The portal snapped and popped with energy as the demonic Trigon stepped through. Raising his horned head he let loose a terrifying cackle. Raven could almost feel her heart stop as she gazed upon the horrible visage in front of her.
The beast stood nearly fifteen feet tall, a being of unspeakable of evil. His muscles flexed with immense power and his eyes beamed menacingly with a sickening, yellow glow. His silver hair blew magnificently amidst the awesome wind coming from the inter-dimensional portal, which still glowed bright behind him. He was evil incarnate, and now he had once again returned to Earth's dimension.
"At long last," he bellowed triumphantly. "I have returned to right what was wronged and reclaim what is rightfully mine."
Casting his eyes about the room, the demon spotted a half unconscious Batman- having been rendered so by the residual effects of Trigon's powerful spirit leaving his body- lying on the floor along side the still active portal device. Trigon smiled maliciously, and his eyes began glowing with vile power.
Reacting quickly, Raven cast an energy field around the unconscious Batman and quickly pulled him to safety milliseconds before he was obliterated by Trigon's eye blast. Trigon smirked at Raven's heroism.
"Still you resist me daughter," he said. "Don't you realize? Your struggle has long ago been rendered futile."
Raven gave no response, but a newly revitalized Superman did.
"Nothing's over yet," he said boldly before burying a Kryptonian fist right between the demon's eyes, followed by several more. Trigon winced under the power of the man of steel's blows, but was far, far from surrender. With godlike speed he backhanded the son of Krypton and sent him careening headlong into a wall. Superman recovered quickly though and flew immediately back into the fray.
As Superman continued his assault against Trigon, Raven tended to the downed Batman. Administering a generous dose of her healing light, she had the dark knight awake in a matter of seconds.
"Come on," she said to Batman as he rubbed his head. "We have to help Superman."
"Wait," he said, his voice cracking ever so slightly.
"What for?" asked Raven, confused.
Quickly, Batman scooped up the portal device.
"We can reverse the polarity of the portal with this. Maybe draw him back through."
"You know how it works?"
Ignoring her for a moment, Batman began fiddling with the dials and buttons.
"For that brief moment he was in my mind, I saw a flash of all the knowledge he acquired in order to build it. It's fading fast, but I should be able to…"
Batman wasn't able to finish, as suddenly, a red field of energy encased his entire body, immobilizing him. Looking up, Raven spotted a smirking Trigon, his hand outstretched. A downed Superman man lay behind him.
Raising his other hand a tendril of energy snaked towards Raven with incredible swiftness. Raven bolted into the air, spinning and twirling as the energy chased her. Quickly throwing up a shield around herself, she attempted to at least keep it at bay. The red energy; however, would not be stopped, and simply pushed through, encasing Raven in its power and ceasing her movements. Nevertheless she still struggled with all her might to break free from Trigon's grasp.
Trigon laughed in sick amusement as he brought the struggling Raven to eye level.
"I told you many years ago, Raven," he chided. "My coming was inevitable, yet you continue to resist me."
"And you'll have to kill me before I'll stop," she spat, defiantly.
"Rest assured, daughter, that day is coming. But first, you will watch as this pathetic universe burns. It will not be quick, as it was before. This time I will tear this reality to pieces with my bear hands."
At this, Raven smirked.
"Of course it won't be quick," she said mockingly. "It can't be since you don't have that kind of power anymore."
"What?" barked the beast.
"You're time in the void had a greater effect on you than you originally thought, didn't it?"
Trigon narrowed his eyes wickedly at the smirking girl in his grasp.
"You know its true," she said. "Even against Superman, you should have been able to defeat him effortlessly, and yet you struggled. You're weak."
Trigon's eyes widened in shock.
"You can't even draw power from outside sources anymore, can you?"
Trigon could feel his demonic blood begin to boil at his daughter's words. He was incensed at her audacity, and yet was more angered by the fact that every word she spoke was true.
"You've leveled off?" snickered Raven. "And you'll never get any stronger. Only weaker."
"Silence," boomed the demon, enraged.
Raven screamed as energy suddenly began coursing through her body.
"I will conquer this reality," bellowed Trigon, bringing the energy shock to an end and glaring at pained woman before him. "I am a being of pure power."
Raven only gave a small chuckle in response.
"You're pathetic," she spat.
"You will die for your insolence," growled the demon as he prepared shake the empath loose her mortal coil.
So engrossed was Trigon with his daughter's mocking that he failed to notice a fast approaching green cheetah which, after getting a good 70 mph sprint going, quickly leapt into the air, shifted into a long horned rhinoceros and delivered a devastating blow…right to the demon's little Trigon.
All four of Trigon's eyes bugged out from his head as he dropped to his knees in pure agony.
"Dude," moaned Beast Boy, shifting back into human form and rubbing his head. "That really, REALLY hurt."
Unable to maintain his psychic control over his victim's, the energy fields dissipated. The still somewhat disoriented Raven suddenly felt herself falling through the air, only to be firmly caught in waiting arms.
"Raven, are you okay?" asked Beast Boy, looking down at her.
As her vision cleared Raven could clearly see the concerned face of Beast Boy staring down at her.
"Beast Boy?" she said. "I thought I told you to stay on Earth."
"Oh come on Rave," said the changeling, rolling his eyes. "Since when have I ever done what you said?"
Raven smiled despite herself.
"You're impossible," she said smirking.
Batman's urgent voice suddenly broke through the air.
"Get over here, hurry," he commanded as the device in his hands began whirring with new life.
Quickly the two dashed over to Batman's side where Superman joined them.
"This is it," said Batman.
Trigon, just barely starting to recover from his injury, looked up in time to see a white beam shoot over his head and collide with the portal behind him. Immediately a mighty wind began ripping through the room, drawing him back into the void.
"No!" he screamed. "This can't be."
Refusing to surrender, he dug his nails into the floor, but could still not halt his regression. He was too close to the portal, and his strength was failing him.
Casting his eyes up, he spotted the four who had orchestrated his downfall. It was at that moment, Trigon decided that if this was his fate, so be it. So long as his traitorous daughter would not get out unscathed.
With Superman digging his feet into the ground and taking the role of human shield, Batman, Beast Boy and Raven did their best to resist the awesome force of the portal. Taking a chance, Raven peaked over the Kryptonian's shoulder just in time to see a red energy tendril racing towards her. She recoiled in surprise only to see it suddenly snake past her and wrap itself around an unsuspecting Beast Boy.
"Beast Boy!" Raven screamed as the green hero was cruelly yanked through the air, towards Trigon and the swirling vortex.
"Raven!" he yelled as he rocketed through the air.
Reacting with unprecedented speed, Raven raised her arms and encased Beast Boy in glowing black energy, considerably slowing his progress, but not stopping it.
Trigon laughed wickedly as he slid into the portal.
"It's too late, Raven," he sneered. "I may be returning to the void, but I won't be returning alone."
As Trigon slid half way back through the portal, Raven could feel her strength begin to falter. She could feel Beast Boy slipping away from her, and it was pain. Taking Beast Boy, Trigon may as well be taking her heart, her soul. She would not let it happen.
With a pained scream, Raven felt power she never knew she had begin to flow through her. Even if it killed her, she would not let Trigon lay a finger on Beast Boy.
Trigon widened his eyes in shock. He was still sliding back into the portal, but the changeling was no longer sliding with him.
"I will not be denied," he shouted, conjuring even more power as he slid completely into the portal. Beast Boy was a mere few feet away from joining the demon when Superman's voice broke through the chaos.
"Shut it down."
After a few rapid button taps by Batman, there was a bright flash and the portal disappeared.
After collapsing to the ground from the sudden withdrawal of the portal, Raven wasted no time in racing over to Beast Boy, who lay motionless on the ground.
"Beast Boy?" she said, cradling his head in her lap.'
When he didn't respond, she began to feel tears nipping at the backs of her eyes."
"Beast Boy?" she said louder, panic beginning to rise in her throat.
She nearly felt her heart stop when suddenly the changeling began to cough and sputter.
"Did we win?" he asked weakly with his eyes closed.
A relieved giggle escaped from Raven's lips.
Slowly, the changeling opened his eyes.
"Hey," he said simply.
"Hey," she replied.
Raven had never been happier to see those green eyes shining up at her.
"So how'd you get here?" she asked after a moment, smirking slightly with tears of joy in her eyes.
Beast Boy smiled.
"I might have been a…fly on your cloak?"
Another small giggle escaped Raven's lips.
"Nothing really clever about that one," said Beast Boy.
Smiling, Raven gently ran her fingertips over Beast Boy's cheek. Nothing could ruin this moment. Nothing that is, except reality.
"I hate to interrupt," said Batman dryly. "But there's still a matter that needs attending."
"He's right," agreed Superman. "Doomsday's still lose in Metropolis."
It took Raven all of one second to come to a decision.
"Ready the boom tube."
Trigon roared in aggravation as he let loose another energy blast at the never-ending darkness of the void.
"So close," he bellowed. "How could this happen?"
Like an overgrown child he began kicking and flailing at emptiness.
"Mark my words, daughter. I will find a way out of the prison. I will find a way!"
A thunderous noise suddenly caught Trigon's attention. Turning he spotted a brilliant flash in the near distance. He didn't have long to wonder about its purpose as suddenly he felt small but powerful fist slam against his skull. He barely had time to recover before another collided with his eye.
"Miserable creature," spat Trigon backing up just enough to identify his assailant. He knew the beast by its grey skin, red eyes and by the white spikes that adorned its body, and he was certain that for the remainder of his near eternal life, the beast would not be good company. Though he had always thought it impossible, on that day, Doomsday came for Trigon.