A/N: Sorry about the long gap between updates. I've been in an artsy mood! Go check out my artwork on Deviant Art!! My screen name is unicorn-catcher.

Big hugs and cookies to those who have been consistently reading and reviewing my stories: Raven A. Star, Arrendi, Warprince2000, jestana, DarkWarlord, WildSpiritOfDarkness2, and my newest fan: Fuzzy!

Chapter 6: At the Close of Eve

"The Bat that flits at close of Eve
Has left the Brain that won't believe.
The Owl that calls upon the Night
Speaks the Unbeliever's fright..."

The next morning, Raven awoke still snuggled into the blanket, the Monday sun streaming in on her face. Unable to bear staying away from him any longer, Raven stood and transported into she and Beast Boy's bedroom with the twins in her arms. She placed them in the crib that Beast Boy had purchased and assembled the night he found out that they were expecting. Raven grinned as the infants shifted their weight and yawned before falling asleep again. Raven on the other hand, swapped her torn outfit for a clean uniform and cloak. Refreshed, she wasted no time lifting up into the air and lowering herself onto the bed directly beside Beast Boy. Without bothering to wake him, Raven covered his mouth with hers, startling him into awareness.

He mumbled some half-coherent objection and then realized what was going on. He pulled back out of the kiss and his eyes opened wide and he cried out, "Raven!" Beast Boy suddenly clutched his wife close and kissed her back, running his hands over her back through her hair. Seconds passed before he slowly pushed them into a sitting position and continued to kiss her.

"I missed you so much!" Raven whispered.

"I thought you were dead! I was sure I'd never see you again!" Beast Boy whispered back, letting tears spill over his emerald colored eyes. He explained about the newscast and Raven told him about Mammoth and the heroic deed he did for her. Beast Boy was stunned for a moment.

"But...if you gave birth in that hotel room, where...?"

Raven said nothing but raised her hand and levitated the twins to them. Gingerly, Raven placed baby Toby in Beast Boy's arms and smiled.

"Beast Boy, meet your children: Toby Gar and Olivia Arella," Raven murmured, kissing Olivia's head. Beast Boy couldn't speak—the words wouldn't come. To hold the incarnation of his love for Raven in his arms was too much to take in all at once. He couldn't resist leaning over to steal another kiss from Raven as they sat on their bed and held their children.

"I love you so much, Raven!" Beast Boy wept, kissing her again. Noticing that he hadn't come out of his room yet, the other Titans, led by Robin, knocked at the door. Not expecting to hear two voices inside, the Titans rushed inside.

"RAVEN!"

After breakfast, the Titans discussed the next phase of the battle. Now that Raven was safe, the team could concentrate on locating Wonder Woman. She had been gone since Friday night, and it was now Monday morning, and the Titans couldn't even begin to imagine what poor Diana must be going through.

"We have to have a plan before go out there. Slade has managed to surprise us before, even under the best laid plans," Robin began.

"Slade is involved, but he has a partner, and I don't know who! He's lost Gizmo and Mammoth as his minions, but that doesn't diminish his power by much," said Raven, holding Olivia against her shoulder. Robin smiled at her.

"I know I insisted on coming along last time, guys, but..." Raven started. Robin finished her thought for her.

"I understand. You can monitor us from the Tower and wire for reinforcements if we should need them," Robin answered. As much as Raven hated staying home, the sacrifice was worth the relieved look on Beast Boy's face. He was confident that this time his wife was safe.

After hatching the plan, Robin led the Titans into action. They left Raven with specific instructions on when to call for backup and under what circumstances, and orders that she was not to leave the Tower. Raven's blue eyes narrowed a bit. To offer to stay behind was one thing, but to be ordered to do so...

"We really appreciate you doing this, Raven. We wouldn't have a clue what's going on if you hadn't been through hell and back first," Torque added. Raven's look softened. The Titans had told Raven about Terra that morning also. Raven had had to sit down. She couldn't believe it: Terra was alive. Raven agreed to check in on Terra every couple hours while the other Titans were gone.

Raven watched the T-Car speed off toward the city and then turned back to the cradle on the floor near the couch. The twins were sleeping soundly. They had been fed, and were snuggled into their blankets in the cradle. Raven smiled. She still found it hard to believe she was a mother. It made her feel older somehow. She walked softly over to the cradle and knelt beside it, staring lovingly at Toby and Olivia. Lightly, she touched their faces and was rewarded when they yawned and shifted their weight before going back to sleep. The soft beep of a monitor caught Raven's attention. Terra...

Raven turned the lights up a little when she entered the medical bay. Terra's breathing and heart rate had jumped and she was tugging at the restraints around her. She looked at Raven with helpless eyes.

"Raven? What's happening?" Terra whispered hoarsely. Her voice had not yet fully recovered from its two and a half year lapse in use. Raven walked farther into the room and rested her hand on Terra's shoulder.

"It's okay...you don't have to struggle. We couldn't be sure what kind of shape your mind would be in when you awoke. The restraints were just a precaution. Relax for a minute, and I'll un-strap you," Raven replied.

"The suit...it's gone...did you...?" Terra asked. Raven ducked her head a moment.

"No...it's a long story, but one I think I can tell relatively quickly," Raven said, pausing a moment to rest her hand over Terra's forehead. For several minutes, Raven used her own memories and knowledge to show Terra what she had missed while she was gone. When Raven had finished, both young women were crying softly.

"Oh, Raven..." Terra said gently, her voice gaining a little strength. "I wish I could have been there; wish I could have helped...I missed your wedding and Rob and Star's. You're a mom now! I...feel kind of left behind..." Raven finished undoing all of the restraints and covered Terra with a thick blanket.

"I know," Raven said. "So much has happened that it's amazing to think it all happened in just two years."

"You said that Jinx is a Titan now...you guys really trust her?" Terra said as Raven checked the monitors that regulated Terra's vital signs.

"She's proved herself a loyal member of the team so far. It wasn't an easy choice to allow her to help us, but in the end I was glad I did...kinda like when I decided to trust you..." Raven said, turning back to Terra.

"I didn't deserve your trust," Terra murmured. Raven rested a hand on her shoulder and Terra looked up at her.

"You sacrificed your life to save the city..." Raven said slowly. "I've never known a braver Titan." Terra's eyes welled with tears as Raven tugged the blanket up to her friend's chin. Raven turned to leave and Terra called, "Raven?"

"Yes, Terra?"

"Will you do something for me?"

"Sure...what do you need?"

Terra's eyes welled with tears and her voice was little more than a whisper at this, "Can I have a hug?" Raven wept along with her friend as she crossed the room again and threw her arms around the petite, blonde Titan.

Far away, beneath the city, Slade rattled the bars of his captive's prison.

"Rise and shine, princess, it's your turn to join the fun..." Slade said. Slade chained Wonder Woman to a giant electromagnetic generator that would harvest lightning to charge its power cells. He restrained Wonder Woman's hands up high, near the top of the long lightning rod of the device.

"What are you going to do to me?" Wonder Woman cried, struggling against the obviously uncomfortable position.

"The bracelets you wear will serve as a conductor to draw the lightning that I need to charge the generator. Once the power cells are filled, the machine's central core will emit the largest electromagnetic pulse the world has ever seen...there won't be a functioning electronic device for miles," Slade said menacingly.

"Why do you need me? Why not just take the bracelets?" Wonder Woman demanded.

"My dear princess!" Two Face cried brashly. "Where would be the fun in that? When Batman finds out that his lady love has perished, he will be too overwhelmed by your tragic death to fight!" Wonder Woman squeezed her eyes shut against the elements and continued to struggle as the machine moves into place and she was lifted up through a massive opening in the ceiling, exposing her to the cold rain, icy wind, thunder clouds and lightning. Five minutes later, the Titans exploded onto the scene.

"Not so fast, Slade! Let Wonder Woman go!" Robin cried. When the villain turned, there was a look of pure malice in his eyes. He immediately set his robots on the battle ready heroes.

"Titans! Go!" Robin shouted from the T-Cycle, watching in exhilaration as his teammates and best friends scattered in all directions. Starfire and Beast Boy soared overhead as Cyborg raced forward beside him on his right. Jinx was on his left, her hands glowing bright pink and ready to hex the first monstrous robot that came near her. Bringing up the rear, the team heard the throaty roar of an engine and seconds later Torque bore down on the scene riding her motorcycle. Twisting the throttle and dumping the clutch, Torque surged forward, her turbulent blue eyes narrow and furious behind the visor of her helmet. Screaming under the exertion, Torque lunged forward and the back wheel of the bike rose up off the ground, allowing the brunette Titan to swing the chassis around and slam it into the nearest robot, throwing it across the expanse and into another group of the bots.

"Strike!" Torque screamed.

"Awesome!" responded Beast Boy. "Here's your chance to pick up a spare!" Beast Boy pointed to another robot behind her. Torque turned in her seat and threw her arms out to their full length, catching the bot with her powers. Torque pulled one arm back and the robotic soldier was ripped in half.

"Wah-hoo! Go Torque!" Robin cried before dismounting his bike and running to attack Slade. Robin drew his staff and twirled it in his hand a few times before coming down on the fearsome super villain. Nearby, Cyborg and Jinx were taking on double trouble: Two Face.

"Run, run, run as fast as you can! You can't catch me!" Two Face taunted. Jinx gritted her teeth as her hexes crackled around them. Another legion of robots appeared on the scene and the two began to take out the robots one at a time as Two Face deserted the scene.

"Thirteen!...Fourteen!..." Cyborg shouted, counting the robots as he destroyed them.

"Twenty-one! Twenty-two! Twenty-FOUR!" Jinx shouted back, taking out the last two at once. Cyborg blushed beneath his circuitry; he was getting beaten by his own...wait...did he almost call Jinx his girlfriend? This temporary lack of concentration cost Cyborg. One of the robots clamped him in a giant fist and prepared to smash the mechanical Titan in his grip.

"Cyborg!" Jinx screamed. She wound up and threw her strongest hex, aiming for the creature's knees. It worked: the metal monster fell, and dropped Cyborg, but there was one thing Jinx hadn't thought of: what goes up must come down. The robot toppled and fell and the pink-haired Titan disappeared beneath the mass of metal, wires, and tubes.

"JINX!" Cyborg screamed. He pushed his muscles to the limit and beyond, but it was no use. He couldn't do it alone.

"Beast Boy! Torque! Help me! Please!" Cyborg screamed, still pushing on the giant sentinels. With their help, the metallic beast was finally rolled away and Cyborg dug his pretty crush out from under the rubble. He held her in his arms as he knelt there, nearly unable to speak. She opened her eyes weakly.

"Teddy bear?" she murmured.

"I'm here, Sugar Booger," he murmured back, a tear gathering in his still human eye.

"I can't breathe..." Jinx wheezed. Cyborg looked around. Starfire screeched by him, easily out-manuvering another robot. It was the last one. Starfire easily eliminated it with her starbolts and turned to her friends.

"Come! We need to help Robin!" she cried.

"Jinx...Jinx is hurt!" Cyborg cried.

"I've got her! I'll take her back to the Tower. You guys finish Slade and save Wonder Woman! Once Jinx is back at the Tower I'll go after Two Face!" Torque cried, taking Jinx in one arm and cranking the throttle with her free hand. When Torque was gone, Cyborg took a deep breath and returned with his friends, now angrier than he had been in a long time.

When the Titans found Slade, Robin was clearly on the ropes. He was on the ground and fighting to get back up. Starfire used the nearest wall as a springboard and launched herself at the villain, raining her starbolts down as she shouted for Slade to stay away from her husband. Slade turned and seconds later shot down sections of the high ceiling, burying Starfire in the rubble.

"Starfire!" Robin screamed. Gathering more determination, Robin pulled himself up and took another swing at Slade. The man anticipated and blocked the attack, but didn't see the metal monstrosity that was Cyborg charging toward him. Beast Boy ran for the pile of rubble from the ceiling to find Starfire, knowing that as angry as Cyborg was, he probably didn't need the help as badly as Star did right now.

Cyborg bore down on the super villain and slammed him to the ground. Robin just barely rolled out of the way before Cyborg landed there and Slade disappeared beneath the hulking Titan. Slade wrestled Cyborg over the edge of a short cliff and the two continued to struggle until Slade was finally pinned beneath his adversary. Cyborg looked at the man beneath him. He had been waiting for this for a long time. Cyborg pulled back and hit Slade in the face as hard as he could.

"That was for Terra!" Cyborg yelled. He wound up and hit Slade again just as hard.

"That was for Raven!"

CRACK!

"That was for Torque!"

CRACK!

"That was for Starfire!"

CRACK!

"That was for Robin!"

CRACK!

"That was for Beast Boy!"

By now, Slade was nearly unconscious and was unable to fight back, but Cyborg had one more person to defend. He lifted Slade up and dangled him over the precipice, knowing full well that the waves were crashing in the tide pool below.

"This....this is for Jinx....burn in Hell you bastard!"

With this, Cyborg threw Slade over the side of the cliff, watching as the villain's body smashed on the rocks and waves below. Shaking with weakness, Cyborg forced himself to climb back up to his friends. Beast Boy collapsed to his knees before him and Robin, holding a limp Starfire in his arms.

"Slade's dead....it's over..." Cyborg murmured.

"No it isn't..." Robin growled, pulling himself up off the ground again. "Wonder Woman!"