THE RAVEN | avengers

[43]

ACT 1
Chapter 43
Poking And Prodding

Raven had just returned from her mission — two long, gruelling days in the heart of enemy territory, where she was tasked with gathering intel and eliminating a few key targets. She had gone alone, much to Caelan's annoyance. He had argued with her before she left, insisting that it was reckless to go without backup, but Raven had brushed him off, saying she worked better alone.

Now, back at Kronos, Raven was restless. The mission had gone smoothly, but the aftermath had shaken her more than she expected. A nightmare had plagued her the moment she closed her eyes, one of the worst yet. Flashes of blood, faces she didn't recognize, her body restrained, helpless. The screams — their screams — still echoed in her mind. So, she decided to sneak out of her quarters to find Sloane, hoping for some answers or, at the very least, a distraction.

Caelan, of course, insisted on coming along.

"You don't have to come, you know," Raven muttered, glancing at him as they crept down the dimly lit corridor, their footsteps barely audible against the cold stone floor.

"I don't really care what you say," Caelan shot back without missing a beat, his eyes scanning the dark corners ahead.

Raven smirked, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "You still upset?" she teased.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Caelan shot back, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. But there was a tightness in his jaw, a telltale sign that, yes, he was still annoyed she had gone on the mission alone.

"You're such a bad liar," Raven said, nudging him with her elbow.

Caelan shot her a look. "Maybe I wouldn't be upset if you didn't insist on getting yourself nearly killed every other mission."

"I didn't nearly get killed," she scoffed. "Not even close. Come on, you can't actually be mad because I went solo. It's stupid."

In a blink, Caelan's hand was on her shoulder, spinning her around and pinning her to the cold wall with one swift movement. His face was inches from hers, his breath hot against her cheek. "You know what's stupid?" he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "You thinking you're invincible."

Raven's smirk didn't waver. In fact, she tilted her head slightly, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "You can pin me to a wall all you want, but it won't make me any less badass, Caelan."

He clenched his jaw, clearly trying to suppress his frustration. "You're reckless, Raven."

"And you're predictable," she shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Is this how you flirt? Because I gotta tell you, it's working. I'm really feeling the romance right now."

Caelan's grip tightened on her arm, but his expression softened for a split second. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"I've been told," she quipped, pushing herself off the wall with a sly grin. "Now, are we going to see Sloane or do you want to keep playing the brooding bodyguard?"

Caelan let her go, stepping back but not taking his eyes off her. "Let's just get this over with," he muttered.

"Atta boy," Raven said, brushing past him as they continued down the hall. "Maybe after this, you can pin me to something else."

They entered Sloane's office, and the shift in energy was immediate. Sloane, who had been busy at her desk, glanced up, her brow furrowing as she sensed the tension radiating between them.

"Everything okay?" she asked, her eyes flicking between Raven and Caelan.

Raven rolled her eyes, casually hopping onto the bed that resembled one of those sterile hospital ones. "He woke up on the wrong side of the bed."