Chapter 7: Save Me From the Dark

Beast Boy and Raven didn't have to look far to find shelter. The settlement of Azarath was closer than they suspected, and Raven guided Beast Boy to an ornate temple near the middle of the town.

"It's too quiet here. Where is everyone?" Beast Boy asked.

"Meditation. There are specific times during the day that everyone stops what their doing and goes into meditation. It's part of our religious observance," Raven replied. Beast Boy hoisted Raven into his arms and carried her up the steps and into the temple.

"Let me walk from here," Raven insisted. "If I don't, it would be disrespectful to the temple. I know you don't understand, but you have to trust me." Beast Boy nodded, his look serious. He worried that Raven would over-stress herself and make her labor more strenuous. They were not there more than a few seconds when a woman emerged from the temple sanctuary.

"Azar?" Raven called. The woman smiled.

"I am not the Azar you speak of, but I bear her name. I am the daughter of the woman that raised you," Azar replied. "It's true…you've really returned…you've defied the prophesy?"

"Yes," Raven said, carefully maintaining her calm. "We need somewhere private. My baby is about to be born." The woman's eyes grew large for a moment.

"Arella was right…you've followed in her footsteps…"

"No!" Raven shouted firmly. "Beast Boy is my husband. He's as human as you and I and the child I carry is ours. Please, help me." The woman nodded and guided them to a guest room in the back area of the temple. Another contraction swept over Raven's body and she collapsed to her knees, crying out in shock when her water broke. Calmly, Azar helped Raven remove her uniform and slip into a plain, short-sleeved shift. Beast Boy helped where he could and when it came time, he sat behind Raven and supported her, rubbing her lower back to ease the pain of the contractions as they became more severe.

When it was time to push, Beast Boy helped to steady Raven's knees and cried with her as the pain became almost more than she could take. But if he was crying then, it was nothing compared to the flood of joyful tears that blurred his eyes when he watched his newest child emerge into the world.

The cord was cut.

The infant cried.

After giving the baby a warm bath and a snug new gown and blanket, Azar blessed the little one, and surrendered it to Beast Boy. Beast Boy took the tiny miracle from her arms and was lost for words. Had this tiny life truly been curled up inside Raven's body all this time? He returned to the bed where Raven dozed and placed the baby in her arms before arranging himself back on the bed in a position where he could hold them both.

"I love you so much, Raven," Beast Boy murmured, kissing the top of her head, then her cheek, and as she turned her head to meet his, he made contact with her lips. "Ten fingers, ten toes…congratulations, honey, we have another son!"

Azar, observing this scene, accepted the profuse thanks of the two grateful parents and then slipped out of the room. She was certain they would be hungry after all that commotion and as she glanced at the clocks, Azar noticed that she had missed dinner. She quietly chided herself. Certainly, she would have been missed and someone would be sent to find her. She was nearly to the door when two more women entered the temple.

"You missed dinner, my lady," the first said politely.

"Yes, we had unexpected guests several hours ago, and I'm afraid they needed immediate attention," Azar replied with a smile. The second woman didn't look convinced.

"Where is she? I sent for her. She would have come here first, I know it. It was Raven, wasn't it?"

Azar took a step back and then composed herself. "Calm yourself, Arella. Your daughter and her husband are here, as you have surmised, but they are resting. They have had quite the stressful afternoon."

"How so, Lady Azar?" the first woman asked. Before Azar could convey the joyful news, Arella shrieked out in horror, "It's true! She's conceived a child and has brought forth another bastard demon on our world! She has defied the prophesy only to create a new legacy of terror!"

"CALM YOURSELF AT ONCE!" Azar demanded, reaching out her hand and causing Arella to fall to the ground holding her head. "Your daughter has spared an entire universe the rage of the man that sired her by doing precisely what comes naturally to a young woman: she fell in love! You call the man she married a beast, yet he has demonstrated to me that she matters more to him than anything in the world. You have nothing to fear by this, Arella. If you know what is good for you, you will compose yourself and greet your new grandson with the joy that is his due!"

"M-my grandson…" Arella stammered.

Azar slowly descended to her knees and wrapped her arms around Arella's shoulders. "You should be proud. He is their fourth."

"Fourth?" Arella gasped. "I have…four grandchildren…that I never knew…" Tears were gathering in her eyes now. She was ashamed that she had assumed the worst. Timidly, Arella peered into the back room. A soft sucking noise and the murmur of two voices drew her attention to a low bed across the room. Arella thought she'd died and gone to some elaborate heaven. Her daughter was feeding her baby while the man that she had assumed to be a monster held her protectively in his arms. Gently, he took the baby from her so that she could button up her gown, and it took until this was accomplished for them to notice she was there. Raven's eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open.

"Mom?"

"My child!" Arella wept, crossing the room to them and pulling Raven into her arms. Mother and daughter wept as they held one another. Beast Boy could only watch this small reunion and smile. After introductions had been made, Arella nearly lost her breath as Raven laid the baby in her arms.

"Meet your youngest grandchild, Caleb Mark Logan," Raven said gently. Arella could only stare.

"I have not felt such joy in my heart since the moment I first held you, Raven," Arella murmured.

"Wait till you meet the other three," Beast Boy said proudly. Together, they laughed. Arella could scarcely imagine having this one grandchild, let another three more. She was officially overwhelmed. For the remainder of the night, Arella cared for her family. She was beginning to realize that it was true—Raven really had changed her destiny, and for the better.

"What are you doing, Livie?" asked Toby, sitting down on the floor beside his twin sister. She had Jason's drawing pad on her knees and she was concentrating quite hard on what she was drawing.

"I've got an idea," Olivia replied, not looking up from the sketch pad. She explained her plan to Toby as she colored. Just like the majority of Olivia's plans, it was risky—but it was possible. As they continued to scheme, their youngest sibling, Emily, sat up and began to cry. Though she was only four, she understood concepts far beyond her years, and thus in her little hands was a small, round hand mirror. She could command it to show her whatever she wished, and right now, it was showing her Raven, in the throes of some horrible agony. Emily wept at this.

"Mommy's dying!" she wailed. Toby and Olivia leapt off the floor and crowded around her, nudging closer to see the image in the mirror. Indeed, it did appear that Raven was nearing her last minutes on earth.

"We've gotta do it, Toby," Olivia said gravely. Toby took the mirror from his little sister's hand, causing her to squeal in protest until Olivia turned her to face her.

"Listen, Emmy, give this to Daddy when you see him," Olivia instructed her, pressing one of her drawings into Emily's hands.

"Daddy?"

"Yes. Go through the tunnel Toby's gonna make for you and it will take you to Daddy. But first, you have to tell the mirror to show you daddy, okay?" Olivia said. Emily did as she was told and commanded the mirror to show her father. When Beast Boy's image filtered onto the reflection, Toby concentrated, opening a swirling portal of concentric whorls. The mirror's image was reflected into the end of the portal but this time, it seemed more real, and Emily forgot her fears, running blindly into the brightness of the tunnel. Toby collapsed in exhaustion as his little sister disappeared into the dimensional portal he had created, dropping the little mirror as he fell. The hand mirror was undamaged by the fall onto the carpeted floor, and Toby remained still as Olivia and Jason hurried to his side.

"Toby! How did you do that?" Olivia screeched.

"I just…knew….I was thinking about mom and I just did it," Toby replied. A distant voice called from far down the corridor, "What's going on in there?" Olivia and Toby's heart rates doubled. Olivia put Jason's backpack on him and tucked another drawing into his backpack. She pulled a third out of the sketch pad and pressed it into Jason's pocket.

"Your turn. When he opens the door, run. Don't stop until you get out of here. If you have to play dead, do it. Just like when we escaped from Brother Blood," Olivia ordered. "Find Auntie Bumblebee and show her the picture in your backpack. If someone offers to help you get to where you're going, show them the picture in your pocket. It's a picture of the Eastern Titans Tower. Remember, don't stop running and don't worry about us, okay?"

The door was flung open minutes later and Jason froze. Toby bent down and whispered in Jason's ear, "Pretend you're your dad's sidekick! He needs you to be brave now! RUN!"

Hearing the words, 'dad's sidekick', 'brave', and 'run', little Jason's face changed completely. Their host-turned-captor reached for him and Jason raised his hands, screaming as green light burst from them, blinding him. Olivia and Toby distracted the man long enough for Jason to get out, but the rest was up to him. As Olivia and Toby locked themselves into the room, they realized that they were all that stood between Aidan and Reese, the youngest members of the family, and the danger that lurked outside the door.

"We're the Titans now," Olivia said with soft determination. "Mamma and Daddy and the others have code names. We should have codenames too." Toby nodded in quiet agreement.

"I name you Catalyst," Olivia said in a very official tone. "Your powers make other people's powers better and that's what Mamma said a catalyst is. You took Emily's mirror and turned it into a portal."

"Okay. Then I name you Hummingbird. Your powers allow you to fly and you've started to be able to move stuff with your mind, like Mamma does. You look just like Mamma except you're smaller. She's a Raven, so you're a Hummingbird," said Toby. The two shook on it and prepared for what they were certain was going to be the most difficult battle they had ever been through.

Jason raced up and down the unfamiliar city streets as fast as his five year old legs could carry him. He stopped occasionally to catch his breath, but never for too long as this made Silkie squirm, and Jason was afraid that if Silkie got out, he would never catch him again. Stopping at a corner to tie his shoelaces, Jason felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. He gasped, looking up into the eyes of a very grungy, unpleasant looking man. But before the man could rip the backpack off the little one's back, two bright red bolts of energy knocked the man to his hands and knees. Jason looked around and a young woman stepped out of the crowd. Her bright red top and black slacks in themselves were not unusual, but her hair, dark, glossy black with auburn streaks, made her stand out in the hustle and bustle of busy people in the heavily industrial city. The woman's brown eyes glittered beneath her short hair as it fell in her face. She smiled as she bent down and extended her hand to Jason.

"Hi! I'm Aries. What's your name, little stranger? I don't see too many kids in Steel City, let alone a guy your age running around alone. Where are you headed?" the woman began. Jason, too fearful to speak, pulled the picture from his pocket. As Aries looked at it, Jason found the courage to speak.

"M-my name is Jason Todd Grayson," said Jason. Aries smiled.

"Well, Jason Todd Grayson, I think I can help you get to your destination. Who do you know at Titan's Tower?" Aries asked, taking his small hand in her own.

"My Auntie Bumblebee," Jason answered. "She lives there." Aries nodded. Grinning widely, she scooped Jason up into her arms and carried him as she flew. When they arrived at the Tower, Bumblebee couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Auntie Bumblebee!" Jason cried, running to hug her.

"Jason! What are you doing here? Do your parents know you're here?" Bumblebee gasped. Jason started to cry. He fumbled for the clasp of his backpack, but as soon as he opened it, Silkie wriggled loose of his grip and got away into the Tower. Bumblebee sent Mas and Menos after the mutant silk worm and refocused her attention on the child before her. He showed her the picture that Olivia had instructed him to show her as he cried, wearily accepting Bumblebee's arm around him.

"Oh my God…" Bumblebee murmured. "Is this where you've been? This man kidnapped you and you escaped?"

"All of us!" wailed Jason. "He took all of us!" Bumblebee looked at Aries with a grim look of determination.

"What should we do? His parents need to know he's here," said Aries.

"I'm not sure whether to call them and tell them he's here and have them come here, or to take him home myself and save them the trip," Bumblebee murmured, still hugging Jason close as he sobbed. Bumblebee stood slowly, leaving Jason with Aries, who had joined the East Titans only weeks before, the yellow and black Titan speed-dialed Titans West.

The phone at the Jump City Tower rang and rang. Robin, upon hearing the ringer, put down his ham sandwich to go answer it. The rest of the team had informed him of the plan when he emerged from the gym and he agreed to it, as if they would have given him a choice. With the frustration finally drained from his system, he had found the calmness to go and apologize to Terra for yelling at her, and then to Starfire, accusing himself of being a terrible husband.

"No!" Starfire had gasped, lightly stroking his face. Robin had smiled. He loved it when she did that. "You are the most wonderful husband one could ask for! Torque tells me most men never apologize for their actions! But you have!" Robin has laughed at this. He supposed she had a point. After a shower and a restful nap, Robin's appetite had gone into overdrive. The sandwich he had been devouring when the phone rang was his fourth.

"Hello?" Robin mumbled, still swallowing his sandwich. Bumblebee's face materialized on the screen.

"Robin, good, you're feeling better. I've got good news and bad news. What do you want first?" Bumblebee replied.

"Um…I suppose the good news. I mean, finding out that Star and I are having another baby was amazing news but if you can top that, go for it," Robin suggested.

"Congrats to you. But I think I can top it," Bumblebee retorted. "Guess what my team just brought in?"

Seconds later, Robin slammed the phone down, radioed the other Titans that one of the kids had turned up, and only minutes after talking to Bumblebee, Robin kick-started the R-Cycle and was gone. Starfire was still feeling woozy, the others were out searching and that left him to go retrieve his son.

When Robin arrived at the newer Tower, his heart pounded against his ribs. Bumblebee's bad news: the identity of their enemy, had disturbed him to the core, but right now, the safety of his child was more important. Robin raced inside and up the stairs.

"Jason!" Robin shouted up the stairwell. Upstairs in the main area, Jason picked his head up off Aries' shoulder. "Daddy…" Jason started for the door just as Robin emerged through it. Both stopped in their tracks for a second, absorbing the sight of the other before them and making certain it was real. Robin dropped to his knees and Jason ran full speed into his father's arms. Robin had only felt that relieved once before: when the girls and kids had been taken by the Master of Games, and now he was experiencing that joy of holding his son all over again. Jason's lip trembled for a while and then, as if a dam had broken, Jason wailed, burying his face in his father's cape. Robin sat down hard on the floor, cuddling Jason and whispering that it was all right now—daddy was here.

"I was so scared, Daddy!" Jason sobbed, fat tears falling from his bright green eyes.

"I came as soon as Auntie Bumblebee called me, Jason. Wild horses couldn't have stopped me from coming for you! I love you, son!" Robin replied, hugging Jason close. Jason clutched Robin's caped shoulders and continued to cry for a while, his little heart slowly returning to normal rhythm. Once this reunion was complete and Jason was duly comforted, Robin turned to Aries.

Aries, who had been watching all of this, was moved to tears. She considered herself to be of a tougher breed than most, but seeing a small, distraught child reunited with his parents was too much for even her stern composition. Besides the obvious quality of genuine parental affection, there was something else to Aries' emotional observation. There was something about this man that she was inherently attracted to.

"I can't thank you enough for saving him from that mugger…" Robin said, struggling for her name.

"Ariadne Harper. You can call me Aries," Aries replied. Robin's eyes widened for a second in recognition.

"Harper, huh? I don't suppose you're a relation to our Speedy," Robin asked, shaking her hand. Aries stopped mid-handshake.

"Y-you know my brother?" Aries stammered. "I've been searching for Roy for years!" It was Aries' turn to cry now. Could this really be happening? Could she really have just stumbled upon the long lost twin brother she had been searching for all this time? Bumblebee entered the room again and after explanations, Aries bid Robin and Jason goodbye. Surely, within the day, her brother and the sister-in-law-to-be she never knew she had would be joining them in Steel City.