Side Effects
Chapter 5
Cyborg's POV
Ugh, why can't I ever have a peaceful day working on the T-Car? It's been forever since I got to work on my baby, and who knows what it could be missing during three weeks of no upgrades! All this business with Raven taking her father's power and running from the JL at the same time that Darkseid shows up is too confusing. And to top it all off, Slade is a leading member of the war council. I can't wait to tell Robin what I found in here.
Of course, he was the one who told me to sneak in here and find out what I could, but still, he's gonna blow a lid. I decided to use the second large round of interrogating my little sis (I'm still quite bitter, in case you didn't know) to sneak into the server room undetected. That first large round of interrogation went nowhere fast, but it did make me a little proud of that girl. They used every trick in the book, and left with the same amount of info they came in with. Raven even seemed smug about it; usually, talking about anything personal was hard for her, and her heritage was of the hardest. It's amazing how much she's grown.
The whole reason the JL failed at their interrogation was that they interrogated her. If Raven didn't want you to know something, you wouldn't know it; you had to get her to volunteer the information, which only Batman seemed to catch on to. He eventually settled down and had a civil discussion where Raven talked more than any other attempts combined, but they still didn't learn anything new.
Once I got out of the server room, I went to the teleporter and had them send me to the receiving area for Raven's chamber. They built it in a deep, top secret, underground facility that technically doesn't exist; they send you straight underground, so for all we know this could be cloud city. There isn't even a guarantee that the place in on earth. They sent me down without an issue, and Robin was waiting by the telepad.
He didn't look happy (not that he looked happy at all since this all started) but wore an expectant look.
"I found something interesting. You won't like it." I said with all certainty.
"Well, give it to me anyways."
I told him, and he agreed that he absolutely didn't like it. He went into the observation room and came back out with Star and BB, and had me repeat the info.
"So, you know how Slade is working for the League right now? Well, he's not getting paid in money. It's a very delicate deal, but he instead gets to use the Suicide Squad to take out rival mercenaries if—once—this Darkseid thing works out."
Beast Boy began to shout in outrage that he had been passed over for the job of Suicide Leader, but Robin muffled him from behind.
"Right. Sorry, secret meeting. My bad." The grass stain whispered sheepishly.
"So what do we do now?" Starfire asked. She sounded much less enthusiastic than usual, almost dialed back. I imagine all of this can't be easy; if I remember right, her powers work off of her feelings of freedom and such, so watching Raven in that room must be hard.
"We don't change anything. I'll have a few words with Batman privately, and we'll wait till after everything blows over to make any moves." Without so much as dismissing us, Robin walked away and went back to the room. We followed.
As I walked in, I noticed a very large crowd of the Justice League's upper echelon closely observing what was going on through the one-way glass. Currently, Batman and Dr. Fate were having one of the most civil (and probably most fruitful) discussions since the Bat's first talk. The room was plenty wide enough and we four slipped to the far right side of the room. The whole set up was simple and contained should Raven try to escape: her room, which was laden with even more preventative symbols that the panic room from the last day on earth, was spacious and well lit. There was one door on the left side that opened to a similar room: it was a double lock, so League members could get in and out without risking Raven exploiting the gaps. Once that room locked down, a door opened that lead to a hallway and ultimately back in the observation room. There were no other exits.
Batman and Dr. Fate were trying to find out how Raven was able to escape so easily without leaving even the slightest trace. It was a question that had kept more than a few members of this room up at night (the magically inclined ones who knew how hard that was) and finding it was considered a top priority. Batman and Dr. Fate exited the room, and although Raven was free to wander or move around the room, still hadn't moved from her seat. Finally, Batman entered our area, with the same frustrated look he always had.
"None of this is working. Unless we have any bright ideas, we're going to have to use Diana's lasso, which I understand to be extremely painful to demons even at the touch."
The room was solemnly silent, until a low voice from the back of the room spoke up.
"You could try letting me talk to her without any listeners. No prying ears and a familiar, repulsive face in front of her? Who wouldn't waste that chance to let loose some cryptic info?"
We all looked back, and Slade emerged from the shadow of the left corner.
"Not a chance in hell, Slade!" Robin barked, but no one else backed him. Eventually, everyone turned to Batman, and he weighed the options.
"Fine. You have to take someone in there to insure the legitimacy of your time, someone who wouldn't be lenient in light of the work you've done in the Darkseid effort. I'd suggest a Titan. Robin?"
Before Robin used the chance to say something he would regret, Slade spoke up.
"No, he'd give me an exaggerated report to see my neck wrung. Which only leaves one option…"
One? But there are three of us left!
"Indeed, Beast Boy it is." Batman replied. All eyes turned to the grass stain with varying degrees of surprise.
"Cyborg could record the whole thing, and Starfire's language hindrance could be used by Slade." Batman clarified.
BB went pale, and everyone waited for him to walk through the door. He slowly shuffled his way over, and Slade walked through the first sliding door behind him.
Beast Boy's POV
Okay, so I'm really not sure how this worked out, but now Slade and I have been trusted to go 'interrogate' Raven without the League hearing any sound (or at least, it's supposed to be quiet). The real Raven was in the shadowy corner where Slade was because that was the best spot to watch the Justice League's members without arousing suspicion. The Raven in the room was only Raven's body, which apparently isn't supposed to be as creepy as it sounds. It all goes back to the Trigon powers thing, but her soul can survive without a body for as long as it wants, and can even create a new copy of its body.
Yea. Creepy. Though that does give me some ideas…
Now, Slade gets to come in here and put on a big show, and I get to sit in the corner and watch. While this is supposed to be some huge, exciting ordeal, there isn't anything fun about this for me. A chance to speak to Raven? I've been doing that inter-mind-speaking-thingy the whole time. The thrill of an interrogation? There's nothing new to learn, and Raven wouldn't give it up anyways.
I literally get to stand in a corner and pretend that I'm interested and keeping Slade from "going too far." Ugh.
We walked in the room, and that's exactly what I did. I made sure it was with my back to the glass, just so no one would see my face. I was still a little concerned that they were secretly going to listen in; I'm not sure if Robin would force them to keep their word or want to hear every word Slade says. Heck, I don't even trust the guy and I'm dating his supreme-overlord.
As soon as the doors closed, Slade began his interrogation. I hadn't had much intention on listening at all, but his first words made me freeze.
"Alright, since the sound is off, how's the plan to destroy the world coming?" Slade monotoned.
Raven's doppelganger—er, unused body?—cut her eyes at him, but didn't respond. I figured that she wouldn't say anything, since that would be the most believable thing.
*Very funny, Slade, but I already confirmed that the audio is off. They can see us, though.* Raven's voice deadpanned in our heads. I've got to say, super strength would be awesome, but the ability to force my voice into someone's head? I could defeat anyone just while arguing with Cyborg!
^*Since we are here, shall we go over the plan once more?*^ Slade asked.
I internally groaned. We had gone over this who knows how many times. Hopefully, something will have changed. Not likely, though.
*That won't be necessary, unless anything has changed. Have there been any developments in the Darkseid planning?*
^*Yes. Darkseid made contact last night, and told us his intentions. He's a very proud, very arrogant being, you know. He's decided that the League has shown how valuable earth can be; after he wipes out our forces, he intends to conquer and rule earth instead of wiping out all life. He even wants a neutral, non-hostile meeting between the heads-of-staff, almost like boxers tapping gloves before a fight. Unfortunately, I've run into a major roadblock in the preparations that we are voting on tonight; those idiots don't want to declare formal war on Darkseid, and that limitation could be disastrous to our chances.*^
It was amazing how much Slade could tell us while shouting and yelling at the real Raven—Raven's body, sorry—and meanwhile I tripped and earned a trip to the infirmary because I was trying to blow a bubble with my gum.
*How exclusive is that meeting tonight?* Raven asked.
^*Only those who have a vote. Very heavily regulated.*^ Slade answered.
*Well, I'll make room for two more. Garfield, you feel like joining me?*
I thought for a second. There were a few things that Raven could do that I wouldn't want to try: summoning a dragon (accidentally, if you remember Malchior), reading, eating meet, and using her 'soul' powers. Okay, so there are a lot more, but those in particular I say nae-nae.
^How are we going to get in ther-?^ I was cut off by Raven, who expected my question.
*Soul traveling. I can put you to sleep and you'd never know that your body was lying helplessly somewhere!* She interjected.
^Then nope. Good luck and all that but my soul stays inside my body, thank you!^
All talk stopped, and Slade took that as a sign to wrap things up. He ended with a few whispered threats in her—the other her's—ear, and walked out. I followed a little distantly behind, pausing to look back and make eye contact with Raven one more time. That oughta sell it. I sure hope so; Robin isn't exactly dumb, and neither is his mentor, so who knows if that worked.
Raven's POV
Surely enough, the interrogations ended after Slade's visit. I heard chatter of using Wonder Woman's lasso, which I'm not looking forward to, but that would wait until tomorrow. For now, they have me under full lockdown (they think) as they go off for their meeting. I moved my body over to the bed that Beast Boy and Starfire made them give me, and then opened the tiniest sliver of a portal that allowed my soul to travel to the Justice League's Tower, more specifically my usual dark corner in Garfield's room. I knew that everyone was just now getting back at the telepads, so his room was be abandoned making it a good place to reappear. My soulself stepped out of the portal, and phased through the ceiling on the way up to the war room.
Before inheriting Trigon's full power, my soulself couldn't survive outside my body for long, and was somewhat basic. My base form was a semi-transparent shadow of myself, with white eyes that I could conceal if need be. Now, it can do everything except be touched; I can alter the color of my soul until I look like my own twin, or copy anyone else's appearance. I can also use a simple spell to speak, giving a perfect illusion of a real person. In essence, my soul is my own ghost.
Eventually, I was able to find the war room party. They were in the process of locking down the war room and securing all essential members, in preparation for the most important part of their efforts to date. While the room was protected from magic, meaning I couldn't phase through the wall, I could open a portal that looped through another dimension and opened back up in one of Slade's pockets (or anyone's for that matter; Slade just has one built for this purpose). Once inside, I took residence inside the crack between a light fixture and the ceiling it was built into, allowing me to remain completely hidden and see absolutely everything around the room.
As soon as everyone was ready, Batman spoke and the floor went silent. Everyone knew the magnitude of this decision.
"Alright, we all know why we're here. We all know what comes with a 'yes' and a 'no.' This is about whether we're declaring war on Darkseid, and what that means."
All the faces around the room looked very solemn, all except one mask with a single eye burning fiercely behind it.
"THAT is not what this decision is about. This is about beggars trying to be choosers, when that simply isn't a reality we face. This is about whether or not we kill Darkseid, should we be given the chance. I don't understand why this is even an issue (my occupation aside); we should have declared war as soon as we found out he intended to attack us. And some of you don't want Darkseid dead? Why, I would question your loyalty, personally. You all barely escaped last time, and you thought had died. Now that he's back, you want to make that mistake again?! Unbelievable! I understand that you are the good guys, the ones the world looks up to, but if you won't protect them by killing the greatest threat to the universe, then maybe you should find other lines of work." Slade's frustrated anger was easier to spot then Cyborg in an Amish village. However, Slade's next statement seemed like the cross between a threat, obvious solution, and even a deal being struck. He said it slowly, making every word count. "Or you let me do my job; I will ensure that we have the best odds of beating this, and that this abomination will never return. When it's all said and done, I will take any credit or blame that anyone wants to through around, and won't lose a night's sleep knowing that Darkseid's blood is on my hands."
Slade hesitantly relinquished the floor after having said all that he felt would be necessary, and we heard from one more person about 'protecting our humanity, even if we are not human.' While that is one of my greatest concerns about myself, it's definitely not the best idea here. If need be, I'll take care of this myself.
After the other speaker, Superman, finished, everyone was expected to vote. We went around the table, starting with Slade:
Slade—"Declare war, kill the bastard. It's not difficult."
Superman—"Banishment in a new dimension. If we kill now, we're only telling everyone that our beliefs are compromised."
Batman—"There's no way to know if we will even win. I don't want to hurt our chances. Declare war."
Aqua man—"I stand with my Kryptonian friend; this is not a message we need to send to the people."
Flash—"In the heat of the moment, anything can happen, but it we capture him? I'd rather not invoke this wrath of his ghost, personally. No war."
Hawkgirl—"Flash actually made a good point. Executions shouldn't become our style."
Martian Manhunter—"I will not allow another home of mine be destroyed; war is inevitable anyways."
Robin (yes, after the fiasco last time, Robin was promoted to the War Room Council for this matter)—"How many times am I going to have to side with Slade? With as many deaths as he is responsible for, Darkseid needs to be culled."
Amanda Waller (current head of the Suicide Squad and Justice League liaison to the United Nations)—"Absolutely declare war. I'd rather he have died the first time."
Wonder Woman—"I agree with Superman. Killing someone now can only give the public a bad feeling towards us."
Green Lantern—"I hope for us to avoid killing as much as possible. If we declare war, that only tells everyone that we are prepared to be as ruthless as Darkseid; how would we be any better then?"
When all the votes were tallied, I couldn't believe it: they actually decided not to kill Darkseid by a vote count of 6-5. I could sense fury radiating off of Slade, but I was unnerved at how calm he managed to appear. As if the vote didn't really matter to him. It was possible that it didn't, but it throws a large knot in my plan. I originally wanted to fight for the Justice League or escape and battle Darkseid during the fight. With my old power and Trigon's combined, I am more powerful than Darkseid on paper. How that translates to in a fight, I don't know, so I hoped to attack Darkseid after he had spent some energy fighting. Now, I was left to ponder more desperate options.
Before disbanding, the Council discussed the neutral meeting with Darkseid. All sweeps had shown that the dimension he wanted to meet in was clear, uninhabited, and survivable for all life forms with the Justice League. Eventually, it was decided that only Superman, Batman, and Slade would go and meet, the rest staying back unless it was a trap.
While this may not be ideal, it does give me an idea. A very bold, risky idea, but one with major upside.
I opened a small portal and left, appearing just outside of Garfield's room. I reached out and let him know I was here, and he told me to come in; the last thing I need right now is to for me to become distracted by the more demonic urges that walking in unannounced could bring. Someday, though, who knows?
I phased through the wall, and found Garfield sitting on the bed playing a video game. He looked bored, but didn't pause the game for me.
"So how'd it go?" he asked.
"Not well. They voted against killing Darkseid, which means that my plans need some major altering. I do have an idea, though."
"Well, can I hear it?"
Suddenly, I got that paranoid feeling that we weren't alone. I couldn't pick up on anything, but I didn't feel secure anymore.
*I've got to go. I think you're being watched. I'll come back tonight and tell you the plan, so it looks like you're asleep.*
Before phasing out, I leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. When you're touched by someone's soul, it feels cold, and as my ghost-lips ghosted his cheek, I could feel goosebumps run down his spine. As he shivered, he gave me a sarcastic glare that I've probably given him a thousand times, and I returned with a small, mischievous grin of my own.
NO POV—ONE DAY LATER
Zatanna and Dr. Fate opened the portal, and the three men stepped through. The portal was to be kept open the whole time, in case a retreat was necessary. Standing across from them was Darkseid, who seemingly stood alone. He stood as solid as a rock, and as threatening as can be imagined.
"Ah, so they do have a sense of honor. Greetings, Superman. It has been a while, hasn't it?"
"Indeed, though not quite long enough" Superman replied while nodding.
"HA. Well, I'm afraid you will have to wait another week before a full reunion is in order. Speaking of that, I want to speak with you about the battle that will no doubt ensue. I intend not do destroy humankind but to rule it, now that you all have shown me its worth. I don't expect you to consider surrendering; I know you'd rather die fighting, and I'll give you that chance. I wish for us to find a neutral location to battle, so that earth is not harmed by our clash."
Superman and Batman shared a look.
"Well, how does one even reply to your thoughtfulness? I have an idea—" Batman was cut off suddenly as the portal behind them closed. Suddenly, a large blue portal appeared overhead, and engulfed all four of them. When it was finished, they were standing on a very similar surface, only this time they weren't alone. They were surrounded by what appeared to be a massive army, but it formed a circle that was 100 yards from them in every direction.
The army didn't move, talk, or in any way establish its presence other than just being there.
Slowly, Slade reached to his side and found a belt floating there. Once he grasped it, he wrapped it around Superman's waist without warning, and hit a button that activated a release mechanism. The belt had been lined with kryptonite, and once released Superman collapsed onto his knees. The dose wasn't lethal, but it would reduce Superman to the sidelines as long as he wore it.
Before Batman could do anything, a small green monkey had materialized behind him and stolen his Utility Belt, only to vanish before he caught sight of it. In his initial confusion, Slade clamped a heavy-duty hand cuff onto one of Batman's wrists, then stuck the other end into a portal that had opened up. Another portal opened and the other side of the hand cuff suddenly jutted out and clamped Batman's other wrist. Now, Batman was handcuffed through a portal, which is actually very headache-inducing if you think about the possibilities of handcuffs going around reality instead between wrists. The portal expanded into a ball then encompassed Batman, and he was returned with the handcuff anomaly fixed.
Although Batman is no easy foe even when handcuffed, suddenly two green gorilla armed held Batman's legs from behind as Slade approached him. From out of another portal came some device, which Slade set up on the ground in front of Batman. When activated, it produced a powerful magnetic pull that kept Batman's handcuffs from moving, thus rendering the Caped Crusader stationary. The gorilla arms disappeared, and neither Batman nor Superman ever saw them.
"Apologies, gentlemen, but we just couldn't risk you interfering." Slade monotoned rather devilishly before he sat down in a seat that appeared next to them just before he fell over.
"Now comes the fun part." Mumbled Slade.
A cloaked figure arose out of the ground between them and Darkseid (who had had a great laugh watching the Justice League's greatest members be apprehended so easily), and immediately every soldier around them kneeled. The more the figure rose, the more the sky around them went from bleak gray to red, until it appeared as if that flat plane never existed. Before them all now was a world surrounded by fire and lava, with a permanently smoky sky. Not even the cloaked figure cared for this realm much, but it had its purpose.
Even all of the soldiers changed from identical foot soldiers to mighty beasts, no two of which were alike. Most of them were mainly mixtures of red and white, but there were the occasional blue, gray, and rare gold mixed in. The weapons that these monsters held looked like they were built to battle the supernatural, and each beast in this army seemed as if it would pose a threat to Superman on its own. And there weren't just beasts. There were also what resembled knights, with massive armor, and warlocks brandishing powerful staffs. This army looked as if it could punt the Justice League farther than Superman could jump, and the fact that they all bowed to the small cloaked figure in the middle meant one thing: this guy was a badass.
"Darkseid: welcome to my reality. Don't get comfy; I've reserved a special spot in Hell just for you…" The cloaked figure stated while throwing off the cloak at the end.
And just like that, standing there in full demonic form, stood Raven.
Darkseid became furious and charged, and Raven charged back.
What began wouldn't be the greatest battle of all time, but it would have the highest stakes.