It all happened so fast.

Starfire felt the air in the room heat up more and more. She wanted to open her eyes to see where her friends were. If they were okay. But she was scared. Scared of what she would see. Her lower back was aching where she fell. She felt as though all she knew was vanishing. She feared the end.

'No...' she thought to herself. 'I will not stay down. I must get up. My friends are in danger. I must not sit by while they risk their lives. Dick...I must find him. I must protect the ones I love.'

She slowly opened her eyes. Everything seemed to move so slow. Everyone was fighting hooded enemies. She looked for Nightwing and the others but could not see them. The flames and smoke from the room hurt her eyes. She stood up slowly. Many civilians were crying in fear. As much as she wanted to find her friends she had a responsibility. She looked to the corner of the room and saw her friend Argent injured but trying to protect younger heroes from one of the hooded people. Starfire quickly flew over to them and threw the man to the other side of the room. Where had these hooded figures come from? Could these be Raven's followers? She looked to Argent who was clutching her arm.

"Argent!" she kneeled beside her. "You are injured. We must get you to safety."

"Don't worry bout me deary!" she said. "We need to get these tikes out of here! they're not prepared for this kind of fight. I don't know what the goth girl's problem is but theres going to be a lot more people hurt if we don't get them to safety!"

Starfire nodded. She knew Argent was right. She looked to the scared young titans and looked towards the doors. Argent looked to her direction.

"The doors and windows to the outside are blocked by some kind of force field. We can't get through the exit! The fire has spread throughout the building!"

Starfire looked towards the alter where she and her beloved had stood.

"Then we shall MAKE an exit!" Her eyes glowed as she picked up one of the stone sculptures from the decorations and hit the wall as if she were swinging a bat. No damage was made except to the statue as it crumbled to dust.

"Hoy! Did you not hear me?!" Argent yelled. "Theres a bloody force field around the room! We can't get out!"

Starfire stared at the visible shield that surrounded them. She felt tears slide down her cheeks as she wished for it to end. Everything had gone wrong. Her beloved was nowhere to be found. Her friends were in danger in this building. Starfire looked down in defeat.

Suddenly without warning, a strong feeling filled her heart. This feeling, it was not normal to her. This feeling felt like fire itself was spreading throughout her body. This feeling was complete RAGE.

What usually was her weakness was actually giving her the boundless confidence she was lacking. She actually hated everything that was happening. She hated the smoke and flames that was filling the space around her. She hated the hooded people who harmed her friends and family. But most of all, she hated Raven.

Power surged through her and with all her might she screamed as she punched the wall and shield that kept them in and broke through both making a huge opening for everyone to escape.

Argent and the others stared at her in shock, and hurried through the exit.


"Mistress!" cried one of the hooded figures as Raven collapsed to the floor.

Nightwing watched and ran to her with his staff in hand.

'This is my chance!' he thought to himself.

As he swung his staff at Raven, the hooded figure struck him in her defense, throwing Nightwing against the wall of the dining area of the club.

"Run mistress! I shall protect you!" he yelled to her.

Raven stood slowly holding her arm and walked slowly towards the doorway.

Nightwing watched her with anger and ran towards her again but her follower stopped him. Nightwing fought back.

"I don't have time for this!" he shouted.

Suddenly the follower removed his cloak revealing to be just a teenage boy. At least 15. His skin and hair was pale white, but his eyes were red filled with hate and anger. Nightwing stared at the boy.

"I don't want to fight you." He said to him.

The boy just watched him holding a staff of his own ready to fight.

"You do not have a choice." The boy said. "You attacked my mistress. Now you must pay."

The boy lunged at Nightwing igniting their battle. But even though he should be focusing on defeating this adolescent, all he could think of was Starfire. Hoping she was okay.

Suddenly the boy performed a fast move knocking the wind out of Nightwing with his staff, causing Nightwing to fall to his knees. The boy was not like any young boy. There was something about him that actually caused the hero to feel fear. He felt as though he couldn't move. His breathing started to cease. The image ofhis friends in pain entered his mind. His worst fear was happening. He saw his team burning alive, he saw Bruce, his adoptive father in the hands of the large villain, Bane, and breaking his back. He then saw Starfire, the love of his life screaming for him. She reached for him but before he could touch her hand, Raven appeared behind her and stabbed Starfire through her chest, with her bare hand. Nightwing cried out in horror as he watched her life leave her body, and Raven smiling and laughing at what she had done.

Suddenly it all vanished. He could suddenly breathe again. He looked up and saw Cyborg lunge at the boy.

"Yo Nightwing!" he hollered. "I could use an hand with this pint sized Gandolf!"

Nightwing ran to him. "His staff! He has some kind of power that can control people's minds!"

When he reached his friend the boy stood in position to take on the two heroes. Cyborg looked to his friend.

"Think we can take this twerp?"

Nightwing chuckled. "Two against one. Good odds to me."


Raven walked slowly holding her arm. She felt it. Her shield breaking. She knew that Starfire possessed power but she never occurred to her that she would access it so soon. She soon found herself in the ballroom of the club.

'I should be able to gain my strength in here.' She sat on the floor waiting for her arm to heal.

Even at this rate, she realized that she indeed was not powerful enough to take on everyone. Not yet at least. But she did feel successful in striking fear into the hearts of everyone. They now knew she was back, and they knew she meant business.

She smiled.

"I know your there." She said softly as she looked up at the ceiling. A green panther stood on one of the beams quietly then jumped down to the floor.

"You've gotten much better at hiding in plain site."

The panther watched her then slowly shifted into the green Titan.

Beast Boy glared at her.

"You should see how much I've improved in my fighting when I take you down."