A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply
Chapter Two: A New Day
Princess Koriand'r woke with the sun. Her room faced east, and the first rosy rays matched the pinks and purples that dominated her room. She sat up, spread her arms like opening wings and let a sweet, humming moan escape her lips. Her large emerald eyes opened, and she scooped up her pet, a giant caterpillar, and hugged it. Kory, as her friends called her, slipped out of bed, thanked her goddess for a restful night, and prayed for her protection during the day.
After her morning prayer, she walked in to her adjoining bathroom and filled the tub with almost scalding hot water and jasmine scented bath oil. The copper-skinned girl piled her incredibly long burnt auburn hair on her head and slid into the deep bubbly bath. She sighed contentedly as she splashed the water over her arms and rubbed the oils into her soft, smooth skin.
"No Silkie," she warned her pet. "The water is much to hot for you."
She soaked for a good half hour before rinsing off and wrapping a plush pink towel around her body. Kory dried off and put on some comfortable lounging clothes. Before she left her quarters, she reached up, released her hair, and shook her magnificent mane. The willowy girl walked past one of the few room in Titans Tower she always felt uncomfortable. After the basement, Robin's workroom was always dark, brooding, and bleak. Case files were always spread on the steel table, and the faces of her enemies leered at her.
The door was cracked slightly, meaning he was inside.
Kory raised her hand to knock but paused. She took a deep breath and decided that he would, under no circumstances, shut anyone out today. Kory rapped on the wall and opened the door.
A single light illuminated the table, and Robin stood in costume and hunched over it. He was reading Le Monde.
"Robin?" Kory asked.
"Andre le Blanc committed suicide yesterday."
"I know I shall be scolded for asking this, but who is this person?"
Robin turned, his face hidden in shadows. "Le Blanc was a thief. A good one. He tried to knock over a bank in the City last year, but was stopped by Titans East. After the thing with the Brotherhood, he escaped, returned to France, and went back to his specialty: catburgler."
"Why did he kill himself, then?"
"No one knows. He was at a street side café, pulled out a gun and shot himself. There are conflicting witness accounts on if le Blanc was meeting someone."
Robin went to his "Wall of Rogues" and put le Blanc's picture under the column of Deceased. The Wall was divided into four categories: At Large, Incarcerated, Missing, and lastly Deceased. The largest division was, unfortunately, At Large. Koriand'r nervously rubbed her arm as she saw the faces of so many evil beings staring angrily back at her.
"So," Kory asked, her voice cracking slightly, "I take it you will be investigating?"
Robin stared at the Wall. "It's probably nothing, but, well, you know I don't like loose ends."
"Will you need assistance?"
He turned and smiled softly. "Thanks, but I think I can handle it. I should only be gone for a couple of days."
Kory nodded slowly, and she let out a silent, sad sigh, as Robin turned back to his worktable. She curled her lower lip under her front teeth and took a breath. "I shall see if there is anything for breakfast. May I help you pack at least?"
"Thanks, Kory. That would be great."
She smiled bittersweetly and wandered to the common room. Her other two best male friends, Victor and Garfield, were goofing off in the kitchen. Vic wore STAR Labs sweat pants over his metal legs, and Gar wore a Six Flags theme park shirt and jeans. They, as always, playfully argued about food, but they were truly best friends. Kory walked across the room and flopped on the large curved sofa. A darkly clad girl sat nearby, her legs tucked under her, reading.
"Something wrong, princess?"
"Oh Raven, it is Robin," Kory complained. "He will be going to France to investigate this man's death. He was a supposed enemy of the Titans, and now that has captured all of his…"
Kory turned to the girl and widened her eyes with realization.
"You are not Raven."
The pale girl put down her book to reveal a pair of lilac colored eyes and shocking pink hair. She smiled ruefully, "Duh!"
"Jinx!" Kory exclaimed and wrapped her arms about the sorceress. "When did you arrive?"
"Last night. I'm kind of…" she looked away and took a breath "…between places at the moment."
"You are a Titan," Kory scolded. "You always have a home with us, and you will stay as long as you like."
Jinx curled her lips in a small smile. She looked to the floor. "I know. It's just that I'm still a little… Oh, I don't know. I guess I'm fretting over nothing." She turned and looked to the two cooks. "Hey! Get a room or get breakfast on the table!"
"Yes, Mother!" Beast Boy teased and stuck out his tongue at the pale girl.
Soon the Titans all gathered around the table and feasted on Cyborg's famous waffles. Jinx wolfed down three helpings, which paled in comparison to Vic's eight. Garfield polished off five helpings himself and noticed Kory only picking at her first.
"You gonna eat that?" the green boy asked the alien girl.
"I am not hungry, Beast Boy," she said and handed him her plate.
Robin ate his customary two helpings, got up and washed his dishes. He nodded to the assembled Titans and returned to his room.
"Okay," Vic observed, "Why is Robbie in mission mode?"
Kory filled in her friends on what little facts she knew.
"No way!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "Dude is going to France?" He got up and turned into a Macaw. "Robin! Robin! I want to go!" the green bird squawked as he flew down the hall.
"Are you okay?" Vic asked Kory.
"Yes, and no," Koriand'r sighed.
"Oh, just go up and plant one on him why don't you?" Jinx scolded. "You know, like you did when you first came to Earth."
"I do not think that would help," the princess said. "And I have already thought of it. You all know how Robin gets when there is a mystery to be solved."
