'Date'

Leo coughed on his apple juice, Raven laughing as she marked her spot with a marker before closing the book and resting it on her lap.

Leo cleared his throat, gathering his confidence and self, he leaned back, putting his arm over the back of the couch behind her, his face serious as he sipped his apple juice.

''Technically, you mean today. As it is now technically Monday, and I technically need to wake up in.'' Leo checked his watch that appeared on his wrist, a highly advanced digital watch that used satellites to update the time.

Why?

Batman.

''Seven hours, seven and a half if I use my new moped.''

''You... You bought a Moped?'' Raven asked with a raised brow.

''I thought about getting a Motorcycle, but when I was staring at them through the window, there she was. Beauty incarnate... Truth is I just wanted a Moped because it would be funny, and Bruce asks us to spend 'freely' when it comes to select things.''

''And a Moped is on that list.''

''Well, he allowed the purchase so.'' Sips apple juice.

''Well, as I was saying, there is a full moon tonight, and after some divination practice, I received a reading. 'You will Receive good luck, getaway, Leo.''

''Ah, so you want to use me for a witch-related ritual? Sure.''

''It means you got to take a day off school.'' Raven added.

Leo flinched like he was struck with a physical blow, raising a hand to grip his chest.

''OH THE HUMANITY, Missing school?! ME?! But I'm a straight-A student, I've never missed a day, NAY, A SECOND! Yeah sure, Bruce will let me get away with a few days as long as my studies don't falter and I show up at least once a month.''

''Wait... You only have to appear once a Month?'' Raven asked, suspicious as to why he let Leo so free.

''Well, in technicality I am older than sixteen, I'm good at social cues and gatherings, and I actually AM a straight-A student. Why is it when I do what is asked of me and a little bit extra that you guys are always surprised that Bruce lets me off? It's almost like not getting on the bad side of one of the scariest mother fuckers in the universe is a good idea.''

She lightly hit his arm before she spoke.

''I don't care what we do on this date, even if it's just hero work, I just need to spend the day with you.''

''I am, honored. I get to hang out with a hot goth sorceress all day, AND I get to choose what we do? This might be the story I tell my grandkids, right after I make sure they can choke out a bear at four years old.''

''Four?''

''Four years for four limbs, I know. I'm generous.'' Leo chuckled as he finished his apple juice, tossing the bottle across the room into the glass recycling bin from across the entirety of the open-concept area.

''Computer, Code Leo04 Monday.''

''Of course, Leo, marking you absent from school for Monday. Sending a message to the main computer.'' Spoke a voice from around them.

''You have a code specifically for taking days off?''

''Beats needing to call in myself, and it automatically updates the big guy so I don't need to... Three, two... One.''

His watch vibrated and he turned his wrist towards him, a holographic screen appearing from his fancy digital watch.

Batman's face was on it, but seeing who was around, the hologram faded to show Bruce.

''Is it important?'' Bruce asked, though he didn't seem too worried to begin with.

''I'm going on a date with Raven.''

Bruce raised a brow before he nodded. ''Alright, do you want to borrow a car?''

''Sure, the charger?'' Leo asked, it was one of his favorites of the many cars they owned as 'Waynes'

''Go ahead, it was just refueled and cleaned, do you need money?''

''No, unlike some people we know, I actually save my allowance pretty frequently.''

''Good, but come into my office tomorrow morning, there is something I need to discuss with you, and a friend wants to finally meet you.''

Leo nodded, Bruce looked about to hang up before he stopped. Thinking a moment before he turned back to Leo. ''Goodnight Leo, get some sleep.''

The call ended and Leo was frozen. It took him a moment to look towards the bedrooms.

''Might raid Nightwings stash after all.''

''No drinking before our date, why did that surprise you so much?'' Raven asked.

''Uh... Guess I'm just not used to it, genuine care that is, at least at that level, especially from him, or I guess anyone for that matter.''

''Tell me about your first life, I'm used to experiencing the lives of others through dreams, but it would be nice to listen for once.''

''Oh... Where to start? Well, I was born to a Mother of three in Colorado and ended up getting put into the system. Bounced from house to house, but never really had any bad experiences since I kept my head down and didn't get in their way, never had any good really either. Ended up in New York, and met my future best friend, a guy named Alex, great guy, a bit quiet, and kept to himself.''

Leo leaned back fully, putting his arms over the back of the couch as he stretched out his legs, passively watching the T.V. as he spoke.

''He had a dream to join the army, fight for his country, or at least be able to legally kill people, I had nothing going on so I joined him, I always kept in good shape, had my fair share of girlfriends, or flings while in the military. It was... A week after my first official tour finished, me, Alex and a few of the guys from our platoon were bar hopping after we relaxed a bit, enjoying our nice paychecks, I remember getting a drink in the club, eyes got blurry. Thought I either had too much, or I was roofied or something, but when I came out onto the street for a cigarette, everything cleared up, felt really good actually.''

''Was across the street from this theatre or something, say two parents and their kid enter the alley that I was near, then a guy followed them in, at first I didn't hear anything, but then I heard what sounded like yelling so I turned to look. The guy that followed them was rob-...''

Leo's brows furrowed, he didn't have the best, or perfect memory or anything, especially since he had been heavily drinking that night, but why did that sound so familiar?

Leo stood up, his mind becoming slightly muddled as the confusion in him grew.

He almost tripped over the table but steadied himself, whatever Raven was saying was lost to him as he began to type into the computer.

Pulling up the records of the Wayne Family murder.

It wasn't hard information to get, it was quite public, but the information he was seeing wasn't the same as he remembered.

''Wayne Family shot dead in alley due to robbery gone wrong, leaving young Bruce Wayne alone, Casualties include one Adult female and... Two adult males.''

Some quick search showed that whoever had died that night didn't seem to have any public records, but had dog tags and was dressed in a military uniform, the name on the tags was 'Leo West'

Leo stood there, staring at the screen for a moment before the world seemed to become clear again, his mind refocusing as Raven's voice finally made its way into his ears, only for his head to be forcibly turned to make him look at her.

''Leo, are you okay? Usually, your emotions are pretty in check, but I've never felt that kind of confusion come out of you... Actually, I've never sensed that kind of confusion from anyone before what's going on?''

Leo stood straight, raising a hand to rub his face. ''Sorry, yeah I'm good. Just came to the sudden realization that I was there when Bruce's parents were murdered but in my original body... I think I traveled to this world before that night at the docks... But why did I only wake up there then? A lot of questions, we did a lot of research into my past, but until that day at the docks, I didn't exist. We needed to make a new identity for me, falsified records and everything.''

Leo rubbed at his face a bit harder before he looked at her. She still looked worried.

''I'm fine, just going to go lay down, I have to talk to him in the morning anyway, so I'll bring it up then... Pick you up at your place at 10?''

She watched him for a moment, he could feel her magic brush against him, her mind making sure he was truly fine before she seemed to leave it alone for now, instead, she seemed to conjure a talisman that she placed into his hand, closing his hand around it.

''A talisman for good sleep and gentle dreams, keep it under your pillow for tonight, I'll see you at 10.'' She pats his hand softly before conjuring her book and blanket to her, stepping through a portal shortly after, leaving Leo alone in the room.

He turned to look at the article again, rereading it once more before he closed it out and let the computer go back to resting.

He needed some sleep.

--------------------------------------------

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