"Ah, miss Raven, so good of you to join us again." Alfred's cheery greeting almost has all of Richards's oatmeal come out of his nose, but he manages to limit it to only some of the milk leak through, he choughs the rest of his food down with difficulty. Tim snickers at his older 'brother', he is getting ready for school and Richard only got back from Metropolis 30 minutes ago, hungry and in need of a shower. Not expecting a visitor before lunchtime, Richard is sitting in a white t-shirt and blue boxer shorts.
"Thank you Alfred. Easy Richard, no one's sneaking up on you." Raven replies, not failing to notice her former leader almost choke on his breakfast. She had been told by Bruce to head up to the kitchen, he needed to change and a shower. She is wearing her hood down and has her cloak behind her shoulders.
"Morning Raven." Tim waves at her, afraid to get overlooked.
"Good morning Timothy." Raven smiles back, before sitting down next to Richard. "You all right, o fearless leader?"
"Yeah…" He coughs. "Just didn't expect you."
"Care for some coffee?" Alfred asks, walking over with a steaming pot. Raven waves him off.
"No thank you, I need some sleep as well. Some water would be nice." Alfred nods before returning with a glass.
"So either she was impressed over the hills by you, or…" Richard gets cut off.
"She blames me." Raven answers with a flat tone. Richard from his long association with her knows she is hiding her feelings on the matter.
"Who blames you for what?" Tim asks with his mouth full, Alfred sighs at the sink.
"Not now Tim." Richard snaps.
"It's ok, ever heard of Dr. Destiny?" Raven asks the current Boy Wonder.
"Umm, dream stalker, tried to kill the League a few years ago Freddy Kruger style." Tim rolls off.
"Well he made another bid for Hawkgirl last night, after Richard and I found him; Hawkgirl blamed me for the whole thing." Raven explains shortly.
"Did you fight her?" Tim continues in an overly optimistic tone, Richard gives him one of his 'shut-up!' stares, which goes completely unnoticed by Tim, as usual.
"Tim; school." Bruce commands as he enters the kitchen barefooted with a white t-shirt and black training pants with wet hair.
"Morning to you too." Tim pouts before heading out of the kitchen.
"Cute kid." Raven mentions before taking a sip of water.
"Unfortunately his wisdom of those awful movies is greater than those of his manners." Alfred replies while serving Bruce his usual oatmeal. "If you will excuse me, he needs a chauffeur to school." Alfred waits for Bruce's nod of approval before leaving the kitchen.
"Alfred only drives him to a corner near the school, Tim finds it embarrassing having Alfred following him to the door." Bruce mentions before taking his first spoonful.
"Tim reminds me of a certain green monster we know." Raven notes at Richard.
"Don't mention him this early, Victor had me directing him around yesterday." Richard says before diving back into his breakfast, leaving the room in silence for a few moments.
"So you got into Shayera's mind?" Bruce asks, not bothering with hiding his interest.
"I did." Raven answers.
"And she didn't feel anything from it?"
"I'm not sure. She was, well, really upset when I got back." Like Artemis' self doubt and Diana's drunken state, Raven decides to shield Hawkgirl somewhat.
"She mentioned a Thanagarian J'onn forced his way into, ended up brain damaged as a result." Bruce mentions.
"Fate tried getting in before me but couldn't, when I tried I was met by a barrier I could bypass and he could not, but there was another behind it I couldn't get past at first, but Fate could. Our perceptions of the barriers weren't the same."
"So if you only saw a pit, he would see the bridge?" Dick asks trying to imagine what Raven saw.
"Yes." Raven answers flatly, remaining silent for a moment. "So when do I have to go back to the League?"
"J'onn will come here when his shift ends this evening." Bruce says shortly. "I suggest you get some rest before that."
"She's not meeting Babs?" Richard asks, getting Bruce to stare at him while he crews his food, Raven quirks an eyebrow behind his back.
"Babs?"
"Barbara Gordon. Depends, if you're awake at the time and where you will be sleeping." Bruce replies before taking another spoonful.
"Uh, the cave, if it is ok with you?" Bruce nods while chewing, Raven stretches. "Ok, I'll head down there now, I'll see you later." She says before heading out the door. They both wait a few moments before talking.
"She's grown." Bruce mentions.
"Are you sure Diana didn't leave Raven on Themyscira and bring one of her sisters back with her instead?" Richard asks, from the limited contact he's had with Amazon's, Raven certainly looks like one to him.
"Pretty sure, I'll have to ask Alfred to see if she wants any other modifications done to her outfit." Bruce's suggestion sets off a train of embarrassing thoughts in Richards mind, some he didn't mind so much, and others he could do without.
"Bit old for her, aren't you?"
"I just noticed her sleeves are tight enough to restrict blood flow." Bruce says flatly.
"Right." The thoughts in Richards mind, the ones he could have done without, suddenly take over his mind.
"I'm not the one staring at her midsection." Bruce continues flatly, smirking while Richard grows red in embarrassment, making him wish he had Raven's control over his emotions. "Anyways we need to get a few hours as well before Barbara arrives."
"So, another day, another few percent of the ship." Victor says to his buddy as they enter the workshop.
"Rob's not coming by today?" Beastboy asks, fearful that he would have to take orders from him again.
"Na, said he was meeting someone today, remember?" Beastboy's mind quickly works out another question.
"You don't think it's the lady kind?" He asks grinning.
"Don't know, anyways you are obviously thinking about Rae; he hasn't seen her since she took off to Paradise Island. So since you obviously still have the hot's for her, why haven't you asked yet?" Cyborg gives Garfield a knowing smile; Garfield just narrows his eyes at him.
"Dude, I tried. But she said she couldn't." Victor's eye goes a little wide at the acknowledgement. "I asked her if we ever had anything, she said we couldn't be more than friends. It before I left the Tower." Beastboy drops down on a seat.
"None of us were the best of friends back then, so why not try now?"
"Guess I realized over the years my feelings towards her is more like yours Vic, only she's the big sister to me." Garfield looks him square in the eyes as he says it.
"So the hovering is?" He asks, wondering if Beastboy would completely freak if Raven was with someone that wasn't him.
"Dreaming."
"You know; if you want that dream to become reality, you better hurry before Rob decides to make a move on her." Cyborg says while picking out a few tools.
"Na it's ok, I dream that she's a different person…that she could be a different person. And I can't make Rae become that person, she'd kill me if I asked her to." Cyborg sighs as he recognizes where this is going. "If Rob makes her happy, then I will be happy for them."
"Not all girls are the same B, and Rae can never be Terra, they have different qualities that make them unique. And you're right; she would kill you if you asked her to dye her hair blond. Who knows, Terra might come back one day?"
"I wish." Beastboy says, looking at the floor, Cyborg begins working. Almost an hour passes while the two only engage in light talk, until they hear a knock on the wall near one of the doors. They both look up mildly surprised to see Hawkgirl standing there.
"Umm, aren't you supposed to be with Raven?" Beastboy asks.
"I was, but our session was cut short." She says while crossing her arms. "I need to know what kind of person she is." Beastboy and Cyborg look shortly at each other in understanding, Raven and Hawkgirl had not left each other on favorable terms.
"Sure, what do you want to know?" Cyborg asks, internally wiping the days planned progress on the ship off his slate, adding instead his need to know what passed between the two.
"Miss Gordon, welcome back to Wayne Manor. And to you, of course, Miss Lance." Alfred greets the pair of women standing outside the front door. Dinah Lance, better known in the world as Black Canary, is a blond in a brown trench coat with fishnet stocking sticking out beneath it and into her black combat boots. Barbara Gordon is a red head with square yellow-tinted glasses, as always now, in her wheelchair. Covering her brown canvas pants and mint green sweatshirt is a white trench coat.
"Thank you Alfred. Dinah I'll call you when I need a pickup." Barbara says to the woman behind her, who lets Alfred take over the handles of the wheelchair.
"Take care, Babs." Dinah replies before walking back over the rock covered driveway to the black custom built car they had arrived in. It looks like any normal sedan, but it is built so Barbara can get in and out of the back seat without leaving her chair, and it is also built so she can drive it if necessary.
"So how was your trip Miss Gordon?" Alfred asks as he pushes her up the ramp covering a part of the steps of the staircase leading up to the front door while Dinah starts the engine, the ramp was something Richard and Bruce had set up after breakfast.
"Like all trips through Gotham in the middle of the day, packed and boring. So how are things here?" She asks while being guided through the house.
"Oh like always as you probably know, the city calls and they answer. And how about yourself?"
"Likewise, busy, busy." She replies with a smile. "So do you care to tell me why I have been summoned?"
"I would suggest you ask him that yourself." Alfred replies with a smile as he pushes her through the doors leading out into the vast garden behind the manor. They can see Bruce and Richard sitting at a white painted wood table with a large dark green sunscreen providing them shade from the midday sun. Richard waves at them with a smile while Bruce gets up to greet her.
"Welcome Barbara, thank you for coming." Bruce says while bending down to kiss her hand, getting a giggle out of her.
"Why thank you Mister Wayne, who could resist an invitation from you? But I am curious why?" She says sounding amused, while Bruce takes over from Alfred, pushing her to the table.
"We will discuss that later, first we will have lunch." He says, Richard notes inwardly Bruce may have taken note of what he said about not inviting anyone over other than for business.
"So how have you been Dick, it's been a while since I've seen you." She asks while Richard gets up and gives her a kiss on the cheek. It is true; they had only seen each other a few times since he had returned to Gotham.
"I've been fine, thank you, busy, but nothing to worry about." He says while leaning back, enjoying everything around him. "How about you?"
"Well I'm still stuck behind my screens, company keeps me busy." All present knows her company is a front to what she is really doing; probably the best information broker the League has.
"So all is well and good." Richard replies with a smile.
"I do hope that it will be after you have had a taste of my specially prepared sandwiches." Alfred says while pushing over a trolley with a large plate of them along with a selection of drinks.
They all agree with him after the lunch, during which much humor was shared between two of the participants, Richard shared stories featuring him and his friends and Barbara shared some of hers, involving herself and her all female squad of operatives. Bruce chuckles along at some of the more exceptional ones, like the phony newspaper Victor Stone made just to upset his vegetarian buddy and a story involving Dinah singing in the shower. After lunch they move into the study Raven declared her desire to prove herself worthy of Batman's trust. After having settled down around the coffee table, the 'business' personalities take over, replacing Bruce Wayne, Richard Grayson and Barbara Gordon with Batman, Nightwing and Oracle.
"So Bruce, why am I really here? Not that I don't enjoy a lunch with you and Richard, but it's not like you to invite anyone over just to enjoy their company." Barbara asks.
"You have talked to Zatanna?" Bruce asks the rhetorical question Barbara knows it is.
"Of course, she said you kicked her out of the League in favor of someone new, but I want your side of this as well."
"As you know I consulted you about the Shadow. " She nods at Bruce remembering that she was asked to see if she could find mention of it anywhere and see if anyone was or had employed it. "Richard found out who it was about four weeks ago when it confronted Etrigan."
"I will send flowers." Barbara replies dryly. "Who was it?"
"Etrigan was the one who got beaten up that night, it turns out the Shadow is my former teammate from Jump City; Raven." Richard explains, Barbara gives him a questioning look.
"The edgy, half-demon Goth with emotionally fueled powers? I thought she was missing?"
"Well she turned up here in Gotham. After introductions were made she committed herself to proving she could be trusted, since she knew our identities by accident, I set her out to infiltrate the False Facers. After getting hired she encountered an old acquaintance from Jump City." Bruce continues.
"Slade." Richard hisses still resenting the man now trapped in Arkham.
"Deathstroke, the Terminator. Who had been hired by an extraterrestrial monarch to track down and capture the Robin from Jump City. Raven's job became split as I had her look into him as well as Roman, with additional orders to call me if she could corner Deathstroke in an isolated area."
"I guess she had a fool proof disguise to pull this off." Barbara enquires already knowing the reply.
"She did haunt Gotham for weeks without us realizing it." Richard mentions.
"Anyways, while undercover she was cornered by Zatanna and they ended up in a fight, with Zee coming out on the losing end. After this Cyborg and Beastboy appeared in Gotham looking for Raven, where they were both captured by Deathstroke. Raven was, while in disguise, lent to Deathstroke to interrogate them. She turned the tables on him here and took him down."
"Hold up, the man is on par with you when it comes to fighting and you say she took him down?"
"He's is in Arkham now, jumping at shadows." Richard mentions, a little satisfaction leaking into his voice.
"In short she just did what she had been doing all the time in Gotham, just amplified." Bruce continues.
"She scared the man into insanity? That's usually a bit overboard from how we usually play this." Barbara mentions.
"Considering our past with the man and her powers, I'm actually amazed she didn't just kill him and have the body disappear, I know she could have done that." Richard defends.
"You told me he once died, and then returned only to torment her." Barbara continues.
"Anyways, he told Raven that he had been tasked by the alien Blackfire, Starfire's sister, to capture Robin for unspecified reasons. After tipping off your father about Black Mask, we set an ambush for the invaders. At the conclusion of the fight, Zatanna brought the League down on Raven, having told them she was using mind control on all of us involved in the fight. And that included me, Richard, Tim, the two former Titans and luring Etrigan along with the promise of a fight. During the interrogation of her by the League, she resisted J'onn and Diana, surprising us all by going haywire on Diana and beating her unconscious in a fit of rage. The League eventually came to the conclusion that they had been mislead in their assault on Raven and decided to give her a special tryout, because she couldn't be read. After being given the offer she retreated to think about it, eventually consulting her friends in the stations cantina, where she was confronted by Zatanna. Raven wanted no conflict, turned away from her and was attacked. Diana used her lasso on Zatanna when we all arrived after the first blow, uncovering that Zatanna was fabricating parts of her story in fear of being replaced." Bruce continues without getting interrupted, Barbara remains silent for a moment after he stops before speaking.
"Zee gave me the whole brainwashed story as well, though she came clean about the truth about it, I just don't get why she's doing this instead of working it all out."
"You know they have a history together?" Barbara shakes her head at Richard's question; it was before Oracle came to be. "Before I met her in Jump City, Raven had approached the League for help. Before she even got a chance to ask, Zatanna had the present Leaguers try and contain her because she got bad vibes from her. Just a note, I thought I met her by chance in Jump till a few weeks ago as well. Turns out that chance wears a cape and cowl." He says while he nods with his head at Bruce.
"Ok, so I guess the League has her doing all sorts of things for them to prove herself, but why tell me about this?" Barbara's question finally prompts Bruce to speak his intentions.
"I want her here Barbara, no matter what the League may decide"
"You want her in the 'clan'?" She asks with widening eyes in surprise.
"I do, she is capable of many things and she is highly intelligent, resourceful while she is still able to learn. And for all the things she has already done, I think it's about time someone showed her some appreciation for it. She will have to follow the rules, but those seem to fit her already. I'm not going to ask you to hand her your name and badge, those are yours and yours alone to hand over, but I would like your blessing of this extension." Bruce's list makes Barbara fall into silence again, thinking before asking the next question.
"And you had no influence in this?" She asks Richard, knowing how fond he is of his old teammates.
"None, I was as surprised as you when he mentioned it to me." He explains. Barbara is internally running through a list of things she has read matches the empath and the 'clan'; anti-social, loner, shrouded in darkness and troubled, none of them will admit it but all of the clan members are at some level. Sighing she knows the only thing she could have against this, is Zatanna's story which is proving to be as full of holes as Swiss-cheese, still there is one other thing.
"Ok, I will give you my blessings for this, but I want to meet her before I do." The two men give her a smile each.
"Figured you would." Bruce says. "Alfred would you prepare some herbal tea?" He calls out, knowing his old butler is always within earshot. "Richard would you mind?" Bruce motions for his ward to push Barbara along. "Oh and one more thing, she doesn't know about this. And I'd like to keep it that way until the League comes to a decision."
"I'll do it just fine myself when I know where we are going." Barbara argues rolling a bit away from Richard.
"The cave." Bruce replies shortly.
"She not injured, is she?" Barbara asks, somewhat worried about what exactly the League has had Raven do.
"No, she just prefers sleeping down there. At least it's the only place she has slept while here." Richard mentions while following behind Barbara and Bruce out of the study. "Don't worry, she has been offered a room, but she had herself guard the manor entrance down there while a curious changeling and his cybernetic buddy slept there as well."
"Good, I was almost thinking you were just growing rude." Barbara jokes. As they make their way to the clock with the entrance, they meet up with Alfred, carrying a metal tray with a steaming cup of tea on it. "So I don't suppose you have installed a wheelchair ramp here yet? Or is there a reason we aren't using the other entrance."
"If you will allow it, I will carry you, and Richard will take the chair." Bruce mentions.
"And the reason why you don't just wake her and have her come up is?" She asks skeptically.
"Because you really need to see this." Richard replies, hoping inwardly Raven is doing her 'vampire sleep' as Beastboy calls it, they aren't using the entrance with the lift because it is quite noisy.
"Oh very well, but only because it's you. So what is the tea for?" She asks.
"We learned from Master Jason that demons can occasionally be very hard to wake when they sleep, but the smell of favored nourishment can bring them around." Alfred mentions, reminded of the surprise he got when he met the empath.
"Uh-hu. Now I'm getting intrigued." Barbara mentions as she is lifted up, bridal-style by Bruce who turns and enters the clock entrance.
"Something tells me she is not sleeping in the guestroom." Barbara notes as Richard is scanning the ceiling. "Or are you looking for your favorite bat?"
"I am looking for her." Either she is gone or she had moved from the stalagmite near the stairs, because he can't see her. After unfolding Barbara's chair he gets a flashlight and begins to scan the ceiling with it. "Ah there she is." His cone of light shines on what in the dark just looked like a very large stalagmite covered in a swarm of bats suspended over the sheer drop down into the harbor below with her back turned towards them.
"She sleeps like that?!" Barbara asks with disbelief in her voice.
"Sometime she does, Jason explained that she is very heavy sleeper like that. But if she sleeps normally she is a light one. She's called it a form of trance she enters, her body is still effectively asleep but her mind is still aware." Richard explains. "Alfred do you want to do the honors?"
"Of course Master Richard." They all follow the butler to the memorial platform that is the closest to her. They see her beginning to move a bit when they get close.
"Morning already?" Raven asks in a very sleepy voice before yawning.
"Afraid it's only afternoon Rae, there's someone we want you to meet." Richard calls up to her, getting her to turn and look down on them.
"Oh, hello." She waves shortly at Barbara before turning to the bats hanging on her. "Guys, vamos." One by one the small swarm drops off her till she is bat free, afterwards she drops down herself.
"Miss Raven this is Miss Gordon." Alfred introduces.
"Well hello, Barbara will do." She says while extending her hand, which Raven take in a firm grip.
"Pleasure to meet you." Raven replies while shaking hands.
"Quite a grip you have." Barbara notes while rubbing her somewhat tender hand after letting go.
"Sorry, got back from two weeks of Amazon training a few days ago." Raven says wondering how much she had changed; she didn't apply any pressure in that grip, unlike the one she gave Jinx.
"Wonder Woman's test?" Barbara asks.
"Her mother's actually, Wonder Woman was planning on only a few rounds of sparring. But Queen Hippolyta wanted me to do something more since I did injure Diana." Raven explains before taking the cup of tea. "Thank you Alfred."
"Actually I think we are all eager to hear about that trip." Richard says while smirking.
"I'm afraid you will have to wait till the League is done. But I was hoping to do a little round of training before J'onn shows up tonight."
"Themyscira must have changed you. I remember a time when I had to pull ranks on you to get you into the gym." Richard mentions, still smirking as they both remember him ordering her to do it while she was more interested in reading her book; it had been early in their relationship.
"Actually, if the gentlemen will allow it, you can train with me and my girls." Barbara mentions.
"Sounds like a good idea, will give you a chance to meet the other Birds." Bruce says, instantly wiping the smirk off Richards face. Who was really hoping to do see what she had learned.
"Umm, not to be insensitive or anything but…" Raven notes at the wheelchair.
"Oh, don't worry, I have my own regime, but the rest are all able bodied." Barbara replies without offence, being used to having those kinds of questions.
"And the rest are?"
"The Birds of Prey. Barbara's own espionage operation, she goes by the name Oracle." Bruce fills in the blank in Ravens head, the Birds were formed while Richard was a Titan.
"Well this will be interesting, but if you don't mind, I would like something to eat first."
"Gives Dinah some time to get here." Barbara notes.
"Actually, if you just let Raven know where you are heading, she can take you there in a jiffy." Richard mentions, not wanting Barbara to miss out on a trip like that.
"Thank you Richard, but I can't just guess where I emerge, I have to know I'm not coming out into a wall or something else." Raven replies calmly, not letting a hint of her actual annoyance show.
"I'll call Dinah, where we are housed is rather crowded." Barbara mentions before heading over to the computer.
"And I'm sure Alfred has made enough sandwiches for you as well." Bruce mentions.