It didn't take the ambulances more than fifteen minutes to get to the tower. Blackfire stayed with Beastboy all the time, even though they remained in stony silence. When Beastboy was taken away in the ambulance; Raven, Cyborg, Starfire and Robin went too. Blackfire didn't think it was her place and decided to stay behind.
While they were gone, Blackfire looked around the tower. All around the tower she found pictures of the group and in every single one, Robin and Starfire were standing next to each other. Obvious hint. She tried to think of a way to push them in the right direction with out making it obvious what she was trying to do. She thought about for a second. Perhaps she could try and get them in the same place at the same time, or she could drop a hint to Starfire that she should tell him. Starfire was less likely to notice what she was doing.
It was two hours before the team got back to the tower.
"How's Beastboy?" she asked.
"Fine, no permanent damage. He has to stay there for a while." Said Raven coldly.
Blackfire looked away. Raven was acting as though it was her fault and it was getting on her nerves. She didn't want to start an argument and so decided that the best thing to do would be to avoid anything that could spark one of.
"We'd better get started on lunch…how about pizza?" asked Cyborg.
"To the pizza restaurant!" said Starfire.
They began making their way to the door when Robin turned around.
"You coming Blackfire? We owe you one, you were the one who stopped us from making Beastboy worse." He said.
Blackfire smiled and nodded. Perhaps she could use this opportunity to see how close Robin and Starfire already were.
"Meat! Anything with meat!" said Cyborg to the waitress.
Raven looked at him with her eyebrow raised.
"What? It's my one chance to have meat without Beastboy breathing down my neck!" said Cyborg.
The waitress took the menu and walked away. Blackfire looked around, she hadn't had a chance to come here last time she was on Earth, but of course, last time she was on Earth she was trying to frame her sister. A guilty feeling rose in her stomach. She was still causing Starfire trouble even when she wasn't intending to.
"With Beastboy out of the show for a bit we'd better hope that no one turns up to cause trouble!" said Robin.
"I don't see why. Blackfire's here." Said Cyborg.
Raven didn't look up, but Blackfire was sure she wasn't happy at this suggestion.
"I'm not sure if I should." Said Blackfire.
"I think it's a good idea!" said Robin.
"It would give her chance to show us how much she's improved," said Raven, still not looking up.
Blackfire stared at Raven, amazed that those words had just come out of her mouth. Perhaps Raven didn't blame her; maybe she was grateful to Blackfire for helping them.
"What do you think Starfire?" asked Blackfire nervously.
"You want my opinion?" asked Starfire in amazement.
"It is up to you, after all; I am your responsibility!" said Blackfire.
Starfire was touched by this understanding between Blackfire and herself. She smiled.
"I think it's a wonderful idea!" said Starfire.
"We will always remember Beastboy as a valuable member of our team!" said Cyborg, sorrowfully.
"Cyborg!"
"I will always remember the times he tried to beat me at my own computer game!" Cyborg continued.
"I will kill you!"
"Though he could never beat me!"
"CYBORG!" shouted Beastboy, angrily.
He was suspended in a harness to prevent him from moving his back too much and he didn't feel that he deserved this kind of treatment.
"How are you feeling?" asked Robin.
"I've felt better when hanging up in a harness!" said Beastboy angrily as Cyborg stood in the background pretending to sob.
"He was so young," Cyborg cried, taking a step back and Beastboy desperately tried to get at him from his harness.
"So what are you guys going to do in the mean time?" asked Beastboy as he stopped trying to get up.
"What do you mean?" asked Starfire nervously.
"About the team. I mean are you just going to carry on until I get back or…" he trailed off and no one seemed to want to answer.
"We asked Blackfire to take over for a while," said Raven quietly.
"BLACKFIRE?" shouted Beastboy.
Once again he tried desperately to get up, but Robin and Starfire stopped him.
"You're letting Blackfire take my position?" asked Beastboy.
"She's not taking it, just filling in for a while," said Cyborg, "Once you're back on your feet and ready for action she'll back off,"
Out side Blackfire was listening sadly. She hadn't really thought that he would be happy; that was why she hadn't entered the room. She had also known that it was only a temporary position in the team, but it still hurt to hear that she was only useful to the team so long as one of the other members were out of action.
She stood up and started to wander around the building. She walked down a passage way until she spotted the 'Exit' sign over a door at the end. She began walking towards it until she heard someone whisper in her ear.
"You're not one of them." Muttered a dark voice in her ear.
She looked down a side corridor and saw a tall, dark and broad shouldered figure standing there. His face was covered in shadow. She stepped back. She could only see one eye glinting in the darkness.
"Who...who are you?" she asked, backing against the wall.
"Don't you know?" he asked stepping forward into the light to reveal a black and orange mask.
"But you're…you're Slade, aren't you?" asked Blackfire, "But you're dead!"
"And your talents are wasted with that pathetic group of children," Slade said quietly.
"What do…what do you want?" asked Blackfire.
"I want your help," said Slade, "I need your help to defeat the Teen Titans,"
"N…no," said Blackfire, "I won't!"
Slade stared at her darkly.
"It's a bad idea to refuse to help me," said Slade, "For example, I could make them turn against you. Why do you need friends like them?"
"Starfire is my sister, and I made a promise to myself to help her!" said Blackfire.
"As you wish," said Slade, "But don't say I didn't warn you,"
With that he sank back into the shadows, and was gone.