Chapter 19

Nora Darhk navigated her way through the hellscape. Finally, at the end of the road, Nora found it, her soul. Which resembled Nora from a more innocent and less corrupt time. The demon guards standing over it had no chance after Nora sliced them down to the ground. Blood splattered all over the place from Nora continuing her trek.

"You're...you're here?" the younger Nora asked.

"Yes, and I'm getting you out of here," the present Nora said. "Take my hand."

A tentative, shaking hand grabbed Nora's and the younger Nora rose up, breathing heavily. The two of them almost merged.

"What about Superman?"

Nora paused at the moment just as her soul was about ready to re-enter her body. She took a deep breath.

"Hadrian's gone back to fight Trigon, he'll be...he won't listen to my reason," Nora's present self told her soul.

"Then, we should go back and assist him," the younger Nora told her.

"No, we...he'll destroy us," Nora said. "We need to get out of here...find someplace else...regroup."

"You can't just leave it all behind...you know he would have risked everything to save you!"

Nora stopped, the chills going down her spine were difficult to ignore. Her soul reentered Nora's body and deep inside of her psyche, the debate raged on. Should Nora stay or should she go? She could open a portal to one of any number of worlds, free from Trigon?

Or she could come back and assist Hadrian in the fight with Trigon?

"I don't understand what's going on," Nora murmured. "This should be a simple decision. Preserve yourself, and fight another day….but why can't I do it."

"Because you care," Nora repeated, in a softer and more innocent voice.

Stupid emotions getting the way of her logic, and Nora closed her ice. Yes, she cared, and she did not want to see anything happen to anyone. But, surely, she couldn't defeat Trigon, and Hadrian couldn't, and this was a mess.

But, Nora had to do it, because she could not stand by. Suddenly, a wall of demons came up.

"You're not getting away, child."

Nora noticed one of the demons wore the face of her father. Whether it was done to play mind games with her, or was this fate after he attempted to cheat Trigon, Nora did not know. And quite frankly, Nora did not care. She rose up and smashed the face of her demon father in.

She whipped back and sent blasts of magical energy down around them. Nora, still with the spear she swiped from earlier, hacked away at one of the demon's heart and then flung the heart she ripped out of his chest. Blackened and disgusted, it exploded in a shower of blinding blood.

Nora pressed her hands through the door, and came out on the other side breathing heavily. More winged demons came after her, but Nora hacked away at them. She rushed through the nearest exit, and she swiped her hand, opening up a gateway.

One of the demons caught Nora by the ankle and pulled her away from the gateway. Nora closed her eyes and decided to give the demon a good old fashioned kick to the skull. A loud thump sent the demon crashing down. Two more followed and Nora destroyed the ground they stood on.

Tucking and rolling through the portal, Nora landed out on the other side. She collapsed down to the ground, breathing heavily. The last thing she saw before sealing the portal was her father's face.

Nora breathed on the ground. The spear, covered in demon blood, gave her an idea. Nora hoped it would pay off.

Well, nothing left to lose now.

From high into the air, Superman fired a few blasts of energy from his hand and sent Trigon staggering back to the ground. Trigon almost broke and instead and caught Superman and knocked him out of the ground. A blast of energy had been blocked by a shield.

"Your Justice League is immobilized, forced to watch my conquest of the world," Trigon said. "On the other hand, I have a much more appropriate fate for you. All of these women, you have a connection with them. And you are going to be broken, beaten, and then I will take them all and make them pay."

"It won't happen," Harry said. "Because, I won't let you."

On the ground, off to the side, the Titans and the Team regrouped. A soft cry came from the other side of a pillar. Kory and Rebecca moved around.

"Raven?" Kory asked.

"What happened?" Rebecca asked.

"Harry's going to die. It's not going to be pleasant," Raven said. "It's not going to be pleasant…."

"Raven, I can get you away," Kory said. "Just take my hand and…."

'No, I have to be here, for better or for worse," Raven said.

Whitney peered up to the sky, with Donna standing behind her. A small group of winged demons came down to the sky. Donna, withdrawing her sword, jumped up and stabbed one of them in the chest. Anissa fought alongside of her, knocking the demon down.

"Demons, as if we didn't have any problems with Trigon?"

Hawk joined the battle, fiercely. Dove joined her sister, a bit shakily, but bravely standing up against this sadistic monsters of war. Dove's hand came back and had been blocked by the demon who tried to snatch her all the way out of the ground. She kicked off of him.

"Don't suppose you have any of those Nth metal arrows still?" Robin asked Red Arrow.

"That was the one," Red Arrow said. "Put your explosive on the base of that arch. I have an idea."

"Got it," Robin said, sliding underneath the swinging grasp of one of the demons.

Trigon's fist curled and a wave of energy shot from it. The blast kept nailing Harry, who kept coming back, unable to stay down for long.

"You have no idea," Trigon said. "I've been using a fraction of my power and….."

In a flash, Nora Darhk jumped out of a portal, spear in hand, and stabbed it directly into the side of Trigon's neck. Trigon groaned and stepped back, with Nora ripping the spear out of his neck. The Arch Demon staggered about, eying the spear.

"The Spear of Azar," Trigon said. "You are a foolish child if you think that will work. It has unintended consequences if you're not pure of heart and you try and use it. Which is why your father, despite hoarding it, never tried."

"Well, I guess I'm more brazen than he was," Nora said. "And I'm willing to stand up to the consequences, if it means putting you down."

"You got your soul back, just in time for you to be ripped in half."

Nora ran at Trigon with the Spear of Azar. Trigon blocked it with his hand at the last minute. Like a snarling beast, he threw Nora off to one side. Nora flipped onto her back, landing hard. Trigon held the spear, the weapon forged in an attempt to take him down.

Up from the sky came Superman with a forceful blow which cracked the horns on Trigon's head. Trigon groaned and Superman hurled Trigon halfway across San Francisco with a blast of magic.

"You were talking about using a fraction of your power?" Harry asked. "Well guess what?"

Two beams of green light, killing blows blasted out of Harry's hands, and sent Trigon flying back several yards. Harry kicked up the pace and knocked Trigon back.

"I tire of this game!" Trigon yelled. "All of them...all of them will suffer, they will fall at my feet….."

Nora jammed the spear into Trigon's back and caused him to drop down to one knee. Grimacing, with the power.

"You talk too much," Nora said.

Suddenly, the spear caused every nerve ending in Nora's body to scream. Images of all of the terrible things she had been forced to do as Trigon's disciple and many of the terrible things she chose to do. The powers of chaos came into her mind, overwhelming her and almost driving Nora insane.

Harry pulled Nora away, her fingers raw red. The spear, still in Trigon's back, had been pulled out. Trigon grimaced and hurled the weapon.

"You were not pure enough to finish the job with the spear," Trigon said.

The rest of the Team came for Trigon after taking down his legions. Trigon all batted them away like they were nothing, Superman included. Trigon smiled and stood above the Teen Titans, the Team, and the Man of Steel.

"Raven," Trigon said. "See what happens when you try and defy your father. Yes, I know it's you, and I know you brought me back."

Raven peaked out, shaking. She saw them all, the Titan, the Team, and even Nora Darhk. About ready to suffer a fate worse than death at the hands of Trigon. Raven shuddered to think what would happen when Trigon had his way with every one of those captive young heroines. Her father, truly was a monster, and capable of unspeakable horrors.

"No,' Raven muttered. "No, no."

The power, the fate, caused Raven to rise up and age back up, to a young woman dressed in white and flash in front of Trigon. She blocked his brutal attack, sending him back.

"You might have brought me into this life," Raven said. "But, you are not my father. And I might share blood with you, but you're not family."

"You dare challenge me," Trigon said.

"Yes, I DARE!" Raven yelled.

Raven enveloped Trigon in shadows. Her eyes glowed as she rose up. Trigon's mind flashed with images of a world standing up and defeating him. Being condemned to the same eternal prison once more, being sent back there. Trigon fought his way.

"That doesn't shake me, that doesn't rattle me," Trigon said.

"No, what rattles you most of us all is that I'm not your puppet!" Raven yelled. "I've lived a life beyond what you've chosen for me. And as long as I have the faith of my friends, you are weak, and I am strong."

From the ground, Harry rose up, with Trigon distracted by his daughter's rebellion. He picked up the Spear of Azar and shook his head. Not how he wanted to take this one.

"You don't understand that friendship is magic," Raven said. "And you thought you could make me feel that I was standing alone, but no, I have something to fight for. There are people counting on me."

"Trust me, you don't stand alone."

Harry rose up, followed by Zatanna, Mareena, and Nora. The four magic users stood across from each other, with Harry standing close to Raven. They sealed Trigon in a cage made of powerful runes. All five of them chanted, in perfect harmony, and there had been a glow.

"You can't stand me back, you won't send me back!" Trigon yelled.

None of them reacted to Trigon's words. He had been powerful, but by working together, the five of them caused several clawed hands to drag Trigon back. The chains which bound him snapped together.

"As long as there are those who stand in the darkness, I will find a way to return, and next time, I won't have mercy!" Trigon yelled.

"Yes, but we'll be waiting," Raven said with a smile as Trigon disappeared through the portal.

The wave of magical energy went through the air and restored everything back to normal. Freeing all people Trigon immobilized from their containment.

The Team, the Titans, all of them breathed. Megan and Kara rushed in and hugged Harry, glad he had made it out alive, and they were only there because they had a presence of mind.

"Raven, you're okay," Starfire said.

"Of course, I am," Raven said, accepting the hug from her friend and teammate. "I'm with friends."

Oh, the aftermath, the aftermath had been something else. The Tower had been built and Harry hovered over it. He scanned the air for any cracks in space and time where Trigon or any of his people might be able to slip out. Standing behind him, Raven put a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't feel him anymore," Raven said. "I broke the bindings that held us together. All thanks to you."

"No, you had the strength inside of you this entire time," Harry said. "You had to just get it out."

"I wasn't the only one who was strong," Raven said. "Nora….she really came through….."

Harry nodded in response. Speaking of Nora, she had decided to slip away in the chaos, after having them finish Trigon. Which was a pity, because Harry owed her a nice, heartfelt thanks for helping him. Because Nora had every chance to run away, and instead she stood and fought with Harry, at great risk. Nearly risking having her mind and body utterly annihilated by using a spear she could barely hold.

"Well, your birthday's not over," Harry said.

Raven looked out into the sky. No, not quite over and she did not have the same feeling of dread.

"You think everything's clear?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, it's clear," Raven said.

Sure, there was always the risk Trigon would find a way back, but he would be stopped again and again, over and over. No matter how many years, there would be heroes who would stand up to him and fight.

And finally, Raven's sixteenth birthday, which she dreaded for quite some time, would finally be one worth celebrating.

"Are you keeping the white?" Rebecca asked.

"Well, it's nice," Raven said. "But, I think that I just like my look as if is and I wouldn't normally channel that kind of power. It feels like I'm on a high, afterwards."

"Well, that was amazing how you took the fight to Trigon," Artemis said.

"Pretty badass," Sara said with a smile.

"I try," Raven said.

The entire Team leaned back. They had done their part, as did the Teen Titans. Raven took a piece of cake which tasted so much sweeter after stopping her evil father's plans.

"So, any idea what happened to Nora?" Megan asked.

"Not a clue," Harry said. "She's out there, in the wind….I hope she can find peace now she's free again."

"She's….I don't understand her," Megan said. "I think you inspired something inside of her."

"He inspires something in a lot of women,' Whitney said.

"I believe we can all agree on that."

Oh, Raven most certainly did understand it. She had already made one brave and extremely courageous choice today. So, now it was time for her to make another one.

"Harry, you mentioned you had a present that you wanted to give me privately," Raven said.

"He did?" Kara asked before sudden realization dawned on the Girl of Steel "Ooooh….right!"

"Of course," Harry said.

Raven took his hand, and smiled. She would have to thank Harry properly for all of what he's done, and making her see the light.

"We shouldn't be long," Raven said.

The entire group had been left. Rebecca and Helena both exchanged smiles with each other. Harry and Raven disappeared around the corner for Raven to unwrap Harry's package.

"Oh, I wouldn't count on that," Rebecca said.