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Kara Zor-L, the kryptonian from Earth-2 known as Power Girl.
The demon, Etrigan.
Princess Koriand'r, the tamaranian known as Starfire.
The reporter Jack Ryder – at least, when he isn't the Creeper.
The Red Lantern of Havania, Bleez.
The detective and philosopher Victor Sage, better known as the Question.
And Rachel Roth – the daughter of Trigon. The sorceress and empath known as Raven.
Together, they'll do whatever it takes to protect Earth from possible threats. Together, they'll do what the Justice League won't.
Together, they are the Justice Society of America.
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“Then we are marked by a being greater than ourselves (depending on one's view of 'greater' or 'lesser' in the measure of a man)... and you expect this distinction to help in your cause against him?” Vic toyed with his hat idly, inspecting the band. It had two scuffs, one slight loosening in the side where it had been pulled off. Once when it had accidentally been kicked. Once he had thrown it onto a table. Funny how objects remembered small events so much better than humans did.
“Those he marks become... close to him,” Raven sighed quietly, turning to face Kara, who merely held up her hands. She could feel insecurity coming off of the kryptonian in waves – the tiniest opportunity to dodge responsibility, she took. Not that she blamed the larger woman – she had no experience with leadership as far as she could tell, nor did she know any sort of details about Raven's predicament. “He becomes vulnerable, in a way, the way that he's vulnerable to me.”
“Then why, exactly, do you need Jack, Bleez, and myself, if he is already vulnerable to you? I am sure you have your reasons, of course, but I'd like to hear them. Call it curiosity.”
Raven closed her eyes for a moment. She hadn't had a moment of mental peace since she had returned to Blood's mansion with Starfire, Jack Ryder, Victor Sage, and Bleez. In her state of distraction, this myriad of frantic emotions had been bearing down on her from all angles. It seemed like each member of this team was a basket-case, in one way or another – between Kara's insecurity, Jack's mercurial mental state, Victor's unending curiosity, Jason's barely-contained torment, and Bleez's tranquil frenzy, Raven was exhausted from the effort of trying to keep it all out. “I... vulnerable, does not mean I can defeat him on my own. He's too powerful for a single person to defeat, without a strategy of some sort. I need this team... I need all of you.”
Jack Ryder ceased his pacing (and barely-concealed visual admiration of Starfire) for a few moments, pausing to glance at Raven. “You know I can't guarantee... his, devotion, to this. I tend to think about things a little differently when I become the Creeper, and I doubt it's a reporter you really need to take down some kind of evil god.”
“A demon, not a god. He's not so different from Mr. Blood's... friend. Just a lot larger. As for your little friend, why don't you... release him... see what he has to say?” Raven's suggestion was mildly unnerving, even to her. While someone like the Creeper was no threat to those currently present (besides Vic), he was still well-known for being disruptive.
Jack offered an awkward smile. “That's not always a great idea. But, I suppose... if you like....”
“I have a feeling I'm about to witness something very uncomfortable,” Bleez growled from her casual position, lounging on Jason's couch with her bony wings stretched out.
Rage. Hate. Burn. Kill. Devour. Torture. Rip. Slash. Crush. Fire.
Raven squinted her eyes slightly, and turned away from the Red Lantern, her eyes focusing on the reporter, who had turned his back to the rest of the group. She examined him closely – though not, perhaps, as closely as Mr. Victor Sage, whose featureless face was shockingly adept at conveying fascination – as he carefully hunched, a slow growl echoing from his chest. Curiously, his loose suit and overcoat didn't seem to rip or fall away with the man's transformation into the creature known as the Creeper, but instead seemed to... blend, or meld, with his very skin, as if whatever chemical effect that caused the change dragged it into his body, transmuted it into the eccentric costume that the yellow-skinned weirdo wore.
“Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee--”
“Oh no,” Kara tried to avert her eyes, but it was too late.
“--eeeeeeeere's CREEPER!” The green-haired, yellow-skinned, leanly-muscled psychopath spun around in a tight circle, striking a dramatic pose with his clawed hands outstretched. “Everybody miss me? Wait a minute--” his voice raised an octave, trying to emulate William Shatner, or, specifically, Captain Kirk. “--Who the hell are you people? I've never seen any of you before in my life!”
In a flash, he was standing behind Power Girl, pawing gently at her shoulder. “Not that I mind, rawr! No chance of getting your phone number I suppose? I've always had a thing for the outrageously tall and eerily well-muscled.”
“...Get him off of me.” Kara said quietly, her body going stiff as the Creeper, well... creeped in her general direction.
“Kara, I think you're distracting him.” Raven deadpanned.
“Really? And here I thought he just liked my new perfume, eau de Bizarro.” Kara glared at the azarathian, her eyes starting to look eerily bloodshot.
The half-demonic woman gave her kryptonian 'leader' a disappointed glare before turning her eyes back to the yellow-fleshed beast. “Creeper, would you mind going with...” Raven turned to Starfire, not quite gesturing to her before realizing the possible repercussions. She then turned to Bleez for a moment, before again realizing that not only would Creeper get distracted, the Red Lantern was likely not up to the task. “...Would you mind going into the dining room with Mr. Blood, and allowing him to fill you in on the details of exactly why you were selected?”
Jason stood quietly, to which Creeper immediately pouted. “Whaaat, oh come on, I finally get on a team that's 57.14% female and I get shoved off with one of the two other guys here? I demand a lawyer and a fair trial, this is discrimination! Discrimination I say!”
The demonologist breathed in deeply for a moment before slapping his thigh, as if summoning a pet. “Come on, Creeper. I'll give you a biscotti if you're good.”
“Biscotti? Why didn't you say so.” Creeper was by the other man's side within seconds, stroking his dull claws over Jason's shoulders. “I mean, uh, ol' buddy, ol' pal. Fillin' me in, then? Dining room, you say? Don't know why you'd ever think I'd have to be coaxed into something like that. Wait a minute, I get milk too, right?”
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“Is he going to do it?” Kara glanced up from a... largish, plate of something Starfire was resolutely calling 'meat loaf'. A small tendril attempted to escape through the corner of her lips, but failed when she slurped it back down. All in all, despite the fact that it was blue and moved, it was good.
“I don't, really... speak Creeper, I've found? But from what I can tell he's with us. It tried to get it through his head that his free will would be taken away, tried to mention that the earth would be destroyed, you know, the basic soliloquies to try to get someone to save the world.”
“And?”
“Eventually I told him that if he didn't do it, Jessica Alba would be erased from existence. Not even the posters would be saved.”
Kara snorted, barely suppressing a girlish peal of giggles. “I guess his priorities are set straight, at least.”
“Apparently. Did Victor come around?”
“Victor was never opposed,” Raven croaked softly, causing Jason to start – she appeared behind him without warning, her hood uncharacteristically pulled down. “He just likes to have all of the information, apparently.”
“So...” Kara sat back in her chair for just a moment, wiping her lips before compulsively gulping down another bite of tamaranian fleshcake. “This is the new team then? Everything's set? You, Kory, Jason, Creeper, Bleez, Vic, me? And we'll be... what? The Rejects Society of Slaughtering Villains?”
“I came to you to have the Justice Society on my side,” Raven said quietly, her gaze settling on the kryptonian and staying there firmly. “I hope that won't be a problem.”
Kara took a deep breath and stuffed another wedge of writhing alien dinner into her mouth. “It won't be.”
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