Nightwing stood up, folding his weapon at the same time.

"I wouldn't have killed you."

And then, he disappeared the same way he came.

Coming

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Nightwing leaned on the wall of the air vent, panting, as the full impact of what Trogaar said hit him like a strong blow from a dull mallet.

'She is alive…'

He didn't care if it was something Trogaar had said to save his worthless skin. He didn't care if it was just another lie in this world. If for the moment he could believe she was alive, it was enough for him.

He darted through the vent, silent as a shadow. Only his quick, excited breathing gave him away.

He was one floor away from her.

Three rooms away.

Two rooms away.

Just one room away.

Blackfire jumped backward as she heard a resounding crash. There was a clatter of metal among the cloud of dust that filled the room. Blackfire waited, trying to see what had happened, but the room was still too hazy. She lit up both her starbolts in her hand, ready for anything.

Anything except an enraged Nightwing with his bo-staff.

Blackfire fell on her side with a thump, seeing stars as something hard connected with the left side of her head. Getting back quickly to her feet, she shot a flurry of purple starbolts in the general direction of where the blow had come from.

The bolts cleared the remnants of the dust, and Blackfire saw the dark silhouette of Nightwing standing determinately under the hole he had made in her ceiling.

"YOU!" she shouted, throwing another volley of starbolts at him. Jumping to the side, he dodged them easily.

"Were you expecting me?" he said, as he threw one of his freeze disks at her. She blew it up mid-flight with another purple energy ball.

"Maybe," she hissed while launching a starbolt, her voice matching the sound the ball made while flying through the air. Nightwing deflected this with a twirl of his metal staff.

"You'll have to do much better than that," Nightwing mocked, throwing another freeze disk. This time it hit the mark; right on her feet, and Blackfire struggled to retain her balance. Before she could melt the ice with her powers, however, strong cords wrapped themselves around her, binding her arms to her torso.

Blackfire's eyes glowed violet, but nothing happened.

"Took a leaf out of your book," he said. "Energy absorbing wires."

Blackfire bared her teeth, looking like a remarkably like a rabid wolf.

After a brief strain, the cords snapped. "You forgot my strength," she smiled coldly.

Nightwing's enraged blow came even before she finished her sentence. Emitting a loud grunt, she quickly veered to her left, sending five well-aimed bolts that never met its mark.

There was a bang as Nightwing threw down two smoke pellets, knowing he would have an advantage if his opponent lost visual, because he could fight just as well in the darkness.

Sure enough, Blackfire swiveled around in the gray fog that surrounded her, trying to get a lock on Nightwing's location, her feet scraping on broken plaster littered on the severely dented floor.

Nightwing smiled to himself, for he could sense her as clearly as if there was no smoke. He crept silently to a spot right behind her. The smoke was now thin enough to see everything distinctly. Nightwing raised his bo-staff, posed to strike.

The door banged open, revealing a very irritated Tamaranian.

"Klorbag! What are you trying to do? Make another mess for me to clean?"

The situation might have been funny, when they would look back on the moment ten years later, safe in each other's arms, beside the warm campfire.

Blackfire and Nightwing looked up at the voice, both of them wearing identical looks of surprise, surrounded by broken bits of walls and furniture. But Nightwing's soon turned into a disbelieving wonder, while Blackfire's a one of hatred.

Starfire's eyes were wide, wide like the ones of the frightened deer on the highway when it suddenly meets a truck. Her mouth formed a small o like the dry, bland cheerios she used to buy back in Jump.

The moment seemed frozen in time, where all sound became nonexistent, where they did not even breathe.

Then the time came rushing back to them as the metal staff fell from Nightwing's limp hands with a resounding clatter. It came back as Blackfire turned around and tried to zap Nightwing. And Starfire threw a large starbolt at her sister, causing Blackfire to keel over unconscious. And Nightwing tied her up with the energy absorbing ropes. And they just stood there, with Blackfire lying between them, unable to believe this miracle.

Both were worried that once they say something or make a move, this would all have turned out to be another dream, another fantasy. Just like the ones they had numerous times since their separation.

Except Blackfire was never a part of either of their dreams.

Starfire spoke first.

"You came to find me," she whispered. "Even when you thought me dead."

She stepped over Blackfire's unmoving body. Nightwing could feel her soft breath tickle his face, smelling of honey and oranges. He closed his eyes, praying that this was all real, and that when he opened his eyes, she would still be there.

Taking a deep breath he opened his eyes.

"You're real." His voice was husky from hopeful fear.

She hugged him tightly, burying her face into his shoulder.

"Tell me this is not a dream…"

He slowly wrapped his own arms around her waist, the fruity scent of her hair filling his being. How he had missed that scent!

"I can promise you that," he murmured in her ear.

Starfire held him at arm's length, searching his face with a ravenous expression on her thin face.

"Every single night I beheld you in my arms…but when I approached, you vanished." Her voice was quiet, her emotion unreadable.

Nightwing tried to give a slight smile. "Well, I…!"

He was cut short by Starfire's lips. They felt dry and cracked, unlike the velvety softness he remembered. But in a second, he didn't care. Starfire, Starfire was in his arms. Safe and warmly alive. He would return the silkiness of her lips with time.

He closed his eyes and drank deep from the cup of ecstasy, his heart aching from this ethereal joy.

They parted reluctantly, the desire to see each other's faces the only reason for it.

"I…I have missed you…"

Nightwing bit his lip. "Me too."

This time, the kiss made their souls meld together into one glorious whole.

I'm not really satisfied...but that's the best I could crank up after all this time. Pitiful, I know : ( But I still hope you enjoyed!

Now, one thing left! Review and Starfire will give you a glomp.