Training

A day had passed since Asher's arrival and subsequent self-room-arrest. The Young Justice team, still reeling from their enigmatic new addition, desperately grasped at straws for a solution.

Suddenly, the air filled with the warm, sweet aroma of freshly baked cookies. M'gann, a radiant smile on her face, emerged from the kitchen, bearing a tray of golden goodness, "Cookies everyone." Laughter and conversation filled the lounge as everyone dug in.

"Wow, these are amazing, beautiful," Kid Flash chirped, attempting his trademark flirtation on Miss Martian. However, her innocent nature rendered his advances harmless, leaving him met with a polite smile and a continued focus on the delicious treat.

"Where's Raven?" Zatanna asked, taking a bite of the cookie and raising an eyebrow. Beast Boy, mid-conversation with Blue Beetle, transformed into a bird and landed playfully on Zatanna's shoulder. "Been wondering the same thing, yo!" he chirped, his wings fluttering playfully. Zatanna, used to his antics, simply chuckled.

"Better question," Robin interjected, typing away on his holographic screen and glancing up briefly, "won't your dad be furious you're here?"

"Why would he be?" Zatanna countered, sitting down next to Robin on the couch. A blush crept up her cheeks as she realized how close she was. "I mean, it's not like he knows," she stammered, quickly correcting herself. "It's…great having you here, I mean, with us." Robin, his face now the color of a ripe tomato, attempted to hide his embarrassment. Years of training with Batman had honed his skills in the shadows, but unfortunately, the living room offered none.

M'gann, oblivious to the awkward exchange, sat beside Superboy as he devoured a cookie. Artemis, however, watched the interaction with narrowed eyes. She marched over and took a seat on Superboy's left side, her presence a silent barrier between Superboy and M'gann. "If you don't like the cookies," she said pointedly, "I can whip up something more to your taste." she said in a flirtatious tone. "No I don't think your assistance is necessary" M'gann replied, lightning sparks in the air.

Meanwhile

Raven hovered silently in front of the door, her dark cloak swirling around her. "Planning to decorate the doorway all day?" a voice whispered, sending shivers down her spine. She whirled around, searching for the source, but found nothing.

Turning back to the door, she noticed it was ajar, an invitation hanging in the air. "Come in," the voice echoed again, this time closer.

Raven, her expression unreadable, drifted inside. The door clicked shut behind her, a subtle click that felt strangely ominous. "Surprised my room isn't all doom and gloom?" Asher Eclipse drawled, his gaze glued to a tablet as he lounged on a plush sofa.

Raven hovered motionless, her empathic senses absorbing the room. Posters of classic rock bands clashed with the minimalist furniture and the sleek, futuristic technology scattered around. Finally, her eyes landed on Asher himself. Through the haze of his calm facade, she sensed a storm of emotions: frustration, fear, a flicker of defiance.

Questions swirled within her. "Did my father send you?" she asked, her voice as sharp as the obsidian dagger strapped to her thigh. The energy emanating from him.

Asher's gaze flicked away from his tablet, meeting Raven's with a flicker of surprise. He paused, then spoke, his voice laced with uncertainty, "I don't know." The question seemed to hang in the air, almost as if he was questioning himself more than her. Raven's empathic senses picked up on this hesitation, confirming her suspicion that he wasn't a direct envoy from her father.

The energy radiating from Asher, a distorted echo of her own family's darkness, pressed down on Raven like a physical weight. She stood motionless, her shadow stretching across the room, silently absorbing his every breath. Asher, sensing the heavy silence, sat up, his gaze flickering between Raven and the door.

"Why do you ask?" His voice held a hint of curiosity, but also a taut edge of defensiveness.

Raven's eyes narrowed further, her cloak seeming to fold around her protectively. "Because the energy you carry is a twisted mirror of my own. I want answers." Her voice, though low, held an undercurrent of suppressed power.

"Ok" Asher takes control of the situation.

"My name is Asher Eclipse, what's yours?" Asher was already tired of people demanding things without actually listening, "Raven" she replied.

Asher sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, Raven," he started, his voice carefully controlled, "I just got here yesterday. I don't even know your dad, let alone what kind of 'daddy issues' you're talking about. I have my own problems, okay? This whole 'twisted mirror' thing is kind of freaking me out."

In the dimly lit room, a flicker of something unreadable passed through Raven's eyes. Her irises, the color of storm clouds, held secrets that danced on the edge of comprehension. "Then maybe explaining wouldn't hurt," she said, her voice barely a whisper, as if afraid the very air would betray her words.

Asher, the enigmatic figure across from her, leaned back into the plush armchair. His angular features were etched with shadows, and his eyes—piercing and inscrutable—held a depth that hinted at ancient knowledge. He already knew of Raven, A.K.A Rachel Roth, but he played the part of ignorance. To acknowledge her true identity, the daughter of the universe-destroying titan, big daddy Trigon, would be to invite danger. And Asher had other, more pressing concerns.

"Then by all means, have a seat," he said, gesturing to the empty space next to him. The upholstery of the sofa seemed to swallow her as she settled down, their proximity unremarkable. But Raven knew better. In this clandestine meeting, the mundane act of sitting held weight—a delicate balance between trust and suspicion.

"What do you know about magic?" Raven began, her fingers tracing the embroidered pattern on the armrest. Her words were a cautious dance, each syllable a step toward revelation. "Nothing much," Asher replied, his voice a low murmur. "Just that it can cause acts of unnatural phenomenon to take place." His gaze remained fixed on her, assessing, calculating.

"That is true," Raven conceded. "but to create such things, one would have to exchange a fueling source, that source being mystic energy, some mystic energies are different, depending on what type of mystic arts you practise-" before she could finish her explanation Asher excited interrupted her.

"Wait," he leaned forward, eyes alight. "Are you saying I can use magic?" His mind raced, visions of conjured flames and levitating objects filling the void. Raven sighed; his enthusiasm was both endearing and predictable. She nodded, affirming his thoughts

She wanted to carry on, to get to the main point of his question, but once again he spoke, "so I am guessing you are sensing your type of mystic energy on me, which made you question if I have some form of relation to you, only that I don't since I only came into existence 2 and a half weeks ago."

His next words surprised her. "If what you're saying is true," Asher mused, "then…" but everything she wanted to explain to him has already been summarised by him, which surprised her abit, 'at least he is quick on the uptake.'

"you can teach me magic" the air shifted charged with possibilities.

Raven was stunned for a moment, she came here trying to find out if Asher had anything to do with her father only to now end up being asked to teach magic? "This-" but before she could give an answer, there was a ping on Asher's watch, "To the training room now" Black Canary's word was loud and clear.

"we can continue this discussion another time, I don't think I have anything to do with your father Raven, but knowing that I have mystic energy similar to yours, means it's fate that you came to my door, I look forward to our next meeting.

With that he left his room, leaving Raven behind, who soon after followed behind him to the training room.

The other members were already there waiting for the two of them, but seeing them moving closely together, made them raise an eyebrow at how close they had gotten, but of course it could just be their imagination.

"Alright now that we are all here, it's time for combat training." Black Canary announced, with a sluterry smirk on her face.

(A/N: Guys, been a very busy week, so sorry for the short chapter, that was the reason for the double release, well it's only separated by a day to let it digest. Anyways, classic 100 power stones for next chapter, hopefully we will be back at full swing, of 2.5k+ words and above. Enjoy!!)

(A/N: Have any comments or critique comment them, anything inconsistent or wrong comment, or if you have any questions, feel free to comment as well. (Logical and somewhat positive please, not unreasonable hate.) Leave a review or share my fanfiction, Thank you all for your support!!)