Chapter 11
The room they were faced with was positively cavernous, it must have been the main board-room. The wall-paper was peeling and there was only just enough light to see. Directly in front of them, the Titans hung, chained to the wall with heavy manacles. The size of the room made it seem as if they were miles away, unreachable. In front of them stood what looked like a haggard old man. He was hunched over, and wearing a black robe that fell to the floor. He wore the hood up, so they couldn't even see his face. He turned when he heard the door open, but had obviously been facing Nightwing, who hung slack in his chains, breathing heavily. The old man had some sort of baton in his hand, that looked to Starfire like a cattle-prod. Starfire held the gun up at him,
"Let them go" she said. She thought she sounded pretty convincing, but the man just laughed. It was a horrible laugh that made you feel like someone had just slipped a ice-cube down your spine.
"Hello, my dear" he said, his voice was dry and raspy, yet dramatic. He sounded like a snake. "I didn't think I'd see you again so soon." This wasn't what Starfire had expected.
"What are you talking about? Who are you?" she shouted across the room, stepping closer.
"Don't you remember me? Well, I must say I'm disapointed in you. Although I'm not surprised, I have changed" he spoke the last few words with such a fierce malice, a pure hatred. Nightfire shivered, and dread set over Starfire. It was then that they became aware of several guards behind them, they turned just I time to see the closest pair grab their wrists. They fought them off, but more and more joined in. Starfire heard one of the men cry out and she looked over to see a man holding his forearm, blood darkening the shine of Nightfire's blade. She smiled, proud of her daughter once more. She was distracted too long, and one of the men forced the gun from her hand. She began to fight more fiercely, like a tigress trying to get to her cubs, but there were to many. She and her daughter were brought forward, and forced to their knees in front of the dark figure of the old man.
"Who are you?" she said through gritted teeth. The man came closer until they could see him perfectly in the moonlight that shone in through the broken windows. He extended a shrivelled hand and slowly pushed back his sleeve. He flipped his wrist over to reveal an exact copy of the mark that she and her child bore on their shoulders.
"Slade" she gasped. Nightfire looked from the old man's wrist to her mother, then back again.
"Not any more." he said, standing up straighter, "I am Malice" he dragged out the ending, making Starfire think of a snake again. Malice threw back his hood to show them the mask he wore. It was the same shape and size of his old one, but it was completely black, except for under one eye, where red blood was dripping like tears.
"I thought you were dead!" said Starfire. Malice leapt forward in a rage,
"I am dead! Yes I stand before you, but this is not life! This…..is……torment!" He spun around to face the wall where the other Titans hung. Cyborg, Raven and Beastboy struggled relentlessly against their chains, but to no avail. They must have been injected with the same toxin he had used on Starfire, so many years ago. Nightwing had obviously been given the worst beating, his body broken, but as Malice stepped closer his eyes flicked up to watch him, ever alert.
"Our friend Nightwing took care of that." Malice stabbed him in the side with the baton and the room was filled with an electric fizz. His body contorted with pain, but he didn't cry out. Malice turned back to the kneeling women, waving the baton. "A crude instrument, but it gets the job done" They could hear him smile. "I'm not going to make mistakes this time, I will get my revenge. But where to start….." he spun on his heels, "Do I start with….the friends?" he gestured towards the chained heroes, "Or the love?" he turned back to Starfire, "Or even….the child" he turned to Nightfire and traced a finger along the side of her face she shook with disgust but held her tongue. Satrfire's blood was boiling but she was powerless to help. She knew if she reacted, he would definately go for her first. "Perhaps not." Starfire sagged with relief. "She could be of use to me, as an apprentice."
"I'd rather die." spat Nightfire.
"If you insist," he said, and backhanded her fiercely to the face, sending her sprawling on the floor. Nightwing and Starfire both cried out, as he stood over her, baton at the ready. He grabbed a handful of hair and ripped her to her knees. His arm went back as he prepared to strike but Nightfire's clenched fists were already on fire. Instead of launching the energy at him, she plunged her hands into his stomach. Malice cried out and threw her away from him. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air and they could all see a giant, singing hole in his uniform. He cursed,
"You'll pay for that with your life!" he shouted. "But first" he said, regaining his calm, "I'm going to kill Starfire, while Nightwing is still sane enough to witness it" he turned slowly, and Starfire just stared at him, ready. The guards' grips had loosened in the commotion, so she forced herself to her feet, and danced past their outreaching hands. She faced Malice with a smile on her face. She felt like laughing, she may be about to die, but her daughter had seriously done a number on him, and apparently so had Nightwing. This guy was a loser, he stood no chance of winning against the Titans, and she didn't have to be afraid.
"You're pathetic, you know that?" she said. If she was gonna go down, she wanted to go down with no regrets. "Look at you. You've spent your whole life trying to beat Robin, and every single time you fail. You may be able to kill me, but I know you will never be able to beat them, Nightfire included. You have to chain them to a wall and take their powers, just to level the field." She shook her head, "Good is a very powerful force, Slade, it's always there, no matter what you do. If you somehow manage to get out of this alive, and we don't, where are you gonna go? There's still the Titans East, you gonna go after them next? That's why evil will never win, it's never happy."
"You're pretty cocky for a dead girl" said Malice, scowling. Starfire shrugged, all eyes on her.
"I've led a good life, I've raised a wonderful daughter," she looked at Nightfire, and was amazed when she saw she wasn't where she should be, but Malice was too offended to notice, so she continued. "I found love," she looked at Nightwing, and she saw him standing looking at her with admiration and happiness, free from his chains. Nightfire was to his right, using her starbolt energy to melt through the others' manacles. She smiled, and looked Malice square in the face. "and I don't think I'm going to die." She finished just as the last chain clattered to the floor. Malice spun around and eyed all the Titans now free and looking at him with feigned pity. Nightwing reached behind his back and pulled out a small cylinder, which quickly expanded into a full-length bowstaff.
"No!" snarled Malice, he looked at his guards and they ran forward to take on the Titans. They were out of practice, powerless, and Nightwing was really seriously injured, but they fought with vigour and relish. The guards kept them busy long enough, however, for Malice to charge Starfire and catch her unawares. He pulled her out of the room with his arm around her neck, and she could just hear Nightwing's cry of "Starfire!" as the door swung to.. He dragged her up the stairs to the roof, with the mythical strength of a man gone insane. She fought him desperately, but he retained his hold on her until they reached his destination. Once on the roof, Malice threw Starfire away from her. She took a moment to regain her balance, and her breath, before standing to look at her opponent. And when she did, she found herself face to face with the steel barrel of a gun.
"I will have my revenge, Starfire" he said, cocking the gun with his thumb. Just then the door to the roof smashed open and the Titans stood in the doorway. Nobody moved for two seconds, then everything seemed to speed up.
Malice turned back to Starfire. Starfire turned back to him. Nightwing took a run to gain momentum for a jump. Malice pulled the trigger. Starfire tried to throw herself to the side. Nightwing collided with her, pushing her out of the way. They heard the gunshot. Nightfire screamed. The couple hit the tarmac roofing. Time returned to normal.
Starfire lifted herself into a sitting position, feeling Nightwing's deadweight covering her. She quickly rolled him over, and blood was blossoming on his chest.
"Robin?" she said ever so quietly, "Robin!" she practically screamed. Thankfully, he groaned and his eyes flickered open. He looked at her and whispered,
"Hey there, I'm okay, really" somehow, she didn't believe him.
"Well, that worked out better than I ever could have hoped." Malice was behind them and his taunting voice bit at Starfire's ears. "Who knew that the boy wonder would throw himself in front of my bullet? I would, of course, prefer a more prolonged death, but beggars can't be choosers."
"Shut up" Starfire said through clenched teeth, but Malice ignored her.
"And how fitting for a hero to die in the arms of his long-lost love. Although, I am going to kill her too." He laughed. "And then I'm going to kill their only child, the beautiful Nightfire. Well, maybe not immediately. I bet I could think of something to do with her." he leered. Starfire gently lowered Nightwing to the floor, then stood up and turned to face him. Her hands were clenched into fists, and a cold wind blew her hair up in fierce tendrils. Her eyes were burning with a luminescent green fire.
"Shut up!" she shouted, her hands burst into life, green flames flickering by themselves. She took a step closer, "You have not killed Robin," she took another step, "You will not lay a hand on me" another step, "And you will certainly will not harm our daughter!" she finished, the flames covering her hands grew brighter and snaked up to cover her forearms while the light in her eyes burned a blinding white. Malice took a step back, and began to cower in the face of this potent rage. Even the other Titans were wary of her, and they gave her a wide birth as they rushed to Nightwing's side. Malice, who had retreating further and further as Starfire came closer, hit the ledge of the roof. Starfire reached him, her whole body ablaze, and she wrapped her hands around his neck. He screamed in pain as she forced him down. The fire engulfed him aswell and he clawed at her fingers. He burned like this for thirty seconds, staring into the unfeeling white intensity of her eyes. Then he fell silent. Starfire stayed like that for a moment, holding his blackened shape in her hands, still flaming violently. Then, suddenly, the fire extinguished, and the only thing that kept her from pitching over the side from exhaustion was Nightwing, who just managed to grab her shirt as she fell. He was weak, and supported by Cyborg on one side, but Beastboy relieved him soon enough and swept her thin form up into his arms. He walked next to Cyborg and Nightwing, who took her limp hand and smiled weakly as it tightened around his. He looked at her and saw her watching him out of half-closed eyes, before they drifted closed. Then Nightfire lead the way back to the car, and they all drove back to the tower as fast as they could to get their injured comrades the medical attention they needed.
