Teen Titans Fan Fiction
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, affiliates, and sponsors. Everything is fictional and any similarities between the characters and any living person are purely coincidental. This episode's theme is "At the Beginning" sung by Richard Marx and Donna Lewis. I also disclaim any part or full ownership in any way of the song, it's lyrics, title, artists, producers, directors and writers.
A/N: Dragontwin, you maybe the only reader who's following my story as I complete it. I think for anyone who's doing this though, that's all you really need. So, as long as you continue to read, there will be chapters and updates for you to follow. I've also got another idea for another story. I haven't decided yet whether or not to incorporate it within this story, but it is something you should look forward to if you like this story from start to finish.
Special thanks go out to Rose Wilson's music video of Robin and Starfire of the song "At the Beginning..." by Richard Marx and Donna Lewis. Her music video alone is able to inspire me enough to pull of some romantic elements. If you can't find it, ask me. It's one of, if not the, best fan based music video I have ever seen. Powerful, heart wrenching, and hopeful. Get it if ya can ;)
Also, I only recently heard about open office. So spelling errors should be fixed from now on. This chapter is a main reflection of the romantic elements involved to date. Small things will happen, but remembering things is oh, so sweet as well... That being said, let's get it started!!!!!!!!
Legend -
Normal Font: Basic read and insight.
Bold: Change of location or time.
Italics: Individual thoughts and recollections.
SACRIFICE
Robin returns to his roots and absorbs the shadows into his being once more. Starfire's happiness has reached an all-time high. How will they both fare, when Cyborg and Raven return with Beast Boy though?
Chapter 18 - The Knight
Starfire was in one of, no, it was the happiest moment of her life to date. Robin... She twirled around several times and danced to her own music. I still can't believe it... She put a hand up to her mouth and snickered a bit. Starfire was on the "Cloud 9" she had heard some people refer to. Robin had finally accepted her feelings. She was in love and few things rivaled that sort of power. Love had its way of bringing itself around for the select few who bowed to its will. She was just about to the top of the Tower now. 15 trillion ton weights seemed lifted from her shoulders. Starfire had seen all the good things Robin did as a Titan. She also saw all the bad, yet through it all, she still considered him her best friend. He didn't always listen and he was a bit slow in getting here, but regardless, he was there now!! It was all so surreal, she still couldn't believe it. Her memories were flooding back to her once again, back to the beginning...
They were both friends, but strangers to each other. Through their battles as Teen Titans, they both never thought that they would come this far. They were both alone in the dark and managed to find each other. Starfire couldn't even dream of what they would have to endure and go through to get to this point. Now here they both were, at the beginning of something new, something wonderful...
Starfire remembered the first time they had met. She was a prisoner and was going to be offered as a prize. Robin was the first one to ever show her kindness, a foreign emotion to herself at the time. On Earth, she met several other people who showed her kindness. She later found out that this was a "nice" thing to do, something that some, but not all beings on the planet showed. Hope was eternal on the planet, there were still people fighting for a Utopian planet. An unseen and endless war between good and evil forces rampaged through the planet. No one told Starfire that she would find someone. What he did was unexpected to herself as a woman as well as her own heart. Robin showed her kindness and she wanted to stay after himself and 3 other strangers helped her. Together, they all formed the Teen Titans, but an odd tension was already forming between herself and Robin.
Her mind flashed ahead to her first experience with the cotton candy. Robin and herself were on a ferris wheel. Robin had offered her some cotton candy as a snack, as they both watched the fireworks display go off for the evening.
"Beautiful..." Starfire was gazing at the fireworks. She was leaning towards the front of the carriage that held both her and Robin. She sat up and asked, "Tell me again ... what they are called?"
"Fireworks." Robin simply stated.
"On my home planet, such explosions would mean Gordadians were attacking. you are certain Earth is not under attack?" Starfire asked him.
"Positive. Cotton Candy?" Robin held up a single helping of pink cotton candy.
"The last time I ate a ball of cotton, it was white and it did not taste very..." Starfire was a bit hesitant to eat anything with the name 'cotton' in it.
"This is different." As Robin pulled a small pink chunk and put it in his mouth.
Trusting him, she pulled a piece and put it in her mouth. "Mmmm ... eep! ... it vanished!!!" Starfire was fascinated by this new cotton candy.
Chuckling, Robin said, "Yeah, it'll do that" as he put another piece into his mouth.
Starfire sighed then stated, "When I first came to this planet I did not think I would ever fit in. Earth was full of strange things, but now I see that..." Several fireworks went off at once as Starfire's voice trailed off.
Robin raised his right arm. "Here comes the finale! Yes!!!" The fireworks display for the night had ended. Pumping his fist, Robin went "wooo hooo hooo!!! Amazing..." Starfire's eyes transfixed on him. She was enamored by the sight and boy in front of her.
"Earth is full of amazing things too..." Starfire finished as she smiled at him...
Starfire's mind jumped ahead a bit further, to where she had fought Warp, the time thief. She had seen each Titan, but 20 years had passed. The Teen Titans, were no more. She had seen Cyborg, he was much older and bound to the Tower, unable to help her. Beast Boy's morale was crushed years before and Raven shut down once she had no friends. The only one who wanted to help her was Robin, now known as Nightwing. With his help, all the Titans were reunited as Warp was defeated. Starfire had wondered if there was nothing she could do to prevent that future from happening. Nightwing instead held up her wrist, handed her the stolen device and she left back towards her own time, tears in her eyes as she was leaving her friends. For a brief moment, she felt as if Robin she knew was standing in front of her, not the one called Nightwing. Raven's theory about their own transcending feelings had also brighten her spirit.
Life is truly a most wonderful journey and our love is most definitely a river I want to keep flowing...
Starfire had touched down onto the Titan's helicopter platform as she remembered the team's first encounter with Killer Moth and his daughter, Kitten. Starfire was becoming aware of her new feelings of attraction towards Robin. She was also reminded of how little she knew of Earth's customs. Killer Moth had threatened to destroy the entire city with a very large army of giant moths. One of his conditions to stop them was for Robin to take his daughter, Kitten, to her Junior Prom.
"Hi Robbie-poo!!!" A cute blond had appeared on the screen.
"Robin, who is this girl and why does she call you 'poo'?" Starfire pointed at the large screen where Kitten had her own little box. Robin's body started shaking, then went stiff, as if he didn't want to answer her.
"Her name is Kitten...and YOU WILL TAKE HER TO PROM!!!!!" Killer Moth had stressed this point most of the 3 demands he wanted.
"This ... prom is some manner of duel, yes?" Starfire had taken off her left glove and slapped Kitten's image on the screen. Miraculously, she had a hand print across her face. "Robin eagerly accepts!!" Starfire threw down her glove, but it landed on Robin's head.
"It's not a duel, Star ..." Robin took off the glove from his face as he continued, "It's a date..."
Starfire's heart suddenly sank down to her stomach. "HE DOES NOT ACCEPT!!! Do you hear? Robin does NOT accept!"
Robin had no choice but to accept, but she didn't like the decision he made at all, for her to join with the search and take down of Killer Moth. Robin had arrived on his motorcycle, dressed in a tuxedo. The other Titans he sent off to find Killer Moth's hideout and shut down his operation. They were going to play by his rules...for now. He took off his helmet, said something to himself before Starfire tapped his shoulder.
Starfire had dressed to the occasion as well. She was dressed in a sparkling, full body purple dress, long white gloves that extended all the way to her biceps, and make-up. She wore a smug look on her face as Robin turned around.
"Starfire?!" Robin's eyes went up in sheer amazement and surprise.
"On such occasions, I believe it is customary to wear a dead plant..." She held a white rose and put it on him.
"Star, you're supposed to be helping the others track down Killer Moth..." Robin's mind was still on the mission as he spoke up.
"You're orders were to investigate the girl. I intend to investigate her thoroughly." Starfire shrugged as she then argued, "Besides, you may require saving. This Kitten is perhaps some form of ooze monster in disguise." Starfire turned her back as she finished, "She certainly is ugly like like a monster, yes?"
"Second thought, maybe I will need saving..." Robin's head dropped down as he walked towards his "date".
As the night continued on, Robin was not enjoying himself. Starfire was even more upset that Robin was going on a "date" with this woman. True, she was jealous of the sudden power she had over him. It had taken her a whole 3 minutes to get him to take her on one of the "dates" she had heard and started secretly longing for. As they continued to dance at her request, Starfire's emotions were having a hard time keeping everyone knowing what she was thinking. Kitten had just asked for him to kiss her, but he declined.
"Kiss me..."Kitten had started to move in, but Robin put a finger on her lips.
"Sorry, I don't like you that way. As a matter of fact, I just don't like you." Robin smiled as he finished.
"Yes..." Starfire made a pumping gesture as she was relieved at Robin's words.
The night ended with the Titans stopping the villains Fang, Killer Moth, and Kitten. Robin and Starfire were named King and Queen of the Junior Prom. Starfire wasn't quite entirely sure what it meant, but as Robin took her hand and they danced to one song, a momentary bliss filled her. She would never forget that, their first dance.
Starfire started skipping to the doors as she relived her own memories. Her mind, happily reminiscing with her, played back another memory, when they were all stranded on a deserted planet. Almost deserted, that is. A monster had attacked a space communication station. Cyborg mentioned the name "girlfriend" and Robin shouted back "She's not my girlfriend!!!" Starfire's heart plummeted deep. She had never before known such pain. It was new to her, the feeling of rejection. As they both landed on the planet and started to explore it, they were eventually trapped by the same monster that had attacked the communication station. Inside, Robin tried explaining himself, telling her how he felt about her in the best way that he could.
"How am I to know what you think of me?" Starfire asked him, sniffing after shedding a few tears.
"Starfire... I ... think it's awesome the way you shoot starbolts..."Robin had started, he was having some difficulty expressing how he felt.
"Yes...and?" Starfire's heart started to pound faster as she listened.
"It's uh ... also cool ... that you're brave and the strongest girl ever." Robin finished as Starfire walked up to him.
"And you do not mind having a friend who is a girl?" She was right next to him now, as she asked. Both hands were holding her chest, by her heart.
"Mind it?!" Robin put his hands on top of hers and continued, "Actually I kinda of..." Robin was cut off as the monster attacked them once more. It had eventually pushed them both to the edge of a cliff.
"Let's fly..."Robin looked up, there was no other option.
"But..." Starfire still did not know if she had full usage of her powers again.
Robin grabbed her hand. "As long as we're together, we'll be ok..."
Starfire reached the doors that led down to the main room of the Titans. She took the elevator and pushed the down button. Waiting she remembered the whole ordeal surrounding their "first" kiss. Technically their first was when she was trying to learn the English language. The second and for all intensive purposes, the real first one, was surrounding their whole debacle in Tokyo. They were trying to track down Brushogun, who had lured them all to Tokyo. After defeating the real villain, the Commander Daizo, Robin had picked her up from giant ink blobs and wiped her face off.
"Starfire...are you ok?" Robin had just wiped her face off.
"I think I was wrong before.." Robin started, he looked straight at her.
"You do?" Starfire sat up and listened as he spoke.
"Maybe...a hero isn't all that I am...Maybe I could be...maybe we could be," Robin was trying to say something important, again with a lot of difficulty.
"Robin..." Starfire interrupted.
"Starfire?" Robin asked.
"Stop talking..." Starfire smiled as the two finally embraced in unity for their first kiss, another time she truly wouldn't forget.
The elevator doors finally opened and Starfire got in and pushed the down button. Her mind still playing back memories of the past, to the last one...
"I know we'll beat this, after all, as long as we're together..." Robin started.
"We can accomplish anything." Starfire finished.
The two shared another passionate kiss as the sun rose behind them. Waves were hitting the beaches beside them, the wind blowing my hair in just the right way. As they separated, both foreheads rested against each other. She never thought she'd hear those 3 little words until...
"I love you, Starfire.."
Starfire giggled to herself as the elevator doors opened up. She continued to twirl and spin, she was truly in another world. She saw Raven and Cyborg sitting down on the sofa. "Friends!!! I have most glorious of news!!!" She opened her eyes, but all she met were cold stares. Raven wasn't looking like her usual self and Cyborg didn't say a word. They were both sitting there, waiting for something.
"Friend Cyborg, friend Raven, pray tell, what has happened to cause you to have the look of disappointment and despair?" Starfire's cheery mood stopped. Something was wrong. Something bad had happened. "Where is Beast Boy?" she inquired, though scared to ask at the same time.
Cyborg closed his human eye. Raven didn't even bat an eye. Starfire flew over to Cyborg. "Friend Cyborg, where is he?! Where is Beast Boy?!" Starfire stood up and shouted, "Beast Boy!!! Beast Boy!!! It is I, your friend Starfire!!"
"Starfire, enough." Raven had finally spoken. "Beast Boy's in the medical wing. Cyborg and I hurried over there as fast as we could, but when we got there, all we found was Beast Boy, what was left of him anyway." Starfire gasped. No, this can not be!! This can not be true!! Beast Boy is fine!! You are lying!! Beast Boy could not be hurt by the evil man named Joker.
"It was worse than we thought, Star. We rushed him over here and Starfire treated his wounds, but he had lost too much blood at that point." Cyborg had taken over for Raven and continued, " Raven's powers were able to heal him, but he's in a comatose state right now. We won't know if he gets better or worse until tomorrow at the earliest. B. B. put up one hell of a fight, though. Dude gave everything he had to save the city, and it worked, no Joker gas was ever released into the city. We've been monitoring hospital intakes, no people coming in seem to be suffering from the Joker's laughing gas."
How can this be true? Beast Boy... Starfire's eyes were tearing up as well, Cyborg had apparently let out a few already. "Oh, I am a bad friend, I should have been there for him." Tears were flowing from her eyes as Cyborg patted her back.
"It's not your fault and it's not ours either. Slade let us into that trap knowing that we couldn't stop two threats at the same time." Cyborg comforted her, it did not make her feel much better though.
"Beast Boy sacrificed almost everything to save the city. We should be thanking him for giving us a roof to sleep over tonight." Raven stood up suddenly and the lamp on the table suddenly blew up, dark energy illuminated from it momentarily. Raven, without saying another word turned and walked down to the living quarters, where her room was. She needed to meditate.
"Beast Boy needs his rest, so we need to keep quiet, do you want to go see him?" Cyborg asked Starfire, knowing what the answer would be.
"Please Cyborg, lead the way." Starfire had responded immediately.
Cyborg and Starfire both headed towards the elevator. They entered, and Cyborg pushed the button to the medical wing. Deep inside Raven's room, tears were falling to the floor as Raven cried in the silence... alone. You stupid idiot!!! Don't you die on me yet!!! Raven's mind was remembering Beast Boy. He was annoying, his room had enough to be declared a disaster zone and his personal hygiene was questionable. Though she put up with it all, one of her releases was smacking him upside the head. He bothered her constantly and never knew when to leave her alone. That's what made him special though. She never did reaffirm her statement when she met Beast Boy in telling him he was kinda funny. He was indeed kinda funny, and one day, she hoped to tell him that much. Memories started flowing through her mind.
"Raven...?" Beast Boy's familiar voice echoed through her door. "It's me... look .. I'm sorry"
"For what? You're not the one who..." Raven was talking through her door.
"No. I'm sorry, that ... he broke your heart."
"I know it was all a lie. He was the only person who made me who ever made me feel like I wasn't ... creepy. And don't try and tell me that I'm not." Raven was now standing right by her door.
"Ok, fine... You're waaay creepy. But that doesn't mean you have to stay locked in your room. You think you're alone, Raven, but your not." Beast Boy's words finally got through. They indeed were comforting.
Raven walked out the door and gave him a hug, something that was rare, even for her.
Raven's mind flashed further ahead...
Raven had joined Beast Boy. He was sitting outside of the Tower on the island. She slowly walked up to him.
"So... he was the one who hurt you, right? Not me?" Beast Boy sat with his back turned to her as he spoke.
"He broke into the tower to attack you, and wound up attacking me too." Raven put her hand on her right shoulder, where she was injured.
"Ugh...I can't believe I ate meat. I acted like a jerk, I'm sorry..." Beast Boy's head turned as he spoke this time.
"You weren't yourself." Raven answered him.
"Cyborg says the chemicals at the lab messed with my DNA, unleashed something...primal." Beast Boy was explaining what had happened as he continued to sit with his hands on his knees and looking back rarely as he spoke.
"And he gave you an antidote...you're better now." Raven was helping him, just as he had previously.
"Yeah but that thing... that beast ... I can still feel it inside me." Beast Boy was watching his own reflection in the water. The full moon was out and he could see it as if it were the brightest sunshine in the sky. "And it's still there...I can feel it."
"Good." Raven finally had sat down by him as she explained, "If it wasn't for that beast, I might not be here right now. Having that thing inside doesn't make you an animal ... knowing when to let it out is what makes you a man..."
Raven's hands were red from gripping the carpet in her hands. Her powers were destroying lamps, books were flying across the room. She didn't care at this point. Beast Boy was down and he may not get up again.
Meanwhile in the darkness of the caverns underneath the city...
"Siii...ya!!!! Hiiiii ya!!!!!" Robin was drilling himself in the dark. Several large boulders around him suddenly burst as he bowed in silence. Taking another defensive stance, he threw two birdarangs out, as both flew back towards him, he did a double hurricane kick, knocking them both out of the air. Everything was going smoothly so far...Soon, I shall become the night as well...the Knight of justice and vengeance who fights best within the shadows. I still have some work to do, I hope one day is enough...I promise you guys, I'll be ready for whatever's out there.
Also, far away from Jump City...
Madame Rouge was sparring with Slade. She extended her arm as she punched at him. Slade easily dodged and used an electric whip which slapped on Rouge's back, causing her to cry out in pain. "Come now, dear, if you're not going to challenge me, I may have to find someone new to spar with..." Slade had echoed in his usual mocking voice.
Madame Rouge smiled. Just you wait, Slade, I'll show you a thing or two. She charged at Slade and threw another kick. It hit him in the stomach and he flew backwards until he hit the wall. "I don't like this, Slade, why are you letting this...Joker run a muck in Jump City?" she asked in her eastern European accent.
"Because my dear, he will fail, so let him try whatever he wants. We still hold the long term advantage. Joker's antics in almost killing Beast Boy and capturing Terra took all of the attention off of us. Besides, the Titans still have no idea you're back either. You crushed one of them easily enough earlier, and with our skills improving now..." Slade charged at her once again.
"Tere will be no vone left to challenge us in any vay." Rouge also charged, as both fighters continued to spar with each other.
As Robin, Madame Rouge, and Slade train their bodies, minds and spirits, Beast Boy's life hangs by a thread thanks to a noble sacrifice. With his friends grieving, can anyone stop Slade, Rouge or even Joker now?
Next time: Chapter 19 - Hope Returns
Robin emerges from the shadows. Joker appears on public television, with a very special guest. Beast Boy's fate is revealed. You won't wanna miss it!