Knock. Knock. Knock…

Nightwing waited outside the room. After a few seconds, he reached up and tried again.

Knock. Knock. Knock…

"… Come in…" he was able to make out a silent reply through the door. So he pushed the keypad, and after the door opened, he stepped inside.

He looked around the room until saw Cyborg, who was leaning against the counter along the wall. Nightwing walked up to his teammate and stopped in front of him. Cyborg was holding a thick stack of papers looking down at them. But the far away look in his features told Nightwing that he wasn't reading them. So he reached up and gently grabbed the stack of papers. He slowly pulled them from Cy's grip, and he gave no resistance. After he took the papers, He stepped to the side and placed them down on the counter before returning to face Cyborg. He looked at Victor, who stood frozen after putting his arm down. They stayed silent for a short while.

"How could I do that to BB..? How could I accuse Gar of doing something like that…?" He leaned further back into the counter, ignoring the groan that the cabinet made from his weight.

Nightwing was silent. Then spoke up.

"You're not the only one Victor. I accused Garfield of the same thing. We both jumped to conclusions, and instead of giving Gar time to explain the situation, we just thought the worst of him."

"And Raven…" Victor asked. "Her pregnancy… do you think that it was for-"

"Let's not jump to anymore conclusions Vic. We'll talk to Raven about it when we have the time. I don't even want to think that she didn't ask for this."

"If she didn't want this, If someone took adv-" Cyborg was cut off.

"Victor, let's not think that right now. The team's in a lot of pain right now. Let's not add more fuel to this by thinking about that. We're Ravens family, she'll tell us when she's ready. But right now, we have other things that we need to discuss."

Slowly, Cyborg anger receded and he looked to Dick to continue.

"About the meeting we were going to have, I gathered the team to let you guys know that… The Brain has escaped from his ice prison." Nightwing finally told Cyborg.

Cyborg turned and walked to his desk, and looked over his stacks of paperwork and projects. He took a big inhale, held on to it, then with a loud exhale turned back to Nightwing.

"We're going after them?"

Nightwing nodded. He just finished taking a call from the Doom Patrol. The chaos that was going on on their end didn't make this terrible evening any better. He had lied to the Doom Patrol, telling them that he briefed the team about The Brain. That the others were preparing for the upcoming encounter. So Garfield's old team gave him the update about the bunker The Brotherhood was using. And after taking a moment to settle himself, after the news of the escape, Ravens pregnancy, and Garfield's behavior over the subject, decided he needed to speak to the Titans individually.

"Tomorrow morning. We'll have another team meeting. I'll go into detail what we're going to do." With that, Nightwing headed out of the room and made his way to Kori's.

Cyborg looked down at his finalized papers. Each packet had been individually cover paged for the team he'd been working with for months. This project had been his biggest contribution to STAR Labs. Even before he finalized this, everyone at the lab were completely behind him. He chuckled when they were falling over themselves to see his findings. To spend more time with him in the laboratory and learn from him, a guy who had technology and science thrusted on to him when he had still been a school jock just scraping by in class less than a decade ago. Who didn't want to bother learning textbooks and studies despite his fathers request to follow him in his field. But after the accident, being a freak really took away the ball games and highschool parties.

He moved the project papers over, lifted a letter that had been addressed to him personally by the head engineer for STAR Labs, and read it.

'We are pleased to inform you, Victor Stone, that the board for STAR Labs and it's affiliates of the Justice League have unanimously agreed to your full time employment in our facility. We are looking forward to having one of the brightest minds joining our ranks. We look forward to seeing you in the coming weeks, and have your accommodations ready for your arrival.'

Signed Chairman of the Hea-

Cyborg placed the invitation down and sighed.

—-

Knock… Knock.

Starfire was startled. She didn't know how long she was lost in thought. She stopped folding her ceremonial robe that was sent to her by her mother. She placed the garment on to her bed and looked to the door.

"Yes…"

"It's me Kori…"

She walked to the door, and after opening it, saw her lover standing in the hallway. He did not have the smile that he would often have for her at her bedroom door. But she understood that the evening was far from the towers usual happenings. She didn't need to say anything as he walked right in, with the door closing behind him, and stood before her. His face was solemn and she knew he did not have good news to deliver.

"The Brain, Mallah, and General Immortas escaped." He finally said after a few seconds of silence.

She held his gaze, before nodding.

"And we're are to prepare for battle."

It was not a question. Dick did not have to do the explaining. However the villains escaped, whatever they sought to gain, she and her family would be there to stop them.

He nodded, then looked to her bed where her robes lay. He knew this time was coming closer and closer. Her parents had done everything they could to convince her to return home, without asking her directly. They were getting older, the growing number of younger Tamaranians wished for a new era for their home planet. A new era they believed Koriandr could lead them to prosperity. Because even though she was so far away from home, she was devoted to her people. Because she was strong, and brave. Because they saw in her what he'd seen in her all the years they've known each other, since the day they met.

Her eyes never left him, and when he turned back to look her in the face, he tried to smile.

"We still have some time." She told him, then he embraced her. And they held each other for what felt like hours. They swayed in one another's arms until Dick finally said, "I have to talk to Raven."

He felt Kori stiffen, and they were no longer rocking side to side. With her head resting in the nape of his neck, she nodded. He hesitated, but then asked, "Is it really that bad Kori?" They stayed like that for some time, and when he thought she wouldn't answer…

She turned her head so that her lips brushed his ear. "What if I was unfaithful to you Dick?" And with that small question, Dick understood Ravens actions. He truly understood Garfield's pain. He squeezed Kori as tight as he could, knowing that he could never hurt her, in more ways than one. And she returned that hug with one that was firm, yet loving. Slowly, Dick started to pull back. He gave her one last look, kissed her lips, then turned and headed out of her room.

Kori watched him go, before returning to her robes. She folded the last robe and placed it inside her luggage. Before clasping the top compartment, her finger brushed along a embroidered stitching gifted to her by her elderly nanny. Who had told her of the great things she would one day accomplish during her rule of Tamaran during her childhood. Almost like a grandmother, she saw the purity and ferocity that was in Koriand'r since her birth. Her nanny was a gifted stitcher that often fashioned robes for the royal family. She picked up a circular stitching that her nanny had crafted and delivered to her along with her ceremonial clothing. Even in old age, her nanny stitched Koriand'rs features beautifuly, almost like a photograph. Surrounded by the colors that represented the Tamaranian people, and flora native to the palace that she had grown up in. Underneath her portrait, read.

"Praise X'hal, our new queen returns'

—-

He passed by Beastboy's room, he wouldn't stop to check in on him. He didn't know if he was inside, or if he'd flown to one of his private spots to think. He decided to message Garfield first thing in the morning about the upcoming meeting. He'd have to apologize sometime after he briefed the team.

He continued walking, down a hallway that he rarely visited. In all the years they've been Teen Titans, he'd hardly ever ventured to this part of the tower. Only visiting occasionally when going to speak with Raven at her door. He remembered the first few times he'd gone to fetch her for dinner. And after so many declines, finally got the hint Raven wanted to be left alone. But that didn't stop Garfield. He went to her just about everyday, down this very hallway to talk to her, to bring her out of her room, to bring her to them.

He looked out through the high rise windows that lined one side of the wall to a beautiful beach and Jump City view.

For the first time in a long time, he reached out to Raven. With the connection that they shared since the fall of Trigon. She had told him that by concentrating, he could send an 'essence' of himself that she would receive. And in that part of him, she could feel his emotions. And he'd reach out to her, to express that he wanted to talk to her, to help and understand her. Right after, he had gotten a response. But it held no hint of emotions, just an acknowledgement.

He reached her door and before he could raise his arm, she called to him.

"You can come in Dick…" so he pushed in the master code that would override the lock for her bedroom. He walking into the dim room and saw Raven cross legged, flowing above her bed. Had he not seen her earlier today, in the state she was in after their team meeting, he would have never guessed something was wrong. She looked just like she always did. Neutral, almost indifferent and slightly monotone.

"Can I help you with something? Does it have to do with the meeting we didn't have?" She asked him like it was just another day in the tower. Like Beastboy was parading around, with a girlfriend who didn't do such a horrible thing to him. He pushed that thought away, could he judge her, in a relationship that wasn't his business. Just because she'd grown into a sister to him, and Garfield a brother to him, did that let him butt into their affairs. Did it really matter what his feelings were?

"…" He didn't voice his conflicted thoughts. But remembered why he came to her room. "The Brain has escaped his ice prison, and is currently held up in a base close to where we first met him. Tomorrow morning, I'll brief the team on what actions we'll be taking in the next few days."

Raven nodded, and continued to look at him. He stood, not knowing if he should stay or leave. After some time, his curiosity got the better of him. "... about Garfield…"

"I messed up Dick, there's no sugar coating it. I'm sure you heard things around the watch tower the few times you visited the Justice League. I know some people have noticed my actions and may have mentioned things in passing. I'm sure they didn't want to gossip around you, but they were more loose lipped around Kori."

Her words did nothing to soothe the pain he felt for Garfield, for the team. He remembered what Kori had asked him in her bedroom. 'What if I was unfaithful to you Dick?' And the thought that Raven had Garfield in her life and still chose to be with someone else, finally hit him. How till this day he still held onto her, worried about her well being when she was away, spent every minute of his free time with her when he could. All while at some point Raven had been with another.

He shook his head, trying to dispel his thoughts and looked to Raven. Right now, standing before her, he wasn't the leader of the Teen Titans. He wasn't Nightwing, the hero born from the ashes of Robin the Boy Wonder. He wasn't a hero… he was her brother.

"Are you even sorry Rachel?

And she looked at him. And slowly her neutral face turn to a pained expression. And she looked tired, guilty and lost. He wasn't sure if she was going to answer. He waited, then turned and left her room.

Alone in her room, like she had been before Beastboy pulled her from isolation. Before she learned what it felt like to be loved, and to love someone. Before she had gotten tangled in this mess that was her love life. A single tear slid down her cheek.

"I don't know…"