Demons (Damirae)

Chapter Eighty-Two

Zeela- now out of her bartender uniform, having finished her shift- took the stool next to the half-elf and called the attention of the group he sat with. Tyrone, Lahra and Jackson swivelled to face her (with the half-Norse warrior downing her fourth pint of the night) listening eagerly as the sea-dweller ushered them.

"Listen, I've just heard from Jason,", Jackson grinned at the mention of his best bro's name and Zeela continued, "and he's just told me that Damian and Raven told everyone today,", there was an audible collective intake of breath, "they're officially together!"

True to their rambunctious natures, the other three caused quite the scene- well, Jackson and Lahra did, being infinitely louder than the studious Tyrone. Jackson's hollering and whooping was drowned out only by Lahra announcing a round of drinks on her tab for the whole club, cheers ensuing with vigour.

Lahra plonked back down on to her bar stool, "Its about time, Aphrodite hasn't given us any decent entertainment for the last three hundred years!"

"You can say that again."

***

After confirming to Damian that she was indeed alive and hadn't been glared to death by his father, Raven rejoined the cake-eating-and-conversation going on in the Hall. She was congratulated on surviving Bruce Wayne by most members present until the man himself entered the room: he had stayed a few minutes longer outside, collecting thoughts as they drifted along like papers stress about, carried by the chilling breeze.

A few minutes along the line, Clark and Lois were announcing their leave, only to be met with Alfred's insistence that they stay. "We have room enough.", he stressed. "Though I reckon Master Bruce won't be needing the company tonight.", he chuckled, glancing at the billionaire, who appeared to be subtler flirting with Selina Kyle, insinuating where this Valentine's night would lead.

Deliberating it among themselves, the Kents came to the conclusion that it wouldn't be a terrible idea to spend the night in the luxurious manor in a spacious suite with a king-size bed and insulated walls...if you get what I mean... Besides, it would give them the chance to see Jonathan off for school the next day, something they didn't often get to do. Yeah, Jonathan, that's what it was all about.

Bruce's watch bleeped and the room was alert.

The Batcomputer had picked up on something. Superman was at the ready, his ears searching for any trouble from the Manor to Gotham's slums. Unsurprisingly, he found a LOT that was wrong. But nothing to trigger the response the watch had given- the shrill bleeping saved only for dire situations.

A League Emergency.

***

"It's a new threat, no one we've ever faced before.", Cyborg said to the half-full table. On a good day they'd get three-quarters if the main JLA members...this wasn't a good day. Aquaman had turned up grumpy as an old goat that his romantic night with Mera was ruined- despite the fact that his wife had come with him to the emergency meeting. It seemed there were many disgruntled faces in the JLA meeting room (this Valentine's wouldn't apparently feature 'getting lucky').

Hal groaned, "What've we got then- because if you've called me away from that tall glass of-", Batman glowered at him from the head of the table and he huffed, "Just get down to it already!"

Vic raised his metal arm and it projected footage in to the space over the table. The scene of a woman levelling a four-storey building to the ground with a single clenching if her fist played before them; then came several videos, only a few seconds long, of other scenes of destruction with the woman at the centre, her hands radiating a strange red energy; and finally a series of close-ups of the woman's face and hands.