The next couple of days passed uneventfully, at least for me. The Titans had a few alerts, but none of them were too serious. I smiled to myself remembering what happened when the first alert sounded. They all jumped up and ran for the door. Just before he left, Robin turned to me, an unspoken question on his face. I looked at him and shook my head. I don't work for free and he wasn't offering any rewards. Screw it.

Alone in the tower, I stared at the large-screen TV without really seeing it. Should I have gone with them? They did save my life, after all. But they didn't do it because of me, they did it to catch Slade. Or was it?

I shrugged it off. Even if they saved me out of the goodness of their hearts, it was the life they chose. My path was different. We had nothing in common in the way we did things. I'd be damned if I risked my life just to feel warm and fuzzy all over.

And yet I was unable to dismiss the nagging feeling in the back of my mind. I sighed, turned off the TV and went to my room.

It was late in the afternoon when they returned. They didn't seem too worn out, so I assumed that whatever it was it was not too difficult for them to handle. For some reason it made me feel better. As they filed in, Beast Boy and Cyborg were discussing loudly the toppings on the pizza they were going to order. I winced. Two days of subsisting exclusively on fast food was two days too long for me. I had an idea.

"Guys, I want to make a proposal!" I said loudly to catch their attention. They looked at me. "How about we skip the pizza for tonight and instead go to this Italian place I found near the hotel I used to stay? The food is great and the ambience is quite relaxing. My treat."

They glanced at each other. Robin turned to me, grinning. "Your treat? Sounds too good to pass up!"

Beast Boy was still looking somewhat unhappy. I beckoned to him with my finger. He strolled closer, still a little apprehensive of me since our first encounter, when I almost ripped his head from his shoulders.

I winked at him. "They do vegetarian. And vegan. And kosher. And I wouldn't be surprised if they did Buddhist!"

His ears perked up immediately. "Well, what're we waiting for, momma? Lead the way!"

I grinned at him, then looked at Cyborg. "Cy, can you drag Darren up here from the lab? He probably didn't even eat his lunch."

"I left him some pizza before the alert, but I have no idea if he even noticed it. I thought I could lose myself to solving a problem, but this guy beats me by two lengths!"

I rolled my eyes and smiled. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Let's get some real food into him."

The place I took them to was not a high-profile, jet-set meeting spot, but it wasn't a hole in the wall either. It was quiet, subdued and the cook was a genius. And it had red checkered tablecloths. A real Italian restaurant had to have red checkered tablecloths. We tucked ourselves into a corner booth. I smiled as I watched them in their civvies. It was quite incongruous, the orange-skinned, flame-haired beauty in a stunning dress, the green-skinned guy with pronounced fangs in jeans and T-shirt, the pale girl in a comfortable, loose shirt and short skirt with a hooded cloak around her shoulders. The owner served us himself, proud of such celebrities visiting but understanding that we wished not to be too visible.

The food consumed, I relaxed back, swirling the last of my Carménère. Only Darren and I were of drinking age, not that it would bother me if the kids wanted to have any, but they preferred sodas, or in the case of Raven, just water. That left the two of us to share the whole bottle. Darren was flushed, but not slurring, so there should not be any problems with him. I had a slight buzz, but I could handle a lot more before I started getting impaired.

I let them do the talking, content to follow the conversation and enjoy the undercurrents of feelings flowing between them. It was obvious that they were very close to each other, practically a family. It was also painfully obvious to everyone what was going on between Robin and Starfire. To everyone except them, of course. I smiled and took a small sip of wine.

The atmosphere was relaxed, the conversation flowed easily and everybody was having a great time. So why did I suddenly feel a tiny twinge of jealousy? I shook my head, dismissing it. I chose this life myself. It had to be like that. I couldn't afford it any other way.

I felt Raven's eyes on me. I met her gaze, a small frown forming on my face. If I saw pity in her eyes I was going to get angry, and I didn't want to ruin such a pleasant evening. But her eyes were as usual, calm and serene. She understood and did not judge. I sent her a small, private smile as thanks.

We got back late. I went straight to my room, undressed and showered, already savoring the feeling of soft, clean blankets on my skin. I yawned and stretched. There was a soft knock on the door.

Startled, I put on a bathrobe and opened the door to see Starfire standing there, a blush on her face.

"Match? May I enter the premises?"

I was already accustomed to her strange vocabulary, so I just nodded and allowed her to get in.

"It is a bit late for social calls, Star. Is it something important?"

"No… Yes, it is, I wanted to have the conversation with you, seek the wisdom from you, because of your age and experience."

Gee, thanks, Starfire. It was obvious she didn't mean it as an insult so I let it pass, making a mental note to later coach her on some of the finer points of social interaction on the planet Earth.

"I will gladly help, Star. What did you need?"

"I am unsure… how to proceed… with regards to the feelings that I have."

Oh, great. Just what I needed.

"Come here and sit beside me. It's about Robin, right?"

She blushed even more, flitted closer and sat on the bed beside me. "I hoped that you might know… the proper procedure…"

I put an arm around her shoulders. "Star. There is no 'proper procedure'. There are only feelings and the people we feel for. Also" – I tried to keep the sudden bitterness that seized me away from my voice – "you're asking the wrong person."

"Wrong person?" she asked, her glowing green eyes studying mine.

"Star, if you wanted to ask about sex, I could write you a book. Several, actually. But romantic feelings are not really my strong suit."

"I see" she said, her gaze dropping to the floor. Wonderful. I just made her evening. I felt like an idiot. I hugged her closer and tried to save what I could from the fiasco.

"Listen. There are no proper procedures, no recipes, no ceremonies involved. The only thing you have to do is to be yourself. Do what your heart tells you and follow where your feelings guide you, and you will never regret it. You may sometimes think it is hard to bear, but trust me when I tell you that not doing so will be even harder."

She looked at me again, the green glow returning to her eyes.

"Thank you" she said softly and hugged me. I returned her hug as her arms squeezed me ever tighter. I remembered that Starfire could bench-press a cement truck. Fully loaded. In each hand. I started to worry.

Luckily, she released me before she could snap my spine or crack my ribs. She kissed me on the cheek and flitted out of my room.

I sat on my bed, feeling miserable.

That's what you get from trying to help, you fool.

But I knew full well that was not the reason. Suddenly I understood what I needed. I got up and left my room, barefoot and in my bathrobe, going straight to Darren's room.

He opened the door in his pajamas, holding his toothbrush in his hand. I didn't say anything, just walked in, took his hand and guided him to his bed. The toothbrush fell to the floor, forgotten.

I was snuggled close to him, my head on his shoulder. He still appeared a bit dazed about what happened. I suppressed a giggle, but he felt the tiny movement and looked at me.

"Did you… I mean, how was it…?"

I placed my index finger on his lips. "You were great" I told him, the lie coming easily after being repeated so many times to so many others. But it was unimportant. I wasn't looking for sex, I just needed to feel someone close. I didn't want to sleep alone tonight.

He couldn't keep his mouth shut and just enjoy the moment. "You know, this was my first time" he said.

This time I couldn't suppress the giggle. I looked at him. "A virgin?" I asked, not really believing him.

He blushed and nodded.

"Not any more" I told him, kissing him. Suddenly I felt the need. "But in that case…" I said and started working on him again. We had a long night ahead of us.

Next morning I showered in his bathroom. As I stepped into the room, I saw him sitting on the bed, looking at me, his eyes shining.

Oh, shit.

I frowned and sat beside him. "Don't!" I told him coldly.

He started. "Don't what?"

"Don't you dare fall for me. Last night was fun, I enjoyed it very much, and now it is behind us. I go my way, you go yours."

A sadness crept into his eyes. I sighed, exasperated. "Don't look at me with that 'hurt puppy' expression!" I said, a bit louder than I wanted. He looked at the floor.

I cupped his chin, pulled his head up, forced him to meet my gaze.

"You have no idea who I am or what I do. You don't want to be with me. You will get hurt if you do."

"I can bear it."

I was suddenly furious. "You can bear it? What the fuck do you think I am talking about? Hurt feelings? I am talking about having your guts ripped out, your head smashed in, your arms and legs broken just so someone could get at me!" I shouted. "Do you have any idea what kind of people my enemies are?"

He cringed. I grabbed the front of his pajamas, dragged him close. I felt like a royal asshole, but I had to rip it out of him.

"I can't afford relationships. I can't risk having such a vulnerability!" I said while I held his eyes in the coldest gaze I could summon. "Just because you have the emotional maturity of a fourteen-year-old doesn't mean you have to fall for the first cunt that you fuck! Now snap out of it!"

I pushed him away and left his room.

Way to go, girl. Go and kick a kitten while you're at it.

I stormed into my room, masking my tears with my fury. I sat down on my bed, took a deep breath and tried to calm myself.

The morning passed by quietly. Darren and Cyborg were working in the lab. Cyborg came up for air once, glanced at me with a lifted eyebrow, then went back carrying leftover pizza for them to feast on. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

I felt a light touch on my arm. I turned to look into Raven's violet eyes. I lifted my eyebrows quizzically.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I frowned. "About what?"

"They could probably hear you all the way back in the city. Your voice carries quite well."

I felt heat rushing into my face. Anger, shame, regret. Not a good combination.

"Great!" I said, closing my eyes, forcing all the feelings back down where they came from.

She didn't say anything, she just sat beside me and took my hand.

"So that's why Cyborg gave me that look" I said, opening my eyes, looking down. "I thought Darren told him what happened."

She smiled a ghost of a smile. "You made your choice a long time ago. Now is the time to pay the price."

"I've been paying it all this time. It is just that today it feels… a bit expensive." I lifted my gaze, looked into her eyes. I couldn't help myself. I had to ask.

"What about your choices?"

There was a small glimmer of something in those violet depths. Anger? Pain? Despair? All three?

Just as it appeared, it faded away. She still held my hand.

"Like you, I made my choices a long time ago. Like you, I'm still paying for them."

She left me to ponder what she meant.

It was early evening when Robin stood up and cleared his throat. "Starfire and I will go to the city for an evening stroll. Anyone wants to join us?"

Beast Boy looked up from the game he was playing and opened his mouth. Raven's eyes glowed white. Beast Boy tried to talk, but no sound could come out. He looked around, confused. I stood up from the couch and walked over, putting my hand over his mouth, my cape cloaking us from their eyes, letting Raven dismiss the spell. "You guys go ahead, I'm a bit tired" I told Robin.

"OK, we'll see you later then" said Robin, with noticeable relief. They walked out of the room. I removed my hand from Beast Boy's mouth.

"What was that all about, momma? Why didn't you let me talk?"

I turned to Raven. "Do you want to explain it to him or should I?"

"I'll do it" she said and floated closer. I left her to unravel the facts of life to the young changeling.

A few hours passed. The Ops Room was quiet, except for the beeps and pops of Beast Boy's game. It was a pleasant evening and I was about to call it a night when the main monitor lit up. Part of Starfire's face could be seen on it. She was wrestling with something very large with her other hand. Her eyes were glowing green. Her voice came out from the speakers, punctuated by bursts of static.

"Friends! We requi –" crackle "– ssistance with the urgenc–" hiss "rris wheel –" roar " – Robin!"

As she mentioned the Ferris wheel we understood what we saw on the screen. She was trying to keep it from toppling down, crushing the crowd of panicked people below trying to run away.

I looked at Raven. "Can you get us there now?"

She nodded. "We could use Cyborg, too!"

"I'll get him!" I said, running to the door, just as Cyborg rushed in. He must have heard the transmission, too. I grabbed his arm and dragged him over to Raven, where Beast Boy was already waiting.

Raven's soul-self emerged and enveloped us. As it receded we found ourselves on the playground. I turned to her. "Help Starfire! Keep that wheel from falling!" She flew towards Starfire, already shouting her mantra. I grabbed Beast Boys' arm. "Help those people get away in case the girls can't hold the wheel. If it falls, it will fall over this area" I indicated with a wave of my hand. "Keep everyone away from it!" He nodded and ran off.

"Cyborg!" I shouted, turning to him.

"I'm on it!" he said as he pushed against the huge wheel, trying to stabilize it. I ran to him. Strong as he was, it was a losing battle. The wheel was righting itself, Starfire and Raven managing to keep it from toppling, but it was up to me and Cyborg to prevent it from snapping off its mountings and rolling over the buildings and people.

As I was trying to decide what to do, a screech of torn metal signaled that the wheel's mountings had failed. Cyborg strove mightily, but the sheer mass of the monstrous wheel simply pushed him away, his feet leaving deep furrows in the concrete. Starfire and Raven tried to pull it back, to no avail. There was only one thing to do.

I stood in front of the wheel, my arms spread above my head. This was going to be the biggest construct I ever made. It shimmered into existence, an elliptical shape two hundred feet tall and forty feet wide. I willed it down and thrust it into the ground, anchoring it a hundred feet deep into the concrete, soil and bedrock, another hundred feet of it sticking out of the ground like a giant spike in front of the rolling wheel.

The wheel rolled on and slammed into the blade's flat side. Even though the blade was anchored deep into the bedrock, blinding white pain exploded in my head. I screamed my pain and my defiance, holding on grimly.

The momentum bent the rim of the wheel, one of the spokes twisting perilously with a scream of tortured metal. As the spoke straightened, the wheel slid down along the length of my construct. It slowly came to rest, shivering, its gargantuan weight resting on the blade. I wasn't able to see any of it. Even with all the rock and concrete holding the blade in place, I felt the giant wheel ramming into my mind, scraping my brain away, a vast pressure squashing it until all I knew was the pain, the blade and the need to keep it in place. There was nothing else in the universe.

Keep it in place. Keep it in place. Keep it in place. I repeated those words in my mind, like Raven's mantra, not understanding the words any more. I couldn't breathe, but somehow it was not important. The enormous mass of the wheel pressed on, squeezing my mind, crushing my brain. Slowly, ever so slowly, the pressure started abating, but the pain remained. Keep it in place. Keep it in place.

I thought I heard someone shouting at me, but I couldn't spare it any attention. Keep it in place.

"Match! It's over! You did it!"

I heard the sound but did not understand the words. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I passed out.

I woke up to see them staring at me. Raven was holding her hands to my head, the healing warmth slowly relieving the pressure, removing the pain. I gasped and started breathing again.

I took several deep breaths, confused. I tried to remember what happened, but my mind shied away from the memory like a skittish horse. I tried to get up, only to fall down, losing consciousness again.

I awoke again. This time I was smarter. I opened my eyes and sought out Raven. She was frowning at me.

"Stay down!" she commanded. I relaxed, closed my eyes and let her help me.

After a minute she removed her hands, sighing softly. I opened my eyes and looked at her. For a brief moment I saw the pain clouding her eyes. I realized she had been taking my pain into herself in order to heal me. My anger rose, but I was too exhausted to shout at her. But she felt it and frowned down at me.

"What is it?"

"Don't you… fucking ever… do that shit again!" I croaked.

"Do what?" she appeared genuinely surprised.

"Take… my pain… into you."

"I have to, in order to heal you!" She was still frowning.

"Then next time… just let… me die."

"Maybe I will!" she said, a flash of anger in her eyes.

"Good." I whispered, closing my eyes again.

She pressed her lips together into a line, her eyes glowing with repressed anger. "You are the most insufferable, hot-headed, stubborn idiot that I've ever met!"

My head was almost completely clear now. "Good!" I repeated, able to speak much better. "And don't you forget it!"

I opened my eyes again, tried to get up. Cyborg's hand helped me up. I stood, still a bit wobbly in the knees, looking around.

The wheel was standing firmly in a ditch, probably scooped up hastily by Cyborg and the girls while I was holding it. There was no danger from it toppling or rolling any more. I looked back at them, trying to flash a grin. Their faces were dark. Something was wrong.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Robin is gone" Cyborg said.

"Wait, my head is still not clear. Did you say 'Robin is gone?' What do you mean, gone?"

"I mean, he's disappeared."

"Maybe he is helping the people, there may still be panic…"

"No" Cyborg said with finality. "Look there."

Among the debris of the broken mountings of the Ferris wheel I could discern a few bodies. I approached them and felt a sharp, icy stab in my guts.

They were Slade's Commando bots.

Back at the Tower, I summarized what everyone was thinking.

"So Slade spied them on the Ferris wheel and quickly struck with his robots, knowing that both Starfire and Robin would have their hands full. They were not able to defend themselves properly and the robots succeeded in overpowering Robin, while Starfire was trying to keep the Wheel from crushing innocent bystanders."

"And we know why he went after Robin" Cyborg concluded grimly.

"Yes. The briefcase."

I was still feeling queasy, but I had one more thing to do. I walked over to Raven, took her arm and pulled her away from the others. She followed me, offering no resistance, silent.

"You're pouting" I told her quietly once we were out of earshot.

Anger flared in her eyes. "I'm not pouting. And I'm not angry. But your stubbornness is really starting to bother me."

"Look, I'm sorry I offended you. You did a wonderful thing for me. You made a great sacrifice for me. But I never asked you to do it."

"Of course you didn't! Do you think you were able to? You were clinically dead for a few seconds!" she said, her voice rising into a shout, the angry glow in her eyes threatening to kindle into white flame.

"I don't want you to suffer my pain!" I shouted at her, my frustration exploding. Revived by my rage, agony shot through my head, colored lights dancing in front of my eyes.

"So what was I supposed to do, let you die?" she shouted back, her eyes now burning white.

Her answer only fueled my anger, increasing the blinding pain in my head. "I cannot leave behind such debts! I cannot owe you that much! I cannot risk my –"

"Oh, to the Nine Hells with your fucking independence!" she shouted at me, whirling around and storming away.

Four of the light fixtures exploded, sending shards all around. Tea mugs and glasses on the table burst into clinking fragments. Loose objects shot up to rain down on us.

Everybody was staring at her, then at me, then at her again. She stopped, looked at them all and shouted "What?"

She removed herself to the darkest corner of the room, lifted her hood over her head and started meditating in lotus position, floating a foot above the floor.

"Did… did Raven just say the F-word?" Beast Boy asked, incredulously.

"Shut up, BB" Cyborg said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"But…"

Cyborg frowned down at him.

"Shut. Up."

Beast Boy looked at Cyborg, opened his mouth, thought better of it and closed it, shaking his head.

At that moment the screen lit up, Slade's face glaring at us from it.

"Hello, Titans. I suspect you already know the reason behind this call."

I stepped forward. "We do. What is your proposal?"

"You are not a Titan."

"But the briefcase is mine."

"Maybe they can take it from you?"

"They can try."

He was silent for a moment, probably deciding if he was going to negotiate with me or not. He came to a decision.

"Let us get to business. You want your leader, I want the briefcase. In two hours, the warehouse where we met last time. Match will come, alone. If I see anyone else, Robin dies."

"Twenty four hours, in the clearing above."

"You do not have any bargaining power."

"Neither do you!"

The camera that focused on Slade panned back, revealing a restraining field where Robin lay, motionless. Slade lifted his hand, holding a small transmitter with two buttons – one red, one green.

"The power of life and death. Green for life, red for death. This is my bargaining chip."

"That's a stasis field. We don't even know if he's alive. I repeat, you have no bargaining power either!"

The Titans were mumbling among themselves behind me, probably concerned that I may push Slade too far. I fought the urge to whip around and scream at them.

"Two hours. Warehouse." Slade repeated his demand, the camera now showing him holding the transmitter.

"No deal. Twenty four, clearing" I said.

Slade lifted his other hand, the finger going towards the red button.

"Go ahead, do it" I told Slade as coldly as I could. I heard two gasps and a moan behind me.

"No, momma, please, let him have it…" Beast Boy whined.

"Match, what's wrong with you? Are you crazy?" Cyborg shouted, his arm transforming into a cannon.

"ROBIN! NO! LET HIM HAVE IT!" Starfire screamed, floating up. I created a protective disk and the starbeam she sent my way struck it, staggering me with its power.

She swooped down on me, her eyes blazing green. I stood my ground, gritting my teeth. I awaited her assault, unable to tear my eyes from Slade's image.

Azarath Metrion ZINTHOS!

Starfire was enveloped in a black cocoon that dragged her slowly down to the ground.

"SILENCE! LET HER FINISH!" Raven shouted over the commotion. Everyone fell silent. I never dropped my gaze from Slade's image on the screen.

Slade's finger stopped just short of the red button.

"Have it your way" Slade said finally. "Twenty four hours, clearing above. Come alone with the briefcase or he dies."

"I'll be there."

The screen flickered off. I wiped cold sweat from my brow, my legs barely able to support me. I staggered to the couch, sat on it heavily. Cyborg approached, his face furious, Beast Boy in tow.

"What the hell possessed you to play like that –" he shouted at me.

I closed my eyes, suddenly very tired. "Cyborg, think! This is Slade, not some two-bit mugger off the streets. Robin is the only thing he can bring to bear on us. Did you really think he would waste it to prove a point he did not need to prove?"

I swear I could almost hear the gears whirring and clanking in his head. As he understood what I was telling him, his fury abated, but there was still a scowl on his face.

"Very well, I understand. But I still think that you were gambling there. Thank God that Slade didn't call your bluff."

"It wasn't a bluff. And his cards were not that hot, either" I said, with a lot more conviction than I felt.

I turned wearily to Raven. She was comforting a sobbing Starfire. "Thanks for understanding what I was doing and for the help."

"I wasn't helping you, I was helping Robin. I don't want you to feel indebted to me."

I passed my hand over my eyes. I was feeling dizzy and Raven's attitude was not helping, but I realized she was entitled to it. "Touché. I deserved that. I must talk to you, but first take Starfire to her room and try to calm her down. Meet me in my room."

"Did we hold an election and voted you President when I wasn't looking?"

"Please. And now you're being petty."

"Takes one to know one" she said, still fuming at me. She took Starfire's arm and they floated to her room.

I sat on my bed, completely exhausted, physically and emotionally. I just wanted to sleep, but I needed to set everything in motion before resting.

A black portal opened and Raven floated through. I frowned at her. "There is a door just a couple of feet away, you know."

"I do. I knocked. You did not answer."

It was quite possible. I was concentrated on the big problem, tuning out everything else.

"If it bothers you, I'll leave" she said. Her voice was so cold that I was surprised I didn't see icicles forming in the air.

I sighed and closed my eyes. "Please. I don't have the strength. Let us just see to what must be done, then let me sleep and deliver the briefcase. Once Robin is safe, I'll admit to everything you want and we can soul-search each other for the rest of the week."

"Very well." Her voice was still cold, but at least I wouldn't be getting frostburn just from talking to her.

"I have an idea, but I must check with you if you can do what I hope you can. I also need you to try and blow holes in my plan so we can cover the possibilities. You're the most level-headed of this bunch and I need someone that can think rationally."

We spoke for at least an hour and a half. I wanted to continue and iron out some of the issues she noticed in my plan, but I felt her hand on my shoulder.

"You must sleep now. Let me think on those last items and I'll have something for you in the morning. You'll be useless if you're staggering with exhaustion."

I shook my head "I'm fine", I said.

"Look at me" she replied, cupping my chin and lifting my head so I could gaze in her eyes.

"Either you go to sleep now, or I'll make you." Her eyes were deadly serious.

"But…"

"No buts. Sleep. Now."

I nodded, fell into the bed and was instantly asleep.

I woke up stiff, aching all over, but for some reason full of energy. I glanced at the wall clock and realized I slept for some sixteen hours. A quick shower took some of the aches away and by the time I was wolfing down a large breakfast – or dinner, since it was late afternoon – they were just a bad memory.

I still had four hours before I had to leave to face Slade. I finished my late breakfast and went to Raven's room.

She opened the door and motioned me in. Her hood was up and her eyes watched me from its depths. I stood there for a few moments, unsure of what to do next. Finally I spoke.

"Rae, I have to apologize –"

"Don't. We both behaved stupidly. Let's put this behind us and concentrate on what must be done."

I should have been happy about her words, but for some reason I felt hurt. I swallowed it and sat down in an armchair, talking to her about what we were going to do.

After about an hour, we agreed on all the finer details. She stood up and brought me the briefcase.

"Here you go."

I checked it carefully. "You didn't try to expand my plan and include a tracker somewhere?"

"I'm not an idiot. We're dealing with Slade. He would know immediately if we did. Besides, there may be an interference field around the place and we can't assume any signal will be able to go through. You will be on your own."

I nodded. "It will have to be that way."

She just looked at me, searching, scrutinizing, analyzing.

I got up, took the briefcase and went to the door.

"You are thinking that you will not survive" she said, stating a fact.

I stopped. My back was turned to her. I felt an urge to talk to her and explain, but I crushed it mercilessly. I resumed my walking.

"Wait!"

I stopped again. I was still facing the door, my back turned to her.

"If you die, how will Robin survive?"

I spoke over my shoulder. "My first priority will be the green button. But even if I die, Slade will not kill him. Remember that he still wants Robin as an apprentice. That will give you the opening you need to rescue him if I fail."

"Good. You thought of everything. Except of how to get out of there alive."

Anger flowed through me. I whipped around, facing her. "If you have a better idea, I'd love to hear it!"

I took a deep breath, forced my anger back into its bottle. I'd need it soon enough, no sense in wasting it now.

"Raven, last time I confronted him – God, was it only a few days ago? Last time I fought him with everything I had. I was good. I didn't even know I could be that good. And yet he would have killed me if you didn't appear in the nick of time. I don't stand a chance."

"I don't see why he would fight you. If you don't provoke him –"

Again I felt anger at her refusal to understand. "Are you that naive? Did you suddenly change brains with Beast Boy? Why do you think he specifically demanded that it should be me that has to bring the briefcase? Why do I have to explain these things to you of all people?"

Even under the hood I saw her pale cheeks color, but she did not drop her gaze. "Then why are you doing it?"

I shook my head. "I could say that I owe Robin – and all of you – my life. That I need to repay that debt. But I feel that it's not completely true. Frankly, I have no idea. I just know I have to do it."

She said nothing, continuing to look into my eyes. Suddenly I felt the walls of her room pressing down on me. I had to get out.

"It is time. I have to go."

I was almost at the exit when Starfire flitted over and stopped me.

"Match, I wish to offer you the apology for my actions of last night" she said, her eyes downcast.

"There is nothing to apologize for, Star. I understand why you did it, and I would never hold it against you."

"I also wished to ask a great service from you" she whispered.

My eyebrows went up. "Service?"

She looked into my eyes, her own eyes starting to glow. "Save him. Bring him. Alive and unharmed. Whatever it takes."

As she spoke these last words, her eyes shone with hatred. It was like enjoying the sight of a beautiful flower and then having a tarantula scuttle over it. It almost made me physically ill.

It did not take much imagination to understand who was the target of her hatred or what her last words implied.

"Whatever it takes, Starfire."

She nodded and flitted away.