Chapter 2
Starfire rushed from one side of her room to the other, picking up knick-knacks and clothing and throwing it all into a bright purple suitcase. She was so excited she could hardly wait a whole week. It was like a vacation! She giggled at the thought. They would be staying in a big house in Gotham and just hanging out together. She was so absorbed in the thought that she didn't even hear Robin enter.
"Hey, Star," he said, trying to walk around the mess of strewn clothing that Starfire had made in her packing fever. Starfire stopped packing and turned around, beaming.
"Hello Robin! I am so excited!" She said, smiling broadly. Robin smiled back.
"You know, Star, you have to be able to live here for another week. It would probably be better if you didn't pack your toothbrush." Robin advised as Starfire was just about to put her toothpaste and brush into her suitcase. Star thought for a moment and nodded.
"That is a wise idea, Robin." She set it back down, and then turned to face him. "Why did you leave Gotham, Robin? Were you unhappy there?"
"You could say that. I was just tired of being the sidekick, the shadow. I wanted to be able to make my own decisions, so I came here to Jump City. I never really regretted the decision. However, I do owe Bruce for my training and for taking me in. It's the least I can for him to train his protégé."
"That is very kind of you, Robin," Star said, putting a hand on his cheek. "Am going to go finish breakfast before it is too burnt to ingest." She left the room, leaving a slightly stunned Robin behind, holding his cheek.
"Toiletries, private items, clothing. . ." Raven went through the list a final time to make sure she didn't forget anything. She guessed that bedding would be given to them, so she left that off the list. Food would be there, too, but she would still need to pack a lot of it with the ravenous appetites of her fellow teammates. She was almost through the checklist before Beast Boy entered the room.
"Hey Rae!" He yelled, walking over to her. Raven sighed. She really did like Beast Boy. If she would ever admit it to herself, she found his joking attitude somewhat endearing, like a light in dark times. And for Raven, it was usually dark times. She would never admit that she liked Beast Boy as more than a friend, either.
"Yes, Beast Boy?" She asked in a strained voice.
"I was wondering if you needed any help with the packing. You know, the jet's outside, Cy brought it out for us. I can help you carry stuff or get it or something like that." He seemed so hopeful that even if she had wanted to she couldn't have said no.
"Sure, you could go get Star's suitcases. I presume she is done packing already." Beast Boy grinned and ran to Star's room. Raven just shook her head with an invisible grin on her lips, and went back to checking her list.
The week passed quickly for the Titans. They had a lot of work to do to get ready on top of their usual civic duties, and they found that they had almost no time to relax. The gamestation seemed to be gathering dust, and the couch was a lonely piece of furniture. The rooms grew emptier and emptier as Raven and Beast Boy moved various items down the stairs to the jet and Raven loaded them into the cargo space in the back of the jet with her telekinesis (the cargo space was about ten feet high, making it pretty difficult to reach). Cyborg methodically checked all of the jet's systems, making sure that all was in order, considering that they hadn't used the jet for a while. Robin and Starfire went through the city, notifying the city that they would be missing for a few months or so. Overall, the week went smoothly (despite some instances of clumsiness on Beast Boy's part), and by the time Saturday came around the Titans were ready to take off for Gotham.
"The fight itself will take a few hours, so go to the bathroom before we go. The toilet is one of the few things that that I couldn't fix. So if you get sucked out with the poo, don't say I didn't warn you." They took Cyborg at his word. Beast Boy brought a litter pan and stuck it in the back of the jet.
"Just in case, ya know? When you gotta go you gotta go." He laughed nervously. The others just wrinkled their noses and tried to forget the comment.
"What's Gotham like?" Beat Boy asked as they boarded the jet. Cyborg would be driving, so he was in the cockpit. The other four were in the cabin.
"It's dark there, especially at night. There's toxic waste, pollution, grime, and the scummiest people of the earth. Overall it's a pretty dreary place. Starfire and Beast Boy seemed mildly repulsed, but Raven was anything but.
"Dark? Cloudy? This may just turn out to be the greatest vacation ever." The other three looked at her skeptically. Robin just muttered "To each his own", earning himself a glare from Raven. The jet shuddered into motion. It rose straight into the air like a harrier jet, and they turned East, heading for Gotham City.
Cyborg hadn't been kidding. It was a very long flight. Two hours in Beast Boy transformed into a cat and slinked off to the back of the jet. No one asked.
"Are we there yet?" Beast Boy asked when he came back, "I'm bored."
"Find something to make it not seem so long," Starfire advised, a bit fatigued from the hours of sitting and watching the clouds, wishing she was out there flying and not trapped in a giant metal bird. Beast Boy was quiet for a moment as if contemplating something to do. Finally, he started humming a song under his breath, and not just any song, it was The Song That Never Ends. At first he hummed so quietly that no one really cared, they could black it out themselves. However, with each passing chorus, Beast Boy grew louder and louder until he was humming in fortissimo. Finally they couldn't take it anymore.
"STOP IT!" Robin, Starfire, and Raven chorused, causing Beast Boy to nearly jump out of his skin. He sulked for a minute or so, but as always, he wasn't dampened for long.
"Are we there yet?" Robin slapped his hand on his forehead, Starfire groaned, and Raven started massaging her temples.
"Can't you transform into something that doesn't talk?" She asked as calmly as she could. He promptly transformed into a petite kitten with big doe eyes, and with a leap he settled in Raven's lap, curling up and going to sleep.
"Awww, how cute!" Starfire cooed, but a look for Raven quieted her.
"At least now he's quiet," Robin whispered into her ear. Starfire nodded,
The rest of the trip passed fairly quickly. A few hours later Cyborg came in over the intercom. "We're here. Say hello to jolly old Gotham." Robin, Starfire, and Raven all looked out the windows at the city, and what they saw was an almost exact match to the description Robin had given. The city's silhouette was black against a gray sky, and even the lights in the city seemed cold and distant like aloof politicians, too good for the dark city. Sirens echoed off the skyscrapers, able to be heard from even the height that they were flying at. There had to be dozens of sirens wailing through different parts of the city. However, most visible were the huge humanoid statues that seemed to hold the city up. The bridge was supported by them, buildings were raised toward the sky in their hands as though sacrifices to the gods, and they stood like watchful citadels over the city, arms crossed and head downcast towards the people below. It was unnerving.
"Robin, this is where you grew up?" Starfire asked in an unsteady voice.
"Yup, welcome to Gotham city, home of the most evil villains on the planet." He looked down at the city with remembered distaste.
"Yes, I definitely like it," Raven said, surveying it all with an approving eye. The other two looked at her doubtfully. Cyborg came on the intercom again.
"Robin, can you come up here? I have no idea where this Wayne Manor is." Robin went up to the cockpit. Starfire looked down at it sadly.
"What a bad place to grow up," she said with disdain, "I am sad for Robin."
A moment later Robin made himself known in the doorway. "It was great for crime fighting, though. Got lots of experience every night." Starfire hadn't heard Robin enter, and she jumped.
"I am sorry, I did not know you stood there," Star said, blushing profusely.
"Don't sweat it, it's true. No parents no friends, a dark and gloomy city. I can't remember being happy too often. Look, we're almost there."
They had flown over the most urban section of the city and we approaching the suburbs. It was less gloomy out here, but still gray like a black and white movie. They passed these neighborhoods and came to the really rural houses. They looked ahead and saw a colossal mansion surrounded by beautiful gardens. A winding driveway swerved its way to the main road, and a gate blocked unwanted trespassers from entry. Overall, it was a sight to behold.
"It looked bigger when I was younger," Robin commented, surveying it all.
"I'm gonna land now, so sit your butts down and buckle up." They took Cyborg's advice and sat back down. Both Raven and Beast Boy were asleep, Raven resting her head on a pillow with her hand draped over Beast Boy the kitten, and the kitten snoring softly, comfortable in Raven's lap. Raven was buckled in, so they let the two of them sleep. The jet landed in a field in the back of Wayne Manor near the back gate, where they could see two people waiting. The jet came to a jolting halt, walking up Raven and Beast Boy. Beast Boy changed back, however he was still on Raven's lap.
"Get off!" She said, blushing bright red. Beast Boy fell to the floor, blushing a pretty pink.
"We're here!" Starfire shrieked. Cyborg let down the landing gear, and the four walked out onto the grounds of Wayne Manor.
Author's Note: This will probably be the last update before I go away. Thanks to a helpful review I changed BlueJay's nickname. I didn't catch that with my oh so prude and virginal mind (haha, yea right). So now she's Jay. Thanks for that little nugget of info. Please R&R!
Inwe
Starfire rushed from one side of her room to the other, picking up knick-knacks and clothing and throwing it all into a bright purple suitcase. She was so excited she could hardly wait a whole week. It was like a vacation! She giggled at the thought. They would be staying in a big house in Gotham and just hanging out together. She was so absorbed in the thought that she didn't even hear Robin enter.
"Hey, Star," he said, trying to walk around the mess of strewn clothing that Starfire had made in her packing fever. Starfire stopped packing and turned around, beaming.
"Hello Robin! I am so excited!" She said, smiling broadly. Robin smiled back.
"You know, Star, you have to be able to live here for another week. It would probably be better if you didn't pack your toothbrush." Robin advised as Starfire was just about to put her toothpaste and brush into her suitcase. Star thought for a moment and nodded.
"That is a wise idea, Robin." She set it back down, and then turned to face him. "Why did you leave Gotham, Robin? Were you unhappy there?"
"You could say that. I was just tired of being the sidekick, the shadow. I wanted to be able to make my own decisions, so I came here to Jump City. I never really regretted the decision. However, I do owe Bruce for my training and for taking me in. It's the least I can for him to train his protégé."
"That is very kind of you, Robin," Star said, putting a hand on his cheek. "Am going to go finish breakfast before it is too burnt to ingest." She left the room, leaving a slightly stunned Robin behind, holding his cheek.
"Toiletries, private items, clothing. . ." Raven went through the list a final time to make sure she didn't forget anything. She guessed that bedding would be given to them, so she left that off the list. Food would be there, too, but she would still need to pack a lot of it with the ravenous appetites of her fellow teammates. She was almost through the checklist before Beast Boy entered the room.
"Hey Rae!" He yelled, walking over to her. Raven sighed. She really did like Beast Boy. If she would ever admit it to herself, she found his joking attitude somewhat endearing, like a light in dark times. And for Raven, it was usually dark times. She would never admit that she liked Beast Boy as more than a friend, either.
"Yes, Beast Boy?" She asked in a strained voice.
"I was wondering if you needed any help with the packing. You know, the jet's outside, Cy brought it out for us. I can help you carry stuff or get it or something like that." He seemed so hopeful that even if she had wanted to she couldn't have said no.
"Sure, you could go get Star's suitcases. I presume she is done packing already." Beast Boy grinned and ran to Star's room. Raven just shook her head with an invisible grin on her lips, and went back to checking her list.
The week passed quickly for the Titans. They had a lot of work to do to get ready on top of their usual civic duties, and they found that they had almost no time to relax. The gamestation seemed to be gathering dust, and the couch was a lonely piece of furniture. The rooms grew emptier and emptier as Raven and Beast Boy moved various items down the stairs to the jet and Raven loaded them into the cargo space in the back of the jet with her telekinesis (the cargo space was about ten feet high, making it pretty difficult to reach). Cyborg methodically checked all of the jet's systems, making sure that all was in order, considering that they hadn't used the jet for a while. Robin and Starfire went through the city, notifying the city that they would be missing for a few months or so. Overall, the week went smoothly (despite some instances of clumsiness on Beast Boy's part), and by the time Saturday came around the Titans were ready to take off for Gotham.
"The fight itself will take a few hours, so go to the bathroom before we go. The toilet is one of the few things that that I couldn't fix. So if you get sucked out with the poo, don't say I didn't warn you." They took Cyborg at his word. Beast Boy brought a litter pan and stuck it in the back of the jet.
"Just in case, ya know? When you gotta go you gotta go." He laughed nervously. The others just wrinkled their noses and tried to forget the comment.
"What's Gotham like?" Beat Boy asked as they boarded the jet. Cyborg would be driving, so he was in the cockpit. The other four were in the cabin.
"It's dark there, especially at night. There's toxic waste, pollution, grime, and the scummiest people of the earth. Overall it's a pretty dreary place. Starfire and Beast Boy seemed mildly repulsed, but Raven was anything but.
"Dark? Cloudy? This may just turn out to be the greatest vacation ever." The other three looked at her skeptically. Robin just muttered "To each his own", earning himself a glare from Raven. The jet shuddered into motion. It rose straight into the air like a harrier jet, and they turned East, heading for Gotham City.
Cyborg hadn't been kidding. It was a very long flight. Two hours in Beast Boy transformed into a cat and slinked off to the back of the jet. No one asked.
"Are we there yet?" Beast Boy asked when he came back, "I'm bored."
"Find something to make it not seem so long," Starfire advised, a bit fatigued from the hours of sitting and watching the clouds, wishing she was out there flying and not trapped in a giant metal bird. Beast Boy was quiet for a moment as if contemplating something to do. Finally, he started humming a song under his breath, and not just any song, it was The Song That Never Ends. At first he hummed so quietly that no one really cared, they could black it out themselves. However, with each passing chorus, Beast Boy grew louder and louder until he was humming in fortissimo. Finally they couldn't take it anymore.
"STOP IT!" Robin, Starfire, and Raven chorused, causing Beast Boy to nearly jump out of his skin. He sulked for a minute or so, but as always, he wasn't dampened for long.
"Are we there yet?" Robin slapped his hand on his forehead, Starfire groaned, and Raven started massaging her temples.
"Can't you transform into something that doesn't talk?" She asked as calmly as she could. He promptly transformed into a petite kitten with big doe eyes, and with a leap he settled in Raven's lap, curling up and going to sleep.
"Awww, how cute!" Starfire cooed, but a look for Raven quieted her.
"At least now he's quiet," Robin whispered into her ear. Starfire nodded,
The rest of the trip passed fairly quickly. A few hours later Cyborg came in over the intercom. "We're here. Say hello to jolly old Gotham." Robin, Starfire, and Raven all looked out the windows at the city, and what they saw was an almost exact match to the description Robin had given. The city's silhouette was black against a gray sky, and even the lights in the city seemed cold and distant like aloof politicians, too good for the dark city. Sirens echoed off the skyscrapers, able to be heard from even the height that they were flying at. There had to be dozens of sirens wailing through different parts of the city. However, most visible were the huge humanoid statues that seemed to hold the city up. The bridge was supported by them, buildings were raised toward the sky in their hands as though sacrifices to the gods, and they stood like watchful citadels over the city, arms crossed and head downcast towards the people below. It was unnerving.
"Robin, this is where you grew up?" Starfire asked in an unsteady voice.
"Yup, welcome to Gotham city, home of the most evil villains on the planet." He looked down at the city with remembered distaste.
"Yes, I definitely like it," Raven said, surveying it all with an approving eye. The other two looked at her doubtfully. Cyborg came on the intercom again.
"Robin, can you come up here? I have no idea where this Wayne Manor is." Robin went up to the cockpit. Starfire looked down at it sadly.
"What a bad place to grow up," she said with disdain, "I am sad for Robin."
A moment later Robin made himself known in the doorway. "It was great for crime fighting, though. Got lots of experience every night." Starfire hadn't heard Robin enter, and she jumped.
"I am sorry, I did not know you stood there," Star said, blushing profusely.
"Don't sweat it, it's true. No parents no friends, a dark and gloomy city. I can't remember being happy too often. Look, we're almost there."
They had flown over the most urban section of the city and we approaching the suburbs. It was less gloomy out here, but still gray like a black and white movie. They passed these neighborhoods and came to the really rural houses. They looked ahead and saw a colossal mansion surrounded by beautiful gardens. A winding driveway swerved its way to the main road, and a gate blocked unwanted trespassers from entry. Overall, it was a sight to behold.
"It looked bigger when I was younger," Robin commented, surveying it all.
"I'm gonna land now, so sit your butts down and buckle up." They took Cyborg's advice and sat back down. Both Raven and Beast Boy were asleep, Raven resting her head on a pillow with her hand draped over Beast Boy the kitten, and the kitten snoring softly, comfortable in Raven's lap. Raven was buckled in, so they let the two of them sleep. The jet landed in a field in the back of Wayne Manor near the back gate, where they could see two people waiting. The jet came to a jolting halt, walking up Raven and Beast Boy. Beast Boy changed back, however he was still on Raven's lap.
"Get off!" She said, blushing bright red. Beast Boy fell to the floor, blushing a pretty pink.
"We're here!" Starfire shrieked. Cyborg let down the landing gear, and the four walked out onto the grounds of Wayne Manor.
Author's Note: This will probably be the last update before I go away. Thanks to a helpful review I changed BlueJay's nickname. I didn't catch that with my oh so prude and virginal mind (haha, yea right). So now she's Jay. Thanks for that little nugget of info. Please R&R!
Inwe