Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story line and any original characters. Everything else belongs to DC Comics. Some of this chapter is taken directly from the episode "Divide and Conquer".
Chapter Three
The Titans receive an alert early in the morning from the high security prison. The news is odd. Instead of a villain breaking out of jail, the Titans will have to deal with one trying to get in.
Beast Boy is the first to speak as the team appears at the scene.
"You know, Cinderblock, normally the bad guys break out of jail."
Robin stands next to him. "And I can think of five good reasons why you don't want to break in." He makes a leap and lands in a crouch just before Cinderblock. He grins devilishly. "One."
Starfire flies around, landing next to Robin. "Two."
Beast Boy makes his somewhat dramatic entrance as a tiger. The moment he takes the spot on Robin's other side he shifts back to his human form. Momentarily he fails to change back his head and an arm, but those are quickly morphed back as well. "Three!"
Raven lands just behind the others. Her hands are shining with magic. Her glare is piecing as it bores into the villain.
"Four," she utters in a dark and dangerous tone.
Lastly Cyborg runs over, jokingly out of breath and stands next to Raven. "Five."
Robin raises an eyebrow; well it's assumed he does. It's a little hard to tell what his eyes are doing under the mask.
"No matter how you do the math, it all adds up to you going down. So, are you going to go quietly?"
"Or is this going to get loud?" Cyborg finishes.
"Titans, Go!"
This being the Titans' third fight with a criminal, it should go swimmingly. The third time's the charm. Right? No.
Just when the battle should end, a move of Robin's and Cyborg's goes wrong. The fight that ensues leaves Beast Boy and Starfire cowering, and Raven standing there with annoyance clear on her face.
"This isn't going to end well," Beast Boy says quietly.
Surprisingly, Beast Boy is right. The fight between leader and second-in-command ends with Cyborg quitting the team. The four remaining members dejectedly make their way home. As it's late they all separate and head for their bedrooms.
"He's in pain, Rachel," the black dress says. Raven shakes her head. "He can't be. He's too strong."
"He is injured, and he has lost hope. Did you think your leaving would have no effect on him? Did you think he wouldn't be hurt? Or that he wouldn't be angry? He's lost without you, Rachel."
"No… no… He's okay. He's strong enough. Everything is better without me there. They're all so much safer."
The white gowned woman frowns. "Do you truly believe so little of yourself?"
Raven narrows her eyes. Her chakra flashes.
"How dare you ask me that? I'm half-demon. What is there to believe in? I am nothing. Nothing. I was born to be a means to an end. So yes, I do believe so little of myself. Rorek is better off without me, as is Arella and the others on Azarath."
The white dressed woman shakes her head. "You were meant for more than this, Rachel."
"I am Raven!"
"He can't be in pain," Raven whispers as she throws her covers aside. She makes her way out of her room, heading to the roof. "I need to meditate. I have to think on what these dreams mean."
She sits on the edge of the roof, legs dangling over the building.
"What are you doing up?" A hoarse voice asks. Raven glances over her shoulder to see Robin standing there. "What are you?" She retorts.
"I asked you first."
"I had a vision, needed to meditate. What about you?"
"I couldn't sleep, can't help feeling bad about the fight with Cyborg."
Raven makes a noise. "I'm not going to be sympathetic about that, Robin. I'm remaining neutral in this. You're both in the wrong, and I refuse to take sides."
"I wouldn't ask you to." Robin takes a seat next to her. "Where did you get that ring?"
Raven swallows her discomfort. "I… a family friend gave it to me."
"Was he your lover?" She stares at him. His mask blocks her emotions but Raven is an empath. She can feel his jealousy, and his anger at the idea of Raven having a lover.
She shakes her head rapidly. "I can't talk about this, Robin. I respect your secrecy and unwillingness to speak of your past. Now I need you to respect mine."
He tilts his head. "Of course," He says softly.
"Thank you. Now I need to meditate, if you'd be so kind."
Without another word Robin leaves the roof. Raven breathes a sigh of relief once he's gone. Maybe she can find peace in this place.
Raven sits looking over the computers, checking the crime rates. This is normally Cyborg's job. Beast Boy stands behind her, pacing with a phone in his hand. He continuously calls Cyborg's phone, getting the messaging machine each time.
Starfire stands at the counters making something. When she finishes stirring it she goes up to Beast Boy. "Taste," she orders. He opens his mouth to protest and she shoves the spoonful in. Beast Boy almost immediately spits it out, wiping at his tongue with his hands.
"Gah! What is that? Cream of toenails?"
Starfire smiles and shakes her head. "No, it is Pudding of Sadness."
She goes up to Raven next. "Try. The displeasing taste will ease your troubled mind."
Raven frowns. "My mind is never troubled. People come, people go. It's pointless to be upset about Cyborg."
This statement causes her hair to fly about wildly. The monitors behind her crack.
So what if I am upset about Cyborg leaving? I have enough on my plate without worrying about Robin and Cyborg's cat fight. I'm sure he'll come back eventually.
Raven raises an eyebrow at Starfire's wide eyes. "What?"
After trying to get Robin to try the pudding and failing, Starfire wanders off. Yet another awkward silence falls over the team as Beast Boy asks whose turn it is to do dishes, and Robin says it is Cyborg.
Robin does the dishes and then leaves. It's only due to Raven's heightened hearing that she's aware of Robin apologizing to the picture of the two of them.
The alarm sounds and Raven begins gathering information. She frowns upon finding out the name of the villain. She informs Starfire and Beast Boy, leaving both of them upset. Robin comes running in.
"Cinderblock strikes again?" He asks.
Beast Boy shakes his head in denial. "We wish."
The fight with Plasmus is long and hard, especially once he splits into five different creatures.
"Five against four isn't good odds," Beast Boy says. Robin glares. "I don't care about odds. We need a plan." He thinks it over. "Titans, separate!"
Raven immediately flies off, allowing the octopus creature to chase her. Dark magic encompasses machinery, the screws and bolts falling out so that the machines fall over. The octopus dodges all of them.
Raven curses softly. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"
The next machine to fall hits the octopus in the side. Raven looks back. The monster is directly in front of her, fully recovered and ready to fight.
For the next few moments the enemies engage in a dance. Raven throws spells and machines. The octopus retaliates by wrapping it's goo around her. She uses her magic to escape, and the cycle repeats itself. It is only after a bolt is shot through it that she gains the upper hand.
She whirls around, ready to face whoever helped her. Only she finds Cyborg, not an enemy. "Why did you help?" She asks softly as she steps toward him.
"So the fight Robin and I had may've been immature…"
Raven shakes her head in disdain and amusement. The duo heads off to find Robin and the others.
It is after Cyborg saves Robin from the vat full of a liquid sure to be a biohazard that the two use their sonic boom move to knock out Plasmus permanently. They head outside and stand around waiting for the Police to come in and detain the sleeping man. Cyborg and Robin officially make up, leaving Starfire to engulf them in a group hug.
Raven watches the interactions from the sidelines. She still isn't comfortable being part of a group dynamic. Concern flares in her when Beast Boy reminds the team that they still have to deal with Cinderblock. The concern disappears, replaced by a suppressed happiness, when Cyborg tells them he's already done it. Something about a peace offering…
"Thanks," Robin tells him. "But there is one thing that's still bothering me."
A common reaction comes from Raven, Beast Boy and Starfire. They're all surprised, and then wide-eyed with disbelief. How can anything actually be bothering him? He's made up with Cyborg. Cinderblock and Plasmus are both going to jail. No one is injured… What is going through the Boy Wonder's mind?
"Breaking into jail?" He continues. "Using Plasmus to distract us? The whole plan seems to be a little too smart for Cinderblock."
Cyborg nods along as Robin speaks. "I've been thinking the same thing." Beast Boy and Starfire sigh, relieved. Raven is also relieved. She just chooses not to show it.
"Someone must have been pulling the strings. But who?" Robin wonders. He looks off in the direction of Titan's Tower, as if whoever is pulling the strings is going to take his new life away from him.
Cyborg places a hand on his shoulder. "Well, whoever it is. They're no match for the Teen Titans."
The Titans stand in their common area celebrating both their dual victory and the reunion with Cyborg. A flash of magic appears and an envelope lands on the floor. Raven stares at it with wide eyes, recognizing the parchment to be exactly the same as that of the other night.
She moves toward it, unwillingly picking it up. Her teammates stare at her as she opens it and the soul magic emerges.
"They are fatal."
Like the last time, Raven stands stoic.
Robin looks at her and takes a step to her.
"Raven, what is going on?"