A/N: Sorry for not updating for so long guys, school and extra-courses have really been bitches and my internet provider cut me short for not paying on time but alas I can now post the second last chapter of the story. I'll try and get on the last chapter as soon as possible, I promise :

So if you all remember Anton/Rage was just getting ready to leave, the story continues ... Enjoy

Chapter 20 – Departure

As they proceeded down to the garage nobody spoke to anyone. The news that Anton was leaving came as a shock to all of them but seeing the circumstances they all understood why he decided to depart. They took the elevator and arrived at the bottom floor where they entered the garage and pondered about how Anton was going to go home.

"So what's it going to be Anton?" Robin asked "How are you going to travel back to Serbia"

"The same way that I came to Jump City, on foot" replied Anton to the surprise of the others.

"You mean you're going back the way you came?" asked Raven

"On foot, as a stole away, hitch hiking and all that jazz?" continued Beast Boy.

"Exactly" replied Anton.

"Dude, the T-Ship and the T-Sub are faster than any other form of transportation" said Cyborg proudly "We wouldn't mind taking you there or at least half the way, you know?"

"That is correct, you have helped us plentiful during your stay and we would be more then glad to help you in return" continued Starfire who was also intrigued by her friend's choice.

"I know that I can travel there faster, but I can not" Anton replied "First off, the city might need you if somebody commits any type of crime and being away might lead to the criminals get away, and second, I have to travel this way. Retracing my steps back to Serbia is sort of a spiritual journey that I must take in order to leave the past behind and focus on the battle ahead of me. It is almost like a tradition if you understand"

"So are you sure that that's the way you want to travel?" asked Robin.

"I am positive" he replied "I must start my journey at the south side of the city, the same way I arrived here"

"Well if that's the case then we should go; there isn't much time for you to waist" said Cyborg noticing Anton's lack of patience and eagerness to start his journey.

They took the T-Car and headed down to the south end of the city where the road to L.A. started. It was a beautiful day outside with an almost clear sky and Jump City seemed to be as peaceful as never before, only the Titans felt strange and somewhat sad seeing how their friend was leaving towards what could have been his own death. On the way to their destination they didn't speak at all, they only watched out the window observing what was going on in the city and how its citizens went on with their lives not having a care in the world.

The trip lasted for only 45 minutes seeing how the traffic was rather low and people weren't in a rush to leave the city. They arrived at the south end of the city at about 1 P.M. and got out in order to greet their friend goodbye. This part of the city was more rural then what they've expected. The houses were scattered here and there, the hills were jam packed and full of trees and the road to L.A. cut through the dense forest that surrounded the city.

They pulled over on the right side of the road, got out and Anton took out his bag from the back of the T-Car preparing for his journey.

"I guess that this is where I depart" sighed Anton who also didn't seem very happy to be leaving Jump City and his friends.

"I guess so … it's been a great time having you as a friend but we know that there are things you have to do" replied Robin as Anton decided to say goodbye to everybody in person, starting with Beast Boy.

"Goodbye Beast Boy" said Anton as he shook his friend's hand "I am really going to miss playing the game console with you and eating vegetarian pizza"

"Yeah man, I'm gonna miss that too" replied BB with a tone of disappointment in his voice "But if you ever come back keep in mind that I'm still going to challenge and beat your sorry butt"

"You are on" Anton replied slightly nudging his friend in the shoulder and proceeding towards Raven.

"It's too bad that you are leaving Anton" said Raven "We never really had a chance to hang out except for that one time at the Soulless Destination café"

"Indeed, I am also sorry for not getting to know you even better" replied Anton after kissing her on both of her cheeks, a usual custom in Serbia "But I must say that I have enjoyed that place and I wish both you and Beast Boy to have a strong and healthy relationship. Take care, my friend".

The next person Anton said goodbye to was Cyborg, his training buddy and the one he could count on if something was damaged.

"Cyborg, my man, I will really miss those work out sessions. Thanks again for those tips on how to build up my muscular mass; they will surely come in handy when I battle those Albanian sqiptars and show off my physique"

"Don't mention it man, just look out for yourself and be safe. I wouldn't want you to get shot or anything"

"Thank you Cy" said Rage as he leaned towards Cyborg to whisper something into his ear "And by the way, I made a few modifications to your joystick. Please be sure to beat the grass stain for me"

After saying this Cyborg grinned and winked at Anton as if he wanted to say "Be sure that I'm going to kick his butt anytime". The next one Anton said goodbye to was Starfire, the one that showed him kindness ever since he became a Titan and also the first girl that ever kicked his butt.

"I will gravely miss you friend Anton" said Starfire as she grabbed her friend in one of her trademark bone crushing hugs. The only thing was that this time she didn't hug him because she was happy, in fact she was rather depressed "Please do be careful during your combat on the field of battle, I do not want you to die"

Even if he could barely move Anton still returned the hug and watched Starfire in her eyes with compassion.

"I promise I will" he replied "But in return you must promise me that you will love Robin as you love him now and that you will become a wonderful and proud mother" he said after which advancing towards Robin.

"It has been a great honor to fight along side you and to also be you friend" said Anton as he shook Robin's hand with a good tight grip which was meant to symbolize respect.

"The honor is all mine" he replied with the same formal type language that his friend used "It's been great having you as a friend Anton, we'll never forget you or your deeds and we're sure going to miss the cleanliness seeing how you will be gone".

Anton chuckled after hearing Robin's last phrase and continued with a smile on his face "I am sure that you will keep the Tower tidy and clean somehow. And remember Robin, you are a great leader and a good person; always lead your team to victory, take care of your friends and last but not least, love your child and Starfire with all of your heart, that is all that counts and all that is important"

"I'll keep that in mind" Robin replied "And don't forget to look out for yourself; you're going to face dangers far greater than you saw before"

"God knows I will" said Anton addressing all of his friends as he picked up his bag and was preparing to leave "Well my friends, it would appear that this is where our paths separate"

"It seems so" Robin replied "But remember, if you're ever in town our home is your home. Don't hesitate to ask us for anything; you'll always be welcomed".

"I will remember. Thank you for everything" said Anton as he swiftly turned around preparing to leave and looked over his shoulder to address his friends one last time "So long my friends, you will always have a special place in my heart".

After saying these words Anton looked forward towards the road he was about to take, sighed and went on his way. He marched towards his destination while singing a Serbian military song of sorts and slowly disappeared from the Titans sight.

"He was really a good guy" said Beast Boy as he remembered how he judged him in the beginning.

"Yes, he was indeed a true friend" Starfire continued as all of the team looked at the horizon.

It was all over. Anton left and the titans were now again in their original formation, but a lot of things changed since he came long and became a member of the Teen Titans and seeing how it was possible for him to never come back a sentiment of regret engulfed the whole team.

"Come on guys, let's go home" said Robin after about five minutes.

They entered the T-Car and went back to the city but nobody said a word or even attempted to start a conversation. At first, anybody who saw them might have thought that a friend of theirs died, but that wasn't the case, they regretted Anton's departure and were also afraid of him getting killed seeing how he was going back to war, so being silent seemed to be the appropriate way to act for now.

While they drove through the city they all thought about what was going to happen to their friend and wished that he would be okay. One member of the team though had deeper thoughts about Anton's departure. Robin started thinking about his friend ever since they first left the tower and at one point asked himself "What did we obtain thanks to Anton?"

He thought about this issue for a good 10 minutes and even if at first he thought that Anton didn't have a great impact on their lives he finally realized that the truth was otherwise.

"Alright, let's do a recap" said Robin to himself as though he was having a discussion with his conscience "First, he saved me and Starfire before he became our friend. Check. Second, he defeated a good couple of bad guys and saved Jump City's citizens. Check. Third, both Beast Boy and Raven got closer after he spent some time with them … I don't know if he had anything to do with this but I'm sure he did. Check. Fourth, he kept the tower organized and tidy and we didn't have to move a finger. Check. Fifth, he located Slade's base. Check. Sixth, he saved Cyborg's life and shot Slade's robot commando before it shot Cy. Check. Seventh, he played an important role in Slade's defeat. Check … That's all that I can think off right now. What else did he do that was good? Hmmm, well he did apologize every time he did something wrong … a bit too much actually; you might have thought he grew up like a beaten dog … anything else? Oh yeah, he accepted my apologies in a heart beat after I started that fight on the roof; pretty strange though considering his temper … What else? He pulled his gun to Slade's head before he shot Starfire"

At remembering this last detail he realized just how important his friend's intervention in their life was. All of the titans were immobilized and couldn't move, including Robin; Anton was in fact the one that saved Starfire from being shot in the first place. All of these months that have passed, plus Slade's defeat, made Robin so happy that he forgot about this fact. It seems that he had more to thank Anton than just saving the team. Starfire was practically his life, he couldn't have lived with out her and even if she had died and Slade wouldn't have snuffed him Robin realized that he could have even committed suicide because of this terrible loss.

Once again he felt relieved and glad that things turned out alright but a feeling deep down in his stomach told him that if Anton wouldn't have been part of the team his loved one might not have been here now. They stopped at a traffic light near S.T.A.R. labs and the others were just looking out the window at the passing people who were all seemingly happy and didn't have a care in the world. Robin turned around to look at Starfire knowing that she was the person he actually lived for and smiled as he saw her observing what was going on outside while placing a hand over her womb. Starfire noticed him and turned her attention towards him.

"Robin, are you troubled?" she asked.

"No Princess, I was only searching for a ray of light and I noticed it came from you" he replied making Starfire giggle.

They exchanged looks for a good couple of seconds and felt the warmth coming from each others stare when suddenly the sounds of a heavy object hitting the front of the T-Car made them turn their attention towards the road. At the moment of impact Cyborg steered the T-Car to the right and noticed that the top end of a street light landed on his "baby". They got out to see what exactly happened but to their displeasure they noticed that someone was attacking S.T.A.R. labs front guards. Upon a closer inspection they realized that the perpetrator of this attack was no one other then Doctor Light. Before he called the attack Robin told Starfire not to interfere and stay in the T-Car seeing how her condition didn't permit her to fight.

"I don't understand why you even try" said Doctor Light as he blasted the front guards of the S.T.A.R. labs with a particle weapon which emanated an extremely bright and hot white aura "Why don't you just go and grab a couple of donuts and some coffee while I take, ughhh … "

Doctor Light tried to finish his sentence while addressing the overwhelmed guards but was interrupted by a blow to his head which came from Robin's bird-a-rang.

"Seriously Light, aren't you getting tired of always getting your butt kicked and going back to jail?" asked Cyborg as he aimed his sonic canon towards him.

"Yeah, do you really love prison cells that much?" continued Beast Boy.

"You again?" shouted Doctor Light who seemed to be quite irritated by the fact that the Titans appeared again to foil his plans. "Not this time you under-aged trouble makers" he continued as he shot a beam from his weapon directly towards the titans.

As the beam approached them Robin sounded the attack and the titans moved out just in time to avoid Light's projectile. Robin attempted to attack his enemy with his bo-staff but Doctor Light blocked his hit, grabbed his staff and sent Robin hurdling into an underground parking. Cyborg shot at Light with his sonic canon but the effects of his wave form projectile was neutralized by Light's beam. The fact is that both sound and light are wave forms and Doctor Light knew this using it to his advantage. While Cyborg wasn't paying attention Light threw several bomb form projectiles near him which blew up and blinded Cyborg and also short circuited him making him fall to the ground.

"What the heck were those things man?" said Cyborg as he pressed on his temples and rubbed his eyes.

"Electro-magnetic discharge disks. Next time be more wise and don't attempt anymore attacks" Doctor Light replied as he noticed Beast Boy attacking him in the form of a bull. Before Beast Boy could reach him, Light put his hand up palm forward towards him and formed a shield of light which stopped Beast Boy's attack. After hitting Light's wall Beast Boy span around dizzy while his nemesis blasted him, sending him to the ground out conscious.

"Don't you ever get tired of facing the dark side of life?" suddenly asked Raven from behind staring at him as her eyes turned black.

"Face he light you little witch" Light yelled as he swiftly turned around and threw a projectile that exploded right in front of Raven trapping her in a light bubble from which she couldn't escape. As Doctor Light proceeded towards the S.T.A.R. labs entrance he was again attacked by Robin who hit him in the side with a swift kick and tried to punch him as he fell, only this time Light blasted him before hitting the ground (while Robin was still in the air) and sent his opponent straight into a near by building. Robin hit the building quite hard and landed with a thud but knew that he had to get up in order to continue fighting but something happened that he didn't count on. Light shot another couple of rounds towards him as if he practiced shooting and hit a couple of balconies from the top levels of the building making them fall over Robin and leaving him with only a small hole through which to breath and see what was going on, although this last detail wasn't in Light's original plan, in fact he counted on the fact that Robin would be crushed under the heavy rubble.

After disposing of Robin, Light dusted his hands off and devilishly laughed at the thought that he had defeated the titans but before he could turn around towards his destination he was hit by a beam of green energy and fell to the ground as his ears were on the verge of exploding because of the impact. At first he didn't know what it was but remembered that he didn't take care of all of the Teen Titans. He got up and shook his head and tried to pin point the place where his attacker stood. He looked around and noticed the T-Car and inside was Starfire who, at the sight of Doctor Light, ducked under the windows hoping that he didn't see her.

"Well, well, the red headed one. She won't be too much of an inconvenience" Light said to himself as he pointed his weapon towards the T-Car, blasting it at medium power and sending it skidding on the road ending trapped between two other cars.

Although he was under the rubble Robin could still see what was going on. He prayed that Starfire wouldn't try to be a hero but her altruistic and crime fighting spirit prevailed over her knowledge of what fragile condition she was actually in. Quite typical some might say, but not good enough for Robin; when he saw Light shooting at the T-Car he started struggling, trying to get out from beneath the heavy rubble. His first attempts were to no avail but after he noticed Light slowly proceeding towards the half damaged T-Car he started panicking and though about what he might do to Starfire.

He then started struggling even more and harder and also searched his utility belt for anything that might help him get out faster, but to his surprise he found an odd thing in one of the pockets, a syringe with a protection cap over the needle which contained a strange red serum. He took it out and noticed that it reminded him of something … the red serum that Anton was injected with. This had to be it, what else could it have been? But what was it doing in his pocket? He searched that particular pocket again hoping to find something else and found a piece of paper with a reverse left hand script, probably Anton's writing. He unfolded the paper and read what was written.

"I slipped this inside of your pocket when you were not watching. This is the red serum that was experimented on me. If you are ever in any type of trouble or in a complex situation and need increased stamina or strength just inject the contents of the syringe into one of your veins and in 30 seconds its effects will be visible. After the first dose there is no side effect apart from the rage, so do not worry about any other unexpected surprises. Your friend, Anton"

A goodbye gift that came just in the nick of time.

"How convenient" thought Robin to himself sarcastically as he hesitated no longer and did just what the note told him to do. He injected the serum into a vein on the lower part of his hand seeing how he couldn't reach much higher because of the boulders and after a minute he started feeling his mind easily sliding away into darkness and fury. He felt a sudden sharp pain in all of his muscles and saw Doctor Light again. At the sight of this Robin's view started turning red and a wave of anger took control of his brain. He couldn't bare it anymore and with a swift move of his hands he pushed himself up and moved away the boulders that were on top of him. He then stood up and saw Doctor Light taking of the roof of the T-Car.

"Why hello there my precious, it's nap time for you" said Doctor Light making Starfire curl up in a ball while screaming as he was ready to blast her. He took his aim and devilishly grinned at the thought that he was finally victorious but before he could even attempt shooting her he felt something pretty large hitting him in the head and the next thing he knew he was on the ground all covered in blood with Robin on top of him, pummeling him into non-existence as his eyes turned to a dark shade of red.

Robin was overcome with anger and as Anton's serum kicked in he finally felt what his friend felt when he wouldn't stop brutalizing his enemy … a complete sense of pleasure, total thirst for blood and vengeance, an intense rush of adrenalin pumping though every blood vessel imaginable. No wonder Anton didn't want to stop, in fact it was more then probable that he loved it.

Robin continued beating Doctor Light for about 5 minutes until finally he felt something grabbing him from behind and placing him down on his back. At first he wanted to retaliate, but didn't as he heard his friends voices.

"Cut it out man, settle down!" Cyborg yelled as he held Robin's right arm.

"Yeah dude, you're killing him!" shouted Beast Boy struggling to hold his friend's feet in place.

"It's not worth it Robin, snap out of it!" continued Raven who also held Robin's left hand in position.

At the sound of this Robin woke up from the violent trance that he entered and saw his friends looking at him amazed. He then looked in front of him and noticed Doctor Light in the worst condition possible. He was more dead than alive and his face was badly bruised and bloody.

"Man, what happened?" asked Beast Boy.

"The rage!" Robin replied laconically.

"Come again?" Cyborg inquired, not understanding what his friend meant.

"The rage that Anton felt … Now I know why he acted that way. It was awesome" he continued looking at his defeated adversary.

"You almost lowered yourself to his level" said Raven trying to lecture him.

"And I liked it!" Robin replied to the amazement of his team mates who still didn't understand a thing he said.

After getting back up to his feet Robin went to the T-Car and noticed that Starfire was looking at him though the window. She was safe, nothing bad happened to her and he made sure that her attacker got more than what he deserved. He opened the T-Car's door and took Starfire out, easily placing her on the ground next to the half wrecked vehicle.

"Are you all right?" asked Robin inspecting every part of her body for wounds.

"I am thanks to you" she replied with a warm kiss.

"I'm glad nothing happened to you, I don't know what I would have done if you were gone" he continued afterwards.

"Most probably something unnatural for your behavior, but now I am fine, our child is secure and we can go home" Starfire replied smiling at Robin and making his heart melt.

Seeing Starfire like this made Robin realize that being both a father and a husband won't be an easy task. He knew that he'd have much more responsibilities and understood that he'll have to take a lot of risks to keep his family safe. FAMILY. This word kept coming up into Robin's mind as he glanced into Starfire's emerald eyes, letting her absorb all of his being. He then thought about something … Something crazy, something special and also something very important that he wanted to ask Starfire. The thought was sudden but not new, he wanted to ask Starfire this for a long time and now he thought that it was the perfect moment.

"Princess, before you say anything, I have to ask you something" he said as he raised Starfire up to her knees.

"Yes Robin, what is it?" she asked as her hands nervously shook anticipating Robin's question.

"These last months have been for me the most beautiful months of my life, and ever since I saw you I knew that there was something special between us. Now, we are about to have a baby and also a family … Princess, I want to ask you something ... I ... I ..." said Robin mumbling and stuttering.

"Yes? Yes?" Starfire continued with a tear forming in the corner of her eye and joy in her heart as Robin held her hands softly.

Finally, after all of these months, while all of their friends were watching them gasping, and all of the people noticed them and were paying attention, Robin gulped, took a big breath of air and asked:

"Starfire, will you marry me and be my wife?"

At the sounds of these words Starfire burst into tears of joys and embraced Robin soaking him.

"Oh Robin, you do not know for how long I have waited for you to say that … Of course I will!"