Justice League: The Heir of Hecate

The Underworld

Luke's attention to the fight before him was derailed when his mother grabbed him by the hand and pulled him away. "Come on," she cried. "Let them take care of it."

Resisting the urge to tell his parents that he was well on his way to being able to fight a battle like that, he took off after them instead. As they rounded the corner, they spotted Alfred and Lydia. Alfred waved them toward a doorway and ushered them inside. "This is a sort of panic room," he explained before turning to seal the room.

A sudden buzzing filled the air and a cloud of flies filled the doorway, sending Alfred stumbling backward and into the hall. The flies struck the panel and the door slammed shut as soon as he was out. Luke fired a blast at the incoming cloud of flies but they simply parted, allowing the projectile to sail through them and strike the wall instead. The swarm targeted him immediately, forming a missile shape before rushing him. He raised his hands and a magical barrier appeared, the flies bouncing harmlessly off of it. The flies spun around the room, creating a vortex around all of them so dense they could see nothing beyond. Then, as the swarm slowly dissipated, the panic room disappeared entirely.

Luke looked around, his eyes adjusting to the dimness of his surroundings. They were standing in a field of waist-high grass. It danced and swayed as what felt like a coastal breeze brushed over them. The sky overhead was a dark shade of purple, barely illuminating the sloping hills and a distant hut. The hut was lit up by what appeared to be a fire, and thick plumes of smoke drifted up from the crooked chimney. Water lapped at the shore, it's shimmering surface sloshing against a dock and rocking a boat about.

"Let down your shield," Sorrow ordered from nearby.

Luke looked over in her direction to find that she was holding Violet by the throat.

"Let down your shield and come with us," Sorrow continued.

"Don't!" Violet gasped.

Sorrow tightened her grip, her power flooding Violet like ice. She went slack in the witch's grasp and Sorrow looked back at Luke. By now, Fury and Agony had taken human form again and were holding Lydia and Jared in similar positions.

"We aren't afraid to shed blood," Fury declared. "And we will. One by one. Unless you come with us."

Luke maintained the shield, tears filling his eyes as he watched the other struggle. "The others will find us," he spoke through his fear.

"They'll be too late" Sorrow said.

"Where are we?" Luke demanded. But, deep down, he knew the answer.

"The underworld," Sorrow said with reverence. "We stand just outside of Charon's house."

Luke drank in the knowledge that he was falling further into the world of Greek legend, but any excitement he might have felt was tempered by his concern for his loved ones.

"Do as we say," Agony said before drawing her index finger along Lydia's skin. The girl began to thrash and scream as a bright red line marked her cheek. Blood spilled from it and she attempted to recoil as if being burned. Agony leaned in to lick the blood, then smiled at Luke, her teeth reddened. "I promise you this hurts her so badly."

"Luke, don't," Jared gasped.

Fury squeezed the man's throat and he flailed helplessly as her power encased him. She looked at Luke and wore a smile that matched her sister. He stared at Lydia, Violet and Jared- each of them helpless and completely at the mercy of the bloodthirsty witches.

"Now- do as we say," Agony prompted.

Luke hesitated for a heartbeat and Sorrow gave a ghost of a smile. "Perhaps you need a demonstration?" She asked before suddenly driving her fist into Violet's chest, tearing aside skin and shattering bone to get to her heart, which she instantly tore from its cavity.