"From now on I think we should listen to the psychic's intuition," Robin said to my left as I awoke, my mind fuzzy. I tried to stand, but my arms and legs were shackled to the metal chair I sat on. Swiveling my head to the left and right I saw Robin and Nightwing tied up in similar fashion, their backs against each other.
"Apparently we underestimated Penguin's numbers," I heard Huntress say behind me.
"Apparently," I agreed dryly as six of the thugs in question entered the room, circling us, machine guns pointed straight at our chests. The Penguin himself followed them in, coming to a stop in front of me.
"It's amazing how four dimwitted so called superheroes such as yourselves could be such a pain in my ass," Penguin said, pointing his trademark umbrella at my face.
"Did you really think we'd sit back and watch you take over Gotham for Darkseid?" Robin asked.
"No. I knew you were coming for me," Penguin said, smiling grimly, "In fact, I counted on it."
"What?" I asked, a shiver of unease running up my spine. I wanted nothing more than to break the binds holding us down, but I knew if I did the thugs would shoot to kill, and they had taken my staff. I had nothing to defend the others with.
"Once I take you four out Darkseid will have his run of Gotham. With the citizens turned into mindless slaves, armed with the best weapons courtesy of yours truly, the Justice League will have no choice but to come. And then..." Penguin leveled his umbrella at my face once more, and pulled an imaginary trigger, "Bang."
"And then what?" I asked, my panic rising as the others began to struggle against their binds, "Darkseid turns Earth into a barren wasteland? Have fun selling your weapons when the human race is extinct."
"I won't have to. I'll be dead." My breath caught for a moment after hearing Penguin's declaration. What was he talking about?
"What do you mean you'll be dead?" I asked.
"Once Darkseid runs the Justice League ragged he'll take away their willpower. They'll be at his right hand as he destroys the Earth. He'll have no use for us anymore."
"Then why help him?" I asked, aghast.
"Because he told me to," Penguin said, staring straight ahead, "My will... Is Darkseid."
"Shit," I muttered as the thugs closed in on us, "The villains aren't taking advantage of the Justice League in Metropolis, Darkseid is. He has them under his control. I knew this made no sense."
"We'll celebrate this breakthrough once we get out of here," Nightwing said, "Any ideas?"
"Yeah," I said, "Just be ready." Reaching out with my powers I wrapped them around the guns the thugs were holding, jerking them up and out of their hands. I tossed them through the nearby window, shattering the glass.
"Get them!" Penguin roared. Dipping my powers into the locks holding us captive, I sighed in relief as they opened with a click.
"Now the fun part," Huntress said as she dove at the nearest thug.
"She frightens me just a little bit," I told Robin as we joined the fray. It was tougher for me without my staff, but I took strength in remembering my training from Bruce. As the thugs went down one after another I saw Penguin slip out the back.
"Finish this!" I told Nightwing, "I'm going after Penguin."
"Raven, wait!" Nightwing called, but I didn't listen. Penguin was our key to Darkseid, and ending this war. I wasn't about to let him slip through our fingers. Diving over fallen tables and chairs I followed Penguin out the rear entrance, and glanced around, looking for any sight of him. I crept forward, trying to stay as silent as possible.
"You have no idea how happy I am that you are the one," Penguin's voice rang out from behind me. I spun around to see Penguin holding a small, odd looking gun in my direction. Before I had the chance to use my powers to disarm him a beam of blue light shot out from the gun striking my chest. I cried out, doubling over in pain as electricity ran through my body as if I'd been struck by lightning. Nightwing, followed closely by the others exited the nightclub, disarming Penguin and wrestling him into handcuffs.
"Raven?" Robin said, approaching me. I fell to my knees as a deep, dark voice permeated my mind.
Kill them. Kill them all.
I looked up at Robin, a dull listlessness enveloping me. Reaching out a hand, I used my powers to throw him back, pinning him against the wall.
"You must die. For Darkseid," I heard myself say. I clenched my fist and Robin's throat constricted, cutting off his air supply. He gasped for breath as his eyes widened in panic.
"Cass!" Nightwing yelled, running over to me. The sound of my real name startled me for a moment, my control slipping. Robin took in a deep breath of air.
"Let him go, Cass," Nightwing said, "I don't want to hurt you."
"I will." I had but a moment to glance at Huntress before her fist connected with my jaw, sending me sprawling. Robin dropped to the ground, coughing loudly. I jumped back up and aimed a kick at Huntress who was closing in on me again. She dodged, parrying it with a kick of her own. Nightwing grabbed me and pinned me to the wall.
"Don't do this," he said, "Don't let Darkseid take control." I headbutted him in response, knocking him back. A thrust kick to his chest sent him to the ground. Robin took his place, his hands gripping my shoulders.
"Cass, look at me!" He said, shaking me, "This isn't you. Remember who you are!" I grabbed him by the back of his head, and jerked it down as I brought my knee up to meet it. He stumbled back as Nightwing and Huntress readied themselves to attack. I held out my hand towards a window, and used my powers to call my staff and utility belt to me. As they came crashing through the window headed towards me I heard a whistling sound as something black came flying at me, impaling my hand. I hissed in pain as my hand was pinned to the wall.
"Huntress!" Nightwing said, aghast.
"She's not Cassandra," Huntress said, "You can't look at her as your friend."
I gripped the object and pulled it out, gritting my teeth against the pain. Glancing down at the object I saw it was a batarang. A surge of energy went through my body as memories assailed me.
"It's beautiful," I said.
"On the surface," Batman agreed, "but you and I both know what it hides. Murder, kidnappings, robbery... evil. Someone had to try and stop it."
"Why you?" I asked him, turning my gaze back to his face. For the first time since I'd met him he looked... sad, "You have everything. Why risk it all?" Batman shook his head.
"Your parents died in a car crash. Mine were murdered by a common thug. I didn't want other people to go through the kind of pain that we did. Money means nothing when there are people that suffer."
I shook my head at the memories, gripping the batarang tightly in my uninjured hand.
Kill them!
The dark voice returned, angrier. I lifted my arm, readying myself to throw the batarang back at Huntress, my hand shaking.
"I love you, Bruce," I whispered. A fierce, protective gleam crossed his features.
"Cass..."
"Shh, its okay," I told him, pressing a finger to his lips. He grabbed my hand and kissed my knuckles like he'd done the previous night in my room. The last time we had been happy. Knowing it was for the best, and before either of us changed our minds I picked up my bag, and slung it around my shoulders. He reached up and placed a hand tenderly against my cheek. I smiled up at him sadly.
"Goodbye, Bruce."
"No," I whispered. The batarang dropped to the ground as the shaking in my hand increased.
"Cass?" Robin took a step forward, but before he could say more the electricity returned, stabbing into my head painfully. Crying out, I gripped my head between my hands tightly. The pain was nearly unbearable.
KILL THEM! The voice screamed in my head. Then Robin was there, holding my arms tightly. He bent down to whisper in my ear.
"Don't give up," he said, "Bruce wouldn't want you to give in."
"He gave up on me," I whispered back, tears streaming down my face, from the pain or the realization I wasn't sure, "He didn't think I was strong enough."
"Then tell him," Robin said fiercely, "Get this alien douchebag out of your head so that you can show Bruce how wrong he was. Do it Cass!"
With a loud cry I called up every ounce of power I had left in my body and aimed it at the intruder winding its way through my brain. It exploded out of me in a blast of blue light, knocking both Robin and I to our backs where we lay panting.
"Cass?" he said, sitting up tentatively to look at me.
"Its me," I whispered as the last of my will returned to me. I sat up, wincing. Reaching out, I grabbed the gun that Penguin had used on me.
"So this is how he's controlling people," I said, examining the small weapon. Apart from the glowing blue streaks along the side, and its cylindrical appearance it looked like any other gun.
"We need to get that to the JLA," Nightwing said, taking it from me to inspect it, "Maybe they can find a way to reverse it."
"If we can break the hold Darkseid has over the villains we'll be able to concentrate our attack on Darkseid himself," Huntress added.
"Sounds like its time for a field trip," Nightwing said as Robin helped me up from the ground, handing me my fallen staff and belt.
"To Metropolis?" I asked. Nightwing shook his head.
"The Watchtower."