"Run, my daughter, escape while you still can! It's too late to save me, or any of us."
The gray Titan stared dumbfounded at the taller woman.
"Mother ..." her voice warbled. She lunged forward and wrapped her arms around her. Arella pushed her away,
"Flee, Raven, escape while you still can!"
"I'm not going anywhere, not without you and not without Garfield." She gently moved her mother aside and faced Asmodeus. "I want to see him … now!"
"Patience, princess, you will get to see him, he is part of my proposed barter with you, but before I show him to you, I have something else for you, something I am sure you will also want."
He snapped his fingers and a large billowing cloud of smoke appeared in front of her. It reeked of brimstone and it made her cough. Using her arms she tried to clear the sulfur laden cloud and it slowly thinned, until she could make out three figures. She used her powers to finish clearing the smoke and she gasped at what she saw. Starfire, Robin and Cyborg were on their knees and were shackled, with their arms bound behind their backs. They looked awful, it was clear that they had been tortured without mercy as their bodies were heavily bruised and bloodied. Cyborg's prosthetics looked heavily damaged and it was doubtful any of them still worked. Starfire and Robin didn't look much better. They could barely open their swollen eyes and looked too weak to stand on their own. Raven's eyes split into two crimson pairs.
"You will pay for this, and for what you did to Gayla!" She thundered in an otherworldly voice that shook the great hall. Many of the lesser demons stepped away, keeping their distance between themselves and the one who vanquished the mighty Trigon. Asmodeus did not seem to share their concern.
"Now, Lady Raven, tell me that I don't have your attention."
She ran forward to her friends, reaching Starfire first, cradling the princess' injured face in her hands.
"Forgive us … friend … we only wished to … assist you." She spoke as she struggled to breath. Raven's blue light appeared and she began to heal the Tamaranian, who suddenly faded away as if she were a mirage. Robin and Cyborg also vanished.
Raven balled her hands and glared at the monster before her, who looked very pleased with himself.
"What have you done to them? They need medical attention … now! There's no time to spare" She snarled.
"My dear Raven, if we conclude our barter, I will return them to you restored to perfect health and unharmed … and now, the final piece of my offer to you."
He opened one of his hands and Raven saw Garfield in Asmodeus' palm. He was bound by some red eldritch power, which danced over his body as he writhed in pain.
"Stop it! You're hurting him. Release him, now!"
"As you wish." he replied and the red tendrils vanished. Gar stood up and stared defiantly at the demon king and shook his fist at him.
"I will admit, your green ape has a lot of spirit. I was expecting him to beg for mercy." The demon chuckled. "So, Raven, if you agree to my deal I will release them and allow them to return to that blue marble you call home. I personally will guarantee that their health will be restored and they will be returned to Earth unharmed."
Raven didn't like where this was going. She didn't doubt for a moment that she could dispatch Asmodeus just as she did her father. But the others were being held by his minions. If she attacked she was certain that they would all be killed before she could defeat him.
"Heal the others first, then we'll talk."
Asmodeus made a disinterested gesture with his hand, "As you wish."
Robin, Starfire and Cyborg reappeared. They were still shackled and were still guarded by a phalanx of demons, but their injuries were gone. Raven ran up to Robin.
"What are you doing here? I left you behind for a reason."
"You didn't think that we would let you do this alone?"
"I wasn't alone! You shouldn't have come." She howled at him. She then spoke in a whisper. "Now he wants something from me, and to save you I'll have to agree to his bargain."
She looked back at Asmodeus and frowned.
"As you can see, princess, they are now unharmed … shall we now discuss my price for their safe return?"
"Get to the point, Asmodeus. What do you want?"
The demon king grinned a sinister smile that send a shiver down her spine. This was going to be bad, very bad.
"I want you to be my consort and queen."
Raven stared in utter shock and disbelief.
"You can't be serious about that. Me, your consort?"
"It isn't so outrageous. Think about it, we would be uniting the House of Trigon, of which you are the sole heir, with mine … in case you're wondering about your brothers … let's just say they met your father's fate, which isn't surprising because unlike you they were weak."
Raven shook her head. "This marriage, it would be in name only, right? It would just be a political union."
He laughed. "Of course not. You would take the demon pledge to accept me as your lord and master, You would be unable to disobey or betray me without forfeiting your life. Plus I expect you to bear many offspring for me. Our combined house will be the mightiest in the underworld. No one will be able to oppose us, not even Lucifer."
"No ..." she whimpered as her eyes reverted back to their normal look. Tears dripped down her face.
"Don't do it, Raven!" Cyborg shouted. "Don't do it!"
"Be strong, friend! We can still be victorious."
Asmodeus' expression turned serious. Garfield was still standing on his palm and the he gripped him tightly.
"I want an answer … now! And if you decline my offer he will be the first one to die." He growled as he tightened his grip around the changeling.
"Raven, don't. I'd rather die than have you marry this monster ..."
"Silence, ape! I do not want to hear your worthless opinion …. so princess, your answer now, if you please."
Raven felt panic flooding her soul. If she said no, Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, her mother and Garfield would die, while she watched. She bowed her head in defeat.
"I will accept your offer." She said in flat tone.
"There, that wasn't so hard, was it now, Lady Raven? Do not feel bad, I will sire mighty sons with you, and we will rule the underworld with an iron fist.
"Nooooooooo!" The changeling shouted. "You can't have her!"
Asmodeus laughed. "Tell me, my little green ape, why not?"
"BECAUSE SHE'S MINE!" Gar shouted back as his eyes split into two crimson pairs. Asmodeus was unable to hide his shock and surpise.
Gar's whole body turned red and he began to quickly grow. Asmodeus' grip on him failed and Gar leaped out of of his now open palm. By the time he landed on the ground he was half as tall as Asmodeus and was still growing. His hands and feet turned into razor sharp claws, wings grew out of his back and huge fangs appeared in his mouth. He continued to grow until he towered over the demon king.
"OK, that's a new trick." Cyborg remarked to no one in particular.
"AND YOU CAN'T TAKE HER FROM ME!" Gar shouted as he swiped at Asmodeus with his claw, nearly splitting him in half. The demon king screamed in agony before dissolving into a cloud of smoke. His court, seeing that he had been vanquished, and destroyed turned tail and fled. Gar balled his claw and shook it at them.
"YEAH, YOU'D BETTER RUN!"
He then began to shrink and was soon back to his default form. Raven ran to him and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a huge kiss.
"Gar … that was amazing."
Arella approached the young couple.
"I see that you have betrothed and sealed it with a consummation!" She grinned. "This is wonderful! My daughter found her true spirit mate."
"Of course!" Raven face palmed. "Why didn't think of that?"
"Uh, could someone explain this to me in English?"
Arella wrapped her arms around the changeling. "It's quite simple. Because you are the one who was destined for my daughter, you can tap in to her powers."
"Well, yeah, Rave told me that as long as we touch we can do that. I can use her powers and she can use mine."
Arella beamed. "Physical contact is unnecessary for you. You were destined for each other. You are the perfect match. It is fortunate that that you consummated after the betrothal, otherwise the pairing would be incomplete and you wouldn't have access to each other powers."
Gar stared at Arella dumbfounded. "You mean, you know that we … you know?"
"You are now one, it is the only way." She said as she kissed him on his forehead. "Garfield Mark Logan, you are now my son. Welcome to my family."
-(-)-
Epilogue next week,