A scream. Garfield sat up in the air seat, drenched in sweat, gasping for air. He had dreamed of her again. That girl. Raven. She had been the source of the scream. Garfield placed his head in his hands as a stewardess with long brown hair and blue eyes came over.
"Are you okay Mr Logan?"
"I'm fine, thank you."
The woman nodded weakly before she left him. Garfield leaned back against his seat and looked out of the window. Who was she? None he had ever seen. And why was she screaming? Was she hurt? Suddenly he saw her. She was lying on the ground or something, and he was slapping her and screaming her name. Her eyes fluttered and finally she looked him.
"Beast Boy what are you doing?"
"What am I doing? What are you doing? What were you doing on the ledge?"
He was screaming.
"What ledge? What are you doing in my room?"
He looked shocked at her, before opening his arms. The girl looked around herself.
"What am I doing on the roof?"
"The hell I know. I hear someone talking, and when I come up to see who it is I see you standing on the edge, ready to play tag with the ground."
Raven looked from his face to the edge and back. Garfield could still feel the terror in his body.
"Your scared."
"You almost fell of the roof Rae."
"And that scares you?"
He was sitting on his knees, just looking at her. He was stunned.
"Of course it does. It scares the daylight out of me. You're my friend Rae."
Garfield looked out of his window and the total darkness outside. He had never been afraid of the darkness, not even as a child. He had always known that just because something seemed scary and creepy didn't mean they actually would hurt you.
A new scream. Deep down something in Garfield tired to get out. To protect her. To stop her from screaming. He fidgeted in his seat as her scream pierced the air around him and almost made him cry.
"Raven."
The name was just a whisper. Who was she? Why did he hurt so just because she was? Why was she hurting so? He sighed and pulled his blanket up to his chin as a new scream made the air around him shake.
--
Koriand'r turned as the tears ran down her cheek. The scream still ringing in her ears. She hated that she suddenly couldn't stop crying.
"Leave me."
"Your majesty?"
"I said leave me."
When she finally was alone she sat down and let them fall freely. Her entire body was shaking. The scream, that girl, she had haunted her dreams as long as Koriand'r could remember. But she had never been so clear and so heartbreaking as now.
Suddenly an image came for her. She was standing outside something called a room for changing. A voice came from behind the closed doors came a voice. Raven.
"Starfire I don't need a new dress."
"Yes you do friend Raven. It is after all the celebration of the birth of Beast Boy. You do want to celebrate him don't you?"
"You know I do."
The doors opened and the woman came out dressed in a foot long, A-lined dress with a medieval cut and long arms. It was dark blue and purple and to her surprise had the girl a faint blush on her cheeks.
"Oh friend Raven, you look wonderful. Beast Boy will love it."
Her blush grew.
"Why friend Raven, you are doing the blushing?"
Suddenly she looked up with an almost desperate look in her eyes.
"No I'm not."
"Do you like friend Beast Boy friend Raven?"
Suddenly every pear in the store exploded and the entire shop was suddenly dark.
"You do like friend Beast Boy do you not?"
"Maybe, but you can't tell him Starfire."
They where standing by the windows, which gave a faint light that landed on her face.
"But friend Raven, why not?"
"Just promise me. You can't tell him."
"Okay friend Raven. I promise."
Koriand'r shook her head as the tears finally stopped falling. The screaming didn't stop, but Koriand'r knew how to work through it. She called in her men, as she got ready to talk about her new strategies. But the closer she got to her target, the more intense got the screaming.
--
"Dick you're not concentrating."
Richard was standing on the tiny platform and holding the line, but his mind was not on the act he was about to practice. The scream was still ringing in his ears, and it had been this who had broken his concentration.
He was standing by the sea, looking at three people laughing and playing in the water. One of them the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Starfire. He was suddenly struck by a big scare. He was suddenly afraid that he would loose her, like he had lost his parents.
"Robin."
He turned his head and smiled to the woman, more like girl, coming to him and stopping next to him. She too was looking at the three people.
"I know you're afraid."
"How?"
She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and suddenly he felt stupid. Not only was she empathic. They also had a special bond. He shook his head over his own stupidity, and she said nothing more to it.
"You don't have to be strong all the time Robin. Some times even a mountain needs someone to lean on. Being in love doesn't make you weak. In fact that makes you stronger, because you become more empathic and more human."
They shared a look again, and he smiled.
"So no one has any objections."
"I have none. And Beast Boy and Cyborg have a bet on when you will actually start dating her. And Starfire is… Well, she's Starfire."
"But I don't think I can loose any one else."
The girl smiled sadly and placed a hand on his arm. Robin liked this small token of kindness.
"If you let fear stop you from acting, you will never experience anything good. For everything that can give you joy can also give you pain."
Robin nodded.
"Richard."
Richard looked up as his father landed next to him.
"Are you okay?"
"Fine."
"Good. Now fly like the Robin Dick."
Richard nodded, but was still confused when a new cry pierced the air.
--
Victor stopped kissing the girl as another scream made him turn his head.
"Vic what is it?"
"Didn't you hear that Karen?"
"No. What am I supposed to hear?"
He hushed her as another scream made him look around in the dark night.
"Vic if you are just going to act like a jerk I'm leaving."
Karen put her hand on her hip and stared up at him, but Victor wasn't looking at her. In her place was grease stained girl, standing over him. She was smiling. Raven.
"I need a 4,5 inch wrench."
"Right away Cyborg."
The girl vanished, but was standing next to him just seconds later with a 4,5 inch wrench. He vanished under the car again. He tightened the bolt, before he pulled himself out and rose.
"Finished."
He pulled out the keys.
"So, want to take it out for a little spin?"
"Okay. Shall I get the others?"
"No. I think this is just between us. You know, mechanic to mechanic."
A tiny smile played on her lips.
"Are you sure? Beast Boy will be awful disappointed."
"Of course. You helped me build my baby, so you get to come with me for our first ride. Besides, Beast Boy lost my video game and needs to be punished."
Her smiled widened. They sat down in the car.
"Do you have it?"
She smiled again and pulled out the disk. He grinned as she placed it in and when he turned the car key the car purred.
"The thing that makes it special isn't the parts, but the time you spent making it."
"Victor, are you listening to me?"
"I'm feeling a bit poorly Karen. I think I just have to go home. I'll make it up to you later."
"You better."
Then she smiled and gave him a last kiss good bye. As she got in to a cab a new scream was heard.
--
"Turn over here Mr Stone."
"Mr Stone, just one more picture."
"Mr Stone."
Victor turned and gave the smiles the photographers where begging for. On his arm Karen, who even he had never seen so wonderful. She was wearing a yellow and black that surprisingly was complimenting her dark skin and eyes.
--
"I don't know Gary. It's my first Friday here."
"Hey, I have an extra ticket. I just wanted you to have some fun. And besides you will never get an opportunity like this ever again. Come on. It'll be fun. I promise."
"Fine I'll go to this award show with you."
Garfield sighed as Gary smiled. Gary was handsome, and Garfield knew his new roommate was the Don Juan of the school. Garfield liked him, but he did feel a sting a jealousy when he had seen the girls going go-go eyes over him. Then he had to remind himself that he actually had a girlfriend back home in Africa. Garfield sighed before turning back to his studied.
--
"But your majesty."
"No buts. You will leave and wait until I give the orders."
The soldier just shook his head as she walked out of the ship and she looked as it took flight. Even Koriand'r was surprised by her order, but she didn't want to have anyone around. She felt something was coming. She suddenly regretted starting this invasion.
--
How could he have known that the tickets would be so expensive? Richard walked down the alley and looked for an open window or something. There. He smiled as he jumped on the trashcan, from the trashcan flung himself on the fire escape and from the fire escape jumped in through the open window. He fell to the floor, but it was thankfully in a corner and not crowded. Actually there was only one man standing there. Looking at him.
"Wouldn't the back door be easier?"
"Guard."
Richard rose and brushed himself of.
"Pleas don't tell anyone I snuck in."
"As I see it, as long as you come in you are entitled to stay. But next time you should see if anyone is below the window before you jump down."
"Yes sir."
Richard didn't know why he suddenly felt like he had disappointed this man, but he did. And that bothered him.
"But you're good. Most people would have knocked themselves silly after a fall like that."
"I've trained."
The man said nothing. Richard didn't know why this man, made him feel so small and yet so big at the same time.
"So, I'll see you later."
"Maybe."
Then Richard walked away, but he couldn't help sending the man glances over his shoulder, and he knew the man was looking after him as well.
--
Koriand't had no problem getting inside. It seemed the male species was the same on Earth as in Tamaran. The only problem was that she didn't understand why she wanted to get inside. It was an award show of some sort, for a man named Victor Stone. She thought it had to have something to do with that name. As quickly as she had seen that she had known she had to get in. She just didn't know why.
