"Good morning cruel world." Raven groans tiredly, staring at the ceiling from the floor, having been woken by rolling out of bed. "Oh Azar!" She says suddenly and stumbles to her feet and out into the bathroom trailing some of her bed-sheets after her.
"Rae, you up?" Richard asks outside her door, having heard the movement, his only reply is the noises she makes while being sick. "I'll have Alfred make you something." He says before making his way down to the kitchen. "Morning Alfred." He greets the man in the kitchen.
"Good morning Master Richard, how did the affair in New Orleans turn out?" Alfred replies, looking up from the pieces of bread he is slicing for the very late breakfast since it is closer to normal people's lunchtime than their breakfast.
"Well, she got the feather but she is severely hungover judging by the sound of it. The rest I am not sure if it was real or not." Richard says before remembering something. "Actually, I should have you tending to her needs since you didn't tell me who she was visiting."
"And I shall do my very best." Alfred says without appearing the least worried about it.
"But, I think it's best if I handle it." Richard continues, getting a slight chuckle from his old friend.
"Very good Master Richard, I shall prepare the necessities."
A few minutes later, Richard is opening the door to Raven's room with his elbow while carrying a tray with a glass of fizzling water and a few pieces of sliced fruit and a bucket with a little water in the bottom.
"I'm coming in with something for you Rae." Richard says as he pushes the door open, receiving no reply from the empty room, depositing the tray on a small table and the bucket next to the bed.
Guessing at where she is, he walks over and knocks on the door to the bathroom before pushing it open, finding her lying sprawled on her back on the floor next to the toilet, still wearing the clothes from last night with her eyes closed.
"Rae?"
"Go away." Raven mutters, before she battles her way up to the toilet bowl and dry heaves into it for a minute or so, she doesn't notice Richard walks over and gathers her hair behind her so it doesn't end up in the bowl. "Now I know how Tala felt." She sighs and drops her head, apparently unable to support its weight alone, Richard gently lifts it by her hair, making her help a little by doing so. Grabbing a piece of toilet paper, he wipes her face clean.
"Let's get you back to bed." Richard suggests; she just nods weakly before trying to get up only to collapse on the ground; Richard just smiles slightly before picking her up and carries her back into the bedroom. "Do you want a change of clothes?" He asks, only getting a groan from her. "Rae?"
"Pants." She sighs and tries getting her hands on the belt, somehow missing it completely.
"Want help?" He asks.
"Fine." She sighs and stops trying herself. He gently undoes the belt and tries to be the same with the pants.
"Kinda tight. How'd you get into them?" He asks as he struggles a little with the button, getting an amused huff out of her. Moving to her feet he begins pulling off the clothing article, revealing the black underwear underneath.
"Thank you by the way." She says as he pulls the pants off.
"For what?" He asks as he spots a piece of paper in the right back pocket, he picks it out and reads the top line before crumbling it.
"For not taking advantage of me." She says in the slurred voice indicating she is drifting off to sleep again. Richard moves up to look her in the eyes before replying.
"I'd never in my right mind do that to you Rae." He says sincerely. "Come, sit up, you need something to combat the headache." She just smiles weakly at him as he turns to retrieve the tray while she pushes herself to sit up.
"Fruit?" She asks as he returns.
"Well, personal experience tells me you need some kind of nourishment." He says before passing her the glass. "Drink this." She sniffs it once and sips it before pulling a face. "Tastes terrible, but you should be back on your feet later today." He admits as she drinks the rest. "Also the fruit takes away the taste." He says as he passes her a slice of apple.
"What did you do with the feather?" She asks between bites.
"Vault in the cave along with the ring, I was considering calling Fate and the others over to collect it?" She nods at him.
"Bruce says you keep them in the cave, except Jason." She says, he nods at her and passes another slice. "I need to rest." She sighs before eating it.
"Ok, I will wake you when the others get here." He says as he takes the tray with him. "Sleep tight." He says from the door as she crawls under the covers.
"Will do." She agrees.
The Watchtower:
Tweet… tweet… tweet…
Cyborg looks away from Starfire receiving boxing lessons from Wildcat, with Beastboy watching besides him and answers his inbuilt phone.
"Yo?" He asks.
"Hey Vic, its Aaron."
"Aaron, my man, how's it hanging back there?" Cyborg replies, Aaron is one of his friends from school, one that knows who he really is.
"Ah man, it's been totally Dullsville here without you. So what are you up to? Saw your can on TV the other day."
"Well, currently we are having a kinda Titan get-together, you know, jumping from one life threatening danger to the next."
"Always knew you guys would get back together." Aaron replies. "Say, you watched the latest virals?" It had become a sport between the two men to find videos, pictures and audio clips to amuse them both during the more tedious lectures.
"Now Aaron, you know I don't have time for that." Cyborg says with a mock offended tone.
"But you do it anyway." Aaron counters. "Anyways, look the web for the video Amazing Vocal Girl, I swear it has to be manufactured, sounds out of this world."
"How many have viewed it?"
"Dunno, millions I guess. But check it out. Oh and spare a thought for us poor people who have exams coming up." Cyborg chuckles at this reminder.
"I'm sure you pull through, just don't spend all your time with those virals bro."
"Got it. Say where are you?"
"A gym, watching a friend getting back on her feet." Cyborg replies as he watches Starfire getting up to the cheering from Beastboy. "Anyways, good to hear from you Aaron."
"You too Vic, just don't get blown up or anything." Aaron replies before the line goes dead. Cyborg smirks to himself as he finds the video, after three seconds his eyes go wide, he restarts it after a few seconds of vocals.
"Uh, B, Star, you may want to see this?" He says.
"Welcome to the infamous Bat-cave." Zatanna says to Philipus as they all step out of the ankh that appeared on the central rock formation.
"Reminds me of Tartarus." Philipus says as she takes in the dark surroundings. "Does the sun never shine down here?"
"We work best in the shadows." Nightwing says as he walks out of the wardrobe, having decided to welcome the visitors in his own costume. "What brings you from Themyscira?"
"She was sent as per the dictates of Magala." Fate says. "You have the feather?"
"Is sister Raven not here?" Philipus asks, looking around, as if Raven was hiding somewhere.
"She is upstairs, but if she will come down here is another matter." Nightwing replies. "She got a fair few glasses of brandy last night." He explains the unasked question.
"She's been drinking?" Jason asks in surprise.
"He was drinking it like water, thought I could as well." A raspy voice says from above, the others look up to see Raven make her way down the staircase, fully dressed in her old attire but looking paler than usual.
"Well you look like you have been burning the candle at both ends." Zatanna notes. "What happened to your voice?"
"He had me sing for him." Raven replies as she swallows something. "Hurts." She adds.
"Not sure if what you were doing classifies as singing." Nightwing says with a smirk playing over his face.
"You wound me." Raven grumbles.
"You saw it?" Zatanna asks.
"He thought I was going to sell my soul or something so rushed off." Raven replies before coughing into her hand.
"And here comes the cure for throaty discomfort." Alfred announces his presence as he walks down with a single cup of something steaming. "Tea with honey." He says as he offers Raven the cup.
"Thank you." Raven says before taking a sip. "Alfred, this is Philipus, one of my sisters."
"How do you do?" Alfred says bowing slightly to her. As Richard walks to the computer, spotting an incoming call. As he brings it up, it is revealed to be Cyborg with a huge grin plastered to his face.
"Hey Cy, whys up?"
"What's up?! Do you have any idea what Rae has been up to?!" Cyborg asks slightly agitated.
"What have I been up to?" Raven asks, making her presence known. At this point, Beastboy pushes his way in front of Cyborg.
"Hey Rae, how's it feel to be an internet sensation?" He asks before getting shoved aside by Cyborg.
"I'm a what?" Raven replies with a raised eyebrow.
"Only the center point of the latest viral video, got a million of views already." Cyborg replies, who seems to only now notice the group of people crowding behind the two birds. "Oh, hey there?"
"What video?" Raven asks punctuating both words.
"You don't know?!" Cyborg asks with disbelief written on his face.
"Show it to her." Beastboy adds from the side.
"All right, click the link I'm sending ya." Cyborg says as a blue line of text appears at the bottom of the screen. Without looking or asking, Nightwing clicks it and is prompted to the website that starts up a video streamer, the viewer is showing a stage in front of a wild crowd, then a figure seems to jump out onto the stage before she turns around and grabs the microphone. Raven's cup shatters as the figure shouts at the audience.
"Good evening Dis! Are you ready?!" Raven shouts from the stage.
"That bastard!" Raven growls while almost gaining a red glow in her eyes as the music starts. The other stands staring as the lyrics begin; they get halfway through before Zatanna whispers to Nightwing.
"Better kill it, or someone else is going to get killed." She says, looking at Raven, who's powers are playing over her like electricity. Richard nods quickly and kills the video.
"Uh oh, cya Rob." Victor quickly closes the call also spotting the fuming empath.
"Uh Rae?" Nightwing asks
"He didn't mention a camera." Raven growls between clenched teeth.
"He is doing it on purpose." Jason adds. "Strike at him now, and you are damned because of wrath." Raven just snorts.
"Unfortunately he's right." Fate adds. "It will pass, in time." Raven takes a deep calming breath and exhales loudly.
"Beats the alternatives I guess." She sighs.
"You had choices?" Zatanna asks.
"Spent an hour or so drinking brandy with him and '20 questions you don't want others to know about'. After that he agreed to let me try and get one of his feathers, I got the choice of retrieving a barrel of Valhalla Mead, singing a few songs of his choice or become a recurring stripper at his bar for two weeks."
"I think you made the right choice." Alfred says. "I shall prepare a fresh cup, would anyone else care for some refreshments?" Getting three declines and an order for a cup of coffee from Zatanna, Philipus didn't know what he was asking for so went with the majority.
"So can we see this feather?" Zatanna asks.
"I'll go get it." Nightwing says before leaping off the rock to the platforms below.
"I will say you seem to fit into this place more easily than on Themyscira's shores." Philipus says to Raven getting a small smirk from her.
"Thank you sister, those up there seems to like me as well." She says while pointing at the ceiling, it seems Philipus has so far not realized that there is thousands of bats hanging above her.
"What are those?"
"Bats, you've never seen any?" Zatanna adds.
"We have no such creatures on Themyscira." Philipus admits while narrowing her eyes to get a better look at the creatures.
"Hold on." Raven says before floating into the air halting halfway between the ceiling and the rock, hanging there in silence for a second before the ceiling comes alive and swarms around Raven.
"Don't, she is perfectly fine." Jason says as he notices the electricity being summoned by Philipus.
"That I am." Raven agrees as the swarm of bats retreat, leaving her to float back onto the ground turning around slowly, revealing the numerous bats now hanging onto her cloak. "Go on if you wish, I am keeping them calm."
"They look kinda cute." Philipus says after looking them over. "Are they dangerous?"
"Not them, but they are known to carry a number of diseases that are dangerous to humans, I am not sure if they are to you." Raven replies.
"Or to you?" Zatanna asks.
"After I left Jump City I traveled the world for a means to cure my appearance, I figured no one in their right mind would house me so I slept and lived in the wilds most of the time, several times taking up residence in bat caves. Since people usually keep away from them, I got the peace I wanted and they didn't seem to mind me." Raven explains.
"So this is not the Princess' presence that calms them?" Philipus asks, knowing Diana had such a way with the creatures of the wild.
"I took shelter from a storm in a bear cave once, I can't recommend the smell they make."
"May I ask why you never contacted me?" Fate asks. "Providing you knew what I do?"
"I thought the League was still out to get me." Raven replies flatly before noticing a bat crawls over her head and peeks out from under her hood.
"There was an old woman's saying that bats would willingly tangle themselves in people's hair." Jason mentions as Raven reaches up and picks it out.
"Doubt that was what it was doing." She says while looking at it.
"They are peculiar creatures." Philipus says as she finishes her own studies.
"Playing with the bats again Rae?" Nightwing asks as he emerges from below carrying the jar.
"Is that a green lantern ring?" Zatanna asks, noticing the object besides the feather.
"It is, apparently it thought Lucifer would make a good candidate." Richards says as he hands the jar over to Fate, while the bats return to the ceiling.
"The mystical properties of this feather are indeed great." Fate says as he studies it before passing it to Jason.
"So what was he like?" Zatanna asks Raven.
"Charming, but he pushes all the buttons he can just to get you to react." Raven replies.
"And he looked like?" Philipus continues.
"Like a British rock musician in a tuxedo. I think he treated me nicely just to annoy his girlfriend, which he succeeded in."
"Learn anything interesting from him?" Zatanna asks.
"Plenty, if I didn't doubt one of the first things he told me; he never lies." Raven replies.
"Actually he doesn't." Jason adds having overheard the conversation. "He prefers it that way, don't lie and watch mortals damn themselves. He wrote that down in a manual somewhere."
"Guess I could make a few churches question the purity their deities then." Raven sighs. "If it wasn't for the source material."
"Not one to usually interrupt a theological debate, but as we have the feather means we should proceed with acquiring the two other missing items." Fate says.
"Hopefully not before Miss Raven is well again?" Alfred interrupts as he reenters the cave with two cups and a few sandwiches.
"Reminds me, how did you deal with two months of this?" Raven asks Zatanna while putting a hand on her head.
"Easy, wake up, keep drinking before it got going." Zatanna shrugs as she retrieves her coffee while Philipus studies the contents of a sandwich.
"She reminds me of Starfire the first few weeks we lived together." Raven sends inwards.
"Reminds me of Diana the first few weeks… uh oh." Wally adds before vanishing at the glare Diana sends him.
"So what is the next step?" Nightwing asks. "The dragon or the hair?"
"I have been considering that question as well." Fate says. "But if I am not mistaken, Raven is only needed to retrieve one of these items?"
"Technically, but someone suggested that I go see Ra's as well." Raven says over the rim of her cup.
"We just need a single hair?" Nightwing asks for confirmation, getting a nod from Zatanna and Fate. "Ra's will withdraw if he senses anything extra-human or supernatural, and he is good at telling what is what. If you get the claw, I will get the hair. It is after all just a few dozen ninja's."
"Don't do it alone." Raven says.
"I'm not planning on it." Richard says with a smirk. "I can get Katana, Bushido and maybe Huntress and Manhunter, if Oracle allows it."
"Take Tim along." Bruce says, startling a few of them.
"If you say so." Nightwing says, although Raven could see he didn't like the idea.
"You have an oracle?" Philipus asks.
"Not one like yours, but she is very good with information." Nightwing says. "But if that is settled, when will you be ready for your part?"
"I suggest we get at least one night's worth of sleep and rest, I have no idea if there is anything edible down there." Raven replies.
"Well, you at least need that single night." Zatanna says.
"Will you be staying here Miss Raven?" Alfred asks.
"I think we have some additional planning to do before we leave." Zatanna continues, getting a nod from the others.
"Very well, do come back in on piece." Alfred says giving them a small smile, while Jason picks out the feather from the jar before he hands it back to Nightwing.
"Well, shall we get this over with?" Raven asks.
"You want to go now?" Richard asks letting a little concern leak into his voice.
"We better get this done sooner than later." Raven shrugs.
"Ok, good luck then." Nightwing says as the others begin moving closer to Fate.
"You too." Raven replies before they all disappear in Fate's ankh.
Salem, the Tower of Fate;
"Jinx?" Raven asks in surprise as they enter Fate's library, finding the pink headed sorceress waiting for them in one of the chairs. "What are you doing here?"
"Hey Rae, some guy in a blue trench coat told me to come here, after asking around, people seemed to think it was a good idea. What's up?" She explains while getting up.
"Sister is that you're…" Philipus starts, noticing the skin.
"We aren't related." Raven cuts her off. "Did this guy wear a hat?" She gets a nod. "Guess, saying no would be bad. Anyways we are literally going to hell after a dragon."
"Cool, when do we leave?" Jinx asks as if Raven had just suggested a trip to the shopping mall.
"Tomorrow, plans must be made before we leave." Fate says. "You are welcome to join us." He continues as he sees there are greater things at work.
"Does Bart know about this?" Raven asks.
"Of course, he dropped me off." Jinx replies. "He thought it was kinda cool I got a part to play. So does all of this have a name?"
"Names have power in magic; perhaps naming this gathering would be advisable." Jason adds as they sit down. "But perhaps we should save that till we know what to do." He continues and the others agree.
Authors Notes: To xCocoREEMx: Everything is possible later on, Ra's is known for hiding such things until they are ready.