"I am afraid it is most of the blue hats that have been hit, Mister President." Amanda Waller says into the cell phone she is carrying while surveying all of the frozen heroes around her standing in the main street. "All of the red hats are back in custody, but that is unimportant from what I have been told."
"Better spill it to me Amanda."
"The founding League members are dead or missing, Mister President." She sighs as she looks at the ambulances that are preparing to depart with the dead; the line is dead for a few seconds.
"And Luthor is behind this?"
"Positive, most of the red hats claim he did it single handedly, but none of them were ever told what he was actually planning before they saw it happen in the blink of an eye."
"What do you suggest as a course of action?"
"I am not sure Mister President. Superman's head has been torn from his shoulders, Batman is a skeleton and Wonder Woman is a pile of gravel, if Lex is able to do that, I don't know if we have anything ready to counter it. Excuse me Sir, Dr. Fate is arriving." She says as a yellow ankh materializes in an open area with four people inside of it, one carried.
"This is not the worst of it." Aquaman says to Nightwing as he stares at his frozen colleagues. "Over here." He says as he motions at the ambulances.
"Dr. Fate!" Amanda says. "The President wants to know what we are dealing with here." Fate nods at the other two before addressing the woman.
"By using ancient and powerful magic's, Lex Luthor has usurped the power of probably the most powerful entity ever known; the Spectre, a spirit of vengeance."
"I know of the Spectre. Anything you can do to stop him?" Waller asks.
"The Spectre is being contested for the moment; actively there is nothing for us to do." The man says as Amanda can see Nightwing arguing with the paramedics who wants him to hand over Raven's body.
"I suppose you will say that this thing is unstoppable if left loose?" Amanda says as her eyes follow Nightwing around.
"The Spectre has been walking the Earth since the dawn of humanity, tied to a human soul since the times of Christ. It has a singular purpose, but it wields the power to erase reality if it finds humanity beyond salvation." Fate explains knowing well that the woman will ask him to prove it.
"You know this?"
"I assume you know the country of Vlatava?" He counters, knowing he needed a recent example.
"Yes, Eastern European, devastated in a singular explosion of non-nuclear kind after enduring decades of civil war, leaving only two survivors, Count Vertigo and his opponent, both leaders of the opposing factions." She rattles off.
"That was the Spectre passing judgment when its host was losing faith in his mission. It was the Spectre's sense of irony that spared the two."
"Hmm, so there is nothing to do but wait for whatever you are doing to work?" She asks.
"Unfortunately, but we have been assured that the best card is being played now." He sighs.
"If it works, it seems to have come at a cost." She mentions.
"We will mourn the League when there is time, for now, Raven is battling with herself, to prevent Armageddon." Fate blinks behind his mask, realizing he had let slip something the woman in front of him should not have known.
"You will explain that." She says and taps his chest with her phone. "I have looked very closely at several Raven's these last two months, and I will know if it is even the same person I'm looking at." Dr. Fate sighs at her.
"There is only one daughter of Trigon. I will show you what she is." He says as he places a glowing hand on Amanda's head. She finds herself and Fate in a burning wasteland where endless legions of fire beings are battling amongst themselves. "This is the Eight Pit, ruled since its creation by the demon known as Trigon. That is him." He says as Trigon's monstrous form crosses over the wasteland. "This is in the past, thousands of years ago in our world; he has just received news that another of his still infant children has perished."
"What is he?" Amanda asks as the demon lord disappears behind a mountain.
"One of the greatest evils to take physical form. Raven is the only child of his to ever live past infancy." Fate says as the vision changes to Gotham's streets where they see a pregnant woman disappear into an alley. "Amongst mystics, we know her only as the Carrier. We did not know her true name till recently, but we know she was fooled into carrying Trigons child. She was found by a collective of people who took her away to another dimension, known as Azerath." He says as they follow to see the woman being pulled through a white portal. "The inhabitants willingly took it upon themselves to raise Trigon's child in hopes of foiling his plans."
"Not a family man I take it?" Amanda notes as they survey changing scenery of Azerath.
"Trigon wanted only power and dominance. All of his attempts at a child were a means for him to gain access to our reality to conquer it. After that the fate of his offspring was insignificant. Azarath was a pacifist nation and they hoped that Raven would embrace their teachings to curb her heritage, but they chose not to raise her as one. Fortunately she understood that Trigon was to be opposed."
"So she came back to Earth to fight." Amanda finishes.
"She did. First she was turned away by the League, on Zatanna's advice." He says showing the event he had seen on a recorded image, Batman had asked him to see if there was anything about her, though he knew it was unlikely. "She sensed great evil within Raven, but did not see the evil was that of Trigon and not Raven's."
"You make it sound like she is carrying him inside of her." Amanda notes.
"In a way she is, watch." He says as the ritual he himself performed plays out in front of them, freezing when the demon was fully parted from Raven. "This is her demonic side." He says at the slightly smiling demon.
"I saw that on the space station."
"No, you saw this Raven change into something that grants her immense abilities." Fate argues as he motions at the screaming Raven. "The demon half of her grants her many powers, but is a separate entity in its own right. This half will see Trigon reborn and this world ended in a tide of blood, while her dominant human side will do anything to make sure it endures. Right now these two halves are battling amongst themselves to decide who the real mistress is and who is the slave, is Raven human or is she a demon."
"You say reborn." Amanda notes.
"I did. This I only know because my Tower was shielded against the ravages Trigon brought." Fate says as the image changes to the burnt down forest surrounding his tower. "Eventually Raven was forced to fulfill the doomsday prophecy of her birth and died bringing Trigon into this world, this is what happened." He continues as the view shifts to nearby Salem, in ruins and its people frozen in stone.
"My God." Amanda gasps.
"This was global; no one was spared, except for the Titans whom Raven shielded as a parting gift. I have been told that the Jump City Robin went into Trigon's realm after being informed that Raven was still alive and bought her back, hoping she'd know what to do. Trigon was for once in his existence caught totally unaware and his arrogance blinded him to the threat his daughter actually posed to him. He believed he had given her everything she had in terms of powers, I was told Raven was surprised when she drew on something that did not come from him and annihilated him utterly and restored the world. All of this happened about 5 years ago, and none of the frozen remembers it."
"And her ties to the Amazons?" Amanda asks after a second.
"A recent development, after you passed her. Raven was set on a series of trials by the League, her first was on Themyscira. Something drew Ares' attention to her. I have been told by Raven that Ares forced her to live a life as one of the ancient Amazons and what they went through. Raven went berserk and attacked Ares in a bid to buy the others time, as she thought, to escape to the sea. The Amazons were impressed by this feat enough to induct her." Amanda nods at him as the pieces of her puzzle fits into place.
"On a scale, how powerful is she?" She asks flatly.
"I fear she could overthrow this world if she wanted to, but that would be the demon she cages inside that has this desire." Amanda nods again.
"Tell me something, why did the Spectre not oppose this Trigon if it's one of the good guys?" She asks as the real world returns.
"I do not know, no one truly knows why or how the Spectre chooses his battles. But he chose not to intervene for his own reasons." Fate shrugs, he and his magically inclined colleagues had debated that question for several hours before coming up blank. "Perhaps he knew what would happen before it did?"
"Hmm, you have said much yet nothing at all. You don't actually know if she is a hero or should be put down." Amanda notes coldly.
"That Miss Waller will be answered shortly." Fate replies before turning away.
"They are all dead?" Nightwing asks to no one as he looks at the five stretchers, each with a founder on it, or what's left of them.
"I am sorry." Aquaman says with a heavy note of sadness as he looks at the pile of clay and Shayera. "We arrived too late to prevent it." Nightwing sighs.
"They would have wanted it this way if they couldn't grow old, they would wanted to go down fighting." He says.
"Aye, you are right, let us just hope it was not in vain." Aquaman continues.
"It won't, if I know Raven, if she is fighting, then she will win." Nightwing says as he looks at the body in his arms. "I know you will." He whispers to her.
"Worthless carcass! You killed our father, after all that he had given us!" The demon screeches as it swipes at Raven who backs away nimbly.
"Get over it." Raven grumbles in return as she spins around, catching the demon on the back of its head with her heel. This is taking too long and Lex is regaining control of the Spectre, either she has to take him out now or risk being cast out when he realizes it. "I hope you found him Richard."
"Was there a party I wasn't invited to or something?" A voice says, drawing everyone's attention to Crispus Allen who lights a cigarette.
"What the devil? Another one?" Lex asks in surprise.
"No, the devil would be one of those two, I am merely the guy you threw out Lex and now I am going to do the same to you." Crispus says while staring at Lex from behind his glasses. "Unlike the rest of you people, I was chosen for this, which means I got dips on old moonface. So; get out!" He says while an orange glow emerges from behind his glasses and the three find themselves flying into nothing before a bright flash blinds them.
On the outside the group the Stranger assembled, watch as Luthor collapses in the middle of the square leaving something standing in his place. A tall figure in a green cloak that covers most of his milk white skin.
"Crispus Allen is restored; the immediate danger for the world has passed." The Stranger notes, the other draw a sigh of relief, except for Nightwing who looks to Raven expecting her to spring back into life and probably slap him for holding her.
"She's not breathing." He notes with a heavy heart that is cracking again, he is not sure if he can bear losing both Bruce and Raven on the same day.
"They are still fighting." Zauriel notes. "Do you not see them?"
"What? See what…?" Nightwing looks up in confusion as something snaps in the square and two blasts seem to squash each other a few meters from Lex and the Spectre. "Is that?"
"Raven and her demon, yes, they are fighting in spirit form. That you can perceive both sight and sound of it tell of the power that is being unleashed now that they are outside the Spectre." Etrigan adds as a whoosh of air is heard from the square.
"The demon kicked her into the sky." Fate notes. "Allow me to extend your senses Nightwing, this you need to see." Nightwing feels a strange tingling as something in the sky become clearer. In the sky is two small figures that is exchanging blows and beams of magic, one black one white.
"She is not alone." Etrigan notes as he spots something behind the white spot.
"The League is with her." An imposing voice says, as the others take their eyes off the battle to watch the Spectre as he has appears besides them. "This is the work of the Stranger."
"Indeed, I managed to halt their soul's ascension so that they may aid her. They fight not directly, but they are supporting her efforts." The Stranger says. "But I had not anticipated that they continue to do so after exiting you, old friend."
"It is their choice to do so until claimed." Zauriel replies.
"Indeed, and to your unvoiced question Nightwing, this is a battle that tolerates no interference, not from me or anyone." The Spectre says without taking his eyes off the fight, even if he doesn't have to look to see it. Above them, the pair enters the clouds as the first thunderclap is heard.
"We are dead you idiot! Because of you!" The demon snarls as it punches Raven in the gut.
"Maybe I can get some peace and quiet from you now?" Raven growls as she brings both her hands down on top of the demons head, sending it tumbling downwards before it regains its flight.
"When your soul lingers in oblivion!" The demon screams before sending a bolt of magic flying at Raven, who deflects it with a shield.
"You can do it sister, it is frustrated." Diana says.
"It is at its most dangerous now." Superman cautions.
"I suggest you try assaulting its mind." J'onn adds.
"I can't believe she keeps this thing inside of herself normally." Flash says to himself.
"It may be caught unaware with an attack from several sides." Green Lantern adds having noted that most of the attacks of the two are frontal.
"That thing needs to get its ass handed to it." Shayera says firmly. "You can do that."
"Focus Raven, think clearly and it will prove no threat to you." Batman says quietly.
Raven hears them all, but ignores them even if she doesn't understand why she can hear them. She sends three razor edged slices of power towards the Demon that narrowly dodges out of the way. "I will die a hundred times if I can seal you away from the world forever!"
"You have had years to try, yet you have not, pale imitator." The Demon growls. "You have always fled from a confrontation with me, burying me under all those hours of meditation, yet here I am, as powerful as ever! Now it is time for the world to know the true nature and power of Raven, daughter of Trigon, The End of all things Mortal!" It says as it claps its hands in front of it creating a shockwave that sends Raven spinning backwards before being caught in a semi transparent black box that shrinks in size rendering her immobile. "You cannot stop me, I have won...human!" The demon continues as it draws close as a black spike of power forms around its right arm.
"Damn it Raven, fight, this isn't going to end like this!" Batman growls. "You have fought this thing since your birth; you've fought it all the way past the prophecy; where it should have died with your father. Fight it!"
"Yes, I have fled from a confrontation with you." Raven says. "I am afraid of you and what you bring if I let you out. And I am sick of the fear you bring, the fear of you, fear of myself. Today you will learn to fear me!" Raven shouts the last part as a white blast shatters her prison and sends the demon flying back, as it regains its balance it finds Raven changed. "This ends today!" Raven says as her armor forms around her before it changes further. Like the armor, it grows to cover her completely, but instead of resembling her demon form, it resembles Raven's human guise with her helmet being a print of Raven's human face with the eyes having grown completely black. She reaches behind her and draws what appears to be a sword made of pure white flame as something springs from her back, forming two massive white wings that begin flapping to hold her up.
"Yes, it will finally end; this world and your wasted life!" The Demon snarls as it undergoes a similar transformation, with the black suit of armor, red eyes and a flaming red sword two large batwings forms behind it and a pair of tall horns grows from its forehead and a tail.
"Go kick its ass." Shayera says quietly as Raven leans a little forwards and charges as the Demon roars and charges as well.
"A soul; black as hell and white as heaven." The Spectre notes as flash of lightning and the roar of thunder is heard, the spectators can see the storm has been usurped in the light and noise from two blades colliding. "It has been a long time since I have witnessed something like this."
"Care to extend your gift to this sightless one?" Aquaman grumbles, Fate quickly does so having forgotten that Aquaman cannot see the pair.
"What do you see soulless one?" Zauriel asks the android next to him.
"I see readings of forces being exerted in the clouds, forces I have difficulty identifying the nature of. " Amazo replies without looking. "And I do not understand where they come from."
"A pity, it is a magnificent battle." Etrigan notes while licking his lips before a particularly loud boom is heard. "Hmm, they are battling away from here." He sounds disappointed as the presence of the two disappear over the horizon.
"Themyscira." The Stranger says as he extends his vision of the two that exchange blows inside the amphitheatre there; each blow seems to affect the arena more than the combatants as the walls crack and heave. "They are using more force than anyone has ever done before under such a battle." He says as they dodge and weave between each other before Raven blocks a blow aimed to take her head, she counters with a putting an armored foot in her opponents midsection before trying with an overhead chop that leaves a circle of cracks in the ground where it strikes as the demon rolls out of the way. At this the demon takes to the skies again with Raven in pursuit before the two comes to blows again as various countries pass beneath them.
The battle continues as the two touches down from time to time, leaving marks of their struggle in the sands of Sahara ground zero is turned to glass by the demons fire, the rocky deserts of Iran is scorched, India's jungles leveled, the mountains of Himalaya has an extended visit as they collide with several mountains. Nightwing doesn't know if it is fate or not, but the two bounce off the ground before the house where the True Master lives before they are back in the air. Onwards they continue as they demolish a part of the jungles of Vietnam, Mount Fuji in Japan loses some of its snow as the demon tries to incinerate Raven with another burst of flame. In the Pacific Ocean a tiny, barely 5 meters across, unnamed island is sunk beneath the waves as its top receives Raven's blast of pure white. The two disappear beneath the waves several times before they both dive into the crater of the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii. They seem to spend several moments in the open lava pit before a flaming projectile is shot faster than a bullet out of it.
"TAKE COVER!" The Stranger yells as he has predicted the point of impact to be roughly the square before them, Amazo quickly runs with the Flash's speed to collect the still unconscious Luthor before joining the others under the protective domes Fate supplies both to them and the law enforcement agents nearby. Shortly after a red dot is seen on the western sky, Nightwing is strangely reminded of shooting star as he imagines seeing it from the side. It takes three seconds before the projectile comes crashing into the center of the square cracking the tiles, bounces several times before slamming into Jump City Hall's façade in a cloud of smoke. Above them, the clouds seem to decide to be somewhere else as they slowly depart, letting the dawn shine from the east.
"It is over." A flat voice is heard as the group sees something crawl on the ground at the impact site. "This dawn marks the day I take the last of my life back from the fear of you." The voice continues as a blinding white figure appears on the west end of the square standing on the roof, none of them can actually see the shape of it, so bright is its light. And the light seems to intensify, like the sun had decided to come down from the sky.
"No…NOOOO….!" The blackened shape screams as a beam of the purest light is shot from the other, engulfing her. The scream continues as the beam gains more intensity as the others are forced to cover their eyes. The force is so great that dirt and debris is sent flying away from the beam.
"What is happening?!" Aquaman yells.
"The looser is reaping her just reward." The Spectre says calmly as the force suddenly seems to be reversed and everything seems to be sucked towards the white figure, including her opponent that ends up blocking much of the light as she is stuck halfway into the other.
"Be gone." The white shape says before her opponent disappears into her with a long scream. The light dims immediately as leaving almost nothing of it left, besides a small sphere that seems covered by something on the top and sides. Nightwing is oddly thinking of the ball being Raven's head with her hood up.
"She elected to keep it?" Zauriel says apparently dumbstruck.
"Of course, the worst punishment for a force of chaos is to be controlled." Etrigan shrugs as the orb floats closer to them, knowing that he himself is being controlled by his human host.
"It seems our work here is complete." The Stranger says.
"Indeed." The Spectre nods.
"Wait, is there nothing you can do here?" Richard asks in surprise that the two were about to just leave and ends up staring into the skull-shaped pupils of the Spectres eyes.
"I can see you ask; why I do not right every wrong Lex Luthor has committed, why I do not return the dead to life and heal the wounded." Richard nods at him. "For your part, I will tell you why. It is not my function this day, as much as Crispus Allen would want to use the power of the Spectre to right the worlds wrongs, the Spirit of Vengeance must follow the rules laid upon it."
"You mean you won't do anything, even if murders were committed using your hands." Richard note's grimly.
"No, there are things here that are within my area, punishment. I know you find me cruel, but there is one other thing I will do, I will restore what has been broken, it is all I can. Farewell heroes, till our next meeting." The Spectres eyes glow slightly before he vanishes, taking the Stranger with him.
"They are like that." Zauriel sighs. "To wield as much power as they do, they have very strict rules they need to follow."
"I see the bodies of John Steward and the Flash." Amazo says as he looks into the square where they can see John lie.
"And the League has been released." Fate adds.
"But…she is still…" Richard notes that the orb is still moving towards them.
"She is still here, still dead." Etrigan sighs. "She is but a ghost now."
"Talk about gratitude." Raven sighs heavily as she sees the Spectre and Stranger vanish. "And I am so tired."
"After that little fight, who wouldn't be?" Diana's voice filters into her mind.
"Ok, when did you guys develop psychic powers?" Raven asks. "I could hear you talking during the fight."
"We haven't." Flash says with a heavy note of sadness.
"Luthor murdered us all." Hawkgirl growls. "We are all dead."
"What? But why can I hear you then?" Raven asks in confusion.
"The Stranger came to us, asked us to stay and help you. How, I don't know, but I hope we did." John adds.
"Raven, can you re-enter your body from here?" Bruce asks.
"I am not sure. I can do what is known as astral projection, but my heart keeps beating when I do it, now, I just don't know."
"Try." Bruce says.
"But, what about you? This world needs you." Raven argues.
"We all knew a day like this would come." J'onn adds. "I suspect it was just our time to go, some of us have loved ones that we dearly wish to see again, now we get to rejoin them." He sounds happy at the thought.
"Will you wait till I find out if I join you?" Raven asks hoping that she won't be alone if she has to make the final journey.
"Of course, that's why we are still here." Superman adds. "Also, if you make it, I want to ask you a favor I won't ever get the chance to repay you for."
"What?"
"We know you shelter Azerath inside yourself, I want to ask if you will bring me to Lois, I don't want to leave her without saying goodbye." Raven has the sense of surprise from the others.
"I…I wish to ask the same Sister, my mother will need to be calmed." Diana adds timidly, knowing Hippolyta will be devastated by the news.
"I want the same." Flash says. "I don't know how this will work, if it does that is. But I have a wife, Linda. She deserves to hear this from me."
"I will be selfish and just say I am not tired of breathing, or in a hurry to find out what the Thanagarian afterlife is like for me." Shayera says, knowing that like most cultures, traitors weren't treated kindly even after death.
"My mission isn't complete, Gotham still needs me. If you can return, I know you will find a way to bring us back as well." Batman says confidently, it makes Raven feel oddly proud to have his confidence in this matter.
"I don't know, I have no real family left, all I had was the League and the Corp. After today, I don't think I have the Corp anymore." John sighs.
"You're coming with me then." Shayera says sternly. "The League will need a drill sergeant if we can get back, and I see no reason why that man can't be you. Besides, Mari will kill me if I get back without you."
"Hmm, I see what you mean." John sighs, not bothering telling them that his relationship with the woman has been a bit rocky lately.
"J'onn?" Superman asks.
"My family is waiting, and has waited for me for so long. I want to see them again, to hold my wife and children in my arms again." J'onn says, with a torn voice.
"We understand J'onn, we do." Batman says quietly, the others know why, he could choose the same and go rejoin his beloved parents.
"I know, but I have made a promise, a promise I wish to keep. My family has waited over 1000 of your Earth years, I am sure they can wait a little longer." Raven has a sense of relief wash off the others.
"I can't promise any of you anything in this matter, but you are all welcome in my mind if I can do this." Raven says.
"Let's get to it then." Shayera agrees.
"What is she doing?" Aquaman asks as the yellow orb hovers before them.
"She is talking to the others." Zauriel adds.
"Can't we talk to her?!" Nightwing asks a little more urgently than he would normally liked Etrigan chuckles a little to himself. "What? What's so funny?"
"Merely you are asking for a phone when you are holding it in your hand." The demon smirks before patting Nightwing on the head. "How else did you know where to lead Crispus?" Nightwing blinks a few times before he realizes what Etrigan is talking about, the bond.
"Rae? Rae?! Can you hear me?!" He sends.
"Yes, too loud by the way." Raven sends back in her usual and slightly annoyed monotone.
"Oh god it's good to hear your voice." Richard continues.
"Technically you aren't, but that's not important." Raven sends back as she comes right up to him. "I need some help with this. My heart has stopped beating, I need to get it started again before I try reentering, or I will just die all over again."
"Got it, just be ready." He says before quickly putting her body down and beginning to give her CPR after removing her chest plate. "Come back to me Rae." He says as he presses her chest down.
"Keep going, I need to time this just right." Raven sends back.
"Does he not know that she is far past that kind of help?" Amazo asks Dr. Fate.
"She has instructed him to do it my friend, I apologize you cannot see her." The man says.
"1, 2, 3." Nightwing says as he pushes down before blowing air into Raven's lungs. "1, 2, 3…" He keeps repeating the process.
"One, two, three." Raven counts in unison till she is sure she has his rhythm. "One, two and three!" She says as she leaps into her body, kick starting her heart just as Richard blows another breath of air into her. He is surprised when she heaves in his breath as her eyes flutter open, making him pull away from her for a second before he does something completely illogical, he kisses her.
"Welcome back." He says after pulling away, to look at her surprised eyes.
"Not going to get rid of me that easily Boy Wonder." She replies in a whisper before pulling the others in and then passes out, Richard just hugs her.
Authors Notes: So, is this peace at last for Raven? Or a whole new can of worms she has to deal with? How is she going to explain her new residents? And how hard can it be to reunite the Founders souls with their bodies? :)