"Uh, Jim? The hell?" Mike asked. "Jim" turned around, taking the ring off. "What Jim?" Beast Boy asked as he handed the ring back to Cyborg. The other Riders' eyes widened as they realized the truth.
"Oh, shit," Mike said. And that was all any of them had time to say.
Birdarangs, sonic fire, starbolts, Azarathian energy, bass guitars and gorilla fists flew everywhere. In the time span of a minute, they had been hit with everyone the Titans could throw at them. Finally, Raven caught them up in an energy bubble and lifted them.
"The cops are already picking Jim's sorry ass up out of the restroom. They'll be coming by for you idiots any minute now. And by the way, it's nice to know that you at least had the decency not to cripple my friends," Raven snarled.
A couple minutes later, three cop cars swung by, taking the Riders into custody and relieving Beast Boy of the wire tape. "Hold on a second," Beast Boy said. He went up to the car that Jim was in and smirked.
"Next time you go to shoot someone, get some people that aren't as dumb as they look," The changeling said with a laugh. Jim just glowered as the car sped off.
"Greeny Beanie, I love you in the most non-romantic way possible," Liz said, arms crossed and grinning at the boy. Beast Boy just looked at her and shook her head.
"Don't compliment me, compliment the girl who whipped me into shape," He laughed, putting his arm around Raven. Raven snorted as she kissed him on the cheek.
"Thanks for giving me an excuse to beat them up. I've wanted to do that for ages," Raven said, chuckling. Looking at her boyfriend, she noticed a sudden change in his face. His smile fell, turning instead into a look of concentration. "What?" Raven asked.
"Something...isn't right. I can't put my finger on it, but I have the strangest feeling that something is off somewhere," He said slowly. Robin furrowed his brows.
It was then that Beast Boy noticed it. He heard far away shouts. Shouts that only he could hear. He heard "HE'S OUT OF THE CAR, EASTBOUND! HE'S GOT A GUN!" Beast Boy's eyes widened, realizing that the cop cars had gone west.
By the time he had figured it out, it was too late. "EVERYBODY DU-" The changeling's voice was drowned out by the awfully familiar sound of a gunshot. Everyone looked around wildly. Beast Boy heard "WE GOT HIM! HEARD A SHOT FIRE!" from down the street.
Everyone looked around wildly. Beast Boy saw it first, and closed his eyes. He was too late.
Starfire lay face up on the concrete, blood pooling beneath her head.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It took the others a couple seconds to orient themselves after the deafening sound of the gunshot. Once their heads were clear, they caught sight of her.
"STARFIRE!!" Robin screamed. "GET AN ABULANCE! NOW!!" He shrieked. Liz already had her cell phone out, dialing 911.
Robin whipped around and grabbed Raven so hard that it hurt. "HEAL HER!" He screamed again. Raven pushed him away and kneeled by the alien girl. Her hands began to glow, but they stopped after a moment.
"I was able to close the wound, but I can't restore blood, Robin. I can't guarantee she'll make it," She said shakily. Everybody watched the ambulance came. Just as Robin was about to get into the ambulance, he caught sight of Jim being led back into the car.
Blinded by rage, he whipped out a handful of bladed Birdarangs and launched them at the band leader. Raven barely caught them in time to stop them from embedding in Jim's skull. Raven glared at Robin.
"Robin, you are a Teen Titan. NOT a murderer. I know you're in pain, but Starfire needs you by her side, not in jail. GO!" She roared, pushing him into the ambulance as it sped off.
Suddenly, she heard a loud crashing. Whipping around, she saw Beast Boy standing in front of a gorilla-fist sized hole in the brick wall. Approaching him, she put an arm around his shoulder. "Beast Boy, you acted as fast as possible. You probably saved the rest of us from the harm of whatever ricochet that bullet had," She said softly.
Beast Boy wrenched away from her. "This is MY fault. I heard him coming. I should've yelled sooner. I could have saved Star. I could've..." He broke down into tears, dropping on his hands and knees on the pavement.
"Beast Boy, you did your best. Come on, we're heading for the hospital, Liz is informing the event manager of what's happening as we speak," She picked him up and put his arm on her shoulder.
The T-Car sped through the city, doing over 100 MPH through the streets as the Titans raced towards the hospital. Once they got there, everyone sped towards the door, coming to a halt only once they reached the front desk.
"Ma'am, I'm looking for a patient under the name of either Starfire or Kori Anders," Raven said politely, controlling herself. The clerk pointed her to the floor that Starfire should be on, and the group used the elevator to climb the building. Reaching the floor, Raven did a mental sweep.
"Yeah, this is the right floor. Third door on the left," She said. Opening the door, they walked into a waiting room. Raven went to the desk.
"Can I help you, miss?" The woman asked.
"Yes, you can. I'm looking for a patient under the name of Kori Anders or Starfire. She was rushed in here with a kid in a black and white eye mask. Ring any bells?" Raven asked.
"I know who you're talking about. You're the other Titans, correct?" Raven nodded. "Come this way," The nurse invited her and the others through a door on the right of the desk.
"It'll be the fourth door on your right," The nurse informed them. Raven nodded curtly and proceeded briskly towards the door. Using all of her willpower not to fling the door off its hinges, she turned the knob with a shaking hand and opened it up.
Robin sat by Starfire's bed, watching and listening to the various beeps and monitors of her vitals. Amazingly, he had his mask off, although Raven quickly saw why. The thing was drenched in a mixture of sweat and tears.
"Is she...stable?" Cyborg questioned. Robin nodded. Cyborg's face split into a wide smile. "Well, if she's stable, that mean's she'll recover. Did they give you an estimate on how long she'll be here?" The metallic teen asked.
Robin shook his head. Then, suddenly, they heard bashing noises. Robin finally spoke. "What was that?" He asked quietly. Raven groaned. The sounds were coming from the restrooms, and Beast Boy was not in the room.
"I'll be back..." Raven sighed. A few minutes later, she brought back a changeling that had several bruises on his face courtesy of the hospital's metal sinks. Robin's eyes widened in surprise.
"He thinks that he didn't act fast enough, and that he's the reason Starfire got shot," Raven explained with a sigh. Robin just nodded and motioned for Beast Boy to move his way. Slowly, Beast Boy trudged over.
And quite suddenly, to everyone's surprise, Robin trapped the poor changeling into a death hug. Hoarse from crying so much, Robin could barely do more than whisper.
"Beast Boy, if you hadn't been there, hadn't been paying attention, she wouldn't be here. The police called me. They said that from foot prints and bullet trajectory that if Starfire had been standing completely upright, the bullet would have gone clean through her neck, either rupturing a vital artery or severing her spinal cord," Robin told him.
Beast Boy smiled slightly. So she had heard him, and did indeed crouch, though not enough apparently. Raven gave him a soft smile and said "See? You saved her life, Gar. She'll wake up to see another day because of you."
"So...I didn't completely fail her?" Beast Boy whispered. Everyone shook their heads. "And she's going to fully recover?" He asked. Everyone nodded. "Thank God," He said, sighing in relief. He approached her bedside and leaned down to give the Tamaranian a small kiss on the forehead, then took a seat on the floor. "Figures, Robin has the only chair," He muttered humorously.
"Awww," Cyborg said under his breath, but still loud enough for Beast Boy to hear it and blush. A doctor came in, checked up on Starfire and addressed the Titans.
"My name is Doctor Mopzor," She introduced herself. "Your friend Starfire obviously has a different biology than I am used to working with, but the differences are minimal. As such, I can guarantee that Starfire will make a full recovery. She should be back and ready for anything in about 3 weeks to a month," She assured them. Then she winced slightly, causing a look of fear on Robin's face.
"The bad news is that visiting hours are over," She explained. Robin let out a huge sigh. "However, I understand you are in a relationship with the girl?" Doctor Mopzor directed her attention to the Boy Wonder. He nodded. "I believe I can arrange for you stay in the room overnight, if you wish," She said with a smile.
Robin smiled back. "That'd be great," He said appreciatively. He looked to the other Titans. "Er...find a hotel, I guess. I don't want us leaving here until Starfire is ready. Call Bumblebee, see if Titans East can't cover Jump City," He instructed.
"I can take care of that," Cyborg said. Beast Boy and Raven both snorted. Cyborg shot them death glares as they exited the room. "For the last time, keep your damn noses out of it," He said, flustered.
"What am I missing here?" Liz asked. Raven rolled her eyes.
"Cyborg has this girl named Bumblebee that lives a city away from out home city that he likes. He refuses to admit that he likes her though. Thing is, he also has feelings for this girl named Jinx that he won't fess up to," She explained. Cyborg scowled as they piled into the T-Car.
"Wonder who won the Battle," Liz said as they drove off. Raven frowned. She hadn't really paid any mind to the competition once they rushed for the hospital. "I'm gonna call the club up, see who won. It'll be something to take up our minds with," Liz told them.
"Hello? This is Liz of Nevermore. I just wanted to see who placed where in the Battle tonight. We had to rush a friend to the hospital, so... oh, really? Wow. Are you serious? That's great to hear. Ok, thanks," The Titans could only hear her end of the conversation, so when Liz turned to them they all looked at her, questioning.
"You aren't gonna believe this. We placed second! We passed, Raven! And Nationals aren't for another good 3 months or so, so Star'll have plenty of time to recover," Liz said, beaming. All of them just gaped as Cyborg pulled into a Holiday Inn & Suites.
"Alright, everyone out," Cyborg said. Entering the hotel lobby, they booked two two-room suites with all the works. Taking their keys, they headed to the second floor where their rooms were.
"I'm getting a room with Raven, obviously," Beast Boy said, winking slyly at his girlfriend. She responded by rolling her eyes, and the other two gagged.
"Fine, Cy and I will take the other room. See ya later," Liz said. It was about 8 pm, so Beast Boy and Raven decided to tuck into their room for a while.
Raven sat on the edge of the bed. pulled her guitar out and began abstractly playing, minus her amp. Her face was pensive as she picked on the strings, and finally she began singing softly.
Beastly senses in the dark of the night
Saved an innocent girl from evil's bite
He saved her from rage, he saved her from hate
Yet he blames himself for warning too late
She finished, not aware that Beast Boy was snuggled up on the side of the bed she was on, listening with eyes closed to the song. She was also not aware that she had unconsciously dropped into her mother tongue while singing.
"So that's how you think of songs, huh? Get inspiration, play a bit and let words come to you?" He asked, causing her to jump slightly. She turned and smiled.
"Usually, yes. What did you think?" She asked.
"Well...What'd it mean? You weren't singing English. I heard "zinthos" a couple times though. Was that Azarathian?" He asked. Raven laughed slightly. Slipping into her first language was something Raven had done quite a few times when she sang. She had just never done it around anyone.
"Yes, it was, Garfield. 'Zinthos' means a couple different things, but it basically means 'protector' or 'righteous,'" She explained. "The song was about a beast whose senses saved a girl from evil," She said with a smile. Beast Boy pointed at himself, questioning, and Raven nodded.
The changeling sighed. Then his ears perked up. Raven cocked an eyebrow. "Sensitive hearing?" She asked.
"Yeah, but it's Cyborg. I hear...I can't be hearing right. Senses must be dulled from the gunshot," He said, shaking his head. I have got to be having hearing problems, The changeling thought. He was hearing Cyborg and Liz, and they were talking in a tone that sounded almost...romantic?
Raven narrowed her eyes. "Hearing what from Cyborg?" She asked. Please GOD tell me that I am so wrong, and I just jump to conclusions way too easily. PLEASE Azar, She supplicated.
"Uhm...why don't we just go check it out?" Beast Boy suggested. Raven nodded, and the pair set off. Nearing the door to Liz and Cyborg's room, Raven and Beast Boy listened. "Don't worry, this is for our own peace of mind," Beast Boy told Raven, seeing her guilty face.
"...don't think it would work with either of them, y'know? But there's something... I dunno, different about you," They heard Cyborg say.
"Heh. I could say the same for you, except my reasons are pretty obvious, Terminator," Liz laughed. Raven's eyes widened. TERMINATOR?! She thought.
"No, seriously, I think we could have a shot...what's your name? And don't tell me it's Cyborg," Liz warned him.
Cyborg laughed. "It's Victor. Victor Stone. I just haven't used the name much since I joined the Titans. I guess I just consider Cyborg to be my new identity, and Victor to be the guy I used to be when I was completely human, y'know?"
Raven looked over at Beast Boy, a vein throbbing on her forehead and terror in her eyes. Beast Boy was shaking in silent laughter, but was silenced by a death glare that clearly read "this is NOT funny" from his girlfriend.
"You're still completely human, Victor. Human isn't about a body, Term. It's about soul and spirit. Tell ya what, let's ditch the hotel for a bit and catch something to eat?" Liz suggested. Raven's eyes went even wider. Beast Boy was dying laughing at this point, unable to keep himself controlled.
"Sounds good, Lizzy. Let me grab my ring real quick," Cyborg said.
Raven had heard enough. Motioning for Beast Boy to follow, she hauled ass for her own room, her changeling boyfriend close on her tail.
"OH. MY. FUCKING. GOD!" Raven screamed once inside. Beast Boy was snickering uncontrollably, gasping for air. Finally, he managed to stand long enough to get to the bed before busting up again.
"Terminator? Oh God, that's...that's hilarious!" He gasped out. Raven was rubbing her head profusely. One of her best girlfriends was putting the moves on her cybernetic teammate!
Beast Boy gave an even louder snort as he realized something. "Hey Rae" He said, finally getting a grip.
"Do I even want to know?" She groaned.
"Well...I wonder what Liz is gonna do when she finds out Cyborg is...well...missing...certain pieces," Beast Boy said, barely keeping a straight face. Raven's jaw dropped in horror.
"Tell me you aren't saying what I think you're saying!" She commanded. It wasn't a question. Beast Boy looked down.
"Would if I could, babe. But yeah...Lack of breasts is the only separation," The green elf couldn't help it any longer, rolling off the bed with laughter. Raven just stood in shock. Then they heard a knock on their door.
Raven opened it to see Cyborg. She instantly burst out into a mix of wild laughter and groans. Still giggling, she motioned for Beast Boy to go to the door as she collapsed on the bed in a fit of laughter.
"Oooookay. What, did you finally get naked in front of her?" Cyborg asked teasingly.
"ZING! Burn" Liz commented behind him. Beast Boy scowled.
"No," He said shortly. "What do you guys want?"
"Liz and I are heading out for something to eat. Just thought I'd let you know," Cyborg said casually.
"Ok. Just keep it clean, Cy. I don't want to hear any naughty stuff tonight," Beast Boy grinned, knowing full well that he had just repaid his friend for his last comment.
Cyborg blushed. "AS IF!" He yelled before he stomped off with Liz in tow.
"Did I get naked...son of a...asshole..." Beast Boy muttered. Raven caught her breath.
"Oh, Azar. I just couldn't look him straight in the eye. Sorry about that. I can kill him about the naked thing if you want," She offered. Beast Boy just shook his head.
"Nah. I'm just gonna get some sleep. I want to get up early tomorrow so I can be with Starfire. And no, I'm not cheating on you," He added with a wink, kissing her on the forehead. Raven frowned in annoyance and grabbed his head, pulling him into a real kiss.
"If you're going to kiss me goodnight, do it right," She said with a playful smirk.
"I'll remember that," He said as he flopped onto the bed and hid under the sheets. Raven soon joined him, and the two fell asleep cuddled in each other's arms.
