10 Leisurely Days
by Blue Ten
Summary:
Robin finds out that Starfire will be leaving for Tamaran in 10 days. Keeping his discovery a secret, he has a little over a week to give her a reason to stay. But when things keep getting in the way, will he even get the chance? RobxStar, BBxRae
Disclaimer:
I do not own Teen Titans.
Day 10, Part Two: Love, Blood, and Sacrifice
Not entirely stable as it floated aloft the ocean, a slight tilt remained on the facility, causing one to nearly lose their balance as it shifted, though the change was minuscule. The walls, made up of equal sections of metal, emitted slight creaking noises, like a ship adrift in still waters. Shining down from the high ceiling, bright white lights illuminated the room, reflecting their luminance off the roughly textured steel floors. Two corridors led outward from the massive room and were the only things to break the patterns set by the walls. Facing away from one hall, Robin stood shocked as the dust and smoke from an explosion settled to his side.
Spreading from the cloud, some smoke passed in front of his eyes, though it did nothing to keep Robin from realizing what had just happened. Hands shaking at his sides, he stared forward at the girl he had been searching for, the girl who had been stolen away what seemed like mere moments ago... the girl who had just attacked him. Starfire. Dressed in her normal attire, she stood at mouth of the opposing hallway. With her hand extended outward, imbued with pulsating green energy, Starfire's glowing eyes seemed rife with anger and malice.
Unsure of what to believe, Robin took one step forward, holding his hand out to her "Starfire--"
"DO NOT!" she growled in response, sending more energy to her palm, "You will remain where you are." she threatened.
Robin stopped in his tracks, "I... don't understand..." Robin found that he had a hard time looking into her eyes; they tore into him, void of any happiness.
"Of course you do not understand. You are weak." Starfire glared, "Or... that is what I am going to prove in the least." she spoke in a low growl. "I have been charged with testing your strength. Prove yourself here and perhaps you may join us by his side!" pulling her hand back, Starfire quickly hurled another starbolt in Robin's direction.
Taken by surprise, Robin nearly allowed the energy to strike him; however, on instinct, he took hold of his cape and held it up as a shield. As soon as he felt the starbolt touch his cape, Robin threw his arm to the left, deflecting the energy at high speed. Whistling through the air, it slammed into a corner near the ceiling where it caused an explosion, shattering one of the lights in the process. Orange sparks fell from the broken fixture as the room became dimmer.
"Stop it!" Robin shouted, his expression saturated with confusion, "I'm not going to fight you!" With every word she sent his way, Robin felt his heart breaking... He had never heard her speak like that. Frigidity, bitterness, hatred... all sounded alien to his ears when spoken through that voice which only reminded him of her innocence.
"We will see." without warning, Starfire took to the air and rushed toward Robin, holding one arm back to throw a punch.
Shocked once again, Robin stood in place as Starfire barreled toward him. As soon as she came close enough, Robin rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding her attack. Standing up, he looked to see Starfire growling in frustration as she regained her air, "Why are you doing this!" he questioned, backing away toward the wall, "Star, I--"
"SILENCE! Do not address me by that name!" growing angrier, Starfire gritted her teeth and floated backward, both hands clenching immense radiation, "Fight!" she shouted. Rapidly throwing her hands forward, Starfire unleashed a continuous barrage of energy toward Robin. The room was lit up in radial green light as she continued her assault, each starbolt slamming against the wall with a luminous and deafening explosion. The shaking caused many more of the lights to break, sending sparks down to the floor.
Blocking himself with his cape once again, Robin stepped away as the starbolts sliced through the air. His back against the wall, Robin felt the rumblings as dozens of blasts struck the metal. Starfire's angry growls could be heard through the cacophony. Bracing himself to be hit, Robin held his cape up in front of his face and upper body, hoping it would take most of the damage. Nothing. Though the wall continued to be struck loudly, shaking him as he pressed himself against it, Robin realized not one blast had come close to touching him.
Releasing his cape, Robin looked forward to see Starfire in a fit of rage, sending starbolts toward the wall... everywhere but his position. He figured she must have fired hundreds by this time... yet none had hit him; he knew she had better aim than that. Slowly, the barrage faded down and Starfire hurled one last starbolt which harmlessly collided with the battered wall--nearly red with heat at this point.
Arms hanging in front of herself, Starfire breathed heavily and looked to the ground, her eyes losing a bit of their glow. "Why...?" she fell to her knees and clutched her head in her hands, "I had every intention... every intention!" she shouted, violently shaking her head.
Letting out a breath as the onslaught finally ended, Robin looked with worry as Starfire began to punch the ground, muttering indistinctly. Cautiously walking up to Starfire, Robin placed a hand on her shoulder, which caused her to halt her actions, "It's because you wouldn't hurt any of your friends... It's not like you." he said, looking down. Starfire's hair had fallen in front of her face and her expression was unreadable. "I know you... and--"
Eyes glowing again, Starfire turned to face Robin with an angry glare, "You do not know me!" she growled. Immediately, she threw her hands forward and shoved Robin away.
Losing his footing, Robin tumbled over and fell to the metal floor. Standing up, he turned to see Starfire running toward him, ready for the attack once again. Taking out his staff, Robin held it in front of himself as Starfire threw another powerful strike. As her attack made contact with his staff, Robin used the momentum to step away, turning to face Starfire again. Clenching the staff, Robin couldn't bring himself to use it for anything else but blocking... however, he knew if Starfire didn't snap out of it soon... he might have no choice. Robin shook his head; just the thought of doing anything to hurt her... again... made him want to drop his weapon... He would rather die.
As Starfire came toward him again, Robin simply repeated his blocking and stepped away... seeing the frustration growing in her eyes as he did so. He had to do something... but perhaps fighting wasn't going to help at all. Blocking another blow, Robin looked Starfire in the eyes, "When you were young, you went through hardships for the good of your people." he started, unsure of what this would accomplish. As if it angered her further, Starfire threw another punch, partially bending the staff as Robin blocked. "You didn't want it, but you knew it would save lives, so you went through it all in spite of yourself... that's who you are."
"Stop!" Starfire shouted, attempting to tackle Robin, though he quickly stepped out of the way.
"Your sister... it was her fault. But you couldn't find it in yourself to be angry with her... because you believed anyone can change." he continued, watching as Starfire regained her footing.
"Enough!" something aside from anger appeared in Starfire's expression. Not letting it affect her for long, Starfire rushed at her opponent once again.
Robin noticed exhaustion in Starfire's movements, but most importantly... hesitation. Dodging another attack, he turned again to face her, "You met us--"
"No!" Starfire shouted. Stopping her advancement, she began to back away.
"You said yourself... that we were your first true friends... You're the kindest person I've ever known, and the strongest."
"I told you..." Starfire shook her head, taking several steps back.
"We... I care about you too much. If I ever hurt you, I would never forgive myself." looking directly into her eyes, which had now lost their glow, Robin retracted his staff and placed it back in his belt. "I promised myself... never again. And that's a promise I intend to keep."
Seeing him put away his weapon, Starfire's eyes struck aglow once more, "Then you are a fool!" she said, readying herself. Growling, Starfire rushed forward, feet tapping rapidly against the metal floor.
"You know me better than anyone."
- - - - - -
A bright white light bounced across the cold metal walls, illuminating the immediate area, but keeping the distance an imposing pitch black. As two figures navigated the length, the quiet was interrupted periodically by the creaking of metal and strange rumblings from deep within the facility... like muffled explosions. However, the tremors quickly came to an end and made way for an eerie silence once again.
Though appearing perfectly still to the eye, the ground felt as though it had a shifting tilt to it. Cyborg attempted to keep his balance as his feet tapped against the metal floor. Looking around the hall, he noticed that the corridor he was walking through was quite different from the look of the entrance and other hallways, made evident by the flights of stairs he had traveled up while following Slade. All this made him wonder how Slade had any idea where he was going. Cyborg looked at the back of the man's head; the length of fabric from his eyepatch stretched around diagonally over his nearly white hair. Slade knew the leader of this organization somehow... in that, he must have also known where his goal was just by the look of the area, though he had never entered the place before. Slade obviously had a lot more up his sleeves than supernatural strength...
"Where does this corridor lead?" Cyborg asked, shining the light from his shoulder forward.
"Not to your friend, I'm sure of it." Slade answered simply, taking an inquisitive look at the walls as he passed them by.
"We'll see about that." Cyborg replied... though he had a sneaking suspicion Slade was telling the truth. "I thought you said you didn't know what this place was... How do you know your way around?" he questioned, attempting to confirm his previous deductions.
Slade let out a low chuckle, "What are you doing? Trying to figure out why I'm here?" he asked. Cyborg didn't answer. "Fine. I'll play along." Slade started, sounding amused in his own way, "As I said before, I know the leader of this group. He designed this place, and so it is like walking through his mind. I need only understand his thought processes to discover the route to my goal." Slade looked forward into the darkness, sounding serious as ever.
"And what is your goal?" Cyborg inquired skeptically. Though Slade had convinced him back in the city, Cyborg still had his doubts about Slade's purpose in coming to this place... 'Why did he want to get here so bad?' he wondered, thoughts of malicious intent running through his mind. Slade didn't respond to the question, simply looking over his shoulder at Cyborg with his good eye.
Suddenly, an unsettling thought came to Cyborg's mind. Slade had mentioned that The Tempest wanted to... destroy every human life on the planet; perhaps he was looking for the source of this threat... "You said they want purification..." he started, thinking of the type of psychopath it takes to use 'purification' in that context, "How are they gonna pull that off...?"
"I only know that this threat is real and should not be taken lightly. Grey is determined beyond rational thought... he'll find a way."
"Hm..." Cyborg swallowed hard. If that was true, then there was more to be done here than simply finding Starfire... they would need to put a stop to this purification, whatever it is. In the distance, Cyborg noticed the hall coming to an end. A steel wall reaching all the way up to the ceiling barred their path; doors of some kind.
Walking up to the doors, Slade pressed his hands against and examined them. "Thick..." he said, tapping against the metal to hear a solid knock. To the side of the door resided a panel flat against the wall, numbered buttons and a display on its surface. As Slade tapped something into the keypad, the screen lit up, reading, "Access Denied" in bold red letters. Grunting under his breath as he grew impatient, Slade found the place where the two doors met. Surprising Cyborg, Slade slammed his fingers between the doors, separating them slightly which allowed a bright light to pass through. Gritting his teeth, Slade growled as he attempted to force the entryway open. The doors let out loud creaking sounds and shook as they resisted his force... even still, Slade put all his strength into it, increasing the gap. The stream of light continued to shine through, cutting its way down the shadowy hall.
"Cool it..." said Cyborg, walking over to the panel by the door. Slade simply continued as though hadn't heard anything. Detaching the panel, Cyborg looked at the wires and circuit board beneath it. As something caught his eye, Cyborg extended a device from his finger; reaching into the panel, he fried a section of the board. With a spark and fizzing noise from the panel, the doors slid quickly open, flooding the hallway in a blinding white light. Slade, nearly falling through the threshold in surprise, caught himself and squinted as he looked into the room. Stepping away from the panel, Cyborg held a hand in front of his face, attempting to examine what resided in the bleaching radiance.
As the two intruders' eyes adjusted to the light, the room was revealed to be large and circular in structure. The steel floor was empty in its center, except for a strange metal table, positioned at a slanted angle to the ground... it's purpose unknown, though it appeared to have restraining mechanisms. A single row of computer consoles lined the walls and conformed to the cylindrical design of the room, screens and buttons blinking with multicolored lights. The ceiling was far above, and housed many bright lights, the heat from which could be felt beaming down, warm against the skin. However, the most noticeable thing in the large room was a tall steel section situated on the opposing wall from the door, splitting the row of computers down the center; to it's sides were an equal amount of large glass tubes which climbed the wall from below the floor and on through the ceiling... some manner of white gas running upward through them. The table in the center of the room faced this spectacle as though someone would be watching while strapped to it...
Cyborg watched as Slade seemed to grow more determined by the second, his eye widening as he looked upon the strange room. Without saying anything, Slade began to walk along the walls, examining the computers with narrowed eyes. Though he knew he had to keep an eye on Slade, Cyborg was intent on discovering the purpose of this room. Watching Slade from the corner of his eye, Cyborg traveled past the metal table to the large metal slab which rested against the wall... what caught his attention though was the columns of glass tubing.
"What the..." Cyborg trailed off as he saw the wispy white gas flowing upward through the tubes, illuminated to a glow by the bright light. Looking to his right, he saw that Slade was examining the tubes as well... though looking rather angry. Pressing his hand against the tube, Cyborg knew that some of the gas would have permeated through the glass and condensed on the outside. Taking his hand away, Cyborg looked at the display on his arm as his systems examined the chemical composition.
"Do you know what it is...?" Slade asked from his side of the room.
"Just a--" Cyborg cut himself off and widened his eye as he looked at the results, "It's some kinda DNA mutagen... If this readout is right, the chemical combines with cells in the human body and reproduces itself until it becomes a part of the host... symbiotic." he explained. "I'm just glad this ain't my real hand..." he said, looking at his robotic hand which shook at the thought of what could have happened, "If it was... I'd probably be infected by now..."
"What--"
"Does it do?" Cyborg finished Slade's question... the fact that Slade was asking questions left him slightly unnerved... he never had questions. Cyborg narrowed his eye at the display, "The changes would depend on the subject's DNA... so mutations would vary, but it looks like it also has enhancing capabilities. Strength, intelligence... who knows what else."
With a growl, Slade slammed a fist against the metal slab, "So that's his game is it?" he said, turning around to face the computer consoles again, glancing at the restraining table, "Fool..." he muttered. As he approached one of the computer screens, Slade saw that it seemed to be monitoring life signs... within the steel slab. Becoming almost frantic, Slade searched the keypad below the screen until he found one marked, "Open." Pressing the button, Slade turned around to face the metal slab as sounds of released air pressure erupted from its position. Both Cyborg and Slade were stricken with shock at what they saw.
The bottom half of the slab split into two sections of metal and slid apart from each other like doors. What the parted obstructions revealed... was the real surprise. A figure was suspended behind a glass case, floating in a clear liquid. The person wore peculiar clothes; a closed purple vest under which was a shirt with long white sleeves and a portion that covered his neck, black pants, and purple boots. Though it was obviously a young boy, his face was obscured--encased--in a metal mask with two small eye holes; part of it was connected to the top half of the slab by thick wires. Despite the facial obstruction, Cyborg couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen this person before.
Wrath written across his face, Slade turned back to the computer console and began frantically tapping away at the buttons. When nothing seemed to work he lifted a clenched fist high into the air. Gritting his teeth, Slade slammed his fist through the console in pure anger, visible surges of electricity and sparks flying from the broken machine thereafter. Breathing heavily, Slade looked up as the lights dimmed; turning red, they began to pulse on and off in a slow pattern.
"Hey! What did you--" Cyborg stopped as cold air rushed from the glass display in clouds of fog. The glass split and slid open to join the metal sections that once covered them. The liquid quickly rushed from the case and began to flow through a drain on the floor beneath the restraining table. With the sound of metal unlatching, the boy inside the case fell from the mask and landed front-first on the metal floor.
Cyborg looked at the face... curly blond hair... sideburns... Though the boy's eyes were closed, Cyborg immediately recognized him, "Jericho...?" he asked himself in disbelief. Seeing Slade, who looked pale as he stared at the defenseless child on the ground, Cyborg leapt into action. Standing between Slade and Jericho, Cyborg charged and aimed his cannon forward, "You gonna tell me just what the heck is goin' on here?" he demanded looking over his shoulder at the seemingly lifeless Jericho. "What do you want with Jericho?" he asked, "He helped us take down the brotherhood... he's a Titan!"
Teeth clenched, Slade grabbed Cyborg's cannon and shoulder without warning; just as quickly, he shoved Cyborg to the side, "Get out of my way!" he shouted.
Without falling, Cyborg regained his footing and looked back. Slade had knelt down and was now attempting to hold Jericho upright.
"Joseph...?" Slade looked down at the boy's face, "What did he do to you?" he asked, starting to breathe heavily. Aside from the obvious anger in his expression, there was something else... sadness... regret, deep in his voice. Slade shook Jericho once. No response. "Wake up... please..." all anger suddenly disappeared from Slade's face, replaced quickly by the sorrow he seemed to be trying to withhold, "I'm sorry." he spoke, shaking his head. "Everything... it's always my fault." Slade put his free hand on Jericho's neck, "I failed you once..." taking his hand away, he looked intently at the boy's face, "I swear I won't fail you again." Slade's eye became glassy. "Not again..."
Now kneeling down beside Jericho as well, Cyborg picked up his hand and checked the pulse, "Don't worry, he's alive... but he seems to have been put into some extended state of sleep." he said, seeing slight relief in Slade's expression. Looking like he regretted saying what he did, Slade stood up, holding Jericho in his arms. Cyborg looked at their faces... the similarities couldn't be ignored, "He's your son... isn't he?" he asked. Slade said nothing. "That's why you wanted to get here... you wanted to save him."
"Enough... there's more to be done. We have to destroy this place." said Slade, looking up at the flashing red lights.
"What--" Cyborg stopped, interrupted by the sound of his communicator activating.
- - - - - -
Without thought, Beast Boy and Raven huddled close to each other in the darkness, intimidated by the strange sounds that saturated the shadows... whispers, voices. Clutching the shoulder he landed on, Beast Boy eyed the blackness carefully; with what little light that bounced down through the pitfall, he could see many figures shifting about. Raven, keeping hold of Beast Boy, wary of the sound he had made on impact with the ground, sensed beings in the immediate area... frightening thoughts ran from their minds straight to hers.
"Peekaboo," spoke a familiar squeaky voice, causing the other sounds to halt. Suddenly, with a loud reverberating clack, the area was flooded by blinding light; rows and columns progressively illuminated themselves across what was revealed to be the ceiling of a cavernous room. Eyes stinging from the sudden change, Beast Boy and Raven squinted as the numerous figures faded into view... one in particular caught their eyes. Gizmo stood by a large door; propped up by his pack's mechanical limbs, he grinned and held a remote in his hands, "...We see you." he said in a creepy manner, dropping the remote to the ground, which he had presumably used to activate the lights. Quickly, two of his teammates joined him by his side; Jinx and Mammoth... both looked just as happy.
Beast Boy gulped as he looked all around himself and Raven. They were completely surrounded... by a group of children and teenagers too numerous and varied to keep an eye on any one. Even so... Beast Boy looked to his right to see an especially chilling image; a thin and lanky young man with long black hair and sharp teeth eyed them with a psychotic look in his white eyes. The most imposing thing about him was not his expression, but the two long blades which extended seemingly from under the flesh of each finger... straight down to the ground where they made an unnerving sound against the steel floor. The other kids in the room were no less strange and frightening... those whose faces weren't covered had the same eerie canescent eyes. Some stood tall, towering over everyone... others remained close to the ground, like quick beasts ready to pounce. Many were armored to the teeth, many were simply adorned... all were quite threatening, filling nearly the entire room with their presence.
"What's a hundred minus three?" Beast Boy asked nervously, taking his hand away from his shoulder, attempting to stand strong.
"Huh...?" Raven questioned, feeling suffocated in the center of this populous.
"That's about how many of these guys we have to worry about." said Beast Boy. Gizmo, Jinx, and Mammoth each narrowed their eyes in response to this.
"Please, this isn't a time to be joking." Raven stated, an eyebrow twitching... however, the joke did manage to ease some of her tension at the thought of so many enemies. Reaching her arms out from beneath her cloak, Raven readied a fighting stance, "Should we call the others?" she asked, trying gauge a number as she scanned the crowd.
"No. They've got their jobs... and we've got ours." he answered seriously, knowing that Starfire still needed to be found. "Ours is just a little tougher than theirs right now..." he said, cracking a nervous chuckle. "Who are they...?" he asked, feeling anxious as he wondered when they would all stop standing there and just attack.
"My guess is... that army Slade spoke of." said Raven, feeling a strange connection with each and every opponent in the room... every opponent. Raven eyed the three former Hive members standing in front of her.
Beast Boy's eyes frantically panned over the army, "...Come on! Stop standing there and get it over with!" he shouted out of pure anxiety, immediately covering his mouth.
Gizmo smirked wickedly, "You heard him." he snickered. Immediately, like waves in a stormy ocean, every last soldier advanced, shouting and brandishing their individual mode of attack.
"No way!" shouted Beast Boy, unwilling to eat his own words. "Raven." he said, hoping she would get his meaning. Raven nodded, surrounded herself in dark energy, and sunk into the floor. As soon as Raven was out of the way, Beast Boy grinned and shifted his form; many of the children halted as they looked upon the towering mass of scaly green skin. With the swoop of an enormous tail through the air, Beast Boy reared his face and eyed the crowd. Opening his jaw, he bared his sharp teeth and let out a deafening roar which shook the room and shattered several lights on the ceiling. Taking full advantage of his tyrannosaurus form, Beast Boy shifted his weight and quickly whipped his tail through the air in a complete circle. With numerous thuds and grunts, half of the crowd--including Gizmo, Jinx, and Mammoth--were flung away to the walls, many seemingly knocked out on impact.
Beast Boy quickly morphed back into human form, "Alright." he started as Raven emerged from the ground, "That should even the odds a little." he said. Raven smirked at him slightly before turning to face the reorganized mass.
Stepping over their unconscious comrades without a second thought, the remainder of the crowd entered the fray once again. Three opponents made their way to Beast Boy; the first a tall young man who ran abnormally fast, his piercing white eyes looking strange in contrast to his dark skin; the second an extremely young girl who seemed to be holding fire in her hands, an almost innocent smile on her small face; and third... the creepy kid with swords for nails, looking no less psychotic.
As soon as the first enemy approached him, running like the wind, Beast Boy quickly morphed into a small bird, letting the kid run right by him. Missing his target, the swift boy attempted to stop, skidding his feet across the ground, but found himself heading straight for Raven. With her hands enveloped in black energy, Raven moved out of the way and struck the boy on the face with a punch, sending him flying across the room where he collided against the wall and fell to the ground with a grunt.
Sweeping a wave of energy across the area, Raven pushed a good amount of the advancing children away. Turning around, she saw Beast Boy looking down at a small girl, confused and hesitant to attack. The girl held a hand in front of her face, a tiny candle-like flame rising from her index finger; taking in a deep breath, she smiled at Beast Boy. "Sorry..." said Raven, aiming her hand at the child. As soon as the girl started to exhale, she was immediately caught in a black bubble; an explosion could be seen and heard through the containment. With a sigh, Raven released the girl to see her looking dazed. With a smoky cough, the child fell to the ground. Raven shook her head... something didn't seem right about all this.
"Thanks..." said Beast Boy, looking down at the little girl, not feeling particularly proud of it either. Quickly, Beast Boy looked up and frantically scanned around himself, though blade-fingers was nowhere to be seen. Slightly relieved, he turned his attention to the rest of the horde. All surrounded them once again, ready to strike. Quickly shifting himself into an elephant, Beast Boy pushed and knocked away many of the enemies with his tusks, sending a good number far to the edges of the room.
Reverting back into a human and breathing heavily from exhaustion, Beast Boy retreated to Raven's side as she knocked another group of attackers away. "This isn't getting us very far..." he said, watching as some of the fallen soldiers at the fringes of the battle simply stood up again. Still... blade-fingers was out of sight... seemingly the only one who hadn't made a move yet... something that was really starting to grate on Beast Boy's nerves.
"What choice do we have?" Raven asked, also breathing heavily. Noticing another group forming, Raven surrounded one of the heavily armored children in her energy and grudgingly used him to knock them all down. "That took a lot out of me..." Raven released her hold, realizing the amount of concentration it took to pick up someone that heavy. Feeling lightheaded, Raven began to lose her footing, accidentally moving away from Beast Boy.
"Raven, are you--" Beast Boy cut himself off as he saw a figure coming up behind Raven. "Raven look out!" acting quickly, he ran up and pushed her out of the way. Beast Boy let out a pained shout as the attack intended for Raven struck him.
Falling to the ground, Raven looked up in horror. As though in slow motion, she saw the look of anguish on Beast Boy's face and the events that caused it. A sickening shredding noise drowned out every other sound that came to her. Beast Boy stood with that look of pain and terror on his face, chest arched outward, streams of dark red blood flying in one direction from his side like a fountain. Blocked mostly by Beast Boy, the clawed boy smiled wickedly, one hand pulled upward toward the ceiling... the cause of Beast Boy's injury.
Raven felt her hands beginning to shake as the world came back into focus and Beast Boy fell flat on the ground, his eyes wide open. "NO!" Raven shouted, letting go of her normal restraint. Frantically searching the area, she saw the piece of metal that had fallen down with them; picking it up with her powers, Raven sent it through the air and slammed it into Beast Boy's assailant. Not giving up there, she used the piece of metal to send him flying across the room at break-neck speed. With a loud metal slam, the boy collided with the wall... however, the dent he made caused him to stay plastered to the metal.
Standing up, Raven looked all around to see sections of the army recovering. As soon as enough stood up, they all barreled toward her. With an angry glower, Raven's eyes erupted with black energy, "Stay back!" she shouted. Lifting her hands into the air, Raven slammed them to the ground. Immediately, the room became dark and quiet as Raven surrounded herself and Beast Boy in an immense black shield. Only muffled sounds passed through as the army attempted to break the shielding.
Breath echoing within the bubble, Raven looked to her fallen friend, almost afraid to go to his side. "...Beast Boy?" Raven called, standing up and taking several steps in his direction. Beast Boy remained on the ground, his eyes closed now, a small pool of blood forming beneath him. To Raven's surprise, Beast Boy groaned, pushing his hands against the ground to lift himself up. Groggily he brought himself to his feet, and held a hand over his wound. Without saying a word, Raven ran the rest of the distance, stopping just short of running in to him. Raven removed her hood, "Are you... what happened?" she asked shakily, wincing as she saw the three slash marks on his abdomen.
"It's not as bad as it looks..." said Beast Boy, one eye partly squinted.
"You didn't see it from my angle." unable to take her eyes from it, Raven watched as a drop of blood passed through Beast Boy's fingers, landing in the small pool on the floor. Quickly, Raven reached a shaky hand out toward his wound, "I can--"
"Don't." said Beast Boy, taking Raven's hand before she could do anything.
"Why?" Raven asked in response, staring Beast Boy in the eyes for an answer.
"You'll need all the energy you have to keep fighting... and I know how much healing takes out of you." Beast Boy looked to see the worry in Raven's eyes... something he didn't see often. "If I turn into something with thick skin, I should be fine." Beast Boy grinned, though unable to hide his wincing eye.
Raven sighed... Beast Boy was right; nearly the entire army had recovered already, and she would need everything to keep fighting them. Raven thought back to being pushed away from the attack, "Why did you push me out of the way?" she asked, looking at Beast Boy's hand which still held hers between the two of them.
Beast Boy gulped, "There's not an easy answer for that..." he grinned nervously. "I... just didn't want to see you get hurt." he said, seeing immense surprise in Raven's normally staid expression. "That's the last thing I'd want to--" eyes widening, Beast Boy cut himself off as he noticed there was no distance between his face and Raven's any longer. Her lips suddenly pressed against his, causing him to shut up as his heart leapt about in his chest. As a warm feeling began to spread across his face, Beast Boy felt his eyes rolling into the back of his head. Unfortunately, the feeling ended nearly as soon as it began.
Pulling away, shocked at her own actions, Raven saw the severely confused look on Beast Boy's face, "I-I'm sorry." she said, wanting to hide herself. "I'm so stupid!" she shouted, turning around to look away. The army continued to strike against the shield; Raven was surprised she had been able to keep it going this long... but that was the last thing on her mind.
Putting his free hand over his mouth, almost as though he was trying to make sure it actually happened, Beast Boy's eyes shifted around, "Raven, what just... I don't..." no understandable sentence managed to escape his mouth. "Why did you do that?" he managed to ask, feeling like slapping himself for it, 'What kind of question is that?'
Raven sighed. Her sporadic emotions had just blown her cover... there was no point in hiding it any longer. "I don't know how long I've felt this way... but it feels like forever," she started in a slight whisper, wondering if he could even hear her, "...because it just won't go away, no matter how much I fight it." Raven squinted her eyes, finding something for them to focus on at the edge of the shield. "It's so strong... it almost hurts. Who I am... where I'm from... I'm not supposed to feel this way... but I do." she said, feeling her eyes beginning to sting; she had never spoken such words before... like opening a wound, it caused a strange sort of pain. "I love you." she spoke too soft to be heard, "I love you... and I'm sorry." she added, speaking up. Closing her eyes, Raven attempted to withhold whatever was trying to escape them. She dared not turn around.
"Raven, what are you thinking?" came Beast Boy's voice from behind her, his footsteps echoing within the bubble as he approached, "What in the world... would make you apologize for that?"
Opening her eyes, Raven looked up from the ground and felt a smile spreading across her face. Unable to hold it in, she let out a few restrained laughs. "Please..." Raven started, breathing heavily, "Tell me you love me too."
"No." Beast Boy answered, putting his hands on Raven's shoulders, "I'd rather show you." as Raven turned around to face Beast Boy, neither had time to think. Pulses quickened, Beast Boy and Raven met in a kiss once again. Closing her eyes, Raven gently wrapped her arms around him, an action which Beast Boy returned. She had never felt so... happy. He had finally come to understand his feelings. Cyborg would snicker, Robin would stand in disbelief, Starfire would probably squeal... but they didn't care what the others would think, they both were in heaven. Suddenly, a strong wind picked up... another thing which they paid no attention to.
Though to them it seemed like no time at all, Beast Boy and Raven finally broke apart, finding themselves almost gasping for air. "Well... I think it's safe to say we--Whoa!" Beast Boy looked down at Raven's cloak. Her entire costume had shifted from its normal dark colors to bright white. Aside from the color change, the most surprising thing to Beast Boy was the unhindered smile on Raven's face.
Raven looked down at her cloak and lifted the white fabric to examine it. She knew exactly what emotion brought about this change. "Thank you." she said. Suddenly, Raven's expression became more serious as she and Beast Boy turned to face their many opponents.
"I guess we'll have to pick this up later." said Beast Boy, looking at the shield which seemed to be shaking more now as the army continued to batter it relentlessly. "We have to keep fighting... for Starfire." he said, clenching his fists.
"Wait." Raven put a hand in front of Beast Boy to stop him, looking at his still bleeding wound. "I... I have an idea." she said, a little unsure of herself.
"What is it...?" Beast Boy queried, slightly worried as to what Raven had planned.
"Remember the girl we ran into that night?" Raven asked, Beast Boy's serious expression giving her an answer. Raven pointed to the children on the other side of the shield, "They're just like her, I can sense it, so..."
Beast Boy shook his head in disagreement, "Don't even think that." he said, "If jumping into her mind hurt you that much... can you imagine what an entire army would do?"
"Don't worry." Raven turned to look into Beast Boy's eyes, placing a hand on his cheek, "I'm stronger now... because of you."
"You're sure about this?" Beast Boy asked, taking hold of Raven's hand. She nodded in response. "Alright..." Beast Boy replied reluctantly, "It's probably our only chance." he said, knowing it to be the truth.
"Okay." Raven stepped away and focused on the shield. Beast Boy followed suit, readying himself to change if needed. The entire army--including Gizmo, Jinx, and Mammoth--had recovered at this point, using their combined strength to pound against the dark energy. Suddenly, white cracks began to spread across the surface, and, like glass, the shield shattered. As the lights from the ceiling lit the room once again, the army began to advance inward like flood waters. Raven closed her eyes, "Azarath..." she started, hearing the approaching footsteps of the multitude, "Metrion..." she continued, Beast Boy attempting to guard her as the army drew closer, "Zinthos!" at that, a large dark force erupted from within Raven, forming the shape of a bird, spreading it's enormous wings. Seeing this, the entire army halted and looked in confusion. Taking control of her projection, Raven swept it across one section of the crowd, causing them to go limp and fall over like rag dolls. With no defense against it, the rest of the army soon shared the same fate.
When she sensed no more enemies awake, Raven recalled her projection, looking out across the sea of unconscious soldiers. Letting out a breath, she immediately felt a pair of arms encircle her, "You did it!" came Beast Boy's enthused voice. Quickly, he released Raven and chuckled nervously. Smirking, Raven threw her arms around Beast Boy and hugged him tight. "Um... are you okay?" he asked, wondering how she handled taking down an entire army.
"Yes... actually, I feel better now than before... like their voices have finally quieted." she explained, still locking their embrace, "So, can I heal you now?" she asked with a smirk.
Beast Boy chuckled fervently, "Sure--" he stopped as he heard his and Raven's communicators activating.
- - - - - -
A solemn look on his face, Robin continued walking through the hallway, led forward by Starfire. With his arms behind his back, he carefully shifted his wrists which were bound by strong ropes. Starfire kept a hand on his shoulder, nearly pushing him in the right direction.
The corridor appeared quite different from the others; several levels above, it was brightly lit and seemed much newer than everything else. Robin noticed the peculiar progression from old to new materials as Starfire led him further up through the facility. As they came upon a large pair of metal doors and halted, Robin stole a look back at Starfire over his shoulder. Starfire returned the glance for a moment; quickly turning her eyes away, she approached a panel by the door, tapping something into the keypad. Immediately, the doors slid open and Starfire returned to her position behind Robin. More forceful than before, she began to push him forward through the threshold.
The room beyond the doors was much like the corridor they had just left. Roughly textured steel floors and walls stretched onward down a cavernous room which seemed much like a hall built for a giant. Close to the opposite end of the room, several large metal pipes lined the walls vertically, reaching all the way up to the ceiling; extremely high above, it apparently housed no lights as the source of illumination was coming from somewhere else. Beyond these things was the most prominent image in the area, a large glass wall looking out upon the ocean. The tornado of water continued to swirl and a small amount of sunlight could be seen breaking over the top. Interrupting the scenery, a tall silhouette stood in front of the glass, staring out at the raging water... seeing him, Robin knew exactly who it was.
Starfire gripped Robin's shoulder and stopped him several feet from the man at the window. Shoved from behind, Robin fell to his knees and looked up at the man. "I have captured him for you." said Starfire in a strange monotone.
"Good work. I knew I could count on you." responded Grey in a calm and gruff voice. Hands behind his back, he turned around to reveal his masked face, two dark gray eyes staring out from the fabric. His sword could be seen, held securely in its scabbard by his side. "We meet again." said Grey, facing Robin entirely, sounding amused, "Surprised? No doubt you expected a different sequence of events." he stated. Robin swore he could see a grin beneath the mask's dark facade.
Robin simply glared, gritting his teeth, "Your fight was with me... Why did you take Starfire?" he demanded.
Grey let out several low chuckles, "My boy... you were never the real objective. Just a consolation prize." he lowered his eyes at Robin condescendingly, "I was in search of strong soldiers, and there was no child on this earth stronger than her. To that point, we could not recruit her by... standard means. I only needed time... time for you to help reveal her weaknesses to me. Yes, I did lose several operatives, but she is quite the replacement, wouldn't you say?"
"You..." Robin spoke angrily through his teeth. Grey had it planned this way from the start... and he had followed through like a puppet the entire time.
Laughing malevolently again, Grey reached into his pocket and removed something reflective, "...Such foolish sentiment." he said, bringing the silver and blue necklace up to his eyes. Robin's eyes narrowed at the sight of it, his arms beginning to quake with fury. Starfire squinted across the room, taking in a breath and letting it out slowly.
"Starfire, now!" Robin shouted, snapping the ropes which were loosely tied around his wrists. Taking out his staff, he began to charge toward Grey, weapon held at the ready.
"What!" Grey's eyes widened, reaching for his sword as Robin advanced quickly. Before he could draw his weapon, Grey saw Starfire's eyes light up; pulling a hand back, she hurled a single starbolt through the air in his direction. "Impossible!" hastily unsheathing his blade while keeping hold of the necklace, Grey slashed upward through the air, splitting the starbolt in two before it could hit him. The separations of energy crashed against the ground on Grey's sides, bringing clouds of smoke into the air which obstructed his vision. Looking into the black clouds, Grey kept his weapon ready, unsure of where his opponent would emerge. Giving Grey no time to react, Robin quickly burst from the smoke, slashing his staff downward. Robin's attack struck the masked man harshly on the shoulder, causing him to double back and drop his sword to the ground.
"Surprised?" mocked Robin, sweeping his staff diagonally. Lifting his hand, Grey caught the staff and glared, tightening his grip on it. Not letting that stop him, Robin brought his leg up and dealt a kick directly to Grey's face.
Rolling to the ground, Grey quickly recovered and rushed up to Robin, "Fool!" he barked, landing a punch which caught Robin off guard. Pushed back several feet, Robin tried to regain focus. Relentless, Grey moved inward again and kicked Robin harshly in the stomach, causing him to fly backward through the dissipating smoke, where he fell against the metal at Starfire's feet.
Kneeling down, Starfire immediately came to Robin's aid, "Robin, are you harmed?" she asked worriedly.
Robin looked up to Starfire and shook his head in response. As Robin lifted himself from the ground, Grey noticed something shimmering in his hand; shocked and infuriated, he looked to his own hand to find the necklace missing. "I think she'll be wanting this back..." Robin stood up fully, placing the necklace securely in a compartment on his belt, "...when we leave this place." he finished, a bit of a smile on his face. Readying stances, both Robin and Starfire prepared to enter into battle.
"NO!" Grey's eyes glared with anger, "How... How did you break the control!"
Author's Note: Okay, originally I had planned to finish all this up in one chapter, but I had this sneaking feeling that Day 10 would be a lot longer than the others... and well, here it is. So, in keeping with Day 9's preview, this will literally be the longest day of Robin's life... chapter-wise XD. Still, I managed to fit everything from the preview in there, so I'm not disappointed in the least bit that I had to extend Day 10.
Beast Boy and Raven admitted their feelings before Robin and Starfire; much irony :D. The thing Slade was searching for was indeed his son Jericho; that is one of the things I couldn't wait to reveal... but there's still more, such as what exactly they were using the poor kid for. And finally, Grey got his comeuppance... I swear, I had an adrenaline rush while writing that part. I just couldn't wait to give the jerk what he deserved. Phew. Expect to learn more about him--and his connection with Slade–next time. Oh, and I'll also explain exactly what happened during Robin and Starfire's fight... I think you'll like it :).
So anyway, sorry for the delay. And thank you all for the wonderful reviews last time :).
Next Chapter Preview: Though Starfire is unable to fight, Robin enters into a battle with Grey, one last surprise in store for him. Slade, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven discover their jobs aren't quite finished, but as The Tempest's threats become a reality, will there be time to stop it? "Day 10, Part Three: The Unyielding Heart"
