"I gotta be honest with you," Bart said between bites of food. "This is boring."
Garfield sighed, his head lolling to the side. "Dude, you can't eat over here. And… stop eating so much."
"I thought you'd at least be shooting the action scenes today," Bart ignored Garfield's protests, finishing his tenth sub.
"That was last episode," Garfield rolled his eyes, attempting to suppress a smirk. "This one's all aftermath—post-battle between the Nebulons and Reptiamphs."
"Uh-huh. Any chance I can get some choco-burgers?"
"You're already running the assistants ragged."
"This is only my tenth sub." Bart gestured to his empty plate.
"You've had fifteen bowls of meatballs, ten tubs of salad, and you destroyed the shrimp. You are out of control."
"You know how many calories I burn daily."
"Crap, VIPs are coming," Garfield muttered, noticing a group approaching. "Wipe your mouth."
"Sorry," Bart said, quickly wiping his face as a small entourage of suited men, the studio's president, and three teen girls walked toward them. At least four of the men wore earpieces and looked armed. There was a blonde girl—about Garfield's age—who he didn't recognize, animatedly chatting with the studio president. The president's daughters, Amanda and Carol, flanked him. Amanda looked bored, glued to her phone, while Carol seemed enthralled by the conversation. "There she is. Carol—Amanda's twin," Garfield said to Bart.
Bart studied the dark-haired girl with glasses. "She's cute. Oh man, she's coming over! She's coming over!"
"Calm down."
"Garfield Logan!" the president greeted with a wide smile.
"Hello, Mr. Bucklen," Garfield replied politely, trying to maintain his composure.
Amanda barely looked up. "Garfield."
"Amanda," Garfield muttered, greeting his co-star with the same enthusiasm.
The president turned toward the unnamed blonde girl. "This is Garfield Logan—Tork, as you might know him. A fan favorite." Garfield beamed at the praise, his confidence swelling. "Garfield, this is Princess Perdita of Vlatava."
"Princess?" both Garfield and Bart repeated, wide-eyed. They instantly bowed deeply.
"Oh no, no," Perdita laughed as she waved her hands. "That is unnecessary. Please, stand up."
"I'm Garfield," Garfield said, straightening up awkwardly, his heart racing as he took in her beauty. She was radiant, with golden hair that caught the light, and a smile that felt warm and inviting. "My friends call me Gar. You can, too."
Perdita giggled, her laughter bright and infectious. "Nice to meet you, Gar."
"I'm 14 years old, I'm green, and I'm a metahuman. I can turn into animals. Like, any animal," Garfield blurted out, his excitement bubbling over. "Want me to be a gorilla? Or a tiger? Or—"
"Dude," Bart whispered sharply, mortified, elbowing him in the side.
"Sorry, I'm Garfield." His voice was slightly breathless as he caught another glimpse of her sparkling eyes, feeling a flutter in his stomach.
Perdita smiled sweetly, and in that moment, he thought she looked like a princess straight out of a fairytale. "Hello, Garfield. I'm Perdita. I am 14 years old, too." She held out her hand, and Garfield shook it awkwardly, a flush creeping up his cheeks.
"Whoa, you have such soft skin," Garfield said, awestruck, his heart racing as he felt the delicate touch of her hand. It was as if he could feel a spark of magic just from their brief contact.
"Wow," Bart said under his breath, shaking his head. "Sorry about him. He's not usually this… weird."
Perdita blushed lightly, her cheeks matching the soft pink of her dress. "It's okay. I find him… cute."
"You're cute," Garfield replied instantly, his gaze locked onto hers, completely oblivious to Bart's teasing smirk.
"Princess," one of the suited men said, stepping forward, his tone serious.
Perdita sighed, glancing at the man, nodding in understanding. "Duty calls. I must go now. It was lovely meeting you, Garfield. I hope to see you again someday." Her voice lingered in the air like a melody in Garfield's ears, and he felt a sense of loss wash over him as she turned away.
Outwardly, he nodded with a goofy smile and equally goofy wave as Perdita and the rest of the entourage walked away. In that moment, he felt like he was floating, mesmerized by her presence. He watched her walk away with longing in his eyes, and didn't turn his attention to Bart until she disappeared from view.
"Wow," Bart repeated, grinning at his friend. He was now eating from a bag of chips. "That was… something. I was entertained."
"How did I do?" Garfield asked, still dazed by the encounter. "I think I blacked out a little."
"Honestly? Not bad. That could've been way worse."
"You think?"
"Definitely." Suddenly, screams echoed from the direction Perdita had gone. "What's going on?" Garfield asked as gunfire erupted and everyone around him ducked for cover.
"Let me check," Bart said, his body jerking as he ran ahead and back within a second. "Dude, a portal just opened up. Monsters are pouring out."
"We've got to get people to safety. Let's move and alert Tim!"
"Already on it!"
Tim breathed a sigh of relief as Raven appeared, but he didn't let his guard down. Bruce was still under Jean's control, and even with Raven here, it would not be an easy fight.
Raven stepped forward, her eyes glowing faintly as she reached out with her powers. "I'll sever her connection to them. Just… keep them busy," she said, her voice strained. She was still recovering from the earlier fight, and Tim could see the exhaustion in her posture.
"On it," Tim muttered, bracing himself as Bruce charged again, his expression unreadable. He ducked under Bruce's punch, rolling to the side just in time to dodge Dick's flying kick. This is insane. Fighting his family was the last thing he wanted to do, but he didn't have a choice. He just had to buy Raven enough time. A sick crunch filled the air as a fist connected with his jaw. Cassandra. Tim grasped his jaw as a wave of pain shot through his head. He backed away, trying to steady himself. I think she broke it. He watched as Cassandra, Dick, and Bruce slowly approached him, caging him in. Crap. He heard something drop near his feet. Looking down, his eyes widened. Smoke pellets! Tim scrambled away just in time as a small portion of the hallway filled with smoke.
Running back into the room, still grasping his aching jaw, he started when Stephanie, in full Batgirl gear, appeared in front of him. "You look rough," she greeted.
Tim wanted to respond, but he couldn't.
Stephanie peered at the discoloration surrounding Tim's lip as well as the way he was cradling his jaw. "Is your jaw broken, dislocated, or something?" Stephanie asked, her brows furrowing.
"Mm-hmm," Tim grunted, still shaking off the pain.
"Let me guess—Cassandra?"
Tim nodded, grimacing just a bit.
"Alright. I'm guessing Raven has some voodoo/magic thing she's doing, and she needs us to keep them busy?"
Tim nodded again, determination hardening his expression.
"Okay, let's focus on containing them so she can do her thing," Stephanie said, her voice resolute. As they positioned themselves to face their family members, an eerie calm settled over them, the chaos of the moment sharpened into focus.
Meanwhile, across the hall, Raven had used her powers to toss Jean to the other side of the room. Her heart raced as she felt the weight of the battle on her shoulders. "I need to end this," she whispered to herself, her hands glowing with dark energy as she muttered an incantation under her breath.
"What are you doing?" Jean cried out, panic creeping into her voice as she struggled against the invisible bonds. Raven met her gaze with fierce determination, pinning Jean against the wall with one glowing hand. With the other, she waved as she chanted, channeling her power. Tendrils connecting Bruce, Cassandra, and Dick to Jean appeared, thick and twisted. Reaching out, Raven grasped the magical bands with her hand. Slowly, she began to unravel the bindings, her concentration unwavering as she focused on freeing them from Jean's control. Jean let out a shriek of anger, realizing what Raven was doing. "No! You can't—"
"Quiet," Raven hissed, pouring more of her energy into the spell. The dark tendrils binding the others to Jean began to fray, unraveling bit by bit.
Jean screamed, clutching her head as Raven's magic overwhelmed her. "No! No! Stop!" she screeched, flailing as she fought Raven's magical hold on her. With one last surge of energy, Raven severed the connection entirely. Bruce, Dick, and Cassandra collapsed to the ground, free from Jean's control. From the corner of her eye, Raven saw Bruce, Richard, and Cassandra freeze before dropping to the floor.
Tim rushed over to Bruce's side, helping him up as he blinked, disoriented but back to himself. "Tim…" he rasped, clearly shaken, confusion flickering in his eyes. Tim sighed, relief flooding his chest. Bruce scanned his son's face. "Did I break your jaw?" Bruce asked, immediately zeroing in on the bruising. Tim shook his head, then pointed to Cassandra, who was sitting up, looking around confused.
"What happened?" Dick asked, rubbing his head as he tried to piece together the chaos.
Raven walked over to them, with Jean wrapped in her powers, who glared at her with pure hatred. "You're not a succubus," Jean spat. "You're a witch! Release me!" she ordered, her voice dripping with malice. "Or else I'll—"
"Shut up!" Batgirl said before executing a perfect knockout blow to Jean's head. Jean collapsed, her eyes rolling back as she lost consciousness. Raven released her from her dark hold and let her body slump to the floor, feeling a mix of triumph and relief. "Is everyone okay?" Raven asked, her tone more subdued as she glanced around the room.
"Tim's jaw is broken," Stephanie answered matter-of-factly, her eyes narrowing as she checked the space for threats.
"Mm-hmm mmm," Tim…said.
"Either that or dislocated," Stephanie added.
"Let me see," Raven said, stepping closer to Tim, her brow furrowed in genuine concern. Tim felt his stomach flutter at her touch. He stood still as Raven tenderly pressed her fingers against his jaw. He hissed and instinctively jerked his head back. "Sorry," Raven apologized softly, her eyes meeting his with a hint of empathy. "Hold on."
With gentle determination, she laid her hands back on his jaw, her fingers cool against his skin. As she focused on the sensation of the bones shifting and fixing themselves, warmth spread through him—like a soft light breaking through the darkness. Tim closed his eyes for a moment, just breathing, drowning out the distant conversation between Bruce and the others.
"There," Raven said, backing away slightly, a small smile gracing her lips.
"That's the second time you've healed me tonight," Tim said, grasping one of her hands before she could fully withdraw it. His heart raced at the contact, and he searched her eyes, hoping she could see how much he appreciated her. "And it's the third time you've saved me," he added, his voice low but steady.
A flicker of surprise crossed Raven's face, her expression a mix of vulnerability and caution. They both felt the weight of the moment, the unspoken understanding hanging in the air like a thread connecting them. To anyone watching, it seemed as if they were in their own world, oblivious to the surrounding chaos.
"Tim… um…" Raven started, her voice faltered.
"Where's Alfred?" Bruce asked gruffly, interrupting their moment. Raven promptly put more space between herself and Tim, the distance a subtle reminder of her apprehension. Tim felt the shift, a sense of longing mixed with frustration as the moment they shared slipped away. Shaking his head, he returned to the present.
"Don't worry," Stephanie said, waving Bruce's concern away, "I got him to the Batcave just as all of the hullabaloo started."
"What hullabaloo?" Bruce asked.
"Oh, we need to get to the ballroom," Tim said.
The crew, including Stephanie as Batgirl, ran down the steps and entered a mayhem-filled ballroom. Guests and servers alike were at each other's throats.
"I don't get it," Richard said, scanning the chaos. "Jean is knocked out cold. Shouldn't they be stopping?"
"It doesn't take much instigation and manipulation for Gotham citizens to fight each other," Bruce replied, his gaze sharp.
"How do we calm them down?" Richard asked, glancing around at the chaos.
"And get them to leave?" Stephanie added.
Raven bit her lip. "I can do that," she said, flinching as she spoke up. "It's not something I like to do, but…" The Batclan turned to her, intrigued. "Do you really want to know?"
"Yes," Bruce answered, his expression serious.
"I can… absorb their emotions. Make them feel nothing," Raven explained, her voice steadying as she steeled herself. The words felt heavy on her tongue, and a flicker of vulnerability passed through her. She had never wanted to use her powers like this, especially not in front of Tim. "Then I can… encourage them to leave." The weight of her words hung in the air, amplifying her anxiety; she knew she'd need to meditate soon. She'd already pushed herself too far.
"You guys should go somewhere safe so you don't get affected," she urged, her eyes darting to Tim for a moment. His gaze pierced through her, twisting her stomach. "Black Mary almost drained me; my control may be a bit spotty." In truth, she just didn't want Tim to see this part of her—the dark side she fought so hard to keep hidden. The Batclan took a giant step back, their faces a mix of apprehension and expectation.
"Seriously?" Raven eyed them, realizing they weren't going to move further away.
"This isn't far enough?" Stephanie asked curiously.
"Never mind," Raven said, turning her attention back to the chaotic ballroom, hoping to mask her discomfort with determination. She wished she had her cloak. "Let's do this."
Entering the room, she closed her eyes and reached deep into the dark part of her—the demonic side she kept hidden. Silencing her own emotions, she willed the darkness to the surface. An extra pair of glowing black eyes appeared on her face. "Attraho Dolorem," she uttered in a deep voice. The Batclan watched in awe as the occupants of the ballroom froze, their bodies stiffening. Every eye turned black. "Emotsum adsum," she commanded. Streams of smoke exited the mouths of every person, swirling like dark mist. "Fygate pros tin asfaleia!" She pointed toward the door.
In eerie unison, everyone filed out, silently, their eyes glowing. It took two and a half long minutes, but eventually, the manor was cleared. Once the last person exited, Raven slumped to the floor, exhausted.
"Okay, that was epic," Richard said, his voice filled with admiration as Tim rushed to Raven's side.
"Are you okay?" Tim asked, concern etched on his face.
Raven felt a rush of shame and embarrassment. "Yeah," she answered softly. "I'm just tired."
"You're amazing," Tim said, holding her gaze, the sincerity in his eyes undeniable.
"Master Wayne." Alfred's voice crackled over intercoms Raven hadn't realized were in the house.
"You're clear, Alfred," Bruce said, glancing back at Raven with a brief, grateful look.
"You need to get down here immediately. It seems that multiple portals have opened throughout Gotham, and demons are pouring into the streets."