The heavy smell of rain is in the air, the ground is wet, I can feel it on my knees as I sit with the one and only Batman looking towards the seemingly empty warehouse. He doesn't say anything and neither do I, it's actually the perfect team. We both don't feel like talking and we don't. I feel some rocks digging into my knee but I ignore it, looking to the sky the looming clouds threaten another thunderstorm. Batman seems to thrive in this weather. I try to sense if anyone in in the building but it is too far. The only ones I can sense is Batman and myself.
"It's out of range" Is all I say, Batman just nods and stares, I don't know what he could be looking for, it looks like every other warehouse.
"Are you okay to be on this mission" he asks after a little bit, his questions takes me slightly off guard but I don't show it.
"I'm fine" I answer
"Robin Informed me of what happened to you. If you need to be taken off the case I will ask someone else" He says, I shake my head and look back to the warehouse, the street lights aren't even on, which is weird because normally they would be, it can't be a power outage either because the warehouse adjacent to it is still on. Talking about what happened with Batman just doesn't fit into my list of things I want to do right now, both of us striving in the dark and the quiet is the only reason I was kind of excited to work with him on this.
"They knocked out the lights" I point out, Batman does a quick assessment and then nods, he must not have seen it at first, not that I blame him the warehoused in Gotham keep the lights of unused warehouses off all the time to help with the energy output. Jump City doesn't give a fuck. Mostly it's to keep criminals out of them by tricking them into thinking they are in use, however it rarely works.
"Why would they be doing business in the dark? Isn't this type of trade something that needs to happen with the lights on so they can see if there is any damage to the...goods" I ask saying the word goods makes my stomach twist, they aren't goods they are people. I was almost one of those people, thank god for powers. However, not everyone who they take has that luxury. Hopefully once this is over we can get this whole operation shut down. Get some of those girls home safe.
"Maybe this isn't actually his base of operations, maybe this is a cover for something else" he suggests, We fall into silence as we both Brainstorm about what could be going on in there, we remain quiet for the last thirty minutes that we stay here. Finally he gets up and waves me over as we begin to move in on it. I follow closely behind as we get closer to the building, Batman looks back every now and then I think to make sure I am still behind him.
"You know Robin doesn't mean to come off like an asshole" Batman whispers, I look up to him in shock, stealth missions don't normally mean that we sit and talk about anything while getting closer to the building that could possibly have men with guns in it.
"What a surprise" I monotone as we keep moving, as we get closer I don't sense anyone in the building it is completely empty. "it's empty"
"We need to head back and gather new information, there is a reason he has this warehouse and I want to know what it is" Batman says, I nod and we both turn back heading to the Batmobil which is actually really cool to drive in.
"He asked me to tell you that he is sorry and he's not a bad guy. Between you and I though, he isn't a bad guy he just has very warped views on the whole situation and I don't blame you for dumping him" Batman says as we get into the car. I nod and look down at my hands in my lap.
"I saw...in his head what he said to Batgirl...I already knew he had those views I just didn't think he would with me" I say, its not a complete lie, I didn't see it in his head Jason told me, but I still didn't think he would ever treat me that way. He is such a good guy it is so hard for me to see that he thinks this way. It's hard for me to think that when I told him his first thought was that he wouldn't be having sex that night, I don't understand how he could care so little.
"What happened to Batgirl was different. She didn't deserve it or ask for it same as you. She was outnumbered and outgunned. I don't know the situation with you, he didn't go into details and I don't need to know them. I just know that regardless he has no right to think you let it happen" He says to me, I nod feeling the tickle of a tear falling down my face I am all of a sudden very glad he can't see my face with my hood on.
"I loved him so much...after he cheated I tried to fix it. This however was the moment I realized he didn't love me. Not really. He just dated me to get to Starfire, he just hates that we aren't close anymore" I say Batman doesn't say much, just looks at me while I get myself together mentally.
"I didn't know he cheated on you. Funny how he only mentions certain things to me" He says I nod and look over to him
"He just doesn't want you to be disappointed in him, as you can tell you being here is making him feel like he has to do everything perfect." I say, I can tell Batman already knows this, he starts up the Batmobil and we start on our way back to the Tower, we don't talk for the rest of the trip there, in fact this small conversation is the most he has ever spoken to be directly. It's no secret that him and the Justice League don't trust me in the Titans, they have made that clear. My demon half being the only reason. However Cyborg and Robin vouched for me and so they leave me be. I can't help but hope that this means he will start to not hate me so much.
As we pull up to the tower Batman puts a hand on my shoulder halting me from getting out of the car. I look over to him trying to read him but his face doesn't move, it's like stone.
"Don't tell Robin what we spoke about, I think he needs to learn in his own time that his behavior is wrong, I don't want him thinking that you are trying to turn me against him" Batman says, I just nod I wouldn't tell Robin anything anyway, speaking to him makes everything worse. We exit the car and head into the Comm room where Cyborg and Beastboy were arguing about food, Beastboy probably snuck some tofu into Cyborgs dinner, which everyone knows you don't do. I clear my throat silencing both of them as they lay their eyes on Batman.
"Where's Robin" Batman asks both the boys point to his office and he beckons me over, we both walk in seeing Starfire sitting on his lap.
[Red X's POV]
I don't make it a habit to follow Raven around, but when I see the old Batmobil driving around with her as a passenger I get nervous. I wait near the warehouse, not close enough for her to sense me or The Bat to see me but close enough that the specs in my mask can zoom in on her and I can see just what they are doing. I can't help but feel like maybe she is telling him all about me, about the night we had sex or even where I have been hiding, but he doesn't look like he has just found out that his son is alive so I feel pretty confident she has kept that to herself. I sit for a while hoping to get some kind of clue of what they are doing here, or looking for. I see them leave an hour later they must not have found what they were looking for. I wait for them to take off but they don't they just sit there in the car, without even turning it on. I didn't think the Bat would be having lengthy conversations with Raven but I guess I am wrong about that.
I use this as an opportunity to do something that is probably not the best idea. I teleport to the pier, I look out at the giant T which sits in the middle of the ocean. I don't know where Raven's room is but I know I can get into the roof and maybe I will be able to find it from there, as long as I stay out of the way of the rest of the gang, if they are even there. I teleport to the roof behind the access room to go into the tower, I hear voices. Shit of course someone in on the roof right now. Why wouldn't there be right? I roll my eyes under my mask and listen waiting for the right moment.
"What about friend Raven?" a cheerful voice that can only belong to Starfire says.
"Well we aren't together anymore, so it isn't like you or I would be doing anything wrong. Plus you said so yourself that you miss the feeling of what we did. Remember, it doesn't feel right when we fight. " someone else says to her, of course it is Robin, I push out the urge to break his jaw and send him flying off the tower, instead I teleport right into the building access. I race down the stairs and fall onto a hallway. Damn this place is huge. I go left finding myself to another flight of stairs, I go down them and turn left. A huge hallway with multiple doors stretch down what has to be a good mile. I open one door and find myself in a green room with laundry all over the floor and the smell of rotting food. I walk back out and head to the other side of the hallway which is wear I find a door with an R on the door. This is either bird brains room or Raven's. I chance it walking in and seeing the room is dark, and not in the lighting sense. This is Raven's room. I walk to her nightstand seeing a notebook, of course she has a journal. I fight the urge to read it and instead rip a page out of the back. I quickly write the address of the safe house on it and put in gentle on her pillow along with a note on the back saying I did not read her diary so she doesn't murder me. I look to my belt and see I only have enough charge right now to get me right around the corner of the safe house. I sit on the edge of the bed looking around her room. It's huge...her bed feels softer than anything I have sat on. She has two different doors in her room, both right next to each other, I get up and open one finding myself in a closet of dark clothes and shoes. I close it and look into the other one seeing a bathroom. Well it makes sense she would have her own bathroom. I close that door too as a flash of lighting lights up the room through her windows.
It feels like I wait forever until my belt beeps at me letting me know it is at full charge, I quickly press the center, it feels like I am being squeezed into a small ball and then in an instant I am standing in the bedroom of the safe house. Far away from the tower. I look through the pictures I took at the carnival today, Conner waiting on a dark haired girl, she's smiling and as a drink in her hand which he had gotten for her.
I knew he moved his operation but I didn't think he would move it to such a public place. The girl in the picture when missing last night her friends and family received an email from "her" this morning claiming she had taken off to do some soul searching out of the country. I will have to do some recon and keep an eye on him, hopefully stop any more girls from going missing. I take off the suit placing it it back in the closet and changing into flannel sweats and getting into bed. The moment my head hit the pillow I felt sleep pulling me in.
[Raven's POV]
"I don't understand why you can't continue the mission the way we have been" Robin says I lean against the center table pushing back the bubbling rage and hurt I feel. If I could draw my hood farther down I would.
"I think I need to look at this from a different point. The warehouse was empty, I need to go through it like I would any other case. To do that I need to work at it alone. I will stay in contact" Batman says Robin folds his arms across his chest and shakes his head. I look over to Starfire who is not her usual color, embarrassment and guilt drips off of her its almost suffocating.
"I think that's a great idea" I chime in, both Batman and Robin turn their heads to me, Robin glares daggers while Batman's face remains unreadable. "Well think about it, worlds best detective working on it while keeping us in the loop I don't think we can get any better than that. We tried working with you on point but let's face it you are not and never will as good as Batman"
I don't wait for a response, I leave the room and go up to mine, lightning flashes for the first time all night. Cyborg stands leaning against the counter a look of sympathy on his face. I can feel it off of him too. I don't even stop myself but I go straight into his arms hugging him as slightly as I can. He doesn't say anything just hugs me back drawing comforting circles into my back. I pull back without saying a word, I levitate up the stairs feeling the need to meditate after tonight. I open my room door and feel an odd energy, someone was in my room I can feel it. I walk to the bed seeing a white piece of paper on it with an address. I flip it over and find the note.
Sunshine, don't kill me I didn't read your diary or anything. I just needed to give you the address to the safe house
just in case you ever need a place it go that isn't here. I don't follow you around but I do keep track of you.
Can't have someone as pretty as you vanishing on me now.
X
I can't help but smile as I read the note. I open my journal and see the page he ripped out. I place the piece of paper back with that page hiding it from sight. I walk back over to the window looking out to see the rain finally falling. I sit in the lotus position in front of it closing my eyes and centering myself whispering to myself my mantra
"Azerath Metrion Zinthos"
"Azerath Metrion Zinthos"
"Azerath Metrion Zinthos"
Calm.
