Chap. 36
The Angel, The Demon, and the Warden
"Is that what was inside me?" Sunblaze asked, as he looked at the demon-thing.
"You bet it is." Nightstalker said, as he got to his feet. "But it's harmless now. Katie brought it into our plain of existence and sterilized it."
"I-I did? How?" Katie asked in amazement and disbelief.
"The same way your mother did. You dug down and found your own power, not the power Trigon put in the bloodline. It's anathema to Trigon and all like him, because it is their own power turned against them. And that includes Slade now that he's connected to the spawn." Slowly, the bat walked over to his granddaughter, and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I was wrong. Your belief and faith that Rivers could be saved was what saved all of us. I'm sorry I doubted you."
"How…. Touching…" came a wheezing voice from behind them. The New Titans turned to see Slade standing up, albeit weakly. "But…. One…. Spawn… is not…. Ninety-nine. You can't….. stop us."
"Oh I can." Katie said, as she came to the front. "I'm not scared of you Slade. And I'm not scared of what's inside you. You couldn't destroy my mother and you can't destroy me. You know why? Because you can't destroy our family."
"And you never will." Said Kestrel as Slade whipped around to see her standing behind him. But just as Slade saw her, Terra appeared next to her. Then Groundquake and Manimal appeared to the sides. Metallix stood by Katie, as Sunblaze slowly got to his feet.
"My my. So many enemies." Slade gasped. "But it looks like you're short one. Where's the fox?"
"Right here." Lightweaver said, as she appeared next to her husband. "But there's still someone else you have to meet." With that, she reached out for Nightstalker's hand. The bat grasped it back, and suddenly, a strange mixture of light and darkness spilled forth. Both the Titans and Slade shielded their eyes, though they all knew what was coming. And once it faded, they were all proved right. Once again, the Almagan, the living mixture of light and dark, stood in Jump City again. Slade stared in horror at this creature that was literally split down the middle; its left side and face was that of a feather-winged female angel, it's right that of a bat-winged demon sorcerer. It rose it's left hand, the staff of light shining purely, and said in it's voice that was a man and a woman speaking at once , "Much that is in you is dead, Slade. But we are master of life and death. What is dead can be restored; and what has never tasted life shall taste it."
With that, the living contradiction brought up it's weapons, the staff of light, and the flaming sword of shadow, and with a furious battle cry, released their energy at the figure of Slade. He tried to move, but the beams struck him head on, and he hovered there, transfixed as the energy poured into him. Slowly, light balls like those he had put into the flame poured out of him, attracted by the darkness. But as they emerged, they were struck by the light and began to change as life poured into them. The balls began to grow, and to become living spawn. The process continued, until all ninety-nine spawn were emptied from Slade's body. The Almagan stopped then, and Slade's body crumpled to the ground, unconscious and barely breathing.
But the Almagan paid no attention to them, and called out, "Keep the spawn together, they cannot escape!" For indeed, some of the creatures, filled with their father's evil, were trying to run from their attackers. But the New Titans were ready. As some tried to force their way out, blasts of sonic energy forced them backwards. A huge bear grabbed the new spawn and threw them back, as Kestrel kicked more then a few back. Starbolts stopped the progress of others. Finally, they were all forced back together, and as the spawn stewed, the earth around them rose up and became a series of walls, trapping them inside.
"Katie, you must do it now!" The Almagan said. "Only your power can stop them."
Katie nodded, and pulled her hood up once again. Owl walked over to the pit, and called up the power inside her. The white light streamed forth from her, as the spawn cowered and screamed in pain. The light vanished in seconds, but the spawn remained, trapped and sterilized like their fallen brother.
"Well, that went well." Groundquake said, as he looked the spawn inside the pit. Their bodies were all ready halfway white, and soon, they'd be totally helpless.
"But if this it, where are our parents?" Metallix asked, as she looked around in confusion. "Where are the other Knights?"
"This isn't it yet." The Almagan replied. "We have not finished. The spawn must be returned to hell and sent away from Earth forever."
"How do we do that?" Sunblaze asked, as the Almagan glowed, and split back into Brett and Sara.
The bat sighed, and said, "I have no idea, Rivers. I really don't."
"Oh don't worry about it." A voice said from behind them. Turning, the Titans saw a figure emerge from the shadows. He was dressed in a long black coat, with a hat pulled down over his face.
"Friend of yours?" Sunblaze asked Nightstalker, as the man began to walk forward.
"Not exactly." The bat replied, as he pulled off his helmet and stared at the black man. As he drew closer, the bat heard a distinct sound; a rhythmic sound like the hooves of a horse; clip-clop, clip-clop. At that moment, the Knight of Shadow realized who stood before him. Slowly he gave the man his berth, as he walked towards the imprisoned spawn. As the black man drew near, the spawn actually began to tremble.
"Now, now," the man whispered in a voice that seemed as smooth as honey, but somehow laced with poison. "Did I say you could come up here? No, I didn't. I taught this lesson to your father, and I'll teach it to you."
With that, he raised up both his hands high above his head. As the spawn continued to shake, the ground below them actually opened up, and one by one, they fell inside. Once the last spawn was below ground, the man lowered his hands, and the ground reformed. "Grandkids. Quite a handful, aren't they?" he said, turning to Brett.
"Any kind of kid is." The bat replied. The man chuckled and said, "See that's why I always liked you. Not only do you send plenty of business, you also have such a good sense of humor."
"Grampa, who is this guy?" Katie asked, as she looked on in confusion.
"Yeah, he seems like a weirdo." Bart whispered.
At that, Brett squirmed a bit, and said, "You should really show him some respect. He is your family after all."
"Huh?" both of them asked in unison.
Brett sighed, and asked, "Shall I tell them Scratch, or do you want to?"
"Oh please let me." The newly named black man said, as he reached for his hat and collar. "I get so few chances to impress new people, you know." With that, the man pulled away his disguise, and the Titans gasped. Underneath, he was a small man, wiry and not very strong looking. His nails were somewhat long, stretching at least a few inches away from his fingers. His head was completely bald, and a small pointed goatee sprouted from his chin. But what the Titans saw was red skin, a furry lower body with goat legs that ended in hooves, a forked tail, and two long horns that sprouted from the forehead.
"OH DEAR JESUS, IT'S SATAN! QUICK, SOMEBODY SHOOT IT!" Metallix screamed as his arm twisted into a sonic cannon. But the Devil merely laughed and said, "Boy, if organized religion couldn't kill me in the entire span of human existence, how much good is a fancy gun going to do you?"
"Put it away, Martin. He has no business with us." Sara said, as her eyes narrowed at Scratch. "Do you, Beelzebub?"
"Not this time, my dear." The Devil replied with a grin. "And please, call me Scratch. You know I like that name best. Now then, where's that little masked boy of mine?"
At that, Brett motioned for Slade to be brought forward. Eddie and Terra quickly dragged him up, and then backed away as Scratch came forward. Like the spawn, Slade trembled as Scratch approached. Once he was within two feet of the villain, the Devil shook his head, and said, "Slade, Slade, Slade. You know, I had a good spot for you in my army. But you had to screw it up and work for that insane son of mine. Well don't worry, I've got a special little room for you downstairs, right next to Hitler. In the meantime, I think I'll give you a little torture for now."
With that, Scratch suddenly slammed his hand onto Slade's forehead. The villain arched back, as the demonfire was drawn out of his body and absorbed back into Scratch. After a moment, the Devil pulled his hand away, and Slade slumped forward.
"You're mortal again Slade." Scratch said. "And this time, you are blocked from any power that comes from my jurisdiction. But just think, now you can start your empire all over again."
"What do you mean, start his empire?" Kestrel asked. "You said you had a room for him."
"And I do." Scratch replied. "But he's got a very specific reservation, and he can't break it. One of the little treaties in my agreement with the man upstairs. For every force of good that's created, there must be an equal evil force. So, New Teen Titans Return of Slade. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll beat him again."
"Are you serious?" Kestrel shot back.
"He can lie about many things, but he can't lie about this." Brett replied. "If this is what Scratch says, then it's true. Eddie, let him go."
The dog's eyes narrowed, but he knew the agreement just as well as his brother, so with a clench of his fist, Eddie released the rock around Slade. The villain stretched for a moment, then looked at the Titans with a malicious gaze.
"Don't think about it Slade." Scratch said. "You'd best get going. I may keep you here, but I'll be just as happy to see you back home. And I'm not above giving these kids a little help to do it." Slade looked at the Devil for a moment, then slowly backed away and before anyone could stop him, ran off into the night.
"You couldn't have stopped him or something?" Kestrel snapped, as Slade vanished into the city night.
"I don't stop the bad guys little girl. I just punish them." Scratch answered. "Don't worry though, I'm sure you'll stop him; you've got Nightstalker after all."
"What is it with you two?" Kestrel asked, looking over at the bat. "Did you work together or something?"
"You might say we've been working together for years." Scratch said with a chuckle, while Brett grimaced. "This boy's sent plenty of losers down to me over the years, haven't ya?"
"Not by choice." Brett muttered.
"But ya did anyway." Scratch said. "Besides, I still owe you for taking care of my granddaughter all these years."
"Grandaughter…. Would that be Raven? I'm mean if Trigon's her real father…." Sunblaze asked.
"If Trigon's a prince of Hell, whose son would he have to be?" Eddie asked.
Sunblaze's eyes widened, as both Katie and Bart gasped. "You're telling me the devil is my great-grandfather!" Katie spat out.
"I'm afraid so." Brett answered. Katie stared in amazement, but Bart simply went, "Cool!"
"Now, him I like." Scratch said. "Kinda like his dad. Which reminds me…."
Scratch turned to the side, and as the Titans watched, fire grew from his palm and changed into a long pitchfork. Smiling, the Devil slashed at the open air, creating three vertical slashes that actually opened into a strange ethereal plain. As they watched, Scratch forced them open wider and then held up his hand as if he was drawing something out. Suddenly, shapes began to fly towards the slashes and within seconds, they had been pulled out and fell to the ground in a heap of bodies. Scratch lowered his hands and the slashes vanished, but as they did, smiles of joy appeared on the faces of the New Titans.
"Mom! Dad!" Bart yelled out, as he ran over to Beast Boy and Raven. Katie followed and the family embraced once again. The other Titans repeated the ceremony with their own parents, as Brett, Sara, Eddie, and Terra helped the other Elementals back to their feet and hugged their fallen brothers.
"I thought you'd like that." Scratch said, as all the families reunited. "The man upstairs asked me to do it; he's so busy with running the world and all. But he said he had a lot riding on you guys."
"Thank you Scratch." Brett said haltingly. "I know this isn't what you normally do."
"No. But I do keep the balance, and I'd better get back home if I want to keep doing that. Take care of the family."
Brett nodded, and with a cackle, Scratch disappeared in a blast of fire, leaving the others alone, but overjoyed- a strange day indeed for the Devil.