(General P.O.V)
The Boomtube's activation was especially loud in the deathly silent desert.
Then the first of the Para-demons flew out, wings flapping heavily.
In seconds the sky above the Rock Formation that had previously held Black Adam imprisoned, was full of the monstrous creatures.
The light from the Boomtube failed to die out. Infact it seemed to increase even more, sending out pulses that pushed the sand close to the portal away.
A gangly figure, wearing a gray cloak draped over his form, stepped out into the sand.
Desaad's eyes roamed around the area, observing and studying the scorch marks, overturned vehicles, broken weapons and the dead bodies.
He looked at the entrance to the Crypt, curiously. With a flex of his control matrix, The Para-demons immediately swooped towards the entrance.
A few seconds later they flew out empty. There was no sign of the aggressor, the victim or any life inside.
Desaad took a deep breath.
A crooked smile appeared on his face, one that looked menacing and creepy.
"She was here...with another flavor of energy. An old god, perhaps? No, something more. Something different."
Then a Para-demon flew towards him holding something in its hands, a single strand of silver hair.
"Oh? You found something."
Desaad received the hair almost reverently, feeling the strong essences contained within that single hair strand.
And just on the fringes of what he could glean, was a certain flavor. The same flavor he'd felt before. Desaad brought the hair to his mouth and licked it.
His crooked smile widened impossibly.
"How curious. How curious indeed that this backwater rock could hold the key to total domination of the self? Mmh...I should track this being down and present it to Lord Darkseid. The master shall surely be pleased."
(Elsewhere)
(Davian's P.O.V)
Raven detached from my arms, stepping back while wiping her tears away.
She looked off to the side, one hand rubbing the other.
"Umhm, sorry for crying on you."
She mumbled with a blush.
"It's okay."
I answered, feeling the emotional turmoil happening within her.
"Let's take a seat and talk."
I suggested.
"I'll try to explain everything. I know you have questions regarding a few things."
Her eyes briefly landed on Constantine, fear flashing through her gaze.
"Don't worry about him. There's a reason he didn't do anything when I took out your Trigon. This parallel version of your father knows exactly who I am. And what I would do to protect those dear to me."
I punctuated the statement with a flex of my Reiatsu.
Raven's lips parted slightly.
"Your soul, it's the biggest I've ever sensed."
She commented, slightly stumbling in place.
"Are you okay?"
I swooped in, grabbing her before she could fall. Then I carried her to the beanbag.
The light of my Fullbring was soon enough washing down her body, inspecting her to find out what was wrong.
"Your energy network is in disarray. No doubt backlash from breaking the gem but you'll be alright. I've healed you."
The light seeped into her, fixing the issue and helping her recover the lost energy.
"Thank you."
She repeated.
Somehow I knew it wasn't for dealing with Trigon. And her followup question proved that.
"Why do you care so much about me?"
And so I told her everything. There was no reason to hide. By everything, I spoke of not only Raven but how the fight with the that Raven's Trigon had unfolded.
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I even touched upon the White Raven, though she informed me that she had never entered such a form.
Which meant there had to be a prerequisite. Shockingly, Nick's memories didn't really have much on that.
At the end of it all, she didn't call me crazy.
And to me, that was enough. I didn't need her to believe me. I only needed her to be safe.
And to achieve that, I had to finish what I'd started. I looked at Black Adam and Constantine.
I would need a quiet place.
My gaze then landed on the Mother-box in my hand.
That could work.
(General P.O.V)
Grail came to slowly.
The last thing she remembered was a sudden pain at the back of her neck.
Then the memories poured in and she understood what had happened. A man had bested her. Her, the daughter of an Amazon and Darkseid. Trained by the former to hone her warrior skills.
Yet, that man had easily toyed with her. The most damage she had probably dealt him was cutting off a few strands of hair. Anything else was superficial.
She'd never been dominated that easily. It struck at her warrior pride, bruised her godly ego but gently brushed against her feminine side.
The figure of his taut muscles hidden behind the simple clothes he wore, the heated gaze he'd thrown her way while checking her out and his mellow voice as he spoke to her.
All that had been new and for a brief second she'd wondered...
"I know you're awake."
Someone said.
A female voice.
"You're not a prisoner here. So I hope you understand there is no need for violence."
The voice went on to state.
Grail opened her eyes, the Omega effect glowing in them as she surveyed the room she was in and the other occupant.
"Where am I?"
She asked, reaching to her hip and finding her swords there. Her captor let her keep her weapons?
How unexpected.
Then again with her abilities, one might argue she was still dangerous with or without the weapons.
Raven, who was floating in mid-air with her eyes closed answered,
"You are in the Titan's tower, specifically my room. Davian brought you here."
Davian.
That was his name.
A good name for someone so powerful.
"And where is he? I have claim on his head for humiliating me."
Grail told her, rising off the surprisingly comfortable seat. It was yet another marvel of man's world, strange furniture.
And the room itself was different from what she was used to. It looked personal. Nothing bare-bones like a warrior needed or ceremonially gaudy or opulent like the Royal palace.
Raven opened her eyes, revealing the dark glow within.
She cast a surprisingly intense look the New God's way.
"I won't let you kill him!"
Grail looked back, tilting her head curiously.
"Why? Is he your mate? The females of Man's world are not put off by their masculine stench or hairy bodies?"
"Whaaat??!"
Raven asked, her cheeks turning scarlet red, as she shook her head.
"No! It's nothing like that! And most...some men don't stink or necessarily have hairy bodies."
Her explanation seemed to satisfy Grail as she nodded in realization.
"I see. Intriguing."
Still as interesting as it was, she had a mission to complete. And recent developments had shown that she needed more than just raw power on her side. She needed allies.
And the fact that Davian had seen it fit to capture her instead of Killing her like she would have, showed that with the necessary incentive, she could recruit him.
"Very well, I have decided then. I will find Davian and challenge him to single combat for the right to be his mate."
She said, a deadly serious expression on her face.
Raven was even more scandalized.
"What?! You don't just say things like that!"
Grail looked at her strangely.
"Why not? It is something I wish. Besides, I am an Amazon. I worship power in its purest form."
A smile wormed it's way across her beautiful face.
"Raw dominating force."
(General P.O.V)
(Limbo)
As if in support of her statement, a completely one sided fight was taking place in Limbo.
Black Adam's battered form crashed through a floating rock island, causing it to explode into smaller chunks of stones that struck the surroundings.
Adam gained control of his flight, his jaw clenched as he stared up at his unbelievably powerful opponent.
The Champion of the gods pushed off the air, flying towards him for what must have been the eighth time.
His form blurred across the gray and monotonous environment, this time he came in with a punch covered in streaks of godly lightning.
His opponent didn't even bother to block the attack. Instead, the air around him grew thick. So thick that moving became a problem.
"Fight me you coward!"
Black Adam yelled at Davian, eyes glowing with anger and lightning.
"Dumb bloke, charging in headfirst didn't work the first time and it won't work any other time either."
Constantine commented on the fight happening in the air.
He was standing on the edge of a rock island a distance away.
Truthfully, all three men knew one thing.
There was no way Black Adam could beat Davian.
However, the latter seemed to have no intention of finishing the fight.
Instead, he was curiously studying how Black Adam moved, how he attacked and his lightning manipulation abilities.
"Attack dammit!"
Black Adam yelled, his form streaking around Davian, letting heavy punches and kicks fly.
The shockwaves from these attacks, would have been enough to destroy an entire city. Yet for all their power, they were nullified upon contact with Davian's Reiatsu.
"Just try harder."
Davian encouraged.
"Show me how powerful a champion of the gods is."
"I've had enough of your games!"
Black Adam abandoned trying to break through the Spirit Pressure zone and flew back, placing his hands together.
"I will destroy you from this accursed fake reality you brought me!"
Harnessing all the lightning he could, he sent out the biggest streak of divine lightning that he had ever created.
The streak was as wide as an entire street, the electric energy within wildly striking out into Limbo's inert air.
The attack drowned Davian under. For a split second, Constantine entertained the thought that he was dead.
Only for maniacal laughter to sound out from the Reaper's position.
"Yes. That's what I meant Adam."
Davian said, his form cackling with demonic lightning. Different from Adam's divine lightning, this one was gray.
And that's when it all made sense to Constantine.
He had been studying Black Adam's abilities to find a way to replicate them.
Case in point, the lightning that was covering him in its entirety.
"How?"
Black Adam looked terrified.
Davian held out his palm, fascinated at the way the power seemed to calmly follow his orders.
This gray lightning was stringer than Black Adam's. While his was divine in nature, Davian's was influenced by the Cardinal sins.
This was Pride's sin in full effect. Domination.
Nothing could oppose him. His ego wouldn't allow it.
And so the opposite would end up happening. He had dominated that attack and as a result birthed a new power within him.
"It's simple Adam."
Davian begun, gathering lightning infront of his palm.
"My pride wouldn't allow anything else than completely overpowering you."
The lightning was gray and it was everything Black Adam's wasn't. The Champion of the gods disappeared under the more disastrous attack.
"And then there was one."
Davian said, turning his eyes to stare at Constantine.