Author's Note: Alrighty then... Allow me to explain my EXTENDED absence. This chapter has been ready for some time. But I've been hella busy with school and AP US History, which is finally over (history, not school). Apologies for the wait. My life is incredibly busy. Here's something to satisify your hunger for a while.

Chapter Five: The Mad One

"They say that Jesus and mental health are just for those who can help themselves. But what good is that when you live in Hell on Earth?"– Barenaked Ladies, War On Drugs

The old one opened his eyes, his hands still hovering over the white orb. Merely moments ago, the orb was crystal clear, but now it was as oblique as alabaster, a wolf's eye an a white marble swirl. He looked straight ahead of him, his wizened features extending to his spindle like fingers whose tips touched the orb lightly. He smiled and his white eyes seemed to glow with sight, though the old one had not seen with the organs in years. His eyes were in his fingertips, and the depths of his mind.

The scaley demon folded his arms and waited, impatiently swishing his black and red tail.

"Well, get on with it! What do you see?" It's voice was whiney and egotistical, but its jaws were long and wide like a crocodile's and its teeth twice as sharp.

The old one knew of his impertinence but chose to ignore it, for he could see that the beast would pay in the end. He gave a crooked smile which made his long white whiskers twitch. Or perhaps that was the spider, which buried its way out of the old man's beard and scurried up across his cheek to the fluff on his scalp where it nestled and hid itself again.

"You will succeed," he lied fluently, his voice cracked like a cobwebbed tree hollow. "It has been foretold by Chrona herself. Though she has tried everything to prevent it."

"Like what?" asked the demon, bored now really since he had his answer. He began looking at the claw on the forefinger of his left hand. "Hey, you suppose I should get these filed? My manicurist said if they get too long, they might start to curl. But I told her I'd always wanted to look like Freddy Kruger..." Then he looked up and laughed at the blank look the old man was giving him. "Oh yeah, I forgot. You wouldn't know what Freddy Kruger looks like."

The man grunted and coughed up a mothball, which he spat onto the floor. "Indeed... Well, there is one thing to be wary of." He figured he should give the impertinent beast at least some warning.

The demon looked unimpressed as he continued to analyze his hands. "And so what. I've faced the Triad of Light for crying out loud. I can face whatever you see in that ball of yours."

"Can you face love?" the old man inquired. "As banal as it is, can you do that? Trust and loyalty? Can you amount to that?"

"As corny as that is, yeah," said the demon. "There was plenty of love and trust and loyalty in that army, and they all burned."

"But what about her love?" the old man hissed like a serpent. He had caught the demon's interest.

"Her?" he said eagerly. "Her who?"

"The Dark Queen," said the old man, sounding quite dark himself.

The beast grinned and rubbed his hands together. "Raven, Raven, Raven my love! What is the dear girl up to now?"

"She has reunited with an army, the most powerful you will ever face," said the old one.

The beast smiled condescendingly. "Oh, you poor old man. How many times do I have to tell you? I've beaten a million armies before, whatever Raven has to throw at me I'm sure I can take."

"Very well, sire," said the old man, bowing, his hands clasped behind his back. But as he turned to leave, he remembered what the spirits had told him and he knew that the demon's impertinence would be his downfall.

Raven looked back at them, Starfire in the middle and Robin and Beast Boy on either side of her, bombarding her with questions about her years in a timeless dimension. But mostly, she saw Robin and Starfire making eyes at each other, even after all their years of separation, and it sickened her. But she found she couldn't blame them for it. Starfire was beautiful and Robin was bold. They were a match made in heaven.

Unbeknownst to Raven, Starfire was warily aware of Raven's regard. But she did not turn to meet her gaze. Instead, she watched Robin as he laughed and spoke of old times. She smiled to see him so happy, and she wished that she could continue to be the source of his happiness. But there was something else Chrona had told her that she had refused to share with her friends. It was something best told to the person involved in private. And Robin would not be happy to hear it.

Or perhaps I fool myself... she thought, curiously. Perhaps he will not be disappointed at all, but relieved. Despite knowing it was wrong, Starfire's heart sank at such an idea. For to have Robin like the proposal would mean that she had taken his attentions all wrong. That he really saw her as just a friend after all.

"What's eating you?"

Raven jumped out of her glaring to look at Cyborg, who was looking at the road ahead.

"Why does something always have to be wrong with me?" she snapped in annoyance.

"Because it's the same thing that's wrong with you all the time," Cyborg replied. "You just refuse to tell us what it is."

Raven folded her arms in a child-like huff. "How could you ever understand the workings of a demon?" she mumbled in contempt.

"Half-demon," Cyborg corrected. "You know. Kinda like half-robot? We still have some humanity left in us, you and I. Otherwise, you wouldn't be trying to save the world, would you?"

"I'm saving the world," Raven began through gritted teeth, "because my worst enemy is threatening it."

"Aw, it's more to it than that," Cyborg said with a grin, glancing at her.

"Shut up and drive," Raven said, folding her arms resolutely.

Cyborg sighed, disappointed. "You used to trust me, Raven. We used to trust each other."

"A lot can change in fifteen years," said Raven, looking out the windshield.

"Tell me about it," Cyborg replied, taking her advice and watching the road. "I've been through a war and back again and not even our commanding officer knew I was there."

This caught Raven's attention and she turned to stare at him in a mixture of bafflement and offence. "The human army was not my charge, that was the responsibility of–"

"Nonetheless, you were of the Trinity of Rulers," Cyborg muttered, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Exactly," Raven snapped, defensively. "I had a lot to attend to. I couldn't make note of every single soldier in every army."

"Don't worry," Cyborg said with a wink that told her he wasn't just being passive aggressive. "I forgive you."

She rolled her eyes which made him laugh.

"Hey," he said with a grin as he made a left and stopped in front of his wizard's house. "It's what friends do, isn't it?"

"What?" Raven said, unable to resist a chuckle herself.

"Forgive each other," he replied, looking over his shoulder out the back window as he parallel parked.

Frowning, Raven turned away and didn't let him see the spark of regret shine bleakly in the corner of her eye. When he turned back, satisfied with his parking, he smiled at her again, noting she was sulking. "Don't worry, kiddo," he said, quietly and solidly. "Things can only get brighter."

"Or considerably darker," Raven mumbled, thinking about the world's possible future as her robot companion stepped out of the car. But before she could go any further, she stopped and stared at the simple building in front of her.

A house, not much different from any other house she'd seen in her life, but a house nonetheless, with lawn gnomes and everything. The simplicity astounded her. When Cyborg mentioned a Lorethelian, she'd pictured a penthouse, or at least a beach house or luxurious home on the upper east side. Lorethelians had always been ones for flare and flash, friendly and in the center of it all. She had expected... she didn't know what she'd expected, lights, cameras and red carpets, but not a modest house in suburbia. What kind of man was this?

He's a Lorethelian, Raven reminded herself sharply, and Lorethelians are bright. He must have to keep a low profile. Which means someone's looking for him other than us.

"Yo, Rae, you coming?" Cyborg called from the door, the rest of the team already there, Beast Boy eager to ring the doorbell. She nodded and followed them up the gravel pathway, past the neatly manicured lawn and it's crazy gnomes, and past the minivan in the driveway.

A short man with a mess of curly brown hair with streaks of gray and a crooked nose opened the door a crack, calling to someone over his shoulder.

"And Sheila, don't forget to tell her about the time Josh ran up to Rabi Markowitz and chewed on his leg!" He turned back outside, chuckling to himself at some inside joke as he shook his head. He took in the crowd and saw Cyborg immediately and his half smile grew to a full out grin. He threw open the door and opened his arms in welcome.

"Victor, my man!" he declared. "Where've you been, buddy, haven't seen you since the apocalypse!"

"Louis, good to see you too," Cyborg said with a light chuckle himself. He glanced at Raven, who was looking inwardly horrified, one eyebrow raised in skeptical surprise and he laughed even harder. "But I hate to say, this isn't a social call. This is–"

"Oh my God, it's Raven!" cried Louis in utter disbelief. He screamed over his shoulder. "Sheila, get the camera, it's Raven! What? Aw, woman, I don't care about the pot roast, just get the camera! Josh– Josh, boy, come here, meet the woman you fought for– That's right, Karen, you too, come on, everyone get over here!"

Raven put up her hood, her face set and unamused as she tried her best to hide behind it. "I don't to photos," she said, simply.

Louis looked like he had no idea what she was talking about. "Photos– who said anything about photos, aw, no, no, Raven, we're just gonna do a quick video!"

"No," Raven said simply, her eyes invisible beneath the darkness.

"Uh, Lou, I'm afraid we don't have time," said Cyborg. "These are my friends, Robin, Starfire and Beast Boy and we–"

"Oh ho ho!" Louis cried. "Is it my lucky day or what? The famous Teen Titans, together again! Now tell me, because I forget– which one of you is dead? Oooh, that spell was flawless, I really can't tell, you all look so young and vibrant and healthy–" He suddenly pointed at Robin with a knowing grin and a daring look to his eye. "Was it you? Come on now, tell me! It was, wasn't it! I can see it in your eyes, you've been dead before!"

Robin gave a weak smile, obviously slightly offended.

"No," Raven said with a mocking smile. "But he can be if he plays his cards right."

Robin shot Raven a warning look and offered his hand to Louis. "Hi," he said, simply. "I'm Robin."

"Robin, Robin, Robin," Louis said, grinning from ear to ear and shaking his hand vigorously. "Of course, what a schmuck I am, eh? You're the leader, so obvious now, what with the long hair and the cape and the brooding– wow, you really have the dark hero thing down pat, don't you?" He turned to the others and rubbed his hands together gleefully. "OK, OK, now it's one of you two, isn't it, oh boy oh boy– no wait, don't tell me– The redhead. What with the white and the heavenly glow– You're the dead one, right?"

Starfire smiled bashfully as Robin answered for her with a firm. "No."

Louis slapped his forehead, looking at Beast Boy. "My God, what a schlemiel! I'm such a fool, of course, of course, fooled by a stupid spell. Now you gotta tell me, green man, who cast it, huh? Was it a wizard, witch, shaman, demon, what?"

"Uh... yes?" Beast Boy answered, a little intimidated by the barrage of questions but enjoying the man's personality nonetheless. Louis threw his head back and laughed.

"Oh, you guys are a riot, a riot!" he declared, then turned over his shoulder again. "SHEILA! Good God, woman, where are you!"

"Keep your head on, Lou," came a woman's nasal voice from somewhere with in the house. "I can't find the camera! Don't be rude, invite them in already!"

"Oh of course, of course, what was I thinking!" Louis cried, laughing at himself. "Come in, come in, don't just stand there like doormats, come in!"

One by one, the Titans filed into the household and were led past the staircase and into a cozy little livingroom where a young couple were sitting on a couch and a stout middle-aged woman was pouring tea into a mug. The young man on the couch had a nose like Louis's and had his arm draped around the woman's shoulders, a blonde with blue eyes, who looked content in his embrace.

"Sheila, Josh, Karen, this is the Teen Titans!" said Louis dramatically, a smile in place waiting for a reaction that never came.

"Alright, it's the Teen Titans, Lou, we get it already!" cried the stout woman, who must have been Sheila, with a roll of her eyes. But she smiled warmly at the past-their-prime super heros. "But more importantly, they're our guests. How are you, dears?"

Cyborg returned the smile with a kind nod. "We're good, Sheila, how are you?"

"Victor, have a cookie," Sheila said, warmly, offering him a whole plate of sugar cookies. "You haven't come to see us in a while now."

"Thank you Sheila," Cyborg said gratefully, politely taking one of the frosted cookies. "I've been busy with my job. But if you don't mind, I need to talk to your husband about something a little urgent..." He glanced at Raven. "Actually, make that very urgent," he corrected.

Sheila nodded, understanding. "Of course, dear," she said. She looked at the blonde. "Karen, honey, why don't you come and we can talk about your wedding arrangements in the kitchen."

"Of course, Mrs Cohen," the blonde said, sweetly.

"Oh, honey, how many times do I have to tell you, call me Sheila, dear. And later on, we can talk about calling me Mom, eh?"

"Hey, Sheila!" Louis called after her retreating back. He put his hands on Beast Boy's shoulders as he stood behind him. "Did you know this one's dead?"

Sheila looked over her shoulder at him long enough to smile and nod. "That's nice, dear," she said, flatly before disappearing down the hall.

With the women's departure, Louis became exceptionally more nervous. The young man on the couch, undoubtably Josh, rose to leave but Louis called out to him.

"Josh!" he said. "Wait a minute, boy, where are your manners?"

The young man apologized, but sounded a little confused, his eyes watching his father. "I'm Josh," the boy said. "Just an accountant. Nothing interesting to tell. I'll let you guys be–"

But Louis hastily interrupted. "Y-you know, Jo-Josh here, my boy, my son is getting married in a few months!" he said excitedly. "To that lovely young lady you just saw, a lawyer, would you believe it?" Louis laughed, but there was a nervousness to it this time. "My son sure caught a good one. Pretty and with a bright head on her shoulders, that's what I'm talking about–"

"Lou," said Cyborg, interrupting. "We're having this conversation with or without your son in the room."

Louis sighed and looked down. Meanwhile, his son looked awkward, standing in the doorway between the livingroom and the hallway, confused of which way his dad wanted him to go. Louis bit his lip and bade him enter.

"Sit down, son," he said. "If this is about what I think it's about, Josh has a right to hear it." He nodded at Raven. "He fought for her, you know. Fought for this reality and everything in it. And most people in this dimension don't have a clue. No veteran benefits, nada. Just me and my boy, making ends meat, with two wonderful women at our sides. So tell me, Victor, what exactly do you want to know about Loki?"

The other Titans seemed surprised at the forthright question, but Cyborg was unfazed. "Where is he hiding?" Cyborg asked. "What is he planning? How grand a scale? Do you know these things, Louis?"

Louis nodded, sadly. "Well, I mean, not exactly," he corrected himself. But he sighed again and continued to nod. "But I can find out for you."

"Dad..." Josh said slowly, but Louis held up a hand to stop him.

"No, Josh," he said. "This is our duty, as Lorethelians. It is our sworn promise to protect life, all life. We are a peaceful society. And these good people need our help to complete their destiny."

"But Dad," Josh said. "Last time..."

But again, Louis hushed him. "I know, son, I know," he said. "But every time you mess with the crystals, that's always a risk."

"Uh... What happened last time?" Beast Boy asked, a little nervously.

"He–"

"It was nothing," Louis interrupted his son, quickly. "Just a few side effects, to be expected..."

"One more time, and it could kill him," Josh said, frankly.

There was a stunned silence, suddenly broken by Louis's laughter.

"Oh Joshua, always one for the dramatic!" he said. "Nah, death is highly unlikely with these crystals. I got them on sale at Conjurings-R-Us!"

"Yes," said Josh sarcastically. "And that just screams 'safe!'"

"Listen, Lou," said Cyborg, slowly. "I don't want to endanger your life. We can find our answers our own way."

"Nope," said Louis stubbornly. "I won't allow it." He looked at Josh momentarily, then back at Cyborg. "There is... one way."

"Dad, no," Josh said, sternly, becoming a little defensive. But Louis grinned.

"That girl he's got..."

"Dad–"

"Well," Louis continued, despite his son's protests. "She's a Lorethelian by birth. A witch, to put it frankly. Quite a lot of talent in that one. And she's young, too, the residue from the magic shouldn't effect her so much, she's strong enough and healthy enough. An older guy like me, messing with crystals on a monthly basis– it's like Marie Curie carrying around Uranium in her pocket."

"But she was raised here," Josh added, angrily. "And Dad knows she hasn't done magic since college when she studied in Lorethel under safe conditions. Dad, what if something goes wrong?"

But Louis had that look in his eye, that look Cyborg recognized all too well. The look of a madman before brilliance, the look of a genius before a nervous breakdown. He was dead set on it now, running on the pure adrenalin the excitement was pouring into his system. Cyborg loved that look. It was that look that had saved his life. And it was that look that would save the world.

"Oh, nothing will go wrong, I'll be there!" Louis said, dismissing his son with a wave of his hand. "And Sheila will help. And, I'll have you know, boy, Karen's been cooking with Sheila in the kitchen. Those yams you just shoved down your throat a few minutes ago? Karen conjured them with a snap of her fingers."

Josh was aghast. "Karen said she wasn't going to do magic in this dimension, the atmospheric balance is delicate enough as it is without amateurs–"

"Karen's no amateur, boy, you're the amateur," said Louis with a grin. "That's why you're the accountant and she's the lawyer. Oh, this is so exciting, just like my war days working as a defense wizard at your base, Vic! Come on kids, into the kitchen we go to fetch us a couple of witches!"

The women were more than willing to help. It seemed Josh was the only one who was wholeheartedly against the dangerous plan. He took his fiancé aside and spoke with her quietly.

"Karen, are you sure you're ready for a spell of this magnitude?"

Karen, a girl of around twenty seven, three years Josh's junior, nodded a little shakily, but with a confidant smile. "Your mother's a good teacher," she told him, looking over his shoulder admirably at the older woman, who was listening to Louis's plans for the spell. She smiled at her fiancé. "Yes, Josh, I think I can handle this."

Josh sighed and turned to face the others. The Titans were listening intently to his father's description of the spell; that is, all but one, who was off in the corner, staring out a window.

"It was a dark and stormy night..." Josh said from behind the excluded Titan, making her jump a little. She turned to him and smiled dimly. "I didn't mean to startle you. But that's how all scary stories begin, don't they? So tell me. What's yours?"

"I don't have one," Raven replied, coldly. "And you didn't startle me."

"Right," said Josh. "You know Lorethelians can see through lies like glass. So tell me, what is your deal? I know you have one."

"Damn you Lorethelians and your irksome intuition," Raven muttered with a glare. "That's what always gets you into trouble. Your big noses." She scrutinized his face a moment, then smiled. "I mean, metaphorically speaking at least."

"No offense taken," said Josh simply, refusing to be put off by personal insults. But she had turned back to the black glass, staring up at the cloudy sky. He sighed and tried to follow her gaze, but he didn't know what exactly it was she was looking for in all that midnight gray. "I was fifteen years old when your team broke up," he said finally, for the only purpose of saying something. "Dad had moved us here after one of his assignments went wrong in Lorethel. He was working for the government then as some sort of spy... anyways, I've lived here in Jump City since I was twelve, and I had instantly taken a liking to your group. It... well, it made me very sad when I saw my dad reading the sports section of the newspaper that day, completely avoiding the front page news: The Fall of the Titans. I felt my heart drop into my stomach and called up my friends right away, but they'd already heard. I don't know which bothered me more– the fact that I never knew entirely what happened or that I was the last person to know."

"Probably the latter," Raven said in answer, still staring absently out into the sky. "People always hate it when they're the last to know anything. Beast Boy's a prime example of that fact."

Josh laughed. "You made a joke."

"You're a quick one," Raven muttered.

"I always did like you," Josh said with a smile. "And I'm glad I can say this to you in person... It was a pleasure to work under you."

She finally turned to look at him and shook her head, her lips straight and her eyes just the slightest bit confused. "But despite being raised in this dimension, you're a Lorethelian and therefore would be in the Lorethelian army, and I had no part in running that. That was Johan's responsibility–"

"Nonetheless," Josh interrupted. "You were part of the Trinity. So directly or indirectly, I served under you, and you were a magnificent leader. The Azarath army was the most daring, with the most cunning maneuvers and plans. And if I recall, it was you who exposed a lot of Loki's weaknesses and devised many of the battle strategies for all the armies."

"A lot of good it did," Raven muttered, thinking of someone else who had served in the human army and said nearly the same thing Josh just did. "He's still at large and more than seventy-five percent of each our armies have been annihilated. And now, he's ready to eradicate all realities with one blow. And we don't even know how."

"But you will," said Josh, looking over proudly at his father who had that crazy excited gleam to his eye.

Raven smiled as she followed his gaze. "You are proud of your father, aren't you?"

"Would I be so worried about losing him if I wasn't?" he muttered, staring fondly after him. "Of course I'm proud of my father. He's a brilliant wizard, but sometimes he's a little crazy. He doesn't know when something can be very wrong for him. All in the name of Lorethel. A patriot to the end."

Raven tilted her head to the side, deciding she liked the man. "It's good to know that there are still people as loyal as you and your father out there in the world."

But he looked back at her with a toothy, knowing grin. "Come on, Raven! Your group is the epitome of loyalty."

She looked at them now, in all their ancient glory. Starfire looked gorgeous and just as righteous as she ever was, beaming with joy because she was back with the people she loved most in the world. Raven could relate. She would never admit the happiness she felt deep in her heart just to be around her old friends. Through everything, Starfire's arrival to the scene proved to her that their team did have a chance. With an angel on their side, they couldn't fail. Starfire was the epitome of hope and faith. The ultimate cynic, Raven wouldn't believe anyone else but her when Starfire said that everything would turn out OK in the end. And she felt so sorry for ever disappointing her.

She would never forget bewildered look of heartbreak in Starfire's eyes the moment she saw what Raven was doing that night; what she was going to do. Because somehow, Raven felt Starfire knew the moment she saw her on that rooftop that she was going to murder their friend before even Raven herself knew it. As a matter of fact, Raven was the last to know that she had done anything at all. Everything had all happened so fast, and she hadn't been thinking clearly, or at all. She had been drunk on power and fury. And it had cost her dearly. Since, Raven had never had a sip of alcohol or anything that could alter her senses. Her daily tea intake was even modified to be a specific, strictly caffeine-free, herbal blend.

But she shook her head to clear it and moved her eyes over to Cyborg, the colossal half-robot who was chatting amicably with the small Lorethelian at the kitchen table and grinning with a fire in his eyes. She shook her head when she thought of the trust she betrayed in him. All the things she had told him, the things she had always confided in him and only in him, gone in an instant of negligence. She could have controlled herself. But she had been naive and foolish... And there had been plenty of other of factors at work she should have anticipated. Nonetheless, she had always reassured Cyborg of her affection for the team, of her deep loyalty to everyone who belonged to it. She had told Cyborg her darkest secrets, her deepest fears, her hidden truths... and now, even to her, they all seemed like lies dipped in a licorice coating– black and way too sappy. She wondered if she would ever regain the trust she must have lost in him...

Finding it too painful to dwell for long on that particular betrayal, she moved on to the man with the long black hair, the black hair she would have to insist he trimmed after this was all over...

What? she thought to herself, astounded. Do I really intend on sticking around after Loki is finally defeated?

But as she reflected on it, she knew the answer was no. Beast Boy would be long gone by then, his 'unfinished business' complete, and Starfire would have to return to her timeless dimension to inherit Chrona's legacy. Cyborg, she knew, wouldn't stay for long, doubtlessly having other more pressing matters. And she would be left with him. Robin. Nightwing. Whatever he called himself. And there was absolutely no point in that.

She loved Robin. After all these years, she found that it had passed the test of time. But after years of spells and meditation rituals with Lorethelian wizards and shamen, she had learned to keep in check even her most powerful emotions. It had come with great sacrifice on her part, giving up even part of her human half to become demon enough to handle such responsibilities. But she had done it. And she hadn't since saw herself as truly human. And she hadn't since seen Robin as any more than a demon. Which, perhaps, made them the match made in hell. She felt incredibly sorry for the pressure she had put on him, and the pain she had caused him by killing not one, but two of his best friends. For it was as he had said, she had died that day along with Beast Boy and she would never be the same again. Nonetheless, she hated him for everything, and she would never forgive him for the pain he'd caused her, the suffering, and even the love he invoked in her. She would never be able to truly and honestly love him again. But perhaps to love someone truly, you needed to hate them a little. Or else, you'd die of boredom.

She smiled over at Beast Boy, who looked as lively as ever; it was no wonder Louis couldn't tell he was dead. But when one was burdened with that dark knowledge, he seemed almost transparent, like a ghost should be, and that put a strain on her heart. Beast Boy. Of all the crimes she had committed in her life, that was the one she regretted the most. Even more than what she'd done to Robin. He was her grandest mistake. And that was probably the forgiveness she deserved the least. She would never forgive herself. And one can't be forgiven until they forgive themselves.

And we are always hardest on ourselves...

She looked over at Josh, who was watching her with arms folded, his expression blank, doubtlessly somehow reading her mind with all that mysterious Lorethelian power. She scowled at him and he chuckled.

"I swear, Raven," he said. "You're the only living thing I've ever met that has so much negative energy surrounding it."

Raven was about to say that she didn't think her energy was negative at all when Louis spoke up.

"Alright you two over there, Karen, let's get this show on the road!" he called with a wild grin.

Josh took a deep breath, bit his lip, and exhaled, no doubt preparing for the worst.