AN: First of all, I'd just like to day that if you haven't read my other story, "Strum", you should—now—before you read this.
Also, Id just like to say thanks for the reviews on Strum. Keep 'em coming, I love your feedback!
"The Alps, The Balkans, The Himalayas, The Manaslu, The Rockies, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount McKinley, Mount Aconcagua, Mount Elbrus, even places in Antarctica, he's attacked all of them….Do you think he could just be after mountains?"
"I do not know, Robin. Why would he dislike the mountains?"
"I don't know, Starfire. For all I know he could just be afraid of heights."
"But, Robin, I do not understand! Slade has been in high places numerous times—''
"I was being sarcastic, Star."
"Oh." Robin was pacing his room madly, and Starfire was sitting on his bed, now looking a little sad. Robin could tell he'd made her feel stupid.
"Sorry, I know I shouldn't—''
"No, Robin, I need to understand your earth ways. Please do not feel bad about confusing me."
"I bet he's still after Jericho, though. He's probably just tracking him."
"Jericho is…Not a nice boy. I do not think he deserves to be tracked."
"That could be why he's being tracked, Star. Slade might want to use him against us."
"I do not understand why they are such mean people."
"Yeah, me either, Star." Ever since Jericho left the T Tower, Slade's attacks on mountains got increasingly ruthless, and the time between the attacks started getting shorter and shorter. Not to mention the fact that he hadn't threatened the Titans in months—that was what really irritated Robin.
"I…Um…" said Robin, nervously trying to slide into a topic he'd been avoiding all day, "I got a message from…Um…Blackfire last night."
"But Robin, Blackfire is in a maximum security jail!"
"Yeah—I didn't open it, so I don't know how she sent it. Do you want to see it?"
"Yes, I do! I need to know how that slorkalblad got the means to send you a message even though she is in jail!" Starfire's eyes flared green.
"Okay," Robin said warily. Nervously, he clicked on the message she'd sent to him on his computer. Its window opened, and not only was it a message, it was also a video. How she got the technology for that in a jail Robin couldn't even imagine.
"Hey, Robin!" said Blackfire in her normal silky, casual voice. She looked just as good as ever, and her cell actually appeared to be decorated with a somewhat-nice blanket, fluffy pillows, and curtains. Robin couldn't help noticing that she was also dressed in clothes even nicer than what she had usually worn when she stayed with the Titans instead of the gray jumpsuits that all the other prisoners were wearing in their cells. This girl had connections—Robin couldn't help being just a little impressed at how she'd even managed to wrap the guards around her finger.
"I persuaded one of the guards to lend me this camera and his computer, because I was just dying to talk to you." She flashed a smile. "Anyway, so how's my little sister doing? Still as stupid and confused as usual? Don't bother telling me. I don't care.
"What I do care about, though, is you." Blackfire now slightly pouted. "I miss you so much. Maybe you could help me convince these guards that I'm really not a bad person so they'd let me get out of here and we could start back where we left off? Don't act like that doesn't entice you, Robin, because we both know it does."
"Hey beautiful," said a man from off camera, "I need my camera back. Warden's gonna catch you."
"Just a minute!" she called seductively, then looked back at the camera, rolling her eyes. "Don't worry, he's just a guard. The idiot thought I wasn't kissing him just to use the camera.
"Well, I guess I'd better be off now, Robin. Please, consider this? You know we both want it…Bad." She winked at him, then said, "Oh!" and held her hand up, the back of it facing the camera. On her ring finger, she had a huge, sparkly purple ring that Robin couldn't stop staring at. "Like it?" Blackfire asked. "It's another thing I got from one of the guards. I didn't exactly have to kiss him, but it was so worth it." The transmission ended with her chuckling darkly.
"Robin?" said Starfire after a long pause. "What did she mean by—''
"Nothing, Star. I have no idea what she meant."
"But she—''
"I don't know what she meant, okay? Now let's go back to tracking down Slade. He's more important…"