Author's note: Yayyyy, here's your chapter 2! I'm glad I was able to post it in time. I have made it my goal to release at least one chapter a week, and I intend to stick with it by all cost!

… Or until I run out of idea, or lose motivation, or too lazy to lift my fingers…

Well, I'll try my best to maintain my verve. But if any of the above happens, please bear with me. :P

Anyway, enough with my rambling, let's get on with the story!

Disclaimer: Like usual, I don't own the Teen Titans. If it were otherwise, the show wouldn't remain that nice and friendly.

Chapter 2

He felt himself falling from great high. The light began fading from his sight, before getting swallowed whole in utter darkness. His body plummeted into that seemingly endless unlit ocean like a small prey falling into the ravenous mouth of a predator. He didn't know what was lurking inside this pitch-black pit, or what was awaiting him at the bottom of it. But frankly, he didn't care.

He wasn't tired, he wasn't exhausted, or drained, or fatigued, but he didn't make any attempt to struggle or to swim to the surface.

What was the point of that, anyway?

Everything important to him had all gone, and there was nothing he could do to bring him back.

Did he want such an ending like this? Of course, he didn't want, he never wanted. But what was the point of continuing living on without a single purpose? What was the point of keeping on fighting when all he ever wanted to fight for had been reduced into ash?

He truly regretted all of his foolish decisions now. But it was already too late…

Memories from before passed by his eyes, the smiling, cheerful faces of his friends, the peaceful yet happy day of staying with them, the never-ending bickers over all kinds of things that always stirred up the atmosphere of their home, they all flew through his eyes in a flash. He tried to grab them, at least one, but they had all vanished into the darkness before he could do anything.

The torturous flood of painful images went on, and on, and on, clearly visible even though there was no light here. And then, all of sudden, they all stopped, as his fall was pulled into a halt.

Right on cue, his large, wiry fingers were intertwined with somebody else's. His eyes were clenched, but he didn't need his vision to tell whose. This tender touch, these slim, almost petite fingers, he had already been so familiar with them.

"Raven!"

Her name spilled from his lips as his own hand hastily formed a strong grip around her little ones. He tried to open his eyes, desperately wanting to see the girl he cared about more than anything else. But he couldn't. It seemed that an invisible force was pushing his eyelids down and kept them in place.

"Richard, this was supposed to be my chance." Her voice slipped into his ears, as monotone as he recalled. But he could still pick up a trace of sorrow mingled between each word. "But… if anyone of us deserves to lead a new life, to start everything from all over again, it would be you."

And he was falling again, with such an unbelievable speed that his skin felt as if it was about to tear up. Still, in the distance, he could still make out her voice even though the fall had somewhat numbed his ears.

"This is my last gift to you, Richard. Use it well."

"Goodbye, and take care."

Her voice slowly grew faint as the last words seemed to have dissipated in thin air, like the darkness had finally devoured her whole. Panic overwhelmed his heart as fear took over his body. Before he even realized, his eyes had flew wide opened and his arm stretched out completely as though to somehow grab her and pulled her back to him.

He had expected his vision to be drowned in pure darkness like before. However, as contrary to his thought, a lucid white light pierce through his sight, so vivid that his eyes started aching. Grimacing, he narrowed them, trying to adjust to the unpredicted situation.

All the shocks he had went through in his rough life combine couldn't even compare to what spread on his face the moment he opened his eyes and properly took in his surroundings.

He was currently sprawling on the tiled floor of a bathroom. From the look of everything from his view, he must be near the entrance. But that was not the thing that struck him dumfounded. With his eyes widened and his mouth agape in pure stupefaction, he found himself staring at the bathtub with pink curtain fell down all over it, which made it completely stand out from the black and white shade of the room.

That was an unusual combination, if not utterly weird and almost hurt the eyes to look at. He remembered the heated arguments that went on between them as they tried to persuade the bubbly alien to pick something that went well with the others, only to give up in defeat as she started delivering a speech about her own customs with all kinds of words cannot be found in any human dictionary.

He switched his gaze to the mirror, where a range of toothbrushes lied in neat arrangement. And his breath came out in a shaky gasp as he realized the shape and color of each. Red was his, green was Beast Boy's, blue was Cyborg's, pink belong to Starfie, and the purple on the corner was Raven's.

What was this supposed to mean?

Wasn't he died already?

Weren't they all gone already?

How did he end up here after falling down from a building? Was this just a vision before death truly took him?

He tried to sit up straight, only to groan in pain as a wave of agony shot through his head. But it didn't feel like the type of unbearable anguish one had to go through after falling from great high. It felt more like a bump after falling and hit your head against the floor.

Perplexed and confused with all kinds of questions swarming in his head, he raised a gloved hand, slightly rubbing the back of his head, trying to ease the throbbing ache lingered there.

Wait, something wasn't right.

Glove?

He had stopped wearing gloves for ages!

A thought ran through his head, something that was so far-fetched and surreal that it seemed like nothing but a delusion. But he still rushed over the mirror only a few steps a way to take a good look at himself. And had it not been for his hands gripping the sink underneath so tightly, the utter shock overtaken his head might have already turned his feet into jelly and knocked him on the floor again.

Reflected in the glass of the mirror, as clear as daily, was a boy in a colorful uniform with red shirt, green pants, and a black cape. The domino masks that he had long casted aside were encompassing his vibrant blue eyes again. And the jet-black hair that had already reached his back was now neatly shaped into spikes.

He was looking at Robin – the identity he deserted when that fateful day struck.

"H…How?" Nightwing, now again Robin, couldn't help but letting out a gasp filled with astonishment, his fingers shook in disbelief as he touched his much younger face. It felt so… real… Nothing alike a dream at the dying moment at all… And obviously not a vague vision before stepping through the line between life and death.

Did… did he actually return in time?

But… how…how could that be? It didn't make any sense now…

It wasn't that he didn't want to go back and repair everything, but… This just simply… unbelievable! This wasn't a movie or comic.

Suddenly, something clicked in his mind. Raven… She had told him that this was a chance for him to go back, for him to lead a new life… He could still remember the warmth of her touch as she grasped his hand…

Raven… Did she truly bring him back here?

A sharp knock on the door brought Robin back to reality. He wiped his head there, still couldn't think straight due to all the entwined knots between his trains of thoughts. Then, from outside of the door came voices that he never thought he could hear again.

"Friend Robin, are you the okay? You have locked yourself inside the room of bathing for a long while."

"Dude, it has been like 30 minutes. You're sure you're okay in there?"

"C'mon, just let him be. It isn't exactly an easy time for him. Maybe the guy just need some time alone."

No way…

Before he even realized it, Robin had already sprung toward the door. His heart was slamming frantically against his ribcage like thunder. Something inside him, a part that he thought to have crumbled down long ago, suddenly stirred and awoke, then a strange state of agitation began setting in within the deepest part of him. His fingers hastily fumbled with the knob, and then eventually managed to jerk the door opened.

Standing before his very eyes, right in the flesh, were three members of his team, all alive and apparently in good shapes. They sent him looks of worry, obviously startled by the total shock and disbelief spreading all over his face. But he didn't care. They were here, right here. His friends, his family was still alive. They were alive, they were in no harm. They were standing right before him now, not lying on the floor in their own pools of blood…

Robin couldn't believe in what he saw anymore. He blinked a few times, as if to make sure that none of this was a just mere illusion. With a shaky breath, his dry lips parted as the words finally managed to make their ways out.

"Starfire? Cyborg? Beast Boy? You're all… okay?"

The three Titans exchanged a look of confusion mingling with concern, obviously puzzled by his unusual questions.

"Yeah, we're fine. But why…?"

That was all they managed to say before gasping in pure surprise as something they never expected to happen even in their dreams took place. Their stoic, serious, calm-and-collected leader suddenly dashed forward and wrapped his arms around them! Of course he couldn't fully embrace three people at the same time, but they still found themselves frozen in the spot.

"Dude… What's with this? You're starting to freak me out!"

"Yes, friend Robin. What is the meaning of this sudden behavior?"

Robin knew he was going out of character, but he didn't care. This was the first time he got to see his friends alive and breathing after God knew how long. And this wasn't an illusion, or a trick of his mind. They were here, and they were real. Robin couldn't help but feeling a big smile brighten the lower half of his face as solace and pure bliss began setting in him.

He still didn't truly get his finger on how he managed to get back here. But that didn't matter anymore.

"N… nothing, I'm just glad to see that you're still all right." He released his friends, his words came out in a whisper as he was still overwhelmed by joy. Everything important to him was here right before his eyes once more…

"What? Of course we're okay! Why're you sounding like something bad was supposed to happen to us?"

Robin heard that, but he didn't bother to answer. His eyes darted around as he tried to search for the last member of their team. Wasn't she supposed to be here with them? Maybe that she was still in her room, she didn't truly like the idea of crowding up anyway.

"Guys, where's Raven?"

The Boy Wonder asked with alacrity, didn't even bother to hide the happiness linger in his voice as his smile turned even brighter. He would get to see her again. He couldn't even believe that he would get to see her again. But his glee soon languished as his masked eyes picked up the grim and somber expression that gradually replaced the daze they were in.

No, no, it couldn't be…

His smile withered as his heart ran cold. All the joy had just bloomed within him died out without a trace.

"Raven… is in police's custody. That case… You know… It didn't go well for her. Man, what's with you today? Why suddenly…"

Cyborg was the one who replied. But his words could only reach that far as another unexpected thing occurred. Robin suddenly went into an exceedingly agitated state and grabbed the half-robot by the neck before pulling him down until their eyes met! Completely caught off guard, the only thing Cyborg was able to do was to let out a loud yelp as he was forced to come to face with his leader.

"Yo, Rob, take it easy! Are you out of your freaking mind?"

"When… No… Today, which date is it?"

Robin was panting heavily as his grip on the half-robot tightened. His voice was so urgent and filled with so much panic that he almost looked like an insane person.

"Whoa, whoa, Robin, chill! Just calm down! What has gotten into you?"

"Which. Date. Is. It? Just tell me already!" Robin gnashed his teeth together as his face inched closer and closer to Cyborg's every second passed by. His noses flared and his expression twisted in intense exasperation as he almost spat out the last words right in the half-robot face. He looked exactly like an animal which was about to tear his prey into pieces! Had it not been for him being used to see that kind of look on the battle, Cyborg might have already been scared senseless by now.

"It's June 14th , for Jesus's sake! Now take your hands off me!"

Cyborg gave a hard shake, and Robin's hands dropped from his neck. The half-robot took a few deep breaths as an attempt to calm himself down before shooting his leader a heated look, obviously ticked off by the Boy Wonder's sudden outburst.

Robin paid no mind to the utter shock filling Beast Boy and Starfire's expression as well as the anger radiating from Cyborg. His mind was so occupying with all kinds of thoughts that he couldn't care about any other thing even if he wanted to. His emotions were so chaotic now, they went from fear to panic, escalating to fright before dropping down to relief, then stood at apprehension for a while before taking on a wild ride again.

If he was still the old Boy Wonder, maybe it would take him a whole hour to fully take in everything and put on a straight face. But he was Nightwing now, intense situations were no longer something strange for him, so it only took him a minute to suppress his uncontrollable mind and regained composure.

"Man, what's the matter with you? Did you fall and bang your head or…"

"Sorry about that. No time to talk right now. I'll be in my office, don't bother me if nothing serious takes place."

Leaving behind a short and sharp line, Robin simply turned and walked away from the trio. His face was blank and void of any emotion. Nobody could have thought that he and the one who caused all the commotion from earlier was the same person!

As their leader turned around a corner at the end of the hallway and disappeared from their sight, the other Titans were left dumbfounded in their spots. They looked at each other, perplexed and disconcerted with what just happened. They knew the team was going through a difficult phrase and he might be pent-up a bit, but they never could have thought that he would throw a tantrum like that.

"Maybe he really fell in the toilet and smashed his head against the floor after all."

Beast Boy whispered, as if trying to lighten the mood. The other two said nothing. They just stood and looked down the hallway in silence even when Robin was no longer there.

They didn't know why, but they could tell that their leader wasn't the same anymore.

The three exchanged a glance of worry and let out a long sigh.

Somehow, they all had a feeling that sooner or later, their life would take a massive turn. But they couldn't tell whether it was for the better or just for the worse.

oOo

The room was the same as what was pulled out from his memory, Robin thought nonchalantly as he darted his eyes around his surroundings. A lot of things about his past had already run vague, but never this T-shaped Tower. Robin's eyesight felt on the familiar desk whose surface was piled on top by so much paper and gadget that it could no longer be seen. The tip of his steeled-soled shoes tapped against the floor, but rather than picking up a metallic sound, all he could hear was papers rustling against each other. The thin line that made of his lips couldn't help but curling upward a bit.

His home. His beloved home. He could finally get to live in his home again.

But that little happy smile soon vanished as all the information he had received began setting in.

Spinning a birdarang between his fingers, Robin leaned his head on the other hand with a lazy guise, watching the red object as it journeyed between his fingers. Still, underneath the mask, his vibrant blue orbs was cold, deadly cold, as if just one look and they could freeze a person right in their spot. A cruel glint glimmered in his glance, vague at first, but got sharper and sharper as he started to finally piece everything in his mind together.

June 14th, huh? So it was two week after Raven was taken away from them and held behind bars. He didn't keep track on the time as those rough days passed by, but never could he forget the day marking the beginning of the devastation which would soon befall them all.

Look like he had returned to his 19-year-old days again.

A wistful glint lingered in his orbs and his lips tightened into a thin line as her last words resounded in his mind, as loud and clearly as though she had just directly whispered them into his ears seconds ago. He didn't truly understand why she could send him back even when her power was stripped from her, or why she could grasp his hand when she could no longer move. But that just wasn't mattered.

All he cared about was that he had been able to come back.

She had given him a chance to return, even when she could take it and lead a beautiful life again. She could easily be the one who fix everything and save them all. Yet, she refused that very opportunity and passed it to him.

She had always like that, always thought of what important to her first before anything else. Back there, she put the city, the team and the heroic duty on top of everything. And when everything had crumbled, when they were the only ones left, when there was nothing forcing her to be the role model anymore, she still refused to act selfish.

Because that was who she was. That was her nature. Despite having been brought up to be distant and reclusive and void up emotion, she was truly good at heart. She might appear to be cold and uncaring, but deep down inside, she was always a compassionate girl who would do everything to keep her loved ones safe.

She had done everything for him.

So, this time, it was his turn to do everything for her. Not just her, there was his team, his friends, his family, he would do everything for them, even if it cost him this very life!

Robin took a glance at the birdarang circling between his thumb and index fingers. The red shade danced on his fingers, over and over and over and over, resembling the color of fresh blood. His masked eyes glued into the scene, never moving from the gadget even just a bit.

He could still remember his vow at the final moment of his last life. And he intended to stick with it no matter what.

All he used to want was to be a hero, to stand tall in front of everyone, to become the good example for every citizen, someone that people would look after, someone that they could trust to keep them safe and sound, and to keep the harm away from them no matter day or night. Back there, his eyes could only see two distinguished color black and white, and definitely no in-between.

But who could have thought that everything he worked so hard to achieve, everything he believed in would turn out to be just a delicate façade that could shatter every moment.

His city resented him, his beloved citizen killed his friends, the ones who were supposed to be on his side looked down on him with a contemptuous grin, slandered and degraded the girl he loved, and pushed them all to Hell.

Somebody used to tell him that human were the most deadliest and most treacherous creatures. One moment they could still smile happily with you, but the next moment they could have already stab you in the back and kick you down on to the ground. Back there, he thought of those words as nothing but nonsense. Just looked at who he worked so hard to protect, looked at the way they respect and admire his team. How could they possibly turn out to be like that?

Apparently, he was wrong. Evil and innocent, one way or another, were all the same. The only difference was that one of them got to live in such good condition that their nature had no chance to come out, while one, on the other hand, was not.

You either died a hero, or lived long enough to see yourself become the villain, never have he thought he would believe in such a thing.

Turn out, in the end, the only ones who were at lost would be those choosing to walk down this heroic path. Maybe there had been somebody like that defending him and his team at their last moment, but then also got taken down by that vicious crowd.

Now that he had seen the truth, and got the chance to restart everything, he wouldn't make that mistake twice!

Anyone who stood by his side, who cared about him, who always supported him, he would protect them all. And as for those who tried to destroy them, he would make them pay. And unlike that boy of integrity he once was, this time, he didn't mind spilling blood!

Robin's mind drifted back to the incidents that would take place after today. His eyes darkened and he took a glance at the clock nearby. It was 9 in the morning. The birdarang in his fingers came to a halt as he pulled himself into a straighter sitting position. If today was 14th, then tomorrow would be the day they transported Raven away…

Not on his watch!

His thoughts started running as he dug through his head for more memories that had long lied locked up in the deepest part of mind. It was about 10:00 pm when she was escorted onto the transport vehicle. This meant he got about a day.

Now, he couldn't just go and get her out. As simple as it may sound, it was just simply too risky and dangerous. Aside from the fact that she had been locked up in the most secure sector, doing that would probably land them in grave danger since the ones framing her must have already seen that coming. They might even look forward to seeing him do so. Maybe they had even set a trap there, he couldn't be so careless, otherwise, they all would be as good as dead.

Robin thought as he walked down the memory lane, trying to spot something useful along the way. Suddenly his eyes widened as he remembered an important detail. The vehicle that they put her in came with a quite distinctive plate number, and he could still recall it even after all these years.

If he went to the police station and secretly fix a mini tracker device onto that vehicle, he would have been able to tail it and get her out with ease!

The Boy Wonder stood up with alacrity, knocking his chair onto the floor with a loud 'Clang' along the way. Paying no mind to it, he hastily dashed toward the door. Time was running out, he couldn't waste it anymore.

If he failed this time, his Raven would again be dragged into that Hell hole, and his team would again be devastated. Torturous memories flashed through his mind, and Robin gnashed his teeth together as fury began building within him. There was no way he let such a thing happen all over again!

This time, he would make sure those bastards get what they deserved.

He would pull them through a fate even worse than Hell itself!

Still, as the door slid opened, Robin found himself face to face with a sullen Starfire who had her fist raised in the air, apparently about to knock on his door. His brows furrowed. Starfire was well-known for bothering him even when he told her not to countless times. But as he remembered, after Raven was taken into police custody, the alien princess had always been brooding over it and locked herself in her room, only came out to grab food or to fight crime, or if one of them appeared to be in danger.

But the alarm didn't even come off, he didn't even hear any scream, and this was no time for breakfast or lunch either.

"Robin, it is the mayor. He wants to speak to us about the case of Raven."

Starfire spoke softly, her eyes flickered as her voice almost cracked as she said the last word. Robin saw it all, and couldn't help but letting out a soft sigh as a stab of sadness pierced through him. The two of them had always been close despite having almost nothing alike. It must be really hard for the bubbly alien to accept that her best friend could no longer return, and had to face a sentence that might last for eternity.

"You're okay?" The question spilled from his lips as he eyed her in a concerned manner. He didn't just ask because he felt like he needed to. He was truly worried for her. She was one of his important friends after all, and he had sworn to keep all of them safe and contented no matter what.

"Yes, friend Robin. I am the okay." The red-headed alien nodded firmly, but he could still catch sight of her pure emerald orbs quiver. "I should be asking you the same." She changed the subject, forcing a wry smile on her lips: "Are you doing well lately? You seemed a bit unordinary this morning, and we're all very worried."

"Yes, I'm fine." The Boy Wonder replied without hesitation. He pursed his lips, before adding: "Raven will be all right too, you know. Don't worry."

"I… I know. Friend Raven could not perform such a cruel action, she… she just could not…" Starfire bit his lips, unable to uphold the shield that wrapped around her emotions anymore. Her trembled fingers drifted to a lock of hair that fell down from her forehead a clenched it tightly as tears started brimming in her big, startled green eyes.

Robin could tell that she was trying to convince herself more than just telling that to him. His fingers tightened into a fist as he tried his best to put on a steadfast expression. Without her here, his family was slowly falling apart…

He had to get her back by all costs!

"She didn't, Star. You know Raven. Someone is trying to frame her, and we'll find out who they are." He stopped for a while, grabbing the alien's shoulder as he eyes looked straight into hers: "We are all she has now. We have to have faith in her no matter what, and more than that, we have to stay strong for her."

Starfire didn't say anything, she just nodded her head firmly and swipe the back of her hand across her eyes to clean away the tears that lingered. Robin patted her shoulders slightly. This might not be much, but at least it could give her some hope, and kept her trust in Raven's innocence intact.

"Hey, did you say the mayor is here?" Robin suddenly asked, his voice turned from comforting to icy cold so quickly that Starfire almost froze in utter shock. The Boy Wonder glanced at his friend, realizing what he had done and immediately tried to keep his emotions at bay. His expression went neutral again, but beneath the masks, his vibrant blue orbs were pent up with so much rage that it could burn somebody alive in an instance!

"Yes, Robin, he wishes to see us and talk about friend Raven." Starfire nodded, sending a glance at his feature but saw nothing unusual. Robin pretended not to see the look she was giving him and just simply flashed her a soft smile:

"Come on, let's not keep him waiting."

Starfire tried to pick up something abnormal in his way of talking, but she got nothing. Maybe she just misheard it last time. Shrugging her shoulders, the girl then walked down on the hall way, Robin followed her closely.

Mr. Mayor, huh?

Such a familiar name. So familiar that even in death he couldn't forget!

Behind the masks, Robin's rage had died out a bit, but still remained an ablaze fire dancing in the depth of his blue orbs. He remembered it now. Back there, before the night Raven was sent away, the mayor did come to the Tower once. It seemed that he just wanted to share their pain, and expressed the most sincere condole.

Now that he thought of it, condoling was just a mere excuse. Rubbing the salt in the wounds and watching them suffer must be the real reason behind this "friendly visit".

How come he knew?

Well, of course he knew! If it hadn't been for that, why must he snap that bastard's neck right on the filthy floor years after?

Finally, after millions and millions and millions of times torturing that very man to Death using every method possible in his mind, Robin managed to come to his senses. He couldn't show that he was feeling down, that would only delight that bastard even further. And now wasn't the right time to finish him off yet. He had to save Raven first, everything else came later.

But this didn't mean he would let that son of a bitch walk out of here pleased and happy.

Robin's lips curled up into a wicked smirk as a cunning glint flashed across his squinted blue orbs.

If he couldn't go in for the kill now, he could at least give a warning shot.

After all, it would be such a waste to let the prey slip away with ease, especially when they have brought themselves right at his very door!

Author's note: A cliff hanger, Hah Hah Hah! I know I'm evil! Now, nobody will get to know what happens next, nobody but me! Muahahahha!

Ahem… Well, what do you think of this chapter, is it good or what? I know that Raven is not featured here, but don't worry, they'll reunite soon.

Anyway, thank you for all the reviews and follows and favorites. I'm really happy that you like this idea. And somebody did ask me whether I will include the Bat family or characters from other comics (sorry for forgetting your username :P). I want to, but I will have to research a bit. DC comics are not popular in my country, and I have barely read any.

That's it, until next time! And don't forget to leave a review!

Love you all

.Red