I own nothing. I only have this computer because it was a gift.

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Prologue

"Batman called."

Robin waited until all of the Titans (they had recently dropped the "Teen") turned to look at him, curious about what else he had to say. All except Raven, that is, who had already known about his phone call with his former mentor, thanks to her (sometimes annoying) habit of invading his thoughts through their bond. He looked at each of their faces, taking careful notes in his head about their expressions.

Cyborg's only eyebrow was cocked slightly, showing his mild surprise at the news. At twenty-three he was the oldest, and Robin had noted that he tended to take big news, like the bomb that Robin was planning on dropping, in stride.

Next to him sat Beastboy who, at the mere mention of Gotham's protector, shot straight up in his seat, with his eyes starry and his fan boy face plastered on. The exact opposite of Cyborg, Beastboy was the youngest at age twenty. The practical jokester was sure to take this news horribly, since change was so hard for him.

Robin tore his masked eyes away from the hopeful face and looked to Starfire, who had just gotten up off the floor. Not surprisingly, the twenty-one-year-old's face was masked in confusion; eyebrows drawn together and lips slightly parted. She had no idea who Batman was, and as a result, didn't know the severity of the situation.

After Starfire settled on the couch, Robin turned his attention to Raven… only to find that she was no longer there. He could only assume that she was angry with him; after all, she had just finished mentally berating him about his decision a few minutes ago. She had probably fled to her room to sulk, or fume, or meditate, or whatever it was she normally did when she was angered by a teammate (except Beastboy; when Beastboy upsets her, it usually ends up with the changeling begging for mercy from the irate sorceress while hanging upside down from the ceiling).

Sensing that he was wasting time and that his teammates were growing anxious, Robin sighed and elaborated, "He needs some help with a long-term case that he's been working on in Gotham." Before he could say anything else, he was assaulted by a barrage of voices.

"Are we going to go help him?"

"DUDE! Do we get to meet him?"

"Please, who is this matured male of the flying mammals?"

Robin sighed and decided to play it safe, answering Starfire's question first. "You mean 'Batman,' Star. He's my old partner from when I lived in Gotham City. " Turning to Beastboy, he smiled ruefully and shook his head, "Sorry Beastboy, but you're not going to meet him now," Beastboy deflated. "Maybe some other time." Seeing the green boy perk up at this, Robin finally looked at Cyborg, dreading the words that would soon leave his lips. "And no Cyborg, we're not going to go help him…

"I am."

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It had been three months.

Three months since Robin had broken off their budding relationship.

Three months since Robin had left to help Batman in Gotham.

Three months since she had last seen or spoken to him.

Three months of pure, unadulterated torture.

She missed him terribly. He had only called back to the tower once or twice, and then he had only ever talked to Cyborg, getting details of their latest escapades, or reminding him to get the correct paperwork done; and even then he only talked for a few minutes at the maximum. Not that she really wanted to talk to him per-se, more like yell at him until he realized that he was being a moron. He really had no cause to break up with her so early in their romantic relationship. Even if he was paranoid about his enemies using her to get to him, she could take care of herself! She was twenty-two years old, for crying out the window! She had gone up against worse things than the Joker and come out of it alive, why hadn't he trusted her with this?

Raven stopped pacing and sighed. She needed a life. She needed to get out of the tower and do something instead of pining over Robin like a spurned puppy. Maybe she and Starfire could go clubbing. The alien was old enough now by earth standards, and had been begging Raven to go bar hopping with her. Maybe they could even call Bumblebee and have her join. Raven sighed once more before leaving the darkness of her room, determined to find Starfire and get her mind off of the Boy Blunder once and for all.

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Raven was… uncomfortable… to say the least. Starfire had taken her shopping before Bumblebee arrived, rambling about how "she couldn't possibly meet anyone in her uniform! She simply must go to the mall of shopping and purchase an outfit more suitable to an evening out with friends." Yeah right. Starfire was only looking for a chance to play dress up with Raven, and by Azar she had dressed Raven up in everything in that store before finally finding an outfit that she liked. The only setback was that the outfit Starfire chose made Raven feel terribly self-conscious, despite Starfire's exuberant praise. She had bought the outfit though, hoping that it would make the Tameranean happy.

She wore it now, appraising the look in the mirror, turning this way and that, trying to see how it looked on all sides. It was an attractive outfit, Raven had to admit, but it still made her slightly nervous. Black thigh- high boots went under a light blue, knee-length dress that covered the first couple of inches of her footwear. Her dress continued up into a black corset that laced over her breasts before ending in flowing long sleeves of the same light blue as the skirt. Her hair had been kept down, but Starfire had insisted on threading little white gems into her violet locks. It wasn't so bad, she finally decided; at least she had convinced Starfire and Bumblebee not to put makeup on her. She shuddered. Nothing could be more horrible than putting fake, oily, gunky, paste on your face. She was brought out of her reverie by a pair of hands pounding on her door.

"Raven! We must make haste! It is almost the hour of departure!"

"Raven you look fine! Stop obsessing! If you don't come out soon I'll be forced to come in after you!"

Raven gave a small chuckle and opened the door, smirking at the excited faces of her friends.

"I'm ready. Are you?"

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Bumblebee wasn't a subtle person at all, something that she wasn't going to attempt to deny, but she thought that she and Starfire had finally pulled it off. They had been planning this night for months, ever since Raven had been able to express emotions without blowing anything up, and especially after she became single again. She had taken Robin's departure pretty badly, even if she knew that there were only a couple more months to go and he would be back. It hadn't been until earlier in the night, when Raven had been in her room, that Starfire had told her about the breakup.

What was Robin thinking, anyways? He and Raven were perfect for each other, she had seen it firsthand. There was no way that his fervor for the dark beauty had lessened in its intensity, and she knew that Raven loved the stupid bird with all her heart, so it didn't make any sense. Starfire had assured Bumblebee that he had done it for her safety, but that didn't make him any less stupid. He could have just told her to keep it on the down low, but breaking up with her? Now that was too far. Raven had been crushed.

Bumblebee was distracted from her musings when a man about her age bumped into her, immediately apologizing profusely as he helped her pick up the food that she had been carrying back to her table. She couldn't help but notice his nice hair and handsome face, not to mention his adorable accent. To her credit, it only took Bee a few moments to realize that she already had a loving husband, then only another few seconds to realize that there was someone with her tonight who currently did not have one of these things, and faster than you can say "meddler," Bumblebee concocted a plan.

Still apologizing, the man followed Bee as she tugged him to the side of the crowded room. She surprised him into silence when she turned around, but she quickly began talking so he couldn't start apologizing again.

"Here's the deal. My friend over there," at this point she turned and pointed at Raven, "was just dumped a couple of months ago. She's really depressed and my friend and I are trying to cheer her up. Could you maybe ask her to dance?" At his indecision she added, "As a way of saying sorry for spilling my food." The mystery man sighed and nodded, giving his assent. When he began to walk away, she called after him, "Wait!" He turned expectantly. "I didn't catch your name!" He smiled and yelled back,

"Gregorio!"

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The Joker was really getting on his nerves.

No matter how many times he and Batman interrogated him, the Clown Prince of crime refused to give away the position of his new "apprentice," some freakazoid who called himself the Jester. And though his name was obviously lacking in the uniqueness factor, this kid was a genius at covering his tracks.

And Robin was getting frustrated.

Not only was this case getting more and more out of hand, but he missed his team. He only had a few minutes to catch up with Cyborg maybe once a week before running off to do more work on the case. He missed Starfire's naivety, Cyborg's advice; yes, he even missed Beastboy's horrible jokes. But most of all, he missed his Raven.

He missed her smiles, her laughter, the sound of her voice ( whether she was talking or singing), the way she played the piano when she thought nobody was listening… Hell, he even missed the way she glared at him when she was angry. At least she was with him then, instead of three thousand miles away doing only-God-knows-what. 'With only God knows who.' His mind tacked on.

*Sigh,* he'd been really trying to avoid that subject.

He had been the one to break off their relationship for her safety. He knew that she had every right to go out and date other people. This much was acknowledged. What he didn't realize, however, was that she would actually act on that right. He knew that she loved him, and he loved her in return, so it baffled him as to why she'd go out with someone else. And from what Cyborg had told him over their last talk, she and 'Gregorio' had been getting pretty cozy.

"You miss her, don't you?"

Robin about flew out of his seat at the sound of his mentor's voice, he had been so caught up in his thoughts. Then he realized what Bruce had said and scoffed, "No, what would make you say that?"

"The fact that you're writing her name all over that piece of paper was a pretty good indicator." At this Robin guiltily snatched the paper off of the table and hid it from Bruce's view before glaring, insulted, at the older man. He finally turned away in a huff, crossing his arms and refusing to look at his father figure.

Bruce just sighed and sat down next to the irritated young man. He put his arm around the kid's shoulders and gave him a one sided hug, "You'll be back to her before you know it, Richard, and then you can quit moping. But for now you need to get that paper deciphered." He heard his adoptive son's groan and couldn't help chuckling as he walked out the door.

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"No."

"Funny, from the way that sounded, you think that you actually have a say in the matter. I'm going to do it."

"No, Raven, you're not. And I do have a say; a very loud say. And I say no."

"Cyborg, you know that you hold a very precious place in my heart and I respect you, but I can't go with your wishes this time. I'm going to do it, and that's final."

"He just met you a month ago! He's moving too fast! There's no way that you two can know-"

"Know what? If we love each other? Here's a news flash Cyborg, I don't love him. The guy that I truly love has already made his decision. Gregorio is a far second, but if I have to settle then it will be with him."

"But marriage Rae? Don't you think that it's a little soon for that? You barely know the guy!"

"I know that he'll be able to support me, and that he doesn't find my background repulsive. He's a nice guy Cyborg!"

"Maybe a little bit too nice, Raven! I don't think that he's all that he's cracked up to be! Please just listen to me and don't go through with this!"

"For both our sakes, I wish I didn't have to."

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It was dark in the graveyard, and the wind made the thick fog swirl through the shadows of the graves. The headstones cast dark shadows that stretched along the ground and gave the entire place an eerie feeling. These places of rest were not what Raven searched for, however, as she floated gently through the cemetery. A few of the beautiful, ornate sculptures caught her eye, but she continued floating until she saw it- the huge, old, oak on the very far edge of the spooky graveyard that Gregorio had described to her as their meeting place. She picked up speed when she saw it, and excitement grew in her breast as she approached the spot where her fiancé waited. When she had told him of Cyborg's reaction to her news, Gregorio had been furious, only calming when she had suggesting that they elope.

He had immediately brightened, and told her of the old oak by the cemetery, telling her to meet him there that night. They would head to Vegas to get married as soon as they had met up. He had only had one other request; that she bring the jeweled bracelet that her mother had given her, and that she also take a delicate gold chain. Gregorio really liked the look of the pieces against her skin, and wanted her to wear them when they got married.

She fingered the necklace, which had been a gift from Robin. It brought a bad feeling to her gut and she almost took it off, but then she remembered that Gregorio wanted it on her, and left it where it sat. Speaking of Gregorio… where was he?

Raven stopped levitating and walked quietly around the tree, trying to see if he was on the other side. When she saw no one she stopped, confused. Determined to wait him out, she resumed levitation, but instead of moving she sat in the lotus position, suspended above the earth. She sat just high enough that her wedding gown grazed the ground. It had been Bumblebee's, for when she married Cyborg. She had asked Bee if she could borrow it, and when Bumblebee had asked why, Raven had told her that she would know in the morning.

She had left them a note. Gregorio had told her not to, but she felt that she owed them at least a little explanation. Just in case she wasn't back by the time the rest of the Titans woke in the morning and couldn't tell them herself, that note would tell them not to worry, and that she was okay.

A crunch resounded through the small graveyard, and Raven snapped to attention, abandoning her lotus position and falling softly to the ground. There was another, and another, and Raven's heartbeat pounded through her temples, making it hard to think past the minor panic that flooded through her. Frowning, she chided herself for such softness, and called on the years of practice to calm her mind. Reaching out with her empathy, she tried to determine who, or what, was out there. To her shock, she felt nothing.

Another crunch sounded.

Raven felt the panic that she fought against flutter through her heart again and backed against the tree. She could normally feel even small animals with her empathy; she was able to identify their need for food or shelter. As it was she felt nothing, not a single feeling or emotion, from the being that stalked her through the brush.

Chills ran down her spine as the footsteps neared, and she found herself sinking into a defensive stance. Without warning the footsteps sounded directly to her right, and she turned quickly only to see the flash of moonlight on a blade that sliced through the fog…

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Robin jolted awake, chills running through his body and sweat covering his brow. Batman kneeled next to him, shaking his shoulders to get him to respond, and Tim stood to the right, tying up the last of the Joker's goons. He tried to look at Batman and answer his menial questions, but he couldn't focus on his mentor's face, so he looked away. Something's wrong.

Something's very wrong.

His ears rang and his head pounded, but he couldn't put his finger on what was wrong exactly. Then he noticed it, or rather, the lack of it.

Raven's subconscious was gone.

The part of his brain that he automatically labeled 'Raven' was missing. Their bond was no longer there. The more he searched for it, the more frantic he got, until he suddenly realized that Bruce was in front of him, trying to get him to stop hyperventilating. Dread creeping over his entire being, Robin slowly turned to Tim.

"What time is it, Tim?"

Slightly surprised at being addressed by the young man, Tim responded, "2:44. Why?"

He wasn't going to get an answer though, because Robin was fiddling around for something in his utility belt. Finally finding his Titan communicator, Robin frantically called for Cyborg and was rewarded when the cybernetic man's face suddenly appeared on his screen.

"Robin? What's-"

"Cyborg, is Raven in the tower?"

"She should be. Do you want me to check?" Robin emphatically nodded his head. Yawning, Cyborg stood up and went to Raven's room, first knocking on the door. When that got him nowhere, he entered the override code into the door. Directly after the door slid open, Cyborg stepped into the room and stopped cold. Instead of Raven, he found a note on her bed.

The note explained her whereabouts and also told him not to worry, but he did worry; a lot. Apparently this was obvious because his leader's eyes got wide behind the mask and he began making frantic inquiries about her location.

"Is she there? What's that note? Where is she? Cyborg, answer me!"

"Robin! Hang on! Jeez, she's fine, but she won't be." Silence reigned on the other end of the line, so Cyborg decided that he should explain, "After I told her not to, the little twit ran off to Vegas to get married to some guy she barely knows! I'm gonna go get her skinny butt and-"

"Cyborg-"

"bring it right back here and-"

"Cyborg, she-"

"let her know exactly how much of a say I have in her business-"

"CYBORG!"

"WHAT!"

"Don't bother."

"Now why the hell not?"

"…She's dead, Cyborg."

She's dead.