This is my first Teen Titans fanfic.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.
The Sweet Dreams
Prologue
Starfire woke up, startled.
Attempting to sit up from her slouching position she noticed that surrounding her were bouquets of flowers. The ribbons with the metallic afterglow and glasses filled with water that sat on the luminous white-cloth covered table. Right behind her was an elegant stone balcony with impressive carvings, and in the middle of the table she sat, a single rose in a shapely glass vase. Those were the first things she notices.
The sky. She felt much closer to it, but how could she not notice that she was sitting next to the edge of the balcony of a skyscraper within a modern city with glistening, vivid lights even in the evening? The one with the men in black ties playing jazz on a raised platform all night long? The one that had toilets neatly labelled 'Restroom' on a shiny golden plate like in most expensive hotels she could only dream of visiting and most of all; the one Robin had promised he would take her to?
And…
She let out an almost inaudible squeak.
Opposite where she sat; he had his legs crossed, an arm on the table and a hand relaxed under his chin. He looked dashingly cool and effortless. Her eyes flew to meet his expressionless ones. She tried to divert them away from the man sitting in front of her. It was as if they were on a date.
The atmosphere was breath-taking. How could someone take her out to such a pleasant place? How could the clouds begin to uncover the moon just as she looked at it?
There were sounds of light chatter and small talk, although she couldn't make it out what the subject of each discussion was; just barely audible conversation. She gazed at her glass of water and noticed the people it distortedly reflected around her and slowly cocked her head to the side to carefully observe the upper-class men and women surrounding her. Women dressed in simple but elegant gowns, men with their hair slicked back with rather confident smiles on their faces. The women seem impressed. The waiters and waitresses taking orders, black and white suits… Nobody noticed him like she did.
She gazed at him and suddenly stood up, with enough force to knock her chair to the ground that created a loud noise as she took a step back. She panicked; but she had no idea what to do.
Could nobody notice her supposed 'date' in front of her; the one who did not look remotely like any of the men in black attire? Wore a mask; in a cape and looked more like an adversary more than a gentleman? The 'X' engraved into his skull-like mask didn't exactly make it entirely difficult to realise this. In this black tie party, he stuck out like a sore thumb.
She immediately realised they all turned to face her and stared, indifferent and not the reaction she was expecting. Her eyes moved rapidly between people to people, she let out a yelp as her head began to feel hot and her legs were giving way as she kept taking uneven steps back. They weren't threatening, but if they started to then she would see that as initiative to fly away.
She had to escape.
"Enjoying the date so far, cutie?" Her eyes flickered to the enemy.
It didn't feel right.
It felt unreal.
It felt numb. She couldn't lift off the ground.
Why was she here?
"It's all in your head, you know?" She could feel him smugly smirking under than damn mask.
Before she could run toward the nearest emergency exit, an arm reaches towards hers and abruptly pulls her back rather demandingly.
"I would like to leave!" Her once-innocent and clueless face had turned into a scowl. She could tell even he wasn't unnerved by that though.
"The party's not over, yet." Her eyes were like a deer in headlights as the adhesive red X smacked her right across her stomach, and from the balcony – she was hauled right off the edge in mere seconds. The motion was vigorously fast-moving and relentless. And she for once – felt like 'the damsel in distress', as they call it. She saw him looking as he stood over the balcony, relaxed.
"Be careful on your way out, cutie." Her eyes became saucers as he slowly took off his mask to enjoy her fall, like a painter stepping back to admire their completed masterpiece.
Was that a smirk she witnessed?
"No!" She couldn't muster the strength to fly, despite her shouts for help and screams for rescue.
"This cannot be happening!" She forced her eyes to close.
.
.
.
Starfire woke up, sweating. It felt as if her 'soul' fell back into her body, and the feeling shook her.
Above her was a gigantic hole. She could see the stars twinkle; or was she still dreaming? She adjusted her sight. It appears she blew off the roof with her laser vision.
Most of all, she couldn't tell what unnerved her more – her impending doom – or her eagerness – as she fell – to look at him when he took off that mask.