EPILOGUE - SILENT GOOD-BYES

            Raven stirred from sleep early the next morning, short of breath and drenched in cold sweat. Frantically, her mind slipped from her being, expanding into the silent darkness. Still gasping for breath, she searched for the object of her unexpected anxiety. Her psychic inspection proved futile. If there was a presence in the room, anything at all, she could not find it. She was not quite satisfied, however, that she was not numb to her powers. Channeling the energy of the Void, she flicked the light switch on the wall by her bed to the "on" position.

            She looked about her room and sighed. As her powers had insisted, there was no one there. A second ago, she could have sworn someone had been standing over her. It made her feel uneasy. She rose from bed, grabbed her crutches, and hobbled over to check the lock. It was undisturbed. Disappointment radiated from her in the form of a sigh.

            She was still trembling inside from the touch of her dreamworld fantasy. She had never had such a vivid dream before. A face had not been visible—the shadows had been far too thick—but she knew who was in her heart before she had gone to bed. She smiled inwardly. It had at least been a good dream, if a little shocking.

            The door hissed open and Raven slipped out into the brightly lit corridors of Titans Tower. The others were apparently up and about, though not readily visible, and she was okay with that. Robin would be out training, as was the norm with the Titans' leader. She supposed the others were with him, as she suspected it was a bright, beautiful morning.

            Ugh. At least she was alone.

            She made her way to the living room to brew her ritual cup of herbal tea. The trip was uneventful, but slower than usual thanks to her recent injury. She was glad J'Onn had been there to help. His healing skills were quite impressive. The pain was to a minimum, though she suspected her keen psychological control had a lot to do with her durability.

            As expected, she found the living room was devoid of other Titans. Raven was relieved. She felt like being alone. She approached the coffee pot where she normally prepared her tea and frowned when she discovered the water had already been run through the boiler and a cup with a tea-bag sat waiting for her.

            But who?

            Starfire, most likely. The Tamaranian had gotten into the habit of sharing tea with Raven over the last few months, especially since they had been meditating together on occasion. Raven took the cup and headed for the empty couch. The news was on, and she hadn't watched that in ages. Seemed like a good enough idea. She beckoned the remote with her power. Encased with the living shadows of the Void, the device floated to her outstretched hand.

            Good Morning America was still going strong. Not surprisingly, the battle of the previous night was still fresh news. As hard as it was to stomach the thought of her failure—she had let Numara die—Raven felt obligated to see exactly how the outside world had viewed the combined heroics of the Justice League and their young comrades, the Teen Titans.

            It was no surprise to see the Titans honored, whether they deserved it or not. A tiny smile, brief but true, touched the corners of her mouth, but faded quickly. Numara was gone, and Raven felt that was where her thoughts belonged.

            The battle, of course, had been on Superman's turf, so he had received much of the credit for the victory. Raven understood and respected the public's views. They certainly couldn't have done it without the Man of Steel, but she couldn't help but think, without Numara, they would have fallen from the very beginning. It was his mistake that had tarnished an entire civilization, but his determined heroism that had preserved the freedom of the United States, and possibly the lives of the entire planet. She was glad he had at least had the chance to restore the faith of his sister before his tragic end.

            Behind her, the door hissed open and the familiar clamor of four sets of feet approached. Raven sighed and took a sip of tea.

            "Uh, Raven?"

            She was silent, but turned her head to indicate she was listening.

            Robin wet his lips and continued. "How're you holding up?"

            "I'm fine."

            He scratched the back of his head. "Mind if we join you?"

            "There's plenty of room."

            They smiled, but the solemn quiet of the room remained. Raven was grateful for that. Soon, she found herself smack-dab in the middle of the team, sandwiched between Beast Boy and Starfire. For once, she didn't mind the company.

            After a time, Raven lay a hand on Starfire's and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you for the tea," she said. The redhead glanced to her, frowning. Before another word could be spoken, Raven rose and headed for the door. The others watched her leave, no doubt on her way to her morning meditation. No one offered to join her, and that was just as well. She slipped through the door and left the other four in her wake.

            The quiet of the room that followed was a little disturbing. The others watched one another with surprise, but they didn't speak. Starfire sat there numbly, as if trying to make sense of a jumble of information that simply did not make sense.

            Robin was watching Starfire with an arched brow. "Star?"

            "Did you make Raven's tea this morning, Robin?"

            He shook his head. "I thought you did."

            They looked at Beast Boy. The shape-shifter held up his hands, waving them frantically in denial. "Dudes, you know it wasn't me."

            Cyborg frowned. "If it wasn't you…who was it?"

*          *          *

            Raven sat cross-legged, floating alone within her dimly lit room.

            "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos."

            She murmured the words over and over again, letting them soothe her aching heart. That simple kiss she had shared with Numara was so fresh in her mind that she could still taste the heat of it in her mouth.

            And then there was the dream. She could still feel his fingers tracing slowly along her neck, slipping beneath her blouse, caressing the delicate flesh of her breasts. The feel of his delicate kisses against every square inch of her torso still sent tiny tremors through her soul.

            It had felt so real, so vibrant.

            Almost as real as the mud that had been caked to her flesh after she had buried her friend in the forest outside the city.

            She stumbled through the words one last time before she felt herself overcome by grief, and the tears returned once more.

            Damn you, Numara. Why did you have to do this to me?

            She lowered to the ground and collapsed onto her bed. Silent tears poured out onto her pillow. She hadn't even had a chance to say good-bye.

*          *          *

            Good-bye. He didn't speak the word aloud. It would have been too much to bear.

            He stood at the edge of the city, atop an abandoned warehouse. Arms crossed, he gazed silently to the T-shaped tower on a small island in the harbor. Tears slowly rolled down his cheeks, but he knew this was not the place for him. He regretted the trickery that had gone into faking his death, but seeing Otho again had been worth the shame.

            The hope he might someday return home had made his decision easier. Hurting Raven had broken his heart, but it would prove an ache he could get used to. He pulled out a black tube from his belt and dropped off the edge of the building. He fired the tiny grapple from within to the top of a tower across the way. The rope quickly grew taut.

            Numara swung into the shadow between two skyscrapers and disappeared.