| Watchtower - November 2
Batman worked silently at the Justice League's main console, his eyes scanning the massive monitors in front of him.
Ever since Two-Face's broadcast, he had stayed away from Gotham.
He'd spent a long time reflecting after that night.
Maybe… he had been wrong.
Maybe Gotham no longer needed him.
But if Batman's focus had shifted away from Gotham, it had only sharpened elsewhere.
Since Clark's death, he couldn't bring himself to rest.
Justice never slept.
Eventually, something unusual caught his attention.
Footsteps approached from behind, followed by the unmistakable smell of pizza.
"I knew you'd be here," Barry Allen's voice said. "Working all night again. Thought you might be hungry."
"No thanks," Batman replied without turning.
"Suit yourself."
Batman watched through the reflection in one of the screens as the Flash devoured two entire pizza boxes in the blink of an eye. A moment later, Barry zipped around and leaned over the back of Batman's chair.
"What are you working on?" Flash asked.
"I've been combing through surveillance footage from every camera connected to the grid."
"And?"
"There's something strange," Batman said. "Dark spots."
Flash leaned closer to the screen.
"They're hard to see."
"Computer," Batman said calmly, "activate quadrant pixel enhancement."
The image sharpened instantly.
"What is that?" Flash asked. "A shadow?"
"No," Batman replied. "The direction of the sunlight is wrong."
He pointed at the screen.
"And look here. It's not connected to the surface."
Flash squinted.
"So it's… floating?"
"It's mimicking a shadow," Batman said. "But it's moving independently."
The shape on the screen drifted slowly along a wall.
"It has intent," Batman continued. "It's searching."
Flash folded his arms.
"For something?"
Batman didn't look away from the screen.
"Or someone."
**
| Coast City - November 2
Hal Jordan leaned against the counter of his apartment kitchen while speaking on the phone.
Across the universe, tensions were rising.
The Citadel's new Czar had begun conquering systems with his Gordanite forces, and conflict was spreading quickly across multiple sectors.
Hal knew it was only a matter of time before he was deployed.
So for now, he was trying to enjoy the rare quiet moments with the people he cared about.
Carol Ferris was on the other end of the line.
They weren't technically together yet.
But Hal wouldn't have minded if they were.
Maybe one day he'd ask her out properly.
Still, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
The average lifespan of a Green Lantern was four years and three months.
And even if he survived longer, he could never explain his long and unpredictable disappearances.
The ring had given him power and purpose.
But it had also given him an enormous responsibility—to protect life across the universe.
And that responsibility came with constant danger.
Still, Hal Jordan wasn't the kind of man who ran from duty.
He had saved multiple sectors before.
He'd do it again.
"Don't get me wrong," Carol said on the phone, "I enjoy catching up on popular culture, but the harsh language in that movie was entirely unnecessary. And the female lead seemed to exist solely to be rescued by the hero."
Hal chuckled quietly.
"But overall," she continued, "I found it reasonably entertaining."
Hal suddenly noticed movement behind his couch.
A shadow flickered across the wall.
Then he heard something.
Faint voices whispering inside his mind.
"Trigon lives."
The voices spoke in eerie unison.
Then they vanished.
A sharp headache hit him immediately afterward.
Hal rubbed his temple.
Maybe he was imagining things.
The stress of everything might finally be catching up with him.
He made a mental note to speak with Martian Manhunter—or maybe Black Canary—just to make sure he wasn't losing his mind.
"Hal?" Carol's voice asked through the phone after he groaned. "Are you okay?"
"Sorry," Hal said. "I've just… got a lot on my mind right now."
"You can always share your burdens with me, Hal."
A pause.
"Hal?"
But Hal wasn't listening anymore.
Across the walls of his living room, thick streams of blood began to pour downward from the ceiling.
Three crimson, four-eyed specters slowly emerged from the bleeding walls.
Before Hal could react and call forth his ring, they lunged forward and dragged him screaming into the blood-soaked surface.
**
| Salem - November 2
"By the powers of Azarath, I beseech you.
Mother spirit of the nether realm, protect my brothers and sisters.
And give me strength to face the dark force I fear is coming."
Raven finished the chant quietly in her room within the Tower of Fate. As she had done every day since joining the Team, she cast a subtle protection spell over them all.
The ritual completed, she lowered her hands.
A moment later, someone knocked on the door.
Raven opened it to find Kori standing there with a Boom Tube swirling behind her. Kori wore a blue sweater, brown jeans, and a necklace from which her Nanode—a green gem—hung.
Very few people could teleport directly to the Tower of Fate. The Tower only allowed entry to those keyed into its magic.
And since Raven had inherited one of the Tower's keys through Kent Nelson's will, she had the authority to grant Kori access.
Thinking about Kent always made Raven sad.
She knew his death wasn't her fault.
But she couldn't stop feeling like she brought misfortune to everyone around her.
That was why she kept her distance from the Team.
Why she avoided gatherings.
Why she was always the first to leave.
If her father ever learned she had friends… she wouldn't have them for long.
"The Team is going to a carnival tonight," Kori said warmly.
"Do I have to come?" Raven asked quietly.
"It's mandatory."
Kori stepped closer and gently placed a hand on Rachel's shoulder.
"I know you're hurting," she said softly. "But you can't close everyone out forever. We're a family. We help each other become our best selves."
She squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.
"You can rely on us."
Rachel sighed.
"…Fine."
A brief flash of black magic surrounded her. Her Raven outfit vanished, replaced by a royal blue blouse, a black jacket, fingerless gloves, a navy-blue pleated skirt, and black high-heeled boots.
Kori smiled brightly.
Together, they stepped through the Boom Tube.
**
| Kansas City - November 2
Match and Raven burst into laughter as they stood in front of a set of carnival funhouse mirrors.
Their reflections stretched and twisted in ridiculous ways.
Raven wiped a tear from her eye as she laughed again.
In his heart, Match was kind and generous. Raven could feel it clearly. His presence was calm and warm, and that made it surprisingly easy for her to relax.
When was the last time she had laughed like this?
Maybe years ago.
Back in Azarath.
Across the carnival grounds, Kori and Joseph wandered together between attractions. Kori clung to Joseph's arm while they laughed, hugged, and occasionally kissed.
They weren't the only ones.
Conner and M'gann were sitting together on a Ferris wheel, clearly enjoying each other's company.
And as both an empath and someone with perfectly functional eyes, Raven could easily tell that something was happening between Robin and Zatanna as they explored the circus tents nearby.
Meanwhile, Wally and Artemis were engaged in what looked like an enthusiastic dance-off.
Rachel tilted her head slightly.
Was it just hormones?
Or was there something in the Cave's food making everyone pair up?
Only Roy and Kaldur seemed to be left out.
Though from what little Raven knew, Kaldur had someone he cared about back in Atlantis.
"By the way," Match said beside her, "I wanted to ask you something, Rachel."
"Yes?" she asked, still chuckling.
"When you healed me earlier… I saw something."
Raven turned toward him.
"A dark figure," Match continued. "With four glowing eyes."
Her laughter died instantly.
The warmth she had felt all evening vanished, replaced by a sudden wave of panic and unease.
"It was nothing," Rachel said quickly. "Just a nightmare."
Match frowned slightly.
"Are you sure? It looked real to me. Joseph knows how to deal with nightmares. If you want, I could—"
"It's none of your business!" Raven snapped.
Match blinked in surprise.
"Who are you to judge my life?" she continued sharply. "Just stay away from me."
Before he could respond, Raven opened a dark portal and stepped through it.
She faintly heard Match call after her.
"Wait!"
The portal closed.
Raven emerged several hundred meters away from the carnival. The distant sounds of music and laughter were now muted by the surrounding trees.
She slowly sank to the ground, hugging her knees to her chest.
Her thoughts raced.
How had Match seen that?
Was it a sign?
Was it… her father?
"Raven…"
The whisper slithered through the darkness.
Shadows flickered around her.
"Raven…"
She froze.
"He's waiting for you… on the hill."
The voices grew clearer.
"Sister…"
"He wants you."
"We've missed you, sister."
"No," Raven whispered, shaking her head. "It can't be him. This is a trick."
But despite her words, fear gripped her chest.
She stood suddenly and ran.
Through the trees.
Toward the hill the voices had mentioned.
Her heart pounded as branches snapped beneath her boots.
Please… let this just be in my head.
Please let this not be real.
She burst through the last line of trees.
And stopped cold.
Standing in front of her was a Corruptor—one of the demonic servants of her father capable of possessing human bodies.
Its skin was deep red.
Four glowing orange-yellow eyes stared down at her.
Four dark horns protruded from its forehead.
The demon smiled.
"It is me, child."
**
| Watchtower - November 2
Flash was technically on Watchtower duty today, even if Batman was already there investigating the strange shifting shadows.
So Barry simply stuck with him, helping with the investigation while throwing in the occasional joke. Sure, Batman would claim the jokes were annoying, but deep down Barry was convinced the Bat appreciated the company.
Suddenly, the Justice League computer chimed.
"Green Lantern 05."
Barry frowned slightly.
That was strange.
He had thought Hal was taking it easy before heading out for his next round of space-cop duties.
Barry shrugged.
Well… the more the merrier.