A/N: So, when I first started writing this story, I didn't know how significant it was going to be or how long it was going to take to get to the ending. I knew my beginning, middle, and end but a lot of the stuff in the middle was up for grabs. This story is much more of a thriller with the idea that good and evil is really dependent on the point of view and how all the characters interact with each other. I hope you have been enjoying this so far.
On that note, I'll be trying to release consistently, with a guaranteed release on Monday while I might slip in a chapter here between the Mondays.
To call it a transport would be an understatement. The sizeable tank-like vehicle with four heavily armored wheels on each side resembled a heavily armored caterpillar than a prison transport.
Raven was not sure if she was impressed with how much they considered her a threat or fearful of what they would do to her. Human nature and fear were never a good mix, and even the most staunch of the heroes had done things they later regretted. A dark image flickered in her mind of her broken and bleeding body laying on the floor of an unknown cell, just wanting to die but never being allowed to. The cold shiver ran down her spine as if death had poked her in the ribs.
The hatch clanked open showing off it's half a foot of solid metal and the little step ladder extended allowing her to walk inside. The switch from bright to dark caused her to blink multiple times, and the young sorceress stumbled a few times. If it were not for the Greek Princess' tight hold on her arm, Raven would have been sporting a bloody nose.
Reaching a seat about midway in the giant transport, Wonder Woman lifted the steel harness and pushed Raven gently into the worn seat. There was barely enough padding left, and Raven wiggled a bit trying to get comfortable. Like a ride in an amusement park, Wonder Woman brought down the safety rail and locked it in place. She then removed the restraints from around her hands and gently secured her wrists and fingers into holds built into the side of the seat to restrain her.
For a split second, Raven wanted to cast a spell to see if she could escape, but none of her magic would help in this situation, not to mention neither hand was free at the same time so a portal would not be able to pull her out of the enchanted handcuffs. With the last hand locked safely away, Diana pulled her hood down exposing her purple locks and matching eyes.
"Sorry, Raven. Protocol for safety response. No masks or hoods on the transport."
Raven nodded, and to her surprise, Diana gently ran her fingers through her head in a way that only felt mothering.
"Just remember to save yourself," Diana whispered. "Sovereign will use and abuse you until you mean nothing to him. We all love and care for you, Raven, and this is the hardest thing I have ever had to do."
Raven remained silent, not sure how to respond to the unexpected gesture of kindness. Instinctively Raven leaned into the hand and Diana cupped her cheek and face for a moment.
"I have to do what I believe is right," Raven whispered back.
Diana placed a kiss on her forehead and stepped back.
"I wish you a safe journey, Raven, and pray to the gods that you'll come to your senses before it's too late."
Raven watched Wonder Woman walked back out the direction she came and saw Robin standing there waiting the entire process. She did not expect him to say anything and he did not. He turned his back to her and exited with the Greek warrior.
Soldiers began to pile in taking positions in different seats around them, and both Blue Beetle and Cyborg took up positions in the fore and aft of the transport collectively. The vehicle began to rumble when the hatch slammed shut, and a lurch told her that they were on their way.
The wind ruffled Robin's hair and cape as he sat in one of the guard turrets on top of the prison transport. Built and funded by Wayne Enterprises, he could see his mentor's thoughts and ideas in the layout. It was designed to transport dangerous or highly volatile criminals or person to destinations and was segmented for damage control. Not only were there a bunch of soldiers inside and some metahumans, but each of the three segments also had a guard turret where two could sit and watch the skies for an airborne attack. Robin was buckled into one seat while the green-suited and masked Green Lantern waited quietly, casually scanning the skies and landscape for any signs of trouble.
Over in the turret behind him, the woman he now knew went by the name Scarlet Witch was standing and holding the edges of the turrets as if trying to get a better look. Agent Melinda May crouched with an FN P90 sub-machine gun clipped to her chest harness. Though loaded with what they called night-night rounds, the massive firepower told Robin they were expecting a fight before reaching the Hall of Justice in Washington DC.
One of the primary arguments that had broken out while planning the move was going ground or air. It was a thirty-five-hour drive from Jump City, California to Washington DC and many were concerned about Raven's Midnight Team striking them. In the end, it was agreed that the ground was better because they would have more options than having a plane downed. In this case, there was a convoy of troops on both fronts of the transport and behind. There were enough metahumans to pose a challenge to anything they could throw at them.
"Relax, Robin." Hal Jordan said with a smile. "It's to open here. They won't strike until they have more approach cover. I'm thinking somewhere in Nevada or Arizona around the mountains."
"You're sure they are going to attack?" Robin asked hoping the answer was different than what he was actually expecting.
"Yeah," Green Lantern nodded. "I've dealt with this type of fanaticism before. They'll sacrifice themselves if they truly believe in their cause."
"A cause that means the destruction of the known reality?" Robin asked angrily.
"They may not see it that way. From what I gather Sovereign promises them a new world without pain or sadness. It sounds pretty great to me. The cost is just too expensive. Midnight doesn't agree; hence we are opposed."
"Yeah, that doesn't make sense."
"Robin," Green Lantern asked kindly. "Is that what doesn't make sense or is it that you can't make sense that your friend and comrade of so many years has betrayed you?"
"I'm going to check on the other turrets," Robin answered instead and made his way out towards them.
Two days went by without any incident, and some were beginning to relax. The transport did not have comfort designed into it and so ever jolt, and pothole vibrated up Raven's spine. Her ass was sore, and she wasn't able to rub it out due to her hands being restrained to the side of the seat. Before they had entered Arizona, they had picked up Zatanna who had placed a necklace with a red gem around her neck. Raven was promptly informed that it was specifically designed to inhibit Einstein-Rosen bridges or her portals from forming about her. That would keep her from making her own and anyone else trying to pull her through one.
With so many magic or physic manipulators in the area, Raven did not bother to try and cast anything when they freed her hands for lunch and dinner. She was powerful, but Zatanna was legendary, and Scarlet Witch looked like a woman who could best her. Raven had seen her practicing on one of their stops, and Wanda Maximov was a severe threat. The look in Wanda's eyes was a challenge, and Raven knew she would get seriously hurt.
Raven's heart slowly sank as the realization set in that those who had joined her may not have the ability to take on everyone guarding her.
It was drawing to an evening when they pulled into the White Sands Visitor Center in Alamogordo, New Mexico. The tourists had been cleared out by the advance party, and the employees informed that they would be temporarily taking the site. The giant prison transport lumbered in and parked between the circle of sedans and SUVs that created the perimeter.
Raven was unlocked for her chair, and both Scarlet Witch and Zatanna fastened their hand around each arm. They escorted her out and into the building. They stopped in front of the women's room where Zatanna went in and then came back out muttering it was clear. Scarlet Witch released her, and both Zatanna and Raven entered.
The room was medium sized with three stalls and sinks to match. The place was clean but appeared to be old with the chrome on the faucets having come off from frequent cleaning.
"Do your business and don't try anything, Raven."
"Whatever," Raven responded sarcastically as she rubbed her wrists and then gave her butt cheeks a quick rub to get the soreness out.
She strode into the farthest stall and slammed the stall door to make a point. As she looked up from the toilet, Raven's breath caught in her throat as she saw a young woman in a purple skirt, striped leggings and pink hair in two horseshoe-shaped pigtails sitting on the porcelain tank. She quickly put her finger to her lips with her characteristic smirk.
'Jinx! Here?'
She hadn't seen her first ally in a long time. She had no idea how long they had kept her in the cell, so Raven had no clue had long she had been separated from her. Never in a million years, did Raven except her heart to jump in happiness at the site of the witch of chaos.
Jinx leaned forward motioning for Raven to close. Raven did a bit confused, but her eyes grew wide when Jinx grabbed the back of her head and planted her lips against her own. Instinctively Raven wanted to pull back and was horrified at how soft the kiss actually was. The blueberry scent wafted up her nose, and she naturally melted into the kiss. It was at that point that Jinx pushed something from her mouth into Raven's. At first, Raven thought it was her tongue and that Jinx was going to take advantage of her helpless state, but the taste was cold of metal and capsule-like. Jinx broke the kiss and grinned broadly. With the metal capsule in her mouth, Raven looked confused. Jinx mouthed the words: "Swallow it later."
"Hurry up, Raven before I come in there. I don't care if you're done or not."
Shifting it to her cheek, Raven growled out a response and looked sheepishly at Jinx. She had actually needed to use the bathroom. Jinx gave her a shrug and half smile.
After the awkward bathroom break, Raven had been taken back to the transport, but for the first time, she was not chained back into her chair to sleep. She still had the weird capsule in her mouth and refused to each her dinner, but nobody said anything as it was still in character. A sleeping bag had been laid out in the back of the transporter where Zatanna cuffed her feet to a metal retaining hook and left her alone. Cyborg stayed on the other side of the transport taking watch. Turning away from him, she waited and then swallowed the capsule not sure what was going to happen.
'Hey there, my little blackbird. It's been way too long.'
Raven jolted but then kept still. How was she hearing Jinx's voice in her head?
'You're probably wondering how you hear my beautiful voice. You can thank the creative endeavors of Gizmo for this. It's a bio-audio capsule he invented for MAZE and their spies. He was nice to sell me a couple of them. In short, the break down of the capsule in your stomach releases his special chemicals and enzymes that let you hear my recording. The only side effect that Gizmo never solved was the stomach cramps and gas. Sorry about that.'
'Anyhoo, you haven't been forgotten or the mission of your friend. I took the liberty of recruiting on your behalf and ready to get you out of their clutches. Midnight has grown under my leadership, and I cannot wait to introduce you to them as our official leader and Archon.'
'Okay, I'm running out of recording time but don't give up. We're going to make a move very soon, and you just need to be ready. All you need to focus on is escaping by whatever means necessary. As much as I'd like to feel your lips again, we're all expendable. Mammoth is in a hideout with the Obsidian key, and all we need is you. Hang in there, Mistress. We're coming for you.'
The recording faded, and Raven sighed. Hope to escape a horrible fate was coming, and she just had to be ready.