Ch. 1: Tragedy
"I'm not feeling well, you all go without me," Starfire said. It was uncharacteristic of her, but this flu bug left her feeling miserable, even worse than Raven at certain times of the month.
"If you're not going, then I'm not," Robin replied.
"No, enjoy the motion picture. If I am feeling better I will join you," she rebuffed.
The other Titans said their goodbyes and walked out, leaving Starfire alone. The tower seemed so much larger without anyone else around. A strange chill ran down Starfire's spine. She shrugged it off, and made her way top the living area. Perhaps some Television was all she needed.
She turned on the TV and lay on the couch. A loud cough burst forth from her lungs. She moaned and sat back, taking a sip from the herbal tea Raven had prepared for her. She breathed the steam and took a sip. Her eyes grew heavy, so she closed them and fell asleep.
***
"I just feel bad about leaving Starfire home alone," Robin said.
"I know, but she told us to go, didn't she?" Beast Boy rationalized.
"It just......... doesn't feel right."
"I know how you feel," Raven said. "I feel......... off tonight. Like something's not right."
"Great," Beast Boy sighed. "Can we just see the movie already?"
Cyborg chuckled. "I'm with him," he said, "we should sit back and enjoy a night off."
***
Starfire awoke from her slumber with a start. Alarms sounding, lights flashing, it took her a moment to realize that something was happening. Something bad. She raced to the main console. After clumsily fumbling with the controls, she managed to turn on the monitor. An image of the nearby city came up, with several small blocks seemingly erupting in chaos. Fires burning uncontrolled, people fleeing in terror. Starfire took to the air, but paused. Should she get the other Titans?
No, she decided. She could handle whatever it was alone, she told the others to have a good time, and she would not get in the way of it. Besides, Robin had done all the work. He always did all the work.
She made the trip post haste, arriving on the scene in time to help fire and rescue personnel. Her eyes kept open for he source of the disturbance.
Her ears picked up on a voice, mechanical sounding but also oddly human. She flew to the source, and saw him. He was tall, with long red hair and broad shoulders. He wore armor that was silver and black, and in his hand stretched over his head, he held the Titan's oldest foe.
Slade.
It was obvious from his posture that he intended to kill Slade. She couldn't let that happen. "Unhand him, and turn yourself over to the law enforcement!" she said with authority. The man simply ignored her. 'I said,........." She began, firing a warning shot into the man's back. He dropped Slade and turned around, His face was exposed, a young man with piercing red eyes.
"I heard you the first time," he said in a cold, almost robotic tone. "Starfire, I presume? It will be a pleasure to watch your life fade from your eyes." He leapt at her, barely giving her time to react with a starbolt to his stomach. He flew back and into a building, cracking the wall.
"If it is an altercation you seek, then I have no choice but to oblige." Starfire hovered above, keeping the stranger in sight. He collected himself and took to the air, matching altitude with her in a matter if milliseconds and punching her hard in the jaw. Starfire flew back with the force of the blow, but collected herself quickly and prepared to retaliate. She fires several starbolts, flying higher to evade her attacker.
He fired several energy blasts of his own, each searing hot from the close proximity to Starfire they came. Starfire kept flying, faster and faster, as her Starbolts seemed to have no effect. She wished she had called the other Titans, but now was not the time for self-recriminations . She landed on the ruins of a large building, seemingly destroyed by this thing's rampage. She kept her eyes locked on him as he landed mere feet from her. "What are you?"
"I am called by my creator, C.A.I.N." he said. "Combat and Assassination Integrated Nuero-cyborg."
"A cyborg?" Starfire thought. "He is far more powerful than my friend." Starfire quietly gathered her power in her hand, and readied another starbolt. She fired, but CAIN was too fast. He dodged and again struck Starfire on the cheek, sending her sprawling to a nearby wall. She tried to quickly get up, but the force of the blow had knocked her senseless. She gasped, and reached for her communicator. She had to call the others, she had to, she had too...
"Robin, please respond,........." she cried desperately, "I........."
Suddenly, the back of Starfire's head erupted in pain. She let out a startled cry.
"Starfire. What's wrong?!" Robin yelled through the communicator. Starfire couldn't respond, as her back seemingly tore open in searing pain. She screamed as she felt her body hurling through space, twisting until finally she landed, but a new, even worse pain erupted in her stomach. Her vision grew blurry. She saw CAIN standing over her, and then a giant gray figure ran in, knocking him away. Minutes later, her eyes again opened to a familiar sight.
"Robin........." she said weakly. "How bad is it?"
"Star......... I........." he choked. She looked down, and saw a long, silver I-beam jutting through her. Her Tamaranian physiology was the only thing keeping her clinging to life.
"I......... I couldn't stop him," she cried, coughing up blood.
Beast Boy walked up to Robin. "We found Cinderblock, or what's left of him. It was pre......... STARFIRE?!"
"Starfire, what happened?" Robin said taking her hand. The other Titans stood around and Starfire's breathing became ragged and weak. Their eyes flooded with tears.
"Slade must have created it," she gasped, "It was too strong. Slade, you have to find him. He.........he........." She began coughing even more blood. "Robin, I'm so sorry, I.........". Robin wiped the blood away from her mouth. "I love you," she mouthed. Her chest rose sharply, and then fell for the last time. Her body went limp, and her hand slid from Robin's. Robin took his hand and covered Starfire's still open eyes. He closed them, and cradled the limp body in his hands.
He stood. "It's okay, Star. Sleep now." His eyes closed as the other Titans stayed silent. Robin looked straight into the sky. "STAAAAARFIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRE!!!!"
.......................................................To be continued.........
"I'm not feeling well, you all go without me," Starfire said. It was uncharacteristic of her, but this flu bug left her feeling miserable, even worse than Raven at certain times of the month.
"If you're not going, then I'm not," Robin replied.
"No, enjoy the motion picture. If I am feeling better I will join you," she rebuffed.
The other Titans said their goodbyes and walked out, leaving Starfire alone. The tower seemed so much larger without anyone else around. A strange chill ran down Starfire's spine. She shrugged it off, and made her way top the living area. Perhaps some Television was all she needed.
She turned on the TV and lay on the couch. A loud cough burst forth from her lungs. She moaned and sat back, taking a sip from the herbal tea Raven had prepared for her. She breathed the steam and took a sip. Her eyes grew heavy, so she closed them and fell asleep.
***
"I just feel bad about leaving Starfire home alone," Robin said.
"I know, but she told us to go, didn't she?" Beast Boy rationalized.
"It just......... doesn't feel right."
"I know how you feel," Raven said. "I feel......... off tonight. Like something's not right."
"Great," Beast Boy sighed. "Can we just see the movie already?"
Cyborg chuckled. "I'm with him," he said, "we should sit back and enjoy a night off."
***
Starfire awoke from her slumber with a start. Alarms sounding, lights flashing, it took her a moment to realize that something was happening. Something bad. She raced to the main console. After clumsily fumbling with the controls, she managed to turn on the monitor. An image of the nearby city came up, with several small blocks seemingly erupting in chaos. Fires burning uncontrolled, people fleeing in terror. Starfire took to the air, but paused. Should she get the other Titans?
No, she decided. She could handle whatever it was alone, she told the others to have a good time, and she would not get in the way of it. Besides, Robin had done all the work. He always did all the work.
She made the trip post haste, arriving on the scene in time to help fire and rescue personnel. Her eyes kept open for he source of the disturbance.
Her ears picked up on a voice, mechanical sounding but also oddly human. She flew to the source, and saw him. He was tall, with long red hair and broad shoulders. He wore armor that was silver and black, and in his hand stretched over his head, he held the Titan's oldest foe.
Slade.
It was obvious from his posture that he intended to kill Slade. She couldn't let that happen. "Unhand him, and turn yourself over to the law enforcement!" she said with authority. The man simply ignored her. 'I said,........." She began, firing a warning shot into the man's back. He dropped Slade and turned around, His face was exposed, a young man with piercing red eyes.
"I heard you the first time," he said in a cold, almost robotic tone. "Starfire, I presume? It will be a pleasure to watch your life fade from your eyes." He leapt at her, barely giving her time to react with a starbolt to his stomach. He flew back and into a building, cracking the wall.
"If it is an altercation you seek, then I have no choice but to oblige." Starfire hovered above, keeping the stranger in sight. He collected himself and took to the air, matching altitude with her in a matter if milliseconds and punching her hard in the jaw. Starfire flew back with the force of the blow, but collected herself quickly and prepared to retaliate. She fires several starbolts, flying higher to evade her attacker.
He fired several energy blasts of his own, each searing hot from the close proximity to Starfire they came. Starfire kept flying, faster and faster, as her Starbolts seemed to have no effect. She wished she had called the other Titans, but now was not the time for self-recriminations . She landed on the ruins of a large building, seemingly destroyed by this thing's rampage. She kept her eyes locked on him as he landed mere feet from her. "What are you?"
"I am called by my creator, C.A.I.N." he said. "Combat and Assassination Integrated Nuero-cyborg."
"A cyborg?" Starfire thought. "He is far more powerful than my friend." Starfire quietly gathered her power in her hand, and readied another starbolt. She fired, but CAIN was too fast. He dodged and again struck Starfire on the cheek, sending her sprawling to a nearby wall. She tried to quickly get up, but the force of the blow had knocked her senseless. She gasped, and reached for her communicator. She had to call the others, she had to, she had too...
"Robin, please respond,........." she cried desperately, "I........."
Suddenly, the back of Starfire's head erupted in pain. She let out a startled cry.
"Starfire. What's wrong?!" Robin yelled through the communicator. Starfire couldn't respond, as her back seemingly tore open in searing pain. She screamed as she felt her body hurling through space, twisting until finally she landed, but a new, even worse pain erupted in her stomach. Her vision grew blurry. She saw CAIN standing over her, and then a giant gray figure ran in, knocking him away. Minutes later, her eyes again opened to a familiar sight.
"Robin........." she said weakly. "How bad is it?"
"Star......... I........." he choked. She looked down, and saw a long, silver I-beam jutting through her. Her Tamaranian physiology was the only thing keeping her clinging to life.
"I......... I couldn't stop him," she cried, coughing up blood.
Beast Boy walked up to Robin. "We found Cinderblock, or what's left of him. It was pre......... STARFIRE?!"
"Starfire, what happened?" Robin said taking her hand. The other Titans stood around and Starfire's breathing became ragged and weak. Their eyes flooded with tears.
"Slade must have created it," she gasped, "It was too strong. Slade, you have to find him. He.........he........." She began coughing even more blood. "Robin, I'm so sorry, I.........". Robin wiped the blood away from her mouth. "I love you," she mouthed. Her chest rose sharply, and then fell for the last time. Her body went limp, and her hand slid from Robin's. Robin took his hand and covered Starfire's still open eyes. He closed them, and cradled the limp body in his hands.
He stood. "It's okay, Star. Sleep now." His eyes closed as the other Titans stayed silent. Robin looked straight into the sky. "STAAAAARFIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRE!!!!"
.......................................................To be continued.........