Chapter Two: The First Attacks

Beastboy lay in his cot located in the back of his van. The crowds that had come earlier were now long gone. The beach was deserted. Trash was scattered around in the sand and the water. At least they're not throwing trash at me, he thought as he covered his head with the blankets.

He heard a crash outside. His head flew up as if an electric charge had been sent up his body. He rubbed his eyes and peered out the window. There were three figures out there, tipping over trash cans, mumbling some words to one another that were muffled by the glass window.

Beastboy quickly morphed into a fly and stuck to the window, watching them closely.

"He's not in the trash cans, you idiot!" A girl's voice growled and slapped one of the others over the head.

"How do we know?! He could be a roach for all we know!" A man with a deep voice remarked. Beastboy shivered. Please, don't let them be talking about me! Beastboy pleaded in his head. He'd tried the whole solo hero thing and it left him feeling like crap. He couldn't bear to encounter it again.

"That's right, he could be a roach! He can morph into anything, you snotbrain!" A high pitched voice snarled. Beastboy panicked. They were looking for him. If only he could get out of the car unnoticed.

Suddenly, like a fist shattering glass, Beastboy's communicator went off. He had kept it for any emergency or if the team needed him. His eyes opened big as saucers and he kept still as a statue. He peered at the three figures out in the street as they walked toward the van. Beastboy gaped as they stepped clearly into view.

"Looks like we've found us a Titan," the girl purred. It was the Hive Academy kids-Jinx, Mammoth, and Gizmo. Gizmo looked at the window and cackled. "More like an insect!" Mammoth chuckled and put his face up to the window. "Yeah, Jinx. Didn't you bring your fly swatter?"

"No, but do you think this'll work?" Jinx waved her arm and, at once, the car windows shattered. Beastboy quickly flew under the car, trying to catch his breath. He remembered the fist time the Titans had tried to fight them and failed. He hadn't provoked them into battle in any way at all. Why were they coming after him?

Seconds later, he saw Mammoth's hideous face staring at him. "Get outta there and fight!" he yelled. "I don't want to!" Beastboy yelled back. Gosh, he thought, I don't ever remember backing out of a battle when I was with my friends! He thought for a moment, and then gasped. My friends! What if they're in trouble!

He speedily flew out from under the van and into the night sky, not daring to look back. "I've got to warn my friends!" he told himself. He may have lost a surf tournament, but he was in no rush to lose his friends.

Starfire yawned as she turned off her desk lamp. A day of fellow employees going on about 'how lucky she was to have Alex 'and ' How is it like to own a fashion line' had made her extremely tired. She was grateful the day was over. But one comment had stuck in her head ever since she heard it.

A little girl, no older than seven had entered the store with her mother. As her mother was looking at the bright colored skirts and complaining on how they weren't worth the money, the little girl had walked up to her and tapped on Starfire's back for attention.

Starfire looked at her and smiled sweetly. "May I assist you, little girl?" she asked. The girl looked up at her with giant eyes. "Will you and Robin get married?" she whispered. Starfire stared at her, as if she didn't understand what the girl was asking. When no answer came from Starfire, the little girl ran over to her mother, crying.

Oh, the sound of a child crying, Starfire thought sadly, it was like a thousand knives slashing your ears and stabbing your heart!

Starfire looked up at the clock. It read 12:30 in the morning. She sighed as she, once again, realized that she had lost track of time. She gathered her papers together and put them in her briefcase. The girl's question echoed in her mind as she turned off the lights in the building.

She was in no position to ask me that question! Starfire tried to tell herself, but her mind told her otherwise. You know you wanted to say 'yes.' Admit it! Starfire let her mind slip into romantic daydreams of her and Robin. Nothing nasty, just them. Together.

All of a sudden, there was a crash at the back of the store. Starfire didn't quite have total control of her mind again.

"How dare you interrupt my wonderful and quite romantic daydreams of me and Robin!" she yelled, angrily. She gasped at what she had just said. "Oh, please tell me I did not just say that," she whispered.

"Oh? But you did, love," a snotty voice with a British accent replied. Mad Mod. Starfire's eyes glowed neon green with fury as she formed starbolts. She glared at where the voice was coming from.

"Come out and show yourself!!" she yelled. She could here footsteps coming closer. Mod finally appeared where she could see him. He was still as old and as wrinkly as the last time their paths had crossed.

"Give it up, Mad Mod!!" Starfire shouted. Mad Mod just smiled an evil grin. "Special assignment, love. I've come to get rid of you." Starfire almost burst out laughing. "You? How?" she asked. Mad mod gave her a frustrated look. "By sucking the youth out of you!"

He had done this to Robin and Starfire was in no rush to have this happen to her. She shot a starbolt at him. He jumped sideways and missed it narrowly. It hit a rack of t-shirts behind him. Starfire gasped. "That will cost you $680 and 34 cents." She formed another starbolt. "Not including tax!" she added as she shot the second starbolt at him. He dodged it again.

"You can't beat me, teen twit!" he shouted and laughed.

Suddenly, from behind Mod, there was came a deafening roar. Mod spun around to face the unthinkable- a giant, green tyrannosaurus rex. Starfire was utterly speechless. How did a giant reptilian creature fit through the shop doorway? She stared at its green skin and fell into thought. Wait a minute. Dinosaurs are extinct. That would mean that it could only be…

"Beastboy!" She screamed in delight. She clasped her hands together and joyful tears started to pour from her eyes. "Friend! It is truly wonderful to see you!"

She suddenly remembered that Mad Mod was there and anger raced in her head. "I do not wish to lose my friends again!" She formed a starbolt in her hand, aimed it at Mod, and shot it directly at him. When it hit him, he was trust backwards as if he had been run into by a train, into the wall. The force was so strong, he broke through it. Debris shot everywhere and dust filled the air. When the air had cleared, Mad Mod was gone. Beastboy morphed back to normal and looked over at Starfire. They stood in a moment of awkward silence, each not knowing what to say first.

Beastboy suddenly noticed the tiny tears falling from her eyes. Beastboy then noticed that his eyes were filling with tears too. They raced to each other and embraced.

"I have missed you so much!" Starfire sobbed. Beastboy sniffed and whispered in her ear. "Me too." Starfire stopped the hug.

"Where is Rob- I mean, where are the others?" She stammered. Beastboy was about to answer when a familiar voice interrupted him.

"It's good to see you two."

Beastboy and Starfire jerked their heads to look in the doorway, where the voice was coming from. There, in the Starbolt shop doorway, in his old hero uniform, stood no other than Robin.