"So this is home, sweet home?" Babs asked as she stared into the maw of the dark, damp cave on the mountainside.
Nightwing was lugging a huge backpack, and was carrying the rolled up remains of the parachutes. Stealth was vital to their mission and it was of utmost importance that not a single sign of their presence be left on the mountain.
"Yeah, according to the map this will be our base of operations."
As they entered the cave they found that there were already some supplies waiting for them. Next to entrance there was a small metal box with a lever on it, which he flipped. The cave's entrance vanished as holographic boulders appeared, fully concealing the cave from outside. They dropped their backpacks on the floor and sat on a pair of folding chairs. Grayson reached into his backpack and pulled out a couple of protein bars, handing one to Batgirl.
After consuming her ration, Babs removed a radio from her backpack and sent an encoded message announcing that they were in position and would begin patrolling the mountain for escaping refugees. They were already changed into camouflaged versions of their costumes. Dick loaded his utility belt with a dozen bolo ropes, which he would use to capture anyone trying to flee the quarantined area.
Babs had a box full of tiny sensors, each the size of a peanut. Their first official act would be to place them in strategic places on the mountain, with the hope that they would detect any "runners" before they could get away. Dick learned during the flight that any runners who appeared to be "clean" would be sent to special refugee camps in the quarantine zone. That on paper sounded good and humane, but Grayson knew that if a single infected runner was interned that it would spell certain doom for the entire camp.
He shook the thought away. It was true; this wasn't an easy or even a noble task. It went against everything he held dear, but he knew it had to be done.
Three hours later the sensor bugs had been placed throughout the mountainside. Nightwing sat down on a fallen tree trunk and stared at the cloudless sky. Dusk had fallen about an hour before and he could once again see Vega shining brightly in the sky while he ate another protein bar. Babs sat down next to him.
"I know this assignment sucks, but I'm glad you're here with me, Dick."
He nodded half heartedly. "Yeah, me too … it's been a long time."
He took another bite of his bar, masticating on its chewiness. "Hey Babs."
She looked up from her own power bar. "Yeah?"
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For everything … I ran off to Jump City like a kid throwing a tantrum."
She pursed her lips before answering. "It was the right thing for you to do. You met your wife in Jump City after all … but I won't lie, even though we had just broken up, I was hoping back then that we could have patched things up. Kinda hard to do when you are on the other side of the continent, busy with your own team. Dick …"
"Yes?"
"Before the Joker shot me, I was thinking of joining the Titans. I was going to ask you if I could come to Jump."
Grayson's eyes widened. He recalled well the day Alfred called with the news that Babs had been shot. It was shortly after Blackfire "visited" the Titans and tried to frame Starfire with the theft of the Centauri Moon Gems.
"I'm sorry Babs."
"Don't apologize for missed opportunities. We both made decisions that kept us apart. I sat on my hands for a year after you moved to Jump. I could have come to visit."
"You would have done that?"
"Absolutely, but I was too proud."
"Babs, I missed you too."
"Yeah, I'll bet you missed the rolls in the hay."
Nightwing smiled bashfully. "Well, back then, I did miss that."
"I'm surprised you waited so long to make your move on Starfire, horny Boy Wonder." She smirked.
"I was gun shy, plus Starfire projects this really … how do I put it … 'wholesome image'? Once we started dating she invited me into her bed. Turns out Tamaranians have even bigger libidos than humans."
"You lucky dog." Babs grinned.
Nightwing chuckled. "So here I am, talking with my old flame about my sex life as a married man. If that isn't weird and awkward, I don't know what is."
"We know each other pretty well." She chuckled herself.
"Babs … Star's been a good sport about us and our past … I just want to … you know? Keep things between us legit."
"Dick … you're married … of course I'm not gonna poach you. What kind of girl do you think I am?"
"I'm not worried about you Babs … I'm worried about me."
Before Batgirl could reply their UN issued communicators began to chirp. Grayson flipped his open and frowned. "It looks like we have some runners, and they're nearby."
Barbara and Dick donned their environmental masks, which would hopefully protect them from contagion should the runners be infected. They took off running, on an intercept course with the runners. The mountainside was very steep in some places but the two Batclan members were both incredibly fit and agile. They soon reached the intercept location and hid in the foliage, ready to ambush and capture the runners with their bolo ropes. Once captured a helicopter would come to collect and relocate them to a refugee camp. It was all too simple.
They didn't have to wait long, within minutes a young couple emerged into a clearing. They looked ragged and tired, sweat dripping down their skinny, malnourished faces. The female gestured frenetically at the foliage, telling whoever was there to stay put until they could tell it was safe. The man and the woman nervously began to look around, searching for any sign of danger, while whispering to each other in their native tongue. Still hidden, Nightwing watched without moving a muscle. When the couple reached the center of the clearing he nodded his head. He and Babs leaped out of their hiding spot and threw their bolo ropes, which instantly wrapped themselves around the two runners, who lost their balance and fell down. That was when he heard two screams in the foliage.
Nightwing's heart sank when he saw two small children run to their fallen parents. They were terrified, bawling as tears streamed down their faces. Grayson turned to his companion, who looked even more mortified than he did.
"I hate this job." He mumbled under his breath.
-( scene break )-
A small clock chimed in the library, indicating that it was now noon and lunch was being served in the cafeteria. Mark had fallen asleep while Raven read him stories and she had delicately deposited him on a couch. Much like her husband, the child could sleep … a lot. She was reading a book of her own, a book about childbirth. She slipped a bookmark into the page and closed the book.
"Mark, wake up."
The toddler blinked a few times before looking up at Raven and smiling at her. She returned his greeting with one of her trademark, super subtle smiles.
"It's time for lunch."
"I don't want lunch, I want a story."
"It's lunchtime now and we are going to have lunch, we can read more after lunch. Your mother will be there; don't you want to see her?"
"I don't like mommy." The boy frowned.
Raven was barely able to conceal her surprise.
"Why?"
The child shrugged but didn't answer. Raven decided to let it slide. She took his hand and led him out of the library, which was a few doors down from the dining hall. As they approached the entrance he released her hand and bolted. Raven saw her husband approach and the boy leaped into his arms. Raven noticed that Gar was accompanied by Alexa and another woman. The woman was attractive and seemed excessively familiar with Garfield, as she repeatedly touched him.
"Hey there, slugger! Did you have a good time with Raven?" He asked the boy.
"She read me stories!"
"She did, huh, that was nice of her."
"And she can do magic." The child expressed in an awestruck tone. "Because she's a fairy."
The changeling smiled upon hearing the words. "You got that right champ." He replied before greeting his wife with a kiss.
"I thought I was a witch." She whispered to him.
"You know I've never said that."
"You said I was creepy."
"That was a long time ago." He whispered back. He then handed Mark to Alexa.
"Rave, I'd like you to meet Dr. Barbara McCall. She and I are on the same project team."
Raven suppressed raising an eyebrow and politely shook the woman's hand.
"So you're Garfield's Raven?"
"And he's my Garfield." She replied in her gravelly monotone.
Dr. McCall grinned. "I remember when you were both Teen Titans. I was a huge fan."
"You were?"
"Oh yeah, I was a real fan girl. I had all your posters on my bedroom walls. I always thought you and Starfire were the coolest, you both had such awesome powers and you kicked bad guy butt. Starfire was so pretty and you were so cool and mysterious, I would have given up anything to be like you."
"Who was your favorite male Titan?" Alexa asked with a hint of mischief in her eyes.
"It's kind of funny … all of my classmates were crazy about Robin. They joined his fan clubs and wrote him letters. But not me." She enthused as she wrapped her arm around his. "But my crush was Beast Boy. When Terra showed up I was devastated. I was so happy when she disappeared. Garfield told about what happened to her."
"I see … you had a crush on my husband."
"Had? I still do! I know, it sound so fan girl. When I found out you were coming, I almost freaked out. That does come across a bit pathetic, doesn't it?"
"Not at all." Raven responded in an excessively polite voice. "My husband is very popular."
McCall smiled as she caressed the changeling's back. "You are one lucky lady Raven; you have a super hero hunk all to yourself."
"Yes, that is the basic concept of marriage." She replied. "Fidelity and exclusivity."
The changeling subtly extricated himself from McCall. "And I have Raven all to myself too."
"You guys are so old fashioned … it's adorable." Alexa interjected.
"Yes, we are." Raven replied. "It's who we are."
"My friends and I always wondered what you Titans did in that cool Tower. You were on your own, no supervision. I can only imagine what happened after hours." McCall interjected.
"I can reassure you that while we were minors nothing happened. And when we came of age the team broke up."
"You mean … you guys … didn't get it on?" McCall asked.
"Heh heh, could we change the subject?" Garfield interrupted.
"I concur, I'm about to lose my appetite." Raven agreed.
McCall blushed. "Oops! Sorry!"
Alexa gestured at the dining hall entrance. "Shall we?"
As the group headed into the hall, the Chromatically Challenged Couple™ fell behind. Raven grabbed his arm and pulled him aside.
"Gar … I saw her husband kiss another woman today." She whispered.
"Kiss? Like, not on the cheek?"
"Like not on the cheek. He kissed one of the chefs, and he called her 'hon'."
"I've been getting weird vibes from Barbara myself."
"Oh, so you're already on a first name basis with her?"
"She is a colleague … but she seems to be awfully friendly. I thought that maybe it was just her old fan girl coming out."
Raven narrowed her eyes and glanced at Alexa and McCall, who were sharing a laugh. "Right, she's just a fan girl. And I'm just a girl with an unusual complexion."
"Raven, let's be cool about this. I do have to work with her, after all. You know that nothing will happen."
She grabbed him by his lab coat lapels and drew him near. "You know that I trust you. And that I'd hate to have to punish you for any misdeeds."
"Aw, c'mon, you don't think for a second that I would do that?"
Her expression softened and she released his lapels. "Of course not … I'm sorry."
"And besides, it's probably nothing anyway. Now let's get something to eat."
As they caught up with the others, Alexa smirked. "Is everything OK? I thought we lost you there for a moment."
"Everything is fine." Raven lied in her monotone.
-( scene break )-
"Princess, are you ready?"
Starfire leaned against the railing on the massive balcony. This was the very place where Robin tried to talk her out of honoring her arranged wedding so many years before. On this night he felt so far away as she stared at the small yellow star in the dark firmament overhead.
"Milady?" A chambermaid cautiously opened the massive door to her room. "The reception is about to begin and it is in your honor."
Starfire bristled at the remark. Officially this was a reception to commemorate her return to Tamaran. But she knew better. Galfore never accepted Dick Grayson as her consort. Yes, she had the right to pick her mate if one wasn't chosen for her, and Galfore made, by his own estimation, a huge mistake in not selecting a mate for her. And now that she was married he couldn't get rid of Grayson. There were, however, ways to circumvent that irritation.
Tamaranian Royals were allows to have multiple mates. It was an ancient tradition and no one had exercised it in thousands of years. The Grand Ruler knew that Starfire had become too "humanized" during her years on Earth and would never consider taking a second mate. Unfortunately as Starfire's "first" Grayson was legally her consort and would have privileges over the other husbands. But, the pesky human was trapped on Earth and it was very likely that the Princess would never see him again, especially if everyone on Earth died of that wretched plague.
Starfire knew very well that Galfore would have an army of suitors lined up for her. She knew that they would be charming, handsome men from Tamaran's noblest and wealthiest houses. Unfortunately, for them, she was not interested. The only man she wanted was a commoner, a circus brat of the humblest origins.
"Milady?"
"Yes, I am coming. Where is my daughter?"
"She is with the Grand Ruler, Milady."
Starfire sighed. "Very well, I am ready."
-( scene break )-
Galfore drummed his massive fingers on the armrest.
"Where is she? … She is making me look bad." He grumbled.
Nightstar hovered next to him, and had been doing so for quite some time. He turned to the child.
"You may go and mingle with the crowd." He instructed her. "Remember though, you are a princess of the Royal House, so behave as such."
The child bowed her head. "Yes, Grand Ruler." She replied in a melancholic voice.
Galfore grimaced, then his expression softened as he caressed her cheek with his huge thumb. "Forgive me, child. Go do as you please, but you must stay in the Great Hall. When the meal is served you will join us as the main table.
"Yes, sir." The child replied as she suppressed a shudder. Her mother has more than once tried to introduce her to Tamaranian cuisine. Unfortunately she found it disgusting. Nevertheless, she was pretty sure that that they wouldn't be serving cheeseburgers, pizza or tacos at the reception, so she steeled herself as she prepared for the worst.
She quickly flitted away. Some people engaged her in small talk, asking her what Earth was like and if it was true that humans could not fly and were otherwise utter weaklings. Eventually she grew tired of the polite chat and withdrew to the periphery of the room, hoping to become a wallflower that evening.
Back on Earth, Mar'i was painfully aware that she was an alien. None of the other children she met had any kind of powers and she stood out like a sore thumb with her orange skin and glowing eyes. Yet she felt just as out of place on Tamaran with her dark hair and blue eyes. She could tell by the way that people looked at her. Sure, they didn't say anything because she was a princess, but she overheard the words "half breed" spoken in hushed tones. It made her blood boil. What was wrong with being half human, anyway? She liked her black hair and blue eyes. And she was as strong as any Tamaranian.
There were a few other children at the reception, and they kept a respectful distance from her. Suddenly, the thought of spending the rest of her life on this weird, alien world and never seeing her father again sent a surge of panic through her young mind. She tried to stop her tears from flowing … and failed.
"It's not easy being different, is it?" A familiar voice broke the silence around her. Nightstar wiped her tears away and looked up to the source of the voice.
"Aunt Blackfire?"
Princess Kommand'r smiled sweetly at the young girl.
"I have a present for you." Blackfire placed a necklace with a blue pendant around her neck. The young girl took the gem and held it in her hand.
"Whoa!"
"It's pretty, isn't it?"
Mar'i smiled. "It is … this isn't stolen, is it?"
Blackfire laughed. "Your mother told you about the Centauri moon gem, I see."
The child nodded.
"Well, don't worry, it isn't stolen. It's from my own private collection. You can show it to Galfore, he'll recognize it."
The young princess smiled. "Thank you, Aunt Blackfire."
"I got something else for you, come with me. If Galfore sees this, he'll have a coronary … in both of his hearts."
Blackfire led her to a secluded side room, where a lonely table stood, with a domed food cover on it. Blackfire grabbed the handle on top of the dome.
"You want to know a secret? I also hate Tamaranian food."
Blackfire lifted the dome and poor Nightstar began to salivate.
"You have pepperoni pizza?"
"Well, it isn't fresh. I brought a ton of frozen pizzas from Earth before the quarantine took effect."
The young princess inhaled the heavenly aroma.
"Go ahead kid, I already ate. This one is all yours."
Without even a hint of decorum Mar'i began to devour the pizza. As she stopped to take a breather Blackfire handed her a can of ice cold Pepsi, which she eagerly chugged down.
"Thank you." The young princess thanked her aunt after she finished the pie.
"It's no biggie. I also brought other stuff back from Earth. Would you like a cheeseburger next time?"
The young girl nodded enthusiastically.
"We have a lot in common, Mar'i."
"We do?"
"Do you know why I have dark hair and violet eyes?"
"You mean you're half human too?"
Blackfire shook her head. "Hardly … I'm 100% Tamaranian."
"Then … why do you look different? You look like me."
"I'm a mutant. What you and I have in common is that, even though we are princesses, we are outcasts on our own world, just because we're different. You know what I mean, don't you, Mar'i?"
The girl sadly nodded her head. "Yes, I do."
"Well, I'm your aunt, and I'm here for you. And while I can't stop people from being jerks, at least we can eat real food together. But I think you should go back into the great hall before Galfore notices that you ditched the reception."
Nightstar nodded her agreement.
"Oh, and don't tell anyone about our arrangement, especially not your mother. She doesn't like me and if she finds out … well … if that happens, I hope you like eating mouth worms."
Nightstar shuddered at the very suggestion. "I won't tell."
"That's my girl, now run along."
Nightstar flitted back into the Great Hall. Blackfire sniffed at the remnants of the pizza and had to suppress her gag reflex. "How did my sister ever learn to eat this swill? Earth food is disgusting."
-( scene break )-
A shorter chapter, but I got it done before leaving on my trip.
Reviews are as generous as ever. Thanks!
EP – No need to apologize, plus your review broke the per chapter record for this story.
TheDarkChangeling – Eww! Imagine having a kid with Rouge! I'd probably never have sex again.
TW – What could go wrong? That's a rhetorical question, right?
ToraHimeSama – And now McCall has been thrown into the mix.
Adalyn333 – I like to get geography right, even though in the show they were never clear where Jump City was. In fact, in the original show their hometown is never named. It's only in the Teen Titans Go! Comics and in the new show that the city is identified as Jump City.
gabylokita41 - Nope, she isn't.
Sweetums14 – Everyone thinks Mark is a clone.
ravenandbb4ever – Sorry about that!
Shadico – You'll have to wait until next chapter to find out.
Dvasapolli - Nothing fancy, just a Chevrolet.
TJSC25 – Raven's boiling point is approaching
demon girl – Others are rooting for this too.
Pb03 – Blackfire is being very sneaky.
SuperNolon – Marky does deserve better
MeowSaysKat – Did you see the Teen Titans Go episode where baby BB is looking for his mother?
DeeThom – I think that Grayson's bad luck is of his own making.
Wolf of IndigoRiver – He is clearly winning her over.
titanfan45 – As Dick just said "I hate this job"
JOHNXgambit – Blackfire clearly has plans for Nightstar
Me - I've been way overdue for a new car
Bluedog197 - I really enjoy describing Raven and Marky getting closer.
Lover of A Good Story - It sure seems like that, doesn't it?
Anoymous136 – Discrimination is a terrible thing.
Glacier – Have you ever met someone who was really nice but whose parents were just horrible people? Some characters from the show made it back to the comics (lie Mas y Menos). But not Control Freak. I always thought he was lame.
Chayse-man – Thanks. Things are building up.
Ferlion – Thanks!
mlbv-grimm - How could he not be? I guess BB's genes cancelled out those of his mother.
Maddielove95 – Thanks for your kind words.
The Cretin - Slade is always an opportunist, isn't he?
Randamwriter – Kind of like real life. We might not have superpowers, but we can weave a tangled wen
krostovikraven1 – Oh yes she did!
Hairul The Nightrage Beast – I could see a 60 year Blackfire still hitting on the young guys!
TheThoughtsofKarasu – There is no shortage of villains in this story. As for the Brotherhood … who knows what they are up to?
js12601 – Who would have imagined Raven reading Winnie the Pooh to a child?
WishToBeYouSomeday – Thanks, still haven't departed yet.
Dragonkyng – So if BB divorced Raven and married Alexa, that wouldn't be cool, right? ;-)
Adventuresstime – I think that she is slowly growing fond of him.