INTERLUDE
The Titans sat around the dinner table at around eleven o'clock that night to eat, though none of them felt much like eating. They were still missing one of their own; Beast Boy was in the hands of a telepathic madman.
Numara sat cross-legged in the corner of the room, facing away from the others. He held the Gem of Ages in his cupped hands, watching for something, though the others had no idea what that could be. He had helped to dress everyone's wounds; no one had avoided injury, ranging from Raven's mauled foot, to the burn marks that covered Robin from head to toe, to the charred flesh of Cyborg's face, and to the cuts and bruises that covered Starfire's delicate body. Not even Numara had escaped injury.
The silence that engulfed them was soon too much for any to bear. It was Starfire who spoke first, rubbing her soar shoulder. "We cannot sit in this silent void forever," she whispered. "Beast Boy is in trouble. We must go find him."
"We will," Robin said. "But we have to be very careful. Rancor's as dangerous an enemy as we have ever faced."
Numara never turned, but spoke with his back to them. "Nassera used to be a war-torn planet. It had been several cycles since war had touched my people. When Rancor came to our world to destroy our civilization, word began to spread that perhaps he was the most dangerous creature to ever walk the face of our world."
"We'll find him," Cyborg said.
"We just have to be patient," Raven agreed.
Numara rose from his seat on the floor and moved over to the table, a deep frown on his face. "An ugly brute like Rancor and his little green pet? He won't go unnoticed for long."
"Wait a second," Robin whispered, looking up. "You said that this Rancor enjoys a challenge. This guy went through our database. He knows a lot about our world now. He's going to know where he can find a challenge."
Starfire frowned. "But he left before he could finish us off. Does that not mean he will return here for his challenge?"
The Boy Wonder considered. "Hard to say." He rose and walked out of the room. He had a troubled look on his face. The others followed him into the living room.
"Robin? What are you planning?"
"I don't know yet, Starfire." He approached the giant monitor that acted as the Titan's TV, video-phone, and supercomputer. He leaned against the control panel, deep in thought. "Today we faced an enemy more powerful than any criminal I've ever seen. It almost cost us our lives. Beast Boy is still under his influence."
Cyborg leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "So, what do you think?"
"I think we're in really deep. This is some serious shit, and I'll be honest, I'm scared. This is a man who can control our thoughts." He looked to them, one by one, until his eyes fell upon Numara. "I think Beast Boy is in grave danger, but I also think we can still save him. It's just something we're going to have to do."
The Nasserian's shoulders rose and fell with a quiet breath. "I can promise you, I'm with you until Rancor has been defeated, or until death takes me."
"That's good to hear," Robin said. "We're honored to have you on the team." He turned and pressed a button. The monitor activated, and a bright yellow oval cast on a black background filled the screen. Within the oval was the superimposed black image of a bat in flight. Robin gazed to the symbol for a time with a deep frown and a dark look in his eyes. He drew a deep breath. "We're up against a wall with this one, guys. I don't think we can do it on our own."
"Oh man."
The Tamaranian gasped, looking about with surprise. "Where, Cyborg? I do not see anyone."
"No, there's no one here. It's just…him." Cyborg gestured toward the symbol on the screen. "That guy gives me the willies."
Robin looked to his friends and swallowed. "We've had our differences in the past," the young man said. "But all things considered, I think it's only fair to Beast Boy that we call upon the best."
The Boy Wonder reached out to activate the communicator.