Chapter 4: Memories

Rating: T

Date: Sunday, May 26, 2019

A/N: Wow, it's been a while, huh? Did you guys think I forgot? Well, nope! School is over. I literally just graduated on Friday. I'm so happy! I've got a full ride to college, and I'm ready for this next phase! Granted, I'll never forget about the impact Fanfiction had on my life. Also, I published my first book! It's a small book of short stories I wrote throughout my high school career and you guys have a sentence in the dedications page because you had that huge of an impact in my life. Anyhow, here is the chapter. Not too long, but I'll have more time to continue this story now.

Memories

After walking to the private sector of the plane where they could make sure no one else was listening, Garfield went straight to the point.

"Slade Wilson?" he pronounced the name like venom in his mouth.

"Do you know him?"

Garfield stayed quiet for a moment, the gears in his head turning as if he were searching his memory reservoir. Though the name appeared oddly familiar as if in some other lifetime or universe he'd considered the man a foe, he couldn't pinpoint why it struck a chord, so he shook his head.

"Slade is a mercenary. One of the worse that exist on this planet. He's the one person who deserves no mercy or forgiveness, apart from my father. He operates under the shadows, and not even my father knows much about him, or at least he isn't vocal about his knowledge of The Terminator. So a raid during this transaction won't be too out of character for him, and it might as well start an underground war. Fortunately for us, it would serve as beneficial," Raven's eyes dropped to the tablet in front of her, and she scrolled through a file for a moment. "Trigon hates betrayal. The men who have attempted to defy him or pesky agents like you who've managed to get so far have all disappeared for good. I can't tell you where they've gone or where their bodies were left because not even I know that. Trigon operates with a trust no one kind of attitude. It's how he's been able to survive for so long without being caught. If we manage to put Slade and him against each other, we'll distract them long enough to get the girls to safety. As for catching him ourselves…" she sighed. "It's impossible."

Garfield clenched his fists, "I refuse to believe that. You've been around him for decades. There has to be a way."

Raven locked eyes with him, "It's impossible to catch him by ourselves."

He furrowed his eyebrows, "But who would help us?"

"Not help per se. He would never dare to help us uncover his most powerful ally, but by the amount of knowledge I have of him, I'm willing to bet he has some form of physical evidence that can bring Trigon down if he ever wanted to. I know my father does of him. It's the only way they can trust each other. Two power-hungry maniacs won't ever work willingly with each other unless they had a plan to bring the other down if ever necessary."

"So, who's this big rival-ally you're talking about?" Garfield asked.

"Slade himself."

Garfield crossed his arms, attempting to gather his thoughts, "So you're telling me we should fight fire with fire?"

"Granted they're different types of fire and that metaphor is both idiotic and overused, yes if it helps you understand what I mean," Raven muttered.

Garfield ignored her comment and continued, "How do you propose we do that?"

"We have to enter the beast's cave ourselves," she stated. "Slade isn't stupid enough to keep his most essential information in an online network where technology experts like Felicity Smoak or Zari Tomaz can hack into. He has to have a physical place where he keeps his crucial evidence."

"Well, we just have to find it then," he started. "I can contact-"

"I already know where it is," Raven interrupted him.

"You do?"

Raven sighed and closed her eyes while massaging the bridge of her nose, "One of the most secure vaults located in an island outside Australia. The only way to get in is with a key that Slade keeps somewhere in his personal office."

"How do you know all of this?" Garfield abruptly asked.

Raven opened her eyes and sat back in her seat, "Malchior might be an irritating, somewhat controllable husband, but he's a master in uncovering information. It's why Trigon considers him so far up the ranks."

Garfield clenched his jaw at the mention of her husband, "Right… So how are we going to go about unveiling Trigon's true identity?"

"First, we have to take the girls to safety," Raven reminded him.

"Right," Garfield nodded.

"So you have to call your friend to organize the raid at our meeting location," she replied.

"I thought you said we shouldn't seize the place?"

"I changed my mind. We have to make sure it looks like Trigon set Slade up to be discovered. Though it might be a stupid strategy from Trigon's part, it'll deter the attention from us long enough to deactivate the girl's tracking devices. We're going to have to take them off there, and we'll have to find a place to hide afterward. If you want to save the girls, there's no other way than to uncover that you've been conspiring against Trigon."

"What about you?"

"I… can't leave. If he figures out I'm conspiring against him. Everything could fall apart very easily. He could figure out what our plan is. You have to act as if you're holding me against my will," she told him.

"I'm not going to do that! You'll go back, and if Trigon is discovered, they'll take you in too," Garfield exclaimed.

"It's the easiest way, Gar. Any other plan would prove to be riskier than this. Not to mention if I stay at his side, I can figure out what he'll plan against you. You'll have a better chance with an inside person."

Garfield sighed and ran a hand through his well-maintained yet unfamiliar hair, "Fine… We'll do that." He took a step forward and took her hands into his. "But I promise I'll get you out safely."

Raven simply stared at him and gently removed her hands from his grip. She turned her back on him and crossed her arms, "Don't promise things you can't ensure," she told him before walking back into the room where the girls were.

Garfield was left with his mouth agape and his eyes wide. He lowered the hand that was still up in mid-air and let out a deep breath. He reached inside his pocket where he acquired the phone Raven had returned and dialed Dick.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Dick, it's me, Gar," he told him, figuring he was done with their code names.

"Gar? What happened? I thought you were done with my orders," Dick replied.

Garfield placed a finger on the bridge of his nose, attempting to not sound so pathetic when he asked, "I need your help."

There was a pause at the end of the line before Dick sighed, "Alright, talk."

"What'cha reading?" a voice asked from behind her, his breath eerily close to her neck.

"And Then There Were None," she responded as she flipped the page.

"Hmph, still the same boring ol' Rae, huh?" Garfield replied, taking a seat next to her on the couch.

Raven rolled her eyes before replying, "Still the same irritating ol' Gar?" she mocked.

"I'm glad," he told her, a big smile on his face. "Also, I hadn't heard that nickname coming from you in such a long time. Brings back memories."

"Garfield, we're not going to start with this again-" she started as she shut her book.

"Woah, hold on," Garfield interrupted her and placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her from standing up, making her jerk back on her seat. "I was just mentioning it. I didn't intend to start another fight. I'm sorry."

Raven bit her lip and sat back, laying the book on her lap and turning to look at him. He watched her for a moment, his huge emerald eyes observing her with such emotion, it made her stomach dizzy. She quickly looked away after that, opting to look out the window instead, "Did you talk to Richard?"

"Yes," he responded, his tone clearly disappointed by their lack of personal conversation. "He agreed to the plan."

"Perfect."

They remained silent for a few moments neither sure of what to say next.

"So… Are you going to tell me what's been going on in your life since… Well, since high school?" Garfield began, his eyes still staring at the side of her face.

"Not a lot beside attending gala events with Malchior and acting like his trophy wife," she muttered.

"He's a son of a bitch," Garfield abruptly let out.

Raven chuckled, and it was music to his ears, "His mother is nothing like him. Such a sweet, naive woman. Hasn't got any idea of the kind of demon child she spawned."

"You met his mother?" he asked suddenly, though then he realized how stupid it sounded.

"Yes, Gar, we are married, after all," she reiterated.

"Oh," he muttered, suddenly spiteful of the fact that she never got a chance to meet Rita.

After a few more moments of silence, he asked, "Aren't you going to ask me how I've been?"

"No, not really."

"Well too bad, I'll tell you anyway," Garfield smirked, and Raven rolled her eyes again.

"I got a dog," he started.

"Really?" she sounded rather unimpressed.

"Yup. I'm a K9 officer now, and Blue is the best partner I could ever ask for," he continued.

"Suits you, at least."

"Yeah. I double-majored in Criminal Justice and Animal Behavior."

"How smart of you."

"I know right? Seems off-character, huh? I guess I always had it in me. Girls still swoon over me, by the way. I guess they like the idea of dating an authority figure like a police officer."

"Perhaps."

"What about you? Guys still after you?"

Raven turned to him with narrowed eyes. With a somewhat sly smirk, she grazed the hem of his shirt with a finger, and with the sharpest gaze she'd given him yet, she responded, "Guys don't swoon over the wife of a powerful man, Gar. They fear her."

"Suits you," Garfield smiled. "Good thing I'm not like other guys," he muttered while shifting closer.

"You're still as clueless as ever, Gar. You haven't changed a bit, huh? Always living on the edge of danger. You really do have a deathwish," Raven commented.

"I'm just a committed guy," he shrugged.

She rolled her eyes and pushed him back, causing a swell of disappointment inside his stomach, "How's Kory?"

"Well, she's still beautiful. Always gathering unwanted attention. She's modeled for a few agencies too, but it's not her job. She says it makes her feel like a piece of meat. She's a language translator for SFPD, and she's currently in a relationship with our one and only Casanova Dick Grayson."

"Weren't they dating in high school?"

"Yeah, but they have a rather…" he sighed. "Complicated relationship. They've been back and forth for ages now. Sometimes engaged, once they almost got married, then fought, then they dated other people, then they were friends with benefits or something, now they're back at square one. I swear they're more complicated than Wonder Girl's past."

"Who's Wonder Girl?" Raven furrowed her eyebrows.

"Just comic book things," Garfield dismissed it. "So they're back together now, and at this point, I've stopped taking them seriously. Vic is doing pretty well. He's working on some really neat techy things at the office. Some of my spy gear he designed himself," he chuckled. "He's now happily married to Sarah, and I believe they've been thinking about adopting a kid."

"That's wonderful," she nodded, voice still as dry as ever but he could tell by her expression that she meant it.

That was the thing about Raven. That even after more than a decade, he could still understand her like it was just yesterday.

"Can't wait until all of this is over, so you can go see them again. They'll be really happy," he smiled.

Raven bit her lip and somewhat nodded, "Sometimes you're too hopeful Gar. It's going to end you."

"No, Rae," he shook his head. "I think you're not hopeful enough."

She opened her book again and started up on the same page she was reading before, "Perhaps, but in my world, it's called survival."

"When are we getting to our destination?" he asked, though it appeared she was already tuning him out.

"Six hours give or take. So get comfortable, we'll be here a while," she replied.

Garfield sat back on his seat and looked out of the window to his left. His eyes traced the foggy atmosphere before his eyelids began to grow heavy. Soon enough, sleep enveloped his vision, and he fell into a deep slumber in the quiet of the room, his ears only registering Raven's soft breathing next to him.

He dreamt of her, cuddled by his side on the sofa and the warmth of her body calming him. Though perhaps it wasn't just a dream.

A/N: They're too cute! Too bad there's so much coming their way, huh? Also, I love adding easter eggs! Maybe I'll find a way to incorporate Donna Troy later on ;) Hopefully, I don't have too many plot holes in this story. If I do, please list them in the reviews. It's harder to keep track as it gets more complex.

Guest: She might since it's a big part of her arc in the comics!

Azarath Cat: Yep! I thought it was about time to bring in the Titans biggest foe! Thank you for your continued support! I appreciate it!

Random Fangirl: Thank you! Support from my readers encourages me to keep writing!

Miss geek: Thank you for the suggestions! I'll try to find a way to add in Jason! I think it'd be interesting to see him in this story! Maybe as an anti-hero.