Chapter 4: Retreat

Raven burst through the doors of the Elbow Room determined to put as much distance between herself and the unholy alliance Gregory had just proposed to her. She drew in the thankfully cool clean night air and took off into the starlit sky.

Raven came down on a familiar high bluff overlooking the black ocean. She could hear the soft whoosh of the sea below her. Soft hoof prints approached her from behind. Raven did not turn around. Sol Palus, her Nightmare, slowly strode up and whined lightly as he stood next to her. Raven reached up and lightly stroked the beast's bristly gray neck. She exhaled and slowly lowered herself to the ground. Raven shivered in the night air pulling her cloak tightly around her trying to fend off the cold. Sol Palus slowly lowered himself next to his master curling his body around Raven to give her warmth.

"You don't have any idea what's going on do you," she pleaded with her steed. She looked into Sol Palus' glowing grey eyes desperately seeking an answer to her dilemma.

"I serve you," echoed in her head.

Raven sighed in disappointment. "You're a creature of few words," she replied. She sat looking out over the dark ocean not knowing what to do. Maybe it was time to leave the Titans. The current situation was stifling. Leaving the team would be better than slipping into a jealous rage.

"I'm tired. Let's go home," she said wearily as she stood up and climbed onto Sol Palus' back. The stallion gently raised himself up from the ground and awaited his master's command. Raven reached down and firmly grasped the beast's gray mane then raised her other hand into the cool night air.

"Forward," she commanded. Sol Palus leapt up and glided through the night air. Raven watched as the Tower lights slowly came into view, the cool winds and salty air gave her a slight chill but it was an improvement over the bar where she had met Gregory earlier.

Sol Palus glided to a halt as he reached the island. Raven heard the soft hissing of the Nightmare's hooves as they sank into the ground. Raven slid off the side of her mount and gently stroked his neck. She looked up into the beast's glowing grey eyes. "You may go now," she said. The beast whinnied softly then leapt though the dark porthole that would return it to Hades.

Raven turned towards the Tower to return to the sanctuary of her room. She spied a dim red light in the darkness that she had not noticed earlier.

"Nice wheels," Cyborg's voice rang out from the darkness.

Raven was momentarily stunned. "Thanks," she replied as she froze unsure how to proceed.

"Where did you get him," he calmly asked her.

"Morpheus gave him to me," she blurted out.

"Nice." Cyborg remembered their earlier encounter with the young immortal and son of the god of the underworld. "You two seeing each other behind my back?" he chided his friend.

"No," she quickly replied. "What are you doing up this late?" she tried to steer the conversation away from a discussion about her Nightmare and the young immortal who had frustrated her as of late.

"Funny," he replied, "I was about to ask you the same thing." An awkward silence followed. Cyborg finally relented, "I was just testing out my new telescope. With everyone tied up with someone else I've had to find some new hobbies to keep myself busy."

"Honestly Cyborg, I'm not seeing anyone," Raven countered trying to reassure her friend that she was telling the truth.

Cyborg studied his friend in the soft glow of the tower lights. She was hiding something but he wasn't willing to pry any further. "Want to check out Andromeda?"

Raven paused a moment, looked up in the sky then carefully made her way towards Cyborg's new toy. A large telescope sat on a metal tripod stand. She could hear a soft humming noise coming from it.

"I've got her all lined up. The motor should keep it in the field. Take a look." Raven pulled her hood down and peered into the telescope. A swirling mass of stars filled her eye. She marveled at its simple beauty smiling softly at the image filling her vision.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Cyborg proudly commented. "I put it together myself. It took me three months to polish the mirror." He frowned in the darkness as he caught the strong stench of cigarette smoke and spent beer. Raven stood up and looked into the sky. Cyborg said nothing.

"That's really neat Cyborg," Raven coolly replied. "I envy you. You always find something new to try."

"I just like to fiddle with things. Besides I've had a lot of time to myself lately," he lightly chided her.

She looked at Cyborg, her dark eyes softly glistening in the faint light from the tower. "I think you need someone to talk to," she said distantly to her friend. "Have you called Bumble Bee lately? You two would get along great. I could hook you two up; I've got a lot of experience with that."

Cyborg thought he caught a slight hint of venom in Raven's last statement. He watched her eye's trying to gauge her hidden meaning. "Yea, I guess I could," he replied half heartedly.

"I'm tired Cyborg," Raven replied. "I'm turning in. Goodnight." She turned and slowly made her way back to the tower.

"Sweet dreams," Cyborg called to her. He thought he saw Raven's shoulders cringe. She continued towards the tower. Cyborg watched her go through the front door and sighed to himself. "But I'd rather be talking to you," he softly said to himself.