Broken(DC)

POV: Brian Forman

Imprisoned in the cell I built for myself, I had a lot to think about. Human fears seep deep into our consciousness, twisting reality into illusion. The memories that surfaced in my dreams might have been fragments of my past life—they felt that real. I was betrayed because of the fear my power inspired. Now, I understand what my past self felt.

And it happened all over again when I shattered that helmet—I felt their fear of me. That must be why he decided to exile me. Fear.

Is such power truly incapable of doing good? Is it destined only to bring destruction?

I've grown stronger, but has life improved? Definitely not. I'm trapped with a demon, forced into unending service without a single day of rest. Is this even a life?

Every day, he tries to break me, mimicking the voices of my family, calling for me, begging for help. I stand firm, having built a sort of defense, shutting his voice out. But I need a way to deal with him once and for all.

Even those men in suits couldn't defeat him. I'm nowhere near ready to face him myself. What shocked me, though, was seeing Bruce among them. How had he managed to walk this path, like some superhero out of a comic book or game? Then again, it's not surprising. Gotham has always been a haven for madness.

One day, something strange happened. My body began to change, reverting to its former state—the way it was after I devoured Hellyurn's heart. The environment around me shifted too. Then, a sharp, unbearable pain surged through my head, and I fell to my knees. What's happening? It feels like something's being ripped out of me.

"A-A-A-A-A-A!" I screamed, overwhelmed by the pain.

What illusion has Trigon cast this time? It's not enough for him to control my body; now he's tormenting me with bizarre visions. I pushed the strange memories aside. I had to figure out how to break free before it was too late. My body leapt into a portal, hurtling through a vortex. Déjà vu washed over me, as if this had happened before. My skin tore against the flow of energy, trying to stop me from passing through.

Emerging into a forest, the demon controlling my body surged toward its goal. Bursting into a clearing, it collided with something unexpected. A door, adorned with glowing symbols, appeared in midair. The demon hammered at it with his fists. The barrier held strong under his assault but began to crack under the force of his blows.

"Who dares disturb my sanctuary?" a voice boomed from every direction.

A portal opened in the sky, and Doctor Fate emerged.

"Pathetic demon, you seek to breach the Tower of Fate? None may enter without my permission!" Doctor Fate declared, his hands crackling with magical energy.

"We shall see," the demon replied.

"I will send you back to hell!"

Beams of energy shot from Doctor Fate's hands.

The demon countered with a torrent of fire, exhaled from its mouth. Their attacks clashed in midair, equal in force. Neither side could gain the upper hand in the battle of wills and power.

"With me stands the power of Order!" declared Doctor Fate, his attacks surging in intensity, overwhelming the demon's assault.

The torrent of Order's energy began tearing through the demon's armor, fractures spidering across its surface. The arm the demon used to shield itself disintegrated, first exposing raw flesh, then bone. The power of Order was dismantling the demon's very essence.

The cage that bound me trembled violently, and I seized the moment to attempt an escape. Once again, I was struck with the sense that I'd done this before.

"Brothers, I need aid—the human is breaking free!" the demon growled.

But no aid came, and the attack didn't relent. Though the demon's body was nearly destroyed, I managed to force it out. Pain flooded my mind as my charred body regained control. Most of it was scorched beyond recognition, but I was alive. The energy stream faltered.

"Your end comes now," said Doctor Fate, crafting another spell and hurling it at me.

First, there was fresh agony. Then, silence.

For a fleeting moment, I clung to the hope that he might spare me. But Doctor Fate seemed determined to eliminate the problem—me—once and for all.

Darkness engulfed me. There was nothing but emptiness.

Then came a sound—a sharp clicking, like heels against stone. But how could that be here?

"I told you we'd meet again," said a woman's voice nearby.

"Who are you?" I wanted to ask, but no words would come.

"Let's leave that a mystery," she replied.

Could she hear my thoughts?

"Yes, I can. But now isn't the time for questions. It's time to go, Death's Escapee."

The darkness receded, replaced by a blinding white light.

I jolted awake, seated before a dead campfire. In front of me lay a piece of roasted meat. The only edible kind I could tolerate came from hellhounds or wolves—they looked more like the latter. Had I dozed off so deeply that the fire had gone out? Hmph, the meat was overcooked, but it was still edible. Cutting off a piece, I began to eat.

A strange dream had visited me, though most of it was hazy. I could only piece together fragments. Was I losing my mind?

Enough resting. It was time to leave this place. After a final check of my gear, I prepared for battle. First, I'd deal with the two brutes at the entrance—then their master.

Walking leisurely toward the entrance, a strange sense of déjà vu washed over me. I paused, trying to grasp at the elusive memory, but the sound of heavy footsteps snapped me back to the present.

The guards had spotted me and were already closing in.

Enough pointless thoughts. Time to focus on the fight.

I broke into a run, heading straight for the brutes. As I closed the gap to just a few meters, one of them raised both arms for a heavy swing. I sidestepped with ease, slipping behind him. Climbing up his massive frame, I gained the high ground. The second brute tried to swat me off with a left-handed swing, but strangely, the strike deflected and came from the right

I leaped left, but a powerful blow still caught me off guard—it came from the left after all. What was going on? An

The two giants encircled me, attacking from every direction. Miraculously, I dodged blow after blow. Finding an opening between their strikes, I darted between one of their legs. Drawing my daggers, I hurled them into the back of the nearest brute. Using them

Plunging my sword into the base of his skull, he roared in fury, thrashing wildly to throw me off. His flailing arms struck his companion. Taking the opportunity, I retrieved my sword and leapt forward. The strike meant for me landed squarely on his ally's skull, making him stagger forward, off balance.

With one final swing, I drove my blade deep into his eye. Just before he fell, I sprang clear, landing nimbly on the ground.

Behind me, the giant crashed down with a thunderous roar, kicking up a cloud of dust. In one fluid motion, I wiped the blood from my blade. One more to go.

"RAAAH-RAAAH!" The demon howled, charging at me.

His blows came like a torrential rain, relentless and deadly. I spun into a lethal dance, dodging each attack by what felt like sheer luck. Enraged by his inability to hit me, the giant let out a guttural roar, and fire began to swell within his maw.

I faced the incoming inferno without fear. My body had long grown accustomed to the flames of these hellish creatures.

As the torrent of fire subsided, the monster growled with satisfaction, assuming I'd been incinerated. The last wisps of smoke and dust faded, revealing the moment I'd been waiting for.

Bursting from the haze, I leapt toward him, sword aimed for his forehead. The blade pierced through his skull, and with tremendous effort, I split his head in two. His blood sprayed over me in a scalding torrent, marking my victory.

I rolled my shoulders, loosening the tension, and walked back to retrieve my daggers. Pulling them from the brute's corpse, I finally moved on. There were no more enemies in my way as I approached a massive door.

The moment my hand touched it, a strange sensation washed over me—a memory, or something like it. It was as if I had stood before doors like this countless times before. But how could that be if I had never been here?

I tried to focus, searching for answers in the fog of my mind. Yet, the more I concentrated, the more the memories slipped away. The sense of déjà vu lingered, unsettling and inescapable.

Was I truly losing my mind? Or was Hell itself playing tricks on me?

There was no turning back now. With effort, I pushed the door open, creating a small passage to squeeze through.

Inside, the atmosphere shifted entirely. The massive throne room was immaculate, a stark contrast to the desolation outside. A red carpet stretched toward a throne where a demon sat, his gaze fixed on me with curious intent.

Bone-like wings extended from his back, and sharp horns crowned his head. His eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, and his mouth, a double set of jaws, exhaled flames. His entire body resembled a suit of armor, with sharp spikes protruding as if they were weapons in their own right.

"Well, well," the demon said, his voice deep and resonant. "I wondered what all the commotion was. Thought perhaps my brothers had come to visit. But who are you? You resemble us, yet you are not one of us."

"I came here for you to send me back to Earth," I rasped, my voice unfamiliar ev

"HA-HAH-HA-HA-HA-HA!"dare to

"Send me back to Earth, or perish," I replied, bracing myself for battle. There would be no reasoning with him—only a fight to f

"Wretch! You will die in agony!" Hell

Hellborn... Why did I know his name? I had never met this creature before. Damn it, I couldn't let myself get dist

He swung a massive leg at me, and I barely managed to dodge, rolling away and springing to my feet in one swift motion. His fist smashed into the floor where I had been standing, reducing it to rubble. Quickening my pace, I weaved between his thunderous blows, aiming strikes at his legs in an attempt to weaken him.

"Stand still, insect!" he roared, flames beginning to swirl in his gaping maw.

Sensing the danger, I darted behind a nearby column. A torrent of fire surged beneath him, spreading out in a blazing wave. Before I could react, his enormous fist obliterated the column I was hiding behind, scattering its fragments like dust.

The moment I came back into his line of sight, another fiery blast erupted from his mouth. I needed to blind him if I was to have any chance of defeating him.

Ducking behind another column, I narrowly avoided yet another fireball. As the flames subsided, I leapt from my hiding place, scaling the column and launching myself toward the demon's face. By sheer luck, I evaded his grasping hand and drove my daggers deep into his glowing eyes.

Before he could retaliate, I leapt away, landing at a safe distance.

"AAARRRRGHHH!" His roar of agony shook the walls of the throne room.

Flames spewed wildly from his mouth in every direction. One stream caught my shoulder, searing flesh in an instant. Even after extinguishing the flames, the burning pain persisted, as though my skin still smoldered. I froze, staying perfectly still to avoid giving away my position.

"You can hide," the demon growled, "but you will still die."

My regeneration had already begun healing the burns. It was time to end this fight. Retrieving my secret weapon, I prepared for a final assault. Rising from my crouch, I sprinted toward him.

The sound of my footsteps must have tipped him off, as he began spraying fire in my direction, guided by sound rather than sight. Without precision, his attacks were easier to evade, and I closed the distance rapidly.

Reaching his legs, I began slashing at them with relentless ferocity. He swung at me, but his movements had slowed, his strikes losing their former vigor. With his legs carved to the bone, he could no longer support his weight and began to topple forward.

I activated the explosive crystals, placing them precisely where his massive form was about to crash. Then, with every ounce of speed I could muster, I bolted to safety.

Behind me, a deafening explosion rocked the throne room.

Although he didn't collapse flat on the ground, he caught himself on his hands. Flames enveloped his entire body, his wounds began to heal—but then a powerful explosion shook the castle, already battered from our battle.

As the dust began to settle, the demon's body lay motionless. His form was riddled with wounds, and his head was reduced to a bloody pulp. Yet, he was still alive, faintly moving his hands and what remained of his head.

I approached to finish him off. Climbing onto his body, I raised my sword high.

"Wait… I'll… help you… return…" he uttered weakly.

"No." My blade pierced through his skull, silencing him forever.

Why didn't I even consider his offer? That might have been my chance to return. Then again, it could have been a trick to save his own life. Something inside me insisted he deserved death. Why had I come here at all? Was I truly hoping to strike a deal? Strange.

Suddenly, the shadow beneath me seemed to stir. Four red eyes appeared within it. I recoiled, but there was no escaping my own shadow. Gripping my sword, I drove it downward with all my might—but it only left a mark on the floor.

The shadows began to crawl up my body, consuming me. I struggled, refusing to let the voices gain control.

"Submit to me, and I will return you to your family. Your enemies will perish," the voices whispered.

The darkness enveloped my entire form. I could no longer feel my limbs, as if I'd been cast out of my own body. Yet, I could still see what was happening around me.

Before me, a figure emerged from the shadows, its form smoky and indistinct.

"Consume the power, and you will be worthy to serve me," it commanded, pointing toward Hellborn's lifeless body.

My body, moving on its own, plunged its hand into the demon's chest, rummaging until it pulled out a heart that looked like a ball of fire. Without hesitation, it devoured the organ greedily.

Energy surged through me, filling me with power. My skin turned crimson before bursting into flames. Fire poured from my nose as if my insides were ablaze. Soon after, I became encased in armor, my form now resembling the very demon I had slain.

"Now go forth and bring glory to Trigon," the shadowy figure proclaimed.

A portal opened beside me, and my body leapt through it. Though I fought desperately to break free, my mental cage held firm.

The tunnel ended abruptly, spitting me out into a forest. I barely had time to orient myself before a group of people in brightly colored costumes attacked me. Outnumbered, I was quickly subdued.

Bound and immobilized, I watched as a blond man in a long, tattered coat approached me. Speaking in a language I didn't understand, he began to chant. The cage within my mind began to dissolve, and I slowly regained control of myself. The demon was expelled from my body but could not escape due to glowing symbols that surrounded me.

The blond man chanted once more, and the demon vanished.

I gazed at my surroundings with my own eyes, seeing my world for the first time in years. Tears of blood streamed down my face, overwhelmed by joy.

"I'm back," I whispered hoarsely.