Angels and Demons

Chapter 5: Wayne Manor

After a few stops at the gas station and McDonald's, the Titans were finally at Gotham. Raven had managed to pull through the entire journey without wanting to strangle anyone. Garfield did try to disturb her meditation a few times, all of which was intercepted by Damian. Raven could sense anger and the urge to remove Garfield from his sight from Damian, though she doesn't necessarily where these emotions emerged from. Nevertheless, she appreciated Damian's presence, and well....Garfield's absence.

As they drove through the streets of Gotham, Raven couldn't help but notice the drastic contrast between Gotham and Jump City. Back in Jump City,the weather was sunny most of the time, with many people walking down the streets in their casual wear, going about their daily activities. The atmosphere was filled with life and eagerness to start each new day.

Gotham was...well....the complete opposite

The atmosphere was polluted, both physically and emotionally. Being an empath, Raven could sense it better than others. The air reeked of greenhouse gases such as sulfur dioxide and ammonia coming from the numerous factories based in Gotham. The streets were ,not necessarily wet, just very moist, with puddles of water appearing every now and then. Few people were on the streets, and even if they were, their heads were bowed low, as if trying to retract into the coats they were wearing. There was nobody in casual wear, no owner walking his or her dog, no couple out on a romantic date, though that's probably due to the fact that most of the shops were closed. The night seemed significantly darker as compared to Jump City, and the occasional flickering street lamps did little to illuminate the road.

Put simply, Raven definitely was not gonna miss Gotham when this 'vacation' ends.

They soon left the empty streets and closed shophouses behind and drove on a empty highway. The long stretch of road as surrounded by a seemingly endless field of grass, and the only building in the area was their destination. Calling it a building is a understatement thought, Raven would consider it as a monument.

Even from faraway, she could make out the expensive marble pillars and the artistic carvings on it. The sheer number of windows showed just how many rooms there are in the manor and if that wasn't enough to show the wealth of the owner, the numerous sports cars in the front yard definitely did. Then of course, there was the cave underneath, only available to the owner and his associates.

Raven started to worry. How should she greet Bruce Wayne. He is the actual Batman, someone in the superhero community who is not known for being warm and welcoming. Should she put on her normal emotionless face? Or should she put on her fake cheerful and respectful face?

That would be a very bad idea

Raven turned her head to glare at jade-eyed boy. As much as it can be a convenience at times, the mental link could be a pain in the ass at times. Although Damian is a closer friend to her as compared tot he rest of the Titans, she still did not appreciate him reading her mind.

What would be a bad idea?

Never pretend in front of Father. He is trained in the art of deception and reading body language just like me. Pretending to be someone who you are not will only make it harder for you to gain his trust.

I see...Like father like sone i guess

The edge of Damian's mouth quirked up slightly.

You should be proud of yourself. Not everyone can gain my trust.

Raven couldn't help but smile at what Damian said. 8 months with the Titans did little to lower Damian's self ego, though it did seemed to be less annoying to Raven.

The Titans spent the next few minutes in silence as they approached the Wayne Manor. As much as they wanted to gasp in awe at the sheer beauty of the Manor, non of them were eager to meet the owner. They have heard the tales of Batman ever since they joint the superhero community, and if those weren't enough to show how unfriendly the Big Bad Bat is, the rare visits Kori made to the Wayne Manor during the holidays definitely did. It usually ended up with her returning earlier than expected.