Birds of a Feather

Chapter 3

Hey guys! I never have anything to say... oh hang on, yes I do! THEY'RE MAKING A SECOND HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON! Okay, now that I'm done with that... reviewer responses!

Guest: Thank you! Gah, it's so hard to make an OC and not have them turn into a Sue... at least I'm doing well so far.

Fair warning, this chapter will have some fashion talk, because I do not like the traffic light thing.

I own nothing, italics are thoughts, do I really have to do this at the beginning of every chapter.

Tips and Diamonds

Robin pressed himself deeper into the shadowy corner he was hiding in and, for the thousandth time, cursed his traffic light outfit.

Why did I even decide on this? I could have gone with a much less visible look but no, I just had to prove I wasn't just 'sidekick of the Bat,' and went for this stupid thing. I swear, I am changing the uniform the second this mission is over. Maybe black leggings and a red tunic... yeah, that'll look good...

As he pondered that, his comm. went off. "Uh, yeah?"

"Hey Robin! What're you thinking about?"

"Concentrate on the mission, Beast Boy."

"I'll be able to concentrate better if I'm not thinking about what you're thinking about..."

Robin sighed. "If you have to know, I'm just thinking that once this mission is over I'm probably going to change this stupid costume. Get something a little better for blending in."

"Good."

"Oh, hey Raven. We need to focus on the mission, not my fashion sense, which I assure you will be thought much more highly of after I change the outfit." He shut off the comm.

The mission. The Titans had gotten an anonymous tip stating that Cardinal would be making an appearance at the diamond exhibition, so they were there to stop her if she showed up. It would be easier to catch her if she didn't know they were there, so they were all doing their best to stay out of sight.

"Hey Bird. So, how's your day going?"

Robin whipped around, but saw nothing.

"Come on, I can become practically invisible! Turning around isn't going to let you catch me. I'm standing about three metres to your left, by the way."

Robin considered that. "This reminds me of Batman and Catwoman. Of course, they're flirting."

"I'm pretty sure they do more than flirt. You know, it's weird how our mentors are in love, and yet every time you see me you try to haul my ass to jail."

"That's because you're a criminal- Hang on. Catwoman's your mentor?"

The villainess allowed herself to become visible. "Of course. She is the best thief on the planet, you know."

"Well, that explains why you remind me of her."

Cardinal shrugged. "Oh, speaking of Selina, she told me to say hi to you for her, Kitten."

Robin frowned. "You know, I liked that nickname a lot more before I met Killer Moth's daughter." Quietly, he pressed a button on his utility belt, calling the rest of the Titans to his position. "So, if you were in Gotham... how're things going there?"

A vicious smirk appeared on Cardinal's face. "Aww, is the poor little birdie homesick?"

"Okay, A, no. And B, I've got some friends there, is it so weird to wonder how they're doing?"

"Why don't you run home and ask Daddy Bats?"

She suddenly disappeared, just as Cyborg's plasma cannon lit up the area. "Distracting me until the cavalry shows up? Nice try Bird, but you're gonna have to do better than that!"

As the other three Titans ran over, one of the exhibition's smaller diamonds vanished into thin air as she apparently picked it up. As they tried to track her movements, her nunchaku flew through the air and wrapped around Robin's legs, pulling him to the ground.

"Seriously?! Was that really necessary?" An electric disk that Cardinal must have taken from his utility belt while she was invisible flew into Cyborg, sending sparks everywhere and knocking all the other Titans out with the force of impact. "Okay, I suppose it's better than being electrocuted."

A soft laugh filled the air as Cardinal reappeared. "You've got a sense of humor Boy Wonder, I'll give you that. Well, I suppose I'll see you around." Then she darted off.

"Wait!" The thief turned around. "Yes?"

"Why are you stealing that? Isn't the stuff you took last week enough?"

She sighed. "Maybe you didn't notice, but I only took enough for one week. Look, not all of us have an inheritance the size of Nebraska, Grayson."

This time she really did leave. Dick sighed, looking at the mess around him.

I really need to talk to Selina.

Done! Like I said earlier, I don't like the traffic light thing. Okay, for the next chapter, do you want Robin and Cardinal to meet in their civilian identities, or do you want another hero encounter? Both have appeal, and I can't decide which one to do. *bangs head against wall* Seriously, tell me which you want. Until next time, and

REVIEW

-Bird