Chapter 1: Sniffle, Headaches, and Coughs
"Ah... ah... AHCHOO!"
After a sudden flash of starbolts, everyone uncovered their eyes, staring at the huge crack in the middle of the Teen Titan's most prized possession: their huge TV screen.
"Aww man, not again! I just fixed that," grumbled Cyborg, glaring at Starfire, who was holding a tissue in her left hand, the box in her right. Cyborg, one hand changing into a dustpan while the other transforming into a small broom, knelt and started sweeping up the jagged shards.
"My apologies, friend. I seem to have caught 'the cold'," she replied, wiping green alien snot onto the tissue.
"You've been sick since this Monday, right? Maybe you should take the rest of the week off to rest," said Robin, looking concerned.
"Thank you for the offer, but I will be more than fine," sniffled Starfire, throwing out a handful of used tissues. "I am only a little bit sick. And besides, Control Freak still remains uncaught. I am sure that I will be feeling much better by to- AHCHOO!"
Another flash of starbolts whizzed by and furthered the crack in the TV. Starfire smiled sheepishly, mouthing the word "oops."
Raven looked at the TV, then at Starfire. "Robin's right. You can't fight if you keep sneezing starbolts everywhere." Her eyes were serious, as always. Using her powers, she began to help Cyborg with picking up the shattered TV bits.
"Raven's got a point," piped in Beast Boy, eating a bowl of tofu. "If you go out there, you'll destroy half the city!" Although his tone was half-joking, the other half sounded genuinely worried.
"I second that. You, little lady, need some rest and a big ol' cup of Cyborg's hot chocolate." With a smile and a wink, Cyborg turned away from the TV and headed to the kitchen area. "I'll whip us up a big batch right now."
"Uh, you're making that with soy milk, right?" Beast Boy asked, following Cyborg into the kitchen.
"Uh, no. You know nobody likes that tasteless water you drink, BB," smirked Cyborg, with Beast Boy right on his tail.
"I better make sure they don't blow up the kitchen." With that, Raven glided over to watch Cyborg, tangled in a mess of tentacles, trying to retrieve the milk carton from the green octopus changeling.
While the hot chocolate was more or less being made, Starfire sat quietly on the circular couch, her nearly empty tissue box right by her side. Robin, feeling a bit shy but mostly worried, edged closer to her.
"Hey, Star, so, this Friday, I guess you're not going to be able to come to the picnic with the Titans East, huh?"
"No, I think I will be feeling fine by Friday. I am already feeling better, see?" Starfire tried her best to look her usual chipper self, but was interrupted by a series of dry coughs that forced her to double over.
"You okay?" asked Robin, now feeling only worry.
"Yes, I am fine, thank you. *cough* I have had 'the ache of the head' since this morning, *cough* but I believe this is the first time *cough* that I have had 'the coughs'," Starfire said in between more painful sounding heaves.
"Hot chocolate's ready!" called out Cyborg. "And it's not the stinkin' tofu kind, either."
"Soy, it's not SOY," corrected Beast Boy, obviously miffed that it wasn't soy.
Robin and Starfire got up, one walking, one floating, and made their way into the kitchen area. Raven was hovering over the counter, legs criss-crossed as she sipped tentatively from the steaming hot cup. Beast Boy stood in front of the stove, preparing his own hot chocolate (with soy milk, obviously). Cyborg held two mugs in his hands, giving one to Robin and one to Starfire. "Soup's on!"
Robin grabbed the cup, blowing on the hot, bubbly surface to cool it down. "Careful, Star," he warned. "The cup is hot."
Starfire nodded and carefully grabbed the mug. Mimicking Robin, she blew on the brown liquid's surface and took a tiny slurp. "Mmm, this is most delicious," she remarked. But something didn't feel right, Starfire noticed as the hot chocolate slid down her throat. For some reason, she was feeling really weak...
No longer floating, Starfire stood momentarily in the middle of the kitchen, her eyes closed. Suddenly, the mug fell from her hands, shattering into a million pieces with hot chocolate spilling all over the floor and splashing the counters. Starfire went down with the mug, her lifeless form heading face-first towards the hard tiles. Robin, with his speedy reflexes and his trademarked "Starfire!", instinctively caught the limp Tamaranean princess in his arms, spilling yet another cup of Cyborg's hot chocolate. But that would soon be the least of their worries.
