Though I've mentioned this countless times, I am going to say it yet again, because I really believe that I deserve it: Someone needs to whack me over the head with something very large and very heavy…

As you guys have probably discovered by now, I have a bit of trouble when it comes to updating, mostly because I keep switching off between being creative, and being stuck with writer's block. 'Tis a problem…so, I'm apologizing again for my aggravating incompetence when it comes to posting new chapters, and will do everything in my power (I'm sure you guys are getting sick of hearing this too, because I keep repeating it like a parrot, but I really AM trying) to get better and balance my schedule to make time for this. Plus, to tell you the truth, I've missed writing on this site, and talking (in a sense) to you guys…and I've missed this story a ton. Moving on: Here's a new chapter for "Alone," after about an age…don't kill me?

Chapter Five: Monsters

There was a blank, buzzing sound echoing in his ears, and a frightened, uneasy feeling that slithered and coiled inside of him like a serpent, before tightening

Robin turned slowly, one hand still grasping and trying to massage feeling back into his wrist, for it had gone numb as soon at the armor had appeared. He paid no heed to Raven's approaching footsteps, nor the protective hand she laid on his shoulder; perhaps she was reminding him that he was not alone any longer, or perhaps she thought she could save him from whatever sick and devilish idea that Slade had next.

"Slade," he murmured, poison flooding that single name.

"Robin," the masked man responded calmly. "I see that you managed to survive your encounter with Plasmus…remarkable ideas for him, I must say…and Raven; here to rescue him?"

There was something about the way Slade commented so lightly on the subject of Raven's presence that made both teenagers uncomfortable, for from the way he seemed so unconcerned, it was as if he hardly believed that her arrival would be of any great consequence.

"Yes," the Goth replied tightly, and she squeezed Robin's shoulder, as if to reassure him that she was right there if he needed her. He ignored it, and instead, raised his wrist to bring the armor into full view.

"What did you do to me? What is this, some sort of trick?"

"I'm surprised, Robin…there's no trick—it's merely a reminder…or don't you remember where you've seen this before?"

The Boy Wonder narrowed his eyes, but set aside his caution for a brief moment to stare hard at the wristband that had so suddenly strapped itself onto his body. A reminder of…what? It was obviously some sort of symbol, but…

The recognition of the single piece of heavy, imprisoning armor struck him in the same way he imagined someone might feel when a flash of lightning struck them dead: A horrified jolt of the heart, and then the miserable, freezing cold that made his skin crawl.

He knew that Raven had finally recognized it as well, from the way he heard her breath catch in her throat, and how her hand had tightened to the point of being painful on his shoulder.

"It brings back such…pleasant memories, doesn't it?" Slade jeered softly, arms folding across his broad chest in triumph.

There was such guilt…so many wretched feelings welling up inside him, each one carrying with it another recollection of that horrible time, where he'd been so blinded by his hated, his aggression, and the utmost fear that was buried beneath those two powerful emotions, that he'd had put everything that he stood and cared for at stake…all for the sake of his stupid pride, and his impossible thirst to prove himself to the rest of the world…and there was one of the victims, standing right behind him. How Raven, or any of the Titans, could look him in the eye and still view him as their honorable and compassionate leader, he had no clue…just recently, he'd been caught up in the old obsession, and he'd threatened to hurt them, because he had been so badly bewitched by the masterful illusions that Slade had woven

"Why…?" He whispered plaintively.

There was a pause, as the three of them stood in silence.

And then, far in the distance, Robin heard a rushing sound coming towards them. Raven had noticed it too, he guessed, as she had let go temporarily of his shoulder to look towards the sound. The Boy Wonder shot a brief, suspicious glare at Slade, and was surprised to see that the man had gone.

That couldn't be good.

From out of the shadows, a tidal wave of water came rushing towards them. Robin felt his jaw drop, and Raven gave a somewhat strangled cry as she flung up her hands, trying to cast a spell before they were hit—and a moment too late.

The water crashed down on them, picking them up off their feet and sending them speeding down a tumultuous river. Robin struggled against the current, trying to blink liquid out of his eyes as he searched for Raven amidst the flow. She was swimming and putting up her own fight a couple feet away.

He kicked wildly, trying to keep his head above the surface, while the water swirled around him, trapping him and gushing down his throat, choking his lungs. He couldn't give up—he just had to keep fighting a bit longer, and then…

The water gave a final lurch, and spewed the two of them out, sending them crashing into the ground. Robin sputtered weakly, and vomited up a mouthful of water, trying to collect his bearings.

"Let me guess," Raven said dully, as she picked herself up off the ground from and began wringing her cloak out. "A 'wave of guilt,' right?"

Robin wasn't sure whether to burst out laughing, or scream in disbelief. Slowly, he got to his feet, and shook his head from side to side, beads of water dripping from his hair.

"I can't take much more of this," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

"You're telling me," Raven growled, making her way around puddles to where he stood. "The sooner we figure out a way to get rid of Slade, and get out of here, the better."

Robin turned his face away, recalling their earlier argument, right before the armor had appeared, unsure how to respond to a statement like that after his angry reaction.

Raven must have guessed his thoughts.

"Let's walk around a bit, and try to figure out where we are," she suggested, trying her best to change the subject.

Robin nodded mutely, and did so, following Raven's lead.

The two of them shuffled along in complete silence for several long minutes.

"Do you know where you're going?" Robin asked after awhile. Raven shook her head slowly from side to side, pausing to stare hard into the darkness.

"Not exactly…but I think, if we just go a bit farther… There!" The sudden, excited change in her voice startled him a bit, but Robin quickly recovered and moved closer to her, interested.

"What? What is it?"

"Look," Raven said, pointing into the distance. Robin narrowed his eyes, squinting.

There was a door, about ten feet ahead of them.

"What is that?" He murmured.

"I'm not sure," Raven admitted. "But it's a place to start, right?"

He shrugged.

"Might as well check it out."

With brisk, purposeful movements—mostly to hide his feelings of uncertainty and concern—Robin strode forward, leading the way. Raven trailed after him.

As they reached the door, Robin leaned forward and took hold of the handle. At the contact, a heavy jolt went through him, and he gasped in surprise, staggering forward. He would have tripped and crashed into the surface of the door, if not for the gentle hand that grabbed his shoulder at the last moment and pulled him back.

"Thanks," he said gruffly to his friend over his shoulder. Raven nodded, not meeting his eyes.

Taking hold of the handle again—this time without the shock accompanying it—Robin pushed forward; the door creaked loudly on its hinges, opening into darkness.

"Can you see anything?" Robin asked Raven, who shook her head. Robin felt his heart tighten nervously, and pushed past it, letting the side of him that was the detective creep forward.

"What is this place?" Robin murmured to himself, pushing the door open a bit more. Raven followed, eyeing it nervously.

The room was large, and there seemed to be no end as they took a few cautious steps in. There was little light, but even with dim illumination, the two Titans couldn't help but feel a jolt of surprise as they stared.

It was a prison.

Rows of cells lined the walls, and rafters hung overhead for inspection. It was an exact replica of one back in Jump City, with one minor detail: The doors were hanging wide open.

It was completely empty.

Robin swallowed hard.

"I don't understand…" He said quietly, looking about. "What is this place?"

Raven shook her head, unable to give an answer—she seemed just as confused and alarmed as he was.

A chain clinked lightly somewhere in the darkness, followed by the sound of metal slithering across the floor. Robin and Raven exchanged looks, and began to make their way forward quickly.

"Another one of Slade's traps?" Robin murmured. His companion shrugged, frowning.

"I'm not sure…I don't think it is, but… this might be something else. It might be—"

"Well, well, well," jeered a distorted, metallic voice from high above them in the shadows. "I never thought I'd come face to face with you again, kid!"

Robin and Raven's heads snapped up in the direction that the call had come, only for another teen to appear, clad entirely in black aside from the skull white mask that he wore, and the jagged, crimson X splayed across his chest.

Red X.

Robin felt his stomach lurch as the criminal slunk into view, arms crossed; he could imagine the self-satisfied grin that the thief wore beneath the mask, and his face went hot with anger.

"X!" Robin spat, glaring up at him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Don't you know?" The thief replied maliciously, his tone one of mock-innocence. "We're in your mind…" He paused thoughtfully, before vanishing from his position on the rafters to reappear, seconds later, in front of the two Titans.

"I'm a part of you, whether you like it or not," he hissed. "I'll never be gone."

And he launched himself towards Robin, who just barely managed to raise a fist in defense as he was knocked backwards.

Raven gave a cry of surprise, and began to move forward, ready to help her friend, but a boulder flew from out of the shadows, slamming full-force into her body and sending her sprawling backwards.

Spitting blood out between gasps for air, the Goth looked up, eyes wide, to see an all familiar figure emerging from the darkness of the prison, still pulling off a shackle from around her own ankle, before she stood calmly, hands placed defiantly on her hips.

"Raven," Terra said, eyes still glowing a fiendish yellow. "What a surprise."

The Titan struggled to her feet, feeling energy rush into her limbs, as she mimicked Terra's stance.

"Likewise," Raven growled.

Terra leapt forward, grinning wickedly.

Off to the side, Robin grunted as a fist connected with his jaw, and ducked to avoid another kick that came his way. Red X backed away, as Robin swung at him with an answering punch, and shook his head, as if he were disappointed.

"You're gonna have to try harder than that if you want to hit me," he remarked. Robin's eyes narrowed, and he jumped forward, closing the distance between the two of them. He moved to the side, swinging his left arm in an uppercut, and when X went to block it, Robin's right fist drove towards the thief's stomach. X jerked to the side at the last minute, narrowly avoiding it and delivered a back fist to Robin's face. The Boy Wonder stumbled backwards at the impact, but, ignoring the small trickle of blood that the hit had caused, ran forwards again.

X was waiting for him with a tornado kick, his heel connecting with the hero's diaphragm. Robin coughed violently, stepping backwards and out of X's range. The thief made no attempt to follow, choosing instead to lazily back flip up to the rafters where he had been waiting for them earlier. Robin, still winded, glanced up towards his enemy for an explanation. X only beckoned, waiting.

Unable to resist the challenge, Robin growled, and, running towards an empty cell, braced the ball of his foot on one of the bars that made up its wall and launched himself into the air, landing neatly in front of Red X.

The villain barely gave him a chance to prepare himself. As Robin got to his feet, X rushed towards him, hand curved to deliver a chop to Robin's neck. The Boy Wonder rolled backwards to gain some distance between them and sprang up, lifting his arm into a middle block to stop the attack. As X's attack slammed uselessly into his wrist, Robin curved his knee upward, to drive it into the thief again. He missed again this time, but as X backed away, Robin charged him again with a series of furious blows.

"Would have thought after training with Slade that you'd fight better," X commented lazily, easily avoiding one of Robin's punches.

The Boy Wonder's face darkened and he doubled his efforts. X only sighed, and continued to dodge.

"Come on, kid, what's wrong? Can't you even win one fight? Or are you really that useless?"

"Shut…up…" Robin threatened between his teeth. Red X burst out, cackling loudly at that.

"Why? It's the truth, isn't it? You never win—and you always screw up and put your team in danger. You couldn't even stop Slade from putting those probes in their bodies. What good are you anyway, if you can't even protect the ones that you care about—"

"SHUT UP!"

Robin raised his fist, feeling fury and anxiety flowing through him, and thundering in his ears; his only thought was to cause Red X as much pain as was possible, and he didn't care what happened, so long as he—

Blinding agony erupted in his right arm, and the hero faltered in agony, as two more pieces of armor crawled up to his shoulder. X laughed loudly again as Robin felt his legs buckle beneath him.

"That's what I'm talking about…"

Below, Raven shattered another barrage of boulders coming towards her, only to narrowly avoid being impaled by a long tendril of rock. She was just moving forward to attack again, when Terra hesitated, glancing upward; and Raven, out of plain curiosity, did the same, and felt her heart jolt as she watched Robin collapse.

Red X was already dashing off, probably escaping before Robin or Raven could retaliate. Terra looked away as Robin fell to his knees, and fixed Raven with a twisted smirk.

"Guess we'll have to wait until next time," Terra spat, slowly melting back into the darkness behind her. Raven had no time to let out a sigh of relief, because in that instant, there came an enraged bellow at the other end of the prison. The Goth reached out towards Robin's still form—he must have fainted—, slowly lifting him down to the ground with her powers. She noticed, in the process, the more recent pieces of armor with concern, but as her new adversaries approached, she had no time to dwell on it.

Raven turned back towards the oncoming enemies, and took a deep breath, steeling herself for whatever was to come.

R-R-R

Wisdom bit her lower lip, watching as the two monsters advanced on Raven, while the others were arguing bitterly behind her; much to her surprise, Anger had continued to linger, looking on with all the interest of a curious spectator. It disturbed her, but Rage, aside from the advice she had given Raven earlier, and the cryptic, fleeting smiles that passed over her face, showed no signs of trying to interfere.

"Let me go back!" Courage snapped, raising a fist threateningly. "I can wipe the floor with these creeps, no problem! Besides, it worked last time!"

Timid crossed her arms in front of her chest nervously, and eyed the group of girls that were standing off before her.

"Please…don't fight, guys," she pleaded weakly, but she fell silent, trembling violently, beneath Courage's withering glance.

"C'mon, now," Love said soothingly, slinging an arm around Timid casually, and eyeing the others reproachfully. "We're all a bit stressed, but maybe—"

"Love, I hate to say it, but shut up," Courage spat out, turning on the other emotions immediately. "This is really bad, and without us, Raven can't fight off these new weirdoes. She's probably still wiped from entering Robin's mind, and plus, these guys are completely different than what she's used to. If we don't come down to a decision soon, we're all screwed. So—"

"All of you! Would you please be quiet!" Wisdom found herself roaring. The other cloaked girls fell silent instantly, and huddled together, regarding her with wide, shocked eyes. Wisdom inhaled shakily, and fiddled with her glasses self-consciously, feeling silly and embarrassed by her reaction.

"I think I have an idea," she explained slowly, and more calmly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a smile growing wider and wider by the minute on Anger's face.

R-R-R

Pulsing electricity crackled dangerously, and concrete teeth gnashed together in a smile as Overload and Cinderblock advanced on Raven. The Goth narrowed her eyes determinedly, trying her best to ignore how exhausted she was. Just one more fight, and then maybe she could catch a break…

Robin was laying a ways off, where she had left him. Raven continued to walk backwards in his direction, all the while her hands clenching as she gathered spheres of dark energy. No matter what she was feeling, right now, it didn't matter in the slightest—the important thing was for her to defend Robin, and to get him away from Cinderblock and Overload, so that he could be safe.

After all, that was her original plan in the first place.

She didn't notice the transformation her body was undergoing until she glanced over her shoulder at Robin again; and her eyes immediately latched onto the tips of her cape which were steadily going a bright, sunny yellow.

What?! Wisdom? NO! This can't keep happening—!

Wisdom awoke in full glory, her owl-like eyes opening to take in the sight of the creatures making their way closer and closer to her. Interestingly enough, she felt calm even as Cinderblock let out a warning growl, and rose into the air, arms lifted high above her head. Her eyes went pitch black, as they always did at the onset of a spell, and the familiar words spilled forth from her throat with a renewed force.

"Azarath, Metrion, ZINTHOS!"

Ebony power surged forth, taking on the shape of a tremendous bird, and as the monsters hesitated, taken aback, the bird encircled the pair, swallowing them whole and drowning them in darkness. It receded, little by little, until it had vanished completely, along with Overload and Cinderblock.

Wisdom felt a small burst of pride, before returning to the ground, and allowing Raven control once more.

The Titan nearly keeled over as she flew back into her body. Her powers had been strained to their very extent, and she was completely drained of any sort of energy. It was all she could do to drag herself over to where Robin lay, and hoist him up, circling his free arm around her shoulders. Summoning the very last of her strength, Raven hauled him over to the exit of the prison, passing over the threshold, and slamming the door shut behind them.

Robin moaned slightly as Raven set him on the ground again and sat down beside him, his mask contracting as he stirred. Raven watched him tiredly, unable to do much of anything else.

"Raven?" He whispered.

"I'm here," she told him, trying her best to sound comforting. "It's okay—you collapsed back in the prison, and I got you out. Are…" She paused to take a deep breath, trying to stay conscious herself. "Are you okay?"

Robin laughed deliriously.

"I'm perfect," he sang quietly, "because you're with me."

The words hung heavily in the air, and Raven stared down at him, dumfounded, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly. She felt like a complete moron, but she was too shocked to even think of a good response to something like that.

Robin didn't seem to take notice, and as he slipped back into unconsciousness, she heard him murmur softly: "You're so beautiful…"

The Goth sat back on her heels, still watching her friend with alarm. It was her imagination, it had to be—yes…the whole thing had never even happened. It was complete and total wishful thinking on her part.

Wishful thinking, eh? A voice whispered in the back of her head, making Raven blush all the more brilliantly.

Her cloak tinged a pale shade of lavender, just as her cheeks flushed, and her heartbeat picked up.

Raven took a deep breath and banished all emotions, allowing them to melt away like snow on a warm day. She couldn't afford to react to something like this, especially when Robin probably didn't have half a clue what he was saying. And it wasn't as if she'd ever been attracted to him before now…she was just getting all caught up in the romance of the two of them having to constantly rely on one another under such drastic circumstances.

At least, that's what she was trying to convince herself of.

Raven sighed and looked back at Robin, noticing that his hair was sticking to his forehead in sweaty clumps, and gently brushed it back, her hand trailing down to stroke the side of his face carefully.

Poor Robin…he needs a break more often…

She wasn't even sure what she was doing, but she found herself leaning down, so that their faces were very close together, their lips only inches apart… And withdrew with a sigh a moment later, shaking her head.

She couldn't afford to be weak right now, for Robin's sake, and for her own.

Even if it meant denying that she felt anything for him other than friendly concern.

To be Continued…

Hey! Hope that was good for all of you; I've really missed this story, so there will be more updates coming up, and a lot sooner than the last time that I posted, I can guarantee that. Please review—it'll be great to hear from you guys!

Later!

Rebel