One more chapter after this. That's about all I have to say, so… Enjoy!

I do not own the Teen Titans.

---Chapter Six: Fatality---

Tara Markov dreamed of being famous.

She didn't know what she wanted to be famous for, she just wanted to be important. Because no matter how many people she put down, and no matter how many girls in their school wished they could be her, Tara knew that at the end of the day it meant nothing in the grand scheme of the universe. She hated the thought of being a nothing.

And yet nothing is exactly what she became when a laser fired by a Krog ship ended her life and her dreams.

--------

The five teens stared at Blackfire. She laughed again. "It's not that I need your cooperation," she continued. "I certainly don't need your help. Even as we speak, the Krogs are attacking this pitiful little planet."

Starfire looked at her sister, finally understanding. "You let the Krogs into the palace. You led them to our parents!"

Blackfire yawned. "Really, little sister, are you that clueless?

Brilliant green starbolts formed around Starfire's hands as she launched herself at her sister. Blackfire jumped back in surprise but formed her own pink starbolts. The two of them fought, neither gaining the advantage. Starfire's friends watched in fear and amazement, not sure of what they should do to help.

And suddenly Raven understood what had to be done. She whispered to Vic to look after the other two and pulled Gar away. Vic didn't even have the chance to protest their leaving. Blackfire punched Starfire and sent her flying into a table and several chairs, and Vic was too busy running after Dick to say anything.

--------

Raven let go of Gar's hand once they were out of the mall, but she continued to walk at a swift pace. She passed the moped in the parking lot and kept going.

"Rae, what are we doing? We have to help Star!"

"We can't help her, Gar." She paused as a flash of light, undoubtedly from a Krog ship's laser, lit up the sky to the east. "We can just barely help ourselves."

"Raven, what are you talking about?" When she didn't answer, Gar grabbed her hand and forced her to stop. "Look at me," he said sharply. She turned. Raven's blue-violet eyes were not sad. They were calm and accepting. Accepting of what, Gar didn't know. "Where are we going, and why?"

"We're going to the bank across from the park."

Gar gave her a moment to continue, but she didn't. Instead Raven started walking again. Gar ran to catch up with her. "Why?" he repeated.

Raven took a deep breath. "Our decisions dictate what path our lives will take. We reach a crossroads, make a decision, and continue. It was my foolish decision that got us into this mess. I'm going to fix it."

Gar didn't like the sound of that. "But why the bank?"

"Because that is a place significant to the Titans. Many of our fights took place there. It's an appropriate place for me to die, don't you think?"

Gar froze, staring at the back of Raven's royal blue sweatshirt as she kept walking. "No," he whispered. He ran after her again.

--------

Starfire smiled gratefully at Dick as he helped her stand.

Blackfire laughed. "Oh, how cute. I'll just leave you two lovebirds to die then, okay?" She turned, only to be faced with a football player considerably bigger than her.

"No," Vic said. "It's not okay."

Vic lived in a nice neighborhood. His parents were well-off, and his house was definitely on the higher end of the price range. So technically, there was no good reason for him to carry a knife around. He didn't show it off, so it wasn't to make him look cool. He just carried it.

As he thrust the blade into Blackfire's abdomen, he was kind of glad he did.

--------

"You can't die!" Gar shouted at Raven.

She was tempted to laugh at him, but that would have scared him more. "Everyone dies, Gar."

"But I lo-"

She put her hand over his mouth. "Don't say it. There is no point in saying it. I am not going to change my mind about this, no matter how we feel about each other. So don't even bring it up."

Gar hated feeling helpless, now more than ever. They were at the bank. Apparently the Krogs weren't on this side of Jump City yet. "Now what?"

"I don't know," Raven admitted. Saying she was going to die was one thing. Figuring out how it would happen was another thing entirely. As if to answer her dilemma, a sharp pain went through her head. Raven sank to her knees, coughing. Blood covered the hand that went up to cover her mouth.

"Raven!" Gar shouted.

It was the last thing Raven heard before she slipped into blackness.

--------

It was a parade, to honor the Teen Titans.

Then it was a picnic, just the five of them having fun in the park as if they were normal, all the while knowing perfectly well they were not.

Beast Boy and Cyborg playing video games.

Cyborg winning and Beast Boy furiously demanding a rematch.

Robin yelling for both of them to shut up after Cyborg beat Beast Boy twelve times in a row.

Starfire glomping Robin from behind, making the admonition entirely ineffective.

Raven using her powers to cover everyone's mouth with duct tape so she could have enough quiet to read without having to get up and go to her room.

The secret joy she felt when she levitated, because it was just like flying.

The little smiles she wore when she and her friends relaxed after a battle, because it was the only time they got to be teenagers and heroes.

The pain of Terra's betrayal, multiplied because she could feel everyone's hurt. Beast Boy's was the worst, and it was possibly the first time Raven could remember that she felt like crying. Not that she let anyone know, of course.

Starfire and Robin kissing in Tokyo, because those two had been destined for each other from the beginning.

"A giant chicken. I must be the luckiest girl in the world."

"You think you're alone, Raven, but you're not."

"We're having a moment here. Don't ruin it."

"I thought you could use a little luck."

They weren't the only ones.

--------

Dick and Starfire stared at Vic in shock, much like Blackfire did. But then he pulled his knife out of her and she slipped to the floor. He put the knife away. "Did I kill her, or just hurt her really bad?" he asked Starfire.

The Tamaranean princess couldn't take her eyes off her sister's body. "The wound was fatal," she said softly. "Blackfire is deceased."

Dick looked at her. "Are you all right?"

Starfire turned to him. "Physically I am unharmed. My psyche will need some time to heal."

"I'm sorry," Vic said. "Something had to be done. It was a pretty drastic something…"

"You think?" Dick muttered.

"Yeah, well. The point is that I'm sorry."

"You need not be full of sorrow," Starfire told him. "My sister, had she been brought to trial for the crimes she committed on our home planet, would have been sentenced to death. That she is already dead saves time."

Vic shrugged. He'd never killed anyone, and it was affecting him far more than he let on. "So, where do we go from here?"

"I know just the place," Dick said firmly.

--------

Raven woke up in Beast Boy… no, she had to tell her foggy, pain-racked brain, Gar's arms. Her headache was still present, and she knew it wouldn't be long now.

"What did you see?" Gar asked. He knew it was the wrong thing to say; she was dying! Was she dying? What would he do if she really died?

"I saw life," Raven murmured. "I saw the way life is supposed to be for us, Gar, and it was good. There were bad times, but there were more good times. You have to make sure that the world has good times again, okay?"

Gar smiled, shifting her in his arms. What else could he do? "Okay."

What else could he say?

---End Chapter Six---

And Chapter Seven will be the last chapter of this fic. I'm really sorry about all the slow updates, but you'll be glad to know that Chapter Seven is already finished, so I'll probably post it on Monday. In the meantime, please review!

Seriously. If you liked it, loved it, or even hated it with the fire of a thousand suns, I want to know. Review!