Chapter IV: Kidnapping and Animal Thoughts
Fayrii sat in Slade's lair doing what he had been for the past hour: entertaining himself.
Slade's voice called him, "Come here, my pet." Fayrii obediently crawled over and sat next to him. Slade held up a needle. Fayrii panicked, but calmed down due to his master's wishes. Slade injected the needle where he had been for the past year. Fayrii sort of dazed out then came back.
"Are you feeling fine, my demon pet?" Slade asked. Fayrii growled happily.
"I should give you a name. From now on, you will be...Dark," Slade responded, thinking of how he likes the shadows and how his friends will react to him being called Dark again. Dark growled happily again.
"Now go walk around outside in the city for an hour, and then come back," Slade ordered. Dark went running outside. When he reached the light, Dark didn't flinch, but continued his way. He was his master's loyal demon, and should look it.
People didn't bother to stop him. They knew for the past year that Dark was only up to trouble when Slade was with him (who had been keeping himself secret very well). Besides, after the last attempt made by the policemen to catch him, no one dared speak to him.
Dark continued along the street. He thought to himself as he went: Why does my master always want me to attack? Sometimes, I don't want to, but I don't want to be disloyal and by abandoned. I could go for some bacon right now. Where am I? Hmm, maybe some pork chops as well. Maybe one day my master will tell me why. Is that steak I smell?
Dark's thoughts were often jumbled, too happy-go-lucky to try to care. Starfire was walking down the street, feeling the need to be alone. She knew it hurt Robin for her to be away, it hurt her as well, but sometimes she needed to be alone, and he understood that. Then she saw Dark walking around in front of her. She gasped, and Dark didn't even bother to turn around. He was looking ahead.
"Fayrii?" Starfire asked. He didn't turn around. So Starfire tried, "Dark?"
Dark heard his name and turned around to see the girl he had fought earlier. She was scared of something. Dark still kept his sensitivity when he wasn't fighting, so he went up to her and brushed by her leg. The girl seemed to watch him for a moment. She looks familiar to me other than today. Why does this person affect me so?
Starfire saw Dark wasn't about to kill, so she bent down and patted his head. He then ran off to the park and looked at her quick, meaning he wanted her to follow. Starfire smiled before flying after him to the park.
However, back in the tower, Robin felt that one moment when Starfire was scared, and was out of the tower faster that a speeding bullet. He ran through Gotham, closing in on her by sensing. He found her sitting on a bench, patting Fayrii's head while he just sat there.
Sensing no danger about him, Robin smiled and sat next to her.
"Robin," she said, "Fayrii responds to Dark and his eyes are back to normal!" Robin looked at him, and Starfire was right. Fayrii's eyes looked normal and blue.
A drunken man walked up to them and said, "Hey babe, wanna hang with me?" Before Robin could get out his angry reply, Fayrii growled deeply, and Robin saw his eyes turn red. The man ran off, and Fayrii's eyes turned back to normal. So his eyes only are red when he's ready to fight, Robin thought.
"Robin, it hurts me," Starfire said, frowning as he patted Dark's head some more. Robin sensed emotional pain and sadness.
"What wrong, Star?" Robin asked, worry suddenly reflected in his eyes.
"It feels funny, being friendly with Dark when he is an enemy and doesn't remember us," she answered. At any other point, Robin would have called it irony, except Starfire wasn't like that. It did feel funny, Dark and them being friends even though he didn't remember.
Suddenly, Dark's eyes widened, and he ran off, going at full speed. Starfire watched him go, then started heading back to the tower. Robin stood up and went after her. He put his arm around her, and Starfire smiled at him. Robin sensed the smallest bit of happiness, and he warmed up all the more.
Dark ran back to his master's hideout, going crazy. Now that boy looks familiar! I just can't place it but they confuse me to no end! Dark then realized his thoughts were jumbled. What is wrong with me!
Dark went inside and sat next to his master, right on time.
"Good to see you, Dark. I want you to fetch me some of those people you saw earlier...
Back at the tower, Robin and Batman were going all out.
"YOU COULD HAVE TOLD ME YOU WERE LEAVING!" Batman shouted. He'd been waiting for Robin to return to talk to him. Robin was giving him back what he got, while the four Titans watched their leader argue with his master.
"NO REASON TO SHOUT IS THERE!" Robin yelled back.
"FOR ALL I KNOW YOU COULD HAVE BEEN DEAD!"
"YEAH, WELL AT LEAST I WOULD BE MORE APPRECIATED IN THE AFTERLIFE!"
"Oh, just one day..."
"One day what, you're gonna stop missing the toilet?" Beast Boy and Cyborg snickered.
"YOU SHUT YOUR ASS!"
"Make me, you batty boy!"
"I FEEL LIKE...WITH A PLUNGER AND...STUFFING IT DOWN YOUR THROAT!" The Titans, including Robin, felt their eyes go wide. Robin put on an impressed voice.
"Well, I knew your vocabulary was colorful, but this...this takes the cake."
"DO YOU LIKE PAIN?"
"Bring it on, old man!" Robin challenged. Batman and Robin walked outside, and for two hours straight, fighting noises came from right outside the door.
"Is it custom for apprentices and masters to do that?" Starfire asked. The other three shook their heads. I hope Robin doesn't yell at me like that, Starfire hoped to herself sadly. Outside, Robin must have felt her sadness, because the fighting noises stopped a split second, and the shorter figure looked inside. The larger figure punched him smack on the nose, sending him flying. Starfire flew outside.
Batman had Robin in a choke hold, and Robin was trying to stop him.
"Take it back," Batman ordered.
"Only if you do," Robin replied. Batman squeezed harder. Starfire felt a tear coming down her cheek, and she shot a starbolt at Batman. It knocked him away, and when he saw Starfire, he swung his cloak and walked off. Robin just sat on the ground, massaging his neck. Starfire ran over and knelt in front of him.
"Friend Robin, are you okay?" Starfire asked.
"Yeah, I guess. Man, now I wish I hadn't said that," Robin answered, half to her and half to himself. Starfire helped him up and walked him into their room. Beast Boy and Cyborg were playing games again, while Raven continued to read her book.
Robin didn't look so good to Starfire, so she laid him on the bed. She was worried that his neck would hurt him.
"It's okay, Starfire; I'll be alright," he told her. Starfire gasped, and Robin smiled at her. Robin's ability to know where she was and what she was feeling might be harder to live with than she thought.
She seemed surprised by that. Maybe I should keep what I feel from her to myself, Robin told himself. Starfire smiled back down at him.
"Friend Robin, I have a question," Starfire said, gently massaging Robin's neck. Why do I continue to call him Friend? We both know he is more than that to me. If only I could call him what I really think, Starfire sighed.
"What is it?" he asked curiously.
"Would you...ever yell at me like that?" she asked. She saw Robin's face go from curious to shock to horrified.
"No, no, no, I would never, ever yell like that at you," He said, putting his hand on her cheek. Starfire saw how much that had hurt him, so she decided to lie next to him.
"It's just that Batman and me know what annoys each other, and we've developed a habit of ticking each other off," Robin explained, and she put her head on his chest. "But I could never in my life ever yell at you, no matter how angry you could possibly make me, if you could make me angry."
Starfire felt a bit better, and moved her head by his neck, while moving half onto him.
"Robin, I have another question," Starfire said, trying not to sound like a burden.
"Go ahead," Robin said, as he looked into her innocent, wonderful jade eyes.
"Will we stay together forever this time?" she asked. Robin didn't hesitate this time.
"Of course. If someone tries to split us up, they'll fail always. I promise. I'll never leave," Robin promised her. Starfire smiled at him brightly. Robin kissed her passionately. Neither of them noticed someone turn off the light and the door close.
Batman walked down the halls of the Tower. He wished he could know what Robin was up to so he didn't walk in on him like that. Batman entered the living room, and saw Beast Boy and Cyborg still playing the game station.
"Why do you waste your living playing that?" Batman asked.
"You're just jealous you can't play," Cyborg said. Batman raised an eyebrow.
"Excuse me; are you saying I can't play?"
"Booyah!"
"Give me a controller," Batman said, and sat down. Surprisingly, Raven said that if they were gonna play, she might as well.
By 11:30, Batman had wasted the three, and was by himself about to beat Robin's record. Then he beat it.
"Dude! You beat Robin's greatest score!" Beast Boy congratulated him.
Back in his room, Robin suddenly woke up. Starfire woke up next to him, to see him staring into space.
"Lover Robin what is wrong?" Starfire asked, and then blushed deeply at what she just said.
Robin blushed as well, and then said, "I sense that someone has beaten my high score." Starfire knew how much that high score meant to him, so they went into the living room. Robin saw his master with a controller, his name on the screen, and yelled, "YOU!"
Batman turned around and said, "What are you gonna do about it?" Robin glared furiously before sitting down next to him. They played for ten minutes, and Batman simply stared. Robin had doubled his original score and left him in the dust.
"I'm not even trying," Robin said, leaning back. Beast Boy and Cyborg seemed even more upset; the score they had to beat now was twice as hard.
"I didn't even know there was a twentieth level," Cyborg complained as Robin and Starfire walked back into their room. Slowly, Raven got up with Beast Boy and went to their room, while Cyborg went to go plug in. Batman stayed in the living room and sat on the couch, expecting trouble.
Later, Starfire woke up to find she was thirsty. She left a sleeping Robin to get a drink. In the living room, Starfire saw Batman simply sitting there, staring at nothing. Starfire walked into the kitchen and poured a glass of water.
A noise was heard behind her. Starfire turned and saw red gleaming eyes, meaning one thing. Fayrii was here to fight. She screamed.
Every Titan woke to Starfire's scream. Robin felt pulsing fear course through her, then a sudden stop. She was unconscious. Not dead, he could still sense her. He and the other Titans ran into the kitchen to see Fayrii fighting Batman while carrying a knocked out Starfire on his shoulder. Robin turned the light on, and they all attacked him. Fayrii jumped out of the way, and hit Batman in the neck, knocking him out. The three watched as Fayrii put Batman in his tail, slung Starfire on his back, and run. Robin started after him, followed by the Titans.
Up on the roof, Fayrii looked down the edge. He looked at the charging Robin behind him, and jumped. Robin and the others stood on the edge and watched Fayrii land holding Batman. Then everyone saw Starfire still falling. It was everything Cyborg could do to stop Robin from jumping off.
Fayrii jumped up six stories and caught Starfire in his tail. When he landed, Fayrii put her on his shoulders again, picked up Batman with his tail, and ran off. Robin ran after him, while the other three tried to stop their leader.
Fayrii was in the street they had been in when they saw him again.
"I won't let you!" Robin yelled, and jumped at him. Fayrii scratched him with his claws in the chest, and then kicked him into a building. When Robin had gotten up, Fayrii was gone, but he stilled sensed Starfire. Robin tried to run after him, but was grabbed by the three Titans and pinned to the ground.
"LET ME GO!" Robin shouted. Then Starfire suddenly vanished from his sensing. It wasn't death, but just as bad. Robin threw the other Titans off him, and slammed his fist into the ground.
"She's gone!" Robin shouted, crying profusely. "She's gone she's gone she's gone!" The Titans stood up, watching their leader cry into the cold, hard ground.
Somewhere, Starfire woke up on icy metal. She stood up and found herself in a small room, cut off by electric bars. A cold, drawling voice said, "Welcome to my new lair, Starfire."
Fayrii sat in Slade's lair doing what he had been for the past hour: entertaining himself.
Slade's voice called him, "Come here, my pet." Fayrii obediently crawled over and sat next to him. Slade held up a needle. Fayrii panicked, but calmed down due to his master's wishes. Slade injected the needle where he had been for the past year. Fayrii sort of dazed out then came back.
"Are you feeling fine, my demon pet?" Slade asked. Fayrii growled happily.
"I should give you a name. From now on, you will be...Dark," Slade responded, thinking of how he likes the shadows and how his friends will react to him being called Dark again. Dark growled happily again.
"Now go walk around outside in the city for an hour, and then come back," Slade ordered. Dark went running outside. When he reached the light, Dark didn't flinch, but continued his way. He was his master's loyal demon, and should look it.
People didn't bother to stop him. They knew for the past year that Dark was only up to trouble when Slade was with him (who had been keeping himself secret very well). Besides, after the last attempt made by the policemen to catch him, no one dared speak to him.
Dark continued along the street. He thought to himself as he went: Why does my master always want me to attack? Sometimes, I don't want to, but I don't want to be disloyal and by abandoned. I could go for some bacon right now. Where am I? Hmm, maybe some pork chops as well. Maybe one day my master will tell me why. Is that steak I smell?
Dark's thoughts were often jumbled, too happy-go-lucky to try to care. Starfire was walking down the street, feeling the need to be alone. She knew it hurt Robin for her to be away, it hurt her as well, but sometimes she needed to be alone, and he understood that. Then she saw Dark walking around in front of her. She gasped, and Dark didn't even bother to turn around. He was looking ahead.
"Fayrii?" Starfire asked. He didn't turn around. So Starfire tried, "Dark?"
Dark heard his name and turned around to see the girl he had fought earlier. She was scared of something. Dark still kept his sensitivity when he wasn't fighting, so he went up to her and brushed by her leg. The girl seemed to watch him for a moment. She looks familiar to me other than today. Why does this person affect me so?
Starfire saw Dark wasn't about to kill, so she bent down and patted his head. He then ran off to the park and looked at her quick, meaning he wanted her to follow. Starfire smiled before flying after him to the park.
However, back in the tower, Robin felt that one moment when Starfire was scared, and was out of the tower faster that a speeding bullet. He ran through Gotham, closing in on her by sensing. He found her sitting on a bench, patting Fayrii's head while he just sat there.
Sensing no danger about him, Robin smiled and sat next to her.
"Robin," she said, "Fayrii responds to Dark and his eyes are back to normal!" Robin looked at him, and Starfire was right. Fayrii's eyes looked normal and blue.
A drunken man walked up to them and said, "Hey babe, wanna hang with me?" Before Robin could get out his angry reply, Fayrii growled deeply, and Robin saw his eyes turn red. The man ran off, and Fayrii's eyes turned back to normal. So his eyes only are red when he's ready to fight, Robin thought.
"Robin, it hurts me," Starfire said, frowning as he patted Dark's head some more. Robin sensed emotional pain and sadness.
"What wrong, Star?" Robin asked, worry suddenly reflected in his eyes.
"It feels funny, being friendly with Dark when he is an enemy and doesn't remember us," she answered. At any other point, Robin would have called it irony, except Starfire wasn't like that. It did feel funny, Dark and them being friends even though he didn't remember.
Suddenly, Dark's eyes widened, and he ran off, going at full speed. Starfire watched him go, then started heading back to the tower. Robin stood up and went after her. He put his arm around her, and Starfire smiled at him. Robin sensed the smallest bit of happiness, and he warmed up all the more.
Dark ran back to his master's hideout, going crazy. Now that boy looks familiar! I just can't place it but they confuse me to no end! Dark then realized his thoughts were jumbled. What is wrong with me!
Dark went inside and sat next to his master, right on time.
"Good to see you, Dark. I want you to fetch me some of those people you saw earlier...
Back at the tower, Robin and Batman were going all out.
"YOU COULD HAVE TOLD ME YOU WERE LEAVING!" Batman shouted. He'd been waiting for Robin to return to talk to him. Robin was giving him back what he got, while the four Titans watched their leader argue with his master.
"NO REASON TO SHOUT IS THERE!" Robin yelled back.
"FOR ALL I KNOW YOU COULD HAVE BEEN DEAD!"
"YEAH, WELL AT LEAST I WOULD BE MORE APPRECIATED IN THE AFTERLIFE!"
"Oh, just one day..."
"One day what, you're gonna stop missing the toilet?" Beast Boy and Cyborg snickered.
"YOU SHUT YOUR ASS!"
"Make me, you batty boy!"
"I FEEL LIKE...WITH A PLUNGER AND...STUFFING IT DOWN YOUR THROAT!" The Titans, including Robin, felt their eyes go wide. Robin put on an impressed voice.
"Well, I knew your vocabulary was colorful, but this...this takes the cake."
"DO YOU LIKE PAIN?"
"Bring it on, old man!" Robin challenged. Batman and Robin walked outside, and for two hours straight, fighting noises came from right outside the door.
"Is it custom for apprentices and masters to do that?" Starfire asked. The other three shook their heads. I hope Robin doesn't yell at me like that, Starfire hoped to herself sadly. Outside, Robin must have felt her sadness, because the fighting noises stopped a split second, and the shorter figure looked inside. The larger figure punched him smack on the nose, sending him flying. Starfire flew outside.
Batman had Robin in a choke hold, and Robin was trying to stop him.
"Take it back," Batman ordered.
"Only if you do," Robin replied. Batman squeezed harder. Starfire felt a tear coming down her cheek, and she shot a starbolt at Batman. It knocked him away, and when he saw Starfire, he swung his cloak and walked off. Robin just sat on the ground, massaging his neck. Starfire ran over and knelt in front of him.
"Friend Robin, are you okay?" Starfire asked.
"Yeah, I guess. Man, now I wish I hadn't said that," Robin answered, half to her and half to himself. Starfire helped him up and walked him into their room. Beast Boy and Cyborg were playing games again, while Raven continued to read her book.
Robin didn't look so good to Starfire, so she laid him on the bed. She was worried that his neck would hurt him.
"It's okay, Starfire; I'll be alright," he told her. Starfire gasped, and Robin smiled at her. Robin's ability to know where she was and what she was feeling might be harder to live with than she thought.
She seemed surprised by that. Maybe I should keep what I feel from her to myself, Robin told himself. Starfire smiled back down at him.
"Friend Robin, I have a question," Starfire said, gently massaging Robin's neck. Why do I continue to call him Friend? We both know he is more than that to me. If only I could call him what I really think, Starfire sighed.
"What is it?" he asked curiously.
"Would you...ever yell at me like that?" she asked. She saw Robin's face go from curious to shock to horrified.
"No, no, no, I would never, ever yell like that at you," He said, putting his hand on her cheek. Starfire saw how much that had hurt him, so she decided to lie next to him.
"It's just that Batman and me know what annoys each other, and we've developed a habit of ticking each other off," Robin explained, and she put her head on his chest. "But I could never in my life ever yell at you, no matter how angry you could possibly make me, if you could make me angry."
Starfire felt a bit better, and moved her head by his neck, while moving half onto him.
"Robin, I have another question," Starfire said, trying not to sound like a burden.
"Go ahead," Robin said, as he looked into her innocent, wonderful jade eyes.
"Will we stay together forever this time?" she asked. Robin didn't hesitate this time.
"Of course. If someone tries to split us up, they'll fail always. I promise. I'll never leave," Robin promised her. Starfire smiled at him brightly. Robin kissed her passionately. Neither of them noticed someone turn off the light and the door close.
Batman walked down the halls of the Tower. He wished he could know what Robin was up to so he didn't walk in on him like that. Batman entered the living room, and saw Beast Boy and Cyborg still playing the game station.
"Why do you waste your living playing that?" Batman asked.
"You're just jealous you can't play," Cyborg said. Batman raised an eyebrow.
"Excuse me; are you saying I can't play?"
"Booyah!"
"Give me a controller," Batman said, and sat down. Surprisingly, Raven said that if they were gonna play, she might as well.
By 11:30, Batman had wasted the three, and was by himself about to beat Robin's record. Then he beat it.
"Dude! You beat Robin's greatest score!" Beast Boy congratulated him.
Back in his room, Robin suddenly woke up. Starfire woke up next to him, to see him staring into space.
"Lover Robin what is wrong?" Starfire asked, and then blushed deeply at what she just said.
Robin blushed as well, and then said, "I sense that someone has beaten my high score." Starfire knew how much that high score meant to him, so they went into the living room. Robin saw his master with a controller, his name on the screen, and yelled, "YOU!"
Batman turned around and said, "What are you gonna do about it?" Robin glared furiously before sitting down next to him. They played for ten minutes, and Batman simply stared. Robin had doubled his original score and left him in the dust.
"I'm not even trying," Robin said, leaning back. Beast Boy and Cyborg seemed even more upset; the score they had to beat now was twice as hard.
"I didn't even know there was a twentieth level," Cyborg complained as Robin and Starfire walked back into their room. Slowly, Raven got up with Beast Boy and went to their room, while Cyborg went to go plug in. Batman stayed in the living room and sat on the couch, expecting trouble.
Later, Starfire woke up to find she was thirsty. She left a sleeping Robin to get a drink. In the living room, Starfire saw Batman simply sitting there, staring at nothing. Starfire walked into the kitchen and poured a glass of water.
A noise was heard behind her. Starfire turned and saw red gleaming eyes, meaning one thing. Fayrii was here to fight. She screamed.
Every Titan woke to Starfire's scream. Robin felt pulsing fear course through her, then a sudden stop. She was unconscious. Not dead, he could still sense her. He and the other Titans ran into the kitchen to see Fayrii fighting Batman while carrying a knocked out Starfire on his shoulder. Robin turned the light on, and they all attacked him. Fayrii jumped out of the way, and hit Batman in the neck, knocking him out. The three watched as Fayrii put Batman in his tail, slung Starfire on his back, and run. Robin started after him, followed by the Titans.
Up on the roof, Fayrii looked down the edge. He looked at the charging Robin behind him, and jumped. Robin and the others stood on the edge and watched Fayrii land holding Batman. Then everyone saw Starfire still falling. It was everything Cyborg could do to stop Robin from jumping off.
Fayrii jumped up six stories and caught Starfire in his tail. When he landed, Fayrii put her on his shoulders again, picked up Batman with his tail, and ran off. Robin ran after him, while the other three tried to stop their leader.
Fayrii was in the street they had been in when they saw him again.
"I won't let you!" Robin yelled, and jumped at him. Fayrii scratched him with his claws in the chest, and then kicked him into a building. When Robin had gotten up, Fayrii was gone, but he stilled sensed Starfire. Robin tried to run after him, but was grabbed by the three Titans and pinned to the ground.
"LET ME GO!" Robin shouted. Then Starfire suddenly vanished from his sensing. It wasn't death, but just as bad. Robin threw the other Titans off him, and slammed his fist into the ground.
"She's gone!" Robin shouted, crying profusely. "She's gone she's gone she's gone!" The Titans stood up, watching their leader cry into the cold, hard ground.
Somewhere, Starfire woke up on icy metal. She stood up and found herself in a small room, cut off by electric bars. A cold, drawling voice said, "Welcome to my new lair, Starfire."