The Hall of Justice was a cacophony of noise as heroes from around the world responded to the summons of Superman and the League. Robin had found a place in the corner of the great hall where he could lean against the wall and unobtrusively watch the comings and going. It was difficult for him to put together the fact that this unprecedented gathering of metahumans was not to oppose Darkseid or Brainiac but his friend Raven. How had she changed so much over the summer?
Robin had already spent much of his time rehashing the day of the last battle against the Kaz'Kal to Raven's escape from the JLA transport. It had been three weeks since that escape, and no move towards the focal point had been made. Batman and Superman were doing everything in their power to get ready and guard it.
His vision of the proceedings was blocked when both Kori and Garfield came up to him looking lost and hurting.
"How you guys holding up?"
"I am trying to make the best of it," Starfire said with zero conviction in her voice.
"I feel like shit," Beast Boy respond before he threw himself into the corner and curled up behind one of the hall of hero statue.
Robin did not even have the urge to scold him for his language but just stared at the remnants of his team. They had lost someone precious to them, and the chance of getting her back was becoming less and less possible. Robin knew he had to pull his team together, but he could not find the energy.
The young did not know if Starfire had read his mind or just understood, but she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she broke into sobs. Beast Boy was silent in the corner, but Robin could make out the tear that ran down his cheek. Raven was killing them slowly.
"We've got movement!"
The bright and clean voice of Wonder woman rang out from the open upper floor of the hall, and immediately many moved towards her position. Batman had activated the command center, and Oracle had been scouring the planet for any sign of Midnight.
Robin gave Kori one more loving squeeze before releasing her and making his way towards the stairs.
"Where are you going, dude?" Garfield asked.
"She may have turned on us, Gar, but I'm still responsible for her. I've got to do what I can to help stop her."
He did not want to argue with any of them again. Bounding up the stairs, he found himself standing beside a man in dark clothing and a high tech quiver on his back. Clinton Barton gave a polite nod to the young vigilante. From everything Robin had seen, the man did not speak much.
"What do we have?" Batman asked as he strode through the gathering that instinctively parted for him. The hulking man leaned over the computer as the information scrolled.
"We've got confirmed concentration of Sovereign particles coming out of the desert in New Mexico." Wonder woman said gesturing to the reading. "There is an excellent chance that Raven's proximity to the obsidian key is causing a spike."
"That means we have a way of tracking her," Scarlet Witch added with a firm nod. "We can stop them before they get to the focal point and let this Sovereign, yes?"
"Focal point?" Cyborg asked from the other side of the gathering.
"A point where the obsidian key has to be to let the entity in," Batman explained as he began to type. "It is a massive equation, but it is all reliant on our realities position inside the reality nexus compared to the position inside the nexus where Sovereign is being kept. We can pinpoint where on our planet she has to be standing to force open a bridge and let him in."
"Ah," Cyborg responded though, to Robin, he seemed to be still confused.
"I think we need to mobilize the SHIELD and ARGUS agents and begin sweeping New Mexico and try to track them," Superman said for the first time since arriving from Metropolis. "It's too dangerous now to engage unless we're there in force. We can get an idea of Midnight's size so we can be ready at the focal point."
"Where is the focal point, sir?" Steve Rodgers asked shield on back and arms crossed over his broad chest.
"To let Sovereign in? The entrance is presently in Romania," Batman answered as he brought up the statistics section of his program. "Northwest of a little town called Pojorata. Coordinates 45.364139 by 25.042397."
"So we have time," Robin spoke up for the first time in the meeting. The entire room got silent as they turned to look at him.
"Why do you say that, Mister Robin?" Captain America asked. "Doesn't your friend know how to make portals?"
The word friend did not sound condescending or accusing, and that was something that Robin appreciated. Raven had come from his team, and he could not help but feel responsible for the fact that she had gone rogue.
"Yes, but she can't make portals that long distance, maybe a mile or two. It takes a lot of energy and strength to generate a portal and to do one that far would kill her."
"I agree," Batman said with a short nod to his old ward. "Even with the power Sovereign is giving her, it would destroy her body to try. She's going to go there the old fashion way. We've accounted for twelve missing ARGUS drop ships thanks to the small faction that was HIVE agents loyal to Jinx."
Robin gritted his teeth at the thought of the pink haired bitch. Starfire had told him about the conversation she heard so many months ago. Robin was sure the pinkette had something to do with Raven's descent towards darkness. Unlike some here though, he felt there was still time to save her.
The conversation devolved in random discussions of how to capture or kill her and the forces of Midnight that were following her. Robin bowed out of the conversation and made his way back downstairs where Beast Boy and the redhead he was thinking about were talking.
"Robin," she said to him, a sparkle of light in her eyes that was missing earlier.
"What's up?"
"Beast Boy believes we have a way to save our hurt friend before she does something unforgivable."
"To some, she's already done that, Star,"
"I know," Garfield said quickly. "But here us out, Robin. We are the only ones on this whole planet that understand her and the only one she trusted with her life and her secrets. I think we can still reach her."
"You both tried," Robin responded with a shake of his head. "You told me so before she escaped."
"But we never tried as a team," Beast Boy said earnestly. "We can approach her all non-threatening like, you know hands in the air and stuff and beg her to listen to us. I think she'll hear us out. We have to be really really persuasive."
"I don't know..."
"If you're going to do it, Robin, I'm in."
The three jumped at the loud voice though it was nowhere near as loud as he initially thought. Cyborg strode over and joined his friends.
"They're talking about killing her, man. I know they're scared but I can't let them kill my Raven without exhausting every option. It's...It's our Raven."
The emotion that Cyborg had been holding in almost spilled out, but Beast Boy placed his hand on the man's metal arm to steady him.
"Alright," Robin said with a nod. "Though there is a good chance those with her are going to kick our butts."
"At least we'll go down fighting trying to save our Rae Rae," Beast Boy said firmly.
"How do we find her thought?" Cyborg asked as they began to make their way to the exit of the hall of justice.
"Someone has already reached out to me letting me know he's there in case we need help." Beast Boy answered with glee.
When Beast Boy said it was someone who was willing to help, he did not expect it to be the short soldier of HIVE. Gizmo peered up at the three Teen Titans that towered over him.
"What's in it for you, Robo-butt?" Cyborg asked sharply. "How do we know you aren't in league with them."
"Cause I won't join some religious crusade that's going to spell the end of the world, idiot," the whiny voice of Gizmo shot back. "Plus...they have Jinx, and if you guys can break the hold and save Jinx, then that's what I get."
Robin nodded having realized over time that the HIVE 5 were as tight a family as the Teen Titans. For Gizmo, Jinx was his Raven, and he wanted to do what he could to get her back too.
"How are you going to help us, Friend Gizmo?" Starfire asked gently. Beast Boy seemed surprised at the honorific of a friend that she bestowed on their once enemy.
"I...I got the coordinates of where they are going to be in three days. Jinx has wanted me to join up, and she gave me directions on where to go to meet up with her."
"I'm so sorry," Starfire said kneeling and placing her hand on the little villain's shoulder. "I can understand how much this hurts to lose your friend. We will help her as much as we can."
"I just want everything to go back to the way it was before your bird brain girl found the ring of absolute destruction."
Robin let the insult slide knowing Gizmo was struggling himself.
"Where are they going to be?"
"Jogues, Ontario."