Ladies and gentlemen, we've got a doozy of a chapter here. So get comfy, you've got quite the journey ahead of you. We're really close to bringing this particular tale to a close, and soon I'll focus my attention on a different part of this universe. In the meantime, thank you for your support throughout this experience. Anon reviews:

Vi: Thank you again for all the reviews, you've been enjoying the story since the beginning and I'm glad at least one person is happy to read it all. Enjoy this next one.

Guest: I think it's safe to say Terra and Beast Boy's time has passed, but there's always a future ahead.

Without further ado, enjoy everyone! I own nothing except the story.

Waiting was never Jason's strong suit. He would be the first to admit that he tended to be impulsive with his decision making. After all, stealing the Red X suit to try and attempt a futile rescue attempt wasn't exactly a well thought out plan.

But this time, there was no Red X suit, thanks to him. There would be no ill-advised heroics from him, he just didn't have the training or the power to back up what it was he wanted to do.

And he really wanted to get Terra away from that maniac.

"So Wintergreen is Slade's butler… he's the connection between Slade and Dr. Wakati."

Jason roved his eyes over to where the rest of the Titans were debriefing Robin on their sewer adventure, all except for Beast Boy, who had refused to leave Raven's side except for a brief bathroom break during the hour that had passed.

"Definitely." Cyborg said. "Apparently the old guy's been livin' there with the doc for years, which would explain why we never knew anything about 'im until now."

"And it is clear in spite of assisting you in the rescuing of friend Jericho, his loyalty is still to Slade."

"Almost all the pieces are coming together now." Robin pulled up several different images of people and places. "Slade's been playing everyone for pawns, even Bane and the Joker."

"And I can follow up on that."

The team looked over to see Batman walking back in, placing a petri dish inside the computer's scanner. "Back so soon?" Robin raised an eyebrow.

"I went back to the clock tower to search for clues. Different crime, different clues. I found residue on one of the catwalks and brought it back for analysis to confirm a theory of mine." Batman faced the computer. "Computer, analysis." After a few moments, all of Robin's photos were overlaid by a spinning image of a DNA strand, and after a few moments more, the individual the DNA belonged to popped up. "Clayface."

"Wait, so the reason I saw Slade that night in the clock tower was because it was Clayface impersonating him?" Robin leaned back in his seat, running his hand through his hair. "Well, I did say almost all the puzzle pieces were coming together…if all this was about revenge, then why would he go through all this trouble? Why not just use one of his robots?" Robin glanced over to Jason. "Is there anything else you can tell us?"

Having been brought into the discussion, Jason walked over, hands in his pockets as he shook his head. "No, nothing, other than his idea of training is beating the crap out of me."

"Yeah, well," Robin smirked up at Batman. "Training with Batman isn't that much different." He put his hands up when Batman raised an eyebrow at him. "It's still different, but you've never been one to go easy on anyone."

"Neither are you, Rob." Cyborg rolled his eyes. "I'm just trying to make sense of all this. Robin, Red X, Terra, all these random villains he's paying to do his dirty work? It doesn't all mesh together, there's gotta be something we're missing."

It was at that moment that Jinx and Kid Flash came roaring in, causing papers to fly around the room for a moment from the sudden stop. "I know where Slade is." Jinx briefly took a moment to glance up at Batman. "Don't worry, I made sure his eyes were closed before we came in."

"Man, this place is incredible!" Kid Flash looked around the room in awe. "Gotta say, Robin, I'm jealous. You've had all the best stuff since the beginning." Then he zipped over to Batman with his hand extended. "Kid Flash, fastest boy alive. Maybe you've heard of me?"

"I have." Batman gave the boy's hand a firm shake, causing Kid Flash to pull back and wiggle his fingers a moment. "I'm also aware of your mentor's work in Central City. You've both done good work."

"Gee, thanks, Bats." Kid Flash smirked and turned to his friends. "So, what's the plan guys? I dunno about you but I'm ready for some action!"

"First let's pinpoint Slade's hideout." Batman went up to the computer. "Jinx, you have a location?"

"Yeah." Jinx sidled up next to the Dark Knight. "My source has been tracking Slade's every move ever since he… recruited us to take down the Titans and take over the tower…" Jinx looked over her shoulder. "Don't think I ever officially apologized for that."

"Water under the bridge." Cyborg winked.

Jinx smiled and turned back to the screen. "Slade didn't go back to Jump City, not yet. He went east, just outside the Gotham borders, to a broken down old cathedral. I can only imagine why he'd choose a place like that to hide."

"Slade has a tendency to surround himself with garbage." Robin crossed his arms and scoffed. "Guess it goes with his personality."

"There's something about that particular building that might have some significance." Batman pulled up the building on his computer, showing an older photo of it from his personal case files.

"What's that, Batman?"

"You didn't go with me on this case, Robin. But this is the place where I faced the villain Vertigo to get back the ultrasonic drill that was stolen from Wayne Enterprises, and that also happens to be why that cathedral has so much structural damage."

Robin's eyes widened. "Wait a minute…isn't that where-"

"It is." Batman nodded. "This also happens to be the case where I met Talia al Ghul for the very first time."

"I've heard about her." Jinx said in awe. "Along with Madame Rouge, every girl in the Hive Academy wanted the chance to meet Talia al Ghul, some weren't even sure she was real or not…I guess this confirms she is."

"She's real alright, and her father is a genocidal maniac that would make Poison Ivy blush." Robin got up to step closer to the computer. "You don't suppose-"

"I doubt Ra's al Ghul is directly involved in this." Batman cut him off. "But Deathstroke clearly knows about the Society of Shadows, that's the only reason he would stop there specifically, he knows that the Society has a hideout there, and he's using it to regroup."

"That ain't happenin'," Cyborg raised a determined fist. "Let's get over there and take 'im down, no way he can beat all of us."

"Except for one major problem!" Jason exclaimed. "Hello! He still has Terra, remember?! He knows we'll wanna try and save her, she's his ultimate bargaining chip, and I'm pretty sure he'll go ahead and just kill her if we push too far!"

"Jason's right." Robin nodded. "We'll need a plan."

"And I think I have one. While Talia and I were escaping from Vertigo's prison, I was able to make a mental map of the facility." Batman zoomed in on the back wall of the building, highlighting a specific brick. "There's a hidden passage we can use to sneak in undetected."

"Sounds great," Robin crossed his arms. "Except that if Slade picked that location for a reason, he probably knows that passage is there, he'll have a contingency plan ready for us."

"That's why not all of us will be going in that way." Batman turned to face the Titans. "I'll face Deathstroke one-on-one and keep his attention focused elsewhere, that way you Titans will have enough time to rescue your friend, and together we'll bring Deathstroke to justice once and for all."

"Hold on," Robin got up, groaning slightly as he did so. "All due respect, Batman, we've been dealing with Slade for years now, if anyone is going to face Slade, it's going to be me."

"Please," Starfire got in-between the two stubborn men with a gentle expression. "I can see that we will not be coming to an agreement on this particular issue. So…I would like to propose a compromise."

"What do you have in mind?" Robin asked.

Starfire briefly glanced at Robin, then turned her attention to someone else. "Friend Jason will be the distraction for Slade."

"Me?!"

"Starfire," Robin spoke up. "You wanna send Jason in to face Slade? He could barely hold his own against me, why would you want him to face our most dangerous enemy alone?"

"First of all, rude." Jason scowled. "I think I did a little better than hold my own! But more important, the Red X suit is useless without the xenothium power core. What am I supposed to do other than get my butt handed to me all over again?"

The Tamaranean didn't answer, as she turned again to now address everyone. "I will explain shortly. Please excuse me for a short while, I must visit a friend, but I will return very soon and it will all make sense."

They watched as Starfire flew out of the cave at an incredible speed, her departure causing a gust of wind that left the other Titans briefly stunned. "Whaddya think she's up to, Rob?" Cyborg asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Cyborg." Robin shrugged.

Suddenly, an angry beeping sounded off on the Batcomputer, causing everyone to gasp at the shock. "That's the medical monitor!" Batman and the Titans rushed over to where Leslie was hovering over Raven with a frantic expression on her face. "Leslie, what's wrong?!"

"Cardiac arrest!" Leslie reached for the defibrillator and started charging it as she shooed the terrified Beast Boy in cat form off the bed. "Clear!"

The paddles caused Raven's body to jump up briefly, but the monitor remained erratic. "What's wrong with her?!" Beast Boy exclaimed as he sidled up to Leslie, eyes wide with fear.

"Please, give me space!" Leslie saw Robin yank Beast Boy away in the corner of her eye, then she put her focus back on her patient. "Charging to 400 volts. Clear!"

Another shock came, and another, and another, all while the Titans watched helplessly as their longtime friend and teammate jolted with each blast of the defibrillator.

"Raven, please! You can't give up!" Beast Boy shouted as Leslie kept up the shocks. "I know you can hear me! Fight, Raven, fight!"

After one last shock, Leslie finally gave the defibrillator a rest as its systems audibly powered down…and after several moments of concerned pause, Raven's heart finally leveled off. "She's stable." Leslie sighed in relief as she turned around, only to suddenly be surprised as she was met with a tight embrace by a tearful Beast Boy. "There, there…"

"Thank you, thank you!" Beast Boy looked up at the elderly woman. "You saved her!"

"So it appears." Leslie briefly returned Beast Boy's hug before pulling away. "There was no warning…it was as if her body suddenly gave up. Is this something that happens a lot with her?"

"It's never happened before." Cyborg stoically stepped up to get his own independent scan. "Like you said, she's stable for now, but there's no telling if or when she may have another episode."

"I'm open to suggestions for treatment." Leslie sighed again, still catching her breath from the exertion. "You know her much better than I do, what would you recommend?"

Cyborg shook his head. "Raven's always been able to heal most injuries herself, I've rarely ever had to actually give her any kind of treatment…for some reason, this time she just can't." He clenched his fists in frustration. "I should've been more prepared, I should've…looked into this supernatural power she has and tried to find ways to step in if necessary."

"We all dropped the ball, Cyborg. Don't blame yourself." Robin said. "Beast Boy, you okay?"

"Yeah." Beast Boy sniffled and wiped his eyes, not turning to glance away from Raven for even a moment. "I'm okay."

Robin raised an eyebrow, but his attention was diverted when Starfire returned with a large but flat box in hand. "Back already?"

"I merely required a moment." Starfire then noted everyone's worried looks. "Has something happened while I was away?"

"We almost lost Raven." Beast Boy closed his eyes tightly, trying to ignore the gasp that came out of Starfire's mouth. "But she's going to pull through," His eyes reopened, a fiercely determined fire burning in them. "She's going to come back to us, because she's strong."

"Beast Boy, I don't-"

"No, Robin! She will wake up!" He turned to glare fiercely at his other friends. "We all have to believe it! She's going to be fine!"

"Okay…you're right. She'll pull through." Robin nodded and turned to his other friends. "Beast Boy has the right idea. We need to trust that Raven will be alright. In the meantime, let's focus on our plan to rescue Terra. Starfire, you were going to explain?"

"Yes…" Starfire took a deep breath before hovering over to Robin and handing him the box, and she gave him an earnest but serious gaze. "I wished to save this until your day of birth, but I believe now is the right time."

Robin raised an eyebrow, then opened the box just a crack to get a peek at what was inside. Instantly his eyes widened, and he looked back up at Starfire with shock. "Starfire…is this what I think it is?"

"D'anthe l'ani…" Starfire took one of Robin's hands, forcing him to hold the box in his other one. "You have worn the mantle of Robin with honor for as long as I have known you. It is your dedication and your never-ending determination to do what you feel is right that has made you who you are today."

"Star-"

"But if there is one thing I have observed during my time here in the city of Gotham, seeing what sort of things happen here and the strain it can put on those who have sworn to protect it," She briefly glanced at Batman before putting her attention back on Robin. "It is clear that this city needs the Batman…and the Batman needs a Robin."

"She's right." Alfred made an appearance with a tray holding a teapot and multiple cups. "Forgive me everyone, but I couldn't help but overhear. If I may be so bold, I've watched these past few years go by, and I believe that Princess Starfire is correct in her assessment. This city needs more than one man can provide, and Batgirl can only provide so much support. Batman needs Robin."

"So…what? Robin's just gonna ditch the Titans and come back to Gotham?" Kid Flash raised an eyebrow and smirked. "If that's the case, I volunteer to be team leader."

"I don't think that's what Starfire has in mind." Jinx crossed her arms. "That said…what is the plan exactly?"

"I will explain on the way." Starfire turned to leave. "Come, time is of the essence."

"I'm staying."

The team turned to look at Beast Boy, who had his back turned to them as he looked intently at Raven on her bed. "Beast Boy, we're going to need-"

"I'm staying." Beast Boy glared over his shoulder.

"Robin," Starfire shook her head slightly. "It is alright, we will have the Batman accompanying us, Beast Boy should stay here with Raven."

Robin glanced over to Batman, who was standing stoically by the Batcomputer, his expression unreadable. "Good point. Batman, you're in?"

"Like you said, you've dealt with Deathstroke more than I have." Batman started walking towards the Batplane. "We'll do this your way this time, Robin…I trust you and your team know what you're doing."

Robin smirked as he took a moment to look at everyone on his team, all of them giving affirming smiles or nods of their own. "Okay then, let's bring Terra home, and finally put Slade away for good." Then his eyes finally settled on Jason. "Jason, come with me."

Jason hesitated, then looked over to Starfire who gave a smile and encouraging nod of her own. With that, he followed Robin towards the back of the cave. "So…what exactly are we doing here?"

Once they were out of earshot, Starfire turned her attention to her other teammates. "We will be leaving momentarily." She then flew over to Beast Boy and Leslie, placing a gentle hand on the green Titan's shoulder which got his attention. "Are you sure you do not wish to accompany us? This mission is to rescue Terra, and no one has been more concerned for Terra's safety than you."

Beast Boy actually smirked, exhaling sharply through his nose. "Not so sure about that, seems like Jason's giving me a run for my money on that one." His serious expression returned quickly though, as he turned his head back towards Raven. "Believe me, Starfire, I still care about Terra, and I know she needs help…but so does Raven…I can't…I won't leave her alone. I trust you guys to save Terra, I just…need to be here with Raven."

Starfire smiled softly, giving her younger friend a gentle squeeze. "She will be alright, Beast Boy."

"Yeah…I'll make sure of it." Beast Boy still didn't look away from Raven, but he could sense Starfire leaving as her scent faded. "Hey, Kid Flash?" He heard a brief reassurance from the speedster that he'd be right with everyone else, then Beast Boy finally looked away from Raven when Kid Flash sidled up next to him. "I need a really big favor."

The smell of something rotting was the first thing that struck Terra upon regaining consciousness. The last thing she remembered was Slade charging into her makeshift cell and injecting her with what she could only assume was a sedative.

She also remembered looking at her own hands when the ground started shaking, wondering if she had somehow lost control of her powers again, to the point where she wasn't even aware she was using them. But she didn't feel anything, none of the sensations usually associated with using her powers, purposely or otherwise. So something had to be happening.

Then of course Slade injected her and everything went black from that moment on. When she opened her eyes, she noticed that her surroundings had changed significantly. It was still dark, still dank, but the smell wasn't coming from sewage this time, more like an animal that may have died recently, maybe a rat?

Her thoughts turned to Red X, or Jason, whatever…he promised to free her from Slade's captivity, but based on the chains holding her pinned to the wall, clearly he hadn't succeeded, or he was lying to her. With her luck, she wouldn't have been surprised if Red X's acts of kindness were some kind of cruel trick, keep her hopes alive just enough so that Slade could keep crushing her spirit over and over again.

That sounded like something he would do.

Terra sighed helplessly and slouched as low as she could, her head hanging as despair threatened to overwhelm her. All she wanted was to live a normal life, she wanted it so badly that she kept the dreams and the visions of her former life repressed when she woke up in that cave underneath the city, tossing them aside every time she woke up in the middle of the night with memories that she knew couldn't be real.

But they were, and she was anything but normal. Even though she hadn't actually killed anyone, she still felt like a killer in her heart, and the thought that she could've ever been so cruel, so utterly devoid of human kindness and decency, it made her heart beat painfully in her chest with each and every pump.

How could she ever go back to her friends at school now, knowing who and what she really was? Were they even looking for her? Even if they were, what good were the police when someone as cunning and ruthless as Slade was involved? Terra grit her teeth as tears started welling up in her eyes…all she wanted was for it all to end.

"Hello, Terra."

Terra's head shot up, and she saw Slade slowly walking towards her, standing tall and as confident as ever in his own position of authority. With a primal snarl, Terra opened her hands to bring the whole building down on them both, but to her utter shock, no matter how much effort she put into it, she couldn't move a single pebble. "W-What's going on?!"

"You didn't really think I would let you pull another stunt like that, did you?" Slade placed his hand under her chin, chuckling as she fought to pull away from him. "From now on, your powers are mine to control."

"No, they're not! I told you before, never again!"

"You don't have a choice. I've taken far stronger measures to ensure that you won't be going anywhere unless I command it. Perhaps you've noticed the device on your chest?"

Terra looked down inside what was left of her school uniform, noticing for the first time that a small electronic device was strapped directly onto her chest. She scowled and glared at the assassin with as much hatred as she could muster. "Why is it that you violating me is the least surprising thing you could've done?"

"Don't be so dramatic." Slade drawled in annoyance. "That device is what is known as a power inhibitor, a special order courtesy of Prof. Chang before his assets were…frozen, shall we say? It serves two purposes. One, to prevent you from tapping into your innate metahuman traits without my approval…and two, to prevent you from removing it on your own by means of a powerful electric shock…but just powerful enough to render you unconscious, not dead. Just in case you were getting any ideas of escape, even if by suicide."

Terra looked away angrily…she refused to admit that the thought had crossed her mind more than once since her captivity. Then she looked back up at Slade, who despite wearing a full face mask was clearly pleased with himself. "So what now?"

"As I said before, my revenge has only just begun." Slade turned his back to her. "Tara Markov, princess of Markovia…" Slade smirked behind his back hearing how Terra's chains jolted at the mention of her real name. "Subjected to genetic experimentation for the sole purpose of being used as a weapon to… protect your royal family."

"How…how do you know all that?!"

"You should know by now that I have ways of getting what I want, information or otherwise." Slade turned to face her. "You have an older brother, don't you? The prince of Markovia…you must miss him very much."

Terra said nothing.

"He recently went to Jump City to look for you, gave the Titans quite a challenge too…I suppose he is what you were supposed to become, had you enough control over your powers."

"Brion was always better at it than I was."

"Indeed. From what I've heard, he wanted to take you back to Markovia with him…for what, I don't know. Perhaps to be tried for your crimes against Markovia?"

Terra struggled against her chains again, growling in anger. "It wasn't my fault! I didn't mean to hurt anyone, I was just a kid!"

"Yet you felt the need to run away from home all the same. You felt it so strongly that you crossed countries just to disappear." Slade chuckled. "You never cease to impress me with what you're truly capable of."

"Take off this doohickey and I'll give you another demonstration!"

"Oh you'll get your chance, Terra. That I promise you." Slade's eye narrowed. "I still have need for an apprentice, and since Robin and Red X are out of the picture now, you are the only candidate I have left."

Terra's eyes widened in horror. "What did you do to Red X?!"

"He learned the price of failure. A price that I'm sure you're well acquainted with." Slade turned to leave the room. "In any case, their deaths are no longer of any consequence. As long as I have you, my ultimate goals can and will still be achieved."

Once Slade was gone, Terra looked back down at her chest again where the device's steady hum taunted her. Now even if she wanted to cause wanton destruction with no regard for the lives of others, she was completely powerless. With all hope lost, Terra lowered her head and began to sob, her whole body limp from both exhaustion and despair.

As Slade made his way through the corridors of the Society of Shadows hideout, he ran into Wintergreen who appeared to be waiting for him. "It will take some time before her willingness to cooperate resurfaces. Terra's remarkably strong-willed, but only in spurts. She's still confused as to where she belongs."

"Sir, I can't help but wonder where this is all heading." Wintergreen started walking next to him rather than behind him. "When we arrived in Jump City, I believed you were looking for an apprentice you could mold to your needs, but you've only considered candidates that don't share your ambition. Why?"

Slade stopped in his tracks, turning to look his companion in the eyes. "The kind of ambition you're referring to, is something that comes with its own intentions. What I need is someone I can control, someone with the requisite talent and power who will help me get my ultimate revenge on those who wronged me. Robin would obey so long as his friends were in danger, Red X's personal goals had no effect on my own…they're dead now, and that only leaves Terra, the most dangerous one of all…but also the most likely to fall in line, given enough time."

"So what then? You'll leave her here, tormenting her in your attempt to mold her to your will?" Wintergreen placed a hand on Slade's shoulder. "Old friend, you have lived by a code of ethics all your life, and as I stand here, I see you tossing it aside like so much used tissue paper for a cause I don't see any profit in pursuing. So I ask again. Why?"

The one-eyed assassin stayed quiet for several moments, then turned to the side. "You of all people know my beliefs are rather flawed, but I've never gone against them, even with everything I've done." He turned his face to look at Wintergreen again, this time with a deep anger in his eye. "They crossed me, Wintergreen. They wronged me more than anyone else on this entire godforsaken planet, and you know what I do to those who cross me. But not even I can make them pay for their sins on my own."

"But at what cost?" Wintergreen's gaze hardened as well. "You say you've never gone against your beliefs, but you're doing it right now, as we speak!" He pointed towards the room Terra was locked inside. "Even in our line of work, Slade, there's a line, and in continuing to torture and mentally scar that girl, you're crossing it!"

Again, Slade did not respond for several moments, then he turned to leave. "I'm aware of my actions," He said coolly. "And in time, I will pay for my sins as well. But not before I get my retribution."

If there was one thing Beast Boy couldn't ever stand to do, it was stand idly by while his loved ones suffered. As much as he appreciated the efforts of Leslie Thompkins to keep Raven alive, even he was smart enough to know the doctor had no idea how to treat Raven for her injuries.

To be fair, Beast Boy didn't know either. Raven was always the one who did the healing whenever Cyborg was unavailable. He could still remember the very first time he was on the receiving end of her care, right after they lost to Jinx, Gizmo and Mammoth in the streets. She helped him hobble back to the Tower and then after sitting him down, she raised her hands and his pain faded away to almost nothing. He didn't even have to ask her to help, she just did without a moment's hesitation.

So there was no way he was going to do anything less for her.

To say he was nervous, however, would be a major understatement. His heart was beating a mile a minute just thinking about what he was planning…the potential consequences, whether he failed or succeeded, weren't fun to think about. Still, he had to try. "Ms. Thompkins?"

The elderly woman awoke with a start, she'd allowed herself a short while to rest in a nearby chair, but refused to go very far in case something happened again. "Yes?" She fought to shake the fatigue from her mind. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no…at least, nothing more is wrong than it already is." Beast Boy sighed heavily before walking back over to Raven's bedside. "I think I might have a way to help Raven."

That fully got Leslie's attention, as well as Alfred who had been monitoring the Batcomputer and acting as the team's eyes and ears. "Splendid, Master Beast Boy!" The butler exclaimed. "Do enlighten us!"

"I need to use this." Beast Boy held up a mirror…the very same mirror that he and Cyborg inadvertently used to enter Raven's mind not long after they formed the team. It was a dark gray, and sharp horns adorned each corner angle along with a red gem of some kind on top. It was downright eerie to look at…and it also might have been Raven's only hope. "I had Kid Flash run to Titans Tower and bring this to me…with this, I'm going to go into Raven's mind."

Leslie and Alfred looked at each other with puzzlement before turning their attention back to the Titan. "You're going to use that mirror…" Leslie stuttered. "To enter Raven's mind?"

"I know it sounds creepy," Beast Boy lowered the mirror and looked over his shoulder to the injured girl in bed. "But I really feel like this might be the only way! Raven is normally able to heal herself, but for whatever reason she's not this time. I need to find out why, and this is the only way I can think of."

"I don't like it." Leslie crossed her arms over her chest. "If anything she needs rest, not mental stimulation. We have no idea what this could do to her in this state."

"I've been in her mind before." Beast Boy closed his eyes and furrowed his brow, shaking his head. "Look, whether you agree with me or not, I'm doing this. I can't sit here and just wonder what's wrong with her. If her heart stops again, it might be for good for all I know. I can't accept that. So I'm asking…please keep an eye on her while I'm gone."

Leslie again looked to Alfred for help. "What do you think, Alfred?"

"As you said Ms. Thompkins, the realm of the supernatural is a mystery. Is there anything else you can do from our mere mortal point of view?"

"No." Leslie sighed and walked over to Raven's bedside as well. "Alright, Beast Boy. I'll do everything I can…but please, try not to take too long. I'll monitor her vitals closely…is there a way for us to communicate with you while you're there?"

"I don't know…all I know is that when I look into this mirror, I'll be sucked into a portal and tossed into Raven's head somewhere. Then I might run into some of her emotions…hopefully I run into her more friendly emotions, they might be able to help."

"Well, I wish you luck then."

"Indeed," Alfred nodded. "Godspeed, Master Beast Boy."

"Thanks." Beast Boy smiled briefly, before placing his hand gently on Raven's shoulder. "Hang on, Raven. I'm coming for you." His heartrate quickened once more as he prepared for his departure. There was no turning back now. Taking several steps away to avoid any accidental hitchhikers, Beast Boy took a deep breath and focused intently on his reflection in the mirror.

Moments later, four red, demonic eyes flashed at him, and he dropped the mirror at his feet as a black and red talon shot out from the glass. "Take me to Raven." The green Titan stared unflinchingly at the sight, and much to his surprise, instead of grabbing him and tossing him around like a ragdoll first, the talon opened and allowed him to step on of his own accord, and he seemed to squeeze into the mirror, leaving two very stunned older people behind in the Batcave.

After getting flushed down the portal, Beast Boy landed face first on a hard surface. "I see some things never change." He rubbed his face briefly to relieve some of the ache, but he soon looked around and realized that something was in fact very different. "Okay…maybe things do change."

Raven's entire mindscape was severely clouded, a dense fog that prevented Beast Boy from seeing barely five feet in front of him in any direction. The sky itself, from what he could tell, wasn't the same eerie reddish night sky, but it was just a drab and dull gray, just like the rest of the fog. "Weird."

As Beast Boy slowly got back to his feet, he slowly started walking, keeping his eyes downwards to try and make sure he didn't accidentally step off a cliff. He couldn't help but notice just how cold and lifeless everything felt. Even the rocks themselves felt devoid of substance, causing Beast Boy's skin to crawl. "Yeah, something's definitely not right."

Suddenly Beast Boy felt his foot fail to catch any ground, and he yelped before instinctively morphing into a hummingbird to regain his equilibrium. After hovering in place a few moments, he made his way back to the ground and morphed back to normal on his hands and knees. "This is getting me nowhere." Looking around again, all he saw was more and more fog, and he grunted in frustration as he slammed his fists into the ground. "Come on, Raven…please, give me something, anything… help me find you."

Moments passed, and Beast Boy suddenly heard the faint sound of flapping wings, so faint that if he didn't have animal senses, he probably wouldn't have picked it up with how muffled everything was. "Raven?" Beast Boy looked around frantically, trying to catch even a glimpse of what could be making the sound through the fog.

But for all his efforts, he just couldn't see anything, and then the flapping came to a stop, causing the green Titan to grit his teeth in anger. "Okay, that's it." With another quick morph, Beast Boy became an elephant, and with all his might he trumpeted a gust of wind out of his nose that echoed throughout the foggy void, actually blowing the fog away a bit and allowing Beast Boy to see just enough that his surroundings were actually visible. "Now that's more like it." He said as he morphed back to human.

Now with a clearer picture of what was going on around him, Beast Boy could make out the stone gates that allowed him to move from realm to realm, but they somehow seemed more decrepit. Cracks were showing everywhere, and the edges of the rock almost seemed like they were eroding away. Then Beast Boy saw something on the ground right in front of the gateway…it was one of the tiny bird creatures he and Cyborg encountered during their previous visit.

And it was laying still, barely breathing.

"Hey!" Beast Boy ran over, sliding to his knees and coming to a stop right in front of the apparently wounded creature. "Are you okay?! What's going on here, do you know?"

"Help me."

Beast Boy gasped, the bird's voice came out as a faint whisper, its eyes barely open as it repeated its plea over and over, an ethereal echo in its voice before its eyes closed completely, and it faded seemingly out of existence. "Hang on, Raven, I'm coming!" Determination burning in his eyes, Beast Boy sprinted through the gateway, coming out the other side only to be met by another super-thick fog bank. "Again?!" Another morph, and another elephant trumpet intended to blow the fog away, only this time it wasn't nearly as effective.

Though he could see marginally better, everything was still very fuzzy. He had already felt under his feet that he was in a grassy meadow of sorts, and he guessed that in the distance there were some mountains and a few patches of trees…but the trees didn't seem to be alive, as almost all of their leaves had fallen to the ground, and that same cold and empty feeling from before was still very present. "Is this…where Raven's happy emotion lives?"

The green Titan had no other point of reference, so he opted to just assume he was right. "Raven? Raven!" He listened for any sort of response, but all he got was the echo of his own voice. With another quick morph, he turned into a bloodhound, putting his nose to the ground in an attempt to pick up Raven's distinct lavender scent.

Minutes passed, and all Beast Boy could smell was the distinct odor of decay, as if the world around him was slowly dying. He'd already gagged three times and was about to give up…then it hit him…so faint that he wasn't even sure if he'd actually smelled it at all, but after a few more whiffs, he was able to confirm it, just a hint of lavender, the first good thing he'd smelled since he got there. Beast Boy howled in victory as he ran full sprint towards the scent, not giving a second thought to possibly falling off another cliff.

The scent kept growing stronger, until he could smell it clear as day, and then finally through the fog, he was able to catch a flash of pink, and he morphed back to human as he ran to the hunched over figure. "Raven? Or at least…Raven's happiness? It's me, Beast Boy!"

The emotion didn't react for several moments, then it finally turned slowly towards Beast Boy, the faintest of smiles on her lips. "Hey, BB. Good to see you again...and you can call me Happy."

Beast Boy's heart started to ache as he got down on one knee in front of the pink-hued version of Raven. This emotion was supposed to be Raven's happy side, and seeing how she could barely even manage to smile was heartbreaking…but then he got a closer look, and his eyes widened in horror as he realized something awful.

This emotion had all the same injuries that Raven had back in the real world.

"Guess I look pretty awful, huh?" Happy giggled slightly, but then groaned as she laid back down on her back. "Well if I look half as awful as I feel, I feel sorry for you having to look at me."

"Raven…er, Happy…what's going on? Can you tell me? Why isn't Raven healing herself?"

Another several moments of silence, then Happy pointed upwards and gave a pitiful giggle. "My brain's all foggy, wanna play hide and seeeeeeek."

"Happy, come on, you gotta pull yourself together! I can't help if you don't tell me how!"

"Pull and push, pull and push… don't ever play tug-of-war with Starfire unless you wanna fly away!" Happy's giggles were bordering on delirious, and the fog was starting to thicken even more. "How 'bout that game of hide and seek? Brave's reeeeeally good at it, can you go get her?"

"Brave?" Beast Boy's eyes widened. "Oh the marine! Maybe she can help! Sure, I'll go get Brave and we'll play hide and seek! Can you tell me where she is, Happy?"

"Ehhhh…" Happy's hand waved around in the air lazily for a few moments, then she finally pointed her finger in a specific direction. "Should be…somewhere around…there." Her voice trailed off, and then her hand fell to the ground as Happy seemed to fall unconscious.

"Happy? Happy!" Beast Boy's heart leapt into his throat…if even Raven's emotions were in trouble, then he had a feeling things were worse than he could've imagined. "I gotta move fast." The only lead Beast Boy had was Happy's loopy general direction, so he morphed again, this time into a white-throated needletail, the fastest straight-flying bird in the animal kingdom.

Beast Boy flapped his wings as hard as he could, pushing this form's speed to its absolute limit, dodging and weaving past trees and other obstacles as they became visible through the dense fog. He'd never flown this fast before, and never in such hostile conditions.

His luck finally ran out when a particularly large rock got in his way, and his only option was to pull up and hope he could get over it as his forward momentum was too fast to stop. But all he managed to do was avoid a full on crash, as he scraped his bird body against the rock, sliding up and over it and then crashing to the ground with a soft plop before morphing back to human, sucking in air through his teeth as he placed his hands on his scratched up chest. "Ow…"

The stinging pain was sharp, enough that every movement gave him a reminder of why speed flying was a bad idea when you couldn't see anything. How had he even managed to think of such a specific bird anyway? He'd never even heard of it before. Beast Boy shook his head and slowly got back to his feet, he didn't have time to think about that right now. All that mattered was Raven, and he needed to get to Brave before it was too late.

What he needed was something fast, but would also let him see through the fog. Then out of nowhere, a brand new animal came to his mind, and without hesitation, he morphed into a Brazilian free-tailed bat, which Beast Boy instinctively knew was the fastest flying creature in the animal kingdom…and not only that, its echolocation would keep him from crashing into unseen obstacles.

He sent out his sonar frantically, as his speed increased more and more until he was getting close to 100 miles per hour. The wind blowing in his face forced him to close his eyes, so he focused even harder on the echolocation, images flashing in his brain as the sound bounced back to him. He finally caught a glimpse of the next gateway, and he finally opened his eyes as he zoomed through it, reappearing in yet another foggy area, but this one was a lot more distinct in its nature.

As he morphed back to human, Beast Boy saw that the fog was just as thick here as it was everywhere else. But just from the smell alone, he could tell there was something major brewing. Fires were burning everywhere, the smoke making it even more difficult to see, and the ground itself had craters and divots in it like a war was being fought. "Man…so this is what it's like to be a soldier."

Beast Boy shook off the shock, intent on finding Brave and trying to get some help. Fortunately for him, he didn't have to look for long this time, as his ears quickly picked up the sound of a fight…and judging by the grunts of pain, it was a one-sided fight.

Sprinting at top speed, Beast Boy ran towards the sounds of grunts and groans, and he winced as he could hear sickening blows being landed on who he could only assume was Brave herself. Then out of the fog, Beast Boy was suddenly bowled over by a figure who fell on top of him, and after regaining his bearings, his eyes widened as he realized that it was Brave who'd crashed into him…and just like Happy, she had the same injuries as Raven, and she seemed much weaker compared to the last time. "Brave?!"

"Beast Boy?" Brave groaned and slowly lifted herself off of the green Titan, being forced to hover in place because of the apparent leg injury she was suffering from. "W-What are you doing here? Get out, I-I've got this guy!"

"What guy?!" Beast Boy got his answer when the ground shook, and a red, glowing figure emerged through the fog, vaguely humanoid shaped but with no other distinguishing features. "Oh, that guy." Then he gasped and reached out his hand when he saw Brave slowly fly up to the monster once again. "Wait, Brave, stay away from that thing!"

"No way…" Brave grit her teeth and lifted up her free hand, shooting weak energy blasts at the monster instead of applying her hand-to-hand combat. But the monster was unfazed, and she grunted as she was once again knocked to the ground by a massive fist, and this time she was barely even able to maintain consciousness. "Man you're lucky I can barely move…" As the monster bore down on her, she scowled up at it and spit in its general direction. "Do your worst." Brave closed her eyes as she braced herself for impact.

Only for Beast Boy to charge in full tilt as a tyrannosaurus rex, slamming the monster with a vicious headbutt that sent it flying into the air, and when it landed, it seemed to explode into a superheated cloud of energy, which triggered Beast Boy to run over to Brave and protect her from the wave, which he felt even through his reptilian skin.

"Whoa…that was…hardcore."

Beast Boy opened his eyes and looked around, and noticed that after the blast, the fog in the surrounding area had evaporated significantly. He could actually see what was around them. Morphing back to human, Beast Boy winced as the previous scrape he suffered reminded him it was still there. "Yeah, well, I couldn't just let that thing take you out. Raven needs you."

"You don't know the half of it." Brave used her uninjured hand to punch Beast Boy's shoulder, which prompted the green Titan to groan and rub said shoulder. "Thanks for coming to the rescue, much as I hate to admit it, I'm not exactly in tiptop shape right now. But I'll be darned if I ever give up!"

"Brave, what's going on here? Do you know?"

"You came to me for information?" Brave rolled her eyes. "Who do I look like? That yellow stick in the mud? Up until just a few seconds ago, I wasn't even really sure where I was. I feel a little better now though."

"Yeah…the fog's gone away a bit." Beast Boy's head slowly swiveled to better take in his surroundings. "I don't suppose you know anything about that?" All the green Titan got was a shrug, which was fairly lopsided due to the injuries Brave was apparently dealing with. "Of course not. And I guess you can't explain why you're covered in bandages either."

"Now that I can answer." Brave smirked. "We're all just different parts of Raven. Granted, I'm the coolest part of her," She snickered. "But since Raven took on all this punishment, we do too, and it's seriously pissing me off that I can't kick butt since I only have one leg."

"But why isn't she healing herself?! Her heart almost stopped for crying out loud, she could've died!"

"Oh is that why I collapsed in the middle of that fight?" Brave scoffed. "Boy, looks like I need to toughen up if something like that stopped me."

Beast Boy sighed and facepalmed, this conversation was going nowhere fast. "Look, Brave, I get it, your Raven's badass side, you feel like nothing can stop you…but Raven is in serious trouble, and unless I can find a way to get her to start healing herself again, she - which means you - might not make it. Please, I need answers."

The dark green emotion rolled her eyes and gave an annoyed huff. "Fine, you need answers? Then head that way towards Knowledge's library. If you're lucky, she won't have her nose so far up a book that she can't even see you're there."

Beast Boy looked up where Brave was pointing, and there at the top of a distant mountain he could make out the shape of what he assumed was another gateway. "Got it." He then looked directly at her. "And what about you? You're still really hurt, is there anything I can do?"

Brave just smiled, and punched Beast Boy's shoulder again. "You already did, green bean. I get the feeling now that you're here, we're gonna come out of this stronger than ever. Now get going."

After rubbing his shoulder again, Beast Boy nodded and transformed back into that same bat from before, leaving Brave behind to fend for herself. "I'm getting closer to an answer, I've gotta be." He thought to himself as he approached the gateway. "Next stop, Knowledge!"

As soon as Beast Boy was zapped through the gateway, he appeared on the other side only to see that this was the foggiest place yet, it was so thick that he could barely see himself, let alone what was in front of him. To say he was getting annoyed would've been an understatement. "When I find Knowledge, the first thing I'm gonna ask is what's up with all this fog!"

Being a bat came in real handy now, as his echolocation allowed him to find the library in no time. But he felt his heart jolt again when the image of the library appeared in his mind. His sonar gave him the picture of a building quite literally falling to pieces. The pillars and roof were collapsing, like it had been lost to time and no one had maintained it for years. Beast Boy pushed his bat form to its limit, finally coming to a stop once he was inside.

But just like outside, the fog was too thick to see anything except more fog, so thick that every breath he took felt like he was taking a drink of water. Was it possible to drown without being submerged? He hovered in a circle, sending out sound waves in hopes of finding Knowledge anywhere in this quagmire.

Time after time, all he got were broken shelves, scattered books and miscellaneous other objects like plants, candles and even tables and chairs. But then finally, he got an impression of a humanoid shape, and without even knowing it was her, he flew over until he was right on top of the object, morphing back to human right next to it. "Knowledge? Is that you?"

Beast Boy received no answer, and he hesitantly reached out his hands to try and feel where Knowledge was. Once he managed to feel cloth, he dragged himself closer, nervously trying to get a feel for what was what on this amorphous blob that he knew had to be Knowledge…and yet it was still Raven, he'd never been this touchy with Raven before, and he could feel his face heating up like a furnace as he tried desperately not to think about the fact that no matter what the circumstance, he would never dare trying this with the real one, not without explicit permission at least.

"Wait…" He raised an eyebrow at his own thoughts. Since when did that sort of thing worry him? "Ugh, come on, Beast Boy, focus!" He berated himself and went back to work with a new resolve, and eventually he was able to form a mental picture of Knowledge's position. She was definitely injured as well, but for whatever reason she wasn't reacting to him. "Knowledge, can you hear me?"

Still no response. With a nervous sigh, he pulled Knowledge into his lap, finally able to make out some of her features. It was still Raven alright, just with a bright yellow cloak and a pair of glasses…and all the injuries that the real Raven was suffering. "Knowledge, come on, wake up, please, I need your help!"

Several gentle shakes and desperate pleas later, Knowledge's eyes fluttered open just a slit, and the emotion immediately grabbed her head, groaning as the pain hit her full force. It wasn't until several moments later that she acknowledged she wasn't alone. "B-Beast Boy?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Yeah, it's me! Please, tell me how I can help you!"

Knowledge didn't answer at first, her eyes wandering around the room, still clearly out of it. "Beast Boy…fire."

"Fire?" Beast Boy sniffed the air. "There's no fire, it's just fog, do you know what's causing it?"

"Fire…fire!"

Beast Boy's heart dropped when Knowledge started going limp in his arms, but he did spot that she was very intentionally pointing in a specific direction. "Knowledge, I can't smell a fire, it's okay!" She fell unconscious, and Beast Boy started panicking as he sensed that Knowledge was slipping away. "Gotta do something!" He looked into the fog where Knowledge was pointing, then he put her down and walked over in that direction, only for him to yelp as his foot smacked right into a wall. "At least it wasn't my face."

As he looked up to the wall, his eyes widened as he saw that it wasn't a wall at all, but a platform…and it seemed to have a large black bowl sitting on top of it. "Hey wait a second." Beast Boy clambered up the platform, and his heart began to race as he suddenly realized what Knowledge was trying to tell him. "You don't need a fire put out, you want me to make a fire!"

The green Titan started patting down the area around the fire bowl, looking for something he could use to get a blaze going, and soon enough his hand landed on two separate objects, and he picked them up to see it was a flint and steel. "Score!" He turned to kneel directly in front of the bowl, and started smacking the two objects together, making sparks fly into the bowl. "Now I just have to remember what Mom and Dad taught me back when we lived in the jungle."

But after a couple of minutes, Beast Boy started getting frustrated, as the bowl wouldn't even so much as smoke up. "Come on, come on! What's wrong?! I'm doing it just like they taught me!" Then it hit him. "I don't have anything to start the burn…or at least, not yet I don't!" Leaping off the platform, Beast Boy ran back over to the unconscious knowledge, tearing off a piece of her cloak with a loud rip. "Sorry about this." Now with that in hand, he placed it in the middle of the fire bowl and started again. "This has to work, it just has to!"

His strikes became more and more frantic, as the fog was now so thick that he couldn't breathe properly, causing him to cough more and more as it threatened to smother him. He lost sight of the thing he was striking, and he closed his eyes, his heart aching as he already assumed he failed.

The sound of a gentle flame suddenly coming to life reached his ears, its light cutting through the fog enough that he could clearly see it when he opened his eyes. "I did it!" Now working almost blindly, Beast Boy carefully moved the flame into the proper place in the bowl, and with a little blowing on his part, the small flame started to grow and spread, until it became a blazing bonfire, and the fog started to slowly fade away. "The fog's going away, it must be working!"

Once it thinned enough, Beast Boy rushed back over to Knowledge, placing her head back in his lap, heart pounding as he waited to see if she would somehow respond to his presence. "Knowledge? Can you hear me?"

It took a few moments, but again Knowledge's eyes fluttered open, and they focused on Beast Boy's face, causing the yellow emotion to relinquish a tiny smile. "What a delightful hallucination."

Beast Boy couldn't help but laugh, his eyes watering with unshed tears of relief. "You're not hallucinating, it's really me. I used Raven's mirror to come here."

Her smile vanished in a hurry, as her eyes widened and she blushed, quickly sitting back up but instantly regretting it as she held her head with her free hand. "Oh that's disquieting."

"Easy, I gotcha." Beast Boy placed a hand on her uninjured shoulder, giving her enough support to not fall back down, which given how wobbly she was, that was a very real possibility. "Knowledge, I think you're the only one who can give me the answers I need to save Raven. What's up with this fog? Why are you and all the other emotions just as hurt as Raven? And why can't she heal herself?!"

Knowledge groaned. "Please, one inquiry at a time, everything still feels foggy."

"Foggy…" Beast Boy's eyes widened. "Wait a sec, you mean the fog is the reason why Raven can't get better?"

"Not quite." Knowledge took a deep breath, as she slowly started to levitate, her eyes locked onto the fire bowl. But before she could even start moving forward, she dropped out of the sky, only to be caught in Beast Boy's arms, much to her embarrassment as she blushed again. "Thank you."

"No problem." Beast Boy stood up, holding the yellow emotion bridal style as he walked towards the fire, his heart beating rapidly in his chest for reasons he didn't want to try and figure out right now. Once he got there, he sat her down and then pressed his chest against her back, wrapping his arms gently around her to offer support. She looked so small and frail in spite of their practically equal height, and an intense instinct to protect her started bubbling up in his chest. "Take your time, I can wait for you to give me the answers I need."

Knowledge smiled under her hood for only a moment, the close proximity to Beast Boy giving her much-needed strength. But that smile vanished when she heard him suck in air through his teeth, and she turned slightly so she could look at him. "Is something the matter?"

"No…well, yeah, but it's not a big deal. Just crashed into a rock and got myself all scraped up. Still stings." Beast Boy raised an eyebrow. "I don't suppose you can heal me? It would sure help if I didn't have to fight through this."

Knowledge didn't answer at first, turning her back to him as she sighed and shook her head. "Beast Boy, how much do you know about what it means to be an empath?"

"Um…" Beast Boy crinkled his forehead in thought. "I'm pretty sure one of the characters in my favorite action RPG is an empath, you ever heard of Palace Souls?"

Knowledge smiled softly. "Of course I have, you've told Raven about it several times over the past few years."

"Right," Beast Boy sweat-dropped. "Sorry about that."

"No need to apologize. Raven doesn't find it nearly as annoying as she acts." Knowledge smirked, knowing that there was a dumbfounded expression on Beast Boy's face. But she soon became serious once more. "Being an empath is a great power, and as one of your comic characters is so fond of saying, it also comes with a great responsibility…as an empath, Raven can sense what others are feeling even if they try to hide it."

"Sounds about right so far, but what's that got to do with why Raven can't heal herself?"

"There's one last ability that comes with being an empath, her most powerful one of all, and also the most dangerous." Knowledge turned around, her face set in a grim line. "The power to take on the pain of others."

"Take on the pain of others?" Beast Boy raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

Knowledge sighed, gesturing as best she could to all her injuries. "When Raven heals, she isn't just saying a magic spell and making the injury go away. She literally transfers it from the injured party to herself, taking on their pain."

Beast Boy's eyes widened in horror. "Y-You mean…all this time, every bruised knee, every broken bone, every time someone gets sick…" His eyes started to water as the full weight of what he'd just learned started pressing on his heart. "Raven just…takes on that suffering instead of us?"

Knowledge nodded solemnly. "She's half-demon, her healing abilities are far stronger than a normal human, what would take weeks for someone like Robin to recover from might take a few hours, maybe a few days…but even she has her limit."

"T-That's why she didn't completely heal Robin's wrist…why she couldn't keep Batgirl from having to wear a cast." Beast Boy squeezed his eyes shut to try and block the tears from falling. "You said there's a limit, that's why she can't heal herself, isn't it? She took on more than she could handle."

"The greater the injury, the more dangerous it is for Raven to heal someone. Both Robin and Red X were about to die, no mere mortals could survive an explosion of that caliber. Raven was already at less than full strength from how much effort she had to put into making sure Batgirl's leg would have a chance to heal. Once she added Robin and Red X's pain to that?" Knowledge shook her head. "She went too far. It took everything we had just to heal her as much as we did. Thankfully your doctor friend Leslie up there is really good at what she does."

"Her heart stopped." Beast Boy whispered. "She should be dead."

"We all felt it when it happened. We even felt the electric shocks from the doctor's defibrillator. Raven almost didn't make it, but there was one thing that gave Brave and Affection just enough strength to pull Raven through."

"What was it?"

Knowledge smiled. "You."

"Me?" Beast Boy's jaw dropped open, his eyes no longer able to hold back his tears. "W-What did I do?"

"You fail to grasp just how special you are to her, Beast Boy. Your unwavering faith in her, the intensity of your emotions, your need to see her live…it gave Brave and Affection just enough to claw Raven back from the brink of death."

Beast Boy's lips quivered as his heart started aching, and he rubbed his eyes with his sleeve before giving the yellow emotion the most determined expression he could. "Raven won't die, either she's gonna live or I'll die in here with her. Tell me what I have to do."

"You've already done a lot, even if you don't realize it." Knowledge slowly got to her feet, now appearing much stronger than she did when Beast Boy first arrived. "This fog that you're seeing in everyone's domains, it's the representation of the concussions Raven took from Robin and Red X. Raven's powers are heavily dependent on focus, hence her need to meditate regularly. If she can't focus or meditate, healing herself becomes a much bigger challenge."

"That's why your place was so much foggier than Happy and Brave's, you're all about Raven's smarts, you're her whole brain basically."

"Well, I wouldn't say that, but you're close." Knowledge smiled as she took the steel and flint and started going over to another unlit fire bowl. "I'm impressed, you really are smarter than Raven gives you credit for."

"Heh…thanks."

"I can start working on getting this place sorted out now. The more I do here, the more of a chance Raven has of surviving." Knowledge frowned again. "But I can't do this by myself, I need the other emoticlones to do their part, and they're all in trouble too."

"Yeah, Happy could barely understand what I was telling her, and Brave had almost no strength left. I don't even wanna think about what the others are going through."

"You can fix this, Beast Boy. All you have to do is clear away the fog, and we'll be able to do the rest."

"But how? Do I need to start a fire everywhere?"

"You won't be able to use this in the other domains, places like Happy's domain don't have anywhere you can start a controlled flame, and it's too spread out anyway. As for Timid's maze, there's nothing to burn. The key isn't fire in and of itself, it's heat."

"Heat?"

"Fog is just a visible aerosol consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air, it's why you sometimes see fog early in the morning, the sun hasn't fully come up yet and it hasn't evaporated yet. Once the sun starts beating down, the fog goes away because the water evaporated…so if you can find a way to heat up everyone's domain enough to get the fog to evaporate, we'll be able to get Raven back on track."

"Oh, so that must be why when that monster Brave was fighting exploded, some of the fog went away! Well in that case," Beast Boy got back to his feet, his eyes narrowed with more intensity than he ever displayed before. "I dunno how, but I'll make it happen. Don't worry, Knowledge, we'll save Raven together, I promise."

"With you on her side, Beast Boy, I have no doubt about that."

With a determined nod, Beast Boy turned back into a bat and started flying towards Brave's domain, rushing through the rapidly thinning fog to complete the mission he started. "If you can hear me, Raven, don't you dare give up on me, because I'm never, ever gonna give up on you."

A/N: Looks like Beast Boy has just as daunting a task ahead of him as the rest of the Titans do. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, leave a review and let me know what you thought about it! I hope to have the next chapter out reasonably soon!