Although they merely found more empty space behind the mass of rocks, Warp insisted that they continue down this route. Without any other option, and some gentle coaxing from See-More, Malchior flew them onwards.

"So, why did you decide to join with the Brotherhood?" See-More asked his quiet traveling companion, wanting to find some means of breaking the long silence as they flew.

Warp was quiet for awhile but finally seemed to decide that he too was growing weary of the silence. "Nearly all my life I have traveled through time," Warp said with a sigh, not looking at either See-More or the strange atmosphere around them. "As my father had done before me, and his father before him, and so on. It was foretold that my family would do this for all of eternity— our tasks laid out before most of us were even born into creation. During my travels, I have seen people and creatures of numerous race and species, but I never spoke with any, keeping my vigil and simply doing the tasks required from history."

"And what kind of tasks were those?" See-More asked, genuinely curious, though Warp still stared into space.

"Some justified, others not so much," Warp said simply, but he then turned to See-More, and the young thief saw something in those small, black eyes an age old weariness. A burden that only an ageless time traveler could experience. "At one point, I saved the lives of an entire species, at others I wiped them out entirely. It is not a burden that many could carry, but my family and I were destined to bear it."

"But what about the stealing? Are even minor things like that important?" See-More asked, thinking of Warp's first encounter with the Titans.

At this, Warp smiled."Believe it or not, some of the things that appear minor turn out to be one of the more important events in this planet's history. I stole that device, simply believing it was because Fate had decreed that I was meant to steal it, but I was wrong, at least, I was wrong in thinking it ended there."

"I did not anticipate on having to encounter the Titans, for it was not foretold to me, but as the events un-folded I was slowly being shown Fate's plan. I was being used as an ending goal, for the Titan's to form stronger ties, so that they will continue to exist as a team. But not only that, for I was turned into an infant by the end of the chapter."

"An infant!?" See-More questioned, his one eye wide.

"I can't have imagined that you were any quieter as a feeble babe," Malchior commented, to which Warp justly ignored.

"What was it like...being a baby...again?" See-More asked.

"I do not know," Warp said simply. "But gaining my innocence again, then being raised by the Titans...it showed me that I was wrong in my belief of Fate. She is not solid, unmoving, but an ever changing current, with numerous channels, limitless paths. When I regained my age, I found my suit in the Tower and returned back to my time, very grateful that She had preserved my mind while going through my youth. Unfortunately, my family did not share my new views of Fate, they only seeing her as words written in stone— one path to be followed. So, I left, or escaped rather, into time and space, knowing that I could never be found unless I wished. I was free to do as I pleased."

"So then...why join the Brotherhood...?"

"It was as Fate had decreed," Warp said, almost sadly. "Prior to my escape from my family, the only mistake I made during my Path was speaking to a young, Egyptian woman while I was busy trying to cause the death of her Pharaoh. She was one of his maid servants, and she had caught me sneaking around his palace. While I should have erased her mind and escaped, something compelled me to stay, to speak with the young woman. I explained to her that I was one of the new guards, simply on break. She bought my story fairly easily...I believe she was fond of me."

At this, Malchior let out a snort of amusement, which Warp, again, ignored.

"We spent the rest of that night talking— her about her life in the palace, and I about the made up life of a young boy growing up as a farmer's son and becoming one of the Pharaoh's guards through slavery. And, once we parted ways, instead of simply going to the past, which could also have the potential of erasing me from her memory, I merely walked out of the palace and returned another day to finish my job, and each task since then, up until my leaving, has not seen me to go farther back then the death of that Pharaoh. A clear sign that Fate had smiled upon my decision...and when I left my family, I felt alone...and I soon felt compelled to journey back to that time, shortly after I killed the Pharaoh, and speak with the woman again..."

Warp then fell silent, and the only sounds for the next few minutes were Malchior's heavy wing beats. Even the dragon had no snarky comment to make at this point.

"What happened next?" See-More asked softly, not daring to look into Warp's eyes— afraid of what he might see.

"I stayed in that time period, my name was Yamanu. I found the young woman, living on her own as she had escaped the palace during the panic of the Pharaoh's sudden death. She recognized me easily and we quickly became good friends...then lovers...then parents..."

See-More could not avoid Warp's eyes any longer, and the deep striking sadness and guilt of his gaze nearly caused a tear to escape the young teen's eye gadget. The thief took a deep, internal breath, trying to calm himself.

"My daughter's name was Meskhenet, and the moment I saw her face I forgot everything of my past life, my family, my name, my purpose, even Fate herself. There was only my wife and my Meskhenet." Warp seemed to gain some focus back in his eyes as his mechanical hand began tracing the broken pieces of his armor before finally resting on the absent hole where his disk would have been. "But, it seems, Fate had not forgotten about me. On the day my Meskhenet turned three, I felt the sudden urge to time travel, so that night I did just that and sent myself a few years into the future...It was there I witnessed a dark sight; two graves, one made for my 'missing' body and the other for my then five year old child were buried near our small home on the out skirts of the village. Inside the home itself it was absent—absent of my wife, and of any sign then there was a happy family living inside just a few years ago. Furious and confused, I attacked and interrogated a number of villagers, most supremely surprised to see the man who had gone missing exactly two years ago. Not caring how it would affect time, I demanded to know what happened to my daughter and my wife.

          "They're answers did little to soothe me...My Meskhenet, shortly after my disappearance, contracted a strange and deadly disease that erased her life from the face of history in less than a day. My wife, in her grief, simply left our home, many suspect to wander the desert until she died...Further questioning did not reveal much more answers, just speculation that the disease had to be from close contact, as no one else in the nearby village had contracted the disease. I returned back to my present, weeping. I hugged my very surprised family, assuring them that everything was fine but that I had to go for awhile— that I needed to find answers, and that I will be back soon. My wife...she always understood my mysterious ways. I still do not think she believes the story I made up when we first met. I held my confused and crying daughter one last time before departing..."

          "Warp..." See-More muttered, not knowing what to say, now simply waiting for the end of is companion's sad story.

          The time traveling man's eyes drifted back into nothingness, seeing things beyond this strange world.

          "For the next ten years, I traveled through the far corners of space and time, following any clues, any hints, any hope that I would find the cure of my daughter's strange illness...My journey eventually had me come in contact with the Brotherhood of Evil...for they were searching for me— searching for a way to get to that Herald Titan. I had long forgotten my 'quarrel' with the Titans and was about to refuse when they offered me a way to save my daughter. The Brain...somehow he knew of my journey, and he knew the answer to the question I sought. They gave me a new mechanical hand...and he promised me the answer...if I served their plans."

Warp then fell silent, his eyes drifting into the atmosphere of the dimension. To See-More, he could have been a million miles away and not sitting mere feet away from him.

"And what...what was the answer?" The young thief asked almost, fearing the answer.

Yet before Warp could answer, something caught his eyes, and all of the drifting disappeared from his look.

"There!" the man hissed, pointing towards a massive, flat rock that floated far below them. "I saw something move on that rock!"

Without a word, Malchior dipped his head and soared down towards the rock Warp had indicated. As they raced closer and closer towards the rock, See-More, even with his damaged eye, could see a shape in the direct center emotionless...and bluish/purple of color.

"He's right! I see something now; I think it's the Herald!" See-More declared. At those words, Malchior let out a roar of satisfaction and dived even closer towards the rock. The two villains had to hang on tight in fear of being thrown off.

Malchior landed on the rock with a heavy thud, his two passengers eager to slide off his scaly body.

"Freedom, at long last!" Malchior roared in delight, hurriedly making his way toward the figure in the center of the 'island'.

Not being able to hold back his own smile, See-More began to follow the dread dragon, only to be stopped by a firm grip encasing his wrist. For one fearful moment, See-More thought it was the white creatures, back to pull him into the abyss again, but when he turned all he saw was Warp staring intently at the center of the rock. His face was stern, unsmiling. And in his eyes...all See-More saw was triumph.

He felt something cold and heavy drop down his throat and into his gut as he looked back at Malchior. The dragon was still heading rapidly towards the center of the rock, ignoring all else, only seeing the goal at the end— only seeing his freedom. While See-More...could see a great deal more...

"Malchior!" See-More cried at the top of his lungs. "Don't! It's a tra-!"

A heavy blow then connected with the back of the teen's head, nearly causing See-More to black out. The thief fell to the ground and a powerful kick quickly followed into his gut. He lost his breath in one strangled gasp of air.

"Stupid boy," Warp hissed, his foot held up See-More's confused and dazed face by the chin. "You would not understand what I've had to go through—knowing, for a fact, that in the near future you would lose everything and be powerless to stop it. But now...I have the power, and I will not let some mindless, meaningless thief stand in the way of saving my family."

See-More could only left out a wheezing breath in reply. Warp dropped his head and turned away from the boy, his attention now fully trained towards the dragon. The great beast was indeed trapped; its neck, tail, and legs were ensnared by bindings of white light, held in the air above the ruined blue and purple remains of Herald's clothing.

"A simple trap, for a simple beast," Warp said, a faint smile on his lips. Malchior, although trapped and at the mercy of Warp, looked uncharacteristically calm as his red eyes watched the golden human's approach.

"So, this is your answer, is it?" Malchior questioned, his powerful voice surprisingly calm. "This is the only thing that will save your daughter?"

"I am tired of wasting my years searching, dragon," Warp explained, his voice strained, weary, the confidence and bravery in the words he usually used to speak to the dragon seemed to have vanished completely. "The Brotherhood promised me the heart of a dragon— that eating it will cure all ailments."

"Those are the words of myths and legends," Malchior replied, his red eyes solely trained on the man. "No man who has ever been so close to a dragon has lived to tell the tale, least of all had the opportunity to taste its heart."

"I do not care," Warp spoke evenly. He then reached into his battered suit and slowly pulled out a gleaming trumpet— Herald's trumpet. "It is the only answer I have gotten in ten years of searching, ten years of failure, and I intend on finding the truth of this answer!"

"Human...please," Malchior hissed, his words, and the gentleness he spoke them in, caused even Warp to pause."My mate died before we were able to bare children, so I cannot honestly say that I understand how you feel, but I do understand the importance of family...You are a good...human, do not taint yourself by doing this. There are other ways to save your daughter, do not resort to the easy route. There can never truly be happiness for your family at the end of that path."

Warp seemed to contemplate the dragon's words, but as he stared into the dragon's eyes, something in his own held onto a deep belief.

"You believe this is the easy route?" Warp shot, his face contorting into rage. "For ten years, dragon, ten long years, I have lived with the knowledge that my wife and daughter were dead. That if I chose, I could see them, only to lose them soon after. I have given up everything to be with them, and I continue to give up more to ensure that they stay in my life. Now Fate has shown me the true path, she has rewarded me for my sacrifice. The answer to my question now stands before me. All I need to do is chose: your life, or my family's?"

The two shared gazes for what seemed like ages. Two creatures that could not be farther apart in appearance, but close enough to be considered family. The dragon's red eyes stared into the human's, a species he had hated and feared for centuries...It seemed only just that Fate decreed his end by that same creature.

He hoped his mate would be waiting for him.

"Then...Yamanu...I do not blame you for your choice," the dread dragon spoke, his head bowed towards the ground, eyes breaking their shared look.

"Thank you, dread dragon, Malchior," Warp said. He then raised the trumpet to his lips, preparing to do whatever means necessary to extract the heart.

Before the man could blow out a note of death, however, a red laser screamed through the air and rammed directly into Warp's back, sending the man into the ground, almost loosing grip of the instrument. In a surprised fury, Warp turned his head to see See-More, hand to damaged eye dial, with a mixed look of exasperation and anger on his face.

"Can't you see what you're doing, Warp!?" See-More cried; hand still on the dial as he approached the time-based villain. "This is not Fate! This isn't right, man!"

"Damnable brat! Do not speak to me as if you'd ever understand!" Warp snapped, standing up, but he was quickly silenced when another blast of a laser tore of the remaining armor on his shoulder.

"I understand enough, Yamanu," See-More said, chest heaving, face sweating. "Ever since you left your family, you've abandoned your idea of life, that part is true. But this new idea, it is not Fate, or whatever, it's you, man. Going back to that woman, living with her, having your daughter, was that all whatsherFate's doing? Is she your sole reason for that happiness, that love? She doesn't exist, man— not for you anyway. Everything you did and everything you're doing now is all on you! And is this how you want your life to go down? You said it yourself that Fate has many different paths, well is this the one you want to go down, man? The one to be stained with blood and lies and...and...If you told the truth to your family...the entire truth...would they be proud of you? Would Meskhenet be proud of her father?"

Warp did not look at the teen as he spoke— his eyes trained at the ground, at the trumpet in his hands. When See-More had finished, the man did not speak. His eyes did not move and the teen and the dragon watched him carefully. When Warp finally did look up, See-More could not help but gasp. All he could see in those small eyes were tears and the raw emotion was almost too much for the teen to bear.

"Th-They do not have to know..." Warp said between sobs. His words quickly snapped See-More back into reality as the time traveling man began to raise the trumpet to his lips, now pointed at the thief. "I am so t-tired. So tired of searching, so tired of loving a dead family...Fate or not, my choice or not, I will see my daughter cured!"

And with a triumphant blow, Warp let out a tremendous force from the trumpet, causing See-More to have to leap out of the way, the blast missing him by inches.

"No! I will not let you harm the boy!" Malchior roared before firing a blast of his own at Warp who, in turn, leapt out of the way as well, the fire burning a scorching line into the rock.

"All I need is the heart and this will be done!" Warp cried out, aiming the trumpet back towards the dragon. But before he could even press his lips to it, a great spherical object rammed into him and absorbed him, trapping the villain in the clear eye bubble.

"Warp, stop it! You don't have to do this, man. There has to be another way!" See-More pleaded, his hand switching the dial from the phase he used to trap Warp.

"There is no other way, child. Not for me," the golden suited villain spoke plainly. He then blew a single note inside the bubble and stepped through the portal it created, disappearing from sight.

"Damnit!" See-More hissed, switching through the dials as he looked everywhere that he could. Though, in his damaged state, it was impossible to see everywhere at once.

"Boy, behind you!" Malchior warned, but too late for See-More. For, even as he turned, he felt a small object attach itself to his chest.

He heard a small click, as if someone was setting an egg timer, before electricity surged through his body and into his eye gadget. He heard the sound of an explosion in his ears and a sharp pain in his eye before his vision nearly failed him completely. The teen fell to the ground, screaming in agony as his device pulsed with electricity.

"I do hope you forgive me, in time," Warp muttered, looking down at the writhing teen.

"You shall wish you had not done that, human pest!" the dread dragon swore, and then unleashed a series of fire balls, all subsequently dodged by Warp and his use of teleporting with the trumpet.

"Just give in, dragon. Relinquish your heart, and this will all be over," Warp insisted, now standing once again before the Malchior.

"This will only be over once your body lies in a smoldering ash!" Malchior hissed, his mouth glowing orange.

Warp merely sighed."I was going to do this nice and quick," the villain muttered, his mechanical hand slowly disappearing and quickly replaced by a long, thick blade. "But, it seems, you have forced my hand."

"Just try it, human," Malchior dared, his trapped body poised for a battle to the death. "I have eaten better than you for an appetizer!"

"Enough!" a great voice, more powerful than even Malchior's, cut through the air. Both fighters flinched and turned towards the noise in unison. What they saw was a dark skinned teen dressed in torn, singed robes. His furious eyes were trained at the other equally as battered looking human.

"Just as your name implies, you have warped and twisted this entire dimension," Herald spoke, his voice, although stern, hinted at fear. "You speak so much about being careful, about not messing with things that are greater than yourself, but you have caused not only your own ruin, but perhaps the destruction of this entire dimension!"

"I am not threatened by you, or your foolish prophecies," Warp hissed, hands tight around the trumpet. "This realm dies when you do. Besides, you have no real power any longer, all of your power is right here, in my hands. All I need to do is make sure you stay here when I take the heart and my deal with the Brotherhood is complete, end of story."

"W-Warp..." a meek, pain filled voice called out. T

he trio looked to See-More, his mechanical eyes was almost completely damaged, but he was on his knees twitching in pain, and looking directly to where Warp was standing.

There was a slight smile on his face. "You know better than any of us that there is never really an end to any story...even if Malchior, Herald, and I die, we will still live on...in our friends...our family...in you. Do I really gotta get corny like this, man? I don't need my eye to see that you don't have to do this...Please, man, give Herald his trumpet...then we can all go home...Please..."

"You are still but a child," Warp spoke, his eyes determined, his trumpet already rising to his lips. "You will never live long enough to understand as I do. There is only Fate."

And, with that, Warp raised his trumpet to the great dragon, to put an end to his journey, to give life to his family. But, Fate, as the time traveling villain would have put it, had other plans for him.

The white tentacles reached from the air and fell down like rain upon the man. The first one grabbing the arm that held the trumpet, the second one grabbing the arm that held the blade, another grabbing his leg, another around his torso.

Warp let out a cry of panic and surprise, trying to move either arm to defend him, but the creatures had a strong grip. The one around his bladed arm even managing to rip away the arm entirely, causing Warp to scream in earnest.

"You say you know me, my life, my purpose, but you truly know nothing, Yamanu," Herald spoke evenly and, with a stretch of his hand, the trumpet was pulled away from Warp's remaining hand, returning to its former master. "You spent your whole life, a slave to fate, not bothering to enjoy your own life, simply to serve. And the one instance you gave in to your instinct, you ignored it, and continued to be a slave. It has corrupted your thoughts and your actions, and now, when you failed to save your only true success, there is no more hiding behind fate. You only have yourself to blame."

Warp merely cried out in return, the tentacles pulling apart not only his armor, but his body. Yet, instead of bone and muscles beneath the skin, a younger version of Warp appeared as the tentacles pulled him apart, and they continued to rend and tear, pulling layer after layer, revealing a younger and younger Yamanu, until finally only a screaming baby remained of the time traveling villain. That too was quickly pulled into the nothing and vanished, leaving not a trace of the man behind.

As soon as Warp vanished, the light that trapped Malchior vanished and the device on See-More's chest crumbled and turned to dust. Yet, it wasn't long before more of the white creatures began pulling themselves from the air, full tentacled bodies heading towards the remaining three.

"Quick! You guys need to get out of here, now!" Herald shouted, rushing over to See-More and helping the thief up.

"What about you?" See-More asked, still groaning in pain.

"Don't worry about me," Herald insisted with a smile. "This is where I belong. As long as I have this trumpet here, I will be fine."

The Herald then rose up the trumpet, so See-More could see it better, only to have the fabled instrument suddenly crack, and quickly crumble to pieces in the Honorary Titan's hand. The Herald could only stare in shocked horror, his lower jaw falling nearly to the floor.

"What?" See-More asked, looking around blindly. "What happened?"

"This...can't be good..." Herald muttered, and as he tried to comprehend what just happened, a group of the white creatures descended on the two unsuspecting teens.

Yet, before they could attack, a great stream of fire erupted into them, turning them into simple piles of ash, alerting Herald to his surroundings.

"We need to move, humans!" Malchior declared, sending another burst of fire into the advancing army of the white creatures. "Or else we will be overwhelmed!"

Herald nodded in agreement, moving as quickly as he could with his teenaged burden. Yet, before he could reach the dragon, a great noise tore through the air. Everything seemed to freeze— the dragon, the teenagers, and even the faceless, white monsters stopped and seemed to look above them.

A small, portal swirled out of the orange and red colors of the sky.

The Herald gasped as he looked up at it. "It can't be..." the Titan breathed. Then a voice, unfamiliar to everyone, called towards them.

"Adam! My son, I am here. You do not have to do this alone anymore!" the voice cried, and suddenly, tears fell from beneath the Herald's mask.

"That irrational fool," Herald said, with a smile on his face. In a quick motion, he scooped up the thief in his arms and raced towards the dragon. The tentacled creatures were quick to move as well.

"Malchior! Take See-More and get out of this dimension, that portal will take you back to Earth, hurry!"

The dread dragon turned his great head towards Herald. With a nod, he reached one claw towards the Titan. Herald gently placed See-More in the dragon's claw, then, with a simple farewell nod, the teen raced towards the edge of the giant rock and leapt off, flying towards the unknown.

With a great roar, Malchior sent one final stream of fire into the creatures before flying off as well, using all the strength in his wings to reach the portal, though the tentacles beasts were close behind him. Even as the dragon quickly neared the portal and could see that through it lay the insides of some building, he could also see that the portal was far too small for his great body to get through.

Even as the great dragon's excitement faltered, however, his red eyes found the now sleeping child in his hand, a new determination driving him foreword.

"Child...See-More....You have become...perhaps, the closest thing to a friend I have experienced. Though you are still a meager, foolish, human...I...thank you for everything you have done for me, and I ask only one last thing before I send you off." The dread dragon looked down again at the sleeping human. He really hoped his subconscious would catch this pathetic request. "There is a book, in a chest in the room of the Teen Titan, Raven. Retrieve the book...it is the only way you can free me from this...Now..."

The dread dragon was nearly on top of the portal now. He could see more humans inside— humans with lab coats and guns. Malchior smiled a giant, toothy smile.

"Let's give them an entrance they won't soon forget!"

And with his mightiest of roars, Malchior shot a big blast of fire into the portal. He made sure it had done its damage inside before throwing the sleeping teen in after it. The portal quickly shrunk out of existence after that, though Malchior still stared at where it once was.

"Take care of yourself...human," the great dragon spoke before turning on the mass of white creatures bearing down on him. "As the golden human fool would say, time to kill some time."

And with a roaring laugh, Malchior flew into the hoard, fire breathing, talons thrashing, and enjoying every last second of it.

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