Chapter 17
So, Robin called as he stepped from the shower and reached for a towel. Want to talk about it?
She made me angry, Starfire quietly sent.
I realise that, he returned, before pulling on his uniform. Any particular reason why? Or do you not want to share.
You are not going to get angry with me for allowing myself to get hurt? Her mind voice sounded timid and a little hopeful.
No… I figured you were already beating yourself up over it so why bother. I could say you should've been more careful, but you know that already. It was a lucky hit; I saw your dodge, it was awesome, you were so quick. She caught you by surprise, which is usually something that is pretty hard to do. But your arm didn't seem to affect you in battle and I'm just glad your okay. I could spank you later if you want.
I apologise. I will be more careful in the future.
He frowned. Aww, come on Star, cheer up. He snapped his belt around his waist and reaching for his cape. She was silent in his mind. Fair enough. It was a good fight though, Star. You're amazing in the air.
I thank you.
He sighed and reached for the hair gel. Not in the mood huh?
She gave him their equivalent of a mental sigh. I am sorry, Robin. I am preoccupied with troubling thoughts.
Anything I can help you with? he sent as he stepped from the bathroom and walked back to their room. He found Starfire lying on the bed, her hands clasped on her stomach and her head dangling over the edge. Her hair pooled on the floor and her eyes were closed, but she still wore that alluring xhandal outfit, although this one wasn't covered in blood. He smiled quietly to himself. He knelt and placed a hand on the back of her neck, lifting her head so he could give her an upside down kiss. Her body responded, arching up to meet him, but he felt as though her mind was far away.
He lingered on her lips before pulling away, allowing her head to fall back over the edge of the bed. He hopped on his stomach on the bed beside her, briefly brushing his fingers tenderly over the scar on her arm before he cradled his head in his hands, closed his eyes and concentrated.
It took merely a second before her orange coloured cliff top swirled into existence in his mind. He smiled as he saw her seated on the end of the cliff, looking out over the orange desert of Tamaran. He crunched his way over to her and she looked over her shoulder at him, her smile filled with melancholy. He raised an eyebrow as he sat next to her, dangling his legs over the cliff edge and took her hand in his. "Something's really bothering you and it has nothing to do with you being injured. Talk to me, it could help."
She sighed and looked back over her landscape. "I am concerned for my sister. To have the Citadel so close to Tamaranian space is troubling and I am afraid that perhaps they will try to capture her as well. I would not be a very good sister if I did not warn her."
Robin stared at her. "After everything she's done to you, you still want to warn her?"
Starfire nodded. "She is still my sister. Nothing can change that."
"What did Jysa say to you?" he asked, frowning.
Starfire turned her head to look at him. "She said that Komand'r is the one true empress and I do not deserve to call her sister."
Robin tightened his grip on her hand. "If anything, it is Blackfire that doesn't deserve to have you for a sister. You gave up so much to keep her safe."
Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?" she blurted.
"Come on, Star. I know you. I'm willing to bet it was your idea to go to the Citadel as a prize. Your father must have said something about what would happen and you wanted to protect your family. That's the kind of person you are."
She looked at him in horror. "But I-"
"You never told me." He reached out a hand and cupped her face, gently caressing her cheek with his thumb. "Sweetheart, it's my job to work out things, to figure out how people think. I'd be a pretty poor boyfriend if I didn't read between the lines." She hung her head. "Loving your family is nothing to be ashamed of Star. What confuses me is why Blackfire would do those kinds of things to you, knowing what you gave up for her."
"She does not know." Starfire sighed sadly, her eyes downcast. "Father kept it secret. He came to me when I returned home from Okaara and told me what would happen at the Citadel. He spoke of the torture, of the slavery. He told me what they would do to little boys and what they would do to Komand'r if she went. Father told me I was different, I was in between. Not a boy, not yet a woman. He said I had the best chance of surviving. He said if I loved them, I would go in their stead and he promised to raise an army to have me released." She placed a hand over his on her cheek and a tear trickled from her downcast eye. "I clung to that hope the entire time I was at the Citadel. I used to sit in my hole and gaze for hours into my e'ara, remembering my family, remembering Galfore and Fyria, keeping the joyfulness alive within me. It was the one thing that kept me alive, protecting me from the insanity so common amongst the slaves. They could not take my e'ara away from me. That is why it is so special to me and I wished for you to have one too."
Starfire sighed sadly once more and he brushed her tears away with his thumb as he waited for her to continue. "But when I escaped I discovered that he had no intention of rescuing me and he had not spoken to Komand'r or Ryand'r of why I was sacrificed or what would happen to me once I was there. Komand'r was angry because I was more loved by the people than she was and she was next in line for the throne. I think father made her believe that the Citadel was treating me simply as a prisoner of war, instead of a slave. Tamaranian prisoners of war are treated humanely. She never wanted to wage war on the Citadel, but I think she believed that she could win the people back if she did."
"And you did nothing to change her view of what happened to you."
She raised her tear filled green eyes to look at him. "Some things are hard to tell those you love."
"Why would your father do that to you, Star?"
She shrugged and wrapped her arms around herself. "I do not know. I am not sure I even wish to find out."
He pulled her into his embrace. "Come on," he whispered, tugging her with his mind and pulled them back to their bodies. He lifted his head from his arms and placed his hands around Starfire's waist, pulling her down so her head would lie on the bed beside him. She opened her eyes to look at him and he leaned forward to capture her lips. Let's linger here a while, then go send a message to your sister.
TTTTT
Raven opened her eyes.
She floated down to her bed and huffed. She glanced around her darkened room, trying to figure out why she was having trouble meditating today. She cast out her senses, checking on her friends. Starfire and Robin were wrapped up in each others mind, a situation not uncommon anymore, but they weren't the reason she couldn't concentrate. Cyborg was happy and Raven guessed he was probably working on a new program or playing a game or something.
Beast Boy was bored and Raven frowned. He wasn't the reason she couldn't concentrate either, but she was curious as to why he was bored. Uncrossing her legs she got to her feet and left her room.
The common room was vacant, but Raven was not surprised. She stepped toward Beast Boy's room and knocked on the door. There was silence on the other side, so Raven cast out her senses again, finding her wayward boyfriend outside the common room door. Raven sighed. He must be standing watch outside, which would be why he was bored.
Raven turned to Cyborg's door and knocked.
"Come!" he bellowed from inside.
Raven opened the door and hovered in the doorway.
Cyborg paused the game he was playing and turned to the door, controller still in hand. "What's up, Raven?"
"I'm going to go for a walk," she said dryly. "Orders were to let someone know and seeing as our leader is otherwise occupied, I thought I'd better let you know. I won't be long, just enough to stretch my legs."
Cyborg nodded. "Want me to come with?"
Raven scowled. "I'm capable of defending myself you know."
"Never said you weren't," he replied tartly, turning back to the game. "Just wanted to check."
She snorted and closed the door behind her, heading out the common room door and into the hallway beyond. Picking a path at random, she headed down a corridor.
A tiny green gecko scuttled down a pillar and into her line of sight. She sighed and dropped to the floor in imitation of fixing her shoe, just in case the guards were watching from where they were stationed. "I'm just going for a walk," she mumbled quietly.
The gecko regarded her quietly and blinked his eyes one at a time.
"No, you don't need to come."
The gecko's tongue protruded from his mouth before he snapped quietly at her twice. Raven rolled her eyes, the corner of her lips twitching into a smile. "Same to you too," she replied as the gecko skittered back up the pillar.
Raven got to her feet and continued walking down the corridor. She hoped to find a library, or someplace more peaceful than her room to meditate in, but until she found either, she just continued walking aimlessly. The directionless walking was also soothing in its own way.
She disliked the feeling of being out of place on Starfire's world, but she guessed that this was how Starfire felt all the time on theirs. She passed many Tamaranians on her travels, each of them stopping what they were doing and staring at her for so long that she began to feel like going out without the others was a bad idea. She wrapped herself in her cloak and raised her cowl so she didn't feel so naked as she walked amongst them.
She turned a corner and nearly ran straight into Rundn. He was leaning against a column on the hand that was stretched above his head and the other on his cocked hip. He was wearing a strangely malicious smile, reminding Raven of a cat that had just spotted a mouse to eat.
She narrowed her eyes and took a step to the side to move past him, but Rundn pushed off the column and barred in her way. His hand snaked out and pulled the cowl from her head before she could move away. Her eyes widened at the unwanted contact and she wrapped herself tighter in her cape.
"What do you want?" she snapped, glancing at the corridor behind him. It was deserted.
"So, you are Raven," he replied oozing wantonness from every pore.
"What's it to you?" she asked as she tried to nip by him once more.
"I would have thought that was obvious," he replied. He advanced on her and Raven found herself backing away from him. He smiled leeringly as she backed into a wall, before placing one arm above her on the wall and leaned in to her oppressively. His other hand reached for her neck tugging at the collar of her leotard. "Pretty young thing such as yourself needs to be on the arm of a powerful warrior."
She raised a power filled hand as he pressed his body against hers. She shoved him in the chest, forcing him away from her. "Get away from me," she snarled, raising her cowl with her powers and lifting off the ground.
He laughed. "You do not have a chance against me. I am not afraid of your insignificant power display. I am by far the superior here."
"Sure of yourself, aren't you?" she said sarcastically, reaching out with her powers and snagged a nearby column. The ground rumbled loudly as she ripped out the column and cast it at Rundn. He bellowed in shock and punched the column as it neared, shattering it. A thick layer of dust cloaked the corridor, before Rundn leaped out of the gloom heading straight for Raven.
She darted sideways, flying down the corridor backward before snatching up another column in her powers. Rundn's eyes glowed green and he shot an eye beam at her catching her in the stomach. She flew backward slamming into a wall before slumping to the ground, the column dropping from her powers.
Rundn landed before her, smiling in a way that made her skin crawl. He was reaching down to grab her when a green gorilla hand clamped down on the man's shoulder from behind and tossed him away. Beast Boy morphed back to normal and crouched before Raven, keeping his eyes fixed on Rundn as the Tamaranian slammed face first into a nearby wall. "You okay, Rae?"
She nodded, strangely warmed to find him there.
Rundn rolled over and leaped to his feet, snarling at the green shapeshifter. "How dare you lay a hand on me! No abominable offworlders may touch me without my permission."
Beast Boy snarled. "Keep you filthy paws off my girl."
"Your girl? As if she'd have a green, pointy eared, powerless creature like you."
Raven frowned at the powerless crack. He must not have seen Beast Boy change. Maybe Rundn didn't know he was about to get his ass handed to him.
"Let's get out of here," Raven murmured and enveloped them both in her cloak.
Her raven screeched its warning cry as the two of them materialized in the common room of the rooms that they were staying in.
Beast Boy turned on her. "Whatcha do that for?" he yelled. "I could've taken him."
"I know," she replied softly. "But we're trying to stay out of trouble remember?"
"Taken who?" Robin asked, his arms folded across his chest. Raven turned and blushed, having not noticed Starfire sitting at the computer that had been set up at the table and Robin standing behind her.
Cyborg poked his head out of his room curious at the noise. "We having a lovers tiff out here?" he asked cheekily, before being glared down by four pairs of eyes.
"That Rundn guy attacked Raven!" Beast Boy yelled and began to pace.
"What?" Robin exclaimed, clenching his fists.
"Technically, Beast Boy," Raven began.
Beast Boy whirled to face her and threw his arms in the air. "Technically he had you pushed up against the wall, his body pressed up against yours. He had his hand on your neck. You don't even let me that close. So, 'technically', I say he attacked you!" He began to pace once more; casting dark looks around the room. "You are so lucky I followed you then."
Starfire stood quickly and crossed the room to Raven, tugging at the collar of her leotard before inspecting her neck. "Why were you out of the room?" Starfire asked quietly as she stepped away.
Raven frowned at the contact and Starfire's obvious relief. "I was having trouble meditating and I thought maybe a walk would help," Raven said softly. "Starfire, that reminds me. Does the general population know about our powers? Rundn called Beast Boy powerless."
"I do not believe that many know of your powers," she replied thoughtfully. "Unless you have actually used them around the general population, most of them simply think of you as my friends. Galfore knows of course."
"So Rundn wouldn't know Beast Boy is a shapeshifter, because he hasn't been doing it in public?"
"It is a possibility."
"Raven, you know you shouldn't be out alone," Robin chided sternly. "Not when…with all this Citadel stuff happening."
Beast Boy frowned, picking up on the sudden shift of words. "Not when, what?"
There was uncomfortable silence.
"Not when, what?" Beast Boy repeated, looking between all of them.
Starfire held out her hand to placate him. "I will speak to Galfore about-"
"No, Starfire, he needs to know," Raven said softly, before taking a deep breath and looking at Beast Boy. "Rundn has a developed peculiar fascination in me. He hasn't taken his eyes off me for more than an instant all day and I caught him looking at me last night. It's really very creepy."
Beast Boy frowned. "That's why you've been holding my hand and sitting close to me all day. It's not cause you wanted emotional support at all, or you just wanted to be close. You were trying to use me as a barrier. Why didn't you just tell me that from the beginning instead of lying?"
"I wasn't sure how you would react."
"Friends," Starfire said urgently. "Now that he knows, there is a solution to-"
"Stay out of it Star," Beast Boy snapped before her words sunk in. "Now that I know? You mean, all of you knew and you kept it from me?" He growled as he glanced around the room. "You didn't trust me, did you, Raven? You thought I would just go of half-cocked and do something stupid like a little kid. That I'd embarrass you and you'd have to roll your eyes at me and smack that annoying band across my mouth again. You know what, if you can't trust me with something like this then I don't know where this strange little relationship of ours is heading."
Raven felt the blood drain from her face. "Beast Boy-"
Beast Boy scowled at her. "You won't let me hug you or kiss you. You barely allow me to hold your hand. I'm not Malchior; I don't have an ulterior motive for liking you. I've had to fight you every step of the way for us to do things together as a couple. And now some other guy has taken an interest in you that you don't want and I'm not allowed to know? I'm not even allowed to try and defend you? How screwed up is that, Raven? Do you even want to be my girlfriend?"
Another uncomfortable silence filled the room, with Cyborg, Starfire and Robin trying not to be noticed. Raven opened her mouth, struggling for something to say, but nothing came out.
Beast Boy sighed. "Guess that answers that question," he muttered and stomped off to his room. He paused at the door, back to the group before looking over his shoulder. "Do we have to make any more appearances today, Star?"
She shook her head mutely.
"Right." The door slammed behind him.