XIII
Strange Investigations
Raven and Bruce appeared instantly in their bedroom. It had taken Bruce a little while to get used to this teleportation at first. It had a jarring effect when you weren't used to it and he swore he sometimes saw horrific images in the flash of an eye between worlds.
Still, it beat the gridlock of rush-hour Gotham.
And they had things to do…
"I need to change. Can you send your soul-self to the Air National Guard base?" asked Bruce as he began loosening his tie. Raven knew she shouldn't, but she watched as her husband undressed. Lust was a foreign emotion to the inhabitants of Azarath and merely a quirk for her until she had met Bruce. He was all that a man should be.
Ten years ago, Trigon had reached into Azarath itself to proclaim her birthright or her soul. Her demon heritage had manifested itself from that dark, fateful night, waiting for the moment she would lose control of herself and rejoice in chaos. Her father had shown she could be corrupted, that she was different from the Azarathian people. Otherwise she would have died that night. There were seldom times she realized how corruptible she was as when she saw her husband naked…
"Are you embarrassed?" asked Bruce as he slipped into black cargo pants.
"Perhaps it would be safer… for the sake of the world… if we had separate rooms," she replied – almost imperceptibly biting her lip. "But then again, I'd probably still watch you sleep."
"You watch me sleep?... Never mind. Look, I have an idea… When I watched Scott Free at his shows in the past, he seemed unable to teleport like you do. During his escapes, he actually appeared under severe duress, that perhaps his life actually was in jeopardy. His wife seemed more like a body guard than someone who could…disappear.
But what really struck me was the costume. It was like nothing I had ever seen, yellow, green and red. I could never confirm it, but it seemed like that costume was technology of an unimaginable level. Like something from another world. If the Free's truly do come from another world, it would follow that it's technology is vastly superior to ours, that his costume was the key to his miraculous escapes.
I believe they used a device of some sort to travel off-world. Obviously, it's not a rocket ship but a perhaps a portal of some kind. Since you can do it, there's probably a way to harness that power… a portal to different places. It could be a simple device. I believe Big Blue accompanied the Free's to their home world or some far off place. If we can find the Free's, we can find Big Blue."
"I do watch you sleep, my husband. To protect you from the nightmares. There is a burning desire for vengeance inside you that threatens to consume you, much like my own demons. You are balanced on the brink of the abyss."
"…Thank you. There's some leftovers in the fridge. Care to join me?"
Raven smiled and wondered where her old husband had gone. Military espionage? Teleporting from the car? Leftovers?... After polishing off a bowl of vegetarian pasta, she glanced at Bruce and broached the subject.
"This is unlike you, my love."
"Sorry, I haven't eaten since Breakfast," he guiltily replied over a mouthful of milk.
"No heart-of-my-heart, I mean this direct approach you seek. It's unlike you. Normally you would ask a few questions to people you trust. For you to insist on defying the law you hold in such high esteem to have me spy inside the Air National Guard base. You are a mystery, Bruce Wayne…"
"Not at all," he responded while wiping the chicken sauce from his mouth with a napkin. "Trust me, I break privacy laws every day. And I know who I'm up against."
"There is an adversary?"
"Of course… I can't say for sure that Lex Luthor was responsible for Big Blue's off-world disappearance, but I do know this… If there's any way possible for Vice President Luthor to ensure Big Blue doesn't have a return ticket, he'll do it. What involvement Scott and Barda Free have in this, I don't know."
"Vice President Luthor fears Big Blue?"
"I'm not sure fear is the right word. Probably 'hate'. I've never asked him his reasons, but his feelings have become apparent from our few meetings. Luthor always struck me as the sort of man who thinks of himself as the most powerful person in the room. He expects people to do his bidding without question."
"He sees Big Blue as a threat?"
"That's probably closer to the truth. I truly believe Big Blue is a being of conscience. From the data we've gathered, he could wipe out all of America's threats. Either our government is showing remarkable restraint, or Big Blue is. My money is on Big Blue. Well my lovely wife, are you ready?"
"Before I go... Is this for Big Blue or Dick?"
"…Dick… primarily. But Big Blue sounds like a force for good, or at least American good. But this military intervention frightens me. I trust your feelings on Dick. I think it ends badly if he does go."
"Then we shall continue this conversation in five minutes." Raven drew up her dark blue cloak, and sat down cross-legged on the floor by the table. Within a second, Wayne knew that a part of her had departed.