Injustice 3: The Might of Magic (Book 3)

The Man:

"Nnooo," Black Mask cries as I squeeze another pressure point on his shoulder, knocking him out almost immediately.

With Black Mask not only paralyzed but now knocked out, I can work in peace. Walking over to the rune Black Mask drawn on the ground, I pick up a knock-over table and slam it down. Reaching into my jacket pockets, I set the ingredients on the table. While setting up the ingredients, I look at the massive red rune still glowing very brightly.

"I have to move fast," I tell myself. "With Black Mask unconscious, the skeletons no longer have a target. They'll attack anything and everything they see."

Hearing footsteps coming from behind me, I pull out two more glass jars and open them. Combining the ingredients, pouring the loyh awert into the cempazuchitl, I seal the glass jar and shake it. Waiting until the ingredients are properly mixed together, I then throw it behind me. The glass jar breaks on the skeleton's head, and the loyh awert with cempazuchitl leaves spills over it. The skeleton covers its head as it shakes and burns.

Looking behind me, I watch the skeleton slowly drop to its knees before falling to the ground. It turns from black to white before finally turning into ashes and blowing away.

"Sorry about disturbing your sleep," I say, bringing out more jars with loyh awert and cempazuchitl leaves. "But don't worry. Once that rune is destroyed, all of you will be able to sleep soundly again."

While setting up all the ingredients, I can't forget about the others. Now setting up with one hand, I place the fingers of my other hand against my forehead.

Zatanna:

I don't know how or even where it's coming from, but I'm definitely getting a boost from somewhere. I smile as I reach into my top hat and pull out a bunch of silver rings. Throwing the rings into the air, they hover above in an arch pattern. Watching Raven jump into the air, she fires magical blasts at me.

With the wave of my hand, I move the rings, positioning them into two rows in front of me. Raven's magical blasts heading for me, I move one of the rows of rings. The blasts all disappear into the row I moved. A few seconds later, they reappear, shooting back out of the second row.

Re-directing Raven's attack, she shoots out her hands and summons a shield to block it. Her blasts dispense as they hit her shield. Seeing all the blasts dispense all over Raven, an idea sparks into my head.

Using the rings again, I position them all around Raven. Saving one for myself, I leave it hovering in the air while I reach for my wand and top hat again.

"Incoming," I shout, tapping my top hat with my wand and preparing another blast. The blast shooting out of my top hat flies into the ring. It disappears into one ring before flying out of a second ring. Flying into a third ring, it hits Raven along the way. Flying into and out of multiple rings, always hitting Raven along the way, the trick ends when Raven catches the blast in her hand.

"That is enough," she shouts, crushing and destroying my magical blast. Pulling in his arms and legs, she then shoots them out, knocking all my rings to the ground.

Watching Raven explode with dark magic, I step back while mentally preparing for whatever she does next.

"That is enough," Raven shouts again, now surrounded by a mist of both her father's and the Lords of Order magic. "That ends now!"

Once again, Raven shoots out her hands and feet. Black beams come rocketing out of her in all directions. They go for miles and miles, shooting through buildings before latching onto the cave's walls.

"I will bury all of you alive!"

Pulling in her hands, the beams of magic pull themselves in, taking large chunks of the walls with them. This causes the shaking to intensify, and section by section, Old Gotham is crushed and buried.

"Noo," I shout, looking at the Insurgency as they fight to keep out the demons and skeletons.

Firestorm:

Throwing dozens of fireballs, we hit a mix of minions and skeletons. However, only the skeletons burst into flames before exploding.

"Our attacks don't seem to be having any kind of effects on the minions," the Professor states.

"Yeah," I say, "I know. Remember. We see the same things. What's your point?"

"I have an idea," the Professor goes on. "But we will have to move fast! Quickly drop--"

Before the Professor can finish explaining his idea, a large stone falls from the ceiling, flattening some of the minions.

"Never mind."

"Wait! Professor! Look up!"

Looking up, we see more and more of the ceiling falling off. Some large stones falling toward us, we put our hands together and unleash a firestorm. An almost blinding mix of orange, yellow, and red lightens the cave as we burn and destroy the falling stone. However, it's not enough.

Even more stones are falling. Whole buildings are collapsing, throwing mountains of dusts into the air and blanketing everything. Stopping to rub our eyes, we look around the fight.

"You don't see anymore, right?"

"No," the Professor answers. "I don't."

"Awesome!"

Looking around again, I see Supergirl and Flash nearby and quickly fly over to them.

"Supergirl," we shout, "Flash! I think all the families are gone! Now, it's our turn! Let's go!"

"Alright," Flash says, "I'll go and tell the others! Let's leave this place behind!"

All of us nodding our heads, split up. While Flash goes to tell the others, Supergirl and I go to the exit. Landing in front of it, we use our combined powers to clear a path for the others to run to. While I torch them, Supergirl freezes, burns, and throws countless skeletons and minions.

Two by two, we see other Insurgency leaving Old Gotham. Black Canary running with Cheetah. Red Hood and Blue Beetle. Harleen and Reverse Flash. It doesn't take long before almost everyone is out.

"Wait," Supergirl shouts. "Wait! What about The Man! Where is he?"

"I don't know," Flash answers. "I ran all over but he wasn't in there!"

"He told me earlier he was going to go 'break some skulls'," Harleen says, "But I have no idea what that is supposed to mean."

"Hey," Captain Cold yells, "If there's one thing I learned about Sunglasses, it's that he always had a plan! I'm sure he'll able to survive this somehow, but for now, we need to get out of here!"

Grabbing both me and Supergirl, Cold pulls us back before shooting the top of the tunnel with his ice gun.

"Slade," Cold yells, pointing at the ice-covered tunnel top. "Throw some grenades! Now!"

Deathstroke nods his head and pulls out some grenades. Throwing them at the ceiling, the exploding grenades cause a massive cave-in. Rock, dust, and debris begin filling the tunnel, and the minions and skeletons that try to enter are buried.

"Come on, Speedy," Cold says, all of us running out of the tunnel. As the tunnel cracks and collapses right above our heads, Flash, Supergirl, I, and even Reverse Flash and Blue Beetle all jump into the air. Running and flying as fast as we can go, we grab our fellow fighters and carry them out of the tunnel.

The last to exit the tunnel, we barely make it out as the tunnel finally collapses. A rock hitting our feet as we fly out, we trip and fall to the ground. Moaning as we push ourselves up, we see a hand. Looking up, we see Supergirl, and everyone else, both Insurgency members and even some families surrounding us.

"You okay," Supergirl asks. "Uhh, both of you?"

"We're fine," we answer, taking Supergirl's hand. Helping us up, we look back at the tunnel, or at least, what was the tunnel.

"It's completely buried," Flash says. "Even Superman would have a hard time digging himself out."

"I hope you're right about The Man," Red Hood says, crossing his arms. "Otherwise, the Insurgency is done for."

"The Insurgency is already done for," a voice yells, echoing throughout the sky. All of us jumping into action, we watch as black storm clouds cover the blue sky.

"Guard the families," Supergirl yells, flying into the air. Black Canary and Cheetah jumping and landing in front of the families, shoot out their arms. Meanwhile, the rest of us keep our eyes open.

Purple lightning travels throughout the black clouds, and thunder almost deafens all of us. Still keeping an eye out, something grabs our feet and pulls us away.

Supergirl:

Hearing Firestorm screaming, we all turn around to see them get swallow by a large shadow. The shadow bursts and there, standing over a knocked-out Firestorm are Raven and the other magic users. All of them hold out their hands, glowing with magic.

About to fire my laser visions, I stop when Raven grabs Firestorm with her magic and holds them up.

"Lower your arms," Raven threatens, "Or you lose two members."

Felix Faust pulling out a dagger, places the tip against Firestorm's neck.

"Lower your arms," Raven repeats, her voice shaking the sky.

I keep my eyes red but I don't fire. Through my red eyes, I see everyone keeping their arms up.

"Fine then," Raven says. She looks at Felix and nods. Felix smiles and presses the tips into Firestorm's neck. The second I see blood, I shoot out my hands.

"Wait! Okay! Okay. We'll lower our arms."

Landing back on the ground, I hold my hands up. I look back at everyone else and slowly, they lower their own arms.

"Excellent," Raven says, smiling. Raven shoots out her other hand and uses the same magic to force us onto the ground. Now lying on the ground, our faces pinned against the dirt, we can't do anything as Raven and the other magic users walk toward us. Reaching me, Raven steps on my head.

"Superman told me to bring you alive," Raven states. "But the Lords of Order have other plans. You, all of you, have interfered too much in their plans, and we will not tolerate it anymore! Kill them all!"

Raven raising her hand, quickly lowers it. As she does this, a purple lightning bolt heads for all of us. Looking at the lightning as it gets closer and closer, I prepare to use my laser vision.

Burning a hole in Raven's foot, she screams and steps back. As Raven steps back, the purple lightnings turn suddenly. They turn away from us and disappear. Almost immediately after they disappear, all the other magic users fall to the ground.

"Oh my god," Eobard says after pushing himself up. "Hey, Supergirl. What did you do?"

"I have no idea," I answer. I imagine I look like Raven as she snaps left and right, looking at her fallen team.

"What did you do," Raven shouts. "What did you--"

Raven never finishes her sentence. Before she can finish, she drops onto her knees.

"Did...I do that?"

"No," a familiar voice answers. "I did."

Following the voice, we all turn around to see The Man standing behind us, with a stick in his hands.

"By the way guys. Thanks for burying me alive. I really appreciate that."

Walking past us and toward Raven, I push myself up and follow The Man.

"What is that," I ask.

"My blow gun," The Man answers. "I shot every one of them with a paralyzing dart."

"Your...," Raven moans, "Your...dart...will...not...last..."

As Raven talks, her hand snaps up and it glows a little.

"I know," The Man answers. "But I think this will."

The Man stepping forth places his thumbs on both Raven's head and chest. About to ask what he's doing, I stop when I see lights appearing from both The Man and Raven. Lights so bright, not just me, but all of us have to cover our eyes and step back.

Staying in the shadow of my arms, I look at The Man as he glows a bright blue color while Raven's glows a dark purple color. Raven's dark purple glow travels from The Man's hand onto him. It climbs up his arms and spreads through his whole body. Before long, even his head is covered.

"What are you doing," I shout.

The Man doesn't answer me. The only part of him that I think is safe is his eye. It hasn't been encased by the purple glow yet, but in a few seconds, it will.

Watching as the purple glow reaches The Man's one blue eye, something happens, and The Man's blue glow returns. It returns and overtakes Raven's glow in less than one second. Now Raven is glowing blue, and there's a purple beam shooting into the sky.

"Ahhhh," Raven screams as The Man pulls back. "Wha--What did you do?"

Raven tries to swing her hands but falls back down.

"I took away your magic," The Man answers. "You no longer have your father's or the Lords of Order's powers."