Author's Notes: I think it is fair to say that several of you will hate me after this chapter, but bear in mind, I am not making any major changes…yet. I am only leveling the playing field, so to speak. You'll find out why as you progress in the next several weeks. Just know that a majority of this story has already been pre-written, and everything, plot-wise, is set in stone.

Episode 8: Road Trip, Pt 1

Naraka, 9 Years Ago:

"Ready?" Zadkiel called.

"Yes!" Starfire replied.

The two friends had journeyed to the far end of Visirian territory, out in the desert. Starfire's trip to Naraka was nearing its end, but there was still one thing she had always wanted to try. "Remember, grab my shoulders and hold on when you are ready," Zadkiel instructed.

She was excited. In an instant, both began to fly, circling each other. Zadkiel could detect the differences in air pressure against his wings and knew where Starfire was in relation to him. As they rose higher, their circle became tighter. Starfire could have flown higher and longer than her friend but knew better of when to draw their flight to a stop. Once she was close enough, she reached out for Zadkiel, wrapping her arms around his neck, and tucking her feet in close to his. She looked up and saw his half-grin looking back at her.

He turned them upside down and stopped flapping his wings, curling them inward around Starfire slightly. They went into a spinning freefall. This was an exciting rush for Starfire. She had seen several Visiri do this, and wanted to try herself. They were just about to hit the ground when Zadkiel turned them horizontally, and they continued their spin for a few yards more, gliding over the sands. Their flight slowed and they landed gently, laughing all the way. Galfore's shadow eclipsed them as they sat up. "That did look enjoyable," he said with a smile.

"Very much," she giggled as Zadkiel shook the sand from his fur.

Galfore gave her head a pat with one of his gigantic fingers. "We must head back to camp. It is almost time to leave for Tamaran. The Grand Ruler and your sister are probably waiting."

The two children followed Galfore. Starfire's mind drifted as she walked. Throughout their visit, Blackfire's relationship with Zadkiel's brother had not gone unnoticed by her. Initially, despite how much she did not like it, the two did seem to have quite a bit in common. However, over the past few weeks, it had become apparent that both Blackfire and Saraqael were incredibly ambitious. More importantly, they were so ambitious, they seemed to be at odds with each other a lot. This would not bode well for their betrothal, Starfire thought.

Though, very rarely were there happy matches in the arranged marriages of the Tamaraneans. Starfire had to admit, even her own parents, though good friends and they did deeply respect each other, did not share romantic feelings between them. They were one of the lucky ones though. They at least could get along. Starfire had always heard the rumor that her father's parents had one of the unhappiest marriages imaginable. She looked over towards Zadkiel, making her wonder.

She did not have too much time to think about it, though. Zadkiel's ears perked and before he could call out to her, the winds around them kicked up, howling furiously. Sand whipped around her, so much so, she could no longer see her friend or her guardian. Thankfully, it was Zadkiel who found her. He wrapped his arms around her. Stay close!" he shouted over the winds.

Starfire's grip around his neck tightened. His wings sprung from his back and encircled her, not without some difficulty. She heard him groan after hearing a loud pop. That could not be good. Zadkiel laid them down on the ground, trying to stay low. He kept himself on top of her, taking the brunt of the storm. She shuddered with fear. "It's only a sandstorm," he said, "We will be fine. Just, do not let go."

She still could not open her eyes. The sands still stung as they beat about her face. She focused only on her grip on Zadkiel. It felt as though her nails were boring holes in his neck, she held on so tight. He knew of only one other way to comfort her. He ignited his hands, only enough to give his hands a warm touch as he ran them up and down her back. Starfire had learned, from her stay on his planet, that Visiri had very few ways of showing physical affection, not at all like on Tamaran. This warm touch, generated by his natural abilities, was one of these ways, and she had grown quite fond of it. So, despite the desert heat, it really did make her feel better.

After quite a bit of time, the winds slowed, and the two were finally able to get up. As his wings pulled back, Starfire could see one wing had the end bent at a wrong angle. That must have been the pop she had heard. The wind must have caught it when he first opened it. "Zadkiel," she said with a gasp, "your wing."

He shrugged it off. "It need only be set. It is not the first time it has broken."

He winced a little, though, as he brought them back into his back. He stood, listening for any signs of Galfore. As he turned, Starfire saw dozens of tiny scratches across his back where the stinging sands had hit him while protecting her. A few had tiny beads of blood dripping from them. She reached out to him. "Here, let me…"

"It is fine," Zadkiel reassured. "It happens all the time with these sandstorms."

"There you two are!" Galfore said, breathing a sigh of relief as he got near. "Thank X'hal you are both unharmed. Come, we must move on."

He scooped each one up in his arms and proceeded back to the main camp. Dusk had set upon the land as they finally approached. Emperor Myand'r had a worried look upon his face. "I had been concerned you were lost," he said in a sigh of relief.

"A sandstorm halted us for a time," Galfore replied. "We are unharmed. Well, for the most part."

He set down Starfire and Zadkiel. Chief Raguel was rather stoic and hardly responded. Emperor Myand'r was slightly more concerned. "Your son is aware of how dangerous those sandstorms are out there?" he asked the chief, with a hint of reproach in his voice.

This did not go unnoticed by the chief. "Yes," he replied, trying to hide his outrage, "and more importantly, he knows how to survive them. Your daughter was unharmed."

The emperor would not let up. "They could have gotten lost," he pressed. "If the sands had blown them off course, they might have ended up in the territory of your enemies. He should have thought about-"

"'Lost' is not a word that boy knows the meaning of!" Chief Raguel roared. "He may be too blind to be of any other use, but if there is one thing I know about him, it is that he always has a way to know where he is. And as to thinking, that is all he ever does. I would wager he put more thought into your daughter's safety than you have this whole stay."

This set the emperor off, and he was about to interject when Galfore stepped in. "We really must be leaving, your majesty," he said, knowing when to choose his battles.

Starfire only looked at Zadkiel. He had the same look of shock she did. Not only had the chief spoken in such a way to the emperor but had also defended Zadkiel. It was incredibly unheard of. She did not even get the chance to say goodbye before she left with her family. He heard them leaving, standing beside his father. He was actually overjoyed at this unusual turn of events with his father. "You really meant all of that?" he asked timidly.

Chief Raguel turned on him suddenly and gave him a light knock upside the head. "What were you thinking?" he shouted, "Those troqs are what's going to get us real power, and you take that girl out in the desert."

"But you said-"

"I was not going to let that pompous idiot call you stupid," he scoffed. "It was only a matter of my image."

With that, Chief Raguel stormed off. Zadkiel rubbed the sore spot on his head. He wondered why he had even considered that his father would have felt anything for him other than disdain. He sighed. Things would never change.

Jump City, Present

A golf ball soared, and then plopped on the ground, rolling onto the edge of the green. "Yes!" Cyborg said. "This has been a perfect day; good game, peace and quiet, the sun's out…"

"There's a dead bird on the fairway," Raven interrupted. "Yeah, today's been perfect. Why did I let you talk me into this again?"

Beast Boy was lining up a shot. "Because it's been slow this week and we're running out of stuff to do," he answered, grimacing as his ball sliced into out-of-bounds territory.

"It hasn't been that bad," Cyborg said, his optimism not waning. "Starfire's had some killer drives, you know, once she toned back her shot a bit."

"Pretty sure that first shot's still in orbit," Robin said.

"And you've been great at putting," Cyborg said, still trying to cheer Raven up.

"I dunno," Beast Boy teased, "I'm pretty sure I heard some spells being muttered on the green."

Raven shot him a ferocious look. "I appreciate your many attempts to include me in your leisure activities," Archangel said, as he sat in the shade of the golf cart, "but this is just not a game I was meant to join."

Cyborg waved him off. "Please, it's just like a piñata. We point you in the right direction, and you're fine."

"Look, I'm just as glad as anyone that there aren't any serious threats to deal with right now," Robin added, "but shouldn't we be trying to make productive use of our time?"

"Ugh, not more paperwork," Beast Boy whined. "This is like a vacation for us. We should do vacation stuff."

Cyborg was walking down the fairway when it hit him. "That's it!" he exclaimed.

"What?" the others asked simultaneously.

Cyborg was searching through the emails on his computer arm. "Bee sent me something the other day," he replied, though only half-listening to them. "Here it is! Since there are so many Titans now, they want to host an annual Titan's conference. It'll be fun. We'll get to see our friends have a little fun, and yes, Robin, talk about actual work."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Where is it being held?" he asked, still unsure.

"New Orleans!" Cyborg said, excitedly. "C'mon, this will be a great way to use our time."

Robin mused over it for a couple of minutes. "Okay, fine," he said at last, "this will be a nice break, while not totally neglecting our duties. When is it?"

"Week from Friday," Cyborg said, scrolling down.

"I suppose that works," Robin thought aloud. "That'll give us until Thursday to get ready."

Cyborg began to fidget nervously. "I was actually thinking that maybe we could drive there instead of using the T-ship," he said.

"Why?" Robin asked. "That means we would be away from the city that much longer."

Cyborg prepared his defense. "I was just thinking we could make a road trip out of this," he began. "I used to do that all the time with my grandparents when I was little. We'd go all over the country."

"Oh, this trip on the road does sound most enjoyable," Starfire beamed, hovering excitedly.

"It only sounds fun for the first fifteen minutes," Robin explained. "Trust me, that much time alone together in a car is going to get on our nerves."

"There's more to it than that," Cyborg argued, practically begging, "All the local hotspots for food, the sights…"

"The boredom, the being cramped in a car like sardines for hours on end, the car sickness," Raven said. "Oh yeah, sign me up."

"I'm game," Beast Boy said. "I never got to see much even though I traveled all over with the Doom Patrol."

"Archie, what about you?" Cyborg said. "You know you want to…"

"I have never had such an experience," he replied. "So, I suppose I have no objections."

"So, let's see," Cyborg said, counting, "there's me, Starfire, Beast Boy, and Archie all in favor of this trip. I think that's majority rules."

Cyborg had a big cheesy grin on his face, knowing he had him there. Robin rolled his eyes, mulling it all over. "Fine," he said, "we'll drive, but don't complain when I turn out right. We'll have to start packing tonight, and leave first thing in the morning."

"Aw yeah! Road trip!" Cyborg whooped, giving a celebratory high-five to Beast Boy.

Raven and Robin rolled their eyes. If anything, this was going to be a long trip. Might as well let them enjoy their enthusiasm, they thought.

They had indeed left first thing in the morning. Cyborg had been so excited to go on this trip, he insisted they leave at the crack of dawn. As such, the start of their trip had been rather quiet. Raven had opted to take the first shift as navigator, and sat in the front, beside Cyborg. Archangel snoozed in the back. Robin did the same, his head resting on Starfire's shoulder as she held his hand, watching the scenery out the window. Beast Boy was squished sitting in the middle of everyone, pouting. "Awful quiet back there, B.B," Cyborg said, trying to make conversation. "Everything okay?"

"I'm hungry," he whined.

"You don't see anyone else complaining," Cyborg retorted.

"Cause they're all too tired," Beast Boy said with a yawn, "You had us leave with hardly any sleep."

Cyborg looked at Beast Boy through the rearview mirror. "Look, I'm already looking for a place to stop for breakfast as we speak. That's the fun of a road trip. Eating at local places."

Beast Boy groaned and shoved Archangel off of him as he leaned on the changling, beginning to snore. Raven was enjoying the rare moment of peace and quiet. She glanced at the map once more to ensure they were still on the right track and then settled into her latest tome. For now, things were perfect, though if Beast Boy kept up the complaining, it would be a long trip. Of course, Cyborg would not see it. He was too busy seeing this trip through rose-colored lenses.

That silence did not last long before Cyborg spoke up. "I used to do this sort of thing almost every summer with my grandparents," he said to no one in particular, his mind clearly elsewhere. "They liked to go see the country, and made sure I went with them. I got to see a lot of amazing places back then. I can still remember my grandfather driving, singing along to the old Motown station they'd listen to in his old Estate. Grandma would always pick the sights we got to see, the restaurants, the motels… You know, no matter where she picked to go, grandpa always could get there. It was like he knew every road."

He sighed wistfully, remembering. Raven had only been half-listening. He would stop and start talking so many times, she had read the same sentence three times. Starfire had been quietly listening in the back. "Cyborg, did your mother ever accompany you on these trips on the road?"

"Nah," he said with a shrug, "mom was always working. Summer was always busy for her. And…well, I told you I never actually knew my dad. So, I guess my grandparents were like my k'norfkas. Did I say that right? I don't know if that word has a plural."

"It does not," Starfire corrected, "but I understand."

"I wonder," Cyborg thought aloud as he switched the radio to FM.

After quite a bit of tuning, he finally found an oldies station playing the tunes his grandparents loved. Static underlay the whole station, as cackles and pops interrupted the songs every few seconds. Raven decided to give up and shut her book. It was not long before they passed a sign for a place called Maude's Diner. "There we go," Cyborg exclaimed, cheerfully. "Perfect stop for breakfast."

With that, the T-car pulled in front of a simple, but worn building that looked like it had seen better days. It had never occurred to the Titans that very few people outside of the major cities had ever seen superheroes. However, this soon became apparent when they stepped into the diner, into the gawking stares of the locals. The room was deathly silent. "Are they starring at us?" Archangel whispered. "I get the feeling they are starring at us."

Raven looked over at him. "Well, you're kind of hard to miss," she whispered back.

"Dudes, we all are," Beast Boy said, smiling nervously.

The six awkwardly crammed into a booth built for four. Not like there were too many options. The middle-aged, portly waitress eyed them all suspiciously before taking their orders. To the Titan's surprise, Starfire's unusual tastes did not elicit the usual shock out of the waitress, but rather a sideways glare. After the initial awkwardness, normal conversation resumed among the locals.

"This food is certainly delicious," Starfire commented as they ate, "but it feels much heavier in my stomachs."

"That's the copious amounts of grease places like this are famous for," Raven replied.

"Best part," Cyborg added between mouthfuls of bacon and eggs.

"Debatable," Raven retorted, rolling her eyes.

Beast Boy, meanwhile, was up at the counter, arguing with the cook. "Look, man," he said, "I asked for the vegetarian omelet. Does this look vegetarian? There are real eggs, and ham. I think you gave me the wrong order."

The large gorilla of a man that was the cook, remained emotionless. In fact, the only movement that came from him was a slight twitch of his eyebrows, and he twisted the cigar around in his mouth. Slowly, he reached down below the counter and then tossed a sprig of parsley on the dish. "There, vegetarian," he grunted.

Beast Boy was ready to object. "Uh…"

The cook followed that up by slamming a meat cleaver on the counter. "Uh, it's perfect," Beast Boy said, backing down from the fight and sitting back down.

He sighed. "Look, if you're not going to eat it, I will," Cyborg said. "I've got some granola bars in the car, so you won't go hungry."

"Fine," Beast Boy said, sliding his plate over towards Cyborg. He had been hoping for a more substantial meal.

Thankfully, the rest of breakfast had been uneventful. Cyborg checked the time as they were walking back to the T-car. "Looks like we'll make good time for our first stop of the trip," he said.

Robin was ready to head him off there. "Oh no, no stops," he began. "We are doing this trip for the convention, not to see the biggest ball of yarn."

"Such a wonder exists?" Starfire asked, excitedly.

Robin groaned, knowing it was a mistake to even bring it up. "No," he replied, "I mean, I don't know, but we're not making silly stops like that."

"It's not silly," Cyborg objected, "and that's not our stop. Trust me, it's even better."

It was near dusk as the Titans crossed the California border. "We'll get to our stop tomorrow," Cyborg said. "If memory serves, I think there's a nice little motel up a ways."

Robin was up front, consulting the map. Beast Boy had perked up since breakfast and was now in a more humorous mood. "Oooh, a motel," he said, taunting Raven who was sitting beside him. "Maybe it's one of those creepy, run-down ones in the movies. You know, the ones on the side of the road run by serial killers with obsessions for their mothers, and then they start to pick us off one by one."

Raven tried to shove him away. "Don't even go there tonight," she warned. "I'm in no mood for it."

"What's the matter, you scared?" Beast Boy teased.

Raven slowly turned to face him, her glare only deepening. "You've seen me scared," she replied. "Don't tempt me."

This seemed to silence Beast Boy for the time being. Although when they did finally reach the motel, Beast Boy's description was not too far off. The sign still barely clung to the pole. The parking lot was lined with craters and potholes, and the paint was peeling off the side of the building. God forbid, what the inside looked like. "Hmm, seems to have aged a bit since I last came here," Cyborg said to himself. "No matter. Still has its old-fashioned charm."

The others only stared at him. He was not serious, was he? Sure, he was in a nostalgic state, but he could not be that delusional. As they were checking in, Beast Boy caught up to them, eagerly bouncing on the balls of his feet. "This place at least has a pool," he said, excitedly, grabbing Archangel by the arm. "Archie and I are going to check it out."

"Wait-" Archangel tried to object before he was dragged off.

"Whatever," Robin replied, waving them off. At least that kept Beast Boy out of the way and from doing anything stupid while they were checking in.

"What do you mean you only have one room?" Cyborg asked in disbelief. "There wasn't a car in this parking lot. Everything can't be booked."

The thin, little clerk at the counter only shook his head. "My apologies," he said, "but we are indeed full, and the next stop is quite a distance."

Cyborg mulled it over for a second, then sighed. "Fine, but do you have any rollaway beds?"

He paid the man, who eagerly took the cash. "I might have something," he muttered.

No one was really surprised to find that the small room indeed lived up to the expectations set by the outside of the building. Raven noticed that the carpet squished a little every time someone walked. Starfire tried turning on one of the lights, but it kept flickering too much, and it became annoying. And Robin would not even speak of the horror that was in the bathroom. Raven pressed a finger against the bed. It turned out to be a water bed. Classy, Raven thought to herself, sighing. Beast Boy and Archangel returned shortly, both dripping wet. "Y'all have fun?" Cyborg asked.

"No," Beast Boy said, "some goons pushed us in the Jacuzzi."

"Oh no, no, and no, you two are not coming in here like that," Raven said.

"Oh come on," Beast Boy groaned, "what's wrong now?"

"You are not coming in here, smelling like that," Raven scolded, "I don't know what was in that hot tub, but now you smell like wet dog." She was looking at Beast Boy when she said this but soon turned on Archangel. "And you smell like wet…something."

"What are we supposed to do?" Beast Boy said, "We're not sleeping outside."

"Just air out for a minute, ok?" Robin suggested, trying to prevent an inevitable fight, "Stay out for an hour."

Cyborg tossed him the keys. "There's some towels in the trunk too," he said, but then glared at Beast Boy. "Don't, for a minute, even think about turning on the car."

"Check it, another breeze coming in," Beast Boy said, hopping off the hood of the T-car. He and Archangel stood opposing the wind, letting it run through their fur and hair, trying to dry off. The breeze did not last long, though. "Trip's been a bit of a bummer," Beast Boy said, sitting back down.

Archangel shrugged. "Cyborg seems to be enjoying himself. Besides, you are the only one who has run into misfortune."

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me," Beast Boy grumbled. "Look, I'll put on a brave face for Cyborg since this is totally a nostalgia trip for him, but never again. Hey, I got an idea! How 'bout some tunes?"

Beast Boy ran to the driver's seat. Archangel bolted up, already sensing it was a bad idea. "Cyborg told us specifically not to turn on the car," he warned.

Beast Boy had already turned the key, just enough to turn the electronics on. "Relax, all he cares about is that I don't drive it. There's nothing wrong with just turning it on for a little radio." He was already turning the dial, trying to find anything that would reach them this far out in the middle of nowhere. He finally found a station, though not of his tastes. "Hmm, not much for oldies, but it's better than nothing," he said, coming back out to sit on the hood of the car.

The sun had fully set and the stars were out and bright. Beast Boy sighed wistfully as the radio changed tunes. "Hey, I remember this one," he said, his mind clearly elsewhere. "My mom used to sing it to me when I was little. I never really understood how sad that song was until I was older. Funny how that kinda thing works, huh?" He hummed along to the song for a few seconds. "My parents always liked folk music. It's pretty relaxing."

Archangel shifted his seat on the hood of the car. "You have never spoken much about your parents. Or the Doom Patrol, really. Robin said that was an organization you were part of."

Beast Boy bristled hearing the name of his former team. For a long time, they had been his family, but there were still some unresolved issues he did not want to revisit at the moment. But he could not help but think of his parents. "I lost my parents when I was really small," was all he said, still listening to the soulful song. "Not like many of us talk about our parents anyway. Robin hardly remembers his, Raven has…dad issues and Star won't tell us what happened to hers. Cyborg's the only one who mentions his mother, but not often." He threw his hands behind his head and sighed, gazing up at the stars. "I used to travel the world with mine. I saw it all, pretty much. I used to love it because they'd let me help, even if I was little. I got to meet all sorts of animals. Monkeys were my favorite."

"They sound like they really loved you."

"Yeah," Beast Boy said with a smile, "they did. I guess you didn't get a lot of that. Star says your dad…"

"He was not fond of me, no," Archangel finished. "My mother was at least kind. My people do not express affection all that often. I do not know how they felt about me. I suppose it is of no consequence. They are both gone now."

"Sorry," Beast Boy said, not sure how to comfort him, or even if he should. "I know you said your brother killed your dad, which is messed up."

"It is tradition," Archangel said solemnly.

"Uh, sure. So, what happened to your mom?"

"She died shortly after my father did. I suppose it was heartbreak."

Beast Boy made a face. "Your dad sounded like such a piece of work. How did she…"

Archangel smiled to himself. "I honestly don't know, but then they always say that the mating of Visirians is hotter than the desert sands itself. Perhaps there is something to that."

"Well, hey," Beast Boy teased. "Girls always dig the pointy ears, and we pointed-ear hotties got to stick together."

Archangel burst into a fit of laughter at the ridiculousness of the comment. "I needed that, Beast Boy," he said. "Come on, we need to get in. It is getting dark and cold."

The arrangement was that Starfire and Raven would share the one bed in the room. This was fine for Raven until it dawned on her that Starfire liked to sleep upside down, with her head hanging over the foot of the bed. Though, given the state of the squishy carpet, Starfire opted to sleep in a more human position, despite the discomfort. Robin took the spare trundle bed the staff had brought. Unfortunately, it was only big enough for one. Cyborg propped himself up in the one grungy chair, next to the only outlet that worked for his charger. Archangel and Beast Boy were left with the floor. "Trust me," Cyborg said as he got settled. "You're going to be glad we went on this trip when you see what I have planned for tomorrow."

"This floor feels rather unsanitary," Archangel said.

"Trust me, the bathroom's worse," Robin replied, terror in his voice. "I'm not sure what's living in there, but I'm pretty sure it laid eggs.

Everyone was more than glad to next morning. The sun was already up and the temperature was already creeping up pretty high. "C'mon, Cyborg," Robin begged, "would you just tell us where we're going already?"

"No, and that's why Starfire's navigating this leg," Cyborg said, shutting the trunk. "She's not familiar enough with places yet to know the significance of where we are going."

Mile after mile of dry Arizona desert went by, the heat only getting worse. Starfire was really the only one unaffected, and Cyborg was too excited to care. Eventually, they did reach their destination by midday. "Wow," was all they could say.

"Yup, I remember my first trip to the Grand Canyon," Cyborg said with a smirk, knowing he had really surprised them.

Cyborg had convinced them all to spend the day there since they had the extra time. Everyone was rather enjoying the stop. Beast Boy looked over the edge of some old railing. Raven was reading a book of facts about the site. "It says that it's just over a mile from here to the bottom," Raven read.

"Cool!" said Beast Boy, leaning out a little farther. "That means I can say I've spit a mile."

He started to rear back to spit. Raven, without taking her eyes off her book, grabbed him by his collar and pulled him back. "Don't you dare," she warned.

Beast Boy crossed his arms and pouted, secretly wishing he had never said that. Archangel sat on an open ledge. There were several of them to be found in the area. He was letting the desert wind whip through his hair, thinking. Ever since returning from Naraka, and now after his conversation with Beast Boy, he had been solemn like this. None of his teammates were sure why. He touched the spot on his palm where a wound was still healing. This was where he had cut his hand open as a blood offering to the ancestors when he had descended into the tomb of the chiefs of old. He sighed. He heard someone come up behind him. "This place is beautiful," he heard Starfire say as she sat beside him, "I can understand why humans ascribe so much meaning to it."

"Yes," Archangel agreed, only half listening, "although, I cannot even begin to imagine its vastness."

He sighed his mind clearly elsewhere. "What is wrong, Archie?" Starfire asked, sensing it.

Archangel rubbed the place on his hand as he replied, "All those years I tried to avoid becoming my father. Now, I fear that it still came true."

"It did," Starfire responded.

Archangel was startled by this response. These were not the words of comfort he was expecting. Then again, he was not surprised either. She had only confirmed his fears. Starfire continued, "You are his son. A part of him will always stay with you. You are some of the best parts of him though. You're brave, you're loyal, and yes, you are a fierce fighter, but you have better control over these tendencies. He would be proud of you now."

Archangel almost laughed. "Proud? I could never think of my father feeling anything but disappointment in me."

She scooted over closer to him. "That's not true," she said. "There were times when he defended you. He must have cared for you."

He could not meet her gaze. "It looked like that, but you never always saw him after that. Trust me, my father had no love for me."

She put her hand over his. "I cannot believe that," she said. "I cannot believe in my heart that any father would not love their child, at least a little. Maybe he never showed it, but I believe he must have cared."

She leaned her head against his shoulder, trying to comfort him. Archangel said nothing, but opened his wings, wrapping hem around Starfire, glad for the company. The sun was starting to set, and Beast Boy flew overhead as an eagle. It was a peaceful moment. Robin could not help but notice the two of them sitting together. He had come a long way in trying to curb his uncertainty of Archangel. Yet, now he could not help but feel a pang of uneasiness. Robin still trusted Starfire. It was just Archangel he was having trouble trusting.

They still had a ways to go before nightfall, and Cyborg had decided to do the unthinkable: he had decided to let someone else take a turn at the wheel to give him a break. The problem was that Cyborg and Robin were really the only ones with experience. He was incredibly leery about trusting his baby with anyone else and ignored the pleas of Beast Boy to take a chance. But he knew that on a long trip like this, it just was not feasible. At the moment, he was getting Raven through the process. "Okay, you've gotten through the inspection," Cyborg instructed. "Now, put it in drive."

"Thank goodness," Beast Boy yawned. "Was a twenty-minute inspection necessary? Besides, Raven's driven a bus before."

"Yeah, well, rules of the road were out the window when that happened," Raven added.

"Alright, now merge onto the highway," Cyborg said.

So far, so good, Cyborg thought. It was starting to get pretty dark, but thus far, Raven proved fairly careful. "You know what would be awesome?" Beast Boy said suddenly. "We're getting close to Nevada. I've always wanted to see Area 51."

Robin only looked at him. "We wouldn't be allowed to get that close. And considering we have two otherworldly beings with us, you don't think that's not just a little bit offensive?"

"I'm not gonna turn them in or anything," Beast Boy replied, thinking, "but wouldn't it be hilarious to get a picture of Archie and Starfire in front of it?"

No one seemed to agree. "Uh, Cyborg," Raven said, disrupting the conversation, "what's that up ahead?"

Two small, glowing orbs stood in the middle of the road. "Aliens!" Beast Boy squealed.

This sudden outburst caused Raven to veer off, rather than stop. The next thing they knew, they rumbled off the road, bouncing across the desert. Raven tried to stop, but the momentum led them down a hill. The best she could do was swerve enough to avoid hitting some big rocks. They only screeched to a stop just before hitting a rather large boulder.

Everyone was silent, almost as if merely breathing would cause them to move again. For a while, all that could be heard was Archangel's teeth chattering as he held a firm, death-grip on the passenger seat in front of him. Raven was at a loss for words. "Cyborg, I-I'm sorry I meant to…" she tried to blurt out.

Cyborg took a deep breath and slowly released his fingers from the dashboard, very well embedded groove marks being revealed. "It's okay," he said, as calmly as he could muster. "We're fine. At worst, I think you wore out the brake pads a little."

Everyone was a little surprised with how well he was handling it, waiting for an outburst, or at the very least, inconsolable sobbing for his "baby." Instead, he slowly got out of the car to inspect the damages without a word. There were a few dings and nicks from loose rocks, and the treads on what were brand-new tires were almost worn away. That would cost a good chunk of change. It was only now that Cyborg began to curse and shout. The rest of the team, sitting in the car, only heard a muffled version of the colorful language and watched him blow off a little steam by throwing a few boulders. Raven turned on Beast Boy. "Aliens? Really?" she snapped.

"Uh…" Beast Boy began, readying a defense.

"That was probably a coyote's eyes reflecting in the headlights," Robin offered up. "You didn't have to overreact, Beast Boy."

"But…"

"No, you distracted me," Raven said, clearly not finished. "Do you ever think before you say or do anything? No! You just do, and get us into messes like this."

This seemed to shut Beast Boy up, who was clearly hurt. Raven was still fuming. "At least that was a better go at driving than Starfire," Robin said, trying to clear the tension. Though the slight glare from Starfire made him backpedal a little bit. "No offense, but you do have a lead foot."

"It did take that cop a while to catch up," Raven added, though her tone had not changed. "Pretty sure that's going to end up on the news tonight."

"Probably," Robin laughed, "though did you have to curse at him in Tamaranean? I think we could've all done without the full-body searches."

"He was being very rude," Starfire replied, "and he would not specify what it was he thought was in my possession to require a search of the vehicle."

Beast Boy was still sulking, much as he would have liked to contribute. Cyborg presently returned to the car and opened Raven's door. Taking this as a sign, she got out and moved to the passenger's seat. Cyborg seemed to have regained his composure. "Okay, safe to say we're calling it a night," he said after taking a deep breath. "Let's just find a place to stay the night, and start fresh tomorrow."

That was easier said than done. As they neared the next city over, traffic became a mess, hardly moving in either direction. Cyborg honked the horn angrily. "C'mon!" he hollered. "What's the hold up here?"

"Uh, dudes, am I the only one who understands?" Beast Boy asked rhetorically. "It's spring break. Betcha this is all the traffic headed for Vegas."

"Terrific," Raven muttered. "Just what we needed."

Robin looked out his window at the groups forming on the side of the road. "Looks like a few have already given up on getting anywhere tonight," he said. "Some of the spring break festivities seem to have already started."

"Wonderful," Cyborg huffed as he shifted into park. He looked up ahead. "There may be a cop up ahead. Archie, Beast Boy, go ask them if there's a way around all the traffic."

Raven was still refusing to speak to Beast Boy. He was therefore fairly eager to give her space. "Will do," he said, grabbing Archangel's arm.

"Well, we might as well get some sleep in the car," Cyborg said, plugging himself into the car. "I'm going to try and take a power nap. Star, can you let me know if anything starts moving again?"

She nodded, and both he and Raven leaned back in their seats, trying to rest. She actually liked the quiet right now. She was busy looking up at the stars through the window. It was never completely dark enough in Jump City to see the stars. True, all the car lights kept her from seeing everything, but it was still nice to finally see the night sky from Earth's perspective. She had been so busy with that, she screamed a little when Beast Boy and Archangel knocked on the window. Beast Boy clearly had a black eye. "What happened?" she asked worriedly.

"Some dumb college kids jumped us," Beast Boy explained. "I don't think they knew exactly what they were doing, but we managed to tick them off somehow. One gave me this." He pointed to his black eye.

"A couple of others managed to take my warhorn," Archangel finished.

"So then, no directions, I take it?" Cyborg asked, a little disappointed. "Well, get in, I guess. We'll just have to figure it out as we go."

"No way, dude!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "We came to get you guys to help us."

"We are not leaving without that warhorn," Archangel said.

Cyborg groaned. "Fine."

All of them piled out of the car. Cyborg debated for a moment about leaving it, but eventually locked it, knowing friends come first. "So, do you guys remember anything about these kids?" Robin asked.

This gave both boys pause. "Uh…well, hmm,' Beast Boy stammered. "It was all kind of a blur."

"Agreed," Archangel said, guiltily. "I do not remember their scents."

Robin sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose. Of course, he had to be the only detective in the group. They were useful, but they would not have made the cut in Gotham, so to speak. "Alright, split up," he said. "Can't be too hard to find them."

Raven had not been searching around the crowds long when she spotted Starfire, surrounded by a small crowd of college-aged men. She sighed before she marched over. "Oh, Raven," she greeted her, "these young men have offered their assistance."

"Not the kind of assistance you're thinking of," Raven said, turning on the boys. "And all of you should be ashamed of yourselves. Come on, Starfire."

Raven did not bother to listen further and proceeded to drag Starfire away. One of the boys, with a dumbfounded look, turned back to his friends and said, "I was only going to tell her I saw a couple of guys matching her description go that way." He was pointing in the opposite direction Raven was leading her.

Beast Boy had been soaring over the crowd as a small bird. He landed near Robin. "Anything?" Robin asked expectantly.

Beast Boy shifted into human form. "Nothing," he sighed.

Robin looked around, knowing that height was their disadvantage as neither he nor Beast Boy could see over the heads of the crowds on their own. "Keep looking," Robin said. "The sooner we find them, the sooner we get back on the road."

Robin proceeded to vault over several guitar amps nearby and shimmy up a makeshift tent. Beast Boy followed behind in the form of a spider monkey. A couple of kids looked in awe. "Dude, you did see that green dude turn into a monkey, right?" one said, a glazed look in his eye.

"Yeah, weird right?" said another.

"Wicked…"

Archangel was struggling to navigate through the crowds. He had already run into several people accidentally. "Don't you have Dungeons and Dragons to play?" a girl huffed after he had accidentally stepped on her foot. "Geek."

He sighed, not having much luck. Cyborg tapped him on the shoulder. "I think my scanner picked up something made of bone," he said. "C'mon."

They found the two, using the horn as a type of funnel. Cyborg could already tell what was going on. "Uh, you're not going to like this, Archie," Cyborg began.

Archangel barely listened, his nostrils already filled with an odor which made him gag. Nevertheless, he marched over. The two goons and their friends were already counting as their drinking games ensued. "45…46…47," they chanted.

The current participant never got a chance to finish. Archangel grabbed him by the shirt collar, grabbing the horn, and dumping the contents out. "You have insulted my people," he growled. "One is not simply given a horn such as this. I had to hunt a dikrarn on my own, cut its horns from its head, and burn off the excess flesh before I could hollow it out. Do you know what burning dikrarn flesh smells like?"

The college student, quaking a little, offered no more than a few unrecognizable syllables in response. Archangel released him and coolly strode away. "So, what does burning dikrarn flesh smell like?" Robin asked.

Archangel gave a small smile. "No different than your Earthly bacon, but he did not know that," he said. "Ugh, my horn smells of fermented grains and regurgitated stomach contents."

"Yup, sounds like spring break to me," Cyborg responded. "Don't worry, a couple of washes and it'll be fine. Well, car's still here. That's a good sign."

The Titans piled into the car, but it did not start. What the…?" Cyborg exclaimed. "Battery's dead."

The Titans trudged along the side of the road, Starfire carrying the T-car. "Who needs roadside assistance when you've got Starfire?" Beast Boy laughed.

"Watch it, grass stain," Cyborg said. "I just know you and Archie did something the other night. Left the radio or the lights on, or something."

"Beast Boy was the one who turned on the radio," Archangel accused.

"Way to throw me under the bus," Beast Boy grumbled.

"I do not understand. I do not see any bus," Starfire said.

"Not the time for this, Starfire," Raven said in frustration.

"Look, either way, this is going to put us behind," Cyborg said, getting back on topic. "Who knows how long before we find a mechanic and how long it will take them to fix it."

"Relax, we had a few extra days planned into this trip anyway," Robin said, brushing it off. Normally, he would agree, but somebody needed to keep Cyborg calm. "Look, we've had a rocky start, but we'll get on the road, and be fine."

The next couple of days, spent getting a new battery for the T-car and driving through Texas, were passed in relative silence. Raven was still fairly mad at Beast Boy. Her silence was only broken when she had finally had enough of Beast Boy teaching Starfire annoying road games to pass the time. Cyborg was still trying to reason with Robin that the expenses on the T-car's repair needed to come out of the Titan's funds as a work-related expense, rather than out of his own money. And no one could seem to understand how Archangel could sleep through most of this.

"Uh, I think that's enough punch buggy, for now, Star," Beast Boy said, rubbing his sore shoulder.

"Map says our exit should be coming up soon," Robin said to Cyborg.

"And do you see it just up ahead?" Cyborg asked sarcastically. "I'm telling you we're lost. Must've got turned around when we passed through San Antonio."

"Well, surely we'll pass a place we can stop and ask directions," Robin said, looking at the map from every angle.

Beast Boy leaned in between them. "There! That sign," he said, "Dexter's Bar and Grill."

"I don't know, man," Cyborg said in a warning tone, "a bar, this late, in the middle of nowhere. Doesn't sound like a good idea to me."

"Well, it's the only sign of civilization we've seen in a while," Robin argued. "We go in, we ask for directions, we get out. Easy as that."

"Fine," Cyborg sighed as he pulled off the side of the road.

Cyborg's doubt was still not assuaged as they pulled into the dirt parking lot. It was a small, white-washed building, just barely standing on its supports. "Cool, they've got a live band tonight," Beast Boy pointed out.

"Wonderful," Raven quipped, "let's just get some directions and go. We really need to get back on the road."

As the Titans slowly piled into the small building, it soon became apparent what a mistake it was. It was clearly a rough bunch who frequented the bar. Finding one patron who did not look as though they had committed a felony seemed harder than finding a needle in the haystack. Needless to say, the Titans stuck out like sore thumbs. A few glowered at them. Still, a few others, in a not so subtle way, made sure the Titans saw them fingering their weapons. Cyborg leaned forward and whispered to the rest of the group, "We are so dead."

"This does feel unsettling," Archangel agreed.

"No worries," Beast Boy said, shrugging it off, "you guys ask for directions. I'll grab us some grub."

"I'll make sure he doesn't get into trouble," Raven sighed, following him.

"I don't think it's him we have to worry about," Robin muttered as conversations resumed in the bar, the fascination with the Titans over.

Beast Boy was busy trying to get the attention of the bartender. "Yo! Six root beers," he called out.

He was ignored, yet again. Another patron, sitting beside Beast Boy flicked out a pocket knife and stabbed it into the wood of the bar. "Or, you know, maybe not," Beast Boy backpedaled. "Yeesh, tough crowd."

"Try to make them hate us," Raven said as she came up behind him. "Look, I'm just going to go wait by the curb. The smart thing to do would be to do the same."

She left back out towards the parking lot. At least she was speaking to him again, he thought. That was a good sign. He followed, sitting beside Raven on the curb. "So, you're not still mad at me anymore?" he asked tentatively.

"I was never mad at you," Raven corrected. "I'm just…frustrated with you sometimes. I wish you would just think before you act sometimes. It would save so much trouble."

Beast Boy was a little taken aback and offended. "You think I don't put any thought into what I do?" he asked shortly. "Yeah, I don't come up with the whole plan like Robin, but I at least know how to keep myself and you guys from getting hurt. I've saved your butt hundreds of times. Did you think I wasn't thinking things through then?"

Raven only waited for him to finish. "First of all, those instances were just dumb luck. Second, I'm not talking about hero stuff. On any given day, you always do something silly, like leaving the radio on in Cyborg's car. Or you'll say something dumb, like what you did to cause me to almost wreck. Never once do you ever stop to think about those sorts of things. If you did, that could save us so much trouble and misunderstandings down the road."

Beast Boy scratched the back of his neck nervously, taking in everything she said. "I don't know, Raven," he muttered. "If I did think about those things, I would be too scared to say or do anything. I'd never take any chances."

"I could live with that," Raven responded.

"I don't think so," Beast Boy disagreed. "I'd be too much like you, and I don't think you'd like that. There's really only room enough in this world for one of you."

Perhaps there was some truth there. Someone like Raven needed someone as impulsive and dreamy as Beast Boy to balance her out, to be the person that gave her hope. Then another thought hit her. "What do you mean there's only room enough in the world for one of me?" she asked with a huff.

"I didn't mean anything bad by it," Beast Boy said, throwing his hands up defensively. "I just meant that you're unique. I like that, and I think only one of you is just perfect."

Something felt different in the way he said all that, and Raven raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Okay…" she said, a little unsure what to make of the responses. "Sure."

Crickets started to chirp, and the two sat in silence for a moment. "You know," Beast Boy sighed after a while, "this reminds me of traveling with my parents when I was a kid. Seeing all the stars like this, I mean. That's something I miss living in Jump City."

For Raven, this was starting to feel surreal. Not only was she having a serious conversation with Beast Boy, but for once, on his own terms, he was sharing about his past with her; with anyone for that matter. What was happening here? "I bet it was wonderful," was all she could think to say.

Meanwhile, the other Titans were not having much luck. "I don't know which is worse," Cyborg sighed, sitting down with the rest of the group, "that very few of these guys want to help us out, or that everyone else gives me the willies."

"We haven't had much luck either," Robin agreed. "I mean, these guys aren't even supervillains. What's there to be afraid of?"

"I think it is the unfamiliarity of our surroundings," Starfire offered. "We do not know these people or what they are capable of."

During their conversation, none of them had noticed a small group of things surrounding them and blocking any means of escape. They were made aware of this situation when one put his hand forcefully down on Archangel's shoulder. Another, who liked to proudly display his gold tooth stood right beside Robin, all the while eyeing Starfire. "Do you mind if your date dances with me?" he asked in a deep, gravelly voice.

Like Archangel, Robin could feel the man's grip on his arm. He was not in a good position to scare him off with some martial arts. He could recognize a bad situation when he saw one. He also could tell that these guys had no idea what they were getting themselves into. "Uh no, go right ahead," he said in an almost too-pleasant voice. Just wait until they actually tried.

Starfire read Robin's look and was waiting for the next move to see how to play this. The man's response was to rip up the table they were sitting at by the screws. And offering out his hand to Starfire. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "This is some earthly challenge of strength, yes?" she said, rather calmly. "Very well. I accept."

Before anyone else could react, she had hovered over and lifted the entire bar from the floor. This, however, resulted in a different reaction. The thug strode over, clearly about to boil over, and threw a punch directly at Starfire. Dropping the bar, she ducked, throwing her own punch. Out cold, he fell on top of someone else. This resulted in an all-out brawl in the bar. Starfire weaved among the people, getting back to Cyborg, Robin, and Archangel. Another man stood by the back door, looking at the four of them. "If I were you, right now," he said casually, "I would be…"

"Leaving!" Cyborg finished. "A perfect idea."

The four took off in a mad dash for the T-car. They ran right past Beast Boy and Raven and dove into the car. "Just great," Raven muttered as they sped off.

"Uh, what just happened?" Beast Boy asked, clearly confused.

"What just happened is your friends did quite a number on my little establishment," a voice said behind them, "and payment is required."

Cyborg's adrenaline was finally dropping and he started to slow down as they drove. "That was messed up," he sighed. "I'm just glad to be out of there. Not exactly what I would've done, Star, but I guess that works."

"Seriously though," Robin added, "that was awesome. The looks on their faces. Raven, Beast Boy, you should've seen it."

The realization finally set in. "I had noticed it was roomier in here," Archangel said.

Cyborg muttered a series of curses as he turned the car around.

"I can't believe this!" Cyborg grumbled as he sped back to the bar. "How did we forget about them?"

"Ooh, ooh!" Starfire responded, eagerly raising her hand. "We were too busy running away like baby slivnods to notice."

Cyborg grumbled some more. "Thanks, Star," he muttered sarcastically, "that was a rhetorical question, but thanks. I needed that."

"I don't think it'll be that big of a deal," Robin interrupted. "They're capable of handling themselves. They're probably just waiting a few yards from the bar."

As they pulled up, however, the place looked completely abandoned. "Or not," Robin concluded, hastily.

Cyborg slammed his fists on the horn. "How could I have been so stupid?" he said in a frustrated growl. "They could be who knows where by now. Someone has 'em. I just know it."

Robin was already starting to get out of the car. "We'll get to the bottom of this," he assured. "Can you run a scan for their signature to see what direction they might've gone?"

"Yeah," Cyborg sighed, following Robin.

"You won't need to," a voice said from behind them.

"Ready to attack," the Titans turned towards the voice. A one-eyed, scruffy-looking man stepped forward, his hands in a defensive pose. He did not appear to be a threat, for now anyway. "The Sheriff has them," he continued after only a brief hesitation.

"The Sheriff?" Robin asked, going deep into thought. "Then that's a good thing, right?"

The man shook his head. "That's just the name he goes by. It's not the sheriff," he corrected. "No, the Sheriff owns a lot of this part of town. Everyone's at his mercy. Said something about all the ruckus your bunch caused earlier and needing payback."

The four remaining Titans shared a guilty look, knowing it was they who were responsible. "So, where'd he take them?" Robin asked.

"That's the big question," the man responded. "More than likely, he took 'em to his headquarters. Where that is actually, is anyone's guess."

"And why should we trust you?" Cyborg added.

"Your choice," the man said with a shrug.

"Any lead is better than no lead," Robin concluded. "Between Cyborg's scans and Archangel's nose, we should be able to track them and see if we can figure out where this hideout is. Come on!"

Beast Boy and Raven were tied back to back in a rather neat and well-kept warehouse. "Okay, so you totally can't blame me for this one," Beast Boy said, trying to make light of the situation.

"No, I don't," Raven replied, "but I would like to know why it took so long for the others to figure out they forgot us."

"If they ever remembered they forgot us," he added. "They sure were quick to beeline out of there."

"Yeah, well, so can we," Raven said, struggling against the ropes. "Places like these, out in the middle of nowhere, aren't prepared for supers."

As she said it, she snapped through the ropes, using her powers. "You are right, in that we don't see many of your kind around these parts," their captor said, closing a door behind him, "but you're wrong to think you're the only ones here. Now then, it appears ordinary ropes just won't do."

With a snap of his fingers, Raven and Beast Boy were bound in eerily, glowing white ropes. The Sheriff had a big toothy grin, knowing he had them. "Do you know why they call me the Sheriff?" he asked, though not expecting an answer. "You see, I like to protect my own."

With a wave of his hand, they saw the brief shimmer of the shield surrounding them. "Force fields," Raven muttered, now realizing it. "Of course you create force fields. Just great."

"Is that all you can do?" Beast Boy said, mocking a yawn. "Boring."

The Sheriff inhaled deeply, trying not to cause an outburst. "Well, you and your friends won't find it so boring when I'm through with you." He sneered.

The conversation was interrupted as they heard a series of loud, destructive noises outside. The Sheriff only briefly looked up, not all that concerned. "That would be your friends, I assume," he said, coolly. "Let's give them a show."

He left, his barriers and force fields still very active. For the moment, Beast Boy and Raven were trapped. "Okay, so he's totally crazy," Beast Boy muttered. "What now, Raven?"

The four remaining Titans had followed the trail to a rather new-looking building, most likely designed for storage. "So, we go in, get Beast Boy and Raven, and get back on the road," Cyborg whispered. "We're starting to get behind schedule as it is."

Archangel only shook his head, and Robin and Starfire only gave him a look. "What?"

"We're heroes. Vacation or not, we have a job to do," Robin lectured. "We put a stop to this guy while saving our friends."

Cyborg only rolled his eyes and sighed. It had been agreed upon that Starfire and Archangel would serve as an exterior distraction, leaving Robin and Cyborg the chance to get in, rescue their friends, and apprehend the Sheriff. There was a loud roar of flames as Starfire and Archangel soared overhead, their hands locked, creating the pulsating, green flames, which caused the guards to react and scatter. This was only the main event, to get everyone's attention. Once the two split from each other, they were able to deliver a divided attack, forcing guards to scatter even further as they tried to deal with the individual threats. This made it almost too easy for Robin and Cyborg to bolt into the building.

This was the farthest extent of the ease of their mission. There was a resonating boom as soon as they closed the door behind them. The Sheriff's force fields had come up; one surrounding the warehouse, preventing any further damage or assistance from Starfire and Archangel, another creating invisible walls throughout the warehouse, preventing any progress from Robin and cyborg and any escape from Raven and Beast Boy. Starfire and Archangel were among the first to figure out this problem. Archangel blew his horn. The ground shook, and the guards, protected by the force field trembled as the ground rumbled, but nothing else happened. "Anything?" he called to Starfire, hoping she was having more luck.

She pounded the invisible shield with starbolts. She would not have known it was there had Archangel not run into it head first. "No," she said in a frustrated sigh, "what if the others need our help?"

Archangel landed beside her, and felt the dry brush around the area. "We will think of something, but until then," he said, igniting the brush, creating a ring of fire around the building, "we will make sure no one leaves until we are ready to leave."

Cyborg and Robin, having only just entered the building, were still unaware of the change in the battle environment. "Where to now?" Robin asked.

Cyborg checked the readouts on his scanner. "I'm picking up their bio-heat signatures from over there," he said, pointing to a door on the left.

The two took off, running in that direction. They were soon knocked back by what seemed like an invisible force, falling back a few feet away. As soon as Cyborg could stand up, he started pounding at the invisible wall, trying to find a hole or a weakness. He let out a grunt of frustration, finding none. "Did you really think it would be that easy?" a voice said from behind. "You see, after all the trouble you caused, I figure I deserve collateral."

Robin gritted his teeth. So many villains said the same thing over and over. It could get really grating on his nerves. "Our friends are not collateral," he asserted, "and from the way I hear it, you protect no one. You're just a thief and a bully."

The Sheriff's eyes narrowed. "Then I suppose we'll have to do things the hard way."

Beast Boy and Raven were still struggling against their restraints. The chains were uncomfortably confining, preventing Beast Boy from turning into anything big enough to break them. At the same time, they shrunk as he tried to make himself small enough to slip out. Raven tried to gain control of the chains with her own magic, to no avail. "So, we're stuck here until the guy's get here?" Beast Boy said, feeling dejected.

"Just let me think," Raven grunted, looking around for any possible aid.

Suddenly, the two of them heard the boom as the Sheriff placed new barriers. The chains holding them disappeared. "Interesting," Raven mumbled, thinking.

"Uh, what just happened?"

"It seems the Sheriff's powers share a particular similarity to mine. Whenever I cast a new spell, any old spell I had active, disappears because I lose focus. Seems he's the same way. I wonder about something else."

The new barriers still kept the two trapped in the room, the barrier covering the doorway, preventing their exit. Raven concentrated on a spot just beyond the door. It took a lot more work than usual. Mentally, it was certainly more draining. However, she was eventually creating a shield of her own, just beyond his, making his disappear. "Neat," Beast Boy said, amazed at the process.

"If I can just create my shields beyond his, we have a chance," Raven continued. "He may just be able to do the same thing against me, but I have a plan now."

Like a master artist, the Sheriff was good at his craft. For every blast, punch, and kick Cyborg could throw, he could create a small, invisible shield he could swiftly move about, covering every weak spot. For every one of Robin's gadgets aimed at him, he could create a full-body cover. He still tried hard to maintain concentration on the barriers he had created, separating the Titans. He had already made on mistake forgetting the binding he had placed on his collateral. No matter. They could not leave the room anyway after what he already had up. At the moment, Cyborg and Robin had found a low hanging beam, and ad decided to use it as the focal point to engage in the move known as the sonic boom. Crossing each other's path as they ran up the nearby wall, Robin tossed one of his blasting disks, and Cyborg gave it a shot with his sonic cannon to get more power behind it. As the blast cleared, the two stood with shocked expressions as they saw the Sheriff completely unscathed, having created an entire wall in the room. "Now what?" Cyborg asked as the Sheriff paced his area, awaiting their next move.

Even Robin was starting to run out of steam. "I don't know. He's got these walls all over the place, and no doubt he's prevented Starfire and Archangel from getting in."

Just behind the Sheriff, a black wall of energy appeared just ahead of his force field, making it dissipate. As Raven let go of her focus and made the wall come down, a bull-form Beast Boy ran out and rammed into the Sheriff, knocking him off his feet. His own concentration broke, taking down any barriers he had formed. Outside, Starfire and Archangel had been waiting for any sign of movement. They heard the pop as the force fields fell. "What is happening?" Starfire asked, unsure at the sudden turn of events.

Archangel unfurled his wings as he said, "I do not know, but we had better take advantage of this opportunity."

He gritted his teeth and leaped to his feet. Beast Boy went at him again as a kangaroo, boxing him around with his feet. The Sheriff tried to throw up his small shields, but Raven always could throw up one of her own just beyond him in time. The other problem was that Robin and Cyborg were also on his tail. Managing one or two Titans was one thing, but keeping track of four was wearing himself thin. His strategy turned to one of mere avoidance as blasts of sonic energy and dozens of various devices missed him by inches. The situation was even further complicated when the doors blasted open and Archangel and Starfire joined the fray.

He had one last idea. Surely the little sorceress could not possibly counter this one. As the flames and radioactive balls of energy added to the confusion, he threw up a tight, full-bodied force field dome around himself. As the dust cleared, the others looked to Raven. Exactly as she had planned. Using as much focus as she could muster, she created an even smaller energy field, entrapping the Sheriff. He could not create anything smaller around himself to counter her and was truly trapped. "Looks like you boxed yourself in," she said.

Beast Boy crashed on the hotel bed. "Oh, this feels so good," he said, rubbing up against the soft pillows and purring.

"We finally made it," Robin agreed. "Though, I think we'd better let Bumblebee fly us back with the T-car. I don't feel like doing a repeat of the trip over."

"That would be terrific," Raven added.

Robin was busy going through a stack of papers as he spoke. "Okay, since Beast Boy has claimed this room, he and Archangel are sharing. Cyborg and I have the room across the hall, and Starfire and Raven should be just around the corner. Now…Beast Boy, what are you doing?"

With a guilty grin, he placed the phone back in the cradle. "I was uh, ordering up room service," he said. "In case you didn't notice, there weren't a lot of vegetarian options along the road. I'm starving over here."

Robin pulled out a few more papers. "No time," he said. "According to the itinerary Bumblebee made, we only have a little more than an hour to freshen up for the welcome dinner, and it's a formal affair."

Cyborg thrust a hanger with a suit jacket and shirt hanging from it into Archangel's hands. "Don't worry, I got you covered. I think we're just gonna have to accept that human pants won't fit you. Anyway, this is half of a tux I wore back in my high school days. It'll be a little big on you in places, but it'll do."

Cyborg, Starfire, and Raven began to file out. Robin was the last out. "Seriously, get dressed, and don't screw around," he warned before he shut the door.

A couple of hours later, Beast Boy was helping Archangel with his tie. "I feel uncomfortable and ridiculous," Archangel said.

The tie was a little crooked, but it would have to do. "It's fine," Beast Boy said, waving it off. "Can't be any worse than trying to stuff Wildebeest into a monkey suit."

There was a knock at the door as the rest of the team came to get them. "Not bad," Cyborg said, looking over the two. "My tux looks a little long in the sleeves and big in the chest, but it's not that noticeable."

Beast Boy was looking over everyone's shoulder. "Uh, where's Raven?" he asked.

"Let's just go," he heard her voice call out from behind Starfire.

Starfire stepped aside. Shock was an understatement for Beast Boy's expression. No one had ever seen Raven in a dress, and though simple, it really did look good on her. Everyone could tell by now that Beast Boy was staring intently. "That's it, I'm putting the cloak over it," she said, her cheeks flushed and trying to get away quickly.

Starfire and Beast Boy each grabbed her arm to stop her. "Wait, Raven!" he exclaimed. "It looks nice, alright? It's fine."

Raven looked back at him, unsure what to say. She was not used to compliments, especially those regarding looks. That was not to say that Beast Boy did not try, yet she still did not know how to receive them. And on the other hand, Starfire had a tight grip on her arm. There was no hope of escaping anyway.

As they walked down to the lobby, Cyborg was reading up on the weekend's events. "It says this dinner is going to introduce the new Titan's North," Cyborg read. "I'd heard some things about those plans, just not all the details. Hey, check it out! Says there's going to be some awards too. Robin was nominated for the team leader category. No surprise there, though I think my final vote is still going to be Bee."

Robin shrugged it off. He knew his friend had a soft spot for the leader of the Titans East. "Looks like the whole team got nominated for something, except for Beast Boy," Cyborg continued.

"Hey!" Beast Boy said. "I should have at least gotten one for funniest Titan."

"Sorry," Cyborg said, scrolling through the list, "looks like that one's going to be a toss-up between Kid Flash and Mas y Menos."

Beast Boy whined, "Oh come on. Half the stuff they say is only funny in Spanish."

Cyborg only shrugged. "Well, I wasn't on the nomination committee, so there."

The dinner turned into a large social as friends caught up and new faces were welcomed. Archangel was discussing powers with Hot Spot, and he had become the latest hero of interest to Mas y Menos. Beast Boy spent a lot of time catching up with Aqualad and Thunder. Raven stuck to the sidelines, only occasionally conversing with Herald. Starfire was more than excited to see Red Star. Cyborg spent most of the night with Bumblebee by his side, but he made efforts to talk about the latest technology with a few others. Robin focused on catching up with Speedy and congratulating Jinx on her promotion as the leader of the newly-formed Titans North. "The only girl on the whole team," Jinx said. "Red Star won't be much trouble, but Thunder and Lightning will need to be reined in, and of course, I'll also have Kid Flash, which can be hit or miss. Say, where is he anyway?"

Speedy looked over the heads of the crowd. "Looks like the buffet table."

Jinx only rolled her eyes. "Of course he is. He's sweet, most of the time, but…"

"I get it," Robin said. "All part of being a leader."

"Seriously though," Jinx continued, "if Raven or Starfire ever want to have a week or two away, I'd love it."

"We'll see," Robin said. "With six Titans, that can be a possibility now."

Speedy spoke up. "So, how's that working for you guys anyway?"

"Not bad. Archangel's pretty eager to please, and it's nice for Star to have someone she can relate to about non-Earth related stuff."

Speedy turned, eyeing some of the other heroes in the crowd. "You sure it's just that?" he said. "They seem a little more than chummy to me."

Robin looked over as Starfire was introducing Archangel to Red Star. As usual, even in normal conversation, Starfire still liked to use touch as a means of expressing feelings. All throughout this trip, it had bothered him more and more. It was a little much, in his opinion. Tonight though, there was something different. Hearing Speedy say something about it made him wonder. Was that how he had come across to the others? As jealous and skeptical? For once, things seemed to be put into perspective. "You know what?" Robin said. "That's really none of your concern. They're just good friends, and if that's all it is to her, that's all it is to me."

"Whatever, man," Speedy said with a defensive shrug.

In a way, this felt like a small victory to Robin: a victory over himself. As the night came to an end, only a few stragglers remained. Cyborg had been busy catching up with the Titans East, something which would keep him pretty late. Robin had just started walking back with Starfire. Perhaps with Cyborg preoccupied, they might have a few minutes to themselves. Robin went along with the idea, and let her into his and Cyborg's room for a few more minutes. At first, it had been a little bit of conversing, but soon, the conversation did not need words. Somewhere in the make-out session, Robin's hands went to wrap around Starfire's back. She flinched and shrugged off his hands. "Something wrong?" he asked worriedly. This was certainly not the first time this had happened, and it made him concerned.
"Nothing is wrong."

He could tell she was lying, and it bothered him. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Look, if something's bothering you…"

"I told you there was nothing wrong," Starfire said shortly.

This reaction confused him. He had never known Starfire to be this closed off. What worried him more was that she felt some need to keep whatever it was a secret, and chances were, she did not need to. "Star, I feel like you're trying to keep something from me," he said, trying to ease into it. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Starfire sighed. He was just too persistent sometimes. "Yes, but you have also promised to let me tell you when I am ready."

"Well, yeah, but lately I feel like something, in particular, has been bothering you. You haven't seemed like yourself. And, this isn't the only time I've noticed. Star, you've been really distant lately, like you're in some sort of fog. I'm worried about you."

"You are worried about how that will affect my abilities and my duties to the team," she said, gasping as she did. She did not know where that remark had come from.

Robin's eyes narrowed a bit. "Now, you know that's not even remotely true."

Robin was only trying to be patient with her, she knew. At the same time, how could she possibly let him in on her shame? "I'm only trying to help," Robin continued, placing a firm hand over hers.

"I know, but I do not wish for your help right now," Starfire said, staying firm.

Robin had to make a quick decision. Was he going to plant his feet on this, or leave it be? "Star, I want to be the person you can count on when things are bad," he said. "If this is how you see it…"

"I am not saying this is how it will always be!" Starfire said, raising her voice, hoping he did not hear it tremble. "Just, how it is now."

"Star, whatever this is, you can't keep hiding from it forever. You can't keep hiding from me forever. We're a couple, and that means we help each other through this stuff. Look, I know what it's like, but running from your problems…"

"Then perhaps I need more time to think about the status of our relationship."

It felt as though all the air had escaped from the room. Those words had just slipped out, but there was no going back from them. The flood gates had broken loose.