It is dawn in Rome and the Vatican State, the normally crowded St. Peter's Square is empty to the vigil of the statues of the saints that stand on the roofs of the two colonnades circling most of the first oval square, and the rectangular area just before the Basilica itself. Like most churches with one, the dome of the Basilica is located at the western end of the complex, allowing the morning sun to shine directly on to the main building and the square.
All of this is noted but otherwise ignored by the cloaked figure entering the fist square by foot. The long cloak wrapped around it reveals nothing to the casual observer and little to the observant one, except it is not a dress of the inhabitants of the Vatican.
"This is sure to anger him." Batman mentions.
"If he won't talk or come to us, then we will have to go to him. And don't worry, I am not intending to go any further than the obelisk unless needed to." Raven replies calmly.
"And if he doesn't show?" Diana asks.
"I am sure the Church will want something like seen walking around the square and admire their architecture." Raven counters, thinking about how that would turn out with hundreds of people in the square.
"That could prove incredibly dangerous." Batman mentions, making Raven's head race, she has to agree, it could end in a schism in the worst case scenario if Zauriel refused to show by then.
"It could." She agrees, but holds onto the idea. "He would be forced to smite me no doubt." She adds with a hint of amusement, Bruce sighs as Raven comes up on the obelisk standing in the center of the oval square. "And now we wait." She says as she sits down in its shadow facing the basilica, floating slightly over the ground in her meditation stance.
"Question, isn't this place supposed to be close to poisonous to you or something?" Shayera asks.
"If it is I am not feeling it, but it might be if I have to get closer to something important." Raven replies as she closes her eyes and waits.
She doesn't care for the waiting time, she just meditates it away, letting her senses cover the square, deftly acknowledging that there were other people present and she knows who they are, and Zauriel is bound to notice them as well.
Speaking of the angle, Raven doesn't actually notice him before the wind from his wings is beat into her face. The fluttering of a flock of pigeons and the distant hum of Rome's traffic must have masked him she surmises as she opens her eyes to regard him. Flapping his wings and crossing his arms over his chest and an annoyed expression on his face.
"You set new standards for blasphemy by thinking you can do that here." He says quietly, but there is an edge in his voice while Raven studies him.
She notes he only really has four defining features, his wings as the obvious first thing, his deep set pupil-less red eyes, the chalk white skin on his face, Raven can't see if he is wearing a body suit or something or if he is really naked, the last thing is the eagle like features of his face that his nose gives him. She wouldn't be surprised if his hair, if any, would be adding to this. But the gold-black armor he wears on his upper chest, lower arms and the helmet makes this hard to tell.
"Served its purpose and I didn't have to enter the Basilica to find you." Raven replies flatly. "The League has been trying to contact you."
"I am well aware of that fact and I know why you are here and that the others that are following you."
"Well, there are seven souls waiting to hear your answer then." She says as she gets up.
"I should release the 370 souls you hold onto Heaven, where yours go I know not." Raven just quirks an eyebrow as he draws his sword from the scabbard at his hip that bursts into flame.
"You are going to kill me because of the hospitality I am offering them? Very dark ages Zauriel." Raven notes dryly but while remaining unmoving as he raises the blade over his head.
"I do apologize, but what you intend to do is blasphemy." The angel continues as a figure sprints from cover of the colonnades.
"So I hear." Raven shrugs. "But perhaps you should ask them if they want to leave? Or is free will still a sin as some say?" She asks, neither of them seem to notice the speeding figure crossing the halfway mark between them as the blade descends.
"RAVEN!" Nightwing screams in alarm, as if his voice carries the power, Zauriels blade halts millimeters from Raven's forehead, the heat of the flames make a single drop of sweat appear on her. The unblinking stare Raven had fixed Zauriel with, speaks volumes of how confident she was in the situation, before almost getting tackled to the ground by Richard who places himself between her and Zauriel. The angle looks surprised; Richard looks panicked and Raven looks annoyed into the backside of Richards head.
"Not that I don't like you coming to my rescue Nightwing, but you are interrupting something." She says.
"I'm not going to let him take another shot at you." Nightwing says but remains unmoving, Raven can hear Bruce grumble about emotional attachments inside of her. While Zauriel is staring at her, while ignoring Nightwing.
"You are an enigma to me." The angel says after several seconds of staring while sheathing his blade. "Born with the darkness of Hell at your core, yet still maintaining the purity of your human soul. Collecting souls, but only those who wish to be. And now you come to ask me to blaspheme, in this, the holiest of places?"
"I could say all sorts of things that would anger you now about this place, but yes, we are asking you to go against your beliefs, if they are what I believe them to be." Raven replies, Zauriel takes a deep breath looking to the cloudless sky above him before looking back down.
"I must seek guidance in this matter, and I bid you follow, all of you." He says looking around the area at each of the heroes in hiding before turning to Nightwing. Richard has the unnerving sense of being measured by the angel for the entire time it takes for the others to get there, who breaks off his stare as Jason, the last of them, arrives. "Very peculiar." The angle says to himself. "Now come."
Without much conversation besides whispering between one another, the group follows Zauriel to one of the large bronze double doors of the Basilica that open wordlessly at their approach. While Zauriel and the others enter, Raven and Jason share and awkward moment when they both stop on the doorstep.
"Strange foreboding sense?" Raven asks the man next to her.
"Very." Jason agrees, the others turn to see the two standing there, Zauriel moves past them before speaking.
"While I will not ask you, Jason Blood, to enter this place. I must insist on that… Raven does. But if you choose to, I will have to ask you not to deceive those who may be here."
Raven huffs once before walking inside, with no apparent effect on her. "Very well then." Jason sighs as he walks inside as well. Once inside what is known as the Atrium, a long and wide north-south orientated corridor decorated with many images of Christianity, Raven passes her boots to Nightwing before changing into her winged form, while Jason lets Etrigan out, neither of the two look particularly pleased. Raven gets a few stares from some of the Leaguers but waves them off while Etrigan wraps his cape around himself.
The group is mostly looking around itself as they walk up the Atrium, leaving the mounted statue at the south end to stare at their backs as they walk. Zauriel leads them past two sets of decorated bronze double doors on their right before stopping before a closed third one.
"Alas you are to see this place at dawn and not at its splendor at noon." The angel says before pushing the doors open, revealing the huge church beyond. From where they are standing, the Nave stretches away from them to the papal altar at the center of the room, lined along the way by the support columns of white marble that house a number of busts of saints with the arch's between them leading off to smaller altars. While the interior is slightly darkened, none of them are in any doubt the place is well lit when the sun has risen properly. Zauriel smiles slightly before he walks onto the marble floor with the decorated square tiles framed by white.
"By the Gods, this place dwarfs the Palace on Themyscira." Diana says from inside, apparently awestruck by the sight. One look at Donna tells she is thinking along the same lines.
"They way they paid for it helped cause the break in the church, which is ironic, considering the writings on the dome. 'From here springs the unity of the Priesthood.'" Bruce replies as Raven starts walking, setting the first bare foot on the ground, she feels a slight tingling sense.
"Wonderful, it will probably hurt." She sighs inwardly as she follows the others inside; noticing Etrigan next to her is also showing signs of discomfort, if the twitch his left eye is anything to go by.
As the group walks slowly down the Nave, Zauriel allowing the visitors to awe at the many decorations, Raven can't help but notice that the tingling is increasing slightly, moving from just her feet to the rest of her.
"My… Queen… please… take me from this place…" Apollyon heaves in her head, the place having the greatest effect on him it seems.
"You will endure." She sends back and keeps walking, the demon howls before retreating back into the depths of the sword.
"He's in agony." Shayera mentions.
"He's vulnerable, if he was in his body, this place probably wouldn't faze him the slightest." Raven replies as they keep walking, at the last arch's Zauriel turns to the right to head through the Gregorian Chapel. As the pass under the dome, Etrigan stumbles to the ground, making the others stop.
"I… I cannot go on." He heaves while clutching his chest.
"Sure you can, come on." Raven says as she bends down and throws his right arm over her shoulder before lifting him to his feet, his large bulk proving no difficulty for her to lift. Neither of the two notices the slight smoke coming from them both.
"Zauriel is this necessary?" Kyle asks. "They don't look too good."
"Not for him Green Lantern, if needed you may take a seat." The angel replies before resuming his strides into the north wing that is lined with pew's facing the papal alter in the center. The others follow, some wondering how the place could affect the two so, when they feel nothing.
"Let me sit." Etrigan manages as they pass the second row of pew's.
"Ok, you just hang in there." Raven says as she puts him down, closest to the northwestern chapel the others are standing at the entrance to. By this point, Raven feels sore all over while leaving Etrigan to slump in his seat, she walks over to look over the shoulders of the others, finding Zauriel kneeling in prayer before a picture on the northern wall. One depicting an angle with a raised sword, while a firm foot placed on the back of a slightly red skinned man on the ground. Zauriel is speaking a language none of them can understand and which is like needles to Raven who grinds her teeth.
"You ok?" Nightwing asks.
"No, it's like nails on a blackboard." She replies with clenched teeth.
Zauriel prays for only a moment longer before rising to his feet and steps back.
"He has summoned someone." Fate says, behind them, the sun seems to raise its intensity for an unbearably bright moment that has Etrigan moan and Raven hiss in pain, before resuming its normal glow. Standing inside the chapel, before Zauriel, is another angel. This one with regular human skin color, long, curly blond hair and wearing a long robe that leaves his bare feet to poke out beneath it and his arms free. Like Zauriel, he is armed with a sword that hangs from his belt.
"Your prayer has been heard…" The angel starts before seemingly noticing the others and snaps his head towards them, his eyes widen considerably as he sports Raven and takes a deep breath.
"Duck!" Raven shouts before a black shield springs up before them as the angel lets loose a keening cry that has her shield buckle and crack under the assault.
"Michael, wait!" Zauriel says before moving to stand in front of the other angel as his cry ends. "This is the matter I wished to discuss."
"You brought that thing in here?!" Michael snaps angrily. "What madness is this Zauriel?!"
"Calm down and hear me out." Michael and Raven lock eyes for several seconds before they both turn away with Michael rubbing one eye. "You knew that would hurt, even you." Zauriel says, knowing what he had tried.
"Say what you have to Zauriel." Michael grumbles.
"I am in a state of confusion regarding a matter. As you, and Peter, undoubtedly knows, the seven souls of the founding member of the Justice League were, unjustly, severed from their bodies by the Spirit of Vengeance a number of weeks ago on this plane. Yet, they have all taken willing refuge within another." Zauriel begins, waiting for approval from the other angel to continue.
"Go on."
"I of course know the rules as they are laid down, they must now be with the Presence if they are worthy of its company. Yet I am hesitant to force this issue, as they have the possibility of returning to the living, but they need divine assistance to do so." Michael raises an eyebrow at Zauriel as he seems to study him, breaking off the glare he was sending Raven. "Assistance I have difficulty denying."
"So you call upon me for advice? Where is this vessel, I would see these souls."
"That would be me." Raven says, getting another surprised expression out of Michael before his eyes begin to glow, Raven feels like she was back on Oolong in the face of the nuclear reactor's explosion for a short second before a strange sensation comes over her. "Guys?"
"What is the meaning of this?" The group turns around quickly at the voice, finding the area behind them suddenly crowded by hundreds of blue phantoms, most wearing cloaks and hoods similar to Raven's.
"Hemon?" Raven asks in surprise as the ghost of the man pushes his way through the other ghosts who also begin to crowd around the chapel.
"My morning ceremony has been interrupted; I will wish to know why?" The man says as he pushes past them all to address Michael in person, apparently aiming to admonish the archangel as if it was one of his students.
"I see more than seven souls Zauriel, why do you fail to mention them?" Michael asks as he looks to his fellow, apparently caring nothing for Hemon's complaints.
"We have no need for mortal bodies." Hemon replies as he taps Michael's chest with the tip of staff before Zauriel can reply. "Why have you called us forth?"
Michael still doesn't reply, even if his facial expression reveals his own surprise, instead his wings carry him into the air and out of the chapel and hovers over the center of the north wing. "I come offering salvation, freedom from your entrapment, a chance to be with God. Take my hands and it shall be yours as your souls remain umblemished." He announces over the crowd of souls before landing amongst them, holding out his hands with a smile on his face. To his confusion, the spirits back away from him, they all do. Leaving him alone in a circle.
"None of us linger anymore because we were forced to." Hemon says as he steps through the crowd, followed by Arella who has her hood up. "We linger due to our own choice to do so. And none of Azarath worships a religion that has such volumes of violence on its conscience as yours. Leave us be." He says before turning away leading the Azerathians to the opposite side of the Basilica, soon his quiet words continue as he continues his ceremony. Arella remains as does the League, both living and spirits, she walk over to him.
"Why do you remain?" Michael asks regarding the woman in front of him who stares back at him. "Do you seek salvation?"
"I need none." Arella replies flatly. "My parents neglected me in favor of God, I long wondered if I made the correct choice by leaving them."
"Your past has been a dark one." Michael agrees. "Do you regret you abandonment of faith?"
"I found faith in Azerath, in Azar, I found peace there. While neither is no more, I still have faith, in my daughter." Arella continues before turning away to stand beside Raven.
"And you?" Michael asks the League phantoms. "You have all earned your rest."
"Gotham still teems with crime, my mission isn't over." Batman says as the first.
"My wife waits for my return." Superman says.
"As does my mother." Diana adds.
"I am in no hurry to leave this life." Shayera says flatly, John nods in agreement with her.
"I got a humongous barbecue waiting for me and my lovely Linda." Wally continues enthusiastically.
"While I long to see my family again after so long, I have made a promise to remain." J'onn says quietly.
"And you, demon?" Michael asks after a few seconds after J'onn, looking at Raven. "What is your gain in this? What lies have you woven around them?"
"Gain?" Raven asks I little surprised by his choice of words. "Friendship, acceptance… I hope, I have asked for nothing."
"I have a hard time believing that." Michael replies. "By all that is right, I should smite you." He says menacingly, a ripple pass through the heroes, none of them hesitate in bringing their weapons to bear on the angle.
"There is no need for that, but I appreciate the sentiment." Raven says from behind the others. "But he is not going to try it, not here at least." She says as she walks forwards to stand right before the archangel his eyes level with hers. "I can see what you are Michael, and I know what you can do, but I have promised them that I would find a way to bring them back. This world needs them alive, and I have orders to bring at least one of them back. And if you seek to prevent that, I will make you fight for it."
"They belong with God now, and you seek to prevent this." Michael replies while they engage in another staring contest.
"Says who?" Shayera asks angrily, surprising Michael. "I don't know what God you are talking about, this planet has many and my own people had their own. And as far as I am concerned, we get to choose where we belong, not some unspoken dictate."
"Or are you going to prove the Morningstar right regarding free will?" Raven adds with smirk, Michael's eye flare for a second at the mention.
"Do not mention him in my presence!" He sneers.
"Was he wrong?" Raven continues, unfazed by the anger on display. Michael's jaw muscles can be seen moving as he thinks before sighing heavily.
"Unfortunately not, and by heavenly decree it is so." He growls before vanishing in a flash of light.
"Didn't he forget something?" Oliver asks Zauriel.
"No." The angle sighs. "As I have taken permanent residence here, means I am subjected to the same rules, I must decide on my own and accept the consequences it brings my being." He says. "Which is good, for then it is my choice that I will aid you." He says after a pause, revealing a smile.
"So what was the point of all this?" Donna asks.
"He wished to see if Heaven had something grievous against his choice." Captain Marvel says.
"Correct, and we should get going, the early risers will be appearing soon." Zauriel says.
"Well, then, if you please." Raven says as she holds her hands out to the phantoms, who all take hold of her before disappearing. "Let's go get the others." She says.
"I think I will get him out." Kyle says pointing out Etrigan still slumping in his seat.
"Yes, that would be for the best, just don't let anyone see him." Zauriel agrees. Kyle nods before scooping Etrigan up in a green bubble and flies down the Nave while the others move to walk in front of the papal alter to get to the other side. Raven stumbles a little as they pass it, the smoke rising off her increasing drastically.
"Whoa kid, what's happening to you?" Oliver asks as Nightwing moves to support her.
"What do you think?" Raven replies in an annoyed tone. "I'll be fine." She continues as she holds onto Nightwing the same way Etrigan held onto her.
"Your feet." Donna notes as she also moves to help, noticing how Nightwing is quickly struggling with the weight and how Raven is leaving blackened footprints behind her that vanish after a few seconds of staining the floor.
"They will be fine, keep moving." Raven says with a strained voice, ignoring the fact her feet feel like they are on fire. It gets better as they get away from the altar, spotting the Azerathians at the far end of the south wing. Raven sighs at the sight of a group of men in long black dresses with high purple sashes and kalots all regarding the Azerathians.
"Zauriel, what is all of this?" One of the priests ask in a worried tone before he notices the others.
"Father, you are up early today." Zauriel replies quickly as he walks towards the group, passing through the Azarathians. "This is merely another congregation, one that was interrupted by one of my colleagues. Hemon, if you would lead your flock back?" Zauriel asks, knowing the High Priest was staring at him while preaching. The old man nods as he finishes.
"Yes, we must return. Come faithful." He says as they get up, and much to the priests surprise, head directly towards Raven; coming into contact with her before disappearing. Hemon is the last to reach her. "Apologies for not asking permission." He says before disappearing as well.
"Feels like a punch in the stomach each time." Raven says quietly to Richard and Donna.
"Well, let's get you out of here." He says as he starts guiding her around.
"Wait." The priest says as he walks quickly over to them. "Who are you?" He asks as Raven turns her head towards him. "For some reason, I think I know you two." He continues, meaning Richard and Raven who regard him as well.
"Jump City, Church of Saint Paul?" Richard asks as his trained mind recalls the face he had seen once.
It was in the middle of a storm, lightning had struck the spire of the church during mass. While Cyborg, Beastboy and Starfire were helping with guiding the attendees out, Raven and Robin had been searching the rest of the church. Richard had found him trapped in a room on the third floor as the stairway collapsed trapping the two, Raven had appeared and taken them to safety before the spire collapsed and brought down half the church. There had been no fatalities in the fire, but it had taken three years to rebuild the church and its interior, by then the other Titans had left the city.
"And you are, Robin and… Raven?" He says. "So the rumors were true."
"Unfortunately." Raven sighs as she changes back into her own skin. "But that was the only true one." The man just smiles at her.
"Your appearance matters not, go with God child." He says as he smiles, the two nod their thanks before turning to head down the Nave. "Zauriel, if you have the time, I would like to know what has become of her." He continues as Zauriel passes him.
"I am sorry Father, but I will have to get back to you later for that tale, when I myself know what has happened. But I shall return to you when I am done Father." Zauriel says before nodding and following the others out.
"Why do I have the feeling that; that Michael chap let us off easy?" Oliver asks as they assemble outside the Basilica.
"Because he's heaven's top general?" Raven adds as she grimaces as she puts one foot down before the other.
"Hold up Rae." Nightwing says as they stop, only for him to bend down and scoop her up.
"Whoa!" Raven manages as she grabs hold of him with both hands.
"Ah, I think we need to take you to a doctor with those feet." Atom notes at her bare feet.
"Is it bad?" Raven asks as the others look as well.
"I am surprised you could walk on those." Donna says as she also takes a look. "Much less not say anything."
"She is stubborn like that." Nightwing adds with a smirk.
"No I am confident in my own healing abilities, which will take care of it when we get back. Where are Kyle and Jason?" She asks as there are nothing resembling the Green Lantern in the square before them.
"Up here." Kyle says, the others look up to see him sitting on the edge of the Basilica with a large green ball beside him. "Jason is out."
"I believe he experienced something even Etrigan found unpleasant." Fate mentions, returning to study the second degree burns on Raven's feet and legs.
"Hardly surprising." Zauriel says as he exits the building. "But what kept you from collapsing like him, I do not know." He says to Raven.
"Human soul?" She asks.
"Possibly, but your infernal class may also have something to do with it." He says before noticing the blisters forming on her legs. "Allow me." He says letting a golden glow surround his right hand that shoots to Raven's legs, instantly making the burn wounds disappear.
"Hey I didn't know you could do that?" Oliver notes.
"I can't to normal wounds, but those were special and I did cause them, indirectly." Zauriel says.
"You can put me down now Nightwing." Raven says, as she is still in his arms.
"Oh right." He says quickly as if he had forgotten he was holding her before putting her down.
"But thanks for the effort." She adds once on her feet again. "Think Jason might need the same treatment though."
"Only on the skin that touched the ground." Zauriel says. "So where are we going and when are we doing this deed?"
"Due to the needed presence of a full moon, we will need to go to Stonehenge in two days time." Fate says. "Or we will have to wait for the next opportunity in six days time and journey to the Hidden Pyramid in Bolivia."
"Hidden Pyramid? Never heard of it." Barry says. "And I have been all over this planet."
"Well it is hidden." Marvel says. "But if I am not mistaken, that location is guarded."
"Indeed, and they don't like visitors." Fate agrees. "Which is why we must use Stonehenge, brave the Pyramid or wait seven days and use the Temple of Scath." Raven looks up at this.
"Not a place I want to go back to any time soon." She says as she puts on her second boot.
"What's wrong with it?" Donna asks.
"Scath is another name for Trigon." Raven replies. "Oh and the Phantom Stranger killed me there. It's a nexus of dark magic, and we risk bringing something else to life other than a few dead Druids."
"Dead Druids? This sounds better and better. Who are they?" Barry asks.
"The ones buried under Stonehenge." Fate says. "They might be disturbed by the ritual, but usually they are peaceful. Also Stonehenge is free of any anniversaries and mystical 'happening's."
"Sounds like the place is a magnet." Atom adds.
"All ley-lines and nexus's are." Marvel says.
"So shall we get going?" Kyle says as he floats down, as he touches down static fills the communicators in their ears.
"Watchtower to Council." Captain Atom says. "We have an unidentified bogey entering the atmosphere, no calls or anything; computer predicts it's heading towards Jump City."
"Beam us up, we want visuals on it as fast as possible!" Nightwing says, receiving a short acknowledgement before the group disappears in a shimmering blue light.
Authors Notes: In case any of you were wondering, the comicbook version of Raven, with the aid of Zauriel, once helped a team of magically inclined heroes to get to Heavens Gates...unfortunately Heaven (or Michael the gatekeeper) wasn't willing to tolerate her presence and drove her off, telling the others that ofc they wouldn't allow Trigon's daughter to get that close.