(( Chapter 4 ))

An Old Friend

"Hello Starfire."

The young alien spun around in shock from the voice that had just spoken.

"...No..." she stuttered "You can not be here... you were-"

"Are you sure young Starfire? ...I was never captured... never found..."

Starfire felt her hands begin to tingle again with anger.

"...No..." She tightened her hands into fists and tried to hold back her anger that was rising.

"What is the matter? You aren't upset are you?"

"... Your presence can not be here..."

"Can't I?"

Starfire felt a sharp pain in her stomach as Slade (you did know it was him by now didn't you??) darted across the roof, jabbed her in the chest, and stood standing on the opposite side of where he was before. Now on her knees gasping for breath (you know how it feels to be hit in the stomach...) Starfire started to mumble...

"The last time your presence was here you could touch... but you still were not here... and the sky is dark... there is no light..."

"I am touched Starfire, you still remember? Robin just couldn't take the fact that I was gone... he wanted me to be gone so bad that he would've stopped anyone in his path..."

Starfire's right hand began to glow lime green.

"...He threatened you and your friends... and so you blasted him with one of your many powerful star bolts..."

Hearing Slade's sentence trail off she stood up and threw star bolt after star bolt toward him but it was no use, he just dodged each one without a problem.

"Tell me Starfire... did you do it because you felt a need to get back at him?"

Starfire's hands stopped glowing and she suddenly felt empty, as though a ghost had traveled through her and taken everything and left her body to just stand there..

"What?"

"Don't play games with me..." He still had his regular dark voice that did not show much emotion. "Robin was so busy going after me that he forgot to go easy on you..."

"I do not understand-"

"You're arm Starfire! You're arm!"

Starfire finally understood what Slade was talking about... Robin was always one to never let a bad guy escape... Images of that awful rainy night covered her mind... Robin grabbing her arm so tight that it had left a mark... a mark that wasn't visible on the outside but on the inside... in her heart.

"Later that night Robin had thought he found a way to stop me... even if it was just as simple as turning on the lights... afterward I do remember Robin telling you that everything was "ok"..."

Slade made direct eye contact with Starfire.

"...but it's not... is it Starfire? ...You try to find help in the other Titans with your anger problem..."

As soon as Starfire head that word, 'anger problem', she shook from the inside out. She didn't have a problem... just something she couldn't handle.

"Raven is not one to know how to control her emotions... and Robin... would he actually help you? ...Especially after what you have done to Cyborg? ...And after what he already has done to you?"

Her sight became blurry as tears over took her.

"It was an accident!"

"...Are you sure?""

"AhhhhhHHHhhh!" Starfire pushed all her energy into her right hand and let loose hundreds of star bolts toward Slade... all her anger focused on him. Star bolt after star bolt was thrown toward him but yet he still managed to dodge them... until he had missed but one and was thrown off to the side but Starfire could not see him because of all the smoke her star bolts had brought up.

Nervously walking to where Slade had presumably fallen a large black hand reached out and grabbed her by the hands... making it fairly hard to throw a star bolt.

"Think about what you are doing Starfire... I could help you..."

'Help you'... Slade had spoken those words so many times before. To Robin... and to Terra, and now look at them! Robin was haunted with images of Slade in the dark and Terra... was now part of the Earth that had once helped her in so many ways.

"You do not help... you destroy!" Starfire screamed and whirled Slade over her head and threw him hard onto the ground.

"I will not listen to your manipulative words! You hurt Terra! And you hurt Robin!"

Slade calmly stood up and looked at Starfire, his eyes narrowed sharply.

"And Robin... hurt you."

"NO!"

Starfire again started up her star bolts and was about to throw them toward Slade when he lifted his hand and spoke,

"Do not waste your energy; you will be needing it for later..."

Slade ran to the edge of the roof and jumped off. Starfire lowered her hands and ran over to the edge and peered down. He was gone.

"Where did he..." Starfire whispered to herself. "It can not be him... he is gone."

Feeling alone she wandered back down the stairs (careful not to be seen) and into her room. She felt as thought she could not tell her friends anything anymore... she wanted so badly to tell her friends her secret but some how she just couldn't...

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FINALLY! A word from ME! .... Okay so, I have 2 lil' (cute) reviews so far and I am really happy about it! But yea, still go review my story and tell me EVERYTHING you think about it! Even stuff I could (probably will) change!! Thanks!!!!!

Mucho Grande Luv!

CuteAlienGirl