Chapter 8: Capture the Flag

Emily Marie Logan tumbled out of the whirling tunnel and fell to her hands and knees, collecting scrapes and bruises as she rolled. It was as if someone had simply jerked the ground out from under her. Startled by the fall, Emily was silent for a while and then whimpered for a moment before beginning to sob loudly. Unable to focus on anything tangible, Emily wailed out the last thought that had crossed her small mind, "Daddy!"

Disoriented and now terrified, she continued to sob and scream alternately, her tears creating a small puddle on the ground before her and the force of her outbursts turning her pale skin bright scarlet. Her teal hair was mussed and tangled, and the dust was beginning to stick to her cheeks. Emily mustered another breath and screamed again, "Daddy!"

Inside a nearby cottage, Beast Boy startled himself out of a sound sleep. It was mid-afternoon on Azarath, and Beast Boy blushed to think he had fallen asleep with his arm around Raven and Caleb. What had awakened him? There wasn't so much as a bird chirping on this humid day. Then he heard it again—the sound of a child crying. The superhero in Beast Boy surged forward in his mind. Was this little one in danger? Here? After listening to a period of several seconds of sobs as he walked to the door, he heard a sound that made his heart flip-flop in his chest: the gut-wrenching sound of a terrified child calling for its father. Beast Boy froze. That voice. He knew that voice. He knew it as well as he knew the color of his own hair.

"Emily!" Beast Boy shouted, pushing through the door. Charging out into the sunlight, Beast Boy's eyes raided the landscape for the source of the voice. He didn't need to look far. The equivalent of a city block lay between Beast Boy, and his four year old daughter. Looking up from her scraped and slightly bleeding hands, Emily spotted him and recognized him. Immediately, she scrambled to her feet and started to run. Beast Boy ran toward her, meeting her a little more than half way to where she had landed.

Beast Boy's heart pounded as he bent down and swept his shaking, sobbing, terrified little girl up into his arms.

"Daddy's gotcha, Emily…I'm here, baby girl…Oh, God, how did you get here? Shhhh….It's okay, Emily…Daddy's here, Emily….Daddy's here," Beast Boy soothed, clutching Emily close against him. Beast Boy dropped to his knees near the house and smoothed Emily's hair out of her eyes before he covered her cheeks and forehead in kisses. After this, he hugged her again, this time rocking back and forth a bit, noting in the back of his mind that it was working—Emily was calming down.

Hearing the commotion, Raven gingerly placed the baby in his cradle before going outside to see what was wrong.

"Beast Boy, what's going" Raven began. She gasped as her heart skipped a beat. Emily looked up to see her mother and began to cry all over again as Raven knelt down and opened her arms.

"Mommy!" Emily wept, throwing herself into Raven's arms. Raven picked Emily up and carried her into the house, making short work of her scrapes, bruises and tears. Emily looked up at her mother with still-watery eyes and murmured, "I love you, mommy." Raven swallowed her own tears and hugged Emily again.

"Oh, baby, I love you too. Emily, how did you get here? Where are Toby and Olivia?" Raven asked gently.

"Toby—he took my mir' and made a tunnel to get to daddy," Emily recalled. Raven sat back, agape, and looked up at Beast Boy.

"He used Emily's mirror to create a dimensional portal," Raven gasped.

"Why didn't they come with her, though?" Beast Boy asked.

"Aidan and Reese…an' Jason…Olivia drew this and said give it to daddy," Emily continued. Raven grew pale as she took the paper from Emily's little hands.

"Oh my God…"

"It can't be…"

"What is going on?" Arella asked as she walked back into the cottage. She had brought home fixings for their dinner and the scene she walked into was a bit confusing. Raven picked Emily up and carried her across the cottage as Arella set the groceries on the table.

"Mom, this is our Emily. Emily, this is your grandmother," Raven said, kissing Emily's cheek gently. Emily looked shyly at Arella for a moment and then whispered, "Grandma?" She had always wondered if she had a grandma like the other children she played with at the park. Her wish had just been unexpectedly fulfilled and Emily did the first thing that entered her young mind: she smiled and squealed, "Grandma!" before leaning out of Raven's arms and landing easily in Arella's embrace. Arella, shocked by this wide open display of undaunted love, shed tears as she held the little teal-haired jewel that Raven slowly released into her arms. Beast Boy still had the drawing in his hands.

"This isn't good, Raven. If he has all of the kids, we need to go back and tell the rest of the team. They're going to need us," Beast Boy said gravely.

"What about the baby?" Raven replied. "We can't just leave the kids in the Tower, he'll get them again for sure!"

"I'll watch them. If you like, as you find the other children, you can bring them here. They'll be safe here," Arella interjected, standing and carrying Emily with her to where her daughter and son-in-law stood.

"It's the best option we've got. We have to leave them here," Beast Boy added. Raven closed her eyes and in a flash of soft white light, Raven was dressed again in her Titans uniform. She and Beast Boy kissed and cuddled their children and hugged Arella before Raven used her powers to transport them back to their own dimension.

Beast Boy and Raven shocked their teammates minutes later, appearing unexpectedly in the middle of the living room.

"Where have you two been?" Terra asked, getting up to hug them.

"You wouldn't believe us if we told you," Beast Boy said.

"There's no time for this. We've got bigger problems," Raven replied.

"We know. Robin's on his way back to the Tower right now. Raven, I don't know if you guys know this, but the kids…" Terra struggled. She was partially afraid of what Raven would do and afraid she herself would lose her cool.

"We know," Beast Boy replied simply.

"Emily found us in Azarath," Raven added. "We've got a plan so listen up everyone." But before Raven could begin, Torque caught sight of her midsection.

"Raven! Your baby!" Torque gasped. Raven stopped, closed her eyes a second, and then took a breath. Opening her eyes again, Raven said, "He's fine. He's in Azarath with Emily and my mother. She offered to watch the other kids as we find them. They'll be safe there, so I recommend that we follow the plan." Robin appeared with Jason and the rest of the team folded them into the discussion.

"I heard what Raven said about leaving the kids in Azarath. It's a good idea. Actually, Starfire could probably go with them. She hasn't been feeling well so she would probably be better off there so she can rest," Robin added.

"Daddy, no!" Jason cried, throwing his arms around Robin's neck. "I don't want to go!"

"I know, son, but mother's going with you and you're going to be safe there. We need you to be safe, Jason," Robin replied, turning as the door to the living area opened and closed, admitting Starfire. She saw Jason and nearly wept for joy.

"Mother!" Jason cried, his little backpack rattling as he ran to her. He giggled as she lifted him up into her arms and into the air, swinging him in a circle.

"My little bungorf has come home!" Starfire cried. After this welcome was complete, she carried Jason with her to join the conversation.

"There is no need to worry about me. I am well enough to fight with the others," Starfire insisted.

"I'd like you to go anyway. You can help Arella defend the kids," Robin said.

"Sounds good." Raven said confidently. After laying out a plan, Raven created another portal to Azarath and Starfire carried Jason through. After leaving them with Arella, Raven returned and the Titans took to the skies: they needed to get to Steel City and join the others there.

When Speedy, Torque and Mammoth arrived at Titan's Tower in Steel City, they were already apprised of the situation and the fact that the other Titans were now on their way to join them, but they didn't expect one thing: Aries. Speedy was planting a soft kiss on Torque's left temple as they walked in the door and he turned and saw Aries. The archer Titan dropped his backpack and opened mouth to speak but nothing would come. He opened his arms and let hot tears fall from his masked eyes, openly weeping as his long-lost twin sister bounded across the room and threw herself into his arms. Aries sobbed as she clutched her brother in her arms for the first time in 10 years. Any of the words that passed between them were lost to the other Titans, obscured and muffled by the reunited siblings as they buried their faces in one another's shoulders.

"I thought I'd never find you!"

"Look at you! You're so beautiful!"

"Can you believe we were just little kids the last time we saw each other?"

"I missed you so much!"

By the time Speedy and Aries had recovered their composure, the rest of the team had arrived, and Robin and Bumblebee began laying out their plan of attack.

"We've been tracking this for months now," Bumblebee began. "We had no idea who was behind it—we didn't even recognize him. His new underground complex is composed of seven descending levels arranged in a"

"We need to stop beating around the bush," Robin interrupted. "None of us wants to admit it, but we're dealing with Slade." The Titans were quiet for a few moments while Jinx and Terra simultaneously shuddered. They all knew what had happened to Slade—but how had he managed to return?

"The only explanation for Slade's return that we could think of is that another, more malevolent being resurrected him to serve a larger purpose," Raven added. After another short silence, Beast Boy spoke up. "So—we sneak in, full frontal assault and then unleash the trained gerbil commandoes?" The Titans, remembering this action plan from their youth, laughed out loud. The east coast Titans had not been there, but those that knew Beast Boy the best remembered, and laughed until their ribs ached.

"Well, I don't know about gerbil commandoes, Beast Boy, but we may just need that sneak attack and definitely a full frontal assault," Robin grinned. As the others settled back into their places, Beast Boy withdrew something from his pocket—Olivia's drawing. She had drawn a picture of Slade on one side, and on the other she had written her parents a message. Beast Boy's eyes widened.

"Or," he began. "Olivia seems to think we should follow her plan." Beast Boy said slowly.

"What are you talking about?" Raven asked, turning to look at him. Beast Boy turned the picture around, showing the team that his six year old daughter had just given them all the battle plan they really needed. On the paper, in crayon and written in Olivia's handwriting, were the words:

"Capture the flag"

Cyborg whistled. Robin smiled. Terra giggled. Brilliant Olivia had just told the Titans everything they needed to know.

"All of the kids are in one place. We need two teams. One team will distract Slade and his reinforcements while the other penetrates into the complex and finds the kids. Raven—you're going to head up the first team. Get to the kids and transport them to Azarath. Once the kids are safe, everyone regroup and we'll finish this once and for all," Robin ordered.

"Robin, Cy beat him to a bloody pulp and threw him off a cliff onto rocks in a high-tide ocean. It may not be as easy as that," Terra countered.

"For the safety of our kids and every other innocent person in the world we have to try," Robin replied. The other Titans nodded and a sense of eagerness and confidence came over them.

"What are we waiting for?" asked Speedy.

"Let's go!" cried Aries.

On the way to Slade's lair, Beast Boy and Raven took a collective deep breath as they sat in the back seat of the T-Car. Beast Boy took Raven's left hand in both of his and reverently kissed it. Raven smiled softly and pillowed her head against his shoulder.

"Are you sure you're feeling up to this?" Beast Boy murmured. "Maybe you should have stayed in Azarath with Star and the kids." Raven slowly shook her head.

"No. I'm fine. The atmosphere in Azarath is so conducive that people heal faster. You should know," Raven replied, reaching up to stroke Beast Boy's face with the hand he had just kissed. "Your skin's been practically glowing ever since we got there." Beast Boy grinned as he cupped Raven's face and favored her with a warm, passionate kiss.

"That wasn't being in Azarath—it was being with you," Beast Boy replied. Raven smiled and relaxed contentedly into Beast Boy's arms, slipping her hand into his as the car hurled them toward their destination. As was her habit when they went for a drive, Raven's eyelids began to get heavy. She could hear Mas and Menos babbling softly in Spanish but her concentration was on Beast Boy's heart beat. It was steady, and she desperately needed that steadiness. She needed that concentration. Seconds later, Raven was asleep and Beast Boy followed, leaning his head against hers. Cyborg looked in his rear-view mirror, saw them, and smiled.

The Titans left the vehicles just out of radar range and used Raven's teleportation abilities to get them closer. Slade's lair was heavily guarded, but with twelve Titans, the bots didn't stand a chance. While the others took on the robotic guards, Raven, Cyborg, Aries and Torque teleported into the complex to begin searching level by level for the kids.

A voice startled Toby out of his concentration. He was trying to console little Aidan, who cried incessantly since the kids had begun to hear explosions and other strange noises coming from outside. Olivia flinched when another explosion shook the room. Reese was sobbing, fat baby tears rolling down his rounded cheeks.

"We've got to do something!" Olivia shouted above the noise.

"We can't leave Aidan and Reese!" Toby shouted back. Olivia gasped when she heard a familiar sound. She ran to the door with Toby tight behind her and pressed her ear against the door to listen. Footsteps pounded the floors as they listened and more familiar voices rang out. Olivia pulled back a few steps with her and rolled up her sleeves.

"Ready," Olivia cried. "Azarath!"

"Metrion!"

"ZINTHOS!" Olivia screamed out the last word as Toby touched her shoulders, amplifying her powers as she used telekinesis to throw a nearby chair at the door. The thud was heard out in the corridor, where Raven led the others past one door and then another.

"Toby! Olivia!" she shouted in shock. "Where are you?"

Inside the room, Olivia and Toby shared a high-five. Olivia struggled to lift another object until Toby replaced his hands on her shoulders. With him in place, Olivia hurled a small table at the door, the resulting echo resounding around them. Raven heard this, and turned quickly toward the sound. Toby and Olivia returned to the bed when the footsteps grew closer, sweeping the little ones into their arms and guarding them. They heard the muffled sound of their mother's voice and their hearts pounded.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" Raven shouted, pulling the metal door clean off the hinges. When the dust cleared, Raven, Torque, Cyborg and Aries ran into the room. Raven dropped to her knees and opened her arms, to which the startled twins smiled in joy.

"Mommy!" they screeched, running to her waiting embrace. Raven clasped them close and held them while Cyborg and Torque went farther into the room to comfort Aidan and Reese. Little Reese reached his baby arms to his father, his hiccups disrupting his long sobs of misery. Cyborg dropped to his knees beside the bed, wrapped his son in a blanket and cuddled him until he was calmer and his hiccups started to dissipate. By the time all four of the kids were duly comforted, Raven stood and created another portal. Torque and Cyborg carried the little ones and Raven ordered her twin son and daughter to follow them.

"Mommy, we wanna help!" cried Toby.

"No!" Raven shouted, her eyes flashing bright white. "Go with them! Emily is there and your grandmother and Auntie Starfire are waiting for you!" The twins' eyes grew wide at the prospect of this adventure, and did as they were told. They knew better than to argue when their mother was provoked anyway. Cyborg and Torque returned and Cyborg put on his game face.

"Let's go kick some ass, once and for all," Cyborg growled.