Into the Depths – Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Five
The End

June 20th, 2009. Saturday, 10:26 pm.

“I’m sorry.” There was a soft chuckle. “I’ve been saying that a lot tonight. Dick will never forgive me.”

Raven watched the man who was knelt before her. The man had looked away after his final statement. She was overwhelmed by the single fact: he wasn’t going to force her. Yet, he knelt there, reminding her of the fate that had been branded into her essence since the day of her birth.

How foolish she had been. She shouldn’t have become friends with Dick, or Beast Boy, or Starfire, or Cyborg – not a one of them. She shouldn’t have involved them in this. Now, because of who she was and what she was to become, she was causing her friends – especially Slade and Dick – such pain. Trigon would have never targeted Dick or Slade otherwise.

Right?

“He’ll forgive you,” whispered Raven.

There was a bitter laugh. “This is unforgiveable.”

“No. If he forgave you before, he’ll do it again – because he loves you.”

With those words, Raven knew she had touched the man’s heart. As her words repeated in her mind, for the first time in her life, she was jealous of Dick. Why had she been born to such a horrible creature? Why couldn’t she have something like Dick had found? All of the Titans were in similar situations. Dead parents, bad parents, or AWOL parents – Dick was the only one who had broken through the barrier.

The chasm between the two – Trigon and Slade – was truly enlightening. Slade was a man of mistakes. He was constantly making them, there was no doubt about it. But the difference between him and Trigon was the intent and desire.

And that made all the difference in the world to Raven.

There was a long moment, before Slade shifted his weight. “We need to go,” he said. His voice was hoarse. “Will you go?”

Further tears fell down her cheeks.

“Yes.”

Raven didn’t make any movement, however. Slade leaned forward. Hands slipped behind her knees and around her middle back. They were stunningly gentle. Then, she was lifted into the air and held against a firm chest. As the man led her away and, to her surprise, walked into the inner area of the library, Raven clenched her eyes shut. She turned her head towards the man’s chest.

“I’m scared,” whispered Raven. She didn’t expect any answer. Nor did she think there was any answer that could take away her fear. The only comfort to her fear was not having to become the portal to destruction.

Darkness slid over her mind. Raven stiffened.

“Ah, my child. My dear, dear Raven. You mustn’t be afraid.”

Oh, that voice. It was filled with such silky malice; such silken venom that poisoned every sense. It spoke with a whisper that penetrated every particle of the soul, seeping into the nooks and crannies, with nothing safe from its manipulation.

Get out of my mind. You aren’t welcome.

“Oh, my sweet Raven. Still having second thoughts, my child? You seem to be allowing my servant to bring you to me. Perhaps you are more willing than you once thought.”

I never wanted to do this. You’re the one who wants this.

“And yet, you submit. Why is that? Perhaps, you know. You cannot hide from your birthright. Or perhaps you submit to save your friends further pain. Your heart, though, it saddens me. I chose to sire you for this purpose. Why are you not proud of this? It wounds me to think you are frightened of something that is a grand part of yourself.”

This isn’t part of me! I’m not a portal for destruction!

“Oh, but, child, it is. You are the means of a great wonder. You will bring destruction upon a fallen world; and, thus, in doing so, bring the world to new life. There is great glory in this. It is a new beginning.”

There’s no glory in destruction. There is no life in death. There’s only darkness and sorrow.

“You cannot hide the darkness in your heart. You cannot run away from it.”

Raven whimpered.

“You have always been darker than your friends. Haven’t you realize this, my daughter? Your friend, Starfire, is the pure opposite of you. Could you ever hope to have that light? You are your father’s daughter. Your power comes from me. Without me, you are nothing.”

The tears burned.

“You cannot hide from your destiny. Just as I must come to this world, you must lead the way.”

I don’t want to do it! You can’t make me!

“Am I making you, my child? You are coming willingly, are you not? You know your heart. You know what you must do. You know who you must protect. It is true, there is no other choice, if you wish safety upon your friends. But this is your destiny. No one can hide from their destiny.”

The arms carrying Raven tightened around her. She couldn’t stop the soft sobs that spilled from her lips. The words of her father slithered through the cracks of her heart, slowly poisoning every hope, peace, and wish she’d ever had.

“Raven,” whispered Slade. Her sobs quieted. “It’s true. There is darkness in your heart.” Raven bit her lip, her teeth digging deeply into the flesh. “But there is no possible way that you can have more darkness in yours than I have in mine.”

Raven sucked in her breath. She pulled her face out of the man’s chest and glanced up at him, suddenly wishing the mask wasn’t in place. For a moment, she stared, her mind slowly understanding what the man meant. Then, she smiled and the tears slowed.

Then, courage replaced her fear.

“My servant speaks too frankly.”

A touch of a smile tugged at Raven’s lips. The silken element of the voice now revealed the true nature: raw evil.

He is a better man than you.

“I should hope so. I am no man. Not yet, in any case.”

I’m aware of the history. You lost that right long ago.

“You are growing far too insolent—”

Do not speak to me any more. I will be your portal, but that is all. You’re getting what you want, so leave me alone.

Raven could feel the burning fury flow over her. The runes etched in her skin flared with intense pain. She winced, but allowed no weakness to show forth.

“Thank you,” whispered Raven.

The man inclined his head. He slowly walked down a long stairway. “One can only listen to lies for so long, before one becomes extremely annoyed.”

“You could hear him?”

“Loud and clear.”

A soft laugh escaped Raven. It was then she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, why Dick loved this man. If only Cyborg wasn’t so stubborn…

ooOOOOOoo

June 20th, 2009. Saturday, 10:35 pm.

He was groggy before his eyes opened. Dick’s mind seemed to take years to catch up. There were a few things he noticed. He was lying on his back, yet he wasn’t sure why nor how he got there. It was also hard to move around, but his mind screamed for him to move. Something bugged him in the back of his mind. He knew he was missing some kind of important information…

Dad!

Dick bolted upward.

No. Slade.

The voice inside his head was his own. It chilled his heart. He denied it. Slade was still Dad, wasn’t he? There wasn’t an expiration date on it, was there?

He betrayed you.

That was true. Slade had done something horrible this time, hadn’t he? Was this worse than what Slade had been in the beginning? It certainly felt that way. This time, Slade had made his choice when they already had closeness.

Was Slade really siding with Trigon? But that didn’t make sense! Slade, even when the man had been Deathstroke, wasn’t a follower or a minion. Slade was a leader. It was incomprehensible. Slade was the master, not the apprentice. That was written inside the man’s very core personality.

So, why? Why was this man bending to another’s will?

As more and more sinister thoughts began to seep through Dick’s mind, he squeezed his eyes shut and, with a sharp action, slapped both his cheeks with his hands. The pain flared through his skin, awaking his mind. There wasn’t time to think about this. He had to rescue Raven.

As Dick looked around, he saw Cyborg and Starfire lying near him. Starfire was slowly awakening as well. Dick crawled to her side first. He patted her arm, shaking her slightly.

“Starfire, wake up.”

She moaned, her eyes scrunching together in pain. Slowly, her hand lifted up. She touched her head as her eyes flittered open.

“Oh, my, I feel as if I have been trampled by some large beast. Is that normal?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” said Dick, helping her sit up. “Are you okay?”

“I shall be soon. I do not wish to experience this sensation again, however.”

You and me both.

Dick turned his attention onto Cyborg. There was no sign of life, which was worrying. However, as Dick inspected the older teen, he found the countdown number on his arm. It had less than a minute left. Dick sat back on his heels, frowning slightly. He knew Slade had used a sedative on both of them, but such things usually took hours to wear off, not less than fifteen minutes.

What was going on?

As the numbers reached zero on Cyborg’s arm, the teen’s eyes popped open. He bolted upward, glancing around, before he calmed down.

“Where’s Slade?” demanded Cyborg.

Dick only shook his head, his lips tightening.

“Beast Boy is with Raven,” said Starfire. “We should reunite with them as soon as possible.”

“Slade’s probably gotten to them already,” said Cyborg, his expression bitter. “Who knows how long he put me out.”

“Fifteen minutes,” said Dick; his voice was hollow. Cyborg looked surprised. “Yeah, our sedatives only lasted less than fifteen minutes. Not sure why, though.”

“There is a chance, then, yes?” asked Starfire, brightening. “Perhaps, Beast Boy was able to hide Raven.”

Dick didn’t answer that. He looked over at Cyborg. “Do you know when the summer solstice begins? And are your tracking systems still working? Can you find Beast Boy and Raven?”

The other boy didn’t question his request. Cyborg checked his arm; thirty seconds passed; his expression darkened. When he looked up, Dick knew they were already too late.

“Apparently, the solstice begins at ten forty-six – that’s in less than seven minutes. Beast Boy isn’t in the same location as Raven, but he’s close.”

ooOOOOOoo

June 20th, 2009. Saturday, 10:40 pm.

Time wasn’t on their side. Somehow, Dick knew the solstice was important. How or why, he didn’t know. Maybe when this was all over, he’d find out. As they rushed to Beast Boy’s location, the city seemed quieter than what was normal for the bustling city – but stopping to investigate wasn’t an option. They found Beast Boy inside an old library – which was beyond Dick’s comprehension – and the same situation as they rest of them: drugged. As Starfire tried to bring him to full consciousness, Cyborg checked for Raven’s location.

“What’s… going on?” asked Beast Boy, as Starfire pulled him to his feet.

“We lost. We have less than five minutes to find Raven or it’s all over,” said Dick. There was no emotion in his voice. He watched Cyborg, driving all other thoughts out of his mind. There was only one thing they had to do: find Raven. Nothing else mattered.

“I don’t get it. It says Raven’s nearby, but there’s nothing here,” said Cyborg, as he paced back and forth in the main hall of the library. As the same time, Beast Boy was speaking to Starfire. “In fact, it’s like…”

He stopped abruptly.

“Underground…” whispered Cyborg. His head snapped up. “She’s underground.”

“I thought it was safe here,” whispered Beast Boy. “But he found us. I didn’t protect Raven.”

Starfire drew Beast Boy into a hug. She glanced over at Dick. There was such pain those monochromatic eyes. They almost broke him.

“Come on, I think we can stop her in time,” said Cyborg, powering up his cannon. He walked towards the wall and aimed. “She isn’t moving any more and if we hurry, I think we can stop her in time.”

The cannon blasted against the wall. Debris exploded, revealing an old pathway. From where Cyborg had blasted through, the trail of the pathway appeared to start a little further in the room. They didn’t waste any more time. At seeing the spiraling stairs, which led deeper into the earth, Starfire took Dick by the hands. Beast Boy transformed into a pterodactyl and grabbed Cyborg with his talons.

Together, they took the short route downward.

As the scenery sped by, Dick could see ancient statues adorning the walls. They held such darkness in their visages. Somehow, Dick knew they were in the right place. What a perfect place for the rise of a horrible demon.

When they reached the bottom, torches burst into flames all around them. Fiery creatures poured out of the walls. Their bodies moved with the life of lava. Feared exasperation filled Dick’s chest. They didn’t have time for this! They had to reach Raven before it was too late.

But when they tensed for a fight, no monster attacked.

‘It’s over, little Robin. My master has won.’

Dick gritted his teeth. “Come on!” he shouted, rushing forward. The others followed him as they ran down the long hallway. The fiery monsters, which lined the walls, were ominous in their light, as if they were leading them along the path.

The enemy thought there was no need to stop them; it was infuriating.

Then, suddenly, the hallway opened up. It was dark, save for the lit torches along the walls. Grotesque statues spoke of ancient, forbidden rituals in their forms. A tall hand stood high in the center of the room.

And a lone figure stood in front.

Relief flooded through every soul. They all rushed to her, just as Dick cried, “Raven, are you all right?”

“Where’s Slade?” demanded Cyborg, glancing around. But the man wasn’t anywhere to be seen. In a way, Dick was glad Cyborg had been the one to ask where the man was – he didn’t feel like stumbling over what to say.

Raven was chillingly calm. She turned around. Dick’s heart broke at her expression. She seemed so resigned to her fate. That was why no one had put up a fight. If Raven wasn’t going to fight it, then who could stop Trigon? It wasn’t fair! What had made her look that way—who had made her feel that way!?

“Raven, you don’t have to do this,” said Dick, taking a step forward. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Your destiny is in your hands, no one else’s. Let’s go home.”

“Sometimes you can’t change your destiny, no matter how much you want to,” said Raven. “I never wanted to be Trigon’s daughter, yet I am. I never wanted to be a portal, yet I am. There’s no changing those facts.”

“But you don’t have to listen to him,” said Dick, pleadingly. “You don’t have to do it.”

“Please, Raven,” whispered Starfire. “You do not have to be this portal.”

“Come on, Rae, let’s go back home,” said Beast Boy, holding out his hand. His dark green eyes glistened gently.

“I’ll make you another BB Pinata if you come back,” said Cyborg, giving her a mischievous smile, but it was somewhat strained. Beast Boy didn’t react to the comment, only looking hopefully at Raven. A gentle smile tugged faintly against Raven’s lips.

“I never wanted to hurt any of you,” whispered Raven.

“We’re your friends,” said Dick. “It’s not about being hurt.”

“Then, be my friend,” whispered Raven. “And let me go.”

Before any of them could intervene, Raven lifted her hands, the black light of her power encasing them, and trapped the Titans in a dome of black. Something gentle entered Dick’s heart a moment later. It felt warm, even filled with life and power. A soft whisper glanced against his ear. Words lifted through his mind.

“Don’t forget: he loves you.”

None of the remaining Titans were about to let Raven have the final say, though they didn’t have the ability to change her decision. All four fought against the barrier, giving it all their power to break through. But Raven was more powerful than they had ever truly given her credit for.

When it became obvious that they couldn’t break through, they stood there, watching their friend rising toward the top of the stone pillar. Only Beast Boy continued to desperately try to break the barrier. Finally, when his energy failed, he fell to his knees, leaning his forehead against the barrier. Starfire fell into Dick’s arms and clung to him, keeping her back towards Raven.

Dick closed his eyes when Raven reached the top of the pillar. Her voice rang clear through the vaulted room.

“The gem was born of evil’s fire.”

This wasn’t happening.

“The gem shall be his portal.”

Someone stop her!

“He comes to claim; he comes to sire.”

Why were they so powerless? Why couldn’t they stop her?

“The end of all things mortal.”

Starfire’s arms tightened; Dick responded in kind. For a moment, everything seemed unimaginable. It was mind boggling to even think about what was truly going to happen. There was nothing normal about this moment. They were witnessing a girl becoming a portal, one which would lead a terrible demon into their world – which would then effectively destroy all life on the earth.

For all the crazy things that happened in Dick’s life, this one was the extreme. How was that even real to begin with?

The desire for normality was becoming burdensome. How many times had Dick wished for it? How many times had he been so thankful for those moments that made him feel like a normal kid? How he had flourished so much beneath such a life.

But now, nothing would ever been the same again.

There was no future. There was no more family. There would be no more life. Dick would never grow up, neither would the rest of his friends. He would never tell Starfire how he felt about her. He would never have the chance to start a family. He would never have the chance to fill Slade’s home with so many munchkins, the man would want to pull out his hair. Dick would never know the truth. He would never know why Slade sided with Trigon. In the end, would they die with the destruction? Or would they survive along a barren land? Would they be subjected to serve an almighty demon?

Why was it that it always seemed as if the good times would never last?

Raven’s screams jolted every heart. No amount of smashing against the barrier could break it. No eye was truly dry. When Raven’s screams died away, an explosion blasted through the barrier.

The last thing Dick remembered was that familiar, horrific voice he’d heard so many times in his nightmares. Yet, this time, it sounded so triumphant.

“Earth is finally mine!”

ooOOOOOoo

June 21st, 2009. Sunday, 5:08 am.

Darkness.

It permeated the mind.

Lost.

Can’t breathe.

Dick ached, the darkness suffocating in its strength. He couldn’t escape; it was too strong. There was no hope. He wanted to lift his hand; he wanted someone to take his hand and pull him out of the darkness. Where was the warmth of life? So lost. So very lost. He wasn’t going to escape. He would be swallowed in the darkness for eternity.

Someone, help me!

Light shone through the darkness. It felt familiar; something about the trilling, lilting nature to the light was so nostalgic. Before Dick could locate the source, his mind awakened.

The first thing that assaulted his senses was the smell. He recognized it; though, it was different than before. The sound was the same, however; as was the air. The smell was the only thing that differed.

Dick opened his eyes. The air stung; the air was toxic; the air burned.

As he opened his eyes, a terrible chill slid down his back. The entire landscape was been burned; the city littered with its destruction. Dick watched in horror as every detail of his dream was in front of his eyes.

His heart nearly stopped.

It had been true. His dream hadn’t been just a dream. More like a vision of the future; a premonition of the terror to happen. But how? He didn’t have any powers. He was mortal, a normal human being. He wasn’t like the other Titans. His skills lied with his dedication in training. Sure, he had skills that others didn’t have, but he was still human.

So, how did he have so many dreams warning him of the future?

Dick slowly stood up and began to walk through the desolate city. His footsteps were aimless as he wandered. The air was hot and heavy, making it difficult to breathe. He curled his arms around his waist in a small hug. There was a weight in his heart, nearly crushing it completely. There was nothing but destruction and red skies surrounding him. It was so silent. But it wasn’t the pleasant silence of fallen snow in the middle of the night – like those he’d experience in Gotham – no, it was the silence of no life in its complete absolute. The threatening sensation on his entire soul was the weight of loneliness eating away at his heart.

Just like in the dream.

But he hadn’t counted on its source. There was no possible way he could’ve imagined that the source would be Slade. The man had gone back on his word. The one thing that Dick depended in his life, the one thing that had even outranked the Titans – his new father, Slade, had betrayed his word. It probably would’ve been better if Slade had taken one of his guns and shot a hole inside Dick’s heart – the pain was the same. Death, perhaps, would’ve been better than survival in this now desolate world.

This was far more crushing then the moment he had tested the man and briefly thought that he couldn’t trust him.

No, that time seemed like a gentle moment in time; a moment of happiness and joy compared to the total overwhelming grief that tore apart Dick. It was gnawing, burning, tearing, destroying everything that he ever knew inside. The fragileness of his life shattered.

And, of course, on top of it all, the world had fallen to a demon of unimaginable power.

The feeling of aloneness was so real – too real. His dream had predicted this. There hadn’t been anything that had the power to stop this. He was powerless, a weak human. What had he been thinking all this time? All those people he protected and saved – they were all dead now; destroyed under a demon’s power.

Dick stopped. His stomach turned. Shock and horror poured through his entire being at the sight before him.

It was a person, someone unknown, but not of any less importance. They were frozen in time, somewhat similar to what had happened to Terra. They were simply a statue, but their face was clenched, twisted, and contorted in fear and pain.

Dick closed his eyes, the image burned in his mind. It was all too much. The horrific nature pressed against his tender heart. Perhaps, if this had happened a year ago, his heart would’ve locked it all away and ignored it. Robin could handle anything.

But because of the gift he’d been given, because of the unlocking of his heart and melding both Robin and Dick back together, Dick’s true nature surfaced. It was raw and unprotected; gentle and tender; sensitive to anything and everything.

This was horrible, far more horrible than he could’ve ever imagined.

The nausea overwhelmed him. Dick bolted to the side, clutching his stomach as he threw up over the edge of a rock – which was once a tall building. The fiery, terrible smell in the air sickened Dick’s senses. Death was all around him and he couldn’t stop it. He was but a mere child with no power to escape from the cruelty of the world.

Once he regained himself, Dick found that his direction turned. He ignored the statues; he ignored the destruction; he ignored the lifeless nature of the world; he ignored the deadened silence of the land. Dick found his steps taking him to one place. His steps were slow, at first, but as his heart pounded against his chest, his steps quickened.

His heart denied his mind. His heart ignored every thought that played.

Soon, his steps were pounding against the ground. A stitch quickly formed in his chest. But he never stopped running. The destruction upon the city had changed the landscape greatly, but somehow, Dick knew where to go. When he came to the alleyway and the abandoned warehouse that he had once called home, his heart screamed.

The door was gone. The gears had been reduced to rubble. Nothing looked the same. Everything was greyed with death, as if time had passed thousands of years into the future. Dick rushed through the debris, going straight to the kitchen.

Or what was left of it.

But that wasn’t the most terrible of it all.

While much of the kitchen was in ruin, part of the kitchen table remained. There was a statue there, sitting at its crippled surface, as if life hadn’t just been frozen in time. Wintergreen was seated there, with his hands clasped and his elbows resting against the surface of the table. He was gazing with focused eyes at the kitchen door, obviously waiting for their return. He, too, was frozen like all the others with grey, lifeless skin.

Dick collapsed to his knees.

He covered his mouth, his hand dragging over his face. Tears flooded his vision, blurring the terrible image burned in his eyes.

It was all over.

Nothing was going to be the same again. It could never be the same. They could’ve stopped this, but they had allowed it to happen. If only the energy spent taking Raven away had been put into protecting her. This could’ve been prevented.

It was over.

Dick hunched over; his arms curled around his chest; wracking sobs shattered through his body. The loss was greater than he could have ever imagined. The death of his parents had ripped a void in his heart. For it to happen a second time – perhaps even a third, if he counted that brief moment of grief he’d felt when Slade had been shot – was simply too much to bear.

It was both numbing and overwhelming in its pain. As the tears burned their way through, forcing themselves from his eyes, the pain of everything oppressed his very soul. It came in terrible, never ending waves of sorrow.

He wasn’t aware of the moments that passed. He was drowning. Then, when all seemed lost, when it seemed as if Dick was going to descend into the despair forever, two gentle – and very much alive – hands pried him out of his position and drew him into a crushingly comforting hug.

Dick clung to the live body. It was a different comfort than the one he’d come to crave and love. This felt something more. This felt special. A familiar, yet unknown scent wafted over his senses. Relief rose inside his heart.

She was alive.

Her scent reminded him of flying and the freedom which it brought. However, it held a burnt tint to its fragrance. Oh, but it was warm and alive. Dick buried his face in it, dampening the fire red strands of hair with his tears. His neck, in turn, became wet with her tears. Sobs melded together, forming one track of mourning.

It was an intimate moment for the both of them; though, neither would fully understand its meaning until much later. There was something tender in the embrace, something ever so heart wrenching about the two of them clinging to each other, as they poured out every sorrowful feeling with the soul.

There was no awareness of time. There was no awareness of life.

There were only two.

Then, after time passed and after the sobs lessened to quiet breathing, Starfire pulled out of their hug. Dick breathed through his mouth, while she sniffled loudly. The two of them were a wreck. They never moved from their positions, staying knelt upon the ground, facing each other. Dick’s eyes hurt; his chest hurt; everything hurt. Starfire’s eyes were tinged around the edges with red, her tears still pressed there.

“He was waiting for us,” whispered Dick. He needed to speak, to say something. His voice was hoarse from his previous sobs. “He was obviously waiting. For him, we’ll never come home. He’ll always be waiting… It’ll never be the same again!”

His eyes burned. Tears flooded in his vision.

“You must not say that,” whispered Starfire, her hands squeezing his arms gently. Tears slipped down her cheeks. “We can change things. Nothing is truly permanent.”

Dick wiped the terrible, burning tears from his eyes.

Wasn’t that the truth?

“I have looked across the land,” said Starfire, her voice still soft. “All life is frozen, as Terra was before. I have not found the others, however. I believe they are alive, as you and I are.”

She dropped her tone and leaned closer to him. At any other time, Dick would’ve spluttered in blushing embarrassment from the closeness. However, he didn’t notice, but relished in the contact of another life. Their foreheads touched.

“I have looked, but… I have yet to find Rose or Joey. They are not here with Will.”

Further pain twisted in his chest.

“We cannot linger here, Dick,” continued Starfire. He could hear the strained emotion in her voice. “We must find the others.”

Dick nodded, their skin brushing against each other.

“Did you find…”

He didn’t want the answer. He didn’t want to know. There were too many mixed feelings on the matter. It was better to ignore the problem than face it straight on. It was better to bury his head in the sand, than come to the realization that Slade had turned Raven over to a terrible demon, who effectively destroyed all life on the planet – including his own family.

It made no sense!

“I have not found your father, no.”

Dick stiffened.

“He’s not…He can’t be… not any more.”

For the first time, from the time the papers had been presented to him, he felt sick. Your father… It was sickening to hear those words. How could Slade do this?

“Dick, you cannot give up on him.”

It was then that all hopeful feeling fled from Dick’s heart.

“Look around you!” cried Dick, drawing away from Starfire. Pain flashed through her eyes at his withdrawal. “This is so much worse than just…”

“Slade is not a man of whim,” whispered Starfire. “Surely you would not hate—”

“He worked with Trigon!” snapped Dick. “He hurt you – he hurt all of us to get to Raven, just to destroy the entire world!”

“And my sister sold me into slavery for her own personal gain,” said Starfire; her voice was quiet, yet her words were powerful. Her tone softened. “If I had not fought against my captors, if I had not met you and the others, then a terrible fate would have befallen me. And it would have been by her doing.”

Every muscle inside Dick’s heart chilled. He calmed as he stared into those monochromatic eyes.

“She is not a nice person. I know that. I do not understand it, but I know it. Yet, she is still my sister and I shall always love her.”

There was something stirring about her words. Dick knew how much his mind wanted to scream and deny Slade’s true nature, but his heart had always been stronger, hadn’t it? He knew. His heart agreed with her. His mind simply had to catch up.

Dick could only nod, unable to trust his voice. He glanced over at Wintergreen. His heart twisted. He looked away, before slowly getting to his feet. He held out his hand and pulled Starfire up.

Dick was tempted to take one last look at the old man, but a squeeze of his hand forced his gaze towards Starfire. She gave him a slightly watery smile. Dick returned it. Together, hand in hand, they left the broken home.

As they walked through the ruins of the city, it took all of Dick’s self control to avoid looking at any of the people. Though their petrified appearance was far different than the gruesome image in his old nightmares, they were still painful to see. The only goal now was to reunite with the others. Looking at the destruction too closely would only bring painful feelings – betrayal, anger, fear, sorrow, they were all too much to handle right now.

Then, a black feather appeared, gently falling to rest upon a nearby rock. Dick never released Starfire’s hand as they walked to the feather. He reached for it. When his fingers touched it, the feather disintegrated into dust.

“Was that not the feather of a…”

Dick nodded. “A raven’s feather.”

“Then…”

Another feather fluttered nearby. Soon, there was a trail of feathers, every one leading in a single direction. Wordlessly, Dick and Starfire walked to the next feather. As they reached it, the feather faded away like the first.

“Raven is leading us,” whispered Starfire, relief in her voice. She tightened her hold on Dick’s hand. The touch was growing damp, but Dick never wanted to let go. It was too much of a lifeline.

They silently followed the trail of feathers. It wasn’t until a few feathers later that Dick realized where they were being led: that horrible library. His stomach turned at the thought.

But the sign of green and blue in a sea of crimson black was a sight to behold.

“Friends!” cried Starfire. She rushed forward, dragging Dick along. Relief was inside Beast Boy’s eyes when he caught sight of them. He ran forward to meet them, just in time to be crushed into a hug from Starfire.

“Oh, you are all well. Glory to X’hal for our good fortune,” murmured Starfire, as she continued to hug the youngest. Beast Boy squirmed, but he seemed content to accept the crushing hug.

“I’m not sure I’d call it good fortune,” muttered Cyborg. He sat down on a nearby fallen stone. “But it’s still good to see that you’re all right.”

“I brought her here!” cried Beast Boy; Starfire tried to soothe him. “I should’ve known the bad guy would make his hideout in a library! And I was trying to be smart! Like I’m gonna try that again…”

Dick could barely manage a cracked smile. Starfire sat down, with Beast Boy sticking to her side. She kept her arm around him. Dick sat on her other side, not quite touching, but close enough to feel her presence. They all looked at each other, but it seemed nothing could be said. As all four of them continued in the silence, Dick felt the urgency to fight against Trigon, to change their fate. But… He couldn’t seem to draw up the will power to do so. They were the only living beings on the planet. They had to fight back. They had to, in the very least, put up a struggle against this horrible fate.

It seemed to difficult, though, to be honest – too tiring.

“This wouldn’t have happened if Slade hadn’t helped Trigon,” said Cyborg. Starfire sucked in her breath. Dick glanced up at the older teen. The expression on Cyborg’s face was haunted, but filled with irritated anger.

They were all thinking it, but why did Cyborg have to bring it up?

“Cyborg,” whispered Starfire. The light in her eyes hardened. “Do not do this now.”

“Oh, I think it needs to be said,” said Cyborg, his tone growing darker. “Robin made a mistake, a deadly one, and now we have to deal with the fallout.”

“A mistake?” echoed Dick; his voice was hollow. “What do you mean by that?”

Cyborg leaned forward. “You became too emotionally involved with Slade and it backfired. Personally, I think you were partly brainwashed, but you insisted that everything was all right. You stayed with the man. Playing the part is your fault, too.”

Dick’s mouth slowly dropped, as he stared at the other teen.

“Cyborg, I have already spoken with you on this matter—”

“Rob needs to hear the cold, hard facts, Star,” said Cyborg. “Slade played him from the beginning, it’s obvious; and until Robin gets a wakeup call, he’ll never be able to move on.”

Starfire said something, her voice rising, but Dick never heard it.

Was is all a lie?

Was it really all just a lie? Did Slade lead him along from the beginning to this point? Just so he could make a deal with a devil to destroy the world?

If that were true… No, it couldn’t be true. It was too crazy to even comprehend.

But what if…

Oh, gosh, that would’ve been far more devastating than Dick could even begin to imagine.

“Cyborg, Dick has not been this…” Starfire gestured in exasperation, obviously unable to fully understand the word. “—brainwashed. Slade has not been plotting this, either. It is foolish to even think that.”

“You don’t know Deathstroke, Star,” said Cyborg. “That guy is one of the smartest criminals in the world. I wouldn’t put it past him.”

“You say that, but you do not truly know him either.”

“The age of Deathstroke was infamous.”

“He…” began Beast Boy. When all eyes turned to him, his ears flicked upward. He looked nervous to interject into the intense conversation, but he plowed forward bravely. “Slade said he was sorry. Hey, I’m not happy about what he did, but… I really don’t think he wanted to, you know?”

Starfire’s eyes brightened. “What if Trigon forced him?”

Cyborg snorted. “Oh, please. No one forces Slade to do anything he doesn’t want to. It’s obvious. We fell for his tricks good and hard. Now we’ve gotta pick up the pieces and start over.”

“It wasn’t all a trick,” whispered Dick. It couldn’t be.

“No?” snapped Cyborg. “You’ve gotta face the facts, Rob.”

“I know what he did. I get it, I was there,” said Dick, his tone darkening. “But I really don’t believe that everything was a lie. He was sincere. We were…”

We were a family. We were father and son. He was someone who filled the role. He was Dad.

“That’s where I think it’s weird,” said Cyborg; his tone was suggestive. Dick looked at the other teen. A chill went down his back at the light in Cyborg’s eyes. “I definitely think you were brainwashed. You have some weird, sick infatuation with the man. It’s just not natural. I dunno what’s wrong with you!”

What?

It took Dick a few moments before the horrible truth slammed into his mind. “You think…” he breathed, his mouth dropping. “You think that he and I… But that’s…” Dick bolted to his feet. “How could you even suggest such a vulgar thing!?”

Cyborg stood up as well, his height towering over Dick’s slight frame. “Well, if the shoe fits, wear it!”

“There’s no shoe to wear!” snapped Dick, incredulous. The two older boys were unaware of the confused looks that Starfire and Beast Boy were exchanging. “What is your problem, anyway? You know how I feel about him. Why do you have to twist it into something it’s not, huh?!”

“There’s no other way to describe it!”

“Uh,” drawled Dick sarcastically, “how about father and son?!”

Cyborg scoffed. “Oh, yeah, sure. If you wanna call it that.”

Hurt flared inside Dick’s chest. “What else would you call it?” he demanded. “I don’t understand you any more. You’re the only one who insists on always calling me Robin. You haven’t really looked me in the eye for weeks now and when you do, I feel this underline anger. It’s like you have a bigger problem than it just being Slade. It’s like you have a problem with…”

As Cyborg avoided his eyes, the realization bloomed inside Dick. He glanced over at Starfire, who gave him a saddened expression. She nodded slightly.

“It’s me,” whispered Dick. “All this time…”

It was so different than the last time the two of them fought. It wasn’t just a petty fight, where childish words were thrown. No… The other teen actually disliked him… for being himself.

It was such a strange, yet extremely painful insight.

“No, it’s Slade,” said Cyborg. “You and Slade. The way you act around him, like he’s the best thing to ever happen to you. He’s not, okay? He’s the worst thing to ever happen to you. He stole you from us. He hurt you. He brainwashed you. He’s—”

“For the last time, I’m not brainwashed!”

“—got some weird control over you and you let him—why do you let him?!”

Dick took a deep breath. “That’s still a problem with me,” he said softly. Cyborg looked away. That alone said it all. As he continued, he whispered. “You have a problem with Dick Grayson. What is it about him that you don’t like? Is it because he’s not Robin?”

“You changed,” whispered Cyborg. “You’re so different. It’s like you’re a different person.”

“People change. It’s what they do,” said Dick, his tone rising. “We wouldn’t be alive if we never changed – even animals adapt and change with time. We’re teenagers, for crying out loud. We never stay the same!”

“But—”

“I had to change!” shouted Dick. “I couldn’t be fake any more. I couldn’t take it any more. I couldn’t act as someone I wasn’t, not in that environment. I tried to hide, but… You don’t know it all. You’ve never experienced what I had to go through. You don’t understand what it’s like having to hide behind a mask. I had to adapt or else I wouldn’t have survived.”

“Yeah, well, this whole thing with Slade should be over, then. You should’ve broken away from him—”

“But that’s just it!” cried Dick. “He was the first to change. He was always the one to make the first move. You can’t fake that. You can’t fake that much subtlety. His change was so slow, yet I could see it. Without that, I could’ve never opened up. I could never return to the days where I’d been Dick Grayson.”

“You were played good,” said Cyborg, his tone dark. “Trust me, Rob, it’s been a lie. There’s no way Slade could change like that. It just doesn’t happen. Bad guys don’t change.”

Dick sucked in his breath. The environment around them wasn’t exactly good for their health. The scent in the air was toxic. Now, it was beginning to get to Dick. Either it was that, or Cyborg’s words were finally settling within his heart.

“No, you’re wrong,” whispered Dick. His arms curled around his chest. “You just see what you want to see.”

“The same could be said for you.”

“He didn’t lie about it.”

“He did.”

The air caught inside Dick’s throat.

“He wouldn’t lie about that.”

He said it. He wouldn’t say that so easily.

“Cyborg,” interjected Starfire, her voice strong and stern. “You must stop this immediately.”

“He needs to know, Star.”

“This is not the time, nor do I believe what you are saying is truth.”

Without fully noticing, Dick slowly lowered to a crouch. His arms were still curled around his chest. He hunched over.

It hadn’t been a lie… Right? All those times he had said… It wasn’t a lie. He loved me… Didn’t he? Oh, gosh, tell me it all wasn’t a lie!

“Dick, are you all right?”

Dick’s breath caught in his throat. Everything began to crush him. Suddenly, he was having that all too familiar feeling, one he hadn’t experienced in months and one he certainly didn’t think he’d have to go through again.

Brilliant timing, that was.

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong with him?”

Can’t breathe.

“He is not breathing correctly!”

Scared. What’s wrong? Why?

“He’s having a panic attack—see, this isn’t normal!”

Panic attack. Why again?

Soft hands touched him. Dick curled further into himself, unknowing of the chaos blaring around him. Starfire failed in pulling him out of the attack. As the other two boys continued to argue loudly, with Starfire’s soft words unable to penetrate the attack, Dick’s breathing only worsened.

“Cy, we gotta help him!”

“He shouldn’t be having a panic attack in the first place!”

“Don’t be a jerk! We gotta get him out of it! Ach, what d’we do?!”

“Both of you, please stop fighting! It is not helping. Calm down.”

Black dots formed inside Dick’s eyes. No words broke through his mind. There was a medley of voices, yet he couldn’t hear them. All sound became drowned. His breathing was suffocating. He was going to pass out. Oh. It would be better that way. Then, maybe, when he woke up, this would all be just a terrible nightmare.

Nightmare. What a nightmare.

“You!”

Strong hands grabbed Dick by the shoulders. They were familiar.

“Get away from him!”

“No, Cyborg, please stop!”

“Cy, he’s just trying to help!”

“He’s a little late for that, ain’t he?!”

Through the chaos, one clear voice rang through Dick’s ears, tearing him out of the darkness.

“Son, breathe!”

Air flooded his lungs.

Something inside Dick knew to obey that voice. That voice. That voice was his father, wasn’t it? He had to listen. His father knew what to do. Everything was going to be all right now, wasn’t it? They didn’t have to do it all alone now. There was an adult, someone who could handle all this.

That voice was warmth; it was life; it was deeply rooted inside Dick’s heart. It was part of him. That voice had brought him out of the darkness so many times. That voice had brought him happiness, sorrow, warmth, family – everything Dick had missed for so many years, that voice embodied it all.

Who was that voice again?

Dad.

And that was all it took.

Dad! Everything has gone wrong. Trigon destroyed everything! We were betrayed. Raven is missing. Wintergreen is a statue now—he can’t be dead. We have to save him somehow. What are we going to do? How can we fix this?

We were betrayed…

Dick slowly opened his eyes. Orange and black filled his vision. He gasped, scrambling backwards away from the man. Grey blue shone through the sea of orange. Pain flashed through it as Dick hurried to put distance between them.

That voice was also the voice of the betrayer.

He had defended the man so perfectly. His feelings rang through every word he’d spoken. He had meant them, in a way – at least in his heart. To hear someone else disparage his father had made him defend the man.

However…

Seeing him here and wearing that horrible mask, after all he’d done, after all that had come about – after seeing Wintergreen – all those good feelings and all those defending words disappeared, now all filled with absolute enraged betrayal towards one name; the man who wasn’t his father.

Slade.

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