Chosen - Chained

Part Five

Raven wasn't sure what the maelstrom of feelings were inside her. She felt guilt and longing, but also something else. Something warmer that permeated the entirety of her body. It was like a pot that had left to simmer for far too long, and now there was nothing left but to boil over. She just didn't know what her world would look like when it did.

Her footsteps were soft down the hall, but it didn't matter if anyone saw or heard her, the letter in her hand was literally a "Get out of Jail Free" card. It was her release. The League of Shadows and the Justice League had come to some kind of agreement, and Raven was going to be returned to where she belonged, and the assassin that the Justice League had in custody would be returned to Nanda Parbat. Undoubtedly, Damian was behind her swift release.

She entered the training hall and found Damian placing a practice sword on the rack. He turned and stared at her, his usually plump mouth turning into a severe slash. His unearthly green eyes raked over her before landing on the letter in her hand. A heavy pause fell over them both before he lifted his stare to her face.

"I thought I made it clear that I never wanted to see you again." There was an empty space at the end of his words that once held the word beloved but now sounded barren. He turned away from her, and moved for a staff. "Say your peace and begone."

"Thank you. For this." Her hand clutched the letter tighter. "I know you did this for me."

Damian grunted out a non-response and removed the staff from the wall. "Is that all you had to say? A waste of breath."

Raven's eyes flicked to the other staff on the wall. She took a deep breath and shed her sweater and shoes before grabbing the staff that Damian had usually reserved for her use. With a soft grunt, she stepped into the training ring. Damian turned around and regarded her with an expression that sat halfway between confusion and contempt.

Raven refused to let him lord over her like this. They needed to talk, and if the only way he would talk with her was while they were fighting, then so be it. She lifted her staff into position and stared into Damian's unearthly green eyes. "Spar with me."

"Petulant. Like a child." He huffed out an annoyed breath and turned back around, ignoring her.

Petulant? When he was the one who was damn-near throwing a temper tantrum and refusing to talk to her? Raven pushed her emotions into the pit of her stomach and swung the end of her staff forward, striking the back of his leg with a definitive thwack. Damian whipped around and glared at her, but she refused to back down. She would not let him win this fight. "Spar with me."

"I will not hold back."

"Fine." Raven struck again, but Damian blocked it easily, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Bruise me then. You've done enough of it already, this should be no different."

"I've done enough of it?" Damian surged forward, landing a hit on her ribs, but Raven kept herself from wincing. She wouldn't show him weakness. He gnashed his teeth and struck again, but Raven managed to block it this time. "You're the one parading around Nanda Parbat pretending to be my betrothed."

"I." Strike. Block. "Didn't." Strike. Block. "Know." Strike. Hit. Finally.

Raven knew she was striking erratically, but her emotions were starting to get the better of her. She planted her feet firmly in the ground and tried to strike again, but Damian dodged successfully before landing an effective counter strike. The end of his staff slammed into her lower back and she stumbled forward, nearly losing grip on her weapon. With a snarl, she turned around and heard the soft whoosh of air as Damian's staff barely missed her face.