Chapter 60

"I don't want to waste too much time on this, so let me ask, what's your problem with me?"

Roy didn't immediately respond to his question.

"How about helping me?"

Roy just stared at Dio as if he were trying to find the right words, or he genuinely didn't know why he didn't like Dio.

"So?"

Dio asked and tried to initiate a response.

It was already quite late, and there wasn't much light in the area where they were. However, that wasn't a problem for either of them.

Dio can see better in the dark, and Roy is trained to fight in such situations.

However, the more time they stayed here, the more likely it was that Dick would interrupt their conversation.

He would do so quickly, as he was watching them from the first-floor window.

Dio couldn't detect him in his hero suit, but since he was wearing normal clothes, he could hear the sound of his breath.

He focused a bit more to hear his heart beating at a controlled rhythm without any changes.

Dio doesn't know what kind of training Batman gave him, but Robin was so skilled that he could lower his heart rate while following or watching a target.

Finally, Dio saw Roy's lips, and he answered his question.

"There are so many issues with you that I've spent all this time summarizing them."

"Save me from this nonsense. Just speak up. Or do you not even know why you act like an idiot?"

Dio said, as he was getting a bit angry.

'If there really wasn't a real issue, the idiot was behaving like a child with me, which is worse than having a reason to hate me.'

"That's also one of your problems, the way you act, with no respect for the members of this group."

"The only one here with no respect is you. Since the day I joined you, you have all acted in a rude, ignorant, and foolish way."

With each word, Dio approached Roy a bit, and he didn't move while staring at him.

"What are you going to do? Start a fight?"

Roy asked.

Roy also came up to him and stood with his face right next to him, which was very brave.

"Come on, I guarantee that even with all these powers, you'll end up kissing the ground!"

Roy threatened.

'Well, it seems like I finally understand the reasons for his idiocy.'

"So, this is it? All this idiotic attitude is because you're insecure about me and my abilities?"

Dio asked with a mocking smile.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Roy shouted and did not move away.

'Bingo.'

"This is so stupid."

Dio said this and stepped away from him.

"What did you call me?"

Roy shouted again and placed his hand on Dio's shoulder.

Dio grabbed his hand and threw him over his shoulder, but Roy twisted in the air and gave Dio a kick that he dodged by taking a small leap backward.

Roy landed on his feet, and Dio remained in the position where he had been.

"Don't even think about walking away. Let's settle this now!"

Roy said while looking at him angrily.

"There's nothing to settle. I came here for a reason, but I must say, I'm so disappointed that this whole conversation has become pointless."

Dio said.

"What the hell are you talking about, rookie?"

Roy asked, still not understanding.

"It's quite clear now that the reason you've been acting like an idiot towards me is that you're jealous."

Dio replied.

"Jealous?"

Roy yelled, more confused than angry.

"Jealous of my powers, jealous of the one who trained me, or even jealous because I easily joined the Titans."

Dio continued.

For the first time since Dio had known him, Roy was left speechless while looking at him in bewilderment.

"I can understand that, you know. You're a human without superhuman abilities, fighting alongside superpowered beings using only your intelligence, equipment, and training."

Dio began to explain.

Seeing that he was still silent, Dio continued.

"So a younger kid with superpowers, trained by one of the world's greatest fighters and heroines, shows up and does everything you do, but in a way you can never match."

The more Dio spoke, the more damage Roy took, which caused him to take a few steps back, but he had to listen to it all.

"Living this life, coexisting, and fighting against gods and monsters must be an unimaginable pressure that I'll never understand like you, but listen to me now, Roy."

Dio approached him, grabbing his shirt and pulling him close to his eyes.

"Stop acting like a child and start acting like a man."

Dio released his shirt, and Roy fell back on his buttocks.

"Do you think you're the only one who feels this way? By all the gods, Roy, our leader is as human as you are. The Justice League has someone like you as its strategic leader, and I don't see either of them acting like you. Not because they don't understand their disadvantages compared to others, but because they acknowledge them and fight to compensate for them."

Dio walked past Roy and headed for the entrance. He didn't look back; Roy had to sort out his own shit.

Dio can't change how he sees himself or how he sees the world.

All he can do is give his opinion and pray that it's enough to lift him out of this sea of insecurity.

Dio crossed the lobby and went for the elevator. It was late, and Dio had enough excitement for one day.

He might be able to get an hour of sleep and then get back to researching how to create a spell or his plans to go into the underworld.

"That was a bit harsh."

Dick said this behind Dio.

"Someone needed to speak up, and he needed to hear it."

Dio replied without turning around, and he looked at the elevator door as it opened.

"Even so, it was a bit tough to hear, coming from one of those who fight among and against gods and monsters."

Robin continued.

Dio stepped into the elevator, turned around, and looked at Robin.

As the doors closed, I said, "That's why you have my full respect and admiration."

Dio pressed the button for the floor with the rooms and sighed out loud.

This day really needs to end.

The elevator door opened, and just as he was about to head up, Dio noticed Raven on the balcony of the floor, looking at the moon.

Dio knew she probably wanted to be alone, but he went to her anyway, opened the glass door, and stood beside her, looking at the new moon.

"How did you manage to escape Koriand'r ?"

Dio asked with genuine curiosity.

"I asked for some time to meditate."

Raven replied, still not looking at him.

"Don't get me wrong, I really like her, but..."

"She's very, very enthusiastic."

Dio finished.

"Yes."

"You're his first sister-in-arms on this planet, as she would say, so she's ecstatic, but that will calm down over time."

They fell into silence.

"Why didn't you tell them?"

Raven asked in a more serious tone.

"Tell them what?"

Dio asked with confusion.

"About who my father is."

Raven continued and still looked up at the sky.

'How, in the name of all gods, did she find this out?'

'Is she a telepath in this reality?'

Then she looked at Dio and answered.

"Don't be so startled; I can't read your mind or anything like that."

"How did you know that I knew, then?"

Dio asked.

"Batman and Green Lantern have information about him, so I figured that, and from the emotions I sensed from you in our first encounter,"

"Emotions?"

"I'm an empath; I can feel others' emotions."

Raven explained.

"I see."

'Now, how to respond? Lying would make me feel guilty and make her doubt me, so it's better to tell the truth, but not the whole truth, at least not for now.'

"I knew because of the ritual. For Trigon to enter a different dimension from yours with full power, he needs to be willingly invited by someone of your blood."

"And you never doubted me, even though you know I'm the daughter of a demon?"

Raven asked and looked back at the moon.

"Your situation made that trust stronger, and you would have reciprocated it by now if you planned to. You are a living key that can be used at any time."

"Are you going to tell them?"

"I think it's up to you to do that when you're ready."

So they stayed silent and looked at the moon for several minutes until Raven spoke again.

"Thank you."

Dio didn't reply and changed the subject to avoid making it more awkward.

"Since you're not sleeping, how about helping me?"

"With what?"

Raven asked with some curiosity.

"I'm working on a spell, but I'm running out of ideas. A new perspective can really help me. What do you think?"

"I'd be happy to."

"Let's call Koriand'r too. She doesn't understand anything about magic, but she'll agree just to be close to you."

They went back inside.

Dio went up to his room to get his notes, then came down, and the three of them gathered at the table in the small kitchen on the floor below, and they started the conversation until dawn.

...

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