Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.

Chapter 6.

Departure

As Wraithe summoned an aura of magic on her fist to finish the cringing girl, a hand landed on Wraithes shoulder and a voice hissed in her ear. "Let her go."

Wraithe turned her head to look at the hand on her shoulder. Her gaze traveled up the arm, to the stern face, and to the masked eyes. Then Wraithes gaze traveled back to her own hand, still gripping Starfires hair.

Then, with an expression of benign innocence, Wraithe stared into those masked eyes again, "surely you don't mean me Robin." She said sweetly.

"If you didn't catch my meaning," said Robin, "it was an order."

Wraithe gently let go of Starfires hair, and turned to Robin. "Robin," she said, "what has come over you?"

Robin glared at her, "I think I've just woken up."

Wraithe gently reached up and removed Robins hand from her shoulder. "My dear Robin," she said, "I don't think you know what you're saying." She pressed Robins hand against her cheek, "don't you love me Robin?"

Robin pulled his hand away, "not in the least."

Starfire, still on the ground, punched the air with her fist. Wraithe glanced at her, then looked at Robin again. "Oh," she said, "and, is it wrong of me to ask why?" She began to rise in the air, "after everything I've offered you, after everything you've felt for me!" Wraithes hair began to writhe around her head, like Ravens when she was annoyed. Wraithe spun around to where Starfire still sat on the ground, " you did this didn't you?" She spat, "you… you…" Wraithe found she was at a loss for words, so she slapped Starfire, sending the girl sprawling. Wraithe rounded on Robin, and poked him in the chest, "are you rejecting me? Hmm? Well, answer me!"

Robin brushed past Wraithe and helped Starfire to her feet, "you just went to far. When you hurt my friends you broke whatever hold you had over me."

Wraithe laughed, "oh dear, so that's it is it? The bonds of friendship are more powerful than my magic?" Wraithe sneered, "don't be foolish, you hurt two of your friends yourself. And you've done it before…" Wraithe paused, as Robin spun around to face her, "oh yes," laughed Wraithe, "why else would I choose someone like you? Because you are dangerous when you get obsessive. Does Slade ring a bell? Who was it that became a criminal to catch a criminal, who put his friends in danger for the sake of his own obsessions?" Wraithe mocked, "That's right, I know all about you, how you turned against your friends when you began to see Slade in the darkest corners of your mind. How you turned against Cyborg for the sake of a tournament. That's right, I know all about the 'Master of Games.'" Wraithe narrowed her eyes, "and I know how you were Slades first apprentice, how you reveled in the thrill of thieving for your master. Your mind is open to me Robin, you may try to hide these memories and feelings, but I see them Robin." She leaned in towards him and whispered, "I know things about you that would make your friends hate and despise you…" Snarling, Robin aimed a punch at Wraithe, who merely laughed and sidestepped him. Robin swung his other fist at her, but Wraithe gripped his wrist, "this is atrocious behavior Robin," Wraithe laughed, "you can't hit a girl."

A flash of purple struck Wraithe, forcing her to let go of Robin. Wraithe landed with Starfire sitting on her chest, "Robin may not be able to hit you," Starfire snarled, "but I can!" Starfire raised a hand, a starbolt glowing on her fist, "and if you want Robin, you will have to go through me!"

"All right, all right." Said Wraithe, "calm down." Wraithe brought her feet up, striking Starfire in the chest, bowling her over. Wraithe leapt lightly to her feet, then she held up her hands in mock defeat. "No need to get violent." Wraithe smiled a malicious smile.

Tendrils of shadow spread out from under her dress, each one whipping out and dragging one of the Titans over to her, Robin leapt in front of Starfire protectively.

"Alright." Said Wraithe, "now listen up!" The shadow tendrils held Raven, Cyborg, Beastboy and Terra a few meters away from Wraithe, the end of the tendril pressing against each Titans chest. Several more tendrils whipped around her, preventing Robin and Starfire from helping their friends. "Now," hissed Wraithe, "this is a very simple deal. Starfire… somehow you were able to break my spell, I don't care how, but, if you don't surrender Robin to me then I will extinguish the life of each of your friends, and to show I'm not joking…" The tendril holding Cyborg flowed into his chest, his eye shot open and he gasped. Then his robotic eye dimmed, and his circuitry went out.

Starfire buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

"Starfire!" Wraithe turned in annoyance to look at Raven, who had just awakened, "don't do what she says! Cyborg can be brought back with a new battery, and Wraithes not as powerful as she thinks…"

"Silence!" Snapped Wraithe, and shook her sister viscously, she turned to Starfire, "Alright then, if that's what you think then I will show you how serious I am!"

The tendril holding Terra pressed into her chest and Terra awoke with a gasp, Robin shouted, and Starfire screamed.

Then, something strange happened… lights of every color began to crawl up the tendril holding Terra. One of the lights scurried up Wraithes body and disappeared into her heart, causing her to scream in pain. More lights began to stream towards Wraithe, causing her to let go of Terra… but the lights weren't through yet… they danced around Wraithes form, occasionally disappearing into her body, causing her to wince, and eventually let go of the other Titans.

As the Titans dropped to the ground, the lights faded and Wraithe sunk to her knees, and clutched her head in her hands.

"Idiot," panted Raven, "when you made a promise to Beastboy that you'd bring Terra back to life, you brought her back with a more powerful spell than you could have imagined. Your promise fused with the spell, and now your death curse has just been countered by one of your own spells!"

Starfire angrily swept over to Wraithe, "you have been both nasty and rude, and you are under arrest!"

"I don't… think so…" gasped Wraithe, her eyes flashed a deep black and she was engulfed in obsidian flames and vanished.

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Robin was sitting on the roof the tower, alone.

He'd helped replace Cyborgs power cell, and tend to the other Titans injuries, but he couldn't face them… after what he'd done.

He heard footsteps behind him and turned around. It was Raven. "Mind if I sit with you?" She asked.

Robin nodded.

They sat in silence for a few moments, then Raven said, "don't blame yourself, it was Wraithes doing, not yours."

Robin nodded and said, "I know. But… it was ME who kicked Beastboy. And it was ME who attacked Cyborg. And it was me who upset you and Starfire with my behavior…"

Raven nodded and said, "Cyborg will probably have you waxing the T-jet and the T-sub and probably the T-car for at least a week. And Beastboy will bring this up whenever you complain about his Tofu… but, aside from that, we've all forgiven you. Besides," she smiled, "it was me and Starfire who beat you up."

Robin smiled back, "yeah…" He frowned, "But… why did Wraithe attempt to… attack Terra, surely she'd know about her own spells."

"Yes," said Raven, "that's true, but she was blinded by anger and I was repeating 'please not Terra' over and over in my head, and her telepathic skills would've picked that up, and she would have, subconsciously, chosen Terra next."

Robin nodded, "clever… But…"

Raven rolled her eyes, "but?"

"How did Wraithes love spell break?" Asked Robin.

"Well," said Raven, "Wraithe had obviously chosen a simple love spell to throw me off… and a majority of simple love spells are countered when the victim sees the object of their affection suffering. And I think we both know who the object of your affection is, and I'm certain that it isn't me." Raven stood up and gave Robin a mysterious smile, and left him on his own, bathed in the bright sunset.