"Friend Raven has been taken."

"It wasn't Augustine."

"I know you two are amicable, but Changeling, we caught him on camera," Starfire says, her tone soft and careful like a ripple in a lake. Garfield shakes his head.

"I'm not defending him."

Starfire crosses her arms behind her back and averts her gaze.

"Trust me. Star, if I thought it was even two percent possible that Augustine was the one who actually took Raven, our relationship would be far from friendly. But it wasn't Augustine," Garfield says, rising out of the bed. Starfire rushes towards him.

"Friend! You must stay in bed!" Starfire exclaims, rushing to Garfield's side. The shapeshifter shrugs her off.

"I'm the best tracker on the team, Star," Garfield says. He grabs a pair of sweatpants by the cot and jumps into them. "Besides, I feel fine."

"Friend Garfield! You were completely unconscious when we got to you!"

"All the more reason for me to find Raven as soon as possible."

"Garfield-"

"Star, Raven still has four brothers-"

"Actually…" Starfire bites her lip.

"What is it?" Garfield asks, pausing and placing his hands on his hips.

"In the commotion it seems that Jacob and Gluttony have also found the means to escape."

"Shit," Garfield curses, running his hand over his head. "Where are Cyborg and Nightwing?"

"Garfield, I really think you should-"

"Starfire," Garfield sighs, putting both his hands on the alien's shoulders. "Raven needs us."

Starfire looks at her friend for a few moments.

"...they are at Ms. Cuadrado's restaurant," she finally relents.

"We have to get to them quickly."


When Garfield bursts into the room Nightwing is interrogating the Cuadrado family in, he sees their team leader hovering over a giant stone-like man.

Augustine's cousin, Jorge, is an ex-gang member who trusts cops as much as conspiracy theorists trust the government. Augustine told him that one of Jorge's best friends was wrongfully imprisoned when they were teenagers, quickly sent to an ICE detention center when they realized the young man was undocumented (even though he lived in America since he was two), beat thorougly, and shipped back off to country completely foreign to him. He is unflinching whenever Garfield comes by to visit. Never sparing a smile, not even squinting his eyes in the polite way people are wont to do with strangers when they don't know them well enough to smile genuinely. Jorge changed his ways long ago. He's devoted himself to his wife and his two toddlers, but he isn't the type to start begging people to look at him differently. And he certainly isn't saying anything to any cops. You get whatever you give whenever you talk to Jorge and sometimes not even that. Garfield cringes hard when he sees Nightwing ripping into the innocent young man. He runs up to the men.

"Agh! Ha ha! Sorry about this Jorge," Garfield says sheepishly, gripping Nightwing's tight shoulders. Jorge turns his expressionless face to the green superhero. Nightwing shrugs him off.

"So an innocent woman finally tells the good guy 'no' and he, what? Knocks her out?" Nightwing growls, practically spitting in Jorge's face. Jorge doesn't budge, beefy arms folded over his stomach.

"Agh, this is all a big misunderstanding," Garfield says quickly, trying desperately to pull Nightwing aways from the table before he embarrasses himself more. Jorge's lip twitches.

"Innocent, that bitch is about as innocent as a whore in church," Jorge says, each word like a pointy nail directed at Nightwing's thin skin. Whether it's the frustration of being unable to move Nightwing or his anxiety about the way time is ticking away, Changeling feels something deep within his body rise to the surface. He reaches out one arm quickly and grips Jorge by the shirt, pulling the six-foot-three, two-hundred-twenty pound man to his feet. He pulls him forward, until his hips bang against the table. Jorge's eyes widen, startled by how easily he's tossed around by the normally happy-go-lucky superhero.

"I get your stressed Jorge, but watch your mouth," Changeling growls, nostrils flaring. He can feel his claws straining the fabric of the front of Jorge's shirt. Changeling takes three deep breaths before letting go of the man's shirt. He turns around to Nightwing, putting a hand on the team leader's chest and shoving him backwards lightly.

"We have to talk," he bites out. Nightwing narrows his eyes at his teammates, gives one warning look to Jorge, and then follows Garfield out the room.

"Changeling, I know you feel close to this family but-"

"It wasn't Augustine, Nightwing," Garfield says.

"Changeling…" Nightwing sighs, squeezing the bridge of his nose.

"He doesn't speak Spanish, Nightwing."

"What?"

"I tested Augustine in the Tower. I spoke to him in Spanish to see if he'd respond-"

"Garfield, you don't speak Spanish."

"I know enough," Garfield says. And Raven was in danger. "It doesn't matter. Whoever that was spoke to me in fluent Spanish. Augustine doesn't speak Spanish."

"Maybe he 'knew enough'," Nightwing says.

"No. Augustine was always too shy to learn Spanish. He thought his family would make fun of him for having an accent. It wasn't him."

"Then who was it?"

"...I don't-"

Augustine's body is blurry as he stands over him.

"My goals would have been accomplished a decade ago if you weren't always sniffing outside of her door, little mongrel. You have a bit of a voyeuristic streak don't you. That's okay, I like to be watched."

"That disgusting-" Garfield says.

"What is it?"

"Malchior. It was Malchior."

"That's impossible. Raven-"

"I guess the dragon is part cockroach."

"Oh Mr. Changeling," Ms. Cuadrado runs in, practically tripping over her own feet. Her eyes look swollen and irritated. She grabs onto both of Garfield's arms; she's slightly bent at the knees, like she's about to fall over. "You have to understand. My Augustine. He would never-"

"I know Ms. Cuadrado. I know," Garfield says, he tries to help Ms. Cuadrado stand taller but it's as if her joints are made of jello. "I'm so sorry."

puts a hand over her mouth, a few tears escaping.

"I'm sorry? What? What are you sorry for? Is something wrong with my Augustine?" Her questions come out quickly, stumbling over each other like she just stumbled into the room. Garfield doesn't say anything.

"Your friend. He says you have him on video. That…that could not be him. Evil is not in my son's heart. He has never been anything but a kind man."

"I know Ms. Cuadrado. Please…I know."

"Please, I know your Raven is your priority. Please…just please don't forget my son. My baby, he is innocent."

"I promise you Ms. Cuadrado. I promise you I'll do everything I can to get them both back," Garfield says.


When the whole team is together, Nightwing opens his mouth to give directions.

"We need to interrogate Dal. He's the only one who would know where Jacob is," Garfield says, expeditiously interrupting the Titan's leader. Starfire and Cyborg look at Garfield, then at their team leader.

"Garfield's right," Nightwing says. He pauses, putting his hand on his hips. "We'll follow his lead on this mission."

What Nightwing doesn't know is that Garfield was going to do whatever he wanted whether Nightwing gave him permission or not. The Beast has been clawing at his insides and, for once, he finds himself questioning the benefit of keeping him restrained. Raven will be found and returned safely. Whatever it takes.

"Nightwing and I will head to Daily Dasik. I'll go in first, if I'm not out in five minutes, Nightwing will come in to see if anything is wrong. Cyborg, call Aqualad, we might need him to block some dark magic for us again. Starfire, check surveillance footage of as many mystical shops in Jump City as you can. Malchior is going to need ingredients if he's planning on making any potions. Does anyone recognize anything else we can possibly be doing?"
The team shakes their heads.

"Titans go!"


Dal looks up from the cash register when he hears the bell signaling a new customer.

"Hel-Oh Changeling! Just in time! I got a new batch of chocolate croissan-"

"Is Cris here?" Garfield asks, looking for signs of the little boy. Dal immediately straightens up at the sound of his son's name.

"Why does that matter?"

Changeling doesn't answer, walking slowly to the cash register and laying his hands flat against the display case. Dal can see the veins in the green hero's arms straining through his shirt. He's never seen the man look so serious.

"Cris is at school," he says.

"Good," Garfield says. Suddenly the superhero grabs his shirt roughly and pulls him forward until his upper body is practically flat against the display table.

"Where's Jacob?" he asks. Chalk it up to experience, but Dal immediately understands the feral, frenzied look in the man's eyes. He doesn't gasp or struggle. He just looks down at his, probably ruined, shirt and then looks back up at the angry Titan.

"Last time I saw Jacob he was in your Tower. And you-" Dal pauses his sentence to carefully extract the green hand from the front of his shirt. "Shouldn't be threatening random people so soon after the incident in the park. People are already wary of the Titans."

Garfield brings his fisted hands to his side.

"Is that a threat?"

Dal rolls his eyes.

"I bake cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles for a living and you can turn into a 600 pound bear. Please don't insult my intelligence," Dal says. He hears the timer go off in the kitchen behind him and turns his back on the superhero.

"Have you tried Jacob's brothers?" he asks, taking the cookies out of the oven.

"You know about Jacob's brothers?" Garfield asks, his tone much calmer than when he walked in. Dal looks up.

"I met one of them once," Dal says, taking off his over mitts. "Never met him again."


Dal is whipping egg whites for his macarons when he hears the knock on his door over the record playing. He looks at the clock. It's only been fifteen minutes since she's left. Maybe his neighbor was making a noise complaint. He turns off the record and puts the bowl down. He goes to his front door.

"Sorry about that Ms. Engel- Jacob?" Dal's hand falls off the door handle, limply at his side. Jacob stands at his door, like an apparition, still so handsome and just a little unsure of himself. So outside of his character with his hands in his pocket and his eyes darting around.

Dal can't resist pulling the younger man into his arms.

"It's been six months," he says, digging the fingers of his right hand into the indent Jacob's neck muscles make. Like he's trying to pull him closer even though their chests are wedged together. Jacob's right there with him, both hands pressed against his back, one right underneath his shoulder blades and the other right above his hip. Jacob's body feels the same. He smells the same. It all feels very familiar and he isn't surprised at how easily everything comes back to him.

"Hey Dal," he mumbles, and his breath tickles Dal's neck in a quiet, smaller way that Dal isn't used to. It breaks his heart.

"Jacob," he says, making no effort to move. "You didn't come back."

"I'm sorry," he says, finally pulling away. He puts his hand on Dal's cheek. "I'm sorry…for everything."

"No, I'm sorry…for everything I said. It must have been the cough medicine," Dal jokes, giggling a little. Jacob doesn't smile with him.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Dal. I was never fair to you."

"Hey, no. You-" Dal pauses, swallowing. He puts his hand over the one Jacob has on his cheek. "You may have…hurt me sometimes but please don't discredit how much we cared for each other. I…I missed you."

Jacob's eyes get filmy as he runs his thumb over Dal's cheekbone softly.

"I missed you too."

And the eye contact is really all too much. Dal delicately removes Jacob's hand from his cheek.

"Come in! I'm making macarons!"

"I can…order us some wings too? From that spot we like?" Jacob asks. Dal doesn't turn around, his heart squeezing a little, throat feeling a little tight.

"Mhhmmm," he says, not trusting his voice. "Sounds good."

"I met my brothers," Jacob says. Dal turns to Jacob, who is standing in the middle of the living room, like a fish out of water. Dal feels a sting in his eyes. He swallows, clearing his throat.

"Brothers?" he asks.

"Yeah…I have six of them."

"Six?!" Dal says, falling against his counter. "How did you find out about that? Where did you find them?"

"They…actually found me. My oldest brother was looking for all of us for a while."
"Wow, Jacob, that's amazing. I'm so happy for you."

"Yeah," Jacob says lamely, sticking his hands back in his pocket and kicking his foot. He doesn't look too happy. Dal doesn't ask him why. He regrets it to this day. "They helped me…control my abilities."

Dal feels the memory of those abilities pushing in on him on all sides.

"...that's- Jacob, I'm so happy for you," he repeats, sucking his lips into his mouth because he suddenly feels very stupid. And irrationally angry. And then immediately guilty.

"I'm sorry I couldn't learn to control them earlier," Jacob says, and when his voice cracks, Dal feels it crack down his body. He lifts his head to the ceiling, trying to get rid of the urge to cry but a few tears escape anyways. He drags his hands over his cheeks, dropping his chin down again, remembering that this is Jacob and he doesn't have to hide how sad he is from the man.

"I just…Dal, you never called," Jacob says, his voice really thick. "I mean you didn't owe me but I was gone for six months and you never called."

At this point, Dal's tears are flowing freely.

"It was too hard. I was too hurt."

It's really quiet for a while.

"Do you…do you want to order hot wings or those really weird peanut butter and jelly ones?"

Dal laughs out loud.

"What?"

"Aren't we out of things to say?" Jacob asks, his voice sad but gentle. Dal's laugh quiets down to his own bitter smile.

"I'm actually craving salt and pepper wings."

Jacob laughs.

"Salt and pepper. Okay."


They sit on the floor in front of the sofa and stuff their face with wings and macarons, trying to fill the space around them with the sounds of crunching. Trying to gorge out the uncomfortable feeling of simply sitting next to each other that was never so there before like it is now. Trying to keep their mouths from saying things it isn't supposed to. From doing things it isn't supposed to.

But when all that lies before them is chicken wing bones sucked dry and the only memory of macarons left is the thin layer of sticky jelly stuck to their fingers no matter how much they've wiped, they're at a loss of where to look and what to do. Jacob, completely uncomfortable and disgustingly full, feels himself falling back into the chaos that was his childhood when he had too much knowledge of things he was way too young to understand.

"Dal, do you still love me?" he asks, because there is really no space in his stomach for any shame so he might as well ask now. He turns to Dal who seems to have been prepared for the inevitable question.

Dal, an honest man, even when he wasn't yet a man and he didn't really know how hard honesty can be, nods his head once. Jacob moves his body into the space between them, bringing his lips closer to Dal's. Neither of them closes their eyes as Jacob presses his lips against Dal's for a short peck. Dal grabs Jacob's shoulders and moves him a couple inches away.

"Jacob. I'm having a baby."

"...a baby?"

Dal nods.

"With a woman?"

Dal nods again. Jacob blinks.

"...do you love her?"

"I like her a lot."

"Oh yes, I'm sure you do. It must be so easy too."

"Jacob, be fair."

Jacob laughs.

"What? Did you meet her at work?"

Dal doesn't say anything.

"You actually met her at fucking work. Jesus Dal. What? Did she spill coffee on your shirt? Did your eyes meet across a crowded room? You really got everything you wanted. Congratulations."

"Jacob."

The way Dal says his name sounds like a whip snapping. Jacob moves to his feet immediately.

"You're angry? You left me, didn't even call to check in on me, and then found your cookie cutter ending three months after I left."

Dal doesn't say anything, looking away.

"It was quicker than that, wasn't it?"

"Jacob, I wasn't your keeper."

"No, but you love me."

"I couldn't help you Jacob! What was I supposed to do?"

"If I never visited today, would you have ever reached out to me?"

Dal doesn't say anything but Jacob doesn't let the question fade. Finally, Dal shakes his head. Jacob sinks against the sofa.

"Right…because I don't fit in that picture. Can't exactly sleep between you two in your bed."

"Jacob-"

"I've disrupted your life, Dal."

Jacob stands up.

"Please don't leave Jacob."

Jacob clenches his eyes shut and he doesn't leave.


"Jacob, do you think you could just grab Cris' sunscreen from the baby bag?" Sofia asks. Jacob already had it out for her. Dal comes out of the apartment, trying to balance the rolled up comforter under his arm, the bottle of wine and the picnic basket. Jacob rushes to him, grabbing the old comforter and the wine bottle.

"Thank you," Dal says. Jacob nods.

"Did you remember to pack the mango-apple baby food for Cris? He doesn't like the banana one," Jacob says.

"Yeah, I have three of them."

"Wait, he doesn't like the banana one? Since when?" Sofia asks, obscured by the sun canopy on the stroller.

"He stopped eating them a couple of days ago."

"I'm a terrible mother. Thank God for you Jacob," Sofia stands straight again, finally having finished putting on Cris' sunscreen. "Dal is really lucky to have you as a foster brother."

Jacob wants to vomit sometimes.

"Oh, what a handsome young boy," a voice says. Sofia beams, turning to the source of the compliment.

"Thank-" Sofia looks up. And up. And up. At the gargantuan man who just complimented her son. He has to be six foot six at least. "...you."

"Jacob, you never told me the boy was so adorable," the tall man says to Jacob. Dal looks at Jacob, only capturing a glimpse of his clenched jaw and tight shoulders, but it's enough to make him stand between Sofia and the stranger.

"You know Jacob?" Dal asks, eyes narrowing.

"Oh, I'm dreadfully sorry. I'm Jared," Wrath reaches out his hand. "I'm Jacob's older brother."

Dal shakes the large man's hands.

"Jacob is always gushing about Cris. You would think it was his own child," Wrath says, sending Jacob a smile that immediately makes Dal want to punch him.

"Well Jacob is practically a part of the family. It was so kind of him to volunteer to raise Cris whenever we're at work."

"You two work together?" Jared asks, gesturing between Sofia and Dal.

"Yes."

"How adorable. A perfect little nuclear family," Jared jokes. Sofia laughs. "...and Jacob."

"Wra-Jared, can I help you with anything?"

"Yes, actually, I'm so sorry but we have to leave."

"Now?" Jacob asks.

"Yes, now. I's time for a little family reunion."

"Jacob was actually on his way to a picnic with u-"

"Dal, is it?" Wrath asks, interrupting the father mid-sentence. Dal nods, narrowing his eyes at the tight smile on Jared's face.

"Jacob and I have a flight to catch. You may want to find another baby sitter."

"What? A flight?" Sofia asks, looking at Jacob, who has been particularly silent through this whole conversation.

"I've found some information on our father. My brothers and I? I think we can be reunited with him very soon."

"Oh my God! Jacob, that's spectacular! You have to leave, now!" Sofia says, beaming at Jared.

Dal looks at Jacob, who suddenly has a very distant look in his eyes.

"Where's the flight to, Jared? Maybe we can take the trip with Jacob? For support," Dal says.

"I think it's best you stay here," Jacob says firmly.

"Jaco-"

"Let's go, Jared."


"I have no idea if Jared is actually his brother. Or if they met their father or not. For the last three years, I didn't even know he was still in contact with him," Dal pauses. "Until they all showed up on the news together."

"Trust me, you don't want them to meet their father."

Dal stores away Changeling's cryptic line.

"Jacob always told me to stay away from his brother. He must be pretty powerful if Jacob is afraid of him."

"You have no idea."

"Changeling," Nightwing's voice comes through the communicator, out of breath. Changeling pulls it out of his pocket.

"Yeah?"

"We have a lead."

Changeling looks at his communicator, Nightwing is still on the rooftop of the building next to the bakery where Garfield left him. Garfield purses his lips.

"Thank you," he absentmindedly tells Dal, quickly moving to the door.

"If you're looking for Jacob, I'm coming with you," Dal says.

Changeling smiles at him, before turning into an insect and flying away.