"That's enough...brothers. Leave these mortals. I know you're searching for me." Raven said.

She wore a cloak of magic and her skin blazed with the fury of a Red Sun. Raven knew how she'd look- the true princess of hell, Pride incarnate with the black eyes to boot. She'd seen the look on people's faces when she would take this form- let a little demon loose- and she knew the immediate kinship that her father's brood would feel, staring at her: she was daddy's little favourite (a title earned in pleas and tears) and her brothers knew it.

Fuck it, Raven was as terrifying to behold as we was terrified.

The empath felt about for Constantine- he'd been behind her a minute ago- and came up empty. She hoped that it was because he was cloaking himself, but somehow doubted that theory a lot more than she wanted to.

But she couldn't worry about Constantine, or the two vigilantes she saw in her periphery (crouched, observant and ready to spring). The one that kicked Wrath- Jared- was...FUCK it's Batman! Oh Azar have mercy...

So much for ignoring them.

"Well sssisster? You are returning with us?" Envy- Jesse- held out a clawed hand and smiled emptily.

Raven saw Batman and the other one shift. She wouldn't have noticed it if their aura's hadn't been so suddenly overloaded by adrenaline.

A flicked of shadowy aura flared behind her brothers. The comfort of Constantine was all she needed.

Raven planted her boots firmly on the ground and tossed her hair out of her eyes decidedly, "Yes, I am..."

She built up the same glowing purple around her hands that she would need for a portal, feeling the same tugging in her gut that magic always brought on. Constantine's aura sparked and he appeared in full view.

"In your dreams!" Raven shouted. "Azarath metrion zinthos!"

Magic poured from her hands and slammed in to the demons.

The vigilante's leapt to.

Constantine withdrew a card from his inner coat pocket. Ace of spades. He threw it in the direction of the demon brothers. In the same moment, he nodded to Batman and -Raven realised- Robin. The two were seasoned combatants and understood his meaning instantly.

Raven's magic had struck them full square. As they'd fallen, Batman and Robin's fists, knees and the like had rained hell with no pushback. Now the vigilantes withdrew, at Constantine's indication, and the ace of spades planted itself on the gravel.

The magician spoke a word that sent shivers through Damian but meant nothing to his father.

Raven stood clear. She looked at the younger of the crime-fighters, properly looked at him, but for a moment. He looked back at her and she knew he'd felt Constantine's spell.

Robin was striking: his face was marked by little scars and his aura was far too, profoundly sad for one whose body was so possessed by aggression. He looked sharp- at a first glance. Raven wasn't allowed a second one; Constantine's spell activated.

Red lines aglow on the floor made a dooming pentagram, beneath the staggering figures of the demons. Wrath, Lust, and Envy raged towards Constantine first. They were stopped short, slammed against an invisible barrier. It became visible only as it rippled red with the collision.

The demons were encased in a dome, the centre of which was the ace card.

"Nifty that eh?" Constantine raised an eyebrow and casually held a cigarette between his lips. He lit it and ignored the bangs and hisses of the three demons.

The Scouse poked his head around Wrath to see Raven, "Sweetheart, would you mind conjuring us a little portal? Get rid of these here unwanted guests" He nodded his head to the trapped demons, " before my spell runs out of juicy."

"What are-?" Batman began, stopping as this 'sister' of the demons and John Constantine shared a meaningful look.

"Step back Batsy, we'll get to you in a minute." The man said.

The ace flew back to his hand, lightening fast.

The demons charged-

-straight in to a portal.

Raven closed it immediately and sighed in relief. Her red skin faded, the claws receded, and she ran a troubled hand through her hair.

"What exactly is going on?" A cold voice demanded.

Raven looked at the other one, at Robin. He'd spoken. Robin lifted his chin as if daring her, come on then, figure me out if you dare.

He must have been around her age- nineteen, twenty, perhaps?- with features fit from the same template as the man besides him. Robin was Batman's son by blood. Only, he was of a finer cast (to her eye at least): more angular in body and face; warm-toned bronze, where she could see his skin. Oh that aura. She wanted to learn his pain and dig out it's roots, turning them about for inspection. By Azarath in its ruins, he was fascinating.

And as Constantine filled in the space with surface details- they'd been snooping about for intel on illegal shipments of magical goods- Raven thought of Robin. She would like to sit down with Robin, drink tea with him, observe his shifting aura, engage him in controlled combat..and perhaps draw his lips to hers and savour his taste at witching hour.

That last thought was a little indulgent fantasy that she allowed Pride, begrudgingly.

Batman cut Constantine short- an impressive feat in itself. He pinned his attention on Raven and her aura spiked defensively.

"I know of you Constantine, but what about her?" Batman said. "Those creatures-"

"Demons." Robin corrected, looking to Raven.

The years had brought Raven some small reconciliation with her demonic half. It had been difficult to unlearn the internalised resentment. But the strange tone, strange look, from Robin...she couldn't read what was behind it. And that remnant of insecure  teen cambion within her was scared, irrationally scared, that Robin was repulsed.

She wanted him to find her appealing.

They hadn't yet exchanged a word.

Batman had called her out. He was sizing her up as a threat and picking out every tangible flaw, standing a few feet away.

"Oi oi steady on now." Constantine came to the rescue again. "We're standing out here besides this rank warehouse in the middle of bloody nowhere at some ungodly hour... at least have the courtesy to go somewhere not-damp before grilling the poor girl on her backstory. Come on, I can vouch that she's a good egg- as can Zatana."

Batman looked at Robin; he looked at Raven. It was decided.

And that's how, two minutes and twenty three seconds later, Raven and Robin climbed awkwardly in to the backseats of the Batmobile, trying (and failing) to make no physical or eye contact. Constantine sat at the front and took in the car, impressed. He sighed at the Dark Knight's pointed look at his cigarette and threw the butt out of the Batmobile.

Robin opened the door and stood back for Raven to go in first, dripping with hostile suspicion. He moved to sit down and close the door in one motion. Much to her dismay, Raven hadn't shifted over far enough: the door shut resoundingly and Robin was squashed against her.

She shuffled right up to the other side apologetically, but colour had already risen to Robin's face and he was tucked up against the door. Even for the first few, painfully silent minutes of the drive, Robin remained tensely coiled, loosening only at the jolt of a speed bump.

Raven died internally in that silence and she knew her face must have been a painful sight, wincing so. With all her might she wished that they'd just skipped all the trouble and taken a portal. But Batman had refused to go by portal and what Batman says happens.

Finally, with a strange resemblance to a mum driving her son's friend to a match, Batman turned his head slightly and asked, "Raven, isn't it?"

"Yes sir." She said, and wanted to throw herself off of a building for having said it.

'Yes sir' what was she?- a maid?

She felt a spark of something from Robin: amusement, perhaps. It made her embarrassment indignation.

"Who are you and what do those...demons want from you?" Batman asked.

Constantine looked back at her, over his headrest, and nodded reassuringly.

So she began.

A.N:

Awh yea! Chapter two is doneeee! I'm excited folks. I'm really excited. Idk why but I'm really vibing w the ideas I've got for this story. I hope you enjoy the next chapter when it comes out!

Thank you <3

-Bats