[At the tower]
Cyborg dials Raven's phone once again, it rings all the way through cutting to the voicemail box they had set up for her new identity. He let's out a frustrated growl and chucks the phone down on the couch. Starfire touches his arm trying to comfort him.
"Friend Cyborg, do you think friend Raven is ignoring you on purpose?" Starfire asks, she knows the answer, but she can't help but wish something different. Raven is the only girl she has met that has been there for her through all kind of bad times. The concern pulsing through her is undeniable. Though a lot of it shielded with guilt.
"No Star...I think she needs our help" he mutters bile rises up to Starfire's throat but she pushes it back down. The thought of any of her friends being hurt makes her sick. Robin sits on the edge of the couch, arms folded to his chest his mind somewhere else. Brainstorming about a plan from this point. For a second no one says a word, the wall of silence builds up more tension.
"So like...what's the plan dude? Do we even know what happened? Maybe she is just sleeping. She did say she was staying with a friend on campus." Beastboy says, Robin shakes his head finally stirring from his spot.
"No, we were so close to her finding out who Red X is. He wouldn't just let someone find out who he is. She has been on campus long enough for Conner to know she's there. With two bad guys in one spot someone had to find out about her." Robin says. Beastboy droops down into the chair. Disappointment spreading over his features. Honestly he had truly hoped that he would be right. He hadn't been aware of how dangerous it could be to send her in there by himself, and he can't help but blame himself for not texting her sooner when Red X hit that jewelry store tonight. It barely even feels like that was only a couple hours ago.
"You know this wouldn't even be a problem if you had listened to me and actually told her...like you said you were going to" Cyborg spits at Robin.
"That wasn't even a day ago that we had that conversation, I didn't have time! I planned on doing it tonight. Going to see her but obviously I was too late! You can't make me feel worse than I already do about it Cy! I love her!" Robin yells back. Cyborg takes a deep breath looking around the room trying to find the words he wants to say written on the walls. He doesn't find it. His eyes land on Starfire who swallows hard and seems to be hurt at the words. " We don't have time to argue about who was in the wrong, we just need to find her and get to the bottom of this"
For once everyone in the room agrees, nodding to each other at the same time. They wouldn't even know where to begin with this, it could be hours before they figure that out. They sprinkle into action trying to find any information they can. Starfire heads to the College, checking out Raven's dorm room. Calling her phone once again hoping to hear it ring. It doesn't and she isn't there. Her room looks like it has been gone through. Starfire looks through everything that was messed up, looking where Robin said Raven was keeping the files. She breaths a sigh of relief seeing it untouched. Dust collecting around it and on top of. She grabs the files shoving them under her arm as she looks through the room the rest of the way, it looks like they went through more trouble looking for a person then looking through her actual belongings. She heads back to the tower as fast as she can, looking for Raven on the ground as soon as she does. She doesn't find her or any suspicious as she flies, she reaches the tower shaking her head to Cyborg who has been searching through traffic cams and security footage from the college.
"She wasn't in her room, which we knew but nothing was missing that could tell us who has her. They didn't even see her files" She says handing the files over to Cyborg. He grabs them in his hand and goes through them once again he stops on Conner's looking through it once again, he did it before when he was getting information from Raven and that's when something didn't seem right. When he talked to Robin and found out everything that was happening. The real reason behind him sending her in undercover instead of doing literally anything else which would have been easier.
"She didn't say which friend she was with either or we may have been able to check their room as well. Did you check Jason's room?" he asks Starfire shakes her head.
"I thought you said she was with a friend I doubt that means she would be with Jason, after you told her who he could be" Robin says, Cyborg shrugs
"She didn't tell us much about who she met there, Jason was the only one who helped her out when those guys attacked her. That's how she knows he can fight. He beat up four guys to get to her" Cyborg explains, "I think she may have been talking about being close to him...he may be the friend."
"Well Beastboy is still there trying to catch her sent so, we will know soon enough" Robin says
Raven's POV
"Wakey wakey" a mans voice says kicking my leg...slowly everything comes into focus the dark room...the dull lights, if I wasn't tied to a chair, with my hands behind my back I might enjoy the low lights, how easy they feel on my eyes. A fat man, with a t-shirt on kicks my leg again, laughing to himself. I try to move my wrists in my restraints but they are tied tightly, I could break them. If I used my powers. Before that I need a plan, on how to get out of here without getting shot.
"Sorry for the shiner, we didn't need any screaming while we hauled you out of there. The boss man won't be too happy. He likes to present his merchandise in peak condition. That may leave a nasty scar too, it might lessen your price" He explains, I bite my tongue to keep me from speaking, from spitting on this vile excuse of a human being. Instead I sit quietly, fidgeting with the rope pressing against the palms of my hands.
"You know, the guy you were with...he took down three of my guys, we had to shoot him in the gut to keep him from taking us all out. Your boyfriend won't last too much longer. He's a fighter though I will commend him. You however, were easy." He boasts, it takes every ounce of me not to say something back to him, even worse to keep me from breaking out of these bindings and beating him to a pulp. He leans against a broken down desk which sits in the corner of the room. He looks me up and down. His lust, his attraction rolls off of him, it makes me want to vomit.
"You not much of a talker huh? It's weird the other girls used this time to scream and beg. You know? Some even threaten. Shit like 'my parents are important people they will find you' it never happened of course but who knows, sometimes I got a little tingle. Especially when they offer up money. Lord knows I could use the money" He rants, I just chew on the inside of my cheek and bite back every insult I could think of to say to this man. How he could probably drop an airplane out of the sky with his weight. That poor mommy and daddy must be so proud he sells women for a job. I look around the room again, no windows. One door. Brick walls. Cement floors. The opens, Conner walks through his eyes falling on me, he glares at the fat man his mouth falls into a hard straight line. He looks to young to be in this business, no older than Robin.
"What the hell is with the cut on her head, that brings her down another two thousand. She's already down a thousand from the bruise on her cheek and her wrist. I told you not a mark on her" Conner says sternly. He may be young but his voice drips with authority. Again, a lot like Robin.
"Did you want to risk us getting caught? We had to shoot the boyfriend she could have started screaming" fatty says. Conner turns his attention to me, walking over to me and placing a hand on the side of my face, I don't struggle just look at him and smirk.
"That's a new one. You got a kink for this or something?" He asks a small chuckle escapes from my lips.
"She's different man, hasn't said a word. Hasn't shed a tear. This one is bat shit crazy I am sure of it" the other man says, Conner smirks himself. It leads into a smile flashing perfectly white teeth. They make me sick.
"Good, the less she screams the less we have to do to keep her quiet. Making it easy on us." He says, he sits up the rest of the way towering over me. The door opens again this time with another man, skinny and lanky, sweat drips down his face and a wave of anxiety hits me from my chair. I suck in a breath and drop my head hoping to breath through the intense emotion.
"Boss, the guy...he dropped two more guy without releasing himself from the chair, should we kill him. I know you said you wanted him alive" The man says his voice wavers and is high pitches, not that of a woman's but high enough for me to know he is scared, as if his emotions couldn't tell me that themselves.
"No, I need to know how he knew about me...about us. He moved into my old dorm...the same place that roommate I already handled lived. I don't believe that just happens. He knew something and I am going to find out how and what and who else he may have told and then we will deal with him" Conner says, the lanky boy nods but lingers in the door.
"So so uh what do I what do we do with him?" he asks nervously tripping over his words. I don't hear his response I block him out to focus, mostly on sensing how many people are in the building and where Jason is. Why is he still fighting? Why doesn't his story make sense, he told me he was the one doing the investigating. He was Conner's roommate so how does he not know who he is and how he got the information?
12 people...three here...four in two rooms down, I think I cannot be sure. Four outside two on both sides of the building, exit and entrance I assume. I focus back on Conner, his brows furrowed as he looks me up and down. The skinny dude is gone now, the door closed.
"Did you black out?" He asks I smirk and adjust my neck cracking it side to side. All this does his worsen his mood, his face falls into annoyance, obvious annoyance. "You think this acting tough thing is going to work on me? I have been following you for days"
I let a small laugh escape my lips, I can feel this unnerves him slightly but he doesn't show it. The fat man does though, getting up from leaning against that beat down desk.
"Dude, I told you she could be crazy" He says I laugh again this time pressing my lips together.
"Sorry sorry, I don't mean to laugh it's just...you followed me for days? Days? All of that you don't know who I am?" I ask. Conner and fatty exchange glances to each other I use this to call on my powers using them to break free of my restraints. I thrust my hand forward blasting Conner into the door, Fat man takes charge at me and I do the same to him, he doesn't bounce nearly as far. Fucking whale. Conner growls and gets up pulling a gun out of from behind his pants, he holds it to me. I shield myself from him and walk forward to him ripping the gun out of his hand and kicking him back into the wall. I gently take off my glamour bracelet tucking it into my pocket allowing my real form to finally show. His eyes widen slightly but he tries to gather his composure. His lip bleeding from hitting the wall.
"You fucking witch" He spits, I smile and release an exhale. I don't bother any more words with him, I call upon my powers once more using them to knock his head against the wall, it hits with a sickening thud as he drops to the floor. Not dead, but unconscious and he will be for a while. I exit through the door putting a shield up around me, it looks like it could be a maze in here. I turn a corner and see a door closed, with men inside talking. Before I go in I slip the bracelet back on and open the door. They turn to me jumping into action there guns ready. I see Jason sitting in the chair behind them he looks at me as begins. I dodge one shot as I slip to the ground swiftly and trip one man, I hear grunts and thuds as I punch the man on the ground in the throat. He will black out soon. I kick his gun away from him and upper cut another man who Jason had just also punched. I look around for anyone else but don't see anyone. Just Jason rubbing his wrists as rope falls to the ground.
"Could you get out of those the whole time?" I ask he shrugs but grunts soon after gripping his side. Idiots said they shot him in the gut. Do they not know the difference?
"Let's catch up later, for now we need to go" He says I nod and grab him by the hand as I navigate through the maze of the building, finding myself to another door. It isn't mark as an exit but I can sense the two outside I sensed before. Jason opens it first sending a flying punch to someone the right, I do the same to the left letting the cold air hit my face, I didn't realize I was sweating until now when it makes the air feel cooler, but better. It's not nighttime anymore, the sun rises to the east of us luckily not in our face. I can see the water from here, we must be on the docks.
"How are we going to get far enough away to count?" I ask, Jason looks around quickly weighing over options as I do the same.
"See that jeep?" He asks pointing to a blacked out jeep parked fifty meters away from us, I nod. "Well...we steal it"
"I don't think they have keys just hanging around J" I state, we make a run for the jeep he slides into the front seat popping underneath the steering wheel, I slide into the passenger seat as the engine roars to life, I look at him hoping I won't need to ask how he knows how to hotwire a car but he doesn't meet my gaze. He just steps on the gas pedal and takes off, we don't run into anymore resistance as we get into town. I thought we would go back to the campus but we don't. We go to a little neighborhood. Big houses and with nice cars, I guess if someone if going to look for people who just ran away from a sex trafficker they wouldn't look here. He pulls into a big house with a brown outside, a white door and a garage. He hops out and rings the doorbell, not once but six times.
"What are you doing? Where are we?" I ask he doesn't answer. The door makes a whirring noise and it clicks open. He walks inside and I follow looking around at the gorgeous house. He locks the door behind me and holds up a finger.
"I am going to open the garage and pull the jeep in, if they come down here I don't want them spotting it" He says I nod as he does so disappearing for minutes. I look around the house, it looks normal. It also looks like no one has been here in months, thick dust covers most surfaces and it's cold. No one has been running the AC. I run a finger along the dining room table a line from my finger sticks out, the real color of the wooden table is a deep brown but the dust makes it look more greyish light brown. The inside door to the garage opening startles me away from it. He does something with the car and the motor dies out. Jason grabs his side in agony and grimaces.
"I'm sorry" is all I can manage to say. He forcefully exhales applying more pressure to bleeding wound. The blood has soaked through most of his shirt and down the leg of his pants. He grunts as he leans against the white countertops. Sweat builds on his forehead, he probably used every ounce of energy he had to fight along side me to get out of there.
"It's not your fault can you just grab me something to soak the blood into, I think fighting those assholes may have made the bleeding worse" He strains I nod and look around for something. He gestures to a closet which is a little bit behind him. I quickly move opening the closet door and switching on the light. There has to be tons of black hand towels and regular sized towels on these shelves. I take a couple large ones and even more hand towels and run back to him sweeping myself underneath his arm. I guide him to the couch in the front room placing down towels under him. He lays down resting his head against the sofa arm. As soon as I apply the pressure to his side he groans and struggles to keep still.
"How did you last this long with this?" I ask
"Adrenaline?" he answers it as if he's questioning it himself, as far as I am concerned he has no idea.
"J...you need to answer...so many questions" I say he nods and holds out his hand. I grab it but he takes it back and extends it out again lifting up his ring finger. A small black band with gold lining sits on his finger. I arch an eyebrow and he gestures to it.
"Take it off" He commands. I do so and jump back as his features begin to change. No longer into the boy with the pointed jaw and black wavy hair. He now has a strong jaw, his hair is shorter but still black with a single white strip in the front. Even his nose looks different. How even a couple features hid him completely. He looks like he needs to shave with a beard grown out slightly. His green eyes never change but I recognize him now. My breathing quickens and I swallow hard fighting back my shaky breaths.
"Jason Todd" I mutter the ring falls out of my hand and onto the floor as his eyes widen.
"How do you know who I am?" He asks I shake my head biting my bottom lip hard fighting off any urge to scream or to fight.
"I ask the questions, why did you hide yourself?" I ask he sucks in a breath and holds his hand over his wound. I can tell he needs a moment to gain some type of pain control before he can answer my questions. A roll of guilt slides off of him slamming me further back.
"They knew my face...to track them to keep this investigation going I had to. I needed to keep myself hidden from the Titans too, their leader Robin...he knows my face" he strains gritting his teeth. His breathing is becoming quicker. I don't think I am really one to be mad at him for hiding himself, and I might not even be mad. He is the last person I wanted to be Red X. Even when Cyborg texted me and told me he could be I didn't believe it. I knew they had to be wrong. Red X is a criminal not someone who saves college girls from being attacked.
"Why go to college? How did you even get into college? You are dead. Jason Todd doesn't exactly go on applications" I spit he nods and squeezes his eyes shut for a moment fighting off more pain.
"I wanted to build a life...outside of that. I used the name Hal Parker. Had someone I know make some creds for me to take to them nothing a little scamming couldn't get passed to get me in. I just wanted to live a new life. So, when Conner-ahh fuck-when Conner sent a hit on me...I knew I had to start over again. He thinks he killed Hal Parker. I found someone who could make glamour jewelry cost a lot more than you would think. I got a new one and started over. requested the same room and took the same classes. I just needed to start over. I just couldn't let him keep doing what he was doing to those girls" He explains. A part of me thinks it's brave what he did. Another part knows who he really is.
"Did you know he would target me when you saw me? Is that why you stopped the attack did you know?" I ask he shakes his head and groans again. I feel myself sneaking back to his side putting pressure on his wound before I even knew I was doing it.
"No...no Rachel I-I heard screaming. I saw the dudes sitting out front and I wanted to make sure no one was getting hurt. When I asked them about it they told me it was none of my concern and to walk away but I hard you yell for help. I refuse to let any woman get...have that happen to them. It's not right. So I did something. I didn't know you would be on his radar until a day or so after. When I saw you next to his room" He says now it's my turn to be shocked again.
"You saw me?" I ask
"Only you standing next to his door and knocking. Then you went downstairs and I took the stairs to meet you down there...I don't know why you were there but he saw you with me and that's when I knew." He admitted. I breath a sigh of relief knowing he didn't see me go in and out. Though Conner must have known I was in the room somehow. If he had anything watching the place though he would have seen me go inside and knew I wasn't a normal person and he seemed pretty surprised when I showed him who I was.
"Now I need to ask you questions" He says I bite my lip and shake my head putting pressure on his side more, he curses under his shaky breath.
"Not now...now you need to rest." I say he nods and lays there fighting through the pain. Until eventually his eyes close. I can tell he is only sleeping. I use this as my opportunity to heal him. Placing my hands over his side and allowing them to cover in light blue as I work my way up and down his abdomen. As soon as his wound closes I stop taking my hand away and sitting back on my hands looking at the new man in front of me. He looks peaceful sleeping. I have to call the Titans. I reach into my pocket but feel my phone isn't there. I pat around my jacket pockets and all my pants pockets turning up nothing. It makes sense they would take my phone. They probably left it on the guest bed in Jason's dorm. Instead I get up from the floor, finding a comfy spot on the recliner chair to the right of the couch and make myself comfortable. I didn't realize how tired I was until just now. Leaning the chair back I got comfortable in it, curling up within myself. Folding my arms over myself in a hug and resting on the recliner. It doesn't take me long until I drift off.
