Disclaimer: Characters do not belong to me. Oh woe, oh woe.
Author's Notes: Feedback is so nice; thank you all so much! Please continue to read and enjoy, and I will keep trying to update as soon as humanely possible.
Flying Home
by Kristen Elizabeth
'Cause every once in a while
You think about if you're gonna
Get yourself together
You should be happy just to be alive
And just because you just don't feel like comin' home
Don't mean that you'll never arrive.
- Jet
After a perfect half-hour of silent, harmonious meditation, Starfire had reached the end of her rope. Cracking one eye open, she stole a look at the girl floating next to her in the same crossed-leg position. Raven seemed at peace; it wasn't going to be easy breaking into that peace, but Starfire had no choice. She needed to have a girl talk.
"Friend Raven?"
Raven sighed heavily. "What took you so long?" She opened her eyes. "Whatever you want to ask, go ahead."
Starfire's shoulders relaxed a bit. "It is about Aqualad."
"What about him?"
The Tamaranian girl hesitated. "Before I say anything further, I must ask you one question. Do you still hold admiration in your heart for our new teammate?"
"First of all, he's not exactly new," Raven replied. "Six months on the team and he's pretty much in the club. And secondly…" She looked at Starfire. "No, I don't. Crushes are over as quick as they come, and they're too much bother to try to keep up."
"I understand." Starfire took a breath. "I believe Aqualad may be crushing upon me."
This wasn't news to anyone else in the Tower. Practically from his first day, the latest addition to the Titans had made his interest in their alien friend abundantly clear. Raven had taken for granted that Starfire would notice the extra attention he heaped onto her…the long talks, the subtle hand-around-the-waist gesture…a normal woman would have picked up on it a long time ago.
But Starfire was nothing if not innocent, so it didn't surprise her too much to hear the confusion in her friend's voice.
With another sigh, Raven landed and faced the other girl.
"Would it bother you if he was?"
This seemed to puzzle her even more. "I do not know. He is very handsome and intelligent. And he will drink a delicious glass of mustard with me. But…" She looked away.
"He's not Robin."
"Robin is gone."
"But not forgotten."
Starfire's eyes watered. "Even after the Rekmas, friends are not forgotten."
Raven walked to the circular sofa and sat down. "I say you should go for it. Why not? You'd make a cute couple. A disturbingly cute couple."
"Is it wrong that if I were to 'go for it,' I would never feel for him what I have felt for Robin?"
One look at her friend's pleading, tearful expression told Raven that she wasn't looking for an answer, so much as reassurance.
"You have every right to be happy." Raven picked up her book. "If Robin can't be a part of that, you'll have to find it somewhere else."
With Raven engrossing herself in her latest horror novel, the girl talk was effectively over. Starfire tried to feel better about the whole situation as she floated out of the living area and back to her room, but she just couldn't muster anything but self-doubt. Self-doubt and guilt.
She steered herself past Robin's old room. She'd spent too much time there in the past few months. It had long since lost the haunting scent of him.
Aqualad's room was just next to it; she knew he would be inside, immersed in the massive aquarium his personal mechanic, Tram, had built for him. While he still preferred to spend as much time as possible in the waters surrounding their little island, he was still a member of the team, and needed to be on call. The room-turned-tank allowed him to be in the Tower, but still in his natural habitat.
Starfire didn't bother knocking. If he was underwater, he wouldn't be able to hear it anyways. She simply let herself in.
There was a ten-foot section of floor that still remained intact; it was the only "dry land" left in the room, and contained nothing more than a few chairs and a closet with a few articles of clothing and a large stack of fluffy towels, more for his teammates than for him. A metal ladder clung to the abrupt edge of the floor and led down into the dark blue waters that made up the rest of the sixty-foot space.
Although she'd never been invited into the true depths of Aqualad's quarters, she knew that the water went down at least three stories.
The room smelled of sea salt and fresh air that was pumped in to keep the temperature regulated. She flew to the very edge and once there, removed her purple boots and sat down, dipping her toes into the cool water. It felt delightful.
Just then, something grabbed her toe and playfully jerked. If she hadn't grabbed the ladder, she would have been pulled in. Aqualad surfaced, a broad smile on his face.
"Did I startle you?" he asked.
"Yes," Starfire replied truthfully. "But it is my fault. I intruded."
"Not at all." He treaded water a few feet out. "I'd love some company. In fact, why don't you join me?" When she blushed, Aqualad swam closer. "It could be fun."
"I cannot breathe underneath the water as you can," she excused herself a little too quickly.
"We don't have to go diving down to my bed." He paused. "All right, that came out wrong."
Starfire frowned. "It did?"
"Star…look. I've been meaning to talk to you about something for awhile now." Aqualad reached the ladder and hauled himself out of the water with fluid grace. He wasn't wearing his full uniform, just a tight pair of black rubber pants. His hair was slicked back from his forehead and plastered to his muscular shoulders. She tried not to stare, but he presented a picture worth staring at. "It's about us."
She waited for him to go on, which he did after a long moment. "I want there to be an 'us.' Do you know what I mean?"
"Yes. I was right. You are crushing upon me," Starfire said with a fair amount of wonder.
He smiled. "Yeah, I guess I am. So…what do you think?" Off her confused look, he clarified, "About the two of us maybe…going out sometime? I don't have a lot of experience in these things, either, so maybe I'm going about this all wrong. But I like you, Star."
"I like you, too. We are teammates and friends."
"But I want to get to know you better. As more than a teammate. And more than just a friend."
Starfire looked out over the settling surface of the water. Funny how she could be entirely surrounded by one man's world, but only be able to see another man's face when she closed her eyes. Robin. How could he fill her mind so completely when she was sitting next to another very attractive, half-dressed member of the opposite sex?
"Are you thinking about Robin?" Her eyes flew open. He chuckled. "No, I can't read your mind. Just your melancholy. You are, though, aren't you?"
"I am sorry," she whispered.
Aqualad shook his head. "Don't be. It's understandable. I know he still holds onto your heart, even from a distance. But having been here for a long time now, I think I can safely say I know you, Star. You have the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met." He paused. "Do you think, just maybe, there might be some room in it for me, too?"
The answer to his question rested on the very tip of her tongue when the alarm rang out. Cyborg's voice boomed through the intercom system. "Butts in gear, people. We gotta move!"
Starfire stood up. "I will leave so that you may finish dressing." She averted her eyes from his bare, water-dappled chest and grabbed her boots. Barefoot, she flew out of the room. Once the door had closed, she landed and rested her head against the wall.
"Hey, Star!" Beast Boy nearly ran past her. "You'd better hurry up or Cyborg's gonna pitch one of his hissy fits."
She gave her green friend as bright a smile as was possible. "I shall follow you into glorious battle as soon as I put on my leg casings."
The boots she was clutching in her hand suddenly began to levitate. Raven approached them from behind. "Encase your legs in the car on the way there. I'm in no mood for one of Cyborg's hissy fits."
Aqualad stepped out of his room just then, fully clothed in his usual uniform. "Are we having a party in the hallway? Cyborg's going to have a hissy fit."
Starfire smothered a giggle behind her hand. Trust her team, her friends, to make her laugh when she needed it the most.
"Still the best pizza in the city," Robin said to himself as he picked up a steaming slice loaded down with pepperoni, mushrooms and black olives. Instead of taking a bite, though, he stared at the gooey treat.
Pizza was one thing that wasn't readily available at Wayne Manor, unless one wanted to risk the wrath of Alfred when one of his gourmet meals was turned down in favor of a call to the nearest delivery place.
The cheese was starting to slide off, so Robin took a big bite. If the past had a taste, it would be this. Pizza had been as much a part of life in Titan Tower as anything. They'd eaten it, argued over it, eaten some more of it, left it in the fridge until it turned fuzzy and blue, and even then it had still been eaten by at least one of them.
He swallowed. She was always doing that, creeping into his thoughts at the oddest moments. He thought that after nine months without seeing her, she'd gradually start to fade into a pleasant memory. But no…Starfire was a raw wound he'd inflicted upon himself, and thinking of her only poured salt onto it.
Robin set the pizza slice down and wiped his mouth on a paper napkin. He shouldn't have come to this place…hell, he shouldn't have even come to the city at all. But with Bruce on an extended getaway somewhere in Fiji with his latest lady love and Alfred on vacation with his family in England, the mansion had become just a little too big for one person. He'd needed to get out and do something, be around people, eat something that wasn't leftover. Or French. There was nothing worse than day-old escargot.
On the street below, dozens of people milled about, heading off to dance clubs or other restaurants or the movie theatre, every single of one of them happy to be free for the weekend. With his jeans, un-tucked button down shirt and jacket, he might have blended in with them.
But the mask, the mask that was always in place covered his face, separating him from a normal life. Yes, he hid behind it, but it was necessary. Even in such a peaceful setting, something could wrong in an instant.
"Help!!" A blood-curdling scream from the street jolted him to attention. "They're robbing the jewelry store!!"
Robin shook his head in amazment...and annoyance. Life had the oddest sense of timing.
Leaving his pizza behind, he ducked into the men's restroom and emerged a moment later, having discarded his street clothes. Nightwing had taken the place of Robin, and he received more than few stares from the other patrons who had gathered around the balcony to watch the scene below.
This was why the mask was so important.
Ignoring them, Robin leapt onto the railing and quickly planned out his next move.
"They said the robbers went that way." Beast Boy pointed to a side street just down the block. He barely had time to close the T-car's door before Cyborg took off. The sudden movement pitched him against Raven. He looked up at her with a toothy grin. "Hey there, good-lookin'."
Raven narrowed her eyes. "Cyborg, ease off the gas. Some of us would like to keep our dinners where they belong." She didn't, however, push Beast Boy away.
"What's the rule on backseat driving?" he barked back.
Starfire raised her hand. "Backseat drivers shall walk to the next emergency."
"Very good, Star." Cyborg yanked the wheel to the right just then, taking the turn down the side street as sharp as possible. The car's passengers were instantly jerked to the left, causing Raven's eyes to narrow even more as Beast Boy was practically thrown into her lap.
In the backseat, Starfire suddenly found herself pressed up against Aqualad's side. Her cheeks burned as she scooted back into her proper place. "Forgive me."
"Nothing to forgive," he replied with a smile.
There was no more said between them, although there were a lot of jokes, insults and deadpans being thrown around by their teammates. After only a short while, Cyborg slammed on the brakes, sending them all sailing forward.
With his face squashed against the back of Cyborg's seat, Beast Boy groaned in pain. "I guess we're here."
"Star, hit the air!" Cyborg ordered. He pointed down the street just as the ski-mask clad robbers rounded the corner. "We'll trail you!"
Aqualad leaned over and opened the door for her. "Be careful."
Starfire shot out and focused on her mission. Anything to keep from concentrating on how warm she'd felt crushed up against his body. It was too upsetting. It made her feel even more guilty.
She flew around the same corner the robbers had taken and came to a halt, but not just because it was a dead-end alley. The two robbers sat back to back by a clump of garbage cans, bound and gagged. Starfire hovered for a moment, puzzling out the picture in front of her. Before she had put all of the pieces together, something moved in the shadows, startling her.
"Hello? Is someone there?" There was no reply. "Whoever you are, please, show yourself."
"Don't be alarmed."
Hearing his voice after so many months stopped her heart for at least one beat. Her hand flew to her mouth. "Robin?"
The man who stepped into the light of the street lamp wasn't Robin. At least not the Robin she remembered. However, he was very familiar.
"Nightwing," she said softly.
"Star." He stumbled forward, clutching one hand to his side. The black material of his uniform was slick with blood.
"You are injured!" She flew to his side and caught him before he could fall. "What have they done to you?"
He didn't answer; his teeth were clenched in pain as he held onto her for dear life. Just then, the other Titans rounded the corner…each of them coming to a screeching stop upon seeing them.
"Whoa." Beast Boy blinked. "Am I seeing stuff or is that…"
"Robin." Raven pulled back the hood of her cape. "It's him."
Aqualad looked past Starfire and Robin at the robbers, swallowing a sudden lump in his throat. "They're not going anywhere," he noted. "That's good, right?"
Cyborg took a bit longer to recover. He folded his massive arms across his metal chest. "What's up, Robin? Not enough action in Gotham? You've gotta come play hero on our turf, too?"
"We've got turf?" Beast Boy asked. "Cool!"
"Friends, now is not the time to argue," Starfire said frantically. "Robin is bleeding; we must give him medical attention!"
"We should get him to the Tower. A hospital will ask too many questions about his identity," Aqualad said, gravely.
"I don't want blood all over my baby."
"Dude," Beast Boy frowned at Cyborg. "That is ice cold and totally uncool."
Raven walked up to him as calmly as possible. "Get over your car, or I'll drop you into another dimension. This is still Robin."
He looked away. "Yeah. All right."
Starfire tightened her grip on Robin's waist. "You will be fine soon," she promised. "I will not let anything happen to you."
"Star," he repeated. Her face was getting blurry, and the whole world was spinning around him. Before he slipped into sweet unconsciousness, Robin smiled at her. "I've missed you…so much."
To Be Continued
Author's Notes: Feedback is so nice; thank you all so much! Please continue to read and enjoy, and I will keep trying to update as soon as humanely possible.
Flying Home
by Kristen Elizabeth
'Cause every once in a while
You think about if you're gonna
Get yourself together
You should be happy just to be alive
And just because you just don't feel like comin' home
Don't mean that you'll never arrive.
- Jet
After a perfect half-hour of silent, harmonious meditation, Starfire had reached the end of her rope. Cracking one eye open, she stole a look at the girl floating next to her in the same crossed-leg position. Raven seemed at peace; it wasn't going to be easy breaking into that peace, but Starfire had no choice. She needed to have a girl talk.
"Friend Raven?"
Raven sighed heavily. "What took you so long?" She opened her eyes. "Whatever you want to ask, go ahead."
Starfire's shoulders relaxed a bit. "It is about Aqualad."
"What about him?"
The Tamaranian girl hesitated. "Before I say anything further, I must ask you one question. Do you still hold admiration in your heart for our new teammate?"
"First of all, he's not exactly new," Raven replied. "Six months on the team and he's pretty much in the club. And secondly…" She looked at Starfire. "No, I don't. Crushes are over as quick as they come, and they're too much bother to try to keep up."
"I understand." Starfire took a breath. "I believe Aqualad may be crushing upon me."
This wasn't news to anyone else in the Tower. Practically from his first day, the latest addition to the Titans had made his interest in their alien friend abundantly clear. Raven had taken for granted that Starfire would notice the extra attention he heaped onto her…the long talks, the subtle hand-around-the-waist gesture…a normal woman would have picked up on it a long time ago.
But Starfire was nothing if not innocent, so it didn't surprise her too much to hear the confusion in her friend's voice.
With another sigh, Raven landed and faced the other girl.
"Would it bother you if he was?"
This seemed to puzzle her even more. "I do not know. He is very handsome and intelligent. And he will drink a delicious glass of mustard with me. But…" She looked away.
"He's not Robin."
"Robin is gone."
"But not forgotten."
Starfire's eyes watered. "Even after the Rekmas, friends are not forgotten."
Raven walked to the circular sofa and sat down. "I say you should go for it. Why not? You'd make a cute couple. A disturbingly cute couple."
"Is it wrong that if I were to 'go for it,' I would never feel for him what I have felt for Robin?"
One look at her friend's pleading, tearful expression told Raven that she wasn't looking for an answer, so much as reassurance.
"You have every right to be happy." Raven picked up her book. "If Robin can't be a part of that, you'll have to find it somewhere else."
With Raven engrossing herself in her latest horror novel, the girl talk was effectively over. Starfire tried to feel better about the whole situation as she floated out of the living area and back to her room, but she just couldn't muster anything but self-doubt. Self-doubt and guilt.
She steered herself past Robin's old room. She'd spent too much time there in the past few months. It had long since lost the haunting scent of him.
Aqualad's room was just next to it; she knew he would be inside, immersed in the massive aquarium his personal mechanic, Tram, had built for him. While he still preferred to spend as much time as possible in the waters surrounding their little island, he was still a member of the team, and needed to be on call. The room-turned-tank allowed him to be in the Tower, but still in his natural habitat.
Starfire didn't bother knocking. If he was underwater, he wouldn't be able to hear it anyways. She simply let herself in.
There was a ten-foot section of floor that still remained intact; it was the only "dry land" left in the room, and contained nothing more than a few chairs and a closet with a few articles of clothing and a large stack of fluffy towels, more for his teammates than for him. A metal ladder clung to the abrupt edge of the floor and led down into the dark blue waters that made up the rest of the sixty-foot space.
Although she'd never been invited into the true depths of Aqualad's quarters, she knew that the water went down at least three stories.
The room smelled of sea salt and fresh air that was pumped in to keep the temperature regulated. She flew to the very edge and once there, removed her purple boots and sat down, dipping her toes into the cool water. It felt delightful.
Just then, something grabbed her toe and playfully jerked. If she hadn't grabbed the ladder, she would have been pulled in. Aqualad surfaced, a broad smile on his face.
"Did I startle you?" he asked.
"Yes," Starfire replied truthfully. "But it is my fault. I intruded."
"Not at all." He treaded water a few feet out. "I'd love some company. In fact, why don't you join me?" When she blushed, Aqualad swam closer. "It could be fun."
"I cannot breathe underneath the water as you can," she excused herself a little too quickly.
"We don't have to go diving down to my bed." He paused. "All right, that came out wrong."
Starfire frowned. "It did?"
"Star…look. I've been meaning to talk to you about something for awhile now." Aqualad reached the ladder and hauled himself out of the water with fluid grace. He wasn't wearing his full uniform, just a tight pair of black rubber pants. His hair was slicked back from his forehead and plastered to his muscular shoulders. She tried not to stare, but he presented a picture worth staring at. "It's about us."
She waited for him to go on, which he did after a long moment. "I want there to be an 'us.' Do you know what I mean?"
"Yes. I was right. You are crushing upon me," Starfire said with a fair amount of wonder.
He smiled. "Yeah, I guess I am. So…what do you think?" Off her confused look, he clarified, "About the two of us maybe…going out sometime? I don't have a lot of experience in these things, either, so maybe I'm going about this all wrong. But I like you, Star."
"I like you, too. We are teammates and friends."
"But I want to get to know you better. As more than a teammate. And more than just a friend."
Starfire looked out over the settling surface of the water. Funny how she could be entirely surrounded by one man's world, but only be able to see another man's face when she closed her eyes. Robin. How could he fill her mind so completely when she was sitting next to another very attractive, half-dressed member of the opposite sex?
"Are you thinking about Robin?" Her eyes flew open. He chuckled. "No, I can't read your mind. Just your melancholy. You are, though, aren't you?"
"I am sorry," she whispered.
Aqualad shook his head. "Don't be. It's understandable. I know he still holds onto your heart, even from a distance. But having been here for a long time now, I think I can safely say I know you, Star. You have the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met." He paused. "Do you think, just maybe, there might be some room in it for me, too?"
The answer to his question rested on the very tip of her tongue when the alarm rang out. Cyborg's voice boomed through the intercom system. "Butts in gear, people. We gotta move!"
Starfire stood up. "I will leave so that you may finish dressing." She averted her eyes from his bare, water-dappled chest and grabbed her boots. Barefoot, she flew out of the room. Once the door had closed, she landed and rested her head against the wall.
"Hey, Star!" Beast Boy nearly ran past her. "You'd better hurry up or Cyborg's gonna pitch one of his hissy fits."
She gave her green friend as bright a smile as was possible. "I shall follow you into glorious battle as soon as I put on my leg casings."
The boots she was clutching in her hand suddenly began to levitate. Raven approached them from behind. "Encase your legs in the car on the way there. I'm in no mood for one of Cyborg's hissy fits."
Aqualad stepped out of his room just then, fully clothed in his usual uniform. "Are we having a party in the hallway? Cyborg's going to have a hissy fit."
Starfire smothered a giggle behind her hand. Trust her team, her friends, to make her laugh when she needed it the most.
"Still the best pizza in the city," Robin said to himself as he picked up a steaming slice loaded down with pepperoni, mushrooms and black olives. Instead of taking a bite, though, he stared at the gooey treat.
Pizza was one thing that wasn't readily available at Wayne Manor, unless one wanted to risk the wrath of Alfred when one of his gourmet meals was turned down in favor of a call to the nearest delivery place.
The cheese was starting to slide off, so Robin took a big bite. If the past had a taste, it would be this. Pizza had been as much a part of life in Titan Tower as anything. They'd eaten it, argued over it, eaten some more of it, left it in the fridge until it turned fuzzy and blue, and even then it had still been eaten by at least one of them.
He swallowed. She was always doing that, creeping into his thoughts at the oddest moments. He thought that after nine months without seeing her, she'd gradually start to fade into a pleasant memory. But no…Starfire was a raw wound he'd inflicted upon himself, and thinking of her only poured salt onto it.
Robin set the pizza slice down and wiped his mouth on a paper napkin. He shouldn't have come to this place…hell, he shouldn't have even come to the city at all. But with Bruce on an extended getaway somewhere in Fiji with his latest lady love and Alfred on vacation with his family in England, the mansion had become just a little too big for one person. He'd needed to get out and do something, be around people, eat something that wasn't leftover. Or French. There was nothing worse than day-old escargot.
On the street below, dozens of people milled about, heading off to dance clubs or other restaurants or the movie theatre, every single of one of them happy to be free for the weekend. With his jeans, un-tucked button down shirt and jacket, he might have blended in with them.
But the mask, the mask that was always in place covered his face, separating him from a normal life. Yes, he hid behind it, but it was necessary. Even in such a peaceful setting, something could wrong in an instant.
"Help!!" A blood-curdling scream from the street jolted him to attention. "They're robbing the jewelry store!!"
Robin shook his head in amazment...and annoyance. Life had the oddest sense of timing.
Leaving his pizza behind, he ducked into the men's restroom and emerged a moment later, having discarded his street clothes. Nightwing had taken the place of Robin, and he received more than few stares from the other patrons who had gathered around the balcony to watch the scene below.
This was why the mask was so important.
Ignoring them, Robin leapt onto the railing and quickly planned out his next move.
"They said the robbers went that way." Beast Boy pointed to a side street just down the block. He barely had time to close the T-car's door before Cyborg took off. The sudden movement pitched him against Raven. He looked up at her with a toothy grin. "Hey there, good-lookin'."
Raven narrowed her eyes. "Cyborg, ease off the gas. Some of us would like to keep our dinners where they belong." She didn't, however, push Beast Boy away.
"What's the rule on backseat driving?" he barked back.
Starfire raised her hand. "Backseat drivers shall walk to the next emergency."
"Very good, Star." Cyborg yanked the wheel to the right just then, taking the turn down the side street as sharp as possible. The car's passengers were instantly jerked to the left, causing Raven's eyes to narrow even more as Beast Boy was practically thrown into her lap.
In the backseat, Starfire suddenly found herself pressed up against Aqualad's side. Her cheeks burned as she scooted back into her proper place. "Forgive me."
"Nothing to forgive," he replied with a smile.
There was no more said between them, although there were a lot of jokes, insults and deadpans being thrown around by their teammates. After only a short while, Cyborg slammed on the brakes, sending them all sailing forward.
With his face squashed against the back of Cyborg's seat, Beast Boy groaned in pain. "I guess we're here."
"Star, hit the air!" Cyborg ordered. He pointed down the street just as the ski-mask clad robbers rounded the corner. "We'll trail you!"
Aqualad leaned over and opened the door for her. "Be careful."
Starfire shot out and focused on her mission. Anything to keep from concentrating on how warm she'd felt crushed up against his body. It was too upsetting. It made her feel even more guilty.
She flew around the same corner the robbers had taken and came to a halt, but not just because it was a dead-end alley. The two robbers sat back to back by a clump of garbage cans, bound and gagged. Starfire hovered for a moment, puzzling out the picture in front of her. Before she had put all of the pieces together, something moved in the shadows, startling her.
"Hello? Is someone there?" There was no reply. "Whoever you are, please, show yourself."
"Don't be alarmed."
Hearing his voice after so many months stopped her heart for at least one beat. Her hand flew to her mouth. "Robin?"
The man who stepped into the light of the street lamp wasn't Robin. At least not the Robin she remembered. However, he was very familiar.
"Nightwing," she said softly.
"Star." He stumbled forward, clutching one hand to his side. The black material of his uniform was slick with blood.
"You are injured!" She flew to his side and caught him before he could fall. "What have they done to you?"
He didn't answer; his teeth were clenched in pain as he held onto her for dear life. Just then, the other Titans rounded the corner…each of them coming to a screeching stop upon seeing them.
"Whoa." Beast Boy blinked. "Am I seeing stuff or is that…"
"Robin." Raven pulled back the hood of her cape. "It's him."
Aqualad looked past Starfire and Robin at the robbers, swallowing a sudden lump in his throat. "They're not going anywhere," he noted. "That's good, right?"
Cyborg took a bit longer to recover. He folded his massive arms across his metal chest. "What's up, Robin? Not enough action in Gotham? You've gotta come play hero on our turf, too?"
"We've got turf?" Beast Boy asked. "Cool!"
"Friends, now is not the time to argue," Starfire said frantically. "Robin is bleeding; we must give him medical attention!"
"We should get him to the Tower. A hospital will ask too many questions about his identity," Aqualad said, gravely.
"I don't want blood all over my baby."
"Dude," Beast Boy frowned at Cyborg. "That is ice cold and totally uncool."
Raven walked up to him as calmly as possible. "Get over your car, or I'll drop you into another dimension. This is still Robin."
He looked away. "Yeah. All right."
Starfire tightened her grip on Robin's waist. "You will be fine soon," she promised. "I will not let anything happen to you."
"Star," he repeated. Her face was getting blurry, and the whole world was spinning around him. Before he slipped into sweet unconsciousness, Robin smiled at her. "I've missed you…so much."
To Be Continued
