NOTE:

Pt. 2 of BOUND TOGETHER prompt

DamiRae Week 2020: SOULMATES

When Constantine, Etrigan and Clark came to Damian and me to seek our help. I decided to let them wait for our response. I had things I had to clear out before we made a decision. What they were asking were more than we could put at stake. The world may be in an apocalyptic state; however, we had found happiness in this war-torn earth. But even so, we knew what we had to do. We were putting everything we have built for the past two years onto this suicide mission.

"You damned ungrateful child!"

"Father, would you please shut up." I couldn't help but mutter as he has been cursing me for a while now. I heard him make a disapproving sound but oddly enough had listened to me. I walk to Dick's room as I thought that Trigon must be plotting something.

I entered his room, and he was still asleep from the spell I had casted on him. My healing is no longer the same. Perhaps it was for trying to recover the sanity of a once dead Nightwing. Or perhaps because of what I had done to myself and Damian. Afterall, there is a price tag for everything. I went over to Dick and sat beside him quietly as I observed his sleeping face.

I sighed and it sounded loud inside this quiet room. We couldn't bring Dick due to his tendencies of reverting back to madness. And I felt bad. If we don't make it, and Dick slips back to totally insanity—without me there to heal him—it would be permanent. Absentmindedly, I brush his hair away from his eyes.

"If it was anyone else who sees their wife stroke another man's hair, they might kill the man." I hear Damian remark in the darkness of the room despite it being day outside. I couldn't help but smile at the thought of him being jealous. His footsteps were barely audible as he approached me.

"If we don't make it…" I didn't have to finish my thought as he places a hand on my shoulder and I faced him. He knew fully well of my worries.

"That time, I had promised you that everything will be alright, beloved. And I felt responsible—I felt that I had to ensure that it will be for you—for me and eventually for us." He took the responsibility despite not knowing himself what the future would look like after the attack. He was trying to be strong. It was a trait I used to dislike, but have come to love.

"But…" He kneels down in front of me. And it seemed as though as I already knew what he was going to say, and I couldn't help but wish this moment would stop and that he wouldn't say it.

But he places a hand on my left cheek, I close my eyes to savor the moment. A second passes and I placed my right hand over the hand on my cheek. I opened my eyes to see him reach for our hands with his free hand. He places my right hand on my lap and brought my hands together, wrapped within his palms.

"This time, my beloved. I cannot promise you that." He used such a gentle voice to try and make him sound less upset, but he cannot lie to an empath. Though I say nothing, I just feel it. I felt the desire he had for life and love, and his desire to protect and preserve. But I also felt the loss and loneliness and remorse. And hope.

"Raven." He says firmly and I look at him, my vision blurry because of the tears that were ready to fall. "If my life is in danger, I need you to break the spell." But I shook my head and tried my best to say a firm no, but failed miserably. And then the tears fall awfully slow, down my cheeks. He wipes the tears away by placing his hands on either side of my face.

He smiles faintly and kisses my forehead. "I had to try."

"Your fate is my fate, my love." I simply tell him a fact that we both knew to be true for the years that we were together. Even before I had casted the spell, we had always wanted to share each other's fate with one another. We were intertwined in more ways than one could describe, and even more so when I casted the spell to bound us to one another.

"You will regret this." My father couldn't help but remark in a softer voice than usual.

It wasn't easy but we eventually arrived at Darkseid's throne room. Darkseid tells Batman to prove his loyalty to him. I was not happy with this progression. Batman started saying the things Damian have always been insecure about. And I felt rather uneasy. I wondered if it's mine or his uneasiness that I was feeling, perhaps it was just ours. I could feel Damian was now riled up because of what Batman was saying.

"Damian!" I call out in hopes that he would snap out of it.

But he doesn't and he initiated the fight with Batman as Batman's chair came to attack us. I flew to Cyborg knowing that he could not defend himself. I couldn't help but glance over Damian and Batman every now and then, and doing so was compromising my focus on my shield. With a sigh, I decided to lessen my glances at their fight.

I suddenly gasped in pain and my shield was down. I wasn't hurt—no, it was Damian. Despite the pain and with the training Damian gave me, I used the opportunity to attack the stupid chair and put up a shield again. Damian was alive, I could feel it. I glanced at Damian really quickly to see that he was stabbed with his sword through his leg. He was well and alive; the thought eased my mind.

I have to destroy this chair.

"Let me help daughter." Shut up father. I aimed very carefully and hit the chair with a purple blast and it goes down. I couldn't help but sigh in relief.

"It could be easier for you if you let me fight in your stead." I ignore him.

When I glanced back at Damian, he had gotten through to Batman who had thrown the Kryptonite sword at Darkseid. And I was happy for Damian, the fact that he had gotten through to Batman would finally ease his worries. But Darkseid was not pleased with what Batman did and then he let out a laser beam aimed at Batman.

And I realized what Damian was about to do. Without even thinking, as if it was natural as breathing, he was going to take the hit for Batman. And time slowed down, as an awful scream came out from somewhere—oh it's from my own mouth. My outstretched hand toward Damian, had let out a shield to protect him. And I choked as I was feeling an out of body experience. Oddly enough, I felt at peace.

"I won't let you touch the boy. He is mine!" My father says, his words not making sense to me. "You are mine, when I find a way. You. Are. Mine." I glared at Damian and that was when it sinks in.

No. My father was in control!

My body flies from my current position to between Darkseid and Damian and floating three meters off the floor.

"Who are you?" Darkseid asks, staring at me.

"I'm here to actually even the playing field." An ominous male laugh crackles from my lips.

"No, she isn't!" I could hear Damian yell as a black blur pass from under me and over my head. The next thing I noticed was that I was falling. My head aching.

"Raven, are you okay?" Worry was in Damian's voice, as he wrapped his arms around me. He had caught me, but—

"What happened?" I whispered as I looked up to Darkseid's general direction. And I gasped, seeing my father in smoke form. I rolled out of Damian's arms as I knelt on my knees and looked at Constantine.

"I have a better idea." Trigon says and then possesses Superman.

"No!" A scream came from me, almost similar to the demonic scream of my father a moment ago. The next second I was up on my own feet. A wave of relief washes over me, something has shifted from within me. And the need to protect was the only thing in my mind. I stood in a defensive stance, between my father and Damian.

Trigon glances at me, a look of surprise in his eyes followed by a faint smile.

"I am proud of you daughter. You are strong." Then he turns to punch Darkseid.

"Raven…" I kept my gaze at my father, not trusting that he would not take this opportunity to harm Damian. After all he had been threatening him for years now.

"Beloved…" Damian whispers gently as I felt a hand on my waist, and a presence beside me. I look at him and let go of the breath I found myself holding.

"I'm scared." I told him, but he just smiled faintly and pressed his lips on the side of my head. He tells me he knows and I knew that he truly knows. I wasn't going to lose him. The thought makes me follow Trigon's movements.

"Your robe…" He mutters, as he ushered me towards where Cyborg was in the wall. My eyes shifted from following Trigon and Darkseid's fight to my robes. They were white to my surprise. But I didn't really have anything to say, so I returned my gaze at Trigon.

"Damian, about what I said…" Batman says from beside Damian, who raised a hand at his father.

"There is no need for that father. I know." I felt the tranquility come out from him as he replied to Batman. "I'd like you to meet my wife." I felt the love he felt for me radiate from him and I stared and my husband. I felt dejected.

In some other circumstance, he could have died at that moment. In some otherworld, we wouldn't be together—not bound by friendship or love—not a marriage and surely not by the spell I casted almost a year ago. Perhaps we would never meet each other, or maybe we have—could have but was a meter short or even just an inch away from one another. Or perhaps our paths had crossed but there was no permanency between us. The thought couldn't help but bloom in my mind. A worry that I had shared to Damian in the past. And I felt awful.

"Vic says we have a way out, but we need a distraction." Constantine says just as we got close enough. Wonderwoman and company were already by Constantine's side. And I focused my mind not to think of the possibilities running though my head.

"But we can't leave Clark." Batman says, the thoughts in my head quieted down. I turned to look at the battle behind us. I was surprised to see Superman cured and fighting Darkseid, while my dad was in smoke form inside an orb.

"Raven." Constantine stared at me and I knew fully well what he had planned. I couldn't help but put a grim smile on my face, as a few seconds tick away.

"I guess it's the only way." I sigh. "Damian stand behind me." I sensed his displeasure but does so. I would rather be between my father and him just in case.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Constantine and I chanted and my father is released from his current prison. He was displeased with Darkseid and only glanced at me—no Damian for a moment and took off.

Superman then arrives just as the boom tube opened. And everyone slowly went in, sadly Victor could not join us. I couldn't help but look for my father, Trigon. Damian was in front of me and holding my hand.

"Beloved…" Damian says as he squeezes my hand. We were the last two who hadn't entered through the portal.

As if it was fate, my father appeared before us. He looks at us and tells us to live well. My eyes widened in surprise and I looked at Damian. He squeezes my hand again, though his eyes held a hint of sadness. We passed through the portal with him taking the lead.

When we reached the other side, we stare at the sky as Apokolips is sent to nowhere in particular. I look at Damian, let go of his hand to which he responded by look at me with a worried face. I close the distance between us by giving him a sudden hug.

My feet not touching the ground as I tightened my grip and burying my face on his shoulder. He wraps his arms around me for support but tightens his hold on me after a second had passed. There was just silence between us and around us for who knows how long.

"I…I honestly wasn't trying to kill myself." He said quietly and it felt awful. The purity of taking the hit for his father hit me. But for him to think I was worried about that; I honestly was a bit hurt. Should I act childish to tease him? I was tempted but didn't do so.

I pulled away from him, my feet touching the ground but kept my arms around his shoulders. I look up at Damian, trying to etch his face into my mind. From my peripheral vision I notice Batman looking at us. I withdrew my hands and took a step back from my precious husband. He couldn't help but make a worried face, as his worries of him angering me with his selfless deed- reach me.

"You should talk to him" I tell him as I glance at Batman and Damian follows my gaze. His worry disappears when his eyes laid on his father. He looks at me with love and goes to talk to his father.

I look at the fallen heroes around me, and despite their current state, I felt their hope for a better tomorrow. Whatever that may be. I glance at the ruin left by the Titan Tower. Whatever that future may be with all this ruble and destruction. I saw a stone large enough for two to sit on, and I walked my way there to sit on the rock.

I glance at Constantine and Flash who seems to be in a heated discussion.

"We have to tell them!" Constantine yells. And their voices were softer as they continued to argue.

I look at the water in front of me. The blue sky and how the sun's rays reflect on the water. I think about that moment when Damian so fluidly put himself in front of his father. And I pulled down the hood on my head in frustration. That moment kept replaying in my mind. And I realized to the fullest what fear felt like.

I could have lost him just like that. He who had no powers.

I felt anger at whoever put him to the path of becoming Robin. I realized how stupid I sounded and sighed. If he wasn't Robin, I would not have met him. And meeting him was the best thing that ever happened to me.

This is what happens when the relationship between heroes change into something more intimate. There will always be danger and fear of losing one another. This wasn't something I had felt to this degree in the last two years. And that was probably because what we had to fight with here on earth was nothing compared to Darkseid. I wonder if I should be thankful for his almost death because it would not have made me see how dangerous it is to be together. If the world wasn't already in chaos, knowing how frightening it is to be with another hero, would have made me stay away from romance in normal circumstances.

Familiar arms wrapped around me from behind and a head rests on my shoulder.

"Beloved, what are you thinking about?" Damian whispers right by my ear.

"Alright!" Constantine suddenly yells as he turns at us. He explains to us that there is an alternate to this whole ordeal, and it is as simple as Flash running—that is back in time and changing everything. I patted the spot beside me to invite Damian to sit beside me.

"It seems our time has come to an end." I say faintly and rather absentmindedly. It was what we had worried about for some time. Damian had just sat himself beside me.

"Your spell… will it be undone too?" I felt his anticipation for my response, his hope.

"No," I turn my head to face him. "Afterall as Constantine said, it is a nasty nasty spell."

"Then will I remember you?" He hastily asks me. A pause. And he knew the answer and I felt his utter disappointment.

"Yes." I said firmly though there was a knot in my heart. He looked at me with hope.

And we saw Flash stand up and began to run. We look at one another, the hands between us intertwined, and with our free hands, we cup each other's cheeks and gave one another a kiss.

We pulled away from each other and I rest my head on Damian's shoulder. This was it; this was as far as we go.

I woke up with a gasp, the air within my room felt heavy. I sat up on my bed as I wipe sweat from my forehead.

"Great! You're awake!" My father says annoyed. "You were making me feel things I do not appreciate, child."

"Like what father?" I ask just as annoyed.

"Miserable." He grunts.

"Good. Because that is what I feel with you, and I hope you feel that too." I mutter at him and he starts cursing me for being ungrateful. I ignore him so that I can focus on my surroundings to calm myself down.

I look at my room in the Titan Tower. Everything seemed normal, nothing was out of place. My father was right. I felt miserable when I had woken up from my sleep. Why did I feel miserable? Oh yes, it was because of my dream—no that was a nightmare.

The details—what were the details? I found that I couldn't recall my dream. A dream? What dream am I thinking about? The one from last night?

I slowly lie back down in bed; it was still night out. I was just confused from being woken up suddenly by my annoying father. Yes, I will back to sleep now.

I allow the drowsiness to come to me. Today was a very tiring day, I need to go back to sleep. My eyes flutter back to sleep.

I felt like there were people in my room talking. It was faint, but it was a full-on conversation.

"Will I remember you?" A male voice says.

"Yes…" I felt something warm against my lips. "Unknowingly…" The female voice continues with a sad tone.

"Like the word at the tip of your tongue, like a memory you couldn't completely recall, like a kiss from a butterfly…" I muttered as she finishes what she was saying, our words completely in synced. I wondered if I was having a fever dream. It had been a really long day.

"A feeling you cannot shake." I felt that I had to hold onto those words. Yes. I have to hold onto those words. They were important. I know they were. I felt that there was even something more that was said before it ended.

Wait, what ended? My heart felt like it was being clenched.

What was it that I was supposed to hold onto? A tear slips from my eyes.

Why do I feel so sad? It was probably nothing. Yes, it was nothing. And everything was dark.

"You and I have become soul mates. You are bound to me as I am bound to you. No matter when or where, this will be true. Even if we do not know."

I awoke with a jolt as though I was falling.