Ch. 2: Sacrifice
"Robin," Raven said placing a hand on his shoulder, "you haven't slept in three days. You need to rest."
"I can't, not while Starfire's killer is still at large," Robin answered commandingly.
"And what will you do when you find him? You'll be to exhausted to fight," she responded. "Come on, get to bed. Starfire's funeral is tomorrow morning."
Robin sighed. "You're right." He got up and walked to his room, briefly pausing in front of Starfire's room. He meandered in, and picked up a framed picture. "Starfire, I'm sorry."
The day broke, waking Robin from his uneasy sleep. We put on his costume, and wrapped a black armband around his right bicep. He walked to the kitchen, and saw that the others had done the same. Silently, they filed out, and made their way to a nearby funeral home. They had done their job well. The cuts and bruises that marred her face were covered, as well as the impalement that caused her demise. She looked almost alive, sleeping, if not a little pale. Robin placed his hand on her cheek and kissed her forehead. She was cold and still.
The service went on as citizens of two planets came to pay their respects to the fallen heroine. Gold-skinned aliens and humans walked side by side, to weep at Starfire's body. The Titans, the Justice League, Static, Gear, even people who didn't know her personally came to her funeral.
When the time came, Robin, Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy grabbed Starfire's coffin and carried it to a long, black Hearst. The precession carried her coffin to a small cemetery outside of town, where Robin delivered a tear- filled eulogy.
"Starfire," he began, "was the heart and soul of the Titans. Whenever things looked its worst, Star would seek the best. When things were at they're beast, Star made it even better. She was loyal, courageous, and always had a smile for anyone who wanted was. She was a valued teammate, and friend, who's time came far too soon." Robin soon began to break down in tears himself. "I never told her, I loved her. But somehow, I think she always new..."
Even Starfire's estranged sister arrived, escorted by guards, to lay a single, red and violet flower on the grave. "You were the better sister," she said as she left, hiding her face to conceal the tears.
It seemed as if everything would go smoothly, but as the mourners began to depart, a single crimson bolt seared the ground near her grave.
"How sweet," a sinister voice called from above, "but unnecessary. You all will be joining her soon enough."
"You!" Robin exclaimed. "You're the one who did this to Starfire!"
"You are an observant one. I am called CAIN. I will be your executioner today."
"Why?" Raven asked. "Why come after us?"
"I am merely doing what Slade programmed me for. Well, not precisely, I find my way much more entertaining."
"You don't have to. You're your own person." Cyborg yelled, taking the front line.
"Yes, but you see, Cyborg, I oh-so enjoy what I do."
CAIN dove to the ground, kicking dust into the Titan's faces. He elbowed Cyborg in his stomach, leaving a pronounced dent. With a vicious backhand he sent the half-man flying into his teammates. Cyborg was the first to his feet, and charged the powerful entity, but was met by another elbow, further denting his armor.
Raven tried her hand, using her powers to uproot a tree and send it hurling at CAIN. He merely laughed as he took the tree and used to swat away the elephant-transformed Beast Boy and Raven herself. He then threw it at Robin, who used it as a springboard. He delivered a diving kick to CAIN's face, but it had no effect on the powerful machine. He merely shrugged it off and batted away the heroic young man.
"I must say, united you make a much more fun adversary than your fallen comrade," he said with a smirk. Robin took great offence, and retaliated with a flurry of strikes to CAIN's face. He showed no signs of pain or even discomfort as he again tossed him aside. "Pathetic."
Cyborg again charged, delivering a teeth-rattling blow to CAIN. Everyone stood still for a moment. "You're first mistake was hitting me," CAIN said. "Your second was assuming it could hurt me." "In the blink of an eye, CAIN had Cyborg's arm in his grasp, and in another instant, he tore it free from his body. With a loud clash, he batted Cyborg away. He lay still on the ground, in extreme pain as the other Titans attacked.
"That was my hardest shot," he thought, and it didn't do anything!" All around the other Titans fought on, but were met with similar results.
"I am the ultimate destructive force. I am the perfect melding of man and machine. Nothing can stop me! And I won't stop until all you lie dead at my feet," CAIN gloated.
"That won't happen CAIN!" Robin yelled. We'll find some way to stop you!"
Cyborg slowly got up, dragging himself with his one arm. The pain was excruciating, but he had to do something, anything, to save his friends. Even if it meant his own life was forfeit.
"You are certainly welcome to try. Its always much more fun when the fight back!" CAIN said as he lunged at Robin. His fist slammed into the ground, knocking Robin back. Before he could get up, Cain's foot slammed into his chest, and he reared his arm back. "Time to die, Robin!"
Cyborg threw himself into CAIN, knocking him away from Robin. He wrapped his arm tightly around CAIN's throat, positioning himself so that CAIN would not be able to power his way out.
"Unhand me, you inferior construct!" CAIN demanded. Cyborg ignored him.
"Guys, get out of here, now!" he yelled.
"No, CAIN will..." Beast Boy began.
"Be defeated. We can't take him, so I've activated my self-destruct sequence. The blast should be enough to take him down for good," Cyborg explained.
"But dude..." Beast Boy said in disbelief.
"Beast Boy, please. It's the only way."
Beast Boy nodded, turned into a large beast and quickly gathered the other Titans. With Raven and Robin over his shoulders he ran. Once he was far away, he looked back. All was silent for a moment, then the air erupted in flame, and the wind whipped at Beast Boy's face. Robin and Raven stirred.
"What happened?" Raven asked.
"Cyborg, he grabbed CAIN and he... he self-destructed. He thought it would be enough," Beast Boy explained.
"Cyborg..." Robin muttered, "no..."
...................................To be continued...
"Robin," Raven said placing a hand on his shoulder, "you haven't slept in three days. You need to rest."
"I can't, not while Starfire's killer is still at large," Robin answered commandingly.
"And what will you do when you find him? You'll be to exhausted to fight," she responded. "Come on, get to bed. Starfire's funeral is tomorrow morning."
Robin sighed. "You're right." He got up and walked to his room, briefly pausing in front of Starfire's room. He meandered in, and picked up a framed picture. "Starfire, I'm sorry."
The day broke, waking Robin from his uneasy sleep. We put on his costume, and wrapped a black armband around his right bicep. He walked to the kitchen, and saw that the others had done the same. Silently, they filed out, and made their way to a nearby funeral home. They had done their job well. The cuts and bruises that marred her face were covered, as well as the impalement that caused her demise. She looked almost alive, sleeping, if not a little pale. Robin placed his hand on her cheek and kissed her forehead. She was cold and still.
The service went on as citizens of two planets came to pay their respects to the fallen heroine. Gold-skinned aliens and humans walked side by side, to weep at Starfire's body. The Titans, the Justice League, Static, Gear, even people who didn't know her personally came to her funeral.
When the time came, Robin, Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy grabbed Starfire's coffin and carried it to a long, black Hearst. The precession carried her coffin to a small cemetery outside of town, where Robin delivered a tear- filled eulogy.
"Starfire," he began, "was the heart and soul of the Titans. Whenever things looked its worst, Star would seek the best. When things were at they're beast, Star made it even better. She was loyal, courageous, and always had a smile for anyone who wanted was. She was a valued teammate, and friend, who's time came far too soon." Robin soon began to break down in tears himself. "I never told her, I loved her. But somehow, I think she always new..."
Even Starfire's estranged sister arrived, escorted by guards, to lay a single, red and violet flower on the grave. "You were the better sister," she said as she left, hiding her face to conceal the tears.
It seemed as if everything would go smoothly, but as the mourners began to depart, a single crimson bolt seared the ground near her grave.
"How sweet," a sinister voice called from above, "but unnecessary. You all will be joining her soon enough."
"You!" Robin exclaimed. "You're the one who did this to Starfire!"
"You are an observant one. I am called CAIN. I will be your executioner today."
"Why?" Raven asked. "Why come after us?"
"I am merely doing what Slade programmed me for. Well, not precisely, I find my way much more entertaining."
"You don't have to. You're your own person." Cyborg yelled, taking the front line.
"Yes, but you see, Cyborg, I oh-so enjoy what I do."
CAIN dove to the ground, kicking dust into the Titan's faces. He elbowed Cyborg in his stomach, leaving a pronounced dent. With a vicious backhand he sent the half-man flying into his teammates. Cyborg was the first to his feet, and charged the powerful entity, but was met by another elbow, further denting his armor.
Raven tried her hand, using her powers to uproot a tree and send it hurling at CAIN. He merely laughed as he took the tree and used to swat away the elephant-transformed Beast Boy and Raven herself. He then threw it at Robin, who used it as a springboard. He delivered a diving kick to CAIN's face, but it had no effect on the powerful machine. He merely shrugged it off and batted away the heroic young man.
"I must say, united you make a much more fun adversary than your fallen comrade," he said with a smirk. Robin took great offence, and retaliated with a flurry of strikes to CAIN's face. He showed no signs of pain or even discomfort as he again tossed him aside. "Pathetic."
Cyborg again charged, delivering a teeth-rattling blow to CAIN. Everyone stood still for a moment. "You're first mistake was hitting me," CAIN said. "Your second was assuming it could hurt me." "In the blink of an eye, CAIN had Cyborg's arm in his grasp, and in another instant, he tore it free from his body. With a loud clash, he batted Cyborg away. He lay still on the ground, in extreme pain as the other Titans attacked.
"That was my hardest shot," he thought, and it didn't do anything!" All around the other Titans fought on, but were met with similar results.
"I am the ultimate destructive force. I am the perfect melding of man and machine. Nothing can stop me! And I won't stop until all you lie dead at my feet," CAIN gloated.
"That won't happen CAIN!" Robin yelled. We'll find some way to stop you!"
Cyborg slowly got up, dragging himself with his one arm. The pain was excruciating, but he had to do something, anything, to save his friends. Even if it meant his own life was forfeit.
"You are certainly welcome to try. Its always much more fun when the fight back!" CAIN said as he lunged at Robin. His fist slammed into the ground, knocking Robin back. Before he could get up, Cain's foot slammed into his chest, and he reared his arm back. "Time to die, Robin!"
Cyborg threw himself into CAIN, knocking him away from Robin. He wrapped his arm tightly around CAIN's throat, positioning himself so that CAIN would not be able to power his way out.
"Unhand me, you inferior construct!" CAIN demanded. Cyborg ignored him.
"Guys, get out of here, now!" he yelled.
"No, CAIN will..." Beast Boy began.
"Be defeated. We can't take him, so I've activated my self-destruct sequence. The blast should be enough to take him down for good," Cyborg explained.
"But dude..." Beast Boy said in disbelief.
"Beast Boy, please. It's the only way."
Beast Boy nodded, turned into a large beast and quickly gathered the other Titans. With Raven and Robin over his shoulders he ran. Once he was far away, he looked back. All was silent for a moment, then the air erupted in flame, and the wind whipped at Beast Boy's face. Robin and Raven stirred.
"What happened?" Raven asked.
"Cyborg, he grabbed CAIN and he... he self-destructed. He thought it would be enough," Beast Boy explained.
"Cyborg..." Robin muttered, "no..."
...................................To be continued...