Titans Heartland

Chapter 8

Posted by slifer777

Written by slifer777 and Cr4zy!van

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"OI! Mercy! We're ready to get going, so get your reality-warping behind in the car!"

The childlike voice responded from the roof of the Tower.

"Nu-uh! I LIKE it up here! It's sunny!"

"It's sunny out on the highway!"

"But we'll be stuck in the car!"

"So you'll highway surf!"

"Can I really, Sarrie?!"

Tesla jumped; the voice had come from just next to her. She looked down at Mercy, who had a pleading look of utter cuteness about her.

"Sigh Yes, fine."

"YIPPIEE! I'll be right back, I gotta go get my stuff!" Mercy zipped off into the interior of the tower.

" . . . "wait, what stuff?"

T T T T T T T T T T

The T-car, R-cycle, and Tesla's finished vehicle- a vintage DeLorean retrofitted with more high tech goodies than a Bond car- were both parked in front of the tower. Starfire and Robin were packing up the the T-car while Wildfire helped Tesla pack her car. Cyborg gazed into the interior of the vehicle with adoration, and saw a vast array of switches, buttons and gauges. Wires, brackets and retaining bolts were everywhere. Tesla grinned.

"Like her, Cyborg? The only thing that's still the original design is the basic outside and the frame. Everything's been modified and added to- weapons, defensive systems, extra maneuvering options... all sorts of good stuff."

"What exactly do you think you're going to run into on the road, Tesla?" Robin asked, glancing wearily at the car.

"Nothing really, I just follow the basic rule of the road."

"Which is?"

"Drive offensively- drive a tank." She smirked. "Might not be quite as fast as Cy's little toy over there, but I can take on a tank and win, probably without scratching the paint."

"The question, Tesla, is why would you want to?" Raven asked. She stood nearby, her mirror held tightly in one hand. Tesla shrugged.

"Because most of the roadways back home ain't exactly safe. My car is a low end model for personal transportation."

"Low end?" Phalanx asked quizzically. "I'm starting to wonder about this so called home of yours. I can't believe the organization would allow that much power unchecked."

Tesla sneered at him. "Maybe your 'organization' isn't as perfect as you think."

Mercy reappeared and tossed a cardboard box half her size into the trunk of the car, the contents rattling with the sounds of metal and plastic. She then zipped over to Phalanx and sat down cross-legged on his head.

"Would you stop doing that?" he mumbled, though he made no move to get rid of her.

"Sarrie, this guy might not fit in the car."

"Mercy, if a car made for humans can hold my tall self in it, then Phay can fit too."

"Not with all my stuff in there."

Cyborg glanced at Tesla. "What does she mean-?"

"Don't ask. Please, just don't ask."

Phalanx shook his head. "First, don't call me Phay. Second, I won't ride in gas guzzling piece of-"

"Finish that and die." Tesla growled.

"So then how are you getting there?" Robin asked, mostly to prevent another spat. "If you won't ride in a vehicle, what then?"

Phalanx smirked. He drew one of the small rods on his waist. It began glowing brightly, sprouting tendrils of energy that quickly spun together and extended. When the light faded, he was holding a fencing blade, wire thin with an intricate silver and gold wing shaped pommel.

"What are you, a swiss army knife?" Beast Boy asked.

"I fail to see how a sword can help you cross half the continent." Raven commented.

"Unless it's just a fancy pogo stick." Tesla chuckled.

Phalanx glared at her. "Not quite." He flicked his wrist. The blade snaked around behind him, pricking his back in six places. White light began pouring out from the marks, forming three sets of white wings.

" . . . Never would have thought Phay was touched by an angel." Wildfire said with a grin.

"This isn't a small trip. Can you fly that long?" Robin asked.

"Not a problem. I don't expend much energy doing this. I have flown for 3 weeks straight out of necessity once."

Tesla shrugged.

"All very interesting. Well, that means more room in the car for snacks, Mercy."

"WAHOO!" Mercy catapulted off Phalanx's head and practically dove into the backseat of the car. Spark floated in and settled into a glass sphere in the middle of the ceiling. Tesla climbed into the driver's seat and pressed her hands against metal plates on the side of the steering column. The engine rumbled to life, sounding like a cross between a jet engine's turbine spin-up and a formula racer's engine, with a high pitched electrical whine mixed in for good measure. The entire vehicle trembled for a moment as the engines came on-line. It seemed to crouch, ready to leap forwards and devour the road ahead of it. Tesla began reaching all around herself, pressing buttons and flipping switches, different electronic and mechanical sounds added momentarily to the muted sound of the engine. While the car idled, Tesla got back out and patted the hood.

"Well, when do we leave?"

A powerful roar echoed from behind the tower. Quasi rolled his bike up, photons spitting out of the four exhaust pipes.

"So what are you all waiting for, Tesla to go on a rampage again?"

"Hey! I've been very well behaved, lizard lips! Nothing blew up, nothing was shot, and nobody died!"

"Uhm, what about Chang's lab?"

"He was asking for it, Beast Boy."

"You gonna say the same thing about everybody who ticks you off?" Quasi asked.

"Those will be labeled 'unfortunate accidents'." Tesla said with a grin.

"Will all of you knock it off!" Wildfire shouted, climbing into the passenger side of Tesla's car. "Can we just go already?"

"One more thing." Robin said. He reached into one of his cape pockets, pulling out three Titan communicators. He tossed them to Quasi, Tesla, and Phalanx.

Tesla raised her eyebrow. "Don't tell me-"

"It's not an invitation. It's just to let us stay in touch."

"Right then." Tesla tossed the communicator into the car. Mercy caught it before it hit the seat and pocketed the device.

Phalanx slipped the device into his own cape. "Thanks for establishing that. So if everything is settled, shall we?"

Robin nodded and climbed onto his R-cycle, while the other Titans filed into the T-car. Tesla pulled the door of her car shut and revved the engine. Phalanx's wings flapped once, launching him high in the air. Quasi gunned his bike forward. Tesla's voice crackled over the Titan communicators: "You might feel like waiting, but I have a corporate party to crash in Starbound City. See you there!"

Her foot planted the accelerator to the floor, and the kinetic servos whirled the tires into high-speed motion, rubber squealing for a good three seconds before gaining purchase on the asphalt. The car blazed forward in a blur of speed. Cyborg reacted a nanosecond later, racing after her. Robin and Quasi exchanged grins, letting loose their machines with enough force to raise the front wheels. True to his word, Phalanx easily matched their pace. The mismatched convoy headed out into the city, when a whiny voice suddenly echoed over the comms.

"I gotta go to the bathroom!"

T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T

Time passed without event the first day, with the exception of Mercy's constant nagging for restroom breaks and sideshow attractions. Night was falling quickly when Robin called everyone over the communicators.

"Alright everyone, we made good progress-"

"With the exception of that visit to 'the world of toilet seats'." Phalanx mumbled.

" . . . right. Anyway, let's stop here for the night."

"Here?" Tesla's voice squawked over the comms, "We're in the middle of nowhere!"

True enough, they was nothing in sight for miles except empty plains.

"Shouldn't we look for a hotel or something?"

"Oh, sure." Quasi snapped, "Hotels barely accept pets these days. Know any that take giant lizards, aliens, and destructive midgets?"

" . . Okay, point made."

They pulled off the road a ways, stopping once it was decided no one would bother them. With some of their supplies(and a little reality bending from Mercy), they had a fire going and dinners passed out to everyone.

Phalanx eyed his food warily. "Are you sure this thing is edible? Looks more like construction material."

The 'thing' he was referring to was about the size of a slice of bread, but shaped like a brick. It was also a pale yellow with blue blotches.

Wildfire waved her hand dismissively. "You can trust me on this. I know it looks funky, but it's good for you."

"So what?" Tesla mumbled, "Enema's are good for you too. Doesn't make them enjoyable."

"Oh, but this is quite enjoyable!" Starfire said happily.

Raven sighed. "Wildfire, can you please just tell us what this is?"

"Well . ." she said, "Think of them like high caliber military rations."

Quasi blinked. "Oh, that's so reassuring."

She glared at him. "They have the nutrition of three meals packed in them. The taste isn't wonderful, but it won't kill you either."

"You really know how to sell this stuff, don't you?" Beast Boy said.

Robin cautiously took a bite. "Not bad. Not good either." He glanced at Wildfire. "Was it supposed to taste like a salt free cracker?"

"That's about right." She grinned, "I figured no flavor would be better than a bad one."

Everyone ate their – bricks - in silence after that. For a while after, they sat watching the flames dance.

"You know," Cyborg started, "things have been happening so fast lately. We never really got a chance to talk straight away with you guys."

"He's right." Robin agreed, "In all honesty, all we know about you are the names you've given us and our own assumptions."

Tesla sighed. "So you'd like us to go over our introductions a little more."

"If it's not to much to ask . ." He grinned. "Who's first?"

Everyone was silent.

Tesla shrugged. "Fine, if no one else wants to start, I will.."

She paused a moment, took a breath and let it out. She pulled her pistol, resting it on the ground before her. Reaching behind her into her backpack, she pulled out a thin steel blade with copper veins running through it.

"If you're trying to impress us," Phalanx said with a smirk, "try harder."

"Hardly." She snapped. "This is may be an exercise in dichotomy, but these weapons tell everything about me."

She held up the pistol, turning the weapon over in her fingers.

"This is a Rosetech Industries, Mark-5 Phased/Plasma pistol. This weapon isn't just the standard sidearm for all the USC troops, it's practically a badge of office. They're ONLY sold to the USC. Granted there are knockoffs and imitations, but this weapon is what anyone in the Trade Alliance looks for if they're in a pinch and need help."

"The who, what, and where?" Wildfire asked.

"USC? What's that mean, United Superior Colonies?" Robin asked.

"Maybe Ultimate Stick Chicks?" Beast Boy jumped in.

"Nope! It's Universal Snack Cakes!" Mercy said happily.

Tesla twitched, the veins in her forehead nearly exploding.

"It's called the United Space Corps, you brats!"

"Fine, fine." Quasi said, "Just get back to the story."

She placed the weapon on the ground, and then picked up the sword and turned it over in her hands, speaking quietly.

"And this is my Aurablade. It's the weapon of my people, the Fliers. Our home, our natural environment is space. We live there, we grow up there, we have our lives there."

Phalanx's eye widened. "No way. Bipedal sentients with no planet based origin? That . . that just can't happen!"

Tesla smirked. "Don't judge me on what you can only half see."

She placed the sword on the ground and stood. A faint glow spread over her back, stretching and spreading into gossamer wings, each as tall as Tesla herself. They were held close to her body, forming crescent shapes. Energy coalesced and danced on and around them for a few seconds before vanishing. She sat back down.

"Too bad I used my angel joke on Phalanx already." Wildfire mumbled.

"Wait a minute," Cyborg said, "If you have wings, why did you need that rocket to fly?"

"They're more like solar sails and energy siphons than wings." Tesla said, "But now you know why we are called Fliers.

"I joined the USC because I needed training, real military training. It was necessary, since I didn't get any proper training from my own people."

"Why not?" Robin asked.

"That's . . personal. I needed to be able to hold my own against impossible odds, and to do that, I needed to get into the USC and-" She gestured to the insignia on her right shoulder, a sun orbited by a pair of electrons. "become a Phosphor Star."

"Cool name and all, but what's a foos ball star?" Beast Boy asked.

"PHOS. PHOR. STAR. They're the special forces soldiers that are the equal of any in the known universe. While P.S.'s don't have all that hand-to-hand training and martial arts stuff that most special ops soldiers have, we all are experts with firearms, master sharpshooters, and with a Mark 5 P/P sidearm, we never need to worry about running out of ammunition."

She sighed, putting the sword and pistol away and staring into the flames, then looked over to Phalanx. "Your turn, Phay."

Phalanx's armor gleamed in the firelight as he spoke.

"Who I was before I took up the name Phalanx is completely irrelevant."

"So you won't tell us?" Raven asked.

"Everyone has secrets. My past . . . Isn't something I share freely." He smiled, but it was a bitter one. "But, you do deserve something. I belong to an organization. Call it by any name you wish, it doesn't have one. You see, no one is supposed to know about it."

"And yet you're talking about it to us?" Cyborg said. "Why?"

"Because it no longer matters to me. The sole purpose of the organization was to prevent the destruction of worlds. From a remote location, they send out agents to each dimension, with every agents task being different. The Seekers travel to unknown realms. The Runners duty was to prevent deaths to uninvolved parties. The Patriots gain the trust of the people to undermine evil forces." He raised his index finger, pointing at himself. "And the Equalizers dispose of any weapons designed for genocidal purposes."

"We've all heard this much." Tesla grumped. "That's the whole reason you came here, right?"

"Yes. But you see things have changed a bit on this mission." He held up a small remote. "Considering my D-ripper has been destroyed."

"Tell me you're not going to start that again." Wildfire moaned.

"Start what again?"

Everyone glared at him. He sighed. "Whatever. I only wanted to explain what has changed for me because of this. This was more then just a transporter. It also was also a tracking device."

"Say what?"

"It allowed the organization to keep track of me, as well as show me the exact location the weapon. With it like this, they don't even know if I'm alive or not."

Tesla frowned. "So that's why you got so upset."

He shook his head. "I could care less if they forget about me. But," His face grew sad, "I always believed in what we stood for. I knew that what I did saved countless lives, whether or not they would know it. When I thought I had missed the proper dimension, I was sure that millions would die."

Starfire smiled. "But you have not failed! We can still save everyone from this evil!"

"Maybe. The problem is the lack of information. Normally, I would receive data, such as weapon design, exact location, and anything else the Seeker would think I need to know. But without my D-ripper, the Seeker would no doubt believe I am dead. I would be lucky if he was even still here."

"Not to wreck your rather depressing story," Quasi said, "But there's something I've wanted to ask you about."

"What is it?"

Quasi pointed a scaly finger at Phalanx's armor. "So far I've seen you pull four weapons out of those weird sticks. How exactly is it you do that?"

Phalanx smiled slightly, holding out one of the rods.

"These are really nothing more than hunks of metal. But each one has a special core, made of orichalcum. Using that metal like an amplifier, I can imprint the design of any weapon onto the rod. After that, all I need to do is focus my energy through the metal, and the weapon is summoned."

"Cooool." Beast Boy said, " . . So, what does that mean?"

Phalanx sighed. "Think hard and shiny sword appears."

"Oh. Got it."

"So what's the point in having so many?" Raven asked, ignoring Beast Boy's comment.

"I would've thought that would be clear now. Do you think I would use such elaborate devices like these rods just to carry the imprints of average weapons?"

"So what all can they do?" Cyborg asked, looking eager.

Phalanx shook his head. "You're asking me to explain the origin and abilities of over one hundred different weapons? That won't be happening."

He nodded to Wildfire. "I'd like to hear your story now."

Wildfire's eye's danced with the firelight, giving her an eerie glare.

"My story isn't too different from Star's. I was born on Tamaran as a member of the royal family. Or rather, what was the current royal family."

"What does that mean?" Quasi asked.

"The royal family is based on the current grand ruler. If he or she is overthrown by another, the title of royal family is also passed." Starfire said.

"Exactly, so officially neither of us are princesses anymore. More like noble daughters."

"Okay, so even if you lose the royal status, you're still nobility of sorts?"

"Yes. Not that that matters at the moment. Can I please continue?"

Quasi blinked. "Uh, right. Sorry."

Wildfire sighed. "Since I was the third daughter of my family, it was decided that finding a husband for me was more important than training me for an ascension."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Maybe it was my fault, but the life they wanted for me was something I wanted no part in. I was always against them in everything."

"What's wrong with that?" Phalanx asked, "Children should never have their fate decided by their parents."

She glared at him. "I'm not a human and you're not a Tamaranian. Don't think you can understand how our world works. For me to challenge my parents ideals, especially as a part of the royal family, was borderline treason. If I had been able to do anything about it, I would've likely been exiled or executed."

"Good lord!" Tesla exclaimed. "A little much for an unruly kid, don't you think?"

"Rules are rules, and my relation and status didn't give me any leeway with them. I ended up getting betrothed to a noble son, the son of the previous grand ruler. My official marriage was going to be on my tenth birthday."

". . I'm not even gonna start on how off that sounds." Quasi muttered.

"Tamaranians mature much faster than humans. Ten is acceptable as an adult to my people. It would have been the end of my life as far as I was concerned, too."

She smiled, though it was impossible to tell if it came from happiness or sorrow.

"But I guess for the first time ever fate sided with me. The wedding was located on our planets moon of all places. Something about an honored tradition. I don't really remember what so great about it. Everything was going as planned, but during my ceremonial approach to the moon, something happened in our shuttle. I'm no technician, so I couldn't tell what was going on. I just remember the crew suddenly going into panic. The ship was starting to blow apart when the captain threw himself on me. He shielded my body with his, dying instantly to save me."

Her eyes turned glassy with tears.

"I ended up free floating in the debris before I could even grasp what was happening. Only one thing was clear to me: that this was my one chance. I took off, flying away from my home as fast as I could. I didn't care where I ended up, I just wanted to be somewhere else."

She wiped her eyes, smiling warmly.

"I ended up crashing on earth after flying myself to exhaustion. An elderly couple found me while I was out cold. They were very kind, and let me stay with them all this time."

"Why does that sound familiar?" Tesla asked, though no one answered her.

"I was content with staying with them the rest of my life, but then I began to hear about Star and the Titans. I was terrified she'd find me and send me back home, till I heard an interesting rumor about her refusing her own planned marriage."

"'Refusal'. That's putting it mildly." Raven said.

"So that's why you showed up all of a sudden?" Cyborg asked.

Wildfire sighed. "'All of a sudden?'. That was one of the hardest things I'd ever done. And now I wonder why I did it. Signing up for a world saving mission was definitely not the reunion I had imagined."

"So," she asked, "who's up next?"

Mercy jumped up and danced around gleefully. "Oh! Oh! Me next! Pick me! Pick meeeeee!"

Tesla chuckled.

"Alright Mercy, but try to stay on subject."

Mercy hopped up and down for a minute and then sat down.

"I'm Mercia Telimas. No middle name, lotsa nicknames and a perpetual source of joy and cuteness!"

Everyone sweatdropped. Tess recovered first and patted Mercy on the head.

"Okay, kiddo. I think I'll elaborate for you." She cleared her throat and spoke to the group once more. "Mercy here was getting beat on by a gang back home-"

"Home?"

Tesla blinked. "Oh, I forgot. We lived in a colony habitat- Freedom City. It's really no different from any other mediaverse city- gangs and street thugs who don't know how to make a real living. They wanted her to do... something, she wouldn't tell me and they weren't too forthcoming after I shocked them all into unconsciousness."

"Anyway, she clung to me like I was life itself, and I couldn't bear to leave her somewhere. So she ended up following me home. She's been with me for over a year now. She was supposed to stay home while I went on my mission, but as you can see-"

"-I came here to spread joy and happiness!" Mercy interrupted cheerfully.

"You know," Wildfire started, "I wouldn't have considered this if Phay hadn't made a big deal out of it, but what was your mission? He's been freaking about his mission but you haven't said a word about yours."

She shrugged.

"My mission here isn't as dire as Phay claims his is. I was transiting to a new command, and I suppose they'll start wondering what happened when my luggage shows up, and I don't- and when I miss the assigned timeslot to report in."

Phalanx tapped at his armor, obvious irritation on his face.

"Considering you completely managed to avoid the subject, I suppose you can't tell us how she's managed to defy the laws of physics and common logic regularly."

" . . Uh, nope, I wouldn't know either. I learned a long time ago not to bother asking. She does what she does, and I leave it at that."

Mercy giggled, then glomped onto Quasi's head and grinned at him. "Your turn, spiderbreath!" She hopped off his head and out of reach before he could retaliate, and sat down to listen to Quasi's story.

Quasi stretched himself out. His shape and size making him look like a prehistoric beast in the night.

"After you four, I feel a little out of place. I didn't come from some powerful organization, galactic military, or even another planet. I'm . . I was a human. Born and raised here on earth. Average life, decent parents, good grades in school, plans to become a doctor when I became an adult." He smiled ruefully. "But I made more than one mistake. It happened about three years ago, when I started taking some college courses at a university in Colorado."

"Wait, hold up!" Wildfire interrupted, "You were taking college when you were fourteen?!"

Quasi shrugged. "Okay, fine, I had very good grades. It was just a premeditate biology class, something needed for the medical classes I had intended to take when I graduated from high school."

His face turned hard.

"The class wasn't a bad idea, but standing out in it was. The teacher, a scientist named Dr. Raithe, was a fanatic to say the least. He would always talk about the advancement of the human race and the superiority-" he faltered, "-the superiority of genetic engineering."

Everyone was silent. Quasi took a deep breath before continuing.

"Even though I was top in his class, I disagreed with his methods and ideals. We debated often, but he would always tell me how he admired my determination and intelligence. I ate up that praise like a starving puppy, letting him fill my head with that stuff."

His tail twitched angrily.

"After about eight months of class, he asked me to help him and his colleagues with a special experiment. He said it would be the breakthrough for human evolution."

"There's a familiar line." Tesla said, "It's too bad it never goes as planned."

"I wouldn't know." Quasi said, "I never did find out the true purpose. All I know is I wasn't some lab assistant, I was the lab rat."

He punched the ground, sending a small shock wave through the earth. Everyone jerked in surprise.

"They manipulated me down to the core, splicing my genes every which way. The pain . . the living hell they put me through . ." His whole body trembled.

"Easy, Quasi." Robin said calmly. "Sorry to make you bring that up. It sounds like things went bad for you."

"All in perspective." Quasi said, voice lowering. "Things got so crazy I completely blacked out. When I finally came to my senses, I was miles outside the state, and," he held up his arms. "I looked like I do now.

"I've been half-way between hiding and on the run over the past three years." he grinned, "These days a giant mutant lizard just can't walk around the street without someone getting the wrong idea. I hadn't actually been in that city of yours too long before you dropped in on me."

"I still don't understand one thing though." Raven said. "How could you just decide to help us on all of a sudden, knowing you would be found out? What you said at the tower before-"

"What I said then is true in a sense." he said, "I did want a chance at being more than just another animal. But it was my conclusion after the fact. Truth is, I didn't think about it. I'm no hero, but if I see someone in trouble, I can't just walk away from it. Hell, that's why I had to keep traveling. I always ended up being stupid and sticking my nose in someone else's business."

"You know helping people in trouble is something of a M.O. for heroes, right?" Tesla said grinning.

Quasi just shrugged.

T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T

Small talk and less serious conversations had passed for a while after, but sleep would not be fought off. Soon everyone had retired, in sleeping bags and in vehicles.

Almost everyone.

Quasi aside, who had to sleep on open ground, Robin and Tesla remained by the fire. They were silent for several minutes before Tesla finally stretched out her legs.

"So what do you want from me?"

"What are you talking about?"

She waved her hand dismissively. "You want to sleep as much as the others did, but you're waiting on me. Either you don't want to drop your guard, or you have something to say."

Robin sighed.

"I'm just a little stunned by all of this. I can't help but wonder-"

"Oh, spare me."

Robin went silent. Tesla glared at him.

"Look, I may not be from this planet, or even this universe. But the USC prides itself on the knowledge of other dimensions. And with that said," she pointed at him, "it's not just here that a Robin was trained under a Batman. You aren't stunned by this, you know something, or suspect something. I'm pretty sure an army of tap dancing robots could invade the earth and you'd still have a clear head. Don't insult me by playing dumb."

Robin chuckled.

"You're a lot more perceptive than I gave you credit for." he smiled faintly, "You're right that I have some suspicions, but they aren't so much about you."

"Really now. Phalanx then?"

"No. I'm willing to believe that everyone here told the truth, or at least their version of it."

"Yet you're singling me out now, after everyone else has gone to sleep. At least I don't need to nap as much as you ground pounders do." Tesla shrugged.

"Then there isn't any point in mincing words." he sighed, "I think the fact you all arrived at nearly the same time is more than a coincedence."

Tesla rolled her eyes. "Five unusual beings show up just in time to race after a evil force that will end all life on earth. That's not a coincedence, it's a cheesy plot advancement."

"Huh?"

"Forget it. It'd be a headache to try and explain. So you're thinking, what? We were supposed to be here?"

He shook his head.

"Not so much. More like someone might have decided you had to be here."

Tesla smiled slightly.

"Phalanx was headed here, but I had other places I needed to be. Wildfire's been on earth longer then the Titans have been formed, and Quasi's a native. Mercy, well, she goes wherever and whenever she wants to. Sorry, but as much as I'd agree with you, dimension laws make more sense than a master plan in this case."

" . . Maybe . ."

Tesla stood and stretched. "Well, speculate all night if you want. I'm gonna do some workups on my car. No telling what this planet is doing to it's system."

She walked off, leaving Robin alone by the fire. He sat in silence for a while, thinking about what Tesla had said.

'I wonder if there's something she's not telling me?'

"IIIYAAAAAHHH!"

The scream easily snapped everyone out of their sleep. Beast Boy blinked.

"Cyborg?"

"I do not scream like a girl, B.B."

Something small and blubbery hopped by, a hunk of metal hanging out of its mouth. Tesla was running after it, waving her left fist.

"Give me back my arm!"

"How did Silky get here? You bring him along, Star?" Cyborg asked.

""It was not I!"

"Me! Me!" Mercy shouted. "I brought him!"

"Don't want to know, don't really care." Quasi mumbled. "Can I eat him?"

"Not if Spark eats it first. THAT THING DEVOURED THE UPHOLSTRY IN MY CAR!!" Tesla shrieked. Spark zipped past everyone in pursuit of the slug/maggot-thing. Starfire glared, eyes and hands glowed a bright green and she spoke in a loud and authoritative tone of voice.

"Silky is NOT food!"

Everyone, including Silky, all paused, looking at Star with sweat drops forming. Robin just took his head.

It was going to be a long trip.

TO BE CONTINUED . . .