CH. 10: HOME SWEET HOME

After stepping through the portal, the Titans were rewarded with the sight of the Tower plaza. The plaza that had a couple small craters, broken slabs of concrete, shards of glass, a fallen tree and a shattered fountain spewing water in every direction. "Damn!" Cyborg did a double take. "Did…did I…did we…?"

"Wonder Woman threw me through that fountain," Jaime explained, pointing out the battered scenic display.

"Well, in her defense…"

"Yeah, yeah," Garfield waved it off. "Demonic possession and all that. We get it."

"Still though…" He rubbed the back of his head.

"Erm," Damian grunted as a bolt of pain shot through his abdomen.

"Let's get everyone inside," Kori said as Raven helped Damian walk towards the lobby. "We still need to check on Batman."

When they arrived in the infirmary, they found Batman was sitting in a reclined position on one of the beds, but he was awake and coherent. That was a good sign. When they walked in, the first thing Batman noted was that his son was wounded, but it didn't appear to be too serious. That filled Bruce with relief.

The second thing he noted was that Raven was with them. That could mean only one thing. "I take it you were successful?" He asked the group.

"Trigon has been sealed," Raven explained as she helped Damian up onto the other bed in the room. "All his minions should be dormant now."

"You're certain he won't escape, again?"

"I'll be keeping a constant watch on him," she said holding out the shard. "He won't be a problem."

"We've got it covered, father," Damian reassured him as he removed his cape. At that moment, Cyborg stepped up to Batman and scanned his vitals.

"Blood pressure is a little high and heart rate is on the low side for normal," he explained. "But, considering you had a near lethal dose of nerve toxin in your system," he shot him a glare "which was crazy, even for you! All in all, you're looking good."

"Then I'd best get back to the Hall," he said as he hopped down. "We'll need to run scans and compile data to make sure Trigon's forces really are gone." He looked down to Raven. "I'll take your word, but I like to verify things myself." He then looked to Cyborg who opened a Boom-Tube to the Hall in Metropolis.

"Just send us the bill," Victor said to Kori as they made for the portal.

"Medical bill?" Batman asked.

"Landscaping," Cyborg clarified as they stepped through. Once the portal was closed Raven turned back to Robin.

"He didn't even ask if you were okay," she said as he removed his mask.

"He didn't have to," Damian explained. "If I'm up and walking he knows I'm fine. And we are in a state of the art medical facility."

"He's got a point," Kori nodded. "Raven," she turned to him. "Can you check on Garfield and Jaime? Have them run a patrol in the city. We need to reassure the citizens that everything is under control."

"I can do that," she nodded before turning back to Damian. She gently patted his forearm and gave him a soft smile. "Thanks." And with that she turned and left the med bay.

When Raven smiled at him, Damian felt a weird, warm feeling coming from her. It felt gentle, like a soft breeze coming in from the sea. He never felt something like that, but he liked it.

XXXXX

After Beetle and Beast Boy left for their patrol Raven went down to the plaza and, using her magik, removed the larger pieces of debris. She also cleared away the broken glass. No sense in letting their front yard looking like a warzone. They'd contract repair crews to come out and fix all the damage the next day.

As she was clearing away the debris, Raven was thinking how best to keep Trigon contained. Clearly leaving the shard alone, even in the Tower, would be too great a risk. But, how could she keep constant watch on him? It was a conundrum that she had trouble figuring out. With these thoughts in mind she began to walk back inside. As she reached the front door, she paused as she heard a vehicle approach.

She turned to see a Bat-Mobile pull up, swerving to miss the craters. The canopy opened and Nightwing jumped out. "Looks like I missed the party," he said as he walked up to her.

"You could say that," she nodded. "Everything has been resolved."

"Who did all this?" Nightwing asked as he surveyed the damage. "I came by to check on Damian and…"

"Short version: demons possessed the Justice League and we had to fight them. We eventually freed them and stopped the Devil from destroying the world."

"O-kay," Dick drawled. "I guess I'll have to get the long version from Kori. Do you know where I can find her?"

"She should still be in the infirmary," she explained. "She's unharmed. But Damian took a sword strike." She saw the concern flash across his face. "Relax. It's not too serious. He fought his grandfather in Hell. If it wasn't for him, we might have failed." At that moment, she had an epiphany. 'Damian might have an idea on how to watch Trigon.' She then motioned for Nightwing to go inside.

When they got to the infirmary, Kori was just finishing up stitching Damian's wound. It wasn't deep, but it did need to be closed-up to prevent blood loss and infection. This meant he was now shirtless, the blood-soaked garment lying next to his discarded mask, thus exposing his torso for Raven to take in. As she noted his physique, she couldn't help but feel a warmth flooding into her face.

His abs were nicely sculpted, but not 300-style. More natural and refined than over-exaggerated. The same was true for his chest area and biceps. He wasn't as muscular as some other guys, he was more streamlined. This didn't surprise her. Damian was more of a speed fighter and therefore stamina and agility were more important that brute force. He was still plenty strong, though. He just didn't have big muscles.

"Heard you've had an interesting first week on the job," Nightwing said as he stepped up to Damian's side, opposite Starfire.

"Nothing I couldn't handle," his 'little brother' replied.

"Of course, it wasn't," Dick smiled, folding his arms. "Because battling demonic entities and hell-fiends was definitely part of the curriculum in the League of Assassins."

"Not that you would know," Damian shot a smirk back at him. "Er," he winced as Kori made another stich.

"Sorry," she said as she continued.

"I took the cut," Damian wiped some sweat off his brow. "I can take the stitch." He looked over as Nightwing prepared to say something. "Shut up." Grayson just snorted as held in a laugh.

"I came by to see how you were doing and what do I find? You. Almost disemboweled by Ra's al-Ghul?" He then looked to Kori as she finished tying off the stitch. "What's that all about?"

"I'll tell you about it in the main room," she explained. "Damian needs some rest now. We just got back from Hell." She then led him to the door.

"That's the second time someone mentioned 'hell'," he raised an eyebrow as they exited. "I'm guessing that's part of the story?" The door closed behind him.

When the door closed, Raven sat down in the chair Kori was just occupying. She examined the stitches on his abdomen. The cut had been made right between the two lower ribs. Thankfully his armored uniform prevented the blade from cutting any deeper and disemboweling him. "It could be worse," Damian said as he saw her concern. "And grandfather was one of the best swordsmen in the world."

"I guess that make you the best then?" Raven shot him a grin. "Now that he's…you know…?"

"I…guess…" He said as new emotions bubbled up. His grandfather, his hero, his mentor…this whole time he was an agent of evil. Just like everyone had told him. He didn't want to believe it. But, he wasn't surprised. 'I guess I knew the whole time,' he said to himself. 'I just didn't want it to be true.'

"Sorry," Raven said as she felt his melancholia. "I didn't mean to…"

"No," he shook his head. "I'm sorry." This confused her. Why was he apologizing. "He's the one who let Trigon out…" He then explained what Ra's had told him and how he came to that conclusion. "He wasn't an actual demon; therefore, he could touch the crystal. He freed Trigon, and in exchange…"

"I understand," Raven cut him off. "But, you're not responsible," she said patting his forearm. "You shouldn't apologize for his actions."

"But, you were right about him," he replied. "So was father, and Grayson and everyone else. He was evil. I just…" he closed his eyes and forced himself not to cry. "I just didn't want to believe it!" Raven simply scooted up, drew her hood back and placed her hand on his temple. Her hand glowed blue as she showed him some of the scenes from her dreams.

"For the past few weeks, I've been having visions in my dreams," she explained as he saw the glowing eyes. "I was having other dreams, nightmares, before that. They were warning me of Trigon and I tried to ignore them. I shouldn't have. If I hadn't I might've been able to stop all this." Then she showed him her other visions. The ones about the two swordsmen. "But, then, I saw this…" He saw a red cloaked swordsman vowing to protect her and then battling another swordsman in a black cloak and black armor. He recognized the armor as his grandfather's instantly. "It was a premonition…While the other visions were warnings about Trigon, these were trying to tell me that I wasn't alone in my fight. I now know that the Red Knight is you, Damian." She then showed him her perspective of the battle in Hell. He saw her watch him fight Ra's and then walk to the shards. "I had all but given up hope. I felt weak and helpless. But, as I saw you fight your grandfather, desperately trying to buy me time, I felt empowered. Your courage gave me the strength and confidence I needed." He then saw her rise up and caste the spell to seal Trigon. "If it wasn't for you, we would've failed." On that note, the visions ceased.

Raven removed her hand from his head. Combined with their experience in Hell, sharing her visions with him now made their sub-conscious, psychic bond permanent. The other day, she would've been opposed to such a bond. But, now, she wouldn't want to trade it for the world. The bond was what enabled her to feed off Damian's courage and win the day. And even if it wasn't, she still would not regret this bond with her new friend.

"I…I felt…" Damian struggled to find the words. "I felt everything…everything that you…" He looked to her. "What's going on?" He asked her, his eyes narrowing like they did whenever he cued in on something critical. "Why have I been sensing you and what you're thinking?"

"I'm afraid that's my fault," she explained. She then explained how she healed him when he got blasted by Beetle during their spar. "Your emotions were running wild, and, coupled with my unfamiliarity with you, I accidentally created this link, this bridge, as I healed your injury. It's not something that usually happens," she explained, holding her upper arms in embarrassment. "And I should've been able to prevent it but…" She just shrugged.

"Nothing that can't be fixed now," Damian shrugged too. "Can it?" She shook her head. "Well, it could've been worse." She looked up at him. The corner of his mouth upturned in a smirk, "I could've been healed by Beast Boy." Raven couldn't help but laugh at that.

As she giggled, Damian moved to get off the bed. He grabbed a fresh t-shirt that had been left out for him and covered himself. He then slowly got down and started out, Raven at his side. "Have you figured out a way to monitor the crystal?" He asked her as they headed for the elevator.

"I was hoping you might have some ideas," she explained. "I don't want to leave the crystal unattended. That would invite trouble."

"Can't you keep it on you?" He asked as they got on board. "I mean…" he looked at her from head to toe. He couldn't help but note the shape of her legs, how her leotard hugged her hips, her flat belly or her pronounced…mammaries. He blushed as he realized he had been ogling. He hoped she didn't sense that. "I-I don't see any pockets…or…you know…" Unfortunately for him, Raven did sense something. She could feel an appreciative sense of wonder as he looked at her. She fought a small blush. But, then, what he said sparked an idea.

"I can think of something," she said as the elevator came to a stop at their floor.

XXXXX

The next day, Cyborg arrived to direct the repair work to the Tower. He insisted on it. Not that Garfield or Jaime objected; they thought he was cool. Damian didn't mind him either. Out of the members of the Justice League, he got along with him the best. Probably because he was the youngest, technically only eighteen years old, and he was the most laid back.

Damian kept his activities limited lest his stitches tear. Even if he wanted to do more training, he had 'watchers'. Knowing his propensity for mischief, of the Bat-Family variety, he was either being watched by Nightwing, Starfire or Raven. Of the three of them he preferred Raven since she didn't constantly nag him like Kori, or tell him to take it easy like Grayson. He wasn't stupid, he wasn't going to rip his stitches.

Over the next week, he also kept an eye on Raven. He knew she had Trigon under control, but, like his father, he believed in 'trust but verify'. Some would call this 'paranoia', he'd call it being prudent. She had taken to keeping the sharp affixed to her forehead like a chakra point. This enabled her to keep an eye on him without having to be devoted to it all day. She'd only need her regular meditation to keep it under control. Still, Damian kept watch, just in case.

Raven, Rachel Roth to the public, didn't mind his 'monitoring'. Since she could sense it, she knew where his concerns really lay. She also knew that, if the worst-case scenario were to happen, she could count on him to have her back. Knowing that, she felt confident that, together, they could keep Trigon sealed for all time.

She seemed to be doing well and he didn't sense any amount of worry, or apprehension coming from her. She later explained that Trigon attempted to force his way out, but his power seemed to taper off with every attempt. Now he'd all but given up. At first, she thought that maybe he was trying to lure her into a false sense of security, Damian agreed this would've been a good strategy. "That might be true," Raven agreed as she meditated while he worked some weights, exercising his biceps. "Except I've been examining the latent energy within the shard. He can't hide his power within the crystal. And I've been noticing that it's been declining even without him exerting it."

"Maybe being separated from his realm," Damian theorized, "cut off from his natural environment, weakens him. Similar to when Superman is taken into a room with the radiation from a red dwarf. He slowly loses power." That made sense to Raven. Still, until she was certain, she'd keep the shard where it was. Trigon still had a lot of power and it could be years before he was completely depleted of energy.

XXXXX

Eight days after defeating Trigon, Damian got a call from his father. His stitches had been removed that day; he healed quickly. He was still sore with his muscles still rebuilding themselves. That and his fractured rib was still healing. He was taking calcium supplements and they helped the healing process, but it still took time. It'd be another week before he'd be allowed to go back on patrol. Cyborg had also just finished overseeing the repairs to the plaza. He had almost become a common sight around here, chill and friendly, unlike some members of the Justice League.

"The toxin has been fully flushed from my system," Batman explained. "Wonder Woman and Flash have reported back that Themyscira, Europe and the American Midwest are clear. No signs of any demonic activity."

"Beetle reports the same for Jump City," Damian added. "And Nightwing has just finished canvassing the rest of the west coast. Aside from an unrelated incident involving a pagan couple in Seattle that got themselves possessed by prankster deities, he reports nothing."

"And the pagans?"

"Apparently the deities that possessed them just wanted some 'shore leave', as Nightwing explained. A few nights of hell raising and they left to go back. The couple self-admitted themselves to a psychiatric ward." His father nodded. Nothing to be concerned about.

"Superman is checking out the western pacific," Batman explained, moving on. "It's looking like the crisis is over."

"You haven't asked about the shard," Damian spoke up.

"Anything significant?"

"Nothing new," was his reply. "Trigon appears to still be losing power. How long until he's powerless, Raven doesn't know. Probably years." He looked to the side hesitantly.

"What is it?" Batman asked, seeing the reluctance on his son's face.

"It's nothing important," he replied. Still, his father looked at him and, being the 'World's Greatest Detective', he knew what Damien was thinking.

"It's about Raven," the Dark Knight deduced. "Isn't it?"

"It's nothing to be concerned about," Damian tried to brush it off.

"Personal attachments can be dangerous, Damian," he advised him. "They can be used against you, leave you exposed. Even used to force you to do something against your will."

"It's not like that, father," he shot back. "I-I just…"

"I'm not saying 'don't have attachments'," his father explained. "Just be careful with them. And don't make the mistakes I did." Damien nodded and took a deep breath.

"You remember what you told me? When I first became Robin? About leading humanity?"

"That you have to be a part of it?" Damian nodded.

"I…I think I understand it now," he explained. "And…I think it's better that I stay with the Titans."

"Are you sure?" Batman asked, his head rising in curiosity. "I think you've proven you can work with a team. Wonder Woman thinks you'd be a good fit in the Justice League."

"No offense," Damian smirked, "but the JL is a little too rigid for me. I don't think it'd be for the best. I need to learn how to be a kid, first."

"I understand," Batman allowed himself a little smirk. At that moment, Aquaman arrived in the Hall. Batman noted his arrival. "I have to go. Take care of yourself, Robin." Damian nodded and the feed was killed. He saw a familiar form in the reflection of the screen.

"How long have you been standing there?" He asked as he stood up.

"Since 'leading humanity'," Raven replied as she stepped down into the common room with him. She had two plates of lunch, chicken casserole. "Did it have something to do with Ra's?"

"In a way," Damian replied as he took one of the plates and sat down. Raven took the seat opposite him. "Back when I first became Robin, my mother was captured by Deathstroke. We were on our way to rescue her. Back then I was always going on about taking over the League of Assassins and leading humanity into a better future. And if that meant killing, then so be it. But, father asked 'how could I expect to lead humanity if I was never a part of it'."

"Very poignant," Raven said as she took a bite of her food. "What did you think about it?"

"It made me realize that I had a lot to learn," he replied as he began to eat.

"And you think you can learn that here?"

"I think we can both agree that my biggest weakness are my social skills," Damian replied.

"That's one way of putting it," Raven smirked. "That's like saying a shaved bear is a disturbing sight." Damian's imagination was complimented by the sight of Garfield shape shifting into such a monstrosity. Apparently, that was a prank he was fond of pulling.

"Shut up." He retorted to which Raven giggled.

XXXXX

Two days later, Kori summoned the Titans to the main room for a call with the Justice League. Damian was already there, reading a book about the Devil's Brigade's assault on La Defencia in Italy during World War II. Raven was on the roof meditating but was easily able to abbreviate it to come down. Jaime and Garfield were playing an NBA game down in the rec-room, reluctantly pausing it report in.

When they arrived, the group lined up as the call went through to the Hall of Justice. Jaime and Garfield stood to Kori's right with Damian to her left, Raven at his side. In the week since their battle in Hell the two have been almost inseparable. Robin had just gotten the approval to do some 'light training' again. He celebrated by joining Raven in the simulator this morning.

What they found was that, due to their psychic bridge, they could coordinate their attacks with almost instinctive ease. Just like they had done in Hell. Kori noticed this and decided that Robin was best suited to be teamed with either Raven or Blue Beetle for big fights. She herself would be needed to coordinate the fights and Garfield was more of the direct attack type, just like Robin. He'd need to be paired with the ranged combatants. Thankfully, it seemed he could work with them both.

Back to the conference call, Kori knew this was the crucial moment when they'd learn if the Trigon Incident was indeed over. They all knew it was, but this would make it official. After this, they could stand down from an emergency footing and resume their normal patrols.

On the screen, Batman was in the center with Superman over his right shoulder. Wonder Woman was over his left with Flash just behind her. "Aquaman, and Shazam have completed their patrols, as have elements of USSOCOM, British and Australian SAS and GSG-9, who have shared the results of their special reconnaissance units."

"Sounds like a multinational affair," Beetle commented.

"This was a crisis that could've affected the whole world," Batman explained. "And even the Justice League doesn't have the resources to canvas the entire planet in under a week. Regardless, all parties have completed their surveys. I've sifted through all the data," he finally got to his point, "and found no signs of the corruptors in the ten days since our encounter with Trigon."

"In other words," Superman chimed in with a proud smile, "great work, Titans."

"Your determination and teamwork saved the world," Wonder Woman added as Damian shared a knowing look and smile with Raven. She smiled back, glad that she had such a loyal friend as Damian. She also starting to think of him as 'cute' in a moody teen kind of way. "And us," Diana added as well, remembering that they themselves had been corrupted. The Titan's had saved their bacon and then the world. She'd never forget that. "You should be very proud of them, Kori." Starfire bashfully shrugged at the compliment. She was indeed proud of them, but the praise still embarrassed her.

"As are we," Batman added evenly. Damian knew that last bit was more for him than anyone else. He felt pride at making his father proud, and hearing him admit it. But, just as the 'moment' had arrived, it was shattered.

A Boom-Tube surprised everyone as it opened up behind the Titans. "Hey, guys!" Cyborg called out as he stepped form the tube. He was holding a pair of pizza boxes, one in each hand, like he was delivering war trophies. In a way he kind of was and his grin was as wide as the portal. Truth was he enjoyed hanging out with the 'kids', it was more fun around them than in the 'majors'. "It's pizza night! Boom-Tube Delivery, less than thirty-!" He finally noticed that he had interrupted an important call. "…minutes." His shoulders slumped in embarrassment.

The Titans were all locked on him in surprise while Superman had a look of surprise that quickly turned to indignation. Wonder Woman's face remained frozen in silent surprise/confusion as well. Flash looked like he'd been betrayed. And Batman…he remained stoic. He was Batman, after all. He had a reputation to uphold. "Carry on, Titans," Batman said as the team looked back at him. Thankfully, he ended the call right there lest it become…uncomfortable. But, it was too late for that.

"Okay," Cyborg sighed, "that was awkward."

"Enough talk!" Jaime exclaimed as the teens rushed to the food bearer. "Let's eat!" Damian would never admit it, but pizza had become his favorite food since Alfred had ordered some for him a couple weeks after he first arrived at Wayne Manor.

He grabbed himself a slice before taking a seat near the window that overlooked the bay. He was soon joined by Raven. Kori also noted that they seemed to prefer each other's company. Damian preferred their 'intelligent conversations' to those with Garfield or even Jaime. And Raven saw it as her duty to her friend to help him open up.

Little did anyone know that their friendship was only just beginning. And no one could've predicted that it would help forge the future.

...The Titans Will Return!