Chapter Eight
Next morning, Raven awoke in the bed next to Tim. She stretched as she stood up. She looked out the window and saw it was still dark. She was perplexed by this. Except for using the bathroom, she usually didn't wake up in the middle of the night like this.
She walked to Tim's bed. He was still sleeping peacefully. As she stared at him, she quickly was lost in thought. A feeling of emotional pain came across her mind. She quickly left the room, making way for the lounge.
She made little noise as she went for the sofa, as she was barefoot. She sat down and held her head in her hands. Tears began to well up in her eyes. "Damn you, Beast Boy for bring that subject up!" she muttered. It wasn't their possible destruction that bothered her, but rather the fact that she would have to give up Tim to Starfire once Robin left to fulfill his role in history.
She already felt intimate feelings toward him, especially after the night they shared together. She also felt fear that he might blurt out something about that night to Starfire one day. That is, if he remembered it. If he did so, and he spoke to Starfire about it, then her friendship, and possibly her role on the team, might be in jeopardy! It was an aggravating situation for her.
Something outside distracted her from her train of thought. She stared about the window in awe. She saw why it was still dark out; huge black storm clouds obscured the sky! But those weren't nearly as odd as what accompanied them; a large, bluish-grey cloud was touching the surface of the water, about half a mile from the tower. Inside this cloud was a spinning, glowing vortex! It looked as if someone had pulled open a drain and she was looking down inside it!
She ran to the alarm panel and hit the button labeled "Emergency". The klaxon alarm sound and the red emergency lights flashed. A minute later, the other Titans showed up.
"What's the trouble, Raven?" Robin said, adjusting his hastily donned uniform.
"That!" she said, pointing.
The Titans all stared at the vortex, which was holding its position, as if waiting for the proper time to strike.
"Well, here we are now." Beast Boy said.
"Raven, go get Tim and bring him here." Robin told her.
"Sure." she replied, running to sick bay.
She was surprised to see that Tim was still sleeping there. Sighing, she used her powers to put on her belt, cloak, and boots. She then leaned over him.
"Tim? Tim, wake up!"
His eyes fluttered open. He took a few deep breaths before sitting up. No longer was he a semi-concisions zombie; he was normal again.
"Raven!" he exclaimed.
"Yes, Tim, it's me!" she said, near tears. She struggled to control her emotions.
"I have to leave!"
"Why? We need you!"
"It's important that I leave! I have to get to the T-ship!"
"We need to know a few things, Tim. We must figure out how to stop this thing from destroying us!"
"That's why I have to leave! I have to go, or it will destroy us all!"
"Wait, Tim!" She grabbed his shoulders. "Do you remember anything from the past few days? Do you remember yesterday night?"
"I...I have to leave!"
"Tim...Robin! Didn't it mean anything to you?"
"Raven, I don't know what you're talking about, now let me go!" He brushed her hands off him.
"Tim!" She walked after him, but paused to lean on the door frame. 'He doesn't remember a thing!' she thought. 'Damn him!'
She felt cheated and worthless, as if her love and care meant nothing. Regaining her composure, she took off after him, drying her eyes.
Robin and the other Titans had the computer online to try and see what it could tell them about the phenomenon outside their window.
"For the most part, it looks like natural weather." Cyborg said. "As for that vortex, it just reads as something like a tornado."
"Yeah, but since when to tornadoes grow sideways, glow inside, destroy towers, and sent people back in time?" Beast Boy said.
"I'm still checking the thing out, alright?"
Robin stared at the storm, feeling as if he was looking at his own destiny. "Cyborg, what if..."
He was cut off when a sphere of blue energy came in and hit him, sending him across the room! "Robin!" Starfire screamed, rushing to his aid. The two boyshelped himas well. Another blue bolt came in, but went into the corridor. A grunt of pain was heard.
"Raven?" Cyborg said aloud.
He next saw Tim being helped into the lounge by the mystic. "Some energy sphere hit him." she said.
"Same here with our Robin." Beast Boy said. "This is definitely weird!"
"Tell me about it!" Robin said, getting up. "Think we can use weapons against it?"
"Like what?" Cyborg asked.
"I don't know. You're super sonic cannons, like what you tried on Slade's army?"
"I guess so, but we don't know what that'll do."
"It's worth a shot..."
Another pair of energy bolts came in, hitting Tim and Robin! The other Titans came to their aid.
Just then, the tower shook, violently, as if an earthquake had struck!
"I think we made it mad!" Beast Boy offered.
"It's me." Tim said. "It wants me."
"You mean 'us', right?" Robin said.
"Yes."
The twin Robin's got up. "We have to leave!" Tim exclaimed.
"All right." Robin said.
"You are leaving us, then Robin?" Starfire asked, holding his arm.
"Don't worry, Star." he said. "I'll get you all out of this."
Starfire encircled her arms around the back of Robin's head and pulled him close to kiss him. He did the same to her.
"Come on, we have to go!" Tim said.
The couple let go of each other. Robin took another glance at his team before making way for the elevator. Once inside, Tim pressed the button for the hanger bay.
"You sure it wants us?" Robin asked his double.
"Yes, absolutely."
"And what will leaving the tower do?"
"If I leave, then it'll follow me and the Titans will be safe."
"But it didn't work out that way, didn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
"The Tower was destroyed, along with everyone in it."
"Yes, I know."
"Then your plan won't work."
"It might this time."
"Why? Because there are two of us?"
"I don't know. I just know I have to leave."
Robin had a revelation. "You're locked into this, aren't you? You have to repeat history, don't you? It's like instinct?"
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Are you sure there is no other way?"
"There could...but no, it won't work!"
"What won't work?"
The elevator arrived at the hanger bay. Tim made his way for the controls.
"Tim!" Robin said to him. "Tim, what was your other plan?"
"It won't work! I have to leave!"
"Tell me what it is!"
Robin thought for a moment. He then remembered his conversation with Starfire. "I'll get you all out of this!" he muttered. "That's it!"
He glared at Tim, who had now powered up the T-ship and had just entered the command to open the doors. As the doors opened, the wind from outside howled into the cavernous hanger.
"Tim! Weall have to leave! That's how we can survive!"
"No, it will never work! I have to leave!"
Robin took out his staff. 'Poor fool.' he thought. 'He's like a robot, locked into this chain of events.' He took out his bo staff and extended it, thenstepped to his counterpart at he was about to open the front cockpit of the T-ship. "Robin, wait!" he yelled.
"What now?" he asked.
"Before we can go on, the cycle must end."
With that, he swung his staff as hard as he could and knocked Tim off the catwalk. He fell to the bottom of the hanger bay and hit the ground with a loud 'thud'!
Robin stared at him for a moment, and then whipped out his communicator.
"Titans, all of you to the hanger bay, now!"