Descent #3

PROLOGUE - ONE HOUR AGO – BELLE REVE PRISON
In a puff of smoke, the demon known as Al-Aknor appears in the form of an imp in the cell of Damien Moonblood. “Our plan has worked,” the demon says. “He is in the open without protection.” With a snap of his fingers, all the shackles on Damien open.

The sorcerer protests, “I was going to do that.” And then a magical axe suddenly appears in his hand. “Let's go hunting.”

The two suddenly disappear. The guard watching the security camera feed lifts his radio, but he doesn't call the warden. He calls the woman who really controls Belle Reve prison: Amanda Waller, the woman who runs the Suicide Squad. “Ma'am, I've got something you're gonna need to see."

THE PRESENT – CALVIN CITY
As Hezikiah and Descent follow the Martian Manhunter across a parking lot, Damien appears next to them in a billow of smoke and brimstone, Al-Aknor sitting on his shoulder just like a witch's familiar.

"Hello, Grigori," Damien says. At once, a wave of force extends from his outstretched hand, knocking everyone to the ground. A wall of fire rises, separating Greg from the others. Damien blasts him with hellfire but Descent is unaffected. He then charges at Greg with his axe. As he goes to dodge, Descent missteps and falls back, but the axe cuts across his chest diagonally and he lands on his stomach. “Get the blood!” screams Al-Aknor.

Meanwhile on the other side of the wall of flame, the intangible Hezikiah is staring in confusion at the stymied Martian's frenzied movements. “I don't understand, why do you hate the fire so much?” After a moment of a fascination, watching the J'onn's fearful dance to avoid the flames, the witch-boy manages to overcome his curiosity. Despite his desire to see what would happen if the Martian actually did catch on fire, what he can hear of the ancient demonic tongues being uttered on the other side of the flaming wall convinces him this may not be the right time. “Ah well,” he says, waving his hand, “I suppose I had better send it away.” With a simple counter-spell, the wall of fire vanishes, revealing Greg lying on the the ground in a growing pool of blood.

Standing over Greg is Damien, clutching two vials of blood, as he finishes a short but potent demonic ritual. He completes the spell, and suddenly the lowly imp in the occult diagram before him grows into its true form, a 12-foot tall archduke of Hell.

“Free at last!” screams Al-Aknor. Martian Manhunter charges the demon, only to be swatted away. Damien swings his axe at Hezikiah only to find that it passes through him.
Al-Aknor says, “Enough! “This one is dead, and the others are not worth our time. We have much work this night!” With that, the demon and sorcerer vanish, leaving only the blood-covered Greg and a whiff of sulphur.

J'onn slowly gets up and rolls Greg over. “The boy is lucky,” he says. “The vein that was hit bled out a lot, but his blood has coagulated quickly. Let me get him to the JLA satellite sick bay.” Ignoring Hezikiah's continued questioning, the Martian Manhunter turns himself and Greg invisible. Hezikiah senses them flying away.

The witch-boy sighs, disappointed. “Well now,” he asks his familiar as they look up into the night after them, “When am I going to meet a Martian again?”

EPILOGUE - ABOARD THE JLA SATELLITE
Greg wakes up in the JLA satellite's infirmary. J'onn and Gypsy are standing next to him.

“It was touch and go for you for a little bit,” Gypsy explains. “There was a lot of blood loss. You'd better have a lot of friends with you next time you go after that guy.”
“Do you have any clues as to the identity of the sorcerer who attacked us?” the Manhunter asks. "The one who seems to have summoned a demon?"
“I have no idea who he was,” Descent answers. "But I am going to find out and put him in a cell he can't get out of.”