Justice League: The Heir of Hecate

Hell Breaking Loose

The Justice League approached the entrance to the underworld with Wonder Woman taking point. As they navigated the dark, whispering caverns and descended deeper and deeper, the sense that they were crossing a threshold into a mystical domain settled upon each of them.

"So, there's a three-headed dog down here, right?" Flash asked.

"Cerberus," Wonder Woman calmly supplied. "But he isn't the worst presence in this place."

"Do I even want to know what that is?" Flash asked.

Aquaman rolled his eyes. "Don't tell him. He's not good to us scared."

The cavern ended at a large exit that took them onto the riverbanks of the Styx. Together, they stood among the tall grass and stared at the desolate river. The dark purple of the sky glinted off of the water, illuminating the damned souls trapped in the water.

Scanning the area, Batman sighted the hut. And just off of the back of the rickety dwelling he could see the dock and what he knew to be Charon's boat.

"We don't need him to take us across," Aquaman grunted as he marched toward the bank.

"Oh, but you do, Atlantean," Charon spoke from the back of the house. He walked around into view and regarded the heroes with a smile. A harsh wind swept over the tall, gaunt figure and tossed his raggedy cloak about. "You're not on earth anymore. And powerful as you all may be, the River Styx will still swallow you. If you try to cross, eternal damnation is yours."

"I don't buy it," Aquaman grunted.

Wonder Woman shook her head. "He's telling the truth. No being can cross without Charon ferrying them across."

"Then take us," Aquaman challenged.

Charon smiled beneath the hood. "Why?"

"Because there are people in danger here," Cyborg explained. "A boy, his parents and a girl. They were brought here by three witches."

Charon rubbed his bony hands together and nodded slowly. "Yes. I took them across. A...gift...for my lord."

"Hades could fill his realm to bursting if the witches succeed," Wonder Woman said.

"And I will be praised for what I have done in permitting their arrival." Charon chuckled darkly. "What could you offer that could ever compare to my lord's favor?"

Aquaman looked over his shoulder at the team, then spun back around and smashed his trident against Charon's body, knocking him to the ground. Leaving down, he grabbed the ferryman by his throat and lifted him up to dangle in the air. "We won't ask again. Now- take us across the river."

Charon laughed despite the compression of his throat. "It's too late."

"What do you mean by that?" Superman demanded. He stalked closer and floated up so that he was eye level with Charon. Peering beneath the ferryman's hood, he could see the gleeful smile. "Kinoculus already has him?"

Charon flicked his hand and the boat shot off from the dock like a bullet. Aquaman threw him to the ground and he rose to his feet again. "He is coming," he said in a dark whisper.

The heroes stood together on the banks and watched the boat disappear into mist. Then, after tense moments, the boat appeared again, but this time it was occupied. The witches stood at the front of the boat, each of them wearing a victorious smile- even Sorrow. Behind them stood Luke. But he wasn't himself. Even from a distance the team could see that his entire presence had altered. He stood with the confident bearing of a godly being, his expression fixed in a hateful snarl. His eyes gleamed, solid black like oblivion.