Chapter 16:
Starfire ran up to the Operation's room to see Slade on the screen. She walked slowly up to the front of the room, towards Robin and the other Titans.
"I see, you've finally decided to show yourself, you bitch." Slade focused his attention to Starfire. The entire teem turned to see the alien behind them. Starfire was scared out of her mind, and Robin knew this, but even though she was, she sure didn't show it. She walked with her back strait, her head up, and she looked Slade right in his mask, never saying a word.
"Don't you ever talk to her like that." Robin yelled.
"What are you going to do about it?" Slade turned to Robin, "So, I bet you are still wondering what I'm trying to do, huh?"
"Well actually…" Beastboy said.
"Beastboy!" Cyborg said.
"What, we still don't know!" Beastboy yelled in his own defense.
"He is right, you know, you should never let the enemy know you still don't have a clue as to what's going on…" Slade lectured
"Don't you ever lecture my team!" Robin yelled.
"You know, Robin, you are doing a lot of threatening lately…" Slade said.
"Why did you contact us, Slade." Starfire walked forward to the screen, looking strait into Slade's bright red eye.
"You will know in time, Starfire, only time…" Slade laughed
"What do you want?" Raven asked.
Robin stared at the screen, looking for clues, any clue at all, as to where Slade was.
Cyborg and Beastboy just watched.
"Well, I guess I should give you a hint to what's going on…" Slade smiled, "I'm sure you know all about the Atomronicon."
"No way man!" Cyborg gasped.
"no." Raven muttered.
"NO!" Robin yelled, "It isn't possible."
"but it is…" Starfire sighed and Slade smiled…
"Um…so let's just pretend I have no idea what you guys are talking about…what's an Atomroniconi whats its?"
Starfire sighed, "How would you put it, it condenses and stops molecules and atoms in one particular place for however amount of time the holder has it, utterly destroying the space time continuum."
"huh?" Beastboy's head spun.
Raven sighed, "She means, with Slade in control of that, he can stop one person or thing for as long as he wants and they cant get out of it, only feel anything that happens to them."
"um….oh my gosh!"
"I know you are especially familiar with it, Starfire…" Slade snickered. "Well, that is all, Titans, I hope you have a glorious day!" and with that, his face disappeared.
"Retrieve the conversation." Raven said, having seen something.
"What did he mean, 'I know you are familiar with it, Starfire?'" Robin asked while Raven worked a little on the computer.
"Um…" Starfire shifted in her feet, "X and I may have practiced with it, once…"
"You mean…in…" Robin stopped when Starfire started to nod; tears were threatening her eyes.
"I regret it now, but then, it felt so good…" she sighed, "we did a lot of very bad things, very naughty things." She walked off to her room.
"Wait! What does he want to do with it?"
"He never told us, but I know one thing. I think he wants to use it on me…because, well…" Starfire smiled, "I left the two for you."
"Robin, Starfire, get back up here!" Beastboy yelled through the intercom.
"What is it?" Starfire asked when they ran through.
"I thought I heard something in the background…" Raven said, still typing away.
"Yeah, and she was right!" Beastboy crossed his arms.
"Okay…what did you hear?" Robin asked.
"This…" Raven said, pressing 'enter' and they heard a man talking. "Welcome to Jump City. We hope you enjoy your stay here. Next train leaving at B6 is in nine minutes."
"Train station…" Robin said.
"Somewhere near the entrance to the city." Cyborg thought
"B6…" Starfire sighed, "I know where he is." She jumped up in the air,
"Titans! Follow Starfire!" Robin shouted, "GO!"
Starfire grabbed Robin and Raven created a platform for Cyborg to stand on. And they were out the window and gone.
"Starfire…"
"Yes?"
Robin sighed then spoke again, "Whatever happens in this battle, I want you to know this." He took a breath, "No matter what happened, no matter what your past has brought you, or what happens today, I still love you and I will always love you, Starfire."
"When we make it through this remind me to give you a big kiss." Starfire smiled, "And right back at you."
After three minutes, Starfire landed in front of an old building, which looked like an abandoned train station.
"How could someone have been announcing over the intercom here?" Cyborg asked.
"This is the old B6 station, the new one is right there." She pointed at a large building that read in big bold letters, "MERTRO LINK—B6"…
"Oh." Cyborg said.
"So why are we h-." Beastboy started.
"Because, this is where I know he is. Just trust me, okay?" Starfire smiled and walked inside.
The Titans stared as Starfire walked slowly inside. The doors closed behind her and they started to follow.
TTTT
Starfire walked inside, her heart pounding…what would they do to her? She knew…but she couldn't even imagine the horror. Sighing, she stepped forward, letting the doors swing closed behind her, enveloping her in pure darkness. Hadn't she told them to follow? Whatever, they would be right behind…but what was that? There was a click behind her.
Starfire took in a deep breath, letting the familiar scent fill her lungs. She snapped her head around to see nothing. She could hear pounding on the door, they wanted in…but she couldn't allow it. She didn't want to show her fear. She didn't want them to see what she was going to have to suffer. If they really wanted in, they would have to work for it.
Starfire lit up a starbolt, letting the darkness disappear slightly, only replaced by the green light. She saw a black shadow dart to the side of her. She hated this.
Slade warned them both of what would happen if they left him…it wasn't going to be pretty. Starfire jumped into the air, floating only a few feet above the ground. There it was again, another shadow.
"Alright, Slade. Red X, you can show yourselves now…it's just me."
"Last time we trusted you, princess, you turned your back." Slade's voice came from every direction, echoing off of every wall. Starfire was inside one of those horror movies Beastboy always made them watch.
Except, in those movies, good triumphs over evil…
Here, in reality, evil will triumph. She knew it…at least in this situation, Slade was going to win…
Maybe it was like Cyborg said, maybe every thing is done for a reason. Maybe this was just another piece to the puzzle. Maybe the Titans would defeat them after today. Maybe today would do someone else good.
Starfire sighed, "I know. I bring my apologies and whatever I can do to make it up to you."
"There's nothing you can do, unless you left the planet for good…" Red X smiled, "You know too much."
"I will not leave the planet like a coward."
"You left us like a coward. You left me!" Red X acted hurt.
"After you forced me to loose someone I loved." Starfire said calmly, using all of her will power to keep her from shouting.
"Who? Robin?" Slade walked forward into the light, so did X.
"No…you still didn't tell him? After all this time?" Starfire snapped at X.
"Don't snap at me! I don't need to tell him everything about our personal life! Besides, I didn't even know you loved that!"
"Tell me what?" Now Slade sounded pissed… "What didn't you tell me, Red X?"
"Well, that would explain a lot about why I left, now wouldn't it?" Starfire asked X, "You made me a promise. You promised me that you would never intentionally bring harm to me! You did that day in the hospital. You only cared about yourself, not about me…"
"But…"
"NO! I'm not finished, Now I will never be able to have that now in my life! I was actually growing accustomed to it, but no, you ruined it all for me!"
"What did you do, X?" Slade asked, grabbing him by the throat.
"Please, let him go. I will tell you." Starfire rose into the air. "I was pregnant with his child for about seven weeks before I was forced through an abortion. I could already feel it's heartbeat…you didn't listen though!" Starfire screamed.
"Starfire." Slade started, "I didn't come to see why you left. I came to give you one last chance. On X's behalf, he convinced me to let you have one last chance. Join us again, become Nightblade, and you won't be harmed. But if you don't…well…" he held up the large device…the Atomronicon.
"Well?" Red X inquired, "I still love you. I really don't want harm to come to you! Please join us. Please." He held up her old costume.
"Um…" Starfire thought about this. She could join them, become a villain again. She did kind of miss the trill of stealing and being with X.
Or, she could turn down her offer and…be frozen in time forever. She could have her head chopped off and everything, and she would still be alive…according to Slade.
Starfire sighed…she didn't know.
