Chapter 24

Robin leant against the wall of the tunnel that entered the arena, his head bowed in thought.

He'd screwed up, again. It was becoming a common thing with him, especially where Starfire was concerned.

Starfire had stalked out of the bathroom, red-eyed, an hour after she entered last night and went straight to bed. She refused to speak with him; instead she had curled up into a ball and resolutely shut her eyes. When he'd tried to enter her mind while she slept, he'd barely had enough time to say her name before she kicked him out, how he wasn't quite sure. She'd refused to allow him back into her mind, no matter how hard he tried.

She'd been awake early this morning, showered, dressed and gone before he woke. Raven and Beast Boy had escorted her to the xhandal arena while Cyborg waited for him to be ready.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He shouldn't have reacted like that and certainly shouldn't have said the things he had said. He'd been so worried when he'd come out of their room to spend some time with her and discovered that none of the other Titans had seen her in a while. And then her vague answers made him angry. Why couldn't she take the situation with the Citadel seriously?

He swore and thumped his fist against the wall. Of all of them, only she knew the Citadel personally. She was the only one who had lived the nightmare of being their slave; she would know the ins and outs of their culture. Maybe she didn't take the situation seriously because she knew exactly what the Citadel was capable of. Why hadn't he thought to involve her more in his research and hunt for clues? She'd tried so many times to share with him and he'd brushed her off. Perhaps she had been feeling unloved, lonely or simply nostalgic which is why she'd gone to Galfore's home. And she had tried to contact him about something and he'd been short with her.

Voices approached and he raised his head, his heart leaping as he spotted Starfire speaking quietly with Galfore, Raven and Beast Boy following discreetly behind.

Starfire and Galfore stopped and faced each other as she said something quietly to him.

Galfore placed a hand on Starfire's shoulder. "Thank you, Koriand'r," Galfore replied in a voice that was quiet for him. "You do not know what this means to us."

She smiled at him and placed a hand on the one on her shoulder. "I believe I know."

Galfore nodded, before jerking his head in Robin's direction and walking away. Starfire sighed and turned her head to look at Robin, her shoulders slumping.

Robin swallowed the mountain in his throat and pushed himself off the wall to meet her as she walked toward him. "Starfire," he said as she came to stand opposite him, leaning against the wall with her hands behind her back. He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to find the words.

He felt the soft touch of her mind. Robin.

Star, I'm-

I wish to apologise, she sent, interrupting him with her eyes downcast. I should not have left without informing you of where I was going. I should not have made it appear that I believed that your orders do not apply to me.

Robin took several steps toward her. I should never have said that. I don't think for an instant that you would do that.

I am sorry I worried you.

He inched closer, trying to get her to look up at him. Star, I should be the one that is sorry. I was so wrapped up in trying to figure out the Citadel that I overlooked the greatest source of information I had. I should have involved you, instead of ignoring you. I am sorry I drove you away.

She shook her head. You did not drive me away. I simply wished to spend time with Fyria and did not want to interrupt our friends to have one of them escort me when Galfore's home was right above us. I did not intend to spend so long there. I am sorry.

He chuckled and she raised her head, startled. Star, we're going around in circles here. He reached out a hand and brushed her cheek. I should never have blurted out that we've coupled in front of our friends. I am very sorry that I did that and I hope you can forgive me.

She gazed at his masked face. I am sorry I forcibly removed you from my mind.

Robin placed one hand on the wall by her shoulder, the other resting on her waist. I'm sorry I tried to intrude when you were obviously angry with me.

Starfire shifted, removing her hands from behind her and placing them on his waist, pulling him against her. I am sorry I left this morning without waiting for you.

Robin smiled. Are we done? May I kiss you now?

She tiled her head. You do not need to ask.

Robin closed the distance between them, their lips crushing together. He pressed her up against the wall and her hands snaked up his back to clamp onto his shoulders. He ran his tongue over the rim of her lips once, just tasting, before he pulled away. He rested his forehead against hers. I love you, Star.

She licked her lips. I love you too.

TTTTT

Raven shivered and a feeling of dread swept over her.

She glanced down the long corridor toward Robin and Starfire, but the pair was still wrapped up in each other. Her eye twitched slightly from the affection they were sharing and she turned away. Something twigged her senses and she frowned, looking back down the corridor. Something was wrong with Starfire and it had nothing to do with what happened between her and Robin last night. It was almost as though-

"What's wrong, Rae?" Beast Boy quietly asked, interrupting her train of thought and she looked at him questionably. "Your hand just went as cold as ice."

"I'm not entirely sure, Gar," she said quietly. "I just have this feeling that there is something wrong about today."

Beast Boy nodded. "I know what you mean."

Raven narrowed her eyes at him. "How would you know what I mean?"

Beast Boy shrugged. "Today will be the last day of this xhandal thingy, unless Robin gets hurt again. We haven't seen any trace of the Citadel yet and if there really were a traitor here, I would think that they would have acted by now. So yeah, I think that there is something wrong with today too."

"I didn't say I think. I said I feel. There is a difference."

Beast Boy's ears went down. "Oh," he replied slowly. "You mean like the worlds gonna end type of feeling? Like some sort of physic premonition?"

Raven sighed. "I don't know. I just don't know. I can't get a handle on the feeling, but I know it has something to do with Starfire."

"Rae, this whole trip has had something to do with Starfire. And Robin. And their bond thingy, which by the way is both super cool and really freaky at the same time. Hey, you don't have anything like that, do you? You know, from your powers and such?"

Raven rolled her eyes. "Beast Boy, if I really wanted to be inside your head, it wouldn't be very difficult. But I might get lost in all the cobwebs."

Beast Boy frowned and nudged her softly. "That's not very nice."

"Funny though," Cyborg said as he came up behind them.

Beast Boy frowned at him, before poking his tongue out and crossing his eyes.

"Oh yeah," Cyborg drawled. "That's attractive."

"Should you be checking the sorals or something?" Raven asked dryly.

Cyborg lifted his arm and tapped his console. "Something's messin' with my systems. I can't get a reading on anything, there is just too much interference."

"Mmm," Raven mused, glancing back down the corridor.

"Aww man, don't those two ever let up?" Cyborg complained as he followed Raven's glance. "If you two ever start makin' out in public, just do me a favour and kill me, okay?"

"Is that a promise?" Raven said as she raised an eyebrow, before grabbing on to the front of Beast Boy's shirt and yanking him toward her. After planting a nice wet one on Beast Boy's lips, including the smacking sound, she looked back at Cyborg and grinned wickedly.

He had his hands over his eyes and was groaning loudly. "I asked for that one. didn't I?"

"Ooh, yeah," Beast Boy said, slightly giddy. "My Raven's got a killer sense of humour."

Cyborg grimaced. "I'm gonna go stand over there," he said pointing both his hands off to one side. "And face the wall and stuff. See if I can't scrub that image from my mind. Let me know when your ready to go."

Raven watched him scoot away before turning back to Beast Boy. "Gar, I need you to promise me something," she said, her expression intense.

The goofy grin vanished from Beast Boy's face. "Sure Rae. Whatever you want."

"If something happens today, anything at all that's out of the ordinary, I want you to stay beside Starfire no matter what, okay?"

Beast Boy cocked his head in confusion. "Nothings gonna happen, Rae."

"I said if. Please. Something big is going to happen and she's at the center. You need to stay with her, you're the only one capable of doing so."

Beast Boy frowned, before nodding in understanding. "Okay Rae, whatever you say."

She smiled softly and pulled him in for a hug. "Thanks."

He wrapped his arms around her and returned the hug, his chin on her shoulder. They stayed like that for a while, enjoying each other's closeness while Raven tried to quell the rising dread that was growing inside her. Something terrible was going to happen, she just knew it. She tightened her grip on Beast Boy and he turned his head to kiss her lightly on the neck.

Their hug was interrupted by a small cough.

Beast Boy and Raven turned to find an embarrassed looking Starfire. "Pardon my intrusion," she said. "But we really must head for the garak now."

TTTTT

Robin spun his soral as he waited for the ceremonial box to leave the arena, watching Grafnor out of the corner of his eye. He seemed aloof and strangely calm. Every other contender, beside Galfore, had tried to psyche him out in some form or another, either by taunting, or displaying various skills with their weapon. This Tamaranian had yet to say a single thing, or do anything but stand there with his weapon.

Something was wrong. The spot between his shoulder blades itched slightly, as if some malevolent force was glaring at him. He shuddered and twitched as something ran an icy paw down his spine.

He glanced toward Starfire's viewing box. She was watching the sky, waiting. Raven sat by her side, watching her closely. He couldn't see Cyborg or Beast Boy.

An insect bit him on the neck and he slapped his palm over it. His fingers hit something hard and metallic on his neck and he pulled it out to stare wonderingly at a small dart on his palm. Numbness spread from his neck filtering through down his shoulder and creeping along his chest. His chest heaved in breath as his arms dropped like dead weights, the soral clattering from his hands. He looked up into Grafnor's smirking face, before his legs went out from under him and he dropped to his knees.

Starfire, run! He managed to send before his vision began to spot, the numbness creeping along his face.

The ground heaved as an explosion rocked the arena, spewing dust and rock wide as the viewing box that Starfire was in disintegrated. Robin swung his rapidly numbing head to the box in shock, but could only see green smoke wafting from where it used to be. The surviving crowd around it began to cough and splutter as they inhaled the smoke, before slumping in their seats. Several more explosions shattered the arena and the same green smoke wafted from the point of origin.

Screaming and panic.

Galfore roaring.

Someone laughing.

A shadow passed over Robin and he looked up to see a figure looming over him, a soral held high before there was a bright flare of white light and then nothing.