Titans, Move!
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
I groaned as the sound of the alarm woke me from my fantastic dream. Mhm…Dreaming about being by myself- away from my family and friends- on my own…Not that I didn't enjoy being a titan. I loved it more than anything; but it wasn't my place you know? I sometimes felt like I was intruding on a club…My parents, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven made up the Teen Titans- of course- we weren't exactly teens anymore…well they weren't anyway…I was the only teen here- being 15.
It just…I was never good enough- I never got credit…only from the team- not by anyone else- and if maybe I could be my own hero…maybe, just maybe, I'd be noticed…My own hero…I sighed and snuggled into my glittering lollipop covers, ignoring the alarm for trouble.
I gasped, as my emerald eyes shot open, and I flew up out of covers, making them fall to the ground; my black-brown hair seemed to stray in different directions.
"Sweetfire! Trouble!" Robin said seriously as he rapped on the door.
"Kay Dad!" I called and transformed to my usual pink-purple mesh of a color- for my mini-skirt and tank top. I looked around my room and grinned at my furry pink wallpaper. I breathed in heavily. The scent of candy…I loved it. I hurriedly combed my mess of hair- all the scarlet highlights and tints coming out…my mom just made my hair look 10x better with her genes. I smiled to myself and before I could leave the room, Mom called out to me from the hall.
"Sweetie? Come quickly. It is the H.I.V.E 5!"
"Be right there Mom!" I glanced away from my reflection slightly.
I frowned and snapped. There. Now my skin had more color, and my lips tasted like cotton candy…not to mention that that lip balm- tastes so good- and looks sooo good on me. Not to be vain or anything like my aunt- but still.
My hair now looked a more red-brown than it had 10 minutes ago, I noticed, as I flew out my door and hurried to catch up to the gang.
"BB, Raven, Cyborg, Star, Sweetie…move out!" Dad called.
Bank robbery. Classic.
But Jinx and Kid Flash, (who wasn't such a kid anymore…even though everyone was still relatively young) already had it covered.
I skidded to a stop when I saw their son. Lucky. He looked precisely like how Kid Flash looked when he was my age; you wouldn't be able to tell Jinx and Lucky were mother and son. Lucky ran at an invisible pace- still, it was only ½ as fast as his father.
We could never amount up to our parents' expectations could we?
"Ishot the gun!" I complained and whined, wishing we could actually have a mission now…but no…they were just so fast. Great. Sarcasm.
"Sorry!" Lucky grinned. "Better luck next time." He grinned evilly.
Then the Titan's beepers went off. Beast Boy pulled out his. I loved him- like a brother of course. I grinned and waited.
"Mad Mod…down the street…didn't have to wait that long, now did we?"
An idea flashed through my mind.
"Stay out!" I hissed a warning to Lucky; My hands and eyes glowing pink. (I am ½ human and ½ Tamaranyin remember?)
"Or you'll stuff me with sweets?" Lucky mocked.
I shuddered and easily caught up to Mod. I dragged him back to the group…maybe now someone would appreciate me.
"You know what's good for you." I acknowledged Lucky as I threw the tied-up Mad Mod into the pile of burglars.
I looked towards the team, they were reminiscing with Lucky's parents. I felt a sudden breeze and I looked down to see a red rose in my dainty hands. I blushed and the red in my hair glowed. I looked around, but he was gone.
"Luck is a matter of the cards…whatever one you pick- it's all dumb luck." I muttered as I realized what I had been thinking a second ago. I threw the perfect rose down and stomped it down into the asphalt.
I grew agitated.
I flew off without a word to anyone else and found Lucky and confronted him.
"What's your problem sweet-stuff?" he asked, innocent enough.
I screamed and threw the hot pink star bolts at him, but he easily dodged each of them.
"C'mon sweet thang, you can surely do better." He didn't seem to have such innocent intentions anymore…but he still pulled off the act by shrugging.
"Agh!" I yelled, ready to fully make a hole in the ground, where he was. But he came up and stroked my face, slipping another rose into my hand. His blue eyes were transfixed on me.
"You should be getting back, it's almost dark."
I merely nodded, blushing like an idiot, forgetting that I didn't want to be told what to do.
By the time he walked me to the edge of town, and started to walk away, I fell out of the trance…did he use Jinx's powers that he'd inherited to make me look bad?
The rose nearly tumbled out of my hands.
Then I put my hands on my hips and called after him, "I don't need you looking after me! I can survive out there you know!"
He didn't answer back immediately, he kept walking. But I swore for a second- he paused and whispered, "I know you can," but it was carried into the wind- and I thought it was a trick of my eye or something. Was it real? If it was…what did it mean? He liked me? I surely didn't like him…or did I?
For as long as we could remember- we'd been friends…or good acquaintances whose parents' were friends…and we'd always fought…I thought it was him keeping me out of trouble mostly and making sure I never got to face a bad guy was his brotherly way of protecting me…maybe he liked me more than that…
I considered that as I flew to the island I called home. I walked in the main hall, and hummed…fingering the rose. I then put it in my hair, the stem tucked behind my ear. I did like him, I realized…I had all along.
"Where have you been!" Cyborg boomed as I entered the living space with an airy feeling.
"Out…feeling lucky." I smiled softly.
Mom understood. "Oh Sweetie! You and Lucky! I must call Jinx and tell her the news!" She became excited and started to search for the phone. Raven grinned.
"No black magic involved right?" she laughed.
She'd taught me to use some of her spells and such to annoy Lucky when he annoyed me.
Beast Boy grinned, but headed out the door. "I'm gonna go and hang with Terra. See you." He wanted to rid of the new love fest didn't he?
Yes. Terra had finally come up to Beast Boy one day after her classes and admitted it was her after all…they had got back together…and they were dating now…well engaged technically. Mom and Dad were married…and Cyborg and Raven were still alone.
Speaking of Cyborg, he came in for the high-five to congratulate me when Dad yelled "STOP!" through the chaos.
"You are not to see him again- am I clear? Titans aren't supposed to fall in love. And you- young lady will not be doing that anytime soon. Raven, repossess the flower." He stood his ground.
My hands flew to my hair. "No!" I cried out, tears starting to swell, "I won't do it. You're being so unfair. You're such a hypocrite! You, Mom are together! Beast Boy and Terra are together, why can't I be with Lucky?"
"Because you are too young to understand the dangers of love." He stared down at me.
"What? Am I too fragile for you Dad? Or should I just call you 'Robin" as love seems to be a terrible thing. I get my power from love and candy- haven't you noticed? And love goes all different ways- including family wise. Maybe I should just go- and be independent and alone…"
"You are not going anyway when living under this roof young lady! You're too….to leave…" He trailed off.
"Too what? Say it. Go ahead. Too what?"
"YOU"RE TOO WEAK!" He screamed, a blood vessel popping out on his forehead.
"Robin." Mom reached over to him, her arm outstretched, but he shook her off and snarled.
Cyborg and Raven looked frightened and used the silence to escape. "Um…we're…going….to…the…uh…pier!" They managed to say and they bolted.
I paid them not attention. I stared down my dad. Why wasn't he being fair?
"Too fragile? For what? The big-bad world out there? I can handle it-"
"No you can't. You have no idea how terrible the world can be Sweetfire! I don't want you to get hurt!"
"I won't! Stop sheltering me! I'm tired of living in your shadow- everyone's shadow! I want to be my own person! I want to see the world, I want to be myself- not have everyone breathing down my neck all the time, to not be treated like I'm a little sidekick to "great and amazing Teen Titans.'" I used my fingers to make air-quotes.
Mom nodded. "Robin- she has your temper and persistence. She also has amazing potential leadership skills-"
"If you let me prove it, I could-" I began to rise in hope of finally getting my calling. Then Dad spoke again, and my heart sank- once more.
"You won't! You're not going anyway. I forbid you. You're grounded." He turned to his wife. "Starfire, I know she has those things- but she also has your kindest and best features."
"But Dad- it's like you and Batman, I'm you! I can't live in the shadows forever!"
"That was different." He said quickly.
"How? Because you're my real family?" I challenged, knowing this would strike a nerve.
"Because being on your own is a terrible thing. The world shows no mercy- and if they knew who you were…" He gulped.
"I'm done. If you won't give me a straight answer on why I can't be with Lucky or at least go off on my own- I'll be running away. Goodbye." I hurried out the door and wiped my tears away as I flew across the water. I got to the mainland and set the rose into the water- as a special ceremony. I'd finally be able to be on my own. I watched as the rose floated into the moonlight reflecting off the water. I smiled weakly. My heart ached though. My own hero is what I would be. I was tired of being protected. A damsel in distress.
And I flew off again, not caring I had nothing with me.
I went to the old observatory and sat on the telescope- not bothering to climb down into the building. I sat, my arms wrapped around my knees when suddenly a man appeared from behind me.
"Feeling a bit down are we?" he asked, his voice like silk…but also like a scratchy chalkboard.
Slade. My eyes opened wider, and all traces of sleepiness and doubt and fear fell away as adrenaline kicked in. I spun around as I stood up.
"You have no idea." I finally said, as he stepped out of the shadows toward me.
"Yo! Sweetfire!" I heard Cyborg call out. Suddenly I was surrounded by black magic.
"Raven!" I punched the blackness. Why was everyone interfering in my life? Raven only smiled, still concentrating.
Cy grabbed hold of me and held me captive, me struggling to get free.
"Let go of her. Can't you see she doesn't want you around anymore? She's run away! Anyone could see that!" His eyes glinted with something, and I guess some would call it evil…I didn't know though.
"Bring her back to the tower!" Cyborg said as he saw through Slade's intentions.
"Get her home!"
"Robin!" Slade's eyebrows furrowed in anger and resentment.
I whipped my head around to see Robin…err…Dad get off his motorcycle in time to be hit by one of Slade's magic tricks or whatever.
"Robin!" Mom gasped, as she flew down and caught him as he stumbled back.
I grew so irate, I shouted out on impulse- exactly what I was thinking. "NOBODY hurts my friends and family!" I yelled and started to hurl star bolts at Slade.
He simply laughed as he dodged them and he crept closer to me, and I kept getting closer to him- trying to get close enough to hurt him.
"Goodbye Titans. I had no idea a reincarnation of Terra joined your team."
I silently made a small prayer of thanks that Beast Boy wasn't there, and that Slade didn't know about Terra coming back…And before Dad could attack his worst enemy- Slade grabbed hold of me and we were underground.
"So Sweetfire? Will you make me some sweets?" He started come closer to me and I tried to shove him off, but he held onto my wrists and his breath hit my face. "You seem so innocent and sweet…not so much after tonight." I wasn't sure if he was hitting on me, or if he was about to kill me slowly.
"Sweetfire!" Lucky appeared and he threw his four-leaved clover spears at Slade.
Slade let go…well- he shoved me into the wall of the cavern and I slid to the ground, hurting physically and somewhat emotionally.
Lucky fought Slade and I got up and stood, frightened. I could do nothing- even though I wanted to run in and help- to prove myself. But my pride would hurt Lucky most likely.
Eventually Lucky knocked Slade unconscious and he ran over to me- at the speed of a regular human for once.
"You okay?" he brushed loose strands of my hair away from face, even though they were sticking to my tear-streaked face.
I nodded and fell into his arms, gasping as I cried. Slade…he had…almost…I trembled in Lucky's arms…but I felt safe now. I pulled away and looked at him, breathing heavily for a second as I looked his face up and down. Then I closed my eyes as I crushed my lips to his. He was surprised, but eventually returned the kiss and swept my hair out of the way as he kissed me.
"Let's get you home Sweetfire…you're freezing!" And he helped me up and I stumbled and fell- still weak from shock. He sighed and picked me up. "I heard…that you left home…But you have proven yourself Sweetfire…to me."
I said nothing, too tired to agree or disagree…I just snuggled into his arms and his steady heartbeat calmed me. Maybe I could be a damsel in distress…just tonight…
In my room, Lucky laid me on my bed and kissed my forehead. He winked and a gust of wind was the lasting trace of him. Well, almost. A rose lay on the floor where he had been a second ago. I went over, smiling, and picked it up. I put it in my enchantment vase and then realized there was a note on the ground as well.
I picked it up and sunk to the floor, laying down on the carpet and read it.
It said- Dear Sweetfire,
I hope you realize that you are a hero. It takes a lot of courage and strength to be able to realize your love for someone and keep with it- even if it causes problems. And to stand up for yourself- and leave- to prove yourself- that's what sets you apart from other people. You're so loved, and you don't see it. Your team loves and needs you, as do I. Don't ever forget you're NOT alone. I'm always a flower away.
Love always,
Your Lucky
I put the note on my bedside table, putting the edge under my lamp- to put in in place.
I heard then the crying and curses and muttering.
"I can't believe we couldn't save her!" Cyborg pounded on the table. I rushed out of my room and hurried down to them.
"Everyone! I'm alright!" I ran into Raven, Terra, and Beast Boy's arms. Cyborg joined in and my parents stood there.
"Mom." I smiled, as she opened her arms to me- after I finally got out of the monstrous group hug. I ran into them, and like a little child, hugged her back. "Mom." I said again, loving the term…and knowing I could actually use it.
She eventually let go and there stood Dad…solemn and ashamed.
"Dad…" I gulped. Tears started to flood my eyes. "Dad…I'm so sorry!" I blubbered on, and ran to him, throwing my arms around him. He was tense and surprised at first- then accepted the gesture.
"No Sweetfire. I'm sorry. You have to do some things on your own."
"Love you Dad."
"Love you too Sweetie."
"How'd you escape?" Terra asked, intrigued.
"I had some help…and with a bit of luck on my side…we won. Slade won't be bothering us for a while at least."
They caught the meaning, my slip at the 'we' and how I said 'luck.' Everyone exchanged knowing glances and looks.
"Let us celebrate the return of you! As well as your first relationship! And the stronger relationship between you and Robin-" Starfire jumped up and down, clapping her hands.
"Yeah, Star. There's a lot to celebrate." Robin laughed and pecked her cheek swiftly and softly, that if you blinked- you'd have missed it.
"Pizza!" Cyborg, BB, and Terra all agreed immediately. I nodded in agreement.
"Love you guys. TT forever." I high-fived everyone but my parents.
"BOOYAH!" Cyborg boomed.
"Now-what kind of pizza are we getting?" Terra asked.
"Plain."
"Vegetarian."
"Meat-Lovers!"
"Pineapple!"
Then BB and Cyborg started to argue.
"Veggies! I don't eat meat! I turn into all those animals remember!" BB exclaimed with hand motions to express how he was feeling.
"MEAT!" Cyborg argued, licking his lips.
"Oh boy…this is gonna be a long night. Here we go again." I rolled my eyes, and everyone laughed, except for BB and Cyborg who were arguing still.
I'd love to freeze this picture and remain in this moment forever, but I can't. But I can try.
"Race you!" I call to the others and run ahead.
"You're on!"
And the picture seems to freeze- like a perfect moment- where we can all be kids again. And I'll forever love that moment.
