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Chapter 36 - Arrival
🕑 Added 2025-09-26 15:03:37 +0000 UTCJump City
Raven was a couple of years younger than she was in Teen Titans but otherwise looked much the same.
“I won’t ask again. How do you know about me? Who are you working for?” The young girl was haggard, most likely due to being chased by the cult, and it showed in her demeanor. Rather than the dispassionate look she carried, Raven looked irritated.
Not good.
Miles didn’t let it deter him from talking the girl down. “I am working with the Justice League; I am sure you have heard about them.”
His answer only made Raven increase the pressure. “Everyone knows the Justice League, but I don’t remember seeing you with them on the news.”
“I work behind the scenes. You know what? Why don’t I call Superman or Flash here and we settle this matter?” That calmed Raven slightly, and breathing became easier.
“Maybe.”
“As for how I know you, I make it my business to know about people of interest such as yourself.”
“That doesn’t explain how you know about my father. In fact, only me and those damn cultists know about Trigon.” Red, thin cracks appeared beneath Raven’s eyes, a sign that she was getting significantly volatile.
If she lost control now, they were definitely in trouble.
Miles spoke through the gradually strengthening grip the sorceress had on them. “Raven, I know you don’t want to hear it, but you cannot afford to lose control now.”
The pressure increased more before it eased off, and Miles knew there were going to be bruises. The cracks disappeared, and Raven took deep breaths to calm herself.
“We are not your enemies; in fact, as far as I see, we are fighting for the same cause: ensuring Trigon does not lay waste to Earth.”
Raven observed them beneath the shadow cast by her hood before setting the three of them free.
Rubbing his throbbing ribs, Miles gazed at Claire, who was getting ready to retaliate, and the young pyrokinetic stood down.
“Thank you. I am Miles Beckett, this is my bodyguard, Claire, and Question is one of the greatest detectives in the world.” Miles introduced himself and his companions, though Raven only had her eyes on Question.
“I realized from the way he followed me.” Leave it to the most paranoid man on Earth to track an elusive person like Raven.
“You hid in my shadow while I was tracking you in the warehouse.” Victor had noticed something he had not encountered before happen in the warehouse but could not locate the source.
Who had just shown herself.
Raven narrowed her eyes, promising to keep an eye on the faceless person. In fact, half the reason she was suspicious of Question was him having a literal blank face. “Yeah, you weren’t easy to dupe. I thought those idiots hired you to find me and decided to use you to find where they were hiding. I didn’t expect this, though.”
“Now that the hostilities are out of the way and we are acquainted, there are more important matters to discuss.” Raven was safe, which meant they did not have to worry about the cult having her, and if she agreed to join them, infiltrating the club would only be a smoother endeavor.
“You guys are infiltrating the club, right? I am coming too.”
That was quick.
“And you are welcome, provided you can avoid detection.” She could hide in a person’s shadow, but there was still the possibility that the cult possessed arcane means of tracking individuals, and being detected would not end well.
They had limited firepower and no intel on what the cultists had in store.
Raven, however, felt confident in her abilities, and Miles had no option but to take it.
“Then we should discuss our plan…”
—
Arrival
Grand Opening
Miles exited the limo, tying his suit’s buttons, followed by Claire in a red dress. Question was lurking around, waiting for Miles to help him inside. Holding his arm out to his date of convenience, Miles presented his invite to the bouncer.
Checking the invite, the beefy bouncer handed it back before looking at the briefcase Miles was carrying. “We need to see the inside of the briefcase.”
“Of course.” Miles smiled and opened the briefcase, revealing the antique statue inside.
“Some wealthy shareowners of the club are interested in this piece. I hope it won’t inconvenience you.” It was the same piece as the one Cassius owned, except it was a well-made plastic copy.
Not that the guards could tell the difference, since they were smuggling a briefcase, not an antique.
The guards knew better than to ask questions and let them pass. “It’s fine; you may go in, sir and madam.”
Hiding in Miles’ shadow, Raven had her free ride inside.
The club was full of deep, dark colors, lights flashing on and off, and loud music. Employees, whether cultists or unwitting ordinary citizens, all wore the same uniform, with the Mark of Skath.
Navigating through the densely populated club, Miles finally found a place out of sight. The entrance to the underground space was in the largest VIP lounge, only reserved for the cultists and their wealthy backers.
Getting inside would be difficult, but first he had to help Question.
Miles checked his phone and saw the message confirming that the delivery truck had stopped near the club, ready to unload its cargo, with Question hiding inside a crate that was supposed to contain high-quality alcoholic beverages.
It was time to head to the storage room, and the building plans had proven useful.
“Sir, this area is staff only; please turn back.” The guard in front of the storage room stopped them.
“Ah, my date and I were just looking for a private place since the lounges are occupied.” Even in the dim light, Miles noticed the hickey on the guard’s neck. “I’m sure you understand.”
The guard did not waver. “You should just wait for one of the lounges to be empty.”
“Of course, I wouldn’t wish to get you in trouble.” Miles smiled, turning back as if ready to leave. Taking out his wallet, he wanted to see if the guard was a cultist or just an employee. “Ah, where is that business card of Mr. Cassius? Perhaps he can arrange something.” He made a show of searching for the card, and the guard’s eyes were stuck on the thick stack of bills.
“Maybe we can arrange something, sir.” The guard’s demeanor suddenly changed at seeing the money.
Miles took out five hundred dollar bills, discretely holding them out to the guard, and passed another five hundred, seeing that the guard wasn’t satisfied.”
“I didn’t see you.”
—
Getting inside wasn’t as simple as getting out, because the guard would only be expecting two people to leave.
Searching in silence, they found Victor quickly thanks to the neon bright orange fragile sticker on the crate. Quickly helping him out, Claire sealed the crate to avoid suspicion.
“I’ll distract the guard; be ready.”
—
Waiting for a couple of minutes to avoid suspicion, Miles and Claire left the storage room. Standing diagonally to the door, Miles pulled out five more bills. “For your discretion.”
“Thank you, sir.” The bouncer quickly pocketed the cash, and Question slipped out of the room like a ghost, quickly disappearing into the shadows.
—
Question was inside, ready to sabotage the club to disperse the visitors, while Miles and Claire looked for a way inside the VIP lounge. Cassius, being a wealthy backer, had a standing reservation but was too busy with the police to attend the grand opening.
“Excuse me, I had a meeting with Mr. Cassius Korrin; is he in yet?” Miles asked the man standing guard in the VIP lounge. There were two cameras watching the entrance on each side, connected both to the lounge and the security room, making any forced entry result in discovery.
“No. What was the nature of your business?” Of course getting into the VIP lounge without an invitation from inside wouldn’t be an easy matter, but that’s why Claire was dressed to draw attention.
He had done his research on the group Cassius was a part of.
“Mr. Korrin has a keen eye for valuable antiques; I had an excellent piece for him. Would it be possible for me to wait inside for him?” Spending as much time in front of the cameras to draw attention was not something Miles would do under normal circumstances, but this was an exception.
The guard’s answer was as expected. “Not without confirmation from him.”
“Understandable. I suppose we will have to wait.”
“It would be a shame to let such a gorgeous woman wait outside. Come inside; you can wait for Cassius here.” A voice from the other end of the room called, and they were allowed in.
“Theodor Marchand, and you are?”
“Jason, I am acquainted with Cassius.” Jason Kalden was a playboy, an old-money kid, and could never resist a pretty face.
That was probably how he was ensnared by the cult.
Now that they had a proper invitation, all they had to do was wait for Question to act.
—
Claire was getting angry, though she had a lot of experience in hiding her true feelings.
Miles would make sure Jason Kalden paid for it.
Two more wealthy clients entered the lounge, and Miles was beginning to wonder what Question was even doing. As if the detective had heard Miles, the lights went off, plunging the already dimly lit room into total darkness.
“Finally.” There was a thump, followed by another as Claire slammed Jason’s face to the table, ruining his face, before slamming the playboy’s head to the wall, knocking him out.
“What the hell is going on?!” The other clients screamed, and Claire was quick to get up and neutralize them while Miles sipped his drink.
“Done.”
“It’s time then.”
“Aren’t we waiting for Question?” Raven asked as she slowly rose out of the ground.
“No.”
Raven ripped the secret door open, exposing the entrance while Claire’s armor quickly unfolded on her body.
With her at the front, the trio moved inside the tunnel.
—
Claire’s flames gave them just enough light to see where they were going. There were a lot of stairs to climb down, and so far, they hadn’t encountered any guards.
Which quickly changed as the door to the underground area was finally in sight. Two men, dressed in blood-red robes, stood guard, and using the darkness to her advantage, Raven slammed them to the wall rather brutally.
Beyond the door was something out of a horror movie.
Chained to the floor, hundreds of women dressed in some sort of ceremonial robes were looking at the ceiling. There were no cries, no desperate words to save themselves. Silence reigned as they stood on their knees, motionless.
“Azarath Metrion Zintos!” Raven was not inclined to show mercy, and her attack reflected that as the cultist in the center of the women was obliterated.
“Claire, help her. I’ll get the Justice League.”
The Justice League communicator worked even so far down underground, and Miles gave the signal.
Now, all he had to do was wait.
“Sister, sister, sister. Here I was looking for you all over the city, and you came to me. Had I known, I would have waited.” A demon, because the red-skinned creature with claws, sharp, long ears, teeth jutting out of his mouth, and, of course, the scalp covered in flames could be nothing else.
“Ruskoff.” Raven growled, slowly losing control at seeing her half-brother.
“So you do remem—” Ruskoff was cut off short as Raven attacked. The demon was agile and kept dodging Raven’s magical beams, though that did not deter the young girl from continuing.
As if the demon itself wasn’t enough, the cultists brought out automatic rifles, opening fire without hesitation but making sure not to shoot the dazed sacrificial women.
Too bad he didn’t have the time to smuggle weapons inside.
“Claire, leave the demon to Raven; focus on the cultists.”
Her armor offered plenty of protection, and Claire was already stomping the cultists. “Got it.”
Ruskoff, after dodging Raven’s latest attack, stood behind one of the women, and the young sorceress faltered for a second. “Our father sent you to this world for a reason.”
“Not going to happen. Now shut up and die.”
“Is that so?” Ruskoff challenged while Raven chanted her incantation, before two hands grasped the red-skinned creature, slamming him to the ground over and over again, before he had enough. Flames, far hotter than what he had seen Claire ever create, exploded out of the demon, dispelling Raven’s magic.
Ruskoff counterattacked, sending out a continuous pillar of flame, meeting Raven’s attack halfway. Slowly, the son of Trigon pushed his sister back, sending Raven to her knees, with sweat pooling on her head.
With one last scream, the flames overpowered Raven, sending her flying back. Barely able to raise her head, Raven looked at Ruskoff as the brother taunted the sister.“You think you can beat me, sister? You are weak, and Father should have never given this task to you. You and your mortal allies can’t beat me.”
Miles walked out of the rock he was hiding behind, sitting on it as he looked at the demon. “You’re right, the three of us can’t beat you, not without resorting to extreme means anyway.” It was obvious that Ruskoff was stronger than Raven now.
“See? Even your ally understands the futility of your actions.” Ruskoff grinned, only sparing the human as he admitted to the truth.
Claire was still busy with the cultists.
Miles grinned, which set the demon off. “That is why I called in the cavalry.” He confessed, and the demon looked confused. “The cavalry?”
The entrance exploded, sending pieces of concrete flying away, and the Justice League appeared as the dust dissipated.
Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern, Flash, Hawkgirl, and Martian Manhunter stood shoulder to shoulder.
Miles walked away from where he was standing between Ruskoff and the League. “Gentlemen, ladies, I’ll leave them in your tender mercies.”
Ruskoff was frozen like a deer in headlights and couldn’t even attempt to dodge as Wonder Woman, upon seeing the chained women, flew across the room and nailed the demon in the face, sending him crashing to the wall.
Diana’s golden lasso flashed out and caught Trigon’s son by the neck before she pulled him towards Hawkgirl. Planting one foot behind, Shayera swung her mace with all her might, caving Ruskoff’s face in with red, boiling blood splattering through the air.
The demon went flying once again, and Diana pulled the infernal creature closer for the finishing move, pummeling the demon to the ground with one earthshattering punch.
The rest of the League weren’t idle as well and turned their attention to the cultists. Nothing more than armed goons, they couldn’t do anything as the superheroes folded them in half like paper.
“Explain.” Batman demanded.
“Cultists trying to summon Trigon. The demon is one of his sons. The women are sacrifices.” Miles summarized the situation as curtly as possible since Batman seemed grumpier than usual.
It was understandable in this case.
“Why didn’t you say so before?”
“We weren’t entirely sure what was going on.” Since he was sure nothing like this had happened, Miles didn’t want to jump to any conclusions.
Not like it wasn’t over anyway.
Comments
Jimmy Golden
Great chapter!
