Author's Note: Alright everyone, we're at that part in the story where I start to introduce my upcoming stories.
After this one, I plan to write my sequel of Twinkle Twinkle Little Starfire where experiences what it's like to be a child again. This story will be called Little Robin Redbreast. However this will be a quick story and should be published soon after this story is finished.
However, I have also gotten several requests to do a Red X/Starfire/Robin story, and if I do I will make sure the couplings are equal where Starfire is concerned. This will be another major Fanfic I write and it will be called Red. Okay on with the story!
~0~0~0~
Robin pressed his forehead on the door of Starfire's chamber, trying to gather his thoughts together. Two days ago Raven and Beast Boy had been sent home via space pod, and he had never felt so lost until after they had gone. It was amazing that he could have the opportunity to send his friends home to Earth safely, but what did that mean for him and Starfire? When he had told her what Blackfire discussed with him a few days ago she seemed less than surprised, but agreed to her terms without hesitation. This snap decision alarmed Robin. Starfire truly cared for her friends more than her own life.
With this thought in mind, Robin was filled with the confidence she must have felt when she agreed to be contained within the Citadel forever. He used this strength to open the door to her room.
He found her sitting by one of the smaller balconies overlooking the center of the palaces courtyard where various aliens were conversing with one another, of just minding their own business. She didn't look up when he entered so she must have been too deep in thought.
"Hey," he said softly, causing her to glance up. As soon as she did her somewhat melancholy expression transformed into one of complete elation.
"Robin," she said, just as soft, rising from where she sat. As she crossed to meet him her arms encircled around his torso, drawing him into a comforting friendship hug.
They stood like that for a moment in silence. But all silences had to come to an end.
"Cyborg's match is today," he murmured into her shoulder. She heard her make a noise of agreement before releasing him from the hug. They moved to the bed where they sat down for their usual talks, this time however the conversation was much darker and more hopeless than it had been.
Once they were seated Robin took out the bottle of liquid metallic chromium and handed it to Starfire to observe. She glanced down at it and frowned, her eyebrows furrowing.
"This is metallic chromium, yes?" she questioned. "You have mentioned how my sister has given this to you in case she has done the double crossing?"
Robin nodded. "She said if I believed she wasn't keeping her word, I could press this button," he indicated said button, "and this would be transferred into her body somehow…but then she said you couldn't be nearby either of else this would affect you…I…I don't think I understand."
Starfire bit her lip. "Do you remember how I told you I was experimented on by the Psions?"
"Yes. You mentioned how they used you and your sister as test subjects. But how-"
"One of their experimentations was overly risky. They were planning to use the energy we could create with our eyes to generate power in our hands. However there was a major risk that the testing would backfire, resulting in a colossal explosion. To stop the blast in time if it did occur, the Psions inserted miniscule microchips which contained samples of metallic chromium. In this way, they could destroy us without destroying themselves," Starfire explained. Her eyes fell to a spot on the ground and remained there for quite some time.
She felt a sudden pressure on her shoulder, and realized it was Robin's hand. She summoned a small smile and glanced shyly up at him. He returned the smile and gave her shoulder a small squeeze giving all the explanation in the world from that touch.
"The trigger only properly works if I am within range," she told him, indicating the little bottle once more. "If you were to press it while I am in another room, I doubt the signals would reach. But for now I recommend you do not do the pressing of it."
"I'll make sure I won't," he assured her. He hesitantly switched gears as another thought came into his mind. "By the way…Blackfire…told me why I'm allowed to meet you here."
The look on her face was priceless. She automatically turned a shade of tomato red and she became slack-jawed. Her eyes stretched wide in a mixture of horror, embarrassment, and disbelief. Before Robin could speak again she fell down to the floor and bent in a way that indicated she was bowing towards him, as though she was not worthy.
"Please forgive me, I had to speak with you and I knew this was the only way in which to communicate with you about our escape plan. Trogaar would not allow any other excuse except the one previously mentioned and I figure if you did not know it would be the okay. However now I see that I have upset you greatly, and I feel so ashamed as if a thousand gelforks had escaped my clutches and I must say that-"
"Wow, wow, Star, I'm not upset," Robin explained, completely bewildered by her reaction. He crouched to her level and gave her a light push upwards so she was no longer in worshiping position. "I mean…it's the only way we could have been able to see each other right? You had to do what you had to do." He attempted a comforting smile which hopelessly faltered.
When he had finished she reluctantly raised her eyes to his face. "So…you do not mind that I have told them that I have been summoning you to pleasure me?"
His mouth suddenly became increasingly dry. He scratched his head. "Uh…well when you say it like that…" She giggled at this.
He smiled back at her and then cleared his throat. "Uh…but…we would never need like…evidence would we? You know…to make sure Trogaar still thinks…?"
Starfire gave him an expression of pure puzzlement, but before the situation could become even more awkward she glanced out in the direction of the balcony where she was previously. Robin followed her gaze and the two listened as cheers began to slowly erupt outside.
"It is time."
~0~0~0~
"MAN, am I pumped!" Cyborg shouted, cracking every possible joint on his body. "I wish BB was here so he could how dope I am!"
"You might not want to shout that," Aqualad advised, shaking his head.
Speedy laughed. "Yeah, and besides you're in Rutha remember? Not exactly dope."
"Are you calling me black?"
"Tributes must enter the arena at this time," the announcer spoke.
The Titans in the waiting area glanced up at the ceiling and then Cyborg let out a long whistle. "Guess that's my cue, you got off lucky you little ginger," he said pointing to Speedy who smiled and backed away slowly.
As the tributes entered the stadium for the second match, Robin and Starfire exchanged a look from where they each stood. They both knew who would win this battle, they just weren't sure how staged it would look.
"The Battle of the Ruthas will take place at this time. This match consists of seventeen tributes. Those who are defeated easily will be placed in the Troq rank, while those who excel will move up to the next rank. Now, at this time, the Battle of the Ruthas will commence!"
As the tributes began to do battle, it was almost immediately clear to Cyborg which aliens would be a threat or not. He easily dodged various attacks of horrible looking creatures of all different shapes, sizes, and colors, while initiating a few stunning blows of his own. His energy was rather low since he didn't have his recharging system, so he didn't dare use his sonic cannon. Nevertheless he posed an immense threat.
He recognized the tentacle creature that Beast Boy had faced in his battle, but he quickly dispatched the monster without a problem. He swiftly dodged another swing from an opponent and kicked out at a smaller creature with slippery skin, sending it flying into the stands.
"Damn," Cyborg said to himself as he slid under the foot of an alien the size of a minivan. "I'm not even breaking a sweat. I must be butter 'cuz I'm on a roll!"
The closest he ever came to injury was when a creature with rotating jagged arms came spinning at him at a rather alarming speed. Luckily, he didn't even have to deal with the attack because the minivan sized monster toppled over onto the creature, cutting itself to death while also crushing Cyborg's previous attacker.
Before he had time to puke out any of the alien food he had digested from this sight, the ending gong sounded, and the ineligible, or slaughtered tributes were extracted from the arena soon after.
Cyborg shook his head in disbelief. They really should have known better than to place him in the Rutha rank. He noticed after the clearing was nearly empty that only one other contestant stood alongside him. As soon as he laid eyes on the being he wanted to upchuck his lunch again.
The alien was about the size of a large dog with a complexly round exterior. It had several holes throughout his body that Cyborg originally presumed to be injuries, but thought otherwise once they all started to overflow with a snow colored discharge.
He took a few steps away.
"Today there are two tributes which will move up to the Gortorg rank. They will claim their prizes as follows. Earthling that blinks, what do you choose? A small reward or perhaps a female from the Lord's Harem?"
"I choose a girl from the Lizard King's harem," he answered without blinking.
"And who do you choose?"
A smirk crossed Cyborg's features as he answered with, "The girl dressed in yellow, with the dark brown hair."
"About time, I got outta here," Bumblebee murmured to Jinx.
"Very well, it is done. And what do you choose Flartb'r?"
"A small fortune of course," Flartb'r responded immediately.
"As you wish. The Battle of the Ruthas has been complete. Both tributes may claim their prizes now."
~0~0~0~
"I don't know Sparky; I say you were definitely struggling. Now, if I was down there, I could really give those alien freaks a run for their money," Bumblebee remarked, as she stepped inside the pod.
Cyborg rolled his eyes and fought not to cringe when she called him that nickname. He really hated it. "Yeah, uh-huh, sure. Whatever you say Karen."
"Hey watch it," Bee said looking around. "You never know who could be around….Victor Stone."
Cyborg laughed as he closed the pod door and began to type in the coordinates for Earth. "Don't ever change Bee, you crack me up." He flung an arm around her waist and gave her a friendly squeeze.
However she brushed him off uneasily, sitting several feet away from him. She was suddenly immensely interested in her shoes.
Cy gave her a strange look and then shrugged the feeling off as he prepared to launch the pod. Once he was finished he took a seat beside her; it was perhaps a little too close to be considered a friendly distance. Bee gave him a nervous look-which was rather uncharacteristic of her-and scooted a little bit away.
Cyborg frowned. He wasn't an idiot. He was definitely picking up a rejection vibe. "Okay, what's up?"
"Hmm?" she asked innocently, looking off to the side.
"Come on, Karen, you're being colder than ice now. I mean I get your whole independent thing, but isn't this going a little over the edge?"
"Watch it Stone, don't make me sting you."
"I'm serious…I mean," he hesitated here. "I thought you wanted us to be together. After Brother Blood, you said-"
"That was a long time ago," she said, exasperated. "Then so many other things happened. Titans East formed, that thing with that TV nerd Control Freak, and then the whole Brotherhood of Evil."
"I don't follow, girl."
She shrugged. "I guess I didn't really want you to," she muttered. "The thing is, when you're in that kind of environment you get tested in different situations. You have to test your abilities, you skills, test the strength of your mind, and your team."
"You're starting to sound like Spike," he commented, smirking.
She rolled her eyes. "The point is, you meet new people, and…I have."
Cyborg's mouth dropped. "You met someone?"
"Well don't act so surprised, Sparky," she retorted bitterly.
"You know I didn't mean it like that. Who is it?"
Bumblebee sighed, and then finally relented. "It's Herald."
Cyborg raised his eyebrows. "No kidding? Didn't know he had it in him. Guess that means I'm a bachelor again, huh?"
Her gaze softened. "I just crushed all your hopes and dreams didn't I?"
The cybernetic teen shrugged. "I always knew you would be hard to get. I guess I'm just not up to the challenge. No hard feelings though. But then again if you ever wanna hit me up with any of your hot girlfriends…you know who to call."
"Now who sounds like Spike?" Bumblebee chuckled, her laugh mingling with the noises of the escape pod as it launched. A few moments later it set off into the night and towards Earth.
"You know, now that you mention it, I know this girl, calls herself Sarah Simms. I think you'll just adore her, Sparky."