Um...Would that be the mail that landed in my junkbox that I replied to and said, "Hey, that ended up in junkbox" ?
quest4destiny@hotmail.com
I doubt that's a surprise.
Well, here's the rest of my SIXTY PAGE CHAPTER that you all seem so mad about and appreciate all the time I've poured into it...
So...Yea, here's the conclusion of Thirteen.
Sorry that all of the swearwords are completely *ed so you can't tell what they are, but I'm not takin' the time to do it if nobody's really READING this.
Starfire curses, actually, and it's kind of significant.
's-l-u-t' is the word she says, by the way.
----------
The group had hit the night streets as soon as they could, and got down to figuring out what the problem was. Apparently, there had been a jewel heist downtown, as well as reports of strange insect-like creatures causing havoc in the area.
Riding on his R-Cycle ahead of the team, Robin made a quick check on everyone. Starfire and Raven were soaring right behind him, and the T-Car was behind them. Sonic and Tikal were on its right, while Terra and Link rode on a levitating chunk of stone on the left of the vehicle. Beastboy soared above the car as a pterodactyl calmly. On tope of the T-Car Mario crouched, showing off as he did every other day. In the Cyborg-styled car rode Luigi in the passenger seat, and Tenochtitlan and Amy rode in the back.
"So, uh...Have we met?" Amy asked out of nowhere as the car sped down the street quite smoothly.
Tay, her head leaned up against the window, didn't say a word. She glared out the left side window at Terra and frowned a scornful frown. Her eyes were dark blue at the moment, and she gripped her staff tightly in her lap.
"...Ummm...OK...I'll take that as a 'no'," Amy murmured, turning away and looking back outside to Sonic and Tikal.
"So you built this thing YOURSELF?" Luigi asked in awe.
"Well, yea...I got some help from Ray after she got smashed up, but she runs better than ever," Cyborg answered proudly.
"That's impressive," Luigi noted with a nod. "So, what can this baby do?" he wondered curiously.
"You're about to find out," Cyborg told him with a smirk as their first target came into view.
It was moving fast along the sides of buildings up ahead in the dark, its eight legs scurrying about frantically. It was a giant spider, holding a human body in its mouth. Or was it? No, it was a human body with a giant spider for a head!
"What IS that, man?" Cyborg cried in surprise.
"Whatever it is," Robin's voice came in through the radio, "-we're taking it down."
A fairly simple chase began as the Titans rushed to catch up with the speedy creature, who would spew out gobs of sticky webbing to slow them down. Within a couple of minutes, however, they'd lost sight of the bizarre being, and the Titans had split up to search for him.
Scouring different edges of the city, Cyborg's group ran into something very peculiar. A thick cloud had begun to cover the city. However, it wasn't just a cloud. Upon further inspection, Cyborg realized that it was, in fact, a gigantic swarm of gray, mutant moths. They began to descend upon the city and start chewing at anything available- quite literally. Light posts, tires, cars, and about everything else. Screaming civilians fled in terror from the attacking bugs as they came down like a fog.
The T-Car came screeching to a halt in the middle of the road, just before the large bridge that ran across the bay. The doors slammed open, and the Titans exited quickly. Mario stood tall and examined the spectacle before him from atop the car. He sniffed, scratched his nose, and bounded off of the car to land next to Cyborg.
"Little guys might make a big mess," he noted.
"No kiddin'," Cyborg murmured, a bit befuddled.
"Don't know about you, but I think this place needs a good cleanin' up," Mario added.
"Yea." Cyborg pulled up his left arm and tapped it with his finger. A screen lit up to show the Titans' 'T' logo, and Cyborg spoke into it.
"Titans, we got trouble down at the bridge. Ya know those bugs people were talkin' about? Well, we just found some of 'em."
"How serious is it?" Robin asked, his voice staticy.
"I don't know," Cyborg murmured. "There's only about a THOUSAND of 'em..."
"We'll be down ASAP," Robin confirmed. "Make sure they don't damage the bridge. Things could get dangerous."
"Affirmative."
Cyborg smashed his fist into his palm. "You heard the man," he cried. "Time to take out the trash!"
Mario tapped Luigi's shoulder roughly and pointed up to a massively thick cable of metal cords that was being gnawed at by the bizarre bugs. The two brothers knelt down and thrusted themselves into the air like rockets. While drifting in midair toward their target, Mario opened up and palms, which were quickly filled by flaming balls. Luigi followed his lead and did the same- his fireballs were green, of course. As their speed slowed from gravity's pull, they launched their flames like baseballs at the clump of moths, which were incinerated on impact. They landed on the support and began to slide down roughly, their heavy boots absorbing the friction as they sped down to the ground, their feet getting quite hot after only a few seconds. They leapt off nimbly and rode the air downward. After landing sharply on the pavement with two loud 'smacks', they turned to Cyborg, who had just finished blasting a few with his cannon.
"If we don't do somethin', these little ****s are gonna pull this bridge apart," Mario informed him direly. "We need backup, NOW."
"They're comin', hold on," Cyborg gruffly told them. Mario noticed the trembling girl with pink hair sitting in the back of the T-Car and rolled his eyes. As Luigi pelted nearby insects that had razors for teeth.
Mario flipped open the car door and frowned at her.
"Are ya gonna help, or what?" he asked her critically.
"...Uhhh...But...I-I don't know what-..."
Mario huffed and shook his head. "We need all the hands we can get. You chose to go on a joyride with us, so you'd better pull your weight. What can you do?"
Amy shrugged, her face fraught with worry and doubt.
"You'd better figure out real quick, unless you wanna see this whole bridge go underwater," Mario told her firmly.
Amy reluctantly pulled herself out of the car and shoved the fat door closed. She stood, quaking in fear, for a minute or two as Mario ran off to help out Luigi. Amy watched Tenochtitlan fry about twenty of the furry flyers with a sizzling beam of light.
(What did I do again?) she wondered to herself. (...A hammer...? Yea, that's it. I used a big, red hammer, right? But...I don't HAVE a hammer on me...) Amy huffed and stomped her foot in frustration. Then, suddenly, one of moths dive-bombed her way. In the course of a second or two, she sensed it coming from ahead and swiped her arm through the air, flinching in terror. As she opened her eyes a moment later, she realized that something quite out of the ordinary had happened. The moth lay on the ground at her feet, cut in two. Its maroon body fluids formed a puddle, and Amy shrieked at the sight, jumping back a bit. Then she noticed what was in her right hand- a sword. About two feet in length and a couple of inches in width, the sword had a simple gray hilt and silver blade. Gaping at it in wonder, Amy tried to ponder where it came from. But as a small flock of moths approached the T-Car, it didn't matter, and Amy lunged at them, letting her instincts take over. She slashed the sword through the air with grace and speed, and before she knew it, the whole lot had been cut up into shreds, and she was covered in moth guts.
She coughed violently afterward, feeling like throwing up, but after the next wave, she was certainly used to it. Addicted was a better word. She could feel the adrenaline pulsing through her veins. It had an odd sense of nostalgia to it, somehow. Nonetheless, she quickly grew quite accustomed to dicing up her foes and was pulling off moves she didn't even know she could do. It was as if this fighting had been commonplace in a past life or something.
Cyborg was relieved when he saw Raven and Starfire show up, crushing moths as they approached.
"YO! RAY!" he shouted to her as they drew closer. "Gimme a lift!!"
Ray nodded as she flew through the air in her pink shirt and blue shorts. She shot her palms out and formed a black disc of solidified energy in front of Cyborg. He bounded on roughly and rode it up as Ray took him higher. Upon reaching the spot where Luigi and Mario had recently fried some moths, Cyborg noticed that a new batch had come in.
"Thanks Ray!" he yelled out to her with care as he stuck his arm out and squinted his eyes.
He aimed with care and shot out a beam of plasma that destroyed the lot. He pounced to the spot just as it began to split apart, and the black disc behind him vanished. His hands firmly grasped each end of the cable as he pulled with all his might to bring them back together before it all fell apart. He pointed his left index finger as a small torch popped out and proceeded to carefully weld the two together again. His task completed, Cyborg skidded all the way down, putting his right leg ahead so he didn't lose balance. Sparks went flying like wild as he descended, and a lot screeching sound came from the friction. As he passed by another group of hungry bugs, he shielded himself with his huge arms. THWACK! After hearing the satisfying sound, Cyborg pulled his arms apart and opened up his arm cannon, ready to land. He bounced off to his right and rolled onto the bridge.
Raven and Starfire were fighting back-to-back, sending out energy from their hands to destroy the bugs.
"Their numbers are quite vast!" Starfire worried.
"We can't give up," Ray told her. "We need to figure out a way to get rid of them all at once..."
Sonic and Tikal had arrived on the scene, and Terra and Link shortly thereafter. They began to distribute pain to the lab-created creatures in their own methods as utter chaos was laid upon the bridge.
Robin showed up last, a distraught look on his face. He left his cycle and his helmet beside the T-Car and whipped out his metal bo as he went to help out Cyborg. He took out a rogue moth that had made a dive for the back of Cyborg's head.
"Thanks, man," Cyborg said. "Join the party."
"Can't decline the invitation," Robin replied bitterly.
"Didn't catch him?" Cyborg guessed.
"Lost him in a dark alley," Robin muttered as he karate chopped a moth, slamming it into the ground. "This is more important." After a couple more minutes of smashing and bashing, Starfire and Raven had descended to the level of their leader.
"They will not refrain from attacking," Starfire whimpered. "What plan shall you have us follow?"
"..."
Before Robin could concoct an answer, Cyborg's arm beeped wildly, and he paused to investigate. He nailed a nearby moth with his fist as he scanned the picture displayed on his arm.
"Aw, MAN, I don't BELIEVE this," he groaned.
"What is it?" Robin asked as he rammed a pair of pests into each other.
"My sensors are sayin' that the security at Titan Tower's been breached," Cyborg growled. "Ain't NOBODY goes hackin' my SECURITY!! When I find out who's been messin' with my systems, I'm gonna rip their-"
"CY! What are talking about?" Robin asked him strictly.
"Somethin's been up with the Tower mainframe lately. I can't figure it out. I think somebody's been screwin' it up, but-..."
"Do you think somebody's trying to break in to the tower?" Robin asked quickly, kicking another moth fiercely and watching it arc in the air and land in the bay.
"Nobody's TRYIN'," Cyborg announced. "If somebody WAS, they're already IN."
Robin huffed through his teeth and called out to Starfire.
"Starfire!" She finished frying a few bugs before whisking her body to his side. "We're heading back to the tower," he told her. She cocked her head to the side, confused.
"Why?"
"'Cuz I think somebody's bustin' in," Cyborg replied. "You two go check it out, we got things here until you get back."
"While we're there, I'll see if I can figure out how to take care of these...things..." Robin added as he hopped onto his cycle and slipped his stylish helmet over his face. Starfire drifted in the air before him, but Robin jerked his head, motioning her to get on with him. Starfire quickly obliged and wrapped her arms tightly around Robin's waist.
"This is...safe...?" she wondered.
"Not entirely," Robin answered honestly. "But it's fast." Starfire let out a shriek as the bike went rocketing forward, jumping clear off of the bridge and down toward the frigid, dark waters below.
----------
"Did you find anything suspicious?" Robin asked her quietly when they regrouped in crime-watch room. Starfire shrugged and shook her head.
"I have found nothing out of place," she whispered. "I believe that everything is in the OK..."
Robin shrugged and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Cyborg said that the system was acting up. We're gonna have to fix that problem before someone like Slade gets in here..."
"At the present time, however, we must concentrate on the...insect-like creatures that are attacking Jump City..."
Robin nodded as he sat down at the computer terminal before him and began tapping away at keys.
"...What are you doing?" Starfire asked slowly. "We should be helping our friends, should we not?"
"You can go ahead if you want," Robin told her, staring at his screen. "I'm going to try and look up any known information on what we're up against."
"Have fun wasting your time," bellowed a sinister and robotic tinted voice from behind them. They both spun around to see that the giant TV screen at the end of the room had been intercepted by a bizarre-looking beast. He looked like a human-moth combination. He stared at them with big, black eyes and spoke with metallic jaws. "By the time you find out anything about my children, your city will be nothing but rubble.
"Who are you??" Robin demanded, jumping out of his chair and storming toward the screen.
"The future ruler of this city," the being answered coldly. "I can fix your pest problem...But at a price."
"What do you want...?" Robin growled.
"My demands are quiet simple. The city will declare me- Killer Moth- as its new ruler. The Teen Titans will surrender...And Robin...-"
Robin swallowed and glared at him, his teeth grit.
"You will take this...wonderful woman, Kitten...to her Junior prom...And make it the night of her life."
The bottom right corner of the screen opened up to reveal the image of a young girl, about Robin's age, with blonde hair. She winked at him devilishly.
"My, my, Robby Poo...You're looking stressed tonight. How about I loosen you up...?"
Robin stared at her blankly, utterly surprised from such a request.
"Ughhh..." he couldn't speak for a few moments, quite puzzled.
"That's OK," she said with quite a coquettish tone. "We've got all evening to get you in a good mood..."
Starfire, her eyes glowing green with anger, grabbed Robin's shoulder and began to pull him away into the hallway.
"Please allow Robin a few minutes to carefully think this decision over," she shouted to them with a fake sweetness.
No sooner had the door closed behind them did Starfire begin to rave and rant like a lunatic.
"Robin, who IS this girl?" she demanded fiercely.
"I-I don't know, Starfire," Robin quickly spat out, hoping to avoid her wrath.
"Who does she think she IS??" Starfire hissed as she began to pace back and forth, her eyes practically steaming with green energy. "Such a request is UNACCEPTABLE!! It is difficult to even FATHOM such a notion! I am appalled that she would even consider asking you such a question! I will not allow you to be taken advantage of by this zargnarf. RRRR!" Starfire groaned in disgust. "Such a despicable act. I can not- I WILL NOT- let this...this...'floozy,' I believe is the term, use you in such a way. Her demands must not be met! Surely she is a monster in disguise, waiting to capture you, and-"
"I think I've figured out how to stop these things," Robin said into his communicator as Starfire grumbled behind him.
"What do we do?" Cyborg grunted. The sound of his cannon could be heard as he blasted away.
"Hang in there for a couple minutes, and I'll fill you in. Robin out."
"-atrocious! I would rather be consumed by those creatures than watch you-"
"I have to," Robin grumbled with regret.
Starfire froze, her green eyes wide, and the glowing died down.
"...Wh-...? What?" she squeaked. "B-b-but-"
"But nothing, Star!" Robin said. He had some reluctance in his voice, but he knew it had to be done. "These things just keep on coming! We need a plan- NOW. It's the only way to save the bridge..."
"...But...-" Star's eyes were getting damp. Did he even remember the past few nights? Didn't he remember the moments they had shared? Did it even matter? How could he just throw it away like that?
"I'm sorry," Robin said apologetically. "If you have a better idea, speak up."
Starfire crossed her arms over her chest and stomped her foot like a child in a fit. The 'thump' her boot made on the floor was rather loud, and made Robin jump a little. Her brows furrowed, her eyes narrowed, and her bottom lip curled down slightly.
"...Very well," she grumbled. "But I shall accompany you..."
"What?" Robin murmured in surprise. "Are you sure? Maybe you should head down to the bridge..."
Starfire huffed through her nose and let out a "Hmph!"
Robin sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll be fine, Starfire..."
"I refuse to leave you alone with this girl..." Starfire declared boldly. "She does not seem like a very nice person, and I do not wish for you to be forced into...doing things...that you should not have to do."
"...I think I can handle it," Robin assured her. But when he saw the fury in her eyes, he quickly changed his mind. "But...Then again, I-I guess it couldn't hurt."
"Robin," Starfire began stiffly. "Do you consider us...a pair...? A couple?"
Robin winced at the confrontation he was being squeezed into.
"...Well?" Starfire asked curtly, her face solemn. "Do you, or do you not?"
"...I-I...Yes," Robin muttered as his guts shoved out the word. "But that doesn't mean-"
"Then you understand my worry," Starfire assumed, tapping her foot impatiently.
Robin groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Starfire, we don't have any TIME for this. If you're going to come, fine. There's no time for arguing."
With that, Robin quickly flew through the door, and Star followed. In that split-second, Robin tried to convince himself that Starfire could prove to be helpful in this case. Maybe they would try to get him alone and capture him? How did he know? He didn't, but he DID know that two Titans were better than one. It seemed she couldn't be convinced otherwise, but this was an emergency. Robin did understand...But still...This was no time for games. So what if some girl would be trying to make out with him? This was their duty, and some stupid blonde in heat didn't change their job.
"I'll do it," Robin announced to the man before him. "I'll take the girl to her prom..."
"Aren't you going to ask her?" Killer Moth grunted in a way that made Robin out to be a rude fool.
"..." Robin grit his teeth together in frustration. First he had to started destroying the city, then he had to make his girlfriend angry, and now he was even stealing his dignity right in front of her. (You are LOW...) "...Fine..." He glared at the image of Kitten on the screen.
"...Kitten...Will you...go with me to the prom?" he growled between his clenched teeth.
The blonde girl with the devilish smile plastered on her face narrowed her eyes as she admired her new trophy.
"What? You want to take ME to the prom?? Of COURSE I'll go, Robby Poo!!" she shouted ecstatically. She blinked at his attire for a moment in disgust and told him, "I KNOW you aren't planning on going in THAT, right? I mean, it IS a prom. Besides, that cape will TOTALLY clash with my dress..."
Robin built up the anger within him and tried to breathe deeply through his flaring nostrils. Starfire, in the background, had her fists clenched, and she let out a suppressed growl.
"I'll wear a tuxedo if it'll make you happy..." Robin hissed.
"Oh, Robby Poo...You look upset about something...If you don't want to go-"
"I'll go," he groaned. "...Tell me where we'll meet. I'll get there as soon as I can."
"If you say, so, Robin!" the girl squealed.
----------
"Robin!! Where ARE you, man?!" Cyborg cried at his arm as he was being covered in gray insects. He was gradually becoming suffocated. "There's no END to these things!" he shouted out. Just as Cyborg felt that he was about to drown in moth hair, the bugs began to detach themselves from his body and buzz off, forming the same ominous cloud they had entered with. They soared away from the bridge, which was damaged but still intact, and headed downtown.
"What-??" was all Cyborg could mutter as he watched the lot of them whisk themselves away. As the humming died down, Cyborg, as well as the other Titans, could only stand in a perplexed state of awe with jaws dropped and eyes wide. Robin's voice burst out from Cyborg's arm, and the Titan almost jumped.
"I've bought you guys some time," he announced. "I don't think anyone broke into the Tower, but while I was here I managed to find out who's behind this..." Robin sent in an image ripped from the earlier transmission of the moth-man. "Killer Moth. He's the one controlling the mutant insects."
"A'ight. So what do we do about it? Where is he?" Cyborg asked, still a bit shaken as his fellow teammates crowded around him, each one inspecting their own communicator.
"I'm not entirely sure," Robin murmured. "But I think I have a clue." Another picture taken from the message before was displayed on their screens. It was a picture of Kitten with that devilish look on her face. "Her name's Kitten. She's connected to Killer Moth somehow. If you can find out what that link is, then you should be able to locate him and take him out." Robin reappeared to talk to them some more. They could barely make out Starfire grumbling in the background. "Starfire and I will keep the insects at bay while we can and give you time. The city's counting on us tonight. Don't let 'em down. Titans, move out."
"Great," Beastboy muttered, tossing his arms. "What's Robin doing, anyway? Why isn't he helping us?"
Raven shrugged and hypothesized, "He said that he's keeping the moths under control. However he's doing it, it seems to be working. Let's just trust him and find this psycho so we can get it over with..."
----------
Starfire huffed in dismay as her hair was pulled back fiercely by the wind as they rushed over the bay's cold, dark waters. The skies were black and clear as the moon, nearly full, cast its mysterious glow upon them. The loud roaring of the rockets attached to the R-Cycle's side had been blasting into their ears for a minute or so now. The cycle was skimming the surface of the fridged bay with great speed, spraying up water in a trail as it flew. The two Titans looked out of place in the given setting. Robin was wearing a clean, sharp tuxedo of black with a bow tie to match. His shoes were shimmering in the pale moonlight, and his strong, adroit hands were exposed to the humid night air. On his head was his red helmet with the green visor. He had tried to get Starfire to wear it, but she had insisted that he leave it on his head. Her reasoning was that should an accident occur, she could lighten her fall with her powers of flight. Starfire was suited in the same outfit she had worn on their first date- a stunning pink dress with red shoes that shone brilliantly in the moonlight. A rose's head had been pinned to her chest on the left side, and she wore her smooth, soft gloves of magenta that ran up her arm. The dress cut off at her upper chest, and was held up by two thin shoulder straps. They looked as if they were going to a dance together, ironically enough.
After a couple more minutes of tense silence, the cycle arrived at the docks of Jump City where a massive crowd of teenagers was piled before a cruise ship. They were all finely dressed and looked ready for the night of their lives. A large, pink banner with white lettering was hung on two posts at the boarding platform. The words, "Junior High Prom: Your Date With Destiny" could be read and had stars drawn around them. Robin waited for a moment or two as Star slid herself off of the motorcycle hesitantly, and both sets of eyes watched the many eager teens form into a line and head onto the boat. Robin let out a sigh of despair as he jumped off of his bike and popped out of his helmet. As he hung it on a handlebar, he wondered why he couldn't be here to dance with STARFIRE.
(I hope she gets into a car accident on the way over,) he wished cynically.
To Robin's dismay, a pink limousine cruised onto the scene, a blond girl in a dress similar to Starfire's emerged, her eyes glowing with excitement. She grinned eagerly as she scanned the scene, waving arrogantly to anyone whose eyes met hers.
"Well..." Robin gave Starfire a petrified glance and sighed. "Better get this over with." He paused and shook his head. "I really think you should be with the other Titans, though...They might need your help..."
"Robin, they are fine," Starfire assured him impatiently. "I refuse to let this...creature...treat you as if you are her property..." she hissed, giving the distant girl a dagger glare.
"OH, ROBBY POO!!" Both teens grimaced at the sound of her whiny voice calling out through the throng. With a groan, Robin adjusted his tie and reluctantly stepper her way, leaving Starfire to frown bitterly. As she watched Kitten squeeze her boyfriend half to death with lustful eyes, her teeth grinded against each other, and she threw her arms to her sides, flicking her wrists up in a pouty manner. She couldn't hear what was being said, but she didn't need to hear to understand the mood that was being portrayed.
"Now take my arm and lead me in," she snapped at him calmly, keeping up her plastic smile. "Straighten your tie. And what did you do with your hair? Do I smell hair gel? Ugh. You look like you just threw on a tux five minutes ago..."
(...Didn't have much CHOICE...) Robin grumbled in his mind.
Starfire, in the background, huffed through her nose. (If my memory serves me, I believe the English term used to describe such a girl would be '****'.)
----------
"Man, I can't BELIEVE this!" Cyborg groaned, tapping at his arm with his fingertip.
"What's wrong?" Raven asked, trying to stoop her head to see the problem.
"I can't contact the other Titans," her cybernetic friend grumbled. "What's the point in splittin' up if we can't get a hold of each other??" He threw his arm down in dismay as he tried top formulate a plan.
Raven whipped out her own communicator from her belt and flicked it open. After pressing a small button on its side, she discovered that all she could pick up was static.
"Scanners are pickin' up a major energy disturbance," Cyborg muttered as he glanced around the environment.
"Yea," Raven added as they continued their trek. She attached her device back to her loose belt. "I can feel it, too."
"Well, whatever it is, it's probably not good..."
They walked in silence for a few minutes in the dark streets, and they would be illuminated in yellow circles from streetlights periodically.
"Ok, soooo...What are we looking for, again?" Raven mumbled, having lost track within her own thoughts.
"A few things," Cyborg told her. "We still have to find that freak jewel thief...."
"Spider-Head?"
"Yea. I sent some of the guys off to find him, and I had a few stay at the bridge in case those...things...show up again. BB and Tay headed over to the police station to have the cops stop people from wanderin' around outside...They're gonna meet up with us when they find out where the address of that mystery girl is."
"...Ummm...Wait," Ray muttered, doubt flooding her brain. "You sent Beastboy and Tay...together...? Are you SURE that was a good idea...?"
Cyborg stared at her blankly, then his brows furrowed when he saw her bite her lip.
"What?" he mumbled. "They always work together."
"Until now," Raven murmured with a sigh. "Their relationship has been a little on the crooked side lately..."
"So what?" Cyborg shot back with apathy. "We all got problems, and we all got a city to take care of. I don't care WHAT'S goin' on with them: they're gonna get the job done, am I right?"
"...Hm..." Raven hummed back thoughtfully. He did have a very valid point. She just hoped he was right. "So where are we supposed to meet up with them?"
"Right at the corner of this street..."
----------
Robin shook his communicator in frustration. Why wasn't he picking up any signal?
(They'd better be all right, and they'd better find Killer Moth REAL soon,) he hoped as he slipped the yellow device into his vest pocket when he noticed Kitten coming to the table with their punch.
"Psh. I can't believe the nerve of that girl at the punch table," Kitten grumbled as she plopped herself down across the small table from Robin, passing him his drink. "She asked me how I managed to get you to come with me to the prom..."
Robin lifted a brow, knowing that Starfire had been the one to ask her this question.
"Sooo...What did you say?" he wondered.
"I told her the truth- you asked to take me with you. You couldn't refuse, I could see it in your eyes." Robin shot her a quick frown while she wasn't looking.
(You'll make a good lawyer when you're older,) he thought at her. He leaned back and stared at the star-filled sky, trying to wash his worries away. A set of brightly colored balloons of various shapes drifted above him, tied down to the table's center. Other than that, however, his view of the sky was quite clear. He reflected on the past week and his relationship with Starfire for a minute or two while he had the chance. They certainly weren't diving in like Beastboy and Tay had, but they were a different couple. Sometimes that sort of thing works, and sometimes it doesn't. All the same, Robin was still having his doubts. He'd always had a liking for her, but he never truly could picture himself at her side until recently. Now that picture was becoming a reality, and it still felt more or less like a dream. The look on Starfire's face when he told her that he had no choice but to let this girl disrespect their relationship was still etched in his mind. Her wide, green eyes trembling, her red eyebrows shoved downward, her-
"Helloooo?? Earth to Robin!" a whining voice groaned. Kitten was stretching Robin's left arm out of its socket, trying to drag him to the dance floor. "They're playing a SLOW DANCE," she informed him, expecting him to be a gentleman and follow her. Robin snorted through his nostrils and tossed her arm away viciously, retracting it back to his chest to fold both together.
"I don't dance," Robin snapped bitterly.
Kitten's mouth curved downward into a sour face, and she grabbed his arm again, tightly gripping it in such a way that Robin could almost feel the blood flow slowing down.
"You do NOW," she hissed. "Unless you want those nasty bugs to turn Jump City into their dinner..." Her eyes narrowed as she rubbed her power over Robin right in his face. He suppressed a growl as he stood up and let her pull him to the dance floor with the other boys and girls.
Starfire, who had been carefully eyeing the two from a nearby table, was fuming in silence. She sat with a slouch, her arms on the table's surface. Her eyes were fiercely glowing green, and her hand was crushing a rose to vent her anger, though she didn't realize it. Its thorns seemed to have no effect on her, and the rose eventually burst ablaze in green fire from star bolt energy.
The two teens before her twirled slowly, their arms wrapped around each other in the customary style. Robin's hands were on Kitten's hips, and her arms rested on his shoulders. As they danced for a minute or so, Robin stared blankly at her, dying to anywhere but where he currently was.
"From now on, Robin, this will be OUR song," Kitten whispered in his ear as she leaned her head against his neck. He felt his insides rot as she did so. His hormones, which SHOULD have been getting at least a LITTLE excited, were completely lacking of life.
As the song began to go into its last verse, Kitten removed her head tenderly and stared into Robin's masked face with lustful eyes.
"Kiss me," she murmured dreamily, shutting her eyelids and puckering her lips. Robin immediately placed an index finger over her mouth to stop her from closing in on him.
"I don't think so," he said to her with some disgust.
Starfire smiled and clapped her hands together in the background behind them. As Robin unhooked Kitten's arms from his shoulders, Starfire squinted her eyes, beaming with pride.
"The song's over," Robin told her as he began to pace off to their table.
"But we-are-NOT," Kitten roared, yanking him around by the arm, her fingernails digging into him like claws.
"You're either giving me a kiss, or I'm giving YOU Daddy's bugs..." Kitten informed him threateningly with a dagger glare. Robin stared at her with eyes narrowed and teeth clenched as he absorbed the words she'd just thrown out.
"...Daddy...? You mean, Killer Moth-...?" He was at a loss for words.
"Yes, Robby Poo," Kitten hissed between grit teeth. "Now you're going to pucker up or ELSE."
Robin's brain whirled as he tried to evaluate the situation. If the Titans hadn't found and taken out Killer Moth, the city was still at risk. Robin decided that he wasn't going to take a chance- he had to give in to the coquette.
"...Fine," he grumbled, burning with loathing- though not as much as Starfire was. Robin dove in to get it done and over with as quick as he could, leaving Kitten breathless. The locking of lips lasted for only a couple of seconds, and when Robin removed his mouth from hers, he quickly wiped it with his sleeve.
"Wow," Kitten whispered in awe, her eyes wandering around in a daze. Her moment of euphoria was shattered when she felt a furious burning in her stomach and was flung backwards. She screamed in pain as she landed on her back. Robin, who had felt the scorching hot object whiz by him, spun around to see Starfire hovering a few inches from the ground, her arm outstretched. He didn't know whether to smile or frown, so he just blinked at her blankly.
Kitten rose from the floor, groaning.
"Leave Robin ALONE," Starfire commanded viciously.
"You little ****," Kitten mumbled as she staggered back to her feet.
"You require a mirror," Starfire countered darkly. Robin took a step away as Kitten advanced toward Starfire. He was a bit too shocked as to how to react, for he feared his own safety. A catfight began as Kitten pounced upon Starfire's floating body like a jaguar, and it almost seemed as if she let out a roar as she did so.
Robin stared at the two quarrel in a paralyzed state for a few moments. Starfire pinned Kitten against the table, and the blonde girl managed to grab the punch bowl beside her and fling it at Starfire's face. The Tamaranian sputtered as she forced the red liquid out of her throat, and Kitten sought the opportunity to kick her square in the face with her high heel. Starfire shrieked and reeled back slightly. As she recovered, her hands squeezed tightly as they burned with green flames of fury.
"Starfire!! WAIT!!" Robin screamed, lashing his arm out as he lunged for her. It suddenly struck him that if Kitten got angry, she might have her 'Daddy' send the insects out again, and they couldn't take any chances.
He was too late, however, as Starfire blasted Kitten's light body across the long table. She was driven downward as she grinned against it, crashing into every dish that had been placed upon it. She ended up with her abdomen stuck in a thick, goopy mess of chocolate cake. She sat up slowly, gripping her head in pain. Her body had become the plate for a feast. Chocolate frosting was all in her disheveled hair, along with some spaghetti noodles. Red sauce from that spaghetti was splattered on the once pristine pink dress she wore. The flower she had been wearing on her chest was crushed, and had vegetable dip on it. Her high heels had guacamole in them, which she could feel squishing around. Her dress was painted with a rainbow of colors in variously shaped splotches.
Robin had slowed to a halt as he gaped at Kitten's ort-ridden outfit. He felt a very strong sense of satisfaction at first, but it immediately was murdered by his fear and his seriousness. How would she react? Robin left Starfire to run to Kitten's side, desperate to make amends and get her to calm down before she did something rash. Starfire gasped as she realized that she had let her anger and jealousy get the best of her. She could feel regret course through her entire body as Robin gave her a worried glance as Kitten crawled from the table and wobbled onto her feet.
"You're going to PAY for that..." Kitten hissed in the same way a cat would. Robin wanted to apologize to try and get her to settle down, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He hated her guts with a passion. Kitten's extortim to get Robin as a date was officially over, from the looks of things. He only hoped that the others had located Killer Moth.
"Kitten, we're not letting you go anywhere," Robin told her, his mind having created a new plan. If they could stop Kitten from contacting her father, things would stay running smoothly.
"Good," Kitten growled, ripping her large, white flower from her chest. "I'll stay right here and watch your city get DESTROYED!!"
As petals rained to the ground at her feet, a cylindrical device with a small button on top became visible. With the second it took for Robin to hazard a guess that it was a control that no doubt sent a signal to Killer Moth, Kitten's thumb had already slammed down. Robin's reaction was too slow, as he slapped the device from her hand too late. As it clattered to the ground before Starfire, the girl shook her head slowly in shame. She'd just made a terrible mistake. She knew for certain that Robin was not pleased.
(What have I done? I am such a varmerwelk,) Starfire scolded herself using a Tamaranian insult.
"What did you do??" Robin demanded, clutching her by the neck with ferocity.
"You ruined my evening, so I'm ruining YOURS!!" she screamed with instability. "Daddy's not in charge tonight!" Robin huffed through his nose like a bull and threw her to wooden planks below him.
"Starfire," he murmured darkly. There was a pregnant pause, the air so thick that it would take a chainsaw to cut through the tension. "We're leaving."
Starfire, her body quivering with fear and self-anger, obeyed his implied command and drifted to his side, slipping her arms nervously under his own so she could carry him across the fridged waters and to the other Titans. Both teens felt awkward, angry, and frustrated with themselves as they ascended and hovered off over the shimmering sea, the moon's eerie light dancing on its waveless surface.
----------
"At least we know where we're goin'," Cyborg muttered with some relief as Raven carried him in the air on a solid disc on shadow.
"I lost sight of Beastboy and Tenochtitlan," Raven noted aloud, scanning the night skies as they soared above the streets of Jump City, weaving in-between the taller buildings.
"Well, they're close enough where my systems actually have a fix on 'em, so as long as we keep up the pace, we'll be fine."
There was some peaceful silence as the two good friends sailed in the twilight hours. The air had a foul taste to it, and Raven knew that the night was going to be a long one.
"So, um...-" She broke the ice and initiated a conversation. "Crazy night, huh?" A small, insecure laugh slipped out.
"Yea," Cyborg muttered back, checking his arm periodically to make sure they were staying on course.
"Sooo..." Raven bit her lip for a moment as she pondered how to phrase what she wanted to ask properly. "Are you going to be busy tomorrow...?" she wondered.
Cyborg turned to her and shook his head. "Ya mean, if the city's still STANDING, right?" Raven smiled and nodded at him. "Well, I don't know. I guess not. Why?"
"I was wondering if we could just...hang out..." Raven muttered, shrugging. Cyborg cocked his head, amused by such a thought. Raven, wanting to 'hang out' with someone other than Star? After half a second, his central computer corrected his doubt and restated the fact that Raven wasn't the same person she had been weeks before.
"What'd ya have in mind?" he responded with some interest.
Raven bobbed her head and gently pushed her hair behind her ears so it wasn't draped over her face.
"Well, there's this diner I like...We could go there for lunch, and-...Maybe you could take me for a spin in the T-Car. Does it need any adjusting? I could help with that."
Cyborg grinned and nodded as he turned his head back to the city sprawled out before them.
"All right, Ray...Sounds cool. It's a date."
That queasy unsettling of Raven's intestines occurred again, which she was getting quite used to by now, and she could feel blood rush to her face. She was grateful Cyborg wasn't looking. Of this she was sure. Cyborg tapped her side, causing her to look up. He was pointing straight ahead of them where a black cloud was forming and spreading out over the buildings below.
"Uhhh...I think we found the building," Cyborg murmured with raised brows, wide eyes, and a dropped jaw.
----------
The sound of a bumper getting kicked could be heard from behind the two girls. They both whirled around to see Sonic's right keg pointed up in the air as the bumper spun wildly and flew down to the bay below. It landed with a deep 'plunk!' which could be heard only because there was no sign of movement anywhere on the bridge beside the three teens.
"****!" Sonic whined as his foot dropped to the pavement below them. "Why am I stuck here? I'd have found that idiot by now and taken him out! Why'd I get sent here?"
Tikal and Amy exchanged dull expressions. Tikal sighed and shook her head while Amy rolled her eyes and huffed.
"Robin knows that if the bridge is attacked, you'll be fast enough to defend wherever it needs it," Tikal reasoned.
"Yea, quit bein' a baby!" Amy scolded him. "If you're such a big 'superhero,' then shouldn't you do your job and listen to your leader?"
Sonic grumbled to himself and crossed his arms over his chest in a small fit.
"Why are YOU here, anyway??" Sonic demanded, his voice gruff for the moment.
Amy placed her hands on her hips and gave him a "Hmph!" She turned her head to the side and stuck her chin up slightly as she told him, "Cyborg told Robin it would be a good idea to have me back you up, because he saw me in action while you were running around."
"I was killing those dumb MOTHS!" Sonic snapped. "Are you trying to tell me that you actually FOUGHT them??" he asked incredulously.
Amy stared at him with narrow eyes and stretched her arms out.
"Where do you think I got all of this STUFF on me from??" she demanded. Her voice began to quiver halfway through the sentence in disgust as she just now realized how covered she was. About half of her surface area had maroon blood on it, either in stains or still damp. She winced at the sight and looked back up to Sonic. She still couldn't believe what she had done earlier.
Sonic shook his head in skepticism.
"Well, I thought you were just cowering around and got some on you because some ran into you and were crushed by your THICK SKULL!" Sonic teased with a smirk.
"Sonic!" Tikal cried out, appalled.
"At least I wasn't killing them with the fumes from my hair gel!!" Amy countered.
"Amy..." Tikal whimpered from in-between the two.
"Hey! I'm on this team, and you're NOT! Who asked you to come with us in the first place, anyway??"
"You did!!" Amy retorted. "'Prooooove it!' you said!" she sarcastically cried out, flailing her arms.
"STOP!!!" Tikal shouted, breaking them apart from their verbal fight. She knew the REAL reason as to why they were arguing. Sonic was feeling emotionally unstable now that Amy was around- he had feelings for her, too, but wouldn't admit to it, and placed the blame for his feelings on her. Amy, on the inside, was mad because Sonic always tried ignoring her (which he did because he wanted to ignore his emotions), which crushed her. She tried and tried again to get his attention, to show that she was worth something, and he always turned his head. She loved him all the same, because he was just as stubborn as she was, but as a mental defense mechanism, she'd try to act like he got on her nerves. If she couldn't have his affection, than he wasn't going to have hers. That would be a way of phrasing the way her mind subconsciously viewed the situation.
There were a few moments of quiet tension, but it began to transform into worry and doubt as the bright moonlight became shadow. The darkness swept over the bridge like water, swallowing all three. Their heads immediately jumped to the skies as they were overcome by a thunderous, droning hum.
"They're back," Tikal squeaked in horror. "We should contact the others..."
Sonic shook his head at her, as he had tried to establish communication as the shadows had enveloped the bridge.
"We can't," he murmured shakily. "Everything's jammed..."
"...What do we DO?!?" Amy shrieked, holding her hands up to her mouth. There were so MANY of them...They'd barely made due before with all the Titans in tow. How were they going to defend the bridge on their own?
"We give 'em ****," Sonic replied, tightening his fists.
----------
The halls were bleak and desolate, but even drearier than usual. For a corridor with four Titans walking through it, it was far too quiet. It was deathly quiet, as it had been for minutes as they had made a journey to the kitchen to eat a few snacks.
Robin's expression hadn't shifted from that of suppressed anger and frustration since they had finally come back home.
"...We're sure that everything got taken care of?" he asked softly, his brows furrowed as he walked with clenched fists.
"Yea, we took out the jewel thief," Mario answered solemnly. His cap was flopped over his face so you couldn't see his eyes.
"The bridge is still up," Sonic muttered. He appeared to share Robin's calm anger about the situation.
"Killer Moth is in prison," Raven reported dully. She walked with her hands wrapped around her stomach, and it appeared that she was chilled. Her arm had a black spot upon it, about three inches in diameter. It was hard to notice in the dim light.
"And Kitten's in there with him," Robin added with bitter satisfaction. "What about the moths?"
"I don't know what caused it-" Raven stated, "-but somehow, the moths were transformed into larvae...We destroyed just about all of them by throwing them into the ocean."
"Yea, well, we'd better hope none of them show up later," Robin concluded. He pulled out his communicator and eyed it quickly before clipping it back onto his belt. "It's three in the morning..." he announced in a groan.
There were no more words until they entered the dark living room. It was pitch black in the back of the room, and it gradually got brighter as they went further into it. The white, flickering from the large TV at the end of the room cast an eerie glow on the faces of all of the Titans as they arranged their weary bodies before it. Some were on the floor, others on the couch, and others behind it. All were tired, all were bruised, and all had their spirits drained.
The room would have been utterly silent had the TV not been on. Cyborg, who sat on the black, semi-circle sofa, adjusted the volume with the remote so it wasn't too loud or too soft, and everyone in the room could clearly hear. In the bottom corner of the screen were the letters 'JCN'. The word 'Live' was also pictured beside it. A brunette newswoman in a business suit stood in the streets of their city, grasping a microphone and speaking calmly into it.
"-when the mysterious creatures returned to wreak their havoc upon downtown Jump City. Local superheroes, the 'Teen Titans', engaged the creatures and somehow were able to put the epidemic to an end, though not before further damage was done." She turned her head and pointed a finger behind her at a smoldering building.
"One example of the chaos that took place tonight is the case of the rubble behind me. What used to be a popular ice cream parlor here on Balberry Street caught fire when the insects chewed electrical wires. The owner, Mr. Luigi Chelli, had been sleeping upstairs while this occurred. By the time he had awakened, the entire bottom floor was ablaze. Mr. Chelli was able to contact the fire department to rescue him in time. However, after being escorted to Jump City Hospital, Mr. Chelli had a cardiac arrest and died shortly after."
Luigi was in shock from the story. "Mr. Chelli..." he whispered despondently. The man was a kind and caring soul whom Luigi had known well, for he visited the ice cream shop almost every day since he had arrived in Jump City. As another story was spun about a young woman who had crashed into a streetlight when the moths assaulted her car, Amy broke into tears. As the news reporter described the brutal impact, detailing how the girl's seatbelt had snagged and slit her throat from the impact, Amy was breathing erratically.
"I knew her...She was my co-worker at the mall," Amy sniffled quietly to Sonic, who sat on the floor beside her. Sonic rubbed her shoulder a little to try and comfort her, but he couldn't help feeling uncomfortable himself as he did so.
"At this time, sixty-seven are reported to have been seriously wounded from the attack tonight. It has been confirmed that thirteen are dead."
The entire room was blanketed in solemn, drowning silence and darkness as the TV was shut off after those words had been spoken. The image of moonlight reflecting from the ocean's smooth surface outside was all that could be made out. Some of the white beams filtered into the room, though not enough to see clearly.
The sound of a remote gently clapping the coffee table broke the unsettling tranquility as Robin placed it down.
"We should all get some sleep. We need it," he told them. "Amy, Luigi...We appreciate your help tonight," he said shakily. He coughed afterward, trying not to show that he was on the verge of tears himself. "You're welcome to stay with us for as long as you wish. I'm sure someone here knows where you can rest the night."
"Thanks," Luigi mumbled dully as he stood up, staring at the ground.
"Thank you," Amy choked, sitting on the floor before him.
"You can sleep in my room," Tikal whispered to her as she helped the traumatic teen to her feet. Amy wobbled a little before she followed her friend to the hall. The Titans slowly filed out, but hardly a word was spoken from that point besides an, "Excuse me," or a "Sorry," when one bumped into another in the dark.
As Robin trailed behind them, he jumped when he felt a hand latch onto his left shoulder. He knew exactly who it was. He paused as he bubbled up inside, clearly upset about the outcome of the night. He took his right arm and firmly gripped Starfire's wrist with it. He tossed it off of his body roughly in a jerking motion, catching Starfire by surprise. As Robin disappeared into the blackness before her, Starfire stood, gaping at his silhouette, her eyes leaking.
(Thirteen are dead...because of my irrational actions...)
~[<+--\-<*>-/--+>]~
End Transmission
{\+<--/-<*>-\-->+/}
.
I believe that once Mario is given the opportunity, he'll be able to outrank everyone else in combat power.
Doy! Man, I still miss *Sabrewulf*, for crying out loud!! Why would I NOT miss you??
If you come here to read action scenes, then that's a shame, 'cuz they're often the least important scenes in the story.