Konnichiwa minna! Three words… YOU GUYS ROCK! I don't care you lot have been my inspiration to carry on writing this story! I love you all! To my top reviewers, on average for all my stories it would have to be… solodancer789, GenericX, lil' LIK Star, blonde shadowcat, Nightbolts101, SocialKween, Crystal Renee, bunny133 and last but not least Rose! And, a special Thanxz to PixelGirl2009!
Standard disclaimer…
In three years, a lot can happen…
The eyes the Starfire recognised immediately…
After a disturbing silence, Bruce coughed and motioned Robin to talk to Tim. Unfortunately, Robin did not respond… but Tim did. "Hey, you must be Robin, I've heard so much about you."
Robin was shaken out of his stupor and responded, "Hi, can't say I've heard much about you, but I think we'll get along… fine." He looked around for back-up, but realised the other Titans were equally shocked at how similar they were. "Here, let me introduce you to the rest of my team. The girl with the purple hair and chakra on her forehead is Raven," Tim walked up to her and said hello, which was returned. "Here are Cyborg and Beast boy, th,"
"Let me guess, the green one is Beast boy and he's also and comic relief kinda guy and Cyborg is the robot intergraded human. Am I right?" Tim interrupted. Robin stayed silent while Beast boy and Cyborg nodded and smiled. After a few awkward moments, Tim realised that he hadn't been properly introduced to, who he called, the gorgeous tanned girl with the volcanic red hair and emerald eyes.
"Erm… Robin, you haven't introduced me to her yet…" Tim pointed out. Robin looked back from BB and Cy, to Starfire, then finally Tim. He scratched the back of his head slightly, pulled off a weak smile and ushered Tim towards her.
"This would be Starfire, my best friend," Robin emphasised on the 'best' part and Tim caught onto the hidden message… 'She was off-limits'… but, did it really matter.
"Bonjour Mademoiselle," Tim greeted as he took her hand and kissed it. Then became a bit bolder and kissed both of her cheeks. Everyone's eyes widened and Alfred coughed.
"Bonjour Monsieur," Star whispered back. Another awkward silence passed, which Alfred decided to break it.
"I shall take your bags up to your respective rooms, children, while you are having lunch," Alfred stated as he bowed and left the room.
"Thank you Alfred, but we have some matters to deal with before lunch," Bruce called after him. Raven glanced at Cyborg and Beast boy to see what their reactions were to the mention of food. As ever, she was right and they performed their usual antics. Cyborg jumped up into the air as his mouth started to water, while his stomach growled in aggravation. Beast boy, on the other hand, asked Bruce if there was a vegetarian platter for him. Bruce nodded sternly and turned towards Robin and motioned him to come forward. Beast boy stepped back a few paces in line with Cyborg and turned into a chipmunk and did a back flip while shouting in delight. Cyborg glared at him and challenged him that there was more meat than tofu out on the buffet table. Beast boy all of a sudden saw red and kept the ever-so-faithful tradition alive. Raven sighed, Whatever the time of day; where ever they are… they will never stop arguing about food! She shook her head and looked around the library for an interesting book to read.
Robin, however, was busy listening to what Bruce was telling him… the lecture consisted of where they should meet to discuss 'certain' things. The usual's kept popping up every two seconds such as; villains, training techniques, how's your life and where the hell did Tim come from! A few minutes into the lecture they were disturbed by Cyborg's and BB's food tantrums. Robin slapped the palm of his hand against his forehead and turned stiffly towards them and told them to cut it out. A faint murmur of Raven could be heard which sounded like, "Oh yes Robin, more yelling will stop all yelling…"
While the usual chaos broke out at the right time but at the wrong place; Tim and Starfire were having a staring contest. Tim's eyes were slightly glazed over when he peered into Starfire's emerald eyes which seemed to be on fire. He blinked slowly and brought his hand and tugged it through her auburn locks, trailing down the side of her body. Star gasped silently, but kept a lock on Tim's eyes. A few moments later, yells and rants could be heard a few metres away from them. Slowly, they turned their heads towards the scene.
Raven was leaning against a solitary book case, staring absentmindedly and the scene before her. Robin was caught in the middle of a Meat vs. Tofu argument yet again. It was just too bad that there weren't any plates of tofu or meat around to get them to shut up. Star tried to suppress a giggle from erupting, but failed. Her soft giggle came to their ears and made them face her. When she realised that all male personas were staring at her, she put her hands behind he back and put on 'I didn't do anything' expression and called out, "What?" BB, Cy and Robin stared at her for a moment, looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Tim turned to Bruce and asked, "So, when is lunch?"
"I thought you would never ask…" Bruce replied, "Follow me." With that solitary comment, Cyborg and Beast boy followed him, followed by Raven and Robin. A few moments after their shadows had left, Tim and Star started round two of their staring contest. Starfire was on the verge of winning until, "Star? Aren't you guys coming?"
Starfire snapped her head to Robin's direction and beamed, "Of course Robin, but I do not know the way and I cannot seem to find our host." Robin shook his head, walked up to her and grabbed her wrist gently. "I'll show you the way," he whispered as he gently tugged her away from Tim. The instant that their shadows left, Tim stopped staring at Star's body and walked quickly to catch up with them.
Dining Hall…
"Geez, where have you been?" Beast boy groaned.
"Yeah people, we kinda wanna eat right now!" Cy added. Robin shook his head and looked for a place to sit; preferably next to Starfire. As the trio walked towards the table, Robin's fears were established. They had place mats. At the head of the table was of course Bruce. To the right of Bruce were places reserved in order for Robin, Raven and Cyborg. On the left were places reserved in order for Tim, Starfire and Beast boy. Within moments they sat down and began to eat after the cheer. After ten minutes of eating in silence, which was unnatural for the Titans, Bruce decided to break it.
"So Robin and Raven, how did you formulate this team again. The last time I remember, it was just you two on your own," he asked. The other Titans looked at them with expectant eyes, this was new news. Raven jabbed Robin in the side and soon after Robin cleared his throat.
"Well, you see, Raven and I were having a tough time coping with Jump City by ourselves and decided that we needed some more people to help us out. Two months after we had returned from Gotham City we were invited to go to the hospital. There we met Cyborg, who then was called Victor Stone, in the Recuperating Bay. The nurses told us that it was just sinking in that he had to live the rest of his life with artificial limbs and enhancements, which made him an outcast from society," Robin recalled.
"So you decided to make his life turn round and trained him to become and Titan."
"Indeed we did," Raven replied, "About half a year or so after we had met Cyborg and had officially formed the Teen Titans, we met Beast Boy wandering around the park. He was quite timid when we first saw him. It took us a while for him to see that we just wanted to help us. Soon we became friends and he moved in with us. We realised that his name was Garfield Logan and he had been in a science experiment to save his life. The after effects were that he would have green skin and can morph into different animals at will."
"Interesting, but how did you meet Starfire?"
"I met Starfire in an alley way, not too far from the outskirts of Jump City," Robin began, "She was being attacked by some guy and I decided to help her. After I chased the guy away she attacked me as I approached her. She wasn't sure if I was going to attack her or not. Took me a while to calm her down but she soon began to trust me. Once I introduced into the team we've been best friends ever since."
"Do you know anything about her past?"
"Yes. Her name was Koriand'r and she was born Princess of Tamaran. She was then taken prisoner by the Psion's but escaped. She then came to Earth and when I met her she stated that someone kept trying to kill her."
"And that is it?"
"That's it." After a minute they returned to eating and the atmosphere around the table was quiet. Minutes passed by like hours as they finished their meals and desserts. Robin broke the moment by asking, "How did you meet Tim, Bruce?" After a long pause, he answered,
"Like I said before Robin, a year after you departed."
"Yes, I know that but, how and why did you choose him to become you latest protégé?"
"Must you really know Robin?" Robin nodded sternly. "Then I shall tell you after your friends have gone," he whispered. He focused his attention towards his other guests and announced that they could go and relax until dinner was ready. Raven immediately said 'excuse me' and retraced her footsteps back into the library. Beast Boy and Cyborg asked him if he had a games console of any kind. Bruce nodded and gave them directions towards an unprepared PS2. Tim glanced at Starfire, tapped her on the shoulder and asked while flashing a smile which could make ice melt, "Would you like me to give you a tour of the mansion?" Starfire nodded politely and excused herself from the table while Tim grabbed her wrist and led her out of the dining hall. Robin remained seated, but sent death glares in Tim's direction, which did not go unnoticed by Bruce. "When you are quite finished glaring at past shadows, I would be able to tell you about my new protégé." Without delay, Robin snapped out of his trance and looked expectantly at Bruce.
"So, how did you meet Tim?"
"Almost the same way I met you I suppose, except he was already fighting a criminal while defending a young lady."
"So, he knows that you're Batman."
"Of course he knows. I can't exactly keep a secret like that away from him, especially when he's the second Robin."
"Why did you have a replacement? You could have easily called me and said that you wanted me back!"
"You know as well as I do that you wouldn't have come back Robin. Our father-son relationship isn't exactly first prize gold is it?"
"What do you know about this Tim anyway?"
"I know that his parents were murdered and that he had been abandoned by his foster parents, who later committed suicide. Anything else you would like to know?"
"Yes. How long has he been impersonating me for?"
"I told you, a year after you left to start your own team."
"That's two years Bruce. Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want you to feel… like you had to compete against him."
Tough luck. "I'd still have to compete with him Bruce. My team does not seem to think that there is anything different between us, except that they know the colour of his eyes and still don't know mine."
"Robin, you're going to have to show the someday. It's inevitable."
"I know Bruce. It's just… complicated." Bruce nodded his head in acknowledgement. Time seemed to pause for a few minutes.
"Robin, could you call your team together and say that dinner will be ready in fifteen." Robin nodded and left the room to find Raven.
Rear Balcony…
Crimsons, tangy oranges and mauves blended into one glorious sight. Soft rays of light lost their friendly glow as the sun dipped behind the horizon. A gentle array of breeze swept through the air and tossed around everything light in their path. Star's auburn locks whipped softly around her face and shoulders. She sighed deeply and turned around to look behind her. She found Tim staring at her longingly. She cautiously stepped forward as he beckoned her to come with his fore finger. When they were close enough, Tim wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the forehead; she returned with a kiss on the cheek and put her head soundly on his chest. Tim idly curled her hair in between his fingers. The gentle breeze made them sway slightly to the silent rhythm. Starfire could only wish for something more; that it was Robin instead of Tim. Slowly, she lifted her head up, pulled away from Tim and walked towards the balcony's edge. He blinked silently, walked towards her and put his chin on her shoulder.
"I've missed you Kori," he whispered in her ear.
"How did you get here? The last encounter we had been in the infirmary, when I woke up… and that would be in Jump City."
"I have my ways. When Bruce took me in, he said I was free to do what I wished as long as that when he called I would be there. So far, it's been working. He trusts me just as much as he trusts Robin, maybe a little bit more." Starfire instantly broke away and glared at him.
"Robin is more trustworthy than you will ever be!" she growled.
"Well, if that's true, then how come you don't seem to trust him as much as you trust me?" Starfire remained silent while Tim cocked an eyebrow. "Think about it this way Kori, without me, you could be dead right now. Name me a time where The Boy Blunder has saved your precious life…"
"He is not a 'blunder' and I do not require saving all the time!" Starfire folded her arms.
"Hmm… seems like you've had some training."
"Yes, I have."
"In that case…," Tim walked casually up to her, "…Think fast!" he exclaimed as he threw a punch at her. Star gasped and back flipped out of the way, while attempting to kick Tim in the face and his private areas. She failed as he cart-wheeled out of the way. The instant she was on her feet she high kicked Tim, who blocked her and threw her into the air. In a flash Star was back down to Earth and kicked Tim in the chest which was successful. Tim skidded a few yards and smirked.
"That was just a warm-up. You have no idea what kind of training I've been put through…" He ended his speech with a war cry and leapt at Starfire, who was currently blocking herself from the attack.
So much for a tour of Wayne Manor Starfire thought.
Games Room…
"You can't pass me, 'cause you know I'm the master. You wanna pass, but you can't, you wanna
HEY! You passed me!" Cyborg yelled. BB took the liberty to stand up and do a victory dance.
"Yes. Mega hits, full storm and NITRO! Sweet!" Beast boy yelped as he jumped up and down. Soon his voice was replaced by the furiously battering of PS2 buttons. In a moments notice a dark green car careened off the screen and was replaced by light blue car.
"Awww yeah! C'mon baby c'mon!" It doesn't take a genius to realise that Cyborg was back in the lead. Behind the little gaming scene, two figures came through an opened door.
"I'm telling you Raven, there's something about that Tim guy that I don't like."
"Are you sure that you're not jealous Robin? I mean, he did kiss Starfire three times."
"But Raven."
"No buts Robin, you're gonna need some serious proof to prove this. The similarities between you too are uncanny. Well, except for the eyes of course."
"But still-." They soon focused their attention on Beast boy and Cyborg. The screen was flashing 'winner Player 1' in dark blue with fireworks and champagne bottles dotted around. Cyborg leapt six feet in the air and shouted, "Go Cyborg, go Cyborg. Who da man now, who da man, I'm da man!"
Beast boy was left fuming and sizzled, "I want a re-match!"
"That will have to wait Beast boy. Dinner's gonna be ready in ten minutes now," Robin explained.
"FOOD! Glorious food!" Beast boy chorused.
"And now he's Olivier," Raven murmured. BB smiled sheepishly, but carried on. Robin looked around the room and noticed that a certain couple were missing.
"Hey guys. Do you know where Starfire and Tim are?" he asked.
"Yeah, they went that way," Beast boy said as he pointed in the direction that they left.
"Something about Star wanting to see the sun set and Tim showing her the perfect place besides the roof," Cyborg added. Robin stared wide eyed at them, wishing he didn't hear the last part.
"Erm… Cyborg, Raven, Beast boy, you lot go down to dinner and I'll meet you there," Robin commanded.
"Yo, where will you be?"
"I'll be telling Star that dinner is ready. Now go!"
Rear Balcony…
Breathing heavily, Starfire threw another kick at Tim, who flipped out of the way and took her down with him. He landed on top of her and he straddled her so that she couldn't get up.
"Well Cutie, it seems like I've got you down."
"I'm stronger than I look Timothy dear! Hiya!" she roared as she flipped Tim off of her, into the air and kicked him towards the other side of the balcony… straight into… "ARGH!"
"Robin? Oh X'hal! Are you okay?" Starfire cried as she ran over towards him and Tim and helped them up.
"I'm fine. Can I ask what were you doing up here?"
"Well, I… err…" Star started.
"I simply asked Starfire how you were training her and asked her to show me a few of her moves. We ended up fighting and that's how I flew through the air and landed on top of you," Tim explained. Robin cocked an eyebrow and looked at Star.
"Is this true Star?"
"Yes it is Robin."
"Alright. Bruce said that dinner would be ready in fifteen minutes and since fifteen minutes has already passed, I would say that dinner is ready." Robin, yet again, grabbed Starfire by the wrist and led her down to the dining hall. Tim followed cautiously behind.
-
After dinner, needless to say that everybody was full and content, but they were also mildly shocked to find out that, as well as relaxing and not having to kick bad guy butt in Jump City, they would have to do it in Gotham City. Robin had neglected to tell them that half their holiday would consist of training and fighting. The sudden outbursts of Cyborg and Beast boy could be heard through out the house as Alfred could hear them, while he was outing the rest of their bags in their rooms. Speaking of rooms, they also realised that they would be sharing attached rooms. It didn't mean that they had to share a room, but they had a person sleeping on the other side of the wall and could come in at anytime of the night or day. Raven disliked the idea very much. The Titans also learnt that Bruce, Alfred and Tim were not the only ones living in Wayne Manor at this point of time. Barbara Gordon aka Babs aka Batgirl was staying in the room next to Ravens and Larissa S-W-W aka (unknown) would be staying in the room next to Starfire. When Alfred was showing them to their rooms, they realised that the house was divided into two sections, 'B' and 'L'.
"Err, Alfred, dude, do you know why the letters 'B' and 'L' are above the two hallways leading to the rooms?" Beast boy asked.
"Yes Alfred. They weren't here the last time I checked." Robin contributed.
"Well, you see Master Robin. When you left, you left behind two very different girls. They were arguing and were really upset that they had to share a room. So, Bruce decided to try and separate by dividing this area in two. Miss Barbara is not allowed to go into the 'L' section which stands for Larissa, but Larissa is allowed to go into the 'B' section, which stands for Barbara, because Master Bruce sleeps there," he explained.
"But why would Bruce allow Larissa to go to him in the middle of the night?" Robin asked.
"Miss Larissa is wanted by many villains Master Robin. One of the villains has found a way into her dreams. Bruce lets her come into his room so that he can sort it out and make her go back to sleep."
"But why do the villains want Larissa?"
"Because she is Master Bruce's daughter, even though her surname is different. Now no more questions. Master Robin, I trust that you know where your old room is," Robin nodded, "Would you please show Miss Raven to her room, while I show the young masters theirs."
"Yes, I will Alfred. But who is going to show Starfire to her room?"
"Master Timothy is. Their rooms are on Larissa's side of the dormitory area."
"Oh okay. Night guys!" Robin called after them as they split up.
"Night y'all!"
"Cool dreams dudes!"
"Goodnight."
"Pleasant Snor'vaks!"
"Night people!"
"Have pleasant sleep children!"
In Larissa's Section…
"Well, here's your room Kori. Opposite mine and next to Larissa's," Tim announced.
"Thank you Tim. It's lovely." They both looked around her room. All her bags were at the foot of the bed. The bed was covered in purple silk and satin sheets. There were white curtains encasing the four-poster bed. The room had a magic feel to it. A few dozen candles gave the room a warm glow and homey feel to it. Her room had an excellent view of the forest behind the manor.
"I hope you like your room Kori… just as much as I love you…"
Starfire gasped softly as Tim scooped her up; planted her on her bed and started to kiss her neck and lips. Strangely, Starfire responded and closed the door with a soft star bolt.
Wayne manor Court Yard…
Dim headlights flickered in the light dawn mist and motors could be heard no more. Light flittering footsteps could be heard and shadows danced in the morning air. A pair of shadows swept their way upstairs and took opposite paths. A shadowy hand could be seen as it reached out to a gold door handle.
On the other side of the door, Tim's and Kori's eyes were wide open… waiting for the worst…
A faint click could be heard…
Whoa. This chapter only took me three days to write, since I started on Valentines day. Oh, by the way, I want to ask a question and all who review should answer this… Should I bring Larissa and Batgirl into the story? I mean, think of the chaos they could cause!
Anywayz, Thanxz again to all the reviews! Love you guys!
HermioneRon ever: Thanxz for the compliment! I'm not really sure about the pairings yet. I have too many ideas going into this story and all of them are going in. Thanxz again.
solodancer: Hey, you know me! X's and O's to you too. Thanxz again. Without you and your endless ranting, I don't think I would have come this far!
citty cat: I updated! Thanxz!
lil' LIK Star: Yep, one interesting story coming your way! But, I bet you've read better. Thanxz again!
candyclouds: At least you know who you are. Sorry, cliff hangers are my trademark! Hey, hey, hey, I don't want any damage to come to my readers and reviewers! Thanxz very much and Normal Teenage Life is a great story. She gets 50 reviews per chapter. Now that's quality!
Rose: Awww, ever faithful Rose… are you alright child? Slapping yourself isn't exactly healthy. This chapter is more of a filler chapter. Luv you too like chocolate. I really love chocolate too.
blonde shadowcat: You didn't see that coming. I surprised! YAY! No, Batman only looks at good deeds and thinks that their good for life. For example, Batman saw him while he was fighting a thug while defending a lady. Like I said before, I'm not sure about the pairing yet. Too complicated to think about that. Even though Tim/Star seems to be working. Thanxz!
Nightbolts101: I know it's not fair but I can leave a chapter like that. I think that's one of the best cliff hangers in this story so far. Yes, I updated really quickly, I usually take six weeks to update, here I've only taken two. Thanxz! Love ya!
SocialKween: Your review was very comforting, saying that even if Star ends up with Tim and Raven ends up with Robin you'll still support me. Can you saw true reviewer? I bow at your credit. Heh, s'alright! I saw the reviews saying not to change it and they were pretty violent. But then again, in my reviews I end it with (wavy line)L(star)L(star)L(wavy line) Sorry, those symbols don't show up on the site. Yeah, I got a little side-tracked with my mock exams coming up, and have lost track on my reading. But I will review, if I haven't already. Thanxz!
XxPerfectionistxX: Someone always notices child! Is this soon enough? Thanxz!
Ldy-FloR: Omgosh omgosh, how many times can you say omgosh in an hour. You must be shell shocked. Thanxz!
anwen: Sorry anwen… he gets pretty close to her. Poor star. Thanxz! Love ya!
GenericX: I bow at your compliments. And I've noticed that you've updated your story. I shall review soon, when my computer stops messing up! Things for Star start to look up… This is chapter seven and only NOW you're saying things are starting to get interesting? Thanxz!
starfan1: Catch your breathe child. La la-la-la la-la-la-la and no one can believe, Jamaica have a bobsled team! Sorry couldn't resist. Shocker, I said it. I'm on another fav's list… Yay! Don't worry, this story won't stop for a long time! Thanxz!
Okay people, I have more questions to ask which each one of you, would you please answer in your reviews!
Should I introduce Larissa and Batgirl into the story?
What pairing would you like to see out of this story?
Which story should I update next?
- How can I Trust You?
- Baby Can I Hold You Tonight?
- Pray The Music Never Stops or
- Why Can't You Get The Right Message?
I'm taking in the first five reviews to prove my answers first. So get reviewing people!
Keep it real…
D-I-WaRrIa