Jump City, Night.

Komand'r, the Tamaranian princess better known as Blackfire, is no stranger to hives of the scumful variety. And yes, that includes Earth bars.

Which... happens to be where she is now. She's talking to a short, red-haired gentleman, batting her eyes at him knowing full well the poor fool is about to buy her a colorful drink.

Starfire makes her way into the establishment cleverly named 'The Stinky Clam,' and she begins scanning for her older sister. She finds her, and wastes little time in approaching the two patrons.

She taps the gentleman's shoulder to get his attention.

"Hey, pal. I'm kind of busy here," he grudgingly says before realizing it's actually an attractive female trying to get his attention.

He does a double take, looking back and forth to the two sisters, and smiles like an idiot.

"Well, hey there! You must be her sister, huh?" he astutely guesses.

"Indeed I am," Starfire answers before glowering at Blackfire. The latter then huffs as she crosses her arms and snobbishly turns away.

"Now I'm going to have to ask you to leave us be," Starfire adds.

"Hey, I dig redheads and- uhm, purpleheads. She doesn't have to leave," the sleazeball responds.

"She's talking about you, knucklehead…" Blackfire bluntly states.

Knucklehead looks to both the girls and sees their unamused expressions, and grimaces as he stands up and makes his exit.

Leaving Starfire to confront her sister alone.

She takes the now empty seat beside her sister, and Blackfire gestures her hand to get the bartender's attention.

"I still want my drink," she tells him. "I guess I'll just be the one paying for it, now…" she complains before turning her attention to her sister.

She turns her scowl into a sneer though. "Unless you've got cash, little sis?"

"Uhm, I do believe I've left my money in my other leotard, but that is not why I am here, Blackfire," Starfire apologetically tells her.

"Of course not. Why ever would you want to make a casual visit to your big sister?" Blackfire quips.

"It may have something to do with you always trying to destroy me and my friends… Or trying to get me in trouble with the Tamaranian council for your crimes… Or making fun of my eyebrows for not being- as the Earthlings call it, 'On fleek," Starfire defends.

"Mmm, got me there," Blackfire simply says back as she's given her colorful drink, which she promptly takes a sip of.

"Speaking of trouble, just why are you here in Jump City, anyway? What are you planning this time?" Starfire inquires.

"Well, believe it or not, I was just looking for a fun night out in the town. You know how bad girls get," Blackfire slyly answers, almost like this is all some big joke to her.

Starfire narrows her eyes. "I do not believe you," she asserts.

"Well, believe whatever you want, kid. I'm not in the mood for fighting tonight," she claims, taking another swig of her party beverage. "What I am in the mood for however, is dancing," she adds, standing up from her barstool to make way for the dance floor.

"Now, if you're done chasing off skeevy guys and making me buy my own drinks, why don't you make like a Glorbrom and beat it," she finishes before walking away.

Starfire just scowls at her as she does, but then her communicator buzzes.

*Starfire, do you copy?* Robin asks from the other end of the line. *Did you see Blackfire? Is everything alright?*

*Do you wanna go see a movie with Robby on Friday?* Cyborg teasingly chimes in.

*Dude, not cool!* Robin retorts.

"I did not understand that last part, Cyborg. And Robin, yes," Starfire replies.

*Yes to the movie?* he excitedly asks.

"No. I mean, yes, I have seen Blackfire," Starfire answers. "She claims that she is not planning to do any evil, but I am still not sure. I will let you know soon enough."

*Oh… Well… I guess just keep us posted,* Robin disappointedly responds. *We'll be ready to barge in if you need back-up.*

"Thank you," Starfire expresses, and she then stands to follow her sister.

…

Meanwhile, the other Titans are at the local comic book store, looking around at the various memorabilia.

But they're totally ready to be back-up. Definitely. No doubt.

"What the heck is a 'Heitomos?'" Beast Boy asks as he studies a comic book with this name on the cover.

"Either buy something or leave," the cashier, a tall blonde haired girl named Lora as her nametag reveals, scolds.

Beast Boy morphs his head into that of a donkey. "Either buy something or leave," he mocks.

…

Back at the bar…

Blackfire has made it to the dance floor, and begins losing herself in the music. Starfire is close behind though, and after ungracefully shuffling through strangers in the crowd, she catches up to her older sister.

She just kind of stands there watching her though, and she slowly begins to feel a little embarrassed as she realizes that… maybe… maybe Blackfire was telling the truth.

The dark-haired sister finally notices Starfire standing there and watching her like an idiot, and she frowns.

"Ugh… Are you still here?" she groans.

"Uhm… I…" Star stammers. Her stupor is interrupted by another buzz from her communicator.

"Robin?" she answers, turning away from her sister.

*Nice going Beast Boy… Now where am I supposed to go to buy Pretty Pretty Pegasus- I mean, Eternal Darkness comics?* she hears Raven complain from the other end.

*Hey, it wasn't all my fault,* Beast Boy responds.

"Darn it…" Starfire moans as her communicator mutes again. "Friend Raven and Beast Boy are fighting again…"

She glances back at Blackfire, who has gone back to dancing, and then looks to the bar, where there aren't any patrons seated.

With a sigh, she decides to go have a seat to think things over.

Meanwhile, the other Titans are walking away from the comic store.

"It wasn't all my fault. Cyborg and Robin were fighting over that Crowd House book," Beast Boy defends.

"Hey! It's a good show with tasteful humor and wholesome values!" Cyborg insists.

"Yeah!" Robin agrees. "Plus I totes ship Landon with all the girls," he mutters to himself.

Raven rolls her eyes. "You still made a bit of an ass of yourself," she tells Beast Boy.

BB morphs his head into that of a donkey again. "I thought I was funny back there."

The other boys chuckle. "Yeah, you had that blonde chick steamin'" Cyborg laughs.

"It was hilarious when you told her to kiss your ass," Robin adds.

Raven can't help but smile now too. "Okay. It was funny. But still…"

"Ahh you know you can't stay mad at me, mama," Beast Boy begins, but he and Raven both grow tense upon his slip of his old pet name for her. "Er, Raven," he corrects.

"Uhm… All good," she simply tells him, smiling a little smile to convey this is true.

He returns the gesture, and they continue along.

The bartender, a fellow named Otto, approaches Starfire.

"What will you have?" he asks her.

She meets him with doe eyes, but relaxes a little as she contemplates her options.

"Uhm… I will have a Gibble Flaxhorn. Make it a double," she asks.

Otto meets her with confusion, understandably failing to recognize her foreign request.

She sighs upon realizing this. "I will have an Earth water… Make it a double…"

Again, he raises his brow, but he shrugs it off as he goes to get her drink.

While she waits for him, Starfire reflects on her woes.

"I do wish I had a companion who understood my feelings of loneliness… It is quite sad being the only Tamaranian on Earth sometimes."

She glances back at Blackfire, who is still getting down with her bad self.

"I do suppose it is better than being like my sister though. I would rather be alone sometimes than all the time."

She then eyes her communicator, and thinks about how her friend Raven must be feeling blue herself over Beast Boy.

"Oh… Poor Raven. Here I am feeling sorry for myself, all while she must be feeling even more saddened."

"I do owe it to her to try and cheer her up. She has been the bestest of friends to me, much like my sister should have been."

"Hmm… But how can I do this when she insists on being so distant?"

Her reverie is broken by both the bartender returning with her glass of water, as well as the sound of familiar snide laughter coming within earshot.

"Ha ha ha ha! Oh that's too fun!" Blackfire chuckles as she returns to the bar, and she opts to assume the seat beside her sister.

She scornfully eyes her up and down for a moment, but she ebbs on her judging and gestures the bartender to get her another drink.

"Yeah, they don't have Flaxhorns on this planet. Darn shame," she quips.

Starfire meets her comment with uncertainty, but eases up herself as she returns to sulking.

"I do admit that I sometimes envy your carelessness, older sister," she confesses.

Blackfire amusedly huffs. "Hmph. Is that so?"

The two meet eyes for a moment, but then shift their focus to their drinks.

"What's the matter? Boy trouble?" Blackfire ripostes after taking a sip of her drink.

Although incredulous about her uncharacteristic display of concern, Starfire decides to give Blackfire some benefit of the doubt. After all, she has nothing better to do until her friends get here.

"It is… not the boy trouble. Well, not entirely," Starfire begins.

Blackfire raises her brow, then smirks. "Girl trouble?"

"Yes. Yes, you could say that," Starfire answers, failing to pick up on the innuendo.

"Dang," Blackfire says with surprise in her tone before taking another drink. "I guess I'm not shocked, though."

Starfire takes a drink of water, then continues. "It is my friend, Raven-"

"Girl with the cloak? Wow. I was just messing around, but now you've got me interested," Blackfire teases.

Again, Star doesn't catch on. "She has recently been feeling very sad-"

"Shocker," Blackfire quips.

Star furrows her brow, but keeps going anyway. "As I was saying… She has been the sad, and I do not know how to make her feel better. I have tried everything!"

Blackfire takes another drink, but seems thoughtful. "First of all, I'm not going to ask what you mean by 'everything,' because now I'm forming some bad images in my head," she says with air-quotes. "Secondly, can you blame her? You're not exactly subtle."

Starfire deviously turns to her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean you're a spaz," Blackfire bluntly states. "If she's anything at all like me, then she probably gets annoyed when you go on and on like: 'Do you feel bad? Talk to me! I can help!'" she mocks.

Starfire thinks it over to herself. "Is it true? Have I been 'a spaz?'"

She then turns back to Blackfire. "Okay… So let me ask you this, sister. If I am to get Raven to talk to me about her despair, what do I need to do?"

Blackfire takes yet another sip of her colorful beverage, scrunching her face up in a way that shows she's actually considering her dilemma.

"Alright. You really want my advice?"

Starfire perks up. "Yes! Very much so!"

"First of all, never listen to anyone who's had this much to drink. Second of all… Put yourself in her shoes."

"Her shoes? But I do not believe we are of the same shoe size?" Starfire questions.

"No, you goon. Not literally," Blackfire retorts. "I mean, stop being so in your face about it. She's not all... happy and peppy and stuff like you are," she condescendingly points out. "She's a total emo. You know who emos open up to?"

Star meets her with a dumb expression.

Blackfire sighs. "Other emos!"

"Ohhhhh," Starfire responds.

"Yeeeeah," the other girl says with a sly smile. "See, when you act like yourself, you just make her cranky. But if you act more like her…"

"She will talk to me about the sadness!" Starfire exuberantly says.

"Riiiight," Blackfire affirms.

Starfire takes a moment to digest her sister's advice, but visibly brightens up at the thought that she may be on to something.

"Oh, thank you, Blackfire! You have given me the best idea!" she happily cries.

She chugs the rest of her water, and then excitedly stands up. "I am going to go put myself in Raven's shoes!"

Blackfire rolls her eyes at this.

Starfire blushes through her smile. "I mean… I am going to put myself in Raven's shoes… I guess," she says with an emo drawl, then she winks.

Blackfire smiles. "Well, you go do that, Star. Just don't expect me to be this nice-"

"Buzzed?" Otto the bartender interrupts.

"...the next time I see you."

The two sisters share one last smile, and then Starfire practically skips out of the building as giddily as she can.

Blackfire finishes off her drink, still grinning to herself. "That was kind of nice, I suppose…"

Then she notices Otto smirking at her like an idiot.

"So… Your sister is into feet and other girls, huh? What's your thing?"

Blackfire meets this with disgust, but then eyes her empty drink.

"Uhm… Whatever gets you to fill this thing up, dude."

He smiles as he takes the glass, and she sickly winces to herself as he walks away.

"I seriously need to reevaluate my life."

"So, Beasty Boy, let me ask you something," Cyborg whispers to his proclaimed 'bro' once the two have fallen behind Robin and Raven a bit.

"Sure. What's up, brah?" he responds with his usual chipper attitude.

"What were you and Raven talking about earlier? You know, before the emergency," Cyborg says mockingly.

Beast Boy thoughtfully winces. "Uhm… We had a good talk. Just… like, how we both wanna be friends again."

Cyborg nods. "I got you, dude. Like, all jokes aside, I'm here for you, bro."

"S'all good, fam," Beast Boy says with a smile.

Meanwhile, Raven and Robin are having a similar conversation. "So, sorry if I'm overstepping boundaries or whatever," the team leader begins, "but what happened between you and Beast Boy, anyway? You guys were so happy for a while?" he asks with concern.

She sighs. "Well… I guess we just got to be too much for each other. Like, I tried to indulge all the stuff he's into, like video games and cartoons, but it just isn't me. And trying to talk to him about the dark arts proved to be… unavailing..."

Robin glances back to make sure the other two are a comfortable distance away, and they seem to be too occupied with their current conversation to pay any mind to their friends.

He turns back to Raven. "Well, sorry I brought it up. And sorry things didn't work out."

She eyes the ground. "It is what it is," she simply says.

As the group presses forward, they systematically catch eye of a familiar face nearing them, the face of their very own Starfire.

"It's Starfire!" Robin points out.

She hears him, but she can only focus on Raven. She still seems so dejected.

"Okay… Here goes…" she thinks to herself, remembering everything that her older sister told her.

"Starfire," Robin begins as they all catch up with one another on the sidewalk. "How did it go? Did you take care of Blackfire?"

The redhead glances at Raven again, but gives Robin her attention. "Yes. I mean, well, I did not have to resort to violence."

The others are visibly skeptical. "So… What happened?" Cyborg asks.

"Well…" Starfire starts, seeing the almost pleading looks in her friends' eyes. "We… talked."

Visible skepticism turns to visible disbelief.

"What do you mean you talked? What did you talk about?" Beast Boy inquires.

Starfire thinks it over for a moment, and ponders how to word things without giving so much away. After all, Blackfire did tell her not to be a spaz.

…

"She… was not looking for a fight. She simply wished to buy drinks from strange men," she answers. Then she looks at Raven, and sees all the conflicting emotions glimmering in her dark eyes.

"I guess…" she adds, trying to imitate the Azarathian's goth drawl.

Raven raises a brow at this, but the others simply shrug, apparently sufficed by Starfire's vague explanation.

"Well, I suppose that's all the excitement the city has to offer us tonight," Robin states.

"Come on, let's get back home and watch that dumb movie," Beast Boy suggests.

"Aw yeah. I smell popcorn!" Cyborg cheers.

"That's me. I farted," Beast Boy jokes, earning him grimaces from the others.

They all start to walk again, except for Robin, who panickingly bites his nails. "Uhm, or…! Or we could just go for a walk? Maybe we could like, go in pairs even? Just… random… unplanned groups of two…?"

Starfire scoffs. "The walking sounds lame," she bluntly states, and Beast Boy and Cyborg laugh.

"Shyeah! Who goes for walks?"

"Losers, that's who!"

And with that, they forget all about Robin's suggestion.

"Night walks are not for losers," he mopes to himself as she kicks his foot up, but he concedes and follows the others anyway.

…

A few moments of witty banter between Cyborg and Beast Boy about their usual topics of discussion pass, and all the while, Starfire keeps glancing at Raven out of the corner of her eye.

Raven notices, but she doesn't say anything at first. She knows Starfire is eccentric.

But eventually, eccentric becomes a little annoying, and she has to say something.

"Uhm, is everything alright, Star?"

Starfire perks up as she realizes Raven has spoken up, but she ebbs her enthusiasm in favor of more mock-melancholy.

"Hmm? Oh… It is just life. I wish not to talk about it," she woes.

Raven is taken back by her response, but doesn't get the opportunity to provide any follow up, as Star hastefully picks up her pace to get ahead.

"What the heck is that about?" Raven wonders.

Then, once she's gotten far enough ahead, Star cracks a little smile to herself.

"I believe I may just make this work."

I Googled Glorbrom, and there is no such thing. Well, now there is, but it's some Tamaranian aminal that you can use your imagination to come up with an image for.

Also, I'll only apologize once more for all the subtle inside jokes I make. The rest of you can just be confused while me and my loser friends laugh it up.

If you're worried about Blackfire, don't fret. She goes to an AA meeting after this. Seriously though, I originally had her being a little more "in character" and providing more of an antagonistic role in this chapter, but I decided to have her show some of her good side instead. I'm a sucker for that stuff.

Anyway, I hope you guys and gals are having fun, and I hope you'll enjoy what's to come. I do have this story mapped out to the end, and I'm eager to kick things into the next gear. That's all I'll say for now;)

Thanks as always, true believers.