I never thought I'd use a rock as my pillow again, but here I am.
Grumbling under my breath, my eyes turn brown and the debris lifts itself off me, and I shoot it across... wherever I am. My eyebrows knit together as I realise I don't know where I am, the knot already in my stomach tightening when I realise I'm alone.
The thoughts in my mind run rampant, soon becoming overloaded with the conflicting feelings that ensue. The traffic jam in my mind is sounded not with the honking of horns, but the flood of overlapping words that I can't ignore nor get rid of. It's there—whether I like it or not—like white noise.
I latch on to one thought, and quickly wish I hadn't as I am reminded of the events of either today or yesterday—I'm not sure which one. Either way, it's in the past, and I have to deal with the consequences it brings.
I decide to deal with each thought in order of severity, starting with the dream I had on the last day. What I can see around me isn't what I saw; there's no fires, and if I squint hard enough I can see figures at the end of the street.
"HEY!!" I shout, jumping to a stand. "OVER HERE!!" When I get no response, I traipse toward them before hastily breaking into a run. "Hello?"
I immediately stop myself when I realise it's a statue, not a person. I begin to scold myself for not coming to this conclusion sooner when I look down the street. Dozens of 'statues' line the footpaths, and I'm certain none of them were there before. My heart leaps into my throat when I see a mother and her daughter, who must be no older than five. She clings to her mother for dear life, smiling brightly in the darkness that is this new world.
I shake my head and look away. I need to focus.
The next thing on my agenda is the new world I'm in, though I move on to where my friends are when I come to the same answer as before. Last I remember, we were all together, but I vividly remember Robin letting out my name in a chilling scream as his hand let go of mine. I refuse to believe that was the last time I saw him; the last time I will ever see him or any of my friends again.
Movement catches my attention and I spin around quickly, fire lacing my fingertips. As far as I know, I am the only living being on this world besides Trigon. I'm sure Raven's not here anymore—I watched her turn into a portal. Did I survive because of my powers? That would mean my friends were all dead, and I am by myself once more.
What I see is a black bird, perched on a sign from a taxi. Even the sign is void of light, as if it had been sucked from it. My gaze lingers on the bird, long enough for me to realise it's a raven. It has to be.
I muster enough energy to mumble, "Looks like it's just you and me." My voice is croaky and strained with a lack of use. The bird cocks its head before flying off. I look back at the street, though I don't know what I'm looking for. This is my only lead. I've found nothing else, and maybe it's not a coincidence that it's a raven. Maybe it's trying to show me something.
The bird leads me to what is the tallest building in Jump City, now that everything else is collapsed. The tower I stand before is still damaged beyond repair, but it fares better than most others. Slowly, I rise into the air, heading towards the top.
"It led all of us here... almost all of us," the solemn voice of Beast Boy sounds through my ears, and I don't focus on the content as much as the fact that he's alive, and he's talking to someone, which means someone else is alive, too.
"Ember," Robin says. Thank goodness he's alive. "Why isn't she here? Where is she? We have to find her! If we survived, so did she."
I grab onto the concrete at the top. My knuckles turn white and I begin to swing myself until my knee lands on top of the material. My foot follows, and I use it to haul the rest of my body up.
"Then why isn't she with us?" Cyborg asks.
Involuntarily, I let out a grunt, turning the heads of all the Titans. They stare at me, paralysed, and I do a quick salute as I roll onto the concrete before standing up in what must have been an incredibly ungraceful performance. When the world's ending, I don't suppose it matters.
"Sorry I'm late," I quip.
"Ember!" Robin's the first one to jump into action as he runs towards me. For a second, I fear he'll take us right off the edge, but I'm comforted by the fact that I can just fly us right back up. We don't fall, thankfully. The Boy Wonder lifts me high into the air by my waist before pulling me back down into a hug. His hot breath fans my neck and I chuckle softly. "Oh, thank God you're okay."
I hug him back. "Well, as okay as I can be," I say, before taking on some sincerity. "I'm glad you're okay, too." I break away from the embrace and walk over to the other Titans. "All of you."
The second Robin lets go of me, Starfire runs at me and tackles me. Her grip, combined with the rough surface of the concrete, knocks the wind out of me and I struggle to breath. Beast Boy notices this and taps Starfire on the shoulder.
"Uh, you might wanna let her go." Beast Boy offers me his hand, and I stand up, coughing slightly from the dust intake.
"Nice to see you, Em," Cyborg states, wrapping me in a bear hug that feels comforting.
When he lets go, I ask, "So, what's happening? What did I miss?"
The others look at each other with concern, before Cyborg says what none of them want to: "We're the only ones left." I don't blame them. It's a tough pill to swallow.
"But how is this possible? How have we survived?" Starfire questions.
"I don't know," I say. "I thought it was my powers, my immunity to fire or earth, but that can't be it if you guys survived too."
We stand in an uncomfortable silence, until Beast Boy blurts out, "It was Raven." I look at him with curiosity as he continues. "She saved us. I don't know how, but she did."
"Back at the Tower, when Raven knocked us out, the last thing I heard was her voice," Robin adds, looking back at us. "It said 'be safe'. She did something. Something that protected us from Trigon."
"As if it matters," Cyborg comments pessimistically. "Look around. There's nothing left. What's the point?"
I do as he says, my gaze resting on the citizens that have been turned to stone below us. Slowly and carefully, I walk to the edge and point at the streets. "Them. Those innocent people whose lives now rely on us." I can see the gears turning in Robin's head as I speak, and he nods along to what I say. "We can't give up."
"We have to have hope," he interjects. "As long as we're still here, we still have a chance. And that's why we're going to keep fighting. For Raven."
Robin sticks his hand in the middle of our little circle, and I place mine on top of his. "For Raven," I repeat hopefully.
The other Titans follow: Starfire first, then Cyborg, and finally Beast Boy. "For Raven."
"For Raven."
"For Raven."
As the shapeshifter places his hand on the top of our stack of hands, it is overcome with black energy and we are all sent back. "Okay, that felt weird," Cyborg comments.
I stare down at my hand in wonder, much like my friends. "Raven may have not been able to stop Trigon from coming, but she left us a way to fight him," Robin says. "She gave us some of her power."
"And it grows stronger when we stand as one," Starfire finishes. I watch as a small fire blooms in my hand, but it's not the familiar red that I've become so used to.
It's black.
~~~
As I wade into the lava, I know this is the fiery wasteland from my dream. Fire encloses the area, like a gate, and it continues so high that anyone without powers would be denied access inside.
By the time I'm knee-deep, I hear starbolts to indicate Starfire has begun her attack. I fasten my swim, quickly nearing the island where the tower—our home—lies, its building blocks slowly falling with defeated thuds against the charred earth.
I jump onto the rock closest to Trigon and shoot a tsunami of water at him. I hear it sizzle against his skin before evaporating and my lips part slightly as the others join me.
"Trigon! Stand up and fight!" Robin shouts.
Trigon doesn't even look down at us. "Insignificant insects."
"I think it's time to hit him hard."
"You're positive we're not going to accidentally microwave our brains?" Beast Boy questions, trying to look up at his head nervously.
I shoot him a puzzled look before almost jumping up at a thought. "I've had Raven's powers before, and even if I haven't they're similar to mine," I state, building my credibility before I advise, "It gets stronger the more you unleash your emotions. You have to feel them coursing through you."
"In other words, get angry!" Cyborg summarises.
I nod. "Exactly."
Cyborg grabs Beast Boy's hand, who grabs mine. I look to my left and see Robin, linking our hands together. The Boy Wonder grabs ahold of the final Titan, Starfire, and black energy surrounds us. Stings of energy run through me and I wince at the pain, tightening my grip on both sides.
The five of us rise into the air, and I open my eyes. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" we say in unison, and a giant snake of energy slithers its way to Trigon, indeed hitting him hard. He groans in pain until the energy ceases, before stopping my heart as a small smirk creeps onto his features.
"You may think it wise to attack me while I gather my strength, but as you can see, not even a farewell blessing from my daughter can help you," Trigon says. "Be gone." He shoots us in the air with eyebeams, and next thing I know my body hits the ground harshly. I soften the blow slightly, but not enough. Slowly, I stand up, brushing the dirt off my figure.
"Guess that wasn't angry enough," Cyborg states.
I look around, Beast Boy commentating as I do so. "Of all the places to crash and burn... why'd it have to be here?" The setting takes me back to Raven's transformation from my friend into the portal, and I sigh softly.
"Please, I wish to leave," Starfire says. I watch Robin begin to ascend the staircase that led to the hand statue, and walk behind him.
"And go where?" Cyborg questions. His tone begins to rise as he continues, promptly ignoring my warning look. "The whole world is toast. And the only person who'd know what to do is..." Cyborg's voice instantly softens, avoiding her name at all costs. "We could really use her help right now," is what he eventually manages, looking down.
"I know what we saw..."Robin says from behind me, so soft only I can hear him, "but I still can't believe it. It just doesn't feel like Raven's really gone."
I open my mouth to reply, before closing it again. "That's because she isn't," another voice answers for me, and at first I am grateful until I recognise it.
"Slade." I don't fail to notice the lack of Skath's Mark on his forehead, and seize the opportunity. Four ropes of fire grab ahold of the villain, and he squirms against their grip.
"What's the matter, Slade?" Robin asks. "Giving up already?"
"Sorry to disappoint you, Robin, but I'm not here to fight. I'm here to help."
I narrow my eyes and loosen Slade's bindings. Beast Boy walks up to him, pointing his finger menacingly. "We don't need your help!" he exclaims.
"Yes," Slade deadpans. "You seem to have everything under control." Beast Boy lets out a low, animalistic growl and Slade looks back at the rest of us. "Raven can still be saved."
I ponder this for a moment, but Starfire wastes no time, lunging for him. I tighten his bindings as the alien princess grabs him by the armour, twisting it in her strong grip. She pushes him back so far he hits the ground, restraints still tight.
"You will not dishonour our friend with your trickery!" she bellows.
"Whatever you're selling, we're not buying!"
"Think of me what you will." Slade's voice holds an eerie calmness to it that shoots a chill up my spine. "But what Trigon did, even I wouldn't wish on this world."
"It's a little late for 'I'm sorry'!" Cyborg exclaims.
"You mistake my generosity for regret, Cyborg," Slade begins.
I walk up to Slade, sneering in his face as my eyes glow red. "Generosity? Yeah, right. You would never do anything that helps anyone else, not even to save the world."
After a pause, I walk back slowly, grip on Slade loosening ever so slightly. "I only offer my assistance because it suits me," he states.
The hum of Starfire's starbolt fades away and I look over to see a lack of green energy from her. "But we saw Raven become the portal," she states in disbelief. "She was destroyed!"
"Raven has fulfilled the prophecy of her birth," Slade explains. His eye locks on mine and he glances down at his bindings. My glare is enough of an answer for him to avert his gaze back to the Tamaranean princess. "That part of her existence is complete. But another part still remains... for the moment."
"Why are you doing this? What's in it for you?" Robin asks.
"My reasons are my own. Do you want your friend back or not?"
I grit my teeth. A wall pulls itself up from the ground right behind the villain and I slam him into it, with my forearm held against his neck. "Answer... the question," I seethe.
Slade doesn't hesitate. "You're willing to put your friend's life on the line just to know why? How bold of you." With a shout of frustration, I slam Slade into the wall once more before pulling it down and releasing him.
"Just tell us where she is, and we'll take it from there," Cyborg says as Slade walks past, grabbing at his wrists.
"There will be no 'we'. This is a journey only one of you may take."
I narrow my eyes as Beast Boy steps forward. "No deal! She's our friend. All of us are going!"
"Then your friend is doomed to oblivion," Slade replies, back to us all. "You fail to realise Trigon is all-seeing. His mind can be at any place, at any time. For us to succeed, Trigon's attention must be occupied."
"Then how do we know he's not listening in, right now?" I ask.
"We don't."
"How do you expect us to occupy him?" Cyborg spits. "We already tried fighting him; look where it got us!"
"It's the end of the world. Did you think it would be easy?" Slade turns around and I get a glimpse of a man who for once, does not possess evil intentions. "I don't expect you to win. I don't even expect you to live—only endure."
"I'll go with you," Robin volunteers instantly. My mouth drops open slightly, shock no doubt crossing my face.
"Robin, no." Starfire's protest voices my inner thoughts and I thank her for fighting back.
"If there's even the slightest chance to save Raven, what choice do we have?"
I step in between Starfire and Robin and place my hand on his chest. "At least let me go," I say. "I'm fireproof."
Robin nods, though I know him too well to think that it's because he's conceded. "Yeah—you're fireproof, so you have to protect the others. It's the only way. I have to be the one to go."
Before I can respond, Slade interjects. "The journey to this world has taken much of Trigon's power. With this, you might be able to survive." I rise onto my tiptoes to see a golden ring, embellished with blood red markings. "It's a ring of Azar, forged by the same order that imprisoned Trigon. I know from experience that it works."
Starfire and I look at each other nervously. I jerk my head softly towards the ring, and she walks up to take it, the Boy Wonder tailing her.
"I know you can do it," he says, and she embraces him tightly.
"It may get ugly, but don't worry. We'll keep him busy," Cyborg reassures the leader.
Beast Boy jumps on the mechanic teen's back for additional support, clinging onto his torso. "Yeah. Just wait 'til Trigon gets slapped with my patented Wet Willie Manoeuvre!" The shapeshifter sticks his entire index finger in his mouth before pulling it out and holding it like a trophy.
"He won't know what hit him."
Robin walks up to me next. Neither of us say anything, but just look in each other's eyes until the Boy Wonder wraps me in a firm hug.
"Promise you'll come back?" I ask, voice muffled against his shoulder.
Robin's hands cradle my face, holding my cheeks as he kisses me. My mind is overcome with the thought that it could be the last time. "I promise," he says, after our lips eventually part. I'm left wanting more, but know it's not the right time, nor the place. "Do you promise you'll make it?" I give a small nod. Robin shakes his head. "I need to hear you say it," he insists. "Don't try to be the hero. I can't lose you—I need you."
"I promise." And I mean it. I instigate the hug this time, and only let go at the sound of someone coughing. Of course, it's Slade. Who else would ruin what could be our final goodbye like that?
"Your goodbyes are really quite touching... but we have work to do." He walks away, leaving the Boy Wonder to follow. He doesn't, and Slade turns around sharply. "Robin."
The Boy Wonder turns around and walks away, a tinge of reluctance in his step. Before he disappears down a massive hole in the ground, he turns around. "I'll bring her back. I promise."
And just like that, he's gone.
~~~
Trigon's piercing red eyes are rather conveniently closed, and I watch from my vantage point as Beast Boy slips in his ear as a hummingbird. I almost can't see him due to his size and my proximity from both him and Trigon, but I know he's there when Trigon's four eyes snap open and he growls, jumping into the lava.
I dive into the lava as he does, cooling my body temperature. Ice releases from me like an eyebeam, aimed at Trigon, and his growl continues as he is struck by the freezing water.
Starfire flies towards him, Cyborg attached to her by the hand. She spins the robotic Titan around once or twice before flinging him towards the demon with an archer's aim. Cyborg readies his sonic cannon and fires, but does no damage as he is sent back. I hold out a hand to steady him in the air, looking around for a place to drop him.
Starfire flies back over to Cyborg and grabs him under his arms, and I release my influence. "I believe we have obtained his attention," she calls.
Beast Boy turns into human form on a rock, my only indication that he's actually come out of Trigon's head. "Just remind me not to do that again," he groans. "Demon earwax is way beyond nasty."
Starfire, Cyborg and I fly over to join the green teen. Trigon stands tall and as a stream of fire heads towards us, I'm content that for the first time, I don't have to react to save others from it. Something else does the job for me, and that comes in the form of the ring of Azar on the ring finger of Starfire's right hand. A red dome surrounds us and as the fire bounces off, I hear myself breathe a sigh of relief.
"You carry a ring of Azar," Trigon notes. "No doubt a relic from a former minion." Just as I think Trigon is about to fight us, he sits back down on Titans Tower, that he now uses as an armchair. "It matters not. Fighting you is beneath me."
Trigon's glowing eyes should serve as a warning for the red electricity that surrounds me. My groans merge with the others' and I only just look down to see the Mark of Skath underneath us.
My body is eventually flung back onto the rocks. I roll away from the direction in which I came before sitting up, body still hesitating in its movements from the electric shock. A gasp still manages to leave my lips as I see a greyscale version of me, only with two matching red eyes, unlike my dissimilar pair.
Beast Boy lets out an awkward chuckle. "I always figured I was taller," he quips.
"Not the time," I say through gritted teeth, eyes locked on my match.
Trigon erupts into raucous laughter, which doesn't seem to die down any time soon. "I may be the source of all darkness, but you are your own worst enemies," he states.
Cyborg's evil twin leaps towards us, leaning into Cyborg himself. "Raven wasn't the only one with a bad side," he taunts, before sending Cyborg back with a punch to the chin.
I walk backward, hitting the backs of Starfire and Beast Boy. My eyes properly lock onto that of my evil self, and I take her in. Besides her eyes, the only part of her that isn't a shade of grey is her glowing fists. She stands in such a way that intimidates me—even though she's me—with her chin held high and arrogant smirk plastered onto her face. She gives me a little wave, as if we've known each other forever.
I guess we have.
"Hi, there," she says, faux innocence in her voice. She stomps her foot and the ground quakes, cracking in two before me. I jump up and hold myself into the air, flying to safer ground. I have no doubt she's chasing me. "Come on, you coward! Fight like the hero you're supposed to be!"
In what is a hopefully unexpected reaction, I whirl around and blast my evil self, quite literally fighting fire with fire. She stumbles back and grumbles something under her breath, eyes blazing with anger, before blasting me back. I dodge it easily, but a second preempted blast sends me to the ground. Before I can stand, a third one hits my back and I roll over to extinguish the flame.
My demonic self stands over me, a mocking smile etched across her features. She opens her mouth to further taunt me, but I lunge at her and tackle her to the ground. My nails dig into her shoulders and she lets out a yelp of surprise as my brown eyes take us into the air atop a floating rock.
Instead of fighting back, my nega self stares into me, judging me. "Do it," she whispers. "Lose control. Unleash the monster you truly are." As I grit my teeth, she knees me in the stomach and flips us over, forearm to my neck. "That might just even the odds a little." I squirm under her hold but don't say anything, and she leans closer. "DO IT!!"
"No!" Suddenly, she jumps up and throws me over her head as if I weighed nothing. I stop myself mid-air before I hit the ground and fly back up to her instantly. "I won't."
"It wouldn't be the first time," she says. I pull a rock from underneath me and stand on it, rising up to her level. "Remember when you escaped our father? Or at the tower? Or even a few weeks ago?" I snarl and move closer to her, but my rock stops moving as she holds a hand out. To my surprise, it even begins to move back slightly. "You're lucky Raven was there. If she wasn't, you would have—"
"NO!" I shout, the only way to stop her from continuing. My head aches from the memories and I'm not sure if she feels it or not. "You're lying." My words are empty and meaningless, and we both know they're not true, but I have to say something. "You don't know anything."
"I know everything," she retorts. "After all, I'm you."
I grit my teeth and dive, lower than my evil self undoubtedly predicts. I cling onto the bottom of the rock—thankfully with a sharp vertex for me to hold onto—before flipping myself up. My legs strike my evil self's back and she stumbles off the rock, and I jump off after her, slamming her head into the ground with my feet. Quickly, I jump up to run away but she grabs my foot and I fall over, scrambling back desperately.
"You're weaker than I thought," my nega self muses. "Much weaker."
"Gee, thanks." I stop my retreat to kick her away. My adrenaline has worn off, and it shows, as my other self grabs my foot and twists, earning a scream from me. "You're just trying to get under my skin," I growl.
"Our skin, you mean?" she corrects. Her voice sounds somewhat sweet but the pain in my ankle reminds me that it's fake. "I'm only telling you the truth." I go to kick her again but she catches it. Again. "You want to hear some more honesty from me?" She jerks her head toward me as her face twists into a foul smirk. "He doesn't love you. And when he sees you fully lose it, he won't even like you."
My ear rings, but I can't tell why. My greyscale twin continues to smile cynically but I know I can't let her win. I can't show her that she got to me, got my head spinning, got my mind wondering if she's actually telling the truth. "Just shut up! SHUT UP!!"
"Why would he ever love somebody like you?"
I barely hear the words over my drumming heart, beating against my chest. My anger rises to cloud my vision and I blink in order to see, eyes turning red as I do so. "LIAR!!" I can't help but shriek; all my pent up emotions come flooding out of me. I tackle her to the ground once more but get pinned down and flung across the island, back hitting a wall of earth that my nega self created.
"See what happens when you embrace your inner demon?" she taunts, ready to deliver the final blow.
I narrow my eyes, scrutinising my adversary for a weakness I haven't yet discovered. I know it is futile; if I can't beat her now, while my energy is at its peak, what makes me think I could later on in the fight? This is my inner demon, created by a demonic lord to physically and mentally beat me in every way.
I'm still left wondering how to beat her when my gaze rests against her red eyes, fuelled by anger. This whole time—hell, my whole life—I have spent in fear of losing control, and anger has always been the most prone of my emotions to send me into a spiral. My evil self was able to list three instances of it off the top of her head, but we both know she could have gone on for hours.
I look up to see Trigon smiling around at the devastation he's caused. It's the end of the world—I can't break it much more. With this in mind, I stand up straight against the rocky wall, ready to lift off. My hair swirls around and my eyes flicker menacingly as my cruel reply escapes me. At my words, the demon in front of me widens her eyes and her stance relaxes slightly in shock.
"You're about to find out."