Maths was a bore.
As if Damian hadn't been able to answer these meagre questions at the age of four. Still, at least work allowed for a wandering mind (which, in Damian's case, was a sore pain). Tapping his pen on the desk, the billionaire's son mulled over the idea of asking for harder work for a ripe three seconds before dismissing it: what sort of a fool would he look like, asking for more work?-not that anything this mediocre Miss gave him would be anywhere along the lines of challenging. Before the age of six, Damian had bested his tutors in most academic studies- mathematics included.
At the desk besides his, Rachel Roth passed a bored eye over her worksheet. Damian had little knowledge of her tutelage before coming to Earth, however what he did know came from observations and prior knowledge of the teaching methods employed in Trigon's realm (the benefits of being an Al Ghul). Having spent only a few years in Trigon's realm -wherein she would have learnt her magical and physical combat skills- one would expect them to be less than exemplary, however, Damian reckoned that her trainers had utilised the ancient art of runelore to speed up the process. After all, the aim was to have Raven (as the link to Earth) as well trained in the shortest time possible so that the moment she was powerful enough to open a portal -capable of giving passage to Trigon- it would be done. Something akin to memory runes, probably were used. They would have ingrained each move and syllable in to her brain and body, essentially enhancing muscle-memory. Damian had noticed that when Raven fought, particularly physical combat, she had an odd accuracy to each move. In a fight, if she performed a head-section side kick, then did it once more later on, she moved in a jarringly exact manner.
Well, it seemed the likeliest outcome.
From what she'd exhibited so far in lessons, memory runes had been used for information also- academics, with a great deal of emphasis on languages. That did make sense though: Raven was to be the bridge between humanity and Trigon (to an extent, Hell) and you can't conquer a planet if you can't communicate to its people. Through communication, you can crush all manner of hope and any aspiring rebellion. Damian would know, having also been raised with the purpose of world domination.
Making sure that she wouldn't catch him staring at her, Damian looked down to his sheet, the numbers blurring as his thoughts faded off the work. He snuck a glance at her, adjusting the collar of his shirt. Her eyes narrowed as she looked up at the clock, almost sparking with irritation as she pressed her lips together, waiting for the time to go by. From the corner of his eye, Damian saw her tuck her hair behind her ear. In the whole class of blondes, brunettes and a few dip-dyes, Raven stood out like a brilliant violet dazzling in a meadow of plain daisies, glowing with the essence of her magical nature. How could those fawning, giggling creatures gawping at Damian ever compare?
'(Ya rabi) يا ربي What am I doing?', Damian shook his head, willing his mind to stay off the demoness. He still hadn't figured it out yet. What they were. Damian and Raven had sworn to figure things out together, but they hadn't spoken about it and hung in this constant limbo. A benefit of being an empath was that Raven knew how to detect emotion, she knew from the start that this was physical and emotional attraction that had the potential to develop in to something much deeper. The problem was in finding a name for them. 'Lovers' sounded far too serious and old school; 'boyfriend and girlfriend' felt somewhat juvenile and Damian and Raven didn't really do boyfriend and girlfriend things...the relationship wasn't like that, there was too much unspoken understanding; 'friends' was a sticky one...yes, they could be called friends, but friends didn't kiss and have sex, so no...
All the words in the English language and not one to describe them, other than 'complicated'. Then again, weren't most relationships. Damian was in a bit of a pickle to say in the least, and in third period maths of all places.
On queue, a shrill ringing sounded, dismissing the class for lunch.
***
A little cough sounded behind Raven, prompting her to close her locker and spun on her heel.
She raised an eyebrow, "Yes?"
The cougher, startled at the abrupt tone from so seemingly quiet a person, stammered, "Oh- sorry! I- ehem-", the purple haired girl soften her expression, easing the other. "Sorry, I just wanted to introduce myself... since we're in the same class and you're new and all..."
"And I suggested it!", a voice perked up, belonging to a girl Raven hadn't realised was standing with the black-haired one. She held a hand out, "I'm Olive, in case you didn't know."
As Raven's hand connected with the girl's, she hid an expression of surprise, commanding her eyes to a solid amethyst as they begged to bleed red: the energy pulsing through this girl was strong and her aura aflame (not in the manner of demons and their kin, but alike in essence). Interesting indeed.
Commandeering the conversation (Raven strained to hear it over the bustle of the corridors at the start of lunch) this girl Olive asked, "You're Rachel, right?", not awaiting an answer, she continued. "Have you made many friends yet? I've heard the new girl a few years younger has gotten in with the crowd- she enrolled at the same time as you, do you know her?"
The black haired girl decided to step in, "You're bombarding her Olive. Sorry about that. I'm Mia, nice to meet you.", she shot Olive a look. "We won't bother you any more, sorry again."
And like that, the two slipped in to the crowd of students. Olive and Mia. Raven recognised them from English and Maths (Mia also from Science). Studious, that's the impression Raven had gotten of the black-haired one, quiet certainly, tucked in an intelligent little corner of her own whilst sitting in class. The glint of intrigue in her eyes was possibly the only thing in the situation as interesting as her friend's aura.
Shaking her head, Raven closed the padlock of the locker and dived in to the sea of pupils, wading her way to the canteen. At the door, pitying jade eyes latched on to hers and a hand tugged her arm, pulling her towards a table on the edge of the dining hall. Rather than speak, Damian simply jerked his head towards the back of the room. Raven beheld the spectacle with unimpressed, exasperated eyes.
Mother of Azarath this girl is not Donna Troy...
***
By the time school had finished, Raven had developed a wonderful migraine that drilled through her head bearing the title 'That Ungodly Amazon'. Upon retrieving her coat from her locker and meeting Damian, Jonathan and she-who-must-not-be-named to go back via Alfred-copter, the green eyed teen had fire in his eyes.
"I need to let off some steam or someone is going to meet my katana.", he divulged to her beneath his breath, evidently reaching breaking point.
Alfred would be disappointed that he'd miss out on seeing their relieved faces at the end of the school day, but they needed to take a minute, "How about we take the long way home?"
Glancing at the overcast sky and considering the anticipated sunny spells, Damian thought he'd take his chances (a gambling man in every way apart from genuine gambling), "sounds like a plan.", he flicked his head a Jon, who was leaning against his locker (conveniently placed right by one of the school exits), "J?"
Startled, the boy's head jerked up causing his glasses to almost fall off his nose. The boy's superhearing had yet to kick in (the slowest of all his ability to develop) and his attention span wasn't the greatest either. Mind drawn back to Earth, Jon pushed up his glasses, giving a charming little, "Huh?". Before Jonathan had the chance to say much else, Damian had the sleeve of his jacket in an iron grasp and had begun tugging to boy off through the doors.
Over her shoulder, following the other two out, Raven called to Donna that they'd meet her back at the manner. Jonathan needed a little TLC.
Fast forward twenty minutes and the three were sitting around a quaint, square wooden table, sipping piping hot brews. Sunlight brightened the faded colours of the bakery, giving warmth to the rusted red and paling yellow of the chequered floor. Only the second time they'd been to the shop, and already they'd begun to settle in to its background- relaxing in to the setting like an old sitting room. A weathered face popped out from below the counter as the lady set a plate on top, transferring three muffins on to it, that had previously been waiting on a cooling rack. Delicate hands lifting the plate, the lady walked over to the three schoolkids, placing it in the centre of their table with the air of a lifetime of practice.
"There you are poppets!", she said, "Just be careful, they're still a little hot so watch your tongues."
Raven thanked her with a smile, taking a sip of her tea. She wondered where the lady's husband was- the last time they'd come here he'd been with her, offering them blueberry muffins. Come to think of it, Raven hadn't gotten their names. The shop sign read 'Robinson's Bakery', so perhaps the surname was Robinson?
"Excuse me ma'am,", Raven called to the lady, "but, if you don't mind, what's your name?"
The woman, who'd been cleaning the counter's surface, smiled, "Oh that's fine love, as long as you don't ask my age.", she winked. "I'm Joe, dearie."
"And I'm Ken!", a voice shouted from the back door, the same gruff yet cheery sound she'd heard last time.
The lady- Joe- shook her head, "Oh don't you kids mind the husband now, he's a little energetic.", she chuckled.
"I am not energetic Mrs Robinson,", her husband popped his head around the corner, "I'm youthful.", he stated proudly, nodding his head for effect.
Rolling her eyes with humour still in them, Mrs Robinson opened the conversation to the other two teens (being the only three customers there) asking them their names and giving a enthusiastic response of 'Well wouldya look at that! My son's called Jonathan, what a lovely little world we live in eh?'. The easy conversation continued until the muffins had been reduced to crumbs and Jonathan was grinning at old Mr Robinson's wisecracks. At long last, the three departed with many 'cheerio's from the old couple, waving goodbye to the bakery's warm embrace.
Frowning as they trekked through the street, Jonathan asked, "Why'd you guys bring me there? I know this wasn't just you all wantin' a break from the helicopter or a muffin, so what is it?"
Crossing the road, Damian looked left and right before answering Jon's question, "Tt. You looked like all the 'Jonathan' had been extracted from you. It'd be irritating to see a stupidly glum face walking about the Manor."
Raven glared at him.
"What Damian means is that you looked like you needed cheering up.", the demoness stepped around a telephone box. "We both know that-"
CRASH!
Glass shattered.
The telephone box Raven had walked past moment ago was a metal frame with jagged holes where the glass once sat. It was like an invisible force had smashed into it, hitting only the box. The three turned around, only to be met by the sight of civilians running. Damian narrowed his eyes. What were they running from?
A tingle raced down Raven's spine. On pure intuition, the demoness tugged both Damian and Raven backwards, eyes widening as a terrible, transparent force slammed in to the wall they'd just stood in line with. Heart hammering in her chest, Raven sought the origin of the invisible current with both her eyes and her magic, reaching in to the surrounding area for non-human auras.
Jonathan beat her to it.
"What in the baby Jesus...Are those...monks?", he stared in to the middle of the road, between two car lanes. "Naw, monks don't have hair like that, or stand in the middle of the road, or fly! What?-"
Danger laced Damian's voice, "Its the Council,", amber flickered over green as his eyes told of the forthcoming threat, "Raven, they've sent another batch."
A.N:
Hello my darlings!
I've left it on quite the cliffhanger then- sorry! I hope you enjoyed the lovely little fluffy moments because seriously, they were pretty nice to write. Also Mr and Mrs Robinson, they're really nice, aren't they? I really like the bakery idea, I'm not really sure why...hmmm...
Anyway, you guys can keep speculating! Thank you for all the support and views and comments! We're doing insanely great!
And, in case you didn't know, there's this really amazing story that you guys should definitely check out!:
What sleeps in shadow
By: @xaphrin
I'm genuinely loving it!
Thanks
-Bats :3