Everyone, I am sorry for not updating once more, and I apologize even more for giving you the false alram that I was update more times than I have. School's not been so good to me, neither has life. But I did manage to scrap out this chapter for you all, I won't promise anything for the moment, but hopefully I may regain another update someday soon enough. Thank you all for your patience.

Chapter Twelve: Approaching Fate

The Titans all still awaited the final few minutes of Cyborg's upgrading, and all still was as cold and as quiet as it has been for many miserable days.

The Boy Wonder was locked away in his own confinement in his room. The Changeling and the Earth commander sat patiently, counting the potential seconds until they could hear the barely substitutable booming of the androids' voice desperately needed to shatter the unbearable silence throughout the dead tower.

The Telepathic though, could no longest restrain her need to meditate. Despite how pointless she knew it was, she left to an abandoned corner of one of the corridors, made sure no one was around to break her concentration, and returned to face the wall before her. Chanting her forgotten Azarathian words:

''Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos. Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos...''

She risked letting out an audible whistle of relief. She had not realized how horrible she had felt continuing with days of no opportunity to revive herself in her own world. She unleashed all of her senses and emotions, like chains finally removed from a heavy spirit. She was free, or at least so for the moment as she continued to find her true center and regain her telekinetic drive.

''Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos. Azarath. Metrion. Zin---

FLASH

Out of nowhere, in less than seven seconds, Raven felt dark energy linger deep within her mind. And before her blinded eyes, she saw a rim of white-yellowish light and in the center was a black circular sphere-like object. Surrounding it all was a black ring.

FLASH

She witnessed nine planets aligned perfectly, and then a flash of a familiar blue flared all of their surfaces.

FLASH

Her final visual screen ended with a familiar scarlet beauty being the heart of all of it's shadow; the familiar flash of blue flare once, and then, all of it's entire energy being dissolved right in her chest. Where her heart would be located, and with that, she saw her once familiar highlighted green eyes, now transformed into permanent blue: standing by her, eyes also glowing a blinding blue, a shadowed figure. Raven watched as he coiled his arms around the shaded beautiful being, his visible lips curled into an evil smile, and then he and the possessed victim...kiss in the umbra of the shadows. And right next to them, on their knees, crying himself to a miserable death, was...the heartbroken Boy Wonder.

The heart-stopping seven seconds passed by so dangerously, that she could even feel her eyes throbbing in their sockets. Her pupils had dilated to an enormous reach, it was one of the most frightening things she had ever had the dark misfortune to have witnessed.

''Oh Azar!" She gasped " THE RING MASTER!''

The frightened Azarathian sprinted the corridors, her fright and fear exploding with every step she made behind her. She kicked her feet from the ground and sped as fast as her mind could accelerate to the other side of the corridor, she stopped at the locked door of the most quiet and harshest member of her team and collided it open as she sprinted in the room meeting with a completely startled Robin.

''ROBIN! YOU---STARFIRE--MASTER!''

The Boy Wonder's masked eyes grew nearly twice their typical size as he bolted upright from his desk that was secretly darkened and moistened with tears.

''WHAT IS GOING ON HERE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!''

''YOU--WE--STAR---THE RING MASTER IS GOING TO PERMANANTLY POSSESS STARFIRE!'' She screamed at the top of her lungs

The Boy Wonder gasped as much air he could swallow, he threw his chair aside as it thrashed and shatter hard in the wall behind him. His bottom lip was quivering from lack of words to say.

''WHEN IS THIS GONNA HAPPEN!''

''I DON'T KNOW! I THINK IN SOME KIND OF ECLIPSE!''

In that second, Terra and Beast Boy had skidded to a halt from an incredibly agilest sprint.

''WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!'' The Earth commander demanded

''WHAT'S THE YELLING ABOUT!'' The changeling barked from between his panting

''NO TIME TO EXPLAIN! I HAVE TO RUN!'' Robin shouted as he started for the door, but stumbled for last minute directions ''THE SECOND CYBORG WAKES UP, GET AS FAST AS YOU CAN TO THE RING MASTER'S HIDEOUT! BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE! I HAVE TO SAVE STARFIRE OR SHE'LL BE GONE FOREVER!''

With that, he dashed from the corridors of his home, jumped all the steps of his stairs, trying to go as fast as humanly possible to the garage and floor his R-Cycle.

He immediately sat on the seat, took no patience to lock on a helmet and raced out the garage at full speed.

''OH PLEASE! LET ME MAKE IT!'' He cried to skies ''PLEASE KEEP HER SAFE! JUST A LITTLE LONGER!''

The circus performer paced around his confinement, pondering everything to work just as he dear fully hoped. He was completely stranded in his thoughts that he did not notice his assistant watching curiously from behind.

''Something troubles you?'' She questioned sweetly

The Ring Master turned his head with his lips curved so devilishly. Reexamining her beautiful facial features, oh how he had counted the seconds until he could finally invade them and flavor her virgin salivary moist.

''Nothing could possibly trouble me when you are near, my dove'' He replied gently ''So much that needs to be fulfilled is all, my dear, just so much to be done and so little time''

His assistant nodded solemnly, he loved the way her luscious neck had gestured so delicately that not even the faintest feather could cope with. Her neck, her soft skin, her delicious lips that cry for his own, her curved form that seemed to be almost drawn to be so perfectly created. Her untouched innocence, the shine in her eyes that just stirred blood to his manly region, that shine that drove him wild that he knew he couldn't tame for more longer. He needed to satisfy it, but to have such a prayer be granted, he must be patient and await for the dark hour that would come momentarily.

''I trust that you will be well soon?'' The Tamaranean questioned innocently

''Oh, my love, soon, we will both be perched upon heaven's clouds...just you and I" He purred

She nodded again and resumed her protective stare at him.

The Ring Master left for the moment to be alone with his stone crescent-clock, the time was nearing. He had to have everything in position, five minutes before his final wish would be granted.

He turned to reunite his view with the gorgeous assistant, made a final notice of her innocence and then took her hand in his.

''My dove, it is time for us to be forever united'' He purred with a tint of seductiveness to tone

Starfire felt her will being throbbed in her heart, she then felt warm heat cease her locks and was on the verge for sweat; a hot force was forcing her to do against her will. Her original mind battling with her possessed, but in the war of mind and heart… The Ring Master had conquered as her eyes flashed blue once again.

''Yes.'' She approved forcefully

They began to walk hand-in-hand to leave their station for the last time, when suddenly, their entrance had exploded before their faces. The explosion blown both of them aback, dust had ceased every visible layer of view completing clouding vision between the two circus imposters and the one who had forced an entry.

''You're NOT going to take her, if you want her so bad, you're going to have to annihilate ME before you do so.''

The Ring Master nearly skipped a heartbeat. The ear-splitting sound of his voice made his eyes instantly glow blue; prepared to fight, and prepared to kill.

''With pleasure,'' He continued dangerously

The dust had nearly cleared--- proving against The Ring Master's despite--- the familiar figure of the one who he wanted to murder the most. The only one who could destroy his fantasy that undeniably needed to be accomplished...

...Robin.

At that second, The Boy Wonder sprang from the clouds of dust, charging straight for the center of The Ring Master. Immediately, the circus imposter himself started to whip his finger in a circular motion, but Robin had whacked it out of position with his own hand. His trusty staff clenched tightly in his other fist.

''You've made your last ring, Ring Master, this ends NOW.'' He threatened with his free hand balled into a strong fist.

''You lack timing, you fool,'' The Ring Master fired ''It has just begun.'' He finished evilly.

''WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO HER!'' Robin roared as he echoed every corner of the station

''Well, since you will be ANNHIALATED in a matter of minutes, I may as well offer my courtesy to tell you….'' He purred cunningly with an evil chuckle, exaggerating the word more than necessary.

''…In a matter in minutes, a complete solar eclipse will emerge throughout the entire city, but what makes this occasion so interesting is that all the nine planets of our entire solar system will align perfectly; creating eclipse after eclipse, after eclipse. And so my assistant and I will be in the heart of it all, and to harvest such a rare moment; I enhance the energy of the solar with my own, creating an unbelievable rise in my energy unimagined. And the second my powers bond with the sun's, I will have enough power to overthrow every single DROP of will my assistant has in her, and when the possessing is complete, she will be completely condemned to me; we will be truly bonded, FOREVER. She will TRULY love me, for all eternity, and there is absolutely NOTHING you can do to alter that!'' He hissed

Robin almost felt his bones would resume to mush any second, his eyes boiled in hot tears; he was going to selfishly take away the one woman in the world who he had loved. And in his own selfishness, he will NOT allow that to happen.