The Titans moved through the rubble of the Kent house, sorting through what could be salvaged and shifting what couldn't. Viktor moved the larger pieces of wall with his hands. Kory picked through the remains of the front room.
Batman waited in the corner of the yard with his arms crossed, saying nothing to anyone.
Finn and Ciri watched from the fence. They had changed into proper clothes somewhere between the fight ending and the cleanup beginning, trading the modern cuts from Solaceon for things that fit this world. Finn wore a dark travelling coat and trousers. Ciri had a fitted chainmail jacket and riding trousers that she always used.
Jonathan came to stand beside them, his eyes moving from the cleanup to the lightsaber on Finn's belt.
"A strange sword you have there," he said. "Does that come from the far east as well?"
Finn chuckled. "The less you know, the better, Jonathan."
Jonathan exhaled slowly. "Is there anyone actually normal in this place?"
"As I recall," Ciri said, "it is your choice to shelter abnormal people in your dwelling, Jonathan."
"Indeed it is." Martha had appeared at his other side, her arms folded. "Still… Honesty goes a long way, dear. We've had our suspicions, but… you two aren't really just travellers, are you?"
"We didn't lie about that part," Finn said. "That much you can trust."
Martha shook her head, smiling. "Fine. If that is what you wish." She watched Viktor set a large section of broken wall back against the frame for a moment. "Are you really going with them? You know you are going to war."
"It is what it is," Finn said. "Travelling comes with its risks."
Jonathan laughed and clapped him on the back once. "Well then. I'll leave you be. We'll go say our goodbyes to the others."
Finn nodded and the couple walked off toward the Titans.
Finn and Ciri stood at the fence in silence for a while. The cleanup continued across the yard. The broken fence posts were stacked in a pile. The flower bed where Batman had landed was a complete loss.
"We could just turn back, you know," Ciri said. "None of this is our business."
"It isn't," Finn agreed. "But this world is strange, I need to know at least some parts of it to make sense of what is going on. Besides, we need to restock. Gotham Town is the closest settlement and that's where they're headed anyway."
"You haven't told me about what's going on yet." Ciri stated.
"Right… Again, it's a long story, but I suppose we can't have a proper chat for a while after this, so I'll tell a short summary of it." Finn hummed. "The point is, this world, or at least, the characters of this world, are supposed to be in a world that mirrors my own. With similar technology, with similar way of living, with similar… everything. In fact the only thing that's different is that they have superpowered beings in their world, and my world does not. Or, at least, from what I know anyway."
"...Okay. And what is the problem that you are curious about?" Ciri asked.
"The problem is clear to see, Ciri." Finn said, raising his brow. "This world… is not similar to mine. The people inside, the important characters so to speak, are there, yes, but in a completely different world."
"So you want to find out what's causing it to be different?" Ciri asked again.
"Not really. We know that there are multiple alternate worlds out there. You've probably visited some of it." Finn said. "It's just that… I've never really found an alternate version of my world using the doors. This is the closest thing so far. So I'm going to enter people's business in this world and find out all I can. Maybe I can get some interesting things that I can take as souvenirs."
Ciri shook her head. "So we're going to enter people's business again, huh… Like how you entered my business. Like how we entered Ser Duncan's."
"Exactly." Finn smiled. "And both of those turned out fine. More or less. So it should be fine."
"More or less?" Ciri raised her brow in amusement.
Finn chuckled. "Hey, we could even settle here for a while, it seems a bit peaceful apart from the current war. Who knows?"
"You want to settle here?"
"Not permanently. Just… catching our breath a little." Finn shrugged. "These past few worlds have been an anomaly. At least for me. Usually I stay for a while. We couldn't stay in Westeros due to the plague and because it's just a depressing world in general, and we were kicked off by the Wild Hunt on the pokemon world. If there's no accident, and you don't use your power at all, we should be able to stay in this world for at least half a year. That is usually the time I get off, I have jitters if I stay for too long."
Ciri hummed, looking down on the ground.
Finn noticed this. "Do you not want to stay?"
"No, no." Ciri said quickly. "It's just that… you know…"
"Right…" Finn smiled. "You've never been able to stay for long usually. Well, now you can. Of course, we should still be alert. The Wild Hunt could still track you, just not that quickly."
Ciri smiled softly back, and nodded.
—
Beast Boy stood in the middle of the wheat field in his dragon form, wings half spread, the wheat around him pressed flat due to his weight and size. Meanwhile, the other Titans were saying their goodbyes to the Kents near the remains of the front of the house.
Finn and Ciri came up to the dragon with their bags.
"You don't mind if we join, right?" Finn asked. "Our destination is more or less the same. Gotham Town."
Beast Boy turned his head down toward them. A small puff of smoke came out with his exhale. "If we mind?" He scoffed, more fire coming out with it. "We are going to war. Do you understand what that means? Think carefully before you climb on my back."
"A couple of battles on the road seems fine," Ciri said, already assessing the best way up.
Beast Boy regarded both of them. "You two are a strange duo. Most people run the other way when there's a war."
"Are you not doing the same thing?" Ciri raised her brow at him.
"There are things at stake for us." Beast Boy shifted his weight, the ground shuddering under the movement. "Right, Raven?"
Finn turned. Raven had come up behind them, her hood up, her expression neutral.
"I watched you both fight," she said. "Your… device is interesting to say the least. You handle the sword quite well too. Something tells me you have more on your sleeve as well. You should be fine."
"Our goal is to prevent the war." Batman had appeared from behind Raven, his cowl still on. "Fighting is the last choice. Or it means we are already too late."
Raven turned slightly toward him. "The war is already declared, Prince. What exactly do you intend to do? Ask politely for the armies to stand down? After the kingdoms spent an exorbitant amount of gold mobilizing them? After monarchs have been killed?"
"The Amazonians are of sound mind, unlike the Kingdom of Storms." Batman's frown deepened. "Princess Zala has a close relationship with the Amazon royal family. A negotiation is still possible if we move quickly."
Finn raised his hand. "Do you mind explaining the politics of all this on the way? These talks are confusing me. I don't know who half these people are."
Batman looked at him for a moment, then nodded. "I will explain on the way. That much I can do."
The Titans finished their goodbyes and crossed the field one by one. Everyone settled along Beast Boy's back. Finn got himself between two ridges of scale that gave him something to hold. Ciri settled beside him, her bag across her front, one hand on the ridge ahead.
Beast Boy spread his wings fully.
The downwash flattened the wheat in a wide circle and then the ground fell away. The Kent farmstead shrank below them, the broken house visible from above. Jonathan and Martha stood together in front of it. Jonathan raised his hand once.
Beast Boy banked south and picked up speed.