Dark Titans – Arc 6 – Wed by Dawn
Chapter 10
And here we come to the conclusion of the Wedding/Party arc. Man, it's hard to believe I've been writing/posting for what, a good half a year straight since coming back? Nearly 150k words in that time, and did a massive rewrite on Titans and the Lost Boy, Krimzon Blades, Eureka East and posted everything over at AO3 what with all the scares and issues over here at . It's been busy, but I've enjoyed doing it and I'm glad I stepped out of retirement to do so.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. It looks like I've caught up to myself in realtime at last, and I no longer have the months of material buffered to keep posting as I have been. Not to say I've stopped, I'm on chapter 5 of the new arc... but man, it's looking ambitious and its probably going to be quite a few chapters long to cover everything I have planned. It is, after all, finally time for the Atlantis Arc that I have been teasing for literal years since Reflections Lost with my co-author Cap'n Chrysalid.
As such, Dark Titans is going to be going back on Hiatus for the foreseeable future while I hammer out more chapters. Maayyybe I'll throw up the first chapter of the next arc next week, just so people believe that I'm working on it, also, it picks up right from this chapter.
Anyways, I want to give another shout out to Claymade for helping me beta all of these endless, overstuffed chapters and get me through these last two arcs.
Thanks again for reading, and for your kind comments, they mean a lot.
I don't own Ranma or Teen Titans.
Enjoy if you Will, Tolerate if you won't.
Starfire sighed in relief as she leaned back into her chair. She had only been recently released from the Medical Ward and was now comfortably cleaned up and fed as well. A few hours in the sun would be wonderful, unfortunately there was other business to attend to first.
Looking around the table, she saw all her friends present, new and old alike. She could only guess how they had spent the morning while she had been convalescing, but everyone seemed to be in high spirits.
Her oldest and newest friends were seated to her right side, chatting between themselves. Galfore and Elder Perfume were regaling Captain Phyarelle with the tale of their epic battle through the palace, to the latter's disbelief.
To her left side, Robin and Raven were haranguing poor Old Cologne about her face-heel-face turn. There were others among the aristocracy that held a much less 'live and let live' stance on the old woman's borderline treasonous actions, but luckily the actions of Perfume, Lotion and Spice had gone a long way in assuaging her people's anger with Cologne in particular and the Amazon's as a whole.
Being under the protection of the Grand Ruler probably helped a bit as well, but Starfire did not exactly want to push her newfound authority too far, so soon. Still, she had not even had time to truly process the old woman's betrayal, yet, since she only found out about them after the fact, but it would be hard to properly scold the old woman for her actions if her head was removed from her body.
On the far side of the room, Cyborg and Lotion watched in amusement as Spice was guiding Beast Boy through a list of Tamaranean wildlife to mimic. Her cybernetic companion was gingerly rotating the new arm he had been hastily furnished with. It did not really fit the Titan, more the size of an average human's arm, as opposed to Cyborg's trunk-like limbs, and as she understood, it did not interface well with his systems.
Spice let out an excited squeal as Beast Boy shifted into a Grelk, with a stocky quadruped body and an oversized head composed mostly of massive tusks. He looked so adorable! Starfire had always wanted a pet Grelk, but her parents had insisted that such a lowly guard animal was not suitable. Maybe she could find a Dragett to show him, just like her old pet, Flenbark!
Donning a satisfied smile, the new Grand Ruler cleared her throat. Immediately, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their attention her way. She rose to her feet and planted her hands on the table before her.
"It warms my heart to be here with my friends, and that everyone is unarmed - sorry, I meant unharmed," she graced the frowning Cyborg with an impish grin, "We do have business to discuss, though, before preparations can be made for the return trip to Earth."
She turned to Galfore. "Of the utmost importance is determining the fate of Blackfire."
Her K'norfka nodded, stroking his beard. "A difficult subject. Many of the aristocracy are demanding blood for her crimes, stretching back to the Citadel Invasion itself."
"However, one cannot ignore her popularity among a significant number of the populace," Captain Phyarelle interjected.
"Indeed," Lotion added, her expression troubled, "Who can guess how many of your people, like Dizzenind'r, respected her, and might be radicalized by an overly harsh sentence."
"Just locking her up would leave a powerful rival in your midst, just waiting for her chance," Spice stated, crossing her arms over her chest, "It would be simpler to deal with her like the traitor she is."
"And make her into a martyr and maybe start civil unrest," Robin countered cynically, "Especially if what Raven said is true, and this whole thing might have just sparked a war with this Citadel race."
"Tamaran will need to stand united if it has any hope of surviving," Raven added, looking gloomier than usual, "Dismantling her machinations and getting rid of the Drenthax is going to be difficult on its own."
Cyborg chuckled. "Why not ship her off with them when they go, then? Seems like a good way to kill two birds with one stone."
Hmm, banishment? Starfire was loath to think of such a thing, herself, but it did make some sense. It removed her sister from Tamaran, but it was also far less severe than execution, as some would prefer.
"Banishing Blackfire to Drenthax does make sense," Starfire agreed, "We would do well to expel all of her treachery. It would be a suitably ironic justice, considering what she had planned for myself."
A derisive bark of laughter drew everyone's attention to the ancient warrior that sat perched on the top of her staff. Starfire grew confused as Cologne shook her head sadly.
"Banish her to a world that already demonstrated the resources to conquer your world? And just how long do you think it would be before your sister returned? Months? Weeks?" Cologne asked with a mocking bark of laughter.
Starfire suddenly felt quite foolish indeed, and Cyborg wore an expression she felt mirrored her own feelings. It was easy to overlook the idea that defeating her sister did not actually mean they had defeated her alien conspirators. They had just disabled one of who knew how many fleets they might possess.
"It disappoints me to see everyone being so small minded," the snow haired woman continued, "Blackfire only failed because she was unable to look past her hatred for her sister."
Cologne stared pointedly at Starfire. "I would hope that you would not repeat her mistake."
"What do you mean?" she asked, surprised at the vehemence of the old woman's response.
Cologne rolled her eyes. "Your sister was obsessed, but she was not a fool. She laid the groundwork to bring real change to this world, and you would toss it all aside without a single thought, simply because it was her that did it?"
"Um, she invaded her own planet, Granny," Beast Boy jumped in, "Of course she's nuts!"
The Joketsuzoku shook her head once more. "She brought a fleet to defend Tamaran from the Citadel by brokering a treaty for resources. She sold her sister for a magical stone. A canny negotiator would realize that dissolving one of those deals does not necessitate dissolving both."
Perfume smiled, nodding in agreement. "And while your esteemed guest might be somewhat put out over losing a potential bride, I am confident that he is cognizant as to which of his two ventures holds greater profit for him."
"Hmm, so rather than undo Blackfire's plan, step in and work directly with the Drenthax," Robin surmised, scratching his chin, "In a way, Blackfire set things in motion so doing exactly that is the only way forward."
Starfire felt a sour lump in her lower stomachs at the thought of bowing to her sister's wishes in any way, but it was hard to ignore the somewhat condescending logic that was being laid out before her.
"It might be worth considering," she conceded reluctantly, "But that leaves the matter of Blackfire. We must determine a suitable punishment for her treachery."
"Must you, though," Cologne asked, her tone leading.
"Of course they do," Spice barked right back, "You don't show mercy to traitors!"
The matriarch let out a long sigh. "Sadly, I have only myself to fault for such thinking to have become so entrenched in our young warriors." She turned back to Starfire. "Have you considered, rather than punishing your sister, perhaps trying to rehabilitate her?"
Starfire stared at the old woman, not quite understanding her words for a moment. Rehabilitation? Was such a thing even possible for someone so lost to hatred as her sister? Nothing would bring her greater joy than to reconcile with Blackfire, but a lifetime of disappointment did not instill her with confidence.
"You think such a thing is even possible?" Starfire asked earnestly.
"People can surprise you," Cologne replied, "I know you and your sister have shared a painful past, and endured many tragedies, but while you had your parents, your K'norfka and your people to support you through your youth… who did she have to rely on?"
Next to her, Galfore looked down, his dark look betraying deep shame. "My duty was to defend and nurture the heir to the throne. Being forced to watch the baby girl I had raised from infancy struggle through life, yet being unable to help her… it broke my heart."
Gently placing a hand on the old warrior's shoulder, Starfire felt his pain. Blackfire's words still rang loudly in her mind. She had always seemed so aloof, so beyond caring, but now, knowing her sister's thoughts, she wondered how things might have proceeded had their roles been reversed.
Was Starfire really as different from her sister as she assumed, or was the burden Blackfire bore heavy enough to break even the kindest heart?
"What do you propose, Honored Elder?"
Cologne bowed deep, "I would you ask that rather than banish your sister, you place her in the care of people that might help restore her shattered pride and sense of self. A people without access to interstellar fleets and who are not solely motivated by avarice."
Starfire raised one of her eyebrows, not quite believing what she was hearing. "Are you suggesting what it is that I think you are suggesting?"
The elder nodded. "Sentence her to our Village, on Earth. Far removed from your world's politics, and far removed from any resources she might use to plot for revenge." Cologne grinned, shooting a look at Spice. "Also, we are experts at dealing with troublesome young women. In our village, she would become a member of our tribe, and our family. We could provide her the familial support she has been lacking for so long, and perhaps one day, help her come to terms with her hatred and rage."
"Pfft, and watch her fly away the second the ship lands," scoffed Cyborg, waving his hand dismissively.
"Yeah, about five seconds after you finish training her into a kung fu death machine and she comes back here to tenderize Starfire!" Beast Boy added, raising a valid, if worrying point.
"There are answers to the former," Galfore replied evenly, "Criminals can be fitted with a - a collar, which can inhibit the ability to utilize radiation for flight and increased strength."
Galfore's expression betrayed his distaste for the device. It was not a Tamaranean technology, after all, rather a relic from a bygone age of invasion and occupation. Its original purpose was nearly forgotten, but many of the older generation, such as her K'norfka remembered its original use.
A slave collar, made specifically for her people.
"We can look into that option once Blackfire recovers," Starfire muttered.
"How does she fare?" asked a concerned Cologne.
"It is still hard to believe that the princess - sorry - the Grand Ruler did this to her," said the medical technician assisting her, wonder in his voice.
Doctor Zorril looked away from the Luminarium, the large tube that housed their former Grand Ruler, the Lady Komand'r. The mousey young man at her side had darker, nearly red skin, and his hair was nearly blood red as well, compared to her own lighter tones of skin and hair.
"What makes you say that?"
Her assistant looked at his chart, shaking his head sadly. "Severe blunt trauma, lacerations, internal bleeding and numerous fractures? And inflicted on someone as resilient as her? Not to mention that the reserves of radiation fueling her metabolism were drained nearly dry." He looked up from his chart, staring at their former Empress with wide eyes. "I had assumed she had been mauled by a Shadow Demon, since people do not usually survive normal injuries this severe."
Zorril looked back to the tank, and their patient. It was hard to see the damage now, as Komand'r was wrapped nearly head to toe in heavy bandages, but she clearly remembered the numerous injuries vividly, as she had struggled to clean and tend them. The intensity of the radiation bath was set to maximum, but it would be days, even with her utterly unprecedented rate of recovery before she could be safely removed.
Having someone drop a good portion of the palace on you was bound to leave an impression, she supposed. This was exactly why she didn't follow politics.
She looked to her own chart, but she was looking at much different data. "Still, this is an amazing opportunity. This is the first time that we have been able to get actual, physicaldata on our Royal sisters since the Psions had conducted their experiments on them. Just imagine the breakthroughs we could make just from studying what little information we have gathered so far, and we are just literally scratching the surface."
Her assistant looked back at her, was that a flicker of worry in his eyes? Such a neophyte to the ways of science!
Komand'r had been afflicted by the most debilitating strain of the Voortath in medical history, and yet now she was actually more powerful than her sister, who had been perfectly healthy before. If this process could be repeated, they could utterly eliminate the disease from existence!
"I wouldn't get your hopes up," muttered her lab tech, "I can guarantee the next thing they ask us for, is to have her fitted for a Deluminator collar."
Zorril scoffed loudly. "Oh, yes, good luck with that."
He arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean, Doctor? The collar is proven technology, it should inhibit her powers without issue."
Rolling her eyes, the Doctor considered assigning her neophyte assistant some additional research. "Do you actually think a device designed specifically to inhibit one specific physiological process is going to miraculously work on an entirely new process that we don't even understand yet? Why not just ask me to throw a collar on a Daxamite or an Oan and expect the same results?"
Her assistant pouted cutely - watch yourself Zorril, you don't want to go through that again - and tucked his chart under his arm. "There is no need to be rude about it. How difficult do you think it would be to modify a collar to deal with the new energy generation abilities we have observed thus far?"
She shrugged, still looking at the tube. Just looking at the monitor on the side, Komand'r was drinking in the radiation as fast as it could be generated, fueling her enhanced regeneration beyond anything she had seen a baseline Tamaranean be capable of. Just how many changes had been made to her physiology? And were there any hidden downsides and potential dead ends to root out before they could even consider doing anything with this research?
"Well, we have a few days to find out, at any rate."
"She is stable," Starfire explained. Despite their differences, she could not help but enquire before departing the Medical Ward. "It will be several days before she will recover enough to be moved. But that does not answer Beast Boy's very valid and concerning concern."
This time it was Perfume that interjected. "Despite Cologne's… questionable judgement over the past day, the rest of the council only has dealings with yourself, and you have already provided us all that we could want. We gain no advantage from backing your sister, and will absolutely not be teaching dangerous techniques to anyone so likely to immediately turn them against us."
For emphasis, the young Elder fired a heated glare at Cologne, who let out a defeated sigh and nodded.
"And even beyond simple self interest," Perfume, smiling like a well fed Grelk, wiggled in her seat and placed her hands on the table before her. "Now that we have the ties of marriage binding our people together, you can be assured of the loyalty of the Joketsuzoku."
Immediately, everyone at the table, barring Galfore and Phyarelle, rolled their eyes in unison. The pair of Tamaranean males shared a confused look before Galfore looked back, an uncertain smile on his face.
"That sounds like glorious news… but, did I miss something? I do not recall any wedding being successfully concluded last night."
Rather than explain, Perfume pulled out a small pocket edition of the Amazon laws and handed it to Galfore.
"You might want to read this. We'll talk later."
Galfore took the book tentatively, almost like he was handling a venomous creature… which did not seem an unfair comparison to Starfire, but she would let the Elder have her fun. The law was utterly unenforceable after all, so it was not like she had anything to worry about.
"I suspect we will have much to discuss, indeed," he replied in an unsettled tone.
Her friends were all laughing silently to themselves at the exchange, but were polite enough to leave it alone for now. They had several days before returning home in which to watch the fallout of this particular time bomb.
Speaking of which.
"There is one other matter of business that we must discuss," she started, not quite sure how to put her next words. She turned back to study her K'norfka, who was himself squinting as he struggled to leaf through the pages of the tiny handbook with his enormous fingers.
"Galfore, I wish to apologize for what I am about to do, and for the unenviable task I am about to ask of you," she spoke slowly, striving to find the right words, "However, after seeing the reality of rulership these past few days, I do not believe that I am best for Tamaran. As such, I ask the one person that I trust above all others to relieve me of this burden. Galfore, I wish to name you Grand Ruler, will you accept the weight of this crown?"
There was stunned silence from every corner of the room, but none so much as Galfore himself. He shook his head once, then twice.
"Ex-excuse me, Empress? Why would you do this thing?"
She smiled wanly, before sharing a look with each of her friends, lingering for a long time on Robin's handsome face.
"Though it is selfish of me, I have found a new home, and a new family, both of which I love with all of my heart. Tamaran does not need the dark legacy left by my sister and myself any longer. It would be better to start fresh, I believe, to begin a new legacy."
A glance out of the corner of her eye showed Robin looking like he was about to float out of his seat with joy, even as the rest of her friends smiled wildly.
"But I am just a soldier," Galfore replied, still baffled at this sudden turn, "I have no head for the minutiae of politics or negotiation."
"Don't worry about such things," Perfume interjected, smiling like a shark now, "I have much experience with the drudgeries of politics, and it will be my honor to offer my advice, and my protection, if you will have me."
Once again, Galfore studied Perfume, confusion clear on his face. "A generous offer, and a different way of thinking might well be useful in these uncertain times, though I strongly doubt the noble families will feel the same way."
Oh, Starfire had no doubt that the aristocracy would have much to talk about over the next few days, especially concerning Elder Perfume.
Perfume just grinned. "Let me worry about such trifling details."
Stroking his beard once more, Galfore's shoulders shook as he chuckled loudly. Finally, he turned back to Starfire.
"Is this truly what you desire?"
She nodded forcefully. "You have been K'norfka to me for most of my life. I am sure this will be no different, except now, instead of one person to look after, you have all of them. I can think of no one better suited to watch over Tamaran."
Galfore frowned. "When you put it like that, I find myself most reluctant. You alone nearly drove me to an early grave!" He let out a tired sigh. "However, as your loyal servant, I cannot deny your orders, so I will accept this burden from you."
Jumping up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and let out a squeal of joy. A moment later, she removed her crown and placed - um, it did not really fit… - um, she gently set it on his head.
"As my last act as Grand Ruler of Tamaran, I name you the new Grand Ruler of Tamaran, Emperor Galfore, the first of your name."
"I hate to be a stickler for protocol," Lotion interjected, "But changing the lines of succession hardly seems like something that should be done in a back room such as this. I believe that a public announcement should be made. Your historians will be furious at missing this momentous occasion… I know I would be…"
Starfire rolled her eyes fondly. "Of course, soon enough. I just wanted to make sure Galfore accepted first."
Smiling himself, Galfore fiddled with the undersized crown for a moment before removing it and holding it between his fingers.
"Then, as the Grand Ruler of Tamaran, let me make my first decree."
Starfire turned to regard her K'norfka turned Emperor expectantly. Smiling widely, Galfore laughed to himself. "Now that I am no longer your loyal servant, my first decree is to reverse your last decree. I reinstate your right to the throne and name myself Regent in your stead."
This time it was her that was baffled!
He shook his head fondly. "If you wished to convince me that you were not best for Tamaran, sacrificing your freedom for the good of your people, and then defeating your sadly misguided sister in a battle of such glorious proportion that the songs of your victory shall ring through the halls for generations was not the best way to go about it."
Wait, did that make her the Crown Princess once more? It was hard to even concentrate, and the joyous laughter of her friends only made her cheeks burn hot. She felt a familiar hand come to rest on her shoulder, as well as most of her forearm, and looked up into Galfore's eyes.
"I am just an old man, my Lady, but I will tend to your world. When you finally feel that you have earned what you clearly deserve, and that you are ready… we will be here waiting for you." Galfore's gaze flicked to Robin for a moment, before his grin grew. "Perhaps you will even bring your own king with you? Who can tell with children these days, always so unpredictable. Maybe if you weren't so frightfully skinny..."
Starfire felt a lump in her throat, and was finding it hard to see as the world was growing blurry for some strange reason. The moment was soured a bit as Cologne inexplicably burst into laughter. They turned to stare at her, but the ancient woman was not looking at them, rather she was pointing at Perfume as she laughed.
"Easy come, easy go, eh Perfume?"
The young Elder crossed her arms over her chest and sniffed loudly.
"Well, that wasn't why I favored him in the first place, anyway."
Starfire could not help but smile, even as she rolled her eyes. Cologne was wrong on one thing, at least.
Some people would never change.
Raven watched, content, as her friends began to disperse from the meeting hall. Robin and Starfire had left first, for a long overdue conversation. It was a bit irksome that the only relationship she actually had some investment in was the one she was not getting to see develop. She was getting a bit tired of the will they, won't they between the pair, and was hoping to see some progress for a change!
When one had to pass a week without access to her preferred television programming, one had to take what entertainment they could find.
Beast Boy and Spice were roughhousing at the far end of the vast hall now, having a grand time testing the new abilities of the strange and alien forms that Tamaran had to offer. The only conclusion she could draw with certainty from the display was that she never wanted to go for a nature hike anywhere on this planet. This planet had scarier fauna than Dathomir, and they had Rancors!
Unfortunately, Cyborg - the only person that might have got her extremely clever reference - and Lotion had excused themselves, stating their intentions to speak with their lamentable friend, the Tamaranean engineer that had sided with Blackfire. As with Blackfire, there were many that were demanding a heavy toll from any of her collaborators and supporters. Thankfully, Galfore seemed the type to show leniency.
A good thing, too, as she glanced to her side where Old Cologne was still perched serenely on her staff, equally content to watch the ongoing antics. One had to wonder just how close she had been to a visit with the headsman's axe, herself? If the cunning old Ghoul looked at all concerned about her tenuous position, she didn't show a single sign. Rather, she continued to smile as she watched Galfore slowly reading through their Amazon laws as Perfume spoke with Phyarelle about what it was like to live on Tamaran.
Subtle, Perfume was not.
"How long do you think it will take him to find out the surprise?" Raven asked.
One of Cologne's owlish eyes flicked her way for a moment. "He's still in the first chapter, and judging by how fast he is reading… I'd think it will be some time tomorrow by the time he gets to the foreign affair laws."
Raven snickered. That was one way of putting it. Of course, now that she was thinking about the laws, she felt like she was forgetting something, something potentially important. Things had been so hectic lately, though, that she couldn't put a finger on what it could be. It must have had something to do with the shenanigans going on around her, though.
Her tongue poked out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated. Was it something to do with the laws Galfore was reading? No, not directly anyway. Something someone had said, maybe?
A startled yelp derailed her train of thought. She looked up just in time to see Spice go flying and collapse to the ground in a heap as Beast Boy shifted back from one of his large new alien forms. Immediately, her green hued friend ran over and helped her to her feet, both laughing at her pratfall.
"It's a good thing Granny said that rule of yours doesn't apply to me, right?" said the changeling.
Spice replied with a giggle. "I know, could you even imagine?"
Realization struck Raven like lightning. She looked to her side to see Cologne casually sipping from her glass of wine. She fired a look at the old woman that she could only describe as posthumous dread. Finally noticing the odd look on her face, the ancient warrior turned a questioning glance her way.
"Cologne," she whispered insistently, nearly climbing out of her chair in panic, "I think we forgot something… important!"
The Matriarch arched an eyebrow, looking a touch confused. "Do tell, young Raven."
Unfortunately, it seemed like Raven had been a little too dramatic with her reaction as the pair of emerald haired teens moved to join them, queer looks on their faces.
"What's up with you two?" Beast Boy asked, still staring at them strangely, though mostly focused on Raven, "You look like you ate those funky nightmare pancakes that you cooked us back in the village."
Spice snickered, no doubt having heard the stories of what had resulted from Raven's culinary experiment.
"Perhaps I should explain?" Raven offered Cologne, feeling uncharacteristically embarrassed.
"Oh, by all means," Cologne replied with a wry grin. The ancient warrior still looked completely clueless, but it was actually a bit endearing to Raven, being reminded the old Ghoul was still human and fallible, despite her countless years of experience.
Hmm, how best to put it, though?
"Um… congratulations?"
Cologne's face twisted up for a moment, before a bark of laughter erupted forth. Beast Boy and Spice just stared at her, blatant confusion on their faces.
"For… what?" her teammate asked.
"Well," she began hesitantly, "Let me put it like this. When a certain Matriarch friended a certain Empress, she may have… unfriended a certain team of Teen Titans."
Huh, that actually seemed to get through to the pair better than she expected. Their eyes were almost as large as Cologne's now, as they turned to stare blankly at one another.
Beast Boy began to tug at his collar, looking more nervous by the second. "Does this mean… what I think it means?"
Cologne shrugged. "You are free to interpret it any way you like, Sonny Boy."
The Beautiful Green Beast of Jump City was already leaping over the balcony before she even finished speaking. Spice donned a predatory grin and bounced on her heels a second before she tore off in the same direction.
"Don't think you can escape the greatest hunter in the entire village," she crowed as she ran, "In my age bracket!"
Raven shook her head as she watched the last of Spice's extravagant emerald hair vanish over the balcony.
"Terra is going to kill her, you know that, right?" she stated with confidence, "Possibly him, too. Yeah, probably both."
Cologne seemed to perk up at that idea. "Hmm, I hadn't thought of that. Spice has been in need of a decent rival for some time and squaring off against someone as powerful as Ryouga's protege could potentially drive her to match even Shampoo… if she survives, at any rate."
The dark Titan could only let out an exhausted sigh.
"Has anyone told you that you have a one-track mind?"
"My father told me that once..." Cologne locked her eyes on Raven and held up a single finger. "Once."
Swallowing uncomfortably at the intensity in the old bird's eyes, Raven dropped back into her seat and let out an explosive sigh. "I can't believe you forgot about that. You really didn't consider the ramifications of your actions, did you?"
Cologne eyed her for a moment, but Raven couldn't read the countless lines and wrinkles on her face well enough to tell if it was annoyance or amusement there. Rolling her eyes, the old woman dipped a withered hand up one of her voluminous sleeves.
"I know very well the likely fallout from my decision," she stated in a stately voice. A moment later, she pulled something from her sleeve and handed it to Raven.
It was another pocket edition of the Amazon laws.
"Now, I respect the fact that you are so intent on furthering the goals of the Joketsuzoku, but I think you may want to read up on a few things." The old woman chuckled ominously. "Unfortunately, I think by the time you realize your misstep, it will already be too late."
With that, the ancient woman bounced off on her staff, wandering off who knew where.
Raven could only stare at the small book in her hand. Misstep? What was the old crone talking about? And if there was a problem, why didn't Cologne just explain what it was, like a normal person? Not everything had to be a learning experience!
Rubbing her temples, Raven studiously cracked open the tiny tome.
It couldn't be anything that important.
Robin wasn't certain if this was the best day of his life, but it was certainly a contender for the top spot. He glanced out the side of his mask at the radiant, flame haired beauty that floated, ethereally, through the air next to him.
'...'
He really needed to stop letting Bumblebee dump him off on Kunou for those weekly status reports. Sure, she thought it was hilarious, but now he was worried the crazy was starting to seep in.
The Boy Wonder felt the tiniest bit disappointed that she wasn't still sporting that wedding dress. He still couldn't get over how amazing she had looked, standing at the end of the aisle. And the way her face had lit up when she had seen him…
"So… you're coming back home with us, after all," he said as casually as he could manage.
She turned her shimmering emerald eyes his way and he thought he was going to get lost in them forever, until she grinned and nodded in reply.
"I must say, I have grown quite sick for the home… for our home." She gave a quiet giggle, covering her mouth with her hand as she stared at him. Was there something on his face? "So… would you say that you are happy that I have chosen to return?"
He nodded, probably way too eagerly.
"You can't imagine how relieved I am," he replied with a smirk, deciding to have a bit of fun, "I mean, Ryouga was gonna kill me if I came back without you!"
In an instant, Star's face went from a beaming smile to flat as glass.
"That is the only reason you wished for my return?" she replied frostily.
He chuckled, holding his hands up in surrender. "Of course not, Star. I'm just teasing you."
He took a deep breath, turning to face her. He'd had over a week, trapped in space and unable to get close to his Tamaranean friend, to realize just how much even that minor level of separation for such a short time had hurt. Coming to terms with the idea of never seeing her again had awoken something inside him that he'd never even realized had been there.
"Starfire, you're… important to me," he struggled to find the right words, "I wanted you to come back because you're my friend, and I can't even explain how much I would miss you if you were gone."
His words seemed to go a long way to thawing her frigid expression, and a tiny smile found its way back to her perfect lips. Looking down sheepishly, she began to twirl one finger around the other before her.
"It gladdens me to know that you would miss me if I were gone," she admitted, "I would miss you as well. And… you did look quite dashing, bursting in and interrupting the ceremony as you did."
He felt his cheeks starting to heat up and struggled to hold it back. He wrung his gloved hands as he looked shyly to the side. "Yeah, well, just make sure you return the favor if you see me getting blackmailed into marrying some gross pile of space compost."
He ended with a weak chuckle.
Starfire responded with an eager nod and another blinding smile. "Most assuredly, friend Robin." Suddenly, she looked aside, her smile fading. "I suppose… that I will have to be happy merely with your friendship."
Robin looked at her oddly. What exactly had she meant by that?
"What did you mean by that?" his inner monologue turned external.
She managed that sad little smile of hers. "I just want you to know that I will not interfere with what you have with… Kasumi."
The masked Titan took a half step back, feeling very confused now. "Wait, what exactly do I have with Kasumi, again?"
Starfire gestured vaguely with her hands. "You know of what I speak. Of how you… like Kasumi?"
He scratched his head for a moment before shrugging. "Well, sure I like Kasumi. Everyone likes Kasumi. Well, except maybe for Raven, anyway."
His amethyst clad companion let out a tired sigh as her feet touched down to the floor. "I would be hard pressed to blame you for your interest. Kasumi is quite wonderful. She is much prettier and much nicer than myself."
That set him back another full step. Wait just a second. Did she think that he… and with Kasumi?
Was that why everything was so weird between them lately?
How on Earth had she jumped to that conclusion?
Shaking his head and chuckling to himself, he took a full two steps forward and caught his lovely companion's gaze with his own.
"Starfire, no one is nicer or prettier than you are. And those are just two of the reasons that I like you."
"You… like me?" Starfire's feet drifted off the floor even as her eyes widened with shimmering emotion.
He nodded, feeling his confidence starting to grow. Again, that image of her is that resplendent white gown flashed through his mind.
"Of course I do," he replied with a grin, "In a very different way than I like Kasumi."
That comment seemed to befuddle the beautiful Tamaranean princess.
"But what is the difference between how you like Kasumi and myself?"
His grin grew into a full-blown smile and tenderly, though he'd need a sledge hammer to actually hurt her normally, cupped her cheek with his hand.
Do or die time! Possibly literally if he hadn't read things right!
"Well, for starters, I would never do this with Kasumi."
And, gently coaxing her down, even as he strained to stand on his toes to reach, Robin pressed his lips to hers, lingering there for… who could even say how long?
A seeming eternity later, he dropped back to his feet and released his grip on Starfire's perfect face. He then watched in amusement as she slowly started to float up and away, going belly up with a wide, goofy smile on her face. A string of hapless giggles trailed after her as she floated out of reach.
Damn, he must be some kind of natural! Must have picked it up from his dad, because he definitely didn't get it from Bruce!
His reminiscent chuckle was interrupted as Starfire shook herself back to her senses, only to fly around and blast him off his feet as she wrapped her arms around him and spun him around exuberantly.
This time, he was the shocked one as perfect alien lips pressed back on his, and he felt himself starting to go lightheaded.
A moment later, a bit breathily, Starfire grinned impishly. "I believe I finally understand exactly what you mean, friend Robin."
He tried to smile back. He was having a bit of trouble though, mechanically speaking.
"Starfire… crushing… lungs…"
Immediately, she gasped and dropped him to the ground in a heap. Taking a deep breath, he allowed himself a smile as she fussed over him. It was just something they were going to have to get used to, he supposed. Still, it would damn well be worth it.
Maybe it was the endorphins talking, or maybe he was suffering a slight concussion, but feeling unusually sappy at the moment, he hoped that everyone could have such a special relationship in their life.
By the way, definitely the best day of his life, now.
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Ranma shuffled through a few of the dossiers on his desk. Applications this time, rather than strategic villain analysis. Commander Danzo was interested in bringing in more 'exotically talented' people such as his team and himself, especially since Thunder and Lightning were on the road most of the time.
Some of the files had familiar names, martial artists he'd dealt with in his past, and for the most part jerk asses that he wasn't exactly thrilled to work with. There were a few unfamiliar names, more on the metahuman side of things. Then there were people like this Bushido guy that seemed to be straddling the fence between the two.
Maybe he should contact Robin, see if he had any contacts that might have more information on that side of things?
A familiar beeping sounded from his desk drawer.
Huh, speak of the devil. Opening the drawer, he pulled out the shiny yellow disc and noted the light flashing on the top, even as it continued to chime.
Raven must be back early from her trip. From what she'd told him, he hadn't expected to hear back from her for a good week, week and a half. Giving a shrug, he flipped open the communicator, only to be surprised again.
'Ryouga?' Ryouga never called him, not even on the phone, let alone with the communicator. He would have expected a challenge note tied to an arrow fired through his window before he actually expected the Lost Boy to pick up the phone and dial.
Ryouga was the traditional type, after all, and liked to practice his calligraphy. Also, he pretty much never had access to a phone. Maybe the lost lunk was finally getting used to his new, not lost lifestyle?
He looked at the clock on his desk, then back at the communicator and shook his head. Finally hitting the reply button, he greeted his frustrating old friend as politely as possible.
"Sheesh, Ryouga, it's gotta be, what, three in the morning there? What are you calling about?"
"YOOoouuuuu!"
Ranma's eyebrow quirked up as the drawn out 'yoooooouuuu' finally came to an end and he got a good look at his 'best rival'. The Hibiki scion's face was red, as were his eyes, and his hair was a mess, not to mention the fact that Ranma could nearly see the Lost Boy's breath.
A large finger suddenly popped up, covering most of the screen and pointing accusingly at him from half a world away.
"Youuu… didn't come to the - to the party! You… cad!"
It took a lot of effort not to explode into laughter at the sight of his clearly plastered partner in crime.
"Of course not," he replied, chuckling in amusement, "Unlike you meddling kids, I got an actual job to worry about. Not to mention that Akane is just starting her semester, so she don't have the time for junk like that."
"Job, feh, yeah right! You're just too afraid to come fight me!" Ryouga replied, having a hard time focusing on the screen from the look of it.
Ranma looked at his companion's face, then to the clock, and suddenly realization struck him. Grinning salaciously, he nodded to Ryouga.
"Ryouga, are you drunk dialing me?"
The Lost Boy froze stiff, only to quickly look side to side evasively. "...No! This is - I'm calling… challenge! ...you?"
The pigtailed martial artist couldn't help but laugh at that. "Now, now, no need to play coy with me. If you haven't been getting your proper regimen of humiliating defeats, just let me know."
"Ha! You wish, Rrrannma! I could beat you right here, right now!"
"You'd be lucky if you managed to kill time right now, Ryouga. What are you even bugging me for, anyway, don't you have, like, a million people to fight over there?"
He could see the gears in his rival's eyes struggling to turn, grinding here and there, but eventually spinning to some conclusion. Giving his head a bit of a shake, Ryouga's voice dropped as he spoke.
"It's not the same," the Lost Boy all but whined, "All the people that know how to fight aren't strong enough to fight me… all the people strong enough to fight me don't know how to fight."
Ranma found himself nodding in sympathy for the poor lost chump. Over the past few weeks, he'd started to run into a similar issue with some of the perps they'd been running up against. Luckily, he had Ryu and Natsume to keep him on his toes, but it wasn't really the same as a proper life and death battle against a rival.
Now that his erstwhile friend was starting to get a bit more lucid, Ranma noticed a few other aspects he'd missed earlier. That familiar tightness around the eyes, the gauntness of his skin and the dullness in his eyes. Hmm, that might explain a few things.
"Hey, did you fire off a Perfect Shi Shi Houkodan at someone? I thought Raven said you couldn't even use the normal one these days?"
Ryouga nodded, a bit unsteadily. "Was a… special occasion. Had to arm wrestle… Supergirl. Nabiki came up with the plan. Heh… quite a blast!"
"Whoa, what!?" Ranma could only stare in shock at what he'd just heard. "Nabiki was there? And you got into an arm wrestling match with Supergirl, and you blasted her? Damnit, I did miss a good party!"
Damn job!
"Yeah… Shampoo and Mousse helped… Jinx, too…. And Terra."
"Shampoo and Mousse were there too? Man, that's unfair!" The other, far more important name came to his attention next. "And Jinx is there? So not only could I have partied with you, Kasumi, Nabiki, Shampoo and Mousse, and gotten into a crazy tournament, but I could have settled the score with that brat at the same time!?"
Even though he had his own office, he still strained to keep in the string of profanity he wanted to spew. Damn responsibilities! No wonder his Pops usually took as little responsibility as humanly, or panda-ly, possible.
"Hey! Who are you calling a brat?" Ryouga glared at him for all he was worth, "I swear, if you hurt her, then I'll - I'll…"
Rolling his eyes, Ranma held up a hand to calm his companion. "Hey, hey, I'm just kidding. But, hey man, she did challenge me. She's gotta take responsibility for that, you know?"
Ryouga glowered at him for a long moment, before finally nodding reluctantly. My, but he looked glum at the moment. They needed a change in topic, as Ranma was actually enjoying talking to the Lost Boy after so long, and there were a few things he was interested in.
"Say, how are things going with that Terra girl you helped out?"
The Lost Boy stared at him blankly for a moment, before looking off to the side, as he did, the communicator turned as well. This sudden change in perspective revealed a few interesting things. First, was the swath of bright pink hair that was sprawled across Ryouga's shoulder and chest. He was pretty sure that Jinx was in there somewhere, and it brought a smile to his face to see it.
As much of a pain in the butt as the cat eyed girl was, he still found himself shipping her and Ryouga. Maybe it was because he was pretty much the only person that knew the truth about what she'd done for the lost jerk, or because even in the short time they'd spoken, she'd managed to win him over, but something just felt right about what he saw.
Not that he would ever tell Raven how he felt on that score.
The next thing he saw, further down the couch, was a skinny little stick of a girl, curled up nearly in a ball. She was currently snoring lightly and drooling a bit. There was a blanket haphazardly tossed over the slight girl, which an arm quickly reached out to readjust so it covered her more completely. A moment later, the blonde gave a mumble of contentment.
The camera lingered on her for a moment, as if making sure she was fine, before swinging back to Ryouga. There was an odd smile on the Lost Boy's face that made Ranma feel a bit envious for a reason he couldn't quite understand.
"She's… doing gooder, uh - better I mean. It's taking time, but give me a year and she'll be ready to take on both of us!"
The Saotome heir chuckled, wondering how much of that was bravado, and how much was confidence.
"Challenge accepted, P-Chan. Speaking of which, I figure I'll give you fair warning. You've already lost our next fight, so let me know then when and where, so that we can get the formalities over with."
That got some fire in the Lost Boy's eyes. Leaning forward, his eye nearly filling the entire screen, Ryouga laughed. "Ha! Yeah right, Ranma! I beat you easy last time, and I got a whooole new… thing… that I can… maybe do… something with? What makes you think you can win?"
Ranma chuckled at the meandering reply. It seemed like this new elemental ki thing that Ryouga was working on was still in its infancy, but Ranma could just feel the potential there, even a half a world away. It was going to take a lot more than potential to win their next match though.
"I've unsealed the Umi-Sen Ken and the Yama-Sen Ken."
Ryouga stared at him blankly.
"The what and the what?"
Ranma scratched his chin. Oh right, Ryouga had missed that whole bit, now hadn't he? He'd have to catch him up on that later.
"Well, you'll find out when we meet up," Ranma promised, "Just so you don't hold a grudge, though, I didn't unleash such dangerous techniques just to get even with you."
Ryouga managed to pull off a skeptical look, before shrugging. "I-I'll be the judge of how… dangerous your lame tricks are…" Even drunk and posturing, some of the seriousness of Ranma's declaration seemed to be piercing his friend's thick skull. "If they were forbidden… why use them?"
Ranma considered his words carefully. "Well, things have changed, right? It ain't just a bunch of us dumb kids duking it out to see who's best anymore, right? With all the dangerous new jerk wads we're both likely to run into goin' forward, neither of us can afford to hold back anything anymore. Who can guess if the next nutjob we run into is another martial artist of the week, or one of the Justice League's leftovers that can blow up cities?"
The Lost Boy nodded in foggy agreement. "No more big fishes in a small pond… amiright?"
"Too true, buddy," Ranma replied with a grin, "Looks like we're middle of the road at best in a great big sea, now. Though, being completely outclassed never stopped us before!"
He managed to get a laugh with that one, and a fanged grin. If it was one thing going for the Nerima nutbars, it was that they never knew when to quit, not even Kunou, hell, especially not Kunou. That did bring him to the one topic he'd been ruminating over for the past few weeks, since unsealing the Sen Kens.
"Say, I heard some of what was involved with you waking up Sleeping Blondie over there. Sounds like you stumbled across something interesting with that Elemental Ki manipulation. Do you think it's something you can teach?"
"I… dunno?" Ryouga looked confused for a moment. "I'm still just learning… but I don't see why… not."
Good enough for him! Once he got the basics down, he should be able to pick it up super fast.
"Well, I got a bargain for ya, then, old buddy. How about a little quid pro quo, you help me out, and I help you out, right?"
It took the Lost Boy a few long moments to reorient himself in the conversation, before firing a suspicious glare his way.
"What… you gettin' at?"
Ranma chuckled to himself. "Nothing sinister. I just figure, we're past the point of just competing with each other. Now we got a whole dang world to take on. We should train with each other, as well as against each other."
He watched as the idea percolated through his friend's pickled mind. "For example, you do me a favor. Say, just picking something random out of a hat… you invite Jinx along with you the next time you come home, and then make sure she doesn't hightail it so that I can get my damn school back!"
The gleeful snickers from the Lost Boy were not needed, nor appreciated, but Ranma chose not to push it. "Then, as a token of good faith, you can teach me what you know about Elemental Ki Manipulation, and I can teach ya something that will really suit yer style, I'm thinking the Yama-Sen Ken."
Ryouga's suspicious glare was quickly fading into that optimistic, naive look he tended to get when he thought someone was showing him any kind of genuine kindness, and usually about five seconds before someone - himself a regretful number of times now that he thought of it - ended up manipulating him into utter humiliation.
"You'd trade muh-my basic stuff for a perfected… technique?"
"Well, your stuff and Jinx. Also, ya gotta promise that, if ya happen to stumble across some cool new technique or power-up, that you'll return the favor, right? We wanna make sure we're always staying one step ahead of all the other chumps out there, together, ya know?"
Oh, and here come the waterworks. The Lost Boy sniffed loudly, trying vainly to dash the tears from his cheeks.
"Ranma, you're such a good friend! I'll ne-nev… never forget this!"
"Umm… yeah, I'm gunna send you an email with the details so you can read it over in the morning… ya know, just to make sure."
Ryouga sniffed again before nodding vehemently. A moment later, his confused look fell back in place.
"But… how are we gonna train together?"
Ranma grinned, as he'd been thinking about this as well.
"Well, I figure those Justice League guys got those teleporters, right? I'm betting we could mooch off of Shampoo and Mousse to get access. You know, start up some 'Martial Artist Training Camp' BS to get the League on board." He rubbed his chin in thought. "Say, you got that sad puppy thing going on. Do you think ya got some sympathy from Supergirl after she thrashed you at arm wrestling? Maybe we can work that angle, too?"
Ryouga was looking at him oddly now.
"What are you talking about? I beat her."
"...You what!?"