The Age of Akaige

By Pakkrat

Chapter 6: When Angels Deserve to Die

Disclaimer: All work herein is dedicated to their respective creators and corporations. Their use is merely for entertainment. Those things I do take credit for are Kagejin, and Akaige. That is all; thank you and please do enjoy the big chapter today! Bahamut, Leviathan, and Tiamat are actually attributed to Psychic Werewolf Assassin and his work in Hunter: The Beginning. I merely thought the Elementalism views interesting to be used in my own work.

Music: Chop Suey by System of a Down. A good piece, and fits well to our chapter. I like to try and enhance some effect with music, it is merely optional.

Within the room of white pillars demons and angels were known to mingle. However, when time came this room would also act as a place of conversation. Right now two beings speak to each other as their darker sister was away. The one is surrounded by a white aura, with a slight tint of gray. This being was a large dragon with blackened scales and red marks with a muscular reptilian design. With him was a large serpent with aqua green like flesh and coiled only his pink arms clasp up from time to time. The dragon was a holy master called Bahamut, and the serpent the neutral being of existence, Leviathan. Leviathan has a gray aura with only minor lighter and darker flares around his form.

The two talk until a white robbed figure with a hood floats in and lands to them. "Yes, what would you ask of me?"

Bahamut turns and grins "Rorek I am pleased to see you again."

The magician removes his hood showing the white hair and pale complexion, icy blue eyes peer up with feline features while a gray scarf wraps his lower jaw. "If ever my lord Bahamut calls me I will come. It is my wish to serve you."

Leviathan chuckles as the next figure is dragged in and dropped by a pink miniature creature with little paws and wings. It flies off squeaking as the man in a long red leather jacket stands and takes aim with two pistols "Come back here you little…" The man turns to the three others and his white hair shifts while he turns, it was shorter than Rorek's and seems to part so one eye would show through. His eyes at the moment were red, but in a flash they turned blue. He wore black under the red jacket, a loose belt of ammo and one large sword over his shoulders at a diagonal hoist over his back. Shifting onto his one side the figure asks "Who the hell are you?"

"Not really hell, a bit more to the higher planes than that." Bahamut chuckles to Rorek's statement. Leviathan shakes his head "Never mind them Dante, the dead often have a sad sense of humor… and my brother well…"

"Leviathan! How could you say that about your own brother?"

"How could I not?"

"Leviathan?" Dante, the demon hunter of another world was shocked "You mean this guy is the dragon god of neutrality? That means if you're his brother you're the dragon god of good, Bahamut!"

Bahamut laughs asking "What took him so long?"

"Oh stop picking on Dante after all I'm the one that summoned for him."

"Summoned? That pink thing broke my bar up and dragged me through some portal! What kind of summoning was that?"

"The quick kind." Leviathan uncoils to show his length as he stood tall "Dante, Rorek you both have been summoned for a duty. A demon has come to our attention. He threatens to destroy a world that can not be allowed. You two are to be sent to the Wolves Enclave of this world to meet with my loyalist of followers. There, you will access the necessary means to stop this demon. All else is simply a matter of your own digression."

Rorek asks "What about Tiamat? When she learns you sent two outsiders to stop this demon she will most likely find champions of her own."

Dante kicks the back of his leg to knock some mud off, "Let's hope that multi-headed bitch keeps her nose out of things. As for me, I'm not sure I want anything to do with this."

"Are you absurd? Lords Leviathan and Bahamut asked you!"

"Yeah… to fight a demon on some other world to take a chance of getting my own ass handed back to me while probably chancing my last try to stop the demons and heretics on my world." Dante reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a coin, "Here, I'll flip this coin. Heads, I take your proposal and fight the forces of darkness there, Tails; I stay home and enjoy myself safe and sound." Dante flips the coin making Rorek stammer back in shock. The coin lands in Dante's hand and Dante looks down, smirks, and says "Looks like it's my lucky day." Rorek seems to slink until Dante turns gripping his sword "Heads, we better get going."

"What? I thought you wanted to not fight."

"Hey, it was a fair toss so now I have to go. Fate, who knows what, can happen right?"

Leviathan nods, "Indeed, there are always two sides to every coin…" Dante looks back with a smirk under his bangs "Yep, there certainly is." The pink creature floats in and grabs Dante, "Hey! I said I wanted to go!" The creature tares him off as he screams. Rorek nods to Bahamut and Leviathan "I will do you both proud. This evil will not know what he has come into. Until the time I have returned wish me your blessing." Rorek turns with a flutter of his cape.

Leviathan now thinks aloud "What will Tiamat do when she realizes we sent our own champions."

"Please, she will either wish to send her own, or perhaps leave it be. She does not know what Akaige is capable of and has no interest as she still would find him as another demon as usual. Without the knowledge you and I have the field is still even."
"Indeed." Leviathan turns to his brother with a serious look of concern, "However, when she learns what blood courses in Akaige's she may take more interest than previously."

"By then The Arbiter will be ready for the training needed to overpower any threat."

Dante was walking as Rorek caught up. He explained for Dante and the creature left no problem. "I can not believe you left all in the toss of a coin."

"What? You mean the flip of a coin deciding the fate of an entire world? Hey, its fate and what happens, happens."

"Still it is an honor to assist those in need, and face the darkness others dare not view." Dante flips back glaring into Rorek's face, "You're a little uptight."

"What?" Rorek blinks and Dante walks off, "I beg your pardon!"

"Hey I call them as I see them. Anyway, we're working together huh? You just stick near me and I'll keep you safe!"

"I don't need your protection! I am one of the most powerful mages of many worlds. For eons I have served as Bahamut's loyal mage and never have I failed my missions. This will be no different!"

"Whatever pal." The two enter into a room with red emblems on the walls, four pillars with wolf heads on them pointing to the center. Dante raises a brow asking "What the hell is that?"

"That is a transporter for the Wolf council, and it is used to transfer beings from this council-house to any temple where the Werewolf Enclaves are."

"Oh, werewolves? You mean we're joining up with werewolves?"

"Not the kind you are thinking about Dante. These werewolves are the divine breed that fought in early wars. They are not the mixed blood of wolf and hell-hound like you find in hell. Those were a means to challenge the wolves in a great hellish manner."

"Oh… kay." Dante shrugs it does not seem so special to him. Rorek steps onto the central portion asking "Will you be staying or leaving?"

Dante steps on too and takes a breath as the four stone heads seem to howl. The room now changes, instead of fine marble they are surrounded by blue stone. The stone is as if dug out or maybe carved. Rorek steps out and now they were in halls that lead into many point and places, they make past all the halls towards the doors outside. Dante kind of blinked as they were not outside but they were rather inside a large stone formation. There was a park or something that stretched a nice ways out from the eye's view where Dante noticed many people laughing and playing, kids even. Dante asks "What is this all about?"

"The Enclave is positioned outside on the surface, but sometimes they have some passages leading to these underground facilities allowing the people a chance to enjoy themselves as their other selves."

"Other selves?" Dante notices a nice set of legs walk past so he smirks trailing up. That was when he noticed something around a large tail, bushy tail, wagging with the feminine walk. Dante jolts his head up to see the woman shaped werewolf; she turns and winks to him as she continues on, "Oh just great now I'm scarred for life!"

"Come now she was attractive to a degree. The outside world does not understand the Werewolves; they are not a diseased race or evil race more a form of life. The transformation is at will and most come to be very normal. Others can be vicious, but no more than some humans. Werewolves also show more character as they have long lines of tradition and honor still practiced by the many wolf clans over the world."

"Yeah sure," Dante snarls to him "I'm still going to have trouble not thinking about that wolf chic next time I hit on someone."

Rorek chuckled to himself looking to the building they enter. Inside many more wolves as people walked around. They were many shapes and sizes, some masculine others feminine. Either way, Dante kept trying not to think about this place. The elevator had several negative floors, and the positive ones lead to the upper world. Taking the highest floor Rorek steps out and nods to the receptionist that nods back. "Can I help you?"

"We want to see Whitepelt. Is he here today?"

"Yes he is; go right on in."

The two enter and meet with a large muscular shape in a chair. The shape now shows white fur over their entire body, and silver armor with red decals along the surfaces. The side mane was fitted with beads that had many colors, and one large scar along his left eye made little difference to the menacing Werewolf. Even when he smiled baring his fangs Rorek and Dante looked a little less enthusiastic of being there. "Ah, you're the two lords Bahamut and Leviathan sent. I'm pleased to meet you. Excuse my form, I find it is easier to stay in my wolf state than to turn human and wolf off and on. I am getting on in years, after all."

"Yes, we are here to try and help in the battle."

"Good. So what do you have for me?" Rorek offers a scroll and Dante asks as Whitepelt reads it "Why didn't I get to carry?"

"Would you try reading it?"

"No…" Dante smirks "Well, actually yes."

Whitepelt closes the scroll and lays his chin on his hands "This is very troubling news. The demon that has claimed our realm is one called Akaige."

Dante shrugs "I heard about him a little bit. I never figured any reason to worry over somebody I never met."

"Well Mr.'s Rorek and Dante hopefully we can do something. Try to find out what you can on this demon I'll do some research in the Enclave itself. Be careful he is rumored to be quite powerful and terribly skilled."

They nod and begin leaving; Dante asks "Hey, that receptionist out here is she a werewolf?"

"Why… yes."

"Damn it!"

When Raven finished the spell she seems to tumble over on her one leg and pant. Her body sweats unlike any normal kind of sweating, of course she has been training for the time oh, 2 years. Malchior looks at her and sighs, "You need to rest Raven."

"No, there's no time to rest!"

"Oh yes there is Raven. Don't forget you have a spell Fate taught you, one that can alter time itself. That is what you need to remember time is not of the essence, it is only a part of the equation."

Raven looks up and takes a deep breath before getting up again, "I'm going to use it here. That will lengthen the time won't it?"

"Yes, but if you use it don't expect to use it again. It is a once in a time thing."

"Good reasoning." Malchior steps back saying "Do it."

Raven closes her eyes and lets her arms hang at her sides. The power she first channels through her own body to begin, a spark of it shades over her form at times and makes her cape move alone. The next step, opening her eyes they glow and she moves her arms through the air screaming "Hal tien shael frezan muerto clia pienth!"

Her hands now swing down; slapping the ground a shockwave strikes and covers her and Malchior for some distance with the spell. She looks up seeing that inside their bubble the colors seem to be the same, but outside the bubble the colors of this realm moved so very slowly it was like a crawl. "I…" Raven's eyes become heavy and she drops back being grabbed by Malchior. She has fainted, Malchior nods letting her lay and taking off her hood he makes a pillow. Standing up he looks at her sleeping, and chuckles "I'm starting to remember why I fell for you the first time Raven."

She never did understand why she stayed with that jerk. Her boyfriend, 16 year old jerk of a man who drove her around town and all, but still a jerk. She was just as old, 16, and even if only that she could have any man she wanted. She had blonde hair laid straight, a red leather top that was over her chest, no sleeves and up over her navel, short red mini-skirt and long boots, then the gloves were long gloves with no fingers and if you have not noticed, she was a bit fanciful in her style. Today she wore this because her boyfriend promised a nice meal at some place; she figured a reward was in order. However, he started getting grabby, and her arguing got her kicked out of his car and on the streets of New York. That ass, he even left her in the worst place of this hell! Her house was a while from here so she wanted to get a tram or subway car to the upper section of town. She has to go through some back alleys to get there though, and sometimes these things were like a maze bending back and forth with the buildings so close. She tightly clung to her purse on her chest.

She now hears some movement behind her, an uneasy turn and she sees two men, a slinky one who was bald and had his weird smile the kind she got from that guy teacher for Gym. Then, the second one was huge, muscular with many scars and an open jacket. They were slowly moving down the alley, so she hastened her walk. She hears them speed up, and her heart begins pounding. 'Oh god, what do I do?' She panics, runs while screaming "Help me!"

The two men rush her, the large man was faster and soon has her, grabbing her from behind he holds the smaller girl in the air with her legs kicking, her mind buzzing in fear she lashes out with all she can. The bald man growled "Shut it." He then flips out a blade, she sees then becomes quite, except some crying under her sniffling and tears. "Ah, much better. My associate and I are nice fellows actually. I mean, we're clean and all. It is better to be raped by us than some filthy gutter rats."

"Raped! I'm only 16! That's not just wrong, it's gross!"

"Hey! Sinners can't be choosers!" The large man frowns, "Actually, Beggars can't be choosers, and Sinners can't be saints."

"…." The bald man snaps "I thought I was the brains here!"

"I was just…"

"Oh, well what he said."

"Please don't." Her voice trembles and the tall man with no hair smirks "I love when they beg. It just adds to it all, you know?"

"Please…" her eyes are blurred as the bald man grabs her purse looking at it he snickers "Hello kitty…" He motions his knife to her skirt, grabbing at the material he traces over the center whispering "Hello… Kitty…"

"NO! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

The Bald man now stops at the sound of something liquid, he raises his hand and the knife is covered in a ball of webbing. "Shit! Spiderman!" The two men look up seeing Spiderman on a wall, the large man screams "Run!" So both run different directions, the tall man is chased by Spiderman as the large man ran with the girl. She looks in horror as Spiderman left her, "Please…"

The large man speeds to a halt, he shakes as a wall of webbing was in front of him, then another behind him. "Damn! He has me stuck!" The man tosses the girl down and pulls a knife to her throat "I'll kill her! I swear I'll kill her if you don't let me out right now!"

The man looks around not noticing the large black form slowly rolling down behind him. Then the thud, the man turns and in his face were fangs and a tongue swishing and bearing on him. "Holy shit!" The man pulls the girl back with him from the fear of the giant muscular beast before him. "WH-what are you!"

"We are Venom." The monster speaks, Venom leers his white eyes on the man and girl "We demand you let the girl go, unharmed of course."

The man pulls the girl close snapping "Let me go or I'll kill this bitch!"

"Kill her, and you will be in this cage with only me." Venom's eyes glare more as the man looks around "Would you prefer my wrath in such restrained surroundings?"

The man snarls dropping the girl "Fine! Take me to jail already!"

Venom grins cruelly as his skin stretches the black tendrils, "We never mentioned jail!" The tendrils latch out and cover the man's arms and legs, he screams as the girl watches the man being suspended into the air. The man screams "You can't!"

Venom snarls his fangs dripping the saliva of his mouth, "Why can't we?" The man squirms in the grasp of the black crude mess all over his body now. "We know what it is to be a predator. To feed off of the fear, the weak breeds of life. We are all too familiar with what it is to be one of your kind. However, we have also spent an existence in nothingness, finding we have a new mission. Our new leave on life is a leave to justice, and we intend to deliver justice a way fitting to all who prey on the weak." Venom's tendrils begin to roll into the nose of the man and his eyes roll back into his head. His body arches and shakes, feet kicking with the twists of the tendrils as they went deep into his chest, and as they plucked out the man slants to the side motionless. Venom drops the man and speaks as if proud, "It is done. His lugs and heart have ceased, as does his brain crumble from lack of oxygen." Venom now turns to the girl in the corner cringing in fear as he eyes are placidly on the man dead and almost looking at her with dead eyes. Venom steps over to her, she merely shakes in this vegetative state. Venom glares angrily but his fingers point up and tendrils lurch to her ear. They enter her and like the man she acts, but instead she whimpers and falls back into the one other arm Venom grabs her with. He helps her up on her feet, kicks the man over on his stomach, and after a moment the tendrils leave and Venom's skin molds off showing a man in all black clothing, black trench coat and jeans with same kind of sweater and boots.

The girl is confused at first as she looks around, her mind skims to the fact she was coming down this alley… and… "Wait, two men jumped me!"

"I chased them off." She turns up to the tall muscular man with thick silver hair. His face was well shaped and though marked in some scars he seems not so mean or cruel with his smile. "Actually, I knocked this one out, the other I don't know what happened to him. You better get out of here Candice."

"Candice?" She blinks, "How do you know my name?"

"I saved your life. You told me before you had a sudden faint."

"Oh…" She nods and runs along to stop and turn back seeing the man and Venom were gone?" What was…?" She screams "Oh no my purse!" The purse now drops onto her head and then the ground. She looks at it then the sky. Her eyes are wide, "That hair, the face, scars, he was my… Guardian angel!" She grabs her purse and runs giggling about such a thing.

"We are nothing close to an angel." Venom looks to the man's body, "Or perhaps we are an angel of vengeance. All else, we do not fit the qualities of angels."

"Your hair…" Spiderman sees the difference in Eddy since they last met "What happened?"

"We were in a place where no life is meant to be. An existence that was not formed to be inhabited was our prison for some time. The effects of the realm caused our hair to be discolored, and I believe the symbiotic half has also gone through changes."

Spiderman now notices the man, "No! Venom what have you done!" He readies to attack Venom but Venom's skin raises up. Spiderman looks around as the skin changed and Spiderman could not see Venom. "We did what needed to be done. We stopped this one from harming others in the future. We may need to work together but we will never be the same. We will meet you again soon Spiderman, until then we wish to see things for ourselves!"

Spiderman screams for Venom as the larger beast left. His mind now wonders how the Beyonder and Webb were expecting those two to join together when they have such different views.

Beast Boy jumps back as a green kangaroo then he turns to a gorilla and smashes several drones into one. Beast Boy turns to his human state and hears something, ears flicking he looks to the plan landing "Doom Patrol?" His grin is wide and proud as the port opens to show four people walking out, "You're here! I'm so glad to see…"

Mento rises up his hand and Beast Boy stops to loose his happy mood for a serious one, "Sir."

"I'm glad to see you're doing… okay for yourself." The titan Beast Boy gives no change in his face but his one fist tightened "Yes sir."

"We came because something has happened. The Brotherhood of Evil was destroyed, and we believe a Mr. Brother Blood did it."

"Blood? If he did then maybe it's because of Akaige."

"What?" To that Beast Boy explains everything from where he knew it. Afterwards Robot Man just scratches his head "Wow kid you're doing some pretty hard stuff."

"Yeah!" Negative Man wraps an arm around Beast Boy "I always knew he had it in him! Didn't I always say he did?"

Beast Boy chuckles as Elastigirl hugs him "You're a great kid B.B. we knew you'd turn out fine."

"You're all babying him." Beast Boy is knocked to reality again "He has nothing more going on than we ever did. Let him go and let's see what we can do to stop this."

"Oh, but you've helped so much already."

The female voice of a somewhat Russian seduction came through as a figure strolls out from the plane. The heroes see a woman in a red dress; it has a skirt end and no sleeves. A pair of long black gloves and boots, matching her black short hair. Her face was sensuous in a way with chilling eyes and a mark on her cheek. Soon Beast Boy growls out her name "Madame Rouge."

"Ah darlings, just call me Madame. It has been a while since I saw my cute little green boy." She winks at him which Beast Boy glares more angrily "Come now, you're not that angry at the fact I tried to kill you."

"She's dead I thought."

Negative Man shakes his head "It's true, you can't keep a good slut down for less than 20 bucks."

"Such a harsh set of words from an Egyptian wannabe." Madame whips her neck and hair, moving strands on her face she smiles through them "I guess you don't understand how much we wanted you here today Doom Patrol."

Mento asks in barred teeth "What are you talking about?"

"The Brotherhood of Evil may have been destroyed, but I am still quite employed. A matter of fact my new employer is much more appreciative of my skill than that brain in that fishbowl." She giggles in a wicked fashion to herself "I have been very patient with you. After you arrived, many hours after the coo I left on your ship."

Elastigirl shakes her head saying "The ship detects unusual weight displacement! It never would have allowed you onboard!"

"Ah! However, before you took off I waited in the trees, and then I leapt on as a glider of sorts with my arm on the plane. I displaced my own weight in the air so you never noticed me. When you landed I merely snuck into the ship to send out a message and now here we are!"

"Wait… what message?"

Madame gives a slight twinkle in her eye, "The message that the Doom Patrol were here in Jump City, and that it was time for phase two of the plan."

The heroes fended off all the drones destroying them with great skill and power. The last of the drones huddled to guard Sinister, Blood, Nimrod, and Darkseid. Their wrists seemed to glow and Darkseid smiles "About time she got them here. Next time you kill someone Blood leave a note saying that the heroes who found it all need to come immediately!"

Blood frowns asking "How more obvious could it have been? Besides they did get here didn't they? Are you going to call them or what?"

Darkseid rolls his eyes before flipping a switch on his belt. The switch blinks and as the last of the drones were being destroyed a ship sinks from the sky as it was hiding in cloud cover. The heroes look up and give mixed reactions to the hangar opening and allowing many more drones like before flying out and towards the heroes. As this happened Red X who sat up on some stones asked "Why do I come to this stupid city? Every time something bad happens!"

Robin tosses a set of his exploding disks before screaming "If you're so scared then leave!"

Red X narrows his eyes, and in the same fashion he begins tossing his own disks "You first kid!"

Green Lantern flares his ring "This is mad J'onn! I'm calling the league in right now!"

"No! If you do Superman will come here!"

"That's the point J'onn!" Lantern pushes a button on his belt sending a message over all the members of the Justice League. Many members came from the sky flying or with ships, headed from the Watch Tower manned in outer space. When the sight of the robots attacking the city came to these many heroes, they soon unleashed their full wrath. From the sky flying heroes would match with aerial drones. When the others not gifted with flight landed on the ground they unleashed what powers they did have. From strength, speed, or maybe energy these many attacks would follow unconditionally for the rest of this fight. Many more drones seemed to flood from the ship with the many more heroes.

Robin leaps back and tangles with a drone pushing it off with his staff, but another fires behind him leaving his back open. Robin was saved from a set of arrows that struck the blasts and then the drone, he notices a familiar boy in red with a black mask and flat orange like hair "Speedy?"

"Yep, the others are here too! This sure seems…" Speedy turns to swing an arrow like a knife through a drones face "Quite the event you guys have here!"

"How did you know to come?"

A small bee girl flutters in on Robin's shoulder, "Oh, giant ship in the sky letting robots go crazy, then the whole fact the news keeps showing a war on Jump City. Nothing much else to do but either help or leave you guys."

Robin sighs as he sees a boy in blue and black with nearly perfect hair smashing drones with water, two other little teens flash with their white outfits ripping off power packs to leave drones damaged. "This is just so weird. All of us are here!" His eyes pop, "All of us heroes are here… Why?"

Superman lands to rip off his belt and toss it into a trashcan. He didn't care about them anymore, he wanted one thing and that was the revenge for her. "You bastard! Show yourself!" Superman looks all around with his X-ray vision "I know you're here somewhere!"

There was silence and soon, Superman clenches his fists murmuring "Coward…"

Superman is head butted and falls on his back, looking up he finds Akaige standing over him with eyes flaring with the mist, "You've no room to call me a coward boy!"

Superman laughs a breath before kicking out the legs of Akaige and lunging up he grabs their ankles and twirls Akaige in the air by his waist. Superman tosses Akaige into a wall that lead to some manufacturing plant "What can be more cowardly than killing a woman in cold blood?"

Superman walks into the building looking with his eyes shining a red light through the machines. His eyes scan over the room but it wasn't until Akaige leapt from the roof he was found out. Akaige swings both his hands into Superman's back launching him to the ground, and while there Akaige grabs the cape and twirls Superman like he was twirled. Launching the hero into a large machine Akaige chuckles a little to Superman's pushing away debris "I admit killing her was a bit one sided, but even I can put my views up a little so I can do what was needed."

"How was killing her even needed?"

"How was it not? Look at you Kal'el! You came here in rage blinded from your allies. You removed communication; you're here alone with me! As for your friends they are all busy fighting while you and I are here. Without her death you never would have accepted my challenge to a fight. Her life a small, feeble one as may be was very important to this…" Superman at hearing her being downsized flashes over and lays punches into the face of Akaige. Akaige bobbed in the strong far pitched swings but in a moment he latches his arm on one punch and swings his own strike. The punch smacks the center of Superman's stomach causing the wind to go, after that Akaige pulls from the one held arm to toss Superman to the side where he then rushes and kicks the still hobbled Superman in the side of the skull. Superman drops on his front, pushing up he is clenching his teeth before a set of claws latch his hair and pulls his head straight back "You think wild punches will defeat me?" Superman is flung from the hairs into another machine. Superman pushes up and fires his eyes on Akaige's one side making the shadow lord fall on his one leg and grab the injury "How about that?"

Akaige looks up with a bit of lust in his eyes, "You're not even close."

Raven lands and chants "Azar…" Malchior slaps her and she falls on his side to the ground. Looking up he turns up to the sky and hovers again "No! You must use your mind! Chanting your spells takes too much time."

Raven tries to do this but her hands merely wave into the air. Malchior notices and thinks loudly "A good way to learn is under fire." His eyes glow and soon many blackened orbs appear around him the size of basketballs. They begin flying at Raven and she instinctively flies up into the air. Her eyes glow, she readies to chant but she knows what he wants. She turns in mid air, and heads for one of the orbs. Her hands in front of her she envisions what she wants, what spell to use. Her mind in flashes forms the spell and power calling it to her two hands the jade phoenixes fly out from her palms and rip the orbs apart. This was causing Malchior to smile a little.

She lands to find him in a stance, "Now hand to hand."

"What? Why do I need to know that?"

"Akaige is an accomplished warrior. His existence has been all around battle and combat, chances are you won't be able to rely solely on spells you will need to know some parts of combat."

She nods and raises her hands "Are all the Kagejin like Akaige?"

Malchior is hesitant, "I would not say like, but they're all a warrior breed so very closely they follow his example." Malchior looks to her not knowing she had already lunges for attack "Wh…" he is struck and now she begins flurries of her fists. Malchior dodges a moment and swings his heel down from above striking her on the base of the back neck and to the ground. "Nicely done; you know your own strength is limited so using your magical ability you should be able to improve on the power behind your strikes."

"Okay!" She leaps up and with energy forming around her fists she punches more strength in each jab, Malchior blocks them and laughs "If you think this is hard wait until I start fighting back!"

"Then why don't you?" Raven latches her hand onto Malchior's wrist and pulls it back, twisting it so he now falls on his knee where she latches the other hand on his throat. Malchior grins under his paper mask, "Yes… why not?" he now plows an open palm into her stomach making her loose grip, then he grabs her head in a headlock while putting one leg between hers so he can throw her to the ground. Malchior swings a foot down but she rolls out from it she now points up her palms and both her hands fire beams of her shadow energy pushing Malchior back. He chuckles saying "You're quite an amazing woman."

Raven stops her attack, a blush she asks "What did you say?"

"Nothing;" Malchior puts his arms up in attack so she mimics, "Let's see what you really have for a while!"

Spiderman was no longer in his costume he was Peter Parker. Average, everyday nice guy with nice upbringing by his uncle and aunt. His uncle was long gone; an incident he remembers greatly was that. However his Aunt May always stands by him in support. He just came as Spiderman from J. Jonah Jameson's office. He gave Jonah a nice talk about an article he, Spiderman wanted in the paper. Jonah didn't want to do it, but when Spiderman mentioned it was only if something terrible happened to the city people should do this. Jonah was not hesitant, he was furious and mad with the lack of power, but not hesitant as he called his friend Robby in to stop the presses and put this new article in the paper. Spiderman now Peter Parker was happy to know people could be safe so he walks into the door, looks up to see… "Eddy!"

Eddy merely smiles as he sat at the dinner table with Aunt May dishing up a meal. "Hey Parker; We were wondering when you would show up…" He smirks a little "Your Aunt has been very sweet to us."

The elderly lady smiles up in a sweet fashion "Oh Peter, such a nice young man why didn't you introduce me sooner? He came to the door asking if you were home and when I said no he was going to leave. I grabbed him and dragged him in; he's eaten like a hoarse almost as if he hasn't had a good meal for weeks!"

"It was more like years…" May blinks but Parker steps up "Er, he's not used to great food he spends most his time eating from T.V. dinners and stuff."

"Oh? Is that so? Well than enjoy this meal together boys I want to learn all I can about you."

"Indeed, after all we are partners, right Parker?" Peter raises a brow but Aunt May nods, "I can't believe you never said anything. I mean honestly, Peter, if this was the choice you made I should have been a part of it."

"What are you talking about?"

"I always wondered the reason you acted awkward around girls, and also the many times I found stick stains on the walls of your room. I figured it was normal, but Eddy cleared it all up for me."

Eddy smirks as Parker screams "Aunt May I didn't want you to find out like this! I was going to tell you but…"

"If you want to be a homosexual it's fine Peter." Parker has a slight twitch as Eddy was holding his laughter as snorts "I will always love you no matter what choices you make, not that there's anything wrong with this choice I just… always wanted little ones at my feet."

Parker turns in a scold causing Eddy to loose his cool and finally break down laughing "You bastard."

"Yes…" Eddy wipes a tear "Tell her the real story Parker."

"Aunt May…" Peter Parker clears his throat before removing his shirt to show his Spiderman outfit. "I'm Spiderman."

Aunt May looks at the shirt, "Oh dear… you two role-play? Peter don't you think your obsession with Spiderman may be going a bit too far?"

Eddy screams in laughter before falling flat on his back, kicking on the floor he hears Parker snapping "No, Aunt May the partnership we have is crime fighting! I'm the real Spiderman! All those pictures, the secrets outings were me! I'm sorry… I…"

Aunt May hugs Peter crying "Oh Peter! This is marvelous news! I always knew that Spiderman person was a good boy and now I know the truth. Also, this means I can still have young ones at my feet someday!"

Peter sighs as he hugs his Aunt. "I love you Aunt May."

Eddy sighs as he sits back in his chair, "We are quite pleased it went so well… she thought he was gay he, he."

"Thank you for making him tell the truth!" Aunt May hugs Eddy making the giant man swing his arms at his sides blushing "Ah! We do not like the hugging; we do not like the hugging!"

Peter now turns away shaking his head it may be strange but in a way Venom was not too bad. His own arrogance may seem nothing compared to the brute, but in a way they did have the power to maybe save an entire city, or maybe a world too.

Raven screams as her beam bounces in mid range to the other beam. Hers was a beautiful pale blue, her enemies a crimson swirl. The beams force on each other until Raven screams again, and in her rage feeding the power she pushes off the attacker and blasts Malchior straight into the dirt. His body is surrounded by the ground crater, and his voice squeaks "Ouch…"

Raven's giggle caught him and he pitched up to her "Raven? Was that an honest laugh?"

"Oh…" Raven soon shifts to her normal monotone "Sorry."

"No don't be." Malchior pushes up and looks at her as she lands to the floor "I forgot the last time I made you laugh I almost made you cry." She shifts uneasily, and what she didn't notice was that he did too. "It has been several years we spent training here. Years upon years and now it is time to ready for the final ordeal."

"Really;" Raven gives a worried look "Am I ready?"

"I think you've been ready but I was worried about the final test. After this, if you succeed I will take you to the battlefield." His eyes began to glow and he rose into the air, "Fail, and I believe it will kill you."

"What will?" Malchior's papers turned to scales and standing before Raven was the full form of Malchior, a dragon beast of unknown darkness. His power began to show all around him, the air moves from his wide wings and soon he asks "Are you ready my dear?"

"Are you?" Raven floats up and raises her hands to create claws that soon push down on Malchior "Excellent! Keep trying Raven!"

Superman lands a massive swing that nearly wails Akaige through several of the machines. He steps down, landing Superman falls on one leg partially before standing tall again. He holds his one left arm and cringes as the pain wakes him to reality. A large gash is bleeding greatly in his wound where the claws ripped open three holes. "It hurts so…"

"Pain is such a rarity to you isn't it?" The voice seemed from the nothingness, but as a collapsed machine rips into two Akaige stood between the metallic columns letting his arms hang and cape fall around him "I have always wondered why they find you so fascinating. A man unaffected to pain and known as the most astounding of their own. The fact is that in the eyes of these normal humans, you Kal'el are a god. A false deity, an idol they revere for his invulnerable form and born gifts." Akaige pushes over a pillar of ripped metal, "I believe you have become so arrogant from this praise you may even see yourself as such. Seeing your powers, the gifts bestowed by nature as a claim to the title of gods."

"Shut the hell up! Why do you have to talk so damn," Superman flies up and wails another punch "Much?"

Akaige's body seems to topple slightly, but in a halted falter Akaige slowly rolls his head back up and bringing the brim of his eyes up in a cruel stare Superman falls back on his heels "I'm trying to find something out Kal'el. What is the reasoning behind your falsehood? The essence of your piloting a new world." Akaige leaps into the rafters and Superman begins shinning his eyes "Is it because you could not control the fate of your home world? Was it the fate of that world that makes you so obsessed with control?"

"No now show yourself!"

"Ah, then it is the weakness of men? The fact you see them as so weak that when you play a role as a mortal man, you are a walking definition of pathetic? Embarrassed, shy Clark Kent with his glasses and unusual attitude of life? Is it in this you found a need as Superman to rule the species? To be master of all that there is?"

"Stop it! This isn't me!"

"What are you Kal'el? What is Superman? What is Clark Kent? I want to know! I want to understand why you feel you have a right to claim that good should be superior, that life should never end! What gives you the right to choose that which only gods should! Where does a mortal, a mere mortal, get the right to decide the fate of the universe?"

"I MAKE MY OWN RIGHT!" Superman screams as he now fires his eyes at the room, madness took its toll and Superman screams in heated rage with the beams tearing the building down. Support after support, a beam falls and the roof crumbled. Superman stops only to see the dust clearing, hearing the guns and men fighting. He turns around to see the League, X-men, and Titans fighting the odds of drones. He merely glares his eyes ignoring the many obstacles even the green alien J'onn who lands next to Superman "We have this under control Superman you should…" Superman pushes J'onn asking "Where are you hiding? Come on, show yourself you monster!" Superman flies up into the air to get a bird's view. J'onn notices the blood; Superman had a cut in the shoulder, his face marked in blood. It was as he envisioned Superman, "Clark! You have to leave here!"

(Music: Chop Suey by System of a Down)

Superman ignores the man hunter; he seems too observed on his other personal matters. That was when as he moves his head he sees something on a roof merely looking through the firing blasts. It had the eyes and claw, clasping in their view of Superman. The cape in the back rips up the middle and makes two wings, Superman pushes J'onn out of his way screaming as he plows both arms downward. Akaige acts the same way flapping his wings and forcing up into the air. Akaige clenches his claw tighter as he closes into the charging Superman. The two meet in the air and tie up, Superman tries punching the ribs of Akaige while he is being punched in the face.

The two fighting figures smash into the ground hard making the villains and heroes watch two forms mingling in broken pavement. Akaige is flung out of the hole; he rolls on the floor as Superman flung his two fists into the ground. Akaige kicks out sweeping into the back of Superman and then he grabs the cape to pull it back and choke Superman. Superman rips off his cape and turns to punch Akaige back again. Superman looks up and sees Akaige has flattened on his back from the strike, Superman runs out with his two fists tight ready to strike. Akaige lies still until Superman comes too close; he bolts up his two feet into the stomach of Superman making him fall in on his own momentum. Akaige leaps out and slashes his right claw over the upper brow of Superman making a slight spray of crimson as he passed. Superman grabbed the spot but turns up seeing Akaige speed to a halt and merely held up his claw flexing it.

Superman glares before firing his two eyes on the claw hand. Akaige lets his claw drop and slaps back Superman when he jumps at him from behind. Green Lantern tries to intervene but as he readies to fire a beam Superman flies up and punches his friend "He's mine! Keep back!" Superman goes back and tries to strike once again.

"Your pride has suffered more injuries than anything else Kal'el!" Akaige dodges several strikes to now grab Superman by the throat and push him off. "You have been placed back with the rest of your mortal brothers and sisters no longer a man above the rest. You may call yourself a 'Super' man." Superman screams as he swings a punch, Akaige grips on the wrist and twists Superman back around, the claws widen and Akaige's eyes shined in a moment of recognition, "But you have the one mistakable flaw of them all." Akaige flings forth his claw and Superman who has his body turned to his enemy is now widening his eyes, "Like all men you are a mere mortal where I am not."

The screams of pain catch all of the league members; J'onn falls on his knees as he knows what has happened. The X-men have returned through a portal to see the scene of Akaige's claws digging into flesh, spraying all over him the crimson blood of his latest prey. Superman falters on his knees as the claws wrench a little; Akaige bends his face to allow his sense to soak the pleasure of Superman's last breaths into his own face. In one more twist, Superman heaves and turns before the ripping of the claw out and splashing of scarlet streams. The titans both east and west look in total horror as an idol to them all has now fallen to his side in total defeat.

"A leisurely activity…" Akaige closes his eyes as he bends back his head with the blood trailing over his form, being soaked into his body through unholy means. "This truly is a rewarding leisure."

(Music: Ends)

There was the initial silence of seeing such a sight so suddenly. In many of these heroes eyes Superman was the ultimate in heroism. That was the reason though; Akaige knew he was in all reality, the head of the serpent. When you cut off the head the body merely squirms, and dies. It was in all their eyes the fear and terror of seeing a man like him dead. Akaige looks over and glares to the cape before taking it into his claw to wipe it off on the bloodied cape.

The sight still has the heroes in shock all but one actually. Slade had returned and mainly in his own way he makes over some rooftops to raise his staff. Leaping off Slade swings up his staff to miss as Akaige sidesteps. "Damn!" Slade swings the staff but Akaige dodges under the swings, "No rest for the wicked eh? Well then back to work!"

Logan sniffs the air and runs over to the cape, sniffing it he snarls. Magneto is confused, "What is it Logan?"

"This isn't just Superman's blood. He's got Charles's blood on his claws."

"Professor X?" Cyclops asks in worry "Did something happen to the professor?"

Rogue steps over to see Superman, "This looks like my dream." She grabbed her hands noticing she lost her one glove from that time Holocaust hit her before, "It's exactly like what I dreamed."

A figure floats down with a long red cape and chains "Maybe your dream was a premonition. What did you dream?"

"I dreamt I was here, and I drained a man of his powers and life-force. It killed him, but also it gave me all their powers I think. There was also a man… or something with a big head."

"Uatu? The Watcher?" Spawn nods his head and asks "What else happened?"

"I don't know I think it all…" A hand grabs hers and soon Rogue feels her body burning. Superman heard her and his mind seems to recognize that he needs to act. He grabs with his other hand and pulls her down, putting his cheek to hers he whispers as his mind is seemingly to go fuzzy "Remember you're… human…" The surge then intensifies, Rogue is screaming as she is blasted away by his power through her body and when he died, she felt as if he was her. Rogue's form is caught by Magneto; his eyes seem to look her over unconscious. "I'll tend to Rogue all of you concentrate on him!"

The heroes turn to Akaige who has dodged every strike by Slade. "How can he dodge my attacks?"

"I took it slow with Superman because I needed him here and every thing like that. Now it's more a game, who here is the one that will prove worth my time?" Akaige flicks away the staff and grabs Slade over the face raising him into the air, "Not you it seems!"

Rose screams with her own weapon slamming it into the back of Akaige. Akaige turns his head a little and glares before tossing Slade to the side. Rose pulls out her weapon and tries to slash it over Akaige's head but he easily kicks his one foot into her exposed chest flopping her straight onto her back. There he stomps the same foot down hard and holds her by the abdomen to the ground. Rose reaches for her weapon; it is at her fingertips as she hears an unsheathing sound. Rose turns up and views the long fan-blade sword swinging out from the tentacle sheath over head. Akaige raises it up with his claw hand and points it vertical with the forked ends at Rose's chest. Her eye slinks a little, "Fath…" The blade falls and in a moment her legs jerk before resting. Akaige pries his blade out from the dirt and bones, causing the forked edges to snap open the chest cavity with a sickening crackle before turning back to the other heroes watching.

Darkseid shivers as he says "He almost makes me sick to my stomach."

"Yes now let's go we still have work to get done." Brother Blood turns up to see Madame rolling as a ball to the villains and back to normal. "Akaige says he can deal with the rest of them as he has the drones. We'll go to the third phase now."

Slade pushes up in some disbelief when it all was over, "Rose?" He sits up on his knees trapped in the moment asking "Rose?"

Akaige has no concern on Slade any longer he moves onto the other heroes awakening from the death of Superman. With them now closing in Akaige flicks his cape back causing the drones to rest behind him. With a flick forward the drones blast off toward the heroes, some breakthrough the drones and these would be his. Akaigegleamed his eyes because this was what he loves most, the challenge.

Raven stops her attacks as Malchior lay still on his side. She pants breaths of haggard strain before the dragon stirs slowly. When it turns to papers wrapping into book binding Raven now lies down and takes a deep breath. Malchior has turned to the paper wizard and now looks to Raven "I believe you are ready my dear Raven. Your powers have reached a peak unlike any other I ever knew. If you can channel them to their fullest, you may be powerful enough to destroy Akaige."

Raven nods and smiles "Thank you Malchior. Without your help," she pushes up and hugs him strongly over the waist "I never could have done all this!"

Malchior looks in awe ahead of himself to the horizon. A hug, a real hug that he too felt… was right. Malchior's shock falls and he lays an arm around her shoulders to share this moment "Raven… thank you as well."

Malchior holds her a moment too long because as she blushed she asks "Malchior?"

Malchior realizes, and he lets her go saying "I merely wanted to make sure you were… ready. Yes, that is all." Malchior rises up his hands and soon a portal opens "It's time Raven let's go."

Rogue lay still as Magneto removed the rubble with his powers. If he had not been so shocked he may have helped her sooner. She lay still, and somehow he knew she lost her senses in the ordeal. With his mind scanning possibilities he remembers the plan he and Mystique had before. His eyes narrow and he takes off his helmet, showing an strong male face though he has been of many years he used a super-soldier treatment from the Captain America project to reverse his aging and now he was a young man once more. His eyes shine in a power like before but the power grows over his form changing the energy layout of his own life force. Doing this he waits a moment to see if she would wake, when she didn't he lowers himself to her and breathes into her lungs life giving air, and attempt to restart her body. It took several tries but she does awake and seeing Magneto had touched her makes her ask "Magneto?"

"You saved me girl. I owed you that much in return." He stands up and puts back his helmet. Flying into the air he heard Rouge scream "How could you touch me? I mean without me draining your powers!"

"Your powers are a mere energy force, much as my own is a form of energy within my body. By changing the charge of my body I also was immune to your own powers." Magneto begins to leave again, "Hold it! Why didn't you tell me you could do this?" She is ignored but in her haste she runs after him, her body feels strange still but in a way she felt stronger, faster, and maybe able to leap over… "I said wait you polecat!"

Magneto is soon finding himself grappled from the back. He is looking to see Rogue has him, in mid air, flying? "What in the world?"

Rogue looks down, she screams as she was not sure how she flew up there and now she began to sag Magneto. He lifts them both up and he now asks "How did you fly?"

"I don't…" Her mind now searches, and she looks to the way her hand was bare, "When Superman touched me it… it gave me his powers! Somehow I gained all his powers!"

"What!" Magneto turns so suddenly that she looses grip, but inches from the ground she stops, and in a moment of shock she smirks and flies up next to Magneto, fancifully kicking her legs under her like she was skipping around him "I can't believe it! I can fly!"

"Indeed, what about his other powers?"

Rogue thinks for a moment and turns down to some stone walls still standing. She flies down both hands out and smashes through them, arching up to the sky she stops and thumbs up Magneto "I got the strength one!"

"What about vision?"

Rogue looks at the buildings, trying she seems to only pop a vein in her one eye, "Ow! No I don't have that one!"

Magneto bobs over his arms crossed. He wonders why she did not have that power "Perhaps since Superman was so close to death it transferred only what power he did have before dying. Flight and strength are yours but as for indestructibility…" Magneto shifts his eyes "I'm not sure how we test that one."

Rogue nods "I guess we can try it with that Akaige jerk!" She clenched her fists together "He deserves a regular butt-whooping for what he did to Professor X."

Magneto nods "Yes Rogue he does. However you might wish for something to cover your hands." Magneto rises up some metal to create female sized gauntlets that fit over Rogue's hands. She holds up her hands and nod as Magneto flies off towards the battle "Let us hurry! We must not loose the chance to avenge Charles!"

Raven enters into the library and she gasps to see Fate on the ground, bleeding from the chest "Oh no."

Malchior turns away saying "It was inevitable. We must keep going Raven."

"We? I thought you were going to leave."

"I was but…" Malchior shifts his head to her, "I feel you need more guidance. I will accompany you and offer all my experience to maybe give you the last push you need to fight Akaige."

"I thought I was ready?"

"You are." Malchior smiles to her a little "Oh Raven how ready you are. However I do believe I now know why Fate chose me to help you. What he knew was still necessary, and how only one like myself could do so." His bindings are ripping and the pages roll into a paper rose inside the hood and behind her ear with eyes within some petals "Trust me Raven."

Raven looks at him slightly cockeyed, "How do we get to Akaige?"

"A portal you can open them now after all you did learn what I know as well."

She does a slight shift of her hands and another portal opens letting her step through to Jump City where she sees things she never expected. Her eyes are wide and grim, "What happened?"

The scene was of the drones and members of the league torn about the landscape. Some members were merely wounded or unconscious but the extreme was obvious they died in their fights. "Isn't it obvious Raven? They have been fighting long into this battle against the allies and drones of evil. That has allowed Akaige to weaken the less worthy members and stronger members. He's been planning this for some time; even with his fights he has the advantage that he has only been fighting a small time while the others fought all the day. I have a feeling he is headed to the tomb of Trigon for some reason."

Raven notices the sky was dark, "We've been gone for several years and a whole day has nearly gone by. This has to be stopped before it gets too out of hand!" She floats along to see Slade kneeling over Rose. She was sort of caught off guard seeing her enemy like this, "Slade?"

"I never was a good father. The times my children were in my life it always lead to pain." His mask hides the frown, but tears leak through his open eye, "A horrible husband, reckless role model, the only thing I ever did right was killing. Being a madman, and villain I excelled on all those things. The things I should have been working on though…"

Raven sighs hearing all this, Malchior whispers "We had best move on Raven. If we waste too much time Akaige may become too powerful to stop."

Raven looks at Malchior then Slade "So, you're going to sit here and cry? The man that terrorized the Teen Titans sits here over his dead daughter's husk not trying to stop the monster that killed her? He instead wants sympathy for his mistakes? I'm sorry Slade," She turns to leave "But I'm too busy to pity you I have a monster to stop."

Slade sat silent hearing her every word. He did not get angry, he did not fall to sadness, he instead stood off his knees and turned to her opening his eye in the cold manner he would before "You know," He walks over to her leaning his head down to her own stare of indifferent coldness, "You're pretty short for a hero especially the kind that talks back to me."

"I'm going to stop this demon. Are you coming or what?"

Slade raises his chin, and looking back to Rose he speaks solemnly "I have nothing else here to stay for." He looks to the horizon "I would have to say there is my future, or in truth my end. We'll go together but hopefully only I'll die."

"I need you to do something else Slade. I'll be the one to fight Akaige you need to get the others back away as far as you can."

"The fireworks will be that great? I can't wait to see what you do Raven."

Raven turns and they start to leave when they hear a noise. They turn to see a strange green aura has surrounded Rose, her wound heals over. Slade was wide-eyed when he sees his daughter breathing and soon she jumps up screaming "Father!"

Slade runs over and hugs her, "Oh god! Thank you god, Rose! You're alive again my dear Rose!" Rose turns red in embarrassment but she does not care not often did her father show this attitude. Raven was startled too, "How did this happen?"

"Something raised her from the dead! It must have been paranormal magic or powers since she was not killed by Akaige's claws but his sword it was healable but those powers will not heal an injury from demonic hands."

Slade holds Rose up, asking "Are you ready to try and pay this bastard back?"

"Of course." Rose now feels her father holding his arm around her shoulder "I will make you proud this time dad."

"You always do." The team stops as the red caped figure steps into the fray. Spawn holds out two guns "You know how to use these?"

Slade grabs a gun as does Rose. They cock the guns and Spawn moves his cape so he can grab two more that were rifles. He has ammo and grenades all over his muscular form Slade laughs asking "You think you're prepared?"

"Nope, I don't have a towel after all."

The team moves ahead and Spawn chuckles with the green energy in his eyes as he saw Slade hold Rose again.

It only got worse as they were in the tomb of Trigon. Coming down the many spiral stairs Robin jumps back from the firing blasts of the drones. A green eagle flies over some drones and falls as an elephant to crush the drones and some steps before turning to another eagle. Robin leaps up and spirals as he was in the circus, Beast Boy notices and turns to a pterodactyl to allow Robin to grab his legs and carry him off to the other steps. Starfire swung her bolts into more drones, as Cyborg from the ground made awesome cover fire. As this happens the drones cover from Nightcrawler phasing Cyclops to a step where he releases a long barrage of his optics. Jean soon does a shield protecting them and Kitty phases through the walls to grab one drone and pulls it into a wall half-way trapping it. Storm releases her cold aura to many mechanical enemies causing them to shut-off their thrusters and fall the pit, while Wolverine took others to the ground in berserker rage. Red X still on the team launches his disks scrambling a couple drones, but Iron Man narrowly finds the drone still working and about to fire so he blasts it in the back of the head. Red X makes a salute not able to block the blast that does hit him into the hole; luckily a lasso wraps him and drags him back up. Wonder woman gives a smile before raising her bracelets to bounce off rounds of the enemy. J'onn phased from a wall between two drones and smashes their heads in, now turning he swings the drones weighing down another one. Green Lantern makes a shield and pushes the shield into three blasting drones crushing them into the wall. Batman launches his batarangs cutting two drones thrusters off and letting them fall too. Rogue with her new powers catches the many heroes off guard; Magneto explains the power-transfer and many seem more stunned than relieved. It was a war zone here, attacks from all around as they traveled the steps to the lower sanctum of Trigon's tomb. Ahead of the drones was Akaige who walks with two strange objects attached to his waist in stasis jars a reptile and a scorpion?

Mento smashes his fist into a wall as his powers did nothing to help. Every attempt to read Akaige's mind was useless "He's somehow blocking my mental probes! He must be a psychic too!"

"Is that how the thing talks? I haven't caught his hood moving all that much."

Mento nods to Robot man "Maybe that also explains his immunity to psychic probing." Mento tries pushing away drones to see Akaige has turned to him and the others "You need something?"

Mento glares with a slight side smirk "We need you to stop running and die." He flings out his hand screaming "Doom Patrol, move out!"

The others run out to attack Akaige and Beast Boy sees his team the titans "Beast Boy! Are you coming or what?"

"Me? But I was…"

"You've become a great man Beast Boy." Beast Boy blushes as Mento lays his hand on Beast Boy's shoulder "When you left you did the right thing. You made your own place in the world. Now for old time's sake let…" Mento is tripped and dragged back by Akaige "Are we going to put on dresses and drink tea, or fight?"

Mento rolls over and flares up his mind to push Akaige off and back to Robot man. Robot man grabs Akaige and tries to bear-hug him but Akaige breaks free and kicks back the metal giant. Negative man blares through punching his negative self over Akaige making the shadow demon bob in the strikes. ElastiGirl now grows in size and stomps
Akaige to the ground twice, but the third time he lunges up his claw and digs into her foot. Beast Boy waits and as Akaige stood up he runs forward, his snort and he turns to a Rhino to plow Akaige into the wall with his horn. Akaige smashes up through the wall into a crackling imprint. His head falls back with his eyes going out and when Beast Boy moves away Akaige falls forward and on his knees. The team looks pleased until Akaige's eyes glow again, and he seems to just float up onto his feet "Nicely done. Still I think I'll have to take a rein check."

Akaige drops over the steps and rips up his cape to fly into the corridor to Trigon's tomb. Beast Boy gets ready to follow but a white field stops him, "Okay, who was the wise guy to…" He sees Raven float down "Rae-Rae!"

He hugs her tightly; Raven snarls "Not in any situation can you say Rae-Rae ever again."

The titans surround the dear friend with compliments on her return. Raven looks to Blink asking "Can you make a portal to get everyone out of here?"

"Sure, but it will tax me really big this kind of a trip."

"Trust me if all goes as we planned you won't need to use your powers anymore." Raven looks among the face with their confusion "Recently I took training by Dr. Fate. Akaige killed him but my training kept going with the help of a friend called Malchior." The titans give looks but Raven ignores "Now I have a large amount of power but to use it and defeat Akaige I need some space. Follow Blink she'll take you far enough from the danger zone!"

Slade screams "You heard her get a move on!" He nods to Raven and she nods back "Thank you Slade."

"I guess it's a sad day when I need to be reminded by a titan." He chuckles as the others begin moving out "Is this rock bottom or what?"

Starfire hugs Raven tightly the way she does causing Raven to gag for air afterwards "Take care dear friend and return to us with minimal or no harm please?"

Cyborg gives a thumb up "Just remember when it's all over, Booyah."

Beast Boy gives the toothy grin "You know after this I want to hear everything, I might even drink some of that nasty tea of yours too!"

Robin walks over to her and shakes his head "Can't we help you?"

"This is my fight now. You did your best and thank you for it all of you."

The titans give a final little farewell before following with the others. Raven sighs deeply and turns around letting a tear fall her cheek. "You'll see them again Raven."

"I know but if not…"

"You will. I know you will."

The tomb was silenced in her step inside. Raven looks to the center where once the hand of her father waited for her action. The plate over the hole was the mark of Scath, on the two marks of red a dead scorpion and dead reptile had been burned to ash. Raven narrows her eyes but the voice soon seeks her "I already sent those two away. Shao Khan gave me two of his most valued warriors to help in this conquest." Raven glares as Akaige's wings flapped and he lands to the center of the symbol "I was wondering where you were. It actually made sense what happened, Fate taught you did he?"

Raven looks up seeing the caves echoed her friends leaving as it were "You heard me explaining myself?"

"Well, maybe just a little. I can't wait to see what all he taught you."

Akaige made to a stance but he soon noticed she clenched her fists, "Now or never…" Her eyes began to glow and she lets her voice speak up not words but a slow growl, the growl grew to a scream, and then to a roar. The body of Raven begins to glow brightly and the room is soon being filled by a field of white. Akaige rises up his arms as the dome rises over the walls and ceiling making it begin to crumble slightly. The heroes have just finished escaping as the white energy flushes through the halls and destroyed the last drones tearing them to cinders. From outside, the heroes look to see pillars of light rise at angles and to the sky vertically as the power pours up and out from the epicenter of Raven. When it was over, and the light dies down Raven is breathing a little hard but she was not tired, her emotions had been freed in one moment and she looks to see the walls crumbled slightly and now holes where the moonlight shines through made her grin. The one thing she does not see was Akaige, he was gone from sight.

"Yes…" Raven heaves a heavy breath while she lets herself fall on one knee, "It worked Malchior…"

"Great work Raven I knew it would be immense. You must have turned him to ashes."

Raven smiles as she hears some stones falling from the holes in the roof. "Nothing hardly is left of this place." More stones shift, but this time they sounded… She turns on her heels and raises a hand shield to block the claws that ripped from under the ground. Like a snake the arm extended from elsewhere and tunneled under the now broken stone to strike at Raven from behind. She creates more shields and blocks several times but still winded she looses her control, the claw bounces off one shield and rolls under it to now latch into her side. Raven screams before pulling it out by her force and tossing it to the ground hard. Blood now drips her side; she had a slight wound but nothing serious. Raven turns up to watch the claw tunneling in reverse to the part dug into the ground and the shoulder that belonged to the claw.

Akaige pushed up off his crouched posture and crosses his arms. Raven stands up and readies to attack again this time channeling blue auras around her hands but that was stopped from Akaige disappearing into the shadows "Where did he go?"

Akaige appears behind Raven she does not know but Akaige flips her hood so she turns and fires only on nothing. Akaige appears again and pulls on her cape she fires there as well. "Raven! He's trying to make you use all your energy! He's hiding in the shadows!"

Raven narrows her eyes and collects her hands to push them up over her head. The jade phoenix flies into the air and swings out its wings to cover the area with green light. The phoenix would only last so long as she charged it with only a little power. She scans quickly to find the shadows were shrinking so she found from one a form leaps out and rolls to a halt. Akaige looks up not able to block as Raven channels her powers all around Akaige, stretching him out from the arms and legs she now tosses him around the walls and floor making it crumble on him and leaving bigger holes that let the moonlight shine in more. She drops him after several slams and watches as he lays still. Floating closer to inspect she grabs her wound cringing as the pain was still there.

Akaige flips up and kicks her chin, landing back on his heels he kicks off and rams his shoulder into Raven slamming her back he hit her wound making her scream and roll from the hit. When she looks up her amethyst eyes became terrified from the claw arm raised and charging in its fingers was a large rolling and molding mass of strange energy like that which Akaige's eyes were but more an energy than a mist. He slunk his eyes and pitches the energy up higher, "See, that whole explosion wasn't necessary. It's easier to just make one ball and see what it does."

Akaige flings the ball and when Raven goes to block her wound begins to bleed more, she screams and falls in looking to the form making to her as the final blow. To her surprise a set of hands appear to stop the orb with their own body. Raven sits up on her knees to see the form of Malchior now catching flame in the energy. "Malchior! What do you think you're doing?"

"It is strange is it not? One time I actually made it my mission to hurt you. Not just to be free, but to merely find pleasure in seeing your pain." Malchior turns with parts of his paper form burn away, other parts catching slightly "When we were in that one realm I found out how wonderful you are. I know I hurt you; I'm sorry Raven I truly am. I wish I only knew then what I did now. I wish I could have loved you then like I do now." Malchior reaches his hand out but as he came close to her his hand fell as ash. Raven's eyes watered seeing his head soon turning to ash but his eyes stayed at her the whole time. "Malchior!"

When he fell as ash, she swore his heart turned to a rose that lay on the ground calmly before her. Raven reaches out her delicate fingers to try and touch this last gift but a shadowy foot stomps down on the flower soon grinding it into the ground. Raven's hand shook in the air still stretched out as Akaige twisted his toe into the ground. She soon saw Malchior in that realm teaching her, taking the chance to raise her power, to improve on her skills. Her mind was nearly as numb as her body but in a moment the numbness was gone, a heat burns on her skin and she looks up in a jolt so quick Akaige nearly didn't notice it. She flew up and even if he was taller, more muscular the way her hand cracked a fist encased with her powers made even his neck snap back. As he was rising up she kicks her other leg into his one side making him now falter onto his feet and waddle back from the strike. She screams with another punch this time to the abdomen, Akaige hunches over and his eyes widen from the stroke of pains. She now grabs Akaige by the head, turning all her might she tosses him across the ground digging up some debris as his force broke through the larger boulders stopping in its own creviced pathway.

Raven's wound still bled but she did not care. She felt pain but it did not slow her down. Her body was in a state of realization that her mind only recently found. She had to win this fight and he had to be stopped somehow. Akaige slowly slaps his claw onto the ground following soon his other hand he pushes up letting debris fall out from his hood, "You know… I might have pushed this a little too far, too fast." Akaige feels the hands on his ankle, dragging him back and around he screams "Oh yeah, I definitely did it now!"