"So," Black Canary smiled, "you had quite an exciting mission."
"It was something," Raven replied.
"You guys were gone for a week."
"Yeah," Raven said. "That was surprising to hear."
"What do you mean it's been a week?" Zatanna asked. "It's been 8 hours, tops." Raven silently agreed with Zatanna.
"Nah," Constantine brought a cigarette to his mouth.
"No smoking," Dr. Fate said, making the cigarette disappear with a flick of his wrist.
"Killjoy," Constantine muttered. "Anyway," he turned back to Zatanna, "I got a message from your old man asking if I knew the way to Dr. Fate's tower. He then requested I meet him there. Naturally, I ignored him."
"You were supposed to check in after 12 hours." Giovanni said to Zatanna, leaving a comforting arm around his daughter's shoulders. "When I didn't hear from you, I was so worried."
"Yep," Constantine said, "I was three sheets to the wind when he barged in, saying you lot had been missing for more than 12 hours."
"You showed zero concern for my daughter's wellbeing. And you showed even less concern for your charge, Raven."
"It was only five minutes past the 12-hour mark. Relax. Next thing I know, he and Bats are knocking on my door, claiming it'd been 13 hours. So, we zapped ourselves here," Constantine paused. "Long story short, it took us two bloody days to break through that cursed shield, and we've been running around like headless chickens ever since. The runes kept shifting. I never knew when my powers would work, as they kept fizzling in and out. Pretty sure I got violated by a giant tentacled octopus."
Artemis raised a hand. "How – "
"Can we maybe continue this in a normal dimension where time flows the way it should?" Constantine interrupted her.
"Certainly," Dr. Fate snapped his fingers. Raven felt a shift in the atmosphere. Next thing she knew, they were in Constantine's living room.
"Sure, come on in," Constantine said sarcastically.
"Greetings," a female appeared.
"Gods!" Constantine jumped. "Orchid, what did I say about sneaking up on me!"
"Raven," Orchid greeted the empath, "I'm glad to see you are unharmed."
"Can we get back to the conversation at hand?" Artemis asked.
"Yeah," Constantine shook himself. "Eventually, the runes around the tower shattered, and Gio and I finally had full access to our powers."
"How did you defeat Child?" Giovanni asked his daughter. "I saw the runes. The way they changed and shifted - how were you able to rewrite then shatter them?"
"I didn't," Zatanna answered her father honestly. "Raven did. She destroyed the runes and saved us from Child."
Giovanni whirled around to face Raven. "You?" he asked in awe.
"Raven," Constantine studied her. "Chaos Lords are a right pain in the arse. Takes a bunch of magical beings just to take one down."
"Had I known Child was the one we were dealing with, I never would have never sent Zatanna in without more magical backup," Giovanni spoke in bewilderment. "I wouldn't have suggested her at all, but you…"
Raven shifted, not liking all the attention that was on her. "That's not true," Raven said, trying to disperse the attention. "Red Robin, Artemis, Zatanna, and Robin – "
"Took on a metal monster and almost had our souls sucked out of our bodies," Zatanna finished for her. "Last thing I remember before coming to was horrific pain."
"Yeah," Robin said, "if literally felt like the oxygen was being sucked out of every pore."
"We were fucked," Artemis added.
"So, just how powerful are you?" Giovanni asked, taking a worried step back.
"Raven. Raven."
Raven looked up at the sound of her name. "Huh?" she said. She then looked down at her hands and realized she'd been biting her thumbnail. "What was the question?"
"I didn't ask one," Black Canary smiled. "I was just saying how you, once again, saved the lives of your teammates. They all seem to be very impressed and grateful."
"Yeah, grateful," Raven scoffed. More like terrified. Robin had been distant. Artemis said nothing when they returned to the mountain. She promptly returned home, but Batman called her back. He commanded everyone to stay until he could thoroughly debrief them. Giovanni couldn't usher Zatanna away from me fast enough. Constantine treated her the same. He said the House missed her, and Orchid asked every day if Raven was going to visit. Red Robin, well, Raven couldn't get a read on him. She expected to feel distrust mixed with disdain from the first Boy Wonder. Instead, she felt the normal push of his emotions. He was his regular, standoffish self.
"Raven?" Black Canary called. "Maybe we should postpone this."
"No, I'm sorry. I'm just…tired."
"I can only imagine," Black Canary said as she opened the folder in her lap. "You told Batman you blacked out."
"Yeah," Raven shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"Anything else you would like to add?" Batman asked.
Raven sighed deeply. "Something happened," she admitted. "Something the others don't know."
"What happened?"
"I don't exactly know either," Raven admitted slowly. "Child had all of us in a vice like grip. She was squeezing the life out of all of us. I closed my eyes for a second or two. When I opened them, she was gone, and Dr. Fate's helmet was in my hands."
"Yes, the others lost consciousness."
"I don't think I lost consciousness," Raven whispered the truth to Batman. "I think I lost control."
"What are you saying, Raven?"
"I…I may have killed Child."
"You think you killed a Chaos Lord?" Black Canary asked in disbelief. "Have you spoken to Constantine about this?"
"Not yet."
"Raven."
"I don't know what to do. Magic in this universe differs from the magic in my universe."
"How so?"
"For one thing, you all have a lot of magic-based villains in this universe. Do you guys ever fight anyone normal – like a giant robot that absorbs the powers of others?"
"We have one of those," Black Canary said.
"Or how about a weird guy with a fetish for pigeon feathers?"
"I don't – what?"
"I'd like to go up against a highly trained, drug enhanced assassin."
"We have a lot of those."
"What happened to cults who sacrifice people to demons?"
"We fought an army of aliens called the Reach about a year ago," Black Canary said, trying to keep up with Raven's train of thought. "We're currently fighting a being in space named Darkseid. Actually, your powers could come in handy against him," Black Canary muttered the last part, mainly to herself.
"My point is – the magic feels funny here.," Raven said. "I can feel it in the air almost everywhere."
"Well, Earth has a lot of magicians," Black Canary smiled. "I'm pretty sure the Zataras and their predecessors covered the earth in wards." Raven said nothing. "Have you shared your concerns with Constantine?"
"No. Why would I? He's only in my life because Batman required an adult to sign off on my admission to Young Justice while keeping an eye on me. John was the only league member willing to invite me in. Also, the House may have the means to stop me should I lose control. We don't have any sort of intimate relationship."
"Well, you definitely need to share your concerns with Constantine," Black Canary said.
"I'm planning to visit the mansion this afternoon. I can tell him then."
"Good. Now, let's talk about school," Black Canary said, much to Raven's chagrin.
Five beings made of energy floated around a table where a flickering life form struggled to remain assembled. "Who could have done this?" a female, the one in charge, asked.
"I don't know," a different formless mass of energy answered.
"She had one job — bring Dr. Fate's helmet," a third being said.
"Maybe if you had found a solution to her problem sooner, she wouldn't be disassembling."
"You should have sent me. At least Teekl wouldn't have succumbed so easily to some TV sorceress."
"Zatara is not strong enough to have done this," the leader hissed.
"Agreed."
"So, who did this?"
"I may have an answer to your question," a sixth voice interrupted the gathering.
"Enchantress," the leader greeted the newcomer.
"I can't differentiate you when you're all in this form. I'm going to assume I'm speaking with your leader."
"I am known as Xanadoth," the energy floated forward as it spoke. "I am the leader. How did you get in here? What do you know?"
Enchantress waved away the first question. "Her name is Raven," Enchantress smiled, "and she is not from here."
"What do you mean?"
"I'll tell you everything I know. It's a pretty long story."