17 Chapter Seventeen

35 years in the past-

"HOW COULD YOU?!" Dick bellowed rage building inside of him begging to be released. Giving into it Dick gave Bruce a hard punch to the face sending the larger man tumbling to the ground. The sight of his mentor/father figure being downed by his punch didn't satisfy him in the slightest because he knew… Bruce had seen the punch coming and had decided not to dodge.

As if one punch was good enough to make up for sleeping with his girlfriend… well, they were on a break so he'd have to say, ex-girlfriend. But it was the timing that had truly enraged him. A month ago, he and Barbara had broken up in the afternoon and that same evening Bruce had bedded her! And if that wasn't bad enough, she had informed him she was late!

Presumably pregnant with Bruce's spawn, no less. Under any other circumstances, he would probably congratulate his old mentor. Dick knew very well how much Bruce valued family and to have a child on the way… Well, it should have been very exciting for everyone. But this! It was such a huge betrayal that he would have never believed it could have happened.

How could Bruce do such a thing to him?! Yes, they had their disagreements in the past. Bruce hadn't been the most delicate about stating his opinions on how Dick made a few decisions during their nights as Batman and Robin but there wasn't ever any true enmity between them. They always had a respect for each other.

"You knew how I've felt about her since college. And you still…" Grayson's words were interrupted by Bruce as he slowly got back to his feet.

"Did you? Because I seem to remember just last year, you went off to Planet Tamaran with Kori. Face it, you might be attracted to Barbara but she was always your second choice. How is that fair to her…" Again, Bruce saw the strike coming but decided not to dodge. He could take a beating and he felt like he probably deserved anything he got anyway.

Sitting down on top of Bruce's chest and Dick started to rain down punches like it meant nothing to him. 'Starfire' aka Princess Koriland'r was a sore subject for the young hero, any mention of her name sent shooting pain through his mind and Bruce damned well knew what it did to him. Their relationship had ended abruptly when she was sent off by her father for a political marriage. It didn't matter that Kori and her new groom didn't have a physical relationship or that the marriage was strictly just combining the two kingdoms and nor would a child needed to be produced between them. She was married and he knew he couldn't stick around.

He returned home. Rekindled his relationship with his college sweetheart and lived in misery. Their 'off and on again' relationship wasn't much but he felt better off than when he was just by himself… and Bruce took that away from him.

Some part of him realized Bruce's words were true. It was incredibly selfish of him treating Barbara like that. He hated to admit it, but part of why he was so angry had a lot to do with the male ego instead of a broken heart.

When he reached these thoughts, his fist paused before he could let it loose on Bruce once more. Dick couldn't help feeling like he was the worst son and friend in the world. Yeah, he still felt the sting of betrayal from the two's actions, but his misery over losing Kori and what happened to little Tim had sent him to a place of uncaring and he had pushed everyone around him away. It was no wonder he found himself here.

He needed to leave. He had to get away from this place he once called home and… He didn't really know.

Standing up abruptly he didn't meet the eyes of the man he had just been beating with everything he had. Tears had started to fall from his eyes as he roughly wiped them away as he used his long strides to leave the mansion behind him.

He just needed to get out of here for a little while.

---

She could always tell when he was in turmoil. It was a remnant connection they had gained when they banished her father. The bond was tenuous at the best of times, which meant only large emotions could found their way through. If he was really happy, sad, angry and oddly enough there was a time when he was really hungry... But today felt different like every negative emotion he could feel was bleeding through to her.

She could sever the connection if she wanted, the stars knew that heightened emotions were something she didn't need. But that wouldn't do him any good. And besides, she was leaving this realm shortly. Richard was one of the last connections she still had left in this world. If he needed her then she was his...

She allowed a smile to grace her lips at the thought, it would never be her turn to keep him company. He was the light in the darkness and she was just a shadow. At this distance, she knew his life wasn't in danger it was just something that came along with the bond they shared. But his volatile emotions we're still very potent and before she went back home, she wanted a chance to calm him in any way possible.

Gliding down closer to the ground she found the dark-haired male sitting under a bridge on the outskirts of Gotham City. His disheveled hair and forlorn gaze seemed to strike a chord within her. Rachel's soft footsteps must have been like a loud beating drum in his ears because as she approached Dick sprang to his feet and got into a combat stance within moments.

Noting the pale form of his former teammate his posture faltered before asking tentatively, "Raven? Is that you?"

Smiling at him she walked the remaining distance between them and enveloped him in an embrace surprising him completely. Soon he began to understand, their bond must have been working overtime if she was here. Feeling a little guilty at the prospect he embraced her back allowing her steady presence to soothe him a little. Raven constantly meditated attempting to control the full range of her emotions, which took a huge effort since her father, Trigon, was one of the worst evils this world has ever known. He is also an incredibly powerful demon and celestial conqueror.

Being originally born of celestial blasphemy, spreading viral evil that would corrupt worlds and civilizations into self-destruction. In an effort to cleanse his soul of evil, the Three Divines of Azerath summoned the great Heart of Darkness to feast on his soul. However, Trigon was able to absorb the power of the Heart of Darkness (The collected evils of a hundred galaxies), becoming a supreme power that would destroy countless worlds. Killing his mother, father and the Divine of that plane he stripped them of their flesh and donning their skin like a garment.

But in doing this he was unable to cross the Divine's barrier as punishment. But his evil had no bounds, Trigon devised a plan to bring his presence back into the world of man. Summoning women from other worlds to mate and eventually impregnate, he would then send them back to where they came, spreading his evil to destroy countless universes by the use of his spawn.

Raven was born of the demon Trigon. However, she was his first and only daughter. Trigon murdered the women who birthed his sons, but he made an exception for his daughter's mother Arella to live. Believing that his daughter needed to be raised by a human in order to help her reshape the under-realms in his image. Afraid of what Trigon had in store for their daughter, Raven's mother took her child and fled to the dimension of Azarath, which was beyond Trigon's reach.

Giving the child the name of Rachel and her own last name of Roth she decided to raise her. Over a period of twelve years, the monks of that realm trained Rachel to control her powers and overcome her father's influence. When Trigon finally located Rachel again, she fled from Azarath back to Earth in order to protect her mother and teachers from the wrath of her father.

Eventually, she was found by the immortal Phantom Stranger on Trigon's behalf. When she returned to Trigon's realm time itself flowed differently, and it was revealed that Trigon was impressed by her natural abilities, allowing her to have free will and shape her own destiny. He gave her a seat at his throne and renamed her Raven.

But Raven wasn't one of her father's minions. Using her newfound freedom, she returned to earth once again and devised a way to keep her father from ever touching her realm once and for all.

Dick couldn't help smiling at the memories of the past while she was pressed against him, he knew this quiet girl always held feelings for him. He would be an idiot not to notice with the bond they shared. But it was harder to focus on that when Starfire was there as well.

He couldn't control his feelings for the bright redhead, it wasn't a choice to ignore Raven's feelings for all those years… It was simply a matter of the heart. But at this moment, the fact that she traveled hundreds of miles because he felt bad touched him.

"Better?" She asked with a small smile as she pulled back to look at his still forlorn appearance.

"Yeah, thank you." Dick felt awkward saying something so lame. Out of the dozens of people, Dick felt were close to him, she was the first to give him comfort. And he returned her gesture with a simple 'thank you' in return… sigh.

"Good. I cannot stay long, but it was good to see you." Her beautiful large eyes scanned her surroundings like she thought something was going to pop out of the shadows at any moment. Which with the world that Raven lived in, it just might.

"What's wrong, Raven? Is someone after you?" He asked in concern.

Shaking her head, the Lavender colored haired girl didn't meet his eyes as she said, "It's nothing. Family problems."

Getting his full attention, he grabbed the smaller girl by her petite shoulders. Finally meeting the smaller girls' eyes, he stated, "Trigon."

She watched the man in front of her go from despair to commanding in an instant, and she couldn't help finding it mesmerizing. Allowing a fond smile on her face for a moment she shook her head again, "No nothing so... Apocalyptic. Apparently, I have brothers and they are seeking me out disrupting my life. It's gotten... annoying."

Dick's expression receded to a mild frown but it was still better than the helpless one he had worn earlier. Running through possible solutions in his head Dick's eyes started to narrow in concentration.

Raven knew Dick was trying to fix everything for her in that brilliant head of his, but she already knew what had to be done. Still, the fact that he was trying to help her after what she knew must have been a traumatic experience... that was why she had fallen in love with him so many times already.

Catching the hand that had started dangling to Dick's side. Raven met his dark blues with a gentle smile, "Don't worry for me. I already have it figured out. I'm returning back to Azarath, the realm is protected from evil and it is where I grew up."

Searching her gaze Dick's eyes narrowed at her words. There was a part of him that cringed at the very thought of the girl in front of him going to a land he had no access to. She would be safe, but also away from everyone and everything, it seemed more like a prison sentence than a solution.

"Do you really have to go? You can come back with me and we can deal with your brothers together..." Dick's words were interrupted by Raven's small hand cupping his unshaven cheek.

"Thank you for your concern, but I believe this is the only way. My father has had thousands of years to amass an army of devoted progeny. If I were to stay here that same force will always continue to come for me and someone will eventually get hurt. I don't want that on my conscience... Do you understand?" She asked lightly.

Yes, he understood. He didn't like it, but he could see the logic. Looking at her gently, Dick took her back into his arms. He was starting to understand why she traveled all this way to him. It was her final goodbye.

Swallowing hard, he asked, "Will you ever come back." He already knew the answer but he needed to hear it from her mouth. He regretted not being with her more. She was always one of the most sincere and straight forward people he had ever met, there was none like her in this world. With the loss of Kori and the betrayal he still felt from Bruce and Barbara losing Raven felt... torturous.

Raven's tragic smile said it all. Embracing him one more time she decided that it was time to leave. If she kept looking into his miserable eyes she could never. If she was going, it had to be now.

Disentangling herself from Dick's embrace Raven started walking away from the boy that would always live inside her heart, but before she could call the shadows to swallow her small form once again… Large strong arms embraced her once more.

"Richard… I can't. People could get hurt and I couldn't ever live with mys…" Roughly her small body was turned around and her small full lips were covered with his rough searching ones. She knew he wasn't in love with her, but the moment she felt his lips on her own… She knew he needed her. One day, maybe soon love would follow.

"Let me come with you." He pleaded.

She was already gone. He could have requested anything at that moment and she would have agreed. Nodding her head, he kissed her once more and soon the night enveloped them and they were gone from that plane of existence.

---

Present-day-

He had just finished listening to a fantastic tale of a boy created from a strand of DNA of both his father and Diana Prince and he had to say the word 'surprised' didn't really cover it. Evidentially, the general consensus was the same throughout the small amassed group.

Diana was the first to react.

"You knew this… for years?! And you are just sharing this today?!" Outraged the only thing that kept her from physically harming the old detective was knowing he was just as old as Bruce and she didn't wish to put him in the hospital.

"Well, maybe you have forgotten that you haven't been within calling range for a while now, princess," Sage said a little too casually for comfort.

A hand caught her shoulder as her rage overloaded her caution. Looking back, she was surprised the see that it was Terry. Her complicated feelings for the boy had doubled with the new understanding of who he actually was to her now.

Meeting the cowled gaze of her… Son? She suppressed a gulp at the thought.

Suddenly she had so many questions and emotions running through her she wanted to sit down and cry. Sighing, she hadn't even cried centuries and now she had a child that she didn't even know and he was already so old. A wave of dizziness started to overwhelm her and the only reason she didn't fall over was because the boy's strong arms steadied her.

"What about Bruce… Shouldn't you have at least told him?!" She heard herself say getting angry at the thought.

"HA, as 'it' just said… I am the second-best detective in the world. Do you really think Bruce never knew? Do you think he just gave the boy a batsuit and special training just because he showed spunk? Mind you, I don't know this for sure… But the Bruce Wayne I knew wouldn't trust someone in his car let alone in the Bat-Cave without several tests. Including but not limited to DNA tests. I'd wager he knew, but it didn't really matter to him, or more to say, he allowed Terry to become Batman to keep an eye on him." Sage's words were harsh and the fact he called Terry 'It' didn't escape everyone's notice either.

"What did you just call me?!" Terry heard the word and anger coursed through his body. It wasn't enough saying all of this stuff that made his mind explode, but he just called him a thing too.

"That is enough! We do not have time to do any of this! Sage, you are off of this mission." Dick's demanding voice cut through the outrage of the small group and he felt it was only right to take charge of a spiraling situation.

"What do you mean I am out? If anyone is out it should be…" Sage's words were interrupted by another command from Nightwing.

"I said enough. If what you are saying is true and the boy that stood in front of me is a product from two of the founding members of the Justice League, then he is… my brother. And if Bruce decided to give him the identity of Batman then that only means he trusts him. Regardless of any other fact, that is true. Right now, you are the only one that is hostile. You need to leave, and we can discuss more in the future." Dick said with an air of finality.

Without a word, Question turned on his heels and tapped a button on his trench coat, "Question to Watchtower. Bring me back up."

Letting out a breath of air, Dick turned towards the remaining pair that were still not meeting each other's eyes. Rolling his eyes, he was about to speak again when another voice interrupted him, "Daddy, what is taking so long? I thought I was supposed to meet Grampa Bruce?"

A petite pale skinned girl walked down the steps of the Batcave, she had a diamond-shaped jewel on her forehead and light lavender hair. With a look of bewilderment was on her face as she watched curiously at the area past the stairway.

"Angela, I told you to wait upstairs," Dick said surprising everyone in the room.