Well, here's Chap. 5.

And the special mention goes to…

YourMoosyFate! (epic name, btw)

Thank you to all who submitted ideas, they were all so good!

To Linzerj- thank you!

To FelynxTiger- haha, thanx. Hope you like this chapter too.

To YourMoosyFate- congrats on winning the "contest"! and at first I thought "would 24 missiles be too much?" but then I thought "hey, c'mon man, it's Titans Tower."

To Chico Magnifico- thanks for the good ideas for chap names! But sorry, no Batman.

And yes, I already have the climax planned out. In fact, I have what happens in every single chapter written down!

And you know, now that I think about it, BB and Rae really don't get any happy moments in this story :( maybe I should fix that.

To MathiasMatt- thanks for the idea and the compliment!

To FallingDarkAngel- lol "omgosh" is the way I write best.

And um… yeah…

Thanks for the reviews, and I hope you enjoy Chap 5! It's long, and it's sort of a filler chapter, but still… it's very important.

Enjoy…

The lights scrolled by overhead, illuminating Raven's now unusually pale face, then plunging it into darkness.

Light.

Dark.

Light.

Dark.

The expression she was wearing was one of disbelief and horror. Titans Tower had fallen.

This also drove home the fact that the government was prepared to kill to achieve their goal. They had sent in helicopters and fighter jets armed with missiles to eliminate her. And Beast Boy too, probably. Right in the mouth of the bay of one of the largest, most heavily populated cities on the west coast. It was madness.

She swallowed and looked at Cyborg's and Bumblebee's faces. They were set and determined. There was no remorse or sadness.

It touched her to find that her friends would sacrifice so much for her. It had been a while since she had fully thought so, but she still somewhat believed deep down that she wasn't deserving of such devotion. She still half expected one morning for Beast Boy to say, "April Fools!" and walk out the door.

But it seemed that it wasn't true after all. A single tear escaped the corner of Raven's eye, and Beast Boy wrapped a comforting arm around her.

After about 10 minutes of silent driving the tunnel ended. Cyborg brought the car to a quiet stop, killed the engine, and walked across the dimly lit gravel floor to a small intercom on the wall. He pressed the button and tapped his foot impatiently while waiting for someone to answer.

Then through the static came a voice that they all knew incredibly well.

"Karen? Victor? Is that you guys?" Robin asked.

"Yes it is."

"What's going on? I looked out my window and saw the Tower under fire! What did you guys do?"

"Um… can we come up first?" Beast Boy asked. "It's kind of drafty down here."

"Wait… is that you, Garfield?" Robin sounded like he thought he was dreaming. "Is Rachael there, too?"

"Yes," Raven said dully.

There was a pause.

Robin cleared his throat. "Yeah… by all means, come in…"

There was a tinny beeping sound and a door slid open out of the seamless rock wall. Inside was a rather normal looking elevator.

"Ladies first," Beast Boy said with a dry smile and let Raven and Bee inside first. Then he and Cyborg squeezed in after them, and the doors slid shut.

There was a shudder and a groan, then the doors opened again. Cyborg fell out backwards onto a tiled kitchen floor and the rest of them got up carefully and filed out.

They were in a stylishly themed kitchen, with dark wood cabinets and black granite countertops. The elevator door closed once they had all exited and the inside of a pantry slid over top of it, hiding it from view. The door swung shut with a soft click.

Standing at the far side of the room, jaw hanging open, was Robin. He was wearing sunglasses (Raven smirked) and a gray bathrobe. A walkie-talkie was in one hand, a mug of coffee in the other.

"Richard? What's going on?" a woman's voice carried from the stairs. "Why are you…"

Starfire stopped dead as she entered the room, vivid green eyes wide. She was wearing loose pink silk pajamas and was holding the newspaper under one arm. Her shocked expression turned serious at the sight of their bruises, and the fact that they were covered in dust and plaster.

"What happened?" she asked. Raven couldn't help but notice that her English was now much better, though it still retained some of her old Tamaranean accent.

"You'll need to sit down," Beast Boy said, and Robin wordlessly directed them all to the couch.

They all took turns explaining what had happened. It was Raven and Beast Boy's third time, and it still didn't seem quite real.

When they had gotten through the whole story, Robin was wearing an expression filled with more rage than any of them had ever seen, and Starfire simply leaned over and pulled Raven into a strong hug. Raven's pendant flashed white for a moment, then settled.

"So…" Robin muttered. It seemed all that he was capable of saying.

"We…" began Starfire. She glanced at Robin, but he nodded at her to keep speaking. "We are grateful that you have trusted us to help you. We will do whatever we can."

"So what's the plan?" Cyborg asked.

"I suppose there's only one course of action," Robin said after a pause. "We run. We have to keep Rachael and Garfield hidden and safe until Emily is born. Until then we can't risk getting caught."

This is going too far! Raven thought anxiously. I can't force them to go through this for me!

"You really don't have to…" she began, but was interrupted by Cyborg, Bumblebee, Robin and Starfire all at the same time.

"Yes we do…"

"Stop sayin' that, we're helping…"

"I will not abandon my friends in a situation like this…"

"Shut up, girl, we are going to help you and that's final…"

Raven blinked, slightly taken aback by their enthusiastic response. Beast Boy looked rather shocked as well.

"Look," said Robin. "Rachael, I know that you've always hated pulling people into things because of you, and I admire that trait, but we WILL help. There's nothing you can say to change our minds."

"Well…" Beast Boy started, but Robin shot him a look.

"You too, Beast Boy. You've always wanted to protect everyone all the time, and you've saved all of us more than we might care to admit. It's time we pay you back."

There was an unsure pause, then Beast Boy's face broke into a wide grin. "Thanks, Rich. I knew I could always count on you."

They clasped hands and shook, smiles on both their faces.

"So what first?" Bumblebee asked. "It won't be easy getting out of Jump City."

"That is true, we will need even more help," Starfire added.

Robin took off his sunglasses and looked them all right in the eyes. His were a beautiful stormy blue.

"Time to get all the old teams back together. The Titans are back."

(…)

The Agent steered his Blackhawk above the smoke hanging heavy in the air and surveyed the Tower. There wasn't much left of it, just a large pile of crumbled concrete with some resilient steel girders poking out the top. Scanners showed that there were no bodies within the wreckage.

He grit his teeth and slammed his fist down on the arm of his chair. They had gotten away again! And this time it was nearly impossible to tell where they would be! From the island they could have gone to any part of Jump. They might even be out of the city by now.

"Objective failed, sir," he muttered into his headset. "The Titans got away."

"Very well, return to base," responded the voice of the man in the black suit. "We'll just have to figure out where they went next, won't we?"

"Yes sir."

(…)

"Alright, Titans, we need to blend in. Disappear. Ideas, anyone?" Robin asked them all. They had moved into the basement, which apparently could fold out into a full-fledged crime lab. Raven and Beast Boy couldn't help but smirk at that.

"Well… we should call everyone nearby," Cyborg said, shrugging. "We'll need all the help we can get."

"Yes, you're right," Starfire said. "I'll do that."

She plopped down in a swivel chair and waited as the screen flickered to life.

"Well, Garfield and I will need new clothes," Raven said in monotone. "I mean, everyone will know our faces eventually, and most around here already do, but a white cloak is a bit conspicuous. As is this guy's goofy shirt."

"Hey now…" Beast Boy said.

"Good point," Robin agreed. "We'll have to get to a shop… Vic? Do you still have your disguise rings?"

"Yeah, but I've got only one pair, though."

"Can you make more?"

"I'll try," the metal man said. "I'll go get some stuff from the car."

He walked up the stairs and out of sight.

"We have connectivity," Starfire announced from her chair. Everyone gathered around and watched the screen. It fizzed for a few seconds before the memorable face of The Flash appeared.

"Hey, wuzzup?" he asked, cocky smile on his face. "What's the problem?"

"Wally, who's that?" called Jinx from somewhere out of sight. They could hear the sound of a shower running.

"Um…" Flash glanced back at the screen before answering. "It's Richard, Kori, Garfield and Rachael."

"What do they want?"

Flash paused. "What do you want, anyway?" he asked them.

"We want help," Starfire said grimly. The group them proceeded to explain. Raven and Beast Boy stayed mostly silent. Raven didn't want to help incorporate her friends into losing everything, even if she couldn't stop them.

When Starfire had finished speaking, Flash's face was wearing a look of disbelief.

"Seriously…?" he whispered. "That's… that's…"

For once Flash was lost for words.

"Will you help?" Robin asked.

"Well… yeah! Of course!" Flash stuttered. "Hang on, I'll go get Jenny."

There was a burst of dust and the man before them was gone. They could hear a conversation in the background.

"Ah! Wally? What are you doing in here?"

There was a muttered reply.

"Wally… Wally! Just because you can talk in super speed doesn't mean I can listen that fast! Slow down!"

There was silence, then…

"WHAT?"

"That's what happened!"

"BUT THAT'S SICK! YES, WE'LL HELP!"

Flash was suddenly back. "She… um… agrees with me."

"Yes, I do!" Jinx snarled, walking up behind him, wrapped up in a towel and hair hanging wet down her back. "What do you need? I'll take them all out by myself!"

"Whoa, easy, Jinx!" Robin said, slightly surprised. He hadn't expected her to react so fiercely. "We just need you guys to help us leave the city and go into hiding. Can you be here in a few hours?"

"I can be there right now!" boasted Flash.

"I can't, though!" protested Jinx, pulling on her dripping hair, looking rather distressed. "But I will be able to go in a bit."

"We'll be here. See you soon," Robin said, and ended the transmission.

Raven stared at the floor. More people giving up all they had…

Beast Boy noticed this, and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Rae Rae. Just don't worry."

"I hate this!" she whispered back. Her pendant buzzed slightly. "Everyone is giving up EVERYTHING! I don't deserve this!"

"Yes you do! Deal with it!"

Raven was about to launch into a full-scale, self-degrading rant about how she didn't deserve any of it at all, but at that moment the screen fizzed back to life.

"Yo?"

It was Arsenal, once Speedy. His hair was still super short and slicked back, but the bow across his back was enormous, more than twice the size of his old one.

"Roy, how are you?" Starfire asked politely.

"Ha! Is that you, Kori? And there's Rich! Man, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

"It has, but unfortunately we don't have time to catch up," Robin said.

Arsenal's happy smile slipped off his face like oil off water.

"What happened?"

So Raven listened to it all again, eyebrows knit and frown on her face.

Arsenal growled. "That's just sick."

"So you can help?" Starfire asked.

"Yeah, I can…" he began, but then the background behind him flashed red.

"Aw…" Arsenal muttered a nasty curse under his breath.

"Looks like Steel City needs you," Robin mused.

"Yeah… stupid villains… I'm really sorry, Raven, Beast Boy… but I don't think I can leave."

"It's okay," Raven said softly. Inside she did a little dance. Yes! Roy lives!

"No problem, Roy," Robin said, smiling wryly. "We all know how it feels."

"Sorry again!" Arsenal called as the connection quit. Raven hid the small smile on her face.

"One more…" Robin muttered, and then the screen showed Aquaman.

"Richard! What's up?" he asked, looking surprised. Behind him was complete darkness.

"Garth? Um… where are you?" Robin asked.

"Oh… long story," Aquaman muttered. "So what's going on?"

And the story replayed once again. Aquaman's reaction was similar to everyone else's, disbelief and rage.

"They… they…"

"Can you help us?"

"I would be honored to…" Aquaman began, but then the screen blinked and the Atlantean stumbled.

"Curse that squid," he muttered. "I'm sorry guys, but I don't think I can…"

The screen died.

"Well… I suppose that's it, isn't it?" Starfire said, swiveling back around in her chair to face them.

"So it seems. Everyone else is too far away," Raven said, trying to identify what she was feeling. It was foreboding about what she would have to face, and how little help they could gather, but also a bitter taste of happiness; that some of her friends wouldn't be dragged into it. Just because they wanted to help didn't mean she wanted them to.

"So… now for a wardrobe change?" Beast Boy asked.

"Yep, that's next on the agenda," Robin said, nodding, then he pulled out his communicator.

"Cyborg?"

The metal man appeared on the tiny screen. He was apparently still in the cave beneath the house.

"Yeah, Robin?"

"Can you bring up that pair of rings that you have?"

"Sure, man, I'll be right up."

Robin turned to them. "Beast Boy, you're going to wear the rings, since your green. Raven, we're just going to have to disguise you."

"I can probably handle that," Raven said. "Give me another cup of tea and I'll have enough of my powers back to change my appearance."

"Excellent," Robin said. "Raven, go make tea."

(…)

The Agent was back at the modified Hummer, standing under the awning and trying to not be nervous. But it was proving to be a challenge. He had gone in with 42 aircraft and still he had failed. Sure, his superior had sounded calm over the radio, but…

The door of the vehicle swung open, and the man in the black suit stepped out. The Agent snapped to attention, but once again he was waved down.

"So…" the man began. "Where are the Titans now?"

The Agent shrugged.

"Well, where would they go?"

"Sir… with all due respect, they could out of the city by now."

"Yes, they could be…" the man nodded, thinking. "But I think that they would stay a lot closer to home. Check what other Titans live in the area."

"Yes sir."

(…)

One cup of tea later, Raven and Beast Boy were all set. Thanks to the rings, Beast Boy now had olive skin and blonde hair, as well as a taller and thinner build. His eyes were still emerald green. Raven had managed to use her magic to disguise herself; she now had long black hair that hung to her mid-back and crystal blue eyes. She was also a bit taller, but not by much.

"Okay guys, be careful out there, alright?" Robin warned them, making sure their costumes were convincing. "Just run out, buy clothes, and run back."

"Relax, Richard, we're going shopping! What could go wrong?" Beast Boy laughed. Robin shot him a look.

"A fair amount, actually."

Beast Boy wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "We'll be fine, dude. Chill, okay?"

"Please come back soon," Starfire pleaded with them.

"Don't worry, Kori, we will," Raven assured her.

They walked out to the garage, where Robin's car was waiting. It was an old Volvo station wagon, with a dented side and a cracked headlight. The R-Cycle was leaning up against the wall.

"You can take my Volvo," Robin told them. "Just… please be careful."

"You already said that," Raven reminded him.

"Well, yeah, but I've been around the horn with that car. I would like it back."

Raven rolled her eyes. Men.

Beast Boy hopped in the driver side and ignited the ancient engine.

"Lighten up, dude, we'll be right back!" he called as Raven slid in beside him.

There was a cloud of exhaust and the car rattled down the driveway and onto the street. Robin and Starfire watched them until they were out of sight. Starfire noticed Robin's expression, and slid a hand around his shoulders.

"Calm down, Richard," she pleaded. "This'll all work out."

"This isn't anything like before, Kori," Robin said, looking up at her. "We're facing something much more powerful than anything else we've ever encountered."

"Even more powerful than Trigon? Than the Brotherhood of Evil?" Starfire asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well… maybe not in terms of firepower…" Robin admitted. "But the government has influence! If they can convince enough people, they can do just about anything! What if I fail?"

"You won't," Kori assured him, and hit the button to close the garage door.

(…)

The sniper sat in the trees across the street from the house, looking through the scope of his rifle at the garage. The door was closing, but he had gotten a good look at the people inside before the shadows had enveloped them. It was definitely Robin and Starfire. He had gotten a look at the people in the Volvo, too. They looked different, but it could be seen that they were Raven and Beast Boy in disguise.

He shifted his rifle to the side and turned on his headset.

"Found them."

Wow. Can things possibly get worse?

It's not even really a secret that they can, and almost certainly will.

Watch out for more, and review!

Bye-bye.