Alone In the Dark

Chapter 3: A Rude Awakening

"Robin? Have you the 'hurt'?"

"Ohh…Starfire?" groaned Robin as he returned to the world.

"Yes, Robin. You screamed, so I came." Starfire looked at him with worried eyes.

"I think I just had a nightmare." Robin told her as he gazed up at her.

"Please do not continue having 'mare of nights' as you were twisting around in your sleep, punching the air." Starfire told him.

"I'll try." Robin said, smiling at her naïve self.

Then Robin noticed that they weren't at the Tower, but instead at the chemical warehouse.

Why are we here? This is where she died; this is the place I dreamed of.

"Robin, what is wrong?" Starfire asked him.

"We're at the chemical warehouse, you died here, just a moment ago; but I was at the Tower…"Robin's masked eyes grew wide.

Starfire is dead…I ended up here when I lost the battle to Slade…

"It is nothing Robin; won't you give me a kiss?" Came a voice that was not Starfire's, but came from her body.

"You monster!" Robin yelled as he pulled away from Slade/Starfire, who was melting into Slade's form.

Slade's morphed himself to look like Starfire. He's playing mind games with me. He's driving me insane!

"Dear Robin, sorry to burst your bubble, but they are dead. Each and every one of them. Including your beloved Starfire." Slade laughed.

"No…" Robin muttered, eyes swelling up with tears.

Starfire's dead. It was Slade…I almost kissed Slade! When will this nightmare end?

Slade laughed as he punched Robin to the floor. "Come back, Robie-poo!" Slade teased as he ran after the tired Robin. "There is no where to hide. No where to go…where I can't find you!"

Robin looked behind him and screamed as Slade took Starfire's form again, running after him, trying to kill him.

It's her, I have to help her.

"Robin! Come back! Don't leave me!" Slade cried out in Starfire's voice.

"I'm coming." Robin called after her, delirious.

Slade's gone. Just me and Star now…

"Thanks, Robin." Starfire told him and hugged him.

"Star, you're choking me…" Robin stuttered as he couldn't breathe.

Slade…Starfire…Slade is Starfire, she's dead.

Robin hit Slade hard, and ran for the exit at top speed.

Slade blocked his exit. "You wouldn't fight me, would you Robin?"

Robin stared at him with blank horror. He couldn't fight Star when he had been Slade's apprentice. How could he hope to now?

I'm going to die. I can't fight her. I've lost my mind to this lunatic.

Will Robin die? Can he fight Slade? Or have the Titans finally lost?