An eerie silence had fallen over Jump City as day became night, and the once bright sky had darkened into an amalgam of black and midnight blue. The stars were absent on this night, leaving only the pale moon for lumination.

The streets were empty, leaving only the quiet whisper of the wind.

It was as if time itself had stopped all over the city.

BOOOM!

The earth-shaking explosion broke the silence as a bright fireball erupted on the far edge of a lonely construction site, tossing chunks of blackened yellow metal everywhere. The pungent smell of oil spread, noticeable for miles.

The lone Titan known as Raven panted heavily, cold sweat drenching her face. She had narrowly missed the small bulldozer that Superboy had thrown at her. The black shield that had protected her from the blast vanished, leaving her exposed.

The flames of the explosion had cast a bright orange light over the work site, and the shape of a muscular boy in blue and red picking up another piece of equipment caught the gothic girl's attention.

With a heavy grunt he lifted a large bulldozer over his shoulders, and hurled the massive construction vehicle straight at her.

Pale fingers thrusted out, dark energy playing against her palms.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

As the very last word escaped her lips, the dozer came to a complete stop, floating in midair as if a divine hand had simply caught it. Soul-self energy began to wrap itself around the yellow vehicle, as Raven prepared to use it against The Boy of Steel.

Immediately, the teen's eyes lit up with the fires of his heat vision and let loose a twin volley of deadly red energy. The blast hit its mark, connecting with the gas tank of the bulldozer.

Another deafening explosion rocked the site. The force of the boom sent the dark girl flying into the air as her dark powers crumbled, unable to contain the blast.

She landed in the dirt several yards away, her once immaculate pale legs scuffed and bleeding from the deceptively sharp sand below her.

Raven somehow managed to pick herself up, her eyes going in and out of focus with each labored breath.

The blue flames of Nightstar's spinning staff fell into Raven's vision from the left, and the girl quick stepped back to dodge the hot weapon. The Titan bent back just in time to dodge a horizontal sweep of the bo, the flames licking at the still sore claw marks on her stomach.

A yelp of pain rang out, Raven raising a black hand to protect her weak midsection. The masked teen swatted her shaky hand to the side, singing a thin arm in the process, and with a quick spin drove the flaming tip of her staff into the red-marked gut of Raven.

It took all of the normally calm Titan's training and will to keep from crying out in agony as she clutched her tender stomach. Her violet eyes were shut tight, and she hissed through clenched teeth at the piercing hot pain that shot through her.

The strike did bring her numbing senses back to a state of alertness however, the survival aspect of her human and demon selves kicking in.

The hum of Sentinel's wrist-blades and the near silent footfalls of his boots hit her ears long before he came from the right. She was ready for him.

She blocked the high strike he was about to bring down on her head with a burst of soul-self, and deftly twirled out of the way when he thrust his second blade towards her chest, coming to rest behind him.

He bent low, cocked a knee towards his chest, and fired a blisteringly quick back kick. Raven backed off, just out of range of his metal boot. The tall boy raised himself, swinging his leg up and forward to break into a high back flip. The vaulting somersault sent him over Raven's head, and into a low crouch behind her.

The dark girl did not anticipate this and it cost her as Sentinel swept low with a long leg, knocking the girl off of her feet. In a burst of speed that seemed to defy physics, the silver-eyed teen shot up on two feet and sent out a wide swinging kick to Raven's stomach before she hit the ground, flinging her into an incomplete wall. The cement wall caved in as she slammed into the still brittle structure.

Raven found herself knee deep in a pile of rubble and chalky dust. The smoky thick air scratched her lungs, sending the Titan into a coughing fit.

Blood leaked through thin fingers as she coughed into a small hand.

As the fit subsided, the girl saw her bloody palm, mouth suspended in a look of horror.

A mighty unseen force shoved Raven out of her trance, and off the ground. Below, she saw Geoforce, with an outstretched hand bathed in yellow. His gloved fingers jerked to the right, sending Raven into one of the many beams that reinforced the incomplete building. She did however, manage to steer herself so that the beam only struck her on the left side.

PANG! KER-CRACK!

Raven could feel her ribs give beneath the impact, and her arm went completely numb as she tumbled to the ground once more. She wheezed, her breathing coming in short gasps, her throat constricting to force more air into her injured lungs. More blood leaked out from the sides of her lips, each cough feeling like shards of glass in her windpipe.

Survival...The word kept on ringing out in Raven's mind, trying to bring her back to the task at hand.

She flexed the fingers of her left arm, noting that they could still move and that her arm had not been dislocated...yet.

A black platform boot swept up in the dark girl's vision, and caught her in the chin, flinging her into the air and onto her stomach. Menagerie's green fingers pulsed with black energy, forming deadly claws, and the girl charged with both claws poised.

Raven rolled onto her back and kicked out with both feet, catching the elfish girl in the chest. Menagerie jerked back in shock from the double-kick, brushing dust off of the purple front of her dress.

A dark throaty laugh brought her attention to a still prone Raven.

"If you mean to kill me...Than you had better finish me now, Insect. This game is over!", the dark voice of Trigon replaced the monotone of Raven's voice, echoing in the construction site.

The five future Titans all shared a look of intense fear, the creeping dread of a nightmare realized.

"Oh crap...", Superboy whispered.

Nightstar charged a starbolt with her freehand, "Menagerie! Quickly!"

The green-skinned girl leaped forward again, more resolute than ever as she forced more soul energy into her claws.

She gasped in fright as they were caught with an equally vicious looking pair of bird-like talons.

"...My turn!", Raven snarled, and with a bottomless surge of strength, threw the petite girl straight up into the air, and into a steel support. She let out a howl of pain as her back slammed into the metal beam and snapped with a loud crack.

"HRAAAHHH!", Sentinel's battle cry was like a lion's roar, a flurry of blue arcs coming down on the demonic Titan. His onslaught was filled with burning rage as his blades clashed with black shields.

He jammed the heel of his boot down hard, a small blade exposing itself at the toe of his shoe, and swung high with with a toe kick aimed at Raven's temple. A black shield held the kick back and shattered the blade, but not before the dreadlocked hero leaped into the air and planted a front kick straight in her face. It did little however, and Sentinel had to quickly back flip to avoid a pair of black claws bearing down on him.

He nimbly landed in a crouch, and charged again.

A thrust straight for her throat was met by a dark bird claw. The metal of the wristblade shattered under the immense power of the talon, and the blue glove went dark, popping and fizzling under the sorceress' grip. The dreadlocked Titan wasn't giving up without a fight however, arching his back to the rear and kicking upwards, catching Raven in the chin with his heel.

The girl wavered for a moment, releasing his left hand, which gave him the precious seconds he needed to drop to his knees and reach for his boot. A compartment opened up with a hiss and extended a metal cylinder to his damaged glove.

Sentinel tapped the switch on the metal hilt with his thumb, a short blade of blue light jutting out from the laser sword. No hum signaled this weapon's coming as he came back at Raven with everything he had, twisting the sword so that the tip came at Raven in a figure-eight motion, keeping her talons at bay.

A quick spin backwards was all that kept Raven's head on her shoulders as her opponent came even harder than before, as she quickly flight-hopped back to escape his sword. Even as she came to a stop, her cloak fell from her shoulders, cut to ribbons by the laser sword.

A deafening roar of energy erupted above her, as Geoforce and Superboy fired upon her with their searing energy blasts. Yellow and red mingled, and the girl could feel the waves of heat long before they actually struck. Acting fast she raised her palms skyward, creating a black shield.

It was enough to protect her from the two beams, but Raven's legs buckled as she dropped to one knee. She could feel her burst of strength leaving, and her thoughts came more clearly. The demon inside was slowly but surely leaving her consciousness, retreating back into the recesses of her mind. Her eyes shifted back and forth from red to indigo as her normal self fought for control.

The shield wavered a little as the real Raven regained control of herself, but it held firm against the energy barreling down on her.

The two teens above relented in their aerial assault and circled above, swerving inbetween the metal beams, waiting for a chance to strike. Raven wondered why they didn't just jump on her like they had been, and suddenly realized she had forgotten about one of them...

Nightstar's staff reminded Raven of her presence, smacking the sorceress across the face with Tamaranean flame. A burning red mark was left on her pale cheek as she was struck again in her already burned stomach with another thrust from girl's bo. A final swing from the flaming staff collided with Raven's face, sending her to the ground, silent and unmoving.

The two boys above landed beside her, while Sentinel began to circle around to Raven's rear, just in case.

Geoforce looked down at her, trembling a little, "Is she...?"

Nightstar held her staff firmly in a ready stance, "We can't risk the chance that she isn't."

Sentinel nodded in between panting breaths, his adrenaline still pumping from earlier, "She can heal herself if she's unconscious. We'll have to destroy her completely."

Superboy hissed through clenched teeth, "Leave that to me."

He closed in, making sure he was close enough so that his beams would finish her quickly.

"She's gonna pay for what she did to Tracy...It's time she went back to the hell she came from.", he muttered as he popped his neck, blue eyes already going crimson for another blast of heat vision.

Nightstar's eyes widened as they glanced upward, "Wait!"

The Boy of Steel turned his head in confusion, "What?"

He felt a broad shadow land in front of him, and the hot angry breath of a certain green Titan.

Superboy turned his head as slowly as he possibly could, not really wanting to see what was in front of him. His expression was blank as he was face to chest with a seven foot tall green monster that didn't look to pleased with him. It's wolf-ish features were set in a grim mask of razor teeth and blank rage-filled eyes.

"You've gotta be-!", his words were cut short with a loud choking gasp as a massive green hand wrapped around his throat, and lifted him off of the ground. A moment later he became an airborne punching bag as he was lightly tossed into the air, and promptly beaten senseless under a torrent of green fists. A final mighty punch sent Superboy into a skid, leaving a deep trench of earth behind him as he fell unconscious.

Sentinel aimed his still active glove at the back of the Beast's hulking form. His glove was about to fire off a massive sonic blast, but the glow of his remaining glove dimmed out, along with his blade.

"No..."

His suit was out of power, and that left him defenseless against the barrage of starbolts that rained down on him from above. The dark-skinned boy dove for dear life, breaking into a roll to dodge the hot green bolts that erupted in the ground around him. He quickly reversed his roll and somersaulted back to avoid a blue beam of sonic energy that came out of nowhere.

He used every muscle in his body to contort and dodge the blasts as they came, but a large green bolt slammed directly into his chest and left him reeling on the ground, smoke rising from his metal chestplate.

Before Geoforce and Nightstar could react to the scene before them, a small gray ball fell at their feet, exploding in a puff of white-gray smoke. Neither of them could see through the misty shroud, coughing at the thick smoke reached their lungs.

BAM! BIFF!

They did however, feel the impact of two metal boots striking them in the chest. They both were sent flying from the cloud of smoke and onto the ground.

Nightstar regained her senses just in time to notice the yellow tip of Robin's bird-blade barely an inch away from her throat, along with another blade aimed at Geoforce, who was still dazed. The Boy Wonder looked positively thrashed; pieces of his uniform had been torn, his face was bruised, and there were numerous burn marks on him.

The look on his face however, was a different story...He had a frighteningly calm look on his face, as if he wouldn't have minded gutting the two of them right then and there.

Neither Nightstar, nor Geoforce rose to retaliate.

Superboy was a different story however, rising to his feet with a groan.

A well placed sonic blast to the head put him unceremoniously back in his place. Cyborg would have given a resounding, "Booyah!" but his human features were twisted in a disgusted frown. He was not in a good mood. His meticulously clean armor was melted all over, and he was leaking a reddish-brown fluid in several areas on his body.

Starfire gently hovered to the ground, two green-lit hands aimed at Sentinel who had managed to sit up. He didn't question the Tamaranean's desire to blast him again as he rubbed the hole in his chestplate. Her long red hair was frayed and singed in certain places and her back felt like it was on fire from the huge burn that Geoforce's beam had given her.

Beast Boy transformed from his feral beast and back into his elf form, rushing to Raven's side. The blood around his nose had dried, and it was apparent that he had lost a fang in his fight. His black and purple uniform was ruined, marked with the cuts of Sentinel's blades. He gently cradled her head and lifted her up into a sitting position.

"Raven, can you hear me?"

She didn't respond.

"Rae?"

His green eyes went wide in disbelief, tears forming in them as he shook his head.

"No...No no no...Your not dead...Come on. Raven!"

The hot tears flowed, stinging his cheeks.

"You can't be gone..."

"Didn't say I was..."

She groaned beneath him, her bloodstained lips managing a monotone whisper.

The Titans all breathed a sigh of relief.

Beast Boy rubbed his wet eyes with a free hand and slowly helped Raven up into a sitting position. Her eyes were still a little glazed over but she was a least alive and conscious.

Silence had fallen on the construction site once more and the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. The five Titans all turned their attention to the defeated.

Robin finally spoke, the tone in his voice threatening and altogether venomous, "Talk."

Nightstar held her breath, swallowing hard in defiance.

The point of the blade came just a little closer to her slender neck.

"If she isn't stopped she'll unleash pure hell on this planet."

The blade back off just a tiny bit, but not by much, "Your about nine months too late. Try again..."

"This has nothing to do with Trigon."

Robin's mask widened and he eased back, allowing enough room for Nightstar to stand.

"How do you know about that? Nobody-."

Nightstar cut him off with a hand and reached for her belt, "History is one of the first courses a Titan must pass before being inducted.", she said, pulling out a round object.

In her hands was yellow and black communicator, emblazoned with a white "T".

Cyborg blinked, "Robin...Exactly how many of those things did you give away?"

Robin shook his head, "Apparently too many..."

Starfire pointed an accusing finger at Nightstar, "Impostors! You did not help us defeat the Brotherhood of Evil, nor have we ever seen you before! You cannot be one of our friends!"

The masked girl sighed, "Your right, we're not. We are from the future...Sent back in time to save it from her.", her unseen gaze fell on Raven.

Soon, all eyes were on the violet haired girl. She had no answer, her mouth wavering open and closed as she struggled to reply. A look of shock and disbelief on her face was plain as day.

"The prophecy was fulfilled. The Earth is supposed to be safe from him, safe from me."

"Even if something bad is going to happen, you don't have the right to do this!", Beast Boy yelled.

"It wasn't up to--"

"M'ari! She's lost too much blood!", he shouted.

Sentinel had managed to get to his feet, albeit with some difficulty. He shuffled over to a still unconscious Menagerie amidst the conversation, and was kneeling before her. He had two fingers at her neck and his silver-eyes were wide with alarm.

Nightstar rushed over to her two teammates, practically stumbling to her knees, "Status?"

"Her pulse is too rapid, she's pale, and going cold...She'll go into hypovolemic shock if this keeps up!", he placed his hands near her bleeding shoulder and applied pressure, "There's no telling what the blow to her back did either...I can't treat her here."

EEEEOOOOOO! EEEEEEOOOO!

The loud sirens of the police rang out in the distance.

Robin's mask narrowed, "She'll get treatment after the police get here."

Sentinel's eyes thinned, glaring right back at him, "She won't last that long!"

"Doesn't the Tower in this time have a hospital?", Geoforce meekly suggested.

The Boy Wonder's temper was coming to a boil, "You attacked us, and nearly tried to kill a Titan...One of my friends."

"But--!"

"One of my friends!", the shout was loud enough to drown out even the sirens.

Starfire's face held a frown of fear and sadness mingled.

Cyborg was shocked, but not surprised. He hadn't seen him like this since Slade, but the tin-man knew just how little it took to get Robin to go over the edge when he was like this, "Look man, I know your mad. We all are, but Titan's Tower is closer than the hospital."

"They started this. She'll get help when the police get here and that's final."

Sentinel seethed, clutching Menagerie's bloody shoulder, "She won't last that long."

"We can't trust you. Your out of your mind if you think we're letting you in the Tower."

"It was your fault to begin with! You sent us here! You told us to kill her!", Nightstar yelled back.

There was a long pause among the ten teenagers, as the siren's closed in.

The angel-like voice of Starfire arose, "Robin..."

It was all she needed to say. The Boy Wonder's head turned towards her, and the two held a long stare. Robin shook his head, his eyes closing beneath his mask as he tried to steady his breath. He couldn't believe himself, as his voice turned inward, "Your not like this. Stop lashing out and help her...Your acting like...-"

Robin shook his head once more, banishing the thought from his mind.

A sigh, "...Raven...Do you have enough strength to get us back?"

"I think so...", she managed to say, her throat dry and wheezing.

"Fine...But once she's stable, I want some answers."

"Agreed.", Nightstar replied.

Raven nodded, chanting to call forth her soul-self. Slowly, the ebony bird form of her dark powers arose from her small form, and swept over the nine remaining heroes, whisking them off to the Tower.

T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T

Titan's Tower

January 28, 2006

Medical Wing

T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T

A gentle rain had begun to patter against the Tower.

Raven's soul-self had managed to carry the nine back to the small island in Jump City Bay, but the energy fell as soon as they arrived, a few feet from the front door. The girl had collapsed from her exhaustion and wounds and had to be carried by Cyborg to the medical wing.

Inside the infirmary, Sentinel and Cyborg had been hard at work to resuscitate both Raven and Menagerie. The rest of the Titans were trying to make themselves comfortable in the waiting room outside.

None of them had said anything since they had arrived, and the most of them exchanged worried glances.

Geoforce squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, "Do you think they'll live?"

Robin shrugged his shoulders. He had cooled down since they had arrived, but the scowl on his face remained as he helped to bandage Starfire's burned hands, "Cyborg's always been good with injuries, and I'm sure your guy knows what he's doing."

He had at least given them the benefit of the doubt and decided not to grill them about their connections with Raven and the future. That could wait, and he felt they all needed a bit of a calm quiet after such a furiously vicious battle.

Beast Boy had been leaning against the wall, tapping his foot impatiently, "Yeah...'Just don't like standing around waiting like this..." He had done his own bandages, and his cuts were aching for a little of Raven's healing touch to ease their lingering stings.

The blond haired boy nodded sheepishly, neither of them could sit still for too long without going a little nuts.

Superboy groaned, holding an ice-pack to his forehead as he slouched in his seat, "Then sit. I have a big enough headache without you tapping your foot like that."

"And just who's fault is that?", Beast Boy remarked.

The Boy of Steel smirked, "Well I didn't beat MYSELF senseless..."

"I can dream..."

"And maybe you can e-!"

Nightstar interrupted, "Kon-el!"

"What?", Superboy eyed her incredulously.

"You know that thing you do...How you open your mouth, and it pisses people off?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't."

A few chuckles and a rather loud guffaw from Beast Boy echoed in the room. Superboy covered his head with his icepack, more out of embarrassment than anything else. Even Robin couldn't help but let a grin creep on his face. "I like her...", he thought to himself. Despite his feelings about their failed attempt on Raven's life, he had to admit that they weren't killers. His fingers gently finished wrapping Starfire's slender fingers, noting that although Tamaraneans were strong warriors, they could still be just as vulnerable as any human.

A pair of green eyes lit with gratitude broke his train of thought. For once, he was a little disappointed that she couldn't give him one of her bone crushing hugs.

Only a little...

The door to the infirmary opened with a hiss, and Cyborg emerged, a grin on his face, "We're in the clear guys. Both of them are going to be fine."

The anxious aura of the room slowly drained away as the Titans relaxed.

Beast Boy's ears perked up, "Can we see them?"

The mechanical Titan nodded, "Yeah, go right on in. Just don't squeeze her head off.", the last part he added with a wink.

The elf stuck his tongue out at Cyborg as he rushed into the bright room.

Soon, all of the Titans had filed into the room. Beast Boy and Starfire were huddled beside Raven's bed. Robin chose to stand relatively in the center of the room, his arms crossed, while Cyborg waited in front of the door.

Sentinel had remained at Menagerie's side the whole time, observing her vital signs on the monitors. Nightstar was beside him, and was glancing back and forth between a sleeping elfin girl and a slightly traumatized sorceress.

Superboy found the nearest chair and sat, refusing to give his headache a chance to creep up on him again, while Geoforce remained near a glass window, smiling as he watched the falling rain.

Robin started, "Alright...Now that everyone is comfortable, mind telling us what is going on here?"

Nightstar nodded, and raised a gloved hand to her mask. Slowly she peeled it away, revealing a pair of blinking blue-green within blue-green eyes, "We are from the year 2030 A.D., sixteen years after a huge disaster called the Cataclysm. During this year, Raven was consumed by her darker self and nearly destroyed the entire planet. Many heroes died during her reign of terror; The Justice League, The Doom Patrol, The Outsiders, Several members of the Green Lantern Corps. and countless Titans...," she shuddered a little at those last words, but Sentinel's hand on her shoulder calmed her a little bit and she continued.

"They finally managed to corner her in a huge battle. She was eventually killed, but not before she released her demonic energy upon the globe. The casualties were enormous...Roughly a third of the planet's population died outright from the intense energy. Sixty percent of the drinking water was contaminated with some unknown element that made it highly toxic, and close to seventy-percent of Earth's wildlife and fauna were wiped out. Sixteen years later, most of Earth's surface was just ash dirt. The sky itself is always a dark gray, and spectral demons attack what few cities are left."

There was a stunned silence. It wasn't exactly an easy thing to take in, especially all at once.

"I think I'm going to be sick...", Raven said as she began to hyperventilate, holding her lips with a hand to keep from throwing up on her covers. Starfire gently rubbed her back, "Just breathe." Beast Boy rushed to grab a pan for her.

A few of the Titans turned their heads as she wretched into the bowl.

"At least she's taking it well...", Sentinel grimaced as he walked over to replace the pan with a fresh one along with a bottle of water to clear the sorceress' throat. She accepted both with a weak "Thank you." and promptly gulped down the water.

Robin ran a hand through his spiked hair, trying not to let the news get to him, "That still doesn't explain why you guys are here..."

Nightstar continued, "Yeah...When the Cataclysm ended you, Robin, were the last original Titan left alive. None of the others survived. You worked hard to help Earth recover from what could be considered Apocalypse, but it didn't help very much...The planet was slowly but surely dying. It was only after the capture of a supervillain called Warp that things changed. You recovered most of his technology and managed to create a time travel portal through much experimentation. Your plan was to send a strike team back into the past and stop Raven from destroying the planet at all costs."

"Unfortunately, before the plan could be initiated, the Watchtower that held the machine was attacked by an large force. There were hundreds, possibly even thousands of them. We were called in as backup, but by the time we arrived we were the only ones left...The very last. We had no choice but to use the portal and complete the mission."

She reached into her utility belt and pulled out a small cylinder that was about the size of battery, and handed it to Robin. He examined it carefully, before hitting one of the small buttons.

"Titans...A terrible purpose lies before us. A mission of deep implications for each and every one of you. The Watchtower is under attack. The Justice League is powerless to stop this unknown enemy. cough The Tower will fall. I cannot ask you to throw away your lives to fight a losing battle. All I ask is that you do what is necessary for our future. Years ago, we were faced with a challenge. A choice. cough We had to choose between loyalty and duty, friendship or survival. We chose wrong...We failed...And it cost us everything... The future must be saved at all cost, and there is no other way to save it. You must succeed where we had failed. You must kill Raven... SLAM SLAM SLAM The coordinates are set, but you'll have to do this alone...I'm sorry."

The message paused for a few moments.

"I only hope they can forgive me."

The recording ended and the small capsule fell from Robin's grip.

"That was me.", was all he could say. The voice was much like his, only older...Harder, with a hint of bitterness in each word.

Starfire hugged herself, her eyes tight shut.

Cyborg sucked in a sharp breath of air, before summing it up, "So Robin was desperate, and sent you guys in to finish the job."

Geoforce nodded against the window, "Yeah, except something went wrong."

He raised his human eyebrow, "What happened?"

Sentinel picked up the explanations from there, "We weren't supposed to go back this far in time. Our original destination was the year 2013. Apparently the attack on the Watchtower had shorted out many of the computer systems inside, and had to be rebooted manually...That's where we found Red Robin's body."

Raven blinked, "Red Robin?"

Sentinel nodded, "Yes. He changed his persona from Nightwing after Starfire was killed."

The Boy Wonder felt a lump growing in his throat, "How?", he shifted a little so that he didn't have to face those eyes again. If he had, he might have broken down right then. His stoic mask returned a moment later.

The dark-skinned Titan took a deep breath, "During the final battle. Raven killed her."

Beast Boy shook his head furiously, "No!"

All eyes fell on him. Sentinel sighed, "She killed many that day. I know it's hard to accept, but-".

"Raven wouldn't do that! She's proven herself more times than I can remember, she's done everything she can to help people, not destroy them! She wouldn't...she...", he could feel the strain as he struggled to find the right words, "Isn't there another way...?"

None of the future Titans could answer him.

"Isn't there?"

Superboy rose up, leaving the icepack in his seat as he approached the small Titan, "Don't get pissy at us just because SHE nearly wiped out the planet! We only did what we had to do, or did you NOT hear the message?"

Geoforce inched away from the window, "Kon-el..."

"No! This needs to be said, whether you all want to hear it or not.", he pointed a finger at Beast Boy, "We didn't choose this, we were chosen. As Titans it's our duty to do what we have to for the greater good. If that means we have to eliminate your little witch girlfriend, then we'll do just that!"

The half-Kryptonian felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned just in time to see the blur of a green glove collide with his face. The punch sent him flying into a table, spilling the many bottles and equipment onto the infirmary floor. He stumbled onto the linoleum floor, bewildered as he saw a certain Boy Wonder cracking his knuckles. It wasn't the blow itself, but just the shock of how fast Robin was.

"Don't you ever threaten my team in our Tower, you got that? I'm trying VERY hard to be civil and you've been crossed the line more than once. Don't cross it again."

Superboy said nothing, rubbing his aching chin. It was the first time any 'normal' human had ever completely decked him.

"I know your frustrated, and confused. So are we. But we won't get through this if we're at each others throats. We'll have to work together to solve this..."

The masked leader approached him, and extended a hand to help him up.

Kon-el gave him an uneasy look, but took Robin's hand and got to his feet, "Sorry about shootin' my mouth off."

"Sorry I didn't hit you sooner...", Robin smirked.

Superboy managed a weak smile, but was definitely not feeling too proud of himself at the moment as he made his way back to his seat. Unfortunately he had forgotten about the icepack.

POP! Fsssssshhhhh...

The bag had burst under his weight, and cold ice water leaked out onto the seat. He leaped out of it with a loud yelp, holding his wet rear.

A moment of silence, and the room erupted into much needed laughter.

Cyborg wiped a tear away, "Wooooo!...So how are we going to handle this?"

Nightstar shrugged her shoulders, "We can't exactly go home...Not unless you guys have a spare time machine lying around."

Robin shook his head, "Either way, it's going to be a tough decision...A decision that I don't think any of us are ready to make. It's late, we've all been through hell, and quite frankly I think it would be better for us to get some sleep and come back to this in the morning."

Sentinel raised an eyebrow, "You actually trust us in your Tower?"

"Heck no. You guys aren't killers. I can tell that much just from listening to your story. However, we still can't completely trust you all yet. We do have a hold for you all to sleep in while we make our decision."

Geoforce gave a huge smile, as if the weight of the world had been lifted off of his shoulders. "So...We don't have to kill Raven?"

"No. That would be bad. We've established that already."

"Awesome...", it was as if he had completely missed the fact that he would be spending the night in the Titan's prison.

Robin grinned, "Well that's one way of putting it. I'd say we've had enough excitement for one night; Cy and I will prepare a few things for you guys. Sentinel...You'll watch over Raven and Menagerie?"

Sentinel nodded, a little unnerved by Robin's uncanny memory, but at the same time he admired him for being able to take control of a situation. It was a familiar feeling.

"Good...Let's hurry then so we can all get to bed."

Everyone was in agreement.

T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T

Geoforce let out a content sigh as he entered the cell he was sharing with Superboy. He was currently rubbing his hair dry with a towel, dressed only in a pair of black basketball shorts.

The room itself was bare, a bunk bed and two desks. It was eerily similar to a college dorm room. Beast Boy locked the steel bars shut with a loud electronic click and gave them a brief, "G'night." before heading back up to the infirmary. Geoforce waved back and then turned his attention to Superboy.

"Shweet!...A real bath! Haven't had one of those in a long time."

Superboy was laying on the very top of the bunk bead, deep in thought. He still hadn't changed out of his dirty battle-worn uniform.

"Hey Supes, you've barely said a word since Rob decked you. It couldn't have hurt that much."

Kon-el stayed silent.

"Was it the whole icepack thing?"

He turned his back to him, trying to get comfortable on the stiff mattress.

"Come on Connel, It's not like anyone hates you for being such a...Well, okay, so maybe you can be a jerk sometimes, but I don't think anyone will hold it...Well, okay Raven might...And so would Beast Boy...And Robin did kinda hit-"

"I GET it Brion. I'm just tired."

"I guess so! Man, BB mopped the floor with you!"

"BB?"

"Yeah, Beast Boy. He's pretty cool."

"My head says otherwise..."

"That's only because it's attached to your mouth."

"Ha Ha.", Superboy said, before curling up against a pillow.

"...You don't have to be afraid of Robin."

"Who said I was?"

"Well, you haven't said much since he put us down here, and he did kinda hit you."

"You don't know what your talking about."

Geoforce smirked as he plopped down on his lower bunk, "All I'm saying is you don't have to be afraid of him. Or anyone else. You could even, God forbid, be nice for a change."

"Goodnight Brion..."

"Night...", The geomancer replied, flipping the switch behind the bunk bed that cut off the lights.

The room fell into darkness.

"Seriously though Supes, take a bath, you reek."

The Boy of Steel groaned.

T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T

"No, Starfire! That's okay, I don't need anymore covers!", Nightstar pleaded as another heavy pink blanket was stacked in her arms.

"Oh but I insist! Earth prisons can be very cold, and I would not want you to become ill!", Starfire gave a sweet smile as she handed the girl another stack. The perky Tamaranean had bounced right back from the depression discussion earlier and despite her hands being wrapped up she was eager to help.

"I'm used to Earth! I don't think I'll need any more!" the dark haired Titan begged, trying to hand some of the blankets back.

Starfire nodded, deflating a little from her brief joy-ridden scavenger hunt. She had almost practically emptied her room with everything that Nightstar would need, plus a quite a few things she wouldn't. This included a multitude of stuffed animals and clothes that the Tamaranean had purchased at the mall.

Nightstar sighed, "I'm sorry...I'm just not quite used to...Well...THIS!", she waved her arms around for emphasis.

"What do you mean?"

"We nearly killed your friend, and yet you guys are letting us STAY in your Tower. I mean, Menagerie is stable so why would you allow us to stay here? Don't you find it just a little odd?"

Starfire placed a hand on M'ari's shoulder, "Not at all."

"Why?"

"I do not know what kind of life you have had, but I do know that we do hold grudges. You all went down the path you thought was right. We cannot, and will not hate you for that. All we can do is help you to find a path that truly is the right one. Besides, you are Titans. Misguided Titans, but Titans nonetheless."

Nightstar didn't have time to agree, as she was suddenly held in the clutches of one of Star's infamous Tamaranean hugs. Despite the lack of oxygen, M'ari was compelled to hug back.

"Besides, Cyborg's security system is very efficient.", Starfire commented. "I know that you all will behave.", she added with a sweet smile.

Nighstar gave an uneasy nod, "Right..."

There was something about Starfire and veiled threats that makes a person want to hide in a closet.

T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T

Sentinel sighed as he was led through the halls of the Tower, on his way to his cell. Cyborg was close behind, eying him cautiously with his mismatched eyes. As the two came up on a fork in the hallway, the mechanical man grabbed the boy by the shoulder with his remaining arm, pointing him to the left.

"Want me to raise my hands in the air too?"

"Couldn't hurt."

The dreadlocked teen grumbled as he was lightly shoved in the right direction.

He stopped for a moment and turned to him, "You do know that without my power cell, I'm not a threat to you, right?"

Cyborg couldn't help but smirk. He knew that Robin was planning on keeping them around, but not until it was on his terms. It was "bird-boy's" way, so to speak. The time in the hold was more or less their initiation...Provided they didn't make another attempt on Raven. For now he would merely observe, and thus he didn't answer him.

And maybe he was still a little peeved about his car.

Sentinel sighed, starting up his march once again, "The silent treatment...Great."

"..."

An idea struck him and he spoke, "You always were stubborn...Dad."

The heavy plod of Cyborg's feet silenced, and he grabbed the teen's shoulder again, "What did you call me?", he asked with a flabbergasted expression. His mechanical sensors scanned the boy's face, marking his features down for reference as the electronic half of his brain tried to confirm the comment.

"...", Sentinel kept his smirking lips shut.

A few minutes went by before the tin-man realized that he wasn't getting an answer.

"Okay...You got me...Fair enough." Cyborg nodded, catching the gist of his little game.

"...", Sentinel eased himself out of the mechanical grip, and proceeded down the hallway. Cyborg followed, trying to suppress his eagerness for an answer.

"..."

"..."

"So...Is your mom a cutie?", Cyborg grinned.

Sentinel rolled his silver eyes.

"Don't you roll your eyes at me!"

The teen grumbled, wishing he hadn't opened his mouth.

"Keep it up and you won't get a bedtime story."

"...feh."

"Your glad I only have one arm, or you'd get such a spanking!"

He muttered under his breath, "...I'd like to see you try."

"What was that?"

"Nothing..."

T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T

The infirmary bed was not nearly as comfortable as her own and a tired Raven noted with a sigh, tossing under her covers as she tried to get some sleep.

"Anything else I can get you Rae?"

Keyword trying. Maybe it wasn't the covers.

She groaned, making a face at the well meaning Beast Boy, "I'm fine..."

"...Just fine? Don't need anything?"

"Did I stutter...?"

"I guess not..."

Silence fell on the room, and Raven sighed once more, trying to find a good spot in the mattress.

"How about some water or some warm milk? That'd help you fall asleep right?"

He was persistent, she'd give him that.

"I just had a ton of painkillers pumped into me...I'd sleep for a week if you'd let me."

"Pleeeeease?", he whined.

"If I say yes will you to shut up and let me sleep?"

"Sure Sure! I'll leave it by your nightstand!", Beast Boy was already rushing out of the dimly lit infirmary, heading straight for the kitchen.

The following silence was broken by a mumbling from Menagerie.

"...talks too much...noisy dummy..."

She was stirring in her sleep and occasionally she'd mumble something incoherent in a way that made her seem almost cute. Maybe it was the painkillers, but Raven's lips curled into a small smile.

Raven could agree with her.

"...don't be mean...I wanna play with your braids...let me play with your braids...heehee..."

Raven raised an eyebrow in amusement.

It was hard to believe that this was the same vicious demon that she had fought not hours earlier...The same possessed little girl that Raven had nearly killed when she allowed her own dark side to slip through and take over.

She had already suspected that the girl was hers...That this girl, was her daughter...She hadn't had time to dwell on that thought until now. It was the only explanation for her powers, the soul-self she wielded.

"My daughter...My daughter...", a smile found its way to her lips once again.

A sudden realization hit her. The ears, the green skin, the tiny pair of fangs...

"...I'm gonna to kill him..."

The sound of steps caught Raven's attention. Beast Boy had returned with a glass of milk.

"Hey Rae, I got your--Gah!"

He was met with a flurry of pillows and whatever else was near the bed at the time.

T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T

Robin collapsed in a heap.

The moon had begun to shine through the clouds and cast a little light onto him as he rested atop his bed. He had currently dressed down to pair of sweatpants and his mask, mostly so he could treat his cuts and burns. His bare arms had many small bandages, and his stomach had been wrapped completely in white.

He had a lot of think about; the future Titans, Raven, the future of the Earth itself. Problems all weighing down on his shoulders. There was only one thing on his mind at the moment however.

"Starfire...", he whispered to the air.

The news of her death had placed a weight on his chest, a heavy pressure that weighed down on him and wouldn't let up. It didn't matter that she would meet her demise years later. It didn't matter that they would have many more years together, protecting the city outside his window.

He desperately wanted at that moment, to hold her and be close to her. Anything to be reminded that she was still alive, that she was only a few rooms away.

He almost got up to go see her.

Almost.

"Starfire...", her name became a mantra on his lips, as he slowly succumbed to sleep.