Element and the Gamer
By
Teen Tyrant
Thanks go to Death Jester, Girl at Heart, Vampiro101, SpikeTV58, and of course, InnocentStarInTheAnimeSky, for their continued support of this story.
Gamer Disclaimer: Silent Hill and StarFox 64 do not belong to me. Neither does Teen Titans.
Chapter 10: A fallen angel (yeah right)
It was only a few days away from being exactly two months since the Teen Titans had met Element and the Gamer, and many interesting things had happened in recent days past.
Robin and Starfire were now (finally!) a couple and the tower had been in great celebration over the event. Gamer had secretly told Robin how he had been operating "behind the scenes" during his date with Starfire, helping the two get together. Robin decided not to share this news with Starfire, so that she wouldn't know that he had almost chickened out. Gamer had some good blackmail material with that knowledge, but he probably would never use it.
The other Titans were constantly congratulating Robin and Starfire and making a few teasing jokes and kissy faces towards them, but all in all, the two pretty much ignored the others in the days since their date and focused mostly on each other. From spotting one another during weight training to star-gazing on the roof at night, the two love birds were hardly ever out of each other's sight for the six days following their date.
Element and Raven, although not having come right out and admitting it, were acknowledged as an official couple, and like Robin and Starfire, were hardly ever away from one another for more than a few minutes. Nobody dared to tease them about it, except for Gamer, for fear of Raven tossing them out a window with her powers.
With all the love that had recently been kindled around the tower lately, Beast Boy and Terra became stricken with a romance bug all over again, and the two could be seen making out in corners or on the couch at various times of the day, the smacks from their kisses echoing throughout the halls of the tower.
With BumbleBee's scheduled visit only four days away, the Titans had decided to spend that Saturday night at one of the clubs in town and simply party and enjoy their evening. The three couples were looking forward to the chance to dance with their significant others and Cyborg was really looking forward to the chance to impress BumbleBee.
But that was all still days away. For now, everybody was just relaxing around the tower in a lazy haze. The drop in crime for the summer was allowing the Titans to behave like regular teenagers, but perhaps they were getting too used to the time off.
Entering the entry hall, Gamer continued drying his hair with a towel, having just come in from swimming in the ocean for the last hour. He was wearing a pair of red swim trunks and some flip-flops. He entered the elevator and took it up to the common room.
As he exited the elevator, he headed over to entertainment area to watch some TV. No reason to change out of his swim attire just yet. But he stopped when he got to the back of the couch. Beast Boy and Terra sat on it, lip-locked. Gamer rolled his eyes. Watching TV in the living room was out.
Sensing his presence, Beast Boy and Terra opened their eyes and separated, glaring at Gamer.
"Do you mind?" Terra asked, Beast Boy making a "go away" gesture with his hand. The Gamer put his hands up.
"Alright, alright. Sorry to disturb you." he said, holding in a chuckle. Perhaps he could go change into his uniform now after all. He headed to the hallway doors and left the room. As soon as they saw him leave, Beast Boy and Terra went back to business.
------
Exiting his room in his regular uniform, Gamer headed towards the girl's wing of the hallway. He figured maybe Element would want to hang out with him at least. Gamer was the only person his brother never turned away. Well, at least he used to be the only person.
Coming to his brother's door, Gamer simply walked in, knowing his brother had no secrets to keep from him. Walking down the short set of stairs to the dirt floor below, Gamer looked around for Element. He spotted him sitting at the base of one of the very small trees that he'd planted in his room. He wasn't alone.
"Well, this looks familiar." Gamer said in an amused yet somewhat annoyed voice. Element and Raven separated their lips and looked at Gamer, frowning.
"Don't you every knock?" Element asked, irritated. Gamer made a mockery of looking shocked.
"Oh, so I have to knock to enter my twin brother's room now, is it?" he asked sarcastically, already understanding the reason why, but dang it, this was never an issue before!
"Yes, as a matter of fact you do." Element stated. Raven's frown deepened to a hurry-up-and-get-out-of-here look. Gamer threw his hands up.
"Alright, fine. Whatever." He turned around and walked up the stairs to exit the room. Raven and Element resumed their kiss after he departed, Raven giving Element a bit of her energy to absorb.
------
Figuring that maybe he could go and study some of the leads that Robin had collected on Slade and maybe figure out what he was up to, the Gamer approached the door to the crime lab. Opening the door, he took two steps into the room and stopped, sighing in exasperation.
Starfire had her lower back pressed against the desk in the crime lab, Robin leaning in against her, his arms around her waist while hers were around his neck. They were deep into a kiss-fest. Hearing him walk in, they parted from one another and turned to him, Robin all but giving him a death glare, Starfire showing only mild annoyance.
"Yes, what is it?" Robin asked, irritably. Gamer sighed again and shook his head.
"Nothing." he said quietly, turning around and walking out. Robin and Starfire were quite happy after he left.
------
Gamer headed straight for Cyborg's room, knowing that unless BumbleBee had somehow teleported here, there was no way that he could be making out with anyone. Maybe they could go down to the garage and work on the T-car or something!
Stopping outside his cybernetic friend's door, Gamer slid it open the slightest bit. Inside, he could see Cyborg sitting at the console set into his wall. On the screen was BumbleBee.
"And maybe later on, after the others come back here, we could walk along the boardwalk down by the beach, or maybe into the forest, or whatever you'd like to do." Cyborg said to Bee's image in his smoothest, most charming voice. That was all Gamer needed to realize that Cyborg was currently occupied.
Shutting the door, Gamer turned in defeat towards his room. Maybe he'd hook his controller up to his own TV and play some games. He felt like killing something right now; maybe he'd play Manhunt or The Suffering.
He stopped. No, he didn't feel like playing any games, not even ones that would relieve his frustration. Instead, he made his way up to the roof. Closing the door behind him, he walked to the edge of the tower and sat down with his legs dangling over the edge, watching the sunset.
He was happy for all of his friends. He truly was. Beast Boy and Terra had been together for close to four months now without any problems at all.
His brother had finally found someone special, and it was his dream girl no less. He was very proud of him for learning that there were a few points to life. All those days of telling Beast Boy and Cyborg to leave Element and Raven alone so that they could get closer had finally paid off. Mission accomplished.
Robin and Starfire had wanted each other for the year and half that they had known one another, and now they were finally getting what they wanted. True, Gamer wished that he could have had Starfire, but she was happy with Robin, and Gamer considered Robin a worthy idol, so it was good for him too, and Gamer wished them both the best of luck with their new relationship.
Now Cyborg was finally getting an opportunity to get close to a girl without it being mission-related, and since BumbleBee seemed interested too, they were probably going to get off to a good start, and heaven knew that Cyborg needed it.
The Gamer was happy for all of his friends. They were all living in a state of pure joy at being alive, enjoying the most coveted of all emotions; love. All except for him.
Gamer was the odd one out. Cyborg at least had someone across the country. Gamer didn't even have that. The only girl he had ever really been interested in was Starfire, ever since the report on the news about the Gordanian invasion that had followed her arrival on Earth. Now she was no longer an option, so he was left with no one.
Gamer sighed and held his hands in his lap. There wasn't even enough crime taking place in Jump City for him to lose his love-less woes in the busy life of a superhero. No distractions from the fact that he had yet to find someone special, just for him.
The sun was almost down, the sky was beginning to darken, the moon was starting to appear and the faintest light of stars could be seen in the far east, where night had already come. Gamer turned himself to face that way, deciding to watch the stars come out over the forest beyond the edges of the city.
Suddenly, as he was looking to the east and watching the darkening sky, the Gamer saw a streak of light flash across the sky. It seemed to come from somewhere out of the sky high above and arc down to the ground below. Listening closely, Gamer could just barely hear a slight thudding sound. The sound of an object striking the ground at high speeds on the far side of the city, perhaps?
Gamer was about to call his friends on his communicator, be stopped himself. They were all busy, and he didn't want to ruin their moments. He would go and check this out himself. It could be nothing more than a meteorite landing. If it turned out to be something important, then he'd call them.
Pulling out his Nintendo 64 controller from his belt, Gamer tapped in a code and transformed himself into one of the bird-like flying demons from Silent Hill. With an inhuman squawk and a flap of his wings, Gamer took to the air, heading in the direction that he'd seen the whatever-it-was come down.
------
Arriving at the clearing between the outer-most neighborhood of the city and the forest, Gamer spotted a small amount of smoke rising into the air from a specific spot. Landing on the ground near this spot, he changed back to normal and approached the smoke.
As he got closer, he realized that he was looking at a small crater, nearly fifteen feet across and almost as deep. Approaching the smoking edge of the crater, Gamer peered through the steam down into the hole. While he could not see very clearly, he could vaguely make out a humanoid form lying at the bottom of the crater. That settled it. Taking his communicator from his belt, he activated it.
"Titans, come in. This is the Gamer. Come in Titans." he spoke into it. A moment later, Robin's face appeared on the small screen, looking annoyed, but alert.
"What is it, Gamer?" he asked.
"I'm standing at the edge of the forest. I suggest that all of you guys get down here. Follow my signal. There's something here you guys need to see. Get here as quickly as possible. Gamer out." he said, then turned off the communicator.
Kneeling down, he attempted to look again at the figure he could see lying at the bottom of the hole, but he could see no details other than the fact that whoever it was, they were thin.
Suddenly, Gamer saw light flashing across the ground beneath him. A sound, like static coming from a TV screen, filled his ears. Gamer looked up to the sky and his mouth fell open in surprised shock.
"Well, this is going to be a busy night." he said, taking out his game controller again.
------
Cyborg stopped the T-car about fifty feet away from the smoking hole in the field between the city and the forest. As he set about activating all of the anti-theft devices, the other Titans began heading towards the crater. Starfire and Raven were already in the air, since there had been no room for them in the T-car. As they approached the smoking hole, no sign could be seen of Gamer.
Gathering around the crater, the Titans leaned forward a little and looked down into it. Afraid that Robin was standing too close to the edge and might fall in, Starfire put a firm hand on his shoulder, just in case.
Looking into the smoking hole, the Titans could not see anything at the bottom. However, there did seem to be some movement within, though it was obscured by the smoke. Cyborg scanned the crater with his eye.
"I can't get an exact reading, but there's definitely something moving around in there." he reported.
Beast Boy shrugged. "Well, I can't tell what it is."
"I don't see Gamer anywhere." Element said, looking around for his brother.
Suddenly, a hand shot up over the edge of the crater and grabbed at the singed ground. The Titans all yelped in surprise and jumped back a step, readying themselves in case of trouble. The hand looked delicate and feminine, wearing a strange glove that covered the wrist more than the hand, with a jewel on the back. Much like Starfire's gloves.
Another hand reached over the edge of the crater and grabbed at the ground, reaching further than the first, revealing more of the arm, covered in a gray material. Finally, with a good grip on the ground, the person trying to pull themselves out of the crater gave a grunt and a familiar head of black hair and purple eyes peered over the edge of the hole, causing all of the Titans to gasp in shock.
"Blackfire!" they said as one, going to full combat stances.
Getting her arms under her upper body, Blackfire put the proper weight on the ground and balanced herself, getting her legs up and out of the crater and onto the ground. She lay on her stomach for a moment, dirty, sweating and breathing hard, looking like she'd just been through a battle zone. Of course, crashing onto a planet with your full body could make anyone look like hell.
Lifting her head up, Blackfire beheld the surprised and scowling faces of the Titans. Five she recognized, two she did not. Starfire stepped forward.
"Blackfire. What are you doing here?" she demanded.
Blackfire actually smirked a little, though there was no humor in the expression.
"Oh, hello sister dear. Did you miss me?" she asked sarcastically.
Starfire's scowl deepened. "That is not an answer to my question." she said sternly.
Blackfire's smirk disappeared, replaced by a look of annoyance and weariness.
"The Pangerans pursued me here. They shot me out of orbit as I was trying to enter the atmosphere and I crashed here. The big crater behind me is a big giveaway." she said, sarcastically again.
Robin stepped up next to Starfire. "And just who are the Pangerans?" he asked.
Then, static and a whistling sound began to fill the air and the Titans looked up.
"Those are the Pangerans. Although they seem to be dealing with someone else right now." Blackfire said, maneuvering her body into a sitting position and catching more of her breath.
In the sky above, four figures could be seen soaring across the darkening sky, one larger than the others and all of them getting closer and more visible. One of them looked like some sort of advanced jet, with a white body and blue wings, a picture of a fox silhouette on the side. Beast Boy, Cyborg and Element all recognized it as an R-Wing fighter from StarFox 64, meaning that it was Gamer.
The other three objects in the sky were smaller, about the size of Cyborg. Starfire, Raven and Beast Boy all took to the air, flying higher to get a better look at what was happening.
With a flash of blue light, Gamer's fighter fired twin blasts from its hyperblasters, the two blue laser beams cutting through the air in the direction of one of the other flying objects. The intended target dodged out of the way a bare second before it would have been hit.
The flying fighters now soared directly over the Titans remaining on the ground, giving them all a good look at the three flying figures. They closely resembled the Gordanians that they had fought back when Starfire had first come to earth. However, they were a bit thinner, their reptilian skin was red and green, and under their arms they each had four long tentacles, two under each arm. In addition, they seemed to be cybernetic life-forms; part biological life, part technology. Their feet, hands, tentacles and lower jaws were made of some kind of metal. Their eyes glowed a bright red, giving off an unnatural light that could be seen from a distance. Instead of wings, on their backs they had some kind of cup-shaped devices attached to their bodies that seemed to keep them in the air, somehow. It was from these strange devices that the static sound emanated.
Making an upside-down U-turn, Gamer's R-Wing banked back over the Titans again, this time very low to the ground. As he soared right over their heads, the R-Wing was consumed in a bright light and Gamer reappeared, dropping to the ground in a roll and popping back up onto his feet a moment later.
"Watch it, those guys mean business!" he shouted to his teammates. Robin extended his staff and Cyborg charged up his cannon.
The three Pangerans swooped in low over the Titans and hovered in mid-air, glaring down at them with their red eyes, which lit up the area. One of them pointed its metal clawed finger at them and spoke in a deep, malicious voice.
"You defend the intruder. Those who protect criminals and offenders of Pangera will suffer!"
Robin turned and looked back down at Blackfire. "What did you do this time, Blackfire?!" he demanded.
She looked back up at him. "For once, nothing. They are just being overly strict about their customs. How was I to know that it was sacred ground?" she said.
The three Pangerans then began to dive forward, making right for Blackfire. Not sure what was going on, but not about to allow this to just happen without a good explanation, Robin decided that defending Blackfire would be the right course of action. For the moment.
"Titans, go!" he shouted. He reached into his belt and pulled out a disc, which he then flung at the lead Pangeran. The alien knocked it aside with one of his tentacles and the disc was knocked all the way into the tree-line of the forest, where it exploded harmlessly in a large cloud of smoke.
Starfire swooped in and grabbed one of the aliens by the tentacles, hauling him further into the sky. The ugly creature, very similar to the ones who had once held her as a slave, snarled at her, its eyes glowing red. Starfire's eyes glowed green in return. The Pangeran threw a punch at her face, but Starfire caught its robotic claw in her hand and easily held its arm at bay.
Cyborg fired his sonic cannon at another of the Pangerans, the blast of sound and energy hitting the creature square in the chest and sending him flying higher into the sky. Raven then wrapped the alien lizard in a cocoon of her dark energy and flung it at the ground, hearing it hit with a loud splat.
Blackfire was stumbling to her feet, her knees shaking, backing away toward the forest-line. The Titans had her pursuers preoccupied, so this was a good chance to get away from both groups. As she turned and began to run in the direction of the forest, a wall of solid earth rose up in front of her, blocking her escape. Turning around, she caught the glowing yellow gaze of a blonde-haired girl in a black shirt and yellow shorts. Someone new to the Titans she presumed, as she had never met her before.
"Oh no you don't." Terra said to her with a smirk.
The third Pangeran changed course and banked away from the Titans and towards Blackfire. The Tamaranian princess looked up to see the alien coming right at her and her eyes briefly glowed a light purple shade. Before she could power up her starbolts, the Pangeran came near enough to her to throw a punch at her snarling, soot-dotted face. With a gasp of pain, Blackfire collapsed to the ground. Her weakened state from her fall from the heavens made it very easy for her to slip into unconsciousness.
The red and green reptile set his metal feet on the grassy ground and stared down at his quarry.
"Now, we shall take you back to-" but he was cut off as Beast Boy, in the form of a ten-foot long squid, landed on his back and wrapped his tentacles around all of the Pangeran's limbs. A tentacle was wrapped around the alien's throat as well, as Beast Boy attempted to apply a sleeper hold. Struggle as he might, the Pangeran could not break free from the squid's grasp. A moment later, he slipped into unconsciousness. Turning into a gorilla, Beast Boy picked up the alien and threw it over next to the one that Raven had put down.
Above the clearing, Starfire was still holding back the Pangeran she had challenged.
"You look familiar. Are you related to the intruder?" it asked her in a raspy voice.
Starfire nodded gravely. "Yes. She is my sister. And although she may deserve whatever punishment you intend to give her, you will not touch her until I say otherwise!" she shouted. Starfire then drew back her own fist and punched her opponent in his scaly face.
The Gordanian look-alike fell to earth, next to his fallen comrades. Starfire lowered herself to the ground and several of the other Titans gathered around, looking down at their fallen foes. Starfire's opponent was still conscious and looked up at all of them with his single open eye.
"You will all regret that you opposed us. The Tamaranian intruder has committed the vilest offense imaginable, and will be brought to justice. And for aiding her, you will all share in her punishment." he choked out through his cybernetic jaws.
Deactivating his cannon, Cyborg stared down at the alien.
"Yeah well, just remember how easily we took you down this time around, if you ever want to come back to our neighborhood. Around here, we are the ones who bring others to justice. So you go deal with your problems on your planet, and let us decide if that girl needs punishment, alright. Star, care to do the honors?" he asked.
Starfire reached down and took a hold of one tentacle from each of the Pangerans. She began to swing them around in a circle, going faster and faster as she did. The one conscious alien screamed as she spun. Finally, Starfire released them, flinging the Pangerans into the sky, where they disappeared in seconds, right out of the atmosphere and back into space where they had come from.
"Hey guys." Beast Boy called to them. The Titans all looked over to see him kneeling down over Blackfire's unconscious form. "Blackfire's out cold. What do we do with her?" he asked.
The teenagers gathered around the fallen alien. Blackfire didn't look so well. She had burns on her skin and a few bruises, although how much of it came from battling the Pangerans all through space and how much came from crashing into Earth like a meteorite they could not tell.
"Robin?" Starfire looked at him with a silent plea. Although Blackfire had lied and manipulated them all before, and had on two occasions deliberately tried to ruin Starfire's life, she was still her sister, and Starfire's loyalty to family went deep. Robin saw all of this in her eyes and relented. How could he say no to her, especially now that they were finally together?
"I guess we can take her back to the tower and help her get well again. But if she has committed another offense and those Pangerans come back to take her, we might have to hand her over." he stated, making it clear that they would still uphold the law, even for a family member of one of their own. Starfire nodded and smiled, taking his hand and squeezing it.
Robin smiled back, then turned to Cyborg. "Why don't you carry her back to the T-car, Cyborg. Beast Boy, you'll have to fly back this time. Terra and Element will ride in back with Blackfire."
Raven spoke her mind. "Let's just hope that she isn't dragging us all into another scheme, again." The others nodded.
------
Blackfire awoke to the sound of beeping. Her head ached, but at a tolerable level. Her back ached worse. She had plummeted to Earth back-first and had hit very hard. But she'd lived through worse.
Opening her eyes, Blackfire saw a ceiling above her. She was in a bed, or more accurately, on a hospital bed, but this didn't look like a normal hospital. She saw that her right arm was hooked up to a machine that was giving off a beeping sound, presumably the rhythm of her heartbeat. Looking at the walls and ceiling again, she recognized where she was. Titans Tower. This was the infirmary; she remembered from her previous visit to Earth, when she'd been given a tour of the tower. She remembered seeing the Teen Titans again after landing, then the Pangerans, a pain in her head and then… she was here.
"I was wondering if you were going to wake up today." said a voice to her right. Blackfire looked over into the corner of the room where the voice had come from. There, she saw a boy sitting in a chair. He had on a red spandex uniform with black gloves and boots, a belt around his waist. Something was written on his chest, but he was mostly in the shadows, so she couldn't read it. He was wearing what the humans called "sunglasses", a form of eye protection from the sun's rays.
The boy stood up from the chair, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He walked out of the shadows and Blackfire could see that he had brown hair, combed and parted rather well. He appeared to have a bit of muscle, but not an outstanding amount. She could probably break him in half if she wished. He had a handsome face, framed just right by those sunglasses. All in all, he seemed like the kind of boy who would belong in a place where superheroes lived.
"Who are you?" she asked him, wondering who he was. He had not been here the last time she came to earth. He then answered her.
"I am the Gamer. I'm the one who spotted you when you crash landed. I also lured the Pangerans away from you." he said, lowering his arms to his sides. She could now see the writing on his chest. It said, The Gamer.
"Thanks. You must be a new member of the Titans I take it? Same as that blonde girl I saw earlier?" she said.
He nodded. "Yeah. My brother and I joined almost two months ago. The girl you saw was Terra. She joined before us."
Blackfire smiled in her most sincere-looking-but-not-really-sincere way.
"Well, thank you for the rescue. I guess I owe you one. How long have I been out?" she asked.
"Since last night. You've been out for nearly 18 hours. It's almost one o'clock in the afternoon now." he answered her.
Blackfire looked around. "Where's Starfire and the other Titans?"
Gamer shrugged. "They are around. They've all got things to do." he said in an amused tone. "Hanging out with each other. Even Cyborg's got someone to talk to, even on long-distance. I'm the only one without a 'special someone' around, so I was assigned to guard duty on you." He stepped a bit closer, inspecting her. "Well, to tell you the truth, this is a sort of an honor, in its own way." he said to her.
Blackfire raised and eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Gamer titled his head. "I've done a lot of research, you could say, on the Titans. Especially Starfire. I learned about you from it; about your first visit to Earth and when you betrothed Starfire to a blob alien. You're considered one of the most infamous siblings in the universe." he said.
Blackfire was surprised that a total alien stranger knew about her in such a way.
"Well, I guess that it is an honor to be known." she said.
Gamer pulled out his communicator. "I need to let the others know that you are awake." he said. Activating the device, he spoke into it. "Robin, you and the others better get up here. Our guest is awake."
------
Cyborg rechecked all the monitors and the readings he had taken and looked back at Robin.
"She's a little banged up, but she'll make a full recovery in no time. Nothing is broken and there's no internal injury. I'd say that she can leave the infirmary tomorrow."
Robin nodded and turned to their unwelcome guest.
"Well, Blackfire, now is the time for you to explain yourself. What did you do to the Pangerans?"
Blackfire looked a little offended. "I didn't do anything to them. After I was banished from my home on Tamaran," she said bitterly, giving a glare at Starfire. "I just traveled around the galaxy, sleeping wherever I could and taking what food I could find. Not the most enjoyable lifestyle." If any of the Titans listening felt any sympathy, they did not show it.
"About a week ago, I landed on Pangera. I went right for a forest area, away from any settlements so that nobody would know I was there. But apparently there were hidden alarms throughout the forest and the Pangerans were alerted to me. It seems that the forest I slept in is some kind of holy grounds and off-worlders are forbidden to set foot there. The Pangerans really took it personally.
"So I flew back into space and those three Pangeran security officers chased me all the way here." she concluded.
Robin frowned. "Nice story. Can you prove it?" he asked.
Before Blackfire could answer, Raven turned to him.
"I don't sense any deceit from her, Robin. I'm pretty sure that she's actually telling the truth this time. Believe it or not." she added, giving Blackfire her own frown. Element was feeling her irritation with her through their union, and gave the Tamaranian the same look.
Robin crossed his arms. "Alright then. What are you going to do now, Blackfire?" he asked her. She thought about it for a moment.
"Well, I don't really have anywhere else to go right now. Maybe I'll just stay on Earth for a while." she said. Beast Boy cocked an eyebrow at that.
"Oh yeah. Like we'd just let you go off and make your own little home somewhere and start stealing stuff whenever you feel like it." he said sarcastically.
"Well," Blackfire said, "If you don't want me around here, then I'll leave."
Starfire had to stay it. "Perhaps, she could be allowed to remain here, with us?" All of the other Titans looked at her like she had lost her mind.
"Star, are you nuts?! You remember what happened last time she stayed with us?" Beast Boy asked. Starfire turned to Robin, speaking directly to him.
"She has nowhere else to stay. And we already know what she is like, so we will be able to maintain watch over her." she said to him. Robin put a hand to his chin.
"Well… I don't know Star. She's caused us trouble before." he said. Blackfire was getting annoyed with them speaking about her as if she wasn't in the room with them. Starfire took Robin's other hand.
"Please Robin. I do not want my sister to be wandering alone in space with no place to go." she said, giving him the face. Robin visibly softened. All the other Titans grinned and slowly shook their heads. They had now officially lost him on any decision that might go against what Starfire wanted. It was quite amusing.
"Alright Star. If that's what you really want." Clearing his throat, he addressed Blackfire. "Okay Blackfire. We'll allow you to stay here with us, but you are going to be under constant supervision until further notice. If you behave yourself, then it won't be permanent. But if you start making trouble, we'll confine you to the tower. Cross the line, and you'll be looking for another planet to stay on. Do I make myself clear?"
Blackfire sighed. "Do I have much of a choice? I understand. Your roof, your rules, yadda yadda yadda. Yeah, I got it." she said, not feeling like arguing right now.
Robin nodded. "Alright then." he turned to the Gamer. "Gamer. I want you to watch over Blackfire during her stay." he said. Gamer looked surprised at this.
"Why me?" he asked.
"Because you were already assigned to watch her while she was recovering, so I might as well keep you on the task. Besides, your powers will make you the most likely to be able to handle her, if no one is around to help you if she makes trouble."
Gamer nodded. "Well, okay then. Sure, I'll do it." he said.
Terra raised her hand. "Uh, I have a question. Where is she going to stay? There are no more rooms available in the tower."
It was a good question. All the personal quarters were at the top of the tower, and there was no more space to make another room. Every other room except the living room and the garage was essential to their superhero duties, so they couldn't convert them into a room for Blackfire. And there was no way that Cyborg and Robin were going to let Blackfire stay in the garage, where their vehicles resided.
"I guess she'll have to stay in the common room. Don't mind sleeping on the couch, do ya Blackfire?" Cyborg asked.
Blackfire shrugged. "I've slept on worst these last few months." she said, giving an irritated glance at Starfire.
"Okay then." Robin said, "You'll stay in the common room for now, until we can come up with other arrangements."
"Oh goody." Raven and Element both said at the same time.
------
"So, what are you going to do now, on your first day out of the infirmary?" Gamer asked.
Blackfire thought for a moment, then looked down at her black and silver outfit, which was torn and burnt in places.
"I think I'll get some new clothes. These are not going to do me any good, and if I'm going to be staying on Earth, I'll need an appropriate wardrobe. Where's a good place to shop for clothes?" she asked.
"The mall." Gamer answered.
"Well, then let's go there." Blackfire said.
It was the next day, and Cyborg had decreed that Blackfire was well enough to leave the infirmary now.
Blackfire had left the infirmary a little while ago. Cyborg had been generous enough to make her some breakfast along with the others, but there was no pretense. Everyone was obviously watching Blackfire carefully. Nobody tried to strike up conversation, and it was no coincidence that everyone had almost finished with their food before she left the infirmary. When Cyborg handed her the plate of food he had made for her, the others were already getting up.
So she had sat at the table, thinking she'd be eating alone and not really caring, but was joined by Gamer, who had sat on the other side of the table. He was following Robin's order to the letter, keeping a strict watch over her during her stay. Blackfire did not try to talk with any of the other Titans, knowing that they did not trust her and with good reason. But she was not here to make friends anyway. Besides, she was still tired from being pursued by the Pangerans
Now, with Gamer have just asked her what her plans for the day were, a destination was in mind. The city mall.
"Lets get moving." she said to the Gamer, and began heading for the stairway to the roof. Gamer followed, wondering if she even knew where the mall was. As the two exited the tower onto the roof, Blackfire scanned the city beyond. She turned to Gamer.
"What direction is the mall in?" Gamer lifted a finger and pointed. Blackfire grabbed him by the wrist and took to the air.
"Whoa! Hey, give me some warning next time you decide to do that!" he shouted up at her. She gave him her sarcastic smirk.
"Yes master!" she shot back.
----
Gamer waited outside the dressing room for Blackfire to change into her new wardrobe. He kept expecting at any moment to hear an explosion from the girl blasting her way out the back of the building and making a run for it. Starfire's sister was not well known for following rules, and staying with the Titans meant more rules than she could probably handle. But rather than a wall being blasted open, Gamer heard the sound of a dressing room door opening behind him.
"How do I look?" he heard her ask.
Gamer turned around and raised an eyebrow, then his sunglasses to get a better look in the light. Blackfire was now wearing an outfit identical to Starfire's except that it had different coloring. Rather than being purple with green jewels on her gloves and at her neck, Blackfire wore the tight top and short skirt and boots that were emerald green, with purple jewels on her gloves and another at her neck.
Thinking about it a moment, Gamer chuckled. Blackfire crossed her arms and frowned at him.
"What's so funny?" she asked, thinking that he was making fun of her.
Gamer shrugged. "Nothing. It's just that you seem to have a yin and yang thing going now with Starfire." he said. Blackfire stared back blankly for a moment, then place her hands on her hips, raised an eyebrow and leaned forward a little with a puzzled frown.
"What?" she asked, clearly not knowing what he was talking about.
Gamer pointed to her outfit. "Starfire has the same outfit, but in purple, and she has emerald green eyes and starbolts. You are now wearing an emerald green outfit with purple eyes and starbolts. Your colors are opposites now, yin and yang. Very appropriate." he said, making a circle with the thumb and forefinger on his right hand, giving her the "ok" sign.
Blackfire straightened up and lowered her arms to her side.
"Oh. Well, thank you." she said, then walked passed him. Gamer shook his head, smirked and followed her.
The two walked through the mall for a while, Blackfire window shopping without really planning to get anything, Gamer following a little bit behind her to make sure she stayed in his view and out of trouble.
As time went by and they continued walking the mall, Gamer found his eyes focusing more closely on Blackfire after a while. With that stunning new outfit of hers, Gamer, being a boy, couldn't help but look over her in it. It wasn't until he found himself smiling slightly as he stared at her pert backside that he realized that he was checking her out. He shook his head and laughed at himself. It was kinda funny. For nearly two years he had been attracted to Starfire, and now here he was catching himself checking out Starfire's sister, who was almost a year and a half older than he was. He wasn't the only one either; nearly every guy in the mall turned to get a second look at the alien princess as she walked by.
It was amusing, but Gamer wasn't letting it go to his head. Blackfire was just as beautiful as Starfire, but her personality made it a different kind of beauty. Darker, more lusty than loving. Blackfire was his enemy and he wasn't forgetting or ignoring that. Hot or not, he kept his priorities straight. It took more than good looks to really catch his interest.
After a while, Blackfire got tired of window shopping and suggested that they return to the tower. After they exited the mall, Blackfire took Gamer's arm again (without giving him warning ahead of time) and flew with him back to the tower. She was secretly looking forward to comparing herself to Starfire with her new outfit.
-------
The next three days passed relatively uneventful. Robin remained in the crime lab most of the time, with Starfire at his side a good deal of that time. Gamer spent nearly all his time keeping watch over Blackfire, who really didn't do much besides sit on the edge of the roof and gaze at the sea, seemingly lost deep in thought. Beast Boy, Terra and Cyborg spent a lot of time playing three-way dodge ball in the gym, with Beast Boy having the advantage of being faster than either of his fellow players.
Raven and Element, as usual, spent all their time in one another's rooms, alternately reading and meditating. Element was almost always in the form of Raven's dark energy now. He could be seen walking around the tower on those occasions when he exited his room as a person made completely of blackness. It was like seeing a bit of Raven's energy walking around with a will of its own, which in a way was what it was, since Element had literally become that energy.
When in this state, Element and Raven were connected and their bond at its strongest. In this state, the two could be at opposite ends of the universe, in two separate dimensions, and still know exactly what the other was doing/thinking/feeling at the exact moment that it was happening. There was no separation and there was no distance between them. In this way, both knew that they'd never have to worry about surprise Christmas or birthday presents from one another, as secrets were impossible to keep between the two now. They liked it that way.
Now in the middle of the afternoon of this fine Saturday, Cyborg was pacing the front hall with his hands behind his back. BumbleBee was due to arrive any minute now, and when the evening rolled in, they were all going to go out and party at a club. BumbleBee had looked up locations for a fun evening in Jump City on the web and had chosen the location for them, since she was going to be the guest of the Titans West. Ironically, Bee had chosen the same club that Blackfire had taken the Titans to during her first visit.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang to the double doors of the entrance hall. Cyborg stood up straight, cleared his throat, sniffed under his armpit to make sure there was no scent of motor oil coming from him, then approached the door. He slid it open. BumbleBee stood with her hands resting on her lush hips, smiling at him as he opened the door for her.
"Hey Sparky. How ya doing?" she asked, winking at him. Cyborg blushed on the human portion of his face, but other than that, kept his cool.
"I'm doing great… now!" he said with a big grin, holding his arm out behind him, indicating for her to come on in. Bee chuckled a little and walked past him into the tower entrance room. As she walked past, Cyborg could not stop his eye before it moved down and got for him a good look at her butt, looking absolutely fine in a pair of black tights. Bee knew he was doing it and let him, pretending not to know where he was looking and kept on walking to the elevator to wait for him.
Blushing a bit more, and very glad that she had not looked back and caught him checking out her rear, Cyborg closed the door behind him and followed her. Catching up to her at the elevator, he pressed the button for the doors to open. He then looked down at her and was surprised and pleased to see that she was already looking at him. She smirked.
"So, Starfire's sister been giving you guys any trouble?" she asked, trying to make conversation before the party tonight. Cyborg smirked in return.
"Nope. Gamer's been keeping her in line somehow. Don't know how he does it, but it must run in the family, 'cause Element has pretty much got Raven tamed now too." he said, grinning at this last statement. They stepped into the elevator together and Cyborg pushed the button for the top floor.
"I can't wait to meet them. These guys really sound cool. And to congratulate Robin and Starfire." she said with a grin, knowing that the two most obvious love-struck people she had ever met were finally getting with the program.
While she was looking forward to that, and to meeting Terra, the two new boys, and even Starfire's sister, what Bee was really thinking about at that moment as she looked Cyborg up and down was to wonder how much of that metal was solid and how much of it was just protective plating. She often wondered, and thought perhaps it might be true, that some of those metal pieces could be removed and that there was some human flesh still undamaged under it. Being a girl, she couldn't help wonder, if it were true, just how much human flesh he really had left under there.
The elevator door opened and the two made their way into the common room, secretly taking peeks at each other when one wasn't looking the whole way. Upon entering, everyone looked up.
"Yo, Bee!" Beast Boy called to her, waving. Starfire hovered above the ground and flew over to her fellow Titan.
"Oh, it is most glorious to see you again, friend Bee who Bumbles!" Starfire declared, throwing her arms around Bee and giving her the world famous Starfire hug of near death. Upon release and getting her breath back, Bee smiled at Starfire.
'Hey Starfire. Nice to see you again too." she said, then moved further into the room, Cyborg staring again as she went.
After saying hello again to Robin, Raven and Beast Boy, introductions of the three new members went around. BumbleBee shook hands with Terra, then with Gamer and Element. Bee was good with telling a few things about people at first meetings, and she knew that these three were cool people and well deserved to be Titans.
For the sake of politeness, Robin called Blackfire over from the corner she was more or less hiding in to meet BumbleBee. The two girls stared at each other for a moment, and although they did not shake hands, they said hello to each other and nodded respectfully. Bee could tell about this girl too, and knew that she was trouble alright. She was just behaving for the Titans because she was bored, nothing more.
After all the introductions and the hellos, the group of ten teens just sat around and talked for a while, Cyborg telling Bee most of the events that had occurred in the last two months since the two brothers arrived, with some of the others filling in here and there when they felt that Cyborg wasn't giving certain details enough justice.
Eventually, when only a small portion of light from the sun was visible on the western horizon, Robin announced that the time to go out was now.
"Yes!" Beast Boy and Terra boy said in unison, jumping to their feet at the same time, hands held together. Raven and Element rolled their eyes and sighed. Beast Boy and Starfire had begged Raven to join them at the club tonight, while Cyborg and Gamer had talked Element into going. The two had reluctantly agreed, knowing that they'd just stay in the shadows along the walls, out of sight and mind of everyone else there. They had better things to do, like meditate while in the union.
------
The club was full of partying adults and teenagers and playing some really awesome tunes for the night. People were having a fantastic time, and the Titans knew that they'd be able to have some fun too, with the worries of superhero life slipping away for just one evening. As Blackfire had so accurately put it last time they were here; cool crowd, hot music.
However, it was only going to be hot for so long. The reason why BumbleBee had chosen this location on this night to come and visit the Titans (Cyborg really) was because it was request night. Knowing that Beast Boy was the group's most dedicated helpless romantic, Bee had asked him back at the tower earlier if he had anything really nice to request the DJ to play. Something slow and sweet. Beast Boy had grinned evilly, having just the thing in mind. But before then, it was time to party.
Beast Boy, Terra, Cyborg, BumbleBee, Robin and Starfire all made their way out onto the dance floor. Robin and Starfire didn't dance quite so wild as everyone else, since Robin had almost no dancing skills and Starfire was not quite sure what sort of moves she should make with this kind of dancing, as it all seemed to be pretty random. Still, they got into their own little rhythms in no time. The other four Titans were really boogying to the blaring music.
Raven and Element were off in an obscure corner of the club, sitting at a booth and holding hands across the small table. Element had absorbed her energy, but only into his palms, so as not to frighten any of the partygoers. He also absorbed the floor of the establishment with his feet, allowing him to feel every person in the room with their feet on the floor, and all the sensations within them. Since they were unified, Raven was able to feel this sensation too. It was all quite exhilarating.
Being pretty much on probation, Blackfire did not feel like dancing with the others. They'd only watch her the whole time and wouldn't let her really have fun, which she knew she could have in this place if there was someone who actually wanted to be around her. Gamer didn't dance either, staying near Blackfire to make sure she didn't wander off or bother anyone. Besides, he didn't have a dance partner.
After a couple of hours, the time for requests had come. A few people had made some requests and the Titans had danced through them. Then, when no one else seemed to have anything, Beast Boy broke away from Terra and went to the DJ. Whispering to him, Beast Boy came back to Terra. He whispered to her too, and Terra grinned brightly and hugged Beast Boy around his neck.
After a moment, the DJ started the song. The moment that the first few notes played, Element and Raven both raised their heads suddenly and looked towards the dance floor. It was "Shape of My Heart" by the Backstreet Boys. The first time Element had heard that song, it had somehow gone to him, the only song of its type that he actually liked. Raven picked this up from him, like everything else about him, and knew that he actually wanted to dance with her for this one. He did not have to ask, as she knew the instant that the thought came to his mind, and having nothing to be embarrassed about when with him, she agreed in her mind, which he knew instantly. They both stood up and moved hand in hand to the dance floor.
With eyebrows raised and Raven and Element's arrival to the dance floor, the other six Titans turned to their partners and moved in close, taking the appropriate stances for a love song. While Beast Boy and Terra and Robin and Starfire had become extremely close and were comfortable with this way of dancing, Cyborg and BumbleBee were a little nervous.
Cyborg placed his left hand on her waist, while Bee put her right hand on his left shoulder. Then, they took their remaining hands in each others' and began to gently move with each other as the song played. Cyborg was worrying like crazy the whole time that he might accidentally step on her foot, and that if he did, it would kill the date right then and there. If he stepped on her foot, he would surely break it. To his credit, Cyborg danced very well, and Bee could tell that he would not step on her. She smiled up at him, looking into his eyes, human and artificial. He stared back down into hers. The sweet tune of the Backstreet Boys filled their ears and made this moment feel very, very good.
Neither Element nor Raven knew how to dance to save their lives, but they managed in their own way, dancing in the darkest corner of the floor with the most number of other dancers around to block them from view. They stared at each other, he into her bluish/purple eyes and she into his masked green eyes. No words were said, and none needed to be said. Of all the couples in the room, they were the closest ones to be had, and their love for each other passed wordlessly between their souls. Literally.
Starfire was in heaven. Robin was very good at dancing to a slow song, as she knew from their previous dance at Kitten's prom. But now she was dancing with him as his girl, and it was a dream come true. She could not stop staring at his handsome face, his masked eyes, so filled with love for her. She leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder as they danced, Robin actually managing to not blush at this show of affection in full view of nearly two hundred people in the club then.
Terra hand both arms around Beast Boy's middle, her head resting against his shoulder, while he had both of his arms around her waist. While Terra wasn't really big on boy bands or love songs, she absolutely adored some of the ones that the Backstreet Boys could crank out, and "Shape of My Heart" was one of her favorites. He had requested it just for her, and she was so happy to be dancing with him to it. Raising her head a little, she kissed his cheek, then returned her head to his shoulder. Beast Boy beamed proudly.
Watching from sidelines, Gamer felt very jealous of all his friends. Happy, sure, but also jealous. He wished so much that he could share that song with someone. Heck, just dancing with someone would do, there didn't even have to be an actual relationship going on. It was just that they all looked so happy and at peace, and if he could just feel only a little of that same peace, by dancing with someone to a slow love song like this one, it would be better than nothing.
He sighed, and then looked to his left at Blackfire. She was leaning back against the wall, watching the others with a sort of longing in her eyes, and it occurred to Gamer that she might be wishing the same thing. Having been on her own and on the run for several months, maybe she just wanted to have a little of that same peace that he wanted, if just for a while. And that was when the thought hit Gamer, like the cliché light bulb going on in his head.
"Blackfire, you wanna dance?" he asked her.
Blackfire looked at him, surprised. "Me? Why are you asking me?"
Gamer shrugged. "Well, I want to dance with someone, and you look like you do too. Neither of us has a partner, and since I'm supposed to be watching you anyway, I figured I'd at least ask if you wanted to." he said to her.
Thinking it over for a second, Blackfire considered his offer. The song was halfway over and it was doubtful that another song that asked for a slow dance was going to be requested to night, so this might be her only opportunity. Deciding that she had nothing to really lose, Blackfire nodded.
"Sure." she said to her guard.
Reaching out with a black gloved hand, Gamer took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor. Putting the other hand on her waist and allowing her to put her other hand on his shoulder, they began to slowly dance along with the remainder of the song.
Terra noticed first, and motioned with her chin for Beast Boy to turn around and look. He did so and his jaw dropped and his ears stood up. He waved a hand at Cyborg, who looked at what had Beast Boy and Terra so interested, then whispered to BumbleBee, who turned around to look too.
Cyborg waved to Robin and Starfire, but also wound up catching the attention of Raven and Element, who could see his arm waving. The two couples turned to look and all four teens stopped dancing. Element, Starfire and Robin, the three people Gamer was closest with, were especially concerned with what they saw. The Gamer was dancing with Blackfire to the song.
Gamer was not staring Blackfire in the eyes. There was no connection between them, so he had no need to look her in the eyes. However, the soft blue lights coming from the ceiling and shining onto the dance floor did make a pretty cool shine in her eyes, that he easily caught the reflection of. It also bounced off her dark hair pretty nicely too. She was good at dancing as well, so he was enjoying this moment, glad to have somebody to dance with and feel like a part of the crowd. Blackfire was also enjoying the dance for mostly the same reasons, and also did not stare into Gamer's sunglasses, but still liked how the blue lights reflected off of them.
------
It was almost midnight, and the Titans exited the club and stood under the street lights outside. BumbleBee turned to the others and spoke, more to Cyborg than the rest.
"Well it's been a great night. But I've got to be going back to Steel City now." she said, a definite tone of regret in her voice. Cyborg's face fell.
"You sure you can't stay one more day?" he asked, silently begging the answer to be yes.
Bee shook her head. "Sorry. I'd love to stay longer, more than anything," she said, gazing into his eyes and truly meaning it. "But I can't leave the guys there all alone for one day, or there's no telling what might happen. I wish they could have decided on somewhere to go, so that I could have a real vacation like I wanted. Maybe next time though." she said, smiling sweetly up at Cyborg.
Although disappointed, Cyborg had to smile back. Bee looked around his massive form, making sure that the others were not looking right at them at the moment. Then she moved further around him, just to make sure that he was blocking her from the others completely.
That done, she leaned up and kissed him on the lips, holding it there for about two seconds, then drawing back. Cyborg's face went nearly full red and he struggled to keep from yelling "yahoo!" as loud as he could. BumbleBee smiled back at him.
"See you again soon, Sparky. Real soon, if I have anything to say about it." she said, plainly flirting with that last sentence.
Cyborg cocked an eyebrow to appear smooth. "Make sure you do." he said, taking her hands in his and squeezing them gently. After a moment, he released her hands and BumbleBee took a few steps back, keeping her eyes on Cyborg for another moment. Then, she spread her delicate wings and took to the air.
As she flew away, she spun around, flying on her back, and blew a kiss at Cyborg. The big teen grinned a mile wide and waved back at her.
As Gamer took out his controller, prepared to change into a vehicle to transport some of the others back to the tower, Element gently grabbed him by the elbow and led him away from the others. Once they were far enough, Element turned to his brother.
"What was that all about, Gamer?" he asked, trying to sound neutral. Gamer looked back, confused.
"What was what all about?"
Element frowned. "Dancing with Blackfire. Why did you do that?"
Gamer shrugged. "I wanted to dance, so did she. So, since I was supposed to be watching her anyway, we decided to dance with each other while the song was still going. Is there a problem with that?" he wondered, not sure what his brother was getting at.
Element shook his head for a moment, thought for a few seconds, then shrugged.
"No, it's nothing. I was just starting to wonder there, that's all." he said plainly. "Forget it."
Gamer thought for a moment, then figured it out. He looked at his brother and started laughing.
"Don't worry, bro. I'm not starting to like her or anything. I just wanted to dance with someone and she was available at the moment. There's nothing going on." he said, trying to reassure his twin.
Element nodded. "Like I said, forget it." he moved away, back to Raven. Shaking his head, Gamer tapped in the code that changed him into the Cheetah from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and opened his doors for Beast Boy and Terra, who sat in the back, and Blackfire, who sat in the driver's seat. Cyborg took Robin, Starfire, Element and Raven back in the T-Car.
In spite of what he had told Element, on the whole drive back to the tower, the Gamer couldn't quite stop thinking about the dance. And about how nice Blackfire felt, sitting in his car seat.
Guys, I am sooooooooooooooo sorry for the wait on this. Four and a half months, I thought I'd never get this one finished. Between school, work and a relationship, I had half of this thing done and sitting in my computer for all that time, with only a paragraph or two being added here and there. But, low and behold, here it is after all this time. I hope you all enjoyed it. The story is now two thirds finished! Only five more chapters to go until the end.
For those confused about Blackfire's presence in the story, read the opening descriptions at the beginning of the first chapter, and you'll see that this was the plan all along. Where it goes from here, you'll just have to read to find out, and I promise that the wait will not be nearly as long as this one was. And the next few chapters will be very detailed about certain things, so the actual plot to this story is finally going to start taking shape.
Next chapter, as Gamer spends more time guarding Blackfire, he begins to understand her past, her personality and what makes her tick. He finds that she is not at all what he expected and what everyone else thinks she is. But when his trust in her causes him to lapse in judgment and aid her in committing a crime, he will have to choose between his new family, the Teen Titans, and his newest and closest friend. Drama to the extreme is what you'll find in Element and the Gamer chapter 11: Friend or foe? See you guys then!