Things had not gone as planned. Keeping the Titans out of her family issues hadn't gone as planned; her father laying waste to Azarath and her mother had not been a part of her plans; her teammates finding out who her father was had never ever been a part of her plans.

"Trigon is your father?" Robin repeated slowly.

Cyborg gasped, "I thought he was just a myth my computer circuits made up. Girl, he's real?" Raven nodded.

"His acts of terror are legendary and greatly feared on my planet," Starfire added, her eyes wide with shock and horror.

"Wait," Beast Boy said, "you mean the guy who fathers a child on every planet he destroys?"

"Yes."

"That's who we're up against?" Cyborg repeated.

"I don't know this Trigon," Robin looked at his teammates.

"He's the stuff nightmares are made of," Cyborg said.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Beast Boy said.

"He makes Slade look like Superman," Cyborg tried to describe him to Robin.

"He is…pure evil, yes?" Starfire looked to Cyborg for confirmation. He nodded. Starfire then began telling Robin about the stories she heard on her planet.

Now she sat on the beach, right where the waves break on the sand. The water always coming up to her toes. Soon this will all be fire, she thought rather darkly. She pulled at the sleeves of her sweatshirt. She'd been out here for an hour. Raven briefly wondered if Starfire was still regaling Robin with tales of Trigon…or was it Cyborg's turn to tell Robin what he'd read? She shifted as she watched the sun begin its descent. "The sun will set on your world, never to rise again," Slade's voice rang in her ear. Raven closed her eyes and tried to banish the voice from her head. She then chuckled bitterly. That wasn't going to help. She would see him and her father in her nightmares. Not that she'd been getting a whole lot of sleep. Her nightmares were gradually getting worst. She now opted for staying up all night and drinking a ton of caffeinated tea in the morning. "May I join you?" she heard a voice say from behind. Raven shrugged. She knew who it was. Robin sat right next to her. Right. Next. To Her. There was barely a foot of space between the two. Raven's heartbeat sped up at his close proximity. She could feel the heat radiating from his body. Raven looked at him questioningly. He wasn't saying anything. He was just watching the sunset. Completely and totally relaxed. He turned his head abruptly, catching her looking at him. Raven immediately looked down, hiding a blush. "I don't know what to say," Robin eventually spoke. Raven looked straight ahead. She could feel his masked-eyes on her. "But I'm sorry," he continued, "for your…life." Now that was surprising. Raven was expecting questions and whys and not…that. "It is what it is," Raven sighed. "Nothing anyone could have done."

"I understand why you wouldn't want to tell us, but why didn't you tell me?" Robin asked desperately. "Did you think I was going to kick you out or something?" Raven silently drew in the sand with her finger before answering. "I went to the Justice League first," she stated. Robin scratched his ear. He must have heard her wrong. "What?" he asked.

"Before I met you guys. I went to the Justice League."

"Why were you…?"

"They turned me away," she looked into Robin's masked eyes, willing the tears to stay away. It still hurt.

"I'm sorry?" Robin knew the members of the Justice League could be…punks. But Raven was innocent. There's no way –"

"They were going to help, but then one of the members – Zatanna – told everyone who my father was. She told them they shouldn't trust me or get involved with me. So they didn't." Raven looked away. "Was Batman there?" Robin asked, not wanting to know the answer.

"Yeah. He actually told me where to find you," Raven said. "And when I did – I didn't want to involve you guys; but then I thought maybe…" her voice trailed off as she held back tears. She had cried more in this month than she had her entire 18 years of life. She doubt she even cried this much as a baby. "Wait," Robin really couldn't comprehend The League turning someone away. "The know Trigon. They all know who he is, and they voted not to help you."

"I don't blame them."

"I do. What…why…I can't," Robin pulled his gloved fingers through his hair before tearing off his mask.

"The longer I stayed with you, the easier it became to pretend that I wasn't destined to be a harbinger of doom. But then my 18th birthday came and reality set in."

"You're not the harbinger of doom, Raven," Richard said. Raven refused to meet his gaze. "What about your mom? Where's she in all of this?" Raven's hand froze against the sand. "She…uh…she won't be any help," Raven answered, staring hard at the sand.

"Why? Perhaps she could provide some insight into – "

"She's dead," Raven interrupted. "M-m-my home world, Trigon already got to them." The tears came running down her cheeks. Raven honestly didn't know why she was crying. She and her mother never had a normal relationship. She probably saw her mom 6 times out of a year. Maybe she was crying for what could have been. "They're a bunch of pacifists; they didn't stand a chance. I should have…" Raven angrily wiped her eyes. She was better than this. Crying wasn't going to bring her mom back. "Raven," Richard said her name quietly, "when did this happen?"

"I found out a few hours ago," she stared at him with watery vision, "right before I came after you guys." Richard's eyes widened in…something. "Raven," he said, "why wouldn't you tell us?"

"What would you have done? They're dead. They're gone. Telling you guys would not have brought them back," she closed her eyes, stopping the other tears in their tracks. "They were dead the minute they took me and my mother in."

"Raven."

"It's true," she argued, "and you can't convince me otherwise."

"Well…how do we beat him?" Richard asked. Raven looked at him incredulously. "Did you not hear the stories?" she asked. "You don't beat Trigon. No one beats Trigon."

"I don't believe that."

"Please. Who do you know that has a chance against Trigon?" she asked. Richard only blinked, holding her stare. "No. I don't – no. Your optimism is adorable," she said patronizingly.

"Thanks," he responded with a raised brow. "But I think you're our best bet against Trigon."

"Your confidence is severely misplaced."

"What do you suggest we do, Raven? Sit around and wait for him to come? Offer you to him in exchange for Earth?" This time, Raven stared back at him. "Please tell me you weren't thinking of doing that."

"It's the only way I see you guys getting out of this alive."

"What about you?"

"What about me? It doesn't matter what happens to me."

"Your father would torture you."

"And you would be safe. You guys would be safe. Earth would be safe. Seems like a fair trade."

"Okay," Richard turned his entire body towards Raven. "We are not trading you. Don't be ridiculous."

"You don't know what he'll do to you," Raven said, desperately trying to make him see reason. "You don't know what he'll – "

"Look, I know you're scared of him-"

"I'm not scared of him, Richard, I'm terrified!" Raven then slapped a hand over her mouth. She hadn't meant to yell. She hadn't meant to say Robin's real name. And she hadn't meant to admit she was scared…out loud. She quickly stood to her feet. She needed to go get air. She walked only a few steps before Richard easily caught up with her. "Please, Richard," Raven held her hands up, "I don't want to talk about this. I don't ever want to talk about this."

"I know, Raven," Richard put his hands together, almost pleadingly. "But you've already tried holding it in, Raven. You've already tried holding everything in – facing everything on your own. But you don't have to, not anymore. Raven," Richard placed his hands on her face, "you're not alone. You will never be alone. You have us - the Titans. You have me. And I – I will always be with you. So let me."