Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to the Teen Titans or any characters in the DC Universe.

"Ok brainiac, I'm listening."

Hugo Strange replied with a smile of self satisfaction.

"First of all, you must understand that we never had this conversation. If you fail on your quest not only will you not get your wife back but I will deny any involvement, and no one will believe you if you try to implicate me."

Spivak did his best to read Strange's face, but to no avail. The psychiatrist was a blank canvas.

"How do I know you won't double cross me?"

"Unfortunately I can offer no such proof."

"Then you have to give me a hedge so I can protect myself."

Hugo Strange shook his head.

"You could use your hedge to compromise my position. I'm afraid that's not acceptable Mr. Spivak."

Spivak frowned at the psychiatrist.

"I don't like this deal Strange."

Hugo Strange shuffled in his chair, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Spivak.

"Before you outright decline my offer, you should hear it first."

Spivak gave him a skeptical look.

"Humor me Doctor. What do you want me to do? Rob a bank or something?"

"Oh no, it's nothing as crass as that. It's actually rather simple you see."

Strange paused before continuing.

"I have enemies who do not approve of my 'progressive' methods of treating the criminally insane. These include Commissioner Gordon, the Mayor, and our financial benefactor Bruce Wayne. But above all the greatest threat to my work is the Dark Knight."

Spivak instinctively tried to bolt from his chair but was still restrained by his shackles.

"The Bat? You want me to take out Batman? Are you nuts? "

"I never said it would be easy Mr. Spivak. But there is a bonus in it for you."

Spivak looked quizzically at the mad doctor.

"What are you talking about?"

"The green boy." The psychiatrist said with an evil grin. "You want to get even with him, don't you?"

As Strange taunted Spivak he could see a vein throb on his forehead.

"He's in Jump City. And what's he gotta do with the Bat?"

"The Titans are in town, no doubt to attempt to secure your wife's release to their custody. In fact, I have an appointment in an hour with the Dark Knight himself and I understand that he isn't coming alone."

"So you want me to take down the Bat and the Titans? Would you also like a pony while I'm at it?"

Strange chuckled. "I see you still have your sense of humor. That's good."

Spivak scowled. "I'm not joking Strange. How the hell am I supposed to take them down?"

"Strategy my friend, strategy."

"Like that's ever worked for anyone before. No one can take down the Bat."

"That's why you're going to kill the Changeling first."

Spivak gripped the telephone handset even tighter with his hand.

"Ok, I'll admit I like that idea. He's a lightweight so it should be easy. But what will that accomplish, besides pissing off the Titans?"

"Exactly Mr. Spivak! It will throw the Titans into turmoil! The sorceress will want to avenge her spouse's death of course. And his death will have to be extremely violent and she must witness it, if we are to get the reaction we want out of her."

Spivak replied in a mocking voice.

"And having the most powerful Titan trying to kill me would be good because?"

Strange grinned.

"Because Batman and the other Titans will try to stop her. You do know that she is half demon?"

Spivak's eyes became as wide as saucers.

"It's a tightly guarded secret. Anyway, kill her mate and she will go insane with rage. Batman and the Titans, in an act of noble morality, will try to stop her from avenging his death and they will fail. I expect that she will kill some, if not all of them in her demonic fury. She will be weakened after that and you should be able to finish her off."

"I don't know Strange. There's a lot that could go wrong. I mean, going up against a demon?"

Strange clasped his hands, resting them on his lap.

"If it's certainty that you desire, your cell awaits you."

You son of a bitch.

"Ok Strange, let's pretend I'll agree to your hare brained scheme. How do I do this? My powers are gone."

"I will of course provide you with the antidote. We will stage your escape. You'll be in my office for a session; where you'll overpower me and steal the antidote. Since you'll be in the hospital wing your escape should be easy and uneventful."

"Ok, I like that. So tell me, how do you know I won't run away?"

"It's very simple Mr. Spivak. If you do not perform my bidding your wife will meet an untimely and clearly accidental demise."

Spivak scowled again. "And you say I'm criminally insane."

"I can wait for your reply Mr. Spivak. Think about it. Would you really rather spend the rest of your life here, or would you rather take a chance?"

Strange hung up the handset and then pressed an intercom button.

"We are done Sergeant. You may take him back to his cell."

Richard emerged from his changing room, attired in his new costume. Except for his still short hair he looked almost as Starfire had remembered him from the day she had chased Warp 20 years into the future. He wasn't quite as tall yet and still lacked the musculature that he would soon have as he reached full maturity in a few more years. She gave him a very approving smile.

Cyborg examined him with a critical eye.

"I don't know man. It just doesn't seem right."

Batgirl elbowed the tin man. "Oh C'mon Cyborg. He's gonna be a dad. He can't be the boy wonder forever. Just like you guys can't be the Teen Titans forever."

"Yes, we are aware of the chronological implications of our team name. Rob ... I mean Nightwing has mentioned this before." Starfire added.

"It's time to leave." Batman interrupted as he began to walk to the latest incarnation of the Batmobile, which could now seat 4 passengers. Robin followed him as Nightwing kissed Starfire goodbye.

"How about we get some lunch when I get back? There's some really good restaurants downtown."

She cracked a small smile and nodded. Richard rushed to the landmark automobile and jumped in, after which the canopy hissed shut as the car's turbine engines fired up. The black car thundered out of the Batcave in a flash. Cyborg turned to Barbara.

"He sure knows how to make an exit."

"Think about it Vic." She answered. "He has no powers. He has to be intimidating. Even Dick resorts to that, maybe not as much Bruce, but he does. There's a reason his new costume is dark."

Starfire was standing nearby, nervously shuffling her feet. While she thought that her husband did indeed look very dashing in his new superhero costume she was somewhat concerned that he was going to become even more like his mentor and was afraid that he would become more like … Raven. She was happy that her friends were now married, but she did worry at times that Raven's personality could be a wedge that might come between her and Beast Boy.

"You OK Starfire?" Barbara asked.

The princess smiled. "It is nothing friend. But I have an idea. I have the 'cravings'. Let us go have some ice cream!"

Barbara hooked her arm around Starfire's. "Let me get changed back into my civvies and I'll show you where Alfred keeps the ice cream. And I mean the good stuff."

"The good stuff?" Cyborg chimed in. "Count me in!"

"Sorry Vic, but this party is for girls only." Barbara grinned as she and Starfire walked up the stairs out of the Batcave.

Beast Boy was trying to rest on the recliner, clearly restless as he kept tossing and turning, unable to find a position where he was comfortable. Raven was sitting at the table in her swimsuit, reading while sipping on some pineapple juice. Gar finally gave up and jumped off the lounger. He walked over to balcony railing and leaned on it. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"I'm sure she's fine Gar." He heard her voice as he felt her two slender arms wrap around his waist.

"It just bugs me that they locked her up with creeps like the Joker and the Scarecrow."

"I know you're worried Gar, but there's nothing we can do for her. At least nothing that's legal."

Beast Boy turned around and hugged his bride."I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't be thinking about her on our honeymoon."

Raven rested her head on his chest. "I'll admit that I'm not thrilled about this situation."

He nodded in affirmation as he smelled her unique lavender aroma.

"I'm sorry Rae. How about we call Robin real quick, just to see if there's any news?"

"OK." She agreed. "And after that we take a nap. Deal?"

He smiled. "You don't have to ask me twice." He said as he ran into the room to grab his communicator.

Raven watched him sadly as he ran in. She knew that while she had "won", Terra's ghost, so to say, would always hang over their marriage. She thought of the geomancer as Garfield's "ex" and it still made her feel sick to know that they had once been lovers. She had hoped that with her departure to Titans East that she would be able to put these negative feelings to rest once and for all, but the current situation served to remind her that Terra would never really go away. She had been Gar's first love, and Raven knew that wouldn't have happened had she not been so stubborn about denying her feelings for him when they were younger. She knew that had always been the real reason she had disliked the blond from the day she met her. She resented that she had intruded on her turf, both as a hero and as a girl. She hated how the geomancer had been able to flirt with Beast Boy from the beginning, how she made it seem so easy. How she had him eating out of her hand.

Raven recalled how in the early days she and Gar had been close and how she had toyed with the idea of getting closer to him, but she had chickened out every single time. She knew that it had been her lack of self esteem. She had long believed that she was a monster and was afraid of his rejection so she did the only thing she could think of at the time. She rejected him preemptively, reasoning that if she kept him at an arm's length that she could avoid putting herself into a compromising position and getting hurt. And she accomplished this by being snide and cruel to him.

Of course this was nonsense. She had fantasized kissing him from the day they met. But when Terra showed up and he fell for her like a pile of bricks she knew she had blown it. But her stupidity had not stopped there. When Terra "died" and was converted into a statue she could have picked up the pieces. But she let her old inertia and fears keep her from winning him over. The closest she ever came was when the Beast had first appeared and he saved her. It had been the perfect opportunity to get closer to him. She had actually made a half hearted attempt but in the end she let it slip away, again.

And now she was paying the price, and would be paying it for the rest of her life. Had Raven not been so pig headed she would have been his first and only love. Now she would always be tormented with the knowledge that Terra had been his first love, that he had given his virginity to her. Terra was and always would be his first.

But Raven also knew that he had pledged himself to her, and she harbored no doubts regarding his sincerity. In the end she had won and he now belonged to her and Terra was the one forever trapped on the outside. Nevertheless it was a bittersweet victory. If she could turn back time she would do things differently. But not even a demon could do that.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. "Rae, are you OK?" She heard his concerned voice.

"I'm fine. Ready to make the call?"

Beast Boy once again connected the communicator to his lap top and called for Robin's communicator. After several seconds his face appeared on the screen, but he was wearing a different mask than he usually wore.

"Hey guys, how are you doing? Are you still in love?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Raven growled.

"Relax Raven, it's just a joke."

"And a pretty lame one Robin." She snapped back at him.

"I'm sorry Raven. And by the way, I'm not Robin anymore."

"Dude! Whaddya mean you're not Robin? If you're not Robin, then who are you?"

Richard grinned. "Remember when Starfire went to the future?"

"So now you're Nightwing." Raven deadpanned. "Is there any reason you suddenly made this change?"

A young masked teen pushed his way into the camera.

"He had to get out of the way for me!"

Raven frowned. "Aren't you a little small to be Robin?"

"Aren't you a kinda bitchy to be a Titan?" He snapped back at her as Richard shoved him off camera. Raven was scowling.

"Sorry guys, Jason's still a little rough around the edges."

"So Rob, I mean Nightwing, you got any news on Terra?"

He nodded. "We're just coming back from Arkham."

"So what's the deal with Hugo Strange?" Raven asked, her scowl now gone.

"It was … interesting."

The three masked heroes approached the guarded gate at the asylum. They were greeted by a guard with a clipboard. He addressed the Dark Knight.

"Excuse me sir, but it says nothing here about you having companions for your appointment with Dr. Strange."

"Is that a problem?" Batman replied in a menacing voice. Nightwing saw several armed guards aim their weapons at them.

"I'll have to call in and check first. Please wait here." The man replied before returning to the guard booth.

"Keep your eyes open kid." Nightwing warned Robin. "And be ready to move fast."

"They already are." The young boy wonder replied.

A few minutes passed. Batman stood still the entire time, seemingly unperturbed. Nightwing stood next to Batman and attempted to mimic his mentor but began to grow restless as the wait dragged on.

"Relax Nightwing; he's making us wait on purpose. He will see us."

As if on cue the clipboard man once again emerged.

"Dr. Strange will see all of you. Please follow me."

The guard led the 3 heroes past the entrance to the asylum and to the entrance to the hospital, which while less imposing was still very fortress like in its appearance. They were buzzed into the hospital's reception which was small and consisted of a simple desk staffed by a single nurse who greeted them tersely. A large door behind her opened and a young man in a lab coat emerged.

"Sirs, please follow me." Was all he said as the trio followed him into the hospital. He led them down a brightly lit hallway that smelled of pinesol. At the end of the hall was a large door which he opened for them, revealing Hugo Strange seated behind a large desk.

"Gentleman, please have a seat." He welcomed them. "I see that the Bat Clan has a new member. A new and younger Robin I see." He turned towards Nightwing. "And what are you called now? Batman lite?"

"You can call me Nightwing."

"Very catchy. I'm sure the princess approves. So to what do I owe the honor of a visit by the Bat Clan? And where is your lovely red headed assistant? "

"We're here to talk about Terra." Nightwing replied.

"Oh yes, Miss Markov. It was most fortunate for us that she showed up here on her own."

"You tricked her into coming here! You will release her immediately!" Nightwing shouted.

"Well, I see that it's true what they say about you." Strange chuckled.

"And what would that be?"

"Do not be upset Nightwing; I'm merely trying to pay you a compliment. What I mean to say is that you are very protective of your fellow Titans. A true sign of a leader if you ask me."

"You can release her to us Hugo." The Dark Knight interrupted. "She is not a threat to anyone."

Hugo Strange tapped his fingers together. "I would love to take your word for it Batman. But it will be my signature on her release papers and not yours, not that you even have one. But since it's my professional reputation that will be on the line I cannot and will not sign her release until I'm convinced that she is indeed fit to be released."

"And just how long will that take." Nightwing growled.

"My initial examination of Miss Markov has been most promising. I would say that if all goes well she'll be free to leave in just a few short weeks. Maybe in as few as three."

Nightwing snorted.

"You're lucky Beast Boy isn't here yet. I'm not sure I could stop him from charging in here and freeing Terra himself."

Hugo Strange feigned a look of surprise. "He would? I thought he was married to the sorceress? They do make a fascinating couple. You do know that there isn't a therapist in the whole world who wouldn't have warned them to not marry."

"Quit changing the subject Strange. There is nothing wrong with Terra and you will release her."

Strange raised his hand. "I will compromise with you. Once Beast Boy arrives have him and Raven come and see me. Perhaps with their help I could … expedite … Miss Markov's release."

Batman spoke up. "I will contact you once they arrive. And no tricks Hugo. I'll be watching you."

"Do not concern yourselves. Miss Markov is in good hands."

"So he's expecting us?" Beast Boy asked.

"Yes." Nightwing replied. "And if you don't mind I want both of you here ASAP."

Raven sighed.

"I'm sorry Raven; I know it's your honeymoon. I'll make it up to you. Once we get Terra out of Arkham you guys can take off for two more weeks. You can go to Europe. I'll even pay for it."

Beast Boy saw the tiniest of smiles form on her face.

"You have a deal … Nightwing."

"Don't I get a say in this?" Gar complained. Her reply was telepathic.

Don't be stupid! He just offered us two weeks off, all expenses paid!

I know! I just would have liked it if you checked with me first! It makes me look like I'm whipped when you do that! And don't call me stupid!

He saw a look of regret in her eyes.

"I'm sorry Gar. I just assumed you would have said yes." She said out loud.

"And I do! I just would like be asked!"

Nightwing laughed.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY?" The Logans shouted in unison.

"You two are. You've only been married for a week and you're already bickering like an old married couple."

"We don't have to listen to this!" Beast Boy complained.

"You got that right!" Raven agreed with her husband.

Nightwing continued laughing. "Batgirl's already on her way in the Batwing. She should be there in about 3 hours. That should give you enough time to pack and do something honeymooners do before she gets there."

"And what precisely do honeymooners do Nightwing?" Raven asked him crossly.

"Heck I don't know! Why don't you take your boy toy to bed and make love to him?" He was laughing even louder.

"Dude! That is so uncool! And you're such a horn dog. No wonder you knocked Star up!"

Raven said nothing but gave Nightwing one of her better death glares.

"Ok, I crossed the line. I'm sorry." He said apologetically.

"Apology accepted, bird boy." Raven replied. "We'll see you in a few hours."

"Thanks!" He replied. "And before I go I want to say one more thing to both of you."

"What?" Gar replied.

"I love you." He said just before the connection was cut. The screen now only displayed static.

"Augh!! Why did he say that! That was even more uncool!" Gar complained to his wife who was smiling.

"Oh c'mon Gar. He was actually sweet. I think that Starfire is rubbing off on him."

Beast Boy laughed half heartedly. "Whatever. I guess we should start packing."

"It's already done. I just used some magic to take care of it."

"Oh! So we have three hours left. So what do you want to do?"

Raven traced her finger over his bare chest.

"I dunno. What do you want to do?" She said in her deadpan monotone.

Anyone notice who was absent in this chapter? But don't worry! She'll be back!

And once again, some replies.

lpwriter4life – "Who's Spivak? Is he Slade?"

Nope.

Chico Magnifico – "I kind of wish you used Tim Drake instead : ( he was my FAVORITE Robin"

Jason seems to get "forgotten" a lot. They even skipped him and went straight to Tim in 'Batman the Animated Series'. Why? Because the Joker killed him?

Alexpv22 – "It's official, this is now one of my favorite stories (although I already considered it that a few chapters ago.) Wild Man's Journey is right up there alongside some of my favorite works by Dakarikingmykan."

Thanks! I don't know what to say!

Melvis Monroe – "Can't really get over just how out of character Batman is. Its nothing like the dynamic that he and Dick had in any of the animated series'. Its as if he's been replaced by the Adam West version."

Aw c'mon. He didn't even say 'old chum' a single time! Kidding aside, I was trying to model him on Rino Romano's Batman (The Batman). Kevin Conroy's Batman (Batman the Animated Series) is the best, but I think Romano's Batman is more 'compatible' with the Titans.

Titanfan45 – "I'm guessing she's the bait to get her hubby to get even with someone, the bat maybe?"

You seem to have a knack for reading my mind.

Novus Ordo Seclorum – "the rate you are going, you are going to blow "Collateral" out of the water!"

Fat chance! Nevertheless I' m pleased with the following this story has gained.