Chapter 51: Heartwarming Father and Daughter Reunion (part 2)
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"I don't think it's a good time to joke."
Raven sat cross-legged, her body suspended in mid-air, as dark energy swirled around her. The magic flowing from her was of the same origin as Trigon's, forming a complex, glowing circle in the air. Slowly, a small gap in Hell was forced open.
From within that eerie rift, several shadowy spiritual tentacles extended outward, exuding a strong, ominous aura. They slithered through the thick crimson mist, binding onto something unseen, something struggling within the diffuse red light. Gradually, as the darkness coiled tighter, the outline of an arm—previously intangible—began to solidify, its form turning visible in the mortal world.
"I know better than anyone how bad it feels to be targeted by father," Raven murmured, her voice steady yet laced with a rare trace of sympathy. "So please, stop pretending to be tough. It's not going to help. If you need to scream, just do it—it'll make things easier."
She had experienced this before. Whenever Trigon's presence loomed over her, whenever he tried to possess her, the torment was unbearable. And every single time, the raven's cries echoed—a haunting melody of pain.
Dean twitched his lips at her words, trying to suppress his reaction, but he could no longer endure the unbearable tearing sensation in his soul. His jaw clenched as he sucked in a sharp breath before finally gritting out—
"Is there any way to reduce the pain? I really don't want to humiliate myself in front of Batman!"
Raven exhaled softly, her tone calm. "I'm working on it."
The writhing tendrils of shadow magic twisted around the red-arm, creeping over its surface and hardening like petrified stone, sealing it completely in place.
A sudden, distorted voice—so faint it was nearly imperceptible—slithered through the air, reaching only Raven's ears. It was a voice filled with malice, echoing with a cruel familiarity.
"Raven… you traitor."
The whisper sent a chill down her spine, though outwardly, she showed no reaction.
She knew that she and Dean were likely the only ones present who could hear this voice.
It was in that moment that realization struck her—this wasn't just an ordinary manifestation of Trigon's influence. No, it was something far worse.
This fragment of his existence wasn't as simple as she had first assumed.
Her fingers curled slightly, and without turning her head, she responded to the voice telepathically.
"Father… long time no see."
The sinister presence in the room pulsed, as if responding to her words.
"So, you actually managed to separate a piece of your soul," she continued, her tone cold yet unwavering. "No wonder Doctor Fate lost so miserably."
She recalled Nabu's warning—at the time, the Lord of Order had suspected that this projection was something more than just a spiritual remnant. If it had been merely an illusion, it would have been easy to dispel.
But Trigon had gone to great lengths to strengthen this fragment.
He had orchestrated Ra's al Ghul's draining of the Lazarus Pit beneath Gotham, ensuring that its powerful restorative properties were exhausted. Then, in a rare and costly sacrifice, Trigon had personally severed a part of his own soul, using it to fuel this projection and almost fully seize control over two primordial forces.
It was an elaborate, meticulously planned operation—one that showed just how far Trigon was willing to go.
After all, the difference between remote control and direct manipulation was vast.
However, what Trigon hadn't expected was that Dean, Manaphy, and the Omnitrix would be capable of interfering.
The combination of their abilities had forcefully separated him from Groudon, an act that should have been impossible. Even worse for him, the Omnitrix had somehow severed his connection to his true form.
Now, he was trapped, cut off from his greater power.
Raven remained still, her glowing white eyes narrowing slightly as Trigon's voice reverberated within her mind, his tone filled with growing anger.
"Raven, you know what happens when you make me angry. Release me. Now."
His demand rolled through her consciousness like an earthquake, but she barely reacted. Years of rigorous training, of battling against his influence, had fortified her mind.
She could spend an entire day listening to his threats without flinching.
The shadowy specter looming before her flickered, a barely defined entity of malice and rage. Despite the hellish scene unfolding, Raven did not feel fear—only a strange sense of relief.
It was the same old tactic.
No…
Something wasn't right.
Suddenly, her body jolted, her glowing white eyes widening in realization. A piercing light flashed from her irises, illuminating the room in a sudden burst of brilliant energy.
Her gaze immediately landed on Dean.
There—in the depths of his soul—her father's shadow was lurking.
Without hesitation, she transformed into a black raven and dove straight into him.
"Raven?!"
Zatanna's voice rang out in shock.
As an experienced magician, she instantly recognized what had just happened.
Raven had initiated an out-of-body experience.
Zatanna's eyes flickered with concern, but there was nothing she could do to intervene. Right now, Raven was entirely focused on her battle within Dean's consciousness.
This was a rare and critical moment.
Trigon, in his complete form, was almost invincible. Even if he were defeated, he could only be sealed away, never truly destroyed.
But this?
This was just a fragment of his soul.
And Raven knew she could erase it.
If she succeeded, it would create a weakness—a gap in her father's essence that he wouldn't be able to recover from.
With that weakness exposed, Trigon would no longer be the unstoppable force he once was.
Inside Dean's soul, Trigon's presence stirred, his deep voice dripping with malice.
"Raven, you're still so naïve. Do you really think you can protect your friends from me?"
His illusory form twisted, shifting like a mirage as he wove a new deception.
Raven knew what was coming.
It was the same old trick—an illusion meant to weaken her resolve.
But she wasn't his target.
Instead, she watched in horror as Trigon shifted his focus entirely onto Dean.
---
"Where is this…?"
Dean blinked in confusion, looking down at his hands. This sensation—this place—was familiar.
A black crow loomed before him, its dark feathers shimmering as it swallowed the surrounding blue flames, consuming the eerie light into its own shadowy form. In an instant, the creature shifted, its body shrinking and morphing back into the shape of Raven.
She stood directly in front of him, her hood casting a shadow over most of her face, but her piercing moonlit eyes gleamed through the darkness.
"This is your spiritual world," she stated calmly. "Right now, you're existing as a conscious entity. Stay calm. I'll take on my father's mental attacks alongside you—at least until the Omnitrix is repaired."
As she spoke, Raven mimicked her physical body's meditative stance, floating just above the ground as she braced for the inevitable assault.
The air around them grew dense.
A deep, mocking chuckle echoed through the void, its sound slithering into their ears like venom.
"Poor, foolish Raven," Trigon's voice rumbled from all directions, his tone dripping with amusement. "Stepping right into my trap without even realizing it."
The thick black mist that had been swirling ominously around them now lunged forward, enveloping the space in suffocating darkness.
Raven's entire body stiffened.
"You linked your soul to Dean's, hoping to shield him from my power," Trigon sneered, his voice reverberating like rolling thunder. "But Raven… did you forget? The soul chain doesn't just transfer pressure—it transfers everything."
Her breath hitched for just a second.
In that brief moment of hesitation, lightning struck through the abyss, surging into Dean's consciousness.
Dean's body jerked violently, his teeth gritting as an agonizing shockwave of pain rippled through his soul.
Raven winced—but not from the lightning itself.
No, what hit her wasn't just the pain. Along with it came Dean's emotions, raw and unfiltered.
Pain, frustration, fear… but also something deeper—anger and helplessness, emotions that had been buried beneath his usual carefree nature.
Raven's hands clenched into fists, her breath turning uneven.
This was exactly what she had feared.
She wasn't just taking on the burden of her father's attack—she was also absorbing Dean's negative emotions. And, as they bled into her through the soul chain, they agitated the darkness within her.
She could feel the shadows clawing at her mind, her inner demons whispering, urging her to give in.
But she couldn't afford to.
Trigon, of course, knew exactly what he was doing.
"Tsk, tsk. The weak link in every group always breaks first," he mused, his amusement growing. "Let's see how long you last before you snap, my dear daughter."
He Ignored Raven entirely, turning his full attention onto Dean.
The pain intensified, searing into Dean's very essence like molten fire. The sensation was unbearable—like being dragged through a frozen wasteland while simultaneously being burned alive.
A full minute passed In agonizing silence.
And yet…
Trigon's amusement started to fade, something was wrong.
This should have been easy. Dean's willpower was nothing extraordinary, and his spirit lacked the fortitude of warriors like Batman or Wonder Woman. So why hadn't he collapsed yet?
Trigon's six blazing eyes narrowed.
Dean, despite the torture, had yet to break. His body trembled, his breath came in ragged gasps, but somehow—somehow—he was still standing.
"Heh…"
A weak, breathless chuckle slipped from Dean's lips.
"What…?" Trigon's voice grew irritated.
Dean grinned, his expression strained but defiant. "You… really don't get it, do you?""I might not look like much, but I've got more fight in me than you think."
He sucked in a deep breath before letting out a low, shaky laugh.
Trigon remained silent, observing him closely.
Dean rolled his shoulders, adjusting his stance. "I've trained before, you know. Not in a fancy league like the Justice League or anything, but I've been through my share of fights. You think a little mind torture is enough to break me?"
1
Trigon's massive form loomed over Dean, his six burning eyes narrowing. "Tell me, am I not terrifying?"
Dean blinked up at him.
"…Terrifying?" He tilted his head slightly as if he had just realized something. "Oh, I see. You're trying to mark my soul with fear, aren't you?"
He sighed and tapped his temple lightly with his index finger, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
"Yeah, that's not gonna work. Sorry, man."
Trigon's monstrous face twisted in confusion. "What?"
Dean exhaled through his nose, shaking his head as if this entire situation was just mildly inconvenient.
"It's just… my first impression of you was way too good for me to be scared of you now."
For a moment, Trigon said nothing.
Then, slowly, his expression darkened.
"What did you just say?"
Dean didn't flinch.
Instead, he crossed his arms and looked up at the all-powerful demonic overlord of the multiverse with an almost casual expression.
"I said, my first impression of you was kinda funny and it ruined any chance of me taking you seriously."
The silence that followed was deafening.
"…funny?"
That one word was spoken slowly, as if Trigon himself couldn't believe he was hearing it. "You think a demon of my stature is… funny?"
His voice trembled—not with fear, but with incredulous fury.
Trigon, the ruler of an infernal dimension, the being who devoured worlds, who shattered civilizations, who terrorized the multiverse for eons, was just called funny.
Dean nodded. "Yup."
And Trigon snapped.
A massive shockwave erupted through the spiritual world, distorting the very fabric of reality. Black flames surged, the ground beneath them cracked, and the endless void trembled.
Raven's eyes flew open in alarm.
This was bad. Trigon's rage was more unstable than any energy she had ever felt before. But even as the entire realm shook violently, Dean just stood there, completely unaffected.
Trigon's fiery gaze bored into him. "HOW DARE YOU!"
Dean raised an eyebrow. "What, you mad because I said you weren't scary?"
Trigon growled, his voice reverberating through the void. "No mortal has ever dared to mock me like this."
Dean shrugged. "Yeah, well, maybe nobody ever told you the truth before."
Raven, still floating nearby, couldn't suppress her concern anymore.
"Dean," she called out, her voice filled with warning. "What are you doing?"
He turned slightly toward her. "What do you mean?"
"You're taunting him."
Dean blinked. "Oh. Yeah. I guess I am."
Raven narrowed her eyes. "Why?"
Dean grinned. "Because it's working."
Trigon roared, and the black mist around them surged forward like a tidal wave, aiming directly at Dean.
But before it could reach him, Dean simply took a step forward.
And to Trigon's complete shock—
The mist stopped.
For the first time in his existence, Trigon hesitated.
Raven noticed it immediately. The mist—Trigon's fear projection—was supposed to consume Dean, overwhelm his soul, and shatter his will.
But instead…
It wasn't doing anything.
Dean wasn't afraid.
Not even a little.
Trigon's eyes narrowed into slits, his demonic form shifting slightly. "You… you should be afraid. You should be terrified beyond reason."
"Explain. Now."
Dean smirked. "Alright. So, the first time I saw you… it was in TTG."
Trigon blinked in confusion. "TTG?"
"In that version, you were—how do I put this?—a total pushover. You literally gave up destroying the world just to make Raven happy. Oh, and you wore pink suits sometimes. Kinda ruined the whole 'terrifying demon' vibe."
Trigon howled in fury. Raven's eyes widened.
Dean was messing with one of the most powerful demons in existence… and it was working.
"You…" Trigon seethed, his claws curling into fists. "I AM NOT SOME PATHETIC JOKE!"
But Dean just kept going.
"Oh! And the dance!" He snapped his fingers as if he had just remembered. "Dude, you even TAP DANCED for Raven! You were so desperate for her approval that you straight-up abandoned your villain arc. You know what that is?"
Trigon gritted his teeth. "Do NOT say it—"
Dean beamed. "It's adorable."
Trigon lost it.
A shockwave of pure demonic energy erupted from his form, sending cracks through the very fabric of the spiritual world. The black mist dispersed violently, and for a brief moment, even the flames of hell seemed to dim.
And yet—
His body wavered for the first time, flickering between solid and translucent.
Raven saw it.
And so did Dean.
"Ohhh," Dean exhaled, his grin widening. "Wait. Did I just…?"
Trigon's form shrank back slightly, his energy destabilizing. Dean's smirk grew sharper. "I did, didn't I? I just made you weaker."
Trigon snarled, but it was too late. Dean had figured it out. He had found the one thing Trigon truly couldn't handle.
Not pain.
Not power.
Not fear.
Embarrassment.
Dean clapped his hands together. "Well, this has been fun, but I think I win this round."
Trigon gritted his teeth, glaring down at him. "You… are the most INFURIATING human I have ever encountered!"
Dean beamed proudly. "Thanks! I try."
Trigon let out one final, rage-filled howl—
And then—
He vanished.
The black mist collapsed, the flames dimmed, and just like that…
Trigon was gone.
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As the only one who knows magic, Zatanna is responsible for keeping an eye on the outside to prevent Trigon from turning her target on others present, such as Lucius, who is responsible for repairs.
"Success! Trigon is driven out by Raven… Huh?"
Zatanna watched as a red shadow slipped into the Omnitrix. The movement was so fast that she almost didn't react.
Why does it look like Trigon is… escaping?
Zatanna was startled by her own thoughts. How could it be possible? A terrifying alien-dimensional demon like the him wouldn't run away no matter how desperate it was.
Raven gasped as her soul snapped back into her physical form. Her eyes flew open, and the first thing she saw was Dean, standing over her, his lips quirking into a cocky grin.
She stared at him, still trying to process everything.
Finally, she asked, "What exactly… did you do?"
Dean grinned.
"I remembered something funny. Pfttt!"
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