These Black Eyes

by P0ST

The ongoing adventures and experiences of the Teen Titans, as witnessed through the eyes of a silent newcomer.

55. Full Circle part 2

55. Full Circle part 2

"Greetings again. I'm Phil Garrison, and this is "The Weekly Table". In case you're just now joining us, I have here with me three men of distinct prominence in this great City of ours. The first is Mr. Allen Bringham, City Secretary. The second is Mr. Frederick Smith, director of civil services. And finally we have the esteemed journalist, Mr. Blake Glover. Gentlemen, thank you for joining me this evening. We certainly have a lot to talk about this week."

"It's a pleasure."

"Same here."

"Thank you."

"'Slade's Explosives Have City On Edge'. That's what today's headlines read. If you've been watching our broadcast prior to this hour's segment, you would have heard word of the Titans' latest attempt to track the elusive criminal's bombs down. Apparently there was an incident at the Kobayashi Tower, somehow linked to a gigantic explosion that took place in the Bay off of the Eastern Shipyard. We now know that the Titans were involved in the safe redistribution of what authorities describe as a 'carbonite explosive'. Yet in the process of tracking this bomb down, there was immense collateral damage. Car crashes. Wreckage on the roadside. And also extensive damage to the face of the Kobayashi Tower. The question of this evening is—'Do the Titans have the City safely protected from Slade's latest scheme, and if so at what cost is it to the citizens abroad?'"
"Can I speak, Phil?"

"Go on, Mr. Bringham."

"We mustn't lose faith in the Titans. There are many events in the past that support the need to stand behind them. They're laying their lives on the line for the sake of our City. Warzone or not, they have as much at stake as we—the people—do. If not moreso."

"Quite correct."

"Now…having said that, I must admit that I am very much concerned. The Titans have had a precarious track record with Slade. Word has it that one of Slade's former cohorts was a Titan herself, but she turned out to be working for the madman the whole time. My fear is that Slade's corruption is so intense that the Titans themselves are not immune. How are we to know that the latest member of their flock is not likely to repeat history by turning over to Slade's side?"

"When you say 'latest member of their flock', Mr. Bringham, to whom are you referring?"

"Oh…that frightening one."

"Raven?"

"No, the newcomer. The one with the sword. 'Night'…is it?"

"'Noir'."

"'Noir!' That's it! That's the name of their latest member. How much do the people know about him? For one thing, he doesn't even speak. From what the Titans have told Commissioner Decker, he can't even speak. And on top of that, he's a mystery. I think there's a lot to worry about there."

"If I may add in a word here, please……"

"By all means, Mr. Smith."

"Noir isn't a complete mystery. Just like the rest of the Titans, he has made public appearances, attended charity events, and even seems to have formed a bond with a local high school's sign language class. To assume that Noir is any less public relations-friendly than the other Titans would be an error, in my opinion."

"I was aware of some of his appearances, Mr. Smith. But that still doesn't change the fact that his image—compared to the other Titans—is quite conspicuous. No details, no background, nothing has been given to us by the Titans to sum him up. Unless I am near-sighted, this is very similar to the situation during which the Titans last inducted a member into their group. It would be most terrible—while Slade is on the rebound—that history decides to repeat itself."

"Mr. Glover, Mr. Bringham has some strong words. In the past, you were adamant about the Titans' essential danger and threat to the order of society, and you were most emphatic about outlining this 'reality' through your analysis of the mysterious 'Noir'. Do you have any words now to say on the subject?"

"To be honest, Phil, I've become a man of fewer and fewer words. Heheheheh. Life throws you curve balls sometimes. Ahem. What I've learned from the Titans—from personal experience—is rather obvious. I've publicly renounced the negative statements I've made about them. In regards to Slade's ability to corrupt members of our City's defensive heroes, I don't think it can be put in words that simple. Truth be told, if Slade is able to 'corrupt' a Titan…then that Titan was already corrupt to begin with. And once burned, I doubt the Titans would be willing to induct into their roster someone of that revolting caliber again."

"Am I to understand, Mr. Glover, that your verdict on this 'Noir' character is reinforcing?"

"What I'm saying, Phil, is that if the Titans respect Noir as a member of their team, then they have nothing to worry about…and we have nothing to worry about. There is nothing more important than camaraderie. It is what defines true commitment. It is the direct evidence……of trust."

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"Noir…answer me this, at least. Are you certain there was no way you could have simply shut down the explosive device and preserved the core?"

I sat shirtless on the hood of the T-Car, parked besides the Kobayashi Tower. Squad cars and cleanup crews were all around us. People gathered and squabbled over the chaos in the distance. Starfire stood behind me, fastening a bandage to my bare, wounded shoulder. Robin stood in front of me with his arms folded. Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven…they were spread all around.

I sighed and gestured slowly with my hands. I winced at the movement it forced my administered shoulder to make.

Cyborg read what I had to say out loud: "He says there wasn't a single button or contraption. Not anything."

I gestured some more.

"And he's never had experience in disarming bombs like that."

"I guess I should hand out bomb diffusing lessons from now on," Robin muttered.

I gestured something else.

Cyborg spoke. "Apparently the countdown timer for the explosive went off as soon as it reached the top of the Tower."

"Nobody in the cleanup crew found a countdown timer," Robin said, looking at me suspiciously. "You're sure it had one?"

I took a deep breath and gestured.

"'It was part of the detonator'."

Silence.

Robin sighed. "I bet it was…cuz now it's destroyed." He rubbed his temple and looked at his boots.

I stared at him. Silent.

Starfire finished applying the bandage. "A-All done…," she softly said. It was like a whisper.

In a delayed reaction, I looked at her handiwork. I smiled…bowed my head…and slowly slipped my shirt back on. I sat with my arms folded.

Silence.

I looked at everyone.

Nobody was looking back at me. Not even Cyborg.

Silence…..

I slowly stood up from the T-Car.

Starfire shuffled slightly, but still said nothing. Staring at the ground.

I took a step forward…then another. I paced my way slowly away from the site and across the street.

About seven seconds into it, Robin asked without looking: "Where're you going?"

I shuffled to a stop. I sighed. I spun around. Glared at him for a moment through my shades. And pointed firmly across the street.

He stared. He nodded slowly. "Okay……"

I twirled around, shifted my weight gradually, and limped forward.

Leaving the five alone.

"……."

"……."

"……."

They slowly looked up at each other.

"

What do you think?" Cyborg asked Robin.

Robin shook his head and ran an exhausted hand through his hair. "I….I-I dunno. He could be lying. He could be telling the truth. He could be anything. He's Noir."

"Rather convenient that the countdown timer was destroyed with the explosive," Raven said. "Don't you think?"

"How do you mean, Raven?" Starfire asked. A beat. He looked at everyone in general. "Are we to think that Noir caused the explosive to go off himself??"

"We can't just assume anything," Robin said. "None of us were there when he crashed the hovercraft. We can't tell if he's saying the truth or not. But…."

"But what?"

"If anyone of us were there and not him…," Robin said. "I'm quite convinced we would have the carbonite core in tact now. We'd have more evidence to pursue Slade and Dagger with."

"I dunno, dude…," Beast Boy shrugged. He was still brushing off the dust from the warehouse rubble on his suit and hair. "I can't operate a gum ball machine, much less a carbonite detonator. Can't we give Noir a break for once?"

"I wish I could, Beast Boy," Robin said. "But in the last few days…every time we've gotten close to catching up with Slade…something has gotten in the way. And the one to have gotten furthest in these attempts—"

"Noir…," Cyborg breathed. "What is with that?"

"Yeah…even if our suspicions were true," Beast Boy said, "Why would Noir be doing so well against Slade?!"

Robin rubbed his chin. "If…perhaps…these haven't been leads we've been following."

"How do you mean?" Starfire asked.

"If Noir is working for Slade…then somehow he may be a vessel through which we are being led into Slade's ambushes."

"Ambushes?"

"Those robots at the warehouse…," Robin said. "They were way too numerous for just any of Slade's normal defenses."

"There was a bomb there," Raven said.

"Of course," Robin nodded. "The bomb was there because we were there. We would have not found Slade's operations if it weren't for the emissions being leaked from the carbonite. Now, while on that topic, we know there was carbonite involved. But how do we know it was truly an explosive?"

"Say what?!?!" Beast Boy's eyes bulged.

"What happened between the exiting of the hovercraft from the warehouse and the explosion in the Bay is based only on two things. Scant eyewitness testimony…and Noir's personal words."

"You mean…the bomb could have been faked?" Raven asked.

"And the explosion manufactured in a remote location to match up with a story Slade programmed Noir to tell us."

"But why??" Beast Boy shrugged. "Isn't that an awful waste of time and 'boom!'??"

"Not for Slade," Robin shook his head. "And not if he's trying to ensnare us all."

"But we haven't gotten anywhere!" Cyborg exclaimed with raised hands. "Nowhere further in our search and nowhere behind!! Slade hasn't accomplished any sort of defeat of us! At least…I don't think he has! Someone care to explain to me how he's getting an upper hand in this wild goose chase?"

"Slade is always getting the upper hand," Robin muttered. He glared at the other Titans. "He has always gotten the upper hand."

His teammates were silent.

Robin sighed and shook his head. "We all need to get some rest." A beat. "And….w-we should probably talk to Noir more."

"Agreed…," Starfire nodded and said silently. "He must certainly be aware of our….suspicions by now."

"So?" Raven glared.

Robin looked at her. "So….we can't lose him now. Not till we know the truth!"

"What truth do we still need to know?" Raven frowned. "You all sense his dishonesty. I sensed it first. We all agreed that he isn't to be trusted."

"We never agreed that he is not to be trusted, Raven," Starfire said.

"We only agreed to deal with Noir in perfect justice if indeed we find him to be working for Slade," Robin added.

Raven took a deep breath. "Remind me whose side you're on. The deceiver's? Or the deceived?"

Robin was quiet.

So were the others.

"I know that Noir is our friend….or was our friend," Raven said firmly. "The same could have been said about Terra. You know that. You all…know that."

More silence.

Raven sighed and walked away.

Cyborg rubbed the back of his neck. "Man…she really puts it into perspective, doesn't she?"

Beast Boy hugged himself. "I kinda sorta…..missed the days when Noir didn't seem like such a bad guy."

"You and me both, B.B.," Cyborg said. "You and me both."

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

Raven stepped into a dark alley where nobody could see her.

She clutched the robe to herself and stared at the ground.

She was biting her lip….

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

I was on the other side of the street…leaning against a storefront window….lethargically shuffling a deck of cards in my grasp.

My eyes stared at the sidewalk beneath me. Trailing the cracks through my shades.

I sighed heavily.

Silence.

And then my butt vibrated.

"?????" I reached a hand down and pulled the cell phone out of my pocket. The same phone I had found in the trash while sitting on a park bench in the Bay Side Plaza.

I had kept it…

I flipped it opened and put it to my ear.

"What are you doing, Noir?!?!" the Messenger's voice exclaimed. "You're kicking too much ass!!"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's right!!" the cell phone squawked. "Ever since we talked, it's been one chase after Slade followed by another for you and your pals. And each time you get close to Slade's scheme, you get all gung ho about it and try to be hero!! Now, I suppose that's natural to you and all…but…don't you see how dangerous it is?! You're kicking too much ass!! You're kicking ass while your friends sprawl around in the dust!!" My lips parted. I exhaled in confusion. I eyed the phone.

"Imagine it from your teammates' perspective…," the Messenger said slowly. "They whip Slade's robot army good. They fight with every ounce of vigor they can muster. Then—in a blink of an eye—something cataclysmic happens. Like today. The freakin' ceiling rafters fell and pinned them to the ground. Then, inexplicably, a hole in the floor forms and traps the leader in place!! The only person on his feet and able to chase down the explosive in question is exactly the one person they're having a hard time believing in at the moment! You, Noir!! Don't you see…it's not a good vibe for you! Not good at all!!"

My black eyes widened a bit as the realization hit.

"For some god-awful reason, Noir, Slade has singled you out. He wants to make you look as suspicious and as hairy and as uber-indecent as possible. And somehow, miraculously, he has the means to do this with!! Don't ask me how. But I think it all ties in with the Balance of Morals. The very whims of fate are being bent to coincide with Slade's plan. The ceiling rafters of the warehouse fell because he chose them to! The hole in the ground trapped Robin because it was Slade's idea! And the sudden countdown timer to the explosion! Oh, I believe you on that one, Noir! That's damned creepy for sure!"

I listened intently, eyeing the distant image of my conversing teammates across the nightlit street.

"Things are coming full circle….just as everyone expects them too. Slade, more than anyone else, expects it. So try and do something unexpected, Noir. Take the back seat. Please. I know you love your friends and you'd do anything to help them along with this quest. But you're trying too hard. And you're only hurting yourself. So take a back seat, Noir. Let them do the dirty work. Help them only as you need to. As you were born to do. Maybe….maybe that way, the cycle will be broken and Slade will be left in the dark."

I took a deep breath. I nodded….as if somehow, someway, the Messenger could see me from where he omnisciently spoke through the phone.

"And one more thing….," he said in a low voice. "You saw her, didn't you?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"The Third Apprentice. She was close. I could sense it…"

I scrunched my face.

"Never mind," he sighed over the phone. "Go home and get some rest. And when it comes time to go on another hunt…try and keep a low profile."

-Click!-

I pocketed the phone away and shuffled my cards.

I couldn't have agreed more….

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"The issue at hand is that the Titans—along with the entire City—is on a rebound!"

"Care to elaborate, Mr. Bringham?"

"Of course. In a positively seasonal fashion, the Titans are always ridding the world of evil, running head-to-head with an ultimate adversary, creating a lot of collateral damage in the climactic engagement, then either emerging triumphant or enjoying a partial success. Whatever the case, the evil force is extinguished, but the damages from the battle remain. All the Titans do is recover from their efforts and wait out another season of battling evil until that one major adversary rises again to initiate a battle far more severe than the previous and we are all the ones to suffer from it. It's a destructive pattern that seems to be in its third wave as we speak. We've already had this City of ours overrun by Slade and his menaces. What's to say how bad it might get this time??"

"Good perspective to keep in mind, Mr. Bringham. Howbeit pessimistic. Do any of the rest of you gentlemen have a response to this?"

"Well, I for one respect Mr. Bingham's concerns when he puts it this way…"

"Truly, Mr. Smith?"

"As you well know, July Fourth is just a few days away. The City is still planning to organize the Independence Fireworks Show, despite recent events. The last thing we want getting in the way of a celebration of freedom is outright, urban terrorism. So I've been hard at work with City officials and law enforcement to create the highest security and surveillance for any public occasion ever to date. But, seemingly, no matter of preparation on our part can match with the level of intensity that the Titans and Slade are conflicting each other with. But unless the City turns into an absolute warzone, we are still going for a successful July Fourth fireworks extravaganza. It's our way of showing our faith in the Titans and in the desire for a peaceful and crime-free society in days to come."

' "I look forward to the fireworks show that you and the City provide for us citizens every year…but this time around, I must insist that it is far too dangerous!!"

"But Mr. Bringha—"

"Such a large, public event will be more than a casual target for Slade to focus in on! He'll stop at nothing to irk the Titans, even if it means taking innocent lives!!"

"But this year security is far more than matched—"

"It has not stopped Slade before!"

"Gentlemen, I must break in here. There're still many questions to ask, and the next one is for Mr. Glover. Sir, after all of the recent events. The fall of the Sakura Tower. The hovercraft incident. The entire Slade confrontation. Do you believe this City will ever be the same?"

"Phil…to be honest with you…the City has never been the same with each morning from Day One…"

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

The next morning in the Tower…

Robin's gloved fingers typed away at the keyboard. He hit a final key and a map splashed up across the monitor with brightly-lit trails illuminating the streets and topography.

"Okay….," the Boy Wonder took a deep breath and spoke without looking at the rest of the Titans, "…after a week of searching, the last sting was the closest we got to acquiring a piece of the explosives. There was actually an entire core of carbonite in the device we encountered. The traces of the substance are what led us to that warehouse and threw away the false leads. However, since we were not able to analyze the core itself independent of the detonator, we can only rely on the same data as previous to run a search on Slade's possible, leftover explosives throughout the City."

Robin did a keystroke and highlighted the bright trails on the computer monitor.

"According to our system, there are at least forty-two different possible locations of carbonite explosives judging on primary tracing."

"Right back where we started…," Beast Boy muttered.

Raven sat in a chair beside him. "There are six of us. We can do at least seven different searches simultaneously if we pace ourselves just right."

"It would still take too much time," Cyborg said. "And judging from the past few days, Slade has an itchy trigger finger. He won't give us forever to bat at his toys."

I stood silently off to the side, leaning against a table and absent-mindedly shuffling through playing cards. I looked up lethargically at the computer monitor through my shades and sighed.

"Is there any possible way for us to "skinny down" the search results?" Starfire asked.

Robin rubbed his head. He typed a bit. He brought up a few images of glowing matter with different categorizations. "As much as we know, one of these types of carbonite materials can be used in an explosive of the size and magnitude we encountered. Each releases an entirely different form of traces."

"Like radiation?"

"Much less harmful than Radiation. But it does suggest a dying down of molecular excitement….if you know what I mean."

"Dude….none of us do," Beast Boy shrugged. "But that's kinda sorta your job, man."

All of us wanted to smile. But none of us did.

"Seven different types of traces…," Cyborg rubbed the human part of his head and stared up at the monitor. "Could we randomly search them and see if there's any showing up in the City?"

"There's another factor, though," Robin said. "Which makes it rather difficult."

"Naturally…," Raven droned.

"These seven carbonite materials must be treated with a special, synthetic compound to acquire their unstable condition. It's next to impossible to guess just what any of these applied compounds can be unless someone has seen the carbonite core itself."

"How so?"

"Well, there're well over five thousand possibilities."

Beast Boy moaned.

"The feeling is mutual, Beast Boy," Starfire nodded.

"But how can seeing the carbonite core help in identifying the compound?" Cyborg asked.

"The material gives off a brilliant color, like a vapor. The exact hue and shade speaks volumes of the carbonite being used."

"And when cross-referenced with the seven different types of materials…."

"The search could be 'skinnied down' enough for a computer analysis of the City!" Starfire hopped.

"Easier said and done," Raven said. "I sure didn't see the carbonite core. Did any of you?"

"Don't look at me!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "I was buried under tons of crap in the warehouse, remember?!"

"Yes," Starfire nodded. "I was also submerged in the figurative fecal matter and could not observe the carbonite core emanating from the obelisk explosive."

"Sooooo….we're still back to square one?!"

"Ugh….this search is going nowhere…."

……….

All this time—while our teammates rambled—Robin and I were having a staring match. Cold, white eyemask slits to cold, black glass shades.

Eyes hidden.

Souls tense.

Arms folded and cards shuffling.

The Boy Wonder and I had our own little test of wills.

The leader and the rookie.

His eyes narrowed.

My brow furrowed.

Robin knew….he knew I would have an answer to this dilemma. Or at least, I would have an 'answer'….as in a supplement. A fib. A fabrication.

A lie.

He didn't believe me. He didn't believe a single alibi I could give about the carbonite explosion that happened the night previous. And he showed it to me. Right there in the Main Room under the cloud of obscurity he glared daggers across the furniture and computer consoles and probed the god-forsaken shadows of my soul.

When the Messenger told me that the Titans had their suspicions of my loyalty, I was shocked. Flabbergasted. Horrified.

And….to tell the truth…I didn't immediately believe in what he said. I realized that then, as Robin was staring invisible death rays into my being. I was feeling that shock, that flabbergasted horror all over again. Like it was the first time I woke up and realized that this aura of depression and sorrow was not just a passing phase for the Titans and myself but truly the death of something warm and precious.

Everything in Robin's gaze was as cold and as emotionless as the legends I once heard about as I trekked Eastward through the streets of America, listening to crooks and bums ramble on about the dark heroics of the unfeeling Batman and his agile apprentice.

Robin had faded away from friend and morphed into icon in that very second. It was cold…brutal…like the feel of a dagger sliding out of my heart that I didn't know had sunk in to begin with.

Out of the peripheral vision of my shaded, black eyes…not a single other Titan was paying attention to our silent battle. Not another person cared.

It was between me and the leader of a group of crime fighters that was growing ever-so-distant from my heart. The walls of the Main Room felt strange. I envisioned myself looking in on the Tower from a newspaper front page and not from my own, flesh-and-blood eyes.

A sharp pain ran up my lungs and I exhaled.

I had lost the match with Robin.

I had become Jordan again.

With wounded eyes he couldn't see under my shades, I looked helplessly up at the photo album of carbonite substances on the monitor. Worthless lumps of rock, they all were. And yet, I wanted nothing but to destroy them.

Instead, I was going to give in.

I was going to give into Robin's challenge and allow him one last chance to test me.

I knew the Messenger would kill me for this. I knew this wasn't 'taking a backseat'. But thanks to Robin—I no longer cared what happened. I just wanted to get closer to Slade. That was all I wanted to do. It's like the urge to crawl and inhale things into one's mouth. Primordial and instinctive. Two dimensional, stripped of spirit.

I wanted to roll over and die.

My black eyes scanned the photos. I found the type of core that I knew I had carried to the Bay—the one Robin would undoubtedly insist in secret confidence with his teammates that I 'concocted'—and pointed a finger.

Everyone saw the mute raise his hand immediately.

"Huh??" Cyborg formed a question mark.

"I believe Noir recalls what the core looked like," Robin said so emotionlessly, nobody took notice.

And damn, did it hurt…

Raven squinted her eyes. "Carbonite IV?"

I nodded.

"You remember the color it emanated?" Cyborg asked.

I glanced at Robin. I stared at him as I gestured to Cyborg.

"Light green….," Cyborg nodded his head. "That might get us near to a search."

"Good…," Robin said.

That made me curious.

"I'll need some more details, Noir," Cyborg said. "How about you work with me and maybe we can do a city-wide search for this stuff."

"And where will that take us??" Beast Boy asked.

"To Slade or the Dagger!" Starfire exclaimed.

"Sounds like a plan to me…," Raven nodded. "Assuming that Slade's other explosives are using the same signature."

"It's the best lead we have so far," Robin said. "Cyborg. Noir. Get to work on it. The only direction we must go is forward." And with that said, the Boy Wonder simply turned around and left.

The other Titans murmured and parted ways.

I sighed and stared off into space for a few seconds before I felt a titanium hand plant itself over my shoulder. I looked up.

Cyborg smiled. "Come on, kid. Let's go do some homework!"

He walked over towards a computer console.

I looked after him, blinking. The way he just said and delivered that…it almost felt like he was truly happy to work with me.

But I knew he wasn't.

I followed him slowly.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"Okay….so….," Cyborg typed away at the computer and spoke aloud: "From the combined details…a Type IV substance of Carbonite…trailing lights of a light green…approximate temperature ninety two degrees Fahrenheit…..giving off the faint scent of rust….we get three possible avenues of search. Two of them show up benign for traces in the computer. One of them shows significant readings in the Northeast part of Town…by the City Scrapyards. Huh….I-I think we may be onto something here!"

I nodded listlessly, staring at the collection of glowing trails around the northeast industrial section. A few miles north of the warehouse where we encountered the hovercraft and its explosive.

"I'll go tell Robin," Cyborg said, standing up. "This should be enough for a plan of action."

I looked to the floor.

The android Titan walked past me.

I reached a blind hand out and grabbed his shoulder.

Cyborg froze. He looked at me. "What's up?"

I looked at him through my shades. I sighed.

I knew where this was going. I knew it was a test. And—from the words the Messenger told me—it was also probably a trap. Something had to be done to break the circle. To prevent a fateful loop. I wanted to go search that place alone. No. That would be even worse. I at least wanted to go there with just Robin or just Cyborg and not get the entire team's lives in trouble.

I told this to Cyborg through sign-language.

And he said:

"But, Noir….w-we all should be together. There's no telling what dangers we may face! If we're together, we'll do a greater job of thwarting Slade!"

I shook my head. I gestured again, emphatically.

"There's no point in only some of us going, Noir. We're a team, remember?" A pause. Something in his eyes died, and he tilted his head to the side. Nevertheless, there was some sort of tangible concern in his voice when he blurted: "Is there something you're not telling us, Noir?"

My hands were up halfway to gesture a reply, but I froze. My body turned pale. I looked down.

Cyborg blinked. Then he suddenly flinched, as if struck by an invisible error. "Er….n-nevermind," he stuttered and waved. "Forget I asked that, man." And then he sighed. And then he walked off.

I was left staring at the floor beneath my feet.

Everything was collapsing.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"The thing you must understand, gentlemen, is that the Titans have the upperhand over Slade for one chief reason. They are a family unit. Not by blood or flesh, but by spirit. After fighting such horrible evils night after night in close proximity to each other, they've built an inseparable camaraderie that makes them impervious to whatever lonely attempts criminal fiends out there might make to finish them and the innocence of this City off. Unlike crime fighting groups of notoriety in cities such as Gotham and Metropolis, our Titans have achieved a sort of…invulnerability. Their bond to each other is like an impervious chain. It's never remarkable unless—like me—you've had a chance to see it up close and truly appreciate it."

"Remarkable words, Mr. Glover. But what if the Titans' bond fails?"

"I seriously doubt that would ever happen, Phil."

"But if it would? As impossible as it may seem?"

"………then God help us all. The City…the Human Race as well………"

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

VROOOOOOOOOM!!!!

Robin rocketed down the highway on his R-Cycle towards the distant City Scrapyards in the north. He hugged the shoulder, soaring pass cars to the lanes left of him.

"I am nearing the yard of scrap now!" Starfire's voice said over the communicators. "Should I search for the explosive or—"

"No," Robin said into the mouthpiece of his helmet. "Wait for all of us. And I do mean all of us. I don't want any of Slade's or Dagger's henchmen taking any of us out individually!"

"Then hurry up!!" Beast Boy's voice cackled over the communicators. "I just caught up with Star and we're both tapping our toes!! Sheesh…for a superhero named after a bird, you think you'd learn to grow some wings or something, Robin!"

"I'm going as fast as I can," Robin said firmly. "Stand by and don't make any sudden advances on the Scrapyard. Slade might possibly have a secret storage facility there."

"'Possibly'?!?!" Beast Boy's voice replied.

"Over and out!" Robin said.

He zoomed around a stalled van and headed for the off ramp.

"Robin…this is Raven. I'm speaking to you on a private channel."

"What's on your mind, Rae?"

"Are you sure this is……wise?"

"What?"

"Following Noir's testimony? You know, we're practically trusting everything he's said in coming here. What if it's a trap?"

Robin sighed and accelerated down the offramp. "When I was forced to fight for Slade, you all gave me a second chance. When Terra was on Slade's side, we gave her a second chance. Now that Noir may be his Third Apprentice….well…let's just say that this is it. This is the threshold. If this turns into an ambush, then we'll have no choice but to….to…."

"To what?"

"…..," Robin paused. His strength rebooted. "We'll have no choice but to remove Noir from the team."

VROOOOOOOOOM!!!!

He thundered on towards the Scrapyard.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

I fell from a leap.

My feet blurred.

I landed silently on the other side of the fence. I stood up, unsheathed Myrkblade, and slowly crept across the edge of the scrapyard.

Piles of household appliances, stacks of squashed automobiles, and the occasional, randomly-placed airplane or diesel vehicle rested all around the dirt-swept compound. The place was a rusted jungle of post-industrial waste. In the distance, a crane or two loomed. Abandoned. In the center of the scrapyard, a series of conveyor belts led to a huge, metal compacter.

There was not a soul in sight. And certainly no visible sign of a huge, carbonite explosive.

My black eyes narrowed.

"Psssst!!"

I spun to the left.

Beast Boy and Starfire motioned for me from where they hid in the shadows of an abandoned dumptruck.

I quickly rushed over and scrunched up against the vehicle next to them.

"You can't just walk out in the open like that!!" he hissed. "What if someone were to see you?!"

"Who is the someone here to see?" Starfire remarked.

Beast Boy blinked. "Yeah….good point. This place is empty!" A pause. They both looked at me.

"Are you certain this is where the carbonite trace is located?" Starfire asked.

I looked at them….through them. I sweat.

There was a rush of wind.

Robin swung in from some unknown location by grappling hook and dropped down.

"Robin!" Starfire whispered.

He held a finger over his mouth and looked at me. "Are Cyborg and Raven here?"

I shook my head.

"We have to wait until all of us are present and accounted for. This is a situation that calls for intense team work. I don't want any of us going out into that open air alone."

"Not even a little recon?" Beast Boy remarked.

"I got a good look at it while swinging in," Robin said.

"So did I," Starfire nodded. "This field of deceased machina is entirely lifeless."

"Makes sense why Slade would want to hide something here," Beast Boy uttered.

"But not why he would want to bomb it." Said Robin.

Everyone seemed to agree with that.

Including myself…

Suddenly, the dumptruck besides us began to shake.

We all glanced over in one accord.

A black vortex formed, and through it emerged Raven and Cyborg.

"Sorry we're late," Cyborg said. "We had to ditch the T-Car far back so nobody could spot our arrival." He said the latter part with a twinge of pain.

"Say…what's it with you two guys always being last to the scene?" Beast Boy complained a hushed tone with his hands to his hips. He then smirked and lifted an eyebrow, "Run out of gas a lot?"

Cyborg's human eye widened.

Raven glared, temple pulsing.

Starfire giggled.

I almost wanted to smile……

"Now that we're all together….let's get this over with," Robin said. We all listened as he peaked his head out, got a good visual of the scrapyards, and spoke to all of us with his leaderesque voice: "I'm not seeing any sign of Slade's handiwork. It's quite possible that wherever his equipment is, it could be underground. We're gonna have to rely on those readings of the carbonite traces that you acquired, Cyborg."

The android Titan nodded. "Roger that." He raised his arm, opened a compartment, and studied the little computer screens bleeping up at him. "It's a little hard to pinpoint the strongest manifestations of the material cuz so much of the traces are all around us. But if we get moving a bit, I may be able then to find the source. If it is underground, at least we'll find out where to start digging."

"So we're going in then?" Beast Boy asked. "Both guns blazing?"

"Looks like it," Robin fisted his palm. "There's no backing out now."

Raven nodded. "We should keep close together."

"Agreed," Starfire said. "We must not expose any of ourselves to unnecessary vulnerabilities."

"Titans….move out!" Robin motioned.

Cyborg went ahead. Robin and Raven were at his flank. I considered taking rear…but felt it best if I was in the center of them. Starfire and Beast Boy took up the behind. In such a fashion, we marched out as a group into the open area of the scrapyard. Our movement was slow….cautious….paranoid. Robin held up a bidarang or two at ready. Raven's eyes glowed bright gray as she peered around. I had Myrkblade held up high and Starfire and Beast Boy checked behind us constantly to be aware of any sudden movements.

Cyborg stared at his arm's instruments as he headed the pack. His human eye narrowed. "We're getting close," he whispered hoarsely. "About ten meters and closing…"

"Where to?"

"Straight ahead."

We passed a broken schoolbus, a pile of shopping carts, a conveyor belt, the huge compactor, and eventually made it to a patch of earth right beside a huge, abandoned crane. "How much further, Cyborg?" Raven asked quietly. We descended under a shadow.

"I'm not sure….," Cyborg squinted his human eye more. "I could have sworn we'd be over it by now—"

Suddenly, the computer output devides in Cyborg's arm panel fluctuated…like a changing channel.

He blinked. "Huh?!" WOOOSH!! His hand pointed straight up. "Whoah!! What the--!!" His whole, titanium body wobbled….shook….and literally flew straight up in the air.

"Cyborg!!" Starfire exclaimed.

SWOOOOSH—CLANG!!!

Our robot ally was pinned to a circular, black object above us. We realized that there was a gigantic, magnetic disk dangling from the crane overhead. Suddenly, it had come to live. Whether it was by electrical juice or what—we didn't know. But we did know that Cyborg was in no position to do anything, much less move.

"Help…..me….," he wheezed.

"Hold on, Cyborg!" Robin cried out and produced a grappling hook. "We'll get you down from----" SWOOOOSH-CLANK!! The grappling hook flew out of his grasp and immediately smooshed itself up against the flat bottom of the disk. "No!!—WHOAH!!" The Boy Wonder gasped as dozens of birdarangs, grappling hooks, explosives, and other metal tools flew out of his utility belt and up into the disk. Cyborg winced as the razor-sharp birdarangs barely missed the shape and contour of his neck. The next thing to attract up to the disk was Robin's titanium polymer cape…along with Robin himself. "OOF!!" Soon, two male Titans were struggling upside down with their weight stuck up against the disk. "Can't….move!"

"Robin!!" Starfire exclaimed.

I bit my lip.

"We'll get you down!" Beast Boy turned into an elephant and reached a green trunk up at the heroes.

Starfire flew up to assist.

"Look!" Raven pointed.

I spun around.

There was a mysterious shadow seated in the operating compartment of the crane.

Suddenly, the huge machine groaned to life. Hydraulics hissed as the neck of the huge metal crane pivoted. It swung the black disk with the two Titans away….and then swung it right back, slamming into the sides of the green elephant and Starfire.

WHAM!!!!

"!!!!!"

"Eeek!!"

Their bodies went tumbling through the air, falling over heaps of trashed appliances, and landing in some unseen mound of dirt beyond.

Robin and Cyborg shouted out as the disk flung precariously over us.

"Somebody's seen us!!"

"You gotta get us down from here!!"

Raven extended her hands. "Azarath…Metrion…Zinthos!!"

Black energy encased the neck of the crane and the huge disk magnet hanging from it.

"Noir!" the dark girl commanded me with glowing, gray eyes. "The person in the pilot's seat. Take him out!!"

I nodded. I raised Myrkblade, charged up smoke, and blurred over towards the track tires of the huge machine. I zoomed up the side, leapt, and landed at the door to the pilot's compartment. I gasped.

There was no one there.

VROOOOOM!!!

I blinked.

I spun around.

An old, rusted semi-truck engine suddenly came to life with glaring headlights and plowed its way across the scrapyard towards where Raven stood, focusing her telekinesis to steady the crane.

I gasped and reached out a hand towards her from a distance. I was powerless to warn her…

SCREEEEEECHHH!!!!

At the last second, Raven's head spun over and saw the incoming vehicle. She instantly let go of the magnetic disk, formed an obsidian shield in front of her, and met the oncoming front of the truck.

SMASH!!!!!

A flash of black energy. Raven grunted and was sent flying backwards across the scrapyard and slamming into the side of a stack of mangled cars. She lay—practically unconscious—with the unphased truck barreling down on her a second time.

I gasped.

I blurred my feet.

I slid down the long neck of the crane, jumped off where the pulley held the cord supporting the disk, flipped, and landed on the ground parallel to the careening truck. I had two options. 1) Raven. 2) The truck.

I chose the truck.

"!!!!!" I held my breath, blurred, and let loose a burst of smoke energy that sent me sailing straight towards the front of the truck. I slashed Myrkblade out in front of me at the last second…literally slicing my way through the front half of the semi-truck engine and causing its engine to explode into oblivion.

The energy died out, the tires grind to a stop, and the vehicle settled barely a foot away from where it would have squashed Raven into aluminum pastrami. She was not conscious to see my having saved her.

I inhaled. I spun around. My black eyes widened under the shades.

There was no one in the driver's seat. But the door to the semi truck was dangling open…

A darting shadow…

I spun, gasping.

The crane—the same old crane—was lowering its neck. The disk was lowering quickly towards the ground. And with it, my soon-to-be-squashed friends.

Was someone in the pilot's seat again?

I didn't bother to look. I blurred over towards the plummeting disk.

"AAAAAAAAH!!!" Cyborg and Robin watched the earth sail up at them like a gigantic, rusted brick.

WOOOOOSH—SWOOP—STAB!!!!

I had blurred under them and shot Myrkblade straight up into the disk. It cut into the magnet precariously close to where Cyborg's and Robin's skulls met. They gasped as the blade barely missed their craniums, and I gritted my teeth and reinforced my muscles with wave after wave of murk as I strained to hold the huge weight from squashing the three of us. By no means did I possess superstrength, but the smoke energy warbling through me was doing a good job of simulating it. When I say 'good job', I meant that we were being kept alive for about twenty seconds. As the murk circled and flew up around me…a gradual, cylindrical crater was surrounding us. And it was growing deeper and deeper as my muscles shook harder and harder.

"They had the drop on us!!" Cyborg shouted through the shaking carnage. "Somehow they must have known we were here!!"

"It's not everyday that we fall into a trap. And it's not every week that we fall into two traps!!" Robin shouted. He glared at me through a frowning eyemask and a tornado of smoke energy. "Noir!!! What do you know?!?!"

I gritted my teeth and strained out of squinted black eyes to look at him.

"What do you know, Noir?!?!" He shouted, angrily.

Cyborg panted.

The world was crunching…crunching….

I hung my mouth open, tilted my head back and—black hair flying—let out a long, voiceless scream and channeled the biggest pulse of murk in my entire life up and into the magnetic disk.

CRACK!!!!!!

In slow motion, the circle split in two that rolled off their hinges with Robin and Cyborg safely pointed upwards. Dust flew up as shards of metal showered around me and I hung Myrkblade down by my side, letting out a huge breath of relief.

And timed resumed and---

A shadowed figure glided out of the pilot's compartment, slid down the crane's neck, and blurred into my face, fist first.

POW!!!!

I literally flew back, smashed through a mountain of aluminum cans, and came to a tumbling stop on the other side.

I groaned, stood up, and rubbed my head. And that's when I realized I was beneath a dumptruck.

WHURRRRR!!!

I looked above me.

There was a darting shadow…and then the rear of the dumptruck pivoted towards me—dumping a huge pile of age-old, metal public school desks over my figure.

I pivoted on the ground, held up Myrkblade, and charged a dome of smoke to deflect the falling, rusted furniture just in time to blur out with a burst of energy and jump up to my feet away from the growing pile.

There was a rush of wind as I sensed the shadowed figure zooming behind me.

I spun around, swinging Myrkblade---only to meet Starfire's neck.

"!!!!!" I cancelled my swing instantly.

Starfire gasped. With green eyes bulging, she eyed the no-longer-smoking blade of wood barely touching the side of her throat where I had stopped it.

"N-Noir!" she gasped. "What is the meaning of this?!" A beat. "And where are our friends?!"

FLASH!!!

Bright, pink light.

I spun around.

SMASH!!!! SWOOOOSH!!! The neck of the crane came flying through a mountain of rusted appliances and sailing at us.

I ducked.

Starfire didn't.

WHAM!!! With a cry, she was knocked back into a green wolf that had been trotting up to the scene. The Tamaranian girl and the changeling went tumbling painfully onto a stretch of conveyor belt benath a nook in a body of stacked cars. A very…precarious body of stack cars. There was another pink flash and I saw the dead vehicles leaning over them…about to come crashing down over the conveyor belt

I gasped and was about to blur over when the dark shadow zoomed by and landed a kick into my chest.

WHUMP!!!

"!!!!" The breath flew out of my lungs. I bent over hard.

SMACK!!!!

A tiny fist slammed me hard in the jaw. I went flipping backwards and collapsing somewhere in the entangle heap of two dozen, rusted shopping carts.

My arms, legs, and myrkblade were stuck at awkward angles amidst a sudden jungle gym of wiry metal.

While struggling to get free, my black eyes sought to find my periled friends through the mesh of metal webbing. Instead I saw the faintly discernible shadow of a figure peering down at me. Hands on its hips.

"I think you've been a hero enough for a lifetime…," the voice happily hissed. A shadowed hand waved. "Say goodbye to your friends….what's left of them."

I gritted my teeth.

The shadowed figure flipped away…and once it was gone, I could see through the shopping carts and see the cars toppling over onto Starfire and Beast Boy.

CRASH!!!!

My eyes widened. I gritted my teeth….shook…and let loose a pulse of murk through my blade.

SMASH!!!!!

Shopping cart shards flew. I leapt out, landed on the ground, and blurred over to the conveyor belt. I jumped atop it and looked into a pocket of the aluminum heap of cars. My heart skipped a beat.

Beast Boy and Starfire were in tact. They were unconscious, though. Encased in the cocoon of dead, mangled cars.

I stabbed Myrkblade into the layer of metal and was about to peel a hole to get them out when--

"Noir!!"

I gasped and looked ahead of me.

From atop the conveyor belt, I could clearly see Robin and Cyborg. They were still clinging to their halves of the black disk magnet. Somehow, the thing still had them stuck on. They were stranded and helpless atop the black halves as a schoolbus across from them suddenly came to life and barreled towards them.

"For God's sake, Noir!!" Cyborg shouted. "Help us!!"

I looked at the conveyor belt. I looked at them. I looked at the conveyor belt again.

Starfire and Beast Boy were fine. They could wait.

I pulled Myrkblade out and leapt mightily off the conveyor belt to go help my male Titan comrades.

But upon landing…something awful happened. My feet sank into the ground.

I gasped. I looked down. I was stuck, ankle-deep, in a pile of aluminum debris. For some reason, I couldn't get myself unstuck. I was powerless to move. I was powerless to save anyone.

In desperation, I spun Myrkblade around and prepared to stab the earth out from under me when---

SWOOOOSH!!

The figure suddenly blurred over from the schoolbus, zoomed by, and batted the sword out of my hand.

I gasped. I heard laughter.

And I heard cries.

"NOIR!!!"

"RAVEN!!!"

"SOMEBODY!!! RRGHHH!!"

I watched in absolute horror as the schoolbus ramped over a hill of metal and came down on the two disk halves and Robin and Cyborg.

I struggled to move. I gritted my teeth. I sweated heavily.

SMASH!!!!!!!

The disks were shoved against each other by the force of the bus. I couldn't tell if Robin and Cyborg were squished or not, but the two halves were shoved along the way across the scrapyard and towards the conveyor belt.

THWUMP!!!

As the bus slammed hard into the apparatus, the two disks flipped over and landed bottom up on the conveyor belt platform. I heard panting breaths and realized Cyborg and Robin were still alive. And lying on the conveyor belt beside them—unconscious—was Raven's body.

The hell did she get there?!

SWOOOOOOSH!!!

The black figure streaked along the conveyor belt.

My eyes barely managed to follow it. My focus stopped where the figure stopped…..right at the trash compactor at the end of the conveyor system.

And—as if by magic—the compactor switched on. The conveyor belt groaned to life.

Mounds of trash—and my five teammates included—were consequently being driven into the jaws of a huge shredding, crushing, and mangling apparatus made for turning scrap into literal metal sand.

I. Had. To. Get. Loose.

I closed my black eyes under the shades.

I meditated.

The compactor snapped and cracked.

The conveyor belt rattled along.

I took a deep breath.

I focused on Construction and Destruction within my system.

The Titans rolled towards shredded death.

Ahead of them, a rusted front half of a truck fell into the compactor and shot forth sparks as it jerked into a cyclonic plummet down a chute of serration that rendered it to metal ribbons.

Smoke warbled up my legs, around my thighs, through my waist, up my torso, encircling my arms, into my head, pulsed, and shot straight down like an invisible rocket.

SMASH!!!!!

A crater formed deep around my legs, freeing my ankles completely.

Smoke danced out from under my shades as I reopened my eyes, glared, and sprinted instantly towards the compactor.

Raven was the first to head into the mouth of the shredder.

I blurred on smoking legs.

The dark girl's robe started to dangle off the conveyor belt and into the compactor's mouth---

WOOOOSH!! I stretched a hand out, grabbed a handful of cords, and ignored the shock as I fiercely yanked them out of the apparatus' side and cut off the power.

ZAAP!!!!

Raven's unconscious head rested at the edge of the conveyor belt. Just a few inches beyond her blue hair, the whirling and crushing blades groaned to a stop.

I let out a breath.

I glanced to the side.

The shadowed figured blurred off towards the horizon.

An intense anger rose through me. I forgot everything about what the Messenger said. I forgot all about the suspicion of my teammates. I forgot all about what little future I had left with this team.

All I knew was….in a matter of two minutes…I almost lost every single friend I had.

I gritted my teeth, trailing angry smoke, and blurred off in pursuit.

SWOOOOOSH!!

I zoomed across the scrapyard, dipping my hand down once to snatch up Myrkblade.

CLAMP!!!

I spun it around in a nimble wrist and held it behind me as I rocketed after the dark figure.

This had to be the Third Apprentice…

I saw the dark opponent ahead of me. Moving so fast I couldn't discern features. I couldn't establish identity.

I didn't care. I was so angry. If worse came to worse, I'd rip the apprentice's face off and show it to the Titans for them to find something else to judge instead of me.

I saw Robin's glare in my black mind, and I ran faster. I heard Cyborg's hopeless sigh and gnashed my teeth harder.

Finally I felt Raven's cold gaze and felt my heart beat faster.

The figure ahead of me dashed and darted around heaps of cars, trash, appliances, a bus or two. Every now and then there'd be a flash of light and one piece from the crumpled mountains would loosen and fall down in time to fly at my pursuing figure. I jumped a rusted clothes drier, ran around a shower of metal barrels, and smashed my way through a car door with my sword.

I then held Myrkblade up and let loose a stream of dark energy ahead of me.

SWOOOOSH!!!!

The figure jumped the stream, flipped, and flung two nimble wrists at the ground below my feet.

As fate would have it….

A hole collapsed in the ground in front of me.

I barely outstepped it, leapt over the crater, and landed in a canal between tall stacks of cars…continuing my pursuit.

The figure regained its momentum, running away from me. Every now and then it'd flick a wrist towards the walls of cars around us. Smashed trucks, minivans, and other heaps of aluminum tumbled, bounced, and crashed their way down the canyon of trash towards me.

I jumped, flipped, then came upon a huge collapse of about seven cars. I blurred my feet and literally ran up the wall of trash to my right. The impact of my blurred feet caused a domino effect of dozens upon dozens of collapsing, crushed automobiles behind me. A thunderous roar chased my footsteps down the 'canyon' as I chased the figure's footsteps and we both blurred a path down the rest of the length of the scrapyard.

Eventually, we emerged out from the end of the alley of cars and approached the edge of the grounds. A huge metal fence stretched before us. The figure pointed a finger and a hole magically ripped open in the structure, through which it dashed through. A wall of dirt shot up behind the figure, covering the hole.

I took a deep breath as a wave of dark energy shot through me. I leapt at the fence, teleported into smoke form, flew through the wireframe, and solidified on the other side…continuing my pursuit.

We dashed across a dirt road towards a huge building that at first seemed like a factory to me.

The figure leapt up onto the rear, semi-truck loading deck and dashed in through a side door.

I ran after it, raised Myrkblade, reached a garage door, and literally shredded my way inside.

SMASH!!!!

It was instantly cold. I ran into a frigid wall of air. Everything was dark. My black eyes twitched under the shades as I ran into a horde of dangling bodies.

I skidded to a blurred stop on the floor.

A gigantic meat locker.

Huge sides of beef hung all around me like pendulums.

There was no sign of the figure.

I gasped and spun around in the forest of flesh.

Something caught my eye. A glint of metal.

A dagger…

I stopped, jerked my head straight in front of me, and saw a throng of men poised on a catwalk overhead. The figure dashed up and stopped, joining them. The tallest of the men stood out to me. He was twirling a knife between his fingers. His eyes….never blinked.

And that's when the men by his and the figure's side suddenly swiveled huge floodlights around, aimed them at me, and---

FLASH!!!!!!!!!

The intensity of a thousand suns screamed their way into my black eyes.

I dropped Myrkblade to the floor with a CLANK!!!

I gripped my hands over my shades and exhaled in extreme pain.

Hot tears were streaming out. My body convulsed as I backed up and collapsed against a dangling side of meat.

Everything was cold and everything was burning.

Burning……..

"I see you're still getting used to those eyes, Jordan…" said a hauntingly calm voice.

I had no strength gasp in shock. I fell to my knees, desperately gripping my burning eyes. My teeth clenched and my whole body shook in pain.

"It was quite remarkable giving them to you. But what I remember most was the process in which we took your old ones out."

I panted. I reached a hand out and felt around for Myrkblade's hilt.

Who was this guy?!?!

"You were such a……loud little boy then……," the voice calmly continued. It echoed down from the catwalk, bounced off the dangling bodies of beef, and rattled into my weary, confused ears. "You never seemed to stop screaming……"

I panted.

My finger touched something hard.

Myrkblade.

I shakily scooped the hilt up into my wrist and stood up on wobbly legs.

I tried opening my eyes, but it was still burningly bright. I tried turning around and doing it again. But the light was everywhere. It was coming at me from all corners. An ambush of fire. It was my equivalent to someone else being shut inside a room with no lights. I couldn't open my black eyes to see a damn thing. All I could do was listen……

Oh god….

"If the Titans knew the secrets that we keep……the pain that you went through……maybe they would not be so quick to apathetically abandon you in this time of utter confusion and twists of fate. But, alas, it is far too late for your redemption amongst your ill-destined friends. Slade's apprentice and my invisible hand of power saw to that…"

I panted.

Dagger???

How does he……know me??

"You may walk away from this warehouse knowing the truth, Jordan. That you've been framed. That you are innocent of the betrayal that the Titans suspect of you. But what good is truth? People believe that truth sets a soul free. But that is not the case, for truth itself is not 'free'. Truth is a prison, and each and every one of us suffers within the claustrophobic walls of its existence. Even if you were to meet your fellow Titans again, Jordan, they would not be able to see your face. For you'll forever be hidden deep within the walls of a unknown truth that they'll never pierce through. Such is the rule of Fate in this lifetime. In this existence. In this Now."

I took a deep breath and stepped blindly forward.

I ran face-first into a hanging side of beef.

I let out a silent scream and slashed through it with Myrkblade.

CHUNK!!!

Smelly juices squirted out and covered me.

I gasped.

"Temper temper……you were always so violent with that sword of yours……"

I stumbled back into another hanging body.

I spun around and slashed at it.

Scraps of meat and juice flew.

I spun around and slashed again, panting. Sweating.

More meat. More cuts. More blood.

The voice was silent for a while, until it coolly oozed out: "Consider this as our doing a favor for you, Jordan. You may be ostracized…but you've been that way before. You've been that way before because all you've done is banish yourself. We were there once to help you, Jordan. And it's not that you've forgotten about us…but rather, you've decided to put us far back into the blinding oblivion of your mind and tried to distract yourself with silly vigilante dreams of social servitude. But all playtime must come to an end and each of our kind reach the realization that there's a darker purpose ahead of us. A purpose as dark and menacing as the Destruction itself that surges in our arteries. You may not realize it now, but you're going to be alone again for a purpose. You will become full circle. And—hopefully—you will then realize your true potential. And once you do, I will be waiting for your return. I may not be a man of feelings, Noir. But I am a man of second chances. And consider yourself entreated with one…"

I slashed one last time in madness.

I stood there…panting….gripping hard to Myrkblade.

I felt juices congealing around my ankles.

And a smell…

My black eyes popped open into the burning world.

That smell………

I was standing on a metal floor, surrounded by chunks of beef. Black on red bodies. Everything oozing together like sauce. Myrkblade in my grasp. Fingers tight around the hilt. Red everywhere…red everywhere and the urge to laugh. The urge to laugh mightily. Tears streaming down my eyes. Red tears. Red tears and red sauce and boiling laughter. I expected a nightmarishly thin figure and a pain of guilt in the flash of red light forming a pain in my throat but instead---

The dark figure and the bodies dashed away.

I was staring into the brightness too long.

I clenched my eyes shut again and hung onto a dangling piece of meat.

I panted heavily…things swarming through my head. Familiar scents…faces….

Voices…..

The burning stopped.

It was cold once again in the warehouse.

My pained eyes fluttered open under the shades.

The floodlights were off.

I was alone.

Something glinted in a pale light.

I looked to the ground.

Marinating in the spilled juice of shredded sides of beef was a silver dagger.

I knelt down and picked it up.

There was a white tag tied to the hilt. And on the tag, a little message had been written in hauntingly familiar handwriting.

I squinted my eyes as everything came into focus and I read:

'Don't tell me you forgot about the carbonite bomb you came here to find……'

I gasped.

I spun around—nearly slipping on the meat juice—and dashed out through the hole in the warehouse I had made and into the heated air of summer.

I came to a stop on the deck of the loading area, panted, and stared off at the scrapyard across the road.

The scrapyard stared back at me and---

BOOOOOOM!!!!!!!

Metal shards and debris flew into the air as a dome of pure plasma erupted from the ground producing a blast wave of dirt, metal, and dust that rolled through the metal fence, slammed over the warehouse, and threw me back into the interior forest of meat.

And utter…horrifying loneliness.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"The last question of the show is this, gentlemen. If we are, in fact, seeing a repetitious trend of the rise and fall of Slade and the challenges of the Teen Titans…when will the pattern ever end?"

' "That's a good question, Phil. Honestly…I have no clue. But there is the obvious answer."

' "What's that, Mr. Bringham?"

' "The pattern would stop coming full circle if someone was to die."

' "Someone…like Slade?"

' "Indeed……or, for that matter, the Titans themselves…"