Not Part of the Job [REVISION]

9. Surprise

An annoyed expression was noticeable on Damian's face as he read the spam of text messages sent from his mother.

[The mission is taking quite a while. Is everything okay?]
[I am pleased with your side missions, habibi. I trained you well.]
[Your grandfather is growing anxious. Have you made progress with the demon?]

"What's got you in a sour mood?" Garfield decided to ask as he ate his breakfast.

Damian jumped at the sudden question, unaware of being the other boy's attention span. "I saw something unsettling on the news."

"Oh," Garfield said and shrugged it off as he continued to inhale his bowl of cereal.

Damian let out a small sigh before getting up from his seat and disposing of his dirty dish.

Raven watched him through the corner of her eyes, an uncertain expression on her face.

—

"Next!"

Koriand'r kindly gestured for Raven to approach her as they stood on the training ground. Behind her was an exhausted Garfield.

"That wasn't... fair," Garfield rasped as he sat on the ground, changing back to his human form.

"You're just mad you got your ass kicked," Jaime laughed as he received a glare from the younger boy.

Damian watched intently as Raven got into a fighting stance, sharing an equally confused expression as Koriand'r.

"You're not using your powers today?" Koriand'r questioned, cocking her head sideways.

Raven nodded, a determined look in her eyes. "I want to expand my skills."

Koriand'r smiled at this before matching her stance. "Alright. Let's begin."

After taking a couple of strikes, Raven finally managed to catch the other girl off guard and knock her to the ground, earning shocked expressions from the rest of the team. Damian swallowed thickly as the move she'd just preformed played over in his head. That was his move.

Damian caught her gaze for a brief moment before she averted her eyes.

A proud smile made its way to Raven's lips at her accomplishment before reaching her hand out to Koriand'r. "I win."

Koriand'r took her hand and got to her feet, unsure of how to react. "That was... impressive. Where did you learn that?"

"I've been training," Raven answered and helped brush the dirt off from the other girls uniform. "I suppose combat skills are just as useful as my powers after all."

Koriand'r smiled at the younger girl. "Good work. I'm proud of you."

As Koriand'r challenged Jaime next, Damian slowly made his way toward Raven, who was standing alone in the sideline.

"That was my move," he stated, not giving her time to process the words before questioning her. "How did you execute it so... flawlessly?"

Raven met his daze before answering. "I may have practiced it a few times. I wanted to see if it was as efficient as you spoke of."

"Of course it's efficient," Damian retorted and crossed his arms over his chest. "Everything I teach is of value."

Raven copied his movement with a raised eyebrow. "Is fighting all you know how to do?"

Damian froze at her question while he pondered his response. He cleared his throat before answering, his voice unsteady. "No."

Violet eyes traced his body gestures, easily spotting a lie. However, to his surprise, she didn't push him any further. "Good. You shouldn't be a fighting machine. Let loose a little."

The words surprised him, but he remained still and watched as she turned on her heels. "Just don't be like Garfield," she added with a small laugh before retreating to the tower.

As he watched her back, her words echoed in his head.

—

Raven made her way to her dark bedroom and shut the door behind her, a sad smile on her lips as she made her way towards the bed.

Despite what she knew was her fate, she couldn't deny that her feelings were beginning to change. Instead of using her free time to practice pointless spells and read, perhaps she could try to practice what she preached. Let loose.

Damian would make the perfect excuse. Forcing him to have some fun would distract her from the harsh reality she never wanted to face. It was a win—win situation.

After glancing at the clock and debating on her decision, she finally rose to her feet and headed for her door, mentally preparing herself to step out of her comfort zone.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped out the door and made her way down the hallway and to his bedroom door. Hesitantly, she reached a hand up and knocked on the steel door.

Without saying a word, Raven heard footsteps from the other side and befriend she could back away the door slid open.

"Yes?"

Raven cleared her throat before speaking. "Get ready and meet me in the lounge."

Damian rose an eyebrow at the sudden order, a face full of confusion as he met her gaze. "May I ask why?"

It took every ounce of her strength to remain calm and collected as she answered him. "Because, we are going to have some mandatory fun."

With that, Raven made her way back to her room and left Damian there, not giving him a choice in the matter.

After she closed her door, she leaned against it and let out a sigh of relief. As she began to get dressed, a smile curled on her lips as she replayed the words in her head.

Mandatory fun.