Baker X: Ok...another review. Right...well I won't dignify it with any responses at the time, but constructive critizism is what the reviews should be for (or compliments), not to blast the story if one doesn't like it. Huh...looks like I got ahead of myself and responded. Oh well...back to whatever I was gonna say...
I've decided I'm going to end up extending this piece of the story a great deal. What I mean by that is...that I have a few story arcs I plan to follow. While this one will have a continuous story, I want it to feel more like the show with little excursions thrown in here and there. Basically, expect to see some reappearances of some past villains and such.
On a side note, anyone read the new Teen Titans Go! comic? It's great! Blackfire rocks in it! Anyways, some brief info on this particular chapter...no real enemies, but I think it went well! Everyone out of the pool!
The Legal Information: All characters present in the Teen Titans outside of Smoke, Clive, Sherri, and all others that are not seen in the show or comic book belong to me. All other characters, such as Starfire, Raven, and Slade, belong to their respective copyright holders. In other words, I do not own the Teen Titans, so anything that I say or have them do in this fanfiction does not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the creators of the Show/Comic or any of it's affiliates.
I'm working really hard at trying to sound smart, aren't I.
Dark Patriot
Rivalry
With the attack from Smoke now a week past, the Titans have been training themselves more and more. Clive has been in a bit of a strange mood as of late as well, spending a lot of time in the garage with Cyborg working on his bike, as well as the obstacle courses, training his skills over more and more. At this particular time, Clive was using a program that Starfire had commonly used for practice. He stood out in the center of the large empty room while 2 orbs floated on in from distribution tubes located around the room. Each of these little orbs shoots out a very weak electrical charge. While the charge doesn't really hurt, it does have the capacity to knock someone down and give them a slight shock, keeping the person training very busy with dodging them as well as promoting a very realistic combat environment. The pair began to fly in an orbit around Clive, as he stood straight up with both his hands transformed into claws. He eyed the orbs as they circled, then dodged out of the way as they made their attacks.
He ducked, jumped over, juked, and otherwise did everything in his power to just avoid the shots without using his powers.
He was doing quite well, and so, the computers automatically lauched a second pair. They followed along side the original orbiting devices, keeping Clive on his toes and jumping around the room. He used much of the equipment for cover from the electrical charges. He kept it up at a good pace, finally getting the orbs to move as he wanted them too. He would run for the weights and dodge a few shots, then lure them by the exercise machines. They would have to float between them while he darted around, getting them to bump into one another as they continued firing at him. The program took it up another notch or two and sent out 4 more of the orbs. Now this was a problem. They came from the opposite side of the room, surrounding Clive immediately. He made a hard run for it, diving to the ground and sliding along the smooth tiled floors as the small bots fired their weapons at him with no luck whatsoever. Now, once again, he had them all chasing him from behind and as he made his approach for the weight machines again, repeating his process.
However, as he had almost made it, he heard the door open from in front of him suddenly. He stopped and skidded to halt quickly, recognizing Starfire in the doorway. She gave him a smile and stepped in.
Starfire: " Clive! I have been searching all over for you."
Clive: " Oh yeah? What can I do for you Starfi...ow!"
Clive's sudden stop didn't register too well with the orbs, and such it wasn't able to react with enough time as it plowed right in the back of Clive's head. He rubbed his new bruise and picked the small round metal device and crushed it in his clawed hands. He gave her a smile in return, allowing her to know that he was just fine.
Clive: " Now, as I was saying...hey Starfire, what's u...OW!"
All around Clive, the orbs had gathered. Since he hadn't noticed them and infact probably forgot about the others, they were able to all quickly disperse around him and zap him once in unison. He grumbled for a moment, before turning around with great speed and slashing 3 of them apart with his claws. The other 4 Starfire handled quickly, knowing she'd probably get zapped as well if she didn't do anything. Quickly afterwards, Clive brushed himself off and looked around again, probing for any more of those little pests. He grumbled to himself under his breath, saying some not so choice things he knew Starfire would not approve of if she heard.
Clive: " So what's up Starfire? You spooked me a little there."
Starfire: " I am sorry Clive, I did not mean to interrupt your training. However, I have not seen you for a while and wanted to know how you were."
Clive: " Well that's sweet of you Star. I'm doing alright, just trying to get better and all that."
Starfire: " Is it because of Smoke?"
Clive knew Starfire wasn't dumb. She wasn't the quickest person to catch onto things however, but her taking notice of this stunned him quite a bit.
Clive: " Well...kinda. See...I got beat last week like it was nothing. Sure, we duked it out a bit, but then he just overwhelmed me and threw me around like it was no big deal. When I pulled myself out of the building, I saw the elementary school getting ready to come down. I called on Black since he's the only one who could take care of it that fast. And then, Smoke was gone. But the fact is, that I was no match. Not even close to the same league."
Starfire: " He did hurt you pretty badly."
Clive: " While not physically...but he did my pride."
Starfire: " Could not Black do it for you?"
Clive: " That's the other thing actually. Black's one of my best friends. Despite how we may act. I might insult him and he'll play a joke on me or something, but he's been there for me from the beginning. I owe him a lot. But I can't force him to fight all my battles either. I need to do something to get better. I need to get stronger than Smoke, one way or another."
Starfire: " But does that mean you need to stop seeing your friends?"
Clive was floored by that last comment. She was right though, he had neglected seeing the others most of the week. Whether he was busy with his training or with his bike, he had pretty much been alone most the week. He squat down and sighed, scratching his ankle while he thought, then stood up and wiped his brow.
Clive: " Tell you what Starfire, I'll make it up to you. I'll make it up to all of you! Just make sure everyone's ready for dinner at 6ish."
Starfire: " Is this to be a surprise?"
Clive: " Yeah, why not! And make sure they've got their swimming trunks, bathing suits on, or whatever."
Starfire: " That sounds like fun. I will go inform the others."
Clive: " Alright then. See you in a couple hours."
Starfire: " What will you be doing?"
Clive: " I'm gonna go get Sherri and do some shopping."
Starfire left Clive, who used his teleporting ability and appeared in front of Sherri's bedroom. He knocked loudly, rousing his younger sister from her nap.
Sherri: " What is it...?"
Clive: " It's the middle of the afternoon sis, what are you doing asleep?"
Sherri: " I've been studying for exams all week...just let me sleep a few more hours..."
Clive: " Sorry girl, but we're going to the store. We need Hamburgers, Brats, Steak, and Hotdogs."
Sherri: " You're not going to..."
Clive: " Sher, it's summer time now. Time for the god of the grill to bare his fangs and appease his followers."
Sherri: " Whatever...just give me a moment here..."
She shut the door to her room, taking about 10 minutes to get a new pair of clothing picked out. She then took another 10 minutes with make up and all that as well. By the time she walked back out in the hall, Clive was leaning against the opposite wall, asleep. Sherri raised her voice quickly, waking Clive.
Sherri: " I DIDN'T TAKE THAT DAMN LONG!"
Clive: " Wha! Oh...uhhh...heh. Anyways sis, we'd better get going."
Sherri: " Yeah yeah. So how are we getting there?"
Clive: " Glad you asked!"
Clive grabbed his younger sisters wrist and held her tightly as they sank back into the shadows. She stiffened up and tensed greatly, not sure what he was doing.
Sherri: " Clive? What's going on?"
Clive: " Well, we're just taking the quick way there. Now don't worry, nothing here's going to hurt you."
Sherri: " O...ok."
Sure enough, in mere moments, the pair ended up in a small alleyway next to the grocery store. They stepped out and into the store, wandering about to all the areas they needed to be. First, they got the meats and such they needed. Clive was very particular about the cuts and such, so this took the longest. Then came the cheeses and condiments. Clive brought Sherri since she did all the shopping and would know what the bests were. Finally, they picked up some frest vegetables and bread and waited their turn to check out. Sherri was looking through the magazine rack placed next to them and found a big artical on the front that peaked her attention.
Sherri: " Brother! Check out this headline!"
She grabbed the tabloid off the shelf and stuck it in Clives face.
'Two New Titans! The inside story about the protectors of Jump City!'
Clive: " Hey, cool! I'm on a tabloid finally!"
Sherri: " What's the accomplishment regarding that?"
Clive: " I don't see you on a tabloid. Either way, you can't even see me. It's all dark and such. Just a silloutte. Now, you can see Blackfire right there pretty well."
Sherri: " Yeah. Looks like you won't get the red carpet treatment like the others."
Clive: " I get just fine treatment. Just watch!"
Clive stepped up to the girl who was taking the money and such. As she scanned all the prices, he made some small talk with her.
Clive: " So how are you today?"
Cashier: " I'm fine."
Clive: " That's good. This is some nice weather we're having ya know?"
Cashier: " Yeah sure."
Clive: " Did ya see the Titans last week save those kids?"
Cashier: " So? They do that all the time."
Clive: " I hear there's 2 new ones now."
Cashier: " Yeah, that's what rumor is. They say one of them is the sister to Starfire, and the other one is some mystery guy."
Clive: " Really? A mystery guy?"
Cashier: " Yeah."
His total rang up and she finally looked at him.
Cashier: " $64.79 please."
Clive: " No problemo! Let me dig out my official TITAN credit card here..."
He handed it to her and she scanned it through her card reader. In a few moments, it came up as accepted, and she began to bag the groceries. When she was finished, she handed them to Clive, then directed him to the exit.
Sherri: " Smooth move operator."
Clive: " Shove it."
Sherri: " I'll spare your life and not tell Starfire or Blackfire about this."
Clive: " Spare me? Pshh...whatever. I wasn't even trying."
Sherri: " Let's just get home. Now how does that thing you do work again?"
Clive: " Hold the groceries please, and leave that to me."
Through the portal again they went, ending up in the tower. They brought the food up to the deck on the roof, making a quick stop for some spices in the kitchen, before they got the grill started.
Clive: " Ok...so once the grill is warmed up, why don't we call the others up here. Oh yeah, that's right...can you go get my swimming trunks from my place downstairs? It's in my dresser on the second to last drawer."
Sherri: " Sure, why not. Want me to go tell the others to start getting ready?"
Clive: " Yeah sure. Tell'm we can have a pool party BBQ up here since it's been such a nice day. Oh...and could you pick me up some Tofu from downstairs? I'm sure Beastboy wouldn't want any of this great, delicious meat selection we have."
Sherri: " Oh yeah, that's right. I'll go grab you some then."
Clive: " Cool. I wonder how hard it is to grill the stuff...I've never even eaten it honestly..."
Clive began to piddle around the grill while he finished setting everything up. From his cooking utensils to his condiments and spices. With everything ready, Clive ventured into the opening stairway into the tower.
Clive: " YO! COOK OUT'S UP HERE! COME AND GET IT EVERY BODY!"
He trotted back and put the meats and such on the grill. Sherri was the first person there, carrying a big bowl of tofu for Beastboy. Clive sckewered it with his fork and placed it on an opening in the grill. He readied plates and drinks aplenty which Sherri had also brought up. Most of the Titans arrived at the same time, except for the resident sisters.
Robin: " Hey, Clive. Thanks for doing all this. Pool Party and Cookout and all..."
Clive: " Hey, it's my pleasure. Being the infamous Bronze Grill God I am, I need to bestow my gifts of goodness and such on the people once in a while."
Robin: " Right, whatever dude."
Clive looked around seeing a finally normal atmosphere. Everyone was wearing a bathing suit, except Raven who was just here to socialize it seemed. Robin still wore his mask and seeing Cyborg in swimming trunks might have been somewhat redundant...but it was still all in good fun. Clive took a moment to change into the pair his sister grabbed for him. He took to the shadows and was pretty much invisible, so he had no problems.
Clive began to flip the burgers, tofu, hotdogs, and steak bits, making sure that they were being evenly cooked. However, he was stopped short hearing a familiar voice behind him.
Starfire: " Clive?"
He turned around and was quite taken in by his Tameranian friends looks. Decked out in a strangely designed, but undoubtedly one piece bathing suit, she was quite a sight sore eyes or otherwise even. His face turned red slightly, but he hide it well.
Clive: " Whoa. Uhh...hey Star."
Starfire: " Is this the surprise? This party?"
Clive: " Yeah. Not really all that uhhh...much. Kinda wish I could have invited like a uhhh...million people here. Would have been pretty kickin'...you know?"
Starfire: " It is fine as it is. Thank you for throwing such a lovely festivity."
Clive: " Well it's my pleasure. Plus, I'm a hankering for a hunk of hamburger and Shish kabobs. Would you like some?"
Starfire: " What is the Shish kabobs?"
Clive grabbed one of the skewerers off of the grill and showed it to her. She marveled at the medley of meats and vegetables all crammed together onto a large stick.
Starfire: " How does one go about eating such a thing?"
Clive: " Huh? Oh, you just take bites outta it, like this!"
Clive ate a couple pieces of the kabob he was holding, deciding to declare it as his own. After a few more bites and some thought, he turned them all.
Clive: " Well...that's not cooked enough. Hope I don't get sick!"
He continued to do his seasoning and turned over the different meats, moving them to different racks. He watched and admired everyone just mingling around the pool side, having fun and seemingly forgetting the threats befalling the city. It then came to his attention...where was Blackfire?
Clive: (Hmmm...I don't see Blackfire...I know she took a big hit to the pride by Smoke too...but it can't be that bad...I mean, she still flirts and such...)
He glanced around some more, seeing Cyborg just a few yards away.
Clive: " Yo Cy! Can you watch the grill for a moment? I'm gonna go look for Blackfire and see if everything's alright!"
Cyborg: " Huh? Oh, yeah sure Clive, I'll take over for you till ya get back."
Clive: " Thanks dude."
Clive hopped down the stairs and made his way through the tower, searching for Blackfire. He made his stop by her room and approached her door. Before he could knock, he felt a hand on his shoulder, which scared him slightly, making him jump and turn around. It was Starfire. Apparently, she had followed him.
Clive: " Oh...Starfire...didn't know you were there!"
Starfire: " I'm sorry...I did not mean to scare you. I was wondering about my sister infact. I had not seen her much today, though I told her about the party on the roof. I was hoping that she was alright."
Clive: " Ah, well that makes two of us."
Clive turned back to the door and knocked on it. After a couple more times, he pressed his ear to the door to see if anyone was inside. Starfire did the same, and the pair listened. They could hear a slight russling around in the room. A moment later, the door opened up on them and caused them both to fall in. While Starfire went crashing to the ground, Clive did not. Infact, he was caught by Blackfire, and pulled into a strong embrace.
Clive: " Urk! O...ok Blackfire...I still need to breath..."
Blackfire: " Whoops!"
Starfire got up off the floor and rubbed her head. Blackfire let go of Clive, allowing himself to gain back his footing and brush himself off. He then noticed that the room was fairly dark, making it almost impossible to see Blackfire. He helped Starfire up off the ground, then thumbed around the wall for the light switch. Finding it, he switched the lights on for a surprise, to say the least.
Clive: " Whoa! Uhh...Blackfire...isn't that thing a little...drafty?"
Starfire: " What the! SISTER! You know you're in your Gerflorgard and Blorkants!"
Blackfire: " What's wrong?"
Blackfire was...hardly considered to be dressed. In what could be called the Tameranian bra and panties undergarments, she stood before the pair. Starfire wrapped her hands around Clive's eyes, blocking his view of her.
Starfire: " You know that is indecent to wear infront of others! Please, put on your clothing Sister!"
Blackfire: " Oh what's the matter Starfire? It's not like I'm naked or anything..."
Starfire: " But...but! You know better Sister!"
Clive: " If you don't mind me interjecting a point...those really aren't uhhh...more or less ummm...how do I word this appropriately?"
Clive continued mumbling about what he wanted to say. Unfortunately, he was ignored by the sisters.
Starfire: " Sister, you should put on something before you continue any further outside of your room."
Blackfire: " I don't have a bathing suit on me...and by earth customers, this is about as close it gets to a 'bikini' as they say."
Starfire: " A 'bikini'? What is the 'Bikini'?"
Clive: " It's a bathing suit...only in 2 pieces...and usually much skimpier. However...I don't think that even qualifies Blackfire..."
Blackfire: " Well...what should I do then? I can't go swimming if I don't have a suit..."
Starfire: " But...I..."
Clive: " Hang on...let me think here..."
Clive sunk into the ground as a shadow and disappeared from Blackfire's room, traveling through the base quickly. He ended up on the roof and dragged Sherri back into the building.
Sherri: " What do you want Clive? I was busy having fun!"
Clive: " Oh wah. Listen, do you have a spare bathing suit or Bikini or something for Blackfire to wear? See...she's ummm...well damn, I'll just take you there. Hang on..."
Sherri: " WAIT...!"
Not bothering to heed his sisters request, he brought the both of them back to Blackfire's room. As soon as Clive appeared, Starfire placed her hands over his eyes.
Starfire: " I apologize again Clive, but she is not appropriately dressed yet."
Clive: " That's alright Starfire. I'll just slip outta here and you ladies can deal with the situation. Hurry up though...I'll bet that foods almost ready..."
Clive faded into the ground, disappearing from view. He would reappear back on the roof and take over the grill once again. He finished everything only minutes later, placing everything from Tofu and steak, to hamburgers and hotdogs. He picked out everything he wanted and sat down by pool side, grabbing a soda on his way. It would be long after that he'd be joined by Cyborg on his left.
Cyborg: " This is some good food man. Haven't eaten like this for quite a while actually."
Clive: " Thanks. My brother taught me everything I know."
Cyborg: " So where's Starfire and the others?"
Clive: " In Blackfire's room getting her a bathing suit ready I imagine."
Cyborg: " Ah. Well that's cool I guess. Better be careful though man, cause you know how she's been the last few weeks with you before...can't imagine what it'd be like now that you're both half dressed."
Clive: " Trust me, it's already started."
Cyborg: " Well, I kinda know the feeling."
Clive: " Really? Now you've got my interests peaked."
Cyborg: " Oh, it's not what you think!"
Clive: " But it is something! So what's her name..."
Cyborg: "...."
Clive: " Please don't tell me it's my coffee maker...cause I happen to like my coffee maker..."
Cyborg: " MAN! WHATEVER!"
Clive: " Well then, tell me her name!"
Cyborg: " Her names Sarah."
Clive: " Ooooo...I see. You know, I thought I've seen a glow about you recently. Infact, the other night when we were working on the bike..."
Cyborg: " I had just got off the phone with her..."
Clive: " Ah. Secrets revealed! And the others? Do they know?"
Cyborg: " They met her a while back."
Clive: " So why don't you bring her over?"
Cyborg: " Well, she's a pretty busy girl, and I'm a pretty busy guy...but we talk a lot."
Clive: " I guess."
The pair continued talking and eating, until Starfire sat down next to Clive, dipping her legs into the pool, just like he and Cyborg had. She carried a large plate filled with all sorts of foods that Clive had prepared.
Clive: " Ah, Starfire, nice of you to join us. So I imagine you guys solved the situation with your sister?"
Starfire: " Your sister is good with the sewing as she called it. She was able to fix a bathing suit of hers so that it would fit my sister."
Clive: " Well that's good to hear."
Cyborg: " Try saying that in about 3 seconds Clive."
Clive: " What do you mean?"
Those seconds were up quickly as Clive felt a pair of arms wrap around his shoulders and chest once again. They moved up to his face and covered his eyes with their hands. This required no explaination as to who it was.
Blackfire: " Guess who!"
Clive: " Come on Blackfire, cut that out!"
Blackfire: " Oh...don't be so shy...you know you enjoy it!"
Starfire blushed, realizing her sisters gratuitous remarks. Clive merely brushed them aside and wiggled his way out of her grasp. He gulped down his last bits of food, tossing his plate aside and escaped into the pool. Blackfire moved into his spot and smirked, looking down at him while eating. He swam around underneath the water, clad in full black, including his face. There, he was like a fish, and didn't seem to need to come up for air.
As everyone began finishing up their meals and such, the pool became more crowded, with the other Titans quickly joining on Clive's fun. They would play all sorts of games. Marco Polo and volley ball were among the favorites, but the Chicken Fighting was probably the best. Cyborg hoisted Robin up on his shoulders, while Clive had Beastboy on his. The guys on top would swat and grapple with each other in a fairly even fashion, while Clive found himself on the short end of the stick as Cyborg was bigger and stronger than he was. He was getting pushed around way too quickly which made it hard for Beastboy to contend with with Robin. Deciding to have a little more fun, Beastboy turned into an octopus and wrapped his tenticles around Robin, bringing the battle in his favor. He didn't exactly think about Clive however, who wasn't quite strong enough on his own to support the weight of the transformed changling on his shoulders. Clive sunk under the water quickly, finally giving out and dropped the green sea creature.
Beastboy: " Aww man! I almost had him too! What happened dude?"
Clive: " Hey! You weigh like a thousand pounds! I'm lucky I held up that long! And then you see what happens when you butt heads with Cyborg!"
Cyborg: " What can I say? I was built to do this!"
Robin: " Come on Clive! Can't you do better?"
Clive: " Is that a challenge?"
Robin: " Maybe."
Clive turned to Beastboy quickly, grabbing him around his neck and pulling him close into a huddle, whispering something to him. Beastboy nodded and smirked, getting into position.
Clive: " Alright Robin, me and you this time around!"
Beastboy transformed in a squid, then Clive hopped on top of him. Using a pair of his tenticles, he held tightly to Clive. Robin and Cyborg moved back into position, and the match started. This time, all the female Titans, sans Raven, had gathered at pool side and rooted the match onwards. The pairs moved into close quarters as Beastboy and Cyborg began clashing bodies. Thankfully for Beastboy, he had much more mass than Cyborg, evening them out. As for Clive and Robin, that was the real action.
Robin reached out and took hold of Clive's shoulders, and vice versa. They began to jerk each other around and muscled into each others spaces. Shoulder bumps, elbow jabs and head butts flew between them as they continued to tighen their grips. Between them, they'd unleash quips to egg the other on. Clive took a glance to his side to see Starfire and the other girls. She didn't seem to be rooting for anyone particular, just cheering for the sake of their competition. Now Terra was cherring for Beastboy, and Blackfire for Clive. Sherri decided to go against the flow and cheer on Robin and Cyborg, making sure all bases were covered.
Robin: " What're you looking at?"
Clive: " Just MY fans."
Robin: " Come on Clive...you were better when you were with Slade!"
Clive: " Don't make me laugh Bird Boy...I'm just going easy on the guy without powers!"
Robin: " I don't need powers to win."
Clive: " And if you keep it up at this rate, I won't need to use mine either!"
The pair were split apart as Cyborg and Beastboy backed up to regain their footings. They closed back in once again, allowing the pair on top to continue their rivalry. They banged their heads together, trying to gain superiority through their physical strengths. Clive glanced briefly to Starfire and then his sister for some quick support, then turned his attentions back to Robin.
Robin: " She's not rooting for you."
That line was hitting a bit below the belt. Clive grit and clenched his teeth to the point where they made a slight cracking sound. Clive gave Robin a strong shoulder ram into Robin, knocking him slightly off balance. He held onto Cyborg well though, retorting back and head butting Clive, putting them back into the same position.
Clive: " She doesn't pick sides!"
Robin: " I already know Clive...it's no secret."
Clive: " And you don't think I didn't guess you to fall for her either?
Robin: " Better than I thought."
Clive: " Last time you underestimated me, you ended up getting kidnapped."
They pushed each other around, using their legs to guide their respective members into positions to aid thier struggles. Still, Clive took a final glace to Starfire.
Robin: " You said it yourself, she doesn't take sides."
Clive: " That's right, I did."
Robin: " Then why do you keep looking to her?"
Clive: " To make sure I don't upset her by beating you too badly!"
Clive made a last thrust of his shoulders and torso, knocking them into Robin. With a little use of his kinetic energy, he knocked Robin from Cyborgs shoulders and into the pool. With that, Beastboy backed off with Clive while Cyborg retrieved Robin. Clive hopped down from Beastboy and they waded over to the poolside, accepting the cheers and praises from the others.
Blackfire: " Now that's entertainment! You guys were great!"
Clive: " I had a good partner who kept me up on his shoulders."
Terra: " I'll say. Maybe we should do this instead of training! Looks like you guys worked hard!"
Starfire: " You all were amazing! I wish to try this sometime."
Clive: " Tell you what, you can be my partner next time around."
Blackfire: " Oh, let me play as well! I bet I'd be your best partner!"
Clive: " We'll see. In the meantime, I'm feeling kind of hungry..."
Cyborg walked over and shook both their hands, showing a display of good sportmanship. Robin shook Beastboy's hand with a frown, but didn't Clive. Instead, the pair just took a cold stare. Clive put on his smirk for Robin, driving home the point that he won.
Robin: " That was a cheap shot."
Clive: " All is fair in love and war..."
Cyborg: " Hey you two...cool down."
Clive: " I'm cool dude. Don't worry about me."
Clive hopped out of the water and took his towel from the ground. After drying himself off, he headed to the grill to grab some more food. As for Robin, he hopped out of the pool to dry off, then went inside. Clive sat down and checked himself over, seeing bruises from Robin's fingers on his shoulders, as well as from head butts, shoulder rams, and elbow jabs all over his torso. Seeing these, Starfire became a bit more worried.
Starfire: " Are you alright Clive? You two were playing very rough."
Clive: " I'll be fine. Just a little competition between two guys...that's all."
Starfire: " If you say so..."
I've decided I'm going to end up extending this piece of the story a great deal. What I mean by that is...that I have a few story arcs I plan to follow. While this one will have a continuous story, I want it to feel more like the show with little excursions thrown in here and there. Basically, expect to see some reappearances of some past villains and such.
On a side note, anyone read the new Teen Titans Go! comic? It's great! Blackfire rocks in it! Anyways, some brief info on this particular chapter...no real enemies, but I think it went well! Everyone out of the pool!
The Legal Information: All characters present in the Teen Titans outside of Smoke, Clive, Sherri, and all others that are not seen in the show or comic book belong to me. All other characters, such as Starfire, Raven, and Slade, belong to their respective copyright holders. In other words, I do not own the Teen Titans, so anything that I say or have them do in this fanfiction does not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the creators of the Show/Comic or any of it's affiliates.
I'm working really hard at trying to sound smart, aren't I.
Dark Patriot
Rivalry
With the attack from Smoke now a week past, the Titans have been training themselves more and more. Clive has been in a bit of a strange mood as of late as well, spending a lot of time in the garage with Cyborg working on his bike, as well as the obstacle courses, training his skills over more and more. At this particular time, Clive was using a program that Starfire had commonly used for practice. He stood out in the center of the large empty room while 2 orbs floated on in from distribution tubes located around the room. Each of these little orbs shoots out a very weak electrical charge. While the charge doesn't really hurt, it does have the capacity to knock someone down and give them a slight shock, keeping the person training very busy with dodging them as well as promoting a very realistic combat environment. The pair began to fly in an orbit around Clive, as he stood straight up with both his hands transformed into claws. He eyed the orbs as they circled, then dodged out of the way as they made their attacks.
He ducked, jumped over, juked, and otherwise did everything in his power to just avoid the shots without using his powers.
He was doing quite well, and so, the computers automatically lauched a second pair. They followed along side the original orbiting devices, keeping Clive on his toes and jumping around the room. He used much of the equipment for cover from the electrical charges. He kept it up at a good pace, finally getting the orbs to move as he wanted them too. He would run for the weights and dodge a few shots, then lure them by the exercise machines. They would have to float between them while he darted around, getting them to bump into one another as they continued firing at him. The program took it up another notch or two and sent out 4 more of the orbs. Now this was a problem. They came from the opposite side of the room, surrounding Clive immediately. He made a hard run for it, diving to the ground and sliding along the smooth tiled floors as the small bots fired their weapons at him with no luck whatsoever. Now, once again, he had them all chasing him from behind and as he made his approach for the weight machines again, repeating his process.
However, as he had almost made it, he heard the door open from in front of him suddenly. He stopped and skidded to halt quickly, recognizing Starfire in the doorway. She gave him a smile and stepped in.
Starfire: " Clive! I have been searching all over for you."
Clive: " Oh yeah? What can I do for you Starfi...ow!"
Clive's sudden stop didn't register too well with the orbs, and such it wasn't able to react with enough time as it plowed right in the back of Clive's head. He rubbed his new bruise and picked the small round metal device and crushed it in his clawed hands. He gave her a smile in return, allowing her to know that he was just fine.
Clive: " Now, as I was saying...hey Starfire, what's u...OW!"
All around Clive, the orbs had gathered. Since he hadn't noticed them and infact probably forgot about the others, they were able to all quickly disperse around him and zap him once in unison. He grumbled for a moment, before turning around with great speed and slashing 3 of them apart with his claws. The other 4 Starfire handled quickly, knowing she'd probably get zapped as well if she didn't do anything. Quickly afterwards, Clive brushed himself off and looked around again, probing for any more of those little pests. He grumbled to himself under his breath, saying some not so choice things he knew Starfire would not approve of if she heard.
Clive: " So what's up Starfire? You spooked me a little there."
Starfire: " I am sorry Clive, I did not mean to interrupt your training. However, I have not seen you for a while and wanted to know how you were."
Clive: " Well that's sweet of you Star. I'm doing alright, just trying to get better and all that."
Starfire: " Is it because of Smoke?"
Clive knew Starfire wasn't dumb. She wasn't the quickest person to catch onto things however, but her taking notice of this stunned him quite a bit.
Clive: " Well...kinda. See...I got beat last week like it was nothing. Sure, we duked it out a bit, but then he just overwhelmed me and threw me around like it was no big deal. When I pulled myself out of the building, I saw the elementary school getting ready to come down. I called on Black since he's the only one who could take care of it that fast. And then, Smoke was gone. But the fact is, that I was no match. Not even close to the same league."
Starfire: " He did hurt you pretty badly."
Clive: " While not physically...but he did my pride."
Starfire: " Could not Black do it for you?"
Clive: " That's the other thing actually. Black's one of my best friends. Despite how we may act. I might insult him and he'll play a joke on me or something, but he's been there for me from the beginning. I owe him a lot. But I can't force him to fight all my battles either. I need to do something to get better. I need to get stronger than Smoke, one way or another."
Starfire: " But does that mean you need to stop seeing your friends?"
Clive was floored by that last comment. She was right though, he had neglected seeing the others most of the week. Whether he was busy with his training or with his bike, he had pretty much been alone most the week. He squat down and sighed, scratching his ankle while he thought, then stood up and wiped his brow.
Clive: " Tell you what Starfire, I'll make it up to you. I'll make it up to all of you! Just make sure everyone's ready for dinner at 6ish."
Starfire: " Is this to be a surprise?"
Clive: " Yeah, why not! And make sure they've got their swimming trunks, bathing suits on, or whatever."
Starfire: " That sounds like fun. I will go inform the others."
Clive: " Alright then. See you in a couple hours."
Starfire: " What will you be doing?"
Clive: " I'm gonna go get Sherri and do some shopping."
Starfire left Clive, who used his teleporting ability and appeared in front of Sherri's bedroom. He knocked loudly, rousing his younger sister from her nap.
Sherri: " What is it...?"
Clive: " It's the middle of the afternoon sis, what are you doing asleep?"
Sherri: " I've been studying for exams all week...just let me sleep a few more hours..."
Clive: " Sorry girl, but we're going to the store. We need Hamburgers, Brats, Steak, and Hotdogs."
Sherri: " You're not going to..."
Clive: " Sher, it's summer time now. Time for the god of the grill to bare his fangs and appease his followers."
Sherri: " Whatever...just give me a moment here..."
She shut the door to her room, taking about 10 minutes to get a new pair of clothing picked out. She then took another 10 minutes with make up and all that as well. By the time she walked back out in the hall, Clive was leaning against the opposite wall, asleep. Sherri raised her voice quickly, waking Clive.
Sherri: " I DIDN'T TAKE THAT DAMN LONG!"
Clive: " Wha! Oh...uhhh...heh. Anyways sis, we'd better get going."
Sherri: " Yeah yeah. So how are we getting there?"
Clive: " Glad you asked!"
Clive grabbed his younger sisters wrist and held her tightly as they sank back into the shadows. She stiffened up and tensed greatly, not sure what he was doing.
Sherri: " Clive? What's going on?"
Clive: " Well, we're just taking the quick way there. Now don't worry, nothing here's going to hurt you."
Sherri: " O...ok."
Sure enough, in mere moments, the pair ended up in a small alleyway next to the grocery store. They stepped out and into the store, wandering about to all the areas they needed to be. First, they got the meats and such they needed. Clive was very particular about the cuts and such, so this took the longest. Then came the cheeses and condiments. Clive brought Sherri since she did all the shopping and would know what the bests were. Finally, they picked up some frest vegetables and bread and waited their turn to check out. Sherri was looking through the magazine rack placed next to them and found a big artical on the front that peaked her attention.
Sherri: " Brother! Check out this headline!"
She grabbed the tabloid off the shelf and stuck it in Clives face.
'Two New Titans! The inside story about the protectors of Jump City!'
Clive: " Hey, cool! I'm on a tabloid finally!"
Sherri: " What's the accomplishment regarding that?"
Clive: " I don't see you on a tabloid. Either way, you can't even see me. It's all dark and such. Just a silloutte. Now, you can see Blackfire right there pretty well."
Sherri: " Yeah. Looks like you won't get the red carpet treatment like the others."
Clive: " I get just fine treatment. Just watch!"
Clive stepped up to the girl who was taking the money and such. As she scanned all the prices, he made some small talk with her.
Clive: " So how are you today?"
Cashier: " I'm fine."
Clive: " That's good. This is some nice weather we're having ya know?"
Cashier: " Yeah sure."
Clive: " Did ya see the Titans last week save those kids?"
Cashier: " So? They do that all the time."
Clive: " I hear there's 2 new ones now."
Cashier: " Yeah, that's what rumor is. They say one of them is the sister to Starfire, and the other one is some mystery guy."
Clive: " Really? A mystery guy?"
Cashier: " Yeah."
His total rang up and she finally looked at him.
Cashier: " $64.79 please."
Clive: " No problemo! Let me dig out my official TITAN credit card here..."
He handed it to her and she scanned it through her card reader. In a few moments, it came up as accepted, and she began to bag the groceries. When she was finished, she handed them to Clive, then directed him to the exit.
Sherri: " Smooth move operator."
Clive: " Shove it."
Sherri: " I'll spare your life and not tell Starfire or Blackfire about this."
Clive: " Spare me? Pshh...whatever. I wasn't even trying."
Sherri: " Let's just get home. Now how does that thing you do work again?"
Clive: " Hold the groceries please, and leave that to me."
Through the portal again they went, ending up in the tower. They brought the food up to the deck on the roof, making a quick stop for some spices in the kitchen, before they got the grill started.
Clive: " Ok...so once the grill is warmed up, why don't we call the others up here. Oh yeah, that's right...can you go get my swimming trunks from my place downstairs? It's in my dresser on the second to last drawer."
Sherri: " Sure, why not. Want me to go tell the others to start getting ready?"
Clive: " Yeah sure. Tell'm we can have a pool party BBQ up here since it's been such a nice day. Oh...and could you pick me up some Tofu from downstairs? I'm sure Beastboy wouldn't want any of this great, delicious meat selection we have."
Sherri: " Oh yeah, that's right. I'll go grab you some then."
Clive: " Cool. I wonder how hard it is to grill the stuff...I've never even eaten it honestly..."
Clive began to piddle around the grill while he finished setting everything up. From his cooking utensils to his condiments and spices. With everything ready, Clive ventured into the opening stairway into the tower.
Clive: " YO! COOK OUT'S UP HERE! COME AND GET IT EVERY BODY!"
He trotted back and put the meats and such on the grill. Sherri was the first person there, carrying a big bowl of tofu for Beastboy. Clive sckewered it with his fork and placed it on an opening in the grill. He readied plates and drinks aplenty which Sherri had also brought up. Most of the Titans arrived at the same time, except for the resident sisters.
Robin: " Hey, Clive. Thanks for doing all this. Pool Party and Cookout and all..."
Clive: " Hey, it's my pleasure. Being the infamous Bronze Grill God I am, I need to bestow my gifts of goodness and such on the people once in a while."
Robin: " Right, whatever dude."
Clive looked around seeing a finally normal atmosphere. Everyone was wearing a bathing suit, except Raven who was just here to socialize it seemed. Robin still wore his mask and seeing Cyborg in swimming trunks might have been somewhat redundant...but it was still all in good fun. Clive took a moment to change into the pair his sister grabbed for him. He took to the shadows and was pretty much invisible, so he had no problems.
Clive began to flip the burgers, tofu, hotdogs, and steak bits, making sure that they were being evenly cooked. However, he was stopped short hearing a familiar voice behind him.
Starfire: " Clive?"
He turned around and was quite taken in by his Tameranian friends looks. Decked out in a strangely designed, but undoubtedly one piece bathing suit, she was quite a sight sore eyes or otherwise even. His face turned red slightly, but he hide it well.
Clive: " Whoa. Uhh...hey Star."
Starfire: " Is this the surprise? This party?"
Clive: " Yeah. Not really all that uhhh...much. Kinda wish I could have invited like a uhhh...million people here. Would have been pretty kickin'...you know?"
Starfire: " It is fine as it is. Thank you for throwing such a lovely festivity."
Clive: " Well it's my pleasure. Plus, I'm a hankering for a hunk of hamburger and Shish kabobs. Would you like some?"
Starfire: " What is the Shish kabobs?"
Clive grabbed one of the skewerers off of the grill and showed it to her. She marveled at the medley of meats and vegetables all crammed together onto a large stick.
Starfire: " How does one go about eating such a thing?"
Clive: " Huh? Oh, you just take bites outta it, like this!"
Clive ate a couple pieces of the kabob he was holding, deciding to declare it as his own. After a few more bites and some thought, he turned them all.
Clive: " Well...that's not cooked enough. Hope I don't get sick!"
He continued to do his seasoning and turned over the different meats, moving them to different racks. He watched and admired everyone just mingling around the pool side, having fun and seemingly forgetting the threats befalling the city. It then came to his attention...where was Blackfire?
Clive: (Hmmm...I don't see Blackfire...I know she took a big hit to the pride by Smoke too...but it can't be that bad...I mean, she still flirts and such...)
He glanced around some more, seeing Cyborg just a few yards away.
Clive: " Yo Cy! Can you watch the grill for a moment? I'm gonna go look for Blackfire and see if everything's alright!"
Cyborg: " Huh? Oh, yeah sure Clive, I'll take over for you till ya get back."
Clive: " Thanks dude."
Clive hopped down the stairs and made his way through the tower, searching for Blackfire. He made his stop by her room and approached her door. Before he could knock, he felt a hand on his shoulder, which scared him slightly, making him jump and turn around. It was Starfire. Apparently, she had followed him.
Clive: " Oh...Starfire...didn't know you were there!"
Starfire: " I'm sorry...I did not mean to scare you. I was wondering about my sister infact. I had not seen her much today, though I told her about the party on the roof. I was hoping that she was alright."
Clive: " Ah, well that makes two of us."
Clive turned back to the door and knocked on it. After a couple more times, he pressed his ear to the door to see if anyone was inside. Starfire did the same, and the pair listened. They could hear a slight russling around in the room. A moment later, the door opened up on them and caused them both to fall in. While Starfire went crashing to the ground, Clive did not. Infact, he was caught by Blackfire, and pulled into a strong embrace.
Clive: " Urk! O...ok Blackfire...I still need to breath..."
Blackfire: " Whoops!"
Starfire got up off the floor and rubbed her head. Blackfire let go of Clive, allowing himself to gain back his footing and brush himself off. He then noticed that the room was fairly dark, making it almost impossible to see Blackfire. He helped Starfire up off the ground, then thumbed around the wall for the light switch. Finding it, he switched the lights on for a surprise, to say the least.
Clive: " Whoa! Uhh...Blackfire...isn't that thing a little...drafty?"
Starfire: " What the! SISTER! You know you're in your Gerflorgard and Blorkants!"
Blackfire: " What's wrong?"
Blackfire was...hardly considered to be dressed. In what could be called the Tameranian bra and panties undergarments, she stood before the pair. Starfire wrapped her hands around Clive's eyes, blocking his view of her.
Starfire: " You know that is indecent to wear infront of others! Please, put on your clothing Sister!"
Blackfire: " Oh what's the matter Starfire? It's not like I'm naked or anything..."
Starfire: " But...but! You know better Sister!"
Clive: " If you don't mind me interjecting a point...those really aren't uhhh...more or less ummm...how do I word this appropriately?"
Clive continued mumbling about what he wanted to say. Unfortunately, he was ignored by the sisters.
Starfire: " Sister, you should put on something before you continue any further outside of your room."
Blackfire: " I don't have a bathing suit on me...and by earth customers, this is about as close it gets to a 'bikini' as they say."
Starfire: " A 'bikini'? What is the 'Bikini'?"
Clive: " It's a bathing suit...only in 2 pieces...and usually much skimpier. However...I don't think that even qualifies Blackfire..."
Blackfire: " Well...what should I do then? I can't go swimming if I don't have a suit..."
Starfire: " But...I..."
Clive: " Hang on...let me think here..."
Clive sunk into the ground as a shadow and disappeared from Blackfire's room, traveling through the base quickly. He ended up on the roof and dragged Sherri back into the building.
Sherri: " What do you want Clive? I was busy having fun!"
Clive: " Oh wah. Listen, do you have a spare bathing suit or Bikini or something for Blackfire to wear? See...she's ummm...well damn, I'll just take you there. Hang on..."
Sherri: " WAIT...!"
Not bothering to heed his sisters request, he brought the both of them back to Blackfire's room. As soon as Clive appeared, Starfire placed her hands over his eyes.
Starfire: " I apologize again Clive, but she is not appropriately dressed yet."
Clive: " That's alright Starfire. I'll just slip outta here and you ladies can deal with the situation. Hurry up though...I'll bet that foods almost ready..."
Clive faded into the ground, disappearing from view. He would reappear back on the roof and take over the grill once again. He finished everything only minutes later, placing everything from Tofu and steak, to hamburgers and hotdogs. He picked out everything he wanted and sat down by pool side, grabbing a soda on his way. It would be long after that he'd be joined by Cyborg on his left.
Cyborg: " This is some good food man. Haven't eaten like this for quite a while actually."
Clive: " Thanks. My brother taught me everything I know."
Cyborg: " So where's Starfire and the others?"
Clive: " In Blackfire's room getting her a bathing suit ready I imagine."
Cyborg: " Ah. Well that's cool I guess. Better be careful though man, cause you know how she's been the last few weeks with you before...can't imagine what it'd be like now that you're both half dressed."
Clive: " Trust me, it's already started."
Cyborg: " Well, I kinda know the feeling."
Clive: " Really? Now you've got my interests peaked."
Cyborg: " Oh, it's not what you think!"
Clive: " But it is something! So what's her name..."
Cyborg: "...."
Clive: " Please don't tell me it's my coffee maker...cause I happen to like my coffee maker..."
Cyborg: " MAN! WHATEVER!"
Clive: " Well then, tell me her name!"
Cyborg: " Her names Sarah."
Clive: " Ooooo...I see. You know, I thought I've seen a glow about you recently. Infact, the other night when we were working on the bike..."
Cyborg: " I had just got off the phone with her..."
Clive: " Ah. Secrets revealed! And the others? Do they know?"
Cyborg: " They met her a while back."
Clive: " So why don't you bring her over?"
Cyborg: " Well, she's a pretty busy girl, and I'm a pretty busy guy...but we talk a lot."
Clive: " I guess."
The pair continued talking and eating, until Starfire sat down next to Clive, dipping her legs into the pool, just like he and Cyborg had. She carried a large plate filled with all sorts of foods that Clive had prepared.
Clive: " Ah, Starfire, nice of you to join us. So I imagine you guys solved the situation with your sister?"
Starfire: " Your sister is good with the sewing as she called it. She was able to fix a bathing suit of hers so that it would fit my sister."
Clive: " Well that's good to hear."
Cyborg: " Try saying that in about 3 seconds Clive."
Clive: " What do you mean?"
Those seconds were up quickly as Clive felt a pair of arms wrap around his shoulders and chest once again. They moved up to his face and covered his eyes with their hands. This required no explaination as to who it was.
Blackfire: " Guess who!"
Clive: " Come on Blackfire, cut that out!"
Blackfire: " Oh...don't be so shy...you know you enjoy it!"
Starfire blushed, realizing her sisters gratuitous remarks. Clive merely brushed them aside and wiggled his way out of her grasp. He gulped down his last bits of food, tossing his plate aside and escaped into the pool. Blackfire moved into his spot and smirked, looking down at him while eating. He swam around underneath the water, clad in full black, including his face. There, he was like a fish, and didn't seem to need to come up for air.
As everyone began finishing up their meals and such, the pool became more crowded, with the other Titans quickly joining on Clive's fun. They would play all sorts of games. Marco Polo and volley ball were among the favorites, but the Chicken Fighting was probably the best. Cyborg hoisted Robin up on his shoulders, while Clive had Beastboy on his. The guys on top would swat and grapple with each other in a fairly even fashion, while Clive found himself on the short end of the stick as Cyborg was bigger and stronger than he was. He was getting pushed around way too quickly which made it hard for Beastboy to contend with with Robin. Deciding to have a little more fun, Beastboy turned into an octopus and wrapped his tenticles around Robin, bringing the battle in his favor. He didn't exactly think about Clive however, who wasn't quite strong enough on his own to support the weight of the transformed changling on his shoulders. Clive sunk under the water quickly, finally giving out and dropped the green sea creature.
Beastboy: " Aww man! I almost had him too! What happened dude?"
Clive: " Hey! You weigh like a thousand pounds! I'm lucky I held up that long! And then you see what happens when you butt heads with Cyborg!"
Cyborg: " What can I say? I was built to do this!"
Robin: " Come on Clive! Can't you do better?"
Clive: " Is that a challenge?"
Robin: " Maybe."
Clive turned to Beastboy quickly, grabbing him around his neck and pulling him close into a huddle, whispering something to him. Beastboy nodded and smirked, getting into position.
Clive: " Alright Robin, me and you this time around!"
Beastboy transformed in a squid, then Clive hopped on top of him. Using a pair of his tenticles, he held tightly to Clive. Robin and Cyborg moved back into position, and the match started. This time, all the female Titans, sans Raven, had gathered at pool side and rooted the match onwards. The pairs moved into close quarters as Beastboy and Cyborg began clashing bodies. Thankfully for Beastboy, he had much more mass than Cyborg, evening them out. As for Clive and Robin, that was the real action.
Robin reached out and took hold of Clive's shoulders, and vice versa. They began to jerk each other around and muscled into each others spaces. Shoulder bumps, elbow jabs and head butts flew between them as they continued to tighen their grips. Between them, they'd unleash quips to egg the other on. Clive took a glance to his side to see Starfire and the other girls. She didn't seem to be rooting for anyone particular, just cheering for the sake of their competition. Now Terra was cherring for Beastboy, and Blackfire for Clive. Sherri decided to go against the flow and cheer on Robin and Cyborg, making sure all bases were covered.
Robin: " What're you looking at?"
Clive: " Just MY fans."
Robin: " Come on Clive...you were better when you were with Slade!"
Clive: " Don't make me laugh Bird Boy...I'm just going easy on the guy without powers!"
Robin: " I don't need powers to win."
Clive: " And if you keep it up at this rate, I won't need to use mine either!"
The pair were split apart as Cyborg and Beastboy backed up to regain their footings. They closed back in once again, allowing the pair on top to continue their rivalry. They banged their heads together, trying to gain superiority through their physical strengths. Clive glanced briefly to Starfire and then his sister for some quick support, then turned his attentions back to Robin.
Robin: " She's not rooting for you."
That line was hitting a bit below the belt. Clive grit and clenched his teeth to the point where they made a slight cracking sound. Clive gave Robin a strong shoulder ram into Robin, knocking him slightly off balance. He held onto Cyborg well though, retorting back and head butting Clive, putting them back into the same position.
Clive: " She doesn't pick sides!"
Robin: " I already know Clive...it's no secret."
Clive: " And you don't think I didn't guess you to fall for her either?
Robin: " Better than I thought."
Clive: " Last time you underestimated me, you ended up getting kidnapped."
They pushed each other around, using their legs to guide their respective members into positions to aid thier struggles. Still, Clive took a final glace to Starfire.
Robin: " You said it yourself, she doesn't take sides."
Clive: " That's right, I did."
Robin: " Then why do you keep looking to her?"
Clive: " To make sure I don't upset her by beating you too badly!"
Clive made a last thrust of his shoulders and torso, knocking them into Robin. With a little use of his kinetic energy, he knocked Robin from Cyborgs shoulders and into the pool. With that, Beastboy backed off with Clive while Cyborg retrieved Robin. Clive hopped down from Beastboy and they waded over to the poolside, accepting the cheers and praises from the others.
Blackfire: " Now that's entertainment! You guys were great!"
Clive: " I had a good partner who kept me up on his shoulders."
Terra: " I'll say. Maybe we should do this instead of training! Looks like you guys worked hard!"
Starfire: " You all were amazing! I wish to try this sometime."
Clive: " Tell you what, you can be my partner next time around."
Blackfire: " Oh, let me play as well! I bet I'd be your best partner!"
Clive: " We'll see. In the meantime, I'm feeling kind of hungry..."
Cyborg walked over and shook both their hands, showing a display of good sportmanship. Robin shook Beastboy's hand with a frown, but didn't Clive. Instead, the pair just took a cold stare. Clive put on his smirk for Robin, driving home the point that he won.
Robin: " That was a cheap shot."
Clive: " All is fair in love and war..."
Cyborg: " Hey you two...cool down."
Clive: " I'm cool dude. Don't worry about me."
Clive hopped out of the water and took his towel from the ground. After drying himself off, he headed to the grill to grab some more food. As for Robin, he hopped out of the pool to dry off, then went inside. Clive sat down and checked himself over, seeing bruises from Robin's fingers on his shoulders, as well as from head butts, shoulder rams, and elbow jabs all over his torso. Seeing these, Starfire became a bit more worried.
Starfire: " Are you alright Clive? You two were playing very rough."
Clive: " I'll be fine. Just a little competition between two guys...that's all."
Starfire: " If you say so..."