What happened last chapter:

"I'll be fine, don't worry. I'm going to bed in a little while, I promise."

Starfire smiled and walked over to Robin, giving him a hug.

"Goodnight, Star," Robin mumbled. Starfire knew he wanted to be alone so she let him go, nodding in return and leaving to go to her bedroom.

Chapter 8:

By now, everyone in the Tower was asleep except Robin. He was still tossing and turning on the couch; he was desperately trying to go to sleep, but sleep just wouldn't come to him.

He sighed. 'What can I do…? I can't just sit here all day and hope that something will happen. There has to be a way to reach Raven,' Robin thought.

He yawned and closed his eyes, and it was only a matter of time before he fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning:

"Robin?"

Robin stirred in his sleep, murmuring, "R-Raven…?"

"No…"

Robin woke to see Starfire hovering right above him, smiling. He noticed that the rest of the team was also in the room. Robin sat up from his laying position on the couch.

"I was hoping that you would help us find a way to rescue Friend Raven," Starfire said.

"I'm in. I've been brainstorming all night, but I still need more time," Robin remarked, and stood up. "I'm sorry if I worried you guys," he told the other Titans, stalking off to his bedroom.

When he was gone everyone just stared at each other.

"What are we gonna do? We can't enter Azarath, it's not like we know how to go to another dimension!" Beast Boy looked like he was spazzing out.

"There is no need to worry, friends," said Starfire, attempting to calm down Beast Boy. "Robin will find a way to save the day, as he always does."

"We can't believe any different," Cyborg interjected. "We have to be behind Robin, no matter what."

Starfire and Beast boy looked at Cyborg. "You're right," they said simultaneously.

Meanwhile, back on Azarath:

Raven was sitting on a cold slate floor. She could feel the pain in her ankles from the chains wrapped tightly around them. She looked around the room, noticing that there were no windows- it could have been mistaken for a jail cell.

She was alone now. Caim was somewhere else in his layer. Not that she cared where he was; she was just glad didn't have to see Caim and grating little smirk he always wore. It made her sick just to think about it, much less see it.

Suddenly, her thoughts turned to Robin. What was he doing now? Worrying about her, hopefully. He was probably looking for her right now. He seemed like the type to do whatever it would take to find a Titan if they went missing. And now, all of that would be for her. She felt her face grow warm at the thought of Robin being so concerned for her, but then she felt guilty because she knew the whole team was probably going crazy over her.

Normally thinking too much about Robin (For whom she recently began feeling strange emotions that she couldn't explain) would cause her powers to blow something up. 'Well, that's one plus to not having my powers,' she thought sardonically. 'But that doesn't make me feel any better toward Caim.'

"I hate you, Caim," Raven said, clenching her fists and glaring at the door.

Suddenly that particular door swung open, and in walked Caim. "I love you too," he replied sarcastically with his ever-present smirk.

"Tell me what you're planning!"

As Raven spoke, one of Caim's followers walked in.

"Excellent timing... soften her up a bit, would you? But make sure she doesn't die," Caim ordered to his lackey.

"Yes, sir," said the lackey, turning to Raven.

Caim left the room, shutting the door behind him.

"This should teach you how we do things around here, Raven." Caim leaned against the door he had just closed, hearing the cracks of a whip coming from inside the room. He couldn't bear to watch.

He didn't want to see Raven that way.

There was something burning inside him, something that had been there even when he and Raven were "friends". It was slowly becoming a losing battle for him to fight it, and keep it inside. It was painful to watch her suffer and know that he was causing it.

He heard Raven's screams coming from the room. He could feel them piercing his heart that had already been through enough as it was.

"I can't stand anymore of this." Caim burst open the door and came in. His "assistant" was still whipping Raven. He stared down at the pitiful sight of her. Her clothes were torn to reveal bare, bloody skin.

"Stop it," he whispered, revolted.

The "assistant", not hearing him, just went on with his job. "STOP IT!" Caim yelled, grabbing him by the shoulder. He turned to Caim, baffled.

"Sir…?"

"Leave here at once. Enough is enough."

The lackey didn't dare talk back, though Caim was sending him out when his job wasn't nearly over yet.

Caim knelt down near Raven and gently lifted her up to sit against the wall. He stared at her face for a moment, then quickly averted his eyes. "Raven…you look terrible…"

Raven swore that she could make out an "I'm sorry" coming out of his mouth, but it was barely audible so she wasn't sure. She wanted to look at his face to see if he looked the least bit apologetic. But she couldn't. Her wounds, the scars that would probably result from them… they were all his doing. He didn't hold the whip, but he was equally at fault.

'But…but he was the one that stopped the whip. He was the one that helped me up…and he sounded like he really cared. Why?'

The pain…it was enough to make her scream, if she'd been strong enough. But she couldn't move. She couldn't speak. She could barely breathe.

Where was Robin? When was he going to save her? How? He had to find a way. He just had to.

"Raven…look at me," Caim demanded. When she didn't he grabbed her chin and forced her to. Raven opened her mouth to protest, but all that came out was a strange choking sound. Caim grinned wickedly and leaned in to kiss her. After the kiss was over he sat back, still smiling. He'd always wanted to do that.

Raven just sat for a moment, extremely still. Suddenly, her eyes glowed white, though her powers still didn't work. She shoved Caim as hard as she could, so hard he fell to the floor. "Don't you ever do that again," she spat. As she wiped her mouth with her sleeve, Caim just smirked.