CHAPTER 196

The layer was like a maze, unsure of where I was going because it stretched out into multiple underground spaces.

I placed my hand upon the wall, closed my eyes and focused on the vibrations being made through the walls and along the ground. The structure was so big that it led to an underground network of caves and dungeon-like structures.

The structures seemed to be rigged with a lot of booby traps hidden within the ground and embedded in the walls. An intruder wouldn't live past the first five minute of trespassing into the base, each section leading to another, just like a maze.

I decided to go about it in a round about method, placing my hand on the ground and tweaking the vibrational particle making up the solid ground, and transmuting it into a loosely bonded rock particles.

As the axis on the ground of which I placed my hand crumbled beneath me, I descended  to the floor beneath

Immediately I made my landing, I had a sword pointed at me. "What is up with this family and pointing sword at innocent passersby?" I remarked, raising my hands up in the air as I gave a surrendering gesture. Talia looked at me with a disbelieving look in her eyes, squinting them as she tried to process how I just dropped from the ceiling.

"I have been expecting you, but how did you get past the guards without any of them raising an intruder alarm?" She asked, raising a brow as she pondered, putting down her sword as she knows it would be useless against me.

"Don't think too much on that, I just knocked out a few people here and there…" Casually waving it aside as I remembered my little encounter with her brat. "Oh, and I met your son, he's lucky I let him keep his tongue

"Did you just drop from Damian's room and not the ceiling?" She asked with disbelief, looking above as she finally spotted the hole I dropped from.

"Probably." I replied.

"What did you do?" She inquired, suddenly switching to a more serious tone. "Chill, I just put him to sleep that's all, forcefully giving his young brain a timeout from his daily life acting and talking like an adult instead of acting like his age, he's quite an annoying little bastard but I like his spunk."

"Does the kid know that his father is a caped vigilante, part time billionaire, full time hero?" I asked, poking at the fact that I know his father.

"How did you know that?" Talia asked with utter surprise in her eyes.

"You might think you guys were keeping an eye on me, but what if…" I took slow and precise steps, closing in on her as I continued. "Just what if, I'm actually the one keeping an eye on the League…" I threatened, planting seeds of doubt in her mind so she would be confused as to how much I really knew, and there for reduce the percentage of her lying to me.

"So answer me. What does Ra's Al Ghul want with Raven?" Tom asked Talia, unsure if Ra's just wanted to spite him by kidnapping her, or if there was some other agenda behind her abduction. He knew the League had been keeping an eye on him and it wouldn't be difficult for then to tag Raven as his girlfriend due to a few of their open dates together.

"Normally I would rather die than betray my father but what he intends to do might bring the end of the world as we know it, all in the name of acquiring outer worldly powers." She replied him, but instead got a deep sigh from Tom as a response.

"Here we go again, some end of the world bullshit all because of some dude reaching for some power he shouldn't temper with. Humans and their obsession for superiority and control."

"So tell me… What does your dad want with my girlfriend."

"I know the heroes just finished fighting off Darkseid and his minions but this time my father intends to conduct a ritual to extract Trigon's magic from the gem embedded in her head, hoping to subdue the demon and take control of his powers."

Knock on the door…

Shhhh!!! Talia gestured to me as she quickly made her way to the door.

"Yes?" She asked as she slightly opened her door to know who and what they might want. "We found a guard knocked unconscious and hidden at a corner. We suspect the intruder has made way into our base." The assassin reported.

"What does the Demon Head say about this report?" She inquired.

"He said for us not to engage the intruder but lead him underground, where the ritual is to be done."

"Okay, I will be right with you. Inform the rest to stay alert and be on their guard." She instructed before slowly shutting the door.

"Seems Ra's wishes to see what I can do, up close and personal." I remarked, trying his best to put aside the part about a ritual to be done.

"The devil child isn't the only one he has plans for tonight, he also has plans for you. His true objective for the night is to use one stone in killing two birds. He knew you would come barging in here to rescue your girlfriend." She replied, making it clear that he also has plans for me. "Quite romantic if you asked me." Talia teased.

"What makes your father think he could successfully subdue a demon who destroys worlds for sport?" I asked, ignoring her comment and focusing more on how Ra's intended on getting Trigon under his control.

"During his research over the years, he was able to come up with a ritual to transfer the gem on Raven's head. Transferring the gem which holds Trigon captive, unto himself and…"

"Blah Blah Blah." She was interrupted by me just before she could finish. "I don't need to know the details, all I need to do is stop Ra's, get back my girl and I'll be off on my merry way." He added.

"I'll assist you in whatever way I can." She replied.

"This involves you betraying your father and the family you are so attached to. My concern is if you would still be on my side and not switch up on me when I deliver your father with the punishment he deserves for interfering with my personal life." I clarified my concerns before Talia.

Due to the kind of life I've had so far, I subconsciously developed a major sense of trust issues and thought with my brain, not from some shallow sense of responsibility following with an allegiance.

I knew Talia would choose family over everything else, and I was nothing to her, compared to her tribe. The moment our partnership seem unfavorable to her, it only seemed logical that she was likely to switch up on me and literally stab me in the back to protect her people.

"I guess we would up hold this aalliance of ours until that time comes." Talia replied, not averting her gaze from my eyes as she spoke.

…

[Back at the Titan Tower]

The atmosphere was lively at Titans Tower, with upbeat music echoing through the spacious common area as the party buzzed with booze and music.

While the drunk and high teenagers danced to the music at the party, others made their way to the pool side with swim suits on.

The dimmed lights cast a warm glow, revealing a mix of heroes and friends enjoying a night off.

"Come on Barbara, you got to move those hips." Kara said as she held on to Barbara's hand, trying to get her to let loose a bit and enjoy the night.

Leaning closer to Kara as she asked, "I know you have a different metabolism from the rest of us, but do I need to worry about a drunk Kryptonian? Considering how much you drank tonight."

"Alcohol has no effect on us Kryptonians, so I can literally party till morning." She replied. "Enough about me, let's dance." Kara added before dragging Barbara to the middle of the dance floor.

"Hey, anyone seen Raven?" Dick Grayson asked Gar Logan. "I don't know man, she must be with her 'boyfriend."' Gar said, casually gesturing with an air quote as he emphasized on the word, boyfriend.

"You are probably right, but I'm a little worried since I haven't seen her in a while and something about that Tom guy just ticks off me the wrong way." Dick replied, trying to calm his paranoid nerves.

"Come on babe, let her have some fun of her own tonight, away from our nosey team." Kori said as she slowly approached him. While Gar just left for the poolside without saying a word, already having his swim suit on.

"I know it's important for her to have some fun away from the team and enjoy her private life, but I can't help but worry about who she spends her time with." Dick said, his protective nature surfacing.

"You know that she's more than capable of taking care of herself, so there's no need to worry. I'm excited to hear all about her might by morning." StarFire said with a mischievous expression on her face.

"I know she can, I guess I was just being paranoid over the strange energy I got from that Tom fellow"

"Just let it go." Kori said as she slowly closed in on him, reaching for his chest as she slowly carcassed it.

"Here's a suggestion." She said, leaning closer to his ear as she whispered. "What?" He asked with a low soft tone, already anticipating where she was heading at.

"Why don't you and I have some fun ourselves, behind closed doors." She whispered in his ear, tracing her hand down his abdomen as she grabbed on to his already erected penis.

Amidst the pulsating energy of the party, Dick Grayson's wide grin met Kori's playful demeanor. "Lead the way, your highness," he said, a spark of mischief in his eyes. She wasted no time, pushing him against a nearby wall. Their lips met in a passionate kiss, the world fading away as they surrendered to the moment.

Caught in the intensity of their make out session, she seized his hand, intertwining their fingers. With a magnetic pull, she guided him through the bustling common area towards their private room.

Their sexual tension hung heavy in the air around them as the door swung open behind her. Unfazed, they stumbled into the room, their entangled embrace breaking their fall as they landed on the bed.