"That's the dragon?" Jinx asks as they round a corner emerging from the street into a big circular area at the foot of the main tower of the city. In its center lies the corpse of the huge beast on its belly with its tongue lying slumped out of the corner of its mouth thats if facing them. Numbra had left them earlier, instructed to see how the battle was progressing.
"Yup." Raven replies flatly, noticing a few scales are missing from its side before she halts abruptly. "Wait, something is not right. Guys, get into me now!" She says suddenly before pulling the League into herself as a stream of green fire erupts from the nostrils of the beast, Fate is quick enough to throw up a transparent yellow shield in front of them to deflect the torrent of flames.
"Why darling Raven, is that you?" Raven's eyes flash red at the sound of that voice as the flames die away, in front of them the huge head of the dragon rises above the ground as the rest of it slowly follows till it standing on all four.
"Malchior." Raven replies with a voice devoid of emotion.
"The only one who loves you, even after what you did to me." The dragon replies. "And all I did was pull out your true self. And now this place is crawling with unfriendly demons, lets us join forces and escape this place so that we may start anew."
Raven holds up a single finger before any of the others can speak, this was between her and it. "You caught me at a weak point, wove your lies around me and made me dance to your false tune. Later you return and transform me into a monster, and now you think we are even?" She asks as she walks calmly towards the huge reptile. "Actually I should thank you in a warped way; your curse has brought me a few good things since we last met." The dragon snorts a cloud of smoke at her.
"Pity, my sole comfort during this last year was the thought of you, cowering alone in a distant cave like the insecure little girl I know you are." It sneers.
"Maybe, but I killed you in rage. I don't know how you managed to pull yourself back together, but I intend to make sure that does not repeat itself." Raven replies flatly.
The dragon just emits a wheezing laughter. "Ah, but you forget, nothing can die in Hell."
"Ah, but I don't want you dead." Raven replies with a menacing voice. "Guards, have him prepared for transportation." She says, the dragon is about to reply when the seven members of the Trigonian Guard slam into the ground around him, with the bruised Thrakmar landing in front of him. Malchior takes on a surprised expression as he stares at them.
"You…" He doesn't manage any more before the first attack against his flank is made and he roars in pain. The demons are quick in their work, Malchior doesn't stand a chance against them as they take him apart piece by piece, sustaining few injuries themselves from his breath and his tail, before it is severed by one with a huge two-handed sword.
"Fate, do you have the bottle?" Raven asks as she pretends to ignore the scene behind her as she has returned to the others, only Jinx seems to be negatively affected by the scene before her.
"I do." The mage says before a small circular bottle is pulled out of an ankh before it is passed to Raven.
"Raven, stop this." Jinx says suddenly, almost making Raven drop the container in surprise. "He was only being nice to you!" Raven just stares at Jinx in disbelief, Fate quickly places a blue glowing hand on her temple, causing her to blink a few times. "Huh? What?"
"A dragons magic is powerful and subtle." Fate says. "A spell of persuasion."
"You seem more jinxed yourself." Philipus notes dryly.
"Knock it off." Raven replies briskly. "Could have been you." She says before walking back to the mayhem. The demons stop and stand back when she draws close, except Thrakmar who is passed the huge double headed axe of one of the others. Malchior groans weakly as the axe is raised high, Thrakmar hold the pose for a second before Raven nods, the axe descends and separates Malchior's head from his thick neck in a single stroke to the sound of a wet thud. Raven stretches out one hand after removing the cork from the bottle, forming a dark whirlwind she seems to suck something blue out of Malchior and leading it all into the bottle before resealing it. "Have the remains packed when I get back." Raven says before returning to the others. Behind her, the Guards begin picking up the pieces before flying away.
"I was expecting only the claw, so what do you intend for the rest of it?" Fate asks.
"All yours if you want." Raven replies as she puts the bottle into a small portal of her own.
At the foot of the tower a pair of double door swings inward.
"While I wasn't finished training it, I am very displeased about the way you have manhandled my pet." The voice has them all turn to face the speaker as he emerges from the tower. He is dressed in a white robe that covers his reddish-brown skin, while leaving his lower arms free and a part of his chest visible along with his cloven feet. His face seems out of place on his body as it bears a smiling and enamoring face, while a pair of huge horns rise above his head, bending backwards.
"Myrddin." Etrigan grumbles while his eyes flash red.
"It is I, dear brother. I would have words with thee regarding your current allegiances. The rest of you will feel to entertain yourselves." Myrddin replies as several shadows behind him move forwards, while he floats above the ground and leads Etrigan away, who leaps after him with a snarl.
"Is it wise to leave him alone?" Philipus asks.
"We give him the chance." Fate replies as the figures in the shadows emerge, to the assembled mages they all suddenly find themselves almost alone in the square.
Fate regards the sole figure warily as it approaches him. "Inza?"
"Kent?" Fate recognizes the voice of his wife as she steps out of the shadows, she is not wearing her usual attire of loose fitting sand-colored jacket and green pants, instead having replaced both with a figure hugging cat-suit in black. "I've been so lonely without you, when you are gone on your lonesome journeys."
"I know, and I apologize for my shortcomings as a husband." Fate replies as Inza comes closer.
"Do not fret my love, all is forgiven." Inza continues as she embraces him.
"Bart? What are you doing here? And what is that you're wearing?" Jinx asks as the young speedster reveals himself, wearing a completely black version of his usual yellow and red outfit, save for the badge on his chest.
"I'm here for you Jinxie, and I thought you might like it." He replies cheerfully.
"Well, I do. But you always hated black." She replies, knowing all of the Flash's had at one point met a very peculiar version of themselves, the Black Flash, their version of death incarnate as Barry had explained it was the only thing that could catch up with them. Jinx on the other hand had always wanted to see him in another costume, if just once.
"Nonsense, I'd do anything for you." Kid Flash replies as he comes closer, Jinx catches something in his eyes a slightly red colored flash.
"Sister? What are you doing here?" Philipus asks in surprise at the black clad Antiope dressing her hunting attire, a tight vest and pants along with a pair of gauntlets at reach up to her elbows but leaves her fingers bare.
"Why, I just couldn't stay away from you Sister. Please, come with me." Antiope says, beckoning Philipus over with a finger.
"But, where are the others?" Philipus asks as she comes over.
"Quite safe my love. Come, I know just the place for us." The archer replies almost longingly as they enter the tower.
"Hmm, two of you, yippee." Raven replies flatly at the two in front of her. She didn't need the enraged outbursts inside of her mind to know they are not what they pretend to be.
The one to the left is pretending to be Richard, wearing only a pair of shorts a pair of white cuffs from a shirt and a collar with a butterfly from a dinner suit and his mask. The other one, the source of an enraged Princess, is Diana, wearing nothing but a two-piece latex underwear set that leaves little to the imagination and leather cuffs on her ankles and wrists, along with a wide collar of the same material with a long chain attached to it which Richard is holding onto.
"All for you Rae." The Richard pretender says as he guides the phony Diana over while Raven shifts into her wingless form before regarding them coldly as they stop in front of her. "Don't give us that look Rae, we both know you want us."
"And now you have us." 'Diana' replies as Richard passes the chain to Raven who just hold onto it lightly.
"No, I don't, because you aren't who you pretend to be." Raven replies flatly. "And you obviously aren't the most intelligent of his servants, or I am overestimating your capabilities."
"What are you talking about Rae? We love you." Richard asks as Raven can feel their influence on her feelings.
"Look into my eyes." Raven instructs to him while fixing him with a stare, his eyes go wide for a second before he stumbles away while clutching his head.
"No…too many…!" He growls as he drops to his knees and he begins changing several parts of his body into other shapes making him look like a horrible mish-mash of people that just keeps changing. Groaning in pain he collapses on the ground while his body continues to shift uncontrollably. The Diana pretender looks absolutely appalled at this before trying to run, completely forgetting the chain that after a hard yank leaves her on her back looking up into Ravens hood.
"And you." Raven says in a menacing voice. "I carry the real person you are impersonating in my head, and she is absolutely furious. What do you say Diana?" She asks as she looks away. "Ah." She continues, having received a reply and continues to hoist the demon to its feet by the chain.
"No… please…!" It pleads as it holds onto the chain with an absolutely terrified expression on its face. "I…I am not what I seem!" It continues as it stumbles to the ground as Raven raises a clawed hand, intending to repeat the treatment she gave the last Diana pretender, but halts.
"What are you then? And change out of that."
"I… I can't." It stammers.
"Keep talking, what are you?"
"I don't know, they keep saying I was made for this." The creature replies.
"Myrrdin knew we were coming." Raven replies, more to herself, cursing under her breath. "Where are the others?" She asks suddenly, returning her focus to the creature.
"H-here." It stammers as the other magicians become visible again, just in time for Raven to see a smoking corpse, burnt beyond all recognition, falling away from Dr. Fate. While Jinx is brawling with another opponent, as it rolls them over to straddle her, it is blasted away by Fate, leaving a slightly surprised Jinx to get up.
"I had him." She grumbles, revealing several bruises on her face.
"Fate, can you tell me what this is." Raven asks the mage as she drags her captive over.
"Isn't that…?".
"No." Jinx is cut off by Raven
"Hmm, seems to be a convert." Fate says after a few seconds study. "A soul changed into a shape not belonging to itself." He explains. "This may help." He continues as a golden aura surrounds the creature for a few seconds, causing it to smoke and change, leaving a frail looking woman behind that is literally only half of Diana's weight. If she wasn't so obviously starved, she might have been beautiful once. "Anastasia Krigizua, born in southern Russia into poverty, lived on the streets all her life, killed three other men for food and money, died for the same reason three years ago. Her resemblance to Diana had her brought here on Myrrdin's command where she was changed and enslaved to this." Raven waves once and the woman's restraints fly from her.
"She didn't deserve this." Raven sighs before crouching down in front of the woman. "Anastasia, I cannot take you from this place, but I can take your pain away but you will not remain." She speaks in Russian. "Do you understand what I am offering?"
"I… I do, God will not have me… please, take me from this place… I cannot go back."
"Close your eyes and relax." Raven says quietly, as the woman does so, Raven embraces her gently as her cloak swirls around them, covering them completely. The cloak at first seems to expand to cover them, but it quickly shrinks to its normal size, leaving only Raven to stand back up. "She is at peace now."
"Umm Rae, where's the Amazon lady?" Jinx asks, Raven eyes widen a fraction as she realizes it.
"One second." She says before launching herself at a point on the tower wall, smashing through it, leaving the two others behind.
"So…" Jinx asks looking at the burnt corpse.
"My wife." Fate replies shortly. "You?"
"Boyfriend, there was something wrong with his eyes." Jinx replies before the two fall silent, neither of them looking at each other.
"And now sister, we will consummate our relationship." Anitope says while leaning over Philipus as they share the old bed in a darkened room, neither of them are wearing anything.
"I…" Philipus doesn't get to stay anything more as she receives a kiss, right as the far wall is blown inwards, the light from the torch lit corridor beyond only reveals a caped figure with glowing red eyes. The two on the bed quickly scramble to cover themselves with the sheets.
"Get the hell away from her!" The figure growls before Anitiope is thrown clear of Philipus and into the wall at the foot of the bed. "You are out of uniform sister."
"Sis…Raven, what are you doing?! It's Antiope!" Philipus complains, still mildly shocked at the situation.
"No it's not." Raven replies flatly before stomping over into the corner and hauls the naked pretender to her feet by her hair and throat. "Are you?" She asks, only getting a strangled sound from the demon. "Change out of this insult, or I will snap your neck!"
The demon meets her gaze with yellow eyes before nodding and changes into its own shape, with curled horns, long snaking tongue, pointed teeth, bat wings and the clawed legs of a beast. Raven holds onto it for Philipus to study before shoving it into the opposite corner from the bed.
"Get dressed, I'll be out here." Raven says before leaving the room, while Philipus just stares at the creature in the corner that seems to regard her with newfound fear.
Further down the corridor, Raven smells the ozone before a howl is heard, silenced by a thunderclap.
"Found her I see." Jinx says with a smirk as Raven lands, putting Philipus on her feet, the Amazon's jaw muscles can be seen bunching up, fighting not to snap at the pink head, Raven was actually siphoning off the warriors rage, not enough for her to notice, but enough so that she wouldn't pound Jinx into the ground.
"Yes, now we only need to find Myrrdin and Etrigan..." Raven replies before looking up. "Maybe not."
"DIE!" A deep voice roar's as Raven quickly throws up a shield in time for something to impact on it and roll away.
"Etrigan?! What's wrong with him?" Philipus asks as the squat demon faces them, a glowing rounded M stamped on his forehead.
"It's how Myrrdin came to control him." Fate says.
"Merlin's Brand." Raven says, echoing Batman's words. "Jason is not in control anymore."
"But he is still inside of him." Fate continues.
"And there he will remain, doomed to watch through my foolish brother's eyes." Myrrdin says as he appears besides Etrigan in a flash.
"Keep the goat busy, I'll deal with Etrigan." Raven says as she drops the shield.
"Deal with him? Poor deluded creature, you know not who you are dealing with." Myrrdin replies before ducking under a forked lightning aimed at his head. "And neither do you." He continues as he stares at three mages.
"Here we go again." Raven sighs as she floats to the side of Etrigan to have both him and Myrrdin in her immediate sights.
"And this time, thee shall not claim victory!" Etrigan replies as his tongue snakes out between his teeth. "And no spell shall save thee this time."
"I don't remember you coming that close the last time." She says matter-of-factly only getting growl out of Etrigan before he takes a deep breath and exhales a stream of fire, like when she met him, Raven throws up a shield before her that holds firm. Raven is thinking that he may be unimaginative in his way of fighting before she is pushed back along with her shield. "Hmm, clever." She notes as the flames disappear, revealing Etrigan just on the other side of her barrier.
"Really? Is this supposed to be difficult?" Myrrdin asks as he effortlessly counters or dodges the magical blasts sent in his direction.
"He is yielding!" Philipus shouts as she sends another bolt of lightning at him, one he catches in one hand before hurling it back, forcing her to leap to the side to avoid it.
"Girls shouldn't play with lightning." The demon wizard smirks.
"And goats shouldn't walk!" Zatanna's voice rings from above a second before Myrrdin is force to scramble back as the huge Trigonian Guard smashes into the ground with Zatanna sitting in its hair. The demon extends a hand to pick Zatanna out of its hair, while retrieving its weapon from its back. "What did I miss?" She asks the others as the Guard stomps over towards Etrigan, while brightly colored beams race out towards them.
"I'd duck if I were you." Raven says as Etrigan has his back turned to the demon behind him.
"HA!" Etrigan mocks before he is treated like a golf ball and sent flying into the buildings beyond the tower with a screech that sounds like he strikes more buildings on his.
"Go reason with him, convince him he Is being used again." Raven commands, the demon just nods before stomping off after Etrigan, smashing apart the first structures it has to pass as Raven adds her attacks to the others.
Team Nightwing, Richard's P.O.V.
I hate to admit it, but things aren't going as I hoped it would. Ra's must be in a very bad mood to have sent this amount of manpower at us, I hardly have time to orientate myself before a new opponent is before me and I stopped counting after the 11th or 12th.
But from the few short glazes I have managed, I can say I am at least proud of the others. To my surprise, it is actually Katana and Bushido that is having the hardest time when alone, I figure it is their mutual determination to uphold the bushido code of honor that is keeping them from striking their opponents in the back. Unfortunately, their opponents being ninja's have no such limitation. But the two samurai cover for each other as if they are old partners.
Helena and Tim are also covering for each other as they have their back against the way we got in, Helena having shot a fair few of their assailants in the shoulders and legs and Tim engaging the ones she doesn't. When Bruce gets back, I'll have to mention to him that she so far hasn't killed any of them which is odd considering she has the green light to do so. Those wounded either limp away or receive the end of Tim's rod and stay down after that.
Ravager is something else, I will give her that, and Slade must have been grinding her into the ground while training her. She's is holding off six ninjas on her own last I looked, the missing eye seemingly as much a hindrance to her as Slade's is to him. While I haven't been able to tell or check those who have fallen, I know those four she has dispatched so far will need medical attention. That is if Ra's lets them live down the failure.
I, myself, am having a hard time being on something other than the defensive, with my five dance partners. The ten original almost tripped over each other when they tried to rush me at once, making it a little easier, but these five are smart enough to have spread out, trying to catch me in a circle. So far I feel fortunate that I have only a few nicks and bruises. Hopefully everyone else is like me.
"ROBIN!" My heart freezes as I hear Huntress yell, by pure reflex I swing one of my batons into the head of the ninja blocking my view, from that slight view I am able to get, I see Tim lying flat on his stomach with blood pooling around his head, while Helena has discarded her crossbow in favor of Tim's rod and is savagely beating away any of the ninja's trying to get close.
I begin fighting the same way, ignoring my own safety to get over to Tim, I have to know. Is he alive or dead? The others seem to react as well from what I can tell.
"Huntress!" I yell as I get within five meters of her, with only one of the assassins barring my path, when one of them manages to sneak up behind her and impales her through her upper chest. Helena is caught completely off guard and only makes a surprised gasp before she looks down at the two pieces of steel sticking out of her.
"Huh." She sighs dismissively before collapsing headfirst onto the ground over Tim.
"NO!" I scream as I shatter a few teeth with a fist to get over to the two on the floor.
"Halt." I hear the calm commanding voice as clearly as everyone else, but I ignore it to check out the two. Helena is out, but alive and her pulse is slowing. I almost swear as I find Tim is only out with a nasty wound on the side of his head that's faced down. "Now then, you wished to talk."
I have a hard time of not assaulting the speaker, but somehow I manage to turn around slowly. Noticing my three other companions are standing with their swords between them and the ninja's who are now standing rock still around them. As I turn all the way around, I see him standing on a raised area behind a railing, dressed in his preferred light green suit and cloak of the same color on the outside and yellow on the inside.
"Right now I am wondering if I should skip that part." I say.
He sighs. "Young detective, much too emotional still." Inwardly I cringe, like Dr. Light, I always felt Ra's was a bit too much in love with his own voice. "But let that rest, what brings you to the feet of the Demons Head and why is the Detective not with you?"
"She needs help." I say without taking my eyes off him, like Bruce, Ra's tends to move quickly and quietly. The man only nods a silent command and several of the ninja's advance open palmed towards me, I step aside. Through our long troubles with the man, Bruce, Tim and I have come to learn a fair bit about Ra's manners and methods.
If he wants you dead, you most likely will not know of his displeasure before the League of Assassins has dispatched you. But he is not one to take advantage of a prone enemy, his own sense of honor forbids it and that sense extends to wherever he is, limiting what I have seen the League do and left behing. For now I know Helena will receive at least basic treatments, as will Tim.
"Stand down." I say to the others, taking a deep breath before walking up to the man. "I hope you are doing better than I am Rae."