XVIII
The World as we Know it
As terrifyingly loud as the sounds coming from the very center of Jump City had been, the people slowly coming out of their homes to investigate were not a mad flurry of chaos. They were timid, cautious. They looked to the center of the city from as close as a handful of blocks away to as far as the hilltop cabins bordering the newly erected energy field. The sudden noise was no surprise to them, having witnessed recent events. It did, however, peak their curiosity.
They came to see the brilliant light, either directly or at least the fringe glow from over those series of buildings too tall to allow full view. Those that could see clearly noticed the spot of deep red piercing the center. The spot became a large appendage, then a full body along with it. The form itself was only clear as a red silhouette, but that was enough to give off its shape. A humanoid being, impossibly tall, glided forward from the light in ironic fashion.
The building originally standing where the light had placed itself was gone, incinerated and turned to dust and debris. Now, standing at well over the height of the destroyed building was this creature. Ringed bracers surrounded his forearms, with partial body armor covering his waste. A sash dangled at his side, swaying forward from the force of energy behind him. Symmetrical black stripes covered him from his shoulders to his waste. The creature took its first step against the concrete, a giant hoof stomping firmly into the ground. The entire city shook with the step, shaking no less with the second.
The monster's powerful fingers flared out, the claw-like black nails reflecting the light from his portal. He raised his head to the reddened sky, his four eyes taking in his surroundings. The crowned horns looked to grow out of his forehead like stripped and crooked trees—all except for the very sharp ends. The monster looked back to the landscape, satisfied at least temporarily with his settings. The apprentice standing two buildings away knew the look of satisfaction, even though it mattered little to him. For all those who simply watched in curiosity were certain to have a change of heart once they had witnessed the arrival of this powerful being. Those that did not would learn soon. This was Trigon, the Terrible. All were meant to fear him.
The apprentice, however, had no reason to fear. The arrival meant the binding was now complete, and this terrible creature would do as he was commanded. The portal behind both of them started to flicker and fade, its use coming to an end. The terrible demon finally pitched its gaze at the apprentice, and both smiled.
"My Lord," he called Trigon, though he wanted to smirk at his own statement. In the end, eventually, he would let the monster do as he wished. Until then, he would become his pet. "Your…new dwelling has been completed. You shall have complete solitude as you work to regain your strength for the coming destruction. Of course, that will require the destruction of this entire city to guarantee your seclusion."
Trigon took his first breath to speak, the rumble within his gut alone causing the air to vibrate.
I FIND THIS SANCTUARY PLEASING. YOU HAVE DONE WORTHY, YOUNG ONE. IT HAS BEEN AGES SINCE ANY MORTAL HAS BEEN ABLE ENOUGH TO PERFORM SUCH A TASK.
"Your strength must be terribly diminished," the apprentice continued. "Fear not. Your anchor is nearby. With her, you shall be able to remain until you have gathered enough strength to break the curse."
The young man had to wonder for a moment if Raven had ever told her friends anything about her role regarding her father. He figured they knew her importance as far as keeping Trigon here. But had they known that her death—a sacrifice during a ritual only Trigon could perform—was such a significant part of the demon's freedom?
MY DAUGHTER'S FATE…IS OF NO CONSEQUENCE. I REQUIRE HER NO LONGER.
The apprentice looked up at Trigon. He paused at first, not sure of what the demon meant. "I do not understand. You need her sacrifice to remain."
FOR A TIME, THIS WAS TRUE. HOWEVER, YOU HAVE ALTERED THAT CONDITION PERMENANTLY.
"I have…" the villain stumbled, "…I performed the rituals precisely. There should not have been any anomalies!"
YOU ARE CORRECT, LITTLE ONE. EVERYTHING YOU PERFORMED WENT PRECISELY AS IT WAS INTENDED. INCLUDING FOREVER REMOVING THE BURDEN OF MY KIN.
The young man remained confused. Was there something in the incantations he performed that destroyed the connection between father and child? The other forced a smile. "Ah! One less obstacle for us in our domination of this world. And the nex—"
ONE LESS OBSTACLE…EXCEPT YOU HAVE MADE A TERRIBLE ERROR IN JUDGEMENT. I PLAN TO RULE ALONE.
Trigon smirked. That was when the apprentice began putting the pieces together. "Wait. What is this! I brought you here!"
AND FOR THAT I THANK YOU. AS OF THIS MOMENT, YOUR SERVICES WILL NO LONGER BE REQUIRED. SAVE ONE. A SACRIFICE IS STILL ESSENTIAL TO MY REMAINING HERE. THE BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR MY COMING.
"No! You must do as I command! The Book of the Elders binds you to me!"
For the first time since stepping out of the portal, Trigon moved. He lowered himself to the height of the smaller building, the one with the villain clothed in black and gray armor perched at its top. The movement was swift for something so gigantic, his uncanny speed seeming so natural as he crouched to his desired level. Trigon turned his head towards the small human, his four red eyes widening as he smiled. The monster's teeth looked sharper than his black claws.
I WROTE THE BOOK OF THE ELDERS.
Trigon straightened to his normal height just as quickly, his body rushing past the building with a speed that took the winds with it. However, even after his body straightened and stopped, something else continued to climb into the air. Trigon's right hand came up from his side, the fingers extended out. The apprentice looked up as the creature raised it well over his own head. Then the limb came slamming down, so quickly that the air pocketed under it forced the villain off his feet before the final blow even came.
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Trigon slammed his hand into the building, curling his fingers around the roof on impact. Debris and concrete exploded in all directions, the top two stories disintegrating as the monster closed his fingers. The rest of the building could not handle the terrible impact from above, and the floors collapsed onto each other until the entire structure was completely destroyed.
Beast Boy cleared his throat. "Okay, raise your hand if you didn't see that one coming."
From blocks away, the Titans watched as Trigon walked all of one step to remove himself from the disaster he had just made. His head turned towards the Titans, and there wasn't a soul there that didn't get a shiver up their spine. Raven felt as though she was feeling the shivers of every citizen in Jump City traveling up her back. Her worst fears had been confirmed. There was her father standing in front of her. In a normal family, this should have been a more joyous moment.
Instead, Raven found herself erecting a black barrier as Trigon took the crumbled two stories of concrete, rebar and who knows what else and chucked it straight at the team. Zerrich had followed suit, and those that were farther away than the fields could extend had flown off in different directions. The human and vehicle sized chunks of debris pelted off the two barriers, rooftops and building walls, exploding into smaller fragments on impact. Her barriers dropped after everything lethal had flown by. She looked to the rest of the team, everyone knowing they could no longer stay where they were.
The only problem was that the Titans had absolutely nowhere to go. In any direction, the sheer size of Trigon meant there was no range limit. Raven looked over her team again, no one quite sure what to do. The worst thing she witnessed was Robin. He struggled to even speak, unsure of what commands to give—if there were any to give at all. Everything the team had trained in up until this point was about keeping Trigon from even arriving. Beyond the plan involving the observatory, they had nothing.
"How do we fight him?" Beast Boy chirped, waiting for some kind of instruction.
"I…" Robin still had no answer. Raven was pretty sure—even without reading Robin's mind—that the answer was meant to be 'I don't know.' As team leader, it would probably have been the worst thing to say. Somewhere in his mental stagger, the Boy Wonder must have realized that too.
"We come in close," he finally said.
"What!" a few of the Titans voiced in unison.
"The dome's supposed to give Trigon time to regain strength. Which means his powers are still weak. That gives us an advantage."
"And the only cover we'll have anyway is the city itself," Raven finished, understanding the logic.
"Great," Speedy responded. "That is, if he doesn't make it fall on top of us."
"That just means you'll have to keep on your toes," Cyborg chimed in.
"I say we let our flyers go on distraction so the runners can get in closer," Bumblebee said, hovering in closer to the group.
"Then we better get moving," Zerrich answered. He looked to Raven. "We can start with some diversion spells."
The dark girl nodded. Cyborg jumped into the air and over the edge of the building just under where Raven was hovering. Before she could widen her eyes in surprise, the Titans back split open. Two cylindrical devices slid out and wasted no time at all igniting. A rocket pack? When did Cyborg get a chance to install that?
One thing was certain; it gave the Titans an extra flyer. Considering the size of their target, air strikes were probably going to be the call of the day.
"Titans," Robin yelled, "let's do this!"
Raven, Zerrich, Bumblebee and Cyborg took a direct heading for Trigon. The monster straightened as he watched the group fly at him. In an instant his hand reached for another building top, smashing through it and forcing the rubble to fly at the team in a myriad of projectiles. Most of the team took to splitting up, Raven and Zerrich blocking off large chunks with their defenses. Cyborg brought out his sonic cannon and blasted half a floor coming straight for him, blowing it to smaller pieces and sailing through the debris. Bumblebee minimized her body to better avoid the mess coming at her.
Before they could regroup, a blast of wind pushed at Raven until she could no longer fly forward. Trigon had taken a massive breath, creating hurricane-force winds with his lungs. The other Titans were pushed in various directions, recovering by taking refuge behind nearby buildings. Raven, however, held her place. Trigon looked directly at her, and the winds died away.
AH, MY DAUGHTER. AT LAST WE MEET FACE TO FACE. THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE MEANT TO BE OF A DIFFERENT KIND, HOWEVER I DO NOT FEEL IT NECESSARY TO OBJECT.
Raven didn't know what to say. For the first time in her life, she was looking directly at her father, the monstrous being glaring back with four powerful eyes. She had to force her emotions in place, especially at such a critical time as now. Yet, the feelings her father was bringing out of her were too difficult to completely suppress. She feared him, hated him and wanted answers from him as to why she was the thing she had become.
I SEE WE HAVE BEEN PRACTICING IN SORCERY. I WOULD EXPECT NO LESS. I AM, HOWEVER, CURIOUS AS TO WHY SUCH AN OBSTRUCTION SPELL WAS NOT IN EFFECT WHEN I USED YOU TO CREATE THIS HAVEN.
The girl's spirits lifted ever so slightly. Zerrich's wards were indeed currently in effect on her person, and they seemed to be doing the trick. Trigon could no longer take control of her body. But Trigon made note of this far too casually for Raven's liking.
IT IS OF NO CONSEQUENCE. ONCE MY STRENGTH HAS FULLY RETURNED, YOU SHALL HIDE NOTHING FROM ME.
"You don't belong here," Raven finally growled out, her eyes glowing white. "And we're going to make sure you get sent back to your prison realm where you belong."
The demon chuckled, a deep pulsing sound that caused everything nearby to rumble.
I BELONG WHERE I DESIRE. I HAVE NO LIMITS.
A blast of blue energy smashed into Trigon's cheek. Besides the monster's left eyes closing for a half-instant, the sonic shot didn't seem to have much effect. Cyborg raced up from behind one of the shorter buildings, and Trigon shot his breath violently at the Titan. The sudden blast of air slammed into Cyborg's body, sending him out of control. Yellow and dark blue blasts of energy pelted Trigon from two angles, and Raven joined in with a magic blast of her own. Zerrich and Bumblebee swooped in and away with a blitz attack. Just the same as with Cyborg, there seemed to be little it was doing.
As the other two peeled off, Raven watched as her father grabbed for the center of another building. His full hand went through and around middle floors, surrounding the section that came out between his fingers. As the rest of the rubble collapsed—creating a thicker cloud around Trigon's knees, the demon aimed for the fleeing Zerrich and threw the entire pack of building debris. The giant ball of concrete, rebar and office material maintained its shape as it flew through the air dead on for Zerrich's position. Raven almost gasped as it made impact, exploding out in different directions and leaving a heavy cloud at its center. From the impact point, Raven could see a blue sphere. The barrier disintegrated, and Zerrich continued to fly away from the monster below him.
Cyborg made a quick approach from just behind Raven, blasting away once again with his sonic cannon. Trigon put up his left palm, absorbing the attacks until Cyborg began to break off. With his right hand, the invader snapped a small antenna off a building rooftop, taking careful aim for Cyborg's position. The robotic Titan was too far away for Raven to use any protective fields, and Trigon was going to make his shot count.
The dark girl acted fast. She flung her hands out in front of her, chanting quickly as her eyes took on a white glow. Her fingers flashed suddenly, and a simultaneous series of brilliant flashes blasted across Trigon's face. His eyes flared then squeezed shut, the antenna in hand dropping countless stories into the dark clouded debris now along the city ground. Trigon instinctively reached for his eyes with his left hand. The dark Titan repositioned herself left of where she had been hovering, blasting Trigon with a stream of black energy. He batted at the stream like one would a series of insects. The next moment, Cyborg ducked behind a separate building further away.
SUCH A WONDEROUS TRICK, MY DAUGHTER. DO YOU PRESUME TO SURVIVE MY WRATH WITH THE USE OF THESE COMMON SOLUTIONS? I SUPPOSE MY JUDGEMENTS OF YOU WERE UNFAIRLY CHOSEN.
Raven stopped to hover again, her right hand glowing black. "I tend to get that a lot from people." Quickly, she let the built up blast of soul self fly from her hand. Simultaneously, a blast of blue energy approached from Trigon's other side. Instead of impacting with the demon, however, the two blasts impacted with each other. The explosion was followed by a swirling effect, and a beam of light from the energy swirl's center blasted directly at Trigon's mouth. The creature made to roar, except that no sound came. The spell had taken Trigon's breath. The effect was meant to last a few minutes.
However, both mages involved knew that Trigon had no need for breathing. Raven understood that this simply removed one particular attack. It had the added bonus of shutting her father up for the time being. Raven and Zerrich flew around to a further building as Bumblebee started another strafe attack from behind Trigon's head. The two mages came to a hover next to a waiting Cyborg.
"Hey, man, I need a ride back to base," the Titan said to Zerrich. "This new rig I'm flyin' around on zaps my battery pretty fast."
"How long will it take to recharge?" Raven asked.
"Too long, which is why I designed some quick-swap batteries for emergency use. Made seven more, but they're too big to carry 'em all."
Zerrich clasped Cyborg's right hand and nodded. "Home we go," the mage said. A blue wave of energy overtook both of them in the next moment, and they were gone. Raven peeked back out from behind the tall building. Her father was looking right at her.
"Sure," she said dryly, "why not?" She flew back out to battle with Trigon.
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"We can't fight him on the ground," Robin said to Beast Boy and Speedy. It was true; the three Titans couldn't even see through the thick debris clouds from the downed buildings. Trigon could move so quickly, by the time they could even find a foot, it would most likely move again. Robin had been used to mere chunks being taken out of buildings in the past. While some structures had collapsed before, they were small compared to the immense buildings in this part of the city.
Then, out of sheer luck, the smoke cleared enough to reveal a giant red hoof holding its place in front of them. Robin was quick to remove two of his freeze discs, and Speedy strung an arrow of a similar nature. Beast Boy was already running forward in anticipation of the attack. When the projectiles made impact, a frozen block erected itself up the large hoof past the ankle. Once the block had fully solidified, Beast Boy morphed into an apatosaurus. His thundering dinosaur form took a four-step running start before slamming hard into the demon's hoof. The ice partially shattered, but more importantly the limb slid across the concrete with Beast Boy's impact.
Before anything could happen, the iced-over hoof pulled up and into the mass of gray cloud cover. Robin didn't have to give the order to scatter; Beast Boy had already morphed into a small humming bird while Speedy had taken to sprinting in the opposite direction Robin had. After what seemed like forever, the leg pierced the smoke and slammed back down onto the concrete, shattering both the ice as well as the ground. Everything shook, and Robin had to keep from stumbling during his run. Robin turned around and realized the mistake they'd made.
He couldn't see any of his team. They had to get out of this mess.
Robin quickly pulled out his communicator. "Any flyers still out there, come in!"
"S'up, Rob?" Bumblebee answered.
"Drive Trigon out of this debris. Get him into a smaller part of town where we can avoid a smokescreen."
"We can try, but I got a feelin' Trigon's gonna do things the way he wants to do 'em."
"Do the best you can!" Robin put away the communicator and removed his grapple hook. He shot it blindly up a building side, letting the device reel in the line and pull him swiftly into the air. He pierced the clouds and appeared in the fresh air environment, a deep red still painted over everything. He noted Speedy had come up with a similar plan, using his wench to scale another nearby building. Hopefully, Beast Boy had flown out as well. Robin looked up at Trigon, the monster towering over the entire city. He allowed the grapple to detach from the foundation it had sunk into, freefalling for just a moment before the next shot he fired could reel him to another position. He landed neatly on the roof of a much smaller building.
Trigon had noticed his movements and began walking towards him. Robin placed three discs on the ground as Trigon raised his hand to flatten both Robin and collapse the roof under his feet. At the last second, he fired his grappling hook again, swinging away from Trigon's impact. The discs exploded under the demon's palm, the fires blasting up through his separated fingers. He pulled his hand away more quickly than he had with the other buildings, but he showed no other reaction. Robin swung down to the street below, just where the cloud of debris was crawling along. He landed on his feet sprinting, keeping ahead of the mess and farther ahead of Trigon.
As the dust clouds began to creep over him again, a quick gust blew past the Titan leader. Suddenly, the clouds of debris seemed to hold back, a blur of white and red maneuvering just in front of it. Mas and Menos held the mess off as Robin continued to move. Leaping from seemingly out of nowhere, Speedy landed next to the Boy Wonder. Both boys continued to move away from the demon, Speedy turning to fire one of his arrows behind him. With very little time to aim, the shot still landed against the right of Trigon's chest. The explosion erupted in a blast of nearly-invisible smoke, and even the giant monster reared back slightly.
"Concussion arrow," Speedy huffed. "Doubt it'll hurt him, but it looks like we can make him move."
"It also looks like we've finally got his attention," Robin said as the monster behind them took its first step in their direction. A blue flash of energy appeared a few blocks ahead of the two boys. Zerrich and Cyborg came out of the portal, suddenly running alongside Robin and Speedy as they passed.
"Is it me," Cyborg said, "or do you think grouping us together like this is a real bad idea? Especially with big red baddie behind us?"
"He's gaining fast!" Robin yelled out. Speedy turned to fire a second arrow, only this time his aim was much higher.
"Shield your eyes!" he warned.
"Better idea!" Zerrich yelled back, surrounding everyone in a blue barrier. When the field dissolved, Robin found that he and everyone else were further out of the city by a handful of blocks. Trigon had his hand out in front of his eyes, his head ducked down slightly. The arrow had obviously been a flash-type, as little sparklers were still fizzing out in front of him.
"I think this guy's learning," Cyborg said.
The monster lowered the limb, blinking his four eyes as he looked around for his prey. "I think he still caught the beginning of it," Zerrich pointed out. "Robin's right, we can't stay together."
From behind the Terrible beast, a black orb grew. It flung itself to the back of Trigon's neck, the demon rocking from the impact. A series of golden orbs plastered across the monster's forehead, and Trigon took a swipe at empty air. At least, it seemed that way from where the team was standing.
"What are we gonna do now?" Speedy asked. "This just seems way too impossible."
"One way or another, he's flesh and blood," Robin answered.
"Everyone's sensitive to something," Cyborg said.
"We know he doesn't like those bright flashes," Zerrich added, turning to Speedy. "Even that arrow you fired had an effect."
"I'll bet his ears aren't too keen on real loud noises either," Cyborg nodded, letting his arm reform into his sonic blaster.
"It'll at least serve as a distraction until we get that cannon working." Robin turned to look out to the bay. The observatory was still flashing with life. Would they even get the cannon to function at all?
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"We've got the cannon ready," one of the techs yelled up to Starfire, "I think anyway. But it'll be a bit before we get it loaded!"
"Are we able to rotate the cannon as yet?" she inquired from the cannon's control seat.
"Dunno! I'll find out!"
"Answer's still no," another technician spoke up from below Starfire's other side. "The thing's just too big. The replacement parts keep jamming when we test them out. I don't know if they'll turn us where we need to be…when we need to aim this thing."
"Perhaps it would help if I…'got out and pushed,'" Starfire turned back to her controls.
"It just might, actually. I'll keep working on it, but I doubt it'll go anywhere."
"I know that you are doing your best," Starfire looked back to the technician below, "but this planet's fate may rest in our ability to make this observatory move. Do what you must."
As the worker went back to work, Starfire's communicator beeped. She answered it quickly.
"Star, any progress?" Robin asked.
"We have brought the cannon online, but we are still unable to aim. It does not look possible at this moment, but we are still trying."
"That'll have to do. We'll try and line him up with your current position. Get everything warmed up and ready. We might not get another chance at this."
"Understood. Tell Raven I am going to begin reciting her magic spells." Starfire clicked off her communicator and looked back to the workers around her. She then looked back to the control panel in front of where she sat. The loader mechanism showed to be in its loading phase, blinking on and off accordingly. She flicked two switches on the lower panel, triggering one of the sealed-off spells behind her. The solid chamber had an indicator light in red, and the light switched green to indicate whatever it was supposed to be doing had begun. The top of the container began to vent smoke as it was designed to, the powders set up inside already ignited. The coil leading to the weapon began to glow, and Starfire turned back to the display in front of her. She chanted the text that scrolled across her display, the one part of this entire procedure she had rehearsed beforehand. The glow from the coil traveled to the weapon, causing the barrel to take on a very slight glow of its own. The spell was working. At least, the first one had seemed to take effect. There were more incantations to recite, but they would have to wait until after the cannon had been loaded before they could work.
Hopefully, all that they were doing would.
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"Starfire's getting the spells ready," Robin reported. Raven hovered behind one of the taller buildings as she held the communicator in her hand. "The bad news is they can't get the cannon to move side to side. We'll have to lure Trigon in front of its line of fire."
"Keep my father busy," Raven said. "I have to concentrate to help Starfire with those spells."
"Just keep out of the way. We'll do everything we can. Robin, out."
This was where things got dangerous, on many levels. She could not be interrupted while performing the incantation she had rehearsed. That meant there was one less combatant to tackle Trigon at the moment, though it hardly seemed to matter. There was also the possibility that Trigon, even in his weakened state, might sense the magic being performed. That might not have been so bad before, but with news that the observatory couldn't rotate meant the team couldn't afford anything to go wrong. Raven still had her doubts as to the effectiveness of this attack, but it was worth the effort. The four spells contained within the observatory were a combination of magic powders and candles, as well as drawn runes meant to invoke the potency of each spell's ability. Her incantation would serve as a guide, making sure that Starfire had the backup she would need when reciting the proper words.
Trigon was already making his way out of the larger part of the city to the smaller buildings of the downtown area. Still many stories high, these structures only came up to Trigon's knees with some surpassing his waist. He made little effort of plowing through them as he made his way towards the attacking Titans. Raven had to remove herself from watching the showdown to concentrate on the spell at hand. She closed her eyes and began quietly chanting to herself.
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The large loading mechanism of the cannon slid tightly into place, hissing as hydraulics sealed the large cap down. Starfire flicked another switch, reciting a second spell. She spoke the words perfectly, having been coached thoroughly by Raven long before this day and having devoted herself to perfecting each spell. She almost didn't need the display, but safe was better than sorry. With the flick of a third switch, she began the recital of another magic spell. With half the observatory still removed from its last use, the entire battle could be seen in front of her. Still, she dared not ruin her concentration.
The cannon seemed to react to the different magic taking affect, glowing in certain areas or humming in ways it hadn't been doing before. Starfire flicked another two switches and began chanting another spell, her control panel itself taking on an unworldly glow. She could feel the new power around her and could only hope it would all be enough to stop Trigon before he could destroy the world…as well as the universe it resided.
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Cyborg activated his jets once again. He'd hoped to hold off on their use for the moment, but it looked like show time was arriving. They'd succeeded in luring Trigon out of the larger part of the city. They didn't want to track him too close to the observatory at the risk of revealing their plan. They simply needed to bring him in front of the cannon's aim. The Titan flew up the leg of the monstrous demon, maneuvering out as the creature's steps changed the organic landscape Cyborg was flying alongside. Passing the demon's shoulders, Cyborg fired a sonic blast for the giant mouth above him. The shot tagged Trigon's upper lip, the corner sneering from the blast and teeth flashing in anger.
The giant head turned away as Cyborg flew up past the neck, and he had to bank hard to avoid the tendrils of hair that threatened to whip him out of the air. He spun in the other direction to avoid the massive horn as it came back around to pummel him into nothing. Missing the treelike antler by a foot, Cyborg leveled out and flew directly over the top of Trigon's head. He then dove straight down over the monster's back, turning around and firing another sonic blast at Trigon's neck. The energy smashed into the creature's hair, not quite getting through to the tough skin behind it.
As Cyborg turned to his left to come around for another pass, he could see two small explosions in front of Trigon's right shoulder. They seemed to do very little, except for the bright flash that silhouetted part of Trigon's body. His head turned away from the blasts, and as the light died away a new explosion appeared in front of Trigon's face. Trigon reached for his eyes with his right hand. At that moment, Bumblebee flew up to Trigon's right ear, firing a series of golden bolts into the giant canal. This time, Trigon's entire body turned to the right, reaching for where Bumblebee had been…except she had disappeared.
A moment later, she had returned to normal size further away, and Trigon took a large step in her direction. The Titan flew back towards Trigon, blasting for all four of his eyes. The monster was quick in putting his hand in front of his face, absorbing the blasts without much fuss. Of course, the larger objective was simply getting Trigon's attention. Cyborg began to fly back towards the tower, Bumblebee ahead of him. Further out, a green pterodactyl had Robin on its back. Both Titans were also heading for home.
The cannon's aim was somewhere between the Tower and the start of the city. They had to lure Trigon into the water. Trigon followed, taking a step onto the nearby docks before placing a hoof into the water. Cyborg hardly noticed the height difference in the monster as it trudged into the bay. It would only be a few more steps…
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The last of the spells had been completed, and the cannon was taking on a life of its own. She still had up and down movement, but the horizontal axis still didn't work. She angled the cannon down slightly, aiming for where Trigon's chest would be. She hadn't wanted to risk moving the weapon until absolutely necessary, not wanting to give away their secret attack. She peered out of the observatory, watching Trigon chase after her friends. The being took another monstrous step through the bay. One more step would do it…
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YOUR FEEBLE ATTEMPT TO MAKE WAR IS LAUGHABLE, MY DAUGHTER.
Raven had to fight hard to keep her concentration as she muttered the focus spell. Her father's voice echoed deep within her mind as it grasped onto the different spells within the observatory that were flaring to life. She could sense the various magic beginning to interact, needing that extra bit of control from her.
AT THE MOMENT, YOU HAVE THE FREEDOM OF YOUR OWN THOUGHTS. I CANNOT DELVE INTO YOUR MIND, ALTHOUGH I AM MOST CERTAIN YOU CAN HEAR ME. YOU HAVE ANTICIPATED THIS DAY, WHETHER YOU ENDEAVORED TO RUN FROM YOUR DESTINY OR NOT. YOU HAVE ALWAYS UNDERSTOOD THAT THE FUTURE WAS INDESPUTABLE.
The spell in her mind seemed to lighten in weight. It suddenly dawned on her that Zerrich might have been somewhere attempting the same focus spell. This was a spell she had mastered, but Raven had also taken the time to explain it to him.
THESE MORTALS YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO LIVE YOUR DAYS WITH…THEY HAVE MADE A CONSIDERABLE EFFORT TO OPPOSE ME, REGARDLESS OF THE INEVITABLE OUTCOME. THEY REMAIN ONLY AS A RESULT OF MY OWN LACK OF STRENGTH, BUT THAT WILL NOT STAY ME FOR LONG.
She squeezed her eyes tightly, trying hard not to let the distraction in. Her heart rate increased, threatening to rip her chest open. She didn't have the time to start a calming spell. The focus of her other magic was far too important…
DID YOU BELIEVE THIS INFERIOR DEVICE WAS CAPABLE OF STOPPING ME? THAT YOU HAVE DEVOTED SUCH SORCERY TOWARDS ENHANCING WHAT MEANS IT MAY HAVE ON ITS OWN IN THE PETTY HOPES OF CAUSING MY DEFEAT?
That was when Raven lost it. Her focus spell shattered in her mind. Her eyes stayed close, but she finally let go of her breath. The quiet panting was more from her shot nerves than any kind of strain. Her emotions were eating at her, and now that she had lost the focus spell, she began to calm herself. It took much more than she would have liked to even bring her feelings to a bare minimum of control.
I AM SORRY, MY DAUGHTER. I DID FOR A TIME CONSIDER THE IDEA OF HAVING MY KIN RULE ALL THINGS MORTAL AT MY SIDE. I, IN FACT, DESIRED THE NOTION VERY MUCH ONCE I REALIZED THAT YOU WOULD INDEED FOLLOW YOUR DESTINY. YOU MAY CHOOSE NOT TO ACCEPT THIS AS TRUE, BUT IT PAINS ME TO SEE THIS CANNOT BE POSSIBLE.
Lies. The first thought that entered her mind all on its own was that Trigon was lying. Unfortunately, the pain of its reality followed close behind. The thought that Trigon—even in this very sick and twisted way—could harbor any sort of feelings towards Raven as his daughter…
"Never," she whispered outloud. Even if it were true, she would never willingly become that thing she had always dreaded. She had spent her entire life repressing it, fighting it off. "Never…"
NONE OF THIS IS RELEVANT. YOUR DEFIANCE IS MEANINGLESS. IT SHALL ACCOMPLISH NOTHING. OBSERVE THE THOUSANDS OF MORTALS WITHIN THIS COLLECTION OF PITIFUL DWELLINGS; THE LARGEST ONES TOWERING INTO THE SKY OVER EVERYTHING LIKE SOME MOCKERY OF GODS. THEY SCATTER IN FEAR FROM MY MERE FOOTSTEPS.
Raven couldn't help it. She hovered up and over the building she was hiding behind. Her father was out in the bay, standing completely still. Even from the distance Raven was at, she could see the hundreds of people lining the nearby beach. Many more had scattered and were doing their best to retreat the scene—even though they had no where to run. Regardless of the danger it might have put them in, the rest watched Trigon as he simply stood there. This group was too far away to see the precise damage that her father had done earlier in the center of the city. They still must have known the danger they were in. Yet, they remained, anxious as to what was going to happen next. Raven knew that if Trigon started back, they would scatter as well.
I AM THEIR GOD, NOW. UNDERSTAND THIS, MY DAUGHTER. YOUR ACTIONS HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT ANNOY ME. MY STRENGTH HAS INCREASED SINCE ENTERING THIS REALM, REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. YOU MUST BE MADE TO UNDERSTAND THIS. YOU AND THIS PUNY BAND OF REBELS SHALL COME TO REALIZE YOUR PLACE. YOUR LESSON SHALL BEGIN AT THIS MOMENT.
Trigon turned. He remained in place, but he changed from facing the Tower to the mountains behind him…towards the observatory. Raven looked into Trigon's face, and she realized his four eyes were brighter than before. They began to glow even more, and a brilliant white energy with a red tinge surrounded the upper part of his face. His eyes were completely lost in the light.
With a crescendo of high-pitched noise, the light flared out with anger and menace. A deep bass sound suddenly shook the city, and an enormous blast of white and red energy shot from Trigon's face. Raven could feel the pressure change even from so far away. The blast—easily a half-block in width—raced across the reddened sky until it connected with a fierce impact against the mountainside under the observatory. Giant sections of rock the size of houses exploded away from the mountain and out into the city or the bay, but the blast continued forward. It punished the mountainside like a force greater than nature. Even well away from where the impact point had been, the mountain crumbled and exploded from the pressure within.
Raven took in a ragged breath as she watched the observatory suddenly begin to fall. The mountain directly underneath it lost all form of support, falling into the stream of power and disintegrating in mere moments. The blast from Trigon's eyes finally extinguished, but the observatory and all its contents still fell. The explosion of mountainside created a deep cloud of debris, and the half-domed structure pierced straight through it. Gravity finished the job as it crashed into the new cavity of the lower section of mountain, a sound of a hundred thunder-clashes echoing throughout the bay.
The half-dome completely failed, and man-made shrapnel and broken support beams soon joined the rock debris as it all flew wildly into the air. Pieces of rooftop-sized metal paneling spun viciously into nearby structures, doing easily as much damage as any giant boulder that had previously pummeled its way through the surrounding buildings. Sections of bent support beams spun like rotor blades, kicking up pieces of anything and everything from wherever they landed back into the air. The final pieces fell to the earth, but the terrible cloud of dirt and debris hovered over the destroyed site. Through the haze, Raven could barely see a pile of white bits and pieces scattered as if a bomb had erupted from a central point. Nothing could have survived the fall intact. It had all been decimated.
It was horror in motion. And it was only the first real example of Trigon's power. A power that was ever increasing by the moment.