DISCLAIMER: I OWN WHAT IS MY OWN.

The Spectrum of Light

By Corvus no Genmu

01: A Touch of Compassion

Three weeks had passed since the Titans first encounter with the character known simply as Farbe-Tier. In that time, Farbe-Tier had proven that he was, if nothing else, a big pain in the ass towards the Titans and a near constant headache for their stoplight-colored leader. True to his ideals, Farbe-Tier made it a particular point to never rob from the same place twice but worse yet, he never seemed to steal anything of huge quantity and the newspapers had started to nickname him the Quality Thief for what he did steal was of great value and rarity.

Unless it was cash then it was anyone's guess as to how much Farbe-Tier would steal.

However… whenever Farbe-Tier's heists involved money, large or small quantities, there would always be a sudden donation of near equal size to a charity of some sort the following day. Most would have written it off as coincidence but not Robin. He knew that, for whatever reason, Farbe-Tier was acting like a modern-day Robin Hood if only in concerns to actual money. Having apprenticed with the World's Greatest Detective, the Boy Wonder had thought he had seen them all.

Obviously he hadn't.

Farbe-Tier was a thief, a criminal, but while he did steal the occasional rare item, be it something as extravagant as fine jewelry or an old and dusty tome, whenever he stole money he'd go and give most of it away as donation to a hospital or something of the sort. Not that Robin could actually prove it but if there was but one thing that Robin refused to even acknowledge it was coincidence.

If Robin could actually fight Farbe-Tier he could get a better read on him, the best way to figure a person out was to see how they fought at least in Robin's opinion, but Farbe-Tier was proving his intelligence over the everyday villain by making it a special point to disappear shortly before the Titans could arrive. In point of fact, it was only thanks to eye-witness accounts that Farbe-Tier was even suspected of the crimes in the first place and even those accounts were sketchy at best as his appearance seemed to change, if only slightly, with each new crime.

Realizing perhaps innately that Robin was going to go nuts over Farbe-Tier like he was over Slade, the rest of the Titans opted a trip to the carnival was in order. Robin had wanted to veto that plan and would have brought up several good reasons as to why going would be a waste of time better spent toward training and researching when Starfire had flown up to him, her eyes shining with childish wonder as she proclaimed no knowledge of any such festivities as a carnival and would very much like to go and partake in them.

Robin folded in under two-tenths of a second.

"Du stehst nun vor mir und wir beide fangen an zu weinen… Es war kein wunder, den es wurde uns schon prophezeit… Dass unsere wege sich im leben irgendwann mal teilen… Wir warden un simmer lieben, danke für die schöne zeit…" Farbe-Tier sung softly to himself as he gazed upwards at the stars, his feet dangling over the edge of the pier as the waves gently lapped at the sandy shore as the carnival continued on with its festivities behind him.

"It sounds beautiful… but what does it mean?" Sitting beside him, her form mostly ethereal and unseen to untrained eyes, was the young girl he called little sister but to the rest of the world she was…a secret…

"A lot of things really… It's one of the few good things from my past…" Farbe-Tier glanced down at the water below, watching the rippling reflection of the moon. He wasn't dressed in his standard "uniform" but in a simple pair of jeans and a loose fitting t-shirt that had a fanged smiley-face over the chest. Instead of his usual top-hat, he wore a large bucket-hat that shadowed his sunglass-less eyes and allowed only a few faint blue locks to fall past his eyes.

Spotting a strange twinkling light, he turned his eyes once more to the heavens just in time to see one particular star was moving with great speed and had a faint violet tint to its glow. He reached out with his senses and nearly felt his heart shatter from the force. As it was, he nearly fell off the pier.

"Farbe!" Soft hands pulled him back and steadied him. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I—I'm fine…" Farbe-Tier took a deep lungful of air. "I just—I wasn't expecting so much…"

"So much what?"

"… Never mind it's—" A roar of rockets and something that vaguely resembled a squid shot by overhead, on a direct course for the Ferris wheel. Farbe-Tier's eyes narrowed at a familiar cry that soon followed. "Time to go."

Blackfire glared down at the floor of her cell, her almond-shaped eyes narrowed and her fists clenched tight. Though it looked like she was angry, perhaps even uncaring of her fate, inside she was a trembling wreck. The Centauri officers had disabled her armor and thanks to her admittedly poorly thought-out plan of masquerading as her sister just hours ago, she had enough solar energy to last for several days yet but once she got to the Centauri prison…

This time, Blackfire could not hold back a shiver at the idea of the Centauri prison. While it is not one of the worst prisons to exist in the galaxy and were she a normal Tamaranean, Blackfire could grin and bear it until she devised a way to escape and take revenge against her sister for sending her to a prison in the depths of the Centauri Empire without so much as a second-thought as to the consequences, the fate she was leaving for her sister.

But as much as she loathed to admit it with every fiber of her being… Blackfire was not a normal Tamaranean… and if the Centauri followed their standard protocol with prisoners she wouldn't be living one either.

She glanced up as sirens blared all across the ship which was shaking from some tremendous force. She glanced out the porthole window beside her and saw a glimpse of shining blue feathers bigger than she was tall fly past on wings large enough to embrace the ship with room to spare. A tremendous crash and the roar of flames and suddenly the wall beside her was gone, melted away with blazing power. Another burst of firepower and Blackfire screamed in agony, gripping her bleeding arm close, cowering back from the monster that gazed at her with sad eyes.

"Don't be afraid…" Blazing blue wings spread wide, fire surrounding them both. "All will be well."

Blackfire's eyes slowly flickered open and she groaned, wincing at the sharp light shining down from the ceiling above her. She turned her face away and blearily looked up into a pair of reflective spectacles.

"… Hello…."

"… AAAAH…!"

To his credit, Farbe-Tier did not scream like a little girl and managed a graceful fall to his behind off the chair. He glanced up before turning looking away as Blackfire sat up in the bed and glared at him, her eyes barely flickering with purple-tinted energy.

"Who are you? Where am I? … And why do you not look at me?"

Never let it be said that Blackfire's ego was small, particularly when she's in a bad mood.

Farbe-Tier eased himself back onto the recliner, still looking away from her. "Well… in order, you can think of me as a friend. Currently you are in my bed which is in my room which is in my home. Lastly… it's a bit drafty in here wouldn't you say?"

Blackfire blinked and glanced down and her face turned an interesting shade of orange before she glared at Farbe-Tier with an expression that could be either anger or embarrassment, perhaps even a mix of the two. "You little creep…" She hissed, pulling the blanket up to cover her bare chest. "How dare you undress me?"

"I have no regrets; it was either the armor or your life. I'd like to think I made the better choice." Farbe-Tier stated, looking Blackfire eye to… sunglasses…

"My armor…? What happened to my armor?"

Farbe-Tier did not answer immediately, instead grabbing Blackfire by the wrist and pulling her left arm forward with strength that surprised the Tamaranean princess. He was looking at the bandages that were wrapped tightly around her forearm, noting that they still appeared fresh and white. "Danken Gott… The bleeding stopped." Farbe-Tier released her arm which Blackfire rubbed (not nervously it was itchy that was all!) and earned another glare from the alien, this one fierce with anger and clouded with suspicion.

"I'm sorry… but to make sure those officers didn't try to seek you out again, I had to make sure that they thought you dead, not rescued by your sister or her friends."

Blackfire couldn't help but scoff at that. "Starfire? Rescue me? She was the one who wanted me to go to prison in the first place!"

"For what you've done, of course she'd want you punished for it but had she known the fate awaiting you I'm sure she'd have done everything in her power to save you."

Blackfire did not look appeased by this. In fact, she looked even angrier. "What do you know about Starfire or about me? You don't know anything!"

"I know that three days ago, when you first arrived on this planet, you were afraid."

The look Blackfire gave to Farbe-Tier would have killed lesser-men, and that was without the aid of her starbolts. "I fear nothing."

"You feared for your life." Farbe-Tier answered right back. "Enough to go to the one person you knew, if only subconsciously, would care enough about you to protect you."

"Ha! You think that's why I came here? To seek protection from my little sister? You really are an idiot, human."

"Am I? You stole that gemstone for yourself didn't you? Then tell me, why did you allow Starfire to have it?" He asked her.

"I was trying to frame her!" growled Blackfire.

"For the crime," agreed Farbe-Tier, "but then… giving her the gem would have made it moot wouldn't it? All that trouble and all you get is nothing but you end up losing everything? Seems to me that the real idiot here is you."

Blackfire's fist flew out to punch Farbe-Tier's lights out, or at least all of his teeth, but her hand bounced back against an indigo-tinted force shield that suddenly surrounded the earthling. "Ow! Son of a portkin!"

"… I have no idea what that is but I believe I understand the gist." Farbe-Tier sighed, shaking his head. "I admit that I do not know your sister all that well but from what I've seen of her there hardly an unkind word to be said about her so why? Why do you hate her so much?"

"Why…? WHY? Why do you think?" She hissed, still rubbing her sore hand.

"Because everyone loves her… here and on your home planet… but the same can't be said for you can it? Even before you did anything to deserve it, they hated you for something you didn't have any choice or control of."

"Shut up! You don't know me so don't you dare try and pretend otherwise!"

Farbe-Tier didn't argue with her or try to push his point; he knew that she had no listen to really listen to what he had to say. "I'm going to go make us some breakfast alright? I'll be back in a bit. Is there anything you'd like?" She didn't answer him, turning her face away and glaring at the wall. He sighed and rose to his feet and started walking away but paused at the door.

"Before you finish that thought, you can try to leave but the medicine I'm making to help with that cut on your arm won't be ready until tomorrow morning. You are free to leave if you want but this place… is a maze, even to me. I won't be able to find you before your wound ends up infected and I know you're not stupid enough to try and get sick on purpose."

Blackfire didn't answer and he didn't look back to see if she even cared enough to actually listen. He started to close the door behind him when she suddenly spoke up, "Pancakes…"

"Beg pardon?"

She uttered something fierce and foul sounding in her native tongue. "… I said I want pancakes, human."

"Ah, alright then. Blueberry alright or would you prefer plain?" She didn't answer; she was still glaring at the wall though he noted the faint flush to her face as her stomachs growled. "I'll make both then."

"Why are you helping her?"

"Because she needs it, even if she doesn't realize it."

"But why? She never asked for it! She doesn't deserve your help!"

"Some would have said the same for you, but that didn't stop me for caring about you little sister."

"… I hate it when you say the right thing…"

"It's not the right thing, it's the truth."

"I guess… but if she hurts you—"

"She won't. She has her strength still but she is no Superman. I can handle her."

"Right…"

"Where are you going?"

"To restock our medical supplies, I think we're going to need them."

"Sigh… sisters…"

"Where is it?" Blackfire suddenly asked Farbe-Tier as he finished picking up the plates that had been licked clean by the alien princess. A stack of well over a dozen pancakes and she had eaten them all within minutes. Guess the rumors of her sister's voracious attitude had a grain of truth.

"Where is what?" Farbe-Tier answered back, no sarcasm in his voice, just pure honesty.

"My armor. I need to see how much of it needs to be repaired."

"Not to criticize the human race, but wouldn't you need technology more advanced than what is commonly found on this planet to fix it?" asked Farbe-Tier.

Blackfire nodded and gave him a positively vindictive look. "Which is why you are going to go and get the parts I need."

"I beg your pardon? What makes you think I'm even capable—"

"You went and… rescued… me didn't you?" Blackfire looked almost disgusted with the word, like it left a foul taste in her mouth just by uttering it. "I may not have really read too much of Starfire's transmissions but I think I have an idea as to who, and what, you are."

"Really?" asked Farbe-Tier, smiling with genuine amusement. "Do tell."

"You're that thief, the one calling yourself Farbe-Tier. The only one that's managed to elude capture and defeat, not necessarily in that order." Blackfire smirked. "Nice name by the way."

"Ah, so you speak German then?" asked Farbe-Tier, earning a surprised blink from Blackfire.

"Ger-man?"

"My native tongue. … You are aware that there are several distinct languages on this planet besides English aren't you?"

Blackfire scowled and shook her head. "A planet that doesn't speak in a shared tongue…"

"You say it like it's a bad thing. Are the people on Tamaran so united under a common culture that there is no difference between them no matter the places they dwell or the lives they live?" Blackfire shrugged carelessly and didn't deign to answer. Farbe-Tier turned and started to leave when she suddenly spoke up.

"Don't you have anything I can wear besides this stupid sheet?"

"I'm sure I can find something."

"You better, I still want to see my armor and I refuse to give you a free peep show."

Farbe-Tier rolled his eyes and left the bedroom and dropped the dishes into the sink in his pseudo- kitchen, making a note that the pile would need to be taken care of before it grew to mountainous proportions. Walking back to his room, Farbe-Tier reached into on the sleeves of his coat and pulled out a fluffy white bathrobe. Frowning a bit, he tapped the collar and smiled as white shifted into dark purple before stepping back into his room.

"Here, put this on and I'll take you to your armor." he tossed the robe to Blackfire and turned away from her, keeping his eyes on the wall. He waited until he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around just in time to watch her fist smack painfully against the force-shield once again.

"OW!" Blackfire rubbed her hand in pain. "What in the—"

"Must you keep doing that?" Farbe-Tier reached over and carefully took her hand. "It's only bruised, but I suppose you'd appreciate some ice, ja?"

Blackfire stared at the taller boy incredulously. "I just tried to punch you out and you're asking me if I want ice?"

"It'll help with the swelling."

"You—What is—Just why—X'hal forget it! Just take me to my armor!" snapped Blackfire, crossing her arms and turning away from Farbe-Tier.

"As you wish."

Fifteen minutes and several wrong turns later…

"When you said this place was a maze I thought you were joking." Blackfire grumbled, glaring at the walls as though they were snickering at her predicament.

"It is annoying sometimes, but it is home." Farbe-Tier turned another corner, the fifth one in as many minutes. "Here we are." He pressed a hand against the wall and stood back as it slowly slid away to reveal a large chamber of which the contents had Blackfire's eyes wide with awe. At first glance it resembled a library with massive shelves nearly overflowing with books but the center of the room was lined with a circle of large glass cases with sparkling jeweled contents of varying size and shape. Farbe-Tier stepped to the side as Blackfire numbly walked forward, her eyes taking in every piece of jewelry that, though of a completely foreign make to her, she knew were incredibly rare and worth just as much as the moon diamond she had stolen.

Eventually, her eyes trailed to the mannequin that served as a stand for her armor and the harmonious music that had been playing in the background of her mind screeched to a halt as she stared open-mouthed at the wreckage that had been her lifeline for most of her life. The legs and right arm of the bio-armor were the only pieces truly undamaged but a good portion of the left side was badly damaged and the left arm was, if she were to guess, nothing but pieces resting on the floor. This was beyond anything she had imagined and Blackfire felt ready to scream and she nearly did when she saw the solarian jewels, the most important pieces of her armor, were missing.

"I placed the jewels over there in case being attached to the armor would do further damage." Farbe-Tier gestured at a nearby stand that was devoid of a glass case where the three dark purple jewels rested on black velvet, cast in the shadows lest they absorb the artificial light of the treasure room.

Blackfire turned and glared liquid death at Farbe-Tier, the whole effect not quite there as her eyes did not glow with the intensity of her rage. "What did you do?"

"I saved you and faked your death. Unless you do something to warrant their attention, the Centauri will bother you no more. Your slate has been buffed but it is far from being perfectly clean." Farbe-Tier walked past the fuming Blackfire and lightly touched the damaged shoulder of her armor. "The damage is… extensive… but I know a friend who can repair your armor as good as new."

Shortly after saying that, the remains of the left arm fell to the floor and shattered into more pieces. Farbe-Tier sweat dropped as Blackfire turned her glare up even higher, something that the German-accented youth thought impossible.

"Didn't you say that your people lack the technology to fix it? More than that, what makes you think that I can't?" asked Blackfire.

"In order, I said the human race but my friend isn't exactly human. Truth be told, I'm not sure what he is but he can MacGyver all kinds of tech. As for your capability… well, if you are truly so confident in yourself, you wouldn't be feeling so hopeless right now." He carefully gathered up the pieces and placed them next to the solarian jewels.

Blackfire chose to ignore that last bit and focus on the first, "MacGyver?"

"Ah, it was an old television show in which the main character, MacGyver, could make the most astounding things out of the simplest of objects." Truth be told he had only seen a few episodes but really, who hadn't heard of MacGyver and his impossible skills of gadgetry?

"I… see…" She really didn't but she wasn't about to admit that. "And this friend of yours can repair it?" She asked, wincing as another small piece fell to the floor with a metallic clang. Farbe-Tier was quick to grab it and place it with the rest.

"If anything he'll make it better than it was." Farbe-Tier chuckled to himself, remembering how overly complicated the door system had been before he had managed to talk the man down into using a simple handprint analyzer.

"… What do you want from me?" Farbe-Tier glanced back at Blackfire who refused to meet him in the eyes, her arms crossed underneath her chest and a frown on her pretty face. "You can't have possibly gone through all this trouble out of the "goodness of your heart". No one is that selfless."

"I could argue that and list off several people that fit that description but I know you wouldn't believe me and some of those names would not appease you any either…" Farbe-Tier sighed. He reached up and scratched at his indigo-colored hair, pushing his top hat back a ways. "Alright, there is one thing I want from you, something you haven't given to anyone else."

Blackfire's spine stiffened and she felt a rush of fury flow through her veins at what Farbe-Tier was implying. The young man continued, ignoring the way her hands clenched and how her shoulders trembled. "Your armor will take a few days to repair, so until then you and I will sit down and talk and we will be completely honest with each other. That is what I want from you that you haven't given to anyone else, your true, honest opinion."

Blackfire's mouth dropped open and hit the floor with a loud clang. "That's it? That's all you want?"

"What else could I ask for to satisfy your sense of pride?" He asked back in return.

"But-But you could have asked for anything! Why would you ask for something so-so stupid?"

"Is it really so stupid to want to hear your opinion on things?" Farbe-Tier asked her. "If it's too high a price for you, I suppose—"

"And what does that mean?"

"Well, if you're too shy—"

"Shy? Me? I am not some little tribble that needs to be coddled! Fine! If that's your price I accept it! Now, help me get back to my room and take my armor in to be repaired! The sooner it's fixed, the less time I have to spend talking to you!" With an added disdainful sniff, Blackfire turned on her heel and marched out the door.

"Her room she says…" muttered Farbe-Tier. "Guess it's the couch for me…" He started to follow after her when he suddenly realized something. "Wait a minute, tribbles are real?"

To Be Continued...

On the next wavelength…

Road Rage