The tower of the Titans stood in silent magesty. Like a great colossus looking out to the sea awaiting the coming danger.

Within a young heroen of golden hair lay in disturbed slumber.

Terra turned in her bed, silently at first but soon desperate words began to slip past her lips.

"No don't, please don't go!" she half wispered. "Don't go, don't leave me. Please don't leave me!"

Tears began to fall from her still closed eyes. Suddenly her sleep was broaken as she shot up shouting, almost screaming. "Don't leave me!"

Cold sweat ran down her neck onto her shoulders and then her chest. She got up, walked to the window and pulled the curtins back. The faint light of dawn shined on her face as the sun peaked out from between the buildings. She realized she was trembling and forced herself to stop.

"Come on Terra, pull yourself together" she told herself. "You have a chance to undo all bad things you have done and your not going to blow it now" she turned around and staired at her bed. She soon realized she was afraid to go to sleep. "I have had enough sleep, time to work" she said then walked past her bed and out of the room.

At a quarry just beyond Jump City limits, Raven stood watching as Terra carefuly drew a giant block of granite from the ground.

The massive block rose gracefuly into the air then floated down to the ground.

"How's this piece?" Terra asked as she stood atop it.

Raven examined it for a moment. "Yes, this one will work" she said, then looked up. "Are you sure you can move all of them at once?"

"It will be a strain but I can handle it" Terra said.

"No!" Raven interjected. "I would rather not take the chance" her voice was still calm.

"Come on Raven, I held up the Tower, remember?"

"With my help and it was all planned by Slade so you could gain our trust" now her voice was beginning to show a slight bit of agitation.

"You think I can't control my powers?"

"I think your powers have limits. What would happen if you reached your them in mid air?"

The communicator alarm sounded. Raven clicked it open.

Raven, using Cyborg's notes and alittle bit of jerry-rigging had managed to create a new Titan's communications network consisting of the Tower and four communicators. The signal couldn't carry very far but atleast they could talk to one another securly, that is until the Brotherhood figured out how to crack it.

"Raven here, go ahead"

"There is a break in at the Jump city Bank" Kid Flash said. "The robbers are laying down some serious fire-power"

"Is Jinx there?" Raven asked.

"Right here" the former Villianess came back.

"Jinx, get over to the bank, Flash, stay in the tower and keep watch the Brootherhood might try and take advantage of the situation" Raven instructed.

"I'm soppost to bring them down all by myself?" Jinx asked.

"No just slow them down, me and Terra will be along as soon as we can, Raven out" Raven said then clicked her communicator off.

"Alright, finally some action!" Terra said as she floated her rock towards the city.

"No!" Raven cried using her power to stop her. "First you and me will get these stones to the tower then we'll help Jinx"

"We can't just let them get away with it!" Terra protested.

"Would you rather see a few petty thieves thrown in jail? Or the entire Brotherhood of Evil brought to justice?"

Terra tried but realized there was no argueing with Raven. "Yes of course" she said flatly.

At the bank the theives, while all wearing different shirts and pants all carried the same heavy coat. Four of the robbers were carrying bags of loot out to an armored van while the leader stood just outside the front door with a notably large blaster rifle.

"Move it" the leader barked.

Suddenly a flash of light and one of the bags tore open while the theif carrying it slipped and hit the ground.

Another flash and the leader's rifle exploded. He looked and saw a albino teen girl with pink hair that looked like horns. Instantly he drew his side arm and fired.

Jinx jumped, rolled and dived behind a parked car, blaster shots following her every step of the way. She dashed to the far edge of the vehicle, closed her eyes and concentrated.

"Alright Jinx, you can do this, just like the gym back at H.I.V.E." she said quietly then lepted over the car and ran straight at the robbers.

They turned and fired but their shots just kept missing. No matter how hard they tried they just couldn't line her up with their weapons' sights.

Jinx jumped and came down with her foot in one theif's face. She pushed off his skull and launched herself past the gang and into the open doorway of the bank. She rolled to the side just as a wave of laser fire blew a hole in the floor where she landed.

She pushed herself against the wall and tried to catch her breathe. Just as she began to feel her strength returning she heard footsteps coming up after her. She launched herself up from the floor, running in a zig-zag pattern just barely one step ahead of the laser fire. Because of the vast emptiness of the bank's front hall there was no cover and the only way she could avoid getting hit was to keep moving.

She dove to the floor in a summersault sending waves of negative energy at her attackers. Most missed but a few hit there mark and her attacker's weapons exploded.

Before the gang had a chance to recover, Jinx launched herself over the bandits' heads and through the doorway outside. She jinked to the left and hit the ground as a laser bolt tore through her right calf. She pulled herself up, tried to stand but hit the ground as her leg refused to respond. The pain in her leg was all consuming, she tried to focus but was unable to.

She could do nothing as they gathered around her.

"One down three to go" the gang leader said as he looked down at her.

Something struck the leader in the back of his skull and he hit the ground.

The gang turned and fired at the girl in the blue cloak but she produced a feild of black energy infront of her that stopped the beams.

Stones began to fall from the sky. Rocks flew from literely everywhere, the gang ran in every direction trying desperatly to find cover.

"Grab the girl and get to the van!" the leader screamed as he pulled himself up.

One of them dashed for the the helpless Jinx only to see a dark haze form around her and lift the girl high into the air.

"Leave her and run!" The leader cried as he dove into the driver's seat of the van.

The rest of the gang piled into the back of the van, climbing over the bags of their ill aquired loot.

Suddenly the ground from underneath was lifted and the van ascended into the sky.

The would-be-theives looked out over the edge to see the ashpalt glowing bright yellow.

Terra smiled wickedly. "Looks like you guys aren't going anywhere" she said. Suddenly a small razor sharp icicle was thrust through her temple, or atleast it felt like it. The pain inside her caused her mind to shut down and her body to jerk. She callapsed to the ground and the van plumitted.

The vehicle hit the ground, it's wheel's already in motion.

Raven reached out with her mind and took hold of it, but one of the gang fired. She duck causing the shot to burn the edge of her shoulder rather then tearing through her heart. Her hold on the vehicle was broaken and it feel from the sky. It land squared on it's wheels and was off.

Raven started to give chace when she heard the terrified scream of Jinx who was falling helplessly.

With a wave of her hand Raven took hold of the former villianess and set her down. She ran to her and helpped her up.

"Are you okay?" Raven asked.

"I'll be fine" Jinx said with groan. She started to walk away but stumbled and would have callapsed were it not for Raven holding on.

"Put your weight on me" Raven said.

Jinx did so.

"Wait, where's Terra?" Jinx asked.

Raven paused for a moment then called out. "Terra?" she cried, no answer. She was about to call out again when Terra walked out from behind an over-turned truck.

"Are you alright?" Raven asked.

"I will be fine" Terra said in a rude tone.

Jinx looked to Raven, who just nodded and looked at the piles of bags on the ground.

"Here, take her and get back to the tower" Raven said.

"I'll be fine" Jinx said, ignoring the intense burning in her leg. "Besides something is wrong here"

"What do you mean" Raven asked.

Jinx nodded to the bags and Raven helpped her over to them.

Jinx thought for a moment then reached down and pulled out a roll of bills from the bag. She studied it for a moment then shook her head. "This can't be right" she half-wispered. "This couldn't have been what they were after"

"Why not?" Terra asked. "Their crooks, crooks steel money and banks store money? What am I missing here?"

"Theivery one-o-one" Jinx said. "You never steal cold cash, it's too easy to trace. Soon as you spend it they have you nailed. You steal gold, jewels, artifacts, collectables but you never steal money"

About that time they heard sirens in the distance.

"Alright the police can handle things from here" Raven said. She waved her hand and some of the fragments of the robbers' weapons floated into a small pouch. "I'll run some tests on these, see if we can find out more about them"

Raven looked over her shoulder to Terra. "Can you make it back to the tower?"

"I'll manage" was all Terra said.

With that they were off.

When they arrived Raven lead Jinx to the infirmery and helpped her on the table.

"Lay face down" Raven said.

Jinx complied. As she felt a knife cut away at the strips of fabric she looked back over her shoulder with skeptical look. "Are you sure you know what you are doing?"

"Would you know?" Raven asked in her usual deadpan voice.

"I took a course on first-aid in H.I.V.E. Academy. BrotherBlood was determined that his students learn everything" she said and relaxed her neck, letting her face fall into the pillow.

"This might hurt" Raven said as she poured iadine over the wound.

Jinx winced slightly but that was all. "I'm alot tougher then you would expect" Jinx said smiling.

Raven said nothing as she began to sort through the contents of a medicine cabnet.

"You know I think Cyborg really had a crush on me?" Jinx said conversationaly.

"I wouldn't be surprised" Raven said as she withdrew a small vial from the cabnet.

"I knew he looked kinda familiar right from the beginning but I never thought he was Cyborg. When I learned who he really was I was surprised then alittle flatt-awwwouch!" Jinx howled as her leg caught ablaze. "What in the world did..." Jinx started to say as she looked over her shoulder but stopped mid sentence dum founded by what she saw. The muscles on her leg were steadily regrowing right before her very eyes.

Raven returned the vial to cabnet with a slight smirk on her face.

"What is that stuff?" Jinx asked rubbing her leg to make sure it was real.

"A very old, very ancient formula that is very had to make so I use it sparingly" Raven said.

"Well you could have warned me" Jinx said angerily.

"I thought you were tougher then you look" Raven said.

Jinx gritted her teeth and growled under her breath.

Raven said nothing as she turned and walked out of the room. She went to the work shop, she staired at the work bench with a feeling of dispair. She shook it off, grabbed the bag of fragments and walked to the work area. "You can do this" she told herself.

She took a small platic container from one of the storage bins and placed most of the fragments inside. The few that remained she put inside a petri dish and then turned to the microscope. She started to place the dish inside then stopped. "What am i doing?" she asked herself then walked to what looked like a microwave oven built into the wall. She opened it, placed the dish inside and punched in a series of commands.

Raven turned back to the work-desk when she remembered why her and Terra were at the quarry.

"Terra" she said quietly to herself. "Robin what i wouldn't give to have you here right now" She looked at the machine she placed the fragments in, on it was a digital clock counting down from one hour and forty-three minutes. She drew in a deep breath, straightened her cloak, pulled the hood over her face then stepped out the doorway.

As she approached the kitchen she heard a laugh echo through the tower and she realized that she envied them. She wished she could laugh like them, but not now and perhaps not ever.

In the kitchen Terra, Jinx and Kid Flash were sitting around the table enjoying a drink when Raven entered the room.

"Terra" Raven said with a tone that denoted urgency and maybe a touch of anger. "I wish to speak to you in private"

Terra looked to Jinx and Kid-Flash then backed to Raven.

"Now" Raven said in that same voice.

Terra said nothing but got up and followed her.

They came to a heavy steel door labeled 'Raven'. The door slide open, the two heroens stepped inside and the door slid shut behind them.

"So this is Raven's room" Terra said taking in the scene. "Beast Boy told me about it"

"Terra" Raven said in a calm tone but raised voice. "What happened out there?"

"What do you mean what happened out there?" Terra asked.

"We had them, or more accuratly, you had them until they got away"

"You think 'I' let them go?" Terra asked in disbelief.

"I think you lost control of your powers. If that is so I have to know this will never happen again"

"Why?" Terra almost screamed. "You think I'm loosing control of my powers? Is that it?"

"If you are then you are a danger to this group and to everyone else"

Terra poked a finger into Raven's chest but the sorceress said and did nothing. "I Was the one who held up the tower, defeated the titans, you and Slade! I spent months struggling to master my powers!"

Raven looked Terra directly in the eye. "If that is so then what happened out there?"

Terra stared at her for a few moments then looked away and held back tears. Working under a master villian had served to strengthen her, but dispite all that had happened she was still a teenager that wasn't quite a women.

"Am I still on the team?" Terra asked.

Raven considered. Their was work to be done, earth moving work. While Raven could do it all by herself it would take time and time was one thing they were short on. With Terra's help they could complete the project in a matter of hours rather then days.

"Only if you can assure me that this will never happen again"

Terra thought for a moment. "I swear this will never happen again!"

"Good" was all Raven said before she walked to the door.

"What do you mean 'good'?" Terra asked annoyed.

"Because we have work to do"

Raven walked back to the kitchen where Jinx and Kid-flash stood, silently awaiting further developments.

With a wave of her hand Raven brought a notepad and pen to her, she wrote something down, tore off a piece of paper and handed it to Kid-flash.

"Flash there is some paints I ordered at Construction Depot, I would like you to go pick them up" Raven said.

"Sure thing" the hero said looking over the note. He looked up at Raven who staired back at him with an expression that made his skin crawl. "I'll be going then" he said and was gone in a streak of light.

"Jinx you help Terra get the stones in place" Raven said.

"I don't need any help" Terra said bluntly.

"We must be sure that the stones are placed with complete caution. The slightest flaw in the placement will cause a flaw in the sheild"

Terra and Jinx looked at each other then shrugged.

"What are you going to be doing in the mean time?" Jinx asked.

"Once the stones are in place they will have to be marked. I will mark them" Raven said then turned towards the workshop.

"Why do I have the feeling she doesn't like me?" Jinx asked.

"Because she doesn't and I don't think your the only one" Terra said.

Raven returned with a pair of goggles drapped over her neck and carrying a hand-held cutting laser. Following her was a device that looked like a weapon mounted on a small hover pad.

"This is a pin-point laser director" she explained. She started to say something else but Jinx cut her off.

"Yes I know, it projects a tight-beam laser that is exact within less then a nano-meter" Jinx said. "And when set at high power turns the spot the beam is hitting black so that you can track the object's movements"

"You seem to be very technologicaly informed for a sorcoress" Raven said with one eyebrow slightly cocked.

"I used one before when I helpped set up H.I.V.E. Five headquarters. I know how it works"

"Good then I don't have to explain it. Terra will move the stones while you use the laser to make sure that the position of the stones is as exact as possible"

"And what are you going to be doing in the meantime?" Terra interjected.

"I will be filling in the patterns on the stones so they will provide some actual protection" Raven said raising the cutting laser so they could get a good look. "Now let's get to it"

They positioned the first stone without difficulty. Raven said nothing, merely watching to be certain both were doing a proper job. When the task was completed Terra and Jinx moved onto the next one while Raven set to work laying out the patterns.

The pattern the spell required was not overly complex, merely two infinity loops set perpindicular to each other inside a triangle, but it did require that the lines be atleast two inches deep and that would take time, also the more inperfect the markings, the more imperfect the sheild would be.

Raven worked at a pace which she felt was a good compromise between speed and quality. She decided she wanted the sheild to be ready by dark at the very latest. She calculated how much time she would have to spend on each stone in order to achieve that objective.

Meanwhile Kid-Flash hydro-planed acrossed the water carrying the two boxes of paint Raven had instructed him to pick up. He reached the edge of the island and set the boxes down allowing himself a moment to breath. He looked up at the tower and the circle of stones steadily taking form around it. He looked back to the city and marveled at it.

"Got a long haul ahead" he told himself. "I just hope we'll be able to pull it off" he turned away, picked up the paints and headed for Raven, not noticing the elderly man on the beach watching him.

Raven hovered in the air infront of the first stone block. She had been at it for almost three hours and still she had not moved on. It was taking much longer then she had expected. She finished the last circle then floated to the top to begin work on the large triangle. She turned up the power on the cutting laser and began to make her shape, a few minutes later the device went dead.

"Worthless piece of garbage" she said calmly then turned and flew back to the tower. She walked to the machine-shop where she unplugged the cutting-laser from the power-cell plugged the first back into the chargeand grabbed the spare. She attached the laser and turned back to the exit. Standing infront of which was Kid-Flash.

"Did you get the paints?" She asked.

"Yes, they're sitting outside by the front door" the young hero was smiling until he noticed the worn down look on her face. "Are you alright?"

"No, but I will manage" was all she said before pushing past him.

Kid-Flash disappeared in a streak of yellow and red and returned with a glass of water and a bottle of asprin.

Raven stared at him for a moment but simply set the cutting laser and power cell down, took the medication and handed the bottle and glass back to him.

"Thank you" she said.

"Listen if it's that hard why don't you take a rest?" Flash asked walking behind her.

Raven stopped dead, turned and looked the fastest boy alive with an expression that sent chills down his spine. "You think Robin and the others will have a break in the Brotherhood's dungeon?"

The boy said nothing but simply sighed, admitting defeat.

"When i'm done i'll need you to paint the rocks, and be sure to stay inside the lines" she said as she walked out the door.

Sense all eight stones were in place before Raven finished the marings on the first she changed her tactics. She used the laser to leave a trail of dots along the stones' faces like a tailoring pattern behind her Jinx and Terra would follow connecting the dots, behind them would be Kid-Flash filling in the color.

Raven was begining to cut the pattern on the finale stone when the image of a boat flashed through her mind and a chill ran down her back. She turned and over her shoulder coming towards the tower was a small motor boat. She fixed her mind the people aboard and gasped.

"Immortus" she said quietly then screamed it. "Immortus! Alert Immortus!" she sat the cutting laser and goggles down then flew to sixth stone where Jinx and Terra were still filling in the pattern.

"We're under attack!" she screamed.

"Where?" Jinx asked.

Raven pointed to the boat that was now running at full speed for the tower.

Jinx and Terra tossed the laser, power-cell and goggles aside leaving Raven to catch them with her mind. They floated down to safety then Raven flung herself at the boat.

Jinx not being able to fly ran to Kid-Flash.

"What is it?" he asked.

"That boat, Raven says it's Immortus" she said.

Kid-Flash turned to see the craft closing in and the yellow and blue dot flying towards it. "I'll be right back" he said as he dropped the paint brush and disappeared in a red and gold flash.

The streak of color ran over the water and seemed to colide head on with the vessel. It slowed to a hault as it be can to shake violently then a thick ploom of smoke rose from it as it started to sink.

The hero dove over the side as Terra and Raven flew over head.

Raven lifted the boy up using her powers then grabbed his arm.

"Where's the crew?" she asked.

"There's isn't one" Kid Flash said.

"What?" Raven asked suddenly.

"The whole ship was automated" he said.

"Come on!" Raven shouted and bolted back for the tower with such speed Kid-Flash barely held on.

Jinx stood at the water's edge watching the scene play out when suddenly an alarm sounded.

"The intruder alarm!" Jinx gasped then ran for the tower.

Raven had set up a sensor system to activate the defense grid if anyone entered the Island's perimeter without a Titans Communicator.

As Jinx approached she heard the sound of the tower's primary defense turrets. She saw a group of men in scuba-gear trying to gain access to the tower. They were driven back by the streems of red light comming from the tower until four of them brought what looked like bazookas to bare on the turrets, and the turrests exploded as the small missiles slammed into them.

She flipped open her communicator. "Guys where are you? I need some help over here!" she growled then charged the attackers as they ran for the tower's front door.

She jinked left and right, jumped up and dove down sending hexes in every direction. Had the situation been alittle more calmer she might have marveled at how well her leg was performing.

She turned and dashed straight for the door trying to get inside before her luck, or her skill, ran out.

The door's sensors detected her communicator and opened. She launched herself to get inside just as a shot hit her just above her right elbow.

She landed with a shriek of pain and began to lift herself up as the door exploded.

The troopers enter to run into a wall of laser fire from internal defense turrets. They scattered, some going left, others going right. One by one the turrets joined the fate of their exterior counterparts in a hale storm of plasma and shrapnel.

Jinx ran for the large circular couch and dove behind it for cover.

The troopers aimed and fired but the shots only bounced off rather then tearing through.

Luckily Cyborg had the forsight to build a new couch with a frame of solid titanium armor allowing it to double as a baracade.

One of the troopers with a bazooka reloaded his weapon and aimed but Jinx popped up from behind the couch and sent a hex landing a direct hit. The weapon exploded just as he pulled the trigger. He was blown up off his feet, bounced off the ceiling, crashed to the floor and lay motionless.

"Rush her!" the commander screamed and the squad charged.

Jinx leapt over the couch and dashed for the hallway that lead to the upper levels of the tower.

A laser shot that would have slammed into the back of her skull struck a black sheild that had sprung into exsistance behind the fleeing girl.

Jinx rounded the corner to the hall to see Raven standing there.

"Now what?" Jinx asked.

"Now we wait" Raven said calmly as laser shots continued to rain down on her sheild.

"We can't just let them have run of the tower!"

"We're not, the only way to the rest of the tower is through this hall. As long as we are here they will not be able to get to the upper levels"

Suddenly through the open door came a streak of red and gold. Soon the soldiers lay on the floor as they got to their feet, another streak and their weapons were gone.

"Don't you know your not soppost to play with guns?" Kid-Flash chuckled.

The troopers pulled their side arms and opened fire.

Streaks of light flew all around the room as the fastest boy alive stayed barely a step ahead of them. He turned and ran at one of them tyring to take his weapon but was met with a fist to his face. He was nocked off his feet and down onto his back. He had just enough time to sprint out of the way as the troopers turned and fired.

The boy turned the kitchen table on it's side and jumped behind it panting.

Just then another alarm sounded.

"The roof" Raven said nervously. "Jinx help him!" she barked as she dropped the sheild and flew further up the hall way.

Jinx cried with all her strength as she charged the troopers while Kid Flash went over the top to join her.

On the roof of titan's tower General Immortus lead a secound squad of troopers. They had reached the top via the use of grapples and now was heading for the door to the lower levels. Defense turrests sprung up around them and was erased in a torrent of plasma energy.

"There is our target" Immortus said as he drew a grenade and threw it at the door. The entire door way was vaporized in less than a secount. "Hurry!" the general cried and with titanium sabre in hand him and his men rushed the door. He was almost there when a large boulder dropped on the passage ceiling it off. Above it, floating on another rock, was a blonde haired girl that Immortus knew too well.

"Remeber me?" Terra said.

"Shoot her!" Immortus screamed.

Terra levitated higher into the air being sure to keep the rock on which she stood between her and her attackers. She reached down towards the beach and pulled up a wave of sand that struck the top of the tower. The wave shatter just before impact, not hurting the tower or the troopers on the roof but merely blinding them. Then stones rather then sand pelted the troopers and they ran desperately searching for some cover.

In their blindness they charged head long into a wall of black energy. Rebounding, most stumbled to the ground as the energy envelopted them.

"That's one squad out of commission" Raven said just before a laser bolt flew through her cloak lighting it on fire. Following and rolling she undid the broach that held the cloth in place and cast it away. She got to her feet and launched herself into the air as the squad resumed firing. She managed to stay one step ahead of their shots as she flew up and around them. "Get Immortus!" she cried.

The general turned and took aim at the blonde haired girl just as a the cement on which he stood tore itself free and propelled him up and out. It spun sending him free falling and causing him to loose his weapon then catching him in mid-air.

"Now, I don't think your going anywhere" Terra said.

"Open fire!" Immortus screamed.

The squad split, half of them firing to keep Raven busy while the others turned on Terra.

Terra called upon a wall of stones to sheild her from the blasts.

"Split up!" the squad commander said and they scattered firing on Terra from different directions forcing her to make two walls.

A buzzing sound filled her mind as she felt pressure build around her temple. She fought it, struggling to hold Immortus and herself in the air while keeping her sheilds intact. "Raven!" she screamed as pain shot through her head and her mind. The glow faded and she fell from the sky.

"Terra!" Raven cried flying towards her friend like a shot from a rifle. "Azerath metrion zenthos!" she called catching the girl with her magic just inches from oblivion.

Meanwhile Immortus withdrew a grappler from his belt and fired it at the tower's wall. He came to a stop almost twelves feet from the ground and began to climb up, but with flash of pink light the grappler came undone. The general landed rather hard on his back but soon the pain began to subside as his powers of enhanced rejuvination set in.

"Aren't you alittle old for rock climbing" Jinx said.

"Your never too old to deal with up start brats" the general growled. "Or traitors"

Jinx charged and leapt meaning to kick him in the face but he grabbed her ankle and through him over his shoulder.

There was a streak of red and gold light but the general was just quick enough to karate chop the fastest boy alive to the face nocking him flat on his back.

Jinx pulled herself up charged but rather then leaping she dove down trying to pull his legs out from under him. The general jumped clear while rolling and catching her in the back of her head with another chop.

Kid flash threw a punch only to have it caught and a fist driven into his stomach before the general through him over his shoulder.

"I thought you were an old man!" Jinx said pulling herself up.

"Never mistake age for frailty or weakness" the general said with a smile.

Meanwhile on the roof...

Firing from the roof the troopers had manedged to pin Raven down. A shield was protecting her and the still unconcious Terra but it was all the sorceress could do to hold back the tide of plasma.

"I think we might have her" one of the troopers said.

"I think you might be right" the commander smiled back.

Suddenly a loud, booming battle cry was heard from behind and above. They looked to see a stream of green energy rain down on them and explode.

The troopers turned, scattered and ran trying to keep from being pinned against the edge of the roof. Half way acrossed a bomb exploded in the middle releasing a blinding flash and a cloud of thick smoke.

The squad commander regain his vision just intime to see an armored fist slammed into his face.

A trooper turned and fired at the boy who had just struck his commander only to feel a foot crash into the back of his skull and he blacked out.

As soon as the troopers stopped firing Raven had pulled Terra back into a ditch where she would be safe. Satisfying herself that Terra was in no immediate danger she flew up to the roof to investogate.

She landed with dark energy swarming around her and spells at the ready to strike at anyone who might attack her. What she saw was a girl with deep red hair standing over the fallen troopers.

"Starfire?" Raven called out as her energy faded.

"Raven!" the tamaranian princess cried as she flew to her friend and imbraced her with a hug that squeezed the breath from her.

"Yes Starfire, I am glad to see you to" Raven said pushing the girl back. "But how did you get away?"

"With alittle help" Starfire said and turning to a teenage boy with dark brown skin, short black hair insect wings and wearing a type of armor over his chest and forearms that Raven found vaguely familiar.

"Superfly" he said as he offered his hand.

Raven paused a moment then took it hesitently. "Wait a minute" she said then pulled out her communicator. "Jinx! Kid-Flash come in!" she said.

Jinx answered.

"Jinx here, me and flash are okay but the general got away" she said.

"What about the first squad" Raven asked.

"They're out of the way. All wrapped up and ready to be delivered"

"Good, contact the police and have them picked up"

"Jinx is helping us now?" Starfire asked surprised.

"It is a long story" Raven said placing the communicator back in her pocket. "Lets talk about it over dinner"

That night, after a short round of introductions and a long round of explinations, the five of them set about cleaning the main room of the tower before setting down to some dinner.

While the others were in the kitchen eating and talking Raven was in the infimery watching over Terra. Her faint, or what ever it migh have been, had turned into simple sleep and she was sleeping comfortably. There were no injuries that could be detected, by either magic or science but that only caused Raven to worry more.

It had accurd to her that Terra could be suffering adverse effects to the spell she had quite literally invented. She could live with the idea that they could be the last heroes left on earth. She could deal with the long fight with the brotherhood that surely lay ahead. But the idea that someone, one of the few people who she actually cared for aside from her mother.

After a moment, she reached out and gently touched Terra's shoulder. "Terra-" she started to say something but found herself cut off. She usualy found it difficult to express herself emotionally and afterall maybe, just maybe it would turn out alright. With that desperate hope she turned and walked away to contemplate the next stage in the war with the brotherhood.