Fan Fiction ❯ Inside the Silence ❯ Surprises are for...? ( Chapter 10 )

Note to Disclaimers: I do not and never will own Teen Titans because things would be damn different if I did. Anyway…this is for entertainment purposes only since I have no money to give any of you if you decide to sue me. I'm a struggling college student, for real. I might have some spare pennies, but I sure as hell can't imagine why you'd want that when you can find it on the street corner.

A/N: Pairings are as follows, as of the present—Terra/Beast Boy/Raven (Terra will be here for—and I'm estimating—another two or three chapters, and no, I'm not bashing her, ok? So don't ask me to!) Robin/Starfire, Jinx/Cyborg/Bumblebee (because he needs someone, and I've wanted to write them in for a while now.) So, if you aren't open to those pairings, then I warn y'all, Do NOT read this fic. So…that's it for now, and no, there is no new enemy entering the picture, because I just decided what I was working with was good already! More or less, I'm going to just disregard most of the recent episodes, like The End Part 1, 2 and 3, okie? I don't want to, but it is really hard to try to keep writing them in with this fic. Just disregard them, okie? Thanks so much! Enjoy the fanfic.

Word Coding is as follows:

`Thoughts'

“Speaking”

Everything else

In italics without parenthesis...that's just flashbacks in general

Inside the Silence (Chapter 10)

Robin watched as the towers of the Justice League came into his view, somewhat shaded by the moonlit night. He had taken a detour in order to avoid being seen in the daytime, hoping to keep any suspicious villains from tracking his path to the actual league. He waited for permission to enter, his bike making a low humming noise as he came to a slow stop before the gates. The air around the city was deathly quiet, and he was sure that it had something to do with the criminal activity. More likely than not, the villains had scared away the townspeople by harassment, murder and the like. Letting out a sigh, Robin pulled out his communicator, hastily putting in communication coordinates for the Justice League in hopes that someone would answer. When Diana's bright smiling face popped up on the screen he managed to give her a weak smile in return as the iron gates slowly opened for him. Careful not to rev the motorcycle's engine, he pressed the pedal gently as he pushed it inside the gates, not looking back as they closed behind him like a seal of fate. `They've sealed my fate; I've sealed my fate,' he thought as he brought the bike to a slow stop by the doors, gingerly climbing off and bringing his helmet with him. His eyes seemed fixated on the carved figures before him, the ones that stood watch—it seemed—over the Justice League. When he saw Batman amongst them, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy of his mentor. `I'm still trying to be like you, Bruce.' His bitter thought was interrupted when the doors to the actual League opened up and Diana came bursting through.

 

When she reached him, she ran up to him and threw her arms around him, letting out a small laugh. “We're so glad to have you back, Dick.”

 

Robin let out a small sigh of annoyance mixed with small content. “Thank you, Diana, but I'm not so sure I feel the same way.”

 

She gave him a questioning look as they made their way into the League, side by side as Diana opened doors along the way. “Dick…what happened to you back there, in Jump City? What's going on with your team?”

 

He let out another sigh, this time one of deep regret and disappointment—one of deep sadness. “Things just went…bad. There has been chaos ever since…” he trailed off, not quite sure what to say about the incident or how to explain it to the woman before him. She gave him another expectant look to which he could only agree to spill the information he knew. “I believe my teammates have…become close.”

 

“Who? Why is that bad?” She asked, curious.

 

“My two teammates have become close, the ones who…shouldn't have become close. It would appear that Beast Boy, Garfield Logan, has become awfully close to Raven Roth, and it's created such a catastrophe in the tower,” he replied.

 

Her eyes widened slightly. “Raven Roth…the demon girl? And the changeling? But doesn't Raven have…an inability to…show emotion?”

 

He nodded, vigorously. “Exactly—Raven isn't allowed to…feel. But ever since Terra was encased in that lava flow some years back, Beast Boy has been a mess. Whatever has been eating away at Raven and Beast Boy has slowly been taking over our Tower and killing our team, little by little. Before I left…she disappeared, too…and now, I don't know anything anymore. I tried to tie up my loose ends…but in the end…I suppose all I really did was runaway.”

 

Diana raised a brow. “Wait a minute, Dick. What you're saying is that there is some kind of evil swallowing Titan's Tower? And who is this she that left? What is this about you running away? What did you run away from? It's not like you to do such a thing.”

 

As they came to a stop in the main living room area where Robin assumed that the Justice League members gathered for meetings, he fell into a chair, his head held tightly within his hands as he remembered everything that had happened from Terra's “death” to the last few days when she was brought back. He couldn't hold it in anymore as he told her about the Prophecy in Raven's blood, of Slade's reawakening, of the horrible, eerie, dread that had been overtaking their tower. For the most part, he'd been relatively mechanical when explaining it all to Diana, reserved, leader-like and totally nonchalant. But when he came to the piece about Starfire's disappearance, he couldn't seem to control his voice or reactions. His eyes began to tear through his mask and his voice quivered slightly as he mouthed his next words carefully. “I ran away from my team. I'm not a leader at all, Diana. I didn't tell them I was leaving…well, except for Raven. And this evil that's been overtaking the tower…I can't stop it; it's unnatural.” He sucked in his breath lightly as he spoke her name for the first time since she'd left. “And Starfire…she…is gone.”

 

Immediately Diana understood what was happening. “Dick, I understand now.”

 

He looked up, his mask drooping in concordance with his expression of sadness. “I can't…”

 

He was at a loss for words as Diana embraced him. He'd never been one for much affection, she'd realized after Bruce had joined the league and Robin had chosen to go out on his own. But she figured that now was a good time to give him some, considering it wasn't everyday that she'd seen the young hero cry or express such emotion about a person or situation. As she smoothed his hair, cradling his trembling body in her arms, she could only stare at the wall opposite them, her mind in a boggle. `What has happened to you, Dick? What is happening to this world?' She felt a sigh building in her throat but pushed it down as she caught sight of a black-caped figure in the shadows, moving ever so silently away from the spectacle they were creating in the main room. `Bruce…can't you see…he needs you now, more than ever?' Her heart felt heavy as she continued to soothe the young man in her arms, her mind somewhat on what they were to do once he'd collected himself. `Something tells me that this is only the beginning,' she mused as she caught sight of his communicator. `Titans, I think you're in for the roughest time you've ever had in battle.'

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Beast Boy cringed as he hugged his side, running his fingers over the smooth bandages that covered his wound. After Raven had disappeared above them, into the darkening skies, the other four Titans managed to take shelter in the lower floors of the Tower. It seemed that whatever Trigon had planned would not take place right away—he hadn't demolished the city yet. Beast Boy felt heavy all of a sudden, drooping as he walked towards the area where Cyborg and Bumblebee were trying to get in touch with the Titans East. It appeared as though they'd had some luck as Beast Boy heard Aqualad's voice drift through the somewhat silent room. Bumblebee stood behind his friend, listing off ways for the Titans East to come to the Tower without being destroyed, her eyebrows creased in concentration. To her side, Terra was leaning against the wall, her hair blocking any view of her face, her arms crossed over her chest as she stared at the ground. He had the sudden urge to check on her, but the look Starfire shot his way warned that it wasn't a good idea. As for the Tamaranian female, she had returned to earth in the midst of all the confusion and chaos, barely missing Raven's disappearance into the sky.

 

However, Beast boy noticed how not cheerful her mood was the moment all the chaos had ended. Her smile did not reach her eyes and she did not greet them in her usually bubbly manner—and somehow, he got the feeling it had nothing to do with Trigon's resurfacing. She had merely asked them if they were okay before settling in a corner away from them, albeit in a similar fashion to Terra. He felt like his head was going to explode with the events that had occurred in the past few hours. `I don't know…I don't understand…' He remembered it all like it had happened mere moments ago, not a couple hours ago.

 

Immediately she threw him away as she backed against the wall. “It's too late…it's too late!” She let out a howl of pain as her eyes turned a deadly red. “Hate will dominate!”

 

Beast Boy stared at her in horror as the familiar figure of Rage, otherwise known as Trigon, erupted from Raven's mind. Her soul-self screamed in agony as it was consumed by her father's treacherous power. At that moment, Bumblebee, Cyborg and Terra burst through their respective doors, just in time to be thrown against the wall where Beast Boy was shielding himself from Rage's power as it filled the hallway, blocking out his terrified shout. He managed to stand up with enough time to make his way towards the other three members in the tower, grabbing a hold of Terra's arm as she clung to him in fear. Bumblebee was quivering in fright as she grasped Cyborg's metallic arm with her free hand, the other blocking her eyes from the debris as Titan Tower began to melt, debris flying everywhere. No one said a word—whether it was actually possible for them to or not was something none of them knew—as Raven's transforming figure released a bloodcurdling shriek as she rose into the air, soaring into the sky until she disappeared. Immediately following her leave, the winds died down and the sky began to darken as though a horrid storm was approaching, coloring the sky purple and dark blue as lightening began to strike various places in the town. Beast Boy looked up, his face horror-filled as he saw three figures emerge from the gray clouds, all too familiar. Cyborg was the first to speak; however, as Bumblebee let out another audible gasp and Terra shuddered.

 

“Brother Blood,” Cyborg whispered.

 

“Slade,” Terra said as well, her eyes wide.

 

Beast Boy lifted his head, unable to believe that their worst sworn enemies had returned and were working for Trigon. He watched as Raven reappeared. Her body glowed a brilliant crimson color; her clothes shedding to reveal all too familiar bright burning red marks carved in her gray skin. He felt as though his heart was going to burst in pain as her hood fell away to reveal four shining red eyes. `Trigon's eyes…' his thoughts trailed as she let out a maniacal laugh. She floated in front of them, the figures of Slade and Brother Blood aside her as Trigon's enormous figure rose from behind the three smaller figures. Raven seemed to be in a trance as Trigon pointed a massive finger at the Titans, a terribly insane smirk on his face as Raven began to speak. Slade and Brother Blood appeared to be ready for attack as fire engulfed Slade's entire body, something Beast Boy had seen before. Brother Blood was surrounded by a menacing blue aura as his eyes glowed red, a sight familiar to Cyborg. Bumblebee clenched her fists at the remembrance of being controlled by those eyes, her anger simmering just beneath the surface. She was about to shoot off and fight when Cyborg gripped her arm.

 

“Sparky, what gives?” Her eyes held annoyance.

 

“That's not him, Bee, believe me,” he replied quietly. “You don't know the power this guy holds…so just…let it go. We aren't ready to fight Trigon just yet.”

 

Something about the way he'd said it compelled her to stay put. She sank to his side again as she resumed looking at their enemies. “Whatever you say, Sparky.”

 

As for Terra, her insides were burning with hatred and shame as she watched Slade and Brother Blood come into Raven, closing in on her from either side. Slade's one eye seemed to focus on the Blonde before him, as if thanking her for making his job so much easier. She turned away, looking for Beast Boy in an attempt to get away from Slade. However, a voice in her head kept repeating the same phrase. `You'll always be a part of me, precious, poor, misunderstood Terra.' Wincing, she made to run to Beast Boy when the figure of Slade shot out so fast, she barely had time to register that he had been coming for her until she felt his icy metal hands clamp around her neck. Beast boy froze in place at the display while Cyborg and Bumblebee could only watch in anticipation at what would happen next. She began to struggle, her gloved hands prying at his hands until she had expended too much energy to fight back anymore. At that point, Slade let out a small, satisfied chuckle as he leaned into her ear to speak; Terra reeled away in fear and disgust.

 

Slade only smirked wider, though it could not be seen. `”My, my Terra, it seems you have become afraid of me. I don't think you should be. For leading us here, you shall be greatly rewarded.”

 

Terra looked away. “I didn't do anything like that. I killed you! I killed us!”

 

“Obviously not,” he replied in slight boredom as he threw her to the ground where Beast Boy caught her. “I thank you all for leading us to the sorceress, and especially you, Beast Boy, is it? Without you, Raven would never have fulfilled her fate, as the Prophecy chose. This will be the happiest birthday she has ever had.”

 

Beast Boy gritted his teeth as Slade returned to his place beside Raven, who was staring impassively at them. At that moment, he caught sight of Starfire breaking the earth's atmosphere. He would have yelled to her except that he had no energy left within him as he collapsed on the ground, Terra still in his arms. Cyborg rushed over to them just as Brother Blood swooped in and seized his arm, not allowing him to reach for his fallen friend. Bumblebee skidded to an abrupt halt; unsuccessfully, however, as she slammed into Cyborg's armor, falling backwards onto the ground beside Beast Boy and Terra, out cold. Brother Blood smirked as he watched Cyborg struggle as Terra had with Slade. His smile widened when Cyborg became frantic, barely realizing that Bumblebee had passed out minutes before. “What did you do Blood?”

 

“A little surprised to see me aren't you, Cyborg? Well, I must say that this was an unexpected happening, on both our parts. But you see, Trigon and I made a bit of a deal. I get to destroy you, personally, if he receives his little present, which is over there. As you can see, she has been restored.” He laughed as Cyborg's eyes shut in anger. “I will enjoy destroying you and your precious friends, my dear Cyborg.” With that last laugh, he punctured a hold in Cyborg's battery pack, eliminating the rest of his battery power. Cyborg fell with a loud thud next to the remainder of his friends, just as Beast Boy stirred. Brother Blood made a face as he watched the green changeling place the blonde haired girl on the floor.

 

“Hey! Why don't you pick on someone who won't run out of batteries, you jerk?” He was aware that he was asking for trouble, but he didn't care. `Better to go down with a fight than without one,' he thought as he saw Starfire head their way. He took one last look at the green and purple blur coming their way before transforming into a cheetah and tackling Brother Blood to the ground. He raised his paw to slash at him when a wall of fire rose around them. Beast Boy knew who was there; he slashed anyway, his claws coming down on nothing but rubble. He glanced around, noticing that Brother Blood and Slade were standing amidst the fire, smirking at him as they watched him try to get through the firewall. He snarled as he transformed a bird, soaring over the flaming wall until he had reached them. The minute he had, he morphed into a Tyrannosaurus Rex and charged at the two men, not caring what got destroyed in the way. However, when he had just about reached them, Raven appeared. No matter what she was, he couldn't help himself from skidding to a halt before her. She stared at him, her eyes still that horrible red as she raised a hand to him—he knew what was coming next. But he couldn't attack her, even though he knew he should have; she let out her attack. He took one last look at her before falling to unconsciousness.

 

From her vantage point, Starfire could only gasp as she watched the three small figures disappear into the sky while Trigon's large figure vanished into thin air before her very eyes. Without a second thought she rushed to the sight of the demolished Tower, tears in her eyes as she saw her four friends lying amongst the rubble, mangled and bloody. Dropping to her knees in the very center of them, she raised her hands to the sky as she released a deafening shriek. Only then did she notice that Robin was not there. Her eyes widened in horror. `He's not…' her thought did not finished as she fell to the ground as well, her tears the only sound echoing through the hollow, decimated Tower.

 

Beast Boy shook his head to rid himself of the horror he'd just witnessed. Nevertheless, he felt as though it was only the beginning of what was going to be their hardest battle. `And with Robin gone…' Slight anger filled him at the thought of their leader missing in action. No one knew where he had gone to, and if Raven had, they'd never know now. Starfire seemed to acknowledge that their leader had disappeared; she hadn't mentioned his name once since her return. Beast Boy sensed that her leaving had something to do with Robin, though not directly. However, he had yet to ask about her leave since he was so wrapped up in trying to make sense of everything around them. He leaned back against one of the few chairs to survive the attack on the tower, his body heavy and bruised from his fight with Slade and Brother Blood. He had blocked out Cyborg and Bumblebee's voices as his mind drifted to Terra, who was still sulking against the wall. His green eyes rested on her forlorn form as she suddenly brought her head up, eyes meeting with his. His stomach felt queasy as she gave him a blank stare before looking away quickly, her eyes dull but troubled. He knew, in his heart, that she had not led Slade to them—she wasn't the same person after her so-called death. He could tell she'd matured greatly—they all had.

 

Groaning in slight pain as she shifted his position on the chair, Beast Boy felt sleep tugging at him. Only then did he realize what a long, agonizing day it had been, for all of them. Settling back in the chair, he drifted off into a fitful slumber. As for the rest of the team, Terra stood berating herself upon the wall while Starfire gazed out the window, her expression solemn as she watched the storm rage outside. They'd only been able to repair a small part of the tower in the lower levels so water would not enter. She could see the sky screaming at them and knew it was only the beginning, just as Beast Boy had. Her emerald colored eyes were distant as she fingered a metallic piece of machinery in her hands. `Robin…where have you gone to?' She felt cold inside as she wondered where he had disappeared to. `I didn't get to apologize…I am sorry Robin,' she thought as a few tears escaped her eyes, sliding slowly down her orange skin as she let her eyes close. She squeezed the contraption in her hands, fully aware that it would eventually break if she squeezed any harder. But just like the batarang, she felt like if pushed a little harder, she too would break from everything. Leaning against the window seal, she kept her eyes closed, calling out to her leader. `Robin…please…we need you so very much right now. I need you so much...' Her calls went unanswered.

 

Cyborg let out a sigh of relief as the screen with Aqualad's face blanked, ending the communication. Behind him, Bumblebee let out a tired sigh as well, collapsing on the chair beside him. “I guess that's it then, Sparky. We'll see the Titan's East tomorrow.”

 

He nodded though his mind was elsewhere. “I gotta recharge my batteries. I'll be right back.”

 

Bumblebee nodded in return as he vanished somewhere behind all the randomly stacked boxes. She glanced over to where Terra was brooding silently, her blonde head in between her knees. The young woman made no move to ask what was the matter with everyone; her instincts warned about dangerous territory in asking. Instead, she looked back to the computer console, her eyes glued to the screen as she lost herself in her own thoughts. She twiddled her fingers, idly, while she imagined what was awaiting them in battle. `It seems almost unreal…' She inhaled a large breath as she placed her chin on her crossed hands, vaguely curious as to what had transpired between Beast Boy and Raven that caused such an outburst. `Well, outburst doesn't give this situation justice…' As a latecomer, she didn't quite understand what had been happening the past few years at Titan's Tower. `I do know one thing though…and that's the feelin I got when I came here…cold, dark, lonely…evil…' Her thought were interrupted when she heard Cyborg's heavy footsteps coming towards her. She swiveled around in her chair to face him, eyes wide. “Any luck?”

 

He pointed to his glowing blue arm before signaling her to one of the cots that had been setup for sleeping. “Bee, you need some rest. Tomorrow we go out to fix all this. We got some searchin to do.”

 

She smiled lightly. “How `bout you?”

 

“I'm standin watch,” he replied.

 

“This is not necessary friend Cyborg. I will provide this watch for all of us this night,” Starfire's voice emerged from the shadows. He looked ready to protest when she raised a hand to silence him. “Please, do not refuse my offer. I wish to protect my friends...”

 

Something about the way she said it reeked off a deeper meaning; Cyborg backed off. “Aight Star; but if you need anythin, wake me up and let me know.”

 

“Many thanks Cyborg, but I will be fine,” she answered, showing a small smile as she turned back to the window, the batarang still tightly in her grip.

 

Cyborg eyed her for a minute, then the batarang—the dots connected themselves. Shaking his head, he plugged himself in to his backup recharge bed, which was located next to Bumblebee's cot. The young Valkyrie was fast asleep beside him, just as Beast Boy and Terra had been for the past twenty minutes. As he closed his eyes to welcome sleep, he gave Starfire one last withering look. `Robin, man, wherever you are, I hope you come back soon. We need you.' He frowned. `But most of all…she needs you.'

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Cradling the coffee cup between his hands in a lovingly fashion, Robin inhaled the aroma as Diana placed a plate of food in front of him. He simply stared at it with little interest, his mind on what he was to do once he went back to his team. `If they ever accept me…after this…' His thoughts halted as he looked up from his cup, barely noticing that there was another person inside the room besides Diana and himself. `Bruce…it has to be.' In the corner, the one closest to Diana, he could see the faint glimmer of those eyes he'd become so familiar with in the past. Smirking as he raised a hand to wave, Robin found himself letting out a bitter greeting. “Hello Bruce. It's good to see you finally decided to join us.”

 

Bruce scowled from within the shadows as he returned the gesture. “Robin, it's nice to see you too.”

 

“Oh, Bruce…do you always have to be so cold and unfamiliar? He's like your son, for heaven's sake! Stop being such a hard ass!” Diana threw up her hands as she stood and walked over to the corner where he was hiding. Sighing, she reached into the thick shadows and grabbed him, practically dragging him with her. She smiled despite his protests. He was strong, but she was Wonder Woman; one of the strongest women alive and no man could resist her, especially not Bruce Wayne. Once she had dragged him to the table and seated him next to her, she took her seat and smiled again. “That's better! Now, Robin…about all the things you told me…”

 

“I don't feel like talking about it now, Diana,” he replied quietly, somewhat uncomfortable now that Bruce was in the room.

 

Seeming to notice his discomfort, Bruce spoke. “I heard everything Dick. I know everything. If you're uncomfortable because of my presence, you should know that now, you shouldn't be.”

 

“You're not very tactful, are you, Bruce?” Robin rubbed the back of his neck as he shot his mentor a humored look. “Anyway…that's not why I didn't want to…”

 

“You've never been a good liar, boy wonder,” Bruce answered, amused.

 

“I'm not the Boy Wonder anymore,” he whispered as he took a sip of coffee. “And fine…you're right. But what's going to come of talking about it? I came here to assist the Justice League. What the Teen Titans are doing right now is none of my business.”

 

“That doesn't sound very leader-like; not at all like you, Dick,” Diana said as she gave him a worried stare. “The Titans…they're your team. And though you are not teens any longer, you still are The Titans. It's your job to lead them. That's why…you left, remember?”

 

“Things aren't the same as they used to be,” he answered in annoyance, mainly because he noticed Bruce stiffen at Wonder Woman's comment. “Besides, who is to say that I won't continue to lead them? I'm just…now isn't a good time to be there. I ran away from them, deliberately. The Justice League simply provided a valid excuse for me to do what I had intended to do after her…” he paused long enough to allow Bruce a clear view of the cringe in Robin's body. “It doesn't matter. I'm here to help the league. So is anyone going to brief me about the situation?”

 

With a sigh, Diana stood up to take her leave. “This is where I cut out. Bruce,” she threw him a firm look. “Please, be nice, okay?” A whip of her hair signaled her leaving as she vanished through the shadows.

 

Robin felt a sigh itching to leave his throat but managed to suppress it as Bruce stiffly began to brief him on the reason he'd left the titans—well, the second reason. However, somewhere in the middle of Bruce's elaborate speech, Robin found himself drifting off, his mind wandering to everything that had happened. The titans were his second main concern at the moment, their whereabouts unknown. But first there was the “little” matter of a certain Tamaranian female on his mind. In truth, he hadn't stopped thinking about her since she left, even though it only seemed to bring him more pain than pleasure. At any rate, Bruce's speech was anything but entertaining, and no matter how hard he tried, Robin couldn't pay attention; therefore his mind entered the realm of impure thoughts, all surrounding Starfire. It felt like he was trying to ignore them since the time was rather inappropriate—but somehow, neither his mind nor his body would oblige his strong logic. Yet, as he stared at the blueprints of the city that Batman had placed before him, his eyes became heavy, his thoughts reaching new heights, mainly on how to apologize to his teammate when he saw her again—and his impure thoughts as well. Still, boredom was creeping its way into his mind when a loud coughing noise brought him back to reality.

 

“Dick, are you even paying attention?”

 

Robin snapped to sudden attention, his eyes slightly bleary as he looked at his mentor. Lying would have been pointless. “No…I wasn't. What was this about?”

 

Bruce eyed him warily though it appeared impassive as he turned away. “Do you have any idea where she is?”

 

Caught off guard, Robin blanched before hanging his head low. “She's on her home planet…she had to leave…Tamaran was too important.”

 

“Did she say she wasn't coming back?” Bruce pried.

 

Robin was past the point of clamming up. Instead, he gripped his coffee mug so hard that he thought it might break from the sheer force. “No…she never said anything to us about her leave. It was sudden. But…Tamaran is the most important thing to her. Her…people need her…”

 

“More than you?”

 

The dejected young man raised his head. “I never said that she had to choose…but I…it doesn't change how I feel. You wouldn't understand Bruce…”

 

“Didn't this happen once before, when you were younger?” Robin nodded at Bruce's question. “And she chose to return home here, to earth, didn't she?” The Boy Wonder nodded again, not quite seeing his mentor's point. “Who is to say she won't return again like the last time? Robin…I've had my fair share of…hurts in the past. No one is that inhuman or cold. Not even me. I do understand, maybe more than you know. Just remember that if you really love her that much, there will be no need to worry.”

 

Letting a small chuckle escape his throat, Robin looked up, raising and eyebrow. “When did you get so soft?”

 

“Let's just say that there is a wonder about this League.”

 

From the doorway, Diana smiled.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

It seemed like all her calls would remain unanswered as she continued to stare out the windows of the destroyed Titans Tower. Her mind drew a long blank as she fingered the batarang in her hands, which were resting upon her lap. The air around her was still, save for the soft snores of Beast Boy and whimpers from what she believed to be, according to her own thoughts, Terra's many nightmares. Bumblebee didn't appear restless at all, nor did Cyborg as their sleep seemed completely interrupted. As for herself, Starfire felt numb as she stared out into the sparkling night sky of Jump City, glad to see that although Trigon had emerged from the shadows, he had not yet taken the entire city with him. Nevertheless, there appeared to be some residue of his awakening, such as the fires that had suddenly began to blaze about the supposedly deserted city. The fires themselves had erupted moments before she'd looked out the window. As she glanced to the fires and then to her friends, she felt the sudden need to save the city, at least for the time being. Placing the batarang upon the chair she'd previously occupied, Starfire disappeared into the night, her hair, having gone unnoticed by the occupants of her team, leaving a beautiful but faintly red trail of fire after.

 

As she arrived at the place of the first seen fires, she swooped down like a bird for the kill, searching for the causes of the catastrophe. She soon spotted a few junkies throwing things into the fire but didn't think much of it as she began looking for a way to put the fires out, preferably by water. Spotting a few trash cans, Starfire flew the bins to the nearest water source, filled them, and returned to the scene of heinous arson. She watched in slight amusement as the flames died away beneath the power of the large amount of water. Another sigh escaped her throat as she realized that the city was in a nice state of turmoil, one that the titans couldn't stop—not without their leader—in Starfire's eyes. Her mind was taking everything in, knowing well that they'd experienced nothing worse than this. Clenching her fists together, she made her way back to the tower, her eyelids feeling sudden heaviness as she resumed her position on her chair. It didn't seem as though anyone had stirred and she thanked the silence that was around her. She was barely picking up the batarang when she heard a noise from within the darkened shadows of the decimated tower. Gripping the metal mechanism within her fingers, Starfire ventured forward a little. “Who is there? I wish that you show yourself now, please.”

 

“Hello Starfire, is it?” A voice replied, loud enough for her to hear but quiet enough not to wake the others.

 

The tamaranian woman was on her guard within minutes, her eyes blazing a brilliant emerald green as she rose into the air. “What do you want stranger? If you are an enemy, please, show yourself!”

 

Out of the shadows stepped a woman clad in a bright red, blue, white and gold outfit. She had a thick, long mane of ebony hair, startling blue eyes and pale, milky looking skin. Attached to her hip was a finely pieced golden lasso, and on her head sat a golden tiara. As she revealed herself, she gave the young woman before her a friendly smile. “There is no need to get so worked up young princess. My name is Diana; I'm a member of the Justice League.”

 

Starfire settled back on the ground. She remembered Robin mentioning this “Justice League” before, mainly when he talked about his famous mentor. Letting the energy bolts in her hands dissolve, Starfire nodded. “Yes…this League sounds familiar. I believe that friend Robin, er…I mean Nightwing had mentioned your “Justice League” to us before. I am Starfire of Tamaran, as you know. To what do I owe this most late but hopefully pleasant visit? Something has happened to friend Nightwing?” Her eyes were wide as she eyed Diana, hoping against hope that she was wrong about the visit.

 

Diana simply grinned. “I am here to inform you that Dick, or Nightwing, rather, is quite safe. In fact, he is with his mentor, Bruce Wayne, at the league right now. I came here to tell you, as it seems he hasn't informed his team of his disappearance, with the exception of a Miss Raven Roth who…” she trailed off as she noticed all the remaining Titans looking at her. “Oh…I'm terribly sorry to have woken all of you.”

 

Beast Boy blinked as his eyes shifted to the strange woman, then back to Starfire. “What's…going on?”

 

“This woman is Diana of the Justice League. She has come bearing news of Robin,” Starfire replied, her voice leaking relief. “Please continue Diana.”

 

Diana smiled politely, once again, as she started to speak again. “Anyhow…I just came to let you know everything is all right. Robin has not abandoned you, his team. In fact, he was asked for a favor and he complied.” Suddenly her forehead pulsed in slight agitation. “However…it seems Dick has not changed in many ways…like running away.” Raising a finger and giving them all another friendly smile, Diana pointed to Starfire. Nevertheless, I need you to come with me, Princess.”

 

At the request, Starfire stiffened. “What ever for?”

 

Cyborg chose this time to jump in. “Wait a minute…why does she need to do that?”

 

As if by magic, Diana suddenly became irritated but kept her composure. “Listen, it is very important. You must understand…your leader will not come back unless this young woman accompanies me back to the Justice League. Vincent Stone, right?” He nodded. “Once Robin returns, he will explain himself to you—I'll see to that. Until then, Titans, I recommend you all get some sleep and make a sweep of the city. It seems as though the chaos has barely begun here. Starfire, please, come with me.”

 

With a cautious nod, Starfire proceeded to follow Diana as she bade them farewell before vanishing into the shadows from whence she came. Looking over her shoulder, Starfire gave them a small smile. “I will bring Robin back to us, friends. Do not worry. I am very capable.”

 

Beast Boy ran up to her and threw his arms around her. “Good Luck Star. He needs you…”

 

“And we all know you need him,” Terra offered as she too embraced the Tamaranian.

 

Bumblebee gave her a “thumbs up” gesture as Cyborg patted her head. “It's all you Star; you go girl.”

 

With their words of encouragement in her being, Starfire, too, disappeared within the shadows outside the Tower and silence reigned again. The initial confusion returned as Beast Boy scratched his head, Cyborg whistled and Terra twiddled her thumbs. Bumblebee would have fallen into the confusion as well when her communicator, luckily undamaged, suddenly began beeping wildly. Reaching into her pocket, she opened the mechanism quickly. “Bee here.”

 

“Damn, the place looks trashed from out here,” came a snobbish voice.

 

“Yeah well, this ain't exactly the place of enjoyment. Get your butts inside—you're late!” She responded firmly. She was walking up to Cyborg when four figures entered the building through the rubble and ruins of the trashed Tower. Bumblebee grinned. “Hey Sparky, I brought some reinforcements.”

 

Cyborg smiled. “So that's what you really needed the communications for, huh, girl?”

 

She nodded. “Tricked ya again, Sparky!”

 

“Hey everyone, how's it going?” Aqualad waved as she watched them receive stunned looks from the Titans.

 

Speedy simply stared at the debris around him. “Is it sanitary in here? There's already grime on my new suit.”

 

Mas y Menos ran around screaming like their usual selves. “Hola Titans! Nos encatamos ustedes!”

 

Of course, no one really seemed to know what they were saying. It seemed like everything was a surprise these days, especially in the recent hours and Cyborg began to wonder who would be showing up next. Some part of him had a bad feeling that it'd be someone who would cause even more tension and trouble for them, even if unintentionally. He decided that he needed a break and disappeared without so much as a word to the team. Beast Boy appeared to have noticed his decision to leave for a break, but said nothing. Bumblebee was busy talking to her teammates and Terra was staying close to Beast Boy's side. Speedy and Aqualad were listening intently as Bee briefed them on the situation while Beast Boy and Terra helped to explain Trigon and Raven's connection. Outside, Cyborg was taking in deep breaths of air, trying to calm himself and cope with the aftermath of everything that had happened. His mind was going miles per minute, and his battery felt like it was going to die even though he'd just charged it.

 

He glanced out at the city, which was surprisingly quiet but had just started to show sign of the chaos Diane spoke of earlier. He could see the outline of smoke forming in the sky, caused by fires that were most likely started by the troublesome gangs on the streets rather than major criminals. The world was going to be destroyed; what else was there to do? He figured that they'd need to make a sweep sooner than later. He stood up, brought his flashlight up and steadily began making a sweep outside Titan's Tower. He was going to get started early. `The early bird gets the worm…or in this case…the villain,' he mused as he scanned the empty garbage bins and pieces of paper fluttering by in the dying breezes. He was just passing by an empty parking lot when he spotted a hooded figure coming towards him. His immediate response was to ask the person to halt; but for some reason he did not do as protocol demanded. Instead, he stood there, his human eyes twitching. `What the hell?' Finally, as if coming to his sense, Cyborg raised the flashlight on his arm to the person. “Hey, state ya name and are ya a survivor?”

 

The figure nodded, then shook its head as it came to a stop before him. The figure was shorted than him be some inches and had to look up to see him. It reached out a slender finger and poked him in the chest. “You're still the same person I last remember you to be, Stone.”

 

Cyborg could only sputter as he caught the person's hand and pushed its cloak back to reveal a head of long hot pink hair, vibrant pink eyes and a familiar mischievous smile. He stared at her in disbelief as she began to laugh. “J—Jinx?” She nodded. “But…Gizmo and Mammoth…they said you were missing, that you might have died!”

 

“Well, here I am. Are you always this bright, Stone?” She looked around. “Who trashed the place?”

 

“Long story,” he replied, somewhat numb from shock. As he looked back to the streets, then to the Tower, he felt his shoulder sag a little. “I'll explain…as long as you explain your disappearin act, too. But how bout we take a walk, to make up for the time I didn't take ya to the dance?”

 

Jinx's eyes shot to him at an alarming rate as he smirk turned into a questioning frown, which seemed somewhat awkward to both of them. She hadn't exactly thought about their H.I.V.E. days for quite some time, especially after she'd broken free of Brother Blood's mind control and the life of criminal activity. She glanced at his outstretched cybernetic hand for a moment before placing her own in it, curious as to why he wasn't making smart comments or laughing as she had been before. But at that precise moment that she accepted his offer, even she felt bad vibes. Jinx could only follow and listen silently, which was tough for her to do without making snide comments, as he explained their situation. As they rounded the first corner together, Jinx looked up at him, her pink eyes hidden behind the fold of her cloak. “Stone?”

 

“Yeah?” He kept looking straight ahead. When she said nothing, he brought his gaze to look down at her pale face—her eyes sparkled. Nothing more was said as they continued on, vanishing into the shadows of the city.

TBC

(If you want to flame me and kill me for taking so long…feel free—I won't be mad about it. I just found a copy of this I had on backup and it didn't need much tweaking or anything, so here it is. I hate it when computers crash on you when you're in the middle of a good story…anywayz...there is chapter 10.Yikes…gotta go work on Chapter 11 now. Not much else to say here, aight?Well, that's it for now. Hope you enjoyed it. R&R whether you did or didn't, flame me, whatever. Chao for now.)

Chocomintswirl