Chapter Eleven: Will Of Obligation

He woke up from a very restless sleep, the endless reruns of every heart warming and heart breaking scenes were being resounded and played in his mind. He looked at his tear-stained pillow and harshly punched it off his mattress as it plopped softly on the tiled floor. He felt uncomfortable with the weight of: guilt, hatred, love, and heart break all upon his shoulders in assessment of sleeping in a hot bed with all of his uniform accessories on.

He slowly sat upright and massaged away the hardened patches of his cheeks that were staled from the dryness of his tears. He felt a faint wetness determining there was still a few fresh droplets of tears, he looked at the badge of hurt smothered on his index finger and felt its moisture quickly dissolving into his pale skin.

It was then he realized he had been sleeping on his stomach, which was out of his character. He normally slept on his back or either of his sides, the only occasions The Boy Wonder would sleep on his abdomen is when he felt: angered, severely depressed or hurt. He chuckled mentally thinking how all these human words were drastic understatements of how he truly felt. He rolled over onto his pelvis and stared at his black ceiling. Black. The same color of The Ring Master's heart, but he cursed in his mind for he knew it had matched his own. He coiled his fists remembering the unconditional hate he had towards himself, he bit his lower lip harshly. He didn't care the pain, he wanted the pain, he needed to bestow at least a bloody lip to punish himself. He pressed harder and harder feeling the pain becoming sharper, the pain was descending well-deserved punishment Robin felt he needed, he must have it, it was almost like an unhealthy addiction.

Finally, when he felt a small crease form as he smacked his lips and tasted the sour flavor of his crimson wine, it was disgusting, just the way he thought of himself.

He shifted his feet off the mattress and laid them on the floor, he curved his back backwards to stretch himself and kept pressing until he heard his spine crack. He then released himself in a yawn and raised on his feet, he immediately felt awkwardness in his uniform and realized it had all been all twisted, probably from his continuous tossing and turning. He adjusted himself and walked out his door quickly, wanting to get away from the degrading scent that lingered in his room he had the misfortune to call his own. Just to be momentarily free from the shackles of his self-oppression was all he asked for.

He walked down the abandoned corridors of the silent tower, passing rooms of: evidence, technology storage, extra furniture and lavatories. He gave all of which a cold glance as he passed them all, but stopped dead as he once again had reunited the very thing that had kept him company in the silent mornings and the dark nights for over a little more than two years. For once in many long and unbelievable hours, he managed to crack a smile as he extended his hand for it to slowly graze on the smooth plaster wood of his beloveds' door.

''Hello again'' He whispered

He saw the eight letters that spelled the mascot of his entire love; he closed his eyes softly breathing slightly faster. The jolt of his arousing desire were spreading his anatomy, as he smelt the blood flowing aroma that could only be provided from the gorgeous Tamaranean.

He felt himself being swept away to his secret world again, but before he could access through it's golden gates he heard the echoing of footsteps becoming more audible. Robin pulled his hand away from the door and continued walking as he resumed to live on Earth and reclaim his eternal depression. From the top of his bowed head, he saw the thin Earth commander as she mimicked the Azarathian's false reassure smile.

''Hey Robin'' greeted Terra

The Boy wonder merely nodded his head as a faint return.

"did you get to sleep?''

''Worst I ever had'' he mumbled

''Oh, well um, everyone else is in the living room, Cyborg's cell only needs about half an hour left to fully upgrade...'' She tried to convince

Robin once again responded with a short nod, and then passed her without any care or last glances. Terra still maintained minute-lasting concerned eyes before she turned her back and continued to walk down the corridors.

Robin appeared in the living room entrance and saw Raven patiently postured on the couch doing nothing in particular or in Robin's interest. The Changeling was also seated on the other side of the semi-circular sofa, with his index finger upon his forehead that assumed he was deep in thought. They both turned their heads to view their leader slightly enlighten with hope he will speak, but such prayers were not to be fulfilled as Robin turned away with his cape leaving a cold swish of neglect.

He wanted them to go away, he found it annoying and cruel to see faces and colors that did not match the missing Tamaraneans'. All he wanted was she.

It had been long passed since the five fighters had evacuated the circus station; the Circus Imposter was seated on an old-fashioned wooden chair with a small coffee table before him where he would normally eat when he was solitaire. His hands overlapping each other with his fingers laced past one another and his chin gently rested upon it all. The words the Boy Wonder said were drumming and vibrating in his mind like a restless soul searching for its peace.

She only loves you because she was FORCED to
Love comes by will, not be force

'SILENCE!' The Ring Master cursed mentally 'I LOVE HER AND THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS!'

Is it worth it?

The Ring Master held his head tightly between his hands groaning deep in his throat trying to drown away the sound of the voice that said the words quoted constantly in mind.

If you really care about Starfire as much as you say you do, you will have to ably of what she wants...and she wants is not you

That final sentence that echoed throughout his ears caused The Ring Master to shatter the glass that once possessed tea in his hands. The cuts that had bled there stung with sharp exposure of the air, but the Circus Imposter merely curled his hand into a strong fist and absorbed all the pain with a quivering lip.

He was so conscious of his anger and frustration he did not hear the running footsteps of his assistant.

''What has happened! I heard glass shatter! Are you undamaged!'' Feared the possessed Tamaranean

The Ring Master shut his eyes tight half wishing she would leave him.

''No my dove, I am fine'' He answered with a hint of annoyance and coldness to his tone

''I must disagree, there are broken pieces scattered on the floor and---" She then gasped at the sight of his crimson leak "---Y-YOU'RE DRIPPING RED FROM YOUR HAND!'' She shrieked as she fled immediately

The Ring Master finally smiled for once in a while, just faintly, he was grateful of how protective and loyal she was even though it wasn't natural. Not at least for him, he thought as he cursed mentally again at his lack of fortune.

The beautiful alien returned within seconds accompanied with cleansing peroxide and a single strand of long white fabric.

She floated gently so that she would not startle him, just a small little plate pf peroxide and the strand of white. The beautiful assistant gently reached for his hand and completely expanded it with her thumbs; The Ring Master flinched at the stretch and strain that sharpened in his cut.

With her other hand, the Tamaranean softly dipped the cloth in the peroxide liquid and created a pointed tip to make direct cleansing. Noticing the furrowed eyebrows of The Ring Master, she used the hand that once positioned his own to sooth his staled and hard face with her tissue-soft fingertip.

''Please do not move'' She requested sweetly

The Ring Master turned his head to the beauty with his hand clasped over hers that was perched on his cheek as a smile had conquered on either edge of his lips.

''Very well my dove, please make it faint''

She nodded and slipped her hand away from his face, he dreaded her warmth to have vanished so inconsiderably, he wanted that light afghan again and refrained to try to recapture it.

She extended his hand once more and neared the wet tip to his bleeding. The minute he felt the cleansing initiate, he tightened his eyes shut ever so slightly, trying to look as strong as he could demonstrate in front of his beautiful assistant. He felt the moisture penetrate deep within himself and felt it flowing through his veins, and then he felt the climax of it all as he gritted his teeth from the inside of his lips as his free hand had coiled into a fist. Finally, the sharpening had vanished and felt his ice cold cut become warm again with the assistance of the white cloth being wrapped around his palm and the end being tucked under, creating a substitute bandage.

Then the Tamaranean gently patted it and tenderly kissed it's top.

''I do hope that had altered the pain'' She grinned radiantly with a warming smile

He had no will power to resist a smile back.

''It has my beloved'' He responded softly

He saw her smile with her bloody lips curled so beautifully like a perfect heart had formed as an excuse for her mouth. The wet-tinted shine that had blossomed and polished it's every canyon, he wanted to savor all of it, he wanted to taste her for he knew she would be completely thirst quenching.

He neared her lips with his own bloomed; he commanded for this kiss, he wanted to be the first to take it's untouched polish away.

In obedience to his command, Starfire also began to near her face to his; her lips also in locking mode. Her eyes highlighted blue once again assuring The Ring Master still had the upper hand to her memory and action.

Their lips were just about to penetrate one another when...

The Tamaranean had some type of visual remnant replay silently before her eyes as she saw her and the Boy Wonder stand together before their cherished city sharing a beautiful sunrise together.

She felt heat boil in her heart, and then for a moment that could vanished undetected with the mere blinking of an eye, her eyes had flashed their original green. She felt her shackled spirit free itself and forced her head to turn at it's last moment.

With the last-second coordination instructed from her original mind, the assistant turned her virgin lips away from the Circus Imposter's and only sacrificed her cheeks to be captured and taken away.

From the second The Ring Master's lips had grazed across her soft cheeks, to the minute it had departed, Starfire felt a burning sensation on the peak to erupt where the kiss had been seeded. It was not a pleasurable type of burning, not the kind she felt when she had her flashback from the Boy Wonder's touch, this burn was just hot and disgustingly sour. Something she knew that not even the strongest of cleansers could possibly rid of; like a foul black scar.

The Ring Master noted her awkward last minute turn and cursed at his misfortune hatefully within the silence and privacy of his mind. He felt hurt that she would coldly turn the other cheek to him; it was then he realized that even if possessed under his will, some type of force lingered within her is protecting her innocence away from him. It was being diligently guarded and protected for another, and much to his hatred and despise, he knew whom it was as he bit his tongue restraining himself not to curse aloud.

The Tamaranean's possessing had returned to her and reclaimed its control over her will. Her eyes glowed blue just for a second and then finally resumed to her normal jades.

She reached for the old broom by her and brushed away the sharp glasses scattered everywhere, blew a kiss to her instructor and flew out of his solitary room.

The Ring Master wanted to grab her and take her away; he wanted to penetrate that untouched form of hers, to savor the pleasure that is crying to be awakened deep within his anatomy. But he knew he had to tether it for now, for he knew his patience would all be worthwhile soon as he smiled after her.

''Soon'' He purred quietly "the eclipse will come soon''