Chapter 6

Star looked up at the old man, her normally vibrant eyes dimmed, "Go ahead. I have nothing worth living for anyway. My friends are as good as dead, you have destroyed all that I ever cared for. You would only be doing me a mercy." She stood slowly and let her arms drop to her sides. Her hair formed a curtain in front of her face, her head lowered.

"I suppose I could let you live, just to wallow in your own pity, but it seems rather a messy situation to leave something unfinished." He leveled the cane at her. She didn't even make a move to escape. "Goodbye Titan."

He shot her point-blank, the black surging into her, causing her whole body to tense with the shock. She let out a teeny gasp, then her body relaxed, dropping her to her knees. The old man's laugh was cut off by a brutal hacking cough. His body shook feebly, but he stopped at the sudden movement.

Shakily, Star rose to her feet. The man's eyes bulged and he made a strangled noise, "How-?! How-?!"

He shot her again, forcing her to her knees, but again she stood, walking slowly but surely toward him.

"How are you doing this?!" He screamed in fury, like a child who has lost his favorite toy. He backed up into the wall as she came closer, "Why does my staff not affect you?!"

Starfire walked closer, one tiny, pain-filled step at a time, "Do you want to know what my worst fear is?" She whispered, her voice cracked and broken.

Mutely Nightmare watched in terror as she stepped up directly in front of him.

"Do you want to know?"

Shivering he refused to respond. Starfire didn't even bother waiting for an answer. She looked up, her eyes dim and her face expressionless.

"I'm living it."

He shuddered at her expression as she slammed her hand into the wall near his head, cracking the surface deeply and leaving the impression of her hand in the metal.

"Losing my friends is my worst fear. And you have already accomplished that. What else have I to be afraid of?"

He was stuttering now, muttering to himself as he cowered in front of her. She reached out and snagged his staff from him. He grabbed onto the wall to keep from falling, his eyes wide with terror.

Slowly, she leveled the staff at him, "What are you most afraid of Nightmare?" She whispered. Before the surge of black hit him directly in the chest.

Screaming, he fell to the floor and lay still. Starfire shuddered, holding the staff out away from her as if she couldn't bear to have it near her.

Hold on... Just a little longer... Too weak to even cry now, she walked over to her friends. Please let this help... Slowly, she slid down onto the ground in the center of the motionless Titans. Just one... You can manage one... You have to save the others... Weakly, she raised her hand, a shimmering starbolt encompassing her fist. She tossed the staff into the air, watching it spin end over end. As it was about to hit the floor, she launched the starbolt at it, shattering the glass orb.

The black cloud grew, spiraling into a swirling mass that enclosed everything. Starfire struggled to stay conscious as the cloud spiraled back into itself, growing smaller and smaller until it disappeared completely.

It's done... She shuddered, fighting the wave of exhaustion that threatened to overcome her. She had to see if her friends were all right. Crawling over to Robin, she laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes, slowly bringing her into focus.

"Star?" He whispered, his voice disbelieving. Mutely, she nodded. "What happened? Where's Nightmare?"

She ignored him. "We have to make sure the others are all right."

Nodding, he stood and made his way toward Cyborg. She continued to crawl, easing her way over to Raven. One by one they woke the other Titans.

Each needed a few moments to reassure themselves that the others were indeed real and alive. Tears were shed, hugs were exchanged, a few mute apologies were made.

But nothing could repair the horrors each of them had encountered. Facing their darkest fears had taken a toll on them none had anticipated. For many nights after, many of them would awake, screaming from dreams more horrible than you can imagine.

"What happened to Nightmare?" Beast Boy finally asked, managing to free himself from Cyborg's exuberant hug.

Starfire pointed, weakly extending her hand towards the corner of the vault. Robin immediately helped her to stand, murmuring gentle words of encouragement to her as he did so.

All of them looked in the direction Star had indicated.

"What happened?" Cyborg asked seeing Nightmare.

The old man was curled into a ball in the corner, humming to himself and rocking back and forth. His eyes were blank, sweat ran down his face into his collar. His eyes darted back and forth as he rocked, his humming growing increasingly desperate.

"His mind..." Beast Boy whispered, helping Raven off the floor.

"Destroyed." She confirmed, "Whatever happened to him knocked him for a loop. Permanently."

Questioningly, every Titan looked toward Starfire seeking an answer to their unasked questions. She looked away, ducking her head to avoid their searching eyes.

"It doesn't matter." Robin told her, gently guiding her to the door. "No one wants to talk about this mission right now. Maybe not ever."

OOOOO

It's so dark. Where am I? There's no sound. No light. I'm alone. Completely alone. The darkness, is it tightening? Coming closer? What's that?! Nothing... Nothing... It's just your imagination.

"Hello? Anyone there?" The darkness swallowed my words the moment they were issued from my mouth. So quiet. Too quiet...

"Can anyone hear me?! Help me! Help!"

I sink to my knees, pulling them up to my chest. I'm alone. Completely alone.

OOOOO

Author's Note: Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed my newest adventure with the Teen Titans. Don't worry though. This story may be over, but the adventures will never end. Look for my next story sometime soon. Thanks to everyone who sent me reviews during the writing. It's nice to know someone cares! Thanks to all! MysteryMaiden7