Disclaimer's Notes: And the second chapter is FINALLY done! I'm so sorry for the wait, people. The classes I take at school are very demanding, so however much time it takes xT to write a chapter, I can guarantee I'll take twice as much time or more to get mine up.
In any case, xT and I are not the owners of Teen Titans, despite how much we would love to be. I mean, I can just think of all the things I'd do like—
I'll stop myself there. ; In any case, please enjoy my addition of Nightmare Moon!
Warning(?): Light moments of unsure Robin/Starfire? Idunno. XD
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Nightmare Moon
Chapter 1: Fear in the Heart
By Pixie Ayanami
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By all the members of the Teen Titans Tower, the situation still was... odd. Random meteors falling from the sky? First of all, they weren't even in a forecast. It was totally erratic as well; the meteors not only came but swerved in their direction. That's impossible; no event in nature would ever do that. It was as if the space rocks were aimed at them. That doesn't happen naturally... somehow, somewhere, some one was behind it.
Needless to say, the Titans could not sleep that night, too scared meteors would bombard their tower while they slept. Each of the five members handled the situation in their own way, but each were still equally scared. Starfire was especially nervous, as she just sat looking at the windows. It was surreal and frightening; it was as if her nightmare came true.
She did not understand it herself. One moment, her and Robin were staring at the sky, and the next moment she saw him lifeless underneath a pile of rubble. But then he stood right in front of her again, full of life and ready for anything. What was wrong with his situation? She sighed for the fifth time that moment, pondering this exact question with her eye brows crossed, fitting her emotion.
Robin, who has noticed Starfire's distress, stopped his pacing. He had been like that since they reached home, looking up his old files on things about surprise meteor showers, when they happened, how they occurred, and so on. He only managed to find a few documents, where astronomers were not sure why this happened, and could not find any reason for the situation either. He sighed, this was at a dead end for now. He took down the names of a few astronomers close by and made plans to visit them later on the subject. After he did this, he proceeded to the living room and paced around the room.
For now, he sat down next to Starfire, who hardly noticed him and continued to look at the night sky. For a while, Robin said nothing and just admired the sky with her. The smoke from the warehouse that was recently destroyed had long since died down, leaving only a few dark clouds floating in the purple sky. The stars were as brilliant as diamonds, twinkling brightly in the sky.
Raven had left a long time ago for her room to worry alone. Beast Boy was just finishing his tofu burger and Cyborg was watching the couple by the window. From personal experiences of his little love affair, he took a guess and felt that Starfire and Robin wanted or needed some time alone. Feigning a yawn, he said aloud, "Welp, I think I'm gonna be off to bed."
Beast Boy looked up at him, pieces of tofu lining his mouth, and said rather loudly, "Are you crazy?! What if those meteors attack again or something and we're left in a smoldering hole?!!" His over-exaggerated self obviously took over as he started shaking in his seat. Cyborg cleared his throat.
"I'm sure the worse has past for now. Just come on, I'm sure you could use some rest, too," he noted to Beast Boy. Looking up at the two at the window, he said, "Don't stay up, you two. It's not good for you."
"Yeah, sure," Robin said, not really paying attention to the half robot. Cyborg in response, dragged Beast Boy and his tofu burger out of the room.
It took a while for the two companions to say anything. Starfire merely wringed her hands together continuously, the same worried look placed on her face. He looked away. Robin usually had something clever to say at a time like this but... couldn't. There were times where the Titans had awaited before in the dark before, but Robin always had a clue of what was happening. 'Slade must have caused this,' or, 'This looks like the work of Plasmus.'
The only lead he had now some guy he couldn't see clearly pointing a gun at his Starfire. Robin didn't know what he would have done if she... if something happened to her...
"I saw you lying there in the rubble," Starfire spoke up suddenly, her voice still shaken. Robin looked over to her again, disturbed from his thoughts by her voice. Her emerald eyes where filming over and glistening by the threat of tears. "Y-you weren't moving and I had thought th-that.... That..."
"Starfire, what are you talking about? I wasn't in any rubble at all, I managed to get away just in time," Robin said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Starfire looked downwards.
"Yes I know, but..." she said immediately afterwards. Starfire thought carefully, having trouble of what exactly she wanted to say.
"How could you see something that wasn't there?" Robin asked her, trying to make sense of the situation.
Starfire squeezed her eyes together and then looked up at him, "I do not understand myself, Robin! But I do know what I saw!" She stood up suddenly and walked over to the window. "Perhaps.... Perhaps there is something wrong with me," she proposed, "Like with you, and how you continued to see Slade's image, even though he was killed."
Robin softened. She had him there... Slade lined his mask with some sort of dust that infected Robin's system once he breathed it in. From there all he could see was Slade beating him in the dark... If something like this happened to Starfire, did that man pointing the gun have some responsibility for it? It was just more things he had to look into...
"Starfire, I..." once more Robin was at a lost of words, "You... you need to rest, Star." She looked at him questioningly. "There's nothing to worry about right now... It's late, and I don't think we'll be attacked again."
"But what if—"
"And if it makes you feel better, I'll stay up tonight and keep watch," Robin said. His cleverness had seemed to slowly come back to him.
Starfire looked back at him and cracked a small smile. "Thank you Robin..." she said, moving towards him to give the boy a hug. He held her tightly, knowing that she was still worried. She stepped away and began walking to her room.
"Hey, let's do something tomorrow," Robin suggested to the girl, "Like get a bite to eat.... I think we need a break from this hero stuff."
Starfire looked back at him. "But you never take a break from any hero stuff," she said, astonished.
Robin shrugged. "Well, even I need a break to free up my mind. So what do you say?" he asked her again. She smiled and nodded right away. "Well, goodnight then."
"Goodnight, Robin."
Robin was all alone. After a few moments, he grabbed the remote and brought down the big screen T.V., as well as closed the shades of the windows. Placing the T.V. on a special setting, he sat down in a chair not to far away.
"Look up news broadcasts on astronomical events," Robin ordered. The "T.V." did what it was ordered to and in no time thousands of messages filed up on the screen. "Pinpoint ones around Jump City," Robin ordered again. New messages lined themselves up. "Look up the irregular activities." Several messages came up now.
He surfed along these files, jotting down the important facts in a notebook. Several names came up in the reports, one that did continuously. There were two observatories in (or around) Jump City. One of them was in the "care" of Chang, a supplier for criminals of Jump City. However, he was taken down and his observatory was condemned. The next one was clear on the other side of the city and was in the care of an astronomer named Dr. John Vants, the name that was frequently noted in reports.
"Dr. John Vants..." Robin said to himself, "I'll pay this Doctor a visit tomorrow." He stood up and stretched, shutting off the T.V. as he did so.
'I think we need a break from this hero stuff.' Robin sighed. No matter what, he would always be the one being the hero.
"Ah, Cinderblock...." a voice called out into the dark room. The creature of concrete looked up suddenly at the familiar voice. His cell allowed only the little moonlight from the small barred window. He was chained to a beam in the center of the room, with clamps that secured him in place. Cinderblock could not move from his spot, as the restrictions on him had been intended for.
"Cinderblock, you have been a valuable asset to your former master," the sly voice said to him. It portrayed the silky manner of Slade's voice, but was much different, as it was not him. "But now to honor him, you must follow a new one. Come."
Even though Cinderblock could not speak, he understood perfectly well. With all of his might, the concrete giant started to pull himself free of restrictions. The chains began to snap and the restraints bent in place, freeing the giant. Apparently the authorities miscalculated the giant's strength and his will combined.
Cinderblock punched his way through the wall once he was free to join his new master. The figure was much shorter than Slade, and much different looking. A cunning smile shown up towards the concrete giant as the alarms around them flashed red colors. "Time to go, Cinderblock."
That next morning, Starfire woke up feeling both refreshed and tired. She put on a smile anyways, happy that Robin and she were going out that day. And then there was the fact that the tower was blown away by crashing meteors in her sleep, and they didn't all burn or become crushed under rubble. So on this morning, she did her usual morning routine, including taking a shower, dressing in her purple clothes, and preparing breakfast for everyone that would only end up being for herself.
No one was in the kitchen when she reached it, except for the light snores from the couch. Walking over to it, Starfire found the boy wonder curled up on the couch, sleeping off the fatigue he gained from staying up as he promised Starfire. She smiled and giggled at this, as she placed a hand on Robin's shoulder.
"Time to wake up, Robin," Star said as she shook him lightly. Robin turned over in response and mumbled something about five more minutes. Star shook him a bit harder. "Come now, you said you would take me out today! You cannot do so if you lie on the couch all day."
Slowly, Robin sat up, blinking his eyes. "It's morning already? Ugh..." he groaned as he rubbed his back and stretched. Looking over to Starfire, he groggily stood up. Star was all ready.
"Let's go, let's go!" she bounced, grabbing his arm towards the doorway. There were sooooo many things that they could do or at least that she could think of that they could do during the day, that she was so excited to get going and—
"Hold on there, Star...." Robin said, pulling away, "I gotta.... Go use the bathroom...." He stifled a yawn and slowly went on his way to the said area.Star waited patiently for him to return. Robin took an aweful long while.... She sighed.
Robin finally came back out of the tile-like safe-hold, looking all sparkly and nice-looking. Why use safe-hold? He was worried on account of many things. In fact, while in the shower, he found a white hair. A white hair on Robin seemed... unreal. He recalled Starfire's reaction of a white hair. She said something about how it was the result of too much stress and sat in the middle of the living area crying. No one could do anything, and Robin didn't even really want to go near her, as he then put himself in his room. Raven ended up cheering her up. It was a women thing.
But Robin, the boy wonder who did anything and everything to solve a case, who stayed up long hours researching, calculating, plotting, as dark as it sounds, never once grew one a hair as such. It somewhat scared Robin... because the boy wonder should never have too much stress and take everything head on, right?
The bathroom he used as an excuse to retreat from Starfire for just a little while... He slept pretty well last night, but seeing her brought his anxieties back.
"Robin, it's nice to finally see you out of there," Star said with her sweet smile. "Now let's go, you said you would take me out."
Robin nodded. "I know, I know..." he scratched the back of his head in a moment of awkward silence, "um... Want some breakfast?"
Star nodded. And this is how the day began.
Throughout the day, Robin couldn't help but shake the feeling that the two of them were being... watched. He tried not to worry about it, but his anxiety continued to creep up on him, threatening an overwhelming. Finally at lunchtime, it happened.
Robin and Starfire decided to eat at the Pizza Place. Star, of course, tried to persuade Robin to put chocolate mints on the pizza, which he of course declined. When their pepperoni pizza did come and Robin was about to dig in, Star merely stared at him, catching his eye. "Robin how do you feel about all of this?" she asked suddenly. Robin was thrown off by the question.
"What do you mean, Star?" he asked back. She looked around uncertainly for a few moments and then looked back at the boy-wonder.
"This super hero stuff," she said, finding no better way to explain it. She sighed. "Every time we are called off for a mission or, you go ahead and do your detective work, I... I can but wonder if we really should be the ones to do this."
Robin's eyes widened. "What are you saying, Starfire, this is our obligation!" he countered. Not do detective work? Not be the hero? How could he act like that?
"But I can't help but think.... What if this is the time someone is killed? What if you are put in danger and I am not capable of saving you? These thoughts always protrude the back of my mind.... And now after last night.... They have surfaced," Star confessed. Robin could just stare. Starfire was thinking on a different plane from himself.
"Starfire, I—" he began to say, though there was really nothing much to say in response to that. Not only this, but a building was suddenly smashed down the street. Robin stood quickly up, seeing a familiar stony gray shape, walking menacingly down the street towards the couple. Robin narrowed his eyes.
"Cinderblock...."
To be continued....
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Again, sorry that took so long! ; But now its done! If you didn't notice, I focused more around the insecurities Starfire and Robin lead through their story. Starfire for what she saw the night previously, and Robin for finally wondering if he's up to the job...... Poor boy. He may notice that fighting asteroids isn't as easy as fighting androids. B) Later in the story, the other Titan members will have a larger role... Idunno when though, you'll see. :D
I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, its now xT's turn again to come up with something good as he usually does! :D :D :D
3 Pixie
