"Oh, who knew getting a motorcycle license was that easy," Alex said lightly, staring down at the new license in his hand. It felt almost strange to already have it, considering it had only been three days since he'd bought the dirt bike. He had expected it to take longer, maybe weeks of waiting and endless back-and-forth, but the whole process had been quick and painless. Now it was just another card to keep with him, another thing he had to carry around with the rest of his IDs. Still, it marked a step forward, and Alex wasn't the type to waste time once he set his mind on something.
After slipping the license into his pocket, he headed straight for his truck. Climbing in, he rested for a moment before starting the engine. The plan was to go home, but halfway through the drive he reconsidered. His stomach reminded him he hadn't thought about food, and the thought of cooking didn't appeal to him, so why not save the trouble? He decided on making a quick stop at a small Indian restaurant he had passed before.
The smell of rich spices greeted him immediately as he stepped inside, heavy in the air and filling the space with warmth. He scanned the restaurant casually, expecting nothing unusual—only for his steps to falter. His eyes landed on a familiar face. Sitting at a corner table, was the old man who had helped him change his flat tire just a few days ago.
Alex froze for a moment, caught between pretending not to notice or acknowledging him. A part of him thought about just ordering his food and leaving quietly. But in the end, he straightened, his steps carrying him forward until he finally stood before the old man.
"I didn't expect to see you here," Alex said with a smile, his words carrying a light tone as he stepped closer. The old man's eyes widened for a second upon seeing him,
"What a shock, you look a hundred times better than the last time we met," the old man said with a stunned look, his voice matching the surprise on his face. Slowly, the expression shifted, the disbelief easing away as it turned into a smile.
t's all thanks to you. I honestly might still be in my feelings if not for your words of wisdom. Allow me to pay for your meal as a thank you," Alex said sincerely, his tone relax as he gestured toward the table.
The old man waved his hand dismissively and motioned for Alex to sit down instead. "You don't need to do such a thing," he replied calmly. Then his eyes shifted, catching sight through the window. "Oh… is that a dirt bike?" he asked, noticing the pickup truck parked outside with the dirt bike secured in the back.
"Yes. A friend convinced me to get it. I just spent the past few days getting used to it, and today I finally got my motorcycle license," Alex said with a smile, his tone carrying a note of quiet pride.
"What? That is impressive, and worth celebrating. Order anything you want—on me," the old man said happily.
Alex quickly shook his head, refusing the offer before the words had even finished leaving the man's mouth.
"You already did enough for me, a stranger… and I never even got your name. You don't even know my name. I'm Alex," he said, finally introducing himself properly.
"Call me Zeon," the old man replied with a small nod. He extended his hand across the table, and Alex reached out, grasping it firmly as the two shook hands.
"It's luck that we get to meet. I rarely have the time for moments like this," Zeon said with a smile.
"Rarely? You must work hard," Alex replied, his words carrying a hint of realization. From the way Zeon spoke, it was clear Alex thought the man had to be wealthy.
The man laughed lightly, amused by Alex's choice of words and the meaning behind them.
"I am a luxury watch retailer. I make the best and some of the world's most expensive watches," he said with a smile.
"I don't know much about that field," Alex admitted, "but I do know luxury watches are expensive because of the complex gears, the choice of metals, the attention to detail… and some are rare, made in limited quantities."
"You know your stuff. Have you ever tried to get into the watchmaking business? I could hire you. I'm always in need of manpower, and I would even teach you personally," he said with a playful smile, clearly not expecting Alex to take the offer seriously.
"I already have a job… but I do need the money," Alex admitted. "So could I work part-time? I'm a quick learner." He smiled as he spoke, leaving Zeon to pause for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.
"Okay, just know I'm a busy man. Every second I spend away from designing a masterpiece is money I'm losing," he said softly.
"Shouldn't it be money you're making?" Alex asked, leaving the old man momentarily confused by what he meant.
"I imagine an artist who hasn't painted anything in a long time would draw a lot of attention the moment he released a new piece of art, right? Shouldn't that be the same for you?" Alex continued, and Zeon paused, considering the thought carefully.
"You have a point," Zeon said lightly.
"And if your next work had a story behind it—like you traveled the world and found inspiration at the beach in Hawaii—people would understand, wouldn't they?" Alex asked with a smile.
The old man laughed at that, the sound carrying a trace of disbelief. "You're trying to get me to take a vacation? I haven't taken one, not even for a single day, ever since my wife left. My work has been everything to me." He said it with a smile, though the weight behind the words made Alex putty the old man.
"But working all the time without rest could lead to a loss of creative ideas. Take a week or two—or even a month—off without doing anything. Let the audience hunger for the next release, let them cry out for it. Make them wonder if you've given up completely, only to shock them when you finally release something again," Alex said with a smile.
Zeon sighed softly, ready to respond, but before he could speak, his eyes suddenly went blank. In fact, it wasn't just him—everyone in the restaurant froze. The flames being used to cook stilled in place, flickering no more, and those walking stopped mid-step, their faces turning lifeless and vacant.
The sight left Alex stunned, confusion gripping him. "Hey, are you alright?" he asked quickly, waving a hand in front of the old man's face. For a split second, he thought maybe years of nonstop work had finally killed him. But as his gaze swept across the room, he realized it wasn't just Zeon—every single person was trapped in the same condition.
"They're alright. I just didn't want them to see me walking up to you and causing problems for you," Zatanna said as she approached Alex frown behind, causing Alex to turn sharply to look at her..
Alex frowned the moment he saw her, his expression tightening.
"I won't bother you for long," she continued quickly. "This might even be the last time you see me. But I need your help to find Raven. After she attacked Sarah, she vanished. And on top of that…" her voice dropped slightly, "…we've discovered Trigon is alive."
Alex's eyes widened, the words catching him off guard. The part about Raven troubled him, but it was the mention of Trigon that truly left him stunned since this was the first time he came across something like this..
"We believe that at this point, Trigon would have an easy time controlling her after the breakup. I don't know what happened between the two of you, but right now, I have to do everything in my power to find Raven—even if it means standing here and facing you," she said softly.
Her words lingered in the air, leaving Alex in a heavy pause. For a long moment, he said nothing, his gaze drifting away from her and settling on his truck parked outside.
"I have no idea how you expect me to help you," Alex said at last, his tone low. "I don't have powers, I don't have anything like that."
It was a rejection, plain and simple. To help her would mean being pulled into that life—the kind of life he had no desire to be a part of, plus he didn't want to see Raven.
"I know you're aware that many people already know who you are. I understand that you don't want to use your power—I get all of that. But Raven can't be left alone. She can't go through the pain of a breakup on her own," Zatanna said softly, her words laced with urgency.
"I don't know what you want from me," Alex replied, his voice low, "but I'm just a normal person. I'm not one of you super people. Leave me alone."
Zatanna's eyes lingered on him for a long moment, searching for any crack in his resolve. But there was none. At last, she drew back slightly, her silence carrying the weight of quiet surrender.
"A normal life is all that you want… until it inconveniences you?" she asked softly, her eyes carrying nothing but disappointment. She was hinting towards the matter with Trigion, how he had killed him. She didn't wait for his reply. Instead, she simply turned and walked away, and with her departure, time returned to its normal flow.
Alex ignored her parting words, though they lingered in his mind and stung more than he wanted to admit. Still, he pushed the matter aside, burying it in the back of his thoughts, and turned his focus back to Zeon. The old man had an interacting name, almost sounding like it had been destined for his role as a watchmaker.
Meanwhile, Zatanna was left to continue her search. She needed another way to track Raven down, and it wasn't long before she sensed it—an ominous gateway to hell opening somewhere close by. Without hesitation, she teleported to its location.
What she found made her heart tighten. From the burning threshold of the gateway, Raven was crawling out, her body weakened and her eyes filled with tears. Zatanna rushed forward at once, calling out to her, but the sight of Raven's broken state left her words faltering.
"What happened?" Zatanna asked in a panic.
"Alex… he saved me, even after I betrayed him," Raven said softly.
Thanks to Sarah, her father had been able to take control of her. After Sarah barely escaped death, Trigon abandoned Earth and returned to hell, using Raven's body as a vessel to regain his strength. But out of nowhere, Trigon died once again—and it wasn't difficult to guess who had been responsible. Yet it hadn't only been Trigon who fell. The sea of demons that surrounded her had also been slain, their bodies dropping to the ground like puppets with their strings cut in the aftermath.
Still, not all of the demons had been destroyed, forcing Raven to fight her way out. She had to slaughter the survivors while creating a portal to earth, her strength dwindling with every kill. Crawling back to Earth had drained her completely, leaving her exhausted and broken.
And through it all, the knowledge that Alex had been the one to save her cut deepest. After everything she had done to him, it was almost too much to bear.
"Let's keep the matter of him killing Trigon between us," Zatanna said softly, her voice low as she sighed, sending a brief but grateful glance in Alex's direction.
Raven, of course, agreed. After hearing how Alex had reacted when Zatanna first for his help, she understood it was better this way. With that settled, she returned to Titan Tower, where she immediately locked herself inside her room, shutting out the world.
***
"You're so nice, and here I was thinking you were a cruel man."
Alex, who had been running home instead of driving home, froze at the sudden voice. His brow furrowed as he turned toward it. Standing there was a pink-haired Indian woman, watching him calmly, a faint, knowing smile resting on her lips.
"Who are you?" Alex asked with a frown. Her words, vague but pointed, clearly tied back to the whole Raven situation. The way she spoke made her sound like a villain, and from the tone alone, Alex guessed she was most likely involved with magic or something similar.
"I'm Aline Haiden," she said smoothly. "And I think we would work perfectly together. I want to bring you good luck, and in return, I want your protection."
Her smile widened as she spoke, but Alex's frown only deepened at her words.
"Let me explain," Aline began. "My magic allows me to give people bad luck. I can make it so that anyone who tries to bother you ends up suffering misfortune, which would ensure you never need to use your powers. That means you could go the rest of your life without ever having to reveal or rely on them. And if that's not enough, I could even teach you how to do it yourself—so you wouldn't have to keep me around if you didn't want to."
"What do you want in return for that?" Alex asked, the idea admittedly sounding appealing.
"Well…" she said softly, a faint blush coloring her cheeks, "…let's date. Become my boyfriend."
"No. I just got out of a relationship," Alex said without hesitation. "The last thing I need right now is to start dating anyone."
"I know," Aline replied quickly, her smile never fading. "But that's fine. Just use me as a rebound relationship."