Chapter 1
A/N:Hi! Thanks for joining me for another new story! This is completely different than anything I have ever written! Evem longer! I hope you enjoy it as much as I am. Please Follow, Favoirite and revirew if your interested in me continuing this new story!
The inspiration for this story came to me from a joke I heard, I matched it up with some problems I'm currently facing.
Chapter 1
Yearly Meetings
The worst part about today is acting as if everything is still the same. As if we're all still friends, still talk every day. As if nothing ever changed. But everything has changed. I haven't seen my friends in a year, and it's the same occasion. Safe House protocol and contract reviews, brings us into a meeting. The house is in the country of Illinois, which is odd since most hero's live in large cities. But 3 of the team members moved to Illinois since the disbanding. Beastboy is going to college at the University of Illinois. Rachel is a nurse to a local clinic, while Victor is a doctor in Chicago. While they all live within an hour of each other, they don't talk much. Kori is living in Jump City continuing partying.
For me, I moved to Bludhaven and ditched the red and green outfit. I choose to take on a different approach. Darker. Unapologetic. While growing up in Gotham, Bruce taught me to fight, to send the mobsters, and thieves running for the hills. I was trained to ensure the safety of the people of Gotham. What I never realized was that the people who left Gotham had to go somewhere. Somewhere is Bludhaven. The men I broke down enough to flee Gotham when I was just a kid, created a world here. Bludhaven is essentially Gotham's worst. Gotham's rejects. Gotham's lost souls who now torcher the innocent.
The sun warms the morning in the mid-April spring as I drive through the country roads leading me to the house. The GPS on the dash is on. Its been 5 years today since the Titans left Jump city, yet here we are going through the confidentiality and disclosure contracts. Mine hasn't changed since that day. But minor things have been added to the rest of them. Well all but Raven's. Every year the dark girl adds something to it, but I'm never allowed to review or see it. The dark emotionless girl has changed so much before my eyes. Her eyes no longer look into mine when we speak. Every year she leaves within an hour, not wanting to do anything more than renew her contract. So many secrets she holds now. But I know the biggest one.
When we were teens, Raven set up a bond to save me from killing myself. I was drugged and obsessed with a man named Slade. I was beating myself to death before my friends' very eyes. This bond is always there, when we are close together we can feel each other's' emotions. Whether it be fear, joy, or anger. Weve even been able to communicate through it. Being thousands of miles apart the bond is there but we can't feel each other unless were close. Through those thousands of miles I felt something one day. I was getting ready for bed when it doubled me over. I cried out for her without realizing she wasn't there. I felt my body burn and the bond slipping. Grasping the phone I tried to call her with no answer. Fear shrunk into my mind and I grabbed my backpack shoving things in. I took off on my bike and drove all night. I finally arrived at her home to find nothing. Nobody. So I followed the bond to her.
Her hair laid flat on the pillow, with her eyes trapped closed. The room was dark but a person laid slumped on the couch across the room. I walked closer seeing her swollen belly. The bands strapped to her belly. The needles struck in her arms. The machine next to her bed showed her blood pressure. 230/190. She was dying, and I felt it through the bond. She was in labor with a child. Dying of preeclampsia, the bond brought me back to her. Unknowingly she called me as she was losing consciousness. She doesn't need to know I was here, if she survives. But I cant save her, I thought to myself. Slowly I walked to her side and kissed her forehead. "Stay breathing." I whispered before I left.
I stayed around for a few days in case there would be a funeral. But thankfully there wasn't. before I knew it the internet had shown me the beautiful little girl she delivered. I stared at the photo of her and the baby together forever. She was so much paler, her cheeks sunken in, her eyes filled with despair. While I understand child birth is hell. That wasn't Raven. Weeks past and another picture revealed her coming back. She left the man who fathered her child. While she doesn't think anyone knows her allias of Beth. I do. And Beth's "family" likes to post pictures of everything with her and the baby. She found a woman who had just lost her daughter and filled in that whole in her life. They became close like mother and daughter.
Every time I think of her I smile, knowing that she has a family know that she always deserved. Her daughter looks just like her, and I assume shares her abilities. I cant ask her ever though. She cant know how much I adore her little girl. How much I wish I had the chance the baby's father has, but refuses. Raven cant know, that I know of her daughter. Shes a great mother. The father stepped out and Raven stepped up. Finishing school and getting a full time job at the hospital that saved her. Raven cries at being alone raising a baby. Raven cries for letting him hit her, abuse her, and destoy her. She regrets him. Her contract was to keep her powers hidden, so however bad he hit her she had to restain herself from using them. She should have used them. Protected herself. Stopped him from what he did to her. The dark girl now has a darker outlook on the world.
Not good enough. Fat. Ugly. Stupid. Immature. Annoying. Slut. She repeats these obscenities to herself every day, and every chance she gets alone. While your thinking, how would I know if she doesn't talk? How would I know this much about her life? Because I should have went after her when I had the chance and told her how much I loved her. Im in Illinois a lot anymore. I'm hacking into cameras to see her gorgeous face, even if tears are running down the puffy cheeks of hers.
Ravens changed the most, but shes never stoped caring or loving like before. She destroyed herself for someone she loved and had to figure out how to love again. Raven needs someone to swoop in and save her from herself. I just hope when the opportunity arises I can be the one. Shes lost her hope, her fight, and most importantly herself. I just should have told her how I felt before we disbanded. Maybe shed still be Raven.
My mind tries to release any thought as I turn down the driveway to the safe house. I try not to think of her, and establish a barrier to keep my emotions out of her empath mind. I cant let her feel the warmth of love for her or my worry for her. I sigh as I roll down the window pressing the digital box to enter my code and password to enter the house. Its voice automated. I clear my throught to repeat the sequence. "Grayson, Richard. Password. Raven." A small smile appears on my face as the gates open. I drive through with ease staring at all of the trees on the property to ensure secrecy to the house. I reach the clearing where the house sits to see Beastboy's hybrid along with the T-car and a strange black jetta.
I park looking to the porch where Kori and Cyborg speak on one side, with an anxious Beastboy looking at me on the other side. Sits with him are two strangers with kids I sigh leaning my head back thinking the worst of him revealing himself to these people and now needs help to keep them quiet. Sighing I turn the key, killing the engine. I compose myself, keeping my sunglasses on fearing my secret identity will be exposed without them. I slide my phone into my pocket stepping out of the rental car into the crisp spring air. I slowly make my way to the porch with the locked metal case. I sit it down on the ledge of the porch turning my attention to Beastboy.
"Don't be mad." He taps his fingers together.
"You did it again?" I speak through my teeth in anger. "We cant keep doing this. Covering for you."
"No! No, its not like that at all. They need help."
"Then call the police, don't bring them to a government safe house."
"The kids have abilities." He finally gets out.
"Abilities?" I raise a brow. I look to the two girls playing on the ground with large Legos. The woman holds worry in her eyes while the man looks at her for an answer.
"The oldest one lifted a car." Beastboy looked at her with a sligh smirk.
"Which side?" I sigh leaning against the railing.
"What?" the woman looks up at me.
"Are the abilities from you or him." I point.
"I'm not their real dad." He coughs. I look at this man realizing his familiarness. I can't pin point where I know him from.
"Clark is going to want to be called in for it." Kori walks to my side. "He wants to keep the peace, and with that is all powers known by members are to be reported."
"Yes, I know" I sigh. "Who is the father?"
"Chris Henderson." She sighs looking back to her girls.
"Shit." Beastboy looks at them, "Mammoth can have kids?"
"Mammoth?" Her head snaps to him
"Their father isn't exactly a good guy." Cyborg joins in, "We've faced him many times in battle."
"Battle?" The man urges. "What do you mean?"
"Listen, you know all of those superheros you see on tv or in the comics? They're real. Every one of them. While some of the stories might be fictional the characters are real." Beastboy explains.
"So they have super powers?" the mom speaks up.
"Essentially." I sigh. "I need your names to write a report to send to the big wigs. They will be handling your file and deciding what protocol to take."
"I'm Julie Waldrop, my children are Whitney and Rose Waldrop." She nervously says.
"I'm David Smith." The man smiles, "Her fiancé." Suddenly it clicks with the name to the face and I'm heated, but I can't act on it.
This man visits Raven every Tuesday night and every Thursday morning. I don't know if they're together. But she's happy when he visits, but immediately goes back to her depressed state when he leaves. She continually tells the world she's single. She doesn't mention the man to a soul. He's her secret. My thought is she loves him, but he doesn't feel the same. And with him being with someone else it instantly proves why. I sigh out loud running my fingers through my hair. He has the best opportunity in front of him but has chosen to abuse it. Before I can say another word my thoughts come crashing down as the beat up silver tracker rolls up the drive. I see her tired face through the cracked wind shield. Realization kicks in that she's about to have her heart broken in the next minute.
Don't turn the engine off… But she does.
Don't open that door… But she does.
Don't step out of the car.. But she does.
Don't walk up here.. But she does.
Don't look at him… But she does..