"By the God's, doesn't anything stick to him?!" Philipus growls in frustration as she is forced to move aside again to avoid another bolt.

So far Myrrdin is single handedly holding off the five mages and their magic, mainly by encasing himself in a transparent yellow bubble that sends all attacks against flying off into other directions. The five has had a few close calls where their fellow's attacks had almost hit them instead. While Myrrdin himself have been casually blasting his own bolts through his barrier, but they can tell he is just amusing himself.

Fate had ceased his own attacks in favor of holding up a barrier of his own and to try and think of something. Ravens eyes are twitching, her soul felt like it had been scalded after she had tried swallowing him and his bubble with it, several blasts from the inside had forced her to stop the attack.

"Get Jinx to try something other than direct attacks." Bruce says from the inside. Raven had used a few precious seconds to explain that Myrrdin was likely to rip them apart in their current state, which kept them from wanting to go out.

"Hit the ground!" The pink headed throws herself flat at Philipus' warning as a bolt from Myrrdin races over her.

"Thanks… Move!" Jinx returns the favor and Philipus is only lightly singed on her left shoulder instead of having it blown off.

"Jinx, the ground around him." Raven says before sending a blast of her own magic at Myrrdin's head to blind him.

"Got it." Jinx replies as she gets up and begins sending bolts at the ground in front of Myrrdin.

"GAH!" Raven yelps as she is sent flying backwards from the blast sent through her own blast, her hands are stinging from the impact and something smells burnt.

"Is this really all you can muster?" Myrrdin asks. "It took me more effort to subdue my foolish brother."

"nidrryM llaf!" Zatanna commands and the demon sorcerer stumbles forwards into the jinxed area that immediately opens up into a huge hole that the shield would have slipped into, if the mage didn't just float over it.

"Bartur…nem…athert…prok!" Fate continues as several dark green tentacles rise out of the pit and begins grabbing hold of the shield.

"Hold him!" Raven shouts as she draws Shadowfury and teleports above the orb and drops, slicing a hole in the side facing the mages before having to teleport away or drop into hole.

"Finally." Philipus says as she and Jinx simultaneously throws their magic at the breach, this time it hits home. "Huh?"

"Oh dear, looks like they cancelled each other out." Myrddin mocks from the inside apparently unaffected by the attacks.

"Why is your shirt burning then?" Zatanna notes at the singed clothing.

"Bah." The demon snorts before patting out the flames eating his sleeve. "Well, this has been amusing but I think it's time to get a little more serious." He continues as his dome cracks like glass before exploding outwards. The tentacles are shredded, only Dr. Fate's shield saves them from a similar demise, but they are still thrown to the ground.

The five are blinded for a few seconds by the blast before their vision returns. "So disappointing, all of you." Myrrdin says calmly, as they spot him walking between them, they don't have time to react before the ground suddenly gains the substance of wet concrete long enough to trap them all in it before hardening again. Leaving Fate with half his side submerged, Raven on her stomach with both her arms and legs stuck, Zatanna is cursing wildly as her hands and hair is the only thing stuck. Jinx is lying face up, while most of her body has been sunk into the ground and lastly Philipus had her hands and feet trapped while she tried to lift the rest of herself clear.

"And you, traitor-kin, you disappoint me most of all. And to think you are the Gem of Trigon's eyes." He sighs as he looks at Raven.

"I am no body's property." She growls back as white mist begins steaming off her forming several small glowing orbs.

"Push him back!" Batman's voice rings out as the orbs blast Myrrdin away before the phantoms of the League charge forth, blasting away as they go.

"tcapwodahS eb eerf!" Zatanna says, shortly followed by the crunching sound of the ground giving up its captives. They all quickly rush to add their powers to the Leagues assault.

"MYRRDIN!" A roar is heard from the edge of the square as Etrigan storms over, adding his fiery breath to the barrage that slams into his brother.

"ENOUGH!" Myrrdin bellows as he begins to form another barrier to block the power sent his way.

"nevaR leef ruo yruf!" Raven's mind goes blank for a second as she feels an incredible rush and a scream is heard before being washed away in a deafening explosion.

Blinking as she regains her sights she notices she is on the ground and the others are looking down at her with Jason instead of Etrigan, Raven just stares a little more annoyed at Zatanna. "Don't do that again." Raven growls as she sits up. "What happened?" She asks, spotting the League Founders crowding around a crater and straight line of smashed buildings extending away from her.

"Heard somewhere of a little trick you used, so I just channeled everyone's emotions into you." Zatanna replies with a smirk as she offers a hand to her, which she grabs to get up. "Didn't know you'd siphon our magic into it though."

"What?"

"It will come back, but I feel like I've just outrun Bart." Jinx says.

"Or done five laps around Themyscira." Philipus demonstrates with a few pitiful sparks from her fingers.

"Ok, I get it. Just say we got him." Raven sighs as they walk over to the crater, Myrrdin looks like a mummy, his limbs are literally only skin and bones as he lies unmoving in the pit, completely dried out. "Is he dead?"

"Alas we saw his spirit flee the pit as we got up." Jason sighs. "He will return one day."

"And everyone else is ok?" Raven asks looking up from the corpse.

"Thankfully that guy was in the way, or I would have caught that in the face." Shayera mentions, Raven doubt's it would actually have affected her though the immediate area behind the crater is torn apart.

"We will be fine Rae." Jinx adds. "Now how about we get out of here before Satan decides to show up?"

"Actually…" Raven is cut off as a thump is heard behind them drawing their attention, revealing it to be the Guard Raven sent after Etrigan. It Is using its mace as a crutch since it is obvious that its mangled left leg is useless right now. It surprises them that the thing can even stand as its injuries become apparent, as it is also missing its lower right arm and huge chunks of its wing membrane is missing. Yet the thing keeps moving towards them in spite of the injuries, stopping and righting itself before them.

"Your Highness… Etrigan… has returned…" It announces in its deep rumbling voice.

"A job well done, have those injuries tended to, I can use someone as stubborn as you." Raven replies flatly, guessing who was responsible.

"As you command." It replies before turning 90 degrees and begins shuffling back towards the main gate. Raven closes her eyes for a few seconds before opening them again.

"And you are uninjured?" She asks Jason, who looks like he just got here.

"I am. Yet I know not why Etrigan's injuries has not made themselves felt yet or why he is unconscious." The man replies, Raven sighs.

"Well, we will have to figure that out later. I have ordered everyone out of here, we'd better follow suit."

"Got a carriage?" Jinx asks jokingly, she freezes a second as she notices Raven smirk before they are all swallowed by Ravens soul self before it flies them over and out of the city to the amassing army in the hills, dropping them all off on top of Hexzakar. "Ok, a little cold by effects the same." They are all startled by someone clapping behind them, spotting a blond man in a dress suit with golden wing on is back; Raven has the nerve to go smack him, but relents.

"Bravo; that was very amusing, if a bit melodramatic and the lack of closure." He says as Raven's eyes flare.

"Sam… I do have the temptation to punch you for that video." Raven grumbles.

"Sam...Lucifer?!" Zatanna realizes, Jinx's eyes go wide.

"Don't worry Jinx, I was enjoying the fireworks here long before you got into the city." Sam replies with his usual smirk. "And you can't prove that it was my camera." He adds to Raven as she turns back to normal, just in time for her to roll her eyes at him. "Oh, don't be like that, stardom awaits you."

"But what are you doing here?" Jason cuts in.

"Like I was saying, I wanted to see the fireworks and for you people they have been pretty. But I will show you how the old master does it. First we have your nameless ghoulies pulled out of the city." He starts as the area before them glows slightly before a huge collection of pyres and fiends materialize along with several of the beasts and the Guard standing in the center. "Since you're so compassionate." He says to Raven. "And now we bring down the house." He says striking a pose with his arms lifted over his head.

"Erm…nothing's happening." Wally adds after a few seconds after Sam lowers his arms.

"Have patience Flasher, it takes time for something to get down here." Sam says, unbothered as he forms a beach chair and a fancy drink for himself and a pair of sunglasses for everyone before lying down. "Always loved sunsets." He say's as a pair of sunglasses also appear on his face before taking a sip. "Well don't look at me, or you'll miss the spectacle." He continues as he notices everyone is staring at him. "And… here… we… go!"

At the word go, a star seems to blink into existence on the crimson sky, growing brighter at first before they realize it's actually coming towards them, they can only stare as the comet streaks towards them, smashing into the far side of Talazzarr with a huge explosion following, blinding the spectators momentarily before keeping their balance become the most important thing.

As they regain their sight and balance, they see that Talazzarr has been reduced to a blazing ruin now, the parts of it that is left that is, the other parts have vanished into the crater on the far side of the city. "Nuts, my aim is off." Sam complains. "Oh well, it was a nice view. Have fun people." Before anyone can question him, they find his chair empty.

"Well, I was going to ask someone to level that place anyway." Zatanna sighs.

"These are actually nice." Jinx notes at her sunglasses.

"What are they?" Philipus asks, studying her own. Above them Thrakmar flaps down with something in his right hand, bowing slightly before Raven picks it out with her powers and turns to the others.

"Think this will be enough?" She asks, showing Fate the huge claw she had asked Thrakmar to bring her.

"More than enough I'd say." Fate agrees.

"Good, means we can get back." Raven says as she passes it to him and turns to face Thrakmar. "Return to the Pit as fast as you can, leaving nothing of our presence behind and fortify the pit in case someone thinks this is a problem."

"As you command." Thrakmar says as he watches the party disappear into Raven's soul-self.

Lair of the Demons Head:

"Are we really doing this?" Ravager whispers to Katana as they and Bushido are left on the sideline, watching Nightwing talk with Ra's in Arabic, which none of them speak.

"We are, it is his way." Katana replies quietly with her heavy Japanese accent.

"Was it really necessary to cripple Huntress for this?" Nightwing asks, the conversation so far had been pure small talk, something Richard knows Ra's always gets into before business.

"You bring armed warriors to my door." Ra's shrugs before sipping his tea. "Not that the woman matters." Richard refuses to sigh or show his distaste for the man sitting across from him with the low table between them. "Now then, what business brings you bring to the feet of the Demons Head?"

Richard had thought long and hard during the flight about how to present this problem to Ra's and get him to agree, coming up with being honest was the best way, especially in person, Ra's is old enough to tell when people are lying. "A recent event saw Batman's spirit separated from his body, while it is being contained, others have set about to join him with his body again, by means of an ancient spell. In short, we need…"

"A single hair from an ageless mortal." Ra's cuts in. "Don't look so surprised young detective, I provided it for the first attempted casting, for a favor, of course." He continues before taking another sip, Richard decides to mask his surprise by taking a mouthful of his own.

"What kind of favor?" He asks, knowing Ra's is heading there anyway and that he isn't going to like it.

"Only a less watchful eye on my work."

"You are of course aware Batman wouldn't allow it? And especially not because of himself?" Richard notes.

"Of course, the Detective is a selfless man, if a little narrow-minded, but it is not him I am addressing." Ra's continues coolly, the only thing Richard had so far been able to read off him was amusement.

Inwardly Richard curses, Ra's is asking him to basically let him have free reigns in Gotham which will undoubtedly lead to many lives lost later down the line. He asks himself if he can live with that to get Bruce and the others back? Will Bruce let him live with it when he finds out? And he will find out.

"So what is your decision?" Ra's asks.

"No." Richard replies flatly. "If I went along with it and carried it out, many lives would be lost, lives who's deaths I will not be held accountable for. And Batman would find out eventually and I won't betray his trust like that. And in case the spell fails, I will have tarnished Batman's memory by not remaining vigilant."

"I shall miss the Detective, and so will Talia." Ra's sighs. "You may leave us now." Richard doesn't hide his own disappointment as he stands up, as a tearing sound is heard from the floor below, the group's attention is immediately drawn to the sight of a sword point carving a hole in the air. As it comes back to its starting point the circle is pulled in like a piece of cloth caught in a vacuum cleaner.

Ra's doesn't say anything, his assassins are already leaping towards the dark hole, one even being brave, or foolish to jump into it. Only two seconds pass before six people emerge, the one in the lead dragging the ninja by the throat in one hand with carrying a burning sword in the other.

"This isn't where I thought he would be." Raven growls in her transformed state, before turning back into her human guise. Richard smirks before turning to face Ra's again, finding him gone.

"Find Ra's!" He orders the others who also realize the man is gone.

"Follow me!" Ravager shouts before heading down a corridor on the other side of the raised area from where the portal is closing up.

"Remember, humans." Batman says as Raven eyes the ninjas in front of them.

"Any of you feeling better?" She asks right before Philipus storms past her to engage the ninja's, the first one is caught off guard and is sent sliding backwards after a blow to his head.

"I can maintain a shield, but beyond that..." Fate sighs.

"Ok, keep everyone safe, I will go see where the others went." She says before turning back to Philipus, who is holding up admirably against the three around her. Raven scans the ceiling before walking over to one of the steel support pillars, placing her hand on it, black lightning races up the construction, shocking the fifteen would-be ambushers crouching up there into unconsciousness, letting them fall down like fruit shaken from a tree. "You're welcome." Rave says in passing as she catches the ninja aiming to kick Philipus in the back, sending him flying as she passes by and flies down the corridor she can feel Richard went.

"I take it he didn't want to give it up?" She asks as she catches up with him, the rear guard of four pursuing Ra's, with Ravager in the lead.

"Not for anything I'd be willing to trade, can you track him?" He replies.

As she flies, she closes her eyes for a few seconds. "Got him." She says before teleporting, an 'Ouf!' is heard further down the corridor around the corner the group soon turns, finding Ra's with both his swords out while Raven hovers in front of him, covered completely by her cloak, blocking his way. He points a sword edge at each group as he notices his pursuers. "I believe you were in the middle of something."

"I will not be threatened." Ra's says quite firmly in English, looking from Raven to the armed group. "The Gypsy will know what consequences that will have."

"We aren't threatening you." Richard says while noting Ra's decided to use his more insulting name for him, which meant he's upset. "We only ask you kindly for a single hair."

"Then you will agree to the terms he stated earlier." A new female voice says from behind Raven as the cocking of a gun is heard, Richard looks around Raven spotting Talia al Ghul aiming one pistol at Raven's back and one at him, Raven appears not to care as she keeps staring at Ra's. "I would wish my love returned to me father." She says as she walks up slowly to push one pistol into Raven's back.

"Your friend isn't made." Ravager whispers to Nightwing.

Richard swears he saw a smirk under Raven's hood before she becomes blur of motion, his mind pieces together the motion he doesn't see. Raven steps to her left, before turning and grabs the gun pointed into her back with both hands and points the gun into the ceiling before audibly breaking the wrist of the hand holding it with a crunch, as the weapon fires Raven reaches over and forces Talia's left arm to aim into the ceiling as well before she twists the limb, dislocating her shoulder. The second weapon fires as well before it is dropped as the first, while Raven, forces Talia to stand in front of her, seizing her around the throat. It's as her hand closes, Tailia's mind registers the pain and she lets loose a sudden scream that turns to sobbing.

"Hmm." Ravager hums as if amused.

"Unhand my daughter!" Ra's growls as he points both swords at Raven.

"New deal Ra's; her, for the hair." Raven says, still hidden in the shadows of her cloak.

"Tim and Huntress are injured, he's treating them." Richard mentions in her head.

"Show me your face." Ra's demands, Richard is about to warn her from doing it, but then he again has the impression that she is smirking as she grows into her largest shape, the hood falls back as the horns grow.

"Father…" Talia weeps as she realizes her captor is not human at all and that she is now dangling over the ground, Ra's features just seems to harden.

"And why should I trust you?" He asks.

"Because I am in here." For the first time, Richard notices Ra's surprise as Bruce speaks from Raven's mouth. "We take a single hair, Huntress and Robin and we leave you without further incident." Ra's sighs.

"Know there will be severe repercussions for you for this day." He growls while sheathing his swords, before pulling one hair out of his head and passes it to Nightwing. Raven holds on to Talia for a few seconds longer before huffing and lets the woman stand on her own feet.

"For one with a name like yours you should know better than to threaten the real thing. But I am not going to show you why." Raven shrugs before slowly turning into her soul self.

"I'll find you!" Ra's roars after her as she sweeps past him, taking the others with her before passing through the wall, passing through several more she scares a bunch of doctors, first by her sudden appearance, then by making off with Tim and Huntress. Doubling back, she picks up the rest waiting in the entry hall, Philipus sitting comfortably on two out cold ninja's. The trip ends as she phases into the hold of the now-roasting helicopter and lets the others out.

"Urg, from very cold to very warm." Ravager complains, Jinx just stares at her.

"Saved you the walk." Nightwing shrugs before heading up to the controls, Raven also seems to take more notice of Ravager.

"What?" Ravager asks as the two seems to take a little more interest in her than she prefers.

"You're Rose Wilson, aren't you?" Raven asks.

"And if I am?"

"Nothing, just confirming something." Raven shrugs before walking over to tend to Huntress and Tim.

"Huntress was defending Robin." Nightwing says from the cockpit before starting the engines. "Will she make it?"

"I'm going to prevent that from becoming a valid question." Raven replies before beginning healing.

"You know, my father mentioned you." Ravager says while looking at Jinx.

"Probably nothing flattering." Jinx shrugs. "But what was it?"

"Only he wanted to test me out against you before he would to send me off to get her." She says while nodding at Raven as there is a slight tremor as they take off.

"He sent a dragon after me before you showed up at his manor." Raven mentions offhandedly.

"Oh and how would you know?" Ravager asks.

"I walked Slade's mind about two months ago." Raven replies, still not turning away from Huntress.

"Would you happen to know where he is?" Raven hesitates before answering.

"Not if you are going to kill him."

"Hmm, from what I hear, you Titans would have liked to do that yourselves." Ravager counters.

"You are probably right and Slade is dead." Raven continues.

"WHAT?!"

"But Wilson is alive and receiving treatment." Raven doesn't let the shout interrupt her; neither does the sword at her throat distract her from the healing.

"How can he be dead and alive?" Ravager hisses into Raven's ear.

"The Slade that we, and you, came to know, is gone. Wilson is alive, recovering in an asylum." Raven replies as calmly as she had done so for the entire duration of their conversation. "Now remove the sword."

"I'm not satisfied." Ravager continues, Raven just shrugs as two metallic snaps are heard. Ravager just stares at the pommel of her katana as the rest of the blade is bent and twisted into a ball. Reaching behind her she finds her other sword only an one inch long stump.

"Now if you please." Raven sighs. Ravager just stares at her back and the pommel of the sword on her back. "He doesn't tolerate others to draw him." Raven continues as a metallic chuckle emerges from the blade.

Ravager sighs angrily. "You owe me." She grumbles before retreating to a corner, while Jinx walks up to take the co-pilots seat.

"So I guess you got the claw?" Nightwing asks.

"Yeah, though it wasn't easy. How long were we gone?"

"Hard to say really, speaking from experience, time moves strangely in places like that. Did in Tartarus at least, I thought only hours had passed, turned out to be a week. Any idea when you left?"

"Morning the 12th."

"Hmm, guess time moved normally this time." Nightwing shrugs. "We left the same morning, Gotham time that is."

"Possibly a bit faster then." Jinx continues. "So why aren't we using teleporters?"

"This wasn't cleared with the League, not entirely, in case things went south. So what happened down there?" He says, diverting the conversation.

Jinx just smirks. "Well for one thing, I nearly got turned into a demon, facehugger style."

"What?"

"You know, like in Aliens, Raven was able to pull it out before it became serious."

Nightwing just stares at her for a few seconds before shuttering. "Ew, tell me more." Jinx smirks as well.

Five hours later, in the middle of the night, the large helicopter touches down in the Wayne Enterprises section of the Dubai International Airport, after a brief pit stop in the middle of nowhere to change a few numbers.

The group of people emerging from its rear is only visible for a very short amount of time before they all disappear in a blue flash.

The Watchtower:

"So we have the feather, the claw and the hair." Nightwing concludes to the assembled body of the League Council, added Dr. Fate and Raven who had all been called in for a status update. "And Dr. Fate has the other ingredients?"

"I have." Fate nods. "We need only a suitable location, and one last thing. Zauriel's assistance."

"Well that sounds like it's just the location then, seeing as he is in the League and all." Oliver adds.

"Not really, Zauriel, as an angle, has certain values to which he abides. One of which is his belief that once a spirit is separated from its body, it belongs to either Heaven, Hell or Purgatory. A feat as the one we wish to attempt will be seen by him as heresy." Dr. Fate replies.

"Wait so this guy wants them to stay dead?" Kyle asks.

"Unfortunately, it's at least that is what we believe he will." Raven says. "And we have yet to ask him."

"Actually, none of us have really seen neither head nor feathers of him since Jump City." Atom adds.

"And he has not answered my call's." Fate adds while Nightwing is busy typing away at a computer. "Which makes me fear, that he means not to be involved."

"Well, I know where he is." Nightwing looks up.

"And where is that?" Donna asks.

"Here." Nightwing says as a holographic image of a huge structure appears on the table. "St. Paul's Basilica."

"Figure's." John says from inside Raven.

"Guess the Pope must be overjoyed." Ollie adds.

"He's currently visiting South Africa." Marvel adds before anyone can reply.

"Ok, so can we just call him and talk to him?" Kyle asks.

"Tried." Barry replies. "He's not picking up."

"So he wants us to go to him." Raven sighs as she gets out of her seat and heads towards the door.

"Rae, where are you going?" Nightwing asks before she is out.

"I am going to talk to him, if he still refuses to help, he can at least have the decency to tell it to their faces." She replies before the door closes, leaving a surprised room behind.

"Dude, I think you just got upstaged." Oliver adds at the miffed Nightwing who sighs and sits down.

"Hmm, I believe she has a good chance of at least obtaining his attention." Jason says. "But I would suggest we follow her discreetly."

"Then we better do it fast." Nightwing says with a smirk.

Next Chapter: A small meeting in a place of great importance.