Rohane?
Interesting...What's it mean?
Anyway, um...
YAY! New TT episodes starting at the end of the month and running through at least until September! Can't wait, baby...
Then there's Paper Mario 2...
And my new computer...
And the first TT DVD to be released...
Yes, yes...
Oh, eh...
Update...
Well, FF.net fans will have to wait, since it's not done yet, and some of it got deleted, so it'll take longer than expected...
Hopefully I'll get some done tonight...
But here's a taste. I believe I already posted up the beginning of this Chapter, but it was a LONG while ago, so I'll put it up again to you don't have to backtrack.
<-{--[*<Begin Transmission>*]--}->
The Q4D! Saga...
Winds of Fate: The X Factor
Chapter 10- Rough Around the Edges
{Their civilization was destroyed...}
The girl was in deep thought and awe as she flipped a tan page over to reveal the opposite side. The edges of the pages of her book were a bit tattered, but in fair condition. Raven was quite intrigued as to how this book felt so old, yet looked relatively well. She had a strange sense about these old tomes- she could FEEL how old they were.
{When I use my powers on an object, I become a part of it, and...it becomes a part of me...}
She could remember that odd conversation she had with Cyborg weeks ago faintly. It was the same type of connection Cyborg had with machines.
{Hm...} She studied another drawing carefully. It portrayed a girl- one of these strange 'echidna' creatures (though they didn't look like echidnas SHE knew of at all). The girl was leaned up against a very large diamond of some sort. Lines were drawn around the gem, as if to portray a radiant glow.
{Whatever was happening to them...This girl stopped it,} Raven realized, gazing at the pictures on the following pages, skipping a large amount of strange text. The large monster that had been attacking this ancient civilization was being...sucked into the large stone...Raven was completely confused, but something had been compelling her to read on. She finally decided that it was a little late. Normally she would stay up and read more, but she had had quite a rough day- physically, mentally, and emotionally.
She then realized that she wasn't even in her bedroom- the book had been so captivating. She was sitting exactly where she had been when Cyborg had left to go to bed- on the couch in the main living room on the top floor and center of the tower.
As she closed her old tome and rubbed her eyes, she was almost frightened as a figure came drifting into the room, looking almost like a gloomy ghost in the darkness.
"...Starfire...?" she mumbled tiredly. "Is that you...?"
"...Mmm..." came a weary hum.
Raven could sense that Starfire was sleepy, and slightly upset about something.
"Where's Robin...?" she asked quietly, floating over toward Star. Her skinny arms were hanging low, and her eyelids were half open. Her elegant dress waved around as she flew along, adding more to her ghost-like appearence.
"Starfire?" Raven tapped her tuckered out friend on the shoulder sharply. "Whhhhat's going on? What took you guys so long?"
Starfire's eyes opened a bit, revealing bags beneath them.
"...We were...delayed..." Starfire went on to explain briefly about how a clown at the carnival had gone berzerk and started mutating balloons into monsters. They had taken care of the matter before the rest of the Titans had been contacted.
"Whoa," Raven muttered, feeling sorry. "...That kinda...sucks..."
Starfire nodded, her head tipping to the side slightly. Raven helped ease her through the halls to her bedroom, conversing a little on the way.
"So...How did things go...before the end?"
Starfire rubbed at her eyes and moaned, "I do not know," massaging her forehead warily. "I cannot say...It...is late, I have exhausted myself, and-...Please forgive me, Raven, but I must save my story for tomorrow. If I do not receive the efficient amount of rest I require, then-" She let loose a huge yawn, stretching her gloved arms out wide. "-...then I will be unable to perform actions of any kind, let alone recite my experiences..."
They had reached her room, and Starfire was flopping herself down on her cushiony bed. Raven was expecting her to at least take her shoes off, but she was too sleepy to do so, it seemed. Chuckling, Raven slipped the shiny red heels off of her sore feet and tossed them to the side of the bed. Her mouth agape, Star was already diving into slumber, letting out a gentle snore as she did so. Raven almost had trouble restraining her snickers as she slid a puffy pillow under Starfire's head.
"Quite a night, huh?" she mumbled, shaking her head lightly. She realized just how funny this really was- a month ago she could care less about such a sight. But tonight, it made her laugh. {I guess I'm changing more than I thought.}
Seeing that her friend would sleep just fine- like a log- Raven exited the room, proceeding toward her own place. She didn't notice the darkened figure walking behind her, though, until he called out.
"...Raven?"
Raven's heart skipped a beat as she spun around, relieved to see it was only Robin, who was still in his tuxedo.
"Oh, Robin, uh...Did things go well?" she muttered slowly.
Robin sighed as he paced toward her, shrugging.
"I guess...Wh...What were you doing?" he asked her, completely baffled.
"I, eh...I was just making sure she got to her BED all right, she seemed really tired, so...-"
Robin finally got to where she was standing in the black hallways, and gave her a perplexed empression.
"Umm...If you say so...If ya don't mind...-" he trailed off, rounding the corner to his room, which was down the hall a piece.
"Well, good night, then," Raven called back, just as confused as he was.
{What's up with Robin?} Raven pondered as she opened her door, watching it close. {Something must have happened, and I don't think it had to do with a clown...}
|\+\-/+/|
"SAY WHAT?!" Beastboy shrieked, utterly shocked.
Mario nodded slightly, smirking, as Robin's comment sunk in. He was leaned up against the wall of the gym, lifting a small weight with his right arm.
Cyborg, who had been bench-pressing, had accidentally dropped his weight. He would've been out of breath if his body weren't made of titanium.
"Seriously?" he wheezed out.
Robin, who was focusing on a big punching bag, nodded solemnly. After giving it a swift spin-kick, he answered verbally, "She did..."
"...Starfire...? Frenching...?" Beastboy murmured in complete surprise.
"Tell me about it," Cyborg moaned, ripping his heavy weights off of him. "That just don't sound right, Rob..."
"I KNOW, Cyborg...That's why I was confused..." Robin proceeded to give the tough, orange sack a flurry of kung fu chops.
"Dude, I knew Star liked you and everything, but...FRENCHING...?" Beastboy's voice cracked, his eyes wide.
"She said on her home planet that it doesn't mean the same thing it means here," Robin explained, trying to settle his friends down.
"...Psh, yea, that's what she'll TELL you," Beastboy told him with suspiscion. "Starfire's not stupid, Robin. She knows what she's doing."
Robin took a deep breath as he nailed the bag with his fists.
"I KNOW, Beastboy," he grumbled through clenched teeth. "But Starfire doesn't LIE, either..."
Beastboy was caught on that one. "Oh...Right. Yea, forgot about that part..." he mumbled meekly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"So...How good was she?"
After a moment of silence, everyone in the room slowly creaked their heads to stare at Mario's sly and humurous smile. It was a bit hard to tell whether his question was serious or not.
But either way, the answer became obvious as Robin's cheeks flushed as red as Mario's hat. Cyborg started to chuckle heartily, and Beastboy elbowed Robin with congratulations.
"Hehe...What's up, Rob? Cat got your tongue?" He quickly morphed into a Jaguar, growled, and switched back to normal.
"...Guh...It was...interesting," Robin squeaked, coughing.
"Haha...Boo yah, baby," Cyborg laughed. "Rob got the goods, huh?"
Robin was slowly inching his way out of the room.
"HEY! Who's hungry for breakfast?" he asked loudly in a desperate attempt to drop the subject.
"Shall we continue our torturing later?" Beastboy asked his comrades devilishly.
"Oh, let's," Mario replied with the same evil tone.
*/)=(\*
"REAL eggs!!"
"Tofu eggs!!"
As Sonic and Beastboy were at each other's throats, Tikal sighed in the background, shaking her head slowly. She was leaned up against the counter next to the fridge, and didn't even notice Tenochtitlan pour her a glass of orange juice.
"Oh!...Thank you," she said politely.
"No problem," Tay replied contently. She watched the quarrel go on as the two kept shouting and shoving each other.
"...Should we stop them...?" Tikal asked nervously. Tenoch giggled as she sipped some citrus liquid.
"I dunno. They're really cute when they're mad, don't ya think?"
"Oh, yes, VERY," Raven answered with some humor as she poured herself some tea from the pot that had been brewing nearby.
"Oh, Ray," Tay muttered, giving her a light push in the arm. "Do you want us to get Link in the fight, too? Maybe then you'll be happy..." She ended her sentence with a teasing finger wave.
The orange juice in her glass was blackened just before it exploded vertically, splattering on the ceiling.
"...Sorry," Raven mumbled embarrassedly after a moment of silence, reaching for some paper towels and flying to the ceiling to clean it off. BB and Sonic were still going at it, while Cyborg had jumped in to cast his vote for bacon.
"...I was just kidding, Ray," Tay mumbled. "I didn't mean to-"
"It's all right, Tenochtitlan," Raven assured her shyly. "I guess there's no point in trying to hide it..."
"You like Link?" Tikal guessed, though it wasn't quite a guess. She was trying to be polite, at least, instead of embarrassing the girl further.
"...You could say that," she slowly murmured with pink cheeks.
"Why don't ya ask him out on a date, then?" Tay whispered, elbowing her. Raven shook her head quickly, not glancing at her friend's orange eyes. "Or at least spend some time with him..."
"I-I can't," she grumbled. "I just can't see us dating..."
Tikal shrugged, as she could understand how that felt. She once felt that way about Sonic. Why that was she couldn't quite remember, but as she glanced at him, she knew what was linked to it. Sonic's arms were tightly wrapped around Beastboy's head, and around his arm was that bracelet of small seashells. That bracelet...A girl had given it to him...He had told her that, but that was as far as he'd spoken of the matter...She could feel the presence and the personality, but not the name or the appearence of this girl.
"You'll never know until you ASK," Tay slyly told her. Raven's expression winced briefly.
"I KNOW. I don't WANT to ask..." she groaned between grit teeth. "At least not yet...I'm not ready..."
Tenochtitlan smiled warmly and gave Raven's head a friendly pat.
"That's OK. Don't rush yourself." She had yellow eyes now, and was rubbing Raven's shoulder calmly. "You're too tense, you need to lighten up a bit."
"I've been trying," Raven admitted, sipping her tea.
Tenochtitlan noticed the black spot on her arm, about as big as it had been the morning before. She couldn't help but reach out and try to touch it. Raven flinched a little as she did so, and the girl removed her hands immediately.
"I'm sorry," she spat out quickly, her color purple now. "Does that hurt?"
Raven glanced at it to note its size, and muttered, "Nnnot really."
Tay slowly moved her hand toward it again, glancing up to Raven for approval. Raven nodded slightly and held her arm out. Perplexed with brown eyes, Tenochtitlan rubbed her friend's smooth black skin. It felt like it should, at least. It felt perfectly fine.
"It's internal?" she wondered aloud. Raven shrugged.
"Not sure," she mumbled. "Whatever it is, I hope it stops soon..."
They let out a cry of surprise as Sonic's body came whizzing by them. He crashed into the sink, causing a clanky rumble. Beastboy, in gorilla form, pounded his chest wildly, grunting. No sooner had he shown off had Cyborg lunged at him, battering the boy's thick skull with his big fists. Raven was left with her tea splattered all over her, once again. {Another $50,} she growled mentally.
"...I suddenly lost my appetite," Raven groaned dully. "I'll see you girls later..."
"Bye." "See ya."
The frowning girl hurried from the room, seeking shelter from their pointless chaos. She headed for her room, eager to dive back into her book. She'd eat later on, when all the kiddies were done playing.
(!)|*|(!)
As a slightly upset-looking Starfire had drifted into the kitchen, her arms drooping, the boys were still wrestling each other. Tay and Tikal had given up on trying to stop them. It had gotten to the point where now they were just sparring for the heck of it- and the kitchen justr happened to where they were at the time.
Starfire attempted to avoid getting caught in the crossfire, but when she headed for the cupboard to retrieve some food, Beastboy came slamming into her, knocking her head into the wooden doors. She frowned bitterly as she lay on the floor, her head jammed into a pile of cereal boxes. Popping herself out and shaking her hair back behind her head, she fiercely grabbed a box of 'Syrupy Sugary Cubes' and slammed it on the countertop.
"Why must breakfast constantly be converted into a foolish game?" she grumbled. "You three act as if you have been infected with the oomple bobs!"
Everyone in the room had no idea what she was talking about, but based on her touchy demeanor, no one dared to ask. "You quarrell is as if the Gragglorians have declared war upon Javveb Six..."
She paused and glanced at their perplexed faces dully.
"Perhaps there is a satisfactory explanation behind such behavior?" she asked with a snippy voice. There was about three seconds of uncomfortable silence.
"...Tofu sucks," Cyborg answered, trying to lighten the room up. Beastboy even cracked a smile, but Star didn't. She simply let out one of her high 'Hmph!''s and got a cup out, pouring the brown chunks of 'Syrupy Sugary Cubes' into it.
"Something wrong, Star?" Beastboy inquired fearfully.
One of Starfire's short red brows raised, and she spoke with a fake cheerfulness.
"What would lead you to hypothesize such a notion?" She was dumping milk into her large cup of cereal, now. "I simply do not appreciate such behavior in an area designed for consuming rations..." She slammed the fridge door shut after putting the milk back in it. She loved milk; it was one of her favorite drinks. Mustard was included on that list, of course. She proceeded to rant at them in the same snippy tone as she had before.
"Why argue over what you will dine upon when you all can simply concoct your own meals? Such a thought must require too much brain activity, and you have insufficient-"
Cutting into her sarcastic speech was Robin, who came trudging into the room tiredly. As Starfire noticed his presence, she let out a short shriek and whipped open a cabinet door, hiding herself from his gaze. When Robin found out that Starfire was in the room, he did the same- but with the refridgerator door. He snatched an orange and quickly closed the door, sneaking out of the room as quickly and quietly as he could.
Starfire acknowledged his leave. Biting her lip, she drew the cupboard shut, sighing.
"Uhhhh...Star...?" Beastboy poked, breaking the strange silence. He tried again to uncover the mystery. "...What's up...?"
Starfire gave him a despondent glance before drinking from her tall cup of cereal. After crunching the food within it, she grumbled, "Nothing is 'up.' Quite the contrary..."
Before she knew it, Tay was behind her, stroking her shiny, smooth hair warmly.
"Care to talk about it...?" she asked sympathetically.
Starfire whimpered, and whispered, "I do not wish to place any burden upon you...It is my own difficulty, I must overcome it."
"STAR," Tay moaned, shoving her somewhat. "You won't be putting anything on us, all right? Don't you know you can talk about stuff with us?"
"Yea!" Beastboy agreed, walking to her side. "We're all here for ya."
"He's right, yo," Cyborg agreed.
"Of course," came Tikal.
"You bet," Sonic added with smirk.
Starfire was fidgeting with her hair nervously, blushing.
"I-...Perhaps...Mmm...Later," she finally spat out with a sigh. "I do not wish to converse so candidly about such matters at this time..." She gulped another mouthful of cereal as she began to exit the room. "Forgive me, friends. I will see you later..."
The others gazed in confused silence as Star exited the room in a rush.
"...Dude, something happened last night with those two," Beastboy announced bluntly.
"NAW, ya think?" Cyborg groaned. "They're both only actin' weird as all get out..."
Tenichtitlan eyed Beastboy carefully before murmuring, "What do you know about this?"
Beastboy flashed a nervous grin as he recalled the morning's conversation he'd had with Robin and the guys.
Suddenly, his face became pale and horrified as he remembered the major detail of it all- at least, to him, it was the major detail.
"...Starfire...FRENCHING...???" he whispered to himself to awe.
Cyborg shook his head and smacked his face.
"...What?" Tay mumbled, her purple eyes wide.
"Starfire got a little...touchy-feely with Rob last night. You know how she can be, just imagine it on a warm, fuzzy level," Cyborg explained. "If ya don't know how much that girl likes him, yo crazy," he added.
"But STILL," Beastboy squeaked. "She french-kissed him on the first date..." He almost fell over, but Tay caught his skinny body.
"...Hit third base at the crack of the bat, huh?" Sonic chuckled to himself. "Didn't know she had it in her..."
Tikal frowned and smacked his shoulder. "Sonic, don't talk about it like THAT," she scolded.
"What? I was just kidding," he grumbled back at her defensively.
"Yo!" Cyborg cried, shutting them all up. "I don't think it's really any o' our business what they DID, all right? What matters is that they're actin' messed up."
"Starfire probably made Robin feel awkward," Tenochtitlan guessed. "She seems to have a habit of doing that to people..." She felt a little sad for her Tamaranian friend.
"'Sides, Robin's not quite a lady's man, anyways," Beastboy said sneakily, lifting his brows.
"Whatever," Cyborg growled. "My point is that they're bein' weird, and we need to help fix it."
"That sounds like a good idea," Tikal admitted, nodding. Sonic, who had carefully snuck around the kitchen as this conversation unfolded, was getting a pan ready to scramble eggs. REAL eggs.
|/*=-=*\|
The golden canyon was trembling as they dashed across its sandy surfaces. They had been alerted when small earthquakes began to pop up outside the city to the west. Whatever it was, it wasn't natural, and it was headed right toward them. Cyborg, Beastboy, Link, and Tenochtitlan had immediately jumped in the T-car, while Robin had hopped in his slick R-Cycle. Raven and Starfire soared with Tikal through the air speedily, and Sonic ran below them, alongside the two vehicles. Mario, however, was making large bounds in the distance. The leaps he made were long enough and fast enough to keep up with his comrades.
Raven had attempted to squeeze some info out of Starfire, but Star had dropped the subject immediately, saying that now was not the time for gossiping.
"You WILL tell me later, then," Raven checked.
Starfire's emerald eyes quickly examined Raven's seriousness.
"...Of course, Raven," she murmured solemnly.
Meanwhile, in the T-Car, Link was getting car sick, and Tay was hanging her head out of the window, letting her black braids of hair flow wildly. She giggled as Beastboy did the same in front of her, as he was sitting a seat ahead. He stuck out his tongue, however, and let the saliva that flung off splash his girlfriend in the face. She laughed in a giddy fashion as she wiped it off with her bare arm.
"Don't be gettin' any slobber on my baby," Cyborg snapped quickly. "Me and Ray spent a long time fixin' her up..."
Bursting into their car was Robin voice from the radio. The whirring of his cycle roared in the backround as he told them the plan.
"I've found our target- three giant scorpians. Everyone in the T-Car, take out the one on the left. Everyone else, destroy the one on the right. I'll start on the middle one, so back me up when you're done. Titans, let's move!"
"Gotcha Rob," Cyborg replied. He grinned as he veered off to the left, and the car rocked from the rough terrain. "You heard the man- let's roll!"
The deep gash in the earth below them that formed a canyon gradually shrunk as they sped away from it, and a thirty-foot black metal scorpian was getting bigger.
"Hang tight, y'all!" the bionic teen shouted as he carefully approached their enemy. He teased it as he whizzed right by it, and it took a swipe with its right claw, only to miss. With a whooping yell, Cyborg slammed the wheel to the left, sending the car spinning ninety degrees and bumping over a boulder. It skidded to a stop, and all four of them barged out of their vehicle, prepared for battle.
Beastboy's body metamorphosized into a pteradactyl, and Tenochtitlan pounced onto his back with great agility. As the duo rose into the sky, Tay readied her strong, wooden staff, her eyes glowing red.
Cyborg pounded his feet into the ground as he stuck out his right arm, charging his cannon. With great precision, he nailed the creature's face about three times, stunning it some. As it recovered, it crawled back a little, stiffening its long tail. The giant spike on the end looked very unfriendly, and it was about to slam into whatever it could.
Link was running alongside Cyborg, carrying his sword in his left hand and a new toy in his right. Cyborg had helped him develop a very durable sheild, which Link certainly knew how to use. It was made of the same material as Cyborg's armor, so it provided good protection. Link had painted a very simple design on it- three yellow triangle arranged in a triangle themselves. The boy was ready to jump into action, and he suggested a strategy.
"I'll take care of his tail, you keep blasting his face!"
Cyborg nodded in reply, and the two split up, dodging in opposite directions. As the segmented metal tail whipped into the ground with great speed, it crushed the dirt to dust, but got caught in the hard ground. As Cyborg gleefully pelted at its face with more blue energy, Link raised his sword up over his head. As he bounded forth, he used the momentum to send his sword slicing through the air vertically, clipping off the tail's tip in one clean sweap. The noise the sword made as it cut through the metal and hit the rocky floor was loud and satisfying.
"My turn!!" Tay screamed with cheer as she twirled her staff with insane speed in her right hand and shot out her left palm. A fierce gust of freezing cold wind- about twenty feet in diamter- blew downward at the foe. Chunks of ice could be heard as they crunched into the black surface of the strange robotic beast. After about ten seconds of this barrage, the creature hardened over in a case of frozen water. It struggled to break free, but Cyborg and Link had already plotted another tactic before it could do so.
"Thanks, Tay!" Cyborg called, waving an arm to the dup above. He was a bit surprised as he accidentally wound up catching a glance of Tenochtitlan's underwear- a sight he never expected to see, for sure. She was wearing a skirt and was flying about thirty feet above him, so it was no surprise. He immediately looked away, wincing.
"NAUGH-TY!!" Tenochtitlan teased, laughing humorously, for she knew what had just happened.
Link was left in the dark, and Beastboy eyed Cyborg with a frown, still in her pteradactyl form.
"What-?"
"Nothin'," Cyborg interrupted Link, aiming his cannon at the monster's head yet again. "You ready?"
"Anytime, anywhere," Link answered cooly, reeling back his left arm. He whipped it forward, sending his blade whirling through the sky, spinning like a buzzsaw. Cyborg fired his giant laser at it, which send it even faster. The combination exploded into their enemy's head, shattering it to pieces. as icey chunks of robot rained down, the remains of the machine slowly clattered to the dusty ground, and the ice coating around it cracked off. Strange fluid spilled out of its neck, creating a puddle of black where its head used to be.
"Booyah!" Cyborg jeered, giving Link a high-five. Links blue-hilted blade came wildly twirling downward. It came to an abrupt stop as it hit the ground, maing a *chink* sound as it did so. It landed at a sixty-degree angle, its metal digging a few inches into the dirt.
~]+-)(*)(-+[~
While this was going on, about three hundred yards away, on the other side of the canyon, the rest of the gang was pounding the second scorpian.
Mario, about fifty feet behind it, bent down before launching his body into the air quite fast. As he came whizzing at it like a missle, he flung flames from his palms with great speed, which exploded into the monster's back and tail. Sonic was distracting it with his agility- it would waste its time taking swipes, only to miss. Mario had flipped his body 180 degrees so that as he collided with the foe, his feet came crunching into the back of its head, and he bounced off gracefully, nailing its tail with a swift kick as he did so.
Raven, in the meantime, had scooped up rocks and boulders in the nearby area with her supernatural powers, and was preparing to blow them away like rockets. The stones exploded into the robot's back as Sonic tossed a disc of blue wind energy into its gut. Tikal was hovering before it now, and absorbed all the blows it attempted to land with her barrier. As she brushed her bangs out of her view, she watched Mario come crashing into its head with a mighty stomp, crushing it on impact. He held out his right palm and shot out a steady stream of fire into its 'skull' to continue the damage.
Raven recognized that this beast was done for, but she realized something else, too.
{Where'd Starfire go?}
Off in the canyon, Robin was speeding in his cycle, heading straight for the last scorpion, who was chasing a girl with long, blonde hair. Robin couldn't make out any details at the time- only that she was running from it. He adjusted his steering a little and put the pedal to the metal. He came zipping along and managed to scoop the teenage girl with his right arm as he continued to steer with his left, skillfully zooming around the robotic creature. A few seconds later, when he felt they were at a safe distance, he skidded to a stop, setting the confused young woman on her feet.
"What-...?" she managed to mumble.
"It's all right, we've got ya covered," Robin assured her. "Just hang in tight."
He prepared to speed off, but the girl chased after him.
"What are you doing?!" she cried out. As she jogged his way, she realized that he was going to attempt to destroy the robot. What he didn't know was that she wasn't helpless.
Robin was closing in on his foe, and he withdrew a birdarang from his belt. The scorpion didn't notice his presence, however, as it seemed to be distracted from the front. Robin whipped out his device swiftly, and it whizzed through the air before exploding on the creature's back, doing a bit of damage. Robin slowed his vehicle down considerably as he reached the back of the beast Robin proceeded to whip out his extendable metal bo and make a run for the monster's tail, eager to lop it off.
The girl he had left behind was making ground, though, as she was gliding their way on a small boulder that was shrouded in yellow energy. She shot her fists into the air, and they glowed a beaming gold. The ground began to tremble slightly, and parts of the canyon's upper section began to crumble. Robin noticed this, and he prepared to speed out of the way of the rockslide about to occur. However, as he passed the monster, he noticed something up ahead that he hadn't seen before.
The scorpion was having a fight with Starfire as it tried to claw her and she blasted starbolts at it. Star was caught off guard when she noticed the earthquake going on, leaving her open to attack. A large, black claw clamped intself around her fiercely, stunning her. Gasping for breath from the blow to her gut, Star was too dazed to act. Robin's adrenaline kicked in immediately, and he lashed out his staff like a boomerang. It twirled fiercely through the air before crashing into the metal claw, releasing Starfire from its grasp. She plummeted toward the ground, half conscious, as Robin increased his speed to catch her. Chunks of stone were falling from the canyon's sides now, but Robin was too concerned with saving his friend.
He pressed a blue button quickly, setting his bike on auto drive, and held out his arms desperately. In the milisecond he felt her silky, blood-red hair touch his gloves, he felt relieved. However, just as her body landed in his hands, a boulder had fallen to the ground before him, just to his left. He couldn't really see with Starfire's hair whipping at his helmet's visor, and he couldn't switch off auto-drive with her in his hands, anyway.
As a result, his bike rammed into the boulder and veered to the right, heading for a fresh pile of rocks that had smashed into the dirt. As the bike flipped vertically from colliding head-on into another rock, Robin and Starfire were sent careening into the rubble with a crash.
/*)-][-(*\
Her eyelids slowly creaked open, twitching madly as they did so. She couldn't see anything, however, as everything was a blurry mess for a few seconds. Her head was whirling, and she didn't know where she was. Before the Tamaranian realized her location, she felt pain everywhere. Surges of pain shot from all around her body. Her arm, her leg, her wrist...And ESPECIALLY her head. She slowly reached up a hand to rub her aching cranium, but no sooner had she moved it was she paralyzed with a wave of hurting. She sucked in air, her teeth clenched, and grabbed her aching right arm with her left, only to feel that it was in a sling.
But now her nerves had been awakened, and she now knew where she was. She was laying on the couch in the main living room, her head pitched up by a fluffy, velvet pillow. She could feel that something was wrapped around her head, as well. She moved her left arm- which was completely bare, up to her forehead carefully. She went through the messy bangs to feel a bandage wrapped around her head. She moved to the back of her neck to notice that her hair had been lifted when the bandage was put in place, so you could only see it in the front.
With a groan, she managed to sit herself upright briefly. She noticed her legs were bare, as well- the boots had been removed. Another strap of cloth had been tightly squeezed around her left calf, and a red spot could be seen through it. Scratches and bruises covered her legs and arm, and she could feel them all burning. With a whimper, she slowly set herself down again, wishing to go back to sleep and avoid the awful pain. There was no one around at the moment, and Starfire wished there were.
{What has happened to me?} she wondered in confusion, her mind clouded. {How did I sustain such injuries...?}
After some concentration through the numbing headache she was experiencing, she could recall a canyon. Yes, and a robot...Robin...She was going to help him, and...She couldn't really remember much more than that.
"DANG...Were you messed up, or what?"
Starfire's eyes shot open to see Sonic shaking his head down at her. He had that look on his face that showed he was trying to envision the pain first-hand.
"Yes, she was injured quite badly," Tikal murmured from his side sadly. When she noticed that Starfire was awake, she smiled sympathetically. "Are you feeling all right...?"
"I am not sure," Star answered shakily.
"Well, you WILL be all right soon enough," Tenochtitlan answered calmly, straightening out her red hair with care.
"...Forgive me for asking, but...What has happened?" she moaned drearily, squinting her eyes in mid sentence.
"Don't worry about that right now," Tay answered. "Just take it easy, OK, Star?"
"Mmm," Star cringed back, her face contorting from the rush of pain flowing into her head. As she drifted out of consciousness, the people around her conversed about what to do next.
*|)*(|*
"Is she all right?" his voice solemnly questioned.
"Uh...She's-" Cyborg fumbled a bit. "She's a bit banged up, but-"
"Is she all right??" Robin demanded again with a much firmer tone.
"Yea, Rob, yea," his friend assured, sticking his palms out defensively. "She's just a little messed up, but Ray says she'll be fine."
"Don't worry about Starfire," Raven told Robin calmly. "She's tough- she'll be OK. But you...We need to worry about you first..."
"What? What are you talking about? Go help HER first," Robin commanded, as if it were a given.
Raven began to place her palms around Robin's leg cast.
"Trust me, Robin, she's better off than you are. She's a Tamaranian, so she'll heal quicker than you. Your leg needs some attention right now before it worsens..."
As black orbs shrouded her hands as she prepared to work on Robin's leg, Cyborg decided to check on the others out in the hall to see how they treating this strange girl that had shown up.
"I just sorta hop from here to there. I go where the wind takes me," the blonde girl told them. She was a very thin girl with big purple eyes. Her gold hair flowed down just below her shoulders. She wore a black sweatshirt and yellow shorts, and a pair of goggles was slung around her neck.
"Mm," Link hummed with a nod.
"So how do ya like our digs?" Mario asked her casually.
"Ehhh..." Terra glanced about the hallway. "It's a little...serious. But it's really nice, I'll admit."
"So, uh...Where do YOU live?" Beastboy asked her curiously.
Terra bit her lip and slowly answered. "Well...I told you, I go from place to place...I don't really HAVE a home..."
"Oh," Beastboy mumbled sadly.
Cyborg walked upt o the group and stuck his his metal hand out. As the girl nervously accepted the handshake, Cyborg asked, "So, little lady, what's your name?"
"I'm Terra. Nice to meet ya. You're Cyborg, aren't you?"
The robo-man grinned and shrugged. "Well, whaddya know? I'm famous."
"I've heard about you guys," Terra pointed out excitedly. "The Teen Titans. You guys rock!"
"Thanks," Beastboy murmured, his cheecks pink as she smiled at him.
"But I heard there were only five of you," she added, confused.
"Ya heard wrong," Mario informed her, scratching his head. "We've been ten for about a couple weeks."
"Really...?" Terra's eyes glowed for a moment with hope. {Does that mean that I might have a home? A REAL home? Not a cave, or a cliff, but a real home...?}
"Oh, yea," Beastboy confirmed.
"You know," Terra piped up suddenly, looking like she would burst. "I've got some powers myself, ya know..."
A sudden scream of agony exploded through the halls as Raven operated on Robin, obviously having induced some type of pain.
"Whoa..." Terra whispered in shock. "Was that your friend...?"
"Don't worry about Rob," Cyborg assured her. "He's aight. That accident was pretty nasty, though. Lucky you didn't get caught in there..."
Terra smirked half-heartedly, feeling guilt pound into her.
"Y-y-yea..."
(((+++)))
"Star! What are you doing? Sit down." Tenochtitlan eased Starfire back to the couch's cushion, being very careful not to hurt her.
"But-"
"But nothing!" Tay cut her off with concern. She spoke with her gentle tone, but it displayed her worry powerfully. "You sit here and take it easy, Star." Tenochtitlan's eyes were a violet shade as she spoke, her soft chocolate hand on her friend's shoulder. She crouched down in front of the couch, before Star's head. Sonic and Tikal had left to check on Robin, so Tenochtitlan stayed to care for the Tamaranian.
Starfire whimpered, her emerald eyes glazed. Staring at the ceiling, she murmured, "Robin...What happened to Robin...?" She squinted her eyes shut as the pounding headache she was going through came in full force.
Tenochtitlan sighed as her purple glance moved to the floor.
"You don't remember, do you?" she mumbled.
"I only...-" Star cringed for a moment. "I only remember that I went to help Robin, and...I am worried that perhaps he...-" She sucked in air between her teeth and let out a deep breath. Tay's grip on her shoulder tightened for a moment as she could almost feel the pain herself.
"You and Robin were caught in a rockslide. Robin's doing fine. Don't worry, OK?"
Star's green eyes stared over to Tay's violet ones.
"I AM worried...I must see him..."
Tenochtitlan could feel the desperation in Star's voice and see it in her pleading face.
"You can't right now, Star," she whispered, feeling awful. "I'm sorry, but...You just need to relax, all right? You're in bad shape."
"I do not need to be informed of what pain I am going through," Starfire informed Tenochtitlan firmly. "I believe I am the best judge of my own condition."
Starfire sat up slowly, and Tay eyed her carefully.
"Star..."
Starfire began to drift upward slightly, and Tay was hesitant to grab her for a moment.
"Starfire, you really shouldn't-"
"I do not care," Star spat out with some bitterness, her head throbbing. She was hovering shakily, and it looked like she might collapse any moment. "I wish to see Robin, and...-" She trailed off, overcome with fatigue and pain in a nasty combination. Tenochtitlan had jumped up and reached her arms out to wrap them around her friend. As Starfire gave way, Tay grasped her tightly, trying to be careful, Star's head flopped back over Tay's arms, her blood red hair draping down. Staring at Star's tan chin, Tenochtitlan had some difficulty in setting her down to a laying position. Star moaned here and there, and Tay sat, staring at her agonizing expression.
"...Tay?" Beastboy had come into the large, relatively quite room. "How is she?" he asked slowly.
Tay was sniffling, sitting with her knees to her chin. She couldn't bare to see her friend in such pain.
"Tay..." Beastboy sat next to her and put his skinny arm around her shoulder. "She's gonna be all right..." he tried to assure her, though he was worried himself. The bandages all over her made him feel horrible. She was worse off then Robin was. At least Robin had been wearing some protective gear- like a helmet, for one. Starfire had been left with a big, bloody gash on her head. Fortunately, it was now covered in white cloth, but a dark red spot could be seen.
He tried to come up with something humorous to lighten the mood a bit.
"Whoa," he muttered in realization. "She's wearing as little clothes as you are!"
Tay choked a laugh and elbowed him, still watery-eyed. "Beastboy, it's not funny," she mumbled as her small smile vanished.
"No, seriously, she's almost naked!"
"Beastboy," she scolded with brown eyes, her tone stern. He quickly caught on to it and shut his mouth.
"Sorry..."
"She didn't deserve this," Tay spat out bitterly. "Star didn't deserve this...Neither did Robin...What did they ever do??"
Beastboy was a little taken back by her sudden burst.
"Well, Tay...It's-...Stuff happens, ya know? I mean, you can't expect to fight crime without-" He stopped talking when he saw tears flooding down Tenochtitlan's face, and she pressed her body against his. Beastboy had a gut feeling that this went beyond Robin and Starfire.
"...Why?" she gasped. "They didn't deserve it...They all died...because of ME..." She squeaked at the end, and Beastboy felt her soft hands dig into his shoulders. "All of them...just gone..."
She began to mumble inaudibly as her body trembled, and Beastboy was completely confused. What was she talking about? It seemed that this event reminded her of something from her past somehow or something...
"Tay? Wait...Who's 'them?' C'mon, tell me what you're talking about..." He shook her a little, trying to awaken her from her trauma.
Her eyes peeled open, but she couldn't see since they were full of water.
"I-...They-...I don't KNOW," she whimpered, getting frustrated. "I can't remember, but...I do, sort of, and-..." She drooped her head down again in despair. "I feel like I'm ripped in half," she whispered, her black hair dangling before her face, which was pressed against Beastboy's chest. "I have memories, but...They don't make sense, and I-..." She huffed, letting tears drip into her lap. "I don't remember MYSELF, and it's scary, and-" She broke down, her voice shaking terribly. It was difficult to describe in words.
Beastboy was shocked and upset from this sudden burst of angony. First Star and Robin, now Tay...He rubbed her back slowly, waiting for her to calm down. Over the next five or ten minutes, she seemed to drift out of consiousness and come back.
"You OK now?" Beastboy finally asked her when he noticed she wasn't crying. She blinked up at him with confused, violet eyes.
"Hm?" She lifted her head from his body, rubbing it slowly.
"You, eh...You were just-..." Beastboy lifted a brow, perplexed. "Um...You don't remember," he grumbled in realization.
Tay wiped water from her cheecks, overcome with an awkward feeling.
"...What don't I remember?" she asked.
Before Beastboy could say anything in response, Raven came flying into the room, her cape whipping about. She looked like a shadow that flowed through thr air, her expression dire.
As she reached the couch, she hovered over it momentarily, staring at Starfire's bruised body. She had a very sympathetic look about her- one that could never be found on Raven of weeks passed.
"Starfire," she mumbled as she descended, her hands flashing with black energy. "Starfire, can you hear me?" she asked as she drifted in the air just above her best friend.
"Nnnn," Star answered, gradually peeling open her eyes.
Raven sighed of relief as she inspected Starfire's injuries.
"Good...Star, I'm gonna need you to stay with me, all right? Can you do that?"
"...-will try..." she weakly answered.
"That's it. Now..." Her purple eyes scanned acorss the Tamaranian body as she decided where to start. {Her injuries are serious...But they've improved since we got her here...} Raven knew that this was because her Tamaranian body was in a rush to heal her injuries. Though she was able to do this, it also drained her more than it would a normal human.
Raven pressed her hands against Star's left calf, where a bandage had been wrapped to stop bleeding.
Starfire let out a shrill and quick cry, and Raven winced as she retreated her arms.
"Sorry!" she spat out.
"...Please...Continue," Star whimpered, quite awake now.
"...A-all right..."
Beastboy and Tay watched, amazed, as Raven placed her palms back on Starfire's leg. The girl grit her teeth and sucked in air as Raven massaged her flesh, helping to heal the wound.
As Raven 'operated,' Mario came running through the room, holding a red envelope with a pawprint printed on it. Grasping his cap with his free hand as he scrambled about, he asked Beastboy and Tenochtitlan (who were exiting the room), "Where are they keepin' Rob?"
"Um...I think he's down in his bedroom," Beastboy muttered.
"Right," Mario thanked, tipping his hat as he bounded through the halls. As usual, they were dimly lit, so Mario didn't notice the new girl that was meandering along. He brushed into her by accident as he rounded a corner, causing her to yelp out in shock.
"Whoa!" She caught her breath when she realized it was Mario. Brushing her blonder hair out of her face, she said, "Oh, hey, Mario."
"Yo, Terra. Like the digs?" he asked her as he scratched his nose.
"Actually, it's pretty cool. REALLY huge. All ten of you guys live in here?" She almost couldn't believe that ten teenagers could GET ALONG in the same room, let alone LIVE together.
"I guess so," Mario said casually, shifting his cap about a little.
"Wow," Terra mumbled. {Wish I had a home like this...}
"Ya know, there's always room for more," Mario added slyly as he stomped off down the halls.
"Mm," Terra hummed to herself thoughtfully. As she paced down the halls, thoughts plagued her.
{Would they really accept me...? No one else has. Everywhere I go, I'm rejected. It's like I'm a walking disaster...} She let out a deep sigh. {If they found out it was ME who caused that rockslide...I didn't MEAN to hurt them, but what would THEY care, anyway? I can't undo it now. They're super heroes...I have a 'super power'...But I can't CONTROL it. What if they find out?}
Terra felt guilt from her past and loneliness tugging at her, so she tried to hide her feelings away as she came to the living room where the strange red-head had been placed.
The odd ghost girl was standing over her bandaged body. As Terra walked over, she immediately asked, "She's OK, right? I mean...Is it really serious, or-"
"She'll be fine," the pale-skinned girl dully spat. "She's in a lot of pain, and she's not going to be able to do much for a few days, but she's going to be all right."
{She just had to go and help Robin, didn't she?} Raven pondered to herself. {She seemed kind of angry this morning, though, and she was avoiding him...Hm...}
"Sooo...She's fine. Whew. Good," Terra quickly mumbled, taking a deep sigh of relief.
The girl moved a loose strand of silver-blue hair from her forehead and stared at Terra suspiciously.
"What were you doing out in that canyon, anyway? And why were those machines chasing you?"
Terra's big eyes couldn't stand the piercing glare of Raven. Clearly, she was upset about her friends being hurt.
"I was crashing in a cave up there," Terra mumbled. "But I don't know what was with the big bugs."
Raven let out a small huff through her nose, glancing back over to a sleeping Starfire.
"...Why were you sleeping in a cave?" she interrogated further. "Don't you have a home?"
Terra didn't reply and wouldn't look up to Raven, her expression full of shame.
"...Oh," Raven murmured, feeling shame herself. "...I...didn't know. Sorry. I'm just concerned about my friends here..."
"No, I understand," Terra muttered. "I'm really sorry."
"It's not your fault," Raven mumbled back to her, placing a hand on Starfire's forehead as she tenderly sifted her fingers through her bangs.
Terra's guilt flash-flooded back to her, and she didn't want to be reminded of it.
"Yea...Well...I, uh...I'll see ya later...Raven, was it?"
"Yea." Raven's purple eyes looked up to her. "What's your name, anyway?"
"Oh, right. Terra. Yea, that's me."
"Nice to meet you, Terra."
"Pleasure's all mine."
Terra was half out of the room at this point, desperate to avoid further conversation. This Raven girl seemed kind of creepy. Yet at the same time she seemed like a good person.
In her hurry to rush out, she nearly bumped into Beastboy.
"Geez, watch it, girl!" Beastboy laughed as she stumbled around him haphazardly.
"Sorry!" Terra cried out, embarrassed. "You're Beastboy, aren't you?" Her cheecks remained slightly pink as they spoke. She KNEW it was Beastboy, though. She just couldn't think of anything else to say.
"Yep. That's me- the big BB," he announced with a mock arrogance and his classic sly grin, causing Terra to snicker.
"A little full of yourself, aren't you?" she asked.
"He's ALWAYS like that," came the sweet voice of Tenochtitlan who came from behind, strangling him in a hug from behind. Terra immediately caught on to the fact that they were a couple, and felt awkward in their 'cuddly' presence.
"Oh...Uh, so what's your name?"
"I'm Tenochtitlan!" she chirped merrily. "You're this Terra girl I've heard about, aren't you?"
"That would be me," Terra answered weakly. "So...Could somebody show me to the bathroom or something?"
"OH! Sure! I'd be glad to!" Tay squealed. "I'll be back, B," she said, leaning over him. "Where are you going?"
"I'm gonna go check on Rob, so..."
"All right! I'll meet ya there, my little monster!" She pinched his ear playfully as she went off, her eyes pink and giddy.
As Beastboy rubbed his face, he muttered to himself, "Maybe I'm a monster, but I'm a LUCKY monster."
**+==+**
"What?? Really? Where was it?"
Mario handed it to Robin, who was laying in his bed. His broken leg was in a sling and propped on some pillows, while he had a few bandages on his bare arms. Compared to Starfire, he'd made it out well. As he ripped it open, Mario explained.
"Yea, it was just sitting in the fridge when we got back. Weird place for it."
"Yea," Robin murmured, focusing on the document.
{Dear Titans,
How's the new girl doing? She's not as normal as you may think. So sorry about the accident there, by the way. I hope all is well.
But enough formalities. This letter has been sent to notify you about a meeting. I wish to come face-to-face with the Teen Titans later this week. I know this may be inconvenient, but it is imperative that you come- all of you.
I believe that I may hold the answers to some of your questions. I will inform you as to the whereabouts of our meeting point at a later date.
In the meanwhile, make sure that Star and Robin get plenty of rest- even if it means pinning Robin down to his bed.
An old face will re-emerge tomorrow night, so be prepared.
The shadows are growing, Titans. Be ready for them, for within ten days one of your ranks will fall like a meteor from the heavens, crashing down to the planet...They shall be engulfed by the darkness. The Light will come from an unexpected source- the Darkness. Do what your Light tells you, and I'm sure you'll come out OK...
Oh, and Robin...I saw you and Starfire last night. Very cute.
How was she, by the way?
~ Destiny Smasher}
Mario noticed that Robin's face had grown beet red, and the expression looked VERY familiar. Robin folded the note up and slipped it into a drawer in his marble nightstand.
"...Sooo...Anything important?"
Robin was scratching his chin thoughtfully.
"He wants to meet us in a few days," Robin mumbled. "He knows something we don't, apparently. If you ask me, I'd say this 'Destiny Smasher' is a pretty suspicious character..."
-\|*|*|/-
"Thanks, it's been real great. You guys have been cool to me, but I really need to-"
"Aw, no," Cyborg interrupted her as she began to head for the main door. "Where do you think you're goin'?" he asked slyly.
Terra gave him a blank expression.
"Yea..." Cyborg murmured. "Listen, Terra. You CAN stay the night and all that. It's not like we don't have room or anything..."
"...Really?" Terra repsonded quietly, surprised. "You...want me to stay longer?"
"Of course we do!" Tenochtitlan cried. "Why wouldn't we? We barely know you."
"'Sides," Beastboy put in, "You don't have anyplace better to go right now, do ya?"
"One more day, huh?" Sonic suggested. "Just one. Then, if you really want to go, ya can."
Tikal gave her a sympathetic smile as she glanced around the room from one Titan to the next.
"Terra, you need a home. There's always room for more here, you know."
"One big happy family," Link mumbled, rolling his eyes. "Big, anyway."
Terra showed uncertainty, but how could she refuse? It had been some time since someone had wanted her to stay. Usually it was that they wanted her to LEAVE.
"...I guess it couldn't hurt to stay here another day," Terra said shyly with a shrug.
Some cheers rang out from the Titans as Terra agreed to their terms.
"So tomorrow are you going to show us what you're made of, rock girl?" Link asked her, jabbing her side with an elbow. Terra got a little worried for a moment. She'd helped to take down the scorpion after her accident, so the Titans knew about her powers- they just didn't know that it was her who'd caused the rockslide.
"Oh, yea...You bet," she mumbled sheepishly.
/=+-|-+=\
"I am fine, Raven," Star tried to assure her friend. "There is nothing more you can do at this time. I thank you dearly, but-...Please, I am fine..."
Raven kept her hands to herself at that point, feeling embarrassed.
"You're sure, Star? You don't look so good, and-"
"I do not FEEL so good," Star agreed in a moan, rubbing her bandaged forhead. "But I will manage, and I will be in fit shape soon enough, thanks to your efforts." Her emerald eyes glowed with appreciation at her friend.
"No problem."
They were in Starfire's bedroom now, and it was evening by now. Starfire had been seated onto her round, cushy bed, which rested in the middle of her colorful, warm room. Her body was still covered in dressings, though they had been changed during the day, and her wounds had been cleaned again. She didn't look so bad now, but she certainly didn't look very great, either. She was sitting up on the side of her bed at the time, her aching legs dangling over the sides. Her bare toes were tickled by her soft, red carpet, and her broken arm was propped up by a puffy velvet pillow in the shape of a magenta heart in her lap. Star had been told to try to make sure she kept her arm up so that the blood didn't all rush to it- which would result in a lot of pain.
Her body trembled somewhat, and Raven guessed this was because she was chilled.
She took a folded quilt of pink and red squares from the foot of Star's bed and used her powers to shroud it in shadow, snuggly wrapping it around Starfire's shoulders. Star smiled weakly, grateful.
"Better?" Raven checked as she floated before her best friend, legs crossed. She looked like the stereotypic monk in meditation- though she wasn't meditating. Ever since she'd started being more free about her feelings, she found herself with more time to do things besides meditating, and she loved it.
"Very sufficient," Star replied slowly, another twinge of hurt hitting her head.
"So, uh...Do you want me to leave, or-?"
"No, dear friend," Star spurt out quickly. "I do not wish to be alone..."
"Good," Raven answered with a smile. "Neither do I."
"I, um-...You were curious about my date with Robin, and you inquired me about it, did you not?"
"Oh!" Her eyes bulged in realization. "Yea, I'm curious, all right."
Starfire beamed with joy as she begun to recite the events of the evening. From the restaurant, to them holding hands, to the ferris wheel. And as she got nearer to the end, she got more detailed.
"And so...I leaned my body toward his...And I parted my lips, and...-" She paused, caught in a trance. Raven stared at her, wide-eyed, on the edge of her seat.
"And...-? And what?" Raven whispered with excitement. "Did you kiss? You did, didn't you?" she concluded in a sneaky tone.
Starfire closed her eyes slowly, humming in response. She traveled back in time to that moment, captured by its heavenly touch.
Raven let out a gleeful grin and rubbed Starfire's shoulder in encouragement.
"That's great, Starfire! Good for you. I knew it was only a matter of time..." she slyly concluded.
Starfire's eyes jolted open, breaking her smile. Raven's eyes were big and joyful, but Star's expression drastically shifted to one of worry as memories flooded back. Her head began to ache some more on top of it, so she squinted her eyes shut as she bared the pain for a moment or two.
"Are you OK?" Raven made sure. Star sighed slowly, nodding.
"...Our lips touched...We exchanged breaths..." she whispered, having recovered. "But...I may have made a mistake..."
Raven lifted a brow, perplexed. What could she have done wrong? She'd done everything right, from what Raven could gather.
"You see," Starfire mumbled, looking at her tan feet. "I-...We-..." She let it come out quickly in a burst of words. "I touched my tongue to his."
Raven froze a moment, absorbing the thought. Starfire glanced away, her cheecks flushing as red as her hair.
"...Whoa..." the goth girl murmured, her purple eyes wide with surprise now. "...W-wait...You did WHAT?"
"...We touched tongues," Star whimpered with shame.
"...Starfire, that-...Well, I don't think that's natural for a first-"
"I understand that NOW," Starfire snapped in frustration. "I still have the expression on Robin's face imprinted into my mind's eye. He was clearly not comfortable with my actions...I regret them now..." She let out a huff, feeling exhausted just thinking about it.
"Starfire," Raven began solemnly. "Why did you do it?"
Starfire but her lip and explained quickly. "I did not know such actions implied strong thoughts of sexual orientation in this culture. On Tamaran, such a display of affection is very powerful, but it is interpreted in a different manner- a very emotional one. Touching tongues conveys feelings of passion toward your partner...It is meant to send the message that you will always be there for that person, and that you love them in a romantic fashion, and-..."
She slowed down, feeling like a complete idiot. Raven weakly smiled, finding it all a little comical. It wasn't THAT big of a deal, she supposed. It certainly could've gone worse, and Raven had a feeling that Robin enjoyed it to some extent.
"You told Robin all this, right?"
"Of COURSE I did!" Star insisted in exasperation.
"Good." Raven waited until Starfire's brilliant green eyes met her own to go on. "Starfire, you're very...open...And Robin's not. Robin...I'm not sure that he's ready for such a commitment. You probably scared him a little. Is THAT why you two were acting strange this morning?"
"I suppose it is," the Tamaranian admitted sheepishly. "Whenever I think about the matter, I feel as if a parasitic Squabblork has taken dominance over my digestive system..."
"I know what you mean," Raven said with a humorous grin. Raven eerily drifted to Star's side. "Starfire, I don't know what's going to happen between you and Robin...But I'll tell you this much: As long as you stay true to yourself, everything will turn out OK. You taught me that, Star, and it's worked so far. Just make sure you let Robin know how much you care about him. Don't rest until he knows- without a doubt- that you will always be there for him, if that's how you feel."
"Raven, I do not know what I would do for him," Starfire admitted. "If the conditions arose, it is likely I would give my life..." she whispered in a daze.
"...I have no doubts," Raven muttered. "I think he feels the same way- he just hasn't realized it yet. He's ALWAYS there for you, too. Every time you get hurt, who's there to save you?" She grinned slyly at Starfire. "I don't think that's a coincidence. Give him time to find it in himself. Maybe it's not there, but even if it's not, you two will be friends, won't you?"
"...I will always be Robin's friend," Starfire said with confidence. "I have vowed this to myself." Her beautiful, green eyes were glazed.
Raven didn't say a word to that, and massaged Star's sore back with her right arm.
"See? There's nothing to worry about. Make sure he knows how you feel..."
{I should do the same, too, shouldn't I...?} Raven pondered to herself. {I need to find some way to let all of my friends know how much I appreciate them...If it weren't for them, I'd probably be insane- literally.}
Star contemplated this deeply for a tranquil moment or two.
"Raven," she mumbled. "I love you..."
Raven froze like a statue, confused by her friend's words. But her gut didn't ball up in a knot, and after a second to contemplate it, she knew fully well what Starfire meant.
"NO! No no no, Raven! Please, do not misinterpret me! I did not mean it in THAT fashion..."
Raven sighed deeply of relief. {You sick fool!} she yelled inwardly. {Get your head out of the mud. You have your mind on all these romantic matters that you went a little overboard...}
"I love you as a dear friend. I love all of the Titans...Love is a very mysterious word in your world, I have begun to understand. A man loves a woman, a mother loves a son, and a father loves this strange 'football' I've heard about...I may not understand all of these meanings, but...I do know that, to myself, love is a word that is the connection to a powerful emotion of caring. I love all of my friends, and I feel I may love Robin in an even deeper sense..." Starfire trailed her thought off, feeling foolish rambling about it for so long. Raven had to understand her point by now.
"Starfire...You have no idea how much I appreciate your friendship. I want you to know that. You're the most caring person I've ever met, Starfire. I've changed because of you. You've made me who I am, and I'm thankful. I hope you know that I'll be there for you through anything, too."
"...So we are best friends," Star concluded.
"...I guess we are," Raven mumbled, pink-faced.
Both girls felt very strange and immature at that moment. For weeks they had slowly grown closer as friends. Now they had finally acknowledged how deep their friendship truly was- there were now no doubts on either side, as there had been before. They were best friends, and a true best friend was not something one lost easily.
The bond between two teenage girls had been forged into a chain of tremendous strength. Time was conspiring with Fate to test this chain and see just how powerful it was.
Starfire's mouth creaked open wide, letting out an exhausted yawn.
"Forgive me," she muttered drowsily. "I have had trouble staying awake today..."
Raven smiled, removing her hand from Star's back.
"I'm not surprised, Star. Your body's rushing to heal your wounds."
"I am aware," Star mumbled. "I am certain I will be in a healthy condition within a few days. But what about Robin?"
"Don't worry. He's fine. It'll take him a little longer than you, but...I helped speed up the process, otherwise he wouldn't be able to walk right for months."
"Mm," Srar hummed, her eyelids drooping.
Raven positioned Starfire's body onto her bed so that she was lying down. Her head was on a nice, big, pillow, while her broken arm remained over her body's level on another pillow. A few moans came out from Star as she struggled to stay awake.
"Take things easy tomorrow, Star, and get plenty of rest," Raven mumbled, unsure as to whether or not she actually heard her.
Raven neatly set the soft quilt over her friend as she admired her sleeping face. She looked so innocent. Raven knew that Starfire was not perfect, of course, but she did a very good jov of keeping her dark side at bay. It was thanks to her that Raven was starting to control her own.
"Good night, Starfire," she whispered as she floated out of the room like a majestic spirit, switching the lights off with her mind.
|>\>(><)</<|
The moon's light was strong enough to illuminate her bright, blonde hair as she sat on the island's edge, gazing off toward the ocean.
Link simply stood behind her, absorbing the atmosphere. It was about one in the morning, though Link wasn't aware to this fact. He finally decided to strike up a conversation with the mysterious girl as she skipped stones over the lake. She didn't even have to move, as she used her powers to control the rocks. A pebble would levitate beside her, then launch forth with great speed as her eyes flashed gold.
"Didn't like the couch?" Link mumbled as he took a seat on the cold stones beside her.
"Oh, Link," she murmured. "...Nah, I just can't get to sleep."
"...Nervous?" Link probed.
"Actually, yea," Terra admitted slowly.
"Don't be," Link assured her. "If you've got no home to go to, Terra, I'm telling ya- stay with us. You're more than welcome, I guarantee it."
Terra sighed, looking doubtful.
"I've heard you guys say that a million times now," she grumbled.
"That's because it's TRUE," Link blatantly told her. "What do you have to be nervous about? We're a bunch of misfits as it is, Terra. Mind telling me why you're so ****ed worried?"
Terra shut her eyes shut in disgrace, and groaned, "Fine. I can't fully control my powers..."
Link blinked at her dully.
"That's it?" he muttered with a shrug. "Psh. That's nothing! You've got nothing to be so worked up about. Practice will change that."
"Link," Terra spat out, glancing up at his strern blue, eyes that glowed in the moon's rays. "I didn't say anything before, but...It's my fault that your friends got hurt. I tried to help, but I lost control, and-..." She shook her head quickly, looking away. She seemed to be afraid of his reaction.
"Oh...That kinda sucks...But, listen, Terra, everbody makes mistakes. It's OK. My friends will understand. It's not like you WANTED to hurt them, right?"
Terra nodded slowly, staring at the ripples in the bay's waters.
"Just be honest with them. Everything'll be good. Tomorrow's a new day. You be honest with them and explain your situation. I'll bet they'll be more than willing to help you."
"You really think so...?" Terra mumbled.
"You know it," Link responded coolly.
{Wow...Maybe he IS right. It sounds a little too good to be true...}
"All right, Link. I'll see what happens, then," she said in resolution.
"Good. Now, uh...Lemme me see ya skip those rocks again. That's freakin' cool..."
/+|\(')*(')/|+\
"How do ya think she's gonna take it?" Cyborg wondered curiously, seeking Sonic's opinion.
Sonic shrugged in his slick way. "Psh. Got me. All I know is that she's gonna have quite the time..."
"Heheh...Booya, baby." Cyborg stuck out his fist, and Sonic rapped it with his own.
They were sitting outside Titan Tower on the bumpy area in the back. Jagged stones ripped through the water's surface, and the terrain was rough to walk on. The wind was blowing steadily, and water sprayed from the shores as waves crashed into them.
"Robin, are you sure you should be here?" Tikal asked him with worry. "What if you hurt yourself?"
Robin was hobbling about using two crutches, having some trouble traversing to a nice, flat area.
"Tikal, I'm good," Robin spat out. "I have to see Terra in action if I'm going to decide how valuable she'll be to the team."
Tikal sighed and shrugged it off. There was no point in telling Robin what was good for him, because he never listened, anyway.
Raven, floating a few feet away, noticed the difficulty Robin was experiencing, so she stuck out her palm and forced him gently over to a smooth boulder, carefully placing him upon it.
"Thanks," Robin muttered, embarrassed. Raven didn't reply, though. She was pondering what was running through his mind. Meanwhile, standing in front of Raven, Link called out to Mario, who was waiting patiently on a small cliff for his opponent to show up.
"Don't go easy on her, man! Make her work hard!"
"You know it!" Mario called back, flashing a thumbs-up.
The Titans were waiting eagerly for Terra to arrive, as it had been arranged that she would spar with Mario for practice to show what she could do.
A sudden rumbling could be heard in the distance as Terra ripped a large chunk of stones from the ground with her powers and hopped on. She flipped her goggles onto her eyes as she drove her rock to speed through the air toward Mario, who grinned, bending his legs slightly. Her blonde hair whipped around haphazardly as she came zipping along, smiling.
Raven yelped in shock as a giant boulder came soaring inches from her face, nearly clipping her nose off. Wide eyed, she caught her breath for a moment and glared at Terra, annoyed.
"She'd better watch what she's doing before someone gets hurt," Raven grumbled between grit teeth.
Everyone else was silent as the battle unfolded before them in a flash.
Terra kept going on, ready to ram straight into Mario. But Mario was prepared, and he hopped up, pulling his legs in. They came into contact with the front of Terra's rock, and he used the built up momentum to propel his body forward as he sprung his legs out. For a second, he was flying ahead of the stone, and he did a backflip into midairas Terra caught up with him. His legs went flying in an uppercut kick, and Terra fell over as she dodged the blow, grasping her rock firmly.
She swung her hand around, causing her ride to change direction. As it slowed to turn, she scramble to her feet and regained balance, getting ready to take the offensive again. She increased speed as she sped toward Mario again, who was running straight at her. Suddenly, she hopped off of her stone, landing shakily on her feet. The rock continued to sail right at Mario's calm face. He bounded toward it and gave it a fierce kick with his left foot, crushing the boulder to shards. The pieces scattered as they went on through the air, eventually falling to the ground.
Mario landed in a crouching position, staring up at her from under his cap's brim. He slowly rose, sticking his right hand out, palm up, and waved his fingers toward him as if to say, {Come and get me- if you can.}
Terra punched her fists up as they glowed gold, and a pillar of earth began to sprout from the ground under Mario's feet. He kept his balance as the tower grew and grew, and when it came to a sudden stop, he noticed the barrage of pebbles that was headed his way. He immediately covered his face with his arms as he skidded down the side of the pillar of rock, kicking up lots of dust and creating lots of friction. Small stones battered at him, but he endured. Just as it looked like he'd crash into the ground, he bounced off of the the tower vertically and outstretched his arms forward into a diving pose. Wide-eyed, Terra panicked and pulled up a jagged spike from the ground before her, and Mario went smashing into it fist first. It cracked and crumbled apart, and Terra gazed in surprise as Mario shook his wrists about, grumbling to himself.
Terra took advantage of this free moment to raise herself about twenty feet up on her own cylindrical stone structure. As Mario approached, Terra snapped her fingers, and a bar of rock shot out right at him, jabbing his gut. He groaned as he back up a little, eager to leap on up and knock her off.
Mario leapt onto the bar nimbly, and as Terra blasted out another section of stone, Mario ducked and quickly grabbed it, using it to swing up and land on it. Predicting Terra's next move, Mario held on firmly to the bar after landing and let himself drop forward as another bar jutted out where his head had been. He flipped up using his momentum and jumped to the newest section, flowing his flip into another 360 swing and flying into the air in front of the stone tower. Another section jumped at him as he somersaulted, but it missed and her caught it in the pits of his legs. After hanging upside down for a moment, he climbed up onto it and crouched for a second. Propelling his body into the air with great speed, he kneed Terra in the chin as he shot upward.
Terra stumbled back, dazed, and tripped off of her platform. Everyone gasped in worry, but Terra's eyes glowed gold as she stretched out her arms. Two small rocks rocketed out of the ground and into her palms, and she slowly drifted to safety.
Mario slammed into the dirt before her as her tower crumbled apart into dirt, created a big pile that was slowly dispersed by a gusts of wind as the the breeze picked up.
Cheers erupted from the group of spectators, and Terra was amazed at the applause. Mario was clapping his hands, too, and tipped his hat to her.
"Very good," he complimented. "Lots of potential."
The other Titans began top run to her side eagerly, all giving her their words of excitement and anticipation.
Robin made it down to them with some effort after a minute, and her stuck out his hand to hers.
"Congratulations, Terra. I'd say you passed. A little rough in your technique, but that's something some training will fix."
"Really? You think so?"
"Aw, yea, girl!" Cyborg cried, shaking her hand with his large, metal one. "You got skills."
"Way to keep her on her toes, bro," Sonic said to Mario with a nod. Mario shrugged in reply, scratching at his sideburns lazily. His fists had some small bruises on them, but he didn't seem to mind. No pain, no gain.
Link was standing in the background, and Raven was standing beside him. He wasn't paying any attention to her, but she was glancing at him here and there, as if she wanted to start a conversation. Whatever it was she wanted to say, she didn't get to say it, because Link approached Terra and gave her a glare as she exited the crowd and headed for the Tower.
"Go on and tell 'em," he muttered quietly as she brushed by. Terra paused, her eyes filled with doubt.
"I-I don't know. What if-?"
"Tell 'em," Link insisted.
Terra huffed, slapping her gloved hand over her face and rubbing it downward.
"Fine," she groaned.
"What is it?" Raven asked slowly.
Terrra's eyes jumped up to her, as she hadn't noticed the girl was there before. {Geez, she's like a ghost,} Terra thought.
"I-..." Terra eyed the entire group as they began to trek back to their home. "Guys," she called out, stretching her arms out wide. "There's something I need to tell you guys..."
"What's up?" Beastboy wondered with curiosity.
"I, uh...Haven't been completely honest..." she mumbled, looking down with embarrassment. {What if they get mad? What if they hate me?}
{Stop doubting yourself, Terra,} Link's mind said.
"What do you mean?" Robin inquired slowly.
Terra's eyes flashed with fear, and she stammared as she spoke.
"W-well, it's j-just that...I...I can't control my powers all the time..."
Terra flinched, waiting for criticism, but none came.
"...So?" Cyborg murmurwed, shrugging. "You think we're all perfect?"
"All of us have been working on getting better at using our powers for a LONG time, Terra," Raven mumbled in her raspy and gentle voice. "I've still got a way to go myself. It's...nothing to feel bad about..."
"It's not...?" Terra said, stupefied.
"Of course not!" Tay laughed. "Just give it time. You'll get better."
Terra's cheeckas turned pink.
"You think so?" she asked with some excitement.
"YES, we think so," Link cried out in exasperation, patting her on the back.
"I'm sorry about you and your friend, Robin," Terra quickly added, looking at his semi-crippled body.
He lifted a brow for a moment, then it clicked.
"That was YOU?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Yea, it was, and I'm REALLY sorry; I didn't mean it, I was trying to help, and-"
"That's amazing," Robin interrupted. "Do you know what kind of potential you have? Imagine what you could pull off if you work hard..."
"...You're...not angry?" she sheepishly said, lifted a brow.
"He's just feeling better now because now he knows that it wasn't HIS mistake," Link whispered to her from her side.
"It's all right," Robin assured her, giving Link a sly glare. "You can't expect to fight crime without getting hurt..."
"But I'm not a criminal," Terra informed him as they paced to their huge front door, up the hill.
"Maybe not, but accidents happen, Terra," Raven assured her. "There's been a couple times when MY powers went out of control..."
"Your mind is FREAKY," Beastboy spurt out, shaking his head. Raven gave him a dull dagger glare.
"Gee, thanks," she grumbled. After turning back to Terra, Raven continued. "I used to have to meditate ALL the time to keep my powers in check. But I've learned how to use them properly over a long period of training, so now I hardly have to meditate at all."
"Hm," was all Terra said to that.
"Just don't worry about it," Robin tried to assure her.
{Wow...} Terra thought to herself as the giant metal doors of Titans Tower opened up. {Link was right. Maybe these guys really ARE different. It's like they already want to be friends with me, even after they know how dangerous I can be...Are they...my friends? Already?} She almost couldn't believe it.
<(+-}{*}{-+)>
After entering the Tower, everyone made a rush for the kicthen, eager to scarf down some lunch. Raven, however, hurried upstairs to check on Starfire.
She had reached a floor below Starfire's bedroom when she found the Tamaranian wandering the halls. She was floating around, of course, as her legs still hurt when she tried to walk. Her eyes were sad and lonely, and Raven felt awful just by looking at them.
"Starfire? What're-"
"EEE!" Star cried in surprise as she spun to her side to see Raven in the shadows. She sighed deeply of relief, and her eyes glowed with joy as she glided to the gothic-dressed girl.
"Raven. Oh, dear friend, I did not know where you went. I awoke and went in search of rations, only to discover that there was no one taking residence within our home!"
"We were just outside watching Terra try show us her powers," Raven explained quickly, inspecting Starfire to make sure it was safe for her to be up and about.
"...Terra...?" Starfire murmured, completely baffled. Raven's expression went blank, and she realized that Starfire had never gotten to MEET Terra, since she'd practically been sleeping for the past day and a half.
"Oh! Wow...You need to meet her, Starfire. She might be staying with us..."
"A new Titan? ANOTHER new friend??" Starfire gasped ecstatically.
"Maybe," Raven replied calmly. "Listen, Star, uh...You should probably go sit down...If you're hungry, I'd be more than glad to-"
"Do not place my burdens upon you, Raven," Starfire insisted, shaking her head. "I am fine. I have consumed a sufficient amount of food and beverage. I merely sought companionship."
"Well, um...I can give you that, too," Raven suggested with a weak smile. "Here, come on." She led Star to her bedroom, which was only a few steps down the hall.
"...What do you wish to talk about? What shall we do?"
Raven pondered a moment. "We can talk about whatever you want. Like...We could plan to go somewhere tonight, if you want. I don't know...You said you wanted to visit the mall downtown."
"Oh, that's a glorius idea," Star exclaimed, shaking her fist before her merrily.
(-/>*<\-)
Tenochtitlan was sprawled out on her bed, staring up at her ceiling longingly. A small green cat with dark green stripes was curled up on her stomach, purring happily. Her bedroom had a mysterious ambient to it. The ceiling was black with glow-in-the-dark stars, and the walls had trees painted on the, making the room look like a jungle horizon at night. She had a bed in the middle of the room that had a green, puffy blanket with leaf patterns on it, and her bamboo nightstand had a palmtree lamp on it. The leaves of the tree acted as the shade.
Only this small lamp was on, so you could only see her bed, really. Ther rest of the room was dim, since it was sundown.
Tay scratched at the green cat's ears tenderly, and he meowed innocently as he stared at her dark blue eyes. After nimbly hopping off of her and landing on the floor next to the bed, the cat morphed into Beastboy, who sat next to Tay's bed, leaning his elbow on it next to her hip.
"What's up, Tay?" he murmured quietly.
"I don't know," Tenoch mumbled dully.
"It's about that weird dream, isn't it?" BB questioned sadly. "Dude, you freaked out earlier and junk. Crying and everything...Ya scared me, ya know."
Tay glanced down at him, feeling bad.
"I'm sorry," she groaned. "I can't help it. It's like I'm in another world..."
"...Maybe you ARE," BB suggested with a shrug. "Starfire's an alien...Maybe YOU are, too. It wouldn't surprise me. You're having, like, flashbacks or something, right?"
Tay nodded slowly, agreeing. "Yea...That would make sense, wouldn't it?"
Beastboy slowly slid his hand around hers, and she tightened her grip on his in return.
"Doesn't matter, Tay. No matter what, we're gonna be here for you. Or at least I am."
"...I know," she whispered. "I am-"
A blaring alarm rang, and the Titan couple hopped to their feet, knowing that duty called.
"It's go time," Beastboy cried as he and Tay raced through the halls.
(---_+_---)
"WH-WHA?!" Terra was stumbling around in a daze, as she'd fallen asleep not too long beforehand.
Link grabbed her arm and dragged her off to where the other Titans were quickly gathering. A large screen and a panel of buttons was spread out before them on the interior wall with a digital map of the city flashed onto it. A red dot was blinking in a particular spot in the northern region.
Robin came wobbling as fast as he could, while Star glided beside him, her body still bandaged, for the most part. Raven, with a sigh, moved Robin over quite quickly in an orb of black energy, causing him to shout in surprise.
"Is it-?" he began eagerly.
"It's him," Cyborg confirmed solemnly, staring at the screen.
"HIM?" Terra mumbled.
"Slade," Robin growled. "Looks like he finally decided to show his ugly face around."
"Ya mean his ugly MASK?" Beastboy joked, though no one seemed to find humor in it.
"Slade? Oh, you mean that big jerk you told us about," Tay murmured.
"Mm hm," Raven hummed with a nod. "Slade's bad news." As Robin and Cyborg conversed about the upcoming mission, Raven whispered in Tay's ear. "Between you and me, Robin can get a little...psychotic...when it comes to Slade."
"Oh," she mumbled nervously.
"All right, guys," Robin announced, getting their attention. "Slade's...an old 'friend' of ours, so let's greet him properly. He's got his goons down in a mining facility in the outskirts of the city."
"Why would he go there?" Beastboy wondered.
"A diamond of excellent quality and substantial size was located ands is still being held under strict security beneath the surface," Starfire informed them as she inspected a paragraph of text at the bottom left corner of the screen.
"Whatever he plans to do with a diamond isn't good, I'm sure," Robin guessed. "Cyborg, you're in charge," he added to his good friend.
"No prob, Rob," Cy responded. "A'ight, let's roll!"
As the pounding of feet rumbled down the hall, a couple of the Titans remained beside Robin while Star floated down the hall in a bit of a hurry.
"Umm...So what's going on with ME?" Terra mumbled in confusion.
"You can go help out the rest of the team," Robin firmly suggested. "Be careful."
"Gotcha," Terra answered, grinning eagerly.
Raven drifted before the two as Terra scampered away.
"Raven?" Robin muttered.
"I'm surprised you're not trying to come with us," Raven suspiciously noted.
Robin groaned, narrowing his eyes. "You have no idea how much I want to get even with him," he growled.
"I know," she mumbled. "Robin, take good care of Star. And take good care of yourself."
Robin nodded slowly, a little intrigued by Raven's concern.
"And..." Raven paused, her eyes wandering. "I know what happened last night, Robin. You need to think about it, you know."
Robin blushed and let out a sigh.
"I know, Raven..."
"I'm not trying to rush you, but...You and Star are both here...ALONE...You really need to talk about it."
"...Gah...I'll try..." Robin scratched his neck, doubtful.
"You WILL," Raven insisted.
Robin was shocked by Raven's outgoing attitude.
"...All right, OK..."
Raven began to fly off like a ghost through the dark halls, slipping her hood over her head.
"Good night, Robin."
"Raven!" Robin called out, stopping her. He knew she had to catch up with the others, but he just had to ask a question. She slowly turned around, puzzled.
"...Yea...?"
"Why are you so concerned about my relationship with Starfire?" Robin asked. He said it in a tone that conveyed how irritated he was that she was minding his business when he didn't want her to.
"Because you and Starfire are my friends," Raven mumbled, feeling a little awkward. "I just don't want to see either of you get hurt...Is there a problem with that?" she added in her usual Raven tone.
"No," was all Robin said, rubbing his chin. "Good night..."
Feeling a little foolish, Raven whizzed off, trying to reach the rest of the team.
{Wow...I just...spat it out so easily. Now that I think about it, maybe I'm butting in on something that I shouldn't be...I guess I should tone it down a bit before I go too far. I hope I didn't get Robin angry at me...}
|:|\_=-=_/|:|
"Dude, this car ROCKS!" Terra exclaimed with excitement as she watched buildings fly by at breakneck speed.
Cyborg grinned a flashy smile. "Really? Well, I built this baby myself, with some help from Ray..."
"You BUILT this?? That is SO cool!" Terra cried.
"Hey, I helped with a few mods," Link pointed out from the front passenger seat as he reached his fist out to Cyborg, who knuckled it back.
"Aw, yea."
Tenochtitlan was sitting beside Terra, smiling at a green cheetah that was swiftly sprinting beside the T-Car. On the other side of the vehicle, Raven came soaring along, her face dire.
"Nice of ya to tag along, Ray," Cyborg said, shaking his head. "What took ya so long?"
"Nothing, I was just talking to Robin real quick."
Cyborg, his eyes on the road, shrugged. "Whatever."
|:|\_=-=_/|:|
Well, there you have it...
Roughly 3/4 of the Chapter...More or less...
Now all I have to do is re-write that Robin/Star scene and finish the introduction of Slade...^_^
And then the Chapter (INSANELY LONG, or didn't you notice?) will be done...Then I can move on to Q4D! White for a little romp, I guess.
For now, I'll enjoy my new GCN and the fact that work is over for today now...
Well, you're the only person I know to admit to that, and I can tell you that you're STILL not alone. I never said they were all strictly human, now did I?