Chapter 8: The Funeral

The coffin, covered with an American flag, lowered slowly into the ground. Starfire cried on Robin's shoulder, while Raven stood still and silent. Beast Boy had turned into a dog, and whimpered lowly. Finally, the coffin settled in, and the dirt was poured into the grave. Beast Boy let out a long, mournful howl, and Starfire's tears intensified. Even Raven let out a whimper, and a tear streamed down Robin's cheek.

"May you all return home safely, and may this great hero rest in peace forever," the preacher finished and shut his bible.

Robin turned to walk away, when suddenly, he felt a tap on hi shoulder. He turned, to see Batman standing before him.

"Star," he said, "I'll meet you in the T-car. I have to talk to someone for a moment."

Starfire turned, and say Robin turned away, speaking to the legendary Batman, from Gotham City.

"I wasn't aware you were here," Robin said, looking at his mentor, "I didn't see you."

"I mourned in that tree over there," Batman said, and pointed to a tree near the burial site.

Robin's face went long, and Batman knew he was still very upset.

"I researched the name Fred Krueger like you asked, Robin. My results were interesting. Much of the information was blacked out, but some forgotten sources told me all I needed. Back around 1977, a town called Springwood, in central Ohio was terrorized by a child killer naked Fred Krueger. He killed almost 40 kids and teenagers. He was finally caught and convicted, but was released due to some sort of technicality. After that, he disappeared, but from a small underground website run in Springwood, it said the parents of the dead kids burned him. I believe the site is reliable. The site also said a few years later, kids mysteriously began dying in their sleep. One even became nothing more than a hundred gallons of blood."

Robin gasped at all the information. His head was spinning from all this at once.

"Go on," Robin told him, hoping there was more.

"The site is run by a person that goes by the name "The Dream Master." I traced her. Her real name is Alice, and she lives in Springwood. Seems some pretty messed up stuff happened to her in her teenage years. I've sent a message to her, telling her of what is happening to you. I haven't received a reply yet, but we can hope. Also, this site, through another source received a strange but seemingly true story about Freddy's return, and a battle between him and another killer, one I know you've heard of, Jason Voorhees. According to this, Freddy supposedly lost, and was supposed to be gone once and for all. However, it doesn't seem he stayed dead for long," Batman stopped, and took a few breaths.

"And no one has been able to stop him for good?" Robin asked.

"If he is pure evil, then I would guess only an extremely strong amount of light energy to stop him, maybe for good," Batman said, "That is my theory anyway, considering Jason, the lesser of two evils couldn't destroy him. Anyway, I know you and your friends need some time. I'll contact you if there is any new information," Batman said, and gave a solemn look.

"Thank you, for everything," Robin said, and walked toward the car.

-xxxx-

Back at the tower, Raven mediated in her room. She had to stop from feeling extremely bad about Cyborg. Beast Boy lay on the couch, playing video games alone.

"Cyborg..." he muttered, "Why'd it happen to you, or why would it happen to any of us? We save the world all the time, and you get beaten by some guy in your dreams. Whose going to...play...games with...me now?" Beast boy tried to say normally, but soon tears were streaming down his face.

Meanwhile, Starfire was being comforted by Robin.

"Why him?" she asked, "Why do bad thing shave to happen to such good people?"

"Unfortunately, Star, evil will always exist, but we will always be there to stop it," Robin said, "But...we should have been able to stop this. I feel so helpless."

"Trouble yourself not, Robin," Star said in between her tears, "It was not your fault. None of us could have helped it."

"Star..." Robin trailed off.

Lying on her stomach, she looked up into his eyes, and calmed a small bit more. Robin looked back at her, and put his hand on her shoulder. She smiled a bit more, and sat up on her knees. Star leaned forward, and put her hand on Robin's cheek. She slowly pressed her lips to his. Robin's eyes went wide for a second, but he slowly went with it, and soon was kissing very passionately back.

Star pulled way for a moment, and looked at him.

"Robin, please don't die on me. I promise I will stay with you forever."

"Star... I won't leave you. None of you, but especially not you," he replied, and gave a half-smile.

Star leaned back and put her lips to his again, in a long passionate kiss that seemed to last for hours.

-xxxx-

Freddy watched and waited for any sign of his next victim, or any sign of the Titan he wanted most of all.

"Come to me Little Raven," Freddy cackled, "Be a good little girl and give them to me. I won't bite...much."

Freddy smiled an evil smile. He hoped an opening would come soon. He would never return to that torturous pit known as Hell ever again. He'd not spend another moment there as long as he "lived". Not only that, but The Devil's henchmen, a tall, literally white man named Pinhead, and his followers, did even worse things to the prisoners there than burned them, and Freddy did not want to feel that pain ever again.

"Freddy scraped his claws across the ground of his boiler room, waiting as each moment passed, hoping on of the Titans would fall asleep.

"Kids today," Freddy laughed, "Never can make them go to bed on time!"

(Author's Note: Yeah, I know, it was a corny ending to this chapter, but as in the later movies, Freddy had his comedic side. So I decided to show it a bit more. Freddy will get more evil later, when his plan comes in to effect. I'll update tomorrow.)