Raven stared at the ring on her index finger, lost in thought. She wasn't sure why she felt so drawn to it; it wasn't anything special. But ever since she'd slipped it on three days ago, things felt... different. Maybe? She wasn't sure.
"You're fascinated by that ring," a voice broke through her thoughts. She looked up to see Richard and Barbara watching her.
"Sorry, where were we?" Raven asked, shaking her head.
"We were congratulating you on your C," Richard grinned, holding up Raven's latest calculus quiz.
"Thanks," Raven offered a half-smile, feeling a little pathetic.
"Seriously," Barbara added. "In September, you didn't even know basic algebra. Now, look at you." Richard nodded in agreement. "Like... wow. I mean, it was shocking how little you knew."
"Thanks," Raven said dryly.
"I mean, it's May. You learned everything from algebra to calculus in eight months," Barbara continued, her eyes sparkling with pride. "That's amazing!"
"Well… Tim is an amazing tutor," Raven muttered, looking down at the ring again. He makes me want to be better.
"Is that ring from Tim?" Barbara asked. "Is that why you keep staring at it?"
"No way Tim bought her something that cheap," Richard scoffed.
"Uh... no. Tim didn't buy this for me," Raven said quickly. "Garfield said a little girl gave it to him at the circus."
"The circus?" Richard repeated, tapping his chin. "We wore magical disguises." He turned to Barbara and explained, "Zatanna gave us these cool, charmed necklaces that changed our outer appearance."
"Sweet," Barbara grinned.
"Did the girl give it to Garfield while he was wearing his disguise?" Richard asked, sounding intrigued.
"I don't know," Raven shrugged. "But knowing Garfield, he probably took his necklace off to use the bathroom."
"Why would he do that?" Barbara asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I've learned it's best not to ask why Garfield does things the way he does," Raven replied. "And I don't know why I'm so intrigued by this ring. It's nothing special. Cheap plastic."
"Maybe it's because it's your first ever gift from a fan?" Barbara suggested.
Raven shrugged again. "That's as good an explanation as any," she said as she and Richard's phones beeped in unison.
"Shhh!" a passing librarian hissed, glaring at them.
"Sorry," Richard muttered, wincing. He turned to Barbara. "We need to go."
"Yeah, yeah," Barbara waved them off. "I'll text you later." Richard gave her an endearing smile before he and Raven walked out of the library.
Once they were outside and away from any potential eavesdroppers, Richard activated the alert on his phone. A hologram of Kid Flash appeared in front of them.
"KF," Richard said, glancing at the display. "What's happening?"
"There's a robbery at Vesper & Co.," Kid Flash replied. "You know where that is?"
"Yeah, about four blocks away," Richard confirmed.
"It's Dr. Light, Mirror Master, and Livewire."
"An odd team up," Richard remarked.
"The cops on the scene requested our help," Kid Flash continued. "I'm here evacuating civilians. Wonder Girl and Beast Boy should be here any second. But we need you."
"Got it," Richard said. He turned to Raven, who was already in her uniform. "We'll see you soon." He ended the call.
"I know where it is. I can teleport us," Raven said, stepping forward. She raised a hand, and her eyes flashed a deep shade of violet that Richard had never seen before. The surrounding air crackled as a portal formed. It looked... different. Wobbly. "Is that safe?" Richard asked, pulling his cowl over his head as he adjusted his gear.
"It's been a couple of months since I last created a portal," Raven said, her voice steady despite the uncertainty. "But it's fine. Let's go."
They stepped through the unstable portal and arrived at the chaotic scene. Dr. Light was firing energy blasts at officers from inside a shattered storefront. Mirror Master used reflective surfaces to confuse the SWAT team, while Livewire crackled with electricity, preventing any officers from getting close. Kid Flash was moving at lightning speed, evacuating civilians and injured officers.
"Thank goodness you guys are here," Kid Flash said, appearing in front of Robin and Raven. "Weird collab, right?"
"We need to split them up," Robin said, scanning the area as Wonder Girl arrived with Beast Boy perched on her shoulder. Before she could speak, Raven raised a hand and threw up a shield as Livewire turned her attention toward them.
"I don't know who any of these villains are," Wonder Girl said, as Beast Boy shifted into human form beside her.
"No time to explain!" Raven shouted. "We need to scatter!" She pointed at a truck Livewire had electrified and hurled toward them. Wonder Girl sprang into action, punching through the vehicle and launching herself toward Livewire, striking with a fierce offense.
"I've got Dr. Light," Raven said.
"We've got Mirror Master," Kid Flash said, elbowing Beast Boy to get his attention.
"And I'll help Wonder Girl," Robin added, heading toward Livewire.
Raven took to the air and released a blast of energy at Dr. Light. He screamed as the force sent him flying deeper into the store. Raven stared at her hands in shock. I didn't mean to hit him that hard. Blinking, she flew toward the store, but just as she entered, fiery heat seared into her abdomen. Raven screamed as the blast sent her flying backward, her head slamming into a brick wall.
"Ah!" Raven cried out, crumbling to the ground. She struggled to lift herself to her hands and knees. I should have sensed that... why didn't I sense that? She rubbed the back of her head, wincing as she felt the wetness beneath her fingers. Blood. She tried to stand, but her legs trembled beneath her. Blood trickled down her neck, and her vision blurred. This isn't right...
She froze, feeling a shift in the air. Everything in her went on high alert. She turned just in time to see Wonder Girl struggling to free Kid Flash from a mirror portal, while Beast Boy tore through a field of holograms. Robin was engaged with Livewire, but an energy blast sent him tumbling into an overturned car.
Raven's pulse spiked. Her limbs grew heavy, and fear crept into her chest. We need to get out of here. We need to hide. No, she thought, I can't think like that. She balled her fists, nails digging into her palms, and forced herself into motion. She ran toward the fight.
Raven joined the fray just as Beast Boy distracted Mirror Master while Kid Flash zipped through multiple reflections, trying to pinpoint the real one. Wonder Girl had recovered and was holding her ground against Livewire. Robin faced Dr. Light, who grinned maliciously.
"You've become a nuisance," Dr. Light sneered, his body glowing ominously as he fired heat ray after heat ray. "You're no match for me." He vanished, disappearing into the shadows.
"Where'd he go?" Raven muttered.
"He's bending the light around himself," Robin called out, his voice strained. "It makes him invisible!"
Raven focused, sensing the air around her. Before she could react, a searing heat pierced her back. She screamed as she was thrown into a parked car. The world spun as she collapsed, pain radiating from her back. Tears sprang to her eyes as she shakily pushed herself up. Her hand touched her exposed skin. His blast burned through my uniform?
"Well, well," a voice lilted, dripping with malice. Raven froze. "The dark little hero who sacrificed herself to the Chaos Lords. I'm disappointed; I thought you'd be tougher." Dr. Light emerged from the shadows, scanning her with a cruel smirk.
Raven flinched as a torrent of thoughts and emotions flooded her mind. What's happening? Voices filled her head, chaotic and angry. Destroy him. Show him your power. He's weak. Don't be pathetic. "Stop," Raven stammered, clutching her head. The burning pain in her back flared up, her chest feeling heavy.
"What's the matter?" Dr. Light taunted. "Afraid of a little light?" He cackled as the lights around him flickered as he grew brighter. "Maybe I'll see what's under the hood. Who knows? Someone might pay even more to know what you're hiding beneath that leotard and tights."
End him. END HIM. A guttural scream tore from Raven's throat as her eyes flared with red light. Shadows erupted around her, tendrils snaking from a swirling black portal beneath her feet. Dr. Light staggered backward, panic overtaking his smug expression.
"W-what the—" He turned to flee, but the tendrils grabbed his legs, dragging him toward the darkness. "No! Please! HELP!" he screamed, clawing at the ground.
Tendrils shot out and captured Mirror Master and Livewire as well, pulling them toward the portal that opened beneath Raven. She hovered above them; her face twisted in fury. "What's the matter?" she growled, voice low and menacing as the tendrils slowly dragged them into the deep darkness. "Afraid of the dark?"
Livewire sent a surge of electricity toward her, but Raven swatted it away. "Pathetic," she sneered.
"Raven, STOP!" Robin's voice cut through the haze.
Raven gasped, her eyes widening as the fog of rage lifted. She looked at the villains caught in her tendrils of magic and released them. The villains fell to the ground, dazed and weak. Dr. Light was curled into a fetal position, muttering incoherently. "M-m-monsters... make it stop. Make it stop..."
Robin approached him cautiously, scanning him with his wrist computer. "His vitals are spiking. He's in shock."
Beast Boy shifted back into human form, glancing at Raven warily. "Whoa... Raven, what did you do to him?"
Raven didn't answer. Her hands trembled as she stared at the destruction around her. Without a word, she turned and disappeared into the shadows.
"Raven!" Robin called after her, but she was gone.
Enchantress lowered the binoculars, a sly smile spreading across her face. "Perfect," she murmured. "Now for phase two." Her gaze shifted to the three unconscious villains sprawled nearby. With a chuckle, she added, "I'll make sure to send them a 'thank you' bouquet in prison." It was the least she could do. After all, she was the one who hired them.
After the fight, the remaining team members helped with the cleanup and waited for prisoner transport. Dr. Light, still muttering incoherently, with a vacant look in his eyes, was taken to a nearby psych ward. Meanwhile, Livewire and Mirror Master had power restrictors placed around their necks and were being prepped for transfer to Belle Reve.
Once the scene was cleared, the Team regrouped at a small safe-house. They sat around a table in heavy silence, the tension palpable. "I need to call Red Robin," Robin finally said, pulling out an encrypted cellphone. Without waiting for a response, he stepped outside, leaving the others to stew.
Beast Boy and Kid Flash exchanged uneasy glances. "Did you see what she did?" Beast Boy asked, breaking the silence. "Dr. Light is freakin' catatonic! And those shadow tentacle things… what even were they?"
"Calm down, Beast Boy," Wonder Girl said, though her voice was just as shaky.
"She almost killed him," Kid Flash muttered.
"But she didn't," Wonder Girl shot back. "And it's not like she meant to. Did you see how—how frail she looked?"
Kid Flash hesitated, then nodded. "Maybe it's a side effect of... y'know, what happened to her? The torture?"
Beast Boy's tense shoulders relaxed slightly. "Yeah. I forgot... This was her first time out in the field since Bialya." He slumped back in his chair. "Maybe they cleared her for missions too soon."
"Maybe," Kid Flash agreed. His voice dropped to a whisper. "But... what if it happens again? What if we're out there, and she accidentally does it to us?"
"We need answers," Wonder Girl said firmly. "We have to figure out what's going on with her. Maybe contact Constantine?"
"And in the meantime?" Beast Boy asked, looking around nervously. "What do we do?"
"I'll tell you what we're not going to do," Robin said, reentering the room. He leaned on the table, looking each of them in the eye. "We will not abandon her. We're a team. We help each other no matter what. And…speculating isn't going to help Raven. We won't know what happened until we have all the facts. Until then, we stick by her side."
"Look at you, becoming a little leader," Wonder Girl teased lightly, trying to break the tension.
Robin ignored her, turning to Beast Boy. "You spend more time with Raven than any of us. Don't tell me you're going to abandon her now."
Beast Boy shifted uncomfortably but shook his head. "No. I—I just want her to be okay. She's been through so much."
"We all want Raven to be okay," Robin said. "But let's figure this out. Together. As a team."
Kid Flash tilted his head, narrowing his eyes at Robin. "Wait... did you just parrot what Tim told you over the phone?"
Robin sputtered. "That's completely irrelevant."
"You totally did!" Kid Flash burst out laughing
Wonder Girl chuckled as Beast Boy laughingly said, "That is so not crash, dude."
Robin crossed his arms. "Where the words came from—how I got the words—you know what?" Robin continued, trying to speak over the laughter. "Raven needs us, so…let's go."
Raven sat on her bed, wrapped in silence. She'd returned to the mountain a while ago, but the turmoil inside her hadn't settled. After discarding her torn leotard, pulling on an oversized t-shirt, and grabbing a fresh cloak, she'd curled into a ball beneath her hood. Her hands trembled as she stared at them through tear-filled eyes. What did I do? Her breath hitched. I could have killed him. I wanted to kill him. Her mind raced. When was the last time I lost control like that? Without realizing it, she began chewing on her nails - a nervous habit she'd abandoned years ago. She yanked her hand away, shaking her head. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to drown out the sound of Dr. Light's screams echoing in her memory.
"You should have killed him," a familiar voice hissed, soft and cruel, right by her ear.
Raven flinched, her head snapping up as she disentangled herself from her cloak. Her eyes darted around the room, but she was alone. Great, she thought bitterly. Now I'm hearing things. I am losing my mind. Her head throbbed with an unrelenting pounding that grew worse with every breath she took. Leaning back against her pillow, she massaged her temples. "Your team is afraid of you," the voice returned, icy and venomous. Her eyes flew open. "They should be," it continued. "You're dangerous."
"Stop it," she whispered hoarsely, covering her ears. "Shut up." The laughter that followed was harsh and sadistic, reverberating through her skull like nails on a chalkboard. The pounding intensified until she couldn't take it anymore. "SHUT UP!" she screamed.
A stray shadow lashed out, snapping her bookshelf in two as if it were a twig. The sound of splintering wood filled the air. Raven gasped, staring at the destruction before looking down at her hands, now crackling with dark energy. "What's happening to me?" she whispered, her voice trembling as tears streaked her face.
A sudden knock at the door broke her spiraling thoughts. She frowned, hastily pulling her hood lower over her face. I'm not in the mood for company.
"Raven, it's me," Robin called softly from the other side. "May I come in?"
Taking a deep breath, she wiped her face, trying to steady herself. She opened the door slowly, her hood still casting shadows over her tear-streaked face. Seeing him always startled her a little—the younger, shorter version of Dick Grayson. But she knew he wouldn't be shorter for long; his growth spurt would hit when he turned sixteen. For some reason, the thought warmed her, if only for a moment. "Oh," she mumbled, realizing she'd been staring. "Come in." She stepped aside, closing the door behind him. Robin turned to her, but before he could speak, she blurted out, "I'm sorry." He frowned. Even though her hood hid her face, the emotion in her voice was unmistakable. "I don't know what happened," she continued, her voice cracking. "I—I'm sorry if I scared you guys."
"You didn't scare me," Robin said firmly, his tone steady and proud. "I was worried about you."
"You might not be afraid of me, but the others are," she said, turning away from him as her voice wavered. "And they should be. I'm a danger to everyone." Her shoulders shook as fresh tears rolled down her face.
"You're not a danger to us," Robin said, his voice soft but resolute. "You're part of this team because we trust you." Raven bit her lip to keep from breaking down completely. "You're not alone," Robin added gently. "Remember that." She nodded stiffly, trying to hold herself together. Robin hesitated, then said, "I told Batman and Red Robin what happened." He paused, watching her reaction. "They think it's best if you stay put for now." Raven only nodded again, wrapping her arms tighter around herself. "Do you need anything? Can I get you something?" he asked, concern etched into his young face.
"No. I'm fine," she whispered, though her voice betrayed her exhaustion.
"Okay." He hesitated again, then gave her a small nod. "Have a good night. Try to get some rest."
As the door clicked shut behind him, Raven let out a shuddering breath. She climbed into bed, pulling the covers over her head like a shield against the world. Ignoring the whispering voices and her own swirling thoughts, she focused on her breathing until, finally, she drifted into a restless sleep.
Raven's eyes flew open. Someone was in her room, sitting on her bed. Reaching out with her powers tentatively, she relaxed when she realized who it was. Sitting up, she turned on her bedside lamp. Tim sat at the foot of the bed in his Red Robin uniform, mask absent. His face was etched with concern, his eyes filled with so much compassion that it made her heart hurt. Pulling her knees to her chest, she let her hair fall forward to shield her face. "Are you here to kick me off the team?" she asked quietly.
"What?" Tim's shock was palpable, almost knocking Raven over. "Raven, no. I'm here to make sure you're okay."
Raven closed her eyes, fighting the flood of emotions—not just her own, but from everyone else in the mountain. It was overwhelming. "You shouldn't be here," she said, voice barely above a whisper. Her powers thrummed uneasily beneath her skin, threatening to break free. "You really shouldn't be here."
"Where else would I be?" he asked gently, tilting his head as he tried to meet her gaze. "Do you want to talk about it?"
She stayed silent, her fingers twisting into the fabric of her cloak. The quiet stretched between them until Tim finally spoke again.
"Raven, I'm not afraid of you," Tim said.
He should be. "You should be," she muttered, head still bowed.
"But I'm not," he stated firmly.
Raven lifted her head, and Tim flinched slightly as he saw her four glowing eyes staring back at him. "Really?" she said, her voice low and rough. "Because I sense otherwise."
Tim shifted closer, removing his gloves as he moved. Carefully, he reached out and cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. "Do I look scared?" he asked softly.
Raven froze, stunned. For the first time in hours, the voices in her head were silent. She closed her eyes, unconsciously leaning into the warmth of his hand. When she opened them again, her eyes had returned to their normal violet hue.
"Talk to me," Tim whispered. "Please."
She shook her head, her voice cracking. "What's there to talk about? You know what happened. I... I lost control. I hurt people. I'm supposed to be better than this."
Tim tilted his head, studying her intently. "Raven, you stopped Dr. Light. Sure, you terrified him, but he's alive. So are Mirror Master and Livewire. You stopped them from hurting anyone else."
Raven's shoulders slumped. "You don't understand. I wasn't trying to stop him. I was trying to make him suffer. I wanted to kill him. That makes me an awful person, right?"
Tim shook his head. "But you didn't kill him. Raven, the fact that you're sitting here right now, agonizing over what happened, tells me everything I need to know. That tells me exactly the kind of person you are."
Her voice wavered as fresh tears gathered in her eyes. "And what kind of person is that?"
"The kind who cares so much that she's afraid of her own strength," Tim said, his voice steady and earnest. "The kind of person who holds herself to a higher standard than anyone else ever could. You're good, Raven. You just don't see it."
Raven closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. "I don't know what's happening to me," she admitted, her voice trembling. "I'm tired, and I'm scared. It feels like... something is swallowing me whole. Like I can't trust myself." Her lip quivered, and her entire body shook.
Tim leaned closer, his voice soft but insistent. "Then trust me. Trust that I know you, and that I believe in you. You're brave, Raven, even when you think you're not. You don't give up, no matter how hard it gets. And when you let people in, you…you love fiercely. That's why I believe in you."
For a moment, peace washed over her, soothing the storm within. She opened her eyes slowly. "I know you're on patrol, and—and busy. But..." She hesitated, her voice faltering. "Can you stay with me? Just until I fall asleep? I just... I just need—" Her voice trailed off, and she shook her head, embarrassed. "Never mind. That was stupid."
Before she could pull away and hide in embarrassment, Tim caught her hand. "My patrol doesn't start for a couple of hours," he said with a small smile. "Of course, I'll stay."
Enchantress seated herself on the floor, her long fingers trailing over the chalk-drawn symbols encircling her. The flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows across her face, making her smile seem even more sinister. "Now," she murmured, her voice low and ominous, "the fun can really begin. You are about to have the longest night of your life."