"Where do we go now?"

The couple was huddled under a sturdy oak tree as thunder boomed overhead. The storm had come seemingly out of nowhere, a bad omen for the future Robin and Starfire had brought about.

"Look, we're stuck in the middle of a war, Star. We think we're on one side, but both sides are against us either way. I don't even know where we'd be safe."

Robin knew he'd said something wrong when Starfire pulled out of the huddle. "No! It is no longer about protecting us. We must protect our friends and our city!"

They stared each other down for a while, Star hovering just a few inches off the ground. "If we aren't safe, how are we supposed to protect anybody else?" Robin asked. "I know Slade's lair is abandoned, so we can hide out there for now."

With a gentle nod, Star took off into the downpour. The torrential rain matched the flow of her tears. She knew Robin was right; there was nothing she could do if she wasn't safe.

But it still hurt. She worried about the others, if they would be able to stop the oncoming curse.

A calm, soothing melody floated in the wind, dancing in her ears as she approached her new shelter. Five-way harmonies tickled her eardrums and warmed her heart. As she opened the door to the lair, she felt her heart rate slow, settling to resting mode. She barely had time to close the door before she collapsed on the floor.

-End Scene

Meanwhile, Robin had just found an empty warehouse to hide in. The tune in the air was struggling to break through the walls, climbing to a crescendo so strong the building shook.

Robin crawled under a staircase and rushed to cover his ears. He desperately hoped that the others were still safe inside Titans Tower and not out in the open. The siren song would eat them up in a heartbeat.

The warehouse continued to shake, and Robin's mind shifted towards the structure. Would the staircase hold up for him, or would he be crushed under the weight? Then his mind shifted back to Starfire.

What if she hadn't made it on time? What if she was consumed by the curse and he didn't have time to apologize? He had to make it out of this, for Starfire, for the Teen Titans, for Jump City.

This was humanity's final hour before the band took hold. The end was nigh./p