VECTOR IN DC

The Titans Tower was ablaze with colorful lights and
pulsating music, setting the scene for a celebratory party hosted by none other
than Beast Boy and Nightwing. The heroes, having emerged victorious against the
formidable Darkseid, gathered to unwind and revel in their success. Laughter
and cheers filled the air as the heroes and their allies celebrated the
hard-fought triumph.

 

Amidst the jubilant atmosphere, Barbara Gordon found herself
back at the Batcave. Dressed in her Batgirl suit, she furrowed her brow in
intense concentration as she scrutinized the array of monitors, searching for
any signs of suspicious activities in the city. The glow from the screens
illuminated her determined expression as she remained ever vigilant, the weight
of her responsibilities pressing upon her.

 

Just as Barbara was about to embark on a solo patrol, the
imposing figure of Batman emerged from the shadows, silently observing her
dedication. Alfred, the ever-wise butler, followed suit.

 

“Barbara, you’ve been doing an exceptional job,” Bruce Wayne
spoke in his deep, authoritative tone. “But even heroes need to take a break
every once in a while. Tonight is one of those times”

 

Alfred chimed in with a warm smile, “Master Bruce is right,
Miss Gordon. You’ve earned a respite. The city can wait for one night.”

 

Barbara glanced at the monitors, torn between her duty and
the allure of the festivities. “ I could really use a break but there could be
something out there, something we could miss if I take a break,” she insisted.

 

Batman stepped closer, his cape billowing in the dimly lit
Batcave. “Barbara, the city will be fine for one night. The youngsters have
earned their celebration, and so have you.”

 

Alfred, ever the voice of reason, added, “You’re still a
young woman, Barbara. It’s crucial to embrace the moments of joy amidst the
darkness.”

 

Barbara sighed, realizing the truth in their words but
struggling to let go of her sense of responsibility. “What if something happens
while I’m away?”

 

Batman placed a gloved hand on her shoulder, a rare display
of empathy. “The city have me. I’ve been protecting Gotham City by myself for
years, so trust me as I trust you. Enjoy the celebration; you’ve earned it.”

 

Alfred offered a comforting smile, “And I’ll keep an eye on
things here, my dear.”

 

With a reluctant nod, Barbara agreed to attend the party.
Batman and Alfred watched as she left the Batcave, the heavy burden of duty
momentarily lifted from her shoulders. The dynamic duo exchanged a knowing
look, silently acknowledging the importance of balance in a hero’s life.

 

 

…

 

The pulsating music and vibrant lights of the Titans’ party
enveloped me as I tried to coax Rachel, my girlfriend Raven, into embracing the
celebration. The atmosphere was charged with energy, but her reserved nature
kept her at a distance from the lively crowd.

 

“Come on, baby girl, just a few sips, and you’ll be as free
as a bird,” I implied, offering her a beer. Rachel, initially hesitant,
reluctantly agreed to take a few sips.

 

As I handed her the drink, a sudden fireball knocked it from
my hand, prompting the arrival of Kori, Dick, and Gar, ready to protect Rachel
from perceived threats.

 

“Who are you anyway?” Dick questioned, suspicion clouding
his gaze. I watched with amusement as they interrogated me, seemingly oblivious
to the harmless nature of the situation.

 

“Calm down, guys,” Gar intervened, trying to calm the
situation. “Did you invite him?” Dick directed his stern gaze at me.

 

“No, but I know he’s a harmless person. Although he could be
quite rude most times,” Gar explained, attempting to diffuse the tension.

 

As they continued their scrutiny, Rachel, frustrated by
their overprotectiveness, spoke up, asserting her independence. “Guy’s,
enough!!”

 

 “This is Tom, and I
invited him. So please stop with all this because I do not need protection from
my boyfriend,” she declared.

 

Their collective surprise at the revelation of our
relationship was palpable. Kori, however, smiled a little as she appraised me.

 

“When did you get a boyfriend?” Gar asked, but his question
was ignored. Rachel seemed more annoyed by their interference than anything
else.

 

“Oh, sorry about that, buddy. Rachel is family, and we just
happen to be overprotective when it comes to her,” Dick explained, offering me
a friendly tap on the shoulder.

 

“I apologize for the late introduction. The names’ Tom Hendricks
by the way,” I said, extending a handshake.

 

“Dick Grayson,” he responded, reciprocating the gesture. The
tension began to ease.

 

“Once again, we are sorry for the misunderstanding. I’m
Kori.”

 

“It’s nice to meet you. You look even more beautiful in
person than on television,” I complimented, earning a blush from Kori. Gar
remained bewildered.

 

“Quite a charmer you’ve got here,” Kori remarked to Rachel,
who seemed more focused on putting an end to the awkward encounter.

 

“Now that we’ve cleared things, kindly excuse us,” Rachel
said, pulling me to a quieter spot away from their watchful eyes.

 

“It was nice meeting Rachel’s friends,” I said to them as we
walked away, ready to enjoy the party in peace.

 

“Enjoy the party!” Dick called after us, leaving Gar to
ponder the mystery of when Rachel had gotten herself a boyfriend, and what she
saw in me.

 

“Oh, hey Rachel.” A voice came from behind. “For crying put
loud, what now?” I muttered beneath my breath, willing to just drag her ass
upstairs myself so no one would interrupt our night any longer.

 

“Barbara, you came.” Rachel replied, giving a friendly wave
at the redhead who seemed like she would rather be somewhere else.

 

“Yeah, I had a last minute change of plans.” She replied,
wrapping her arms around Rachel as they gave each other a gentle hug.

 

“You remember Tom right?” Rachel reintroduced.

“Of course I do. With an hair as distinctive as his, it’d be
hard to forget such feature.” She remarked. I just responded with a subtle wave
as they both finished exchanging pleasantries.

 

The sound of the loud music slowly faded into buzzing beat
in the background as Rachel and I were finally at the elevator’s door when she
suddenly pulled back my arm, having a shy and blushy look on her face.

 

“Are you okay?” I asked, taking note of her reddish cheeks.

 

“I’m fine. Why don’t you go grab a bottle of alcohol so we
continue from where we left off, I’ll be at the third floor, second room to the
right.” She instructed.

“Okay baby girl, I’ll be right with you.” I replied her with
a mischievous smile on my face, hinting it was finally about to go down
tonight.

Heading back to the party, I walked over to the bar where I
noticed the blonde wasn’t there anymore. I grabbed myself a bottle of whiskey and
quickly headed back.

 

On my way back, I spotted Superboy over by a corner having
his hands all over a green bitch as he seemed like he could almost smooch the
life out of her.

 

I guess even pretty boy intends to get himself some badass
pussy tonight, well it’s indeed a good night to get laid. I walked away headed
for the elevator, a bit excited because tonight I get to see another side of Raven,
how she acts when she’s tipsy.

 

As I arrived at the door she had described for me earlier, I
let go of one bottle and telekinetically had it floating midair as I knocked on
the door with my free hand.

 

*Knock Knock*

 

There was no response, so I just held on to the doorknob and
opened it myself, making use of my powers.

 

“Did someone order, room service?” I playfully asked as the
door swung open, attempting to set the mood but arrived at an empty room.

 

“Rae!!” I called out, moving around the room and even
searching the bathroom but there was no sign of her being in there.

 

I closer my eyes and scanned the environment to see what
feedback I’d get from the vibrations made by anything with a heart beat around the
room’s vicinity. It was unusual for her to act differently from what she says
she’d do.

 

Suddenly, I got some heartbeats from the other side of the
wall outside the building. I quickly made my way to window, looked outside as I
observed the walls, only to see ropes along the side of the building as I saw
masked ninjas toss an unconscious Rachel into a black van and immediately drove
off.

 

I jumped out the window, falling to the ground itself. The
ground crated beneath my foot upon landing as a boulder rose from the ground
and blocked the van in sight, intercepting it as the van crashed into the
boulder up ahead.

 

I quickly got to it, ripped open the back doors, only to see
an empty van with just the injured driver inside. This van was a decoy and they
must have swapped places with the actual van without my notice.

 

I ripped open the driver’s door and pulled him out. “Who
sent you?” I questioned, my anger slowly brewing. He mumbled as he struggled to
regain conscious, I gave him a sounding slap to wake his ass up and answer my
question.

 

“Answer me!!” I pressed on.

 

“Hail the Demon Head.” Just after saying that, foam started gushing
out his mouth and suddenly began to convulse, he must have had poison in his
mouth and bite it to commit suicide just to avoid questioning or torture, having
fulfilled his role.

 

“Ra’s al Ghul must have gone after Raven to get to me, he’ll
definitely get what’s coming to him.