Hello, I want to let you guys know that my test results finally came in, I do not have COVID which I kind of figured since it had been a week with no symptoms :) Thank you to all of you who wished me better and were still reading this story. It makes me happy because I don't get a lot of reads normally so having you guys read it makes me very happy :) I am trying to write more however since the COVID scare I have stopped vaping and I never realized how hard it is to write without my terrible habit.
A day later- Duke Thomas
I didn't know how I was going to find my parents all I know is I just started walking, I grabbed my bag and shoes and headed out of the door in the middle of the night. I knew that it was a bad idea, I knew that when they woke up for middle of the night checks they would call the police. I am sure my social case worker would not be happy, somehow Ms. Thompkins has made me feel like I could find a home at some point, however I know nothing will ever compare to my own home. Ms. Thompkins even took me to my house...and let me grab more of my things and another suit case so that I would feel more at home where I am now. However, it didn't seem to work. Even through all of that the police, didn't seem to concern me at this moment. All I could care about was making sure that I could find my family. The night sky is dark but casting a strange glow on the town, the moon behind the clouds has always draped the town in more of a brown light than a grey. The air smelled of rain and smoke from fire places but I didn't try to focus on smells as I lower myself to the entrance of the sewer. I know I would need to breath through the mouth if I was going to make it down there.
Thinking about them down here is confusing. I can't imagine my mother and father going down here willingly, I wish I could, but they were always so clean and neat. My mom kept everything tidy at home and my dad would never put him somewhere that was in his mind dirty. It somehow makes it easier for me to accept they are no longer themselves. My feet slap the water below loudly, it isn't that deep, kind of like a puddle. However I still inhale through my nose by accident and regret it instantly. Using a flashlight I look around the small hallway looking place. The walls are moist and the air feels dense. I remind myself a thousand times to inhale through my mouth my face molded into a permanent grimace from being down here.
Starting the moving of my feet walking through the long puddle on the bottom of the sewer floor, I can feel the water seep into my shoes and it makes me colder somehow. I turn a small corner not sure where I am going but knowing that they have to be somewhere in here. If they are moving around too I could hear them or I could find them and somehow convince them to come up to the surface with me. I run through my mind what I would say to them as I walk aimlessly down here.
I can hear the small noises of rats from all around me and I try not to be grossed out by it. I swear I heard footsteps as well but when I stop walking to hear better and to look around me the footsteps stop, telling me it's only the echoing of my own footsteps. So I keep going shining my flash light on the ground and the walls to make sure I am not going to trip or impale myself on anything. I don't know why I thought something like that would happen down here but to be honest I didn't know what to expect. I freeze when I hear what sounded like something dropping. I listen shutting off my flashlight in case it is someone who isn't supposed to know that I am down here. My heart is racing as I listen and it makes it harder to hear through the thumping. The sounds of small whispers grab my attention but I know they don't belong to my parents. The voices are two males, but I can't hear what they are saying. As quietly as I can I move towards the corner of the wall hoping to see around the corner even though it is dark down here. I can see two men holding a big candle they have limps and are wearing mismatched and torn clothes. Do they live down here? That's when I notice the suit jacket. It looks like the one my father wore, I need to get closer to see if it is his, my dad would have my mother sew in his initial into the bottom right of the outside of his jacket so that he would always know which one is his.
Keeping space behind them I begin to get closer to them, keeping my flashlight off and only using their light to make sure I don't get myself killed. As I get closer however I begin to hear what they are talking about, which is in no way what I thought they would be talking about.
"I just don't understand how it is going to help us" one of the men whisper but grumble
"I don't know either, I just know it s'posed to give us a new life somehow" The one wearing the suit coat replies
"How is blowin up our home gonna make it better?" The other man replies, my heart drops
"I thinks its just part of the plan. We aren't blowin up the tunnels" the other replies, I can see in front of them a clearing, almost like a giant room underneath all of this. I don't get how it's supposed to work, or how it is going to help drain the water in the city. I am only 17 though, it is possible it's really simple and I just don't get it.
"Everyone's gon know it was us" The first man grumbles The get into the clearing and I can hear a range of other voices in whispers and some in their normal voices. I tuck myself against the wall to listen but to stay out of sight as the two men I was following start to take off the many layers of coats including the suit coat. They place it on a wooden box and I swear I can see the D on the right outer corner of the suit. For Doug, for my dad.
"Do we know when we are going to do this?" A woman asks
"Four days from now, we will set up the bombs all over the cities most historic or valued areas...we will have a couple of you planted at each spot to make sure no one suspects it and no one can stop it, we also need someone the light them" Another man says climbing on top of a box. I feel a slight sense of panic going through me as I hear this. They want to blow up Gotham? Why?
"What will that do for us?!" The man from before asks
"We will be taken seriously! Finally we will be no longer ignored! The looks of disgust and pity will be no more" the man replies pumping his fist into the air. He is followed by numerous people cheering him on.
"People could die!" The other man replies They all look at him with distaste. He isn't wrong, blowing things up for attention is wrong.
"How many of us have died Josh? We used to be many, now we are few and because society doesn't care about us! They don't care if we die! If you aren't with us Josh..you are against us" the man who seems to be the leader says, I feel my foot slipping from where it is. How it is giving me a better hold onto the wall. I try to fix my footing but the flashlight falls out of my pocket trying to do so. It hits the water which I hoped would break its fall rendering it silent but it doesn't. It still hits the ground with a loud clang. My heart beat spikes as I go to grab the Flashlight only to look back and see multiple eyes on me as I do so. I freeze staring back at them.
"Uhh...Hi...sorry to bother you..I was just..looking for my next home but it looks like this place is taken" I force out sitting up straight, I leave the flashlight on the ground. I didn't think that I needed it anymore now that my cover is blown. I look around at the people hoping to see the friendly faces of my parents amongst these homeless sewer people, however I don't see them and my heart sinks just a bit more.
"You Shouldn't be down here" the man scowls
"I see, I kind of can tell this place is taken." I reply backing up as it seems like the crowd of them are walking towards me. I don't know how I am going to get out of this, I don't even know if I will survive tonight now. Out of all the things I had accounted for this was not one of them. "You guys haven't seen a couple down here right? Looks like me? Looking mindless?"
"So we are mindless?" A women hisses I look to her putting both my hands up next to my head.
"No no no, I didn't say that, they are...they were taken by the Joker so their heads aren't really where they should be" I try to recover but it doesn't seem like my words mean anything to them. I can hear movement from the puddles behind me but I don't want to take my eyes off the crowd of angry people. Somehow I feel like whatever is behind me, isn't going to be helping me either. I take another step back keeping my hands up so they know I am not a threat but it doesn't seem like they care.
"DUCK!" I hear someone shout from behind me, I look back but see nothing but duck anyway as two people leap over me and in the narrow like hallway of the sewer. When they land some of the water splashes onto my bare arms and I have to hold in my sick feeling. I look up as the homeless men collide with the two people who jumped over me and see Red Robin, and Robin attacking the homeless people. I would feel bad for the homeless people if they weren't holding pipes and broken bottles and weren't attacking first. I feel a hand behind me and look over to see NightWing and and Red Hood.
"You shouldn't have come down here" Red Hood says through his mask. I nod as the two of them get in front of me almost like a shield. "You should go with Raven, get somewhere safe"
"I'm not going anywhere I need to find my parents" I say, Red Hood growls as he looks back slightly at me that is before a homeless man runs at him with a large pipe, he looks forward planting a single hit on the guys neck and he falls to the ground.
"Why are we beating up homeless men?" Red Hood asks, Nightwing shrugs, I have a hard time remembering who is which Robin under their masks.
"They were going to beat up Duke" NightWing replies. A hear someone yelp and look to see Red Robin has gotten cut by one of the bottle. Red Hood begins stomping towards the Homeless women who cut him grabbing her arm and making her slam the bottle on the ground. Nightwing goes to help leaving me alone in the dark. The leader of them all sees me from behind the crowd, he stayed behind from the fight I see. He walks through the fight heading towards me and I struggle to find my flashlight hoping to use it to fight back if I need to. A black form blocks the mans path, like a sudden shadow. It knocks the guy back I use that moment to run to the Flashlight grabbing it in my hands and holding it like I intend to hit someone with it. The shadow falls back and I look behind me but don't see anyone there.
"You can't hide in there forever kid, I don't know what you heard but I can't let you ruin my plans" The man says racing in through the tunnel, another shadow leaps forward acting as a shield between me and the guy. How is this happening? I look behind me again and this time, shining the flashlight down the hallway and seeing a woman her face covered by a hood of her dark purple cloak and her body concealed underneath it.
"Do you mind?" She hisses as the shadow falls, her voice is smoky and raspy and that's when I realize who she is. That's the girl from before. The one that was with them when they were talking to me. The one I was rude to and talked about her scratching her arms mostly because I felt cornered and needed to fight in some way. I shine the light away from her eyes. but not soon enough before I am hit in the head with something hard. My vision is covered with purple and yellow like dots as I look up to see the shadow extending from the girl again this time holding the man in a giant claw. I don't remember what happens next.
Present day-Raven
My eyes still sting from him shining that bright flashlight in my eye but I keep a grip on the man who hit Duke unconscious. I can still see the fight happening in the other room is almost finished. Tim babying his arm which was cut from the bottle, I get it. That wound could have a lot of trouble if it gets infected and down here that is a possibility. I keep ahold of the man but slowly moving him backwards away from the group and away from Duke. When I set him down Jason turns around shooting him in the neck with his tranq gun without tearing himself away from the man he is getting onto the floor.
It seems like everyone in on the ground now, moaning and groaning with their injuries as the Bat Clan come running over to me. They see Duke on the ground his eyes shut. It's times like these I wish Vic and Gar would have stayed, however they had something happen in Jump and they needed to leave ASAP so as of yesterday they are now back with the Titans.
"He shined a light in my face and I let the shield up for a second" I explain, Dick sighs, we hear police sirens up above looking up we see a manhole cover, someone could have heard commotion down here and called the police. Dammit.
"Dammit Raven" Dick mutters, I scoff reaching to grab Duke when he stops me.
"Leave him, the Police need to grab him" Dick says
"What? Leave him? What if someone here wakes up and kills him before the police get down here?" Tim asks wincing at the deep cut on his arm. It does look bad, I will have to heal him when we get back.
"He's a runaway...if we grab him and he shows up being taken by the Robin's and then Bruce tries to adopt him or Foster him it could give us up. We need to leave" Dick says grabbing ahold of my arm. I nod as everyone surrounds me grabbing various parts of my arms to make sure they have a way home. I teleport us through to the BatCave and feel relieved when I can breath out of my nose and not want to throw up again. Everyone disperses but Dick who rubs his temple.
"I can't believe you let him get hurt" Dick says
"He shined his flashlight in my eye and I let it up for a second, I couldn't see! You need to drop your fucking attitude towards me just because Kori said she didn't want to date you anymore until you get your head on straight" I snap back he scoffs looking around for anyone to back him up but his looks cause everyone to look down. I walk passed him to Tim's side setting my hands over his arm. He smiles up at me.
"Thanks, I wasn't sure how you were feeling so I didn't want to ask" He says I smile back
"How thoughtful" I reply
"You know I think you shouldn't be here anymore Raven. All you have done is cause more trouble for my family and I think it's time you left" Dick replies, I freeze looking down at the closing wound.
"What the fuck did you just say?" Jason asks I can't see either them with my back to them but I know Jason is in Dick's face.
"You can go with her! Our lives were fine until both of you came back, now its just a series of drama with the two of you. Slade came back for her because for some reason he really wanted a kid with her, Talia came back for you, WitchBoy came after Raven, then Joker comes back and somehow you get taken because of Raven, then she almost gets herself killed trying to save you. You two are nothing but drama and I think it's best if we weren't dragged into it" Dick goes on, half yelling his words sting and the thought of Slade and what he said about him send chills up my spine and make my chest hurt. Tim puts a hand on my shoulder and meets my eyes with concerned eyes.
"You okay?" He whispers I nod swallowing hard.
"Are you done?" I ask Dick scoffs
"Excuse me?" He asks
"Are you done? Are you done weaponizing what happened to me to get a reaction? You done bringing Slade up when we fight because you know I'll shut down? Are you fucking done using this as an excuse to be a dick because you fucked up your own relationship. You keep blaming me and Jason but we had nothing to do with that. Get a fucking grip. You wondered for so long why I never forgave you...it's because I knew something like this would happen." I say back Jason stands by watching me talk and Dick Heaves up and down angrily.
"I don't weaponize what happened to you" He replies
"You do though Dick..." Tim says from behind me Dick looks at him with distaste and then Damian walks forward.
"Our lives were a fine until both of you came back, now it's just a series of drama with the two of you. Slade came back for her because for some reason he really wanted a kid with her" Damian repeats in Dick's voice, it almost spooks me seeing him speak like Dick. I knew he was good at copying other people's voices exactly but I did not expect it to me so accurate. I look back and Dick watching him process it. Hopefully he is starting to get it but I don't care anymore/
"You're right though, you shouldn't have ever tried to find me. You want me gone, I'm out." I say I look back at Damian and Tim who seem hurt by my choice. "Either of you need more healing before I go?"
They shake their hand. I walk out of the Batcave going upstairs to my room to pack my things. Jason follows behind me and I can feel the anger radiating off of him. As we enter the room his slams the room door shut taking his mask off and rubbing his face.
"I'm not letting you go anywhere by yourself" He says I smile taking his hands in mine.
"I hoped you wouldn't" I answer honestly, I didn't know if Jason would come with me or not but I hoped he would. We finally got back together and I am not risking that again. It seems like ever since we slept together it's been easier to know how I feel about him. Like I wasn't sure before because I was afraid to cross that line. It's easier now and everyone was happy to know we got back together, everyone but Dick who was pissed because Kori basically told him to go fuck himself until he has figured himself out.
"Back to the beach house?" He asks, I nod as I pack everything in the room with me into my purple suitcase. I wasn't sure if I would ever be back here but if I am I don't think it'll be to stay. I sigh as I do so and Jason rubs my shoulders gently but firmly. "Everything should be fine, don't stress too much. On the Brightside now we can have as much loud sex as we want"
I smile
"True" I reply before grabbing up the last of my things with my power from the bathroom, setting it into the suitcase.
"I don't think he thought you would actually leave" Jason says I shrug.
"It's pointless to stay here when he acts like this. He won't ever learn he needs to take responsibility for his own emotions and behaviors." I reply harshly, I don't think I am being too harsh on him, he somehow doesn't think that bringing up someone's past is wrong no matter how damaging it could be.
"I am not disagreeing with you Sunshine" He says almost defensively. I sigh closing the lid of the suitcase and looking around the room now empty of my things.
"Are you coming with me?" I ask he nods turning on his heels to go pack his own things, It's the middle of the day here, meaning over there might be dark. He leaves the door open and I don't mind it, as I lift the suitcase onto the floor with my soul self. Tim walks passed the room his hands shoved into his pockets.
"You know he's along in wanting you gone right?" Tim asks, I smile at him he has always been kind.
"I know. I think it's best however if we do leave. Let him figure himself out. You guys know if you need serious healing you can always call me" I reply Tim nods sighing deeply
"I was hoping you would change your mind and stay...I didn't want to lose anymore family" He says
"Tim you aren't losing us. Jason and I are only a phone call away. Jason will always be your brother and I will always be...me" I say he nods but he doesn't look like my words have helped him at all, Jason walks back into the room squeezing by Tim and setting his suitcase besides mine. He gives me a thumbs up telling me he is ready for us to go whenever we can.
"Are we bringing the bike?" I ask he nods. "So are we teleporting down into the Batcave to get it or are we just gonna walk down there?"
"Will teleporting down there make it harder for you?" He asks I shrug lightly
"Depends on if we turn the light off in here" I admit He looks at Tim for help and Tim nods switching the Lights off by the Lightswitch.
"Bye guys" He says Sadly.