"Th-There is an underground f-facility," Fraust murmurs as she leads Starfire and Static northward through the forest. She clamors her trembling way around trees, under branches, and over exposed splotches of rock. "A few m-miles north, to be exact. It is our b-branch for missions and activities th-this far into the continent. Neo H.I.V.E. likes to keep its organization sp-spread around…. … ….they g-get to control people th-that way.. …."

Static squints his goggled eyes. "And just how did a poor girl like you get caught up in a mess like H.I.V.E.?"

Fraust glares slightly over her shoulder. Mist wafts forth from her lips: "H-Has it ever d-dawned upon you that I'm a 'p-poor girl' after having been caught up in H.I.V.E.?"

Static bites his lip. "Erm……. ….hmmm…. …."

"J-Just follow me… …," she sighs and proceeds without a stagger. "And I p-promise you that you w-won't be misled.. …. …Besides, it is n-not like I could survive your w-wrath if I were t-to attempt running away.. …."

"Who said anything about our having any 'wrath', girl?"

"Regardless.. … …d-decimating me would be m-most deserving.. …," Fraust climbs on ahead.

Static whistles. "Yeesh! That girl needs seriously counseling… .. ….or a tanning booth." He smirks aside at Starfire.

"… … … …," the Tamaranian girl floats on. Silent. Brooding.

Static raises an eyebrow. "Wow, don't you seem excited for this trip."

"I must state, Virgil, that I am extremely regretful of agreeing to this mission now."

"Pssst---It's static. And why look so down? I thought you wanted to find out more about this Flaar fella!"

"Mmmmm-But I was certainly not warranting that we betray the Titans!"

"Who's betraying who, Star? We're not helping Fraust escape! We're just.. … ..j-just borrowing her for a tour guide!"

"But it does not feel right to do such extraordinary things behind the Titans backs," Starfire sighs and hugs herself while floating forward. "Robin will be most disapproving….."

"Hey… … …Robin's the dude who—for all intents and purposes—isn't seeming to give a rat's fanny about how important it is to find this 'Flaar'!"

"…. … …."

Static sighs, then smiles gently as he leans in to her: "Look… …," he utters in a low, soft voice. "Just say the word, Starfire. And I'll bring this trip to a hault. We'll take Fraust back to the penitentiary. Hell, she may be safest from hurting herself there. Damn, this girl gives me the heebie-jeebies.. …."

"Do not mistake my wording, Virgil. I am most grateful for your assistance, but… …"

"Hmm?"

"… … …it just disturbs me," Starfire whispers.

"What does?"

"That… … …that to do that which is most dear to me, I would have to do it in such a manner that is so deceptive to my team leader."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better. If worse comes to worst, I'll take the flack for this whole shebang," Static gestures with a smile. "Robin can dish it all out on me. Heh, I am the rookie after all."

"I would almost hope he would pay me such horrid attention.. …."

"Okay, girl, now THAT has to stop," Static points.

Starfire blinks. "I-I am afraid I do not understand—"

"Look, far be it from me, the token-electrical-brother-dude, to speak out and wave red flags around like STDs in Courtney Love's underwear. But this whole Robin-obsession thing has got to stop. And I don't say that as a Titan or an egotistical nerd, but—hopefully—as a friend."

Starfire frowns. "It is most certainly not an obsess—"

"Then why is your only bigass concern right now simply about how good or bad of an impression you're going to be making on him for traveling here?"

"…. …. ….it should be about poor Flaar…," Starfire murmurs. "This is my mission.. ….My objective…."

"Darn straight, Starfire," Static nods with a smile. He then gently touches her shoulder. "Look, it's not my place or anyone's place to dictate to you. I just hate to see you beat yourself up so much over some dude who—though I'm sure he's nice and kind to you at times—seems to be way too preoccupied with the team at the moment. Just….I dunno—let Robin ride this crap out of his system by his own schedule and accept things as they are! Otherwise, you might become a sickening, frozen sourpuss and result to wanting to cut and berate yourself all the time like—" he motions with his head "—Miss Sunshine there!"

Starfire manages a wince. "It would be… .. …m-most disheartening to succumb to her psychological predicament."

"Yeah… …."

"… … ….I m-must think it over, Virgil…."

"I understand, Starfire," he nods. "In the meantime… ..heheh… …" He smiles. "We seem to be making good headway!"

"Hehe….truly… …," Starfire smiles.

"Excuse me while I go catch up with her and make sure she's not leaving icicle marks in the grass or something—"

"Virgil?"

"Uhhh---Huh?"

She gently touches his arm, smiles at him, and nods her head. "Thank you. Thank you most kindly."

"… .. ….for what?"

"For everything," she coos.

"…. .. ….," Static momentarily blushes. He clears his throat and wanders forward. "Ehem… …wh-what are friends for? Eh heh heh heh.. …."

Starfire hovers to the back of the line. She gazes after him. A beat. She reaches a hand to her communicator and holds its pulsing form in her palm.

"Yes.. ….," she sighs. "… .. …'friends'… .. …"

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

Robin holds his communicator in his gloved palm. It is flipped open and a tiny map is blipping an orange light north of their position. He stares at it in a half-kneeling position at a tree stump. Eyebrow raised. Silent.

I glance at it over his shoulder as he's waiting… … ….

All the while, Bard paces back and forth behind us and rambles:

"Okay, so if my swaggering instincts tell me right—We head south and follow the creek. Any good villainess makes her hideout downstream. I mean--read it in the papers--Intergang owned at least three hideouts inside giant, hydroelectric dams. Right, Noirry?"

I shrug.

"Anywho. It's best that we stay together. Cuz along the road south, there are certain to be tons of ambushes and booby traps and--"

Clip! Robin snaps his communicator shut and stands up. "We're headed North."

Bard does a double-take. He looks at him. "What?"

"Call it a hunch… …," Robin pockets his communicator away and cracks his joints. "But we're heading North."

"What the Hell do you mean by a 'hunch'.. .. …'sir'?"

Robin turns. He stares at Bard and I, but he doesn't glare as he says: "… …an executive….'hunch'." He turns and marches north. "Keep up, Bard. Noir. If I'm going to have two team members working alongside me this day, I want them to be useful."

Bard frowns. His fists clench as he mutters: "If karma doesn't clip his wings, I just may have to wrangle my way into a Hindu temple and summon Shiva on his behind." A beat. He smirks at me. "Heh, I'm rather proud of that one myself."

I smile helplessly.

Bard squints at me and motions Robin's way. "You have any clue what he's up to?"

I lie. I shake my head 'no'.

"Darned if I ain't confused as all get out. But hey…," Bard shrugs and trudges along through the woods. "If he doesn't want none of my outdoors skills, so be it! His funeral! Heh….bird boy in a shoebox… …floatin' down a river. Now why's that a plum-silly thought to enter my head so?"

He walks along.

I shuffle along after him.

I don't let on about what I saw when I glanced over Robin's shoulder.

The Boy Wonder's found some sort of beacon heading due north of us. And that's what we're going after.

I could just as easily have told Bard that. But—no offense to my buddy—I'm skipping that detail. I figure it's the 'Titan' thing to do, and I'm seriously learning that—if Robin doesn't mention the specific reason for doing something, then neither should I.

Sometimes it helps to keep one's mouth doubly 'silent'.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"But surely, you must have some family!" Starfire exclaims, hovering closer to the frozen girl. "A guardian, perhaps? Siblings? Godparents?"

"It d-doesn't matter… …," Fraust exhales cold air and stumbles forward. "In the end, we are all alone in th-this heartless world.. …"

Starfire looks sad: "But surely you do not mean that! There is hope for everyone! Even you! Why… …Why y-you are helping us, and truly that must be a sign of good will and trust and—"

"P-Please… …S-Save it…," the girl shudders. "I know p-perfectly well th-that you are going to t-turn me back into prison once this search is over with, so pl-please do not t-try to coddle me for no r-reason.. …" Fraust moves along.

Starfire's jaw drops. She floats after her—

"Let her be, Star," Static murmurs as he catches up. "Some people can't be helped."

"But I do so sympathize with her… …," Starfire bites her lip. "I am suddenly sensing the distraught situation she has been in that is so reminiscent of Flaar. Surely she is not a villain!"

"Villains, Starfire, are not so much evil because they're malicious," Static points. ".. …but because they're selfishly desperate."

"… … …that is surely the grayest of lines."

"But it's a real one," Static shrugs. "Half of the 'Bang Babies' I fight back in Dakota City act the way they do because they're constantly in a state of confusion and fright.. ….and—as fate would have it—they have all the wrong superpowers in all the wrong places."

"But it is so terribly wrong," she sighs. "I only wish to help her."

"I know that. And I would love to help both the wicked and the scared people I fight against all the same," Static says. "But sometimes… …Sometimes, Star, the damage is done."

Starfire stares down into the Earth. "I wonder if the damage is done for Flaar… …."

Silence.

Static takes a breath, bears a hopeful smile, and nudges her. "Eh…. ..Of course he will be okay, Star. You've got some sort of power that touched him, right? If it worked to pierce his defenses then.. …. …who knows what wonders it could do now?"

"… … …," she smiles ever so slightly. "I would endeavor to emulate your enthusiasm, Static."

"Hey! I'm a battery! It's what I do. Heh heh…"

"Hehehe—"

"Here… ….," Fraust murmurs.

Static and Starfire stop in their tracks.

"What?"

Fraust has stopped before a patch of solid green Earth. "The Bridge is here."

"… … ….?"

"….. …the Bridge?" Starfire leans forward.

Fraust nods. She raises her foot and slams it down over the grass. WHAP!

Cl-CLANK! WHURRRRRRRRRRR!

Static and Starfire jump back at the ready. Before them, a giant 'mouth' opens up in the Earth besides Fraust. Surely enough, a huge, mechanical cave entrance is formed. A flight of stone-gray stairs lead down into blackness. Everything is foreboding and curious at the same time.

"To complete the journey b-before us… …," Fraust murmurs. "W-We must continue the r-rest of the length to the h-headquarters of Neo H.I.V.E. underground."

Starfire and Static are silent. Nervous.

Fraust carefully gauges them. She trembles and utters: "A-Are you willing?"

Starfire looks to Static.

Static sees the hopefulness in her eyes. He gulps away his own willies and shrugs with a devil-may-care grin. "What the Hell?" He marches forward. "Let's go to Hell!"