"Who assails us?" Hippolyta asks as Raven drops the twitching guard on the ground, his one scream having died away long before.
"Ready the army your Highness, this man was part of a vast group of people who comes at us now. He served, in secret, a man called Orm." Raven says.
"My brother?" Arthur asks witha raised eyebrow, because Orm was supposed to be dead.
"Not dead, he was injured by your battle with him in the Arctic, but he survived. He's allied himself with surface dwellers to get back at you, something called the Fourth Reich."
"By the Gods, I thought we had seen the last of them." Hippolyta swears. "I fought them in the Great War, the Justice Society's Nazi opposite number."
"That is not all." Raven sighs. "They have found a figurehead for this invasion, Heracles he is on those ships." This has the Amazons in the room stare wide eyed at her in disbelief; Hippolyta is the first to snap out of it.
"Philipus, ready the army! King Arthur, have you brought any forces with you?" She asks quickly.
"Only what you see." Arthur says. "But I will go send for more; the Mediterranean fleet is nearby." He replies as Philipus runs out of the ruined door, soon her commands can be heard being shouted from outside.
"Good." Hippolyta nods. "Diana, Donna, Cassandra; go slow down the fleet, but do not take chances. Mala take your regiment and join the army, and fetch my armor. Raven, stand by me." The others storm out to follow her orders while Raven is confused by not being ordered out as well.
"Your Highness?" Raven asks as Hippolyta walks to her throne and sits down, waiting for her armor to arrive.
"Soon, Captain Nazi, the leader of the Reich, will order his two swiftest minions out to retrieve me or my body. It is a favored strategy of his to remove the leadership of his opponents before mopping up the survivors; the attack here was proof of that. One of them will be Gunhild the Valkyrie, self-proclaimed champion of the Norse gods and Blitz, a woman with abilities like those of the Flash." Hippolyta says as a guard comes running with Hippolyta's sword and another following with the rack carrying her platinum armor. "I will allow you this once to impersonate me and l have you handle Blitz, I have a score to settle with the Valkyrie." She continues as she is quickly helped into her armaments, Raven nods and changes her appearance into of Hippolyta without the armor and has the owl topped staff passed to her. "I expect to have this returned to me when this is over."
"Of course." Raven says as Hippolyta walks to the halfway collapsed doorway and proceeds to climb the remains without being impeded by the weight of her armor, while Raven sits down and waits as the guards hurry out. They don't wait for long before the closed doors are thrown inwards and a magnificent white winged horse, carrying an armored blond armed with a shield and sword, while another woman in a skintight and all encompassing yellow suit with a purple eagle and laurel on her chest with two lightning's forming S's on the inside and a pair of black sunglasses appears seemingly out of nowhere.
"Hippolyta, it has been too long." Gunhild says from the back of her horse.
"Not long enough." Raven replies as she rises, doing her best to sound and act like Hippolyta. "Leave Themyscira at once!"
"Nein Köningen, we have a special man who wishes to see you." Blitz replies. "And we aim to make that happen."
"Then your aim is appalling and you waste my time, begone." Raven replies without raising her voice.
"The Whore Queen bores me Blitz, would you take her, she is no challenge when unarmed." Gunhild sighs.
"But of course, it is not like she can stand against me." Blitz replies before she storms towards her target and becomes completely frozen mere inches in front of Raven who doesn't even flinch. "WAS?!"
"Gunhild, I do not take kindly to your remark." Hippolyta says before leaping off her perch with a raised sword. Gunhild is almost caught by completely by surprise as she turns in her saddle, causing Hippolyta's sword race past her face, beheading the horse instead. Hippolyta rolls when she hits the ground as the body of the horse goes into spasms, throwing Gunhild from the saddle.
"You shall pay with your life for that!" Gunhild seethes as she untangles herself and stands up with her shield and sword ready to face the stern faced Hippolyta.
"Just a little magic trick I learned." Raven shrugs to Blitz as she lets her disguise fall. "It is quite handy against the likes of you, but the one I usually use it on knows how to avoid it."
"Was ist du?" Blitz asks with fear creeping into her voice.
"I am the one that is going to end your running days." Raven replies before aiming a single punch on top of the Blitz's knee, shattering her shin bone down to the ankle, getting an agonized scream of pain from the woman before she is dropped on the ground. "I suspect your bones will heal within minutes, but the blow should assure that it won't be correctly healed." She continues as the woman cries and squirms on the ground. "Oh, and one more thing." She says as she forces Blitz to black out, casting a small spell afterwards to make sure she stays out.
As she finishes another scream is heard, making her look over to Hippolyta, finding her aiming the tip of her bloody sword at Gunhild's throat as she lies on the ground, with her right arm having been separated from her elbow.
"You never were a challenge Gunhild nor worthy to be a Champion of Gods, you were even less this day." Hippolyta says coldly as she pulls back. "And will not sully my blade further on the likes of you." She continues as she faces Raven. "Go join the battle Sister, I shall join you all shortly."
"As you wish your Highness." Raven replies before running out of the palace, while Hippolyta withdraws to the back after casting a quick glaze at Blitz.
Arriving outside Raven finds the plaza a battlefield, the Amazons battling dark armored men and women that appear in blue flashes of light, all carrying the Nazi-symbol in a red circle on their chests. The armored offenders may be physically inferior to the Amazons, and the idea to drop them into hand to hand with them seems not to have been the wisest plan, but they have numbers on their side and that advantage seems to be growing.
Raven sends forth her soul-self, engulfing the entire plaza in its folds before retreating, leaving the Reich troops twitching on the ground while leaving the Amazons momentarily confused.
"More are coming!" Raven yells as more blue flashes begin to appear. "The Queen is coming, I will go see if we can stop them sending more." She continues before entering her final shape, it's been almost a year since she's had to use it, and beats her wings to fly down the streets, sending black bolts of power into any of the invaders she passes.
Meanwhile in Wayne Manor;
"Wonder what Raven is doing?" Richard asks as he finishes his bench press with Bruce taking the barbell off him.
"Arthur is visiting Themyscira around now, I suspect she is standing guard somewhere." Bruce replies as Dick sits up.
"Still got the hot's for her Dick?" Tim asks from the treadmill.
"Why do you ask? I could just be curious to what she is doing?" Richard replies while wiping his face with a towel.
"Why dodge the question?" Tim replies with a smirk, Richard just sighs before speeding up the treadmill. "Hey!"
"Actually I was wondering how she is integrating over there, ending up a soldier wasn't exactly what I expected she would become." Richard replies.
"She still likes to read Richard, and if she didn't feel obligated to do what she does, she would be content with tending a small library somewhere. But she is committed not to let her talents go to waste." Bruce continues.
"So she does what she feels she has to, but is it what she really wants to do?" Richard asks as Tim jumps off the treadmill.
"What you are really asking is if she is satisfied with her life." He says. "From what I can tell, she is but she is missing something but she will never admit it. But if you can, you can reclaim the Boy Wonder title."
"Yuk, I'm too old for that one." Richard smirks at the idea. "But yeah, I guess she is just bored out of her mind on guard duty."
Back on Themyscira;
"Drive them back Sisters!" Raven yells as she has become bogged down at the harbor where there are too many troops for her to simply repeat the trick she performed at the palace.
There is the added trouble that most of the Amazons here are unnamed, but as it seems the invaders are more intent on capturing than killing since their rifle weapons are shooting stunning blasts that Raven feels fortunate to be shielded from by her magic, something she is trying to expand to the Amazons around her, but it is rendering her immobile till she can figure out how to get past them. Fortunately two of the armed Amazons realize how important this is and is standing guard by her.
"FOR ATHENA!" Hippolyta's voice cries from above before a massive beast of legend swoops into battle, carrying the Queen on its back. While her sword has been sheathed onto her back, she is now wielding a spear long enough for her to strike her enemies from the back of the beast. The thing is the size of a small truck, with the head, clawed feet and wings of an eagle while the rest of its body has the build, fur and tail of a lion, Raven almost lets up her focus at the sight of the griffon, but instead she redoubles her efforts to shield the new arrivals. So do the other Amazons who go on the offensive now, hurling their opponents into the sea if necessary. "Sister Raven go assist Diana, we shall handle these vermin!" Hippolyta says from the back of her mount before stabbing at someone on the other side of her.
"Very well your Highness!" Raven yells to be heard over the noise before relenting and takes to the skies and heads out to meet the fleet still coming closer. Spotting several troop transports coming closer she prepares to tip them over, but relents when she sees they are already fighting a losing war against a mix of Atlantian guards and sharks the size of buses. Raven had heard of the Megalodons that patrolled the waters of Paradise Island, but she had never seen them before, apparently another of the creatures the Gods sent to protect the Amazons from the threats from the sea. Further out, she spots one of the troop carriers getting blasted out of the water by a column of water, she guesses that Tempest is to blame, but he doesn't surface. The last of the small crafts is lying on its side, with no sign of the former occupants.
Flying on she comes across the main fleet, consisting of nothing less than two battleships, an aircraft carrier and a host of smaller vessels. Finding Diana, Donna and Cassandra however are easy, as they are battling their way through hordes of troops on the carriers deck with the wreckage of several planes and helicopters burning around them. Cassandra obviously having had time to change clothes into her red sweater and blue jeans with the twirl of her own lasso.
"Private party?" Raven asks as she bowls into the flank of the troops coming at the group.
"We were saving some for you." Donna says.
"There seems no end to their numbers." Cassandra grunts as she punches one in the face. "But we are preventing them from getting off the ship."
"They are teleporting onto the island from somewhere." Raven replies before sending five flying backwards with a telekinetic push.
"Then we push forwards and stop them!" Diana says and jumps into the next clump.
"No sign of the special cases?" Raven asks as she and the others join in.
"Not unless you have brutalized some?" Donna asks.
"A Nazi Flash and a Valkyrie pretender, Hippolyta knew they were coming."
"Good, for a second I thought you had been demoted to royal armorer." Cassandra jokes.
"Still honorable." Donna counters.
"Sisters, you talk too much when enemies amass." Diana interrupts as they come closer to the tower of the ship.
"I'll focus when I have to." Cassandra replies with a smirk looking at Diana while casually backhanding one goon, sending the man onto his back.
"I think those guys will warrant it." Donna counter's having spotted a small group of people stepping off the aircraft elevator coming up from beneath the deck.
One looks very much like its just a brown piece of cloth with frayed ends, while one can see it is draped over someone, you can't see any other mark of a body, as if it was only a head under it. To Raven one of the others look like a Red-X fan, wearing a brown and white costume with a horned skull helmet. A third looks like a regular vampire, bald, white skinned, wearing a black cloak covering his body completely, one next to him seems like a swordsman wanting to be a vampire, carrying a tall sword and a featureless half mask made of silver with only two fangs on the bottom. The last and obvious leader, is a huge blond man with short hair, wearing a black suit in the style of the soldiers assailing the Amazons.
"I'll get the ghost, then the vamp." Raven says as the group advances.
"I got the big guy." Diana says.
"I'll get Skully Swordsman." Donna continues as she draws the sword she has been carrying by her side.
"Leaves me with Skully No-Swords." Cassandra finishes.
"On three?" Diana asks.
"Three." Raven announces as she focuses and sends every soldier flying back while the Amazons take to the air and charges the Nazi group. As they close, Raven lashes out at the vampire with a bolt of black magic blowing it backwards as she heads for the ghost.
There are no introductions as the groups collide, Diana engages in a wrestling match with Captain Nazi, Donna crosses blades with her opponent and Cassandra deflects the white blasts being sent at her and Raven falling through the ghost, making her roll on the ground before getting up.
"So you are a ghost." She muses at her opponent.
"Shadow of War, Dämon." The ghost replies in a dry husky voice that might have belonged to a female. "You seem immune to my powers or are you ignoring the cries of the millions of dead war have claimed?"
"I am good at controlling my own emotions, and I have met more formidable manipulators than you. Now let's see if your shadow can exist without a light." Raven replies before her soul-self rises from her and surges forwards scooping up Shadow between it's folded out wings before collapsing around it, getting a hollow chuckle from the inside.
"You have nothing that can touch me." Shadow chuckles as it passes through Raven's soul self, that begins retracting when Shadow advances.
"Fresh blood!" A hiss voice is heard behind her before Raven feels the vampire leap onto her back, wrapping his legs around her waist and yanking her head to the side by seizing her left horn with his right hand. "So fresh!" He continues before biting into her neck, getting only broken teeth in his mouth as his fangs break against her armor.
"If you must know, my blood is like acid to your kind, consider yourself fortunate." Raven says dryly before grabbing the vampire's collar with her right hand and pulls him off her, throwing him at Shadow who moves to the side to avoid him. The vampire's reflexes seem like a cat's when he twists in the air to land on his hands and feet, also the fangs seems to be rapidly re-growing.
"Then we will simply have to rip you apart!" The vampire says before the two supernatural beings attack.
"Unf! You have some skill." Donna admits after receiving a nick on her upper right arm.
"As do you Fräulein." The masked man replies, guarding himself with his large sword, panting more than Donna is.
"But I am far stronger than you." Donna continues by proving it with a single handed horizontal slash that batters the man's sword out of his hands, before being on the receiving end of a left fist to the gut, dropping him on his knees. "Don't feel too bad." Donna finishes by knocking him out with a knee to his helmeted head.
"Cheater, where did you get the dragon from?" Cassandra complains as she dodges out of the way of the stream of fire sent her way, her target is sitting comfortably on top of an albino dragon that had appeared out of nowhere and is now trying to roast her.
"I am the White Dragon, girl, and you will fall!" The man boasts, sporting a thick German accent as Cassandra flies out of the way of the dragon's breath.
"No, the thing you're sitting on is a white dragon, you're just a guy in a suit." Cassandra replies as she pulls out her own golden lasso that has, so far, remained fastened at her hip.
While Diana has had a look at it, Cassandra has refused to say anything about it or where she got it from. Swinging it around as she circles the man and his beast before throwing it, catching the dragon around the mouth. Out of the corner of her eyes, Raven again notices that there is a flare of anger from Cassandra an instant before the dragon and its riders is struck by the lightning that races along the lasso. The White Dragon is blasted out of his seat, ending up lying on the deck as he landed while smoke rises from him, his dragon collapses on the deck before vanishing in a flash of light.
"When we are done here, I will ask my mother if you were this weak when she fought you." Diana asks in a stern but satisfied tone as she is slowly overpowering Captain Nazi by sheer strength, having forced him onto one knee, while they are locking hands.
"Har…lot!" Nazi sneers while straining against her. "You understand… nothing!"
"I understand you will fail, as you kind has always done." Diana continues.
"Nein, we have won…. Our victory will have reached your shores by now… And not you, nor your pet monster can stop him." Diana's eyes widen at the realization before swiftly pushing Nazi onto his back before wrapping her lasso around him, rendering him immobile.
"Talk! Heracles had been beaten before!" Diana demands as she pulls him to his feet.
"The Ocean Master engages the Undersea King, but his agent never knew of our latest allies, the Brotherhood of Evil. They assured us they would handle your monster, by capturing those dear to it and assist in taming you furies. Heracles needs only to subdue your foul queen." Nazi seethes as he is forced to tell the truth.
"Where are they?!" Diana demands.
"You are not the only one with invisible aircraft." Nazi smirks before getting knocked unconscious by a blow to the head.
"Sisters, we need to get back!" Diana yells to the others that are finishing up or engaging the regular troopers. "Raven, stop toying with them!"
"As you wish." Raven replies before jumping over Shadow of War and away from the vampire that was behind her. Facing them both after she lands, Raven spews forth a stream of fire that catches both them, setting them alight. Their howls and screams are long and drawn-out when a telekinetic blast sends them both flying over the side of the ship and into the ocean. "Heard he mentioned something about the Brotherhood?"
"They are in on this as well, they are on the island already with Heracles." Diana replies while retrieving her lasso.
"Let's get going then." Donna adds, having only heard the last part.
"Agreed." Raven says before flattening the Nazi troopers again with another blast, allowing the four to fly away.
"Ahhh, feels like coming home." Heracles says as he takes a deep breath as he and a group of people walk through the cobbled street of the Bana Quarter. "All we have to do is to find dear Hippolyta."
"I vould have thought the blast was meant to kill her?" Madam Rouge asks in her usual Russian accent.
"No, as our sources suggested, Raven was at her side and the reports confirms she is alive." Brain replies in his mechanical voice.
"I still cannot believe this child is here." Mallah proclaims in his faux French accent.
"Another woman, perhaps she will prove to be worthy entertainment." Heracles shrugs, indifferent to the two women walking behind him.
"Even demigods have fears." Phobia mutters under her breath, while Rouge huffs. "As do Amazons." She says out loud when a group of four notices them and charges forth for a few steps before slowing and begin screaming out in horror, fleeing the scene.
"Still you impress Phobia." Brain says as they continue walking casually.
"Indeed, but let me have the next ones." The red armored cyborg known as Brother Blood says. As if on cue an Amazon pokes her head out of her front door, spotting the huge man leading them she charges out with a raised sword.
"Herac…les…" She trails off as she takes on a vacant stare in her eyes while slowing down and stopping, while Blood's eyes glow red.
"Do be a dear and lead us to your queen." Blood says while smirking slightly at his thrall.
"Follow me." The Amazon replies flatly before turning around and starts walking.
"And so help is acquired." Blood adds.
"I do hope there is someone here to fight, having them all run or bow would prove no amusement." Heracles complains.
"Hippolyta is yours to humble, as are the others, if you wish." Brain replies. "As per our agreement, you get the Amazons, the Reich gets the island, we get their technology."
"If they earn the island." Heracles corrects. "So far they prove a capable distraction, nothing more."
"Agreed." Brain replies.
"The Queen approaches." The enthralled Amazon says as she halts. Ahead of them a large group of Amazons turn the corner, all of them armed with spears and appear physically larger than the enthralled Amazon.
"Ah Mala, I was hoping I'd see you again." Heracles says as he recognizes the leader. "I hope you will prove as entertaining as our last meeting."
"You?!" Mala roars as she charges ahead of the others who follow after her. "DIE!"
Heracles is about to instruct an order to let him handle the ten or so Amazons charging them, but he is cut off by a shrill shriek before the group is bowled over by a huge beast while Heracles' shoulder is skewered by a spear, sending him onto his back further down the street.
"Invaders, you will pay for bringing his monstrosity to our island!" Hippolyta says with a voice filled with venom from the back of the griffon.
"Any idea how strong this guy is?" Cassandra asks as the four put the fleet behind them.
"As strong as I am." Diana says. "And as durable. Leave him to me, this is personal."
"We got the Brotherhood to contend with." Raven notes as she transforms back into her human guise.
"Brain in the jar, I know." Cassandra replies.
It had taken a while, but Cyborg had eventually gotten Cassandra to read up on what the Tower files held on their foes. In the beginning Cassandra had been adamant that anything could be overcome by brute force, so stubbornly she refused to read up with the others. She was persuaded to do it after an encounter with Billy Numerous, who had eventually dog piled on her before the other arrived, just in time to see Billy using her lasso to dangle her from a streetlight, which was extremely embarrassing for Cassandra.
"His monkey and Rouge." Donna continues. "But I don't see how any of them would be able to humble us?"
"They have brought someone with them." Diana says as they fly over the island where the fighting is still continuing. "Where will they be?"
"Hmm odd, I sense a lot of scared mind's over at the Bana Quarter." Raven says looking in the direction.
"5 bucks it's them." Cassandra says as they head in the direction. "Ok?" She says as they halt in midair, finding a group of Amazons standing silently staring off into space while the others lie curled up on the ground or at the walls and wearing terrified expressions on their faces.
"Scarecrow?" Donna asks.
"No, he works with gas; the others would also have been affected." Raven says as they land.
"Sister?" Diana asks waving a hand before one of the Royal Guards unseeing eyes.
"NO!" A cry is heard from one of the buildings next to them, causing them all to race over to the doorway. Finding the back of a huge man facing them, with a teary eyed Mala can be seen struggling to get away from him. Diana is the first to react and leaps inside, seizing two handful's of the man's long curly hair before hammering her right knee into his lower back, causing him to crash to the floor, dragging the half-naked Mala with him.
Heracles is only down for a second before pushing Mala off him before curling his legs over himself, sending them into Diana's midsection, sending her rocketing out of the doorway. Before the others can react he is on his feet and batters them aside, taking a part of the door frame with him as he runs across the street to follow Diana through the hole in the wall of the building she made by passing through it. Soon dull booms and shaking ground ensures.
"Children vhen vill you learn?" The voice of Madam Rouge makes the three look up, spotting her, Phobia, Blood, Brain and Mallah stand on the roof of the building, Mallah with an unconscious Hippolyta slung over his shoulder, while cradling a heavy machine gun in his hands.
"Get the them girls." Blood coos and the enthralled Amazons react immediately by drawing their weapons, charging the three.
"Raven can you break the mind control?" Donna asks as she swats an assailant away.
"Not from here." Raven replies as she jumps over two guards that try to skewer her with their spears, before throwing a blast of magic in Bloods direction, taking away part of the building, while the target jumps aside in time.
"Get him!" Cassandra says before punching a guard in the midsection dropping her to her knees. "We got this."
"Madam, Phobia, would you kindy ensure they have no such advantage?" Brain asks.
"You take the girl." Rogue says before stretching her body down to the street in an attempt to wrap herself around Donna. Phobia jumps down as well before walking calmly towards the engaged Cassandra, while Raven jumps up to the roof.
"Apologies your Highness." Raven says before telekinetically lifting the Brain's containment unit off the ground before having it thrown over the other side, getting the reaction she wanted.
"MASTER!" Mallah cries as he drops Hippolyta and his weapon in favor of catching Brain as they both crash into a building across the street, with Mallah shielding Brain with his body.
"My my, you have come far since we last met." Blood smirks at her. "But I would let you know that we have leverage against you, stand down, or some of your friends will be hurt."
"I would have proof of that fact before bowing to anything." Raven replies as he gathers her powers, Blood continues smirking as he pulls out a small gray disk and throws it to her, turning the small screen on, Raven sees the video feed of the unconscious forms of Starfire and Beastboy lie in an metal cell. "You know where they are." She states as she crushes the small monitor in her hand.
"Like I would tell." Blood replies, still smirking, as a scream is heard from down below, neither of the two break eye contact.
"Seeing as you are too arrogant to follow the orders of others who you consider yourself superior to, I am hazarding a guess you are here for something the Brotherhood offered you." Raven speculates out loud.
"Knowing you, I am unsure if you are making fun or not." Blood smirks, before scowling. "Of course I am here for something; proof."
"Of?" Raven asks as they begin circling each other.
"What all holy men seek to prove to their congregations, that their god exists." Blood replies with a gleam in his remaining human eye, Raven stops to stare at him.
"You're a Priest of the Church of Blood." She sighs, she had long speculated the reason of his name and had wondered if there was a connection between it and the Church that worshipped Trigon, but there was nothing to indicate he had ever been in Zandia or had any connection to the enigmatic High Priest.
"I am." He replies. "The academy was a front for our outlawed faith in the U.S. But enough about that, I must know how Lord Trigon's plans are progressing, you must know."
"Trigon?" Raven asks in confusion. "If he is what he says he is, he couldn't possibly have missed it, could he?" She asks herself.
"Oh, did your mother neglect to mention who and what your father really is?" Blood smirks. "Wouldn't be a surprise, few of the chosen could comprehend his majesty. Tell me what lies she filled you with as to how you acquired your powers? Perhaps I should take you back home to Zandia, so that you may discover your true potential?" Raven just stares holes in him while he talks.
"You really have no idea, do you?" She asks flatly, getting him to put on a questioning look. "No, you don't, apparently. Well you can go home and tell your cult that your 'god' has been dead for years." Again he draws a thin smile.
"I see your sense of humor has developed, Trigon cannot die." Raven just smirks at him.
"He has, and I would know, because it was me who killed him." She replies pausing before all emotion drops from her face. "I will only ask this once; where are my friends?"
"Like I would tell." Blood continues, resuming his smirk before seemingly having an idea at the sight of something behind Raven. "Oh Hippolyta, please humble your minion."
Raven's eyes widen considerably an instant before she rolls to the side in time to dodge the blade that cleaves the air where her head was a second ago. Getting back up she sees Hippolyta advancing on her with a completely vacant look in her eyes that however does not make her a less dangerous opponent. Raven has had chance to see Hippolyta practice with her weapon, her favorite being a regular short or the two-handed blade she now tries to disembowel Raven with, making her jump back. If Raven was any judge of swordsmanship; she would say Hippolyta would rival Artemis' skill, she at least seemed to have no trouble holding her own against the Bana-warrior whom she often sparred with.
"Hold your ground." Hippolyta commands with a sluggish voice as she strikes again and is dodged.
"I am sorry, but I won't when it's someone else talking through you." Raven says, going over in her head about how to resolve this without injuring Hippolyta. From the Titan's East and Jinx's experience with Blood, Raven knows Hippolyta is walking a dream world barely aware of the world around her, but it would become clear to her when she wakes up.
Matters are further complicated when Raven is sent to the ground by a kick to the back of her knees followed by a chop to her upper chest. "You really should mind your surroundings." Blood says as he stands over her, she rolls aside when both a boot and a sword impale the spot she was lying on. "How unfortunate that your father's nature prevents me from simply controlling you now." He continues as Hippolyta charges her with her sword raised over her head, as she attacks, Raven moves to the side and traps Hippolyta's hands with her left.
"Wake up Hippolyta!" Raven says sternly before sending Hippolyta to the ground with a ringing slap to her helmeted head. The monarch gets up on her hands and knees first before getting up, holding the stricken area with her left hand, while idly holding her sword with the other.
"I will remember this Sister." Hippolyta says before turning anti-clockwise, hurling her sword at Brother Blood who just stares dumbly at them at first, before looking down himself, finding Hippolyta's blade firmly planted in his chest before collapsing face first onto the ground, showing the blade poking out of his back. "But it will be addressed later; there is a fight to be had."
"Diana is fighting Heracles, Brain and his gorilla is down there." Raven says as she turns over Blood. "You really went all the way when you copied Cyborg, didn't you." She notes at the man, who is still alive. "His heart has been replaced by a battery." She explains to Hippolyta who seems mildly surprised to see him still breathing, Blood had taken the precaution to have the power source and heart replacement moved elsewhere in his body.
"Yet he does not move." Hippolyta says as she plants a foot on his chest before pulling her sword out.
"I would guess you severed a few spinal cables, he should be completely immobile." Raven continues as Bloods eyes begin to glow. "Oh no!" She continues before punching him in the face to knock him out.
"I felt his influence again." Hippolyta growls as a shriek is heard from below and mumbled cursing. "I would have him removed him from our island."
"He has knowledge of captives important to me." Raven says as she probes his mind for the information needed. "Hmm, in the bowels of the largest ship, there is a room where they send in their troops from. Two of my friends are being kept on the ship as well."
"The fleet should be dealt with as we speak, now if you would go fetch one of these seaborne vessels, I would have it dropped on a deserving son of Zeus, Diana will need the aid." Raven smirks at the suggestion as she stands up.
"It will be as you ask." She says before lifting off the ground, getting a nod from Hippolyta who then walks to the edge of the roof, spotting Mallah emerging from the ruins with Brain in his arms while Raven flies off, the Queen and the simian lock eyes shortly before Hippolyta jumps down.
"Who'd have thought Polly would actually call us?" Wildcat asks as he stands on a yellow platform with Mr. Terrific and Dr. Mid-Night. While Dr. Fate, S.T.R.I.P.E., Stargirl and a man dressed in green pants, a black cape with a green interior and a red shirt with a lantern on it, flies besides them, beneath them the red blur that is Jay Garrick is running across the ocean.
"She's well aware of her people's duty, they will keep the Door shut by themselves, but no one said anything about not asking for help repelling outside invaders." Mr. Terrific replies.
"Besides, she only asked us to deal with the Nazi fleet." Alan Scott, the man in the red shirt, mentions. To many he is better known as the first Green Lantern, but he has no connection to the Green Lantern Corp. While he also as a ring, a lantern battery and a rhyme to recharge with, his powers comes from an object called the Starheart, an object of mystical in nature and not the emotional science of the Guardians.
"And a big old fleet it is." S.T.R.I.P.E. replies from the inside of his armored suit as they come within sight of the fleet.
"Fate take right flank, Lantern the left, rest of us onto the carrier." Mr. Terrific says and the two flyers head of to handle their assigned sections while Garrick speeds up to make sure Terrific and Wildcat won't become easy targets as their platform heads towards the rear of the carrier, landing in an open area under the main deck.
"Where to Michael?" Wildcat asks as they are soon greeted by the first soldiers.
"Forwards, wreck anything important, you know, the usual." Terrific replies as S.T.R.I.P.E. and Stargirl joins the fray. And soon enough the open room is clear of hostiles, just in time for Garrick to arrive carrying one body and a brown piece of cloth. "Who's that?"
"Nazi vampire and I think this is what's left of Shadow of War." Flash says as he drops the two. "Seems someone finally found a way to harm her."
"Resilient?" Terrific asks.
"Nope, intangible." S.T.R.I.P.E. replies. "Like a ghost. Anyways, if they are out, we should get moving."
"Good idea; can't have Kent and Scott have all the fun." Wildcat adds, getting nods from the others before they split off into teams of two. Wildcat with Flash, Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E and Terrific and Mid-Night, each team heading down different corridors.
A few moments later:
"Like old days, ain't it?" Wildcat asks as he and Flash are taking cover from a rain of electric blasts provided by a small group of soldiers crowding a doorway.
"Sure, except we are twice as old as them." Garrick replies. "Hold up." He blurs out of sight for a second before returning with four rifles. "And they don't shoot bullets."
"Guess time's do change." Wildcat continues before storming the group of now unarmed soldiers, quickly laying them out with a few well aimed punches.
"Hey what's going on out there?!" A voice of a man complains from behind a closed door.
"Who's in there?" Garrick asks.
"Changeling and Starfire." The voice replies. "We are stuck."
"Hold on." Wildcat says before grunting as he twists the circular handle keeping the door closed before pulling it open. "Hey kids." He greets the pair on the other side
"Wildcat, how good it is to see you." Starfire exclaims at the sight of her old boxing trainer. "But where are we?"
"Off the coast of Themyscira, what are you two doing here?" Garrick asks.
"They were going to prevent me from acting." Raven's voice says from behind them, surprising them all as she walks down the corridor Jay and Ted came from, in her wingless guise. "You two ok?"
"We are unharmed, but what is going on?" Starfire continues.
"Something called The Fourth Reich has teamed up with the Brotherhood of Evil, Brother Blood, Aquaman's brother; Orm and Heracles the demigod in an attempt to conquer Themyscira and Atlantis during Arthur's visit here." Raven says. "The Brotherhood is on the island with Heracles, they keep teleporting in troops from this ship."
"Better find the machine and shut it down." Garrick says.
"I know where it is." Raven continues. "But I am about to use this ship as a club, so if you could please evacuate everyone." She says as she puts a hand on Garrick's head, transmitting the ship's layout to him.
"Nice trick, I'll get it done." He replies for blurring out of sight.
"What about us?" Garfield asks.
"Help out, lots of Nazi's on the fleet around this tub."
"And on the island." Wildcat adds. "Can you get us to the top deck?"
"Sure." Raven says before engulfing them all in her soul-self, taking them to the deck above them.
"Whoa." Garfield gasps at the sight of the surrounding vessels. "Guess I better see if that trick I learned works in the field, Star head in-lands I am sure you've always wanted to see Paradise Island." He continues before running off to the side of the ship and jumps off into the water.
"Am I allowed there?" Starfire asks Raven.
"If not I didn't see you go." Raven shrugs as more and more Nazi soldiers appear on the deck with them, Starfire nods before flying towards the Island.
"That's all of them." Garrick announces as he puts down Mid-Night and Terrific, while Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E. blasts out of the side of the ship, aiming towards one of the battleships.
"Alan, we need a ride if you can spare it." Terrific calls to the Green Lantern that swoops over and takes them away, depositing them on the other battleship.
Raven again spreads her soul-self across the ship, transporting all of the soldiers to Pit, including the unconscious members of the Reich and the ancient warlord; General Immortus, who Garrick found in the bowels of the ship. Like in Gotham two years ago, Raven sits down on the deck before chanting softly letting her powers merge with the massive ship, making sure to remove the nuclear reactor powering the vessel, sending it to an empty pocket dimension. It strains her mind as the ship slowly lifts into the air. As in Gotham, it becomes easier when it clears the water. Due to her need to concentrate, she does not see the massive green tentacles that begin whipping out of the water in Scott's section, smashing boats to pieces when they hit.
"Perhaps we should invite more outsiders if this happens every time?" Artemis asks as she and a group of twenty armed Amazons slowly make their way across the harbor.
"If it didn't involve losses on our part." Antiope replies before releasing another arrow that pieces another eye.
"Not that these are even moderately challenging in an honorable fight." Penelope grumbles.
"But they have the numbers." Another Amazon mentions as a huge group of invaders form two firing lines aiming their weapons at the group. "I was an honor sisters." Those with shields, quickly move up before those without, even though they know they offer little protection against the electrical blasts.
"Cowards." Artemis grumbles.
Right as they Amazons think the soldiers opposing them are about to open fire, green energy blasts begin raining down amongst the soldiers, bringing down those they strike and sending the rest into disarray, while kicking up dust.
"Charge!" Antiope yells seeing the opening before shooting again as a shape lands in the midst of the soldiers, the Amazons quickly close the distance and engages the opposition in a swift and brutal action that ends a few moments later with none of the Nazi soldiers left standing, but one other is.
"She doesn't dress like the others." Penelope notes at the orange skinned woman, wearing a black and purple two piece skirt and top along with metallic gloves and tall boots, clutching the throat armor of one of the Nazi soldiers, effortlessly holding him at arm's length. "I guess she is friendly."
Starfire looks at the Amazons with a questioning look in her green eyes before the glow dies away. "I am sorry, but I don't speak your language."
"Good thing some of us speak English then." Artemis says. "Who are you?"
"I am Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran, but I am better known as Starfire." Starfire replies as she drops the man.
"You are one of sister Raven's friends." Antiope says, this seems to relax most of the other Amazons after someone whispers the translation to them.
"I am, and am I not correct that you are the ones that once journeyed to a dark place to retrieve her?" Starfire asks, getting a chuckle from some of the Amazons.
"Well calling Tartarus a dark place is an understatement, but yes we were there. I am Artemis, this is Antiope and this is Penelope." Artemis introduces. "But let's finish up here before further introductions are made."
"But what are you doing here outsider?" One of the other Amazons ask.
"I was told an old adversary of mine and Raven's captured me and Changeling to hamper Ravens efforts here." Starfire replies. "But she needed the vessel we were being held on."
"What vessel?" Artemis asks.
"I hazard a guess it is that one." Antiope says while looking into the air, spotting a small black spot on the blue sky.
"That's small." One of the others note.
"Actually it is huge; it's just very high up, much more than a kilometer away by my estimation." Antiope says.
"You are as feisty as your mother." Heracles smirk as he and Diana wrestle, their struggle having taken them to the far side of Themyscira's jungle and onto the beach knocking over a clear path of trees and other vegetation.
Her only reply is to crash her tiara into his face, making him stumble back with a nosebleed, Diana's quick advance on him is swiftly repelled by a vicious backhanded fist that sends her crashing into the jungle again. Heracles catches the uprooted palm tree thrown at him, before Diana crashes through it, showering him in splinters and landing another blow to his head, knocking him down with her.
"Stay down!" Diana growls through clenched teeth as she begins to punch away at his head, landing several hits before he grab her fists in his hands, smirking despite the bruises on his face.
"Your mother will attest I prefer being on top." He says before shifting his weight, flipping them over and head butts Diana. "Do keep up Princess, I enjoy a good fight with a woman." He continues before he repays Diana by punching away at her.
"Unhand my daughter!" Hippolyta stern voice is heard by Heracles before the stabbing pain of an arrowhead is felt in his back. Leaving the dazed Diana in the sand Heracles gets up, looking more angered than hurt, the expression changes instantly as another arrow lodges itself in his tick lower leg, which is quickly copied onto the other leg.
"Ha, this won't stop me, love. OUF!" Heracles taunts Hippolyta before Diana's boot smashes into his groin, making him jump slightly before collapsing onto his knees.
"Quickly Diana, immobilize him! Donna! Cassandra!" Hippolyta calls as the two younger Amazons appear behind her, getting out their own lassoes and quickly throw them around Heracles, Diana does this a second later as well.
"Whenever you are ready Raven." Donna says into her League communicator.
"Back away, this thing is heavy and big." Comes the crackling reply.
"You… You don't have the strength to match…mine." Heracles growls as he stands up with difficulty, while Hippolyta looks into the sky, while keeping an arrow at the ready.
"Perhaps not, but we have gravity." Hippolyta replies with a smirk.
"Huh?" Heracles asks before looking up, just in time to see the bow of the huge ship above him a split second before it hits him.
The four Amazons are thrown back and the nearest trees are uprooted in a blast of sand at the impact that shakes most of the island as the carrier hits Heracles with the force of a meteor, plunging him into a hole several meters under the surface. The four recover in time to see the ship sway for a few seconds before toppling back into the sea, throwing up tons of sand with the flat upper deck before landing with a huge splash.
"Did we get him?" Cassandra asks after spitting out some sand, noticing that her lasso is empty.
"Not sure." Donna replies as her's also comes back empty.
"Hope so, I can't do that again in a hurry." Raven's voice says from above as she lands, changing back into her human guise, the pained expression on her face shows the effort had been enormously taxing on her.
"Heracles is not beyond harm." Hippolyta sighs. "But he is not gone until we find him again."
"So do we bother looking? Or do we post a guard?" Cassandra asks, getting a frosty stare from Hippolyta. "Sorry."
"We will see if he has been moved to the surface. Raven I believe Mala will be in dire need of your kind of help." Hippolyta says, getting a tired nod from the empath before she flies off, zigzagging her way down the newly made path through the jungle while the others begin to prod the ground with swords or sticks.