Just a Stroll

Kevin Grant's pov

The doors slammed behind me. I was given briefs, a hoodie, and some sweatpants; all white. It was a cottony material, very pajama-like, but it was comfortable enough. I couldn't help but feel like a prisoner rather than a new teammate. Hell I never asked to be on this team anyways.

I was… well… I was procrastinating about joining. I needed Raven's help finding the heart err that's what my brother's called it. In a way I was planning on doing this eventually but… when someone procrastinates things don't go according to the preferred, albeit nonexistent, plan.

I just stewed at the diner the whole time. Staring at my food finally thinking about all that's coming down my way. I didn't eat, didn't talk. I just… sat there. Mixed feelings tearing me up inside.

I didn't want to be on this team. Like REALLY didn't want to. I've lost too many people before. I don't want to get close. In Vietnam no one wanted to be close. The life in their eyes were all sucked out of them and all that remained was a thousand yard stare.

The faces, the memories made me so restless I couldn't sleep. I went to the door, a garage style door that could probably take a rocket, and lifted it enough for me to squeeze out. Truth be told, I could escape right now. What would be the point though? I would be back for their help later.

I suppressed my mental signature, remembering that half a dozen psychics have my mental fingerprint. I haven't had to do it in a hundred years or so. After being sure I suppressed it as much as I could I started walking around for no reason. It's just what I did whenever I was restless.

Passing through the living room and then a hall I avoided the room with a light on. Kinda tip-toeing past, I found myself in a type of museum at the end of the hall. Passing through the mementos, two struck my eye. A memorial to a girl named Kole and then a plaque dedicated to Jason Todd.

"You don't seem like someone trying to escape."

My head flashed to the voice behind me and Raven stood there, an indifferent look on her face.

"You're lucky Hosun fell asleep. If he saw you on the cameras farting around he would have tripped an alarm."

"I'm not going anywhere Raven."

My voice was the least hostile it had been all day but she didn't care or notice, "How did you get out of your room?"

"I let myself out," I growled.

"I also noticed that you suppressed your mental footprint. How many powers do you have?"

"For people like us, our secrets are power." I answered.

We stood there in silence for a moment and she said, "You're in a lot of pain."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm an empath, I can see right through your facade." She answered, "You want to cut yourself off and not hurt anyone-"

"Raven-"

"Or not see others get hurt."

My silence was confirmation.

"I and Robin can relate to that… when you are ready."

I wasn't so I changed the topic, pointing at the memorials, "Who are these?"

"Avoiding the topic, that's to be expected. You'd think a group of kids fighting crime would have more casualties but we only had those two. Pretty good, don't you think?"

"Who was Kole? She was pretty."

"She…" failing to hide the disdain in her voice she said, "she was a close friend of Jericho's."

I pointed at the memento behind me, "And that?"

"Something from Vandal Savage. An immortal from the caveman days. Skilled in weapons and had a healing factor whenever he cannibalized someone from his bloodline."

I pointed at something else, "And-"

"Enough Kevin. Go back to your room."

It was an order, and I never took orders from no man. (Yeah that's a double negative-bite me.) She however, was a woman. The order was also a surprisingly soft spoken one. Her eyes seemed to understand, most likely because she can literally see my emotions. It was a little unnerving.

"I err, okay I guess."

"And please drop the facade. Those aggravate me so much."

As I was walking away, Raven added, "They used to distrust me at times. They'll come around."

"And if I don't want them to?" I replied, not even looking back.

"Your emotional auras say otherwise."