My breath hitched as a sudden jolt jostled me. The pain in my head flared and I sank my teeth into the inside of my cheek to keep from crying out and giving myself away. My arms were bound behind my back. I was tied to a flimsy aluminum chair, my ankles shackled to the back legs. The pain in my head was making me nauseous, a sure sign of a concussion.

I concentrated on keeping my breathing slow and even. Panic rose in my chest. How long had I been out? Where was I now? The large square tiles beneath my feet looked strangely familiar. But Tamaran didn't have tiled floors. Everything there was stone.

"I know you are awake, human," growled a deep voice from across the room. I held perfectly still. "I can smell your fear." Like magic, those words send a red-hot wire through my spine and I straightened so fast that the room swam. My eyes rolled back into my head and I nearly passed out again. Meanwhile the other guy laughed a deep, dark laugh that would have given Slade nightmares. Gulping for air and squeezing my eyes shut to force the nausea into a smaller compartment of my mind I fought for control. I would not appear weak before an enemy. Not until I knew who I was dealing with.

He wore his blood-red hair cut in a crew cut, unheard of for Tamaraneans, which his orange skin told me he definitely was. But there was something wrong with him, or else he wasn't full Tamaranean because his skin was a faded yellowy peach instead of the bright mango shade the rest had. If it weren't for his glowing green eyes he could easily have passed for a human with a bad fake tan. His lip curled.

"To think, she would have you stand beside her ruling my people."

He moved so fast I almost didn't see it coming, but either way there wasn't anything I could do to stop him. His foot took out the left front leg of my chair. I leaned back to keep from falling flat on my face the way he wanted me to. Our eyes locked for a second before he lifted his foot again and kicked my chair backwards. I groaned as my head hit the cold tile. He leaned over me and grabbed a fistful of my cape at the base of my neck so that I was forced to look at him.

"Pathetic," he spat.

"Is that why you're keeping me tied up?" I snapped back. I couldn't let him know how frightened I was. Tamaraneans are strong, and I mean Superman-level strong. He could kill me just by flicking me in the head. Obviously he didn't want me dead yet or else he wouldn't have bothered letting me wake up. I couldn't push him too far though. I was sensing Joker-level crazy.

"Call them!" he said, shoving my communicator under my nose. A red light was flashing. How many times had the Titans tried to call?

"What do you want?"

"I want her to watch you die the same way I had to watch her die. She would rather side with humans than her own flesh and blood."

"Blackfire? You think she wanted to kill her sister?"

He cuffed me so hard I lost consciousness for a second. When I came to again, he had the front of my collar and was lifting me off the floor.

"KomAnd'r was my sister. Kori has no right to the And'r name after she left us both to die on that Psion ship so she could save herself. It was Komand'r who came back for me. She found me on the brink of death and willed me back to life. Meanwhile Kori fled to Tamaran and turned our people against their true leader. When Komand'r returned it was to face accusations of treason. I was too weak to return to speak on her behalf. They branded her a traitor and exiled her, all because of Kori's lies."

"Who are you?" I grunted. I could easily piece together his identity from his story, but I was having a hard time believing that Starfire had a brother and she'd never mentioned him. Or had she and I'd forgotten? Everything was getting a little fuzzy on me, what with my concussion and the repeated blows to the head. Much more of this and I was going to wind up a vegetable. He sneered.

"Did she never mention me? While she gloated over her defeat of her sister did she not regale you with stories of my demise as well? I am RyAnd'r, Tamaran's true heir." RyAnd'r? The name didn't sound familiar. Nothing he said was making any sense. Was he delusional or had Blackfire twisted his mind against Star?

Suddenly, my communicator vibrated with an incoming call. RyAnd'r sneered and pressed the flashing button. The small black screen illuminated with Starfire's tear streaked face.

"Robin!" The relief at receiving an answer to what was probably her hundredth attempt to contact me instantly turned to despair at the sight of me. I'm sure I looked rough. It was just lucky RyAnd'r hadn't removed my mask. "Where are you? Who has done this to you?"

"I'm all right, Star. Don't come-"

RyAnd'r snarled and punched me in the ribs. A harsh grunt whooshed out of me. She cried out my name. He smiled at the pain in her voice.

"Such concern, KoriAnd'r. Do you truly have feelings for this creature? I could destroy him now, while you watch. I want to. It is only fair. You have taken my future away. Why should I not return the favor?" He kept the screen pointed at my face as he spoke. Starfire's face hardened the moment she heard him speak, but I don't think she recognized him. I tried mouthing his name, but she wasn't very good at reading lips.

"If you wish not to be destroyed you will return him immediately, whoever you are."

"Come and get him. I am in your fortress on the isle."

We were in the Tower? I craned my neck and finally recognized that we were in one of the empty rooms on the lower floors. They were supposed to be guest rooms in case the League or anyone else ever needed a place to stay. But there was no furniture in them because we had never had any guests and never saw a need to buy any. No wonder I hadn't recognized it. But how did we get here so fast? I couldn't have been unconscious that long, could I?

"I warn you, if you harm him you will have the Titans, the Justice League and the Luthka warriors of Tamaran to answer to."

"I await your arrival, sister." He ended the call before she could respond, but I saw the color leave her face as she finally figured out who she was dealing with.

"She's right, you know. You'll never get away with this."

"I have no intention of getting away with anything. I merely want to see KoriAnd'r destroyed. Death will be sweet knowing she wallows in misery."

"You were the one who leaked the story to the press, weren't you?" He didn't have to answer, it was written all over his face. Somehow he'd tracked down the victims and restored their memories. Maybe he talked to them and that triggered the memories Martian Manhunter had buried. I didn't know how mind-wipes worked. Maybe he'd leaked the story to the press himself. He had the same physical presence of his sisters. Cat Grant would have been only too eager to talk to him. Maybe he tipped her off about the little boy she'd used as her source. Maybe... There were too many maybes and none of them mattered.

"If you want a fight then untie me," I challenged. I had no doubt Starfire and the team would come to rescue me, but I didn't want them playing into his hands. He would kill me the moment they set foot on Earth, right in front of their eyes. They would blame themselves. I couldn't let that happen. Better if I provoke him first. Did I mention I was having a hard time thinking straight?

"You will remain here. I tire of you, human." He turned on his heel and walked out of the room. Why was that strange? My brain was growing more sluggish by the second. Something about his feet touching the ground was supposed to mean something important. The edge of my vision was growing red in the waves of pain I was swimming in. Stay conscious. Stay conscious, I chanted mentally.

The door closed behind him. At last I had a chance to analyze my situation, but with the pressure building in my skull I estimated I only had minutes to make an escape before my body gave out on me. If it was going to happen it needed to be now.

Keeping my eyes on the door I wriggled my fingers so that the lockpick built into my gloves extended. Even half out of it as I was, it took me only a handful of seconds to get free. Slowly, I got to my feet, patting myself down to see how much of my gear he'd left me with. My utility belt was still there. Thank God for small miracles. Tamaraneans fought with their fists and spears. I doubt he even knew that all my gadgets were weapons.

As soon as I was standing my stomach rebelled and I puked all over the white floor. Not a good sign. My knees shook beneath me as I wiped my mouth on my sleeve. He'd taken my communicator with him. I needed help. I didn't stand a prayer of fighting my way clear.

There was one window in the room. Staggering I made my way to it and looked down. I was on the second floor. A strange spaceship was parked on the front lawn in front of the Tower. Well that explained how we'd gotten here. It didn't help me escape. I could smash my way out, but he'd hear me and catch up easily. Flight was one heck of an advantage. I struck the window with my fist in frustration. There were no air vents I could crawl through, no magic escape routes I could take from within the room. I'd have to sneak through the Tower. Experimentally, I tried a ground takedown maneuver and thought my stomach would explode as nausea roiled through me again. Great. Nothing like a little extra challenge to make things interesting.