Chapter XX: The Plan

Raven landed gently on the ground in front of Cyborg. Haley and Samuel stood behind their group's leader. Haley was nervously inspecting her sword and dagger while her brother was calmly cleaning his blast rifle. Aimee quickly reappeared by Raven's side.

Cyborg swallowed hard noting their group had lost almost half its original members. "Where's Terra and Beast Boy?" he asked.

"Garfield turned his ankle and Terra stayed behind with him," Raven replied. She could see he was visibly upset with her announcement. Both of them knew they needed every able body to get them into Gato's hideout.

"Well, where is it?" Cyborg continued. His team had arrived at the rendezvous site first and found no sign of the entrance.

"It's over the next couple of ridges," Raven calmly replied. "I didn't want to tip Gato off that we knew where their hideout was until we reformed."

"Good idea," Cyborg agreed. "Now how do we get there?"

"I'll get us there," Raven answered. Cyborg immediately sensed she was holding something back.

"What's the matter?" he asked her. "You're not the only one who's an empath here."

Raven looked down unable to hide what Terra and she had seen. "We're totally outnumbered. Gato has at least one hundred well-armed men guarding this place."

There was a heavy silence as the others considered what Raven was telling them.

"We have to stop them," Samuel calmly spoke up. "Even if it means we don't walk out of there alive. The loss of five is better than the loss of millions."

Haley pulled out her sharpening stone and ran it quickly along her sword. "I'm ready, just get us in."

Cyborg glanced over to his younger comrades. How could it come down to this? He was responsible for his friends' children, but he couldn't see how they would all get out of this in one piece. Haley and Samuel could accept this trade, looking at Aimee he knew she could not. Tears welled up in her eyes as she tried to steel her resolve. Would his friends ever forgive him?

"That's enough," Raven sternly pronounced. "I didn't sign up for a suicide mission. We're going to get out of this."

Cyborg looked into Raven's dark swirling eyes and took heart. He became convinced that she could lead them out of this. "What's the plan then," Cyborg asked ceding control to Raven.

"I'll take us to the front gate, but someone will have to get us inside." Raven explained.

"Aimee can get us through the front door," Cyborg replied as he smiled to the group's youngest member. "The rest of us will be right behind you."

"OK, but then what?" Aimee asked Raven.

"I've got something that will help us. When we get inside I'll reduce the ratio of us to them. You might feel a little disoriented when that happens; just try not to think too much and all of you will be all right."

"Can you be a bit more specific?" Cyborg asked.

"There's no time for a complete explanation, just trust me," Raven replied cryptically.

Cyborg nodded. This wasn't the time to question his friend. He trusted her and so would the others.

"Are we ready then?" Haley asked.

"Not yet," Raven answered. "Turn on all your communicators and leave them here. That way Gato won't know we're coming and maybe they'll send some men out here to track us down."

Cyborg, Haley and Aimee turned their communicators on then tossed them on to the ground after setting a timed self-destruct sequence.

"Touch my robe," Raven instructed the others. Each of them stepped forward and laid their hand gently on her. "Remember; try not to think too hard once we're inside." She paused as she smiled to each one of them. "We'll all get out of this alive, I promise you."

In an instant Raven gathered her friends in then transported them to Gato's entrance for their final assault.