Chapter 9: When You Say Nothing at All

The guest bedrooms in Titans Tower were situated just one floor above the team quarters. Cyborg had made sure that Jinx's room was directly above his when she moved in and tonight, he was glad he did. Cyborg's sensitive auditory equipment snapped to attention when a thud above him told him that Jinx had fallen out of bed.

Getting up, Cyborg mounted the stairs and crossed the hall to Jinx's room and opened the door. Jinx was indeed on the floor, thrashing and crying out in the throes of an obviously terrible nightmare. Cyborg knelt down and picked her up, urging her to wake up. When she opened her eyes, she gasped to see Cyborg there.

"What happened?" she gasped.

"You were having a nightmare. I heard you fall out of bed and came up to make sure you were all right," Cyborg replied.

"Really?" Jinx whispered, her pink, cat-like eyes wide and child-like in the dim light of the room.

"Yeah, really," Cyborg murmured, placing her back on her bed. He was surprised at how small she seemed this way. As a matter of fact, all of his teammates seemed small in his massive grasp. "Wanna talk about that nightmare? It sounded like a real doozy."

Jinx frowned. She hated admitting that she had been afraid of anything. One couldn't afford to be afraid of anything when they work for someone like Slade. Still, Cyborg's eyes reflected no judgment, no condescendence, but genuine concern and gentle understanding, something that Jinx had not experienced since she was very small. She told Cyborg about her fear that Brother Blood and Slade would come after her to finish the job. Traitors often didn't live to tell their stories.

"What scares me more than anything is that I'm not afraid of them," Jinx said softly, picking at the edge of her dress. "I'm afraid of what they can do. I'm not afraid for myself. I probably deserve everything they have planned for me. I'm afraid for you and the other Titans. You've all been so good to me and I don't want you all to have to pay for my mistakes." Jinx's eyes welled with tears and she wilted into Cyborg's arms.

"It's okay, Jinx," Cyborg soothed. "Everything's gonna be all right. Ol' Cyborg's not gonna let anything happen to you. The Teen Titans have been up against Slade before. We got Robin out and we'll get you out too. We've already gone in the right direction; you're here."

"But it's been so quiet all week. I can't help thinking that their up to something—planning something. Cyborg, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened to you," Jinx cried.

"Don't you worry about that right now. Everything's okay. We'll deal with Slade and his buddies when the time comes. For now, just go back to sleep," Cyborg said, pulling the blankets back up to Jinx's shoulders. Lightly, he kissed the top of her head and then went back to his own room. She was right. Things had been way too quiet, but Cyborg was determined not to make the others panic. He only hoped that the stillness remained until Robin and Starfire returned from Tamaran. To fight Slade and Brother Blood, they would need all the firepower they could get.

As he settled back down to bed, Cyborg considered calling some of their allies in other cities: Speedy, Aqualad, Sunspot and even ShadowFox were all friends that Cyborg knew the Titans could count on. As a last resort, Cyborg even remembered Robin saying something about contacting Batman. As sleep claimed the cybernetic teen again, he prayed that this wasn't the beginning of a war.

Far away, on Tamaran, Robin and Starfire had had the time of their lives. The elaborate, extensive feast that her parents had prepared had been amazing, and Robin was finding that he was developing a fondness for some of the native dishes of this strangely peaceful planet. Robin had never met a more passionate people. The Tamaranians had a capacity for love and peace that he wished could he could bottle and bring back to earth with him. It made more sense to him now why Starfire had been so eager to fit in, and so naïve to the motives of evil-doers. Crime was virtually non-existent here, and the cities were clean, well kept, and prosperous.

Robin and Starfire retired for the night in a large, spacious bedroom of her parent's estate. When Robin entered the room, his eyes grew large and his mouth dropped open.

"Wow. Star? Is this your room?" Robin asked. Starfire nodded. Robin walked farther into the room and grinned as he jumped high into the air and landed with a soft thud on Starfire's bed. Lying on his back and folding his arms behind his head, Robin looked over at his wife. She finished brushing out her hair and then joined him, curling up beside him on the bed.

"Your parents told me that the markings on our robes were symbols of an ancient Tamaranian language. What do they mean?" Robin asked. Starfire lightly reached out to touch each symbol as she interpreted it.

"Wealth...Prosperity...Longevity...Peace..." she looked up at Robin as she said the rest, "Friendship...Joy...and Passion..." As soon as the last word left her lips, Robin took her face in his hands and pulled her to him in a romantic kiss. Before the night was over, the young husband and wife would become true soul mates.

The days passed quickly after that night, and soon, Robin and Starfire were on their way back to earth. When they arrived at Titans Tower, it was quiet...too quiet.

"Starfire, where is everybody?" Robin asked. He went to one of the computer terminals and checked the security cameras. No one. All of their fellow Titans were gone.

"There must have been some emergency!" Starfire cried, joining him near the computer console. "I told mother we never should have left them!"

"I'm sure there's a logical explanation for all of this," Robin replied, pulling his communicator from his belt.

"But what if they are in trouble? What if Slade has taken them all prisoner?" Starfire cried.

"Titans, come in!" Robin cried into his communicator. Silence and static were the only reply. "Raven! Cyborg! Can anyone hear me?" Starfire's face lost its color. She was certain that something terrible had befallen their friends.

"It can't be...the locator chips all say that everyone is here—even Jinx and Torque—Where are they?" Robin stammered.

"Your wife is very astute, Robin. Congratulations are in order," Slade's voice chimed in. Rage suddenly boiled under Robin's skin.

"What did you do with them?" Robin shouted.

"Why don't you ask your darkling friend," Slade replied, closing the communication relay. Suddenly, the newlyweds heard a choking sound and a cry from downstairs.

"Help! cough choke Help me, please! gasp and choke somebody please help me!"

"Raven!" Robin screamed.

"We are coming!" Starfire shouted, lifting into the air. The two rushed down to the fourth floor chemistry lab, where a fire was ravaging the room. The smoke that billowed out from underneath the door was foul smelling and thick, and they could hear Raven's voice getting weaker as the seconds rushed by. Starfire charged one of her energy bolts and Robin cried, "No! It's too dangerous! It would be like lighting a match in there! The whole Tower would go up, Starfire!"

"But how are we to get her out?" cried Starfire.

"Go back upstairs and hit the emergency exhaust fans! Hurry! I'll get Raven out!" Robin cried, taking a deep breath and forcing the laboratory doors open. Raven had stopped calling for help and Robin's lungs were already pounding for lack of air. Robin found Raven lying on the floor of the lab, her arms crossed over her chest and bound with layer after layer of thick duct tape. If she had tried to use her powers, she would have killed herself. Robin lifted her unconscious form into his arms and ran from the room three seconds after the emergency fans kicked in.

Robin coughed out the breath he had held for so long as he collapsed to his knees and placed Raven on the floor. Using one of his bird-a-rangs, he ripped the tape from Raven's arms.

"C'mon, Raven, breathe!" Robin cried, tipping her head back and lifting her chin. He leaned down close to Raven's face and felt for her breath but felt nothing. Robin coughed one more time before pinching Raven's nose and opening her mouth.

"Robin, what's happening?" Starfire cried, joining him there in the hall.

"Have to perform...cough CPR...only way to...cough save her!" Robin stuttered. Robin forced four deep breaths into Raven's lungs before she gasped and coughed, finally breathing on her own again. Robin gently rolled Raven onto her side as she continued to cough and he rubbed her back in slow circles as she regained control of her breath.

"You're home...thought I was...going to die in there..." Raven panted. Robin squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

"I'm only glad we found you in time. That was close," Robin replied.

"A little too close," Raven replied.

"What has happened?" Starfire asked.

"We walked right into an ambush. Gizmo and Mammoth staged a bank robbery in order to lure us out into the open. Slade and Brother Blood were on us faster than we could respond. They took Cyborg, Beast Boy and Jinx. I think Torque escaped but I couldn't find her. Plasmus was waiting for me when I got back here. Slade's planning to release all of the monsters we've put away for the last three years. Robin, we have to do something!" Raven explained.

"Torque could be in trouble also! Where would we begin to look for her?" cried Starfire.

"Good question. We need to get out there--now. Raven, are you strong enough to come along?" Robin replied.

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this for the world," Raven replied, her voice already stronger than it was five minutes before. She stood as Robin and Starfire helped her up, and then followed along behind the T-Cycle as Robin sped through the city streets.