Raventhedarkgoddess: Well, I'm glad to see this chapter didn't go anywhere, I recived yet another warning and it's been sitting in my document manager for quite some time now. Anyway,here you go, new chapter, enjoy.

Chapter Seventeen: Finish This

"Well... I've been trying to tell you this forever, but... I really, really like you, Cyborg." She felt the words tumble over each other, more of a breath than a statement, and she sighed. Now he'll never like me... She couldn't believe what an idiot she felt like, and gazed off to the side of the room, to where Raven and Robin sat. I wonder what it feels like for people to care about each other that much... To actually have it be more than one-sided... Longing filled her eyes, and she turned them back to Cyborg, trying to subdude her fear and feelings.

"I... I like you too," he said, rather stupidly, and the part of his face that was human blushed horribly dark, which was difficult, because dark skin should never get hot enough to blush. "I... I have for a while, and..." A small smile, although it was not enough to luminate his face, appered there and stayed.

"Cyborg... Would you guys be willing to let me stay here...?" Her voice trailed off. "Just for a little while. I want... I want to take down Slade. I want to finish him... For Anna." She gave him a serious look, and his smile fell: He almost couldn't remember what he had done wrong. His heart felt the pang even though his head told him to get a grip: She likes you, man, and she's just upset.

"Of course you can stay here," Cyborg said quietly. "The Titans are a family. We're here to help you through stuff like this." That was LAME... He said in his head, although his face reflected no feelings, just outward, radiating concern. "And if nothing else, I'm always here for you."

Lecita let herself rest against him, her head against his arm, and they hugged. Lecita bent herself up slightly, her lips moving for his, and he lowered his head: The picture of innocence will silouted for a moment, and they moved quickly, queitly closer... A red light suddenly caused them to break apart. Lecita looked wide-eyed for a minute or two: Even though she had heard it before, the alarm was still startling to her in the quick way it caused a person to become a hero, react, THINK.

"Let's go."

"Go where?" Lecita asked, ready to move, ready to react, ready to fight, because love was not the only thing in her veins: Her heart pumped sorrow, hearthrob and anger, hurt, but also love and hope, and the sensation was so strong that all she wanted to do was FIGHT, run and jump and take her revenge... All while sobbing her heart out. So this is how they live, what they live for when everything is gone...

"To fight. Slade is back, and I made a promise." Robin's face was set: He wasn't telling where they were going or what the mission was, but it spread like an unknown wildfire: Slade was what they were fighting against. This was their last stand, do or die: But the agreement also passed that they had to try, to make it for themselves no matter what.

She could hardly understand what they were doing outside there, sitting in the seat, watching Raven and Robin strattle a bike together: It seemed so far away, so insanly far away, that she had first seen them together like that, riding off to whatever would come. We're like that now... She watched Cyborg clentch his teeth, eyes squinted on Robin, following him to the crime, folowing him to the fight. We'll get through this together.

The warehouse was crumbling, falling to peices, and everyone stopped to look at it: The seven faces reflected a sense of destiny, of hope and yet of fear, and no one could describe what they really felt as they stared at it. "This is it," Raven mumbled to Robin as they dismounted, and he nodded and squeezed her hand: He was scared enough for the both of them, even if she couldn't show him how afraid she was.

"Is everyone ready?" The leader seemed to be asking not them but himself, looking around, ready to fight, trying to tell himself it would all be alright in the end if he knew otherwise in his head. "We've just got to stick together!"

"Let us... Finish this." Starfire, who hadn't spoken since long before the funeral, seemed to come back to her senses. "When Slade is taken, everything shall return to normal, yes?" She backed up and stood next to Beast Boy, who still had his arm on Terra, and knew her emotions were surfacing quickly: She was going to fight this battle to the death if need be.

"Is everyone ready?" Robin looked around: Shining anger, betrayal, love, and a sense of unity burned, possiably for the final time.

"Robin, we've got to just go, before we lose nerve," Terra pointed out in a rational voice. Instead of talking, Beast Boy and Raven forced the side door open, and feet echoed within for the first ((or second, assuming Slade was there)) time in the twenty years since it had been closed off from the public, from the surrounding world.

"So, ready, Titans?"

"We're going to finish this!" And I'm going to protect everyone, including Raven.I promised her peace. I will give her peace! Thoughtlessly, with a rageful cry he wasn't quite aware came from his own vocal cords, he attacked, moving in on Slade. "Die!"

Raventhedarkgoddess: Soon this story is going to be finished, so I hope you guys at least somewhat enjoyed reading it, I know it's not all that great. At any rate, enjoy what I have up. Thank you for your continued support.