Disclaimer: Not mine.
Edited: 02/19/2020
Gotham Holiday
Chapter 1: Invitation
The early December chill wisped around the Tower. The city remained quiet as dark winter clouds rolled overhead. Snow was rare on the west coast, but the ground had managed to frost over, making the grass on the Tower's island white and brittle. Inside the Titan's headquarters, however, it was warm and cozy, and a perfect night for a movie.
Beast Boy hopped over the curved sofa to sit by Robin. "So, are you going home again for the holidays?"
"Of course." Robin looked up from the book he'd been reading and smiled. "And actually, I was wondering if—"
Beast Boy grabbed the book.
"—Hey!" Robin tried to swipe it back, but Beast Boy flipped onto the back of the sofa; crouching to examine the book's purple binding and gold lettering. The title was scripted in oversized gothic letters.
Reading it, Beast Boy's nose wrinkled in distaste. "Looks like something Raven would own. Joker Lore: Prince of Crime. Dude. You're reading a biography? For fun?"
Beast Boy skimmed the pages. "And look! It hardly has any pictures! You know, Robin, Cy and me both got tons of comic books you can borrow, right? I have, like, this whole series about a time-traveling detective you'd probably really like. He fights aliens and cyborgs and all kinds of stuff."
With a half-hearted scowl, Robin swept the book back into his own gloved hands.
From behind the kitchen counter, Cyborg said, "Hey! You talking smack? Cause I will come over there, and you will become extinct. All fifty variations of you!"
Twisting to see his other friend, Beast Boy raised his hands in mock surrender. "Not necessary!"
He dropped down onto the sofa seat next to Robin. "Why do you wanna read about that guy anyway? You and Batman fought him like a zillion times, right? What's there to know? I mean, he's a fruitcake who dresses up like a clown. He doesn't even have any powers."
"He's insane," Robin agreed, "but he's not just some fruitcake, Beast Boy. He's probably the most dangerous villain I've ever met." And I hope that you never, ever have to meet him. None of you.
"But you and Batman always handled him." Cyborg sat down on the other side of Beast Boy holding the giant bowl of the popcorn he'd been popping on the stove.
"Friends!" Starfire zipped into the room and tucked onto the sofa beside Robin; her fingers casually intertwining with his. "I am not too late for the movie? Raven and I have only just returned from listening to the tales at the depressing café. Her poetry was very well-received, was it not, Raven?"
Raven had risen up through the floor and sofa to take a seat by Starfire. She shrugged. "Nobody cried or ran out screaming."
"Is that a good thing or bad thing?" Cyborg whispered behind his hand to Beast Boy, who gave a shrug of his own.
"It sounds interesting. Maybe we should all go sometime." Robin smiled briefly at Raven before turning his attention back to Starfire, who had started telling the group all about Tamaranean death songs.
But Raven found it difficult to listen. Her eyes had widened in surprise when Robin suggested that the whole team hang at one of her haunts. She imagined all of them there, sitting around a booth at her favorite café and listening to open mic night or the moody music that usually played. Raven hid a small smirk behind her hand. They'd definitely stand out in such a gloomy, contemplative place. Unless… Her private smirk grew as Raven pictured her friends dressed like the other gothic teens at the café.
They'd actually look kind of… cool, she thought, regarding them.
"I would demonstrate such a song," Starfire was saying, to which her team members stiffened, "but the incessant, loud shrieking would make my throat most sore. I hope you will forgive me. Perhaps another time?"
"That's okay," Robin said quickly, and the rest of the team gave a sharp nod of their emphatic agreement. He decided it was best to change the topic before Starfire changed her mind.
Looking to Cyborg, he asked, "So, what are we watching?"
Holding up the remote, Cyborg clicked the DVD player into action. "The guy at the new movie place said it's an action-horror-sci-fi flick with a little bit of comedy and romance—well, until the twist at the end. Does that sound like us or what?"
"Sounds awesome," Robin agreed, reaching for some popcorn.
Cyborg obliged, handing the giant bowl over to Beast Boy so that they could all three reach the hot, buttery deliciousness that was his stove-popped creation.
"The twist?" Starfire asked. The popcorn smelled wonderful, but even with her nine stomachs she was still sated from eating with Raven at the café.
"It means that something unexpected will happen," Raven supplied. "Usually something bad."
"But not always." Beast Boy stuffed popcorn into his mouth as he spoke. "Sometimes it's a funny twist or a good one—like a character you thought died comes back to save the day or a monster eats the bad guy right before he can finish off the heroes."
"Oh I see. But I do hope this twist does not lead to an unhappy ending," Starfire admitted. Despite how much she loved it whenever Raven invited her to 'hang out', Starfire had experienced enough melancholy for one day.
"Either way it's just a movie, Star." Robin gently tightened his grip on her hand. "If it has a bad ending we can always watch another movie or do something else to cheer you up."
"Yeah, or get Rae to arm wrestle BB again," Cyborg offered with a grin.
Starfire chuckled as her friend Beast Boy grumbled about fairness and 'over-powered demon girls'. "I am sure that it will be fine and that I am just being a big blorth blorth. Come, let us watch!"
But right as Cyborg was about to press play, Raven asked: "What are you reading?"
Her eyes were on the purple book still lying on Robin's lap. It was partially hidden under the hand that wasn't holding Starfire's.
Raven was glad someone else in the Tower appreciated books, or at least what she considered real books. The other boys read magazines and comics for fun. And Starfire? Raven was pretty sure Tamaraneans relied on an oral tradition anyway.
"Oh it's a boring book about—"
"Not you," Raven hissed at Beast Boy, although there was no real malice behind her voice. "I was talking to Robin."
Robin passed her the book. "It's a book on a villain called the Joker. Have you heard of him?"
Raven met his masked eyes. "I know all about him from you. From the bond we formed when I was in your mind, remember?"
She added the last part more for the benefit of the others than Robin. There was no point in being cryptic. The Teen Titans had survived enough together that they didn't see the need to keep secrets from each other anymore. Robin showing them the contents of his briefcase had been the last real barrier to the total, open trust they currently enjoyed. Since then, he'd been less guarded; and that somehow made the whole Tower less tense.
Oh. Robin realized. Of course she knew about the Joker. His last memories of the man were pretty intense, but Robin didn't want to dwell, so he said, "This is a book of theories, stories—some true and some not—about him. It says 'unofficial biography', but it's really more like a collection of urban legends mixed with some actual real documentation."
"Urban legends?" Beast Boy asked. "That actually might be interesting."
"It's nothing I haven't heard before yet," Robin said, "but I grew up in Gotham for the most part so that's no surprise."
It was still strange to them to hear their leader talk so openly about his past. Not that they didn't appreciate it—being fully trusted—at last—but it was still a little disorienting for them to think of Robin as a person other than Robin.
"Speaking of home…"
The other Titans noted his sudden hesitation and immediately looked at him, but Robin's gaze was fixated on his knees.
"Before we start the movie," Robin continued, "I wanted to ask if, you know, you guys didn't already have plans, if you maybe you wanted to come hang out for the holidays at my house—the house I grew up in—I mean. ...In Gotham."
Silence greeted his invitation.
Uncomfortable, Robin added, "I already asked and it's approved. Um, there are rules you'd have to follow. For example… you couldn't come as Titans. You'd have to wear a holowatch to make you look like regular citizens. Otherwise it could jeopardize not just my identity, but a lot of other people's, and their loved ones. But I think it would be fun if we could all stay together this year."
And safer, he admitted to himself. They hadn't really been apart much since the Brotherhood's near-success. Robin wasn't sure if he was ready for them to split up again, even if only for a few weeks.
But they were still and quiet, and the sheer awkwardness he felt forced Robin to look up at Starfire.
Positively beaming, she threw her arms around him in a back-crushing hug. "Oh it sounds wonderful, Robin! I cannot wait to meet your Alfred and see your home and greet your K'norfka!"
Beast Boy couldn't believe his luck. Last year Robin had gone home alone and Cyborg had left the Tower to visit his grandparents for the holidays. Raven had stayed in her room the whole time and Starefire had just moped around, not even wanting to play with Robin's stuff again. It had been so boring! He couldn't even visit the Doom Patrol because they'd been off planet for a mission. Spending the holidays with all of his friends this year would be great! Plus—
Holy cow, we're going to meet Batman! He couldn't wait to see the legend in person. "Dude, are you kidding? This is awesome!"
Cyborg grinned. "Can we see the Batcave? Please tell me we can see the Batcave!?"
"I've heard Gotham is… dark," Raven said, pleased.
Robin smirked at her as Starfire released him and he was able to breathe again. "You have no idea."
"And I don't know what he'll give you access to," Robin said, facing the guys. "To be honest—probably not much. Not the first time. And… like I mentioned before, we're not going as Titans."
Robin sliced a hand through the air. "In fact, there will be absolutely no hero work while we're there."
He had almost winced while saying it.
"Dude, why not?" Beast Boy asked. "I understand not showing up to your house as Titans, but why can't we help patrol the city? This is Gotham we're talking about! It's full of crime, right?"
"Because it's his condition, and… I actually agree," Robin admitted. "Because Gotham isn't like Jump. It's really dangerous… and…"
"We can handle it," Cyborg said. "We handle danger here all the time. Not to mention we've been all over the planet and even other planets."
"And other dimensions!" Beast Boy added with arms crossed. The popcorn bowl remained perched on his lap. "Starfire's even been in other futures! C'mon, Robin! Cy's right. We do danger like every day!"
Robin didn't want to be condescending. "We do—and we're awesome at it—but please, just trust me here. I'm sure you know there are some really, really bad criminals who like to show up in Gotham. Here the villains are dangerous, too, but… not like Gotham."
"Do you not have faith in our abilities? Or is it your K'norfka who does not?" Starfire asked. His hand tightened gently around hers again and Starfire felt the indignation building in her heart soften.
"You know I do, Star," Robin said without hesitation. "And Batman—although he has a hard time giving praise to anyone—does, too. Trust me, if he didn't approve of our team's work he'd have told me by now, and he wouldn't want to meet you guys. But he does."
"I still don't see why we can't do our thing there, especially if we're needed," Cyborg said. "You've said it yourself a hundred times; we're heroes, Robin. We can't just hit an off switch. Besides, you were running around Gotham saving the day when you were like eight-years-old, right?"
"More like saving the night." Robin couldn't help a small, nostalgic smile. "But even after I trained I still got left behind pretty often. It took a few years before our partnership really solidified and even then I rarely was on my own. I wouldn't patrol Gotham without him watching my back unless there was absolutely no choice."
"We've got each others' backs, Rob," Cyborg pointed out.
"I know. But he's right, Cy," Robin insisted. "He has to think about the city, and at least for this time, we would only make the city more dangerous and his job more complicated."
Cyborg's brow furrowed. "But—!"
"—It's okay, Robin," Raven interrupted. She met the gaze of everyone. "We understand. Gotham is a dangerous place. The villains there are more experienced and more violent than the ones we typically face, and your guardian doesn't want any of us to get hurt. He doesn't want to have to account for us when he's protecting the city."
"Yes," Robin said, relieved. He absently let go of Starfire's hand and rubbed his right shoulder as if comforting a sore bruise a few moments before rejoining hands with her.
Cyborg, who prided himself in being skilled at both sizing people up and reading their body language, didn't miss the subconscious movement. He'd seen Robin do it several times since they'd met, and he knew by now what it meant. This wasn't scratching-the-back-of-the-head nervousness. Nope. Their leader was deeply anxious—maybe even afraid—but of what, Cyborg could only guess.
Though he was starting to get the feeling it was more than some fear Robin might have about the team screwing up and embarrassing him in front of Batman.
"Don't take it personally," Robin said with a hopeful note in his voice.
He focused on Cyborg and Beast Boy. "I made that mistake once, but it didn't take long, not after we formed the Titans, for me to see things from his perspective. I understand now what it's like to try and keep people I'm responsible for as safe as possible."
"And…" Robin frowned and the masked eyes fell again, "…thanks to Slade and the Brotherhood, I know how it feels to completely fail, too."
Starfire rested her other hand on his arm in silent support.
"Hey man, we get it. Maybe don't like it, but it's cool," Cyborg assured, deciding it really wasn't worth pushing after all. Not for the moment anyway. It made sense that Batman wouldn't want a crew of (however gifted and amazing) teenagers running around his turf. Like Robin said—just more to worry about.
"As the guests of your K'norfka it is only right that we abide by his requests," Starfire decided. "Besides, it might be nice to take the vacation? We had such fun in Tokyo before you were arrested and the ink creatures began attacking us."
Relieved again, Robin looked up. "So you'll come then? All of you?"
"Yes," Raven answered.
"Of course!" Starfire cuddled against him in excitement, making him blush a moment before slipping his arm around her.
"Man there's no way I'm missing a chance to meet your 'knorka' or whatever Star called him," Cyborg said with a laugh. "Plus my grandparents are going on some kind of cruise for senior citizens this year. I'm definitely in. How about you, BB?"
Beast Boy snorted. "Are you kidding me? Of course I'm going! It's freakin' Gotham City and Batman! ...Oh, and um, it'll also be cool to see your house and spend time with everyone, too, Robin," he added sheepishly.
Robin smiled. "That's great! I'll let Alfred know."
Beast Boy grinned at Robin. "So these holowatches… They'll make us look like normal people?"
"If you mean 'average citizen', then yes," Robin said. "You won't be green when you're wearing it activated. In fact," the Titan rubbed his chin, "you can probably tailor it to look however you want. They'll come in the mail before we leave so we can get all the settings figured out."
"Really? All right!" Beast Boy bounced on the seat and sent popcorn flying everywhere. "This is going to be so sweet!"
Less than a week later, the Titans began the trip to Gotham. For Robin, his trip began on a flight far north to Pinnacle City and a night at the St. Regency, an elite luxury hotel owned by Wayne Enterprises. The suite was large and handsomely decorated, with a bedroom, living room, kitchen, dining area, and a balcony view of the mountains that surrounded Pinnacle City.
Room 1939, the room Robin had checked into, was a room off limits to the public. It was a room that Lucius Fox had overseen personally.
"Thanks again for protecting Jump while we're gone," Robin said to the image of Bumblebee on his communicator.
"No problem! Jump City's in super safe hands. Things have been so quiet over at Titan's East since we all kicked the Brotherhood's butt that I'm tempted to say there shouldn't be any problems at all," Bumblebee responded.
She hesitated and added, "Hey Robin, are you sure you don't want to tell us where you guys are going off to… just to be safe?"
"No can do," he said, shaking his head, "but don't worry. The mission we're going on will take a few weeks but shouldn't be dangerous."
"Just super secretive?"
He grinned. "Thanks again, Bee!"
And before she could protest, Robin snapped his communicator shut. He silenced it, having long ago already turned off the tracking feature.
Setting the communicator aside, Robin opened his briefcase and pulled out the only pair of Dick Grayson's clothes he carried with him at the moment. It wasn't necessary to carry a wardrobe around since Robin barely spent time out of costume anymore.
It's funny. It feels like I'm taking off my normal clothes and putting on a Dick Grayson costume, he thought to himself as he changed clothes.
He neatly folded his costume and placed it in the briefcase, adding his mask and communicator to the top before closing the lid and securing the encryption lock.
Robin then crossed the plush carpet of the suite to check his appearance in the mirrored doors of the room's bedroom closet. His designer clothes were tailored to fit just right. He wore black jeans and a warm, gray sweater.
All I need is a ski mask, he mused. Robin opened the closet and took out a pair of expensive black tennis shoes. He swapped out of his steel-toed boots, placing the combat shoes in the closet and closing the door. He'd pick them up on the return trip.
He'd neglected to spike his hair up after taking a shower that morning. It was brushed and smoothed down with gel. He'd pulled two short pieces down near his temples, shaping them into curls that faced each other, sort of like upside down devil horns, and his Dick Grayson costume was complete.
The room's wall-mounted phone rang and the front desk informed Mr. Grayson that a car waited to take him to the airport. They took the extra step to assure him that nobody on the staff had alerted the media to his presence at the hotel, and Robin thanked them for their courtesy before hanging up.
It was cold outside, so he put on the dark red scarf and toboggan Alfred had sent him last year for Christmas. Not caring that it was early evening, Robin slipped on a pair of sunglasses. He took his briefcase and left the suite for the airport.
Flight 194 eastbound for Gotham City would take off shortly after 10 PM and was expected to arrive around 1:30 AM, assuming the snow continued to hold off in Gotham.
Robin boarded First Class, stored his briefcase overhead, and took his single seat by the window. Shortly after, he accepted a small pillow and fleece blanket from the stewardess. She gave his sunglasses a brief frown before moving on. Robin didn't waste time freeing the comfort items from their packaging and wrapping up in the blanket. He always got cold flying, and since it had been snowing in Gotham, the trip was only going to get chillier.
Soon enough the plane was off the ground and Robin watched Pinnacle City disappear beneath the clouds, just as he'd watched Jump the previous morning. Once again he was glad Titans East had stepped in to keep vigil of the city in his team's absence.
Robin closed the window's plastic shudder. He was fortunate to have nobody sitting near to him. In fact, First Class was only half full, which meant there was a very tiny chance of anyone recognizing Dick Grayson and bothering him. Smiling at his luck, Robin reclined and curled into the seat while pulling the blanket up to his shoulder, wanting to trap as much heat as possible. He then tried to ignore the way his ears popped as the plane gained altitude. He yawned against the pillow. He was almost asleep when his skin began to crawl. It was the uneasy, familiar feeling of being watched that he'd become sensitive to while working in Gotham.
It's probably because I look like a kid. Or maybe it's the sunglasses, he figured. He really hoped no one had recognized him as Dick Grayson.
Dick Grayson, after all, had graduated high school extra early and was attending a super-private, super-elite college in Pinnacle City and wasn't due to be traveling home for the holidays yet. He'd transferred there from Gotham State roughly a year and half earlier (or at least that's what the tabloids thought—ever since Robin moved to Jump).
Still, trained to be careful, Robin mentally ticked off the other people he'd seen in First Class. There were six others, all dressed business casual, and he could hear some of them clicking away on their laptops. None had really stood out, except for a woman in a bright red blouse who at first talked way too loud for that time of night, and an older guy with an eye patch reading The Pinnacle Chronicle.
I'm being paranoid. It'll probably get worse the closer I get to Gotham, he thought to himself, closing his eyes.
Gotham International Airport was not terribly packed at roughly 2:30 AM.
Starfire, wearing her holowatch, blended in with the Earthlings all around her. She had found airports to be incredibly busy and confusing places, but through the kindness of strangers, she'd successfully navigated to Gotham City. She followed the other passengers into Gotham International Airport and was relieved to find this airport less occupied than the last.
She soon 'claimed' her luggage before the other passengers could claim it; a pink suitcase. She'd been unable to bring her own suitcase from Tamaran as Robin had declared it "too alien".
She was now to find Robin's Alfred, or one of her friends, as soon as possible. She scanned the people sitting and hurrying around her, wishing to see her boyfriend's spikey head among them. Starfire missed Robin and hoped they would be reunited soon. She did not like being apart from any of her friends, but especially not from Robin. It had been most difficult… seeing him frozen and on display. She had worried that the freezing was lethal. Fortunately, it had not been.
She smiled, remembering his reaction when she'd first switched on the holowatch back at the Tower.
"Wow, Star. You look great", Robin said, watching her pose and twirl in front of her mirror.
On the floor, poor Silkie blinked up at her in confusion.
The holowatch changed her hair color to a chocolate brown and made her eyes an Earthling shade of green. It altered her eyebrows to be long and skinny like the other Titans', and the sight of them made Starfire giggle. Her skin had lost its soft orange hue and now appeared a light brown.
"You might want to part your hair differently," Robin suggested. "You still look very Starfiery."
Starfire brushed her hair until more of it was parted to the right. "Is that better?"
"I wouldn't say better, because I prefer the way you normally wear it," Robin told her with a smile, "but it's definitely different. It still looks nice if that's what you're worried about."
Starfire returned his smile before focusing on her holowatch. She twisted the dial and her clothing changed from the white formal gown she'd been wearing to a pair of jeans and a lovely purple sweater.
Robin had asked them to take different flights and from different cities to reach their destination. These precautions had made Starfire and the others realize that it was indeed a very big deal for them to all go to Gotham, and in fact quite a risk.
She desperately did not want to accidentally ruin the trip by becoming lost or sneezing a starbolt.
"Kori, is that you?" a tall boy with a backpack asked. He wore a navy hoodie, a white shirt beneath, and blue jeans. The hood was pushed back so she could see his face.
Starfire gasped, happy to see her friend. "Cyb—I mean, Victor! Did you have the best of flights?"
Cyborg, also wearing a holowatch, shrugged. "I mostly slept to be honest. It was kinda weird not having you guys available to talk to. Have you seen anyone else?"
She shook her head. "I have only just arrived. Do you know where we should go now to rendezvous with Robin's Alfred or perhaps the others?"
"Yeah, follow me. I studied the floorplan of this airport before we left. There's a general waiting area that they're probably at, you know, since we're all coming in on different flights," Cyborg told her, leading the way.
Robin's Alfred was a tall, slim, older man that the teens instantly recognized from the picture they'd seen of him in Robin's briefcase. He wore a black tailored suit and held a small sign that simply said WAYNE in black letters.
"Ms. Koriand'r. Master Victor. My name is Alfred. It is so good to meet you," the butler greeted. "Master Richard and your other two friends arrived over an hour ago. I hope you don't mind that I took them to the mansion and returned for you. Airports are dreadfully boring for young people, and they were quite fatigued from travel."
"Not at all!" Starfire assured. "It is our pleasure to meet you. Ro—Richard has said so many kind words about you."
"I could say likewise about all of you," Alfred replied. "Now, if you'll hand me your luggage, I will take you straightway to the rest of your party. It's early in the morning, but we should leave soon before any of the paparazzi happen to make a round."
Both politely declined having an older man carry their belongings. Seeming to have expected their response, Alfred asked the two teens to follow along as he led them from the airport.
"Why should we leave before any papas—paparazzi happen by?" Starfire asked.
"Because they will start taking pictures, and pictures can create trails of evidence," Alfred explained. "It's a week earlier than when Master Richard usually comes home for the holidays, but you never know when one of those infernal tabloid pushers are hiding to pounce."
The butler glanced to see if they were bothered by his momentary rant. Seeing that they were not, Alfred continued on. "While they might not recognize either of you, they would most certainly recognize me, and thus become quite interested in finding out who the two of you are."
"Are you a famous person, Alfred, that they would want to pounce and to take pictures of you?" Starfire asked.
"Not him, Kori," Cyborg said. "He's not the celebrity."
"Oh! So Richard is a ce-le-bri-ty? A famous person?" Starfire guessed. Robin had of course mentioned that his K'norfka was quite wealthy, but he had not told her about these rude, pouncing paparazzi people. If she met one seeking to harass him, she would be sure to pounce first.
"As heir apparent to the Wayne Estate and future Chairperson of Wayne Enterprises, I should certainly think so." Alfred led them outside to where an extended, black luxury vehicle was parked. He opened a door, first for Starfire, and then circled around to open one for Cyborg, before taking their luggage and placing it in the trunk.
Alfred slid into the front seat. He drove his young companions through the brief stretch of Gotham on their way to the manor, which was situated on a cliff side not too far from the city. As they passed under the towering skyscrapers, Alfred glanced up at the review mirror to catch the two teens, noses to the windows, gaping at the almost Gothic, urban scenery rolling past. Alfred smiled. Evidently they were impressed.
A precarious, winding road took them towards 1007 Mountain Drive. Even from far away, the manor loomed, and Cyborg and Starfire both pressed against the car's tinted windows to take in the sight.
The manor was built on a cliff that overlooked the ocean. The dark clouds rolling overhead, the sharp face of the cliff, and the ocean far below all granted the structure qualities of a Gothic haunted castle. There were grand windows, columns, and snow-caked rooftops that sloped into sharp points. The ground and bushes were also coated from where snow had fallen the previous night, almost delaying their inbound flights. Warm lights glowed from within the mansion's massive windows.
Cyborg grinned, excited to explore the place despite how jet-lagged he felt. He checked his holowatch and saw that it was almost 3 AM.
I bet anything the Batcave is right underneath this place, Cyborg figured. He really hoped Robin would sneak him down there for a peek.
"It is beautiful," Starfire said, and stifled an uncontrollable yawn. "We will all fit quite comfortably in such a large home."
Alfred overheard her and smiled as he pulled into the front turnaround, parking before the manor's front steps.
Robin ran down the steps to greet them as they stepped from the sleek car.
Part of him still couldn't believe that Bruce had allowed them to come—but here they were! Everyone he cared about and wanted to be with for the holidays was going to be together under one roof. Even if only for a few weeks, his two worlds were being brought together, and Robin had to fight from smiling too big at the thought.
"Did you guys have a good trip?" he asked.
"It was fine. There were many kind people who helped me navigate Earth's aerial transportation system," Starfire replied as Robin gave her a brief hug that made her warm despite the chilly weather.
He then turned to Cyborg, who bumped his fist, and Robin said, "Garfield and Rachel are already settled in. I convinced them to go on to bed since we couldn't be sure when your flights would arrive. They were both pretty beat."
"Yes," Alfred remarked, taking their luggage from the trunk, "Master Garfield turned into a sleeping green kitten on the way here and Ms. Rachel was forced to carry him inside. It's quite fortunate that that didn't happen at the airport."
Cyborg and Starfire politely took their luggage from Alfred, uncomfortable again with having someone carry what they could easily carry themselves. If anything, it only seemed to amuse Alfred and Robin, who shared a silent glance. Robin then quickly led them inside to escape the snowy weather.
Cyborg sighed in relief as instant, pleasant heat washed over them upon entering Wayne Manor.
"Wow! Nice crib, Rob!" Cyborg whistled, taking in the high ceiling—so high that it had giant columns supporting it in various places throughout the room. The room began as a foyer, but Cyborg saw where it leveled down with small adjacent staircases to a living room area complete with comfy looking couches, a large coffee table, and some furniture composing the entertainment center. The centerpiece of the area, a huge fireplace, cast warmth and light over the living room.
"Thanks," Robin said. "Come on and I'll show you your rooms."
Alfred followed the teenagers as Robin led them up a wide staircase to the second floor on the west wing of the manor where the guest bedrooms were situated. Each Titan had their own room, of course, and the rooms were all right beside each other.
As they walked up the long, ornately carpeted halls and passed unique works of art, Cyborg continued to point out how cool Robin's house was. Even after Cyborg had learned his identity (and cyberstalked Dick Grayson to learn more out of sheer curiosity), he still hadn't really imagined what growing up with that kind of wealth looked like. Seeing the manor now really brought it home to him that their leader was one seriously rich kid.
Starfire seemed equally impressed as she glanced around the cavernous mansion, its artwork, the details in the glass and architecture. Her friend's home was truly beautiful!
"Here's your room, Star. Cy, yours is right across. Beast Boy and Raven are these two." Robin gestured towards two other doors.
Although the lights were off in Beast Boy's and Raven's rooms, Robin had the feeling that Raven was still awake. He brushed the sensation away. Ever since the incident with the dust he'd shared a strange bond with the girl that he still found hard to fathom.
"But where is your K'norfka? Should we not greet him?" she asked.
"He's working," Robin said, opening the door to her room. "And he'll probably be asleep for most of the day tomorrow, but don't worry. We'll be here long enough to see him plenty of times."
Alfred was across the hall showing Cyborg into his room.
"Night, ya'll!" Cyborg called before following the butler inside.
"Good night," Robin replied; stealthily closing Starfire's door for a moment of privacy with her.
She sat her pink suitcase down and admired the spacious bedroom. There was a large canopy bed with decorative pillows and a soft looking comforter. The whole room—from the bedding to the curtains, to the accent pieces of art, had soft shades of purple woven throughout. Antique dressers sat on either side of a large window for her to use. An overstuffed armchair and a vanity were also tucked into different the corners of the luxurious room.
To her delight, there was also a small fireplace with a warm fire already burning. Starfire didn't require the extra heat, but the dancing flames were pretty and she found the gentle hissing and popping of the wood instantly calming.
Starfire hovered over to the lavender curtains and pulled them back to reveal a remarkable view of the ocean, or it would have been, if not for the weather-frosted glass that somewhat obscured the view.
Robin joined her by the window. "I'm so glad you guys were able to come."
"As am I," she said softly, turning to give Robin a contented smile.
Little fireworks went off in Starfire's heart as he returned her smile and moved closer. Her hands slid around his waist and soon his careful hands were also holding her, one hand brushing her hair aside and the other gently grasping her arm to keep them steady. She suppressed a giggle over the way he had to lift up on his toes to kiss her; such was their current difference in height. It was a not an especially long kiss—but it made her tingly all over and Starfire truly wanted to make it continue. She wanted to pull him back in for another, deeper kiss, but he was already letting her go.
"Goodnight, Star," Robin said.
Starfire was overjoyed to see the happiness in his blue eyes. It made her feel like she could fly around the Earth ten times in one second. "Have wondrous dreams, Robin."
"You, too. I better go before Alfred notices the door is closed. He's really old fashioned and might flip. I'll see you tomorrow."
As he turned to go, Starfire realized she had no idea exactly where he was going. "You did not say which room belongs to you."
He opened her door and stepped halfway out. He could hear Alfred and Cyborg still talking just inside the room across the hall.
Something about breakfast…
Robin refocused on Starfire. It's on the other side of the manor in the family quarters. Alfred would have put you guys over there, too, but there aren't enough bedrooms on that particular hall and he probably figured it'd be best to keep you guys close to each other since you don't know the layout of the mansion yet. I'll show you where it is tomorrow, okay?"
Starfire agreed although she wished for them not to be far apart. She gave him another warm smile before closing her door.
Moments later Alfred joined Robin in the hall. Together they left the guest wing, but not before Robin gave the butler a hug.
Surprised, Alfred blinked down at the dark head pressed into his suit. He gave Robin's hair an affectionate ruffle, just enough to mess it up, and the boy let him go.
"I have missed you, too, of course," the butler said, allowing a smile at the now spikey-haired boy. He resembled a maskless Robin much more than Dick Grayson. Out of habit, Alfred smoothed the unruly hair down with two quick swipes of his hand.
"I know, but I've wanted to do that since the airport. I just didn't want to embarrass you," Robin said, smirking to himself as they headed up the hall.
"I appreciate your consideration, Master Richard," Alfred replied. "Now, I believe it's best that you follow your compatriots' examples and head off to bed. I'll inform Master Bruce that you're all here and settled in for the night."
"Thanks, Alfie," Robin said right as they paused at the main staircase. It was where they were to part ways for the night.
Alfred said, "Master Richard, I know that you possess a small streak of mischief, but please tell me you don't intend on using that moniker in the presence of your friends?"
The Titan laughed. "Of course not, Alfred. I know Maggie's the only one who can get away with it. How is she anyway? Will she be coming over any?"
Robin liked Alfred's girlfriend. She was good at getting Alfred to have a life outside of the manor.
"Especially once she learns that your friends and you are here," Alfred said. "You know how she quite enjoys the company of young people. They make her feel young herself."
"I think Starfire will love her," Robin said, yawning as he subtly watched Alfred for any cues as to how the older man felt about the alien girl.
Robin didn't just hope—he needed—both Alfred and Bruce to like his friends, and vice versa.
Alfred's eyebrow arched up as if he were about to say something negative, like it being unwise to date a fellow Titan, but the eyebrow fell and Robin realized that, in his own way, Alfred had been teasing him.
"Ms. Koriand'r is a very nice young lady; very well-mannered and considerate of others. I'm sure Master Bruce will agree. I have quite enjoyed meeting your friends, Master Richard. It is satisfying to know that you have found good people in Jump City with which to surround yourself."
Robin beamed. Starfire had just been officially Alfred-approved, and so had the rest of his team, at least as far as first in-person impressions went.
One down. One to go, Robin thought to himself before bidding Alfred goodnight and heading to his old bedroom.
1) This story takes place right after the series and movie. I think seasons 1-5 of Teen Titans occurred over a short period of time—like maybe a year and a few months. For this fic, which is set post series and movie, I pin the Titan's current ages from oldest to youngest as: Cyborg and Starfire, 17; Robin and Raven, 16; and Beast Boy, 14. Their ages and birth order are just my head canon though.
2) This story operates under Batman: TAS's origin story for Robin and some events from post-crises; specifically, Robin being beaten nearly to death with a baseball bat by Two-Face and the Joker having shot Robin in the right shoulder. For the purposes of this fic, however, Robin would have still been 13 when Two-Face clobbered him but only 15 when the Joker shot him/Batman "fired" him again and Robin relocated to Jump. Some elements are also borrowed from Robin: Year One (thus Alfie, lol).
