Shadow Monarch in DC,Chapter 241: The Date Stalkers,FrenzyAren,Inner Glow

Chapter 241: The Date Stalkers

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GOTHAM -

A portal closed behind Arthur and Death of The Endless with a ripple of violet light, leaving Arthur and Didi stepping into the familiar grit of Gotham’s streets. Night had fallen, but the city wasn’t sleeping, neon signs buzzed above crowded sidewalks, the smell of street food mixed with gasoline, and laughter and shouts rose from every corner. Gotham was ironically alive compared to everyone else at nighttime, bustling as if trying to remind itself it had survived the shadow of death, or that event was nothing but another Tuesday for them.

Didi walked beside him, her dark hair catching glimmers of passing headlights, her attire sharp and black, elegant yet understated. She glanced at him with that half-smile of hers, the kind that carried both playfulness and knowledge deeper than words.

"That was an enjoyable time spent," she said softly, her tone almost casual.

Arthur didn’t answer. His steps were steady, but there was something weighed down in the silence between them.

Didi tilted her head slightly, watching him, her smile curling wider as if she could see through his guarded shell. "We did go to so many places I don’t usually go to. Venice, Athens, the gardens, the sea..." she trailed off, then added knowingly, "But one thing caught my eyes.. or rather, it caught yours. And I noticed that."

Arthur’s gaze flicked toward her, wary, but he said nothing.

"The ruins on that mountain side in Greece," she continued, her voice low, deliberate. "You were very intent on them. Are you perhaps interested in the Olympian gods?"

Arthur exhaled slowly, shaking his head just enough. "Not really. It just... caught my eyes, that’s all. Nothing more."

Her smile deepened, quiet and knowing, but she didn’t press him. Instead, she let the silence linger, her steps light, as if she were content with what she had already pulled from him.

They walked for a moment in the glow of Gotham’s nightlife, and then Didi said, almost absentmindedly, "I’m almost out of time."

Arthur’s brow furrowed at that. His voice sharpened slightly. "Out of time?"

She looked at him, the corners of her lips curling as if she enjoyed the way his eyes narrowed. "Mm," she hummed, as though the word itself wasn’t heavy. "So, before it runs out... let’s go have dinner somewhere."

Arthur studied her for a beat longer, his instincts prickling, but he let the edge drop with a sigh. "I know a decent place. Let’s go."

"Perfect," Didi replied, her smile suddenly bright. Without hesitation, she reached for his hand, her fingers slipping into his.

Arthur stiffened at first, his eyes flicking down to the contact. Her hand was warm...warm in a way that unsettled him more than any battle could. He didn’t pull away, though. Instead, he thought to himself, ’I have a strange feeling about all of this... but I’ll keep it to myself.’

As they walked hand-in-hand into Gotham’s restless night, the Monarch of Shadows and the Embodiment of Death looked, to every passing stranger, like nothing more than a young couple out for dinner. And that was perhaps the strangest thing of all.

****

High above Gotham’s streets, two figures drifted in the night sky, their presence hidden by the shadows of looming towers. Kara’s cape swayed behind her as she hovered, eyes locked on the street below where Arthur strolled side by side with Didi. Raven floated beside her, her hood up, expression as dry and flat as ever, but her eyes betrayed curiosity.

Raven finally broke the silence with a tone edged in irritation. "Why didn’t you tell me earlier about this?"

Kara blinked, taken aback. "What?!" she whispered harshly. "I didn’t know they’d meet today. I only saw them yesterday talking! I thought it was just... I don’t know, coincidence!"

Below, Arthur suddenly slowed his pace. His head turned, his glowing violet eyes flicking up toward the sky like a hunter who had caught the scent.

"Crap!" Kara yelped. In a flustered panic, she shoved Raven sideways, both of them tumbling behind the ledge of a nearby building. Kara pressed her back against the wall, holding her breath.

Raven, utterly unimpressed, raised an eyebrow. "Subtle," she muttered flatly, brushing off her cloak.

Kara peeked around the corner, whispering, "That was close."

"I think he saw us," Raven replied, her voice low but certain.

Kara shook her head quickly. "No, no, I don’t think so. He looked right past us. Totally fine. He didn’t see a thing."

Raven gave her a sidelong look that said otherwise, but she didn’t argue. Instead, she craned her neck and peered down again. Arthur was casually walking, unbothered, his hands in his pockets while Didi glided beside him.

Raven’s eyes narrowed. "What do you think this is all about? Do you think he’s keeping some sort of... relationship with her a secret?"

Kara’s mouth opened, but no words came out. She sputtered, then pointed downward. "I... look, I can’t really tell. But look!"

Arthur had just opened the door of a restaurant for Didi. It wasn’t just any place either, its golden sign, velvet curtains, and elegant balconies screamed high-end dining.

Kara jabbed her finger toward them entering. "No matter how you look at this, it’s a damn romantic date!"

Raven crossed her arms tightly, though her silence spoke volumes. She kept her gaze fixed on Arthur and Didi disappearing into the glow of the restaurant, her hood casting a deep shadow over her face.

Kara groaned, gripping both sides of her head. "Ugh, this is driving me insane!" she whispered. "Why her? Why does it always have to be someone mysterious and creepy? Couldn’t it be, I don’t know, a normal girl that I can easily track?"

Raven said nothing. She just stood there, arms folded, her lips pressed into a thin line. Her silence was almost worse than anything she could have said.

"Don’t just stand there brooding!" Kara whispered frantically. "Say something!"

Raven finally tilted her head, her voice calm, low, almost too casual. "I’m just wondering how long it will take you to admit you’re jealous."

Kara’s eyes widened, her cheeks flushing crimson. "I...what?! I’m not jealous!" she hissed, way too loud.

"Shh." Raven’s hand clamped over her mouth, eyes darting to the street below.

Arthur paused mid-step inside the restaurant, as if he felt a disturbance in the air. He glanced over his shoulder.

Both Kara and Raven froze like statues.

Arthur’s glowing violet eyes lingered on the street for a moment longer... then he turned back inside with Didi.

The two stalkers let out a breath at the same time.

"See?" Kara whispered, a little too defensively. "He didn’t see us. Totally fine."

Raven, deadpan, murmured, "You’re terrible at lying. And you know Arthur, I’m positive he already saw you coming from a mile away."

Kara paced a rooftop like an anxious cat, her boots clicking against the stone. "We can’t just stay out here all night. He’s in there, with her, doing..." she waved her arms dramatically, "...whatever mysterious dinner things people do on dates!"

Raven, arms still crossed, watched her without moving. "Or," she said flatly, "we could mind our own business and not make complete fools of ourselves."

Kara stopped pacing, turned "Are you kidding me? This is Arthur we’re talking about! He doesn’t just do things like this, we didn’t even have time for something like this. Something’s up, and I’m going to find out."

Raven tilted her head. "Going to?"

Kara’s face lit up with determination. "Yes. We’re going inside."

Raven blinked slowly, as though trying to process the sheer absurdity. "...Inside? You mean, like, through the door? and sit with the people there?"

Kara’s grin widened. "Exactly! We blend in, act normal. Just two girls grabbing dinner. Easy."

Raven stared at her, deadpan. "You do realize you’re glowing like a neon sign in that outfit, right? Nothing about you screams ’blend in.’"

Kara crossed her arms defiantly. "Obviously we need to disguise ourselves."

There was a long silence. Raven’s eyes narrowed, her lips pressing thin. "I hate everything about this idea."

"C’mon," Kara pleaded, leaning closer with a bright, almost puppy-like smile. "Please? It’ll be fun! We just... sneak in, find a table, keep an eye on them. No big deal."

Raven let out a slow, suffering sigh. For a moment, Kara thought she’d outright refuse. But then Raven muttered, "Fine."

Kara blinked. "Fine?"

"Alright Fine!" Raven repeated, her tone dripping with resignation. "But if this goes horribly wrong, I’m teleporting you into the nearest dumpster."