The rusted service entrance to Gotham's abandoned subway tunnel groaned as Tony wrenched it open. Stale air rushed out, carrying the unmistakable stench of mold, rat droppings, and something else. Something sulfurous and wrong.
"Home sweet home," Tony muttered, peering into the darkness. "Anyone bring air freshener?"
Robin ignored the quip, activating a small but powerful flashlight. "According to Batman's files, this tunnel was part of the original Gotham Underground Railway system. Shut down in the 1940s after a cave-in killed seventeen workers."
"Cheerful history lesson," Tony said, drawing Ivory and checking the load. "Any other uplifting facts before we descend into hell?"
"It's not hell," Raven corrected, her voice flat. "Though it may soon be a gateway to it."
The four of them stood at the entrance: Tony, Robin, Raven, and Superboy. Impulse had been dispatched on reconnaissance of other potential cult sites, his speed making him the obvious choice for covering multiple locations.
"My thermal vision isn't picking up much," Superboy said, squinting into the tunnel. "Too much concrete and rock interfering. But there's definitely movement down there. Multiple heat signatures about half a mile in."
Robin nodded. "We proceed with caution. Maintain communications at all times." He shot Tony a pointed look. "No solo heroics."
Tony holstered his gun with an exaggerated sigh. "Solo heroics are my specialty, Boy Wonder. But since we're playing nice..." He gestured toward the tunnel. "After you."
The descent into Gotham's underbelly was steep and treacherous. Chunks of fallen concrete and twisted metal made the going slow, even with Superboy occasionally lifting obstacles out of their path. Water dripped steadily from pipes overhead, creating slick patches on the ancient brick floor.
Tony kept his senses alert, tracking the subtle shifts in the air. Demonic energy left traces, like scent markers, and he could feel them growing stronger as they progressed deeper into the tunnel system.
"We're getting close," he whispered after they'd walked for nearly twenty minutes. "The energy signature's intensifying."
Robin paused at a junction where three tunnels converged. "Which way?"
Tony closed his eyes briefly, focusing on the disturbing resonance he'd been trained since childhood to detect. "Left tunnel. It's the strongest there."
The left passage sloped downward at a sharper angle, taking them even deeper beneath the city. The brick walls gave way to rough-hewn stone, suggesting they'd passed beyond the constructed subway system into something older. Much older.
"These tunnels weren't on any city plans," Robin said, running a gloved hand along the stone wall. "Some of these chisel marks look ancient."
"They are," Raven confirmed, her cloak brushing the ground as she moved. "These passages predate Gotham. They may have been created by early colonial settlers, perhaps even earlier inhabitants."
"Or by something else entirely," Tony added grimly.
The passage eventually opened into a larger chamber, roughly circular with a high, domed ceiling. Robin's flashlight revealed crude symbols carved into the walls, spiraling patterns that seemed to draw the eye inward, creating a disorienting effect.
"Don't stare at them too long," Tony warned, noticing Superboy's fixation on one particular symbol. "Some of these markings are designed to induce trance states. Makes the mind more susceptible to influence."
"Voice of experience?" Robin asked.
Tony grinned, though there was little humor in it. "Let's just say I had an interesting childhood."
Superboy shook his head as if clearing it. "There's a stronger heat signature ahead. Multiple bodies."
"And energy," Raven added. "Dark energy, similar to what we encountered at the warehouse."
They continued through the chamber into another passage, this one wider and showing signs of recent use. Boot prints marked the dusty floor, and the remnants of torches were mounted in brackets along the walls.
The passage ended abruptly, opening into a vast subterranean cavern that took even Tony's breath away. The space was enormous, at least the size of a football stadium, with a ceiling that vanished into darkness high above. Natural stone columns rose from floor to ceiling, many carved with the same disorienting symbols they'd seen earlier.
But the most striking feature was the altar at the center of the cavern. A massive stone table, roughly twenty feet long, covered in dark stains that could only be blood. Behind it rose a stone statue, crudely representing a figure with four eyes and antler-like protrusions from its head.
"Trigon," Raven whispered, her voice tight with what might have been fear or anger.
Around the altar, dozens of robed figures moved in slow, ritual patterns. Torches and braziers provided the only illumination, casting long, distorted shadows across the cavern floor. Chanting filled the air, the same discordant language Tony had heard at the warehouse.
"We need a plan," Robin said, pulling back into the passage to avoid detection. "There are at least thirty cultists down there."
"I count forty-seven," Superboy corrected. "Plus something else... There's a heat signature that doesn't match the others. Larger, concentrated near the altar."
Tony peered around the edge of the passage entrance. His enhanced vision picked out details the others might miss: the ceremonial daggers each cultist carried, the vials of glowing liquid hanging at their belts, and most concerning, the figure seated on a throne behind the altar.
"We've got a bigger problem than numbers," he said quietly. "See the guy on the throne? That's Sebastian Blood. High priest of the Church of Blood and all-around psychopath."
"You know him?" Robin asked.
"We've crossed paths. He specializes in blood rituals, human sacrifice, the usual cheery cult leader hobbies. If he's involved, this is bigger than just the seal at the warehouse."
Raven's eyes narrowed. "He serves my... he serves Trigon directly. His presence confirms our worst fears."
Robin processed this information, clearly adapting his strategy. "We need to capture Blood for questioning. Disrupt the ritual, disperse the cultists, secure the high priest."
"Simple," Tony drawled. "Just the four of us against an army of fanatics led by a guy who bathes in human blood for fun. What could go wrong?"
"You have a better plan?" Robin challenged.
Tony shrugged. "Not better. Just different. I make a lot of noise at the front door, you three sneak around back and grab Blood while he's distracted."
"That's suicide," Superboy objected.
"For a normal person, sure," Tony replied with a cocky grin. "But I'm pretty hard to kill. Plus, cultists love me. Something about my charming personality."
Robin considered. "It has tactical merit. A diversion could work, but not solo. Superboy, you go with Redgrave. Raven and I will circle around to intercept Blood."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "You're adapting, Boy Wonder. There might be hope for you yet."
"Just don't get killed," Robin said tersely. "Batman would never let me hear the end of it."
They split up, with Raven using her powers to cloak herself and Robin in shadow as they disappeared down a side passage. Tony and Superboy moved toward the main entrance to the cavern, staying low behind rock formations as they approached.
"So what's the plan?" Superboy whispered. "How do we create a diversion?"
Tony drew both his pistols with a flourish. "Simple. We make an entrance they won't forget."
Before Superboy could object, Tony stepped out from behind the rocks and fired two shots into the air. The reports echoed thunderously in the cavern, causing the chanting to cease instantly as every robed head turned toward them.
"Evening, folks!" Tony called out, his voice carrying across the vast space. "Hope we're not interrupting prayer time or whatever this is. Gotta say, your decorator really nailed the 'creepy death cult' vibe."
Sebastian Blood rose from his throne, his face obscured by an ornate mask fashioned to resemble a skull drenched in blood.
"The son of Sparda," he intoned, voice amplified somehow to fill the cavern. "Your presence honors us. Your blood will sanctify our ritual."
"Yeah, about that," Tony replied, sauntering forward with deliberate confidence. "I'm kind of attached to my blood. Literally. But I'd be happy to introduce you to my friends here." He spun his guns for effect. "Ebony and Ivory. They're dying to meet you."
The cultists began moving, spreading out to surround them. Superboy tensed beside Tony, fists clenched.
"Follow my lead, kid," Tony murmured. "And remember, these are humans. Messed up ones, but still human. No lethal force."
"I don't kill," Superboy replied stiffly.
"Good to know. I'd hate to be the only one with standards."
Tony fired again, this time aiming at the torches mounted around the altar. The shots were perfect, plunging key areas of the cavern into darkness and creating confusion among the cultists. In the chaos, he charged forward, Superboy right behind him.
The first wave of cultists reached them, daggers raised. Tony moved with fluid grace, disarming the first attacker with a twisting motion that sent the man's dagger clattering to the ground. A swift kick to the chest dispatched him, while a pistol-whip to the temple dropped a second cultist.
Beside him, Superboy was a force of nature, his superhuman strength allowing him to send cultists flying with controlled strikes. They worked surprisingly well together, covering each other's blind spots as they carved a path toward the altar.
"They're trying to flank us," Superboy warned, eyeing a group moving to cut off their advance.
"Let 'em," Tony replied, holstering one gun to free a hand. "More fun that way."
The flanking group rushed them, but Tony was ready. He tapped into his Trickster ability, seemingly vanishing from one spot and reappearing behind the attackers in a blur of red. The cultists faltered in confusion, allowing Superboy to barrel through them like a freight train.
From the corner of his eye, Tony spotted movement near the altar. Robin and Raven had reached their position and were closing in on Blood, who remained eerily calm on his throne.
"We need to push harder," Tony called to Superboy. "The boss is about to get company!"
They redoubled their efforts, fighting their way closer to the altar. The cultists were numerous but poorly trained, relying on numbers rather than skill. Still, a few got lucky hits in, including one who managed to slash Tony's arm with a ceremonial dagger.
The cut burned more than it should have, suggesting the blade was coated with something unpleasant. Tony grimaced but pushed on, the pain already fading as his body neutralized whatever toxin had been used.
They were twenty feet from the altar when Sebastian Blood finally stood. He raised his hands, and the remaining cultists fell back, creating a circle around the throne area. Robin and Raven froze in the shadows, momentarily exposed.
"Enough," Blood declared. "You fight well, Son of Sparda. Your father would be proud."
Tony's jaw tightened at the mention of Sparda. "You didn't know my father."
"I know more than you imagine," Blood replied. "I know of his betrayal. Of his human lover. Of his sons."
The plural wasn't lost on Tony, who kept his expression carefully neutral. "If this is your idea of small talk, you need to get out more."
Blood laughed, the sound distorted by his mask. "Your humor, as always, is a shield. But it won't protect you from what's coming." He turned slightly, addressing the shadows where Robin and Raven waited. "Nor will your young allies."
With a gesture, Blood sent a wave of energy outward, forcing Robin and Raven to abandon their cover. The four intruders now stood exposed, surrounded by cultists, with Blood looming above them on the altar platform.
"The ritual is nearly complete," Blood announced. "The key has been forged. The door will open. Trigon will claim what is his."
"That's not happening," Robin declared, his staff extended and ready.
"Your resistance is noted," Blood said dismissively. "And irrelevant."
He clapped his hands once, the sound unnaturally loud in the cavern. The stone altar began to glow with an inner red light, pulsing like a heartbeat. The blood stains on its surface liquefied, flowing together to form symbols similar to those at the warehouse seal.
"He's creating another breach," Raven warned, power gathering around her hands.
"Stop him!" Robin ordered, launching himself toward the altar.
Tony and Superboy moved simultaneously, fighting through the ring of cultists while Raven took to the air, dark energy swirling around her as she focused on Blood. The high priest merely smiled behind his mask, continuing his incantation as the altar glowed brighter.
Robin reached him first, staff swinging in a precise arc toward Blood's head. The cult leader moved with surprising speed, catching the staff mid-swing and using Robin's momentum to throw him aside. Superboy was next, leaping onto the altar platform with enough force to crack the stone.
"Your strength is impressive, clone," Blood said, somehow knowing Superboy's nature. "But physical power means nothing in the face of true faith."
He caught Superboy's punch in his hand, which glowed with the same red energy as the altar. Superboy cried out in pain, dropping to one knee as if suddenly weakened.
"Kryptonite infusion," Blood explained calmly. "Prepared specially for this encounter."
Tony vaulted onto the platform, guns trained on Blood. "Let him go, or find out how many holes I can put in that fancy mask."
"You won't shoot," Blood replied confidently. "Not with the ritual so close to completion. Not when the slightest disruption could unleash catastrophe."
The altar had begun to crack, red light spilling from the fissures. The cavern trembled, small stones falling from the ceiling high above.
"What have you done?" Raven demanded, hovering above them, her eyes glowing white with power.
"Only what was foretold," Blood answered. "The first key has been turned. Others will follow."
With a final, violent tremor, the altar split down the middle. From within emerged a creature unlike any Tony had encountered before. Not a true demon, but something cobbled together from multiple demonic essences, a patchwork monster with mismatched limbs and too many eyes.
"Behold," Blood proclaimed, "the Herald of Trigon!"
The creature roared, the sound painful to human ears. Cultists fell to their knees in worshipful terror.
"That's just ugly," Tony commented, emptying both guns into the Herald's body. The bullets struck true but seemed to cause little damage. "Great. One of those."
The Herald lurched forward with surprising speed, forcing Tony to dive aside. It barreled past him, heading straight for Raven, who barely managed to shield herself as it crashed into her. Both went tumbling across the cavern floor.
"Raven!" Robin shouted, recovering his staff and rushing to her aid.
Tony turned back to Blood, only to find the altar platform empty. The cult leader had vanished in the chaos, along with several of his inner circle.
"Superboy, you okay?" Tony called, kneeling beside the teen who was still struggling against the Kryptonite exposure.
"I'll live," Superboy grunted, pushing himself up. "Go help the others."
Across the cavern, Robin and Raven were fighting a losing battle against the Herald. The creature seemed to absorb Raven's energy attacks, growing stronger with each one. Robin's staff did little more than annoy it.
Tony holstered his guns and drew Rebellion, the massive sword gleaming in the eerie red light. "Time to go old school."
He charged, sword raised, directly into the path of the rampaging Herald. The creature turned at his approach, multiple eyes fixing on the blade with what might have been recognition.
"Remember this?" Tony taunted, swinging Rebellion in a wide arc.
The sword connected with the Herald's shoulder, biting deep where bullets had failed. Black ichor sprayed from the wound, sizzling where it hit the stone floor. The creature howled in pain and rage.
"Forged by Sparda himself," Tony continued, pressing his advantage with another slash across the Herald's chest. "Special delivery straight to hell."
The Herald backed away, wounded but still dangerous. It looked from Tony to Raven, then to the fleeing cultists, as if making some primitive calculation. With a final roar that shook dust from the ceiling, it turned and bounded away, disappearing into a side tunnel.
"It's getting away!" Robin shouted, preparing to give chase.
"Let it," Tony replied, wiping black ichor from Rebellion's blade. "Blood's the real target, and he's long gone."
Raven approached, her cloak torn and her breathing labored. "The Herald is seeking a specific host. It won't stop until it finds one."
"What kind of host?" Superboy asked, finally recovering enough to join them.
"Someone connected to Trigon," she answered, her eyes meeting Tony's briefly. "Someone with his blood."
The implication wasn't lost on Tony. "Well, that's a problem for another day. Right now, we need to secure this site and figure out what Blood meant about keys and doors."
Robin nodded, already contacting Batman via his communicator. "The cultists who didn't flee are being rounded up by GCPD. They're setting up a perimeter topside."
Tony sheathed Rebellion, suddenly aware of how quiet the cavern had become. The remaining cultists had either fled or been subdued, leaving only the four of them amid the wreckage of the altar.
"So much for the direct approach," he muttered, surveying the damage.
"Your plan worked," Robin admitted grudgingly. "We might have captured Blood if not for that creature."
"The Herald was unexpected," Raven said. "Its creation suggests Trigon's influence is growing stronger than I feared."
Tony moved to examine the shattered altar. Among the fragments, he found a small stone tablet carved with symbols that matched those at the warehouse seal.
"Souvenir," he said, pocketing the tablet. "Nico might be able to make sense of this."
"Nico?" Robin questioned.
"My S.T.A.R. Labs contact," Tony explained. "The one who's going to help us fix the warehouse seal."
Robin looked skeptical but didn't argue. "We should head back. Batman will want a full report."
As they made their way back through the tunnels toward the surface, Tony couldn't shake Blood's words from his mind. I know of his betrayal. Of his human lover. Of his sons. The plural echoed in his thoughts, a reminder of a past he'd tried to leave behind.
Somewhere out there, his brother was still alive. And if Blood knew of him, others might too. Including the creatures now breaking through into their world.