"And Hell Came With Him"
Chapter 9: "Beginnings End, Endings Begin"
Disclaimer: Teen Titans and the wider fictional universe it inhabits belong to DC Comics and Warner Brothers, not me. I make no monetary profit from this story, nor am I compensated in other ways by DC Comics for writing this. My only reward is the knowledge that you're reading this.
Author's note: Yeah, it seems things are going from bad to worse for the Titans. Granted, the arrival of old friends might turn the tide, but with Videl's revelation of her real reasons for allying herself with the Titans Central and Mystics, it seems things will get worse before they get better. With Brother Blood and even more demon lords in the mix, it seems that things will indeed get worse. What will that mean for the Titans, though, let alone the world at large? For the answers to that question, read on.
The man once known as Arthur Pendragon and now known as Jason Blood opened his eyes and rolled over slightly to see the immaculate sleeping face of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. He smiled gently at his sleeping lover, and a second later, her own sparkling blue eyes had opened, with a smile on her face as well. "Hello, Jason," she greeted. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes," Jason admitted. "Did you?"
"Yes," Hippolyta answered, reaching out to stroke his face.
Jason leaned into her touch, with a contentment that was not felt by him alone; even Etrigan felt calmer when in Hippolyta's presence. Was that what love did for a man . . . even if he didn't really qualify as such? Did it soothe the monsters and demons festering deep in his soul? Did it quell the storms raging deep within his heart and leave behind a gentle lapping at the edges of his consciousness? After all this time . . . could this, whatever it was, bring them both the happiness they had long been denied?
Before the peace could last, Jason Blood heard the trill of his Justice League communicator in his ear. He sighed tolerantly and tapped his ear. "Jason here."
"Jason," Batman's deep growl issued from the communicator. "You're needed back at the Watchtower."
"Understood," Jason answered calmly, although with no small bit of disappointment that he would not be able to spend more time with Hippolyta before his inevitable departure.
Hippolyta smiled at Jason. "A warrior's work is never truly done . . . although I would say your friend needs to recognize that he cannot find peace strictly within himself."
Jason chuckled sadly. "For Batman, there can be no peace. So long as the world is still a place where others like him and his protégé will lose those they love to the senseless whims of Hades' messengers, he will not let himself seek peace."
"A truly sad fate for one as noble as your friend."
"Yes," Jason agreed as he dressed himself. Changing the subject, "Your daughter and Kal-El have been tiptoeing around each other rather awkwardly lately."
"They are both brave warriors, but not always as forward about their true feelings as they should be," Hippolyta remarked.
"Does that mean you think they would be good for each other?"
"I have seen the way she looks at him. And in spirit, they are quite similar. I believe they would get along quite well . . . if they'd tell each other how they felt."
Jason smiled, finished with dressing himself. He knelt before Hippolyta's bed and took her hand in his, kissing it softly. "I will see you soon, my Queen."
"And I you, my noble King," Hippolyta responded.
Jason let the Watchtower's transporters pick him up, situating himself in the Watchtower as soon as it was over. He walked through the Watchtower to find Batman, who was garbed in his standard dark gray-and-black body armor and pointy-eared mask. "Jason," Batman greeted.
"Batman," Jason greeted. "What's going on?"
"According to Morgana, there is a war in Hell between the various rulers of its component nether dimensions," Batman replied. "The Titans have gotten caught in the middle of that war."
"Does that include Nightwing's Titans?" Jason asked.
"Yes," Batman admitted grimly. "And what worries me even more is what the mystical division of the League will do to stop it."
Batman had a right to be worried; when Ares and Hades had nearly devastated the world, they had used Nightwing as a pawn, pitting him and his Shadowlord alter against the entirety of the Justice League to distract them all from their true plan. While the ruse had been figured out quickly enough, it wasn't quick enough to prevent the damage that had already been done, not least of all the revelation of the potentially apocalyptic nature of Nightwing's Shadowlord powers. The mystics in the League had wanted Nightwing permanently in a magically reinforced cage to prevent the monstrosity dwelling within him from ever escaping again, but the circumstances – having to stop Ares and Hades – had prevented that from happening.
Jason also knew he wasn't the favorite of the mystic division of the League, either, largely due to the fact that he derived much of his mystical power from being bonded to a demon. He also knew, despite his own misgivings, that Morgana wasn't their favorite as well, due largely to the fact that she was one of Morgaine le Fay's bastard children. Unlike Mordred, she had not followed Morgaine's evil path, mostly seeking to amuse and entertain herself. While that sort of whimsy could prove dangerous with the strength of the magic she commanded, Jason knew that she wasn't nearly the monster her mother had been, or that the League's mystics would think she was. No, she was just an impulsive, fun-loving child, for the most part.
Speaking of the devilish immortal child herself, a squeal of "Uncle Jason!" was Jason Blood's only warning before he was tackled by an electric blue blur. The blur turned out to be a girl with electric blue hair and jade green eyes, both mystically colored and the electric blue of her hair being accented by darker streaks of blue. She wore a flowing black gown with detached purple sleeves that covered the backs of her hands.
"Hello, Morgana," Jason greeted with a smile. In many ways, Morgana was the child he had once dreamt of having with Morgaine. "How are you doing?"
"Pretty good," Morgana answered. "Are you and Aunt Hippolyta gonna get married yet?"
Jason chuckled and ruffled Morgana's hair affectionately. "We're already married. In our heart of hearts, we are one."
"Oh," Morgana said. "Like that?"
"Yes, although we could always have a special ceremony that would officially declare me her consort, if that's what you want."
Morgana smiled brightly. "Sure, Uncle Jason. Can I be the flower girl?"
"You're a little old for that . . ."
Morgana glared. "I . . . am not . . . that old."
"Sure you aren't," Jason answered tolerantly.
Batman watched Jason and Morgana with a faint smile, reminded of his time with Dick Grayson when he'd just been starting out as Robin. Dick had awoken something in him that he'd thought he'd never feel again, something that was as close to joy as he'd ever gotten since that fateful night. He'd felt . . . for the first time, like he had a family again. Unfortunately, he had to interrupt; there was much at stake and he needed Morgana to be serious.
Clearing his throat briefly, the Dark Knight spoke. "Morgana, who are the players in this civil war in Hell?"
"Blaze, Satanus, Neron, Trigon, Karkull, Eurynomos, Nebiros, and the First of the Fallen," Morgana replied. "The last three are the Blood Trinity, the triumvirate overlords of Hell. As far as I've been able to gather, the Blood Trinity is fighting the others to retain their lordship."
"Karkull," Dr. Fate spoke. "Another Shadowlord, like what dwells inside Nightwing. I've fought him before."
"Oh!" Morgana exclaimed. "You mean Ankoku Seiryu?"
"His name is Rij'ze," Batman spoke.
"Yeah," Morgana admitted. "But here's the deal; in Eastern myth, there are four gods, four guardian beasts that dwell in the North, the West, the East, and the South. Here's something not a lot of people know, though; the Four Guardian Beasts have counterparts in Hell, the Four Sentinel Demons. For Suzaku, the Vermillion Bird, there is Kurenai Suzaku, the Crimson Phoenix dwelling in the blood and flames. For Seiryu, the Azure Dragon, there is Ankoku Seiryu, the Darkness Dragon dwelling in the realms of living shadow. For Byakko, the White Tiger, there is Koorime Byakko, the Ice Maiden Tiger dwelling in the frozen wastelands of Hell. For Genbu, the Black Tortoise, there is Kurokawa Genbu, the Black Sea Tortoise dwelling in the desecrated oceans of Hell."
"And two of those beasts have been locked inside human vessels," Batman murmured. "Kurenai Suzaku is inside Slade Wilson . . . and being strengthened with the powers of Soul Edge. Ankoku Seiryu – Rij'ze – is inside Nightwing."
"And then there is Brother Blood," Dr. Fate added. "I sense the mark of the Blood Trinity on him. As well as that Trigon has been removed from the picture."
"By whom?" Batman asked.
"Angelic power," Dr. Fate replied.
"Like Zauriel?" Batman surmised.
"Yes, like Zauriel . . . but different," Dr. Fate answered. "Like angelic power fused with a human spirit."
Back on Earth, in the combat exercise room of the Titan Mystics' headquarters, Kushier stared at Violet, purple eyes meeting dark lenses. "Come at me," she commanded.
Violet attacked with a fast palm thrust, only for Kushier to deflect the palm thrust and step behind Violet. Kushier grabbed Violet's outstretched arm and twisted it behind her back. Violet's response was to thrust her free arm out in a sweeping chop that would have clipped Kushier in the head if not for Kushier's quickness. She grabbed Violet's outstretched arm and twisted that in front of her, pinning it to her body. With a surprising force of will, Violet sprang upward, swinging her legs up and over to flip out of Kushier's grip, grabbing Kushier's shoulders and using her grip to slam Kushier to the ground.
"How's that?" Violet asked.
"You're improving," Kushier replied. "You've made much progress in such a short time."
"I have to learn fast in my profession," Violet remarked.
"As a thief?" Kushier asked.
"I'm a street kid. No other way of surviving and still being independent."
"What happened to your parents?"
"Don't you know that already? Weren't you being your usual stalker self? They're dead. Deader than doornails; if you were watching me all this time, why didn't you do something?"
"Because you would have been in even more danger. The chance that whatever latent powers reside in your blood from your heritage would awaken from my nearness to you would draw the Fallen and the Hosts to us and you would be dead."
Violet scoffed. "I can take care of myself."
"Against angelic assassins?" Kushier questioned. "Or demonic death dealers?"
Violet glared at Kushier. "If you were so worried . . . why didn't you step in sooner?"
"Because you would have been dead sooner. For all that it is worth, and it is worth very little to you I am certain, I'm sorry."
Violet looked away sharply, straightening up. "You're right. It's not worth very much at all."
Kushier stood up as well. "Could you . . . look at me? With your naked face?"
"And why should I do something like that? You already know my face."
"Yes. But I would like it . . . if I could see your eyes, one more time."
Reluctantly, Violet pulled off the gasmask-like portion of her mask that covered her lower face, exposing a smooth, rounded jaw and pale lips. She then removed the dark-tinted goggle portion of her mask, exposing blue eyes and letting her red hair flow freely. "Happy?"
"Getting there," Kushier replied. "But that isn't your real problem, is it?"
"Then what is?" Violet sneered. "Tell me, O great ancestor."
"You're lonely," Kushier answered. "That was why you accepted Nightwing's offer. Not merely for your own profit, but maybe to find some emotional fulfillment as well. You feel, for the first time in a while, that there is a place where you can be not only useful, but valued, loved even. Am I right?"
"You're full of shit," was Violet's brutal retort.
"Look me in the eye and say that," Kushier retorted calmly.
Violet stared Kushier in the eye, and to her own surprise, what came out of her mouth was a choked sob. Kushier gently reached out and pulled Violet into a comforting embrace, with Violet's head resting on Kushier's chest. Kushier stroked Violet's hair lovingly as Violet finally stopped holding back her sorrows, whispering comforting words in her ears.
Elsewhere in the Titan Mystics' headquarters, Nightwing and Red X had found an isolated spot to talk. "So, you're finally ready to tell all, huh?" Nightwing remarked. "This ought to be good."
"Oh, it is," Red X answered. "You have no idea."
"Let's get it over with," Nightwing said. "We'll take off our masks at the same time?"
"Sure," Red X agreed.
Nightwing reached up to grasp the edge of his domino mask, starting to slowly peel it off his face. Red X reached behind his head and undid the clasps keeping his mask in place. Both black-clad young men pulled their masks off, revealing their faces. Nightwing's face was boyishly handsome, with teal blue eyes staring out from it and a certain air that suggested a spirit younger than his years. Red X's face was similarly handsome, but in a rougher, almost harder sense, with icy silver-blue eyes staring out from that face and an almost-faded diagonal scar across his forehead and the bridge of his nose. The other significant difference between them was their hair, with Nightwing's being black and Red X's being bleached blond with darker roots.
Despite the scar and the bleached hair, Nightwing recognized Red X. "Jason? Jason Todd?"
"Jason Knight now, technically," Red X amended.
"What happened to you?" Nightwing asked.
"That's a long story, Grayson," Red X answered. "I'll try to keep it as short and sweet as I can. Basically, after Wayne took you in, I ran away from the orphanage. Sucked there, anyway. Survived on the streets, stealing stuff to fence it. Got a good eye for the really good stuff, the stuff I could fence for just enough for one night in a cheap motel. Then this Goth lady found me, real pretty, scary pale, liked the black makeup and dresses, and she took me to her place. Gave me a warm bed to sleep in, some hot soup, and some decent clothes.
"I was just gonna leave after I'd gotten some sleep, but she insisted that I stay with her and her squeeze, that I'd be safer with them than on the streets. She was a nice enough lady, so I figured I'd stick around. She was good to me, she and her squeeze. Taught me a lot about her trade, too."
"And what was that?" Nightwing asked.
"Theft, larceny, burglary, that sort of thing," Red X replied. "I got good at it. Really, really good. Spotted you one time, running around in those green tights like some kind of elf. For a guy who takes himself so seriously, you seriously had one fruity-ass fashion sense."
"It was modeled after my Flying Graysons uniform," Nightwing retorted. "You remember, don't you? My parents? We were in the circus together? They were killed by some thugs because they refused to pay protection money to the mob? Any of that ringing a bell for you?"
"You're not the only one who lost parents, Grayson," Red X rejoined. "And hell, at least you knew your mom. The woman I used to call 'Mom,' the one who died? Turned out she wasn't my real mom, after all. Never even knew that woman."
"I'm sorry . . ."
"No harm. I wouldn't have told you, anyway."
"So why tell me now?"
"Because you and I . . . we might be in serious trouble."
"Why do you say that?" Nightwing inquired.
"Jinx," Red X spat. "She knows who we are. You, me, she knows our identities outside the masks."
Nightwing sighed. "Should have figured she'd figure it out sooner or later. She might be 'reformed,' but she still has her underworld ties."
"That, and you were kind of obvious," Red X added. "Orphaned acrobat becomes the ward of a rich playboy, and then almost a year later, some kid in green tights is hopping around on the streets with Batman punching out crooks? Only someone without a brain wouldn't get it."
"That's why Batman acts like a vapid idiot outside the cape and cowl. So people don't think to make connections like that."
"Smart, but some people are savvy enough to look past the surface. It's part of their job description, after all."
"But why do you think we're in trouble from Jinx?" Nightwing asked.
Red X shook his head. "Jinx might be 'reformed,' but she insinuated – hell, more like outright told me – that she's holding on to our identities as a bargaining chip in case she gets into real trouble, the kind she can't fight or smooth-talk or charm her way out of."
"She wouldn't do that."
"Of course she wouldn't. For one, who's to say the kind of people who'd make her confess that sort of thing wouldn't kill her after hearing that? For another, if she were to survive, the other Titans would never forgive her, not even Kid Flash. She'd be on her own, and she'd be right back where she started when Flashy-boy first found her."
"You've thought this out."
"Of course I have. But that's just me looking at it from a rationally self-interested view. What happens if Jinx says 'fuck it' and goes for it, anyway?"
Nightwing looked at Jason's forehead, at the scar that slashed across the bridge of his nose. "Where did you get that scar from?"
"Foster mommy's squeeze. Turned out Mommy was going behind his back on some things, and he didn't take it too well. He went batshit, no pun intended, tried to kill her, and swiped my face good with his knife when I got between him and her." He smiled bitterly. "Remember when I said, 'Some guys don't like playing the hero'? That's what I was talking about."
"Who were they, your foster parents?"
"Natalia and Anton Knight. Philanthropists, scientists, and explorers. Never lacked for anything, at least not for long. Blood money, yeah, but not everybody gets the luxury of a clean living."
"Doesn't make it right."
"Yeah, but it's how some of us survive," Red X answered. "And you've done a little too much dirty dealing yourself to criticize."
"That's another thing," Nightwing brought up. "How did you get into the Tower?"
"Got a Mother Box from Natalia, she said it was some kind of trans-dimensional gateway. Figured I'd put it to good use and get the fuck out of there before Anton returned for another go."
"But . . . your mother . . . ?"
"Foster mother. Not that it matters anyway. Loved her just like a real mother. Couldn't stay, though; Natalia didn't want me getting killed trying to protect her from Anton. After all, if it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't have stopped at just my face that last time. Said it was too dangerous for me to be in Gotham, and I remembered you'd gone to Jump and put together a superhero team there . . . Kept wondering why you weren't tapping Starfire; she was certainly ready and willing."
Nightwing shook his head amusedly. "Simple. I was an obsessive little crime-fighter. Evil was ever-present, so good had to be ever-vigilant. No rest, no pleasure, no fun for Robin."
"And now look at you," Red X remarked. "Three hotties all willing to put up with each other – well, as much as they can, anyway – to bang you on a nightly basis. You're a lucky son of a bitch, but I told you that already."
"How are you feeling?" Nightwing asked.
"Weird . . ." Red X replied. He removed his right-hand gauntlet . . . revealing that his arm all the way up to his elbow had taken on the appearance and texture of cooled lava, black as pitch with blood-red veins and clawed fingers. "Huh. What in fresh hell is this?"
"I think we're gonna have to talk to Raven about this," Nightwing suggested.
"How about Gemma? Rawr."
"Sure, we can bring her in, too, but try not to think so much about 'tapping' some nubile woman. That's what got you into trouble with Videl."
Red X shuddered. "I don't know what I was thinking, with her. Bitch is straight crazy."
"We should put our masks back on," Nightwing advised. "We're not necessarily among friends here."
The young men did exactly that and then they walked back out into the open to find Raven and Gemma. When they did, though, they found them with Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and a girl dressed in skintight black with dark gray chain-mesh making up the sides of her costume. Dark gray, almost black, metal guards covered her shins and feet, along with her forearms and elbows. A silvery metal collar wrapped around her neck with shoulder support not entirely unlike what Starfire wore as part of her outfit, but with industrial rivets. She wore what seemed to be an ebon quarter-helmet that concealed the upper left side of her face, leaving her green right eye, long silvery-white hair, and full red-painted mouth exposed.
Cyborg looked at Nightwing and Red X. "Hey, you guys. Say hello to our newest teammate."
"Hey, Rose," Nightwing greeted.
"Hey yourself," Rose greeted back with a smirk. "Long time, no see, huh?"
"You know her?" Red X asked.
"Yeah," Nightwing confirmed. "We helped her back on the straight and narrow, isn't that right, Rose?"
"Yeah," Rose answered.
"What can you do?" Red X asked.
Rose's answer was to draw a pair of brass knuckle-style grips from her belt and press a hidden button on each, extending barely visible longsword-style "force blades" from them. A split second later, one of those force blades was swinging at Red X's head for a decapitation strike. Red X ducked quickly, only for Rose to sweep his feet out from under him via a low kick. Red X planted his normal hand on the ground and flipped back onto his feet while twisting to kick Rose, who blocked it with the grip-hilt of her force blade. Despite blocking it, though, the force of his kick did force her back by some inches. A feral smirk formed on Rose's face.
"You're good," she remarked.
"So are you," Red X answered. "And too cute to boot out of bed."
Rose snickered. "Charmer."
"I like to think so."
Raven looked at Red X darkly. "It seems I wasn't able to completely cure the effects of you using that ring."
"Oh, you mean this?" Red X answered, pulling his mutated arm out of his cape. "What is it, anyway?"
"Legend has a name for that," Raven replied. "The Right Arm of the Damned. It's an external manifestation of the taint in the soul of a human who taps into the power of a weapon or item of demonic origin."
"I thought the lefties were the ones cursed by the Devil," Red X joked.
"Which hand did you put the ring on?" Gemma asked.
"My right," Red X answered.
"There's your frigging answer. Now maybe you'll think next time before you put on something like that," Gemma jibed.
"Well, sorry . . . not all of us have innate magical powers to fight crazy-ass demon swordsmen with," Red X retorted.
"My powers ain't innate," Gemma corrected. "I taught myself how to do that shit."
"Not very well, though," Raven remarked.
"Oh, fuck you," Gemma retorted.
Raven smirked tightly. "I'm taken."
"I saw," Gemma answered. "He any good?"
"Better than 'good,' not that it's any of your business."
"We have worse things to worry about right now," Nightwing said. "Sure, Red X's arm is somewhat scary to look at, but it might come with some useful abilities." He looked at Rose. "What happened to your eye?"
"Daddy did that," Rose explained. "Piece of his sword went flying into my eye."
"That's not good," Raven said. "Soul Edge can reproduce itself by infecting others with shards of itself, allowing its power to grow inside them and ultimately corrupt them to suit its ends."
"That's why it's covered up," Rose explained. "Wonder Priss gave it to me so I wouldn't go 'even crazier than I already was.' Tch."
"You sure you'll be up to fighting Blood and your dad?" Beast Boy asked.
"Whatever, pointy ears," Rose answered. "I could take them both without either of my eyes."
Beast Boy chuckled. "Badass."
"I like to think so." Rose smirked, and then doubled over, clutching her concealed left eye and wincing in pain.
"Rose?" Nightwing asked, moving to her side. "What's wrong?"
"It . . . it's . . ." She turned her head and stiffened. "Him . . ."
The man she was staring at was none other than Azrael, who was gripping Soul Calibur so tightly that his hands would have bled if they weren't gauntleted. Soul Calibur itself was generating crystalline armor as reinforcement for his body, as Azrael's fiery gaze made it quite clear he was ready to attack. "All traces of the Cursed Blade must be expunged," he snarled, steeling himself to attack.
Rose straightened to her feet, a dark smile on her face and her hand reaching up to knock her quarter-helmet off, revealing a lurid metallic red orb in place of her left eye. "Bring it."
The other Titans present tensed, ready to intercede to stop Azrael and Rose – or rather, the powers of light and dark currently gripping their minds – from killing each other. "This is not going to be pretty," Gemma grumbled.
"Are you kidding?" Videl scoffed from across the room, an evil smile on her face. "It's going to be beautiful."
End Notes: There you have it. You now know the story behind Red X's identity, the Justice League is getting ready to enter the game, and now Azrael and Rose Wilson are ready to fight it out? Holy crap, this just keeps getting more and more exciting, doesn't it? Everybody will make it out in one piece, though . . . or will they? To find out for sure, you'll have to read the next chapter, but thank you very much for getting as far as you have right now. Hope you had fun.
