DC: Don't Utter A Word

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[David Lance POV]

I sighed and nervously looked at Raven, my apprehension growing in the presence of her unwavering gaze. I wanted to keep her out of this, but that wasn't an option anymore. I knew I had to tell her about the situation, but I was unsure how.

It seemed to me that every time I wanted to tell her something, my hands would fail me as if my mind was too overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation. Especially now that she was here, because with her here, I had everything on the line.

~Raven... I...~ I signed, but a short sigh from Raven stopped me.

Gazing at her, I noticed Raven smile ever so slightly at me, a small comforting gesture that seemed to ease my struggling mind. Her violet-blue eyes were full of understanding and compassion, and without a warning, she placed her hand on my cheek, and as if magic, it felt like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders just for that moment.

"You're not alone David, not anymore," Raven spoke, her voice a gentle whisper.

Locking my eyes with hers, our hands intertwined, and with a deep breath, I allowed myself to be comforted by her presence, by the welcoming warmth of her very being. Then, with a deep exhale, I pushed through the doubts that were circulating within my mind.

~In my quest for vengeance, I allowed the universe to be left open and undefended,~ I signed, my mind flashing with images of Darkseid and Brainiac.

Raven opened her mouth but closed it again as if reconsidering what she wanted to say.

~I won't lie and say I regret what I did, because I don't,~ I sighed, taking a step back from Raven and looking away in shame. ~But that doesn't make all of this any less my responsibility.~

"Then... Why don't we prepare the universe to fight? Instead of fighting this yourself alone?" Raven asked.

I smiled ever so slightly at her reply, slowly raising my eyes to meet hers. ~I guess I never thought of that. If we take that path, we would need to restore the balance of power Superman, and I broke. Meaning, the lanterns need to return, Shazam needs to return, and last but not least, the Justice League needs to return.~

"If we take this path, how much time do we have?" Raven asked calmly.

~A month at best, a week if we are realistic,~ I replied.

"Then let's get started," Raven said.

"I good kitty, I help," Dex-Starr, who had been quiet all this time, made his presence clear, affirming that he would help as well.

I smiled at Dext-Starr before reaching down to pet him, which in turn made the powerful mighty cat purr in contentment. Then, as my four-legged companion purred away, I turned to Raven, nodding my head in agreement. ~First of all, we should contact Batman. There's no one better than him to reform the Justice League.~

Raven tensed for a moment, then let out a small sigh, as if she had made up her mind about something.

It seems I might have to look into Batman's behavior if Raven's reaction was anything to go by.

"I can open a portal to where he is right now," Raven said.

I nodded, giving Raven all she needed to proceed.

Immediately after this, the air around me seemed to shift and ripple, as if it was being pulled towards Raven's fingertips which were slowly starting to glow with a bluish-purple hue. A few seconds later, a portal opened up in front of us, revealing an ancient-looking tower and the silhouette of a man waiting.

The Tower of Fate.

Here goes nothing.

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[At the Tower of Fate.]

Wasting no time, I stepped through the portal with Raven and Dex-Starr by my side, feeling a strange sensation as I crossed through it. Calmly, I glanced around, taking in the old stone walls and intricate details that adorned them.

This Tower was different from the one I knew, that much I could tell.

I felt off in this place.

Perhaps it was because I had walked into a literal lion's den, giving Batman and Dr. Fate the territorial advantage.

Pushing those thoughts aside, I followed Raven who guided me through the place, until eventually, we reached the center of the tower, where a figure clad in a golden robe stood with his arms crossed.

"You brought him here?" Dr. Fate asked in a cold tone.

"I did," Raven replied.

"Lucifer isn't here to protect him," Dr. Fate said dangerously.

Nor do I need him to, I am more than perfectly capable of defending myself.

"You strike me as a wise person, Dr. Fate, don't prove me wrong," Raven replied calmly.

"I have nothing more to say to you, Raven," Dr. Fate said quietly.

"Not to break your conversation, but I'm here to socialize, I'm here to warn you all about an imminent threat, one that forces me to seek mutual collaboration," I said abruptly. "So, let's save ourselves some valuable time and start talking about it, shall we?"

Dr. Fate's eyes narrowed as he looked at me skeptically. "Very well."

"Now, where's Batman? As much as I enjoy your golden glow, he's the one I need to talk to," I said, looking around for the caped crusader.

"As you wish," Dr. Fate replied, turning towards the side and gesturing for someone to come forth. And just like that, Batman appeared from the shadows.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't cage you right now," Batman said in a low, menacing tone.

"You can't," I replied, crossing my arms. "That aside, let's talk business, shall we?"

Batman stared at me for a few seconds, seemingly trying to make up his mind about something. Then, after a few moments of silence, he nodded. "Very well, let's hear it."

"A universal war is about to break in, and whoever wins will destroy it all," I began, going straight to the point. "Unfortunately, this means we all need to team up if we want to avoid certain doom and save everything."

The room fell silent, with not even a drop of noise filling it.

"I assume Darkseid is part of this war, you speak of," Batman said eventually, breaking the silence.

I nodded.

Batman narrowed his eyes. "And what happened? Weren't you friends with him? Or is it perhaps that the conqueror doesn't you anymore?"

"Well if you must know Batsy, my allegiance with Darkseid was purely one out of business. We both wanted Superman dead, so we worked on a deal that suited that particular interest. Now that's out of the table, I have no reason not to try and stop him," I replied. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the entire truth either. As of now, Darkseid wasn't my enemy, but he would soon be.

Batman was silent for a few more moments. "Who's the other?"

"Brainiac, an AI whose entire objective is to absorb all knowledge, and then destroy it," I replied. "Look, I'll get to the point, I don't care how much you hate me, but I need you to do something."

Batman's eyes narrowed again. "And what would that be?" He asked in a suspicious tone.

"I need you to reform the Justice League, Earth needs to be ready to face what is to come," I replied.

Batman paused, seemingly taken back by what I had said, however, he eventually nodded in a begrudging manner. "Very well."