I'm feeling ambitious today!


It was mid October, and all was going well. Starfire never spoke to anyone of her last night with Richard, deciding that it could be a last moment shared just between them. Things with Xavier seemed brighter after, more hopeful. Starfire had even brought Raven to meet him. Cyborg had been speaking to Batman about getting back to Jump City. Batman told the Titans that he had originally planned on waiting until they caught Red Hood before allowing them to go to the Tower, but perhaps it would be alright for them to return before then. It had been over a month since they had heard from him, and Batman hoped that maybe he had been bluffing. There also hadn't been any news on the Joker or regarding his disappearance. But Batman knew that if Red Hood came back, so would the Joker.

They all still had to be escorted when leaving the manor. Starfire could be alone with Xavier, but as soon as she was out of his sight, Alfred would meet her. It was a strange occasion when Bruce allowed the girls to head out into the city for a shopping trip. As much as Raven disliked shopping, she really wanted to get out of the manor.

...

Kori, with Rachel in tow, insisted on looking for Halloween costumes. While Kori found skimpy little outfits that were somehow supposed to resemble different kinds of animals, Rachel occupied herself by looking at the creepy decorations. The Titans had talked about hopefully getting back to the Tower soon and maybe having a Halloween party to kick off their return. Kori was ecstatic at the idea, finding different decorations and even picking out a "sexy witch" costume for Rachel.

After heading into a small café for lunch, the girls decided to walk back to the meeting place that Alfred had designated. They had about another half an hour, so they took their time, looking at the little shops along the street.

"Rachel, we should all Karen. We have not spoken to her in quite some time. I do want to know how everything is going with the wedding," says Kori.

"Some bridesmaids we are, huh?"

"Perhaps we could speak to Bruce about having some of the girls over to manor."

"I think as long as we stay out of his hair, he'd be alright with that," says Rachel. She suddenly puts her arm out in front of Kori to stop her from walking further. "I want to stop at this bookstore really quick…you coming in?" Kori glances at the small, darkly decorated building. She respects Rachel's choices in entertainment, but it still creeps her out. She shakes her head. "Alright, well remember, stay right outside the store. I'll be ten minutes tops."

"Okay, friend," says Kori as she watches Rachel enter the bookstore. She understands Bruce and Richard's reasoning for never going out alone and staying close to each other. But everyone has been hovering around her lately, warning her to be careful. She's a warrior princess for X'hal's sake and they are all making her feel incompetent.

She spots a bench right across from the store. Rachel can surely see her from here. She takes a seat to wait, looking around. They have been to this area quite a few times since their stay at the manor. She sees a clothing store that she likes, some outdoor marketplaces that Alfred has taken her to, and many people walking around. It's a Saturday afternoon, the most opportune time to engage in the shopping.

While she scans the block, she notices a dark figure in an alleyway. She keeps her eyes locked on the place she saw movement, waiting to see if it occurs again. Seconds later, the figure peaks out again, moving into the sunlight enough for her to see that mask.

X'hal, Richard, we talked about this! she thinks to herself. She gets up from the bench, only barely considering how upset Rachel will be when she realizes Kori left. She walks toward the alley, just far enough from the building to be out of Raven's sight. She better make this quick.

"Why hello, Dick," she says as she approaches. The figure turns to her, no longer attempting to hide. But he doesn't say anything. "I told you not to follow me anymore. You know that I am safe, for I am with Rachel. Who will also be very upset to know that you have been following us." He only stares at her. "Dick, please go home." He begins walks towards her. "Please," she says again.

He flicks his wrist, and before she can react, red constraints spread across her mouth and body, holding her to the wall. She jerks her body, trying to scream, but the sound is muffled.

This is definitely not Richard, she thinks. But who could it be? How could someone obtain this suit? He walks toward her, swinging his arm back and launching his fist toward her. The last thing she remembers is the blow to her face, her head smacking back against the brick wall, and blackness.

…..

"Bruce!" Raven's voice carries through the cave. Batman gets up from the bat computer, looking in the direction of the staircase. He hears frantic footsteps. Batman starts to worry; Raven isn't one to disturb him. She's not like the Beast Boy and Cyborg. She minds her own business. But here she is now, running down the stairs. Why is she running? She could be flying.

"Raven? What's the matter?" He walks to meet her halfway, and as they grow closer, he can see the tears streaming down her cheeks. He connects the dots, deciding that she must not be using her powers for fear that her emotions would cause her to lose control.

"St-Starfire, she's…gone."

"What do you mean she's gone?"

"We went…shopping…and I left her alone for…five minutes. Alone!" He places a hand on the panting girls shoulder, forcing her to look at him.

"Calm down, Raven. I need you to stay calm. Do you have any idea where she went?" She gives him a look.

"Don't you think if I knew I would have found her by now?"

"Are you sure she didn't just walk off by herself?"

"She's not stupid. She wasn't going to disobey orders again, as much as she disagreed. She was waiting for me. And then when I walked out of the store, she was no where to be found."

Batman sighs. Damn it, it's finally happening, he thinks to himself. "Did she have her communicator?" Raven nods. "Okay, I'll track it."

"I'll call down Cyborg," says Raven.

Batman walks over to the bat computer, pressing a few keys. He wonders if he should call Dick. They haven't been communicating in the past few weeks after he got back to work in Bludhaven. He decides that maybe it would be best to wait until he gets more information. He pulls up radar, searching for Starfire's signal.

"Where the hell is she?" growls Cyborg as he comes up next to Batman. He has the radar built into his arm open as he looks for her as well. In the corner of the room is Raven, cross legged floating and chanting her mantra as she searches for her in a different way. Beast Boy stands beside her, waiting nervously.

"I'm pretty sure I know who's got her. I just don't know where he's based."

"Red Hood," confirms Cyborg. Batman nods.

"I tried to place a tracker on him a while ago. He must have found it and broken it because I could never find his signal. I haven't seen him since then."

"Well he's decided to make an appearance."

"Oracle," says Batman into his earpiece. She always has it on her in case of emergencies like these.

"Yes?"

"We have a situation. Starfire has been taken, most likely by Red Hood. He's the prime suspect at this point so we have to follow the lead. He'll be on the East End of Gotham."

"I'll see what I can do," she says.

"I thought you didn't know where he was based?" asks Cyborg.

"Just a hunch. That's where we saw him last," Batman replies.

"She's unconscious. They've hurt her." Raven's white eyes turn red with anger.

"Hey, Raven its okay," says Gar, wrapping his arm over her shoulder in comfort.

"We'll be heading out just as soon as we get more information on his location," declares Batman.

"Or we can just search every building on the East End till we find her," says Cyborg. Batman gives him a pointed look. "Figured that's not how you roll," he mutters.

"I can't get a lock on her communicator. It must have been disabled."

"She wasn't wearing her uniform, so I won't be able to seek out her tracker." Cyborg slams his fist on the desk. "Damn it!"

"Keep calm. We don't want to act rashly. It could mean the end of this."

"The end? Did you know Red Hood was after her?" asks Raven.

"Yes," says Batman bluntly. "Dick said it would be better to say he was targeting all of you. But he made an actual threat to harm her."

"Harm? Or kill?" Raven's voice grew dark with hate, but Beast Boy kept his hands on her shoulders to keep her grounded.

"What the hell, Bruce?" says Selina as she turns the corner. "I'm coming, too."

"I was just about to call you," he says defensively.

"Sure you were," she scolds.

"Surveillance camera's have shown large amounts of activity outside of two separate warehouses near the East End docks, " says Oracle in his ear. "You might as well check out both."

"That's a start. Keep looking."

"Roger."

"Oracle is sending over coordinates to two possible locations," says Batman. I'll forward them to you, Cyborg." He looks over at Selina, Raven and Beast Boy. "Suit up. Then we'll figure out a plan." They head towards the training room where they store their uniforms.

"Is it time to call Dick yet?" asks Cyborg. Batman cringes; he's going to be pissed that he wasn't notified right away.

"Yeah, go ahead." Batman heads to the garage wing of the batcave where he waits for the Titans, and mentally prepares himself for the possibility of seeing his dead son.

…..

Nightwing ground his teeth, fighting the urge to scream out as he ended the connection with Cyborg. He checked his equipment twice, settled his mask on his face, and obtained his earpiece before activating the teleporter. He made a beeline for Batman the moment he stepped into the batcave.

"Bruce, you too fucking lazy to call me?"

"We didn't have any information yet. There was no point," he says blandly.

"No point, my ass." He moves to stand beside the Titans, dressed and ready. Catwoman waltzes in in her uniform and take a seat in the passenger side of the bat mobile.

"It doesn't matter if you are seen," says Batman to the Titans. "Just get to the East End as soon as you can." He turns to Nightwing. "You are searching the abandoned Kleinfield Enterprises building with Cyborg and Raven. Beast Boy is coming with us to make things even. Alert us when you've reached it, and obviously whether or not you find anything. Babs will be keeping in contact with you and Cyborg." Nightwing merely nods. "Get your bike. Raven is flying with Cyborg."

Nightwing rode along the back roads with Raven and Cyborg above him. He drove fast, not having to worry about city traffic getting in his way. When they began to approach the East End, his heart began to race. Red Hood took Starfire. If this really was Jason, not even a family tie could prevent the beating he was about to receive.

The streets were nearly abandoned, as usual, as his motorcycle roared through. He discarded the bike off the side of the warehouse as Raven and Cyborg landed beside him.

"Raven, how many are in there," asks Nightwing. Her eyes glaze over with white once again. He waits for a moment before she snaps back to them.

"Three near the entrance, two walking down the stairwell, seven on the second floor and five on the third," she replies.

"And Starfire?"

"I can sense her, but not her location. She's alive, but still unconscious." Nightwing nods sharply.

"I'll go in from the roof and assess the situation. Cyborg, remain hidden until or unless called for back up. Raven, can you ghost in and out of there." She nods. "Alright. Let's find her."

…..

It was a place where a human would feel cold. The ground was hard and dirty. When she opened her eyes, she faced metal bars. Her hands were fastened behind her back, by what she did not know. She would hopefully be able to break through it, if her captors didn't know of her strength. She moved her fingers around. Yes, she was till wearing her ring. Even if they did know who Starfire was, they wouldn't see that it was her.

She groaned, feeling a dull pain over the right side of her face and the back of her head. She was hit quite hard, that she remembered. There was Red X. But not Richard. She never saw who he was. Who would have been able to steel Richard's suit from him? Unless it was a replica. But who would go through that trouble to take her?

Red Hood, she thinks. That was the name of the criminal Batman and Nightwing were seeking out. The man who had threatened the Titans. She felt the guilt knotting in her stomach. If she had just stayed with Raven, this never would've happened. If she had listened to their orders, she wouldn't be here.

But she is here, and she needs to figure out where here is. She rolls over onto her stomach and pulls her knees up to her chest. When she tries to sit up, something stops her, pushing against her back. She lies back down and looks up. It appears that she is not in a cell, but a metal box. She grips at the metal bars, clamping down on them to bend the metal. But nothing happens.

She's trapped. There is nothing she can do. Her chest tightens and her palms begin to feel clammy. Blackness clouds around her eyes and her breathing quickens.

A dark place, full of blood and screams. I am in what they call the testing unit of the ship, restrained onto an "operating" table. But they do not perform operations here. They are experiments.

I smell blood, and it is my own. There are tubes and needles stuck into my flesh, probing and searching for new ways to change me, to hurt me. I feel so much pain inside of me. My body burns, the fire reaching down my arms, into my hands. It is not a normal sensation.

The monsters stare down at my naked body. These reptilian creatures, ugly and terrifying, call themselves scientists. They captured beings of all races within the Vegan system and subject them to terrible tests, seeing how far they could push them before they were destroyed.

But we have lived. And for that, they hate us.

They are the creators of X'hal, our Tamaranean goddess. They pushed her body to its limits until she became nothing but energy. They do not want to do that with us, because X'hal gave our people hope, a martyr. They would rather kill us first.

My family was targeted. My big sister, Komand'r, and my little brother, Ryand'r. We are the children of the king and queen of Tamaran. Well, we were their children. We were taken from our planet in the invasion. This was not the first time I was uprooted from my home. But this time I am not alone. And my life is no longer my first priority.

I must save my family. Poor little Ryand'r is still so young. He cannot die here. Must get him out. Must find a way.

Starfire doesn't realize that she is screaming at the top of her lungs. She claws at her face, trying to make the memories stop. She doesn't want to remember this pain, this sorrow. She cannot stay in this confinement.

She cries out, begging to be released. Her pulse is quickening, her body feels likes ice, and her lungs won't seem to work. At some point, her body just couldn't take it anymore, and she fell unconscious.

…..

Nightwing swings his legs onto the rooftop. He looks around, trying to find and entrance into the building. There's seems to be some kind of hatch on the ground. He leans down to it, pulling at the locks. He places a small explosive and a silencer next to the lock and steps back. 3...2...1... And he's in. He swings the door open quietly and peers in; there is a small amount of light which illuminates the hallway underneath him. No stairs, so he jumps, tucking and rolling so he doesn't make a sound. He glances around, and when he doesn't find anybody around him, he takes off.

He runs silently down the hall, escrima sticks in hand and ready to go. All of the doors in this hallway are wide open, which indicates to him that Starfire wouldn't be in there. Unless Red Hood is an idiot and doesn't realize who he's dealing with.

The hallway ends but opens up into a large room. He slides to a stop, noticing two guys standing around a small television. He quietly moves into the shadows, looking around the room. It is practically empty except for one table, and in the far corner sits some kind of metal crate. He keeps his yes on it, noticing red hair protruding from between the metal bars. Starfire.

But before he can speak into his earpiece, an arm claps onto his shoulder and slams him against the wall.

"Came to ruin my party so soon, Dick?" Red Hood stands in front of him with a strange, painful grip on his shoulder. He releases him, but Nightwing attacks. "Dude, stop. I'm not after you." He dodges a punch, dipping down and back up. "Hey! Chill out, bro." Nightwing was acting on rage, his emotions building up and escaping from him, and he slipped up, allowing Red Hood to get the better of him. Before he knew what was going on, he was in a head lock.

"Why her?!" Nightwing chokes out. "She doesn't even know you!"

"Well, I figured taking her would get you here. And getting you here would bring Dad in."

"What do you want from us?" Nightwing looked around, somewhat listening to Red Hood's response, but really just trying to distract him from noticing what he's doing. His escrima stick lies on the floor just in front of his foot. He slowly rolls it up his leg as Red Hood speaks.

"Sorry, can't tell you yet. I don't wanna have to repeat the story once Bruce get's here."

"Listen, you have to let her out! She can't be confined that way-" Red Hood tightens his grip.

"No can do. 'Cause if let her free, your mission is over. But I'm not done yet."

"You don't understand!" Nightwing dropped one hand from gripping at Red Hood's arms around his neck. He reaches his hand down, trying not to cause alarming movement, and obtains the stick.

"It was a bit strange. One minute she was unconscious, and the next she was screaming bloody murder; something must have really been upsetting her. But then she passed out again."

"You son of a-"

"Keep in mind, we're from the same family." Nightwing leans away slightly and jabs back with the stick, forcing it harshly against Red Hoods stomach. He is released, but when Nightwing turns around to face him, there is a gun to his forehead.

"Man, I really don't want to hurt you. That's not what this is about. But you're just being such a dick right now."

"Let her go," Nightwing says between clenched teeth.

"Like I said, not gonna happen. Hell, I might even keep her. She's a pretty one." His tone of voice drove Nightwing off the edge, and he lunges for him. Red Hood makes a "tsk tsk" sound before he flips his gun around and smacks him over the head with the butt end.

"Guess we're gonna do this the hard way," mutters Red Hood as he stares down at Nightwing's unconscious body.


I'll be finishing this up soon... stay tuned! Oh yeah, and don't forget to review! :)