Debts No Honest Man Can Pay

by AMZ-C-Raven

The Titans are called to the scene of a bizarre crime, and encounter a powerful magician. But Raven suspects that there may be more to this man's actions than meets the eye.

6. The Retribution

Here we are... the exciting conclusion to Debts No Honest Man Can Pay! I certainly hope you enjoy it, it was a lot of fun to write. Sorry it took so long to update again. I trust it will have been worth the wait!
(I do not own the Teen Titans, etc. etc. etc.)

Chapter 6: The Retribution

'Focus. Focus. Focus.'

The words shot through Grendel's mind, synapses bouncing around inside his skull, keeping his head clear and his thoughts on one thing.

'Focus. Focus. Focus.'

He made his way quickly down alleyways and around grimy concrete corners, descending upon the abandoned building he'd become familiar with for all of the wrong reasons. Tonight, it would end.

'Focus. Focus. Focus.'

The big finale was tonight. Justice would be served. Everything would come out okay in the end. He just kept telling himself that. All it took was one thing.

'Focus.'

He entered the building and found two robots standing directly in front of him, contrary to normal procedure. The chest of one of the robots opened and a shadow could be seen on the screen.

"You are late." came the Voice, as serious as a heart attack.

"But I am successful." Replied Grendel, allowing himself a smile.

"Successful? Do you mean..."

Grendel nodded. The grating laughter came from the screen, and the thin man fought the urge to cringe. Just one shudder and everything would be ruined.

"I would like to think that means I've been worrying for nothing. But seeing is believing. Come up and visit me by the fire. We'll have a nice fireside chat." The screen closed on the robot's chest, and both of the androids stood aside to allow Grendel entrance. Wary, he made his way along the familiar path of creaking, rotting boards and cracked walls.

Finally entering the proper room, Grendel stood silently, examining the surroundings, the flickering of the fire barely illuminating the large area. He scanned it for any signs of movement. He was secretly hoping that Aeschere would be free, standing of her own free will, ready to run into his arms. The nightmare would be over. But that was only wishful thinking. He knew the reality was much more grim. He finally spied a brief shadow to his left.

"Well?" came the voice from the darkness, finally making its' presence known.

Grendel opened his cloak and revealed the crystal, placing it gently upon the ground.

"And?" the voice added impatiently.

Grendel's expression never changed. He opened his cloak once more and tossed five communicators to the ground.

"That's hardly sufficient..." the voice continued before Grendel reached in to his garb once more and tossed a worn cloak to the ground. The kind that would easily fit a teenage girl.

Once again, Grendel fought the urge to shudder at the laugh. The voice was filled with joy. "You've done it, haven't you? You've succeeded where so many have failed. You have killed the Teen Titans!"

"Fine. Now... where is she?" Grendel muttered in a disinterested tone.

"Right to the point, aren't you? I understand. Follow me."

"But how can I...?" Began Grendel before he felt a presence behind him. Spinning around, he found himself staring into the chest of a rather tall android.

"Pardon me, I should have been more obvious. Follow him." Explained the voice, and then the sound of footsteps came from the darkness. The robot followed its' master into the shade, and Grendel continued the thread of "follow-the-leader."

The robot went down several flights of stairs into the basement. Grendel noticed how remarkably dirty the floors were, even compared to the rest of the beaten-up old building. The walls were cracked, and he constantly heard a "drip-drip-drip" from somewhere in the level. They rounded the corner into a new room, completely black. Grendel raised a hand and a single flame emanated from his palm, giving him some light. In the centre, he noticed a round orb. This one did not glow, and he could not see anybody inside of it. He approached it and found it was indeed empty.

"What is going on? Where is she?" He turned to face the robot. Its' chest opened up once more and the voice could be heard again.

"She's in good hands, Grendel. And you shall be, too. Get inside the orb. You're too valuable to just use once."

"You... bastard!" Shrieked Grendel, his telekinetic aura ripping the robot's arms off. "The Titans told me you'd betray us!"

"Well, perhaps you should have listened to what they had to say instead of murdering them. Get inside of the sphere, Grendel!"

"Never! Give me back Aeschere!" he ripped off the robot's head, and the machine toppled to the ground, the screen exploding as it hit the ground.

"I don't think you understand. You don't have a choice." came the voice, this time from inside Grendel's head as pain surged through his body. He clutched his chest and tried valiantly to stand, slowly sinking to his knees as the electric spasms of agony rippled through his body.

"There... is... always... a choice." groaned the thin man, slowly regaining his strength and returning to his full height. The pain shot through him over and over. His mind was focused. He just kept telling himself that the pain was irrelevant.

"Impressive. No matter." came the voice again as the room lit up completely. Grendel shielded his eyes from the sudden rush of light with his hands as a steel fist smashed into his chest like a sledgehammer, tossing him across the room and slamming him into a wall. Stumbling to his knees, he was given only a moment's rest before another blow was delivered to the side of his head. The cloaked figure crashed to the ground for only a second before a metal foot collided with his stomach, raising him off the ground and leaving a huge dent in the fortification behind him. Grendel slowly writhed on the ground, the volts of power still coursing through his system, the added destruction of the robot's assault causing him to cough up blood.

"No... no more..." moaned Grendel, twitching on the ground, the bright lights blinding him to his surroundings.

"Shut up, fool. You wanted a choice, so I'll give you one. Get in the sphere, or die like the Titans. Make a decision, Grendel." Came the angry voice from inside of his head.The wall to Grendel's right suddenly detonated, rubble flying forward and knocking out several of the flood lights which plagued his vision. Several more explosions were heard.

"What's... what's going on?" came the noise inside his head, and without warning the pain in his body stopped. He opened his eyes to see the Teen Titans, his own personal cavalry, coming to his rescue.

"Awww man! I hate these robots!" shouted Cyborg before blasting two of them with his sonic cannon. He tucked and rolled to avoid a laser blast from one of the bots, coming to a sudden stop before launching a quick shot. His blast destroyed the head of his threat, causing the machine to topple to the ground. He rewarded himself with an exclamation of "BOOYA!" before returning to the task at hand.

Starfire flew over their heads, raining down starbolts and sowing much destruction. The machines tried helplessly to get a bead on such a swiftly moving target. She used their confusion to her advantage, planting well placed shot to their chests and blowing them to pieces. When one robot's shot came too close for comfort, she turned quickly in midair and cut it cleanly in half with an emerald blast from her eyes.

Beast Boy had assumed a rhinoceros' form and was charging through the room, annihilating the robotic resistance. The machines could do little to stop such a huge bulk in such a contained space. His thick hide resisted their energy blasts easily, and with a sudden twist of his head his horns tore his enemies to pieces.

Much closer to the fallen magician, Robin's bostaff was making quick work of the ones attempting to approach Grendel's prone body. Realizing the thin man's predicament, he attempted to draw their fire away from Grendel. With lightning quick reflexes, the Titans' leader dodged shot after shot, getting close enough to each robot to deliver a death blow with a well placed explosive.

Grendel drank all of this in with a growing sense of awe. "We hadn't heard from you in a while, and we feared the worst. Looks like we were right." came a voice beside the cloaked man's head. He rolled his neck slightly and stared up at Raven, bundled in a fresh cloak. She quickly began to levitate pieces of debris and launched them at their attackers. Grendel smiled and brought himself to a sitting position, admiring the Titans as they made short work of the threat. Finally, with one robot remaining, it attempted to charge Grendel one last time before a large chunk of levitated rock severed it cleanly in half. The robot spasmed several times before becoming still.

"Well that takes care of that. Now where's the clown that's behind all of this?" remarked Cyborg, dusting off his hands.

"I... I do not know. I have never seen him. He might not even be inside the building anymore." Confessed Grendel weakly.

An ember of thought ignited inside of Raven's mind. "No... he's still here. And I know exactly where he is." She bolted for the door, bursting through the flimsy frame and into the hall. It was exactly how she had seen it in her vision. She looked towards the end of the small corridor, and saw the familiar window, and the same locked door.

"Where the heck are you going?" came Beast Boy's cry from behind her, but she ignored it and made her way down to the end of the hall.

"No need to worry about using force this time." she whispered before blasting the door off of its hinges with telekinetic energy. The room inside was dark, with the exception of a glowing yellow sphere in the corner. Raven cautiously made her way inside, attempting to find some source of light. The Titans trailed behind her, Grendel's limp body being held up by Starfire. Cyborg used a shoulder lamp to give off some light, but it was dwarfed as the ceiling suddenly lit up, bringing the room into perspective. A man stood in the far left hand corner, his eyes narrow, his glare cold and calculating. The Titans faces lit up with comprehension the moment they saw him.

"I knew it! I just knew it!" spat Cyborg. "It's those damn robots, they still kinda look like me. I oughta sue you for copyright infringement!"

"Hello, Cyborg. It's been a while." grinned Brother Blood as he stepped forward, his massive robes dragging behind him. His cybernetic eye shone briefly as he looked over the Titans with a sense of amusement.

"Give it up, Blood. Your blackmailing scheme is over." ordered Robin, teeth clenched.

Blood rolled his eyes. "No, no it's not. Don't you get it? I still have the trump card." he held up his robotic hand, and closed it swiftly, his hand briefly flickering a dull reddish colour. Grendel doubled over, the pain shooting through his body once more. "Leave us alone, or he'll die. If I do this twice..." he gestured to the lady in the bubble. "She will die as well."

The Titans stared aghast, unsure of what to do next. As they stood motionless, Blood opened his hand, which again flashed red, and Grendel stopped writhing. The cloaked figure let out an anguished cry before his eyes rolled back in his head.

"My business is not with you. Unless you wish to be responsible for two deaths, I suggest you leave me alone." Threatened Blood.

"This is so much easier when we just have to beat on the bad guys." moaned Beast Boy.

Robin squinted, thinking. His eyes darting towards the ground, he sighed. "Let's go, guys."

"What?" Raven's eyes opened wide, surprised. They narrowed quickly, shooting daggers in the Boy Wonder's direction. "What are you--? Are you insane?"

"We have no choice. Let's go."

"Never!"

"Raven... Trust me. Please? It's for the best. Nobody will get hurt this way."

Raven bit her lip, her mind racing. She couldn't see an easy way out of this either. She looked at the wounded man who'd started all of this.

"No... he is... is right..." mumbled Grendel, his words barely above a whisper. "At least... this way... I can be with Aeschere..." he managed a faint smile before his face contorted once more in agony. "Go, Raven. You have done everything you could. And for that, I thank you." His breathing was laboured at this point, and he started coughing. "There is nobody to blame here but myself." Raven smiled and gripped his shoulder.

"Oh, come on! Get out of here before I enslave you all, too!" bellowed Brother Blood, raising his arms theatrically.

Raven shot him a glare as the rest of the Titans began file out. She laid Grendel gently on the floor and stood up slowly, her eyes locked on Blood's. "This isn't over, Blood. I'll be seeing you soon."

"I look forward to it, my dear." Came Blood's cocky retort, a smirk on his face.

Her teeth clenched, she began to make her way towards the door. She cast one last glance in Grendel's direction, and sighed. Grendel raised a hand, almost as if waving good bye. She watched him slowly begin to stand as the door closed behind her. Then she grimly fellowed her team out of the building, the look of a ruined person betraying her feelings.

The Titans had just rounded the corner to enter the nearest alley outside the building when Robin quickly turned around, extending his arms and blocking the solemn group's path.

"And where do you guys think you're going?" asked the Boy Wonder, his voice full of nervous tension.

Cyborg cocked an eyebrow. "What? I'm all for saving these guys, but I don't know what we can do. That bastard Blood has us cornered, doesn't he? I thought we were just gonna let this one go for now. Maybe regroup and try some other time, or something?"

"Of course not!" Robin smiled in Raven's direction, confidence growing in his voice. "We never abandon anybody in their time of need." Raven returned the grin, her heart skipping a beat at his words.

"So what is our course of action?" queried Starfire, completely confused by this point.

"I think Raven's got it covered." The spiky-haired lad pointed a thumb in the empath's direction.

Her eyes opened wide in surprise "Uh, I do?" She queried, wondering what trick he had up his sleeve.

"Oh, yes... Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" His grin belied an air of deviousness that looked alien on his face.

Raven gave Robin a curious look before it finally dawned on her. A look of realization came over her, and her own smile broadened. "Yes, yes I am."

Moments later, eyes closed, a plan was coming to fruition..

"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos."

The words shot through Raven's mind, synapses bouncing around inside her skull, keeping her head clear and her thoughts on one thing.

"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos."

As her mouth moved, she felt a numb sensation overtake her body. She knew it was working. She kept repeating her mantra, over and over, faster and fast. Tonight, it would end.

"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos."

The big finale was moments away. Justice would be served. She knew it now. She felt that sense of mental alienation overtake her, her body an afterthought now, and she felt as if her consciousness was hurtling through space like a meteor.

"Azarath."

She saw swirling colours and odd shapes, images of galaxies not yet seen by any human telescope. Swirling orange hazes of stars and the complex blue-purple-white of nebulae surrounded her now. It was as if she was miles away from her body, yet she had never felt so connected to herself in her life.

"Metrion."

Adjusting to the new sensation, she remembered the plan and made her way along dark corridors ringed with constellations towards a swirling yellow mass. As she floated closer to the void, a faint flickering in the centre of it became more apparent. It was a weak red dot, blinking continuously in the sphere. She reached into the void, tendrils of white shooting out and wrapping around her body. Ignoring the discomfort, she reached further and further into the void, closer and closer to the red dot. The tendrils began to constrict, squeezing her. She felt the breath rush from her non-existent lungs. She felt bones break that were not present to be broken. She felt herself begin to panic.

'This isn't really happening. Focus, Raven... You are beyond pain, beyond any sensation. This is just somebody's pathetic attempt to prevent you from doing this. From saving two lives. Focus!'

Concentrating her thoughts, she felt the tendril's hold weaken and dissolve as she surged forward, clutching the red blotch in the centre firmly. Once she knew she had a firm grasp of the object, she whispered just one word.

"Zinthos."

Those two syllables uttered, she felt the blinking red menace fade to grey and disappear completely. The yellow haze began to swirl faster and faster, finally moving so quickly that Raven had to look away from the near-blinding light emanating from it. A sensation that could only be described as a sudden deep breath erupted throughout her body, and within seconds the cosmos that had unfolded before her earlier drew away, merging into an incomprehensible blur. With a rush, the numb feeling evaporated, and Raven was once again fully aware of her body. Every breath, every heart beat, every wisp of wind that criss-crossed her pale skin was crystal clear to her now. She opened her eyes and found herself sitting cross-legged in an alley, the Titans standing around her and watching in complete astonishment.

"Dude! That was sooooo weeeeeeird! I mean, like, in a good way. It was like you were like right in front of us physically and a bajillion miles away mentally. You were, like, twitching and writhing, and you'd speed up and slow down your words and stuff! And you stopped breathing at one point! For like a minute!" Blurted Beast Boy, rubbing his head awkwardly at the outburst. Raven ignored him and rubbed her eyes, still trying to regain her bearings.

"Well? C'mon, Rae, did you do it?" urged Cyborg, his eyes wide.

"Yes, please friend Raven! We wish to liberate our comrades in bondage just as much as you do!" Starfire gripped Raven's left arm in anticipation.

"Guys, guys! Give her a second! I can imagine that astral projection is not the sort of thing you just sort of pop out of easily."

Raven shook her head, surveying everything around her. She stared up at the team's anxious faces, everybody eagerly awaiting her words.

"Victory. The central control link in Blood's hand has been disabled." she said simply, with a smile. The rest of the team broke out into huge grins, Cyborg and Beast Boy slapping hands and Starfire hugging the sitting Raven tightly, lifting the unamused ashen teen off to the ground.

"Save the celebrations, gang. We've got some friends to help." The Titan's leader spoke as he beamed. Seriousness returned as the group gathered themselves and ventured back towards the abandoned building.

Back inside the basement, the robed figure stood over the thin man's prone body, a malicious smile on his face.

"Grendel, don't take this so personal. It's not who you are, or who she is. It's all about your power. And my power to use your power. That's all." Blood explained, a metallic hand scratching the bristles on his chin. "Discipline and punish, the dynamics of power. It's all really quite beautiful if you think about it"

"I cannot argue with your logic when you put it that way." mumbled Grendel, a hint of sarcasm evident in his voice. Blood scowled at his tone, and backhanded him across the face. When Grendel twisted his head back slowly to face him, a metallic fist was squeezed tightly before his vision. "Just remember, my friend. I can destroy everything you care about."

"BANZAI!" came the echoing scream of Cyborg moments before the robotic teen crashed through the wall, sonic cannon ready. The rest of the Titans followed, combat stances ready.

"You idiots! Do you really think such an awkward strike would save your friend?" taunted Blood.

"I told you I'd be seeing you soon. And it's over for real this time. No more tricks, no more advantages. You're ours." hissed Raven, her dark aura radiating behind her.

Brother Blood looked at Grendel, and then back at the Titans, a hint of worry creeping into his features. He raised his now open hand and squeezed it shut. There was no red flicker this time. His mouth opened wide in surprise.

"How... but..." he stammered, moments before Grendel's own aura erupted in front of him, driving Brother Blood into a wall. The robed figure quickly drew himself to his feet. "NOW!" he screamed, and without warning the far wall opened to reveal more of the golden robots. They advanced on our heroes, firing concentrated energy blasts into the crowd as Brother Blood made his way to the door with Grendel in hot pursuit.

"Titans! Go!" bellowed Robin, and the group sprang into action.

"I love smashing these rip-offs! It's like a Transformer smashing a Go-bot!" declared Cyborg, blowing several of the automatons to pieces with quick shots from his cannon. Beast Boy had transformed into a stegosaurus by this point, using his spiked tail to bat his enemies across the room. Starfire once again provided cover from the air, sending a hail of her deadly bolts down into the wave of metal men.

"I do not understand what you mean when you speak of "transformers" and "gobots," friend Cyborg, but I must concede that one can definitely derive pleasure from the destruction of these sinister machines!" hollered Starfire as a well-timed starbolt detonated the head of a robot behind her cybenetic friend.

"Raven! Go help Grendel with Blood!" yelled Robin, tossing explosives in front of an advancing column of robots, the explosion sending them into disarray.

Raven nodded and flew through the door, following the corridor into the next room and up the stairs. Her eyes widened when she came to the top of the stairwell. Before her stood Grendel, his cobweb aura enveloping Blood, driving him violently into the ground.

"...for all the pain you have caused me! For all the pain you have caused Aeschere! I am going to kill you, Blood. I am going to kill you slowly..." screamed Grendel, his eyes an ethereal blue. His face was warped into a visage of pure hatred.

Blood squirmed in agony beneath the cloaked figure's power. "No... no more... Please..." he choked, twitching on the ground.

"GRENDEL!" yelled Raven, and the thin man's head snapped towards her. His eyes still glowed an almost electric blue. "Don't do it! Don't bring yourself down to his level!"

"You do not understand! He said it himself... he would have destroyed everything I cared about. This is the only way!" Grendel's eyes faded to a deep crimson before he turned to face his enemy. With his telekinetic energy, he tossed Brother Blood against the wall, knocking him unconscious. He lifted the lifeless form again, and slammed him once more into the wall. The body began to rise one more time. Gasping, Raven concentrated her energy, canceling Grendel's power and dropping Blood to the ground with a thud. Grendel turned again to face her, his eyes two glowing embers. Raven's violet orbs gazed directly into his eyes, looking for a trace of humanity. Folding her arms, her aura dissipated. She stood there unarmed.

"If this is what you want, fine. Go ahead and kill him if you want to, then, Grendel. I'm not going to stop you."

Grendel's breathing was heavy now, and he cocked his head to the side to look at her. His eyes faded back to normal. "What... what are you doing? What about... I will do it, you know. I will kill him for what he did to me and my beloved. I must kill him. This is justice, Raven!"

"This will make you no better than him. You know that! You'll get your revenge, yes. But what will that accomplish in the end?"

"All this pain he has caused... Everything must be made right. An eye for an eye."

She paused a moment before replying. "An eye for an eye just makes the whole world blind, Grendel."

Blinking at those words, Grendel looked as if he had just been slapped. He turned slowly and looked at the carcass on the floor, gore pouring from the robed figure's nose, his face a collection of black-and-blue bruises. Brother Blood's right leg lay at an awkward angle, and at the very least he had pulled it from the socket. Was this what justice looked like? The former pacifist examined the carnage he had created this evening, and something inside him snapped.

Grendel brought his hands to his face, covering it, and let out a scream. "Gahh! What am I doing? I am not a monster!" He shook his head as if trying to expel an evil spirit from his body. "Justice will be served on this vile creature. But not by me." He turned around and examined's Blood prone body, his hands falling to his side, the faint sound of police sirens growing in intensity with every second. "I should... I should have remembered our discussion yesterday. Yes... No more pain, no more violence. No more..." he whispered.

Raven suddenly became aware of another presence in the room. She turned around and saw a red haired woman, just a few inches taller than herself, standing almost directly beside her. She stared up at the woman, who smiled gently.

"Hello, Raven." she said sweetly before walking towards Grendel, who had turned around just in time to see her approach.

The thin man's eyes softened and a slight grin formed on his face. "Aeschere..." He whispered before embracing his wife. Pulling back slightly, they looked deeply into each other's eyes before kissing. Raven glanced sideways, choosing to pin the now groaning Blood to the ground with telekinesis in an attempt to give the lovers some privacy.

Breaking the kiss, Grendel brought his face to Aeschere's neck, his face grim. "I... I am sorry. I am sorry for all of this."

Aeschere smiled gently. "It is okay. We are safe now, and we are together. That is what is important." She kissed his forehead, and he smiled once more.

"Never again, my love. Never again will I place us in such a situation. I am sorry I failed you in the first place."

"Grendel, my dear, you did not fail me. We are free now, are we not? All thanks to your cooperation with some friends..." She gestured towards Raven, smiling. The other Titans began to filter into the room by this point, drifting in behind their mystical expert.

Grendel could tell the sirens were very close now. "We had best make leave, Aeschere."

"One moment, Grendel." Aeschere walked over and placed a hand on Raven's shoulder. "Thank you for everything, Raven. You are an admirable empath."

"And a formidable magician." Added Grendel, a hand on his chin.

"Yes, most definitely. You will do great things." She looked up at the other teens. "Thank you all. My husband and I are in your debt. Bless you." She bowed and walked back to her cloaked lover.

Grendel kissed his bride once more, and turned to his benefactors. "Farewell, Titans. Thank you. You have returned my beloved to me and freed us both from our tormentor. I hope someday I can repay you. Until we meet again." The thin man drew his wife close to his chest, looks of pure euphoria on their faces, and with a blue flash, they were both gone. Mere seconds after they had disappeared, police cars began to fill the lot in front of the building.

A car door slammed, and Lieutenant Frost approached the group. He looked at the body on the ground. "Ahhh... Brother Blood. We got a report in last week from Steel City that he'd escaped. Good work, we'll take it from here!" he declared, and swiftly turned and gestured to a nearby cadre of cops. The police quickly placed the semi-conscious Blood under arrest, radioing for an ambulance for his injuries after detaining him. Uniformed men filed into the building to examine the crime scene. Frost watched his men in action with a sort of glee. He turned to Robin after a few moments of observing. "So it was Blood the whole time, was it?"

Robin looked lost for a moment before finally blurting out "Yes! Blood was the thief."

Cyborg noticed the officer's apprehension from Robin's blunt answer. "It was a disguise, of course. I mean, he had escaped from prison and all." He added quickly.

Lieutenant Frost nodded acknowledgment. "Well, all's well that ends well, eh?"

"You're telling us!" burped Beast Boy, letting out an exasperated sigh. The officer laughed and walked over to another group of police, leaving the group alone to reflect. The green teen turned quickly to Raven, poking her on the arm. The ashen girl glared at him.

"What is it now?" she groaned.

"Okay, seriously, I gotta know this... so how did you know to go through that door?" Beast Boy asked, his body language betraying his confusion.

"Oh, easy. Aeschere told me in a dream." She replied, her tone softening as she began to relax.

"Ohhhhhh! Of cooooourse!" he said with a touch of sarcasm, slapping himself in the forehead. He thought about it for a few seconds before frowning. "The sad part is, that makes more sense than any of my theories."

"That's hardly surprising." She chuckled, giving him a grin. The changling rolled his eyes at her comment.

"Uh, I'd hate to interrupt, but could we leave? I mean, I like hanging around crime scenes as much as the next half-man, half-robot, but if I have to spend another minute here I'm going to puke!" Interjected Cyborg.

"While I am not in the mood to expel the contents of any of my stomachs, I must concede that I agree with Cyborg's sentiments. We should be returning to our tower for a celebration of sorts!" Came Starfire's voice.

"Okay guys, let's head home." Agreed Robin.

As the group began to make their way back to the T-Car, Robin placed a hand on the empath's shoulder. "Er, wait just a second, Raven."

Raven turned, curious. "Yes?"

"I know it seems like I've been doing this a lot lately, but... I'd... I'd like to apologize. For being so obstinate and not believing you in the first place. You were right, and I was wrong."

Raven just stared at him for a few seconds before wrapping her arms around him and giving him a squeeze. She immediately pulled away, enjoying the look of shock on his face. "Hey, don't worry about it. We were on the same page in the end, right?"

"Oh, oh yeah. Right." He mumbled, still surprised.

Raven chuckled a bit. "Come on, Boy Wonder. Let's put this all behind us and go home." Robin nodded, and they made their way back to the others, relief adding a spring to every step. Raven absently wondered what 'celebration' Starfire had planned for them when they got back to the Tower. She figured that after everything they'd just experienced, they deserved it. After all... the nightmare was finally over.

... The End

There you have it! A happy ending and everything. Thanks for reading my first Teen Titans story, I can tell you it won't be my last. The mental wheels are turning already with new ideas! And an extra-special thanks to all of those who reviewed it, your comments were very much appreciated!
Well, that's it. Keep your eyes open for another exciting Teen Titans story from yours truly. Peace! - AMZ-C-Raven