Cracks in the Looking Glass
Bonjour!
It is me. Back from the dead, I know. Sorry I haven't been posting a lot, but I promise that all this time was spent writing and I have whole stories to upload, just hours between them! Silver lining...think about it...
Alright, so, on with the show; I introduce to you...BA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DAAA! CRACKS IN THE LOOKING GLASS! I'm not sure about the name, but as this is a story with several sequels...well...I needed something flexible.
This has almost everything, sass, crude humour, dark humour, gore, sex (but it's TASTEFUL), light humour, love, no romance atm but I'm working on it! And everyone's favourite...BITCH!
You know what I write, there's always a cliffy, there's hardly ever a clean sentence, there's NEVER any lovey-dovey 'I sold my soul for you' shit, you know the drill, and you luurrrrvvveee it!
Very OOC (though still lovable), Rated T for adult themes, suggested rape, abuse, neglect and prostitution. Okay...the last one's a lie...but it made you giggle, admit it!
Please read this, you won't regret it, although, if you're not up to it – I suggest not reading it.
Jade.
Introduction
"TITANS, GO!" Robin yelled, unleashing an array of attacks from his utility belt.
Starfire grabbed him by the arms and flew him up, enabling him to gain enough height to slam his Bo staff into the security window. It crashed open, glass falling like glitter all over the bank floor.
"Your reign of terror is over, Red X!" Robin yelled.
Facing the villain were just two members of the Teen Titans. Red X wasn't fazed by them, Robin had equipped him with everything he'd ever need to defeat Starfire and Robin's determination would get the better of him and he'd manage to slip away.
Red X grinned, the two Titans facing him couldn't see it – of course – but it gave him satisfaction nonetheless. It seemed that his attack on the bank hadn't gone unnoticed, yet just two Titans were spared to stop him – were they being over ambitious, or just stupid?
"Two fifths of the Teen Titans..." He said, straightening out of his crouch and facing them, his eyes narrowed, "What a surprise."
"You're going down, so just surrender – now." Robin said through gritted teeth.
"Reign of terror?" Red X asked, confused. "I'm in a bank, stealing money for myself...the guards are unconscious – not dead – so who am I terrorizing?" He asked, logically.
Starfire thought over what he'd said, he was telling the truth – he wasn't actually harming anyone. He was stealing their money...but more money can always be made.
"Erm, Robin...he has the point by the tail."
"Enough of the wise-cracks." Robin snapped, leaping for the villain.
Starfire was slow to react – her brain still thinking over what had been said by the supposedly harmless villain. He had nothing on Slade's plans; who was actually planning to kill people.
But before she could even light her starbolts, she was grabbed around the throat by Red X and electrocuted until she convulsed. Her eyes rolled about to see Robin pinned to the wall by a metal 'x', covered in an ultra-fast setting adhesive.
"You're coming with me, Cutie." He chuckled, teleporting out of the bank.
"NO!" Robin growled, struggling against the 'x' and grunting.
Several minutes passed of struggling before Robin was cut loose by the rest of the Titans, having just arrived from a different situation.
"Where's Star?" Cyborg asked, looking around to see that the bank was in tatters but there was no sign of the little Tamaranean girl.
"Red X has her." Robin said, pulling off the remnants of his confines as they regrouped.
"How did he manage that?" Beast Boy asked, worried.
"She didn't fight; she just stood there and let him take her..." Robin said angrily.
Raven studied the way that Robin was speaking, the way his faced moved – he seemed to be telling the truth. But why would Starfire let him take her? Why would she put herself into danger like that?
"Why?" She asked into the silence.
"I don't know, maybe if the psychic was here..." Robin trailed off, his eyebrow pulsing angrily at Raven.
"Don't blame this on Raven, you told us to take Doctor Light – you said that you and Star could 'handle it'." Cyborg snapped, "Looks like you handled it just fine." He muttered.
"If she'd have fought back, we would have!" Robin yelled, the vein on his head pulsating harder.
"You're blaming Star now!" Beast Boy cut in, "Dude, so wrong."
"Why didn't you come with us? Rather than just following Cyborg like a little puppy-dog?" Robin hissed, "What's your excuse?" He snapped.
"Calm down." Raven yelled, stopping their bickering completely and placing them all into their own orb of black magic. "Arguing like children isn't going to get Starfire back, or get our answers." She sighed.
"He is a child!" Cyborg snapped at Robin, "What is he? Thirteen?"
"Quiet!" Raven snapped, shrinking the orb Cyborg was in so that he was curled up uncomfortably. "We all know what Red X is like; we all know what he can do – so let's find Starfire before any of those things happen."
She lowered her magic slowly, her eyes reverting to their naturally, unnatural purple. She watched the tension between Robin and Cyborg bubble before they turned away from each other angrily.
Cyborg opened up the computer in his arm and clicked a few buttons, searching the immediate area for any sign of Red X or Starfire.
"I can't get a lock on either of their suits; he must have found the one planted in his own suit a while ago, but...I don't know about Star's." He sighed.
"Can't you track her DNA?" Beast Boy asked, remembering how he'd tracked Bumblebee that way when she was taken.
"There's nothing to track, no blood, no clothing, not even a single skin cell from the last three hours here, we're just going to have to do it the old-fashioned way."
"What is it you are planning to do with me?" Starfire asked, panting.
Red X had teleported them to some far-off abandoned warehouse. When they arrived, he'd placed her on the floor – somewhat gently – with her limp body still twitching from the stunning.
The lights were then switched on, rows lighting up to show the size of the building. She squinted, seeing the outline of Red X a few feet from her.
"What do you think?" He asked, stroking her hair out of her face and out of her eyes before smashing his fist into the tracking device on her chest.
"It is some horrible way to get to Robin, is it not?" She asked, her eyes twinkling slightly with fear. "He will not come for me, this is a pointless exercise."
"That, I don't believe." He said, caressing her cheek. "You're just too cute to leave in the hands of a...super villain." He chuckled.
"You're just a simple villain; don't be flattering to yourself..." She said angrily at him.
"And your way of speaking is rather...endearing." He chuckled, shooting an X-shaped constricting restraint at her.
It wrapped around her body, pinning her arms at her sides and stopping her from being able to get up.
"That's for when you can move again, and it's no use struggling." He told her.
"Tamaranean strength far out-shines that of any Earth material." Starfire warned him.
He chuckled and got close to her face, she glared at him intensely – she was defiant, and brave, he'd give her that. He then moved closer to her, his mask touching her ear.
"Alas, you're forgetting...your friend Robin created this suit, and armed it with all I'll ever need to defeat you and your friends." He whispered before moving away from her suddenly violently struggling form.
"I WILL ESCAPE FROM HERE! I WILL NOT LET YOU HARM MY FRIENDS!" She yelled at him, writhing harder. "AH!" She screamed loudly, her eyes glowing bright jade.
Her screaming continued for several minutes, Red X only just managing to stand up long enough to shoot a smaller adhesive 'x' at her mouth – silencing her completely.
She tried to scream through the 'x' but it was proving impossible – she was panting through her nose hard when Red X pulled her up, and threw her roughly across the floor.
"If you can't get enough air into your system, you'll pass out." He told her, throwing her about a bit more, "Careful, you'll make yourself sick." He warned her as she pulled in as much as she could through her nose – it was blocked with the 'x' slightly and it was proving difficult to get any air.
Red X throwing her about wasn't helping her to keep calm, to control her breathing. Her eyes began to get heavy but she persisted with pulling in as much air as she could – willing the adhesive to let her breathe. Her panic was bubbling in her throat, and before she could control herself to do otherwise, the contents of her stomach spilled into her mouth and caught in her throat.
Breathing was nearly impossible now, and she coughed and spluttered until all the colours in the room had gone and she was staring at black – completely unable to breathe.
"My equipment's picking up residue from the teleportation device." Cyborg said into his communicator.
"Track it, we'll follow you." Robin said, his voice echoing out of the speaker's on everyone's communicators.
"Check." Raven said.
"Dude, you're miles away." Beast Boy moaned, shifting into a hawk.
"You're so troublesome." Red X muttered, picking up the Tamaranean girl and putting her onto the shabby old table at the back of the warehouse, "All you had to do was listen to what I was telling you, and maybe you'd still be alive." He sighed.
Starfire had indeed been sick, the panic she was in to breathe was proving too much for her nerves and because she wouldn't stop moving – he couldn't get the adhesive off her. She'd choked to death on her own vomit shortly after.
"Guess I'd better leave you here...it would be unfair to rob them of your body." He said, picking up his bags of money and teleporting out of the warehouse.
The Tamaranean girl was indeed dead; there was no false assessment from Red X. Her heart was no longer beating and – quite obviously – she wasn't breathing. It was an hour before the Titans found her body, colourless and still.
"STAR!" Cyborg screamed, running over to the table and grabbing her.
He lifted her head but before he checked her pulse, he could already tell she was dead; her skin was deathly cold and as hard steel though she would still flop about sickeningly. But he willed her to be alive, regardless.
"No, no, no." He sobbed, willing her to breathe or open her eyes and say 'greetings, friend Cyborg'. But alas, she did not.
He let go of her head and watched it fall backwards as he pulled her restraints off, angry bruises could be seen where she'd struggled.
"C'mon, Star." He cried, wiping the hair out of her eyes and gathering her up bridal-style. "No one has to see you like this." He told her, covering her bruised body up as best he could and wiping her face free of vomit.
A stroke of depression fell over him when he watched Raven arrive in the doorway; she took in the sight of Starfire and ran forwards.
"Get her into the T-Car, the infirmary will be ready in minutes." She commanded, opening a portal.
"I don't think it will do much good..." He said, shuffling uncomfortably.
"Then I'll heal her myself," She said, coming close enough to see the usually bright-skinned girl's pale face and unmoving chest. "C-Cy..." She stuttered.
He just looked at her, the one that should have been able to handle Star's death better than any of them – about ready to break down.
"Keep Robin out of here." She told Cyborg, lifting the surprisingly light alien girl into her own arms.
The loss of Starfire's weight seemed to affect him positively; only Raven could feel the sadness about crushing him...and he was hiding it well.
Raven crouched down, placing Starfire ever so gently onto the floor and holding her hand over her body. She was attempting to see how her friend had died, and if she was fully gone – she was alien, after all.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos, Azarath Metrion Zinthos..." She said soothingly, almost singing to her friend. But her words didn't have enough depth to them, not like they normally did.
Outside, Cyborg was trying to keep Beast Boy from going inside.
"Raven's in there, just seeing to Star." Cyborg said, rubbing his temple to fight the tears – his eye rimmed with red.
"Dude, two people can fit in that huge warehouse." He said, pushing through – or attempting to.
"BB, stay here." Cyborg said, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back from the door. "Raven needs to be alone." He snapped.
"Cyborg!" Beast Boy growled, trying to wriggle out of his grasp.
"You're not allowed in."
"Why the hell not? She could be hurt and need help!"
"Raven can tell you."
"What's going on? Why are you out here?" They heard from behind them.
Cyborg groaned and saw Robin throwing his helmet back onto his R-Cycle over his shoulder. The two of them turned to be confronted by Robin arming himself.
"Raven's in there with Starfire and we're not allowed inside for some reason." Beast Boy snarled, getting out of Cyborg's shocked and distraught grip.
"Let us through, Cyborg." Robin said, trying to side-step him.
"I can't do that, Robin." He said, picking him up and moving him away. "Raven is...with Starfire, and she said to leave her alone." He said.
"What are they doing?" Robin asked, still trying to get in.
"Dude, he won't say." Beast Boy huffed, crossing his arms angrily.
"Anything they're doing, they can do with us there; Starfire needs us." Robin said angrily, "She's our friend too – I don't care how bad she looks." He snarled.
"Respect her privacy, Boy Wonder." Cyborg said, trying to use Robin's honour and respect for his friends against him.
"What's happened, Cyborg?" Robin asked, his natural suspicions poking through – he couldn't trust anything that anyone said, thanks to Batman.
"I–" Cyborg was cut off by Raven.
"Starfire's dead." She said, looking Robin in the eyes. "I've made her as presentable as possible but...there's only so much I can do." She told him, she seemed to not care much for his weak emotional state as she told him.
Robin hadn't moved, he just stared at the glistening tear on Cyborg's cheek and watched Beast Boy panic.
"No, she's not dead..." He said, shoving Raven's shoulder, "This is a sick joke, I overstepped the line a few weeks ago but...you can't..." He yelled, trying to get someone to groan and say that they'd been ratted out...but they didn't.
"Let me see her." Robin said quietly, making a step towards the door that Raven was blocking. She didn't move, she knew he'd react badly when he saw the state she was in. "Raven...please." He whispered in a broken voice, "I-I need..." His throat swelled up too much for him to finish.
She sighed and put her arm around his heaving shoulders, leading him into the warehouse. Raven had turned all the lights but one off, Starfire's body was in the centre of the room, in the light.
Raven had removed her cape and placed it around Starfire's body, the hood covering her face and the rest wrapped around her body.
"H-How did s-she...d-d..." Robin asked, trying to speak but he was unable.
Raven understood what he was asking and kept him away from the body – not wanting him to lose too much control around her remains.
"She chocked on her own vomit, Red X restrained her and must have covered her mouth – she was panicked, just...too angry; a natural emotion for her people." She told him.
Though Raven was distraught, she had to keep as much control over her emotions as she possibly could – considering all the bad things that he powers could do if they uncontrolled like her emotions. Or at least, that's what Robin thought.
"Did she suffer?" He asked, taking his first steps towards her – though he was being supported by Raven's black magic.
"Not that I'm aware of, it would have been quick...and nicer than the torture they probably had planned for her." She told him.
"Dying isn't better than anything, Raven." He snapped, walking over to Starfire's body with more haste, and collapsing at her side. "You didn't have to die." He told her, rummaging around the air above her – but an emotional field was around her. "Let it go, Raven! I want to see her!" He yelled at her.
"No, you don't." She told him. "You have to say goodbye."
"I don't have to do anything of the sort." He snarled at her, "Let me see her!" He ordered.
She didn't lower the magic and Robin was forced to turn around and glare – as nastily as he could with a mask on – right at her.
"Say goodbye, Robin." She told him, lowering the shield slightly. "I'll be outside."
Robin didn't turn around until she'd shut the door, of course she'd be listening to him – but it was nice to act as if he was alone with her.
"You're not dead, Star." He whispered, not touching her as Raven had suggested – no matter how much he wanted to, he wanted to remember her warm and smiling. "Everyone's going to remember you." He told her, a tear slipping from the corner of his mask. He
Not wanting a soggy mask, he took it off and rubbed the tears from both eyes as he sat down, crossing his legs and looking at her feet.
"I'm sorry that I s-said all that stuff about you..." He sobbed, running his hand through his hair, "If I hadn't been so confident...you'd-you...would..." He sobbed again, his voice turning to a whisper as his throat clogged up.
"No one will forget you, I promise." He said, forgetting himself and touching her shoulder.
He yanked his hand back when he felt how cold she truly was, he froze as more tears fell out of his eyes. She was dead, it hadn't sunk in enough yet, not really, he'd not grasped that she was no longer by his side.
"I love you, Star, and I n-never got to tell you." He sniffed, crying and shaking as he was – he put everything he could into that one phrase.
Robin stayed on that floor, next to the Tamaranean girl for the next hour – just thinking about all the times they'd shared and the ones he'd now have to live alone. He just had to share them now, with her empty body.
It was even longer before anything broke the sounds of him sobbing, none of his fellow Titans walked in and he was thankful. His best friend might be dead, but he needed to keep his identity secret.
Suddenly the door crashed open, "Robin, step back!" Cyborg screamed, his gun out as he shot Starfire's body.
Robin was stunned into silence as he placed his mask back on, rage filled him when he saw Starfire's body pinned to the wall by Cyborg.
"She's dead! Isn't that enough!" Robin screamed, attacking his half-mechanical friend.
"Get off me!" Cyborg yelled, kicking his friend off, "It's not Star!" He told him.
Robin froze, not sure whether to believe him – he'd felt her cold, hard exterior and though he'd not seen her face...it was Star – it had to be.
"You're being absurd, of course it's Star!" He yelled, though he dared to dream that she was still alive.
"Oh yeah? Lift her hood." Cyborg demanded, pointing over angrily to Raven's cape.
"Raven said–"
"Raven attacked us; turns out she's made of electrical circuits and wires." Cyborg said, "Some drone Slade wired up was posing as her."
"B-But she used–"
"It was a projection of laser technology, advanced stuff – Slade's getting good." Cyborg said, walking over to the supposed body of Starfire and bought it over to Robin, "Let's see what's under here..." He said, lifting it.
The boys jumped back when they saw Starfire's face, only broken up with wires and light-up eyes that were flickering on and off.
"Does this mean...?" Robin asked, touching the robot's broken circuits.
"I don't know what it means...but I have a feeling that Red X is working with Slade." Cyborg said, getting up off the floor and helping Robin up. "I thought something was up when I felt how hard she was...but she was still limp."
"And Slade has both Raven, and Starfire." Robin stated, catching up with his thoughts. "I-I was so scared, so hurt..." He sighed, rubbing his wonky mask and tripping slightly.
"We all were, but you've got to be strong for her now – or that panic surge might become a reality." Cyborg said, helping him up and out of the horrid warehouse.
"Alright, I got the demon-girl." Red X said, throwing her down at Slade's feet. "Where's my cut?" He asked.
"My, my...you don't hang about, do you?" Slade asked in his eerie voice, slow and confident.
"Why should I? You only live once, and waiting wastes time." He said, twirling an X-Shaped Shuriken around his finger.
"Patience is a virtue." Slade replied, clicking his fingers.
The simple gesture had the demon-girl collected by some robots and taken to where her friend was being held captive.
"Yeah, yeah, thought you might want to know I drugged the both of them – who knows what they think is happening." Red X chuckled, "Now, why do you want them anyway?" He asked.
"Do you always snoop in such an obvious way?" Slade asked, stepping forwards in the attempt to intimidate the smaller man.
"Yeah, it gets things done. Why? Do you beat around the bush?" He asked.
"Somewhat." He chuckled. "What I wish to do with these young heroes is nothing to do with you, you have played your part and you'll be rewarded for it." He said, giving him a bag of money. "Come back and you'll be shot."
"That's incentive enough for me..." Red X joked, teleporting out of Slade's lair.
"What a shame he's not sadistic...I liked him." Slade said to himself, thinking about who he could use as his next apprentice after Robin and Terra.
"What you think Slade wants with the girls?" Beast Boy asked, twiddling his thumbs agitatedly – he was so nervous, and not to mention anxious.
"Us," Robin said darkly, "He knows we'll never leave them." Robin answered from the front of the T-Car.
They'd all decided to travel together, it made them harder to detect on radar – no doubt that Slade's lair would be crawling with advanced equipment considering what they'd seen already.
"Why take them both? If he stores them together – or even near each other – they'll break out." He asked.
"Because the more of us that are in there...the less of us there are to break in and fight." Cyborg answered, stepping on it and pushing the car to its limits.
"Regardless, we're going to get them back and defeat Slade." Robin said defiantly, ready for anything Slade could throw at them.
"This ain't no small-time criminal Rob, we've gotta be stealthy...delicate." Cyborg said.
"Because your body has the ability to be stealthy..." Beast Boy muttered.
"That's why you're going in first; you're going to deactivate the alarm system." Cyborg grinned, slamming on the brakes so that the little green boy slammed into the windscreen.
"It would be an honour." Beast Boy groaned, rubbing his nose.
Cyborg's equipment had found Raven's locator quickly – apparently Red X couldn't pull off the same trick twice and had left it intact.
"You know the plan?" Robin asked Beast Boy.
"Go in, turn off the alarms, come and get you...kick butt?" Beat Boy said, asking for approval.
"Alright." Cyborg nodded, pushing his friend forwards as him and Robin stayed put – watching Beast Boy turn into an ant and quickly make his way through the door and into the building.
Soon enough, Beast Boy was in the control room and staring at the hundreds of controls.
"Aw maaaaan..." He sighed.
"Raven!" Starfire called, stroking the creepy-girls face slowly and rhythmically to try and calmly rouse her. "Raven, you must be waking up in the now." She told her.
Raven stirred slightly and Starfire smiled and kept caressing her face – it seemed to help her friend not to panic.
"Starfire?" She asked in a groggy voice, looking up and seeing a distant memory in front of her. "Am I dead?"
"What?" The Tamaranean asked, confused.
"I saw your body, you looked so...peaceful." Raven smiled, reaching up to stroke her fellow heroes face.
"Raven, we are not dead." She told her, helping her to sit up, "Someone has kidnapped us, I think," She said, rubbing her head, "My head is telling me that I found Robin unconscious after a fight...he was so broken and bruised...you couldn't heal him." She said, tears forming in her eyes, "Please, tell me he is of good health..."
"Starfire, it wasn't him that was like that – it was you." She said, "We found you in Red X's warehouse...you were stone cold and not breathing...you were dead." She said, reaching out to touch her alien friend's warm cheek, "But you're not now." She said, rubbing her head.
"I have the feeling..." Starfire said, rubbing her head like Raven.
"Which one?"
"The one that means we're – as Cyborg calls it – screwed." She sighed, "Friend Raven, what do the others think happened?"
"I don't know, I know that you and Robin went to the bank, Red X was stealing some money and he took you somewhere using the teleportation." She said. "We looked for you for hours, and then I'm not sure what happened..." She admitted.
"Tell the story." Starfire said, taking her hand and holding it tightly – for her own support more than anything but it seemed to help Raven.
"I searched most of Jump City with Beast Boy; we broke off just before we got a call from Cyborg saying he'd managed to find the teleportation residue." She said, shuffling so that she was more comfortable. "I went into the Warehouse where I could hear Cyborg...and saw you in his arms." She said, her voice breaking slightly.
"Do not be sad, friend Raven, I am here." She smiled encouragingly, "See, I do not have the scathes." She showed Raven her arms.
"Maybe we can build up the truth," Raven said, putting her hood up, "What happened in your story?" She asked.
Starfire sighed, feeling a pain in her chest as she remembered.
"I went to the bank, and was teleported by Red X." She said, so far they were in sync, "We went to a warehouse and I was bound for a while." She said, stopping there – not wanting to get into the panicked moments. "Then, I was shot with something – it hurt greatly." She said, pointing to her leg to show Raven the bruise and the slight gash.
"It must have been real." She nodded, "But I have a feeling that I was tricked, and you were hallucinating." She said, "Go on."
"Friend Cyborg came through the wall not long after, you restrained villain Red X and I was saved by Beast Boy. We went back home and I was taken to the infirmary." She sighed, rubbing her eyes to hide the tears, "Robin was lying there, and he was not well." She sobbed slightly. "I went to help him, but his blood was already covering me – Slade had attacked him while I was not there to protect him."
"Star...that didn't happen, don't worry." Raven said, not completely sure, but sure enough to make a promise on. "I promise you that he's still alive."
His health...I'm not too sure about, he thinks you're dead.
"I am alive, but you thought I wasn't – you said that you saw my body..." Starfire said, wanting to change the subject.
"Yeah, I lay you down on the floor, checked to see what had ended your life...then everything went black before I could figure anything out." She admitted, rubbing her head. "The very next second, I'm here."
"You have no damage?" The Tamaranean asked.
"No," She said, looking around her body to find not one scratch but a little singe on the corner of her cape – it was electrical damage.
"You were electrocuted, as was I." Starfire said, showing her the damage to her own clothing.
"That would make sense..." She nodded, "But how would I be able to see...and feel your body if you weren't there, though?" Raven asked, becoming suspicious. "You might not be the real Starfire." She hissed.
"Friend Raven?" Starfire asked, trying to follow the girl inching away from her.
"Don't come any closer." Raven said, trying to project a force-field but it didn't work. "What?" She asked, looking at her hands before trying again, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" She chanted.
Again, this did nothing and she panicked, trying again and again to put something between the Starfire imposter and herself.
"Friend Raven, we are unable to use our powers in here – see?" She said, punching the wall and showing her friend her bleeding knuckles.
Raven sighed; it wasn't a robot – so at least she had her friend safe with her...or as safe as you could be when you were captured.
"Are you the real Raven?" Starfire asked after a while.
Oh yeah, that's Star. Raven thought to herself.
"If I wasn't, would I tell you?" She rolled her eyes.
"You're Raven." Starfire said, standing up and looking out of the small window they had – but all she could see was a metal hallway.
"ACHOO!" Starfire sneezed suddenly, throwing herself back with a starbolt out of her nose – the impact of her hitting the wall damaged her back but only minimally.
However, the same story couldn't be said for Raven's clothing – her cloak was in tatters and her leotard had a huge hole where her right sleeve should have been and a gaping gash on her stomach.
"What just happened?" Raven asked, keeping her distance from the Tamaranean with...a cold?
There is Metallic Chromium here...I am what your planet call 'allergic' to it." She told Raven, wiping her nose. "If I get too close to it, I s-snee-ACHOO!" She sneezed again, flying back into the wall. "It seems whatever is stopping our powers can't control my snot-bolts." She sighed, sniffing.
"And it didn't happen when we were talking...because?" Raven asked, wary.
"Because the doors weren't open." Starfire said, pointing to the window where Raven could see a guard walking in through the door. "It's air-tight in here."
"Wait a second..." Raven froze, so did Starfire, "Isn't Metallic Chromium really rare?" She asked.
"On this planet, I believe so." Starfire told her.
"And the only other time we've come into contact with it is..." She went quiet, her eyes widening.
"Slade." Starfire whispered.
The second she said his name, his voice came through the speaker within their cell and the girls screamed in shock. Though Raven soon recovered and calmed down.
"Ha-ha-ha." He laughed slowly, evilly. "You Teen Titans are smart...aren't you?" He asked rhetorically, "Awake for mere minutes and they already know what happened..." He chuckled.
"Capturing people is not very nice." Starfire scolded him, wagging her finger at the speaker.
Raven turned her so that she was facing the little camera in the corner of their cell, it would have been comical if they weren't in so much danger.
"I'm not a nice person, some say I'm evil." Slade joked sadistically, "Though I am surprised that you haven't asked yourself, in the twelve minutes and thirty-nine seconds that at least one of you have been conscious, why you're here..." He said, pulling out all the stops to be superior.
"Why ask ourselves when we can ask you?" Raven asked, standing in front of the furious Tamaranean and looking into the camera. "Why are we here, Slade?"
"You're a little too sarcastic for your own good." Slade snapped, flicking a switch and watching the girl writhe in pain as the floor flooded with electricity.
Starfire – weakened by whatever device that he had acquired to take away their powers – collapsed first to her hands and knees; feeling generous, Slade stopped the electricity then and cleared his throat.
"You'd be wise you speak when spoken to, young Titans." He told them.
"But you were speaking to us." Starfire said, confused.
"Uh-uh-uh...naïve little girl." Slade said, turning on the electricity again but only on the square she was standing on.
Raven watched as the electricity was intensified and her friend was subjected to thousands of volts being thrown around her system.
"AH!" She screamed, tears falling from her eyes as smoke began to come from her body.
"Please, stop!" Raven called to the camera, wanting to put herself in the place of her friend but knowing that both of them being weakened would just be foolish – she had to watch her friend being tortured.
"What's it worth?" Slade asked, turning up the volts higher.
Starfire's screams intensified and she convulsed slightly, her face twisted into agony. She'd never been this weak in her life; she was practically below a human's strength now.
"Put me in her place!" Raven said, turning to look at the Tamaranean girl and then to the camera.
"Not good enough, Rae-Rae..." He said, turning up the volts further.
Starfire let out a bloodcurdling scream.
"RAVEN!" She screeched, reaching out for her friend.
"PLEASE!" Raven yelled, some of her magic being produced despite the device that Slade had installed.
This didn't escape her notice, but it did escape Slade's. The demon-girl had a plan, but she'd have to undo everything she'd done in her years of training; all discipline would have to be forgotten.
She looked at Starfire suffering, listened to the screaming and tried to feel every bit of rage and upset that she could have in her system – normally this kind of emotion would open up a black hole but today it was just creating a normal-sized shield which she used to smash the tiles around the room – stopping the torture to her friend.
But before she could execute her plan to escape the confines of the room, she heard something from the speakers.
"TITANS, GO!"
"Robin!" Raven sighed in relief, letting her powers swell just long enough to break the door to her cell before she regained control of herself.
Raven stood there ranting, and rubbing her bare shoulder soothingly – thinking about calming, tranquil things that wouldn't make her powers react badly.
When she opened her eyes she saw the door at the side of their cell was weakened and falling down, a small device had fallen to the floor and was flickering on and off – in synchronization with how powerful she felt. She walked over to it and crushed it with her foot, feeling all the power within her revert to where it should have been and would stay.
Finally, the lights around the hallways Raven could hear – and now see – lights and alarms going off signifying that her friends were here to save her and Starfire.
Remembering Starfire and her probable condition; Raven looked back to see the Tamaranean girl on the floor, panting heavily as her body would jolt and twitch frequently.
"Starfire!" Raven called out, dropping to her side and rolling her over so that she was on her side – so she wouldn't choke. "Are you alright?" She asked, looking at her eyes reacting strangely to the light and her skin pale ever so slightly but her cheeks were flushed.
"Raven?" She heard from the speakers, it was Cyborg in the control room.
"Yeah, it's us." She nodded, "Star's not looking too good." She sighed, "But she's alive." She smiled, rubbing her cheek carefully.
She heard Cyborg's relieved smiled and sigh as he gave Beast Boy directions on how to find the girls.
"Alright, Rae, we're coming to get you." He said, clicking the intercom off.
It was a matter of minutes before Raven saw Cyborg, Beast Boy and Robin arrive at the cell door. Immediately they rushed over, Cyborg gathered Starfire into his arms and Robin helped Raven up – it seemed that a certain amount of power being exerted from her body weakened her.
Beast Boy cleared the way, morphing into a Rhinoceros and crashing through several walls – landing them just by the T-Car.
"We've got to get out of here quickly." Robin said, clicking his remote and helping Raven into the car.
"Slade wasn't there?" Cyborg asked, starting the car, Starfire still on his lap.
"What do you think?" He snapped angrily.
It was days before Starfire next opened her eyes, she was met with an empty room and the sound of her heart beating on a monitor...it was unsteady and the chart showed that she'd flat-lined a few times.
"Greetings, Heartbeat." She smiled to herself, touching the machine and silently thanking it for keeping her alive.
She looked at her hand and saw that there was an IV being held there with a metal strap – her body must have rejected it several times.
The desperate times and measures taken during them...
She was propped up in the bed; apparently a few people had been in here because there were chairs all around her and even empty plates where people had had their meals in there with her sleeping form.
I hope they were not worried. She thought guiltily to herself. Perhaps I should call them.
Though she wanted to call her friends, she wasn't sure what she was going to do to grab their attention – they were probably all out fighting crime but one...and then that person was probably trying to keep tabs on the city – perhaps I shall just stay waiting.
Looking down her body, Starfire could see that she'd lost a lot of weight and most of her body was in bandages – but the last thing should could remember was screaming. Whether it was her own screaming, she couldn't remember.
Is friend Raven alright? She asked herself in a panic, her body jumping up.
A screech made its way out of her body as some form of skin ripped open from the sudden movement, the pain caused her chest to heave with sobs that wouldn't come out as tears – she was panting violently and her heart rate was through the roof.
She'd not wanted to bother whoever was in the tower but she was in too much pain to keep silent and she screamed again, a bloodcurdling screech echoed through the tower and indeed quite a few people on the mainland would have heard it.
Almost immediately all the Titans were downstairs, fumbling through the doorway. Cyborg ran to the heart-monitor and looked at the history of it to check for abnormalities – of course, there were too many to count.
Raven ran to Starfire's side and held her down against the bed – it hurt her back beyond comprehension and she cried out again.
"Starfire?" Raven asked, letting the Tamaranean girl go for fear of hurting her further.
The alien pulled herself to the side, tried as hard as she could to roll over and give her back a rest but her wrists rebelled and she ended up falling onto her back – tears streamed down her face as she tried to tell them what was wrong.
"Her wrists!" Robin called out, placing her on her back again.
Another scream, Robin jumped back and fought tears at the thought of him causing her so much pain.
"No, it's her back!" Beast Boy said observantly, picking her up out of the bed she was originally in and moving her to the one next to her, it was flat and allowed her to lie on her front and rest her back.
The sobs quietened as the alien calmed down, but they never stopped fully – exhaustion was the thing to finally quieten her enough for anyone to speak.
"Is she alright now?" Robin asked, looking down at his friend sleeping restlessly.
"No, two flat-lines in one day are dangerous for anyone..." Cyborg said, taking his glasses off. "If she doesn't get better soon then I don't think she'll ever be able to leave here again..." He sighed, rubbing his temple.
"So she'll be...disabled?" Beast Boy asked, looking over at his supposedly now handy-capable friend.
"She won't want to live like that." Raven said, stroking the side of her face in a rare show of affection that was becoming more frequent towards her suffering friend, "She'd think it was a burden on us all."
"What do you mean?" Beast Boy asked, looking at Cyborg's sad face and Raven's closed eyes – not wanting to accept the truth.
"It means she's going to die, Beast Boy, whether she kills herself or otherwise." Robin snapped, leaving the room.
"Here you go, Star." Robin said, lifting the bottle so she could drink from it.
She was hesitant, not liking the fact that everyone had to do things for her – especially when Raven had to help her go to the toilet...and the one time Robin had to.
"I am not thirsty." She told him, turning her head away.
He sighed, rubbing his eyes to clear the angry pulse in the lids.
"Star, your charts say now is when your body is thirsty, you can't lie." He told her, raising the bottle so that the teat would go into her mouth.
"I do not like milk." She told him stubbornly.
"Well, your body needs the calcium." He told her, holding her chin in his hand and placing the teat of the bottle in her mouth.
"Rob–" She tried to argue against him but the liquid was already in her mouth and she had to swallow.
After she'd been force-fed the whole bottle, she glared at Robin and the bottle.
"I'm sorry, Star, but it's the only way you're going to get better." He told her, stroking the side of her sweaty face to calm her down some.
"Yes, because lying in bed all day and only just managing to feed one's self is a goal to want to reach, Robin." She snapped.
"You know it's not going to be like that..." Robin lied, sighing.
"Y–" She was cut off by the milk resurfacing – spilling from her mouth down her chin and onto her chest.
"Oh, Star." He whispered, seeing her eyes well up with shameful tears.
He grabbed some cleaning equipment off the side and began mopping it up from her face and her neck. The tears fell as he started to pat the milk off her chest – if she was well then she'd have slapped him for touching her there but all she could do was close her eyes and pretend it was all a dream.
"Star, I need to change you." Robin told her, pulling her out of her thoughts.
"...Very well..." She nodded, turning her head to the side so she didn't have to look at Robin's reaction to her body again.
The first time he'd changed her, he'd been too rough and she'd writhed about for half an hour naked while he tried to cover her up. The second time he'd attempted, a few weeks later, he'd gasped at seeing her injuries and blamed himself for the next three days. And now, the hundredth time he'd done it, he'd be so gentle and wary that she didn't even care anymore that he was seeing her naked – she'd lost her fight, her spark. Herself.
"C'mon Star, just a little farther." Cyborg encouraged, holding his arms out ready to catch her.
"I am walking again, friend Cyborg!" She squealed, falling into his arms and hugging him weakly.
"BOOYAH!" He said, pumping his fist into the air triumphantly.
"May I try again?" She asked, giving him the puppy-dog-eyes she'd learned to use against all the titans while she was in the infirmary.
"Yeah, see if you can make it back to the bed." He grinned, helping her to stand properly and making sure she could hold her weight before he ran over to the bed.
Starfire was wobbly but she walked more confidently, her strength was returning very quickly and Cyborg could estimate that she'd be back to her old self in a few months of physiotherapy and exercises.
It seemed so long ago that they all thought that the little Tamaranean girl wasn't going to make it through the winter. Her vitals were dropping by the day and she couldn't be left alone. She still had to have her bandages changed daily and different stretches to make sure that her body didn't set wrong – but she was on the steady road to recovery.
"Go, Starfire!" She heard from beside her.
She looked over to see Beast Boy and Raven cheering her on excitedly, she grinned, feeling elated that her friends were there for her. She collapsed into Cyborg's arms and was placed onto the bed, panting.
"Friends! I did good, yes?" She asked with a wide grin.
"That was amazing, Star!" Beast Boy cheered, hugging her lightly.
"I'm proud of you." Raven smiled, handing the girl a baby bottle with some milk in it, "Sorry, it's all we had in the house that heats well..."
Starfire made a grimace at the funny-coloured substance – it was her least favourite thing to drink but it was what was keeping her muscles and bones in working order – eventually she placed the teat in her mouth and took a big pull of the warm mixture.
It tasted of the disgusting produce of cows and then her medication mixed in – at least it was easier than giving her injections or trying to swallow the pills whole.
She scrunched up her face when the mush at the bottom couldn't come through the teat very quickly and she had to taste it all.
"Come on, only a little left now." Raven said, holding the bottle up so that she'd have to drink it all or choke on it.
Right now though, she didn't care if she drowned in it – this was hell.
When she'd finished she coughed and wiped her tongue of the flavour, the group watched her in amusement and Raven handed her a separate bottle of warmed mustard.
"I think that your system might be able to handle this now...try it out." She said warily, handing it her slowly.
"I do not think–"
"Star, it's your favourite food in the world...don't you just want to see?" Beast Boy asked, wiggling his eyebrow at her.
She looked between him and the bottle a few times before placing the teat in her mouth and pulling a little bit of the delicious mixture into her mouth – it made her smile when she didn't immediately vomit but she got too hasty and she coughed up a mouthful of mustard and milk over her front.
She groaned and wiped it off as best she could, but she needed help from Cyborg to get it all off. It was times like this that she felt invalid, a person to be cared for and waited on – not someone of equal value. She felt rather demined when she would get praise for simply eating a biscuit and not coughing it up – but she needed to keep them all convinced that she was enjoying getting better. Though that isn't what she'd call it exactly.
It didn't matter that some of the milk had come up, the medicine was especially designed for those who couldn't keep much in their system – it soaked into the throat on the way down and made its way around the body...even if everything came back up again.
"Where is Robin?" She asked. Her voice was raspy from vomiting and embarrassment.
At the mention of Robin, the whole team shuffled uncomfortably and Starfire knew the answer. He didn't want to see her.
She sighed, "I think it is time to retire for the evening time." She told them, checking her bandages on her hands and arms before having the boys assist her to lie down.
"Of course, goodnight Starfire." Raven said, flicking off most of the lights and plugging in the heart monitor – discretely connecting it to the alarm system.
Though they were sure that she wouldn't go into cardiac arrest again, they couldn't and wouldn't take the chance – so she was hooked up to the alarm system and the second she dropped under fifty, the alarm sounded.
"Sleep well; we'll play a videogame tomorrow." Beast Boy said.
Six Months Later
"It's your first mission after...what happened, are you sure you're ready?" Robin asked, he'd been against letting her go on this small-time robbery the whole day but she'd been adamant.
"Robin, I have long since been well enough to handle this mission." She told him, her face angry as she grabbed her communicator and checked that her legs were bandaged around the knees well enough.
"But you're still not completely well..." He said, passing her the leggings that she had to wear for a little while – she was still temperature sensitive and would be for a few more weeks.
"The bandages are a precaution, friend Cyborg repeats that I no longer require them." She told him with a nod, "Please stop asking now."
He nodded meekly before setting off towards the T-Car.
They arrived quickly, all of the force going despite the lack of need for it – no one was taking any chances with the pushy Starfire. She wanted to fight so there was no stopping her but...she should have been stopped – it was too dangerous.
She'd been restless ever since she was able to change herself – mostly – and she was eager to try and get her spark back, the respect that she'd once received from the Teen Titans for being such a good fighter. For being strong.
It was a small-time robbery, planned a few weeks ago – the Teen Titans had known all about it and were stopping it before it got to the bank, and stop it they did.
I will show Robin who is well enough to fight...
"STARFIRE! THERE ARE CHILDREN–" Robin screamed.
But it was too late.
Well, erm, yeah...that was shorter when I was writing it – I swear!
Alright, so, is everyone up to date with what's going on? I know it was a long introduction, but I am only setting the scene for what's coming up.
This is a very confusing story, I'll admit it, and if there's anything you're unsure about – send me an email and I'll be happy to clear it up with you.
Please rate and review, I am one of those people who need to be told I'm doing well/shit for it to get through my thick skull.
Thank you for reading my work!
Jade.