"Nightwing."
"Robin, I do believe I have found your lost bird." Slade says into the satellite phone he and the others had been issued, having hidden himself behind a rocky outcropping after having dispatched a few guards, it shelters him from the icy wind howling around him.
"Send image for confirmation of target and location." Nightwing replies flatly, Slade smirks behind the cloth mask he is wearing before doing as asked. "Hmm and no sign of Catman or Bane?"
"I believe Bane is nearby, Catman I have not seen head or tail of since our little meeting." Slade replies, he had seen a very large man crawl around on the mountains behind the structure about an hour ago but he couldn't make out who it was. "Is the evidence accepted?"
"It is and you are the first to confirm it, but I am going to have to ask you to be patient regarding the payment." Come's the reply that makes Slades eye narrow.
"Am I really going to have to come can collect it personally? You know how that worked in the past and let me remind you that I could choose to pluck your favorite bird from the sky from where I am sitting."
"It is out of practicality that I cannot pay you at once Slade and I wouldn't anyways before I knew you were far away, since you might want to act on the threat anyways. But the real reason why you shouldn't threaten her at this point in is because I am standing right above you." Slade snaps around in surprise finding Nightwing quite rightly standing on the rock behind him, while Robin is crouching behind him.
"Robin, what a surprise, have you been following me all this time?" Slade asks as he gets up, slitly surprised that the pair got that close to him without his notice.
"Nope, we had our own trail to follow." Tim replies. "Seems like you have gone for a new look." He notes at the cloth mask, cobalt blue scale mail covering his upper body and arms, ending in orange gloves and buccaneer boots, where the rest is covered by a part blue pants and a shirt, while he carries a sword on his back along with a large semi-automatic rifle and a utility belt around his waist.
"Not at all… Robin, a return to the uniform I used to wear." Slade replies as he backs away, to allow the two to jump down from the rock.
"I see you have been busy." Nightwing notes at the body of a man, lying half covered in snow.
"Don't worry; I am good at cleaning up." Slade replies with a smirk under the mask.
"Hmm, what was Raven doing dressed like that?" Nightwing asks, the image Slade had sent had been of Raven wearing what could best be described as a harem dress, consisting mostly of almost transparent sleeves and pants, while her private parts were covered; most of her midsection was not.
"She appeared to be dancing." Slade replies. "I withdrew to transmit when she disappeared from view."
"Very well. I will have your payment when we are done here, thank you for the effort Slade." Nightwing says.
"As long as you pay me." Slade replies with a flat tone in his voice before he shifts.
"We've been made." Robin notes as the three turn around ending up back to back as at least twenty black clad men, half armed with swords the other half with guns with laser dot aims that mark the hearts and heads of the three.
"The Master requests your presence." One of the men says. "You will comply with the Demons wishes, or you will die."
"You hired Bane?!" Tim whispers to Nightwing as they are escorted along the hallways of the mountain hideout, having spotted Bane being herded along up ahead.
"He's a good tracker." Nigtwing whispers back as Bane is herded through a pair of double doors up ahead.
"No talking." The speaker from the outside grumbles as they are also lead throught the doors into a huge room, of the same design as the rest of the place, brown stone floor and walls, centuries old by the looks of it. The the rest of the place, it is only lit by torchfire and heated with fireplaces. There is little in the way of luxury here, by modern standards, but it would have been a palace when its construction was finished back in the day.
At the far end of the room, with its back to a huge fireplace is a red couch with a pile of fruit presented on a silver plate next to it and Talia who is lying in the couch with a calm expression on her face, while she is wearing a black body suit, complete with utility belt, and two katana's lying in front of her on the couch.
While only one is obviously present, besides the guards around them, the room appears otherwise empty, but they are under no illusions that the place is crawling with the Leagues of Assasins members. The one that is visible however, standing behind the couch at Talia's feet, gives no indication of its identity. Dressed as it is in what could have been age old mountain gear, a padded leather tunic with pants made of the same material. Where the joints of the figures arms and legs are, the leather gives way to several layers of blue cloth, while the rest of it is hidden behind the couch. It's face is hidden beneath a long black scarf that is wrapped around its head so many times nothing is given away, while letting it see thought a slid in the front. The only obvious armament it seems to be carrying is a single blade that is fastened to its back.
"Hmm Gypsy, you are more formidable than we anticipated, to have found this place in such a short span of time and led these men here." Talia says as she gets up. "How is my son behaving?"
"You know why we are here Talia, where is she?" Nightwing asks.
"Come now, you really believe I would just tell you?" Talia smirks.
"Such a prize is never handed over freely Gypsy, even you should know that." Ra's says as he emerges from a door way at their sides, the prisoners, along with everyone bows at his entrance, forced if needed to, save Talia. "But consider it a fair trade we have made you, the Detective is allowed to raise and influence his son while the world is kept safe from the likes of her." He says as he sits down on the center of the couch. "If you would escort the others to suitable lodgings, I would have words in private with the Gypsy."
There isn't any choice for the others who are herded out of the room, while Talia disappears through the doorway Ra's emerged from, but the figure at the end of the couch doesn't budge. "Why this Ra's? You never singled me or Robin out this way." Nightwing asks.
"She is an abomination, not of this world; her place should never be besides the Detective." The man replies.
"And dancing for Talia's amusement is?" Nightwing asks while his mind storms around trying to find of a explanation Raven would allow herself to be degraded to someone's personal entertainment. "What have you done with her?"
"Talia does with her as she pleases." Ra's shrugs. "As for her presence here, we prefer to say that we believe it to be fate…"
"One you made, without her consent." Nightwing growls, guessing Ra's was about to make some small joke about a demon serving the Demons Head. "Last chance Ra's let Raven go or things get ugly. Batman wants her back."
"Hmm, the Detective knows it is unwise to threaten me Gypsy, especially when in an unfavorable position." Ra's says as he gets up from his seat.
"Your organization has been hit pretty bad these last three months, while some of it might have been just slack set up for this, some of it wasn't and you have lost a lot of manpower. And do you really think we would just walk in here without some kind of plan or backup?" Nightwing asks as Ra's looks slightly surprised. "Simply knowing where she was, is enough." Nightwing continues as he reaches for his communicator having already alerted the League to stand ready before they were captured. "Nightwing to Justice League, bring the thunder!"
"No!" Ra's growls. "Detain them!" He shouts before running towards the doorway as five black clad warriors descends from above with drawn blades to engage Nightwing while the silent figure moves to block the doorway after Ra's.
Inside the room Nightwing barely has time to defend himself before his assailants are swept away as the room is lighted up with the flash of the teleportation event. As the light dies down six of the seven founders are in the room along with the Birds of Prey, most of the Shadow Pact and the rest of the original Titans. While the Flash stops next to the others, carrying two of the five ninja's that were attacking Nightwing, while the three others appear on the couch.
"She was confirmed being here twenty minutes ago." Nightwing says as far off gunfire can be heard. "Ra's went that way."
"Move and you won't have to be harmed." Diana says to the figure standing in front of the doorway with its arms folded , it doesn't reply verbally, instead it unfolds its arms and bows to the assembled group before falling into a karate ready stance. "Flash, find Ra's." Diana sighs before plowing through the air towards the figure.
"Wait! It's not…!" Doctor Fate's warning comes too late for Diana and Wally as the figure blurs with sudden movement as the two reach it, ending in a slam as Wally and Diana are sent off into the side wall tangled up in each other as they crash through. Fate just manages to throw up a shield in front of himself that absorbs the sudden twin beams of red light that emerges from the figure's eyes, resulting in Superman getting blasted clear through the outer wall as the figure sprints into combat with the others while a keening screech begins ringing within the heads of everyone.
"It can't be!" John growls as his focus is shattered right before the figure leaps at him, catching his chest between its legs and carries him to the ground before he receives a hard slap on the side of the head, causing him to black out.
"Ezak…Metas..Pha…" Fate manages before Johns backside collides with him.
"Fiend!" Etrigan roars as he and Zauriel charge in side by side.
"ecneliS!" Zatanna shouts as the figure dodges aside from the flaming sword cleaving the spot it was standing on getting into the path of Etrigans leap, swiftly it kicks its right foot upward and around making it connect with Etrigans jaw, sending him tumbling over it and into the far wall as it turns while bringing its heel down, to smash into the back of Zauriels head, flattening the angel with the floor. With the screech gone from their minds the others are finally able to counter the warrior.
The Birds of Prey lead the charge, with Canary, Huntress and Manhunter, bowling it over, Huntress and Manhunter latching onto its arms while Canary leaps onto its chest. As it hits the ground, Dinah is quick to smack her forehead into the head of the opponent in time to send the eye beams into the roof and not her face before she unleashes her Canary Cry.
However the figure seems not to notice as it brings its arms together, slamming Huntress and Manhunter's backs into each other, getting them to let go before bring both edges of its hands onto the sides of Dinah's throat, turning Dinah's keening cry into a strangled gurgling before the figure disappears under them all.
"I don't know who you are, but you are going down!" Flash says as he is back on his feet and is busy running circles around the figure in another part of the room while throwing punches at it in a tremendous rate as Wonder Woman and Superman get back into action along with Hawkgirl, and the Martian Manhunter. Superman makes the catch as the figure is thrown towards him by Wally and instantly thrown into the ground before the others lay into it with fists and mind blasts for several seconds before they all suddenly stop.
"No…" Diana sighs as Nightwing moves over between them while Zatanna quickly moves to have a look at the wounded.
"I should have seen it." Superman growls in anger at himself as Nightwing's eye go wide at the face that was hidden under the long scarf, now sporting a black eye a swelling jaw and a nose bleed.
"Raven?" Nightwing asks in shock as he suddenly realizes she is not unconscious. "No…" He manages before her eyes snap open and the world suddenly goes black and everyone is thrown back by an explosive blast of concussive force coming from Raven.
"By the Heavens!" Zauriel gasps from his place on the floor as he regards the figure getting up from the center of the blast.
"This, is really bad." Flash adds as Raven's horns, wings and tail grow into existence.
"We have to contain her!" Cyborg yells as he is back on his feet.
"Keep her disorientated, she needs to focus!" Nightwing adds. "Cyborg, shoot her in the head!"
"Aww man!" Cyborg complains as he does as asked and fires his sonic cannons at her, well knowing that the massive amounts of sound would keep Raven from thinking straight enough to employ her vast powers on them.
"Starfire you too!" Nightwing yells, knowing full well that Raven was far too dangerous to underestimate in this state of mind.
"If you know who I am, I am sorry Raven." Starfire yells as she also begins shooting starbolts at Raven's head, all of them knowing what they'd face if she was allowed to think.
"Rob, what's the plan?" Changeling yells.
"We have to knock her out or keep her down, do what you can." Nightwing replies.
"You heard the man, hit her hard!" Superman calls as he heads for Raven again at breakneck speed, bowling into her, taking her out of Victors sonic blasts and slams her into the back wall next to the fireplace.
"Thank you." Raven smirks at Superman as they lock eye's for a second before he is blinded by her eye blasts, getting him to let go as he drops to his knees while clutching his face groaning in pain. "And you two." She says as her eyes light up again, while looking at Cyborg and Starfire.
"NO!" Diana shouts as she moves with the speed of Hermes and with the strength of Heracles and slams into Raven before she can discharge, taking them both through several walls before they sail into the night sky only to land on a glacier on a mountain on the other side of the valley.
Raven only growls deeply at Diana as they both get back on their feet, as they lock eyes, Diana realizes that even if Raven was now serving Ra's, there was definitely a part of her that was still Trigon and that part was out now and it could see her for what she was.
"Earn this armor Di. YAH!" Diana mutters to herself before launching herself at Trigons Daughter that roars in reply.
The others get out of the fortress just to hear the boom that accompanied the tremor in the ground, Flash was already gone.
"We have to stop her, there's no telling what she can do in that state." Nightwing says as Superman staggers after them, nearly blind and with a blackened face.
"Whatever it is, we have to do it quick, Diana will only be able to hold her off for so long before she realizes it." Zatanna says.
"Realizes what?" Beastboy asks.
"It is not Raven that is in control." J'onn says as another boom rolls across the valley. "I only managed a short glimpse before she shut me out."
"Diana, hang in there, help is on the way." Hawkgirl says into her communicator before she takes off along with Starfire, Green Lantern, Beastboy and Cyborg.
"This is not good; engaging her with fists is not going to work." Zauriel adds.
"Agreed." Fate says as he straightens up and gets off Zatanna's shoulder that he was leaning on.
"There has to be some way of reaching her." Superman says as he cools his face with a handful of snow. "That hurt." He mutters to himself.
"There might be, Zee are you familiar with the Zhar'zul Incantation?" Nightwing asks.
"I will listen in." J'onn says as he and Superman take off towards the battle.
"I am." Fate says. "But under these conditions?"
"If we don't have anything better?" Zatanna says, recognizing it to be the spell Richard had learned on his travels, the one he intended to restore Raven's ability to love with.
"It will be difficult. And she needs to be occupied." Fate says after a nod. "Gather around." He says to all the heroes that had not taken off yet.
"This is so out of our pay-grade." Huntress mutters as they move in close before they are all taken away by Dr. Fate.
"This is not the time to hesitate." Canary replies as they arrive at the battle and the sight that greets them; Raven is standing larger than ever with a battered Wonder Woman in one hand, and Superman in the other, her eyes firing at Green Lantern that's straining to keep up his shield, and with a foot planted squarely on the Flash's chest. "GO!" She yells as the Martian Manhunter rises from beneath Raven and takes her into the sky, making her drop Superman and Wonder Woman. J'onn and John are quickly on her and batters her back down into the ground.
"Nightwing, you need to focus on what matters." Fate says as he can see Nightwing about to charge off with the others, but guesses it was not to add his. "I will help you get in, but I am not sure I can go with you." He says as he forms a shield around them.
"Because you need to keep the door open." Nightwing says as they sit down. "I just hope they don't over do it."
"It is not her you should be concerned about." Fate says before they begin.
"This is bringing back unhappy memories." Superman says as he and Diana get off the ground while the others continue to engage Raven.
"Doomsday, Hades or Mongul?" Diana asks, like him, she wasn't used to being battered around like this.
"All of them." Superman replies. "And it's not going well." He says as Green Lantern is blasted out of the sky.
"Just be careful, it might not be Raven, but it's using some of her training." Diana replies and Superman nods before they engage Raven again.
"I cannot reach her mind." J'onn sends as he and the others forces Raven to erect a dark shield around herself while growling and clutching her head. Raven howls as she has her shield shatter and blasts all those battering at her shield back.
"FOR THER PAX DEI!" Zauriel cries as he and the roaring Etrigan charge in alongside one another. Raven manages to grab Etrigan under one arm and step enough to the side to avoid the angel's flaming sword, leaving him open to the backhanded blow that strikes him on the side of the head.
"Come on girls, this may be our only shot." Black Canary orders the Birds into action as Etrigan and Raven wrestle with each other.
"Please let some of this stick." Huntress mutters under her breath as she pulls out her crossbow and takes careful aim alongside Lady Blackhawk as Manhunter and Canary try with fists and staff to make an impression on a monster they usually call a friend.
"Damn it, I can't get a clear shot." Cyborg complains as he tries to take aim, but with the Birds in the fray he can't shoot without hitting them as well, not that he has high hopes of it adding anything as neither of the two women seem to be even noticed and neither are the shots fires by their companions that just bounce off the hides of both Etrigan and Raven.
"O Queen with skin like blood so freshly shed. Bow you will to Lord Etrigan, once he takes your head!" Etrigan mutters as he breaks the deadlock between them by throwing his arms in the air, opening Raven up to the swift blow from him that follows it. The sheer power of the blow has both Manhunter and Canary flying back while Raven's head simply rolls with the blow.
"HA!" It's only a split second after the shout is hear before Hawkgirl finally enters the fray, having spent all her time waiting for an opening, and lands a mighty blow against Raven's head with her crackling mace, driving Raven down to one knee.
"Stay down Raven, let us help you." Superman says as they stand clear of her, hoping that the fight would be out of her now, but still worried that it might not be.
Raven shakes her head and holds it with a hand, before slowly getting up again and look at them all and then at Shayera and Etrigan in front of her. "Thank you Shayera. I needed that." She says as her eyes star glowing crimson, those with normal sight don't see it, those with enhanced sight are caught off guard. Only Flash manages to move fast enough to get Shayera out of the way before much of the region suffers a minor earthquake due to the overhead blow Raven lands on Etrigan, sending him a hundred feet into the glacier that breaks apart beneath their feet.
"Uhh…" Superman groans as he gets up and sees the vastly different landscape that's surrounding him, the glacier had been flat, but now it's a maze of ice blocks. "Is everyone all right?" He calls, as ever his first priority is to keep everyone safe and Diana, J'onn, Beastboy, Manhunter and Huntress appear between the blocks of ice and most of those with flight drift down from above.
"I am afraid Shayera just made it a lot worse." Diana says right before Zauriel is hurled into their midst, both of his wings are broken near the place where they connect with his back. They all look up to see where he came from and finds Raven standing on the tip of one of the ice blocks, seemingly even larger than before and smiling wickedly at them while gesturing them all to come to her with her hands.
"Come Justice League, test you might against that of Raven, Daughter of Trigon, Fury of the Pit." She rumbles with a voice much deeper than her normal one.
Diana flies into the air to have Raven at her own eye height but doesn't move forwards. "Carnage, stand down, this doesn't have to go any further, let us help you." Raven just chuckles at the suggestion.
"You can't even help yourselves." She says as her eyes begin to glow with a greater intensity. Superman reacts with the speed of lightning even as Diana crosses her bracelets to deflect the blast. But Raven reacts to Superman's assault just as swiftly and pushed him over herself, he only tumbles for a second before he heads back towards her, this time she is ready for him however and his charge is once again diverted away from her, but as he passes her, she grabs hold of his left arm and uses it to stop him before using her free arm to lock his head while his arm is forced up his back as he is pressed against her chest.
"Easy Carnage, don't do anything you'll regret." Diana says as they all make ready but keep back, even those who appear behind Raven.
"Regret? Hmm…" She smirks. "How does it feel to be in mortal peril Superman?" She whispers to her captive.
"You won't do it." He replies though his feelings betray him. "Raven won't let you."
"Raven doesn't even know what's going on." Carnage whispers to Superman. "You all hear that; Raven isn't here."
"What do you want?" Diana asks, having realized the emotion currently in control of Raven's body wasn't thinking clearly.
"Ahh… What does Carnage what but…" Raven replies before she pushes Superman away with the hand that was around his throat but keeps hold of the arm, forcing him to turn around. "…carnage?" She finishes as her free hand thunders into Superman's elbow, getting both a boom, a crunch and finally a scream from the Man of Steel as his arm breaks with the blow before he is pushed away from Raven and down to the others.
They just stand dumbfounded at the event, even as Huntress and Manhunter are quick to lend their aid to Superman. Carnage just smiles at them before she bellows as she leaps at Wonder Woman who dodges aside as the battle resumes.
"Diana if you have anything; now is the time to share!" J'onn sends to Diana as he is straining against Carnage, being the one currently in front of her while Diana oddly enough hadn't engaged the enemy yet.
Superman, wounded as he is, adds his by shooting Carnage's left knee, making her fall over with the others quickly leaping at the chance to stop her.
"HA!" Shayera shouts as she attempts to end it by diving down with her mace to make another strike at Carnage's head, but Carnage chooses the moment just before the blow should have landed to blast everyone away.
"More…Give me MORE!" Carnage laughs as she rushes after Manhunter and Huntress, smashing through whatever iceblocks that get in her way.
"Diana?!" J'onn almost shouts as Diana remains passive.
"She is feeding on this… she wants it." Diana sends back. "EVERYONE! RETREAT!" "Wally, get everyone you can out of here." She sends as she dives down to collect Superman.
"What are you doing Diana?" Superman asks as she carries him into the air.
"She's feeding on this, the more we fight against her the stronger she gets. How are you doing?" She asks as she flies across the valley, noticing how he is actually paling, while Wally helps those who can't fly, while John has taken Zauriel.
"I'm not used to this." Superman admits as he continues to clutch his arm.
"COME BACK AND FIGHT ME!" Carnage roars behind them.
"Everyone, we are only fueling her this way." Diana sends to the others.
"We have to keep her distracted, or she will notice the others." Zatanna sends back as Diana lands near the hole in the fortress wall she and Raven made.
"We have more trouble incoming!" Huntress yells as she notices the horde of ninja's coming towards them from the fortress.
"What are we going to do then?" Zatanna asks.
"Deal with them, I will let her wear herself out against the Aegis." Diana sends back before she takes off to meet the monstrosity coming towards her. "Come then Carnage!" Carnage roars as a reply as Diana crosses her bracelets before the impact.
Diana remains in the air for almost a minute before Carnage's relentless barrage of attacks has pushed her down to the ground. After two, Dian's bones ache from having to absorb the force of the blows, the blasts of magic and she can feel herself getting beaten further and further into the ground. But she is determined to keep her arms crossed as she can see her ploy is working, Carnage is tiring.
"Detestable shield! Stop hiding!" Carnage complains, venting her frustrations before she breaks off completely, to stand huffing and irate a few feet from Diana who keeps her guard up.
"Diana, let us help you." J'onn sends.
"Stay back." Diana sends back as Carnage lays into her again battering away at the shield that holds fast and to Diana's relief the blows aren't quite as powerful.
"Break… damn you." Carnage huffs as she stops and starts leaning on the shield.
"Diana, this may be the only chance we have." J'onn continues.
"Stay out of this J'onn, you'll only fuel her."
"Huh?" Carnage look up suddenly as the one member J'onn isn't connected to attacks, but with nothing of the success as the head of her mace is stopped by the hand that closes over it.
"Shayera?!" Diana complains as Carnage smiles at the Thanagarian. "Don't!" But it's too late and Shayera instinctively flips the switch. Carnage bellows in pain as the energies of the mace plays over her body. But she doesn't let go. With terrifying slowness, Shayera sees her curl up her free hand before it thunders towards her chest and everything explodes in light to the sound of shattering bones.
"SHAYERA!" John bellows as he sees Hawkgirl hang limply at the end of her own weapon before Carnage breaks the strap and throws her away.
"NO! STAY BACK! ALL OF YOU!" Diana shouts as she continues to keep her guard up. "You'll…!" She is cut off that second as Hawkgirls mace sails through her guard and strikes the underside of her arms, throwing them wide, leaving open to the blows that follow it.. She desperately tries to defend herself as the blows keep raining down on her, forcing her back, only for her to trip over something on the ground behind her.
"HA!" Carnage roars as she sends the mace down towards Diana's head , only for it to get blocked as Diana grabs the handle and halts.
"Please Raven, you are in there, help us." Diana mutters as Carnage leans over her.
"Can't hear you." Carnage rumbles while smiling before she turns the mace on. This time it is Diana's turn to scream as the electricity courses into her.
"No… Stop!" A new voice suddenly erupts from Carnage and the attack is stopped and she stumbles away from Diana.
"Where did you come from?" Carnage asks as she clutches her head. "Oh… you…" She growls as she looks back at the glacier.
"STOP HER!" J'onn shouts as he brings all his psychic might to bear on Carnage, hoping that whatever Nightwing and Fate were doing had made an opening and he can feel it is there, but it's closing and he has to redirect it all to keep the breach in her mind open.
Green Lantern deals with the physical containment and first immobilizes Carnage in a solid green bubble that he grows to an immense size in hopes it could hold her for a while. "Can't hold it for long, she's onto me!" He growls as he can feel his willpower being leeched away before Zatanna mutters and incantation and slows the process down by fortifying his will with that of the others around them, then it's like Carnage suddenly stops what she is doing.
"You fools, you really think you can beat me like this?!" Carnage's voice booms in their heads. "If you are so desperate to know the mind of Carnage, then come in…and walk a mile in my shoes!"
They all feel it, the Justice League, the Shadowpact, the Birds of Prey, the League of Assassins and everyone else that was in the fortress or otherwise involved in the fight; a blast of sudden heat and the feeling of being sucked away into darkness to the sound of rumbling laughter.
Authors Notes: This bit is under heavy rewriting since I didn't think it was good enough in it's original form. Thank you all for your patience and I hope you will enjoy the next chapter: Fall of the Justice League.