A/N - I want to thank all of you who have continued to read this story as it progresses but I want to especially thank DimitraMitsos who took the time out of her schedule to PM me about the story, give me guidance, and just be a friend to a total Fanfiction newbie. Thank you for being the first to read it!


"I don't like this plan."

Jinx stood near the closed vehicle exit hatch of the dropship that had "liberated" from an ARGUS facility in Jump City. The ship's sensor cloak was up hiding its emissions, but the rumbling thunderstorm helped even more. Raven looked up from the rivet she had been staring at since take off and looked at the young woman.

Jinx had shed her look from the H.I.V.E, her striped stockings and purple dress had been replaced with a black outfit with purple highlights that complimented her pink hair which she still wore in the U shape she lovingly crafted. The soft satin choke collar still adorned her neck though it was no longer a plain piece one that made it appear she had a mosaic pattern on her skin. Her eyes seemed to care genuinely, something Raven had not gotten used to yet.

"It's the only way, Jinx," Raven muttered. "It's not optimal, but it's the only way we're going to get the obsidian key."

Jinx strode over and knelt down in front of her new leader and pulled her chin to face her beautiful purple eyes.

"Raven, they're desperate. Trust me; they will do any horrible act they can to get the Archon Ring from you or to stop you. If Sovereign is going to have a chance, we can't risk losing you."

Raven wanted to pull away from the girl's warm fingers that gently held her chin, but the scent of blueberries and hairspray was captivating. Raven was only able to avert her eyes. "Do you have a better plan? The aerial bombs are only going to work for so long."

Jinx lowered her head and nodded mournfully. Every scenario they had run showed their defeat at the hands of the JLA. They had to play a long game that none of them was comfortable with, especially Raven.

The young sorceress felt the comforting nudge from Sovereign that she was not alone. He had warned her about losing her friends, but she did not realize how bad the ache was going to be.

"We're arriving, Raven," See-More called from the cockpit, his single eye rotated to infrared mode. "I'm not detecting anything on infrared scans."

The Azerathian Sorceress nodded and stood pulling her hood up over her head so only her eyes and lower mouth could be seen. She had added a bit of body armor to the usual black unitard she wore as instinct was telling her that this fight was going to be much more difficult.

Looking back, she found the familiar villains that were now on her team. Mammoth was prepping his equipment, having brought a heavier duty armor though Raven wondered if it was necessary. The massive man was almost unstoppable and was a testament to his nickname. Jinx had stepped up and declared herself Raven's second in command, even though she was neither asked or offered. The hex witch had not lied that she was searching for Sovereign for a long time and had met multiple people who had wanted his vision or wanted to be on the winning side.

Bulletman stood there in his simple outfit, but a cone-shaped metal helmet that Raven was told allowed him to fly and deflect bullets. The minor metahuman had retired a while ago but came back at Jinx's request.

The others were a strange hodgepodge of mercenaries who heard there was good money in it, which Jinx seemed to have plenty in and others who were there for their reasons. Raven did not need true believers, but she needed them for the coming battle.

A woman in a white dress was letting down her excessively long hair that seemed to twitch and move on her own. Raven had been told she was Godiva and had control over her hair in a way animals could control their tails while a decrepit old man that appeared to mostly plant stayed huddled in the corner. The Floronic Man was known to hate having his feet off the ground.

"Beginning approach!" See-More called from the cockpit, and Raven moved towards the landing gangplank that was about to descend. The machines rumbled, and the plank lowered letting the heavy rain wash in with the wind. Raven's cape billowed about her legs, and she tilted her head down to keep the water out of her eyes.

'This is the point of no return.'

That was not true as that decision was made long ago, but this was going to pit her against those she once called friends. Though she could not see them twelve stories down, she knew Robin was there with the Teen Titans and the Justice League. There was a good chance Iris was there too. She was going to have to cut her way through them to succeed in bringing peace to the realities.

Stepping out, she began to float down towards the rooftop and the helicopter landing pad. The ignition of the jetpacks of her mercenary escorts and the howl of the ARGUS dropship filled the air around Raven. As her feet touched the ground and the soldiers clomped down around her, she heard the voice strong through the cutting rain.

"That's far enough, Raven."


It was the man with the metal arm with the red star that spotted the incoming dropship from his sniper position on the nearby building. Though the introductions were hurried, Robin remembered his name quite well. They called him Winter Soldier. Agent Coulson had brought a few metahumans from his reality, and they were well trained. One man stood beside him in a Blue medium armored suit and a red white and blue shield strapped to his back.

Winter Soldier's voice came through the piece installed in Robin's ear. "I see it. Medium sized dropship is closing high and fast, Cap."

"Understood, Bucky. Thanks." Steve Rogers responded and gave Coulson a nod. He then turned to Robin and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry it came to this, Mister Robin. We'll try to be gentle as best as we can. The tetrodotoxin B bullets will render her unconscious."

"She's not going to go gentle on you, Captain America," Robin responded cynically. "She never goes easy on who she perceives as an enemy."

"That's why I'm hoping you can talk her down, "Steve said with an uncharacteristic kindness Dick was not used to seeing in soldiers.

"I honestly don't know who she is anymore, sir."

"Heads up. Dropship's hovering and door opening. Counting six mercenaries and one woman that...appears to be wearing a cloak?"

"That's her," Robin said with a definitive nod to Captain America.

The rain drilled hard into those who were hidden around the rooftops. SHIELD agents mixed with ARGUS agents and metahumans waited for the Azerathian sorceress to touch down.

Robin stepped out of the cover and tried to put on the best commanding presence he could muster.

"That's far enough, Raven."

She turned to face him, her dark eyes staring at him from underneath her rain-soaked cloak. Her feet had not touched the ground, so she just hovered there in her dark glory.

"Don't get in the way, Robin. I don't want to hurt you."

"What you're planning to do will hundred millions of people, Raven. I've seen the footage of the last time Sovereign tried to come through. This isn't you."

"I got a bead on her," Winter Soldier's voice came across the earpiece.

"Hold your fire." Captain America's voice responded. "Give him a chance to talk her down."

"Raven, Sovereign is evil. He's manipulating you into doing this. He's using you as a means to an end."

"Like how you used me?" Raven snarled back at him, a hint of red appearing in her eyes. "How you always put me in the thick of the fights. Do you know how many bruises I've received trying to be a good soldier for you."

The venom and ferocity of her words caught Robin off guard. He took a step back not sure how to respond.

"This world is tearing itself apart. Realities are tearing themselves apart. They need peace and order, and Jason can bring it. Step aside, Robin and let me achieve it so you, Starfire, Cyborg, and the rest will never have to fight and risk their lives again."

"I can't do that, Raven. You know that."

"You can," she hissed through her teeth. "You just refuse to do it."

Captain America's words rang clear through the earpiece.

"Take her down."

The building was close enough that the report of Winter Soldier's sniper rifle ricocheted through the metal buildings but as quickly as the night-night bullet traveled, a black incandescent field appeared around Raven, and it shattered on impact.

"What the hell?" Winter Soldier barked in surprise.

"Titans Go!"


The shield was instinctive though Raven was sure Sovereign had a hand in it. The round exploded in a blue puff upon impact, and Robin's battle cry told her it had started. The ARGUS drop ship swooped in and spilled out Godiva, Floronic Man, and Jinx who landed in the middle of the free for all. Bulletman zipped past into the battle bowling over Cyborg who attempted to jetpack in the air and get into the fray.

A circular disc sang out, and Raven feinted left as it whizzed by striking off the dropship and coming back to catch Bulletman in the back of the head. It reflected back to the strange man in the blue armor and mask with the letter A in white.

He caught the shield and went to throw it again, but a burst of pink energy struck it, and the shield careened to the right of where he was throwing and caught Robin in the chest before bouncing back and hitting Cyborg who had just thrown Bulletman off.

"What was that?!" the man with the A said surprised.

"She's a hex witch," Robin roared over the din of battle. "She can curse things with bad luck."

Jinx's voice cackled maniacally as she danced through the battle sending bolts of purple energy all about. Balling up the power in front of her, Raven pushed a flash of black light through the soldiers guarding the entrance, and she began to advance. It was then, with a heavy thud, the red and blue with the billowing cape landed in front of her.

"That's enough, Raven," Superman said sternly.

"Hey, sups!"

Superman turned to see Jinx to his left. She threw back her shoulder cape and lobbed four spheres into the air. Instinctively, Superman used his heat vision to incinerate them, but they exploded casting a green haze in the area. He chocked and stepped back.

"Kryptonite!"

A smirk crossed Raven's face. It was becoming so much easier to see this man, the symbol of the JLA's failure to protect the world face it's worst weakness.

The man with the A rushed in and deflected a blast of black energy at Superman and quickly pulled the man away getting him clear enough to fly away.

"This whole place will be saturated, Superman." Jinx taunted. "Better keep your distance."

"Take her down, Bucky!" The man with the A was yelling, but Raven knew the snipers were having trouble targeting. The heat sensors in the rain were useless while See-More was broadcasting the signal directly at their nest.

It was then that the plan began to fall apart. The man with the A hurled his shield at the ARGUS dropship, and the left engine exploded. It started to shutter, and Jinx looked to Raven with fear in her eyes. Raven nodded.

"Fall back!" Jinx called to those still standing. Most of the soldiers had fallen, and Beast Boy had just taken down Godiva with his octopus form.

The glint caught Raven's eye, and she saw the shield coming for her. She hesitated and braced for the pain. It exploded through her chest as it caught her directly on the breast and the sorceress fell backward landing hard. The wind gasped out of her lungs as they piled on to her. Stun sticks were applied to her body sending scorching agony through each point. The control sticks latched around her wrists forcing her on all fours shocking her every time she tried to flex.

Raven fought hard not to scream, but the agony was too much. She let out a dreadful wail as the Iris Strike Team latched a collar around her neck that shocked her into silence. One of the soldiers flew through the air from a blast of energy and Raven turned to see Jinx charging through bleary eyes.

"Jinx. Run!" Raven commanded with as much power as she could through the electricity.

Jinx hesitated but began to back off as Cyborg started to close on her. She quickly leaped off the side of the building and landed into the damaged dropship that banked and departed through the city away. Raven breathed a sigh of relief when Superman was not up to giving chase.

A man in a suit, soaked to the bone and a receding hairline came up to her with his gun drawn. Raven pushed herself up on to her knees to glare at him defiantly. If she was going to be executed, he's going to look right at her.

"The rounds in this weapon are non-lethal, Miss Roth, and I prefer not to use them, but I can't risk you trying anything until we get you properly secured and taken care of."

With that, he fired a round into her chest. The potent chemicals swamp through her system, and she passed out to black.