Author's Notes: So this is a spin off of the Fight For series by Lovingazerath. I loved the series and would like to thank Lovingazerath for giving me permission to write a prologue spin off to the series. For those of you who have not read the series yet the first book is Fight For What (https/m./s/13652085/1/Fight-for-what). And for those of you who have read the series this takes place right after Raven is kicked from the Titans.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the DC comics series nor the Fight For series, only my own imagination.
Tigger warning: This series contains mentions of rape and torture. Please read at your own risk.
Flash:
I sat in Star Labs watching the news from Jump City. It felt like a cold stone was slowly growing in the pit of my stomach.
I knew banishing the now ex-Titan Raven felt very unfair and bias and to be honest I felt the Justice League was going too far with the whole thing. While I can't bring myself to regret the decision to remove her from active hero work; forcing her from her own home simply because she was a demon and using her trauma as justification to do so just felt...wrong.
And yet I agreed to it. Why did I agreed to it again? Because Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman; all of the main founder's of the Justice League said it was necessary because she was an unstable demon who knocked out the power grid in Jump City during her very first PTSD episode.
Afterwards I already began questioning if the whole thing could have been better handled but now after watching the ex-Titan beg to be killed on the news... I have to admit seeing someone who has power to rule over Hell look so broken... so human... like a 16 year old traumatized girl, whom we not only shunned but stripped away the only support she had. Oh God what is wrong with us?
A pink hex suddenly sent me physically flying, knocking me out of my inner turmoil. I stood up quickly and turned to see Wally and Jinx glaring at me.
"What the fuck was that for?" I demanded looking at Jinx who seemed to want to do it again.
"I think the better question is what the fuck is wrong with you? Why would the League kick an innocent girl out on her butt, let alone a hero who was mentally traumatized?!" Wally snapped back at me, the anger and disgust was evident.
"I wasn't happy about it either Wally, but the League never liked that the demon had established herself among the heroes. The fact that she..." I didn't get to finish that sentence as Jinx sent out another hex sending me flying into the wall.
"Her name is Raven and she is one of the most pure heroes I have ever encountered despite her heritage." Jinx scolded in a sharp tone.
"Hero or not she is dangerous and the League has always feared she would turn evil. They had been waiting for a reason to remove her from the Titans since she joined so that she could not infiltrate and destroy the new generation of heroes." I explained getting back to my feet.
"She didn't turn evil Barry! She probably has the most reason too given how everyone treats her, but hasn't. And all heroes are as dangerous as the villains are, we just direct that danger at evil things." Wally retorted.
I shook my head sighing in frustration, to be honest I don't know why I am defending the League. I don't agree with what we did but I can't quite say I'm ready to admit how much I messed up on the matter. "She knocked out an entire power grid without even meaning to, can you imagine what might happen if she ever loses full control or starts intentionally causing mayhem?" I ask grasping at straws.
Wally shook his head angrily. "Berry did you know after Slade disappeared with Raven, Robin sent a message out to all Titans asking for help?" He asked, his tone turning from mad to sad as he spoke.
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion on his question. "No? I did not. Why does that matter though?" I asked yet felt I was going to regret doing so.
"Robin asked all Titans to keep a look out for Slade and asked anyone who was available to actively help look. Jinx and I had nothing going on at the time and made a trip to Jump City. Kole, Gnarrk, and Jericho also showed up. For a week we had absolutely nothing to go on, nothing but physically searching."
"And with each day that passed, everyone became more and more frantic. The original Titans group is like the Flash family. Not just friends or teammates, but family to one another. To them Raven being kidnapped would be like Catlin getting kidnapped would be to us."
"After a full week of nothing Raven had finally managed to telepathically contact Robin, but only in short bursts. It took another two weeks for her to relay enough information for us to track her location down." Wally's face twisted into a look of disgust, his eyes far off and full of pity.
"I will never be able to erase how she looked when we found her. She did not deserve what that mad man did to her, and I would probably kill him if he ever so much as tried to do to Jinx what he did to Raven." Wally spat.
I reeled back in suprise, no one in the Flash family has ever truly threatened to kill someone. Even Killer Frost has never threatened to kill, that's not to say she has never threatened people just not to kill.
"What exactly did Slade do?" I asked not 100% sure I wanted the answer. I knew Slade had kidnapped her and likely tortured her a bit, but it sounded like something much worse happened. Not that kidnapping and torture are good things to begin with but...
"He raped and tortured her." Jinx stated bluntly but I could see the uneasiness in her demeanor.
Raped? He... My mind wondered back to what Wally said about Raven being like Catlin is to the Flash family. If Slade had kidnapped Catlin or any of the female Flash members... Iris!
I don't know what the expression on my face was but Wally nodded in satisfaction, he knew he had gotten his point across. I swallowed the remainder of my pride, like a hard, hot stone in my throat.
"Again I do not agree with how the League handled this whole thing, but there is nothing I can do about it. Especially now that what was done is done. Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman were the ones in charge of banishing the de... Raven. Disagreeing with all three of them is impossible as it is; getting them to admit they may have been wrong..." I shook my head helplessly and looked at Wally silently pleading for him to understand.
Wally looked at me like he was not sure if he should forgive me or not. I could tell he was trying to see it from my point of view, but I could also tell that he did agree with any of it. I can't say I blame him.
"Did you ever really accept me?" Jinx asked suddenly. She sounded hurt and betrayed. I blinked unsure where that came from, even Wally looked at the pink sorceress in suprise.
"Of course I did Jinx, why would you think otherwise?" I responded wholeheartedly.
Jinx took a deep breath and looked me straight in the eyes before speaking. "Like Raven I was born into circumstances beyond my control. I am bad luck and since birth had been told I was bad because of it. But unlike Raven I believed them and chose to do bad things, I chose to become what people said I was despite not truly having the desire to do so. And if it weren't for Wally I probably still would be." Jinx said shamefully. Wally reached over and rubbed her shoulder comforting which she responded with a grateful smile before continuing.
"Raven has spent her entire life trying to prove that she is good. She became a hero and has done everything in her power to disassociate herself from her heritage. And even though she has done absolutely nothing wrong the League still hates her. So why would they not hate me just as much if not more?" Jinx asked as tears stung her eyes.
I swallowed hard, she made a really good point. Raven had done nothing wrong and even tried to do good, yet we all shunned and outcasted her. Jinx on the other hand had been a criminal, had committed crimes and yet was accepted in as family when Wally brought her to us.
"Jinx I... Your right. Even without the recent events the way we treated Raven has been unfair. But I promise you that I accept you as part of the family so long as that is what you want." I said as sincerely as I could.
"You mean so long as I don't become a villain again." Jinx accused harshly.
My eyes widened as I realize she misinterpreted what I said. "No I just meant..." I started but was cut off by another pink hex. This hex was not as strong as the other two she threw at me, it was just strong enough to cause me to stumble back a bit, almost like a slap to the face.
"I have had enough, you don't fully trust me like you claimed to, and nothing you say can redeem your actions." Jinx hissed angrily then turned to leave without another word.
Wally watched her leave before turning back to me, disappointed written all over his face. "I never thought that you would be one discriminate against others, clearly I was wrong. Call me if you need me but don't expect me or Jinx to just want to hang out any time soon." With that Wally speed out of the room after Jinx.
Oh what did we do? What did I do? I looked back at the TV screen and made a decision. Speed changing into my suit I took off for Star City.