Raventhedarkgoddess: Um... Enjoy? (Been being a bando, sorry for lack of update)

Chapter Ten: Released

The next two days passed agonizingly slow. Raven did not awake again, and her coughing and turning in her heavy slumber could often be heard. "Do you think she's all right?" Robin heard Beast Boy asking Cyborg one day as the half-metal teen shut the door and edged out into the hallway.

"She's fine. Too much blood loss and effort. I think she'll be up soon, but she won't be able to help us do anything for at least another week," Cyborg replied, wiping the sweat off his brow. "She'll just have to accept that."

"You know she won't accept... Robin, hi," Beast Boy said with forced cheer. "We were just talking about Raven and how she'll be good to go soon."

Robin merely gave him a look that said he had heard everything, and Beast Boy shut his mouth, quickly becoming very quiet. "Cyborg, tell me the truth... Will Raven ever fully recover after what she did to save me?"

Cyborg paused, caught inbetween a lie to make Robin feel better and the truth. He slowly opened his mouth, having picked the harsh, cold truth, and rested a hand against Robin's shoulder. "I doubt it, man. She's tough, but..."

"But what?"

"But no one's that tough. She gave up everything she had just to save you, and her body shut itself down as a result of that. She's all right, but her powers and mind have probably been greatly affected."

That was when they heard her voice for the first time. "What's going on?" It called, and Robin raced to the doorway to see the grey-skinned gothic running one hand through her matted violet hair and trying vainly to pull her long legs from under her white sheets and reach a glass of water Cyborg had left there. Robin's green-gloved hand brushed hers as he handed it to her.

"Sit back," he told her. "You've been out for two days, and we're not sure how much damage you did to yourself when you came to save me." The words sounded hollow and selfish, and he sighed inwardly, wondering how he could ever forgive himself for putting her in that kind of situation. He looked over his shoulder for support, but the others had gone.

"It was worth it," she whispered, and Robin felt himself smile. "I only want you to be happy. You know that, don't you?" The pair of them paused there, Robin at the edge of her bed, Raven laying relucently back on her pillow, Robin sitting there in slight shock.

"Raven..."

"Robin, emergency. We're under attack!" Beast Boy skidding to a rather clumsy stop in front of the door. "The whole Tower is under attack!" His eyes showed this was not one of his jokes, and Robin nodded his head. "Come on, we need you!"

"Raven, you stay here!" Instently, the mood of the room changed, Robin the comanding leader, Raven a sick commrad rather than the girl he had been so close to professing feelings for. Cursing Slade with everything he had, Robin sadly moved out of the room, glancing back at Raven. "I'll be back!"

Raven sighed. So close... And they may not make it... But what can I do? She thought back over her life: Various times, helpless and opressed, first by teachings, then by her inablity to control her emotions, then by her father's rule, then by fear... Was she going to let herself be oppressed by this too, this helpless feeling and the situation her love for Robin had gotten her into?

I'm coming, she thought, struggling with the catch on her cloak and levitating because her legs refused to hold her up. I'm not going to be held back by anything anymore.

She arrived to a terrifying scene- It seemed that the last battle she had seen had only increased Past, Present, and Future's desires to win. They were tossing the Titans they had faced for rematches about, moving with a speed unheard of and unmatched.

"You're not going to win this!" Robin was bellowing at Slade. "We'll defeat you on our own turf this time!"

Instead of answering, Slade did a graceful series of backflips, once, twice, three times... And landed next to Raven. Grabbing her around the throat, he stood there and smirked. "If I'm not going to win, surely you won't mind if you lose something in the process...?"

"You sick bastard! I won't let you hurt her! I WON'T..."

"Then I suppose I'll release the pitiful girl from all her pain." Everything in the room came to a halt as Slade stood, smiling, and reached slowly behind himself for the knife he believed would do the job of finishing the struggling girl.

Raventhedarkgoddess: Yes, short, just long enough to leave a new cliffy... I'm mean like that. Enjoy, and read and review. I should have a next chapter in a couple weeks. or less. I heart reviewers, so thanks to those who have kept this story going.