Marvel let out another terse scream, squeezing his eyes shut against the pain. He had a single gash six inches long along his left side, and Desaad has his entire hand inside, feeling around. He tried to pull away, but the binds held him fast in place. There was a delighted squeal from the little man, and Marvel screamed again, as he wrapped his fingers around an organ, squeezing slightly.
"Isn't this so much fun?" he asked, squeezing again. "It doesn't have to be though. You can just tell me where the spark is. The great Darkseid already knows it resides in one of your heroes. Time is running out." He laughed somewhat, squeezing again. Marvel felt sweat beading on his face. "This is so much fun, I sometimes wish it wouldn't end! Unfortunately, it always does. They always die on me, just when I'm getting to the good part."
"The spark," Marvel whispered. Desaad looked up.
"Yes. The spark."
"It's…." As expected, he brought his head in closer to hear what he was saying. Marvel headbutted him, knocking him unconscious. He was somewhat surprised, when he didn't awaken after the painful screech he let out as Desaad's hand slipped out from his body, tearing at his organs as it did. He gasped for breath, thankful that the pain had subsided, and waited to see how long it would be before anyone realized the screams had stopped.
Though he had no way of telling time, he estimated it was about an hour before the door opened. The inconceivably large old woman entered, looking down at Desaad, lying unconscious on the floor. She then looked up at him. "Now, why would you go and hurt poor little Desaad?" she asked, her voice much more masculine than it should have been. "You are such a big, strong man. He never had a chance."
"What do you want?" Marvel demanded, trying to keep his voice even through the pain.
She looked up at him. "My, aren't we an impatient one? And mistrusting, too. Granny just wants to see how you are." She looked down at the gash in his side. "Now, this will get infected if we don't clean it up."
"Stay back," he growled, though there was nothing he could do to make her.
She looked up at him. "Come now, I don't want to hurt you. Granny abhors violence." She grabbed something out of his line of sight. "Now, this is going to sting somewhat. I have to clean this wound." It did sting, but no more than peroxide would. "If you promise not to hurt me, I can let you down from there. All I want is to talk."
He looked at her, but found himself nodding. So far, she had done nothing…well, nothing that he would expect. No lies yet, no pain. She unfastened the bonds, and Marvel slid down, holding his side gingerly. She took a small device and pressed it against the slash, knitting the skin together.
"There now. You must be hungry. Take a walk with Granny Goodness."
He followed her out of the small torture chamber, down a stone hall. There was no one else around, though he looked. He also tried to remember where he was going, but there was little point in it; he had no real need to remember how to get back to a torture room. He suspected the ubiquitous stone doors held similar chambers behind them. Slowly, without realizing it, he was looking less and less at the woman, and with less suspicion each time.
Within a few minutes, he was seated at a small table, eating some sort of vegetable paste. It didn't taste bad, and he was starving. He also knew that he needed to keep up his strength. Granny Goodness had been speaking him to the entire time, telling him that she was unlike the others on Apokolips- and that she sometimes worried her life was in danger. She handed him a small cylinder, claiming it was a comm system of sorts. "To get in touch with an old woman," she had said. "After all, I'm helpless, and I may need your assistance."
He put the empty bowl down, nodding his thanks. "I am going to send you back to earth," she said. "There is no need for you to stay here. After all, you don't know where the spark is. You may as well return home." She pulled a small device from her belt, and again, one of the white vortexes appeared. "This will take you back."
"Thank you," he said, hesitating for a moment. He frowned; there was a portion of time he suddenly could not recall. He attributed it to the blood loss and torture, and went through the vortex, back to earth.