Ch. 34 Carnivore

Endless. At least for the moment, there was nothing that could be done to convince Beast Boy that the staircase that him and his small group were travelling down didn't go on for eternity, spiraling deeper and deeper into the Earth, almost as if they had taken the dark and lonesome road to another world, devoid of colour and feeling. Only a short few moments after they had begun to descend, did all attempts at conversation dissipate into thin air, as if the void in front of them was sucking the very sound out of the timeless passageway, like a vacuum slowly tugging at the occupants very beings. Clearly, this entrance to the catacombs beneath the library hadn't been used in a very long time and Beast Boy could see why. Even for this place, a place he hated with every fibre of his being that he knew had stood for far too long already…it seemed almost too old.

All these thoughts circulated around his head as he kept his keen wolf eyes trained on the staircase ahead of him, scanning, searching for any signs of light…or life…or even just something to indicate a change of scenery. The hallway was narrow, forcing the Titans to walk in single file, one behind the other. Ravager brought up the rear of the group, and for her part, she seemed completely unfazed by the darkness that was all encompassing, the only light being provided coming from Nightwing's torch as well as the faint glow of Starfire's green eyes.

Nightwing walked ahead of Ravager and behind Starfire, and while his reasoning was that Ravager could follow him from behind for light and the others could use it to see the steps in front of them was solid, he wouldn't have any shame in admitting that there was something in the air that he didn't like… something about this place that made him want to have Starfire in his line of sight at all times. Although there hadn't been an issue last time, Nightwing had already noticed that his communicator seemed to be having reception issues. There would be no comms coming from the surface for the foreseeable future. That meant that they were going to get no intel on who had been drawn outside into the open…and more importantly for them, that also meant they weren't going to get any hints at what may still be lurking inside. Nightwing was almost thankful for the straightforward nature of the stairs. There were no corners for enemies to be hiding behind, no places to set an ambush…but also, in the back of his mind, it had occurred to him…nowhere for them to run too if something went wrong.

Ahead of him, Starfire wasn't exactly trying to hide her true feelings, although nobody could see the obvious nervousness that adorned her facial expression, although in her case, it was far more than just discomfort from the tunnel they were currently traversing. She couldn't help but glance at the back of Raven's hood every few seconds, the blue fabric only barely visible in front her, the light flickering against the back of the empath, giving her an almost spectral appearance. She knew what was on the line today…she truly did…but that didn't mean she was willing to see Raven, who she considered the closest female friend she had ever had, give herself up to achieve their goal. But also deep down, despite all her strength and righteous fury…she may not be able to stop her. Aside from that, her mind also couldn't help but drift back to Raven's vision of the future. She feared no creature and no man…but Adonis…or more accurately, what happened the last time he and Beast Boy faced Adonis…it echoed around her head, images of Beast Boy bleeding out burned into her psyche like tattoos in her mind. It would not happen again….it couldn't happen again…she wouldn't let it.

Finally, the empath had chosen to focus on the swishing tail of the changeling in front of her to distract herself from the shadows that seemed to be playing at the corners of her eyes and, maybe more prominently, the sinking feeling that had begun to make an appearance in her chest. It was like a heavy weight that was becoming more prominent by the second. Something wasn't adding up in her mind. Deathstroke had been using this as his base for some time. Raven didn't believe for a second that their enemy, someone who had earned a reputation with them for being clever, had simply not conducted thorough research into all the entrances and exists to the catacombs. There was no doubt in her mind that he knew of the tunnel they were currently walking down…so why leave it undefended?

Her mind drifted to back outside when they were flanking down the side streets. The Herald's group had encountered Psimon and some of Deathstroke's bots almost immediately…but their side was…unguarded? It all seemed…too convenient…like Deathstroke wasn't actually going to be surprised by their appearance, because he had been subtly guiding them this entire time. But also…what else were they to do? They were here to confront Deathstroke and save Melvin and whether they were walking into a trap or not didn't matter to the empath because she only had one goal and once Melvin was secured…well, she could finally end all of this. The empath was torn from her thoughts as Beast Boy suddenly resumed his human form in front of her, holding a hand backwards to halt the group in their tracks.

Raven could see Beast Boy's ear twitching on his head as he leaned forwards into the darkness, before turning to the group.

"The noises from the sewers are back and in the last few steps, the smell of the tunnel has changed. I don't know if we're just far enough away from the sewers or something…but up ahead...you can't see it yet, but the stairs end. Not the hallway…just the stairs."

Nightwing nodded. "Alright…if the schematics are right, this tunnel should lead to a small side room off one of the three main areas. Move slowly and carefully…I have a feeling that Deathstroke may be anticipating an infiltration like this."

Raven felt her blood run a little colder as Nightwing echoed her internal sentiments. If the titan leader thought things seemed a little too convenient…she knew him long enough to know that they definitely were…his instincts were rarely wrong. Beast Boy nodded at Nightwing's input and rather than shifting back, chose to proceed in his human form. Raven knew he still had enhanced senses and was more than capable of leading the way. After only a few more steps, Ravem felt what Beast Boy had been talking about in the air. The slightly moistness that seemed to linger in the air and on the walls seemed to evaporate, replaced with a somewhat dry atmosphere. Raven didn't say anything, but she knew Beast Boy had left out a detail…at this stage, even she could pick up the traces of smoke in the air.

After no more than a few minutes more, the staircase came to an end, as Beast Boy said it would. However, only a few seconds later, once the group was on flat ground, did a bend in the hallway tunnel appear under the light of Nightwing's torch, who promptly lowered it to the floor.

"Beast Boy, scout ahead, see if you can give us the all clear."

With a silent nod, Beast Boy shifted into an owl once more, and with genuine grace, he took to the air, landing silently at the at the corner of the turn, where he took a few tiny hops forward and gazed around into the unknown. Raven, unable to resist, gently tapped into his emotions to see if she could pick up on what he was looking at and her eyes widened at the sudden influx of apprehension that was rolling off the changeling. She didn't have much time to dwell on it though, as within a few seconds, Beast Boy had already flown back to the group and resumed his human form.

"We've got a light at the end of the tunnel, but also…we've got movement…and what seems to be a lot of it. I think it was some members of the Cult of Trigon, but I couldn't say for sure if that's all there was. Seems to be radio silence down there now but I can still hear movement."

Nightwing grimaced and he had to resist reaching for his escrima sticks over his shoulder. He wasn't against teaching some followers of Trigon a lesson, but in a space like this, sheer numbers could pose a problem.

Starfire gently cleared her throat. "Sorry for the interruption, but if Cyborg and the others have performed their job adequately, the number of adversaries we should come across down here should be…reduced somewhat, no?"

Raven pulled her hood down, her expression sceptical. "In theory…I mean it is what our plan is counting but…like Nightwing said…things have seemed a little too simple so far."

Starfire nodded, unsureness in her eyes. "I can certainly see that to an extent but does that mean we go backwards now? Our only way to go now is forward…regardless of whether Deathstroke has anticipated our arrival or not."

Ravager cracked her knuckles at the back of the group. "Starfire is right. We're in it now. Deathstroke said that he'd kill the kid if Raven didn't show up today. When he told Raven that ultimatum, he knew he was putting us in a bind. We turn around, the kid's death is on our hands. Whatever the others are doing outside right now…it's for nothing if we turn back."

Raven's face hardened at Ravager's words. "The Titans are not leaving here without Melvin."

Ravager gave a wry smile. "Well then…only one way for us to go."

Beast Boy nodded, a complete look of seriousness displayed across his features. "Ravager's right…we came here with a pretty clear goal…I don't see why Deathstroke having something planned for us or not would change that…if anything, we have something planned for him."

Nightwing could feel the atmosphere in the room settle as his team unified under one banner, making his decision a hell of a lot easier. If they were walking into a trap, at least every one of them knew it and was prepared to do it anyway.

"Alright, we move forward. Gar, when we get to the corner you saw up ahead, I want you to go scout out the next room. Fly high and go in small."

Beast Boy nodded with a grin. "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee and all that, gotcha."

Raven raised an eyebrow as the group began to proceed forward up to the bend in the path. "Unless I'm mistaken, Nightwing only told you to scout ahead…no need to sting like a bee in this case."

Beast Boy gave a huff of laughter but didn't turn around as he led the group forward. "That depends on who or what I see inside."

Without breaking her stride so as to not alert the others, Raven reached forward and grabbed Beast Boy's hand, which was swinging back and forth as he walked, jolting him, causing him to turn around wide-eyed, his form shrinking ever so slightly as he stared into Raven's, at this point, burning amethyst irises. His mouth opened, a choked noise coming out. Raven, like a good teammate, put him out of misery quickly.

"No Gar, it doesn't. Remember…find the line between instinct and recklessness…for…the sake of the team."

Raven hesitated before saying team and Beast Boy hadn't missed it. He knew what she had really wanted to say and he immediately felt the slightest pang of guilt in his chest. He looked at her sheepishly for a second before giving her the slightest of smiles.

"Don't worry Rae…I'm a fast learner."

Raven's eyes widened back, a fleeting moment in the Med Bay rocketing to the front of her mind, before she felt Beast Boy's hand disappear out of her grasp. She began to glance down at her hand, only to have her eyes drawn upwards as a green butterfly entered her line of sight, gently flying upwards, hovering in front of her face for a few seconds. It took a moment, but she gave the insect a small smile, causing it to do a little pirouette in the air before it turned and began meandering down the tunnel. As she turned around to the rest of the group, she pulled her hood up, just in case there was any remnant of a blush on her face. Nightwing was looking at her approvingly. "You're good for him Raven. You keep him level-headed."

Raven gave a slight huff, half her attention on Nightwing and the other half on the Tamaranean who was stood directly in front of him, who's smile was doing it's absolute best to light up the entire tunnel.

"An impossible task…I only do what I can."

Starfire smiled knowingly. "Oh friend Raven…it is more than enough."

Ravager cleared her throat. "Right, enough with the congratulations to Raven for making sure Beast Boy doesn't get himself killed. Shouldn't we be following him at this stage?"

Raven, thankful for Ravager's change of topic nodded quickly. "Ravager's right. Beast Boy's stealth doesn't guarantee him not getting caught. We need to stay close to him."

With a quick set of affirmations, the four remaining Titans began moving silently, following the corridor and taking the bend in the path, where Raven was immediately able to see what Beast Boy had been talking about. At the end of the tunnel, there was a flickering light, as if the next room that this hallway fed into was lit by torches, finally bringing a much appreciated glow to their surroundings. However, it was only upon getting closer did Raven see what Beast Boy had meant by shadows and for the first time, she head the noises he had been hearing. Maybe it was because they were all closer, but Raven could make out the dull, synchronised tones of human chanting. The closer she got to the end of the hallway, the more she wished she could turn back. When they were only a few feet away, her eyes locked onto the shape of a butterfly hovering in midair. There it floated for a few seconds, before it did another pirouette, shifting into what Raven recognised as a hawk moth mid-spin, and flying out around the corner.

It always took Beast Boy a few seconds to get used to the change in his sensory abilities when shifting, especially when becoming like a moth, where he was detecting things he never usually would, even with his heightened human senses. As such, when he flitted around the corner, for the first few seconds, he simply flew upwards, giving himself a moment to adjust to his new capabilities. Only when he could feel his wings brushing against the roof did he stop the look around. He was in a new hallway, this one lined with torches along the walls, the orange flames casting the entire area in a warm glow. Looking down the hallway in the direction he had seen movement, his eyes landed on an exit, to what appeared to be a rather large room.

Steadfast and determined, Beast Boy haphazardly made his way towards the exit, hugging the roof as tightly as he could to stay out of sight. Just before he got to the exit, he shifted again, this time taking the form of a spider and clinging to the roof. Instead of flying out as an insect, he climbed on the underside of the roof and around the corner upwards, so that he had positioned himself above the entrance way. Only when he felt he was in an adequate position, did he cast his eyes over the room. Beast Boy wasn't quite sure how spider anatomy worked perse, but if he had been in his human form, his jaw would have hit the floor. For now, he settled on his eight eyes widening.

It was like a religious ceremony. The hallway had opened out into one of the massive domed rooms that Nightwing had identified in the schematics. However, nothing in the schematics could have told them about how any of the rooms being used. As for this one, it now was closer in resemblance to a place of worship for the antichrist than it was an underground cave. Lit torches lined the walls, placed within alcoves that looked they had been dug out of the solid rock, each alcove on top of the other, spiralling all the way up to the roof, giving the impression that it was almost raining fire, the entire room bathed in an ominous amber. Like a boiling cauldron, the temperature had sky-rocketed from the open flames, but there was a certain humidity to the room, which made the air thick and almost difficult to breath in.

Spread out across the entire room, members of the Cult of Trigon stood at attention, with pathways left by the people separating the mass of humanity into three distinct groups, all of their focus on a large platform carved from solid rock at the other side of the room. Past that, Beast Boy could see a massive domed exit, which, based on Nightwing's research, would lead to the centre of the labyrinth, where the platform where Raven became the portal, and where Deathstroke needed to kill her, stood waiting. Beast Boy had to tear his eyes away from the exit. This room would be a nightmare to get through unseen for the rest of his group. However, all thoughts of that issue faded from his mind as he finally focused at just who was on stage, his many eyes narrowing.

"Abaddon…and…"

He had been so focused on the leader of the Cult of Trigon that it actually took him a second to look at the second figure on the stage and he felt his mind go blank. He'd heard plenty of lines from movies and comics about confronting your own demons and such, but as he stared at the grey-skinned, red-eyed version of himself that stood beside Abaddon, arms folded, a scowl on its face, he was pretty sure that lines from movies weren't supposed to be so literal. He tried to clear his head and focus. He was here to scout after all. When he stopped thinking and actively started listening, he almost wished he hadn't, as the dull voices of the choir beneath him started to bounce around his kind. They're chanting rhythmic and repetitive, he knew that if he were to get out of her alive, he'd hear these voices in his head for years to come.

The gem was born of evil's fire.

The gem shall be his portal.

He come to claim, he comes to sire the end of all things mortal.

Ringing out above it all, Abaddon's voice echoed throughout the chamber as he delivered his sermon on the mount, a rockstar addressing his adoring crowd, he had his disciples in the palm of his hand.

"MY FRIENDS! BROTHERS IN ARMS! WE HAVE STRIVED FOR THIS DAY FOR SO LONG! TOILING IN THE DARKEST CORNERS OF THE WORLD, WE HAVE CONDUCTED OUR BUSINESS FROM THE SAFETY OF THE SHADOWS, WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO TAKE TRIGON'S MANTLE! I ASK YOU NOW….HAVE WE NOT WAITED LONG ENOUGH!?"

A chorus of raucous cheers echoed throughout the room as Abaddon held his hands upward, basking in the applause of his captivated audience. After a few seconds, he gently turned his hands around, prompting the crowd to fall silent again. He cleared his throat.

"WE HAVE EACH BEEN OUR OWN DEVIL AND TONIGHT…WE MAKE THIS WORLD A HELL FOR ALL! THE GEM…ESCORTED BY HER MOST LOYAL COMPANIONS TO HER DEATH! LOOK UPON THIS STAGE! LOOK AT THIS CREATURE THAT STANDS BESIDE ME!"

Abaddon shoved his hands to his right-hand side, gesturing at Beast Boy's demon.

"THE TITANS BELIEVE THEMSELVES RIGHTEOUS! THAT THEY ARE WORTHY OF DETERMINING THE FATE OF OTHERS! THAT THEY ARE WITHOUT FAULT! YET, HERE BEFORE YOU ALL, I SHOW YOU THE DEVIL THAT RESIDES INSIDE ONE OF THEM! THEY PREACH THEIR VIRTUE AND HONOUR BUT KNOW THIS! THEY ARE JUST LIKE US, BUT LACK THE AMBITION AND SIGHT TO SEE THE VALUE OF WHAT WE WILL ACHIEVE TONIGHT! REMEMBER THIS MY FRIEND…WHEN DEATHSTROKE ASCENDS, REMEMBER YOU WERE THE BRAVE FEW OF HUMANITY WHO STOOD AGAINST TITANS!"

Another chorus of cheers and excited cries echoed out throughout the chamber that Abaddon immediately began to bask in again, but Beast Boy couldn't help but tilt his head as his inner demon calmly walked up behind him and pulled one of his arms down, an action that the leader of the Cult of Trigon was clearly not expecting, based on the look of annoyance on his face. However, the demon yanked his head down quickly and began whispering in his ear and Beast Boy couldn't help but feel his heart run cold at the sick smile that slowly began to spread on his face. When his demon stepped back, it was smiling too, but not at Abaddon, or the crowd…it was unmistakeable…he was looking directly at him. In a panic, Beast Boy did the only thing he could think of as Abaddon's voice began to echo throughout the chamber once more.

"FRIENDS! I HAVE JUST BEEN INFORMED BY THE DEMON BESIDE ME-"

Beast Boy desperately tried to connect with Raven through their bond, feeling the familiar tug and burst of emotions as he made contact.

"THAT THE TIME OF RECKONING IS EVEN CLOSER THAN WE THOUGHT-"

Beast Boy was so caught up in trying to reach Raven, that didn't notice that his inner demon has already jumped off the stage and was now making a beeline across the room towards the entrance he was perched above. The second the connection solidified, Raven spoke, as if she had been anticipating it this whole time.

"Gar, what's going on? What are we loo-"

"FOR WE HAVE BEEN JOINED BY THE DEMON'S OTHER HALF IN THIS VERY ROOM! THE TITAN BEAST BOY! GARFIELD MARK LOGAN! THE BEAST!"

Beast Boy finally saw his inner demon's approach out of the corner of his eyes. Out of time, Beast Boy cut Raven off.

"Spotted! Can't ge-"

Beast Boy couldn't even finish the thought as with a few steps to go, his inner demon jumped into the air, assuming the form of a hawk, and soared through the air towards where he was currently hanging over the door. Reacting on pure instinct, Beast Boy jumped off the wall as a spider, morphing in midair into an eagle, and just barely managing to sail over the demon's head. Rather than stay in the air, Beast Boy flew down to the ground, shifting into his human form and stood in the middle of the circle that had now been formed by the Cult of Trigon, barring him from making an exit on foot. After a moment, the grey hawk completed its aerial U-turn and landed a few feet in front of Beast Boy, that same sick smile on his face that he had been wearing on stage still etched into his features.

"Did you really think that I couldn't sense if you were here or not…after all…we're pretty close aren't we?"

Beast Boy's eyes narrowed as he got into a defensive stance, his eyes flicking from the demon in front of him to the crowd around him that seemed to be inching forwards. "Well to be fair, I wasn't expecting you to be in here."

The demon looked like he was about to answer, when the sound of human cries from the entrance Beast Boy came through grabbed both of their attentions, as well as Abaddon. Members of the Cult of Trigon on that side of the room seemed to be desperately trying to push down the tunnel, much to both Beast Boy and his demon's confusion. However, the confusion only lasted for a moment. Without warning, dozens of cult members were sent flying backwards through the air as a burst of green energy, that Beast Boy recognized as a star bolt, the size of the tunnel itself came flying out. Immediately, cultists that had avoided the bolt tried to pile back in, but this time, any stragglers were pinned against the walls by two barriers of dark magic with such force that Beast Boy could swear he saw a handful lose consciousness on impact.

Once the way was clear, the rest of his team emerged from the tunnel. Ravager had her katanas drawn, a look of disdain plastered on her face at the fallen members of the cult around her. Nightwing, much to Beast Boy's surprise, had foregone his escrima sticks, instead opting for his birdarang sword, his eyes firmly locked on Beast Boy's demon. Starfire's eyes glowed green with rage, her hand's pulsing with a glow of power, her teeth grinding in her mouth in anticipation at the scene before her. That left Raven, standing in front of the others, her hood down, her purple hair blowing in the gust created by the blast Starfire made, her face dripping with determination, her eyes flicking around the room, until they locked onto Beast Boy's. He didn't miss the slight look of relief on her face when she saw him still in one piece. He felt her voice in his head.

"…at least you called for back-up this time."

"Couldn't let you guys miss out on the fun, could I?"

But, before any fighting could start, all eyes were drawn to the stage where Abaddon still stood, his expression smug, his grin menacing. He was clapping his hands slowly and methodically, his eyes locked firmly onto Raven.

"FRIENDS! IS IT NOT HOW I HAVE FORETOLD! THE GEM STANDS BEFORE YOU! HER DEATH WILL BRING FORWARD A NEW AGE FOR THIS WORLD!"

Almost immediately, every cultist in the room dropped to their knees, hands placed out in front of them in a deep bow, aimed in the direction of Raven, who looked around the room in confusion. Abaddon, for his part, seemed unsurprised by their actions and calmly walked off the stage via a ramp at the front, his arms open in a welcoming motion.

"Oh don't mind them…all about formalities. You're arrival has been anticipated and don't worry…I've already let Deathstroke know you're here…a simple thought sent on the wind, much how like you and your friend Beast Boy communicate, no?

Raven looked at the ancient figure walking towards her with disgust. Beast Boy made to move between Abaddon and Raven, but his demon took a step towards him, causing him to pause. The members of the Cult were bowing…for now. He didn't want to test their etiquette, given the sheer number of them. Raven raised an eyebrow at the leader of the Cult of Trigon, along with her glowing hands, which relinquished the cult members who had been pressed against the walls behind her, their limp bodies falling to the floor.

"I don't need or want to hear about the relationship you have with Deathstroke."

Abaddon chuckled. "No, no, of course you don't. Anyway, I'm sure he'll send a welcoming party for Mr. Logan and the rest of your colleagues here, but for now…where are my manners. I am Abaddon, leader of the Cult of Trigon…and you…Raven…Rachel Roth, daughter of Arella...you need not introduce yourself…the gem who's arrival on Earth was foretold…let me tell you, the pleasure is all mine."

Cyborg felt his feet digging into the ground, tearing through tarmac and concrete as he tried to stop his momentum, while keeping his balance and keeping his eyes on Ternion, who's energy, unfortunately, seemed almost limitless, as he constantly advanced on him, pushing his advantage, parts of his body dripping off of him in the form of balls of flaming plasma, which seeped into the now exposed ground beneath the road. Cyborg had been doing better against his larger opponent since his initial time getting bounced back, picking his spots, getting inside Ternion's guard when he took wild, yet blindingly fast swings, and landing a few distinct shots which definitely left the monster reeling. However, the creature simply would not falter. Every time he fell down, he rose up almost immediately. Any time Cyborg thought he'd gained the upper hand, he revealed some new power or trick that immediately pushed Cyborg onto the back foot. The only scrap of information he'd garnered from his enemy that was any use, was that much like the first time the Titans had fought Ternion, he was still partial to trying to grab his opponents with his plasma and pull them inside, before spitting them back out, something he was planning to take full advantage of.

Cyborg had sent Bumblebee to try and find the Herald, and if she could find him zipping around the battlefield, Kid Flash as well. During his fight with Ternion, he had been slowly trying to piece together the rough outline of a plan he had. It could work…he knew it could work…but they'd only get one shot at this and the timing would have to be perfect. For now though, he simply had to stall until the Titans he needed could make their presence felt. Which is why when he finally halted his momentum and came to a stop on one knee and looked up at his oncoming opponent, beads of sweat dripping down his face, he smiled.

"IS THAT THE HARDEST YOUT GOT!?"

Ternion almost seemed to smile, his razor teeth glinting from the flames his own body was producing, as he brought his hands together and appeared to crack his concrete knuckles. Cyborg smirked. He knew there was at least one human in that abomination, so hopefully he should know the meaning of what Cyborg was about to. Cyborg raised one of his fists into the sky in defiance, Ternion's gaze following it's movement. He then pushed it forward as if reaching out to punch Ternion, even though they were still a distance a part, his hand opening out and twisting in mid-air. Ternion could only watch as Cyborg finished his movement.

Cyborg stood, smirking inside his armor, a gigantic, metallic middle finger displayed for the world too see. Time seemed to stop for a moment.

Ternion roared in outrage.

Cyborg couldn't help but laugh to himself as he dropped into a defensive stance. "OH YEA!? SO YOU STILL KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, DO YA!?"

Cyborg watched as Ternion seemed to heave backwards, before he lunger forward, opening his mouth as he did so, expelling tentacles of plasma from his gaping maw in Cyborg's direction. Cyborg's eyes widened as he attempted to move out of the way, but he wasn't fast enough, resulting in the slimy hooks wrapping themselves around his sonic cannon. He felt the strength in their grapple immediately as Ternion attempted to retract them, pulling him towards the rows of vicious, sharp teeth that resided within it's jaws.

Cyborg dug his heels into the ground and grabbed his grappled arm with his free one, putting all of his weight into leaning backwards, as an inadvertent game of tug of war began. However, Cyborg knew he was losing this fight in the long run, as he could already feel his feet giving way in the ruined concrete beneath him. As he desperately looked around for something to grab onto, his eyes caught the slightest glimpse of a blur of red and yellow in the middle of the road between him and Ternion. Cyborg's eyes flicked around rapidly in search of the speedster, when he was practically jump scared out his skin by a rapping on his helmet, Kid Flash peering through the material with a grin.

"Yo boss, I know you're pre-occupied, but Bee said you needed me?"

Cyborg looked at Kid Flash in exasperation. "Yea, I do, but I've got other problems right now!"

Kid Flash put a hand under his chin in contemplation, alternating between staring at Ternion and the plasma that was currently grappling Cyborg's arm.

"Hmmmm…seems like he wants to chow down on you...Oh! Okay, Cy, trust me on this! When the time is right, let him pull you towards him, you'll know it when you see it!"

"Wait! Wally! For god sake, what do you me-"

But Kid Flash was gone in an instant, leaving a gob smacked and stressed Cyborg in his wake, who's attention turned back to the Ternion in an instant. However, when he did, his jaw proceeded to plummet to the floor. Right in front of Ternion, practically amongst the globs of plasma and fire, Kid Flash was stood waving his arms at the goliath. Ternion, for a creature with no actual face, was doing his best attempt to look confused. Between his head tilting downwards and a stream of plasma that was grappling Cyborg still protruding from his mouth, he essentially looked like a kid who had got his tongue stuck to a frozen flag pole. Kid Flash grinned up at the creature.

"Man…you are one ugly dude…who do you reckon contributed the most to the look? I mean…none of you are exactly lookers, but I'd probably guess Cinderblock…I mean Plasmus is pretty grim…but jeez, that slabhead has a face only a mother could love."

Ternion's confusion turned to apparent rage as he wildly swung a fist downward at Kid Flash, who darted away in an instant, only to reappear a few feet away.

"Holy, and slow too! That's definitely from Cinderblock! Why couldn't Deathstroke have fused you with like…Red X or something…I mean I know he's not realllly a bad guy, but it would've been cool as hell."

Ternion roared in outrage again and attempted to use his other fist to grind the speedster into the ground, only for him to dart away again. Cyborg's eyes widened in recognition. The strain from the grapple was still there, but Ternion's attention was still occupied. If he let go now, he'd go soaring towards him, but Ternion wouldn't see it coming.

He wasn't the prey…he was a projectile.

Cyborg grinned, primed his sonic cannon and with a deep breath, jumped into the air, pulling his feet out of the ground, immediately being pulled towards Ternion at ridiculous speed. Kid Flash, noticing the tentacles of plasma retracting above his head, winked at Ternion.

"Ugly, slow and stupid…damn…you guys really drew the short straw."

With that, Kid Flash vanished, leaving Ternion scanning the floor for a few seconds for the Titan before he looked up. But it was too late for him to react to the incoming robotic rocket that was flying towards him. With a cry, Cyborg slammed into Ternion, his cannon lodging itself straight into Ternion's mouth, eliciting a choking noise from the monster.

"NO ONE EATS CYBORG TWICE!"

Cyborg let his cannon loose inside the maw of the creature, where after a few seconds, the blue blast punctured straight through Ternion's back and into the road below. Cyborg felt Ternion's grapple on his arm weaken and he pulled himself free, pushing off of the wounded monster and jumping away to create a distance between them. Ternion staggered on his feet, but Cyborg knew it wasn't enough, because while he made a sizeable hole in the creature's back, it was already closing, the sticky plasma already working towards sealing Ternion's injuries.

However, Cyborg's attention was pulled away from Ternion as beside him, a trademark portal opened, the Herald stepping through a few seconds later. Unlike Kid Flash, who seemed as spry as ever, the Herald had clearly been in some battles so far. His cape and hood had seemingly been burned off, the edges of the fabric still smoldering and Cyborg didn't miss his slight limp as he stepped out of his portal. As soon as he saw him, Cyborg lowered a massive hand down with the Herald heaving himself onto it. Before he had a moment to lift him up, the Herald was joined by Kid Flash on Cyborg's armored hand, catching the Herald by surprise. Kid Flash shrugged.

"I'm tired and climbing sucks, especially when there's a free ride going."

The Herald, despite his state, smiled, twirling his horn in his hands. "Nothing to apologize for. Nothing I'd rather do than help take down Deathstroke's biggest hitter."

Cyborg grinned. "You ever play the video game Portal 2?"

The Herald titled his head in confusion. "…you want to send Ternion to the moon?"

Cyborg smirked. "Not exactly."

Cyborg immediately launched into his idea, the Herald's face changing from contemplation to questioning to finally settling on realization and understanding.

"Okay, this is possible, but I'm sure you know we're only gonna get one shot at this."

Cyborg nodded. "Yep, that's why I brought in Kid Flash too."

Kid Flash held his hands up too his chest. "Oh you flatter me…but what exactly do you want me to do?"

Cyborg grinned, almost slightly apologetically. "You're the bait."

Beast Boy had never liked movies about cults. The Wicker Man from the 70's had left him sleepless for weeks. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom had caught him so off-guard after watching the first movie in the trilogy, that he chose to say up the whole night rather than go to bed. Cyborg had put him on Rosemary's Baby one night and it was to this day the only movie he hadn't finished. They were just too damn…real. He could throw on Wicked Scary, be scared for an hour and a half, turn off the TV and walk away laughing, knowing it was all movie. But cults…they were based in truth, embedded in reality with countless examples throughout the years of twisted leaders convincing the most regular of people to commit acts that no sane person would ever consider. He simply couldn't turn the TV off and push that thought out of his mind.

Which is why he was so unhappy that he suddenly seemed to be in one of those movies.

The Titans stared across at Abaddon, with Beast Boy and his demon stood slightly off to the side, all of them encompassed by the members of the Cult of Trigon, their rhythmic chanting starting up again in full flow.

The gem was born of evil's fire.

The gem shall be his portal.

He comes to claim, he comes to sire the end of all things mortal.

Raven, for her part, remained impassive, ignoring their borderline worshipping actions and stared down the cult leader before her, who still seemed entirely too cocky for her liking.

"I can't say I return the same sentiments. If I'm being honest, I'm a bit tired of meeting my father's lackeys."

Abaddon grin widened, his decaying, yellow teeth visible from within his mouth. "Ah yes, Deathstroke informed me about your strength of will. It is truly a marvel. Trigon merely needed a portal on Earth and yet…in all his wisdom, he created you…a hero with such personality and defiance. I'd almost say only he could sire such a daughter…so selfless, ready to put her own well-being behind the needs of others…an excellent quality to possess when you are destined to die for a cause greater than your own, am I wrong?"

Raven grit her teeth. "I already did that part when I turned sixteen. I wouldn't recommend it and have no intention of doing it again. For all of the credit you bestow upon Trigon, it must leave a sour taste on the tongue to know that he was defeated by, in essence, five mere mortals…and that man was never my father, and if you imply he was again, I'll take that tongue straight out of your mouth."

Abaddon held up his hands in appeasement, his smile still broad. "There's that strength of character and yes, I have no shame in admitting, your teams defeat of Trigon when he blessed us with his presence on Earth was…a shocking development. But, when you've been alive for as long as I have, you learn that in the face of a great loss, you must look to the future, for you never know when the next opportunity is going to present itself. As I told Deathstroke myself when he first came seeking my aid, even if should fall…I'll calmly await the next would be God, I can assure you of that Ms. Roth."

Raven felt Nightwing and Starfire step forward to stand beside her, brushing shoulders with her, as if just to remind her that she wasn't alone. Abaddon's eyes flickered from Raven to Starfire and then to Nightwing, his eyes lighting up when they landed on the Titan leader.

"Oh my…I am simply star-struck. Nightwing, formerly known as Robin. Leader of the Titans, former apprentice of the Dark Knight. I believe that only means I need to meet the cybernetic one to cross you all off the list. As far as my sources have kept me updated though, he is a little preoccupied with Ternion at the moment. What do you have to say Nightwing? Will you tell me to cut the talk? Are you here to bargain for the girl? Please my child. I am aaallll ears."

Nightwing took a step in front of Raven and Starfire, his eyes flickering to Beast Boy for a moment, sending a silent message. Be ready.

"You're stalling."

Abaddon's grin faltered ever so slightly before it came back in full force. "Ah yes, the world's greatest detective. I see the name is well earned. I am not stalling perse. Stalling implies that I'm trying to delay or distract you all and this is simply not the case. If anything, I simply understand how this night is designed the play out. Unfortunately for most of you, I fear this may be the last chance I get to speak with you. As such, I feel it appropriate that I make the most of it."

Nightwing's eyes narrowed. "Sounds like you have everything all figured out."

Abaddon nodded his head, taking the comment that was dripping with sarcasm as a compliment. "Indeed…not to indulge the stereotype of the enemy reveals how they did it, but you're arrival here was predicted. Once news reached Deathstroke of Phobia's treachery, and that you most likely knew of his centre of operations, it was simply a matter of assessing your most likely entry point. Although, the battle ensuing above us…especially your metallic friends new…ahem…outfit…you managed to catch Deathstroke off-guard, I'll give you …I think you'll find…there are still more than enough monsters down here."

Beast Boy's nose twitched as a new, acrid smell entered his senses, just the faintest trace of it detected by his heightened abilities. It was both new and…somehow familiar. He looked across at his demon, who had clearly detected it too and as the two locked eyes, the grey changeling took a step back, his fang, which looked so innocent on Beast Boy's face, glinting menacingly in the orange glow of the chamber.

"I wouldn't want to be you right now…I know your darkest secrets…your worst fears…you don't stand a chance…after all…you've lost to it before."

Beast Boy's eyes widened in realization but he never got a chance to alert the others. For only a second after that, from the other side of the room, echoing out from the domed exit, a raw and tainted howl resonated throughout the room. Nightwing, Raven and Ravager all turned towards the entrance that was shrouded in shadows. Starfire's eyes widened, a detail not to be missed by Abbadon, who looked at her with something almost akin to sympathy.

"I know my dear…I would not wish this enemy on any one…let alone for a second time…but this is Deathstroke's grand design…I am merely a quiet observer…for now."

With that Abaddon began to step back. Nightwing made a move to step forward but in a flash, Beast Boy's demon had moved across the room, shifting in into the form of the Beast in an instance, causing Nightwing to have to somersault backward to avoid his swinging claws. However, this did give Beast Boy an opportunity to regroup with the others. Not even bothering to shift, Beast Boy sprinted towards the rest of his group, putting himself protectively in front of Raven. Abaddon watched all this with a calmness to his face he hadn't exhibited before.

"Fight all you want Titans, you will not be able to resist the inevitable…the gem was born of evil's fire…and her friends shall die by evil's fire."

No one got the chance to respond to Abaddon, as from behind him, emerging from the far entrance, the nightmare figure of Adonis slowly became more prominent from within the darkness until he had emerged fully into the orange glow of the room. Maybe it was a trick of the eyes, but Beast Boy swore he was bigger than last time and that he seemed less…human. The first time they had fought, he had been able to tell that this was Adonis straight away. This time, if he hadn't been able to see the similarities between the creature he fought the first time, he wasn't so sure he would have been able to identify the one-time low ranking villain.

As he walked, flames fell off his back in licks of fire, hitting the ground and smoldering where they fell, his entire body seeming to ooze with shadows, saliva dripping from his massive jaws. Raven took a step back at the sight of the creature. She had heard Starfire and Beast Boy's description of Adonis's new form, but this seemed…excessive. Without thinking, Raven tried to probe Adonis's emotions and couldn't help but give a cry of pain and collapse to the ground when she did so, much to Beast Boy and Nightwing's alarm, who had been nearest to her, both immediately getting down on one knee to check on her. Beast Boy braced as she leaned into him for just a moment.

"Rae? What's wrong?"

Raven shook her head as the remnants of the searing pain melted away before she pointed at the demon that had currently stopped beside Abaddon like a well-trained pet.

"That thing…I know it's Adonis but…he has no emotions, no spectrum...no being. I tried to read him but all I detected was fire…his very essence is smoldering…it's like…I don't think it has a soul…whatever Adonis was…that's not him anymore."

The three of them looked towards Abaddon, who had started laughing. "Well detected Ms. Roth. Deathstroke was not best pleased by Adonis's failure to kill Beast Boy on his last outing. As such, he offered Adonis more power, which he gladly accepted. However, in return for this, the boy formerly known as Adonis…he has essentially been disposed of. This creature…this husk…is a demon through and through. It has no flaws….and it will show no mercy…"

Abaddon turned to the creature. "Now Adonis…like we showed you…retrieve the gem."

Adonis turned from Abaddon to the group in front, opened his mouth, and let out a primal roar that seemed to shake the entire cavern., before breaking into a run towards the Titans. However, before the Titans could even get in a defensive stance, Adonis, blew a ring of fire in front of himself and jumped through, disappearing into thin air as if he had manufactured one of the Herald's portals. Nightwing's eyes widened as he realised the nature of their enemy.

"EVERYONE BACK TO BACK!"

The Titans scrambled into position, Raven and Starfire levitating off the ground, Ravager with her katanas drawn, Nightwing sword in hand and Beast Boy, in the form of the Beast, peering outwards, the only thing in their line of sight being the cultists who had still not moved and were still chanting the prophecy.

The gem was born of evil's fire.

The gem shall be his portal.

He comes to claim, he comes to sire the end of all things mortal.

Beast Boy was the first to detect it…that acrid smell hit his nostrils again and instinctually, he looked upwards, a look of panic spreading across the face of the Beast, who could only give a roar of surprise when another portal of fire opened above them and Adonis came spiraling downwards like a meteor falling from the sky. The beast's cry had been a better warning then nothing, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Titans from being sent sprawling across the space, separating the five of them in an instant. Raven had barely stopped moving when she looked up, only to find that Adonis was already upon her. Without hesitation, it blew another ring of fire before clamping down on Raven's arm, eliciting a cry of pain from the empath. Yanking his jaw upwards and nearly pulling her arm out of the socket in the process, Adonis began to make a beeline for the portal he had created. Raven desperately tried to focus to summon her powers, but she simply couldn't with her arm trapped in Adonis's jaws.

Adonis managed a few steps before he came to a near halt, Raven's arm still in his jaws. Realizing he was caught on something, he turned around, his face twisting up when he saw the reason for his lack of movement. Behind Adonis, the Beast had taken a firm grip of one of its hind legs and was refusing to let go. Raven looked back at Beast Boy, ignoring the pain in her arm, but couldn't help but look past him, as Ravager approached rapidly from behind him. Using the Beast as a vaulting board, Ravager launched herself of his back, landing on the back of Adonis, where she wasted little time in stabbing both of her katanas deep into his back. Adonis growled in pain but still didn't release his grip on Raven. Raven, looked back at Beast Boy again, her eyes widening.

"GAR, LOOK OU-"

But it was too late. So focused had Beast Boy been on trying to make sure Adonis didn't escape with Raven in tow, that he had forgotten about the other threat in the room. His inner demon, in the form of the beast itself slammed into Beast Boy, who in the ensuing melee, couldn't help but lose his grip on Adonis. Once Adonis felt the pressure leave his hind legs, he broke into sprint once again. Beast Boy, who had reverted to human form as he came rolling to a halt on the floor, could only watch on in anguish as Adonis made his way uninterrupted towards the portal. Above his head, Starfire flew like a bullet after the nightmare creature, star bolts firing from both her hands. But it was too late. Raven and Beast Boy locked eyes for a final second, before Adonis jumped through the portal, with Raven, and Ravager, who was still clinging to her katanas on Adonis's back. As soon as the three of them disappeared within the flames, the portal vanished in an instance, leaving no trace that it had ever been there at all.

Beast Boy stared at the spot where the portal had been, his eyes refusing to believe that what had just happened was real. But he didn't have too much time to dwell on in, as he had to quickly roll out of the way to avoid the rampaging fists of his demon's beast form. Beast Boy jumped backwards and mid handspring, took the form of an eagle and took to the sky, circling once before coming to land beside Nightwing, who had just got back to his feet. After another moment, Starfire landed by their side.

"Friends…Ravager…Raven…are they de-"

Beast Boy cut her off. "No, they're not. Deathstroke has to kill Raven in some special way and Ravager…well, her and Deasthstroke's relationship is complicated at best. No way he just kills here. We have time, and they're almost definitely in the room next door where Rae became the portal."

"Ah but Beast Boy…one room over or not…I'm afraid this room is to become you're tomb."

Beast Boy, Nightwing and Starfire all looked up to see Abaddon standing in the main exit that would lead to the room, the rock shuddering around him. Beside him, another portal of fire opened, and from within the flames, Adonis once again stepped out into the room, with no sign of Raven or Ravager, except for one katana still sticking out of the creatures back. Beast Boy's demon looked over at the group of three from the middle of the room. In all the commotion, none of the remaining Titans had noticed or cared that all the cultists had stood from their kneeling positions and made their way out of the room in almost single file. As Adonis stepped into the main room, Abaddon took a step back, a barrier of rock beginning to descend down from the rooftop.

"I told you that this would be last the chance I would get to speak with some of you. As much as I disagree, Deathstroke has decided this will be where you give your last stand. Adonis…assist the demon…leave no survivors."

With a growl, Adonis stepped into the room, the demon Beast Boy coming to stand beside him, as Abaddon's figure was covered up by the descending wall of rock, which met the ground with a deafening thud, sealing the remaining Titans, Adonis and the demon Beast Boy inside.

The battle on the surface seemed to be going pretty well in Cyborg's estimations. Deathstroke's stream of bots had finally seemed to be slowing down in terms of numbers and the sheer number of Titans had resulted in most of Deathstroke's blessed villains being somewhat contained. With that being said, Titan numbers themselves were starting to look somewhat problematic. While there hadn't been any casualties reported in to Cyborg yet, long may that last, they had dropped a few numbers. Gnaark had carried a completely unconscious Kole off the street, an unnerving sight for someone who's powers made her literally indestructible. Hot Spot never emerged from the building that Ternion had sent him through earlier and an inspection by Bumblebee had revealed the flaming titan out cold amongst a pile of rubble, where she spent time trying to remove him from the debris he'd be surrounded with. Pantha had maybe come off the worst, an unfortunate clash with Steamroller that didn't go her away resulting in both her arms being broken and while she wasn't unconscious, she was definitely out of commission, despite her best efforts to resist Red Star's attempts to get her to somewhere safe.

Cyborg had hoped that when bot numbers started to dwindle that the villains would stage a retreat. Unfortunately, he was very much mistaken and based on how they rallied, as long as Ternion was standing, they were going absolutely nowhere. Cyborg, Kid Flash and the Herald had been keeping the goliath of a villain busy for the last ten minutes, with mixed results. Cyborg knew that he was obviously the most durable of the three of them, which unfortunately for him meant him and his armor had been rocked pretty god damn hard at this stage. One of the legs was locking up every few steps, his sonic cannon was down, or at least the one built for his armor and his helmet had cracked long ago, leaving his head exposed at the top. They were running out of time but they had to get it just right…he wouldn't be able to hesitate pulling the trigger for much longer though.

With a grunt, Cyborg stood up from one knee again, from where he'd just been pushed back by Plasmus and quickly scanned his surroundings, his eyes locking on Kid Flash.

"OI KF! TIME TO TRY THIS AGAIN! WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME TO PULL THE TRIGGER!"

Kid Flash looked over from where he was positioned, his hands on his knees as he panted. "OKAY, OKAY! BUT WE GOTTA GO FOR IT THIS TIME AND HOPE THIS BASTARD BITES! I'M GONNA NEED A RED BULL AFTER THIS OR SOMETHING!"

Cyborg could empathize with the speedster. He hadn't wanted to go straight for his idea, for Kid Flash's own sake, but if there was one thing their prep had proven so far, it was that Kid Flash could run faster than Ternion could eject plasma from his mouth, a very important fact to know beforehand. Cyborg turned his head as he heard a portal open beside his ear, the Herald landing on his shoulder. Cyborg didn't even wait for him to speak.

"Okay Herald, this is it. I'll go get in position. You set the target for Kid Flash and he'll get there. Timing is gonna be down to us then."

The Herald nodded, a grin on his face despite the rivulets of blood that were running down his face from a deep gash on forehead. "Finally…let's send this big boy up in smoke."

In a second, the Herald was gone, disappearing into one of his portals. Cyborg, knowing that the plan was in motion, got to his feet and made his best attempt to move backwards, creating space between him and Ternion, who was already being antagonized by Kid Flash once again. Cyborg could see him zipping in and out of Ternion's legs, shouting all kinds of obscenities at the creature as he did so. So far Ternion was only going for Kid Flash with his concrete fists and Cyborg watched with apprehensive eyes as he sent messages within his internal network, mainly ensuring that his ejection escape was ready and that the armor would come apart when ready.

Cyborg's attention was drawn from Kid Flash's efforts as a portal opened in the middle of the road, the Herald emerging and immediately punching straight through a bot that had tried to rush him for good measure. He was in position. Now it was just down to Ternion making the mistake they desperately needed him to make and praying that three of them could each get their timings right.

After a few more seconds, Cyborg's eyes lit up as Ternion reared his head back, giving a warning of the attack that was to come. Kid Flash clearly noticed it too as with a quick jump and a change of direction, Kid Flash bolted away from Ternion as quickly as he could, his eyes locking on the Herald's portal which he made a beeline for. Suddenly, tentacles of plasma burst forward from Ternion's mouth, in hot pursuit of the speedster. The Herald, seeing the onslaught that was headed his way hopped back inside his portal, out of Cyborg's line of sight. Cyborg took a deep breath. He had calculated this based on Kid Flash speed and the speed of the tentacles, as well as the time required for the Herald to form his portals. He had crunched the numbers…albeit in the middle of a warzone and in his head, but he had done it!

In naught but a few seconds, Kid Flash bolted into the Herald's portal, the tentacles of plasma following straight in after him. Cyborg took a deep breath and after three and half seconds exactly from the point the tentacles entered, which he had programmed in advance, Cyborg sent the command for his suit to break up into separate parts and sent the command for the armor to self-destruct in fifteen seconds. Immediately, the arms feel lose from the body and he could feel the legs buckling beneath him. But then, like a sign from heaven, another one of the Herald's portals opened up right in front him, with Kid Flash emerging immediately, running straight through Cyborg's disconnected legs. The second he left the portal, Cyborg hit the eject button and he was sent flying skywards, just catching a glimpse of Ternion's grappling tentacles wrapping themselves around his armor's mid-section, which contained the power source to the entire machine.

As he soared upwards, he was able to watch the whole chain events like it was some kind of Rube-Goldberg machine. Ternion, unable to tell what he had grappled, wrapped it's tentacles around the armor's mid-section, withdrawing it back into the portal. Cyborg' eyes then flicked towards the first portal, which was still standing, and watched as Ternion's tentacles retracted from the initial entry point, eventually producing the mid-section of armor, where within two seconds, without even thinking, he brought the central unit of the armor within his massive maw, sealing it inside. Cyborg smiled in satisfaction. He had opted for the classic "ejection parachute", in his designs and now had the perfect view for what he assumed would be an absolute spectacle.

Three….two….one….and

Ternion stopped moving, his hands suddenly rushing forward to grab it's chest, which had started to glow a brilliant blue. It dug it's hands into the plasma that made himself up, but he couldn't get through the thick substance. Thick electrical currents started running down his back, but they weren't the style of Overload's attacks, but had a far greater similarity with the beams of Cyborg's sonic cannon. Then, Ternion briefly went limp, almost beginning to fall forward, before, with almost a moment of silence to accompany it, Ternion exploded outwards, sending plasma in every direction, covering buildings, Titans, bots, villains and anything else that may have been unfortunate enough to get to close. Cyborg, who had nearly reached the ground at this stage, cut himself free from his parachute and allowed himself to fall the last fifteen feet, landing on one knee in the middle of the city streets.

He maneuvered his way through Ternion's remains, stomping on bots that were struggling beneath the goo as he went, before he finally got to the blast zone, where the Herald and Kid Flash were already waiting. Lying at the feet of the two of them, Cinderblock lay unconscious, beside him a regular looking man slept soundly. The Herald seeing Cyborg had arrived, tossed something to him, which Cyborg caught in one hand. Looking down, he saw he was now in possession of Overload's chip. Kid Flash, who was covered in plasma, gave a huff.

"That is the last time I act as bait for you guys…that sucked….and I stink."

Cyborg gave a chuckle as he tucked the chip into a panel in his arm. "Noted…right, we can leave them here for now. I have Overload. They ain't getting up anytime soon and quite frankly, we've got bigger fish to fry."

The Herald nodded. "Well then…what's the next move?"

"Spread the word…we make a push for the library and we make it now."

Kid Flash nodded before disappearing in an instant, but the Herald hung back for a moment. "Cyborg, I'll rally everyone, but you man, you've done enough up here. We can finish up out here. You just get to the catacombs, whatever way you can. We'll catch up."

Cyborg looked up at the Titan before him, weighing up whether it was the right decision to leave the team he had been put in charge of up here. But, he trusted the Herald, and with Ternion gone, the others should be able to push their advantage. With a look of determination on his face and a grateful nod, Cyborg turned away and began making his way out of the main road, already bringing up a copy of the schematics Nightwing had grabbed ahead of their attack and assessing entry points where he could hopefully catch up with the others. As drop of blood dripped down over his eye from a cut he'd gotten when his armour's helmet had been busted, he cocked his sonic cannon, which revved to life in an instant and dived into the ensuing melee of robots that were still standing, his target set on getting into the catacombs by any means necessary.

Raven had locked eyes with Beast Boy when he'd lost his grip on Adonis and reverted back to his human form and, at least for her, time had seemed to freeze. Despite the fact he'd been tackled by his own demon, not once did he tear his gaze from her. She had never seen such a look of despair on someone's face before. Yet, despite how long it felt, it had only been a simple matter of seconds in reality. Raven saw the portal coming and the best she could do was close her eyes and bring her cloak up to her face to cover her mouth and nose as heat from the fire graced her skin. She felt the atmosphere change before she even opened her eyes and then promptly deposited on the ground in a heap. Gone was the sweltering warmth of the last room, replaced with an environment that was far colder and unforgiving. When Raven came to a halt, she opened her eyes immediately, trying to get to her feet, wincing slightly at the pain from her arm where Adonis had clamped down on it.

The first thing that grabbed her attention was Adonis holding by Ravager in the air by one leg, the daughter of Deathstroke swinging wildly at him with the one katana she was still wielding before being promptly dropped her to the floor. Without so much, as a second look, Adonis broke off into a run once again, opening another portal and disappearing. Raven could only assume he was going back to the rest of the Titans, her heart plummeting at the thought of them taking on Adonis and Beast Boy's demon. Raven, not one for simply standing about, made her way over to Ravager in an instant, getting there just as she rose to her feet on slightly unsteady legs. Raven offered an arm, which she took gratefully.

"Well that sucked."

Raven nodded in agreement, only half of her attention on her teammate as she scanned the room they were now in, her blood running colder by the second. In many ways, it was similar to the last room. Absolutely massive, with a large domed ceiling, the space itself was expansive beyond all belief, and while there were the same holes dug into the walls with torches, none of them were lit. The only light coming from the ceiling itself…a light Raven recognized all too well. Just beneath the beam of light emanating down from the ceiling, a raised platform towered above the entire room, a winding staircase wrapping around the outside of it, to be used as means of ascending to the top. It was the platform designed by those who built this whole labyrinth long ago to be a place of worship for Trigon…the place she became the portal…the place that Deathstroke proclaimed that he was destined to kill her in. Raven was so caught up in the sight before her, that she missed the outline of a figure obscured in the shadows until her and Ravager's attention was brought to them by the sounds of slow clapping.

"I must admit Raven…I am impressed. Your…friends…efforts have been valiant…"

Raven wheeled towards the voice immediately, her powers rising to her hands in an instant, her eyes glowing white.

"SHOW YOURSELF!"

"..and yet…their efforts have been in vain. The battle outside…a worthy attempt…but a failure…your teammates you entered here with…destined to die oh so very close to you…"

Raven sent a bolt of her powers out into the shadows where she thought the voice was coming from in frustration, only for the voice to chuckle at her efforts, the dulcet tones seemingly coming from all around her.

"…my own daughter…who has raged against me so much…will bear witness to another one of her own failures as she fails to stop my ascension…and you…well…you arrived right on time, didn't you?"

Raven's eyes twitched at a sign of movement in the shadows that she wheeled in on in an instant, but before she could send a blast of her powers towards it she froze, as the figure suddenly became clear, stepping into the ethereal light offered by the roof.

Deathstroke strode into the open, his axe already aflame on his back, flanked by Psimon and Kid Wykkd, with Psimon holding an unconscious Melvin under one arm. Deathstroke smiled at the pair of Titans in front of him.

"Raven of the Teen Titans…the gem born of evils fire…come to die…just as it was always meant to be."

Next Chapter: Ch. 35 Unbound