Hand in Hand Chapter 38: Dreams On Fire, a teen titans fanfic

Disclaimer: I do not own teen titans or the words to 'Dreams on Fire' By Dare

Hand in Hand

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Dreams on Fire

December 18th 20:18

Robin was bored. Scratch that, Robin was about to fall asleep. For the past five hours he had been sat in the same chair outside the ice cream shop listening to Starfire and Bluefire going on and on and on about things he couldn't even pronounce let alone begin to comprehend. He stabbed at his melted chocolate ice cream in desperation.

To keep Star happy he was just nodding and smiling every time she turned to him and asked his opinion. To begin with he tried to understand and had tried to be interested, but there are only so many 'bridfergins' and 'terulanics' a teenager could stand, whatever they were.

He had a suspicion that they were something to do with cooking. He shuddered. He shouldn't be here; he should be out tracking Slade's latest minion. It had taken him hours to come to terms to what he had seen, he had had to make sure that it was who he thought it was before confronting them. It was a very delicate situation.

After careful scrutinising of the news, the papers and various truthful magazines Robin was infuriated to find that there was a plethora of weird things happening right under his nose and he hadn't even seen it! Odd things, like Slade stalking the mental asylum, an escapee from the same asylum, this escapee disappearing without a trace, warehouses containing special herbs being ransacked and turned over and an inexplicable fluctuation of the parrot population. Okay, so that last one may have nothing to do with actual crime but it was still odd.

He wanted to confront Slade's minion, but he couldn't be sure if Slade was the instigator, and if he was, then what was he up to? Why choose that particular person? Why now? And how had Slade gotten his new apprentice on side?

It was puzzling.

And with a background noise of Tameran cosmetics it was making Robin's head hurt to even think about.

His thoughts turned to more personal matters…

There's a dream that I hold,

In my heart I've seldom told,

Where the four winds blow to streets of gold,

And it holds me high

What was he going to do about Raven? Because no matter how he looked at it, no matter how long he thought or how hard he trained, all of his problems led back to one single entity. Raven.

His feelings were growing for her, he couldn't deny it. It was like marching up to Cyborg and proclaiming him a frog. It just wasn't true. His feelings for Starfire on the other hand were diminishing with each passing day. He couldn't help but think that she would be better off suited to dating someone like Beast Boy or someone with a similar personality.

He had known it was a bad idea to get involved with another titan. He had warned Beast Boy, but the changeling hadn't listened, he had told himself, but he hadn't listened. He was telling himself again now and still he ignored himself.

Sometimes he wondered what it would be like to be dating Raven; he wouldn't have to sit through this that was sure. He looked up and caught a few snippets of the conversation.

"No cousin Bluefire, you are wrong! The frenghinjury would be a much better choice for you I think!"

"Really? Wow. You're right! Thanks cousin Starfire!"

Robin groaned internally, no, he just couldn't see himself having to put up with this kind of torture if he was with Raven. Instead he would be having an intelligent conversation, watching something awe-inspiring or reading something that would make him shiver. There were other things as well that Raven would do, that Starfire never would, like just sit and be quiet.

In my heart I touch the sky,

No matter how many times I fall

Robin sighed. He was just about to suggest that he go and make some coffee or something, mostly so he could just stay awake, but also so he would have an excuse to get away from the two alien girls before they got any nasty ideas to give him a makeover, when Bluefire emitted a startled shriek.

His head snapped up.

"What?" he jumped up ready for action.

Bluefire pointed across the street, "Look! Look! A Brightly coloured bird!"

Robin sweatdropped as he followed the wildly pointing finger to across the street. True to her word there was a rather large parrot resting on the back of a bench. Rather strange considering parrots weren't native to Jump City. Ah, Robin thought with grim finality, this must be a result of the inexplicable fluctuation of the parrot population.

Another parrot fluttered down next to it.

"Oh! Glorious!" cried Starfire clasping her hands together as yet another bright bird landed on the back of the bench and proceeded to preen itself, "Robin, what are these magical animals called?"

"Parrots." He deadpanned.

"I think you'll find the correct name for them is 'Macaw'." Snarled a female voice from behind them. It was not a friendly voice.

There were times in my life,

When I walked across that line,

There were many times in my life,

When I tried so hard to make it

The three of them whirled around. Robin's eyes narrowed as he took in the person standing before them upon one of the other tables. It was obviously a villain.

The girl was tall, her dark hair was tied up in a tight bun on the top of her head, and she had a mask covering the upper part of her face, it was painted black and curled upwards and outwards on either side of her forehead, hundreds of tiny brightly coloured feathers ran around the edge of the mask and they moved with the wind. She was wearing a black jumpsuit that covered her whole body apart from the neck up, her hands and her feet; she was wearing knee length black boots, and black leather gloves. Most noticeable perhaps were the huge parrot feathers that were attached to the underarms of her suit and ran from under her shoulder to her wrist.

She grinned at them darkly, "Robin, Master Slade sends you a message."

Starfire and her cousin gasped out loud and Robin growled low in his throat, "Who are you?" he demanded taking a step forward drawing out his bird-a-rangs from his utility belt.

The girl gave a laugh which sent the parrots across the street flocking towards her in a clamour of bright wings and sharp beaks. "You can call me The Dread Macaw."

Robin stared, well at least now he knew that the influx in the parrot population was crime related. "And what is the message?" he asked coldly, tensing his muscles in case he had need to attack.

The Dread Macaw spread her arms wide and the feathers attached to her suit fanned out like wings, "The message is 'You are searching in all the wrong places'!" before she had even finished the girl had leapt of the table and forced her arms downwards, the feathers caught in the wind she created and she was lifted high. She was using the feathers to fly!

Starfire took flight immediately and swung her fist in the girl's direction letting of a flurry of Starbolts. Each one she fired however, missed by miles as the girl ducked and dived with amazing agility.

Robin yelled a warning as The Dread Macaw conjured a large feather from nowhere and threw it directly at Bluefire who, it seemed, was not as used to fighting as Star was. The blue haired girl froze, stunned as the feather sped towards her.

The feather itself parted to reveal a deadly steel needle about half an inch in diameter and about six inches in length, the coloured strands fell away as the weapon rocketed with deadly accuracy towards Star's relative.

It was Robin who saved her by throwing his bird-a-rang so it hit the needle and set it spiralling off course.

The Dread Macaw gave an anguished scream, and pointed her hand at Robin in an accusing way, "YOU! GET HIM!"

Robin scowled for a moment, not understanding what she was implying but then he understood as the parrots, now grown considerably in number suddenly took flight and charged at him in a mad colourful aerial assault. Robin, who had never been in a situation like the one he was in now, before, did the first thing that he could think of. He turned and ran.

"Friend Robin!" shrieked Starfire firing a multitude of green flashes in every direction; the squawks of the birds were her only answer. "Bluefire! Help me!"

The blue haired alien girl snapped out of her stupor and nodded, her eyes going wide at the scene unfolding before her, "Okay!" she pushed herself off the ground and flung out her arms, her own silvery blue magic trailing out of her fingers like a fishing net. She flung said net at the parrots that were hounding Robin; she closed the spell around them and flew up high dragging the screeching birds up and away from the Boy Wonder.

Robin slowed, relieved to have the birds off his tail and expelled a breath, though before he could even draw a fresh lung full of air The Dread Macaw slammed into him from the side screeching bloody murder, and her voice was enough to make his ears bleed. He cringed at the sound. She slammed him up against the wall, and held her arm across his throat.

She leaned in close to his face, "Master Slade said you were an exceptional fighter. From what I've seen you aren't worth his praise." She gave him a shake for emphasis, her sparkling golden eyes boring into his through the eye holes in her mask, "If you value the lives of your friends, stay out of Master Slade's way." With that she released him and she ran back the way she had come, leaping onto a table and springing into the air, beating her arms once, twice, three times and then gliding away. The parrots, somehow free from Bluefire and Star's control flew after her like a kaleidoscopic cloud.

"Friend Robin! Shall we follow her?" yelled Starfire from above him as he picked himself up from off of the floor, rotating his shoulder slightly and wincing as his muscles protested.

He shook his head and looked up at the dot in the distance that was The Dread Macaw, "No. She's too far away now. But at least we know Slade's up to something."

With my dreams on fire,

And my heart in my hands,

We are who we are,

And I know who I am tonight

Starfire was busy trying to console Bluefire who was convinced she was more of a hindrance to the fight than a help, which pretty much left Robin to his own devices. He looked up at the sky, it was already dark and the stars were starting to glitter in the sky.

But Robin couldn't focus on things such as pretty skies, no matter how much he might have wanted to. No, his thoughts now revolved around Slade. He had long since suspected strongly and had expected that the criminal mastermind was up to something. Now he knew for sure.

But what?

The appearance of Slade's newest henchmen, woman, had thrown all his past suspicions out of the window, leaving him confused.

There were a few explanations that he could see so far.

Slade had employed two new apprentices, The Dread Macaw and the traitor, (Robin still couldn't get his head around who he had seen), The Dread Macaw really was the only apprentice and Slade wanted him to know this so that the titans could chase him, or both were Slade's minions and Slade had sent the message to through the titans off the scent.

All in all, it left Robin back at square one.

From the shore we turn the tide,

If you seek it will not hide,

And the flags we fly at last unfold

"Come on Bluefire, you did great for your first fight, let's go out and celebrate! We can go dancing! C'mon I see Cyborg and Beast Boy over there let's go and ask them to come!" suggested Starfire ever the happy girl.

Bluefire sighed and then nodded slowly, "Okay. I guess you're right. Let's go." She gave her cousin a bright smile, "Robin? Are you to be joining us?"

Robin looked up from his musings and shook his head, "Oh, no I won't. I'd love to but you know I have to file this incident on report back at titan's tower."

Starfire bit her lip, "But Robin, it is such a long journey back, do you wish me to fly you there?"

Robin waved a hand, "Nah it's alright. I'll walk. Go on and have some fun." He gifted the girls with a smile.

Starfire giggled and floating over she kissed his cheek before turning around and heading in the direction of Cyborg and Beast Boy, with her cousin following along afterwards.

I'm an island in the sun,

They can't stop what has begun,

No matter how fast those daggers come

As he watched them walk off Robin sighed loudly. He turned around and began the long walk back to Titan's Tower. He was glad really that he was wearing normal clothes instead of his uniform, that way he attracted less attention. True he was still wearing his mask, he never took it off, and his utility belt was safely fastened around his waist underneath his denim jacket.

He tucked his hands into his trouser pockets.

There were times in my life,