Man, this chapter was tough. Not just the writing - though that was plenty challenging, given the rather unusual characters I had to write - but the fact that this story is so close to completion, too. I think I've talked about it before, but there's only a handful of chapters left. Lots to cover afterwards, of course, probably more than one sequel - and some even more exciting stuff beyond that - but Of Darkness and the Light really is going to end soon. It's been a ride and a half, and I can't wait to share Raven's future adventures with you! Hope you enjoy the chapter!

The Helm of Fate's empty eye slits glared at me as I watched over Giovanni Zatara's near-comatose form.

It took a toll, of course, wearing that thing for so long. His body nearly shut down, following our duel, just from having to exist again all of a sudden. Dick mentioned, wracked by the old guilt of his old team having put the man in that unbearable position in the first place, that Nabu had only let Zatanna interact with her father once every year - and even then, the Helm stayed on.

I'm pretty sure even I had spoken more with my Father, back in the day, than Zatanna had been allowed to in the past eight years.

The young woman in question sat, having cried herself to sleep, next to the old man. I felt like an intruder, even watching from the window outside, but someone had to keep watch over Zatara; for all anyone knew, Nabu might've cursed the man into seeking the Helm out once he woke up. On the flip side, and as much as it pained me to admit it, the world needed Doctor Fate, and I didn't trust Zatanna not to banish the Lord of Order's spirit from the Helm, as justifiable as that course of action might be.

"You know, love…" -a telltale, smarmy british voice said, approaching behind me, "...by defeating ol' Bucket Lord, you've technically become this Earth's brand new Sorcerer Supreme."

"Thanks, Constantine, but I'm not currently job hunting." -I said, sarcastic. I turned to face the infamous Hellblazer, who looked...pretty much the way I remembered; an exhausted-looking thirty-something man with straw-colored hair, a scruffy beard, a tattered trench coat, and a poorly tied red tie around his neck, more reminiscent of a noose that had somehow found its way around his neck than a conscious fashion choice. He absolutely reeked of tobacco, alcohol, and sulfur. "I don't suppose you're up to the task?"

He snorted. "Let's just say my work ethic leaves a bit to be desired." -he said, reclining on the wall beside the window. He gazed, somewhat softly, at Zatanna's sleeping form. "How's she holding up?"

"Considering her father basically just rose from the dead, I'd say she's doing very well." -I said.

Constantine shook his head, disgusted. "Bloody pseudo-deities. Couldn't give less of a crap about humanity, even their hosts, but don't get them started on their oh-so-grand plans for us all."

I chuckled. "They certainly do that." -I said. I nodded at the sleeping witch. "You guys close?"

He shrugged, but his emotions betrayed him a little. They were definitely close. "We have a bit of a past. Sort of an on and off present. Not too sure about a future, though."

"You don't seem like her type." -I noted.

He smirked. "You might say that. Friends with the acrobat ex, right, lass?"

I snorted. "If it helps, I'm not sure tween crushes and a New Year's kiss count for much. Besides, Nightwing's something of a serial flirt. Aside from Starfire, I don't think he's had any serious relationships."

"Man after me own heart, then." -he said, amused. "Haven't met the bloke, but no worries; I don't mind their shared history. I don't get the luxury of looking back, much - not a pleasant view - so I tend not to dwell on others' pasts, either. Yours included."

I hummed. This rang true, of course; Constantine had not been amongst Earth's magical protectors whom converged upon my arrival - too young back then, perhaps, or, more likely, not too interested. When we did meet, days after Trigon's destruction, it was more of a professional courtesy than anything else. He celebrated my patricide, and offered to check me for any residual demonic influence. I think the second opinion helped, with some of the Leaguers - Constantine may have been an infamous, vice-ridden jackass, but he did not mess around when it came to matters of the underworld.

"It's appreciated." -I said. "Is Klarion ready?"

He nodded. "That, he is. It's a mad gambit, yours - and the rest of the League's. I haven't dabbled much in this Apokolips nonsense, but it frankly sounds beyond what you lot can handle."

"Well, you're always welcome to help." -I said.

He snorted. "Ask around; I'm more burden than I'm worth, little bird."

I pointed back inside the room. "I doubt she'd agree."

He stared at Zatanna, still peacefully asleep. "I hope you're right."

"You're worried." -I told Dick. Blüdhaven's premier protector was fiddling with a small capsule, the kind usually filled with medicine. He closed it, rose, and handed it to me.

"Empath?"

"Empath."

He smirked. "Never gets old." -he said, meaning exactly the opposite. The smirk was quickly replaced by a scowl. "I am worried. There's too much that could go wrong with this, even with all the information we're getting out of the Witch Boy."

"It's a bit late for second thoughts."

"The thing is, it really isn't. Taking Klarion down severely limits the Light's capabilities, especially since Kaldur put away half their numbers. Their public members are under much closer scrutiny nowadays, too. We could just...banish the Witch Boy and call it a day."

I crossed my arms. "And, what, wait around until Darkseid is good and ready? You and I both know that's not an option."

"Losing you isn't an option, either." -he said, softly.

I swallowed the capsule, which I was told contained an untraceable, microscopic agent that could be used to track me to wherever the Light were holed up. "I won't give up my trans-dimensional powers, Dick. If it comes to that, I'll bolt. And if I can't...well, death is something you only fear once."

"That's not what I meant."

"I know. But you know that the Light won't stop until they have what they want. And even if I manage to outlast them - to defeat them, even - it's only a matter of time until Darkseid himself comes knocking. There's nothing to it; this is the right play."

Dick sat back on the chair, defeated. "...yeah, I know. You're right; I just wish I wasn't sending another friend behind enemy lines."

"Like Kaldur'ahm." -I noted. I only knew bits and pieces of this story, having mostly occurred during my...sabbatical. I knew the second Aquaman had chosen to infiltrate the Light, taking advantage of his discovering Black Manta was his biological father. I knew he'd managed to sell the illusion all too well, to the point even his co-conspirators had doubted his true loyalties. And I knew that, despite his victory over both the Light, and the Reach invaders, the celebrations had been tragically cut short due to the loss of Wally West, the former Kid Flash - whom, if all went well, I might find wherever Klarion would take me to, along with the other lost sidekicks.

"Kaldur, Artemis...Wally." -he said, then gave me a sad smirk. "I've made some terrible choices lately."

I shook my head. "'Lately', he says, as if he's not half the reason a resurrected Jason Todd is running around in a teleporting, skull-themed costume." -I said, sarcasm dripping from my tone. "You can't take the blame on this one. Dick, this is my choice. I'm glad you and the League have my back, but this is something I would've done, regardless of whether you agreed. I refuse to live waiting for the day they come for my powers."

Nightwing, once again, backed down. "Your choice." -he repeated. "Ok. We're really doing this, huh?"

I offered a reassuring smile. "We are. Don't worry, Grayson. I'll be back before you know it."

Klarion awaited in a holding cell, heavily secured by way of magical runes, no doubt crafted by the Hellblazer himself. He grumpily petted Teekl, whose banishment I'd primed - the moment Klarion dared betray me, I'd send that faux feline to oblivion, and his master with it.

"So, what does the Light even have on you, anyway?" -I asked, as I waited for the go-ahead from the League for my little infiltration op. "You're a Lord of Chaos; the last thing you should be doing is playing along with some human's grand master plan."

Klarion huffed, like the petulant child he chose to act as - eldritch horror beneath notwithstanding. "Says the half-demon playing hero. What a waste of good evil."

I rolled my eyes. "Come on, give me something. I did cause human extinction there, for a little bit."

"And then undid it!" -he barked, throwing the hand that wasn't holding the familiar up in the air, indignant. "Earth in flames, civilization in ruins, and every little fleshbag turned to glorified cement, and you just had to go and reverse your daddy's masterpiece."

"I'd have thought you preferred humanity intact - the better to mess with, no?" -I reminded him. "Though, I suppose you've graduated from petty magical mischief and grudge matches with Doctor Fate to world domination in the last decade."

He gave me a withering look. "Listen, birdie; I'll tell it to ya straight because I hate you slightly less than I hate the rest of the kid crusaders I usually try to kill. I couldn't care less about any plans the rest of the self-important dumb-dumb mortals have. I'm in it for the mess I'm making...and the chance to nab Nabu's stupid golden bucket." -he explained, then grinned, razor-sharp teeth betraying his inhuman nature. "Nice job beating the stuffing out of that party pooper, by the way - even if you used it as bait."

I shook my head, amused. "Fate had it coming. Your very existence can only be questioned so much before you start getting...punchy."

Klarion gestured towards me. "See? That's why I don't hate you as much. You know you're different, and that they'll never let you forget it." -he said. "Now, if only you wouldn't keep siding with the goody-goodies…"

I snorted. "Sorry to disappoint, but you and the rest of your supervillain book club are going to get everyone killed by an intergalactic tyrant, and I can't exactly stand by and let you do it. Maybe some other time."

He stuck his tongue out. "Bet you won't."

I shrugged, completely nonplussed. "You're probably right."

Nightwing gave me the go-ahead over comms, so I nodded at Klarion to open a portal, which he begrudgingly did. He stepped in, clearly expecting me to follow through.

The rift took me to a place eerily similar to the League's Watchtower, judging by the breathtaking view immediately to my right - the valleys and ridges of what I could only assume was the lunar horizon visible through the viewport of a cutting edge facility from which the Light could, I assumed, safely conduct their nefarious deeds. I might've been worried about the extremely remote locale - we'd been expecting I'd end up in what seemed to be a major fortress in Mongolia, but apparently, we didn't even get the planet right - but if push came to shove, I could simply leave, or call in the reinforcements. The Justice League's Zeta transporters and Javelins were at my beck and call.

A familiar but definitively distinct figure approached me, Klarion sneering at me beside him. "Welcome to the Beacon." -Deathstroke said, clearly smirking behind the dual-colored mask.

The so-called Terminator was still a formidable presence, even if the man before me clearly wasn't the Slade us Titans knew and feared. His armor and gear were much heavier than anything I'd ever seen on our former nemesis, striking a much more menacing profile - just at a glance, I could make out all sorts of blades, guns, grenades, and ammunition - but I was fairly confident that I could take him, even just a few hours after dueling Doctor Fate. "I see the american justice system continues to work like a charm." -I noted, sardonically.

He shrugged. "It pays to have friends in high places."

"From what I've heard, they're less your friends, and more your...handlers."

He tilted his head. "Once, perhaps - a man must put in the work, if he hopes to ascend his station." -he said. "And the Light hasso handsomely rewarded my achievements in their service."

I rolled my eyes. "You keep telling yourself that."

"I don't need the reassurance. My place within the Light's inner circle is proof enough."

I frowned. "You do realize the Justice League didn't know that, right?" Or are you intentionally giving away top secret intel? Because if you are...by all means, keep it up. I'll be sure to dot my i's and cross my t's in the report."

Klarion snickered. "He can tell you anything he wants, little birdie. You won't be going back to spill the beans to those goody-goodies anytimes soon."

"You can't restrain me." -I stated, matter-of-fact. "Your whole obsession with me is based on the fact that I can go pretty much anywhere I want."

"Oh, it's not about restraining you." -Deathstroke said. "Though we could certainly give it a try. No, you'll find that we can be quite...convincing."

The Light's apparent newest member motioned for me to follow, leading Klarion and I to a domed atrium, from which another man, whom I vaguely recognized from the debriefing session at Titans Tower, stared out at the haunting, distant silhouette of planet Earth.

Vandal Savage didn't turn, but he did greet me. "Rachel Roth. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that Trigon's daughter would be so bold."

"And I'm definitely not surprised to find your megalomaniacal ass pining over Earth."

Klarion giggled. "She-demon's got claws! I think I'm starting to like you, Rae-Rae."

I crossed my arms. "The feeling is not mutual."

Savage turned, mildly amused. "I take it you're not here to join us, then."

"As fun as game night with gorillas and a brain with a french accent sounds, I think I'll pass."

"Then, satisfy my curiosity…" -he said, his voice dropping to a dangerously low tone. "Why is it that our most desperately wanted target willing surrenders herself to her and her allies' sworn enemies?"

Big cliffhanger, hope y'all forgive me! I've been super into Legends of Tomorrow lately - ran out of episodes on Netflix, actually - and I've also been watching the DCAMU films (the ones based on New 52 stories and characters), so I was super glad I had an excuse to cameo John Constantine in this story. Plus, he allowed me to sneak in a SUPER DUPER IMPORTANT detail regarding the future of this version of Raven, so that'll be exciting...in like, a year or more, hahaha. I just finished college and am currently unemployed, though, so maybe I'll have a lot more time to write and get to the good stuff quickly!

As always, thank you for your attention! Make sure to comment or message me if you have any questions about this story. Look me up on Twitter as Darthkvzn or Tumblr as darthkvznblogs if you'd like - and on Ko-fi, as Darthkvzn, if you like what I do and have a coffee's worth of money to spare. No worries if not!

Until next time!