Disclaimer: Still don't own Teen Titans.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I really enjoy reading all of them. For the record, if anyone wants to use any of this for anything, feel free to. (It'd be really cool to be cited in a disclaimer.) At any rate, you people are awesome. By the way, my chapters are arranged to be able to keep tabs on all of the different things going on. I like jumping around to look in at the other things that are going on.

Warning: This chapter gets a little dark.

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Demon Hunters

Chapter 24: Hostage Situation

Solaris let out an agonized scream as black energy crackled across her neck. When the energy faded away, her scream died out, to be replaced by cruel laughter from the demonic horde.

Solaris gasped weakly, savoring the momentary respite. She was grateful that Lunis had passed out from the pain long ago; hearing her sister scream was worse than the pain itself.

"Do you want mercy?" a wolfish demon asked her, leaning close to her. "Would you like to ask for it, Hunter?"

Solaris winced away from his nearness. She wanted to say something clever and defiant, but the plea for mercy nearly leapt out of her mouth. She gritted her teeth to keep herself from saying something she would regret. Momentary weakness might make her beg, but she was certain that whether or not she asked, there would be no mercy for her.

"No mercy, Hunter," the demon concluded, even though she hadn't responded. "You would have shown us none, and now there is none for you."

Black energy tore through her again and her body tensed as another scream was forced out of her.

The one drawback to this amusement seemed to be that it left no lasting damage. When they tired of it, the demons took an interest in Solaris's right arm.

"You use this to destroy us," one said, glaring at her.

The wolfish demon took her arm in his jaws.

"Wouldn't we be fools to let you go on slaughtering us?"

Solaris looked away.

Black energy attacked her, punishing her silence.

"Do you know me, Hunter?"

A hand forced her to look into the eyes of a human-like demon.

"I am Xiaon. You slew my kin."

Solaris could vaguely remember a fight with a demonic horde that had resulted in a massive slaughter.

"Do you remember me, Hunter?"

Solaris refused to answer.

Black energy swarmed over her.

Solaris bit her lip until it was a bloody mess, but she didn't give them the satisfaction of an answer.

When that amusement grew stale, the demonic wolf began to slowly bite into her arm. At first, it was just a horrible vice-like grip that made her wince, but it quickly grew into a sharper pain as his teeth sank in, ripping through her skin.

Solaris had a high pain tolerance. While Lunis had passed out within the first few minutes of pain, Solaris's pain threshold had thus far allowed her no such escape.

She was the warrior of their group. If her arm had been cut off, it would have been her duty to calmly pick up her sword with her left hand and go on fighting. In this situation, however, it meant that the wolfish demon could damn near chew down to the bone before things started to get blurry.

Solaris's vision was clouded by dark splotches. The pain seemed further and further away. Just as she lost consciousness, she looked up, searching for something that she couldn't quite identify, but if she had to guess, she would have said hope.

And she saw a blue hooded figure appear from the shadows.