Shifting away to avoid a flurry of kicks from his sparring partner, Damian's mind was entirely occupied with noting Adyn's technique. Ducking a head-section spin-hook kick, a self-assured smirk found a way to his lips, as it usually did.

Remaining low, Damian's leg moved in an arch where Adyn stood, a minor distraction. Continuing his impulsive martial-arts combination, the ex-assassin let him jump to avoid the drop-kick, flipping off of the floor in the last second to send a turning-kick to Adyn's chest -the intention being to wind him.

Unsuspecting, the demon took the full force of the hit, falling to the floor for a mere second before jumping back in to a fighting stance. Without pause, Damian's fists came barraging in his direction. With uncanny strength and agility, the punches found many a target. For one who excelled in defence, Adyn was struggling to block against the onslaught, accepting that he would be left with a few bruises afterwards.

Grabbing Damian's forearm in the middle of a mid-section punch, Adyn spun so that he was back-to-back with the combatant. Still holding his forearm, the demon jabbed his elbow in to Damian's side, eliciting a sharp exhale.

If ten years in the League of Assassins taught him something, it was to act like there was so pain and carry on: that, and how to kill mercilessly without remorse. Following that guideline, Damian used the forearm Adyn held as an anchor, bending his knees to flip the demon over him, removing the steel-like grip Adyn had on his arm.

On the floor, Damian's opponent didn't give himself the time to gasp, already rolling away to avoid an attack. Bounding off the simulation room floor, Adyn left Damian no opportunity to strike again, kicking the boy in the side of his face before he could block.

Defensive, Damian halted one of Adyn's punches, pushing the arm before it could reach its target, closing the distance between them to elbow-strike Adyn in the face. Granted, it left Damian's right side unprotected for a split second, but the elbow made contact: the strength behind it rendering Adyn incapable of responding with a hit of his own.

Hissing in pain, Adyn leaped backwards, landing in a crouch. One hand steadying himself, the other came up to his face. Crinkling his nose, Adyn frowned. There was something metallic, something salty, trailing down his nose. Something that sparked a carnal reaction in him.

Blood.

Jaws clenched and hand balled, Adyn stayed in a crouch, eyes shut. Vaguely, his ears brushed over the movement of feet on the ground, then the flying of a body through the air and landing in front of him: as though his ears were an enhanced camera capturing, with pristine accuracy, every clear millisecond of a hummingbird flapping it's wings.

SMACK.

Adyn opened his eyes.

Caught in his hand was Damian's fist, a hairs breadth away from smashing in to his face. Adyn's pale, unearthly pink complexion clashing against Damian's olive hues, the two stared at each other, each in a battle of wills and power.

Half-standing, Adyn tightened his grip on Damian's hand, refusing to back down. Yet, the longer he looked in to Damian's eyes, the longer his resolve broke. They were too much like her's.

Faltering, he opened the chance for Damian to push him away- which the ex-assassin would have done, had the door not burst open at that moment.

"Damian! Wait, Adyn too?", Jaime called out, successfully ending their sparring session.

Begrudgingly, Adyn and Damian stood up to their full heights, both having wished to see the full turn out of their match. Regardless, there was no denying the respect in their eyes as Damian and Adyn shook hands.

Finally turning to his comerade, Damian raised an eyebrow, "Tt. What is it?"

Eyes flickering between the two, Jaime said, "Just come, it's important. Hero stuff.", giving no further information.

Narrowing his eyes at the Latino, Damian smirked, "Alright, just a moment."

Sitting himself by the control panel, Jaime tried to make himself look busy. Or rather, stole approving looks at Adyn and Damian as they took a moment to commend one another for their technique.

"To. Seriously Jaime!", Damian couldn't help but chuckle at the shocked boy.

"What?! What'd I do?"

He smirked, "If your going to stare at us, at least do it discreetly. You have Bart."

Whilst Adyn looked on the situation in confusion, pulling his jumped over his head, Jaime held up his hands, laughing, "Look, I have a boyfriend already, and I'm in a committed relationship! But that doesn't mean I can't appreciate fiiiine people,", he sighed, "I mean...damn, you know I think of you and Adyn as friends and stuff...but ayyy!"

Damian shook his head in mock exasperation, picking up his katana, "Oh Jaime, what are we going to do with you?"

***

"There's an attack happening at the Justice League museum in Gotham.", Batman informed the Titans, magicians and Adyn, back to the Batcomputer- which was playing live footage of a monster tearing through the streets.

"Is that...?"

"Clayface.", Nightwing finished for Starfire.

"The museum? That's where Raven said-", Damian broke off, wide eyes glued to the screen behind Batman.

"Holy Hera!", Donna gasped, vision fixated on the computer too: in the purple-cloaked figure in the computer.

"Well by Jove..."

***

Raven handed the children over to Ms Cherry and the other volunteers, instructing them to hide in the nearby alley. Away from the commotion, they would be safe.

Sprinting in the opposite direction, Raven found her own alleyway, one free of people. Contrary to what she had told the teachers to do, Raven didn't hide, instead making sure the coast was clear before allowing the change to overcome her.

With a flash of magical energy, Raven's jeans, jumper and coat transformed to her Azarathian cloak and uniform.

Wasting no time, the demoness launched herself out of the alley, soaring towards the screams and in the opposite direction to the civilians running for their lives.

Turning around the corner of one of Gotham's many skyscrapers, Raven continued towards the danger, ears registering a male voice crying, "Help! Help!", over the beating of the wind.

Senses spreading wide as a football pitch, Raven attempted to identify the species of the attacker- to no avail. The only information she could collect was that it's aura was unlike that of any human, alien or preternatural creature she'd come across. Whilst it retained some aspects of human coolness in its aura, the overall feeling was more along the dull lines of... mud.

At first, Raven thought that there ought to have been some mistake: how could something have an aura like mud? Yet, when she managed to locate it, the entire situation made perfect sense.

A mass of brown sludge, shaped somewhat akin to a human, though easily the size of a bear, lumbered towards an upturned estate car: one housing a person still clamouring.

"Help! Someone help!", his voice hoarse, the man continued to shout, urging Raven on.

Closer and closer, Clayface clumped, intention evidently to do damage to the car, and the man in it. However, before he could get any closer, a sphere of purple surrounded the car, carrying it all the way to the other end of the street, setting it down right-side up. Hence, the authorities were able to safely remove the man.

Vaguely acknowledging the reactions of the people below (including reporters) Raven flew towards Clayface, assured that she could deal with him. After all, he did seem to be mud, and she knew a few way to get rid of that.

A plan in mind, she dared to land but few metres away from Clayface.

"You're in my way!", he roared, standing still.

Breathing in deeply, Raven pulled a cocky smirk to her lips, "That I am."

"I'll crush you!"

Not very likely. Raven chuckled in her head, plan now fully formulated.

Clayface thundered forwards, only for Raven to disappear, flying over his head. Momentarily stunned, he turned around, only to be met by a jet stream of water issuing from a broken fire hydrant, guided by Raven's magic swirling around it.

Left hand continuing the circular motion, the Titan held the other in the a fist by her face. Whispering a phrase in the ancient tongue of magic, Raven opened her right hand, watching with satisfaction as Clayface began to turn to ice.

Basic temperature manipulation was a spell amateurs could easily master, however, a creature of Hell creating ice from water was awfully draining. Lowering herself to the floor, Raven took a deep, shuddering breath, regaining her composure as the law enforcement officers made quick work of shifting away Clayface.

Lips lifting wearily Raven slumped on to the pavement nearby, doing her best to ignore the press around her.

"To our amazement, this hero swooped in from no where, saving the day. This isn't someone we've seen in Gotham before, but, if our sources are correct, she's Jump City's Raven -a member of the Teen Titans. We all remember the catastrophic events of a few moths ago when the Titans Tower-"

Raven tuned out of the report, too fed up to hear anything else. Lifting her head, the demoness frowned as the crowd around her parted to reveal-

"Cyborg?"

"Hey Raven,", the Justice Leaguer smiled, offering a hand, which she took, "Nice job. We were gonna send someone over, until we saw that you'd already taken care of the problem."

Walking past reporters and other civilians, Raven smiled, "I was in the area, it wasn't a problem."

Laying a hand on her shoulder, Vic asked, "I'll take care of clean up, you gonna be okay?"

She nodded, "Always."

***

"You've come a long way from that scared little girl, with far too much power than she could wield- I'm proud of you.", Zatanna praised, sitting on one of the chairs in Raven's room.

John contributed, "I agree with Zee, your magic seems to be entirely under your control.", balancing on the arm of Zatanna's chair, earning a sharp glare from her, though Raven could feel that she didn't mind too much.

Coming from two great practitioners of magic, this was high praise, almost too high. Almost. From her seat opposite the two, Raven smiled, self-esteem deeming it a fit time to rise.

Fiddling with the rim of her top hat, Zatanna posed, "So, Bruce said there was something you wanted to talk to us about."

Raven nodded, before remembering, "I think Damian and Adyn ought to listen to this idea, I'll just be a second."

Leaving the two bemused, Raven left her room, breathing deeply before knocking on the door besides hers.

"Damian,", she called out, knowing that he was inside.

Not too long later the door creaked open, revealing-

Mother of Azarath! He-um-ah- by the gods! He's shirtless! Fuck. Don't break eye contact- don't look down, don't look- Azar he's ripped!- Shit. My word! He's perfect!- more than perfect.Well, he's scarred too, they look like more than training wounds but.... oh my gods I sound like every other thirsty teenage girl. I think I'm drooling...What is wrong with me?!

Raven's mental tirade took the grand total of a second, during which the two stared at each other, unsure of what to do. And just like that, the awkward silence broke.

"I'm so sorry I-"

"No, no, I should be the one apologising-"

"No, really, I came in here and-"

"It's no problem I-"

"Really, I-"

Raven walked back in to her room alone, only to find Zee and John grinning like fools.

"Where's Damian?", Constantine sniggered, much to Raven's confusion.

She gave him a funny look, "Getting Adyn...why?"

Zatanna smiled innocently, "Nothing."

"Okay. This isn't weird or anything."

***

"I do believe that would be the best option- there wouldn't be the issue of durability, and the same strength would be retained.", Damian said, leaning against the papered wall.

Adyn agreed, "Definitely. It isn't too complicated so someone with limited magical abilities, like myself, can manage it easily."

"I think we'll help out on this one, just give us a buzz and we'll pop over.", John said on behalf of himself and Zatanna.

"Well alright then."

***

The two magicians and Adyn having left, the only people in the room were Damian and Raven. Tension already building, they faced one another, however before Raven could say anything, Damian spoke.

"I want to show you something, if that's not a problem."

She deliberated.

"Alright."

A.N:

Who's the sovereign of cliff-hangers? Moi!

Sorry. 😬

But besides that, I wasn't going to update today, but I wanted to get this out to you guys. Why? Well, I'm having some seriously shitty issues with a wisdom tooth that paracetamol is ineffective against😪 I can't eat solids and am feeling really sick😫.

It's awful.

But besides my personal issues, I would like to take a moment to thank you all, as I usually do, for your reads, votes and comments. They help me get through life when it's being shit, so thank you!!!

-Bats :3