章節 27: DAY 06: Skinwalkers

Lucien went to bed with a lot on his mind. Raven's words were strategic and cold— right up his alley. But more importantly, they were true.

He also had much to discuss with the others— which was the cause for him waking up so early despite his tiredness. He had a long night.

Evidence shown as he sat up in a bed shared with three others.

Raven, Hawk and Dove. He had to dig his way to the surface as he was buried by breasts, butts and beautiful faces.

As soon as he got out of bed, he turned and found Raven standing behind him. She wore her usual skintight black shapewear under-suit with her cloak slung over the couch beside the bedside table to the left of the bed.

It was still jarring to see her in her new form. In her evolution.

She was taller. Older— in the prime of her life. Robust and glowing. Unlike Bruce— and himself, she kept a bit of her beastial nature visible, seen in her fangs and dark feathered wings that sprouted from her exposed and toned back.

"Them too." Raven said while pointing at the sleeping Hawk and Dove.

"If they wish it." Lucien replied.

"Even then." Raven said in a deadened tone.

"That's not my style."

"Is the end of the world?"

Lucien let his form slip and bared his fangs instinctively, "Watch it."

Raven dropped her eyes and covered herself in her wings, "Just….. consider it seriously. They're connected to the Lords of Chaos and Order— intensely powerful magic forces. I'm sure you could begin to access it if they were brought into this pack."

Lucien hadn't even considered that. "... you think that's possible?"

Raven nodded, "This power gives and takes. It works both ways. It's how we're able to hear each others thoughts. Two way network."

Lucien rubbed his bearded chin, "Hmm….. ok. I'll get on that soon. But priorities. We have another in mind first."

"We do. What's the plan?"

"More training."

Lucien left the room with Raven. As the door shut, Dove's eyes opened like she was never asleep.

***

Lucien and Raven debriefed Arisia before meeting up with Bruce just outside the main floor of S.T.A.R Labs and then lying in wait.

"Obviously before training, we'll have to have a discussion." Lucien said to his two pack mates. The genius martial artist turned night-beast and demonic sorceress turned ravenous leonine goddess.

"Keep it brief. Don't give any room for debate." Raven said.

"Are we looking to establish a status quo with our lessers or have a discussion with friends and more importantly…. family?" Bruce asked, mood darkened by his own words.

"Well, they aren't my friends." Lucien said.

"They're my family, though." Bruce pressed.

"Are you suggesting we go against Raven's request?" Lucien asked.

Bruce crossed his veiny arms. They looked ready to pop through his black long sleeve t-shirt. "No. I just suggest having a little tact. Raven's physical transformation is much more aggresive than mine was. They could begin to view you as something like a cult leader. Especially my own. I was never really human to most of them. I was a force— back when I was the Batman. Raven wasn't the same. They'll pick up on her behavioral differences— not knowing about the Kinship Bond you two formed."

"The what?" Lucien asked.

"Skinwalkers have the ability to form deeper bonds with beings in their pack through specific acts. Something mutually desired. It's referred to as Doo da'íínííłnii."

"How did you know that?" Lucien asked, "Sounds like something Constantine should've told me."

"He didn't know. Last night I spent eight hours scrubbing the internet and vast cultural native thinktanks to find any and all available recorded history on your….. our kind. I had an alias and got into contact with the son of a chieftain stemming from the Navajo people. Where the skinwalker word was popularized…. And later Americanized."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Lucien asked— slightly irritated that he lost the chance to learn more about his past.

"I tried. But you were….. occupied." Lucien looked to Raven.

"We were forming our Kinship Bond." Raven said unwaveringly.

"What else can you tell me about that bond?" Lucien asked.

Bruce shrugged, "History can be messy. I went off a lot of stories but most of the Kinship Bonds were shared between two warrior-Skinwalkers. They could see through each others eyes from miles away, speak to animals, influence the hybridization of their two animal natures to create guardian spirits. They were stronger in eachothers presence. It just seems to be a proximity based power boost. You two may see a stronger magic output or infusion of different magical natures. Something to test in training."

"Alright. We've got a few goals. Bruce, Raven, we'll do a mix of both of your approaches. I'll keep it tactful and brief. Ultimately we've still got a job to do, but ill hear opinions until I'm done listening."

"You don't seem the patient type, Lucien." Bruce said.

"I'm not." Lucien headed out to the main floor.

The hole in the floor sat between Lucien's pack and the human heroes like a gaping hole of shadows. Scratch marks and cracks spewed from the blast zone. Lights of technological wiring and testing kits flickered as the generators weakly powered to life in the early morning.

The display case to his left that once held the flashes first version of his suit was gone, now worn by Jay Garrick.

Green Arrow stood in the back, behind Arsenal and his titans and beside Vixen.

Even so, the Archer was the first to rise with Hawk and Dove. Next up was Red Robin, Signal, Bat-girl and Red-hood.

"RAVEN?!"

Almost immediately after, the Titans' jaws dropped collectively.

Part of him felt bad in those moments. Not for anything he'd done to— or with, Raven but for all their team had been through in the past few days.

They lost two robins, a leader and now one of their founding members had been fundamentally changed in more ways than any of them knew.

"They'll get over it." Lucien thought as he remembered the vampires. Then he adressed the group.

"Like I said before, we don't beat the Vampires as we were. They've got Superman, the flashes and Wonder Woman. We need power. A lot of it fast. Raven understood. She came to me with a response to the offer I made yesterday. As you can tell, it went well….." Lucien explained.

"Rave... that you?" Beast-boy asked, scenting the air around her like a anxiously inquisitive dog. Even his overgrown dark haired sideburns stood on end.

"Yes. You'd know just how much I am…. Me, if you joined us." Raven said.

"Real slick, Raven." Lucien said.

Bruce didn't say anything. He was too busy watching— thinking. Lucien let him.

Raven didn't reply, casually watching as Beast-boy seemingly thought on the topic for the first time ever.

"I mean…."

"Are you kidding me?!" Green-Arrow raged.

"Relax, green." Arsenal said.

"Not you too."

"No. Not me. But can we not have a civil war right now?"

"Hate when those happen." Signal mumbled.

"I wish somebody would've told me this team is this dysfunctional. How do you guys go from throwing a sun at vampires to this?" Vixen asked.

"You wouldve still joined, jewels." Hawk said.

"Only because there is no other team. Natures most effective strategy is teamwork." Vixen replied.

"Ok guys. How about we hear out Beast-boy and go from there? Opinions need to be heard or they'll fester in secret." Dove calmed the group. Or at least tried to.

Beast-boy burped in the sudden silence, "Hehe…. Excuse me—"

"To the point, boy." Green-arrow pressed.

"I don't know. I didn't want to join yesterday. Lucien's kind of a mystery…. And murders people. But Raven and Batman joined. That's gotta mean something right? Plus our powers are kind of similar so what's the difference?"

"We don't know. That's the problem. The guys using you all as a live in experiment. You don't do that with magic!" Green-arrow said.

"That's actually exactly what you do with magic." Constantine seemed to come from nowhere.

"Right because you're a shining example of how to live with magic." Green-Arrow replied.

"The most shining, love." Constantine winked.

"Alright, alright. Green Arrow makes a good point. And before you think I'm trying to be buddy buddy with you, I'm not. Well hold a try out." Lucien said.

"A try out? To be a Skinwalker? So you're saying you'd deny giving the power to someone?" Red Robin asked, "Because I vividly remember you saying you wanted to change us all."

"That was before I knew more of what I was." Lucien replied, "I have to take it one change at a time with some of you. Beast-boys connection to the Red may alter the entirey of Skinwalkers from this point forward if we're not connected already. Raven's demonic heritage has already changed things. Who knows what else can happen and what reactions could be born from this. The tryout allows us to space things out."

"That makes sense except for the fact that you don't know who would accept the bite." Red-hood said.

"Yea I do." Lucien replied

They all looked among themselves in confusion.

Lucien went onward, "I'm telepathically linked to the greatest detective in the world. Meaning, I'm the greatest detective in the world by mental proxy."

"Bruce— you running logistics for the guy?" Redhood questioned.

"For us." Bruce said, "I'm not losing another son… or daughter. If this keeps us protected, I have to try. I have to get past the urges. I have to get back to some semblance of myself. When that time comes, I'll bring you all along. If you'd like."

Lucien couldn't help but note to himself in those moments, "Bruce is way nicer in this world than in most comics. He hasn't even referred to them as soldiers. Only his children— family…. Friends. If Batman was like this when I read his comics I probably would've liked him more."

"Bruce…." Red-hood started.

But Lucien could feel that he was losing patience.

"That's enough. We train now. Just know your performance comes with a result— for those of you that I wish to change. You know who you are, and so do I." Lucien said.

All the while, he held Hawkgirls gaze.