Author's Note: I wrote this for the TMNT Mini Bang and it is my first published fanfiction ever. I would greatly appreciate reviews on how I could make my writing flow and such. The art for this was done by dgLari, so go check out her Deviantart and Tumblr! I will be posting the remaining chapters by Sunday night. The story takes place between TCRI and Cockroach Terminator of the 2012 universe and after Trouble in Tokyo. I am borrowing Fantasia Wandering's fan character of Lieutenant Virtue here and in future chapters, but I made up Queen Millennia. Brownie points to whomever guesses who she represents and sees the reference to the voice actors! Enjoy!
Mikey sat in front of the small television set, absorbing every pixel that Space Heroes could offer. He would have sat closer if it weren't for Leo complaining that he couldn't see what was happening.
"Not like you need to see this episode for the thousandth time," Raph grumbled from behind his magazine.
The inevitable argument over the quality of Space Heroes ensued and it fell into the background noise of Mikey's mind. Focusing on the show, the plot began to take motion. Lieutenant Virtue had discovered an injured space traveler and Crankshaw recognized her as Queen Millennia from the Naenaramat galaxy.
"Can you believe how cool Millennia is? She can shoot two laser guns at the same time and make the bad guys back off with just one look! She totally should have stayed and joined the crew. Then they'd be unstoppable!" Mikey said in awe. The Queen was one of his favorite characters. Her orange outfit was a contributing factor, but it was really because of her kindness towards everyone. Captain Ryan was a leader that made tough calls when necessary, but he could be a real jerk at times. Millennia was the type to make sure the entire crew made it out alive instead of sacrificing them to the enemy.
Leo and Raph's argument continued on until the end of the episode. Mikey casually strode to his room for a long awaited reading session with his new comic. He closed the door behind him and glanced at the collective mess that filled his room. He scraped through piles upon piles of dirty laundry until what he was looking for.
"There you are! I've been waiting all morning for this," he purred.
Licking his lip, he drew the item closer and closer to his mouth until. . .
Gulp. Burp.
"Only a few days old! Shredded pickles and whipped cream is my 5th favorite kind of pizza!"
With his stomach gurgling happily at the nourishment, Mikey flopped onto his bed with his new comic and dove into the adventures of his favorite teenaged superheroes.
"So anyway, Greg has to go with Scott on a backpacking adventure through the wilds of the Grand Canyon. They're supposed find clues and figure out who stole Tara's stuff."
"And where are Khary and Hynden presently? Are they continuing the journey down the Nile River or have they moved on to another worldy location?"
"They're almost done with the Nile, but their boat is leaking, so it might take a while."
"Why do not the people behind the camera assist with these ventures? Surely it would make their journeys easier and much safer?"
"Because danger is exciting! Everyone wants to see these guys make it out on their own."
"Oh."
Starfire conceded to the strange answer that Beast Boy provided her with. She sat down with him on the couch when she discovered him marathoning a reality adventure show he had somehow never watched before. He explained that he lost the remote and this was the channel that the TV was left on, so he ended up watching the first two seasons by early evening. Starfire rushed in when she heard him screaming, but discovered Beast Boy was merely reacting to Scott nearly falling down a cliff. She asked him a few questions and found herself glued to the story ever since.
On the next commercial break, Beast Boy scurried to the kitchen to make popcorn so they could continue watching the adventure movie theater style. He tore the plastic, jammed the package in the microwave, and slammed his finger onto the start button.
"C'mon, c'moooon!" he whined impatiently. He glanced at the TV when the commercial changed. "Oh good! That one is pretty long. It'll buy time for the popcorn!"
"You are able to see the program from where you are standing," Starfire noted.
"Yeah, but it's not the same! You've gotta be up close and personal with these kinds of shows. Especially when you watch them for the first time," Beast Boy replied.
Starfire opened her mouth to inquire further, but was interrupted by the opening of the main door and Cyborg stomping in. His glare traveled around the room until he found his target.
"Yo! Beast Boy! I thought we were doing arcade night tonight!" he shouted.
"We are! Just as soon as I finish this season. I've only got about 13 more episodes left. Or maybe it was 20." Beast Boy paused for a moment and tapped his finger to his chin in thought. "No, it's 13."
"I'm not waiting another 5 hours for you to finish up your show. I'm going right now with or without you." Cyborg pointed out the door, then crossed his arms to show he meant business.
"WHAT?! Don't do this to me! I can't possibly decide between gaming night with my best buddy and finishing my new show with Starfire! She just started watching it too!" He waved his arms about, not knowing how to overcome this dilemma
"I can locate the times when this program will air again. We can finish your show another time," Starfire offered.
"Really?" Beast Boy asked hopefully. "You are my hero, Star! I never would have thought of that!" He ran to her and wrapped his arms around her to express his gratitude. Starfire returned the gesture.
"Of course you wouldn't have," Cyborg muttered. He walked over to Beast Boy and grabbed him by the back of the collar. "We're going, grass stain. And you'd better bring extra game to make up for the time we've lost. See ya, Star!" He dragged Beast Boy out the door and turned his head briefly to bid Starfire farewell. She smiled and waved to wish them happy gaming. Once the door closed behind the two, Starfire turned back to the television.
"Where did Beast Boy leave the remote?" she wondered aloud. She set out to flip the couch cushions, but no remote. She floated a few feet, but her aerial view did not help either.
"Perhaps it is under the couch." Lifting the couch with ease, she was met only with an intersecting red and white carpet. However, her left hand wasn't touching the couch's fabric. Starfire looked up to her hand and smiled.
"Success!" The remote was stuck to the bottom of the couch due to some sticky substance that Starfire guessed was once food. She tugged and freed the remote, being careful not to damage the fabric more than the sticky stain already had. After setting the furniture in its proper place, Starfire located the power button. She spun to depower the television, but was surprised.
The channel had changed in her brief struggle to free the remote to an alien movie. A young woman in a hospital gown was strapped to a cold, steel table. Strange and hideous aliens surrounded her, garbling in a language she could not understand. A few were facing a control panel and began typing commands into the computer-like module. Starfire's finger froze above the power button. Her muscles seized and she was unable to move.
A hatch opened from the machine, dramatically releasing steam. After a moment, the young woman could see that a levitating platform emerged, laced with sharp instruments. Her eyes widened in terror and she thrashed against the straps in a desperate attempt to escape. The aliens drew the platform next to the panicked woman, ignoring her protests. In their claws, they held a double-edged blade above their victim.
Starfire's eyes widened.
The blade descended. Prolonged wailing echoed throughout the room. Blood oozed to the floor.
Starfire gasped loudly and frantically clicked the remote at the screen, sending the image into darkness. Her arm closed to protect her chest, her other hand reaching to grip her wrist tightly. Repressed memories flooded into her conscious thoughts. Flashes of reaching claws obstructed her vision, past chains bound her hands together, scalpels trailing across her skin.
She tried to concentrate on deeper breathing, pushing the memories away. Her tightened grip nearly crushed the remote. Realizing the damage she was causing, she quickly set the remote onto the table. Falling back on the couch, she ran her hands over her eyes, wiping away the moisture that was beginning to spring. She mulled over the movie before a burning stench demanded her attention.
The popcorn!
She rushed to the microwave and opened the door. Black smoke rushed out and Starfire waved it away with a small towel as best she could before the fire alarms activated. Carefully tossing the burnt popcorn into the trash, she bent over to better observe the mess in the microwave. With a sigh, Starfire set to work on cleaning the dirtied machine.
Curled up on her bed with Silkie, Starfire tried to ease her mind. She cradled her bumgorf in her arms and lowered her lips to press a kiss to the top of his head. Silkie chirped happily at the affection he was receiving, but he did not demand more as he usually would. Starfire's body language was less exuberant than usual, so he remained calm for her sake. He snuggled closer to her, hoping to lift her spirits.
Starfire smiled down at her bumgorf, quietly thanking him for behaving so well. She lifted her eyes to look out her window towards the darkened ocean. Raven had not yet returned from watching a new horror movie and Robin was likely still purchasing basic food items from the grocery store. With a sigh, she turned her thoughts back to Silkie. He was now falling asleep, his chest rising and falling with each breath. Not wanting to disturb his light slumber, Starfire slowly retracted her arms from underneath him and floated off the bed. Taking a pillow with her, she used it to prop the door open to allow Silkie to leave if he wished. With a final glance at her pet, she turned off the light and wearily walked away.
After wandering the halls aimlessly, she eventually settled for resting on the edge the Tower's roof. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin upon her knees. The crashing of the ocean waves below filled the air. The darkened water expanded into the horizon. The beams of the full moon drew her gaze towards the night sky. The stars filled her vision, each shining brightly. She leaned back, trying to locate the constellations she knew would be out at this time of year.
"There is Scorpius and Saggitarius. And above them Aquila. Now, farther north is Cygnus. Now where is. . . Ah! Lyra!" More relaxed, she called out the Earthly names for the planets, proud that she could use her knowledge. Whenever she learned a new custom, it was often a long while before the chance came up to demonstrate what she had learned.
She sought out a certain star and finally found it.
"Tamaran," she sighed. Hesitantly, she reached for the distant planet before lowering her hand. Earth had become her home over the past few years, but there were times when she felt like a stranger still. Those moments only came when her friends weren't physically present. However, she didn't feel like a foreigner in that moment. Only alone.
A large, black shadow fell over the ops room of the Tower. It receded in size, revealing Raven. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the bright lighting and strange buzz of the room. Reaching for the cabinet, she opened the door and searched for a tea packet. Finding it quickly, she raised her hand towards the stove. Her powers set the kettle on a burner and turned the dial to high heat. She leaned back against the counter, waiting patiently for the water to boil.
The movie had been dark and gruesome, just the way she liked it. The webbed design of the slasher killer was undeniably creepy and the main character was the right balance of frightened and willing to fight back. Passive characters made Raven's eyes roll, but this one held her attention right up until their demise. It would have been better if there hadn't been couples who only used the movie as an excuse to lock lips. At least there weren't middle school boys who claimed they could handle the gore only to wet themselves.
The whistling of the kettle announced the readiness of the boiled water. Raven prepared her tea and strolled towards the couch to settle down. Beast Boy wasn't occupying it, so she could finally enjoy the soft cushions. As she approached the couch, a feeling nagged at her. She paused, trying to not let the lingering emotions overwhelm her. When she reached the couch, it struck her. Utter sadness weighed down upon her as well as nausea that nearly made her vomit. She took a long sip of her tea to ease her nerves and send the bile that threatened to rise back down her throat. She closed her eyes tightly, taking a few moments to steady her breath.
It was undeniably Starfire's energy that lingered. Being the most expressive of the Titans, her emotions weren't difficult to pick up on. However, like Robin, she had the tendency of hiding when something deeply troubled her. The storm within would build up until it finally burst open like a dam. Something opened the floodgates and Starfire was alone when it happened. Otherwise, the distraught emotions would have been washed away by the compassion of another Titan and relief following the released grief.
Casting out her senses, she located Starfire. The Tamaranean had retreated to her typical spot on the roof where she could be closer to the sky. Even though she wasn't the most talkative of the Titans, Raven felt the need to tend to her friend's broken state. Heading for the main door, she realized a familiar presence was approaching.
Perfect.
She met the team's leader at the door. He blinked in surprise when he found Raven standing directly in front of him, hands planted on her hips.
"Oh! Hey Raven," Robin greeted her. His arms were filled with much needed groceries. "Can you give me a hand with these? They're starting to slip." Her powers promptly surrounded and lifted the load, relieving Robin's arms. He took a step towards the kitchen only to be stopped by Raven's hand to his shoulder. He glanced at her, confused.
"Something you want to talk about?" he questioned. Raven mentally rolled her eyes at his obliviousness.
"Starfire's upset about something."
"What? What happened?" Robin asked worriedly. His tone shifted at the mere mention of Starfire.
"I'm not sure. But I can feel her emotions around there," gesturing to the couch. "Something got to her and, from my guess, brought back bad memories."
"Where is she?"
"On the roof. You know what to do." She released his shoulder, tilted her chin towards the hallway. Wasting no time, Robin briefly thanked Raven and hurried out of the room, knowing where he was needed. If anyone could console Starfire, it was her best friend. They had come to each other in the past and this was no different. Reassured that Starfire would receive the emotional support she needed, Raven started towards the kitchen to take care of the groceries left in her hands. Being an empath and not a psychic, she couldn't have known that Starfire would choose that moment to set out into the city.
Robin flung the door to the roof open, but was only met with the quiet of the night. He jogged to the center of the basketball court and searched the sky. Only then did he spy Starfire, flying far out of his reach into the depths of the city.
Finding herself more wound up at thoughts of her childhood home, Starfire resolved to do something other than sit and allow past memories to hold her down. She needed to feel the joy of flight, to escape the weight of her sadness. Kicking off the roof, she ascended into the air. The wind whipped around her, carrying the remaining tears into the night. She drifted to the city, knowing the maze of buildings would push her to focus on her aerial path. Her flight was not as natural as it normally would be, so she focused on thoughts of a particular loved one to stay afloat.
As she reached the harbor, the ringing of her communicator demanded her attention. Confused, seeing as she was not needed for any patrols tonight, she answered. She was pleasantly surprised that the one she was thinking of was the caller.
"Robin!"
"Hey, Starfire. So, Raven told me that she could sense that you were upset about something," he explained gently. Starfire's smile faded.
"I was coming up to talk to you, but you left before I got there."
"Oh! I apologize for the inconvenience," she berated herself. She had no idea that Robin or Raven had arrived home. They must have used the tunnel that ran under the ocean meant for the T-Car, R-Cycle, or the pizza delivery boy.
"No, no, don't worry about it," he reassured her. "I just wanted to be sure that you were okay.
"I have not engaged in any activities that resulted in physical injuries," she evaded him.
"That's not what I meant." His gaze bore into her. Unable to handle it, she looked at anything she could find on the city landscape besides him. She had longed for his company before, so why was she avoiding him now?
"Star, why don't you come back? We can talk over a full bottle of mustard," he offered. At this, Starfire's reluctance began to fade. One of her nine stomach's grumbled at the mention of her favorite drink. His kindness always found a way to touch her heart. She swallowed and attempted to keep her voice steady.
"I would like that very much." He grinned the slightest bit at her acceptance and she meekly shared the expression.
"I'll bring a bottle up to the roof for you. I'll see you soon." He murmured soothingly.
She nodded. They held onto the moment a little longer, cradling their communicators in both of their hands, before signing off. She slipped the communicator into her skirt pocket, but a familiar sight caught her eye. Not far from her, Cyborg's frame was positioned on a rooftop. He and Beast Boy were peeking into a triangular glass roof.
Did they not say they were at the arcade? Starfire wondered. She flew towards them, deciding she had time since Robin would take a minute to retrieve her mustard. She landed next to Beast Boy, startling him.
"Whoa dude! Don't scare me like that, Star," he said after briefly flailing his arms.
"What are you doing here?" Starfire inquired.
"You know how we were out on our arcade night?" Beast Boy asked. Starfire nodded.
"Well," Cyborg started. "On our way to get some snacks from the store across the street, some guy walked right into us. He didn't apologize or look at us or anything."
"Yeah! He had this blank look on his face like he never figured out what emotions were," Beast Boy added.
"We both thought it was weird, so we followed him around town. I did a retinal scan on him and it turns out he isn't human! He's a robot suit with some kind of brain creature in the stomach that's running the whole thing," Cyborg continued. Starfire's curiosity was piqued.
"Is it a human brain? What has the robot done since you began following him?"
"We don't think so and nothing really. He's mainly walked into stores and talked about 'the supplies that would be useful for Kraang.' Oh, and did I forget to mention that he talks really weird? He asked a lady for directions and he was like 'do you possess the knowledge that is needed by Kraang of the location of the store that is known as the hardware store?' It's painful to listen to him for too long!" Beast Boy complained, pulling his hair to emphasize his point.
"The Kraang? Is that the name of the brain creature?" Starfire asked.
"That's what we're guessing. We've been watching them through this window here," Cyborg gestured to the infrastructure. They all peeked down to the floor level of the building. Starfire now saw a cause for worry. Some of the robots looked human, but emotionless, as Beast Boy had described. The others were made of dark blue, see-through material, exposing the wires and skeleton. However, looking closer at the pink patch in their stomachs, Starfire could faintly make out a brain shape. Her eyes widened in surprised when eyes appeared on one of the brains.
"Perhaps they are another race of aliens, although I am not familiar with them," she noted.
"That's what I was guessing from their technology. I've never seen a metal alloy like that and the machinery is a work of art," Cyborg practically drooled, referring to the device in the center of the room. It was circular and laced with several control panels on its façade. Two engine-like structures extended from the machine and connected to thick masses of wiring that trailed out of the Titan's immediate sight.
"I'd love their designs more, but something about the frequencies that their machine is emitting is messing with my systems. I've tried listening in on their conversations with my enhanced hearing, but all I'm getting is static feedback," Cyborg said.
"How do we determine what their plans are?" Starfire asked.
"We could always burst in through the ceiling and ask them," Beast Boy suggested. Cyborg looked at him questioningly.
"There appears to be a fair number of them. And we do not know if their technology will affect Cyborg's ability to fight."
"Let's be smart about this. Beast Boy, you go in as something small and try to figure out what they're talking about," Cyborg told him.
"But I can't understand techno mumbo jumbo!" he protested.
"With the way they talk, I'm sure they'll eventually explain their plans in a way you can understand. If we have a better idea what they're up to, then we can call for backup and go in more prepared," Cyborg reasoned. He rested a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder. After a moment, Beast Boy smiled more confidently. He morphed into a hummingbird and fluttered away, seeking an entrance.
Starfire mentally wished him luck and she turned back to Cyborg. They both grew serious, knowing that these brains could be a much bigger threat than they appeared. She turned to the window, scanning the area for any robots that patrolled the upper catwalk. Avoiding discovery was key, otherwise they would have to resort to fighting the robots and risk creating an explosion by damaging their technology. Seeing no immediate danger, she leaned in closer to get a better look at the large machine.
"Do you know what that device is?" she asked.
"I'd say it's a portal from the structure. What's on the other side is anyone's guess, but it takes up a lot of power from the looks of those wires."
"There have not been any noticeable surges in power recently. Do they generate their own energy source to activate it?"
"I think- Wait, yeah! Look over there!" Cyborg pointed towards the far side of the interior. Following his direction, she was met with what looked like a glowing capsule plugged into a compartment. "It's a battery! I wonder how many watts that produces."
Starfire only shrugged. After a minute of silence, Cyborg glanced at his teammate and noticed something was off. She seemed distracted and a little fidgety, which was unlike her usual self.
"Everything okay, Star?" he prodded.
"Hmm? Oh, yes! Everything is fine," she answered unconvincingly. He placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you sure? It almost seems like you don't want to be here right now. Something bothering you?" He knew her better than that and he could usually tell when she wanted to escape a situation. She grew antsy and usually withdrew away from receiving attention. She sighed and continued gazing at her feet.
"I. . . promised Robin a few minutes ago that I would meet him at home for something important. But you require my help here and I do not wish to abandon you," she confessed, leaving out her reasons for needing to see Robin. She briefly glanced up at Cyborg and was met with his reassuring grin.
"Girl, we've got this. If you need to go see Robin, then go on. If the grass stain gets in trouble, I'll be there to bust him out."
"Are you quite certain?" she asked uncertainly.
"Tota-"
"AAAAAAHHHHH!" a familiar shriek broke through the air. Cyborg and Starfire's heads snapped towards the building. The robots were aiming their lasers towards the direction of the cry.
"Well, I could use the help this one time," he quipped.
In unison, the duo burst through the glass and came down to the floor level. Many of the robots turned towards them, diverting their attention away from Beast Boy.
"Now's a good time as any to see if my sonic cannon works," Cyborg half-joked. To the Titan's relief, his arm formed into the weapon seamlessly and fired. He charged to help Beast Boy and Starfire took to the air. Immediately, she plowed through the robots firing from the catwalk, taking out their laser guns before they could land a hit.
Beast Boy morphed into a snake to avoid the gunfire, then into a gorilla once he got close enough to a group of robots. With one blow, he knocked them all aside. Cyborg worked through a group that was firing from the far end of the warehouse, being careful that he did not do damage to the battery. If broken, the energy that burst out would easily be the equivalent of being struck by lightning.
"Kraang is in need of more Kraang. Kraang will activate the portal to request that which is known as backup," one of the robots droned. It hurried to one the control panels and began typing in commands. The portal began powering on, a purple glow filling the circular machine. Starfire dropped in behind it and the Kraang turned its head as she spoke.
"You will not be getting the backup today!" she exclaimed as she wound up a punch. However, a laser fired past her, making her miss her mark. Instead, her arm flew past the robot and accidently hit the control panel. Electricity hummed and the purple haze flickered. After properly disposing of the robot, she floated up to observe the portal's activity. The wind the portal produced blew her hair about her face, trying to pull her in.
Unexpectedly, a laser struck her square in the back. She fell forward into the air and into the purple haze, Beast Boy screaming her name the last thing she heard. The wind whipped and howled around her, preventing her from flying steadily. She was thrown violently through the storm of time and space. Light swirled around her, disorienting her even further.
Finally, everything stilled. She landed with a thud onto a metal platform. Slowly rising off the floor, she blinked and lifted her eyes to gain her bearing. She looked back to see a different portal shutting down. The room was filled with the brain creatures, each one with its eyes trained on her.
"No!" She was separated from her friends again. This time, she didn't have a villain with the specific tools she needed to get back home.
The brains began to swarm her from all directions. Furious, she fired in every direction, sending the robot suits flying. She demolished the one tending the control panel with a single punch. Tucking her hair to the side, her eyes darted across the screen. Her brain struggled to understand the foreign dialect and find the power button to the portal.
Before she could lay a finger on the screen, the blasts sailing around her found their mark. The lasers struck her back all at once, causing her to lose her breath and crumple to the ground. The last sight she saw was a robot bringing down its laser gun upon her head.