"...and here we are," Raven finished lamely. The seven Titans were assembled in the living room, listening to Raven and Terra explain what had happened. Both of them had exchanged their tattered makeshift coverings for real clothes, and although there hadn't yet been time to shower, Raven still felt better than she had in days. Jinx refused to let go of her for more than a minute. Beast Boy had stopped hugging Terra, but true to form, Starfire had nearly broken both her and Terra's ribs the minute they'd come in.
"It's great that you guys escaped." Robin had felt an enormous weight lift from his shoulders when they had come in, but Slade was still unaccounted for. "Do you know where it was?"
"Someplace in Nevada, I think." Terra spoke up. "Out in the middle of the desert. Anyway, it's not like we can go search the place, even if we could find it."
"I still don't see what's up with Slade," Cyborg said. "First he's demonic, then he glows green. What does he want?"
"That's what I'd like to know. Does anyone have any ideas?" Robin asked the room.
"All he said was that he wanted to make us suffer." Raven shook her head. "But I think there may be more than one of him."
"That's it! Clones!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "No, wait, evil twins from another dimension! No, time travel! Robots? Aliens?" His list of theories ran down and he started muttering to himself, trying to come up with something else.
"When I asked him about the demon parasite, he acted like he didn't know what I was talking about." Raven continued. "He could have been lying, but he seemed genuinely surprised when I asked him. How often do we see Slade act off-balance unless he actually is?"
"Good point." Robin rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I hate to say it, but it looks like we're stuck again. All we can do now is wait."
"Cheer up, Robin. Raven has returned, and our dear friend Terra has regained her memory." Starfire smiled brightly. "We have much to be joyous about."
"It's not every day someone comes back from the dead," Cyborg added.
"So, you're really back, right?" Beast Boy asked Terra. "You remember everything?"
Terra smiled faintly. "Yeah, I do. I even remember when I had amnesia."
"Why did you have amnesia?" Beast Boy wanted to know.
The blond girl looked away, half her face hidden in her hair. "Part of me...part of me didn't want to remember. I was ashamed of what I did." She stood up and walked to the window. "Every day I spent with you, I betrayed you. I gave Slade everything he needed to take you down. In the end, I nearly killed us all!" She shook her head. "I wanted to hide, pretend none of it ever happened. I knew no one would want me back after that."
"Just cuz it happened doesn't mean we wouldn't want you." Beast Boy put his hand on her shoulder. "You're our friend. You made some mistakes, but we forgive you"
Terra turned, searching the rest of the Titans for disagreement. All she saw were encouraging looks, trust and friendship in their eyes. "You'll have me back?"
It was Robin who answered. "We'd be honored to have you as a friend and teammate, Terra."
Her eyes clouded with joyous tears, and Beast Boy hugged her hard.
Raven turned towards the door. "Sorry to interrupt this touching moment, but I'm gonna go wash some of this dried blood off." She headed for the bathroom with Jinx at her heels.
---
The door slid shut behind her, then opened again. Jinx stood there, grinning insolently. "You know, I think I'm capable of showering without your help."
The pink-haired girl sauntered into the room. "Yeah, I know. But I just realized..." She slipped her arms around Raven's neck, popping the clasp on her cloak open and letting it drop to the floor. "...we haven't done it in the shower yet." Raven grinned as Jinx kissed her firmly, and fumbled with the buttons on Jinx's blouse. Raven dragged herself away briefly with her leotard hanging half off to turn the water on.
Raven flinched as the scalding water struck her abraded skin. The crown's effects hadn't left any scars or wounds, but she felt like she had been rubbed head to toe with sandpaper.
"You okay?" Jinx asked, seeing her flinch.
"Yeah, my skin's just tender." She pulled the other girl to her. "You'll have to be gentle with me."
Jinx nipped the tip of Raven's nose. "You know how hard that is for me. But I'll try my best." Jinx squeezed her ass firmly as their lips met. She pressed Raven back against the wall of the shower, exploring the contours of her breasts. Raven tilted her head back and moaned, her fingers tangled in Jinx's hair as she kissed her way down Raven's flat stomach.
The taste of her was sweet. Jinx settled down on her knees, wiping a few traces of blood from her lover's legs. She hungrily kissed away, eliciting more moans of excitement from Raven. Jinx slid one hand between her own legs, keeping time with the flickering of her tounge. Raven felt the familiar ripples of pleasure building up a scant few minutes later.
They both jumped as someone hammered on the door. "Hey, Raven? You done in there? You're not the only one who needs to wash some blood off, y'know."
Jinx giggled. "No, not done!" She cried in an almost passable imitation of Raven's voice. "We'll be out as soon as we finish fu--" Raven clapped a hand over Jinx's mouth.
"Okay, I didn't wanna know," Terra responded disconcertedly. "So, I'm gonna go throw up about something else now."
Raven fixed Jinx with an angry glare, but her heart wasn't in it. "I swear, you must enjoy embarassing me."
"Yeah, but I like doing this even more." What she did next cut off any further protests from Raven.
---
BWEEPBWEEPBWEEPBWEEPBWEEP!
A map of the city popped up on the main screen in the living room, as alarms went off throughout the tower. Seconds later, all the Titans were there, examining the flashing targets.
"Multiple sightings of those robots, all at warehouses where manufacturing components are stored." Cyborg pulled up the names and addresses quickly.
Robin smacked his fist into his palm. "This is the break we've been waiting for. We'll have to split up to take them all. Try to find out what they're after or where they come from. Let's go!"
---
The warehouse Beast Boy and Terra went for was near the docks. Terra skimmed along on a hunk of rock, and Beast Boy flew with her as a hawk.
"There they are!" Terra stopped near the corner of a building, allowing Beast Boy to land next to her. "What are they doing?" The robots were carrying crates out of the building, into another of those stingray-shaped ships.
"Looks like they're stealing stuff. Should we follow the ship, or take some of them out first?"
"Better to keep them from getting what they came for," Terra made a fist. "Besides, I'm in the mood for a workout."
Beast Boy grinned, launching himself towards the robots as a pterodactyl. Terra pulled up large stones from the bottom of the harbor, sending them hurtling into the armored foes. They turned in unison as they noticed the two Titans bearing down, blasting indiscriminately with their lasers. Beast Boy dodged, morphing into an elephant and scattering the robots like bowling pins. Terra provided cover with rocks, blocking lasers and smashing her share of foes as well.
Something struck her in the back roughly, knocking Terra to the ground. A familiar, mocking voice reached her ringing ears. "So, you've remembered yourself. A pity."
Terra rose angrily. "You know I've remembered, you were there when it happened!"
Slade folded his arms. "My dear, the last I saw you was when you had become a statue. I've no idea how you got your memory back, but rest assured, it won't help you, or your little friends." Impossibly fast, he launched himself at her.
---
"Answer me! Are you the one behind these robots?" Robin shouted. The battle had become a duel between him and Slade. Starfire and Cyborg were busy with Slade's robots, trying to prevent too much collateral damage in this crowded area.
"Astute of you to notice, Robin. I suppose your next question will be about my plans, as usual." Slade ran forward, trading fluid blows with him. Robin pulled his staff from its usual place in his belt, swiping at his adversary. Slade dodged swiftly, countering with deadly kicks.
"Tell me what you're planning! Why did you kidnap Raven and Terra?"
"I've no interest in abducting weak-willed fools." Slade ripped up a nearby traffic sign, spinning it like a staff. "And my plans are none of your business!" He charged into battle with renewed vigor.
---
"Azerath metrion ZINTHOS!" Raven telekinetically hurled a robot towards Slade, hoping to surprise him as Jinx distracted him up close. He flipped backwards without even looking, and Raven barely pulled the projectile away from hitting Jinx.
"It seems you've had a change of heart, Jinx." Slade chuckled. "I'm disappointed, you had such potential."
"What, to be your servant? I think I'm better off, asshole." Jinx flung a wave of energy at him, fracturing the pavement. Slade jumped aside, viciously slamming her into the air. Raven caught her and held her in the air briefly.
"How does he keep changing like that?" Raven growled, frustrated.
Jinx scowled. "Whatever he decides to look like, he's going down!" She jumped to the ground, concentrating her power on the walls of the narrow alley. Pieces of the buildings rained down, obscuring things in a cloud of dust. "Did I get him?" Jinx wondered.
Slade leaped at her from the side, seizing her by the neck and slamming her into the ground. Raven's eyes widened in rage, and she blasted Slade with a bolt of mystic energy. His counterattack came almost too fast to comprehend. One second she had knocked him into the pile of debris, the next she was gasping for breath on the ground.
"Looks like you lose again. I'm go--uargh!" Something yellow and red knocked into Slade, throwing him into a wall.
"Didn't anyone ever teach you it's not gentlemanly to fight ladies?" A cocky voice rang out.
Raven dragged herself off the ground. "Kid Flash. We were wondering what happened to you."
"Hey, I'm around." He replied with a grin. "Be right back." He zipped off, then returned less than a second later munching a Big Mac.
Slade stood up and approached them. "Two, three, what does it matter? You're still no match for me."
"Guess again," Jinx said behind him. She snapped her fingers and Slade slid into a small hole in the ground, trapped up to his neck by solid concrete.
"Hey, Jinx. Long time no see." Kid Flash threw an arm around her. "Told you being a good guy was more fun."
Jinx blushed slightly as Raven raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, well...what are we gonna go with him?" She jerked her head towards Slade.
Raven folded her arms. "He's our prisoner." She stalked over to him, pulling up the chunk of stone with her powers. "And he's not the only one who knows torture..." The sinister look on Raven's face sent chills up Jinx's spine.
Jinx bent her head towards Kid Flash's ear. "Could you go find everyone else?"
"Sure thing." The speedster ran off in search of the others.
Jinx cautiously approached Raven. "Are you okay?"
Raven turned to face her, carefully smoothing her expression. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I just wanted to make sure," she laughed nervously. "I mean, we wouldn't want you to get carried away with revenge or anything, right?"
"I see. You're worried that I'll do something unspeakably horrible to him like what he did to me. Is that is?" Jinx nodded. "Don't worry. I'll just hurt him enough to make him tell me what I want to know."
Slade laughed behind her. "You really think torture's going to work on me? You don't have the stomach for it." Raven whirled, viciously backhanding Slade. His head snapped back and struck the concrete, and he slumped, apparently stunned.
"Considering who I am and what I've been through, there's quite a lot I have the stomach for," she replied icily.
Jinx shook her head. "Damn, I'm glad I never made you as mad as he has."
"Raven, Jinx, come in. Are you alright?" Robin's voice came from both of their communicators in an odd stereo.
Jinx pulled hers out of her belt. "We're fine. And we've got a present." She turned her communicator to display their captive.
"You captured him? How?"
She shrugged. "He ran into some bad luck. Kid Flash helped, too."
"It was nothing, really," he said from behind her, then raced across town to appear behind Robin on the tiny screen.
"Good work, you two. Meet us back at the Tower in ten minutes. Robin out." Robin turned to Kid Flash. "And thanks for helping us here, Kid Flash. What brings you back to the city?"
"Well, y'know. A guy can only travel the world for a while before you start missing home and all your buds." He grinned roguishly. "Sides, I figured I outta check in again for a bit. You don't mind if I crash at your place, do ya?"
"No problem." Robin answered. "Just try not to eat us out of house and home again."
Kid Flash made a face. "As long as Beast Boy still eats tofu, that won't happen."
---