The knock grew louder and more forceful. Every loud bang rattled her eardrums and made her jump slightly, nerves still overtaxed.

"Yo Rae, I brought you some breakfast." A pause. "Okay, I won't bother you. I'll just leave the tray out here…ummm. Glad to see you're using the hot tub. Might help you sleep." Cyborg added.

Raven jumped at the clanging metallic sound of his heavy footsteps as they faded down the hallway. Was it all a dream? Or did it actually happen? Raven swept her eyes across the room slowly looking for some kind of clue as to what was happening. Was she dreaming right now? The dreams and especially the nightmares felt so real…she couldn't wake up even when she was able to consciously discern that it was in fact a dream. What was happening? Was there anything that was out of place or odd? Was something different somehow?

Things certainly looked normal, Cyborg brought her breakfast. So far so good. Raven's eyes drifted to her mirror. Did she dare…? Moving slowly, Raven cautiously took small measured steps toward the glass. Raven wobbled slight as she approached it. No…no she couldn't do it. It was far too terrifying. Going to her closet, Raven removed a fluffy gray blanket and tossed it over the mirror making sure to completely cover the glass. She plucked a book off of her shelf and collapsed into her bed. Raven ignored the food outside the door; she had no appetite.

Raven awoke in a room that was sparely lit and contained several examination tables. The infirmary again? Raven gritted her teeth. However in surveying the place more closely, it was more like a church. A church with several tables lining the walls. The floors were elegant white marble but extremely old. Tall columns loomed like giant sentinels over her. White candles dripped onto heaping mountains of wax indicating that this place was old. But what really scared her were the large tables draped with white linen. Each one had a red sheet covering something huge. She began intently gazing at them wondering what could possibly be underneath that was so giant.

"Raven, so good to see you again."

That voice…

Slade!

Sure enough there stood the masked man, now absent the blood red mark of Scath that had emblazoned his forehead. He was real and he was here! Whether in her nightmares or if it was in real life…Raven wasn't sure anymore, but she knew one thing. She HAD to fight.

"Back off Slade or I'll send you right back to whatever hell pit you crawled out of!" Her voice took on a slightly growl-like demonic undertone.

"Raven, you don't need to send me back to hell." He stated calmly making his way over to her with his hands clasped behind his back in that off-putting slightly cocky manner that irritated her to no end.

"I will!"

"Don't you see? You're already in hell!" With that he used his arm to hit an area near her neck that sent her collapsing to the floor. "Such a weakling you've become." Slade said calmly. "I'm very disappointed in you Raven. Very."

Grapsing her shoulder, Raven shakily got to her feet. "You should be the one who's disappointed Slade, if this is hell, then you're on my turf." So saying Raven swung her hands and picked up Slade with her magic. She sent him careening into a candelabra impaling him on the metal spikes holding the candles in place.

Raven took the momentary stoppage of battle and pulled up her hood. Slade extricated himself from the candelabra and made his way over to her again. "Really now Raven is that all you've got?"

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven sent a flurry of candelabras at him sharp metal points poised to do maximum damage. Slade ducked, dodged and darted out of the way of every single one. Raven beginning to grow more angry, sent the chandelier crashing down on top of him. That hit its mark. The orange and black clad man groaned as he was struck by the heavy metal object. Raven watched horrified to see him come out from under it. Moving her magic, Raven picked up the sheets and wound them around Slade. He choked as she lost her cool and let the fabric coil around his neck. She watched as he went wide eyed. Finally at releasing her magic. Raven finally spotted what was under the sheets. The disgusting, blubbery, waxy masses were those of her friends. Bloated, disfigured and hideous forms consumed her vision. She slowly backed up as their bloodshot pained eyes seemed to follow her all around the room.

CLANG!

What was it? What happened? Raven swiveled her head furiously to find she'd backed into a piece of a broken column and it had inured her shoulder. Why was this happening? What caused this? Was it even real?

Slade had gotten up and extended his hand out towards her. A force slammed into Raven causing her head to snap back violently.

A pain soared through her shoulder. It throbbed uncomfortably. Her jaw was tight and even her teeth ached. Raven was leaning up against something sharp. Blinking several times to adjust her eyes to the darkness, she looked up and saw a glass case above her. Eyeless faces and masks gave off a creepy vibe. Slade's mask lay in a corner, still just as menacing as before when there was that one eye glaring out from it. An eye that looked on the world with equal parts contempt and visionary. Contempt for the world and everybody in it and visionary…seeing all the chaos, destruction and death that could, as he saw it, right the world and mankind. She shuddered lightly, he was a deranged madman and never really had any particular reason for what he did. She had concluded that he was trying to make someone or something pay for something.

Raven tore her eyes away from the mask and peered around again. Where was she? The basement again? No, not the basement…the evidence room. A quick sweep of the area confirmed her suspicions. There were various glass cases with weapons, detonators and personal items that the Titans had confiscated from villains. The evidence room was enshrouded in that same blackness the night when she and the rest of the Titans had come in chasing the monsters that her powers manifested. She shook and swept her eyes about the room. Of all the things to think about…

Voice floated towards her down the corridor. Uh-oh was someone coming to log something in? Raven didn't take the time to consider it again as she put a hand on her aching shoulder and teleported to her room. It was already daylight and based on the brightness, it was likely sometime in the afternoon. Another knock same at the door, jarring her senses. Raven bit her lip to keep from crying out.

"Raven, I don't know what's been going on with you lately, but I just wanted to remind you that you're not alone. We're here for you…I'm here for you."

Beast Boy paused a moment outside the door. His ears perked up at listening for the slightest movement inside. Nothing. Nothing but a death like silence had come from that room for the past few days. Although Beast Boy had seen Raven lose it a few days ago, he knew better than to go poking around where he wasn't welcome. As those few moments passed, an eerie silence settled around him.

With a sigh Beast Boy shuffled back towards the common room where the rest of the Titans were animatedly eating and drinking. Beast Boy sat down and poked at his fries. All of a sudden his appetite had significantly diminished.

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"Robin I need to talk to you." Beast Boy said a hard edge to his voice. Cyborg and Starfire, perhaps sensing something that they were not privy to, made there way out and not a second after the doors swooshed closed Beast Boy spoke. "Look I know that you've had a hard time since breaking up with Star."

Robin ground his teeth. "How did you- ?"

"Its no mystery. You guys have been avoiding each other for weeks." Beast Boy gestured towards the door. "Look Rob, I get that you need time to mourn but c'mon man! You've been mourning this relationship longer than it has been going on!" He took a breath to calm down his rising voice. "You told Raven she was the most hopeful person in the world, but lately, she's been so down. I tried to talk to her and she won't even listen to me. You have to do something!" His voice rose angrily again.

"Listen Beast Boy-"

"No Robin, I care about Raven and I know you do too! You were her source of hope! You went to hell and back for her with your sworn enemy when Trigon took over the world! You've been ignoring her now! I don't know what you've been doing, but she needs you!" Robin didn't meet his eyes. "Cyborg, Starfire and me haven't gotten a peep out of her. You're her closest friend. You're the only one who hasn't tried to talk to her!"

Robin opened his mouth to retort before closing it again and lowering his gaze. "I'll go talk to her." He stated determinedly striding past Beast Boy and into the hall.

Robin found that each step he took towards Raven's room made his guilt raise higher and higher until he was practically drowning in it. He'd noticed Raven's erratic behavior, and had been relatively ignorant of it. Its not like he meant to, there were things going on with him too. Beast Boy was right however, even if she wouldn't talk to anybody else, it was likely she'd talk to him. After all, that had been the case every other time.

So why wasn't she answering?

Robin knocked a third time. "Raven, its me. I wanted to make sure that you were okay." Silence. He sighed. "Listen I know that I haven't been the best friend lately, but Im going to do whatever it takes to help you." Silence. "Raven please open up." More silence. "I'm coming in." Robin said punching in the override code. Raven was lying in bed curled up in the fetal position and shaking lightly. Her teeth were clenched and tears were oozing out of the corner of her eyes. There was a darkened spot on her pillow indicating that this had been going on for some time. "Raven?" He asked quietly making his way over to her. "Raven?" He tried again. She was clearly asleep, but looked to be in the grips of something terrible.

Robin went up to her and gently shook her shoulder, then seeing her black magic flare out of her body, quickly jumped away from her. He sighed. Reaching cautiously, Robin ever so slowly slipped his hand into her own. She seemed to grip onto it so he whispered to her. "Raven? Raven. Raven please come back to me. Its not real Raven, whatever you're seeing is not real." He squeezed her hand a little harder this time. There was a noise from her. "Raven, its me Robin. Listen to me, I'm sorry that I haven't been the best friend I could've lately. I really care about you Raven. I think I might-"

A scraping noise made him turn his head away from her. Her bookcase was encased in her black aura and moving. Various other objects all around the room were already floating around. Robin held her hand tighter. "Raven please. I know you. I know you're going to be okay. Its okay. Its all going to be okay. Raven I'm here, come back to me Raven. Come back." Robin whispered in her ear. Some of the magic in the room faded. The chill in the air had decreased slightly. Raven's eyes twitched and her body began to relax. Robin smiled and got comfy on the edge of her bed as Raven slept.