Dinner was served, and at five separate tables the Teen Titans experienced increasing anxiety. Beast Boy tugged on the collar of his dress shirt anxiously as he watched the waiters approaching their table. The scent of seared meat hit his sensitive nostrils and he groaned inwardly.
"What does it feel like when you change forms?" asked the gray-haired woman to his right who had identified herself as April Stiles.
"Uh..." it was hard to concentrate on the question when he was distracted by the entrees coming their way. He plucked at his collar again. The first plate reached their table and Beast Boy's stomach lurched. Veal.
"Yes, how does it work?" chimed in the Chairman of the Jump City zoo. "Can you turn into any animal or just ones that you've seen before? Can you do insects? Can you communicate with the animals? My friends in the research facility would be ecstatic if you cared to share any personal insights you have that could benefit their research." He finished his statement by stuffing a large hunk of veal into his mouth. Beast Boy tipped his chair onto its hind legs in an effort to put distance between himself and the chairman.
"Um, excuse me," he whispered to a passing waiter, "Is there a vegetarian menu?"
"Can you control other animals?" The chairman spoke around a mouthful of food, staring pointedly until Beast Boy mustered up an answer.
"Animals don't think the same way people do. They rely on their instincts. Even the ones that follow an alpha won't listen if it goes against their survival instincts. They can't be called in to fight battles that have nothing to do with them. Um...ew!"
An extra-large plate of veal was set down in front of him. The smell of meat roused the instincts of the predatory animals in him while simultaneously sparking the flight response of all of the prey. He wrinkled his nose to fight for control. He pushed the plate back at the waiter.
"I'll just have a salad."
"Really, you're a vegetarian? I'd have thought a boy who could turn into a wolf would jump at the chance to chow down on some baby cow." Almost tauntingly, the chairman took another bite. Beast Boy's eyes followed his fork to his mouth sadly.
"Not when I can turn into a calf too," he said weakly.
Awkward silence fell on the table while the waiter ducked his shoulders and quickly disappeared to find something more animal-friendly.
The waves of embarrassment radiating from Beast Boy had Raven gritting her teeth against her empathic abilities. No one at her table spoke. They stared with open fascination at the gray-skinned girl, but they were all too terrified to make the first move in starting a conversation. It wasn't helping. Raven glanced over her shoulder as Beast Boy's waiter brought him a salad loaded with enough lettuce to feed a herd of cattle. Relief broke over him in a wave, likewise releasing her from the tight coil of his emotions.
"So what can you do?" blurted out the youngest person at the table, a twenty-something young man with freckles and protruding ears. Raven arched a brow and he withered into embarrassed silence again. Sighing, she looked around for her teammates, wondering how much longer they would have to endure this painful and pointless exercise of her patience. Now that he had food, Beast Boy was trying and failing to amuse his dinner companions by morphing into a green sheep. Raven pinched the bridge of her nose and turned to check on Cyborg. He was deeply engrossed in a debate about whether or not the police should have access to weaponry capable of incapacitating superheroes. He seemed happier. Robin looked more irritable than Raven had yet seen him, and she guessed it had something to do with the dark haired man to his left. Even from across the room Raven detected something off about the man. Not dangerous...not exactly...just controlled-extremely. Considering how many companies he owned, it didn't surprise her to find that Bruce Wayne was a control freak, but the sheer strength of his control surprised and impressed her.
The familiar bubble of Starfire's emotions touched the fringes of her senses. The alien princess usually projected so strongly that Raven was constantly aware of her, and the dampened effect was enough to draw Raven's attention to the Mayor's table.
Starfire looked as regal as a queen beside Mayor Collins and his wife. Her strength, beauty, and poise were undeniable, but with such a limited grasp on earthen fine dining customs, she was quickly growing flustered. Mrs. Collins made no move to help her navigate the arrangement of cutlery in front of her, but was quick to sigh with impatience as Starfire picked up the steak knife to butter her bread, wound up sawing it in half, and sprayed breadcrumbs across the white tablecloth.
"My apologies," said Starfire, blushing.
"There's no need to apologize. It happens to me all the time," reassured the mayor quickly, beaming at her so that all of his front teeth were visible. His wife stamped down hard on his foot, making the table jump.
"My husband tells me that you were the cause of that alien invasion attempt a few weeks ago. Jump City was nearly destroyed and yet now we are hosting a feast in your honor. And they complain about the immigration policies..." Mrs. Collins huffed. The rest of the table instantly fell silent. Starfire blinked. Having no real knowledge of the politics the lady referenced, but aware that she was being insulted in some manner, she wilted and glanced around the room frantically for a change of subject.
"The Titans are grateful that Jump City has welcomed us with open arms..." She began bravely.
"You didn't give us much choice when you led those monster straight to our door," muttered Mrs. Collins. Her husband put a hand on her elbow, frowning. Starfire lifted her chin.
"You may not have had a choice in facing the attack, but we made the choice to defend you from the threat. On my planet we respect those who act in favor of those they owe no allegiance to." The coolness in Starfire's tone was a clear warning, one that Mrs. Collins didn't like at all, but with her husband's restraining hand on her arm she swallowed her retort with all the joy of swallowing a ripe lemon whole.
"And Jump City does respect what the Titans have done. Twice now disaster has struck and the Titans have been there to save the day. The damage at the mall would have been much worse if you had not been there. I'm glad we've got you in our corner." He winked conspiratorially, but Starfire merely cocked her head and looked around.
"But we are in the center of the room...?"
Mrs. Collins barked with rude laughter, and Starfire's tongue shriveled with humiliation. Instinctively she looked around for Robin. He would have explained the phrase to her. He would tell her how to deal with this woman who was determined to hate her.
He was looking in her direction through narrowed eyes. Mrs. Collins' laugh had drawn his attention and Starfire's uncertain posture had him on his feet before Bruce could growl out a warning. When she saw him walking their way Mrs. Collins fluffed herself up and plastered a beaming smile on her face.
"Robin! How good of you to join us. I've just been dying to meet you."
"I'm sure," he said flatly, taking up a protective position behind Starfire's chair. The move didn't go unnoticed by anyone watching. A tick appeared in Mrs. Collins' jaw when she realized that her charms were lost on the Boy Wonder.
"Perhaps you would care to shed some light on the immigration issues plaguing this country. They seem to let just about anyone in these days." Her eyes dipped pointedly to the red-haired alien seated across from her.
Robin's hand clenched on the back of Starfire's chair, and all the air in the room seemed to drop several degrees. No one said a word. Mayor Collins was too stunned by his wife's outrageous behavior to even begin apologizing, the onlookers were eagerly awaiting the young leader's next move, and the Titans held their breath as they anticipated an order.
Five communicators went off simultaneously. Still scowling, Robin met the eyes of his teammates and jerked his head toward the doors. No one needed to be told twice. Beast Boy bounded for the exit while Raven and Cyborg rose regally from their seats. Starfire attempted to apologize and thank their hosts at the same time, but as she rambled animatedly through her smile, she realized it was a lost cause and quickly fled the room ahead of Robin, who remained only a moment to fix the Mayor and his wife with one last glare.
"Talk about saved by the bell," muttered Cyborg once they were all walking through the marble hallway to the front doors.
"I wouldn't be so sure," said Robin darkly, holding up his communicator to show them the crime in progress. A department store on fifth street was in flames. It would take ten minutes to get there by car and the T-car was still at the tower.
"Raven, you go on ahead. You'll get there fastest. The rest of us will catch up." Robin stripped off his dinner jacket as he spoke and slung it over his shoulder. Before it could slap against his back, a hand snagged it out of his grasp. They whirled to see Bruce Wayne standing behind them.
"Dude! Where did you even come from?" complained Beast Boy, clutching dramatically at his chest. Bruce ignored him, focusing on Robin.
"I thought I would offer the use of my car. I doubt the city's chauffeur will be able to drive that limo anywhere near the accident site." Before Robin could accept or deny the offer, Bruce tossed him his keys. Cyborg's mouth dropped open as he spied the Lamborghini insignia on the keychain.
"You're going to let us drive a Lamborghini to a crime? You're not afraid we might scratch the paint?"
"If you do my insurance company knows every loophole for damages attained through superhero activities ever conceived. I'm happy to be of service." He shrugged and walked back into the dining hall. Robin scowled after him. Cyborg stared at the keys in his hand as though they were the Holy Grail.
"Don't even think about it. I'm driving," said Robin. "Let's go."
By the time they reached the store the fire department had already arrived. Raven had gone along ahead and used her powers to prevent the flames from spreading, but if anyone was still inside then there would be no rescuing them. Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy aided the firefighters with putting out the flames, but Starfire stayed with the ambulances, trying to reassure the injured that everything was alright. In the midst of the chaos her soft voice was soothing.
"You've got to find her! Please, she's still in there!" A young teenager with vivid purple streaks in her blond hair tugged desperately at Starfire's arm. Momentarily distracted by the strange colors of her hair unlike anything else Starfire had seen since she'd come to the planet, the girl had to repeat her message. Compassion filled Starfire's body.
"I am afraid there is nothing more we can do..."
"No! You don't understand! She would have found a way. She'd never get trapped in a fire like that. Jinx!" Sadly, Starfire watched the girl go, calling for her friend. Her heart grew heavier. Yet another innocent life they had not been able to save.