A/N: Need. To. Get. Motivated. I really do. I have one more chapter after this, and then I've got to start writing like a speed demon.
By the way, a friend of mine recently paid an artist at a convention to draw a picture of Julia. Well...Julia later on. And even though a few things aren't exactly like I imagined it, it's still amazing. I'm not sure if it's possible to post pictures on this site. If not, then I might have to put link the picture to here. After, of course, I get my scanner to work.
Ahem. Back to the story.
"Hey. Good morn-"
Descending the steps in the Operations Room, Julia halted as she spotted Robin sitting at one of the computer consoles. The team leader was busily typing, his eyes narrowed and focused on the screen.
"Um..." Walking over to the youth, Julia stopped behind his chair and watched him peruse blueprints of the city's buildings. "Robin, have you eaten breakfast?"
Silence. The Boy Wonder continued to type rapidly, his eyes glued to the screen.
After a moment's hesitation, Julia tried again. Reaching out, she placed a hand on the youth's shoulder.
"Robin."
Instinctively, the boy whirled around, grabbing Julia's wrist as if in preparation to throw her across the room. At the last second, he realized who had disturbed him.
"Julia." Letting go of her wrist, the Titan turned back to the computer screen. "I'm busy working."
Frowning slightly, Julia crossed her arms.
"I can see that. Robin, have you eaten breakfast?"
The Boy Wonder shook his head as he typed in a few more commands.
"No. I didn't have the time. I went straight here to start searching for the rest of the team. I've been looking for any information on that building, but there doesn't seem to be any. The blueprints, the plans, the official documents – they're all missing from all databases."
Judging from the youth's businesslike tone, he'd already forgotten the moment in her room. Julia wasn't sure if she was glad or not.
At least he was the one doing the investigation. Although she was adept at working computers and machinery and even some hacking, her level of detective skills were definitely not at the Boy Wonder's level.
"Um, ok then. I'm just going to have some breakfast. Do you want anything?"
Robin shook his head.
"No, thanks. I'm fine. I need to keep working."
With one more glance back at the team leader, Julia went over to the kitchen. Even as she prepared a breakfast of cereal and coffee, she continued to watch Robin work, hunched over the computer console as his fingers flew over the keyboard.
Ten minutes later, the girl had finished her meal. Putting her dishes into the sink, she grabbed an apple from the fridge and wandered over to Robin again. Standing behind his chair, she watched the youth skim through the Internet, a frown of concentration on his face.
"Robin."
"Hmm?"
The Boy Wonder kept working.
"You really need to eat something."
Shaking his head, the youth waved a hand dismissively.
"Not now, Julia. I'm busy working. I don't have time to eat."
Frowning, the Asian girl leaned against the ledge next to the computer console.
"Robin, you have to eat something." Apple in hand, she waved it in front of the team leader's face. "At least have an apple. It takes about five seconds to eat."
Irritated, Robin paused to give the other teen an exasperated look.
"Julia, no. I know you're trying to be nice and everything, but I don't have time. Seriously. I need to get the other Titans back. Especially before anything bad happens to them."
"Even if you do find them, how can you fight on an empty stomach?" Julia demanded. With a sigh of frustration, the girl put herself between the Boy Wonder and the computer console, forcing the youth to back up.
"Seriously, Robin. You can't go on without eating anything. It's not healthy. Do you really want to collapse in the middle of a fight, just because you didn't get a good night's sleep, or eat breakfast? Do you know how incredibly stupid that would be?"
Breathing slowly to calm himself, Robin massaged his temples. Finally he looked back up at Julia, who was determinedly still standing between him and the computer.
"Fine. But I'm only stopping for one minute."
Taking the apple from Julia's outstretched hand, the Boy Wonder ate it in record time as the girl watched him carefully. When Robin had eaten the fruit down to the core, he tossed what was left of it over his shoulder.
"Happy now? I ate something. Now move so I can keep working."
Arms crossed, Julia shook her head.
"No."
"What?"
Sighing, the Asian girl shook her head again.
"No, Robin. You need to eat more than that."
The Boy Wonder scowled.
"You know, I'm starting to wonder if you even care what happens to the rest of the team." As Julia's eyes widened, the youth's eyes narrowed. "Julia, move. Before I have to make you."
"Oh, so we're back to threatening each other?" The girl raised her eyebrows. "Face it, Robin – you need to take a break. You can't keep working like this for hours."
In response, the Boy Wonder leaned forward, meeting the teen's eyes determinedly.
"Watch me."
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
The tension was abruptly broken by the Tower's alarm as it sounded the siren, the room flashing red. The wide screen was instantly switched on, displaying information on the emergency.
"A jail breakout," Robin announced, reading the info. He'd automatically jumped to his feet at the sound of the alarm. "Plasmus, Cinderblock, and Overload. All three of them are causing havoc in the city."
Frowning, the Boy Wonder shook his head. "This is the worst timing in the world," he muttered. "Without the rest of the Titans..." His voice trailing off, the youth looked at Julia, who was watching the live video footage with a mixture of interest and unease. "Julia. Let's go."
Startled, the girl returned Robin's stare.
"Just the two of us?" she asked, surprised. "We're outnumbered. And I'm new at this, remember? An amateur."
The Titans leader shook his head and ran to the door. Pausing at the exit, he looked back at the Asian girl, who was following, still looking doubtful.
"You might not have the same priorities as the rest of us, but you're not an amateur anymore. From what I've seen you do with your powers and martial arts, you're ready for this. Now come on – we've got some criminals to catch."
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Julia asked. Despite the fact that she and Robin were going over 60 miles per hour on the R-Cycle, their matching red and green helmets were linked by a communicating system, and allowed them both to speak to each other without shouting.
Robin had insisted on both of them using the motorcycle. Julia, he pointed out, was tired from last night's fight, and needed all the energy she could get to take down the three monsters. Which was how the Asian teen found herself sitting behind the Boy Wonder on his sleek red motorcycle.
"Of course I'm sure." The youth's voice was quiet and calm, in contrast to the girl's apprehensive tone. "We can do this. Two is a team, remember?"
Shaking her head, Julia didn't reply. She didn't share the Boy Wonder's optimistic outlook that the two of them could capture three super monsters bent on the city's destruction. Usually, it took a whole team to take down on the monsters. Only two superheroes against three giant monsters didn't seem like a fair fight.
As the sheer speed of the R-Cycle whipped the girl's hair behind her, she ducked her head into the lee of Robin's helmet. Surprisingly, holding onto his waist wasn't as embarrassing as she'd thought it would be. It felt almost natural, as if it was meant for the two of them to be out riding on a motorcycle to go fight crime.
Or maybe she was just used to holding onto Damien whenever they went out on his motorcycle. Either way, she still loved the thrill ride.
"Hey, Julia." Robin's voice, quieter than before, shook Julia from her moment of enjoyment.
"Hm?"
"I'm, uh, sorry." The Boy Wonder kept his eyes on the road as they swerved to avoid a truck on the highway.
Surprised, Julia frowned.
"For what?"
"Last night."
Of course. Thinking back, Julia remembered the brief fight they'd had, before she'd gone out as Athene. Robin had gotten mad over the fact that she'd stolen hospital machinery to heal him, and that she'd disobeyed his order and refused to return to the building where the Titans had disappeared.
"Oh." The Asian teen worked to remember why she'd been resentful to the youth. What with her kissing him, then wiping the evidence off later, she'd forgotten the previous events. She was mad at him because...he was mad at her? Because he'd gotten upset over something trivial?
At the moment, her reason seemed trivial.
"Just forget about it," Julia replied, her voice low. "It's ok. It wasn't-"
A giant explosion suddenly erupted a block away from them, smoke flushing the air above as the sound of crumbling concrete reverberated in their ears. It was followed by loud scream and shouts as civilians came running from the scene, panicking as they tried to go as far as they could from the destruction.
"I guess that's our cue," Robin remarked. Accelerating the R-Cycle, he turned it in the direction from which the people were running from. As if on second thought, he nudged Julia with his elbow.
"Just some background info on what we're about to face," he told her, even as they wove through the fleeing pedestrians. "You have to get Plasmus by knocking him out. He'll turn back into his human form only when unconscious, but you have to use a giant force. Anything less he can recover quickly from."
As Robin abruptly veered to the right to doge a car speeding ion their direction, Julia nodded, processing the information as quickly as she could. Monsters 101 in a few seconds. "Overload's weakness is water, so try to douse him with it until he's only a chip," Robin continued. "And as for Cinderblock, knock him out by beating him up. His head's the best place to hit. Even if it's a rock like the rest of him, it still serves as his weakest spot."
Eyes still focused on the road, the Boy Wonder smiled grimly. "Got all that?"
Now edgier than before, Julia nodded.
"Roger that, Robin," she replied, and immediately felt her spirits drop for her unintended mention of her brother's name. She'd momentarily forgotten about her vow to find his murderer, something that made her feel guilty. What would he think if he knew that his sister had been worrying about the Boy Wonder, instead of him?
And what was she doing fighting against monsters she had no problem with, and protecting a city she had no duty to? Fighting crime alongside a superhero she had once defeated with satisfaction?
"Julia?" Robin sounded slightly concerned, as if he'd sensed her drop in determination. "You ok?"
The Asian girl closed her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath. What was she doing here?
"Yeah. I'm fine."
Unconvinced, the Titan glanced back at Julia briefly.
"It'll be ok, Julia," he told her confidently, mistaking her lack of enthusiasm for worry. "With our skills combined, we can do this, no problem. Just keep fighting."
A second later, the two teens turned a corner, and faced the scene: Cinderblock, Plasmus, and Overload making their way down Main Street, wreaking havoc. The three escaped monsters were walking in the opposite direction, trashing everything in sight.
"Oh, and Julia?"
The Asian girl, who had been staring at the three monsters, looked back at Robin.
"Yeah?"
The Boy Wonder sped the R-Cycle up, until they were half a block away from the monsters. Slowing down their speed drastically, he skidded the motorcycle to a stop and took off his helmet.
"You're temporarily a Titan."
As Julia, stunned by the sudden news, threw off her own helmet and dismounted, the team leader jumped off the R-Cycle, cape snapping in the wind.
"Teen Titans, GO!"