Titans Together

Chapter Three

...

The kitchen was enveloped in a heavy silence as Donna took a seat at the table, her gaze fixed on the steaming cup of tea cradled in her hands. The recent encounter with Raven had left her unsettled, and the weight of the situation bore down on her. "It's a lot." She admitted, finally breaking the silence as she acknowledged the gravity of the challenges Richard had been grappling with.

Richard mirrored her sentiments with a long sigh as he took a seat across from her. "And that isn't even the full extent of what we've been dealing with." He confessed, revealing the depth of their struggles.

"I now see why you think this is out of your depth." Donna acknowledged, understanding the magnitude of the situation.

"I understand what you saw today can make you think of her differently, but she's a good person." Richard asserted, defending Raven's character.

"I'm sure she is. But is she cut out to be a hero?" Donna asked, delving into the heart of the matter. "Does she even want to be, for that matter? Because from what I've seen, she isn't exactly excited for the job."

"Raven is plagued with the guilt of her father's influence. She is never going to stop thinking of herself as evil until she is given the chance to do some good." Richard expressed the conviction behind pushing Raven toward the path of heroism. "I believe that being a Titan is what she needs so she can prove to herself that she is capable of good things."

Donna, though understanding, continued to scrutinize the situation. "Okay. But have you considered that maybe you aren't the right person to teach her?" Her concern echoed a recurring thought that plagued Richard.

Nodding in acknowledgment, Richard's furrowed brow revealed the weight of self-doubt that lingered beneath his confident exterior. "I often question my capability, especially when moments like this happen. But who else can teach her?" His genuine inquiry sought alternative mentors.

"I know who." Donna responded with a compassionate yet knowing look.

Intrigue sparked in Richard's eyes, briefly lifting the veil of his guarded emotions. However, the glimmer of curiosity dimmed as he realized exactly who Donna was referring to. "No." He said sternly, the weight of his past echoing in his resolute refusal. The shutting down of the suggestion was not just a rejection of an idea but a deliberate avoidance of a chapter he had hoped to leave behind.

"Are you saying no because you don't think he can help her, or because you don't want to face him?" Donna probed, keenly sensing Richard's reluctance to involve a certain figure from the past.

"Donna, I've actually been moving on with my life, away from him. I don't want to go crawling back, asking for help." Richard asserted firmly, drawing a line between his present and the shadows of the past.

"Even if it is to help a friend?" Donna questioned, her gaze piercing through the layers of Richard's reservations, a testament to her unwavering intensity.

"We aren't even sure he can help her." Richard quickly countered, injecting doubt into the conversation. The mention of seeking help from this particular individual stirred a complex mix of apprehension and reluctance in him.

"Even if he can't, he would know someone who could." Donna countered, her wisdom shining through. Pausing, she let out a long sigh before delivering a suggestion that held the weight of resolution. "Richard, I think it's time you finally confront Bruce. Use this as an icebreaker to talk about the past."

Despite an inner resistance, Richard, aware of the inevitability, conceded with a defeated sigh. "I'll talk to her about it."

"It will be good to resolve things between you two." Donna offered a hopeful smile, acknowledging the significance of the impending conversation.