Raven scowled and yanked her hand back before following behind Starfire.

"It's nothing to get so crazy about. This thing won't kill Robin."

Starfire was a bit annoyed at that remark.

"It does not matter! We must go and extract it!"

"I understand that." Raven said calmly, "But where do we start to look?"

Starfire paused; she hadn't thought of where to look at all. As a horn blew in the distant harbor, she and Raven looked downward and saw a boat that looked almost like a cruise ship. They only had a brief glance, however, before everything went dark...literally. Oddly enough, Raven was the first to react.

"What the-? Oh great. I can't see a thing."

Even more strangely, the lights on the cruise ship were the only ones that turned back on in the entire city, and even those weren't well lit. Starfire saw what little light could be seen on the ship and tilted her head.

'Those are the only lights left. Perhaps we should search for Robin there?"

Raven sighed heavily.

"Well it's worth a shot, but I wouldn't count on Robin being there."

Starfire rushed downward, while Raven slowly sank after her. But then those lights went out as well, which threw Starfire off. She stopped just below Raven.

"What has happened?? Why have the lights gone off so quickly?? What is the person responsible for this trying to-??"

Raven covered her mouth as she rambled on.

"Shush. Whoever's behind this may be here."

Meanwhile, on the ship, Kitten looked around in worry as Robin sat completely still.

"What the-?? Who turned off the lights??"

"I did." Hekata's voice echoed in Kitten's ear as Hekata herself rose from a black portal in the deck. Kitten was pretty mad at that.

"Hel-lo! I gave you your rock, and you gave me my date! So why are you still here?!?"

"Don't be so naïve, mortal girl." Hekata smiled, her black nails caressing Robin's soft, yet cold face. "I came to see to it that my seedling fared well within its new host."

Starfire barely heard this and clasped Raven's hand, carefully flying upward until her eyes were just above the deck. It was very dark so she couldn't see Kitten, Robin, or Hekata, but she could still hear Hekata as she continued on.

"Also, my unholy master bid me bring my little seedling to its next stage."

Kitten's demeanor went from upset to curious.

"Next stage? What are you talking about??"

Starfire heard Kitten's voice and growled, ready to jump up and rip the blonde little witch to shreds. Raven, however, squeezed her hand, signaling her to hold still as Hekata proceeded to answer Kitten's question.

"You see, the longer my seedling remains inside a human host, the stronger it gets. At this next stage, you may see some physical changes in the boy, but no one else will see them. Once the changes take place, your hold over his mind will become stronger and more permanent until it becomes so strong nothing can break it."

Kitten squealed in excitement. When Starfire heard this, however, she leaped up, eyes glowing brighter than ever, and pinned Hekata to the table.

"What have you put inside Robin?!?"

Hekata didn't even wince, but rather, a smile grew on her face.

"Nothing you know, but something I know all too well."

That was all Hekata said as she sank through the table and disappeared.