196 CHAPTER 193

The Titans Tower was ablaze with colorful lights and pulsating music, setting the scene for a celebratory party hosted by none other than Beast Boy and Nightwing. The heroes, having emerged victorious against the formidable Darkseid, gathered to unwind and revel in their success. Laughter and cheers filled the air as the heroes and their allies celebrated the hard-fought triumph.

Amidst the jubilant atmosphere, Barbara Gordon found herself back at the Batcave. Dressed in her Batgirl suit, she furrowed her brow in intense concentration as she scrutinized the array of monitors, searching for any signs of suspicious activities in the city. The glow from the screens illuminated her determined expression as she remained ever vigilant, the weight of her responsibilities pressing upon her.

Just as Barbara was about to embark on a solo patrol, the imposing figure of Batman emerged from the shadows, silently observing her dedication. Alfred, the ever-wise butler, followed suit.

"Barbara, you've been doing an exceptional job," Bruce Wayne spoke in his deep, authoritative tone. "But even heroes need to take a break every once in a while. Tonight is one of those times"

Alfred chimed in with a warm smile, "Master Bruce is right, Miss Gordon. You've earned a respite. The city can wait for one night."

Barbara glanced at the monitors, torn between her duty and the allure of the festivities. " I could really use a break but there could be something out there, something we could miss if I take a break," she insisted.

Batman stepped closer, his cape billowing in the dimly lit Batcave. "Barbara, the city will be fine for one night. The youngsters have earned their celebration, and so have you."

Alfred, ever the voice of reason, added, "You're still a young woman, Barbara. It's crucial to embrace the moments of joy amidst the darkness."

Barbara sighed, realizing the truth in their words but struggling to let go of her sense of responsibility. "What if something happens while I'm away?"

Batman placed a gloved hand on her shoulder, a rare display of empathy. "The city have me. I've been protecting Gotham City by myself for years, so trust me as I trust you. Enjoy the celebration; you've earned it."

Alfred offered a comforting smile, "And I'll keep an eye on things here, my dear."

With a reluctant nod, Barbara agreed to attend the party. Batman and Alfred watched as she left the Batcave, the heavy burden of duty momentarily lifted from her shoulders. The dynamic duo exchanged a knowing look, silently acknowledging the importance of balance in a hero's life.

…

The pulsating music and vibrant lights of the Titans' party enveloped me as I tried to coax Rachel, my girlfriend Raven, into embracing the celebration. The atmosphere was charged with energy, but her reserved nature kept her at a distance from the lively crowd.

"Come on, baby girl, just a few sips, and you'll be as free as a bird," I implied, offering her a beer. Rachel, initially hesitant, reluctantly agreed to take a few sips.

As I handed her the drink, a sudden fireball knocked it from my hand, prompting the arrival of Kori, Dick, and Gar, ready to protect Rachel from perceived threats.

"Who are you anyway?" Dick questioned, suspicion clouding his gaze. I watched with amusement as they interrogated me, seemingly oblivious to the harmless nature of the situation.

"Calm down, guys," Gar intervened, trying to calm the situation. "Did you invite him?" Dick directed his stern gaze at me.

"No, but I know he's a harmless person. Although he could be quite rude most times," Gar explained, attempting to diffuse the tension.

As they continued their scrutiny, Rachel, frustrated by their overprotectiveness, spoke up, asserting her independence. "Guy's, enough!!"

 "This is Tom, and I invited him. So please stop with all this because I do not need protection from my boyfriend," she declared.

Their collective surprise at the revelation of our relationship was palpable. Kori, however, smiled a little as she appraised me.

"When did you get a boyfriend?" Gar asked, but his question was ignored. Rachel seemed more annoyed by their interference than anything else.

"Oh, sorry about that, buddy. Rachel is family, and we just happen to be overprotective when it comes to her," Dick explained, offering me a friendly tap on the shoulder.

"I apologize for the late introduction. The names' Tom Hendricks by the way," I said, extending a handshake.

"Dick Grayson," he responded, reciprocating the gesture. The tension began to ease.

"Once again, we are sorry for the misunderstanding. I'm Kori."

"It's nice to meet you. You look even more beautiful in person than on television," I complimented, earning a blush from Kori. Gar remained bewildered.

"Quite a charmer you've got here," Kori remarked to Rachel, who seemed more focused on putting an end to the awkward encounter.

"Now that we've cleared things, kindly excuse us," Rachel said, pulling me to a quieter spot away from their watchful eyes.

"It was nice meeting Rachel's friends," I said to them as we walked away, ready to enjoy the party in peace.

"Enjoy the party!" Dick called after us, leaving Gar to ponder the mystery of when Rachel had gotten herself a boyfriend, and what she saw in me.

"Oh, hey Rachel." A voice came from behind. "For crying put loud, what now?" I muttered beneath my breath, willing to just drag her ass upstairs myself so no one would interrupt our night any longer.

"Barbara, you came." Rachel replied, giving a friendly wave at the redhead who seemed like she would rather be somewhere else.

"Yeah, I had a last minute change of plans." She replied, wrapping her arms around Rachel as they gave each other a gentle hug.

"You remember Tom right?" Rachel reintroduced.

"Of course I do. With an hair as distinctive as his, it'd be hard to forget such feature." She remarked. I just responded with a subtle wave as they both finished exchanging pleasantries.

The sound of the loud music slowly faded into buzzing beat in the background as Rachel and I were finally at the elevator's door when she suddenly pulled back my arm, having a shy and blushy look on her face.

"Are you okay?" I asked, taking note of her reddish cheeks.

"I'm fine. Why don't you go grab a bottle of alcohol so we continue from where we left off, I'll be at the third floor, second room to the right." She instructed.

"Okay baby girl, I'll be right with you." I replied her with a mischievous smile on my face, hinting it was finally about to go down tonight.

Heading back to the party, I walked over to the bar where I noticed the blonde wasn't there anymore. I grabbed myself a bottle of whiskey and quickly headed back.

On my way back, I spotted Superboy over by a corner having his hands all over a green bitch as he seemed like he could almost smooch the life out of her.

I guess even pretty boy intends to get himself some badass pussy tonight, well it's indeed a good night to get laid. I walked away headed for the elevator, a bit excited because tonight I get to see another side of Raven, how she acts when she's tipsy.

As I arrived at the door she had described for me earlier, I let go of one bottle and telekinetically had it floating midair as I knocked on the door with my free hand.

*Knock Knock*

There was no response, so I just held on to the doorknob and opened it myself, making use of my powers.

"Did someone order, room service?" I playfully asked as the door swung open, attempting to set the mood but arrived at an empty room.

"Rae!!" I called out, moving around the room and even searching the bathroom but there was no sign of her being in there.

I closer my eyes and scanned the environment to see what feedback I'd get from the vibrations made by anything with a heart beat around the room's vicinity. It was unusual for her to act differently from what she says she'd do.

Suddenly, I got some heartbeats from the other side of the wall outside the building. I quickly made my way to window, looked outside as I observed the walls, only to see ropes along the side of the building as I saw masked ninjas toss an unconscious Rachel into a black van and immediately drove off.

I jumped out the window, falling to the ground itself. The ground crated beneath my foot upon landing as a boulder rose from the ground and blocked the van in sight, intercepting it as the van crashed into the boulder up ahead.

I quickly got to it, ripped open the back doors, only to see an empty van with just the injured driver inside. This van was a decoy and they must have swapped places with the actual van without my notice.

 U

I ripped open the driver's door and pulled him out. "Who sent you?" I questioned, my anger slowly brewing. He mumbled as he struggled to regain conscious, I gave him a sounding slap to wake his ass up and answer my question.

"Answer me!!" I pressed on.

"Hail the Demon's Head." Just after saying that, foam started gushing out his mouth and suddenly began to convulse, he must have had poison in his mouth and bitten it to commit suicide just to avoid questioning or torture, having fulfilled his role.

"Ra's al Ghul must have gone after Raven to get to me, he'll definitely get what's coming to him.

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