Ah, hello all! So good to see your smiling, happy faces! Wait…

Well, anyway, for those of you who were reading along earlier, I would just like to state that the trip I went on was okay, aside from being completely pointless. The best part was probably the time we spent at the hotel with the water wars in the pool, (boy vs. girls, but it wasn't fair-we were outnumbered…I still smell like chlorine) getting drunk on Cherry Coke and tearing apart the room with my friend, (our other roomies thought we were nuts…which we are) forming the "Pop-Tart bandits," (hee hee! Err…don't ask) and getting my head squashed in the middle of the night (Err…again, don't ask.) The only bad part was that out of all of us, I was the one who stayed up the latest (writing my fingers off by writing this chapter for a certain evil Overseer, Alexnandru!)

Yes, well…shutting up now.

Azarathangel: YAYAYAYAYAY! You dropped by! Three cheers-HURRAHS! And, since we're on the subject of "hurrahing"…YES! CIRQUE DU FREAK IS ONE OF THE BEST FREAKIN' (forget the really lame joke...) BOOK SERIES I HAVE EVER READ! I just left off at the end of Book 5 and the suspense is totally killing me! I must get to the bookstore tomorrow! (Cackles evilly, and searches for broom.)

Tkitty: Thank you, thank you, I'll be here for awhile (Thankfully, there is no more school trips scheduled! I'll have plenty of time to write!) As for the main characters and the killing-you'll probably spazz. But you're just going to have to trust me.

Insanity 101: I honestly don't have a clue if the 'S' thing was a tracker or not. I thought it would make sense-after all, it's Slade. Thank you for all of your compliments. I was really scared that I was screwing this whole thing up. (Breathes a sigh of relief.) As for Robin-I see your point. He probably should have thought of that… he is rather distracted though…

To lazy sorry: AHHH! Too many questions! Slow down! All right-Slade and Robin will be meeting VERY soon. Trust me (What kind of apprentice fic would this be if the two didn't meet?) Holocaust has yet to play a very important role. You shall see, you shall see… (I love being cryptic.) And for the last question-I hope you were joking. What kind of writer would I be if I just told you the entire plot! (I like your name too…heh heh…ah well, I'm weird.)

Alexnandru: Oooh, sorry about the knee. How the heck did that happen-again! What on earth do you do for fun? …'Course, I can't talk…And yes for the cliffhanger-HA! I laugh at you! Serves you right, you evil slave driver! No, I'm kidding…when you finish this chapter though, you probably will hate me…

Aquarius Gal: Hi! I was wondering where you'd gone! Enjoy this next chapter!

Remix 17: Holocaust? Yeah, I'm sorry. I thought somebody would probably get confused by that…Remember that "question mark" character in Chapter 3? That's him. He would be my OC. As for the partner thing… (Slyly) You're a smart one, aren't you?

As for you, Pickles12 and Cheerin4danny: Thanks for your compliments. I really appreciate them. BTW, C4D? (Apologies for the abbreviation) Do you write Danny Phantom fics? I've been DYING to find some in that category.

WARNING! Since I don't know how to rate individual chapters yet, I would like to make this clear: this upcoming chapter isn't bad…but I would just like to warn all of you with a tendency to not like rather violent stuff…just a friendly heads up.

Enjoy…

Chapter Six: Fallen Angel

Slade-

It wasn't as if he doubted the boy's honor, quite the opposite, really; his blackmail was too powerful for Robin to forget or resist. He just didn't trust him…if that made any sense at all. The only way to make sure Robin was focusing on his job was to make sure he could keep an exact pinpoint on his location.

Slade kept the tracking screen open, keeping an eye on his apprentice's movements. It was compelling, actually, to know that Robin had willingly revisited the old haunt…and had actually taken the 'S.' Fascinating…

Apparently, the boy was rushing towards the surface-no doubt he heard the screams or felt some sort of sign connected to the human bonfire that Holocaust had started. Wouldn't Robin and his little team get a surprise when they figured out this blaze hadn't actually been a mistake?

And, if Holocaust was really so eager to make a deal, all he had to do was win this fight.

"This should be good…"

Robin-

He hadn't felt it much in the beginning. If he had, he probably disregarded it-blamed it on nerves or some other excuse. But by and by, he noticed it was getting distinctly warmer; too warm to ignore, anyway.

Robin hurtled along the length of the sewer tunnel, coat streaming out behind him like a banger. Though the situation was uncertain, there was no reason why he shouldn't hurry, just in case: better safe than sorry. Experience had taught him that.

Too bad that experience would never be able to prepare him for what would happen next.

Holocaust-

This was more like it: red and yellow terror consuming buildings and life like a demon out of Hell. The ripe scent of burning flesh burned into his nostrils, making his mouth water. There was so much death in the air; he could already taste it.

Holocaust wandered down the crumbling street, whistling tunelessly, pausing every so often to nudge a dead body with his foot. None of them met his qualifications, and then-

He grinned wickedly, as he stopped before the body of a young man, just barely alive. The skin on his face was blistered and broken, raw from the heat. The man blinked, eyes filmy as he neared death, but he managed to choke out-along with a lot of blood-:

"W-What's going on?"

Holocaust ignored him and, laying a palm on the man's chest, began to press. Hard.

The man began screaming as the demon pushed, hand digging through skin and bone, blood everywhere, savoring the energy that shot through him-

A bolt of green lightening slashed through the air, sending him flying. He blinked a few times before picking himself up, squinting as he attempted to locate its source.

A group of four teens emerged from the billows of smoke that cloaked the city, choking it with smog: a cybernetic human, a green-skinned boy, a Goth, and a red-headed girl, green energy gathering about her hands. He was guessing she was the one that had blasted him. All in all, it was a rather dramatic entrance; he'd give them that much.

"Hello, Titans. Nice night for a fire, eh?"

The machine/human's eyes burned with a light to rival the orange tongues that glittered about them.

"You monster, what've you done?"

Holocaust raised his hands in an innocent way.

"I did nothing! I just had a bit of fun!"

The boy glowered, before yelling:

"Titans! Go!"

Raven-

She had guessed that this new man would present a challenge…just not this difficult!

The dark stranger whirled about with incredible reflexes, swiping at her and her friends with fistfuls of fire. She just barely moved out of the way to avoid an attack.

Cyborg aimed his arm cannon carefully, shooting at the stranger's head, but it did no good. Also, with all the fire and smoke around, it made it even harder to keep her concentration on him. It seemed he had the ability to melt into the flames about him.

She was preparing to attack when Cyborg turned around quickly and snapped:

"Raven! Put the fire out!"

"What? How?"

"I don't know! Rip some of the plumbing out of the street and spray it everywhere!"

Raven raised her hands and sent dark power at the ground. It might have worked, had the stranger not smashed her into the side of a nearby building.

"Sorry," he said mockingly. "But I'm too amused to have it all stop now."

Beast Boy, transforming into a tiger, growled and leapt-claws gleaming-at the stranger; he jumped quickly out of the way and sent the changeling flying with a sharp kick to the side. Her friend moaned and tumbled onto the sidewalk.

The demoness made sure that Starfire was holding the villain off, before she glided over to Beast Boy.

"You okay?"

He grimaced as he touched his chest.

"I think he broke one of my ribs. That guy's got one heck of a kick."

Raven nodded seriously and laid one of her palms on his injury. She waited a moment, and then said, with approval:

"It's healed."

Beast Boy thanked her, before taking on the form of a grizzly and lumbering back into battle.

Raven turned, ready to try her task of putting out the fire again…

And several things all happened at once.

Starfire-

She flung as many starbolts as she could, continuously struggling to dodge the strange man's attacks.

There were footsteps, then-

"Guys! I-"

Starfire turned immediately to face Robin, eyes bright with joy. The other Titans looked equally as shocked yet pleased.

"Friend Robin, you are all right!"

Robin grinned.

"Yeah, I'm okay-Star, watch out!"

Then alien switched her gaze back to the present enemy a moment too late.

Burning heat engulfed her, scorching her flesh. Her eyes were rolling in her head, and her lips cracked and bled, dribbling blood across her chin. Every particle of her body was in unbearable pain, while spider-webs crept along her limbs. Someone was screaming-screaming louder than she'd ever heard in her life.

She heard hysterical cackling, and the sound of wind rushing off to her left…she was falling, falling…but one person's voice penetrated all the noise hammering in her ears:

"STARFIRE!"

And then darkness.

To be Continued…

(Smiles serenely.) I'm so evil. Please review.

PS: I would just like to make one thing clear right now-I read pairings. I don't write them. So if you're getting any ideas...

Over and out:

Rebel-Aquarius