Lonely Together

by OCMixMaster27

Adopted from King Devil Bringer: Raven is stuck in an abusive relationship with Malchior, the dragon disguised as a hero. Her only hope might be Jump City's newest villain named Hydra, a.k.a. Naruto, student of Orochimaru the Snake Sage. Can the rogue ninja from another world be her salvation, and what other trials must they endure to find happiness? Warning: Abuse. YE BE WARNED

8. Chapter 8

A.N. Welcome back, everyone! Thanks for your continued patronage!

Now then, answering some reviews:

To iloveM.A.: Holy smokes, that is comprehensive indeed! Thank you for the suggestions! I appreciate your assistance in improving my writing skills! Hydra is indeed a bit more reserved then the number one hyperactive knucklehead that is canon Naruto (or Naruto Prime as I like to call him). Living with Orochimaru since early childhood can have plenty of negative effects. Now, though, there's plenty of time during his travels with Raven to open up more as a person. Speaking of him and Raven, this trip they're having together is the perfect opportunity for them to flesh out their relationship and make friends.

Thanks for clarifying about your name, btw. RIP Boomer!

To LoamyCoffee: My guess on TT Robin's serious behavior is that he was under a lot of stress to lead his team, especially in the beginning, so he defaulted his personality and tactics to his main heroic mentor: Batman. With everything that's happened lately though, he has plenty of motivation to ease up and grow into Nightwing.

As for the Ootsutsuki, they'll have their time in the spotlight.

To eniox27: I'm looking forward to the Road Trip Arc too! There isn't really an established cabal of villains…yet. Muahaha!

To AdanValdovinos3: That is exactly the color coding I was going for with RWBY X Power Rangers!

To YuukiAsuna-Chan: Yes, it is very interesting that Japan and the Elemental Nations have such similar cultures, architecture, mythos, and languages, especially since they exist on two different planets. I wonder why that could be.

To Whatif-inator: Itachi and Madara: *laugh in Uchiha*

To King Devil Bringer: Glad you keep enjoying the story!

To InfiniteNexusofChaos: I prefer suspense lol! Also, I agree; even Batman shouldn't escape punishment for his actions. Zatanna is different in this world, and it all has to do with her backstory. That'll come later.

To Jiggly Joe: Yeah, there's definitely opportunities for reconciliation between Raven and the Titans. Honestly, if the situation was different, Raven would absolutely understand the logic. Sadly, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Don't worry, though. She and Hydra will make plenty of friends on their adventures together. I appreciate the concern you have for the characters of my story :)! It's heartwarming!

BTW, there's a reason Hydra's Sharingan has Amenotejikara.

To Uber Ghidorah: I smell a beach chapter!

To LORD DESTRYUK: Holy crap! The Multiversal Suicide Squad! Alright! How about:

-Azula from ATLA

-Zen Aku from Power Rangers

-Baxter Stockman from TMNT

-Harley Quinn from DC Comics

-Sabretooth from Marvel Comics

-Tyrian Callows from RWBY

-Dabi from My Hero Academia

-Darth Maul from Star Wars

-Kano from Mortal Kombat

-A-Train from The Boys (comic version)

-Adam Smasher from Cyberpunk 2077

And they're all gathered by Rick C-137 from Rick and Morty!

Prepare for OPERATION: MIND-FUCK!

...

...

*ahem*…anyways…

To everyone else, thank you for your reviews and suggestions!

Now then, we'll see the aftermath of Hydra's victory against the Justice League!

Let'sgetiton!

Disclaimer: OCMixmaster27 does not own any of the franchises represented in this story. This work is made for nonprofit entertainment purposes only. The following chapter contains scenes of graphic adult content. Please mind the story rating, and viewer discretion is advised.

---

"Hello there!": Speech.

'This is gonna be fun': Thoughts.

{My English can use some work.}: Foreign Language

[All systems are go!]: Mechanical/TV/Phone Speech

"How Dare You!": Monster/Demon Speech, Technique

---

Lonely Together

Chapter 8: …Another One Opens

---

Location: Conference Room, LexCorp, Metropolis

Time: Morning

"As you can see, Mr. Luthor, these newest LexCorp designs should be more than enough to secure the U.S. Defense contract once again," an associate explains to his boss.

This individual is joined by several others around a massive oval table as they watch the owner and CEO of their company read through some files on a holographic display. Mercy Graves, meanwhile, is standing diligently next to her charge.

"Are they all ready for demonstration?" Luthor asks the associate.

"Every single one, Mr. Luthor," the associate answers. "All we need is a place and time."

"Excellent," Luthor says before turning to another one of his employees. "How goes Project: Idol?"

"We've perfected her vocals, and her personality seems to match the right parameters, Mr. Luthor," the employee reports. "The only problem is that her movements are too stiff during her dances."

"Then fine tuning her body is your highest priority," Luthor commands. "I need her 100% ready for her debut in Tokyo."

WHAM!

Everyone except Luthor flinches and turns to a nearby window in surprise.

Unfazed, Luthor turns to yet another associate. "What's our progress on the development of our newest research facility?"

The associate takes a moment to compose himself before answering. "We've, um, hit a major snag, Mr. Luthor. The local population has adamantly refused to relocate multiple times."

"What about the country's government?" Luthor questions. "Any chance of gaining their support?"

WHAM!

Once again, Lex Luthor ignores the loud smack on the window.

"…W-We've tried the usual methods," the associate answers shakily, "b-but they're very insistent on allowing the locals their autonomy, M-Mr. Luthor."

"That's unusual," Luthor notes, "but it wouldn't be the first time we've encountered this problem. No matter. There are plenty of ways to circumvent this–"

WHAM WHAM WHAM!

Luthor groans in irritation before finally turning his gaze to the window.

Outside the building is the Man of Steel himself holding the scruff of a muscular man wearing a green bodysuit who has a green flaming skull where his head should be.

'The reinforced panes seem to be doing their job,' Luthor thinks before turning to his staff. "We'll reconvene after lunch."

Luthor hides his disgust at seeing his employees practically rush out of the room. He then nods to Mercy, who pulls out a remote and hits a button, allowing the window to open. The billionaire stands up to greet Superman, who flies smoothly into the room. As the window closes again, Superman casually drops his unconscious doorknocker to the carpet.

"Oh no. The Atomic Skull has escaped from prison. Good thing we have Superman to save the day," Luthor says dryly.

"You know, I can comb through the security footage at Stryker's Island to see how he got loose," Superman points out.

Luthor smirks. "Bold of you to assume that you'd be able to find anything."

Superman narrows his eyes at the implication.

"As much as I enjoy our witty bantering, I do have a business to run," Luthor states. "What brings you here this time?"

"Hydra," Superman answers.

Luthor shows faux confusion. "As in the Greek monster?"

"As in the boy you showed how to create and weaponize Kryptonite," Superman clarifies.

"…It seems you've had a sampling of this Hydra's power, then," Luthor says, feeling joy at the thought of Superman being tortured by the green crystal. "It's a shame he didn't finish the job. I believe certain parties would have rewarded him for his service."

"Certain parties, huh?" Superman questions knowingly.

"You know, one of my satellites did catch some unusual activity at your precious Watchtower," Luthor recalls while ignoring the question. "It seemed like there was some kind of battle taking place. My well wishes to any who were injured."

'Of course, he's been spying on us,' Superman thinks in annoyance. "Those certain parties, the ones that want to use Hydra for their personal gains, would be doing him a disservice. A kid like him deserves better."

Luthor rolls his eyes. "Like what, exactly? Dressing him up in pajamas? Having him parade around town and pluck cats out of trees? Perhaps you can make a comic book about him?"

Superman smirks. "Sounds like you're jealous you don't have your own comic book line."

Luthor scoffs. "Please. I don't need something so childish."

Now it's Superman who rolls his eyes. "Right. You just want a statue of yourself in every city across the globe. That's much less childish and absolutely not a cry for attention."

Luthor scowls and marches up right in the Man of Steel's face.

"I do more for this city, this country, and the world than your damned heroics can even come close to accomplishing!" Luthor argues loudly. "Remember that next time you want to insult me, you thick-skulled ignoramus!"

Superman continues smiling. "I thought you weren't up for bantering right now?"

The billionaire blinks in surprise and realizes he once again lost his cool in front of Superman.

Luthor chuckles humorlessly. "Touché."

"You are right about one thing, though; for all of your selfishness and shortcomings, you do a lot of good for people," Superman admits, surprising his nemesis. "The thing is you can do so much more. That goes also for me, Hydra, and everyone else who calls this planet home. That's what I'm trying to teach people. We all can work to be better and better versions of ourselves. People just need to actually put in the effort."

"Are you suggesting that I, Lex Luthor, need improvement?" the billionaire questions.

"I'd think that a brilliant scientist with a thirst for knowledge such as you would want to improve himself," Superman answers, "if for no other reason than his own benefit."

Luthor humphs as his smug smile returns. "Well, it seems you failed to swing Hydra to your side with your uplifting speeches, if what I saw in space was any indication."

"And it seems you failed to buy his servitude," Superman counters.

Luthor shrugs. "A minor setback. There's plenty of time for the young man to find the right person to guide him towards success."

"I'll be more than happy to be that guide," Superman says.

Luthor raises an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge, Superman?"

"You not up for it, Mr. Luthor?" Superman goads his human adversary.

Luthor smirks. "May the best man win," he says before nodding to Mercy, who reopens the window.

Understanding the conversation has ended, Superman flies out the window and into the sky.

Mercy recloses the window. "So, when's the wedding?"

"Don't you start, Mercy," Luthor commands in annoyance. "My contacts?"

"They're all keeping their eyes and ears open," Mercy reports. "Any hint of Hydra or his new girlfriend, we'll know about it."

"Make sure they're thorough," Luthor instructs. "I'll be damned if any of my competitors claim the boy before I do, especially that insufferable Kryptonian!"

---

Location: Sky above Metropolis

'All of that genius and creativity stifled by an ego bigger than this city. A real crying shame,' Superman laments in regard to the man striving to destroy him. He then places a hand to his ear. "Mister Terrific. I'm ready on my end."

[Everyone's here on my end. Transporting now.]

Superman's form disappears in a shimmer of light…

---

Location: Main Conference Room, The Watchtower

…and reappears in the Justice League's headquarters.

The Last Son of Krypton looks around and sees the room extensively filled with capes. Every single member of the Justice League – full-time, reserve, and part-time – has been called into attendance today. Only a few times in the organization's history has this happened; the first was during the first expansion of the League, while the rest were for severe emergencies.

Only one person – Fire – is absent, as she's still resting in the Med Bay.

In a corner of the room, Superman spots the Teen Titans grouped together and mingling with the adults. He's glad that they received his summons, though he notes sadly that they're much more wary than they were during their first visit.

Superman then spots his fellow founders standing on an elevated platform at the head of the room. He quickly flies over to join them, noting a now fully healed Caped Crusader among them.

"Batman. Everything all healed up okay?" Superman asks his friend.

"Still sore, but nothing I can't handle," Batman answers. "Good work on the surgery."

"Well, the Scarlet Speedster did a lot of the work," Superman says, getting a smile from The Flash, "but thanks."

Wonder Woman addresses her comrades. "They're ready for you."

Superman nods before turning to face the crowd. He picks up a microphone and taps it twice, getting the other heroes' attention.

"Thank you all for coming today," Superman greets his fellow crimefighters. "I understand that each of you have a great deal of responsibility taking care of your respective home regions, so I appreciate everyone taking the time to meet here this morning. We have quite a bit to cover, and I don't want to keep you here for too long, so please save any questions for the end."

The other heroes quietly acquiesce to the request.

Superman continues, "As most (if not all) of you are aware, Batman's apprentice, Robin, formed a team of young crimefighters in Jump City a few years ago. This group, the Teen Titans, has been successfully keeping their city and the world at large safe from the forces of evil ever since their founding." He gestures to the mentioned team. "Most of them are in attendance today, and I speak for my fellow founders when I say I am proud of their entire team for their hard work and diligence. A round of applause for them, please."

The adult heroes all clap and cheer for the now bashful Titans.

As the applause dies down, Superman goes on, "Now, I said that most of them are in attendance today due to an unfortunate recent development concerning their teammate, Raven."

A picture of Raven pops up on multiple surrounding screens.

"This young lady is a sorceress with incredible power and skill, who has been using her magic to protect the people of Jump City," Superman describes. "I understand that certain members of our organization were initially wary of her due to her origins, but so far, she's proven to be an invaluable member of the superhero community since her debut."

The screens then shift to show a black and purple European dragon, one that draws scowls from the Titans.

"Over a month ago, an evil entity known as the Dread Dragon Malchior managed to infiltrate the Titans and establish himself as Raven's boyfriend," Superman recounts. "During this time, he used his relationship with Raven for his own goal of becoming stronger, often at the expense of Raven herself, who experienced severe physical and mental abuse by his hand."

A soft murmuring is heard in the crowd as several heroes quietly express their sympathies. A notable exception is Zatanna, who quietly rolls her eyes.

Superman goes on, "Things came to a head five days ago, when Malchior's ruse was revealed, and he fought against the Titans. Raven, who was especially crucial to the battle, managed to defeat Malchior with some…outside help. After the battle, however, Raven cut off the dragon's head, killing the villain."

More murmuring occurs, this time with varying amounts of praise and condemnation.

"From what I understand from various history lessons, centuries ago, the slaying of a dragon would have earned someone great wealth, heroic recognition, and many illustrious titles," Superman states.

The Shining Knight nods in agreement.

"However, in this day and age, the killing of a sentient villain – no matter how monstrous – is a violation of the League's Golden Rule," Superman states, getting some quiet debating in the audience. "Between that, some concerns about Raven's morality, and some crucial information not being revealed…"

Wonder Woman glances at Batman, who continues looking forward to the audience.

"…The League's council held a vote, where it was decided that we would…" Superman sighs, "well, there's no easy way to say this; incarcerate Raven."

Beast Boy's hands clench in anger as he and his fellow Titans feel sour at that particular judgement.

"The plan was to keep Raven in the Tower of Fate, where she would be watched over by Doctor Fate and evaluated by other members of the League," Superman explains. "She would have been released once she was declared morally straight or until her father, Trigon, was dealt with – whichever came first. We assembled a good portion of our League in The Watchtower to counter Raven should she resist our efforts. Sadly, our forces were overwhelmed – not by her, but by another factor in the equation."

The screens showing Malchior shift again, this time displaying a teenage human-looking boy wearing a black leather general's outfit. The white-haired, yellow-eyed boy has a devious smile on his whiskered face.

"This is Hydra, a villain who debuted around when Malchior showed up," Superman introduces. "At the time, he was a student of the Hive Academy for Villains, and he was responsible for multiple crimes such as theft, murder, and a rather explosive instance of property damage and disturbing the peace."

Another screen shows the night of the Fourth of July, when Hydra released his massive Rasenshuriken into the sky and caused an explosion of light and energy. Multiple heroes in the crowd speak up in recollection of seeing the display of power on the Internet.

Superman holds up a hand, making the audience quiet down.

"Apparently, during this time, Hydra had also developed romantic feelings for Raven," Superman reveals, earning some surprise from the crowd. "From what the other Titans have observed, it seems she was starting to reciprocate those feelings. He helped Raven defeat Malchior and supported her when she killed the dragon."

The screens shift again to show the Teen Titans and Hydra meeting the founding Leaguers.

"Hydra managed to sneak himself onto The Watchtower with the Titans," Superman recalls. "Upon interrogation with the Lasso of Truth, he revealed that he had just quit The Hive and wanted to join the Titans so he could be with Raven."

Exclamations of disbelief erupt from the crowd.

"I know it sounds unbelievable," Superman responds, "but the Lasso hasn't failed before, meaning his intent to join the side of good was genuine. Sadly, our attempt to take Raven into custody caused Hydra to retaliate, which became disastrous for our side.

The screens change to display video recordings of the battle from multiple angles. Zatanna winces and rubs her jaw while seeing herself stabbed in the mouth. Several 'oohs' sound off seeing Captain Marvel accidentally knock out Batman, only to quickly die down upon seeing the Bat-glare aimed at the audience. Hawkgirl, The Flash, and Supergirl look uncomfortable seeing their mind-controlled selves attack their friends. Multiple gasps escape upon witnessing Martian Manhunter erupt in blue flames.

The screens then show Fire trying to absorb the flames only to scream out in agony while being burned from the inside out. This especially horrifies a white-haired ice-themed heroine – aptly named "Ice" – who covers her mouth in shock seeing her scorched lover.

After that, the gathered heroes see Hydra incapacitate Superman and Supergirl with Kryptonite before blowing a hole in the space station and teleporting out with Raven. The screens then change once more to show Hydra and Raven's photos together.

"Bottom line, both Hydra and Raven have escaped," Superman states, "and – apart from a brief appearance in Titans Tower – neither of them have been seen in four days. This is why you've all been gathered today. On top of our regular hero duties, all of us are tasked with helping to track down and apprehend Hydra and Raven. We're counting on each and every one of you to use your individual information networks and investigative skills to find these two. This is a Priority Alpha search."

The entire Justice League understands the seriousness in Superman's tone.

"Concerning Hydra," Superman explains, "regardless of whether he still wants to be a hero or not, he is considered extremely dangerous. He's displayed the abilities and skill to neutralize, defeat, and even kill many members of the League, including myself. As such, we've categorized him as an Alpha-Level threat. If anyone finds him, do not even try to face him alone. You call it in and wait for backup to arrive. We've already had one close call."

Ice's anxiety grows at the last statement.

"As for Raven…" Superman continues, taking a moment to steel himself, "…After a recent revoting, the council has decided to hold off on the incarceration order for her."

The reveal delights the Teen Titans, disgusts Zatanna, and surprises Batman.

"We've realized that we acted too hastily and should have treated her more like a comrade, which she hopefully still is," Superman admits. "Should anyone encounter her, we encourage you to strongly remind her that she still has friends in the League, especially the Teen Titans. That being said, since she has allied herself with Hydra, please stay on your toes in case she tries to fight you. Just like with Hydra, make sure you have backup before you go for a fight."

Zatanna quietly scoffs before flinching at the look Superman gives her.

Superman concludes, "The point I'm trying to make is that this is a very delicate situation, and it needs to be handled with care for our side and theirs. Be safe everyone, and the best of luck to you on your new mission. Thank you all."

With that, the meeting is adjourned. A few of the gathered heroes immediately head for the Zeta-Tubes, but the rest of them stick around to chat with each other and discuss what was presented.

The founders make their way off the platform and onto the floor, where Ice is waiting for them.

"Beatriz?" Ice asks with no small amount of worry.

"She's in the Med Bay being looked over by Doctor Fate," Superman answers. "She woke up yesterday and should be ready for visitors."

Ice feels a bit of relief as she hurries out of the room towards the Med Bay.

Superman then spots the Teen Titans approaching.

The Kryptonian smiles at the team. "We told you the revote would work out for her."

Batman's eyes narrow further.

"We appreciate that," Cyborg says.

"We're still upset, though," Beast Boy grumbles.

"Understandable," Superman states. "Do any of you have a communicator we can borrow?"

Starfire offers hers to the adults. Superman nods at The Flash, who swiftly swipes the device and tinkers with it at super speed. The Titans watch the speedster's hands blur through tools and reassemble the device before handing it back to Starfire.

"I enhanced it, so you now have a direct line to the Watchtower," The Flash explains.

"In case we need to contact you about Raven and Hydra?" Robin guesses.

"Not just that," Wonder Woman corrects. "Though you four aren't official members, you're all still a crucial part of the Justice League. It's high time that our groups worked closer together."

"By that, we mean we work with each other," Flash clarifies, "not you guys working for us."

The teens look at each other in surprise.

"We'll make sure you're constantly updated on any new developments concerning Raven and Hydra," Martian Manhunter states.

"Thanks," Cyborg says before he and his comrades head for the Zeta-Tubes.

Zatanna, who was observing the interaction, clenches her wand tightly while watching the teens leave.

'Those idiots!' the magician thinks to herself. 'They're actually buying that bullcrap Raven spewed?! That ridiculous sob story about being abused by Malchior?! It's obvious the two of them were in cahoots the whole time, only for that demon to double-cross the dragon for a better partner! That's how it always works with hell spawn like her! I know better! I learned my lesson from…him.'

Zatanna huffs as she conjures a white magical circle.

'That demon bitch doesn't deserve therapy. She deserves to be sent to Hell, and I'll make sure it happens,' she mentally declares. "Tropelet em emoh!"

As Zatanna disappears from The Watchtower, back with the founders, Batman approaches the Kryptonian and places a hand on his shoulder.

"Superman, when did you all have the revote?" Batman questions, making the other founders go rigid.

The Man of Steel steels himself once again. "Three days ago."

"You mean when I was still recovering in the Med Bay?" Batman asks.

"That's right," Superman confirms.

Batman crosses his arms. "Last I checked, all members of the council need to be present in order for there to be a vote."

"Unless it's an emergency and one of the members is incapacitated or otherwise unavailable," Martian Manhunter points out.

"You're saying you all couldn't wait a few days for me to heal before making the vote?" Batman questions.

"You mean like how you called an emergency meeting an hour after Raven's fight with Malchior?" Wonder Woman retorts with some heat in her voice.

Superman holds a hand up. "Let's take this discussion into our meeting room. We all need to have a talk anyway."

Batman looks at the Kryptonian's face and analyses the man's expression. It doesn't paint a pretty picture. Still…

"Fine," Batman relents as he follows his comrades out of the conference room.

As they leave, Superman spots a certain Emerald Archer talking to his black-clad girlfriend.

"Ollie!" Superman calls out, getting the Green Arrow's attention. "Would you mind joining us for a few minutes?"

Green Arrow and Black Canary look at each other in confusion before the former answers, "Uh, yeah. Sure thing."

Batman watches as Green Arrow joins the group, alarm bells ringing in his head.

---

Location: Med Bay, The Watchtower

Due to the nature of her cryomancy and the teachings of her father, Tora Olafsdotter a.k.a. Ice isn't known for letting her emotions getting the better of her. At the moment, she could care less about self-control as she runs down the hallways to the medical center, leaving scatterings of snow in her wake.

Eventually, she makes it to her destination, where she sees her beloved Beatriz Bonilla Da Costa lying in the hospital bed. It's not Doctor Fate hovering yellow magical sigils over the pyromancer's body that gives Ice pause. It's the haunted look on her Fire's scarred face.

Ice tentatively approaches her girlfriend, who notices the newcomer's presence. Fire's eyes widen in panic as she quickly turns her body away, pausing Fate's magical treatment and hurting Ice's heart.

"Bea?" Ice calls out. "It's me, Bea. It's Tora. Remember?"

"…Please do not look, Tora," Fire pleads in a quiet small tone, surprising Ice further. "I am…damaged."

Ice isn't used to seeing her girlfriend be so reserved. Usually, Fire is as vibrant and impulsive as the flames she wields.

Putting on her best confident smile, Ice kneels down to be head-level with her partner.

"Beatriz, no amount of scarring can make you any less amazing," Ice assures the other woman. "I still think you're beautiful."

Fire tentatively turns her head to face Ice, revealing the long burn scar across her face. The pyromancer sees her lover's unwavering devotion, which fills her slightly with hope.

Fire's despair then returns. "You only see the scars on the outside, meu ursinha," she says, confusing Ice.

Fire holds up a hand and grunts as a tiny green flame barely materializes. Immediately, Fire's body spazzes out as she groans and winces in pain. Doctor Fate instantly reconjures his sigils while Ice jumps up in panic.

After a moment, Fate's magic helps the pain subside, though Fire pants in exhaustion.

Ice looks at the Sorcerer Supreme. "What just happened?!"

"The same thing that's happened every time Fire has tried using her powers," Fate answers. "It appears to be an after-effect of her trying to tame foxfire."

"A maldição…da raposa," Fire mutters.

Ice recognizes the Portuguese. "The fox's curse?"

"It seems that she encountered the kitsune who owned the flames," Doctor Fate says.

"He said I was unworthy of wielding his fire, and that I would be punished for my audacity," Fire recounts. "He burned my soul and body. Now, I cannot even make a tiny spark without…that happening."

"I suspect that attempting anything more than a spark could be fatal," Doctor Fate says grimly.

"There has to be a way to help her," Ice insists.

"I've never encountered a metahuman pyromancer who tried to forcibly take control of a nine-tailed kitsune's flames and lived to tell the tale," Doctor Fate informs the cryomancer. "I've healed her soul, but her powers don't come from a magical source that I can repair. She can live a long healthy life as Beatriz Bonilla Da Costa."

"But my career as Fire is finished, yes?" Beatriz guesses somberly.

The sorcerer's silence is a clear answer.

"…I will leave you two alone now. I've done all I could," Doctor Fate states before floating out of the room.

Tora leans down and kisses her girlfriend's hand. "One way or another, we'll get your powers back."

Beatriz gives Tora a sorrowful look. "And if we cannot? If I am…just Beatriz forever?"

Tora cups Beatriz's face lovingly.

"I love the woman, not the flames," Tora answers before softly kissing Beatriz's lips.

In most situations, this would immediately trigger Fire's ferocious passion. Right now, the former pyromancer simply accepts the kiss, allowing it to give her comfort in this troubling time.

---

Location: Council Meeting Room, The Watchtower

The seven founding Leaguers (and their tagalong archer) eventually arrive at the entrance to the council chambers. As the doors open, Hawkgirl turns to Green Arrow.

"Wait here until we call you in," Hawkgirl instructs.

"Am I in trouble?" Green Arrow asks cautiously.

Hawkgirl smirks. "Far from it."

Green Arrow watches as his comrades walk into the room – with Batman glancing at him for a moment – before the doors close in front of him.

"…Subway Surfer it is, then," Green Arrow mutters before pulling out his phone.

Inside the room, the councilmembers take their seats at the circular table with the Justice League logo on it.

"So, about the revote you didn't include me in?" Batman questions.

"In order to properly address that, Batman, we need some more information from you," Wonder Woman states.

Batman raises an eyebrow. "About?"

"When you called the initial meeting, you told us that Raven had just killed Malchior after the villain had spent weeks manipulating her to do his bidding," Wonder Woman recalls. "You said you were concerned that Raven was going to turn to the other side, especially since she seemed to have fallen in love with Hydra."

"Given what happened the day after that, I still stand by those concerns," Batman states.

"What you didn't tell any of us was that Malchior was physically abusing and degrading her. It's a miracle she wasn't raped," Wonder Woman continues as her fists clench. "Why didn't you tell us this when we were deciding her fate?"

Batman takes a moment to register all of the founders giving him questioning looks, especially the angrier ones from Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl.

"…That information was…not quite as vital to the discussion," Batman answers as carefully as possible.

Hawkgirl's scowl grows. "Not quite as vital?"

"It would have been extremely vital to know just what that poor girl experienced by that villain's hands!" Wonder Woman loudly insists. "We could have found a different way to help her instead of just locking her up in Fate's tower!"

"Are you saying you would have condoned Raven killing Malchior?" Batman questions.

"Perhaps. Honestly, if I had been there, I likely would have cut his head off myself," Wonder Woman admits, surprising everyone else.

"For real?" The Flash asks.

"I'm an Amazon, Barry. I'm no stranger to slaying monsters, even those with intelligence," Wonder Woman states.

"But you're not just an Amazon anymore, Wonder Woman," Batman points out. "You're a heroine and a founding member of the Justice League. We have to be set to a higher standard."

The Flash speaks up. "Well, what else could we have done with the evil dragon? Throw him in jail? How exactly were we going to reform him?"

"The only thing we could have done is try and hold Malchior long enough for someone to make some kind of special prison for him," Green Lantern says, "and that plan would have had its own risks."

"The only supernatural prison we have available is the Phantom Zone," Superman states.

"A fate worse than death, one could argue," Martian Manhunter mutters.

"I still can't believe you suggested that route for Raven, Batman," Flash says in disappointment.

"It was a viable option considering a half-demon was telling us that her planet-conquering father was going to use her to take over Earth," Batman states.

"Yeah, except if she really was on her father's side, she wouldn't go to Earth's strongest protectors and tell them anything about the plan," Flash counters. "She'd just go through with it in secret."

"Unless she wanted to infiltrate the League and cripple the planet's defenses," Batman postulates.

"If Trigon himself is truly unstoppable as Doctor Fate suggested, then our defenses would be useless anyway," Wonder Woman points out.

"In which case, Raven would be the only weakness in Trigon's plans," Green Lantern continues.

Flash nods. "Meaning that her coming to us for help wouldn't make sense if she was actually evil, right, Bats?"

"We're getting off-track," Batman says, not answering Flash's question. "What's the point of this questioning?"

"The point is that you willfully kept to yourself information that was definitely crucial to the council's decision-making," Martian Manhunter states seriously. "A vigilante detective such as yourself should understand how important even the smallest details are."

"I absolutely understand," Batman insists, "However–"

"Do you, though?"

Superman's interjection makes the other Leaguers turn and see him give the Dark Knight an unusually grave glare. The chilly feeling in the room grows as the Kryptonian calmly stands up from his seat and walks towards Batman.

"Do you truly understand what went down with Hydra?" Superman asks while approaching his comrade.

Batman glares back. "If you're trying to intimidate me–"

"A shattered jaw, a fractured skull, and traumatic brain injury; that's what you received from Captain Marvel's punch thanks to Hydra's switcheroo," Superman recalls. "You're lucky that young Billy Batson is wise enough to pull his punches, otherwise your head would have been knocked clean off."

"I'm fully aware of what Marvel is capable of," Batman says, "however–"

"You were far from the only person who got off easily, of course," Superman interrupts. "That crystal blade that went through Zatanna's tongue and jaw could just as easily have slit her throat. That 'Rasengan' that scrambled up Doctor Fate's organs? I suspect it could have gone straight through his body if Hydra wanted it to."

"You can't know for sure he wanted to–"

"Hydra just made eye-contact with Flash, Hawkgirl, and Kara, and he was able to enslave all three of them," Superman continues uncomfortably. "He made them weaponized puppets and he turned them against us. Both sides could have caused serious bodily injury or worse to each other. Our own friends, Bruce."

The Flash and Hawkgirl both look remorseful at this reminder.

"Shining Knight, Aquaman, Beast Boy, Vixen; Hydra incapacitated all four of them without breaking a sweat. He could have finished them off with little effort," Superman goes on with a frown. "Martian Manhunter and Fire nearly had their bodies and souls incinerated, and the latter's hero career is finished. The fact that Captain Atom literally contains nuclear energy on a constant basis is the reason he only made off with a gut-ache."

"I already read the report–"

"Kara and I could have been killed, Bruce!" Superman now yells, startling the spectators. "Those Kryptonite shackles could have been blades!" The Kryptonian then turns to the rest of the council. "Luthor was involved, by the way. He taught Hydra how to make Kryptonite to use against me and Kara, which Hydra had the perfect opportunity to do."

Batman stands up. "Shouldn't we be talking about that instead of–"

Superman whips his head back to the Dark Knight. "Hydra blew a hole in our space station! We could have all been sucked out into the blackness! The entire Watchtower could have been destroyed, Bruce! Do you understand me?! WE ALL COULD HAVE DIED!"

The five other council members watch with bated breath as Superman pants in uncharacteristic rage while glaring at Batman, who doesn't show any emotion on his end.

"…Are you suggesting that the information I held back could have made things any better?" Batman questions.

Superman takes a moment to calm himself before answering, "The only reason that Hydra fought us at all is because we, the council, decided to imprison Raven instead of helping her. If we hadn't been so hasty–"

"What? Hydra would have been friendly with us? You could have made him a hero after everything he's done?" Batman interjects incredulously. "You overestimate his sense of morality."

"He was surrendering to us, Bruce," Superman tells his friend. "He had every opportunity to kill some of us that day, but he didn't. For God's sake, he confessed with the Lasso of Truth that he wanted to change his ways and be a hero."

"And you decided to trust his words just because of a glowing bit of rope?" Batman questions.

Wonder Woman scoffs in annoyance. "Your selective skepticism is bothersome, Batman."

Batman turns his glare to the Amazon. "Meaning?"

"Meaning you're more than happy to use my Lasso of Truth for interrogations except when you don't like the truth given," Wonder Woman answers.

"Nothing is infallible, Diana," Batman states.

Hawkgirl smirks. "Except for the Caped Crusader, right?"

"~ Oh! ~ Snap!" Flash cries out before bumping fists with Hawkgirl.

Batman scowls at the two of them, while Superman allows a small smile on his face.

"Getting back on track," Superman says, getting serious again, "by holding off Raven's imprisonment, we could have helped her get back on the right path and given Hydra a chance to prove himself as a hero. Instead, since you rushed a vote without telling us the full story, we treated Raven like a criminal, crushed her faith – in us and her friends – and got involved in a fight with Hydra we were disastrously unprepared for. Wonder Woman was the only one I could have seen actually match Hydra's power and skill."

Wonder Woman smiles proudly.

Flash leans towards Green Lantern. "What about you?"

"Yellow diamond weapons," Green Lantern simply states.

"Oh, right. That whole 'yellow' weakness thing," Flash recalls. "You guys should really get that fixed."

"Preaching to the choir," Green Lantern mutters in annoyance.

"You kept important information from us, Batman, and it nearly got our people killed," Superman says in conclusion. "From my understanding, you've punished Robin and Batgirl for less."

"Is that what this is, Clark?" Batman asks while looking around at the other council members. "My punishment?"

"This is us about to vote on whether you'll be staying on the council or not," Superman answers.

Batman's glare intensifies. "You're joking."

"We could just straight up kick you off it," Green Lantern says bluntly.

"Is that so?" Batman questions tensely.

"Well, you are a part-time member of the League, which you've reminded us of plenty of times," Flash points out, "and according to the League rules you agreed to, only full-time members are allowed on the council."

"Even so," Superman adds, "due to your status as a founder and your years of dedicated service, we're putting it up to a vote."

Batman's eyes scan Superman's facial features before looking around at the other founders.

"…I have my suspicions as to how the votes are going to go," Batman states.

"You have an opportunity to plead your case to us," Wonder Woman offers. "You're among friends here."

"If you expect me to apologize for my actions, you'll be disappointed," Batman tells the council. "My only regret is that I didn't cuff Hydra tighter."

"Oh, come on," Flash complains.

"No, Flash. I can't," Batman rebuffs firmly. "I've seen too many people – good, righteous people – cross the line once and slip straight into the darkness. The destruction those people made afterwards was unforgivable, so excuse me if I seem paranoid after the daughter of a demon lord kills someone."

"It seems to me like you believe that once one person kills another, then they're beyond redemption," Superman states. "In that case, I should probably head for a cell in Stryker's Island after this meeting."

Batman whips his head towards the Kryptonian. "If you're talking about what Darkseid forced you to do to Metropolis, that was completely different, and you know it."

"'Heroes don't kill. No excuses'," Superman recites, perfectly mimicking Batman's voice. "Your words. Not mine. I made myself a high body count as Darkseid's slave."

Wonder Woman stands up. "As did I during my fighting in the second World War, even if it was to stop the Nazis from conquering the globe."

Green Lantern rises next. "I was a Marine sniper. I made plenty use of my rifle in the Middle East."

Hawkgirl stands as well. "I made plenty use of my mace as a Thanagarian officer. So did my late husband, Katar Hol."

Martian Manhunter rises also. "During my time as a Martian detective, I too have taken the lives of several criminals."

Then, The Flash stands up.

Green Lantern quirks an eyebrow. "Barry? When did you–"

"Flashpoint," Barry Allen mutters somberly.

Green Lantern nods and pats The Flash's shoulder comfortingly.

Superman, who's seen his other comrades express their past sins, turns his attention to the Dark Knight.

"Well, Batman? Where's the line drawn?" the Last Son of Krypton inquires.

Batman is unable to respond as his fists clench tightly in frustration.

'They don't get it! They just don't GET IT!' the Caped Crusader yells internally.

'Perhaps you can enlighten us, then?' Martian Manhunter asks telepathically, having overheard the mental screaming.

Batman takes a moment to glare at J'onn J'onzz for the unwelcome intrusion before turning his back on the group as a whole.

"By allowing any sort of leniency to the actions of Raven and Hydra, you risk corrupting everything we've built," Batman says grimly. "If you people can't see that, then I'm not going to bother waiting for a vote. I don't belong."

With that, the protector of Gotham heads for the doors.

"Batman!" Superman calls out, making the bat-themed hero pause. "I suggest you register as a full-time Leaguer as soon as possible. When the time comes that a seat becomes available, our first action will be to vote on whether you've earned our trust enough to be welcomed back on the council."

"I'm sure you'll earn it long before then," Flash says hopefully.

Batman doesn't look back. "…You're willing to trust an extraterrestrial warlock mercenary to be more honest than me, is that it?"

Superman looks offended. "It's not like that, Bruce. You're still my friend. Our friend."

"Interesting way of showing it, friend," Batman bites out before exiting the room.

As the doors open, a startled Green Arrow fumbles with his phone a bit. As he puts his phone away, he's surprised as Batman extends a hand to him.

"Congratulations," Batman says emotionlessly, "and good luck."

Green Arrow tentatively accepts the handshake. "Thank you?"

The Emerald Archer watches the Dark Knight march away with a flourish of his cape.

Superman gives a friendly smile. "Oliver Queen. Please, come in."

The archer walks into the room and stands before the council members.

"Can I ask what that was about?" Green Arrow questions.

"Due to some recent…trust issues, Batman is no longer a member of the Justice League's council," Superman informs the new arrival, "which means his seat is now open."

Green Arrow's eyes widen behind his mask. "You want me on the council? What about Captain Atom or Captain Marvel or any of the other heavy hitters? I'm just a guy that shoots arrows at thugs."

"You're a streetwise crimefighter with years of experience who is more in touch with the common people than others," Martian Manhunter states.

"Yeah, G.A.. You stick up for the little guy," Flash adds with a smile.

"This gives you a unique perspective that would be valuable to this council," Wonder Woman says.

Green Arrow crosses his arms. "I'm not just a placeholder for Batman until he's out of time-out, am I?"

"Stow that thinking right now, Ollie," Green Lantern orders. "You're a hell of a hero in your own right, and you've more than earned your place on the council."

Hawkgirl pulls up the chair that Batman once sat in. "Try it out."

Green Arrow gulps slightly before walking over and taking the offered seat. He squirms in the chair a bit as the other council members take their own seats.

"This is gonna take some getting used to," Green Arrow comments.

"Not necessarily a bad thing," Superman points out with a disarming smile.

"So, uh, my fellow council members," Green Arrow says awkwardly, "what's on the agenda?"

"Currently, our highest priority is locating Raven and Hydra," Wonder Woman answers, "which is extremely difficult due to the fact that Robin's satellite and Mr. Terrific's tracking sub-station are unable to find them."

"They must have found a way to hide their chakra signatures," Hawkgirl theorizes. "Some kind of cloaking technique, maybe."

"My money's on Hydra being the culprit," Flash guesses. "He's got a whole bunch of weird magic, and he seems like a veteran soldier or spy."

"We need to learn as much as we can about Hydra before we even consider another confrontation," Superman states.

"I might have a lead on that front," Green Lantern reveals, surprising everyone else. "After my ring studied Hydra's 'Jutsu', I found some similarities to magic used by a race of people called the Ootsutsuki Clan."

Green Lantern uses his ring to conjure a construct of a robed humanoid with pupilless eyes and horns coming out of the head.

"They're a devastating and cruel bunch of bastards," Green Lantern explains distastefully. "The clan originates from Sector 2002, and they've been spreading like a plague across the universe. They travel to planets full of life and plant massive trees that extract the lifeforce from the planet and its residents. By eating the fruit that grows from these trees, the Ootsutsuki gain incredible power and longevity. They then move on to other worlds, leaving empty shells behind them. The Ootsutsuki call their magical energy 'chakra'."

"Great Hera," Wonder Woman mutters, being horrified like the other council members.

"You're not saying that Hydra's trying to do the same thing here, are you?" Superman asks.

"If he really wanted to, he would have gotten started by now," Green Lantern answers. "I fought with the Corps against the Ootsutsuki Clan once. They're brutal, relentless, and totally apathetic. They wouldn't bother mingling with the natives. They'd just destroy them." The cosmic soldier then looks thoughtful. "Which is why Hydra's situation's so strange."

"Because he's not really an Ootsutsuki," Martian Manhunter deduces.

"If he was telling the truth about his origins, he and his people manipulate chakra similar to the Ootsutsuki, and they've been doing so for generations," Green Lantern says, "so either his people coincidentally figured out how to mimic the Ootsutsuki on their own…"

"Or an Ootsutsuki got together with a native of Hydra's planet back in the day," Flash finishes.

"Either way, a major clue to figuring out Hydra would be to locate his home planet," Green Lantern states. "I've put the word out to the rest of the Corps to keep their eyes and ears open for any unexplored worlds that sound like Hydra's old home."

"That's all well and good," Hawkgirl says, "but that doesn't quite help with tracking Hydra and Raven here on Earth."

Green Arrow, who's silently watching the discussion, feels his head swimming.

'Chakra? Magic fruit? Ootsutsuki? This is way outside of my skillset,' the archer thinks, his hands fidgeting underneath the table as he hears his fellow council members talk about possible magical solutions.

He pauses, however, when he feels something underneath his section of the table. Discreetly, he looks down at his lap and sees the tiny object in his hand.

A blinking bat-shaped listening device.

'Trust issues indeed,' Green Arrow muses as he crushes the bug.

"How about you, Ollie?"

Green Arrow's head snaps up towards The Flash. The archer sees that all eyes are on him now.

"You think Queen Industries can whip something up to track down Hydra and Raven?" Flash asks.

Not wanting to be caught lacking on his first day on the council, the blond bearded billionaire takes a moment to think.

"…Honestly, I think you guys are focusing on the wrong things here," Green Arrow answers, surprising the others.

"What do you mean?" Superman asks.

"I mean we're all talking about learning the magical capabilities of these two, yet none of us are considering learning about who they are as people," Green Arrow clarifies.

"You've always been good at reading people, G.A.. You have any ideas?" Flash questions.

"Well, on the one hand, you've got Hydra; a teenage boy with all the telltale signs of a former child soldier," Green Arrow explains while holding one palm up. "He likely had a falling out with his old outfit, which eventually ended so catastrophically he had to leave his entire planet behind. Since he said he doesn't know how to be good by our standards, his people must have a weaker moral compass than us. So, he ends up here, gets picked up by The Hive, and decides to role with it to learn about life on Earth. He then finds a better avenue with Raven and burns his bridges with The Hive to work with her, only for that whole fiasco to happen. He decides to cut his losses and bail with his lover, and now he has no future with either side."

"Not necessarily," Superman interjects. "He could have a future on the good side."

"He doesn't know that, Clark," Green Arrow points out. "He's likely going to be even more paranoid than he was beforehand."

He raises his other palm.

"Anyway, on the other hand, we've got Raven; a teenage girl with a grim future over her head who's unable to properly express herself without blowing things up with magic," Green Arrow continues. "She joins a team with other teenagers, and although she thinks of them as friends, she can't really connect with them. She thinks she's found the right person with Malchior, only to be taken advantage of and betrayed in the worst possible way. Then, another connection pops up; Hydra, who not only actually wants to be around her but is able to shut off her powers. Suddenly, there's a good-looking boy who she can actually be herself around and possibly build a life with, even though he's a villain. She ends up killing Malchior for abusing her, and Hydra decides to join the Titans. Everything's coming up aces for Raven, right? Wrong. The Justice League wants to lock her away, and her friends had something ready to help the League do so. She thinks everyone's left her out to dry except for Hydra, who fights a bunch of superheroes to rescue her. She's probably gonna cling to him like a lifeline and keep everyone else beyond arm's reach."

Flash says, "So, we've got a boy who never really learned how to love…"

"And a girl who's never been loved properly," Wonder Woman finishes.

"And both of them have split town together," Green Arrow states.

"So, where would they go?" Martian Manhunter asks.

"If they're smart, they'd get as far away from Jump City as possible," Green Lantern says.

Superman smirks. "Maybe he's taking her on a vacation."

Hawkgirl snorts. "A trip around the world, huh?"

"I wouldn't dismiss that idea," Green Arrow says seriously. "I remember how I was as a teenager. If my girlfriend and I suddenly had a crap-ton of freedom, we'd milk it for all it's worth."

---

Location: Yosemite Falls Trail, Yosemite National Park, California

The sun is shining brightly in this stretch of nature. In the distance, the famous waterfall continues its deluge off the sheer cliff into the forest below.

A smiling Hydra takes a deep breath as he drinks in the scenery around him. He's currently using his Henge Jutsu to disguise himself as the blond-haired blue-eyed boy Raven met in the tea shop weeks ago. His orange hoodie has been swapped with a black form-fitting t-shirt and a small backpack.

Hydra looks behind him. "You keeping up alright, Raven?"

A somewhat winded Raven nods at her lover. She's wearing her civilian disguise, which has been altered for this little excursion with a pair of black hiking boots and a little black backpack.

"You know, I could have just flown us over to the spot," Raven points out as she wipes sweat from her brow.

Hydra passes Raven a water bottle. "We think that two teenagers flying over the trees would have been noticed by a park ranger or some other hikers. Besides, it's nice to enjoy a walk in the woods once in a while."

"I can't really argue with any of that," Raven says as she takes a drink. "Still, wasn't the point of the Concealment Seals you put on the both of us to hide our magic?"

"The seals make it so that our chakra-filled forms don't get picked up by satellites or detection magic. They don't make us truly invisible," Hydra clarifies. "Also, there's a limit to how much of our chakra is concealed. If either of us were to use a large amount of chakra, like in a battle for instance, we could be located."

Raven sighs. "No plan's perfect, I guess."

Hydra cups Raven's face. "Don't worry, Beloved. There's plenty of ways to escape whatever predicament we'll find ourselves in." He then smirks. "And if running doesn't work, the two us can just blast away whoever's foolish enough to face us."

Raven smirks back. "Amen to that, Daddy."

Hydra kisses Raven's lips before pulling her to gaze at the scenery before them.

"Exquisite, isn't it?" Hydra praises.

Raven leans her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. "Yeah, it is. I never took the time to appreciate stuff like this back in Jump City. I guess I did have my nose in too many books."

"Well, now you'll have all the opportunities we can give you," Hydra says.

"I guess this is how Bilbo felt," Raven comments.

"Who?" Hydra asks.

"A character in a story I read a while back ago," Raven answers. "He was a sheltered hobbit who got dragged into an adventure by a wizard and a group of dwarves."

Hydra perks up with interest. "We'd love to hear that story someday."

Raven kisses her lover's cheek. "It's a date," she vows, making the boy blush.

---

Location: Unknown clearing, Yosemite National Park, California

Moving on from the well-known sights, Raven has led her partner off the trail and into the dense woodlands. Fortunately, Hydra's experience with traveling across the trees has helped the two teenagers navigate the area.

Eventually, they arrive at a small mound in a circular clearing. The sunlight shining in from above and the ancient-looking foliage give the area a mystical feeling.

"Here we are," Raven declares. "This is a Magic Nexus, where the energies of nature would converge. It's written that native tribes would gather in spots like this for ceremonies and celebrations."

Hydra continues smiling as he feels a familiar shiver go through him.

"We can definitely feel the natural energy here," Hydra mutters as he walks to the center of the mound.

"What did you want to do here, anyway?" Raven asks while following him.

"We're going to connect ourselves to the natural energy of the planet," Hydra answers nonchalantly as he reaches the top of the mound and sets down his pack.

Raven looks surprised. "I didn't know you could do that."

"You didn't think that our title of Sage was meaningless, did you?" Hydra questions as looks at his surroundings.

"I thought that was just for snakes," Raven says.

"On our home planet, a Sage is someone who is able to attune themselves with nature, drawing strength from the surrounding chakra and purifying the areas around them," Hydra explains as he sits down cross-legged. "After we killed Orochimaru, we came across Jiraiya the Toad Sage, who taught us how to utilize Nature Chakra. The process is called Senjutsu."

"But this is a different planet than Shinobu," Raven states. "I don't think there's any chakra on this planet to attune with."

Hydra smiles knowingly while patting the spot next to him. "Join us."

Raven puts down her own pack and sits cross-legged next to her lover. Touching her fingertips together, she closes her eyes.

Hydra follows suit. "Enter your meditative state like you usually do."

Raven nods. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos," she chants while calming her mind, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos…Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

Hydra, meanwhile, takes deep controlled breaths as he slows down his heartbeat and enters his usual trance. Hearing the sweet voice of his girlfriend next to him helps him focus more easily than usual.

"Now, while you're meditating, you're going to reach out with your chakra and simply feel around you," Hydra calmly instructs. "Remember to keep your body and mind still."

Following the instructions, Raven extends her magical senses to the surrounding area. At first, she doesn't find anything, but then…

Hydra hears a gasp next to him. "Found it?"

"Y-Yeah," Raven answers in astonishment. "It's mostly contained in this Nexus, but it's here. I didn't think it was possible."

Hydra smiles at his lover's pleasant surprise. "Well done. Now, here's the difficult bit. The two of us are going to draw in the natural chakra and use our bodies as a filter before expelling the chakra back out. When this happens, you're going to feel a large amount of anger, anxiety, and pain. The trick is to overcome those feelings and keep yourself calm and peaceful. Otherwise, you'll mutate into a human-animal hybrid before turning to stone."

Raven's eyes fly open. "…Uh, what was that last part?"

Hydra opens one eye and looks at the girl. "This is why not everyone can make it as a sage."

"And you think I can?" Raven asks warily.

"We wouldn't have brought you here if we didn't believe you could handle it," Hydra answers confidently. "You've spent years of your life keeping a peaceful mind, Raven. We have complete and utter faith in you."

Spurred on by Hydra's sureness, Raven takes a deep breath and closes her eyes again. She takes a moment to center herself once again.

Hydra follows suit. "Ready?"

Raven nods.

"Then let's begin," Hydra commands.

The two chakra-wielders start drawing in the natural energies around them, allowing it to enter their forms. Raven immediately feels a surge of power and vitality flow through her. It's a wonderful sensation for her.

What comes next, though…not so much.

"Urgh!" Raven grunts as the emotions hit her all at once.

Wrath, pain, aggression, pain, vengeance, pain, so much PAIN!

Rage screams in her mind, 'Rip! Tear! Kill! Make them PAY!'

Raven's breathing quickens and she sweats as the anxiety builds up inside her.

"Raven!" Hydra calls out sharply, getting Raven's attention. "You've been here before. You've had moments where your rage has nearly consumed you, and you've overcome every one of those moments. Remember; you're much more than rage."

On the outside, Raven takes deep breaths to help bring down her anxiety. On the inside (of her mind), she's side-by-side with her other Emoticlones, all of them working their magic to bring Rage under control.

'Rage will rule!' the red demonic emotion declares while struggling against her counterparts.

'Not today,' Raven counters.

With one final push of magical energy, Rage is defeated and subdued.

In the outside world, Raven gasps as all of the anger and pain subsides, and something else replaces it.

Serenity.

Tears leak out of Raven's face as she smiles, enjoying the new sensations as she lets the natural energies flow through her body. It's comforting, happy, and…grateful?

'Thank you.'

Raven gasps at the unfamiliar voice. Hydra hears the gasp and smiles.

"She says that every time, y'know," Hydra comments.

Raven quirks an eyebrow. "She?"

"We believe you humans call her 'Mother Nature'," Hydra states.

"…She seems nice," Raven says.

"A lot nicer than people realize, unfortunately," Hydra remarks, getting a nod of agreement from his girlfriend.

The two chakra-wielders continue meditating in the clearing, purifying the environment around them. They pay no mind to the numerous birds and animals that have congregated and are now resting around them.

A quiet moment of Zen is shared by all.

---

Location: Yosemite Falls Trail, Yosemite National Park, California

Back on the trail, the two teens head back to their RV. While Hydra has a pleasant and satisfied smile, Raven looks thoughtful.

"Ask anything you want, Raven," Hydra offers.

"…All of that anger and pain I felt at the beginning…what was that?" Raven questions.

"When one practices Senjutsu, one is connecting themselves to the consciousness of nature herself," Hydra explains. "What you felt was Mother Nature's reaction to all of the damage inflicted to the Planet Earth in recent times. Now, from what we've learned of this world, Earth's Mother Nature experienced things like wildfires, Ice Ages, and the occasional meteor strike in the past. The thing is, she's had time to heal from those experiences and adapt herself."

Raven understands where he's going with this. "But with all of the pollution and destruction since the Industrial Revolution…"

Hydra nods sadly. "Needless to say, she's feeling overwhelmed."

Raven hugs herself. "Great Azar. For her to experience that much suffering from the ones that call her home…"

"We're amazed she hasn't said 'fuck it' and wiped out the human race," Hydra comments. "She has our respect."

"Is that why you do this? To help her?" Raven asks.

"That's right," Hydra answers. "Every time we perform that little ritual, we take a chunk of her pain and anger, filter it out of her, and replace it with peace and comfort. We help her heal from her wounds."

"But you're talking about healing over a century of industrial damage to the entire planet," Raven points out. "Even if you use a Magic Nexus as a focal point, that's still–"

"A drop in the bucket?" Hydra finishes with a chuckle. "Yeah, we know. Still, from what we've felt, it's definitely better than nothing." He gives her a hopeful smile. "Who knows? Maybe these little rituals can start something more."

Raven blushes at her boyfriend's smile, which she returns with her own.

"Well, you've got me now to help you out," Raven says.

"And you've done amazingly so far," Hydra praises. "You'd make a wonderful sage."

Raven tucks her hair back shyly. "Thanks. Maybe soon, I can figure out you make it not hurt you so much."

Hydra's smile shrinks slightly.

"…We don't," the Shinobian reveals, surprising his girl. "It hurts us greatly every time. In fact, it hurts a lot more than it did back on Shinobu. Say what you will about our people, but they never truly turned their violent ambitions on nature."

Raven gulps nervously. "So, what's the trick then?"

Hydra grins. "The trick, our beloved Hime, is not minding that it hurts."

With that, Hydra looks forward and continues down the trail. Raven follows close behind with quite a bit to think over on the walk back.

---

Location: RV, Campgrounds

Timeskip: Hours later

The late afternoon sun still shines as Hydra and Raven finally arrive at their RV, which is parked far away from the others so as to not draw too much attention. Hydra is satisfied with the feeling of a day fully spent as he steps inside the black and red interior, which resembles a luxury apartment.

Raven, however, feels…hungry.

"Phew!" Hydra exclaims as he drops his pack and takes off his shirt, revealing his sweaty torso. "This was a fun day, huh, Raven?"

Getting no response except some heavy breathing, Hydra turns and sees an undisguised Raven staring at her boyfriend's half-naked body with hazy eyes, a bit of drool escaping her lips.

(Lemon Starts. YE BE WARNED.)

Hydra smirks as he drops his own disguise, revealing his bone-white hair and yellow eyes.

"Or perhaps our Hime is ready for her fun," the Shinobian guesses.

Raven wastes no time. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" she chants as all of her clothes fly off her body, leaving her naked as the day she was born and wetter than Yosemite Falls.

The sorceress collapses to her knees, puts her arms behind her back, and presents herself to her master.

"Please, Daddy," Raven begs. "Please set Hime free."

Hydra conjures a chain out of his wrist and shoots it at Raven's exposed throat. The chain's shackle clasps around her neck. Raven gasps as her magic is cut off, triggering the release of her emotional inhibitions. Hydra continues smiling as his lover licks her lips hungrily, her violet eyes practically glowing with lust.

"Follow," Hydra commands.

Raven eagerly gets on her feet and allows herself to be tugged into the bedroom.

The two enter the black and red room, which is furnished with a round king-sized bed, a closet full of civilian and risqué outfits, and a massive suitcase labeled "Toy Chest".

The Shinobian turns and opens up his arms. "Come here, Hime."

Raven leaps forward, rushes into her boyfriend's embrace and crushes her lips against his. She runs her hands across his back while smooching him and grinding her dripping pussy across his pant-covered leg.

"Hime wanted this (mmm!) all day," Raven admits between kisses. "Hime was (mwah!) this close to (mmh!) begging you for your cock (smooch!) on the trail, Daddy!"

"That's quite a risk, Hime," Hydra states before licking up Raven's cheek. He nibbles her ear a bit. "Some random hikers could have seen you taking my meat like a slut."

"Hime doesn't care," Raven mutters as she kisses Hydra's neck. "Hime is Daddy's slut. Hime belongs to Daddy. Hime wouldn't mind telling the world she's Daddy's girl."

"Yet, you held yourself back like a good girl," Hydra says as he nibbles Raven's neck. "Well done, Hime."

Raven moans happily from the praise as she continues grinding her lower lips. Looking down, her eyes catch the numerous surgical and battle scars scattered across Hydra's chest.

"Your scars…they're beautiful, Daddy," Raven praises as she lowers herself to kiss Hydra's chest.

"You think so?" Hydra asks in intrigue.

"Yes, Daddy," Raven confirms while trailing her tongue across each raised line. "They show you're strong…that you're a survivor…that you're a warrior." She takes her time to gently kiss each blemish. "The fact that you're so strong…so vicious…and yet, so kind and caring…" she looks up at her lover with adoration. "Hime's blessed to have you, Daddy."

Hydra's heart roars with emotion as he pulls Raven up by the collar and cups her face, gazing into her eyes.

"You bring the best out of us, Hime," Hydra says lovingly. "It's us who're blessed."

The two passionately make-out with each other once again, their tongues dancing between them. Both their breaths hitch as Raven's hand glides across Hydra's covered member.

"Is Hime a good girl, Daddy?" Raven asks breathlessly. "Has Hime earned your blessed cock?"

Hydra drags his thumb across Raven's lips. "Ask us nicely."

Raven takes a moment to lewdly suck on Hydra's thumb, her eyes staring straight into his serpentine orbs, before releasing the digit with a "pop!".

"Please, Daddy. Let Hime suck your long fat cock," Raven asks sweetly. "Please use Hime's mouth and throat to your heart's content. Hime wants to choke on it so badly."

Hydra smiles and gives his girl a small kiss. "Go ahead, Hime."

Raven quickly kneels back down and eagerly paws at Hydra's pants. After a moment of finger-fumbling, the clothing and underwear fall down, revealing the horny girl's prize. She smiles at the thick throbbing member, her needy pussy wetting further, before leaning in and kissing the head.

"Thank you, Daddy," Raven mutters before dragging her tongue up and down the shaft, taking time to savor the taste of her boyfriend/master.

Hydra notices that in between swipes of her tongue, she'd stop and take a big whiff of the base.

"You know we haven't showered yet from the hike, right?" Hydra points out.

"Hime doesn't mind, Daddy," Raven responds while suckling Hydra's balls and stroking the shaft. "Hime loves the smell of Daddy's dick so much. It's like a drug. Hime wants more of Daddy's scent."

An idea suddenly pops up in Hydra's head as another chain with a clawed head appears out of his back. The second chain rummages through their "Toy Chest".

"Well, if you really want more, Hime, we have a suggestion," Hydra offers as his second claw reveals something to Raven.

A nose hook.

Raven's breath quickens and her pussy throbs at the suggestion. In her head, Passion squeals in delight as several new scenarios appear in the sorceress's mind. Lust overcoming her, Raven nods excitedly.

Hydra grins as he leans down and secures the new accessory. Raven gasps as she feels her nose pulled up by the device now locked to her collar.

"Too tight?" Hydra asks in concern.

Raven shakes her head. "It's perfect, Daddy," she mutters breathlessly.

Hydra smiles as his pet looks up at him with increased exhilaration and a panting smile on her now pig-like face.

He slaps her face with his rod a couple of times. "Have at it, Hime."

Raven immediately gets back to work slathering her lover's dick with her saliva, this time with a more animalistic fervor.

'Hime feels like a total pig right now!' Raven thinks happily while rubbing her tongue across the shaft. 'Hime's such a good girl for Daddy! Hime's a pig slut!'

Hydra tugs Raven's hair a bit. "Open wide, Hime."

Raven quickly obeys, pulling her cheeks wide with her fingers while sticking her tongue out lewdly. As soon as the dick enters her mouth, her lips form an airtight seal around the shaft.

"Hmmm!" Raven hums in content as she starts sucking Hydra's thick cock.

"That's our good girl," Hydra says proudly as he combs his hand through violet locks.

Raven feels pride swell inside her as she continues showcasing her natural talent as a cocksucker.

'That's right! Hime is Daddy's good girl!' Raven declares internally as she licks the dick in her mouth. 'Daddy loves Hime! Hime's sweet mouth! Hime's bouncing tits! Hime's thick ass! Hime's tight pussy! Daddy loves them all!'

Hydra watches from above as his pig-nosed Raven feverishly pumps her face up and down his dick, her face stretching from the suction and her eyes blank with lust.

"You know you created a monster, right?" Kurama asks nonchalantly.

'I barely did anything!' Hydra argues as he puts both hands atop Raven's head.

"Ready your throat, Hime," Hydra commands.

Hearing the order, Raven relaxes her throat muscles.

"HLMPH!"

Just in time for Hydra to slam her face onto his pelvis and lodge his dick straight into her gullet.

"Make sure you get a good whiff," Hydra says cheekily.

With her more exposed nostrils now buried into a patch of white hairs, Raven's head is quickly overwhelmed by her master's musk. Her eyelids start drooping closed as she enjoys her position, her throat swallowing around Hydra's girth.

'Yes! This is where Hime belongs! This is bliss!' Raven screams in her mind.

Eventually, though, the lack of oxygen gets to her as her eyes start rolling up into her head. Hydra then pulls her off his cock, leaving her gasping for air with strings of spit hanging from her lips.

"Ready for more?" Hydra asks, getting a hurried nod in return.

With that, Hydra continues face-fucking the sorceress, who happily accepts the cock pistoning into her throat. Her fingers dive down into her wet pussy as her tongue dances across the dick ravaging her mouth.

Hydra groans in pleasure. "Fuck! We love this hungry mouth of yours, Hime!"

"Hrurgle! Hulg! Hulg! Hulg!" 'Hime loves you too, Daddy! Hime loves being your sex slave girlfriend!'

Hydra chuckles. "Imagine if the Titans saw you now, worshipping the dick of their arch-nemesis."

"Hllng! Glk! Glk! Glk!" 'Screw them, and the League! They betrayed Hime! Abandoned Hime! Oh, but now Hime's where she belongs; on her knees devouring Daddy's delicious dick!'

The Shinobian suddenly grits his teeth while fucking Raven's face faster. "We're cumming, Hime!"

'Yes! Do it, Daddy!' Raven exclaims in her mind as her eyes start to roll up into her head. 'Fill this hungry pig with your cum!'

With a roar, Hydra plunges his cock down Raven's throat once more, releasing himself into his lover. Raven's pupils twitch towards the ceiling as her stomach is flooded with hot cum, some of it escaping past her lips and out her nostrils. The sensation of being filled to the brim triggers her own orgasm, her juices drenching the floor beneath her.

'So much tasty cum for Hime! Thank you, Daddy!' Raven cries out internally as she eagerly swallows the load.

After a few moments, Hydra slowly begins pulling his cock out, allowing Raven to lick up any remaining cum on the way out. With a "pop!", the cock comes free, leaving a sizable pool of cum in Raven's mouth.

Hydra watches with a smile as his teary-eyed nose-hooked girlfriend proudly presents the cum in her mouth like a trophy before swallowing it all. She then opens her mouth again, showing off her now emptied maw while her tongue swings around lewdly.

"We're so proud of you, Hime," Hydra praises while reaching down and stroking Raven's cheek lovingly.

The sorceress leans into the touch. "Thank you, Daddy."

Hydra notices the pool of girl-cum underneath the girl and smirks. "You left a bit of a mess, Hime. You should clean that up."

Raven giggles lewdly. "As you wish, Daddy."

Hydra steps back a bit as Raven turns around, dramatically swinging her leg in the process. She bends down, arching her back to show off her ass, and begins lapping up her own juices off the floor. As she performs her cleanup, Hydra gets down onto his knees and grabs both of Raven's asscheeks, getting a surprised squeal from the girl.

"You know, we never explicitly said to use your tongue, Hime," Hydra points out as he begins kneading the springy meat in his hands.

"Ahn! Hime's just doing what's natural, Daddy!" Raven argues as she continues slurping up her cum.

Hydra grins. "You just love being Daddy's little slut, don't you?" he asks as he spanks Raven's butt.

"AHI!" Raven cries out in delight while her eyes start to cross, and her ass shakes for more.

Hydra spanks the other cheek, drawing out another squeal. "We asked you a question, Hime."

Drawing out just enough brainpower, Raven responds through the spanking, "YES! Hime loves it so much!"

Spank!

"Hime loves being your personal whore!"

Spank!

"Your filthy slut!

Spank!

"YOUR FUCK-PIG!"

Raven moans whorishly as her boyfriend spanks her relentlessly, her pussy dripping again from the abuse. After several moments of this, Hydra ceases his hits, and Raven's head collapses into the mostly cleaned spot on the floor. The debauched girl pants tiredly before she gasps as a re-hardened cock taps her quivering pussy.

"And what does our fuck-pig want now?" Hydra asks knowingly.

Raven quickly reaches back with both hands and spreads her lower lips wide.

"Please, Daddy! Fuck your fuck-pig without mercy! Make Hime squeal! Breed this filthy sow with your massive dick!" Hime pleads desperately with wanton lust.

Satisfied with the answer, Hydra grabs Raven's hips, lines himself up with her snatch, and pushes his dick straight inside.

Raven groans in pleasure from the penetration. "Oh, fuck yeah!"

"You wanted no mercy from us, y'know," Hydra reminds the girl as he slowly pulls out before quickly plunging back in. "We'll give you what you asked for!"

And so, Hydra sets a brutal pace as he fucks his girl from behind. His hips slam into her shapely rear, making her cheeks clap loudly from the impacts. He occasionally gives her ass a hearty slap, earning a loud moan in response.

Throughout the rough treatment, Raven has a dopey smile on her face.

"Hah! Hah! Fuck yeah! Oh, Daddy! Yeah!" Raven chants deliriously as she eagerly takes her master's dick.

A sudden yank on Raven's chain leash pulls her head back, allowing Hydra to lean in next to her ear.

"Remind us," Hydra whispers gruffly, "…how does the piggy go?"

Through the immense haze of pleasure in her mind, Raven barely recognizes this as a point of no return. And then, the sensation of the cock constantly knocking on her womb removes any further thoughts.

"…Bu…BUHIIII!" Raven squeals as her wide eyes glaze over with lust. "BUHI! BUHI!"

Hydra grins in triumph. "That's our good girl!" he proclaims as he leans back and pulls Raven's leash more.

The slight choking sensation added to the cock rearranging her guts further empties Raven's mind. Her tongue lolls past her lips as she automatically throws her hips back to meet Hydra's thrusts, giving in to her primal urges.

"Sage-dammit! You're so perfect, Hime!" Hydra declares as he continues tugging his girl's chain and smacking her ass. "You were practically born to be our slut!"

"BUHI! Hime good slut! Hime good pig! BUHI!" Raven exclaims as if in a lustful trance.

Hydra growls, his eyes turning red and vulpine, as his pacing picks up once again. "Take our cum, Hime! Take it all!"

"Cum good! Hime loves cum! BUHI!" Raven chants loudly, feeling her own orgasm approach.

With a roar, Hydra thrusts inside his girl and shoots his load straight into Raven's womb, which quickly overflows and spills out of her. Raven screams in happiness from the feeling of fullness.

"CUMMING! CUMMING! HIME CUMMING!" Raven shouts through her orgasm as she loses most of her strength and collapses to the floor.

After a few moments, Hydra pulls out his cock, allowing more of his seed to flow out her gaping pussy. Raven, catching her breath, notices the small puddle of cum underneath her.

"What a waste…," Raven mutters as she turns around and starts lapping up the spilled seed.

Hydra smirks and crosses his fingers. "Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Poof!

Raven gasps as firm hands grab her rear again. She looks back and sees another Hydra spreading her cheeks apart.

"Don't stop on our account, Hime," Clone Hydra commands as he licks two of his fingers before pushing them into her asshole.

Raven moans at the intrusion before returning to her unofficial duty. She pushes her ass back to match the fingers as she slurps up the jizz before her.

The real Hydra then uses her head and pulls her head up to meet his cum covered cock.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Hydra asks knowingly.

Raven wastes no time in licking up and down her Dom's dick, making sure to clean every inch in front of her.

Behind her, the clone feels she's loosened enough as he pulls out his fingers and replaces them with his cock.

"Nghaa–Hlk!" Raven moans from the penetration before another cock re-enters her mouth.

Clone Hydra quickly grabs Raven's wrists and pulls them back, while the original gabs hold of her head. The sorceress is powerless as she finds herself spit-roasted between the two of them.

Not that she'd want to fight back.

"Hurgle! Hurgle! Hurgle!" are the sounds coming from Raven's stuffed throat as the two cocks piston simultaneously, making her eyes roll upwards.

OG Hydra sighs in content. "We're never gonna get tired of this throat of yours, Hime."

"Her ass is top-notch too!" Clone Hydra declares as he pounds the girl mercilessly.

"Of course," OG Hydra agrees. "And let's not forget her hungry pussy."

"It makes us wonder which part of her is the best part."

"There's no need to decide. Every inch of her belongs to us, y'know."

"Oh, right!"

Raven pays no attention to the conversation whatsoever.

"GLURK! GLURK! GLURK!" 'Cock! Cum! Slut! Cock! Pig! Daddy! Cock! Cock!'

All rational thought has left the girl's mind as her masters use her body to their hearts' content.

Time slips by, feeling like a blur, before the two Hydras quicken their pacing.

"We're both almost there, Hime!" OG Hydra warns. "Get ready!"

Raven responds by increasing her mouth's suction, her lips stretching across the OG's cock while her tongue vigorously licks the shaft. On the other side, her ass clenches around the clone's dick, ready to milk it for all of its seed.

The increased pressure hits both boys. "CUMMING!" X2

"HLLLM!" Raven gives a muffled yell as she's filled at both ends by twin floods of cum.

The girl rides her own orgasm while her stomach starts to bulge from the large amounts of cum being dumped inside her. The two Hydras make sure they stuff her with every drop they can spare – with some leaking out of her nose, lips, and rim – before slowly pulling their cocks out.

Pop! X2

Raven's body collapses to the floor, her limbs feeling boneless and her mind malfunctioning.

The two Hydras look down at their girlfriend, who currently has streams of jizz coming from her pussy, mouth, ass, and nostrils. They see the tongue sticking out of her dopey smile, the glazed half-lidded eyes, and the nose-hook that seems to complete her current image of a totally ravaged whore.

They then give each other a look…before the original shrugs.

"Well, we've come this far already," OG Hydra says before crossing his fingers again. "Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Hearing the poofs of smoke, Raven glances up and sees several more Hydra clones have joined their brethren.

OG Hydra kneels down to Raven's head. "You up for more, Hime?"

The weakened and already thoroughly fucked sorceress gives her Daddy a smile. "Fuck yeah…"

---

Location: Shower, RV

Timeskip: Hours later

The streams of cum leaking out of Raven's lower holes flows down the drain with the soapy shower water. The naked and leashed sorceress is currently having her body being gently lathered with soap by her equally nude boyfriend. She sighs in content while enjoying the massage being given to her.

"Your hands are fucking magical, Hydra," Raven compliments.

Hydra chuckles. "Coming from an accomplished sorceress such as yourself, we're honored," he says before kissing the girl's shoulder.

Raven groans as her man's soapy hands fondle her breasts.

She smirks. "I don't remember my girls getting that sweaty today."

"Nothing wrong with being thorough," Hydra contends as his fingers roll her nipples. "Are you opposed?"

"Far from it," Raven answers, allowing her lover to caress her body.

Given the green light, Hydra continues his ministrations, drawing out groans and sighs of enjoyment.

'The way he cleans and gently worships my body after running a train on me…this is exactly what I wanted in a boyfriend,' Raven thinks to herself. 'I'll never regret running away with Hydra, especially if he's gonna drown me in pleasure every day from now on.' She then bites her lip. 'I never would have thought of actually wearing a nose hook, but I think I've fallen in love with it. I can't imagine what other accessories and toys Hydra has for me. I can't wait to try them all!'

Suddenly, an uneasy feeling hits Raven, which Hydra senses.

"Are you alright, Raven?" Hydra asks in concern.

Raven nods. "I'm good."

Hydra looks unconvinced. "It didn't get weird back then, did it?"

"Not at all…which honestly feels strange to me," Raven admits. "A week ago, I was an untouched virgin living with a room full of books and little to no choices for romance. Now, I'm having these extreme BDSM orgies with my clone-spamming boyfriend, and it feels like the most natural thing in the world for me. I'm just surprised how easily I got into the swing of things."

"So, you're really okay with the intensity of everything we do to you?" Hydra asks. "Even when you end up…what's the term we're looking for?"

Raven smirks again. "Fucked stupid?"

Hydra laughs nervously. "Not quite how we'd put it, but yes."

Raven giggles. "It's alright to call it that. You fuck me until I'm a brainless cum-starved bimbo…and really, that's the best part for me."

Hydra's surprise grows. "Really? How come?"

The sorceress turns around in the shower, showing her boyfriend her soapy tits and smiling face.

"Before you and…Malchior, I had to keep constant control of my emotions in every waking moment of my life," Raven explains. "You can't imagine what it's like to have to force down every single potential outburst of happiness, sadness, anger, annoyance, or any type of emotion other than neutral apathy."

"You're right. We can't imagine living like that," Hydra admits before smiling, "but we're happy that we're learning more about you."

Raven smiles back while grabbing her leash. "Because of this leash cutting off my powers, I'm finally able to feel emotions without any backlash. I'm finally able to be the person I was supposed to be if I wasn't Trigon's daughter, and it's so liberating for me."

She then raises her other hand to stroke Hydra's whiskers.

"But when you and your clones ravage me, when you tie me up so that I have no control at all, when you flood my insides until my brains are full of cum, when I can actually feel my mind shattering into a million pieces, when I truly embrace the horny slut that is Hime…that's when I truly feel free," Raven admits with tone like she's taking a huge weight off her shoulders. She then hugs herself with a troubled look. "I just didn't expect my real self to be so…filthy."

Hydra sighs before pulling Raven into a hug, making them both blush as their naked torsos press against each other.

"Raven, remember what we told you after our first time together; everyone has a kinky side to them," Hydra reminds his lover. "Yours just happens to be more…extravagant than other people's. That doesn't mean you're filthy. There's plenty more to your personality than your kinks, Raven."

"…Rachel."

Hydra looks down at the girl. "Pardon?"

Raven looks up nervously. "Before I was Raven…I was Rachel. Rachel Roth."

Hydra smiles cheerfully at this. "Rachel Roth," he says slowly, as if tasting it on his tongue. "It's beautiful! We love it!"

Raven suddenly gets bashful. "Wh-What about you? Do you prefer Hydra or Naruto?"

Hydra thinks to himself for a moment, unconsciously giving Raven a cute closed-eye pout that makes her squeal internally.

"…We kinda prefer Hydra, honestly. We think it represents both Naruto and Kurama, y'know?" Hydra answers. "You can call us whatever you want, though."

Raven cups Hydra's face. "Well, I named myself Raven, and you named yourself Hydra. Let's make those the defaults. Anything else can be for…special moments between us."

Hydra grins. "Deal!"

With that, the two share a loving kiss in the warm steamy shower.

(Lemon end.)

---

Location: Top of RV

Timeskip: One hour later, nighttime

Now showered, the young couple is currently lying on a blanket on top of their mobile home as they peacefully watch the star-filled sky.

"It's amazing how many stars I missed living in the city," Raven says idly.

"We're still processing how different this night sky looks," Hydra remarks.

"You think you can see Shinobu's star from here?" Raven asks.

Hydra chuckles. "We couldn't even begin to try. We never had the stars mapped out or anything."

"That reminds me; how did you come to Earth?" Raven questions curiously.

"Orochimaru – for all of his faults – was a master of making contingency plans," Hydra explains. "He decided that if he ran out of places for him to hide from his enemies on Shinobu, he would leave the planet altogether. He experimented on Time-Space Jutsu, but he couldn't figure out how to make it past Shinobu's atmosphere, let alone reaching another planet. After we killed him, we found his research in his laboratory. At first, we didn't pay much mind to it, since we had a planet we could find a home on…at least, that's what we thought."

Raven hears her man's somberness. "You said the people on your planet wanted to use you for their own means."

Hydra nods. "Most of them, anyway. A few nations here or there were friendly with us after we saved them from evil people, and several residents from the other nations became what we called comrades. Sadly, they were few, far between, and not that powerful. The top nations, on the other hand, were all eager to use us for their plans of world domination. One wanted to bribe us with wealth, one wanted to brainwash us, one offered us a harem of women we couldn't care less for, one wanted to use us as a breeding stud, and one didn't care for any kind of persuasion and straight hunted us down. Their tactics were numerous, annoying, and disheartening."

Raven looks sad. "They didn't appreciate you. They just wanted to make you their tool."

"Which is why we eventually took another look at Orochimaru's last-ditch escape plan," Hydra continues. "By that time, we had learned the Hiraishin, and after some experimenting, we were able to create an interstellar Time-Space teleportation Jutsu that would take us to other places in the universe." He then smirks. "Of course, there was one more major hurdle left."

Raven smirks as well. "Aiming?"

"Aiming," Hydra confirms. "Upside, we were able to actually land on other planets instead of just being dropped into the void of space. Downside, very few of the planets were what we would call hospitable." He then chuckles. "Yeah, we lost plenty of clones to freezing, incineration, toxic gases, and everything in between. Our last clone had just discovered Earth when our enemies tracked us down, so we just…went for it."

Raven giggles. "Well, I'm happy you chose my home."

Silence falls again as the couple continues their stargazing.

"…Do you miss it?" Raven suddenly asks. "Shinobu?"

Hydra takes a moment to think.

"…Our people learned to manipulate chakra from the Sage of Six Paths centuries ago," Hydra recounts. "He spread his teachings far and wide, from one community to the next, with no discriminations against banners, social statuses, or appearances. He wanted to use chakra to bring people together and make the entire world one big community of understanding and compassion."

Raven says, "And then the people used chakra to become weapons."

Hydra nods. "If we miss anything, we miss the dream the Sage tried to create. The idea. The cruel reality we lived in though? Good riddance."

Raven smiles and kisses Hydra's cheek. "They're loss. My gain."

Hydra cups Raven's face lovingly. "Both of our gain."

The two teens share a gentle kiss under the night sky.

---

Location: Cell Block S, Arkham Asylum, Gotham

Unlike the old and unkempt majority of Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, which still maintains its Gothic architecture, Cell Block S is modernized, clean, and fitted with state-of-the-art security measures. The hi-tech wing was added to the century-old building sometime after The Batman's career began. This area is specifically designed to house those psychotic patients with superpowers or other extraordinary abilities.

Or, as they're called by most of the doctors here in Arkham, "Batman's Menagerie".

One of these patients is sitting in his cell stitching together something in his hands while quietly humming a tune. This lanky man in an asylum jumper is Dr. Jonathan Crane a.k.a. The Scarecrow, a supervillain who exploits people's worst fears for his benefit while getting tons of enjoyment in the process.

"Whatcha working on, Jon Boy?"

Crane's attention is turned towards the cell across from his own, where a man with bleached skin, green hair, and bright-red lips smiles at him. This is The Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime and (arguably) Batman's greatest enemy.

Crane smiles back in excitement. "See for yourself!" he offers as he holds up his creation to the curious clown.

A tattered hooded mask made of brown burlap and covered in random stitches.

Joker gives out a hoot. "Hohohoho! Impressive! I just love all of the little random stitching you've added!"

"Why, thank you," Crane says as he looks at his mask with pride. "My studies have found that the more chaotic a design is, the more…unsettling the viewers find it to be."

"Some viewers, I suppose," Joker remarks. "Personally, I find chaos to be quite exhilarating! A wonderful opportunity for fun and excitement! Hehehe!"

Crane smirks. "A sentiment you and I share, my pedigree chum."

The two criminals share a laugh…until the lights start flickering.

All of the patients in the wing suddenly go on high alert, having a good idea of what – or who – is causing this.

The Joker's excitement grows. "Ooooh! Pick me! Pick me!"

Crane, however, feels his joy plummet and his fear grow as the lights continue to flicker. He suddenly gasps as within a split second of the lights being off…The Batman appears.

All of the criminally insane hold their breaths as the Caped Crusader just stands in the hall…menacingly. Situated between Scarecrow and Joker, Batman glances over at the clown, making the latter grin.

The clown's grin drops when Batman turns towards Crane.

"Poopsicles," Joker grumbles with a pout before shrugging. "Oh well. Maybe next time."

Batman, meanwhile, opens Crane's cell, making the villain slowly backpedal to the far wall.

The hero notices what's in Crane's hand. "A new mask, Scarecrow?"

Crane smiles nervously. "J-Just a little craft project of mine. Everyone needs a hobby," he says as his back hits the wall.

"You and I need to talk," Batman states as he enters the cell.

Crane finds some courage and composes himself with a smug smile. "I assume you're trying to discover if I'm involved with some convoluted scheme, or something of that nature. I assure you, Batman, you won't–"

"I know about your plans for this upcoming Halloween," Batman interjects while approaching the surprised villain. "I know you planned to taint Gotham's pumpkin harvest, making the resulting Jack-O-Lanterns emit your fear toxin across the city."

Crane's eyes are wide as dinner plates. "H-How did you–"

"But that's not why I'm here tonight," Batman continues, now standing right in front of his target.

Crane gulps. "Th-Then what?"

"Slade Wilson," Batman answers. "Deathstroke the Terminator."

"What about him?" Crane asks. "He's dead, last I checked. I think your old sidekick and his friends saw to that."

"Before he died, he got his hands on something from Gotham; a chemical reagent that shows someone their worst fear and deteriorates the victim's mind," Batman explains. "Sound familiar?"

Crane looks around nervously. "W-What makes you think I had anything to do with that?"

"Using chemicals to scare people is literally your signature, Crane," Batman states. "Slade's spent plenty of time in Gotham in the past. He was a mercenary with plenty of cash, and you've often struggled with funding for your little…experiments."

Crane shows some bravado. "Now see here, Batman. I may be the greatest fearmonger in the world, but I'm far from the only one. There are plenty of concoctions and psychedelics out there than can make people see nightmares, and Slade was a globetrotter in his time. He could have gotten his reagent from anywhere. It's not like I hold the patent or anything."

Batman stares down the villain for several moments, making the latter sweat profusely.

"…You're right. It might not have been your formula Slade used," Batman considers, making Crane quietly sigh in relief, "especially since it was a vast improvement from yours."

Crane's eyes suddenly widen in shock. "Improvement?"

"Of course," Batman says. "You use an aerosol compound that quickly dissipates when not inhaled immediately. It's why you need to release a large and excessive amount at any time, especially while targeting large crowds. Slade's reagent, however, was a form of dust that can last in stasis for years. All it takes is a pinch of it getting into one's system and a remote triggering for the victim to start feeling the effects. Very controlled, and much more efficient than your distribution method."

Crane scowls at the Dark Knight while clenching his fists.

"Not only that, but the hallucinations were custom-tailored to match the victim's inner trauma, instead of showing off simple random phobias," Batman goes on in an impressed tone. "Plus, with Slade's reagent, the victim could actually feel their nightmares hurting them, leaving actual cuts and bruises. Sure, the downside is that the chemical only works in dark environments, but other than that, it's a wonderful display of chemical engineering. Honestly, I tip my cowl to Slade's spirit. Well done on his work of art."

Throughout Batman's boasting, Crane's teeth grit and his face reddens. His anger and jealousy grow and grow, until…

"That blasted meathead was no artist!" Crane exclaims. "Any form of success he had was because of MY work! MY genius! He had no right to tamper with my formula! It was already perfect! How dare you praise that charlatan! If anything, you should be praising ME!"

The Batman's furious glare makes Crane quickly cover his own mouth with regret.

"Hehehehe," The Joker chuckles with an entertained grin. "~Busted~."

Crane smiles shakily. "I, um…I think we both can agree I'm not exactly mentally sound, so you should probably ignore what I just – URK!"

Batman's gloved hands quickly grab Crane's jumper and slam the criminal painfully against the wall. The Dark Knight gives the trembling villain a murderous scowl.

"Just so you know, Slade used his reagent on Robin. My apprentice!" Batman growls. "He wanted to torment Robin. To torture him. To kill him! You're fortunate that Robin survived and has fully recovered, otherwise I'd be introducing you to a level of pain and misery you couldn't even imagine!"

Jonathan Crane, The Scarecrow, the self-proclaimed Master of Fear, is now wetting himself.

"I can personally attest to how brutal Batsy can be," The Joker speaks up with a knowing glint in his eyes, "especially when one of his little birdies gets hurt. You remember what happened with the last one, don't you, Batman?"

The Dark Knight glares behind at the smug clown before dropping Crane to the floor.

"I've already located and destroyed the fear toxin you made for the pumpkins, Crane," Batman informs the now shivering villain. "Whatever plans you had for Halloween, terrorizing Gotham won't be one of them. For your health and wellbeing, I suggest you stay home this year."

Batman walks out of the cell, leaving Crane behind to bang his fist in defeat on the metal floor.

"You know, Batman, you're always invited to my Halloween party," Joker offers as Batman closes Crane's cell. "I'll make sure to bring favors for everyone."

"I'm not a fan of parties, especially not yours," Batman states evenly. "They make me…aggressive."

Joker smirks. "Flirt. We all know the party doesn't really begin until you start throwing hands."

"Be careful what you wish for, Joker," Batman warns before walking away.

"Oh, it's gonna be a hopping Halloween this year!" The Joker declares. "Hehehehehe! Hahahahaha! AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!"

The Batman leaves the cackling clown behind as he exits Arkham Asylum, not wanting to spend another minute in Gotham's House of Horrors.

---

Location: The Batcave, under Wayne Manor

Timeskip: Later

Deep in the watery grottos outside Gotham City proper, the Batcave is a hidden sanctuary full of technological marvels. The caverns house a massive supercomputer, an assortment of trophies from past battles, a collection of Bat-themed outfits, and even an aircraft shaped like a bat. At the center is a circular platform, which is perfectly sized for a vehicle to park.

Such as the Batmobile that speeds into the cave.

The Gothic nuclear-powered vehicle stops abruptly at the platform and lets out one more rev of the engine before powering down. The top opens, and Batman quickly exits the vehicle. With a sigh, the hero pulls off his cowl, revealing the handsome black-haired billionaire playboy, Bruce Wayne.

Batman's true mask.

"I hope the not-so-good doctor gave you what you needed, Master Bruce."

Bruce turns towards the gentlemanly British voice and sees an older mustached man approaching him with a tray of tea. This is Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce's butler and most trusted friend.

Next to the butler is a teenaged girl who wears a similar Bat motif as the Dark Knight. Her costume, however, has golden scalloped gloves, a gold belt, golden boots, and a gold bat symbol on her chest. Her cowl allows her blue eyes and long red hair to be displayed. This is Barbara Gordon a.k.a. Batgirl, The Batman's third apprentice.

Bruce nods. "Crane sold his fear toxin to Slade, who modified it for Robin," he confirms as he accepts the tea.

Batgirl hugs herself. "Poor Dick. To be terrorized by that creep. I'm just glad he's okay."

"I have every faith in his ability to endure whatever comes his way," Bruce says as the trio heads for the computer. "Robin's a tough teen with a strong mind."

"And quite a solid backbone," Alfred compliments. "I recall you mentioning how he stood up to you during that mess in The Watchtower."

"He made me proud that day, Alfred," Bruce admits. "I just wish the circumstances were different."

Bruce reaches the computer and sits down, tea in hand, while his faithful butler stands beside him. Barbara, meanwhile, takes off her cowl and sits on an unused part of the expansive keypad.

"So, did you get everything out of your system from what happened with the League earlier?" Barbara asks.

"Not even close," Bruce answers as he starts typing.

"In defense of the League, Master Bruce, you yourself would likely be severely offended if they kept vital information from you," Alfred points out.

"I know the mindsets of each and every member of the council. If I even mentioned Raven being physically abused, I doubt any of them would have voted to incarcerate her," Bruce explains.

"I probably wouldn't," Barbara admits, getting a glance from her mentor.

"…Wonder Woman especially would have petitioned for leniency," Bruce goes on. "It was a calculated risk, but with Raven secured and monitored, we could have made plans for her and Trigon in a more controlled position."

"A grievous miscalculation, it would seem," Alfred comments.

Raven's picture pops up on the massive screen.

"If I may, sir, why did you not give Raven the benefit of the doubt?" Alfred questions. "It was my understanding that she's done a tremendous job protecting the innocent as one of the Teen Titans."

"True, but was she actually committed to the cause, or was she just going along with it for her own benefit?" Bruce asks back. "Robin reported that she barely spent time interacting with the team, preferring to stay in her room and isolate herself."

"Not everyone's a social butterfly, Bruce," Barbara says before giving Bruce a knowing smirk. "Some people just look the part."

Bruce ignores the joke.

"Then, there was what she said to Malchior at the end of the fight," Bruce remembers. "Apparently, he was trying to teach her that heroes and villains are just meaningless labels for people like them. She echoed that before she executed him."

"Maybe it was one last 'screw you' to her ex," Barbara guesses.

"Or perhaps she truly chose to embrace her former teacher's philosophy," Bruce counters.

"I doubt she would have stayed with the Titans if that really were true, sir," Alfred says, "nor would she have allowed herself to be taken to the Justice League's headquarters."

"Regardless, her breaking of the Golden Rule showed a lack of commitment to the cause, and it couldn't just be swept aside," Bruce argues. "She needed to face repercussions for her act, just like any murderer out there."

"Even if the 'victim' was a malevolent dragon?" Alfred asks.

"That's how it starts, Alfred; the justification," Bruce states. "First, it's an evil dragon. Then, it's an alien conqueror. Then, it's scores of invaders. Then, you get to your first human criminal. You look back at all of the lives you've taken before, and you think 'one more couldn't hurt'. It all just spirals downward from there."

"A domino effect, sir?" Alfred guesses.

Bruce nods. "One that I've never seen anyone try and redeem themselves from. It's a perilous scenario even without magic being involved."

Alfred sighs. "Well, that disaster days ago certainly didn't help her stay on the path of goodness. In fact, I daresay you might have pushed her away from her companions."

Bruce types some more on his computer. "And into the arms of one of the most dangerous individuals currently on the planet."

Hydra's picture pops up next to Raven's. His grin appears to mock Bruce from above.

"He's cute," Barbara admits, "in an 'I'm my own master' supervillain kinda way."

The two adults in the room give her strange looks.

Barbara holds her hands up in defense. "I'm just saying."

"Do you truly not believe Hydra wanted to be a hero?" Alfred asks. "I'd have thought his testimony under the Lasso of Truth's influence would have been irrefutable."

"Truth can be manipulated just as easily as lies, Alfred," Bruce answers. "He wanted to learn how to be a hero, sure, but to what end? If he truly had a desire to be a hero, he would have started when he first arrived, or even before on his home planet. It's more likely he wanted to join the hero side to escape punishment for his own sins, or maybe he wanted to learn our secrets in order to exploit us for his own benefit."

"Or maybe," Barbara suggests with a smile, "he just needed to find the right girl to make him change his ways."

Bruce looks at his student skeptically. "You really think he wanted to be a hero because of Raven?"

"The beauty of Helen of Troy inspired a war immortalized in legends," Alfred reminds his charge. "Is it that unfeasible that a similar beauty could inspire a young warrior to turn over a new leaf?"

Bruce looks back at the pictures of the two chakra-wielders. The ones who took time in the midst of a battle with a dragon to passionately kiss each other.

"…It's a moot point anyways," Bruce states evenly, not giving Alfred an answer. "They're both targets now. I need to find them before they cause more trouble or someone else gets to them first."

Alfred and Barbara smirk at each other, knowing Bruce didn't outright reject their theory.

"You have your work cut out for you, sir," says the butler. "If Hydra's stealth is a match to his magical power, it might be a long time before you find a trace of him or his flame."

"I have one advantage; Hydra's reliance on magic means he possibly underestimates technology. It's an easily exploitable weak spot, especially in Earth's Digital Age," Bruce explains as he resumes typing. "I can run facial recognition software through social media, looking for any matches to either him or Raven. I can also develop updates to Wayne Tech's satellite system to scan for substantial chakra signatures like Robin did. With my resources, though, the accuracy will be improved greatly."

"I believe a certain George Orwell once wrote a book on the excessive monitoring of a nation's populace," Alfred points out in a warning tone.

"I read that book in English class," Barbara recalls as she shivers. "That rat scene gave me nightmares."

"I read the same book, Alfred. I know my limits," Bruce assures his butler.

"I certainly hope so, sir," Alfred says before making his way to the exit. He stops and looks back at Bruce. "Since you only had a snack for dinner, I hope you'll make time to have a proper meal before the sun rises."

"I will, Alfred," Bruce answers.

"In that case, sir, I hope you enjoy leftovers. Goodnight, Master Bruce," Alfred says before exiting the cave.

Barbara hops off the computer and puts her cowl back on. "I'd better head on home. My dad's shifts have been ending later than usual."

"He's preparing for Halloween," Bruce states. "Jim's wise to start this early, what with all of the things that can happen that night, especially in this city."

"A.C.H.. 'Anything Can Happen'," Barbara recites easily as she starts her own exit.

"Indeed."

Barbara pauses and adopts a thoughtful look.

"Hey, Bruce?" Barbara calls out. "Do you think we should…I don't know…visit Dick? Comfort him? Give him our support? It's been a while since he's left, and with everything that's happened lately…"

"He might not enjoy me visiting him right now, with everything that's happened lately," Bruce answers while typing. "You're free to do so. You can borrow the Batwing if you don't want to use the Zeta Tube."

Barbara looks down unsurely.

"Unless there's a reason you don't want to talk to Dick by yourself," Batman adds, having some idea why she's hesitating.

Barbara takes a deep breath to compose herself. "No. I'll do it. I'll take the jet. Thanks," she says while heading for her motorbike, the Bat-Pod. "Goodnight, Bruce."

"Goodnight, Barbara," Bruce responds.

The Dark Knight hears the motorcycle rev up and ride out of the cave, leaving him alone in the cavernous deep. Bruce pauses his work as he looks up at the photo of Raven.

The crimefighter has no personal grievances against the girl, but he needed to be cautious. When he first met Raven, she was a random stranger with dark magic who was proclaiming that her evil demonic father was going to take over the world. In that situation, he had to make sure plans were in place in case she secretly was an ally of Trigon. The Phantom Zone might have seemed extreme to the other members of the council, but he saw it as a necessary measure to prevent the Apocalypse without bloodshed. When Raven vanished from The Watchtower during the council's initial meeting, Batman's suspicions about her intentions seemed to be true.

Then, she joined Robin's team and started fighting crime. Batman had his misgivings about the girl, but Robin vouched strongly for her good nature. Listening to Robin's judgement and curious about Raven's commitment, Batman made the deal with his former ward and watched from afar. From periodic reports made by the Boy Wonder, the sorceress had established herself as a voice of calm and reason within the team. She was steadily earning her spot in the superhero community, as well as Batman's support.

That is, until recently.

'Raven did go through a hellish ordeal,' Bruce admits internally, 'but that didn't give her the right to cross the line. Heroes can't be given the choice between life and death for anyone, especially criminals. That power can definitely be abused over time. That's what the council doesn't understand. I left out Raven's abuse because it shouldn't be used to justify murder. Nothing should justify taking a life.'

Bruce then recalls the moment his former fellow councilmembers shared their sins of taking lives in their pasts.

'They were just complicating the issue,' Bruce reasons internally. 'Flash was able to fix everything he broke during Flashpoint, and Superman…wasn't Superman. The others were just soldiers doing their jobs under the parameters of the law. It's different when you're a superhero. A superhero is meant to be a symbol of justice and righteousness. Unbroken. Incorruptible. Raven allowed herself to be corrupted by Malchior and Hydra, and it led her to break the Golden Rule. She needs to face the consequences of her actions. So does her boyfriend.'

Bruce's gaze then shifts to the picture of the boyfriend in question. The young villain with a body count on two worlds. The one who nearly succeeded in destroying the Justice League with ease, a goal that countless villains have struggled to do in the past.

'Superman's mistake is treating Hydra like a misguided child,' Bruce thinks to himself. 'Whoever Hydra was in his old world, his childhood ended ages ago. He's a warrior with his own moral compass and no qualms about taking lives. He doesn't belong with the League. He belongs in prison.' He then sighs. 'Unfortunately, I can't convince them of that, especially since they kicked me off of the council. Now, the most powerful heroes on the planet are going to endanger themselves and innocent people trying to recruit Hydra. I could scrounge up some other allies, but it looks like I might be on my own hunting this killer down. Oh well. It's not like I never expected to find myself in this predicament.'

A thought suddenly occurs to the Dark Knight, making him type a command into his computer. After giving the proper security clearances, the details of a secret project of his appear on his screen.

Project: Brother Eye.

A hypothetical brainchild of Bruce's that was born after the Justice League's first expansion. The idea was to create a surveillance system capable of monitoring and recording information on every metahuman or otherwise super abled person on the planet. Using this information, Batman would be able to learn the strengths and weaknesses of current or future supervillains in order to take them down more efficiently. It would also help to make plans to neutralize any Justice League members or other vigilantes should they ever cross the line.

It's a logical and beneficial idea…but one that would involve intruding into the lives of Bruce's comrades and betraying their trust, especially if any plans developed were to somehow fall into the wrong hands. This is why Brother Eye has never gone past the planning stage. And yet, looking at it now, Bruce could see how such a system would easily be able to track down Hydra and Raven. It could even devise ways to defeat Hydra that Bruce probably never would have thought of.

A tremendous boon against the Shinobian and in the overall War on Crime…and yet…

Bruce shakes his head. 'There's no need to go to that extreme. While Brother Eye could help right now with Hydra, the long-term risks are too great. Besides, the League's trust in me is shaky enough right now, and they haven't betrayed my trust…yet.'

And so, Bruce closes the project, returning Brother Eye to the digital drawing board…for now.

---

Location: Hallways, The Watchtower

Superman and Green Arrow walk through the halls of the massive space station, occasionally greeting the other heroes they pass by.

"Isn't your idea of putting a bounty on Hydra a little extreme?" Superman asks.

"Well, the term 'bounty' is extreme, of course. We can call it 'monetary compensation' for assisting the Justice League in tracking down and retrieving a person of interest – alive," Green Arrow argues, emphasizing the last part.

"Uh-huh," Superman says unconvincingly. "And how 'monetary compensation' would we be offering?"

"Oh, not much, not much, a million dollars," Green Arrow offers nonchalantly.

This startles Superman. "That's quite a bit of cash."

Green Arrow shrugs. "I'm a billionaire, Clark. I wouldn't even miss it."

Superman smirks. "Well, lucky you. Some of us have to settle with a reporter's salary."

"Oh, you wanna talk about struggling?" Green Arrow challenges with a smile. "How about you lose your Kryptonian powers and drop yourself onto an uncharted island for a few years."

"You shouldn't underestimate a farm-boy's ability to survive in the wild, Mr. Queen," Superman retorts.

"Look, how about this; let's just say there's a 'substantial reward', and leave it at that," Green Arrow suggests. "Depending on how much someone helps out, we'll pay them a certain amount we can all agree on. Sound good?"

A beeping from Superman's communicator gets the Kryptonian's attention.

"Hold that thought," Superman says before touching his ear. "Terrific? Go ahead."

[Hey, Superman. This is gonna sound weird, but can you grab your space suit and fly over the Nevada-Utah area?] Mister Terrific asks.

"Anything specific I should be looking for?" Superman asks.

[Honestly, I'm hoping you can tell me,] Mister Terrific answers, confusing Superman.

---

Location: Space

Timeskip: A few minutes later

The Man of Steel is now clad in his blue and grey space suit, which has his trademark crest on the torso. The suit leaves his hair and eyes exposed and allows him to breathe in the vacuum. He's currently hovering in orbit above the western United States, looking down at the Earth below.

Superman asks, "I'm here, Terrific. What's going on?"

[A few minutes ago, my Orbital Space Detection System might have spotted a sizable object passing through orbit towards Earth,] Mister Terrific reports.

Superman quirks an eyebrow. "Might?"

[Well, the thing is, the system didn't spot anything until just before it hit orbit,] Mister Terrific adds. [Not only that, but I couldn't get a visual readout, an exact trajectory, or any kind of specifics about the object. I wanted to dismiss it as an anomaly, but given this past week, I prefer not to take any chances.]

"This thing was able to get past your detectors?" Superman asks in surprise. "It could be a ship with some kind of cloaking device."

[You see anything?] Mister Terrific questions.

Superman looks down at the planet, his eyes glowing with his Super-Vision. He scans the landscape and opens his ears up for any anomalies, such as the engines of a starship. After a few moments, though…

"…Nothing," Superman reports. "Not a trace. Whoever they are, they're already on the planet."

[If they wanted to, they could have gotten the jump on us here in The Watchtower,] Mister Terrific states. [What do you think they want on Earth?]

Superman simply narrows his eyes at the planet.

---

Location: The Stratosphere, Las Vegas, Nevada

Any stars that would appear in the night sky are drowned out by the brightly shining lights emanating from the buildings on the Las Vegas Strip. Even at this time of night, the city is abuzz with activity, as thousands of people traverse the strip to partake in whatever indulgences are offered, including gambling, concerts, and magic shows.

One particular visitor, however, has a much different vice.

The figure stands atop The Stratosphere, allowing them a fully unobscured view of the city below. It's tall and brutish form is currently transparent, where only a shifting of its body can give any indication that something is here. Occasionally, flashes of light pop up from what appear to be two massive eyes on its head. Those eyes scan The Strip, observing the humans making their way around town.

Most of them are just harmless cattle, unworthy of any effort. But perhaps, amongst them…a true warrior. A proper challenge.

A worthy trophy.

From the top of the highest building in Las Vegas, the being's inhuman roar is easily lost amongst the horns, sirens, and music down below.

It matters not. The challenge has been accepted.

The hunt has begun.

---

Chapter End

AN: Thus ends the first official day of our couple's vacation road trip!

So, Hydra and Raven made their first stop at Yosemite National Park! I figured that since Hydra is officially a Sage, he would like to visit areas with plenty of nature, especially if he wants to heal Mother Nature. Now, Raven has started her own Sage training and is helping her boyfriend clean up the planet. Time will tell what effects these two will produce.

Also, another chunk of lemony goodness for everyone! Yes, Raven is a freaky girl, and Hydra is all for it lol! There won't be a lemon for every chapter, just so you know. This is just to help establish what kind of relationship these two are having. Still, plenty of ways these two can explore in the future ;).

Speaking of exploration, I've had a few people request that Jinx be added as a pairing.

Here's the deal with that; The official true chief pairing in this particular fic is HydraXRaven. They will be THE couple. If anyone else would be involved, they would be either an occasional fling with both Hydra and Raven or they would be delegated to the status of a friend with benefits.

In other words, Hydra is the king, Raven is the queen, and anyone else would be a concubine.

Also, IF I DO allow Jinx to be involved, then there would be others as well. Hydra is already bisexual in this fic, and if I go the concubine route, Raven would be bi as well. This is your only warning that there would be lovers of BOTH genders involved if I go this route.

Back to the story, we have Superman having a little chat with Lex Luthor before rallying the League to track down Hydra and Raven. I feel like it's well into Superman's character to try and offer a young man like Hydra a chance at redemption and heroism.

Of course, certain Leaguers would be against saving Hydra and Raven, Batman and Zatanna especially. This version of Zatanna is extremely distrustful of anything demonic, including Raven. The reason for this will be explained in the future.

As for Batman, his deceit has earned him the boot from the big table. As a vigilante who demands to be part of the decision-making, this'll definitely lead to bigger conflicts between him and the League. Can't wait!

Next chapter, our protagonists stop in Sin City for some cash! They'll have to fight for their money and their lives against enemies both local and from "out of town". And who are these kids that keep following them? Find out next time!

Thanks for reading!

Dropareviewifyoucanflamerswillbeignored.