The New Teen Titans Part II: The Curse of al Ghul

Chapter 6: Star City

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Hi, everyone! For those who skipped my first book, here's some MAJOR spoilers: In this AU, Nyssa al Ghul (who happens to be Mara's mother in this version) is the one who created Leviathan. Just wanted to mention this here in case anyone missed this, especially since this chapter includes references to my first story. :)

Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter!!

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'Are you doing anything tonight?'

It was the first message Emiko had received from her boyfriend since their last argument. The text instantly made her smile. The thought of being asked on a date again made her stomach flutter, but who was she kidding? With her luck, Damian would probably just want to have a work talk. He wasn't exactly the romantic type.

Emiko replied so fast that she forgot to think things through before hitting send, 'I'm stopping a drug bust tonight, why?'

Stupid, Emiko, stupid! Now all Damian would think about would be the drug bust instead. Not that she had the evening free to go out on a date anyway, but it would've been nice to know his intentions first.

'Is Green Arrow coming?' Came his response just as fast.

'No, I'm flying solo tonight. GA and Canary are working on a murder case that's much more interesting than just stopping a bunch of thugs...'

'Mind if I join you? I need to blow off some steam.'

Emiko blinked. An evening with Damian Wayne stopping a drug trafficking ring together? That sounded quite lovely, come to think of it. Who said Damian couldn't be romantic?

'Sure, it'll be nice having you there! Meet me at the Glades as soon as you can. I'll send you the coordinates.'

'Excellent. Just need to make a quick stop at the Tower but I will meet you there soon.'

Emiko smiled as she responded with a simple, 'Sounds good.''

Her message may have sounded indifferent, but Emiko's excitement was through the roof. There was something special about crime-fighting alongside her boyfriend, something they didn't get to do often outside the Titans, which wasn't the same. Being a Titan was great and all, but sometimes it felt crowded and a bit chaotic.

There had yet to be a day when the group didn't bicker over the smallest things. Not that they weren't functional as a team, but there was always a touch of chaos whenever they fought crime together. Maybe it was due to Robin's bad habit of bossing everyone around and making demands, making the team ignore him, or it could be because everyone felt so comfortable around each other that no one took anyone seriously.

All in all, being a Titan was fun, just a bit... Loud sometimes. Things were a lot different and messier compared to when Kori was in charge, but Emiko would never say that to her stubborn boyfriend.

At the Arrow Cave, Emiko moved with precision as she gathered her gear. She inspected each trick arrow, from explosive tips to EMP arrows, ensuring everything was in perfect condition before she headed out. Special gadgets, like smoke bombs and grappling hooks, were also packed into her quiver.

After a final glance around the cave, the archer swung her quiver over her shoulder and headed for her sleek, red motorcycle. The engine roared to life, echoing in the empty cave. Seconds later, the girl sped out into the night, the wind whipping through her long hair as she headed out to the Glades.

***

"James Holder is his name, he told me about this new trafficking ring going around. He's just a kid, I let him go. The traffickers were threatening his family, he was scared. So, you just gotta go in there and stop the drug deal. Easy peasy."