Starfire sat on the bed, lazily stroking her fingers across Robin's body, peaceful, resigned.
"I know this all looks completely hopeless, but you can't know, it could work out," he said, trying to convince himself as well as her.
She sighed. "Robin-"
"We'll get married."
Her body started and she gazed at him wonderingly in shock, her mouth hanging open.
"Yeah. We'll get married. And we'll have a wonderful life, and we'll have lots of kids," he grinned. "White picket fences and all."
Starfire stared for a bit more before she smiled ruefully, shaking her head.
"It takes staring death in the face for you to finally commit to me," she said, irony lacing her tone.
He chuckled sadly. "I thought I had all the time in the world to work things through with you, Star. But today just made me realize that I have no time at all. Even if we make it through this… I'll cherish every minute I have with you. I'm done wasting my time."
Starfire sobered. She was silent for a long minute, then asked softly, "Do you believe there is something after death?"
Robin's eyebrows furrowed, his blue eyes troubled. "Well… yeah. I mean, Heaven, right? There's got to be one, Raven's living proof there's something out there… and there's a Hell. I've already walked through Hell. Don't ever want to go there again."
Starfire smiled softly. "We also have the concept of a heaven."
"Do you believe in a god at all?"
"X'hal is our deity. She was an Okaaran woman centuries ago. She was a peaceful woman, part of a peaceful race."
Starfire's lips turned into a frown. "The Okaarans had never contacted another race before. When… when they first encountered another alien race, X'hal… X'hal was there to greet them."
Robin frowned with her, noticing the stutter and reluctance in her voice.
"Something bad happened?" he guessed.
Starfire looked at the floor. "Yes. The other race they encountered was… the Psions."
Robin's mouth dropped open.
"Oh, Star…"
"They were just as soulless then as they are now." Starfire's voice was dripping with contempt.
"In short, the peaceful nurturing X'hal was bred with a warrior from the planet Branx for an experiment. She endured much suffering and torture." Starfire was now very anguished. "After months of horrible mistreatment, she finally gave birth to twins.
"One had features similar to an Okaaran. The other…" Starfire's breath hitched. "The other became brutish, like his Branx sire… and… became a leader of the Citadel."
Robin didn't know how to react to this, but that wave of pain and hatred washed up in his chest.
"The Branx attempted to violate X'hal, and she stabbed him. He broke her neck."
"Poor X'hal," Robin murmured.
"Yes. The Psions immediately destroyed the Branx and attempted to save X'hal's body, so she could raise her children, but they could not save her. They turned her mind's essence into pure energy, much like your human ghosts. X'hal became wrathful, and she raged against the Psions and destroyed their base. She went back to Okaara, where her son had awakened their war lust. X'hal led them through many battles with other races. When Tamaranians began training with the warlords of Okaara, we adapted X'hal as our goddess, because we were impressed with her prowess."
"So… how does a heaven come into all this?"
"We believe that after we die, we will become energy, like X'hal, and occupy another plane of existence. She will guide us on."
"Hmm," Robin murmured. "You know, parts of it get kinda similar to our beliefs about God on Earth. Well, some of our beliefs about God, or… in some cases gods. Anyway, our God is supposed to be loving and forgiving, but he's been known to display some serious wrath too." Robin smiled. "But yeah, our afterlife… is supposed to be wonderful… Heaven."
Starfire smiled serenely. "I always thought your views on religion were nice. I get tired of the violence sometimes. I like to remember that X'hal was once a nurturing mother."
Her emerald eyes looked worried. "Hopefully we will see each other... after…"
Robin exhaled through his nose, reaching to hold her hand tightly.
"Someday, yeah. We'll be together Star. A long time from now."
Starfire nodded, staring blankly through the door. "Common Tamaranian mothers often latched onto the idea of X'hal before she became wrath filled energy. They spoke of her love and care giving, and sang lullabies of her to their children. When I was a princess on Tamaran, I dismissed the idea. I was not permitted to love and had no use for such impractical sentiments. X'hal was a vengeful warrior, her tactics to be praised. Here and now… for some reason, I think of her as loving… I find the old verses beautiful and comforting."
"Oh?" Robin asked.
Starfire softly recited a lyrical little poem in Tamaranian. Though he didn't know what it meant, she was right, it did sound beautiful.
"What's the translation?"
"X'hal was once purest love
let love deliver you from all hardship
let love guide you in all direction
be courageous, fear not the night
but live by the light of X'hal."
"You're right, that is a beautiful prayer." Robin looked thoughtful. "'Otava nou nu mar'i'…what did the word 'mar'i' mean?"
"Night," Starfire answered, her voice barely above a whisper.
"It sounds similar to 'Marie'. I've always thought that was a pretty name for a girl," Robin said.
Starfire looked at him, the corner of her mouth turned up. "You do?"
Robin looked down, a little embarrassed. "Yeah."
"Why that name, if I may ask?"
Robin glanced up and gazed faraway at the tiny pinpoints of light scattered throughout the dark.
"I'm biased. It's similar to my mother's name."
"It is a beautiful name." Starfire's lips curved into a sad smile, placing her fingers on top of Robin's hand. "Perhaps, if we have a daughter one day."
Robin smiled and squeezed her hand. "That's the way to think."
The dash blipped, communication that the Gordanian ship was within an hour's range. They glanced at each other, knowing it was finally time. They parted hands as they searched for their clothes, somberly pulling various articles back on. Starfire raised her chin, her jaw set and her mouth a straight line. Robin sat in the co-pilot seat, staring blankly out the window and carefully keeping his mind empty.
Starfire was fussing with controls. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw her fingers trembling. He reached out and took up her hand, rubbing it comfortingly. She squeezed back.
The awful realization began to set in; the grave anticipation began to gnaw at their carefully constructed confidence.
It was just another fight. How many times had he gone into a battle thinking it could be his last one? This was nothing different than any other time he had put his life on the line.
He bit his lip when that needle-like voice taunted in his head.
'But it is different. There was never certain gruesome torture and a slow horrific death on the other end.'
He clenched his fist, mentally shoving his conscience away, but it was persistent.
'You're going right into their hands. It's a whole fleet of soldiers against two. How can you think you even stand a chance? They'll capture you alive, and then after the Citadel you won't want to be alive anymore.'
'Shut up!'
'They delight in killing you slowly. It's sadism at its most horrifically mind numbing extreme.'
'Shut up shut up shut up!'
'They want to watch you squirm as they examine how pain ripples across every part of your body.'
'SHUT UP!'
'Batman's torture lessons don't even compare to this.'
Robin pounded his fist on the dash, startling Starfire.
"Sorry Star," he said tightly. He flapped his hand, his fingers tingling and going numb. He was aware his breath was sharper and he could feel the panic lurking at the edges of his carefully blockaded consciousness, trying its best to break through. It clawed at his heart, his chest feeling heavy.
'Just don't think, don't think…'
'They have machines that you can't even conceive of, specially designed to make you scream until your throat bleeds.'
'DAMN IT.'
"How much longer?" Robin's voice was hoarse.
"Twenty five minutes and counting," she responded. Her eyes were dull.
"I love you," he said, his voice blank.
For an instant her face lost its stoic facade and she looked as though she were going to cry and never stop.
"I love you too. Always," she responded, her voice catching on the lump in her throat. Then just as quickly as her face had screwed up her features returned to lifelessness.
"Where is their ship?"
"They are in Gordania's air space. The Gordanians have a satellite base. The ship is currently close to that base."
"Blackfire isn't fucking around, is she."
Starfire shook her head in agreement. "She knew I would come for her. I am not a coward."
"No, you're not."
They stared at each other as a transmission blipped on screen.
Starfire steeled herself, squared her shoulders, and accepted the transmission. Blackfire's menacing grin filled the screen.
"Sister dear," she drawled, her voice mocking.
"Kom," Starfire said, her tone dripping with fury.
"I imagine you've come to turn yourself in?" Blackfire leaned against the control panel, her teeth gleaming behind her taunting lips.
"Never," Starfire snarled.
"Just a 'visit' then." Blackfire leaned back, kicked her heels up onto the dash and inspected her fingernails casually. "You're always so damn difficult."
"We are going to settle this now, Kom," Starfire said icily.
"I see you've brought along your little boy toy. I sincerely hope you didn't think he was actually going to assist you in defeating me; the mere thought is laughable," Blackfire snickered.
"Never mind him, this is between you and me," Starfire snapped.
"You're so serious, you really should lighten up," Blackfire goaded, swinging her legs down from the dash. "I'll tell you what. You'll be allowed to land in the hangar. If you can fight your way to me, we'll see how determined you are to keep yourself out of the Citadel."
Starfire growled low in her throat.
"By the way, Trogar wants to say hello to you too," Blackfire purred.
She clenched her fist.
"See you in a bit, sister dear!" Blackfire sang, smacking the end transmission button.
Starfire's growl turned into a feral scream. She slammed her fist against the wall as she jumped up and paced. Robin got up and turned toward her.
"She's going down, Star, we'll see to it," he seethed, pumping his fist into his palm.
Starfire's eyes began glowing. "I am done dealing with her. I have the right to a life without fear. She cannot take anything from me any longer!"
"That's right. We'll fight them all off!" Robin joined in.
"I will not ever go back to that cursed place again!"
"We've got this Star. We can do this."
Starfire nodded. "We can do this."
The Gordanian ship was looming out the window, coming closer and closer.
"I must land us," Starfire said, sliding into the captain's seat.
"Take us home, baby." Robin cracked his knuckles. "I'm ready for a good fight."
The huge hangar door opened on the back of the ship and Starfire glided in smoothly.
As the craft turned off, Robin and Starfire scanned the hangar area, looking for Gordanian guards. The room seemed to be vacant.
"Cocky bitch," Robin swore. "She's doing this on purpose. She's mocking us."
"I imagine she has a plan for how they are going to encounter us. She intends to wear us out slowly, so when we finally face her we will have little energy left, enabling her to defeat us easily."
"Well we're going to fight to the end, Star. She won't take us out that easily."
They hopped down from the pod.
A ding resounded through the hangar and a door across the way opened for them.
"That way, apparently," Robin pointed sarcastically.
"Ready?" Starfire said.
"Ready."
She flew gracefully into the air and Robin ran along the ground underneath her.
They entered into a dim hallway, crisp blue lights lining the walls and floor.
Still no one was in sight, so they flew/ran until they came to the end of the tunnel which lead them to an intersection.
It was here they encountered their first Gordanians.
Three of them were guarding the tunnels, and as soon as Robin and Starfire came into view they charged forward, two-pronged spears cracking with electricity and the business ends pointed.
Starfire flung out several crackling starbolts, one hitting a guard's face dead on. He wailed and fell to the ground, clutching his burning eyes.
Robin's gleaming bo staff seemed to appear out of thin air. He twirled it so fast it was a blur as one guard's spear was quickly knocked out of his hand. He was butted in the stomach with the end of the staff and flew back into the wall.
The remaining guard went to impale Starfire through the middle but she flitted away and he embedded his weapon into the wall. She punched him viciously from behind and he slumped to the floor.
Starfire gestured her head toward the middle tunnel. "This way."
Robin nodded and together they took off.
This tunnel was long, and Robin cursed audibly when a line of Gordanians was visible down the way, running toward the two heroes. They could not ascertain how many of them there actually were, but it looked to be more than three.
The gap between them became less and less and Starfire yelled as the two groups collided, diving in to attack the Gordanian on the front. Robin's bo staff planted into the stomach of the second Gordanian and he lifted the hapless guard, tossing him with his own momentum right over Robin's head. The guard landed with a painful thwump behind him.
Starfire grappled with a Gordanian's spear, trying desperately to wrench it away from him. He held on tightly, waving it around erratically in an attempt to shake her off. She planted her feet on the wall and used her leverage to finally yank it out of his hands. She twirled it skillfully and turned it back on the guard. He shuddered and shook as the electricity rippled through him, before he collapsed on the ground. Her weapon clanged as another guard locked heads with her.
Robin was engaging two at a time, his bo warding off blows from each of them. He spun around, his metal staff gleaming in the low blue lighting as it smacked into the first guard's head with a sickening crunch. The Gordanian went down. In the same arc he clanged with the other guard's spear, then slipped past and butted the creature in the chest. The winded soldier fell against the wall.
Starfire leveled her spear and plowed through three more guards, bowling them over. Only one guard was left standing at the back of the line. Robin ran up behind Starfire, grabbing her hand. She swung him forward. His bo cleanly knocked the Gordanian's spear out of his hand, and then Robin's feet planted into the guard's chest. The winded soldier went down, his head cracking on the floor with a sickening thwack.
Having dispatched all the guards in this section, the two heroes continued down the hall, their faces serious.
In another intersection a group of guards were stationed, ready to fight. News of Starfire and Robin's path was sent out to the entire ship, and it would not be long before they had a mob of Gordanians on their hands. There was an elevator a few feet away, and Starfire knew it would take her to the bridge, where her sister was waiting.
They charged in, green and scaly meeting blazing purple and swift black. Robin's staff flashed as it attacked guard after guard, swinging in wide arcs. He darted gracefully between opponents, efficiently incapacitating each of them.
Starfire had equal poise, dropping her spear so she could use her starbolts to the maximum effect. Her body looped through Gordanians, avoiding their deadly weapons, her fists and feet making contact. Then they would come together, back to back, using their bodies as an advantage to protect each other.
There were three left. Robin had one who was putting up quite the fight. This Gordanian was more skilled than the rest of the expendable guards. Starfire was also engaging one, leaving the last Gordanian free. He charged in, the prongs of his spear crackling. Starfire glanced to the side and saw him coming. She avoided a stab from her current opponent and attempted to dart up and away to retreat. She wasn't in time, and the advancing soldier managed to slice her left thigh. She screeched in pain as she pressed her back to the ceiling, blood dripping from the cut in her purple boot. The Gordanians took to the air after her, and she angrily blasted a shower of her highest wattage bolts at them. They raised their arms over their heads to shield from her rain of energy.
Robin had finally overcome his opponent and glanced frantically at Starfire's rapidly darkening boot. Her attack of starbolts ceased as she tried to catch her breath. As soon as her fire had stopped Robin jumped and side kicked one Gordanian into the other, knocking them both out of the air. He slammed his fist into one of their faces, a dizzying punch that caused blood to spurt out of the unfortunate soldier's nose. Starfire flew feet first from the ceiling and the other guard got a painful kick in the gut. Both were down for the count.
"Come here," Robin said, pulling Starfire's injured leg into his hands. He smoothed away the flaps of boot to examine the slice. She hissed in pain.
"It's deep," he said with chagrin.
"Yes," Starfire said tightly, her fists clenched.
Robin searched around for something to use as a makeshift bandage. He knelt down and tore off a strip of fabric from a fallen Gordanian's uniform. He tied it securely around Starfire's leg.
"I wish I could do more," he said ruefully.
"We must keep moving," Starfire said, mentally shaking off the damage. "That elevator will take us to the bridge." She pointed.
Robin nodded.
"I expect she will have most of the fleet there to protect her. This is the last of the easy fights."
"We'll do our best, Star." He squeezed her hand.
Starfire punched the appropriate button, the door dinged open and the two entered the lift, Starfire limping on her injured leg. They stood in uneasy and wary silence, knowing what waited for them when the quiet doors slid open.
An ominous bong rang out, and a feminine electronic voice announced they had arrived at the bridge. Starfire sucked in one breath as the doors parted. A rush of Gordanians flew into the elevator and Robin had only a half a second to retrieve his staff. Starfire flung out bolts, holding the pressing mob at bay as best she could. One now burned Gordanian who had managed to withstand her energy attack kicked her in the stomach. She flung against the wall and then slid down to her knees with a plaintive cry. Robin stepped in front of her and warded them off as she caught her breath. She flew up from the floor and grabbed him in her flight path as she darted over the hoard and exited the small elevator.
The horde spun awkwardly around. Starfire set the two of them down in the middle of the expansive bridge. Her mouth instantly turned into a snarl when she saw her sister lounging casually in the captain's chair.
Blackfire rocked forward and uncrossed her legs. She stood up and stretched.
"So, I see you made it, mostly unscathed," she grinned, eyeing Starfire's ragged bandage.
"We settle this now, sister," Starfire said acidly.
"You are sooo dramatic," Blackfire taunted. "Save the drama for your mamma. Oh wait, she's dead," she lilted cruelly.
"Because of you!" Starfire screeched. "Every hardship our family has faced is all because of you!"
Blackfire's eyes narrowed and her mocking grin disappeared. Robin could see Starfire had hit a nerve.
She snapped her fingers and the Gordanian soldiers went rigid with attention.
"Annihilate them," Blackfire chilled, her eyes going dark ebony.
And in that instant, there was complete mayhem.
Bodies crowded around the two Titans, a complete confusion of trident points, gleaming armor, scaly skin, claws, teeth.
Blackfire seemed to snap out of her wrathful blood lust and rolled her eyes with a sigh.
"That's right, I need her alive. Don't annihilate them too much, she's my bargaining chip!" she called over the battle.
Robin fought. His mind was on autopilot, his anger fueling his body. Punches, jabs, kicks, blocks. The Gordanians kept coming; it was becoming impossible to defend himself from all of them. His body was weakening, he could feel his muscles straining as they began to fatigue. His mind kept up the steady mantra however to keep his body moving, keep him fighting.
'Can't let them take her to the Citadel, can't let them take her, can't let them… can't let them take her…'
Starfire was fighting her own hoard; she was in no position to watch Robin's back. They had separated the two from each other, a crowd of bodies in between them.
Punches, jabs, becoming more on the defense instead of offense…
Blackfire grinned evilly as she watched them fight, watched as they slowly were losing the battle. She noticed Starfire kept glancing wildly around, trying to see where Robin was.
One of the times she was distracted cost her a cut on her right arm. She had no time to recoil, and blood poured down her limb as she kept fighting, the chagrin clear on her face.
Her sister's complete concern for the masked hero made Blackfire sneer. Starfire made mistakes when she lost her concentration. An idea lighted in Blackfire's brain as she saw Starfire's desperate eyes again.
Blackfire grabbed a spear from one of the Gordanians and flew into the middle of the action. They parted slightly for her, and Robin was engaging three on the front. He saw her coming and began to twist around.
He raised his staff just in time to block a vicious strike.
"Robin!" Starfire called, frantically doubling her efforts to reach him, but the Gordanians blockaded her.
Blackfire's eyes were lethal as she rained blow after blow at Robin. Though he was extremely skilled his muscles were waning fast, and he knew he was no match for Blackfire's pure strength even on his very best day.
Soldiers began to intervene, and he found that he must either multi-task or die. His mind went completely empty, every block a move to save his life.
His staff caught up between the two triangle shaped blades of a spear, and as his opponent moved to spin it away, it stuck and Robin was forced to spin with it.
His back was vulnerable to Blackfire.
He relinquished his grip on his stave, desperately trying to fling himself around, even if he was without weapon. He saw hers descending.
She was lightening quick.
He was too late.
He screamed in pain, his voice cracking. Blackfire stabbed the electric trident. He unnaturally bent his torso so the weapon would miss his spine, and convulsed as electricity shivered through his body. She twisted the trident as she ripped it away. A spray of blood followed as Robin crumpled to the floor.
Starfire screeched his name, her eyes blazing, her body going numb as her sister scooped up Robin's limp form, dangling him from her hand.
Starfire's arms were grabbed, restrained behind her back but she hadn't the strength to fight anymore. She was forced to her knees.
Blackfire paced back and forth nonchalantly.
"Well I must say you certainly put up a very good fight. There's a lot of the crew heading to the medical ward. But…" she grinned as she dropped Robin in front of Starfire. "You failed."
Starfire thrashed in her captors arms, her feral screech piercing the air.
She began screaming in Tamaranian.
Blackfire's eyes narrowed and one of the Gordanians backhanded Starfire across the face.
"You should learn there are things you shouldn't say when in a position such as yours." The mocking grin had vanished from Blackfire's face and her voice went dead cold. She snapped her fingers. "Take them to the holding cell, now."
A Gordanian scooped up Robin's listless figure like a rag doll and Starfire was shoved to her feet. She kept her head down as she was forced to walk. The corner of her mouth lifted in a secretive smirk.
As they entered the block of cells however her eyes snapped to the chamber they were going to hold her in. She started, staring in horror at the faint red glow.
"No… NO!!!"
She struggled violently now, the guards doubling their efforts to keep her pinned.
Robin was tossed carelessly into the cell.
Starfire used her fists, her feet, any body part she could manage to come in contact with a Gordanian captor. They pawed at her, hands grabbing anything to shove her into the prison. She planted her feet against the thick steel doorframe as the guards pushed against her back. One clasped his hands and chopped them down into her stomach. She collapsed and a guard kicked her in the back, effectively propelling her into the dim cell. She sprawled on the floor before leaping to her feet, screaming and yelling, calling the guards every foul word in Tamaranian she could think of as the door slammed in her face.
She kicked and punched the door, making several deep dents.
She was about to slam her fist back into the metal surface when a hum started and glowing red began to leak around the cracks of the door.
"KYSHTA!!!" she roared. She flicked a star bolt out, closing her eyes painfully when it hit the door and sizzled and popped, the crimson light almost blinding. She turned away from the only exit bitterly, her eyes landing on her cellmate.
"Oh Robin," she sighed sadly.
She knelt down next to his slumped body tenderly, placing her hand on his chest, which was faintly rising and falling.
She turned him over onto his stomach and examined his wounds through his singed shirt. She removed his neck guard, which hadn't stopped much of Blackfire's assault. She ripped the material, exposing his back. She bit her lip as she gazed at his mangled flesh across his right shoulder. His skin was dark red around the edges from the shock. The wounds were shallow, as the blades had mostly hit his shoulder blade, but they scratched along his back from when Blackfire twisted the weapon.
She tried to see if his ribs or shoulder blade were broken, or if the slice had grazed his spine, but she couldn't view them underneath all the blood and torn muscle. She really couldn't even see a way to piece the edges back together, so she could possibly burn the cuts shut. She tried in vain to see if she could attempt it as a last resort. She grimly knew that if she absolutely had to burn his wound closed, he would be permanently scarred and his muscles might never work the same again. If the wounds weren't closed with stitches or burned soon, Starfire knew he would go into shock, which can be fatal, before they ever reached the Citadel.
She tore his entire shirt off, pressing gently but firmly against the wounds in an attempt cease the blood flow, the only thing she could actively do to help him.
She was infinitely grateful that he was unconscious, because even he would be screaming in agony from the trauma. The Gordanian spears delivered a shock that was akin to a taser, but with a slightly more powerful wattage. They were meant to incapacitate bounties quickly and ruthlessly.
After five minutes of steady pressure, she could see the wounds were trying to congeal, but they were still seeping blood. She looped his shirt around his right shoulder, then around his torso, and tied it as best she could in the absence of proper bandages. It really didn't provide enough pressure, but it would have to do.
Remembering she still had a cut on her arm that needed bandaging, she tore off fabric from her skirt and attempted to tie it around her arm.
She paced to the small slot in the door and peeked out. Only one guard was stationed at the door and his back was turned. She patted down her skirt, but realized she had lost her communicator in the melee. She returned to Robin and pulled his comm from his belt, flicking it open.
--
Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy were still at the Watch Tower with Superman and J'onn. Beast Boy was excitedly chattering to Superman as the Man of Steel was staring out the window, his eyes glassy as he nodded his head every once in awhile and emitted grunts to Beast Boy's torrent of questions.
Everyone looked over with expectant faces when Cyborg's arm chirped with an incoming transmission. He raised his arm.
They heard Starfire's hushed voice coming from it.
"Cyborg."
All of them immediately crowded around him.
"Starfire. Damn girl, what's happened to you?" Cyborg asked gravely. Her green eyes were dull, her hair wet, stringy, and limp. Her face was eerily blank and there was blood spattered all over her, a smear of red across her cheek.
"Robin and I are captured on a Gordanian ship. He is badly wounded; if he does not receive medical attention soon he might die."
"What?!" Cyborg exclaimed.
"Oh no," Raven said, clasping her hands together tightly. Beast Boy's mouth dropped open and he clenched his fists.
Superman and J'onn glanced at each other with grim faces.
Starfire's eyes began to tear and her voice broke. "I just wanted to tell you all goodbye, and that we love you, always." She placed her hand over her heart, before pressing her fingers to her lips and softly blowing a kiss at the screen. "You were the best family I could have ever asked for." Her eyes gleamed with a sheen of water.
"Starfire," Cyborg said, his voice cracking.
Raven had to wipe away a tear, and Beast Boy was gripping her shoulder, twin trails making their way down his cheeks after he saw the defeated look in Starfire's eyes.
"We are in a holding containment and are unable to break free-"
Starfire flipped her gaze up at something beyond the communicator.
"They are taking us to the Citadel," she said hurriedly, before she snapped the comm shut.
"Starfire, wait!-"
"She's gone," Raven said, her voice wavering.
Cyborg poked at his arm some more. "Locked on her coordinates." He whipped his head up, now determined.
"Contact Batman."
Uuuh. Again with my apologies, and my extreme appreciation, for everyone who has continued interest in this story and so patiently waits for me and my ridiculously long updates. And for everyone who reviews, I love you all, and I wish I had the time to reply to everyone.
Life is… yeah. Girls… husbands, dogs, and children are all the same, and require the same amount of your absolute undivided attention and time. The sooner you realize this and grimly suck it up and accept it, the more depressed you can be that reality sucks.
I just got a puppy. He is a pomeranian, his name is Wicket, named because my husband jokingly said he looked like an ewok. He is extremely adorable, and he's lucky he's so damn cute because he would so be on the curb if he wasn't. The puppy would be out there with my husband too (haha). After a couple of ruined panties and having a great time potty training… my husband is so lucky I love him (again! Zing! Don't worry, he so deserves it.)
Oh, and I once again took some liberties with Starfire's goddess, X'hal. The history of X'hal came from DC's Wikipedia databases. Also, I am aware that Mar'i could possibly be spoken as "Mary" and it was my conscious decision to make it sound like "Marie." Because I think blatantly naming kids after parents in fanfiction is kinda cheesy. Plus, Marie is my middle name, so there. -sticks tongue out-
Many many thanks to Kry for helping me with two particular kinks in this chapter.
I have no clue when I'll have time to post the next chapter, but you all are used to this by now, right? I so sorries, I really am.
Next Chapter: Robin wakes up.