kmc99: Thanks, I try to update as soon as possible.
hodan: I hope your not mistaking this for a one-shot, becuase it certainly isn't.
samanthe2121: Thankyou, its good to know people like my stories.
Starfire-is-not-a-wimp: Really? Thanks, your one of my favorite reviewers. I guess I probably should take a break between stories but I can't really help it. 'I can't turn my brain off,' George Clooney-Ocean's 12. Honestly though I try not to update until I get your review. And just out of curiosity what movie does this remind you of? See ya!
solodancer: Yeah poor Star, we'll see what happens next.
starsweetie: DONT PANIC! I would never ever kill Star or Robin in my stories. Or would I? -Laughs evilly- "Hey! Get out of here evil twin!" -Smacks evil twin away from the computer- Sorry about that.
Princess of Stars: I'm glad to hear you like it. I really want to hurry up and update too!
FULLMETAL49: Then I shant keep you waiting! lol
Jeanniestorm: IT HAS BEGUN!
anwen: I hope you like it thorughout the whole thing. Now here's the update.
Star Fan: I agree, long chapters are good. Better even, its just hard to do somtimes ya know. Oh well, it's fun anyway. lol. There are times when I can't stop my imagination from flowing, ITS CRAZY! Glad you like it.
Janiqua: I would never think of stopping right there! I think 'the end' would be a nice place to stop, don't you think?
Serina Tsuki: Thanks, I will write more. Right now!
Surfgirl: Thank-you, I will!
Kazzy103: I know, isn't Slade the coolest. I mean Brother Blood was 'ok' for a filler until Slade got back, but for a big baddie Blood jsut isn't all that good. Not to mention Slade's gotten even cooler in recent episodes!
Okay here's the next chatper, thank you for your reviews forthe last one. And who here, besides me saw 'The Prophecy" and thought it was such an awsome episode. Really this season's climax is looking realllly good, this also depending on if they keep the Robin and Raven relationship at a brother/sister level. Oh well, like it says in everybody's stories, we don't own TT. Such a bummer. Well I;m done rambling so here's the next chapter, Enjoy!
Chapter Two
A Deal with the Devil
Beast Boy was currently walking down the hall and past Starfire's room when as he went by he heard a loud crash, as if something had fallen over. He walked up to Starfire's door and knocked a couple of times.
"Hey Star, you okay in there?" No answer, he knocked again. "Star." He tapped the small panel next to her door and went in. He stepped inside and gasped loudly. The nightstand and the lamp had fallen over and Starfire lay not far from them. She lay curled up in a ball, her eyes shut tight, and she was shivering like crazy.
Robin sat in his room going over a Mount Everest of paper work. He had been slaving over it for about two and a half hours after Raven and Starfire had got back from the mall. With each folder he finished a new one seemed to take its place. It almost had gotten to the point where if he had to dot one more 'I' his hand would fall off. He opened a dusty folder and coughed from the small cloud that lifted off from the cover. He sleepily read the occurrences of that day and set to making his report.
"10:31 p.m.; Mr. Freeze attacks local aquarium," Robin droned on to himself. "For what reason, God only knows. Batman and I arrive thirteen minuets later-Wait a second! This was two years ago," exclaimed Robin looking at the old folder. "How the heck did this get in there," he asked himself throwing it aside. He looked around the large pile and swept it off the desk with his arm. "Eeenough," he said to himself.
"YO ROBIN!" Cyborg suddenly burst on through his door.
"Cyborg? What's wrong with you?" Cyborg was panting heavily even for a robot hybrid.
"Man you gotta come on down to sickbay now!" Robin noted the urgency in his voice.
"Cyborg what is it…."
"…It's Starfire." Robin was out of his seat so fast it fell over and knocked against the desk. Robin started out fast walking but by the time he actually reached sickbay he came out of a dead sprint. They walked into sickbay and Beast Boy was standing at the foot of her bed adjusting some monitoring equipment. Both Cyborg and Beast Boy faded away from Robin's view as did the rest of the world. He stiffly walked up to Starfire's side and looked her over from head to toe. Her warm orange tint had faded and was replaced with a pale color and she had the look of someone frozen in a block of ice. A small tube had been placed just below her nose to help her breathe. Robin took her hand and immediately felt cold shivers radiate from it. 'No, not my Starfire.' He bent lower and moved to a lay a hand on her fore head…
"Wouldn't do that if I were you," said Raven stepping out of the darkness. She held a clipboard with some notes writen on it. Robin looked up at her.
"What?"
"Star's got a fever that could quite literally melt steel." Robin set Starfire's hand back down.
"Raven what hell is wrong with her; she was fine when she came home."
"Well we thought she was anyway," said Raven. "Even she did." She displayed a DNA double helix on the wall screen. "I conducted several tests starting with any recent pathogens that might have penetrated her immune system; which, just for the sake of mentioning, is usually very good given her alien physiology"-
"Raven today," interrupted Robin. Looking only slightly affronted Raven continued.
"The initial DNA test showed high amounts of clostridium tetani." Beast Boy shook his head and blinked a couple of times.
"Wait wait, closterphobic tennis balls what?" Raven rolled her eyes.
"Tetanus, to us human beings a sometimes fatal illness, mostly acquired by way of entering wounds like stepping on a rusty nail or cutting yourself on an old can of beans; anything old and infectious."
"But Rae we've all been inoculated from these kinds of things," said Cyborg. "All of us includes Starfire. How could something like this even get into her system?"
"And how is it acting so quickly," added Robin. Raven shrugged her shoulders.
"All I can say right now is that Starfire's in bad shape. What's a sometimes fatal illness for us is a very deadly plague for her." Robin shifted his weight not wanting to believe this was happening. "What's also strange is that her symptoms have been wavering over the past few hours."
"What are talking about," asked Beast Boy.
"They've been sporadically changing from getting better to going right back to where they were if not worse. It almost as if the bacterium was following a pre-programmed pattern. I'm afraid her body can't handle that kid of stress for long." Robin stepped a little closer to her.
"And that means what?"
"It means Robin; that if we can't find a way to cure her soon, and I emphasize soon, then she will die." Robin gazed down at Starfire's motionless form and used her foot board for support.
"How long does she have?"
"It's hard to say, nothing like this has ever entered her system. I would need to begin research now if any progress was to be made." Robin turned back to the pale Titan and shook his head.
"Raven, I don't care. Alright I don't care what it takes…just do it." Raven glanced down at Robin's hand and saw him gripping the foot board very tightly. She gave Cyborg and Beast Boy quickly looks and they got her message. Cyborg walked up to Robin and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Come on man, let's let Rae do her stuff and you can get some fresh air."
"I'm not gong anywhere," muttered Robin.
"Dude you can't stay in here all day," said Beast Boy. "We're still on call, what if we get an alert?"
"Then you'll just have to go without me."
"Rob we're already minus two Titans because Raven has to work on curing Star, BB and I can't handle everything ourselves." Robin thought long and hard for a moment. He then sighed and picked up Raven's communicator from the counter. He held it out to her and she promptly took it.
"Report to me the instant you make any progress," ordered Robin. Raven gave him a short nod and he started to leave with his two other friends. He turned and looked back at Starfire. "Or when she's strong enough to talk." With that he left sick bay.
IN ROBIN'S ROOM…………
Robin plopped down on the bed in is room and folded his hands together. 'Oh God! How could this have happened? God if you're up there please, please don't let her die. I'm sorry but if I lost her I think I would go absolutely insane.' Robin was in such a state that he didn't even notice himself silently crying. Starfire was his best friend, but as this new situation unfolded he began to wonder if maybe he regarded her with feelings much more intimate then that of normal friendship. She couldn't die, she just couldn't. Not when Robin had yet to tell her how he really felt.
"I'll save her," he breathed. "I'll do anything!"
"Anything?" A voice suddenly answered back. Robin sat bolt upright in his bed and looked around the otherwise empty room.
"Who said that? Who's there?" A small spider-like drone crawled out from under his bed and stayed stationary for a moment. Robin looked down at it and saw a "S" shaped logo on its back. "What the"- At once a holographic image of Slade from the shoulders up issued from the spider.
"Robin, it's nice to see you again. You're not busy are you?" Robin immediately threw a bird-a-rang at the spider and smashed it to pieces. He scowled down at the ruined emissary and scoffed.
"Just who does that psycho think he is?" At once another drone dropped down from the ceiling and Slade's persona was back. Robin reared up another weapon when Slade put up his hand.
"Please Robin not this one, I only managed to get two into your tower. And it will take some time and effort to get two more inside."
"Why have you 'come' here Slade," snapped Robin. Slade's image chuckled lightly.
"I just wanted to talk, to catch up. You and I haven't spoken in so long a time. I'm beginning to feel left out."
"Are you done yet," retorted Robin. He raised back up his bird-a-rang. "Five seconds Slade."
"I also…wanted to know how everyone was doing. And I mean everyone." Robin's eyes widened and his bird-a-rang fell to the floor with a clang. Very slowly he reached down and picked up the spider transmitter.
"What…have…you done to her," asked Robin through gritted teeth.
"Done? What are you talking about Robin?" Robin threw down the small spider.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO STARFIRE! NO scratch that I don't care, I just want you to undo it!" Slade stared at him. "NOW!" Slade shook his head.
"Good lord Robin you are quick to jump to conclusions. Whatever has happened to your little friend had nothing to do with me. Though I have heard that she's a little 'under the weather' so to speak."
"Enough Slade! I know you did this to her, otherwise why would you call up right now except to brag about it?"
"That's not the reason why I have contacted you Robin. And as for my knowing of her condition; you should know me better then that by now Robin. You can't turn on a light without me knowing about it."
"Well then why are you wasting my time," spat Robin.
"Because, I have a way to save her Robin." A long silence passed between them. Robin stared at Slade as though he had cursed him in a foreign language. Robin gasped out a puff of air and shook his head.
"Slade…you must think I'm the tower idiot." Slade raised an eyebrow. "I'm supposed to believe that of all the woe, sadness, evil, and distressful times you've put us through…you have some miracle cure that will save Starfire." Slade nodded.
"Yes, I believe so."
"Unbelievable Slade. You are so unbelievably stupid. You're lucky I don't trace this signal and take you down right now while you're on the phone."
"Don't flatter yourself Robin. We both know I'm perfectly safe from your tracking equipment. It's just not up to par with me. So do we have a deal; yes or no?" Once again Robin simply glared at his arch nemesis.
"Let's say, just for the sake of the argument, that what you say is even remotley true; why offer it to us? Why not dangle it in front of faces just out of arms reach like you normally do?"
"I have my reasons Robin."
"Yeah I'll bet you do," snipped Robin.
"As it is Robin, you don't sound like you have much of a choice." Robin turned his head away. "Am I right?" Slade could hear the sound of Robin grinding his teeth into powder.
"I hate you; I hate you more than a human being is able to hate someone. Leave us alone Slade you can keep your 'so called cure', I don't believe you." Slade nodded and the spider moved father away from Robin.
"Very well Robin, that is of course your prerogative. This offer however does have an expiration date; say….five minuets from now. I'll be here waiting for you to change your mind. Or I will watch you spend the rest of your life in regret because you passed up the only sure chance you have to save Starfire; all because of a personal grudge." Robin's demeanor now changed from angry to unsure. "I'll see you in a few minuets Robin." Slade waved good bye and the holographic image faded to nothing. Robin sat back down on his bed and let out a long sigh. He then reached over to his nightstand, pulled open the drawer and removed a picture of Starfire and himself. He smiled as he remembered how happy she was that day. They were at the amusement park and she had wanted to go on the Ferris Wheel; of course that was before she was suddenly snatched up by a centari drone and wrongfully accused for crimes committed by her sister.
He laid two fingers on her cheek and let them linger there for a moment. Should he seriously consider taking Slade up on his offer? There was no guarantee that what he said was true; then again there was an even less chance that Raven would be able to come up with a cure fast enough. 'I can't afford to take any risks with her life,' thought Robin. Robin propped the picture up on his nightstand. "Don't worry Star; you're going to be alright. I'm going to make sure of it." He walked over and retrieved the small spider drone. He held it in his hand for a moment taking this last opportunity to decide whether or not this was the right thing to do. Robin firmly resolved that there was no other way and tapped a small button on the spider's head. The device lit up and Robin set it on the ground as Slade's face appeared once again.
"Robin. This is a surprise, I expected you to respond within minuets not seconds." Robin slumped his shoulders and gave a long sigh.
"What do you want," he asked him quietly. Slade nodded his head and smiled behind his mask.
"Good, now we're getting somewhere."
I'm glad you all liked the first chapter, hoping this one was no different. If any of you are anxious to see the next part I'm right up there with you. I honestly can't wait to get around to writing the next chapter. Until next update, Laters!