"Now then," Trigon-Harry grinned cruelly, "Let's play!"
Several things happened simultaneously; Robin and Batman both hurled their Batarang/Birdarangs at Harry. Superman released his hold on Raven and charged forward alongside Wonder Woman, both with their fists raised to strike. Jinx, Raven, and Starfire all fired a pink/black/green energy blast at Harry with a shout of anger, while Cyborg fired his arm with a cry of rage; finally, Beastboy transformed into a sabretooth tiger and lunged at the smiling demon. As all the combined attacks connected into one, Trigon-Harry was consumed in a blast of smoke that quickly spread through the entire room, leaving the group coughing for a moment until it finally cleared. When the smoke finally cleared, the group all stared with mixed emotions as the spot where Trigon-Harry once stood was now empty; a moment later, the lights went out, plunging everyone into darkness for a moment before the emergency lights came on, bathing the group in a dark red glow.
"Lock down the tower!" Batman ordered, "Now! We cannot allow Trigon to escape!"
Immediately, Cyborg ran to the nearby terminal and began to furiously punch in commands as the red emergency lights flashed; nearby, Superman and Wonder Woman were trying to wake up Dr. Fate and Zatanna with gentle shakes.
A moment later, a loud banging sound sounded throughout the Tower as the blast doors came down, sealing off the Tower from the rest of the world.
"Are you sure that will hold him?" Superman asked from where he was shaking Zatanna's shoulder.
"I carved containment runes on every one of those doors," Raven snapped back, "They're powered with a special spell that strengthens them based on how they attacked."
"Meaning?" Cyborg asked, turning to Raven,
"Meaning," Raven glared back, "That the stronger the attack, the stronger the runes become."
"We cannot guarantee that will be enough to contain Trigon," Dr. Fate said as he finally regained consciousness and rose to his feet,
"Especially as Trigon has seemingly taken control of Harry's body," Zatanna added as she rubbed her head with a wince.
"And whose fault is that!" Jinx snapped, "You lied to us! You told us that you would seal off Harry's demonic side, and instead, you nearly killed him!"
"That's enough!" Batman ordered, causing Jinx to turn to him angrily,
"You can go to hell, Bat! As far as I'm concerned, you're no better! If anything, you're worse!"
Batman's eyes narrowed dangerously as Cyborg placed a calming hand on Jinx's shoulder,
"Jinx, calm down. We're all worried about the kid, but turning on each other isn't gonna help us fix this."
"He's right," Raven said in a hollow voice, "We have to find Harry and save him from my father's influence," her voice hardened as she turned to the members of the Justice League, "But make no mistake, when Harry is saved, there will be a reckoning for what you did!"
"Count on it," Robin added as he stood beside Raven, "You should all be ashamed of yourselves."
The members of the Justice League shared a look before turning their attention back to the Titans, who were all glaring at them, some with more anger than others; Superman opened his mouth to say something when suddenly music began to echo throughout the Tower.
'Ding dong,
I know you can hear me
open up the door.
I only want to play a little,
Ding dong,
you can't keep me waiting;
it's already too late
for you to run away.'
As the eerie song drifted around them, Raven couldn't help but smirk; a moment later, Jinx began to laugh, causing everyone to turn to her with confused or incredulous looks,
"Even possessed," Jinx grinned, "Harry still can't help but put on a show."
"You may be more right than you know," Dr. Fate replied softly,
"What do you mean?" Zatanna asked as the eerie music continued, made worse as the red emergency lights flashed.
"In the past, Trigon would play with his food, but this situation seems more like something that young Harry would do, based on what I have learned about him." Dr. Fate replied, "Which means that somewhere in that body, Harry is still there and could be fighting for control even as we speak."
The idea filled Raven with hope, and she could see from the faces of her teammates that they were feeling the same,
"So what do we do?" Cyborg asked, causing Dr. Fate to turn to him,
"You and the members of the League will go out and try to find Trigon while Raven and I stay here and…."
"Stay here?!" Raven demanded, "I am NOT staying here while that bastard is possessing my baby brother!"
"You misunderstand my words, Ms. Potter," Dr. Fate replied quickly, "We will not be idle either. While the Titans and the League are out there looking for Harry's body, we will be here looking for his soul."
"His…. soul?" Beastboy replied, tilting his head in confusion, "What do you mean, 'his soul'?"
Turning to face the green Titan, Dr. Fate replied softly yet firmly,
"NO matter how powerful he may be now, the victims that Trigon possesses are still there, somewhere. Buried deep, perhaps, but still there somewhere. While the rest of you are out looking for Trigon, Raven and I will meditate here to try reaching Harry's soul, which lies trapped somewhere within Trigon's consciousness. If we are successful, we may be able to help Harry overcome Trigon's hold over him."
"And if we fail?" Wonder Woman asked, "What then?"
"They WILL NOT fail!" Jinx spat back before turning to Raven and softly saying, "Bring our boy home, yeah?"
"Count on it," Raven replied firmly, "You just try not to let Trigon kill you before I rescue Harry."
"We'll search in pairs," Batman growled, bringing everyone's attention to him, "Robin will search with me. Starfire, you will go with Diana; Cyborg, you're with Superman. Jinx, you're with Zatanna."
"What about me?" Beastboy asked as the partners stepped up next to each other,
"You stay here," Batman ordered, making Beastboy glare at him angrily, "When Raven and Dr. Fate begin looking for Harry's soul, their bodies will be defenseless. We will need you to guard them and ensure that nothing happens while they cannot defend themselves."
Suddenly realizing the seriousness of his task, Beastboy stood a little straighter and nodded in understanding.
"We'll need a way to determine if someone is actually one of us or just Trigon playing games," Raven said thoughtfully, "Don't forget that Harry can shapeshift, and while Trigon is in control of Harry's body, he's also in control of Harry's powers."
"Agreed," Batman nodded before pulling several small button-like objects from his belt, "Everyone put one of these somewhere on your person."
"What is it?" Cyborg asked as he took his and examined it closely,
"Their thermal trackers," Batman replied, "They'll grow hot when in close proximity to one another. So, if someone approaches you, pretending to be one of us and your tracker doesn't grow hot…."
"We'll know it's not really one of us!" Beastboy finished with a smile, "Dude, that's awesome!"
Batman smirked momentarily at the green boy's exuberance before his demeanor changed back to serious.
"Be careful out there," Superman said cautiously, "Remember, this isn't Harry we're facing, no matter how much it might look like him. He will kill you if you give him the opportunity,"
"So don't give it to him," Wonder Woman added, drawing nods of understanding from everyone.
As quick as a thought, the group exited the room and disappeared, leaving just Raven, Dr. Fate, and Beastboy behind.
"Let's begin, then," Dr. Fate said before lowering himself into a meditative position; a moment later, Raven followed him as Beastboy transformed into a tiger and began pacing in front of the door.
"Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos," Raven recited as her consciousness spread out like the bird that shared her name, searching for her little brother.
XXXX
Harry floated alone in the darkness, he didn't know how he got here, but it seemed like he'd been here forever; time, gravity, and even physics seemed to not exist here, so Harry simply floated alone in the darkness.
"How did I get here?" Harry wondered as he tried and failed for the third time to open his eyes, "I can't remember…."
"Harry…" A voice called out, making him start slightly,
"Who's there?" Harry called out weakly,
"Don't give up, Harry…" The voice replied, filling Harry with warmth where there had only been cold before, "They are coming for you, my chosen…."
"Your chosen?" Harry asked in confusion, "What do you mean by that?"
"Now is not the time to discuss such things, Harry," the voice replied, "Soon enough, all will be made clear. For now, my chosen, you must fight against the usurper that seeks to take that which is mine! Do not give up! Fight!"
It suddenly felt as though someone had lit a fire within Harry, and his whole body felt as though it was coursing with power; with greater willpower than he thought he had; Harry slowly opened his eyes, but as soon as he did, the power seemed to evaporate, and Harry was forced to shut his eyes again as a cold voice snarled,
"You are mine, boy! And no one will change that!"
XXXX
The red flashing lights gave the hallway an eerie feeling as Starfire and Wonder Woman carefully peeked around the corner before stepping out,
"The coward could be anywhere," Wonder Woman growled as she opened one of the doors and looked inside; seeing that it was empty, she closed the door again and moved on while Starfire floated behind her.
"Friend Harry needs us!" Starfire said softly, "We must find Trigon and make him give Harry back!"
"Worry not, young warrior," Wonder Woman replied warmly, "We shall free Harry from Trigon's control, and then she shall send that monster back to Hades, where he belongs!"
"Oh, will you now?" A cold voice replied, causing both women to stop short and look around sharply; as the red lights flashed off, then on again, Trigon suddenly appeared at the end of the hallway with a cruel smile on his face.
Tilting his head, Trigon's smile grew as six black tentacles spread out from his back and took on the form of spears, which hovered over him menacingly.
"Come now," Trigon smiled, "Don't be shy. Don't you want to play with me?"
"Foul monster!" Wonder Woman roared as she leveled her sword at him, "Release Harry at once, and I will be merciful when I send your soul back to Tartarus, where it belongs!"
Trigon laughed out loud at that, and his laughter seemed to echo throughout the hallway, causing goosebumps to rise on Starfire and Wonder Woman.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" Trigon mocked, "What will happen to poor Harry if you injure his body? Are you willing to take that risk?"
That seemed to be the wrong thing to say as Starfire's eyes glowed bright green as she rose into the air,
"Let. Him. GO!" Starfire roared as she threw an overpowered green blast at Trigon, who easily batted it aside with one of the tentacles; the green beam slammed into the wall next to Trigon, and the hallway exploded in a cloud of smoke that left the two women coughing.
"Keep your guard up!" Wonder Woman shouted as she raised her sword; beside her, Starfire raised her fists, which were surrounded by green energy, defensively.
"Come out, monster!" Wonder Woman shouted, "I did not look to see Trigon, the Terrible act like such a coward!"
An instant later, Trigon roared out of the smoke and delivered a powerful punch to Wonder Woman's face, sending her flying backward into the far wall, leaving a spiderweb crack where she impacted.
Before Starfire could react, Trigon had rushed forward and grabbed her face in his left hand, pulling her forward into a gut punch that made Starfire fall to her knees and empty the contents of her stomach onto the ground.
Smiling down at the gasping girl, Trigon raised one of his tentacles into the air, intending to sever her head; the blade had almost reached her neck when it was suddenly stopped by Wonder Woman's sword. Flinging her arm back, she threw Trigon off balance before spinning on the spot and slashing at Trigon's undefended side; as one of the tentacles deflected the blow, Trigon sneered at the Amazon.
"Not very honorable of you to attack me like that, Princess. What would your people say to such dishonorable tactics?"
Rather than reply, Wonder Woman released one hand from her sword, reached back, and delivered a powerful punch to Trigon's jaw, sending him flying backward for a few feet before rolling across the floor end-over-end.
Reaching up to her ear, Wonder Woman turned on her communicator,
"I've got Trigon in the west section of the Tower and need backup!"
"On our way, Diana!" Superman's voice replied,
"Hold him off until we get there!" Batman's voice growled.
"You're wasting your time calling for help," Trigon sneered as he rose to his feet and wiped the blood from his mouth, "You will be dead long before they reach you!"
Raising her sword defensively again, Wonder Woman reached over and detached her lasso before snapping it out like a whip,
"You may be the strongest opponent I have yet faced, but by Hera, you will fall!"
As Starfire rose shakily to her feet, Trigon's tentacles spread out and shifted into blades as he raised his claw-like fingers aggressively,
"You think you will defeat me?! Billions before you have tried, and I have left each of them as corpses; you are just another pathetic mortal whose name I will forget as soon as I kill you!"
With a snarl of fury, Wonder Woman charged forward, and the battle began; for the next few minutes, the hallway was a warzone as the three warriors punched, kicked, and used everything in their arsenal to bring their opponent down. Starfire was thrown through a door, only to explode out of it a moment later and deliver an uppercut to Trigon's jaw, followed up by an energy blast to the face. Wonder Woman wrapped her lasso around the demon and spun him in a circle before releasing him and sending him crashing into a different room; a moment later, Trigon flew from the room, using the door as a weapon and slamming it into Starfire and sending her flying into the far wall. What seemed like an eternity later, Wonder Woman and Starfire were both heavily bleeding. At the same time, Trigon looked as though he hadn't sustained any damage whatsoever.
"Raaaaaaaggggghhhh!" Starfire roared, using every ounce of power she had left and sending an impressive wave of green energy hurtling at the demon; Trigon's eyes widened slightly at the wave coming at him, and with a roar of challenge, he crossed his arms over his chest and held his ground as the wave passed over him, ripping his clothes to shreds.
Trigon barely had time to look up as Wonder Woman leaped at him, her sword held high to cleave him in two; without wasting any time, Trigon turned sideways so that her sword was embedded into the floor where he had just been standing. Seizing on the moment, Trigon grabbed her hair and pulled back hard, making her cry out before slamming her head into the ground. Once. Twice. Three times. On the third time, Trigon spun on the spot, still holding her hair, and released her, flinging her into Starfire and sending the two into the nearby wall.
"Where's that smart mouth now, bitch?!" Trigon snarled as Wonder Woman pushed an unconscious Starfire off of her and rose shakily to her feet.
"You cannot best me," Trigon growled as he slowly strode up to the kneeling woman, stopping only when he stood a few feet from her, "And I grow tired of teaching you this lesson. Stay down."
"If I fall here," Wonder Woman growled back, "Then I will die as befits an Amazon. Fighting in defense of the innocent!"
Leveling her sword at Trigon, Wonder Woman spat a glob of blood from her mouth and steadied herself.
"Harry Potter is innocent! And if the gods will it, I will save him from your corruption, foul beast!"
"So be it…" Trigon sneered, twisting his six tentacles into one spear, which he drove forward at her; before he could hit his target, however, Trigon disappeared as a red and blue blur slammed into him, which sent him and the blur crashing through the far wall at the end of the hallway.
"Thank Hera…" Wonder Woman breathed as she rose shakily to her feet as Cyborg came around the corner, skidding as he did so.
"Damn, that guy is fast!" Cyborg huffed, "Are you two alright?"
"He beat me effortlessly…" Starfire whispered in despair from where she lay, "As though I were a newborn…."
"Do not blame yourself," Wonder Woman replied with a scowl, "Trigon is a foe that very few can last long against."
"Don't worry, Star," Cyborg said comfortingly, "Superman will bring our Harry home and make Trigon wish he'd never been born."
XXXX
When Raven opened her eyes, she found herself in a place she swore she would never return to: Privet Drive. The house looked the same as when Raven had rescued her little brother all those years ago, and Raven knew precisely why she was there.
"Where are we?" Dr. Fate asked as he materialized next to her,
"This is the house I rescued Harry from when I first discovered he was still alive."
"Hmm, so this was Harry's prison?" Dr. Fate asked, "It makes sense that Trigon would use it to keep the child contained while he used his body."
Slowly, as though walking to her own execution, Raven approached the cupboard she had taken Harry from so many years ago; reaching out a shaky hand, Raven rested it on the handle as anger and fear filled her in equal measure. She always knew that her father was evil, but this was truly cruel.
"You must open it, Raven," Dr. Fate said softly, "No matter how much you might not want to, Harry needs our help."
Swallowing the nervousness that was welling up in her, Raven turned the handle and pulled open the door; the inside was just as dark and depressing as Raven remembered, and there in the back, curled up in a little ball and weeping, was Harry.
Raven had to fight back a sob as she saw her little brother; this wasn't the confident Harry that loved listening to heavy metal and wanted to learn everything that Raven and the Titans could teach him. This Harry was small like he had been when Raven had first rescued him, his body showed signs of abuse and malnutrition, and as Raven watched the sobbing boy in the cupboard, she felt her heart break in two.
"Harry…?" Raven called out softly, making the small boy start slightly before he slowly turned around to face her; as Raven saw the lifeless look in her little brother's eyes, it was all she could do to keep from crying.
"Who are you?" Harry softly asked, "Did Uncle Vernon send you to hurt me some more?"
"My name is Raven, Harry. And I have come to bring you home."
"Home?" Harry asked in confusion, "But I AM home. This is where freaks like me belong."
"No, Harry," Raven replied softly as she touched Harry's cheek warmly, "You belong with your family, with me."
"You're my family?" Harry asked in shock as he kneaded his shirt worriedly,
"Yes, Harry. I am," Raven replied with a smile that made Harry blush momentarily before looking down at his lap.
"You're really pretty…." Harry whispered, "I…. I feel like I know you…."
"You do, Harry," Raven whispered as she extended her hand to him, "I'm your big sister, and I've come to take you home."
"Raven…" Harry said as his eyes widened as though he had just remembered something important, "Your name is Raven…."
"That's right, Harry," Raven replied with a smile, her hand still extended, "Please, come back to us."
Chewing his lip in indecision, Harry finally reached out to take Raven's hand when a voice cried out, which made both Potters start with alarm,
"What the devil do you think you're doing, you little freak?!"
Raven turned as Harry released a cry of fear and shuffled back into his cupboard; standing at the far end of the hall was Vernon Dursley, yet he looked…. different, as though someone had taken Vernon's image and twisted it to make him seem less human if that were possible.
"You cannot hide behind an illusion from me, Trigon!" Dr. Fate spat as he rose into the air, "The lords of order will see your destruction this day!"
A cruel smile stretched across Vernon's face as he took on a relaxed posture and gazed at Dr. Fate,
"Ah, Nabu," Vernon purred, "It's been too long since our last meeting. I still have fond memories of the last time you challenged me, and I ripped your bearer's spine out of their back while they were still alive. Such pretty screams she made."
"The time for you to pay for your crimes has come, Trigon," Dr. Fate replied cooly before rushing at Vernon and tackling him through the back wall; seeing that Trigon was handled, Raven turned back to Harry, who had shuffled as far back as he could, and looked like he was close to having a panic attack.
"Harry, he can't hurt you anymore!" Raven implored as she extended her hand to him again, "None of this is real! I know you're scared, but I promise I will never let him hurt you again if you come with me!"
"You can't promise that," Harry cried, "He'll find me! He'll hurt me!"
"No, he won't!" Raven snapped forcefully, "I am your big sister, and it is my job to protect you and damn it, Harry, I swear I will continue to do that until the last breath leaves my body!"
Raven's words seemed to reach through the fog of terror that Harry was experiencing, and as Raven watched with bated breath, the small boy slowly reached out his hand and took hers, making Raven smile happily at him.
As Raven pulled Harry out of the cupboard, Dr. Fate suddenly exploded through the wall, landing in a heap on the floor before slowly rising to his feet and dusting himself off.
"Get the child out of here, I will hold off Trigon for as long as I can, but I cannot guarantee that I will be able to delay him indefinitely," Dr. Fate stated, "Harry's abilities are making him more powerful than I had anticipated."
The house suddenly shook with laughter as Vernon stepped through the hole in the wall that Dr. Fate had just created, causing Harry to cling to Raven's cloak desperately,
"The only place that brat is going is back in his cell!"
"Go!" Dr. Fate ordered, "You must get Harry to the deepest part of his subconscious! That is where you will find Trigon's link to the boy. Destroy it, and he will no longer be able to possess the child."
"Did you not hear me?" Vernon snarled, "You're not going anywhere!"
Quick as a flash, Dr. Fate brought his two hands together, forming a triangle, and blasted the charging Vernon back through the wall with a burst of golden energy; turning back to Raven and the cowering boy, Dr. Fate pointed at the front door with one hand,
"Go!"
Nodding in acknowledgment, Raven picked up Harry and raced out of the front door as Vernon charged back into battle against his ancient enemy.
XXXX
Batman grunted in annoyance as he reset his dislocated shoulder; not far away, Superman and Trigon were fighting with an intensity that Batman could hardly believe. The battle had taken both the Titans and the League through nearly every inch of the Tower at this point; Superman had leveled a punch on Trigon that sent the demon hurtling straight through multiple floors into the basement, only for Trigon to hit Superman with an uppercut that sent the Kryptonian smashing through nearly half a dozen floors before he finally stopped. As Batman wiped the blood from his mouth, he surveyed the carnage around him; Cyborg lay unconscious not far from him with his left arm missing, courtesy of Trigon ripping his arm cannon off before blasting the Titan in the face with it, rendering him unconscious.
Robin was gritting his teeth in pain from where he was currently lying against the wall opposite Batman, with what looked like a severely broken leg; added to that was his left eye that had swollen shut after Trigon had landed several powerful blows to Robin's head before Wonder Woman managed to get him off the boy. Starfire lay unconscious somewhere else in the Tower from a similar beating, and Batman didn't even know where she was anymore; Batman had lost track of where most of his teammates were lying after fighting through the Tower, floor-by-floor.
Currently, the only ones still able to fight were Superman, Wonder Woman (though from the way she was struggling to stay standing, she was running on fumes as well), and Zatanna, miraculously; she had chosen wisdom over valor and decided to keep back, firing spells and curses while the rest of the League attacked at close range. Jinx had held out a long while before Trigon smashed her face into a nearby wall and left her body hanging there. Batman had only enough time to get her body off the wall, check her pulse and ensure she was still alive before he had to rejoin the fight; he hoped she was still alive; to be honest, Batman was beginning to wonder if any of them would still be alive when this was all over.
"Not looking too good, Robin…." Batman muttered as he tried to rise to his feet,
"We've fought worse," Robin growled back, "We can beat him."
As Batman watched in amazement, Robin tried to rise to his feet before falling back onto his butt with a painful groan.
"You're done, Dick," Batman growled,
"No. I'm. Not!" Robin snapped back angrily as he tried to rise again, only to fall again, "Harry needs me!"
"You have a compound fracture," Batman stated simply, "Perhaps, even internal bleeding. You have one good eye left and possibly a concussion. You can no longer fight if you do…. You'll die."
"Then, I'll die!" Robin roared, "Harry is as much my little brother as he is Raven's! I won't let Trigon have him!"
Batman glared at the boy he had all but raised for a moment before letting out a sigh of regret as he reached into his belt,
"Then, I'm sorry about this, Dick," Batman replied before shooting his hand forward and sticking his trank gun into Robin's neck, causing the boy to look at him in shock,
"Damn you, Bruce…." Robin slurred before passing out.
Casting one last sorrowful at his partner, Batman turned back to the fight happening less than twenty feet from him; Wonder Woman had wrapped her lasso around Trigon's neck and was pulling it as hard as she could, while Zatanna was forming golden chains around the demon; while that was happening, Superman was fighting off Trigon's tentacles and keeping them from attacking the other two. Trigon's clothes were in tatters due to how violent the fight had become, leaving just a pair of torn pants to cover his most private parts; yet with all that the Titans and the League had thrown at him, Trigon seemed to have barely been wounded, with just a few scratches covering his body.
"Surrender, monster!" Wonder Woman screamed as she spun on her heel so that she was facing away from Trigon and pulled as hard as she could, "The lasso compels you to heed my orders! And I order you to surrender!"
"He's too strong!" Zatanna shouted as sweat poured from her, "I can't hold him much longer!"
With an unearthly howl, Trigon shot his bent arms out, breaking through the golden chains holding him and releasing a shockwave of pure power that threw everyone from their feet; before anyone could recover, Trigon had lunged forward and grabbed Zatanna by the throat, lifting her easily into the air, Wonder Woman's lasso still hanging from his neck.
"You are an annoying little pest," Trigon growled as Zatanna desperately clawed at his hand, and her feet kicked the air, "Time to squash the bug!"
Drawing back his fist, Trigon shot it forward, causing Zatanna to close her eyes at the expectant attack…. only it never came. After several seconds, Zatanna slowly opened her eyes to see Trigon staring at her with an enraged expression, his fist inches from her face.
"Very clever," Trigon growled, "Keeping me distracted here while my daughter and your pet wizard try to free the brat's soul from my control. But now I know your plan, and it won't work!"
Hurling Zatanna away from him, Trigon turned and sprinted down the hall and out of sight,
"Stop him!" Batman shouted as he stumbled to his feet and ran after the demon, "He's going after Raven and Dr. Fate!"
Superman immediately flew into action and disappeared in a blur as he followed after Trigon, leaving only Wonder Woman and Zatanna behind.
"We have to go after them!" Zatanna groaned as she rubbed her neck, "They need our help!"
"Agreed," Wonder Woman nodded before rising shakily to her feet, "But first, we call in reinforcements."
"But the towers locked down," Zatanna said in confusion, "No one can get in or out."
"One person might be able to," Wonder Woman said before reaching up to her ear, "Jonn, can you hear me?"
XXXX
"Come on, Harry!" Raven cried as she dragged the little boy behind her, "We're almost there!"
"Raven!" Little Harry cried pathetically, "I'm so tired!"
"I know, Harry. But we're almost there, just a little further!"
It had been hours, it seemed since Raven and Harry had fled the house, leaving Dr. Fate to fight Vernon alone, but the deeper the two ran into Harry's mind, the worse it seemed to get as the pair were attacked by nightmarish memories of all the abuse that Harry had sustained over the years. Shades of Petunia, Vernon, Marge, and her dog Ripper all seemed to come from nowhere and attack the two siblings without warning and without mercy; both Raven and Harry's clothes were in shreds, and both were sporting their fair share of cuts and bruises. At first, Raven had attempted to fight back, only to discover to her horror, that her powers had diminished and she could barely defend herself, let alone Harry. The only reason she could think for her current predicament was that Trigon's demonic presence was draining her of her powers while she was inside Harry's mind, meaning that if she didn't get the two out of there soon, they both very might disappear forever, leaving Raven brain dead and Trigon in control of Harry's body.
Their only clue that they were going the right way was a silver path that they had been following since leaving Privet Drive, and Raven silently prayed that it was the correct path because if it wasn't, then they were utterly lost inside Harry's mind.
A sudden animalistic roar behind them made Raven turn in fear before picking Harry up into her arms and hurrying faster down the path, praying to anything that might be listening that they were almost there; as the roar grew closer, Raven saw the path leading to what looked like a house in the distance and instantly increased her pace.
"Raven!" Harry cried in terror, "There's a monster chasing us!"
"Don't look, Harry!" Raven cried back as she used all the energy she had left to increase her pace further; the house was so close, if she could just reach it!
"Please," Raven prayed as she felt her limited reserves draining, "Please let me make it!"
They were less than twenty feet from the door, and Raven could hear something closing on them from behind, but she refused to look back; to look back would be to die, and she refused to let that happen. Ten feet. Five feet. Almost there!
Dipping her shoulder, Raven slammed into the door and nearly took it off the hinges as she barreled inside; quickly dropping Harry, Raven turned on her heel and slammed the door shut behind her before pressing her back to it. A moment later, something slammed into the door with enough force to nearly send Raven sprawling; whatever it was slammed into the door twice more before finally there was silence, save for the sound of Harry's sobs.
"I always hated wild animals. So difficult to domesticate," a soft voice said, causing Raven to freeze instantly, it was a voice she had heard often in her dreams, and as she slowly turned her head, Raven had to catch her breath to keep from crying.
Standing in front of the fireplace, smiling at the gasping girl, was Lily Potter; as Raven tried to regain control of her breathing, she stared at her mother with naked hunger; Lily looked exactly the way she had the last time that Raven had seen her and she was just as beautiful as Raven remembered. Lily was wearing a pure white robe which seemed to magnify her already amazing beauty. As she approached, Raven quickly jumped to her feet and pulled Harry safely behind her.
"Do not come any closer!" Raven snarled, "I don't know what kind of trick this is, but I swear to every deity in existence that I will kill you if you try to hurt my little brother!"
Lily seemed to ponder Raven's words for a moment before a warm smile came across her face,
"Oh, my sweet little night bird," Lily whispered warmly, "I could never harm either of you."
Raven's nickname was known to only one person, just one, and as the tears ran down Raven's cheeks, she realized that there was no way for Trigon to fake this, for he would have had no knowledge of Lily's nickname for her daughter.
"Mom?" Raven asked in a strangled voice, "Is it really you?"
"It's really me, Raven," Lily said with a happy smile, causing Raven to rush into her arms as sobs wracked her body.
"Oh, my little night bird," Lily said softly as she gently rubbed Raven's back, "You've grown so beautiful. I wish I could have been there to watch you grow up…"
"I'm so sorry!" Raven sobbed, "If I hadn't been knocked out…"
"You would have died alongside your father and me," Lily replied firmly, pushing Raven away so that she could look her daughter in the eye, "And then who would have looked after Harry?"
Suddenly realizing that she had forgotten Harry, Raven turned to see her little brother watching the two women with wide eyes.
"Harry," Raven called softly, "Come say hi to your mother…."
"Mummy…" Harry breathed in awe before rushing forward, "Mummy!"
"My beautiful boy," Lily whispered as Harry dove into her arms; an instant later, Raven found herself wrapped in Lily's arms as well as her mother held them both tight, the three of them slowly sinking to the floor, "My beautiful children. I am so bloody proud of the two of you."
That was too much for Raven; having her mother hold her again was just too damn much for her, and she collapsed into heartbreaking sobs as Lily held her and her brother tight to her body until, finally, it felt like Raven had run out of tears to shed.
"How are you here?" Raven asked when she finally managed to pull herself together, "How is this possible?"
"I am but a piece of Lily Potter, left behind to keep Harry safe," Lily replied sadly,
"The ritual you used to protect him from Voldemort…." Raven breathed in awe, "You're my brother's protection from Voldemort!"
"Indeed," Lily smiled, "But my protection is waning due to Trigon's possession of Harry. If he is not stopped soon, I shall disappear altogether."
"I can't beat him!" Raven cried in anguish, "My powers don't work in here, and he's too strong!"
"Oh, my sweet girl," Lily said gently, touching Raven's cheek, "You're wrong. You have a type of strength that Trigon can never hope to match: love. It's what drove you to rescue your little brother, and it's what drives you to protect him, even with your own life if necessary."
The house suddenly shook, making Raven look around in fear for a moment before Lily spoke again,
"Our time here grows short, my beautiful babies. You must go and finish Trigon, once and for all!"
Raven bit her lip as a wave of sorrow too great for her to ignore tore through her; casting her eyes to Harry, who was still clinging to Lily's robe, Raven suddenly felt like she was a small child again.
"I don't want to go…" Raven said softly, tears running freely down her cheeks, "I want to stay here with you and Harry…."
Lily smiled at her daughter, and its beauty was something beyond words as Lily replied in a soft voice,
"I want that too, my beautiful night bird. But Harry needs you to save him; he needs his big sister to take him home. Until the day comes when we'll all be together again. Goodbyes, after all, aren't forever, you know."
Feeling like her heart was breaking in two, Raven rose slowly to her feet and pulled Harry from Lily's arms as he struggled for all he was worth,
"No!" Harry sobbed, "No! I want my mummy!"
Slowly rising to her feet, Lily held out her hand towards the back door,
"He knows you are coming, but if you remember what I said, he will have no chance against you."
With an almost inhuman amount of effort, Raven forced herself to walk to the door, dragging her sobbing brother with her; as she placed her hand on the doorknob, Raven turned back one final time to her mother, who hadn't moved and was smiling at them with all the love she could bring to bear.
"I love you, Mom," Raven whispered, "And I always will."
"And I, you, my beautiful child," Lily replied, "Now go and save your little brother."
Too consumed with grief to reply, Raven nodded and opened the door; taking a shaky breath, Raven closed her eyes and stepped through, the door closing behind her with a snap.
Once the two were gone, a cloaked figure stepped out from the shadows and approached Lily,
"I'm surprised you didn't tell her about me," the figure hissed, causing Lily to turn to it with an amused smirk,
"They will find out about you soon enough. After all, you're as much a part of Harry as I am."
"Let us hope you are right," the figure replied after a moment of silence, "Should Trigon prevail, it will mean the death of not just my chosen but the entire galaxy."
"My children will NOT fail," Lily smirked as she turned back to the fireplace, "Of that, I am completely sure."
XXXX
"Fall, you bastard!" Batman snarled as he backflipped away from Trigon, throwing a handful of explosives at the demon, which latched onto his chest and exploded, creating a blanket of smoke that filled the hallway.
The few remaining members of the League that were still standing had been trying to slow Trigon down for what seemed like an eternity now; yet, it seemed as though they were running out of time as Trigon grew ever closer to the room where Dr. Fate and Raven were meditating.
For a few seconds, Batman hoped that they had finally stopped the monster; that hope was dashed a moment later when Trigon leaped out of the smoke with a roar and delivered a devastating punch to Batman's face, rocking his head back. Before Batman could recover, Trigon grabbed his head in both hands and smashed his knee into Batman's face, causing the hero to fall backward with a groan.
"Pathetic mortal," Trigon spat before stepping over Batman's prone form and continuing his way toward where his daughter was hiding; it was long past time he ended her continued annoyance of him.
Trigon had barely taken two steps when Superman crashed into him from behind, picking up the demon and carrying him through the adjacent wall and the next one on the other side of that as well.
"Get OFF!" Trigon roared in rage, bringing his elbow into Superman's face and causing the hero to stumble backward; spinning, Trigon cracked Superman in the jaw, rocking his head to the side before following up with an open palm strike to the Kryptonian's chest, sending him flying a few feet backward. Spitting a wad of blood in annoyance, Trigon glared at the only mortal that he had met who could actually pose a challenge to him; the fight had affected Superman just as much as it had Trigon, and the demon smiled as he took in his adversary's appearance.
Superman's uniform was ripped almost to shreds; the top half and the cape were long since gone, leaving him shirtless and wearing only his pants with half a dozen holes and patches in them.
A claw-like slash descended diagonally from Superman's left shoulder to the center of his chest, just one of a dozen different injuries that the hero had sustained during this interminable battle, and yet even with all those injuries, the Kryptonian looked as though he was just getting started, which just pissed Trigon off more.
"How dare you stand in my way, mortal!" Trigon roared, "I am a god! Who are you to defy my will?!"
"Just an ordinary man," Superman spat back, "But the only way you're getting to that room is through me!"
"Raaaaaaaggggghhhh!" Trigon snarled as he leaped forward,
"Burn!" Superman snarled a moment before his heat vision burst from his eyes and slammed into Trigon's chest, making him cry out in pain; as Trigon continued to cry out, Superman strode forward one step at a time, increasing the power that was coming out of his eyes.
"Burn?!" Trigon snarled, raising his hand to block the beams, "I was born of fire, fool!"
Rushing forward, Trigon clamped his hand over Superman's eyes, blocking his heat vision before kneeing the hero in the groin; as Superman doubled over in pain, Trigon brought his right elbow onto Superman's back, driving him to his knees before following up with a knee to Superman's chin, sending the Kryptonian onto his back.
Not sparing the fallen hero a second glance, Trigon jumped over him and dashed out of the room as fast as he could, determined to stop his daughter before she managed to break his hold on her brother.
XXXX
As she watched Trigon dash out of the room that he and Superman had just crashed into, Wonder Woman growled in fury before raising her hand to her ear,
"Jonn, where are you?! We can't hold him back for much longer!"
"I've reached the Tower; I'm entering it now!" The swift reply made Wonder Woman smile in relief; they might survive this, yet!
XXXX
Trigon dashed around the corner and smiled in victory; the door was at the end of the hallways, and as soon as he killed his traitorous daughter, Harry's body would be his, and this entire world would burn beneath his feet as it was always meant to!
As Trigon arrogantly strutted towards his target, he suddenly stopped in shock as someone literally rose out of the floor in front of him before becoming solid; it was a green alien wearing a dark blue cape and matching shorts and boots while across his chest was a red X pattern harness.
"You will go no further," J'onn J'onzz stated calmly as he raised his fists defensively, "Your path of destruction ends here."
"Oh, come on!" Trigon snarled angrily, "How many of you cockroaches are going to keep popping up!"
"As many as it takes to knock you out of that poor boy's body!" J'onn replied, his red eyes narrowing in anger, "Surrender now, or I will make you!"
"Every mortal in this Tower has fallen before me," Trigon sneered, "What makes you think you will be any different?!"
"I don't have to defeat you," J'onn replied, "I only have to keep you from entering that room long enough for Dr. Fate and Raven to break your hold on Harry's soul."
Snarling at the truth of the matter, Trigon unleased his tentacles and charged forward, determined to destroy this nuisance, just as he had destroyed every other hero he had encountered in this damn Tower!
The tentacles joined together into one spiraled spear that shot forward as fast as thought the moment before it connected. However, J'onn turned intangible, causing the spear to pass harmlessly through him.
"Is that the best you can do?" J'onn asked mockingly, causing Trigon to snarl in near-apoplectic rage,
"Not even close, mortal!"
XXXX
Author's Note:
Yes, I know how much you all hate cliffhangers, and I know how you will all be after my blood for stopping here, BUT this chapter is the longest one to date, measuring sixteen pages long and eight thousand words. I've written, deleted, and rewritten this chapter four times, so I hope it holds up to what you guys are accustomed to. If not, let me know where I went wrong or if there's something else you want to see. Now, I know what some of you will be asking,
"Who is the cloaked figure with Lily?" and "What did she mean by 'her chosen?'"
Well… guess you'll just have to read and find out, won't ya? 😊