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Chapter Text

The radiant yellow sun's rays beat down on the top of Raven's head as she was forced up a set of wooden stairs. She nearly tripped on her dress as she was being roughly escorted towards her death. Displayed before her were hundreds of citizens, women, men and even children, all eyes watching her.

The guards tightened their grip on her arms as she thrashed around, trying to break free from their grasp. "Release me!" she demanded. She tried to resist their brute force, but the guards grabbed her by the hair and forced her back into submission.

As they made their way across the planked platform, a tall wooden stake came into her view. There was also a guillotine and noose on the platform. The two guards stopped in their tracks as they approached the stake.

The two guards hoisted her up while two others tightly bound her wrists and ankles to the thick wooden poles, disregarding her kicks and attempted punches. Her dark Victorian dress flapped in the wind as she was successfully restrained to the stake.

"I'm not a witch!" Raven objected at the top of her lungs as she squirmed in her restraints. The crowd watched her with distraught expressions. "You're all insane-"

"Quiet, witch," a man dressed in a red coat spoke as he approached her. The man was holding a paper scroll in his hand. Behind him were two more men escorting two pirates to the noose and guillotine.

Once the other two boys were restrained to their execution device, the man stood before the crowd and unraveled his scroll to read aloud.

"I hereby condemn Raven of Azarath to death for the practice of witchcraft, as well as Suren Darga and Damian Ghul of Infinity Island to death for the practice of piracy, thievery, and manslaughter," the man spoke as he rolled his scroll back up. "Are there any last words?"

"You're all fools to disregard my prophecy!" Raven shouted, pulling her wrists against the bindings in an attempt to break free. "You'll all be sorry when the world ends! When the tides rise higher than mountains, and the strongest winds tear us all apart! When the sun-"

"My God, will someone kill her already? I'm getting a headache," one of the pirates spoke up. She turned her head and made eye contact with the one strapped into the guillotine.

Raven's eyes met his glare. "Excuse me?"

"You are annoying," he simply said, his gaze unmoving from hers.

"Why you-" Raven started but was cut off by the officer.

"Shut it, both of you!" he said and struck the light against the flint. As soon as the stick was lit, he tossed it to the bottom of the wooden stake and watched as it slowly combusted. Raven screamed as the scorching flames began to gradually climb up the wood.

After this, the officer looked over towards the guard stationed at the guillotine. Once he gave a nod, the guard placed his hand on the lever to free the shiny blade above the pirates head.

Before he could pull it down, a shot rang out in the town and the guard fell to the stone ground. Blood immediately began to pool around his head.

"Took her long enough," one pirate spoke as he watched their crewmate swing from a rope to the platform.

"Seize her!" the officer said. Before the guards could grab her, she used both of her pistols to take them out. People in the crowd began to scream and flee the area as they watched her mercilessly murder the guards.

"One minute later and I would've been headless, Ducard!" the pirate in the guillotine scolded as she undid the restraints on his hands and got him out of the execution device.

"Well, unfortunately, it looks like you're still here, Damian," she retorted before pulling out a knife and cutting the other pirate free from his restraints.

"Thank you," Suren said as he rubbed his irritated wrists.

"Now let's get the hell out of here while we can," Damian said as he led his crew down from the platform.

"Hey!" Raven raspily called out between coughing fits. The smoke inhalation was quickly taking a toll on her. "Please... help... me!" she begged.

The dark smoke from the flames was swarming around her as they inched closer to her feet. Maya stopped in her tracks at the sound of her voice.

"Don't even think about it," Damian warned after noticing Maya stopped following behind him. "She's not sane."

"That doesn't mean she isn't worth saving," Maya said before turning around and approaching the burning stake.

Suren let out a groan as he followed suit. "You too?" Damian questioned in disbelief as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Dammit," he cursed under his breath before turning around as well and assisted the other two in cutting her loose from the restraints.

"I've got 'er," Suren assured them as he caught her in his arms once she was free. Maya quickly stomped out the fire that was beginning to spread at the bottom of her dress.

"Thank... you," Raven weakly spoke as Suren adjusted his grip on her and started carrying her bridal style.

The three began moving quickly, trying to sneak out of being caught again. The citizens were too afraid of them to alert the authorities.

"What do we do with her?" Maya questioned quietly as the three of them began squeezing their way down an alley.

"Leave her somewhere," Damian simply responded.

"Um," Suren suddenly spoke up.

"What?" Damian asked and turned his head the slightest to meet his gaze through the corner of his eye.

Suren nervously laughed when they made eye contact. "She's... unconscious," he informed the two. Damian let out an exasperated groan at the information.

"We can't just leave her," Maya said and glared at Damian.

"Well I won't tolerate some insane woman on my ship," Damian sternly responded.

Before they could reach the end of the alley, a guard appeared before them. "Halt!"

"I'll hold them off, you two get to the ship. I'll meet you there," Maya said and pulled out her pistol 

"You can't take them all by yourself," Damian said and went to place his hand on her shoulder, but she turned away.

"Go," she ordered. "I promise I'll be there by the time you're leaving."

Suren and Damian quickly exchanged glances before taking off in the opposite direction. They could hear the sound of multiple gunshots growing distant as they got further, but refused to turn around.

Soon after they left Maya behind, they reached their ship. As soon as they boarded their vessel, Damian hesitantly placed his hand on the rope that held the anchor on the other end.

"Ducard better hurry," he said as he studied the port below in search of their missing crewmate.

Suren carefully set Raven down against the railing of the ship. "What should we do with her?" he questioned.

Damian turned his head to look at the unconscious woman. "Tie her up and put her in the med bay," he decided. Suren nodded and picked her up once again, taking her inside the ship's interior.

"Lift the anchor!" a female voice shouted from below.

Damian easily recognized Maya's voice and began pulling the anchor up, using all of his arm's strength to lift the heavy weight. Maya swiftly climbed up the ladder just in time to help him set the anchor aside.

"Told you I'd be back," Maya spoke up and placed her hands on her hips after releasing their sails.

Damian quickly noticed the blood that seeped through her clothes on her shoulder. "I guess in one piece was out of the deal," he replied and let out a sigh as he started heading to the helm. "I'm going to set us on course. Go to the med bay so we can tend to your injury."

"Did you decide to bring the witch girl?" Maya decided to question as she followed behind him.

"We didn't really have time to decide," Damian responded as he firmly grabbed a hold of the wheel, steering it away from the port. "She's tied up in the med bay until we figure out what to do with her."

"You know, it wouldn't be so bad to have another woman aboard," Maya joked as she turned on her heels to head towards the inside of the ship. Damian rolled his eyes as he glanced down at the compass in his hand.

"Yeah, right," he sarcastically muttered to himself before gazing out at the sea in front of him.

Chapter Text

"Ouch!"

Damian looked at Maya with an unamused expression. "If you can take the bullet, you can take the stitch," he said as he continued to close up her now clean wound.

"Still hurts," Maya said before letting out a sigh. While he was stitching her up, she let her attention fall on the sleeping girl lying in the bed across from her. "She's still out?"

"It hasn't been that long," Suren responded as he looked down at the girl. "I'm surprised she's alive. She weighs nothing, so I'm assuming she hasn't eaten in days."

"Or bathed," Maya noted as her eyes traced over the dirt that layered her skin and dress. Her long black hair was also tangled.

Damian scoffed. "Tt. So that's why it stinks in here," he commented.

Maya rolled her eyes at the comment. "We were like that too when we decided to run away," she said.

Raven slowly stirred as she began to regain consciousness. The commotion was waking her up.

"She's awake," Suren informed as he met her half-lidded gaze.

Raven rose up in a panic as soon as she realized her wrists and ankles were bound together once again. "What-"

"Don't try anything stupid," Damian warned as he finished up Maya's stitches and cleansed the area. Raven took this opportunity to thoroughly take in the three pirates' appearances.

The one she assumed was captain of the ship, Damian, wore a dark green jacket that was lined with gold over his white shirt. His pants were dark and he wore boots, just like the other two. Around his forehead was a black bandana, and unlike most captains, he didn't wear a hat. He had a dark complexion, but to her surprise, his eyes were a dark shade of blue.

The other boy, Suren, wore mainly black and red colored clothes. He had dark skin as well as Damian, but his hair was much longer, as the shaggy black strands roughly stuck out of the bottom of his red bandana.

The girl, Maya, also had dark skin. This is when Raven decided that the three came from the same country. Her eyes were a dark shade of brown like Suren's, and her long sleek black hair flowed freely from her pink bandana. Her clothes were mostly white and loose fitting.

Maya hopped off from the bed as soon as he finished and made her way towards the other girl. "We won't hurt you," she assured her. "They only tied you up because they're afraid of what you could do."

"Hey-" Suren and Damian both objected, but was cut off as Maya continued.

"You're not going to hurt us, are you?" Maya questioned as she met the girl's gaze.

Raven averted her gaze, a shameful expression on her face. "You saved me, why would I?"

A comforting smile made its way to Maya's lips as she began to untie the rope around Raven's wrists.

"You are too trusting," Damian complained as he watched Maya release Raven from her restraints.

Raven immediately rubbed her sore violet wrists once they were free. "Thank you," she spoke and turned to let her legs dangle over the edge of the bed.

Maya studied her thin frame before speaking again. "Are you hungry?" she decided to ask.

Raven meekly nodded. The sudden attention was beginning to embarrass her.

Maya helped her stand up. "I'll show you to the kitchen," she offered.

Damian and Suren watched quietly as the two girls left the med bay and went to go tour the ship.

"Does she listen to a word I say?" Damian spoke and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Suren innocently shrugged his shoulders at Damian's comment.

After showing Raven around the ship and letting her wash herself up, Maya had cooked dinner for the crew.

"Don't mind the boys," Maya spoke as her and Raven were setting the dining tables. "They act all tough, but deep down, they're sweethearts."

"I just don't want to overstay my welcome," Raven said as she tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear. "I really am grateful for this. I didn't have anywhere else to go."

"You're a runaway?" Maya decided to ask.

"Sort of," Raven answered. "My mother abandoned me, so I've basically been living on the streets for a couple months."

"That's terrible," Maya replied and rested a hand on the girls shoulder. "You're welcome here anytime. There's no judgement here."

"Thank you," Raven said and cracked a smile.

The door creaked loudly as it opened for the two boys to walk in.

"Smells good," Suren said after catching the scent of freshly cooked meat.

"Duh, I made it," Maya retorted as she sat down in a chair and began eating her own meal.

Raven hesitantly sat down in the only open chair after Damian and Suren had taken their seats. Once she sat down, she immediately began eating.

Damian eyed her as she quickly devoured her food. The girl really was starving.

Once they all finished their meal, Damian decided to confront the new member. "What is your goal here?"

Raven took a minute to respond as she processed his question. "I... have a request," she admitted.

Damian raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"

After a long pause, Raven responded. "I would like you to take me to an island, and in return I will split the rewards with you."

Damian thought about her offer for a moment. "Where and what is the reward?" he decided to ask.

Raven met his piercing gaze uneasily. "It's an island called Azarath. There are many rare jewels there that hold value higher than any seen before. You can have as many as you desire."

"I've never heard of it," Suren said once he heard the name.

"Me neither," Maya added.

"That's because it's not on any man-made map. Only few know of its existence. But, I know how to find it," Raven explained to the two. "Do we have a deal?"

The two pirates glanced at Damian, who seemed to be in deep thought. The room was filled with silence as the faint sound of the ship creaking could be heard underneath them. After a few moments, Damian decided to speak.

"Only on one circumstance," he said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You're going to have to be one of us in order to stay on my ship, no special treatment. Any funny business, and you won't live long enough to see your precious island. Deal?"

Raven's eyes lit up at his words before she answered. "Yes."

When she reached her hand out, Damian hesitated to shake it. Something about her seemed untruthful, but he decided that he would have to find out for himself what the truth was.

He took a deep breath before reaching his own hand out and firmly shook her smaller one. When he released it, she flashed him a skeptical smile.

"It's a deal."

Chapter Text

The next day was a new start for Raven.

The morning began with her becoming seasick and vomiting for a few hours, but she eventually got over it. What she hated most were the horrible sleeping conditions and the disgusting bathroom routine. Raven would take some time to adapt to the lifestyle on the sea, but she decided that it was worth it if she could reach her destination.

With Maya's help, she ditched the dress and tried to match the crew with new attire. She wore a bandana around her forehead and loose-fitting clothes. Underneath her shirt, she had her chest bind with bandages, which was an upgrade from having to wear a corset constantly. She also put on a spare pair of Maya's cavalier boots. Instead of her hair flowing freely, Maya pulled it back into a braid and tied it together with a ribbon she had lying nearby.

"Now let's go show the boys," Maya said and grabbed Raven's hand.

Raven was pulled effortlessly behind Maya as she made her way towards the main deck of the ship.

"Whatcha think?" Maya asked once they approached the two boys. Suren and Damian both pulled their attention away from the map in their hands and turned their heads to look at the two girls.

Damian raised an eyebrow as he took in Raven's new appearance. Her black hair no longer freely flowed and now remained pulled back with a braid. She wore a puffy long-sleeved white shirt and dark pants that were only being held on to her slim waist by a rope belt. When he met her violet eyes in a watchful gaze, he quickly looked away.

"You may look like one of us, but you still have yet to prove yourself in combat," Damian said unenthusiastically.

"Combat?" Raven questioned. This is where she would fail. She was never exposed to physical violence until recently.

Damian pulled a dagger from his belt and swiftly threw it towards her. Raven instinctively ducked down and covered her head, squeezing her eyes shut as she did so.

The dagger went straight behind her and struck into a wooden pole. "Good reflexes," he commented.

When she realized that she wasn't harmed, she wore a furious expression. "What if that hit me?" she fumed as she got back to her feet.

Damian made his way over and retrieved the embedded dagger from the wood. "It would've hurt," he responded and put it away.

Raven went to speak, but Damian quickly cut her off. "If you want to be able to stay alive, you're going to need to train," he informed her and crossed his arms over his chest. "Other pirates on the sea are far more ruthless than us. They'll kill you in a heartbeat."

Raven placed her hands on her hips. "Let him teach me then," she said before gesturing towards Suren, "I'm sure he won't try to kill me."

Damian and Suren made brief eye contact before looking back at her. "Fine," Damian said and stepped back, "If that's what you wish."

Suren meekly stepped forward and put his fists up while standing in a fighting stance. "Ready?"

Raven had almost no time to answer before Suren ruthlessly charged at her and knocked her off balance, causing her to stumble backward and fall on her rear. She winced at the pain before getting back on her feet. This boy didn't know how to be easy.

"Sorry," Suren quickly apologized, "I expected your reflexes to have been better."

Damian stood back and held in his laughter. Raven noticed him struggling and shot a glare in his direction. "What's so funny?" she questioned.

"You gettin' your ass kicked," Damian retorted. "I tried to help you, but I guess you can't fix stupid."

Raven narrowed her eyes as she swiftly balled her hand into a fist and swung towards Damian, but this attempted assault quickly failed as Damian caught her fist and twisted her arm painfully behind her back.

"Okay, okay I get it!" Raven seethed as she felt jolts of pain going through her arm, "Now let me go."

Damian remained in the position. "No, you need to figure out how to get out of it yourself."

She just stood there for a moment, her face bewildered. Damian gave her a confused look, wondering if she didn't hear her. He was about to speak, but before he could, she lifted her leg up and kicked him in the groin.

"You bitch!" Damian shouted as he shrunk to the floor. He curled into a ball on the deck, both hands shoved between his legs. Maya used a hand to cover her gasp while Suren started laughing hysterically. Damian soon struggled to his feet as he tried to hide the pain and damaged pride. "That was a dirty move," he growled.

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Was there another way I could've escaped?" she asked innocently, "You said to figure a way out."

Damian looked away, furious. He couldn't tell if she was being truthful. "Here's your first lesson: Don't rely on that kind of move to save your ass," He said before storming off. Suren followed close behind him, probably to give him a hard time.

"I'll teach you," Maya sighed and placed a hand on the other girl's shoulder, watching Damian leave. "Too much masculinity, anyways," Maya said before giggling at her own side remark.

"Okay," Raven said and followed her downstairs to one of the ship's many compartments.

Maya and Raven spent half of the day training. Maya wouldn't let the other girl stop until she could hold her own ground. When Raven was decent at hand-to-hand combat, Maya allowed her to stop.

"There's still a lot left to learn, but that should do for today," Maya decided as she wiped drops of sweat from her forehead. "We can do it again tomorrow. I'll teach you how to wield a sword and shoot a pistol."

Raven gave her a nod and sat down next to her as they took a break. Her legs were already beginning to feel sore from standing up longer than usual.

"How did the three of you become a crew so easily?" Raven decided to ask. "Seems to me like the boys are difficult to get along with."

Maya glanced at her before answering. "We all come from really shitty families," she said, then continued after clearing her throat, "Damian was the first one to break free from his. Suren and I met him later on, and he convinced us to run away with him. Ever since then, we've been on our own."

"So that's why he's captain," Raven assumed. "I wondered how you two could put up with his attitude."

Maya laughed at her comment. "I'll admit, it takes a while. But, he's worth the trouble. I've never met someone with a kinder heart."

A door creaked open as Suren walked into the room. "Damian's going to set our course for the port of the nearest city, and we should be there in the morning. We're low on everything so we're gonna stock up," he informed the two. "I made stew if anyone's hungry," he added before leaving.

"Sounds good to me," Maya commented as she stood up from her spot. She offered Raven a hand once she was on her feet herself.

Raven took her hand and pulled herself up. The two girls made their way to the dining cabin and fixed themselves some stew for dinner.

"Damn Suren, this is bland," Maya said as she shoved a spoonful of stew into her mouth.

Suren narrowed his eyes after hearing her complaint. "Well I'm sorry I'm not a master chef like you and Damian," he retorted and pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's not my fault we have limited food supply."

As the three of them guzzled on their dinner, Damian walked into the room. "The closest port is of Star City," he informed them. "We've never been there so let's try to make a good impression. I don't have the energy to deal with hundreds of Navy guards again."

Before any of them could respond, Damian had already turned on his heels and left the room.

Raven placed her spoon into her bowl as she turned her head to look at Maya, a perplexed expression on her face. "What does he mean by good impression?" she questioned.

Maya swallowed her food and wiped the excess from her mouth before responding. "We don't have a good reputation in most cities. Everyone knows we're pirates, so it's hard to get around anywhere without everyone wanting to kill us," she answered.

"Oh," Raven replied and turned her head back around to look at her bowl of half-eaten stew. She assumed that now she would also be wanted by the Navy. Her heart sank as she imagined what the 'wanted' posters would look like with her sketched image on it.

"As long as we blend in we'll be fine," Maya assured her as she stood up from her seat to take her empty bowl to the wooden sink. "I'll be at the bow if you need me," she informed before leaving the room.

Raven quietly finished her bowl and placed it in the sink.

"I'll wash them," Suren offered as he stood up from his seat and approached her. "It's my turn anyway."

Raven gave him a nod and left him to his duty. This was the first time she was left alone, so she wasn't sure what to do. There wasn't much to do on the ship.

She didn't want to get in trouble for snooping around, so she decided to return to her and Maya's shared room and lay down. After changing out of her boots, she climbed into the hammock and got comfortable.

Her sore legs felt instantly relieved once she laid down, and Raven soon drifted off into sleep while her bed gently rocked with the ship.

Chapter Text

"Damian! Get your stinky cat out of our room!"

Raven abruptly awoke to the sound of Maya screaming. Maya noticed her raising up and quickly apologized, "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay," Raven assured her and rubbed her tired eyes. Once her vision focused she spotted a black and white-colored cat rubbing against Maya's legs, causing the girl to grow even more annoyed. Raven hadn't even noticed a pet on board until now.

Moments later, Raven could hear footsteps growing closer. "I wouldn't talk, Ducard," Damian said as he entered the room and fetched his feline friend, glaring down at the girl as he held the cat, "He bathes more than you."

Maya narrowed her eyes and punched Damian in the shoulder, "If you don't keep that evil creature out of here, he's going to be shark bait."

"Over my dead body," Damian retorted before leaving the room.

Maya rolled her eyes as she made her way towards the chest sitting against the wall. She opened the lid and began to rummage through her pile of clothes. "Here," she said before handing Raven an outfit.

Raven took the clothes in her arms and studied the fabric. It was a long, white long-sleeved dress with a blue jacket and sun hat to match. There was a silky blue ribbon attached to the hat. It definitely wasn't her style, but she wasn't going to complain.

"We can get you some of your own clothes when we go to the shops," Maya said when she noticed Raven eyeing the piece of clothing. She was already changing into her different attire.

Raven met her gaze. "Okay," she said before changing into the dress.

"Usually we can get by with these disguises," Maya spoke as she carefully slid a sheathed dagger into her garter that was underneath her dress. "But, if anyone happens to pick up on it, be prepared to fight and escape."

Raven slowly nodded and followed her lead, hiding a weapon under her dress as well. When the two girls were ready, they headed to the main deck of the ship.

Damian and Suren both worked together to exchange the flag that flapped in the wind above. They took down their threatening pirate flag and replaced it with a nautical one.

"Looks good," Maya spoke as they approached the two boys.

"Seeing you in a dress will always be a sore to my eyes," Damian commented when he caught sight of Maya.

"Seeing you, in general, is a sore to mine," Maya retorted and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I gathered enough doubloons for the four of us to split," Suren informed the three as he retrieved a large pouch from his belt. Once he had it opened, he began splitting it evenly with the group.

"Are you sure?" Raven hesitantly asked when the coins were placed in her hands.

Suren nodded as he continued to pour them into her hands. "You're one of us now, so you deserve a ration," he said before tying the pouch back up.

"Thank you," she said before putting the money where she wouldn't lose it.

Once everyone was ready, they lowered the anchor and exited the vessel. After being in the ship for three days, being on land made Raven feel relieved. She'd almost forgotten how it felt to walk on land.

As the wind picked up, Raven quickly grabbed onto her hat in an attempt to keep it on. The climate in Star City was a lot cooler compared to where they'd been sailing.

"Suren and I are going to pick out some food at the market," Maya informed the other two as they walked down the paved street.

With that, they left the two others alone. Raven glanced over at Damian who had his attention on the vast display of swords.

"May I go look at clothes?" Raven decided to ask as she followed him to a shop.

Damian looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. "You don't have to ask permission," he said before returning his attention elsewhere.

Raven let out a sigh and headed down the street in search of a new wardrobe. When she spotted an immense selection of women's clothing, she stopped and began hunting through the majority of clothes.

After picking out several outfits, she paid the lady what she owed and carried the large paper bag down the street. She had a little leftover money, so she debated on spending the rest.

When a bookstore caught her eye, she didn't hesitate to head inside and take a gander. As she explored the large selection, she finally found one she found interesting.

"How much for this one?" Raven questioned once she reached the counter.

The older man glanced at the book in her hands before answering. "Ten gold," he said.

Raven's eyes widened the slightest at the price. She was short five coins. "Oh, okay," she responded and went to return the book to its shelf, but stopped in her tracks when he spoke again.

"If you're short on gold I can make an exchange," he offered, gesturing to the red jewel hanging around her neck.

Raven noticed what he meant and shook her head. "Sorry, I can't give this away," she said and quickly tucked it back into her shirt. The wind must've blown it out, she assumed.

Before he could respond, a dark hand placed coins on the counter. Raven turned her head to see Damian holding a book as well. "I'll pay for both," he offered.

"What a gentleman," the older man said as he took the coins and put them up. "You two have a lovely day."

Raven quickly followed Damian out the door as he left. "Uh, thank you," she thanked him.

"I didn't spend any money anywhere else, so it wasn't a hassle," he informed her.

Raven glanced down at the book he'd bought and raised an eyebrow. "Shakespeare?" she questioned.

"It passes the time," he responded and looked down at her selection. His eyes narrowed at the cover. They purchased the same book.

"How ironic," she nervously spoke and forced a smile when she noticed his annoyed expression.

Damian averted his gaze and kept walking as they searched for Maya and Suren. When neither could be found, Damian decided to sit down on a bench.

"You didn't get a sword?" Raven decided to question, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"They had nothing of value," Damian answered. "They only had bows and arrows."

"Oh," Raven replied as she tucked a strand of her loose hair behind her ear. The wind was blowing her hair everywhere as she tried to keep her hat on.

Damian noticed her struggling and quietly reached over to untie the ribbon from her hat and instead wrapped it around her chin to where it wouldn't blow off. Once it was around her chin, he tied it into a simple bow.

"Oh- thank you," she hesitantly said and met his unamused gaze. He didn't say anything and glanced down at the dirty thin silver chain around her neck. He reached up and pulled the red gem into sight.

"What is this?" he questioned as he studied the foreign jewel, "It doesn't look to be a Ruby."

Raven swiftly yanked the chain back from him. "It's rare," she informed as she tucked it back into her dress and out of sight, "I told you that the treasure of Azarath was special for a reason."

Damian cocked an eyebrow as he stared at her suspiciously. He knew there was something more to this piece of jewelry she kept close, but he decided to leave it be. He assumed it held sentimental value to her.

Soon after their conversation, an exhausted Suren and excited Maya met the other two pirates with two barrels in their grasp.

"What the hell did you buy, the entire market?" Damian asked before standing up and helping Suren roll his barrel.

"Hey," Maya defended, "This will last us weeks. So shut your trap."

"Let's just get back before we get caught," Suren whispered to the group.

The four of them quietly started to roll their barrels full of goods down the paved road towards the port. As they made their way down there the sky started to change colors, indicating that it would soon be dark.

As they approached their ship, a red arrow flew by and grazed Damian's shoulder, causing him to yell out in surprise.

"What the-" Raven began, but was cut off by a woman dressed in red leaping down from a rooftop and grabbing her in a headlock.

"Red Arrow," Damian noted as he stopped in his tracks and made eye contact with the woman. She was dressed from red and black from head to toe, and the only visible physical aspect of hers were her eyes. On her back was an advanced bow and many arrows.

"Give me all of your gold, son of Al Ghul," Red Arrow threatened as she tightened her grip on Raven, causing her to make a choking sound, "Or I end her life right now!"

Damian's hand hovered over his belt as he glared at the archer. "You think you're threatening because you know who I am, but I know who you are too, Emiko."

The woman's eyes widened the slightest at the name. "How do you-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Raven swiftly grabbed the dagger from underneath her sundress and stabbed her in the thigh with it. The other woman screamed in pain as she released Raven and quickly went to pull the dagger out of her skin.

"Bitch," Red Arrow seethed as she went to strike Raven again, but her attempt was roughly blocked by Damian as she grabbed her by the shirt.

"What is the real reason why you're attacking us, wench?" Damian questioned. "You knew we were pirates, so you had a better reasoning for this than stealing our cargo."

Red Arrow breathed heavily as she tried to ignore the throbbing pain in her leg. "I want a ride to Seattle," she admitted once she caught her breath.

Damian raised an eyebrow at her request. "You think we just give out free rides?" he questioned before dropping her to the ground.

"No, I was going to pay," she said before reaching in her belt to find a pouch of gold coins. She tossed it to Damian, who reluctantly caught it in his hands.

"You didn't make a good impression by shooting at me," Damian responded as he eyed the small bag in his hands. "Or threatening my crew mates' life."

"Please," she begged, "I just want to see my brother. You'd understand that, wouldn't you?"

Suren and Maya exchanged concerned glances while Raven wore a puzzled expression.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Damian coldly said and narrowed his eyes at her.

Red Arrow cleared her throat before speaking again. "I will do anything," she offered, her gaze unmoving.

"Fine. We have other stops to make first," Damian informed her. "So your little trip will have to wait."

"As long as I get there, I don't mind," Red Arrow assured him.

Damian let out a groan in annoyance. "Just stay out of our way," he finally said before tucking the pouch of coins away and then turning on his heels to proceed with transporting their cargo.

"Is that a yes?" Red Arrow asked as she slowly got back up to her feet, wincing at the pain in her thigh.

"From him? Yes," Maya said before she did the same. Raven slowly followed her suit and helped her push the heavy barrel.

Red Arrow's eyes lit up before limping behind them. "Is this The Goliath?" she questioned as the large galleon came into full view.

"Goliath?" Raven whispered to Maya in question.

Maya met her confused gaze. "It's the name of our ship," she cleared up.

Once they boarded the ship, Suren raised the anchor and released the sails for them to head back out to sea.

"Good job earlier," Damian said as he approached Raven's side. She was standing at the bow of the ship, gazing out at the cloudy night sky.

Raven looked at him in confusion. "What for?" she asked.

"Defending yourself," he simply responded before leaving her alone again. Raven raised an eyebrow at the sudden praise before turning back to the sea.

When he was gone, she pulled the glowing red gem out from underneath her shirt and clutched it tightly as she pressed her hand against her chest.

Chapter Text

At the crack of dawn, Maya woke Raven up to start training her to wield swords and shoot a pistol.

"Like this?" Raven questioned as she firmly held onto the handgun and carefully positioned her fingers.

"Make sure one elbow is locked when you fire it," Maya gave her a tip as she readjusted Raven's arm, "It could dislocate your arm if you're not careful."

"Okay," Raven said and kept her position firm, her finger hovering over the trigger as she did so. She didn't fire the gun because they had limited ammo. She aimed at a target and let Maya inspect her.

"I think you've got guns down," Maya praised and patted her on the shoulder. "Now let's work on swords."

Raven handed her the pistol and watched as she pulled out a sword from its holster.

"This was Damian's first sword," Maya informed her as she handed Raven the dulled katana.

Raven carefully took the sword in her hand and studied it. "A katana?" she questioned, "Doesn't a pirate usually use a cutlass?"

Maya let out a sigh. "Well-" she started, but she was rudely interrupted.

"His grandfather taught him how to wield that katana before he even learned how to walk," Emiko informed. Neither of the other two girls had a clue how long she had been standing there. "There's no telling how many heads he's whacked off with that old thing," she added.

She was standing in the doorway of the gun room, leaning against the wooden frame with her arms crossed over her chest. Instead of her red suit, she was wearing a simple black t-shirt and jeans.

"How do you know that?" Maya questioned as she stared at the girl suspiciously.

"Let's just say our pasts are very similar," Emiko responded, her voice holding the faintest tone of sadness in it. "Ra's Al Ghul is a demon, and most people that know this believe that Damian is cursed."

"He's not cursed," Maya responded, "We just come from shitty families, alright?"

"Your father was an assassin that Damian murdered, and Suren's father is just as evil as Ra's Al Ghul," Emiko said, "All they wanted to do was make you three a pawn in their sick game."

Maya narrowed her eyes at this. "What are you, a stalker?" she questioned.

Raven let her eyes widen the slightest as she processed the information. Maya instantly got defensive, which meant Emiko's words must be true.

"Just a good listener," Emiko responded.

"I'm sure your story isn't the brightest either," Maya retorted.

Emiko flashed the two girls a half-crooked smile. "I can't judge any of you. I was kidnapped as an infant and trained to kill people," she responded and forced a laugh. "I plan to find what's left of my real family."

"I... hope you do," Maya hesitantly said. It was hard for her to tell if Emiko was being genuine, but she decided to take a chance.

Emiko made her way over to the two girls, grabbing her bow from a hook on the way over. She took the katana from Raven's hands and replaced it with her bow.

Raven raised an eyebrow at the sudden transaction before Emiko explained what she was doing. "Before you move on to swords, how about I teach you how to shoot some arrows?" she offered.

Raven shared a glance with Maya before responding. "Uh, sure," she decided and let the other girl teach her how to work the bow.

"A major factor in shooting your arrows accurately is your stance and grip," Emiko informed her and positioned her the way she was taught. Once she was ready, Emiko told her to shoot.

After drawing back the string, Raven released the arrow. To both of the girls' surprise, the arrow landed perfectly where she was aiming.

"Nice," Emiko applauded and went to retrieve the arrow from the wooden pole.

Raven turned to face Maya. "Want to try?" she offered and held out the bow.

Maya shrugged before grabbing the bow and looking at Emiko as she tried to copy what Raven had done. "Like this?" she asked.

Emiko gave her a nod and handed her the arrow. Maya drew back her string and released the arrow, her eyes lighting up when it struck her target perfectly.

"You're good," Maya commented as she watched Emiko fetch the arrow from the same spot.

"It's what I'm best at," Emiko responded and took the bow back. After that, she quietly left the two girls alone.

Almost immediately after Emiko left the room, Damian stepped inside.

"Arrow girl knows every little detail about our childhood," Maya informed him and crossed her arms over her chest. Damian's expression changed from calm to annoyed.

"So I've heard," he said and let out a sigh. "I do not appreciate her telling our stories so openly."

Raven took his attire into view. He was wearing the same outfit as when they first met, except now he had a jacket over his shirt. This time, she noticed the gold plated guards on his forearms and shins.

"Me either. But, she taught us how to shoot arrows at least," Maya said and leaned against the wall. "Not that I ever see myself using one."

Damian noticed his katana lying on the wooden table. "Are you training her to wield a sword?" he questioned and picked up the dull sword.

"I was, before Emiko showed up," Maya answered and glanced over at Raven.

Damian held the katana by the tip as he held it out for Raven to grab. "Let a real swordsman teach you," he spoke.

Maya scoffed and rolled her eyes at his remark. "I'm going to go make lunch, please don't kill her," she said before leaving the room.

Raven hesitantly took the handle in her hands and gripped the light sword firmly.

"The most simple and essential technique is the overhead vertical strike," Damian informed before grabbing a wooden sword that resembled the one in her hands. He then demonstrated what he was talking about.

"Are you sure you want me to use the real sword?" Raven questioned after watching him pick the fake sword.

"It's better to learn with the real thing," he answered before straightening his back. Raven watched him carefully and tried to mimic his movement.

"Maybe you're not so useless after all," Damian commented after watching her almost perfectly execute his demonstration, "Next time try to be faster."

Raven gave him a nod and tried again, this time her movement more swift and natural.

"Perfect," Damian praised and then changed his stance. "Now for the horizontal strike," he said and demonstrated the same technique, but this time he swept the wooden blade from side to side.

Raven mirrored his stance and gripped the handle firmly in her hands before swiftly repeating the technique.

Damian raised his eyebrow in surprise. "Okay, now for the diagonal strike," he said and raised the wooden sword on his right side. Before he could demonstrate his next technique, the sound of Maya running down the hallway yelling caught both of their attention.

"Captain, we have company," Maya said between deep breaths as she tried to steady her breathing. Raven noticed Maya's voice held a serious tone to it when she addressed him more formally.

Damian turned towards her. "Who?" he questioned.

"Deathstroke," Maya answered and met his gaze. Raven looked at Damian and watched as his calm expression turned into distraught. Her stomach dropped when she noticed this.

"How close?" Damian asked and cleared his throat. He placed the wooden sword down and started to rummage through the vast collection of weapons hanging on the wall.

"They're gaining on us quickly," Maya answered and watched him. "Suren and I can go ready the cannons now if needed."

"Good idea," Damian said and retrieved a nicer version of the katana Raven was holding from the wall. He also grabbed a pistol to place in the holster on his belt.

"Aye," Maya said before swiftly leaving the room.

When she was gone, Damian turned to face Raven. "You can pick any weapon on this wall and use it, just use it wisely."

Raven wore a worried expression. "How big of a threat is this 'Deathstroke'?" she nervously questioned and approached the wall to pick out something simple for her to use.

"I honestly don't know," Damian admitted to her and began to head for the door. Raven quickly decided on a sword and pistol before running after him. When he noticed her railing behind him, he started to speak again. "Most call him the Terminator. He's a highly-skilled assassin. His twisted children, Jericho and Ravager, are part of his crew. The last time we battled, it didn't end good. I believe he is chasing us down for vengeance."

"What is he vengeful for?" Raven asked in confusion.

"I stabbed his eye out," Damian informed as he started to climb the stairs to the main deck.

Raven's eyes widened at the statement.

"Be careful," was all Damian said before stationing himself at the starboard to steer the ship away. Raven looked up to see Emiko in the crow's nest, her bow in hand. Her heart raced when the other ship caught her eye. It was closing in on them fast. A black and an orange flag waved rapidly in the wind above it.

As Raven watched this, two loud explosions were heard and felt from underneath her, causing her to almost lose her balance. Two large cannonballs flew from their ship and plunged into Deathstroke's, putting holes into the hull upon impact.

"We've got three enemies!" Emiko shouted from above.

Raven glanced over at Damian who had his attention focused on the captain of the other ship. Raven followed where he was looking and took in the appearance of the man. He was wearing a two-toned orange and black bandana around his head. One of his eyes was covered with the bandana like a mask. It seemed like the rest of his outfit was simple black and orange kevlar. On his back were two swords.

As soon as the two ships were within mere feet of each other, Deathstroke leaped across the gap and pulled both swords out.

"How much can I pay for you to fuck off?" Damian questioned as he left the wheel, his hand hovering over the katana in its holster.

"I don't seek money this time, boy," Deathstroke answered, a sinister grin plastered on his face. Two more of his crew members followed him over and stood proudly behind him, their swords already drawn.

"Only revenge."

Chapter Text

Damian narrowed his eyes at the mercenary and pulled his katana out to hold by his side. 

"Doesn't look like you'll be getting any revenge today," he asserted and raised his sword. 

Deathstroke charged at him, initiating the sword fight. While her father dealt with Damian and Jericho dodged Emiko's arrows, Ravager met Raven's nervous gaze. A grin made its way to her lips. 

Raven watched as the other girl made her way swiftly towards her. In both of her hands were shiny cutlasses. Her silky white hair loosely flowed from a two-toned black and orange bandana, almost completely identical to her father. She wore an open one-piece corset top that exposed her legs. I'm her feet were black cavalier boots that ended just below her knees. 

"You're new," Ravager slyly commented before bringing one of her swords down. 

Raven acted quickly when she did this and blocked the strike with her katana, using all of her strength to keep Ravager's sword from cutting her. 

"I guess I'll have to introduce myself," Ravager began and used her other hand to swipe from the side and leave a deep gash on Raven's arm, "I'm Ravager, the only daughter of the Terminator. Do you know what my name means?" 

Raven swiftly ducked her head when Ravager swung another strike at her. She had been mere inches away from Raven's jugular. One bad move and Raven would've been bleeding out to a quick death. 

"It means to bring destruction," Ravager answered her own question before raising one of her legs up and kicking Raven to the floor. Doing this caused Raven to lose grip on the katana. Raven watched helplessly as the sword slid from her grasp. 

She took a brief moment to glance over at Damian and Deathstroke who were still sword fighting. It was hard to tell who was winning. Emiko and Jericho were close by battling by themselves. Maya and Suren were still on a lower deck trying to fire cannonballs into the enemy ship. She was completely on her own. 

Ravager aimed the sword above Raven as she glared down at the defenseless girl, a smile on her rosy lips. 

Raven's eyes lit up when she remembered the pistol she placed underneath her coat. Quickly, Raven grabbed the handgun and aimed it at Ravager's head. 

"You'll kill us both," Raven warned and narrowed her eyes. 

"So she can speak," Ravager said and held her sword steady as it hovered over Raven's chest. A small laugh left her lips when she looked at the useless weapon. "When you threaten someone, the gun should be loaded," she spoke. 

Raven's heart sank in her chest at the words. She didn't notice the gun was unloaded when she grabbed it. "I pity killing an amateur, really," Ravager commented. 

Damian glanced over and watched the scene. "Dammit," he muttered under his breath. 

After dodging one of Deathstroke's strikes, he sprinted towards the two girls. 

Ravager heard the sound of his rapid footsteps and quickly turned around to face him, pointing the end of her other sword in his face. 

"You come to save your lass?" Ravaged questioned, an eyebrow raised under the bandana. "How sweet. Now you'll die together by my hand." 

Damian said nothing as he used the gold plated guards on his forearm to block her sword from cutting him. As he was dodging her strikes, Raven reached over to grab her katana and got back to her feet. Suren and Maya both appeared from the lower deck. 

While she was turned around, Raven used the diagonal strike and cut the back of Ravager's leg, leaving a deep gash. Ravager winced as she fell on her knee. Maya approached the three and took this advantage to slam Ravager on the ground face down and restrain her. 

"Now stay down, harlot," Damian ordered. His expression turned confused as he watched Ravager smugly grin up at him. 

Raven's eyes widened as she looked behind Damian. "Look out-" she started to warn, but it was too late. Deathstroke quickly grabbed Damian from behind and reached a dagger up to stab him in the eye, causing the younger boy to scream out in pain. 

"Get offa' him!" Maya yelled as she got back on her feet, but Deathstroke kicked her back to the floor. 

"Now this is a satisfying retaliation," Deathstroke said before releasing Damian and letting him fall to the ground. His hands immediately reached up to cover his bloody eye. "I believe the saying goes 'an eye for an eye', yes?" Deathstroke added. 

Maya and Raven immediately rushed to Damian's side, inspecting his new wound. 

Suren stood up from his spot and aimed the end of his pistol barrel at Deathstroke's head. "Leave," he demanded, his finger planted firmly on the trigger. Emiko stood on the other side of him, her bow string drawn back. Her arrow was aimed towards the center of his back. 

"Your son is swimming back to your sorry excuse of a ship as we speak," Emiko informed him, her gaze unmoving, "I suggest you retrieve him before he becomes shark bait." 

Deathstroke stopped in his tracks at the threat. "I have no further business here, anyway," he said nonchalantly and stepped backward. 

"Daddy, you're not going to leave me here, are you?" Ravager questioned with a nervous expression. 

"I will be back someday," was all Deathstroke said before escaping towards his ship. 

Ravager's eye widened underneath the mask at the sight of her fathers ship sailing away from them. Suren roughly grabbed her by the arm and restrained her to the mast. When he finished tying her up, he rushed over to Damian and Maya. 

Maya and Suren placed Damian's arms over their shoulders and carefully helped him back to his feet, slowly helping him walk to the interior of the ship. 

Once they got to the med bay, Raven began handing Maya all the supplies she needed. 

"This is going to hurt," Maya warned before dipping a washcloth into solution and started to clean his wound. Damian grit his teeth as he winced from the pain. Suren allowed Damian to squeeze his hand as pressure was applied to his injured eye. 

"Can you see out of it?" Maya hesitantly asked. She already knew the answer. 

"No." 

Guilt immediately filled Raven's mind. If he hadn't come to save her, this would not have happened. 

Maya grabbed a roll of bandages and began to wrap it around Damian's head to cover his left eye. "I'm sorry, little brother," she said as she used her knife to cut the bandage and then tied the loose end. "I would take the pain away if I could." 

"It was bound to happen eventually," Damian responded and watched her bandage up his bicep. "Deathstroke would not have left without getting revenge." 

"I'm going to get you something to drink," she said before leaving. The room was filled with silence after she left. 

"You're bleeding," Damian suddenly spoke up and gestured towards Raven's arm. 

Raven's eyes lit up with surprise at him. "Don't worry about me," she quickly assured him. 

Damian ignored her protest and grabbed the roll of bandages from the bed. He unraveled the roll and cut off a strip of the fabric before wrapping it around her gash. 

"Why-" she started, but was quickly cut off. 

"If you care that much about me, then don't let the loss of my eye go in vain," he said as he tied the loose end and quietly left the room. 

Raven rubbed her opposite hand over the bandage as she watched him leave, a piteous look in her violet eyes.

Chapter Text

"Your real name. Tell us what it is."

Damian and his crew glared down at Ravager as the mask was pulled from her face. Her silver hair fell in front of her face, blocking most of her features from view.

"Talk, harlot," Damian ordered and tossed the mask on the ground. "I know your vocal cords work, unlike your pitiful brother's," he added.

Ravager glared up at him. Her right eye was sky blue, while her left one was closed. There was a long jagged scar running across the lid.

"Stop calling me a harlot, little boy."

Maya glanced at Damian to see his now furious expression as she tried to fight back a chuckle.

Damian glared at her. "What's so funny, Ducard? Want me to tie you up as well?"

"I mean, she's..." she started to reply, but quickly trailed off when she noticed Damian grow more angry by the second. "Nevermind."

Damian let out an annoyed sigh and returned his attention to Ravager. "Tell us your real identity before we throw you overboard, harlot," he demanded. "I don't have time for games."

"For your information, even though it is none of your business, I do not have many sexual partners," Ravager corrected. "So that name doesn't apply to me."

"That's quite obvious," Damian said and crossed his arms over his chest. "I wouldn't touch you for all the gold in the world."

Suren let out a laugh at the comment. Ravager glared back and forth at the two boys.

"I doubt either of you have ever had a woman desire you," Ravager said, causing them to cease from laughing. "Besides, you two have been staring at my chest almost the entire time we've been talking."

"What chest?" Damian retorted and earned a glare from her.

"Ouch," Maya commented at the remark and watched Ravager's expression change.

"Whatever. Leave me alone. Deathstroke will be coming back for me soon," Ravager said proudly.

"Leave you here to rot away?" Damian questioned and met both of Suren and Maya's gazes. "Don't have to ask me twice."

With that, the crew left Ravager alone.

Heavy rain poured down on the wooden ship as a storm hovered over them. Hours had gone by after the battle with Deathstroke.

"Do you think we should bring Ravager inside?" Emiko decided to ask as the crew ate dinner.

Damian met her innocent gaze. "If we welcome her, she could kill us all in our sleep," he answered as he took a bite of his bread. "She's the daughter of The Terminator. We can't let our guard down."

"So what if she's the daughter of The Terminator. My father is the all-powerful Lu'un Darga. You're the grandson of Ra's Al Ghul. Maya is the daughter of Nobody. Emiko is Green Arrow's sister. Raven is..." Suren trailed off as he looked at the girl.

"A witch," Damian added.

"I am not a witch!" Raven defended. "How many times do I have to clarify that?"

"Then what are you?" Damian questioned and leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest. "Or rather, who are you? I don't believe we ever received a story."

"Yeah, what were those weird prophecies you were talking about when they tried to execute you? Were you actually practicing witchcraft?" Suren asked.

Raven gulped at the sudden attention. "I... I'm just a runaway," she lied, "My father abandoned me at birth and my mother left me a few weeks ago. There's nothing really special about me. And no, I was not practicing witchcraft. Those... things I was rambling on about were just dreams."

"How old are you?" Emiko questioned before taking a sip from her drink. "You look a little old to still live with your mother."

Raven glanced at her. "I'm twenty-two," she answered, "We just have a close bond."

"Twenty-two?" Maya asked, her eyes slightly wide. "I think you're the oldest here."

This surprised Raven. Maya noticed this and continued.

"I'm twenty, Suren is twenty-one, Damian is nineteen," she said and glanced in Emiko's direction.

"Also twenty," Emiko informed.

Raven gave Damian a funny look. "You're the youngest?" she questioned. Not only did he look more mature for his age, but he acted like it too.

Damian narrowed his eye at her. "And I'm still smarter than you," he retorted.

"That's why he's my little brother," Maya said and let out a laugh.

"And you are my big sister because you are fat," Damian said before standing up and putting away his dirty dish.

"More like because I constantly have to save your ass," Maya replied.

Raven quietly watched the two of them bicker back and forth. When she first stayed on the ship, her first impression was that the two were a couple, but now she easily realized that they had the bond of siblings.

"What should we do about Ravager?" Maya decided to ask, her playful tone swiftly turning serious, "We can't just leave her out there."

The crew was quiet as they seemed to be pondering ideas.

"What if we turn her against her father?" Raven decided to suggest after the thought had come to her mind. Everyone's gaze landed on her.

"That's actually not a bad idea," Maya commented and glanced at Damian, who was washing his dishes in the wooden sink. Emiko and Suren stood up to do the same.

Damian turned his head to look at her. "Maybe you're not so brainless after all," he said. "Witch girl."

Raven rolled her eyes at him before she got up. "Thanks, patchy," she responded.

"Tt," Damian scoffed as he started to head towards the door. On his way out, he made sure to harshly tug on Raven's long braid as punishment for the nickname she gave him.

"Ow!" Raven yelped and pulled her hair back around her shoulder. When she noticed him leave, she quickly trialed behind him.

"What do you want now?" he groaned when he acknowledged her presence.

"Let me talk to her," Raven ordered as she caught up to him.

Damian raised his eyebrow at the request and stopped in his tracks. "What makes you think she would rather listen to you?"

"I'm an empath," Raven answered. "I can talk to her easier. No offense."

Damian used his two fingers to squeeze the bridge of his nose. "Fine, but I won't feel sorry when she kills you," he replied.

Raven if does his comment and led the way towards the main deck. Once they approached Ravager, the girl quickly looked away. Her expression remained uninterested.

"You two here to keep tormenting me?"

Damian and Raven exchanged brief glances before Raven spoke. "You look... sad," she noted.

"Wouldnt you if you sat in the cold rain for hours?" Ravager retorted, her gaze still fixed on the floor.

Raven pressed her lips together as she tried to find the words to say. Damian looked at her with an annoyed expression as the time gradually passed.

"It's because of your father leaving you," Raven finally said. This caused Ravager to glare up at her. When she didn'tsay anything, Raven continued. "He doesn't care about you. All he wants to do is use you. Trust me, I would know."

Ravager looked away again. "What does it matter anyway," she responded. "That's all I'm good for to him."

"You don't have to be his weapon," Raven assured her as she squatted down to her level.

"Why are you being nice to me?" Ravager asked and met her gaze, "I almost killed you earlier."

"I know a damaged father-daughter relationship when I see it," Raven answered.

Damian let out a long sigh. Raven looked back at him before turning back to Ravager. "Do you want to stay with us, then?"

Ravager wore a puzzled expression. "You actually trust me?"

"We will watch you carefully so you can't kill anyone," Damian responded. "But the moment you try anything funny, you're dead."

Raven hesitantly reached over and began cutting the rope that was binding her wrists together with the dagger she had. Once they were free, Ravager rubbed her sore violet wrists in an attempt to ease the pain. "Rose," she suddenly said.

Damian and Raven both gave her a confused expression. When she noticed their confusion, a small smile made its way to her lips.

"My name is Rose."

Chapter Text

"Try to be quicker." 

Raven groaned as she blocked another one of Damian's hits with her katana. They had been training all morning and all Raven wanted to do was take a break. The sun's warm rays beat down on her head as she caught her breath. 

"Don't hold back, I can take a hit." 

His comments were beginning to grate on her nerves. She wasn't holding back, she just couldn't focus. All she could think about was his eye, considering that it was all her fault. 

Before Raven could strike him, Emiko spoke up from behind her. "Let me try," she requested and took the full sword from Raven's grasp. Raven raised an eyebrow as the other girl stood beside her. "He's not that tough." 

Damian narrowed his eye down at her. "You really think you can beat me?" 

"I don't think, I know," Emiko said as she blocked a strike from him. "The Al Ghuls have always been a weak bloodline." 

Maya widened her eyes at the comment. "Oh no," she muttered under her breath. 

Her statement sparked something inside Damian. Raven didn't know what it was, but she assumed it sent him over the edge as she watched him put in triple the effort that he possessed with her just moments ago. 

Damian threw down the wooden sword then drew his katana from his back. He began slowly walking towards the gawking girl. 

Emiko took a step back, seemingly a little surprised by this new side of Damian. "You- You actually want to duel?" she asked before nervously grabbing a cutlass of her own.

Damian charged at her, holding his katana in both hands. Emiko began to parry his blows, until Damian began to strike faster. They both clashed swords for a time, but it became clear who was superior. In a matter of minutes, Damian knocked the sword from her grip and placed the blade to her neck.

"First of all, you speak nothing of my personal business," he started, then added, "Second, you address me as your captain, nothing more and nothing less. Got it, Queen?”

Emiko gulped as she took a small step backward. She was speechless as Damian placed his sword back into its holster and went inside. Her dark eyes looked up to glance at the other girls before shamefully following behind him. 

"Dammit," Suren commented as he reeled in his fishing rod, pulling everyone else from their thoughts. He groaned when he realized the end of his line was bare. 

"I told you it wouldn't work," Maya said as she approached the boy, leaving Rose and Raven alone. 

When it was quiet, Raven decided to lean over the side-railing of the ship and gaze out at the endless sea displayed before her. She hoped that they would reach her destination soon, but she knew it wouldn't be that easy. All she had was a necklace that guided her.

But, what would she do after she got what she was searching for? There was nowhere for her to go. Azarath was no place for her to live, and she knew the crew wouldn't want her around anymore. 

"She's jealous of you." 

The sudden comment form Rose caught her off guard. Rose was talking about Emiko, Raven presumed. 

Raven turned her head to look at Rose, an eyebrow raised. "What brought you to that conclusion?" 

"The way she was acting," Rose answered and looked out at the sea before continuing, "I think she wants something from him. Perhaps to get to her destination sooner, since we've been told yours is his first priority." 

The thought hadn't ever occurred to Raven. "You really think so?" she questioned. 

"Yes, but thinking and knowing are two different things," Rose responded before leaving the other girl alone to be with her curious thoughts. A short amount of time passed by before Raven decided to check up on him. 

When she couldn't find him anywhere, her last resort was to check the last place she hadn't looked; his bedroom. 

While Raven shared a room with Maya, everyone else had their own personal room. Damian of course had the larger one, considering he was the captain of the ship. 

Once she approached his door, she lifted her shaky hand up and used her knuckles to lightly knock on his door. As soon as she made contact with the door, it creaked open. Raven took a deep breath before pushing it completely open and scanning the room in search of him. 

When she came to the conclusion that the room was unoccupied, she decided she should leave. However, before she turned around, a framed drawing of a woman caught her eye. 

Hesitantly she reached her hand out and grabbed it from the dresser, her eyes tracing over all the details. The woman was absolutely gorgeous, with her delicate eyes and long hair. Raven assumed this must be his lover. 

"So I have two stalkers now?" 

Raven jumped at Damian's words, almost dropping the picture. She immediately returned it to it's respectful spot and turned to face him. He was standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. 

"Sorry," she quickly spoke, nervously rubbing the back of her neck, "I wasn't snooping, I promise."

"Right," Damian responded, an unamused expression on his face. 

Raven cleared her throat. "I actually came to check up on you," she admitted and watched as he walked into the room. 

"About earlier I presume?" he questioned. 

Raven nodded once he turned his head to look at her. 

"We are both alright now, since she apologized," Damian assured her as he grabbed a spyglass from his shelf. "As she should've." 

"Oh," Raven said, "That's, uh, good to hear." 

"Mhm," he hummed in response while he held the glass up to his eye to test it out. 

Raven chewed her lower lip as she anticipated asking him the rest of her questions. The most important one would be about where they were heading. 

When he started to head for the door, she blurted out the first question that came to mind in a desperate attempt to keep his attention. 

"Is this woman your lover? She's beautiful." 

As soon as the words left her mouth she cringed at herself. That was too personal. 

Damian stopped in his tracks before hesitatingly turning around. "She was my mother," he corrected. 

Raven's heart sank in her chest at the past tense. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have asked," she quickly apologized and squeezed her eyes shut. What an idiot, she mentally scolded herself. 

Damian raised an eyebrow at her reaction. "I'm not mad," he informed her. "Her name was Talia. She died so that I could be born, so I like to have a gentle reminder of why I'm here." 

Raven's eyes widened the slightest. She hadn't expected him to open up to her like this.

"I doubt you came here to listen to my story. What did you really want to ask me? I don't have all day." 

"N-No, I mean, I did want to ask you something else," Raven stammered, "But I don't mind listening." 

Damian eyed her for a moment before responding. "Well, what's your other question?" 

Raven cleared her throat again. "Oh, right," she replied, "I meant to ask you where we are heading." 

"I haven't mapped out everything yet," Damian admitted. "I was actually aiming to get you to your island first. But, I have no clue where that is. You haven't given me any insight besides your word." 

"I... have an idea of where it is," Raven informed him. 

"An idea?" Damian questioned, his gaze growing annoyed as he went to turn around. "You don't sound sure." 

"No, I promise, I do," Raven pleaded as she reached out and grabbed his arm in an attempt to keep him there. Her face flushed when she realized how crazy she looked right now. "Just... trust me." 

Damian eyed her for a moment before jerking his arm away from her touch. "Unsure trust gets you killed," he commented. 

He watched as her violet eyes dulled. The sight almost made him feel remorseful. "But, I suppose I'll just have to have faith in you," he decided to say before turning his back to her and leaving the room. 

Raven wore a hopeful expression as she happily followed behind him to the main deck, a smile on her lips.

Chapter Text

As the two of them reached the crows nest, Raven gazed out at the large sea that stretched out over the now orange horizon. There wasn’t an island in sight. 

Raven held her hand up to point her finger in a specific direction. “It’s that way.” 

Damian raised the spyglass up to his eye to scan the area she had gestured toward. “And how the hell do you know that?” he questioned after lowering the device, giving her a skeptical look. There were no stars in the sky due to the fact that it was daylight, nor had she even glanced at a map, so it was improbable that she had the slightest clue what she was doing. 

Raven pondered his question for a moment so she could come up with an answer. “I thought you trusted me?” 

Damian closed his eye before letting out a long, drawn out sigh. She was right. “Get us lost, and you’re fish bait,” he said once he opened his eye to glare down at her. 

Raven gulped as she watched him climb down the ladder. Once he was gone, she pulled the chained gem from her shirt and watched as it glowed once she turned towards the direction they were heading. 

As much as she wanted to tell him the truth of her real intentions, she knew it would be better for her to keep her mouth shut. Besides, he would think she was insane if she did. 

After dinner, the crew began drinking booze. Not because they wanted to get drunk necessarily, but because beverages were limited on a pirate ship. They were already out of any fruit or vegetable juices and were forced to resort to drinking alcohol. 

While the crew stayed outside drinking, Raven made her way inside to take advantage of this moment and clean herself up. 

After collecting a few large pails full of seawater, she heated as much of it as she could over the wood stove before dumping it into the large wooden tub inside the washroom. 

No matter the circumstances, Raven decided the first day she stayed aboard that she would be clean. She didn’t care where she was, but the stench of her own body odor bothered her far too much. Just because she was named a pirate didn’t mean she had to smell like one. 

Raven took her hair out of her braid and let it flow freely as she climbed inside and sank down in the tub. Doing so allowed her to soak in the lukewarm water. While she did this, she began to reflect on her youth. 

If she was being honest with herself, life at sea was a lot more enjoyable than back home. Not Azarath, because she was only a child when it was destroyed, but back in Jump City. Her and her mother barely had enough food to get by, and bathing was a luxury to them, so she was often dirty. They lived in a small, run down house, which is where she stayed before the Navy captured her to be executed for witchcraft. 

Raven also never found out the reason why her mother abandoned her. Perhaps it was because of the cult she was in, or maybe it was the fact that her child’s father was an other-dimensional demon that claimed he would take over the world. Arella was never a woman who enjoyed confrontation, after all. 

After using a bar of soap to cleanse herself thoroughly, she rinsed herself off and used a towel to wrap around herself. 

Before she could change clothes, the sound of the door creaking as it opened caused her to jump. Luckily for her, her back was turned to the door. 

“Ever heard of knocking ?” Raven angrily questioned as she hurriedly wrapped the towel back around her damp frame. 

When she heard Damian’s deep voice, her face immediately flushed. 

“That’s a funny-looking tattoo.” 

The question caught her off guard. Her embarrassment quickly turned into shame when she realized what he was referring to; the black symbol on the small of her back. 

She cleared her throat before responding. “It’s not a tattoo,” she corrected him and looked at him through the corner of her eye. 

He cocked his head sideways before stepping inside and closing the door behind him, causing Raven to pull the towel closer to her. “It’s not? Then what-“

“A brand.” 

His eyebrows lifted at the information. “You were… a slave?” he assumed. 

“Something like that,” she simply responded, her embarrassment returning when she noticed him approaching her from behind. “U-Um, can I have some privacy?” 

Surely he was drunk. However, he didn’t stagger nor did he smell of alcohol. 

“Everyone thinks you’re a witch, is that why?” he responded, stopping in his tracks. Oh, so he was just prying into her personal life , she presumed. 

“Well, I’ve heard you’re cursed,” Raven retorted. “But I didn’t think so. Do you believe everything everyone else says?” 

Damian narrowed his eyes. “No, but I expect to know everything about my crew. All I’ve received from you are bits and pieces that don’t add up.” 

“I don’t suppose you know everything about Emiko or Rose,” she responded matter-of-factly and turned around to face him. 

“Queen is the half-sister of the Green Arrow. She was kept secret from the Queen family by her mother and as an infant, she was kidnapped by Green Arrow’s enemy, who raised her as an assassin. Wilson was born by her mother and hidden from Deathstroke before the original Ravager captured her and showed her who her father was before she joined his crew,” Damian answered, his arms crossed over his chest. 

Raven nervously swallowed as she processed the information. “Okay, so maybe you do,” she said. 

“Not knowing who you surround yourself with invites disaster,” he responded before turning around and leaving the room. 

Once he was gone, Raven let out a sigh before she got dressed.

When Raven was finished cleaning herself up, she decided to come back outside and search for Damian again. While the others were playing games, she noticed him standing at the bow of the ship, gazing out at the stars. After spotting him, she made her way over toward him from behind. 

“My mother was in a satanic cult,” she confessed. “That is why I’ve been labeled a witch.”

“You again?” Damian turned his head towards her, startled by the sudden approach. “Well, I guess I can say that’s not what I expected,” he admitted. 

“Did you expect me to possess supernatural powers?” she questioned, raising an eyebrow. 

“Perhaps I assumed you were just crazy,” he retorted and gazed back out at the dark night sky. 

Across the atmosphere were a blanket of twinkling stars, completed by a bright crescent moon that reflected on the black waters. As much as she enjoyed the land, Raven couldn’t deny that it was a stunning sight. 

“What about you?” Raven decided to ask, not turning her head to look at him. 

Damian pondered the question for a moment before answering her. “After my mother passed, my grandfather took care of me. He’s the leader of an assassin group, so I was raised to be one of them. Eventually, I ran away from him and found Maya and Suren and we decided to resort to piracy.” 

Raven’s eyebrows raised. “Why did you run away?” 

“I found out that my father was actually alive,” Damian answered simply. “Despite my grandfather telling me he was not.” 

“So, people say you’re cursed because of your heritage?” Raven presumed as she gathered the information. 

Damian nodded in response. “They say he’s a demon,” he said, then added, “But he’s not that strong. I could defeat him if I truly wanted.” 

“Do you plan on meeting your father?” Raven curiously questioned, turning her head to study his soft expression. 

“One day,” Damian answered, meeting her gaze briefly before returning his attention to the sea. “I have other things to do first.” 

“I see,” Raven quietly said, tucking a strand of her long hair behind her ear. 

The two of them remained silent as they stargazed before Damian decided to speak again. 

“I’m going to head to bed. Thank you for the chat.” 

Raven turned her head to watch him leave, a slight smile pulling at the corner of her lips as she watched his back grow distant. Heading him open up to her was refreshing. 

“Anytime,” she quickly blurted out while he was still in hearing range. 

Once he was gone, Raven looked up at the sky one last time and pulled her necklace out of her shirt, her smile widening at the sight of its vibrant glow. This was the only navigation tool she needed. 

Raven went to sleep that night with a warm feeling in her chest. 

Chapter Text

"Where the hell are we!?"

Raven flinched at Damian's furious voice, staring at him with a dazed expression. He had her backed against the wall as he scolded her.

"I-I-" Raven stammered, but Damian immediately interrupted her.

"I should've never trusted you," Damian groaned as he ran his fingers through his sweaty hair. He turned around and slammed his hands on the table in front of him, his eyes frantically scanning the useless map displayed before him. "I don't even recognize anything!"

"Calm down, we'll be fine," Maya assured him, playing a hand on his shoulder. "Stop being an asshole. She didn't mean to."

Maya was right; Raven had no intention of getting them lost. Their course had been thrown off.

Raven glanced down at the chained gem hanging around her neck, furrowing her eyebrows. Was this thing inaccurate, or had someone else moved the wheel, she wondered. Either way, she looked really bad right now.

"You're lucky someone here gives a fuck about your life," he said towards Raven, adding something underneath his breath before storming out the door, "Because I would've done thrown your lousy ass overboard."

Raven swallowed as she watched him leave, swallowing back the cry in her throat she could feel coming.

"He'll cool off, don't sweat it," Maya assured her as she placed a comforting hand on Raven's shoulder. "I've done much worse, trust me."

Raven looked at her. "But I didn't intend to get us lost, I swear on my life."

Maya cocked her head sideways. "Do you think someone else changed the course?" she questioned.

"I... don't know," Raven answered truthfully. "I do not wish to be one to accuse others, but I know for sure I can find my destination. I wouldn't have done this."

Maya pressed her lips together as she pondered the subject. "Well, it'll be okay. I trust you."

Raven's eyes met hers with a hopeful look. "Thank you," she spoke. I'm glad someone does, she thought to herself.

"Of course," she said before flashing her a smile. After patting Raven on the back, she left the room, leaving Raven alone.

Carefully, Raven picked up the thumb compass lying on the table and she watched as the needle moved frequently. Her eyes fell to the map on the table and she tried to find where they were truly headed, a confused expression on her face.

The New World?

After coming to this conclusion, Raven decided to suck up her fear of confrontation and speak with Damian again. This wasn't making sense to her. Azarath was in the opposite direction.

Raven took a deep breath and prepared to walk into the captains quarters, but came to a stop when she heard two low voices.

Curiously, she slowly peeked her head around the corner of the door and raised her eyebrows at the sight of Emiko hugging Damian close to her, her hand gently rubbing circles on his broad back as they sat on his bed.

Before either of them could catch her snooping, she quickly pulled her head back and let out a sigh as she retreated shamefully back to her room.

Once closing the door, she took her hair down and angrily took the necklace off, placing it on top of her dresser before closing her eyes and relaxing in her hammock.

—

Before the crack of dawn, the ship rocked harshly, waking Raven up from her slumber. She was still wearing the clothes from before dinner, so she had been sleeping for a long time. 

"Maya?" Raven called out quietly, but received no answer. After rubbing her tired eyes, Raven went to get out of her hammock, but was roughly knocked to the floor as the ship moved violently again. This was definitely not a wave.

Raven quickly got to her feet and held onto the door as she opened it. When the next rock came, a loud explosion was heard with it. Her heart sank at the realization that they were under attack.

Raven looked down the hallway to see open flames climbing on one side of the wall. This was bad. Why hadn't anyone woke her up beforehand?

Before rushing to the scene, she stepped into the captain's quarters to see if Damian was in there. The room was also in flames, hardly anything surviving. When she noticed the untouched picture of his mother on the dresser, she decided to quickly grab it and tuck it away in her shirt pocket. He would thank her later.

Swiftly, she grabbed a pistol and sword from his wall and made her way up to the main deck, dreading to see what was happening.

Before she could reach the top of the stairs, a man spoke to her from behind. "I wouldn't even bother. You're no match for us."

Raven turned her head to meet the gaze of a man dressed in all black, every feature of his face except his eyes covered with a mask.

He slowly approached her, his sword in hand. "Just surrender-" he calmly spoke, the end of his sword directed towards her, "-and I won't hurt you. You're far too pretty to be a pirate, anyway."

Raven backed up as she climbed the stairs, her hand hovering over the pistol attached to her leather belt. "Why are you attacking us?"

"Your crewmates have a debt to pay to our leader," was all the man said before bringing his katana up to strike her.

She ducked and brought her pistol up, quickly pulling the trigger. To her surprise, the gun had been loaded and a shot rang out, the bullet piercing through his chest. Her eyes widened at the sight of bloodshed. That was her first kill.

"Watch your back!"

Raven turned her head at Suren's voice, a distraught expression in her face when she saw her crewmates fighting for their lives. They were outnumbered by the enemy.

This wasn't just some pirate crew, it had to be an army. There were two ships next to theirs.

When men charged at her, she quickly used the skills Damian and Maya had taught her to defend herself against the men. When she struggled, Rose effortlessly helped her.

"I've dealt with these bastards before," Rose spoke as she shoved the end of her sharp sword through a man's chest. "They're annoying."

"Who are they?" Raven questioned, using her sword to block a strike from another.

Rose shoved the man off her sword before answering. "League of Assassins. Ran by none other than Ra's Al Ghul."

Raven went round-eyed at the name. If she remembered correctly, that was Damian's demonic grandfather.

Suddenly, the men began to retreat. This left an uneasy feeling in Raven. That wasn't normal.

"Oh God..." Rose spoke, dropping her sword. "They didn't..."

"What?" Raven questioned, looking around at everyone else's faces in bewilderment. What was going on?

"Abandon ship!" Damian ordered.

What? Raven wondered, her feet glued to the deck as she watched the others leap overboard.

Her hand reached up and felt her neck, a grim expression on her face when she felt the bare skin. Her gem.

"What are you doing? Are you deaf? Get out of here!" Damian shouted towards her as he noticed her rushing back towards the burning interior.

"I have to get something," Raven quickly informed him.

"You dumbass!" Damian shouted as he chased after her, reaching a hand out to grab her arm.  "It's not that important! We have to go!"

"Since when do you care about my life?" Raven retorted as she attempted to jerk away from him, but his grip just got tighter as he pulled her back to the main deck.

Damian dashed towards the side of the ship, holding Raven's frame tightly as he pulled them both overboard.

Right before they hit the water, Raven watched in horror as their ship exploded into a million pieces. The fiery explosion reflected on her violet eyes before they went under.

Damian had taken more damage from the blast as he shielded her body from the explosion. As he sank lower underwater, Raven quickly grabbed his arm and draped it over her shoulder, holding it tightly as she made her way back to the surface.

Once she broke the surface, she loudly gasped for air. Damian coughed, and weakly held into her as she pulled them onto a piece of wood from the ship.

Raven went to call for help, but Damian quickly interrupted her.

"Don't let the enemy know... we're still... alive. They'll... kill... us..." he weakly informed, letting out another strained cough.

Raven looked at him with a worried expression before deciding that he was right. Besides, the others had gotten out of there much sooner, so they had to be okay. Right?

As the two enemy ships began to sail away, Raven looked up and watched as the bright yellow sun began to peek over the horizon. A glimmer of hope formed in her eyes as the sight of a nearby island caught her attention.

Chapter Text

Once Raven had got them to the island, she began to panic. Damian wasn't breathing. 

"Come on, get up!" Raven ordered as she took his wet face in her hands, using one of them to slap the side of his dark cheek harshly. That would probably leave a mark. 

Grabbing his shoulders, she then shook him violently in an attempt to wake him up. "Dammit!" she cursed when she let her hands fall on his chest. "Don't leave me alone. Please." 

Her eyes traced his limp body, guilt building up inside her as the jagged scar across his eyelid caught her eye. 

This was all her fault. He wouldn't be like this if it weren't for her. 

When she decided this was her last resort, she pressed her hands firmly against his chest and started doing compressions as she roughly placed her lips onto his own, desperately blowing air into his mouth. 

Raven did this for what seemed like forever, and right before she gave up hope, his body jerked underneath her and he let out a few strained coughs. 

A delightful expression made its way to her face when she saw his eye slowly open and life flowed through his veins yet again. The dark color of his eye mirrored the blue sea, and his curly strands of hair were still soaked. His green and gold jacket was wide open and the white shirt underneath it clung tightly to his skin. 

All he could make out with his clouded vision was the figure of her thin body hovering over him. His visit slowly began to clear and he met her relieved gaze. Both of her hands were placed on opposite sides of his body to support herself. 

"You saved me?" Damian questioned once he got fresh air into his lungs. Water droplets dripped from Raven's soaked hair and landed on his face. 

Raven cleared her throat. "Why wouldn't I?" she asked in return, furrowing her eyebrows at his question. 

"I thought you were trying to sabotage my crew."

Raven looked away shamefully. "I don’t have the heart to do that."

"You'd better not," Damian said before his face flushed at the sight of her revealing clothes. Her white shirt did the same as his by clinging to her skin underneath. "Please remove yourself from me." 

Raven's face quickly matched his before she pulled away and allowed him to sit up.

"Thanks," he unenthusiastically replied as he took in their surroundings. "Do you have any idea where we are? Are the others here?"

Raven meekly shook her head in response. "Damn it. I lost my ship and my crew," he groaned as he ran his fingers through his wet curls. 

"At least you're not alone," Raven said, trying to comfort him, even though she knew he was stressed beyond comforting. 

Meanwhile the loss of her gem had also begun to worry her. Now she had no guidance towards her destination, and she didn't want to mention it to him. He would most likely leave her here if he found out her true intentions. The thought itself sounded insane. 

Raven decided to push her thoughts to the back of her mind for now. Survival was her main goal now. 

Damian let out a sigh and got to his feet before taking off his jacket and draping it over her narrow shoulders.

"But you'll get cold-" Raven tried to object, but Damian quickly cut her off. 

"I'll be fine. I've lived through worse," he responded while brushing sand off his loose pants. "We need to explore this area and set up a camp. It looks like we'll be here for a while." 

He didn't show it, but Raven could tell that deep down he was worried. 

As Damian made his way towards the woodlands towards the innermost part of the island, Raven got to her feet and quickly followed behind him. 

They walked for what seemed like forever before finding a water source. Both of them eagerly drank from the pond and washed off their dirty faces. 

"Well, we have water," he noted and stood up from the spot. "Now we just need food." 

"Do you know how to hunt?" Raven decided to question. 

"I lost my katana in the blast," Damian revealed as he looked down at his nearly empty belt. "All I have is a dagger and a pistol with limited ammo." 

Raven pulled the sword she grabbed out of her belt. "I have this and a pistol as well," she said and held them out for him to view. 

His eyes lit up. "Good job," he praised as he took the cutlass sword from her hand, giving her a pat on the head. She raised an eyebrow at this before he continued. "We can use this to fish until we find a better strategy." 

Raven gave him a nod and followed him back to the beach. While he attempted to catch fish, Raven collected wood from the forest. 

They both spent most of the day gathering supplies and building a temporary shelter. 

"You're good at this," Raven commented as they finished stacking wood in a pile for a fire. 

Damian looked at her. "I used to live like this," he responded and used sticks in an attempt to ignite a fire for them. The sky had already turned a dark shade of blue, so this would be their only source of light besides the moon. 

"Oh," she said and watched in amazement as the wood caught fire. "Sorry, I wouldn't have guessed that." 

"You're a runaway too," Damian said as he grabbed the stick he used to stack caught fish on and began removing the scales from them. "What did you do?" 

"At first I found shelter with my mothers friends," Raven answered truthfully. "But they eventually threw me out when I was accused of witchcraft." 

"So they thought you were looney," Damian replied and let himself smirk. "I don't blame them." 

"I'm not looney," Raven objected and glared at him. 

He didn't say anything as he handed her a cooked fish, before taking his own. They ate in silence, the only sound audible being the crickets chirping and fire crackling. 

After eating, they decided to call it a night and finish setting up their shelter. They used wood for the walls and roof while lying on large tree leaves for bedding.  

"I didn't get us lost," Raven suddenly spoke once she found the courage. 

Damian turned his head to look at her. "I know," he said before returning his gaze forward. 

Raven raised her eyebrows and let her mouth fall open. "What?"

"Queen confessed to it," Damain hesitantly answered, averting his gaze from her. "I would have apologized, but if you haven't been able to tell, I lack a kind heart." 

Raven was silent for a moment as she pondered her response. He had too much pride, she assumed. But, there was room for change. "You're wrong," she decided to say. 

This caused him to furrow his eyebrows as he turned his head to look at her again. "Excuse me?" 

"You care about your sister and friend more than yourself. Not to mention you've risked your life for me, and took a blade to the eye in order to protect me," Raven said. "If you didn't care about others, you wouldn't have done that."  

His eyes widened the slightest at her statement. When he didn't respond, she added more. "You may be insufferable, but deep down, you have a kind and generous soul."

Damian looked away again in an attempt to hide his flushed face. "Um, thank you," was all he said. 

The two were silent again. After a few minutes of this, Damian briefly glanced over and let out a small sigh when he caught a glimpse of Raven's sleeping face. Her facial features were barely visible through the flickering of the golden light radiating from the fire. His thick jacket was still draped over her, keeping her warm from the cool night breeze. 

"Goodnight," he quietly called out as he closed his eyes, letting slumber overtake him.

Chapter Text

When they awoke the next day, the first thing they decided to do was explore more. 

"This is a rather large island," Damian noted as they made their way through the thick greenery. He made sure to rip slabs of bark from the tree trunks so they wouldn't get lost on the way. 

Raven nodded in agreement as she followed behind him. "I wonder if it's populated." 

Damian took her question into consideration. "This side of the island seems vacant. Hopefully it stays that way until we can get out of here." 

Raven stopped in her tracks and grabbed Damian's shirt. "Hey, look." 

Damian turned his head to see where she was gesturing to, and his eyebrows raised at the sight of a banana tree. "Good eye. That will be a better balance for our diet." 

Raven smiled at his praise before following him towards the tree and helping him collect a few bundles of the yellow fruit. 

Once they got an appropriate amount, they brought the food back to their small camp so they didn't have to carry it around. 

Before they knew it, the two of them were deeper into the forest than they've gone before.

"I think we should head back... the sun is beginning to set," Raven noted as she gestured towards the orange sky above. 

"Yeah, I suppose we should."

Before they could retreat, a sudden noise halted them both. 

Raven swallowed nervously as she turned her head to meet Damian's gaze. "Is that...?" 

Damian responded by using a free hand to cover her mouth. Quietly, he reached into his belt and pulled out the pistol she'd given him with the other hand. 

As he scanned their surroundings for the source, Raven stood behind him. Shame filled her as she noticed how fast her heart was racing, and she prayed he couldn't hear or feel it. 

"I don't see anything," Damian admitted just above a whisper, pulling his hand away from her mouth to put around the gun. 

As soon as the words left his mouth, a large vicious black dog emerged from the bushes. 

Out of instinct, Damian aimed the barrel of the pistol and pulled the trigger. After unloading the entire revolver into the dog, a worried expression made its way to Damian's face when the large bloody animal still stood before them. 

"What now?" Raven asked, panic evident in her voice. 

"Run," Damian answered before dropping the useless gun and grabbing her hand, pulling her behind him as he sprinted through the greenery. 

They ran for what seemed like a mile, and they both decided that they were far enough. Fatigue finally caught up with Damian as he collapsed to his knees, and Raven followed close behind, breathing heavily.

"I think we are lost," Damian admitted, his voice raspy. He was dying of thirst. 

Raven glanced around and perked up. "I think I see a place where we can rest."

"I really don't want to move," Damian said, his sweaty cheek pressed against the cool ground.

"Fine, I'll enjoy the water by myself." 

Damian waited a moment before sighing in defeat. He then forced himself onto his feet, following after the girl.

"I never got to ask. Why is your grandfather after you?" 

The sudden personal question took Damian back as he faced the dark forest in front of him. Behind him, Raven was bathing in the small secluded water hole they'd discovered.

"He wanted me to be his heir. Losing me was his greatest defeat," Damian decided to answer. There was no use in lying, for all he knew they could both die soon. "I've come to the conclusion he either wants me back alive or to kill me." 

"Hm," Raven hummed as she finished rinsing herself off in the warm water. She really wanted to reply with "I know the feeling", but she decided not to.

As she climbed out of the hole, she wrung her hair out and gathered her dry clothes. "I'm finished," she informed him while she dressed herself. 

"About time," Damian complained before stripping himself and entering the clear water. 

Raven rolled her eyes before sitting down in the grass, pulling her legs to her chest. She took the spare time to gather her wet hair and neatly braid it.

Along with the sound of Damian washing himself behind her, the natural sounds of wildlife could be heard for miles. Despite the rough situation they found themselves in , she couldn't deny that the setting around her was peaceful. Above her, sunlight peered through the greenery. 

"What's your ideal life?" Raven decided to question, shifting her gaze from the ground and up to the sky. 

"Pardon?" 

Raven exhaled a faint laugh. "What do you want to do with your life? Do you want to live at sea forever?" 

Damian pondered her question for a moment before giving an answer. "No. Being on the run isn't what I plan to do for the rest of my life." 

"Understandable," Raven replied, her head still forward. 

When they were met with silence again, Damian decided to return the question. "What about you?" 

Her head perked up at his interest. "I want a home. A real home, if that makes sense." 

Damian hid his frown. Her voice held a repressed emotion. "I know the feeling," the words slipped out without hesitation. 

"You do?" Raven asked, this time her voice was filled with uncertainty. Her head turned the slightest. For the first time, Damian could easily read her. 

She was lonely. 

After climbing out of the water and starting to get dressed, he answered her. "I have always longed for a home. Somewhere they will take me in, and accept me unconditionally." 

Raven's eyes widened the slightest. It's like he'd read her mind. "That's very well put."  

"Of course it is. I said it," Damian retorted as he shook his wet hair out in an attempt to dry it. 

Raven scoffed at his remark as she stood up and brushed dirt off from her damp pants. "What else are we doing today?" 

"We've already caught enough food for a couple days. Our shelter is in good enough condition," Damian noted as he walked towards her, "I guess we lay back and pray to God that someone finds us soon." 

Raven followed him as he led them down the path that led to their makeshift shelter. On the way there, a downpour caught them, forcing them to hurry. 

"So much for trying to dry off," Damian groaned as they finally made it underneath their wood-piled roof. It didn't shelter them completely from the rain, but it helped.

Raven shivered as she hugged her limbs close to her body. "At least we have some form of a house to keep us dry," she said, a sad laugh falling from her lips. 

"You're right," Damian replied and used the spare wood to patch gaps in the roof. "It's better than nothing." 

In comparison to their conversation earlier, they had a home. Sure, it was a makeshift shelter, but it was theirs, and that held some sort of bittersweet comfort for the both of them. 

"Perhaps in the event we're here longer we can build a ship," Damian spoke as he sat back down and admired his work. "Or even a real house."

Raven couldn't help but smile at the suggestion. "Sounds good to me," she said, followed by a yawn. Carefully, she lay down on the ground and closed her tired eyes. The sky was gradually darkening, so she assumed it was an appropriate time to rest. 

Damian glanced at her from the corner of his eye and let out a small sigh. "Are you sleeping?" 

"No," Raven assured, her eyes remaining closed. "Just resting." 

He nodded at her answer and pulled his knees to his chest, resting his head against the tree they'd built their shelter around. "Do you ever wonder what your father is like?" 

The sudden question surprised Raven. She pondered carefully before answering. "I believe he is cruel." 

"For leaving you?" 

Raven slightly opened her eyes to meet his gaze. "Yes. What about yours?" 

"I'm not sure. My mother chose him carefully, so he must be great," Damian answered, his thoughtful gaze shifting to the ground beneath them. 

"I wish mine had the same taste," Raven added as she rested her eyes once again and hugged her shivering frame. 

Damian quickly picked up on her body's instinctive gesture. "Would you like me to build a small fire?" 

"I'll be okay, no need to waste wood," Raven insisted, "Besides, it's raining." 

The two remained silent as rain violently poured down into their roof. The wind was blowing through the small gaps of the walls, making the air inside frigid. 

The feeling of a thick material being draped over her startled Raven. "What are you doing?" 

Turning her head, she watched as Damian lay down beside her, and used half of his captain's coat as a blanket. The other half was covering her. "Keeping us warm." 

Without warning, she felt him press his back against her own. Despite the dampness, she could feel heat radiating through his shirt, making her crave for more. 

Hesitantly, she turned around and faced his back, scooting closer in the slightest. Her cold hands carefully slid underneath his shirt and rested on his warm skin. His muscles were tense, and she assumed it was from the closeness. However, to her surprise, he didn't object or complain. 

"Thank you," Raven quietly spoke after moments of silence. 

"Anything to keep us alive," Damian retorted. "Just don't get any weird ideas."

Raven breathed out a small laugh, and that was the last thing they'd said to one another before falling comfortably asleep.

Chapter Text

At the crack of dawn, Damian abruptly awoke to cold air. Panic surged through him when he noticed the absence of Raven.

His first question was how he didn't he notice her leave? 

His second question was why did she leave? 

"Dammit!" The curse left his lips as he swiftly got to his feet, not hesitating to grab his dagger and step out of the shelter to thoroughly check his surroundings. His eye lit up at the sight of an imprint of Raven's boots in the wet sand. 

Without a second thought, Damian stepped into the foggy forest, and began to follow the trail of footprints. 

As the bright yellow sun gradually climbed the sky, Damian decided to take a break from walking. His muscles were aching and slick sweat glazed his forehead. The deeper he traveled into the woods, the rockier the terrain became. 

When he finally caught his breath, he stood up again, and returned his attention to the ground once more. When he discerned that the number of footprints expanded by six, he felt his stomach sink. Beyond that was what Damian assumed was the imprints of her being dragged through the dirt and rock. This was bad.

"Raven!"

Ignoring his soreness, Damian pushed himself to sprint through the forest, following what few clues the missing girl had left behind. 

Finally, after what felt like hours, he was met with a dead end. By now he was so far into the island that he hadn't the slightest idea where he was, but that wasn't his concern at the moment. All he cared about now was finding Raven. 

The footprints had led to a large opening in the ground. In the distance, Damian could make out a small, empty village. 

Quietly, he started on his way down the dimly lit tunnel of stone stairs. Slow burning torches illuminated his path as he made his way down the stairs. Damian was strong, but he had no idea what was waiting for him at the end of this tunnel. 

At the bottom of the stairs was a large open cave. The sight of shiny silver chains caught his attention, and his eye followed the chains to the ground. Panic settled in his gut when he spotted a beaten girl sitting against the stone wall. 

"Raven!" 

Damian sprinted towards her and fell to his knees, a worried expression on his face as he took in her appearance. Trails of blood trickled down her forehead, and a good portion of her face was bruised. Her hair was a mess, and from what he could see, there were countless cuts along her body. A dirty white cloth was tied around her head and shoved in her mouth to prevent her from speaking. He easily detected her shallow breathing, and his heart throbbed in his chest at the sound. 

When she could register his presence, violet eyes opened wide to meet his gaze, and he let out a relieved sigh. She was alive. 

"I'm going to get you out of here," Damian assured just above a whisper, using his free hand to tuck a strand of tangled hair behind her ear. He swiftly untied the knot behind her head and freed her mouth from the gag, his hands shaking as he did so. Next he reached up and attempted to break her wrists free from the handcuffs, but his strength wasn't good enough. 

"You... said my name. That's the first time you said... my name," Raven spoke, her voice hoarse. Damian felt a pang of guilt at the realization. 

"Stop talking. It sounds like you have a collapsed lung," Damian ordered sternly as he struggled to break the thick metal rings. "We can talk after I get you somewhere safe." 

"No, you need... to get away..." Raven spoke, glaring at him. "Please... listen... to me. They will... kill you."

Her pleas were deaf on his ears as he continued trying to break her free. Suddenly, Raven jerked away, and Damian looked at her with a puzzled expression before hearing a deep voice behind him. 

"Raven? Is that the name you gave him?" 

Damian's head turned to meet the intense stares of six men. His eye widened at the marks on their foreheads. They were brands, identical to the one on Raven's backside. 

Instinctively, Damian gripped the dagger in his hand and rose to his feet, standing protectively in front of her. "Who the hell are you?" 

"We are the Sons of Trigon," one of the men answered, his lips curling into a devious grin. "Here to release our great father."

"Stay away from... him," Raven ordered, weakly struggling against her cuffs. "He has nothing... to do with this." 

One of the men chuckled at her. "Or what, Pride? Tell me, what can you do?" 

"Dear little sister thinks she's more than a servant," one of the other men added, snorting with laughter. "How pathetic." 

Sister? Damian pondered, the pieces coming together as he looked at them. If her real name was Pride, these men must be named after the other seven deadly sins. 

"He may be useful to us." 

"No," Raven groaned, panic settling in her gut. "I will not... let you."

"You're right," one man replied, comlekeyly ignoring his sister, "Maybe he'll make her tell us where she's hid the final piece." 

"Or maybe I'll kick your asses," Damian retorted as he prepared for an attack. 

"We'll see about that."

As Damian took on the six men, his muscles began to betray him and give out. While he was vulnerable, the men were able to strip him of his weapon and restrained him. He was far too exhausted and sore to keep it up. An annoyed groan escaped his throat as a sharp blade was pressed to his neck. 

"Stop!" Raven's pleading voice was shrill as she forced herself to move, wincing at the pain from her wounds. "I'll do... anything! Just please... don't... kill him." 

"Tell us where the key is, or he will be dead within a minute," the man ordered, the tip of his knife digging into the flesh above Damian's jugular. "I will not hesitate. Humans are worthless to me." 

"I told you... I don't... have it!" Raven answered and tried to catch her breath, struggling against her restraints. Sweat dripped from her forehead and her throat was raw from screaming. 

"Well then," the man said before applying pressure to Damian's skin, "That's just too bad." 

"No!" Raven's eyes widened at the sight of his blood oozing at the tip of the blade. Damian's face twisted in pain as it dug the slightest bit deeper, and all she could see was red. She had to do something. 

Anything. 

"Mother, please..." Raven trailed off, followed by a cough. This probably wouldn't work, she knew that, but she was desperate. "Help me." 

After clearing her throat, Raven made her voice as strong as physically possible. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" 

Damian's eye widened at the sudden blinding light, and in seconds, the six men had vanished out of thin air. His shaky hand reached up to his neck in disbelief, small amounts of crimson seeping through the gaps in his fingers. The only evidence that remained of the six men were now six red gems, identical to the one Raven had lost. In a daze, he picked the jewels up, eyeing them in bewilderment. 

"What the hell was that?" 

Raven wore the same stunned expression, her muscles relaxing. "It worked..." 

"What worked?"

Weakly, Damian tucked away the jewel fragments and slowly got to his feet, hurriedly making his way to Raven. "You know what, I don't care right now. We need to get out of here." 

He scanned his surroundings, and grabbed a rock from the ground. Using this, he violently hit the chains several times until they became weak and broke loose. 

Raven immediately went to rub out the soreness from her wrists. Her hands still had the metal cuffs around them, but now she could finally let her arms rest. "Thank you." 

Without a word, Damian used what he had left of his strength to lift her up and let her use him as support while they walked down the dimly lit tunnel, in the opposite direction of where he'd entered. Going up stairs was too much of a challenge right now, so he took a chance and led them through to what looked like an exit. 

"I have no idea where we are," Damian admitted as he let her sit back down. At the end of the tunnel was a beach, but it was nothing like their camp. 

The sun was setting over the horizon, and the realization that he'd spent the entire day looking for her sunk in. Neither of them had eaten today, and now they would have to start back from square one if they remained on this side of the island. 

Raven rested her head against the cave entrance and let out a shaky breath. Damian leaned in close and gently placed a hand on her chest. "Does it hurt here when you breathe?" 

She quietly nodded, and he removed his hand, his worried expression turning into anger. "Never leave me like that again. Do you understand me?" 

His sound of his scolding words caused her to turn her head and look away. When she didn't respond, he grew more annoyed. "Hey, stupid, are you listening to me?"

The sight of a tear caused Damian to freeze in his spot. A groan left his throat as he averted his gaze. "Stop crying. I didn't mean to scold you. I'm sorry."

"It's not... your fault," Raven spoke, taking a deep breath as she raised a trembling hand up to wipe the wetness from her cheeks.

Damian let out a sigh. "Can you explain what the hell happened back there?" 

Raven looked down to the ground, a sad expression on her face. "Those men were... my brothers." 

"I heard," Damian said, pulling the gems out of his pocket again to show her. "Why don't you just start from the beginning. Tell me your real story, this time without leaving out the important details." 

She glanced down at the gems before looking up to meet his gaze, her eyebrows raised with surprise. "You... want to listen to it?" 

"Why else would I have asked?" Damian retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "We aren't going to understand each other if not. Now speak." 

A warm feeling spread to Raven's chest, enough to almost numb the burning pain. She cleared her throat, and took a deep breath, trying her best to speak fluently. "Okay, well... it all started with my mother and father — Arella and Trigon." 

"One fateful night, young Arella summoned a demon, and instantly fell in love with him. After their first encounter together, I was conceived, and Trigon fated me to be his portal to Earth. Everyone called her cursed," Raven explained, her gaze directed towards the night sky above them. "She was hunted down. They wanted to execute her for witchcraft. However, when I was born, the monks of a town called Azarath took my mother and I in and protected us, taught us their ways." 

Damian listened to her intently, and Raven couldn't tell if he believed her. Nonetheless, she continued, her breathing becoming unsteady yet again. 

"Unfortunately, he found us... and Azarath was destroyed before we knew it. My mother... sent me away before the attack happened, of course." 

His eyebrows raised at the reveal. All this time, he never would have guessed that she shared the same pain. "Your mother...?" 

Her lips curled into a sad smile. "She died... protecting me. That's why... I don't want to give up. I have to stop my father... even if... it costs me my life as well." 

Damian was quiet for a moment, uncertain of what to say or do. Before he knew it, he was speaking. "You are very strong for not giving up." 

Raven turned her head to meet his gaze, a surprised expression on her face. "You... believe me?" 

Damian nodded slowly. "I mean, after witnessing supernatural powers, It's hard not to." 

"I actually had no idea I could do that," Raven admitted, looking out at the dark sea. "I dont know what triggered those powers... I suppose my mother left me what remained of her abilities." 

The two of them were quiet now, both in thought. Damian was the first to speak up again. 

"Perhaps they are linked with your emotions." 

Raven lifted her head up, looking at him curiously. "My emotions?" 

"You didn't do anything until they began to threaten my life," Damian explained. "Maybe that is what awakened your newfound powers." 

Raven averted her gaze, her cheeks a shade of bright pink, excluding the bruises. "W-What... are you implying?" 

"Tt. That's not what I meant, you brainless harlot," Damian immediately corrected. "You we're feeling an immense amount of anger, I presume. That must be what triggered your supernatural ability."  

"Oh," Raven said, taking in his suggestion. It did make sense. "I think... that's our best guess right now."

After a brief moment of silence, Damian exhaled sharply as he leaned against the cave wall. "Alright, now let's get some rest. Tomorrow, we will have to either try to find out way back to the camp, or build a new one." 

Raven hadn't even noticed how much the sky had darkened. Quietly, she obeyed his words, carefully leaning herself against the wall. A sound of distress reluctantly escaped from her lips when her sore muscles was used as support. 

"I meant what I said earlier," Damian spoke suddenly after taking in her wounded appearance. 

Raven opened an eye to look at him in question. "Huh?" 

"Don't leave my side again," Damian ordered before letting his eyes fall closed. "Got it?" 

Raven's eyes shifted to the ground. Tears brimmed at the corners, and she felt ashamed for crying yet again. "I'm sorry... for causing so much... trouble." 

His eye opened to glance at her again as he tried to find his words. "Maybe you're worth the trouble." 

The comment made her blush, and he quickly brushed it off, crossing his arms over his chest and closing his eye again. "Now go to sleep. If I hear you apologize one more time on this island, I will not hesitate to drown you." 

A shaky laugh was exhaled and she closed her eyes, and the feeling she got from his heartwarming words was almost enough to numb the pain. 

"Good-night."

Chapter Text

"Hey... hey get off!"

The sound of Damian's annoyed voice pulled Raven abruptly out of her slumber. Her eyes opened and scanned her surroundings, and she quickly realized why he was upset. Her body was slumped against his, and her arm was crossed over his torso.

"Sorry," Raven quickly apologized and raised up, her face a deep shade of red.

"I just got molested by an old woman," Damian groaned as he sat up from the spot.

"Old?" Raven exclaimed, then let out a nasty cough. "I'm only three years older than you!"

"Old," Damian repeated before stretching out his sore limbs. "Looks like you've got a majority of your voice back. However that doesn't mean you're fully healed."

Raven scoffed before leaning against the wall. "I'll live."

Damian stood up from his spot and brushed the sand from his pants. "I'm gonna go find us some food. I'll be back."

"What happened to not leaving me alone?" Raven retorted, weakly crossing her arms over her chest.

"Tt," Damian sounded as he turned his back to her. "You're in no condition to hunt. Stay here."

"Hmph," Raven hummed as she watched him leave.

The sound of footsteps relieved Raven. Damian had been gone for hours, and boredom was slowly killing her. "Finally. I was beginning to think you would never-"

"You must be Raven."

The sound of a cheery feminine voice caught Raven by surprise, and her eyes widened at the sight of a tall woman approaching from behind her. Once she stepped into the light, Raven could make out long and curly fiery red hair, and vibrant green eyes that peered at her eagerly.

"Who are you?" Raven questioned, backing up against the wall as much as physically possible. She wasn't in the position to fight right now, but the woman standing in front of her didn't seem to pose a threat.

"I'm Kory," the woman introduced as she bent down to meet Raven's gaze. "Most call me Starfire."

Raven blinked, taking in the girls appearance. She looked as if she didn't belong on this planet. "How do you know my name?"

The woman smiled, which eased Raven's nerves. "Your crew-mates are aboard our ship. They have been looking for you since your ship was attacked."

Her eyes widened at the information. This woman was a pirate?

"Get away from her."

Both women turned their head to meet an annoyed Damian, a bloody dagger in his hands. Behind him was a deer carcass.

"I'm here to help-" Kory tried to explain, but was interrupted.

"I know who you are," Damian said, narrowing his eye toward her. "Outlaw."

Kory's expression fell at his words. "We are here to help, sincerely."

Damian eyed her for a moment, and before he could answer her, the sound of a gun clacking gained everyone's attention.

"Is there a problem here?"

Raven glanced up to see a man standing behind her, and a shiver ran down her spine. His hair was dark with a white stripe in the front, and his eyes were a light shade of blue. Compared to Damian, this man was dressed like a real pirate. Golden jewelry lined his neck and wrists, and his attire was clearly of a captain's, hence the hat on top of his head.

"Since when does the great Jason Todd help others?" Damian retorted, his eye unmoving from the other man's piercing gaze. "Last time I checked, you weren't like other pirates."

Raven's eyebrows lifted the slightest at the name. She'd heard it many of times while on the run through different villages, but didn't have any knowledge about him besides the generous bounty on his head.

Jason crossed his arms over his chest. "Since I stumbled upon a shipwrecked crew. They begged me to find their beloved captain, so here I am. You either come with us or I kill you for wasting my time."

Before Damian could answer, Jason's eyes fell on Raven, and his expression shifted from annoyance to pure anger. "Did he do this to you?"

Damian grew furious at the accusation. "I would never."

"We've searched this island for hours. You're the only one who could have," Jason replied, his haste unmoving.

"He's telling the truth," Raven spoke up, coughing after the words left her throat. "These men captured me last night and tried to sacrifice me to some cult, but he saved me. The men fled the island overnight."

Jason's eyes shifted from Damian to Raven for a moment before responding. "You look really bad. Let's get you to the ship."

Raven let out a sigh of relief. "Yeah, let's go," she said, glancing at Damian, who silently obliged.

"Here, I got this," Kory assured as she lifted the deceased deer with ease. "This can be our dinner for tonight."

Raven watched the two other pirates begin to leave before looking up at Damian, who all raided her and extended his hand out for her. "Can you walk?"

"I've got it," Raven said before attempting to stand up from the spot. Her thin legs wobbled and she stumbled forward, falling into Damian's arms.

Damian let out an annoyed sigh. "Right."

"Sorry," Raven apologized, embarrassed with herself. Her eyes were fixed on the ground as she took each step.

The two of them were quiet as they trailed behind the other two through the thick forest.

Raven's eyes widened at the sight of their ship. It made Damian's ship look inferior.

"Like what you see, lassie?"

She turned her head to meet Jason's gaze, a nervous laugh bubbling from her throat. "It's very nice."

Damian scoffed as he set Raven down next to the ladder.

"I'll show you what a real pirate ship looks like," Jason added as he extended his hand out towards her, offering her help up the ladder. Raven hesitantly accepted his offer, climbing up the ladder with his help.

Once they boarded the vessel, they were met with everyone else abroad.

"You idiot!"

Damian groaned as Maya crushed him in a violent bear hug. When she released him, she hugged Raven next. "Never leave us like that again, understand?"

Raven felt a warmth spread through her chest at the closeness. "I'll try not to," she spoke softly.

"You need medical attention," Kory advised, gesturing for Raven to follow. Maya pulled away and Raven hesitantly followed behind the tall girl to where she assumed was the med bay.

As Kory dabbed her wounds with solution, Raven watched her focused facial expression. Despite the appearance of this girl, she was kindhearted. Maybe even more than herself.

"No one else can hear us, I promise. Did he do this to you?"

Raven's eyebrows lifted as she was pulled from her thoughts. "No, I promise he didn't. Six men attacked me, and he came to my rescue."

Kory nodded slowly as she took in the information. "I'm just making sure. Jason doesn't hate anyone more than a man who hits a woman."

Raven was quiet for a moment as she let Kory bandage her cuts. "How did you find the others?"

Kory met her curious gaze. "We saw the League of Assassins and followed them out of curiosity. When your ship was destroyed, Roy and I pulled your crew-mates out of the water after taking out their ship. We didn't see either of you two, so we decided to search."

"That's very nice of you," Raven said and let herself smile. "Are you and Jason a thing?"

Kory couldn't help but laugh at the question. "No. I value his friendship. My heart belongs to someone whom I can't have."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Kory grinned at her curiosity. "He's a prince. A beautiful one, at that."

"What happened?" Raven decided to ask. By now Kory had ceased from treating her wounds, and they were now just simply chatting.

"After he ended things with me, I chose to follow Jason instead. Now... I can't go back. My heart will always belong to him, though. He was my first love. Maybe we will cross paths again."

"I hope you do," Raven decided to say. The story nearly brought tears to her eyes, it was like a forbidden love story. "What was his name?"

"Richard Grayson," Kory answered with a bittersweet smile. "First son of King-"

Before the two girls could continue, a man was on knocking on the door. "Jason wants the girl in his quarters. I'll show her the way."

Raven hesitantly got up from the bed and followed the red headed boy outside. She assumed this was Roy, as Kory spoke of. The only other member of Jason's crew.

"Am I in trouble?" Raven decided to ask.

Roy laughed at her. "No, he just wants to give you some information."

As soon as Raven walked into the room, she noticed Jason sitting behind his desk, his boots propped up on the piece of furniture. He was laid back, head resting against the chair. In front of him was Damian, sitting in a chair with an annoyed expression.

"About damn time," Damian spoke as he noticed Raven's presence. Once she was escorted there, Roy had left.

"Alright, now that everyone's here. My rules are simple; you help us and we help you. That being said, you will have assigned jobs like everyone else. Damian, you will be our navigator, because I don't have the patience for it. Same with your smartass comments, so keep your thoughts to yourself."

"Tt."

Jason then looked to Raven. "As for you, you will clean. Sweep and mop the decks. Wash and dry our clothes. Dishes are to washed, dried and put up after every meal. I expect my ship and crew to look in top shape. If I'm not pleased with either of you, you're fish bait. Got it?"

Raven nodded slowly in response, while Damian just got up from his seat. Before the two could leave, Jason spoke again. "Oh right, about your sleeping arrangement. Space is now limited. There is a spacious storage closet on the lowest deck with your names on it. If that doesn't satisfy you, go find a roommate. Now, get to work."

With that, the two of them left the room.

Raven glanced back at Damian, who turned in the opposite direction of where she needed to be, and she felt anxious about their new situation.

Chapter Text

The sight of Raven hanging up clothes to dry caught Damian's attention as he positioned the helm according to the compass in his hand. A faint snicker left his lips when he noticed the wind blow away one of the towels, causing the girl to cuss aloud. 

Quickly, he grabbed the piece of fabric before it blew away into the ocean. "Missing something?" 

Raven rushed up the steps to him, taking the towel back with a relieved sigh. "Thank you."

"I pity the poor fool who marries you," Damian spoke before returning his attention to the map in his hands. Raven scoffed before heading back to the main deck.

As she finished hanging up the last towel, the presence of another girl startled her as she turned around. 

"Sorry," Emiko quickly apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you." 

Raven took a breath, calming herself. "It's okay," she assured the other girl. Before she could ask the question that was on her mind, the other girl beat her to it. 

"I wanted to clear things up," Emiko decided to say, this time her voice full of confidence. "About the other night. I noticed early that we got off course, and I took the blame, considering we were closest to my destination. I'm sorry that you still got scolded, that's what I was trying to avoid." 

Raven placed the empty basket on the deck, a stunned expression on her face. For the first time, she felt comfortable around the other girl. "Thank you... that means a lot." 

"I don't understand you," Emiko brought up and looked Raven up and down skeptically. "But us women are supposed to look after one another. You're new to this lifestyle and you didn't deserve that treatment. Regardless of your reasons, I'm sure you have pure intentions."

Raven swallowed at the praise. "I do. I wouldn't intentionally put any of you in trouble." 

"Good," Emiko said before bending over and taking the empty laundry basket. "I'll take this for you. I'm on storage duty and I have nothing else to do, so I might as well." 

"Thank you," Raven said, giving the girl a smile. Emiko returned the gesture before turning around and heading inside.

Damian watched from afar, an amused expression on his face before he returned his attention towards the sea. 

"Missed a spot." 

The sound of Jason's voice took Raven by surprise as she was scrubbing the main deck with a brush. Above her head was a hot sun and clear sky. 

"I'm not finished," Raven nervously replied. This man wasn't a book she could easily read. "But I'll make sure to get it." 

"I'm teasing," Jason admitted as he hovered over her figure, "You don't seem like you belong here. What's the deal?" 

Raven blinked at the question. His sudden interest caught her off guard. She suddenly stopped scrubbing and turned her head to look up at him. "What do you mean? I don't look like a pirate?" 

"Far from it," Jason answered and crossed his sleeves arms over his broad chest. "Look, I'm not prying. Just trying to get to know my new crew a little better." 

"I have a destination. Damian let me use his ship as a passage," Raven answered, sparing the secret details. "What about you, Captain? Do you have a goal?" 

Jason smirked at her question. "I'm not sure yet. Right now I'm content with where I'm at." 

"What made you decide to become a pirate?" Raven decided to question curiously. 

He exhaled a short laugh. "That's a long story, I'm afraid." 

"Spare me the details." 

Jason raised an eyebrow at her interest this time. His lips curled into a delighted smile. "Alright then. It all started with the man who rescued me from the streets, the noble king of Gotham. He raised me to be a soldier, but when I was captured by his enemy, no one came for me, and they killed me." 

Raven's eyes widened the slightest. "They killed you? How did you..." 

"A lazarus pit," Jason answered, leaning on the ship's railing as he continued his story. "My grave was dug up, and I was brought back to life through its power." 

"Who resurrected you?" Raven asked, tilting her head in confusion. 

Jason laughed again, his gaze shifting up towards Damian as he steered the ship on the helm. "Again, it's a long story. I spared the details like you requested. Maybe one day I'll say more." 

With that, Jason left her alone and headed into the cabin of the ship. Her eyes wandered up to an oblivious Damian, and she wondered what the connection was between the two boys. 

Once she had finished drying the last of the dishes, Raven finally retired from her chores and headed towards the storage closet Jason had mentioned before. Everyone else had already headed to bed, so asking to move into another's room was out of the question now. 

To be honest, she didn't mind. At least this way she could plot her future plans without interruptions. 

Hesitantly, she opened the door with a creak and stepped into the room. To her dismay, Damian was sitting on the floor, a wrinkled map in his hands. Hanging on the wall was a lit lantern, illuminating the small space of the room. A thick blanket was lying underneath him, which Raven assumed was his makeshift bed. 

"Perfect timing," Damian commented as his gaze shifted toward her. "The island we were on is called Metrion. It's so ancient that only older maps have it still mapped. Luckily for us, Captain jackass had one." 

The sudden information surprised her. He was actually going to help her. Damian watched cautiously as she stepped into the dimly lit room, shutting the door gently behind her. Once they were completely alone, Damian pulled the red fragments from his pants pocket and displayed them before her. 

"What are these?"

Raven squatted down and picked up the pieces. "A gemstone created by the monks of Azarath," she explained. "Their purpose was to capture my father's soul inside and keep him locked away. Unfortunately, he attacked before they could complete the spell, and he shattered the gemstone. I believe my mother somehow enchanted the pieces to guide me towards my destination. They glow when pointed in the right direction." 

"I knew you weren't smart enough to navigate on your own," Damian retorted and watched as she gave him a dirty look. "But why did it lead you to this 'Metrion'?" 

"I suppose I needed more pieces. That single shard I had wouldn't be enough to trap my father," Raven replied and let out a sigh. "I'm just about as lost as you, if I'm being honest."

"I'm assuming there's one more place we must visit before heading to Azarath," Damian commented and eyed her. 

Raven tilted her head. "Why do you think that?" 

"Your chant is Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," Damian pointed out. "If your destination is Azarath, and we've already been to Metrion, we need to get to Zinthos." 

His revelation caught her by surprise. "You're right." 

Damian cocked his head sideways as he watched her grab the map, her eyes scanning it frantically. "Zinthos is a temple," she explained. "Azarath is the island we need to get to, but Metrion is the road that leads to the temple, Zinthos, which is located in Azarath." 

"The road?" 

"It's a metaphor. We needed to get to Metrion to know how to get to Zinthos. It's like a puzzle," Raven said and let out a sigh. "I think we're almost there. These pieces need to become one, and then they should lead us to Azarath." 

"How do we do that?" Damian questioned. "I don't believe glue will help."

"Funny," Raven said and rolled her eyes before sitting down on the floor with him. "I think I can put them together. Be quiet so I can concentrate." 

Damian obeyed and watched skeptically as she carefully took all the fragments into her enclosed hands. Her eyes fell closed as she whispered a chant under her breath. To his amusement, a vibrant red glow was emitted through the gaps of her fingers. 

Raven opened one eye to peek at the results, a surprised expression on her face. "It actually worked." 

As she raised up and opened her hands, Damian nodded in approval. "Great. Now what'a the plan?" 

"Uh," Raven spoke nervously, using her free hand to scratch the back of her head. "I... don't know how to get there without raising suspicion." 

"Is that all you have left to do?" 

Raven nodded at his question and watched as Damian crossed his arms and leaned his back against the wall. "Leave that to me then. Jason seems to trust me enough with navigation. I'll keep him off our ass if he starts to ask questions." 

"Are you sure? I don't want you to get in trouble," Raven assured, her gaze on the map on the floor below her. 

"Even if he gets angry, I'm not scared of him," Damian assured her. "Besides, I told you I would get you to your destination. I want to keep my word." 

Raven wore an uneasy expression. He noticed this and let out a sigh. "Don't worry about it."

Without another word, she leaned over and placed the gem into his lap. "Here, you'll need this." 

Damian's eyes widened the slightest at the action, supposed that she had put so much trust into him. "You really want me to keep this?" 

Raven met his stunned gaze. "I trust you will keep it safe. As a matter of fact, I have something that belongs to you." 

Damian watched curiously as she pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket. "I grabbed it before the ship went down." 

After retrieving the paper, he unfolded it, and felt a throb in his heart at the tattered drawing of his mother. "You saved this?" 

Raven nodded. "I know how important it was to you." 

He folded it back up and tucked it away in his pocket, as well as her gem. "Thank you."

"No problem," Raven answered and let out an unexpected yawn. "That spell must have drained my energy." 

"Why don't you go to your room?" Damian questioned. "You should get some rest." 

"I didn't get the chance to ask for a roommate," Raven admitted. "That's why I came here." 

Damian was quiet now, unsure of what to say now. "Suren refused to share and I wasn't going to ask the redhead," he decided to say. "I expected one of the women to offer you a bed." 

"I can go ask Jason if-" Raven began to say, but was interrupted quickly. 

"That's not necessary. There's probably a spare cot somewhere in here," Damian said and stood up from his spot. 

She watched in amusement as he searched the small room. "Are you sure you don't mind?" 

"We shared a shelter on the island, it can't be any worse than that."

Raven scoffed at his remark, but deep down felt relieved at his acceptance. "Just for tonight, and then I'll ask around for a room." 

"Sounds good to me," Damian retorted and grabbed a blanket from the shelf. "Here." 

Raven stood up and grabbed the material from him, using it to make herself a pallet on the floor, across from his. After waiting on her to get settled, Damian blew out the lantern and got into his own makeshift bed. 

With that, the two of them quietly drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Text

"Why is this important again?"

Jason glared at Rose, who gave him a skeptical look in return. Her arms were crossed over her chest.

"Because I want that treasure," Jason answered, his gaze unmoving. "Do you even know how much all of this is worth?"

"So we're going to risk our lives for your benefit?" Damian questioned, giving Jason the same annoyed look. Rose laughed at his question.

"Exactly! Finally, someone sees my point," Jason retorted and reached down to ruffle his hair. Damian narrowed his eye at the other man from his seat. "Although, I did intend on sparing just a little bit of my wealth to my loyal crew-members. Don't make me change my mind."

"This town isn't even marked on the map," Damian pointed out. "How am I supposed to get us there?"

"It's hidden," Jason informed and pointed towards the map on the table, using a quil and ink to draw out a path for guidance. "We must go to Arkham island and travel underground through the cave system to find the hidden wing. It's been abandoned for centuries, or so they say."

"How do you even find this bullshit?" Rose asked, trying to contain her laughter. "It's a wonder you're still alive, Jason."

"Shut it," Jason ordered through gritted teeth as he turned his head to meet the girls smirk. "You won't get a single coin, Wilson."

"Oh no," Rose dramatically cried out before laughing aloud and leaving the room.

"Annoying bitch," Jason groaned as he stood up straight. "Anyways, al Ghul, you're our navigator. Get us there as soon as you can."

Damian let out a sigh as Jason turned around to leave, not allowing any objections.

When they finally reached Arkham island, everyone but Rose left the vessel.

"Sorry ass woman," Jason grumbled as he struggled to light his lantern. "Dont fret, you will all receive a generous portion of this wealth, unlike Wilson."

"I'd better," Maya retorted, her hands placed on her hips. "Can we go now, sea-slugs?"

"Give me a second!" Roy said as he finally managed to light the lantern Jason held. "Alright, now we're ready."

Maya scoffed as she followed the three boys and Kory into the cave. Damain, Raven and Emiko tailed behind with their own source of light.

"Why don't I hold the light? I'm the tallest," Kory proposed innocently.

"Way to rub it in Kory," Roy groaned and watched as Jason reluctantly handed her the lantern. Kory said nothing, giving them a cheeky smile.

"They have a good idea. Maybe we should—"

"I'm holding the light," Damian snapped before Emiko could finish her sentence. Raven and her made eye contact for a brief moment before reluctantly following him.

As they made it deeper into the cave, it began to split into two dark tunnels. Jason stood there for a moment, pondering his decision.

"We will split into two groups. Harper, Kory, Queen, and I, will go down the one to the left. The rest of you stick to the right. We will meet back here when we've reached the end. If you find anything, grab as much treasure as physically possible. Got it?"

"Sounds good to me," Maya spoke as she stood next to Damian, nudging him in the shoulder. "Let's get this over with."

Damian let out an exasperated sigh before leading the way down the tunnel on the right side, his torch illuminating the dark stone walls as they traveled deeper.

"This place gives me the creeps," Maya commented as they passed by a skeleton that had clearly been down there for decades. Goosebumps liked her dark arms. "I'd better get a good share of that wealth."

"I'm gonna buy a new sword," Suren added. "The spare weapons they have are garbage."

"We won't be there for too long," Damian said. "I promise I'll try to get us a new ship very soon. Even if we have to steal it."

Maya chuckled. "That's how we got the Goliath. I don't see why we can't do the same."

"It'll be just us," Damian said as they took a turn. "Wilson seems content here, and I haven't spoke to Queen about it. That red-headed freak acts like her father."

"I've noticed," Maya replied. "I'm fine with just us four."

"Me too," Suren agreed.

"But what are you going to do when you reach your island?" Maya decided to question, looking in Raven's direction. The two girls could barely see one another in the dimly lit tunnel. "Are you going to leave us?"

Damian glanced at her briefly, as if waiting for her answer, before returning his attention towards the path in front of them. Raven noticed this and wore a blank expression.

"I don't know," Raven nervously laughed. "I guess we'll just have to get there, right?"

"You're right," Maya replied and looked away. "Just know that I enjoy having you around. You're the first female friend I've had in years. It's refreshing."

Raven couldn't help but smile as she followed the three, a warm feeling in her chest. They really considered her a friend.

As they got farther into the tunnels, they began to grow annoyed. For miles, the scenery looked the same, and they wondered if they were walking in circles.

"I think there's a door here," Raven suddenly spoke as she stepped onto something that squeaked. "It's wood."

Damian used his torch to illuminate the scene, a surprise expression when he caught sight of a trap door. "You're right. Here Suren, hold this."

The boy reluctantly took the torch and held it for Damian, what was trying to pry open the trap door with his fingers.

"Looks like it's been untouched for decades," Maya commented and tried to help him. "Hey, I think it's loose."

The two of them lifted the wooden door up, revealing a tunnel and a ladder underneath. Sticky cobwebs generously lined the entrance. At the bottom, dim lighting could be seen.

"I guess I'll take one for the team," Damian decided and let out a sigh before taking a step down the ladder. Once he discovered it was sturdy enough, he began to slowly climb down. "Another tunnel, but with lighting. Great."

When Raven assumed it was safe, she hesitantly followed suit, taking one step down the ladder. When her foot missed a step in the middle, her sudden movement caused the rope to snap and she came tumbling down the hole. "Shit!"

Damian groaned as the girl fell atop of him, causing both of them to fall on their backs.

Raven quickly got up, wincing from the pain. "I'm sorry," she quickly assured and extended her hand out to Damian.

"Suren and I will try to find another way down!" Maya shouted from the top and disappeared over the edge.

Damian sighed as he got up from his spot, with the help of Raven. "I guess we need to explore. Good thing they already have lighting, or we'd be fucked."

Raven followed him down the tunnel, the two of them sharing curious expressions as they took each step. Unlike the tunnels above, there were decorations placed along the walls. Not only that, but a gentle breeze of air flowed through the tunnel.

The atmosphere gave Raven an eerie feeling, and she stepped closer to Damian as they made their way towards an end, where a room could be seen.

Before Damian could react, a plant hanging hanging from the side of the wall sprayed him with a yellow powder, and he protectively pushed Raven behind him, saving her from the unknown poison. "Stay back!"

The sound of deep laughter could be heard from the other side of the room as he made his way inside from a door. In the center of the room was a generous pile of treasure.

"You've made it so far, but I believe this is where it ends. I see you've discovered my fear toxin."

Damian coughed harshly, glaring toward the man dressed in torn tunics. On his face was a mask made from the same material. "Who the hell are you? You look like a—"

"Scarecrow," the man finished, his masked lips curling slyly into a grin as he made his way across the room. "I'm the owner of these tunnels."

Damian's face scrunched as he held his sword out to defend himself with. "What was in that plant?"

"I told you," Scarecrow repeated and inched closer to him. "My famous fear toxin. It brings your most dreadful fears come to life."

Damian laughed, raising the sword defensively as the other man was a foot away from him. "I'm not scared of anything."

"We'll see about that," Scarecrow retorted and went to grab at him, but the bang of a gunshot echoing throughout the room startled both men. Damian watched curiosity as Scarecrow weakly fell to the his knees, blood seeing from his abdomen. Across the room, Raven was shakily holding a pistol with smoke rolling out from the barrel.

Damian breathed a sigh of relief and lowered his sword. "Thank you."

Raven lowered her gun before making her way into the room. "Don't mention it. Are you okay?"

"Yes, why?" Damian questioned as he returned his weapon to its holster.

"I was afraid you'd been poisoned," Raven admitted. "Sorry."

"I'm fine," Damian assured her before making his way toward the center of the room. "Now, let's get some gold before Jason sees it."

His joke caused Raven to let out the faintest laugh, and she put her gun away before following behind him. The two of them began shoving gold into their pockets and bags, trying to fit as much as physically possible.

Once their inventory was full, the two of them began searching for an exit. "Here, thanks I where he emerged from," Raven informed as she uncovered the passage hidden by a tarp.

Damian nodded and followed behind her, an eerie feeling forming in the pit of his stomach. As he traveled further, he began to grow paranoid that someone was watching them. Curiously, he slowed his steps, and turned his head to look behind them. To his dismay, he could make out the silhouette of a woman standing in the passage.

"What a disappointment you are, son. If I can even bring myself to give you that title."

His blue eyes wavered in disbelief. The voice was strange, yet familiar. This was logically impossible. "M-Mother?"

Raven stopped in her tracks, confused by his sudden behavior. "What's wrong?"

"You don't see her standing there?" Damian turned his head to glance at Raven, as if for confirmation. Raven's eyes moved to where he was gesturing, and her face fell at an empty passageway.

"There's no one there, Damian."

Damian swallowed. "Bullshit, I can see her right there, and I only have one eye!"

Raven flinched at his voice. "I can assure you, we're alone."

When Talia scoffed, he turned his attention back towards her. Her heels made a clicking noise as she inches closer to him. On her dark face was an irritated expression.

"I can't believe my life was taken in place for yours. What a waste."

The harsh words brought tears to Damian's eye. Raven watched as his face twisted in anger and he goof his sword back out. "If I'm such a disappointment to you, mother, then why don't you kill me?"

Despite his angry expression, Raven could sense the sadness in his words. When she remembered the events from a the cave, it clicked. His greatest fear. 

"Damian, stop," Raven said and reached out to grab his shoulder. "It's the fear toxin. She's not real."

Damian jerked away from her grasp, glaring at her. "Get away from me!"

"Such an arrogant child. Just like your pathetic father."

Damian grit his teeth and swung his sword at her,  a surprised expression when it cut through her as if she were thin air. "I don't even know my father!"

"Arrogant and weak? What a pity. The name I picked for you was so strong. It seems to me that it doesn't suit you at all."

"Shut up!" Damian yelled and continuously attempted to strike her, while Raven watched reluctantly. "I'm not weak!"

Raven grabbed his arm forcefully, dragging him quickly towards the exit. "Come on, let's go."

Damian looked at her, tears streaming down both of his cheeks. Raven frowned at the sight and she tugged him out of the passage, and finally the sun could be seen rising over the horizon. She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the warm breeze of the wind on her skin.

As she guided him onto the ship, he silently complied. He'd dropped the sword long ago, and his limbs felt weakened. Once he was on the main deck, he leaned all of his weight against Raven.

Raven groaned as she supported him, and made her way towards the medical bay.

After getting him into a bed and taking the treasure they'd found into Jason's room, Raven returned to the room with a canteen of water.

Damian laid on the bed in a fetal position, his body brightly trembling. His forehead was breaded with sweat, and his expression remained tense. Raven's heart ached at the sight. She'd never seen him so vulnerable before. So afraid.

"Here," Raven said and offered him the water, "It might help you."

Damian pushed the canteen away, his hand shaky. Raven placed the canteen on the table and looked at him with concern. "Do you-"

"I can still hear her."

When she met his gaze, he continued. "She regrets my existence, and believes that I am... a disappointment of a son."

Without thinking, Raven reached down and took his trembling hand into her own. "That wasn't real. If your mother could see you right now, I can guarantee you that she would be so proud of you."

Damian turned his head to look at her, this time more intently. Despite the toxin's affects on his body, it was like her gentle touch weakened them. The fear was almost bearable.

"You really think so?"

Raven's lips curled into a calm smile. "I know so"

Damian breathed a short sigh of relief and let his eye fall closed. Raven hesitantly reached over with her opposite hand and brushed his dark curls from his face, before removing his eyepatch. Besides the glistening sweat on his forehead, trails of tears stained both of his cheeks.

Using a wet wash cloth she'd brought with her, she gently dabbed at his skin and got rid of the evidence. Once he was clean, she started to stand up from her spot. "You'll be okay, just wait until the toxins wear off. I'll tell the others about your condition if they return before you're better."

Damian opened his eye to look at her, his hand desperately reaching out to grab onto anything— which ended up being the fabric of her dress. Raven glanced down at him, surprised by the sudden action.

"Is there something else you need?" Raven questioned as she sat back down.

"Um," Damian spoke, his face reddening as he tried to find his words. "Will you... stay here? Please?"

Raven's eyes widened the slightest at the request. Damian was not a man who begged, so this must be serious. Hesitantly, she nodded, and watched as he scooted over in the small bed, gesturing for her to lay next to him.

Once there was enough space, Raven crawled next to him and allowed him to lean his head on her lap. As she placed a hand on his head, gently running her fingers through his dark locks, she could feel his body trembling underneath her touch. This wasn't the first time she'd been so close with him, but it still gave her a warm feeling in her chest.

Raven shut her eyes, listening to the sound of his steady breathing. Damian reached a shaky hand up and rested it on her thigh, surprising her yet again with the sudden affection. His eye was closed, and his eyebrows were furrowed as he murmured a few things she couldn't make out.

Even though she knew his unusual behavior was due to the toxin, and when he came back to his senses he would most likely push her away, she couldn't help but wish that this was real.

Chapter Text

“ You're not my keeper!”

Emiko glared up at Roy as they stood before the rest of the crew.

"Look, I'm just trying to save you the hassle," Roy retorted and crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Trust me Emiko, I would know. He's not worth the time or the effort. He's just going to push you away, just like he did me."

"He's my brother, and I will see him," Emiko stated, her gaze shifting from him to the boy standing behind her. "Right, Damian? You promised."

Roy glanced at Damian, who was silently watching the scene unfold. "You take her to Seattle and you're dead, kid."

"Uh oh," Maya quietly said and glanced at Raven nervously. "This is gonna be bad."

Damian narrowed his eye at the taller man, taking a step forward. "Excuse me?"

"She's not going, so don't even think about dropping her off," Roy repeated and turned to walk away. Damian's voice caused him to halt.

"Last time I checked, she was part of my crew. She's an adult and can make her own decisions."

Roy scoffed at his comment and turned back around to face him. "That's ironic, coming from a kid himself."

Damian grit his teeth, and as if a switch had been flipped, his closed fist swung across Roy's face.

When Roy got back on balance, he grabbed Damian by the collar of his shirt, pushing him against the pole behind him. "Don't mess with me, kid."

" Stop calling me that! " Damian ordered and head-butted the taller man, pushing him to the ground while he was in a daze before straddling his waist. Once he was pinned, Damian roughly grabbed him by the throat. " I'll kill you right now ."

"Stop! Both of you!" Emiko pleaded, teary-eyed.

Raven watched the scene with wide eyes. She'd never seen him this violent before.

Roy let out a raspy laugh as blood trickled from his nostril. "I'm still not scared of you. You're just some stupid little kid. "

Damian ruthlessly slammed his fist back into the other man's face, his face scrunched in anger. "Fuck you!"

The sound of Jason's laughter caused both boys to freeze in their spot. "No, please, continue. I haven't been this entertained in days."

Damian stood up from his spot, his expression blank. "He started it."

"Yeah, whatever," Roy said before getting back to his feet, making sure to shove Damian along the way. "You're the captain, Jay. Tell him we're not taking Emiko to Seattle. She doesn't need to go."

"Just let me off this damn ship and I'll find another way then," Emiko said, her gaze shifting between Damian and Roy. "I'm tired of being in the middle of this. If you let me go, I won't cause trouble anymore. Promise."

Jason looked at her, pondering his decision. Before he could speak, Suren shouted aloud from the Crow's Nest.

" Bounty hunters! On our tail!"

Everyone's mood quickly changed at the information.

"Shit!" Jason said and reached for the pistol he kept put away in his side holster. "Get ready!"

"I got the cannons!" Maya informed and quickly made her way back inside the ship.

"Here," Raven spoke as she approached Damian, handing him the sword she'd kept. "You can use it better than I can."

Damian took it carefully, a relieved expression on his face. He handed her a loaded pistol in return. "Don't die."

"Same to you," Raven said and watched as he firmly gripped the handle of the sword, his attention focused on the quickly approaching ship.

Once the bounty hunter’s ship got in close range, both ships were furiously rocked with cannon fire. Raven quickly grabbed onto a pole to keep herself from losing her balance.

"Aim for their heads!" Jason shouted from the front of the ship, using his pistol to shoot down men that were trying to swing aboard his ship by rope.

Raven took in the scene, her heart pounding in her chest. They were severely outnumbered. From the crow’s nest, Emiko was shooting the men with her arrows. Rose and Damian used their swords to duel hunters, all while Suren and Maya were shooting cannons.

"I knew I'd seen your pretty face before."

The unfamiliar voice caused Raven to turn her head around. Instinctively, she aimed the pistol towards the man's chest. "Stay away, freak."

His skin was pale, nearly a shade of blue, and his black hair was styled strangely. Underneath his eyes were dark makeup. The thing that stood out most to Raven was the orange cat curled around his neck, its green eyes staring into her soul.

"The name's Klarion," the man corrected, holding up a sheet of paper for her to look at. "I've been searching for you for months now."

Raven's eyes scanned over the paper, widening at the sight of her own sketched portrait. Underneath her picture in bold font read: Raven of Azarath: Wanted for witchcraft and piracy. Reward: $500,000 .

"Such a rebel," Klarion commented and let the paper flutter to the floor. "I love it."

Raven narrowed her eyes and gripped the gun in her hand tighter. "What do you want from me?"

Klarion inched closer and raised a hand to push the gun away, a calm expression on his face as he did so. "Your hand in marriage, of course."

The answer made Raven's face twist in disgust as she backed away, up until she was against a post. The barrel of the gun was now pressed to his stomach. "I don't even know you."

"Oh, but I know everything about you," Klarion spoke and urged the weapon away. Raven raised an eyebrow as he continued. "You're just like me; a sorcerer."

Raven gritted her teeth in annoyance. "I don't have powers," she asserted, pushing him away. "Nor do I want to marry you."

Before Klarion could respond, another male voice caused him to freeze.

"You're no bounty hunter. You're just a creep," Jason said, the barrel of his pistol aimed at Klarion's head. "I suggest you retreat. Obey me, and I might let you live."

Klarion scoffed as more pirates surrounded him. His gaze fell on Raven one last time. "Consider my offer, my sweet Raven. I'll find you some other time."

With that, Klarion shouted a chant and disappeared into thin air, earning stunned expressions from everyone else. Her eyes widened the slightest at the scene.

"A real witch?" Maya questioned in disbelief. "I thought he was a myth. Hell, I thought magic itself was a myth!"

Jason's gun clicked loudly as he put it away in its holster. "What was that about?"

"Sounded to me like that freak believes Raven is a real witch," Rose answered and crossed her arms over her chest. " And he stalks her. You know how to attract them, huh?"

Raven glanced at her, unsure of what to say. Before she could find her words, Jason spoke.

"His men were easily defeated, and none of us were captured, so let's not worry. Our next stop will be Seattle."

Emiko's eyes lit up at his orders, her lips curling into a smile. "Thank you, Captain!"

Roy made an annoyed expression. "Jason..."

"No objections," Jason said sternly, his gaze briefly shifting to Damian as he continued. "Regardless of how you were treated... it isn't fair to keep a child from their family. They need to see it for themselves."

Jason's words surprised Roy, and he simply lowered his head in defeat. "Yes sir."

"Now," Jason spoke, looking at each of his crew members. "Let's all wash up and eat dinner. Al Ghul, you get us on course. Queen, you guide him if he needs it."

Damian silently nodded before heading towards the helm, Emiko following close behind him.

After eating dinner, most of the crew headed to bed. Luckily for Raven, Kory offered to share her bedroom. 

“Thank you so much,” Raven said, giving the tall girl a wide smile. “I appreciate it. I’m going to go gather my things.”

Kory nodded as she brushed through her long, red locks. “That’s fine. I’m a heavy sleeper, so don’t worry about being quiet.”

“Will do,” Raven spoke before leaving the room, heading for the storage closet on the lower deck. 

When she reached the closet, she was met with silence. Damian must be navigating, she assumed. Quickly, she gathered the few belongings she had, keeping them in a knapsack the other girl had loaned her. 

After collecting everything, she threw the sack around her shoulder with ease and headed back up. As she stood in front of the door of her new room, she couldn’t help but feel curious as to what Damian was doing. She pondered her decision for a moment before turning around and reaching the main deck. 

Not at the helm and not on the main deck, she noted. Where could he be? She wondered.

Before she went back inside, she decided to look up and was surprised as she found him standing in the crow’s nest, quietly gazing out at the sea. On his face was a gloomy expression. 

Raven slowly made her way to him, unsure of what to say. When she reached the top of the tall ladder, she decided to speak. 

“Kory offered to share her room with me.”

Damian turned his head to look at her, surprised by her sudden presence. His gaze fell briefly on her bag before it returned to the sea. “Very well. That was kind of her.”

Raven was lost for words again. It was obvious that he was in a bad mood, but she didn’t know how to question it without making it worse. Damian must have caught her stare because he turned his head the slightest to meet her gaze. 

“Do you need something?”

“No,” Raven quickly assured, nervously looking away as she gathered her thoughts and finally pieced them into words. “I was just going to ask if you needed someone to talk to. You seem upset about something.”

Damian lowered his head and shrugged it off. “It’s nothing.”

Hesitantly, Raven took a step forward, closing some of the space between them. She placed a hand on the railing, looking down at the sea with him. “You can tell me if you want. I’m a great listener.” 

His blue eye gently met her gaze, and her heart thumped wildly at the sight. “I’m just mad about earlier. About what that red-headed imbecile kept calling me.”

Raven’s eyebrows lifted the slightest in surprise. Calling him a kid? Such words could hurt him?

Before she could mutter a reply, he turned his head back around shamefully. “I’m sure everyone feels the same way. That I’m some stupid little kid that doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

“I don’t,” Raven spoke suddenly, looking at him with a sincere expression. “If I’m being honest, when I first met you, I assumed you were older than me.”

Damian met her gaze again and tilted his head. “Really?”

Raven nodded. “You act so maturely. I never would have guessed you were only nineteen.”

When he was quiet, she decided to add more. “You’re not a bad captain, either. Despite your hot-headed nature, you listen to your crew and care about their needs and wants. A lot of pirates aren’t like that. You should give yourself more credit.”

With the help of the moonlight, Raven could faintly make out a shade of pink dusting Damian’s cheeks. Her lips curled upwards into a smile of gratification. 

“Thank you,” Damian spoke, hiding his flushed face. “It truly means a lot.”

“Told you I was a great listener,” Raven replied smugly and leaned against the rail. 

After a moment of silence, Damian decided to speak again. 

“What was with that Klarion boy?” 

Raven laughed at his question. “I don't know. He said he was like me, and then asked to marry him. I think he’s crazy.” 

“A match made in Hell,” Damian commented and smirked when she shot him a glare. “Is he a real threat?”

“I hope not,” Raven said and let out a sigh, closing her eyes. The simple thought of having to fight him frustrated her. “His magic is presumably stronger. I don’t even know how to use mine yet.” 

Damian glanced at her with an unsure expression. “I’m sure we’ll figure it out. After we drop Queen off, your destination will be next. Regardless of what Todd says. Then we’re going to find our own ship.” 

The word ‘we’ gave Raven a warm feeling. Someone who wanted her by their side, that’s all she’d ever wanted. Despite what others may think, being stuck with pirates had been the best thing to happen to her. 

“The view is beautiful up here,” Raven commented as she took the time to admire the sky. A blanket of twinkling stars covered the darkness, and a crescent moon was seated proudly in the middle. 

Damian gazed up as well, taking in the starry view. “Sunrise is the most appealing. You earn the best perspective up here.” 

“Maybe I'll have to check it out tomorrow,” Raven said before letting out a yawn. “If I can wake up on time.” 

Damian crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll drag your lazy ass out of bed. How does that sound?”

“Terrifying,” Raven admitted and swallowed nervously. 

“Then don't be late,” Damian simply replied before heading down the ladder. 

Raven cocked her head sideways as she watched him climb down. Was that an invitation?

“Don’t let that go to your head.”

Another smile made its way to her face at his sudden response. 

Too late. 

Chapter Text

"Good morning!" 

Raven opened her tired eyes to see green eyes staring down at her. Kory backed away when she started to sit up. 

"Morning..." Raven groggily replied, rubbing her tired eyes with her hands. "What time is it?"

Kory giggled at her tiredness. "It's dawn. The sun will be rising soon. I always wake this early, so I apologize if you wished to sleep in. Next time I'll let you rest." 

Raven's eyebrows lifted at the information, remembering the invitation from the night before. "It's fine," she assured the other girl, watching as she fixed her long hair. "I needed to be up this early anyway. Thank you for waking me." 

"Of course!" Kory said and flashed her a warm smile, using a ribbon to tie her immense red curls back. "It feels comforting with a roommate. Don't get me wrong, I love the boys, but having a friend who is a girl is much more relaxing." 

Raven couldn't help but smile at the other girl's words. "I'm glad you feel that way. I enjoy it as well." 

Kory stood up from the vanity. "Do you need help fixing your hair?" 

Raven pondered her offer for a moment. Kory seemed good with hair, so she could probably fix it faster than if she did it herself. That way, she could make it outside in time to see the sunrise. 

"If you don't mind," Raven decided, watching as the girl swiftly ma ever way towards the spare be with a comb in her hand. 

"Not at all," Kory cheerily responded and immediately began combing through Raven's long hair. "Your hair is beautiful. As black as the night sky." 

The comment easily made Raven blush. No one had ever complimented her hair. "Thank you. Yours is pretty, too." 

Kory smiled, using her fingers to separate the hair in the front into strands, and began braiding it. When she was finished, she used small rubber bands to tie them off and brought the rest of her loose hair into a low ponytail. 

"Finished," Kory informed, a smile on her face as she admired her work. Raven used the mirror she handed her to judge the look. 

To her dismay, it looked great. "Wow... thank you. You're quite talented." 

"I love hair," Kory commented, a bittersweet expression on her face. "My sister and I would style each other's hair all the time when we were younger." 

Raven wanted to ask her more, but she decided that there would have to be another time. If she stayed any longer, she might miss her chance. 

"I'm going to go see what everyone else is doing," Raven suddenly spoke, giving the other girl a warm smile. "I'll talk with you later if you want. We can share our stories." 

Kory's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "I would enjoy that. I shall go help prepare breakfast as well."

With that, the two girls left the room, parting ways once they reached the hallway. Raven made her way to the main deck, a relieved expression on her face when she noticed the sky was still a light shade of blue. 

Just like she'd expected, Damian was standing atop the crow's nest, a spyglass in his hands with one end pressed up against his good eye. 

Raven grabbed onto the ladder and started to make her way up, carefully holding on so she didn't slip. 

"Oh wow, you actually made it." 

Damian removed the spyglass from his eye when he heard her reach the top. His gaze remained out toward the sea. 

Raven scoffed at his comment. "Yes, I did. What's my reward?" 

"Proving me wrong," Damian answered, the corner of his lips twitching into a smirk. "I can see Seattle in the distance. We should be there by noon." 

"Are you sad to see her go?" 

Damian pondered her question for a moment, mustering up the courage to be open. "To be honest, I'm envious of her." 

Raven turned her head curiously to face him. "Really?"

"She is getting to meet her family," Damian answered, looking down. "Even if it doesn't go as she planned, she is very lucky to have the opportunity." 

"I can understand," Raven said, hesitantly standing next to him. "I think you'll see your father one day. He will be happy to see you." 

Damian turned his head to look at her, surprised by her change in appearance. Her long black hair was styled into a low ponytail with two braids, and instead of a dress, she wore a white blouse beneath a brown under-bust corset. Tight black pants ran down her legs, and on her feet were black leather knee-high boots. 

An outfit Kory had loaned her, he assumed. Despite how simple it was, she looked like a real pirate. 

"Wow." 

Raven's voice pulled him out of his thoughts, and he turned his gaze toward where her attention was. Over the horizon, the sun began to slowly emerge, causing the sky to turn a vibrant shade of orange. 

He briefly glanced back to her, noticing the smile pulling at her rosy lips. He'd seen her smile many times, but this time, a delighted feeling settled in his chest at the sight. That was strange. 

"You wake up every day to see this? It's... beautiful. Seeing it from the ocean is a lot more fascinating than on land," Raven added, her face flushing when she caught his stare. 

Damian simply nodded, swiftly averting his gaze. "I usually try to see it before navigating."

"I can see why," Raven said, placing her hands on the railing as she took in the view once more, relishing in the feeling of the warm breeze on her skin. The two were quiet, the sound of the waves crashing against the ship overtaking the silence. 

"Do you miss home?" Damian suddenly decided to question as the sun made its way over the horizon. "Or rather, being on land." 

"Not really," Raven answered. "I have no good memories of being on land. Except for properly bathing, I suppose." 

Damian breathed out a laugh at her response. "You get used to it." 

"Why do you ask?" Raven curiously questioned back, her eyebrow raised. 

"Maya questioned your plans after reaching Azarath," Damian replied, trying to choose his words carefully. "I was just wondering if you were landsick. Being on a ship is quite the lifestyle change." 

"I don't mind it so far," Raven replied, tucking a stray strand of black hair behind her ear as the wind tossed it around. "This is the first time in my life I've felt... wanted somewhere. It feels good." 

There that warm feeling was again, Damian noted skeptically. "Well, you're also wanted in several countries now, if that makes you feel any better." 

"Don't remind me," Raven said, letting out a sigh. "Guess I'm the famous pirate-witch, huh?"

Damian snickered at the name. "When you complete your... quest, we can find a way to clear your name." 

Raven was silent as she pondered the offer. As long as she was still welcome aboard, she didn't care what happened to her after she defeated her father. 

"Breakfast is served!" 

The sound of Kory's loud voice caught both of their attention. 

"I need to go set us on course," Damian noted as he started down the ladder. "Stay as long as you want."

Raven gave a nod as she watched him disappear over the edge, briefly glancing back out at the horizon with a smile before following behind. 

"While we're here I suppose we should make a stop," Jason decided as he took in the sight of a newly founded city. "Never been to Seattle before." 

"Thank you, captain," Emiko said as she stood before the tall man. "Here is my token of appreciation."

Jason's eyes lit up at the sight of gold coins being placed in his hands. "Well received." 

"As for you," Emiko added, her cheeks a bright shade of pink as she turned to face Damian. Before he could question her, she leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "A token of my appreciation," she spoke just above a whisper as she pulled away, leaving him flustered. 

Damian blinked. "Do you want someone to accompany you?"

"That would be nice," Emiko said, her lips curling into a small smile as she briefly glanced at Jason. "Just for the day."

Damian nodded, following behind her as she bid her goodbyes to the rest of the crew and headed down a busy street. 

Raven watched the two leave, unsure of how to feel. 

While Damian and Emiko searched for her brother, the rest of the crew hit a nearby tavern after spending the day in the city. 

"What's the matter?"

Jason's voice pulled Raven from her thoughts as he sat down next to her at the bar. The faint smell of alcohol could be traced as he spoke to her. "I'm fine," Raven assured him as she took a drink from her small glass, wincing the slightest at the bitterness that was left on her tongue. "Why do you ask?"

"You look lost," Jason noted. "Homesick?"

Raven couldn't help but laugh at his suggestion. "I have no home."

Jason's eyebrows furrowed at her response. "Is my ship not good enough for you?" 

"Oh, no, your ship is fine," Raven quickly assured him. She let out a sigh as she rephrased her previous statement. "I just don't feel like... I belong anywhere. Never have."

Jason took in her answer for a moment before responding. "I know this sounds cheesy, but really it's people who make a home. A house is nothing without a family."

"I haven't exactly had that, either," Raven admitted. "I didn't have the chance. Being on the run doesn't leave much time to make friends. This is the first time I've interacted with so many."

"I grew up on the streets too," Jason empathized. "Luckily I had someone who took me in. Not just the first time, but the second, too." 

"When you were resurrected?" Raven questioned curiously, her drink long forgotten by now as she listened to Jason's story. 

Jason nodded, a smile pulling at his lips. "You're a good listener. Yes, when I was resurrected from the dead, a woman took me in. Gave me a home. Trained me, even." 

"Sounds like a great woman," Raven commented. "What happened? Why did you become a pirate?"

Jason's gaze fell to the table. "She was killed by her own men. I had no choice but to leave. One day I'll avenge her, but not just for me. I wasn't the only one left behind."

Raven tilted her head. This story sounded familiar, but she couldn't put why. "I lost my mother, too. I can feel your pain. It's quite devastating."

Her hand hesitantly reached out and fell on his own. He looked up at her with a genuine expression, and a strange feeling washed over her from the contact. It was as if she could see into his soul. 

"No father?" 

Raven shook her head in response. "Abandoned us." 

Jason let out a scoff. "That's how my real father was too. I tried to save my real mother from him, but I couldn't." 

"Damian didn't seem to like you. I don't see why, though," Raven decided to say. "You're a good person."

The name made his muscles tense up. "Let's just say we have history."

So, there was a connection between the two boys, Raven noted. Before she could comment on his response, he spoke again, changing the subject. 

"You two seem close," Jason said, eyeing her skeptically. "I find it hard to believe that he could pull a woman like you."

Raven's face flushed at his suggestion. "Not that close. He's just helping me. I doubt he even considers me a friend."

"Oh right, you're trying to find some island," Jason recalled. "See? I can be a good listener too."

Raven let out a short laugh. "You're right."

"What island?" Jason questioned curiously, leaning closer over the table as he took another shot. 

Raven cleared her throat as she pondered her answer. "It's my homeland. I just wanted to pay a visit. No time soon, though. I'm in no rush." 

"Hey, when are we leaving?" 

The sudden sound of Rose's voice allowed Raven to let out a sigh of relief. 

"Whenever I feel like it," Jason retorted and gave her a smirk. Rose narrowed her eyes at the man sitting down. 

Before she witnessed an argument between the two, Raven stood up from her seat and made her way outside the tavern. 

The cloudy sky was now a dark shade of blue, and a light fog hugged the paved road below her feet. A bench caught her attention and she reluctantly took a seat. 

Once she was alone with her thoughts, the scene from earlier played in her head. Her face fell at the memory. Why did she feel this way? She shouldn't care about what he did. 

"Why are you out here alone?"

Damian's voice caught her off guard, and Raven's face reddened as she found him walking up to her. "I needed some fresh air."

His nose scrunched when he picked up on the smell of alcohol. "I can see why. I knew Jason would probably wind up here after the day ended. Didn't picture you as a drinker, though." 

"It's not that bad," Raven retorted and leaned back in her wooden seat. 

The two of them were quiet for a moment, and Damian broke the silence as he sat down next to her.

"You shouldn't be out here alone like this. Do you know how many people want you? Not counting all the creeps that could walk by and see a vulnerable woman." 

Raven narrowed her eyes at the comment. "I'm fine," she said, and before she could stop herself, she added, "Not that you'd care, anyway."

The rest of their crew began to pour out the door, and Damian turned his head to look at her regardless. "What do you mean?"

Raven shook her head. "Nothing," she assured and stood up from her seat, following behind the rest of the crew. Her head turned the slightest to say something else to him. 

"I was with Jason most of the time. I would've been fine."

Damian followed, a puzzled expression on his face as he watched her back.

Chapter Text

Despite Emiko kissing him earlier, Damian still couldn't shake off the strange feeling he had felt from the other girl. No, this wasn't good. He needed a distraction. 

"You've never been here before?"

Emiko shook her head as they walked side by side down the paved road. "I've only heard of him being here from my... family. If you can call them that." 

Damian nodded, understanding. "Where should we look first?"

"Let's ask around," Emiko decided, pulling her mask up to cover the lower half of her face. "Inns and taverns would be our best bet." 

Her small hand reached out and grabbed Damain's, pulling him behind her as they walked through the crowded street. 

After walking into a dozen hotels and bars, they finally got an answer. 

"You two have some nerve storming in here like that." 

Red Arrow glanced at the man, her eyebrows furrowed. "Do you know where he is?" 

The man at the table scoffed. "Green Arrow? Sure. That doesn't mean I'll tell you where he is."

"It's important," Red Arrow said, slamming her gloved hands on the table. The other men sitting with him started to stand up. Damian withdrew his sword from its holster in anticipation. "My partner here doesn't play around."

The man took in Damian's aggressive expression. "Captain al Ghul. I've heard of you. Not very impressed." 

Damian narrowed his eye, gritting his teeth in annoyance as he grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt, using his sword to intimidate him. His patience was wearing thin, and rage was beginning to overcome him. "Can I cut his hands off now?" 

"I'll talk," the man groaned as he was raised to his feet, the blade of Damian's sword inches from his throat. "Just put me down, kid."

Reluctantly Damian released the man, letting Red Arrow approach him. "Go on."

"He lives in the largest house at the north-side docks. Hard to miss." 

A grin pulled at Red Arrow's masked lips. "Thanks," was all she said before gesturing for Damian to follow her, brutally shoving by the man as they left. 

After successfully finding her brother, Emiko and Damian decided to part ways. 

"Thank you," Emiko spoke as she pulled her red mask off. "For everything. I wouldn't have made it this far without you." 

"It was nothing," Damian assured her. "I hope you two get along well."

"Me too," Emiko replied and let her lips slip into a smile. "Maybe one day I'll have to join your crew again. It's been... fun." 

Silence filled the air as the two of them shared a glance. Damian swallowed nervously and leaned down, placing a hand on her cheek as he mimicked the gesture from before and pressed his callow lips to her own. He loosely rested his other hand on her hip, pulling her closer. 

Despite what he expected, the kiss left a bland taste in his mouth. When they parted, she gave him a perplexed expression. 

"Why did you do that?" Emiko curiously questioned, meeting his intent gaze. 

Damian cleared his throat as he retreated his hands. "Just returning the gesture."

"Well, thank you." Emiko let out a lighthearted laugh, before adding, "But... you didn't have to do that. You should save that for someone else." 

Damian cocked his head sideways at her remark. "Who?"

Emiko smiled at his expression. "You know who I'm talking about. Don't keep her waiting too long." 

Before he could question her, she walked inside the house and closed the door behind her, leaving a stunned Damian behind. 

Knowing Jason, he was probably at some tavern right not having a drink. So, that's where Damian began to look. The cloudy sky above was growing darker by the minute, and he was running out of sunlight. 

"Excuse me, sir!"

Damian turned his head to see a woman at a stand. Great, a saleswoman. Surely she must not recognize him as a pirate. 

"I have these beautiful necklaces for sale. It would be the perfect gift for a special young lady." 

"No thanks," Damian rejected and went to continue walking, before the older woman spoke again. 

"You're missing out. These will make her adore you." 

A huff of breath escaped his lips as he turned around, glancing at the assortment of jewelry. "Look miss, I'm in a hurry. If I buy one will you stop bothering me?"

"Mhm," the older woman hummed delightfully, the wrinkles on her face rising as she smiled. 

Damian studied each necklace carefully, his eye stopping when he spotted one with a violet jewel in the center. The color was familiar to him. 

"Alright. How much for this one?" Damian questioned as he gestured towards his selection. 

The older woman glanced at the jewel with a surprised expression. "I rarely sell any that color. Here, you can have it."

Damian raised an eyebrow as he watched her pick up the silver chain. "I have the money. Just give me a price." 

The older woman shook her head. "Take it, I insist. There's a look in your eye that assures me it's going to good hands. Perhaps a very special woman." 

Damian felt his face warm up at the suggestion, watching as she forced the jewelry into his hands. "I don't know what you're talking about." 

"Hurry on and get back to her," the older woman assured and flashed him a smile. 

"Thank you," Damian finally muttered and quickly got back on the paved road, shaking away the words. He needed to find his crew before it got too late. 

When he finally reached the next tavern, he spotted Raven sitting on a bench outside. Her eyes were glued to the sky, and with the help of the moonlight, he could recognize the familiar color from the chained jewel in his hands. 

"Why are you out here alone?"

His voice must have spooked her, because her face reddened when she found him walking up to her. "I needed some fresh air."

Damian's nose scrunched when he picked up on the smell of alcohol. Had she been drinking? "I can see why. I knew Jason would probably wind up here after the day ended. Didn't picture you as a drinker, though." 

Her features gave away her sadness, and Damian presumed she wasn't in a good mood. 

"It's not that bad," Raven retorted and leaned back in her wooden seat. Her eyes strayed away from him. 

The two of them were quiet for a moment, and Damian broke the silence as he decided to sit down next to her.

"You shouldn't be out here alone like this. Do you know how many people want you? Not counting all the creeps that could walk by and see a vulnerable woman." 

The thought of a man approaching her and stealing her away angered him. 

Raven narrowed her eyes at the comment. "I'm fine," she said, and before she could stop herself, she added, "Not that you'd care, anyway."

The rest of their crew began to pour out the door, and Damian turned his head to look at her regardless. "What do you mean?"

Raven shook her head. "Nothing," she assured and stood up from her seat, following behind the rest of the crew. Her head turned the slightest to say something else to him. 

"I was with Jason most of the time. I would've been fine."

Damian followed, a puzzled expression on his face when the other man's name left her mouth. Why was she acting this way toward him?

Why did he care? 

Quietly, he tucked away the necklace in his pocket, his eye pointed toward the ground as he walked behind the group.

Chapter Text

Kory rushed as she served bowls of soup, a panicked expression on her face. 

After raiding another pirate ship, a majority of the crew caught a sickness that was difficult to overcome. Now, the only ones who weren't sick yet were Damian, Raven, and Kory. 

Not only that, but it was Christmas Eve. 

"This is all—" Rose started, letting out a nasty cough before finishing her sentence, "—your fault, Jason!" 

Jason groaned at the girl across the room on a separate cot. "Shut up! How was I supposed to know they were sick?"

"Roy, please drink something," Kory pleaded kindly, urging the red-headed boy to take the soup she offered. "You're malnourished." 

Roy pushed the bowl away, an annoyed expression on his face. So far, his case was the worst of them all. Along with fevers and chills, coughs, and sneezes, his body ached. The pain was almost unbearable, and he couldn't bring himself to eat or drink. When he tried, it would just come right back up in the form of vomit. 

Kory reluctantly placed the bowl on the table next to the boy, meeting Raven's concerned gaze. Damian stood above Maya and Suren's cot, trying to help them break fevers with cold water. 

"Is there anything I can do?" Raven decided to ask, glancing around the room nervously. The fear that a plague was among them crept up her spine. 

Kory had informed everyone that where she came from had enough diseases that boosted her immune system. Damian also mentioned how his training as a child involved overcoming illness and included being exposed to every known disease, so he was immune to most illnesses as well. However, Raven had no idea what factor helped her immunity towards the virus. Perhaps she was simply lucky. 

“Actually," Kory started, unsure. "I think I may know a solution. But it is not an easy one." 

Raven and Damian shared a glance before turning their attention to Kory. "What is it?" Damian questioned.

The tall girl averted her gaze, her head low as she held onto Roy's weak hand. "There is a herb that can cure any disease, like this one. It is located where I grew up."

"Great, let's go get it," Damian simply said, watching as Kory shook her head. 

"It is not that simple," Kory informed, lifting her head to meet his determined gaze. "This time of year, the winter is extreme. Ice and snow are layered thick over my hometown. I doubt you could make it there without trouble." 

"Nonsense," Damian assured her. "I was exposed to all types of weather as a child. It was part of my training. I can do it." 

A glimmer of hope sparkled in Kory's emerald eyes. "Are you sure? I don't want anything happening to you." 

"Our crew needs us. It can't hurt to try," Damian decided. "Where is your home?" 

"It's an island named Tamaran. Hard to find, but I can help you get there," Kory offered. 

Damian nodded to her before glancing at the sick mates. "Let's get there as soon as we can." 

When they arrived at Tamaran the next day, Damian bundled up as thick as he could. His backpack held supplies he needed for the trip, as well as a map Kory had provided him. 

"Follow this trail north, and you'll reach a village. My father does not approve of my decision to become a pirate, so you can't be seen by him or anyone else in the village. Sneak into the greenhouse and steal the herbs. I don't know how many we'll need, so just try to get as many as you can. They look like this." 

Damian studied the plant in the book she handed him. "Looks almost like a honeysuckle." 

"Yes, it does," Kory agreed. "The nectar from the herb should cure their sickness. Pulling out the stem in the center releases the liquid. Right now, it's our only hope." 

Damian gave her a nod before tucking the map and book away in his backpack. "I'll return successfully." 

"I'm going too." 

Kory and Damian both turned their heads to see Raven, layers of jackets stacked on her thin frame. 

"No," Damian quickly responded, glaring at her. "Absolutely not."

"Why not?" Raven questioned innocently. 

"You'll just hold me back," Damian assured and turned his back to her. "You're not leaving this ship." 

Raven scoffed at his reasoning. "What happened to let your crew make their own decisions?"

"You're different," Damian said without thinking, his teeth grit in annoyance. "End of discussion."

Raven froze at his words. Right, because she wasn't a real pirate. She was just a weak commoner. 

"I thought I was one of you? Wasn't that your rule when I came aboard your ship? Have I not proved myself to you?"

Damian wore a blank expression. "What are you talking about? That's— that is not what I meant." 

Now Raven was the confused one. If that's not what he was talking about, then what—

"We don't have time for this," Damian suddenly said and let out an exasperated groan. "You stay right behind me, got it? No slacking off whatsoever." 

Raven nodded, her violet eyes lighting up at his final decision. 

"Let's go." 

Damian and Raven discovered that Tamaran was exactly how Kory said; covered by a thick layer of ice and snow. Blankets of clouds were in the sky, snowflakes rapidly falling as they walked further north. 

"She wasn't kidding," Raven spoke through chattering teeth, her arms wrapped tight around her torso. "It's freezing." 

"My grandfather made me climb mountains, so my body is relatively used to this situation," Damian said, seemingly unfazed by the cold. His squinted eye remained on the compass in his hand. 

"He must have prepared you for everything," Raven noted. 

Damian sighed as he glanced out at the white canvas before them, his breath visible in the crisp air. "He only taught me survival tactics. I never learned how to deal with emotions, if that wasn't already obvious."

Raven wasn't sure how to respond. Ever since they left Seattle a few days ago, she hadn't spoke much to him. There was nothing really to say, she thought. What he did was none of her concern. They were crewmates, that was all. 

As she listened to the sound of their boots crunching in the snow, she gathered her thoughts and put them into words. 

"I'm not good with dealing with my emotions either, which is probably why I can't use my magic. I think they're just intuitive feelings we have to learn to accept, whether or not we want to." 

Damian glanced at her briefly, the corner of his lips curling into a smile. 

"Thanks, witch-girl."

Raven scoffed as they made their way up the icy trail, narrowing her eyes at him.

After successfully sneaking into the greenhouse and taking what they needed, Damian and Raven headed back towards the ship. The sun was starting to set over the horizon, and a snowstorm was gradually picking up. Damian lit a lantern for the two of them, using its light to illuminate their pathway. 

"That was easier than expected," Damian noted as he tucked away the pouch full of herbs. 

"Kory seems like a kind-hearted person," Raven replied, letting out a small sneeze, "I assume the rest of her people are the same for the most part." 

Damian shrugged in response, holding his compass up to his limited view so he could guide them. 

Along the way, Raven had suddenly begun to feel sluggish, however, she didn't want to fall behind. She had begged Damian to let her tag along, so she couldn't disappoint him. For her own sake. 

"This damned storm is throwing me off track," Damian mumbled as he reluctantly pulled out the wrinkled map from his pocket. Raven felt relieved as she took a well-needed breather. Her slender legs were already aching. "Are you okay?" 

Raven looked up at him in surprise. "Yes, sorry. I'm not used to walking this much. I'll be fine."

Damian gave her a skeptical look before shrugging it off. Despite her reassuring tone, Raven knew her body was weakening over time. Whether it was the climate or another factor, she didn't know. 

"I think this is the right way," Damian guessed as he squinted his eye, trying to make out what was in front of them. When he got farther in the snow and couldn't hear her footsteps any longer he curiously glanced back. His eye widened when she was out of his sight. 

He quickly folded the map and tucked it away, lifting the lantern to illuminate his path. "Raven!" The name left his throat in a yell as he searched for her in the white void. 

The sight of her long and unruly black hair caught his attention, and he quickly bent down to pick her up from the hallowed spot in the frozen ground. "What's wrong?"

"I d-don't know," Raven weakly muttered through chattering teeth. "I-I don't f-feel good." 

Damian huffed under his breath as he looked around at their surroundings. With the storm at hand, it was difficult to navigate around the island. The sight of a wooden building in the distance caught Damian's eye. 

He glanced down at her weak expression before pulling her up into his arms, reluctantly carrying her bridal style through the layers of snow. 

The building Damian found was long abandoned, as there was a gaping hole in the ceiling above. But, it would have to make do for now. 

To his delight, a woodstove settled in one corner of the room, and a bed was placed on the opposite side. 

"Just for a moment," Damian quietly assured as he set Raven down against the wall, then made his way to scoot the bed toward the woodstove. 

Dust covered the sheet, so Damian briefly shook it out, as well as brushed off the mattress. When he finished setting up the bed, he used his limited resources to light a fire in the woodstove. 

"Perfect," Damian noted as he turned back around to pick up Raven and carry her back across the room. The old bed frame creaked as it supported her weight. After lighting his lantern with the fire he'd started in the wood stove, Damian sighed as he took in her miserable appearance. 

Her black strands of hair stuck to her damp face as it glistened the slightest with sweat. Her hands were trembling as she attempted to curl up. 

"You need to drink some of this," Damian informed as he pulled one of the herbs from his pouch. After pulling the stem out from the plant, he carefully let the liquid drip into her open mouth. To his annoyance, a disapproving groan left her throat as the liquid was pushed back out. 

Damian let out an exasperated huff of breath as he examined her pained expression. "Come on, you have to drink it. You'll die."

Raven weakly shook her head, and Damian let out a sigh. "Don't make me do this the hard way."

When she didn't comply, Damian took his free hand and sternly held her chin. "Hard way it is, then," he spoke before prying her lips open with his thumb and letting the nectar from the flower drip into his own mouth. Before she could spit it back out again, his lips were on hers, forcing the liquid into her mouth and down her throat. 

His lips disappeared as fast as they came, and her droopy eyes were wide with shock as she watched him. "That was punishment," he noted as he wiped the nectar from his lower lip in disgust. 

Raven's face was painted crimson, and Damian didn't know if it was from the fever or embarrassment. Honestly, he didn’t care. 

"Now rest," Damian ordered her and began to tuck her in. "We will stay here until the storm dies down. Then we'll make our way back to the ship."

Raven quietly obliged, taking the layers he offered her. She laid her head flat against the old mattress, her eyes gazing up at the ceiling through squinted eyelids. 

"M...s...rry..."

Damian turned his head to look at her, his eyebrows raising when he noticed tears threatening to fall from her eyes. He leaned closer, trying to make out her muffled words. "What?"

"I'm..." Raven muttered, followed by a strangled cough, clearing her throat. "...sorry."

"For what?" Damian questioned, getting closer so she didn't have to raise her voice. 

Raven sniffled, raising a weak arm to wipe her runny nose. "You were... right." 

When he gave her another confused look, she reluctantly continued. "I should have stayed on the ship. All I've ever been to you... is a burden."

Damian was silent for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. Quietly, he removed his eyepatch and crawled into the small bed next to her, lifting her to wrap his arms around her shivering frame. 

"What am I going to do with you?" 

The question caught her off guard, and Raven wore a surprised expression as he pulled her close, the side of her red cheek pressed flush against his warm chest. 

"So helpless," Damian noted, before adding, "And stupid." 

Before Raven could speak up, he loosely rested his chin on the top of her head and continued. "You're not a burden. Why do you feel that way?"

Raven sniffled again. "Well, I'm always causing you trouble—" she started, letting out a cough. "—and holding you back." 

"Holding me back?" Damian questioned curiously. Her eyes narrowed when she sensed his amusement. "How is that?"

"Like when the ship was being ambushed," Raven answered. "If I hadn't gone back to get my necklace... you wouldn't have come to save me... and we wouldn't have gotten stranded on that island." 

Damian let out a laugh at her response. "Now that I know the meaning behind that necklace, I don't blame you for going back for it. Besides, we survived."

"My brothers nearly killed you," Raven corrected him. "If they had succeeded... I could never have forgiven myself." 

"But they didn't—" 

"I've been thinking," Raven interrupted, her voice raspy. "Maybe I should try to find Azarath on my own. That way I won't be standing in the way or putting anyone else in danger."

The grip he had on her tightened. "I'm not afraid of anything. I'm prepared for whatever is thrown my way." 

Raven was unsure what to say, and Damian took this opportunity to continue speaking. 

"Look, I didn't actually think you would hold me back when I told you not to come with me. It was because I was... scared. Scared that you'd get hurt, and that I wouldn't be able to... protect you." 

Her violet eyes widened the slightest at his confession, and she slowly turned her head to glance up at him. His face was red as his single blue eye met her shock. 

"Let's make another deal," Damian proposed, breaking the silence as he turned his head to avert his gaze. "Forget the first one we made. We will reach your island, and in return, you will help me find my father. You don't have to change who you are to stay aboard, either. Be whatever you want, be it pirate, witch or commoner." 

"Okay," Raven answered, her pale lips curling into a smile. "Deal."

Damian huffed in satisfaction. "Great. No more stupid ideas, then. We work as a team."

Raven weakly nodded in agreement, her breathing steadying as she lay against his chest. Damian glanced down at her, taking in her relaxed expression. Gently, he pulled her closer in an attempt to keep her warm as the bitter wind blew through the hole in the wooden structure. 

If he were being honest, as bad as it sounded, he didn't want this moment to end. He had never been this close to anyone before, and holding her like this gave him a sense of security he never knew he needed. 

As he closed his eye and lay his head against the wall, Damian wondered if he would ever stop thinking about her.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Overnight, while the crew was sleeping, Damian had managed to make it to their fated destination. 

"This is... Azarath?" 

Raven glanced up at Damian, who was at a loss for words. Displayed before them was a brutally destroyed island. Stone-paved streets remained empty, while spots where houses used to be instead stood as black rubble. 

Tears welled in Raven's eyes at the sight of her former home. "This is Azarath," she confirmed with a quiet voice. 

Damian raised his eyebrows at the sight of her crying. "There is nothing you could have done. Don't blame yourself." 

Raven met his gaze, and something told her those were words pulled straight from his heart. "You are right. All I can do now is prevent it from happening again." 

"Let's go," Damian instructed and grabbed his lit lantern before climbing down the ladder of the ship. Raven followed close behind, sticking close to him as he stepped through the rubble. 

It was dead silent as they made their way through what used to be a village. 

"Zinthos is that temple on top of the hill," Raven quietly informed as she raised her hand to point in the right direction. Damian raised his head to look toward where she was directing them. 

"It's still standing," he noted as he grabbed her hand and helped her step over the damages in their path. 

She nodded in response as she gripped his hand tighter. Although she had safely made her way through the path, he didn't release her hand. 

Her gaze moved from him to the sky above, focused eyes studying the clear sky above them. When she returned her attention to their conjoined hands, she spoke. 

"Thank you for this." 

Damian glanced down at her curiously. "For what?"

"Coming with me," Raven answered and flashed him a sad smile. "It means a lot to me." 

"We had a deal," Damian decided to say. "I don't like to break them."

As they traveled along the ruined path, Damian decided to speak again, breaking the brief silence between them. 

"For the record, Queen and I have no real relation." 

Raven raised an eyebrow at the sudden clarification. "Oh, so you're one of those. I see."

Damian scoffed. "No, that is not what- you know what, it doesn't matter. I don't know why I'm clearing this up, anyway."

Raven let out a huff of laugh. "I mean you two seemed quite close. My apologies for assuming." 

Damian's face reddened at the statement. "I have... never been close with anyone like that. Her sudden interest in me was honestly a surprise." 

"Why is that so surprising?" Raven decided to question. She watched as his face fell. 

"There is nothing to like. I am not a good person."

Raven frowned at his words. "I disagree. Like I said on the island, you have a kind heart and generous soul. I meant that and still do. If you weren't a good person, you wouldn't be helping me."

Damian glanced at her, and let out a sigh of defeat. "If that is what will help you sleep at night, then so be it."

Raven let out a short chuckle of relief. As they continued to inch forward, her anxiety began to return. What was waiting for her in this temple still remained a mystery to her.

"Raven..."

The sudden sound of a woman's voice caught both of them off guard, and Damian's grip on Raven's hand tightened immediately. By the stunned look on Raven's face as they turned around, Damian assumed this was a familiar person. 

Behind them was a woman dressed in white robes from head to toe, while her long black hair was neatly tucked away in the hood. Her gentle violet eyes made him think of Raven, and that's when he recognized the resemblance. 

"Mother?"

"Wait," Damian spoke as he pulled Raven closer to him. The memory of the fear-toxin played over in his head. "We can't be sure that she's real."

"I am not of this realm," Arella simply answered. "I am simply just a remaining spirit."

Raven's eyes widened. "How?"

Arella slowly inched towards the two, and reached a pale hand out to touch Raven's cheek. Despite physical appearance, the sensation of her hand remained as a gust of cold wind. "The abilities I left you summoned my spirit. I have been waiting for your arrival here since then."

Damian pulled the necklace out of his pocket with his free hand. "Can you help us defeat her father?" He questioned as the red gem glimmered in the moonlight. 

Arella studied the necklace carefully. "It seems you already have."

Raven and Damian both shared confused glances before Arella continued. "Raven, the only way for him to enter this world is through you."

"Me?"

Arella nodded. "The gems acted as a compass to guide you here. However, you are the only portal for your father to get to Earth. You are safe." 

Raven wore an unsure expression. "How can that be? I thought..."

The sight of her mothers tears silenced Raven. 

"Trigon created you for a portal, but there is no way for him to use you unless you let him," Arella explained, her expression softening as she admired her daughter. "You can't let him turn you into him."

Tears began to well in Raven's eyes at her words, and Damian hesitantly placed his hand on her shoulder. 

"Other Azarathians had spoke that with your birth would come death to our planet. But Raven, my child, there is not an evil bone in your body. You have nothing to fear."

The reassurance nearly erased all of Raven's anxiety, and from what she could tell, Arella's spirit seemed to be at ease as well. 

"Keep the gem close. It contains remnants of his evil spirit. But like I said: he can only be brought into this world through you. You are the only one who can keep him contained."

"What if I destroy it?" Raven questioned, and Arella shook her head. 

"It will release him, and he will either use or kill you. The only way to truly defeat him, would mean to destroy you and the gem."

Raven swallowed and obediently nodded, and allowed Damian to drape the necklace around her neck. After doing so, Damian watched cautiously as her violet irises briefly glimmered red. The sight sent a chill down his spine. 

"Thank you, mother," Raven said and wiped her damp cheeks, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. 

"I am always with you," Arella assured and glanced at Damian before her spirit vanished. "Please, take care of her for me, and for the world. She is your future."

Once she had disappeared, Damian took in Raven's appearance. Replacing her gloomy expression when they arrived was now a hopeful look. 

"Well, I suppose I can say that this was an easier quest than I expected."

Raven let out a short chuckle, and turned to face him, her violent orbs staring straight through him. Any doubts he had about her soon vanished. Arella had been right, there was no evil in this woman. 

Small arms wrapping around him brought him out of his train of though, and a puff of air escaped his chest. 

"Thank you for this," Raven spoke as she buried her head into his chest. "I could not have made it this far without you."

Damian pushed her away, his face flushed. "It was nothing," he assured, "Are you ready to go back now?"

Raven nodded, and followed behind him. As the sun began to rise over the horizon, Raven glanced over and watched as it shone light on Damian's face. His relaxed expression was different than hers, and she assumed it was because of their next journey. 

Hesitantly, she reached her hand out and grabbed his hand, and his face softened the slightest.

Now, it was time for her to return the favor. 

Chapter Text

"I told you I'd find you again, my love."

As rain beat down on the deck of the Outlaw's ship, Klarion stood proudly at the helm, eyeing Raven as she tried to wiggle out from his grasp. 

"Unhand me, you— you—" 

Klarion used his magic to shut her mouth, preventing her from shouting. "Come on now, you know I'm the only other sorcerer on this planet. We will be the most powerful couple in history."

Raven shook her head in disagreement, watching as the rest of the crew spilled out from inside the cabin of the ship. 

"Get away from her, you freak!" Damian ordered through gritted teeth. His wet curly hair draped over his eyes but Raven could still make out the angry expression on his face. 

Klarion chuckled at the threat, pressing his face against Raven's cheek. "Sorry, pirates. This treasure belongs to me now. Farewell!"

Before anyone could get ahold of the two, smoke appeared and they disappeared into thin air. Everyone's eyes widened at the sight. 

"No!"

Jason placed his hand on the smaller boys shoulder. "There's nothing you could've done. He ambushed us in the middle of the night."

"I should I've protected her better," Damian stated through gritted teeth. 

Jason swallowed at the words. They were all too familiar. "Look, we'll find—"

Damian pulled away and looked up at him. "There's no telling where he took her! They could be literally anywhere!" 

"Hey, I get that, we'll try our best, but—" Jason started, but was interrupted once again. 

"No, no 'but'," Damian spoke. "We have to find her! I'll do it myself if I have to."

The crew grew silent at Damian's outburst. Jason let out a sigh. 

"Do you have any ideas on where he could have taken her?" 

Damian's gaze fell to the floor. The sight of a red gemstone caught his attention. 

"No," he answered, making his way over towards the object and picked it up. "But this does." 

"A... necklace?" Jason questioned. 

"It's not just a necklace," Damian responded and turned his body around, waiting for the gem to glow. "It's a compass. She must have dropped it on purpose." 

"How is that even possible?" Rose questioned. "Wait... is— is she a real witch?" 

"How long have you known this, and haven't told anyone?" Jason asked, visibly annoyed. "That would've been nice to know." 

Damian narrowed his eye. "We all have secrets, do we not?"

Jason went silent, and Damian got his answer. 

"There's a lot to explain. She wasn't aware of her ability until recently. Also, to answer your question, Rose, she's the daughter of a demon." 

Rose inaudibly gasped at his words. 

"Well, uh, let's start the search," Maya suddenly spoke up, gaining everyone's attention. 

Jason let out an exasperated sigh as he glanced down at the glowing gem and then up at Damian.

"Lead us to her."

Raven awoke to the sound of a purring cat. In a panic, she sat up and scanned her surroundings anxiously. Her eyes trailer below, and the first thing she noticed was her ankles and wrists bound with an energetically projected rope. As sunlight peered through the window, she was unsure of how much time had passed since she'd been captured. 

Before she could take in anything else, she heard a soft yet cunning voice cut through the silence. 

"Don't be afraid, my dear." 

Raven scowled at the man who sat down next to her on the bed, the mattress shifting as he did so. Her eyes narrowed as he reached a hand out to tuck a tangled strand of her dark hair behind her ear. 

"Why are you so in love with me?" Was the first question she decided to ask. Begging him to release her was a waste of breath. "You don't even know me." 

"How could I not be?" Klarion retorted, retracting his hand. "Once I heard about you, I couldn't resist searching for you. You're—"

"A sorcerer? Yeah, I got that," Raven scoffed. "That doesn't make us a match."

Klarion laughed at her reply. "Well, you're also the most attractive woman I've laid eyes upon." 

Raven couldn't help but roll her eyes at the comment. "I've been on a pirate ship for months, my hygiene and overall appearance can't be that appealing." 

"I mean what I say," Klarion said and perked up once his purring pet leapt onto the bed. "Oh, yes, Raven, this is my familiar— Teekl." 

Raven blinked as he picked the orange cat up and showed her, as if for approval. His red eyes stared directly into hers, sending a shiver down her spine. 

"We're inseparable," Klarion added and smiled as the cat mewed at her. "But don't worry, that doesn't mean he'll get more attention than you."

Raven grunted as she lay back down, squeezing her eyes shut and wishing this were a deranged nightmare she'd wake up from.

Chapter Text

A couple of days passed as Raven was trapped with her obsessive admirer. How many days to be exact, she had lost count of.  

The first night, he had allowed her to wash up and gave her some of her own clothing to wear. 

To her surprise, he allowed her to wash up, fed her, and even tended to her needs. He was truly unlike most captors. Raven couldn't decide that he was evil yet. Or, maybe she was beginning to develop a case of Stockholm syndrome. There was no telling at this point in her chaotic life. 

He explained his early life, which included being born in a place called Limbo Town and being the only witch child to survive, as the rest of the residents were burned at the stake. He'd also mentioned that he was ancient, which is why he was so good with his powers. 

"How does it taste?" Klarion spoke up, as the two of them ate dinner he had prepared. Raven sat at the small dining table, unbound. Even though her feet and hands were free, she was unable to do anything to escape yet. Physical harm was pointless to attempt on someone supernatural, and his powers were far more advanced than hers. 

Besides, she'd already attempted to escape twice. Both times he'd used his abilities to seize her. 

"Better than starving, I suppose," Raven answered, receiving an unamused expression from the man. In all honesty, the food he had cooked was good, but she wouldn't let him know that. 

"Can't be worse than a pirate's food," Klarion retorted. "You have far more potential than sailing the sea with a bunch of immature runaways."

Raven averted her gaze. Even if he was right, she enjoyed her time with the friends she'd made. Without them, she didn't know where she'd be, if not dead. 

"Ready for bed?" Klarion questioned as he took her dirty dishes and put them away. 

She answered with a nod and he escorted her down the dark hallway. Klarion owned a dark and lonely mansion. Tall candles illuminated their walkway as they made their way back to his bedroom. Once they were inside, Teekl took her place at the foot of the bed. 

Raven sat down on the king-sized bed, meeting Klarion's piercing gaze. 

"I meant what I said," he decided to say, his voice oddly intimate. "There is more about you than your powers."

Raven raised an eyebrow, and he continued when he was met with silence. 

"Your skill is admirable," Klarion added, inching closer to her. "Despite having powers, you are quite the fighter. I can't say the same about myself." 

"They told me I had to know how to fight if I wanted to stay," she replied, then added, "I can't always rely on powers to save me." 

Telling him the truth about her inability to use her powers was an awful idea. 

Klarion was now directly towering over her, and Raven could detect a change in his normal attitude. She watched anxiously as his dark eyes trailed over her figure lustfully, and for the first time, she could somehow directly sense someone else's emotions; which in his case was desire. 

The feeling of his fingers brushing her hair from her face was oddly comforting, and she froze as he cupped her cheek, his thumb grazing over her parted lips. 

"Is it because you are inexperienced with your abilities?" Klarion suddenly questioned, and her eyes slightly widened, giving away her answer. "It's okay," he quickly assured her, genuinely. 

"Have you known?" Raven nervously questioned. 

Klarion nodded, his other hand slowly sliding underneath her dress. Raven's heart pounded in her chest as he leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, I can teach you." 

Raven tensed up as his cold hands began to wander further, unsure of how to respond. Goosebumps began to trail her thin arms. 

"Has a man ever touched you like this before?" Klarion asked with curiosity, his hand wavering. 

Hesitantly, she shook her head, and he leaned in and pressed his lips eagerly against hers. Raven let out a sigh as he pulled her closer, and hated herself for not instantly killing this man. 

Her trembling hands rested against his torso and he pushed her down onto the mattress, gently running his hand along the inside of her thigh. His other hand softly held the side of her exposed neck, to which he began to kiss after departing from her lips. The sensation of his hot mouth on her sensitive flesh made her feel flustered and nearly want more; like a primal craving. 

While this felt pleasurable to her, it also felt wrong— and she couldn't quite understand why it was even a mixed feeling to begin with. She should feel repulsed and push him away. She didn't want this. So why hadn't she stopped it yet? Why was she even aroused by this?

The emotions overwhelmed Raven, and suddenly the candles that had been lit around the room burned out, leaving them in darkness. 

Klarion opened his eyes, pulling away from her. "You're an empath," he noted. 

Raven scooted backward, meeting his fascinated gaze. "That's so intriguing," Klarion continued, studying her concerned expression. "Perhaps we could practice these abilities tomorrow?" 

The offer took Raven aback, and she gave him a skeptical look. "You'd... help me?"

Klarion innocently nodded. "I would love to."

Somehow, Raven could pick up on the boys innocent intention, and a small sigh of relief escaped her lips. Not only was she able to take advantage of his help, but now she was out of an unwanted situation. 

"Okay… I'll take your offer." 

Klarion's black eyes gleamed with satisfaction. Raven slowly sat up and tucked her long hair behind her ear. "May I use your bath?" 

He nodded and backed away, quietly watching as she made her way towards his bathroom and closed the door behind her. 

She sat in the porcelain tub, letting the water shower her as she tried to collect her thoughts and scrubbed her body in disgust. Why had she even let him touch her so intimately?

Raven pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them, wondering what her friends were doing right now. She wondered if they were even worried about her.  If he was worried about her. 

Damian's face flashed through her mind, and she felt ashamed for even thinking about him. All he ever did was save her from trouble. Surely he was tired of it. 

"Are you okay?"

Klarion's question dragged her out from her thoughts. Hesitantly, she grabbed a towel and briefly dried off before getting dressed and heading back into the room.

"Klarion the Witch Boy?" 

Damian looked toward the red-headed woman asking him the question. Her skin was pale, and on her figure was a green gown. After getting a hunch that she could help them, Damian didn't hesitate to hunt her down to her lively cave. Around them were hundreds of colorful plants. 

"Yes," he answered. "Do you know of him?" 

"Perhaps," the woman answered as she eyed him with interest. "What's in it for me?" 

Damian narrowed his eye. "Don't play games with me, you—"

Jason quickly reached a hand out to place on the boy's shoulder, cutting him off. "Calm down, they call her Poison Ivy for a reason," he said just above a whisper. 

"Tt," Damian sounded as he met the woman's gaze. "I need something to defeat his magic. I'll do you a favor in exchange. Deal?" 

"Hmm," Ivy pondered, "I do have a potion that can protect you from his magic. It only lasts shortly, however, so you would have to drink it as soon as you come in contact with him." 

Jason narrowed his eyes. "What do you want in return?" 

Ivy grinned as she fetched a vial of liquid from a shelf. "There is a book I desire. It is located within Nanda Parbat, guarded by the League of Assassins."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Jason said, glancing over to notice Damian's offended expression. 

Damian crossed his arms over his chest. "I can do it," he assured Ivy. 

This didn't ease Jason's concern, and Damian couldn't tell why it bothered the other man so much. 

Ivy raised an eyebrow at the two men. "So is it a deal?"

"Yes," Damian answered and reached for the vial, taking it and tucking it away in one of his pockets. "I will retrieve the book as soon as I get her back."

Ivy nodded in approval, watching as the two boys started their way towards the exit. 

"His weakness is the cat," Ivy suddenly added, gaining their attention once again. "He has come to me for potions before, so I know a little about him. Just be careful, he is... powerful." 

Jason and Damian made brief eye contact before thanking her for the information and heading out.  

"You scared of the League or something, Todd?"

Jason glanced over towards Damian, a questionable expression on his face. Damian narrowed his eyes at the response. 

"I can take them," Damian added. "You and your crew need not to be involved."

"You and I will take them, no one else is to get involved," Jason corrected. "You're not going there alone. I have... business to take care of with them as well." 

Damian raised an eyebrow, looking toward him. "And what's that?"

"None of your business," Jason retorted, his gaze fixed forward. "Let's focus on getting the girl first. We'll worry about the League later."

"Tt," Damian sounded in defeat. 

"She must be quite important to you," Jason decided to add as they approached the ship. "Most wouldn't go through this much trouble for someone."

The question caught Damian off guard, his cheeks turning red. 

"That's also none of your business, captain." 

Jason smirked at his response before climbing up the ladder. Damian watched him curiously, wondering what connection Jason could possibly have to the League.

Chapter Text

"Just try to relax, and—" 

"I am trying!" 

Klarion jumped at Raven's sudden outburst, a chill running down his spine at the sight of her glowing red eyes. 

The stone pillars around them shattered like glass, and Klarion blocked himself from the impact. Raven let out an annoyed huff when she realized he was safe. 

Klarion had taken her out to his dark and gloomy courtyard for magic practice, and so far, the only thing she'd learned was that without emotional control, defeating him was nearly impossible. 

"You don't learn, do you?" Klarion scoffed, an irritated expression on his face as he used his magic to seize her. "I am superior, whether you think so or not."

Raven narrowed her eyes at him, a grin pulling at the corner of her lips. "I scared you for a moment, I could feel it." 

"Perhaps I do regret trying to help you," Klarion admitted, and as Raven concentrated on her next move, she could suddenly sense the presence of two more souls nearby. 

"There are so many things that I could do to you, you should be grateful," Her chin was suddenly lifted, and his dark eyes traced over her features. Raven could detect wickedness brewing within his mind. His face inched closer, and she could feel his breath against her neck as he spoke. "I'll win your pretty little heart, even if I have to tear it out."

"You can't just keep me here forever," Raven said, her grin fading. She tried to pull away, but his magic force was too much for her to break free from. "And how do you expect me to love someone who keeps me here against my will?"

"All it takes is one spell to strip you of your free will." 

"Then why haven't you used it yet?" Raven decided to ask, swallowing nervously. The more she focused, she could detect whether or not he was being honest. And from what she could sense, he was telling the truth. 

Klarion chuckled at her question. "I find pleasure in the entertainment." 

Before he could make any more advances on her, a familiar voice interrupted him. 

"Get away from her."

Raven felt instant relief wash over her at the sound of Damian's voice. She looked over to see him and Jason standing there, ready for a fight. 

Klarion scowled before he released Raven from his grasp, and instead cast a spell to place her in a magical cage. 

"Stay here while I deal with these sea swabs," Klarion said, unenthusiastically. He turned his attention toward the two other men. "What do you want? I'm a little busy at the moment."

"Shut up and hand her over, witch boy," Damian demanded, his eye unmoving. "I'm not here to play your foolish games."

Klarion let out a humored laugh at his demand. "For you to come all this way, I assume she's important to you."

"So you are smarter than you look."

A grin pulled at Klarion's lips when he noticed the irritated expression on the other man's face. "How could such a woman like a scourge like you?" 

"I don't know, why don't you ask yourself that question?" Damian muttered. 

Raven listened to the two, surprised by Damian's retorts.  

Klarion's grin faded. "I don't have time for games either, pirate," he said before casting a spell of flames towards him. 

"No!" Raven shouted, panic in her voice. She and Klarion both watched in surprise as the flames radiated off from Damian. 

"You came prepared," Klarion spoke in disgust. "Coward."

"Says the one who relies on powers to fight," Damian scoffed, amused by the man's look of defeat. 

Klarion crossed his arms over his chest. "I can give her a better life than you ever could dream of." 

This time, Damian's cocky grin disappeared. Klarion smirked at the reaction, aware that he was getting under the other man's skin. 

While the two bickered, Jason managed to sneak up to Raven. "Don't worry, we have a plan."

"You need to be careful," Raven warned. "He's dangerous." 

"His weakness is the cat," Jason informed. "If we can take it out, he should be defenseless, and you should be freed from this... cage?"

Raven glanced at the cat standing by Klarion's legs. Teekl suddenly turned around and hissed at the two. 

Klarion stopped his banter to turn his head and look at them. "Tch," he sounded before opening his mouth and a red force of magic sent Jason flying backward into a stone wall. His attention returned to Raven. 

"They're all yours, Teekl. I'm getting bored already. Besides, I have my own toy to play with."

Suddenly, the cat let out a roar and grew large, standing as tall as a tiger. Without hesitation, it lunged at Jason, leaving a gash across his chest before he managed to push it off. 

Damian unsheathed his katana and charged at the animal while it was distracted, and a horrified expression appeared on Klarion's face. 

"Wait, no! Don't hurt my cat!" 

This distraction caused Klarion's magic cage to vanish, and Raven quickly got to her feet once she was free. 

Before Klarion could use his magic again, Raven shouted her own spell, using her abilities to grab Klarion, a dark hand forming around him. 

"Don't hurt my friends."

Damian and Jason watched, concerned expressions on their face when they noticed her eyes turning red. 

Klarion met her demonic gaze, fear evident on his face. "Okay— okay, you win. Put me down, please." 

Raven narrowed her eyes, and the dark energy squeezed Klarion tighter, earning strangled sounds from him. 

Damian noticed her sudden change in attitude, and he went to approach her, but Jason quickly stopped him. 

"She looks unstable," Jason noted between breaths. "I wouldn't—"

"I'll be fine," Damian assured and pulled away from the other man's grasp. He rushed toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, we're okay, you can put him down."

As much as Damian loathed the other man, he didn't want Raven to regret what she was about to do. There was no telling what her powers could do, or how far it would take her. 

Raven snapped out of it and suddenly dropped him, falling on her backside as she did so. Klarion caught his breath and stood up, Teekl running up and pouncing onto his shoulder. 

"You win this round, pirates," Klarion admitted. "But I will not be defeated so easily next time." 

The man disappeared without another word, and Damian let out a sigh of relief. He then turned his attention towards Raven, his hand unmoving from her shoulder. 

"Did he hurt you?"

Raven glanced up at him, her nerves easing at the softness in his voice. It was different than how he usually spoke to her. After witnessing her almost kill someone, she was surprised that he felt comfortable enough to be this close to her. 

"I'll be okay," Raven half-heartedly reassured. 

A small red bruise on her neck caught Damian's eye. He aggressively reached out and moved her chin upward to get a better look. The sight caused him to furrow his brows and clench his jaw.

"I should have let you kill that perverted piece of filth."

Raven turned her head away shamefully, and Damian let go. Jason caught her attention and she rushed over toward him as he held his bleeding wound. Damian followed close behind. 

"Hey, it takes more than a cat to kill me," Jason said, offended by their hovering. "I'm just taking a break."

"I'm sorry," Raven spoke and reached a hand out to trace the gash, tears filling her eyes, "This is my fault." 

"It's all good, lassie," Jason assured her. "I'm just glad you're safe. Besides, this will probably leave me with a bad-ass scar." 

Jason raised an eyebrow when he felt a warm energy wash over him, and to all of their surprise, the wound began to heal with Raven's touch. 

"Uh," Jason spoke, looking at Raven with an equally confused expression. "Did you know that you—"

"No," Raven cut him off. "I didn't know I could do that. I don't know much of anything that I can do yet." 

"Well that's uh-" Jason started, still in disbelief as he ran his hand across the previously torn flesh, "—pretty cool, I guess."

The three were quiet as they processed the new information. Damian and Raven shared a glance before Jason abruptly stood up. 

"Let's head back to the ship," Jason ordered. "We need to head to the next port and stock up on supplies."

Damian and Raven obeyed, following their captain to their vessel in silence. 

Jason took a quick glance back, and the sight of Damian carrying a tired Raven gave him a small smile. 

Chapter Text

Raven gradually awoke to the sound of Kory brushing her long, curly locks of red hair. She let out a relieved sigh at the sight of the other girl. 

Kory turned around, a smile pulling at her lips when they met each others gaze. "Friend, you are awake! I am so glad you're back." 

"Me too," Raven replied and slowly got out of bed, groaning as she stretched her weak legs out. "How long was I out?" 

"You've been asleep for two days," Kory answered. Raven's eyebrows raised at the revelation. 

"Damian said using your... abilities seemed to have exhausted you," Kory added before approaching the bed, sitting next to her and placing a hand on her shoulder, "So it is okay, don't be alarmed. We are here to care for you."

The memories of the past month flooded her mind, and Raven wrapped her arms around herself meekly. "Thank you."

Kory took notice of her body language and cleared her throat. "Forgive me for bringing it up, but if you ever need to talk about anything, I am here to listen. I have experiences as well that might... relate." 

Raven looked up at her, concerned, before returning her gaze downward. Damian must've mentioned the markings to her. "I just feel... ashamed," she decided to say, her stomach turning at the memory of letting him touch her. 

"You are not alone," Kory responded, and Raven noticed her sweet expression was dull as she replayed her own memories. "Back home, my sister and I got into a huge rivalry when she discovered I was to be heir to the throne. I ended up becoming enslaved and sexually exploited. Those men were... cruel."

Raven's eyes widened at the revelation. Perhaps speaking about it helped the other girl, too, she presumed. "How are you so strong?" 

Kory smiled at her question. "You are not what has happened to you. You cannot let despair dim your flame. You will recover, I promise. It just takes time and good company."

"Thank you," Raven said, taking her words to heart. "I'm sorry that happened to you. If you want to talk to me, I'm also a good listener." 

"I'll keep that in mind," Kory responded before standing up. "We're docking in town tomorrow. Want to get dressed with me? Jason's throwing a little party tonight." 

"That would be... nice," Raven answered before following her toward the closet in their shared room. 

"Hey she's back!"

Raven glanced around nervously at the warm welcome she received from the crew. Maya had given her a hug, and Suren gave her some food.

"Glad to have you back," Jason said and patted her on the shoulder. Raven gave him a nod and silently ate her food. Jason passed her a cup of booze, and she reluctantly accepted the drink. 

Damian glanced at her from across the table, a sad expression on his face. 

Damian found Raven alone on the deck, leaning against the railing. Her attention was towards the stars. 

"Are you okay?"

The question pulled Raven out of her jumbled thoughts. Her eyes lagged as she met Damian's gaze, and he could tell she had drank a little too much earlier. He was thankful she hadn't tumbled overboard. 

"...'m fine," Raven muttered and turned her head away from him. Her head was slightly spinning. 

"You haven't been talking much," Damian said, watching as she leaned her weight against the railing for support. "I was just... concerned."

"Don't—" she started, her speech slow and slurred, "— don't wanna talk about it."

"Okay," Damian replied, before placing his arm around her waist for support. "Let's get you back inside."

Raven stumbled a little, and Damian decided carrying her would be easier. 

"...'our room," she mumbled. 

"My room?" Damian questioned, cocking an eyebrow at the request. She nodded, her head leaned against his shoulder as he carried her. 

Damian quietly obeyed, bringing her to his cabin. He gently sat her down on his cot. "Why my room?" He finally decided to question. 

Raven tugged on his arm as he started to pull away. 

"Feel safer."

"Oh," Damian spoke, sitting down next to her and allowing her to cling to him. The deeper meaning behind her answer was evident when he noticed her broken expression. Whatever that man had done undoubtedly changed her, and it hurt Damian to see her this way.  

"You're okay," He assured, pulling her closer. He wrapped his arm around her, and placed his head atop of hers. He used his other hand to rub her arm. "I won't let anyone hurt you ever again, Raven. I promise." 

She buried her face in his chest, his comfort lulling her to sleep.

Chapter Text

"Get—Get off of me!"

Damian awoke to Raven thrashing in his arms, and he quickly loosened his grip, moving his hands to cup her face. 

"Let me go!"

"Raven, it's me," he quickly assured her in an attempt to calm her, watching as relief slowly began to wash over her face. "It's Damian."

Her breathing steadied as she caught his face in her sight. "Oh— I'm sorry. I think I drank too much last night. I... I feel sick."

Damian sat up and reached over to grab a flask, offering it to her. "Here, it's water. I managed to get some last time we docked."

Raven took the flask gratefully and sat up before taking a sip. "Thank you."

Once she was done, she handed him the flask back and pulled her knees to her chest. Something was clearly bothering her. 

"What was that about?" Damian decided to question. "A nightmare?"

Raven swallowed. "I've had them since you saved me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I just awoke in a panic. I... I thought you were—"

"It's okay," Damian said tenderly. 

She reached a hand up to her neck meekly. Her lips began to tremor as she spoke, and tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes. "He... tried to— but I... I didn't want to..." 

Damian cut her off by a hand on her back, pulling her into him. "I've got you, now."

Raven buried her face in his chest as she silently cried, taking the moment to her advantage in letting out her emotions. This was something she'd never been able to do before. 

And Damian let her. 

"Breakfast is ready!"

The sound of Kory's voice startled the two of them, and Raven pulled away. "Sorry," she quietly apologized. 

Damian hesitatingly reached a hand up and used his thumb to wipe the tears from her cheek. He admired her for a brief moment. 

"Don't be."

Once the group docked in the nearest town, they all split up to gather materials, and agreed to meet back at the tavern when finished. 

Maya snickered when she noticed Damian's stare, directed towards Raven as she split up from the group with Kory. 

"What?"

"She'll be fine," Maya assured him. "Her and Kory seem to be well acquainted."

Damian huffed as they strolled down the road. He turned his attention towards the list in his hand. "I know that. Let's just get these supplies and head back." 

"Why do you worry so much about her, anyway?" Maya questioned, watching him intently, awaiting his response. "I thought you wanted nothing to do with her when she arrived, hm?"

"She has valuable abilities," Damian simply answered. "It would be a shame to lose them." 

Maya laughed. "Okay, whatever you have to tell yourself, little brother."

Damian narrowed his eye at the girl as she approached a vegetable stand. 

Kory and Raven approached the bar after a long day of shopping. Raven wasn't too bothered, as she spent most of the time listening to Kory tell stories about her past lover. Not only that, but the older girl also picked out a couple of outfits for her. 

Kory let out a sigh. "He's already drinking. It's not even sunset yet."

Raven followed her gaze, her eyes landing on a half-drunk Jason sitting at the bar, demanding another drink. Beside him sat an unamused Damian and Rose. 

"Your turn to babysit captain dimwit," Rose said once she noticed Kory, getting up from her spot. 

Kory reluctantly took her seat and placed a hand on Jason's shoulder. "Easy on the drinks, Jason." 

Jason gave her a toothy grin while griping the cup. "Alright, fine, only for you. Since you asked me so nicely. Last drink."

"Did you, uh... get anything interesting?" Damian decided to ask when he noticed a nonverbal Raven standing beside him. 

"Oh," Raven perked up, "I got a couple outfits. Nothing too fancy. You?"

"Maya and I managed to get some nutritional food for once. Stopped by a forge but they didn't have anything that piqued my interest."   

Raven sat next to him and two of them got lost into small talk as the tavern began to calm down. The band playing changed the pace of the music from upbeat to slow, the atmosphere shifting around them as people paired together and danced to the rhythm. 

Silence fell upon them and Raven caught him curiously studying her attire. It seemed like something was on his mind. 

Damian caught her stare and his face reddened. He averted his gaze quickly before speaking. "Do you know how to waltz?"

Raven let out a small laugh. "No. Do you?"

"I could teach you," Damian replied, standing up from his seat and offering her his hand. "If you want, that is." 

Before Raven could answer, Jason stood up from his seat and laughed at the two. Damian glanced up at the other man in annoyance. 

"Let a real man show you how to dance," Jason assured, holding his hand out for her to take. "I'll guide you."

Raven's gaze briefly shifted between the two pirates nervously, trying to find her answer. 

Jason was mostly an asshole, but he was also sweet in his own way, and he seemed to be experienced in a lot of things. He was a little older than her, after all. 

Damian... well, he was Damian. Arrogant, but deep down, a kind-hearted soul. After everything they'd been through, she trusted him more than anyone. 

After making her decision, Raven confidently reached her hand out to grab onto Damian's. This caused the boy to freeze up. Jason hid a smirk as he watched the two interact before turning on his heels to meet up with the rest of his crew. 

"Are you sure?" Damian asked in disbelief, watching as she stood up from her seat at the bar. 

Raven gave him a reassuring smile. "What, are you taking back your offer?"

Damian quickly shook his head and ushered her to the center of the room. Gently, he placed one of his hands on her small waist. Raven hesitantly reached up and placed her free hand on his chest, following his suit as he waltzed around the floor. 

"Where did you learn how to dance?" Raven decided to question. 

"I'm a quick study."

Raven's face flushed as she accidentally stepped on the toe of his boots. "Sorry."

Damian stifled a chuckle as he clumsily corrected her. "It's okay," he assured her, "You're doing decent... I suppose."

His heart fluttered at the sight of her relieved smile, and before he could pull her closer, a gunshot rang out throughout the tavern. "Surrender, pirates!"

Damian's eyebrows raised at the sight of navy officers. "We need to get out of here," he spoke in a hushed voice. 

Raven nodded quietly as she stealthily followed him out the door, pushing by scared commoners. 

"Come on!" 

Damian pulled her by the hand as they made their way out of the tavern, and Raven desperately tried to keep up as he swerved through the people in the crowded street. 

When he finally found a secure location, he pulled her into a slim alleyway. They just barely fit into the tight space as Damian pulled her in front of him, facing her. 

When Raven went to speak, he quickly clamped his hand over her open mouth, shaking his head as he placed a finger over his own lips. 

As the silent moment passed, Raven's cheeks reddened when she noticed the closeness between them. Her chest was pressed flush against his abdomen. Her cheeks flushed at the feeling of his fingertips against her lips. Her heart was racing wildly, and she was sure he could feel every beat of it. 

Carefully, he leaned in close and whispered in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine when she felt his breath on her cheek. "I think they're gone." 

Raven swallowed thickly and gave him a nod. Before they could clear, however, a shout caused them both to jump. 

"Halt! I know you two!"

"Dammit," Damian groaned in annoyance before grabbing Raven's hand yet again, pulling her with him towards the other end of the alleyway. "Don't stop running." 

Raven followed close behind as they made their way through a darkened forest. Once they reached an opening, they both collapsed on the dewy grass, out of breath. 

Damian let out a huff as she landed on top of him, too exhausted to push her off. "Well, I—" he spoke between breaths, —"think we lost him."

"Good— I don't think I could've— ran any longer," Raven admitted with a shaky laugh. 

Above them, the moonlight shone through the trees, easily noticeable in the clear night sky. The sound of bullfrogs croaking filled the silence. A steadily flowing creek could be heard nearby. 

Eventually, Raven rolled off from him to allow him to catch his breath. As they laid there, Damian decided to speak up. 

"After we leave here, Todd and I must go find this book for Poison Ivy." 

Raven turned her head to look at him. His gaze was glued to the sky, and his expression was glum. She could sense his dread. 

"Where is it?" She curiously questioned. 

"Nanda Parbat," Damian answered and let out a sigh. "Of course it's one that my grandfather's assassins are guarding."

Raven's eyebrows raised at the revelation. "Why do you two have to retrieve it?"

"I gave her my word," Damian spoke and let out a sigh. "That was... the deal I had to make in order to protect myself from that boy's powers." 

"What?" Raven questioned, sitting up from her spot. "That's... that's way too dangerous, Damian." 

"I'll be fine," he assured her. "I was raised by them. I know all of their moves and tactics. I could walk through that palace blindfolded." 

"Why go through all this trouble for me?"

The question caught him off guard. He'd never thought about it. When it came to her, he just did it. No questions asked. 

"Because I want to," he simply answered. "Okay?"

Raven still wasn't satisfied with his response. "Am I really that important to you? So much to risk your life?"

Damian met her confused gaze, and sat up to be on her level. He reached and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "You're the most important thing in my life."

Her heart began to race at his answer. She'd never seen such a soft expression on him before. 

"Why do you worry about me, anyway?" Damian turned the question around. He suddenly pinned her to the ground and narrowed his eye at her, completely changing the mood of the setting. "Do you doubt my ability or something?" 

"I—" Raven started, confused by his sudden boldness. Before she could respond, he released his grip on her and laid next to her. 

"My apologies. I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay," Raven said. "You didn't... scare me. Just surprised me by your change in mood."

Damian sighed and covered his face with his hands in embarrassment. "I'm not good at this."

"At what?" Raven asked innocently, noticing his struggle. 

"Talking," Damian answered. 

Raven studied him for a moment. "Just try to explain it. Whatever it is you're wanting to express."

"I don't know how to put it in words," Damian admitted. "You make me feel strange."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" She questioned, unsure how to take his statement. 

"I haven't figured that out yet," Damian said, before  pulling her down to lay next to him. "Let's talk about it later. Right now I just want to stay like this." 

Before she could ask yet another question, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her onto his chest. 

"Shouldn't we get back to the others? I'm sure they're worried."

"Tt," Damian sounded as he rested his hand in her hair, stroking it gently. "They can wait." 

Goosebumps trailed up her arms as he pampered her, and she finally gave in and relaxed under his touch, placing her hand on his torso. She took one last glance at the stars above them before resting her eyes. 

"I'm fine with that."

Chapter Text

The stars had barely begun to disappear when they returned to the ship.

Jason was leaning casually by the mast, arms crossed, a smug grin already curling at his lips.

"Well, well," he drawled. "Look who finally came sneaking back before dawn."

Damian glared. "Spare us, Todd."

Raven shot Jason a look, trying to stifle the way her cheeks flushed. Of course, he noticed.

"Aw, don't get shy now, sorceress," he teased, pushing off the mast and circling them like a shark smelling blood. "You two disappear for hours, the whole crew's making bets on whether you fell overboard or just got too distracted stargazing. Guess I won."

Damian shoved by him. "We have more important matters to tend to right now. Are you ready for our next quest?"

Raven watched the two trail off into the captains cabin, and she begun to feel anxious as she overheard them discuss their destination. 

And to her dismay, she could sense anxiety in Damian as well. 

"She shouldn't be here," Jason said quietly as they stealthily approached the temple. 

Damian glanced over at Raven, and sighed. 

When they arrived, only Jason and Damian were to step foot off the ship. Captain Todd's orders.

"For once, I agree with you. But, I made a promise," Damian replied. "We stick together."

Once they arrived to the doorstep, there was no holdback from the league, or from Jason and Damian. 

Raven watched the two men mercilessly slash their way through the temple. The assassins lay scattered around the halls, either beaten or dead. 

"You okay?" Damian questioned, pulling Raven's attention away from the gore. 

Raven nodded, and followed as the two men continued down the dimly lit corridor. 

"Should be in one of these rooms," Damian noted as they rounded a corner. 

"Ah, what a surprise." 

The three halted as another voice chimed in from behind them. Jason and Damian glared when the man appeared from the shadows. 

"I should have known it were you two," Ra's said, his curious gaze moving from one man to the other. "Although, I cannot admit that I expected the team up."

"Save your speech, old man. We're here for personal business and then we're leaving," Damian retorted. 

Ra's inched closer, carefully inspecting his old heir, whom didn't flinch at the approach. He reached a hand out and lifted Damian's eyepatch. "What a pity." 

"We're not leaving without what we came for," Jason offered. "And yes, that is a threat."

"And what exactly did you come for, Todd?" Ra's questioned, glaring at the other man. 

"You know what I came for," Jason replied coldly, and Damian noticed a darker change in his tone.  Raven stayed to herself, not wanting to cause more conflict. 

"You two get the book, I'll hold him off," Jason informed the two. 

"You don't— Damian opened his mouth to object but Jason quickly cut him off, and sent him a look that gave him an uneasy feeling. 

"I said go. That's an order." 

"Tt," Damian sounded in defeat before turning on his heels and grabbing Raven by the hand. "Let's go."

Raven and Damian traveled down the corridor, hurriedly searching for the book. When the magical aura caught their eye, they knew it was what they came for. 

"I got it," Raven assured and grabbed the book from the stand. Damian nodded in approval, and before they made it out the doorway, a gunshot echoed through the corridor. 

"Shit," Damian muttered as he raced out the doorway. "I told him not to—"

"Can't let go of the past, huh?"

Jason grit his teeth at the question. "She didn't deserve it— you piece of shit!" 

The gun Jason had raised again, but before he could pull the trigger, Ra's lunged forward, getting one perfect strike in with his katana. 

"Always too slow,—" Ra's commented with a smug grin, retrieving his blade from the other man’s flesh, "—And emotional. That's why Damian was supposed to be my legacy. The perfect heir." 

"Todd!" Damian shouted, his eye wide at the sight. His sword came out of its holster as soon as he started to move. 

Jason felt to his knees, his trembling hand gripping at the blood soaked shirt. He met Damian's panicked gaze. 

"I'm sorry," Jason spoke, staggering to the ground. "I wanted to avenge her... for both of us. He's the one... who killed her." 

A chill ran down Raven's spine when she put the pieces together. No wonder Jason was so protective over Damian. 

They were brothers.

Chapter Text

Damian glared at Ra's, his jaw clenched. The fight was over before it began. He was fueled with rage. 

While Damian dueled with his grandfather, Raven rushed to Jason's side. "You're going to be okay," she assured him, placing her hand on his shoulder for support. Her hands trembled as they desperately attempted to heal him. She sloppily muttered spells under her breath, desperately attempting to make one work. 

"Thanks, lassie."

"How bad is he?" Damian questioned as he hurriedly sat down in front of the two, inspecting the wound with dread. Deep bloody gashes from Ra's' sword lined his arms and torso. 

Raven and Jason glanced behind Damian to see Ra's lying dead on the concrete, a blood-coated sword sticking out from his chest. 

"Well, looks like you took care of that— pretty quickly," Jason said between coughs. 

Damian ignored his comment. "Why did you do that? You knew he would try to slaughter you." 

Jason weakly laughed. "Kept him occupied— didn't want you to get hurt. Guess you know why now. I— promised her I'd protect you."

Damian groaned as he watched Jason get worse. He turned his head to look at Raven. "He's losing a lot of blood. Can you heal him?"

Raven shamefully shook her head in defeat. "I tried. I think his wound is too severe for my powers."

A light went off in Damian's head. "The pit."

"No—"

"You tried to save my life, now let me do the same," Damian demanded and wrapped his arm around the vulnerable man. Raven followed suit and supported the other side.

Jason groaned as they lifted him. "Already used it once, not good— for my health, you know."

"Well, stop getting nearly killed and you wouldn't have this problem," Damian spoke as they trailed down the corridor. 

Raven glanced at him. "Not really helping his situation. Slow down; you're pushing him too hard." 

"Oh, I'm sorry, I had the impression you were only a witch-doctor," Damian joked, earning a glare from Raven. 

"Are you two— really arguing— while I'm half-dead?" 

"Shut up," Raven and Damian said in unison as they approached the stairs. 

Jason winced with every step, his weight growing more slumped in the two's arms. 

"Almost there," Damian assured, and glanced at Jason worriedly. His eyes were now half-lidded. "Stay with us."

"Trying," Jason admitted, his weak and broken voice heavy on Damian's ears. He masked his panic with determination. 

"Let me," Damian ordered as they approached the Lazarus pit. It bubbled eerily as they took in the sight. 

Once Raven let go, she watched as Damian lifted Jason by himself and staggered into the ancient green waters. Once he got them to the center and settled, the pit began to work its magic. 

Raven's eyes widened at the sight of them; the pit practically absorbing them with its power and turning the two crazy for a brief moment. 

"Damian!"

Once Jason felt his deadly wound knit back together, he scrambled toward the edge of the pit, dragging himself out of the water and taking a deep breath. 

Before Raven could jump in to pull Damian out, Jason grabbed her by the ankle. "Don't— there's no telling what it would do to you. He'll be okay. His mind is just going to be messed up for a little while." 

"How do you know?" Raven questioned, worried. 

"I told you, I've used it a time or two," Jason replied and sat up in his spot. "First time's always the worst. Especially when you were dead." 

Raven grimaced as she watched Damian have a panic attack, wanting to pull him out. But, she would have to trust Jason. 

The two of them wore a curious expression as they watched Damian rip his eyepatch off, and to their dismay, his once useless eye now revealed a vibrant green iris. 

"Well, I've never seen that before," Jason said, turning to Raven. "All it did to me was give me a stupid white streak in my hair."

Raven briefly studied his hair. The streak was longer this time. An effect of the pit, she assumed. 

Damian gasped as he pulled himself from the pit, trying to catch his breath. Raven wasted no time rushing to his side. 

"Damian?"

He flipped over onto his back and met her amused gaze. Her cheeks flushed as she watched both of his eyes carefully trace her face. 

"That's better," Damian said, earning a blush from her. 

Jason stumbled over towards the two, sitting down next to the other man. "Uh, I guess I should thank you. You didn't have to do that for me."

Damian turned his head toward the other man. "It was nothing."

Jason rested his back against a pillar, letting out a sigh. "I'm assuming you want to know everything now."

"You'd be correct," Damian retorted.

"Alright," Jason said, defeated. "I owe it to you. 

Talia found me after I was murdered. My body had been buried, but she brought me to the Lazarus Pit and resurrected me. Thought I deserved a second chance for some reason."

"Murdered?"

Jason stifled a laugh after Damian interrupted him. "That's another story in itself."

"Well, now's a better time than any," Damian insisted. 

"Okay, well... I didn't have much of my parents growing up. They were so poor that we could barely survive. Father was a drunk and my mother was no good either for staying. One day when I was scavenging through the castle kitchen for food to feed myself, a man stopped me. Took me under his wing. Trained me to be a vigilante of sorts, and I ended up getting killed. A lot to unpack there as well, but that's Bruce Wayne for you."

"Wayne, as in, the king of Gotham?" Damian questioned curiously. 

"As in, your biological father," Jason corrected, and watched as Damian's eyes widened. Raven shared an equally surprised expression. 

"I promised Talia I wouldn't tell you," Jason continued. "Unless the time was appropriate."

Damian was quiet now, and Jason could tell he was trying to process everything. 

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I told her I would protect you... and I failed," Jason admitted, his gaze lowering to the ground in shame. "When Talia was killed by Ra's... I ran away. I should have taken you with me— but I was scared of the responsibility of raising a kid. Hell, I was still a kid myself." 

Damian stood up from his spot, and to Jason's surprise, he offered him a hand. "Save your apologies. What happened in the past is unchangeable. You did what you thought was right."  

Jason hesitantly took the offer and pulled himself up to his feet. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Damian said, and hesitated to continue. "Brother." 

The older man's heart ached at the title. "I do regret it, though."

"What?" Damian questioned. 

"Leaving you," Jason answered. "I have ever since. I promise I won't again."

"Tt," Damian sounded, his mood lightened. "Is that a threat?"

Raven let out a relieved sigh at the shift in the atmosphere, following the two men as they made their way out of the temple. 

"You're just like your father," Jason complained jokingly.

"I wouldn't know," Damian retorted and earned a groan from Jason. 

"He's... insufferable," Jason added, raking a hand through his dark sweaty curls. 

As they approached their vessel, Damian stopped Jason in his tracks by grabbing his arm. Jason turned to him to meet his skeptical gaze. 

"Does he know of my existence?" Damian asked. It was a question that had never crossed his mind until now. 

Jason shook his head in response. "Talia had a good relationship with him. He mourned her. But, they were on opposing sides, so she never really had the chance to tell him." 

Damian released the man's arm. Raven could sense the turmoil going through his mind as he processed the new information.

Once they returned to their ship, Damian had went straight to his room. Raven spoke to a few of the girls before checking on him. 

“Are you okay?” Raven asked after gently knocking on the opened door. He’d been changing out shirts. His bare back faced her, and she took in the numerous scars that lined his back. He’s always had a challenging life, she recognized. 

She approached him when his head rose up. He turned around to face her, and his newly mismatched colored eyes met hers briefly. "I'm... not sure how to feel right now.”

Raven quietly studied him for a moment, from his irises to his nervous posture. For the first time, she felt like he was completely exposed to her, despite not knowing how he felt. 

She responded by reaching out and joining their hands, gently clutching onto it.

Damian gave her a small squeeze in return, then leaned in and rested his head on her shoulder. Gently, she rested her head atop his and lifted her free hand up to place on his back. 

They didn't say anything, and they didn't need to.