'Just great. The one time we try to have an actual real date and the world decides to throw a damn boulder at it,' M'gann thought with a huff as she stood in the main control room, which the only other occupant of the room didn't miss.
"Something on your mind?" Raven asked and M'gann glanced at her before shaking her head with a sigh.
"No, just worried. Chris always jumps in headfirst into this kind of stuff and then me or someone else will have to figure out away to get him out of trouble."
"Yeah, that's usually how this goes with him. He says he's going to handle it and then we have to go save them."
"That's usually what we do," Raven murmured, drawing a glance from M'gann as she saw her friend standing with her arms crossed.
"What's wrong?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your mind feels...disturbed, as though it's struggling with something that's been on your mind for a long time."
"Oh, that's just the strain of trying to make sure Klarion does not escape from the prison with my father," she replied and M'gann just gave a hum, already feeling the lie flowing through her words.
"If you don't want to tell me, that's okay. I understand that talking about your personal feelings to someone is a bit of a challenge."
"Because Chris's mind is hard to read and he looks like he has a lot of hidden secrets?" Raven asked and the Martian nodded with a giggle
"Exactly that," she replied and Raven stared at her before letting out a soft sigh.
"Well, it's not just that. It's also something a bit more personal."
"Ooh, you personal or girl-talk personal?" M'gann asked, a look of intrigue in her eyes as Raven gave her a flat stare.
"You are one nosy Martian."
"I am the exception amongst my people. Now, from the way you spoke, I can comfortably surmise that your issue is a girl-talk issue so come on. Confide in your best friend."
"I can see why Chris likes you. You're just as nosey as him."
"We prefer the term 'over-obsessively friendly'. Now, come on and tell me," M'gann replied and Raven sighed, though she didn't walk away as she stood with her arms crossed.
"Let's say that there's this one guy you like."
"...You have a crush on someone?" M'gann asked with wide eyes and Raven rolled her eyes.
"Yes, I have a crush on someone. I am still a youthful woman, after all."
"Oh, I just didn't expect you to like anyone given your...personality choice."
"You think I'm too emo and broody to have a crush on someone, don't you?"
"Um, well..." M'gann trailed off, giving a sheepish giggle as Raven narrowed her eyes, "You know what? Forget what I said. You got a crush on someone? Who is it?"
"Firstly, I'm not telling you," Raven responded and M'gann stuck her tongue out. "Secondly, I am not going to do anything about it."
"Why not?"
"Because he is already in a relationship or the beginnings of one, at least," she replied, drawing a confused frown from M'gann before her eyes widened.
"Is it Match?!"
"No!" Raven replied immediately, making M'gann reel back at the loud tone in her voice.
"Okay, geez. Wait, is it Dubbi then?"
"No, he's too...boring for my tastes."
"Well, the only other guy that you have interacted with other than those two is..." M'gann trailed off as realization hit her, looking at Raven only for her friend to not look in her direction at all.
Before she could ask, though, both of them looked to the doors as they opened, Koriand'r rushing in with a concerned look.
"Dubbi wished for me to come find you. There appears to be trouble approaching from the western front."
"We'll be there," Raven replied and went to follow, but a hand landed on her shoulder and stopped her as Koriand'r left the room.
She then turned to M'gann, who stared at her with a conflicted frown, before the Martian spoke, "We'll talk more on this when Chris comes back."
"I don't want to."
"I do. Now, let's go," she replied and Raven sighed as she followed after her. The two fell in line with Koriand'r as they walked towards the western loading bay at a brisk pace.
It did not take them long to reach said area, Dubbilex and the army of Genomorphs standing at attention. All of them stared at the door, which slowly opened as the girls stopped beside Dubbilex.
"Who is it?"
"I have not seen nor felt any indication of who it is as their mind is blocked off," Dubbilex replied as the doors fully opened, revealing a small dark grey ship pulling into the bay.
The viewing ports were tinted to make sure no one could peek in as it landed, Dubbilex immediately raising a hand along with M'gann.
Dubbilex's horns and eyes turned red as M'gann's went pure white, the ship creaking and groaning as the two worked in unison and pushed it down onto the ground.
Raven herself was coated in her familiar black-purple aura as she ripped the doors off, the G-Trolls taking point as the vanguard with snarls as the G-Elves fell in place behind them.
Footsteps echoed from the ship as a figure slowly walked out and M'gann's eyes widened at the sight of Vandal Savage stepping out with his hands clasped behind his back.
The man raised a hand and M'gann watched as Dubbilex turned to her, his eyes wide with surprise as a telekinetic burst erupted from his hand.
"Dub?!"
"I do not know what's happening!" he exclaimed, his arms shaking as Raven created an ethereal hand and pinned him down.
However, with a finger pointed at the girls, the Genomorphs surged towards them and Koriand'r took off into the air as Raven swung her arms out wide.
A burst of black-purple energy erupted outwards and pushed them all back, but Dubbilex paused himself midair before thrusting his hand forward.
A cry of pain escaped Raven's lips as a concussive force pushed her backwards, but she quickly caught herself and M'gann shot forward from her position.
A few G-Gnomes tried to stop her, but she swatted them away with a flick of her wrist, holding out her other hand as Dubbilex pointed his hand at her.
Their wills clashed and parts of the floor peeled away from the explosion of force against force, Koriand'r throwing a G-Troll into another before she turned to Vandal.
The man in question looked nonplussed as he stepped out of his ship, a few G-Elves taking position around him while he looked up at her.
"Ah, Ms. Koriand'r, yes? The former slave of Mongul?"
"I will ask you to surrender. I do not wish to hurt you, sir."
"Apologies, but I do not wish to. Delay her," the G-Elves leapt up into the air, but Koriand'r immediately took off between them.
She left a trail of blazing emerald-green, cosmic radiation behind her and exploded it, sending the G-Elves flying to the side. Racing towards Vandal, she went to pin him, but her eyes widened as the man expertly avoided her while landing a vicious punch to her side.
The wind was knocked from her lungs and made her ragdoll across the ground, but she immediately rose to her feet as Vandal walked towards her.
"I must ask. Why did you betray your master?" he asked, and Koriand'r had an uncharacteristic frown on her face as she stared at him.
"Because I was given the opportunity to be free from my plights."
"So, for freedom, you'd abandon the one who saved you? Well, it appears that people have not changed in time," Vandal replied with a smile, stepping towards her before she lunged forward.
Her fist flew past his head as he tilted, raising an arm to block the next strike before stepping back as she threw a high kick. He caught her leg and pulled her into a knee, knocking the wind out of her.
Grabbing her hair as she stumbled back, her head snapped back from the rising knee, Vandal continuing with a sharp blow to her kidney before sliding under her attempt to punch at him.
His fist cracked against her knee and brought her to a knee, right into the path of another knee strike that broke her nose and made her fall backwards.
She tried to stand, but her balance was unsteady and she struggled to breathe, Vandal observing her with a calm gaze right before a black-purple glow enveloped his body.
Then, he felt a breath on the back of his neck and a whisper in his ear, "Get away from her."
The next moment, gravity was inverted and he was flung towards the ship, crashing through it and leaving a trail through the ground. Pushing up to his feet, a pair of large ethereal fists slammed down upon his head, smashing him skull first into the ground.
Vandal himself was dazed by the attack as Raven shot forward, grabbing him by the sides of his head before rising up high up into the air.
Dubbilex himself tried to intervene, but he gasped as a voice whispered in his mind, "Calm yourself and sleep."
"N-No!" he growled as he tried to break free, but M'gann's presence pushed his own deeper.
Vandal on the other hand was struggling to breathe as Raven held his head in between her hands, her eyes flashing between red and pure white.
"You will suffer as everyone you wronged have suffered," she declared with a snarl. Then, her own eyes widened in surprise as a blast impacted her back with enough force to sent her flying.
She also instinctively let go of Vandal to catch herself, M'gann moving to catch Raven while also letting Dubbilex go. That gave the Genomorph the time to rush over and catch Vandal's falling form.
The leader of the Light gasped as his mind pieced back together, taking deep breaths while staring at the three girls with a frown.
"Well, this is bad," Raven murmured as they stared at the hoverbike landing beside Vandal.
Seated upon it was a rough-looking, pale guy in a biker outfit, but it was the unconscious person lying on the back of the bike that made her eyes widen along with that of Koriand'r and M'gann.
"Chris!"
"Wait!" Raven held a hand out to stop the Martian, who looked caught between caution and concern as Vandal turned to the man.
"Lobo, I see you've accomplished my request."
"I did and it was a shit load of fun," Lobo replied with a grin before looking to the three young woman. "Still, it seems not as much fun as you. That one nearly killed you."
"She's the daughter of an interdimensional demon."
"Really? Damn, wish you'd ask me to get her instead," he grumbled and Vandal just hummed as he stared at Chris' unconscious form.
More specifically, he stared at the circlet around his head, reaching forward only for a hand to grab his wrist.
"You can have what you want, but payment first," Lobo spoke and Vandel simply pointed at the ship, which he walked over to with a grin while the girls rushed forward.
However, the hunter spun around and fired a trio of plasma blasts, ones that made each one freeze in place with wide eyes as Vandal raised an eyebrow.
"I do not remember you having that weapon."
"Firstly, you don't know every gun I got. Secondly, I've had this shit since the start of your 20th century. I just never got the chance to use it."
"Hmm, I see," Vandal murmured before turning around. Lobo himself walked over to the ships as Vandal reached for the circlet, but his eyes widened as Chris' hand snapped up.
"By the way, he's awa-" Before Lobo could finish his sentence, the cargo doors opened and Chris slammed a vicious punch into Vandal's jaw.
The man's vision blurred as he was sent flying out into the void of space, gasping and clawing at his throat as his face puffed up and a pair of hands grabbed onto his neck.
Before he could pass out, bright lights assaulted his vision as air rushed into his lungs, making him cough and gasp. He then felt a pair of hands grabbing onto his wrists before a heavy weight settled on them.
Looking at his raised hands, he stared at the meta-cuffs around his wrists before looking further up at Chris staring him down.
"Lobo, remember, three times a year and only a minute."
"Oh, driving this big planet is gonna be fun next week!" Lobo exclaimed with a grin that made Vandal frown before he wheezed at the blow that cracked against his neck.
He fell forward, unable to feel anything below his neck as Chris spoke, "Kori, Raven, please take him to the holding cells. The rest of you, wait here please."
"Sure thing," Raven replied sarcastically, though she did look relieved as Chris gave her a smile before he tossed Vandal to her.
"Brother..."
"No need to talk. We'll take care of those fail-safes later," Chris cut him off and Dubbilex gave a thankful smile as he ordered the Genomorphs to begin fixing everything.
"So," he began, turning to M'gann who was still silent as he smirked, "still up for that date?"
A/N: And we end it off here~!! Next chapter, we'll go on to the actual war. What that is, find out.
As always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one...
Ba-Bye~!!