Chapter 2: Look What Raven Dragged In
Robin and Cyborg quickly turned around as they heard the doors to the main room burst open. The game consul continued to run. Raven staggered in with Warp's arm loosely draped around her shoulder. Raven's one eye was swollen and her hair was disheveled. She struggled to work Warp around to the front of the sectional. Robin and Cyborg stood up unsure what to do.
Warp dropped semi-conscious onto the sectional. Raven groaned as she struggled to stand up straight. She pushed her hair back then ran her fingers over her swollen eye grimacing in pain.
Starfire entered through the main doors shortly afterwards. Her hair was equally chaotic and she held her one hand over her nose. Her eyes glistened. She strode in and angrily took a seat on the other end of the sectional and glared at Raven. The boys could see a faint trickle of blood on her fingers.
"Ok ladies, do you want to tell us what's going on?" Cyborg asked cautiously.
Both girls exchanged steely glances with one another. Raven broke eye contact then sat next to Warp and inspected his neck. It was bright red and showed signs of deep bruising. She closed her eyes and began to heal him. Starfire looked on in disgust then directed her eyes to the floor.
Robin cautiously approached Starfire. He placed his hand on her shoulder. She removed her hand from her nose and gently placed it over Robin's gloved fingers. He could feel the tension in her body slowly recede.
Warp coughed violently then struggled to draw in a deep breath. He swung his feet over the edge of the sectional, sat up then placed his elbows on his knees for support. His head drooped forward as another coughing fit ensued. He took another deep breath and held it in for a moment.
"Where's BB?" Cyborg asked with a tinge of concern.
Raven sat on the couch and began fiddling with her hair. "I don't know. I was hoping Warp could tell us. Lucky for us I was able to get Starfire off of him before she crushed his neck." She refused to make eye contact with her friend.
Robin could feel Starfire's body tense up following Raven's comment. "He has done something to our friend and if he doesn't tell us where he is I will kill him and anyone else who tries to stop me!" Her voice left no mistake of her intentions.
Warp rubbed his neck then looked up at Raven. "Thank you for saving me from this crazed woman."
Starfire immediately stood up as her eyes began to glow fluorescent green. Her voice rose in anger. "You have attempted to destroy our friendship before Warp and now you've come back to try again. I will not allow you to succeed."
Robin kept his hand on Starfire's shoulder. He was attempting to hold back a crazed tiger. If he didn't find a way to diffuse the situation soon things were going to get ugly. He looked over at Warp who sat on the couch next to Raven with a confused look on his face.
"My dear, I have no idea what you are talking about," he replied in a calm steely voice that had a slight hint of a formal English accent.
Starfire's eyes brightened as her powers began to surge to a critical level. Raven stood up as darkness consumed her hands and her eyes narrowed in anger.
Robin quickly stepped in between the potential combatants. "Wait a minute. Will someone please tell us where Beast Boy is?" The Titan's attention fell on Warp who continued to take in the scene with a confused expression.
"Do you mean the green creature that attacked me?" Warp meekly replied.
"Yes," Robin answered Warp's unusual reply. "You mean you don't have any idea who we are?"
"No," Warp replied in clear frustration "I've never seen any of you before. How do you know who I am?"
"YOU ARE LYING," Starfire screamed. Warp continued to look on in confusion.
"Wait a minute," Cyborg interrupted. "He could be telling the truth. He's a time traveler. Our first encounter with Warp happened before this one. But this could be his first encounter with us. The next time he sees us he will know who we are but we won't or didn't know who he was."
The Titan's paused to consider Cyborg's analysis. "That would explain a lot of things, but that still doesn't tell us what happened to Beast Boy." Raven coolly added as she pushed back her hair.
"Allow me to explain," Warp interrupted. "When your friend attacked me he triggered my vortex regulator and disappeared down one of the time corridors."
"Well, how do we get him back?" Cyborg asked.
"If someone would kindly return my regulator I'd be happy to retrieve your friend." Warp turned his attention to Starfire.
Starfire looked down. In her hand she held Warp's regulator. She returned her attention to Warp and flashed a look of distrust. "How do we know you will return our friend to us?"
Warp stood up and sighed. "I can't leave him in the past."
"Because he'll mess up the timeline?" Cyborg added cautiously.
"Don't be silly," Warp replied. "The timeline is set. If he changed it we wouldn't be having this conversation. It's the future I'm worried about. Your friend needs to return to his proper time; he may yet have some important purpose." Warp was clearly frustrated. "Now, please return my regulator so I can leave. The longer we wait, the more difficult it will be for me to find your friend."
"Why," Cyborg quickly questioned.
"Because time flow isn't constant; some periods of time flow faster than others. Your friend could be several days from his entry point by now." Warp extended his hand to Starfire who was reluctant to part with the regulator.
"I'm with Starfire," Robin quickly countered. "I don't trust you. We need some insurance that you'll come back."
"Very well," Warp replied. "Do you have a communication link with your friend?"
"Just these," Cyborg held his communicator out for Warp to see.
Warp walked over to him and took the device from Cyborg's hand for closer inspection. "Very crude. I'll add one of my pods so that you can talk to him." He looked at Cyborg with a stern face. "I will expect it to be returned when I get back. Don't try to replicate it while I'm gone. I have a nasty booby trap rigged to it if you try to use it in any way other than to establish contact with your friend."
"Ok, we have a deal," Robin replied for the group. He walked over to Starfire who reluctantly offered the regulator. Robin gently took it from her hand and brought it to Warp. "No tricks."
Warp sneered and took his regulator and placed it back on his suit. "Spare me. I will return with your friend." He turned around as the time corridor opened in front of him. He passed through it leaving the remaining Titans unsure what would happen next.