Duel of the Fates
Chapter Two: The Immortals
By: Angel Vanilla
Pcsoccerpmt: No, as you'll find out in this chapter, Batman (Bruce Wayne) is not dead. I'm sorry if I was a bit cryptic and hard to follow last chapter, but that was a chapter for foreshadowing… Yes, foreshadowing galore! On we go…
Jemerik: Thank you! I don't mean to be twisted, but it's required for plot purposes. ''''' I certainly don't do any thinking on Saturdays, whatsoever. I'll give you 27 chocolate chip cookies if you can find someone that does serious thinking on Saturday!
Flannelsanddramaqueens: You have an interesting name. . Yeah, I like Bruce Wayne, but I don't like writing fics with him in them, because I'm afraid he'll be out of character…
Miko101: Here's your update, and I need a beta. Would anyone consider editing my stories for me?
Mayumi Takanashi: …But the noise is funny! And yes, onee-san, I will send them to Tano when I have time. Right now I'm just focusing on updating. As far as the Rae/Rob pairing goes, if you don't like it, just don't read it, okay? I don't want you getting grumpy because of my choice of pairing. (Just as I don't support the Rob/Star pairing, or the Rae/Cy pairing. The second one's just too freaky.)
Story Summary: Robin's sister, Raven's brother, a millionaire, and a killer. What do you get? This.
Day: January 07
Place: Jump City General Hospital, Jump City, New York
Point of View: Third Person
Bruce Wayne had been asked multiple times what happened, and each time he said he didn't know. Each time he only told a half-truth, but not quite a lie. Lying was something he didn't approve of, at all.
After coming out of the Black Cat with Branaric, and going to his car, the man who had taken Alfred's place had shot at him, and at that moment, someone pushed him out of the way. All he saw was a red X, and then the shooter running from the car.
Bruce Wayne counted himself very lucky; if Red X, whoever was in the suit at the time, anyway, hadn't saved him, he would be a dead man now. Because of Red X, the bullet had barely grazed his arm.
Yes, he was very lucky indeed.
"Bruce?" The older man looked up at the sound of his son's voice. Adopted son, of course, but still his son.
"Are you alright?" Tim asked.
"I'm fine," Bruce answered, voice not betraying the questions attempting to find a way out of him at the moment.
"What happened?" Tim asked in a lower voice. Bruce shook his head no.
"They consider Red X a criminal. If they hear the true story, they'll—" Bruce stopped speaking, instead watching Tim's face. At the mention of Red X, hate, guilt, and wonder each flashed across his face before his countenance returned to concern for the man before him.
Tim nodded, pushing his sunglasses up. "You can tell me later."
"I can leave whenever I like," Bruce said. "I'm just waiting for Alfred—the true Alfred—to bring the car." Tim nodded once again to his mentor and father.
"I'll call the others, and tell them I'll be gone for a while. They'll alert me if there's any trouble." Tim said, referring to his team, the Teen Titans.
Bruce sighed. "I don't want to getting into this. It was probably just another rival company trying at foul play. It's nothing to be concerned about—"
"Bruce, you know you can't talk me out of helping you figure this out, right?" Tim asked, smiling slightly.
Another sigh from the millionaire. His young charge could be so headstrong at times… "It was worth a try."
Day: January 07
Place: A large Victorian building in Gotham City, New York
Point of View: Third Person
Anthony Piers was not a man who was easily frightened, but now he feared for his life. As he stood in the main room of the remote Victorian building that served as the headquarters for those that had hired him, he listened to the voices coming from the shadows at the back of the room. He stood in the only patch of light that came from a mostly curtained window.
"And so you failed your given mission?" One of them asked him. He assumed this to be the leader of the group.
"I did indeed, sir. Someone interfered with the mission." Piers knew it was probably useless to attempt to defend himself with words. If they wanted him dead, they could easily kill him.
"You are correct. We could quickly and quietly dispose of you now, but even though you failed to kill Bruce Wayne, you are still needed." The speaker stood from his chair, and walked over to Piers. He was a man with jet black hair that was neatly kept and hung down to his shoulders, and dressed in a pure white robe.
"I am known as Aleric. I am a Mage, and the leader of our group. We call ourselves 'The Immortals.'"
"The Immortals…" Piers repeated. "Immortals…"
Day: January 07
Place: Titans Tower, Jump City, New York
Point of View: Third Person
"I don't get it," Cyborg said, half to himself, "why would he just go off and stay in Gotham? It doesn't make sense!"
"You didn't let me finish," Raven said, a hint of annoyance eminent in her monotone. When Robin called, he'd called Raven, since the other's communicators were offline since they were in the Tower. Raven had been in the middle of her rounds. "He said Batman needed some help with a case, and he'd be staying there until he was needed back here."
"So, Friend Robin has not left us?" Starfire asked, floating slightly above the couch, in between Cyborg and Beast Boy.
"No, Starfire." Raven answered, and then left the room.
"Friend Raven has been doing the act of avoiding more, has she not?" Starfire asked. Cyborg and Beast Boy nodded.
"Yeah, she has… Maybe one of us should go talk to her…" Cyborg suggested, looking from Starfire to Beast Boy.
"I'm not going in there!" Beast Boy said.
"I do not think Friend Raven would have the feeling of happiness if I tried to talk to her," Starfire told them. Cyborg sighed.
"I guess I'll do it." And he, too, stood from the couch and headed down the hall towards their gothic friend's bedroom.
Holding up a hand, he knocked on the door, and heard a loud crash inside.
"Raven? You okay?" Cyborg asked. Starfire and Beast Boy came up behind him. There was no answer from inside.
The trio tried again, and then opened the door, which was normally locked.
The room was in disarray, the usually neatly kept books strewn all over the floor, and furniture tipped over.
There was no sign of Raven, and in the corner, a broken mirror.
In the mirror was the reflection of a bird. A raven, actually, lying on the ground below a tree, bleeding. The raven was dying…
Angel Vanilla- Sorry if my sister (Mayumi Takanashi) freaked you out… She's just like that sometimes… o.O Please review! Thank you, and have a nice day. Sorry if this chapter was a little short. I don't know how to say any of this without giving a lot of the future plot away… LOL.
