Chapter Text
Earth 12098 (These are random ass numbers don't COME FOR ME)
So many lives lost.
So many lost that the pain itself could take the remaining heroes down. Swallow their hope with no chance of spitting it back out. They barely escaped with their lives. With their limbs. Though John had come in clutch with his last minute teleportation circle. They come out of it gasping. Raven slumping to the ground as her nose bleeds. Her vision spinning out. Her eyes find Jason beside her. Groaning and screaming in pain. His arms misshapen and bruised from being broken under Darksied's grasp. He chokes on his pain and she cannot bare to see it. Damian is still out. His head lightly bleeding and she worried that he wouldn't make it through. Wally is vomiting off to the side. Having watched his best friend be torn in half. He didn't know if he could get the image out of his head. Raven knew this idea was a bad one. She knew that Darksied was too strong.
No one listened.
Now most of her friends are dead.
Kori's inspiring speech still rattled in her mind though she knew now how little it meant in the grand scheme of things. Everyone was so amped up on the emotions of it that they didn't stop to think about just how powerful this man had been. To remove everyone else from the board. She groans sitting up and ignoring the rattling in her brain. John curses under his breath looking through spell book after spell book. Raven watches him as she moves to Jason's side. She knew he would heal, quicker than most. However, he would still out of commission for quite some time if she didn't heal him.
"Don't do that love" John says, his eyes flickering to her intentions.
"John he's hurt. I can't just ignore that" She says, he slams the book closed.
"I need you to conserve your powers. We are going to need it" He says, the guilt weighs on him. He had gotten his love killed. Zatanna locked eyes with him as she was ripped apart, rib cage cracking as the claws of the beast that killed her tore into her. He could still see her eyes as she died. He could still hear her screams.
"Need it for what?" Raven asks her voice breaking. "There is nothing else to do. Everyone's gone. Our team is dead. My team is dead! Jason is broken and Damian might not wake up."
"There is one last thing. One thing I should have done." John says he begins drawing a large circle on the floor of the batcave.
"What are you talking about?" Raven asks, her eyes narrowing at the brit.
"I am talking about the multiverse. I am talking about reversing what was happened. We need help to do this. We need...those who have already been taken. Though they haven't been taken in every universe. We just need to bring them here" he says, Raven shakes her head.
"We can't reverse this, messing with the timeline is what got us into this mess" Wally says still gagging on the images. The gore.
"This is our only chance." John says finishing the circle. "We can get superman back, we can get batman, Dr. Fate, we can get the heroes that know how to handle this. Something that Darksied wanker won't see coming" John explains, he looks like a mad man as he stares angrily as the circle. He grabs Raven's arm dragging her into the center of it. "That's where you come in love. I need a boost"
"I don't know if I can. I barely have enough to heal Jason" She says, he shakes his head.
"Just do what you can" He says, she nods looking back her lover. When he came to her asking for her help she didn't think it would be on this level. She didn't think that he meant it when he said it was the fate of the world.
John begins his incantation, gold sparks spinning under him as he reaches forward into time and space. Raven releases her powers within a deep breath as the gem on her forehead glows brightly. She feels her powers being siphoned almost mixing with the gold and opening a portal that looks like a black storm with gold lightening strikes. John's words become more aggressive as he reaches into the storm and they both try to picture who they want to summon. Raven's powers grow more hectic as she screams into the void. The images of Jason being broken. The images of her losing against this foe cloud her and with a thunderous boom they are both flown back.
The dust hasn't settled yet. Raven's nose was bleeding far more than it had when she got here. She was so busy looking down at her hand she hadn't seen if their plan worked. Her fingers were shaking she noticed.
"What the fuck?" a voice booms, whispers and gasps of shock erupt into the room. She snaps her head up. Various variants of Raven, Jason, and some new faces look around confused. The Raven from this Earth looks up, her body weak and her mind stinging with an ever lasting pain. She meets the eyes of one of her variants and curses.
"Good one Love, I think you ruined our only option."
"Okay okay, I know this is weird" Raven begins, she met with a chorus of scoffs and curses.
"Ummm how many of you are familiar with the multiverse?" John begins, he raises a pointed brow and every single hero raises their hand. One of the Raven's who looks older, in her thirties glances down at this Earth's Jason and points to him.
"Is he okay?" She asks grimacing.
"Does he look okay mom?" A shorter black haired woman asks, wearing a similar suit to her mothers.
"Mom?!" Everyone asks in unison looking at the older woman.
"I think this might be less confusing if everyone get's a nickname" Wally says "I am already getting a headache"
"Can you heal him?" Raven asks the older version of himself, She nods and bends down in front of the younger version of her husband. Healing him hastily. He groans with relief as his bones snap back into place.
"Everyone can Call me Jay" a Jason says, his suit is different than the others. A red Muzzle and red leather jacket. Tattoos cover his arms and a red ring on his hand. His Wife pipes up.
"I guess you can call me Rae." She says
"How are we sure this isn't another Evelyn situation?" Jay says, Rae nudges him with her elbow.
"I think what my husband means to ask is, how do we know this is multiverse and not shapeshifting" She says, Jason moves to the super computer typing away and on the screen takes over multiple views of the state of the world. Of the fire, and the wilderness. Dead bodies of heroes and civilians. Collective gasps.
"Is this Phobius?" A red head asks, her shorter blonde friend looks at her with a look of anxiety and her boyfriend a Jason Variant who...doesn't quite look like Jason, becomes nervous.
"Who? No this was Darksied." Jason answers, he looks at the group in confusion. He had never seen them before aside from the similarities of that variant. The man looks back at him, seeing the J scar across his cheek.
"What's with scarface?" the man asks
"Joker" is all Jason responds with
"You can call me Peter" The older version of the Jason's say, His suit is also different than the other Red Hood's. He wears a bulkier helmet and he wears almost military gear. Blacked out with no Red bat symbol on his chest. His wife nods smiling.
"You can call me Rachel" She replies, it is all named everyone is familiar with so far. Until they get to their daughter. She rolls her eyes and sighs.
"I'm Evangeline. You can call me as such. I don't see anyone else here who looks like me" She says, and she is correct. She is from the rare multiverse where Raven and Jason choose to have children. "So wait, why don't you just get Bruce and his kids after this? Bruce wouldn't let this happen"
"Bruce is dead" Jason grinds out
"There is no one else." Raven replies, this earns a collective sigh from everyone.
"So let me get this straight. We have, Jay and Rae. Peter and Rachel, their daughter Evangeline, Raven and Jason, we still have a couple of you unaccounted for" Wally says, A man in a Red X costume raises his hand.
"I'm Red X. I'll let her name herself" He says pointing down to his girlfriend.
"You can just call me...."She thinks "Roth"
OKay....so Red X and Roth. What about you two?" Wally asks looking at the also slightly older couple. Both exchange looks.
"We're retired. We haven't fought anyone in years" the Raven between them answers "I guess...You can call me...Sunshine everything else is taken"
"I think I prefer Littlebird" Jason says, this stiffen's Sunshine and she gazes at him with a murderous intent.
"No. That name is off limits" Sunshine's Jason says, no one questions it. "Call me Red Hood."
"Got it, what about you three..." Wally asks
"I'm Shade, this is Adapta and Ignite" that Jason answers
"We're from a different Universe than ours as well" Adapta says
"What do you two do?" Rae asks
"Well my name pretty much covers it. I adapt. I can't die. If I die on this earth it just bounces me to another" She replies, Ignite rubs her friends shoulders in reassurance. "Ignite does everything heat related."
"Well what's with the headphones?" Evangeline asks the attention is now drawn to the fire spitters accessories. The bright Red wireless headphones that cover her ears. She nervously looks between the group and then to her friend. Seemingly having a conversation without words. Adapta looks up and bites her lip nervously.
"She has issues with noises. If we all want to make it passed this conversation I would leave them be" She says, this unsettles many but they drop it. Rae and Jay exchange looks nervously, no one expected to be taken out of their own universe today and coming to one where no one is alive...isn't too welcoming.
A groan sounds off that has everyone looking behind the group. Rae spots Damian's bleeding head and gasps.
"Damian!" She runs to his side healing him. As she comes into focus he realizes just how different she looks. More matured than the one he recently met.
"Okay well now that we are mostly acquainted what the fuck is going on here?" Red Hood asks, he stands more protectively in front of his Raven, the others take notice. To her scarred skin and civilian clothes.
"Barry Allan, he changed the timeline and now Darksied is trying to take over the world. He has destroyed everything in his path. Every hero. Even the villains that didn't want the world to end. We are utterly alone" Raven says, "We thought we could sneak up on him but he was ready for us. He...killed our entire team. We need help not only defeating him but reversing what he's done."
"Why not just go back in time again?" Peter says
"It's off the table" Wally says, his voice is shaky and breathy.
"So...if you guys couldn't it, what makes you think we will have any luck? We are you guys" Sunshine says
"Yes but, not every variant is like us. Some are older, different experiences, maybe different abilities" Raven says
"I think she has a point. I mean I don't think every Jason here only uses guns" Peter replies, Jay looks over him, taking note of the tattoos and nods in approval.
"Nice ink" Jay says, Peter looks down at his arm, then Jay's arms
"Likewise"
"I think none of us are asking the right question" Shade begins, he overlooks his variants. They aren't scarred. They seem more normal than him. Did he survive his own version of Jugular in every universe but his own? "This mission could kill us as well, why would we die for a universe that isn't our own?"
"Well I can't die. I'm in" Adapta says glaring at Shade, he returns it and looks back to the others.
"I can make sure that if you die you get teleported back to your own world." John says, Ignite looks down at Adapta and then back to Shade once again having a conversation without talking. Wordlessly communicating and sending unsure shivers down everyone's spines.
"Uhhh that might be a problem" Adapta says "Our world doesn't exist anymore"
"What do you mean?" Rae asks
"Well, our world was destroyed by Phobius, we only survived because I can't die and I grabbed Ignite. Otherwise like our team and like our world we would have been nothing. We came into his world by chance. If we die here...how do we know we will get sent back with him?" Adapta says, Ignite nods and holds onto Shade's hand tightly. Something that stings the other Raven's. Watching someone who looks like their Jason love someone else. For two it brings up old sour memories.
"I can link you guys" Raven offers
"It's what I did to Jason. As long as I am alive he can't die. To allow his body to self heal" She says, Adapta and Ignite exchange looks one more time. Then nod seemingly coming to a silent agreement. Shade sighs and runs his hands through his brown hair.
"Fine. We're in."
A red alarm blares overhead and it captures the attention of the group. They look around harshly. The computer blaring a red notification screen that reads. INTRUDER ALERT. A dark figure rolls into the center of the cave and hands are up at his side. Sunshine's breath gets caught in her throat and she shakes where she stands. Blinking harshly as images of her time in the bunker flood her mind.
"No" She whimpers as her eyes fall onto the man. With his half Gold mask and half Black mask. He looks over the group, turning to also see this earth's heroes.
"So, I guess it's true. Batman is gone" He says, Red Hood has already cocked his gun and there seems to be a chorus of it. Every single one pointed at him. "I'm not here to be a problem...though I am going to need answers as to why I am seeing multiple versions of Raven"
"What are you doing here Slade?" Raven asks
"Hoped Bats would be able to help with the threat. If anyone could survive this it's him and his cockroaches for children" He grounds out, Raven swallows.
"This is it. Everyone else is gone" She says.
"We aren't working with him" Red Hood says Sunshine seems catatonic behind him. Whispering and muttering things to herself. Calming things. Rae takes notice and extends a hand siphoning her emotions.
"We might not have a choice Lad, I know that on your universe he may have been trouble. Here though, we may need him" John answers, Red Hood shakes his head.
"Trouble is a severe understatement" He replies
"I think we should all calm down" Rae says, her eyes taking on a sight no one here as seen before. Aside from her own Jason. Her red iris's and black void like darkness surrounding it where the whites should be. "As much as I don't like it either, we may need his help. Between all of us there isn't much he can't do to hurt us. Right Sunshine?"
"He...you don't understand what he-"
"I do...I get it." Rae assures, Sunshine meets her eyes and it might be because it is herself from another universe but she trusts her. She allows her to calm her. Even though the new set of eyes are deeply unsettling.
"I came with information" Slade announces "Darksied is sending out another wave tomorrow. Kill any one left. We can use it though to get onto his ship. Once he opens the Boom tube we need to wait until the wave is deployed and sneak onto his ship. Take him out"
"Fine, but you if so much as look at my wife I will shoot your jaw off. I killed you in my world. I will kill you in this one" Red Hood growls, Slade normally wouldn't be afraid of the gunslinger though with how many of them are giving him the same murderous look. He didn't doubt it.
"If we are concerned about him, perhaps I could be of some help" Ignite finally speaks up, the attention moves to her as she lifts her hand and electricity seems to crackle around her fingertips. "I can kill him before he blinks, by zapping his brain with the same tiny electrical pulses in his brain."
"That's so fucking cool" Evangeline mutters
After the initial shock had worn off, and the tensions cooled. A plan actually began to formulate. Though it was difficult at first with the distractions of everyone being curious about each other's earth's. Evangeline is mainly curious about Ignite and Adapta. Looking at them as if they are the coolest people she had ever met. Though Ignite doesn't take her eyes off of Slade. Watching his every movement and being sure if he tries to attack she can drop him at a moment's notice.
"So let me get this straight, you and you and you have killed on your earth and Bruce doesn't care?" Red X asks, Jay, Peter, and Red Hood all exchange glances.
"Well, he doesn't know on mine" Red Hood says "I killed Slade because he was going to be a problem. Because he hurt Sunshine over there."
"Same for me" Jay offers
"I don't talk to that asshole so I don't fucking know or care" Peter says, he receives a glare from his wife and he sighs. "Bruce and I got along for a minute after Evangeline was born but...he couldn't stop hating Rav-sorry Rachel enough to be a good grandfather"
"He wanted me to bind her powers." Rachel offers as an explanation. Rae and Jay look to each other seemingly glad she chose to keep herself from having children.
"I think...we may have a better turn out that we initially thought" John says, everyone turn's their attention to him. He points to Shade. "In your universe...you have super powers"
"Yes"
"Because of the pit?" Jay asks, Shade glances at him
"In a way." He answers
"We can use that, we need your strength" John says "I have been going over your worlds. Trying to figure out how to use each of you in the best way. The safest way. I don't want to put the retired couple on the frontlines."
"So what will we do?" Sunshine asks
"How practiced is your magic still?" John asks "I haven't gotten to your world yet"
"I use it daily. Just not to fight" She answers, it answers his question but not completely and John has to stop himself from face palming.
"I think then, I might have you on healing duty. How many of your Raven's can teleport?" John asks, every single one raises their hand and he almost chuckles, they all exchange glances and laugh. Evangeline raises her hand as well.
"I can teleport" she offers, Peter shakes his head and pulls her out of the circle
"You aren't going to be fighting." He says, she drops her jaw and shakes her head.
"That's not fair! Uncle Dick says I am getting really good! I have some of moms powers! WHY?" She asks, he scratches the chin on his helmet.
"I don't care what Dick says. You're my daughter and we don't know how dying works here. Just because you will go back to our universe doesn't mean you won't feel it. I have died. I know it hurts. You aren't feeling it" He scolds, she huffs folding her arms across her chest and rolling her violet eyes. Her mother eyes. Her mother puts an arm around her, swallowing her in her blue cloak.
"So Evangeline and Sunshine can stay here, for healing. If you get injured come here to heal before going back out. We need to make sure that we have the numbers for as long as we can." Raven says, everyone seems to nod but Evangeline who is still pouting.
"Good, Rae and Jay you will be on the frontlines. We could use your....ruthlessness" John says, Rae smirks and folds her arms across her chest. Her allowance of her demon half to come to play has made her more powerful. More of a force to be reckoned with and she planned to use it. She had used it countless times on her earth. Staying under the Batman's radar but using her abilities for her own vengeance. "Roth we may use you for more power. We need your ability to connect us emotionally."
"Got it"
"Peter, Rachel, Red Hood, Shade, Ignite, Slade. Frontlines" John commands
"Damian, Jason, Red X, and Raven will be support. Try to fuck up as much as you can on that ship" John commands. "Wally and I will be aiding."
"What about me?" Adapta asks, John bites his tongue. He doesn't know what to do with her. Her powers confused him. She doesn't die? How the fuck doesn't she die?
"Here, with Sunshine and Evangeline. I need someone to defend them in case his minions come looking." He says, she nods and everyone exchanges glances. Is this really going to happen? Are they going to be able to fight him off? Are they going to be able to reverse the horrors he has committed?