For the past month, things had been much different at Titans Tower than they usually were. The Titans had forgiven Robin for his contingency plan mishap, but he and Starfire were still broken up. Robin kept asking Starfire if she wanted to be with him again, but she declined every time. Robin asked her again as they walked to the living room, but this time, she gave a rather aggressive reply. She was getting tired of his persistent attempts to get back with her.
"Robin," she started. "If you stop hiding secrets from me, then perhaps we can be more than friends again."
"I swear, Starfire," Robin said. "I'm not hiding anything from you now. If I was, I would've told you."
Starfire just sighed.
"That is not true. You are hiding your eyes from me. I still do not know the color of your eyes."
Robin rubbed the back of his head in discomfort. It was true that she had never seen what his eyes looked like behind his mask. To Starfire, that wasn't a sign that he trusted his friends.
"I also do not know your true identity," she added.
"What are you talking about, Star?" asked Robin confusedly. "Robin is my real name."
Starfire was getting annoyed. She didn't like it when Robin avoided her questions.
"No, Robin. I mean your identity of secrecy. I remember that Beast Boy's true name is Garfield, and Cyborg told me that his true name is Victor."
Robin began to sweat. Robin wanted to tell her his real name, but he hated telling someone his secret identity. There was always a chance that if he told someone, they could spill the beans to the wrong person. He didn't want a bad guy to know who he was outside the mask.
"I have not even met any of your family," ended Starfire.
Robin was at loss for words. Starfire didn't know about his family before they formed the Titans, but there were a lot of reasons for that. His parents had tragically died years ago, and she wouldn't ever be able to meet them anyway. As for the man who raised him, their relationship was strained. He didn't think she would want to meet the old man.
"I have told you about my past Robin," Starfire said. "Why can you not tell me about yours?"
Robin thought for a second. Sure, she did tell him about her past life, but she could've told him sooner. Was she really acting any better than he was?
"Is it really fair for you to say that, Star?" asked Robin. "You didn't actually tell me until you absolutely had to. It seems like you didn't actually want to tell me in the first place."
Starfire was hurt by those words, but had a feeling that what he said might have been true to a degree. She hadn't told him about her life sooner, but she had been more honest with him since their battle with the Psions. She had hoped that Robin would open up more after what happened last month.
"That may be true," Starfire responded. "But I have been more truthful with you since then. I have told you about my friends on Tamaran for instance."
Robin couldn't deny that. She had told him about the friends she made on her home planet and all the good times she had with them. Unlike him, she was becoming more open about her early life.
"Robin, you do not have to tell me more about yourself," Starfire said. "But you must if you wish for us to be more than friends."
Robin looked to the ground in disappointment. As they approached the couch, Beast Boy and Cyborg were in the middle of a video game while Raven had her eyes glued to a book. Robin took the chance to take the conversation with Starfire in a different direction.
"Have you heard from Galfore recently?" he asked. "I heard you guys take a day to catch up every month."
Starfire paused. Galfore had not been answering her calls this week, and she was getting concerned.
"He sounded ill when I last spoke to him," she answered. "I have been trying to call him all week, but he has not responded. I do wonder if the stress of being Grand Ruler of Tamaran is becoming too much for him to manage."
"I'm sure he's got it covered, Star," Beast Boy said as he played with Cyborg. "That guy's got a whole army by his side."
"Yes, but he is getting older, Beast Boy. He tires easily, and he is more prone to illness and injury than he used to be. Soon, he may not be fit to be Grand Ruler anymore."
That sentence got Cyborg to pause the game and Raven to close her book.
"Does he have someone ready to take the throne when that day comes?" asked Cyborg.
"No. Galfore does not have any children, and he has no living relatives to give the throne to."
"So, what'll happen to Tamaran if Galfore dies?" asked Raven.
Starfire was quiet. She saw the looks on her friends' faces. She knew what they were thinking. They had been through something similar when Starfire almost got married, but this time, there may not be a way out for her.
"I do not know, Raven," she replied.
Starfire didn't want to tell her friends that she would have to leave them. She didn't want to leave Earth at all. She loved it on Earth. She was free from all the war and conflict that plagued her homeplanet. But if Galfore were to fall, she knew that things on Tamaran would become worse than they had ever been. She didn't want Tamaran to crumble, but she didn't want to leave Earth either. She was so torn. What would she do? Suddenly, the television went static and a new screen appeared showing a familiar figure who was in the middle of outer space. Starfire glared at the figure as the image cleared. She knew exactly who it was.
"Surprise," smirked Blackfire to the Titans from the screen.
(CUE THEME SONG)
OBLIGATION
"Greetings, Titans," said Blackfire from the screen. "I thought I would say 'hello' before you meet your doom."
Starfire growled. This day had finally come. Between her and her sister, only one of them was going to live to see another day.
"It is you who is doomed, Blackfire" said Starfire. " We will manage whatever you have planned."
"Is that so, sister dear?" pondered Blackfire. "Can you really manage the Ring of Hnyxx?"
Starfire gasped.
"Dude!" exclaimed Beast Boy. "What's the Ring of Hnyxx?"
Raven put a palm on her face in annoyance.
"Oh, it is only a ring. A ring that will grant me complete control of people's minds. No being in the universe has been able to locate it until now. I have traced its location on Jalascis. I could enslave a whole race! Good thing I am already on my way to Jalascis right now. You will be too late before you can find me."
At the sound of Blackfire's evil laugh, the screen faded to black. Starfire was anxious.
"Friends, we must leave urgently!" she exclaimed as she floated towards the door. "We cannot allow her to wield that ring!"
The Titans quickly followed her to the T-Ship, not seeing her make a quick stop to her room.
"Aw, man," groaned Beast Boy. "These field trips to space have gotten really old really fast."
"With the way you complain, you don't seem to be getting any older than that," remarked Raven.
As Beast Boy cursed to himself, the Titans took their seats on the T-Ship where Starfire was waiting for them. They knew there was a tough road ahead of them.
The T-Ship was in deep space on its way to Jalascis. Starfire navigated the trip as she told her friends the details about the Ring of Hnyxx.
"The Ring of Hnyxx was created by the rulers of Slaag to make their people more obedient. When they were overthrown, the people of Slaag hid the Ring in an unknown location to prevent anyone ever using it," she explained.
"Why didn't they just destroy it?" asked Cyborg. "It seems too risky to keep a weapon like that running."
"They wanted to keep the Ring intact for if they truly needed it, but that is irrelevant. We must destroy the ring once we locate it."
"She's right," agreed Robin. "There are plenty of threats in the galaxy. I'd rather not risk a thing like that getting into the hands of a madman."
"Uh, Star?" asked Beast Boy. "How exactly does the ring take control of people's minds?"
"The ring releases a powerful light that can enslave anyone if they look at it for more than five seconds," Starfire replied.
"That means if Blackfire gets the ring before us, we'll have to sneak behind her to get it off," realized Robin.
A few seconds passed as the Titans continued their way through the galaxy. Raven decided to break the silence.
"Does anyone else find it weird that Blackfire told us where the ring was?" she asked the others. "We're only going to make it harder for her to get it. Why would she want to make things harder for herself?"
"I think that's Blackfire being cocky, like she always is," suggested Beast Boy.
Robin thought for a second and saw that Raven was making sense.
"You've got a point, Raven," he said. "That might mean she already has the ring, and if she does, it's going to make things harder for us."
"I do hope that is not true, Robin," said Starfire. "I do not wish to be defeated before the war even begins."
"I hope not either, Star," replied Robin. "But there's only one way to find out."
As the T-Ship approached Jalascis, Robin noticed something come up on the radar. In front of the T-Ship floated a giant blue and green creature that was shaped like a manta. It growled at the Titans with a menacing look on its face.
"No!" shouted Starfire. "We do not have time for this! Friends, you must find the ring while I battle this creature!"
"Are you sure you can handle that thing by yourself, Starfire?" asked Robin.
"Yes, Robin!" she answered as she got out of the T-Ship. "You must find the ring before Blackfire can wield it!"
"Alright, but be careful."
The T-Ship made its way to the grounds of Jalascis, Starfire shot her starbolts at the giant manta, but the Manta was able to absorb it with its tail and throw the energy back at Starfire. Starfire tried to charge into the manta, she felt a giant zap go through her body.
"You do not wish to cause trouble for me," Starfire warned the Manta. "The universe is in danger, and you are only angering me more."
The manta didn't listen or care about what Starfire was saying. It just kept fighting her with no plans to stop.
As the T-Ship flew through Jalascis, they were looking for anything that would lead them to the Ring of Hnyxx.
"Hey, check it out!" exclaimed Beast Boy.
Up ahead, the Titans noticed a big glowing purple light in the horizon.
"That must be it," said Robin. "Let's move!"
The T-Ship made its way to the source of light and as they approached their destination, they saw a group of masked soldiers with giant spears. They were wearing helmets to cover their faces. They were guarding a fortress behind them. They were signaling the Titans to back off.
"We can make this hard or easy, but we're getting that ring!" shouted Robin to the soldiers.
The soldiers drew their spears, preparing to fight.
"Alright, Titans, GO!" shouted Robin as the Titans charged at the soldiers.
Robin's staff clashed with the soldiers' spears as they fought. Cyborg was able to overpower their armor with his superior strength. Raven was able to throw the soldiers off balance despite their weight. Beast Boy attacked them in his T-Rex form.
"You look a little rusty Tinman!" he said to one of them.
The soldier remained silent, just like the rest.
"You guys don't talk much, do you?" Beast Boy asked them.
Again, no response. Neither of them were responding to their remarks.
"And I thought Raven was hard to talk to," Beast Boy thought.
Raven rolled her eyes.
"We can't worry about that right now, Beast Boy," Robin reminded him. "We're here for the ring."
The Titans tried to pick up the pace knowing that time was on the essence.
Back in the stars, Starfire was trying to find a way to bring the space manta down. She couldn't touch it, and she couldn't blast energy at it on the tail. She was thinking of what possible weak spots the manta could have. She noticed as it blasted electricity at her, it had trouble landing it right at her. Perhaps the eyes were a weak area. She lit her hands up at full capacity and threw two giant starbolts that landed on the manta's two eyes. The manta yelped in pain as his eyes began to sting. Starfire grabbed the manta from the tail, swung it around like a yo-yo, and threw it out of sight.
"Victory!" Starfire cried triumphantly.
"Not quite," said a voice from behind her.
Starfire turned and gasped to see her sister floating behind her.
"I believe the Ring of Hnyxx has yet to be claimed, and I am going to be the one who wields it."
"You shall never wield the ring!" shouted Starfire as she threw a group of starbolts at her sister.
Blackfire dodged them with ease as she charged at Starfire. She was able to land two solid punches to Starfire's stomach, which kept Starfire unable to attack for a bit. While Starfire was unable to pay attention to Blackfire, Blackfire picked up a mini-camera from her pocket. It was showing the rest of the Titans fighting the fortress guards on Jalascis.
"Excellent," she said. "They are right where I want them. It is time."
Just as Blackfire put her gadget aside, Starfire launched for another attack, only to be hit from behind from an electromagnetic blast. Starfire was knocked unconscious. Her assailant was another one of the mysterious soldiers holding an energy blaster. As the soldier picked up Starfire, Blackfire reached for something else in her pocket, something that was giving off a giant purple glow. Blackfire smiled evilly in her triumph.
Back on Jalascis, the rest of the Titans had almost worn out the mysterious soldiers.
"We almost got them, guys!" Robin said to the others. "Just a little more!"
As the Titans finally defeated the guards, they set foot into the fortress. The fortress was completely filled with purple light. The interior also had a big flight of stairs that led to a grey crater.
"Alright guys, just let me crack this nut, and the ring's ours," Cyborg said as he switched his hand for a saw.
Raven was still feeling skeptical. She almost felt that the fight against the soldiers was supposed to be harder.
"Does anyone feel like this was too easy?" she asked the others.
Robin was feeling the same way.
"I hate to say it, but I'm thinking Raven's right. Blackfire gave away the location, and the soldiers were hardly a match for us. I feel like there's something we're missing."
Starfire opened her eyes and noticed that she was on a familiar starship. They resembled the ships from Tamaran. Her sudden feelings of hope were quickly crushed as she found dozens of soldiers surrounding her. When they took off their helmets, Starfire recognized them as her fellow Tamaraneans. But much to her horror, she saw that all of their eyes were glowing purple.
"NO!" she yelled.
She tried to move, but noticed she was confined to a wall. The shackles on her arms and legs were strong enough to keep her from breaking free.
"OH YES!" yelled the voice that belonged to her sister.
Starfire saw her sister float towards her, but she also noticed a purple glow coming from her hand. Starfire gasped at the sight of the Ring of Hnyxx on her sister's finger.
"I had already found the ring before our little talk this morning," gloated Blackfire. "Did you really think I would give you a chance, sister dear?" "Now I have taken control of everyone on Tamaran!"
Starfire looked to the ship's windows. She saw several other Tamaranean ships lined up with the shi she was in, and she knew that they were all under Blackfire's control.
"Oh, that reminds me," said Blackfire. "Galfore has not seen you for some time. I believed this would be a good time before what happens next."
Blackfire waved for someone to step forward. Starfire watched in horror as the man who raised her walked next to her sister with his eyes glowing purple, completely possessed.
"It is truly remarkable that the Grand Ruler of Tamaran had his mind so easily corrupted," Blackfire said. "With as old as he is, it only took the ring five seconds to take control of him."
"YOU MONSTER!" she shouted at Blackfire, as she kept trying to break free.
"Uh-uh-uh," Blackfire said. "I'm not done yet."
Blackfire pulled out a remote of some sort and aimed it in the direction of her ship's monitor. The monitor showed the outside of the fortress of where her friends were searching for the ring.
"I am glad you will suffer before I eliminate you for good, Starfire," Blackfire said.
Blackfire held her remote and pushed a button. Starfire was getting frantic.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Starfire yelled.
"I knew your friends' efforts would help you complicate my quest for the Ring of Hnyxx, so I decided that eliminating them first would be the wisest course of action."
Starfire tried reaching for her communicator to warn her friends of the coming danger, but she noticed her communicator was missing.
"Looking for something?" asked Blackfire, who was holding Starfire's Titans communicator.
Blackfire crushed the communicator into tiny pieces, ensuring Starfire wouldn't be able to contact them.
Starfire stared at her sister in disbelief. This couldn't be happening. How could it be happening?
"You may want to save your tears for later, sister dear, you may get rather emotional," Blackfire recommended as she watched the monitor.
Cyborg had almost opened the crater. The saw was almost all the way through the top. It just needed a bigger push.
"Hurry, Cy!" yelled Beast Boy. "Blackfire could be here any minute!"
"I almost got it!" Cyborg yelled.
Finally, he was able to remove the top.
"Booyah!" he cried triumphantly. "I got it"
"Way to go Cyborg, now we can-"
But before Robin could finish, they noticed that the ring wasn't a ring at all. It was a giant crystal that was letting out all of the purple light.
"Oh, no," said Robin. "That's not the ring. It's a fake."
"I knew it!" muttered Raven. "Blackfire set us up."
Starfire watched the fortress from the monitor of Blackfire's ship as her sister was counting down to zero.
"Five."
"No!"
"Four."
"NO!"
"Three."
"PLEASE!"
"Two."
"ROBIN!"
"One."
After the countdown hit zero, the fortress on Jalascis exploded in a huge fiery blast that spread out several feet.
"FRIENDS!" wailed a teary Starfire.
Blackfire laughed at her sister's expense. She had eliminated Starfire's friends and had taken control of the people of Tamaran. Now that would make things much easier for the next part of her plan. Once that was all over, she could finally be rid of Starfire once and for all.
