The plan was as simple as simple could be, Lois went over a few more times on the ride to Luthor's, everyone was stowed away in the hijacked Lexcorps vehicle courtesy of Harley and Captain Boomerang with King Shark's aid. From the informant Lois told everyone about, everyone needed to fight their way through the building to get to the boomtube located there. From there once it was accessed a few would teleport there, only after the Paradooms attention was pulled away from planet to three signal points. To the Reapers, sent by Darksied to draw the planet of its magma core, Lois had others to attack the Reapers. To draw the Paradooms' attention and from there the group choosen group would use the boomtube and teleport to Apokoplis and...well the rest...
The rest John knew, his mind was focused...partially on the plan that Lois went over, his attention was on something else. Someone else, he couldn't stop occasional glancing at, you. You stood a few feet away from him, closely by Lois with Damian near. You where focused on what Lois was saying, despite the small stain of fear in your eyes, you kept yourself bold as you could. He saw that, he also so...something else...and felt it. Every time he looked at you, actually the moment he laid his eyes on you. He first got a small splitting headache that he had before...years before, that followed with a jabbing flashing images..of a face..he couldn't quite put together, and...moments..maybe memories of something..someone. One that was the clearest was with a baby, a small baby he was holding and running in darkest and coldest night. He held it close to his chest, this baby...it was..it was crying. No doubt from the cold, he wasn't sure why he was running with the baby, but he remembered clear as day...this laugh, this gurgling warm laugh. That melted away the cold and put a smile on John he couldn't describe in words. Only that he knew it was a treasure. One he had to keep with him. That's what he saw and moments with...with someone, he could hear their faintly at times. Calling his name...saying his name. It would wake him from his sleep in the middle of the nights, he wasn't sure what it was...trying as he could, with spells and incantations, to figure it out. But, something seemed to prevent him, though there was something he managed to craft. With his knowledge in the mystic arts and knowing one important thing...all magic is like a thumbprint, and like any thumbprint it was unique. It could be retraced and matched.
And there was no doubt in his mind, that print was yours. Retracing it back it to you, though it was hazy, a good blocking spell. So he was unsure, until they went to get you, he felt it from the spell you had up. A rather weak one, good, but weak. When he touched you..he felt it. The match was uncanny, that and there was something else...seemingly familiar about your magical print. Something that was...or seemed nearly similar to his own that he couldn't put his finger on it. He felt it a little coming from Joanna too, who for some reason had his frown and brow furrowing and piercing look when angered. It was like looking in a mirror...a little female mirror. The same with you, he noticed. Was that the reason he instinctively, for some reason beyond his understanding, had this urge to...with you...and Joanna to...it was this urge to protect. This...strange warmth. It drew him.
And he wanted to know why.
Was some sort of spell? The thought crossed his mind, it seem like the only logical reason.
The vehicle stopped. It arrived. Your heart was pounding so loud it filled your ears, nearly drowning everything and everyone out. The voices almost came back, Damian laid a hand on your shoulder, they silenced. Clearing your mind, managed to calm your beating heart...mutter quietly to yourself. Expelling the building pressure, look over Lois's shoulder at the plan now unfolding. The extra help she managed to gather to their assigned reapers, you where surprised how many she managed to get and who was still alive!
One team consisted of Batgirl, Batwoman/Kate, Batwing/Luke and Black Orchid. The other Steel, Shazam, and...Superboy. You hold yourself together, pushing down the blistering sting infecting your heart. Take a breath...and, as tempting and painful as it was...hold the cherish moments and memories close...look at the band on your finger smile tearfully, let a the single tear fall...let go.
Feeling a hand on your shoulder, it wasn't Damian's, it was Raven. Her eyes pained and soften for you, the words in them...you read them. And give a small thankful smile. The door hatch opens, Cheetah, King Shark, Bane, and Black Manta get out. Unsure what came over you, lift off the wall, summon and ignite your hell-flames. Coating your hands, feet, and hair. Activating your markings, step out, sprout your longly missed flamed wings. It was a bit a of a challenge and hurt a little, your skin burned a little. But it went away, tempted to summon it, your...mother's flamed sword resist. It wasn't need right now. But you had other ways to provide extra assistance. With two fingers draw your grayish flamed pentacle in the air before you, cross your arms, creating two copies recite, correctly the incantation. Strike the ground, bring the pentacles with you, shake the earth for a moment it shirked. Winds kicked up and thunder boomed, it was hard to tell if it was natural or not. Clark stared wide eyed, he couldn't believe it...Lois smirked, John was taken back for a moment. Unnatural howls from the depths pierced the air like sharp daggers, shaping from the earth and its deceased mixing with your flames, two large hellhounds. The structure of bones and earth, flames completed the frame and tails, that whipped violently. Malice hunger and thirst painted their faces and filled their core. They wanted to be unchained and devour all in sight, awaiting their master to give the call.
You had to take a quick moment, expelling energy like that...you really where out of practice, smirking a little to yourself. Stand, wickedly slide your eyes back to the others, your smirk twisted with enjoyment. It ran a chill down Clark, from such a piercing look. Only stretched your smirk further. Bring your eyes back to the task at hand, give the simple command to your damned dogs.
"Fetch."
They bolt. Viciously attacking those they sought as meals, sinking their large sharp teeth into any throat that breathed. Ripping and tearing off limbs like paper. Brushing off the rain of meaningless bullets, the screams of the victims decorated the air.
"...Huh...guess they were hungry," you shrug laughing, join the assault.
Aerial would have been an easy way to go though it was a little too tight, so you kept to the ground, thank goodness for all that training. Your speed and reflexes might not have been on par with Batman, Dick, or Damian. But it was enough for you stay light on your feet. Dodging bullets, attack back with tendrils of fire, quickly snatching any you saw, with an urge to drag them down...below, resist against it. Now wasn't the time to let that...thrill take over, you had to keep yourself focused and controlled. Running forward, jump and knee the one of the two guards charging you in the face. Quickly plant your hands on his chest, use it foundation, recalling from your training, hold your mid section firm and body straight, deliver a hard foot kick to the other one. In the face. Knocking them back. Harley comes seconds after and smashes their head with her large hammer.
Covering the ground under the man in red, skipped away. Unorthodox method but effective, more men came out thickening the protection of Luthor's building, no worries...Lois and the others came. Grabbing another guard throw them before joining with the others, call the hounds, forget to cover your flank. Get shot in the right shoulder.
"Violet!" Clark shouts, turning heads.
John's especially. Watches you grab the wounded area and pain spread across your face, paralyzed you for a moment. You didn't see the guard overhead take aim.
"Fuck off!" John rushed over, breaking formation, firing a massive fire ball at the guard. Threw himself over you and a shield, from the fallen body, kept you close and the shield up for a few more seconds, let it down. Looked over at the man, now crisped, then to you. His eyes on your wound, the shot was good, blood was heavy but nothing it seem too damaging. Still, taking his coat in-between his teeth, rips off a strap and ties it around the area. Tightly. Looks at the wound again, blood seeped through a little still. But, it looked alright. "Here."
He offers, helping you stand carefully, supporting you on the side that wasn't shot.
"How is she?" Clark asked, reaching you and John with the others, Damian pushes Clark back a little to look at your wound. Raven provided some protection until everyone hurried inside.
Damian took you from John, your hounds aided against any guards that came, offering some help while you figured out how to rid yourself of said pain. If Raven was in...shape she'd be able to heal you or you could heal yourself another way. But, that would require you to not move at least for a moment and right now movement was essential. You really where out of shape. How embarrassing.
"In here," Lois directs everyone to the elevator, avoiding some the guards, but it only got everyone so far, the rest required climbing a good amount of stairs.
Bracing yourself, with Damian's help climb. This operation had to work...it just had too. You'd endure any sort of pain if you could...if it meant the world could be a better place for everyone and Joanna. You had to try...you had too, like everyone here...give your all! This would...it was nothing...it meant nothing, reaching the last step of the floor push off Damian, stand on your own, just in time the group enters the floor. Guards fired, hitting and killing Cheetah. Clark using the strength he had attacks back. You provide a fiery dome for protection, the least you could do right now, until the guards where dealt with. Drop it and fall to your knees, hold your shoulder for a moment before taking off the wrap and with a flamed hand slam it against the hole cauterizing it. Nearly scream but hold it in, remembering you've had worse pain than this. Stand back up, with some help.
"Gotcha," Harley smiles lifting you to your feet.
Not a second too late, it wasn't over, the large doors across on the other open and out steps Luthor in one of his larger kypronite mecha suits. It wasn't that surprising, what came after was.
