Broken(DC)

The Watchtower

Aquaman and Cyborg stood face to face. The monitors displayed grim news: the Justice League was suffering heavy losses. Flash had been taken out of action and couldn't continue the fight. Even though they had managed to free Superman, they were unable to reach the circle where Raven was held. Figures in crimson robes chanted an eerie prayer, with the ritual nearing its peak.

Cyborg, realizing his teammates needed help, didn't hesitate any longer. He opened fire on Aquaman.

Aquaman spun his trident with ease, deflecting the projectiles. With a powerful push of his legs, he lunged toward Cyborg. Jets emerged from Cyborg's back, engaging their thrusters and lifting him into the air. The trident slammed into the ground where he had been standing, shattering the concrete. Without missing a beat, Cyborg's cannons unleashed their full power, raining fire on the King of Atlantis. Aquaman's speed was impressive; he dodged the shots effortlessly, closing the gap to engage in close combat. Cyborg, fully aware of this, worked to maintain his distance, using every ounce of his long-range arsenal.

Growing tired of dodging, the possessed Aquaman seized an opportunity and hurled his trident. Cyborg failed to evade, and the weapon pierced his midsection, pinning him to the wall. Aquaman capitalized on the moment, rapidly closing the distance and striking with all his might. An energy shield materialized in front of Cyborg, halting the blow. Gripping the embedded trident, Cyborg struggled to wrench it free. Meanwhile, the relentless strikes against the shield caused it to crack.

"Arrrgh!" With a burst of effort, Cyborg yanked the trident loose. His arm transformed back into a cannon, and he fired point-blank at Aquaman's chest.

The plasma blast sent the possessed king flying, landing hard on the floor. Smoke rose from the scorched impact on his chest. Cyborg approached cautiously, keeping his weapon trained on him. Aquaman showed no signs of consciousness, lying motionless. Relieved, Cyborg lowered his weapon, but in a flash, three prongs impaled him from behind.

Gasping in horror, he grabbed at the trident and turned to see it embedded in his back. Aquaman, who moments ago seemed incapacitated, stood and grinned. Grabbing Cyborg's head, Aquaman began to pull. Metal groaned and tore, revealing a network of cables straining to stay connected to the body. With a single, brutal effort, the head was ripped free. The demon cast the remains aside, retrieving his trident before striding toward his imprisoned brother.

Cyborg's severed head lay on the floor, its cybernetic eye blinking red. Despite his condition, he managed to send a signal to the Justice League. But they couldn't respond they were already locked in battle.

Meanwhile, Aquaman reached the containment cell holding the possessed Bryan. The prisoner stood waiting, as if anticipating this moment. Approaching the control panel, Aquaman entered an access key, but the panel flashed red.

"Brother, it seems the machine managed to change the access codes," Aquaman's lips uttered.

"Then what do we do now?" asked the demon inside the cell.\

"According to his memory, there's an emergency release for the chamber here. Will your body withstand the fall to Earth?" Aquaman asked.

"Let's find out," the demon grinned.

They felt no pity for their hosts. After all, they could abandon the body at any moment, leaving the possessed to die. Aquaman struck the control panel, triggering the emergency release. The lights in the chamber flickered, signaling the countdown.

"Emergency release in 10 seconds," announced a robotic voice.

"See you on the surface," Aquaman said as he headed for the teleporters.

"…5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Release," the voice counted down.

The chamber suddenly shot forward, racing through the corridor. The airlock separating the room from the vacuum of space opened, and the chamber was ejected at tremendous speed. Endless dark space stretched out before it. Initially floating weightlessly, the prison began accelerating, Earth's gravity pulling it faster and faster.

As it entered the atmosphere, the friction caused the metal to heat up and ignite. Inside, the temperature soared to unbearable levels, creating monstrous strain on the chamber and its occupant. The fiery projectile streaked across the sky, resembling a meteor hurtling toward the ground.

The destination was a small town. Residents froze in shock, staring at the incoming meteor. When the shock wore off, panic took over. People ran in every direction, their fear driving them to irrational actions. Many trampled over one another in the chaos. Those who managed to get into cars and drive away found no salvation.

The fiery projectile, trailing a blazing tail, slammed into the Earth. A massive shockwave rocked the area, triggering an earthquake. A wave of fire surged outward, consuming everything in its path. The meteor left nothing but rubble and scorched remains where the town once stood.

At the center of the crater, something began to rise. Limbs twisted at unnatural angles, and some were missing entirely. Burnt flesh covered the figure's entire body. The injuries began to heal at an astonishing rate. Within moments, the figure stood, fully restored but noticeably altered.

The transformation made it more imposing, less like a demon and more human in appearance. Its figure was leaner yet muscular, with powerful features. Gray skin, partially exposed, was complemented by remnants of armor covering the shoulders, elbows, parts of the chest, and legs. The head remained the same but was now free of its previous growths. Only four glowing red eyes burned on its face.

The Ritual Site

At the center of the altar, a fissure began to form. Chunks of stone crumbled into an infinite void. As the massive hole widened, flames erupted, filling the space. From the gaping chasm, a colossal hand emerged. Razor-sharp claws gouged deep grooves into the stone as they gripped the edge.

"It's too late. He's here," Raven said, her teammates holding her steady by the arms.

The rest of the body began to rise from the void. Enormous horns appeared, towering above the portal. Slowly, the full figure stepped onto the Earth. Trigon stood, a mountain of power and malice. He surveyed his surroundings with grim satisfaction for wherever he arrived, there was no escape.

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"Bow before your ruler!"

The roar echoed across the desolate landscape, shaking the earth and piercing the hearts of the defenders.

The portal through which Trigon had emerged remained open, and from its fiery depths, an unending stream of demons poured forth. The legions of hell had come to claim another world.

"We need to close the portal, Raven. You're the only one who knows how," Batman said, arriving swiftly to join the Teen Titans.

"Yes, I can close it, but Trigon won't let me," Raven replied wearily, her voice burdened by the struggle to resist her father's influence.

"We'll handle him. You focus on the portal," Batman commanded before heading back to the League.

Thanks to the demons' vulnerability to the Lasso of Truth, the Justice League had managed to free their captured members. United once more, Earth's defenders clashed with the infernal army. While the League's mightiest heroes confronted Trigon directly, the others fought to hold back the relentless swarm of demons.

The battle was brutal, with the defenders hopelessly outnumbered. Trigon withstood Superman's attacks with ease, countering with devastating blows that left even the Man of Steel gravely injured.

Near the Portal

Meanwhile, the Teen Titans had reached the portal. At the center of their defensive circle, Raven levitated, her eyes glowing with arcane energy as she entered a deep meditative trance to close the gateway. The rest of the Titans fought fiercely, fending off the demons swarming toward her.

"How much longer?" Robin shouted over the chaos.

"The less you distract me, the faster it will be done!" Raven snapped, sweat dripping from her brow as she concentrated.

"We can't hold them off much longer," Starfire said, firing energy bolts from the sky to thin the enemy ranks.

"I'm almost there. Just a little more," Raven assured, her voice strained.

The portal began to shrink, its edges collapsing inward. The demons became more frantic, surging forward as if scrambling for a final chance to escape. The fissure narrowed, crushing those who failed to pass, until it sealed completely with a resounding snap.

Raven, utterly drained, collapsed to the ground. Robin rushed to her side, helping her to sit up.

"You did it," he said, offering a reassuring smile.

"This isn't over," she replied grimly, her gaze fixed on Trigon, who had already defeated the League and was striding toward the city. His goal was clear to harvest souls and grow even stronger.

"How do we stop him?" Robin asked, his voice laced with desperation.

"There's only one way," Raven explained, her tone resolute. "He can't be killed not permanently. If we destroy him here, he'll return to his dimension, recover, and come back. The only option is to imprison him."

Gathering her strength, Raven summoned a new portal. She glanced at her team, her resolve mirrored in their faces. One by one, the Titans followed her through the gateway, determined to confront Trigon in his realm and end the threat once and for all.

Brian Forman's POV

Even though I was trapped within my own mind, I could see everything happening outside. When a group of people in colorful costumes appeared, I was taken aback, watching them handle the demon with surprising ease. Yet, I knew it was all a ruse the demon was only pretending to be defeated. My amazement grew as they stepped through some kind of portal and emerged in a hall overlooking space. Had I been gone so long that humanity had begun to conquer the cosmos? In my time, they had only launched satellites and made a few moon landings. But here was a massive space station, apparently equipped with artificial gravity, as everyone stood firmly on the floor.

They placed me in a cell and left. Were they not afraid I might escape? Surely they were monitoring me, ready to act at the first sign of resistance. Now, I was imprisoned both in body and mind. Inside my consciousness, it was more of a metaphorical cage; I couldn't take control, as if some barrier blocked me. Yet I could sense a way out. With each passing moment, I moved closer to breaking free. The barriers softened, bending under my pressure, but progress was excruciatingly slow.

Then, a figure dressed in black stood by the cell. He stared at me intently, and after a moment, removed the mask covering his face. He looked familiar.

"What have you been through?" he asked. His voice, too, rang with familiarity.

I combed through my memories, trying to place him, but the old recollections were buried too deep. Hell had taken its toll on me.

"I'll help you, I promise," he said, replacing the mask before walking away.

Suddenly, it struck me could it be Bruce? It had to be. The facial features matched, but his demeanor and speech were entirely different. Time must have passed more than I could comprehend. He'd grown older, changed. That demon must have deceived me here as well. Did he recognize me, or was he mistaking me for someone else? He hadn't said my name, but he clearly knew something about me.

When I regain control, I swear, Trigon you will die...

"Haha, human. Do you think you can defeat your father?" the demon's voice taunted within my mind. "No, you cannot. He has already conquered this world; you just haven't realized it."

My body began to rise, controlled by the demon.

So, he can read my thoughts. I needed to block him out, think of something else.

"You won't succeed, but it doesn't matter," the demon said mockingly.

Moments later, someone approached the cell. I immediately noticed the telltale signs of possession their eyes gave it away. A brief conversation occurred between them and the demon, after which a countdown began. Suddenly, the cell was ejected into the vacuum of space, hurling toward Earth.

Madmen. They didn't care about anything.

I saw where we were heading, and dread filled me. I didn't want to be the cause of more destruction, but it was inevitable. The collision obliterated a city. The demon reveled in it, striding through the ruins as if to mock me, forcing me to witness the devastation. He often stopped near the bodies of the fallen. One family had died embracing each other, preserved forever in their final moment.

Rage consumed my mind. I pushed harder against my mental restraints, making progress. Just a little more time, and I would right this wrong.

The demon suddenly dashed off, running at full speed before coming to an abrupt halt.

"Brother, your help is needed at home. Intruders are trying to disrupt us," said a shadowy figure nearby.

A portal opened before me, and the demon stepped through without hesitation. On the other side was a fiery realm, lava flowing everywhere, with narrow paths suspended above it. Around me were demons, clearly awaiting my arrival. The moment I appeared, they surged forward, and I followed.

Our destination wasn't far. They were heading toward humans fighting against the horde. The demon pounced on one of the front-line fighters a green-skinned being resembling the locals. His fate was gruesome. The demon sank its teeth into the man's neck, tearing out a chunk of flesh. Then it grabbed his arms and yanked with such force that his limbs tore off.

"Beast Boy!" a man in a blue suit screamed in anguish.

He became the next target. The bullets hitting his body had no effect, but in desperation, he kept shooting back while retreating. The demon stopped playing and grabbed him by the neck, starting to squeeze. His team rushed to help, but the demon simply ignored them, and their attempts to intervene were useless. However, one attack proved to be truly significant a black beam struck, destroying my arm and part of my shoulder.

"Distract him for a moment. I'll try to free his mind," said a girl with gray skin, dressed in blue.

The barrier began to crumble, and I started to seize the opportunity. The demon struggled to move his limbs as I began to interfere. Opening his mouth, the demon unleashed a wave of fire, throwing his opponents back, and focused entirely on fighting me.

The wave of fire knocked the people aside. Suddenly, a blade pierced through the girl, emerging from her abdomen. Behind her stood an old man. Her support was gone, and the demon managed to push me back, reclaiming control.

"Grandfather..." whispered the boy with a katana, frozen in place before the old man.

"Damian, my blood," said the elder who had appeared.

The demon, meanwhile, methodically dealt with the remaining opponents, destroying them one by one. They were unable to put up any significant resistance. After finishing them off, the demon turned toward those still alive. One of them was already bleeding out, struggling to heal herself, while the boy was locked in combat with the old man.

The demon advanced on the girl lying on the ground to finish her off.

"Just a little more, and you'll regain control," she said, her face twisted in pain.

I took her words to heart and began to shake the barrier once more. It was much weaker now. While I worked on breaking free, the demon attempted to kill her, pounding on a newly formed shield with his fists. Finally, I broke through and reclaimed my mind, halting my own fist mid-strike. The demon tried to take control again, but this time I erected a mental defense. It came to me naturally, as if I had always known how to do it.

I must help them. The old man fighting the boy seemed to be aligned with the demons. My approach didn't go unnoticed, but he was no match for me. Snatching the sword from his hands, I drove my hand through his chest and then cast his body aside.

The boy pointed his sword at me.

"Robin, help me. We need to complete our mission. He's no longer our enemy," pleaded the wounded girl.

"Is he not? Others wouldn't say the same though they'll never say anything again," Robin replied bitterly, not lowering his sword as he turned toward his partner.

"I didn't mean for them to die," I said sorrowfully.

"It doesn't matter now," she replied, clutching her side. Robin helped her to her feet.

Leaning on him, she started moving forward along the path. I followed at a distance. How can I make amends for all the destruction I've caused? So many deaths weigh on my hands.

It seemed they had arrived. Ahead of us, a crystal hovered above the ground, radiating an ominous energy.

"He has grown too powerful, having already consumed countless souls. It will take all my strength and my life to seal him," she said. "There's no point in you staying here. You'd better return to Earth," she added, opening a portal.

"What about you?" Robin asked.

"I won't survive this either way. If you don't leave now, you'll be trapped here," she replied.

"He will never return. I won't allow a monster like him to walk the Earth," Robin said, pointing his sword at me.

"You're right. I don't deserve forgiveness. I've long ceased to be human," I said, looking at my hands.

Robin glanced at his companion one last time, then turned toward the portal. Before stepping through, he paused and looked back.

"I'm glad I met you, Raven," he said, gripping his sword tightly before disappearing into the portal. It closed instantly.

"How do you plan to stop Trigon?" I asked Raven.

"I'll seal him in the crystal, and you will become his eternal guardian. I no longer have the strength to do this again," she replied.

"You said he consumed souls. How many have died?" I asked hesitantly, dreading the answer.

"Nearly a billion. If you let yourself get distracted, it will be even more," she said, continuing to work her spell on the crystal.

I fell silent, stunned by the number. So many lives more than the population of an entire nation. That means he's already destroyed a massive part of Earth. My family... I helped kill them. What have I done? Could my mistake really cost this much?

Raven, finishing her incantation, began to radiate dark energy. Behind her, a tapestry of darkness unfolded in the shape of a raven, which let out a piercing cry before soaring into the portal. Raven trembled violently, blood streaming from her eyes, her skin cracking under the strain. But she did not stop. The crystal began to glow red, emitting threatening sounds.

"Stop, Raven, or you'll regret it! No!" Trigon's voice shouted as he was sealed into the crystal.

Suddenly, the magic surged, a wave of energy expanding from the epicenter. It caused me no harm; I didn't even flinch. Just as abruptly as it appeared, the wave dissipated. Raven collapsed to the ground, her spell complete.

I approached her and knelt down.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

"You can't help me. You just have to fulfill your duty," she said.

Her last words escaped her lips as the spark of life left her body. Closing her eyes, I lifted her lifeless form. Leaving the place where her father was now imprisoned, I began to dig into the earth with my hands. After creating a small grave, I laid her down and carefully covered her with soil.

I wished I could give her a proper burial, the honor befitting a hero, but I don't know the way back to Earth. Here, this is all I can do.

Returning to the crystal, I stood beside it. Now, I am here forever because this is my duty. Maybe one day, I'll find a way to destroy Trigon completely. Then, perhaps, I can return. Until then, I will remain.

"I killed your entire family. Remember, you helped me do it. I will escape; you won't be able to hold me for long," Trigon's voice roared from within the crystal.

Thus began my sentence and with it, my path to redemption.

End of Arc II: Dark Hues.