Fan Fiction ❯ Broken Flower ❯ Comfort in a Brid ( Chapter 1 )

Author's notes:

THIS IS A REPOSTING. I've reposted for the sole purpose to let people know that, yes I AM alive. I have had many problems at home including the death of a cousin. Thusly, my ah...updates have suffered. I WILL be continuing Origins, but it will no loger be my sole epic. I've got a couple of plot bunnies that I'm wrestling with, all are summarized on my bio. There aren't any real major differences between the original and this repost, so it won't be necessary to re-read it.

Thank you for sticking with me.

LHS.

Love it, hate it, print it out and masticate it, but PLEASE review.

On with the Fic!

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

She sat at the console, eyes glazed, her mind in a trance. Her head lay in her folded arms as she watched the screen of the city, waiting for something, anything.

She was much like stone, crystal, precious gold, as she sat unmoving, it took a keen eye to even notice the slight rise and fall of her shoulders as she breathed.

Her true only sign of life was the movement in her eyes, which were no longer alight with the blazing emerald fire they normally held. They were hollow, dark. Cold...

Her hollow, seemingly lifeless eyes bring to mind the last green leaf in autumn. While it holds its color, it holds barely anything else, the slightest touch able to send its disintegrating pieces into a gusting wind…

Cyborg watched as, only moving her arm, her eyes not even turning to see the motions she went through, she clicked the communicator and spoke in a hoarse voice, "Robin. This is Starfire… Please respond."

He watched as she waited. He couldn't help but wonder if she truly believed that there would be any response. If some part of her ignored the fact that they had searched the entire city and had come up with no sign that could confirm that Robin was still alive…

He sighed and approached his alien friend…

He placed a hand on her shoulder, "Give it a rest, Star. You've been at it for hours… You know how sometimes he just likes to go out and brood, maybe he'll be here tomorrow…" he said rather unconvincingly....

She sat up in her chair, her shoulders slumped, her eyes still not leaving the computer screen, "Never without telling us first, Cyborg." Her voice was gloomy, hurt. Hours before it had been full of hope and promise. The Titans had scoured the city, looking for any sign of their missing leader. With his tracker disabled, it was anyone's guess as to where he was. Alleyways, hospitals, police departments, a number of hideouts for notorious gangsters, anywhere he could have possibly been, they had gone, and their efforts thus far had all been in vain.

They had backpedaled to the sewers. Their findings failed to inspire any hope in the hearts of our four remaining heroes. Cyborg closed his eyes as memories from only hours ago washed over him.

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Splish.

Splup.

Splish.

Splup.

Cyborg splashed through the bowels of the city as he and his friends traversed the sewers. He grimaced with every step he took, thinking of all the crud accumulating on his feet. He bucked up though, knowing that it was irrelevant in the face of finding their leader.

They knew Robin had fought Cinderblock. They knew he had fought him in the sewers. It was just a matter of finding where. They had split off into tentative pairs. Starfire and Beast Boy took one half of the under-city while Raven and Cyborg took the other. The pairs had the option of splitting too, but that was up to them. Standard procedure…Robin's idea…ironic ain't it?

"I…think this is it." Raven called from ahead, staring into a branch off in the sewer system, wide eyed.

"You sure?" he responded, running to her side. He stopped to look into the room and his eyes widened in amazement.

The cove was a wreck. It was almost as if someone had put a bunch stone and steel together in a blender and set it to 'Frappe.' The wreckage was downright ridiculous. Walls had huge holes in them, pipe networks that once hung to the ceiling and been torn down, which now rest on the ground, many of them split and spewing whatever liquid they had been carrying.

It wasn't long before Beast Boy had joined them, no less shocked by the state of the room than any of the others. He'd made some halfhearted attempt at making some joke that truly wasn't even worth the breath it wasted, much less be documented here. Afterwards he was silent.

Then Starfire arrived…

She'd gasped at seeing the room, but had otherwise given no other response.

Not that she needed to. Cyborg didn't need his life support sensors, nor did Raven need her abilities as an empath, to know that Starfire's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and what ifs.

He'd eventually look back and realize that it was probably there she first began to seriously consider entertaining the idea that…Robin simply might not have made it. Come to think of it, it was here that ALL of the remaining Titans truly had no choice but to give a little credit to that dark voice in the back of everyone's mind that told them to embrace the worst…

It was here that Starfire lost her spark… that ever-present twinkle in her eyes. Lost that light and uplifting tone in her voice that told everyone, whether they were listening or not, that everything would be alright.

Because, deep down, she knew everything might not be alright.

And when Starfire, by far the most hopeful and optimistic member of the team started thinking that way, it scared everyone.

Between the four of them, standing in the entrance of the room that could quite possibly hold the corpse of their leader, mastermind, and, most importantly, friend, there were no heroes.

Heroes aren't supposed to show fear.

But they were afraid. Terrified even.

Terrified to search the graveyard of steel and stone for what they might find…

No heroes…

Only four teens, worried that their friend had been stolen from them long before they were ready to say goodbye…

Without ever realizing she did, Raven found her self leaning into Cyborg, standing to her immediate left. He didn't have to look and know it was her. Though he'd never admit it, he'd know Raven anywhere. He didn't comment or give any type of verbal response, such would sully the moment. Raven rarely let her guard down, any time she did was a time to be respected. He simply wrapped his arm around her, pulling her slightly closer, giving her his strength while simultaneously drawing from hers. She didn't resist.

It wasn't long before they all had embraced each other as a group. Such times weren't for pride. In times like these, all one really needed was whatever friends that cared enough to offer either a helping hand, or a shoulder to cry on.

They all took the first step, the hardest step, together. The first of many in the graveyard of steel and stone, knowing that if they were unlucky enough to find Robin's tomb, it would hurt hundreds of times worse if they were to uncover it alone…

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

This is dedicated
To the ones who never made it
I hated the fact you faded away…
You were the greatest
So I say this prayer to pay my respects
I'll never forget you
'cause you special
I kept you in my heart
May God bless you
Rest in peace to my peoples
Who passed away (passed away)
Best believe
I'ma keep you alive
Always (always)
And 'til the day we meet again
Face to face with a grin
In hell or heaven
You my twin to the end
And I'ma miss you…

Cuban Link. Flowers for the Dead.

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

They hadn't found him, of course. Otherwise, Starfire wouldn't have still been calling.

They had found Cinderblock, buried under some of the stone from the walls and tile from the ceiling, but miraculously untouched by the flooding of various fluids and chemicals that had spilled into the room through the broken pipes.

Well…correction. What was left of Cinderblock…

Normally, it would be considered perhaps a good sign that if Cinderblock had been destroyed, it was Robin who probably did it…

But then they found the blood. That, unfortunately, hadn't gone without running into some of the flooding in the room, so it was impossible to tell exactly how much had been there.

The fact remained, however, Cinderblock didn't bleed. Robin did.

Robin had, in the best case scenario, been injured, but the knowledge of how badly, or where, was unattainable.

But that still left the worst case scenario…

A heavy silence smothered Cyborg and Starfire in the command room of the tower, like a theatre curtain that had fallen from the stage.

Somewhere, Cyborg found the courage to speak, "Star," he hesitated before continuing, "Robin's a warrior…H-he always has been. Through it all…he's been strong. Not just for him…but for us, too. Even in the beginning, before you had arrived, when we were getting our asses handed to us daily…"

He stopped a moment, considering the best way to continue, "But he never gave up on us, ya know? He was always the one reviewing security tape or helpin' us work better together. Even when we just wanted to roll over and die…"

The Tamaranian girl gave no signs of acknowledgement. He continued anyway. "He never gave up on this team, Starfire. It's too early for us to give up on him just yet."

Starfire remained motionless. She gave no indications she had even heard a word he said. She simply sat staring into the screen.

"Starfi-"

"Cyborg?"

He cut his query off short as she interrupted him.

She turned away from the screen to look at Cyborg. He saw the eyes again, the empty, hurt, eyes that, while dry, betrayed a fractured soul. A stricken heart. Incompleteness...

He knew why of course. Any fool with eyes could see the love between Robin and Starfire… The shared glances and stolen touches…The nights on the roof and hushed conversations.

Its was like a budding flower had been crushed before the petals ever got their first glimpse at the sun…

"Would it be permissible if I, perhaps, left to do the 'clearing of my mind?'"

Cyborg sighed. Crime could strike at any moment, even with Robin's disappearance. And with him gone, they were undermanned as it is. The answer should have been no. But…the possible death of a friend does things to a person.

Besides, no one with a heart could have ever said no to those eyes…

"Yeah, sure. Just…take a communicator with you, ok?"

She plastered a smile on her face, one that was obviously forced, before nodding to him, standing, and exiting the room. He sighed, flipped the light off, and left the command area, heading towards the living room, looking forward to a little time with the Gamestation to do a little of his own clearing of the mind.

Imagine his surprise when he found Raven, sitting on a couch, drinking something in the dark, bathed only in the light from outside and the gentle blue glow that came naturally in the room. She sat staring out the window, the steam rising from her cup the only thing keeping her company.

From the eyes of a stranger, it would look as if she was completely oblivious to her surroundings. But Cyborg was far from a stranger…

"You handled that well, I think." she spoke, tearing her uncloaked gaze from the window to her teammate.

He shrugged, "I don't know if she heard a word I said…" He walked in her direction, all thought of his Gamestation gone, "Mind if I join you?"

She shook her head before scooting over slightly.

"Where's BB?"

She sipped from her cup. "Asleep. Upstairs"

He nodded and sat next to her, leaning back into the soft black leather couch, his eyes gazing out the window, watching as storm clouds rolled over the sky, idly thinking Starfire would be soaked when it started raining…

"So tell me," she continued. "That little speech of yours…was it more for her or for you?" she asked.

He shrugged uncomfortably. "Jeez…nothing gets by you, does it?" he muttered, looking at his feet.

She smirked, her eyes to his, awaiting his answer.

He waited before answering, looking at her and then out the window. "I miss him, ya know? I mean…I know he hasn't even been gone that long but it jus' feels like there can be no Titans without him…He created us."

She nodded.

"Things would just be different without him…God knows Star's taking it hard." After a brief moment, he started chuckling. "And where would we be if we didn't have the lovebirds floating around each other all the time."

She tried to roll her eyes in annoyance only, but she couldn't stop the grin that crept onto her face. "They're hopeless…"

He nodded his head, smile still on his face. The two melted into a companionable silence.

Cy eventually broke it, "So why are you still up?"

She shrugged, "I couldn't sleep…I've always liked storms and since there's supposed to be one tonight, I came in here so I could hear it better."

He nodded.

"That and…for the first time, I found my meditation to be…unfulfilling." She shook her head. "I don't like it."

He shrugged, "You're worried and scared. It happens. Hell, we all are."

She frowned and glared at him, "I don-"

"'-don't do fear,' yeah I know." she raised an eyebrow, surprised at how predictably she behaved. Either that or how well Cyborg knew her…

"But you do," he continued. "as much as you might not want to admit it. Besides the whole demon-sorceress thing, you're just a normal human being, with thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Just like the rest of us."

She sat miffed. Cyborg looked at her and was unsuccessful in stopping the smile that graced his face. At seeing it, she set her face in a frown and turned back to the window…watching the first few drops splash against the window.

Smiling, Cyborg scooted over closer to her, "Look, I know you're not supposed to feel emotions and all that jazz, but…if someday, down the line, that…changes." This grabbed her attention. She turned to him, her eyes curious." I…I just want you to know that I'll be there…to help you. Ok?"

She looked into his eyes, more specifically, his human one, searching for any sign of teasing or dishonesty.

She saw none.

She nodded, gazing back to the window, the rain now falling in a steady stream. "Thank you."

"Welcome…"

They watched the rain. Listened to it pitter patter against the glass. They listened to the now rumbling thunder and the lighting as it flashed and briefly laminated their features…

"Rae?"

"Yes, Cy?

"…"

"What is it?" she prodded gently.

"…do you think Robin's ok?"

She thought for a moment. "Are you looking for honesty or comfort, Cyborg?

"…Comfort."

She leaned over, shifting so she was lounging against him in a comfortable position, wrapped her arms around his waist and nestled her head into the crook of his shoulder, apparently unbothered by the metal she met there.

"I think Robin's perfectly fine…"

He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close into a firm embrace.

Lightning flashed again.

"Thanks, Rae…"

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

End Part 1.