Chapter Text
Everything was in silence. The only thing that could be heard in the room was the sound of the monitor, no one daring to speak. Even Garfield had given up on his attempts to "lighten" the mood at the second bad joke.
As much as they tried to hide it, the stress was eating everyone on the inside. And how not to be anxious? The fate of the earth was on the Justice League shoulders, so many lives depended on whatever was going on in outer space. Many of her teammates were at risk of losing a father, a sister, a mentor, and although the words had sounded with such force and hope straight from Superman's broad chest, doubt and fear had taken over the place within minutes after the communication from the senior team was lost.
Raven was sitting on the couch like she always did, but she was just looking around the room. It was strange to see that space, which had so often served as a place for entertainment and camaraderie, turned into a panic room.
She breathed slowly and deeply, trying to make as little noise as possible, fearing that any sudden sound or movement would suddenly break the calm and bring bad news along. She repeated the action several times trying to calm down and not be affected by the emotions of her friends, but it was really hard.
Although she shared the same fears as the others, she did not have someone special in the League, all the people who had transcended in her life were there, in that same room as her and perhaps, that was the thin thread that managed to keep her calm, for now.
But with each passing second, it became harder to bear with the fear, and the voice trapped in the gem on her forehead grew more powerful.
Release me, daughter.
The voice sounded inside her head, but it was so silent that she felt the words ricochet around the room until they hit her mind, weakening her. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the murmur to stop but it only grew stronger.
Without saying a word, she got up and left the room, walking through the corridors of the tower aimlessly when suddenly she found herself opening the door to the roof.
The sea breeze caressed the pieces of exposed skin in her uniform. She let out a sigh of relief as she felt the warmth loosen her limbs, not sure if it was cold or nervousness that turned them numb, the emotions inside the room had overwhelmed her enough to make her forget about her own.
Raven walked to the railing to observe the sea, where the sun was beginning to descend. Suddenly the brief moment of calm began to evaporate as the idea that this could be the last sunset she witnessed took over her. Trigon's voice was heard again in the back of her mind along with the threats of Earth's destruction.
Her body tensed, she put her hands to her head and pressed her forehead against the railing, trying to make the pressure drown out the sound.
There will be nothing left.
The demon king proclaimed again and again between laughter. Images of the wreckage of Azarath played through her mind like a movie. She couldn't lose another home, not again.
"Please."
You ungrateful child.
"Raven."
Like a beacon of light in the middle of a dark storm, his voice brought her back to the present. Trigon and her fears paused as she regained her composure, until she was facing the sea and the sky already painted in orange colors.
"Any news?" She turned her face to meet Damian, trying to hide her concerns. The brunette shook his head, Raven stood motionless, watching his firm and strong step as he walked towards her and the picture shattered her soul, feeling some kind of admiration and worry at the same time at how magnificently he had kept himself so calm and steady on the outside, when there was a war of emotions unleashing inside him.
Of all the people in the tower, he was the one who worried her the most, always so reluctant to show his emotions, especially when they made him feel weak . She knew, perhaps better than anyone else, the strength he held and yet, the ease to which his heart could shattered.
"How are you?"
Damien sighed. "Hanging." He said, reaching her side, placing a hand on the railing. “It's annoying that Grayson comes over every 5 minutes to ask how I'm doing and explain how missions work, like I'm a newbie. TT. ”
“He is as distressed as you are. He's not putting you down, he's just worried." Damian frowned in annoyance. "I know." It was the last thing he said.
Silence fell over them, but unlike the silence in the common room, this was a silence that exuded a bit of serenity. It was that pause to the world that made them stop and remember that they were still there, allowing themselves to forget for a brief second that the weight of the world was about to fall on their shoulders.
Such were the moments with him.
“Do you want to sit down?” The question caught her off guard, but she quickly turned to the white bench a few steps from where they were, seeing Damian sit on it.
"I thought you hated the bench." Raven said, showing a small smile, imitating his action.
"If Kent's plan fails and Darkseid destroys Earth, I think I can afford to enjoy this place for once, bench and all." Damian leaned against the bench, placing his hands behind his head, appearing relaxed, his voice sounding almost disinterested, but the hint of bitterness in his words didn’t go unnoticed to Raven.
"You really think the League will fail, right?"
Damian was silent, avoiding her gaze. "I’m just trying to be prepared for the worst." Raven swallowed hard. If the plan failed, was there really an alternative? Was there anything they could do?
You are trash and I will destroy your world and that child.
Raven shook her head, turning her body to the opposite side to hide even a little. Enough , she screamed inside her head.
"Raven?"
"I'm fine." She turned to the brunette. “I'm just… I'm overwhelmed.”
"I'm sorry."
"It's not you, it's everything." Damian wanted to say something else, something that was a little less daunting but it would be hypocritical of him. From the moment he had heard of Superman's plan he had disagreed and made sure everyone knew about his feelings. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't lie, not to her. "Let's think of a plan B." Raven turned to him with a small smile. She needed the distraction to prevent herself from thinking that the world could be destroyed at any moment.
"What?"
"Let’s imagine there’s an alternative. At least for a moment, even if it's not true." She turned to Damian, hoping to find a word that would bring her some kind of comfort, but for better or worse, she would always find the truth in him. "You have a plan B." Even through his poker face she could read him like an open book.
Damian looked up immediately but kept silent, surprised at how easy it was for her to see through him. "It's a backup plan, just in case we need protection."
"Who?"
“You and me.” He said without thinking and Raven's eyes widened in surprise. She really didn't expect that answer, and her surprise didn't go unnoticed, suddenly his own words echoed in Damian's mind. “I mean, I wouldn't leave you behind. Or the others.” He said, clearing his throat, nervous. "Maybe Logan, but not the others."
A small light of hope flickered inside her, remembering that despite the voices in her head, she was not alone, she had something to protect, something to not give up on. "Well, tell me."
"No." Damian straightened up in his place. "I'll tell you only if we need it."
Raven narrowed her eyes, not convinced of his answer. "I must be prepared too."
“And you will be. I have everything planned. But, I want to believe that we won't need it, if I say it outloud… It will become too real.” Her frown softened upon hearing it. It was true, they must try to believe, at the end of the day they were heroes, and it was up to them to keep hope.
“Will I not be a burden to you?”
"Never." Damian's voice left no room for doubt. Perhaps it had sounded too blunt, but in his mind there was no option to leave her. Ever . “You are… a good fighter and my teammate and…” His mouth went dry, searching for the right words, but when Raven placed her amethysts on him, he felt all reason slipped from his mind, and there was nothing but the universe reflected in her eyes. "My friend." He said finally, defeated.
Despite her disappointment, Raven smiled tenderly. For a moment her heart pumped wildly against her chest, thinking he might say something more, but still she treasured the words like a beautiful gift.
“You are my friend too, Dami.”
They fell silent again, enjoying the sound of the ocean waves.
“So…” After a while, Raven looked back at Damian. “What do you think of the bench? Does it fulfill its function?”
“The bench has always fulfilled its function, that was always the problem. Its presence, authoritatively imposed by Starfire, ruined this place.”
To enjoy a sunset, good company with comfort . Those had been Kori's words when they'd come up one afternoon and the bench was there, with Kori and Dick having a romantic moment. Raven smiled at the memory.
"Come on, it's not that bad."
“Logan turned the rooftop into his sunbathing spot.”
"It's not like he doesn't walk around the tower almost nude all the time."
"I saw him lick himself." Raven winced. “I spent 2 and a half years avoiding it. I didn't need to see that and yet the stupid bench brought misfortune into my life."
"It was inevitable, you couldn't call yourself a Titan if you didn't see that at least once in your life." They laughed, and when the silence fell upon them, they took a deep breath and dropped their hands on the bench simultaneously. Their limbs were left side by side but Raven didn't seem to notice as her gaze was lost in the purple sky, but Damian was well aware of the closeness of their hands.
Suddenly, he felt a tingle run down his arm to his fingers, filling them with the desire to reach out to Raven. He didn't understand what was going on with him, but when he looked up at Raven, he felt the world stop. She was beautiful , and he felt aire starting to reach his lungs.
Damian swallowed hard. A chill ran through his body, giving him that jolt of courage he needed to raise his hand and direct it toward Raven's. He could almost feel the warmth of her pale fingers against his as he reached closer.
“Raven, Robin. We have urgent news.” Kori appeared out of nowhere only to disappear almost immediately.
Reality shattered that moment, and both could do nothing more than share one last look before heading off with the rest of the team. Raven smiled sheepishly at him, still harboring a bit of hope, and Damian nodded in response.
Damian turned to the bench before closing the door, really hoping that wasn't their last time there, as he made a silent promise in his mind that, given the chance, he would not hesitate to hold Raven's hand. And maybe then, he would find the right words to the feeling his heart helded tight.
The imagination of the little birds could never have imagined what the world was about to suffer