Epilogue: Present

…..

Images of the past seeped out of her memory.

Five years it took for the night terrors to vanish. Raven couldn't remember a time now where she dreamed something that would haunt her well into the day. Maybe it was a sign she was growing up. Maybe she was just lucky that way. Garfield's death wasn't a nightmare. She couldn't meditate that away.

The echoing of car horns and the fast-paced discussions about the annual food drive at the new high school invaded her mental space. She pulled back her long bangs from her forehead, letting herself get lost in the far-away voices and got off her knees, staring blandly at the bronze engraved name and grinning yellowed illustrations scattered across the grave. A solitary teddy bear sat on its side near the marker, arms open to the world. With a well-placed reason, Raven set the teddy bear in the bushels of flowers.

After thinking about it, she picked up the stuffed animal and hugged it in her arms, walking down the graveyard trail once more. Down a quarter of a mile to the entrance, the empath arranged the button-nose bear on a smaller grave surrounded by sky blue balloons. A frame of an auburn-haired child in green shorts and a red shirt, posing like his favorite superhero.

It did not make any sense that she didn't feel guilt for Gabriel's death. That somehow it didn't hurt her as much. It was difficult to explain to Gloria Esteban when she had a meeting with her. Upon hearing the notion of bringing Gabriella Bendson for a trio discussion, Raven stopped taking the psychiatrist's calls. She couldn't bring herself face-to-face with the mother of the child Robin had saved in exchange for a piece of himself. And then had been slaughtered by her hands.

As she absently stared at the picture frame, a flame of pain went up her chest. After clearing her throat, a curious feeling went down her spine. Brush of silver on her neck.

"Whatever money you got, hand it over, sweetheart."

'Gunpoint... how it brings back memories.'

Instead of panicking like a normal person, she sighed drearily.

"Have you been following me this entire time or am I just the lucky winner today?"

The gruff voice associated with the revolver digging into her neck, darkened, "Shut the fuck up and hand-"

Her eyebrows lowered puzzled as the metal abruptly removed itself from her person. Raven spun around to find the gun laying abandoned on the mud sewn ground and the gunman gone… within seconds. No other footprints in the mud. No sudden noises. Positively silent. She peered out of the gates of Maywood to glimpse at shadows merging into the alleyway across the street.

"Azarath… Metrion… Zinthos."

From behind the white marble angel statue, a giant raven raised high in the air and plunged into the upper levels of the buildings. It perched itself on a tall fence in the darkness, gazing out at the more defined shadows. One of them trembled near a couple of garbage cans and the other struck one aside. The gunman, so guessed the raven, was the one whimpering for mercy. The one blending with the shadows threw the gunman on the brick wall.

"You are the last person I expected to see here, Grant. Does your boss know you are trying to steal off harmless women in a town he has no connections to?"

"I-I didn't…"

"Didn't mean to? You don't mean to do a lot of things, do you?"

"He-he doesn't-"

"He doesn't control this city. He'd have your head if he knew you were here, breaking the rules." The shadow man, the raven knew because of the coarse tone, said squarely, "The police will be on you in fifteen seconds. I'd start running." The gunman let out a frightened squeak, contrasting greatly to his earlier gruff façade, and scrambled out of the alley to smack into several cans, gripping the wall for aid and disappearing through the early morning streetlights.

By then, Raven had returned to her body and was on her way over to the mysterious do-gooder.

With menacing and strong hands, she physically grabbed the man around the throat as he stepped out into the street, slamming him beneath the nearest streetlamp, and making a large indent with his body. She demanded at full volume, "Who the hell do you think you are, you idiot?"

He twisted in her grasp but her powers outmatched his strength. His muscles in his biceps loosened. He asked grumpily, "If you could have taken him back there... then why were you standing around acting like you were helpless?"

"I wasn't acting like anything. Now answer my question."

"Miss, I don't want to hurt you."

"Believe me, it won't be as easy as you make it out to be."

He struggled to free himself by yanking her arms (damn, he was strong) but Raven was even more-so and constricted his windpipe a little more. Her acts spoke for her personality. "Don't even think about pulling anything. I don't know who you are... I don't care even if you did save me from a bullet... but this is my city. And I want your wannabe superhero ass out of here." She eyed him up and down, half regretting her remark. The guy had nice calves in black spandex, and she was digging those steel-toed boots.

"Like what you see?" The man raised an eyebrow under his black, V-shaped mask, an ugly mask really. Her cheeks flushed without warning and she lessened her brutal force against him. He crossed his arms and said to her as if she was stupid, still pinned, "No offense to you, Miss, but this city belongs to the Teen Titans."

"Four years ago maybe, but they don't exist anymore."

Shock, unchecked and innocent, poured from his aura.

"You're… serious."

"Of course I am. I'm the one who protects Jump City now."

"And do you have a name…?"

She blinked. "What, have you been living in a hole? The situation going on on this side of California have been broadcast nationwide."

He said, apathetically, "I don't watch a lot of TV these days. Listen, I'm on my way to Titans Tower to visit my friends-"

"Are you deaf? I just said that the Teen Titans are gone. Cyborg and Starfire don't live there anymore."

He murmured, a hidden dread vibrating somewhere underneath his rough voice, "What about Raven? What happened to her?"

Slowly, the empath let go off his uniform and held out her hands.

"You're looking at her, buddy."

Complete astonished silence.

"...You can't be."

Raven pushed back her annoying bangs. "I'm the one and only here. Since I've answered your question, it's only fair you answer mine. Who are you?"

He straightened his back and unfolded his arms, taking his time to reveal the blue insignia printed on his broad chest.

"Nightwing."

Raven stared at the bird on his costume, partially entranced. "Why do I know I've seen that before?" An uncertain smirk touched his softly defined lips.

"It wouldn't surprise me… you always had a knack for getting into other people's business." She stared at him instead.

"Who are you really because you're starting to freak me out." Raven backed up a step, her shoulders brushed the brick wall when he took one forward.

"I had a different alias... some people knew my real name, my one in Gotham... but most people just called me Robin."

'...Azar, how, how could I have missed the boots?'

One of his fingers accidentally grazed her windbreaker.

"If you are Raven, then where is your ruby gem? I mean... it's not removable is it?"

"First off, it's called a chakra. Second, if you're Robin, then why…are you here?" She refused to look at him, at this imposter. Robin would never willingly come back to this place. She knew this at the bottom of her heart. Or what was left of it.

Nightwing said, sternly, "Don't call me Robin, I'm Nightwing. I'd appreciate it if you'd get my name right."

-we've danced this dance before-

"I don't know anyone by the name of Nightwing. I only knew a Robin and I especially know the last thing he would want is to be here. Where I am." Raven tangled her fingers into her unkemp,t black-brown waves and shook her head. "Just… Nightwing, Robin, whoever you are, leave me alone. I don't need to be messed with like this."

A coo,l gloved hand held her elbow, causing her to recoil from the human contact.

"What would I have to say to make you believe I was Robin?"

"Something pretty damn convincing."

He seemed to be thinking hard. His hand released her after a full minute. "Well, I can't think of what to say." Nightwing drew a hand to the back of his head. "I guess I'll just have to show you." She was about to leave this nut job to his games until an ebony-colored mask gently closed into her hands, his large fingers slipping over hers. Raven glanced up. A faint scar creased his left eyebrow. Milky white eyes shone blankly from an exceedingly handsome face. Invisible blue rings encircled nonexistent pupils. Her knight in shining armor to her fairy tale. Raven impulsively touched his stubbled cheek. The roundness of jaw slimmed out and hardened but his darkly tanned skin was so soft.

"Azar's ghost…"

He chuckled, his breath smelling like home. The sweetness of Chinese food, delicious sauce of the pizza they used to order almost every night and not gain a pound on.

"I haven't heard that one before, Rav."

How long had it been since she heard that nickname pass his lips? At that moment, she didn't know what to do. "Robin…"

Nightwing didn't bother to correct her as she wrapped her long arms around his waist and pressed her nose against his. Her heavy, sweet breathing tickled his neck. He protested with a jumbled sentence. Raven touched the backs of her fingers tenderly on his mouth. His sightless eyes shut. "I haven't…" he began.

"Don't worry about it..." Raven caressed his almost waist-length, silky hair, lowering her blushing lips lightly to his ear. "No more talking."

He unzipped her windbreaker clumsily, careful not to move her, and encased his arm around her back and gave her a kiss that melted the cold, unmerciful cages trapping their souls.

(-I can't lie to you loyal readers, sorry-)

What actually happened was Nightwing was only inches from kissing her. They were so caught up in what they'll later call 'the illusion of love'- that an outside stimulus brought them out of their trance with a jolt. They got back their arms and Nightwing went for his black, utility belt, pulling out what looked like a Titans Communicator except it had a blue symbol. He flipped it open. "Report."

Raven rolled her eyes, zipping back up her windbreaker.

'Business, business, I… oh dear Azar, did I almost kiss him?'

She was disgusted with herself and shivered, although not able to place the type. Nightwing suddenly grabbed her by the jacket, tugging her down the sidewalk. "Let's go."

Raven shoved him away, frowning deeply.

"Keep your hands off me. Now, where were you dragging me off to?"

"Trouble downtown."

Fury switched to wariness.

"Where are you getting your information?" she questioned.

He coughed, preoccupying his time with tying on his mask. "Nowhere special- You got any transportation?"

"Legs. Works out great."

Raven gestured to herself. When her hands hovered over the shape of her hips, Nightwing allowed himself a second to focus his attention on that certain area and then stopped himself. "Yeah... until you need to get across the intersection. We'll take mine," Nightwing said, starting to walk and replied when she didn't follow, "Plan on standing there all day?"

She folded her arms and went with him into a dead-end street. Raven saw it and protested, shaking her head insistently.

"No. No."

He said exasperated, sitting down on his newly painted motorcycle, "I'm not going to argue with you. You gonna fly or ride?"

She snorted. "With the experiences I've had on that contraption, I'd be more than willing to crawl."

He shrugged, buckling his helmet chinstrap, his voice muffled behind his visor, "Suit yourself."

The engine revved up faintly, then became increasingly thunderous. Her temple throbbed. "I'm gonna regret it," she told him as the empath climbed onto the back, ignoring the fact that she had him between her legs. Ah, no bad thoughts, there was nothing provocative about crime fighting; that's all they were doing. Saving lives.

Nightwing suggested, smirking into his visor, "Helmet?"

"Just go, Bird-Brain. The sooner the - AAAAAAAIIIIIEEEE!"

They sped down the highway at a speed Raven didn't think existed. He drove at a reckless swiftness with scared her senseless. They maneuvered in and out of SUVs, convertibles, and an enormous cement truck. Her arms flailed out in alarm and grabbed whatever was solid and steady in front of her. They went across Nightwing's chest and squeezed him securely. His laughter caught her roaring ears, "Still want that helmet?" He reached for a compartment and Raven screamed in an unfamiliar high-pitch when a semi turned into their lane. Nightwing crossed out of the lane at the last second and calmly handed her the extra blue helmet.

She shouted angrily, as it went over her head, "You did that on purpose, you dick!"

"You're only halfway right."

She muttered, holding onto him tighter, "Either way it makes me feel so much- ooofff!"

They veered around a curve and kept a rapid acceleration on an empty road. Raven spoke up over the rushing wind, after collecting her wits, "Who is Grant?"

"You're everyday drug dealer and thief, the police have him though. They know their business wouldn't last in Jump City."

"Why is that?"

She was interested in his honest reply. A quick peek of a darkened face shield. "There's too many incorruptible people here more than able to stop them." Nightwing added quietly, "By the way, the whole thing... earlier…" Raven remained silent and raised a curious eyebrow. "The... thing… I don't want to talk about right now. Pretend it never happened, alright?"

"That's usually my line," she said, deliberately.

His tone shifted to irritation. "I'm being serious, Raven."

"Wasn't I?"

Nightwing switched gears, topping eighty out of frustration. "Why are you always doing this?" He mumbled, "And you accuse me of acting like a child…"

Raven set her chin on his shoulder. "I'm not all too sure what I'm doing wrong."

"You don't take anything seriously anymore! What happened to the Raven who didn't joke about a crucial situation? Who kept a level head no matter what?" He huffed, jerking the motorcycle into another exit in the highway, "You changed." She lifted her head and untangled her legs from his back, stating almost crossly.

"You use to say you liked that about me." They hit a bump that flung her backwards; with nothing to grab onto, she began falling towards the sharp gravel. Nightwing reached around, taking his attention off the road to catch her outstretched hand.

"Take my advice and stay in the vehicle at all times."

Raven returned to hugging him fiercely and awkwardly, sighing with relief. The rest of the ride strangely hushed. Down the way, Hive members swarmed around downtown's Central banking tower. Nightwing screeched to a stop past the bank's parking lot and got off unruffled, placing his helmet beside Raven's.

As he was scrutinizing the crime scene in the distance, a startling series of gasps perked his supersonic hearing. The half demoness behind him bowed forward, still seated in his cycle, her knuckles turning white from gripping the seat in front of her so hard. Only her skin wasn't her natural white, her face was a well-known sallow gray and beading with sweat. The noises were coming from her half-opened mouth.

His stomach took a severe drop at her color. "What is it? Raven?" he asked.

Her piercing, turquoise-colored eyes came back to focus.

"Are you having a vision?"

She sat up, massaging her shaking arms,.

"No…..no, I'm fine."

"You looked like you were going to puke."

"Something like that."

His hideous mask narrowed. "Can you fight? I don't want you to passing out in the middle of a battle." Raven leisurely swung her leg over, her face returning to color.

"I'll try not to get in the way."

Never forgetting his gentlemen etiquette, he promptly hooked his arm around her back to pick her up and settled her onto her feet effortlessly. "Easy there, Knight in Shining Armor," she said with a slight bite in her tone, sounding in his opinion more like herself. Raven never noticed him survey her as her hands dusted the front of her windbreaker indiscreetly. The fluid movement of her limbs seemed more graceful somehow in her human appearance. The beauty she possessed apparently sustained a lasting effect on his senses.

He silently willed any emotions from surfacing when he commanded, "Move out."

"No battle cry?"

She was making fun of him.

"Just shut up and follow me."

Raven mocked saluting, saying, "Ay, ay, Lieutenant Pole-In-His-Butt."

An explosion of pink whizzed past them. Nightwing thrust her back against the black Sedan shielding them from sight, covering her mouth and stooping into a crouching position. She protested loudly into his hand and he hissed, "Be quiet! We're going to get caught!"

A angry, feminine voice rose, "Hear anything?"

"Nope," came a male voice.

The female's voice said, cautiously, "Well then don't stand around, dipshit. Hey, Seemore, watch the other entrance. We don't want any surprise visitors." Once the voices were out of hearing distance, Raven sent a disgruntled telepathic message to her companion.

'Could you be so kind as to remove your hand from my breast?'

Perplexed, he looked down, and then fell back, making a surprised grunt. She rubbed her neck, hiding her own flush.

'Accidents happen.'

More than happy to redirect the subject, Nightwing touched a finger to his lips and silently pointed to the direction he wanted to sneak into.

She asked telepathically as they crouched behind a Hummer, 'What's the plan? Sneak attack?'

He shrugged. The shrug that meant he planned on making it up as he went. That wasn't going to work for her. Raven sat Indian-style on the asphalt, pressing her back into a tire and closed her eyes serenely. As Nightwing wondered what she was thinking relaxing at a time like this, her soul-self retreated out of her slackened form. Not acknowledging him, the giant blue raven dove out of view. He joined her on the ground, palms flat. She looked lifeless… without her soul. The possibility gave him eerie shivers.

What really freaked him out, when he actually met her after five years, was the absence of her ruby gem. It was a source of her energy, so she claimed. How would it burn off? Why?

Seven minutes passed, he counted, and there was no sign of her coming back to life. He had waited long enough. His gloved fingers apprehended her bare wrist; at the moment their skin came on contact, an amazing thing happened. He could see. At least, through someone else.

Nameless faces. Cotton candy-colored pigtails. Mammoth. Ray gun. Gold-filled bags gushing from a flipped truck. Then embracing darkness consumed him.

Raven forced her eyes open after her soul was sucked back into her body and her eyes glowed ominously. She immediately became hell bent on issuing some pain on the dumbass that broke one of the biggest Azarathian taboos. Azarathian Taboo #2: It is forbidden to interfere with a psychic projection 'soul-self' by touching and/or moving the psychic individual. Doing so may cause tragic results, 'soul-sharing' and/or permanent insanity to either the psychic individual or the dumbass who broke the taboo…

….. Something along those lines.

Before fury could be unleashed, pink waves of curses flickered over their heads and Nightwing's motorcycle blew up into a thousand flaming pieces. The Hive Five's leader sneered. "Too bad about your bike. You might have want to get that checked out. It wasn't Jinx-proof."

"Clever," Raven retorted. "Remind me to write that in my quote book."

"Gosh... I missed this town." The pink-haired sorceress grinned, giving the humming ray gun a friendly pat. "So easy to rob."

"Easy to rob, harder to keep what you robbed."

Nightwing butted in casually, despite the fact that their escape and favorite motorcycle had been reduced to smithereens, "What's the gun do?" Jinx gazed at him intrigued.

"A demonstration? Why I'd love to."

She flipped a switch on the mini headboard, the humming grew insistently bigger. Jinx pointed it at them.

The other Hive members scrabbled for cover. A jet of yellow deflected off a solid globe of pulsing blue. Inside it, Nightwing had thrown his arm around Raven to shelter her from impact. After a moment or two, she peered up under the hook of his arm, asking straight-faced "Alright?"

He nodded, chest heaving with exertion, answering, "Alright." They composed themselves as the globe disintegrated into the earth. Jinx frowned.

"Crap, I forgot you could do that."

"Who the hell is letting you play with big machines?"

"I stole it myself. Like it?"

Raven said dryly, "Call me old-fashion, but I prefer a hobby with less potentially lethal weapons."

"Your loss. You don't have a clue what this baby can do… neither do I… but since you won't be my guinea pigs….."

The villain aimed it at the bank, the bulb warming.

Nightwing pushed the scraggly man with one monstrous eye aside, running for Jinx. Mammoth crashed two hundred pounds of muscle into him full force, giving quite a stunner. Raven took the opportunity Nightwing couldn't. The pink-haired woman swung the ray around at the last second, the end belting across the empath's head.

Stars and robin-birds danced in her vision. Raven staggered with an outcry and lunged at Jinx. They landed hard on the ground to wrestle each other, scratching and clawing with pink and blue hands. A blaring horn ensnared most regards. A green bank truck hopped over the highway and a whiny voice shouted, "Let's go, you scugmunching dipwads! Get the loot!"

The Hive members paid no heed to the fighting women. Jinx kneed the other in the gut. Infuriated, Raven blasted her off.

The criminal somersaulted in the air and nimbly dismounted into the ray's chair. "See ya, sweetheart." Jinx flipped the same switch and the glowing increased. Blinded by it, Raven raised her hand to the level of her eyes. An obscure figure swooped down to snatch her up, yellow, destructive power erupting where she once stood.

Nightwing broke the connection of his Grappling Hook to stand a top a parked city bus, letting his rescue go.

Jinx beamed, glancing at the smoking crater. "Excellent."

Gizmo popped his head out from the driver's seat window, yelling, "Get a move on, ya dirtbag!" She wheeled the ray gun up the truck's ramp as Nightwing shot his Grappling Hook at her. Jinx dodged it successfully, and the green truck packed up and sped off in a cloud of dust and pelting gravel. With a last ditch effort, a long-distance Exploding Bat-a-rang hurtled after the Hive Five. After a few seconds, a rather large collision echoed along with a BOOM followed by an exclamation of "Crrrruuddddd!"

Nightwing leapt stealthily off the city bus and motioned with a distracted hand to the telepath.

"Come on, we have to catch up."

Distant sirens. A busted water hydrant purging.

He repeated, looking over his shoulder, "Raven? Did you hear me?"

The roof of the bus was unoccupied. A low shadow expanded out from behind the huge tires. Nightwing called out her name again, this time with less patience.

"Raven, get off your ass. We can't let them get away."

That shadow, stretched out and dark. The need to see what was near the end of the bus turned out too strong to ignore. He stepped over to the other side to get a better view.

"Raven."

Curls of the darkest brown spilled out on asphalt like water. His companion lay eagle-spread on her back, her glassy eyes looking straight ahead and half opened. She had not made the slightest noise when her body hit the asphalt. A sequence of things happened.

Nightwing's shadow fell over her.

Her vision fuzzed.

Chest stopped rising.

Warm hands touched her face.

"Stay with me."

Eyelids closed.

Softest sensation against her mouth.