Wow. 50 reviews for just three chapters. I feel so loved! Y'all sure know how to boost a girl's self-esteem, huh?
Okay, this time late updating was NOT my fault! It's been a very hectic month: 3 AP exams, Prom/Banquet, the very last choral concert of my high school career sniff, buying a new car ('95 black GEO tracker convertible, if you were wondering), scholarship applications… oh, and my computer crashing twice inside of twenty-four hours, deleting everything…including my Microsoft Word program. It took me WEEKS to get it back.
Fortunately, in that time, I've managed to write and rewrite the last two chapters to make them even better than they had originally come out. It wasn't easy; action scenes are not exactly my forte, so I did the best I could. All the fluffiness you could ask doesn't come until next chapter. 'Till then, enjoy!
Chapter 4
Time seemed to freeze in that one horrific moment as the sound of a gunshot reverberated through the air. Robin and Cyborg simultaneously turned in time to see the emerald wolf recoil in mid-air from the force of the blow, roughly slamming into a nearby wall. The figure twitched for a moment before lying completely motionless.
"Beast Boy!" Cyborg called out. When attempting to run to his aid, however, a shower of bullets quickly forced the human-robot hybrid once more behind the large crates he had been using for a barricade. His sight rapidly shifted back and forth between their fallen comrade and the Boy Wonder, who was crouched a few crates to his left.
Robin said nothing, peering out through bangs damp with perspiration as he mentally tried to assess the current situation. They were a man down—two, if you counted the fact that Raven was on the other side of town—and he had already counted more than thirty assailants. His breath came out in quick, shallow gasps of air, chest heaving up and down deeply from both exhaustion and worry.
"Robin!"
"I know!" He called back without so much as a glance. "I saw it, too."
Time was running out, and so were his ideas; when the alarm had rung out earlier of a drug smuggling operation preparing to ship from the Jump City pier, no one had even considered the possibility of such an overwhelming number of both men and firepower. Almost as if they had been expected.
Adding to the fact was that Robin was exhausted, having been up most of the previous night filling out paperwork. It was one of the least favorable jobs that came with being a teenage superhero, so of course, he was usually the one left to it. Even with Koriand'r's enthusiastic assistance—something that had, he admitted, seemed to make the time more enjoyable than usual—it had taken hours to file away every case into its proper cabinet.
Though he certainly hadn't regretted the time spent, the series of yawns he was stifling that particular moment were more than enough to make him reconsider future all-nighters…
"Robin, look out!"
Cyborg's cry rang through the air, jolting Robin from a near slumber he hadn't even been aware of falling into. Eyes blinking open, he twisted his lean form to see one of the bandana-class gunman hovering inches over him with a machete, ready to strike the final blow…
…and the glowing ball of green light that knocked said attacker clear across the room.
Seconds later, Raven flew into their line of vision. "You guys okay?"
"Man, Raven," Cyborg voiced in sheer awe, "I didn't know you had it in ya!"
"Wasn't me." She shook her head before motioning to something directly behind them. "She did it."
Turning around, the boys' jaws nearly dropped at the sight. It was none other than Koriand'r…hovering inches above the ground, with a glowing orb of green engulfing each hand. Her eyes shone a brilliant emerald as they focused on the one who had tried to kill Robin; the man was just beginning to regain consciousness, rubbing the back of his head in pain as he sat up.
Even more surprising was her change in wardrobe. Now donning a purple top with matching mini-skirt and boots, her orange-tinted skin brightly contrasted with the colors, accented further by the metallic gloves, belt, and neck brace that each held a familiar Titans' homing signal receiver.
As they looked on, neither able to find their voices, the Tamaranian girl flew ahead and disarmed each villain, knocking several of them to the ground. She was able to maneuver her way around the warehouse with amazing ease, and though she had the element of surprise—or, more accurately, complete shock—in her favor, it was clear that the girl was a fighter.
Raven, however, grew distressed when the realization dawned on her that Beast Boy was not among them. A quick scan of the room confirmed her fears: "Oh, no…" A series of 'ping' sounds meant Koriand'r was no doubt still dominating in her current battle, giving the lavender-haired Titan leeway to float over to the still figure.
"Beast Boy, can you hear me?" She whispered softly, kneeling beside the boy still in wolf form. A faint moan was her only reply.
That meant he was alive, at least…but not for long, if he didn't receive medical attention soon. Placing a hand over his stomach area, she was shocked at the amount of blood flowing from the single wound. The sticky liquid lightly coated her fingers, glistening in the dim light. More was already beginning to puddle on the floor.
A canine whimper drew her attention at once, sounding weaker and weaker as the seconds past.
"Hold on, Beast Boy. Try to stay awake for me, alright?" Wiping the blood on her cape—which was already stained at that point—she gently stroked the boy's fur in an attempt to soothe him. He nuzzled slightly into her embrace, shifting his weight so his head came to rest in her lap.
In spite of herself, Raven couldn't help a weak smile. He trusted her; she could sense it.
Making sure he was as comfortable as possible, the girl once more placed a hand to his wound. Her eyes glowed an iridescent black and she braced herself for the oncoming pain. Sure enough, as the blood began to slow and the wound close in on itself, a sudden wave of nausea swept over her, causing her to cry out. She shut her eyes tightly, concentrating on her healing while enduring the unwelcome side effects.
Beast Boy had slipped into unconsciousness before it even began; minutes later, she too finally collapsed, one hand clutching the phantom wound on her stomach.
o*0*o
The sun had set hours prior when the Titans finally returned home that night, Cyborg being telekinetically carried by Raven while Koriand'r had Robin by the arms. Beast Boy was the first to arrive, stretching an overly-exaggerated yawn as he quickly morphed back from his aviary form, subconsciously rubbing at his side. The pain and blood were gone, a faint tingling sensation providing the only proof that it hadn't been a dream.
"You okay?" Cyborg called out with a hint of worry.
"I think so." The changeling answered back, "Nothing a little R-and-R won't be able to cure." As he spoke, Beast Boy stole a long glance towards Raven, who was vainly attempting to appear indifferent while maintaining her balance. Waking up beside the lavender-haired beauty hadn't been an entirely unpleasant experience, though it did bring up more than a few questions on how it happened. And why.
The last thing he remembered was the sight of blood—his blood, and not unlike those dark stains marring her cape—and the feel of Raven's gentle touch as she knelt down to help him. Everything that came afterwards was a blank…although, watching Raven stumble for the third time in less than two minutes, he had a strong feeling that she'd done something to him.
Probably with her powers.
Probably even saving his life.
Again, Raven's legs buckled under her own weight. Beast Boy was instantly at her side without thinking about it. "Easy there, girl. Feelin' alright?"
"Yeah." he nodded, holding a hand to her head. "Just tired."
He nodded wordlessly in understanding, feeling the fatigue himself. Though the curiosity was whelming up inside him, practically pleading for him to ask about what had happened earlier…something about the glance Raven gave him silenced the question before it even escaped his lips. Almost as if she were silently pleading him to not bring it up—that she didn't want to talk about it. Not right then, at least.
Instead, he turned his attention to the Tamaranian. "That was some pretty awesome butt-kicking you handed out back there," he grinned, momentarily forgetting her inability to speak English.
Koriand'r's face twisted into a tiny look of confusion, looking to Robin.
"He means 'good job'," The Boy Wonder translated, flashing her a warm smile. She mirrored it instantly, blushing lightly.
"Dude," Beast Boy facefaulted, "How come she can understand you?"
"She can't. Not really, anyways." He replied, eyes never once leaving the alien girl's.
"But—"
"I think what Robin means," Raven interrupted in her usual omnipotent voice, signaling she was already feeling slightly better, "Is that she doesn't actually know what he's saying, but can tell enough just by the tone of his voice that he's complimenting her. It's not surprising," she continued, "After all, she's probably spent more time with him than the rest of us put together."
Cyborg scratched his metallic head. "That kinda makes sense. I guess…"
As Raven was giving her speech, however, Koriand'r grew more and more frustrated with each passing syllable. It was easy enough to understand the green-skinned boy by his animated actions (and a little help from Robin) that he had been expressing words of praise. But the hooded girl spoke with very little emotion as was near impossible to read.
Noticing her troubled expression, Robin offered the girl a quick squeeze of the hand in comfort. But if anything, the gesture only made her feel worse. It only reminded Koriand'r that not only was it impossible to understand the majority of what everyone said to her, but she couldn't even speak to Robin. She wanted so badly to be able to have a conversation with him, to let him know how much she appreciated the time he spent with her.
When Robin turned back towards Koriand'r, he found her staring at him with a sad smile. They remained like that for a few seconds before she bravely took a step forward, closing the distance between them. Beneath the mask, Robin's eyes widened in surprise, yet found himself unable to move. Gently releasing her hand from his grasp, she instead placed it lightly on his chest before leaning in and—to the shock of everyone present—kissing him.
She had meant for it to be short-lived, but quickly found herself entranced by the sensation of his lips against hers. They were soft and warm; a shiver trickled down her spine from the touch. For a brief moment, she could have sworn she felt him returning the kiss, but dismissed the notion as wishful thinking.
Reluctantly pulling away almost as quickly as it had begun, Koriand'r opened her eyes and smiled softly at him. "Hi, Robin."
"Huh? She talks?" Beast Boy was the first to speak up, his mouth once again seconds before his brain. "But—? How—?"
"Physical contact." The girl explained, her voice soft and hesitant with the new, unfamiliar words, despite the obvious enthusiasm she held in speaking them. "I simply absorbed your language."
"Y-you had to kiss me to do that?" Robin managed to croak out, his face flushed.
Koriand'r smiled innocently. "Language is spoken through the lips, is it not?" She asked in reply. Raven, in particular, noticed the subtle way she'd avoided Robin's question.
Snickering from the other two boys soon drifted into the air as they tried to stiffen the inevitable laughter. Robin's cheeks were burning red, and he'd yet to take his eyes away from the Tameranian girl before him. Simultaneously, they walked up to the Titan leader, each grabbing an arm, and began to lead him inside.
"Come on, Romeo," Cyborg grinned, "It's getting late."
Finding himself verbally unable to snap back, the flustered boy reluctantly allowed himself to be lead down the nearby stairs, leaving Raven and Koriand'r behind. A moment's pause passed between the two before Raven spoke up:
"Did you really have to kiss him?" She asked her.
Koriand'r attempted an innocent smile, but her eyes held an uncharacteristically mischievous glint to them. "Not really," she giggled lightly, "But it was certainly more enjoyable that way."
Not waiting for a reply, she took to the air and followed where the boys had gone just seconds before. Raven watched her retreating form with a slightly amused expression, one eyebrow raised. Something told her that things around the Tower were about to become much more interesting….
~Present Day~
"Robin, are you injured?"
Starfire was at his side in an instant, the looming threat of both Kitten and Fang (the latter of whom was still unconscious) momentarily forgotten as she knelt down to help ease the boy into a sitting position. He was wincingly lightly in pain, one hand absently clutching his chest in the spot where Fang had been pinning him down moments prior.
A gasp escaped her lips when she noticed the thin trail of red already seeping through his shirt; no doubt caused by the claws scraping against his chest, sharp enough to cause the wound if not to actually rip the cloth.
"It's okay, Star," he managed a smile upon seeing the look of horror on her face, pulling his hand away to give her a better view of the wound. "See? Just a scratch?" It might have made more of a convincing argument had he not sharply sucked air through his teeth the instant he moved to stand.
"No, it is not okay!" Starfire insisted softly, her voice lightly quivering as she grabbed him by the arm, "You are bleeding and in pain."
"Really, I'm fi—"
"Robin."
Any further words of protest died on his lips at the tone of her voice, which itself came out in little more than a whisper. He looked down to see the Tamaranian girl staring back with those pools of emerald, now lightly rimmed with tears glistening under the moonlight. She was truly worried about him; granted, most likely more than necessary considering the situation, but Starfire always had a tendency to blow things out of proportion when it came to her emotions.
Heaving a sigh, Robin allowed her to pull him back down to a seating position as a sign of submission. She smiled gratefully, tilting her head to one side serenely and blinking the tears away. One managed to escape, trickling down her cheek as she reached out to gently stroke a few locks of his hair with gloved fingers.
o*0*o
"Fang!" Kitten quickly ran to her fallen ex with concern of her own. "Are you alright?"
The mutant boy sat up with a groan, rubbing his head where it had hit the wall. "I think so." He moved to get up, but no sooner was back on his human feet when Kitten sent a hard slap across the face, knocking him to the floor. "Hey! What was that for?" came a cry of protest, holding one hand to his now reddened, fuzzy cheek.
"That," Kitten spat out, hands on her hips and hovering over him with a glare, "was for standing me up on our date the other night."
"But, Baby! I can explain!" he whined like a small child, "See, they were only shipping for one night and—"
"Save it." She stuck her nose in the air and turned away from him, arms folded. "I have nothing more to say to you, Fang."
He tried getting her attention thrice more, each time being shunned entirely. Anger welled up inside him, and he focused it on the other young couple no more than twenty feet away. They seemed oblivious to their surroundings, focusing on nothing but each other, lost in a tender moment. The sight only enraged him further—why should that boy…
His eyes narrowed: "…YOU!" Nearly blinded by anger, he headed straight for them. In a flash, he had knocked the girl down and was holding Robin by the throat. "This is all your fault!"
"Robin!" Starfire cried out.
It was clear that, even on his human legs, Fang towered over the Boy Wonder in height. Using that to his advantage, he lifted him up until his legs danged helplessly in the air, hands grasping his throat in a desperate attempt for air.
Just before his head started spinning from lack of oxygen, Robin managed to kick away from his captor's hold, back-flipping into a fighting stance. He instinctively reached for his metallic retractable bo staff…only to remember seconds too late that he was still in a tuxedo, as opposed to his usual battle uniform.
"What's-a-matter, Bird Brain?" Fang sneered, "Did we leave our little toys at home this evening?" Robin's eyes narrowed further as the mutant arachnid lifted himself high into the air, his spider legs adding an intimidating seven or eight feet to his height, at least. Menacingly hovering over his prey.
The first series of blows were easily blockable, slapped away in a number of defensive strikes. But, as the seconds passed, Fang grew more hostile and began hitting harder. He was slow, but strong, and had gravity working to his advantage.
Left-right-right-right. Left-right. Left-left-left-right-left. Right-left-right… Robin was quick to notice a lack of rhythm in his moves, as if the boy was merely throwing random punches, something that could very well be used to his advantage.
Gradually, Fang was pushing him backwards with every blow. It wasn't long before the Boy Wonder felt the back of his right leg bump into one of the wooden chair legs. He paused in his steps; Fang noticed this at once, and his smirk widened at the thought of victory. Raising himself as high as possible, he prepared to administer the final blow…
…only to fall face-first into the table, his legs tangling in the cloth cover. At the last second, Robin had found an opening and slid out between his assailant's dangling human legs.
Chair went flying in various directions. The vase of flowers used as a decorative centerpiece tipped over, spilling water and flowers all over him. Fang struggled to get up, but only succeeded in knocking the crystal vase on top of his head. It shattered on impact, leaving the boy with a dazed expression.
From where she had been watching, Kitten smacked her forehead.
Using the brief pause, Robin made a quick dash, jumping on top of Fang's abnormal head and using it as a trampoline to catapult himself towards the ceiling. He reached for one of the low-flying horizontal poles, pulling a double flip in mid-air before landing smoothly in front of the nearest exit, which led to the upper deck.
Fang shook his head a few times, looking up at the precise moment Robin's figure disappeared up the stairway. With a low growl of mixed frustration and anger, he was on his feet and proceeded to follow his prey.
o*0*o
"Oh, isn't it romantic?" Kitten sighed dreamily, "They're fighting over me!"
"They are not fighting over you!" Starfire nearly screamed, fists clenched tightly at her sides. The blonde-haired girl shot her a look, as if just noticing she was there for the first time.
A smirk appeared on her face. "Honey," she turned to the alien girl, "You give new meaning to the phrase 'green-eyed monster'."
That was the final straw; screeching in anger, Starfire jumped forward and tackled the teenage girl, knocking them both down. All traces of her supposed boundless confidence were overwhelmed by rage, leaving them both as a surprisingly equal advantage in strength. A nearby collage poster of picture was immediately torn to shreds as they landed on top of it, breaking apart on impact. Each girl rolled in separate directions
Kitten was the first to rise to her knees, finding herself at the foot of a large desert table, as of yet untouched.
With a low moan, Starfire moved to stand when she noticed a pair of expensive pink heels standing before her. Eyes slowly traveling up…up…up, they met with those of a very smug Kitten looming over her. A large banana cream pie was balancing in her right hand. Taking the other hand off her waist, Kitten tauntingly traced one finger around the edge and licked the whipped cream that had accumulated on it. A hum of satisfaction escaped her lips, taunting the Tameranian girl.
Not once breaking eye contact, Kitten wordlessly motioned for her to stand. She did so at an almost excruciatingly slow pace; silence hovered over the room, every last straggler left hiding under table or in corners holding his or her breath as they anticipated what would happen. Neither girl so much as flinched as Starfire rose to her feet, squaring off with the other girl.
Then, without warning, Kitten shoved the pie right in the Tamaranian's face. The entire room let out a simultaneous gasp, more than one cowering in fear of what the female Titan would do in retaliation. For her part, Starfire remained absoltutely motionless, her face completely covered with the sweet filling.
Bit by bit, pieces of crust began to flake off…followed by drops of banana cream…until, finally, a pair of bright orbs appeared beneath the mess as narrow slits of emerald….
o*0*o
Robin ducked just in time to avoid getting his with another spray of paralyzing fluid, already wearing strings of web on his tuxedo jacket. Glancing over the edge, he winced upon noticing the blonde-haired boy on the main deck who was now frozen in place. A redhead wearing a simple, black dress ran to her friend's aid.
"Sorry about that!" he called down before narrowly dodging another attack, "Whoa!"
Where he had been only seconds before, there was now a giant crack in the ground caused by a fierce blow from one of Fang's legs. Another made a rapid lash at the boy, but Robin managed to catch it inches from his face, leaving Fang off-balance enough to throw him back.
Rolling his body partially backwards, Robin used his hands to push himself to a standing position. The mutant roared in frustration as he continued his advance. Once more, Robin found himself backing up as he slapped away sloppy attacks, this time until his feet hit the edge of the platform. He glanced downward, eyes coming to rest upon the pool down below…
That's it!
…before having to duck from another of Fang's web shooters. Quickly, he made a running dash for the nearby cable, unbuckling his belt along the way to use as a zip line. Fang followed, as suspected. Halfway down the line, however, Robin released his grip, dropping a few feet before his right hand grabbed one of the ship's smokestacks and used it to flip around, propelling himself into the air for a flying kick.
They both his the water's surface within seconds of each other. Robin was the first to come up for air, climbing out just as Fang resurfaced as well.
"I'm gonna get you for that!" Fang called out, gasping as he swam to the shallow end. His drooping fur made it too heavy for him to climb up the pool ladder. He tried spitting another shot of paralyzing fluid, but all that came out was little more than a dribble of mush that made him cough and sputter. "Hey, what gives?"
Robin rose to his feet, walking toward the boy with a smug grin. "Looks like your secret weapon's been watered-down."
"Aww, will you give it a rest with the bad puns already?" Fang muttered, spitting out another glob of web.
Robin was about to protest, when the sound of crashing and screaming—along with girls' screechings—drew both their attentions to the ballroom entrance in time to see Kitten and Starfire burst through the doorway, knocking it off its hinges, and literally at each other's throats. Even more surprising was the globs of food they seemed to be covered in. Starfire's face and upper part of her body, in particular, were entirely smeared with what looked like whipped cream.
As the two girl's hit the floor, each struggling to get the upper hand, Kitten landed on bottom and kicked the red-haired girl over her head. Starfire landed a few feet away, slide-crashing into a few foldable chairs. As she tried to untangle herself, Kitten made a run for her…only to get hit in the face with a chair leg.
"Ahh! My nose!" the blonde screeched, hands flying to her face. "You're gonna pay for that, you little witch!"
Starfire's only reply was a series of choice words in her native language.
Though unable to understand, her tone was enough to enrage Kitten into attempting another punch, this time falling on top of the refreshment table as Starfire stepped to the side, giving the girl a good toss along the way. But what she didn't expect was for Kitten to grab a handful of her dress, dragging both girls halfway across the long table, bringing much of the tablecloth with them until they came to a halt inches before the punch bowl.
o*0*o
The boy stared at the scene unraveling before them, unable to move.
Or blink.
Or even dare breathe loudly.
"I take back what I said the other night," Robin commented weakly, "That is the scariest thing I have ever seen."
"Maybe it's that time of the mo—" Fang began, until Robin rapidly put a hand to his mouth to silence him, eyes glazed over in slight fear.
"Quiet! They might hear you!"
Fang's eyes widened slightly, and he nodded wordlessly in understanding. Robin cautiously pulled his hand back, and together the two turned back to the fight. There was a length pause between them, the only sounds being the occasional grunting and screeching coming from where the girls were engaged in a wrestling match on the refreshment table, until:
"…weren't we supposed to be battling?"
o*0*o
With a yip of frustration, Kitten grabbed a handful of the Tameranian's long, red hair, and held her under the large punch bowl. Starfire sputtered and squirmed roughly, hands flying wildly about as the seconds passed. Though she didn't require oxygen like humans did, being dipped in a bowl of fruity liquid with all sorts of food coloring and sugar (not to mention all the alcohol that burned her eyes) was not exactly the most comfortable thing around
As a last resort, she blindly wrapped her legs around the blonde and tossed her forward, straight into a large, three-layer chocolate cake that had been set up on the adjacent table. Pulling herself up, Starfire threw her head back instinctively, squeezing the punch out of her hair over the edge of the table she was kneeling on.
Landing facedown on the floor, Kitten slowly rose to her knees. Smears of fudge and chocolate frosting were all over her gown…and, as any girl knows, would instantly stain any outfit.
"You…ruined…my…" Abruptly standing up with a crazed look in her eye and controller in her hand, "…DRESS!" she pushed the button.
"No!" Robin cried out as he delivered the final punch, knocking Fang back several feet before the boy finally collapsed onto one of the smaller two-person tables. A series of brightly colored balloons were released into the night sky.
He ran to Starfire's side as she jumped off the table, the two Titans facing off a maniacally laughing Kitten. They could hear the muffled cries of surprise through Robin's communicator, though neither dared to reach for it in fear of what Kitten would do.
A knowing glance passed between the two, simultaneously nodding before Robin took off.
"And just where do you think you're going, Robbie-poo?" Kitten called out, momentarily darting her eyes away from the Tamaranian, "We haven't finished out date ye—hey!" She cried out as a starbolt hit her in the hand, knocking the controller from her clutches. It slid across the floor until stopped by the bottom of Robin's shoe.
The Boy Wonder gave an uncharacteristically smug grin, as if enjoying the moment more than he should have. "Consider yourself dumped."
Stomping his foot, the controller was smashed to pieces, leaving nothing but scrap metal and a few sparks.
Kitten's eyes widened: "NOOOOOOOOO!"
o*0*o
"Nobody dumps Kitten, you hear me? Nobody!" the blonde screeched as she was led into the police cruiser, struggling against the officer's hold. "You haven't seen the last of me, Robbie-poo! You, or your stupid little alien bitch of a girlfrie—ooh…" her eyelids fluttered mid-sentence as the sedative needle was pulled from her arm.
o*0*o
"So…no second date?"
Cyborg's smirk was met by a stern glare from the team leader. The rest of the Titans had caught up with him and Starfire within minutes of the controller's destruction, delivering a very pissed-off looking Killer Moth. Currently, they were all looking out from the main deck as the authorities tossed an unconscious Kitten into the van, Fang close behind.
"You know," Beast Boy spoke up from where he sat, legs dangling over the edge of the boat, "Now that nobody's making them all mutate-y," he motioned to the not-so-tiny larvae in his arms, lightly tickling its stomach, "These guys are kinda cute!"
"Don't even think about it," Raven gave him a warning look before shifting her sight to the left.
Robin was leaning back against the ship's railing, trying to look anywhere but at his fellow Titans. Absently, he continued to tug at the tie around his neck, wondering why he hadn't brought himself to simply removing the nuisance already. The bloodstain on his shirt had since dried, and he had smudges of dirt all over his clothes, which were almost as ruffed and unruly as his hair.
Starfire sat to his immediate right on the top rail, his cape wrapped loosely around her shoulders and trying to look as dignified as possible for someone who was wearing virtually everything on the dessert menu; her hair was soaked with punch, smeared with pieces of whipped cream, berries, and custard (among other things); the dress she wore wasn't in much better condition. She also reeked of alcohol, though showed no signs of intoxication.
The others had thought better than to ask.
As the last of the sirens faded away, Robin turned his focus to the young couple heading towards the walkway. It was the same blonde-haired boy from before and his girlfriend, who was gently trying to wheel him off the ramp with a small trolley with the help of a few remaining authority figures.
"Yeah, okay…" he rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, "Sorry we kinda ruined your prom."
"Are you kidding?" the boy exclaimed with unparalleled enthusiasm, "This was the best prom ever! Even if I still can't move my legs!"
The girl chuckled softly, "Come on, Ron. Let's get you de-paralized."
"Yeah, that'll wear off." Robin called out as they left, laughing weakly.
Starfire hopped off the ship railing to come stand next to him, the two sharing a brief smile before the outdoor lights lowered. Dropping the cape, she instinctively shifted into a ready fighting stance that mirrored his as a booming voice came through the speakers.
"And now, presenting this year's Prom King and Queen…"
They eased up, realizing it was just the DJ.
"…Robin and Starfire!"
A moment of silence passed after the drum roll came to a climatic, symbol-crashing finale. Trying to ignore the snickering coming suspiciously from Beast Boy and Cyborg's general vicinity, both faces turned an interesting shade of red. Looks of surprise and slight awkwardness washed over their faces.
Robin finally turned to face his counterpart, a boyish grin appearing on his face as he extended a hand: "I guess one more dance wouldn't hurt."
The moment Starfire placed her hand in his, a strangely familiar black light washed over the two of them. It faded almost as instantly as it appeared, however, leaving the two with the realization that their clothes and hair were now sparkling clean. All evidence of the past hour had been washed away completely, as if it had never happened.
As if by magic.
Simultaneously, the couple turned to stare at Raven. The lavender-haired girl easily met their gaze without flinching, arms crossed and eyebrow raised:
"…what?"
TO BE CONCLUDED...