Chapter 15

The moment Starfire stepped into the room, Robin, Slade, and the hoard of robots turned to look at her. The moment Starfire saw Robin being held on his knees, she lit up. Her eyes and hands both ignited with green fire. With the righteous fury of seeing her boyfriend and leader in such a vulnerable state coursing through her, she attacked. Starbolt after starbolt left her hands, each robot that came for her going down in one hit, their exposed circuits sparking.

Slade watched in amusement as she started to take down his army. Though he was unfazed by it, there were hundreds more of his robots throughout the tower, waiting for his call. He looked down at Robin who was struggling to break free of his captors. With a small glance back at his weapon, he turned and laid Robin's belt over the shoulder of a robot standing near by. Turning to another robot, he held his hand out. Without hesitation the robot unsheathed two swords and handed them to Slade.

Robin instantly stopped struggling as he felt the cold blade of one of the swords touch his neck. He risked a glance up at Slade, but Slade wasn't looking at him. Looking round, Robin caught sight of Starfire who was still dispatching robots, a trail of electronic bodies in her wake. He watched as she turned to shoot a robot that had snuck behind her. As she watched the body hit the floor, she caught sight of Robin. All the fight drained out of her, her starbolts dissipating. At that same moment, the robots all stopped their advance towards her. She moved her eyes up the sword and glared at Slade.

"Ah, it seems I have your attention."

"Let. Him. Go." Starfire spat the words out, anger and worry seeping into her voice.

"Trust me, my dear. It's not just Robin you need to worry about. Your other friends are in a similar situation. One call, and they die. You make one wrong move, I'll kill him."

"Don't listen to him, Starfire! Just get out of here!" Robin pleaded with her to leave, but in doing so, he moved. He could feel the blade digging into his neck. Starfire could only see the trickle of blood that was running down to his collar.

"One cut and he's gone. Don't call my bluff Starfire, he will die."

Starfire looked between Slade, who was just staring at her, and Robin who's masked eyes were pleading with her. "If I come, you shall let them all live?"

"Starfire no!" Robins cry echoed across the room. Slade pushed his sword harder into his throat.

"I suggest you keep quiet, Robin." Slade didn't take his eye off Starfire as he spoke. She was torn, he could tell, wanting nothing more than to save her friends but not knowing whether she should stay or go. "I need a little more from you than just your willingness." Slade moved his sword away from Robin, who visibly relaxed a little, before another one was placed flush against his throat by a robot from behind him. Stepping to face Starfire fully, Slade twisted his swords in his hands. "In order for me to have full control over you, I need you to fall into a healing sleep. So, here's my bargain. You're going to fight me. If you win, I'll let your friends go. If I win... well, if I win you'd go into that healing sleep regardless, and I'll get what I want. Either way, your friends will stay safe. However, if you run, they will die. Starting with Robin."

Robin desperately wanted to tell her to just go. To run and hide. But even he had started to feel the blood running down his neck. Slade wasn't forgiving enough to let him keep shouting out to her. Starfire spared Robin a worried glance, her heart breaking at the sight of him.

"I don't have all day." Slade stepped towards her again. "He will die, and I'll still get what I want."

Starfire matched his stance. Her mind made up. "You must assure me that Robin and my friends will not be harmed."

"Of course. You have my word." He turned to the robots that were holding Robin. "Move him out of the way. But so he can still watch. Do not let him go."

Starfire watched as Robin was moved across the room by the robots, and dropped to his knees again when the reached the far wall. She would have to make sure this fight didn't go near him. If she could keep it contained to the middle of the room. Looking back at Slade, Starfire ignited her hands once again. Slade pointed towards her with the blade of one of his swords. "Your move, my dear."

Instantly, her eyes lit up. She fired a volley of starbolts towards him. Two collided with him but he was only pushed back slightly. Silently, Starfire cursed that she was unable to fly, it would help her greatly. But, she was without flight, and had to adjust accordingly. She shot at Slade again, who merely sidestepped, but she used the momentary distraction to start towards him. Slade readied his swords, his head cocked slightly. As Starfire neared him, he swung at her, missing by an inch as she slid under him, knocking his legs out from beneath him. He hit the floor with a grunt, only to be hit in the back with an eye beam.

Starfire didn't let up. She realised that she couldn't give Slade any time to recover or he might get the better of her. Jumping to her feet, she saw Slade getting to his knees. Another barrage of starbolts ventured his way, connecting with his shoulder and side before sending him skidding across the carpet. Starfire stalked towards him as she fired, getting closer in the hope her bolts would do more damage.

Then, she was hit. Out of nowhere, a starbolt connected with her shoulder, spinning her slightly and ceasing her attack. She turned in awe to see Slade getting to his feet, a deep chuckle coming from beneath his mask. He waved a sword at her. "I've done a lot of research into those bolts of yours, dear. These swords can withstand your energy. Well, at this low a level they can. If you were still as powerful as I made you, then probably not. But you're weak now."

"I am many things. Rutha, I am not. I am as powerful as I need to be. Why do you believe I should be grateful for what you made of me?" Her eyes never lost their glow, her fists balling as she spoke.

Slade actually paused as he took in her words, his swords lowering. "My dear, I fail to see why anyone would be ungrateful to possess power. When I wanted Robin as my apprentice, I was willing to give him everything. He was set to inherit my whole operation. Money, power, knowledge. He didn't want it. Terra was very much the same, all she wanted were friends, even though I had helped her control her powers. And you. Well, I'm merely offering you a chance to enhance the power you already possess. To be a superpower in your own right, and yet you're fighting me every step of the way. I've been offering Titans the chance to utilise their potential to its greatest degree. None of you want that, and I can't think for the life of me why. Which is why I developed the mind control. If none of you are willing to do it, I'll just force you."

Starfire knotted her eyebrows at him. "You misunderstand what it is that the Titans stand for. None of us wish to join you because none of us believe in your cause. You are out for destruction and death. We use our gifts to help those who need it, and to stop the likes of you who are only out for personal gain. I do not want the power you are able to give me, because I never wanted my starbolts to begin with."

"You never wanted them, and yet you use them every day?"

"Yes. Just because they are unnatural, and were given to me in a horrific way, does not mean I cannot appreciate them. They help me be a Titan."

Slade contemplated her for a moment, another chuckle rising from his throat. "You and I are more alike than you believe my dear. My past too is riddled with sorrow, and my superhuman abilities are also not natural. But you were wrong. I don't do this for personal gain. I do this out of revenge. Perhaps one day I'll regale you with my tragic tale, but for now all you need to know is that I've also lost those close to me, and I've had things taken from me that I can never have back. I do what I do because someone needs to show the world that the little people can't be pushed around without consequences."

"Then allow me to show you the consequences of pushing me." She ran at him, he hands aglow. He met her in the middle, his swords ready. With a clang, they collided. Slade's swords coming down to meet her starbolt covered hands. For a moment they struggled, the strength of each one testing the other. Starfire lowered her head, and shot an eye beam into his chest. Slade was sent back, his legs hitting the back of the sofa.

Starfire met him again, connecting a few blows on his torso before stepping back to avoid his swords. Slade swung at her, causing her to step back from him. As one of his swords swung at her, she grabbed the blade, halting its path towards her face. Her face contorted slightly as the blade dug into her hand. Gritting her teeth, Starfire grabbed the blade tighter and yanked it, pulling Slade with it. As he lurched forward, she punched him with her other hand, sending him onto his back, and keeping the sword in her hand. Without hesitation, ignoring the blood dripping from her hand, she took the hilt of the sword, and brandished the blade at Slade's neck as he lay on the floor.

"Do you believe you have won?" He chuckled at her as he brought up his blade to meet hers. Slowly touching the two together and pushing her off of his neck slightly.

"I believe that in order for me to win, you should not be able to talk."

She was prepared as he pushed his blade against hers, rolling to his feet. Their blades met fast and hard as they fought to push the other back. Starfire noted that Slade was quite apt at using a sword, but then, so was she. Tamaranian swords were slightly different, but similar enough to be transferred to an Earthen sword. This was proven as she sliced her blade towards him, cutting through his uniform and slicing his shoulder. He stepped away from her, covering the wound.

"Impressive skills considering you don't use weapons."

"I believe I owed you a scar." She sneered at him, anger dripping into her voice. "After all, you were so kind as to give me one." She ran at him again, her blade held over her head ready to attack. Slade glared at her, unmoving as she sped towards him. He flicked his eye up to look past her.

"Kill him."

The world seemed to slow down as his words hit her ears. She skidded as she tried to halt her run and turn to where Robin was sat, still being held. She didn't have chance to register than none of the robots had moved before pain exploded in her shoulder. So much so, it took the breath out of her and halted her movements. Her name was shouted from somewhere in the room, but she could only focus on the pain. The hand that was tightly clenched around her sword went limp and the weapon dropped. Turning, her eyes caught Slade who was leaning towards her, his arm outstretched. Following the length of his arm to the hilt of his sword and down the blade, she found the blade protruding from her. Red staining the area around it.

And then, it happened again. This time she could do nothing but watch as Slade had caught the blade she had dropped, and united it with the other. The added pain took the strength out of her, and she dropped to her knees. Crying out as she went. The blood was pooling on her top at an alarming rate, and had started dripping down her armour. Her eyes met with Slade who was stood over her, still holding both swords. "I believe we're now even. You're not the only one who got a scar from the other. That bo staff you impaled me with took months to heal, leaving a nasty scar in its wake."

Without warning, he pulled the blades from her. She slumped forward as he did, crying out again as the blades left her shoulder. Slade caught her by the throat as she pitched forward and pulled her off the floor, her legs dangling beneath her. Starfire's face went red as she struggled in his grip. "You... you cheated." She gurgled the words out, feeling the blood pooling in her throat.

"Of course I cheated. I wouldn't have won if I hadn't." He three her to the side where she was promptly grabbed by two robots. The energy to fight back leaving her as she fought to stay conscious. Slade turned to Robin who was now being held to the floor, the sword pointing up into his chin as the robots contained him. He was struggling, his face a vision of anger and worry. "Don't worry Robin. She won't die. You'll see her again soon."

"So much for being a man of honour Slade! Honourable people don't strike when their opponents back is turned." Robin spat the words out, still fighting against the robots.

"I can't win an honourable fight against Starfire. This was never going to be honourable. More fool her for believing me. I wasn't going to be leaving this tower without her. Any means necessary." Slade brought a hand to his ear, activating a communication device. "Phase three was a success. Let the Titans go and your payment will be waiting for you, in full exactly where we discussed. Do not get caught." Slade took one last look at Robin. "This must really hurt you Robin. That you played to my plans exactly as I had hoped. It must really burn to know that she's mine once again. And that it's all your fault." He walked away, leaving Robin to struggle against his captors.

Robin was beside himself. Starfire could die and he couldn't even break free of some useless robots. He watched as Slade dropped his bloody swords on the ground, and continued to where Starfire was being held, her head slumped forward. Slade lifted her chin, her eyes lolling in her head, her breathing laboured. "That's right dear, sleep for me."

She blinked slowly at him, her eyes flicking to Robin. Without warning, she shot an eye beam. Slade was ready and moved out the way. Grabbing her chin again, he forced her to look at him. "You missed." To his surprise, she smirked.

"No, I did not."

Slade turned as he heard movement behind him. Starfire hadn't been aiming for him, she had shot the robot that was holding the sword to Robin. Slade watched as Robin dispatched of the two robots that were holding him down. He picked up the sword and held it toward Slade, blood still running down his neck.

Slade stood, sighing as he went. "Don't be stupid, Robin. I've already won."

"No. You haven't. You're not leaving with her Slade. Not this time."

"I've had just about enough of you Titans. Your resilience is impressive but highly irritating." Slade moved behind Starfire, grabbing her shoulders as he dismissed the robots holding her. "Her life is on the line Robin, are you willing to risk it?" He moved his hand down her shoulder and over her wound before digging his fingers into it. Starfire let out a pained scream as the pain once again overwhelmed her.

"No! Slade Stop!" Robin was at a loss. He couldn't bear hearing her cry out, and seeing the pain on her face.

"Throw the sword Robin." Slade dug deeper into her shoulder and tears started to drip down her face. Robin clutched the blade tighter. "Robin. Drop it." Starfire lifted her head to him, her eyes pleading with him. Whether it was to drop the blade or not, he couldn't be sure, but the look on her face struck him to his core. "Robin! Now!" Robin obeyed. The sword ending up on the other side of the room. In that moment, Slade looped his arm under Starfire's knees and picked her up. She was too weak to protest.

"You can't really expect me to just stand here and let you walk out with her!"

"I can, and I do Robin." Slade turned and headed for the door. Robin balled his fists, and bolted after him. Unfortunately, Robin had underestimated how many of Slade's robots were still in the room. They came together. Causing a block between Robin and Slade. At that moment, a screech sounded behind him, and Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg appeared.

Robin didn't hesitate. "Titans. Go!"