Cyborg stood outside the interrogation area; the door open beside him as he leaned back against the wall. The actual interrogation room inside was shut and locked, but the monitoring room outside of that was left open. Cyborg had just stepped out from there. He held his communicator in his hand. He raised it to his face and pressed the button. "Nightwing, Cyborg." He said.

"Is everything ready?" Nightwing said.

"Yeah, she's waiting for you." Cyborg said. He yawned as he spoke. "She didn't even put up a fight this time."

"Well, that's nice."

"Yeah, but I wouldn't let my guard down. Anyway, the key's on the table, when you're ready."

"Got it. I'll be there soon. Thanks, Cyborg." The communication ended. Cyborg stood there, and wondered if he should just wait around for Nightwing. There were other things he could be doing. Just then, the comm activated again.

"Nightwing?" Cyborg said.

"No, Beast Boy."

"Oh, hey. What's up?"

"Can you come to my room for a minute?"

"Why, is something wrong?"

"Yeah. My game isn't working."

"Seriously? That's what you called me for? We have more important things to worry about right now."

"Hey, all work and no play makes… I forget how the rest of that goes."

"Ah, alright, alright. I'll be right there. It'll probably be an easy fix anyway."

"Thanks, man." The comm went silent again. Cyborg shrugged, and stood up fully from the wall. He walked down the hall towards Beast Boy's room, leaving everything ready for Nightwing. After Cyborg left, the corridor was quiet. A minute passed by. Someone walked up to the open door and entered it. They shut the door behind them.


Raven walked down the hall with a purposeful stride. She knew where she was headed. She just hoped he was there right now. She turned a corner, and she saw Nightwing. Which was good. She also saw Starfire, talking to him. Which was…

As they were talking, Starfire turned and saw Raven. Raven wondered what to do. Starfire said something to Nightwing, and then started to walk over to Raven. As Starfire approached, they made eye contact. "We were talking about the captain of the police." Starfire said. "He is being moved somewhere else as we speak."

"That's good." Raven said evenly.

"Yes…" Starfire turned her head. Nightwing was going into his room. "Nightwing, wait." Starfire said, slightly raising her voice. He paused and turned.

"I believe that Raven would like to speak with you." Starfire said. She turned back to Raven, who looked at Starfire, slightly wide eyed. "Right?" Starfire said.

"…Right." Raven said. Starfire touched Raven's arm, and then walked on by. Nightwing stood in the hall, facing Raven. She began walking towards him, not quite as fast as before.

"What did you want to talk about?" he said once they were face to face.

"Well…" Raven looked around. Nightwing looked slightly confused. "It's… personal."

"Okay." He said.

"Can we talk somewhere more private?" she said. Nightwing raised an eyebrow.

"Is it something important?"

"It is. I mean, I feel that it is."

Nightwing put his hands on his hips. "The thing is, I was actually getting ready to go up and talk to Ravager again."

"Now?" Raven said. "I thought that wasn't until tomorrow."

"I know I said that. But I thought about it, and what Starfire said. And I decided that I would talk to Ravager alone tonight, and Starfire can talk to her tomorrow. I think it'll be better that way. So, can this wait a little while?" he looked at her expectantly. Raven's face fell.

"Oh." She said quietly. "Okay. That's fine. Never mind." Raven turned around, back in the direction she came. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head.

"Wait, Raven. If… If what you want to talk about is that important…"

"Its fine, Nightwing." Raven said.

"No, Raven. There's obviously something on your mind. I'd like to hear what it is. Ravager can wait for a bit. It's not like she's going anywhere."

Raven looked down at the floor for a second, and then back up to him. "Alright. Can we talk in your room?"

Nightwing nodded. "Yeah." He opened his door and walked inside, and Raven followed. Nightwing's room was pretty much the same as it was years earlier, when he was known as Robin. The lights were currently dimmed, but Raven could tell that it still had the same spartan, utilitarian aesthetic. Granted, they weren't planning to stay here for long, so maybe he just didn't see the need to decorate it.

"Let me turn the lights up." He said. He started walking over to the switch.

"That's okay." Raven quickly said. "I… think I would actually prefer the lights kept low while we talk. If you don't mind." Raven felt it would be easier to say what she wanted without harsh, bright lights.

Nightwing shrugged. "Sure, if that's what you want. Do you want to have a seat?"

"I'd rather stand, thank you." Raven said in a soft voice.

Nightwing eyed her for a minute, as if trying to gauge her. He walked to the center of the room, and faced her without standing directly in front of her. "Whenever you're ready, I'm listening."

Raven nodded. "Okay. I…" she took a deep breath. "This isn't easy. I've wanted to say this for a long time."

"It sounds like a pretty big deal." He said.

"Yeah. I mean… it is to me. I don't know how you're going to feel when I tell you."

"Is it something bad? Is it about Slade, or the Ravagers?"

Raven shook her head. "No. It has noting to do with them. And it isn't bad. Unless… you think it's bad."

Nightwing smiled. Not a big smile, but a gentle one. "Raven, if you don't think it's bad, then I'm sure I won't either."

Raven's heart skipped a beat. As much as she liked hearing him say that, she wasn't going to hold him to it. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, and took another breath. Now or never. She looked him in the eye. "Nightwing… I love you."


The door to Ravager's interrogation room opened. A lone figure walked in.

"Hello again, Ravager." Bumblebee said. Bumblebee practically spat the girl's name as she said it. Ravager looked up at Bumblebee, and smiled. It was a mischievous smile. Bee clenched her jaw. Ravager's eyes then lowered to what Bee was holding in her one hand.

"That's right, bitch. I've got your sword." Bumblebee said this through clenched teeth. Bumblebee held the sword firmly in her hand. She looked at Ravager with malice, baring her teeth at her. She clenched the sword tightly with her fingers. Ravager her looked her up and down, and tilted her head.

"You only brought one of my swords. I guess you couldn't handle two."

Bumblebee inhaled through her teeth. "Do you want to die?"

"You don't have the guts." Ravager said.

"Shut your mouth." Bee said. She started to slowly walk around the front of the table, eyeing Ravager the whole time. "You killed my friend."

"Which one?" Ravager said in an almost bored tone.

"Aqualad. His name is Aqualad. That's why I came back here. To find the asshole who did it. You." Bee's hand, still holding the sword, shook as she spoke.

Ravager leaned back, as much as the restraints would allow. "Hmm. Well, I did also help you lose some weight." Ravager looked at Bumblebee's severed arm. "How about a thank you?" Ravager tilted her head as she said this. In an instant, Ravager found her own sword pointing right at her, inches from her face. Bumblebee's eyes were ablaze.

"I'll kill you." Bumblebee said.


"I… I've loved you for a long time now." Raven continued. "For years." Her voice was unconsciously becoming breathy. She cleared her throat to speak more clearly. Raven's palms were sweating, and her heart was pounding in her chest as she spoke. But she didn't dare stop to think about anything or else she might not be able to continue. She barreled on. "For a long time, I've kept it to myself. I didn't tell anyone. In the past, I didn't say anything because you and Starfire were together. I knew you two were in love, so I kept silent. And then after you both broke up, you left. You went away, and I tried to forget about you. How I felt about you. Maybe I almost succeeded. But then you called me. We came back here, together again. And it all came back. Those feelings were still there, and being with you again reignited them. I don't think I've ever been happy, but… being with you, is when I feel closest to it. I don't expect you to feel the same way about me, but… when all this is over, I would like it if you would go out with me."

Raven finally stopped. Then, after another moment, she finally took a breath. When she exhaled, Nightwing still hadn't said anything. His eyes were wide. He was definitely surprised. But other than that, it was hard to gauge what he was feeling. Raven's own heartbeat sounded so loud in her ears, she couldn't even concentrate. Maybe that was for the best. Otherwise, the silence was deafening.

"Raven…" Nightwing finally spoke. "I… I don't know to say."

She looked at him for a long, torturous moment. "Well… say something." She said. "Please." Now that she had had a minute, Raven was looking back at her speech in her head. She spoke from her heart, but looking at it with her mind, the words now sounded so inelegant and rambling. Maybe even a little pathetic. If someone said those things to her, how would she react? Raven was not a cryer. But as she was starting to think that she had just embarrassed herself in front of Nightwing, she very nearly felt like crying. Years of love for this man, and it all came down to this.

"This just caught me off guard." Nightwing said. "I just need a minute to process this, that's all. Just one minute. Is that okay?"

"Yeah." Raven said quietly. "Okay."


"You're going to kill me, with my own sword?" Ravager said casually. She looked up at Bumblebee. Bumblebee's face was contorted with rage by this point. Her arm quivered as she held the blade. Ravager just sat there. Its not like she could do much else at the moment.

"You think I won't?" Bumblebee said, raising her voice. As she yelled, she probably didn't hear the cracking sound nearby. Ravager was cuffed to the table, but had at least a little range of movement with her hands. While Bumblebee was talking Ravager had broken her own thumb. The other girl didn't seem to notice. Ravager maintained eye contact the whole time.

"What would the others say?"

"I don't care! You… You killed Aqualad." Bumblebee's face had become ugly with malice. She again didn't notice the popping sound from the table.

"Yeah, that's right." Ravager said. "And I cut your arm off too. What are you going to do about it?" Bumblebee's barely contained rage exploded. She screamed, reared back the sword, and then thrust it directly at Ravager's head. Ravager dodged the thrust. In the brief moment that Bumblebee leaned in from the thrust, Ravager slipped her hands out of the cuffs, which was much easier with broken thumbs. She reached up with one hand and grabbed the arm holding the sword and pulled Bumblebee forward. Even without thumbs, her grip was strong. Bee was unbalanced from the sudden and unexpected move and stumbled forward onto the table. Before Bee could even register what was happening, Ravager used her other hand to grab Bumblebee's head and slam it onto the table once, twice, three times. Bumblebee crumpled onto the table and Ravager let her go. Ravager then reached down to Bumblebee's hip, and grabbed the stinger gun that was holstered there. Ravager aimed the stinger at her leg manacles, and fired. The restraints were broken. Ravager quickly stood up. Bumblebee was dazed and hurt, but still conscious. Ravager pushed her onto the floor. She then looked down at her own hands. She popped her thumbs back into place. Sharp, sudden pain. Nothing she wasn't used to. Bruises from the bones breaking had already formed on her hands. They would take some time to heal. Not a lot of time though.

With Bumblebee on the floor, Ravager quickly picked up her sword and walked over to the other girl. Bumblebee looked up, blinking her eyes. Still dazed. Ravager kicked her, and she rolled over on the floor. Bumblebee tried to move, but Ravager grabbed her good arm and pulled it back. Ravager now stood with one foot on Bumblebee's back as she locked Bumblebee's arm. Ravager used her other hand to press the blade against Bumblebee's arm. The edge touched flesh. The girl beneath her suddenly became more alert.

"No, stop!" she screamed. Her expression was angry and hateful, but Ravager heard the fear in her voice.

"I know it sucks only having one arm." Ravager said. "So, I can make it so both sides are the same." Ravager applied pressure. The blade drew blood.

"No, please don't!" Bumblebee said, the fear more obvious now. Ravager looked down at her. She felt the familiar satisfaction that came from power and violence. But more muted than usual. Something was different this time. Ravager was… unsure what to do now. But she had to act fast. After a moment, she decided what to do. She reared back her leg and kicked Bumblebee in the back of the head. Bumblebee slumped to the floor, and Ravager released her arm. Ravager stepped back, and looked at the girl lying on the floor.

"For the record, I'm not the one who killed him." Ravager said. "Not that it matters." Ravager wasn't even sure if the other girl could still hear her. That didn't matter either. Ravager left Bumblebee's weapon, but kept her own sword. Without further delay, she then walked out of the room.

Once out, she then opened the next door leading into the hallway. Ravager looked around. Nobody. She didn't know the layout of the building. She decided she would have to just pick a direction and hope for the best. She started walking down the hallway. She moved quickly but quietly. She was darting her eyes, scanning all directions. There was no one around. She wished she had her other sword, but didn't have time to go looking for it.

She found herself in another corridor. There were a few doors along the way. She approached one, preparing for… anything. She opened it. It was a closet. Useless. She didn't have time to check if there was anything hidden in there she might use anyway, so she moved on. She went to the next door. She readied her sword. She opened it, and immediately knew it was a bedroom. She quickly noticed a few things. First, she saw a window. An escape. She also saw that there was someone in the room. Which meant that she would have to decide very quickly what to do next.

The person in the room was laying on a bed, but still awake. Ravager recognized that it was Beast Boy. He was playing some kind of game. But he quickly noticed her, and his mouth hung open. Ravager had to move, now or never. This might be her only chance. She ran into the room. Beast Boy sat up. But she ran past him towards the window. She jumped and kicked the window, shattering it. She flew out of the tower into the night air.


A minute passed. A long, slow minute, with Raven waiting for Nightwing's response. She wished he would just say something. She dreaded a rejection, but if he was going to do that, she would rather just get it over with, instead of dragging it out. After that minute, Nightwing sighed, and looked back at Raven.

"I'm sorry." He said. "You deserve an answer. I know it can be hard to open up to someone like that."

"Okay…" Raven said neutrally. She wasn't sure what he was going to say, and so wasn't sure how to feel. Except anxious. And tense. Nightwing stepped closer to her, looking her in the eye.

"Raven." He said. "You and I have known each other for a long time now. We've been through so much together. And after all this time, I feel that—" their communicator suddenly went off. Nightwing paused. Raven had a hard time hiding the dismay on her face. Not that she had a good feeling about where he was going, but she still needed to hear it. Nightwing looked at her for a second, and then picked up the comm.

"This isn't a good time." he said without even hearing who it was or what they wanted. "Whatever it is, it will have to wait."

"It can't wait." The voice quickly said. It was Beast Boy. "It's Ravager, Nightwing."

"What about Ravager?" Nightwing said.

"She escaped!"

"What!?"

"Yeah, just now."

"How? Actually, never mind. Just… Go after her. But don't approach her by yourself. I… I'm coming. You can fill me in, and I'll tell the others." Nightwing ended the communication. He noticed Raven looking at him.

"Raven, I'm sorry." He said. "But this…"

"I know." She said. "Its our job. Duty calls."

"Yeah. After this is over…"

"We'll have time for this later." She said as she walked out of the room. I hope, she thought to herself privately.


End Notes: I am going to be taking one last break. There are still several more chapters to go. The end isn't far off though. I don't have an exact date for when the story will be finished, but hopefully sometime over the summer. I know I have been working on this story for a long time now. About a year and a half as of this writing. But again, there is not much left before it is finished.