The day following the memorial, the Tower of Fate.
"I guess I don't have to say that I am a little annoyed that I've been kept mostly out of the loop?" Raven says to the other mystics seated around the table. Before returning here she had left Cerberus in the care of Starfire who already adores the beast.
"We thought it best you were left undisturbed, so you could focus on healing yourself." Fate says.
"Unfortunately we have bad news regarding the missing articles." Jason sighs. "Tala is personally willing to hand over the dragon for a favor regarding her imprisonment, but the other Succubi are probably not as forthcoming since they have not been… suitably cowed yet. And she can't get in contact with them from the cell."
"So we have to go get it ourselves." Raven surmises, hating the idea she was having about how to do that and she suspected the others already knew what it was before she formed it.
"You have an idea about how to get it?" Zatanna notes at the thoughtful expression Raven is wearing, the question makes Raven correct herself; Fate and Jason knew it, Zatanna didn't.
"I dropped Oolong's population off in the Eight Pit, every single one of its usual inhabitants bowed to me when I appeared to retrieve them. I could try pointing them at the Succubi." She says noticing the miffed expression Zatanna puts on. "No, I don't like it, much less that I have to admit to something I don't want to. And on top of that, I am worried about what effects an action like that will have."
"You can't just sneak in close and teleport out with it?" Zatanna asks, somehow hinting to Raven that she was trying to learn more about her, making her wonder if any of the others had been talking to her.
"He's too big for me to move, you or Fate perhaps?" Raven asks.
"The risk is too great I am afraid, because we are mortal souls, the Succubi will sense us too easily for us to get inside unnoticed." Fate says.
"They are like sharks, while a mortal soul is like a piece of raw meat." Jason adds. "As I see it you haven't too much knowledge of how things are in the Greater Hell?" Raven shakes her head, she had all her knowledge from books. "The city the Succubi inhabit lies relatively near the border to where Tartarus is anchored. While this world may think Hell is unified, it is really always in a state of war with various regional warlords fighting one another. Since the fall of Trigon, the Pit has remained quiet, something that greatly unnerves the current Dominus of the Greater Hell; Neron."
"And dealing with him, will lead to disaster." Fate mentions, shooting down the idea in Raven's head. "He is a deal maker and the Prince of Lies. Those who have bargained with him have all suffered for it in the end."
"Unfortunately, a fast military strike is the only sure way of getting what we need, at least in my eyes." Jason continues, Raven sighs.
"And Etrigan can't help us to get it through more subtle means?" She asks.
"Only in battle, he not a diplomatic sort." Jason says.
"If I do this, I risk bringing war to the Pit, while that does not concern me, it's that the war might follow me up here does since I assume I have to be personally present." Raven adds, it was in her old books that demons never hid any foul deed unless it meant casting blame on someone else. As Azar had told her; the life of a lesser demon was a constant battle to prove their own superiority and there were never an opportunity wasted to prove who was the better. Aspirin greater demons might attempt plans that required more subtlety, but quite often they would be trounced by the planners and schemes further up the hierarchy . Also she let her know that a new ruler often thought a war was a proper celebration. Azar had of course spoken of this with a great amount of contempt in her voice, because it was the total opposite of her own views and those of Azerath.
"But we are however fortunate that it is not easy for those who are fully demonic to venture from Hell by their own volition and an invasion is night unheard of without some major aid from this plane, or through a great expense of power. You and I can do so effortlessly because of our natures and mortal mages can do so as well if they come prepared. I believe, if discovered; only the Pit would be affected on a large scale." Jason explains.
"There is a problem though." Zatanna says. "What happens if Etrigan decides to tell Neron?" Jason nods at this and mumble his verse, letting Etrigan appear.
"As you know, I enjoy fighting more than anything and I would have much to gain if war broke out, more still if I was to engineer an ambush. Yet I have personal reason to wish to side with the Trigonians in this venture." He says as he licks his lips. "Merlin."
"What has your brother to do with this?" Raven asks having been told by Jason who one of Etrigan's brothers was.
"The fool rules the Succubi from their citadel, as the consort of Tala." He continues as a red gleam appears in his eyes.
"I have an injection." Fate says, drawing the demon's attention but he remains unfazed by the look he is sent. "Merlin was raised and taught to restrain and control you specifically."
"Which is why I demand the chance to assure his death, by removing the fool's head!" Etrigan snaps while slamming his fist into the table, breaking it in half before turning to Raven, who was quick enough to levitate their cups of tea and coffee to save them. "Will your Highness allow me that?" Raven just narrows her eyes at him.
"And what happens if you are controlled and set against me again?" She asks calmly.
"Then we meet again on the field of strife." Etrigan shrugs as Fate has the table reassemble itself from the pieces. "Neither Myrddin nor I can stand against an army, if I am overcome, Merlin's head is anyone's for the taking."
"And what does Jason say about this?" Raven asks.
"I don't like it." Zatanna says before Etrigan can reply. "Merlin is a mage of incalculable power, some even call him Fate's counterpoint in Hell." She continues as Etrigan mutters to himself and changes back to Jason.
"He is viewed as such, the strongest of Belial's children in the fields of magic." Jason says. "And to answer your question Raven, I desire the same as Etrigan. While I opened the gates and let Camelot fall, I have since learned that the curse Merlin put upon me, while I was on the threshold of death, was never meant to be lifted by Merlins or anyone elses hand. Long before the siege, Merlin had imprisoned Etrigan in a glass bottle by sorcery, but when Camelot's defeat was inevitable he needed to prevent Morganna le Fay from acquiring him. Thus by my own foul deeds, Merlin had his perfect host to curse. He claimed the curse would be lifted once I atoned for my deeds, yet my centuries of toil have born no fruit." He sighs. "Perhaps with his death my curse will be lifted, perhaps not, as I see it Myrddin, as he is known today, is a force of evil and must be opposed regardless."
"I must agree to this." Fate says after a moment's thought. "Though he may not be visibly seen in this world, he is a planner and has others do his bidding for him, I myself having come into contact with his agents in the past. Therefore I shall join you on this venture in hopes to upset his long term plans." Raven raises her eyebrow at this.
"Then I am going too." Zatanna adds suddenly.
"You are all aware this is a trip to Hell and onto a battlefield?" Raven asks.
"No need to coddle us Raven, we have been doing this longer than you." Zatanna says with a slight smirk.
"Right, just checking if I was going to do this with a group of crazies." Raven sighs as she rubs her eyes, getting an amused huff out of the sorceress.
"Kent, you have a visitor." Inza announces in her quiet voice, the others look up to see who it is, Raven blinks a few times at the sight.
"What is she doing here?!" Diana asks in surprise.
"I take that back, I am the crazy one." Raven says as she gets up greet the visitor. "What are you doing here sister?"
"I… uh, Magala had a vision and sent me." Philipus says as she walks down the small flight of steps, she is wearing a pair of brown leather pants along with a vest of the same material over a dark blue shirt that leaves her lower arms and bracelets exposed. "I would have asked the others, but Magala insisted I go alone and immediately."
"May I inquire into the nature of this portent?" Fate asks, his mind quickly wondering if other beings were taking an interest in their doings..
"Alas I cannot say, Magala neglected to mention anything other than I was needed here before sending me here, wherever here is."
"Hold up, I may have missed it in the confusion, but who are you?" Zatanna asks.
"Sorry." Raven says. "This is Philipus of Themyscira, magician's apprentice." Philipus waves sheepishly at the seated group at the introduction. "And Philipus she is Zatanna Zatara and the man is Jason Blood." Raven continues pointing out the people; Jason greets her with a wave. "And you know Dr. Fate."
"So you are a mage as well?" Zatanna asks, getting a nod from Philipus. "I think we could use all the help we can get." She continues, getting a nod from Fate.
"Well I am here to help if able." Philipus says as she takes a seat. "So where are we going?"
"Currently we are debating how we acquire the last few missing ingredients for the spell needed to bring back the League Founders." Fate says. "Including Princess Diana."
"The Queen will be relieved when she hears that." Philipus says.
"Quite. The problem is that we need a feather from the First Fallen, a dragons claw and hair from an ageless mortal." Jason says.
"I am unfamiliar with these items." Philipus admits.
"Well, we were just discussing about how to acquire the claw." Zatanna says. "Problem is that the dragon it is attached to, is inside a fortress of some kind, in Hell."
"So another visit to a place filled with demons, fire and danger." Raven surmises, unsure if Philipus knew what Hell was.
"I should have brought the others." Philipus says. "Or do you intend on storming it alone?" She asks Raven.
"No, Fate, Zatanna and Jason want to come as well, but I was thinking of bringing the Pit for that." Raven says, uncomfortably noting that Philipus might think of her as a kind of superior to the others, when she herself thinks the opposite.
"That army we passed on our way out?" Philipus asks.
"That army." Raven confirms. "You in?"
"I wouldn't want to miss that." Philipus says with a smirk.
"While your assistance will be appreciated, we have yet to discuss the other items." Fate mention. "Zatanna, have you had any luck with Constantine?"
"Yes, I've had him locked him in a room in Shadowcrest till he sobers up." She sighs, grimly reminded of her own condition over the last months.
"Did you find your mummy?" Raven asks, reminded of the corpse she had to remove.
"Yes, and with a little difficulty I put him back together." Zatanna says. "No not my mother, a royal bodyguard about as old as you, but quiet dead." She counters Philipus' question before it is spoken.
"We need Constantine to tell us where we can find the Feather." Raven mentions.
"And the hair, we still need to ask Nightwing about the locations Ra's could be hiding in." Jason adds.
"Would my hair not suffice for the spell?" Philipus asks.
"Unfortunately not." Fate says. "Immortals, or ageless beings like you, Raven and Jason, do not meet the requirements. We need hair from a person who still ages naturally, but at the same time has lived far longer than they should."
"A man called Ra's al Ghul, meets that criteria, he's lived for centuries due to a natural phenomenon called a Lazarus Pit." Bruce says from within Raven before she clamps down on him, she knows it's a reflex for him since he is the expert, but she doesn't when he just takes over.
"And unfortunately, he's not just someone you can hold down and shave." Raven sighs as a shuffle of feet is heard along with some mild cursing.
"Oi! No need to shove mate!" A man's voice is heard before a smelly dirty-blond man in a brown trench coat is herded into the room by Hassan who stops in the doorway. "Right… So what do you people want?" Constantine asks grumpily, eyeing Raven a little more than the others.
"We only wish to know where Lucifer is, we believe you know where that is?" Fate says.
"Oh? And why should I tell you?" Constantine asks while pulling out a cigarette and proceeds to light it.
"We are asking politely?" Raven asks flatly already noting down another irritating assumption about Constantine, he's a haggler.
"Not that there's anything nice about you." Constantine scoffs. "Who the bloody hell are you anyway?" He voices his own question.
"John, you remember me blurting stuff about Raven?" Zatanna asks while nodding at Raven.
"Hmm, so you're the half-breed piece of trash that had Zee worked up?" Constantine mumbles as he takes another huff while he and Raven narrows their eyes at each other.
"At least I couldn't smell her from halfway down the hallway!" Philipus snaps, only getting a grumble out of the man. Zatanna knows he is holding back his own reply because he doesn't know anything about Philipus, which she reminds herself is a good thing, because she knew from Diana how Amazons would deal with insults.
"Regardless of present company, will you tell us where to find Lucifer Morningstar?" Fate asks.
"Why do you want to?" Constantine asks as he turns away from Raven and Philipus. "And what's in it for me?"
"We need one of his feathers for a spell." Zatanna says.
"Heh, funny. So what's the real reason?"
"We need one of his feathers for a spell." Raven parrots.
"Hmpf, good luck getting him to part with one." Constantine shrugs. "Hell, you might end up on the six o clock news for this."
"Not if we don't know where to find him." Jason adds, though he had a sneaking suspicion that Constaine was interested. "And I am sure we can work out a suitable arrangement." He continues as Constantine eyes them all, something Zatanna, Fate and Blood know is going to come back and be a nuisance for them all later on.
"Well all right, but you owe me for this one. Any of you know the song called The Devil Went To Georgia?" Constantine asks, getting a host of shaking heads. "Good, because he didn't, he went to Louisiana. Runs an invitation-only bar called Dis on Bourbon Street, New Orleans, classy place from what I saw of it, before he booted me out."
"Wonder why?" Philipus notes sarcastically.
"Lady, you are pushing my buttons." Constantine growls while trying to look intimidating.
"She's an Amazon; you won't win a fistfight against her." Raven notes offhandedly.
"Whatever. I'm leaving with or without ya lordships permission." Constantine shrugs as he turns around. "Coming Zee?" He asks over his shoulder.
"I have stuff to do." Zatanna sighs and looks away as he sighs and walks out of the room, followed by Hassan leaving only the smell of his cigarette behind.
"Charming." Raven notes.
"He can be actually, when not drunk, hungover or angry." Zatanna sighs. "And he is going to be more annoying when he decides to get paid for this."
"He and Zatanna had a relationship once, practiced tantra." Bruce mentions from the inside while Zatanna is talking, going unheard by the others.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Raven sends back while wondering why he'd mention that before noting that he was looking for the reactions in the council room. "So, how do we get in?"
"Could we kick his door down?" Philipus suggests.
"And promptly get incinerated?" Jason counters with a raised eyebrow. "No, we have to play by his rules, if we wish to have any chance of success."
"Lucifer is beyond Hades level of bad." Raven adds. "But he has a similar story to Hades."
"Oh." Philipus says feeling almost embarrassed to have suggested it.
"So we dress up nicely and try seeing if he is in a good mood?" Zatanna asks. "Or do we wait and hope one of us suddenly receive an invitation?"
"Quite possibly he will be aware of us before we even see his bar." Fate counters. "If I am not mistaken, he will already be aware of the situation, if it has any significance amongst the Higher Realms.
"Any chance his bar has a phone?" Raven asks, getting a questioning look from Philipus.
"Please, you think Lucifer, the Devil himself, has a phone?" Zatanna dismisses.
"Actually he might." Jason cuts in. "As funny as it may sound. I'll go see if we are in luck." He continues before getting out of his seat and walks out of the room.
"There is something odd about that man." Philipus whispers to Raven.
"There's a demon sharing his body, you will see it when we go get the dragon if not before. And he has good hearing." Raven replies as Jason returns with a large yellow phone book appearing as if he hadn't heard Philipus or didn't care.
"We are fortunate." He says as he puts the book down and points at a number with an address. "And I assume it can't hurt to know if he will even see us."
"That has got to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen." Zatanna says while looking at the book proudly displaying the name, address and number of Dis.
"According to Charles Baudelaire, the greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was to convince the world he didn't exist." Raven says. "So who wants to call him?"
"I will." Jason says as an old fashioned red telephone drifts into the room before landing on the table. Jason dials the number and waits. "Hello? Jason Blood speaking.I was wondering if making an appointment with your boss is possible. Yes, I will hold." Jason stares at the bookracks in front of him while growing a little red in the face, obviously not entirely comfortable in the situation. "Yes, still here. Really, that's kind of… aha, ok, yes I understand. I will pass that along. Yes, thank you." The conversation ends as he puts down the phone and massages his ear with a palm, obviously having just received an earful that wasn't as polite as the one he delivered. "That was Mazikeen, his bartender; 'Sam' has time during opening hours on the day after tomorrow." He says.
"Well, it will give us time to freshen up." Zatanna notes.
"He will only see Raven." Jason counters quickly, internally making Raven form the image of her head rolling off her shoulders and bouncing off the table. "The meeting is off if he notices even one of the rest of us in Louisiana. And he knows who is in this room." He continues, looking at Philipus. "But he didn't say why."
"I hope I get by without him turning me into something disturbing." Raven groans at the prospect. "Anything else I should know about?"
"Said he would prefer if you dress accordingly." Jason shrugs. "Whatever that means."
"Gives you some time to sort out the LexCorp business." Bruce mentions.
"As the man in black just mentioned, I have some business in Gotham tomorrow." Raven continues. "I'll deal with that first, then go see Lucifer. If I get the feather, we can see if we need to invade Hell and hunt for al Ghul."
"Sounds good to me…What business?" Zatanna asks.
"Only proposing to have LexCorp taken over by another company. Personally, I'd prefer a trip to Hell." Raven says offhandedly.
"It's not that bad." Bruce mentions.
"You are talking to one with stage fright." Raven sends back.
"Get over it." Bruce grumbles.
"You know sister, when you hold them long enough; one can almost see those you are talking to." Philipus mentions, with a hint of amusement in her voice.
"It's true, it was Batman wasn't it?" Fate says.
"Yes, he's the most vocal of them since he spends most of his time looking at the world through my eyes." Raven sighs.
"What is the Princess doing?" Philipus asks.
"She and the others are stuck with Batman as a drill sergeant, believe me Artemis was a walk along the beach." Raven says with a smirk.
"It's not that bad." Diana mentions.
"Says you." Wally adds out of breath.
"Keep it up Lantern." Bruce says.
"Yes Sir!" The former marine yells.
"That has got to be a racket." Zatanna says.
"You get used to it." Raven shrugs. "I guess I better get to Gotham, I'll let you know how it goes." She says as she gets out of her seat.
"Just leaving me here with these strange people sister?" Philipus asks, she tries to sound sarcastic, but Raven can tell she is a genuinely a little worried.
"Don't be such a girl; they are nice enough, then not trying to coax information out of you." Raven smirks before teleporting away, leaving a slightly worried Amazon behind.
"I always wondered what kind of magic the Amazon's employed." Jason mentions, getting Philipus' eye to widen a fraction more.
Wayne Manor:
"Miss Raven, how good it is to see you again." Alfred says as he opens the front door, Raven had told Bruce she felt his front door was too big not to knock on and she wasn't sure if Richard was in the cave and that she still felt too much like a visitor to just appear inside.
"Nice to be here again Alfred." Raven says as she walks in, letting the old man close the door after her.
"I trust the memorial was suitable?" He asks.
"It was very nice, thank you." Raven replies. "So how is the house?"
"Very much empty I'm afraid, with Master Bruce gone that is and with you out so often." Raven looks at him in surprise that he added her, but he doesn't meet her gaze.
"Well, hopefully we will get him back soon. So how are Richard and Timothy behaving?" Raven asks as she turns away from him.
"Master Tim feels as I do, and Master Richard is caught between trying to be two men at the same time." Alfred says as he holds the door open for her to enter the kitchen.
"He mentioned that." Raven sighs as she sits down, smelling that dinner is well under way. "What's cooking?"
"A lovely roast chicken with rice and brown sauce." Alfred says happily. "So how long will you be staying?"
"A day, I have to go to New Orleans for the evening the day after tomorrow before returning to Fate's tower."
"May I ask what you are doing there?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Raven says flatly, getting a fake-cough out of the old man as he looks into the oven.
"You may try me Miss Raven, but Miss Zatanna has shared some wild tales of her adventures during her visits." Alfred says as he leans against the counter, satisfied that the chicken is turning out to his expectations.
"Lucifer Morningstar has a bar on Bourbon Street and I have to try and convince him to hand over a feather from his wings. And yes, it's the guy that fell from Heaven and all that." Raven says while leaning her cheek on her hand. "And tomorrow I face true evil in the shape of the Wayne Enterprises board of directors." She adds in the attempt to soften the first bit.
"My word… they seem to have you working around the clock." Alfred covers up his own surprise. "Are you sure you are up to it?"
"I'm not sure, I have stage fright and Bruce wants me to poke his business partners to buy LexCorp. Reminds me, they will probably expect some kind of presentation." She sighs.
"Already done Rae." Richard says as he enters the kitchen, wearing a wine red T-shirt and a black pair of pants, and sits down next to her. "Meeting is set for tomorrow afternoon. So what are you doing after?"
"Mentally preparing myself to meet someone about a feather." Raven replies. "By the way, can you tell me what clientele usually visits a bar called Dis on Bourbon Street?"
"Not off the top of my head, but I can check the computer, you have to talk to someone there?" He asks.
"Yeah, the owner of the place." Raven shrugs wondering why Alfred had not said anything yet. "Said I had to come dressed 'accordingly', but not what that meant."
"Well, let's go look." Richard says as he hops off his seat, followed by Raven making their way down to the cave in silence. Richard hops into the seat and brings up an inquiry. "Ok, Dis, New Orleans. Here we go, owned by Sam Ale, hmm only constant staff seems to be a woman called Mekela Travish, the rest only holds employ for a few months at most. Hmm, the usual customers look's to be a mix of everyone, even bum's seems to get in." He says as he brings up a few strips of security videos from the street outside, one showing a man in a brown trench coat is ejected from the place while a man and a woman looking like they were dressed for a galla enters.
"Think I know that bum." Ravens says as the man gets up shouts at the doorman who ignores him. "Constantine."
"Wonder if he had Zee there?" Richard speculates, though Raven doubts it, either that or Zatanna simply hadn't known she was there. "He didn't say anything else?"
"No, but he is already getting on my nerves." Raven sighs while thinking about how one was to dress accordingly when meeting Lucifer?
"You want me to go with you?" Raven looks at him for a second. "In costume?"
"Guy only wanted to talk to me and said we could forget it if he even noticed one of the others inside the state border and he knew who was in the room at the time when the call was made." Raven replies flatly.
"Hmm pity, always wanted to see the Mardi Gras." Richard sighs.
"The what?" Raven asks, knowing the translation.
"Fat Tuesday, a carnival in January, but from what I can see, you have to brave the wildest regular nightlife of any US city to get to Dis."
"Wonderful, hundreds of drunk people just to annoy me." Raven sighs. "Can I see that presentation you have cooked up?"
"Sure." Richard says with a smirk. "You know we have to go shopping tomorrow, none of the stuff in your room is really meant for business ventures."
"We?" She asks.
"Of course, or will you insist on arriving in your cloak and leotard." He jokes without turning to see Raven open and close her mouth for a few times before sighing in agreement as he brings up the presentation. "Ok I guess you have never made a presentation before, so I have made it simple. When you are up there, just present to them what these key points are, the files that will be handed out to the board. If you get stuck, use the presentation as a notepad. Feel free to edit in it if you need to, I got some other work to do but call if you need any help." He says as he gets out of the seat to leave the presentation to Raven, who hates him with a hand on his shoulder, something that surprises him.
"If I get the item from New Orleans, there will be one task we need your help with." She says.
"Ok?"
"We need a hair from an ageless mortal." Raven says knowing Richard would be thinking along the same lines as Bruce.
"Ra's." Richard nods. "We will need a small non-threatening team for that, or are you doing that solo as well?"
"No, Captain Atom suggested you, me, someone called Katana and Bushido. Bruce ruled out Donna because she will be seen as a threat to Ra's. So will I most likely if he knows about me."
"That she would, and no offense Diana, but she is a little more vicious than needed be." He says, having seen a few reports of people getting mauled by her.
"She tries. But Cassandra is worse." Diana says.
"I gathered. But that team sounds good, I will see if I can find him." He says before leaping off the central rock and lands into a roll on one of the platforms below, Raven rushes to the edge of the cliff to watch him roll into safety on a platform below them.
"He always enjoyed doing that." Bruce mentions as Raven turns away and sits down at the computer.
Author's Notes: So, the team has their work cut out for them. Next chapter: Catwoman has a double, Tim plays a prank, Richard spits out his coffee and Raven's nerves get shaken.