Devil in My Mind

Treasure Chest

An alarm goes off in Titans Tower. Today, the crime activity signal beckoning the heroes comes from Devil May Cry. The team heads out, with Robin making sure to exclude their guest. A bit counterintuitive but it's the last place he wants Dante to go.

On their way through the wide terrain underground, the Titans encounter Slade.

"Ah, hello Titans," he greets from a ledge along the stony walls. "I see you omitted the Devil Hunter for this outing. Nice to know you're relying on the core group again. Though I was counting on confronting him today."

Robin demands, "What are you doing down here, Slade?"

Slade leaps off the ledge and takes off into the shadows. The Titans swiftly trail after him all the way to the Treasure Chest at the end of the tunnel. He faces them. An aura seeps into the air, filling the space with redness.

"Um, guys," Beast Boy says, "I'm thinking maybe we should call Dante for backup on this one."

"I'm thinking you might be right," Cyborg agrees.

"Not if this is a trap," says Robin. "Don't worry, Titans, we got this!"

A monstrous roar reverberates off the walls, initiating the manifestation of demons entering the atmosphere.

"Robin, are you sure?" Starfire questions.

"We've fought monsters before, we'll fight 'em again!" Robin reminds everyone.

While the rest of the Titans engage in battle, Raven falls to her knees, feeling emptied and nauseated.

"Robin!" she cries.

"Raven!" he cries back, though he's being pushed back into the terrain by a gang of insect-like devils, as are the other Titans.

"Come come, Raven. There's a special place in hell for little girls like you," Slade taunts as he grabs her, dragging her to the fiery hole to hades.

"Let me go!" she demands, a few feet from her doom, where she's able to move a chunk of earth such that it slams right into him... almost. Though, avoiding the blow does cause him to release her.

But this is actually to her detriment. The rocky mass now blocks her from her friends, she's locked in, alone, with him. He brushes himself off.

"Nice try but I'm afraid I'm not impressed. Trigon is gone and without him, you're nothing but a panicked child!"

Thud! He pins her.

"Ugh, get off me!"

"What other reason would you and your pathetic friends have to house a Devil Hunter?"

"What do you want with him, Slade?!"

"What do you care? You have Trigon!"

"I defeated Trigon, you were there!"

Her powers pulsate, rhythmically engulfing their bodies in blackness, the same blackness that would normally shield and protect her, maybe even remove her from his grasp. But her efforts do nothing.

"You remind me of Terra, fleeing from your destiny until pinned by someone stronger."

"You did something to my powers, I know you did!"

"It's true, I've never been the same since my trip to your real father's hellhole. It's almost as though you still need him to defeat me."

"Trigon was NEVER my real father! I don't need him, I never did!"

"If you're so sure about that, then use your own magic to save yourself!"