Chapter 71: An End Once and For All Pt. 1
Authors Note: Here we are boys and girls almost to the end. This is where we finally go toe to toe with Adrian, Cyrus and Trigon. It's been a hell of a long trip but this is the final battle of this story. I hope to see you in the sequel and continue reading my Injustice story. Also Exile has come up with an Arkham Asylum story and his character will be in my sequel. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or the Justice League.
"Jesus, they got everyone?" Jayden asked Jason as the rest of his team restocked on supplies.
"Yeah, Adrian is stronger than he looks." Jason said. "They had it all planned out. So we grabbed Sarina and a few others and went back to your mansion."
"What about the girl?" Jayden asked out of concern.
"Tim and Raven wiped out her father's influence and she went back to normal almost instantly." Jason said in a low voice. "She's catatonic though."
"Dammit." Jayden grunted.
"Listen we don't have a lot of time, Raven tell him." Jason said as the witch took his seat.
"Adrian is planning on summoning my father tomorrow." Raven explained which caught Jayden's attention.
"The day of the eclipse?" He asked.
"We call it 'The Day of Black Sun'."
"The day Trigon reached his hand from the Sodom and blocked out the sun." Mystico chipped in from the back. Raven gave her a skeptical look. "It was in the book I swiped off Javier's desk."
"That is right." Raven nodded. "Adrian has collected seven soul collectors and has a team of soul eaters made up of your former enemies and they each have a fraction of his power."
"How do we stop him?" Jayden asked.
"This ritual isn't about brining Trigon back it's about breaking the seals." She explained. "The ritual requires seven soul collectors filled with hundreds of thousands of dark souls and a human sacrifice."
That part caught Jayden's attention and a few others.
"A sacrifice?" Jayden asked.
"No one mentioned a sacrifice, who is he sacrificing?" Reaper asked. Raven grew a smug grin and looked over at him.
"Himself, he doesn't know he is actually using his own soul to open the tear into his prison and allow the soul collectors to destroy Trigon's seals from inside the dimension."
"So, how come he is oblivious?" Whisper asked. "This seems like something he should know."
"Yes, if Shadow Man hadn't destroyed half the spell book when he gave it to Adrian." Raven explained. "Adrian and Shadow Man like the Light and Reach have a shaky relationship. Adrian promised Shadow Man a set on the throne for the new world."
"But Adrian was planning on letting him burn with the rest of the world." Raven said.
"But Shadow Man is more persistent than he thought." Surge said.
"Yes, he was planning on letting Trigon absorbing him and killing him in the process. Then letting you finish off Trigon." Raven finished.
"So The Shadow Man is planning on using us to destroy Trigon?" Breeze asked.
"Yes."
"Well that's that, but how did you find us on the prison planet?" Thanatos asked.
"I knew where they sent you, but I couldn't in point you location." Jason explained. "Then your computers picked up you location through the boom tube and Raven here used her magic to bring you back home."
"Thanks." Jayden said.
"So what's next on the list?" Damian asked coming up to his older brother.
"We go to his headquarters in the desert, Eden and we infiltrate his lair. Then we rescue the Justice League and Titans and stop the resurrection of Satan." Jayden said.
Everyone looked at him and no one had any objections they all knew what was at stake and they knew they were the only ones who could stop this. Only Robin wasn't so on board with this plan.
"Really, you're going to rescue the Justice League and my team?" He asked rhetorically. "Have you forgotten that we fought here at the very mansion only a few days ago, or how we dealt you a major blow when Megan used that orb to screw with your heads?"
"There are bigger things at stake than a grudge between our factions." Surge grunted.
"Yes, we must work together if we are to stop Adrian." Ronin said more level headed.
"And since you, Raven and Sarina are the only ones who are still apart of the JLA I suggest you start swallowing your pride, because if you don't then we've already lost." Gauntlet snapped.
"What about you Jayden?" Robin asked. "You think this is going to get you on good terms with Bruce or with our friends or the League?"
"I could give two shits on how they feel about me or my team." Jayden grunted.
"Really, like when Dick fired you and Arsenal from the team and let you swore you'd make him pay along with the rest of us?" Robin snapped.
"I was still a boy and I didn't know how to handle it, I was angry Tim did you think I wouldn't hold a grudge against them?" Jayden shot back.
"And what now you think that by saving everyone that we're just going to forgive and forget that we'll just ignore all the crimes you've committed?"
"God dammit Tim I MADE A MISTAKE!" Jayden shouted that echoed throughout the mansion. Tim was silent as he watched Jayden slump back down in his chair. "I made a mistake, I won't apologize for it because I still believe what we're doing is right, but I'm not going to let my grudge against Batman be the death of all of us. Look we're running out of time and we need to get a move on, so either you're in or out but don't get in my way."
Jayden walked out of the war room and through his halls till he came upon his master bed room. He slowly walked inside to see Sarina sitting in a nearby arm chair wearing only her bra and panties. The make up on her face had been scrubbed off and her eyes were red from crying. She didn't even bother to look at Jayden and let out a bitter chuckle.
"I-I failed Jayden." She laughed. "I let my father control me, I sold you guys to Adrian and I let all of the Justice League into ruin. I not only cost us the Justice League I cost us the world." She laughed again for a moment before sobbing once again. "I never should have become Batgirl."
"And I never should have become Sparrow, but here I am and here you are." Jayden said as he walked over to her. "You chose to be Batgirl for the same reasons I became Sparrow and grew into Shadow. We wanted to get stronger and to do that we needed to mask our fear."
"Well, I still screwed everyone over so I have a lot to be afraid of." Sarina snapped. "This isn't something I can just get over with a few choice words."
"Sarina did you know I use to be as fearless as you?" Jayden asked. "I use to gear up in my Sparrow outfit because it made me feel important, because it gave me purpose. But then one day my brother was murdered and suddenly those whimsical moments were gone and this killer was all that was left."
"So what, you're saying that when you fell you became Shadow?" Sarina asked.
"No I fell, but I got back up." Jayden said. "Maybe to some I fell, but they aren't me. They don't know how I feel or how I act they just assume. So, when we buried Jason I became Shadow because I wanted to do more than lock evil away I wanted it gone."
"I don't understand what are you trying to tell me?" Sarina grunted out of confusion.
"My point is, you can either sit there and sulk and be the scared child you once were or become something stronger than that." Jayden then pulled out a metal case and opened it revealing Sarina's Batgirl suit. Sarina ran her hands over the bat symbol on the chest and let out a heavy sigh.
"I don't deserve to be Batgirl." She mumbled.
"And I didn't deserve to be Sparrow no more than Jason became Robin, but Bruce doesn't make these kinds of mistakes." Jayden reassured. "If he knew you were destined to become Joker he would have locked you up that night, but he saw potential in you and he was right."
"I gave in though." She whispered.
"And you still fought, you hated it when Joker struck Harley and you fought back. If you were meant to be Joker's lap dog you would have taken his hits and done nothing about it."
"I still feel like hell." She grumbled sarcastically.
"Hey, let me ask you something. Do you really want to sit here and do nothing while Bruce and the rest of the team are out there in the clutches of a mad man?"
She said nothing and looked up into Jayden's eyes with determination. She shook her head and stood up pulling her suit out.
"So we wear masks because we are afraid?"
"No, we wear masks to make them afraid." Jayden said as he opened a hidden wall revealing a black suit with a red bat symbol on the chest.
(!)
Out in the Sahara desert Adrian was sitting in his master chambers on the top of the tower overlooking the garden down below. He loved tending to his roses when he was down there. They gave him a sense of self satisfaction, to create something beautiful out of nothing.
As he looked down at his garden he pondered over his soon to be new world. Once he summoned Trigon he would burn the world of all his evil and that would be Adrian's cue to reseal Trigon and then his real work can begin. He would reshape the world in his image and there was no one who could stop him.
While he was lost in his thoughts, a loud ringing noise came from his monitor. Letting out an annoyed grunt he pressed his fingers on the 'talk' icon and not to his surprise the Shadow Man appeared on his monitor.
"Adrian Baron." Shadow Man mused.
"What do you want Martin?" Adrian asked out of bitterness. Shadow Man held his hands up defensively.
"Why the hostility?" Shadow Man asked rhetorically. "I only want to know if today is the day."
"If you must know, yes it is." Adrian snapped. "And I much rather not be disturbed."
"Hmm, sounds like something are eating you, but I won't pester you. I want to know if we are still partners in all this." Shadow Man asked.
"I think we both know the answer to that Martin." Adrian grunted as he stood before the monitor. The Shadow Man's face broke out in an angry scowl.
"Boy, I have been in the business of leading powerful organizations while you were an itch in your daddy's pants. I've outwitted the shadiest groups you could ever come across that made me into the man I am. You really think I didn't prepare for you screwing me over?"
Adrian's face broke out in a small smile which he had to keep from breaking into a sadistic grin.
"Speaking of little itches how is your son?" Adrian asked. "Last I heard he had been gathering up more misfits I didn't deem worthy to join the Shadow Warriors and now he's gunning for you. I also noticed that he has a girl who is a sister of your top assassin um…what was it oh yes Crescent Moon. Half-sister to that no brain twit Jessica Stephanie whose mother was a maid to Crescents father. In my opinion she stayed near the microwave to long when she was pregnant."
"Yes, Elizabeth mentioned her brainless sister Jessica Stephanie. Her father sold Elizabeth to me and I ordered her to kill him. The other whelp I assumed she would drown herself but is apparently more aggressive than she looks it seems. My son thinks he is close to getting me but is delusional. But I'm not too worried a small handful of rejects are nothing compared to my organization. At least I don't have the Shadow Warriors gunning for me."
"Me either, they have been dealt with." Adrian said while trying to fight the laughing the tried to break through his lips.
"Yes I saw, you framed them for those aliens you busted out and handed them over to the Green Lantern Corp. now they are rotting on the prison planet a long ways from home. Too bad they escaped."
Adrian's smile was now gone and the laughing that tried to break through his lips was now quelled. He glared death at the Shadow Man and leaned in close to the monitors.
"There is no escape." Adrian sneered. "The prison planet is protected by barriers that make the planet a ghost on any radar and block out any communications. The only way out is through a boom tube and the planet is scarce for resources. It's like I said there is no way out." He grounded out.
"True, but then by that logic my satellite didn't spot this little bird flying your way."
Shadow Man then pulled up a picture of the Shadow Warrior's jet plane The Raven flying high in the sky. Shadow Man pulled the pic away showing his smug grin hoping to infuriate Adrian but the sorcerer was still unfazed.
"Big deal, I let that vermin Red Hood live. He probably hijacked the damn thing." Adrian scoffed.
"Oh he is on board, along with the rest of the Outlaws and Robin and Batgirl and the Shadow Warriors." Shadow Man snickered. "You are screwed my young friend."
Adrian had been grinding his teeth and glaring at his former partner in arms. He couldn't believe that his plan had failed. They would be made to suffer and Adrian would see to it that they would all…
"Shit, the Green Lantern Corp!" Adrian shouted. It just hit him that with the Shadow Warriors free they had to have contacted the green Lantern Corp. It was only a matter of time before he would be completely outnumbered and over powered.
"Martin, I just want you to know that after I am through with the Shadow Warriors, you're next." Adrian snarled while clenching the amulet that hung around his neck. Shadow Man only responded with a chuckle.
"I look forward to it."
(!)
As the Raven flew closer towards Eden Jayden was laying out a battle plan. Thanatos had his holographic map up and the rest of the team was listening on the plan.
"Okay guys Eden isn't armed with heavy fire power, but it is still swarming with Adrian's prophets and of course Beetle the soul eaters and Cyrus." Jayden explained.
"Also Red Saber." Hood chipped in.
"Thank you Jason." Jayden groaned. "We also have to rescue the Justice League and Titans."
"Do we know where they are?" Zoom asked. Thanatos zoomed in on the center of the base where a red blip was blinking.
"Batman triggered his beacon before he was captured." Jayden explained. "He always plans ahead."
"Wait, before we continue we must remember the mission isn't about killing Adrian." Raven stated. "It's about stopping Trigon's resurrection."
"I know, but we can't risk losing the JLA or having any of Adrian's minions stopping us."
"What about the soul eaters, they have power and are immortal, they'll just tear us apart again." Phoenix shouted out.
"Don't worry, Raven's magic can suppress their powers long enough to take them down." Jayden reassured. "Even so we have taken down the soul eaters before it'll just take a little longer."
"So what's the plan?" Surge asked.
Jayden had Thanatos start at the bottom of the tower and slowly move up as Jayden explained his plan.
"We'll send one team down below and draw out most of Adrian's forces. While team keeps the enemy busy, another team will head inside and rescue the JLA while the last team will head inside find Adrian and destroy the soul collectors."
"Great plan, so what are the teams?" Whisper asked.
"The decoy team leader will be Gauntlet who will be assisted by Artemis, Dusk, Phoenix and Surge. They will be enough to hold back anyone who comes your way. Then there's the rescue team whose leader will be Reaper, accompanied by Ronin, Hitgirl, Whisper, Apollo and Zoom. Once they are rescued signal the decoy team to come inside and regroup, then use your portable boom tube to regroup with us. If we're lucky by the time my team reaches Adrian we will probably have destroyed the soul collectors and stopped Trigons return."
"Who's on your team?" Star asked.
"You, Breeze, Mystico, Thanatos and Theodosia will be on my team." Shadow explained.
"What about the rest of us?" Raven asked.
"I want you guys to be our back up, it doesn't matter who calls." Jayden said sternly. "Hood, can I trust you?"
"Can I trust these three?" Hood asked as he pointed at Batgirl, Robin and Damian.
"Yes." Batgirl said without hesitation.
"Wait, why are we on the side lines?" Robin asked. "Why can't we go in with you?"
"Yeah what gives?" Arsenal snapped.
"Because, if we fall into any of Adrian's traps you guys are the only ones that can get us out." Jayden explained as the rest of the team started to calm down. "Okay, any last questions?"
"Yes," Raven said. "Don't you have any words of wisdom for your team?"
Everyone looked over at Jayden and he was taken aback by the sudden attention. He had never been much for wisdom, but now was as any time to show his skills as a true leader.
"Okay my friends, my family." Jayden started. "When we all met last year I thought we were just getting back at the world for turning its back on us, but now we are here for a more important reason. Stopping Trigon."
"I don't know how many souls Adrian collected from us for sure hundreds, thousands hell even millions it doesn't matter. This is all that matters. Not one more. We are no one's tools or puppets. No one controls us and no one decides our fate we are here to stop Trigon by any means necessary. But remember we aren't a team or renegades we are a family. Brothers and sisters alike we can all trust each other to complete our job and to watch our backs. Now, let's do what we were born to do. Stop evil from rising."
Everyone started clapping at their leader's courage and was inspired by his kind leadership. They have all grown as a family and a team and would never be left behind. This was their final moment.
Either Trigon falls or they all die.