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

Chapter 3

RAVEN

I watched Damian leave. Fear was surrounding him, flowing off him in waves. I wanted to go after him, but Bruce placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. I look up at him. His face was creased with worry, and sadness echoed within his heart. I realized that Bruce and so many others were worried for Damian, especially Bruce and Dick.

They were just as worried about him as I was. They didn't need us to come for the Christmas party; they just wanted to spend time with him. Time that Damian rejected. And they were hurt; they didn't know why or how to communicate with him. I had always been close to Damien because our pasts were relatable to each other. My father had wanted to use me to destroy the world, while Damian was intended to rule it.

I offered a small nod, laying a gentle hand on Dick's arm. We locked eyes, and without a second thought, he and Bruce went after Damian.

Alfred patched Conner's nose. It was very strange to watch a Kryptonian wince in pain. Damian had shut our link down; I couldn't feel him, and that worried me.

Donna looked at me, her eyes scanning my face. I looked around, trying to see what was wrong, but I couldn't find what she wanted. After an hour, we were in the living room. Donna and Conner sat on the couch watching a movie, stuffing popcorn in their mouths. Barbara, Stephanie, and Cassie sat together in the other room, playing a card game.

Jason and Tim were absent. They had decided to go on patrol since neither Bruce nor Dick had returned. Duke was at a friend's house to study for an upcoming test. I stood looking out into the vast land, trying to find any movement as an indication of Damian's return.

I tapped my fingers against my thigh; the minutes seemed to drag on for hours, and by the time dinner was laid out, Worry had climbed up my throat, and I tried pushing against the invisible wall separating our minds, but Damian had locked it down tight.

Titus laid his head on my lap, whimpering. I gently stroked his jet-black fur. A small smile graced my lips as Titus nuzzled farther into me.

***

DAMIAN

I had gotten 20 minutes into my jog when I heard my father and Dick call out for me. I was in no mood to talk to them and made that apparent as I ignored them and continued on with my run, but soon they appeared on both of my sides, my father on my right and Dick on my left.

To my surprise, they didn't say anything for at least another 10 minutes, until finally I slowed my pace and stopped for a breath. I could run for a long distance at times without getting tired or out of breath. It was something I learned in my training. It was quiet as we stood there, all three of us.

They shared a knowing look before my father opened his mouth and started speaking. "Look, Damian, we know that things are very awkward between all of us, but we want to spend time with you. We can't do that if you don't let us."

Rage bubbled inside of me, but I pushed it down. I didn't need someone else to end up like Conner. "Now you care?" I said with venom in my voice, "It's been months, and you're just now asking to spend time with me?"

They looked confused and shocked. I scoffed, turning around. "Just leave me alone like you always do."

Before I could get very far, my father gripped my arm, not in a group that would hurt but in a firm grip that kept me from going anywhere. "What do you mean, like we always do?" He stared at me, his eyes almost pleading for me to talk. I avoided my gaze and focused behind him, where Dick stood. I bit the inside of my cheek; call me a girl or whatever. I don't care, but I didn't want to face either of them.

"Look at me." I turned my gaze upward, meeting his. I'm surprised to see the raw emotion in his eyes—something I don't oddly see, but when I do, it's a very weird feeling. "We can't help you if you don't talk to us."

"I'm not a child." I hissed, wrenching myself out of his grip.

"No one's saying you are." Dick said, "But we're worried about you. You are not Damian. I know that you are capable right now. I worked beside you for 4 years. I know something is bothering you, so tell us."

"You left me alone!" I scream, "The second you got the opportunity to join everybody else, you just left me and forgot about me and my team." They looked surprised at my outburst, but I didn't give them a chance to interrupt before I continued. "You are my brother, and even though I didn't say it, it hurt me to know that you just decided to leave me by myself. Everybody else in this family got to join you on the team, but you just left me out."

It was silent for a while. The only thing I could hear was my own labored breathing. I wanted to run away, but I couldn't. I had said what had been eating at me for months, and I had to confront it. I had to confront these emotions before they ate me alive.

"Damian..."

"Just forget it." I interrupt, turning back to continue my run. Without a word, I take off, making my way through the gardens and through the trees beyond the gate. They don't follow me, but they don't leave me in any sense either.

By the time I come back to the manor, it's really late. Everyone's lights are turned off except for the living room, which is occupied by Barbara, Stephanie, and Cassie as they are all watching a TV show. I'm surprised to see Jason in the room leaning against the wall, his eyes carefully trained on Barbara, but he quickly looks away as I poke my head into the room.

Cassie smiles at me, and I offer a nod in return before I head upstairs, making my way to my room. I stop short when an idea comes to mind, and I make a quick detour to Raven's room. The lights are off, but I'm surprised to find the door unlocked. I quickly step inside, shutting it behind me.

Raven's lying on her bed with her head pressed against the pillow while her arms and legs are up and in awkward positions. A book rests on her chest, an indication that she was reading but fell asleep. Titus lays across at the end of the bed; he doesn't stir as I make my way closer.

Gently taking the book off her chest, I place it on the nightstand before gently picking her up and pulling the covers over her. She moves slightly, mumbling something in her sleep that I can't quite pick out, and as I watch her sleep, I wonder what she's dreaming about this time. Her sleep had always been plagued by nightmares, but if she seemed to get weaker, it seemed to get worse. Her father had been trying to escape for many months and years since he was placed in that crystal, but had been unsuccessful every time. But when she was asleep, that's when he would attack the hardest on her mind.

I look back at the door to her bedroom and wonder if I should go back to my own, but I shake my head. I don't think I would be willing to go back to my room, even if she were to tell me to go. pull up a chair, grab a book off her bookshelf, and begin to read.

Eventually, about an hour later, Raven woke up screaming, her body once again covered in sweat, her eyes wild and dilated. I hug her close to me like I always do, but this time she buries her head in my chest and cries, asking me to stay.

I nod before gently lying this down on the bed and pulling the covers over both of us. Eventually she falls asleep with her head on my chest, but despite tiredness poking at every limb in my body, I am unable to fall asleep as I stare up at the ceiling, wondering what's going to happen tomorrow.

Would they confront me about what I said? Would they send me back to the tower without even saying a word?

I shook my head. The holiday party was coming up, and like it or not, I was still going to have to attend.

As I closed my eyes to try and find some sleep, I pulled Raven closer to me and finally allowed our bond to reopen. Within seconds, I'm transported into her mind; her thoughts, feelings, and memories are all on display in colorful shades of green and blue. She was worried about me. I had scared her by not returning at the proper time.

I kissed the top of her head lately before darkness fell over me, and I'm falling into a deep pit of slumber. My only thought remains of her as I slip into unconsciousness.