Chapter 10. Return.
Finally, a nice round number.
1 review, of sorts, from SHSW360 who remains what seems to be a fan of my work.
Aside from that;
I don't own the Titans, only Charly/Spitfire and the story.
CHAPTER!
The roof of Titans Tower was a mess of noise and movement for most of the afternoon, the Titans playing round after heated round of rooftop volleyball.
As the third day since Charly's dismissal came to a close the very tired teens ventured back into the tower proper. Terra had begun speaking to Robin again, though only at Charly's request. He had been leaving her notes in her room, which he no doubt put there during a bout of time freezing power.
'Starfire, aren't you coming?' Robin asked the alien girl, who had turned to the horizon.
'I wished to watch the sunset, you may proceed.' She told him courteously.
'Ok, well don't stay up here too long.' With that he made his way back into the suddenly very empty feeling tower.
For a long time Starfire enjoyed the sunset and the peace of the scene until something behind her made her spin.
'Hey Starfire.' Charly dropped to the roof from the top of one of the large ventilators.
'Charly! I do not think…that we should be talking. Robin…' She began.
'I'm still your friend Star; I'm just not a Titan. Besides, Robin didn't tell you guys not to talk to me did he?' His face broke into a grin, which faltered a little at the look on her face.
'He did, huh?' He moved to the edge and sat down, gesturing for Starfire to join him.
'That was just after you were removed from the team, he is I believe the term is 'coming around'? Should I fetch Terra? I could say I merely wished for her to observe the sunset. That is something I would do, is it not?' Star offered, moving to leave.
'No!' Charly shouted. 'Don't. If I saw her now I wouldn't be able to leave again. The Boy Wonder wouldn't be best pleased.' He smiled a little at how Starfire was learning to take advantage of her naïve stereotype.
'Where have you been?' Starfire asked, taking a seat next to him on the ledge and gazing at the now purple horizon.
'Around, everywhere and nowhere. Robin can't patrol a whole city on his own. I memorised his routes, I can take a different one and cover the city more effectively.' He explained, seeing her confused look.
'Where have you been sleeping, then?' She asked, genuinely concerned.
'Again, nowhere. I've only had about two hours since I was… ejected. On a roof in the city.' He said nonchalantly.
'That is unacceptable! You should not have to do that.' Starfire was outraged.
'Nowhere else I can go Star; I'm not going back to the caves, too many memories. I'm also not leaving the city. Actually I got a job; it's not important what though.' He created a small version of himself and let it pace around on his hand before suddenly making a fist. A lick of flame was all that signified it's end.
'Perhaps I should tell Terra you were here at least?' Starfire asked again.
'Sure, but please tell her why I couldn't see her. It would only make her life here harder. No, He would only make her life harder, if he knew.' He clenched a fist. 'Oh, and give her this.' He held out a small glass phial with a flat bottom, inside which was a tiny rose, immaculately detailed, as though carved into red fire.
'It is breathtaking.' Starfire whispered in awe.
'Thank you. Robin is coming to check on you, you should hide that,' He stood and stepped to the shadow behind the door to the roof, 'I'll be back before you know it.'
He stepped backwards into the shadow just as the door opened, Robin almost sprinting out straight past the hidden Charly.
'Are you ok, Star? Beast Boy said he heard you talking to someone.' Robin glanced around.
'I was merely… singing to myself.' Starfire covered, casting a glance at where Charly had been stood. He was gone.
'Well come on in, we're watching a movie.' Robin set off again, Star quicklyin tow.
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'Dude, I can't believe you brought me here!' Beast Boy was outraged that Cyborg had managed to get him to try out a new fast-food place. The place was called 'I Love Meat'.
'I could be watching 'Attack of the Monkey Guys' right now and you brought me to a meat joint!'
'They do good vegetarian food, I hear.' Cyborg attempted.
'Oh, ok.' They entered the door and waltzed up to the counter; the kid working there had his back to them and seemed to be writing in a notebook.
'Er, hello! Can I get some service over here?' Beast Boy shouted impatiently.
'Oh jeez,' the kid sighed and without turning rattled off his obviously pre-written welcome note, with a few minor changes.
'Welcome to 'I love meat', where the customer is always wrong, the staff always disgruntled and the burgers contain half your recommended life-time amount of grease, what can I take your money for?' The British accent gave him away instantly and Charly turned.
'Dude! You work here?' Beast Boy shouted in disbelief.
'No,' Charly's eyes narrowed in hatred of everything that moves, 'I merely though it would be a funny joke to get behind the counter and pretend that I hated my life.' He sighed and then finally shouted;
'ARGH! Screw this! John, I quit!' He leapt over the counter and walked out, followed by the green titan and a reluctant half-robot.
'But, my meat!'
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'You're coming back to the tower with us; it's time Robin did something.' Cyborg said, catching up.
'No I'm not.' Charly replied in a monotone.
'You have to; he's actually been on the lookout for you during his patrols.' Beast Boy added.
'He obviously isn't looking very hard.' Charly intoned.
'You know, you're a lot like your sister.' The green teen noticed.
'Ok, I'll come back, but I'm going to be avoiding Robin and possibly even hiding from him.' Charly gave up, his strength of will had fallen these past couple of days.
'Sweet!' With that he was bundled into the car and they sped off.
John left the back room of the restaurant.
'You say something Charly? Charly? Oh, there goes another one.'
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The door of the common room slid open, causing a small cheep of fear from Starfire, presumably the movie was still on.
Cyborg stepped in, surveying, followed by Beast Boy, who commando rolled his way down the steps, leapt up and swung his head around dramatically.
'CLEAR!' He shouted suddenly.
'I know, I've been gone two days and you've already forgotten what powers I have.' Charly stepped through the door apprehensively.
'You have returned to us! Wonderful!' Starfire shouted from her seat, not tearing her eyes from the screen (she really loves those horror movies).
'Hey.' Raven almost forced herself to say.
'Welcome back, Charly.' Terra said from behind him, having just entered the room. She pulled him into a passionate kiss that lasted until Beast Boy wolf-whistled from his seat on the couch.
'I owe you for that.' Charly said, finally smiling.
'It feels good to be back, there's a part of me here.' He moved to the couch but was stopped by Cyborg.
'You need to see the improvements we've made since you left!' He said, dragging him from the room.
'It's only been two days!' Was all anyone heard before the door slid closed again.
'So, what have you managed to do in the grand total of 48 hours?' He asked Cyborg and Beast Boy, who had somehow managed to get from the couch to the door in a split second.
'This room, here.' Cyborg pointed, the pressed the button next to the door and watched it slide open.
'Isn't this Robin's office?' Charly asked, peering into the pitch black room.
'Yes!' Shouted Beast Boy, pushing him in and locking the door.
'I swear if you don't open this door I'll melt through and kill you!' They heard from the other side.
Snickering, they left Charly trapped in the one place he didn't want to be.
'I'm going to rip him apart!' He sighed to himself.
'No you won't, that's not like you at all.' Wisdom said from somewhere in his mind.
'No you won't, that's not like you, Charly.' A voice said from behind the shadow shrouded desk. A voice Charly was more than a little worried by.
'Robin? What the hell is this?' Charly asked the darkness, adjusting his powers to help him spot the leader's energy signature.
'I needed to speak to you.' Robin said calmly, hitting the switch on his lamp. He was leaning on his desk, looking very apprehensive.
'So you had the Chuckle Brothers kidnap me?' Charly asked, furious.
'The who? Never mind. There's something I had to say.' He paused as though rethinking.
'I'm flattered, Robin, but I though same-sex marriages were illegal in Jump?' Charly cracked, causing Robin to chuckle a little.
'I don't know how to word this subtly, so here it is. The team wants you back. I want you back, you're an asset to the team and if you went rogue we'd have to call up the Justice League to lend us a hand stopping you.' Robin offered, trying to make a joke.
'That wouldn't be a pretty phone-call, I hear you and the old mentor don't speak that much.' Charly quipped.
'I see now.' Robin said contemplatively.
'See what?' Charly asked.
'I was blinded by the fact you had committed a crime, I have issues with that, as you know. The guys kept telling me that the tower was quieter and more dull with you gone. Now I can see it.' Robin told him.
'Sounds like you're coming onto me a little there, Rob.' Charly took a step back.
'So are you coming back or not?' Robin stood.
'I don't know, I have work tomorrow and John's counting on me to flip burgers.' Charly joked.
'You quit, we have cameras in 'I love Meat'.' Robin told him, smiling.
'That's not detective work Robin, that's being a weirdo.' Charly shook the extended hand.
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Charly re-entered the main room, followed by Robin.
Charly's face didn't bode well and Raven could feel a deep depression from him, as well as anger.
'I think they had another fight.' She told Terra, who was sat next to her, they had gotten to be quite good friends since Terra's return.
'Well, I'm staying.' Charly said suddenly, not brightening at all. 'But it's only for a set period.'
'How long?' Cyborg asked, looking at Robin's equally unreadable face.
'Well, we came to an agreement, after some talk and decided he could stay until…' He glanced around the group and smiled suddenly, 'Until there's no crime in Jump City at all.'
'I told it would be hilarious, you should have seen your faces!' Charly had almost collapsed from laughing so hard.
'That wasn't funny!' Terra shouted, marching up to him and aiming a slap for his face.
He caught her hand and pulled her into him.
'Shut up and kiss me.' He said, smoothly.
This time Beast Boy didn't whistle and the kiss lasted far longer, only breaking when Terra needed air.
'Don't you breathe?' She asked her boyfriend after a huge gasp.
'You are my oxygen darling.' He said, staring deep into her eyes.
'We'regoingtomyroombackinafewhours!' Terra shouted to the others, dragging Charly after her out of the room.
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Charly re-entered the room, his hair was messed up and his shirt was on backwards. Terra's hair was flyaway and she looked exhausted.
'Does your jaw ache?' Charly asked her, pulling her next to him as they walked down the steps.
'Not my jaw, no.' She answered, smiling at him.
'No more!' Raven said before they could continue.
The two glanced at each other and decided it was time for the first session of Raven-baiting of his return.
'Doesn't matter, that pain will be gone by the end of the week.' He began.
'Not if we do that again.' She offered.
'True, but that was pretty wild.'
'You were fantastic, though.'
'Thanks, I never knew you could do that with your… OW!' A toaster slammed into Charly's head, he turned just in time to see the black covered toaster smash into his nose.
'Welcome home.' his sister offered.
Ah, innuendo. Sport of kings.
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your time.
Reamis, out.