Chapter 24: Hellbound
Once, long ago, the powerful demon Arch-Duke Belial, deep in the pits of hell, spawned two children. One was a creature who would come to be known as Merlin, the great sorcerer in the Camelot legend. The other was Etrigan, a prince among all demons.
In Camelot, a man called Jason Blood betrayed his king for love, and was subsequently betrayed by the love and condemned to death because of it. Angry over his acts, Merlin punished Blood for his betrayal by summoning his half-brother, the demon Etrigan, and binding him to Blood, granting both of them immortality in the process.
For centuries the two lived, swapping places on Earth and Hell respectively. Blood quickly realized the error of his ways and devoted himself to nobler goals, and his humanity helped temper Etrigan's nature, so that the demon, when called, would aid humanity (so long as it did not interfere with his own goals, and for that very reason sometimes Etrigan was as great a threat as he was a savior of humans). Jason Blood used his immortality to learn great knowledge and skills in the mystical and dark arts. As a sorcerer, he was nearly unparalleled, especially in the modern times when such things of magic had been mostly forgotten. But magic was still there, and still as mighty and dangerous a force as it had been in the mists of the past (indeed, Superman, considered the pinnacle example of invulnerability, only commanded two real weakness: kryptonite and magic). Hence, Blood was not exactly an easy man to find, preferring to find others who needed aid rather then have people coming to him. Indeed, he frowned on such things, and hence Noel would have had no luck had he sought him out himself. But Blood, and Etrigan, had had more then a few dealings in Gotham City, and nothing went on in that dark place that Batman did not know about. And being Batman's partner, Robin was able to call in a favour (a big one, Batman had been rather displeased, but Robin could live with that) that allowed him to contact Jason Blood and request a meeting. Blood, strangely, had replied almost immediately and granted it, giving the two boys a location. The only thing he had requested was that they come alone. So they had, and so they had arrived.
At first, Noel thought that Blood believed in the "hide in plain sight" strategy, as they arrived at a penthouse on the outskirts of Gotham. Robin, however, pointed out that if Blood had not wanted to see them, they would not be able to see the penthouse. Noel took that as the likely truth.
The building was filled with artifacts and other things Robin warned Noel not to touch, as they went up the stairs and came into what looked like a laboratory. Except Noel didn't think scientific experiments happened there. The partly opened closet, filled with what looked like tongues in glass jars, added weight to his assumption.
"Good day Robin."
The man walking into the room looked much like an ordinary businessman in a nice suit at first glance. The first mark of the unusual was the red hair with a streak of silver running through it. The second thing was his face. Again, a casual observation would have just revealed a man who looked to be of middle age. But a closer looked revealed a hardness of one who has seen centuries past, a craggy nature much like a mountain whom had also witnessed the passing of centuries without much happening to it. Yes, Jason Blood, to those who knew him, looked like a sorcerer.
"Good day Blood. I appreciate you seeing us on such short notice, I know you don't like being disturbed…" Robin began.
"It doesn't matter. Had you not sought me out I would have sought you. Something very bad is about to happen, the full extent I just realized recently. But I think you know what it is. YOU, anyway." Jason said, looking at Noel.
"Yeah, but he didn't tell me. What IS it Noel? What could you need that could possibly require someone like Blood?"
"Trigon is coming, isn't he?" Noel said quietly.
"Yes." Blood replied. Robin's eyes widened.
"TRIGON? Raven's father? When?" Robin said.
"If he is not free by now he will definitely be free within the hour. Possibly less." Blood replied, his face concealing, but not totally, the worry this brought him.
"HOLY SHIT! Noel why didn't you say anything! We have to get back to the Tower! We have to help Raven! We…!"
"Your ally did the best thing. There is nothing you can do, child. Not against Trigon." Blood said. "What do you desire, Noel?"
Noel didn't blink that Jason knew his name. He just spoke.
"I want to kill him."
Blood stared incredulously at Noel, and then he actually laughed.
"YOU? You, a mere human with a mutated nervous system, want to kill Trigon the Terrible? Are you mad or just stupid?"
"Can I do it?" Noel said.
"….Not mad or stupid…and yet both. My, what that does to humans." Blood said.
"Where is Trigon? How will he emerge?"
"Trigon is locked in an interdimensional prison called the Nether-Verse. He was sealed there after all of Azarath, the home where your ally Raven comes from, combined their powers, and though that managed to defeat him, it came at great, terrible cost. Raven was the key in that, but by her nature as Trigon's daughter, she is also the key to his escape. He has re-gathered himself, and now he is nearing the end of his long slow quest to break out. And in the process, turn Raven to his side."
"Raven would never…!" Robin said.
"She doesn't have a choice. She is his daughter. His evil is bound into her blood and being. And eventually it will overwhelm her, and she will cease to be the Raven you know. She will become the Raven her father wanted her to be, his right hand and aid in his destruction."
"I know." Noel said quietly. "What can I do?"
"Why do you assume there is anything you can do?" Blood said.
"Because I do."
Jason Blood regarded Noel, and then he nodded.
"Very well. I believe I can aid your quest. But we must go quickly."
"Where are Robin and Noel?" Starfire asked as she sipped a mustard-laced Coke.
"I dunno. Something about it being important and they'll call us if needed. Until they-HEY! CHEATER!" Cyborg roared as Beast Boy shot his car and blew it off a bridge he was crossing.
"I don't need to cheat. You just plain suck." Beast Boy said.
"No, YOU suck!"
"No, you are the one who sucks!"
"No, you suck! You're sucking right now!"
"Right about now Raven would be complaining and asking for quiet…where is she anyway?" Starfire asked.
The burning was no longer going away. She had exhausted all her efforts to disperse it and was now trying to keep it from spreading as she writhed on the floor of her room.
Her mirror lay nearby, but it was no help to her now. She had tried it once, and what she had seen was far worse then she had expected: a deadly fire sweeping over her mental planes, even as the manifestations of her emotions were winked out one by one. She was losing, and knew it.
But she'd keep fighting, even as she was being squished.
And her father allowed it. It amused him. And soon, it wouldn't matter.
Soon, once again, he would reign supreme once more.
"I can't believe Raven wouldn't have told us anything! We're her teammates, her friends! We could have gotten her help!" Robin said as Blood led him and Noel through a hallway.
"Somehow, I think she thought the best thing was not to tell us. So we wouldn't get hurt." Noel replied. Never mind that that rarely worked. Humans, even ones that were also half-demon sorceresses, rarely did the smart thing, instead choosing to do the "right" thing. Too bad they were rarely right on that thing.
The three ended up in a small room lined with closets. Blood went to the nearest closet and opened it.
"Trigon considers humans to be insects. He'll have subordinates to do his bidding…and interdimensional demons can be hard to kill."
"Won't our weapons or powers work on them?" Robin asked, as Jason removed a pair of nasty looking knives from a closet, and set it on a table.
"Demons inhabit a whole different plane of existence. When they…cross…the new state of reality they find themselves in can cause problems. They need to concentrate to hold their flesh together, at least until they can taint whatever new place they have come to enough in order to exist naturally. Until then, they are weakened somewhat, and your weapons of science, or your biological mutations or alien abilities may be able to wound and kill them. But there are too many variables. Some demons can handle themselves better. Some realities corrupt faster then others. Some PLACES in realities corrupt faster then others. No, what you will need is a sure thing."
Turning around, Jason laid down an axe that was nearly as big as he was. How he had carried it without effort either spoke to whatever powers he might have been hiding, or whatever powers the weapons might have been hiding.
"I have gathered these tools throughout my own battles, when my…other side was not enough, or not what was needed. These are all weapons that were made to kill demons. They will be immune to the variables, and give you an edge…at least somewhat. For a short time." Jason said. He laid a bow next to the axe and went to another closet. "They will kill whatever spawn Trigon summons…and will even be able to harm Raven when she turns."
"She won't turn…" Noel said.
"Yes. She will. It is already destined and will pass no matter how much you want it not to." Jason said. He laid a weird looking weapon down: it kind of looked like a rifle, but it had several glass orbs attached to it and no apparent trigger. "Indeed, the only suggestion I have to you to stop Trigon is take out his key. And that means you must…"
"NO." Noel and Robin said at the same time.
"I thought so." Blood replied. He laid a pair of razor-clawed gloves down on the table.
"These are my best tools. I'll loan them to you."
"Will they be able to kill Trigon?" Noel replied.
"Child, Trigon destroyed a planet when he was six years old. He ruled millions of worlds in his dimension before he was defeated. Even weapons like these would be no more then an annoyance to him. No, you could not even harm Trigon with these, much less kill him."
"Then get me a weapon that can."
"There is no such weapon in this reality, indeed no such weapon anywhere. You cannot kill Trigon, child. Abandon that notion."
Noel glared back at Jason Blood.
"No. I will not."
Jason blinked, and then he sighed.
"I see you are going to be stubborn…"
"There must be SOMETHING I can use against him." Noel said.
Jason appeared to be pondering something. Finally, he spoke.
"I may have something. Are you sure you wish to try, though?"
"Try what?" Robin asked.
"I'll try whatever I can." Noel said.
"Very well. Come with me."
Noel and Robin started after Jason.
"No, just you Noel. Robin, stay here. There's a book on the table that will tell you how to properly use the weapons I have given you."
"Uh…ok…" Robin said.
"I'll ask you again: are you sure you want to do this?" Jason said.
"Yes."
Jason just looked at Noel, and then he shook his head.
"Love." He muttered, as he turned away. Noel followed him.
They seemed to walk for hours, twisting and turning through the mansion. There didn't seem to be enough room for their journey on the outside, but they made it anyway. Finally, they came to a door. Jason spoke a few words that sounded like he was trying to speak with a cheese grater running along his throat and it opened.
"What am I about to show you is nearly as old as this universe." Jason said as the two walked into a totally empty room. Empty except for a single box on a pedestal at the end of the room. What Noel didn't know was that the room and door was guarded by so many spells and charms that if Noel had tried to enter it without Blood he would have been vaporized a dozen times over before he would have been able to blink.
"It was a weapon used when gods fought for control over reality, a weapon that has almost always been used by a divine hand. Somehow it found its way to this planet, and then to my possession. I have kept it for many years, never using it. But…it is one of only two weapons in this existence that I think can actually succeed against Trigon. And believe me, the other is well beyond you. WELL beyond."
Noel didn't ask questions.
"Even this may be beyond you. It is meant for the hand of a god. For a mortal to wield it…it will not possess the power to kill Trigon."
Noel's heart sank.
"BUT…if used the right way…it may be able to banish him, destroy his gateway into this world before he had solidify his power. But like I said, it must be done very quickly. If he is allowed to gain a foothold in this reality, then all hope is lost. And even if it is used…the price you will have to pay will most likely be too high. One last time. Do you want to try and use this weapon?"
Noel, to his credit, didn't reply right away. He closed his eyes and thought. But when he opened them, there was no indecision. Only cold determination.
"Yes."
"Very well." Jason Blood said.
Then he threw a handful of dust he had taken from somewhere, tossing it into the air. Noel's vision suddenly swam and his ears popped violently as reality suddenly seemed to lose its cohesion.
When everything cleared, they were no longer in the room.
They were standing in a stone room lit by torches, in a perfect circle. It was about 75 feet around. Noel and Jason were standing about eight feet off from the center of the room, facing away from it. That didn't bother Noel.
What bothered Noel was all the blood on the floor. There was a lot of it.
"Where are we?"
"You did not actually think you could just be given the weapon, did you?" Jason said. "You aspire to use a weapon once wielded by gods to slay an extradimensional demon. Such a task requires great things, and the only way to be sure that you possess them is to test you."
"I gathered. What do I have to do?"
"To prove that you have what it takes to wield a weapon like the one I have shown you, against such a powerful demon as Trigon? You must face another demon. With no mystical weapons. And should you succeed in defeating it, banishing it back from where it came…then maybe you will be worthy of such a weapon."
"…….Ok." Noel said, turning around. "I'm ready. Summon it."
"Child, you cannot face just any demon. And you are facing the wrong way." Jason said from behind him.
Noel arched an eyebrow in confusion. The wrong way?
"Gone gone oh form of man…"
Noel's eye went wide as saucers, as he spun around.
A red mist had come on and enveloped Jason, as a hot wind suddenly blew on Noel, and what sounded like screams echoed faintly in his ears. But it didn't drown out Jason's voice.
"And rise the demon…" Jason's voice thundered as it turned into a darker, snarling voice.
The mist dissipated suddenly and violently. Jason was gone. In his place stood a squat, heavily muscled creature with yellow skin, a gargoyle-like face, cruel claws, and glowing red eyes. It, or he, was also dressed all in red, with spiked wristbands on his arms, a spiked belt around his waist, and a skull medallion on his chest. A cruel fire seem to burn from within him, glowing from behind his sharp teeth.
"ETRIGAN!!!!!!!!!" Etrigan roared.
Noel felt his heartbeat increase even more. This was bad. He had expected Jason to summon a demon, not call forth his other self, truly a powerful and dangerous creature. One that Noel had no idea if he could handle.
"Foolish little human boy, who doth wish to be the Demon's toy. You thought that you would earn the Fang, but instead you'll go out with a bang!" Etrigan laughed, and then leapt at Noel, claws swinging.