Epilogue: New Beginning

Robin stood with the other Titans and watched as the firemen swarmed about the wreckage of Slade's signal tower- the crater around it had prevented the flames from the explosion from spreading, but they were taking no chances. "Any sign of them?" Robin finally asked.

Cyborg shook his head. "No. The fireman I talked to said they hadn't found any bodies in the rubble- that could mean that they both got pasted so hard there's nothing recognizable left, or it could mean they survived. Unless either of them shows up again, there's no way to be sure."

"I wouldn't trust Slade to be dead unless I saw the body myself," Robin said. "And even then, he's been dead before. But this time his operation got smashed, his robots were destroyed, and the weapon he was working on is gone. It'll probably be awhile before he shows himself again, if he ever does- but we'll be ready for him." He lowered his voice. "I'm not sure about Ravager- Rose- but I hope she didn't die. She was someone who'd been hurt very bad- she did some bad things, but she didn't deserve that."

"I still can't believe Slade had kids," Beast Boy said, shaking his head. "I mean, who knew? It's just… too weird."

"I think it made sense," Robin mused. "I'd wondered why he was so fixated on finding an apprentice, but maybe he was trying to replace what he'd lost, in his own sick way. But he never could, because he didn't really understand why it was important in the first place." He sighed. "After all he did, I can't stop hating him. But maybe I can feel a little sorry for him, too."

They were quiet for a while before Robin spoke again. "She was wrong about us," he said. "Ravager, I mean. She said I was like her, not you, but I don't think she really understood. We've all suffered, but we were able to come together and learn to work as a team to save our city- and each other- more times than I can count. That means something- something more than who has powers or not."

"I used to think I could solve all my problems by bottling them up and not letting anybody get close to me," Raven said quietly. "Then I realized that if I shared my problems with friends, you could help me- and I could help you. You can walk through the dark alone, but walking through it with a friend makes it easier for both of you." She glanced over at the rubble. "Maybe if she'd learned that, it wouldn't have ended like it did."

"We will always be with you, Robin," Starfire said, stepping forward and putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah," Beast Boy put in. "What else are friends for, anyway?"

"And I'll be there for all of you," Robin said, smiling. "Because whatever happens, we're the Titans, and if we work together, we can overcome anything."

Below them the firemen finished extinguishing the collapsed tower, and the Titans stood together quietly, watching the sun rise over their city.

# # # # # # # # # # # #

What a night. Even Jump City wasn't prepared for everything that had happened- the sudden appearance of a giant tower in the middle of downtown, tearing up several city blocks, the news going wild with word of a terrorist attack on the Midwest- things were calming down now, thanks in no small part to the efforts of the Titans, but Will Johnson for one was glad that the night's chaos was almost over.

He stifled a yawn as he drove his taxi down a street- downtown, but a pretty fair distance from where all the chaos was happening- and checked his watch, happily noting that he'd be off duty soon and be able to get some actual sleep. Suddenly catching movement from the corner of his eye, however, Will turned to look and saw someone hailing him from the side of the road- a woman in a hooded coat, though it wasn't cold out. Sighing, he pulled the cab over to the curb.

A few strands of hair poked out from under the woman's hood, and at first he thought she was old, because it was pure white, but as she climbed into the back seat he saw her face in one of his mirrors, and realized she was just a girl- even younger than him. And those pants she had on looked awfully like part of a combat jumpsuit…

Will cleared his throat. "Where to?" he asked.

"The airport," the girl said in a quiet, dangerous voice. "Get me there as fast as you can, and no questions."

"Fine, fine- wasn't gonna ask any," Will said. Figured that the last customer of his shift would be a grouch. Hitting the ignition, he pulled the cab back into the street and headed out towards the airport.

In his backseat, Rose Wilson, alias Ravager, sat perfectly still on the way to the place where she'd find a way out of Jump City- and hopefully, into a new life.

AN: Thanks for everyone who read and reviewed- I really appreciate it! I hope you all have been enjoying my "Titans Saga" so far- I've only got one more long fic planned at the moment, tying up the Jinx/HIVE plotline, and then I'll be through (barring new ideas). I probably won't be starting that one for a little bit, though- I've got some other fics I'd like to wrap up first. Thanks again, and (hopefully) see you all soon!- Ghandalf