P.S. For the moment, this fic is finished, but I've been considering continuing it….I don't really have a complete idea yet, but I was wondering if anyone would be interested. When you have finished chapter three, PLEASE send me a review and let me know!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or Nightwing. However, I wish I did. Back to the Past Chapter One: The Crossing of Paths At the lair of Nightwing"Hang on guys, I'll be right back," Nightwing trailed off, leaving Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg alone in the large stone entrance of his lair. The three looked around in awe; the place was nothing more than a crudely furnished underground cavern, but its sheer size was more than amazing. Looking up above them, not a single one of the former teammates could even begin to make out the ceiling. At one end of the huge cave was a large computer screen with an equally sized control panel attached to it, and the dark passageway that Nightwing had disappeared through. At the other end was a shabbily put together sitting area, complete with a tattered couch, a beat up armchair and footstool, and a banged up coffee table.
Noticing the fairly good sized footstool, Cyborg made his way over to the small, seemingly forgotten area and parked himself there as he resumed observing his surroundings.
Beast Boy, on the other hand, already feeling as comfortable as he could, remained rooted to his spot in the foyer. The whole evening, ever since Star's mysterious reappearance in front of his cage down at the former boardwalk, and on, had been so surreal. And now, here he was in an unfamiliar place with three almost unfamiliar people left over from a shattered past. "Man, it's almost like this place breathes loneliness," he whispered to himself, suddenly distracted by a feeling of chilliness. Changing thoughts again, he glanced over to his right to find that Raven had moved.
A little unsure of what to do next, and not wanting to take a seat yet, Beast Boy stood and watched her hooded figure as it drifted into the main room, her shadowed eyes full of concern, yet so distracted. He watched as she wandered over to the other half of the cave and around a corner that he really couldn't see from where he was standing. Curious to find out where she was going, and a little worried, Beast Boy managed to remove himself from his safe spot in the entrance to follow her.
Walking quickly to keep up with her, he turned the corner just in time to see her stop in front of a large glass case brightly lit by a single utility lamp inside the top of it. He just stood for a second beside the corner, his hands hanging at his sides, looking on at the sacred contents of the case. The very moment he saw it, he felt as though he had had the wind knocked right out of him, only from very deep inside. The sight of the familiar uniform, alone, caused millions of memories to blast back at him, both good and bad. Focusing back in on Raven, he watched as the bottom of her now white cloak shifted in the draftiness of the cave. Just looking at the back of her, he could tell from the way that her hooded head was slightly tilted back that she, too, was looking at the old suit and cape.
Still looking on, he watched as she drifted closer to the case, and pressing her hands and forearms against the glass, hung her head in despair. His heart felt weak as he watched her entire being tremble slightly in her loneliness. Slightly hesitant, for fear of disturbing her, Beast Boy approached her cautiously from her far right.
"Hey, Rei," he said in barely more than a whisper, as he stopped at her right, about a yard between them.
"Why did he leave…. Why did they all leave?" she quietly moaned in a distant, monotone voice, her eyes closed.
Allowing himself to move a little closer to her, Beast Boy spoke to her again, his voice gentle, "Rei, it's me…. I'm here now…."
Now standing directly beside her, he watched as her hands tensed against the glass and the tips of her fingers curled in.
Oh no, he suddenly thought to himself, sensing what was about to happen. At the very same moment the sound of shattering glass could be heard echoing throughout the cavern as the glass of the case exploded outward into millions of little pieces. Shielding his own eyes, Beast Boy pulled Raven back, as hundreds of the tiny shards came hurling straight for her face. As the echoing of glass falling against the hard rock floor died away, he removed his arm from around her, but she just looked up at him, and leaning her head back against his chest she moaned "Why did they leave?" and began to weep silently.
Half expecting her to throw him back against a wall with her powers, Beast Boy, at first slightly taken aback by her reaction to him, replaced his arm around her and began to lead her back to the sitting area near the entrance.
Shortly afterwards, the sound of running footsteps could be heard behind them, and then the alarmed voice of Nightwing, questioning, "What happened?" Suddenly, feeling irritated by his former friend, Beast Boy looked back at the confused form of Nightwing, and gave him a dark look. Noticing a rather hurt and disgruntled look behind the other's mask, Beast Boy decided he was pleased with the impact he had made, and continued to lead Raven over to the sitting area where a disturbed looking Cyborg stood.
As Beast Boy led Raven over to the couch and settled into it with her, he looked up into the stare of Cyborg, as if to say "What?" Cyborg, who was still frozen somewhere between standing and sitting, looked away, confused by the sight of Beast Boy with Raven, who was never really taken with the changeling. Looking up to see what their old leader had to think, Cyborg found Nightwing still distractedly surveying something around the corner from which Raven and BB had just returned.
Finally, noticing the awkward look he had been receiving from across the room, Nightwing tried to act cool as he threw his old partner a detached shrug and advanced toward the sitting area. As he came around to the left of the couch he paused for a moment, also surprised to find Raven still in BB's arms. BB, who had been staring down at floor, looked up at him to show an almost equally surprised face, when suddenly Raven thrashed out her left hand. Two streaks of bright, white light flew from her palm and slashed straight through Nightwing's hair. Before the other three had figured out what had just happened, they watched as several, long, thick locks of Nightwing's dark black hair drifted to the ground and one into his opened palm. As Nightwing stared, shocked, down at the lock in his hand, Cyborg and BB, jaws dropped, observed the old short and pointy Robin-style cut Raven had just given their host.
"Whoa," BB breathed in amazement, the first one to break the silence.
"Long hair just doesn't suit you, Robin," Raven announced in her usual monotone, now looking at Nightwing as she drew her hand back inside her cloak and leaned away from BB.
They watched as their former leader, now the only one still standing, quaked for a minute in anger. Preparing for Nightwing to explode, they were surprised, when he managed to suppress his anger and simply drop the hair on the floor. He then coolly walked over to a small icebox from which he tossed each a soda.
The sounds of clicking and fizzing filled the cave as each of the former teammates opened their sodas and as Nightwing joined the others around the coffee table.
"I'm guessing that you don't entertain too often," Raven said as she set her soda can down into the thick layer of dust covering the coffee table.
"No, actually I don't," Nightwing replied with a weak smile, now looking down at the coffee table as well. Someone had written in the layer of dirt covering the table the words, "DuST ME!" All looked over at Beast Boy.
Suddenly realizing that he had become the center of attention, the changeling laughed nervously as he quickly swept the words away with a gloved hand.
"Well…so what have you guys been doin' for the last 20 years?"