The Legacy of the Shadow Wolf: The Return (Rewrite)

Chapter 1

The morning had dawned clear and cold, with a crispness that hinted at the beginning of winter. I walked through the Teen Titans Tower. It had been a few weeks since the reset of the Multiverse and the death of Oliver Queen. Things had changed. Kara, aka Supergirl, had revealed her identity to the world, and the Justice League had decided to reveal a secret team that had been working with them for five years, named Young Justice. Dick had taken the position of leader, and most of the Titans had been recruited to join as well. Jamie, Garfield, Bart, and Cassie. Cyborg had returned to the Justice League. Many of the Batfamily. Members had also joined the Young Justice team: Tim, Barbara, Stephanie, and Cassandra.

Only Starfire, Raven, Conner, Donna, and myself remained.

A familiar yet comforting presence entered my mind. I rolled my eyes as I felt a tiny push on the mental link between us. Giving in, I opened it. "What Raven?"

"Is your father coming for a visit?" Raven asked, her voice thick with tiredness.

"If so, he didn't tell me." I replied, knowing full well that it was true. I was always the last one to know anything it seemed. "Why?"

"Well, he and Dick just pulled in."

I cursed; I had been doing my best to avoid most of my family ignoring their calls and wanting to see me for Christmas. It had worked out; they hadn't pressured me or called back when I declined, but I knew my luck would run out sooner or later.

Raven coughed, and I became aware that I still had the link open. "You should sleep."

Raven made a huffing noise, and I imagined her rolling her eyes at me. "Just like you should talk to your father." Her voice was firm but was cut off by a cough.

I winced at the sound. Raven's health had been declining for a long time. Although she tried to hide it, especially from me, I could feel it; she was weak, and even though she wouldn't say anything, I knew she was beyond tired.

I had spent hours looking for anything to help her. I had even enlisted Connor's help and spent hours in her company reading, searching, and tracking down people that we hoped to know something about, but to no avail.

Although I would never tell anyone, Raven was important to me. Far more important than she should have been, and my thought of her in pain made my heart squeeze, and in a small fraction, it was like I was experiencing her pain. And it was unbearable and unimaginable to think about how much pain she was in every day.

She was something I had never expected. The one thing I wasn't prepared for in all my years of training was the one that somehow warmed her way into every fiber of my being. She was a part of me, and I was a part of her. "Rest."

I quickly turned and made my way to the elevator, Titus following behind me.

***

Once on the ground floor, Krypto meets us. He was the dog of the superfamily; Krypto was a birthday gift to Conner from Clark. Since Clark spent so much time away from the Kent farm and Krypto had to remain with his parents, Clark decided it was best for Krypto to get back to work. We had all been confused about why Clark didn't choose Kara, but when asked, Clark said Kara already had a sense of home with her, and Krypto would do well with the Titans.

"Hey." I bent down, giving him a scratch behind the ear. "Where's everyone?" Krypto whined, turning to the door of the tower.

I sighed, making my way to the door. I told Titus to stay and slipped outside. Conner was smiling and saying something to Donna that I couldn't catch. Raven stood a little off to the side, looking pale and weaker than she'd been in weeks. I raised an eyebrow as my father and Dick came into view; they were wearing formal black suits. Something they didn't do often unless it was a special occasion or event.

"Damian." My father greeted me, coming to stand a few steps away from me.

I rolled my eyes. "Why are you here?"

He frowned before shaking his head. "Can't I visit my son?"

I snorted, causing him to frown. Dick seemed to notice, reaching out to put a hand on Bruce's shoulder.

"Come on, Damian. We care about you, and that's why we're here." Dick explained, "We're throwing a Christmas party this weekend, and we thought you could join us."

Donna squealed in excitement. Conner looked eager and happy to celebrate, while Raven smiled before wincing slightly. I shook my head.

"It's Thursday."

"And you guys are welcome to stay at the manor." Bruce cut in. "Everyone will be there, Justice League and all."

Anger rose in me, my skin turning hot. Raven immediately came behind me. "It's okay, just breathe."

I wanted to scream, but it wasn't okay. Ever since the Young Justice team was founded, we hadn't gone on or had a proper mission in months. We were forced to watch as everyone else did something and got credit for it, while we were left on the sidelines.

"Damian?" Dick asked, eyeing me carefully, as if he felt my change in mood.

Conner stepped beside me, nudging me in the ribs. Not hard enough to hurt, but just hard enough for me to regain my focus.

Despite not wanting to go, I knew I had to. We all needed a change, and Christmas was around the corner. Pushing my anger down, I nodded. "We will go."

Dick and Bruce let out a sigh, which sounded like relief. "Great. Drop by whenever. Your rooms are all ready prepared."

I raised an eyebrow. All ready and prepared? Were they expecting us to say yes? These questions remained as I watched them leave. As I made my way back to my room, one thought kept repeating in my mind.

What were they planning?