Tim watched along with the rest of the Bat-gang as Jason got his ass handed to him by Kate. "This is so fun," Dick grinned, holding up his phone to record the spectacle.
Tim shook his head with a smile. He had to admit—there was something oddly satisfying about watching the second Robin get his butt whooped. "You know you won't be able to post that, right?" Tim asked, eyeing Dick.
"This is going into my personal file," Dick replied with a smirk. "You never know when I'll need some blackmail."
Tim winced as Kate landed a punch to Jason's solar plexus. "Oof."
"Wow," Stephanie remarked. "He is so out of practice."
Tim nodded in agreement, but his attention shifted when Cassandra started tugging on his shirt. "What?" Tim looked down at her, eyebrows raised.
She pointed to one of the TV screens in the cave. Breaking News: LIVE coverage. Tim's eyes widened.
"Jumping strawberries! That's Gotham Prep!" Dick exclaimed, leaning in for a closer look. ("He still says stupid stuff like that?" Jason asked before getting flipped.)
Tim sighed as he brought it to the center screen, his expression hardening. "Raven's graduation. We need to go. Kate, can you stay with Jason?"
"My pleasure," Kate smirked before cracking her knuckles.
"Shit," Jason groaned before surrendering to the beating.
Raven's head slammed into the pavement, or maybe it was the wall—everything was a blur, a chaotic swirl of pain. Her vision flickered as a wave of dizziness washed over her. I think I'm losing, she thought, frustration mixing with the sting of defeat. Struggling to rise, her body felt heavier than it should, but her eyes snapped open as a realization hit her like a fist to the gut—I'm in rubble.
A sharp gasp escaped her lips as debris rained down from above, barely missing her as she scrambled to her feet. Her legs shook, but she found her balance. Her heart thundered in her chest, every pulse a reminder of just how close to the edge she was. How long have we been fighting? The thought flickered to life before the screech of a voice cut through the air.
"I will kill you!" Enchantress shrieked. She staggered, but her eyes burned with hate. "One way or another, you die today!"
With a roar, Enchantress launched herself at Raven. The air between them crackled with raw power, their every spell and movement throwing shockwaves through the streets. The ground shook beneath them as their bodies collided in midair, dark energy and burning flames exploding around them like a storm unleashed.
Raven's heart raced as her eyes flared bright white, casting an eerie glow as their fight took them across the city. She twisted, spun, and dodged, narrowly avoiding tendrils of fire and chaos that Enchantress hurled at her. Eventually their fight became stationary, over an abandoned building. Raven summoned spears of dark energy, throwing them with pinpoint accuracy. One grazed Enchantress's side, and the impact sent her crashing onto the rooftop with a sickening thud.
Raven landed on her feet, her knees bending as she steadied herself, her hands crackling with power. She stood like a dark sentinel, watching Enchantress with cold, unflinching eyes. "Stay down, Enchantress," she said, her voice a low, deadly whisper. "I don't want to kill you."
Enchantress's lips curled into a wicked grin. "I'm already dead," she hissed, eyes burning with madness. And then, before Raven could react, Enchantress's hands rose, and the air crackled with violent energy. A blast of dark magic, pure and unrestrained, slammed into Raven with the force of a freight train, knocking the breath from her lungs. The impact sent her flying backward as the burn of magic seared her.
Raven gritted her teeth, her mind racing. She barely had time to summon her wings of shadow as Enchantress's next barrage hit her like waves crashing against a cliff. Every blast felt like it could be her last, and her energy was draining fast. But there was a flicker, a tremor in Enchantress's onslaught, something unstable.
She's faltering. Raven's gaze narrowed, and she forced herself to slow her breath, gathering her power, focusing every ounce of will. "Enchantress," she growled, voice cutting through the chaos. "Stop. You're going to lose."
"Silence!" Enchantress screamed, her voice splintering with rage. She raised her hands high, and with a laugh that sounded like death itself, she summoned a monstrous serpent—an abomination of magic, its body writhing, its eyes burning with otherworldly fury.
Raven's blood ran cold. The creature was enormous—massive, its coils shifting in the air like a dark tidal wave. Raven had no time to react before it lunged at her, jaws snapping, claws raking through the air. "Enchantress, last chance."
"Like I need mercy from you," Enchantress sneered.
Fine. Raven didn't hesitate. Her form blurred into shadows, vanishing from the serpent's grasp. In an instant, she appeared above the creature, hands raised high, dark energy swirling around her like a storm. With one violent motion, Raven summoned a jagged claw of dark magic, driving it straight into the beast's heart. The serpent exploded in a blinding flash of green light, its form disintegrating into nothing but ash and smoke.
Raven hovered in the air, breathing heavily, her energy nearly depleted. But her will was unbroken. She had no choice now. This had to end. She could see Enchantress stumbling below her, her form flickering like a broken light, her strength fading with every passing second. "No!" Enchantress screamed, her voice thin and desperate.
Raven descended, her aura flaring brighter than ever before. "I'm sorry," Raven said as a second pair of eyes appeared, flashing gold. Her voice was cold and final, every word laced with the weight of inevitability. In a single, devastating motion, Raven raised both hands and unleashed a tidal wave of darkness. The dark energy surged outward, consuming everything in its path. It swallowed Enchantress, cutting through her power like a blade. The sorceress screamed, her voice shaking with fury and terror as Raven's magic overwhelmed her.
Raven pushed harder, her spell tearing through Enchantress's defenses, unraveling her very form. It was extremely dark magic, one she had learned long ago. It had proved useless against her father…but against Enchantress, however...
Enchantress's body jerked violently as the dark energy coursed through her, banishing her own magic from her body. Her form convulsed with agony, pouring out of her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. The air around her crackled with the power of Raven's magic. In one final, blinding flash, the sorceress screamed as she felt her power, her magic, completely leave her body.
Raven landed on the roof, panting, her heart still racing, the storm of energy around her slowly dissipating. The battle was over. And for the first time in a long while, Raven let herself breathe. She crept toward the crumpled, broken form of Enchantress. The sorceress was hunched over, her body shaking uncontrollably. She looked up at Raven with wide, glassy eyes, her breath shallow. Raven felt a pang in her chest, but there was no turning back now. "I can try to keep you alive until help gets here," Raven offered softly, her hand extended, though the words felt hollow.
Enchantress coughed, blood spilling from her lips. "It's… way too late… for me." She gasped for air, choking. "That was… a powerful spell…" she said with a hint of admiration. "Ancient…"
Raven's eyes scanned Enchantress' body, her heart sinking as she realized just how far gone Enchantress was. She was wasting away before Raven's eyes—aging, crumbling. "His name…" Enchantress whispered, barely able to form the words. "His name is Trilogy." She coughed again, her voice cracking. "He took my soul… somehow. He promised me… my life back if I could… open a portal for him. When I failed… he crushed my soul… like it was… nothing." She gasped, each breath a struggle.
Raven's blood ran cold at Enchantress' next words.
"He's… he's your oldest brother," Enchantress gasped.
Raven's stomach turned. What?
"Trigon's first… born…," Enchantress wheezed, a final tremor shaking her body. "You… have to kill him. Because… he will… kill… everyone…" She gasped one last time, her body suddenly stiffening. Raven watched as the last flickers of life left the sorceress's body. Enchantress's body turned to stone—gray, brittle stone—before crumbling to dust, disintegrating into nothing.
Raven stood over the spot, her body trembling from the enormity of the battle, her heart pounding. A dark storm brewed inside her as she realized the truth of Enchantress's final words: Her brother. Trilogy. The firstborn of Trigon.
And he was coming.
By the time Raven made it back to the school, first responders were already on the scene. As she walked through the chaos, an EMT approached her, eyes scanning her singed and torn gown. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern etched in his face.
Raven glanced down at herself. She could only imagine how she looked—hair disheveled, face streaked with soot. "I'm fine," she said, brushing him off with a flick of her wrist, subtly using her power to influence him. "Really."
The EMT nodded and moved along.
Raven surveyed the destruction. It wasn't as bad as she'd feared—less than a quarter of the school had been reduced to rubble. She couldn't say the same for the rest of the city as she and Enchantress had flown all over the place.
"Rav-chel!" Garfield's voice cut through the air. She turned to see him, M'gann, and, to her surprise, Constantine making their way toward her. "What happened?" Garfield asked, concern evident in his eyes as he approached.
"Enchantress attacked me," Raven replied with a resigned sigh.
"What?!" M'gann's eyes went wide.
"Bollocks," Constantine muttered under his breath, his gaze flicking around. "Where is she?"
"Dead," Raven answered flatly. The others exchanged worried looks. "I didn't kill her," she added, raising a hand defensively. "It's a long story."
"We're just glad you're okay," M'gann said, clasping her hands together in relief. "Why didn't you call for backup?"
"I didn't exactly have the luxury of time," Raven replied, her voice sharp. "So... how are we spinning this?" She gestured to the mess around them.
"Gas leak," they answered in unison.
"Of course," Raven deadpanned. Then, her senses flared, a sudden awareness creeping in. "Tim, Dick, Stephanie, and Cass are here."
"Where?" Garfield asked, looking around.
Raven scanned the crowd, narrowing her eyes as she pinpointed their locations. "Over there. In the back." Sure enough, there they were. Not in their Bat-gear, but Raven could feel Tim's eyes on her. She met his gaze for a moment before breaking it, feeling a strange pull in her chest.
"Well, that's my cue to disappear," Constantine said with a mix of amusement and resignation. "Raven, love, never a dull moment when you're involved. Keep the chaos up." He shot her a smirk before turning to slip into the crowd.
Raven turned to M'gann and Garfield, raising an eyebrow. "So?"
Garfield grinned, shrugging. "I guess we skip the graduation and go straight to your party?"
Raven smirked, a small sigh escaping her lips as she brushed some debris off her gown. "I'm pretty sure the League will want to have a word with me first."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Beast Boy waved her off. "And then... we party."
"Yay." Raven smiled wearily. "Party." She couldn't wait for the night to be over.
Raven stood awkwardly in the corner of the rented beach house in Aruba. It was supposedly her graduation party, but she hadn't been involved in any of the preparations. She had hardly exchanged more than two words in passing with at least 80% of the young heroes invited. At the end of the day, she knew they were all just looking for an excuse to party, and that was fine. She actually found joy in their merriment.
Her fingernails tapped absently against the glass of punch in her hand as she watched Victor enthusiastically hook himself up to the speakers at the crowd's request. The music blasting louder made her want to slip away even more.
She glimpsed poor Lar Gand, looking lost as Cassie dragged him onto the dance floor. Raven couldn't help but chuckle softly before slipping outside, the cool air a welcome relief. She could sense M'gann and Connor nearby, and Artemis was somewhere across the island. Billy was there too, but he wasn't exactly acting like a responsible chaperone.
Finding a quiet spot on the beach, Raven leaned back against a tree, closing her eyes. Her final moments with Enchantress played in her mind. Trilogy? Trigon's first born. She sighed heavily. She already briefed the League, but…I need answers. I need to go to Azarath. Actually, what she really needed was sleep. She was exhausted. Maybe I can teleport away... take a nap, then... Her eyes snapped open as her senses alerted her to newcomers.
"Hey, Raven!" She turned at the sound of Richard's voice. The light from the Zeta tube faded behind him, and she quickly sensed that he wasn't alone. There was Tim, Cassandra, and… "Jason," Raven said, the name slipping out before she could stop it.
Jason glared at her, eyes narrowing. "What the hell? Did you just read my mind or something? How do you know my name?"
Tim's sharp voice cut through the tension before Raven could back-peddle. "Jason!"
Richard moved swiftly, throwing an arm around Jason's shoulders. "It's a long story," he said as Cassandra gave Jason a pointed look.
Jason glanced at Cassandra's warning expression, and his posture softened just a fraction. "Sorry," he muttered his apology, looking awkward but sincere.
Raven nodded slowly, her eyes flickering toward Tim as she tried to ignore the prickling feeling of being so close to him. He was standing a little too close, his body language easy and relaxed, but his eyes were locked on hers with an intensity that made her heart skip just slightly.
"Jason, Raven. Raven, Jason," Richard introduced with a smile. "We're going to go enjoy that party. Come on, guys." Jason grumbled under his breath but followed, his eyes lingering on Raven for just a beat longer than necessary, trying to figure out who or what she was. Cassandra gave Raven a small wave before following the other two.
Now, alone with Tim, Raven shifted slightly, looking away from him as the space between them suddenly felt too charged. "Sorry about that... I didn't think Jason was... alive."
Tim's voice was quiet, thoughtful. "Is he not alive on your Earth?"
"No," Raven answered quickly, her voice dipping into something softer. "He died. Richard never told us exactly what happened—just said the Joker got to him. I didn't press for details. But... that didn't happen here?"
Tim's lips quirked, his smile almost a little sad. "No. Here, he's just a brat."
Raven couldn't help but let out a soft breath of relief, the tension in her chest easing slightly. She turned to him, meeting his gaze for a second longer than was necessary. It felt like there was more they were both holding back.
There was a pause between them, the air suddenly thick with something neither of them said out loud. Tim's voice broke the silence, low and serious. "Rough day, huh? How are you holdin' up?"
Raven's throat tightened, and she suddenly felt exposed. "Glad to be done with calculus," she tried, offering a weak attempt at humor. Tim didn't take the bait. His gaze remained steady, unwavering. Raven shifted slightly, a part of her wanting to pull away, but another part of her—something deeper—wanted more. "I'm just… I don't really want to be here," she admitted, her voice quieter now, her guard slipping more than she'd intended.
Tim took a step closer; his presence felt more overwhelming but not threatening. It was gentle, reassuring. "Then where do you want to be?"
The question hit her harder than expected, and Raven's breath caught. His proximity felt like a spark, a strange warmth that almost burned. She found herself staring into his eyes—so blue, beautiful, and full of unspoken thoughts—and for a moment, the entire world felt like it disappeared. She breathed, "Azarath."
Tim's smile was small but genuine, and for the first time that night, it was something real—no walls, no masks. "Then you should go," he said simply, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Raven's heart skipped, and without thinking, the question slipped out. "Do you… want to come with me?"