Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans.
A Strange Business
Chapter Nine: The Old Routine
As the odd collection of heroes stood on top of Titans Tower, Hot Spot found himself briefly wondering how the Titans had avoided falling off the side for so long. True, out of the original five, most of them could fly, swing away, or land without doing much damage, but with the increased number of Titans in the Tower, the Moroccan hero couldn't help but wonder if there had been some fatalities while he had been away. Especially since three kids were running around with a giant imaginary teddy bear with them.
Hot Spot still had trouble with that one.
Robin was stood ahead of him, his arm in a sling as he shook hands with Val-Yor. Hot Spot still had no idea who he was, nor why there was such tension between him and the Titans. He made a mental note to ask later.
"Thanks for your help," Robin said, although his face was anything but friendly.
Val-Yor just nodded and grunted. He glanced up at Red Star before turning his attention to Starfire.
"Don't expect me to come running to help you again."
She stared up at him determinedly. "You need not concern yourself."
Val-Yor borderline ignored her as he looked up at Red Star. The Russian soldier nodded.
"Goodbye," he said, his tone incomprehensible.
"Don't think I helped you because of what you did. I helped because I wanted to; nothing more, nothing less."
Starfire looked over at Red Star curiously, who merely nodded.
"Understood."
Val-Yor quickly turned and looked up at the small orange ship hovering above him. "Will this thing be able to get me home?"
Cyborg, who had joined them on the roof, made not effort to hide his distaste for the alien hero.
"It'll get you away from here and where you need to go."
"Fine."
Val-Yor floated up and opened the cockpit, deftly sliding inside. With one more cursory glance down at Red Star and the other Titans, he closed the cockpit and shot away, the small orange pod becoming smaller and smaller in the sky until it could no longer be seen. Hot Spot breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at Argent.
"Is it just me, or is the air a bit thick here?"
"Just a little," Argent whispered back, using her thumb and forefinger to accentuate the point.
Hot Spot smiled and turned towards the door, making way downstairs. "Well," he said, stretching as he yawned. "I'm gonna get some sleep. I haven't had a chance to sleep since we landed."
Robin cleared his throat and Hot Spot looked over. "Uh, Hot Spot? It's only 2pm."
"Y'know what? I'm so beat right now, it doesn't matter. So I'm going to bed. Good nigh…" he smiled. "Good afternoon."
Robin smiled and offered a small wave. His gaze moved over to Argent, and he instantly felt a little uncomfortable. Argent smiled nervously.
"I uh… I think I'll get a bit of kip too."
Robin nodded, and Argent left. Robin turned back to Starfire and Red Star, who were in the middle of a discussion.
"Do not avoid the question, Red Star. What did he mean?"
"I…" Red Star's green eyes darted over to Robin and Cyborg, and Starfire followed his quick glance.
"Robin. Cyborg. Could you please give us some privacy?"
Slightly taken aback by the request, the Boy Wonder and Cyborg just blinked.
"Yeah… sure," Robin said, and both he and Cyborg made their way to the other side of the roof.
After making sure that they were out of earshot, Starfire turned back to Red Star. "There. Now will you tell me what Val-Yor meant by 'what you did'?"
Red Star sighed, an extremely troubled look on his face. "I… I am not sure how…"
"Simply tell me, Leonid."
The use of his real name seemed to push aside whatever reluctance he had, and the Russian hero sighed.
"I… he refused to help you. He constantly insulted you, calling you 'Troq' over and over again… so…"
"You attacked him," Starfire said, an element of wonder in her voice.
Red Star's head fell slightly in shame as Starfire sighed.
"Red Star… there is a reason I did not want you to attack him. He believes these bad things… wrong things… about my people… and now your people. And the only way to disprove these misconceptions is to not act as he expects us to. To show him that we are not… 'Troqs'. And you-"
"It worked, did it not?"
"That is not the point, Leonid!" Starfire yelled, exasperated. Red Star flinched back slightly at the outburst, and Robin and Cyborg looked around at the raised volume of her voice.
She sighed. "Regardless of whether it 'worked' or not, what you did was wrong. Val-Yor will no doubt forever think of us as-"
"Why are you so concerned as to what he thinks of you? He is a racist, Starfire!"
"I know that, Leonid," Starfire replied, her teeth grating slightly. "I am not completely stupid. I am not concerned as to his opinion of us, but rather what his opinion represents. He is not the only person in the galaxy to think of my people in such a way. It was… wrong of me to believe so, but I thought that…" She paused, unable to look into her friends eyes. "… I thought that if I could change his opinion, then perhaps there would be hope that others would change."
Red Star frowned. "… I am sorry."
She smiled and laid a supportive hand on his shoulder. "You have nothing to apologise for. I know why you did what you did, and I do appreciate it. I simply want you to understand why I did not want you to do it."
He nodded. "I do understand."
Starfire smiled. "Thank you."
"Hey! I wasn't doing anything!"
The four occupants looked around to see Gnaww being shoved up the stairs by an annoyed Raven.
"I just found Mr Hygiene here nosing around Cyborg's room."
Cyborg's entire face seemed to lengthen in shock and anger, and Gnaww visibly shrank as he trudged his way over.
"And just what were you doing in my room?"
"I uh…" Gnaww laughed nervously, pulling at his collar. "I was just checking if my ship was ready yet."
"I will tell you when your rust pile of a ship is ready. In the meantime, find a corner and SIT IN IT!"
Gnaww yelped and jumped three times higher than he should have been able to, before running down the stairs in sheer fright. Raven sighed and made her way downstairs.
Robin gestured over to Red Star and Starfire that they were going downstairs, and the two nodded. The Boy Wonder walked up alongside Cyborg, and the two made their way down the stairs.
"So… how've things been while we've been away?"
Cyborg sighed. "Pretty crazy, man. Y'know, I thought this whole 'bigger team' thing would make this easier, but I swear we're getting less done."
Robin paused on the stairway, and Cyborg stopped to look back at him. "You okay, man? I was just kidding."
The Boy Wonder shook his head. "Yeah. Fine. Sorry."
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Starfire sat on the floor at the window of the lounge area, staring out at the city. The raindrops poured down on the windows, and she felt herself becoming hypnotised by the small droplets navigating their way down the glass. The room was unusually loud – at least, from what she was used to. Cyborg and Beast Boy were on the Gamestation, as per usual (although Beast Boy seemed to be moving less than usual; Starfire also noticed that he was begin very delicate when he sat down, as though trying to be careful not to hurt himself). Gnarrk sat on the sidelines, mesmerised by the moving colours onscreen.
Hot Spot and Argent were sat at the dining table drinking coffee, while Timmy and Teether ran around them, pulling on their legs and their arms in a bid to get their attention. Raven was sat at the kitchen counter, reading a book and sipping her herbal tea. Melvin had obviously found a role model in Raven, because she was sat directly behind the pale skinned Titan, mimicking her attitude and movements, sipping her own cup of hot chocolate while reading a comic book. Starfire found this adorable and amusing, particularly since Bobby, being a part of Melvin's subconscious, had taken on this kind of attitude as well. The imaginary bear was sat behind Melvin with a similar expression on its face, although it was looking at its hand rather than a book.
Jericho and Kole were sat on the sofa next to Cyborg and Beast Boy, but seemed blissfully unaware of the noise going on around them. Jericho was playing his guitar, looking at a piece of music that Kole was holding out. Starfire smiled at the sight of the couple, though she did feel a slight pang of envy for how easily they showed affection for one another; she would say something, they would laugh, and he would reply in sign language, causing Kole to blush and peck him on the cheek, reversing the effect.
A pair of footsteps made their way over to her, and she looked up to see Robin standing above her, a friendly smile on his face. He sat down next to her with a grunt, looking out over the waterlogged city.
"How are you holding up?"
Starfire smiled and shrugged. "I am 'holding up' well."
Robin smiled, and then looked around the room. "Where's Red Star?"
"He is making sure that Gnaww does not do anything… unsavoury."
The Boy Wonder laughed quietly at her choice of words. Starfire looked up at him, gazing directly where his eyes would be. "And you? How are you 'holding up'?"
He sighed, and looked down at his left arm, which hung loosely in its cast. "I'm finding myself wishing that Larry was here," he said, and Starfire smiled.
"I would not say that out loud, if I were you. He may hear you."
The two laughed and looked out over the city.
"So… how are you holding up really?" Robin asked, still keeping his eyes on the city. Starfire felt surprised for a brief moment, but then remembered who she was talking to. He could almost always tell what was going on in her head.
"I am… recovering. But… every time I close my eyes, I am in that chamber… everything is dark, and I cannot feel anything except… pain. I…" she stopped as she struggled to keep her voice level. She felt something grip her hand, and she looked down to see Robin's gloved hand firmly grasping hers.
"It's okay. You're here now."
"I know," she said, gazing into his eyes. "It… it makes me feel better… knowing that Blackfire helped me. I do not know why she did it, or if I will ever see her again, but…" she sighed. "It is nice to think that some part of her loves me as her sister."
Robin put his arm around her, and they looked out over the city.
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Argent sighed as she saw the Boy Wonder put his arm around Starfire's shoulder. Hot Spot leaned forward as he saw her expression, and followed her gaze over to the happy couple.
"Oh…" he said quietly.
Argent looked back at him, but then quickly looked down at her coffee, wrapping both hands around the cup.
"Pretty stupid, eh?"
Hot Spot smiled and shook his head. "If it's stupid, then a lot of women are stupid." He nodded over at the spiky haired teen who was sat at the window. "He's a, uh… popular guy."
"Yeah, but how many of those women actually think they've got a chance with him?"
Hot Spot paused. "Ah."
"Yeah," Argent said, laughing quietly.
"Eh…" Hot Spot said, nonchalantly. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure there are plenty of acrobatic, brooding, spiky haired crime fighters who are the sidekicks of a legendary hero."
"Actually," Argent said, smiling into her mug, "I think I'm after a different kind of fella."
Hot Spot cocked a curious eyebrow. "Is that right?"
"Uh huh," she said, her smile turning into a smirk as she sipped her coffee.
Hot Spot smiled as he sipped his coffee in return.
Working with the Titans was a strange business. But it did have its perks.
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Robin stifled a yawn as he entered the lounge room. He paused in mid-stretch at the thought. Since he started living with the Titans, he hadn't stifled a yawn in a long time.
Maybe it's a sign.
He looked around the empty room, not knowing exactly how long it had been since he had seen the room without anyone in it. Robin felt a pang of something in his stomach, and realised that he missed the feeling of peace and quiet in the morning – where no-one was around, and he knew who would wake up to greet him in the morning.
Now he never knew from on moment to the next who was going to walk through the door and start a fuss. He walked over to the kitchen and pulled a box of cereals from the cupboard, and poured himself a bowl. The Boy Wonder made his way over to the table and sat down, looking at the newspaper he had collected from the base of the Tower.
He struggled to concentrate enough to read it. A grumble vibrated in his throat, and the young Titan resolved to simply eat his breakfast. His ears perked as he heard the doors swish open, and he looked up to see Hot Spot making his way in. He nodded sleepily at the Boy Wonder, accompanied by a dreary grunt of a greeting.
The Moroccan Titan slowly poured himself a bowl of cereal and made his way over to the table, sliding into the seat opposite Robin.
"Sleep well?" the Boy Wonder asked.
Hot Spot just grunted, and Robin smiled.
"Guess not."
The two sat in silence as they ate, Robin pretending to read the paper as best he could so as to avoid an awkward situation.
"I didn't know you took so long to read the cartoons."
Robin looked up at the smiling Hot Spot, and looked down at the page he was 'reading'. It was the cartoons. Robin hardly ever looked at them, if he was honest. He certainly wouldn't spend that much time reading them.
"Uh…"
"It's okay. You didn't like the awkwardness. I get it."
"No no no. I can talk. Let's talk."
Hot Spot smiled. "Thanks, but I know a pity talk when I hear one."
"No… seriously. I would like to, uh…talk to you…"
He cocked an eyebrow at the Boy Wonder. "Something important?"
Letting out a sigh, Robin took to absent-mindedly stirring his cereal rather than looking at Hot Spot. "I was just wondering whether this expanded team was a good idea."
Hot Spot rolled his eyes. "Oh, for- this again? Look, I told you Robin, I'm not that homesick."
"No, it's not that. Well, not completely. I-" he sighed. "Let me put it this way; would you rather be here or at home?"
Hot Spot paused. "Well, home, but-"
"Exactly. For me and the other four Titans, this is home. But the rest of you… you already have homes. Homes I don't have a right to take you away from."
"But it was our choice to come here, Robin."
"I know, but… I can't help but feel that you're staying here just because you think we expect you too."
Hot Spot took in a deep breath. "It seems to me like you're looking for reasons to get rid of us," he said, smiling.
"That's ridiculous."
"Is it? Every time I bring up a point, you battle against it. Robin," he said, leaning forward, "it's okay for you to want to send us away because you want to. Personally, you five work so well together, I wondered why you even invited us in to begin with."
Robin was silent as he looked down at his cereal. He grunted. "My cereals have gone soggy."
"Time to let them go, huh?"
The Boy Wonder looked up at him. "I suppose so."
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Robin stood before the gathered heroes, looking out over the crowd before him. They had gathered in the gymnasium, since the rain outside had been refusing to let up. Behind him stood Beast Boy, Cyborg, Raven and Starfire, each one looking at him supportively. He had discussed his plan of action with them, and they had appreciated the thought. The Robin of old would have simply called the meeting and let them find out that way.
Cyborg gave him a thumbs up to signify that the link up to the other Titan's communicators was working. Obviously, some Titans couldn't be there for this meeting, so they had organised for the Titan equivalent of a televised broadcast. He looked forward and brought his mouth to the microphone.
"Titans," he began, and patiently waited for their murmuring to die down. Once he had their attention, he continued speaking.
"I've gathered you here to talk to you about the future of the Teen Titans. You all came together to help us defeat the Brotherhood of Evil. We're grateful for that, and for your continuing service to fighting crime around the globe. But now…" he said, casting his gaze across the crowd.
Hot Spot smiled and gave him a nod. Kole and Jericho looked at him intently, their hands intertwined.
"…it's time for you to go home."
A murmur spread across the crowd, and Robin put up his hands defensively.
"Let me explain, please."
The crowd quietened.
"This isn't out of some elitist attitude. This is because I don't want to keep you from your homes any longer. This is because we are expending more resources trying to be one team than if we were spread around the world. So many of us are from different corners of the globe, we have the entire planet covered without having to constantly co-ordinate with one another."
He paused, letting that information sink in.
"You are free to come and go from the Tower as you please, but I'm not going to push you together into teams that don't work on missions that you can't accomplish. Some of you work best alone; others work best as part of a team. And when you try and mess with that…" he looked over his shoulder at the four heroes stood behind him before looking back at the audience.
"…you lose something very special." He paused for a moment. "That's all."
He stepped back from the microphone, and made his way back to the four behind him. Cyborg put a hand on his shoulder.
"You did the right thing, man."
Starfire nodded vehemently. "Indeed."
"Yeah – I was beginning to miss you guys," Beast Boy admitted, absent-mindedly rubbing a jellyfish sting on his shoulder.
Raven allowed a small quirk of a smile. "I was wondering when you'd come around. Having Beast Boy making noise is enough."
Robin smiled back as Beast Boy scowled at Raven, and looked out over the crowd. Each and every one seemed much more happy at the news, and the Boy Wonder felt a warmth creep up inside him.
"Yeah," he said, his smile growing, "it'll be nice to have everything back to normal."
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Hot Spot looked out over the city, marvelling at the sun kissed appearance of the city as it glistened from the earlier rainstorm. He looked over at Argent, who had a similar expression on her face.
"It'll be sad to leave this."
"Well… Robin did say we didn't have to leave right away."
Argent shrugged. "Yeah, but I'm itching to get back home. Beginning to miss the old hometown, y'know?"
Hot Spot nodded. "Oh yeah. I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed again."
"But… you'll stay in touch, right?"
The Moroccan hero grinned. "Is Gnaww a disgusting rat thing?"
Said alien rat shot him a dirty look from ramp of his ship, and Hot Spot just smirked at him, his arms crossed.
Cyborg walked down the ramp of the ship, dusting his hands off as he came down. "There. All done. It may actually work a little better."
Gnaww grumbled something incomprehensible and made his way up the ramp.
"You're welcome, sunshine," Cyborg muttered, a scowl growing on his face as he walked to the door and downstairs.
Robin stepped forward, Starfire and Red Star beside him.
"Thanks for your help. We wouldn't have survived without it."
"Yeah, whatever. It's not like you gave me any choice," Gnaww spat back, glaring over at Argent spitefully.
Robin scowled, and seemed ready to bite back with a retort of his own when Starfire's calming hand on his shoulder cooled his ire.
"But still," he said, teeth clenched, "thank you."
"Whatever."
Gnaww turned and walked up the ramp. The ship couldn't take off fast enough, quickly shooting off into the sky. Hot Spot shielded his eyes with his hand as he looked up at the fast disappearing dot.
"There's one guy I won't miss…"
"Ditto," Argent said, looking up at the same spot.
Robin looked over at Red Star.
"Are you sure you don't want to stay?"
The Russian hero smiled. "Thank you, but I cannot. I still need to repair the damage I did to my home." He paused. "My country does not have people like you to protect it. I must do my best on my own."
A small smirk crept across Starfire's face. "Although I hear Pantha is moving to Russia with Wildebeest."
Red Star's cheeks became a similar hue to the red star on his chest. "I uh… would not know about that."
"Of course not."
Robin smiled and extended his hand. "It's been an honour working with you."
"And you."
He stepped back, allowing Starfire to talk to Red Star privately. She wrapped her arms around the hulking Russian as best she could, and he grimaced as she managed to crush his huge frame in her arms.
"I will miss you, Leonid."
"And I you," he managed, before Starfire released him, a sheepish look crossing her face. "But I am not truly leaving. I will visit, and remember…" he said, pulling out his communicator. "I am but a call away."
Starfire smiled, her eyes wet with sadness and happiness all at once. "Thank you, Leonid."
Red Star pushed off from the Tower, keeping his eyes locked on Starfire's for the longest time before turning and shooting off in the direction of his homeland.
Even though there was no way he could have seen it, Starfire still waved to her rapidly departing friend, and Robin smiled.
"He'll be back, Starfire."
"I know," she sighed. "And I understand why he had to leave. But that does not change that I wish he was still here."
Robin put his arm around her, and the two looked up at the sky.
Hot Spot leaned over to Argent, speaking out of the side of his mouth.
"By the way – what were you and Robin doing on that planet when I was asleep? I remember you two seemed to be a bit… wierded out by something."
"Well… um…"
Robin, oblivious to what the two were talking about on the other side of the roof, looked over at Starfire.
"Hey. How about we go in and have something to drink? There's some fresh mustard in the cupboard and the fridge."
"I would like that," Starfire said, smiling at the Boy Wonder.
"YOU WERE TRYING TO KISS ROBIN?" Hot Spot yelled in surprise.
Everyone looked over at Hot Spot, who quickly put his hands over his mouth.
"Did I say just that?" he whispered to Argent. She nodded quickly.
Starfire looked over at Robin, who was sweating profusely as he smiled.
"You were trying to kiss Argent?"
"I… w- I… I… Hot Spot…" he growled, glaring at Hot Spot.
The Moroccan hero laughed nervously.
"Oops?"
Living with the Titans was a strange, strange business.
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(A/N: I've put up an epilogue too, so don't stop reading yet!)