Second Chances

DarkWarlord

Chapter 3-Dinner and a Drama

When Robin next awoke, the sun was setting, and he was in his room. He turned his head so he could look out the window, the sky was a golden orange, 'just like the color of her skin...' He shook his head and yawned stretching his arms, which were sore, the right arm felt as if it would fall off. Robin was contemplating taking a shower when his stomach made itself known. "GRUMMBLE!" he imagined that his room shook. 'I bet the whole tower heard that...' Robin thought to himself, he looked down at himself, he was wearing only a pair of black slacks, similar to the pair he was wearing during his training session and a white bandage around his head. 'I'll need more than that...' he quickly changed into his uniform, causing several regions of his body to ache in protest. He put on his spare mask, 'at least that didn't hurt.' and then left the room.

'I wonder how B.B. is doing.' Robin walked down the hall to see if Beast Boy was in his room. The hall was bathed in the radiance of the pre-night sky. Beast Boy's door had a road sign "Gorilla crossing." Robin smiled at the sign, he had given the sign to the changeling after a mission in Africa, he had gone alone into the wilderness looking for a plane crash. It had been a trap and he would have been captured had it not been for a great silverback gorilla.

He knocked on the door, there was no answer from within. 'he must be playing games with Cyborg or something...' He shrugged and walked to the elevator, he usually just took the stairs but his head hurt and he wanted to take the easy route. The doors opened slowly and the elevator descended to the family room (AKA the room with the big TV).

As the elevator moved, soft and soothing music was playing from the speaker box, his foot started to tap in rhythm to the music, 'ya know, this ain't half bad...' he stopped mid thought 'dude I must be getting tired.' Robin shook his head. 'maybe I can convince Cy to play some good ol' rock, maybe Iron Maiden or something.'

After an eternity the doors open to revel a quite, dark, and empty family room. He looked out to see that the sun had set, probably while he was on the elevator. Robin flipped the switch next to the door and the room was instantly bathed in light. He walked over to the TV and sat on the couch, seeing no one else he shrugged and put on the news, normally something he wouldn't do, but it was good as background noise. After the big headlines he walked over to the kitchen area and started rummaging through the frige. Robin began humming a strange tune, very similar to the one Starfire had been earlier but it sounded sluggish when he did it. Robin decided that there was no edible substance in the frige, "somebody has to make a supermarket run." Robin said to the air around him, "guess I'll just go out for a quick bite." his stomach grumbled in response.

"I'll just go out for-" he was cut off by a strange voice.

Richard...

He quickly spun around, that voice was so familiar, he stood, dumfounded and confused. He looked around and asked out loud, "whose there?" he felt silly after a moment, "must be cause I'm hungry." he walked over to the medicine cabinet and took an Advil. He stood there a moment and let the pain reliever take it's course. Satisfied he turned around in time to see Starfire walk into the family room.

She smiled warmly and floated over to him. "Robin! You have waken, are you well?" Starfire excitedly asked him, she looked him up and down, a look of concern suddenly crossed her pretty face. Robin noticed this, "is something wrong Star?" she bit her lower lip, she was staring at the bruise on his arm. Robin suddenly realized something, "why is my arm healed? It was broken?" it still hurt but it was definitely one bone. "Raven healed your arm, but the bruise stayed..." she trailed off into silence, a rare occurrence.

The two of them stood there in silence for a few moments, "Star, please tell me what's wrong." Robin asked he waved his hand a little for emphasis. She nodded and led him over to the couch, there they sat for a few moments, Star took a deep breath and explained herself, "Robin," she took another deep breath, "on my planet, a person who has the mark of the Murkblar," Robin raised an eyebrow, "on this planet you would call it a sea serpent." indeed the bruise did look like a sea serpent in fact, Robin almost imagined that he could see scales, but that was just his imagination wasn't it? "is said to lose the limb on which the serpent rests." she looked at him, tears forming in her eyes.

Robin was too shocked for words, it was uncommon occasion in which he lost control over his cool demeanor, he looked down at his right hand and flexed his fingers. A part of him was scarred, but another wanted to laugh, "this is ridiculous!" his mind screamed, he smiled and placed a reassuring hand on her bare shoulder. She looked up at him and smiled, a lone tear leaving a moist trail down her cheek, the tear never made it all the way down her face, Robin's thumb wiped it away. Their faces grew closer together, their lips met. After several moments that to them seemed like forever their lips parted, they were breathing heavily, their faces red.

"St.. Starfire," Robin stuttered, "hmmm." Starfire replied dreamily, "I...I just wanted to say-" he was cut off . 'Grumble!' they both looked at Robin's stomach and laughed. "Poor Robin, you haven't eaten anything all day have you!" Robin, blushing profusely, just scratched the back of his head. "well, how about you? Hungry?" she nodded. "Come on, I know a little place. I'll meet you down in the garage in five minutes, alright?" she nodded again and flew off like a bullet.

Robin smiled to himself and walked towards the elevator, he pressed the down arrow and waited for the doors to open. The doors parted slowly, Robin entered and pressed the "G" button for the garage. Robin waited patiently for the doors to open, the music playing in his ears.

Bro...

"Whose there!" he looked around the elevator, 'why am I hearing voices... not just any voices though.' he breathed heavily. Shaking his head he walked out of the elevator and into the garage. Quickly he located his new bike, (the old one having blow up in the episode Fractured) it had the same basic build of the old one, but it was faster, sleeker and far more sexier. Robin walked around his new ride, admiring it from different angles, then taking out a hanky and polishing the tell tale R on the front of the red bike. Convinced that the bike was presentable he put on his helmet and revved the engine, 'music to my ears.' he did it several more times before Starfire showed up. She was wearing her usual outfit plus the black leather jacket that Robin had given her for her birthday. The jacket was a bit oversized, he had offered to have it exchanged for a smaller one but she had declined his offer saying that she liked it that way. He smiled at the memory.

Starfire sat on the bike on a side saddle manner. Robin was about to start the bike when he remembered something important. "Were are you going Robin?" "Just remembered something," he came back holding a shiny black helmet, a red "S" on the front. He handed her the helmet. She took it in both hands, looking at the scarlet "S" that was painted on the front, "Robin..." she said, Robin scratched the back of his head, "I was going to give it to you later, but you know, no time like the present." she smiled and put the helmet on her head and secured it via safety straps, she didn't need the helmet, her head was capable of taking the impact of any collision they might get into, but she put it on anyways, thinking that Robin was the kindest and most considerate person she had ever met. Robin mounted the bike, "Ready?" Starfire nodded and wrapped her arms around Robins waist and leaned her head on his back. Robin gulped and then they were off to a small diner on the far side of town.

Robin parked the bike outside the shop, he and Starfire dismounted and Robin pressed a small button on his key chain and the bike armored itself (much like in Batman the motion picture), he looked it over, then convinced that the bike was secure he then led Starfire inside the diner. The diner was small, but clean and there was a sign that said "please seat yourself, a waitress will be with you shortly. Thank you." Robin saw an open booth by the window and walked over and sat down he had a great view of both his bike and the lovely lady sitting opposite him. She smiled brightly as she sat. The seats were a little over stuffed but after the day he'd had it wasn't so bad, to his left was the window, and in a small stand were the menus. He picked them up and handed one to Starfire.

After glancing at the menu robin decided on a club sandwich with a side of fries with a cherry coke. Starfire wanted an omelet and jam. The waitress took their orders and then asked Star, "what would you like to drink honey?" "Mustard, room temperature if that is alright." the waitress shook her head and walked away, "Jerry, you got hear this one..." referring to Star's choice of beverage . About ten minutes later their orders came, Star was delighted about the mustard and was slurping happily threw a straw, Robin ate in silence, relief flooding over him as he got something into his system, then he thought of something. "Starfire," she looked up from her omelet, which was now coated in grape jam, "I was just wondering what happened with the bot today," she looked a little confused, "I mean who stopped it?" understanding crept across her beautiful face, "I did." she proclaimed proudly. "I blasted it with a star bolt and then I shot the water main." Robin was too shocked for words, that meant that she had carried him out. "I was able to get us both out before the water hit his electrical circuits. Then I mended you're arm as best I could and I, um put some pants on you..." she blushed furiously at the last part and began poking and prodding her food.

Robin was about to say something like, thanks I guess or something equally predictable when the waitress came back to their booth and handed Robin the bill, "Here you are sir, have a nice evening-hey nice tattoo you got there." she then left to serve coffee to a patron. Robin looked at the bruise on his arm, it did look like a tattoo! He could distinctly see eyes and teeth, the scales were a mix of purple and blue, it was mesmerizing he looked at it for a few minutes. When he looked up Starfire had gotten up and paid the bill, she had a lot of earth currency and little to spend it on. She came back looking worried, she was biting her lip fiddling with the sleeves of her jacket. Robin smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and walked her out to his bike.

He froze.

His Bike.

Some one had vandalized it.

The thoughts formed slowly in his head, 'my bike has been vandalized.' he simply wanted to cry. Starfire was quite, she new that he would like a moment of silence to figure this out. He walked up to his bike and lifted it off it's side, then he stood back to assess the damage. "who could have done this?" The armor had been removed, the headlights smashed the "R" scratched and inverted, and the auto inflate tires had somehow been ruined. He looked at the diner and clearly saw the table that he and Star had been sitting at, the waitress was cleaning the dishes off of the table. "What the... How did we miss this?" his heart fell as he muttered. Starfire walked up next to him and placing a hand on his shoulder looked at the side of the bike, she noticed that there was an envelope was taped to the bike "Robin, who is D. Greyson?"

Robin froze, looking at her he asked very slowly, "Starfire, is that letter addressed to this person?" she nodded. He quickly scanned the area, as he began to open the letter she started to protest, "I'll explain later." he said as he franticly opened the letter and let his eyes move from left to right.

"Dear Dick,

Or should I say Robin

You may not remember me, but I remember you.

I wish to meet with you, ALONE. No little friends.

I trashed your bike to get your attention, don't ignore me.

Think what I could do to your pretty girlfriend if I could do this right under your nose.

Meet me at the docks, number 13 at midnight tonight.

-sincerely

the man who killed your parents

Robin crushed the letter in his fist, a familiar hatred filled his heart, he looked at his watch, 11:30, it was a five minute ride to the docks, usually a forty minute walk, but he would just building hop and get there in fifteen. Starfire looked as Robin clenched his fist and crushed the envelope. "Star," his voice was cold, harsh, it frightened her. "Ye...Yes Robin." a sudden breeze swirled his cape around him creating an intimidating scene. "Star there's something I have to do...Alone." he said the last word almost in a whisper, but the tone was enough to ensure she understood, this was a side of him she had not seen before. Even when talking about Slade he did not act in such a hateful way. "but Robin, we are friends-" Robin threw down a smoke pellet and disappeared into the smoke, it was not enough to make her cough just to obscure her vision. But Robin had left one small thing behind, a crumpled note.

Starfire picked the note up and read it quickly, she felt bad about invading the privacy of her friend but something was not right. He would not react so vehemently towards his friends, towards her. But after reading the note she wanted to cry.

End Chapter 3

This chapter has also been revised, I felt that the story was getting a little bland and that I should add and subtract a little.

Tell me what you think.

The next Chapter is titled: Fall from Grace

Pretty neat huh? Well if you like it or have any suggestions please Review