014

— project annihilation —

SHE HAD ACCEPTED DEATH, JUST NOT THIS EARLY, NOT WITHOUT A CHANCE TO FIGHT. "All right," Dick called and the three inside the lab straightened, waiting for Dick to explain the final layout of the plan. "Hazel you're going to blast the orb with your light. Kory and Rachel will track the heat index and pressure. And when both indexes are at 100 percent, that means the fission reaction is complete. That's when you take over Conner. Hazel will exit while you stabilise the orb," Dick explained, his words clear and warning. They could not afford to mess this up.

"And then we all do some deep breathing," Kory said nervously, trying to lighten the mood.

"Once she's out of there, Gar will activate the vault's nuclear containment shield, in case something goes wrong," Dick instructed, his tone confident, but Hazel couldn't help the shocks of panic that raced through her at the words in case and goes wrong.

Hazel looked down at Gar and he quickly jumped onto the platform beside her. "Are you ready for this?" Gar asked in a low voice, his hand grabbing hers.

"I'm only powering a nuclear bomb," Hazel joked softly, trying to cover her nerves with a chuckle but she could feel herself beginning to shake nervously.

"You got this," Gar said sternly, as if it was stupid to suggest she didn't. Gar leaned forward and kissed her, trying to distract her and ground her. He pulled away and looked into Hazel's eyes. "You got this."

Hazel nodded and Gar smiled at her. He nodded at Conner before racing toward the heavy metal door to the control room and slipping past. He pulled the bomb door closed with a heavy slam and stepped in front of the control panel, looking at Conner and Hazel through the glass window.

Hazel and Conner stepped closer to the orb, "Don't burn me alive," Conner joked, and Hazel laughed softly.

"I'll give it my best shot," Hazel muttered. Hazel reached her hands out, but she didn't summon her light just yet just positioning her hands hovering on either side of the orb as if she were waiting to grab it. "Okay, ready?" Once she got the nod from Conner and an all-clear check from Dick, did she summon her light.

It burned her skin, pulling the red light from deep within her. Her red light would normally shoot off in small flares or explode with her emotions, it had never been held on the surface for much longer than a few moments. The bright red light sparked from her hands and attached to the orb like a magnet, weaving through the hexagonal shapes.

"Index climbing, 11 percent," Kory replayed, her voice nervous.

"Pressures as 19," Rachel echoed, her voice equally tense.

In less than 20 seconds both had already climbed so high, she needed to move faster but the risk of setting the reactor off early plagued her mind. Hazel inhaled through her nose, trying to keep her light pouring from her hands but it was like trying to contain fire in a plastic container, lasting longer than a paper bag would, but not much longer.

"Heats at 35, no, 40," Kory said, but quickly corrected herself.

"Pressure is at 49—50 percent!" Rachel shouted, her voice just as tense.

Hazel's heartbeat pounded in her ears as she struggled to keep her focus, her chest rising and falling with every heavy breath. The orb started to glow with bright crimson red light, making the power from her hands flare even brighter, growing harder to control with each passing second.

"Device instability detected," An automated voice warned.

"Guys stand down something's happening," Gar shouted over the speakers, trying to work out how he could fix the problem from the control panel.

"What's happening over there?" Dick shouted, the worry in his voice spiking quickly.

"Increased instability detected. Begin nuclear containment shield activation," The automated voice instructed.

"Shit," Gar cursed, hitting different buttons. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

Conner stepped forward, grabbing the orb in an attempt to stabilise it. The lights weaved around him, absorbing into the orb thankfully avoiding hurting him, but as the light continued to pump into the orb it began to shake. "I don't know if it's gonna hold!" Conner shouted, looking up Hazel for the answers

"It has to! We're not there yet!" Hazel shouted; her voice confident.

But the strain was becoming unbearable. The red light was a living thing, wild and untamed, made to fuel existence, and holding it back was like trying to contain a raging storm in the palm of her hand. She could feel the energy threatening to slip from her grasp, the pressure building to a point she couldn't control. 

"Heat's at 96," Kory nearly shouted.

"Pressure 94," Rachel said.

"Come on," Hazel muttered to herself, her voice barely audible over the roaring in her ears. "Just a little longer. . ."

"Hazel, get out of there!" Gar shouted, his voice loud over the speaker.

"No, this is our only chance at this!" Hazel yelled

"Secure levels exceeded. Activate nuclear containment shield."

"Heat's at 98," Kory said, her voice growing with urgency.

"Pressure is at 98. Gar, you need to get her out of there!" Rachel's voice cut through the noise, filled with desperation.

"Go!" Hazel yelled at Conner. Conner's eyes snapped toward her as if she had suddenly grown several heads. "It's going to kill you, go!"

"I'm not going anywhere," Conner shouted, snapping at Hazel.

"Self-activating nuclear containment shield. Stand clear."

The room seemed to close in on them, the air growing thicker as the shield set the safety systems off, sealing the door airtight. Hazel could feel the pressure building to a breaking point, the red light in her hands flaring so brightly it hurt to look at. Time was running out, and the pressure of the moment pressed down on her, squeezing the breath from her lungs. But despite the rising fear, she knew she couldn't afford to back down— not now.

"I'm shutting it down!" Gar shouted out, a warning in the least if the power suddenly cut. He slammed his hand on the emergency shutdown button, but it simply beeped at him, refusing to do anything. He pressed it again, and again, and again, cursing at it all.

"System error."

The red lights sparked wildly, shooting out as the orb struggled to contain the sheer power being forced into it. The orb strained under the pressure of the energy coursing through it, desperately trying to absorb more even as it threatened to burst at the seams. Hazel could feel the heat intensifying, the energy pulsing through her with such force that it felt like her very veins were on fire.

The runes etched into her skin began to glow fiercely, running up her body like molten lines, burning with a searing heat that tried to tear through her clothes. The light within her was desperate to escape, find an outlet to tear free. It clawed at her from the inside, searching for an escape, threatening to consume her entirely if it couldn't find one.

"Hazel, go! Stick to the plan!" Conner's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and urgent. He was barely a metre away, but his words were so quiet, drowned out by the roar of energy that filled the room. Hazel's vision blurred; her senses overwhelmed by the sheer force of the power surging through her. "Let it absorb the excess light!" Conner shouted again, desperation in his voice.

"The excess light will explode if it disconnects!" Hazel shouted back, her voice strained as she fought to maintain control, to keep the light from spiralling out of her grasp but she could feel it slipping. The runes of her skin burned hotter, searing her skin as the light pushed against them, desperate to escape. Hazel grit her teeth, forcing herself to stay focused, to ignore the pain and the fear clawing at the edges of her mind.

But every second that passed felt like an eternity, and she could feel the light pushing harder, testing her limits, threatening to break free in a violent surge. Hazel's hands shook, her entire body trembling with the effort of keeping her light contained. She had to hold on, had to find a way to stabilise her power before it was too late.

"Come on!" she muttered to herself; her voice barely audible over the crackling energy. She was moments from losing control and disaster, and the orb was reaching its breaking point. The room pulsed with a dangerous, red glow; the tension so thick it was almost suffocating. 

She just needed a few more seconds, a few more heartbeats, to keep the light in check. The orb sputtered, sparks flying as it struggled to contain the energy, and Hazel took one final deep breath and steadied herself.

Gar looked up from the falling shut down button and up at Hazel. The light sparked out wildly, barely contained within the sphere, the power allowing it to continue absorbing and discharging the light. Gar stepped back from the control panel and gripped the metal tabletop. The metal crumpled under his grip, and he flung it aside like it weighed nothing.

He grew claws and tore through the wires and cords, yanking the heaps of wire out, hoping to trip the power. Sparks shot back at him, and it sparked a fire in the control panel, but it did nothing to shut the power down in the lab. But Gar didn't stop; he couldn't. Every second counted, and the only way to save Hazel was to kill the system—no matter how the sparks and flames burnt his skin.

"Damn it!" Gar growled, frustration boiling over as he turned his attention to the power boxes mounted on the wall. If he couldn't kill the system from the control panel, maybe he could take out the source directly. But it would hurt.

He charged at the power boxes, tearing apart the metal casings like they were made of cardboard. The sound of tearing steel filled the room, followed by the high-pitched whine of the circuitry being shredded. Gar ripped the panels off, exposing the complex network of wires, switches, and fuses within. He retracted the claws as began to tear out the metal and plastic, yanking out chunks of wire and crushing circuit boards beneath his grip, pushing past the pulses of electric shocks.

The power shut off with a bang, but Hazel's red light still lit the lab, even as she worked to keep the power inside her. The runes had burnt through the sleeves of her jacket, the fire still spreading further, but she couldn't lose focus. She had to wait for the orb to absorb all the excess energy before pulling her hands back.

The flames started to burn her skin and Hazel to tear her hands away, and as she said the excess light had exploded. Hazel had shut off her power quickly and the orb had absorbed most of the blast, but it still sent Conner and Hazel flying across the room. Conner slammed into the wall with a crash and fell against the floor with a thud. Hazel had to quickly scramble onto her knees and fling her jacket away and soon enough it was less than ash.

Hazel took a deep breath through her nose, trying to calm her pounding heart. Her light had stained her golden marks red, the light beating against it to try and escape. Gar was quick to tear the metal door open and he rushed to Hazel sliding onto his knees in front of her, her head dropped in pain and focus.

"Hazel," Gar called out to Hazel, keeping his voice soft. Hazel looked up at him and her breath settled slightly. "Just breathe okay," Gar instructed, reaching out to place his hand on her arm. The heat from the light began to burn his skin, but he didn't let her go.

Hazel took a deep breath, and Gar could feel her skin cooling and see the crimson colour draining from the golden runes. "I'm okay," Hazel mumbled, nodding softly. She took another breath, feeling herself steady and her heart stop pounding so fast. She looked up at Gar and paced a hand on his face, "I'm okay." Gar stood and helped Hazel to her feet, keeping his arms around her.

Conner had stood as well, dusting himself off. "How far did we get?" Conner asked.

"98.6 percent," Dick answered, his tone somewhere between relieved and exhausted.

"I hope it was enough," Rachel sighed.

Hazel's eyes darted away, and Gar squeezed her arms softly. "It's gonna have to be," Gar said softly.

She nodded softly and they stepped up onto the platform. Conner watched her closely as she reached out for the sphere. "Is it stable?" she asked, and Conner nodded softly. Hazel carefully placed it from the stand and took a steady breath, thankful it didn't explode in her hands. "Okay. Weapon secure, we're headed up," Hazel relayed.

"I'll meet you up there," Conner said, stopping Hazel and Gar before they could walk off. "Seal the entrance I came through." Gar nodded softly and once they stepped out of the lab, they split ways. Gar kept an arm on Hazel's back, keeping her steady as they walked through the tunnels and back up the stairs. Her energy was drained, but she pushed forward and out onto the street.

As soon as Rachel saw Hazel, she was running to her and squeezing her in a tight hug. Hazel stumbled slightly but she wound an arm around Rachel to hold her close. "Are you alright?" Kory shouted, rushing out of the RV to Rachel's side.

"Yeah, yeah," Hazel nodded quickly. She stepped away from Rachel and smiled at them both. "I'm all good now. And I have this." Hazel held the orb out, presenting it to the others. She turned to Dick and shrugged. "Neary died but what's new," Hazel joked.

"What's with the. . . tattoos?" Dick asked, motioning to the golden runes exposed skin, the straps of her singlet not hiding the runes running along her skin.

Hazel shrugged softly, "Got them from Vema."

"They're awesome," Gar assured.

Hazel nodded to herself and began to spin the sphere in her hands. Rachel looked at the hexagonal pattern orb and took a deep breath. "How are we doing this?" Rachel asked, booking around at the others.

"We give it to Conner," Hazel answered, her voice stern. Kory looked at her and took a deep breath through her nose, shaking her head softly. "He's the only one who can get close enough to Sebastian," Hazel argued, her eyes moving between Dick and Kory. Dick opened his mouth to argue but Hazel beat him to it, "You can walk back in there and face Mother Mayhem again, which went so well last time." Dick sighed through his nose, but Hazel kept his gaze, raising an eyebrow at him.

The sound of footsteps made them turn and stare at Conner just two cars down. "They're meeting at the temple soon," Conner called out, keeping his distance to press his luck. "However you wanna do this, we don't have much time."

Hazel looked up at Dick and he nodded softly. Hazel smiled up at him and cursed at him in Spanish as she walked over to Conner. "She called you a di—"

"I know," Dick said quickly, cutting Rachel off quickly. "C'mon." Dick nodded them on and the rest of them made their way back to the RV.

Hazel walked to Conner stopping in front of him. "Nice ink," he said with a smile.

"Thanks," Hazel nodded softly and held the orb out. Conner stared at her for a moment, almost unconvinced Hazel had given him another chance at all, and after a few moments he reached out to take the sphere from her, but she quickly moved her hand away. "Don't fuck this up," Hazel ordered, looking up at Conner. "Cause I swear if you do. . . I will bring hell down on you."

"I won't let you down," Conner said sternly, not a single lie in his tone.

Hazel nodded, "Good luck then." Hazel held the orb out and Conner carefully took it. He looked up at Hazel and smiled just enough. He held the sphere properly in his hands and sped off down the street and out of view in seconds. Hazel took a deep breath and turned on her heel walking back to the RV.

❁

Dick followed the GPS to the quarry once again. They arrived long past Conner and Sebastian but that was the plan. They all stood together in the RV, watching the screens monitoring the heart signature of the orb and the three people inside; Conner, May and Sebastion. May's light, however, went out 5 minutes ago.

Hazel paced the length of the RV, nervously spinning and tapping the tablet in her hands and Rachel chewed on her fingernails, too afraid to look away from the screen. Kory, Dick and Gar stood still, not moving as they kept a close eye on the screen.

A quick beeping came from the computer, and it made everyone freeze. The small dot tracker keeping tabs on Conner flickered before disappearing not a second later. Rachel's eyes widened and she stammered slightly, "What happened?"

Gar turned and took the tablet from Hazel's eyes, his eyes moving quickly over the screen. "The orb never reached its heat apex," Gar explained, walking over to stand by Rachel and stare at the large screen. "It's like it was subsumed before it could deal the killing blow."

"Subsumed by what?" Rachel asked softly.

Hazel took a deep and uneasy breath, a terrible panic already swelling in her stomach. "It wasn't strong enough," Hazel mumbled, her words shaky.

"I shut it off too soon," Gar whispered, tossing the tablet aside.

Kory looked up at the screen, "What about Conner?" Hazel looked up at Dick and neither had a particularly good look on their faces.

A loud bellowing horn cut through the silence, piercing through the air. Hazel's head snapped up and she stared towards the roof, it shook her to her core, more than just setting off her nerves. It sparked something in her powers, in her very core and DNA. "The Horn. . ." Hazel mumbled, her breathing picking up.

She turned and ran out the RV door, skidding on the concrete as she sped to the edge of the quarry railing. She stared up at the grey sky, her eyes searing the clouds, she didn't even look back at the other as they ran out to stand with her. The demonic call of the horn grew louder in their ears, the hair on the back of Hazel's neck standing tall.

The thick grey and blue clouds twisted and spiralled together, turning black and cracking with lightning as they circled and crashed into each other. A bright white light grew in the sending, sending shocks of white and silver lightning racing across the sky, sparking across and breaking the clouds. The light pulled itself back together, forming some sort and shifting and expanding light that raced toward the ground like a meteor. The dark clouds chased the light, further and faster, zipping past them into the water and down through the ground of the quarry.

Hazel leaned over the railing, watching the water ripple and splash against each other, the demonic lightning bouncing on the top of water before it faded. Hazel's hands gripped the metal railing tight, her light threatening to spark from her fingertips. She stepped backwards, still looking over the dark clouds and splashing waves. "Okay then. . ." Hazel mumbled, nodding to herself. "Let's do this my way."

Hazel glanced back at Gar and the others before turning and walking towards the quarry entrance doors, not sparing the others a second glance. She pulled the heavy metal doors open and walked inside. The door shut behind her, but it was open a second later, Dick and the others joining her inside.

The ground started to shake beneath them, the excess power that was brought with the horn expanding out and making the ground shake like an earthquake. Gar pushed ahead, holding onto the wall to keep himself steady. He tore the cover from the security panel and typed the password in faster than he thought he could move. But then it denied him. He tried again, and again, but it continued to deny him.

He looked up at Dick and scoffed softly, almost in amusement, "They changed the code."

"What?" Hazel huffed walking forward to jam the password in only to get denied again.

"We gotta get down there," Dick said in a hurry. "Keep trying."

Somewhere, deep within the caves, an explosion went off and made them jump. It shook the quarry, the ground shaking like the earth may actually split open. Hazel had tried jamming the code one last time, but nothing seemed to crack it. As the aftershocks of the explosion rumbled through the quarry rock walls, shaking and cracking the foundation, rocks and broken shelves smashed into each other and fell to the floor with a crash.

Kory shook her head and pulled Hazel away from the door. "I've got this," Kory said sternly, shaking her hands out and aiming at the door.

"No wait!" Rachel yelled, stepping forward and holding an arm out to stop Kory. She walked towards the door, pressing her back against the cold metal. She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath, her stone illuminating a bright red. She slid against the door slightly, her head beginning to twitch as her power seeped out in whatever spell she was casting.

Rachel shuddered and Hazel cautiously took a step closer, watching her eyes flicker open and closed. "Is she okay?" Hazel questioned, looking back quickly as Dick.

Dick nodded softly, "She's done this sort of thing before," he assured

Rachel's head twitched violently again, and Kory began to pace. She kept her eyes on Rachel, watching her just as closely as Hazel as the spell continued to drag out. Kory shook her head quickly, "I don't like it."

"Just give her some time," Gar ordered, but ensured to keep his voice soft.

The silence grew around them, Rachel still lost in the spell she was casting. Then she gasped quickly, breaking the silence and her spell. Her eyes snapped open, and she stared up at Hazel, her eyes wide in horror. "Rachel," Hazel called softly, placing her hands on Rachel's shoulders. "Are you okay?"

"Something happened to Conner," Rachel said quickly, her voice cracking and shaking. Hazel kept her hands on Rachel's arms, keeping her steady and grounded as she tried to slow her words. Rachel took a deep breath and looked at Hazel as if she was afraid to reveal what happened. "Trigon came back. . . And Brother Blood killed him." Hazel shuddered; her mind blanking as she stared at Rachel. "He absorbed his power and his evil," Rachel continued. "It was like he absorbed his soul. I don't know how we're gonna stop him."

"Um. . ." Hazel turned, and began to pace like Kory had been. "He wants that power for something," Hazel thought aloud. "He would be on the move." Hazel walked back to the door and Rachel stepped out of the way. Hazel spared another glance at Dick, and he nodded. Hazel blasted away the lock system on the door.

Gar walked to her side and gripped the metal of the door, bending it under his grip as he tore it open revealing the old cage elevator on the other side. Hazel stepped in first and the others were quick to follow her.

The elevator creaked and whined as it took the Titans deep into the work caves of the quarry, the groaning of the metal parts echoing off the walls. The time seemed to drag on forever, the seconds stretching into eternity, the ticking of the metal marks counting the depth growing grading as they slowly went further and further. It only made the air tight and hard for Hazel to breathe. She stood closest to the door, her hands gripping the metal so hard her knuckles lightened. She couldn't shake the sound of the horn from her head, gnawing at her brain and filling her with dread.

The metal cage rattled as it hit the ground floor.

Hazel shook off her thoughts quickly and carefully opened the cage door, taking a small step out to peer into the cave. The ground was burnt with lightning and the roof had begun to fall apart, barely holding itself up in the Raven pillars. She looked over the cave, no sign of Sebastian or Trigon so she nodded at the others.

Dick stepped out, then the others and followed her to the wall on the far left. Then she froze. Below the rubble was Conner's body, half his face burnt and blistered, eyes wide and staring out at nothing. Gar could barely bring himself to look at him, but the others stared at his body. But they all shared the same thought, this can't be real.

"Sebastion did this," Rachel whispered, guilt rising in the back of her throat.

"He's not Sebastian anymore," Kory hissed, her voice filled with anger. "Call him what he is. Brother Blood."

Hazel carefully stepped over the rubble and crouched by Conner's side, pressing her hand against the side of his face that wasn't covered in burns. "Can you feel anything?" Gar asked, his voice tight as he tried to hold back his tears, still barely refusing to look at Conner's body. Hazel closed her eyes, trying to push her power through Conner but there was nothing left, no life.

"No," Hazel whispered.

Dick's eyes darted away as Gar choked on the air, a sob caught in his throat. Hazel stood and walked over to Gar, pulling him into her arms. Dick looked at Rachel and Kory, frozen in their place. 

— legacies —