Author's Notes:

Hi guys and girls! Welcome to the third chapter! *Whoops excitedly* I'd like to thank you all for your support so far: it's greatly appreciated! :D Anyways, I added an extra part at the end of the previous chap involving the villains of this story that will be named later on.

Enjoy...

Cyborg sighed impatiently. "Bart, slow down!" he commanded his young cousin. "Not all of us can keep up with hearing at the speed of light!"

Bart let out a huff of frustration. "It's not my fault you guys are too slow!"

"It's not our fault, either!"

"Hang on," Coba interrupted the arguing cousins. It was the next morning after Coba had fought with Mar'i, but the memory of the half-Tamaranean's actions towards her was still fresh on her mind. "Let me see if I heard at least some of it correctly: So you followed Nightstar to an old newspaper building, but you don't remember exactly where it was, where she met with a woman with black hair and indigo eyes."

Impulse nodded. "That's right!" he responded excitedly, his voice gaining speed. "I didn't hear what they were saying, though."

"And that was when you came back here," Coba noted.

"Yeah."

Batgirl looked over and noticed the Titans' grim faces, though none were nearly as much so as Nightwing. "Grandfather, what's wrong?" she asked concernedly.

Grayson looked at her solemnly, his one eye betraying an intense sense of regret. "Impulse just described Blackfire."

Ian, Coba and Bart looked at all of them in confusion. "Who's Blackfire?" Ian inquired.

"Blackfire is Starfire's older sister," Dick replied. "She betrayed Starfire on her first visit to Earth."

"Oh."

"Dude!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "Hasn't it hit you that your daughter is working with Blackfire?"

"I doubt that's the case," the small teen interjected before Nightwing could reply. "I have the sickening feeling that she's just a pawn in whatever they're planning, and her secretly meeting with Blackfire may have caused her change of mood somehow."

"You think that maybe getting you upset was part of their plan, as well?" Changeling inquired.

Coba only had to let his words sink in for a second to think about what he was saying. "Now that you mention it, it could've been. Except, I feel as though we'll have to face something bigger than Mar'i."

"Like what?" Bart asked curiously.

"I don't know," Coba confessed gravely.

"Nonetheless, we'd rather you, Changeling and Impulse stayed out of fighting with Blackfire," Nightwing said authoritatively.

"What?!" the teen boys exclaimed in unison.

"Come on, Nightwing!" Impulse groaned. "We're more than ready for this!"

Ian nodded in agreement with his companion. "Yeah! I mean, we've been training for the past year!"

"This isn't up for discussion," Cyborg stated sternly. "We can't risk getting you hurt over an old quarrel."

"There's no point in arguing," Batgirl told her former classmates. "They have a right to show concern—" she looked at Dick in a way that was neither disappointed nor hostile— "but we'll do what's necessary if we have to."

Dick nodded in understanding. "I just hope it doesn't get to that point."

"I know, Grandfather," Coba replied sagely. "I know." And I hope Mar'i figures out which side she's on before that can happen.

"So, what do we do now?" Bart inquired.

"Hang out," Nightwing said with a shrug. "At least until Starfire and Nightstar get back."

Ian's eyes went wide as he looked at the doorway. "Should we send them away again, then?" he asked in a semi-quiet voice.

Koriand'r and Mar'i had just returned, and it was clear that both were stressed about something. I don't doubt that they had a long talk while they were away, Coba thought grimly.

Mar'i glared at Ian. "You saying we're not welcome?"

Changeling rose his hands innocently. "That's not what I meant at all!" he exclaimed.

The teen girl maintained her gaze, but said nothing else. She looked at Coba, the hostility in her face rising. However, before she could say anything, Dick approached her. "I'd like to have a word with you in private," he said in a non-threatening yet authoritative tone.

Nightstar thought over his request for a few tense moments, not once taking her angered eyes off of Batgirl, then nodded to her father. "Fine," she grumbled. She shot a final glare at Coba before following Dick out of the room.

"I hope Nightwing's gonna be okay," Beast Boy stated.

"Quite honestly," Coba spoke up with no hint of humor or disgust in her voice, "it's Nightstar I'm worried about."

"What?!" Bart exclaimed. "She has Starfire's powers!"

Coba gave him a dead serious look. "Anyone's powers are nothing compared to Grandfather's rage."

"She has a point," Raven drawled. "Speaking of powers—" she turned to Coba— "you came to learn from Starfire?"

Starfire gasped in realization. "That's right, I forgot! Come on!" She excitedly grabbed Coba by the arm and ran out of the room, the girl trying hard to keep up with the Tamaranean.

Impulse looked at Cyborg in confusion. "Is Starfire usually this excited?"

"When it comes to new people," Victor said with a small nod.

Changeling turned to his father. "Can we go watch?"

Beast Boy pondered a moment, then shrugged. "I don't see why not."

"Just don't distract them as they train," Raven advised, following the foursome as they left. "Trust me: you don't want to get hit by a Starbolt."

"No kidding," Changeling agreed nervously. "Looks like they hurt!"

~!~

"Let me guess: you're not thrilled about how I've been treating Coba," Mar'i scowled.

Grayson shook his head as he and his only surviving daughter entered his room. "Not particularly."

Mar'i scoffed. "Can you blame me, though? She shattered my pride and kept me from ever meeting you!"

Dick could not help but snort in disgust. "I didn't even know you were born until earlier today! Besides, I didn't even really know Coba until almost two years ago."

"Keep that stupid runt out of this!" Nightstar growled.

"You're the one who brought it up!" Dick snapped. "And don't talk about her that way!"

"Well, it's true! All she's ever done is get in the way! And I bet you lost your eye because of her."

Dick fixed his daughter with an angered, one-eyed glare. "No," he growled. "It was because the first Batman forgot one of his rules the last time we patrolled together."

The teen was somewhat humored. "Which was what? Don't shoot someone who's annoying?"

"Don't land in front of your partner." Noticing Mar'i's confused look, he let out a small sigh. "The Joker had kidnapped a friend of ours." Alfred. "Joker had a modified Hunziker J-108 with armor-piercing bullets. Batman dodged the bullets, but... I didn't have a chance, as he was directly in my line of vision."

Mar'i's eyes went wide with horror. "Oh," she gasped. "Were you hurt anywhere else?"

"My entire chest, and only last year I got the bullet that had been near my spine since then removed."

"Why didn't you get it removed before?" the half-Tamaranean inquired.

"I couldn't afford it or get a decent paying job," Dick answered. "At the same time, I didn't want to ask for the money."

"Then how were you able to have it done?"

"Bruce Wayne paid for it at Coba's request," he answered. "She knew I wanted it done, but Bruce was the last person I wanted to ask, so she asked him herself."

Nightstar was at a loss for words for several moments. I guess Coba doesn't get in the way all the time, after all, she thought. "She immensely cares about you, doesn't she?" she said at last.

Nightwing nodded. "And vice versa. She also greatly cares for those around her, even if they do get on her nerves." He was silent for a moment, carefully choosing his next words. "I want you to sincerely apologize to her," he requested. He held up his hand as Mar'i was about to protest. "And to treat her with respect. Get to know her, as well. You may find that you have more in common with her than you think."

At first the older hero was afraid that the teen would give a sharp retort, but was relieved when she nodded in understanding. "Okay, Dad," she agreed. "I'll try."

"Good," he grinned. "Let's go back to the others."

"Okay." Mar'i followed Dick out of the room, relieved to not be stared at by the photos of past criminals. "And, Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for the talk." And for not bringing up my visits with Aunt Blackfire, she mentally added. I didn't know until talking with Mom that she was a villain!

Grayson gently ruffled her hair. "Thanks for listening."

~!~

"Where are we going?" Coba inquired breathlessly as they got to the bottom of the tower.

"The obstacle course outside," Koriand'r answered. "You'll love it!" Once they were on the shore, Starfire punched a few buttons in the console, causing large hurdles and rocket launchers to come out of the ground.

"Whoa," Coba gasped in awe. It's a lot like Grandfather said, except even more epic!

"Do you know how to fly?" the woman asked, pulling the girl out of her thoughts.

It took the surprised teen a moment to take in what Starfire had asked. "Not without using my suit," Coba answered, setting her backpack on the ground.

"Super strength?"

"Wait, I have that?"

Starfire was unable to suppress a chuckle at Coba's exclamation. "With my blood in you, you do."

"Oh," Batgirl stated. "No, I don't know."

"At least you know how to generate Starbolts."

"Huh? I do?"

"You used them against Nightstar earlier," Starfire reminded her.

Realization struck Coba hard. "Impulse said my hands and eyes were glowing," she murmured.

"Yes!"

Starfire's excitement seemed a bit odd to Coba, who was expecting rebuke from the alien for hurting her only child. "But I don't know how I generated them," Coba confessed.

"Righteous fury," the older heroine replied. "Nightstar disrespected you and your mother, and you got angry."

"Oh, okay," Coba acknowledged grimly, recalling Mari's hurtful words. She shoved that memory aside before facing Koriand'r again. "How do I use strength and flight?"

"Boundless confidence for strength and unbridled joy for flight."

Doubt instantly washed over the young warrior. I have to feel all that on an obstacle course? I can't even feel confident or happy when using the Batcave's course on medium settings! This has gotta be like that on high settings!

"Nightstar and I have found that the best way to learn them is to use them on an obstacle course," Starfire continued.

"I learn best when it's one on one," Coba interrupted. The look Starfire gave her caused her to look down in shame. "Sorry."

Koriand'r softened her gaze and gestured to the course. "Give it a try."

"Yeah!" they heard Ian call down from a rock above, where Cyborg, Bart, Beast Boy and Raven were as well. "Go for it!"

"You've got this, BG!" Impulse added enthusiastically as he, Garfield and Cyborg each gave her a thumbs up.

"Just don't lose focus," Raven advised.

"Go Coba!" squeaked Ed, who had just crawled out of the backpack and was now sitting on Changeling's shoulders.

Coba nodded, then went over to the first part of the course: the hurdles. Focusing on joyful thoughts of her loved ones, she managed to fly over them. Her confidence was boosted by the prospect of being able to fly, but it was lowered once more as robots flew straight at her, shooting blaster beams as they did. Remembering what Starfire had said about the Starbolts, Coba's eyes narrowed into a fierce, determined glare and charged her hands with the energy. She quickly released them at the robots. In spite of most of the bolts missing their targets, all of the robots were destroyed. Large boulders were instantly thrown at her while she flew over a pit, coming at her from above, but she was ready. She quickly dodged and shot the boulders that were about to hit her, then caught one and threw it back to the ground, breaking the catapult throwing the rocks.

"Very good!" Starfire beamed as Batgirl softly landed on the ground in front of her. "You're catching on fast!"

Brooklyn could not help but grin with pride. "I guess I am," she murmured. You did it, kid! she mentally congratulated herself. You did it!

Unfortunately, Coba's feeling of accomplishment was short lived as her vision seemed to be spinning. Her new dizziness caused her to fall to the ground. She could barely make out the voices and figures of her companions coming towards her in concern as she coughed weakly, sputum making its way in and out of her mouth. In an instant, she recognized the undeniable tang of blood. "Impulse! Get her to the infirmary!" she could barely hear Cyborg command his younger cousin.

Coba tensed in discomfort as the speedster lifted her into his arms. The blur of dirt being blown around by Bart's speed was the last thing she saw before her vision went completely black. She widened her eyes to try to see anything, but nothing happened. To her bitter relief, she still had her other senses about her, despite a harsh ringing taking over her hearing. Just moments after losing her sight, she felt herself being placed on a bed. She could hardly hear Bart's voice as he said something to her, then felt the air whiz past her. Her ears stopped ringing, but her eyes still refused to see. Coba tensed as she heard loud footsteps running down the hall towards the infirmary. She gasped in alarm and pulled away as a large hand grasped hers.

"Coba?" the newcomer said softly. "It's me."

"Grandfather?!" her voice rasped, tightened with horror.

"I'm here, kid," the speaker reassured her, sitting next to her and pulling her into a warm hug. "I'm here."

The girl tightly hugged Dick back, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Grandfather," she apologized. "I can't see."

"Don't be. I'm sorry for sneaking up on you like that."

Batgirl hugged him a little tighter to let him know he was forgiven. It was not until several long moments later that light dots seemed to fill her vision, little by little chasing the black away. For a heartbeat she was surprised to finally see where she was, but managed to calm herself down. She noticed that every person present at the tower that day—including Nightstar—were in the room as well. Much to her chagrin, she noticed that blood had fallen out of her mouth...

...and onto the blue insignia on Nightwing's costume.

"Sorry," she said feebly to Nightwing, embarrassed that everyone else could see.

Dick grinned harmlessly. "It's fine. Besides," he added, his smirk getting bigger, "most of it is on you."

Coba managed a weak smile, despite feeling even more humiliated. Well, at least it can be washed out.

Mar'i handed Coba a bucket and a glass of water. "Here," she offered. "These will help you wash the blood out of your mouth. Looks like you could use a drink, as well."

"Thanks," Coba accepted. She spat the bloodied sputum out of her mouth and into the bucket, then put some water in her mouth and spat again until she knew her mouth was clean. Coba slowly drank the rest of the water, surprised that she started feeling better after doing so. I guess I did need that, after all. Nightstar handed her another glass of the clear, tasteless liquid. "Thanks again."

"No problem," Mar'i shrugged.

"What happened?" Dick asked his granddaughter, his voice more concerned.

Before Coba could respond, Starfire spoke up. "It's my fault, Nightwing," she said solemnly. "I had her go on the obstacle course before she had more control of her powers. I thought it would help her learn better, and she did wonderfully, but—" Her voice broke off guiltily. "But when she finished, she collapsed right after."

"It's not your fault, Star," Dick reassured his old friend. "You didn't know this would happen."

"None of us did," Brooklyn added. "Strange thing about all this, though, is that I didn't feel any strain until after I stopped using my powers. And another weird thing is that I was suddenly dehydrated."

"Was it the same way after you attacked Nightstar?" Raven asked, catching the others off guard.

"Sort of," Coba answered. "The symptoms were more mellow then, but still painfully noticable." Her eyes grew wide as she realized something. "Because I only used one of my Tamaranean powers. This time I used them all, which intensified the effects."

"Were you born with the powers?" the older heroine inquired.

Coba shook her head. "No, I wasn't. They were mixed with chemo therapy and the DNA of another superhuman when I was a year old, and the powers only recently started to develop."

Raven considered the small warrior's words, then solemnly looked down. "Your powers are too strong for you to handle," she said gravely. "Had they been with you since birth, it would have been much easier and safer, but having had them injected in you with poison and having developed them much later, they'll kill you if you over do it, which is impossible to know if you are when you can't feel them hurting you until afterwards. Even if you did manage to control them at some point, they'll cause unrepairable damage to your body." She paused, then looked at Coba again. "For your sake, you must never use them."

Yikes! Raven's just a little ray of sunshine, isn't she?

I forgot to mention at the beginning of the story that I would be addressing some rather personal things in this story, so I'm saying it now. I apologize if this upsets any of you, as my intention with this info is only to inform. It's no secret I survived cancer, but there are things about it that I had not known a couple of years ago regarding some effects of it. For one, depending on where it targets, you can develop a learning disability and suffer memory loss (that usually happens in the brain or, in my case, the spine). For another, the chemo therapy can not only mix your DNA around like I mentioned in the notes of the last chapter, but it makes you sick and has long-term effects like physical weakness (and if you strain too much, the blood around your heart stops and thus harms your body).

But what does that have to do with the story?

Well, for one, Coba had cancer like I did, and suffered most of those effects. She has a learning disability, though she has mostly overcome it. In this chap, her powers caused too much strain on her.

Oh. Yikes!

Yeah. Yikes. Though what happened to Coba because of it is really just a theory of mine and probably not an actuality.

Anyways, next chapter might have the villains again, and maybe even have Mar'i and Coba trying to bond. Who knows? I know I don't. XD Might have them play Rock Band or something. *Notices everyone's confused looks* What? It's a fun game that gets people together! XD

Please leave a review/comment below and have a great rest of your day! :D