Her vision blurred for a minor second, and her eye lid twitched with anger as Raven stormed out of the house, on the verge of screaming bloody murder. So much thought, so much regret was swimming through her mind, her heart a black hole, completely empty.

"How could I have been so stupid!" Raven whispered hoarsely, trying to wipe another river of tears away, "so oblivious to what was going to happen. And…Rhiannon…Rhiannon!" Raven's heart stopped once again, gasping for breath she tried to collect her thoughts, her emotions. She needed to find her daughter.

-xXx

Rhiannon slipped out of bed, earlier than she suspected after a tantalizing ride here. Fresh clothes in hand, she headed for the bathroom for a warm shower.

Morning seemed to come slowly, as if avoiding the new day. A chill in the wind made early risers shiver as they boarded subways, buses, and trains to their destinations. The city was alive, always. As long as people were there, minding their business, the excitement would never die.

Her hair wrapped tightly in the towel, she put her clothes on and exited the steamy bathroom. Heather's sleepy face greeted her.

"How do you get up so early?" Heather asked, a whine in her voice.

"I'm excited, that's all. If it was a normal day, I would still be sleeping," Rhiannon smiled.

"Good, I was worried for a moment," Heather stated as she went into the bathroom. Rhiannon dropped herself on the bed and with the remote control turned on the television. The screen flashed to the news channel. And as always, the top stories were always about the infamous Titans.

-xXx

"She's not anywhere!" Raven screamed, out of breath from crying, "no where to be found! No traces, no nothing!" Starfire turned around and saw her friend fall to the ground, weak.

"Raven! Friend Raven, what is the matter?" Starfire said, running over, trying to sooth her.

"Rhiannon, she was taken from the house two days ago. I looked for her everywhere within the city limits, and she's gone…." Starfire looked in horror, and ran to the main computer to signal the other three teens in.

"What's the…Raven?" Beast Boy asked. She looked up with red eyes, and a frown, "what happened?"

"Rhiannon, someone took Rhiannon. And Slade…Slade…," Raven said going silent.

"What did he do to you?" Beast Boy asked, slightly jumpy.

"He did nothing to me, he just accused me."

"What did he accuse you of?" Cyborg asked.

"Taking Rhiannon away. He blamed me. How could he think that?" Raven asked, confused.

"Well, you better rest, we will--" Beast Boy said, getting up, extending his arm to help her stand.

"You guys were right all along," Raven said getting up, "I shouldn't have gone back, I was just wrong! When will things be right!"

"Raven calm down you are angering yourself again," Robin said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't touch me," she spat, turning around to face him. Raven walked away toward her room, and saw the broken glass restored, and the room clean. It was the way she saw it before all this started, before she betrayed her friends and managed to lose everything. She leaned against a wall of her room, and let her back slide down it. Anger swelled again, ready to be released. Her fist landed in the wall, cracks in the plaster were vivid, and it felt good. Feeling invincible, she raged around her room, tearing the books she once loved apart, knocking over bookshelves, ripping the sheets off her bed, and setting them aflame with one of many candles. She was in power, in control. Adrenaline coursed through her veins on high, giving her a sense of immortality. How could she let him take control of her life, and her being? This was the moment she decided that her soul was to be renewed and reborn, ridding herself of the past, making a better present. Raven turned around to the growing flame, the reflection in her eyes.

'Let it burn, let the hate drip away. Remember him no more, this is your turn to shine, and let the past decay,' her thoughts told her. The smoke detector in her room started to beep, and a shower of water poured down, dousing the fire. The water soaked her greasy hair, and the robe that still held tight to her body. She closed her eyes and thought this symbolic, the water washing away her former self and sins, a nonofficial baptism.

-xXx

Rhiannon constantly had her head tilting back at an angle, looking up at the buildings.

"Yup, you are so not a tourist," Heather commented.

"What? But I am," Rhiannon said, making eye contact with her friend.

"Don't play dumb with me. Tourists constantly look up, and you my friend, are doing just that."

"Oh, right," Rhiannon said, blushing, rubbing the back of her neck with her right hand. Someone caught her eye, and she turned inward toward an alleyway, and a man with a trench coat, tan to be exact, and sunglasses seeming to be staring at her. He looked older by his hair color, but by looking at his strong chin confused Rhiannon on how to age him. After she passed the alleyway, she ignored his existence.

-xXx

The bang of the door echoed throughout the house, and Slade stood, showering in shock. He had chased her off, watching his focus of his passion take flight. He blamed her, how stupid; or was it?

"Did I convince myself that she was responsible? Do I really believe it?" he whispered to himself, no one to answer his question, but himself. His middle finger and thumb rubbed the temples of his head, as if thinking was now a burden.

'If you really care about what you just did, you would be running after her, and you're not. You are standing in the same position she left you in. I think that answers your question,' his conscious answered.

"After all that we've been through, all that we've worked so hard for…."

'It all amounted to--'

"Nothing. God damn it, nothing! How the hell did this happen, again?" Angered by his own doing, rage filled his heart, and slithered through every vein. Resentment filled his mind as he walked steamed to the bathroom linked to his bedroom, their bedroom. He once again looked into the mirror, disappointment gleaming on his face. Slade suddenly couldn't comprehend all that happened in the past year, as if he wanted to stop thinking about her. But he knew he couldn't, there was just to much to let go of. He turned the cold water on with a forceful hand, and let it splash around in the sink.

'Well at least you know not to punch your fist into glass, and not have Raven here to heal it,' his conscious joked. But Slade didn't find the comment the least bit comical. He was in regret, drowning in his pain. He closed his eye tightly, his facial expression showing deep sorrow as if tears were going to come, but they never did. Instead, he shut the water off roughly, and walked down the stairs to the room with the multiple computer and television screens. There he found the mask he swore to never wear again.

"My path has been chosen, and I am yet still eager to stray. Let my pain be my strength," Slade said, latching the black and gold mask back onto his one eyed face. The metal felt cool against his warm face, and shuttered at the feeling.

'To old times and new horizons?' his conscious toasted.

"No, for Raven…for Rhiannon," Slade said aloud.

'Raven? She's the--'

"My wife, and I love her dearly. Until death do us part, this is all for her and our daughter."

'Now that doesn't sound villainous at all! This was for old times!'

"Times have changed and so have I, but nothing, nor anyone, change the core of my soul," Slade smiled underneath his mask, surely becoming what he once vowed to never go back to.

-xXx

"He's cute," Heather said pointing to a brown hair brown eyed man, aging in his late twenties.

"He could be twice your age," Rhiannon pointed out, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"He's still cute," Heather argued.

"Girls, stop pointing at people through the glass, it's not very nice," Heather's mother said, giving the paid check to the waitress, thanking her.

"So, where are we going?" Rhiannon asked in pure excitement.

"A fairly new shopping area. It's got a lot of great stores," Heather said, her face beaming.

"I didn't bring much money," Rhiannon sighed.

"Oh, don't worry about it, sweetie. If there is anything you want just tell us, and we will lend you some. Money is never an issue in this household," Heather's mother gently said.

"You're like a sister to Heather anyways, Rhiannon. Don't worry," Heather's father reassured.

"I'm more of a wanderer anyways. But thanks," Rhiannon cheerfully said, leaving the store heading for the once abandoned warehouse area.

-xXx

'Perfect,' the man in the tan trench coat said, swiveling the chair back towards the counter to take another sip of the extra strong coffee. He pulled some cash out of the right pocket and slapped it on the counter.

"Keep the change," he said, getting off the chair heading for the exit door of the café that Rhiannon walked out only a minute ago. The man behind the counter found the twenty dollar bill and his jaw slightly hung open.

-xXx

"Booya! Boy this never gets old!" Cyborg chanted.

"You never seem to get older," Raven joked, her voice monotone

"Well I have changed what I go by, since we changed the name," the suggested former Beast Boy stated.

"Yes, Changeling, you have, but your personality still lacks the aging process at times," Starfire pointed out, "I'm sure Nightwing agrees with me."

"I do, but we can still have fun," Nightwing, the former Robin, smiled.

"Ready for another round of ass kicking on Game Station 3?" Cyborg asked, placing his hands on the controller.

"Ass kicking no more, Cyborg. The Changeling will fulfill what Beast Boy lacked to do!" Changeling stated.

"Right," Raven stated sarcastically.

The Titans had grown up, all in their thirties, and they stuck together. Robin had become Nightwing, a tall dark and handsome more experienced crime fighter. He being able to fight off any villain, and outsmart them for that matter. Starfire grown more intelligent of the world around her, but at times her ignorance to life on Earth does appear, and her husband, none other than Nightwing, helps her to understand better. Beast Boy had grown up in structure and personality. He acted more mature, and responsible. Though, he still eats his beloved tofu and cheese pizza. Cyborg continued to make upgrades on his mechanical structure as the years went by. He still remains his cheerful, optimistic self. And Raven had found her place within the tower again, and happily lived among her companions. She also had time to rendezvous with Changeling, who she learned to love. Raven found a true companion in him, and admired him. Although when she least expected it, a horrid nightmare, or a memory of Slade would appear. Thoughts of Rhiannon do reoccur, and sometimes tears will come back, but crying happens less and less. Her love for her child would never disappear.

"Yes!" Changeling yelled, happy that he had passed his long time foe in this racing game.

"Not for long, buddy!" Cyborg chanted, reassuring himself he was still going to come out of this undefeated. Flashing red lights filled Titans Tower, and the area of endangerment flared on the screen.

"Damn it! And I right when I was winning!" Changeling yelled.

"It's the mall complex and--"

"Finally," Raven maniacally grinned.

"You sure you--" Nightwing tried to say.

"I've been waiting for this day for sixteen years. The day to finally defeat Slade," Raven said, floating to leave the tower, a smirk on her pale face.

"Well, Titans go!" Nightwing yelled running for the door.

-xXx

In mask and uniform Slade activated much of his robotic army. They were the same ones that he used seventeen years ago to finish the teens. Even though they were considered outdated, it would be enough time to figure out her identity, to figure out if she was the Rhiannon that he had lost sixteen years ago. He targeted them for the mall complex, just to stir up some trouble, and to have enough time to watch the aged Teen Titans' tactics.

-xXx

"This pair of jeans would look good with the top I have back at home," Rhiannon said, holding the pair on the front side of her body, to see if they looked good.

"Why don't you go try them on?" Heather asked.

"I couldn't. I don't want to buy them anyway," Rhiannon sighed, putting the jeans back on the rack.

"Did you hear that?" Rhiannon asked, jumping a most an inch of the ground.

"Sounded like glass breaking, didn't it?" Heather replied. The two looked at each other and then ran outside of the store and looked into the middle of the mall on the bottom floor.

"Shit, robots!" Rhiannon gasped. Alarms started to go off, and shoppers ran into the nearest store, security coming out to make sure that everyone was safely in a room.

"Wait, the design, it looks awfully familiar…," Rhiannon mused.

"Get inside that clothing store kid, we are locking the gates in a minute," a security man said, pushing Heather and Rhiannon towards the store direction. The two teens obey and got into the store. The gates started to close behind them.

"Tight security," Rhiannon joked.

"The Titans should be here--" Heather started before she saw the five figures run into the center of the mall towards the intruding robots.

-xXx

"It's been awhile since we've seen the likes of them," Nightwing remembered, lunging towards one. Beast Boy changed into a triceratops, and at full speed landed a horn straight through the chests of two unlucky mechanical soldiers. Cyborg eagerly and excitedly pulled out his sonic cannon and blasted many of the machines knocking them down. Starfire readied her star bolts and laser producing eyes at the intruders at the "mall of shopping". Easily and swiftly she remembered the notions of how to destroy the frightful looking creations. Raven used black magic on the robots and knocked them around with ease, as dolls. In the back of her mind, she was on the look out for Slade, but when her defenses were down she felt a strange sense of familiarity, perhaps family.

"Raven what are you doing!" Changeling gasped, "help us fight!"

"I am looking for someone's presence. I am working with the mission!" Raven called back, glancing in each of the stores.

-xXx

"Hey look, what is Raven doing?" Heather pointed out.

"She seems to be searching for something, maybe someone," Rhiannon noted.

The two teens followed the Titan's path, and finally realized that she was going to be passing by the store that they were locked in.

"Rhiannon, look, she's coming!" Heather said excitedly.

-xXx

Raven heard the name distinctly, as it echoed profoundly inside her head. She sped up to where she heard the name, to only be greeted by a not so friendly 'hello'. A foot landed on her right check, and Raven being totally surprised and unprepared went sprawling the other way. Once she regained her balance, and her focus was right, she saw Slade. Black magic appeared around her hands, and she shot rays of it careful not to hit anything to close to the stores. Slade dodged all of them, and found himself very close to her presence.

"This seems very familiar," he said grabbing her wrist.

"This time, it won't be so easy," she glared, taking her free hand and shoving her fist into the left side of his face. Not very surprised by her actions, he regained composure quickly, and pulled out his Bo staff.

"Perhaps your anger towards me isn't helping your battle after all. Besides, I am not here to fight you, only to look for Rhiannon," Slade said, in a stance ready to block whatever Raven threw at him.

"How do you know she's even here? And she's sixteen now, so both of us wouldn't recognize her!" Raven spat back, throwing punches and dark magic.

"You would be surprised at how much she is the perfect mix between us, darling," Slade dared to say for spite. Raven now even more angered, hyped up the battle between them. Each projectile harder for Slade to deflect. She landed another blow to his face, only now on the right side of his face, and he flew to her right, almost flying over the railing. Slade saw that the Titans were done with the small fraction of his army, and swiftly walked over to the white cloaked woman, and placed a gentle, and loving, hand on her face and whispered, "if only you knew." With that said, he exited the same way he entered, through the emergency doors.

Raven wanted to run after him and asked what he meant by that, but she was frozen by his touch. All the love that she had for him poured back into her heart.

-xXx

"Is that Slade?" Rhiannon asked, in awe.

"Yeah! And no one has seen him for sixteen years. That's a long time to just disappear," Heather pointed out.

"A very long time indeed," Rhiannon responded. The two friends watched as Slade and Raven fought, and listen as Slade leaked Rhiannon's name.

"Did he just say, my name?" Rhiannon asked, dazed.

"I believe he did," Heather responded wide-eyed.

"Maybe it's a different Rhiannon," she said nervously.

"There are many other Heathers in the world, but not so many Rhiannons I am afraid he may be talking about you," Heather mused.

"I don't even know him, let alone see him," Rhiannon tried to remember.

"Weird," Heather plainly stated.

"To "weird" for comfort to be honest," Rhiannon said, staring in thought.

-xXx

Slade sat down at his desk, and let his mind wander, and they wandered right back to thoughts of Raven. She had matured much and truly become a beautiful woman. Her flare was still alive, but her look was different, rather pure.

'Probably her way of reassuring herself of change,' Slade thought to himself.

But Slade didn't change, he still moped around thinking how things would have been different if their baby daughter wasn't taken….

I'm so tired of being here

Suppressed by all my childish fears

And if you have to leave

I wish that you would just leave

Because your presence still lingers here

And it won't leave me alone

-xXx

Raven stayed in a blank stare pretty much the rest of the day, no longer thinking of her daughter, but thinking of him. She missed his company greatly, even though she didn't admit it to herself, her heart still longed for him. No matter how much she meditated, she could not separate Slade completely from her being.

These wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just to real

There's just to much that time cannot erase

-xXx

Slade was delighted that he saw her, he truly was. He missed her gravely, and just seeing her made the hole in his black heart bigger, and deeper. He missed her company, her smile, her laugh. Just the way she moved sent him into a trans. Slade was even more excited to see the likes of their daughter. She was beautiful, a lovely young woman that he felt very proud of.

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears

When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears

And I've held your hand through all of these years

But you still have all of me

-xXx

He became land marker in her life, that just couldn't be erased. But, who would want to go back to the man who accused her of taking their child when she didn't have anything to do with the situation? No one, and that's what worried her the most, that she could not enjoy his ere company. She loved him with passion, no doubt, but she couldn't stand what he was doing.

You used to captivate me

By your resonating light

But now I'm bound by the life you left behind

Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams

Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me

-xXx

Proud of his creation he may be, he still had a plan for her. It was not meant to destroy her, or even harm her, but just to get revenge on the Titans. He wanted to test her true potential, see what she inherited and from whom. Her physical features were mostly his own, but her frame was her mother, full of curves. All the thinking of his daughter, kept on reminding Slade of the girl's mother, and it bothered him greatly. Why couldn't he get rid of the presence of her like his previous serious relationship before her?

These wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just to real

There's just to much that time cannot erase

-xXx

Slade's return time truly mystified Raven. Why there, why then? It didn't seem clear, but when did his plans ever seem clear? His memory became a burden very rapidly, and her heart became heavy, which was why the former Beast Boy came in as helper to relieve the pain. He always greeted her with a smiled, and always made her feel better.

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears

When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears

And I've held your hand through all of these years

But you still have all of me

-xXx

Both of them, for many days after their meeting, were lost in what seemed like an eternity of thought. They tried so hard to re-erase their past, wishing it never happened. Slade planning his daughters next actions, and Raven still coming to grip she may be near.

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone

And though you're still with me

I've been alone all along

My Immortal, Evanescence

A/N: Personally, I think the ending of this chapter, not the story ((no…not yet)), could have been a little better, but I hope that the song fits nicely. The rest of the story hopefully has now been kicked into high gear, and the excitement will pick up. Yes, Robin should be slaughtered for what he did, but the good guys do prevail…even when they are immensely evil. hinthint Thanks for reading, and please review!