Chapter 5: Captivity
The young alien girl sat alone in her cell and tried to think of an escape plan. She walked around the tiny room, feeling the walls for cracks that might show a secret passage or a structural weakness to be exploited. Although she did find a few small cracks here and there, she could tell that they would be of no use to her. She was becoming more and more depressed with her situation. Starfire loved sunshine and fresh air. In this dark and damp basement, there would be neither. She had no way of knowing how long she had been there. So far it felt like days, but her stomach told her that it had only been hours. Soon she would lose track of time.
Slade had said this was all an effort to punish Robin. How would keeping her here punish Robin? Perhaps he would miss her, but surely he would not suffer. She remembered what he had said about "the one Robin cared for most." Robin cared for her more than the others? How would Slade know of this, even if it were true? What could Slade be planning?
This was all very frustrating to Starfire. She had no powers, she was locked in this horrible closet with nothing but a small hole in the floor, there were no windows anywhere, her captor was a man thought to be dead, any method of contacting her friends had been lost, and she was cold and hungry and wanted her clothes back…or at least a blanket. The situation looked quite hopeless. But then, that was what Slade wanted, wasn't it.
Starfire finally put it all together and let herself realize what was going on. Whether it was true or not, Slade believed Robin loved Starfire. He had kidnapped her in order to kill her and upset Robin. Slade would be able to taunt Robin over her death and anger her friend into recklessness. It would give Slade the chance to kill Robin as well. The Titans had barely been able to stop Slade before. If this plan worked and he was able to destroy two of their team, Slade would almost surely defeat the remaining Titans and take over the city, possibly more. Her only hope was rather ironic. She had to hope that Robin did not care so much for her, that he would be angry with Slade for killing his friend and teammate, but not necessarily someone he loved.
But Starfire wanted Robin to love her. She had kept her feelings for him secret, afraid that he might not feel the same, but she had to admit that there were signs. A touch that lasted longer than necessary, his constant worry for her safety, his infinite patience for her unfamiliarity with Earth customs and slang, the way he was almost always the one to comfort her when she was upset. It all added up to something more than a mere friendship. And Slade had made a move before either one of them.
Robin considered Slade to be his worst enemy. She remembered the previous lengths he had gone to in his efforts to catch the man who now held her captive. Basically, everything she knew about Robin and Slade pointed to an ending that would not be happy. Normally full of smiles and hope, Starfire now became even more depressed as these thoughts repetitively whirled around in her head. She controlled the urge to once again break down and cry. That would not help. She had to stay strong and alert; she had to find a way out, be ready when her teammates came to her rescue. If they came to her rescue.