Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans.
A Strange Business
Chapter One: Filling in the Gaps
The doors to the Titans Tower couldn't open fast enough for Hot Spot. The fight with Plasmus had been long and hard, and the slimy creature/man/thing had still gotten away. And worse, nobody knew how he escaped his icy prison.
Hot Spot wasn't used to this kind of crowded atmosphere, especially in the cities. He lived in a fairly small rural town in Morocco, and the sudden transition to Jump City wasn't exactly going down well with him. He sighed and powered down as he entered, enjoying the break from the constant concentration needed to keep up his glowing powered form.
Judging from the faces on the other's faces, he wasn't the only one who was finding it difficult living and working here. Red Star was constantly silent, having little or no contact with any of the Titans except Starfire. The only kind of communication he and the hulking Russian had had were terse nods over crowded rooms. Not that Hot Spot minded; he wasn't exactly that much of a people person himself.
As they entered the common room area, Hot Spot only just realised how huge the room was when there wasn't thirty plus teenage heroes occupying it. All of the others were away on missions, though Robin had told him that some where on their way back. The only Titans in the tower (and in the city) were himself, Robin, Starfire, Red Star and Argent.
Hot Spot raised an eyebrow as he considered the British heroine. She was one of the few that had made the transition from solo hero to member of the Titans most easily. Hot Spot couldn't wait to get back to Morocco, but somehow Robin and the others had convinced him to stay, at least temporarily. Only Kid Flash and Pantha seemed to make the transition so effortlessly. The former because of his easy going nature, and the second because…
Well, Hot Spot didn't know why Pantha seemed so comfortable with the other Titans. Perhaps it was her link with Wildebeest, maybe it was something else. He had seen her and Red Star talking an awful lot…
He shook his head to remove the thoughts from his mind as he sat on the sofa. He looked out the window and considered the view. There were some perks to working with this team. He looked around the room and saw Red Star already leaving, though that didn't surprise Hot Spot in the least. Robin and Starfire were stood at the window, looking out over the city.
Argent sat down next to him, blowing on her mug of what Hot Spot assumed was tea. She took a cautious sip and her face scrunched up, a 'bleah' look crossing her face. Hot Spot smiled.
"Bad tea?"
The pale skinned Brit shook her head. "Worse. Bloody herbal tea."
"I've heard Raven likes that stuff. It must be all they have in."
She took a whiff of the brown liquid and her nose scrunched up. "Well, that lady has some strange taste in tea, let me tell you." She set the mug down on the table, and a silence settled between them.
"So," she began, "how are you finding life with the great 'Teen Titans'?"
Hot Spot shrugged. "It's okay, I guess. But I have to admit, I was happier just being a member who didn't have to do much."
"Feeling homesick, eh?"
"Yeah. I haven't been back there since the Brotherhood of Evil froze me."
"What was that… like? Being frozen, I mean?"
Hot Spot shuddered slightly at the memory. "I wasn't aware of time passing around me. One minute, I was in that chamber with that icy gas all around me, then the next…"
"You were fightin' every bloody villain in the world."
"Pretty much, yeah." He looked over at her, a quizzical eyebrow cocked. "And you? How are you finding working with the Titans?"
Starfire, meanwhile, had finished her conversation with Robin and left the room, giving a small wave to the two as she passed them.
Argent closed her eyes and shrugged nonchalantly. "It has its ups and downs. But… there are some perks…" she said, her eyes drifting over to where Robin was stood, still looking out over the city. Hot Spot had never been that perceptive about that kind of thing, but even he knew that she wasn't talking about the view of the city.
He suddenly felt quite awkward. "Oh… well, yeah, uh, I guess there are…uh…" He pointed to the door. "I'm gonna go… to the gym! Yeah, the gym. Uh, see you later!" He got up and tried to walk as casually as he could to the doors. Once the doors closed behind him, he blew out a deep breath.
Living with the Titans was a very strange business.
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What was that about?
Argent looked at the doors where Hot Spot had just madly dashed through, a thoroughly confused look on her face.
"What's wrong with Hot Spot?"
She quickly turned to see Robin, still stood at the windows, but having turned to face her. Tucking some hair behind her ear, she shrugged.
"Dunno. He just took off; said he was going to the gym."
The Boy Wonder scratched his chin, looking away absentmindedly. "Hmm. Maybe he's finding the transition harder than I thought…" He looked over at her. "Did he say anything to you?"
"He said he was a little homesick, but that's about it."
Robin nodded. "Right. Thanks, Argent."
He walked past her and to the doors, and Argent quickly turned.
"You wouldn't happen to know where a girl could get a decent cup of tea in this city?" she said suddenly, and Robin turned to look at her. "Maybe a coffee shop or something?"
He smiled. "I know just the place. Just let me talk to Hot Spot, and then I'll show a great café in the city."
"Okay. I'll see you later."
He nodded with an easy smile and then left. Satisfied with herself, Argent turned and put her feet up on the table, crossing her legs. She heard a loud clink as she knocked over the cup of herbal tea she had put on there earlier. A shrug was her only response as she went to get a cloth. Nothing could break her good mood now.
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"Red Star?"
Silence was the only response as Starfire walked onto the roof. Surely enough, Red Star was sat on the edge of the roof looking over the city, his military issue hat and goggles removed to reveal the deep red hair and glowing green eyes beneath. He held a sketch pad and pencil in hand, diligently scribbling details away on the paper.
"You left as soon as we arrived home. Is something wrong?"
He still didn't respond. She reached forward and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Red Star?"
He sighed. "Please, Starfire. You have earned the right to call me Leonid."
Starfire paused. "You are right. I apologise." She peeked over his shoulder and gasped at the beautiful canvas that had been drawn. "Leonid… that is-"
"-incomplete, I know. We were called away before I could finish. That is why I left so abruptly at the conclusion of our mission."
"I… see." Starfire cautiously took a seat beside her friend. "Why did you not respond when I called you earlier?"
"You were calling me? I apologise. I was very much engrossed with my work." He looked up at her, a slight smile on his face. "I am not used to so many people being around me."
The red haired Tamaranian rest a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You will adapt. It will take time, but you will get there."
He nodded slowly. "I know. I am merely thankful that I can be around all these people once again." He looked over at her. "Thanks to your help."
"You helped yourself to control your powers. I merely showed you the way to do so."
His usual kind smile returned. "In any case, I have much to thank you for."
Red Star resumed his drawing. After a brief pause, Starfire looked over at her friend. "I see you have been talking to Pantha very frequently."
His hand slipped, and the pencil broke. Grumbling something unintelligible, he put it aside and pulled another pencil from the case next to him. "She has great strength," he said quietly. He looked over at her.
"I see you have been talking to Robin very frequently."
Starfire blushed, and a small smirk appeared on Red Star's face. He resumed his drawing, satisfied with this small victory over his friend. It felt good for him to be able to joke around with someone. Even before he was experimented on by his superiors, he was never the most popular person. He was frequently on the receiving end of practical jokes, hurtful jibes and painful beatings. Now… the feeling he had of having such wonderful people surrounding him was indescribable.
"How many drawings such as this have you done?"
Red Star raised his head and looked up to the clouds, mentally counting. "Too many to count. As I said, I had much free time." He paused. "I still do, in a way."
Starfire nodded. "With the majority of our enemies frozen, it does seem like we have less and less to do. Although Plasmus' return does not bode well."
"Indeed not."
The two shared a silence as they looked out over the city, watching as the people of the city went about their business, unaware of the danger they were constantly in.
"It is… very busy here, is it not?"
Starfire smiled and nodded. "It is. That was one of my first observations when I first joined the Titans."
Red Star looked over at his orange skinned friend. "How did you join the Titans?"
Reluctance spread across Starfire's face. Red Star nodded. "I understand if it is too painful. Some other day, perhaps."
"No," Starfire replied, still looking out over the city. She took a deep breath and looked over to him, a smile on her lips. "You readily told us your past. I will tell you mine." She paused for a moment before continuing.
"I was not the first born in my family. My elder sister, Blackfire, was the first. However, for several reasons, she was deemed unfit to occupy the throne."
And eyebrow arched on Red Star's face. "You are royalty?"
Starfire nodded, blushing slightly. After making sure that Red Star had taken this in, she continued. "She eventually left in anger, and allied herself with the Citadel, an evil empire that controlled the star system that surrounded Tamaran. Up to that point, we had been able to fight away the Citadel and their Gordanian forces. But Blackfire…" Starfire's eyes began to show the pain of the memories, and Red Star put a supportive hand on her shoulder. She sighed as she looked over at him.
"…Blackfire helped the Citadel to overtake our planet. After much fighting, they agreed to leave Tamaran, but on one condition; I was to be given over to them as a slave, because of the special abilities granted to me by my heritage. My parents had no choice but to agree, lest the entire planet be destroyed. The Gordanians were to deliver me to the Citadel, but not before handing me over to the Psions. But the Citadel is an evil and treacherous race, and they handed my sister over to the Psions also. We were subjected to endless experiments and torture. This…"
She held up her hand, the green glow reflecting off her orange skin perfectly. "…was the result of those experiments. Afterwards, I was separated from my sister and handed back over to the Gordanians for transportation to the Citadel. However, I broke free and landed on Earth, where Robin-" she paused. "Where the Titans helped me to defeat the Gordanians when they pursued me to Earth."
"What happened to Blackfire?"
"She escaped from her imprisonment also, and ended up wanted in many star systems for theft of priceless artefacts and jewels. She came to Earth and attempted to fool the authorities from those star systems into thinking that I was the criminal they were after."
"She does not sound like what a sister should be."
Starfire sighed and shook her head. "No, she is not." She was silent for a moment as she looked out over the city. "And yet, even after all she has done, I still love her."
Red Star laid a gloved hand on her bare shoulder. "As a good sister should." Starfire smiled and put a hand on his.
"Thank you."
"Did the Citadel ever come back for you?"
"No. At first, I was most concerned about their eventual return, but gradually, it seemed like less and less a reality."
Red Star smiled and squeezed her shoulder. "Thank you for telling me. I know it must not have been easy for you."
She shook her head. "I wanted to do it." She looked into his glowing green eyes. "There should be no secrets between friends."
The two friends looked out over the city.
Red Star continuing his drawing with renewed invigoration.
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The dust billowed outward from the handlebars as Hot Spot balanced himself on his arms. He thrust himself upwards and letting go of the bars. He turned in midair, grabbing onto the two handle bars as he landed. Keeping his breathing steady, he began swinging his legs back and forth until he had sufficient momentum built up. He swung his legs forward and let go of the bars, hurling himself forward as his body twirled backwards. He landed perfectly on his feet with a thud, his arms outstretched to either side of his body.
Robin applauded from where he was stood in the doorway, smiling as he did so.
"Good form."
Still breathless, Hot Spot shrugged as he dabbed his drenched forehead with a towel. "You need it in my town. There are so many high walls and fences; it helps to be able to just run from rooftop to rooftop."
The Boy Wonder nodded. "I know the feeling…" He looked over to the large blank area covered by training mats. "How about a quick spar?" he said, nodding over to the mats.
Hot Spot tossed the towel away, smirking. "Let's go."
The two carefully circled one another. Hot Spot quickly jabbed several times, and Robin easily blocked.
"So…did you come here just to spar, or is there something else you wanted to talk about?"
Robin leapt forward, swinging his right leg around to catch Hot Spot in the head. The Moroccan easily ducked the kick. Robin landed on his feet and back flipped away, narrowly avoiding a kick of Hot Spot's. He skidded backwards as he landed.
"You seemed to leave in an awful hurry back there. I asked Argent, and she said you're feeling homesick."
Hot Spot charged forward and swung his fist forward. Robin blocked the first blow, ducked the second, and grabbed the third, turning with the momentum of the punch and throwing Hot Spot across the mat. Hot Spot flipped in mid air and easily landed on his feet. He quickly turned to face the Boy Wonder.
"So I'm feeling a little homesick. What's your point?" he panted, striking a ready fighting stance.
Robin leapt forward, landing halfway to Hot Spot on his hands, flipping forward so his leg came downwards on the Moroccan hero. He darted to his left and rolled away, the Boy Wonder's leg slamming down on the mat with a thud. A thin layer of dust billowed upward.
The two began to circle each other again.
"I just wanted to know if you're committed to the team. If you want to go back to Morocco and the way things were, I'll understand." Hot Spot charged forward, leading with a kick aimed for Robin's gut. Robin sucked in his belly, narrowly avoiding it. His opponent didn't stop his barrage there. He continued to hurl his fists towards the Titan leader, until Robin grabbed both of his fists and raised them upwards. Robin looked his team-mate directly in the eyes. "I'm not going to force you to stay, Hot Spot."
The Moroccan smirked and quickly grabbed Robin's wrists with a flick of his own, leaning backwards and pulling Robin over on top of him. Planting a foot on Robin's stomach, he propelled the Boy Wonder over him and onto his back, landing with a painful thud on the mat. The two slowly got to their feet, equally out of breath. Robin smiled.
"Good match."
Hot Spot wiped his brow. "Thanks." He walked over to where he had left his towel, and pulled out two cans of soda from his bag. Tossing one to Robin, he greedily chugged down his can. After wiping off any leftovers from his bottom lip and belching incredibly loud, he looked over at the Boy Wonder.
"Look… I may feel like going back, but as long as I'm needed here, I'll stick around. I just don't want to neglect my home, you know?"
Robin took a sip of soda and nodded. "We're still getting used to having so many members. There are people like Thunder and Lightning, who decided to go back to their homes. I just wanted you to know that I'll understand if or when you decide to go."
"Thanks."
Robin nodded and smiled, finishing off his soda and throwing it into the nearby trash can. "Hey, we're going into the city for some coffee. You're welcome to join us if you want."
Hot Spot raised a polite hand. "Thanks, but I'd rather stay here. You need someone to mind the shop while you're away, right?"
"Right," the Boy Wonder replied. He turned to leave.
"By the way," Hot Spot began, causing Robin to turn to look at him. "Who's going with you?"
"Well, it was Argent's idea, but I'm going to ask Starfire and Red Star if they want to go."
"Oh…" Hot Spot replied, a slight smile on his face.
A jet black eyebrow rose beneath Robin's mask. "Why?"
Hot Spot merely shrugged in response. "Just curious. Have fun."
Pausing for a moment, the Boy Wonder turned and left, wondering what the hell just happened. As soon as the door closed behind him, Hot Spot couldn't help but laugh at the situation that would unfold at the café.
Living with the Titans was a strange business. But that didn't mean it wasn't fun.
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Argent rested her head on her hand, pushing her cheek upward as she looked on in annoyance. When Robin had said yes, she had assumed he meant alone. Not 'I'll bring the big Russian fella and the supermodel from another planet'.
Robin and said supermodel from another planet were sat on one side of the table, laughing and talking amongst themselves while Red Star sipped happily at his tea, simply looking out at the city. Argent couldn't help but like the smile on his face. He was completely oblivious to the looks he was getting, being fully dressed in his Russian army uniform like he was. His smile was so simple, so… genuine. Like someone who hadn't been at peace in a long time.
Another giggle from Starfire brought Argent's attention to the opposite side of the table again. Robin was smiling himself, and then suddenly stood, holding his hand out to the Tamaranian.
"C'mon, let me show you the view."
"What view, Robin? We are on ground level."
The Boy Wonder smiled mischievously and pulled out his grappling hook, pointing it straight upwards. He fired it, and it attached itself to the ledge of the tall skyscraper above them. Starfire backed away, giggling as Robin pursued.
"No, Robin, no- EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Robin grabbed her around her waist and activated the pulling mechanism on his grappling hook, pulling them upwards and out of sight. Argent nudged Red Star's arm, who looked over at her with a polite smile on his face.
"So… I'm guessing those two are pretty tight?"
He shrugged. "I have assumed as much. But then again, I am not very good at observing such things."
Argent considered this.
Maybe they're just good friends. They've worked together since the beginning of the Teen Titans, whenever the hell that was.
Or maybe it's a physical thing.
That option didn't particularly surprise Argent. Even she could see how attractive the Tamaranian was. In fact, her first thought when she met Starfire was 'the Teen Titan boys must feel pretty well off.'
She was removed from her thoughts by the tune of an incoming transmission on her communicator. Red Star heard it also, pulling out his communicator. He seemed ready to open it, but cast an unsure gaze upwards.
Robin and Starfire suddenly landed, looking quite flushed and embarrassed.
Robin cleared his throat. "Ahem… erm…" He pulled out his communicator and opened it. "Robin."
Hot Spot's voice came over the communicator.
"I was calling you for like five minutes! I had to call Red Star and Argent! What kept you?"
The red in Robin's cheeks deepened. "Sorry. We were…" he looked back at Starfire, and the two shared a private laugh. "…occupied." He face suddenly became serious. "What's the problem?"
"The computer's saying we've got a distress call coming in from someplace called Tamaran."
Starfire gasped and grabbed on to Robin's shoulder, looking over so she could see Hot Spot. "What does it say?"
"Nothing. It's just a distress call, repeating over and over again."
Fear gripped the Tamaranian's features. She grabbed Robin's shoulder. "Robin, we have to leave for Tamaran at once!"
"I know, Star, but we can't just leave the City unprotected."
Hot Spot paused on the other end. "Looks like we won't have to. Cyborg's about an hour away from home."
Robin nodded grimly. "All right. We'll be there as fast as we can."
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Hot Spot was glad he wasn't the only one who had never flown into space. A cursory glance over at Argent confirmed that she was pretty much ready to pee her pants too.
"Uh… don't we need training for this?" he asked nervously over the comm.
"You've gotten training on how to fly them; that's all you'll need. Cyborg's fitted the T-Ship to adapt to the take off and landings," Robin replied quickly, tersely cutting off the transmission.
"Well, as long as it adapts to the take-offs and landings…" Hot Spot muttered to himself, his voice laden with sarcasm.
"So how long are you guys going to be gone?" Cyborg asked, the concern on his face making Robin grimace.
"There's no way to tell. We'll be out of communications range for awhile, so don't try to contact us."
"Just be careful, all right?"
Robin nodded. "You too. Plasmus is causing more damage than he usually does."
"Right. See you later."
Robin signed off and prepped the ship for launch. He brought the mouthpiece to his lips. "Everybody ready?"
Starfire responded first. "Yes, let us please make haste."
Then came Argent. "Aside from needing some new underwear, I'm fine."
Then Hot Spot. "Same over here."
"I am ready."
Red Star's confident voice actually did something to calm Starfire's frayed nerves. She was glad that he was coming on the mission with them. She had a feeling that he and Galfore would get along well. Her eyes misted over at the thought of her K'Norfka. She hoped that he was all right. As Grand Ruler, he would be a prime target for any enemies attacking the planet. And, knowing Galfore, he would be on the front lines, protecting his planet.
Robin nodded. "All right then. Let's go."
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The take-off wasn't as bad as Hot Spot had anticipated. Robin was right; the ship had taken care of the take-off side effects. The only thing that he had felt was his ears popping. That and the incredible pressure that embedded him in his chair. But that wasn't what was on Hot Spot's mind at that moment.
He was in space. There was nothing between him and the vast emptiness except a thin layer of glass. He felt like he should have been scared, but he wasn't. He was just excited.
So this is what being a Teen Titan feels like.
Argent's smooth voice came over the comm. "So, this Tamaran place… I'm guessing it's important?"
Starfire replied slowly, with a hint of sadness tainting her usually cheerful voice. "It is my home planet."
There was a pause on the other end, and Hot Spot knew that she was processing the idea that Starfire was actually from another planet. Red Star interrupted their conversation.
"How long will the journey take?"
Robin's authoritative voice came over the frequency. "A few hours at least. It is quite far away. Starfire, we're going to have to cut across Val-Yor's sector of space to make better time."
"I understand, Robin."
Hot Spot's eyebrow rose. "Valy-what?"
Robin was silent for a moment before responding. "He's-"
He was interrupted by an explosion rocking the ship. Hot Spot yelped in protest, pushing his hands outwards to get a grip on the pod.
"What's going on?"
Starfire, ignoring his question, spoke. "Robin, do you recognise those ships?"
Robin's grim voice gave the reply. "Yeah - they're Gordanian."
A quick look out his window answered Hot Spot's earlier question.
Oh, God. I'm in the middle of Star Wars.
Living with the Titans wasn't just a strange business. It was freakin' scary one.
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(A/N: Well, that took awhile to write.
And yes, Red Star's artistic side is a total rip of X-Men's Colossus. Doing a bit of stereotyping there, I suppose, but it seemed to suit Red Star's character. After all, he had a lot of time to himself in that bunker.
Argent's crush on Robin is reminiscent of Rogue's crush on Scott in X-men: Evolution too, come to think of it. But it's from the Teen Titans comics, I swear! Argent had a crush on older Titan Nightwing, and since I'm assuming this Robin is Dick Grayson… well, there you go.
Anyway, review!)
