Jump City Cantata
A Teen Titans fanfiction by Jake McDonald
Opening Notes: The long awaited sequal to Jump City Sonata is here! Well, long awaited meaning for like, a week. At any rate, if you're just jumping into the story now, you should definetly go back and read Sonata first. You wont understand a damn thing otherwise, and I don't want flames from people telling me how OOC the cast is. I mean, yeah they're all OOC! I screwed with 'em big time in the last story! So read Sonata FIRST. Really, it's not that bad of a story. I've had nothing except positive reviews for it, and a good number of those at that.
Please note: this story has an 'R' rating. It's there for a good reason. This isn't a lemon by any means, but there is sex, there is swearing, and there is adult situations. I'm not sure if I'll include drug use in this story, but there was some in the last one, so don't be suprised if it pops up again.
Standard disclaimers apply: I don't own Teen Titans at all. Not a bit. Nothin'. Damnit...
Chapter One
Titan Tower stood tall and strong, a silent sentinel watching over Jump City. The waves lapped against the shore of the island it sat on, a gentle breeze blew in across the bay, and one other sound mingled with the tranquil early evening symphony. A voice, low and steady, repeating the same three words over and over again, melding it's tone with that of the nature around it.
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos... Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos..." Raven chanted from the roof of the tower, feeling out with her very being to the world around her. She was one with the water, the wind, the earth....
A loud beeping broke her out of her trance. With a sigh, she dug out her T-Comp and checked to see what it was.
Her alarm had been set, but for what? Her mind was still fuzzy from having just come out of such deep meditation, and she took several seconds to remember what was happening at six o' clock.
Patrol time. That was it. But what else? There was something about Cyborg....
"Sarah." she mumbled. Vanishing into a swirl of darkness, she reappeared seconds latter in the garage. The T-Car was still there.
Flipping open her T-Comp again, Raven spoke into it, "Raven to Cyborg."
A second latter the reply came, "Go ahead Raven."
"Why the hell are you still here? I told you to go see Sarah tonight."
"I know! I'm coming down now.... for crying out loud Rae, I'M going on this date, not you."
"Just get your ass down here." Raven snapped her T-Comp shut and tucked it away in a cloak pocket. She stood exactly where she was for two minutes before the doors of the garage slid open and Cyborg walked in.
He was wearing khakis and a simple blue button down shirt over his body armor. He could never fully hide his cybernetic body, but he could cover most of it, and he always had the bonus of never having to pick out shoes... Raven still had no idea where he shopped to find clothes big enough to fit around his massive frame.
"Why are you so late?" she demanded as he walked over to the T-Car.
"It took me a few minutes longer to get ready then normal." he replied tersely, opening the door and getting in.
"Don't lie to me." Raven narrowed her eyes.
"Alright, look Raven...." Cyborg glared at her, "I wasn't sure I was going to go." he held up a hand to cut off her protests, "We needed someone available to back you up if you needed it, and I was going to wait up for you and try to talk to you when you got back from patrol."
"Why-" he cut her off before she could even voice the question.
"Because you're acting really weird. Weirder then normal anyway." his tone softened, "We're all worried about you Rae..."
"Don't be. I can handle what I'm going through. And I'm ORDERING you to turn off your communicator tonight. No interruptions. If I need help, I'll call the others."
"I don't think-"
"Stop thinking then." Raven's tone brooked no arguments. The conversation was over.
Cyborg sighed and shook his head, "You know Rae, you're one hard woman." he looked her in the eye, "But not even you can always take on everything alone. Think about it, and if you don't want to talk, fine. I'm always here though, you know that."
"I do." Raven nodded, and drew up her hood, "No get out of here before I MAKE you get out of here."
Cyborg rolled his eye and closed the door of the T-Car. The engine turned over and he was off in seconds. Raven watched him depart, then took flight. She left the garage and flew straight up, past the top of the Tower.
As she flew towards the city, she contemplated Cyborg's words. Should she tell them about what was happening? The seed was getting harder to repress, and it could pose a danger to them if she couldn't stop it...
No, she could stop it. It would take a few days, but she could do it. Deciding not to bother her friends with her problems, she switched her focus to the streets beneath her, scanning for any signs of trouble.
Robin stopped at the receptionists desk in Gotham General Hospital and cleared his throat. The nurse sitting behind the desk looked up at him with a bored look on her face. She was in her mid twenties, had far too much makeup on, and was chewing gum with her mouth open.
"Yeah?" she asked as she smacked her gum. Her eyes raked up and down his lean frame, taking in every inch of him. He noticed her sticking her chest out just a bit more as she sat up straighter.
Robin's eye twitched. He had to keep telling himself that he wasn't wearing his mask or his uniform, so he couldn't expect to demand instant respect when he walked into a building. This lady annoyed him to no end though, so he decided the 'snobby ward of a multi-billionaire' routine would work well.
"I'm here to see Barbara Gorden." he replied with a tilt of his nose and a stare that made most people feel infinitely inferior.
If the nurse was feeling inferior in any way, she was hiding it well, "Visiting hours are over."
"My name should be on a list. I was supposed to come see her as soon as I got in to Gotham." he tried to sound angry, he really did, but it had been a long day and he hadn't slept very well the night before. He was too tiered to really care about the nurse's attitude problem.
He watched as she rolled her eyes at him and pulled a clipboard from across the desk towards herself. Her eyes traveled lazily down the page and she smacked her gum again, "What was your name again?"
"Richard Grayson." he said it with as much of a normal voice as he could. Sighing, he watched as her eyes grew wide and snapped up to him. She stammered for a second before finding her voice.
"I'm so sorry Mr. Grayson! Um... right this way!" the nurse jumped up and rushed around the desk. She took off down the corridor at a brisk pace. Robin followed.
She stopped in front of an observation window a few doors down the hall and looked in. Robin stopped behind her and gazed in as well. His breath caught at what he saw.
Babs was hooked up to at least four or five different machines, ranging from a heart monitor to a respirator. Blankets were pulled up to her waist, and he could see that her midsection was heavily bandaged. She looked so small and alone, lying in a semi-dark room all by herself...
He had sworn to himself he wouldn't tear up or cry, but now he was fighting it tooth and nail, "Can I go in?"
The nurse checked a chart, and reviewed some readings at a panel on the wall, "Yeah, just for a few minutes. She should be left alone to rest for a few days... the surgery was... long."
"How bad is the damage?"
".... the bullet wound actually wasn't that bad. It only grazed her kidney, missed everything else some how. It's just..." she trailed off and looked like she was about to cry herself.
"What?" Robin swiped at his eyes and tore them away from Barbara's sleeping form.
"The bullet hit her spine. It... shattered. Destroyed several vertebrae. It was low on her body, so only that half was effected...." the nurse looked into his eyes and straightened up, taking on that air that medical personal took on when they were telling you bad news, "She'll never walk again."
Robin closed his eyes and swallowed hard. Babs was a natural athlete. She had learned to fight with Batman and himself, had been on three sports teams in high school, and had never had a physical challenge she couldn't overcome, but this... This was permanent spinal damage. There was no overcoming this one.
He finally nodded, composed himself and walked to the door. Opening it, he stepped into the room and shut it behind him softly. Moving to her bed side, he found a chair and sat down in it.
"Hey Babs." he said softly, "I hear you had a bit of an accident..." he trailed off. Talking to a person in a coma always seemed a bit ridiculous to him. They couldn't hear you, and wouldn't respond to you any more then they would a potted plant. He did it any way, "Seems like you'll be out of the action now... but don't worry. I'll get the bastard that did this, and I'll make him pay. He'll pay until his stupid clown face is nothing but a mess of blood and bone... I'll kill him... I'll...." he stopped realizing he was losing control. Never kill. Never take a life.
"I'll get him, Babs." Robin looked down at her face and brushed a thumb across her cheek, "I'll get him."
Beast Boy sat in a bean bag chair on the floor of his room, a set of bongo drums between his knees. He grinned across the way at Starfire, also seated in a bean bag chair, who had an African flute-like instrument raised to her lips. Jinx sat in a chair near the Tameranian with a guitar resting on her lap. She spoke clearly and in perfect time.
"One, two, three, four." and in tandem they all began to play. Beast Boy provided a steady beat, not too fast, but not too slow, varied tones from his two drums providing rhythm and style. Star played low, long notes, giving the small jam session a base line to work from. She had never played the flute before Beast Boy had shown her the four notes she now knew, so the base line was fairly simple, but still in perfect time.
Jinx's guitar sang out a haunting melody, blending with the music her two companions were playing perfectly. She had her eyes closed as her fingers danced across the strings, giving her the appearance of a blind woman strumming an instrument she'd been playing all her life.
When Jinx had invaded Beast Boy's room an hour ago, she had been impressed by the African instruments he collected. It was one of the few things he did that had nothing to do with a TV set, so he was appreciative that she had noticed. Soon after, she had retrieved her guitar and they were playing. Drawn by the sound, Starfire had joined them.
The song continued on for several minutes before Star fell out of time and they got thrown off. As they stopped, the three of them giggled and set their instruments aside.
"What fun!" Starfire smiled broadly at her friends, "I learned to play the Gathglorm when I was younger, but this flute is very different... may I borrow it to learn more, Beast Boy?"
"Definitely! We can do this more often then! You know, just get together and jam. It's really kinda' relaxing." the changeling grinned at her.
"And who knew Beast Boy had such great rhythm?" Jinx smiled at him and he blushed a bit.
"Who knew you could play guitar so well? You're really good, Jinx." Beast Boy smiled back at her, and they seemed to share a moment. Starfire grinned behind her hand.
"I am feeling quite sleepy now!" she said as she stood up with the flute, "I think I shall retire to my sleeping chambers."
"Aw, but it's still early!" Beast Boy, oblivious to what his friend was doing, jumped up and walked over to her, "If you stay and play some more, I'll make you some extra yummy soy eggs for breakfast!"
"I think I will pass this time, Beast Boy." Star leaned in and pecked him on the cheek, "Goodnight. And to you as well, Jinx."
"What, I don't get a kiss too?" Jinx grinned.
"Oh!" Star flew over to her, "I am sorry! I didn't mean to make you feel left out!" and she kissed Jinx's cheek as well. Smiling a sunny smile, Star flew back to the door, "Goodnight friends!"
"Night Star..." Beast Boy looked dazed.
"Latter." Jinx waved as the Tameranien floated out the doors, and they slid shut. She turned to Beast Boy, "What's your deal?"
"Girl on girl action is so hot." Beast Boy grinned at her.
"Oh, shut up!" Jinx lifted a pillow from the ground next to her (Beast Boy's room was filled with them) and whipped it at him.
Beast Boy simply turned into a kangaroo and spun around, slapping the pillow right back at her with his tail. I plowed her out of her chair and back into another pile of pillows.
"Oh, that's it!" Jinx jumped up, double fisting more ammo, "This is war now, BB!" and she threw the pillows with all her might, following them with a wave of pink energy. Beast Boy tried a tricky flipping beaver return move, but Jinx's spell hit him squarely, and he slipped up mid-flip. Both pillows found their mark, and he thudded to the ground as himself again.
Jumping to his feet, he charged in at her, swinging a bean bag as he went.
Jinx braced for impact as she giggled and grabbed another pillow.
Cyborg parked the T-Car up near the front of the parking lot of the Wayside Bar and Grill. He clambered out, shut the door, and hit the remote locking button on his key chain, "Wouldn't you know it?" he muttered, "Rock Star parking...."
The short walk to the doors was filled with people in the parking lot and standing just outside the entrance staring at him and whispering to each other.
"Dude, is that Cyborg?"
"Mommy! It's a Teen Titan!"
"It's the mettle dude from the Titans!"
"Cyborg rocks dude! He can blow stuff us with his arm!"
"He's a lot taller in person..."
Cy remembered a time when he used to mope about after encounters like this one, because he heard people muttering about how scared they were of him. He had, in fact, met Sarah on one of those days, and she had pulled him out of his funk. A week later they were going steady.
That had been two years ago, and now the citizens of Jump City had warmed up to the imposing titanium giant who protected their city along with the other Teen Titans. He heard far more complements than complaints now.
As he walked through the doors, he looked around for a host or hostess. Spotting a young lady taking names by a small podium, he walked over and smiled down at her.
The hostess looked up at him with wide eyes and stuttered out, "H-hello."
"Evening." he grinned a little wider, showing his nice white teeth.
"W-welcome to Wayside Bar and Grill... how many?" she seemed to be gaining confidence now.
"I'm meeting someone here actually. Blonde girl named Sarah?" he motioned around his chest level, "About this tall?"
"Oh! She said she had a kind of famous guy meeting her here tonight, but we didn't expect a Titan!" the hostess blushed, "Hey, you know if Robin has a girlfriend?"
Cyborg chuckled and shook his head, "Yeah, he's dating a girl."
"Oh." her face fell, "Any chance they'll be breaking up?"
"Naw, they work together."
"Starfire then." she said glumly, "Everyone knows they have a thing."
"Everyone?" Cy arched an eyebrow.
"Yeah, it's in the Jump City Eyeball all the time."
"A tabloid is reporting on the Titans?"
"Hate to break it to you, but you have your own section."
Cyborg rolled his eye, "Great."
"Your friend is right over here, sir."
"Thanks." he shook his head again as she led him to a table near the back of the building, next to the huge windows that looked out over the bay. Titan Tower was visible in the distance, and the stars and moon shown brightly over the water. The lights around the back of the restaurant had been dimmed to let in more of the natural light from outside, and a single candle burned on each table.
Cyborg noticed instantly that all the tables around the one Sarah was seated at were empty, probably by her request. She knew how much he hated being interrupted by people asking for autographs while they were on a date.
That was when he noticed Sarah. She was staring out the window, so her head was turned away from him slightly, revealing her long, graceful neck. Her hair was pulled up tonight in a long pony tail that trailed down to the middle of her back. It would spill down past her shapely rear if it wasn't pulled up, he knew. Her top was a sleeveless sky blue number that stood in stark contrast to her California tanned skin. Her white skirt was long, dropping to her ankles, with two short slits up to her knees on either side.
He glanced down at her feet with a smile, knowing what he'd see. Flip-flops. Always flip-flops. She'd even worn them to her senior prom the year before.
The hostess stopped several tables away, seeing all his attention was focused on his girlfriend. She smiled and walked off to tell the waiter not to bother them for a little while.
Cyborg walked up to the table as quietly as he could and slid into the chair across from Sarah, "Hey girl." he said softly.
She turned her head to look at him and smiled sadly, "Hey."
They stared at each other for a few moments, then both blurted out in unison, "I'm sorry!" They broke down into laughter after staring at each other again for a moment.
Cyborg held up a hand to quell both of their laughter, "I'll go first." he said and cleared his throat, "I'm sorry for all that crap I said. I love hanging out with the kids, and I love umpiring the baseball games... I really miss 'em actually. I love the way you smell, especially your breath in the morning," he paused to let her give him a sarcastic look, "and I need you more than I think I do." he grew quiet, "It's been hell without you around. I've really realized how much the time we spend together helps me unwind and forget about saving the world."
Sarah smiled and reached across the table, grasping his hand, "I'm sorry for all the stuff I said too... it's hard to feel... aroused... when all you have to rub against is metal, but you still manage to make me feel... well..." she blushed, "Anyway, you ARE handsome, and you DO smell wonderful... and you're a great kisser... don't ever let any girl tell you otherwise, by the way."
"I really don't think I'll have to worry about that, since there's only one girl I want to kiss me..."
Sarah grinned, "Shut up and let me finish, you." he chuckled, "Alright, what else did I say when I was pissed off.... oh yeah. I really do wish you would be more available..."
On cue, the communicator in his arm crackled to life, "Raven to Cyborg."
Cy looked pained as he taped the button to respond, "Cy here."
"I ordered you to turn this damn thing off, you big metal bastard. Now shut it the hell off!" there was a click as Raven signed off.
Sarah arched an eye brow, "She ORDERED you to shut it off?"
Cyborg shook his head sheepishly, "Yeah, Raven's in charge while Robin is out of town. He had some business to take care of back in Gotham."
"WHY did she order you to turn it off?" Sarah narrowed her eyes.
"Because she seems to think she's my mother." Cyborg hit a few buttons on his arm and the panel slid shut, "There, turned off."
"Why-" Sarah was cut off by Cyborg placing a finger to her lips,
"Because I'm supposed to be more available, remember? Raven doesn't trust easily, she doesn't make friends very easily, and she really doesn't like people very much." he gave her a meaningful look, "She does like you though, Sarah, and she does what she needs to do to make her friends happy. Both of us." he smiled and took his finger back, "Now what were you saying?"
"That I wish you'd stop rushing off to fight crime every time we get together, but it looks like that's been taken care of." Sarah looked a little startled, "Raven really likes me? She's only met me a few times..."
"Try about ten or twenty. She did come hang out with us in the park when the Titans were just kicking around. You always came too."
"We only talked for a few minutes at any given time." Sarah pointed out.
"For Raven, that's a whole lot of talking."
"Right..." Sarah grinned and shook her head, "Did I say I was sorry for telling you that I thought all of your friends were stupid?"
"No, but that goes without saying. You think BB is a riot, Robin is smart, Starfire is the sister you never had, and Raven is cool in that dark and creepy kind of way." Cyborg ticked off his friends on his fingers as he spoke of them.
"You know me so well...." Sarah smiled sadly again, "The last thing... the one that really made you mad..." she trailed off as she saw the pain in his one human eye. Gathering up her courage, she pressed on, "I know we're still young, and I know we shouldn't start planning our lives out just yet, but Cy... I really love you." a tear trailed down her cheek, "I'd be happy spending the rest of my life with you... even if we can't have kids."
Cy reached across the table and took her hand, "Hey, we can always adopt."
Sarah laughed as more tears fell to the table, "You're completely serious aren't you? You'd marry me and adopt kids right away if we decided to wouldn't you?"
"Hell yes. I've never loved anyone like I love you, Sarah. You're the best thing that ever happened to me."
Sarah leaned across the table at the same time he did, and they pressed their lips together, holding the kiss for a solid minute. After they broke apart, Cy ran a finger down her cheek, "We CAN hold off on the kids for a few years, right?"
Sarah dissolved into giggles, "Yeah, sure."
"And about getting married... well, I'll have to save up a bit first... the JL only pays me so much you know, and even if I got a job then-"
"We can hold off on getting married for a few years too." Sarah picked up a menu and slapped him in the head with it, "Now let's order some food. I'm starving."
"Now you're talking like the girl I love!" Cyborg picked up his own menu and as they browsed them, they started talking and laughing as if the past few months had never happened.
Raven clicked her T-Comp shut and shook her head. The big lug head would never learn.
She stared off across the city from her perch on top of a gargoyle some forty floors up on a sky scraper. Her legs dangled over the edge and she kicked them lightly as she sank into contemplation again.
The seed was dormant at the moment, but it was acting up more and more often when she grew even slightly agitated. Deep meditation was required before she could find out more, but she was almost afraid of what she would find. At eighteen years old, she was an adult now, and the seed might have reached maturity with her.
So what would happen? Would her Father's essence burst out of her and shroud the world in darkness? Would she manifest his malign will and do horrible things in his name? There were too many questions and no way to answer them without great personal risk.
On top of the worries about her Father's essence buried deep inside of her, she was also feeling... more aroused lately. Like it had been before she had slept with Brandon. Ever since Robin had kissed her two days before, she'd been feeling more and more horny. It was getting to the point where she didn't know if she'd even be able to meditate deeply enough to access her inner fears and confront her Father.
With a sigh, Raven let herself slip off of the gargoyles head and plummet towards the ground in a free fall. It was liberating to loose control like this sometimes, and it helped her regain focus when she stopped herself. It was a game she liked to play, to see how close she could get to the ground before she halted her decent.
Three inches this time. She floated there for a moment, the people around her staring in awe at the girl who had just fallen from the sky. When they saw who it was, they all clapped and cheered for her as she landed.
After taking a quick bow and waving, she turned to walk to the nearest coffee house and grab a nice strong cup. She was planning on being out late tonight, and wanted to be as alert as possible.
Starbucks was in sight when she heard a short scream, followed by a woman screeching, "He took my purse! He took my purse!" looking across the street, Raven saw a young man sprinting away, and a middle aged business woman type screaming for help.
Raven sighed and shook her head. Holding out a hand, she muttered in a lazy voice, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos..." and a dumpster flew out of an ally way right in front of the purse snatcher, blocking his path.
It was with a fair amount of surprise that Raven saw the guy simply jump up and roll over the top of it, landing on his feet and continuing on as if nothing had happened.
Narrowing her eyes, Raven took flight and gave chase. The kid sure could run fast, she'd give him that, but she could fly a lot faster. Just as she caught up to him, he ducked down an ally way, and she was forced to fly low under a fire escape.
"Stop!" she yelled as he hit the back of the ally way and jumped high to climb the chain link fence that separated it from the next street over. He didn't stop, and with another long suffering sigh, she reached out with her powers again, wrapping the fence around him like a blanket. He struggled, but couldn't get out.
Raven landed next to him and kicked the bundle lightly, "I told you to stop. What part of that didn't you understand?"
"Dude! Let me out of here!" he was average height and build, short blond hair, blue eyes, black clothing. She noticed that he was quite handsome and had a soothing deep voice.
Something inside her moved, and she cursed inwardly. Now was not the time to be thinking about jumping this guys bones.
"You stole something. Give it back."
"I didn't-"
"So you always carry a pink purse then?" she narrowed her eyes, the only part of her face he could see from the darkness inside her cowl.
"Uh.... here...." he tired to shimmy it out of the chain link but he was wrapped too tightly. Raven unwrapped him and held out a hand.
"Come on. You can give it back to the lady you stole it from in person." he grinned and took her hand, pulling himself up. He was about her height, and she looked deeply into his eyes and concentrated. He actually seemed to want to give the purse back. With a slight frown, she probed deeper. Ah.
He was horny too. She noticed he was having trouble keeping his eyes away from her breasts.
A slight smile curled on her lips, "Come on." she took his wrist and pulled him gently out of the ally way. A short walk down the street (she pushed the dumpster back into the ally it had come out of) and they were standing if front of the woman he had stolen the purse from.
"I'm very sorry, ma'am. I'll never do it again." he handed it back with a slight bow.
"Well... I guess.... after all, it's not like a Teen Titan is going to let you run free." the woman took her purse and smiled at Raven, who nodded back at her grimly.
"I'll see he's properly punished. Come on you." and she jerked him down the street, leading him along by the hand.
"You're kidding right?" he asked once they were far enough away from the woman so she wouldn't hear.
"Yeah... I mean, you gave the purse back, didn't you? You were just playing a game."
"How'd you-"
"I can read your basic thoughts. You were just having fun. Illegal fun, granted, but we took care of that."
"Where are we going?" he sounded curious.
"Somewhere private so we can talk."
"Talk?"
"In a manner of speaking."
"What kind of 'talk'?"
"The adult kind." she tugged on his wrist a bit more insistently, "Try to keep up."
He grinned and moved a little faster as she rounded a corner that led them away from Main Street.
Raven waited until they were in a lower traffic area, then pulled him into an ally way with her, "Hold on." she said as she stepped into a shadow and teleported them to the top of the building they were next to.
"Whoa...." the young man said as they stepped out of a shadow and into the moonlight, "That's a trip."
"Come here." Raven grabbed the back of his head and pulled him to her. She crushed her mouth against his, and he eagerly reciprocated. After a few moments, they pulled apart and she attacked his neck, nibbling at the skin of his throat. He groaned as his hands ran up her sides and across her breasts. Her hands pulled at his shirt, found skin and rubbed up his chest. She pushed him away from her and smiled in a saucy manner as she lowered her hood and swept her cloak off.
"Well, I know you're Raven... my name is-" she stepped forward and kissed him again before he could finish,
"I don't want to know. That's part of what makes it exciting..." and she pulled him down to the roof on top of her, where she'd laid her cloak down, "Now let's find out if you know what you're doing downstairs."
He grinned as he kissed his way down her body, then in-between her legs.
Raven threw her head back and gasped. Yeah, he knew what he was doing. As she tugged at her leotard, pulling it off of her arms and slipping out through the top of it, she stared up at the moon. As he continued to work, she grinned.
Not such a bad patrol after all....
Robin was glad he had kept his keys to the manor doors when he moved to Jump City. As he let himself in the back way, by the kitchen, he grinned. He'd never really had the chance to sneak in while he was living here. He'd been too young then, but now he almost felt naughty, like he was coming back from a date that had lasted too long. He half expected to find-
"It's good to see you Master Richard." Alfred said from where he was preparing a tray of sandwiches, "Master Bruce is expecting you in his study."
"Security still works well huh?" Robin asked as he rubbed the back of his neck and hitched up his bag on his shoulder.
"Very well. Would you mind taking the sandwiches with you? The coffee is still brewing...."
"Not at all Alfred. Hey..." he walked over to the elderly butler and hugged him, "I've missed you."
Alfred was shocked for a moment, but hugged the young super hero back with a gentle smile after he recovered, "It's good to have you back, Master Richard. How long will you be staying?"
"As long as it takes." was Robin's reply as he picked up the tray of sandwiches and made for Bruce's study. He paused at the door without turning around, "I'm going to go after the Joker weather Bruce wants me to or not."
"I know, young Robin. I know." He couldn't see Alfred's face, but the butler sounded much older and tiered than Robin had ever known him to. He felt a sharp pain in his chest as he worried about the man who had practically raised him.
On the long walk to Bruce's study (the manor was huge) Robin thought about what it must be like for Alfred, worrying about not just one, but two men who constantly put themselves in the worst kind of danger, backed up by nothing except their agility and wits. It probably drove him to distraction sometimes, but he kept on patching them up every time they staggered in from the Batcave.
Now that his relationship with Starfire was out in the open, he was starting to appreciate how Alfred felt....
Stopping in front of a set of large oak double doors, Robin raised a hand and knocked. Not even he had the right to just walk into Bruce's study unannounced.
"Come in." came the deep voice from the other side. Opening the doors, Robin was instantly overwhelmed by the sights and sounds that greeted him. He'd spent countless hours in this room, studying, getting lectured, devising new plans with Batman, playing board games with Alfred and Bruce....
"Dick." Bruce said by way of greeting from where he sat at his desk, filling out some paper work. He still had Waynecorp to run on top of being Batman, so he was often up late even when he wasn't out on patrol.
"Bruce." he replied and walked in, "Alfred made us sandwiches. It's been awhile since I ate..." he dropped his bag next to one of the large squishy leather chairs that sat in front of the huge oak desk and sat down in it.
"I haven't eaten much either... not since Barbara...." he trailed off as he laid down his expensive looking pen and grabbed a sandwich of the top of the pile.
Robin spoke quietly, "I stopped by and saw her before I came here."
"I figured you might." Bruce continued to look down at the paper work he was doing while he ate.
"I'll start looking for leads on the Joker tomorrow afternoon. You can join me latter at night if you want." Bruce nodded and grabbed another sandwich.
"Eat, Dick. And then you'll need to get some sleep before you go running all over Gotham looking for the Joker."
As he grabbed a sandwich, Robin grinned, "It feels weird having someone call me that... the rest of the Titan's just call me Robin..." he paused, knowing the conversation that was coming wouldn't be a pleasant one, "except Kori."
"Kori?" Bruce raised an eyebrow as he looked up from his work.
"Yeah... Koriand'r." at his mentors blank look, Robin rolled his eyes, "Didn't you even read the personal files I sent to the Justice League?"
"No. Martian took care of that."
"Koriand'r is Starfire's name. Her Tameranien name." Robin let out a long suffering sigh.
"Am I to assume that she calls you Richard?" Bruce sat back as he took another huge bite.
Robin had his mouth full as he replied, "Yeah."
"So you're seeing her then? How long has this been going on?"
"Um... about a day."
"Bad timing on our part out here. Sorry."
"You're not going to scold me for dating inside the team? Or for dating at all?"
"You'll be eighteen in a month, Dick. I'm not going to run your life for you." Bruce shrugged, "If you think you're old enough to live on the other side of the country and lead a team of super hero's, then you're old enough to have a relationship. Just don't let her impair your judgment or cloud your reason, and use protection when you-"
"Bruce!" Robin cut him off with a laugh, spraying bread crumbs all over the desk, "We are NOT discussing my sex life."
"What? You don't want to compare notes with a rich playboy?" Bruce waggled his eyebrows.
"What notes? You hardly ever bring girls home, and when you do, you make them sleep in on of the guest rooms!"
"Where as you've brought so many girls back to the manor..."
"I brought Babs back here once-"
"And you were too shy to even kiss her. She slept in a guest room, by the way. And you were fourteen, by the way."
Robin shook his head as he laughed. They sat in silence until Alfred arrived with the coffee. Robin declined, as he had to go to sleep soon. As he rose to leave, he looked at Bruce with a serious expression, "Any idea's on where I should start looking?"
"Harley wasn't with him. Find her, find out why, and find out if she can help you find him." was Bruce's reply as he picked up his pen again.
"Right. Contact me if you need anything." and he walked the three hall ways and one staircase to his room. Looking around at it as he stepped inside, he saw that it had been cleaned regularly, but nothing had been changed from the way he left it.
Flopping down on the bed, he stared at the ceiling, the confused feeling he'd had before entering the hospital returning in force. He closed his eyes as he sank into thought, and visions of red hair and dancing green eyes invaded his mind.
The problem was, he couldn't tell who that hair and those eyes belonged to; a girl from another planet, or a girl laid up in a hospital bed right now...
Three thousand miles away, on the other side of the country, one of those red haired, green eyed girls opened her eyes as she came awake.
"Robin..." Starfire mumbled and rolled over in bed. Sitting up, she let the sheets slide off of her slender frame, exposing bare skin. She hardly ever slept with clothes on, and after sharing a bed with Robin the night before (fully clothed) she was grateful to be able to sleep nude again.
Sliding out of her satin sheeted bed, Star padded over to a wardrobe and pulled out a night gown and a robe. Putting both on, she walked to her door and out into the hall way.
Just as she walked out, Raven was walking past, and they bumped into each other. Startled, Starfire began to fall over, only to have Raven's hand shoot out and grab her arm to steady her. Not realizing her own strength, the psion pulled her friend completely over and they both fell back to the floor with a solid thump.
Star looked down at Raven, who looked back up at her with a quirked eyebrow, "I am sorry, Raven." she grinned bashfully, "You pulled very hard on my arm."
"I'm sorry too. I should have sensed you coming through the door. My mind was else where." Raven smiled a little bit, "Do you think you could let go of my breast? It's starting to turn me on..."
With an 'eep!' Starfire flew up off of Raven and floated a little ways away, "I am sorry! I did not-"
"It's okay Star!" Raven chuckled as she got up off the floor, "I was just joking around." she brushed her cloak off, "Why are you up so late? Early? Whatever?"
"I had a dream of Robin... it was... how can I put this?"
"Steamy? Hot? Wet?"
Starfire cocked her head to the side and nodded, "Yes. All of those."
"More than I wanted to know." Raven shook her head and turned around, "I'm going to bed. I'll be up by 11:30 tomorrow. Have the team assembled in the training room by then. I want to start getting Jinx a feel for how we fight."
"Very well. Goodnight, Friend Raven."
"Night Star." Raven yawned hugely and walked to her room.
Starfire watched her go, then continued down to the kitchen. Maybe an early morning snack would help her to sleep.
Cyborg pulled his lips up off of Sarah's as they stood by the door of her apartment and stepped back, "I had a great time tonight Baby."
"Yeah, me too." she rubbed his arm, "Call me tomorrow?"
"You bet. Maybe we can set up another date this week. With Jinx around now it's gonna' be hectic training her and with Robin gone, you can bet we're going to run into some kind of trouble."
"I don't expect too much from you Cy. It's great that you were around all night tonight though." she pecked him on the cheek quickly before turning to her door to unlock it, "I'll see you latter."
"Latter." Cy waved over his shoulder as he walked back down the hall way and out the front door of the apartment building. Clambering back into the T-Car, he whistled a happy tune (badly... Cyborg wasn't much of a whistler...) and took off down the street.
He had meant what he had just told Sarah. He was sure Raven would start them on intensive training to develop some combat skills with Jinx, and he would probably have patrol tomorrow night. On top of that, with Robin gone, they were sure to argue more, unless Raven really put her foot down.
It was going to be an interesting few weeks, that was for sure....
Closing Notes: There it is. Basic story line set up, a few new plot elements, and some forshadowing of things to come. New faces will be popping up in this story, so expect to find some more interesting interactions.
Whoa! I can already feel the heat from those flames! Hey all you Rob/Star shippers, cut it out! I know you want me to get them together, and SOON! Chill out, guys and gals, it'll freakin' HAPPEN, okay? This is a Rob/Star story after all, even if this part centers more on the other members of the team. Chapter two is almost done as well, so look for it in the next few days.
Just a few short notes to a few people...
Heaven's Angel- Yeah, the spacing thing was a bitch. Got it figured out now, though.
an- don't know if you'll be reading this, but no, we're not going to go to a full blown opera. I don't do musicals very well. :) Seriously, I'm just pulling these names out of my limited music thoery knowladge. Only took one class on it you know... prolly going with Symphony next. Yeah, that sounds cool...
vanyd- Bring it on. Track me down and we'll throw down! Oh wait, I posted the sequal so I guess you don't have to. :)
starryStarsStrs56- I think I figured out what you were trying to say... um... try typing coherently next time, kay? Anyway, if you actually read the OTHER five chapters of Sonata, you find out that Star and Robin DO get together in the end. :)
AnimeHimeko- I've been talking to you over the e-mail, so you know what's up. I know you're busy right now with school, so I wont expect any miricals with the next chapter either. As always, you were imensly helpful, and you get FIVE big gold stars!
treefroggy- you jumped on the band wagon kind of late, but made up for it by reviewing EVERY CHAPTER! That's awsome. Keep on reviewing, I like hearing from you!
Everyone else who reviewed Jump City Sonata- Thanks a ton! It makes my day to hear from you people. For those of you who said I'm the best TT writer ever... I don't know about that, but I'm truly flattered.
You may now review if you would like to!
Next Chapter: Robin and Batman: together again. (Awww... kodak moment!) Raven get's pissy and Beast Boy and Jinx get the brunt of her wrath, Beast Boy and Jinx find themselves in a VERY interesting situation, Cyborg keeps the peace, and Starfire eats waffles.