InuYasha Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Shards Of Hope ❯ The Morning After, Part 1 ( Chapter 14 )

Disclaimer: Since I obviously don't own the copyright to Teen Titans or Inuyasha, I'm taking advantage of the Fair Use Clause of the Copyright laws to write a story with them in it. Who knew the government would protect the little guys? Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

 

Author's Note: Full Author's Note at bottom.

 

Chapter 14: The Morning After, Part 1

 

The woodland surrounding the ancient well was silent, as it always was. Few animals stayed near it at night. A black-gloved hand, invisible in the darkness, grabbed the edge of the well top. The silence remained, even as Slade kicked off the wall of the well and swung over the edge, landing fully in feudal Japan. His single eye scanned the world that surrounded him, trees replacing the shattered temple and towering skyscrapers that littered the future capital of Japan.

Turning slightly he walked onward, not towards the village, but towards the forest that lay before him. The stench of death and decay laid ahead, trees rotting after being killed by Naraku's foul miasma. Slade's pace was brisk but he kept his ears open, waiting, he could hear it, just barely, above the sound of the wind rushing past him. A buzzing, Slade didn't even need to look to realize where the poisonous insect was hiding. He turned and looked directly at it.

`Kagura was correct; he did have spies waiting for her return. Perhaps he is worth the time I am spending here.'

Slade stared at the bug for a moment longer, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a feather. The bug hovered in air and Slade dropped the feather, and then took a few steps back. He watched the bug grasp the feather and fly off into the distance, making no attempt to follow, merely walking back to the well and waiting. Naraku would be here soon enough…

 

14141414141414141414141414141414141414141414141414141414141414141 4141414

 

Sunlight filtered in through the blinds, slowly inching it's way across the floor before reaching Starfire, whose head was draped over the chair of the arm, an impossibly uncomfortable angle… for anyone else. Her emerald eyes shot open as the light touched upon them and she sat up, yawning. She looked about in a daze before finally realizing that no one had altered her room, and that she was in Japan, with the rest of the Titans. She frowned slightly, she did not realize before how long this would take…

Grabbing her supplies, she went into the room of bath, showered and changed, as she always did, but found it most… unpleasant being away from her own belongings that she so often brought along with her, and the stall was much too small, and the shower water was not hot enough and… she frowned, she should not be concerned with such things, and they were going to be leaving as soon as they caught Slade.

She forced herself to smile a little as she exited her room and entered a hall where she gasped, “Robin?” He was leaning back on a chair, his head resting against the wall, and, most uncharacteristically, was snoring. “Robin?” She asked again, walking over to him tentatively, watching his rhythmic breathing. “Robin?”

This time Robin woke up, suddenly flinching and then turning to her in what was a rare display of surprise, “Oh, hey Starfire…” He yawned even though he tried to hide it.

“Why were you sleeping in this chair?” She asked, still less than a foot away, her eyes wide.

“I… was out sort of late last night…” He scratched the back of his head but it didn't ruffle his hair, “I didn't know which room was mine, so I decided to sleep here instead.”

Starfire's shoulders fell a little, “Oh.”

Robin frowned, and then smiled again, “Don't worry Star, I wasn't looking for Slade if that's what your thinking…”

Starfire hadn't even considered that, but she was glad he had not. When he had first fought Slade he had locked himself away from everyone. The Titans had rarely seen him outside of combat training and actually stopping villains, and even then it did not last long, as he quickly retreated to his workshop refusing to let anyone else enter… even her.

She smiled, “May I ask what you were doing then?”

“I was looking for…” He trailed off and sighed.

“Robin?”

“Starfire… I'm sorry, I'm just tired, it was a long day yesterday. I guess I'm just tired.”

“You should rest,” She beamed at him, “You can have my room if you do not know where yours is.”

He turned an interesting scarlet color, “Er… I… think I should be able to find my own room.” Her smile faded just a bit and he quickly backpedaled, “But thanks for the offer Star.”

Another door opened and suddenly Star and Robin were looking at Cyborg. “Well hey, look at you two, all ready and waiting for breakfast. I wonder if they have any waffles?” He smiled and began walking down the hall, but stopped, turning around slowly, “Are you guys coming? Or would you like to be alone?”

Robin lunged from the seat before Starfire even had the chance to blink, “We're coming, come on Star.”

Starfire blinked a few times then smiled, following her friends down to breakfast…

 

14141414141414141414141414141414141414141414141414141414141414141 4141414

 

Cyborg watched Starfire go back to the serving area to get some more… oatmeal. How she could eat that stuff was beyond him, but then again, eating Tamaranian cooking was also beyond him. However, it did give him an uninterrupted chance to talk to Robin who was poking at what passed for sausage here, “So, you find her?”

Robin frowned, looking at Cyborg. “No. But I'm looking in a city I've never even been in before and she turned off her locator.”

“I didn't mean it like that man, you know that…” Cyborg said and took another bite of, or, rather, took a waffle and shoved it into his mouth and began chewing.

“Where do you think she went to?”

Cyborg finished chewing and swallowed it all at once, “Man it could be anywhere; Tokyo should be Raven's dream town.” Robin raised an eyebrow, “Oh come on man, look at all the shrines, Buddhism is big here, they're all about meditation and quiet. It couldn't be more like Raven.”

Robin scowled, “I still think we should try to find her…” Cyborg inhaled another waffle and then seemed to choke.

Robin's eyes widened beneath his mask, “Cyborg? Are you ok? What's wrong?”

He tried to swallow the waffle, but instead of clasping his throat as most people who were choking do, he began pointing in front of him and behind Robin. Finally, in one massive swallow, he forced the waffle, mainly un-chewed, down his throat and took a deep breath. “Hey Raven! What's up?” He said cheerily.

“If you do that again, you are going to choke.” Raven's monotone voice came from behind Robin and he winced.

He turned, but not before glaring at Cyborg, “Raven.”

“Robin.”

“About last night…”

She retained a deadpan expression, “We'll talk about that later.”

“Friends!” Starfire chimed in merrily, placing a tray holding several bowls of oatmeal down on the table noisily, “It is time to break the fast of night. I have brought you each a bowl of the oatmeal.”

Raven gave the oatmeal a queer look; the `oatmeal's color was similar to that of her own skin. “I'll pass Starfire, I'm really not hungry.”

“And you Robin?” She smiled sweetly at him and held a bowl under his nose.

He swallowed hard, “Uh… sure Star…” `At least it'll taste better than her Tamaranian cooking…' He looked at it for a moment and it bubbled, `Or… not…' He forced a smile and put a spoonful in his mouth as Starfire watched, waiting in anticipation of his response. Amazingly enough… it tasted far fouler than it actually looked, but he forced a smile and nodded.

Robin was spared the horrific fate of eating the rest of the oatmeal as he saw the diplomat, flustered and unkempt, enter the room and point at him. Thankful the distraction, he pushed the bowl away, “Sorry Star, I think he needs to speak to me about something.”

Hiding the smile that everyone else knew was there, Robin barely got five feet forward before the diplomat reached him, eyes bloodshot and much paler than the day before. “Where were you last night?” He gasped out and Robin frowned.

“I was out.”

The diplomat pushed his somewhat disheveled hair back and took a seat, Robin followed suit. “You were wandering about Japan, alone? You're here on the invitation of the Japanese government, as is the rest of the team, you can't just wander around…”

“We're here on the invitation of the Japanese government, but we still have our own objectives.” Robin replied plainly and the diplomat frowned.

The diplomat nodded and sighed, “There were changes last night… after the attack.” Robin winced, this wasn't going to be something he was going to enjoy, “The US government is requesting you to stay here in part to appease the Japanese government,” Robin's eyes bulged behind his mask and he opened his mouth to protest, but the diplomat raised a hand, “I know, it's sudden, but it's only until the Slade issue is resolved.”

Robin mulled it over, in truth, he hadn't expected to leave before Slade, but something seemed wrong with all of this, “But what about Jump City? Who's going to protect our city, and guard Titans Tower?”

The diplomat frowned, “I don't know, but I've also been assigned as your liaison to both the Japanese and United States governments until these issues are resolved...”

Robin noted a somewhat worried expression on his face, “And that's why you were worried about my…”

“Disappearance? Yes, well, that and you happen to be an American super hero in Japan, where the laws are different. There are vigilante laws here, preventing you from actively seeking out criminals here, the only exemption the Japanese government is giving you is Slade and…” He frowned, “That woman who attacked the police last night. Do you know what happened to her? The Japanese government is demanding information on the subject, as well as demanding the return of the man who joined you in battle against Slade.”

Robin frowned, something told him this was going to be a long, long day…

 

ENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDENDEND

 

Author's Note: Some of you may have noticed that I didn't post last week. And, some of you may even wonder why I didn't post. Those rare few of you that wonder that, may have been living under a rock. Harry Potter came out last week. I was busy reading it. And, under no circumstances, will I ever, ever, EVER going to compete with JK Rowling. Even if I were the most popular writer on Fanfiction.net, I would never even attempt competing with Rowling, it would be lunacy to the highest degree. So, instead, I decided to wait a week and work on some other projects. Anyway, the epilogue of Raven's Destiny is coming along, slowly but surely, and I hope to have it up within the next week or two.