One final drop of rain splashed onto Speedy's cheekbone and sunlight poured in through the dissipating clouds, though he was entirely unaware of the effects. Speedy felt neither the coolness of the precipitation nor the warmth of the sun's light. A wave of numbness coursed over his entire body when Raven fell from the sky, an unconscious reaction from the surreal nature of the situation. His lifeless fingers let his bow slide out from their grasp and Speedy now stood motionless, staring blankly at the sight before him.
Robin quivered with Raven in his arms, tears flowing from his eyes and spittle collecting in the corners of his mouth. The shaft of Speedy's yellow arrow extended a foot upward from her chest, shaking along with the tremors from Robin's body, and Speedy was unable to tear his eyes away from the bloodied point where arrow met flesh. His lower lip trembled and his breathing patterns were erratic and hoarse.
Cyborg placed his hand on Speedy's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. When he showed no reaction Cyborg whispered, "It had to be done."
Speedy let his eyelids close and sunk his head.
"I don't know if there was any way we could have possibly saved Raven. And we sure didn't have the time to find out."
"What have I done, Cyborg?" Speedy asked, apparently oblivious to Cyborg's words.
"You saved the world today. Don't tell yourself otherwise."
"I killed her," Speedy said softly. "I killed Raven. My friend."
"Raven would never have wanted to live at the cost of our lives. She'd have done all that was necessary to protect us. You know that."
"I still feel awful inside, like I betrayed her. You remember when Brother Blood was controlling us?" he asked. "I couldn't control my own actions, no matter how hard I fought it, but I could still see everything. When I attacked Raven, she put her own life at risk by fighting defensively. She could have easily hurt me, but she didn't. Is this how I've repaid her?"
"Some days protecting innocent lives is easy. But on others it becomes much harder. There are days that rip us apart emotionally. What we all have to remember is that we choose to put their needs above our own. We're all ready to make sacrifices—even the ultimate one. Raven knew it just as well as everyone else. Maybe more."
Speedy lifted his head to see Starfire standing over Robin, leaning heavily on Beast Boy, who was carefully holding her with his arms. She held her right hand against her mouth and her cheeks were already stained with tears, running over the dried blood.
"I'm sorry, Raven," Beast Boy said, fighting to get his words past tears. "I'm sorry for everything. I…" He bit his lip, struggling to speak. "I wish I'd told you…how much I cared about our friendship, and how much I cared for you."
Starfire coughed violently, but forced the words out. "You were one of the best friends I have ever had. You were my sister."
Bending down beside her body, Cyborg placed one of his hands on her knee. "Working on the T-Car with you is one of my most cherished memories. You always looked out for us, and saved our lives more times than we could ever count. I'm here today because of you. Goodbye, Raven."
"I'll miss you more than you'll ever know," Robin whispered after delicately laying her body on the soft grass. Despite the horrific carnage and combat, her face remained beautiful and innocent. Robin leaned down and gently kissed her forehead.
They stood still as time passed them by, holding their heads low. For a long while she had felt herself an outsider, but had died as part of a family, closer to her friends than she had ever thought possible. Three years ago she had accepted the destiny she was born into and even less than a year ago she had submitted to Slade and her father. Under no circumstances would she have ever wanted anyone to mourn her passing. Yet today their tears flowed forth around her.
Tiny speckles of light flickered on and off over the length of Raven's body, shaking the other Titans out of their temporary stupor. The white dots floated several inches above Raven, slowly drifting toward the brightest one that lay directly above her forehead. A reddish glow surrounded her chakra, above which the pinpricks of light accumulated into a magnificent ball that overwhelmed the gathered heroes, forcing each of them to shield their eyes. Even squinting and blocking his face with his right hand, Robin found it difficult to watch.
The glowing ball descended and touched Raven's face, coming into direct contact with her diamond chakra. It continued to glow red briefly as it fully absorbed the glorious sphere. For a moment nothing appeared to happen, and then instantaneously a stream of brilliant white shot upward and light surged over Raven's entire body, enshrouding her utterly.
Though it seemed impossible, the light grew stronger still, until it was too painful for any of the Titans to look upon it. Robin forced his eyes shut as firmly as he could, gritting his teeth and covering his face with both arms. The cries of agony made it clear that the others with him were experiencing the same anguish.
Abruptly the light vanished inward, disappearing into nothing. Robin hesitatingly lowered his arms and allowed his eyes to open gradually, blinking in rapid succession. His vision remained frazzled, greatly affected by the bright flashes. It took several long moments until he could see clearly, and his heart stopped when he could.
The space Raven's body had occupied only seconds before was now bare. Her body was no longer there.
She appeared to be perfectly at peace, lying completely straight, arms crossed atop her chest, not the slightest movement, floating several feet above the rough ground. Years of fighting, of constantly struggling to subdue the evil and crime around her, while also resisting the malevolence that lurked within herself, and finally she could rest. In death, she had found the peace that she had sought, had longed for, all her life.
Arella stroked her daughter's beautiful head, pushing short locks of violet away from her forehead and closed eyes. "My poor Raven," she whispered. "You deserved so much more than this."
She allowed her gaze to drift upward from her daughter and stared out toward the bare nothingness of their existence. Bleak plains were broken only by craggy precipices and stalagmites, while a reddish-purple sky loomed over head. There was no sun, no stars, not even a fleeting breeze, and from what Arella could tell, time itself had no place in the barren void. Silenced Azarathians gathered behind her, mournfully looking at what had been the final living member of their now dead society.
The magic of Azarath had somehow allowed its inhabitants to cling to some form of consciousness, existing beyond the Netherworld itself. Arella knew her current state was not life in any conceivable fashion, yet because their essences somehow remained, neither was it utter death. A terrifyingly chilling wave had passed through them only moments before, and instinctually Arella knew it had to mean her daughter was dead. Tragically, her suspicions were confirmed a short while later, when her daughter's body manifested itself before Arella's eyes.
Her eyes came upon Raven again. "What has brought her here?"
Azar, High Priestess of what had once been Azarath, stood beside her. "I can only believe that our energies brought her to us, much as Azarath's energies sent us here."
"Despite Trigon's death, his legacy continues to haunt my family."
"His hatred, his need to bring about the destruction of everything we know, is absolute. Even in death his teachings lived on. For that reason Raven was never truly safe, despite what I chose to believe."
Arella caught a painful lump in her throat, felt it clear even as tears formed in her eyes. "Is there anything we could have done for her?"
"She chose as much of her path as was available. Only so much of her journey was open and free to her. Trigon lingered in Raven all her life, and Acheron's machinations allowed his presence to return. I feel that none of us could interrupt destiny."
"I can't accept that," Arella firmly stated, shaking her head. "I allowed the distance between us to grow steadily, always assuring myself it was for her protection. She is my only child, my only love. I won't allow her spirit to pass to this realm. I can choose to do what is necessary. I can willing extinguish the last vestiges of my life essence, so that I may bring life to Raven once more."
Azar looked ahead for a moment, her face remaining passive and betraying no emotions. "Such a thing will destroy what remains of you. Even this," she raised her arms and swept them around in a circle, "will end. You will be no more."
"But my daughter could return. We are all connected, and the energy from me could revive her."
"You could not do this alone. Perhaps were you still alive. But not in this form, not in this place. Our spirits are too faint."
"Together we could." Arella slowly turned, partially afraid to see the reaction among the others, yet drawn to them by the glimmer of hope they possessed. "As one people, our spirits remain strong."
"The choice belongs to each of you alone," Azar said flatly, arching her upraised palm across the multitude.
A firm resolve was displayed on every face Arella could see. Not one appeared uneasy or shakeable. Slowly heads began to nod, and the courage grew palpable.
Azar nodded. "I will play my part in the hopes that Raven can once more find life."
Arella leaned in close and gently kissed her daughter's forehead. Tears continued to flow, only now joy was the catalyst rather than sadness. "My child, this is my final farewell. Know that I loved you so dearly I gave up my life. Find the peace you so rightly deserve." She glanced around her, aware of the close proximity of the entire surviving populace of Azarath. None of them appeared to be in any state of discomfort, and all of them looked reassured of their decision. "I love you, Raven," Arella said softly into her ear.
Azar stepped forward and carefully lifted Raven's right hand off her chest, wrapping her own around the delicate fingers. "Take her left hand into yours, Arella."
Faces and robes faded away into light, brightening the pale surroundings. The white shapes drifted forward and merged with Azar and Arella, until the two women glowed magnificently and not a single other body remained. Both were overwhelmed by the brightness and for several long seconds they stood as mere pillars of light, devoid of any features. Brilliant white stretched over the desolate plain, bringing illumination into the realm for the very first time.
Azar's soft voice broke through the silence. "She lived her entire life in darkness, but never succumbed to it. Through her, our people will live on. She is the last of Azarath."
"No," Arella replied. "She is far more. She is the greatest of Azarath."
Steadily the women melted away into nothing, and the white flowed into Raven's hands, up her arms, and across her entire body, filling every pore. Lines of light erupted outward from her skin, followed by thick streaks that soon filled the sky. Raven's body remained still throughout, until she too vanished from the barren void.
The mood was one of defeat. Despite having won a major victory and saving untold lives, the Titans experienced despair. No celebration seemed appropriate.
Robin's head hung low, his eyes fixed firmly on the ground. Yet he was not even aware of what lay in front of him, so blurred was his vision and so dejected was his attitude. Robin was not entirely sure why Raven's body had disappeared a short while before, but had accepted it as a part of her Azarathian heritage. It made her passage all the more difficult, knowing that they could not properly lay her body to rest. Incalculable citizens of Jump City, not to mention every Titan, owed their lives to Raven, and Robin did not feel it was right that none of them would be able to bid her farewell in the most appropriate fashion.
A tiny dot of light caught Robin's peripheral vision, tugging his mind back to the present. Looking up from the ground he noticed several more, floating downward mere feet in front of his face.
"What is that?" Cyborg asked, reaching out with his arm only to find that his hand passed completely through.
"They appear to be tiny stars," Starfire remarked. "And there are dozens of them."
The Titans watched in awed silence, staring at the dancing pinpricks of light. Upon landing on the wet blades of grass below, the dots' radiance was magnified even more, until a section of ground five feet across glowed warmly. Steadily the light rose higher, taking on a smooth shape with rounded contours and perfectly angled proportions. Once more its intensity built to such a degree that the gathered Titans could no longer maintain eye contact, but were forced to look away.
Abruptly the light shrank inward, leaving several stunned heroes fighting to regain their vision. Blurred dark spots danced around and slowly coalesced, taking on shapes and forms, until each of them could see once again. The sight that greeted them defied all belief.
Raven sat upon the ground with her face buried in her hands, moaning softly, the edge of her body surrounded on all sides by a magnificent white outline. The Titans stared uncomprehendingly, unable to move a muscle or even speak a single word, shell-shocked beyond a point any of them had experienced before. Slowly Raven let her hands fall to her sides and coughed lightly, revealing a brightly glowing red chakra. Long untamed strands of violet hair swarmed over her head and pushed beyond her shoulders, swaying amid the soft breeze, and once again her leotard and cloak had turned to a strong and vibrant shade of white.
She flicked one of the thick bunches of hair away from her left eye and cocked her head to the side, staring up at the Titans with the same blank look spread across her face that was visible on each of theirs. Rapid blinks were followed by a slight movement of her lips, and then Raven rose to her feet, pushing her cloak away from her right arm and letting it fall into place behind her. Light encapsulated her body for another moment before it, along with the red glow of her chakra, faded away.
Robin felt his chest tighten and a tingling sensation leapt over his arms and down his legs. He found himself unable to move toward her, even as his mind screamed out for contact. The corners of Raven's lips twitched for a fleeting second, and then her entire mouth opened into a wide smile, showcasing perfect white teeth, and releasing all the tension that had penetrated Robin's chest.
He rushed toward her and tightly wrapped his arms around her slender waist, pulling Raven against his own body and feeling all his emotions, all the heartache, anguish and sorrow, melt away as she grabbed him with her own arms and squeezed gently. Even the tremendous pain in his chest seemed to subside temporarily, allowing him to focus all his energy on the beautiful woman in front of him. Robin lifted her off the ground and was overcome by the onrush of warmth, while Raven found herself actually laughing, overjoyed to be in his arms, spinning around.
Despite her horrific injuries, Starfire limped forward to her friend, clutching her mangled left hand against her stomach. As she approached, Raven and Robin pulled an arm away from each other and stretched out with them, pulling Starfire toward their bodies. She leaned in close and placed her right arm around Raven's back, lowering her head until it nestled against Raven's shoulder and letting tears flow freely from her eyes. Beast Boy squirmed his way up against Raven opposite Starfire and closed his arms around her waist. Cyborg's cheerful and bellowing echo of "Raven!" drowned out the laughter and tears and he wrapped his enormous arms around all of them, bending forward to place a soft kiss on Raven's cheek.
Raven's laughter was choked by tears of jubilation, and for a long while the five Titans, the only family any of them had, held each other close.
Speedy watched with quiet relief, keeping a slight distance. He was thrilled to see Raven alive, but for the moment he could not bring himself to make contact with her, so horrified was he at his own actions. He simply could not come close to her until he had apologized for what he had done. The internal agony and torment had dissipated when Speedy saw Raven alive, but still the regret remained.
Gradually each of the Titans stepped back and stood in a small circle. "I can't believe what I'm seeing," Robin said enthusiastically, staring at Raven and still tightly holding one of her hands. "We all thought you were gone forever."
Raven still maintained a large smile and kept looking back and forth from each of her friends, savouring the joy of seeing each of them again. "Neither can I," she said, happily shrugging and wiping a tear from her eye. "I didn't think it was possible for me to survive."
"You have any idea how you did?" Cyborg asked.
Raven shook her head. "I'm not sure. I wish I could tell you what happened, but I just don't know."
Robin reached up with his other hand and softly ran his fingers through Raven's long purple hair. "I wasn't expecting to see this look again."
"That makes two of us," Raven replied with a smile. "Who knows? Maybe I'll even keep it this time."
Finally noticing again that he could only see out of one eye, Cyborg was shaken back to the reality that everyone aside from Raven was seriously wounded. "We'll all have a killer party in the Tower later, but right now I need to make sure everyone is okay. And I can't do that here."
"Cyborg's right," Robin said, tenderly touching the burns on his torso. "We're in pretty bad shape." He turned his head to look at Raven once more. "You think you have enough strength to get us back?"
"I think so." She stepped back from the others and snapped her arms upward crisply. Brilliant white energy swirled about the group and spread around them into a large cocoon that sealed them off entirely. "Next stop, Titans' Tower," Raven announced, before the bright energy, and the six heroes, disappeared from the park.
Robin gritted his teeth as Cyborg worked on his chest. He had insisted Cyborg deal with Starfire first, followed by Beast Boy, which together had taken nearly two hours, and in that time Robin had found the pain building. He could not fathom how intense the pain would be if it were left untreated any longer, so Robin was deeply relieved when Beast Boy slid off the bed in the medical bay and stumbled out of the room wearing bandages.
Conjuring up his total concentration allowed Robin to push the pain and discomfort from his mind, letting his attention drift far from the room. With no true conception of time, Robin was unsure how much had ticked by when Cyborg finally stood up and announced he was done.
Robin stood up from the bed and carefully slipped a clean shirt over the white bandages wrapped tightly around his torso and right shoulder, wincing under the sharp pain.
"It's going to take a while before you feel up to par again," Cyborg said, peeling off his plastic gloves and dropping them into a small steel container sitting atop a nearby table that also held bloodied gauze. "Your pain is acute, which means it's related to a sudden trauma and shouldn't last more than a short while. Typically acute pain is gone within a few days, but in your case I would expect it to last at least a few weeks. Left untreated, acute pain turns chronic, which can continue indefinitely. Beast Boy and Starfire both have acute pain too, with Starfire's being the worst in her left arm. But her alien physiology leads to healing far more rapid than humans. That means you're the only one who'll be needing medication."
"I don't want to be on medication, Cyborg."
"I figured you'd say that. But you need to be. The other option is to remain in the Tower for the next month and relax, but I know there's no chance of you accepting that one."
Robin smiled faintly and nodded. "Fine, I'll take the medicine."
"Good man. Your injuries are severe, but I've done what I can regarding treatment already." Cyborg turned around and opened a cabinet drawer nearby, taking out a small white container wrapped in an orange label. He held it up in front of him and gave it a shake. "This is Meperidine, an opioid analgesic. You're probably more familiar with its brand name Demerol. It's a fully synthetic chemical substance that acts like morphine and relieves the pain. It's a very strong pain killer, which is what you'll need for the first little while. You made it through the fighting on adrenaline, but as that wears off, as you've discovered in the last few hours, the pain is intense."
Robin took the container from Cyborg with one hand while the other held onto his ribs. Carefully twisting the lid, more delicately after a burst of burning pain shot up into his chest, he opened it to have a look at the small, circular white tablets. "So how often can I take these?"
"Go take one right now, and I'll have a schedule for you shortly. Stick to it strictly, because medication like this can be dangerous if overused. With any luck you'll only have to use it for a short while, and then I can give you a less powerful drug."
"Thanks, Cyborg."
Raven gently tapped on Beast Boy's door with her knuckles, and a moment later he slid it open.
"You're looking much better," she said, carefully surveying his assorted bandages and stitches.
Beast Boy studied Raven's wardrobe and long hair quizzically, furrowing his eyebrows. "I'm never going to get used to your new look. So you're really keeping it this way?"
Raven nodded. "Yeah, I think I am. I might cut the hair a little shorter, but for now the white clothing is going to stay."
"How come? Do you feel different?"
"I do feel different actually. I feel…I don't know. It's hard to explain. Almost like I've finally been freed of my past. I thought a new look would fit."
Neither of them spoke for several long seconds. "So," Beast Boy said, finally breaking the awkward silence. "Uh, did you want to talk about something?"
Raven sighed. "I wanted to apologize for the way I acted a few days ago."
"Raven, you don't have to—"
"No, I do. I was upset with you, but I shouldn't have snapped the way I did. You're a pain in the ass, that's for sure," she said with a slight smile, "but you didn't deserve such a harsh response. You came to apologize to me, and I should have treated you better."
"You were right to call me selfish," Beast Boy said, throwing his arms up. "You just wanted to help me after that thing with Terra and I turned you away."
Raven chuckled mildly. "See? This is what I'm talking about with you being an ass. Just accept my apology. It'll make me feel much better. I want us to be on good terms again."
Beast Boy smiled. "Okay, Rae."
"Thank you." She tilted her eyes upward and grinned. "Nice hair, by the way."
"Oh, yeah," he replied, running his hand along the bare half of his head. "You think I should cut the hair on the other half? I want to look as less weird as possible."
"You always look weird, even with a full head of hair. You're green and you have pointy ears." She turned on the balls of her feet and started walking down the hallway. "Cyborg wanted to see me in the med bay, so I'll talk to you later."
"Yeah, see ya!" Beast Boy called out. When she rounded the corner at the end of the hallway, he smiled to himself.
Speedy picked at one of his fingernails, sighing deeply while he waited in the Operations Room. His heels steadily banged into the drawers beneath the countertop he was perched on as he continued to swing his legs back and forth. Robin was in absolutely no condition for a serious discussion when they arrived back at the Tower, so Speedy had simply decided to wait alone. With too many emotions and disconnected thoughts running through his mind, Speedy wanted to avoid talking with anyone for the moment, except for his imminent meeting with Robin.
The main doors off to Speedy's left whooshed open and Robin slowly walked down the stairs, limping slightly. He wore clean clothes and a small amount of colour had returned to his skin. Steadying himself on the closest counter, he asked, "You needed to talk to me about something?"
Speedy hopped off his counter and nodded. "I did. About why I'm here."
"I figured you got here too quickly to have come from Steel City."
"You got it. That's because I was already on my way when I got your call."
"So what's going on then? Something we should be aware of?"
"Definitely something you should be aware of. I was tracking Deadshot."
"Deadshot? Isn't he some sort of gun hand?"
"Much more than that," Speedy answered. "He's an assassin. Green Arrow used to tell me he was the deadliest marksman he'd ever come across. And he wasn't exaggerating." Speedy lifted the thick folder sitting beside him and dropped it in front of Robin. "I had these files in my motorcycle."
Robin sifted through the information and felt a knot tighten in his stomach when he saw that more than two thirds of the papers were devoted strictly to the individuals he had killed.
"I've been trying to keep a watch on him for a while now, hoping I'd be able to get close enough to take him down. But so far I haven't had much luck. He's exceptionally good at what he does, and covers his tracks well."
"And you tracked him here?"
With a grim look on his face, Speedy nodded. "I lost track of him not too long before you called, but I know he's in Jump City. And if he is here, it's for a job. I'm sure of it. I've got no information, but he's here for an assassination."
"Then we need to forward all of this to Captain Marshall and the JCPD. Maybe they have some idea who he might be after."
"Robin, I've seen the results of his work too many times, and I'm in no mood to let it happen again. I'm staying here until we get him. Bee already knows I'll be gone for however long it takes."
Robin closed the folder and tucked it under his arm. "I'll send this to Marshall and tomorrow morning we'll being making our move against him."
Cyborg hit the switch for the light box in the examining room beside the medical bay, and though it came on after several seconds, the light faded in and out with a flicker. The glass was severely cracked from the carnage of several days past, and its performance was just barely good enough to illuminate the bluish-grey tinged sheet of transparent film that Cyborg had placed against it.
Raven stood against the far wall in the room and fidgeted with her fingers, nervously waiting for Cyborg's verdict and desperately trying to steady her emotions.
Cyborg turned to face her with a smile plastered across his face. "It's gone, Rae," he said. "Your chaotic region is completely gone."
"Ha hah!" Raven exclaimed, jumping off the ground suddenly. She lunged toward Cyborg and leapt up at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, feeling joy coursing through her entire body. When Cyborg gently lowered her back to the ground, she asked, "Are you sure?"
"Positive," he replied. "I double checked everything and magnified the image to its fullest capacity. Your brain isn't showing a single trace of it." Cyborg placed his large hand on Raven's shoulder firmly. "Rae, your connection with Trigon is gone. You're free."
She took a deep breath and ran a hand through her purple hair, exhaling slowly, but not for a heartbeat did the smile on her face lessen. "I almost can't believe it. After all these years his influence is finally gone."
"Acheron's death must have wiped it out. Or maybe even your own death." Cyborg shrugged. "I don't know what exactly happened, but I can tell you that you're one hundred percent free."
Raven stayed silent, fully taking in the incredible feeling she was experiencing. "Thank you for this, Cyborg."
"No problem, Rae."
She placed a small hand over her mouth to cover a yawn. "I think that I'd better go try to get some sleep. But tomorrow morning we'll make some of your flapjacks to celebrate. Okay?"
"You know I couldn't say no to that." Cyborg watched her step toward the door, and then added, "I'm happy you're okay."
Raven tilted her head in his direction. "Me too," she replied, smiling.
Raven turned the last corner leading to her room and was surprised to see Speedy leaning against the wall adjacent to her door. "Hey."
Speedy pushed himself up from the wall and weakly smiled. "Hi Raven."
"Aren't you going to get some rest?"
"Soon enough," he said. "But I wanted to talk to you first."
"Oh?" Raven replied, raising an eyebrow. "About what?"
"I…I'm so sorry for what I did to you."
"What are you talking about?"
"I shot you," he said weakly.
"Speedy," she started, "you did the right thing. You set me free."
"Yeah, I know." He paused, taking a long breath. "I just can't help but feel terrible."
"You shouldn't feel bad. You saved everyone by doing it, and I'm okay now."
"I realize all that, I really do. I just wanted to tell you how sorry I was for what I did. If there was any other way to save you…"
"But there wasn't," she interjected. "There wasn't any time to figure things out. I'm more thankful than anyone else that you acted. And it was a very brave thing you did. Fighting enemies is easy, but being forced to fight a friend, well, I can't imagine how hard that must have been."
Speedy smiled faintly.
"Just know that you did what was right. A few days ago Robin told me something that Batman had said to him years ago, something that really fits. 'The hardest thing you'll ever have to do is what's right.' I'm glad you did it. Otherwise none of us would be here now."
"Thanks, Raven. I think I really needed to hear that from you."
She smiled warmly at him. "Now come on, we all need to get a good night's rest."
"Night, Raven," Speedy said.
"Sleep well." She stood outside her door while he slowly walked down the hallway. When he was out of sight Raven entered her room and let out a peaceful sigh. Through the courage of her friends the threat of Trigon had finally been ended, and somehow she had survived. Raven had been given another chance to live her life. And she wasn't going to waste it.
She kicked off her boots, tossed her cloak over top of them and climbed into bed, pulling the covers up right to her chin. Yes, she was going to live her life fully with her friends at her side. But for now, all she wanted more than anything else in the world was a full night's sleep.