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A high pitched wailing metallic sound could be heard as a golden disc sped past to the side of where Superman and Robin had been standing. The object sliced clean through a demon who had attempted a side attack while two others were attacking from the front and behind. Claws that had once been in motion to swipe at Superman's side were removed valiantly as the sharp end of a sword filleted the limbs off as if they were never there in the first place. The outstretched limbs appeared to hardened instantly to stone, which caused the weight of the severed limbs to plummet to the ground shattering upon impact. A bewildering expression was impressed upon the demon who had been in the process of a sneak attack, only to have the wool pulled over its eyes. Another demon that had joined with its brethren released a bone chilling shriek as it moved away from its first intended target to attack the one who had slain its partner in arms.



Mere seconds passed as if the assailant was moving in a much slower pace than the demon. Instead of being greeted with the sharp end of a sword, a spherical shield collided with strength and speed plowing into the demons face, the sound that followed was that of a sicking thud, as every bone in the demons body was not only shattered but turned to chunky sludge due to the intensity of the hit from behind the power plowing the demon down. As the dust cleared, long black locks could be seen spiraling out past the shield as it lowered. Piercing, fierce blue eyes stared down the downed enemies the Amazonian warrior had taking out of the play. "Be wary and on guard, these are no ordinary demons!" Wonder Woman stated as she turned her gaze over at Robin and Superman. Lifting her blade to purposely use the blood that rained down the length of her blade, to spray against another demon. Blood splattered against the eyes of the next oncoming attack only for the demon to cry out in agony from the onslaught. Screaming in a fit, before its voice was removed from the realm. Where the demon's head had once sat, soon parted ways from its body crumpling over onto the ground in defeat. Sheathing her sword, Wonder Woman jutted her chin over at the two informing them that she had their back. As she turned her stance away from them, a determined expression filled out the fine lines of her features. Using a tactical eye to examine each and every oncoming demon that was advancing in the numbers. Making calculations of who to attack first and where, "We will not be able to defeat them all, not with their numbers increasing ten fold!" She could fight all day long, but that was beyond the point. There were those present that wouldn't be able to fight too much longer, "If someone has a brilliant idea, as to where we can fall back too and come up with a better idea to approach the situation, we're all ears." Diana didn't like the odds, nor the idea of retreating but what were their options presently? They were in hell, foreign soil and territory. This was the demons playground and they weren't exactly playing fairly or by the rules.

The demonic infantry of Belial was dying in droves to the hands of the enemy. Despite their fierce and terrifying nature, the demons were nowhere near as strong as those that they now faced, save perhaps the humans that numbered among their ranks. They had come close to killing them on several occasions, one of the monstrosities raising it's hell blade to strike down the young boy wonder. A blast of frost breathe had saved the young vigilante and frozen the demon and his companions ice cold. They were struck down moments later. Others of the demons had been cut down by the Amazon who was weaving in and out through the ranks, cutting off limbs and decapitating heads left and right. She was a whirlwind of violence and wherever she had tread, demons blood had rained. Batches of the demons were sent flying into the air, blown apart by the explosive force of the machine man's missile volleys.

All the while the guns had gone silent as the demonic artillery crews were preparing for the next volley. Hellcannons were devastating and destructive tools of war, but they required a great amount of tending to after firing several volleys. The damned souls that made up their ammunition, needed to be goaded and prodded, reformed and set ablaze. It was not quick work, but necessary all the way. After twenty minutes they were ready. The Herald that led this cohort of demons directed his sword towards the gathered heroes, giving the order to fire. All the while unaware of the spell that Constantine had cast minutes prior.

The cannons fired, but rather than belching forth another infernal volley, all of them imploded at the same time. The result was a massive explosion of crimson, amethyst , and cerulean flame that shot out to the sky, sending parts of demons and the pieces of the cannon out in every direction. The wave of blazing fire incinerated hundreds of the demons that had been waiting in reserve, crippling the force.The blast force was massive, sending a shockwave that caused anyone within the vicinity to fall to the ground as the earth trembled. The ground had been set ablaze with flames that would take days to be put out even by magical means and it was at this point that the battle had turned for the worst. At least for the enemy. A horn sounded out, the general retreat sounded and all those demons that were not engaged with the heroes were no longer advancing. They turned tail, retreating back the way that they had come, fleeing to the Fortress-Palace of Belial.

..............................................


The Black Miasma continued to rise higher and higher through from the Tower Floor, burning away everything that it touched. It was unnatural and there appeared to be faces and hands attempting to push their way out through the surface of the dark ooze, their faces snarling in fury or crying out in pain. As the heroes ascended the Tower, they would find it would not be so easily done. At each step they came across, possessed statues wielding great clubs and axes of stone or suits of knight's armor suddenly sprung to life wielding iron and steel swords, flails and halberds move to intervene. Several of the now animate objects charged towards Nightwing and Impulse, striking at them with their assorted weapons.

While Brother Blood and Aquaman scaled the walls in an attempt to escape the agonizing death that awaited them below, several swords and and spears would suddenly slam into the walls around them, piercing the stone with ease. The various weapons that had been mounted along all of the walls were now detaching themselves from the walls, glowing with a pale green energy that encompassed their bladed tips before launching explosively outwards towards the heroes. Whoever had been charged with the defense of this Tower was now using the everything within the Tower itself to strike down those who would dare to invade his domain.

Although the worst was yet to come. While they would not lose every it all at once, Brother Blood and Zatana would bind find themselves weakening. Their powers were slowly being leeched away into the Tower itself, which had now been converted into a magical syphon. They were still capable of using their spell craft for now, but if this was not ended soon, they would suddenly find themselves powerless. And for Blood, this was perhaps the worst fate of all, for the powers that had been granted to him by Trigon were the first to start draining away.

Enough.

Robin desperately wanted to blurt out at Blood in attempt to shut him up however he refrained from saying so. If they never spoke again it would not be too soon. His incessant ramblings were like nails on a chalk board. Robin wanted to cup his ears and clinch his eyes shut to keep from popping a vessel. -tt- Damian glared tight underneath his forest colored domino and kept himself in line. Otherwise he may have struck the sorcerer down with his new and unasked for 'enchanted' blade when he least expected it. Besides Batman didn't have friends, only allies at best.

Superman watched Di goto to work per usual and couldn't help the smile that formed on his lips. He always found himself impressed with the Amazon's fortitude to tank through their enemies. And as the dust seemed to settle, their enemies started to retreat. Superman, like everyone else, simply listened to Constantine who supposedly knew Hell best. He didn't see the point in asking any questions not when Jason Blood had seemingly asked them all in a span of seconds.

Diana turned from the last demon she had slain. Providing a sturdy shake of her sword as what blood and guts had once coated along the surface of her blade spat against the ground in a intensified hiss. Sheathing her blade, pivoting on her heels to face the small gathering of heroes standing side by side. Lifting her line of sight over towards the man who had once been a demon himself speak and direct orders towards herself and Robin. While turning his attention towards the others present. When the fighting was over, and the only man speaking took up the soap box once more. Heeding to words spoken'If an Amazonian like Exoristos, myself along with rest of the Demon Knights were able to hold off dragons this numerous, hundreds of years ago, then I expect that with whom we have now, here today, that these demons should easily be of no match to us.' Wonder Woman merely responded with a short nod of her head, remaining quiet for the time being. Whilst her eyes looked past the group off into the distance, not daring to let her guard down for one minute. Too much was at stake. When they moved from the battle front to meet up with a key person whom was being addressed Diana allowed her eyes to trailed from each individual that came to a stand still around John Constantine. Studying the man before them with a skeptical expression, she wasn't judging him not by any means. She had paid attention to the comment made, 'John, maybe be an expert on Hell in general, but I’m the leading expert of this specific domain of hell. Plus as much as I love John as a friend, you can’t trust him. He’ll sacrifice anyone of us for needs of the many instead of trying to figure out an alternative method, so long as his works. Could he be trusted, this Constantine person? What choice did they have presently? Working together as a team with different skills, magical talent and technology in the mix surely they could do the impossible even in a place such as this.

Hell....

The Fortress-Palace of Belial was a construct of hideous beauty. Crafted over the a great volcano that jutted out from the landscape, there was an insidious crimson glow that lit the the entirety of the fortress. It was a great blackened citadel, built from the finest brimstone that Hell had to offer, it was suspended over the burning magma by eight great chains , hooked onto it's sides. Dozens of battlements poked out from it's side where his demonic legions could let loose their infernal weaponry upon any would be invaders. And there was always invaders. Even now as the group of heroes had managed to sneak their way into the fortress through passage ways long thought forgotten, the grand citadel was under siege by the combined forces of the the demon lords, Astaroth and Baal.

The fortress shook and shivered , swaying as the hell cannon rounds slammed into it's sides. Clearly the heroes were not the only ones attempting to obtain custody of the daughter of Trigon. She was after all, the greatest bidding chip currently in all the realms of Hell. And if anyone person were to steal her from Trigon, that would give them great hold over the most powerful demon in all of existence. Raven who was held in the highest tower of the black citadel, shackled in chains of burning hot iron, one of the only metals that any magical creature, demon, or sorcerer was truly weak against and watched over by the son of Trigon himself, Belial. He was a giant figure compared to his underlings, standing nearly twenty feet in height. His resemblance was uncannily similar to his son, Etrigan and it was now easy to see how the two were related.


Belial, stood over the prone form of Raven, who many had thought dead at first, until the Phantom Stranger had revealed otherwise. Father had charged him with keeping watch over his sister and he could not hold back the pleasure in his voice as he accepted the task given. "More pain for my lovely sister, there is power in pain. And our father needs your power. That he does." The Demon whispered to his half dazed sister, making a small gesture with his hands. The iron that had entangled her would burn hot red once more, searing her skin and eliciting forth more screaming. It was music to his ears and he could feel the power growing as her pained emotions would only further saturate the fortress itself. He was using her as a living shield and his enemies would be none the wiser.

An amulet that had been chained to his wrist started to burn fiercely, flashing a dull red."Alas my dear sister, your saviors have arrived. Although they appear lost. " In his realm, he was privy to all that went on, even the rats that dared to creep through his halls, thinking that they were being stealthy when in reality he had been aware of their whereabouts all along. They were moving towards the Throne Room, but they would find he was not there. He was with Raven, at the tallest chamber in the Citadel. What awaited them was but another trap. And they had Jason Blood to thank. For Belial could sense that bastards presence wherever he was when Merlin was not protecting. And where Jason Blood was, so was his son.

As the heroes crept through their secret passage and entered the throne room themselves, they would not find Belial there in the grand chamber of the room but instead, a massive demonic dragon who towered over all of them. The infernal beast, it's flesh appearing to be made of living rock and magma arose from its slumber at the sound of the entering heroes and reared it's head towards them, mouth dripping with lava. The demonic beast let out a great roar that shook the chamber and the citadel itself before spewing forth a great gout of blackened ash and fire towards that was equal parts flame and destructive magic.

Robin shoved past the others and walked through the secret passage. The image of his father being left was burned into his mind and was the result of his bad mood. He sulked down the halls, his cape enveloping his small frame completely reminiscent of the late Caped Crusader himself. His scowl was hard and deep too. He marched without a word through the passage until the group found a chamber presumably with Raven inside, however he should have known it was never that easy. Instead they were met with a dragon that towered over them and dripped magma. There was no way someone without metahuman powers could take on this threat. Someone like the Boy Wonder should probably take a backseat and allow Superman and Wonder Woman to save their hides.

Maybe if he was Tim Drake he would have. But he wasn't. He was the heir of Talia al Ghul and Bruce Wayne. He was destined to rule earth one day or so his mother had told him at an young age. For now, he would more than happily settle to take down this goliath on his own.

The two heroes dodged the dragon spewing his fire at them.

Superman sized the villain up, and immediately looked to Robin who he felt would do something reckless. He was right. Before the Boy Wonder could potentially get himself killed, he grabbed him by the arm. "Now's not the time, Robin. That beast would kill you. I know you want to help but please stay close to me." was all he asked. He knew he couldn't ask him to not do anything. It wasn't in his nature. He was just as stubborn as his father after all.

"Oh please. I've fought bigger and scarier." he challenged, a confident smirk on his face. Then unsheathed four batarangs, two in each hand, dashing forward to jump up and throw them at the dragon.

Superman wanted to scold the boy for his inability to listen. But that would do no good in this situation. All he could do was back his play and keep him safe. When Robin landed he would land on Superman's back as the Man of Steel intended and flew directly at the dragon firing his heat vision. "When I say jump. Jump." he informed.