The only good thing was this way, she couldn't be what her father wanted. Her friends would be safe from Trigon, the world wouldn't end.
Cloaked arms outstretch as Raven accepts her bitter fate. This was not the way she wanted to go, but at the same time, her death could save millions of innocent lives.
Eyes now open, watching the sea draw closer, she was seconds away from death ... When suddenly she's in the green talons of her friend.
"Beast ... Boy?"
Beast Boy carefully flies through the debris, guiding the pair to a safer location. Landing upon the rocky ground, Beast Boy lowers Raven to her feet before transforming
"Rae, are you alright?" Cries Beast Boy in alarm, eyes roaming his friends body for injuries "You didn't get hit or anything?"
Raven shakes her head "No, I got lucky" or in her case, cursed. Now she'd be around, just what Trigon planned "I'm alright, you saved me"
Beast Boy hugs Raven, holding the girl close as tears of joy and relief rush him "I thought I'd lost you, Cyborg and Star left and Robin's been taken ... I can't lose anyone else!"
Raven hugs her teammate back, she didn't need a connection to know how the green teen felt "You haven't lost us, we haven't lost."
Beast Boy tightens his hold, that was hard to believe at this point, but he couldn't give up.
Raven looks Beast Boy directly in the eye "Our friends need us,"
The T-car races into the scene, Cyborg jumping from the drivers seat before coming to a complete stop, the male completely out of breath.
"Y'all alright? Where's Star?" Expressed Cyborg
"Starfire went after Robin, I felt his emotions" answers Raven "He's somewhere in the forest, Slade's there."
Cyborg's eyes narrow "Get in, we're going after Robin and Starfire."
Starfire kept watching the tower behind her, she could see the middle half and up now.
She had to be getting close to Robin, she just had to be. "Robin, I must find Robin!"
The boy's name kept repeating through out her mind, the name that always made her smile. The name that made her day, the name that she'd slowly fallen in love with.
Robin had been kind, he'd helped her when she first arrived. He wasn't scared of her, he didn't threaten her, he didn't judge her ... Robin had accepted her without a second thought."
A loud rumbling steals the teen away from her thoughts, Starfire pressing the breaks before gasping in shock. The tower she'd been using as a guide, the tower she called her home ... Was crumbling.
"No!" Starfire's defeated scream echoed through the dense forest, body trembling as she remembered leaving her unconscious friend "Raven! Friend Raven!"
Starfire falls to her knees, the emotions of guilt tearing through her, she'd left her friend to die, Raven was dead "Oh Raven, I'm so sorry!"
The teenager punches into the ground, each hit making large craters "I'm. So. Very. Sorry. Raven!"
Starfire continued to scream into the dense forest, minutes passed as the wails ceased, she couldn't seem to make sound anymore.
Her tears rained down her cheeks, pooling and watering the earth below. Starfire would have remained curled in her spot forever, if it hadn't have been for the other screaming voice in the distance.
Starfire freezes in place, mind processing the desperate yells she was now hearing, she knew that voice "Robin ... Robin!"
The girl runs ahead with all the strength she had, adrenaline pumping as the voice grows louder "Robin!"
Twigs trip her, branches cut her, but Starfire continued forward, ignoring the throbbing pains upon her. All that mattered was saving Robin.
She barely noticed as her feet slowly left the ground, eyes glowing green and star bolts forming, ready to fire.
Robin stared as the tower, his home was destroyed, everything falling into the sea below. He begged his friends hadn't been inside "NO!"
The teen struggles and writhes in Slade's unrelenting grip "Let me go, Slade! Let go of me!"
Kicks, punches, bites, anything Robin can do to inflict any type of pain upon his captor he does "Cyborg!"
Tears begin to fall from beneath his black mask "Beast Boy!"
Robin's losing control of his flailing limbs, body shaking "Raven!"
Slade grabs Robin by his chin, forcing the breaking teen to watch as the very last bit of the tower falls "STARFIRE!"
Robin falls limp, his body unable to move due to the shock, breaths uneven and far too fast.
"Now do you see, Robin?" Speaks Slade "Losing everything can be a great motivator, it allows you to start over."
Then the Flashbacks started, his parents death, falling from the trapeze, their faces as they realized they were about to die "No ... No!"
"Yes, Robin. You've once again lost everything, there's nothing left to fight for, it's time to accept your rightful place, my apprentice."
His friends laughing while eating pizza together, playing video games with Beast Boy, going over plans for the T-car with Cyborg, getting through to Raven and Starfire ...
Robin's eyes open, fists clenched as anger takes over. He'd lost everyone all over again, once again he'd been forced to watch, but this time he was going to do something about it.
The teen yells in fury, strength he never knew he had, forcing Slade to lose his grip and be pushed away. Robin rushing the man, attacking in no particular order.
Slade moves backwards, he hadn't expected Robin to react in such a way, the boy should have been broke, yet here he was, still fighting back.
Blind with rage, seeing deep red, Robin fought, releasing all his anger out. He'd bottled it up for years, but Slade had just broken his seal.
It didn't matter where he hit, as long as Robin made contact with Slade he was satisfied, only Slade easily dodged and avoided.
"That's enough, Robin." Declares Slade, the man grabbing hold of Robin's right fist, holding the teen back.
Robin pulls and tugs, but once again he's trapped by the man who ruined his life "LET ME GO!!"
Slade sighs before twisting Robin's wrist behind his back, dragging the boy into his armored chest "This is no way for you to behave, apprentice."
Robin struggles "I AM NOT YOUR APPRENTICE, SLADE!" The boy's wrist is wrenched farther up his back "I NEVER WILL BE, I'D RATHER DIE!"
"ROBIN!" A green star bolt shoots towards the figure of Slade, the masked man releasing Robin to jump out of the way.
Robin falls to his knees, head lifting to see an angry Starfire standing a few meters away, eyes a blaze "Stay away from him!"
"Star? You're alive?" Speaks Robin in disbelief
Starfire keeps her hand aimed at Slade as she approaches Robin, standing in front of the boy "You will not touch Robin ever again!"
"We shall see, it seems one of you Titan's is worthy" States Slade
A loud screech and a blue blast force the villain back even farther, eyes glare at the sight now before him.
Cyborg, Beast Boy and Raven all stood beside Starfire and a fallen Robin.
"You ok, Rob?" Asks Cyborg, taking in the appearance of his young leader.
Robin takes in a deep breath, his friends were alive, they had survived and were there "I'm ok, knew you guys could do it."
"We are worthy in every way to be a Titan." States Starfire, a blast of green shooting and hitting Slade
"You can take away our powers, you can trick us into blowing up our own home." Cyborg walks forward, cyber canon firing, hitting Slade's right leg.
"But, we'll always beat you in the end. We are a team" claims Beast Boy, the green alien transforms into a rhino, tusk ramming into Slade's chest.
Raven's eyes glow black "You underestimate us, you belittle us and you use us. You abducted our leader, tricked us into doing your bidding, took away our powers and tried to break Robin."
Black magic swirls around the purple cloaked girl, but Starfire is the one to beat her to the punch.
Star bolts shoot left and right, each smacking into Slade, tearing apart his armor and ripping holes through his clothes. "You will not hurt Robin anymore!"
Slade stares at this turn of events, the beam was supposed to diminish their powers, only he hadn't counted on their strong emotions.
"It seems you all have passed my test, congratulations."
"We'll always beat you, Slade." States Robin, the teen shakily reaching his feet "We are a team, Titans GO!"
All the Titans rush the lone man, Slade being punched, kicked, smacked, and shot all at once.
"Another time, Robin. You will be my apprentice, you're just not ready to let go of your pathetic little friends, I'll be waiting."
With a puff of dark smoke, Slade bids his hasty retreat, he's severely underestimated the Titans, but that's a mistake he won't be making again.
The Titans cough into their sleeves as Beast Boy blows away the smoke "He's long gone, the coward."
Robin falls to his knees, the teen still coughing what felt like a lung, his body finally giving in to all he'd been forced to endure.
Starfire pats Robin's back, helping the boy regain his breath "Robin?"
The other teens gather around their leader, they'd never seen Robin like this, but the spiky haired teenager was far from beaten, let alone broken.
"It's ok man, we got you," says Cyborg, knowing Robin needed to heal. Their leader had fought till his body literally couldn't continue.
"You take a nice, relaxing rest, Robin. After everything that happened today, we all deserve a reward." States Beast Boy
"Beast Boy's right, you're exhausted, you need to let your body heal." Claims Raven knowingly
Robin still fights his drooping eyelids, he trusted his team with his life, but he didn't want to fall asleep only to find out he'd been dreaming all along.
Starfire lowers to the ground, resting Robin's head upon her skirted lap "You are safe now Robin, we will not let Slade get his hands on you ever, ever again."
Starfire was real, the girl he'd felt so much for was holding him, his friends and teammates had saved the day.
Slowly Robin let's sleep take him, the teen fully trusting he won't wake up in Slade's clutches.
The Titans smile as Robin's breathing returns to normal, the teen was deeply asleep in a matter of seconds.
"We'd better start gathering up some wood for a fire and building a shelter." Says Cyborg
Beast Boy cheers "Yes! The Titans are going camping."
Raven even smiles at their joyous success, yes they're currently homeless, all of their belongings are gone, but they were all back together.
"Alright guys, let's get started before night fall." Cyborg turns towards their sleeping leader "Star, why don't you stay here? Look after Robin."
Starfire nods, small fingers brushing through spiky locks "I will not take my eyes off him."
"I know you won't," whispers Cyborg, everyone knew of Robin's and Starfire's love for each other "Yo, BB! Where do ya think you're going without me?"
Raven takes all her surroundings in, Cyborg and Beast Boy competing to gather more and bigger sticks, Starfire cradling Robin's head, playing with his hair and singing a Tamaranian song.
This was home, not the tower, but the five teens all together. They could rebuild the tower, buy new items ... But they could never replace this family they had all become.
And there you have it, no one died and the team is back together! Thank you all so much for sticking by me and this story, it took quite awhile, but it was worth it for how this turned out! See you all next time