Hi there! Thank-you for all the great reviews I really like hearing that people like my stories; it makes me feel good. This chapter is mostly going to be about Nightwing and what he's been up to. I'm starting from where I left off in the last chapter when all the former Titans where still in Nightwing's apartment. A woman named Jessica Genest writes the poem that is in here. Hope you enjoy it:
Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans
Chapter 3: And I loved In Just This Way
Love by Jessica Genest:
I was stuck before the hour
Of a love so sudden sweet
Your face shone like a shining star
And made my own heart beat
My face turned as pale as ever,
My legs refused to walk away
Yet when you looked at me
What could I possibly say?
My life had suddenly seemed
To all just melt away
Then my blood rushed to my face
And took my sight away
It seemed like it was midnight
When it was only mid-day
I could not see a single thing,
Words from my eyes did start,
They spoke as a chord does from a string
And a sweeter melody it did play
You seemed to hear my silent voice
And love's appeal to dream
I never saw such a sweet face
As the one that stood before me
-
: Flashback Chapter 2:
" I would guess so, but really, Starfire is the only one who could tell us what happened." Raven said looking at a sleep Starfire. The others looked at her too. Little did they know Starfire wasn't so peacefully as they thought.
End Flashback:
Nightwing continued looking at the sleeping woman to make sure she wasn't gone. But of course she wouldn't be, he was just being paranoid.
" Hey Rae how did you get to be such a great doctor?" Beastboy asked.
" I read and I have been living in a room." She answered without emotion.
" It's getting late. I think we should leave." Raven said looking at Cyborg and Beastboy.
" Are you sure?" Nightwing asked really not wanting to be left alone with Starfire.
" Yes it's about 1:00am and I'm pretty tired," Raven said and then she said almost reading Nightwing's thoughts, " don't worry we'll be back first thing in the morning. She won't wake up for a while it will be fine."
" She's right I am getting pretty tired." Beastboy said stretching.
" I need to recharge, my battery is running low." Cyborg said.
" Then I'll show you out." Nightwing said leading them to the front door.
" Hey Cy I was wondering…can I bunk with you? Mostly cause I live in a cage." Beastboy asked shyly.
" No problem, but the tower has gaping holes in it." Cyborg said.
" It's fine as long as my room is still there." Beastboy said back.
" It still there, and believe me I haven't touched it. Oh, and I still have the game station." Cyborg told Beastboy saying the last part slyly.
Beastboy raised an eyebrow at his old friend. " Do you still have Mega Monkeys 3?"
Cyborg rubbed his hands together evilly. " Oh yeah."
" Bad ass! I'll race you to the car!" Beastboy said happily running out the apartment door.
" No fair! You got a head start! Hurry up and get to the car Raven I want revenge!" Cyborg yelled running out after Beastboy.
Raven stood in the doorway and shook her head pitifully. " Normally it would be strange to see two men in their late 20's act like total retards over a video game, but then again this is Beastboy and Cyborg no matter how old they get."
Nightwing just chuckled softly. " You would think I would be used to it. Are you sure she should be left alone right now?"
" She's not alone, you're here." Raven said in her monotone voice.
" I know I'm here but I'm not exactly the best nurse or anything like that." Nightwing said.
" It will be fine Nightwing, she's not going to wake up for awhile and by the time she does I should be back." Raven said crossing her arms.
" Okay." Nightwing said.
" Listen at 6:00am I'll need you to some more antiseptic on her wound so it won't be infected. I'll be back with the two idiots at 6:30." Raven instructed while walking out the door.
" Alright then, I'll see you guys then." Nightwing said following her.
As he was about to close the door Raven turned and said, " Oh, and Nightwing?"
" Yeah?"
" While she sleeps, why don't you go get some rest too? You look tired." She said in a motherly tone.
" Maybe I will. Goodbye Raven." Nightwing said closing the door. Raven just nodded her head and walked away.
After closing the door Nightwing walked back to the room. He checked on Starfire. She was still sleeping. He went out on the couch and sat. He lazily picked up the remote control and turned on the TV.
A re-run of the news came on and the television reporter named Cindy Campbell came on the screen.
" In other news, a bank robbery was stopped on the east side of town this evening. The robber had walked into the bank and when he reached the front counter he held the worker at gunpoint and demanded that all registers and the vault be emptied. Customers in the bank were instructed to put both hands up and to lie on the ground while the robber proceeded to rob the bank. As he was about to leave the store, what witnesses are calling " a masked man" came into the bank and stopped the robber. One of our reporters, Rob Summers, is with one eyewitness now. Rob?"
The camera flashed to a man with black hair holding a microphone in front of a bank. Next to him a fat man around 50 stood nervously whittling his fingers together.
" Hello Cindy. I'm here with eyewitness Burt Rodman who was in the bank at the time of the robbery. Burt what can you tell us about this man who saved you and the other victims?" Rob asked.
" Well he was very tall and had long black hair. He wore a black suit with a blue bird symbol on it. You couldn't see his eyes because he had a mask that covered them. He was very fast in stopping the robber." The man said.
" Do you know this character?" Rob asked.
" No sir. I think he was that " Nightwing" that everyone is always talking about."
" Thank-you Burt. Now other witnesses have given the same description of this man. Police believe it is in fact Nightwing, the mysterious superhero that has been protecting this city for several years now. It looks like there are superheroes once again in Jump City. This has been Rob Summers back to you Cindy."
The camera flashed back to Cindy in the studio.
" Thank-you Rob. Ever since the Teen Titans suddenly disbanded back in 2005 Jump City
has been depending on its police force to protect it. And although they have tried there
was just no saving some of the city from falling. Tonight I am here with Hank Bernard,
expert on superhero identities. Hello Dr. Bernard."
The camera turned to a 40 year-old man in a suit. He reached out and shook Cindy's
hand.
" Hello." He said in a gruff tone.
" Hello. Dr. what would you say about this mysterious Nightwing?" Cindy asked.
" Well Cindy I would say judging by the way he dresses and his techniques in fighting
that we're dealing with a man who has gone through some hard things in his lifetime. He
is dark and successive, not liking too much human contact. And because of the mask that
he wears it shows that he doesn't want anyone to really know him and that he prefers to
hide himself." Dr. Bernard said.
" Dr. who would you say this man is?" Cindy asked.
" He has no powers that we can see so I would say he is a regular everyday day man just
like anyone else. As for his name I could not tell you, but we probably have seen him
before." Dr. Bernard said.
" What do you mean?"
" I mean that he has probably been a superhero before, no one just becomes a superhero
over night. We probably even knew him once. Who knows he might be an old Titan
himself."
" Well I like to thank-you for talking with us today Dr. Bernard. Everyone at home please
stay tuned for-"
Nightwing turned off the TV and sat back. What did they know? They didn't know him.
This man didn't know shit on superheroes and why they act the way they do. But if he
didn't how come he was right?
He shook his head in disagreement with himself . Taking off his mask, he looked at
himself in the mirror that was across from him. No way was he in anyway like that doctor
had said. Right? Yeah right—the mask made him look cool.
He laid down on the couch. Maybe I should get some sleep… And with that he felt his
eyelids drop with exhaustion.
-
:Dream/ Memory:
The sun met the ocean creating a brilliant glow that seemed to surround everything it touched. Robin sat watching the sunset on the Titans Tower roof. His green cape swayed behind him in the wind. The sunset had always been calming to him. After fighting villains all day this really was the place to be.
He jumped a little when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Starfire, a 16-year-old alien from a different planet.
She jumped back at his surprise. " Oh I am sorry friend Robin, I did not mean to scare you."
" Its fine Star, come on and sit down." He said patting a spot next to him. She smiled her famous 10-watt smile and sat next to him. All was quiet for a few minutes. Robin looked at the girl sitting next to him. Her red hair swayed from the wind and the sun made her eyes sparkle.
" It is beautiful, the sunset." She said quietly.
Robin shook himself out of the stare and said, " Yeah it is."
" All the colors blend together perfectly and become one. That is what I like about it and it is never really the same. Everyday there is a different pattern. It makes every bad thing just seem…not so bad anymore." She said still looking out at the horizon.
" Yeah I guess your right. Don't you have sunsets on your planet?" Robin asked.
" Yes, but they are not like this. We have sunsets but they are always the same color, one that Earth does not have. I like all the colors on this planet it makes everything colorful and alive." She answered.
" Oh," he said quietly, " hey why are you out here?"
She turned to face him. " Well friend Raven is in her room and does not wish to do the "hanging out" and friends Beastboy and Cyborg have gone to the pizza. And I have not seen you since this morning, so I have come to sit with you."
Robin blushed at the last part. He liked that she wanted to sit with him.
" What are you doing here?" she asked tilting her head.
" I'm just thinking. About fighting and you…and the team." He caught himself. Starfire paid no attention to his mistake.
" Robin what will happen to me in the future, to you?" she asked.
" I don't know, really no one knows what's going to happen to them." Robin said.
" But the one called Miss Cleo does." Starfire pointed out. Robin laughed Starfire didn't know that Miss Cleo was a hoax.
" I don't think she really can tell the future Starfire."
" But then that would be lying. Why would she lie?" Starfire asked.
" Well, um, you see… sometimes people lie to get more attention or to make money. It's horrible but it happens all the time." Robin explained.
" Why must people always lie? This is what I do not understand about Earth. Why can't people just be honest?" Starfire asked.
" I don't know really. I guess that lying sometimes is easier than to tell the truth and sometimes it's better to lie." Robin said looking down.
" How is it better to lie?" Starfire said.
Robin knew he had dug another hole for himself. " Well in some situations it is better to lie. Like when someone says something mean about another person, sometimes it's better to lie than to tell the other person what another person said about them."
" But I would want to know the truth, would you not?" she asked him.
Robin thought. " Yeah I guess I would. Don't they have lying on your planet?"
" On Tameran we do not lie. When asked about something we tell the truth." Starfire answered.
" No wonder you are so honest." Robin laughed.
" You are not honest, Robin?" she asked. Robin looked at Starfire. No he wasn't honest. If he was he wouldn't lie when Cyborg would asked him if he liked Starfire. Because Robin did like Starfire more than just a friend. No, he loved her. But you see it was hard to be honest about that when you've lost people you love before or are afraid of rejection. Plus he was he leader, the team's leader, he couldn't have favorites.
" Well I'm human Starfire and sometimes I do." He said solemnly looking down. He then snapped his head up when he felt a hand on his. He looked up to see Starfire smiling at him.
" Do not shame yourself. I think lying is wrong but I am sure you do it for the right reasons. You are a good person and you are right, your only human." She said softly.
" Starfire I…." He was cut off by Beastboy's voice.
" Hey, hey,hey! We got pizza! And Starfire I got you mint frosting!" Beastboy said from the open door of the roof.
Starfire clapped her hands. " Glorious Beastboy! Come Robin lets consume are fill in food that will eventually clog are arteries and will cause us to have heart attacks by the age 55."
Robin stood and smiled. " Leading cause of obesity and heart failure here we come!" Starfire laughed and they walked inside.
:End Dream:
-
Nightwing shot up from his dream. He looked at the clock across the room on the TV. It read 5:55. He stood up and placed his mask back on. He went over to the kitchen and filled a glass up with water. After drinking it he made his way to the bedroom.
Once there he looked at the bed. It was still occupied by Starfire. He walked over to the nightstand that was next to the bed. He opened the bottle of antiseptic and dabbed some on toilet paper.
He then carefully put some on her small cut. Surprisingly she didn't move during any of this. She just slept a deep slumber with her chest moving up and down. She was still so beautiful after 10 years, maybe even more so. Her red hair was now curly and shoulder length. And although she was kind-of dirty she had perfect skin and a woman's curves.
So he sat thinking.
I had been 16 and she was 15. The first time I saw her, I swear that my eyes popped out of their sockets. I knew right then—she was the only girl I'd ever love.
Maybe it was her sweet laugh or the way her smile seemed just for me. maybe it was her beautiful fiery red hair or those penetrating emerald green eyes. Maybe it was the way she talked when she was happy(which was most of the time) or maybe it was her voice when filled with righteous fury. Maybe it was the way she fixed every fight and made everything alright. The way she made me feel comfortable as well as made me nervous the way no one could . The way she made me smile, I rarely did, but she knew I should. Or maybe it was when she was joyful and took flight(literally). Or that she never judged anyone no matter who they were and loved every single creature big or small.
My heart beast faster every time she was around. She made me so nervous my feet rotted to the ground. Every accidental brush of the shoulder or touch of the hand made my day worthwhile. Those times she gave me hugs-I never wanted to let go. I dreamt of her warm soft lips upon mine, so much that I had to check myself every time.
There were times when I made her sad. I hated to see those sea green tears and knowing I caused them. When I became Slade's apprentice she never fought me not once. She never gave up on me either no matter how bad things got. Believe me they got bad. When I locked myself up tight she somehow found the key. She saw the bad side pf me and still stayed my best friend. She was also there with open arms waiting no matter the situation.
I was my happiest and she made me that way. No one had ever made me feel the way she did everyday. She lit up a room by just coming into it, no need for a light bulb. Starfire that heavenly name. That name haunted my dreams and plagued my thoughts. And I loved her just this way.
When she disappeared, it hurt so much. I searched for her everywhere for about a whole year after she went but I never did find her. I became colder and more closed in. My friends and I had fights that weren't mended…too many. After a year of tension, sadness, and anger we went our separate ways. I went back to Gotham for a few years and fought alongside my old mentor, Batman. And five years after she disappeared Batman said I couldn't be Robin anymore, I finally broke. Without my friends, without Starfire, and now without my identity I was nothing and locked myself up in solitude.
After a couple of months in a dark and dank apartment in Gotham I made a decision. I let my old life burn like wood in a fireplace. I pushed my memories of Robin, Starfire, and the Titans( my friends and family)in the back of my mind. I let them settle and there were days, at the most weeks, that I didn't think of her. I loved other women but not in the same way. Barbara aka Batgirl was someone that I fell in love with but in the end I was too closed. She broke it off with me after a year saying that she knew I loved her and she loved me too but she wasn't " the one" for me nor was I for her. She said she knew that there was someone else that I loved and that she could tell. She wanted to get married, something that I didn't want to do. We were both different people and it ended. I've also seen other women causally. And I've made love to other women but in the end, when I was alone or a certain subject was brought up, I longed for Starfire. But then I put her ,once again, in the back of my mind.
So when she came back to me 10 years later, just a few hours ago it was a trip. She was still 16, just like when she left, just like I remembered her. The feelings that rushed back to me where intoxicating-in the best way.
And as I stood by her at that portal, sending her back to the past, I felt all of a sudden lonely. Here she was after 10 years and she was going away again.
It felt so unfair. Why did she come back just to go away again? When she went back she would be able to change her future but it was too late to change mine. After she went back 2 different dimensions would be created on the same time line. One dimension where she would return when the Titans were still teenagers and would make a different future. The second would be here, just the way it was and had been.
I stood so close by her before she entered I could feel her breath on mine. I wanted to kiss her badly and if I wasn't mistaken I could actually feel her lean in too, but I broke it by saying she had to go. I wanted to kiss her but then she'd leave and I would be left once more with a broken heart and would be plagued with thoughts of what could've been. So I let her go even though I didn't want to.
After that portal closed my life seemed like it would be dark like before she came, but that's when she came back to me again. Starfire came back.
Now I'm sitting next to her something I thought I never do again. What is she 26, 27? She grew up when she was gone. But where was she all this time? Did she miss me too? I know I'm getting to emotional. I must stop. But I still love her. How is that possible?
Nightwing came out of his thoughts by a cry from a sleeping Starfire. For a second he thought that she had awoken but she still slept, maybe not as peacefully as she looked. He stood and went to her side. He softy outlined her face with his glove. He then put one hand on where her heart was. He smiled remembering a time when she told him about his heartbeat.
: Flashback:
Robin and Cyborg and Beastboy sat at the table playing a game of poker while Raven sat reading. Starfire on the other hand sat on the couch happily watching one of her educational documentaries.
The show was about the human heart. When it went on a commercial Starfire peaked her head over the couch and looked at her friends with a raised eyebrow and then back at the TV screen . She flew from her spot and landed by Cyborg who had a mischievous smile on his face .
" You're going to regret playing that hand Robin… cause I have a royal flush! Read em' and weep y'all!" Cyborg said lying his hand out on the table. The smile of self-assurance was wiped off Robin's face. Sadly he pushed his chips over to a eager Cyborg who took them straight out of his hands. Robin muttered something that Cyborg couldn't hear but if he had he'd be pissed.
" One, two, three, four, five—10, 15, 20,25 chips! Booya! Who's winning now? Cyborg is! Cyborg is!" Cyborg cheered. He turned though when Starfire poked him on the shoulder.
He turned his head and smiled at his "little sister". " Yeah Star?"
" Friend Cyborg I have watched the documentary on the human heart. Please may I listen to your heart beat?" Starfire asked.
" Well I don't have a heart, but an artificial one." Cyborg said.
" Oh, then may I hear yours Beastboy?" she asked looking at him.
" Sure why not? Go ahead!" he said pointing to his chest which h puffed out. Starfire giggled and she put her ear to his chest. She laughed.
" Friend Beastboy your heat beat is the same tune as the show Friends' song." She said was amazement.
" No way!" yelled Cyborg putting his ear to Beastboy's chest. " She's right it is the theme song from Friends. Dun, dun, dun, dun, duh." He sang along to it.
Starfire turned to Raven. " Friend Raven may I—"
" No." she answered not looking up from her book.
" But please Raven will you not just let me listen once?" Starfire asked stepping closer.
" Stay away from me." she said forcefully . Starfire sighed and backed away. She then put on another smile and went over to Robin who had gone to the couch after Cyborg won.
" Robin may I listen to your heart?" she asked.
Robin looked up at her and smiled. " Sure go ahead." She clapped her hands and put her head on his chest, which made him blush.
She gasped and he jumped up. " What is it?" he asked.
" Your heart beat is almost the same as mine! But yours has an extra beat." She said astonished.
" Really?" he asked surprised.
" Yes, see?" She said putting his hand to his own chest. He felt his heart go bump, bump, bump, bump, bu-bump, bump. And then she raised his hand to her chest, which made him blush more, which made Cyborg and Beastboy laugh. He felt her heart beat go bump, bump, bump, bump, bu-bump.
" You're right we have almost the same exact heart beat. That's cool." He said.
" Oh Robin! We are heart beat buddies!" she said putting her arms around him and hugging him. He more than happily hugged back.
" Friend Raven isn't it wonderful?" Starfire happily asked .
" Oh yeah. I'll make you guys a t-shirt." Raven said with sarcasm rolling her eyes. Starfire just shrugged and went back to telling the good news to Cyborg and Beastboy.
: end Flashback:
Nightwing smiled. And felt her heart beat and then felt his own. The one thing that hadn't changed. Then he realized something: Starfire had put her hand on his chest back at the museum!
By doing that she had recognized him by his heartbeat. After all these years she recognized his heartbeat. She remembered him, in some way.
Meanwhile while he had been busy thinking he hadn't noticed that the woman, Starfire, on the bed had stirred and by the time he looked over at her and saw her eyes open it was too late.
Starfire, surprised and alarmed that someone was standing over her took out a small dagger from her belt. And before he could do anything she sat straight up. She then in a flash twisted his arms behind his back and held the dagger to his neck.
-
Hey! I thought that Chapter was kind-of short but whatever. Sorry if it was gay. Well I hope you learned a little about Nightwing. And in the next chapter there should be a little more on what the other Titans fell about this. I hope to get the next chapter up next weekend and in it hope to answer some more questions and tell more about what happened to Starfire. But please no flames and reviews make me write faster!
So okay, did y'all see the connection with the whole heartbeat thing? Yeah I thought that would be interesting. It's kind-of hard for me to write right now since I have a lot going on at school but I try. I hope to get the next chapter to you soon!
I loved Cyborg the Barbarian! I thought it was very good. Hey he got kissed! This may open up to other things…. But I can only hope.
Until next time,
Hailey