We do not own the rights to any DC affiliated characters.
We do own the rights to the following nonaffiliated characters.
Main Room, Titans Tower. 0824 Hours, 21 AUGUST 2014
"Ungghh. Urrrhh. Mpmmph."
"And a most glorious of mornings to you as well, Beast Boy!" Starfire greeted the green youth as he stumbled into the common room. He turned bleary eyes towards the exuberant redhead who stood behind the island and he stumbled towards her, collapsing onto one of the stools. He dropped his chin upon the cool surface and groaned softly as he rolled his head from side to side, inspecting the room.
"We really the only ones up?"
"Actually, friend Cyborg is conducting upgrades upon the Baby, Raven is doing her meditation, and boyfriend Dick is training."
"And you're not with him?"
"He is still rather up the set with Batman and is releasing such aggression," she sighed with a small shake of her head.
Beast Boy chuckled and lifted his head to slide his folded arms under it as he muttered, "Well, at least he isn't taking out that aggression on training with us. Mmph. It's way too early to be awake."
"But, my friend, the sun is shining, we are all well and safe, and the mother, daughter, and driver we saved are going to live!" she cheered.
"Sorry, Star, but not all of us are solar-powered. I got a little nocturnal in me," he said before he disappeared behind the table. A moment later, a python slithered about the corner, winding between Starfire's feet and making his way to the fridge. Lifting his tail, he hooked it in the handle and pulled the door open. Turning about, he investigated its contents, nosing through them before gathering a package of tofu bacon. Setting it upon the counter, he returned to the fridge, drawing out several more objects before retreating and closing the door. Reluctantly rising up into a humanoid form, he pulled a pair of pans from the cupboard and set them upon the stove.
Looking towards the food he had gathered, he gave a slight jump as he came face-to-face with Starfire, hovering at his side and looking intently upon his ingredients.
"Umm, everything okay there, Star?"
She jolted, seemingly unaware of what she had been doing and looked towards him with a faltering smile as she tapped her fingers together.
"I was wondering if you could perhaps teach me to cook?"
"That's . . . Okay, even I had some trouble with that sentence. But, I mean, I'm happy to help and everything, what's up with wanting to learn and everything?"
"I, uh, it has come to my attention that my culinary skills in regards to Earthling cuisine are perhaps umm . . . lacking?"
"Well, I'd be happy to, but, uh, why me?"
"I have determined that you do the most cooking in the Tower. And also the least busy."
"Least busy? Please. I've totally got, well, ummm . . . There's that thing with the . . . and then, umm . . . All right, fine, I have absolutely nothing going on at all," he admitted as he turned on the stove. "Don't gotta point it out though."
"Most sincere apologies, friend."
"Don't worry about. I'm used to it," he shrugged before pausing as he measured a cup of soy milk. "That sounded way more depressing than I intended. Anyway, you realize that there is a difference in making my dairy free meals and stuff that everybody else will eat, right?"
"I understand," she nodded eagerly before pressing her hands together. "May we begin the lessons now?"
"Umm . . . yeah, sure. I still think that I'm kinda mostly half asleep, but why not?"
"Oh, most joyous! Now, how shall we commence?"
"If that means what I think it means, then we'll do the commencing with something only the most twisted of souls doesn't love," he said, pouring his batter into the griddle. "Pancakes."
Almost an hour later, Robin had finished his shower and was feeling considerably more relaxed after unleashing his latest bout of frustration upon the dummies in the gym. He was headed down the hall, approaching the main room, when he heard an abundance of music pouring through the doors, which caused him to pause. Lifting a hand, he punched the bridge of his nose and sucked in a deep breath as he prepared himself for what he was about to deal with.
". . . converse in polar bear and python! And we could curse in fluent kangaroo! . . ."
In the kitchen, Beast Boy and Starfire danced about each other, singing in time with the lyrics as the changeling slid between the named forms. The golden girl laughed at his antics before he pulled her attention towards the griddle again, imparting a quick jot of wisdom as he guided her in flipping the pancake. It twisted through the air before landing squarely back in the pan, earning her a flashed grin and a thumbs up from the shape shifter before he swooped down upon a plate already bearing syrup-soaked pancakes that he shoveled into his mouth. A smile spread across Robin's face and he approached the island, flushing slightly as Starfire took note of him and brightened.
"Robin! You have completed your ritual dispersal of grumpiness?"
"I, ah, yeah. Yeah, I'm good now, Star," he answered, climbing onto a stool at the kitchen. "What's going on here?"
"Star and I are exploring the delights of the culi-whatever arts," Gar explained before taking a short sniff. "Speaking of which, your pancake is done."
"Oh!"
She turned and scooped the pancake from the griddle, dropping it upon the empty plate he proffered. With great ceremony, he presented it to Robin who stared at it dubiously as silverware and a bottle of syrup joined the plate.
"Got here just in time, dude," he beamed. "You get Star's first totally Earthling meal. Hold the mustard."
"I still think it would have made a good addition," muttered the redhead, drawing a sigh from Beast Boy who turned to face her.
"Hot stuff, people have, and a say this without any insult, a somewhat more . . . what's the words I'm looking for?"
"Refined palate?" Robin suggested as he continued his investigation of the pancake.
"That's it!" he nodded. "Humans, or, well, mostly humans, got a slightly more refined pal-late than yours. We can't just eat, well, everything and anything. Certain foods do not do the whole meshing thing. Case in point, pancakes and mustard."
"Good speech and all, but, you know, I already had breakfast this morning, so . . ."
"You are not wanting to try my first cake of the pan?" Starfire asked, looking upon her boyfriend with something akin to despair that quickly sundered whatever defenses he had in place though he made a final, feeble attempt at escaping the situation.
"I-I-I'd love to, Star, but I just, umm . . ."
"C'mon, traffic light," Beast Boy urged with the slightest hint of mischief sparking in his eyes. "We all know you just went totally nuts on a bunch of dummies and probably started hallucinating about Slade again, who you may or may not fantasize about more than a certain redhead, and you definitely need some nourishment in you."
His glare was obvious even through his mask, but it didn't stop the green youth from chuckling as he slid back. Turning back towards the pancake, he took a deep breath before dumping the syrup over it. Once content with the sugary buffer, he sawed into the golden brown meal and hesitated only for a second to suppress his gag reflex before shoving the piece into his mouth. He made a show of chewing but the act slowed and his eyebrows shot upward before forced back into place as his gaze turned towards the pancake. Glancing upward, he blushed as he found Starfire leaning over the table, hovering off the ground as she eagerly awaited his critique.
"I-it's good. A little dry, but it's way better th- I-I mean, it's -"
With a delighted squeal that caused Beast Boy to wince, Starfire moved the rest of the way across the table to scoop Robin into a tight hug and press a fervent kiss to his cheek. His face reddened at the affection but a polite cough reined her in.
"What, no kiss for the cook?" Beast Boy smirked.
"Technically, my friend, I was the cook. Should I not be doing the receiving of a kiss?" she countered.
"You're gonna have to take that up with your boyfriend. But, I'm the cook that taught you to be the cook that cooks. Wait. What did I just say?"
With a giggle, she swooped forward to capture him in a tight hug, lifting him from the ground as Robin eagerly devoured the pancake. None took any heed of Raven's entrance into the room and she paused, lifting a brow at the scene that played out before her. She carried a heavy tome at her side and her intent to read it was momentarily dashed as the approached the trio. Starfire released Beast Boy who sighed and rolled out his neck.
"I can always count on you to get the kinks outta my back. Hey, Rae! Here to join in on the celebration of Star's cooking skills but mostly my way awesome teaching skills?"
"Neither of those sound like anything to celebrate over," she answered flatly before glancing to Robin. "Though others may disagree."
"That sounds like a challenge," grinned Beast Boy excitedly.
"It really wasn't."
"Starfire!"
"Yes?" she looked to him, diverting her attention from the spiky-haired boy cautiously watching the exchange.
"This blasphe-whatever -"
"Blasphemer," corrected the sorceress gently, puncturing his dramatic announcement and earning herself a short glare from the deflated teen before he gathered himself up again.
"That's what I said. Anyhoo, she doubts your cooking abilities -"
"More your teaching abilities," she teased but he forged onward, ignoring her interruption.
"- and I, for one, shall not allow my pupa to be disrespected. Are you ready to prove her wrong?"
"Yes!" cheered the redhead before turning to the bowl of batter that she had mixed. Beast Boy looked on proudly as Raven's gaze slid towards him and she gave a tiny smile.
"Did you mean 'pupil?'"
"What? Yes. I mean, no. I said what I meant. Stop trying to confuse me."
"How'd you convince her to take some cooking lessons from you?" Robin asked, his plate empty aside from the pool of syrup.
"Dude, she asked me to. She wanted to learn Earthling cuisine. Maybe she's trying to impress a certain somebody? Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. Say no more, say no more."
"Are you going through another Monty Python phase?" Raven asked tiredly.
"Rae, you don't just go through Monty Python phases," he said. "They're a part of the very soul of humor. Sure, they have resurgences now and then, but they're always there. Laughing at you."
"Such sage words," she murmured.
"So, you two are playing nice now?" Robin noted before furrowing his brow and shrugging. "Well, as nice as you two get."
Violet eyes slid towards green for the briefest of seconds before the latter were lit by a bright smile and an arm was suddenly looped about Raven's shoulder. She felt herself pressed into Beast Boy's side, his heat meeting her own and she tensed under the contact as she reined in her empathic senses.
"Y'know how it goes, dude. Rae just can't get enough of the sheer manly awesomeness, or the ears, that is moi."
She rolled her eyes, "Yes, that's exactly it."
Opening a portal beneath her feet, she dropped into it, closing it after her while emerging from the second a foot away to watch Beast Boy, suddenly without her support, to crash to the floor with a yelp. Robin chuckled as the shape shifter sputtered and turned a glare towards her, biting back in retort as he found himself staring at a grey hand proffered to him. Smiling again, he accepted it and Raven helped him to his feet with a grunt as Starfire struggled to flip the pancake. Retreating to assist her, the grey-skinned woman settled into a seat and studied the brightly-hued pair as he patiently guided her, adding a touch of flair that inspired a burst of fervent clapping from the alien.
As she opened her book, Robin gathered up his utensils as well as those the two had finished with and took them to the sink, rinsing them under the water. Raven briefly closed her eyes at the domestic display, contentment coursing through her and overflowing from her friends before it was interrupted by a spurt of panic. Opening her gaze, she found Cyborg frozen by the elevator, gazing upon the duo with growing horror and he seemed ready to bolt before Starfire caught sight of him.
"Friend Cyborg! How go the modifications upon the Baby?"
"Ah, eh, they - they're goin' fine. Comin' along just great . . . Star?"
"Yes?"
"What the heck are you and the grass stain doin' to my kitchen?"
"Your kitchen?" snorted the grass stain in question before leveling a spatula at the elder teen. "Just cause you eat the most food outta here doesn't make it yours, chrome dome. If anybody, I have the most claim to it because nobody else ever cooks for me. I make all my own food."
"Except for all the takeout you order," Raven pointed out.
"You hush."
Cyborg's organic eye had narrowed and he swaggered forward as he returned, "You haveta make all your own food because nobody else wants to touch all that vegan stuff."
"Right. I bet if you actually knew where all that meat was coming from, you wouldn't be so eager to shovel it down your mouth."
"As much as I love this oh-so-intellectual debate, do you two think you could go one day without it?" Raven suggested, suddenly finding herself the subject of two wide-eyed stares. They met for a second before turning back towards her.
"You're kiddin', right?" they asked in unison.
"Having breakfast without a tofu vs meat argument?" Beast Boy frowned, his face scrunching up as though he had caught some offensive scent in his nostrils. "That's just . . ."
"Wrong," Cyborg finished.
"I was gonna say un-American, but that probably works better."
"Finished!" Starfire said proudly, and she turned to set the plate with a tanned pancake on it to the grey-skinned girl who removed her book from the table.
"Tha -"
She paused as the plate was suddenly joined by a mug of tea, steam coiling from its surface. Following the retreating hands, she came upon the awkwardly smiling Beast Boy who scratched at the back of his head as he shrugged.
"Wasn't sure if you'd had your morning tea yet or not, and I figured Star might want to know how you're s'posed to make it and all."
"I - I appreciate that. Thank you," she nodded before accepting the silverware Robin offered her while ignoring the smirk pulling at his lips, an expression shared by Cyborg. Starfire forewent any subtlety and beamed, gaze flickering between the two of them as Beast Boy cleared his throat and turned to gather up his plates. Raven took a tentative bite of the pancake and gave an appraising nod before looking towards the redhead who waited with bated breath.
"It's good," she announced, suppressing a smile at the cheer that broke from the girl.
"What? Lemme try," Cyborg said as he barreled forward and Raven leaned out of his way, pushing the plate towards him. The tips of his forefingers slid back, a fork and knife emerging from them, and he caught away a slice that he scooped into his mouth. His thoughtful expression turned to one of astonishment as he swallowed and looked upon Starfire who smiled brightly at him. "She's right. There's no mustard or anything weird in it at all. It's delicious."
"Thank you."
"Heheh."
"No, thank - wait. What was that?"
Eyes flitted towards Beast Boy, who had managed to make it to the door without anybody noticing, and he stared back at them, struggling to contain his laughter. Cyborg scowled, "What's so funny, green genes?"
"Funny? Well, lessee, there's Charlie Chapman, the Three Stooges, Abbot and Costello -"
"BB," he growled and the green boy ground to a halt.
"Well, see, funny thing is, Star asked me to teach her to cook this morning. And while I was happy to do so, I wasn't about to use any of your meat or anything. So . . ."
Cyborg blanched and he took a step back, staggered by his internal revelation, "You wouldn't."
A devious smirk unfurled across Beast Boy's face and he rubbed his hands together as he cackled, "Soy pancakes. Delicious, I think, is what you called them."
The large youth unleashed a cry like a wounded bull before charging the shape shifter who gave a whooping cry and ducked through the door. Starfire floated after them anxiously while Robin tried to hide his own chuckles and Raven merely rolled her eyes as she ate her pancake.
Jump City. 1033 Hours, 21 AUGUST 2014
Jump City was under attack.
At least, its citizens thought they were. The most recent maybe-threat plaguing their home was behaving rather peculiarly, which led to the confusion on the matter.
Mechanical tendrils spread through the buildings like amplified ivy, pushing through the walls that it normally crawled along to anchor itself in place. They wound about lamp posts, threatening to wring their skinny necks, and rooted into the street. Traffic had been wisely diverted, but aside from basic precautions, mostly the removal of all valuables from the nearby structures, the civilians continued about their business when the villain showed no ambition beyond lingering upon his web of extraneous limbs, gazing out towards the bay. Men and women on their way to work skirted about their buildings, thinking themselves masters of espionage when he did not acknowledge their presence.
Kraken waited patiently, hands clasped behind the small of his back, but he had not been waiting long when he heard the rumble of approaching vehicles. His tendrils began repositioning themselves to turn towards the source when he was torn from his anchor points by a golden blur. The air was pushed from his lungs at Starfire's impact and the mass of tentacles emerging from his back saved him from the crash into the street though it still left him dazed. She stood over him, fists clenched and eyes burning.
"Please surrender now before I am forced to do the kicking of your butt again," she advised.
"Oh, look at that. The police are letting a bunch of kids handle their jobs. Again," he sneered.
"Your speech is growing tiring," she stated. "On my planet, training in the arts of war starts before one can even speak."
"'Arts?'" he seethed as the tendrils she was standing upon suddenly coiled up, trapping her limbs and body before she could jump away. Several lashed about her forehead, pulling it back and forcing her burning gaze skyward, the jade bolts nearly incinerating an innocent seagull as Kraken stood, other tendrils tethering him to the ground. "There is no 'art' in war. Not any that isn't painted over horrors."
He punctuated his statement by slamming her into the street and then pitching her towards a building, sending her hurtling through its walls. A sharp kick cracked against his helmet, sending him stumbling back before his tendrils caught him and he growled as he turned towards Robin. Before he could attack, the paw of a bear swept at him and he managed to duck under the heavy blow before rolling onto the shaggy beast's back. Tentacles curled about Beast Boy's limbs, one extending from Kraken's forearm to tighten about his neck, and the masked man shoved his knees into the youth's shoulders as he began to ratchet his arms back. The sonic blast ripped him off the changeling though his armaments managed to claim some skin as they were forcibly removed. Cyborg advanced as Raven levitated over him, collecting up the rubble created by his tentacles digging into the street and buildings.
"If you're so worried about us, shouldn't you be out there makin' sure there's nothin' left for us to fight?" he pointed out, cannon fixed on the man.
"No. I realized my mistake," Kraken answered as his slithering limbs launched him into the air. They shot out, stabbing into buildings and pulling him out of the line of fire before he fired downward again to land behind Cyborg. A kick launched him forward as tentacles wrapped about Raven's ankle, spinning her before throwing her at Starfire as she emerged from the building. "None of you see it over here. You're all shielded by the screen of the TV, the lens of the camera, the cover of a book."
A shield of his mechanical arms protected him from the cascade of birdarangs and then lashed forward to catch Robin's staff, ripping him from the air and smashing him back against the street. The Boy Wonder ground his teeth together as he struggled to hold off his weapon that they tried to press against his throat. Beast Boy, in the shape of a smilodon, snapped upon the tendrils, trying to tear at them when there was a sudden clicking sound and both froze beyond violent shuddering as electricity ran through their system.
"So, I'm going to have to show you. All of you," he intoned as he released his hold, allowing the pair to slump motionless to the ground. He leapt out of the way of the rain of starbolts, a tendril pulling him atop a street lamp that he crouched upon as Starfire streaked towards him. "If I have to paint this town red with your blood, if I have to hang your ragged corpses from the towers of this city, people are going to see what happens when they make children fight their battles. What happens when they don't fight their own wars."
With hands wrapped about the neck of the light, he dropped just before Starfire reached him and swung in an arc to deliver a kick to her side. As he landed upon his perch once again, it shook and then tore from its placement along the sidewalk. He tumbled from the lamp but managed to catch himself, his metal boots landing heavily upon the ground. His tentacle-covered back absorbed most of the blow as the light, encased in a black aura, batted him down the street towards Cyborg. The techno-teen threw his shoulder into the blow, nearly crumpling Kraken's breast plate and sending him tumbling back.
Tendrils stabbed into the street, righting the criminal as others rose to grab the charging Cyborg, slamming him into a car. They crawled over him, stabbing into the street and ruined vehicle beneath him before pulling Kraken forward to deliver a kick that pushed him back down. As Cyborg tried to recover, a fist wrapped in the metal bands slammed across his face followed by the other, splitting his lip. Blood began to fill his mouth as the blows continued to land, undeterred as his limbs lay pinned beneath the mass of tendrils.
"Are you getting the message yet? Is it starting to make sense?" growled the masked man.
"Yeah," Cyborg mumbled, blood spilling from his lips as he glared at his attacker. "Loud and clear."
The sonic cannon in his chest sent Kraken flying through the air, and Cyborg slipped his arms from his grasp, dropping to the ground to spit out the blood filling his mouth. Kraken's flight through the air ended prematurely as Starfire dropped into him, feet denting his cuirass and throwing him into the street to form a crater. Before he could rise, the car that Cyborg had been pressed into was levitated into the air and then thrown atop him. Raven landed next to her friend, helping him to his feet as she inspected his injuries while Starfire hovered above the car. She managed to weave aside as tendrils erupted from the car, stabbing towards her and whatever else they could reach.
They twisted about and ripped the vehicle apart, throwing away the remnants as Kraken emerged, protected by the tentacles wrapped about his form. Stabbing into the ground, they propelled him into the air where he grabbed Starfire, binding her in his silvery limbs and carrying her to the ground. Her binds began to whir as the individual components of them began to rotate, grinding against her flesh as though trying to strip it away. She struggled against her entrapment, nearly pulling free before more lashed about her form, tightening their hold.
A sharp blow cracked against his helm, followed by a pair of kicks as Robin stabbed his staff at the ground. His face was contorted in a snarl of rage and as Kraken raised his limbs to grab at him, he slid beneath them to unleash a flurry of blows that the man could not defend against until he relinquished his hold upon his captive. Starfire leaned against the green ox as she pulled herself to feet, watching Robin continue to beat back Kraken. With Cyborg stabilized, Raven joined the barrage by launching the remnants of the viciously disassembled car at the villain. They whirled about him, a typhoon of debris that regularly departed from their paths to pelt him, ruining his opportunity to stage a counterattack or form a defense.
Finally, Kraken managed to catch the green gloved fist before it slammed into him and organized the tendrils emerging from his back into a barrier. Those crawling from his arm wrapped about the hero's limb and the youth roared in pain as his bone was snapped and he was callously tossed away. The shield suddenly exploded outward to steal the dismantled car from the air before the tail of an ankylosaurus slammed into his chest and he was thrown, rolling and tumbling down the street. He gasped for breath as he rose from the ground, but failed to draw any in as his hands went to the dented chest plate. After a second of struggling, he managed to tear it away and greedily sucked in the air, prodding at his chest before turning his masked glare upon the Teen Titans.
"Don't you understand what you're giving up?" he growled. "You're surrendering your lives and for what? Ungrateful bastards who will leave you out upon the streets without a second thought."
"That doesn't matter," Robin responded, clutching at his arm. "We aren't going to let anybody die when we could have saved them. No matter who they are or what they've done."
"That may sound nice, but trust me. It only works for so long," he said as his tendrils drilled into the ground and fired him into the air. Stabbing into a building flanking the street, they pulled him out of the path of the starbolts and they massed upon the wall, twisting and coiling about him before firing forward. Landing amongst the Teen Titans, he anchored himself into the street and dragged the ankylosaurus into the air and threw him at his allies. Raven managed to catch him only for a tentacle to snare about her ankle and throw her into a car, shattering its windows with the force. She groaned as the moved along her form until they were blasted by a sonic blast that tore them away, but did not dissolve them.
They braided together and flicked towards Cyborg, launching him down the street as Kraken sneered, "Sorry about that. I changed the frequencies. Now, how many more of you am I going to have to break before my point gets through your skulls?"
"No more," Starfire intoned as she blazed forward, plowing into the man and driving him to his back. His boneless limbs left gouges in the street as they were torn away and the redhead blasted them with beams from her eyes as she slammed Kraken into the pavement. Cracks spread out from beneath him like a spider's web, but he recovered with surprising alacrity, catching her in the grasp of the tentacles emerging from his arms, and she stiffened as they sent electricity coursing through her body.
Sliding out from under her, he heaved her through the window of a nearby apartment and turned in time for Cyborg's blow pounded against his jaw. He staggered backwards but was halted by the bull that launched him back towards the techno-teen who caught him with a firm arm against his mask, widening the cracks it had garnered during the battle. Air rushed from his lungs as he collapsed onto his back and he gazed up at the heroes who glared down at him, Beast Boy back in his human state.
"All right, Mr. Preachy-Dude. We're getting tired of you and your rants. So, please, please, quit with all the babble," demanded the changeling, folding his arms over his chest.
"And attackin' us," Cyborg added, giving his friend a stern look.
"Oh, yeah. That too!"
"This. Is. Not. A. GAME!" Kraken roared as his tendrils rattled and rose from the ground, several wrapping about Beast Boy's throat while more stabbed into Cyborg's mechanical arms. The shape shifter choked and scrabbled at the constricting cords about his throat, but his struggles were lost over the shriek of metal tearing as Cyborg's arms were ripped away.
"Man, not agai - unf!" he grumbled before Kraken's boot lashed out and threw him backwards.
"Enough," growled the villain as he turned his gaze upon the suffocating boy. "You want to throw yourselves into this war, so be it. I'll treat you like the soldiers you think you are. Then may-"
BOOM.
Explosions rocked the air and threw Kraken skidding across the ground, losing his grip on the shape shifter, as the disembodied arms he had acquired suddenly detonated. With a groan, he pushed himself up and looked towards a smirking Cyborg who said, "Sorry 'bout that. I thought maybe it would get folks to quit rippin' off my arms."
"You're right," Kraken seethed. "I should've gone for your heart."
With assistance from his tendrils, he slithered forward with astounding speed when he was abruptly stopped by a heavy truck that crashed atop him. Hovering over the wreckage, Starfire breathed heavily as her eyes blazed with emerald energy that spread to her hands as she unleashed a volley that shook the ground. Dust and pebbles flew into the air as she pulverized the street and the starbolts shredded the truck, the ignition of the fuel lost in the rain of energy blasts. After a moment, she finally ceased and heaved in great breaths, one hand drawn back with a bolt still burning in it. Beneath her, Beast Boy pushed himself to his feet as he rubbed his throat and croaked.
"Did we get'im?"
"No," Raven answered as she manifested dark discs beneath her comrades and lifted them into the air as mechanical tentacles erupted from the street. More ripped through the pavement and whatever else lay in their way, lifting cars to hurl at the Titans who Raven maneuvered out of the way or otherwise deflected the blows. The cars crashed back against the ground where the tendrils stabbed back into them and launched them at the heroes again before Raven moved them out of his reach. There was a cracking sound and she turned in time for a tendril to lash from the bricks of an apartment building, swatting her from the air. She bounced off an opposite wall and landed upon the sidewalk, concentrating on keeping the discs intact as she heard her friends yell.
Starbolts struck the limbs slithering towards her and she rose into the air before any more could approach, and formed together with Starfire and the others. Beast Boy had recovered enough to shift into a pterodactyl and keep himself aloft and Cyborg was utilizing his chest blaster to fend off the slithering grabbers. Despite the decidedly unnatural skew of his one arm, Robin used his other limb to throw birdarangs at the rising tentacles. As another tendril stabbed at Raven from behind, only to be caught by a green ape and savagely torn apart.
Upon the ground, a short-haired girl, a penny hanging about her neck, watched the Titans with interest, eyes glimmering as her lips pulled into a small smile, "Now that is fascinating."
Her gaze slid towards a woman in a blue hoodie who had not vacated her apartment in time to escape the clash. She huddled behind a dumpster in a closed off alley, peering out frightfully as she tried to find a lull to escape through. Diving out from her own alley, the short-haired girl dashed across the street, yelping and making turns not meant to be made on cowboy boots as she tried to evade the tendrils. Slamming her back against the dumpster, she took a second to regain her breath and then asked, "You all right?"
"I-I-I - that's - you-"
"Maybe you should finish that thought after we get you out of here," she suggested and the other woman nodded eagerly. Grabbing her arms and pulling her up, the girl watched the tendrils before charging forth as she urged, "C'mon!"
Dancing through the tendrils sprouting from the street, the youth guided her ward to the safety of an alley beyond the scene of the fight. As the elder woman collapsed against the wall and heaved in breaths, her savior peered around the corner to watch the fight before the former managed to stutter, "Th-th-th-thanks."
"No problem," she assured her, looking back to her. "So, you all right?"
"I-I - yeah, I think so."
"Good. Now keep going. Get somewhere safe."
"You got it."
She turned to depart before the short-haired girl grabbed her arm, squeezing with a pressure that gave the woman pause as her protector smiled sweetly, "Actually, you mind if I use your sweatshirt? There's a guy who can't move, and we need to bandage him up."
"Oh, yeah, sure. Of course," she nodded and hurriedly stripped the dark hoodie and passed it to her. She hesitated and asked, "Anything else I can do to help?"
"You've done plenty. Thanks," she assured her with a winning smile and the woman fled from the scene with a quick wave. The other girl's bright expression lasted until she was out of sight at which point she pulled the sweater over her head and drew the hood up, dousing her face in shadows before she returned to lurking in the alley, watching the battle carefully.
"Fighting his arms will get us nowhere," Starfire grumbled as she continued to fire starbolts at their foe. "We must take him out."
"I'll leave that to you," she said as she blocked another tendril. "You seem to have a knack for it."
She glanced worriedly towards Robin, protected upon the floating disc as he fixed a makeshift splint for his broken arm with his cape before returning to launching birdarangs at the tendrils. Raven followed her gaze before looking back and assuring her, "I'll keep them safe. Go."
"I've got your back," Beast Boy volunteered. He dropped forward and slid into the form of a chimpanzee, swinging from the tentacles and twisting them amongst each other. Starfire followed after him, weaving through the hollow the shape shifter created for her until they reached the street. Beast Boy yelped as he was hurled away, but Starfire punched through the concrete and into the wide pipe below. The overhead was covered in the writhing limbs and as starbolts glowed about her hands, the light revealed the tangled mass up ahead.
"If you do not stop now, I will have to hurt you. Again," she warned.
"Go ahead and try, child," he said, voice emerging from the pulsing bundle. "I am done playing games."
"As am I," she echoed before she shot forward. Tentacles lashed towards her and she spiraled through them, throwing starbolts at those that she could not dodge. As she drew closer to the mass, they sprang forth and wrapped about her, smashing her into the side of the thick pipe. Ripping herself from the indent, she wrapped her fingers about the tendrils still wrapped about her and energy screamed from her eyes. As their connection to the main body burned away, her binds crumbled into metallic dust, and she shot forward again, driving the mass that Kraken hid with into the floor.
Shadows danced in the tunnel as she hammered upon his barriers, starbolts engulfing her fists. Suddenly, a clawed hand emerged from the mass and seized about her throat before the rest of Kraken emerged, bound in his coiled armor. He tossed her down the tunnel but she caught herself before firing back at him, jade energy spilling from her form. Dodging her attack, he lashed out at her with both feet that sent her careening into the wall again. Before she could recover, braided tendrils crashed into her like a tidal wave before retreating to do so again, ripping through the metal and driving her into the earthen matter behind it.
A limb reached into the newly formed niche and wound about her ankle, dragging her limp form from the crevasse and suspending her upside down. Kraken stared at her for a second, seemingly at a lost at what to do, as he drew closer and he took a steadying breath as the tendrils aligned upon his arm into a long spike. His helmet turned to the weapon as though trying to remember why he had formed it, and an image flashed before his eyes, a child's surprised face marred by a bullet hole between his wide eyes. Starfire's face was layered over it, translucent and covered with the strange expression of shock. Fiercely shaking it away, he looked back up to find Starfire's eyes now opened seconds before a starbolt exploded in his face.
Thrown back by the force of it, he lost his grip upon the alien princess and she flipped in the air before shooting forward, ramming him into the wall. With a savage growl, he seized her shoulders and drove his knee into her gut before throwing her away from him. She bounced across the water-covered floor and rose back into the air before the lurking tendrils could seize her and she unleashed a barrage of starbolts at him that he weaved through before blocking her kick. He grunted at the force of the impact, and she spun rapidly, turning to drive her shin into his side, producing a sharp crack as several of his ribs broke. Giving no other sign of the pain beyond a short grunt, he delivered a sharp blow across her face but she took the blow without flinching and delivered her own punch that dented his helmet and sent spider web cracks through his visor.
He stumbled back, attempting to create some distance between them, but she moved forward and gathered the tough material of his suit in his fists before smashing through the street above them. His tendrils ripped from the street, trailing after them as they rocketed skywards, Kraken attempting to peel away her steely grip. Labored breaths emerged from his mask, and, in most cases, the redhead would have been impressed with his tenacity, and respectful of his warrior's spirit. However, any admiration he may have earned from her had evaporated the second he had maimed her friends, and she could only dredge up a fiery disdain for the villain as they reached higher and higher into the sky. His breathing grew no more troubled as the air thinned, the respirator in his suit and helm still delivering oxygen to his system, and he continued to fight her grip.
Finally she stopped, floating in the air as his tendrils began to retract and rearrange themselves, likely preparing for a strike. Before they could do so, she warned, "You know what I am about to do. You still have a chance to surrender and nobody else has to be hurt."
"You think you can fight these battles, win this war . . . without hurting anybody?" he asked and then chuckled scornfully. "Oh, to be youthfully naive again."
"It is not naiveté," she snapped. "It is hope."
"You will learn," he said and his voice was tinged with sorrow and regret that nearly gave her pause. His head dropped backwards and she received the sense that he was closing his eyes to relive a memory. "If you continue this, you will learn that they're the same thing."
She remained silent and simply arched in the air before hurtling back towards the Earth. Kraken's fingers were wrapped about her wrists, but he no longer struggled to free himself and his extraneous limbs busied themselves with cocooning him in the safety of their grip. His mask remained fixed upon her, and as the sun slanted across it, she caught sight of the tired face beneath the featureless visor. It was worn with an age far greater than his actual time upon the planet, and there was a curious touch of gratitude in the stern eyes. He had resigned himself to his fate, driven by whatever ghosts haunted him to eliminate them, but he held no true desire to harm them. Closing her eyes, she angled herself and then opened her gaze again to the faceless mask and the rapidly approaching street.
Concrete cracked and then shattered as they tore through it, dust cloaking them as metal shrieked in protest and pipes burst open. Water sprayed into the air, mixing with the particles of debris to coat Starfire and Kraken in muddy grime. She stood over him, her feet swarmed in the lax tendrils that had absorbed most of the blow, but had not been enough to save him from unconsciousness. Her voluminous hair flattened as the water soaked it, and she stared sadly down at him before stepping forward and struggling with his mask before figuring out how to open it. Sliding it off, she studied the worn face with its bleeding lip and blackening eye, finding that it had settled into some sort of serenity.
"Starfire!"
She turned in confusion as Raven appeared at the edge of the crater, her emotionless mask slipping slightly to hint at her panic. The redhead opened her mouth to speak, but the sorceress rushed, "Garfield - Beast Boy, he's . . . you need to come and -"
"Raven, what is wrong?" she asked, lifting to stand beside her. Raven suddenly froze and she straightened, visage flattening as she closed her eyes, and Starfire knew she was running through her mantra internally. After a moment, she opened her amethyst gaze and the frantic energy was gone though her voice still wobbled slightly.
"It's Garfield. He's gone. He's missing, and I can't find him anywhere."
A Block Away. 1052 Hours, 21 AUGUST 2014
Sliding through the twisting back alleys and side streets of Jump City, a young woman tugged an equally young man, attired in ill-fitting hat, jacket, and pants, at a frenetic pace. He followed, often stumbling, after her, stalling and bumping into her whenever she came to a halt, earning himself a short, exasperated glare before she peered out to the main streets, sharp eyes shadowed in her blue hood. She stiffened at the approaching wail of a siren and dove into an alcove, dragging the boy after her and covering herself with him. A smooth hand slid onto the back of his neck, pulling hhis face closer to her and her hot breath whispered across his ear, causing it to twitch. As he shuddered under her touch, she watched the cop car hurtle by, followed closely by an ambulance.
Several seconds after their passing, she darted away, dragging her comrade along with her as she drove further and further away from the destination of the emergency vehicles. Whenever the boy began to slow, the girl would turn and tug him behind a dumpster or some other cover where she would coo to him as she caressed his cheek, eyes focused on his. The confusion in his gaze would subside and she continued hastily onward though always remaining cautious. Finally, her pace slowed as she approached a squat studio complex, the white paint of the cinderblocks chipped and flaking away.
The battered metal door had been painted a dark blue and the girl paused at it, struggling to slide a hand into the pocket of her snug jean shorts, finally managing to draw a lonely key from it. Jamming it into the lock, she hurriedly opened the door and thrust her guest inside before following after him, slamming the door and locking it once again. They stood in the flat of a darkened stairwell, its rail broken, and another door, with a crack reaching across the frosted glass window, led into the lower level. At a not too distant point in its past, it had been the ballet studio of a well-funded woman who had promised herself that it was a temporary way station in her life until her call to stardom. While that call had never came, she had been stricken with a sudden and unexplained sense of generosity, to the rather mixed response of her pupils.
As the girl turned to ascend the stairs to her recent domicile, she jolted as the found the boy standing dumbly before her. Huffing in annoyance, she pushed him aside and marched up the stairs, signaling for him to follow and granting him a gift in the gyration of her hips as he doggedly followed at her heels. At the top of the stairs, there was another door and the girl fumbled in the dark for a bit before catching the latch and pushing it open. She pulled the boy into a long room, where the dance practices had once been held but was now filled with the spoils of her sprees that were gathered into distinct piles.
Leaving the boy at the door, she strode through the disarray on cowboy boots, negligently kicking the gaudy shirts she had grown bored with and the empty cans aside. Reaching the approximate center of the room, she turned back towards her desk and spread her arms to gesture to the long room.
"Welcome to my humble abode, cutie," she smirked. "Casa de la Temple. Or something like that. Still kinda working on the homey feel, but it's getting there. And, for now, it's all ours. Well, ours and Tomás's!"
Leaping forward, she danced towards a dark-complexioned man who had been propped against the wall, sitting listlessly upon a stained mattress. His empty eyes failed to notice the girl as she ran an affectionate hand over his scalp and he made no reaction as she giggled and crouched beside him. A line of spit spilled from the corner of his slack jaw, a damp spot on the dirty shirt that he wore.
"Heya, Tommy. Sorry I forgot about you like that. You need to speak up the next time! Anyway, I just wanted you to meet our new houseguest. Cutie, this is Tommy. Tommy, say 'hi,'" she directed. She watched him expectantly though all he mustered was a slow blink. Leaning away from him, she, in a conspiratorial stage whisper, admitted, "Tommy's actually not much of a conversationalist nowadays. Well, he never really was, but now he's even less so. See, I tried to go fishing around in his head for some info, and, well . . . I may have kinda broke him. He's fine though! Mostly."
She stood quickly and held out her hands in a placating manner as she gushed, "Not that I'd ever do anything like that to you! Don't you worry your pretty head about anything like that. I like you mobile and in one astral piece. I really don't need a second living, drooling paperweight."
Flitting across the room, she offered him a winning smile and pulled him deeper into the room, leading the way to a walled off annex. Pushing the door open, she dragged him into the domestic portion of the building, where its former occupant had lived when not teaching or auditioning. Diving into the kitchen, she temporarily released her companion to sashay through the narrow space, pausing and grimacing at the dirty pans and dished piled in the sink. Picking one up to examine it, she quickly dropped it back amongst its brethren and turned towards him with a charming smile.
"Bit of a mess in here right now, but I'll get that fixed up right quick. And when I say 'I,' I'm actually talking about some yummy hottie that I convince wants to do it."
Skipping forward, she continued with her tour of her domain, maintaining a constant stream of her commentary, sparse innuendoes scattered throughout it. Her eyes sparkled as she showed him the disheveled bed, promising to allow him to spend some time there with her if he stayed on his best behavior. She clung to his arm, her hand occasionally wandering upward to stroke the wild hair that had been revealed by the discarding of his cap. As they returned to the grand, open room, he suddenly shrank back, clutching at his head as he groaned and grunted.
"I . . . Ah! Wha-wha-where am . . .? Hrrraaaahh . . . You . . ."
There was a moment of sadness in the girl's eyes before she hauled the boy to his feet and into the bedroom, tossing him amongst the silken blankets and comforters. He tried to rise only for her to suddenly straddle his hips and lean over him, her body inches from his and her fingers skimming along the side of his head, twirling through his hair. His gaze narrowed upon the coin hanging from about her neck, dancing in the air as she murmured to him.
"You couldn't just let it be, huh? You had to go picking at it. But, I can't let you go. Not yet. I need you. Here. With me. You don't want to leave me, do you?"
"Who - I-I- n-n-no," he struggled to say. She gave a soft smile and continued to stroke his hair, shifting slightly to maintain the arc of the mesmerizing penny.
"Of course you don't," she murmured, her breath sliding pass his ear and he gave a shudder without breaking his gaze upon the dancing coin. "Because you love me. And I love you."
"You . . . love . . . me."
"Yes. And you love me," she repeated, stressing it slightly.
"I . . . I love you."
"Exactly," she beamed, rising off of him. She made a shooing motion with her hand and he scooted to the headboard of the bed, reclining against it. Crawling back onto the mattress, she made her way over to him and seated herself comfortably in his lap.
"You boys. Always hiding your feelings and stuff. Girls like being told nice things like that, you know," she sighed, leaning against him and wrapping his arms about her midsection. She cuddled into him, sighing contentedly as she continued, "But, we're here now. We're together and we're going to be that way forever and ever. You and me. Isn't that what you want?"
"Yes . . ." Beast Boy slowly answered, his words slurring again. "Yes . . . Raven."
The girl smiled, somewhat weaker this time, but nevertheless turned to press a kiss to his cheek.
"Good boy."
A chapter actually somewhat on schedule? Blasphe-whatever! Anyway, we realized that we've been neglecting the Titans, and this chapter should be the start to fixing that.
Guest: Boom! Focus on the heroes! With a dash of the villains though there's at least one Titan present in all scenes (albeit, maybe a lil' bit brainwashed). And we will try to keep it up! Thanks for the review.
Anyway, hope you all enjoyed the read and please leave us a review!