"Ahh!"

Red Robin and one of Tannarak's clones, who had his hands around Red Robin's neck, froze at the sound of the scream. The grip loosened as Tannarak summoned his multiples back to himself as he and Red Robin turned to see the source of the scream. Raven was hovering mid-air, black energy erupting around her. Miss Martian scrambled away, clutching her head. "Raven?" Red Robin whispered, voice filled with alarm.

"You think you're so tough," Klarion sneered as Raven rose higher, her power intensifying. "But it's time for round two!" Klarion screamed as he charged the agitated empath.

"Klarion, wait!" Red Robin lifted a hand, a warning in his voice.

Klarion unleashed a bolt of energy at Raven, but she deflected it with a mere wave of her hand before retaliating with a blast of her own. "You witch!" Klarion screamed, thrown backward by the impact. Red Robin staggered to his feet but felt a firm grip on his shoulder. Batman, who was crouched low, gripped Red Robin's shoulder and shook his head at Red Robin.

Red Robin looked around, spotting the three other Chaos Lords advancing on Raven. "This isn't good," Robin said, worry edging into his tone. "Should we stop them?"

"No," Batman replied, his gaze unwavering.

Raven watched as the Chaos Lords approached, the air thickening with a dark, foreboding energy. These are the ones who hurt you, a voice in her mind whispered. She descended to the ground, fists clenched, her aura crackling with lethal intent. These are the ones who will pay.

Klarion rejoined his companions, with Teekl cradled in his arms and a smirk on his face. "You really think you can take on all four of us?" His voice oozed mockery.

"You hurt me," Raven replied, her tone low, melodic, and chilling. "Now I'm going to hurt you."

"Fine. Have it your way." Xanadoth and Mordru moved as one, weaving a dark net of energy meant to ensnare her mind. But Raven's magic surged, shadows spiraling around her in a violent tempest. With a scream that tore through the air, she unleashed a wave of darkness, shattering the ground beneath her and sending debris hurtling toward her enemies.

Tannarak shot his hands up, summoning a barrier of shimmering green light. But Raven's attack crashed into it, rippling the shield violently until cracks began to spread under the weight of her rage.

"So much rage!" Klarion laughed, dodging a shadow tendril that lashed out, barely missing him. "I like it!"

Mordru countered, summoning black tendrils that snaked through the air, aiming to bind her. Raven's eyes blazed as she retaliated, hurling shadowy projectiles that detonated with bone-crushing force, each explosion sending shockwaves rippling through the battlefield.

"Hey! Watch it!" Klarion yelped, his taunts laced with nervous energy as he narrowly dodged another blast. "You're ruining my fun!"

"Shut up, Klarion!" Xanadoth snapped, cutting her eyes at him.

Raven could feel her power swelling, intensifying with each attack they launched. It was intoxicating, primal. A second pair of eyes appeared as she let out a raw, feral roar, channeling her magic into a massive, raven-shaped wave of darkness that surged forward like a tsunami. Behind her, her teammates and other heroes scrambled for cover, their eyes wide with shock as they frantically tried to form a plan to stop her.

The Chaos Lords raised shields of their own, but one by one, they shattered under the crushing weight of Raven's darkness, erupting in showers of energy and sparks. Xanadoth's eyes widened, a flicker of fear crossing her face. "That… that is dark magic," she sneered, thinking for the first time that she may have underestimated Trigon's daughter. Glancing at the others furiously, Xanadoth hurtled herself toward Raven, dark energy blazing at her fingertips and confronted Trigon's spawn, hand-to-hand. Raven parried every kick and punch while sidestepping the magic attacks of the other three Chaos Lords.

"Meow."

"Shut up, Teekl!" Klarion yelled. "We're doing fine!"

Finally gaining the upper hand, they surrounded her-their combined beams of energy slamming into Raven's shield from every direction. Cracks began to spiderweb across its surface, and Raven felt herself weakening. Before her shield could disintegrate, she heard her voice whisper again; They wanted to use you. They wanted you to open a portal.

"See, Teekl," Klarion laughed, but his voice trembled as he watched Raven. "She's not that impres—ah!"

Without warning, a force threw the Chaos Lords backward, sending them crashing to the ground like broken marionettes. Their bodies slammed into the earth with a sickening crunch that echoed across the battlefield.

"Meow," Teekl purred, unbothered by the chaos.

"Shut up," Klarion hissed, scrambling to his feet. Blood trickled down his forehead, and he wiped it away with a wild grin. "Lucky shot. That's all."

But Raven was past hearing them. Her power bubbled to the surface, an unstoppable storm ready to consume everything. She took a step forward, shadows thrashing violently around her. "You want access to my mind?" she roared, the energy swirling around her like a vortex. "You want me to make a portal?" A cold smile crossed her lips, and as a pair of red eyes flared above her own, Raven chanted, her voice a haunting, ancient murmur that sent shivers through the air. Red symbols flashed on her skin, and the Chaos Lords could only watch, dread filling their eyes, as the ground trembled beneath her, a portal of unimaginable darkness beginning to form. "You want a portal? I'll give you a portal."

"What is she doing?" Zatanna shouted as a massive portal swirled open beneath Raven, dark and foreboding.

Doctor Fate cast a spell, instantly anchoring the heroes where they stood as a fierce wind whipped around them, pulling everything toward the portal. "It's a gateway to Trigon's dimension," he answered, his voice strained.

"Oh, hell!" Constantine cursed, eyes wide.

"It still exists‽" Zatanna gasped, glancing frantically at Fate. "But how—?"

"Not the time!" he snapped, his focus unbroken.

"She's lost in her mind," Miss Martian reported, her voice tinged with fear as she tried yet again to reach Raven telepathically. "Whatever they did to her—she's disoriented. They put her in a dreamscape, and now she's trying to distinguish reality from fiction."

"And this is the only way she knows how‽" Kid Flash yelled, clutching his injured leg as Beast Boy helped him brace against the pull of the wind.

"Then maybe Red Robin can talk her down!" Beast Boy shouted, his voice nearly drowned out by the roaring winds.

"What do you mean?" Red Robin looked at Beast Boy, startled.

"Dude," Beast Boy gave him a bland look.

"Seriously?" Robin added, shooting him a hard look, and a clear 'Duh' stare.

"Right," Red Robin said, his gaze sharpening. "Doctor Fate—can you get me behind her? Or above her?"

Doctor Fate gave a firm nod, already preparing the spell. Red Robin turned to Batman, who met his gaze with a brief but solid nod of approval.

"Have a calm or intimate memory ready," Miss Martian said. "Something…deep…a conversation…or something."

Red Robin nodded.

"All right," Doctor Fate said, "are you ready?"

Teekl's terrified cries echoed as the Chaos Lords struggled to keep their footing against the force pulling them toward the portal. "The Enchantress has vanished," Mordru announced, his tone edged with frustration.

"This is no longer our concern," Xanadoth replied coldly. "Let Trigon's spawns tear this world apart. We're done here." Without another word, Xanadoth, Mordru, and Tannarak each vanished in turn, their figures dissolving into the air.

"Oh, come on!" Klarion sputtered, "You're joking! We can take her!"

"Meow!" Teekl yowled.

"What do you mean, I lost again?" Klarion snapped, glaring at his companion. "Stupid cat."

"Meow."

"You shut up!" he muttered, eyes flashing with irritation before he, too, disappeared.

What am I doing? Protecting yourself. They're gone. Are they? No, they're still in my mind. They're not in your mind. You're fine. You're alone. No. I am not. I am.

Raven's chest heaved with each ragged breath she took. They ran! How dare they run from the daughter of—"Ugh!" She exclaimed, a weight crashing down on her. She screamed as her body flipped mid-air, landing hard against something—or someone—as her portal flickered out of existence. Dazed, she rolled to her feet, magic at the ready.

"Wait!" the person beneath her—clad in dark red and black—called out, holding up a hand. "Just wait."

Raven paused with her four eyes narrowed at the creature before her, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

"You're safe," the figure said gently as he slowly stood. "I'm not here to hurt you."

Her rage smoldered, dark and unyielding. Safe? The word echoed bitterly in her mind. The agony they inflicted, the false sense of peace they'd made her feel—it all roared back. Shadows gathered around her, writhing and pulsing, as her fury swelled.

"I don't know what happened to you. I can't even imagine," he continued, his voice calm, his gaze unwavering. "But you're safe now."

Raven's glare hardened, her rage fueling her powers as she raised her hand, darkness coiling around her fingertips, ready to unleash her wrath.

Red Robin stared into Raven's red, angry eyes, now narrowed and trained on him. The four eyes should have freaked him out—but oddly, they didn't. "Raven…" he breathed her name, voice low and careful. She looked exhausted. Her uniform was torn and singed in some places, and her body was trembling with barely contained energy. He'd heard her scream earlier—a sound that still echoed painfully in his mind, one he never wanted to hear again.

"Raven, you know me," he said, taking a cautious step forward. Her hands still glowed with dark energy, sparking dangerously. With slow, deliberate movements, Red Robin pulled off one of his gloves with his teeth, revealing his bare hand. "We're friends," he murmured, offering her a faint smile. "Maybe…more than friends? We've kissed a couple of times." Behind him, he heard gasps of surprise and exclamations from his teammates. He groaned at their responses. So dramatic. He ignored them. With measured slowness, he reached for her hand, but she flinched, her magic sparking in warning. "I know they hurt you, but I'm not going to hurt you," he promised softly, pulling his mask off in one fluid motion, revealing his face. He held her gaze, willing her to see him, to recognize him—but her expression remained hard, and more shadows curled around her.

Realizing words weren't enough, Tim gingerly took Raven's hand, grounding himself with a calming breath. He focused on a memory, a simple one, but filled with warmth—a memory just for her.

It was their fifth study session. Raven was finally more relaxed around him, letting her sarcasm and dry humor emerge, and for once, she wasn't hiding under her hood. For Tim, seeing her face fully—though often impassive—was mesmerizing. Earlier, she had even laughed quietly at one of his jokes, nearly flooring him. He watched her brows knit as she concentrated on a problem, her lips twisting in thought. Cute, he thought, then caught himself staring and averted his eyes, embarrassed. His eyes fell on one of her notebooks, peeking out from under a textbook. "List of… what?" he read aloud, grabbing it impulsively, breaking her concentration. "List of Earth's Differences," he continued, ignoring her horrified expression.

"Hey!" Raven exclaimed, reaching for it, but Tim held it just out of her reach.

"Difference #1: The water. Difference #2: Pizza. Difference—" he laughed as he saw her cheeks flush slightly. "You made a list of ways this Earth differs from yours?"

"It… started off as an exercise with Dinah," she mumbled, her blush deepening. "Then I just… kept going."

Tim flipped to the last entry, eyes widening. "Almost 600 differences? That's impressive."

She reached for it again, but he playfully blocked her hands. "Metahumans?" he asked.

"We didn't have those on my Earth," she said, relaxing.

"What did you call humans with abilities?" he asked.

"We just called them 'humans with abilities.'"

Tim chuckled as he read another entry. "Boom tubes?"

"Teleportation pads," she replied. "And they only existed in Justice League headquarters."

"Difference #50: The stars," he read, looking up at her curiously. "The stars?"

"They're backward here," she said. "The Big Dipper faces the other way."

"Really?" he said, captivated. "You wrote sunset and sunrise? Don't tell me they set north and south?"

"On my Earth, the sun sets in the east and rises in the west."

He shook his head in amazement. "Things must have been so confusing when you arrived."

"You have no idea," she sighed.

"My treating you like a pariah didn't help, I'm sure."

"It's fine, Tim." She waved it off, but he frowned.

"I don't think it is," he insisted, guilt flashing in his eyes.

She met his gaze, her lips curving into a small smile. "I forgive you. You were scared… I understand. What we do…it's good to be wary," she relented with a slightly melancholy expression.

"It doesn't make my treatment of you okay," he said. Raven looked up at him, her eyes shining with an emotion he couldn't name. They held each other's gaze, a warmth building between them. "Ahem." Tim cleared his throat, trying to hide the blush creeping up his cheeks. He raised a brow at a particular entry. "Waffles? How could waffles be different?"

"They just are," Raven said, starting to argue.

Tim grinned as he finished the memory aloud. "You said our Earth makes the outsides crispier and the insides fluffier. You said our Earth has the perfect waffle." He intertwined their fingers. When he felt her fingers twitch, his eyes widened. "Raven…" he whispered, feeling her finally register his presence. Her eyes returned to their usual violet color as the second pair faded. "Raven," he whispered, his relief palpable. Her hand went slack as she slumped forward, and he caught her as they sank to the ground together. "I have you," he repeated, stroking her face gently.

She blinked, staring at him. "Tim," she whispered, then threw her arms around his neck. "You're safe," she breathed.

"I'm safe? You were worried about me?"

"You kept coming back and-and-and he kept taking your memories. I was worried you'd-you'd-" Tim held her even tighter. "Thank you for saving me," her voice cracked.

"You never have to thank me for saving you," he assured her, pulling back slightly to look into her eyes.

"How long was I…?" she asked softly.

"About twenty-one hours." He stroked her cheek as they locked eyes, and Raven leaned into his hand, chuckling in exhaustion. "What's so funny?" he asked, his thumb brushing along her cheek.

"In my head, there was this version of you but… your skin was ice cold," she muttered.

"Ice cold?" He smirked. "Were you… feeling me up in there?"

Raven's cheeks blazed red as her eyes widened in embarrassment. "That's not it…"

With a soft laugh, he leaned his forehead against hers. "I'm just glad you're back."

"Not to interrupt this riveting reunion," Kid Flash interrupted the two with a grin, "but can we go home now? I'm pretty sure my fibula is poking out, I'm in so much pain, and I need some sleep."

"Yeah," Tim looked at Raven once more, tenderly brushing hair out of her face. "Let's go home."

Enchantress clawed at her temples, desperate to quench the fire blazing in her skull. "You failed!" The voice thundered, reverberating through her skull.

A strangled whimper escaped her lips as she lay curled in her bed, each nerve ending seared in agony. "I'm… sorry," she gasped, barely able to speak as tears, snot, and drool poured down her face. "She's… too powerful."

"You have one more chance!" the voice hissed, each word a spike of fresh pain.

"How am I supposed to make her open a portal?" she cried, her voice edged with fury—furious at herself, at her own weakness, and at the power he held over her.

"No! I'll find my own way out!" he barked, a sinister calm that cut through her agony. The pressure in her head intensified to the point of excruciation. "I want you to kill her!"

"How?" She could barely form the word, choking on a mix of terror and exhaustion.

"My servants have reported that the heroes are occupied with the cleanup efforts following the Chaos Lords' disaster," he sneered loudly in her head. "Raven should be easily accessible, and this last encounter should have left her severely weakened." I'll provide you with a tool that will bring her down." The pressure in her head lessened, the pain ebbing just enough for her to draw a ragged breath. But his final words chilled her to her core as they echoed in her head. "Fail me, and I will erase you from existence. That's a promise."