Here we go... entering the final stretch... alas.. I have to go study German for finals!

Reiko's POV

I was tired of standing around doing nothing. Richie was out there fighting against someone that had more strength and power than even the Teen Titans could deal with. I was trying to think of some way to get down there. I wanted to be beside Richie and make sure that he was not going to get hurt. I had no idea what was wrong with me, most people would stay where they were, but in my heart I knew that I couldn't let Richie fight this out alone, I didn't want to have the last time I see him be when he is going off to fight. I couldn't create my bubble; I probably didn't have enough energy for that, after all that Slade had done to me, let alone having enough to keep me flying. I looked around, and spotted metal siding on the building I was standing on. Smiling I dashed over to them, trying to pry them off. I couldn't seem to get it off, which was surprising; they didn't look like they had been riveted on there.

"Why don't you try zapping it like your friend Static does?"

I jumped back, feeling the electricity coursing through my veins. He laughed as I fell into a fighting stance. Slade looked like he had the crap beat out of him, which made me laugh. We circled one another, and I began to hope that maybe I had a fighting chance.

"If I can't have this planet, they can't have you. Ought to make your dearest wallow in the pits of despair." Slade said.

"You've got to catch me first Slade. From the looks of it, you'll be having a hard time of it right now." I said.

"Don't be so sure princess." He laughed.

I smiled and spun as he kicked, bringing my electricity up to bear on him. He jumped back, almost not fast enough. His movements were slower, which didn't say much for me. I was still a little behind from when he had captured me before. At least we were more evenly matched than before. I spent more time blocking and dodging than throwing a punch or kick in at him. We were all over that roof, in a deadly dance of fists.

I brought my arm across my chest, blocking another kick, but this time using my electricity much like Static did and a panel came flying towards us. Slade ducked as I back flipped to avoid it. When I landed on my feet again, Slade was a mere breath away from me. Before I could move, I felt a pressure on my chest, and a sharp pain. I looked down, grabbing the handle of the knife. I looked up at him, confused at the sudden turn of events. I could hardly breath, he jerked the knife, I screamed, and suddenly the wind was whipping my hair about my face.

"I'll tell your boyfriend you love him, right after I shove a knife in his back."

"Reiko!" I heard.

I didn't know what was happening, I closed my eyes, feeling my breath disappear into the wind.

Richie's POV

I had thought something was a little odd a moment after Slade had disappeared. I looked around at the people, and then towards where I had left Reiko. It hit me like ten thousand pounds of cement. He hadn't given up quiet as easily as we thought he had. I knew that if he was going to give up on the planet, he'd make life as miserable as he could for everyone else. He would take the planet's princess away from her people just moments after bringing her back. He would rip a hole in my heart that could never be fixed. I heard everyone shouting at me as I took off.

I watched Reiko and Slade fight one another on the roof of the building. It could only end one way. I saw a sheet of metal go flying, and Reiko flip backwards to avoid being decapitated. Slade moved faster than lightning, and I sucked a breath in as she shuddered from the impact. I heard her scream as he shoved the knife deeper into her chest. He was gone in another flash.

"Reiko!"

I couldn't hear myself scream her name as she plummeted from the roof. I caught her, in the nick of time I suppose. Her eyes seemed empty, and blood stained her shirt, and gurgled from her mouth as she gasped for her final breaths. I skidded to a stop in front of the others, her people gasping in terror and sorrow.

"Reiko! Reiko please, don't leave! Don't leave me, please don't die! Reiko! Reiko!" I cried, my hands on her face, wiping the blood away.

I felt arms pulling me away, as her people crowded around us. I was screaming at them to leave me alone. I couldn't handle this. It was the second time I had allowed her to get hurt, and this time, I had gotten her killed. They let me go after a moment, and I cradled Reiko's head in my hands as they brought someone forward. Reiko looked at me, her eyes blank, smiling. She was trying to say something, but I couldn't hear her. I watched them as they pulled the knife from her chest, causing her to spasm in pain, a gurgling sound coming from her mouth now. He must have punctured a lung when he stabbed her. Someone pulled something out of a box, and I watched as they moved it towards her. It was penlike, and had a blue button or light at the top. It made a strange noise as it worked.

"She is not yet beyond our aid." A woman said.

"She's not breathing that well. She's dying!" I shouted.

"But she is not dead."

"She's got a point Gear. Now let them do what they do, so Reiko doesn't die." Static said.

"We have to get her to the citadel. It will take time." The man said.

"I can fly. Point it out to me, and I'll take her there." I said.

The woman looked at the man, he nodded. "I will join you."

I picked up Reiko, and the man followed me as I blasted off from the ground, he brought up a wind around his feet, and levitated. I flew in the direction they had indicated, and the man could hardly keep up. I had Backpack on her chest, keeping an eye on her vitals, which were dropping rapidly. The only thing that was keeping her alive was probably her fast healing factor, and even that wouldn't keep her alive for long, since the knife had pierced a lung and injured her heart. He also did what he could to make sure that her heart kept beating. The man caught up to me and led me into the building, and then took her from me. I didn't want to let go, but he didn't stop me from following. He laid her gently on the table as I watched in amazement.

They brought out the pen tool again, and began to work. The bleeding slowed, and then stopped as they pointed it at the wound. From what it looked like, they had cauterized the wound. They pulled out another small tool, and another laser, green this time, was aimed into the wound. I didn't know what it was doing until ten minutes later, the skin closed up as if there hadn't been an injury there at all. I looked at Reiko, urging her to breath. The tool seemed to have regenerated everything, lost blood, the harm done to her internal organs. They watched her for a moment, and brought out what I hoped would bring her back. They placed it over her heart, and stepped back. There was a flash of light, but nothing. It did that a few times before Reiko started to breath on her own again. They brought out the regeneration pen, and the scanner, checking her brain I'd suppose. I began to file away what I had seen so that I could hopefully come up with something like it for our battles on earth.

"Welcome back princess." The man said.

Reiko opened her eyes and looked at me; I smiled, knowing that this was the end for us. She looked so sad, but I didn't want her to. She sat up slowly, touching the hole in her shirt. She got off the table and walked over to me. She touched my cheek, and I put my finger to her lips.

"Welcome back, princess." I said softly. She hugged me tightly.