Okay, just to add a few questions... Why didn't Vampyre finish the Titans off when he could? Why is he killing innocents, in a distinctly Jack The Ripper fashion? Will you stick around to find out? Why am I asking you all these questions?! ON WITH IT!

Chapter Four: Tears to Sting

[Titans Tower, 11:39 P.M.]

[Smoke's P.O.V.]

I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe it. He was like Terra, only a lot more evil. And malicious. And sinister. And merciless. I can't believe I had actually loved him, and actually thought he loved me. I just couldn't believe it. Just like Terra, he had betrayed us. Tears stung my eyes, as I cried into my pillow in my room. It wasn't my ribs that hurt me. It was the fact that I still loved him, and he still loved me. Maybe we were lucky. Maybe it was only this love that had saved us. But then why did it hurt so much that it made me cry? It all seemed unfair. What had I done to deserve this?

I got up to see if the others were okay. Those who hadn't been knocked out had helped carry those who had back. Those who hadn't been knocked out fainted after we got back to the Tower. It burned for me to move, but I still moved anyway. They needed me. No terminal damage. Good. I returned to my room, and the questions once again blasted me. The hatred came too. I suddenly hated Vampyre for everything he'd every done for me. I hated our first kiss. I hated how he would comfort me when I'd cry. I hated how he would smile, in response to one of mine. I hated everything we'd ever done together. I hated any and everything he'd done for me. I hated everything I'd done for him. I hated him in general, and I don't like to hate anyone/thing.

I resolved to train. To become a more efficient fighter, and then I would face Vampyre, and kill him. To this end, I started to walk towards the training room, but I couldn't make it, and fell down in the hallway. I couldn't get up. I panicked and started to cry, the pain was so intense. I cried for another 5 minutes, before I blacked out. When I woke up, the pain was gone, and the tears were gone from my cheeks. Even the dried ones. I looked around, and I was in my room. I felt an odd presence, but I couldn't tell. I just knew someone had helped, but had refused to show himself. With no pain accompanying each step, I went to the "sick bay", and gasped. They weren't there.

"Shit." I cursed under my breath, as I ran to the Main Room, and found the others going about their daily "business". Okay, so maybe that is mis-leading. I found them doing what they would normally do, well, with a little variation. Robin was listening to music, with Starfire standing beside him, trying to imitate the way he was head banging, but failing miserably. Not to mention she couldn't see, because her hair constantly went over her head. Beast Boy and Cyborg were playing games, not unusual. But what was unusual, was that Raven was... "snuggled" next to Cyborg, who may or may not have noticed. Beast Boy sure didn't because he was too busy losing. I wished Vampyre hadn't gone evil, and that he could be here... Despite my earlier spasm of hatred, I dearly wished he could be here, and that he wasn't the serial killer. I wished he could be here, to hold me, and that I could feel the protection from his arms. Everyone but Beast Boy and me had somebody, and being held by Beast Boy wasn't reassuring, not to mention we didn't even like each other.

I went to a chair I had brought, and curled up in a ball in it, and let my tears coax me into a black, dreamless sleep.

Until an alarm blared, rousing me from my despairing sleep. A group of six, including, I saw with despair, Vampyre. "Titans, GO!" Robin yelled, as we all ran out the door.

[Riftguard Street, 10:35 A.M.]

We saw 5 figures, plus Vampyre, fighting the cops. There was a girl clad in blue, blasting cops with water. Another girl in red was burning almost anything. Another girl in pure white would "distort" reality, so the cops didn't realize what had happened, and were destroyed. Something was beating up the cops, but I couldn't identify a source, but instead saw a floating.... Smile? And merely a blur. Together, they were effectively taking down cop after cop.

"Titans, ATTACK!" Robin yelled. He didn't have to; we could've ambushed them. It would have at least given us an advantage. Nevertheless, we all jumped into battle, engaging different opponents. I engaged Vampyre, and found that he was a little weaker than I had remembered. One bolt of Red Lightning knocked him off his feet, and into a wall. I immediately ran in, and surrounded myself with smoke, so that he wouldn't be able to see me. I threw another bolt of Red Lightning, but missed this time. By the time the smoke cleared, Vampyre had formed a ball of energy, and had flung it at me, completely encasing me

"Have fun, in your own little confinement ball. Where you'll be able to watch as we take out all of the Titans. And you'll be witness to it all." He said maliciously, as he leapt out to help his friends, who seemed to be losing to us. Vampyre ran over to where Raven was fighting.

"Hydra, hold her!" He yelled, as Hydra slipped behind Raven and gripped her. Vampyre put his hand over Raven's face, and they exchanged dialogue, but I couldn't hear it. Vampyre hesitated, then, with a look from Hydra, did... something, but it knocked Raven out. What I saw next, made me sick. Cyborg saw what Vampyre did, and had charged over. He punched Vampyre so hard, his hand actually went through his chest, and his still-beating heart was pushed out. Vampyre looked, shocked, at Hydra, before going limp. Cyborg raised his fist, and smashed the wall where Hydra had been, but she had dropped Raven, and ran. Cyborg picked Raven up, and, cradling her, walked over to Robin. The girl in red, who was fighting Robin, slowly backed up as Cyborg approached. She ran over to where the rest of them were. Hydra picked up Vampyre body, and slung it over her shoulder, making my blood boil.

"You're lucky, Titans. Today was but a standoff. The Raiders will never stop hounding you!" Hydra said, obviously second in command. "Skinner, Draga, Phase, Dark Fire Dragon, retreat plan A!" She yelled, and they ran away from where the Titans were.

"Titans, let them go. We'll see them soon, knowing Vampyre." They started to go back to Titans Tower, when Starfire suddenly asked "But where is friend Smoke? She is not here."

"Over here!" I yelled, so they'd get me out. I quickly wiped my cheeks, because I know I felt tears on them. Robin came over, and reached in, and pulled me out. "Thanks." I said.

"Anytime." He said, walking over to Starfire. I had a feeling The Raiders wouldn't bother us for a long time. Long enough for us to have a strategy, and to heal. I know I needed to heal. More on the inside, than outside

[End chapter]

Okaaaaaaaaaaaayies, how was it? Oh, and, just something so that you know who's who, here are The Raiders

Name: Vampyre
Power: Shadows
Height: 5' 5"
weight: 97
Gender: Male

Name: Hydra
Powers: Water-based
Height: 5' 4"
Weight: 102
Gender: Female

Name: Draga
Powers: Pyrokinetic
Height: 5' 6"
Weight: 106
Gender: Female

Name: Skinner
Powers: Invisibility
Height: 5'
Weight: 111
Gender: Male

Name: Phase
Powers: Can make Time speed up, or slow down
Height: 5' 3"
Weight: 96
Gender: Female

Name: Dark Fire Dragon
Pwers:Flight, regeneration, excellent combat abilities
Height: 5' 6"
Weight: 106
Gender: Male

No, I didn't have much of them, but more to come!