Side Effects

Chapter 7

Author's Note: This chapter is a lot shorter than usual, but if I tried to continue it then I would have gone way over and probably delayed another week in posting it. So short, sweet, and uploaded quickly it is!

Robin's POV

The Tower was in utter chaos. Everyone knew that Batman, Superman, and Slade were going to meet Darkseid. Everyone was on standby, should something happen. Everyone watched as Zatanna and Dr. Fate were able to open the portal.

Everyone watched as the portal was violently closed, and both Zatanna and Dr. Fate were launched backwards. And from there, pandemonium ensued.

Starfire and Cyborg were with the potential second wave of reinforcements, and I stayed with the War Council.

"What happened? How did we lose them?" Hawkgirl asked, with desperation and surprise in her voice.

Zatanna picked herself off the ground, and ran back to where the portal was. Dr. Fate soon joined her, and they frantically tried everything they could to reopen the portal.

"It's been sealed off! We can't get it back open!" Dr. Fate announced, with a hint of dread in his voice.

Hawkgirl and Wonder Woman both slammed fists on a table next to them, anger clearly boiling over.

"You mean to tell me why have no contact with our two most important members, and we don't even know why!?" Wonder Woman yelled.

Normally, someone would calm them down, but right now no one could think of the right things to say.

"What could went wrong?" Flash asked.

Everyone looked to Zatanna and Dr. Fate, and they acted as if they didn't know what to say.

"I don't know. It wouldn't have been easy to override the summoning spell for that portal, so this would have to be planned for a while…likely Darkseid's plan all along. He didn't want to risk another defeat, so he tries to cripple us before attacking." Green Lantern reasoned.

"I think Slade may somehow connect to this" I added. Everyone looked to me in a 'oh, the Boy Wonder is stuck on Slade again' way, but I wasn't deterred.

"His involvement doesn't make sense. He wanted this position, even at the risk to his reputation? And instead of money, he's getting control of the Suicide Squad?!" I asked, incredulous.

"How do you—" Martian Manhunter started, before I cut him off.

"If it is on file, it isn't secret."

Instead of berating me for having classified info, everyone's attentions again shifted to scrambling to find a solution, leaving me to think.

I don't know how long I was in thought, but I know that I didn't make any progress before the portal suddenly reopened. Everyone flinched, and adopted a battle stance, anticipating Darkseid's attack. What came instead was not expected.

Out of the portal walked Raven. She was wearing a basic pair of handcuffs that were essentially pointless, and was escorted by two very unhappy people in Superman and Batman. Slade was nowhere to be found, but no one even noticed that.

"Raven's agreed to a more formal talk…J'onn, get Etrigan here. We'll need the insight."

The room was utterly silent as J'onn made an emergency call and told Etrigan to await teleportation. In a few minutes, Etrigan walked in the door (apparently already having switched to his demon form) and Batman lead everyone to the roundtable room.

Once there, everyone took a seat. Raven sat at the head of the table (now with a much better pair of arm-locks) with a patch over her mouth to stop her from using verbal spells. Everyone knew this wouldn't help much if she wanted to escape, but no one objected to it.

Everyone else sat around the table, making the closest person to Raven (myself) three seats away. Opposite from Raven sat Etrigan, flanked by Zatanna and Dr. Fate.

Once everyone was settled, Batman started to regale what happened.

"We stepped through the portal, then it closed. Superman was attacked by Slade, who subdued him with kryptonite. I would have fought back, but some…force…hit me from behind and arm-locked me before I could fight back. All of us, including Darkseid, were transported to Raven's homeworld (not Azarath, either) where we were surrounded by a massive army. When I say massive, I mean the combined forces of all Earth's metahumans wouldn't be nearly enough.

"Raven appeared, and battled Darkseid using different otherworldly weapons. She killed him with a blow to the heart with a scythe."

All eyes, at one point or another, looking to Raven questioningly. It was really hard to tell, but I think she looked smug.

"With Darkseid gone, she sent her allies home and brought us back here."

Batman finished, and everyone looked around nervously. Then suddenly, everyone was bursting with questions, some shouted and filled with anger, and others based simply out of curiosity.

After about thirty seconds, Etrigan became irritated with the hysteria and yelled over everyone.

"HEY! SHUT UP!" Once he had everyone's attention, he continued. "The best way to get to the center of this is to ask Raven directly, and force her to tell us the truth using Diana's lasso."

Raven's eyes widened, and everyone thought over Etrigan's statement. I interjected before people actually considered the idea.

"Are you crazy? All that will do is aggravate her, and she's here willingly! Isn't that supposed to be painful to demons?!"

Etrigan gave a smug smile, as if he was just waiting for this question.

"I have a solution to that. There is a drug, commonly used on earth, which has different effects on demons, who use it as a meditational drug. It slows the mind, causing thoughts to muddle and the brain to be less guarded; it also slows the body, helping achieve a perfect center. As a bonus, it also acts as a painkiller for both humans and demons."

Everyone shot glances around the room, unsure of but leaning towards this idea. Etrigan never broke eye contact with Raven, and he gave her a knowing look. Raven returned it.

"What do you say, Raven? You can remove the mouth cover." He said as he slid a syringe he happened to have with him towards Raven.

Raven's powers caught the syringe, and a black hand reached up to remove her cover.

"I will, on one condition. I want Beast Boy here, with me…" Raven replied.

Everyone looked back to Batman, who solemnly nodded. I wondered why Raven would chose to bring Garfield in now, but remembered that there are a lot of things different about their relationship.

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. Once opened, Beast Boy walked in and took a seat next to Raven.

Etrigan walked over to Raven, removed her arm-lock, and injected the contents of the syringe into her bloodstream.

Raven looked purely elated at first, as if the drug had taken effect immediately. He features displayed pure ecstasy, which slowly died down.

"God, I love cocaine."

POV BREAK (Raven's POV)

This…hadn't been part of the plan. If I had known I could plan something like this, I would have. A while ago.

Although the dose was small, the effect of the cocaine was much more potent than usual. The last time I used this to meditate I was still half-demon. I didn't even feel the pain as the Lasso of Truth was slipped around my hands.

"Cocaine!? You gave her cocaine!?" Beast Boy's voice rang though my head. It sounded slightly distant, despite the fact that he was next to me.

"Relax, Garfield. It doesn't do the same thing to demons as it does to humans. It just slows me down and…soothes everything…" I purred. I couldn't help myself; it had been far too long since I last did this.

"Raven, have you ever done this before?" Robin's voice echoed.

"Ab-so-lut-ely! It is a meditative drug. Why do you think Jump City's drug trade went down so much? I took out so many crooks that the trade died off, but not before I established a stash."

I could already feel my thoughts beginning to muddle.

"Wow. Just when you think you know someone…" Robin trailed off, before being berated by Etrigan. Robin was told how the drug had no negative connotations or side effects for demons, and that he shouldn't be so harsh. It felt good having another demon here to watch my back.

"Batman, tell us again what happened, and spare no detail." Dr. Fate commanded, and Batman was more than willing to comply.

I zoned out. Even though it was a lose dose, the cocaine had already inhibited my mental process. I found myself asking a lot of questions, but not having the ability to answer them very often.

Did Robin mean anything from what he said? If he had known, would he ever have let me leave in the first place? Would he have even allowed me on the team? I only took half-doses! It's not like I'm evil or something.

But aren't I? Have I taken things too far? Am I evil just for accepting Trigon's power? I am a demon now…so I'm evil, right?

Is that why they fear me? Can they see something I can't? I thought that this transformation would allow me to stay the same, but what if all it did was enhance my evil side? Would I even know? Could I know, or could I have altered my ideas of right and wrong?

Am I still the same person? I can't be…I've done too much. I've ran from the Justice League, betrayed the Titans, dragged Garfield with me, associated with Slade more than once, attacked the Justice League with reservation, condemned Darkseid to his own Hell…would the old me have done any of this?

No. She wouldn't. She would wait back, watch what was happening, but never participate. I used to abhor using my darker powers. Now I don't even flinch, drawing on them even to make tea now.

And I stole Darkseid's soul. Literally, I stole all of his energy, and sent his spirit to Hell. That's something my father would have done. That's something I did with my father's weapon.

That's not what the old me would have done.

The question now isn't 'am I evil' but instead 'can I live with myself?' Can I stand to continue on as Trigon's heir? How long will this continue to work?

"Raven, how did you transport everyone to Trigon's reality? That's impossible!" Zatanna cried out. For some reason, it caught my attention and I was able to focus long enough to answer.

"I…am a portal. That's why I was born. Why shouldn't I be able to go there?"

I looked around. Zatanna seemed suspicious, and Dr. Fate's body language suggested…I can't tell. It's too hard to think that much. Etrigan looked…smug. Like he had figured something out, and didn't feel inclined to share.

"Raven, where did you get the Scythe?" Etrigan asked. Again, that smug look was evident. He almost even looked proud.

"It…was my father's. It was stored away and guarded…closely."

"I see. Is this weapon…special?" he asked.

"Yes. Very much so." I responded. He had to know what it was.

He did. He was laughing hardily, and everyone was looking at him.

"Well, I am most impressed, Daughter of Trigon. That is a very coveted item; it would serve you well to guard it."

Everyone questioned Etrigan about the weapon, and how he knew of it. He reveled in the situation.

"Long ago, in ancient times, the Grim Reaper, or Death, walked the earth to collect souls. He used a powerful Scythe that allowed him to steal the power of anyone who died on its blade. It also sent their souls to hell. Since then, the Reaper has long since vanished, but rumors of his Scythe still remain. It appears Trigon used it to fuel his rise to power…"

"…and now Raven has it!" Dr. Fate finished.

I was suddenly distracted by a slight ache in my wrist, where the Lasso was tied. The cocaine must be wearing off.

I looked down at my other hand, and found it intertwined with Beast Boy's. Despite myself (and probably because of the cocaine), I smiled.

Can I live with what I am now? Maybe not alone. But I'm not, am I?

"Raven. What are your intentions regarding the Justice League, and humanity in general?" Superman asked. They had finally danced around long enough, and decided to ask me what they wanted to in the first place. This is why they gave me cocaine, so I would answer without thinking.

Too bad it is wearing off.

"I wish nothing but the best for humanity. That hasn't changed, and I haven't spent years with the Titans only to turn evil…"

Everyone visibly relaxed. Robin felt like he knew this answer, but still as glad to hear me say it.

The pain in my wrist is unbearable; the cocaine has completely worn off. Most don't know that for demons, there is no such this as withdraw from cocaine. Instead, when it wears off, the opposite affect occurs for a short while. Our minds are sharped, our senses heightened, and our reactions quickened.

"As for the Justice League, though, that depends entirely on your treatment of metahumans. I am not a fan of the Defense Integration of Metahumans Bill. I wonder how that's going to work now that Darkseid is gone…"

The room froze. Instead of icy glares, everyone looked as if they had been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. They were stunned.

Well, most everyone. Robin didn't know what was going on, and Batman was the lone opponent of the Bill. Beast Boy had been lost for the last thirty minutes.

"What did you say?" Wonder Woman asked, with a deadly undertone.

"You heard me. Forcing metahumans to join the US Army for 'defense'? Yes, because no one will try and send them to attack anyone…"

"How do you know about that?" Superman asked angrily.

"I know a lot of things, like how much cocaine is enough to subdue me!" I shouted as I threw off the Lasso. Everyone had come out of their seats, but no one charged when they saw the Scythe in my hand. Etrigan visually shivered.

"You know what this is, so don't do anything stupid. I don't want to fight, and I won't. But if you pass this Bill, I won't be alone…"

I held the Scythe between myself and the rest of the League, and once I felt I had my point across I opened a portal, and Garfield and I left.

We reappeared in the League's server room. I looked around, but didn't see who I was looking for.

"Beast Boy, you are positive that Cyborg agreed to help?"

"Yea, absolutely! He said that he would make a video making fun of that Bill and upload it whenever we were ready!"

"And did you tell him to meet us here?"

From behind us, Cyborg jumped out and scared us.

"BOOYAH!" he yelled, and I turned around ready to beat him to death with the nearest thing I could grab…which was Garfield, in the form of a cat.

"Whoa, hold on! Put the cat down, and let's talk!" Cyborg said before laughing. I begrudgingly put him down, but gave Cyborg a death glare. BB wasn't happy either.

"Is it ready?"

He nodded, and hit a button on a panel next to us. He brought up a screen on his communicator, and let us watch.

"This is playing on every monitor in the Tower, and I leaked a copy of the Bill online."

The video was a propaganda short detailing the dangers of forcing superheroes to work for the army. Cyborg had done his homework well, and provided plenty of background and evidence of government mishandles of power. The atomic bombs, the cold war, and the accidental creation of Slade Wilson.

"Great. Now, we need to get you out of here. If they find it was you who did this…"

"I'll be fine. Star thinks I'm in my room recharging, so you just gotta send me back there. Everything in here is untraceable."

Beast Boy gave Cyborg a high-five, and I gave him a small smile before sending him to his room. It felt good to be working with another Titan again, even if it was only for a short while. Who knows, maybe we will need a contact on the inside.

"So, now what do we do? Fight the Bill?"

I thought for a second, then opened a portal that would lead back to the safehouse.

"No, we'll let that run its course. If it passes, there will be a lot of heroes who will refuse to cooperate. We'll need to band them together, so until then we wait…and make connections."

We walked through the portal while holding hands (as soppy as that is, I couldn't say no).

"Well, I have an idea to pass the time." Garfield said, with a hint of mischievousness in his voice.

"What?" I asked, half expecting him to ask to make out again.

Not that I would mind.

"When was the last time you went to Nevermore?" He asked with a grin.