Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to the Teen Titans or any characters in the DC Universe.
The three demons stood smugly in the heroes' path. They had the appearance of young men in their early twenties. They were muscular and even stylish looking, unlike their sister Lamia. They were dressed in normal human attire. Jared was wearing tattered jeans, a T-shirt and some old fashioned Converse sneakers. The others were also wearing clothes that could have been purchased in any shopping mall. Jesse was wearing a dark hoodie covered in the same glyphs that had once graced Raven's body when she became the portal, its hood raised and hiding his features except for his 4 glowing red eyes. Jacob was wearing a trench coat and like his two brothers he was also wearing blue jeans and sneakers. And unlike Lamia or Raven they all had normal human complexions; only their eyes gave away their demonic nature. Even their hair was styled in a contemporary fashion.
Jacob stepped forward, a cocky grin adorning his face as he approached Raven and Beast Boy.
"I see you still have no sense of style sister." Jacob taunted her. "Even the clueless Tamaranian has better taste in clothes than you do. Why are you still wearing that silly leotard and cloak? You aren't nine years old anymore. Or do you dress this way for him?" He continued his taunt as he pointed at the Beast. "You know you don't need to, he lust for you like an animal." Jacob chortled, obviously pleased with his own wit.
Raven ignored the demon's taunt as her husband, still in the form of the Beast, snarled in response to the unwarranted insult. Nightwing approached the Logans and placed a hand on Raven's shoulder.
"Raven." He asked. "Who are these guys? And how many siblings do you have?"
"Had." Raven corrected him. "They number in the thousands. Trigon is lustful; he'll mate with any demoness, even his daughters, he would have tried to mate with me had I not been the portal. Most of my former brothers and sisters are already in Hell, unlike these three who are long overdue."
"But who are they? You mentioned their names …"
Raven drew her sword out of its sheath and the rest of the heroes tensed up.
"They are Trigon's three favorite sons. Jacob is the demon of envy, he can turn into someone you fell envious of and then amplify that sinful emotion. Jesse is the demon of lust, he can make you lust for someone you don't even like. Jared is the demon of wrath; he can blind you with anger, to the point where you are no more than his puppet. They will use these powers against you. So beware."
"So what do we do?" Nightwing asked. "Do you have a plan?"
Raven nodded, never taking her eyes off Jared.
"Gar and I will take on Jared. The rest of you can take on the other two. Be very careful, as Jesse and Jacob can combine their powers. Envy and lust together pack a wallop. And don't hesitate to use Slade.
Nightwing acknowledged her instructions with a nod. Then he turned to face the 3 demons.
"Titans, go!"
The Beast lunged at Jared, his fangs bared and his claws extended. He swung at the demon, who was barely able to duck in time, narrowly avoiding the leviathans razor sharp claws. Raven charged at him with her sword aimed at his chest. Jared performed a backwards somersault, leaping over the Beast, kicking him in the head as he flipped over.
"Your mate is strong as a rock sister and as intelligent as one too!" Jared taunted Raven.
The Beast snarled at the insult but calmed itself when it felt Raven's soothing hand caress its forearm.
"Don't listen to him Gar, he's trying to manipulate you."
"Why don't you put a leash on you green dog sister? Is he house broken?"
"Attack pattern gamma." Raven whispered to her husband, who nodded while still in his frightful form. With no warning the Beast leaped into the air, flying clear over Jared. He reached the wall and landing squarely on it he launched himself at the demon as Raven charged at him with her sword swinging.
Jared rolled sideways, narrowly evading Raven's razor sharp blade and the Beast's equally sharp claws. He leaped to his feet grinning.
"You're going to have to do better than that sister." He taunted her as he fired energy bolts from his fingertips at the Beast, who quickly leaped out of harm's way. The Beast could detect the aroma of ozone in the air with his sensitive snout and Beast Boy knew that the energy bolts packed a wallop. Jared then quickly fired a volley at Raven, who deftly blocked it with Michael's sword, which absorbed the bolts with no effort whatsoever.
"So are you Jared!" She growled back at him.
The other two demon brothers, Jesse and Jacob, found themselves surrounded by the remaining heroes, who were closing a circle around them. The two brothers smirked as they sized up their opponents. The Kryptonians and the Green Lantern were perhaps the only ones that posed any sort of threat. They found the teen heroes to be laughable opponents, as well as the adult humans dressed as bats. But then they saw him.
"So the traitor returns!" Jacob howled. "After all father did for you and you took their side Slade. And you take their side again. You will pay for your insolence, servant boy!"
Slade threw one of his exploding shuriken at the demon, who deftly caught it midair and tossed it aside before it exploded.
"It's time you learn your place, slave!" Jacob frowned at Slade.
Nightwing jumped forward leading the charge flowed by Aqualad. Nightwing removed his bo-staff from his utility belt and clicked on the button, extending it to its combat ready size as he leaped through the air, taking a swing at Jesse and missing as the demon phased into the ground. He quickly scanned the room, searching for the elusive demon.
Aqualad was able to connect a punch on Jacob's jaw, sending him sprawling onto the floor. The Atlantean leaped into the air and landed on top of the demon of envy, who right before his eyes transformed himself into a perfect replica of Beast Boy. Garth's eyes were wide open from the unexpected surprise as Jacob spoke to him in Beast Boy's voice.
"You aren't good enough for her, you know that Garth, don't you?"
"What are you talking about?" The Atlantean replied.
"You know what I mean fish stick. She always liked me best; you're just her consolation prize. You're her 'better than nothing'. She doesn't love you, she loves me. She was mine first, and she'll always be mine. All I have to do is snap my fingers and she'll come running to me. I can make her forget about you."
"Lies! Those are lies!"
"Are they Garth? You know that when you mate with her that she's really thinking about me!"
"Shut up!" Garth screamed at the demon. "You don't know what you're talking about!"
"Don't I?" Jacob mocked the dark haired boy. "Then why did she dump you? She dumped you for me! Even though she knew she couldn't have me, she still dumped you."
"No! It's not true."
"She was mine first Garth, she'll always be mine! She'll never be yours. I can take her from you whenever I want."
Aqualad was paralyzed by his anger and fear. Jacob had zeroed in on his greatest envy, the devotion Terra had for the green changeling. It so consumed him that he had already forgotten that it wasn't really Beast Boy in front of him.
"Please Beast Boy, don't steal Terra from me! I'll do anything." Aqualad pleaded with the demon.
"Very good Aqualad, now what I want you to …"
Jacob's demand was cut off by a right hook across his jaw, delivered by Starfire, which sent the Demon tumbling. As he regained his composure he stood up, and to Starfire's horror he now looked like Barbara Gordon.
"Hello Starfire …" The Gotham redhead taunted her. The princess stared in disbelief as Barbara had never looked so stunning. Her figure was flawless and her ruby colored locks shimmered. She too found herself in the grip of fear as the demon used his supernatural powers to manipulate her emotions.
"I've come back for him Starfire. You know he always loved me more than he ever loved you."
Starfire's face was stricken with terror. She slowly stepped away from the illusion.
"No, I will not let you take him from me. You cannot have him."
The fake Barbara Gordon smirked. "There's no way you can stop me. You might be an Empress, but he worships me."
Meanwhile Raven and the Beast continued their battle with Jared, who was unsuccessfully trying to use his powers of wrath over Raven, which were ineffective against the gray girl. Raven's years of controlling her emotions had paid off, she was in charge and she knew it. Raven had once had the power of inducing pride when she was a demoness but she had never utilized that ability when she was a Titan as she found it too unsettling, as it would make her sick. But at that moment she was more interested in inducing fear into Jared's spirit, even if that meant doing it the old fashioned way, and her prowess with the blade was doing just that.
Jared then turned his focus on the Beast, but found that he couldn't affect him either, no doubt a side effect of the green fool being Raven's mate. The Beast lunged at him at the same time Raven swung her might sword at him. He couldn't avoid both attacks and wisely evaded the magical blade which would have been the source of instant death had it found its target. The price he paid was steep nonetheless as the Beast's razor sharp claws found their target on his abdomen, nearly eviscerating him. Jared screamed in pain and shot red energy bolts from his eyes which sent the Beast flying into a wall, which it hit with a loud slam before it crumpled unconscious onto the floor where it resumed Beast Boy's human form.
Jared roared in triumph, which was short lived as he felt Raven's blade connect with his neck, separating his head from his body. His body slowly collapsed on the floor while his head make a sickening thud as it hit the floor and rolled away. Jared had no place for his spirit to flee and Raven once again summoned the dark portal. This time no exorcism was required as the portal sucked Jared's screaming spirit out of his corpse and dispatched straight him to the fires of Sheol.
Meanwhile Jesse and Jacob continued fighting the rest of the heroes. Nightwing had quickly removed Starfire from the counterfeit Barbara Gordon's presence. He could see that she was shaken as she repeatedly begged him to not leave her for Barbara. The Dark Knight and Kal-El had been watching from a distance and decided that they would have to attack the demons en masse, hoping that they would not be able to use their powers simultaneously against everyone.
Jesse suddenly reappeared and attacked Bumblebee with his own eyebolts, discharging the red lightning in her direction. Kal-El leaped in front of her, blocking the discharge which would have probably killed the leader of the Steele City heroes had it found its target. The demon's powers were great and the man of steel was doubled over in pain as the supernatural red bolts engulfed him. The Green Lantern came to his aid but was unable to deflect the power bolts. The rest of the superheroes threw everything they had at the demon, but to no avail. He absorbed everything that hit him with no apparent effort.
"Have you mortals forgotten? I'm a demon! You can't hurt me!" Jesse laughed. His laugh was short lived as he was suddenly hit by a blast of white energy. Unlike Lamia he did not have Beast Boy's blood smeared on his body to protect him from Raven's powers and he staggered back, nearly falling down.
He turned his sight towards Raven, who was kneeling next to Beast Boy who had recovered consciousness and was now pouncing at the demon of lust. Beast Boy morphed into a Tiger and batted the still dazed demon on the side of his head knocking him to the ground.
Jesse rolled and was quickly back on his feet, his eyes transfixed on the green tiger.
"You've been a thorn in our side, vegetable brain! But soon you will get what you deserve."
The tiger roared defiantly at the demon, its sharp claws fully extended.
Jesse grinned. "We both know that Terra is the one you really want. So why did you take our emotionally repressed sister as your mate? You've always wanted the blond."
The tiger snarled at Jesse, while Raven hit him with another energy blast, this time not as strong as the first. Jesse staggered, but did not fall down.
"Be honest changeling, who is the lover you really want? Little gray Raven or lustful Terra? You've had them both, so tell me, who really satisfied the animal in you? We both know it was Terra."
Raven could see a look of confusion on the tiger's face as it morphed back into Beast Boy's human form.
"Silence demon!" Aqualad screamed.
Jesse grinned even more wickedly. "So tell me Atlantean, are you just going to stand by while he takes your woman from you."
"Shut up!" Garth barked at the demon.
"She's your woman Garth, don't tell me you're going to give her back to the green idiot. Do you really want her to end up in his bed as she screams his name, begging him for more!"
"SHUT UP!!" Raven and Aqualad shouted together.
"Did I hit a nerve sister?" He grinned. He then turned to Aqualad.
"What are you waiting for Atlantean. Take her back!"
In a blind rage of fury Aqualad and Beast Boy began to fight each other. Beast Boy at first remained in his human form but soon reverted to the Beast. They two heroes struggled with each other as Jesse laughed.
"BB, Garth! Stop! He's controlling you!" Terra shouted.
"They can't hear you geomancer! They're consumed with lust for you!" Jesse taunted her. "Isn't it ironic, the two men who actually love you are going to kill each other for you?" He snickered as he turned away from her to what the spectacle.
Aqualad had already been out of the water far too long and it was affecting his ability to fight. The Beast kept connecting vicious blows to the Atlantean who was unable to defend himself. The Beast extended his razor sharp claws and thrashed at the dark haired man who did his best to avoid the deadly claws. Garth tried to strike back at the green leviathan, but to no avail.
"GAR!" Raven screamed at him. "Stop!"
The Beast did not hear his beloved's voice as he was completely consumed with blood lust. It was obvious to both Raven and Terra that he no longer recognized Aqualad as he continued to attack his fellow Titan while Jesse roared a contemptuous laugh.
"BB! Please stop! You're going to hurt Garth!" The blond implored her one time lover, but it was for naught as he did not hear her. In an act of desperation she jumped into the fray, using her own body to block the battling Titans from each other.
Her desperate tactic appeared to work as the two ceased their hostilities. She looked into Beast's eyes and shuddered as it was clear that the green monster did not recognize her as it raised its paw to strike the girl.
Raven raised her hand to raise a shield to block the strike but she was too late as the Beast's right paw connected solidly with Terra's torso in a powerful backhand strike. The geomancer grunted as she became airborne and went flying in Slade's direction. Aqualad watched mesmerized as Terra crashed into the ground.
The Beast however was not distracted and connected a solid blow to Garth's head, sending him sprawling. The Atlantean was clearly disabled and could no longer protect himself as the Beast approached for what was obviously the kill, until he found himself trapped in Raven's white energy, which had stopped him in his tracks. The giant struggled to free himself.
"I can't hold him indefinitely." Raven groaned.
Jesse was still standing with his back to the Terra and raised his hand in Raven's direction and shot a red bolt of lightning at her. The bolt hit Raven and sent her sprawling while she lost her grip on her momentarily insane husband.
"Oops!" Jared snickered. "Your Beastie Boo got away!" He continued to laugh as the Beast approached a still helpless Aqualad.
"I love happy endings Raven, don't you?"
"Nooo!" Terra wailed. She was now standing next to Slade and saw the ivory dagger in a small sheath attached to his belt. With a swift fluid motion she snatched the dagger from her former master and leaped towards Jesse, who didn't notice her as he was still laughing while he watched The Beast prepare itself to kill the Atlantean.
Terra plunged the dagger deep into Jesse's back and he screamed in an otherworldly voice. The cavern began to shake as he fell to the ground convulsing.
"NO! Nooo!" He screamed. The young men, now free of his curse stopped fighting and watched the demon of lust fall to the ground, writhing as his body began to turn black. Raven gestured and the portal once again opened.
"I won't go! I won't!" He screamed in vain as his spirit was extracted and absorbed into the portal, which disappeared with a loud bang and a flash once it completed its task. Then just as when Lamia had been vanquished his body slowly turned into dust and was scattered by a sudden breeze. All that was left were his clothes and the remnants of the dagger, its blade now shattered and useless.
The heroes turned their attention to Jacob, who glanced nervously in Raven's direction. He snarled at his former sister who fired off a blast of white energy at him. The demon stumbled and fell, landing on his back. As he rose to his feet Kal-El's might right fist connected with his chin sending him flying and crashing into a wall, as Starfire's star bolts pummeled him. He quickly recovered and faced his mortal opponents.
"You can't win. Not even a Kryptonian can defeat a demon." He snarled, exposing a pair of fangs worthy of Bram Stoker's worst nightmare. "You want a piece of me? Come and get it." he hissed as he slowly transformed into a tendril covered horror.
The Titans retreated cautiously from the hellish fiend that had appeared before them, except for Raven and Beast Boy. Raven had both her fists aimed at Jacob while Beast Boy wielded Michael's sword. The Logans approached the monster with steeled eyes, ready to dispatch him to Hades. As they drew close Jacob resumed his humanoid form and hissed at them.
"You think you've won Raven, don't you? Well I have news for you! This isn't over!" He shouted as he phased into the floor.
Raven lowered her fists.
"You're right Jacob." She addressed the now absent demon. "This is far from over."
And here is today's mail:
Man of galifray - "Hey fix this chapter it is negima not nagima that beast boy is Reading make sure to fix it"
Oops! Thanks for the heads up! It's a good thing I have the Doctor watching over me.
acosta perez jose ramiro - "Too bad Batman couldn't use the wood on Trigon himself, but it served a purpose after all."
And now the dagger is gone too!
GothicRavenRoth - "And SOMEONE (not one of the bad guys) should die. I always love it when a good guy dies. :) I'm weird like that."
Well, you are Gothic, right? :-)
Alexpv22 - "I am furiously psyched for the next chapter."
I hope I didn't disappoint.
The Mighty One - "Wow, things sure got dicey now, didn't they?"
And now it's off the play with Trigon, or do more surprises await us?
Alexi Laiho Guitar hero - "Nice one, you used Raven's 3 bros from Titans: Old Friends Arch, with the 3 bros having the power of the 7 deadly sin with 3 of em being given the power of Wrath, Lust and Envy."
I hope I didn't disappoint!
yukihane = "I wonder what could've happened if the piece that Batman had wasn't real...they'd all be screwed, I think."
That would be true.
Anon - "1) when Raven touched the cross piece did she revert back to her changed look or was she still grey skinned? And 2) are her three brothers the same as in the Titans comics? Issues 1-3 I think."
1) Yes
2) Sort of. I won't claim that they are "canon" but close enough.
bk00 - "I'd love to get a review from you on my story."
I think I forgot! I'll get to it!
Wolvmbm - " Plus, I still wonder how Nightwing and Starfire's kid will fare within a fight, maybe she's like Bamm-bamm from the Flintstones ? :D"
LOL!
Novus Ordo Seclorum - "There was a lot that I liked about this chapter, particularly in the creativity department. I suppose it is most fitting to begin with the sword that turned to ash. What a clever little curse that was!"
I ripped that off from Lord of the Rings. Remember when the Nazgul stab Frodo and Aragorn picks up the dagger?
Wonderless Angel - "So Lust, Greed, and Gluttony (sp?) are also in this fight? Woah, I wonder if they will get Raven possessed..."
They certainly tried.
ChicoMagnifico - "Aw man! How come I wasn't invited to the party to write that story with you guys?"
How does the saying go? Too many cooks spoil the broth?
Maybe next time :-)
Jessica - "i like how you put the cross piece in there, I'm a Christian and it's nice to see something like that every once in awhile."
It kind of gives it an Indiana Jones sort of feel, wouldn't you say?
Hinn-Raven - "Oh, and I must say that Ganguro (awesome name,) sounds very interesting, and that I can't wait to read it!"
And we can't wait to publish it!
DarkRapture - "..."
Did you say something? I couldn't hear you. :-)
titanfan45 - "I like how you used the relic in this chapter, it gives it all of the respect it deserves."
I thought it was pretty cool.