Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans or anything else in this story
DAWN
TITANS TOWER
Kili entered the Tower cautiously, hoping none of the Titans really worried or even tried to call him. "They probably went to sleep and thought I would come in soon, but just to be sure I should get to my room and probe some minds," Kili thought as he crept in to the main room.
He saw Darkness asleep on the couch, a blanket covering her sleeping form, "Shit, hope she wasn't waiting for me," Kili thought. However, he couldn't probe her mind since she was simply a lot more powerful telekinetically than he was.
Darkness felt a presence in the room and opened her eyes, "Who put this blanket?" she then remembered Guardian putting the blanket on her and telling her to sleep. However she then focused on the presence in the room who she recognized immediately as Kili. "Kili?" she called.
Kili then entered the room, "Yeah?" he asked cautiously as he stood in front of her.
"What the hell have you done?" she asked simply, looking into his eyes deeply. Kili didn't need telekinesis to know she knew about what happened.
"How do you know?" he asked.
"I wouldn't worry about that, I would worry about Guardian, better leave until he cools down. If he cools down that is," she said eyeing the hallway.
Kili caught her drift and was turning to leave when he heard a roar from down the hallway. "Kili!" came Guardian's call as he came from the hallway.
Kili had actually begun running but he wasn't nearly as fast as Guardian who tackled him hard against the wall. "Where was your communicator!" he demanded. Guardian was going to break him down nice and slow. The other Titans had heard the scream and were rushing to the main room to see what was happening.
"I-I forgot it!" stammered Kili who now had the fear of God in him.
"What did I tell you I would do if you forgot it," Guardian said softly; however his grip on Kili grew tighter.
"Suspend me?" Kili said, unsure, he had no confidence at all.
"Damn right, and that's exactly what I am going to do, at this moment you are suspended for two weeks," Guardian said, his tone still light.
Although Kili was still scared he breath a sigh of relief inside, he thought it would be a lot worse, "Maybe only Darkness knew about last night, maybe she is covering me?" he thought.
"Now that brings us to the question of what exactly you did last night," Guardian growled as he now flung the cowering teen into the center of the main room. The other Titans were huddled together in the kitchen area watching in horror and fascination at the scene before them.
Kili's little hope was now crushed, again he didn't need to probe anyone's mind to see that Guardian knew.
"What, you thought I wouldn't find out? Now tell exactly where you went," Guardian commanded.
Kili was still on the ground, not daring to stand up and he said, "The teen club in the North Side," he said.
Now Guardian's rage became more apparent, "You went to Hartwell's club? His club of teen sin? Did you drink? Is this where you met the girl? Stand up and answer me you bloody coward! And don't you dare lie!" Guardian roared at Kili. He then turned to Darkness and gave her a nod, tell her to probe Kili's mind to make sure he was honest.
Kili still had pride in him as he stood up tall and answered, "I-I did drink, and yes I met Anna there," Kili said, reliving the night before.
Suddenly Darkness stepped in the main room and walked past Guardian and then slapped Kili hard in the face. Kili clutched his face in pain, and shock while Guardian and the other Titans also looked at Darkness's seemingly random outburst.
"You bastard," she spat.
Guardian gave her a look that said he didn't understand and the other Titans still didn't know exactly what was going on and the bizarre scene before them looked even more bizarre with Darkness slapping a teammate and on the verge of tears.
"Do you know what he did?" she said loudly, looking at Kili with disgust.
"No, why don't you tell us," Guardian said patiently as his eye contact with Kili didn't waver.
"That bastard probed her mind and manipulated that poor girl! He read her mind and played her like a card, used her because he wanted some cheap love," Darkness said the last part in a growl.
Now the other Titans knew what had happened and any sympathy they had for Kili's predicament was now gone. They all gave cold stares at Kili, some in disbelief.
If Kili thought Guardian had been mad before, he was wrong, now Guardian had snapped. "You manipulated an innocent girl! My God the poor girls of Jump City, they have suffered for so long and now you make another one's situation even more miserable!" Guardian shoved Kili so hard Kili fell to the ground, "Did you get her number or any information about her?" he asked as he shoved Kili again when he tried to get up again.
"God damn you all! Shit! I didn't manipulate her, okay, I did read her mind but I didn't manipulated her, I just read her mind to see the situation with her boyfriend, okay? Your right, I made a mistake, I didn't get her number or information on her, but I will meet her next week," Kili said from the ground.
"Did you have protected sex, although there really is no such thing," Guardian asked, not acknowledging Kili's last statement.
"No," Kili said very weakly.
Guardian again grabbed Kili and said, "Do you know what you have done?" he asked.
"What is your problem? Why the hell are you all getting worked up for? You know if she gets pregnant I will take care of her? Don't you know that?" he said, almost pleading that he was honest, however none of the Titans gave him a supportive glance, he was all alone.
"You truly have been living in the Caribbean for way too long," Guardian said, no humor in his voice.
"What is the big deal? I had sex with a girl, you say you have lived in this city for your life, you know teenage sex isn't a big deal," Kili said.
Guardian gave his humorless chuckle and said, "You are so damn thick headed, you aren't a normal teen. You are a Teen Titan! What if she gets pregnant, she isn't going to live in the Tower, reason being she will become a target and I guarantee Hartwell will murder her. So then you will leave her be in the city, maybe get some money, from where I don't know, and then support her. However, your relationship will probably go downhill from there and it might reach the point where she gets so angry she goes to the media. Then you see that's where I get angry," Guardian paused.
Kili took it and just stared on, now feeling very foolish and stupid for what he did.
"Because one of the downfalls of the last team of Titans was a pregnancy and cover-up. I will be damned if I launch a cover-up. Because then the media will question whether teens should be trusted as their guardians. Also, if I launch a cover-up then our massive public support campaign, which is based on our honesty, will be completely tarnished. All our hopes of changing this city will reach a setback. Hartwell will have enough ammunition for a while. However, I should stop boring you about the long term, let me tell you why I am upset about the short term.
Darkness looked with admiration at Guardian at how he was calmly explaining why he was tearing apart Kili, why he was teaching him a lesson about consequences.
"You see right now, our leader, Robin, is out for personal reasons, you, Nightfire, and Nola are the only Titans, active and Reserves available. Also Darkness's mother, one of the founding members of the Titans is missing. So since you have done this you have screwed things up even more, we now have another distraction, a distraction that can tarnish our image and ruin your life. And that's why I am giving you hell!" Guardian finished his speech at a now shamed Kili.
WATCHTOWER
"What do you mean I inherited my lack of control over my emotions?" Robin asked his mother who looked at him seriously.
"You see, I was in love with the first Robin, I was in love with him the minute I joined the Titans," Starfire began.
Robin looked at his mother in fascination; his mother had never spoken about the original Robin, Dick Grayson, or even much of her Titan past. None of the old Titans spoke of anything from his death to the events that followed it. The only other person who knew about those times was Darkness, but she never told Robin what she found out.
"However, we only realized our love with each other after he was infected with a disease, and that is the disease that eventually killed him," Starfire said.
"What disease?" Robin asked, curious.
"Slade ruined him; Slade destroyed him, and tore the team apart, in his death!" Starfire said, her voice very bitter and cold. This tone actually surprised Robin who wasn't used to that tone at all.
"After his death I, like you let my emotions take control. I isolated myself from my teammates and actually blamed them for my grief. I really let it out on your aunt Raven and uncle Beast Boy. I was obsessed with his death, making a shrine for him, and when they got his replacement I snapped and went crazy. Driving the man who would be your father to loneliness and sadness. However, I saw what pain I was causing and I changed for the better," Starfire explained her story briefly.
"Did you have suicidal thoughts?" Robin asked his mother after several moments of silence between mother and son.
Starfire looked at her son in the eye and then looked down when she said, "During my depression, during the time I let my emotions control me, I did think about ending my life," she answered.
"My God," Robin said quietly as he stood up and began pacing the living room. He never believed his mother would have had suicidal thoughts, never. He always had thought no one in the world; no one could love life as much as his mother. He never would have thought their was a time in her life when she wanted to die.
"I am sorry if my story has disturbed you, I didn't wish to do that," Starfire said from where she sat.
"No, no, its okay Mom, I am just a bit overwhelmed. Now tell me about father, you said I also inherited my problem from him," Robin said, bracing himself for another bit of shocking information.
"Are you sure? I don't wish to hurt you anymore," Starfire said quietly.
"No, you aren't hurting me, and I have to know," Robin said, reassuring his mother.
"Alright, your father, when he first joined the team, was isolated, especially by me. I hurt him emotionally and physically, while Cyborg worked him hard and showed little trust or faith in him. Your father reached a breaking point and went out to a party; to fit in he began drinking and made a mistake. That mistake eventually cost someone their life and this drove your father over the edge. Your father went mad hunting the killer, trying to channel the hurt and hide his anguish. However the hurt wouldn't go away, so your father went back to the bottle, hoping to drown away his hurt. Luckily I had begun my recovery and together we overcame his alcoholism and we both overcame our hurt and emotional collapse. That is how your father and me overcame our lack of control, we united and shared the burden so it couldn't overwhelm us," Starfire finished her lecture and gave Robin her solution to the problem.
Now Robin's pacing became even more furious, "Alcoholic? My father drank? Is that why he was so persistent on all his children to avoid that substance. So the two of them overcame their living hells by sharing it together?" Robin had thoughts like these jumping around. Part of him wished he didn't know about some of the information he had just been given. However deep down he knew he should have known and he didn't regret it.
Star looked at her son and asked, "Are you okay child?"
Robin stopped pacing and turned to his mother, "I am fine Mom, thanks, but now I need to know how do I get out of this cycle?" he asked his mother.
"Oh, how silly are you my little prince, that's easy, we will get through this together. You will share the burden with me, and when you are mentally ready you will return to lead your team," Starfire explained easily.
TITANS TOWER
"So am I off the team now?" Kili asked after some moments of silence.
"No, you aren't off the team," Guardian said to the shock and surprise of all the Titans and Kili himself who thought he was done. "No, you aren't off the team," Guardian repeated.
"Why?" Kili actually asked.
"I can see the shock and regret in your eyes, I see you have actually learned something, but you will be moved back to the reserves of course. After Raven is found and rescued," Guardian added.
Kili nodded, seeing that was very fair of him and actually very generous.
"But, you of course you will be punished, punished severally," Guardian said sternly.
"What are his terms," Darkness asked.
"Suspended, no more nights off, whenever he leaves the Tower I will be with him. I am sacrificing my own free time to implement my punishment. He cannot go anywhere without permission and he must put the car back in form. This event will be between just us Titans in this room, because if the news spreads, it could leak, even by accident, and then that girl's life will be in danger. That is why I am not giving him any physical punishment; this has to be kept private. Is that understood Kili?" Guardian explained to all the Titans.
"Yeah, so, I lose my independence and fix the car to what it was before last night?" Kili asked.
Guardian nodded and then added, "When are you going to see the girl again?" he asked.
"If he planned on seeing her again," Nola growled, speaking for the first time. Kili had disgusted her and she couldn't keep it in anymore.
Kili shot her a hurt look before returning his focus back to Guardian and saying, "I told Anna I would see her the next Saturday."
"At that same club?" Guardian asked.
"Yes," Kili replied quietly.
"Alright, next Saturday, you and I will go there, in disguise, we can't get spotted, or else her life is at risk," Guardian explained.
Kili had nothing else to say except, "Alright."
"Oh yeah, if you forget your communicator again I will stitch it on you," Guardian said dead serious.
Kili just nodded and then the Titans were dismissed and went their separate ways.
IQBAL'S HEADQUARTERS
"Wow, seems your daughter and her team can't seem to find me?" Iqbal said when he entered the plush room in which he held Raven.
"They will save me, they will save me," Raven said with certainty.
Iqbal looked at her and said, "At what cost?"
Raven looked in his eyes, unfazed and said, "Whatever price is necessary, Titans never surrender," she added.
Iqbal laughed, "My HIVE wants the Titans blood, to succeed people will have to die. I honestly don't think you have the conscious to handle more deaths on your shoulders," Iqbal pointed out.
Raven didn't show it, but she was worried, "How much does he know about my past?" she thought. However she didn't realize this was part of Iqbal's psychological game, to make her think he knew everything by dropping hints about information he didn't know.
"You know, I have some dirt on Hartwell," Iqbal said casually, he seemed to like to change the subject.
Raven had reached the point where she didn't mind, "What dirt? I mean everyone probably has some dirt on the man. They just can't prove it, that's all," Raven said, not impressed.
"Oh I can prove this, I just don't know how to use it," Iqbal said with a big grin on his face.
"Why are you telling me this?" Raven asked tiredly. She didn't see the point in knowing this information.
"Because I want to see if you can help me," Iqbal said, with full seriousness.
"What dirt do you have," Raven said, she wasn't really going to help him but it didn't hurt to know what Iqbal knew.
"Alright, since you want to know so badly. Hartwell has a teenage son, Kyle, well Kyle is a star football player, going to play for State, quarterback. Anyways, Kyle made a big mistake, he impregnated a classmate. This classmate is under my protection and I intend to use her for leverage to advance my own position in Jump City," Iqbal happily explained his situation.
"You're using that poor girl and that poor boy as pawns in your game? Besides, why is Jump City so important to you? Aren't you the big spy? International man? Why do you care about gaining power in Jump City?" Raven asked, with little hope of changing Iqbal's mind.
"Was a big spy, I was once an international man, but I lost my position because of Guardian and a gun. So now I need to settle down and setup shop somewhere, so why not Jump City, especially since I can get leverage there," Iqbal explained.
"What leverage? You can't become the mayor? You're too young, you can't even join the city council," Raven pointed out.
Iqbal smiled again, "You were right on which area I would use this leverage on, the city council. You see, as you pointed out, I am too young to join, but the elections are coming up and I have a bunch of puppets who can rule for me," Iqbal said.
"So you want to own the city council through puppet officials?" Raven said, realizing the plan.
"Yes, imagine how I can hurt the Titans with that position, Hartwell is playing conservative right now, he doesn't want to change things, but believe me, when I get those seats, I will shake thing up," Iqbal said viciously.
"You're crazy and insane," Raven said sternly. Iqbal just laughed and walked out of the room.
TITANS TOWER
Five hours latter, Guardian was sitting on a chair, it wasn't a comfortable chair. A stiff wooded one with stiff wooden handles. Guardian was alone, the other Titans were doing business, patrolling, while Guardian, Darkness, and Kili stayed at the Tower. Kili was in his room and Darkness entered the main room to see Guardian in his hair.
The sight unsettled Darkness, Guardian was very tense, starring into space, but what bothered her the most was the fact he was leaning to the side and resting his head on his hand. Resting was too light of a word to describe it; he was putting a lot of pressure on his hand, so much that it looked like he would break his hand off if he continued doing it.
Darkness walked up behind the man, lost in thought and began massaging his back. At first she felt his tense muscles get even tenser from the contact but soon enough they began to relax and Guardian began to stop putting pressure on his hand as he just closed his eyes and relaxed.
After several minutes Guardian spoke, "Thank you, this feels wonderful," he said.
"Better than you breaking your hand off," Darkness observed casually.
"My aunt used to say the same thing. However, old habits die hard," Guardian said.
"Sure they do, sure they do," Darkness said.
"We will find your mother, we will protect that poor girl Kili got involved in, we will defeat the HIVE, we will beat Hartwell and we will beat Iqbal," Guardian promised.
"What is bothering you, I can sense it wasn't all those things you just mentioned," Darkness observed.
"Your right, you see, me and Iqbal have a history, a lot deeper than I have let on, a history that spans several decades, before either of us were born," Guardian added.
"What history?" Darkness asked. She was very curious on to what Guardian and Iqbal had in common.
"It's kind of a long story, so go ahead and sit down, I feel a lot better thanks to your massage," Guardian said.
"You're welcome," Darkness said politely.
"Alright, it happened over twenty years ago…" Guardian began the story.
Story is going to be very good so stick around for the next chapter (this was my cliffhanger for this chapter)
Special thanks to all those who read and very special thanks to:
BlackGothFaerie (sorry I didn't mention the sequel to you, feel terrible, really do, so sorry, anyways, glad you enjoyed the last chapter and I am very happy you liked the Robin with his mom scene, I actually had a feeling you of all my reviewers would, kind of weird isn't it?)
Dark Wolf 021 (sadly Kili wasn't tortured, the Titans don't want to put much attention to the situation, good ideas thought)
ShockTreatment (more hints of GuardianxDarkness this chapter, nice observations, thanks for the reviews)
Elissar (thanks for the review and support)
AnimationWickedRaven (hope the update didn't take too long, thanks for the review, you are a very loyal reviewer, thanks a ton)
StickLad (no problem, your character was perfect for the fic)
Dragoon of the Moon (thanks for the characters, and I am glad you liked the last chapter. Also I have an idea for your characters but you will have to patient about it)
Kirara-so-cute (glad you enjoyed the chapter, thanks for the review, I liked it a lot)
Whitewolf33 (glad you enjoyed the chapter, also threw another GuardianxDarkness moment)
Well, hoped you enjoyed this chapter and I hope the huge support continues, this stories is going so well