Almost a week later, with everyone working separately to cover more ground, they found the place where the Queen was hiding.
Or rather, from the way she seemed to be moving through the city, leaving trails of murders and disappearances on every street, they had a pretty good idea where her people would strike next.
The west side of the city.
Damian and Raven had been training together, more to distract their minds than anything else, sharing their skills and perfecting their moves. Sometimes Tim or Barbara would join them —especially when they felt Damian wasn't doing something right at training her —and every so often Alfred would show up with a tray full of sandwiches. No one could deny that they had grown closer over the last few days, and that was something Damian was beginning to feel conflicted about.
He knew he had to concentrate on the mission, on his duty and that of his family. Raven might not be a threat, but there were plenty more vampires on the loose. Vampires who didn't think twice about murdering children just because their blood was sweeter —according to what his mother had said at some point. Vampires who tortured humans for fun —according to what Jason had said. However, as they sparred, his mind couldn't help but wander with thoughts of her.
How she frowned when she couldn't understand a maneuver. How she sometimes seemed to forget to control her supernatural abilities and thus ended up falling cute but awkwardly. What they had in common, experiences and interests…
Damian was even becoming much more aware of her body and her closeness, every time the explanation required physical contact. And from the way she tensed her shoulders and only risked a sidelong glance at him, he guessed it was the same for her as well.
It was becoming a distraction. A dangerous distraction.
But Damian, even aware of that, couldn't help but find himself drawn to her.
He took a breath and drew his sword, looking around for any sign that they had already been found. Their tireless search had led them close to the Gotham river, exactly in one of the poorest areas of the city, full of old and neglected high-rise buildings, some looking like they had never been finished while others didn't even seem to hide the fact.
It was a place whose streets were littered with trash and the walls covered in vulgar and obscene graffiti. His father had tried many times to do something for that area, really, but the more Wayne Enterprises worked to improve it, others —whether politicians or gangsters who profited from the illegality of that place —more sought to get in the way.
Gotham was a dangerous place in its own right, but within Gotham there were even more dangerous places.
"What about Grayson?" the question he asked his father echoed in his mind as his gaze landed on where Batman should be hiding and lurking.
"He's doing something else," it was the only piece of information he had given him before continuing with the details of the mission, not giving him a chance to question the number of allies they were bringing.
Around him, at different vantage points, were not only his siblings, but other hunters they had worked with on previous missions. One of them was Lady Shiva, with whom, although they'd had some friction in the past, she had always been a loyal follower to his mother. A skilled and capable fighter, much like her daughter, who was only a few steps behind her: Cassandra Cain.
Tim had an old girlfriend by his side, Stephanie Brown. An agile and strong girl, trained from a young age like himself to fulfill her duty. Damian liked her, honestly, even after she and Drake broke up, but it wasn't something he was going to admit out loud, especially with how forceful she could be.
Each of them had brought with them their own groups of lower-ranking hunters, who were also scattered about the area, plus others that Damian hadn't really paid attention to when they'd been introduced.
And as expected, no one had yet noticed the identity of Raven, who was crouched next to him in one of the alleys.
She had been and was hiding her presence ever since they left the cave. Her skin seemed paler than usual and her shoulders were tense. So tense that Damian was tempted to ask her if she was feeling well, or if perhaps, like him, she also felt that there was something strange in the environment. Something they couldn't quite put their fingers on.
It wasn't until Red Hood, from wherever he was, spoke into the comlink in his ear that Damian noticed it as well.
"Is it just me, or does something real sketchy here?" he asked.
The quickest to answer, with an irony that probably made his partner laugh, was Tim.
"No way, Sherlock, how did you know? Because of the absence of people?"
"Oh shut up. If you knew from the start, you should have said so!"
"You two, hush," his father's voice was stern, aware of the implication of the entire area being empty.
Almost as if they knew they were there, even though each had arrived at a different time.
Damian narrowed his eyes. His rational side told him that it was better to back off, that it was better not to risk it, but at the same time, would they ever get a chance like that again? If his father didn't have a plan for that situation, he wouldn't have brought them here after all.
However, even if he had thought to say his worries aloud, he couldn't do it because out of the corner of his eye he noticed Raven's head snapping up.
And then something hit him.
…
Raven had been restless ever since that morning. Not so much because of the nerves of the coming battle, but because of what lately made her more aware of the people around her. More aware of their vitality. Naturally, she knew what it was about, even though she refused to believe it.
The dryness of her throat, the constant feeling she had of licking her lips and swallowing…
How alluring Damian became with each passing day… Raven was aware that it was thirst. Thirst that wasn't supposed to have gotten any worse, and yet here, with the Wayne family, it just seemed like it wasn't going to abate. As if it were a thing of fate that in her most dangerous stage she was surrounded by those most capable of stopping her.
It was something to laugh about, honestly, but it wasn't until they were in the middle of the mission that she realized her senses weren't just on high alert from thirst.
Exactly when she suddenly felt a disturbance in the air, like gazelles in the presence of a stalking cheetah.
It was her survival instinct.
"They're here!" she announced, unaware of the desperate tinge to her voice.
And it was not for less, since as soon as she looked up in search of Damian, whatever her presentiment had been warning her since earlier began.
Damian's back hit the dumpster hard they were hiding behind, leaving him breathless for a few seconds while with his sword he prevented the vampire's fangs from reaching his neck.
Raven was quick to react, stopping hiding her presence to launch herself on the attack. The vampire in front of them was quick to respond, though, leaving Damian free to step back and dodge Raven's claws.
He was a young boy, she noted when their eyes met. His crimson red pupils and the saliva he dropped without pity betrayed that he had been exposed too soon to the taste of blood and now he would kill for more.
It was no lie to say that Raven felt sorry for having to eliminate someone who had probably had a bright and beautiful future, but since his claws matched her own in speed, repelling them, she knew she couldn't let him loose.
At the same time, Damian, now over his initial shock, intercepted another vampire who seemed to want to unite against Raven, his sword being parried almost successfully by his forearm, were it not for the fact that vampires were the complete opposite of invulnerable to metal of his sword.
His blade sliced through his head with ease, but before he could do anything else, Damian instinctively turned to ward off other claws that threatened to impale him.
He frowned as he caught sight of another one approaching out of the corner of his eye, and then another and another. Some running towards him and others pushing themselves to reach Raven.
"It's a trap!" someone called into his ear over the comlink just as Raven returned to his side to fight back to back.
"We have to get out of here before they completely surround us," he said, knowing that at that moment the vantage point for them was working completely against them and that the best option was to regroup with the others.
He was too busy with his attack and defense to be able to activate the comms though, although his family most likely thought the same.
Raven nodded and when they had eliminated enough vampires to breathe, they both headed towards the initial meeting place.
Luckily, wild vampires weren't the same as high-class vampires. They were strong and out of control, yes, but not intelligent. Their train of thought was easy enough to predict that the two of them could get there without much trouble.
Raven stopped abruptly, however, as a not entirely unexpected scent reached her nose.
… Ba-thump.
Her heart pounded in her ears as she saw more than one corpse on the ground. Hunters who had been with them were being eaten by packs of vampires. The smell of fresh blood was fully perceptible, the screams in the distance, louder for her than for the hunters, were deafening.
Much pain. A lot of blood. She pressed her lips together to keep her fangs from protruding and tried to ignore the command in her brain, natural as a cat's chasing a moving rope, telling her to approach each human lying on the ground.
She could defeat all those lesser vampires there. Shatter every part of their bodies, destroy every wall around her. Conquer, crush, murder—
Damian took her hand to lead the way, seizing the opportunity, interrupting the dangerous path that her thoughts were taking her and leading her away from the darkness that increasingly threatened to engulf her. Raven swallowed, the warning that he should be less reckless with her staying on the tip of her tongue.
We can't save them, was what he seemed to say when their eyes met for a fraction of a second, and Raven wondered how many times they had been through something like that for him to have that level of pain and resignation.
Raven was also ashamed for not ever thinking about saving them.
"Head to the east wing of the apartment comolex!" his father had said over the comm, Damian couldn't let Raven get distracted.
He swallowed and squeezed her hand, though it wasn't really necessary. Raven wasn't going to let go.
However, if the smell of blood was perceptible in the streets, once they reached the place that Batman had indicated, it became totally unavoidable. So much so that Raven was forced to let go of Damian's hand so she could cover both her mouth and nose.
She squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again to find Damian's back facing her, along with a terrible hostile feeling.
Ah, Raven noted, lowering her hands. Not only could they now see her gaze turned crimson, but she had also forgotten to hide her presence.
Lady Shiva pointed a sword at her. Her look made it clear that she would go through Damian to get to her if necessary.
And not just her. Out of the corner of her eye, Raven could see the other hunters coming to their guard, even the injured ones.
"What is the meaning of this, Batman?" she asked without looking at him. Her voice was firm and sure. Raven wondered if all hunters had the same self-esteem. "Now you work with vampires? Is she the reason we're here?"
Damian frowned.
"We don't have time for this, Lady Shiva."
"I wasn't talking to you, baby bat."
Batman slowly walked towards Lady Shiva then. His expression stern as always, stopping at her side.
"Damian is right. It's hard to believe, but she's on our side."
Lady Shiva did not lower her sword.
"Her lust for the blood of my men tells me otherwise."
But Bruce put a hand on her shoulder.
"A vampire so strong that the Queen sent for her."
She frowned, incredulous, or perhaps angry, it really was hard to tell.
"Are you telling me it was part of your plan?" she inquired. "The death of my men and the other hunters as well—?"
Bruce's lips moved. It was slight, nonexistent to the untrained eye, but it was enough for Damian to know that he had said something.
Something important enough for the woman to stop dead and stare at him, almost expressing astonishment.
Something he wasn't able to hear, but Raven did.
The half-blood.
She frowned. And then they both glanced in her direction, out of the corner of their eyes, but not at her.
"Is she—?" Lady Shiva started to say, but Batman cut her off.
"Not yet and I plan to use it to our advantage.«
There were a few seconds of tense silence. Some trying to decipher what they were hearing, others preparing for battle.
And then Lady Shiva lowered her sword, making the hostile atmosphere lessen enough.
"You're insane," with a sigh, she sighed, she said to finish. "However, don't think that we will risk more than necessary for this plan of yours."
Batman nodded.
"I don't expect you to."
Damian narrowed his eyes at his father. They were talking as if they had suddenly reached an agreement that no one else had a hand in… as if they were aware of something they were unaware of.
"Father—"
However, he didn't have time to ask when Raven's hand landed on his shoulder.
"They're coming," she said, looking back the way they'd come. The growls of the approaching vampires were reason enough for the others to turn their attention to the current problem.
Batman waved his arm.
"To your positions."
It was a funny thing how that was enough for his immediate family to know what to do.
And not just them, since it seemed like he had been planning something with Lady Shiva even since before Damian and Raven arrived.
Then, when the first wave of rampaging vampires began to surround the corner, from the buildings on the sides, some kind of liquid began to fall. Or rather, Damian noticed that other hunters, those under Lady Shiva's command, one of them being her daughter herself, were the ones launching it.
His mind quickly concocted what it was, and taking Raven's hand unconsciously he led her away from the place, just as the flames of fire began to consume the creatures mercilessly.
Contrary to popular myths, vampires did not die when exposed to sunlight. However, the heat definitely weakened them and the fire created wounds that they could not easily regenerate. It was a wilder and crueler method than piercing their hearts with silver, but at the moment they had no time to think of mercy.
They didn't even have time to scream by the time the fire killed their vital organs and the fire didn't last long enough to spread due to the other vampires who, far from caring about their peers, just ran over and stepped on them, putting out the flames.
So, the hunters joined the battle.
On one side were Tim and Jason, fighting side by side, their weapons gleaming. Barbara wasn't far behind, using her batarangs and acrobatic skills, probably taught by Dick, to stay ahead.
Damian did his thing too, running his sword through any vampire who crossed his path.
Raven swallowed. As the battle continued, she found it harder and harder to control herself. It was not only the vampires around them, but also the hunters. And it just seemed like it was endless.
She didn't tire easily, but for some reason, the more hearts she pierced with her claws, the more air she ran out of.
"Raven?" and it wasn't until Damian's voice echoed in her mind, as she prevented a vampire from attacking her from behind, that she realized something was wrong. At what point had he reached her again? She was not sure.
From the expression on his face, even with the mask on, she knew that whatever was happening to her, it was obvious.
And then another voice echoed in her head.
Oh, sweet child of darkness, how long will you resist?
Raven blinked.
Telepathy... an extraordinary ability that only certain individuals acquired upon being turned, creating an unnecessary connection between the sender and the receiver. If she could feel her struggle, Raven could feel her amusement. Amused at the chaos and death and destruction she had generated, even though the voice that spoke to her was as melodious as a symphony.
Anger boiled in her blood and she looked around, swallowing hard in the process.
"She's here," she let Damian know.
But where? Raven spun around, her eyes scanning every place of the battle, only slightly ignoring the spatters of blood and the muted screams of vampires being turned to dust, but she couldn't spot her. Not when her head seemed to want to explode just by hearing her voice, and there were different types of presences.
Don't worry dear, I'm not hiding.
An invisible force caused Raven to look up at the roof of one of the apartments. There, sitting like she was watching a movie, a smug smile on her face, was a youthful-looking young woman.
Her face looked like a doll's, but her eyes claimed too many years of life.
Raven didn't think twice and before Damian could stop her, she had already used all her strength to push herself, shattering the ground under her feet and causing a slight tremor around her.
Damian tried to follow her, but his father put a hand on his shoulder. Was this his plan from the start? Lure the Queen so that Raven would confront her?
He frowned.
But when he looked again, Raven already had her hand around the neck of the one who called herself the Queen, her black nails contrasting with the pale, or rather grayish skin of the creature.
It couldn't be that easy.
Raven looked the woman in the eye.
"Stop this madness and don't get in my head again."
The Queen, instead of panicking, or even showing the slightest bit of fear, just smirked, baring one of her fangs.
Her presence didn't seem to have an effect on Raven, but perhaps it was because they were both repelling each other, canceling each other out.
The Queen shrugged.
"Sure," she said. "Once our plan is done."
Raven frowned.
"Plan?"
"Oh sweet child of darkness, this is just the introduction!" the Queen let out a laugh loud enough to draw the attention of the others. "Desperate people are the best option, right? Gotham has a lot of those."
"What?"
Had they turned everyone in the area? Was that even possible? Was she even aware of the massacre that meant?
Raven's eyes widened and she looked at the battle for a split second.
Split second that the Queen took advantage of to hold her. It was so fast that Raven barely had time to gasp in amazement as she felt her icy hands wrap around her wrists.
She tried to break free, but even having released her neck, the Queen did not let go.
She was strong. Too strong.
"Now, I have a question," she said, smiling. "Isn't it weird that after everything that's happened to you, you still want to help humans?"
"Still?" Raven repeated in disbelief, feeling the rage in her stomach. "You were the one who murdered my mother."
The vampire laughed again. Almost like the sound of bells, as if she actually found what Raven was saying funny.
Her lips trembled with uncertainty, though, when her red eyes met hers again with a knowing, arrogant smirk.
"Is it because you want to coexist with them, even though you know that at the slightest mistake they will plunge a silver dagger into your chest?" with her hands she pulled Raven to her, brushing her cheeks as she moved to her ear. "Or is your mind so fragile that you have already forgotten that your mother's murderers, those whom you later murdered, did not turn to dust when they died?"
Ba-thump.
Raven felt her heart pound in her ears.
"You're lying."
It was a lie. It had to be a lie.
"Every follower of yours I came across called me a traitor," she said, straining to try to break free of her firm grip. Her mind futilely trying to evoke clearer images of that day. "They said that you had sent for me personally. Those who entered my home did so to take me—!"
Raven felt a lot of anger when the Queen just shrugged once more.
"Why would I scare you, then? I don't know about the rumors, but by the time my men arrived, it was already too late."
Raven clenched her jaw. Her hands balled into fists and her claws pierced her own skin.
"The police were investigating the murder of two people, and your mother's body, puff! like the wind."
Ba-thump.
"YOU'RE LYING!"
Her roar sounded foreign and windows exploded in the distance, falling on their enemies and allies indistinctly, stopping the fights as if it were a command. It was as if everyone suddenly knew that the biggest threat was no longer the endless horde of wild vampires, nor the Queen who hadn't even deigned to step foot on the battlefield.
Raven put her hands to her head when she had the chance. The blurry hand that had pierced her mother's stomach in her memories suddenly took the shape of a machete, the red eyes of her imagination losing saturation and turning gray.
But it was impossible! Maybe vaguely, but she remembered the bodies—
Raven gasped.
She remembered the abandoned bodies.
Vampires turned to dust upon death.
Her fangs erupted irretrievably, so fast and uncontrollable that she felt her own blood as they split her gums. She started hyperventilating. The anger, the resentment, the guilt… She had done so much for humans. So much. So much. So much.
Damian sensed something was wrong the moment Raven stopped moving. The vampires they were fighting froze suddenly, and all eyes turned to her. If the hunters had the same ability as the berserk creatures, they would see the dark aura engulf Raven faster than expected.
The ground trembled under her feet, and the Queen's grin only grew.
"Behold, everyone," she said cheerfully, as if she were hosting a TV show. "The true nature of the half-blood."
The scream that tore Raven's vocal chords reached everyone, waves of dark and evil energy driving the weakest back.
The Queen's words filled her head. The telepathy connection offered promises of revenge. Sincere promises to destroy the humans who would never accept her, even though her mother was killed trying everything to make her understand them.
A small part of Raven was reluctant, though, to give in to the darkness. Hugging herself, trying to hide from everyone's sight, she searched for Damian unconsciously, trying not to think about how easy it would be to destroy them all at that moment. How easy it would be to murder them all.
Save me.
Damian probably imagined it.
There was no way he would be able to hear Raven's voice from here, especially when she sounded so tiny and pained.
But the terrified feeling that filled him, as well as the guilt and hate, was enough to make him fire his batclaw. He heard his father call out to him, but he didn't care. Nor did he care that approaching her was the complete opposite of what his natural instincts demanded of him.
"Oh, is that child what keeps you tied to humans?" Raven raised her head, and the Queen showed her claws. "I can get you his heart then."
Raven didn't see the moment when she jumped, aiming straight for Damian's heart. He was almost as fast, swinging his sword just enough to intercept her claws. His face remaining a few centimeters from the vampire's. Her putrid breath filled his nostrils.
Damian was sickened to have her so close to him, and he felt worse when she smiled, cutting the cord from his batclaw.
Not bad, she said, seeing how Damian had parried her attack in midair. "Too bad it's not good either."
As if they knew what would happen next, Lady Shiva and Batman jumped. The queen then released Damian mercilessly. The ground broke from his fall, dust rose. Lady Shiva cushioned the blow, but did not lessen the intensity. Damian lost consciousness, but Batman took the opportunity to attack the queen from the side.
An attack that the Queen dodged almost mockingly.
DAMIAN!
And when Damian's presence suddenly disappeared, Raven's uncertainty nearly caused her to lose control. She was going to kill them all.
Or so she was willing to do when, then, something hit her hard on the back of the neck. A metal bar.
Normally it wouldn't have affected her. She was much stronger than that and she knew it. However, perhaps because her human side wanted so badly to stop feeling that way, Raven let the dizziness dull her senses.
Someone warm, other than Damian, caught her as she passed out.
She felt when Raven ceased to be conscious. Not only because the strong pressure in the environment disappeared, but because the connection with her was lost. And when she did, she jumped to a high place under the weary gaze of the hunters to observe who had managed to get to where they had been without anyone noticing.
Her bet was that it was another of the bat clan and she got it right, or so the black suit with the bright blue stripe on the chest let her know.
It made her want to laugh when the guy released smoke bombs, with different scents to prevent her from seeing and smelling their allies. He even made the lesser vampires stop, confused by their surroundings.
Kudos to the ingenuity and skill, but they both knew, as they met their eyes for a split second, that it was just an illusion. If she really tried, after all, none of the hunters would be left unscathed, even with that attempted distraction.
She noticed how the head of the family helped the youngest, and the others running trying to make as little noise as possible.
So she decided not to try. She decided that she would let them go just for once.
"The result is inevitable," she let them know, however. Regardless of where they hid or if they went out to fight again, the half-blood would not forgive them.
The connection had been formed. The Queen would not allow her to do so. She would not let Raven forget it.