Raven was safely ensconed in the room prepared for her. Beast Boy, Cyborg, Robin and Starfire were outside, waiting for Slade and his army.
As he approached, he stared at the Titans. "You know this is impossible for you to win. Just let me through, and you will live. I don't have to kill you."
Robin responded for everyone. "No give, no merc, no quarter. Titans! GO!"
Cyborg attacked with his sonic cannon and energy blade. Starfire flew about, attacking with her starbolts and the occasional piece of debris. Robin threw freeze disks and attacked with his bo staff. Beast Boy rampaged as the Beast.
In the safe room, Raven meditated...clutching the chicken. It was the first gift Beast Boy had ever given her, and she clung to it like a lifeline, a promise he would survive and return to her. In her hand was the lucky penny, and she wished and prayed with all her heart that luck would smile on them this day. In front of her was a clock.
3:27.18
Slowly, bit by bit, the Titans found themselves pushed back, outnumbered. The flame creatures just kept coming. Finally, they were surrounded, as Robin began to weary. Starfire came to his aid, also low on energy.
"GIve up, Titans. You can not win," Slade said, glaring down at them.
Cyborg smirked. "Phase two," he said into his communicator.
2:40.25
Waves of pink light smashed into the flame creatures, dispersing them. Jinx and the rest of Titans East leapt down from the roof of the Tower, as the other Titans withdrew to reenergize.
"It's called backup," Jinx said to Slade. "Ever heard of it?"
Snarling in fury, Slade directed the flame creatures to assault, and charged at Jinx. Mammoth back handed him away.
"You may be indestructible," Mammoth said, grinning, "but enough force still sends you flying. And I've got nothing but force."
The battle began in earnest. Mas and Menos were equipped with swords designed by Raven and Cyborg. They cut through the flame creatures easily dispersing them on impact. Speedy had brought a supply of nth-metal arrows. Aqualad easily exstinguished the flame creatures with his water waves. Jinx' hex waves mowed through the flame creatures easily.
1:36.15
Eventually, though, the backup team began to tire. It wasn't easy to fight continuously for over an hour straight at full strength. They clearly needed a breather.
Slade snarled at them. "You are beaten. Give it up already!"
Jinx simply smirked. She pulled out a Hive communicator. "Phase Three," she said into it.
The Titans East jumped back. Seemore, Kid Wykkid, and Billy Numerous leaped out of nowhere, similarly armed. Slade howled his frustration as they began to attack and slaughter the respawning flame creatures.
0:47.29
The former Hive students, however, weren't as tough as the Titans (obvious, since the Titans always beat them) and exhausted quicker.
Slade came down hard on them, easily knocking them aside. "Why join with your enemies to fight me?" he asked Seemore, anger seething around him.
Seemore smirked. "Jinx is still our friend. That hasn't changed. She said this is the end of the world, so we decided to prevent it." He sent a beam of light into the air from his eye. "FINAL PHASE!" he shouted.
The Titans suddenly returned to the battle field, refreshed and ready to fight full force.
Slade roared in fury, and charged in full force. THe Titans fought hard, mowing the flame creatures down and keeping Slade back.
0:12.09
Jinx noticed something about the flame creatures and Slade. Getting near to Cyborg, she spoke. "TIn man, these things are all draawn mystically through Slade. He's the medium of transfer. If we can find a way to block his magic-"
"Got it, Jinx. When I give the signal...hit ME with everything you got."
She stared at him, then nodded.
0:06.17
As the battle started to look bad, Cyborg held his sonic cannon up and it shifted. He shouted, "NOW, JINX!"
Jinx gathered all her magic power into one blast and hurled it at Cyborg. He staggered back...and absorbed it. The sonic cannon expanded, a pink sphere contained in what looked like a detonation device.
Slade looked at him. "Planning to die again, Cyborg?"
Cyborg grinned. "Hardly." The pink light shifted, and the device collapsed inward.
A wave of pink light expanded outward, erasing the flame creatures and shorting out Slade's magic. "WHAT?" Slade shouted.
0:03.24
Cyborg charged forward, extending his energy blade. Before Slade could react, Cyborg had swung the blade like lightning, seperating Slade's arms and legs from his body. Mammoth grabbed the right leg, Mas and Menos the left, Aqualad the right arm, Speedy the left. THey pulled the limbs away from the unbleeding body.
0:01.00
Slade glowered up at Cyborg. "You are only delaying the inevitable."
"Tell me something Slade," Cyborg said amicably. "Trigon will come through when Raven becomes the portal during the planetary alignment that occurs during her sixteenth year...correct?"
"You already know that."
"Trigon's invested a lot in this plan, hasn't he? If it were to fail...the consequences for him could be extremely serious, couldn't they? Could he try again?"
"He won't need to. As I said, you are only delaying the inevitable."
"True," Cyborg said, glancing at his arm. "But then, that was our plan the entire time." He showed Slade the display on his arm.
0:00.03
"Delay," Cyborg said grinning.
0:00.02
Slade stared, understanding dawning in his mind.
0:00.01
Slade screamed his fury and frustration.
0:00.00
The planetary alignment ended. The eclipse passed, as light returned to the world. The markings dissappeared from Raven's body, and she smiled.
Slade - all of him - vanished in unholy fire as an unearthly roar of rage and frustration filled the air before slowly fading away.
Jinx threw her arms around Cyborg, kissing him soundly. "We did it."
Cyborg grinned. "Yep," he said simply. "We did." He truned to watch as Beast Boy ran back into the tower to check on Raven. Robin and Starfire were leaning on each other. The Hive students had vanished with the start of the final phase, as expected. Cyborg gazed out solemly at the light of the new day.