Chapter 4 - Six Months Of Nothing

6 Months later...

Robin stood over the panels with a hand over his chin. He scratched at the light stubble that formed. Sighing, he sat down and pondered the events of the last few months.

'Six months,' he thought to himself. 'It's been six months since Raven up and left. And, we are no closer to finding her than to figuring out why she left to begin with.'

In the days following her departure, Starfire was sent on a mission to place a tab on Raven. A few days after, the red headed alien returned looking defeated and forlorn. There was no trace of Raven. Nor any word of her since that night. She looked at every buss station, airport, and train station for any sign of her. She flashed Raven's photo to everyone she came across. However, there was no one that recognized her. It was almost like she evaporated. Perhaps she had, Robin thought. She was, after all, not from this dimension. Perhaps, she figured out a way to travel to another dimension completely since Azareth was destroyed.

Robin let out a heavy sigh and leaned back in the chair. Extending his arms out, he stretched to relieve the heaviness in his joints.

"It's hard to close the day without any word of our friend Raven," Starfire's voice echoed from behind him. Hands touched Robin's shoulders, making him jump slightly. He eased into her embrace and leaned his face against hers.

"Another day," he agreed in defeat. His hand caressed hers as it lay over his chest. "Where's Beast boy?"

It was a typical question between them. One would take the week to personally look after the heart broken changeling. Looking after him had become a daily chore. Since Raven's disappearance, Beast boy spiraled down into a depression so deep none of the Titans seem to have a resolution. A month after, Beast boy resigned from the team, though he stayed in the Tower at Starfire's persistence. That left only Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg to defend the city. Being as cautious as he was, Robin recruited help from Aqualad and Kid Flash. The two packed their bags and moved into the Tower as soon as they asked.

"He left early this morning," the alien explained. "I believe he is doing another round of searches."

Robin let out a long sigh. "Raven is long gone," he stated. "Has been. And, at this point, I doubt she is ever coming back."

"But what of this danger, she expressed in her letter to Beast boy?" Starfire asked. It was a question that all the Titans repeated through out the months. Through out their dinner conversations, late night hang outs, and of course – the mission meetings, it was always somehow brought up. And, like always, the question left each and every Titan scratching their head.

Robin had no reply.

"I miss our friends," Starfire began, trying not to sound too depressed. Robin turned to her in the chair. In one quick swoop, he pulled her down into his lap. Starfire leaned into his embrace. It was in these moments, she could let her optimism disintegrate. They were alone. He was her rock.

Robin listened to her soft sobs, his heart breaking for so many things.

The inconsolable alien in his arms.

The way he couldn't comfort her or his best friend.

The undeniable ache felt in each member of the team at the loss of Raven.

And, of course for Raven, herself.

'Damn you!' he thought to himself, mentally picturing himself shaking the life out of the dark empath. 'After everything we've been through! How could you walk out on us? This team needs you!'

But of course, his own heart ache would need to be set aside. His strength was needed for Starfire, who took Raven's departure just as hard as the changeling. Raven had been her best friend for all intents and purposes. Perhaps, they didn't hang out like most girls did – go to the bar or the mall – talk about boys- that sort of thing. But, they were allies and in their strange way, they bonded. A half demon and an alien.

The spark in Starfire had died a little in the last six months. Robin did his best to keep her spirits up. The hope was flared in the beginning. Raven couldn't have gotten far. But,as the weeks past and then entire months, that hope dissipated. For some, like the alien in front of him, it turned into sadness. For Robin, it turned into anger and bitterness.

"We will find her," he declared in a soft voice. He felt like he sounded like a broken record. "Where ever she went, I won't stop until I find her."

Starfire pulled away from him. Her green eyes met his, searching for the honesty that she heard in those words. With a nod, she leaned forward to kiss him. Robin met her kiss with his own.

'I will find you, Raven.' he thought to himself. The two parted after a long moment. Starfire leaned forward and rested her head against Robin's shoulder. 'If only I knew where to begin to look...'

He couldn't recall when he dozed off. He rarely dreamed anymore. If he did, he could never remember them. The next thing he knew, it was morning and Starfire was gone. Leaning forward, he rubbed his eyes. The clock on the dashboard flashed six. A small beep echoed in the room, alerting him of an incoming message. He cracked his neck, anticipating an incoming email from the police station, informing the Titans of some villain on the loose. Instead, it was a email from an unknown email.

Spam was unheard of him his mailbox. The address was only used by the police, the mayor, and other Titans. Not to say that it could never happen, it was still doubtful. He looked at the sender's address, his eyes furrowing.

Rachel Roth

'Who is that?' he wondered as he clicked on the message. Normally, if it was from an unknown sender, the boy wonder would chop it off as an advertisement message and delete it. Whether it was from curiosity or that small glimmer of hope that anything would crack the Raven mystery, he couldn't say. Regardless, he still clicked on the message and his eyes widen at the words that flashed on the screen.

Boy wonder,

Birds of a feather, flock together.

Gathering on the post not too far

Before the clock tocks four

When the daylight has all but gone

Ms Roth

Robin's heart drummed in his chest. "Raven..."

To be continued...

Author's Note

I almost let this story die. But, I could never let that happen! I actually had writer's block for the longest time. Sorry about that! I hope this was an interesting chapter. I think I figured out where I want it to go. Sorry it took so long.