A man has his head under a bag. Suddenly, the bag is removed revealing Controllus under it, a bruise on his face because of the punch. A light drizzle falling over them.

"Where is Mod?!" Nightwing roars angrily in a deep voice as he grabs him by the collar of the coat. He isn't playing around.

Controllus appears confused, he looks behind. They are currently at the edge of a tall building at downtown Jump City. Bellow the sound of the traffic can be heard. He looks back at the hero and smirks. "From one professional to the other let me tell you, you are not going to throw me, you are a hero."

Nightwing leans forward. "Wanna bet?!"

With that he pushes him off the edge of the building, Controllus screaming as he falls. Nightwing takes out his grappling hook and shoots it at Controllus feet, catching him just before he hits the floor.

"You son a bitch, you son of a bitch!" Controllus screams as he dangles midair.

Nightwing raises him to the top of the building again and grabs him by the coat. Controlluss skin a tan paler because of the fall. "Where is he?!" He demands again.

"I don't know!" Controllus answers dead scared.

Nightwing punches him hard on the face. "Where is he?!"

"He has many places…"

Nightwing again punches him. "He must have a favorite one. Where is he?! Where is Kory?!" Controllus face is completely covered in blood, he can't continue for much longer.

A few feet behind Victor, Raven and Gar watch them, not exactly sure how to feel about it. They also want to find Kory, but Nightwing is literally torturing him right there. Both black boxes in the floor next to them.

Nightwing punches him again. That's it, Victor can't take it anymore and walks to them. Nightwing throws another punch, but before it can connect Victor catches it, looking at him with a stern look.

"I think that's enough."

Nightwing looks at him, not exactly happy for being interrupted. "We still don't know where she is."

"And you think that if you continue punching him you'll know?"

"He has Kory! I'm not resting until I find her!" He isn't thinking straight right now, the anger clouding his mind.

"I know, that's why we must keep a cool head."

"Fuck keeping a cool head!" Nightwing doesn't like it. "Don't forget why she is missing, because you left her on her own against Rouge" he shoots back. He turns back to Controllus.

Raven is watching them, feeling a bit of relief. At least they are now in possession of the Mark of Scath, therefore no one can bring Trigon to earth. They only have to find Kory, and everything will be solved.

"The day is coming" she hears. Raven gasps. Trigon. Suddenly all around her turns on fire, the whole building, the whole city. No longer hearing any sound, no traffic, not her friends, only the sound of the flames.

She clutches her head. "No, no, no…" she whispers. She looks down. There lying dead on the floor are the bodies of Richard, Victor, Kory and Gar. Their faces almost undistinguishable, completely burned down.

"Everything will burn… I'm inevitable" Trigon says in his deep voice.

"NO!" Raven yells, out of breath. She looks around, she is at the top of the building, in Jump City, in front of her Nightwing is still arguing with Victor. Everything seems to be back to normal.

Gar looks at her, concerned. "Raven, are you okay?"

Raven looks at him and nods. Gar doesn't fully believe her but decides not to push it.

Nightwing again grabs Controllus by the coat. "So, you are going to talk?" He threatens in a menacing voice.

Controllus can't even answer, his face covered in blood, some missing tooth, barely conscious. He is about to punch him when suddenly he is interrupted by a loud ring from a phone. Nightwing stops. He reaches for Controlluse's coat and takes a out a cellphone, an incoming call by a private number. He presses answer.

The phone's screen displays a live split-screen image: Mad Mod on one side and Nightwing on the other. "Ello, governa" Mod salutes with a smile.

"Mod…" Nightwing hisses. "Where is Kory?!"

"She is fine, lad, don't worry."

"Listen to me, if you even hurt her…!"

"You are not in position to threaten me, lad!" Mod interrupts him. "Now ya listen to me! You will bring me the Mark of Scath or she is dead! Ya hear me?!" He yells.

Nightwing closes his eyes and takes a breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Where?"

"I will send the coordinates to this wanker, now chop-chop, to work lad." With that Mod cuts the call, the screen turning black.

Nightwing narrows his eyes. Angrily he makes a move to throw the phone but catches himself. He turns around and quickly walks to the boxes.

"Richard, you can't be thinking about giving him the Mark of Scath" Raven says, worried. She looks at Victor and Gar. He can't do it.

"Let's think about it" Victor suggests. "What would Mod want with it? What do we think is his deepest wish?"

"Power, is always power with guys like him" Nightwing says. "Whatever he does, we can stop him."

"But this isn't just Mod, is Trigon, I've seen what he is capable of. We can't risk it" Raven says.

Nightwing doesn't say anything and kneels in front of one of the boxes.

"What are you doing?" Victor asks.

"He has Kory at gunpoint, I'm going to give him what he wants" Nightwing says without looking up. He opens one of the boxes. There inside is the Mark of Scath in all its glory, no electronic device inside the box, meaning it's the original. Gar looks at it, his eyes never leaving it.

Nightwing is about to grab it when suddenly Victor aims his canon at him, surprising everybody, a stern look on his eyes. "I can't let you do that, Grayson."

"Whoa-whoa, easy" Raven says looking at Victor. For a second, she thinks she sees a trace of red eyes on his face, but they quickly disappear.

"Because if you hand him the Mark of Scath, how am I going to be human again?" He continues.

Raven looks at him, utterly confused. Where did this come from? "What?"

Nightwing looks at him and narrows his eyes. Slowly he raises his arms and stands up.

"That's it…" Victor says.

In a quick move, Nightwing takes out his esgrima sticks and puts himself in a battle stance. His eyes fixed on Victor who keeps his gaze on him.

"I ain't losing her, Vic." Nightwing shoots back. "I intend to give it to him and free Kory."

"No! No! You are not fighting!" Raven orders, but neither is listening. She also notices the same of trace of red eyes on Nightwing. They are being called.

"Guys, guys I think there is another choice" Gar says. Everyone turns to him. A hopeful smile on his face, his eyes watery. "My parents, Trigon promised me he could bring them back if I gave him the Mark of Scath."

"Gar…"

"Please, I was the cause of their death, they are innocent, they didn't do anything wrong. Let me have them, let me hug them one more time, tell them I love them." A tear rolls from one of his eyes. He motions to Victor. "Please, this is to save lives." He motions to Nightwing. "Two of them."

Raven looks at him, a sad smile on her face. "Gar, he isn't…"

"What do you know, witch?!" Gar roars back interrupting her. The sad expression in his face being replaced by a murderous look. "You don't even like me!" His form slowly growing, skin becoming hairy, he is transforming again.

Nightwing raises his hand, trying to calm him down. "Gar… breathe" he says in a comprehensive tone.

But Gar doesn't listen to him as he continues to transform. "I can't lose them again!" He yells in a deeper voice just before he finishes, now only the creature present, staring right at them with a murderous look, slime falling from his mouth and now two pair of red eyes on his face.

"Gar…"

The creature lets out a loud roar as he charges at them. Nightwing and Victor widen their eyes but don't have time to react as the creature grabs them both as all three of them fall from the building.

"No!" Raven yells.

Victor while in the air manages to break free and shift his position, Nightwing the same, now the creature below as they fall to the ground in the middle of the street, the creature absorbing most of the hit. The traffic around them being interrupted. Nightwing gets up first, takes out his grappling hook and shoots himself up. Victor gets up and fires his cannon hitting the cable, Nightwing falling on his back to the ground.

Raven looks below. "In their last moments is when people show who they really are" she hears Trigons voice in her mind.

"Stop!" She yells to them.

The creature gets up and swats Victor away sending him flying to the other side of the street and into a building. The creature now swats at Nightwing who jumps up avoiding him and then down.

He looks up at Raven. "Guard the Mark of Scath!" He rolls away avoiding another hit.

"No!" She answers back, offended but doesn't move, clearly not liking what is going on.

The creature grabs Nightwing by the foot and slams him hard against the floor. He is about to do it again, but his arm is hit by Victors sonic cannon forcing him to drop Nightwing. The creature turns to Victor, but in that moment Nightwing stands and hits him in the back with his charged esgrima sticks, the creature screaming in pain and allowing Victor to deliver a hard punch sending the creature to the floor.

Victor then turns to Nightwing and delivers another punch, but the hero catches him with his sticks. The creature stands up and attacks them forcing their standstill to end as the try to dodge the creatures blows.

"This is barbaric!" Raven yells from above. "This is no way for grown men to…" she trails as he realizes neither is listening to her as the continue fighting. "Fine!"

Victor punches the creature, but in doing so, he disregards Nightwing's position who hits him with his esgrima sticks.

"Lets just haul our weapons and start banging away at each other!" Raven yells sarcastically. "That will solve everything! I've had it with you men and your rush to fight!"

The creature punches the floor sending a huge wave to forces Victor and Nightwing to the ground. The creature then jumps at them, but they each catch an arm, forcing the creature back.

"Enough!" Raven yells. An idea comes to her mind. She starts panting, a fake out-of-breath look on her face. "Oh, my inner side, is too strong, I can't control it!" She fake collapses on the ground; her eyes closed. She can still hear the fighting continuing below. She opens her eyes. "Men…" She gets up.

Controllus makes it to her side as he also watches the spectacle going on below them. "Well, this got screwy." He pauses as he thinks. "Let me see if I got all right. Each wants the Mark of Scath for himself. Stone, I think is trying to regain his human form, ol Grayson's looking to trade to save his loved one and maybe clean his identity. And green bean there, I think he's trying to settle some unresolved business with his deceased parents… terrible temptation the Mark of Scath." He turns to Raven. "Am I right?" She doesn't answer as she turns back to the fight. Controllus turns to the boxes, with the three men fighting below, they seem unprotected.

"Don't even think about it" Raven says before he can take a step. She looks behind to the two boxes.

Victor fires his sonic canon hitting the creature sending him to the floor. He then turns to Nightwing and fires, the hero does a cartwheel avoiding it and jumps in front of Victor, hitting him with his sticks, he repeats the move, but Victor catches him and throws a punch as they start trading blow for blow.

Nightwing throws a roundhouse kick that connects with Victor, sending him back. He then takes out a batarang and cuts through Victor's chest making him scream in pain as he falls to the ground. The hero throws another kick connecting with the human side of his face.

Nightwing smirks. "This isn't boxing."

An angry look on Victor's face as he spits blood. He is taunting him. "I will kick your ass." He lets out a battle cry as he, in a quick move, gets up throwing a punch to Nightwing, who is surprised, but manages to move away, but then Victor punches him in the stomach, taking the air out of his lungs, and then throws a mighty punch connecting with his jaw, metal connecting with skin, sending Nightwing to the floor.

The hero spits out a tooth covered in blood as he struggles to get up. Now it is Victor who is smirking. He lifts his canon and aims at him.

In that moment, they hear the creature's roar. They both turn to it. There is the creature, holding a car over his head. The creature throws the car at Victor, who doesn't have time to react as he is pushed by it sending him back. The creature then focuses on Nightwing, lets out another roar and charges at him.

Nightwing widens his eyes, he won't have time to react. Without looking away from the creature he touches a button on his wrist. The creature changes to four legs as it gains speed, its objective being to murder Nightwing. The hero closes his eyes, expecting the worst. The creature is about to reach him, when suddenly an auto-piloted N-Cycle comes crushing into it sending him to the side.

Nightwing presses another button on his wrist, the cannon on his bike focusing on the creature and starts firing an avalanche of bullets at the creature, that makes him scream in pain as he tries to cover himself. Nightwing presses the button again, the firing ceasing as the creature looks knocked up.

He releases a breath of relief. He grunts in pain as he struggles to get up, but just before he can make it Victor grabs him from the waist from behind and slams him hard against the ground. Nightwing grunts in pain, his back hurting badly. Victor then puts his arms around his neck trying to choke him. Nightwing struggles against his grip, Victor is just too strong for him. He throws an elbow, but Victor doesn't give up, his hold getting stronger.

"Give up!"

Nightwing throws another elbow. He can't give up; Kory's life depends on him.

"Don't make me do it!" Victor yells as he applies more pressure.

Nightwing eyes start closing, almost out of air. With his last breath he reaches to his belt and takes out his batarang and stabs Victor in his robotic eye, making him scream in pain and release him. Nightwing gets out releasing a long breath of air. He looks to the side where Victor is on the floor clutching his eye. Nightwing takes out his esgrima sticks.

"Sorry, but I can't lose her" he says as he charges them and hits Victor in the back.

The creature slowly gets up. He notices Nightwing standing next to Victor. He then looks up where Raven and the boxes are. He runs at the building and jumps up.

An out of breath Nightwing looks up noticing the creature climbing the building. He can't let him get it. He looks around, coming up with a way to get to him. He climbs to a close bus stopped because of the fighting, from there he jumps to a near lamppost, and using it as a horizontal bar he swings and using his momentum he does a giant circle, like a gymnast, that summersaults him to the creature, holding on to his back.

Nightwing then hits his esgrima sticks to the creature's temple letting out an electric shock that spreads throughout his whole body making him scream in pain. The creature doesn't give up and continues climbing. Nightwing hits him again, the sticks never leaving the creature head as he keeps absorbing electricity, smoke coming out from his head and roaring in pain. After a few seconds, he loses his handle on the building and start falling. Nightwing then positions his feet on his shoulder and jumps up doing a perfect frontflip and landing awkwardly on the roof of the building. He grunts in pain as he gets up, the fight had really taken a toll on him.

Controllus walks to him. "If I may…" Without even looking at him, Nightwing punches him hard knocking him unconscious.

He walks up to Raven. "Raven, the Mark of Scath."

Raven doesn't like it, however she obeys. "The one on the left."

Nightwing nods. He kneels in front of the boxes and opens the one in the left. There inside is the Mark of Scath and no electronic device inside the box, meaning it must be original.

"Please Richard, don't do it, there must be another way" Raven says in a bit of a desperate tone.

Nightwing closes the box and stands up. "There is no other way." He starts walks away.

"You know he is planning on killing you both, right?"

Nightwing stops as he thinks. "Then I better not make him wait." With that he leaves with the box.

Raven watches him go. This is not going to end well she thinks.


The sun is descending as the N-Cycle approaches a deserted wasteland. Jump City in the distance. Nightwing descends from the bike, box in hand and looks around. This is the location Mod gave him; however, he can't see anyone close. He must wait.

He touches his neck, red marks on it because of Victor's chokehold, plus added to his back hurting and bruise on his face. Needless to say getting the Mark of Scath had really come at a high price for his body.

After a few minutes a black limousine approaches the place. Nightwing looks at it. The limousine parks right next to him. The driver lowers his window.

"Sit in the back mate."

Nightwing nods, enters the limusine and sits in the back. Seated by his side is Rouge. He looks at her. She seductively scoots closer to him and puts her arm around his neck. A bag in her other hand.

"Put it on."

Nightwing looks at her, as if asking if he must. Rouge nods. Nightwing takes it and puts it on, covering his face. As soon as he does, Rouge punches him hard, knocking him unconscious.


Richard is woken up by an electric shock to his temple. He cries in pain as his eyes shoot open. He looks confused. His face bruised, his lip swollen, and blood coming out of his nose. He looks at the man in front, hatred in his eyes. He tries to move but he can't, he is cuffed to a chair. No mask over his eyes.

"That blood on ya face, seems familiar, ain't it mate?" Mad Mod teases in a stern tone. He takes out a gun and loads it. "The Mark of Scath, where is it?" he demands dead serious. Behind him is Rouge, a grin on her face.

Richard looks confused, he tries to remember, his mind a little foggy right now. "I... I gave it to you" he says not sounding completely sure.

"Grayson… where is the Mark of Scath?" Mad Mod repeats. He doesn't buy Richard's response.

"Wait, what are you saying? That wasn't…? I gave it to…" Richard mumbles, his head hurting badly.

"I will count to ten, you are going to tell me where the Mark of Scath is, or she dies." Mad Mod moves to the side revealing Kory. She is also cuffed to a chair and her face swollen, blood on her cheek. Tape over her mouth gagging her. Mad Mod points his gun at her temple.

Richard widens his eyes as he tries to lean forward. They make eye contact. A pleading look on her eyes. He looks panicked.

"Kory, it's going to be okay" he says trying to comfort her. "It's going to be okay, you understand?"

Kory nods, tears threatening to come out of her eyes.

"One" Mad Mod counts. Richard looks at him.

"Listen to me, I gave you exactly what you asked me, you want anything more, I can get it to you. If there was a misunderstanding I can fix it, whatever you want!"

"Two."

Richard closes his eyes for a second and reopens them. He better change tactics. He tries to calm down. "Listen… let's talk, we can talk like gentleman, Mod."

Rouge continues smiling.

"Three."

"Fuck!" Richard yells as he moves trying to escape, but he can't, the cuffs are too tight. Kory looks down. Richard tries to calm down. "Alright, I know where the Mark of Scath is, I can help you!" He says looking at Mad Mod straight on the eyes.

"Like youla helped me when this skank almost killed me?... That way?" he says motioning to Kory.

"Put your gun down, I won't talk to you like this" Richard says in a comprehensive tone.

"That's ya choice, lad… four."

Richard looks completely scared but tries to look calm. He has to, for Kory. "The Mark of Scath is with Victor, he has it. You want to know where he is, let her go, because…"

Mad Mod doesn't let him finish. "Victor doesn't have it; you wouldn't have given it to him. Five."

Richard looks at Kory and back to Mad Mod. "I can get it for you, but if you kill her, you get nothing."

"Six."

Again, Richard tries to move. "You listen to me! The only way you are going to…!"

Mad Mod shoots Kory in the leg.

"NO!" Richard yells. Kory tries to scream but she can't. Tears rolling from her eyes. She is in deep pain.

"You think this is a game?!" Mad Mod yells.

"Son of a bitch!"

"You think this is a game?! That I wouldn't do it?! Where is it?!"

Richard tries to contain his anger as he looks at Kory crying. "Look at me" he says to Kory.

"Where is it?!"

"Stay with me" he talks to Kory. Again, trying to comfort her.

"Seven! Seven!"

Richard looks at Mad Mod. A death look on his eyes. "I'm going to kill you; I swear I'm going to kill you!"

Mad Mod points the gun again at Kory's temple.

"Eight!"

Richard closes his eyes. He takes a deep breath. "Please" he whispers. Kory looks at him. He tries to think of a way to escape, but he has nothing, just to pray. "Please, don't do this, just let her go." A tear comes out of his eye. "I promise you; I can figure out what happened."

"Nine."

Richard looks at him. The tears now rolling freely through his face. "Listen, listen…" he trails. Mad Mod looks at him, waiting for what he has to say. "I want to help you. I want to help you get whatever you want, but you have to do what is right. And you know what is right."

Mad Mod appears to think about it, but ultimately smirks.

Richards eyes widen. He understands that look. "No…" he whispers, a crack on his voice. His whole world crumbling around him. "No…" He looks at Kory. She is looking at him, crying. He looks back at Mod. "No…"

"Ten."

Mad Mod pulls the trigger on Kory's temple.

"NO!" Richard yells as he looks at Kory's lifeless body, her green eyes rolling back, her red hair cascading to the side, and her head falling forward. Blood coming out of her mouth and head. He can't believe it, he had really killed her, no, executed her. He had given him what he wanted, and still he had killed her in cold blood. He can't take his eyes away from her, that was really Kory, his Kory, the person he most loved in the whole world, dead. No more fight in his body, no anger, just sadness as the tears roll freely through his face. "Kory..."

Mod approaches him, his head only inches away from Richard. "We couldn't just trust in ya word that that was the real Mark of Scath. We had to make sure, lad, ya know what I mean, mate? And now we know."

Richard looks at him, a murderous look in his eyes. He leans forward and headbutts him hard breaking his nose. Mod staggers backward in pain, as blood comes from his nose. "Bloody hell, that hurt." He takes out a napkin and applies it over his nose. He then looks at Richard and smiles. He moves to Kory.

"Don't you touch her!" Richard yells. "Don't touch her!"

Mod places his hand on Kory's temple and pushes her to side as she and the chair fall to ground. He then moves to Richard.

"Now mate, if you'll allow me, I'm going to free this Trigon fella." With that, he pushes Richard to the side as he also falls to the ground, giving him a clear sight of his loved one's dead body.

Mod motions to a touch-looking thug standing next to him. "This fella is going to watch over you, while I'm gone, alright, mate." But Richard doesn't care, his gaze fixed on her. Mod leaves.

Richard completely crumbles as he continues looking at her. "I'm sorry" he whispers. His face showing the complete and utter pain he is going through. "I'm sorry… I… I failed you." Blood continues coming out of her dead body.

The next thing that happens is a complete blur for Richard as he hears a loud explosion followed by Victor's sonic cannon and Raven's energy. Raven approaches him and talks to him, asks him something about whether he is alright, but he doesn't answer, he doesn't care; she was dead, Kory, and all because of him, all his fault.

And that leaves us at the beginning, hope you enjoyed the story.

Nah, I'm kidding, there are still a couple of chapters left. Like and review, let me know what you are thinking of the story uptil now