LOVE + FEAR

INQUIRY

The meeting did not last long after that. Everyone exchanged reports about the different sectors they covered. Darkseid's name was not uttered again. When the meeting was officially called to an end, most of the room emptied. Raven longed to be one of them, but Damian hadn't moved beside her.

Raven tucked a stray hair behind her ear as she peeked over at him. Damian stared forward, beautiful yet unearthly still, like one of Michelangelo's masterpieces. He'd barely spoken a word to her after discussing Darkseid—and Jason's comment. Was he icing her out for what she'd said? Or because of Jason's taunt?

"Are you all right...?" She asked him. When the question lingered in the air too long, she quickly added, "I'm sorry if I went too far and said the wrong thing —"

"You didn't." Damian cut her off, finally addressing her. His emerald gaze was impossible to read. "I'm glad you said something."

"Oh." She glanced down at her hands for a moment. When her gaze returned to his, there was something almost melancholic there. But not quite.

She tried to ignore the swirl of his emotions. It was rude to prod (even if she secretly wanted to know). But she was well in tune to him, and they were sitting so close. It was hard to refuse their irresistible lure.

"You look upset." Raven gave in and turned her body completely towards him.

"Father will not be pleased." Damian's eyes drifted to Batman, standing near Cyborg and Wonder Woman as they conversed. Batman's presence was pungent with a familiar intensity.

Damian fell silent once more, avoiding her gaze again.

Your a jumbled mess, Damian. She tried to block out the war going on inside of him, but it was a futile attempt. Over time, the emotions began to settle. Raven's eyes widened as she felt something off in the pattern...something like longing—

Raven felt someone leaning against the back of her chair. Constantine's coat fluttered on her side like a valley of sand dunes.

"That went well," said Constantine. He glanced over at Damian. "Bloody entertaining, that one."

"John," Raven exhaled and tried to divert his attention. Damian had been through enough. "I caught two of the Sins last night."

"Sealed them?"

"Yes."

"Good for you." Constantine nodded. "I'd give you a sticker if I had one. May I interest you in a sarcastic comment instead?"

"I don't want anything. And I'm assuming your offer is sarcastic by design."

"You did a great job with the demons, sweetie. We're very proud of you." Zatanna praised, standing on the other side of Raven's chair. Constantine rolled his eyes when Zee included him. Both peered over her shoulders like participants of Parent Day at grade school.

Raven turned in her seat to face them. She was just about to chew them out for treating her like a child, but she held her tongue. John and Zatanna were two of the most intelligent people she knew.

Raven still wasn't sure what that version of her was last night. It could be Project Cadmus; it could be something else. She knew from her time with John that all impossibilities were likely. Perhaps they had seen it before.

"Do you know anything about cloning magic?"

"What?" The sorcerer and dark arts dabbler gave her peculiar looks. Raven had stolen Clark's attention with her question; he was so busy texting away with Lois, Raven nearly forgot he was still beside her.