A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply
A/N: Thanks everyone for reviewing. Glad you're all enjoying yourselves, and, hopefully, the best is yet to come.
Titans, Act One, Scene Three
Starfire sullenly molded her body to the sofa. She idly flipped through the channels, only to have each show, each commercial, with something that reminded her of Robin: the red of his shirt, the yellow of his cape lining, the darkness of his hair. She rose to her feet and dropped the remote on the floor.
"Uh, Star?"
"Yes, Beast Boy?"
Beast Boy smiled and held up a banana split. "I thought this would help. It even has real ice cream."
"Thank you, friend, but I do not feel like consuming the split of banana right now."
As if on cue, Cyborg swooped in and snatched the sundae out of the diminutive green boy's hands. "Well, if ya'll aren't going to eat it," he said before devouring it.
Star walked up the short staircase leading out of the expansive common room.
BRACK BRACK BRACK
The warning klaxon echoed sharply through the tower. Star looked around hoping to see her Robin rush in for a status report and then chided herself for her foolishness. Cyborg rushed the bowl to the sink while Beast Boy isolated the signal.
"What is it?" Star asked.
"It's Gizmo and Mammoth. They're raiding the JCJC tech lab."
Beast Boy and Star looked to Cyborg, waiting him to say something. BB even prompted his massive friend with a wave of his hand. But Cyborg, himself, waited for another voice. He sighed.
"All right," he said. "Titans, Go!"
Raven sat up with a start. Seconds before, she leaned restlessly against the taxi's window before looking over to Robin. Her eyes widened with concern.
"It's the tower," she leaned over and whispered. "They need us."
"It's okay," Robin said to her, nodding at the cabbie and wrapping his arm around Raven's shoulder, pressing her lightly against him. He looked down, and his midnight blue eyes met her violet ones. Raven took a long slow deep breath, and lost all sense as he smiled at her so terribly tenderly.
It's just an act, she told herself repeatedly. But her heart still leapt every time she caught a glimpse of his eyes.
Robin leaned over and whispered into her ear. "Star, Cy, and BB can handle it. It's just Gizmo and Mammoth."
Raven raised a curious eyebrow and looked up. Robin smiled knowingly and tapped the small black cellular device wrapped around his ear. Raven chided herself for getting so wrapped up in seeing Robin's eyes for the first time; she never saw the earpiece.
"It figures that you would find a way to keep tabs on everyone," Raven said, sitting back up, in her usual droll manner.
Robin grinned and leaned back in his seat without further comment.
As the cab pulled into Wolfman International Airport, Robin tapped the young witch on the shoulder. She had one of her ubiquitous books out and didn't realize they had arrived. Raven hurriedly stuffed her book back into her bag and stepped out of the cab. She looked around taking in the energies around her. Apprehension and excitement hung palpably in the air for her: families waiting to be reunited, lovers parting, and businessmen plotting their next meeting as if playing chess. She rubbed her arm as the emotions washed over her. A new emotion filled her: edgy, balancing between confidence and fear, as if on the point of a knife.
Raven turned and found Robin, hands stuffed in his pockets, his bag slung over his shoulder.
"Let's go."
The humongous red headed beast of a teenager slammed his fists on the pavement, sending shockwaves across the street. Mammoth snarled as he charged Cyborg. Cy stepped back to regain his balance giving the behemoth the initiative.
Beast Boy quickly changed from a hummingbird to an elephant and sideswiped Mammoth, sending him hurtling into a parked delivery van. The van crumpled like paper, but Mammoth quickly pulled himself out.
Starfire and Gizmo were airborne, both sending energy bolts at each other, and both missing.
"Come on you snot slurping, carrot colored, pit munching, alien freak!" Gizmo yelled in his high-pitched voice. "Stand still so I can blast you!"
"Watch your language, you obnoxious klorbag!" Star replied as she powered up another barrage of starbolts.
"Is that the best you got?" Mammoth taunted BB and Cy as he cracked his knuckles.
"Wanna find out?" Cy growled and waved his hand, unmistakably telling his opponent to "bring it."
Mammoth reached around and hoisted the van over his head, showing off his fantastic strength. But he failed to account for BB. The green changeling changed from elephant to mongoose to wasp as he quickly closed the distance. He flew over Mammoth and did a flip, changing into is enemy's Pleistocene namesake.
Mammoth never saw the giant beast dropping from two stories.
Cyborg cringed.
Beast Boy jumped again, and transformed into his natural, elfin form, landing next to his best friend. Mammoth was knocked completely out.
"Can I say it? Can I say it?" he asked excitedly.
"Oh yeah, you've earned it," Cyborg said giving his friend two thumbs up.
Beast Boy struck a victorious pose. "Boo-yah!"
Cyborg laughed and looked skyward. Star landed several precision hits on Gizmo's harness and watched as the jet pack flew off in one direction, and the diminutive genius glided in the other. He took three steps and caught his nemesis, holding him out at arm's length like one would hold a smelly cat.
"Good shooting, Tex," Cy told Star as she gracefully floated to the ground.
"Thank you all, Pahd-nuh," Star said doing the worst Western accent imaginable.
"So this is Jump City," a blue-skinned man said slowly, leaning against a plate window. Before him sprawled the magnificent bay side city. He took in the landmarks. The Perez Bridge spanned the fog-enshrouded mouth of the bay. Before the bridge, he made out a distinctive T shaped building on an island. The blue man scowled and turned toward his equally outlandish companion.
The black garbed man stepped from the shadows, a light bulb spread across his chest.
"Yes," the other man said, "And with our combined technological knowledge, not even the Teen Titans will be able to stop us!"