time I found out you'd used that shit, you called it a mistake. Now you're willing to go back and do it all again." The android Titan stood up from the meeting table. "Guess you really didn't think it was much of a mistake afterall."

"Cyborg," Robin said, "this meeting isn't over yet."

"It is for me. I can't guarantee we won't save this city without destroying it ourselves first."

"It won't make a difference," Raven finally spoke up. Cyborg turned to look in her direction, and for the moment he wasn't concentrating on leaving. "Xenothium alone won't do anything but make my father angry."

"That isn't where the plan stops. Zerrich, you put some kind of magic spell on that freeze disc you threw at Scourge.

Zerrich raised his eyebrows as he nodded slowly. "But, the combinations of spells I used were on solid objects. Either the disc or Scourge himself. You even saw the difficulties when I attempted the spells on the Firnusium while in his fire form. Casting a spell on some beam of energy isn't quite my strong point."

"It's possible," Raven added. Robin and Zerrich both looked to the dark girl, waiting for a more detailed explanation. "I'll have to…do more research. But, there might be something we can use."

"If we could," Zerrich started, "I'm guessing the spell would need a boost in energy. This xenothium—if it's potent enough…"

"It has to be. Look, I know the risks involved. But this isn't a chase after a local criminal, or some obsession. Trigon can destroy the world. I don't think we can afford to overlook anything at this point. Cyborg, if anyone can help keep this stuff stabilized, it's you. You or Chang anyway, and I'm not about to let that crackpot out of jail."

"I, too, share Cyborg's concerns," Starfire stated. "However, Trigon the Terrible is renowned even on my planet. If he does venture here, we will be forced to use whatever means are necessary…or face absolute destruction."

"I'm not liking that absolute destruction thing myself," Beast Boy added.

"I'm with Greeny," Bumblebee said. "Sometimes ye gotta take the gloves off. Sparky, sit back down in that seat. You ain't goin' nowhere. It's just like Bird Boy said. If we're gonna have a shot at this, yer the only one that's gonna make it work right."

Robin appreciated Bumblebee sticking up for him. Her leadership abilities and spirit were the primary reasons she lead Titans East—and with Cyborg's blessing. Robin watched as the android ran everything through his mind before finally sitting down with a huff.

"I know this is a tough decision. But we don't have time to weigh out the ends with the means. Trigon's showing up here is inevitable. He's after Raven, and he will stop at nothing. We have t—"

The hologram above the table flicked and fizzled before going out, interrupting Robin's words. Before anyone could say anything, the emitter sparked twice. Cyborg reached for the controls in front of him, only to have them spark and smoke as well. Black tendrils lanced out from the table, dissolving before they could reach any height. One of the sidelights blew out in a flash of black energy. Robin instinctively looked at Raven.

She was staring out at nothing, her eyes frighteningly wide. Her breathing, though quiet, was very shallow. Her hands gripped at the table as if she was about to rip a piece clean off between her fingers. Another light exploded as Starfire grabbed at her friend sitting next to her.

"Raven!" Starfire tried to snap the girl out of her trance. "Please do not frighten your friends so!"

After a moment, Raven blinked. The black energy around the room disappeared, and all that was left behind were a haze and the smell of ozone left in the air.

"What's wrong?" Robin asked.

Raven shook her head, letting her breath return to normal. "It's…I don't…"

"Trigon," Robin whispered. "It's getting worse, isn't it?"

She looked over to Robin. "That's not it. Something…something has happened. Terrible..." Her eyes drifted away, as if her mind was searching through her eyes for an answer to what she had just experienced. "Home," she finally managed to say.

Out of the corner of Robin's eye, Zerrich slowly stood up. "Home," he repeated. He walked around the table to stand next to Raven. "Azarath?"

Distantly, Raven turned her head in Zerrich's general direction. She nodded slightly. The man from Azarath spent his next moment walking out of the meeting room.

Robin looked around at the rest of the members. Everyone simply remained quiet, not knowing what to say. Then, Mas turned and looked to Menos.

"Así pues¿qué acaba de suceder?"

"No sé. Estaba demasiado ocupado mirando el cuadro en la tabla."

-

-

The meeting ended relatively quickly once Raven had explained precisely what she'd felt. Azarath was in terrible trouble. It was hard to say if it was simply a vision of possible events, or something else. Knowing the nature of her homeland, if it was a message from home then Raven knew it was meant to warn others of the danger—to stay away. She wasted no time at all heading to Zerrich's quarters. Her outward appearance was the typical neutral dark girl the Titans had known since they had met her. Inside, her patience was all but gone. She put the last of her strength into keeping herself neutral, holding her emotions back as best she could. She knocked on Zerrich's door and waited.

The door slid open on its own, a slight blue hue fading from the control panel on the inside. Zerrich had already started setting up the ritual for traveling interdimensionally. He took a moment to look in her direction before going back to work. "I'm much better at using interdimensional travel to reappear somewhere in the realm I'm already in. At least I know I can use it normally. I got myself to this realm, at least."

"What do you think you're doing?" Raven said, calmly.

"I'm going home. No, I don't expect to make any difference. But I have to know what's happened."

"Well, if you're crazy enough to go home, don't expect me to stay behind."

Zerrich straightened from the floor. "I do. I expect you to stay as far from Azarath as possible right now."

"That's my home, too. I'm not waiting around while…"

"That's the trap," Zerrich interrupted. "If it's him, then the last thing you can do is show up. You'll be practically handing yourself to him."

Raven grit her teeth, holding back the anger in her chest. She inadvertently took a breath through her nose, the exaggerated sound giving away her emotion. It was insulting enough that Zerrich seemed to think that hadn't crossed her mind.

"I don't think it matters where he finds me. I won't be able to stop him."

"I didn't come looking for you to hear you give up. The people of Azarath have decided to stay their course. Nothing can stop him from home. We at least have a chance here, with people who are willing to fight."

"What chance? Do you honestly expect this plan to work? A big laser cannon with a magic spell on it is going to whisk my father away forever? I don't know any spells of that kind. Do you?"

Zerrich sighed. "There is still much to learn and decipher. And it's still possible that the secrets lie buried in your mind after all."

Raven shook her head harshly. "We already discussed this."

"Not nearly enough. You told me that Malchior taught you spells, and that the majority of it turned out to be Dark Magic. You buried all that knowledge as deep in your psyche as you could, hoping the evils there would never add to the ones you already have. You did it out of fear."

Raven glared at Zerrich. "I'm not afr-"

Zerrich rapidly approached Raven from across the room, so quickly that Raven had to fight to keep from raising her defenses. "You have always been afraid. Afraid of the consequences of what you are. So much so that you've buried anything that might provoke those consequences. Even you told me, not everything Malchior taught you was Dark. I need you to search through that knowledge for anything that might help us."

Raven looked away, gritting her teeth again. This time, it was to fight off tears. Even thinking about going back to those spells was opening old wounds. This time, she took her breath slowly between her lips, using the very last of her control to calm herself down.

"Then what?"

Zerrich finished the setup for his ritual. "We'll figure that out when I get back. If you haven't put it all together first…and I'm thinking you just might."

Raven shook her head. "I'll never figure that out."

Zerrich sat on the floor, book in-hand. "What?"

"You're faith in me."

Zerrich smiled slightly. "As I said. I didn't come all this way. Speaking of faith, would you mind doing the send-off? I'd feel a little safer."

Raven nodded, taking the book as Zerrich offered it. "Try not to do anything too stupid."

Zerrich shrugged. "Azarath is in terrible danger, and I'm going right into it. Define 'too stupid' for me."

Neither said another word as Raven closed her eyes and concentrated. She chanted the precise incantation, allowing the barrier to surround Zerrich and the vortex within to take him home. The winds kicked Raven's cloak all around, and what books Zerrich had kept in his quarters—all of which were actually Raven's—spilled open for a moment. Then the vortex closed behind Zerrich, and the room settled back down. Raven knew he had been right. There had been a lot that Malchior had taught her. Somewhere in that knowledge might have inadvertently been a key to stopping her father. She had thought on that possibility long before Zerrich had even set foot on Earth. But, Raven had weighed the options out, remembering when those same spells took over her entire being. Was the risk worth it?

Before she could work any of that out, Raven would have to refocus her mind. Her inner demon was kicking and screaming, and the aggravation of her vision made things worse. It was time for her to meditate again. Afterward, it would be time to delve deep into her mind—to a place she had hoped to never venture again. Raven couldn't help wondering if such a venture would prove to be a mistake. Somewhere, she could almost hear Malchior chuckling to himself. Whether it was all in her head—or maybe even from her head—she could not tell.

-

-

He kneeled in the small chamber, his mask and hood removed. In front of him was the tome he was currently chanting from. Behind him, a series of computers and devices all hummed in concert. Their engineering was precise, and they played the role of replacing the magic power necessary to make every spell he had invoked so far work properly. He surmised that there most likely wasn't a soul alive that could even begin to fathom how to mimic such a supernatural ability. Even deep inside that cavern, his engineering genius had allowed him to step into a realm of magic and sorcery that would make even the greatest of sleight-of-hand artists scratch their heads.

Yet, there was nothing sleight-of-hand about this very real power. Now, he would use it to make a final attempt. There was a way to contact Trigon directly, though it was buried deep in scripts and the rituals themselves warded beyond comprehension. At least, beyond normal comprehension. The wards and 'burials' were complex tools. In the sorcerer's world, they were the equivalent to encryption keys and computer firewalls. That was a language the ex-apprentice understood all too well.

He had hoped to translate the Azarath scroll and use it to break the wards that much faster. Unfortunately, he had run out of time before he could finish the full translation of the scrolls' incantation. The ritual in the cavern that allowed him to travel to the realm of the Firnusium required perfect timing. Waiting longer would have forced him to wait another five months for the full moon to return to its proper alignment. It was a back-up plan, to retrieve a hunter to help capture Raven and send word back to Trigon. Just in case he was unable to make contact himself.

Of course, upon his return home, he had come to find his base—Slade's abandoned lair—compromised and surrounded by media crews and authorities of all types. The Titans had been there, and they'd taken the scroll. Though, some crackpot trying to make a name for himself had succeeded in breaking through all of Slade's security programs beforehand. Another of Slade's failures—he only wished he had made more time to replace the security system himself.

After the fourteenth chant out of the book in front of him, a glow began to appear on the room's wall. The fiery color became enhanced by a bright red ring on its outside. It flashed twice, and he tried to keep from getting too excited. This had been his fourth attempt at contact. He had never gotten this far. The ring flared alive, becoming fire itself. The sound of the portal overwhelmed even his computers as it flared over and over again. Finally, the sound died down, and the fire on the wall settled.

SPEAK, a deep and warbled voice boomed.

He had to struggle to get his voice back. "M….my Lord, Trigon. Great devourer of the cosmos. I have gone to great lengths to summon you."

There was a sudden rumble from the portal. Whether it was a voice or something else, he could not tell.

FOR…WHAT PURPOSE? The voice shook the small room, sounding like the earth growling while it breathed.

"I have found…your daughter. She is here, within my realm."

The rumbling increased, threatening to shake the room apart. Vibrations warped the sound at his ears, and he feared for a moment that his machines would fail from the stress.

YOUR REALM…HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY EXPLORED. WHAT IS IT YOU WISH TO GAIN FROM THESE…LIES?

"I make nothing up when I tell you she is here. Her name is Raven, and she hails from Azarath. She must have only arrived here recently."

For an instant, he felt as though the portal were gazing at him, looking him over as if for recognition.

YOU ARE THE BEING FROM THE REALM OF THE DREADED FIRNUSIUM. I WAS INFORMED OF YOUR VOYAGE THERE…TO SUMMON SUCH A TERRIBLE BEAST.

He nodded almost too quickly. "Y-yes. I have done so."

THE BEAST HAS YET TO RETURN. WHY?

He was already assembling the proper answer in his mind. "Defeated. By a band of protectors—one of which is your Daughter. For only she could be strong enough to defend against such a creature." It wasn't entirely true, but if Trigon could not see that he had been telling the truth about Raven, how would the Demon detect his lie any easier. "She is here. Your anchor. The thing that will prevent you from returning to your prison."

YOU SEEM TO HAVE VAST KNOWLEDGE OF ME. YOU MUST ALSO REALIZE THAT MY CURRENT PRISON…REMOVES ALL OF MY POWER MIGHT I EVEN ATTEMPT TO LEAVE. IT MIGHT SADDEN YOU TO LEARN…THAT I HAVE ALREADY EXECUTED SUCH AN ATTEMPT.

"Then allow me to be the bearer of good news." He reached to his side, picking up another tome and raising it towards the portal. He was unsure of whether or not he could be seen from the other side, but he made the gesture regardless. "I have the tome of the Elders. The Zhinsuikai, or Tomasz indo Lendrunos." He gained more of his composure back. "You might be aware of it."

Again, the room rumbled threateningly. MY CHILD. YOU SEEM TO HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF KNOWING FAR MORE OF ME…THAN I MIGHT KNOW OF YOU.

He smirked. "Then you also know that the Zhinsuikai speaks of a binding once used. This tome will allow me to be the one that opens a portal from your prison to my realm. Your daughter will be the anchor that prevents you from returning to your entrapment. But, in return, the tome makes you blood-bound to its user. In exchange for your release, you will be compelled to do my bidding."

There was a pause. No rumble, no other sounds except for the computers in the background.

THIS…IS TRUE.

"Would you be willing to allow such a trade? I do not wish to control your every action. I simply wish to maintain control over my own world. The rest of my universe…will be yours for the taking. I believe it to be a good deal."

Now, the rumble pulsed throughout the room. He could only assume it was a laugh, but he could not be certain. One of the computers sparked in the background, though it did nothing to disrupt the meeting.

YOU ARE QUITE RESOURCEFUL, LITTLE ONE. VERY WELL. RELEASE ME FROM THIS PRISON…AND I SHALL DO YOUR BIDDING. THEN, I SHALL EXPAND MY REACH THROUGHOUT YOUR UNIVERSE. I WILL USE IT AS MY FOOTHOLD FOR CONQUERING ALL THINGS MORTAL…IN THIS DIMENSION AND THE NEXT.

He smiled, sinisterly. "Once the Earth is mine, you shall have whatever you wish. I'll begin the rituals required for removing the wards on my end. Once I have weakened the barriers between your prison and my realm, I will use the tome to bring you here."

GOOD. LET IT BE DONE. WE SHALL SPEAK AGAIN IN TIME. I…WILL MAKE CONTACT WITH YOU.

Before he could answer back, the portal flared a brilliant white. Two more computers sparked and smoldered behind him, and the portal dissolved. He got to his feet, waving away the smoke and smell of ozone in the room. He couldn't help but smile. It was perfect. The tome promised complete control over Trigon if he could successfully allow the Demon to traverse realms. It had been true; all he really wanted was Earth. But, having a Demon at your disposal meant much greater possibilities.

It gave him something to think about as he walked out of the room.

-

-

As Starfire and Robin peered out the Tower's window towards the far-off observation dome, Raven couldn't help but pay attention to the other girl's fiery hair. In only a week, the short bob had grown to just a bit past the Tamaranian's shoulders. I don't think I'd ever be able to manage with that much hair. Least I know why she keeps it so long. What's the point in cutting it?

Every so often, a flash from somewhere in the carved-out observation dome would ignite, usually near the laser cannon. It had been disassembled down to its frame, so Cyborg and the city crew assigned to him were all starting from near-scratch. Luckily, Chang's blueprints had been sealed up by the police and were quite helpful in rebuilding the project.

"Any luck with finding a spell we could use?"

Raven snorted quietly. "Against my father? The original entrapment spell required the entire city of Azarath. And at the time, Trigon was unaware of what they were doing. I couldn't even begin to get that spell working by myself."

"There has to be something. We can't kill him, if what Zerrich said is true."

Raven nodded. "No demon can be killed. Only banished from one realm to another. Or, sent back to their place of origin."

"There has to be something."

Starfire spoke up. "Perhaps we are looking at this the wrong way."

Both Titans looked to the Tamaranian. "Any ideas?" Robin asked.

"We are looking for a magical spell that might somehow send Trigon home. However, Trigon would not remain here but for a single reason."

"Me," Raven finished.

"Would there somehow be a way to remove this connection? Might there be some kind of incantation that could be made useful?"

Raven lowered her head. There was a thought that had been plaguing her for a while. "You could kill me."

"Out of the question," Robin answered sharply.

"The connection is blood-bound. I'm his daughter. That's what makes me the anchor. Death would be the only thing to sever it."

"Oh," Starfire cried, "do not speak in such certain terms. Can nothing else be done?"

Raven shook her head. "No. That part is permanent. I'm sorry."

Everyone was quiet for a moment, simply watching as the sun began to set. "We don't have a lot of time left. Raven, I won't take your death as an answer. Is there anything else you can do?"

Raven sighed a moment, not liking the look on either face beside her. She had been delving into her mind for the past week, searching for something she had absorbed from her time with Malchior that hadn't been tainted. Within what she had uncovered so far, she found nothing too useful. There were still a good amount of spells to go. "There are some spells I'm…looking into. I don't know if they're potent enough. I'm still—"

A sudden flash had the Titans instinctively putting their hands to their eyes. The lounge erupted in angry wind and light, and a vortex spun itself open in the middle of the room. The center of the vortex turned blue for a moment, and a man walked through as it began to close up behind him. A counter-spinning of the vortex sealed the realm door shut, ending in a quick flash of light. Zerrich stood in the room as if he'd been there the whole time.

Right away, Raven noticed Zerrich's clothing. Mostly just dirty, but tattered here and there as well. He looked a mess, and his slightly reddened eyes showed signs of weariness. It was a surprise he hadn't fallen over. Adding to that surprise, Zerrich began walking towards the three Titans with as much composure as he could muster. Raven could see through it, and she was sure Robin probably could as well.

"Zerrich!" Robin was the first to speak. "What…what happened?"

For a long moment Zerrich said nothing. A vice formed around Raven's heart suddenly. She had kept her calm this past week, not letting the worst possibilities get to her. Now, however, as Zerrich stood in front of them, she wasn't very sure she could handle that which she feared. Finally he took a breath. His eyes centered on Raven's.

"He was there," he bit out, softly. "He went to Azarath."

"Trigon?" Robin asked. An unnecessary question, but Zerrich's nodding confirmation made Raven take a deeper breath than she would have wanted.

"It's gone," Zerrich said, quietly. "Nothing is left. No one…is left."

"No!" Raven shouted before Zerrich could finish. Her voice was shaky, and she looked at Zerrich waiting for him to admit he was lying. It was a foolish hope; one conjured up at the last moment. Raven knew it had been true.

"No," she whispered. The crushing sensation around Raven's heart was harder than anything she had ever experienced, and her hand clenched her chest in an unconscious and feeble attempt to stop it. It now felt more like an angry claw squeezing at her as tightly as it could. Her breath became ragged as every memory of home flashed through her mind…along with the realization that it was all gone. She was right—she hadn't been ready for it at all. Her legs shook horribly as her other hand reached for her chest. She couldn't breath, couldn't stand. It was all gone.

She collapsed to the floor, vaguely aware of the sounds of glass shattering somewhere in the room. Hands reached for her, trying to steady her and hold her upright. She could see Robin and Starfire looking around the room as they held onto her. She inadvertently focused on Zerrich. He was saying something, looking her directly in the eyes. Her mind wouldn't let her hear him.

In the back of her brain, she barely comprehended the sudden light and dark show going on in the room. Overhead lamps shattered, placing the lounge in more and more shadow. A table flew straight up, shrouded in black energy. She looked back to Zerrich, understanding what he was shouting without actually hearing him. She had to get control of her emotions. She delved deep into her mind, fighting to find that center-point she could so easily find before. With a very shaky voice, she began chanting, attempting to calm herself. She realized her face was wet. She didn't even remember crying. It took a few more breaths and chantings before she could find the control she needed. The demon inside released its grip from her chest, allowing Raven to regain at least enough control to relax her powers. The room settled down, though Raven still felt the anguish and pain inside.

"I'm…okay…" Raven finally managed, her hands going to the shoulders of her friends. Slowly, she stood herself up. She took another deep breath, locking down her emotions as much as she could. It felt as if a second demon lived within her now. The pain of losing everything would allow the other to take full control. She couldn't afford to feel it. She couldn't afford to mourn.

With the help of Zerrich and the two Titans, Raven made it back to her room where she began the process of meditation again. It would be for the third time that day. She could not remember ever needing to meditate so many times in one day. Raven also knew it would most likely become commonplace in the days to come.