Fan Fiction ❯ Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You ❯ Stepping Forward, Looking Backwards ( Chapter 12 )

Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, For You

 

Chapter Twelve

“Stepping Forward, Looking Backwards”

 

A/N: I do not want to ruin too much, as there is a few big shocks in this chapter. I tried to make it as confusion-free as possible; and I tried to clear up any confusion that needed to be created as well. Still, if you have any questions about it you can email me or ask in a review. I am happy to answer any questions, anytime - as long as it does not spoil the plot.

Oh, sorry about all the cliffhanger evilness - but seriously, the chapter was called “Combat and Cliffhangers”, what did you expect?

 

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

 

Beast Boy's feet were dragging with every step he took. It was unfortunate that things had to be this way, but it was also out of his hands. All he could do now was procrastinate as long as he could - which was nowhere near long enough. The sandstorm was moving, and his time to deactivate or destroy Robin's beacon was running out. He had to hurry and accomplish his task; or Raven would suffer a fate far worse than a simple death. She would become death. She would become an instrument of death - and it would be Beast Boy's fault.

 

All of it was his fault. Raven had always guarded her emotions; she had always prevented this sort of thing. She had managed to keep her father from doing something like this all her life - and then Beast Boy came along. It had not started with this trip. He had managed to make her open up in the past as well. There was the time he and Cyborg had found her enchanted mirror, the time Beast Boy's “inner beast” had come out, the events with Melchior - this sort of thing had been a long time coming. Finally, it was here.

 

What could he do? If the beacon was broken, Bruce Wayne and Galfore would die. They would be alone, beaten, bruised and unconscious with everything from alien lifeforms to sandstorms to keep them company. On the other hand, if he didn't do this Raven would die. The Raven he knew - the Raven he loved - would cease to exist. Instead, her body and powers would be under the guidance and control of Trigon; and as soon as he took control, he would have the means, ability and opportunity to kill the Teen Titans. Then what? If Raven's body was used to murder the Titans, then who could save Bruce and Galfore? They would die anyway.

 

That's when it hit Beast Boy. The horribly simple answer. Destroy the beacon. If Bruce and Galfore were going to die no matter what, then they would be the sacrifice. Maybe, just maybe, the time they would buy him would be enough for him to figure a way out of this whole mess. Maybe it was just postponing the inevitable. Either way, he had made up his mind - and either way he was sure he would never be able to live with himself when everything was said and done - If he was still alive when everything was said and done.

 

Aside from his moral issues, Beast Boy had one last problem to solve before he reached the infirmary. He may have decided that he would destroy the beacon; now he needed to know how he would. The beacon was built into the buckle of Robin's utility belt - and Robin did not just leave his belt lying around. He had many of them, a fact Beast Boy knew from experience. He still remembered that light-hearted time when Robin had gone to find “The True Master” and his friends had all wound up dressing like Robin in his absence (even Raven had admitted that the mask was `cool'). However, all of his extra belts were on Earth. There was only one on Tamaran - and Robin was too responsible to just leave it lying around.

 

If Robin took the belt off at all, it would be ready at his bedside. Robin was awake; so odds were it would be around his waste. The sandstorm would have long-since moved on by nightfall, and then it would be too late. So how was Beast Boy supposed to destroy the belt buckle? (He had already ruled out deactivating the beacon - Robin could probably reactivate it and Beast Boy never had much luck with electronics that required more than a simple “on/off” button.)

 

Beast Boy had no ideas, and he was now outside the infirmary door. He could procrastinate no longer - this was the decisive moment. Wild ideas flash through his head. He could run inside, grab the belt and simply smash it without any explanation. That would definitely raise suspicion. He could sneak in through the air ducts, create a distraction, turn into a spider, sneak down on a webbing line, snatch the belt, sneak back up, destroy the beacon, sneak back down, replace the belt, head back into the hallway and resume human form, and then enter the infirmary. Although seemed very complicated and would require precise timing. (His math skills were as weak as his knowledge of complex electronics.)

 

He sighed. He had to face facts his luck had run out.

 

The youngest of the Titans reached forward and opened the door of the infirmary; and he stepped inside. If his luck was truly gone, he may as well face it now. He would act like a man and accept the consequences; perhaps in this important moment he would find the solution he was praying for so desperately. Beast Boy knew that, in reality, someone would probably die because of what happened when he walked in that room. That was the cold-hearted truth. Still, it did not stop him from being hopeful. There was always a chance, right? Surely, there could be some strange, ironic twist of fate that could save everyone; or at least buy him some extra time?

 

As Beast Boy entered the infirmary, the first things he noticed were his friends. Robin, Starfire and Raven; all awake and all sitting on Robin's bed. Robin in the middle, Starfire at his right and Raven at his left. Another thing they all shared in common was their focus; all of them were staring down at Robin's utility belt, which currently sat in his lap. Once Beast Boy entered the room, they all looked up at him. Beast Boy was not sure what he should do, say or think.

 

Coincidence?

 

“Finally.” Raven was the first to speak. “Maybe now we'll get some answers.”

 

Beast Boy felt a lump form in his throat. Did they know? Could they know? It looked like they might. That made no sense. If they knew - if Raven knew - they would be trying to stop Trigon! Had they stopped him? No, they couldn't have. So what was going on?

 

“We could use your help Beast Boy, if you're willing.” Robin confessed which suddenly caused Beast Boy's confusion to rise. He blinked several times and it must have been rather obvious that he had no clue what was going on, because Raven rolled her eyes and began to explain.

“We're trying to find something for the lovebirds to use in the Trials as their keepsake. We figured Robin's belt was a good place to start; but we were wrong. You want to take a look?”

 

It was like winning the lottery. He'd come up here fully expecting he'd have to try something stupid to get the belt; and fully expecting to fail and cause death to collect another victim or two - and instead he was handed the perfect chance to complete Slade's request without anyone getting hurt. The words “too good to be true” kept flashing in his mind; but Beast Boy was not going to pass up this chance.

 

“Sure Rae, I'll look.” Beast Boy replied, a genuinely upbeat tone taking over his voice. Raven seemed convinced because her next move was to pick up the belt and toss it across the room; Beast Boy missed the catch. He tried to catch it but missed; the belt went over his shoulder and wound up smashing against one of the opposite beds on the wall. Beast Boy shut his eyes, fearing the worst while he listened to Raven mumble something (whether it was an apology for her bad throw, or a sarcastic remark about Beast Boy's bad catch he'd never know). Beast Boy walked over to the belt, fearing his one chance was blown.

 

Then he picked it up. The buckle was broken - as was the homing beacon receiver inside.

 

“Anything broken?” The sounds of Robin rising from the bed as he asked the question had reached Beast Boy's elfish ears and Beast Boy was quick to turn around with a sheepish grin.

 

“Well . . . kinda.” Beast Boy chuckled nervously; but Robin shook his head.

“It's just the buckle, no big deal. None of the important stuff was damaged.” Robin turned back to the bed and then froze. “Well, the homing beacon was probably messed up; but that can wait till we're back on earth to fix, never use it anyway.”

Beast Boy could hardly believe it. Had he just gotten away with it?

“You are forgetting one thing boy-wonder.” Raven spoke darkly. Beast Boy could feel his heart stop and re-start. “You should probably take the belt back from the klutz I call a boyfriend.” She turned to Beast Boy at this point. “You're clumsy, face facts.”

 

Beast Boy's face lit up with one of the biggest smiles he ever had. It was short-lived, though, and only the beginning of it was real. He let the smile fade as he made his way over to return the belt. He had done it. He had destroyed the beacon and managed to do so without raising suspicion; which meant that Raven was safe, at least for now. Moreover, with the chances of Raven suddenly losing her soul and being transformed into Trigon's newest toy were now reduced to zero for the time being; Robin, Starfire, Cyborg and Beast Boy himself were once again safe around her.

 

Bruce and Galfore however, were not safe. They were not here; they were bleeding to death in the desert; and Beast Boy could do nothing to change that.

 

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

 

He was lying to her, and she wanted to know why.

 

Raven was the quiet one. She was the strange, gothic titan who stayed in her room or buried herself in her books and did not interact with the team as much as she should have. It was fortunate that she was not big on gossip; because as the quiet one she knew more about the Teen Titans than they knew about themselves. She could read people; and it did not take demonic powers to do it. Between her observations of her friends, her powers, and her recent attachment to Beast Boy, she knew he was hiding something from her.

She did not like it. Raven knew the value of secrets. She knew better than anyone else did. She had kept her share of secrets over the years. The books in her bedroom, the significance of her birthday, and a lot of other stuff that was secret for less dramatic reasons. She also knew that keeping secrets was the dumbest thing someone could do - and the proof was everywhere. Robin had kept his secrets - and people like Slade and Red X had benefited by them. Raven's secrets had aided an ancient dragon, her father, and multiple other psychos in-between. The bottom line was simple; they were the Teen Titans. They were closer than family. There was no legitimate excuse for any secret to be kept - and in ninety percent of the cases, those secrets only lead to pain.

 

That's why she was so worried. She knew Beast Boy was the one keeping a secret now. She caught the dread in his eyes, even when he was smiling. She could hear the pain in his voice, even during his laughter. He had a secret, and it was a big one. She had to confront him about it; and it had to be sooner rather than later.

Currently Beast Boy was only inches away from her. The four of them still sat on the bed, trying to find a keepsake for Robin and Starfire. In truth only Robin and Starfire had any interest in finding the keepsake - Raven was worried about Beast Boy and he was worried about his secret. The lack of interest in the current task was written on their faces clearly; but Robin and Starfire did not even notice their ennui because of their own obsession.

 

“Beast Boy.” Raven leaned slightly to her right and whispered into his ear; this seemed to shake him awake from his own trance-like state. “Can I talk to you on the terrace?”

 

She wasn't sure what went through his mind when she said this, but his face quickly went through the full rang of emotions - from preoccupied to worried to happy - and he responded with a “Sure” a moment later. Raven decided it was time then, and she rose from the bed. Beast Boy followed suit and the other pair finally took notice of their friends.

 

“We'll be back in a few minutes.” Raven explained before Robin's mouth had even begun to open. “You two just keep your minds on finding a keepsake - and keep your hands and lips to yourselves, too.”

 

Raven and Beast Boy were free to make their way to the terrace uninterrupted while Robin and Starfire had to blush themselves back into submission before they could resume the hunt for a proper keepsake.

 

The trip to the terrace was a fast one. Raven and Beast Boy seemed to have an unspoken agreement to move along with all due haste; and that's what they did. The underground bunker was a nice, safe environment but it was also much too confined for this purpose. Soon they had gone back up the escape tunnels, preceded to the second floor of the royal palace, and ended up on a balcony overlooking the small gap between the palace and the outer walls. The watchtowers, still damaged from the earlier combat, loomed in the distance. Soldiers and servants were busy flying and running down below; repairing damages and keeping up the security rounds. None of it mattered to the young lovers who now found themselves alone with one another.

 

“What are you hiding from me?” Raven asked Beast Boy; she did not look at him. Instead, she leaned on the balcony's railing and looked out at the distance. Beast Boy stood behind her, afraid to approach either the railing or the girl who leaned against it.

 

“What makes you think -” Beast Boy never finished his sentence.

 

“You're a horrible liar Beast Boy; I know you're keeping something from me. I just want to know what it is.” Raven kept her back turned to him.

 

“Raven, I swear I don't know -” The second statement remained as unfinished as the first.

 

“I'm in danger, aren't I?” Raven asked her voice much quieter. She turned around this time too. Her hood was down and her hair was fluttering lightly in the almost non-existence breeze. Her eyes were not angry, or sad or even frightened. They were instead filled with an almost bored understanding.

 

Beast Boy could not fight it any longer. “Raven, I didn't have a choice! You are in danger, your dad and Trigon have been using me to do things but there is still a chance to stop them! You've gotta look inside your head, your dad put a piece of his soul inside you but if you can find it first and destroy it then he'll be destroy and he can't destroy your soul!”

The explanation was given too fast, and it was mostly gibberish anyway. Raven caught enough of it, however, to understand. The moment she did understand a feeling of relief washed over her. “Beast Boy, I'm not in danger. They used you.”

 

Beast Boy shook his head. “No! You're dad broke off a piece of his soul and it's inside you; and he'll devour your soul and make you a mindless killing machine as soon as I refuse to obey him!”

Raven shook her head. “No he didn't. It is impossible. You cannot break a soul. That isn't how it works.”

 

Beast Boy froze, his eyes suddenly widening in a ugly combination of horror and disbelief. “It isn't?”

“Who are you going to believe, me or my dad?” Raven asked, growing in impatience. “They used you Beast Boy. They used your feelings for me.”

 

Beast Boy could not comprehend this. “No! What about when you healed me! It was because your dad -“”

 

“I healed you because I had confidence. My dad didn't help me one bit. He just took credit for it.”

 

It was becoming much too clear to Beast Boy. Raven was not in danger. She never had been. Trigon's story about sneaking into her mind and leaving a piece of his soul was, as she had said, a total lie. He had been manipulated.

 

“So . . . So I just let them use me?” Beast Boy asked, finally able to accept the horrible truth. “You were never in any danger . . . I was just stupid. I let Slade manipulate me again.”

 

“Yeah, you did. I'm sorry if you were looking for compassion, but you did let Slade manipulate you. Just like with Terra. The difference is this time you have the power to do something about it. We're not going to die because of this Beast Boy - I'm not going to let us.” Raven walked forward.

This was harder on her than he could imagine. She wanted to be the compassionate, understanding girlfriend. She wanted to hug him and tell him it was all going to work out; but she could not. She was not going to lie to him - he had done a lot of damage to their side. He had screwed up big time and it was going to lead to big problems. Still, she was not going to let things end like this. They were not going to die in misery. If they failed, if Slade and Trigon were the ultimate victors, if Tamaran was their final resting place - fine. That did not mean they had to give up. That did not mean it was going to be an easy victory for the villains.

 

“Beast Boy, what did you do for them? I have to know. Everything they made you do; you have to tell me right now if you want to have even the slightest chance of fixing it.”

 

Beast Boy sighed. Raven was standing directly in front of him now, and he could feel her desire to embrace him. He shared that desire; but he also shared the knowledge that that would not be happening now. “Really not that much. They wanted me to destroy Robin's receiver on his belt; which happened anyway.”

Raven raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

 

Suddenly Beast Boy remembered, his eyes widened in horror and he opened his mouth. “Bruce and Galfore! Raven they're still out there in the desert! Slade and Trigon left them out there to die and made me choose between them and you; but now we -”

“Can save them? Yeah, we can. Shush.” Raven closed her eyes and quickly went to work. The big picture was becoming clearer and clearer by the moment and it looked like luck was finally shifting sides and working for the Titans. The sandstorm that had blocked the rescue beacon's signal had not moved - but it could not keep Raven's mental powers away.

 

“I know where they are.” She announced. “They're alive, but we have to hurry.”

 

Beast Boy nodded. “Right!”

 

There was not need for another word. Raven took his hand, gave it a quick squeeze, and then engulfed them both in black light. The next moment a large, black raven made entirely of black lights flew from the terrace of the palace and headed out for the desert; determined to find and rescue Batman and Galfore before it was too late.

 

Many people saw the giant black raven as it flew. Many of the soldiers and workers became curious as it what it was or why it was flying away so fast. Myand'r and Luand'r, who were so far behind current events they were still awaiting Robin and Starfire's answer as to whether or not they'd be attempting the Old Trials, also spotted the bird. Their curiosity grew rapidly and they began to suspect something was going on they had not heard about.

 

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

 

Of all the people to witness the bird's flight, though, no one was more delighted than the pair who stood watching from the wreckage of one of the watchtowers.

 

“You see Trigon; once again we're right on schedule.” Slade smirked. “Beast Boy knows we used him and now he and Raven are rushing off to save their friends; exactly as we planned.”

 

“Leaving us ample time to sneak inside the bunker and enchant Robin and Starfire's keepsake.” Trigon replied with a sinister smile slipping across his face. “Things are working out better than we could ever have hoped for.”

 

“Yes. Still, we have to be on our highest alert.” Slade warned. “Every step closer to our true goal puts us one step closer to danger. No matter how perfectly we have planned in the past, something had always managed to go wrong. This time must be different.”

 

“It will be.” Trigon agreed. “Now you'd best get going if you are to follow those two; remember we still need them alive. Just make sure they don't get back too soon.”

 

“There's no reason to worry.” Slade responded before he turned and jumped off the side of the tower. He was not worried about the guards or the added security - he'd proven time and time again that Tamaran's security was nothing more than a joke compared to his skills and training. Slade quickly headed off in the same direction the enormous black raven had.

 

Trigon watched Slade for a moment before turning around. With his daughter gone there was no one here capable of sensing the demon's presence; and that was how he liked it. A moment later Trigon concentrated on himself and his flesh changed color. Instead of a red, leathery-hide he was now a chameleon - his skin was reflecting the colors around him, making him the next best thing to invisible.

 

Satisfied with his disguise, Trigon began his own journey. He was going to walk down to the underground infirmary and launch the next phase in the plans - which were going flawlessly.

 

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

 

The door of the underground infirmary opened with a swish; and Cyborg stepped inside. He did not bother to close the door behind him; instead, he headed over to the middle of the room and noticed it was much emptier than it had been when he left.

 

“Are you two still looking for a keepsake?” Cyborg asked as he approached Robin and Starfire, who had gone from searching Robin's utility belt to looking through Starfire's luggage. They had sent for their luggage from the spaceship and it had arrived only a few moments ago.

 

“Yeah.” Robin responded, not looking up at his metallic-friend. Instead, Robin's eyes were focused on a strange looking purple shaft he had found underneath one of Starfire's socks. “What about this thing Star?”

 

Starfire looked down and shook her head. Then she quickly snatched the strange Tamaranian thing from her boyfriend's hand and stuffed it back in the sock. “No, that would not be appropriate.”

 

Robin shrugged, although he had to admit he was curious to find out what the strange thing had been. Suddenly his eyes widened as the answer hit him. The strange thing! Not the one he had found in Starfire's sock; but the one he kept in his own luggage. Quickly Robin grabbed the old gym bag he had packed full of his extra equipment and began digging through it. Beneath a spare cape, he found what he was looking for.

 

“What about this Star?” Robin held out one of his hands. In the palm of it was a small, round ball. It was brownish in color and looked a bit like an old coral reef because of the various points and columns sticking out from every side. Starfire looked at it in confusion.

 

“What is it Robin?” She asked.

 

“I have no clue; but the keepsake is supposed to have a deep sentimental value, right?” Robin asked her back; without waiting for an answer, he continued. “Well, I can't think of a single thing with more value to me than this.”

 

Starfire blinked, she was obviously confused. “Why?” She asked him bluntly.

 

“I found this the day we met.” Robin answered with a small sly smile tugging on his lips. “You remember that, don't you?”

 

Starfire blushed, remembering that day in detail. Cyborg was also grinning as he recalled that day; it had an amusing day full of familiar firsts. He could still remember it all. It had been the first time Beast Boy irritated Raven, the first time Raven had given her “No one should go in my room” speech, and the first time Robin and Starfire had locked lips.

 

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

 

(A/N: The following flashback was inspired both by the original Teen Titan's comics that inspired the cartoon, as well as my own version of how the Titan's first day together may have gone.)

 

“Well, I guess we just have to wait now.” Robin said as he leaned against the spotless kitchen tower of the recently finished Titan's Tower. Professor Stone had finished the tower only days ago and it was finally time for the Titan's to move in. So far, the only ones there were the two who had originally founded the idea for the Titans - Robin and Raven. Though Professor Stone's own son was to be one of the Titans, they had not met him yet. Nor had they met the other two they were waiting on, a former Hollywood wannabe named Garfield Logan, and the alien warrior Starfire from the planet Tamaran.

 

“We've been waiting all day.” Raven noted. She was sitting on the living room couch, her face buried inside a spell book. She lowered the book from her face and closed it over one of her fingers so she would not lose the page as she turned to face the boy wonder. “Though I think the waiting is over.”

 

Before Robin could ask how she knew this, the door opened a Beast Boy entered the living room for the first time. “Hey dudes! What's shaking?”

 

Neither Robin nor Raven had time to answer before Beast Boy threw his luggage against the wall and made his way to the refrigerator. He opened it quickly and scanned it, scowling at the lack of tofu before closing it and running down to the couch and sitting down next to Raven.

 

“Dude, we totally have to talk about the meat thing. I don't eat meat. Think we can get some tofu?”

 

Raven sighed, ignored his question about tofu, and instead asked him “Are you always this . . . loud?”

 

Beast Boy blinked. “I guess. Oh, what'cha reading?” Beast Boy attempted to grab the book from Raven; instead, he got a painful shock in the form of black light whipping the back of his hand.

 

“We're going to have to have a long talk.” Raven said, as Beast Boy looked up at her with a clear `what was that for?' expression on his face.

 

Robin was still standing at the counter, forming his own first impression on Beast Boy and trying not to laugh as Beast Boy and Raven's meeting continued. He knew Raven well enough by now to see problems forming, but he was also confident that once the team was united the five of them would be the best of friends.

 

“Hey, you're Robin right?”

Robin turned around; he had heard the footsteps but had not thought too much about them. When he had turned around, he found Cyborg standing at the doorway of the living room, holding an oversized bag on one shoulder and carrying a large toolbox in his other hand.

 

“Yeah, you must be Cyborg.” Robin walked over to him. “Need some help?”

 

Cyborg shook his head. “Naw, I'll just set this stuff down against the wall.” Cyborg then dropped the bag from his shoulder and let it fall against the wall behind him; just from the sound of the thud, Robin knew he would not have been able to lift it. Cyborg set his toolbox down beside it and then turned to survey the room.

 

“So what's the story with those two?” Cyborg asked, his eyes falling on Raven and Beast Boy.

 

“That's Raven; she's more the quiet type. And that's Beast Boy; he's not the quiet type.” Robin explained quickly. Cyborg seemed to be catching the drift just watching the pair on the couch.

 

“I'll be in my room.” Raven suddenly announced, standing up and floating towards the main door. When he reached the top of the stairs dividing the living room and kitchen she turned to Cyborg. “Raven. Nice to meet you.” Without waiting for an answer, she continued her path once again until she reached the actual doorway of the kitchen, at which point she turned around. “No one should go in room. Ever.”

“Ever?” Beast Boy asked. “What if -”

“No one should go in my room.” Raven repeated in a dangerous voice. Beast Boy took a step back. Cyborg shot a questioning glance at Robin, who merely shook nodded to Raven since he had already learned of her privacy issues.

 

Raven turned around to head to her room and the moment she did she took a huge leap backwards. There was someone already standing in the door; a redheaded young woman in purple. Raven's annoyance was evident, but none of the boys seemed to notice.

 

They all noticed Starfire though. Then again it was hard not to notice her, since she was now speaking very fast in a language none of them could understand - not that her speech had been the first thing they noticed anyway.

 

“I'm guessing she's the alien.” Cyborg said offhanded to Robin and Beast Boy.

 

“I'm guessing she's trying to say hello.” Beast Boy added.

 

“And I'm guessing you're all immature.” Raven decided to take matters into her own hands before this became an issue. “Starfire, right? Look, no one here understands what you're saying.”

 

Starfire seemed crestfallen. She quickly floated to Raven and began speaking to her in Tamaranian; once again, it was fast and impossible to understand. Raven grabbed the other girl by her shoulders and pushed her back a few feet.

“Relax. I think I know a way to fix everything, just trust me. This won't hurt.”

 

Whether or not Starfire could understand English was still a question, so Raven was confident that her idea was their only chance. Narrowing her eyes Raven lifted her hands and fired black beams of light that consumed Starfire's head. The alien girl stood calmly enough; though Beast Boy and Cyborg both freaked out.

 

“Dude! What are you doing creepy-goth girl?”

“That looks painful!”

“Relax.” Robin grabbed the other boys by their arms. “I'm not sure what the story is but I've seen her do this before.”

 

A few moments later, the black light disappeared. Starfire placed a hand on her head and stumbled backwards in a daze for a moment; but Raven did not notice. Instead, she turned to the boys with a small smile twitching at the corner of her mouth; Robin felt worried.

 

“Well, she doesn't speak English; but she can learn real fast.” Raven explained. “Aside from the flying and the energy blasts, Tamaranian's have another power. They can learn an entire language by absorbing it from someone who already speaks it.”

 

Robin raised one of his eyebrows in suspicion. “And how do they absorb it?”

 

“They can transfer knowledge through touch. In this case it'd be with the tongue.” Raven saw understanding begin to cross Robin's face, although Beast Boy still looked lost. “Basically one of us has to kiss her; no, let me correct that, one of you has to kiss her.”

 

As Raven had predicted, both Cyborg and Beast Boy responded right away. “I'll do it!” Starfire however had recovered from the intrusion to her mind earlier and was now standing next to Robin.

 

“Me?” Robin asked, gulping a bit.

 

“Feeling shy boy-wonder?” Raven asked with her mischievous smile in place.

“Dude, how come he gets all the girls?” Beast Boy complained, crossing his arms. Raven bit back a sarcastic remark, deciding she better not point out the obvious. Cyborg shrugged.

 

“Uh, right. So then I guess we've got too -”

 

Robin didn't get a chance to finish. Starfire not only seemed to understand what she had to do; she was eager. A moment later Starfire had grabbed Robin's face and pulled him into a kiss - a deep kiss. The boy wonder's eyes had never been so wide.

 

“Dude, he's known her for like five minutes. That is so unfair.” Beast Boy sighed.

 

A moment later, the kiss was over. Robin was standing dazed, but Starfire seemed even more excited than she had been before. “My friends!”

 

The next thing any of them knew the Tamaranian girl had thrown them all into a massive group hug - squeezing a little too tight for everyone's taste. Beast Boy's complaints about not getting enough affection had transformed into a mad attempt to escape from the crushing confines of Starfire's death-grip. Raven looked peeved, and Cyborg was flabbergasted by her strength. Robin was still in shock.

 

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

 

“We all remember that day Robin.” Cyborg grinned to himself as he recalled the events in question. “But what does that have to do with this thing?” He asked, looking at the coral reef-like ball in Robin's hand.

 

“Well, if you remember the next thing that happened was our first trouble signal from the city. After the battle, I found this on the ground. I analyzed it for days; it is not made from any substance known to Earth. I could never find any danger to it; it just makes me think of that day.”

Starfire was grinning from ear to ear. “It is perfect.”

 

“Yeah, I think it is Star.”

 

“Well good, then you guys have your keepsake.” Cyborg grinned.

 

“Looks like we do.” Robin replied. Starfire took the strange ball from her lover and held it up so she could inspect it better.

 

“I do wonder where it came from originally.” She pondered aloud.

 

“Yeah, I do too, but it doesn't really matter. All I know is it reminds me of you; and that's enough.” Robin placed an arm around Starfire's shoulder and pulled her closer to him. “I guess we should tell your parents we found a keepsake.”

 

Starfire blinked. “I had forgotten about them. Do they even know we are to undergo the Old Trials?”

Robin shrugged; he had forgotten about them as well. “I guess we'll find out when we tell them about the keepsake.”

 

The scene was a happy one for everyone concerned. Robin's attention had turned completely to Starfire; and she was just as wrapped up in him as he was in her. Cyborg had decided he would be a good friend and make his way to the other side of the room so they could have as much privacy as possible.

 

This was just fine with the fifth person in the room. Trigon had found it almost impossible to stay perfect still and quiet as the lovers retold their story. It was so happy and full of love and friendship. Trigon's hobbies never included such things; he was more of the mass-torture, rape and murder kind of guy. Finally free from the sentimental stew, the demon wasted no time in hurrying to the bed. He was mere inches from Robin and Starfire; but they never would have noticed. Cyborg's scanners would have picked up Trigon's presence if he was looking for him - but Cyborg was not looking. With a quick tap of his invisible finger on the top of the keepsake it was done.

 

The enchantment was in place. The trap was ready. Now it was just a matter of waiting.

 

After the Trials started, after Robin and Starfire completed their task - the moment they touched this “perfect” keepsake inside the Cavern of the Trials - that was when it would all come together.

That was when the Teen Titans would finally meet their end.

 

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

 

A/N: There you are, another chapter done. I hope the cliffhanger isn't too evil.

The next chapter is coming, so keep an eye out for it.

I've got to go now - 24's on in less than half a hour! Anyway, hope you enjoyed this one; some feedback would be nice, thanks for reading.

 

~ Golden-Sama (Brandon Rice)