Starfire's face was set with a hard edge as they rode the lift that would take them directly to the bridge. Her eyes were glowing green, and Robin understood this was a symbol her sister would recognize. Starfire was a completely different girl than he normally knew right now. She was completely and totally a warrior princess.
Raven was stone silent next to him. He worried she was not as strong as she'd insisted. He knew absolutely he wasn't as strong as he insisted. His body was wailing at him to just lay down and his head felt like a helium balloon. His muscles were weak and he had lost too much blood. Raven had given up much of her strength to heal him. The three of them against an army of Gordanians and one perfectly in shape Tamaranian… the odds were stacked against them again. Robin could only hope the rest of the Justice League and Titans showed up soon.
The feminine voice announced "bridge" as the elevator slowed and stopped. It bonged and the doors slid open.
The three were not assaulted with spears this time. The Gordanians waited with weapons vertical, all staring into the lift.
Starfire stepped out first.
"Well well, if it isn't our little Houdinis," Blackfire drawled. She was draped over the captain's chair. "Have you come to take another shot at me? I see you brought a friend this time."
The elevator door slid smoothly shut behind the trio.
"We have brought more than just Raven," Starfire retorted. "There are more on their way here. What was it you told me? You can make this easy on all of us and just surrender."
"Ha!" Blackfire exclaimed. "If you think I would ever go down without a fight, then you don't know me very well, do you little sister?"
"I believe I know you too well," Starfire frowned angrily.
"My my, you sure are bitter. Trogar," Blackfire addressed the Gordanian at her side. "Where is the Justice League right now?"
He consulted his panel. "They are…" His eyebrows rose. "They are here." He whipped his head up. The elevator dinged open and out spilled the rest of the Titans and crew. Robin held in a sigh of relief.
The heroes were about to charge but Starfire flew up in front of them all, her arms out.
"Stop! Please, just wait," she insisted.
She turned to her sister. "I give you one last chance, Kom. Will you fight or will you save yourself and the Gordanians injury and come with us willingly?"
Blackfire stood up and brushed off her shoulder. A smirk crossed her face and she hurled a starbolt at Starfire. Starfire blocked as the Gordanians raised their spears and charged. The heroes needed no other instigation and threw themselves into the foray.
Batman and Superman immediately tried for Blackfire. Starfire flew right in front of them and stopped their progress.
"She is mine. No is to fight her except me," she snarled.
They both were about to challenge Starfire's demand but Gordanians began attacking on all sides and the sight of Blackfire was lost. Starfire darted after her sister.
"Let's find Trogar," Batman hollered to Superman. "He is the Gordanian leader."
Superman nodded and pointed to Trogar's position near the captain's chair. Trogar noticed the two powerful superheroes heading very intently toward him and began scrambling through his men to get away.
Beast Boy and Raven began effectively tag teaming their front of Gordanians. Robin hung behind them, feeling very lightheaded and extremely weak. He loathed the fact that every time he threw a punch he felt like he was going to faint. His body was giving out fast and it was the worst time possible. He was eternally grateful they had some pretty awesome backup this time.
Galfore and Ryand'r fought in their own circle. Galfore wielded his Tamaranian staff skillfully, parrying and blocking strikes from multiple Gordanian hunters, tossing out a few good hits himself. Ryand'r watched Galfore's back and used his powerful hands to his advantage, lithely flying around spears and attacking offensively.
Cyborg and J'onn found themselves partnered in a corner of the bridge. J'onn once again used his stealth and exceptional powers to knock down opponent after opponent. He dipped below the floor and rose up between two Gordanians, knocking their heads together. They both crumpled woozily to the floor. Cyborg's aim was on tonight as his sonic cannon took out a stream of enemies. He powerfully punched adversaries and bent their spears as they jabbed toward him.
Beast Boy and Raven were truly developing a unique fighting style of their own. They revolved around each other fluidly, reminding Robin of the way he and Starfire had become so naturally in sync. They trusted each other, and when Raven was occupied with a Gordanian on the front Beast Boy pounced as a ferocious tiger onto a rival that was sneaking up on her from behind. Then it switched as Beast Boy was about to take a vicious stab from a spear, and Raven instantly protected him with her magic shield. Both of them had sustained injuries however, as there were just too many opponents vs. the two of them.
Robin was doing his best but his kicks were not as accurate and his punches were getting weaker and weaker. Raven's healing power could only do so much for him, and he was still suffering the ill effects from the shock he had been in and the amount of blood he had lost. He was grateful for the cover Beast Boy and Raven provided. He was much more fatigued than he let on, but he pushed his body for Starfire's sake.
Starfire was in an all and out brawl with her sister. Everyone had to watch and dodge stray starbolts as they flung around the room. The two were zinging through the air, Starfire always just behind Blackfire's tail. Blackfire cruelly taunted her sister, making Starfire angrier and impulsive, which hampered her concentration and accuracy.
Superman and Batman had caught up with Trogar as he attempted to scamper out an elevator door. Superman caught the back of Trogar and flung him toward Batman, who timed his kick perfectly. Trogar landed between the two superheroes and sat up in a daze. He was near enough to a fallen comrade and grabbed his subordinate's spear. He waved it threateningly at Batman first, who dodged out of the way. The Gordanians were a very strong race; Trogar slammed his staff into Superman's side and he collided with the wall, leaving a large dent. Batman's batarangs sliced into Trogar's thick scaly hide. While Trogar howled and was distracted Superman grabbed his tail and spun him around, slamming the Gordanian leader into the same spot on the wall where the hero had previously been thrown. Another series of dents lined the wall.
Trogar pushed himself up and flew into the air, charging toward Batman with his spear's sharp blades pointed menacingly. Superman darted in front of Batman and the spear crumpled as it hit the Man of Steel's chest. Batman slid underneath the hovering Superman and took out Trogar at the knees. Superman knelt on Trogar's chest and delivered a sharp blow to their enemy's head. It was enough and Trogar fell back limply, unconscious.
There were only a few Gordanians left making a stand, and quickly Batman and Superman helped their allies finish rounding up the adversaries. Soon everyone's attention was on the still fighting sisters.
Superman instantly went up to help but Starfire snarled at him and threw a starbolt his way to make her point.
"No!" she howled. "She is still mine! No one is to interfere!"
Robin leaned up against the wall and watched as a very beat up Starfire and Blackfire continued to take out their frustrations on each other.
They flung out energy and punches and kicks. The two would come together and it was an all out catfight, scratching, hair pulling, vicious strikes. Then they would separate and fly around each other, attacking with more starbolts. The bridge of the Gordanian ship was completely destroyed, singed marks all over where blasts of energy had missed their intended targets.
Starfire had three claw marks down her cheek where Blackfire had connected. Blackfire's eye was black, and she too sported some deep scratches. Their clothes were torn and ripped, and the spectators all stood in awe at the completely feral and ferocious way the two sisters attacked each other. Robin had never seen Starfire look so unlike herself, or look so beautiful. This thought stuck him odd, because she was rapidly gaining injuries and her skin was becoming marred with scratches and bruises… but her eyes were shining and her hair was a fiery red, her sinewy body was in peak performance, her graceful feminine muscles flexed each time she pulled a move he had taught her. She was connecting with her warrior heritage, this is where she came from, who she was.
Blackfire swooped in, and they parried strikes. Starfire's glowing fist connected with Blackfire's jaw. Her head snapped back and when she straightened out again, the pure rage and untamed hatred smoldered in Blackfire's eyes. The teasing cruelty had left and so did the mocking smile on her face. Starfire saw death in her sister's eyes. She backed away in the air, absolutely stunned at seeing her sister's true face for the first time. All of Blackfire's hatred and fury was on display and Starfire was overwhelmed.
Blackfire floated slowly toward her younger sister, her eyes lost in their purple haze. Starfire gasped as Blackfire suddenly sped toward her like a bullet, and she just barely was able to dodge. Blackfire managed to catch Starfire's left arm. She swung her around and slammed Starfire into a wall. She cried out as her body hit the unforgiving surface, and then she was whirling through the air again as Blackfire flipped her over and she collided with the wall on the other side.
Starfire shook her head and attempted to fly away from Blackfire, tugging hard against Blackfire's grip on her left arm. She aimed a kick at her sister's midsection but Blackfire blocked her strike with her knee. She grabbed Starfire's elbow with her other hand. Starfire's eyes widened in horror when she realized what her older sister was about to do. She didn't even have time to react before Blackfire wickedly rose up her thigh and cracked Starfire's forearm down over her knee.
The bloodcurdling scream Starfire let loose sent shivers down every single person's spine.
Galfore and Ryand'r were shouting, both of them pale and abhorred at Blackfire's action.
Blackfire kicked Starfire away, the cruel smile now back on her face.
Galfore slumped against the wall for support, still staring up at his wilted bumgorf, who was curled up and cradling her arm like a wounded animal.
"What chance does she have now?" Ryand'r wailed.
"I've fought with a broken arm before," Batman said. "She's strong, she can do it."
"You do not understand," Galfore said, still dazed. "Tamaranians are extremely resilient and our bodies are built differently; our bones do not break easily at all. When they do break, even just a finger or a toe, it is the most physically painful thing a Tamaranian can experience. She is in extreme and mind numbing pain right now."
"What kind of power does Komand'r possess that she can just break Kori's arm over her leg?" Ryand'r exclaimed, still wearing his shock.
"Kom has always been strong, but the Psions changed her," Galfore said grimly. "She was exposed to their experiment longer than Koriand'r."
Robin was dying to help Starfire but she was out of his reach and she was not hearing anything he called to her.
"Raven, can't you heal her?!" Robin asked frantically.
"Not while she's still fighting, she would have to sit still for that. I doubt Blackfire would allow a timeout to let me heal her." Raven gazed up worriedly as Starfire backed away from her sister, weakly dodging Blackfire's teasing starbolts.
Starfire was unprepared as Blackfire charged in again, knocking her around easily, crashing her into walls. She could barely block with her right arm, her rapidly darkening left arm clung tightly around her stomach. Tears were pouring down her cheeks unwillingly; the amount of pain she was in clearly showed on her face.
Blackfire went in for another strike, clasping her fists and swinging them down over Starfire's head. Starfire raised her right arm up to block, and shoved her sister away.
"That's right Star, keep going!" Robin shouted. "I know you can do this!"
This time Starfire heard Robin's encouragement, and perked just the tiniest bit. The two sisters locked in another scuffle, Blackfire having the upper hand since she had use of two instead of one. She got in three punches and two kicks, and Starfire managed two kicks and blocked several strikes. Blackfire flung Starfire on her last kick, and the wounded Tamaranian went sprawling through the air toward the large window. Several stray bolts had previously hit the window and weakened the glass. Starfire hit the surface and a large crack threaded from the impact. Blackfire darted in and kicked Starfire right in the stomach. The force behind the kick shattered the glass and both sisters were sucked out into the abyss.
Everyone on the bridge panicked as they were all being rapidly sucked toward the now open window. Superman flew to the opening to guard it and make sure no one would be pulled through right as a quick thinking Raven spread her energy over the broken hole. The heroes were spread around on the floor with the dazed Gordanians as the suction stopped. A thick metal safety shield began to spread over the gap, and Raven was able to drop her magic.
"Get the cameras on them, now," Batman demanded. "And make sure the air gets fully restored in here." Cyborg ran over to the panel and began tapping away, figuring out their system. A large projection popped up over the safety shield and images of purple and green light darting around appeared.
"She's in so much pain," Raven said. "I don't know how long she can last."
The two sisters were again darting around like hummingbirds; the flashes of their energy were all they could mostly see.
"Is there any sort of light you can cast on them, so we can see what they're doing?" Superman asked.
Cyborg clicked at the panel and complied with high-powered spotlights.
Their bodies could just faintly be made out as the two sisters continued to throw out their moves. Starfire went in for a kick but Blackfire caught her leg and tossed her back into space. Blackfire rained starbolts at Starfire but she dodged through the shower. Starfire sent a rather large ball of energy at Blackfire and nailed her in the shoulder.
"How do we know Blackfire won't just take off?" Robin said as he watched them continue on.
"She's determined to end this just as much as Starfire is," Raven answered. "She wants Starfire dead."
Robin looked grim as he watched the green and purple lightening.
"IGP has arrived," Batman announced. "They are boarding the Gordanian ship right now."
"Thank God," Robin muttered.
Starfire's chest heaved as she stared down her sister across the dark expanse between them. Blackfire stared back, the force of their wills competing for dominance. In her mind Starfire knew that Blackfire was backed into a corner and even if she were unable to subdue her older sister, Superman could easily catch her and hand her over to the authorities. But there was a deep seeded issue of pride that kept her from letting anyone help her.
No one else understood the battle she had fought all her life with her sister. No one else knew how she felt when her sister had tried to kill her when they were training on Okara, no one else knew the unfathomable despair she was plunged into during the black days in the Citadel, at the hands of her sister.
Again and again her sister weaseled her way in only to betray her. She was the one who let the Citadelians onto their home planet, the war in which their parents were killed. Her sister was the one who cracked her face onto the balcony and then led the chase into the Psions' territory. Her sister tried to hand her over to the Centaurians in her place, to serve her crime. Her sister tried to marry her off to a monster in exchange for a jewel. Her sister tried to send her back to the Citadel, a place worse than Hell. She would rather die than even go within 100,000 miles of that place.
Her parents never loved her; her sister had shed her blood, her brother had been missing for half her life.
A tear rolled down her cheek as she vowed here and now that if she were to survive this, she would shake off the chains of her past and look to the future. Tamaran held too much misery and painful memories. She thought of all her friends, Robin, Earth, and the life she had made there. A rueful smile crossed her lips. She fiercely missed Titans Tower and Jump City suddenly, the bleakness weighed down her heart as she was locked in this bloody fight in the darkness so far away from home.
They were both exhausted but Starfire could still see the determined look in Blackfire's eyes. They flew around in circles, chasing each other, throwing starbolts with poor aim. Starfire continued to cradle her arm against her body tightly; the pain that radiated from the break was completely debilitating. Even though Blackfire was wearing out too Starfire knew she would never stop until she got what she wanted. There would be only one way to truly end this fight.
Blackfire was readying to charge again. Starfire spread her legs wide and raised her good arm into the air, palm up and fingers splayed. She closed her eyes and channeled every last drop of energy into her hand. She began to shine like a viridian beacon and became encased in a ball of her own energy.
Raven gasped as Starfire was lost in the green light. They all shielded their eyes from the intensity.
"What is she doing?!" Raven exclaimed. "She could kill herself!"
Starfire presented the final challenge she knew Blackfire couldn't refuse; her sister had the same And'r pride. Her older sister would believe in her own superior power and would be convinced she would make it through the explosion. She knew there was no way Starfire would be conscious or even alive after her chosen sacrifice.
Starfire closed her eyes and listened to her body as it drained away its energy. She could only pray that it would be enough. She waited as Blackfire raced toward her, a large purple energy ball growing in her sister's hands. Starfire was completely lost in the center of her essence.
Blackfire collided with Starfire's energy. The light was blinding, there was a loud explosion and the ship pitched violently as the two powers raced outward from the sources.
Everyone was knocked to the floor except for Raven, Superman, and J'onn, who were all floating.
As soon as she could see Raven peered frantically at the projection. The glass from the shattered window glimmered in the light as the fragments hung suspended.
Two bodies were listlessly hovering in the darkness, both of them knocked unconscious.
Superman was gone in a flash, and seconds later he was at Starfire's side, scooping up her battered and broken body gently. He grabbed the motionless Blackfire by her neck plate and disappeared below the ship to renter the hangar. The rest of the heroes hurried down to greet him.
Superman made it through all of the airlocks and Robin was instantly beside him. He gingerly placed Starfire into Robin's waiting arms. IGP's pod was also in the hangar, their fleet pouring out of the vessel. An IGP officer had the large covered handcuffs ready and placed them over Blackfire's dangerous hands, and bound her feet with extremely heavy and cumbersome chains. She awoke just as they were securing her last lock. She screeched and wailed and thrashed but the officers subdued her and began loading her into a special transport pod to take her back to the mother ship.
"Why isn't she waking up?" Robin said, slightly shrilly. Starfire was completely slumped in his arms, her chest barely rising and falling.
"She released almost all of her stored energy," Raven said grimly. "If we don't get her into some sun soon, she will die."
"How are we going to do that?! There aren't any stars close to here!" Robin exclaimed frantically.
The Chief spoke up. "We have a special room on the ship that creates artificial starlight. Certain races that we employ, similar to Superman and your friend, require exposure to their own sunlight. She can restore her energy there. I will call over to the ship and request them to ready it immediately."
"I can transport us there right now," Raven said.
"Do what you need to do. The rest of us will take a pod over to IGP," Batman said.
Raven nodded and swirled Robin and Starfire into her cloak. She deposited them onto IGP's ship and then called Batman on her communicator. She asked him to relay the Chief's directions on how to get to the artificial sunlight room.
Two officers met the trio outside the area. Raven requested the type of starlight and the amount of power they should turn the level to, and ushered Robin into the space. There was a single slim padded table in the middle. Robin laid Starfire onto it.
"I'm going to heal her as she soaks up the light," Raven explained. "I can't heal her otherwise; her body is too depleted to even respond to my powers. Um… one thing however," Raven said. She paused. "In order for her to get as much light as possible, she should have every available inch of skin exposed to it."
"So you're saying we should get her completely… unclothed?"
"Yes," Raven said seriously.
"Uhh… okay," Robin said, his cheeks tingeing red. "Are you sure? Or do you just wanna see her naked?"
Raven looked at him half lidded. "Make your jokes to alleviate the awkwardness of the situation, then grow up. She needs this to live."
Robin grunted and began removing Starfire's shredded skirt. Raven removed Starfire's boots. Robin snapped open Starfire's neck plate and removed her shirt. Her underwear and bra were all that were left.
Robin hesitated and looked uncomfortable.
Raven stared at him.
"Really?" she said.
"What," Robin muttered defensively.
"It's not like I don't know what a naked girl looks like," Raven said briskly.
"But she's… and you're like… my sister," Robin protested, his nose wrinkled.
"Good lord," Raven huffed, reaching around Starfire's back to remove her bra. She quickly slinked Starfire's panties down her legs and then gave Robin another pointed stare.
"There. Was that so hard?"
Robin sniffed, affronted.
The light fully kicked in and Starfire's pale broken body was washed in glow.
They waited for forty-five minutes before Raven felt she could begin healing Starfire's broken arm. Around the break her arm was completely dark purple. Robin stroked Starfire's hair and felt sad that her body was so battered. She still had not regained consciousness.
As Raven began poking around with her powers, her brows knitted.
"Wow. I've never seen anything like this," she commented.
"What?" Robin asked.
"In all the times I've healed her, I've never had to heal her bones. They're… so unusual. They're so dense, but the mass isn't much more than a human bone. She has calcium in her bones like we do, but there's this… unknown element that must be native to her planet. It seems to be some sort of metal. It must allow her bones to support the extreme amounts of weight she can lift."
"That's amazing," Robin murmured.
"Her ulna is completely broken right through, and her radius is severely cracked, but not severed. It's going to take me a long time to reattach the ends of her ulna, especially when her bones are so dense."
"Do your best," Robin said, laying a hand on her shoulder.
Raven nodded and set to work repairing the injuries. Every once in awhile she would stop and rest, and then she would check her work, to make sure the bones were lining up correctly. Starfire's bones were different, and Raven found that positioning them was a little more challenging.
It took two and a half hours, but Raven finally announced that Starfire's ulna was repaired and the fracture in the radius was now hairline and it was all she could do. She requested some stiff bandages through the intercom and said it would be enough support.
She got to work on some of Starfire's cuts and bruises, making sure to start with the three large gashes on her face. Robin watched as Raven became more and more fatigued, using all of her energy to heal Starfire. Now that all the fighting had stopped and Robin had a chance to sit still, he was feeling marginally better, though by no means completely well. At one point Raven had to stop levitating. When Robin noticed she began to sway he wrapped his arms around her waist to help support her. After an hour Raven was finished healing all of the injuries.
"Now all we can do is wait for her to wake up after her energy store is replenished enough, whenever her body decides that is."
Robin turned Raven around and enveloped her in a tight hug.
"Thank you so much," he said as he squeezed her tight, kissing her on the top of her head.
"Anytime," Raven wheezed, patting his back. "I have to sit down for a little bit."
"That sounds like a good idea," Robin said, still very tired himself.
Robin helped her sit down, and then he took a seat beside her. Raven leaned tiredly against Robin's shoulder. Robin smiled and patted her back, marveling at how lucky he was that he had such great friends to support him. He told Raven so and he swore he saw red tinge her cheeks and a smile on her lips. They sat together for awhile, waiting.
Starfire began stirring. She moaned, raising a hand to her forehead, sliding one leg. Robin jumped up and moved to her side, picking up her hand in his.
She opened her eyes and blinked blearily. "Robin?" she croaked.
"Right here, babe," he said, smiling down at her.
"Where are we?" she asked, dazed.
"We're on IGP's ship," he answered.
"And Blackfire?"
"She's being held prisoner right now. We're taking her back to IGP."
"Why am I naked?"
"We had to get you into the sunlight."
"Oh. Hello Raven."
"Hi Starfire."
Starfire did not seem concerned that Raven was in the room. She tried to sit up, but she woozily had to lie back down.
"Thank you for healing me," Starfire said, turning to her friend. "I can feel my arm is no longer broken."
"It's still hairline fractured. I have to wait for a few days before I can work on it again. You're body began to fight me; it had enough."
"Okay," Starfire said. She rubbed her forehead again. "I am feeling better already. The light has definitely helped." She was able to sit up this time, and she stretched her arms. Robin began gathering up her clothes and handing them to her. He slid her shirt over her head, helped guide her legs into her panties and what was left of her skirt, and put on her boots for her. Starfire sat up on the bed and put her legs over the side. Robin helped her down and held onto her waist tight as he felt her legs buckle. She smiled at him gratefully as he supported her to the door.
Raven was able to walk out under her own power, but she was much more tired than she would let Robin know. Where was Beast Boy when you needed him, she thought wryly.
When they exited the sunlight room, they got a surprise.
"Oh!" Starfire shouted excitedly. "Alfred!"
"Miss Starfire," Alfred grinned, hugging her tight as Starfire threw herself into his arms.
"Alfred, it is awesome to see you," Robin said.
"It is good to see you too, Master Dick," Alfred said warmly. "And you too, Miss Raven."
Raven smiled at him and nodded her head.
"I brought Miss Starfire some water," Alfred said, holding out a metal canteen.
"Oh thank you Alfred," Starfire said, eyeing the bottle thirstily.
"You are welcome. The others are on their way over from the Gordanian ship. They have finished up the last details and are bringing that Trogar with them. I imagine they will want a briefing from you for their records once they arrive."
"All right," Robin said tiredly, briefings and reports the last thing he wanted to deal with.
Robin's communicator clicked.
"Robin. We have arrived on IGP's ship. We'll meet you on the bridge."
"Kay," Robin scowled.
Batman's eyes narrowed, and in that instant Robin knew he was not happy. Robin rolled his eyes. There was going to be another lecture at some point. Fantastic.
"Shall we head to the bridge?" Alfred suggested.
"Yeah," Robin sighed.
Alfred offered his arm to Raven. Her eyes widened.
"You must be tired after healing Miss Starfire," he said kindly.
"Oh Alfred, we've all missed you," Raven said gratefully, taking his arm.
Alfred just smiled.
The four of them proceeded down the hall, and Robin was just thankful that this time it would be a lot different than the last time they headed to the bridge of a ship.
Uuuuuuhhhh this chapter was a horrible one for me to get through. Mostly because it involved soooo much action. Writing action scenes is not my favorite thing in the world and I have to be really motivated to pull it off. Plus I know it's not my strongest writing so it takes me a long time to go through it all and proofread and make sure everything is believable… uuuuh yeah.
So anyway, here it is, glad I could get this chapter over with.
Once again a huuuuge thank you to all my readers and especially everyone who reviews. I love you all and for all of you who have stuck up for me and understand that real life gets in the way, I love you even more. I especially thank each and every one of you. Ravenfollower13, Tennisgal546, WizardofAllGenres, Andorian11, Little Miss Juliet, SaiyanLover, Emerald Star-Goddess, DickKoriGrayson, TeenTitans1313, hollisterchick, stardust718, hellopandaluver, Peeta's Lover, Munchichi, Eve Royal, xrobxstar, inuandrave7, and Star of Airdrie, you all gave me such wonderful comments and I whole-heartedly thank you.
Next up: The Citadelians want their princess.