"Looks like an ordinary helmet to me." Artemis says as they study the helmet in Richard's hands as he holds it up for study during their late breakfast.
"It's not, but I can't say what it is." Raven mentions, getting a nod of agreement from Philipus who also senses it.
"So a magical helmet from a long dead king and an unknown gift from the goddess Athena?" Ferdinand says as he tries to get his head around the events. "And we heard nothing?"
"Slept like a rock." Diana shrugs. "But I suggest you wait with examining it till you get back." She continues at Richard, getting his attention. "Just in case."
"Think that's a good idea." He replies, thinking the helmet might take him to some alternate dimension or the distant past and puts it down."Reminds me, we need to get going if we want to be there on time." He says noting the time, ten minutes till ten.
"Yeah." Raven nods as she gets out of her seat as he does. "We'll be back later." She says to the others who nods at them before she takes herself and Nightwing away.
"So, who wants to try it on first?" Io asks, motioning at the helmet left on the table.
Metropolis Police HQ, Washington DC:
"There you are, almost through you weren't going to get here." Garfield greets Raven and Nightwing as they turn a corner in the busy station to see him, Starfire and Cyborg sitting on a bench lined up by the wall.
"We checked in on time." Raven replies with a smirk. "How are you all… Hurk!" She is cut off when Starfire gets up and gives her a tight hug.
"We were so worried when those images appeared!" The alien princess says while refusing to let go.
"But it looked cool while you were flying on that… thing." Cyborg says with a smile Raven can see over Starfire's shoulder.
"Griffon." Raven corrects with a strained voice. "Gar, you want to pry your bride to be off me?" She asks the green man.
"Sure." Garfield replies, getting Starfire to snap her eyes open in surprise for Nightwing to see just before Changeling morphs into a small snake that crawls up the back of Starfire's top, getting a yelp out of her before she begins jumping around to get him out.
"Garfield I have said numerous times before, no tickling in public!" She says after finally dislodging him to the snickers of Cyborg and Nightwing while Garfield morphs back to normal sporting a smirk.
"So you ok man?" Cyborg asks Nightwing, showing real concern for him. "What's with the torn suit?"
"Yeah, I am now, though I was borderline psychotic for a while. We stayed at the Themysciran Embassy for the night, Athena showed up and decided to have me fight a few armed guys for her own amusement."
"You were victorious?" Starfire asks while the question marks form over Cyborgs and Beastboys heads.
"Yeah, fortunately, think they would have killed me if I didn't." Nightwing says with a smirk before someone coughs behind him.
"Titans." Captain Marcus says. "If you will follow me, I'll show you where you will be interviewed." He says before leading them off to a small corridor with five doors leading into separate rooms, showing them one each where an officer is waiting for them, Raven's however turns out to be different.
"Miss Waller, why do I doubt you have been assigned to just ask me about Terra?" Raven asks as Marcus closes the door behind him, leaving Raven with the woman seated at the aluminium table.
"That assumption would be correct." The woman replies flatly. "Have a seat." She continues and motions at the chair on the other side of the table.
"No thank you." Raven replies, knowing that Waller was exactly the sort of person you could expect every Bond trick from, including booby-trapped chairs and secret sub-levels. "What is this about Waller?"
"That is for me to know." Waller says. "Sit down."
"No." Raven replies while crossing her arms across her chest, remaining at the door while she and Waller lock eyes for a few seconds before Waller flinches.
"Right." She sighs while Raven smirks in satisfaction. "I have a number of questions for you that I hope you will answer. And before you ask, I am here under orders from President Thorne." Raven just remains silent and immovable, prompting Waller to continue. "The League reports that, the individual called Ares was the actual god from the Greek pantheon?"
"They can alter their appearance at will if they wish, but it was him."
"And you can tell this, how?" Amanda asks.
"I have senses other than those normal humans have, but most mages would be able to confirm this, unless the Gods chooses to hide themselves. You have the connections to read about Wonder Woman's mission in Kashnia with Hawk and Dove, where it was revealed Ares was impersonating one of the faction leaders and a priest to provoke more bloodshed. Aside that, it is simply to have seen him up close and you'd know it."
"And this Ares, where is he now?" Amanda asks.
"In a safe place."
"Safe is six feet under, preferably incinerated. Where is he?" Amanda continues.
"In a safe place." Raven replies and gets a look. "It is a secret."
"I don't need to tell you the things I know about you and where you normally hide?" Amanda asks. "What if that became public?" Raven just stares at her with a slightly raised eyebrow, Bruce had warned her often enough that Waller knew who he was, it just surprises her that it's come to this so soon.
"I wouldn't threaten me or those close to me Amanda, because I know what he knows and you know that. And you know what I am and what I can do and I hear the CIA has a routine of writing people off as missing. And you aren't without family or friends." Again the two end up in a staring contest where the sparks almost fly between them. "Don't push it."
"This is why my file on you is so thick." Amanda says as she rubs her eyes. "Outside of this room you've practically become a national item with your actions in Gotham and on Paradise Island, yet here we haven't spoken for more than two minutes before you threaten lives."
"I only respond to your threats." Raven shrugs. "But rest assured that the part of me that really was evil, has been completely subdued and has been for over two years now."
"And that's two things, Ares is in an undisclosed location and the part of you people really worry about is subdued, tell me you wouldn't be alarmed if you were in someone else's shoes?"
"The thing is Miss Waller, other people know what really happened, people I trust. But I don't see it likely that we ever get that close, you may be the League liaison now, but we know Cadmus is not gone. And I don't want to find out that Ares has suddenly been 'rescued' and set loose again by some fool that had no idea what they were dealing with."
"Hmm." Amanda rumbles but oddly enough; smirks. "At least by saying rescued, I will note it down he is not in a particularly pleasant place. Tell me about Terra." Amanda says, getting Raven to raise an eyebrow at the sudden change in the conversation before it dawns on her that Waller wasn't an idiot, and that she knew enough about the mystical to be able to read between the lines and that it had all been an exercise for her to at least confirm that Ares wasn't coming back anytime soon.
"Blond, 5'5 feet tall, blue eyes, Caucasian. We met her first time when we rushed to her aid in the desert outside of Jump City, thinking she needed the aid against a giant scorpion. Turns out the meeting was symbolic in one way, when she lead it into a trap. The team liked her and welcome her in, but after a week or so, it turned out she barely had any control of her powers if stressed, when confronted with this knowledge, she fled, thinking we would eventually cast her out. She returned a month later, having completely mastered her powers, seemingly. In reality she was an infiltrator, sent by Slade, when this became evident. The team thought at first that she was being blackmailed into doing his bidding, but after she almost killed us all, we concluded that this was not the case. When we confronted her and Slade again, it she turned again and saved us all from a volcano she accidentally triggered. Almost two years later, after we returned from trying to organize the many young heroes scattered around the globe, Beastboy found out she had survived the volcano and was now living like any other young girl, going to school, had friends and all that, but without memory of her previous life and showing no signs of wanting to remember it. And none of us heard of her, till she was encountered in Jump City two years ago, doing Luthors work, her mind had deteriorated over the years and she had to be incarcerated in Arkham after her apprehension, where she stayed till it was burned down by Firefly. She stayed lost, though we suspected she fled to Markovia seeking shelter under her half-brothers protection, till her recent string of terrorist attacks."
"What was your initial take on her?" Amanda continues while making a few notes.
"She had potential, but I could tell she was struggling with her powers." Raven replies flatly.
"And when she returned?"
"I caught a brief glimpse of her after brushing shoulders with her, where I saw Slade, but I couldn't prove anything at that point. For that reason Terra hates me more than the others, because I caught on that early and made her infiltration that much harder."
"You know I have talked to her before coming here?" Amanda asks, getting a nod. "She claims it was all your fault, that you drove her to what she's become."
"She would." Raven shrugs. "But amuse me; how did I drive her?"
"She claims that you drove her away from the Titans initially, driving her into Deathstroke's arms. She claimed she often had nightmares when she was in the Tower and that you always were in them as the object directly or indirectly making her dreams worse and that it caused her to 'freak out', as she called it. She said she frequently felt someone was watching her when she tried to forget her old life and that it eventually drove her to join Luthor."
"I never went near her on purpose, much less cared about how she was doing when we were in Jump. But the real question is; do you believe her?"
"I believe you are certainly capable and have a part of you that would do it. You were jealous of her when she returned the first time? Weren't you?" Amanda asks, the question makes Raven realize why she smirked when threatened.
"Of course I was, I never had a childhood because I needed to be trained to control my powers. Then she shows up with the same problem, and in the span of a month or two she shows up again with complete mastery of them, how could I not be threatened by that? If you really want to know, I was scared that she would become a wedge between me and the others. Robin could easily have begun to question why I had yet to attain Terra's level of control. But I never did anything to her before she turned on us or after she turned up again. You didn't answer my question." Raven notes.
"I have reviewed the numerous case files on her and based on those I am inclined to believe she is making it up, but it is equally possible that you have done all of this to her. And so does many in the public, despite your current wave of goodwill, there are those who still blame you for it."
"That I know." Raven shrugs. "But I never asked her to do what she's done. I even suggested early on to call her out, but I was advised not to in hopes of her apprehension in a traditional fashion."
"I know what she has done to get your attention." Amanda sighs. "You had the chance to take vengeance on her in a place where no one would blame you for doing it from what I hear. Why didn't you?"
"They would have, the League would have kicked me out. But that was not the reason, she was beaten and no longer a threat. There was no reason for me to go futher, it wouldn't undo anything she did and only cause me more grief."
"And if Hippolyta has told you to?"
"I wouldn't have hesitated." Raven replies without a hint of emotion.
"And the wounds on her back?" Amanda asks.
"Punishment for invading and taking control of the Amazons." Raven shrugs.
"The administration is well aware of the rumored treatment of unwanted visitors to your island and were surprised when you turned her over. Why the difference?"
"Her crimes were greater here than on Themyscira, Hippolyta felt it wise to let such a wanted terrorist be handed over to those who she wronged as a diplomatic gesture."
"And there's nothing beyond that?" Amanda asks.
"No." Raven replies without hesitation.
"I don't believe that, there is something you are not telling me." Amanda is just met with silence from Raven. "Fine, but if anything happens to Terra, I am going to come looking for you."
"Good day to you Ms. Waller." Raven shrugs before turning around and walking through the door, noting down the possibility of Terra ending up in some government controlled program controlled by Waller, if for nothing else, to bait her into doing something stupid that would give Waller some power over her.
Later:
"So everyone got to tell their tales?" Cyborg asks as Starfire, as the last person joins the rest of them in the hallway.
"More or less." Raven shrugs. "Waller was more interested in me, apparently." She adds when the others look at her.
"Amanda Waller?" Richard asks getting a nod. "Why?"
"Probably because I don't want to talk to her, and that she has tried to corner me a few times before." She continues. "Hopefully you all had your chances?" She asks the others.
"Yeah." Cyborg sighs. "Man, when I look back, I almost think we should have noticed back then."
"Well, we didn't… I didn't." Nightwing corrects.
"Me neither." Starfire adds.
"Doubt we could have, I mean, she is really good at acting, most of the time." Changeling adds, getting an uncomfortable silence between them before continuing. "Well… at least she is behind bars now."
"Yeah." Cyborg agrees. "So you guys wanna do something now that we are all here?"
"Coffee perhaps?" Nightwing suggests, trying to avoid the otherwise inevitable pizza suggestion he feared coming, it was too early for him to eat that.
"Actually, that sounds good." Raven chips in as her communicator starts bleeping. "Never fails." She sighs before answering. "Raven… you're kidding? Right, I'll bring him along." She replies before being hung up.
"Who was that?" Garfield asks.
"Wonder Woman, I have to get Nightwing back to the Embassy." Raven replies.
"Whoa? What have I done now?" Richard asks, wondering if the others had found something new to hate him for.
"Guess who's managed to get her head stuck in your magic helmet?" Raven replies as she grabs his arms and begins pulling him along.
"Magic helmet?!" Cyborg and Changeling asks in unison.
"Er…" Nightwing sighs as Raven stops.
"Longer story, you better see it before you try to find it." She says before engulfing them all in shadows. Waller just sees them depart as her call is taken and she closes the to the interview room door again.
"Anything?" She asks.
"Not much, she brought up her defenses as soon as she saw you." Comes the reply. "Figure she knows?"
"Damn." Waller growls to herself, she knew this opportunity slipped by her the moment she was asked to do it in person. "Pack it up, we are leaving in 30." She says before hanging up.
Embassy of Themyscira:
"I don't know… ngrf… how you get yourself into these predicaments sister?" Penelope asks as she pulls on the helmet lodged onto Io's head, while Diana is holding onto Io, Artemis is adding to Penelope's attempts while they are all straining in the foyer.
"I did tell you to leave it alone." Diana mentions.
"How was I supposed to know it was booby-trapped?!" Io complains as they try again. "Easy! I want to keep my head on my shoulders!" She complains as she feels like her head is about to pop off. "Whoa!" She exclaims as Penelope loses her grip and the two groups end up on the ground.
"Sorry Sister, lost my grip." Penelope says from the ground, while Philipus and Antiope have a hard time hiding their mirth as the two leaning against the railing surrounding the wrecked statue of Athena.
"Well this is something you don't see every day." Raven says as she appears out of her soul-self, followed by the other Titans.
"By Zeus' beard, this couldn't get any worse." Io sighs as she spots Cyborg, Changeling and Starfire, while Nightwing just stares at her. "Mind getting this thing off my head?" She asks him in English.
"Er… I don't know what I am supposed to do?" Nightwing admits sheepishly while wondering why he suddenly understood the first part of what Io had said and how she got her head stuck in the first place.
"Bloody thing squeezed tight when I put it on." Io sighs.
"I suspect it is like Shadowfury." Philipus says. "It will only recognize the owner. While amusing to watch, I doubt anyone can pull it off like they have tried." She says motioning at the group getting off the floor. "But you might be able to take off without strain."
"Well, I'll try." Nightwing says. "But don't bite me if I can't." He continues as he walks over to Io. "Here goes." He says as he puts his hands on either side of the helmet and lifts with all his strength, suspecting some kind of resistance, but the helmet comes off without any resistance and almost has him fall over onto his back. "Ok?"
"Thank the gods it's off!" Io says while wiping the sweat off her face. "Thought I was going to cook inside of it."
"Now I really wonder if I want to try it on." Nightwing says as he holds the helmet, noting that nothing seemed to have changed about it.
"I hope you haven't been trying on my armor when it was in your shop?" Raven asks Io with a smirk.
"Funny woman, you know I'm practically twice your size." Io sighs. "Did you have to bring an audience?"
"They would be pestering him to no end to see the helmet." Raven replies. "Anyways, I was hoping we could enjoy a cup of coffee now that we are here?" She asks, turning to see if Cyborg, Starfire or Changeling could object.
"Well, I'd prefer a round of pizza, but coffee sounds good." Changeling adds. "I guess you two have other places to be?" He asks.
"We do, but we shouldn't have to go before the evening." Nightwing says. "So that gives us the afternoon, if we are allowed to stay that is?" He asks, turning to Diana, having thought of something that Diana seems to be able to read just by the question.
"I'm sure Ferdinand will make us some." She replies. "But I think we should all see what that helmet actually does besides trapping hapless Amazons."
"You wound me Princess." Io sighs to the smirks of the other Amazons, Nightwing smirks to himself understanding Io perfectly.
"Well, I expect you will tell Batman why I have this on my head, in case I can't get it off again." Nightwing says as he turns the helmet over in his hands before slipping it over his head, instantly he feels something react to the event as several people appear in the foyer, which make Nightwing worry if he is going to have to fight them again.
"Took you long enough." Leonidas says as he is chewing on an apple, while sitting with one leg on the statues railing, right next to Antiope who apparently doesn't even notice he is there. "Don't mind them, they can't see us." He says motioning at the Amazons and Titans with a finger. "Not even her." He continues as he points out Raven.
"I guess they can't hear you either." Nightwing says, stirring the others who look around themselves. "Easy, helmet lets me see some people you can't." He says and locks eyes with Diana as a signal.
"What kind of people?" Antiope asks.
"The ones I fought last night." Nightwing continues.
"As you have no doubt noticed, Gray Eyed Athena granted you the gift to understand us and now we can understand you." Achilles says while strolling around Starfire, taking her in.
"There's one of them over here?" Cyborg asks while studying the screen he popped out of his arm to see if anything was reading.
"Better you leave her alone, you can't touch her." Odysseus says to Achilles while he studies the stone sculpture of Zeus near the wall. "The gift the helmet bestows on you is that when you wear it, we can communicate with you from the afterlife and by speaking our names some of our attributes will become available to you for a short time."
"By this modern scale, it lasts around a minute or so." Perseus says while studying the Amazons. "We were told this new age is vastly different from our own…"
"Anything happening?" Changeling asks as he walks over to wave his hand in front of Nightwing's eyes, getting an annoyed grumble out of him
"… but perhaps a warrior as yourself will find use for the things we can offer."
"Like what?" Nightwing asks, trying to ignore the living people that begin to look at him as if he is crazy.
"Invoke my name and your body, save your right ankle will become invulnerable." Achilles says without breaking off his stare from Starfire's chest, making Nightwing wonder if the foam he used last night would work now.
"Speaking mine will make your aim true." Odysseus adds.
"Call me if you need added strength and courage." Leonidas says as he keeps eating.
"And if you say mine, your eyes will show them the gaze of what I have I my bag." Perseus says while Garfield begins circling his finger around his ear to Cyborg, getting Raven to roll her eyes at him.
"But being civil only requires for you to wear the helmet." Leonidas adds with his mouthful. "And before you take it off, remember only those who's earned it can wear it."
"And how do you define that part?" Nightwing asks.
"Depends on the person." Achilles says. "But you did that yesterday, but there are three others in here who can wear it. So make sure they understand not to speak Perseus' name while looking at someone else." Nightwing nods at them before taking the helmet off.
"Interesting one-way conversation." Artemis notes.
"Well, the thing is this helmet allows me to see Leonidas, Perseus, Achilles and Odysseus and talk to them. If I need to, I can say one of their names and get a boost of sorts."
"And my head getting stuck in it was not one of them?" Io asks.
"Sorry, they said it's a question if you are worthy or not." Nightwing explains, noticing Io steadily growing red in the face. "I didn't make the rules." He sighs, making her sigh heavily through her nostrils.
"If you will excuse me, I need to go break something." Io growls before walking out of the room.
"Something good needs to happen for her soon or she is going to pop." Raven mentions.
"She's that easy to anger usually?" Cyborg asks.
"No." Artemis says. "It's just her last real success was what? Some 60 years ago when she built Diana's jet." She continues, looking at Diana for confirmation of the time span getting a nod. "And that was a lackluster one since she wasn't allowed to fly it."
"Also she is trying to adjust to doing something other than work in her forge all day." Raven adds. "Reminds me, that note I sent you before the quake?" She asks Cyborg as they begin drifting towards the kitchen.
"Oh that. Well tech part is solid, in case you didn't notice; the part you sent me seems to be an energy converter. Very advanced and very small, but I don't understand the kind of energy it would need, see the receptors don't exactly match anything I know of. So there's also the hokus pokus that I don't get, including the energy needed. But I guess you knew I wouldn't." He explains. "Mind me asking why you only sent me a part of it?"
"Yeah, I figured you'd be the one to send that part to. I was only allowed to have the plans, as long as Io would not come to man's world and find the finished item here." Raven nods in understanding, checking off Cyborg from the list. "There weren't any flaws at all?" She asks as they enter the empty kitchen.
"Nope, not in the tech part at least." Cyborg shrugs.
"Hmm, think I better find out how the rest of the parts are coming, if you will excuse me." She says quickly before teleporting to the roof, where she knows she won't be overheard and activates her communicator.
"Raven to Watchtower."
"Watchtower receiving go ahead Raven." Oliver Queen replies.
"Ollie, any chance you can patch me through to Michael?"
"Aww gee, I think I can manage that." The man replies, getting a weak smile out of Raven since the archer was after everyone he considered having god-like powers, which meant he was quite often teasing her, Diana, Superman, but occasionally it turned vicious when it was Captain Atom. "Here you go kiddo."
"Mr. Terrific receiving." Michael Holt says after the change in channel.
"Michael, its Raven. I was wondering if you've had time to look at that note I sent you?"
"Sure have, interesting stuff by the way. But as far as I can tell, the tech for the spectrum converter is flawless, would help if I knew what the end result was meant to do?"
"Any chance you can tell me what it does now?" Raven asks avoiding the question.
"Well, right now it's projecting a ray of some kind, depending on the energy fed into it, the result is altered, I've run a few simulations on what the possible results could be and most of them seems to make it into a laser. So far I have only tried a few types of energy; sound, heat and nuclear radiation. But I'd need a lot more time if I am I going to predict what happens if you try feeding it magic or something like that. Any additional info could be useful?"
"I know, the inventor made a proto-type of the finished device and all it did was as you said, burn stuff, which wasn't the intention. I tried feeding it some of my energy with the same results. Is it possible it is the setting that's wrong?"
"Not with the current specs, change anything and you will just get the same results, which is remarkable I might add. I suppose Bruce has been too busy to have a look at this?"
"Yeah." Raven sighs. "I guess you know you are only looking at a part of the finished item right now, but you say the tech is spot on?"
"Yup. The magic stuff however is out of my league, at the moment." Raven smirks at bit at this, Michael never failed to point out that one day, everything, including magic would be explainable by science.
"Well, thanks for the effort, can I call you back if it continues to foul up?" Raven asks.
"Sure, I just hope you bring more info along with you. But good luck with whatever you are building." Michael says before the line is closed.
"Well, tech is solid it seems, time for the magic." Raven says before she reaches out with the small spell she was taught in case she needed to contact Fate, one that was much more reliable than his communicator. "Kent? It's Raven, are you busy?" She asks with closed eyes.
"Not at all." Dr. Fate replies in her head as clearly as if he was standing in front of her.
"I was wondering if you've had a look at that note I sent you?"
"I have, as have Zatanna." Fate says, making Raven blink, they weren't supposed to know. "She contacted me with her part and we looked it over together."
"Oh." Raven says.
"We went looking in my library for the spell we meant was imprinted on the device and remarkably, it is the same as the one you once employed to aid your friend."
"Really?" Raven asks, genuinely surprised, though she had recognized parts of the incantations, but such similarities were common within a field of particular schools of magic.
"Indeed, though it seems to have been constructed so that it would need something other than the psychical ingredients that you used."
"Like another power source?" Raven asks.
"Yes, but it has to be a very specific one for it to work as intended." Raven considers for a second if she should tell or not before deciding.
"The original plans were drawn so that it was powered by a core of amazonium, if you know of it?" Raven asks, knowing the core was the one thing she didn't mention to any of them, save J'onn.
"I do, but it is beyond rare outside of Themyscira, I only have a few grains of it." Fate replies. "Also, as the spell stands it is without focus, but I suspect that is where the technological part of this enters the field."
"It is." Raven says, as a thought strikes her. "There are no flaws at your end then?"
"None, but the crafter will need an incredible level of skill for this sort of construction to work, even more so to make it stable."
"Ok, thank you for looking it over." Raven says, getting a farewell before she switches to telepathy, knowing the receiver was bound to hear. "J'onn?"
"Raven." The Martian replies. "This is about the device you showed me?"
"News travels fast." Raven notes. "But yeah."
"Regretfully I cannot grasp the mesh between magic and science in this matter, but the idea is intriguing."
"Hmm, a pity, well thanks for looking it over at least." Raven sends as she sits down and opens a portal to retrieve the plans from the pocket dimension she has stored her more prized possessions in since retrieving them from the mansion. "There has to be something we aren't seeing with this, and add the flaw Io said had to be here." She mumbles to herself as she studies the designs before drawing a blank. "I don't get it, everything is supposedly working according to plan. Hmm… maybe she has managed to fool us all with this? Herself included?" She says to herself as she decides to look it all over one more time.
Next Chapter: Will they figure out what's wrong with the Purple Healing Ray? How will the Titans react to the new couple? Will some of Beastboy's ill-placed words from Book 1 come back to haunt him? And just how does he manage Starfire if she doesn't listen to him?