| Zandia - September 3
Zandia, a small island nation in Europe, had for centuries been the hidden home of the Church of Blood—a violent international cult cloaked in false benevolence. Though they presented themselves as a charitable religious organization, the Church was in truth a fanatic group devoted to the demonic entity Trigon.
Their leadership was a line of successors known only as Brother Blood, each one taking the title after murdering the previous. The current, Brother Blood VIII, had done just that—killing his father to become the eighth emissary of Trigon. Now, with global unrest following the Thanagarian betrayal, the Church was poised to rise. First, though, he needed to fulfill a prophecy.
The Church's holy text spoke of an Eighth Son marrying Trigon's daughter to usher in a reign of "peace." As twisted as it sounded, Brother Blood believed it wholly. And to his luck, he'd found the daughter—Rachel Roth.
Fourteen years earlier, during a satanic ceremony, Trigon had taken human form and chosen a woman named Arella as his bride. She bore his child, but upon learning the truth, she fled. A mystical order from another dimension, Azarath, rescued her. There, in their realm, Rachel was born and raised. But even among the monks, her half-demon nature made her an outcast.
Curious about her father, Rachel once tried to contact him—only to accidentally summon him. Trigon destroyed Azarath in his fury, trapping Rachel in his dimension. There, he planned to use her as a conduit to Earth. But Rachel, stronger than he expected, trapped him in a crimson crystal and escaped.
She fled to Earth, only to be captured by the Church of Blood.
Now, bound in powerful magical seals and dressed in red ceremonial robes, the teenage Rachel stood at the altar of the Church. Her arms were restrained; her face streaked with silent tears. She had resisted, fought, screamed. But now, she stared blankly ahead, resigned to what was to come.
Brother Blood stood tall beside her in his ornate armor, ready to wed a child to unleash his god.
As for the age difference—him being in his 40s and the girl only 14—who cares? Other cult leaders have married even younger. And the manga he likes to read in his spare time treats this as normal. The Japanese get it.
"Please don't do this," Rachel pleaded. "My father is going to kill everyone."
Brother Blood struck her hard across the face. "How dare you blaspheme the name of Trigon," he hissed. "If he cleanses the world, we—the faithful—shall inherit paradise."
He turned to the mass of red-robed cultists below, hundreds of them chanting beneath the platform inside the candlelit cathedral. He raised a hand. The ritual began.
But then—an explosion ripped through the church.
Dust and flame showered the congregation. Screams erupted. Brother Blood whipped around.
"Who dares interrupt this holy moment!?"
Shouts and combat echoed from the lower floor. Through the chaos, Brother Blood's eyes adjusted to the figures emerging from the smoke: a green-skinned girl, a young martial artist, a strong boy flinging bodies, a girl with a bow, and a dark-skinned teenager with blades of water in each hand.
Then—her.
A blast of emerald energy nearly singed him where he stood. He narrowly dodged, turning just in time to see a young woman step into the candlelight. Her eyes glowed green, her suit a dark violet.
It was Starfire.
"You dare violate a sovereign nation!" Brother Blood barked. "We are not part of the U.N.! You have no jurisdiction here! This is a sacred rite!"
Starfire didn't dignify him with a response. She launched at him, fists already burning. He tried to block, to counter with his enhanced strength—he had bathed in the Pool of Blood every year, after all—but she was faster. Stronger.
"Mother Mayhem, now!" he shouted, only to glance over and see her collapsed, already unconscious. Her pistol lay several feet away.
The moment of distraction was fatal.
Starfire grabbed his face, slammed it through the altar's wooden platform with a thunderous crack. She mounted him and began to punch.
"Don't—" punch.
"—you—" punch.
"—ever—" punch.
"—come—" punch.
"—after—" punch.
"—her—" punch.
"—again.—" punch.
Brother Blood was out cold long before the last blow. His face was pulp, his teeth scattered across the stage.
Starfire then got up and turned to the still bound Rachel. The girl flinched, unsure, but her eyes softened when Starfire approached. With gentle hands, Starfire undid the bonds.
"I'm sorry this happened to you," she said softly. "You're safe now."
She pulled Rachel into a hug.
For the first time in years, Rachel Roth felt safe.