Apologizing is becoming a new habit of mine, I meant to finish this chapter and upload two days ago, however my neighbors very violent dog got out and almost mauled me twice lol and then attacked some more girls in my neighborhood and my brother (whom was visiting) had to go "save" them in his words it was very heroic and what not but, the dog ended up trying to bite him and then he somehow calmed the dog down and the police were called because the neighbor wasn't home and what not it was a very busy scary day and I couldn't get around to uploading and then yesterday I spent the day getting my house ready for my other brother to stay here while my parents go out of town. So please don't be mad lol
Same day-Dick
Bruce and I look over the map in the middle of the screen with the red X's over the spots they are hitting, there is 20 spots and a couple of which have our icons over it, we have already determined who is going to who. I called the Titans and no one was able to be spared, apparently they have their own crisis going on over there, I scratch the back of my head in frustration as I see how many more we need to figure out. If we knew more about their plan we would be able to figure out more, however since we know basically nothing all we can do is ask that the police try their best with getting the word out to leave those places alone. However know we can't close them all down, regardless they will be blown up, the least we can do is cause the least damage and save as many as we can.
I won't lie when I say I have been worried about this since the night we found out how many of the places were being chosen, We still don't know how much explosives they have and if there are any decoys, we don't know anything. It's hard to gather intel when they are a group of homeless people who keep moving around underground. I kind of wish that the Titans were free, it would give me a chance to talk to Kori and fix everything. It seems like I can't stop being angry because when I do I am reminded that I don't have her, and that makes me more angry.
Bruce grunts as leans back in his chair shaking his head. I can hear the background conversation between Duke and Cisco talking about the hero's he has worked with and villain's he has fought. How being a hero isn't as easy as it sounds. How it is scary for anyone to go head first into danger without thinking about what could happen. Or worse, going in after knowing what could happen. Tim walks down into the Batcave looking up at the map, he is wearing a facial expression that makes me nervous. His lips are pressed into an awkward smile and his eyes are darting between the two of Bruce and I, his hands are tapping on his thighs in his ADHD kind of way.
"What did you do?" I ask he adopts an even more nervous expression.
"Don't be mad, I knew we needed help and I am not going to let petty arguments be the reason we lose this" He replies, I scoff immediately knowing what he is referring to.
"We aren't asking them." I say walking away from him he chuckles a little anxiously.
"I already did...they will be here Saturday morning...we could use Raven's teleporting her and Jason can get the ones that are right next to each other while we handle the separate ones" Tim replies, Bruce looks up from his thoughts without saying a word, I know that look. Tim is going to get chewed out. I back up preparing for Bruce's words.
"Thank you, that will help a lot, without the help of the Titans we need her powers and Jason's swiftness" Bruce replies, I scoff looking between the two of them in disbelief.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me? If I did something like this without talking to you about it first you would rip me a new one, he does it and you thank him?" I say Bruce looks at me with a dangerous look.
"Dick, we need the help. He wouldn't have had to go behind our backs if you didn't tell them to leave in the first place." Bruce says I hold back the curse words I want to say to the both of them. How could he be saying I am the reason this is so hard?
"You always side with them, where is my support?" I ask
"You mean when I told them we didn't need Raven or Jason because you needed space from them? You mean when I didn't call Jason who is also my son and tell him to come back even though I am always worried he is never going to come back...because you needed space. Don't ever say I don't support you" Bruce replies, my gut twists in knots and anger still bubbles but not for Bruce. I look to Tim who seems to not care about any of this.
"Don't even try it Dick. I'll put you on your ass" He says when he see's my balled up fist. I release it shoving my heads deep into my pockets.
"Figure this out without me, I need air" I spit walking past the two of them, I don't even think Bruce stuttered he just went right back to work with Tim on his side. Logically I know he is right, he has supported me. I feel grateful he didn't bring up my adoption as a whole. That is the best example of how he has supported me, he took me in and trained me to be a hero, trained me to get justice for my parents murder. I knew in my gut he always had my back and I don't know why it just didn't feel like it right now.
I walk out into the back yard sitting down next to the beautiful fountain that is out here, the water trickling down it used to be my favorite thing to listen to when I trained or played basketball with Bruce. Which took him sometimes to realize that's all I wanted not to be yelled at for training. I was still a kid and needed some fun. I drop a quarter into the fountain, I don't make a wish I didn't believe in those from water fountains but it was still something I did every time I walked out here. It's been a thing since I was a child.
Since when did my life become this weird and this difficult? Since when was I so sensitive about how everyone else is treated by Bruce? They are younger than me, they are going to be treated differently I shouldn't be that shocked. Yet for some reason as of late this has been something adding to the irritation of everything that is going on. Maybe it's more about everyone being against me and needing more support than normal, the girl I wanted to marry hates me, the girl I keep thinking I am over and then realizing I am not hates me right now too. They both have good reasons. Looking back on everything I did even I would hate me, I used something has traumatizing as what happened with Slade and tried to use it to get her to do what I wanted not what she needed.
"Why do I keep doing this?" I mutter to myself looking into the fountain. Everything is so fucked up.
Present day- Duke
Apart of me wished that I would have already figured out my power by now and be able to help with those homeless terrorists. However even with the help from Caitlyn I have yet to be able to figure anything out. She has been making sure to take my vitals, she has been making sure I know that I am not a waste of time either even though I kind of feel like that as well. Cisco has been talking to me about his time being a hero and to me it seems like something I would never be able to do but that I want to do so badly. Caitlyn looks over to me from her tablet tapping on some more stuff that I wouldn't understand. She walks to Cisco he stops in his words looking at the tablet his eyebrows furrow and he looks up at me for a moment. The exchange glances to each other, almost like they are reading each other's mind.
I don't want to interrupt their train of thought but they are taking forever to actually say something.
"Soo, did you find something?" I ask impatiently, Caitlyn looks up at me with intrigue
"The body naturally fires things called 'neurons' which I am sure you have probably heard of in science, but for some reason the neurons in your body are being replaced with what I could get makes up rays of light? I can't figure out how it's happening but it looks like instead of normal electrical currents firing it just seems to be pure energy" She replies clicking on some things, Cisco looks around at brain scanner thing he made looking it over.
"You sure it isn't the Brainer?" he asks, I chuckle at the name.
"No it's not the brainer, his first scans we did were fine. Now it seems like it is changing the longer he is without his meds" She replies Cisco looks happy with that answer and I don't blame him. I don't know how he can build these things he can build but I would have so much pride over every single thing I would build if I could.
"So my brain is firing energy instead of...electricity?" I ask
"In plain words yeah, everyone's brain fires these small bursts of electricity called neurons, it is what keeps your brain going, however in your case there is no electricity it looks like how light would show up on the brainer, so I think to cause that reaction it has to be energy" She explains, it makes more sense like that.
I'm smart but I don't know how anyone can be this smart, smart enough to just know this stuff. Seeing how they go back and fourth these past couple days with their intellect just goes to show me how much I don't know about the world. Let alone the world of Meta's and superpowers they seem to all know. However now that I am a meta I may be able to get the hang on that kind of information. I might get to know more as time goes on and I learn to use whatever power I have.
"That doesn't make sense, if he is firing energy or light in his brain why was looking at light so hard for him?" Cisco asks, Caitlyn shrugs for a moment.
"Could have been his body taking in energy from around him. Overwhelming his eyes possibly" She suggests, he nods looking back down to the Brainer. He looks back up at me and sets gets up from his seat, he places the Brainer back onto my head.
"We should take one more image set" he suggests setting the Brainer up onto my head, it is heavy and makes my neck ache, I furrow my brows, as the ache in my neck begins to start. "I promise I will be quick"
"Please" I say with a small chuckle he gives me a smile as he fires it up stepping back and looking at the tablet, they do their clicky clacks on their tablets and before I know it Cisco is taking the Brainer off my head, the ache is still on my neck but I can feel it in my head now. That thing is an uncomfortable weight.
I wait in silence as they figure out the images on the screen whispering to each other in the corner where their computer stuff they brought is. I try not to be too curious and impatient but I just found a small bit of answers and I am not ready for it to stop there. I want to know more, I want to start showing powers actually but by the looks up of it that might not be a possibility. It has been almost a long time since I stopped taking my meds, it's been a hot minute since that day the lights in that warehouse were so bright I didn't think I would survive it. Yet there has been no other sign of any powers. Luckily that also means I haven't hurt anyone.
Finally Caitlyn and Cisco agree on something as they both make their way to me, Caitlyn taking the seat next to me with the tablet and Cisco standing with his arms crossed in front of me. I look between the two of them waiting for them to start explaining.
"Do you see these weird gaps in your brain images?" Caitlyn asks pointing to various gaps that look like the image is still loading to me.
"Yeah is that the energy?" I ask she nods but then slides to the next image where there is more of those gaps and less of my actual scan. I drop my jaw.
"It is, and you can see within a day from when we last took these scans they have gotten more frequent, it takes over more of the image, I think you still have some neurons and the reason you haven't been showing any powers is because your body isn't fully converted into what it needs to be to host your powers" She says, it makes sense one of the basic things I know about Meta's is that their powers alter how they appear in some way, on a DNA level or even physical appearance.
I have seen tons of examples of the physical appearance. So maybe I won't have the changes to how I look but the changes to my DNA or how my body is even formed. I don't know enough to be able to tell which it is just yet but I will eventually.
"So we think your powers are going to have something to do with either light or energy or maybe even both, we have seen powers manifest in multiple ways in a person." Cisco adds, I nod almost hoping I am one of those people who get multiple powers. However that means more powers to learn how to control.
"So this is good information? Like major?" I ask they both nod
"This is a major break in the case of Duke" Caitlyn replies, she has a sweet smile a comforting smile. One that I don't know if I could have gotten through all of this shit without. It makes it harder when I know she is eventually going to have to leave and go back to where she is supposed to be. I can hear Bruce and Dick arguing from the other side of the Batcave, Tim's voice also cuts through threatening Dick it seems. Dick walks out of the Cave angry and I try to ignore the look on Tim's face as he begins speaking to Duke. He looks more well rested and like taking a break did good for him. It makes me wonder how much I would be giving up if I chose to be a hero with these powers I could get.
I don't know how but it seems to me like everyone hear has something I don't even though I am the only one here besides Caitlyn and Cisco who have powers. Raven isn't here anymore and she had powers. Yet they all seem to have something I don't. I can't put my finger on what it is quite yet.
Present Day-Jason
Raven rolls over in her sleep, wrapping her arms around my one, I smile staring down at her. She looks almost like a teenager when she doesn't have that constant scowl on her face. It's slightly weird to me how much her face can change with a scowl. Her breathing is steady and basic which is calming to me knowing that she is breathing. Sometimes when she sleeps she breaths so softly that it looks and sounds like she isn't breathing at all and it sends me into a mild panic until she begins again.
I look over to my nightstand and reach over with my free arm pulling open the drawer quietly, it doesn't matter how quiet or loud I am Raven is a heavy sleeper. She wouldn't wake up even if I threw the lamp sitting on my nightstand across the room. I wrap my fingers around the velvet box in the drawer sliding it out and pulling it in front of me. I open the box looking in at the ring I chose for her, I knew she didn't like normal rings I have seen her little Pinterest board. I had to stalk it for days before finding a rough idea of the one I wanted to get for her.
The black gold of the ring makes it hard to see in the dark but the moon shining through the window behind me helps me see the purple color of the main gem in the middle. It would match with how she likes things. I needed to speak with her and even make sure that asking her is even something she wants. I know she isn't like everyone else and she has mentioned marriage before, when we were together the first time. She said I am someone she could see herself marrying but that it was too soon. That was last year.
Raven groans in her sleep turning over and facing away from me, I smile a little as her ass peaks out of the covers slightly her black thong showing at the top of her ass. It took everything in me not to grab it. I close the ring box and put the ring back in the drawer closing it lightly and rolling over taking Raven in my arms. She makes a small sleepy happy noise that makes me happy.
I fall asleep to the thoughts of asking her and how to say and what to say, when to do it and how to talk to her without giving her a hint it is coming soon.
