Forgive the delay, but aside from a few technical difficulties on both my part and that of fanfiction-dot-net's (*shakes fist*), it's been a very hectic past few weeks. I do appreciate all of the review I've received so far, both via the website as well as private e-mails and IM conversations I've had. Thank you all!
Chapter 2
The first thing her mind registered upon regaining consciousness was the sensation of lying on something incredibly soft, wrapped protectively in what felt like a warm cloud. Moments passed where she simply wished to marvel in her lavish surroundings, allowing her mind a thoughtless rest as she snuggled deeper into the down pillows.
Then it hit her: such things did not exist on Tameran.
Part of her was not surprised in the least; the chances of returning home before a stray ship picked her up were not unlikely. The coordinates she'd punched in could also have been off, given that she'd hastily done so. Yet the other part of her was more curious at who (or what) exactly were her rescuers.
Wearily, Koriand'r blinked her eyes open, only to shut them seconds later as the bright light penetrated her sensitive eyes. Natural light. That meant she was on a planet, not a ship. Allowing her sight to subtly adjust to her surroundings, she found herself in a small room, vacant save for the bed she lay on and a few other pieces of furniture. The air smelled of sterility liquids. White dominated the room, though through the nearby window she was able to see a magnificent view of an evening sunset. It was a multitude of colors—violets, pinks, oranges, blues, and everything in between.
The sight intrigued her. It was more beautiful than anything she could remember of home, and she wanted a better look.
Slowly, she pushed back the cloud-like covers, shivering slightly as a rush of cool air swept over her, and moved to stand. Only vaguely did it register that a thigh-length, pale blue gown had replaced her previous ensemble. Her legs wobbled from the sudden weight as soon as her bare feet hit the cold floor, but she managed to get herself to a standing position. The wall provided enough support to hold her body weight easily.
A few steps later, she stood in front of the tiny pane of glass, looking out at the natural spectrum. Her face curved into a weak smile at the sight. Closing her eyes, Koriand'r reveled in the faint warmth emitting from the rapidly setting sun. It wasn't much, but it was enough to give her strength to stand on her own.
"So you're awake."
The sudden voice from behind startled Koriand'r. She instinctively turned around to face the speaker, but lost her balance as the sudden movement brought about a heavy dizzy spell. Her legs gave way, eyes rolling to the back of her head, all in a matter of seconds as she collapsed…
…into a pair of warm, strong arms."
"Whoa. Easy, there." The same voice from earlier called out gently. "I got you."
Placing a hand to her temple, Koriand'r winced in pain as the sense of vertigo passed. Her forehead rested against the upper chest of her savior until she finally lifted her head. Through blurred vision, she met eyes with a boy—roughly her age—with black hair, tanned skin, and a lean but muscular figure. His clothes were brightly colored and he wore a dark mask that covered the upper portion of his face.
He looked down at her with a patient smile. "Come on, let's get you back into bed. Raven said you should stay off your feet until you regain your strength." Too exhausted to do much else, Koriand'r welcomed the young boy's assistance back to the soft cot. He took a seat at the edge of the bed once she was safely under the covers and in a sitting position. "We found you just outside of town in your ship." He explained. "You've been asleep for almost two days now."
She stared back at him wordlessly, tilting her head to the side as a sign of confusion.
A moment of silence between them passed until it hit him. "Of course!" He smacked himself in the forehead for not having realized it sooner. "You don't understand a word I'm saying, do you?"
Almost as if understanding his plight, Koriand'r gave an apologetic smile.
"Eh…" He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, trying to think of a possible solution. The Justice League never seemed to have this kind of problem. Why him? Nothing else coming to mind, he simply looked the alien girl in the eye and pointed to his chest. "Robin."
"Ro…bin?" The words felt strange to her tongue, but she nodded in understanding. Mirroring what Robin had done seconds before, she pointed to herself and said: "Koriand'r."
"Kori-ander?" He repeated, earning another nod in reply. A smug grin appeared on his face that his idea (however simple it had been) worked. If nothing else, he'd managed to get a name out of her. That was something.
Koriand'r couldn't help the small giggles that escaped her lips at the boy's expression. Robin felt a faint rise of heat to his cheeks at the sound of her melodious laughter, but covered it up by giving her a mock glare. Unfortunately, it only caused her to giggle further.
The light-hearted atmosphere was quickly shattered, however, as Koriand'r's laughter suddenly turned into a fit of violent coughing. Robin was at her side at once, holding her by the shoulders as she coughed into her hands. Specks of red were seeping through her fingers, what he could only assume was blood. Quickly, but without letting her go, he reached for the communicator.
"Raven, come in!"
"What is it?"
"I think our guest's more hurt than we realized; she's coughing up blood." He explained calmly, though his mind was racing with concern. "You'd better get down here fast." With that, the communicator was out of sight and his full attention on the patient.
To Koriand'r, it felt like the entire room was spinning. Her coughing had subsided, though she still found it difficult to breathe. Eyes shut tight in an attempt to wish away the nausea threatening to overwhelm her, she subconsciously leaned her head against Robin's chest. The slow, rhythmic beating of his heart calmed her some, drowning out all other sounds.
Raven dashed into the room in a matter of seconds. "How'd she doing, Robin?"
The Boy Wonder glanced downward, resisting the urge to smile. "Can't say. You should probably run a quick check on her, just in case." Absently brushing a few messy locks of hair from her face, he added, "She's still breathing, at least."
"Lucky her." Given the speaker, Robin wasn't sure if she was being sarcastic or serious. "Has she said anything yet?"
"She told me her name's Koriand'r, but that's about it. She can't understand us."
The next few minutes seemed to pass by in a blur for Koriand'r as the one called Raven did a quick medical scan. Fortunately, her physiology was similar enough to that of humans to be properly diagnosed. Robin was allowed to stay with Koriand'r throughout the entire procedure, if little more than to make things as smoothly as possible. The alien girl seemed slightly more at ease with Robin around, a fact Raven noted almost immediately.
Being as young as the Titans were—even with their history and collection of powers—the supplies at Titans' Tower were limited. The standard supply of bandages, antibiotics, and emergency blood and platelet supply were constantly on hand in case something happened in battle, but that was about it. If the situation were any more serious, they would be forced to check in either at the local hospital, or call in J'onn for medical assistance. Still, Raven was able to make the best of her resources.
Silence, save for the occasional fit of coughing or gasps for air, until: "She'll be okay." Raven announced, taking the stethoscope out of her ears. "A big of excess blood's collected in her lungs, but nothing too serious. It'll clear up within a day of so. But the best thing is for her to stay off her feet."
Robin nodded. "Thanks, Raven."
"Whatever."
Koriand'r blinked her eyes open just as the lavender-haired girl headed out of the room, pulling up her hood as she left. Her head had since found its way onto Robin's shoulder for support, but now he carefully laid her back down so it rested on the soft pillows. She looked up at him with eyes full of curiosity and uncertainty.
"You heard the doctor." He lightly joked, though he knew she wouldn't be able to understand. "Get some rest." With one last look of reassurance, he gently squeezed her hand for comfort before moving to stand up.
The grip on his hand suddenly tightened, pausing him in his tracks. Robin turned back to see Koriand'r looking at him almost pleasingly, her eyes showing the first sign of fear since she's woken up. Those pools of emerald drew him in, preying on his weakness for wanting to help those in desperate need of it, no matter what the circumstances. Even by something so seemingly inconsequential as moral support.
Koriand'r wasn't sure why, but something about this boy's presence eased her mind greatly. Everything from his gentle touch to his confident smile gave her an overwhelming feeling that everything would be okay. She held his hand tightly, wordlessly begging him not to leave her alone.
After a pause, Robin sat back down. "It's okay. I'm right here."
The girl smiled gratefully before closing her eyes. She leaned her head to one side, a few locks of hair strewing across her face. Without realizing what he was doing, Robin reached over and gently brushed them back. His fingers trailed over her delicate skin, evoking a tiny smile from her at the touch.
Koriand'r allowed herself to drift into a peaceful, dreamless slumber, finding comfort in the fact that Robin was watching over her. Their hands remained clasped together for a long time after.
~Present Day~
The roar of a motorcycle engine cut through the air, immediately drawing everyone's attention from any and all previous discussion. Its source appeared seconds later, flying through the air only to come to a side-skid half off to one side. Save for the echo of the running motor and gentle lapping of save against the shore, silence reigned as the driver removed his helmet.
A hand ran through his spiky, unruly, jet-black hair. His mind so focused on dreading the evening to come, Robin remained unaware of the longing glances thrown his way by every female in the vicinity. Not to mention the looks of adoration every boy held in eyeing his bike. But he barely paid the other teenagers any heed at all.
Dismounting in one, smooth motion, he absently tugged at his bowtie. Damn things always felt way too tight. They were half the reason why he hated going to such social events—the company, alone, was bad enough, but spending the time in such a restricting, uncomfortable outfit made it all the more insufferable.
"I really hope she doesn't show," he muttered to himself. No sooner had the words parted from his lips, however, when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. Cringing, he reluctantly turned around to see: "…Starfire?"
Moonlight rose from just beyond the horizon, illuminating the young Tamaranian now standing before him. In place of her usual sleeveless top and mini-skirt was a lavender floor-length gown that shimmered with her every movement. The gown hugged her curves gently, accenting her delicate frame further than Robin thought possible. A mess of soft curls surrounded her face, which was devoid of any makeup yet still seemed to sparkle.
It took every ounce of self-discipline he'd ever acquired in training for Robin's jaw not to drop right there.
Starfire approached him shyly, a beautiful white carnation in her hands. "I believe, on such occasions, it is custom to wear a dead plant." When she was mere inches away from him, she tucked the flower into his front pocket before. His bowtie had come undone from all this fussing, so she reached up to fix it. Her fingers then trailed lightly down the lapels of his jacket.
"Thanks, Star." Robin smiled once he'd found his voice again. "What're you doing here?"
Taking a step back, Starfire placed her hands behind her back sheepishly. "Please do not be mad." She looked down, a tint of pink coloring her cheeks. "I merely wished to see this 'prom' you spoke of for myself. I did not mean to go against orders."
"I'm not mad. Honestly…I'm kinda glad you're here." He admitted, one hand nervously massaging the back of his neck.
"You are?"
"Of course." He tugged at his bowtie again. "It'll be a bit relieving to know there'll be at least one familiar face around."
She giggled slightly. "And besides…you might require saving."
"Well, I don't know about that."
On the other side of the dock entrance, a large, pink limo pulled into the driveway. Trumpets blared from the car horns as if announcing the arrival of its previous cargo. The back door opened and a young girl stepped out, daintily brushing imaginary lint off of her baby-pink, strapless dress.
A quick survey of the area, and she spotted her intended target. "Yoo-hoo! Oh, Robbie-poo!" Kitten called out, drawing more than a few stares. "Your Kitten has arrived, Me-ow! She waved a hand in the air for effect, using the other to finger-comb though her blonde dresses. She had every intention of captivating all males in the immediate area.
Unfortunately for her, all eyes were still on the crime-fighting couple…and their eyes were still on each other.
"Where exactly did you get that dress, anyway?" Robin asked.
"Well, do you remember when Raven and I had a 'girls day out'?" He nodded. Starfire's cheeks pinkened further. "Please do not tell her that I spoke of this to you, but we each picked out one dress that afternoon and purchased it for future use."
Kitten's eyes narrowed into slits. If there was one thing she hated most in the world, it was being ignored. Especially by a boy who was supposed to be her date for the evening. Well, there was a way to fix that! She took a deep breath, and forged an enthusiastic grin.
"ROBIN!" She exclaimed, dashing to the Boy Wonder's side at once. "There you are, silly. I've been looking all over for you! Are you ready for our date?" Every word was overly annunciated, projected loudly enough for the whole boatyard to hear.
As Kitten clung to his arm like a barnacle to a ship (pun intended), Robin glanced back helplessly towards Starfire. "On second thought, maybe I will need saving." He muttered, just loud enough for her to hear, before Kitten dragged him off towards the ship entrance.
"Look like your having fun!" Starfire heard the girl hiss to Robin under her breath. "And would it kill you to smile?"
Robin's face twisted into an extremely forced grin, speaking through clenched teeth. "Maybe."
Starfire watched them walk away, vainly trying to stiffen her giggles. When it had become clear that Robin was in little danger, the situation grew much more humorous to her. Kitten was rude and annoying…with a voice that could shatter glass…but mostly harmless. That thought alone provided the girl with some relief.
Besides, if this 'Karma' being Raven had told her about really existed, Kitten would get hers soon enough.
Thoughts of this running through her mind, Starfire was surprised when a voice called out to her just as she reached the boarding plank: "Hey, you!"
She turned to see a middle-aged woman with a clipboard in her hand running towards her. Streaks of silver ran through her chocolate-colored hair, which was pulled back into a tight bun, and her face showed a hint of aging wrinkles. Various shades of pastel colored an outfit one would consider more casual than formal, and seemed rather out of place for such a situation.
Even more out of place was the look of disapproval the woman was giving her as she stood at the entrance.
"I'm talking to you, young lady." She snapped, her voice remaining at an eerily calm level. "What do you think you're doing? You don't attend this school."
"I…" Starfire was at a loss for words, her face rapidly growing warm as she realized others were beginning to stare.
"Honestly," The woman continued, "Superheroine or not, there are rules for this sort of thing. And those rules clearly state that—"
"Relax, Mrs. Colleary." A sudden voice rang out from behind her. "She's with me."
Turning her head towards the speaker, Starfire found herself face to face with a young man roughly her height and build. Like every other male that night, he wore a traditional black-and-white tuxedo, though he looked even more uncomfortable than the outfit than Robin had. His skin held a healthy glow to it from hours spend under the sun, accenting his reddish hair, which was kept neat and trim.
She couldn't see his eyes because they were covered by a pair of dark shades, like those of a movie star's. Though the moon was full and shone amidst a clear sky full of bright stars, Starfire wondered how he could possible see wearing them. Robin had let her try on a pair of his once during full daylight, and even then, she'd had a difficult time seeing anything.
Mrs. Colleary raised an eyebrow at the newcomer. "Is that so?"
The boy nodded and, in one smooth motion, stepped up to Starfire and intertwined her arm with hers as further proof. Starfire glanced at him questioningly out of the corner of her eye. He maintained a very cool expression, throwing the teacher a cool grin.
"Play along." He whispered to Starfire.
She blinked in confusion before… "Ah!" Her face brightened with understanding before turning back to Mrs. Colleary. "That is correct, ma'am."
The elder woman glanced back and forth between the couple a few times before heaving a sigh of defeat. "If it were anybody but you, Mr. Harper, I'd doubt it. However…"
"Thanks, Mrs. C. You have a good evening, now!" The boy called out behind him as he tugged on Starfire's arm, quickly leading the girl up and onto the ship before the teacher could protest further.
Once they were onboard, he relinquished his hold on Starfire's arm. She took a moment to glance at her new surroundings. The main deck was sparsely decorated, a few tables and decorations scattered around the wooden floor. Most of the other kids were either still down on the dock, meeting up with friends, or through the doorway to her left, where Starfire was just barely able to make out a darkened ballroom-like setting.
Leaning slightly over the edge to admire the sloshing water below, she smiled. So this was 'prom'?
A sudden shift in movement before her drew her attention. She met the boy's gaze and smiled gratefully. "I thank you for your assistance."
"Think nothing of it." The sunglasses came off, and he slipped them into his tuxedo jacket. "And don't worry 'bout Mrs. C down there. I don't think she had much of a life other than harassing kids."
Starfire's smile softened as he absently tucked a hand behind his head, his enduring confidence gradually slipping the longer they conversed. Now that she was able to look directly into his eyes, her mind briefly registered just how similar this boy appeared to Robin in so many ways. He had that same overly confident attitude that always seemed to wither away when it was just the two of them, and even the same smirk.
He was certainly no Robin, at least not in her eyes, but it was nice to see there were others like him in the world.
Placing a hand to her chest, she began, "My name is—"
"Starfire. I know." He interrupted, earning a faint look of surprise. Chuckling at her expression, he continued. "I've heard all about the Teen Titans. Everyone has. You guys saved this town on more occasions than I can recall. Helping you sneak into Junior Prom tonight was the least I could do."
She nodded in understanding. "I hope I did not cause you to…go out of your way?" The words came out hesitantly in her attempt as a common Earth phrase. He seemed to understand well enough, because he waved a hand in the air as if to dismiss the thought.
"Nah. Actually, I'm here playing assistant DJ tonight." He replied. When she gave him a bewildered look, he added. "That means I'm helping out the guy in charge of the music."
"So you are not here with another person?"
"Hey, now. You make it sound like a bad thing." He gave a mock grin before checking the time on his wristwatch. "Speaking of, I'd better get to the sound system before the party starts. You okay by yourself?"
"I believe so." He began heading towards the doorway when she remembered something. "Oh! I forgot to ask you: what is your name?"
"Name's Roy. Roy Harper." He turned to answer without stopping, walking backwards a few steps. "Oh, and in case you're wondering…Robin headed inside about five minutes ago." With a wink, he turned and disappeared into the room, leaving behind a blushing Starfire.
TO BE CONTINUED...