Disclaimer: This is seriously testing my patience! Sadly I don't own the Teen Titans but don't know whether I will in the future, does anybody?

Now that's out of the way, hey guys and girls, as most of you know I haven't been online for quite a long time, there is a perfectly good reason for that, I'll only say this, it's due to family problems and also school life.

I am at the moment having an author's block with my Seductive Stranger and my other story? Don't ask! This is a one-shot I am writing, dunno whether I will turn it into a story, but hey, that's summin to look at in the future, until then: Enjoy!

Before you move on to the story here are some dedications:

Mind Shadow, Winter Bells and Komodo Dragon Phoenix

A very special dedication, for my beta and my absolute best friend who has stuck by me throughout all my problems, the one and only:

Angelus Abyssi


The Truth
for My Forgiveness

The moon cast its halo glow upon the city, currently illuminated in the navy-black colours of the night. A lone figure stood atop a building, overshadowed in the cloak of the darkness making him invisible to be seen. His stance could only be described as calm and casual, but no one could be the judge of whether the figure posed as a threat or not. His gaze was trained on a tower in the form of a 'T'; the building stood grand upon a small island surrounded by water that was serene under the moon's twilight gaze. The T-tower, as it was named, was the home of the superheroes who resided in the city known as Jump City.

The superhero team was once known as Teen Titans, but it had been a quite a few years since they were teenagers and were now referred to as Titans; who used their gifts to help and protect Jump City which was now their home. The figure who stood in quite a distance from the tower smirked as he took in the surroundings of the building, clearly no one could even place a foot on the land without having to past the tight security he knew surrounded the tall building.

A sudden loud sound interrupted his thoughts, he stiffened and turned to face the area from which the noise had erupted.

Turning back to glance at the tower once more, he saw five people vacate the building, obviously headed towards the direction of the disturbance; frowning, he jumped off the building in a swan dive. Before his body connected with the pavement he shot his grappling hook into the sky and swung his body in an upward motion, his feet connecting with the wall of a building, and he pushed backwards performing a series of somersaults before landing on his dark coloured motorbike. Revving it up, he sped off in the same direction as the Titans.

Scene Change…

A car with the mixture of the colours blue and white, swerved to a stop. The five titans occupying the car filed out and moved into their stance in front of a rough looking guy who was known in the city as Johnny Rancid. Apparently he was the cause of the disturbance late at night.

"Dude, you messed with the wrong people! You better have a good reason for waking us up in the middle of the night because I'm seriously going to kick your butt!" came the statement from Changeling, known because of his ability to change into different kinds of animals, although all were green because of his skin colour.

"What he said," backing up Changeling's statement was a woman known as Terra, a geomancer who had the ability to control the earth.

Cyborg, the half human and half robot of the group stepped up, "Well, then what are we waiting for? Titans go!" he commanded.

Terra took off on a rock, eyes glowing bright yellow she lifted her hands that were also circled in yellow light. Using her powers she levitated some rocks above her head, aiming at Rancid, and threw them with force. Rancid, seeing the attack coming jumped out of the way and onto his bike that represented his bad boy exterior, laughing at the Titans as he sped off, in the process annoying the rest of the team.

Changeling took the form of a cheetah and raced after him whilst Terra climbed back into Cyborg's car, and both rushed off after the speed maniac on the motorcycle. Starfire, an alien princess of Tamaran, flew up in the air and zoomed off in the same direction, Raven, a half-demon sorceress also doing the following after her team mates.

The figure who had arrived just before the Titans on his bike smirked underneath his helmet, still consumed by the shadows.

'Hmm… I see not much has changed,' he thought as he surveyed the scene that took place before him, 'So Terra has returned. Interesting.'

Smirking to himself he started his bike once again and drove off after the titans.

Scene Change…

"What's the matter Titans? Can't catch me?" taunted Rancid.

As her eyes and hands were enveloped in bright green bolts, Starfire shot at him bolt after bolt, whilst he dodged them all apart from one or two that grazed his arms. Hissing in anger he boosted off avoiding cars and sometimes jumped over them. Changeling, getting frustrated after chasing him, changed into a bird and flew up to him, flying around his head and pecking him with his beak in order to throw Johnny Rancid off the road. Rancid took out a gadget from his belt and, aiming at Changeling, he shocked him with an electric bolt causing him to fall off balance and crashing into the ground. Starfire zoomed to her friend and lifted him off before he could be run over.

"That does it!" Raven voiced in a threatening tone, stopping in mid-flight as her eyes turned white and her hands encased in black aura outlined with whiteness. She lifted into the air and raised her hands above her; but before she could lash out with her powers, a man on a black motorcycle highlighted with glowing blue jumped in the way and raced after the thug, causing the titans to become baffled and take off after him and Rancid.

They looked on at the man dressed in black, since he had his back to them, as he came into alignment with Rancid and pushed him off his track and over the sidelines of the bridge. Jumping off after him, he circled Rancid once before coming to a stop in front of the guy.

Raven, Starfire and Changeling landed on their feet whilst Cyborg, with Terra, came to a stop in the car before climbing out to watch the scene before them.

Scene Change…

Angered by the man who stood in front of him, with his side facing him, Johnny Rancid demanded, "Who are you? Another hero wannabe?"

The titans watched as the scene unfolds before them waiting to see what happens curious as to whom the man in the navy-black costume was. The figure turned to the left in doing so he drew a few shocked gasps from the on looking figures.

"Robin!" came the shocked question from Starfire.

"Nightwing actually," he replied dryly. Turning his face back to the villain standing in front of him, he drawled out, "You don't belong in these streets; where you belong is behind steel doors- in other words, jail." Nightwing smirked as he saw the rage consuming the thug's face before he ran to him lashing out with his fists.

Nightwing flipped backwards, his body straightening in the air as his feet made contact with the ground. Rancid ran forward once again, sending a series of punches which Nightwing dodged with ease, and in return he grabbed the oncoming fist, twisted it behind Rancid's back and kicked behind his knees, sending Rancid to the floor on his knees.

Rancid groaned in pain with the blow to his knees, unable to get up to fight back, his posture admitting defeat. Nightwing grabbed a pair of handcuffs and cuffed Rancid to a post.

The titans raced up to him before he could leave. On his way to the bike he saw them coming from the corner of his eyes, he stopped and turned to them after they had caught up. Scanning the four faces in front of him, he calculated that one person was missing. His face was partially hidden behind a leather black mask, apart from his eyes which were concealed in white film the shape of a bird and coming up till the tip of his nose leaving the rest of his face uncovered; his hidden gaze traveled behind the four former friends who stood in front of him, forming a semi-circle. However there stood one person looking uninterested about his 'return'.

'Raven,' he whispered within his mind as he gazed at her.

Scene Change…

"Robin?" asked Cyborg, calling Nightwing by his former name and bringing the man back from his trance.

Looking at his old friends once more, he corrected in a tone devoid of emotion, "Nightwing."

"You've changed dude," said Changeling.

Nightwing turned to him and smirked, "So have you, Beastboy, or should I call you Changeling now?"

"Bb's fine," replied Changeling smiling sincerely at his friend.

Starfire stepped up and hugged her former best friend tightly, "Ro- Nightwing! I have missed you so very much!"

Caught off guard he returned the affection gently. Terra smiled at the show, before saying, "We all did Star." Cyborg nodded his agreement, and then turned to face his right as he noticed Raven was missing from the group.

Turning to her he lifted one eyebrow at her. Her face hidden underneath the hood of her black leather cloak, she tilted her head to look at Cyborg. Sighing softly but aggressively she silently made her way up to her team.

Nightwing saw her walking up and smirked ever so faintly. The mood became tense as the titans viewed the scene before them, their eyes traveling from Nightwing to Raven and back, the tension too thick to bear.

Raven tilted her head and asked in a cold monotone, "So are we just going to stand here?" turning to Nightwing she said, "You can either decide whether you are going to come back to the tower or back on your way, and your decision better be right for your own safety."

The rest of the group turned to look at their friend waiting for his decision.

In response, Nightwing turned from them and mounted his bike, before wearing his helmet he faced the group, smirking cockily he said, "So whose leading?"

Scene Change…

"Before anyone asks Nightwing anything, I think we should all rest and tomorrow we can get all the information we want," exclaimed Cyborg.

"I agree with him let's get some sleep, I'm too tired to ask anything," voiced Changeling and wished them all goodnight before making his way out of the living room, his girlfriend Terra followed suit.

"I too require my sleep, goodnight dear friends," wished Starfire, now left in the room were Cyborg, Raven and Nightwing.

"Your room is still how you left it; we've kept it clean for you so there isn't any need for you to sleep in a spare room. Now I need to recharge so I'll see you two tomorrow, night," came the tired explanation from Cyborg.

Nightwing responded with a nod and Raven whispered a small, "Night."

Sitting on the sofa alone in the room, both stared at each other, well in Raven's case, glared. Nightwing's lip twitched at the corner in attempt of a smirk, he succeeded in covering it up. Raven was getting annoyed with just glaring at him, and she was itching to punch him but knew it wouldn't get her anywhere if she was angry and he was calm; he would have the upper hand in the fight. So in order to calm herself, she got up from her place on the sofa and made her way to the door leading out of the living room. Before she could step out the door, Nightwing questioned calmly, "No wishing me goodnight, Raven?"

"Humph," she huffed, "Let me see, do you deserve a goodnight wish from me?"

Turning her head to the side slightly, she smirked as she answered her own question, "No!"

Stepping out the door, she made her way up to her room as the door closed behind her, leaving the hero alone with his thoughts.

Nightwing sighed, "She's still mad at me."

Scene Change…

Raven tossed and turned in her bed, glancing at the clock which showed it was three in the morning. She let out a huff; apparently she wasn't going to get any sleep at this rate. Her mind was focused on one thing only… Nightwing.

"Argh! Why did he have to return?" she asked out loud, a growl rising from her throat. Knowing she wasn't going to get any sleep, she tossed her sheets to the side, changing her night clothes to training clothes she slipped out of her room as quietly as possible and made her way to the training room.

Nightwing knew he wouldn't be able to sleep, so he made his way to his bag and slipped into a black wife beater that hugged his torso- showing off his abs and muscles, which were left uncovered- and black track pants. He left his room and made his way down to the training room which he had a feeling would be exactly where it was when he last saw it.

Scene Change…

Raven walked up to the door of the training room; placing a hand on the door handle she twisted it and opened the door, stopping dead at the sight that greeted her. There was Nightwing working out.

Delivering a spinning kick to the punching bag, he stopped suddenly, his posture becoming tense at the feel of another presence in the room. Turning around to see the cause of his disruption, he stood still seeing Raven clad in her white training crop top and black work out pants with two white stripes going down either side of her leg and a black track top knotted around her waist. He barely hid his trademark smirk as he saw how her clothes hugged her figure bringing out her dangerous curves, making her seem irresistible to any man who was to see her now.

"Raven," he greeted shortly.

"Nightwing," she replied with the same emotionless tone.

"I see you couldn't sleep. Thinking of me?" he teased and the corner of his lips lifted in satisfaction at the frown that ceased her lips and brows.

"Don't get full of yourself, Nightwing!" she retorted her voice filled with rage.

He chuckled lightly, "Looks like I struck a nerve."

Noticing that he was purposely trying to rile her up, her posture became calm and she answered with a question, "Why did you come back, Robin? Did Slade return so you chased after him here?"

His head snapped to her, "Raven, I told you on the day before I left that Slade is a threat to the people and I have to take care of him."

"You were trying to sneak out, Nightwing, without even informing your friends; is that what you call a friend?" she demanded.

Suddenly feeling angry at her accusation he shouted, "I did not want to get you guys involved because I didn't want you to suffer!"

"Well we still did suffer, didn't we? You ran off because of your stupid obsession and you didn't even think about how we, your friends, would feel!"

"I did not have an obsession with Slade!" he yelled.

"Clipping newspapers to the wall, researching, and collecting Slade's belongings wherever you found them, running after him wherever he went, isn't called an obsession," she remarked sarcastically.

Nightwing getting annoyed with her responses, said, "If you wanted a fight Raven, you should have just asked because right now I don't want to do anything but kick some sense into you!"

Raven tilted her head slightly, smirking she replied, "Bring it on Nightwing, but I'll warn you, I'm not the one to hold back so give me all you got!"

His lips curled up in an evil smirk and the conversation ended in one word, "Gladly."

Both began to circle each other, their expression dark and hard, Raven's eyes locked with those behind the mask. Then without any warning Nightwing struck first with two roundhouse kicks which Raven avoided barely and retaliated with a hook kick, bending her left leg she brought her right leg up horizontally in a side kick motion in attempt to hit him on the side of his ribs. Grabbing the leg with his left hand Nightwing kicked the leg on which Raven was balancing on, her back making contact with the padded floor of the room. Not showing any signs of being hurt she threw her legs up, pushing off her hands and stood up into a stance.

Pushing back on her right leg whilst her left leg was stretched out in front of her, her right arm bent and left straight, her first two fingers and thumb opened, palm facing outwards, she turned her left hand beckoned Nightwing forward with her fingers.

Nightwing smirked at the action and fell into a stance of his own. Both waited for an attack, but the first assault came from Raven; she sent punches after punches towards Nightwing who dodged them whilst backing up towards a wall, caught slightly off guard with Raven's speed. Nearing the wall, he ducked under a punch coming up behind Raven; he caught her arm twisting it behind her back and grinned as she hissed quietly in pain.

To free her from his grasp, she kicked him making contact behind his right knee causing him to lighten his hold on her arm, and she used that to her advantage. Twisting herself around, she flipped him over her arm causing his back to make contact with the floor.

Creating a distance between them both she watched as he got back into his stance and without waiting lashed out at her with a 540 triple kick, his right leg sent outward in a crescent kick executed by the left leg, and right at the jump he sent 3 kicks in the same spinning jump. Clearly not expecting such a move she dodged by teleporting behind him. Her hands became enveloped in black with white outline she used her telekinesis and flung projectiles at Nightwing who took out his bow staff, elongating it; he deflected back each of the projectiles aimed at him, causing Raven to create a wall to stop them from making contact with her body.

He didn't seem to be breaking a sweat, but Raven was showing a little sign of faint tiredness.

Raven became frustrated at the lack of making him sweat and kicked with her right leg, which Nightwing grabbed in mid-air. In retaliation she put her strength in her left leg kicking it upwards in an aerial kick that made contact with Nightwing's face and caused him to lose balance and hiss out in pain

Surprised by what had happened, Nightwing ran forward causing Raven to do a back flip landing on one hand she pushed herself up in a standing position only to counter punches, which she kept blocking all the while moving backwards. Nightwing ducked to the floor, and leaning on his left arm and leg he swung his right leg out in a clockwise motion causing Raven to lose momentum and fall to the ground; groaning as her back made contact to the floor.

Leaping to her feet and before she could register what happened she found herself trapped between the wall of the room and Nightwing, who had his razor-sharp birdarang at her throat. He gave his trademark smirk, knowing he had won the fight. He leaned in closer to Raven's face, lavender scent from her body engulfing his senses; he whispered patronizingly, "If we were enemies, you'd be dead…" Contracting his birdarang from her throat he placed it back in his belt and stepped backwards to give Raven some space.

In shock of what had occurred recently she let out a slight sigh. She had thought he was going to kiss her; her mind had gone blank when he brought his face close to hers. She blinked and pushed off the wall, waiting for her companion to say something.

Nightwing looked at Raven, "I see you've been training, where'd you learn those moves?" he inquired.

"I have my sources, and five years is a long time to learn new things," she answered.

"Yeah, five years is a very long time," he stated.

After a couple of seconds of uncomfortable silence, Nightwing spoke up, "I'm sorry Raven, and I know I shouldn't have left, but I did have a good reason to leave." Before Raven could say anything he continued, "I know I hurt you all in a way, but please try to understand my reasons for leaving you all."

His gaze traveled to look into her eyes. Raven sighed and turned her head down.

After a while she looked up into his masked eyes and said, "Even though I don't agree with what you did and I still don't fully forgive you, I do know your reason for leaving- you told me so- but what I am saying is that you kept yourself so occupied with Slade that you became obsessed with hunting him down and defeating him. You've changed, Robin or Nightwing or whatever you call yourself." Raven tilted her head to the right and asked, "Why did you return Nightwing?"

Nightwing looked at her, and smiled sincerely, replying, "Honestly, I missed you all; five years is a very long time, like you said."

Her lips tilted at the corners as she looked at Nightwing, "Indeed."

Mischief igniting within her amethyst coloured eyes, she turned to him with a sly smile, "Missed us, huh?"

Feeling very slightly uncomfortable by the look in Raven's eyes, he answered with a question, "What's that suppose to mean? You don't believe me?"

Raven laughed lightly, causing him to stop at the tinkering sound that escaped her lip, and watched as she shook her head side to side, making her purple coloured hair- which now reached her shoulders- frame her heart-shape face creating a picture of unearthly beauty which captured him. He smiled as her laughter eased away the tension that had been in the room.

"No not at all, I believe you," she spoke gently, "Good night Nightwing, I'll see you tomorrow, and you still have to explain your story to the rest."

Chuckling, he nodded his agreement, "Night Raven."

He watched as she made her way to the door, then stopped after opening it and turned around to face him. Lifting an eyebrow in silent question which seemed to ask, 'What is it?' he was surprised, to say the least, when she came up to him and hugged him gently, whispering softly in his ear, "Welcome back."

Nightwing slipped his arms around her slim waist returning her affection, and then became hesitant to let her go as she slipped out of his hold.

Just as she put one foot outside the door he teased, "No goodnight kiss Raven?"

Her eyes became void of emotion, turning from shock to confusion before settling down to laughter, she turned her body slightly to the right, before replying, "Don't get your hopes high, Boy Blunder. I have only just forgiven you after learning of the truth why you left, and now you are playing with fire."

With that she left the room, closing the door softly behind her, leaving Nightwing smirking in satisfaction.

"Playing with fire…hmm…" he voiced to the empty room.


Well that's about it, I hope you've enjoyed it; I really had to work on it again because it was deleted before since I had a virus on my computer. Before I go, I promise I'll work on my other story, but please be patient I am having some problems and if I haven't reviewed any of your stories, it's because I haven't had time and my hotmail is filled with unread stories, I will get to them in time… thanks for your patience and please leave a review!

Tecna ;)