Chapter Seventeen: Reunion
It was past noon when Raven woke up. She groaned as she got out of bed, a throbbing sensation in her head. She went to the sink and washed her face.
After that, she stared in the mirror. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot, her face flushed red. She sighed, realizing she had a hangover.
'Good thing Robin isn't around.' she thought. 'He'd ream my ass for underage drinking.' At that thought, she felt a sense of dread and panic.
She rushed out of the room and made for the weather decks. Once there, she made for the rail and leaned against it.
"My friends." she muttered. "I've lost my friends!"
She began to cry. She knew it was pointless to be optimistic; logic had ruled out the possibility that the other Titans survived. If they had, they would have either found her or she would have found them. Also, the chance of survival in the cold waters was minimal. Raven sobbed harder.
"I'm alone now." she said aloud. "There's nothing for me here."
She walked aft, leaning on the railing that overlooked the stern. She thought about her future, what possibilities lay ahead. Could she survive throughout the early 20th century by herself? If she returned to her present time, could she handle the task of saving Jump City on her own? Or could she put together a team of her own, a new set of Titans?
Despite her intelligence and talent, she knew she wasn't the best of leaders, nowhere nearly as good as Robin was. Even Beast Boy was a better leader than her at times.
She looked out to sea. She saw little choice but to end her life. Tonight, after dark, she would jump overboard unnoticed and that would be the end of it. 'I shall join my friends in death.' she thought, sighing.
Suddenly, she sensed someone near her. Thinking nothing of it, she turned to go inside. She went a few steps when she looked back. A rather tall and young muscular man took her spot. From his appearance, he was lonely and depressed as well. She decided to comfort him.
'At least I can help other people before I have to die.' she thought.
"Are you all right, sir?" she asked.
"Just fine." the man replied tersely.
"You don't seem like it."
"What makes you say that?"
"I know what depression looks like."
"Is that a fact? Then do you know how to handle it?"
"Well, meditation works for me."
"Meditation? That sounds like a friend of mine."
"Really? What's your friend like?"
"Well, she's a little moody, likes the dark, and is a good mechanic."
Raven inhaled sharply. "This friend, what's her name?"
"Umm... Roth. Rachel Roth."
"But you call her Raven, don't you?"
The man snapped around to look at her. It was Cyborg!
"Raven! My god, you're alive!" He rushed over to embrace her.
Smiling, she returned his embrace. "I thought I lost all of you!" she said, tears of happiness flowing down her face.
"Come on, let's go meet the others!" he said, taking her by the hand and leading her to the lounge.
The rest of the Titans loitered in the lounge, overcome by grief and the stress of last night's events. They had been asleep for a few hours before awaking for lunch. They had finished eating when Cyborg said he was going outside. The others remained, uncaring about anything else. There was no conversation; they merely held each other's hands.
Terra was the first to notice Cyborg's return.
"Hey, looks like Cyborg found a friend." she said to Beast Boy.
.He looked as well. "Is that who I think it is?" he said, his voice shaking. The two arrived.
"Hi guys, miss me?" said Raven. Now Starfire and Robin noticed them as well.
"Raven!" they exclaimed, standing up to embrace her.
"I thought we lost you, girl!" Robin said.
"You are back with us, friend!" Starfire said, squeezing the breath out of the mystic.
Terra and Beast Boy said nothing; they cried tears of happiness.
"Everything's all right." Raven muttered. "Everything's okay."
They Titans remained in the lounge, sharing their accounts of what happened while they were separated in the darkness and later on the ship. Raven's tale of her plan brought tears to her friend's eyes.
"Good thing I found you when I did!" Cyborg said.
"Yeah." Terra added. "Otherwise, instead of living out nine decades, you would've only had nine hours."
"That reminds me." Beast Boy said. "What will we all do now that we're apparently stuck here?"
Raven sighed. "Well, all I can think of is that we stay out of history's way."
Robin nodded. "She's right. We can't risk trying to change history."
Cyborg thought for a moment. "So, what does future history have in store for us?" he asked.
"I know that World War One is a few years away." Terra said.
"Yeah, and then the Roaring Twenties." Robin added. "And then comes the stock market crash and the Great Depression."
Starfire was confused. "What is this Great Depression?" she asked.
"It was when nearly everyone was very poor." Raven explained. "I'm not sure I understand it myself, since I'm not into economics, but I think businesses lost a lot of money and couldn't pay people. So, they were out of work."
Starfire thought for a moment. "I think I understand. What happens next?"
"World War Two." Robin said. "First, the Nazis rise to power and start invading Europe. Then, Japan bombs Pearl Harbor and plunges the United States into war."
Cyborg nodded. "After that ends, the Korean War isn't far ahead. Then Vietnam, the moon missions, and gas shortages. And then comes everyone's favorite decade; the eighties." He sighed.
"We'll all be old by that time." Terra said. Then, she snickered. "Just think! I could see myself as a kid!"
Raven shook her head. "I wouldn't recommend it. There's too great a chance for screwing up history."
"Why not?" the geomancer said. "I could warn myself about Slade and never join him. I could tell myself to stick you guys and not worry. Heck, I could train myself to control my powers!"
"That's if we live that long." Raven said. "We'll all be over one hundred when the 21st century rolls around. And it's not too likely we'll live that long."
"I see what you're saying." Cyborg said. "There's no telling how long I can keep charging my power cell. If it burns out, then that's the end of me, unless I live life hooked up to a generator."
Starfire gasped. "Like you did in the future I saw!" She started to cry. "What if as time goes on, the Rekmus comes about?"
Robin held her shoulder. "It won't, Star. We're all going to stick together in this." She nodded, wiping her tears away.
"I think we need some air." Raven said, getting up. "Come on, let's go aft. It's nicer there."
The Titans followed her.
They went to the fantail, observing the setting sun. A group of dolphins played in and out of the ship's frothy wake.
"How lovely!" Starfire said, forgetting her sorrow earlier. They stared at the ocean; it was dark, bluish black on either side of the sun's golden reflection.
They had admired the spectacle for almost half an hour, enjoying each other's company and bits of conversation.
"Let's go." said Raven. "It's about dinner time." She took Cyborg with her.
The other Titans began to leave. Terra took one last glance before departing, when she noticed something.
"Wait!" she said. She stared at the water. A grayish fog seemed to be approaching.
"That's weird." she said. "It was perfectly clear a moment ago."
Raven stared at it. "Guys, it looks like we may be returning home after all!" she said, fear and joy intermixed in her voice. They returned to the railing.
In the approaching fog, they saw a glowing, swirling blue vortex.
"Do we have to go through this again?" Beast Boy complained.
"If you want to eat tofu again, you will!" Cyborg said.
"Oh!" the changeling said, laughing weakly.
Terra watched the vortex with increasing apprehension.
"Guys, I'm not going." She stepped back.
"What?" Robin said. "Why?"
"I've done too many horrible things to you guys." she said. "No matter how much good I do for you, the nightmares of my past will always haunt me. Someday, it could drive me insane, and I could attack again. Please, just let me go and forget about me."
"No!" Beast Boy yelled. "I love you too damn much to loose you again, Terra! If you don't go, I don't go!"
"And if Beast Boy doesn't go, neither do I!" Cyborg said.
"And since someone has to watch out for Cyborg," said Raven. "I'm staying with him!"
"And I will not let my friends be abandoned!" Starfire exclaimed.
Robin held her hand. "And I will not loose my team!"
The Titans stared at the geomancer. Tears came to her eyes.
"You guys are serious, aren't you?" she said.
"Terra, I trust you now, okay?" Raven told her. "I forgave you! Besides, you helped us! You helped save lives when we were on the Titanic! You were as brave as all of us! Please!"
She held her hand out to her. "Please stay with us!"
Terra glared at the Titans for a moment. Tears flooding her eyes, she finally took Raven's hand and hugged her.
"I love you, sister!" she said. Raven smiled weakly and hugged her back.
"Um, what about me?" Beast Boy said, smiling.
Terra embraced him just as the vortex enveloped the Carpathia's stern. After it passed, the young heroes were gone. No one else had noticed it, for they were not meant to. The Titans role in the past had been fulfilled.