LOVE + FEAR | Damirae

SOLITAIRE

Raven decided to stay with Clark for the next few days. She didn't do much; her mind was otherwise occupied. Sorting memories, calculating her new distance from humanity (duplicating functioning versions of herself and stopping time were frightening concepts), and enduring many waves of guilt from her recent actions.

Raven wandered aimlessly around the Fortress of Solitude in her free time. She wrapped herself in Clark's crimson cloak and padded through the reflective corridors. It was like navigating a maze of mirrors.

Her eyes narrowed as every surface echoed an image of her. Just like the interrogation room. Raven caught her own amethyst gaze nearby and frowned.

Why do you have so many issues? Why are you this way...?

"You're up?"

Clark stood behind her. His many duplicates scaled the walls as he closed the distance between them. Clark didn't wear his glasses around the lofty fortress, yet it still baffled her how ordinary he looked in his many plaid-patterned shirts. He smiled at the familiar red cloak draped on her shoulders and didn't move to retrieve it.

"Night and day don't really exist here," Raven shrugged. Outside the fortress was pure white desolation for miles. It should've unnerved Raven, but she was enjoying the blank abyss. There weren't any people here, besides Clark (and Irons visiting occasionally). She hadn't had this much time to herself in a while.

"Nightmares?" Clark asked.

Raven's face fell. "Nightmares" was such a common term. It didn't seem to apply to the little horror movies that played in her head the past few nights. In most of them, she did nothing. She simply stood there, watching as another clone of herself did something awful enough to make her wake up screaming. To Raven's surprise, Clark didn't seem bothered by it at all.

"If it makes you feel any better, you had worse ones. During the Flashpoint," said Clark, his face darkening.

They had spent two years together after Darkseid invaded earth. Most of it had been spent here, hiding in the Fortress of Solitude. Raven started expecting Lois to walk out with new battle plans to take back the planet. But, of course, that never happened.

"Can we go over the timeline some more?" said Raven.

Clark nodded. She followed him back to the main console and he tapped a few keys. Holographic images filled the room.

Raven studied the cerulean scenes that glitched before her. She had been trying to sort the Flashpoint memories and put them in order. Clark had mapped out the chronological order of the events. She treaded along, studying each one.

"Can you explain Doomsday again...? I know it bothers you," Raven's expression softened as she glanced at Clark.

They stood together in front of one image. The scarlet garment wrapped around her shoulders was torn there and flapping above a pile of rubble.

"In the Flashpoint timeline, I faced him alone — and died. Most of the Justice League was placed in critical condition. In our timeline, Kara fought him and won — but she was bedridden for weeks." Clark glared at his logo rippling on the screen. "Darkseid sent him both times."

Raven shuddered. The more she remembered, the more her concern for Darkseid rose. Did he remember the Flashpoint...? If so, how would that influence his plans?

"Have you contacted Constantine about the Flashpoint?" Clark replied.

Raven looked away from the screen, meeting Clark's curious gaze. "No. I haven't spoken to anyone since I came here."

"He's probably worried about you."

"I told you, I'm nothing to John Constantine." She said quietly.

Clark studied her with an unflinching gaze. "You say that a lot. Almost like you're trying to convince yourself."

Raven scowled. "There's nothing to convince myself of...it's more of a reminder, actually."

The events of another reality shimmered away, fading into white slivers of light. The air burned bright around them for a minute, blazing with an alabaster mist before it disintegrated.

"A reminder? Why have one?" said Clark.

Raven didn't answer. She took a seat in the now-empty room and tucked Clark's cloak tighter around her figure. It was always frigid, despite the alien technology that emitted heat throughout the chamber.

Clark leaned back on the counter nearby, facing her. "I told you about the other timeline...maybe you could tell me about this one. How did you even cross paths with John Constantine?"

Raven smirked and grimaced at the same time. "It was...an accident. Right after I had left Themyscira. I was supposed to return to San Francisco. They dropped me off in London instead. Never knew why...I almost wondered if they planned it, but the beginning...that was too cruel to plan."

Clark's head tipped to the side. "What happened? If you feel comfortable talking about it..."

Raven shifted so she was sitting criss-crossed on her chair, "I didn't know London. The Amazons gave me some cash, but it didn't last long. I was alone and...homeless, and about to attempt teleporting to San Francisco...then I ran into them."

Clark leaned forward, eyebrows furrowed. "Who?"

"Promise you won't laugh?"

"Um, okay, sure."

"...Nuns."

Clark's face nearly contorted into a smile, but shock was more prominent. Raven continued, "I don't actually know why they abducted me — or for what specific reason, I should say. I wasn't with them for long until it came."

"What came?"

Raven flashed a painful smile. "The day I met John Constantine."

—>*<—

Barry Allen: Don't you think you guys should be proceeding with more caution on timeline-stuff after Mr. Blue Naked Guy's foreboding warning...? You killed the Author, so there's no one else to blame here!

Harley Quinn: Road Runner's right. Madame Red, you're out.

Jason Todd: Wha—EXCUSE ME??? And how dare you call me something from one of Tim's animes!

Tim Drake: If Jason was really a character from Black Butler, he would totally be the red-headed grim reaper that's a total horn-dog.

Jason Todd: Thank you. I think that's the best compliment you've ever given me.

Harley Quinn: *raises baseball bat* Sorry Robbin 2.0, time to go. Oh, that rhymed!

Jason Todd: *aims guns* Fine! We duel for the right to write this damn story!! Dammit now I rhymed!!

Author: Oh! Aim for the face!!

Everyone:

Everyone:

Everyone:

Jason Todd: WHAT THE— *Harley Quinn hits him with a baseball bat*

Author: Hi c:

Duke Thomas: Wha—you're back??? How? You were dead!! There was a corpse and everything!

Author: Oh, please! You think you're the only characters that have killed me and taken over the story? There was the Deadpool Crisis of 2016 (the chapter titles were grotesque!) and Illidan Stormrage's little temper tantrum two years back.

Clark Kent: This is a recurring thing...? 0.o

Billy Batson: I really what know what happened in the Deadpool Crisis.

Author: Access denied, pal. To ALL of you. I'm taking this story back—and our next chapter is going to be one of the most vivid scenes I planned for this book! LOVE, FORTUNE AND GLORY TO YOU, AWESOME PEOPLE!!