Although it wasn't far to the van, Raven nearly stumbled twice. The power she had regained from Intellect had given her a boost, but the night's actions were taking their toll.

And it's not over yet…

{It's never over.} Apathy looked down at her from the roof.

Humor and Insecurity were also on top of the van. Raven was so tired, she hadn't felt their presence.

Not a good sign.

{I'll say.} Courage swooped out of the night and landed at her feet. {And you're still going in there to face Dr. Light?}

Yes.

{Excellent! But not without me.} She looked up at Humor. {Take my place—I'm goin' in.}

{Oh! Oh!} Humor hopped up and down. {Tag team!} She flapped down next to Courage and extended her wing. {Tag me in, Tag me in!}

Courage buffeted Humor's head with both wings.

Humor squawked as she fell over backwards, then picked herself up. {Watch me leap off the top turnbuckle}, she cackled as she flew into the night.

Courage shook her head. She leaped up onto the offered fist and looked into Raven's eyes with dignity.

{I'm all yours.}

I accept you.

The power dissolved back into Raven. It felt alive; her skin tingled. She closed her eyes and breathed deep.

---

She dove at Hate again. Her claws raked the other's shoulder.

Pick on someone your own size!

Again and again she attacked.

She was the starling to the hawk: small, but agile.

And determined.

She wouldn't give up.

Others were attacking with her, but she didn't care. She would bring Hate down alone if she had to.

She flipped over in the air and dove again.

---

Raven exhaled and opened her eyes. Courage's vision had faded quickly, but the energy was still there. It covered her shoulders like her cloak. She felt tension in her back ease and for the moment her fatigue slid away.

She nodded to Apathy and Insecurity, then strode around to the back of the vehicle.

She couldn't read much from the two officers guarding the back. Their faces were masked in chrome helmets and their postures all business. One of them opened the hatch and stepped back. Whether it was because she was a Teen Titan—a resident heroine of the city—or because he'd been warned by radio to give her access, she couldn't say.

She entered.

Pale green light bathed the spartan interior, except for a single white light blazing on the far wall. Long benches with harness points flanked her. Beneath the harsh white lamp, Dr. Light lay on a board strapped to the cab wall. A police med tech stood near his head, writing on a computer notepad, while Cyborg sat on the bench at Dr. Light's feet. Both looked up her entrance.

Cyborg got up quickly and went to her.

"Raven." He spoke in hushed tones.

She kept her own voice low. "How is he?"

"Better, now the medication's kicked in. We'd have gagged him, but his nose is broke and the Tech didn't want to risk breathing hassles." He sounded uncomfortable.

"What else?"

"Hate clawed him up pretty bad, but didn't damage any vitals. She…pecked him too, but he got his arms up." Cyborg glanced behind him. "Tech thinks they're knife wounds."

Raven moved to pass Cyborg, but he put his hands on her shoulders.

"This isn't—"

"I have to do this."

"You don't—"

"I have to do this. For my own sake." She looked into his eyes.

He struggled a moment longer, then released her. He looked away.

"Just take your hood off, okay?"

Good idea. In fact…

Raven took off her cloak. Cyborg said nothing, but reached out. She let him take it.

She felt bare as she walked toward the front, and rubbed her hands along her arms without thinking.

The tech watched her silently. She was glad that he blocked Dr. Light's view of her approach.

She noted the leather restraints that held Dr. Light to the board. She could hear him mumbling too softly to understand.

Raven wanted to get to the head of the board—and Dr. Light--without being detected, but the tech was in the way. He didn't move. Whatever he was thinking stayed behind the anonymous faceplate of his helmet.

And people think I have an attitude…

He looked past her shoulder, then slowly moved.

It hurt that the tech looked to Cyborg for orders and had not simply stepped aside.

She pushed the feeling away, to focus on the reason she approached.

Dr. Light's face was covered in bloody gashes. Raven knew they looked worse than they were, but the sheer number took her aback. His nose was a swollen black-and-blue bullseye for his face. His lips pushed out mumbled rambles. His eyes remained fixed on the light above him.

She reached out and touched his forehead with both hands. He noticed the movement just before she made contact. At first, he didn't recognize the gray-skinned girl in the long-sleeved black leotard as the origin of his nightmares.

Then his eyes widened.

He inhaled…

Sleep. This has only been a bad dream.

His eyes rolled into his head. He exhaled.

She focused her energies and pulled in his pain.

There was so much. Every time she thought she'd reached the end, there was more. It was engulfing her.

She was spiraling down…

Contact was broken.

Raven's face was on fire. Three lances bore into her arms. There was nowhere on her body that didn't howl in agony. Pain squeezed her heart and lungs.

She fought to breathe.

It was so hard.

She felt something cool on both sides of her face. It distracted her from the pain; acted as a reminder of sensations other than torture.

What?

She reached up. They were metal hands.

Cyborg's hands.

Raven opened her eyes.

Cyborg's face swam inches from her own. She blinked to focus.

"That's it Raven. Come back. Come back…"

The phantom pain slowly gave way to reality. She was sitting on the bench, several steps away from the stretcher. She was certain she had help getting there. Cyborg was on his knees in front of her, searching her face anxiously.

Her hands still covered his.

She pulled feebly at his wrists. He looked startled, then let go.

His hands had been all that was holding her up.

She sagged, and he caught her again—by the shoulders.

Her condition was embarrassing.

"Will she be all right?" the tech asked quietly.

"Yeah. Raven just needs a few minutes."

"Well, Dr. Light is resting comfortably. I think he still has the scar from his last tetanus booster, but that's about it." Raven could practically hear him shaking his head. "How…"

"Magic." She didn't care if he believed her or not.

"Huh. If I can get you something…"

What I need is a soak and week-long nap.

"No. Thanks." She looked up at the tech. "Anything you can do to help convince Dr. Light that this was all in his head—"

"No problem. If you missed anything, we'll tell him he fell out of bed."

"Good." Raven lowered her head.

The tech took the hint.

Ironic. Dr. Light ranted that the 'Light would destroy the Darkness'. It almost did, but not by attacking-- by being so needy.

A shiver sent her into spasms.

Cyborg held her steady with one hand, and draped her cloak over her shoulders with the other.

She pulled it tightly around herself.

I'm shocky--I've never been this bad before. I've got to have some reserves somewhere...

{Knock knock! Can you come out and play?}

Raven heard the faint sound of Humor pecking at the roof of the van.

"Cyborg, help me get outside."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. The…birds can help me."

She could feel them all above her on the roof.

All of them except…

{Not again…}

The Police transport rocked like a toy.

{How dare you heal him! How dare you take my marks from him!}

Hate's beak slammed into the roof over and over.

{HOW DARE YOU!!}

Cyborg planted himself under the growing dent, his sonic blaster taking shape.

"She's gonna break through! Doc, be ready to move Dr. Light--"

"Cyborg--it's me she's after!"

"Wha--"

Multiple explosions peppered the roof.

{Alien coward! I'll kill you for that!}

Hate's scream touched even the reinforced interior of the van.

Then silence.

Raven released her held breath.

There was a hole in the ceiling the size of her fist. Cyborg whistled softly and reconfigured his blaster back into an arm.

Raven raised her hood. Her hands trembled at the effort, and she gripped the cloth to steady them. She watched the tech slowly stand and lean against Dr. Light's stretcher.

They'll be looked after.

"Let's get you outside Raven."

Her friend offered his hand.

I can't do this…

{Then let him help.} Love peeked through the hole in the ceiling.

People will think I'm weak…

Raven's mind was bombarded by voices:

{He's your friend. He knows you're not weak.}

{Who cares what anyone else thinks…}

{Aw, c'mon. He won't bite…}

{Hate needs to be stopped before she hurts Starfire…}

{I'm so scared. And I want to go back…but I can't get to you…}

She sighed. "Cyborg, I…can't stand."

He scooped her up in both arms and headed for the hatch.

It opened before they reached it. The guard vacated Cyborg's path in a hurry and the second guard made no move to stop them as they passed.

"Where to next?", Cyborg asked quietly.

"Somewhere quiet."