The air was heavy and humid as he made his way through the dark tunnels of Jump City's sewer system. It was a strange combination. The chill in the air mixed with the moisture running off from the moving water in the pipes had caused his skin to crawl in an indescribable way. He rounded another corner, following the slight gust of wind that inevitably lead to the surface. As he made his next turn his suspicions were confirmed as he witnessed a beam of light careening down the center of the hall from an open manhole above. He pulled out his grappling hook and fired, pulling him swiftly up to the surface. As his heavy boots crunched on the soft, freshly fallen snow he quickly darted to the nearest gap between buildings. Given their current circumstance it would be best to remain undetected if he could.

Once he stood safely in the dark alley he took in what he could of the surroundings. The only lights that illuminated the otherwise pitch black scene were the street lamps and neon signs lining the streets. Looking up he tried to find the moon but the two large buildings he stood between obscured his view of the night sky. Determined to find answers he shot his grappling hook into the roof of the taller building, a three story apartment complex.

He shot straight up before landing on the gravel roof of the large structure. Once there he perched himself on the corner of the building and looked out at his surroundings. From this vantage point in old town he could see the seemingly black water of the bay disappear into the darkness. He followed the horizon around toward the city finding that the lights of uptown managed to give off a fair amount of illumination to the area. As his eyes continued to follow across the landscape he became confused. Where he knew there were mountains there was now nothing. A black wall of nothingness seemed to extend upward into the sky. As he followed it he began to realize that the night held no stars at all. The wall of darkness seemed to continue on forever eventually connecting to the other side and dipping down into the depths of the ocean.

A black forcefield around the city? He closed his eyes and his mind jumped back to the night the world had ended. The way Raven had erected a similar wall around the other titans when she went to fulfill the prophecy. He absentmindedly smaller his fist down against the ground, the pain from the action resonating through his bones and wrestling him back into the present.

Robin concluded that the field was a construct of the brothers and their powers born of similar heritage. Clearly their intent was to trap them in Jump City so they couldn't escape. Robin recognized his exposed position on the rooftop and quickly stood. As he did he felt a cold chill run down his spine while cold flakes of snow lit upon his skin. He looked back up to the sky drawing another hypothesis. The wall of black energy also seemed to block out any light coming from the other side but stretched high enough into the stratosphere to enable clouds to form and, subsequently, snow to fall. Satisfied with his theories he quickly returned to the task at hand diving off the edge of the building in the direction of the nearest market place.

It didn't take him long to near the shopping center. This particular spot was much less flashy and open than the area the team normally went to. Admittedly their collective love for pizza made the busy part of uptown an easy choice with the best pizza joint in town being its centerpiece. This area was much more similar to an outdoor mall, though the stokes were close together like an indoor one. The entire area was dark with only a few old lamps lighting the walkways and fewer working signs. As he'd neared the area he'd made his way to the ground and continued his venture through the numerous alleyways that dotted old town.

He looked out into the small courtyard and quickly surveyed the area. On his right stood an old retro clothing store, the window manikins sharing the dark and brooding fashion of its namesake. To the left of that building was another alleyway and then a recreational equipment outfitter. In front of the store a few civilians seemed to be walking about almost aimlessly. He took a moment longer to watch them and see what they did. They seemed almost completely normal with the exception of their complete lack of goals. The two individuals paced back and forth as if stuck there with a predetermined path. As he continued to watch he caught a glimpse of a yelling sign. A bright red glow emanated from their irises indicating their minds had been invaded. Surely if the brothers were capable of surrounding the entire city with a barrier of magic it wasn't far fetched to think they'd be capable of controlling people's minds.

Robin internally documented their behaviors before proceeding forward and sneaking into the first store. Once inside he took stock of the available clothing being extra mindful of the minimal winter selection. Despite the lack of variety robin found himself able to find a pair of jeans, a black hooded shirt and a grey leather jacket for himself. He collected some additional clothes for the other two conscious members of his team before pulling up his hood and leaving the building.

Robin walked slowly through the courtyard and past the two civilians. His gamble for whether or not they'd take note of another civilian in civies paid off as they ignored him and he successfully entered the second store. Once inside he took off sprinting to the back of the store. He'd been to the old backpacker's haven a few times and remembered the multi-day hike backpacks towards the back right corner. His memory proved right when he caught a glimpse of the rainbow of different colored backpacks. After picking a large grey bag he got to work looking through the other sections of the store gathering supplies for survival. With his head deep in the minutia of his team's needs he failed to hear the sound of the front door opening again.

Robin made his way to the food storage portion of the store and began sweeping pouch after pouch into the top pocket of the backpack. He quickly moved on to search for a suitable gas stove. As he shuffled through the metal canisters and metal frames he once again failed to hear a different kind of shuffling behind him.

In an instant the fight began. Robin was taken by surprise as the civilian behind him let out an angry roar before charging him. He turned around just in time for the man to ram a shoulder into his chest and push him over the half-size shelf. He tumbled to the ground along with a multitude of metal gas tanks that clanked together loudly as they fell. He quickly stood up with a hand clutched to his reopened chest wound and readied himself for another attack. His attention was quickly drawn back to the front door as it opened again and three more red-eyed minions came running into the store.

"Shit."

He muttered to himself as he turned back to the task at hand. His attacker swung violently as if the action was instinctual. Robin ducked beneath the swipe and broke into a sprint toward the door. The civilians that had entered prepared to attack but to their surprise he leapt up placing a foot on one of their chests to launch him over. He landed unceremoniously on the other side as he stumbled but he was ultimately able to regain his footing and continue his sprint out the door. Drops of fresh blood trailed across the courtyard before disappearing into the alleyway he'd come from.

—

"NO!"

She shot upright against the better judgement of her body. The aches and pains of her recent battles quickly caught back up with her in a waive of discomfort and agony. She winced and cradled her crumbling ribcage with her arms in a vain attempt at comforting herself. She closed her eyes to escape it all but the red eyes of her assailants stared back at her flashing the memories of her most recent night terror. She snapped them open again as her anxiety continued to flair but a heavy comforting hand softly lit upon her shoulder. She stopped hyperventilating and slowly turned to look at her cybernetic ally. She felt herself relax a little at the sight of him but felt another part of her heart drop as if she were hoping for something else, someone else.

"Rae. You okay?"

She saw him speak as he knelt down beside her but she couldn't hear the words. It was as though he were speaking to her in a foreign tongue, the language lost on her small ears. She stared blankly back at him for a moment before her eyes wandered the room. She was searching for something but she couldn't seem to figure out what. As she sat she began to feel the chill of the air against her exposed face and hands. Confused by the warmth she felt covering her legs she cast her eyes down to find a familiar black cloth covering part of her body. Without even thinking she took it in her hands and thumbed over the soft black fabric as she turned it over in her fingertips. When she flipped over the edge of the pseudo-blanket she was nearly blinded by the bright yellow color woven into it's underside. The sight finally triggered her memory and she snapped her head up. Her eyes caught sight of Cyborgs concerned face but she frantically continued her survey of the room with newfound vigor.

"Where's Robin?"

The question seemed almost like a plea as her voice was shaky and filled with uncertainty. Her eyes continued to dart back and forth across the room as if she believed he'd suddenly appear in the place shed just looked at. Her normally self-conscious demeanor was long forgotten in her antics and the sight worried Cyborg. He hoped that answering her question would help to ease her mind.

"He went out to find supplies. Is everything okay? You woke up screaming."

He pushed again with his worry laced to his words. It seemed they'd had little effect to calm her as she now snapped her eyes directly on him. He could see the terrifying fear seated in her eyes telling volumes of her own concern.

"He shouldn't have gone out on his own, he's wounded."

She spoke forcefully and if Cyborg hadn't know her better he'd have thought she was angry. As the words left her mouth she seemed to become self aware, her fear turning to shock as a hand came up to cover her mouth and she moved her gaze to her covered legs. It took another few silent seconds before she would attempt to speak again.

"I'm sorry."

Her words were genuine. Flat, but genuine.

"It's okay."

He said simply enough. Raven could feel her anxiety starting to build up again from the combination of Robin's foolhardy mission and her mental freakout she'd just put on display for the closest thing she had to an older brother. Cyborg could tell she was sinking back into herself. In a ditch effort to evade the self-destructive process he posed another question.

"You said he's wounded, what happened?"

Raven recalled the feeling of flesh being rent in two. She felt her body physically recoil at the memory. It was then she realized she wasn't sure what had happened. She'd felt his pain but apart from seeing him doubled over on the asphalt she couldn't be sure what had transpired in those short moments. When she'd fallen victim to her brothers powers any ability she had to detect his wounds was then clouded by her own agony.

"I'm. . . not sure."

Cyborg queried an eyebrow. Raven was not normally the type of person to jump to conclusions.

"What do you mean you're, 'not sure'?"

He asked his question as genuinely as he could, the words easy to be mistaken for condescension. Raven picked up on his intent and deepened her stare at the black fabric draped over her as if it held the answers she sought.

"I didn't see it, but I could feel it."

She continued to relive the pain, the burden of her previous injuries starting to partially subside. When she'd passed out from the pain after their encounter in the street it was all she could remember as she dreamed. The memory played on repeat and her skin ached from it. She felt stuck again until Cyborgs voice brought her back to reality.

"You felt it?"

She had to shake her head to keep herself focused on answering his question. Just as she was about to respond the door swung open and a man in dark skinny jeans and a black leather jacket stumbled into the room. Cyborg immediately turned his cannon on him but the man paid him no mind, hiding beneath the hood of his green undershirt as he set a large bag down against the wall. Cyborg had consciously moved himself in front of Raven but she leaned out from behind his large stature as she felt a familiar aura.

"Robin?"

She said with a strange combination of worry and excitement. The man perked up and turned to look in their direction. As soon as he noticed the large cannon pointed in his direction he put his hands straight up.

"Woah, Cy it's me!"

He quickly tugged the hood off his head revealing his trademark black domino mask. Cyborg audibly let out the breath he'd been holding as he switched his cannon back into a hand.

"Dammit man, you scared the shit outta me."

Robin lowered his hands a bit though one stayed to scratch at the back of his neck, the tell tale sign or embarrassment for the boy wonder.

"Sorry I should have knocked her something."

Raven's head peeked out again from behind Cyborgs bulky form.

"Did you forget you're not dressed like a traffic light?"

Robin looked down at Raven as he let out a small chuckle at her dry humor.

"At least you seem like you're doing a bit better."

He said as he smiled at her. She rolled her eyes but felt a strange warmth well up within her that began to dust her cheeks with a bit of red tint. She immediately reprimanded herself for the feeling as she looked back down at his cape covering her legs. Robin didn't seem to notice her reaction as he turned his attention back to Cyborg

"Did you finish the heater?"

He nodded at the hunk of metal standing a few feet from Raven's makeshift bed as he started making his way over to them.

"Almost. I was just about ready to test it when Raven woke up."

With the statement he got back up and walked over to his contraption where he continued to tinker with it. Robin neared the wooden platform and slowly eases himself into a sitting position. As he did so Raven could feel the inklings of pain that drifted through their bond. She visibly winced in response. He was glad neither of the boys were facing her direction. She wanted to badly to reach out and heal him, to take away the pain, but she knew if she tried he'd shut her down. Especially with Cyborg in the room.

"That's should do it!"

Cyborg shouted as he flipped a switch on his device. Within a moment the coiled metal rings began to glow with life giving off heat to the room. A huge smirk covered Cyborgs face.

"Nice work, Cy."

Robin said. Cyborg stood up and faced him.

"Thanks man. So, I'm hoping new duds isn't the only thing you found up there."

Robin laughed at the comment.

"Yeah, I got a good look at what's going on outside. It looks like they put up a barrier around the city. It's blocking out the sun and causing the strange weather we're experiencing."

"Guess that kinda makes sense. Anything else interesting?"

"They seem to be using some sort of mind control on the civilians. They're on the lookout for us so we need to keep a low profile.

Cyborg nodded.

"Alright, so what's our play then?"

Robin sighed heavily as he hung his head, already lamenting the words he was about to say.

"As much as I hate to admit it, our best bet is getting that barrier down and calling for help."

"I think you're right. But how do we take that thing down? We couldn't take them all down with five of us and now we're down to three."

"We don't have to take down all of them."

Raven's voice chimed in from behind Robin. The two turned to look at her as she continued speaking.

"If the barrier is thick enough to block out the sun then there's now way just one of them is holding it."

The two nodded as they followed her train of thought. Robin turned back to Cyborg as he added onto her words.

"So if we take down one it may give us an opening to call for help."

Cyborg smirked at the idea.

"Alright, that just might work."

Robin nodded again.

"Only problem now is we need to track one of them down."

Cyborg immediately stood.

"I'll see if I can setup some sort of algorithm to find them through the city's surveillance cameras. If I'm right, there should be a law enforcement precinct nearby where I can get a faster connection. Should speed things up a bit."

Robin began to push off from his seated position.

"I'll come with. . ."

Cyborg immediately turned around with a hand in Robin's face forcing him to stay seated. With his other arm he scanned him in search of what Raven had mentioned earlier. His arm beeped a few times and he quickly glanced at Raven before looking back to the boy wonder.

"You're hurt and you're gonna get some rest."

He spoke with the finality of an annoyed parent. He rotated his arm so Robin could see the scan of his body with his chest highlighted in bright red. Robin didn't need to look at the scan to know it, he could feel the sting of the irritated wound pulsing to the beat of his heart. He sighed heavily knowing there was no way to convince him he was fine. When he tilted his head down Cyborg withdrew his arm and began tapping away on it as he walked towards the door.

"Alright, I won't be very far but I'll setup some perimeter cameras in case anything gets too close. I'll alert you if I pick up any movement"

Cyborg looked up from his arm to stare directly at Raven who returned in kind.

"Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

Robin rolled his eyes while she cracked a small smile. With that Cyborg left the room, his footsteps fading into the distance. After a few moments, Robin broke the silence.

"No."

Robin was annoyed. Cyborg confirming his wound was the last thing he wanted to have happen especially in front of Raven. The empath was always quick to forget herself and help others even if it meant she had to deal with immense amounts of pain. Unsurprisingly Raven followed his train of thought from his one word statement.

"Robin, let me help you."

Robin sighed, closing his eyes. The thought of her face racked with pain the day she'd healed his bullet wound was still engraved in his mind. The image haunted him and he'd made an internal vow that night to never let her do it again. Despite his silent commitment he knew she could be just as stubborn and persistent as he was at times and she wasn't prone to just drop something. That thought made him smirk. They really were a lot alike. Both looking to save the world and willing to give of themselves freely to do it. Raven didn't deserve the lot she was given, not for how kind and selfless she was.

"You don't have to feel bad."

His eyes snapped open at her words. He looked back over her shoulders to find her sorrowful eyes staring back at him.

"I wouldn't offer to help if I wasn't prepared for it."

Robin contemplated her words carefully. Some part of her words seemed insincere, a cover for something else she was feeling. He sighed again as he looked back to the ground in front of him.

"It's not wether or not you can handle it that concerns me."

He hung his head and sighed.

"You don't deserve to be punished for someone else's mistakes."

Raven felt the edge of her lip tug upward at the statement and cast her eyes downward. She appreciated the sentiment of what Robin was trying to say but inside she couldn't quite believe it. She was the bringer of Trigon The Terrible, heralded to end all mortal life. Even though she'd defeated and banished him she was still the daughter of that demon and her heritage sealed her fate. In some twisted way she felt that healing others and enduring their pain was a way of atoning for the blood running through her veins. A way to punish herself. She shook her head as she tried to focus, wary that their ever-strengthening bond could reveal thoughts she did not intend for him to hear.

"It's still my choice."

A long silence filled the room before a single word broke it.

"Ok."

Raven looked back up at him, surprised he'd agreed with so little fighting. She decided not to test her luck and remained quiet while Robin began removing his jacket and his shirt. Once he finished discarding the garments to the ground he turned and moved further onto the platform to sit against the wall and on the mattress. Raven silently followed to sit just in front of him. They exchanged a brief glance before Robin closed his eyes, allowing Raven to begin work on his shoddily wrapped wound. She could immediately tell that his attempt to wrap the laceration had been rushed as the once white cloth that covered the open gash was poking through the gaps in the bandages. While she studied his horrid first aid skills her eyes began to wander along the many lines that were scattered across his chiseled torso. Scars upon scars told tales of his past and the immense trials he'd experienced in the years fighting crime. It took every ounce of her self control to keep her fingers from tracing the old stories and searching for the memories through their bond.

Tearing herself away from her thoughts she refocused and started carefully removing the bandages, Robin moving his torso as needed to help her. When she'd finished removing the wrapping the fabric that was used to soak up the blood was still adhered to his flesh. It had turned from white to a dark crimson turning black toward the center of the wound. She steadied her hands as she peeled back the soiled cloth praying that the motion would not cause too much discomfort. When she finally removed the full piece it revealed patches of necrotic skin where infection had set in to the poorly cared for wound. She winced at the sight of it and began mentally preparing herself for what she would soon be experiencing. She began extending her hand over the wound but before she made contact she felt slender fingers wrap around her wrist, stopping her. She looked back up and into Robin's masked eyes. The same image she'd seen the night of the robbery but this time she had no promise to let her heal him.

"Let me feel it."

HIs words were strong but she could sense the sorrowful plea. Raven immediately shook her head, not willing to let her closest friend endure the pain she knew would come. He quickly spoke again.

"I can't watch you go through that again. I won't. . ."

Raven felt an emotional wave of fear and determination flow through their bond. There would be no changing his mind and Raven hesitated but finally nodded. He released her wrist and she gently pressed her soft fingers against the open wound. She felt the heat of his skin warm on her cold palm and kept her eyes on him a moment longer before she shut them tight and allowed her magic to surge. She couldn't bear the thought of hurting the man she'd come to trust most and she refused to watch as he withstood the pain of his own wounds mending. She knit her brow as she felt his body go rigid against her hand. Even as she allowed him to keep his own pain she could still feel the immense anguish bleeding through their bond. Seconds passed like hours until finally the hole in his flesh had been mended. She withdrew her hand and slowly opened her eyes to see his state. Robin was breathing heavily and his eyes were shut from exhaustion. As his erratic heartbeat and breathing slowed to a normal pace his body began to relax. The tense fibers of his muscles loosened and what little remaining energy he had dissipated as he started falling forward. Raven reacted quickly, catching his weakened body in her arms and landing his head on her shoulder. She sat there, wide eyed, for a few moments as she tried to wrap her head around her own feelings. She felt guilt for allowing him to endure such a trial but though she knew he'd chosen it. 'I can't watch you go through that again. . .' his words echoed through her mind and she shut her eyes as she hugged him tight. The warmth of the embrace brought her peace and the steady feeling of his heartbeat cooing through their bond calmed her nerves.

The two remained like this for a long time, Raven basking in his warmth and the comfort that came with his close proximity. She could never admit it out loud but she always loved having him close by. His mind served as a calm to the storm of her own emotions in times when she didn't know she needed it. As time passed Robin's body grew heavy in her arms and she gently laid him down on the old mattress. As she left the embrace she felt the cold chill of the air nip at her again, sending a shiver down her spine. She looked back at the small black cape discarded to the foot of the mattress, then back at Robin, now shivering in his place. She remembered the backpack of supplies Robin had brought in and quickly got up to make her way to the bag, her body protesting the strain on her still-bruised bones. Despite the pain she pressed on to kneel beside the bag and began shuffling through the top pocket in search of anything that could help to warm her thin frame. To her surprise she found a set of clothing, a pair of black skinny jeans and a dark grey long-sleeve shirt that both matched her size. After a quick look over her shoulder to confirm the rhythmic rise and fall of her leaders sleeping chest she carefully stripped her battleworn leotard off her weary body and replaced it with her newfound clothes. The fabric was cold as she slipped it over her bare skin but the added coverage of her legs would help to warm her body as time passed. Once she finished she looked back into the bag and found a large emergency blanket stuffed right under where the clothes had been and on top of another pair of much larger blue jeans and a black sweatshirt. She removed the blanket from its packaging and made her way back to Robin, throwing the large sheet over him before slipping under the warming fabric herself. Being so close to him she couldn't resist the draw of his warmth and she quickly cuddled up close to his body, laying her head on her bare chest. The sound of his calming heartbeat lulled her ever closer to sleep and for once all of her emotions seemed to be content. When his arm wrapped around her back, pulling her closer to him, she could feel her eyes close and her own exhaustion catch up to her as she fell soundly asleep.