The enemy is among us

The Watchtower

Behind a massive computer stood a man made of metal. Numerous cables extended from his arm, connecting to the control panel. This metallic figure was a member of the Justice League, known as Cyborg. Suddenly, an alarm blared through the hall. Cyborg's cybernetic eye flickered several times as if scanning for the source of the disturbance.

"All members of the Justice League, Dr. Fate has been attacked. Anyone available, head to assist immediately," Cyborg announced, relaying the information to the other heroes.

"Flash here. Got it, already on my way," came an energetic voice.

"Green Arrow and Black Canary, wrapping up these thugs and heading out," another voice responded.

"I'm en route," more and more heroes answered the call.

"Good. Looks like this is serious. Be prepared," Cyborg replied.

The Justice League was always ready for emergencies, equipped with a network of portals to reach trouble spots quickly. Cyborg monitored the systems and responded to threats worldwide.

The Tower of Fate

A furious creature tore through the corridors of a labyrinthine maze, its progress hindered by numerous magical traps. It had been struggling for a long time to break through the barriers separating it from its goal. The Tower of Fate was a unique realm filled with tangled passageways and magical illusions, navigable only by its master.

"Raaaargh!" the creature roared, unleashing flames to destroy yet another trap.

Suddenly, the twisted stairways began to shimmer. With each passing second, they grew fewer until only one remained. The demon smirked wickedly and ascended the stairs. Its body had adapted to magic, rendering it immune to the tower's defenses. No longer impeded, it quickly reached the tower's pinnacle, shattering the final lock barring access to the vault.

Bursting inside, the demon found that Dr. Fate was absent. Only magical artifacts and books filled the room.

"You can't hide for long, hahahaha," the demon sneered.

Two glowing orbs, shimmering with a golden hue, materialized in the air.

"I remember who you are, Brian Forman. You sold your soul and body to demons. I should've ended you back in the hospital," a voice echoed from all directions.

The demon remained silent, responding only by releasing a surge of flames. The ancient building and its millennia-old relics were consumed in an instant, lost forever. Dr. Fate materialized in the air, casting spells immediately. However, they had no effect. The demon lunged forward, grabbing the helmet with one hand while clutching Dr. Fate's throat with the other.

Despite Nabu's resistance, he was overpowered. The demon tore the helmet from Dr. Fate's head, causing the magical armor to vanish and leaving Kent Nelson defenseless. The demon hurled Kent aside and turned its attention to the helmet.

Hellfire spewed from the demon's mouth as it clawed at the helmet, attempting to tear it apart. The helmet resisted, but the demon's strength proved overwhelming.

"RAAAAAAH!" the demon roared, tearing the helmet apart. Shards of metal scattered across the area, and the magical energy contained within surged outward, engulfing everything in its path. The tower, sustained by the helmet's power, began to collapse, and the magical barrier hiding it from the world vanished.

"Well done, brother. Now hold off the Justice League while we find the sister," a shadowy figure said before swiftly disappearing.

The demon turned toward the unconscious man, ready to finish him off. Kent Nelson lay motionless, vulnerable. But just as the demon advanced, Kent suddenly vanished. The demon froze, glancing around in confusion.

Out of nowhere, a powerful punch slammed into the demon's jaw, sending him tumbling to the ground. With a growl, he rose, but there was no one in sight. Blows started raining down from every direction. The demon tried to defend himself, swinging his fists wildly, but he couldn't see his attacker.

"What is this, Halloween? And you decided to dress up?" a voice quipped.

Standing nearby was a man in a red-and-yellow suit, electricity sparking off him like living lightning.

The demon lunged at him, but the speedster vanished, and the assault resumed. The hits weren't causing much damage, but they were infuriating the demon. Suddenly, an arrow lodged into the demon's back. A small bulb at its tip began to blink faster and faster until it exploded, hurling the demon forward.

The speedster skidded to a stop and nodded at the newcomer. This hero wore a green suit with a deep hood, a quiver of arrows slung across his back, and a bow in hand. Beside him stood Black Canary, clad in a sleek black outfit with a bold neckline.

More heroes began arriving on the battlefield. Superman descended gracefully from the sky, his imposing figure radiating confidence and strength. Behind him landed Wonder Woman, her battle armor glinting in the moonlight. Green Lantern streaked in with a brilliant emerald glow, like a meteor. Emerging from the shadows of the nearby trees was Batman, his silhouette cloaked in darkness, making him a mysterious and fearsome presence.

The most powerful heroes on Earth had answered the call. Together, they stood ready to face any foe and protect the world from whatever danger awaited them.

[IMAGE]

"Surrender. You can't win," Superman said firmly, his voice carrying both authority and compassion.

"I'll still try," the demon growled bloodthirstily, his eyes glowing with malice.

Superman launched himself forward, delivering a devastating punch that sent the demon flying through the air. The demon's body gouged a deep trench into the ground as it crashed. Slowly rising, the demon's jaw hung grotesquely loose, wobbling with each movement. With a sickening crack, he grabbed it and forced it back into place, his injuries healing almost instantly.

But Superman didn't allow him time to recover. He was already upon the demon, unleashing a flurry of powerful strikes. The demon struggled to withstand the onslaught, unable to match the overwhelming force. Desperately, he unleashed a torrent of hellfire, which momentarily blasted Superman back and scorched his iconic suit. Yet, Superman retaliated immediately, his heat vision carving through the demon's armor and leaving deep, searing wounds.

Grasping at his injuries, the demon glared at Superman, blood oozing from his side.

"Still not ready to give up?" Superman asked, advancing steadily, his face slightly reddened by the flames but undeterred.

The demon snarled and lunged at him again. This time, his punch landed squarely on Superman's chest, but the hero didn't even flinch. The impact created a massive shockwave, but Superman stood unshaken.

"Weak," Superman remarked calmly before delivering a crushing blow to the demon's head. The sound of cracking bones echoed as the demon's head twisted unnaturally to the side.

"Supes, ease up, or you'll take his head off," Green Lantern warned, his glowing construct hammer ready in hand.

The demon's body twitched as his head snapped back into place. Rising with a feral growl, he charged again.

"You just don't give up," Superman muttered, preparing another punch.

This time, the demon caught Superman's fist mid-swing. A wicked grin spread across his face, revealing rows of jagged teeth. With a quick pull, he yanked Superman forward, landing an uppercut to his jaw, followed by a headbutt. Grabbing Superman by the neck, the demon exhaled a blast of hellfire directly onto him. Superman cried out in pain, staggering back.

Before the demon could press his advantage, a glowing green sledgehammer slammed into him, sending him tumbling across the battlefield.

"Be careful—he's hiding his true strength," Wonder Woman warned, gripping her lasso.

"No," Batman interjected, his sharp voice cutting through the tension. "He's adapting... like—"

"Doomsday," Superman finished grimly, his eyes narrowing with a mix of anger and resolve.

"Hit him with everything you've got," Batman commanded. "We need to take him down before he gets stronger."

The League unleashed a coordinated assault. Arrows, energy blasts, lasso strikes, and relentless punches rained down on the demon. He roared in defiance, attempting to defend himself, but the combined might of Earth's greatest heroes overwhelmed him. Gradually, his movements slowed, his resistance waned, and finally, he collapsed in exhaustion.

"Well, at least he wasn't as tough as Doomsday," Flash quipped, leaning casually against a nearby tree.

The brief relief was cut short when their communicators crackled to life.

"Attention, Justice League," Cyborg's voice came through, tense. "There's been an attack on the Titans' base. Raven has been taken."

The heroes exchanged grim looks.

"It was a diversion," Batman concluded. "Take him to a secure facility and extract any information you can about him. We need to find Raven."

The Green Lantern conjured a glowing cage and sealed the demon inside. Though the wounds on the demon's body had nearly healed, he remained unconscious. The Justice League decided to move him to a secure cell in the Watchtower for further investigation. An emergency meeting was convened, and nearly all members of the League gathered around the table.

"An unknown demon attacked Doctor Fate today," Batman began, projecting images of the incidents onto the central display. "He managed to destroy the Helmet of Fate. Following this, the Titans' base was attacked, and Raven was abducted. The most unusual part of this assault was that Aquaman and Hawkgirl were involved—and it's likely they were under some form of mind control."

One of the images showed Aquaman, his eyes glowing with four blazing red lights.

"We managed to save Kent Nelson. He knows who orchestrated these attacks. Kent, if you would." Batman gestured for him to speak.

Kent Nelson, now frail and devoid of magical support, looked significantly aged. His body, long past its prime, bore the burden of time, and even simple movement required assistance. Wonder Woman gently pushed his wheelchair closer to the table.

He cleared his throat weakly.

"It was Trigon. An interdimensional demon with legions of followers who worship him. You could call him the devil incarnate," Kent began, his voice strained but steady. "Raven is his daughter. He needs her to breach into our world." He coughed heavily, pausing to catch his breath.

"Then we must stop him. Cyborg, direct all our resources toward a global search," Batman ordered. Cyborg nodded and immediately began working at the console.

"But what about the creature we captured?" Superman interjected. "Are all of his soldiers like that?"

Kent Nelson's expression darkened, and he looked down, clenching his fists as if battling inner turmoil.

"No. I know who he is and why he became like this," Kent admitted quietly.

Batman's sharp mind quickly pieced things together. "You're responsible for what happened to him. Demons took control of him, just as they did with Aquaman and Hawkgirl."

Kent hesitated before nodding. "As much as I wish to deny it, I am partially to blame."

"Then who is he?" Batman pressed.

Kent's gaze met Bruce's. "You know him. Or at least, you once did. His name is Brian Forman… our greatest mistake."

Bruce's face darkened as he tried to recall the name. His brows furrowed, his lips silently mouthing something, but doubt clouded his expression.

"You won't remember him," Kent stated, his voice tinged with regret. "We erased everyone's memory of him. You were thirteen years old at the time."

The shock hit Bruce like a thunderbolt. His expression froze, his mind unlocking long-suppressed memories. The fragments came rushing back—flashes of a friend he had forgotten, their final meeting, and the pain of loss.

With a burst of emotion, Batman lunged at Kent, gripping him by the collar and lifting him out of the wheelchair.

"WHY?" he roared, his voice echoing in the chamber.

"Whoa, easy there, Bats! The guy can barely breathe!" Flash intervened, placing a hand on Bruce's wrist.

Realizing his lapse in control, Batman exhaled sharply and set Kent back into the wheelchair, his demeanor once again icy and composed.

"Explain," Bruce demanded, stepping back but keeping his piercing gaze locked on Kent.

"I have often seen the future, countless possibilities etched into my memory. In one vision, Nabu foresaw his own death. I tried to dissuade him from his reckless actions, but the fear of oblivion consumed his mind," Kent Nelson recounted.

"He could often seize control of my body, acting through my hands. He did things I would never have done."

"What exactly did he do?"

"The first instance was the explosion—the accident that left Brian scarred. It should never have happened. Brian was meant to save a man that day, but they were caught in the blast. The man died, but Brian survived, and only grew stronger because of it."

"The coma... was that your doing?"

"Yes. During his coma, Nabu calmed down, but as soon as Brian woke, the visions became more frequent. Now there were even more outcomes, and they all led to his death. That's when Nabu made a second attempt, forcing the Man under Viper to attack him. Once again, Brian survived and overcame the challenge," Kent continued.

"That's when he managed to obtain the capsules of the drug. It all lines up," Batman remarked thoughtfully.

"The final incident was disastrous for us," Kent added.

"The fire in my skyscraper... I blamed myself. Was that also orchestrated by Nabu?" Bruce asked.

"No, we weren't responsible for the fire. But the collapse of the stairwell—that was our doing. Nabu rejoiced, thinking he had finally succeeded in killing Brian, but it was only for a moment. Something changed—something even Nabu couldn't comprehend. However, Brian managed to ingest the drug, freeing himself.

"After that, the future grew dim. Nabu could no longer clearly see Brian's fate. He stopped trying to orchestrate his death through chance and took direct action instead. He sent him to hell, hoping the infernal creatures would devour him. Nabu himself couldn't kill a child, bound as he was by rules. He cast a spell of forgetfulness on everyone who knew Brian. I only wanted the best for him, but Nabu… Nabu had lost his sanity," Kent concluded bitterly.

"I never knew you had a friend like that in your childhood, Batman," Superman remarked. But Batman was already gone.

"How does he do that?" Superman muttered, shaking his head.

Brian Forman's containment chamber. A massive room reinforced with ultra-durable glass, designed to hold even the most powerful beings. Bruce removed his mask, staring at the friend he hadn't seen in years. Yet, he could find no trace of the boy he once knew.

"What have you been through?" Bruce murmured, watching Brian's motionless form, now consumed by a demon.

He remembered Brian as brave and kind. His thoughts churned. If I had broken the rules back then, would things have turned out differently? Would you be free, and none of this would have happened? No, that's foolish. I couldn't have stopped Nabu from doing this somewhere else. Just hold on a little longer.

"Cyborg, the Justice League may have located Raven," came the voice through Bruce's earpiece.

"I'll help you. I promise," Bruce whispered, donning his mask again and burying his emotions deep inside.

Back in the Hall of Justice, all League members gathered to formulate a plan. They prepared their gear and checked every detail before stepping through the portals into battle. Cyborg stayed behind to oversee the mission and coordinate the team.

The operation began smoothly, with the League efficiently destroying demons and freeing those under their control. They discovered that inflicting lethal damage forced demons to abandon their hosts.

"Superman's been taken over," Flash reported grimly.

"And Wonder Woman," Green Lantern added shortly after.

Batman quickly devised a plan to free their comrades, preparing contingencies for unforeseen circumstances, and relayed his strategy to the team. Cyborg remained in the large hall, stationed at the monitors, closely monitoring the situation and communicating with the team.

Suddenly, a portal activated.

"Code 1-07: Aquaman," announced a robotic voice.

From the teleport emerged Aquaman, now possessed by a demon. Cyborg, focused on his work, turned his attention to the portal as it activated and immediately recognized who had stepped through. Without hesitation, he switched to combat mode.

"Stop and don't move, or I will take action," Cyborg warned, aiming his weapon at Aquaman.

Aquaman said nothing, assuming a combat stance and leveling his trident in response. Cyborg activated additional weaponry from his back, preparing for a fight, as one of his arms transformed into a weapon.