The Unknowing
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans or anything dealing with DCU
Chapter Five: Bat Cave
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Third Point of View
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"This is a waste of time."
It has been closing in on four hours researching for leads in the bat cave and they were nowhere near closer to finding their whereabouts or motives. They were doing a great job at staying low and not being picked up by any public surveillance cameras. The search started in Gotham and when that didn't pick up any sight of the three criminals, Dick widened his search everywhere. Still nothing. Something wasn't right. They couldn't just disappear.
Coming up with nothing was causing Jason to run impatient. He understood the detective side of work and knew it was needed but at this point, they were getting nowhere and wasting time. There hasn't been a single clue on the bat computer and he knew if they stayed here to keep looking, they are likely to not find anything remotely helpful.
"So what do you suggest we do, Jason?" A smoky voice inquired.
Raven had been quiet as she searched with the bat brothers but she had to admit, they were falling short and she doubted they would find any useful evidence cooped up in this cave at this point.
Jason had been leaning against the wall but straightened himself when Raven spoke up for the first time in hours.
"I suggest we handle this differently. If the bat computer doesn't know then that means they were smart enough to cover their tracks. So I think it's about time I go to the wrong side of the town. I can gain intel from word of mouth, see if anyone has heard from the bastards. I guarantee we'll find out more with my plan than sitting on our asses here."
Dick listened to Jason's plan, he was right of course. It was also one of the reasons he asked for Jason's help to begin with. They needed to take their search to the streets, there has to be someone out there that knows something useful and if anyone could find out, it would be Jason.
"Sounds like a great plan, Jason, except you're not going alone. You're going to need backup in case things get rocky, especially if you're going to be hanging around criminals."
"Don't forget I used to be a criminal not that long ago. I know how to act around these people, where to go and who to ignore. But you won't last a minute. You're not coming with me. I'll go alone."
Dick was about to openly disagree with Jason, to let him know that he could play undercover and be just fine but Raven didn't give him a chance.
"He's right."
Both men looked at the witch.
"What?" Dick asked, surprised his teammate, let alone his friend didn't have his back.
"Dick, he's right. You won't last a minute, you're too good of a person for anyone to believe you belong. The point of this mission is to gain intel on our enemies so we can stop them but we can't do that if we can't find some criminals to open up to us. I think you should stay."
Jason smirked as he listened to Raven. "Well wouldn't you know, that's two against one, Boy Blunder. You're out on this one. Besides, I can get the intel by myself faster without being slowed down by anyone."
"Not so fast, I'm coming with you," she added.
"No, you're not." Jason and Dick said at the same time. They shared a look before Dick took a step closer to the half demon.
"Raven, you don't know Gotham like I do. It's more dangerous than San Francisco or any other city you've been to. It breeds a special breed of criminal. I think it would be best if you stayed back and ran interference while Jason and I went looking for clues."
"Dick, I didn't come here to play it safe. I came here for answers and I'm going to get them. I know you're just being overprotective because you care but I can handle Gotham. I've handled much worse and you know it. And like I said, no one will believe you belong."
A flicker of concern made itself known through their bond. It's nice Dick worries about her wellbeing and all but he asked her here for a reason and she wasn't going to sit idly by and wait for trouble to find her. She needed to grab the bull by the horns. The sooner this all is figured out, the sooner she could move on from this chapter of her life. Of course, if anyone was to ask her about this a couple weeks ago then she would have said this chapter was sealed and just a bad memory.
"She's right, you scream goody two shoes," Jason added.
Dick rolled his eyes. He didn't like the idea of Jason going alone but he also didn't want Raven to go. He cares for her and sending people he cares about to the worse parts of Gotham is something he likes to avoid at all cost. The bat family was a different story, they grew up in Gotham. They know what they got themselves into. Raven hasn't spent enough time here to see what the city does to people. How it changes them in the worst ways.
"Me on the other hand, I can blend in easily," Raven said as she gave Dick a serious look. She didn't want to argue this any further and he could feel that through their bond. "Besides, I think it's finally time for me to spend sometime in Gotham."
He sighed before crossing his arms over his chest. "Okay, fine. But you're both going with ear pieces so I can listen in just in case it goes sideways."
"Woah, didn't I just tell both of you that I'll go alone? I got this, I can get it done faster without anyone slowing me down. No offense, Princess."
"Jason, I'm going with you." Ignoring his nickname was the best decision here, she knew he called her princess to cause a rise and she wasn't taking the bait. She locked eyes with his blue pools mixed with little green drops. She could feel his annoyance but she didn't care. She wasn't backing down from this, she needed answers. Whatever is causing her to be unbalanced needs to stop before she ends up hurting someone.
Her eyes were a dark lavender color, abnormal in the human world but perhaps not where she's from. Either way they captured his attention as they locked eyes and if he was being honest with himself, he didn't want to look away. They were beautiful but cold. Inviting but distant. Right now they looked determined and stern and it was all directed at him.
He walked closer to her until he was standing a couple feet in front of her. He looked down at her as she looked up at him. She wasn't backing down and he respected that. Most people find him too intimidating to argue with and then there was the stubbornness as well.
"And what makes you think you can handle yourself out there? If anything happens, you can't use your powers to protect yourself without raising red flags."
Raven smirked and crossed her arms as she stood proudly. "Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself just fine without magic, besides you'll be there too so it's not like I'm alone."
Jason snorted in reply before turning on his heels. "Whatever, just don't blame me if you get shot. I'll catch up with you guys in a bit."
"Jason, where are you going? We need to discuss the details for our plan tonight," Dick said as Jason made a beeline for the door.
"Relax, Dickhead, I'm just grabbing a bite to eat. We've been at it for hours and I'm starving. We can figure the rest out after lunch."
"He's right, I could eat too," Raven agreed. "Come on, let's take a break, Dick. We'll come back to this after lunch."
Dick took one look at the computer screens before he nodded and followed along. He knew when he's out numbered.
….
It was well into the evening by the time the three birds finalized their plans. Jason was good with winging it, felt more loose and more in the game but Dick insisted on coming up with contingency plans if things went south.
"Alright, this should be an easy get in and get out mission. Raven will teleport you both in an alley a couple blocks away from Hobbs so you're not seen. It's on a dead end road so there's only one way out. But we shouldn't have to worry about that."
Dick held his hand out, motioning for Raven to take the silver band in his hand. He repeated the action for Jason with a slightly larger ring.
"These rings will alter your appearances enough to remain undetected from anyone who could recognize you. Keep them on until you're back here. I'll be listening to everything through the coms but I'll try to keep a silent line so you guys can focus on getting intel."
Raven nodded as she put the ring on. She had already changed for her part, wearing clothes she only wears in her civilian life. She decided to go with a dark blue top that had a small slit high on her chest, leather jacket thrown on top, black, ripped skinny jeans and Jadon platform boots to match. She added a simple black choker and her ankh necklace. Her long hair was left flowing down her shoulders until it rested high on her back. She decided to let it grow out after parting ways with the Titans. She kept it simple with the makeup, only adding a single coat of mascara to enhance her already luscious lashes and a splash of dark eyeshadow to finish complimenting her overall look.
She looked in the mirror at her reflection. With the ring on, she looked different but yet still similar to her normal appearance. Instead of dark purple hair with black hues, it was fully black and her eyes now shined a bright blue. But the biggest changes are the missing gem stone in the center of her forehead and her ash colored skin being replaced by a beautiful porcelain. Similar but different.
Jason kept his look simple with his signature jacket, black top and cargo jeans. His ring only altered him slightly. His once blue, green eyes are now dark chocolate swirls, his nose straight and face clean of all scars. His skin tone a couple shades darker and his white streak now gone, matching the rest of his brown curls. Like before he died. Weird.
"Let's get this show on the road already," he huffed as he kicked off the wall.
