Nightingale smiled. Hawk had recovered nicely throughout the week, and he
was now ready to receive his new powers. All he needed to do is wake up.
Checking the small scar that had been left where the gash had been,
Nightingale gently shook Hawk's shoulders and he jumped awake. Nightingale
smiled and turned to Slade, who nodded and handed her the syringe with a
smile. His plan was nearing completion. Hawk blinked as Nightingale made
sure there was no air in the syringe and looked at her closely. His eyes
widened in recognition.
"STARFIRE?" He asked doubtfully. Nightingale looked at Hawk with puzzlement.
"No, I am Nightingale. You must still be delirious. Master Slade said this would happen when you woke up." Nightingale pulled up Hawk's green sleeve, searching for a vein to put the needle in.
"Master Slade? Starfire, what-Ahhhh!" The needle went into Hawk's arm and he almost doubled over as Nightingale put the blood red liquid into his system. In seconds, Hawk's eyes had gone blank, and he no longer looked pained. Nightingale smiled when Hawk's eyes came back to life, and he blinked.
"You are Hawk. I am Nightingale, your accomplice in crime. Behind me is our master, Slade. We have been working for him since we were little. We...we are in love, I think..." Nightingale looked down, and Hawk stood, helping Nightingale to stand too. Slade looked at Hawk with pride.
"The chemicals in that syringe gave you advanced powers. Like Nightingale, you have the power to fire bolts of black energy called death bolts. You also have control of fire, but instead of the fire being red, it's black. Your third and final power is soul captivation. You can use a little of your life energy to capture people's souls and use them to grow stronger." Hawk thought of something and grinned.
"You were never my master, Slade." A bright white glow surrounded Hawk and Slade and Slade screamed as the light flashed black for a moment, then Slade slumped to the ground. Nightingale stared at Slade's lifeless body in horror, then turned to Hawk, who was looking at his clothes in disgust.
"Any new duds for me in this place? I just realized how dumb I look." Hawk smiled at Nightingale, who finally figured it out. Hawk hadn't lost his memory, just his morals. She, on the other hand, would have to live her life without knowing who she was.
"Ye-Yeah, in your room. A Slade-bot will show you where it is." Hawk smiled at Nightingale again and kissed her.
"You don't know how long I've waited for this." Hawk whispered, then left Nightingale to go change. Nightingale touched her lips and smiled.
Hawk came out of his room and Nightingale grinned. Hawk's new suit (which I can actually call a suit this time! ) was a black T-shirt under a white leather jacket, with black pants and midnight blue boots. The mask on his eyes was gone, and the contacts over his eyes now made them black-on-dark purple. A white wristband adorned Hawk's wrist. Nightingale grabbed Hawk by the arms and lifted him away from Slade's lair, pressing the 'Self Destruct' button as she did. In the hair salon, Hawk got his hair died the red that Nightingale's hair used to be, with black and blue streaks. They met Raven and Beast Boy along the way, and Hawk was delighted to learn that the 'Earring of Death' as Beast Boy called it and the bomb no longer threatened them. Nightingale was confused by everything that went on, and her midnight blue eyes narrowed in confusion whenever Raven and Beast Boy called her Starfire.
"Raven, Starfire-I mean, Nightingale-needs her memories back. Can you give them to her?" Raven pulled her hood down and looked scrupulously at Nightingale.
"I might...But-" A metallic hand covered Raven's mouth, and they all looked up to see Cyborg grinning behind Raven.
"Cy! I'm glad you're okay!" Nightingale said with a smile. Before Hawk had awakened, Cyborg was her accomplice. Cyborg nodded at Nightingale and sat next to her.
"So, what was this about giving Nightingale her memories back? 'Cause I want mine back too." Raven nodded and closed her eyes, entering first Nightingale's mind.
In Nightingale's mind, Raven came across evil thoughts and ideas to make a break for it. Pushing those thoughts away, Raven searched for Starfire's memories. She found them quick enough, locked in a room in the back of Nightingale's sub-conscious. Along with them were Starfire's morals. Being the half-demon that she was, Raven thought Starfire's change to Nightingale was for the better, so only let loose her memories.
Nightingale gasped as memories flooded through her. Her favorite, she found, was when Hawk, or Robin, as he had been then, had taken her and the rest of the Titans to the carnival. They had gone their separate ways, she and Robin going to the Ferris wheel, and Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven went to the games, much to Raven's displeasure. Robin had been very nice to her, but didn't feel her gaze on him when she had said that Earth was full of wonderful things too. Nightingale looked at Hawk, who smiled and put his hand on her shoulder.
"Starfire?" Nightingale nodded, eyes watering. She stood and formed a black starbolt on her fist.
"You would've sent me away. You would've sent me back to Tamaran. Tamaran is in the middle of a civil war! Do you want me killed?" Hawk had been so ecstatic about Nightingale's regained memories that he had forgotten what Starfire would've done had Slade not captured him. He stood and Nightingale glared at him.
"I may have loved you once, but not now. Not ever again!" She threw the starbolt at him and took off into the sky, tears stinging at her eyes. Hawk easily dodged the black starbolt and formed black fire on his fist. 'I wonder if I can make it follow her...' Hawk spoke to the fire, trying to look like he knew what he was doing.
"Follow Nightingale. When she stops, you come find me and tell me." Hawk then threw the fireball into the air, watching, semi amazed, as it took off after Nightingale. Turning back to Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg, Hawk sighed.
"Raven, do you think you got it in you to give Cyborg his memories back?" Raven nodded and looked at Cyborg. She closed her eyes, and in seconds, Cyborg remembered everything.
"We have to find Nightingale. I don't know what she'll do in her rage, but with her morals back, it can't be too bad." Raven bit her lips.
"Uh, Hawk? I didn't give Nightingale her morals back. Just her memories. I thought her change was for the better." Hawk groaned and paced the ground, thinking.
"Since she DOESN'T have her morals back, she won't be doing something small that we can handle. She might be..." Hawk couldn't bring himself to say it. Even without his morals, he was a good person, and that wasn't going to change. But after all that had happened to Nightingale on Earth, all the bad things she had seen done, everything Hawk had done to her, might just turn her evil if she didn't have her morals. Raven sensed what Hawk was thinking and said it for him.
"She might be turning into the next Slade. We have to stop her. No matter what. Even if it means we have to kill her." Hawk's head snapped up to look at Raven.
"No. We won't kill her." Raven sighed. Emotions were evil. She was glad she never felt emotion.
"Hawk, if we have to, we have to. There's no escaping it-Nightingale has turned bad and we have to take her down, just like we had to take down Slade." Hawk backed away from Raven, shaking his head.
"No. I won't kill her. I WON'T!" He turned and ran the other way, trying to flee the truth: Nightingale was evil. And if he had to, he would kill her.
"Her death...By my hand. I couldn't bear to have to live with that." Hawk whispered to himself, still running. A flash of black hair made him turn. Nightingale was sobbing in an alley, head in her hands.
"Nightingale?" Nightingale's head snapped up and she glared at Hawk.
"You sent a fireball after me to kill me, didn't you?!?" Hawk shook his head and stepped closer to Nightingale. She jumped up and formed a starbolt on her fist. Hawk didn't form a deathbolt, just stopped moving toward her.
"Stop lying! I know you want me dead." Hawk shook his head, tears in his eyes. Nightingale held her fist in front of her face, ready to shoot at Hawk.
"No, Star, that's the last thing I want." Nightingale's eyes blazed black. She threw the starbolt at Hawk, screaming, "MY NAME IS NIGHTINGALE!" Hawk was blasted to the ground. He lay there, eyes shut, his chest barely moving up and down, signifying that he was still alive and breathing.
"STARFIRE?" He asked doubtfully. Nightingale looked at Hawk with puzzlement.
"No, I am Nightingale. You must still be delirious. Master Slade said this would happen when you woke up." Nightingale pulled up Hawk's green sleeve, searching for a vein to put the needle in.
"Master Slade? Starfire, what-Ahhhh!" The needle went into Hawk's arm and he almost doubled over as Nightingale put the blood red liquid into his system. In seconds, Hawk's eyes had gone blank, and he no longer looked pained. Nightingale smiled when Hawk's eyes came back to life, and he blinked.
"You are Hawk. I am Nightingale, your accomplice in crime. Behind me is our master, Slade. We have been working for him since we were little. We...we are in love, I think..." Nightingale looked down, and Hawk stood, helping Nightingale to stand too. Slade looked at Hawk with pride.
"The chemicals in that syringe gave you advanced powers. Like Nightingale, you have the power to fire bolts of black energy called death bolts. You also have control of fire, but instead of the fire being red, it's black. Your third and final power is soul captivation. You can use a little of your life energy to capture people's souls and use them to grow stronger." Hawk thought of something and grinned.
"You were never my master, Slade." A bright white glow surrounded Hawk and Slade and Slade screamed as the light flashed black for a moment, then Slade slumped to the ground. Nightingale stared at Slade's lifeless body in horror, then turned to Hawk, who was looking at his clothes in disgust.
"Any new duds for me in this place? I just realized how dumb I look." Hawk smiled at Nightingale, who finally figured it out. Hawk hadn't lost his memory, just his morals. She, on the other hand, would have to live her life without knowing who she was.
"Ye-Yeah, in your room. A Slade-bot will show you where it is." Hawk smiled at Nightingale again and kissed her.
"You don't know how long I've waited for this." Hawk whispered, then left Nightingale to go change. Nightingale touched her lips and smiled.
Hawk came out of his room and Nightingale grinned. Hawk's new suit (which I can actually call a suit this time! ) was a black T-shirt under a white leather jacket, with black pants and midnight blue boots. The mask on his eyes was gone, and the contacts over his eyes now made them black-on-dark purple. A white wristband adorned Hawk's wrist. Nightingale grabbed Hawk by the arms and lifted him away from Slade's lair, pressing the 'Self Destruct' button as she did. In the hair salon, Hawk got his hair died the red that Nightingale's hair used to be, with black and blue streaks. They met Raven and Beast Boy along the way, and Hawk was delighted to learn that the 'Earring of Death' as Beast Boy called it and the bomb no longer threatened them. Nightingale was confused by everything that went on, and her midnight blue eyes narrowed in confusion whenever Raven and Beast Boy called her Starfire.
"Raven, Starfire-I mean, Nightingale-needs her memories back. Can you give them to her?" Raven pulled her hood down and looked scrupulously at Nightingale.
"I might...But-" A metallic hand covered Raven's mouth, and they all looked up to see Cyborg grinning behind Raven.
"Cy! I'm glad you're okay!" Nightingale said with a smile. Before Hawk had awakened, Cyborg was her accomplice. Cyborg nodded at Nightingale and sat next to her.
"So, what was this about giving Nightingale her memories back? 'Cause I want mine back too." Raven nodded and closed her eyes, entering first Nightingale's mind.
In Nightingale's mind, Raven came across evil thoughts and ideas to make a break for it. Pushing those thoughts away, Raven searched for Starfire's memories. She found them quick enough, locked in a room in the back of Nightingale's sub-conscious. Along with them were Starfire's morals. Being the half-demon that she was, Raven thought Starfire's change to Nightingale was for the better, so only let loose her memories.
Nightingale gasped as memories flooded through her. Her favorite, she found, was when Hawk, or Robin, as he had been then, had taken her and the rest of the Titans to the carnival. They had gone their separate ways, she and Robin going to the Ferris wheel, and Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven went to the games, much to Raven's displeasure. Robin had been very nice to her, but didn't feel her gaze on him when she had said that Earth was full of wonderful things too. Nightingale looked at Hawk, who smiled and put his hand on her shoulder.
"Starfire?" Nightingale nodded, eyes watering. She stood and formed a black starbolt on her fist.
"You would've sent me away. You would've sent me back to Tamaran. Tamaran is in the middle of a civil war! Do you want me killed?" Hawk had been so ecstatic about Nightingale's regained memories that he had forgotten what Starfire would've done had Slade not captured him. He stood and Nightingale glared at him.
"I may have loved you once, but not now. Not ever again!" She threw the starbolt at him and took off into the sky, tears stinging at her eyes. Hawk easily dodged the black starbolt and formed black fire on his fist. 'I wonder if I can make it follow her...' Hawk spoke to the fire, trying to look like he knew what he was doing.
"Follow Nightingale. When she stops, you come find me and tell me." Hawk then threw the fireball into the air, watching, semi amazed, as it took off after Nightingale. Turning back to Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg, Hawk sighed.
"Raven, do you think you got it in you to give Cyborg his memories back?" Raven nodded and looked at Cyborg. She closed her eyes, and in seconds, Cyborg remembered everything.
"We have to find Nightingale. I don't know what she'll do in her rage, but with her morals back, it can't be too bad." Raven bit her lips.
"Uh, Hawk? I didn't give Nightingale her morals back. Just her memories. I thought her change was for the better." Hawk groaned and paced the ground, thinking.
"Since she DOESN'T have her morals back, she won't be doing something small that we can handle. She might be..." Hawk couldn't bring himself to say it. Even without his morals, he was a good person, and that wasn't going to change. But after all that had happened to Nightingale on Earth, all the bad things she had seen done, everything Hawk had done to her, might just turn her evil if she didn't have her morals. Raven sensed what Hawk was thinking and said it for him.
"She might be turning into the next Slade. We have to stop her. No matter what. Even if it means we have to kill her." Hawk's head snapped up to look at Raven.
"No. We won't kill her." Raven sighed. Emotions were evil. She was glad she never felt emotion.
"Hawk, if we have to, we have to. There's no escaping it-Nightingale has turned bad and we have to take her down, just like we had to take down Slade." Hawk backed away from Raven, shaking his head.
"No. I won't kill her. I WON'T!" He turned and ran the other way, trying to flee the truth: Nightingale was evil. And if he had to, he would kill her.
"Her death...By my hand. I couldn't bear to have to live with that." Hawk whispered to himself, still running. A flash of black hair made him turn. Nightingale was sobbing in an alley, head in her hands.
"Nightingale?" Nightingale's head snapped up and she glared at Hawk.
"You sent a fireball after me to kill me, didn't you?!?" Hawk shook his head and stepped closer to Nightingale. She jumped up and formed a starbolt on her fist. Hawk didn't form a deathbolt, just stopped moving toward her.
"Stop lying! I know you want me dead." Hawk shook his head, tears in his eyes. Nightingale held her fist in front of her face, ready to shoot at Hawk.
"No, Star, that's the last thing I want." Nightingale's eyes blazed black. She threw the starbolt at Hawk, screaming, "MY NAME IS NIGHTINGALE!" Hawk was blasted to the ground. He lay there, eyes shut, his chest barely moving up and down, signifying that he was still alive and breathing.