The operations room of Titans Tower held a silence that had weight.
Not the comfortable quiet of rest or the peaceful stillness of meditation. This was the silence of a funeral, of soldiers who'd survived a battle they should have died in, of people who knew the next fight would be worse.
Robin sat at the head of the table, elbows braced against polished steel, fingers laced beneath his chin. His eyes were sharp despite the exhaustion carved into the lines of his face—too many nights spent chasing answers that scattered like smoke. Cyborg stood near the console array, metal fingers drumming an anxious rhythm against his forearm. The sound counted seconds, measured doubts.
Beast Boy had slouched so far into his chair he was practically horizontal, but his foot tapped against the floor in restless contradiction. Starfire hovered above her seat, arms crossed tight across her chest, a coiled spring of barely contained energy.
Megan sat beside Raven, hands clenched white-knuckled in her lap, watching everyone with the careful attention of someone trying to hold fragments together. And Raven—pale, shadowed, still recovering from injuries she'd refused to acknowledge—had forced herself here because some truths only she could speak.
They were a portrait of defeat. Twice they'd faced Asmodeus. Twice they'd been broken before the fight even began. Only Wildcard's intervention had saved them, and that knowledge sat heavy as iron in their chests.
Robin broke the silence with the precision of a scalpel cutting flesh.
"The League is off-world. Deep space mission. They won't be back for days, possibly weeks."
Beast Boy's groan filled the room. "Perfect. The biggest threat we've ever faced, and the heavy hitters are playing astronaut."
"It gets worse." Cyborg's voice rumbled with barely suppressed frustration. "I've tried every contact I have. Canary, Kid Flash, the reserves—nothing. It's like someone dropped a dome over Jump City. No signals in or out. We're completely isolated."
Raven's voice cut through like a blade drawn in darkness. "I tried reaching the Justice League Dark. Constantine, Zatanna, even Deadman." Her violet eyes gleamed with controlled fury. "Nothing penetrates. It's deliberate. Asmodeus is herding us."
The words landed like a stone into still water, ripples of understanding spreading through the team.
Megan's whisper barely carried. "We're cattle in a pen."
"And the city's tearing itself apart." Cyborg gestured to the monitors displaying news feeds—fires consuming storefronts, people attacking each other with manic grins, chaos wearing a human face. "This isn't normal crime. People are losing themselves."
Robin's jaw tightened. "Then we start with what we can control." He pulled up a holographic display. "I've been researching Wildcard."
Every head turned. Interest cut through exhaustion like lightning through storm clouds.
"He's a ghost," Robin continued. "First confirmed appearance was Keystone City, underground fighting circuit. Called himself Raze. He won the tournament—beat Artemis, Pantha, and Empress in succession."
Starfire's eyes widened. "Artemis trained under the League of Shadows. Pantha is relentless in combat. And Empress—"
"Exactly." Robin's tone sharpened. "After that, he vanished for months. Until Star City."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
"Prometheus," Robin said, and the name alone carried weight. "Roy Harper dead. Mia Dearden tortured, mutilated. The city hours from catastrophic flooding, thousands of lives at stake. Prometheus had planned to replicate it in multiple cities." He paused, let the horror settle. "Wildcard stopped it. Beat Prometheus down so thoroughly that Green Arrow could finish it. Batman's investigation confirmed the sequence."
Beast Boy's voice was quieter now. "I remember that day. The news reports... what they did to Mia..."
"After Star City, he came here." Robin pulled up another file. "Dismantled the entire Hive operation. Solo. Sent them all to prison. Everyone except Jinx."
Megan raised her hand tentatively. "He also stole my wallet."
Silence crashed over the room like a wave.
Every Titan stared at her.
"What?" Megan flushed. "He did! Remember when Starfire and I took Raven to the park?"
Raven's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits beneath her hood. "The day my book went missing."
"By X'hal!" Starfire's hand flew to her mouth. "My communicator vanished that day! I thought the washing machine had malfunctioned!"
"It wasn't the washing machine." Raven's voice could have frozen nitrogen. "He stole it. My book. While I was sitting right there."
Megan nodded quickly. "That's how he knew about the museum. Why he showed up to save us."
Robin cleared his throat, discomfort creeping into his tone. "He... pickpocketed me too. This morning. Didn't notice until hours later."
Beast Boy's jaw dropped. Then his grin spread slow and wicked. "Hold up. He robbed all of us? Even the Boy Wonder?" He laughed, the sound genuine despite everything. "Little Rich Boy Robin gets his pockets cleaned by some random dude. That's beautiful."
"It wasn't funny," Robin said flatly.
"It's hilarious." Beast Boy was warming to the theme now. "You're supposed to be trained by Batman, and this guy just strolls up and—"
Raven's glare cut him off mid-sentence. The shadows in the corners of the room seemed to lean closer.
Beast Boy held up his hands in surrender, but the grin remained.
Robin pressed forward, pushing past the moment. "Based on available data, he's either metahuman or homo magi. Demonstrates both magic and enhanced physical abilities. Master-level martial artist—not tricks or flash, legitimate technique. And his mind..." Robin paused, choosing words carefully. "Resilient. He tricked Asmodeus twice. While the demon was toying with him, yes, but still."
Cyborg crossed his arms. "So he's strong, fast, magical, *and* smart. Great."
"There's more." Robin pulled up another file. "He challenged Wonder Woman to single combat. Called her 'kin.' They haven't fought yet, but there's speculation about Amazonian lineage."
Starfire's expression shifted to something thoughtful, almost concerned.
"One more thing." Robin looked uncomfortable. "He has an... unusual habit. Male opponents he defeats get stripped to their underwear. All gear taken. Female opponents—he only takes the equipment, leaves clothing intact."
Beast Boy's eyes went wide. "He *what*?"
Starfire tilted her head, unfazed. "On Tamaran, defeated warriors are left broken so they cannot rise again. This seems efficient. Ensures they cannot rearm. Strange, perhaps, but not dishonorable."
Cyborg raised an eyebrow. "Selective chaos. Can't say I get it, but yeah—taking the gear makes sense tactically."
Raven's voice was flat, analytical. "Psychological warfare. Humiliation combined with practical disarmament. It makes him unpredictable." Her eyes gleamed. "And unpredictable makes him dangerous."
"Well," Megan offered weakly, "at least he draws the line somewhere?"
"Wow." Beast Boy's voice dripped sarcasm. "What a hero. 'Congratulations, you're not a *complete* psycho.'"
Robin's hand hit the table—not hard, but enough to reclaim attention. "The point isn't judgment. The point is understanding who we're dealing with. Reckless, strategic, unpredictable. That's Wildcard. Remember it."
The levity drained from the room like water through cracked stone.
Robin's voice dropped an octave. "Now. What about Asmodeus?"
All eyes turned to Raven.
She sat motionless, hands flat on the table, fingers slightly curled as if holding something back. When she spoke, her voice carried the weight of ancient tombs.
"Asmodeus is one of the Seven Princes of Hell. The embodiment of lust—not merely sexual desire, but hunger in its purest form. Obsession. Addiction. The need that burns away everything else." The shadows in the room seemed to bend toward her words. "He doesn't need to fight. He only needs to whisper."
Megan's voice trembled. "I felt it. When I tried reading thoughts in the city. Everyone's desires twisted, burning hotter and hotter until they consumed everything else."
"Yes." Raven's eyes flickered with violet light. "The riots, the cult gatherings, the surge in violence—they're not random. They're fuel. Every act of indulgence, every loss of control feeds him. Makes him stronger."
Cyborg's hands clenched into fists. "We've seen what he does up close. He doesn't just create illusions. He crawls inside your head and makes your nightmares real."
Beast Boy's joking mask had cracked completely. "Things you didn't even know you were afraid of. Things you can't wake up from."
"Because you can't resist," Raven said softly. "Not fully. His illusions aren't tricks of light or mental suggestion. They're fractures in the soul. He pulls out your fears, your guilt, your deepest desires and makes them tangible. The harder you fight, the deeper they cut."
The room felt colder. Each word pulled them further into darkness.
Robin forced steadiness into his voice. "And the Crimson Heart?"
Raven hesitated. The hood's shadow covered her eyes completely.
"I don't know." The admission seemed to cost her. "I've searched every source available—old wards, demon texts, whispers in forgotten languages. Everything contradicts. Some call it a prison. Others a beacon. Some... a weapon." She raised her eyes, and they glowed faintly in the dimness. "But every source agrees on one thing. It should never have surfaced."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Megan broke it, voice small and frightened. "So we're trapped in an isolated city, facing a demon that grows stronger by the hour, and we don't even understand the weapon he's after."
"Yes," Raven said simply.
The word hung in the air like a death sentence.
Robin leaned back, exhaling slowly. "Then we need a way to resist his illusions. Without that, nothing else matters."
"There might be a way." Megan leaned forward. "At the museum, after Wildcard rescued us—I read Jinx's mind. He gave her his mask during the fight. It helped her resist Asmodeus's influence. Wildcard himself is naturally immune, but the mask gave Jinx enough protection to break free."
Cyborg's arms crossed. "Great. So we need Wildcard. Who thinks we're dead weight and plans to handle this solo."
Beast Boy groaned. "Perfect. Our only hope thinks we're useless."
"He isn't cruel." Megan's voice carried quiet conviction. "I felt his thoughts when he carried Jinx out. He protects people, even if he does it his own way."
Raven spoke, each word deliberate. "He irritates me. But he resists where we cannot. Alone, he's formidable—but not enough to win. And without him, we don't stand a chance."
Beast Boy blinked. "So we're screwed either way unless we work together?"
Robin's gaze swept the team, taking in fear and determination in equal measure. "Then it's decided. We reach out to Wildcard. He may refuse. He may not trust us. It doesn't matter. We don't abandon people, and we don't surrender cities."
Starfire's voice rang with determination. "He is part of this battle whether he wishes it or not. If we fail to act, Jump City falls—and the darkness spreads beyond."
Beast Boy managed a weak grin. "So we beg the guy who steals underwear to help save the world. Solid plan."
"Better than dying because we waited," Megan said quietly.
Robin stood, his voice carrying command. "Titans—we make him listen. And together, we end this."
Outside, Jump City screamed. Fires painted the night orange and red. Sirens wailed like dying animals. A woman laughed and sobbed simultaneously, her eyes wide with madness and ecstasy. A man ran in circles, grinning as if he'd found enlightenment in chaos.
Inside Titans Tower, six young heroes faced an impossible choice: trust a wild card they barely understood, or face a demon prince alone and die.
Robin's voice cut through one final time. "The clock is ticking. We find Wildcard. We survive long enough to fight. And we stop Asmodeus—no matter what it costs."
The team nodded as one.
Outside, in the burning darkness, something watched. Waited. And smiled.
End of chapter.