"If you don't mind me asking, how long have you worked as a nanny for them?""
Arthur heard Mera asked. He glanced at his fiance and saw Mera regarding the purple-haired young woman with a curious look on her face.
"I think more than a year now," the woman, Rachel, replied.
"Taking care of five children must be really difficult," said the one who introduced herself as Carol Ferris.
"No, not really. They are well-behaved most of the time," Rachel shook her head, smiling that smile that never failed to set Arthur's heart racing.
He shouldn't be checking her out, especially with his fiancee nearby, but he couldn't help it. It seemed like his eyes were drawn to her. Every bit of her screamed familiar.
He knew her from somewhere, but he couldn't recall where. Then, out of the blue, a memory played in his head.
A vision of a pregnant woman speaking and smiling at him.
He froze on the spot.
He knew right then that vision was a memory.
A memory that was suppressed in his mind until that moment.
Arthur stared at the woman, Rachel. He felt conflicted about what he saw in his mind. He replayed the memories again. He was so focused with his memories that he was half-listening to the conversation around him. He also failed to pay attention when a tall woman joined the group.
"Excuse me, Rachel. You are needed elsewhere," the stern woman said to Rachel.
Arthur looked up in time to hear Rachel reply.
"I will be right there, Ms. Deveraux,"
"I will send someone to watch the children in the meantime," the representative of Raven Corps, Iona Deveraux, stated.
"Alright," was the purple-haired beauty's response.
Afterward, Arthur watched in complete disappointment when Rachel excused herself from the group and left.
Arthur would have to wait for the opportunity to talk to her. He would have to do it without Mera around. Hopefully he could convince Mera to go elsewhere while he speaks to the violet-eyed woman.
.
.
.
Bruce Wayne watched as the woman he had been searching for disappeared from his sight while leaving the children and their bodyguards with the group.
Rachel Roth….so that's her name, he thought as he turned towards the familiar people within the group.
"How are you Brucey?" Hal Jordan or Green Lantern asked as he neared him.
Bruce simply shook his head and said, "As you can see, I'm fine Hal."
The last time he saw Hal Jordan was three days ago when they were in the Justice League Headquarters.
"I can see that," Hal said as he turned his gaze unto the boy Bruce was carrying. "And who's your little buddy?"
"This is Nathaniel," Bruce introduced while he glanced towards the children's three bodyguards that surrounded the group. They seemed content to silently observe them and not interfere.
"And he is one of the heirs of Raven Corps," Hal said.
"Yes, I am," the boy, Nathaniel, chirped. "And I know who you are too! You are the test pilot for Raven's Aerospace!"
Bruce Wayne smiled as he watched the boy begin chatting with Hal.
.
.
.
"Is there something wrong?" Rachel asked the female golem the moment they were out from prying eyes and earshot.
"Master, we detected an anomaly in the south area of the building. Something attempted to breach through." the golem, Iona Deveraux, informed her.
"Do you know what it is?" She inquired worriedly.
"No, Master. We only detected an evil and dark presence before it disappeared completely."
"I see…" Rachel muttered, silently wondering what this could mean.
She turned her attention back to Iona and said, "Continue to watch out for any disturbances. Perhaps erect a barrier around the perimeter to prevent any potential threats from entering the premises."
She suggested firmly.
"Yes, Master." the golem replied.
"Now, is there anything else that needs my attention?" she said.
"No, Master." The golem shook her head.
"Then, I will go back to the children before they can cause trouble again. Thanks for letting me know about the disturbance Iona. Just keep investigating for any potential danger around the area."
"Understood, Master."
Afterward, Raven left her golem to get back to her children. Now, she couldn't shake the feeling of danger after hearing her golem's report. She knew that the anomaly required further investigation and wondered what the presence could be.
With her children and their fathers currently in the same place, was it possible for their enemies to come and enter the gala with the intent to attack the heroes? Or was it because their combined presence had caused them to be easily detected by a powerful entity? Could it be that her father Trigon tried to come to this world and take her children or was it something else entirely?
On her way back to her children and still feeling concern for the possible danger, Raven's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar bespectacled man, who suddenly blocked her path.
"Everything alright?" Clark asked her as soon as he saw her.
"Everything is fine." Rachel assured him with a smile while she regarded him with growing trepidation.
The Man of Steel simply gazed at her for a moment before he said, "Can I talk to you for a moment?... Alone?"
Rachel noted his serious tone and instantly knew that his memories must have returned to him. She glanced back at the group she left behind and noticed that most of them were still gathered around the children, mainly the children's fathers. Their dates were nowhere to be seen, like the men had purposely convinced them to go elsewhere while the men chatted amongst themselves.
She turned her gaze back to Clark and she bit her lip when she noted the look of determination on his face. She contemplated rejecting his request but then she saw the almost pleading look in his eyes, which made her caved in.
"Yes, ofcourse." She muttered.
Clark looked relieved to hear her answer and he nodded his head towards the gardens where they could probably speak alone.
Rachel followed after him, trying to catch up to his longer strides. As they stepped outside, the sound of music and the chatter of the crowd faded away.
Clark led her near the maze hedges while Rachel hurriedly scrambled after him. When they were far enough from the party, Clark Kent suddenly whirled around to face her.
She nearly slammed into his chest but thankfully she halted herself in time before she could do so.
"I think this is good enough distance," the Man of Steel told her as he directed his cobalt blue eyes at her.
There was a tense silence that followed as the two gazed at each other.
"Ok...so what do you want to talk about?" Rachel couldn't help but blurt out nervously when the silence became deafening.
Clark regarded her for a moment before he said to her, "I remember, Rachel. I remember what happened when I was in a coma. When you helped me wake up from it and the children who were still unborn at that time. So please don't deny it. Because I already know that it wasn't a dream at all...You are the same woman who first introduced herself to me as Raven."
Rachel's nerves went haywire. This moment was inevitable. She knew that Clark Kent and the others were bound to remember her, but she was still kinda hoping that it would be another five years for them to remember her and the children. So Rachel didn't know how to respond to Clark's words.
So she remained mute even when Clark searched her eyes for the truth and found it there.
"Why do you have to hide yourself and the children from me? Why?" He asked. His eyes were full of questions and a hint of desperation. "I have searched everywhere for you and the children for nearly two years."
Rachel felt sorry for what she put him through all these years and she said, "I'm sorry! I have no other choice. I only did it to protect my children!"
"Our children," Clark corrected her heatedly. "And protect them from who?"
"From your enemies and the others as well!" Rachel bit out. "And you wouldn't understand the whole situation that I was put through. Even if I explain to you now, you wouldn't understand at all because the truth is still too inconceivable for anyone to understand except me."
"Try me," Clark replied, crossing his arms in front of him. "Just tell me the whole truth, Raven, or whatever your name is."
"It's Rachel. That's my real name."
"Ok, Rachel. Just tell me the reason why you hid the children from me."
Rachel opened her mouth to try to explain everything but then shut it. How could she possibly explain to Superman that he wasn't the only father to her children? How to say to him that the children were created from DNA of multiple unwilling heroes from the alternate future? And she only concealed the children's existence because she didn't want her children to get involved in their fathers superhero business and also because she was hiding them from her own father Trigon.
"I am really sorry if I concealed the truth from you but like I said I have no choice. I had to protect the children, especially from dangerous people. Yours and the others' enemies."
"Others?"
"Yes, others. It's because the children are not conceived normally. They were created from multiple DNA's. Mine and other men. Not only yours."
Clark looked shocked at the revelation.
"Do you mean that the children have multiple fathers?" He asked her.
"Yes,"
"Do some of them already know the truth?"
"Not yet, but they will some day."
"Who are they?"
"I can't tell you that. I'm sorry."
"I see…" Clark muttered contemplatively. "Do the children know the truth?"
"Yes, they do. They have known about it for a while." Rachel responded.
At her response, Clark's face shuttered.
"If the children know the truth, then why haven't they convinced you to look for me?" the Man of Steel asked in a small voice.
Rachel's heart twinged at Clark's question.
"Believe me. They have tried, but I had a plan you see. I can't let their fathers meet them before it's time." She said to him softly.
"Were you hoping that we didn't remember the truth when we met you today?" He asked her.
"Yes, I was kinda hoping that none of you remember me and the children," was her honest response.
Clark looked devastated about her answer and Rachel was tempted to comfort him.
However, before she could say anything else another voice suddenly interrupted them.
"There you are,"
Rachel and Clark turned around to see who had spoken and she nearly groaned when she saw Barry Allen.
The speedster probably wanted to speak to her as well.