AN: I honestly can't believe how quickly I've written this chapter. Not that it was particularly quick, but for me, it was about ten months faster than the other two. I'd say it'll probably be another week until the next chapter, but at this time of year I really have no idea.

Incidently, a couple of hundred words into this chapter made "Outbreak" the longest story I have ever written.


It was almost three in the morning when she heard a knock on her door. Rising gracefully, she crossed the room and reached for the lock, not bothering to check who was on the other side before twisting the knob and pulling the door open. She was greeted by two figures, one of which she recognised and the other – she realised, after the briefest of double-takes – was also familiar.

"Cyborg." She said.

"Raven." He replied.

They stood in silence for a moment.

"Can we come in?" Cyborg asked.

Raven turned and walked back into the room, giving no response. But she had left the door open, and so they entered.

The place Raven now called home was little more than an empty room. There was a mattress in one corner and cushions scattered across the floor, and a pile of heavy looking books beside the mattress. Sitting on top of the books, a mirror. There was one other door that led to a toilet, but other than that, the place was empty.

Raven sat on the cushions where she had been before she was interrupted. She watched as Cyborg made his way to the mattress and sank down to the floor, Robin taking the space next to him.

"I see you're no longer hiding who you are," she said to the metal teen, who indeed had discarded his hooded sweatshirt. To someone else (perhaps even to Robin, who was after all a stranger, even if he was a very intuitive one) this would seem like small talk, but Raven was not the kind of person who indulged in small talk. Despite the name he chose and despite patrolling the city to protect its people, Cyborg hid himself from them. He locked himself up in his tower, and when he did leave, he covered himself up.

But now he had discarded the sweatshirt and was going about the city as only himself. Raven recognised what this meant. She knew that he was now beyond merely accepting his situation; he had now embraced it. She thought of the clothes she had tucked under the mattress, the ones she wore outside in order to blend in, and thought she should probably do the same. She still wore her leotard and cloak when she was inside.

Cyborg smiled at her.

"I suddenly realised that I put all this effort into looking good, and I wasn't getting to show it off."

Raven managed to twitch her lips in response, feeling as glad for him as she would allow herself to feel. Knowing that they were drawing dangerously close to small talk, she went straight to the point.

"Why are you here?" she asked. "And, more specifically, why is he here?" She nodded toward Robin, acknowledging him for the first time. He obviously wasn't used to being talked about in such a manner because he opened his mouth to respond, but Cyborg held a hand up to stop him.

"He's here because he's investigating Raincoat. It's likely that they're behind a recent rash of kidnappings – metahuman kidnappings. He asked for my help," Cyborg said. "We're here because I want to ask for your help."

Raven eyed him warily.

"This isn't another one of your attempts to get me involved in the superhero business, is it?" She asked him. At that, he looked mildly insulted.

"Raven, you asked me not to do that any more, so I didn't and I won't. I honestly think you're the best – no, I honestly think you're the only person that can help us. You should know by now that I wouldn't ask if I didn't think there was any other option."

She sighed, because she did know that. And she also knew that if it was anyone else but Cyborg, she'd turn them down immediately. But he had helped her when she had first arrived, and he'd checked up on her every now and then, so she owed him. She owed him at least enough to hear him out. So she turned to Robin and addressed him directly for the first time.

"What's the situation?" she asked.

He broke it down for her; the kidnappings, the blueprints, their plan to do a recon, how it had failed, and Cyborg's suggestion that they come visit her.

"Basically, we're sure they're the ones responsible, but we don't have any proof. We can't get any proof unless we can get inside. We can't get inside unless we can get the blueprints, and the blueprints we can get are wrong. So we need you to get inside and find proof, and/or rescue the prisoners," he finished.

She was silent, pondering the problem. Teleportation seemed an obvious choice, but that was always risky if you didn't know where you were going – blueprint problem again. The other option was to walk in through the front door, either by invisibility or mind control. Raven reached across to the pile of books, extracting one from the middle, being careful of the mirror still balanced on top. Having safely removed the book she flipped it open and began searching through it.

Yes, mind control would be the better of the two options. Sneaking around was useful, but it was still better when you knew what you were looking for and where to find it. With mind control, however, she could get the full guided tour.

She reached the page she was looking for and read it over. It would be difficult, but not impossible. It might drain her for a while though. She closed the book and looked up at Robin and Cyborg, who had been watching her wordlessly.

"I'll think about it," she said. "If I do agree to do it, it'll take a couple of days to prepare anyway. I know how to contact you." She rose to her feet, and the others followed suit.

"Raven…" Cyborg started, and then paused, considering his phrasing. "It might be better, if you do decide to help us, for you to join us in the Tower."

It was an old discussion between them, as he was uncomfortable with her staying where she was, and quite vocal about telling her so. She had always politely yet vehemently refused the offer, hence his reluctance to bring the topic up.

"Join the Titans in the Tower?" She replied, as she always did. "But what happens when the Olympians come knocking?"

The first time she had asked him that he had been confused, his knowledge of ancient Greek mythology sketchy at best. But he had read up on it, and now knew the tales of how Cronus had been defeated by Zeus.

"I don't believe in destiny or prophecies. If the Olympians come knocking, I'll knock them right back."

Oh, Cyborg, Raven thought. If only you knew.

"Besides," he continued, "I don't know about you, but I'm not planning on having kids any time soon and even if I do, I promise you here and now that I won't eat a single one."

Raven had to smile at that. A small smile, but it was there. And he did have a point; it would be easier to work in the Tower.

"I suppose that as long as that's clear, and only if I agree to help you, I'll join you in the Tower for a while."

He beamed at her, pleased at even that small concession.

"That's great!" Cyborg said as she finally managed to guide the other two out of her room. "I don't want to rush you or anything, but try and let us know as soon as you can."

"I will," she responded, and then she closed the door. Faintly she could hear Robin asking Cyborg if she was always like this, but she put the two of them out of her mind. Now she had to decide whether to help them or not, and that meant thinking about why she was here in the first place.

It wasn't that complicated, really. She was no longer welcome in Azarath so she had come here, and once she had arrived, she knew that this is where she was meant to be. And that could only mean one thing.

This was the world that Trigon would invade.

She had considered running, at first. Leaving this place, doing anything she could to rebel against the prophecy. But she knew in her heart that it would come true eventually, just as she knew in her heart that it would happen here. No matter how far she ran, no matter how she tried to hide herself, destiny would bring her back here for the end. Which meant that running would be no more than a waste of energy.

So she had decided to stay, and Cyborg, who she had almost landed on top of when she first arrived, had helped her find a place to live and sell what possessions she brought with her for money. He had tried to convince her to join a superhero team, partly to get her out of the crummy apartment she was staying in and partly, she thought, for the companionship. Every time he brought it up she had refused, and she couldn't bring herself to tell him the real reason why.

She just couldn't do it. She couldn't go out there and save people's lives, she couldn't put herself up on a pedestal to be respected and admired, couldn't bring herself to save the world when she knew that, one day, she was going to end it.

This was different, though. This was just a one time thing. At the end of it, Robin would go back to Gotham, and Cyborg would step forward to become the superhero that protected Jump City. There was no real supervillain threat here; she knew that Cyborg was more than capable of handling the place on his own. If things got a little tougher down the road, well, he'd made friends with Robin now.

Having gone over the pros and cons, she decided to meditate for a while, allowing time for all her initial emotions and reactions to seep away. She was already sitting back on her cushions, so she merely closed her eyes and emptied her mind.

Having done so, Raven didn't even get a chance to begin her customary chant before she felt a tug in her mind. Pulling her attention to it, she realised what it was, and immediately it faded as the shock made her lose her concentration.

It was Destiny.

She'd always had precognitive abilities; apparently, she'd recited the Prophecy herself the day she was born, which had really freaked everyone out. But never before had it presented itself to her more clearly. It always came in dreams, or on the odd occasion when she was ill and had a fever. Never when she was lucid. Never like this.

It was unmistakable, though, and what it was saying came through loud and clear: help them.

She realised she would probably have done so anyway, even without this message – she owed Cyborg too much to let him down – but there was no doubt in her mind now.

She dragged herself over to the mattress and lifted it up, snatching out the clothes she had stashed under there. Feeling around in the pockets of the jeans, she finally managed to pull out a communicator that Cyborg had given her for emergencies.

"Cyborg?" she spoke into it.

"Raven? What's up?" He was having to shout in order to be heard, the whistling of the wind drowning out most of the noise. They must still be in transit.

"I'll help," she replied. She heard him whoop.

"That's great! Get to the Tower whenever you're ready!"

She glanced around the room.

"I'll beat you there," she said, standing up. She reached down to pick up the clothes but after a second's hesitation, she decided against it. Instead, she turned and picked up the books, one hand steadying the mirror on top. Without any further ado, she sank into the shadows, and reappeared at the front door of Titan Tower, watching as a red motorcycle crossed the bridge and pulled up in front of her. It was raining again. Cyborg jumped off and rushed to help hair with the books as the door opened behind her.

"Thanks a lot for helping us Raven, I've got no idea what we would've done if you said no."

"Now that you've decided to help us, do you mind enlightening us as to what your plan actually is?" Robin said, as he followed them into the hallway.

"Of course." Raven replied. "I intend to use a spell in order to make them think I'm a member of the board of executives. There's one spell in particular that I'm aware of that even gets the subject's own mind to fill in the blanks, almost like the way phoney psychics make vague suggestions and get their clients to provide the details. Using that I'd be able to walk in as you see me, and they wouldn't suspect a thing. People with mild amounts of mental training can dispel the illusion, but I honestly don't foresee that being a problem. Once I'm in, I'll demand a full inspection of the base. Hidden cameras or microphones can broadcast everything back to you. You'll get your layout of the base, and probably some pretty damning evidence besides."

"Good plan." Robin said.

"I don't have all the materials for the spell, but I know where I can get them. It's unlikely I'll be ready to go until two days from now."

Cyborg had led them to a small room with a table and a bed. He dumped the books he was carrying on the table, as did Raven hers, although with slightly more care.

"You don't seem like the type to have friends around often, yet you have rather a large number of spare rooms." Robin said. "Any reason for that?"

"Scientists are famous for pulling all-nighters," Cyborg replied. "I think these were the rooms they crashed in when they finally needed sleep."

"Well, they're certainly coming in handy now. I think it's time we put them in use. Good night, both of you." Raven and Cyborg watched as Robin left the room, crossing the corridor and going in the one opposite. After the door closed, Raven turned to Cyborg.

"I bet you he sleeps in the mask," she said.

"I could use the security cameras to find out, but that would unethical," he replied, a twinkle in his eye.

"Oh yes. Very unethical."


Later that day, after returning from a visit to the local magical materials supplier, Raven was a little surprised to be invited to a friendly game of hide and seek. She was even more surprised when she accepted.

It wasn't like she had anything better to do, she rationalised, as she teleported for the umpteenth time across the Tower just as she was about to be discovered.


Raven was not quite sure how Robin had managed to procure a limousine, nor exactly how they would have explained to any police that stopped them just what business Cyborg had in driving it. It was a relief, then, that this proved unimportant, as the police did not stop them.

The limo slowed to a halt in front of the main gate into the Raincoat facility. One of the guards stepped towards them and Cyborg pressed a button to roll the window down. Moment of truth.

The guard peered into the car, taking in the half-robot teen driver, and the two costumed teens in the back. There was a slight risk coming in undisguised, but if the spell worked like it was supposed to, it wouldn't matter. If it didn't, no disguise would get them where they wanted to go.

"State your name and business."

Cyborg picked up a sheaf of papers on the passenger seat and handed them to the guard, even as Raven pushed the spell onto what she knew would be the first of many victims. If it worked.

"Miss Raven is here to inspect the facility and evaluate the progress of all current projects." Cyborg said.

The papers had very little written on them, but it was hoped that the guard would interpret them as giving the proper orders and clearance for a surprise inspection. The way his eyes widened as he read on indicated that it was working.

"Open the gate!" He shouted to the man inside the guardhouse. "And alert the project manager!"

Cyborg took the papers back and placed them on the seat beside him.

"I do apologise, Ma'am, if everything is not entirely up to scratch. We were not informed that you were to be arriving." The guard said as he nervously watched the gate open slowly.

"I believe," Raven said, "That that is the purpose of a surprise inspection."

The guard visibly paled.

"Yes Ma'am. Of course Ma'am."

He looked entirely too happy to be able to wave them through the now open gate. Cyborg followed the road and pulled up just outside the main entrance, which was part of the administration building. Still acting the chauffeur, he got out of the car to open the door for her. She stepped out, thanking him, and looked up to examine the building. It wasn't very interesting.

Cyborg got back into the limo and drove it on, parking it not far from the entrance. He and Robin would remain inside, watching what was happening via a hidden camera in the broach that tied her cloak.

The front door burst open and a man in a suit came striding out, being tailed by four armed guards. The man was tall, with previously dark hair that was now greying. He seemed most displeased.

"What do you think—" he began, but was interrupted by Raven.

"Mr Jamieson, I'm pleased to finally meet you. The other executives have told me of your great ability to organise and run this installation, I hope you can live up to their tales." She offered her hand to him, all the while pressing her mind upon his. He was the one that really mattered. Mr Frank Jamieson was the project manager at the facility, effectively the guy in charge, and if he could be convinced then everyone else should follow suit, mind control or not.

A look of confusion passed over his face, quickly replaced by embarrassment. He reached out and shook her hand.

"Miss Raven," he managed to stammer out. "What do you think…of the building?" She turned to examine the building once again, pretending not to notice his rather blatant cover up.

"It certainly fulfils its outward purpose," she responded. "Shall we go inside?"

He guided her in, and she found the time to imprint all of the guards as well, as a safety precaution. She was stopped at reception in order to pick up an ID badge, but from that point on she was effectively a tourist being shown every minute detail for an excruciating length of time, starting with the administration building. They were working their way up the floors, and half-way up she developed a headache from the strain of maintaining the illusion, but she pushed it to the back of her mind.

She had been shown the entire admin building and was riding the elevator back to the ground floor when Jamieson's monotonous stream of information was interrupted by his cell phone ringing. He apologised, and answered.

"What is it?" A pause. "Just now?" Pause. "What do you recommend?" A longer pause, during which he glanced towards Raven. She shifted her weight, beginning to feel uncomfortable. Had her cover failed? "No, I'll do it." Pause. "I'll be there in five minutes." He hung up, not bothering to say goodbye, and turned towards her again.

"It seems we have a situation," he said. "We've detected an alien spacecraft entering the atmosphere, and it looks as if it's going to crash. Nearby. If we're lucky we'll be able to get some more subjects. I'm going to lead four units out to the crash site, and hopefully we can bring something back in with us."

The elevator doors opened and he strode out into the hall.

"Hopkins," he said to one of the four guards that had been escorting them. "Continue to guide Miss Raven through the rest of the Upper Levels. Show her the holding cells, but go no further. Once she has seen them, please take her safely back to my office." The guard nodded a yes sir, and Jamieson addressed Raven once more. "I apologise for this interruption, but I am needed elsewhere. I hope you don't mind me reserving the honour of showing you the Lower Levels for myself."

"Not at all," she said, only managing to smile because she was finally getting rid of him.

The guards led her through to the new part of the building, the extension that was the only visible sign of the work carried out last year. Hopkins had obviously never had to perform such a task before, and as such he merely took her into the rooms and told her what they were used for, rather than giving the entire history of each particular square foot dating back to the late eighteen hundreds, as Jamieson was fond of doing. Raven was grateful for the reprieve. She made a point of asking some of the scientists at their workstations what they were working on, but this seemed to be where the legitimate research was carried out.

At the end of the main corridor that ran through the length of the extension was a set of double doors. The guards brought her to these last, and when she was led through them she saw only another set of doors. However, the new set had no less than eight men guarding them.

The holding cells.


AN: And there we have chapter 3, the Raven chapter. I was quite surprised by the relationship between Cyborg and Raven, it managed to sneak in when I was looking the other way. Looking back, though, it'll probably be a better grounding for their friendship than "Car Trouble" was.

Next up: Beast Boy, or Starfire? YOU DECIDE!

That's a total lie. I've already decided what's next.