(A/N: This is the first enstallment of the first episode of the Chronicles of Jump City, known as The Redemption. Hope you enjoy it…Oh yeah, and you should probably read the prolouge.)
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Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything but 2Tone, the Aipeth Keystone, and the plot. Fortunately, this is and I can continue.
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Two things happened that night.
2Tone escaped with a message to his master.
And Cyborg, trusted teammate and respected friend, was killed.
It wasn't one of those Hollywood dramas. Actually, it happened in less than a few minutes. The Titans had done all they could to save him, but they soon realized that the toxic fumes of 2Tone were incurable. He had done it to save the others – when Starfire and Beast Boy were about to be poisoned, Cy nobly flung himself before 2Tone.
And so, not only did they lose the half-laserite-robotic, half-poisonous swamp monster that they had been tracking – they lost a teammate as well.
Robin took it the hardest. "I should have been there earlier," he kept saying one dark night, a couple weeks later. They were gathered in the large space under the kitchen appliances – the one place, other than the bathroom, that did not hold Cyborg's memories. Raven had draped endless black cloths ("Wonder where she got all of them," Beast Boy remarked with black humor at one point) over the walls and furniture of Titans Tower. But the central meetingplace of the four remaining Titans was this area below the sinks, oven, and refrigerator.
Starfire had brought a continuous supply of blankets and pillows for her friends and herself to lounge around on; and Raven had brought her various novels, poetry analogies, and spellbooks, for all of the Titans to read (with the exception of the spellbooks). Robin spent long periods of time studying for 2Tone's trail as well as those of other threatening figures, including Slade.
But none of their hearts were really in it. Even through their mourning, Robin, Raven, Starfire and Beast Boy had another worry: How could they continue fighting evil with only four vengeful, depressed superheroes on their team?
"It would not have altered the results of our battle," said Starfire comfortingly, putting her arm around her fiancé. "I had been absent through the former, as well. And our friend Cyborg was not in harm's way at the time of our arrival."
"You couldn't have done anything," Raven assured her leader grimly. "None of us could have."
"Yeah, 'cause that stupid 2Tone dude wouldn't stop at anything to analyze our tower's defense system. Including kicking our butts," added Beast Boy
Nobody spoke of death. Nobody needed to.
Suddenly Raven sat up. "Jinx," she said unfathomably. The others stared, bewildered. "Kid Flash. They could add to our forces," she explained.
"Yes…" Starfire looked thoughtful. "Perhaps you are correct. If so, we could take the liberty of inviting them to accomadatingly succumb to the idealistic prospect of a team majority."
"If they joined the Titans, we could keep fighting!" said Beast Boy, his eyes brightening as he began to get the picture.
Robin still looked slightly uncomfortable. "Do you think they'll agree? I don't want to offend their fighting style, especially if…you know…the thing between them…I just…uh…I think they might like working alone," he finished rather lamely, tugging at his collar. The others understood what he meant: the budding romance between Kid Flash and Jinx might prevent them from wanting to work alongside anyone else.
"Well, you two seem to get along with the rest of us just fine," Beast Boy pointed out cooly, staring at Robin and Starfire. A year ago, Robin would have blushed his way to hell. Now he brushed aside the comment with a small eyeroll. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask them," he decided.
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Later, Beast Boy passed Raven in the hall on his way back from the bathroom. He stopped her gently. "Where're you going, Rae?"
She gaved him a strange look. It was sort of choked and tired, and Beast Boy could almost say she looked fatally ill, if he hadn't reminded himself that Raven was a healer and, well, duh, a cold wouldn't kill her.
"Nowhere. I just…really…need to…meditate – "
The girl's last words were cut short by a strangled sound, and as the changeling stared, wide-eyed, Raven fell to the floor of the hallway, unconcious.
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A/N: Sorry. I know it's a little short, and I'll update as soon as possible. Until then, review!
—DarkRae