(WOOT! A longer chapter! Thanks for all the folks who've set this fic up for story alerts or up in their faves. I appreciate it much :)

Chapter 14: 2 Divided

Raven thoroughly studied that yellowed text Jinx had discovered by accident in her room, finishing it in a couple hours time. While she'd been occupied with that, Robin was taking the opportunity to just breathe, relax—take a break from the stress that had already taken a staggering toll on him mentally.

Raven found him sitting on the ledge of the roof, watching the sun depart on the horizon.

"Have you had the chance to release all the stress you've been under since—the incident?" Raven asked him as she joined him on the ledge. He looked up to her as she joined him, contented by her presence.

"Yeah—I have," Robin replied, knowing what she meant by the incident. "Have you managed to find any answers that might help in that book?"

"Actually—yes," Raven replied. "It's almost as if it was planted there purposely for someone to find it—whether it was me or someone who just happened to be intruding."

"Anything on how we access this other realm specifically?" Robin asked her. She nodded.

"Beside the fact that one needs to be able to teleport to get from here to there—my telekinetic powers are also useful, in the sense that when I move objects, I tend to do so with dark matter I myself create," Raven replied. In a lower tone, she added, "I also found out that's one of the reasons they want me too; I can apparently move shadows—in a sense."

"Rae—the shadows might think they need you—but they're not going to get you," Robin said to her. "With Slade—we don't bargain, and…you're not a bargaining chip."

"Thanks, Robin," Raven looked at him, smiling. "While I was busy, have you heard anything on Bruce's condition at all?"

"He's in stable condition—and improving," Robin replied.

"That's good to hear," Raven replied. Both looked out towards the sunset; for once Mother Nature wasn't pouring all her sorrow into the weather, instead allowing something peaceful and beautiful to shine through—

"I've been meaning to thank you for what you did for him," Robin spoke after a long pause; she looked at him questioningly.

"What—do you mean?" Raven asked him.

"Healing Bruce while I was away getting help," Robin explained to her. "It helped—and it might've been what saved him. I wanted to thank you for doing that for him—for me. I really appreciate it."

"It was what I could do to help," Raven said, her gaze meeting with his. "I knew what it would mean to you, and—I just couldn't bear to see him struggling like that."

"Rae—we've seen a lot together since this began, been through a lot since it's been just the two of us against the darkness of the world," Robin said to her. She nodded in agreement, unconsciously finding herself resting up against his shoulder. "Do you still feel any effects from any injuries you received during that struggle you had in Star's room the day the other three went missing?"

"Only a bit of tenderness to the shoulder that took most of the impact—and mentally of course," Raven replied. She turned her head to look at him. "Were there any lasting effects from that strike you took back at Bruce's hidden lair when we were ambushed by those shadows? I've been wondering if that might've affected you more than just rendering you unconscious."

"I haven't noticed any lasting effects," Robin told her. "Maybe whatever you did to revive me kept me from being affected by it for the long term."

"I, uh—yeah," Raven stammered, looking sheepish and slightly blushing unconsciously. "I didn't do anything mystical—or with my powers—when I was trying to revive you. I just…resuscitated you. That's all."

"Chest compressions—that sort of thing?" Robin said. She strangely looked embarrassed to him, he noticed.

"Not just that," Raven replied, still looking a little sheepish. For what reason—he was oblivious. "I—also had to do this." She moved without much effort closer to him, shifting herself as she came in nearer. He didn't react—he didn't get the chance to. She had no resistance making the intended contact with him whatsoever. When she had parted and they both had opened their eyes and were looking at each other, he wasn't sure if she was embarrassed because she had only done that to demonstrate a point—or that she might've actually wanted to do that. "It was…mostly—mouth-to-mouth resuscitation."

"Was that done as a demonstration—or did you intend to kiss me?" Robin ended up asking her out of curiosity. She looked uncertain—like she didn't exactly have an answer.

"I—will leave that up to you to decide." Raven looked at him, expression serious, face hinted with the slightest rouge—which wasn't an effect from the setting sun on the distant horizon—"But—not until after this is all over with, and we get them back. Right now…is not the right time—it's too premature…with them being absent and all."

"If you say so," Robin replied. She had turned her attention back to the horizon—the sun setting on it. He turned his gaze to her as her attention was focused on the amber orb on the edge of the horizon, his one lone teammate sitting right beside him—the one he'd spent most of his time with since the day he'd come back to find her alone in the tower—battered and beaten—

She had recovered, but he couldn't forget those fraught-filled moments where he wasn't sure she was going to pull through. Since that day, she hadn't left his mind—he knew that as he watched her, as she remained by his side right at that moment—

One moment where the light takes the opportunity to eclipse the darkness—and gives us proof in the most magnificent way possible—

It was the one moment where they both felt free of the darkness, the burdens of it weighing them down—body, mind, and soul.

XoXoXoXoXoXoX

The void was dark and seemingly infinite; Beast Boy felt like he'd been trekking along the same path for eons. The other thing about it all that irked him was the fact that his footfalls came up silent—no echoing as each foot made contact with the supposed solid surface he stood upon.

It's so—dead, he observed silently to himself. Eerie—

Suddenly—something broke the silence. Small clacking noises echoed from here, there—everywhere—it was hard to tell what it was or where it was coming from. The sounds intensified and became more pronounced as the moments passed, perplexing him even more.

"Yo—something out there making that noise?" Beast Boy shouted to whatever, just hoping in his gut that it wasn't one of those shadowy beings. To his great relief, Cyborg abruptly materialized out of the shadows.

"Long time—no see," Cyborg commented as he came up close to his friend in the blackness of the void. "What've ya been up to all this time?"

"Trying to deal with those voices coming from the shadows, Slade's pompous attitude when he'd come around—and trying to wriggle out of whatever he used to bind my hands behind my back," Beast Boy said. "Also add trying to find a way to keep myself from going insane in this place—and contacting the other two when I thought to do it."

"Did you get in contact with either of them?" Cyborg inquired curiously. "I've been trying for ages on mine—but I think something's jamming it. There must be something interfering with it in this reality or something."

"I actually got both," Beast Boy told him. "I guess Raven got him back before she could get hurt too."

"Do they have any clues on how to get us all outta this place?" Cyborg asked him. "You—have been hearing voices?"

"Yeah, and yeah," Beast Boy replied. "They found some book with all the answers in it, and yeah—I keep hearing these depressing voices trying to scare me by saying things to me to bring up things in my mind I don't want to think of. I've been mostly blocking them out to keep my sanity. Thinking what those creepy suggestions could do to me if I actually listened to them—" He shuddered.

"I keep hearing something that sounds similar to that, but for some reason my mind malfunctions on trying to pick up every word said," Cyborg stated. "It mostly just comes back as a bunch of gibberish. This is one time where I actually appreciate that half my mind's mechanical." He tapped the side of his head as further indication. He glanced around the dark void for a moment. "How are those two doing in the real world anyways?"

"Somebody Robin knows got caught up in this mess—and was beat up pretty bad," Beast Boy told him. "It apparently was something that involved Slade—because I overheard him talking about a guy little while back."

"I see." Cyborg shook his head sadly. "How about Raven?"

"She seems to be her usual self," Beast Boy replied. "She was moving about and talking normally; if something has happened to her at all in this—it didn't show. But you know how she is—if something really bad did happen to her—she'd probably hold it back unless it got to be too much."

"I have to hope Slade didn't do anything to that girl that he'll regret," Cyborg said very seriously without any trace of humor. "I'll give him a piece of my mind if he did—and I'm sure Robin will too."

"I think we all would," Beast Boy agreed. "Hey—I've been looking everywhere…have you seen Star around here anywhere? I've been kinda wondering if she'd even here at all at times."

"Yeah, man—she's here," Cyborg replied, on an oddly solemn note. "She's not holding up all that well I'm afraid though."

Beast Boy stared at him with wide eyes, shock and alarm clearly evident on his face.

"What did Slade do to her?" Beast Boy voice was filled with just as much alarm as his expression.

"She won't say exactly—but she physically looks okay," Cyborg surmised. "But that only goes so far. From the way I see it—I think those voices got to her, and she wasn't able to block them out like we were able to. She seemed so pitiful—it pulled at my heartstrings to see her cry uncontrollably as I kept reassuring her that I was really there—that she really wasn't alone anymore. I don't think she's going to be the same when all this is over. Whatever those voices have been telling her—they've left a mark."

"Hope that's not gonna be the truth," Beast Boy replied somberly. "Things wouldn't be the same without a cheerful Starfire being present."

"I get what you mean, man," Cyborg replied somberly. "Do ya want to go see if you can cheer her up some?"

"Right now—that's probably the only thing we can do," Beast Boy said. "Until Robin and Raven manage to make their way here—there's not much we can do."

XoXoXoXoXoXoX

I'll trying searching out the best access point in the morning, so we can try and get through the barrier then, Raven had told Robin before they departed from the roof. Tonight…I'm just too tired, and—I really don't want to mess this up.

I understand, Robin had told her, taking her hands in his as reassurance. Traveling over the last few days—we're both exhausted, and I know your powers are only reliable when you're alert enough to control them.

Call it a night then? Raven had asked. He'd nodded, and then—another grueling question crossed her mind. Is it safe to sleep in our own rooms—all alone?

He'd looked as clueless about her question as she had; He didn't answer for a long drawn out moment.

My room's probably safer, so—we'll camp in there, Robin had replied. I'll get a sleeping bag and sleep on the floor—you can have my bed for the night.

She hadn't felt right about intruding in on him, but she didn't feel right in her own room alone either. She grudgingly accepted his offer, and the two had gone to her room to gather some stuff she'd need.

XoXoXoXoXoXoX

Bumblebee and her team were staying elsewhere for the evening; they didn't feel right intruding in on them by staying there. Whether Jinx and Kid Flash had joined them or went elsewhere was up in the air. Regardless, Raven and Robin already had it firmly planted in their minds that they'd be the only two there for the evening.

He'd grabbed an extra comforter and a sleeping bag and headed for the floor, stuffing some bulky pillows he'd picked up from around the tower inside the sleeping bag and zipping it up when it was full. He took a fitted sheet and framed it over the stuffed sleeping bag, placing a regular sheet atop it and finishing it up with the comforter over it.

Raven had been watching—standing there and feeling out of place. She felt like she was intruding in his room, that she had no right to be there. All the same though—Robin didn't show any signs that he thought the same. To him, it was safer there—she needed to be there to remain safe. She got the feeling he felt he needed to be overprotective since she was attacked and he'd found her severely injured as a result. She hadn't really realized it before—that had really affected him—

"You need your rest as much as I need mine, so—you should probably get yourself situated and try to catch a few winks," Robin said to her after he'd gotten his accommodations ready for the evening. "The bed's not uncomfortable—at least…it isn't for me. I hope it isn't for you."

"A bed's a bed," Raven stated. "It…should be fine." He was already readying himself for slumber. She was still standing there while he was practically prepared to sleep. Shrugging, she took a seat on the bed he would usually sleep on, gently removing her shoes and unclasping her cloak to set them aside for the evening. By the time she was ready to go to sleep herself—the covers pulled up around her and her head resting against the pillow—he was apparently already out.

"I guess he was exhausted," she murmured as she closed her own eyelids and tried to get to sleep. Eventually, she drifted off.

XoXoXoXoXoXoX

I see a world caught up in ignited embers glowing bright—remnants of burning remains of what I once cherished—it is…truly tragic—

As if to illustrate—there were flames all around, what looked to be the remains of a city burning bright that transitioned quickly through a cycle until what was left was the smoldering embers of the remnants of a city.

A city that looked awfully familiar—

The perception was shattered—almost as if seen between two individuals, and not just one. The first perspective had been the one who'd spoken about the city alight—how tragic it was to see—

The other was her own—her known conscious. The shared perspective was familiar—yet…unidentified just yet.

From her perspective, as she viewed it, the sight was very similar to a previous dream she'd already had—prior to the attack. At the time she'd thought it was connected with that attack—but now—was it really? Was it of something still yet to come?

The addition of a perspective skewed the original theory—giving it plausible grounds that it was still meant to come—or at least…one other perspective might also see it happening—

Possibly as an illusion—it could be possible it's a product of another's imagination—

—I will lose everything, in the fire—the aftermath—

The two perspectives meshed into one distorted view of the situation. The scene shifted like a camera purposefully shaken up a bit—in focus, shaky and a little out of focus—

The scent of smoldering embers filled her senses unlike anything she'd ever envisioned; it all felt so real—too real—

The fire was really smoldering, had been really burning. Even as she couldn't seem to see it clearly, she could feel the intense warmth emanating from the still heated embers against her skin.

It's—too warm, she told herself. Way too warm, I might start to burn up like everything else already has—

The heat intensified, so much so that it was starting to leave a physical mark—burn marks—the bite of flames lapping at the skin.

The sensation became painful. Scorching flames against sensitive flesh—

Too hot, too hot—

Her piercing scream could be heard through all stretches of the tower; from the highest to the lowest levels. She immediately woke Robin with the intensity of the sound.

It took Raven several long drawn moments to realize it was all but a dream; the fire wasn't real, the flames weren't eating away at her flesh—

"Rae—what's wrong?" She realized Robin was watching her with deep concern, that she'd woken him up when she'd screamed. "You were screaming like bloody murder. I woke up immediately as a result."

"I was having a dream where I actually felt like I was burning alive while everything around me was caught up in flames," Raven told him, still sounding unsettled as she spoke. "It felt so real, so painful—I ended up screaming as a result. I'm—still feeling the effects of it a bit."

"That's very odd sounding for just a normal nightmare," Robin noted. "I never feel things in a physical sense during my dreams."

"I don't think it's a normal dream," Raven stated. "Part of it—I've had before during a previous dream. This time—it was a little different, expanded on—and even had an extra perspective added onto it."

"Will telling me about it make it easier for you to get back to sleep?" Robin asked her. The unsettling haunting sense of the dream still hung over her, like it just didn't want to let go. She wasn't sure if it would help or not, but—

"Maybe it might," Raven concluded her thoughts aloud. "It was a city burning—starting with bright flames and cycling down to burning remnants. The other perspective of mine—it sadly spoke of watching their world, and all that the person cherished, going up in flames…and end up lost in the aftermath. My conscious then meshed with the other one, my vision afterwords becoming pretty unclear. That's when I started having the other sensations come in; I could smell whatever was burning, and I could feel the heat the flames were giving off. Little by little, the heat intensified—so much so that I could feel my own skin burning—the actual pain I felt seemed very real."

"Do you still feel like you're burning?" Robin asked her. She shrugged, then shook her head

"Up until just a few moments ago—I did," Raven told him. "To a lesser degree than in my dream, but still—I felt it."

He put his wrist up against her temple to test a theory, puzzled.

"You don't feel overly warm," Robin checked other places on her face to test the theory, lastly checking her neck—finding concern as he kept it there. "Right here—it feels drastically warmer, almost as if you'd been burned here." He lifted his hand away from her skin, looking at it closely. "But there's no indication that you've ever even been burned."

"I probably had a vision that turned out to be a bit too real," Raven said. "I—it left me unsettled, but—I should be able to deal with it. What time is it anyways?" The horizon outside his window still appeared to be dark. He looked around for a clock.

"It's two in the morning," Robin replied. "It's too early to get up." There was a knocking at the door that almost sent them jumping six feet upward.

"Why…would the shadow men bother to knock?" Raven asked Robin in a whisper. He shrugged.

"Who's there?" Robin demanded. To both their shock—they got a reply.

"It's Jinx." Both recognized the girl with the ability to hex's voice coming from the other side of the door. Both let out a sigh of relief.

"What are you doing here at this hour?" Robin asked her questioningly.

"I was camped out downstairs," Jinx replied. "I thought I should stick around in case you need me. Can you please open the door—or am I to expect that I'll have to keep up this conversation through a closed door?"

"It's Jinx," Raven murmured to Robin in reassurance. "I can sense it's her—I checked into it after she spoke."

"I'll be right there," Robin replied to Jinx. He got up off the bed and made his way over to the door. When it was open, they both noticed it was indeed Jinx there.

"What made you come up here?" Raven inquired as Jinx stepped in the doorway. Jinx looked directly towards Raven, uncharacteristically serious.

"I heard you scream—and I came to see what was up," Jinx explained. "I thought maybe those shadow creatures were out to get you, and I guess I wanted to make sure that wasn't it."

"I thought you left with Kid Flash when Bumblebee and her team headed out for the night," Robin said. "How long were you camped out downstairs exactly?"

"We only left to get a bite to eat," Jinx stated. "We came back afterward. Apparently the two of you decided to call it a night early. We've been trying to keep it quiet since then."

"So—Kid Flash is also here?" Raven asked her. Jinx nodded.

"He's downstairs." Jinx entered through the doorway, looking back towards where she previously came in. "I think he'll be up momentarily. The only thing that really slows him down here is that elevator of yours."

"Was there a particular reason why you two stuck around—or did just not have anywhere better to go for the time being?" Raven asked her as Jinx sat cross-legged on the carpeted floor. Jinx lifted a bit of that uncharacteristic seriousness to let a slight smile sneak through.

"Yeah, actually—there is a reason why we stayed," Jinx responded. "Besides the fact that we've both looked over that shadows book together from cover to cover—we kind of thought we might also be useful when you make that jump from this reality over to the shadow realm. He can investigate the place in a much faster time frame then I'm sure either of you could when it comes to finding those teammates of yours, and if anything gets in our way, I could help—by giving them a good dose of bad luck." She grinned as she said that. "Plus—I'm sure Slade and his companions are only expecting the two of you to show to make the deal—or whatever. They won't be expecting a couple add-ons."

Raven looked at Robin questioningly. He looked at her, just nodding slightly.

"You make some valid points, Jinx," Robin said to her. He again looked to Raven as if seeking her advice through visual contact. He then again turned his attention back to Jinx. "Maybe…it would be good to have backup. The extra firepower against those shades would probably be more help than hurt."

"So…what did she scream for anyways?" Jinx curiously inquired, looking over at Raven.

"It was…just—a bad dream," Raven said. Jinx shrugged lightly.

"Whatever you want to call it." Jinx leaned back with her two arms propping her up. "Is it okay if for the time being—we camp up here with you until morning? It'd be easier to stick together—and then we wouldn't need to regroup later." Jinx straightened herself again. "Plus—those shadow beings were pretty thick out there when I was coming up. If I didn't have these powers or was actually afraid of those things—they could've done a lot of damage on me mentally—possibly physically."

"What about Kid Flash?" Raven asked her. Jinx actually laughed.

"You think those things can even touch him?" Jinx replied, calming her laughter. "He moves too fast for them to even see him."

To illustrate that point, Kid Flash appeared in the doorway rather abruptly. Jinx, being accustomed to him making speedy entries by now, recognized his appearance before the other two even had the chance to acknowledge him there. She looked towards the doorway the instant he showed up there.

"No wonder Bumblebee's team claimed this floor was haunted," Kid Flash said as he lumbered in at a very normal pace—one he wasn't accustomed to using normally. "The shadows up here are thick. I swear I saw glowing eyes in them a few times while I was making my way up here." He carried with him a satchel that looked more like he was bringing a load of groceries with him than what one might expect in a personal bag.

"It's a real possibility," Robin noted. "We've seen the shadow people while they're fully formed—and in that form they had growing red eyes."

"Did you ask about the scream and us joining them in their trip?" Kid Flash asked Jinx. She nodded. "And—?"

"She had some kind of nasty nightmare—and they've okayed our request," Jinx told him. "Last thing I need to ask," she turned her attention back towards Robin and Raven. "Would it be a problem if we both hung out here—or are you going to send us off to where we originally were downstairs?"

The two teammates exchanged looks, not quite sure how to answer Jinx's request. Hesitantly, Robin was the one who bothered to reply.

"For the time being—you might as well stay put here," Robin conceded. "It's already after two in the morning—and it'll just be for this one night anyways."

"We won't make you give up your sleeping spots," Kid Flash assured them. "I'll gladly take a corner to rest at, and Jinx I'm sure isn't picky."

"It's for one night," Jinx said, shrugging. "And for a few hours at that."

Kid Flash made himself comfy in an empty corner off to the side. Jinx looked around for a plot of floor suitable to her, resigning to a spot right near where Kid Flash had planted himself. He yawned hugely, and then was instantly out. Jinx apparently wasn't quite as tired.

Not feeling the need to continue watching them, Raven placed herself against the pillows yet again, sheets drawn up around her. She heard a yawn escape from someone—who, she wasn't sure. All she could be sure of was that Robin stretched a bit before he too hit the pillows to attempt to get some sleep.

She watched him until her eyelids grew heavy, and everything began to fade into darkness.

(A chapter with a mixed bag. The story will develop, don't you worry ;) I'd love to see some reviews, hear some opinions on how this is going. I'm might prolong the pause between this and the next chapter post to inquire about those. Would that kind of pressure produce that kind of result? I've seen it played in other fics I've checked out. :P Seriously though-I'm hoping you're all enjoying this as it unfolds. I tend to over work myself checking these drafts over before I post them. I'm quite the grammar freak, lol. Anyways, have a good read, and happy belated Halloween!)

~Mara