AN: Last time, Starfire was confronted with the fact that she had been sent thirty years into the future. Now we see that future, and the dark and terrible place it has become.

Outta This World: Observer's Cut

Arc Three: Teen Tyrants

Chapter Seventeen: Wheel of Time: Part Two

After you and Warp disappeared through the Time-Gate, the Titans returned to the Tower. When I found them, they seemed…broken? Defeated? They look like they lost a part of themselves. Tensions between Robin and the team became worse at this point, with Beast Boy and I trying to be mediators for both sides, both of us attempting to keep the team together in your memory. It didn't work though. A couple of weeks later, Robin left and went solo again.

Then, the Tyrants happened. They were a sort of coalition of teenage supervillains hell-bent on turning Jump into some sort of giant tree for their leader's master plan—a plan we never learned about, since Blitz pushed him through one of the portals used to bring the tree's roots here. At the time, we thought that killed him.

Both Cyborg and my brother died in that attack, along with five-hundred other people, both civilians, and villains. Beast Boy went missing. He's currently presumed dead, but we never found a body. Blitz, Raven and I attempted to keep the Titans going by ourselves, but in the end, we needed fresh bodies. Thankfully, Robin—or rather, Nightwing—came to our aid. He brought three others—Windwalker, Skitter, and the reformed thief known as Red X—with him, and for a time, things looked like they were starting to get better again.

Then the Culling happened.

Some guy calling himself 'Alex Junior' released footage of Justice League members wiping Doctor Light's mind and killing Slade. In the aftermath of that particular revelation, a man named Adrian Finch hacked one of Batman's secret weapons—Brother Eye—and unleashed a bunch of murderous androids on the world. Half of the superhuman population died in the chaos that followed, along with some of the regular folks.

During the event, Blitz was cornered by some old enemies of his—the leader of the Tyrants, Death Hand, his right-hand man, The Black Hearts Swordsman, and some other guy that they called Jacob. Blitz put up one hell of a fight, but it was like he was battling against gods. They didn't kill him though. No, Death Hand did something else. What he did, I'm not too sure about, but whatever he did to him, he's been in a vegetative state for the past sixteen years. We had to put him in cryostasis because of this, and he's currently under the Tower right now.

Because Batman died during the Culling, Nightwing ended up having to go back to Gotham. That city still needed a protector after all. A few days later, Raven left Jump. She's currently held up in some abandoned mental hospital, probably insane from the isolation. Any attempts at contact are strongly rebuffed by her magic, so most people just leave her alone. Wind Walker, Skitter, Red X and I ran things for a little while before they decided to settle down and retire.

You would think that things got better after that. They didn't.

Long story short, there was a Crisis. Superheroes and Supervillains from other timelines started popping up everywhere they could be, and the world was almost destroyed in the chaos. Jump's been swamped by gangs led by people like Mammoth and Mad Mod, and there's this psycho with a flying snowboard blowing stuff up at random. X is still around as well, but now he's calling himself Red Hood. He's currently out of the country, so we shouldn't count on him for help.

Kinda makes me miss the days where the biggest thing you guys had to deal with was Slade.

When Mikumo finished, he took a long, haggard breath and stared at the orange-skinned girl. "So…what do you want to do now?"

Starfire's eyes gazed at her feet. So much had happened, and none of it was good. Was it because she had pursued Warp through his portal? Or were things meant to be this way? Could the future be changed, and her friends saved?

She let out a nervous breath. "I want to see friend Blitzkrieg."

Mikumo swallowed, his Adam's apple doing a light bob. "You won't like what you see."

Mikumo was right.

When Starfire saw the sorry state of her comrade, she almost broke down into tears. His entire right arm was missing, along with his left eye and his left foot. Several scars marred his face and torso, and there were several tubes sticking out of his mouth, both feeding him nutrients and oxygen.

"…The men who did this…" She began, her eyes alight with rage and grief.

"Two of them we know are dead." Mikumo told her. "Jacob was found in New Orleans. Suicide with a firearm. Zero herself tracked down and killed The Black Hearts Swordsman before turning herself in. Whatever their differences, she did love him."

"And this 'Death Hand'?" She asked, voice cold with rage.

"…We don't know."

Starfire screamed, hurling a starbolt at a small table that was resting in the corner, which exploded into a ball of green flames. The flames sputtered on for a moment, before finally dying, leaving the room a bit darker than it was before.

"I have to find Warp." She spoke, voice hollow. "I have to find Warp, and I have to stop this."

Mikumo let out a sigh and approached one of the computers in the room. "I might be able to find out where he is. If not…well, there's been something X and I have been planning for a while now."

Five seconds later, the computer began to beep, and Mikumo's face set into a grim frown. "Picked up a Quantum Energy signature. It's in Jump. By the Ace Chemicals building."

"Then we should go immediately." Starfire spoke as Mikumo walked over to a section of lockers.

"Not yet." The green haired man interjected. "Jump City's changed since you were last here. It's become a dangerous place."

"Then what are we going to do, friend Mikumo?" She asked, a hint of irritation in her voice.

Mikumo's frown deepened. "We're going to be getting some of my old gear."

Jump City apartments. Mikumo and Starfire.

Jump city was as cold and as dark as the Tower had been, and just as ruined. Large roots sprouted out of many of the streets and buildings, houses and businesses had collapsed in on themselves, and empty cars littered the streets. The apartment building that Mikumo had taken them to did not fare any better. Although the structure was indeed still standing, it was littered with damage. Windows were broken, tiny wooden roots stuck out of the walls, and the floorboards were covered with starburst forms of rot.

The two heroes—one older and not so full of life as he once was, the other younger and burning with a fiery rage—wandered through the building, Starfire trailing behind Mikumo as he counted off the numbers above each apartment room.

"216…217…218…219…"

And both were unaware of the eyes that watched them.

A bit later.

Mikumo grinned as his eyes landed on the last door of the second floor. "240! Found it!"

The older man did not bother with the lock, simply kicking the door down with his right leg and running into the room. Like everywhere else, the room itself was a mess, with broken glass littering the carpet floor along with other forms of debris.

While Mikumo rushed in, Starfire walked in a bit slower than he was, not quite sharing his enthusiasm. "What 'gear' that is in here that you need, friend Mikumo?"

"Components of my old costume." The older man answered. "Along with some gadgets made by Nightwing and…Blitz."

The mention of the friendly nickname caused Starfire's shoulders to slump in memory of her now-fallen comrade, and there was a moment of silence as Mikumo sifted through the contents of an old duffel bag.

And then something was thrown through the apartment window. It was small, circular, and orange, save for the small green light that shined at the object's top. And it was rapidly beeping.

Thinking quickly, Starfire grabbed the back of Mikumo's coat, and dashed out of the window and into the open air. The two landed on the streets below as the room—along with the other three apartments below, above, and next to it—were engulfed in an eardrum-shattering explosion.

Starfire looked upwards, eyes desperately searching for the culprit as Mikumo recovered from the drop. Her eyes found what they were looking for.

In the skies above was a man on what appeared to be a hover-board, dressed in some form of green armor. This man wore a featureless mask that covered most of his face, but the mask did not cover the man's red hair, nor did it hide the bomber's pointed ears.

Mikumo tugged on her arms, his face contorted into a look of terror. "We have to leave! Now!"

They did so, the darkness of the alleyways swallowing them whole…

Jump City. Unknown corner store. Much later.

When they finally stopped running, Mikumo opened up a small backdoor into one of the buildings. Both heroes walked inside, unsure of their safety, but desperate for shelter from their pursuer. And speaking of him…

"Who was that?" Starfire asked, her eyes wide with fear, replacing the rage and sorrow she had felt mere minutes ago.

"People—the people who are left—have taken to calling him the Green Goblin." Mikumo answered. "He flies around on that flying snowboard of his and drops those grenades on anyone he can. Either that, or he fires missiles at people. No metahuman has been able to take him on, and there are very few people willing to go out into the open so long as he's in the air."

"If this Goblin of Green is so dangerous, then how are we going to get to the Chemicals of Ace building?"

"You're not." A new voice spoke.

Mikumo's eyes narrowed as he spun on his heels towards the shadows behind him, drawing a taser from out of his coat. Starfire did the same, only with her starbolts

"Relax." The voice once again spoke, its owner stepping out of the shadows. "I'm a friend."

Starfire's eyes went wide. "…Friend Robin."

His hair was longer than she remembered, and he was no longer wearing the red, yellow, and green outfit. Instead, he now wore a black and blue bodysuit, a yellow utility belt around his waist. He smiled. "It's…been a while…Starfire."

With tears in her eyes, the redheaded alien girl rushed forward and enveloped her friend in a bone-crushing hug. Robin—or rather, Nightwing—let out a pained chuckled and patted her on the head.

"I—Robin, I'm so sorry—!"

"It's not your fault." He spoke, voice soft and comforting as he slowly hugged her back. "It's not your fault."

A little bit later.

"So, he has Warp." Mikumo spoke, his voice taking on a grim tone.

"That is highly likely, given that the Goblin's patrol routes seem to have centered around the Ace Chemicals buildings." Nightwing informed. "From what reconnaissance data I've gathered, the Goblin seems to have made his home there."

"Then what is our plan?" Starfire asked. "Is there anyone we can count on to help us?"

"No." Nightwing replied. "The League fell apart some time ago. Most of the heroes outside of the League died in the Culling. Our only hope is that we can remain out of sight for as long as possible. Best way to do that is through the sewers."

"Are there not other ways we can handle this Goblin of Green?"

"He killed Superman. I'm not taking any chances today."

Ace Chemicals. Starfire, Mikumo, and Nightwing.

The sewer lid was easy to pop open. One of the many blessings of having superior strength. Once the lit was off, the three heroes exited the sewer.

"Mikumo. Light." Nightwing commanded.

"Got it."

Mikumo threw a round object into the air. One that began to float and cast light around the area. "There we go—!"

He was cut off by a light groan coming from behind the trio. The three turned to find Warp, still wearing his golden armor, but much older. If Starfire had to guess, Warp had aged by a span of fifty years in the span of a few hours. The time traveler was bound in chains, with many components of his armor missing, including what must have been the device that allowed him to time travel in the first place.

Starfire glared. "You."

When Warp's eyes landed on them, he shrunk back. "Please! No more! I gave you what you wanted, just leave me alone!"

The Tameranian lifted him up by the collar and narrowed her gaze, eyes blazing with green light. "If you want to be left alone so badly, then you will tell us where the device is." She said, voice cold with malice.

"Starfire that's enough!" Nightwing shouted.

Startled by the sudden command, Starfire dropped the time traveler and took a few steps back, a slight horror filling her eyes as she backed away.

As Nightwing approached Warp with placating hands raised, Mikumo did the same with Starfire. "You good?"

"…No." Starfire replied, her voice quiet and pained. "I am not 'good'. I am sad, angry, and I am…I am afraid." She admitted.

Mikumo sighed and turned back towards Warp and Nightwing. "Well…at least you could admit that. Most people aren't so…honest."

"…How do you stand it? This much…"

"Darkness in the world?" Mikumo let out a bitter chuckle. "We're heroes. We have to believe that things will get better. That we can help things to get better. That hope…that's what keeps me going." He turned back to her, a bit of grief showing in his eyes. "We have to believe. Otherwise, there's been no point to any of this and people like Slade would be right in order to do what they do."

Silence reigned as Nightwing continued to interrogate Warp. When he was done, the black-and-blue dressed hero walked back towards his companions.

"It's here." He told them. "In the building, two floors up—!"

The left wall exploded inwards, and when her ears stopped ringing, Starfire could hear the whirl of the Goblin's engines.

The three stood for a mere moment, before Nightwing turned back towards the other two and said a single word.

"Run."

Mikumo and Starfire fled up the stairwell as the sounds of Nightwing and the Green Goblin's battle raged behind them.

But it was not behind them for long.

An explosion tore the stairwell apart, causing the rock surface underneath them to fall into a now flaming abyss. An abyss whose edge was patrolled by the mad bomber.

"Shit!" Mikumo hissed. "Go, Starfire. I'll hold him off!"

Starfire's eyes went wide. "Friend Mikumo—!"

Green lightning sparked around the older man. "Go!"

And once again, Starfire was alone.

Starfire ran, tears running down her face as she once again heard the sounds of battle and death behind her. Nightwing was dead. Mikumo was going to die. Raven was insane, and most of her friends were dead as well, and the world was in ruins. How could the future be so horrible? How could it have come to this.

Who was responsible, if there was anyone responsible at all?

As she turned a corner, she saw a room playing host to a massive mechanical archway. Attached to the archway was the Clock of Eternity and a terminal displaying a time and date. Her time.

So this was what the Goblin was working on? What could he want there, what could he possibly have to gain—!

It didn't matter. All that mattered was going back and stopping all of this evil and saving her friends from their fates.

Starfire pressed the activation button, and the world was consumed by white light once again.

The present. The Teen Titans.

The Titans stared at the portal in the now-wreaked clock room of the museum, still waiting for Starfire to return from wherever she went.

"Do you think she's…" Beast Boy began.

"She's coming back." Robin said. "She has too."

Blitz nodded in agreement while Raven remained silent.

"Have faith BB." Cyborg said. "Have faith."

Twelve seconds later, Starfire re-emerged.

In her right hand, the Clock of Eternity.

In her eyes, tears.

The Sahara Desert. An old friend.

He awoke sometime later, feeling the heat through his suit, and the suns rays burning his eyes—!

Wait.

The sun!

The Green Goblin looked skywards, a happy grin on his face as his skin took in the sun's rays for the first time in five long years, his eyes slowly adjusting to the brightness the life-providing solar body gave off.

The Green Goblin took off his mask…

And for the first time in a long time, Garfield Logan laughed.

AN: And so, the battle to keep this from becoming the true darkest timeline…begins.

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