The Day the Universe Stood Still

A week has passed since Jordan and the united Batfamily defeated the Court of Owls, finally freeing Gotham from their grasp. After the nearly two-week distraction, Jordan has returned to Titans Tower to continue preparing. Seven long days of preparation will be the only time left for our heroes to prepare because today is the day that Trigon returns. As the sun shines through the large window in Raven's room, curse marks appear all on her body and she quickly wakes up. She looks up and down her body and she is shocked.

"He's coming today. We're out of time," said Raven somberly.

Raven gets out of her bed and slowly walks out of her room. She then opens a door and walks up the stairs up to the rooftop. She reaches it in less than a minute and just stares at the sun as it bounces off her skin and the curse marks on her body. She continues to just stare at the large star until she hears the door open. She turns her head and sees Jordan, with a short beard from neglecting to shave for the last week, entering the rooftop.

"What are you doing up so early? I thought that you were kind of a vampire," said Jordan.

"The day is here. My father is coming," said Raven.

"Time flies by fast when you're stuck in your workshop," said Jordan.

"Do you think that-," said Raven.

"Yes. You don't have to even finish talking," said Jordan.

"Are you scared?" asked Raven.

"Absolutely. I'm shitting my pants right now, but I can't show it. If I'm visibly scared, everyone else will. I have to look strong. We have to have all the confidence in the world if we wish to defeat this demon," said Jordan.

"He has never lost," said Raven.

"He will today. Whenever he decides to pop his giant ugly face out," said Jordan.

"There were probably millions of people who had that same thinking process. Now, they're gone," said Raven.

"Have a little faith, Raven. We got this," said Jordan.

"I will be relieved once we take him down. If we can," said Raven.

"He will be sent packing back to Hell in no time. Trust me," said Jordan.

"I never told you where I'm from, have I?" asked Raven.

"No. I have no clue where you're from," said Jordan.

"Azarath," said Raven.

"Should have known. You say that in your incantations all the time," said Jordan.

"It was a very peaceful place. It was very beautiful and there were many different people. Everything was all nice and dandy until he appeared," said Raven.

"Let me guess. Trigon came and destroyed it all," said Jordan.

"Thanks to my mother," said Raven.

"Your mother was his servant?" asked Jordan.

"No, his concubine. She was in a cult that dedicated itself to worshipping Trigon like a god. She was chosen to have his baby who was me. I'm the reason why Azarath was destroyed and this universe may be the next one to go," said Raven.

"Don't blame yourself. You were just a child," said Jordan.

"The Antichrist like Garfield said," said Raven.

"Forget about Garfield. He's a fool most of the time," said Jordan.

"But, he was right for the first time," said Raven.

"You know what? You need some fresh air," said Jordan.

"I'm getting it right now," said Raven.

"I mean like let's go for a walk or something," said Jordan.

"Don't you have to finish up your new suit?" asked Raven.

"It can wait. A friend is in need so I will help them first," said Jordan.

Twenty have passed. Jordan and Raven walk on the sidewalk down the busiest street in the city. Cars fly by, parents and their children walk by, and the smell of delicious food can be smelt for miles. Raven looks around at the places that may no longer exist once the day is over.

"Do you feel better?" asked Jordan.

"Kind of. This city is beautiful, but it may no longer exist after my father comes," said Raven.

"Beautiful things always last for at least a few hundred years. Trigon won't ruin anything," said Jordan.

"There will be many casualties and so much property damage. This city, no, this world will never be the same," said Raven.

"At least this may drive people to become stronger, faster, and braver. This will be a stepping stone in our evolution," said Jordan.

"What if there is no time to evolve?" asked Raven.

"Then, we will make some," said Jordan.

"When did you become so optimistic?" asked Raven.

"I have a father, a mother, a grandpa, brothers, sisters, and friends. There's no need to be depressed and angry anymore," said Jordan.

"What would you do if you no longer had those things?" asked Raven.

"I don't know, Raven. I don't know," said Jordan.

"I know what I would do. Probably go crazy," said Raven.

"We're already pretty crazy. Can you delve any deeper into insanity?" said Jordan.

"The Joker exists, so I guess yes," said Raven.

"Nice joke," said Jordan.

"I wasn't trying to be funny," said Raven.

"But, you're good at it," said Jordan.

The two friends continue to walk until they hear a bunch of screams. They also hear stomping and see a truck transporting an oil tank get thrown in front of them. Raven creates a shield to block the explosion.

"What was that?" asked Jordan.

"Not my father," said Raven.

"Still a villain that we have to deal with," said Jordan.

"Wanna call the others?" asked Raven.

"No need. We can deal with whoever it is," said Jordan.

It seems that they will not need help from the others. The villain has been defeated many times by the Titans. Plasmus is an easy target and punching bag. Raven and Jordan breathe in relief as the hulking body of plasma walks towards them.

"Freezing doesn't work, so what should we do?" asked Jordan.

"We can brute force him," said Raven.

"That won't work. He will just regenerate," said Jordan.

"Then, let me do my version of brute force," said Raven.

Raven removes the shield and lets out a black version of herself and sends it toward the giant villain. It enters the blob and explodes the goo off of the man as he passes it into a deep slumber. That was fast.

"Umm. Good job," said Jordan.

"Well, I didn't want to spend too much time dealing with Plasmus. He's cannon fodder," said Raven.

"We should clean up this mess," said Jordan.

"The cops can deal with it. We have things to do before sunset," said Raven.

"Why do you believe that he will return at sunset?" asked Jordan.

"Demons come out at night," said Raven.

"That's just a stereotype. Demons can come out at any time. Like he could appear right now and it's not even close to nighttime," said Jordan.

Jordan should have kept quiet because here comes the big boy. The moon somehow quickly covers the sun as darkness covers the Earth. Raven starts to lose her balance as curse marks appear all around her body. Raven falls to the ground and Jordan rushes to her.

"Raven," said Jordan.

"The end of the world is near," said Raven.

"Let's get back to the tower. It's time to make some final preparations," said Jordan.

Twenty more minutes pass. All of the Titans walk down a hallway towards a room. Jordan places his hand on the handprint and the door opens. Inside the room, Marks of Scath are on the walls and tinted by the blue of the Tower. A large blue circle, surrounded by salt, lies on the ground.

"What is this?" asked Raven.

"A safe room. You will wait here while we take on Trigon," said Jordan.

"You guys can't beat him without me," said Raven.

"Relax. We are ready to send him back to Hell. You will be safe in here," said Jordan.

"We only have to prevent them from getting you for the rest of the day. This won't be easy, but we can handle it," said Cyborg.

"It will just be the long waiting game," said Starfire.

"You're the portal. Prevent him from getting to you for the next 15 hours and we will win," said Jordan.

"Will you guys be able to last that long?" asked Raven.

"Probably not," said Cyborg.

"But, we have to. We have to win for the sake of the universe," said Beast Boy.

"Even if we die, run. First to Metropolis. The Justice League will protect you. Then, Steel City. Jason and his team will defend you," said Jordan.

"Don't put those thoughts in my head," said Raven.

"We can't ignore what could happen. Not right now," said Jordan.

"This room has the most advanced defense technology in the world," said Cyborg.

"And we added marks from your books for extra protection," said Starfire.

"Plus, we put a little salt around the circle. Demons can't get past that," said Beast Boy.

"This isn't 'Supernatural', Gar," said Jordan.

"Well, all fiction is based on a little truth," said Beast Boy.

"Whatever. Victor, place her inside. Garfield, Kori, watch over her. I have some final tweaks that I have to make before he comes," said Jordan.

Jordan walks past his friends after taking one more look at Raven. He turns the corner and places his hand on the handprint. It accepts his attempt to enter and he enters the room. He walks towards a suit container and looks at the new armor that he created just for this day.

"Trigon, you just made the worst mistake of your life," said Jordan.

An hour passes. The alarms sound as Slade rises out of the ground. The doors of Titans Tower open as most of the Titans walk out. The Titans are prepared to fight to the very end, but Jordan isn't there. Where is he?

"Where's Jordan?" asked Beast Boy.

"He's probably still making tweaks. We'll just have to cover for him," said Cyborg.

"It's just Slade. Nothing to worry about. I hope," said Starfire.

The Titans exit the tower and walk towards the undead mercenary. He smiles scowls under his helmet as they approach.

"Where's Jordan?" asked Slade.

"He'll be coming. You don't have to worry about that," said Cyborg.

"Give me the girl," said Slade.

"Never," said Starfire.

"Then, I will just take her," said Slade.

"You and what army!" exclaimed Beast Boy.

"What about this one?" asked Slade.

Flame demons rise from the ground and appear all around Slade. Why did Beast Boy have to open his big green mouth?

"Well, it seems that you do have an army," said Beast Boy.

"You just had to ask, didn't you?" asked Cyborg.

"Stuff happens, dude," said Beast Boy.

"Attack!" exclaimed Slade.

"Wait!" exclaimed Jordan.

Jordan hops off the tower and glides towards the center of the field in his new armor. It is all black, with orange eyes and orange lines around the suit, an orange utility belt, an orange phoenix symbol, and a helmet with no mouth opening. He is built to fight demons.

"You can't start fighting without me," said Jordan.

"Cool suit," said Cyborg.

Jordan drops a smoke bomb, but it isn't a regular one. It releases purple smoke instead of the regular grey.

"What is this?" asked Cyborg.

"A charm. It will allow you to hurt these demons and defeat them," said Jordan.

"Nice," said Beast Boy.

"Slade is mine. Titans, go!" said Jordan.

As the flame demons start to attack the Titans, Jordan jumps into the air and darts towards Slade. He pulls out his new crimson orange blades and swipes at Slade a few times. He then kicks him in the chest and he flies back like twenty feet.

"You've gotten stronger," said Slade.

"You gave me too much prep time," said Jordan.

"The Court didn't distract you for long enough, did they?" said Slade.

"No. Should have tried harder," said Jordan.

"Take this!" exclaimed Slade.

Slade sends a wave of fire at Jordan, but he just tanks it. The flames won't affect him this time. Jordan charges at Slade and tries to kick him, but Slade grabs his foot and slams him on the ground. He then tries to curb stomp him, but Jordan rolls out of the way and kicks him in the shin.

"You won't beat me easily. I refuse to lose today," said Jordan.

"Then, come and fight me, boy," said Slade.

"Ahhhh!" exclaimed Jordan.

On the other side of the island, the other Titans combat the fire demons. Starfire destroys some with her Starbolts. More appear so she creates a giant one to combat the large number of demons. It's a big help, but they still appear. Beast Boy transforms into a beast and swipes at some of the demons. He kills some, but they blast him into the tower. Cyborg leaps into the air and creates a "large line in the sand" with his sonic cannon.

"No one is getting in here!" exclaimed Cyborg.

Cyborg presses a button that pops out of his tricep. Large cables come out of the tower and are plugged into his back. His body turns into a walking weapon and he charges up a final attack.

"Jordan, move!" exclaimed Cyborg.

Jordan kicks Slade in the face and he rockets into the air. Cyborg releases the final blast and destroys all of the demons on the island except for Slade. He tanks the blast, but his armor is a little damaged. Even with the evisceration of the demons, more rise from Hell.

"More are here and Slade still stands," said Jordan.

"How?" asked Cyborg.

"They're very strong, but we must still defend Raven. We can't let them pass. Titans let's do this!" said Jordan.

Four long and sluggish hours pass. Our heroes have been fighting for a very long time. They are tired, bloody, and nearly defeated. They all stand back to back as waves of flame demons come at them.

"They just won't stop. How much time do we have left?" said Beast Boy.

"10," said Cyborg.

"We won't last that long," said Beast Boy.

"But, we must. We can't die here. Not yet," said Jordan.

"Give up the girl, Titans. You have already lost," said Slade.

"Not yet. You won't get to her," said Jordan.

"Don't be naive, Jordan. I never proclaim victory prematurely," said Slade.

"What are you blabbering about?" asked Starfire.

"You have failed to protect her, your Justice League in Metropolis failed to protect her, your other team in Steel City failed to protect her. You have all been defeated by my master," said Slade.

"Have you gone mad, Deathstroke? She is still in there," said Cyborg.

"She isn't. Want me to take you to her?" said Slade.

"No," said Jordan.

"I'll take that as a yes," said Slade.

Slade raises both of his hands and magma engulfs the Titans as they are dragged deep into the Earth. They are forcibly transported for a few minutes until they reach the statue. The magma is released and they see Raven lying in front of the statue, beaten and bloodied.

"Raven!" exclaimed the Titans.

Raven doesn't respond because she is out cold. Her friends try to run to her, but they can't even get close. An invisible magic barrier blocks them from moving any closer. They try to smash through, but can't.

'It won't budge," said Cyborg.

"Then, we tunnel," said Jordan.

"Already on it," said Starfire.

Starfire fires her Starbolts at the ground and tries to break it, but it may be too late. Slade walks up to Raven and grabs her by her purple hair. He then drags her up the steps of the statue.

"Get your hands off her, you bastard! Raven, wake up! Raven!" exclaimed Jordan.

"Quiet down children. She can't hear you. She will never hear you again," said Slade.

"Star, hurry up!" exclaimed Jordan.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" exclaimed Starfire.

"Work faster!" exclaimed Jordan.

"I'm trying!" exclaimed Starfire.

Starfire starts to move faster, but her best isn't, or to better put it, will not be good enough. Slade reaches the top of the statue and places the unconscious girl on the giant hand. Once the curse marks appear on her body, she wakes up.

"Where am I?" asked Raven.

"Your destiny, Raven," said Slade.

"No," said Raven.

"Yes," said Slade.

"No!" exclaimed Raven.

Raven tries to escape, but she is grabbed and held in the air by the mercenary.

"Say the words, girl," said Slade.

"Never!" exclaimed Raven.

"Fine. I will say them for you. The gem was born of evil's fire. The gem shall be his portal. He comes to claim. He comes to sire the end of all things mortal," said Slade.

"No! Raven!" exclaimed Jordan.

"Ahhhhhh!" exclaimed Raven.

Raven's eyes turn white as she starts to levitate into the air. The curse marks come off her body and circle around her. She takes one more look at her friends before she is transformed into a red and orange portal. The portal becomes larger as it destroys the giant hand statue. The giant body of Trigon rises from the portal as our heroes stare in anger and shock.

"No way," said Beast Boy.

"He's here," said Jordan.

"This universe is mine!" exclaimed Trigon.