Author's Note:
Chips, Kater. CHIPS NOT FRICKEN FRENCH FRIES!
-sulk-
Fricken fries... lame name. Lame. You hear me. They're chips. Hot chips. nom nom. USE THE WORD PROPERLY!
(Okay, that's an in joke, Aussies (and the English) have a tendency to overuse the word properly, haven't you noticed? Well, I haven't... but Kater calls it cute.).
Don't mind me, my Aussie is showing. Kater take delight in pointing out my Aussie-isms. You know, one day I'm going to write a list of all the things I call different, just to show you. Actually...
http:/ www. statsci. org /smyth /ozus .html
Remove the spaces. That's just some of the things I have to think about when writing for an American audience.
Novelty
"I do not understand," Starfire said, dipping her hot fries into her smoothie before she ate them. "Why do you fight the 'zombies'? Surely they seem rather weak if you speak of hacking their limbs with an axe, would it not simply be more efficient to get a particle disintegrator and vapourise the planet? Then you would not 'lose the life'."
"It's a game, dude," Beast Boy said. "We play it for fun."
"It is not a practice simulation?" she asked.
"Nope," Beast Boy declared, grinning. "It's all pretend. It's awesome, really, you should try it."
Starfire was bewildered, not an uncommon predicament for her lately. "Pretend? Why would you pretend to kill anyone?"
"It's a form of entertainment here," Robin said.
"That seems rather barbaric, does it not?"
"I guess," Robin said. "But it's not meant to be. It's... doing something we'd never do in real life, experiencing something we won't ever know and knowing its not ever going to be real."
"Zombies aren't real," Beast Boy said. "They're just made up. You can't kill anything that's not real to begin with."
"Don't you play games on your planet?" Cyborg asked.
"No," Starfire said. "Not like that. If someone dies in our games, they remain that way."
"Well thats a sobering thought," Robin said. "When we get home, I'll show you how to play if you like. I've got the newest game station."
"DUDE!" Beast Boy blurted, sitting forward on his chair. "You do? Can we come over?"
Robin hesitated.
"BB," Cyborg said sternly. "Didn't you ever learn to wait to be invited?"
"But Cy, it's the new game station," Beast Boy said, earnestly eager. "You have the game station three, right Robin?"
"Yes," Robin said, slowly.
"Cy's got the two. Don't you want to play the three, Cy?" Beast Boy said eagerly.
"Yeah, but unlike some, I ain't made of money."
Robin frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"All your gadgets. One half of the dynamic duo. The money's got to come from somewhere. Daddybats has got to be loaded."
Robin grew very still. "Cybernetic implants," he said in a low, dark voice and Starfire drew back slightly. "S.T.A.R. Labs invention, right? If I recall correctly, it's a certain Dr Stone who headed the research department-"
Cyborg's expression grew dark.
Beast Boy and Starfire exchanged a worried glance. Even though Starfire had no idea what was occuring, she was concerned about Robin's tone. He really didn't sound like Robin then.
"Don't think I didn't look you up either, boy wonder," Cyborg snapped. "Settin' up shop in my neighbourhood. We don't need you."
"The city was screaming out for someone to protect it. You weren't doing a very good job."
Cyborg extended his hand so they could all see the metal. "Do you know how much these hurt? Some days I can barely move-"
Robin gave it a dismissive glance. "Phantom pain. I hacked the reports. You've got the C-4 interface. Top of the line, although the adjustments wonky, you should really try using the F26 inverter instead of the D14."
"I gotta work every day or my brain forgets how to move my body-" Cyborg snapped.
"Wouldn't you rather do something for your neighbourhood than complain about someone moving in? Had something which helped drive you to be the best you can be? I already know you can modify your own tech, that sonic cannon is testament to that. You can fix that pain, you're just using it as an excuse-"
"Is that an offer?" Cyborg scoffed. "Here I thought you weren't looking for a team."
Robin's face was void of expression. "Things change."
Cyborg snorted. "No, they don't. You'll always be a sidekick, no matter how far you run."
Robin pushed back from the table. "I don't have to listen to this crap."
Starfire gave Beast Boy a wild, startled look.
"Six years," Robin snapped. "I've been his partner for six years. I deserve a more respect from some tin can-" Robin looked like he was ready to say more, but instead, he turned and stormed away.
"Dude-" Beast Boy breathed.
"I do not understand, why were you fighting?" Starfire asked, bewildered.
"Aww, man, I didn't mean to do that," Cyborg said, running his hand over his face. "Why's he take everythin' so damn serious?" He frowned and pushed his sleeve away from him arm. "And what's that about the F26 inverter," he muttered, typing into the console on his arm.
Starfire turned her head trying to see where Robin had gone, an immense amount of worry coursing through her. She wasn't sure if she should follow him or remain here and he would return. He seemed to have forgotten about her.
"Aww, man, the spiky haired prick was right," Cyborg muttered.
"He was?" Beast Boy asked.
Cyborg surged away from the table, heading in the direction Robin had gone. "I gotta go."
Beast Boy with up and after him immediately leaving Starfire alone.
Starfire swivelled, not sure what she should do. They'd all left their food on the table, should she stay and protect it? Or did they want her to follow?
She would stay. She wasn't sure how things were done here, but food should be protected.
Except they didn't come back.
She waited, uncertain and unsure, eating the remainder of her fries. She drank her drink. She drank Robin's, hoping he wouldn't mind. She wasn't sure about Beast Boy and Cyborg's food. But as it grew cold she remembered that humans preferred their food hot. Should she leave?
It wasn't a total waste, she spent her time observing those around her. She watched the teenagers interact, laughing and talking and jeering. She watched mothers and their children. She watched people come and take their seats, eat their food and leave. She watched others take a seat, eat their food and remain at the table to talk to their eating partner. She watched people use strange utensils to eat the more sloppy food, while others used their hands to each strange foods caught within two slices of something. Or the chips like she had. Or other foods. No one was battling over it. Some people shared, especially if they seemed close to the person. They all ate nicely too, it wasn't a rush to get as much as possible.
She learnt a lot about human nature just watching.
But as time went by and the lady clearing the tables had been passed her twice, Starfire decided they weren't coming back.
Which worried her, because she wasn't certain she could find her way back to Robin's home.
She had observed some people place their unused food in box, even the lady cleaning tables, so that's what she did. Even if it was wasteful and she hated it, she needed to be more human like. Then she gathered up her shopping and headed for the exit.
Robin's bike was gone.
Starfire sighed as she looked at the empty space, then straightened her shoulders. She could find her way through space, she could navigate the city to find his home.
She decided to walk rather than fly. Mainly because it would give her more of a chance to have a look around the city, now she was a little more comfortable with the surroundings and customs. There had been some interesting looking things to see. Shifting her grip on her bags, she headed in the direction they'd come from. She had been paying attention to her surroundings, a little. But mostly she'd been interested in watching Robin weave expertly through traffic as she flew above him. But she was still very certain of a few landmarks.
Like the place she'd landed. A large park. A tall hill which headed down to the water and he lived off one of those side streets.
If she couldn't find his home from the ground, she was fairly certain she'd find it from the air. Or she could just blast something and he'd come to investigate.
Perhaps she shouldn't have left her communicator at his place.
It was a nice day for a walk, though.
She didn't blame Robin for leaving, sometimes it was better to remove yourself from what made you angry rather than lash out, she just didn't understand why he got so defensive. Or why he forgot her.
If he did forget her.
Was this a test? He did say he was going to test her skills, perhaps this was one? To see if she could find her way home? But wouldn't he have explained to her it was a test first?
She sighed again, her eyes trailing along the windows of the shops along the road she walked. "Humans are so confusing."
"You can say that again."
Starfire turned her head and brightened as she discovered who was keeping pace with her. "Raven! Greetings!" She lifted her hands but Raven side stepped.
"I don't do physical contact," she said, casting Starfire a critical eye.
"Oh. My apologies." Still Starfire was delighted to see the girl. "And I apologise if my appearance deterred you from speaking to me when I saw you at the cave," she said. "I have since learnt that humans do not appreciate bare skin."
Raven blinked. "They appreciate bare skin. There's just a taboo about who should see."
"Robin has explained that friends should not see friends naked."
Raven smirked a little. "Shocked him, did you?"
"I believe so."
"Just be careful," Raven said. "Not all boys are as noble as he is."
Starfire tilted her head. "I am uncertain if I understand."
"A dishonourable guy would have told you girls go naked all the time, just so he could see you naked."
Starfire's eyes widened. "Oh."
"You can trust Robin though."
"Are you certain?" Starfire asked, a little disconcerted.
Raven nodded. "He has a good feeling about him."
"A good feeling?"
Raven downcast her eyes. "I get feelings about people sometimes. He has a nice feeling. So do you. So does Cyborg. I suppose that's why..." she trailed off.
They walked in silence for a moment. "And Beast Boy?" Starfire asked, curious as to why he had been excluded.
Raven cast Starfire a sidewards glance. "Beast Boy has a feeling too. I'm still deciding if its a good or a bad one. Did Robin leave you?"
"I am uncertain," she said, shifting her grip on her shopping. "He and Cyborg argued."
"Oh." Raven hesitated. "Do you need help getting back?"
"No. I do not believe so," Starfire said, smiling. "I am confident I will be able to find his place."
"Okay."
"Oh, what is that?" Starfire blurted, looking in a window of a shop.
It was Robin. Or a picture of drawing of a Robin. Printed on a shirt. With a strange man all in black and a forboding look on his face.
Starfire pressed her hands against the glass as she studied the objects inside. A birdarang. A belt which looked like Robin's. Robin masks. The black man's mask. A giant red 'S'. Capes and books. Cups with insignias on them.
She turned to look at Raven to ask what this place was, but Raven was gone. Starfire looked up and down the street, but she couldn't see where Raven had gone. She remembered that Raven could teleport however, but was a little sad she hadn't said goodbye.
Still, the store was intriguing, so she headed inside.
So many different things. She recognised the Green Lantern symbol straight away, finding it odd they had unpaired rings and lanterns that did not glow with Green Lantern's Light, but as she studied one up, she realised it was a fake. The whole shop was a fake. Robin's belt was plastic, the birdarangs were not metallic like she knew Robin's were. The grappling hook was made from flimsy string. The costumes were all wrong. The Robin printed on the shirts did not look like the Robin she knew.
And the Batman.
She studied this little replica of him. Stern faced. Stern stance. He looked forboding, unforgiving. The general aura of him did not feel nice.
How could someone like Robin be involved with someone like Batman?
And the little Robin replica beside him... Starfire picked it up, her eyes wide. Joyous smile, she'd seen his cheek but not quite like that. Her Robin was much more serious. It was the uniform that surprised her though. These teeny green boots with wing things. Bare legs and a red and yellow suit somewhat like Raven wore with this little patch of green around his pelvis.
"Like the Robin, huh?" the man behind the counter asked.
She lifted her head. "This is an incorrect representation of him," she said. "His uniform is not like this."
The man chuckled. "Nope. He used to look like that when he was younger. When he hit puberty, he changed his suit. The hairy legs started to look odd."
"They did?"
The man shrugged. "You gonna buy it?"
Starfire considered the model she held, then looked down at the Batman one. "Is that the Batman?"
The man nodded. "Yup. Matched pair, them two. Dynamic duo."
Cyborg had said that, but Starfire still didn't understand what it meant. "Dynamic duo?"
The man raised his eyebrow. "Not from around here, are you?"
"No."
"Scary ass dude," the man said. "Wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley, but little Robin makes me think he's a good guy. I think... I'm not sure about the morals of a man who'd send a child in danger like that. Watched Robin grow up, did you know he's been seen here?"
Starfire nodded.
"Good thing Batman's on our side," the man said. "Wouldn't like to get on his bad side."
"He is intimidating?"
The man nodded. "He's good at what he does, keeping Gotham safe, but he really ain't a people person. Runs the Justice League with Superman, not that I'd peg them as being buddy buddy and all."
Starfire was having trouble following what the man was saying, but she did her best. "Oh."
"Ain't nothing that can stand in the way of the Dynamic Duo though. The way they move, it's like they can read each other's minds sometimes. Robin's so bright, he's the distraction, Batman'll get you from the dark. The criminal organisations they've brought down together..." he sighed. "Hey, I bet since Robin's here, we're gonna see the Bat around too. That'd be awesome." He pondered that for a moment. "I wonder if that means there's something bad to take down in Jump."
Starfire considered him but remained silent.
"You gonna buy that?" the man asked, nodding at her hand again.
She looked down at the Robin model, then at the price. Robin had given her a little cash, enough to buy this. "Yes."
The man grinned.
As Starfire headed back outside, cradling her little Robin model in one hand and clutching her shopping in the other, water began to fall from the sky.
Author's Note:
Next chapter: Rain