The Unknowing
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans or anything dealing with DCU
Chapter Fifteen: Patrolling In Gotham
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Third Point of View
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Blood started to pool in the corner of his lips as he felt white hot pain fill his abdomen. Blood dripped from his sword that was deeply lodged within his lower torso. He grunted in pain as his sword was suddenly ripped out and tossed aside. He barely registered the loud clank the steel made as it hit the cement ground. He barely registered his own knees giving in.
The only thing he was able to comprehend was the rough grip on his shoulder keeping him up from totally falling to the ground and staring into wrinkled, blue eyes.
"I want you to see the look on my face when I kill you."
"…They'll… revive m-me," Ra's wheezed out, which only resulted in him coughing up more blood and it leaked down his chin.
Deathstroke smiled wickedly as he shook his head in amusement. Leaning into his ear, he whispered, "Not this time, al Ghul."
As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he swiftly grabbed his dagger and slashed his throat. This time, he let his old instructor's body unceremoniously fall to the ground in a heap.
He took a step back to survey his handiwork when he felt the familiar cold chill run up and down his spine.
"You did well, Wilson."
Two large sets of red eyes materialized in the air before him. Fire surrounds them, heating up the small space. Multiple red shadows rise from the ground, surrounding Ra's lifeless body, and float around him. His body slowly sinks below eye level, disappearing from Earth forever.
"What will you do with him now?"
He couldn't help but wonder. The al Ghul served Trigon for hundreds of years and now he's being dragged to his hellish dimension to face who knows what. He grimaced just thinking about the possibilities.
"He has no choice but to continue to serve me for the rest of time. Choosing to deny my command will result in a much more painful future for him. Nevermind that now. You got your reward but it's only your first part of my wishes. Join Brother Blood and aid him in retrieving my daughter. She must release me from this domain if you wish to rule The League of Shadows. Fail me and I will be sure to make your afterlife hell forever."
Deathstroke snorted in response. "No pressure there."
Trigon's eyes squinted in irritation before evaporating in flames altogether. Slade sighed heavily, contemplating the right course of action. He needed to make Trigon believe they're on the same side if he wants to get another chance at killing Raven. He already let her slip through his fingers but he will not let that opportunity happen again. Trigon told him that he would never allow him to kill her but there has to be a way he can.
Fuck. He's going to have to make a deal with a magic user. Great.
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Dick's POV
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"This is déjà vu all over again," Jason commented as we made our way into the warehouse for what we hoped to be the last time.
I looked towards Raven and she held my gaze, knowing what I was conveying to her from all the years we worked together on a team. She only looked away to walk towards the center of the room. She sat herself in the lotus position but instead of sitting down, she floated her legs in mid air so she could hover above the ground. Just like all the times she did when we were teenagers.
Jason and I make our way around, lightly inspecting for any changes but knowing that it was likely rare to find anything. At least for us, Raven could be a different story. I hope she senses something, literally anything would help us. I swallow back the lump taking form in my throat as I start getting in my head.
This mission has not been what I thought it would be and in all honesty, I'm annoyed with myself for not getting us further along by now. I used to lead the Titans, I was someone to look up to and now? I just feel like I'm leading us in circles
I couldn't help but sigh in frustration.
"Yes Dick?" Raven peaked an eye open towards me, taking my attention away from my previous thoughts.
"I didn't say anything," I try to fake innocence, hoping she wouldn't probe me further but knowing she will.
"Not verbally," she combated with a raised brow.
"It's nothing." I reply
I ignore Jason's stare and instead look around our surrounding area. The bugs haven't picked anything up so I doubt we'll have anything new at this point. I wouldn't be surprised if they found a new hideout or meeting spot by now. I just wish we knew where it was.
"Dick."
"Sorry."
"Don't be, just try holding back your emotions until I'm done," she said as she closed her eyes again.
I don't bother responding because I know she needs the extra focus right now. She said her powers haven't been the same since she started having a hard time concentrating. No doubt Blood's doing. The faster we find him, the faster we can lock him up forever.
"There's still no change. I don't sense any magic, even lingering traces." Raven said as she stood back up.
"Not even whatever attracted you here?" Again, Blood's doing no doubt.
"No, nothing at all."
Jason and I share a look that has Raven looking between the two of us.
"We need to go on patrol to find more leads." I say as I make my way towards the exit. I don't wait for them to follow but I can hear their footsteps trailing behind me. I'm already going over tonights plan in my head.
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Raven's POV
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Gotham is slightly less busy once the sun sets but I can still feel thousands of people's emotions swirling across the city. Most of the time, it's not a problem because I've long since learned how to control my powers. The monks of Azarath made sure of that. However, my powers haven't been acting like they should since this all started. It makes it harder to focus on deciphering specific types of emotions, which is annoying when I'm on patrol.
Since there's only three of us, we had to make the decision to divide unevenly, or rather Dick decided it. Tonight I'm partnered with Jason but Dick made it sound like he'll be alternating every other day so I'm never patrolling alone. One, because I don't know Gotham and two, because the guys think it would be best to not chance someone getting the upper hand on me. And with how my powers have been, there are no complaints from me.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Jason asked, ripping me from my thoughts.
"It's nothing." I don't look away from the city as I answer him.
"You're not upset you got partnered with me, are you Sunshine?" I spare him a glance as he looks back out to the streets below us.
"I've actually come to enjoy your company, Jason. I was just thinking about how it's harder to sense emotions with my powers being off."
"Yeah, that must be annoying, but don't worry about it, I don't have any powers and I patrol just fine."
I'm not sure if he's trying to make me feel better or not about my predicament, but I appreciate it nonetheless. I've always been hard on myself. The monks practically drilled it in me so I never had any hiccups. I just wish they told me the truth about Trigon so I didn't summon him to learn more about where I came from. Who I was. That childish behavior killed everyone I ever knew in my short ten years of life.
I can't think of that anymore, it's all in the past now and I can't change what's already been done. But I can prevent Blood from getting what he wants. I keep my gaze onto the streets and roofs of the surrounding buildings. Waiting for anything at this point.
"So I've been wondering for a while. What made you leave the Titans? From what I could tell in my Red X days, you seemed to like it. So what changed?"
I swallowed the anxiety that starts to build whenever I think about that and shrug. "The team went through changes, took more than it could handle. A lot of new members coming in and out. I felt like a stranger in my own home. Simple as that."
Jason shakes his head and crosses his arms over his chest. "I don't buy that. There's something else, isn't there?"
"Even if there was, why would you want to know?" I challenge.
He shrugged and looked out at the city. "Just curious. It seemed like a good situation. You guys didn't really have to answer to the Justice League too much, seemed like you always had each other's back. Wondered why you'd want to leave that is all."
I didn't need to be an empath to hear the jealousy deep in his words. He probably had a very different experience as Robin.
"Because everything changes. People grow up and move on. Dick left. Victor left. Kory was always busy with the younger members. And Gar…" I trailed off.
"Wait, don't tell me you and the green kid-?"
"No, but it doesn't make it any less awkward when he confessed to having feelings for me for some reason." I still don't fully understand that part but I'll be the last person to ask him about that.
"Hn. So that's the full reason, Sunshine?" He eyed me skeptically.
I shake my head, looking past him and into the streets of Gotham. I try not to think of his question. I try not to think about how I walked away from the team and flew solo for the last couple of years. But it's hard not to think about it and feel like I didn't betray them. I feel an uneasiness in the pit of my belly.
"I wasn't ready to be a teacher like Kory, but everyone else wanted me to be. I'm not a leader. I don't have that type of energy or charisma needed for a role like that. Besides, I'm half demon, the daughter of Trigon. Not everyone wants to be trained by a demon."
"Like who?" His helmet falls to the side as he waits for my response.
I shrug, not really wanting to talk about it anymore. "Does it matter?"
"I guess that depends. Are they still a Titan?"
"No."
"Then what's holding you back, Queen?"
"Maybe I just don't want to be on a team right now."
"Fair enough. People can be shitty," he replies and I can tell he must have had a bad experience in the past from the way he straightened his stance and changed his tone of voice to a more serious one.
"Have you ever been on a team besides Batman?"
"I mostly worked solo but I've had a couple partners."
"Oh?" Now it's my turn to press for answers since he was so adamant in asking about my life.
"They didn't last long, it never seemed to work out in the long run." He keeps his gaze to the streets now, like he wants to ignore his past and focus on something, anything else.
"How come?"
He chuckles to himself at first and I wonder if he's even going to answer the question. "Essence tried to kill me and Rose couldn't be trusted. I learned my lesson though, I can't trust women with white hair. Arsenal was the best but we only worked together a few times."
"Arsenal as in Roy Harper?" He nods but still keeps his white optics to the city. "Roy knew about you before I did?"
"We sort of… ran into each other a couple of years ago. We help each other out when we can." He shrugs.
I nod, taking this information in. I'm not sure who Essence is but I'm willing to bet Rose is Rose Wilson. I remember when she first joined the Titans for a fleeting moment. She had a lot of rage and didn't know how to handle it correctly. I wonder if that's changed since she left the team. I hope it has for her own sake.
"Minus Roy, it sounds like you need better teammates."
"You offering, Sunshine?" I can imagine the smirk creeping on his face.
I don't know why but his question causes heat to flare up my neck and cheeks. His tone of voice is teasing and while we're out patrolling, his overall energy is playful. Light even.
"Did I say I was looking for a new teammate after this mission?"
"No, but we seem to work well together and it makes sense if you hang out in Gotham." He shrugs.
"Tell that to the Jason that said I would slow him down the night of Hobb's Bar."
Tonight must be a quiet night, because I haven't seen anything out of normal so far. Both a good and a bad thing.
"Hey, I can admit when I'm wrong and I was definitely wrong that night." He pauses for a moment and I can tell he's debating something internally. "You thinking about staying solo again?"
I'm not surprised to be asked this question but what I am surprised about is that it's Jason asking me and not Dick. I shrug. "If I stay in Gotham, I might take a break from being Raven the hero and just be Rachel, a normal person. Someone who just wants to learn about where her late mother was originally from."
"Rachel?"
"It's the civilian name I use for myself so I can go out and blend in when I need to."
"I like it but I think Raven suits you better." He spares me a glance. "Don't people still recognize you with your hair and gem?"
"I use a glamor ring, like Dick gave us. It's easier that way instead of using my powers 24/7."
"Do you always go for the same look?"
I nod. "That's what I would look like if I wasn't half demon. No purple hair or eyes and ivory skin. Just black hair and blue eyes and a normal skin tone."
It looked like Jason wanted to say something but he doesn't and I put my full focus on trying to sense any strange signatures. I don't sense anything out of the ordinary but that doesn't stop me from searching.
I'm surprised at how easy it is to talk to Jason. Now that we've gotten to know each other a little more, I find myself being more comfortable around him. I think it's safe to assume that he feels the same way. I remember how he initially acted when we officially met, not Raven from the Titans and Red X, the thief. But when Dick brought us to the Titans tower. He had a lot more walls up then than he does now.
As clear as a cloudless day, a chill runs down my spine. I look off to my right and sense extreme joy and fear coming from multiple people. I haven't spot anything yet, so we'll need to get closer.
"I sense something coming from that way. We should check it out."
I turn to Jason and he's ready walking towards me. "Let's go then."
He leaps from the ledge and shoots out his grappling hook to swing him to the next building, like a bird in the night sky. I don't waste anymore time and sink myself into the shadows, only appearing until I've reached closer to the source of the energy spike. It takes me a second until my eyes land on the scene in the alley way below me. It takes another second for me to try to make sense of what I'm seeing.
There's two men chasing another man down the alleyway. One of the two men uses heat vision to stop the other guy in his tracks, which works because he turns around and drops to his hands and knees.
"I'm sorry! I promise I'll pay you, I just need another week! Two at most! Please!"
"We're getting real tired of waiting for our money, Charlie. Seems like we should take it ourselves and teach you a lesson in the meantime." He says as he nods to his friend.
Suddenly polka-dots burst from his friends and towards the man on his knees. I throw up a shield but I'm left more confused than ever. Did he really just shoot colorful polka-dots? And I thought only Kryptonians could use heat vision? I sense Jason behind me and I'm glad because now the two metahumans are turning their sights on me.
"Who the fuck do you think you are? You're going to regret that, you little bi-"
His words got cut short as a gunshot went off and he fell to the ground unconscious. I learned from Dick that Jason uses rubber bullets so he stays on good terms with Bruce and the rest of his family.
"Is that any way to talk to a lady?" Red Hood asks as he lands in the alleyway.
I roll my eyes but drop my shield as I face the same man that used heat vision only moments before. "Who are you and how do you have access to heat vision?"
The man chuckles to himself and I sense Jason's surprise at my words.
"Me? I'm nobody but a loyal follower. You'll find out soon enough." He smiles between the two of us like he knows something we don't and he's overjoyed about it.
"I think we should find out right now," I say as I walk towards him. I can see the start of his eyes activating but I've already extended my empathy to knock him unconscious. I crouch down beside him and hover my hand above his head. A moment later, I'm leaning back on my heels with pursed lips.
"Did you read him?"
Turning to Red Hood for the first time since the rooftop, I stop to study him for a second. He's tall already but his boots make him even taller in all his gear. If I didn't know him, I would think he looked like a bad guy based on his looks. It reminded me of Slade in a way. But thankfully Jason is nothing like Slade.
"Something is preventing me. I couldn't get anything from him."
"Well maybe our friend here knows why these guys have metahuman powers they shouldn't," he says as he turns to the guy we saved. "Do you know why that man has Polka-Dot Man's powers?"
His fear rolls off him in waves as our attention lands on him. "I don't know anything, I swear!"
"Then why were they following you?" Red Hood questions.
"They're my landlords, kinda." He shakes his head. "They killed my landlord because he owed them money. They're trying to collect from me but I have a small business to run and a family to feed. I'm barely scraping by as is!"
Red Hood and I share a glance before looking the man back over. "Did they have those powers before?"
He shakes his head so fast I'm afraid he'll get whiplash. "This was the first time I saw any powers. I didn't know they were metahuman. They seemed like regular guys before."
I walk to the other man and try to get a read off of him but I'm not able to. Something or someone won't let me and I want to know why and who.
"Thanks for answering our questions. We should go." I say as I stand back up.
"Already signaled the cops, they'll be here in 2 minutes." Red Hood says as he cuffs the guys.
Jason was right because it couldn't have been more than a couple of minutes before a cop car pulled up with the annoying red and blue lights flashing. They're so bright that I turn away.
"I suggest metahuman cuffs if you don't want your car getting severed in half."
"Have you guys run into anything yet?"
Dick's voice rings in my earpiece. I turn away from Jason to update him on what happened while he updates the cops. By the time I'm done, he's walking towards me.
"The cops are filled in. We should go before backup comes."
"I'll meet you two back at the cave."
