Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except for Dane.
Robin sat quietly, his face pensive as he looked at the stars passing by. "Why are we going into space?" He muttered to himself, a slight note of irritation in his voice, as he folded his hands and stared harder out the window of the ship, as if that would provide some sort of insight. For the few days they had been on the ship, he had searched it for some type of clue as to Dane's true intentions. Yet the ship was empty, the technology was alien, and Raven's brief "meeting" has not given him any concrete answers. "Just what is it they're hiding?"
Although he had only been speaking to himself, a voice replied. "Do you really want to know?"
Dane. Robin didn't even flinch; he merely shrugged and continued to look out the window, watching Dane in the reflection of the glass. "I just would like to know what it is we are really getting into here. That's all."
Dane laughed and took a seat next to Robin. "Worried?"
"Yes. We're travelling to some distant planet, without any idea of who will be there or what exactly is going on. Although Raven seems to trust you, I don't know anything about you. I know Raven is hesitant to talk, but if we don't know what is going on, how are we supposed to help her?" The words fell from Robin's lips in an angry rush.
"We're not." Dane replied simply, stretching out his long legs and resting them on top of the windowsill.
Robin turned to him, eyes narrowed. "We're not what?"
"We aren't travelling to some distant planet. We are travelling to another dimension. We have to go through a space vortex in order to get there-that is what we are currently heading towards. Once we go through the vortex, we will all be sucked into another dimension where my home planet is."
"That doesn't answer my question." Robin said, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Dane's seemingly innocent expression.
"Of course it does. You asked why we were going into space and I answered. Am I incorrect?"
Robin didn't move. Dane was teasing him, trying to provoke him into getting angry that way he would forget his true intentions altogether. "I want to know what is going on." It wasn't just a statement, it was a demand.
Robin watched as Dane's eyes perked up and he stood. "There it is."
Robin turned his head to follow the direction of Dane's eyes, thinking it was a ploy to get him sidetracked from the conversation. Not too far away there was a large glowing object; it was circular and a constantly shifting bright purple and green. "That's the portal?" Robin asked Dane, temporarily getting sidetracked as he became mesmerized by the beautiful sphere.
"Yes." Dane turned on his heel and began to exit the room, pausing on his way out. "We will talk—you and I. But for now be patient, I have to go pilot the ship." Robin watched him leave and sighed, returning his attention back to the glowing vertex. He didn't like not being in charge. He didn't like it at all.
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"How do you like her?" Dane asked as he walked into the cockpit of his ship.
Cyborg turned around, a huge smile plastered on his face and love in his eyes. "This is by far the most advanced piece of technological equipment I have ever seen. How did you get such good range of motion? Aren't you powered by jets?"
Dane walked over to the control systems and sat down. He liked Cyborg and viewed him as a man who had overcome weakness and turned it into strength. Dane knew that once he took Cyborg to Azarath, Cyborg would become in love with much more than just this ship. "We have jets strategically placed all over the hulls exterior. Each of these jets can change their output rate at any time. It gives me a better range of motion and allows for me to turn in practically any direction I want—that includes going backwards."
"How do you get enough energy to power all the jets? I didn't see any fuel tanks on the ship."
"You won't find any." Dane replied as he glanced in Cyborg's direction. "This ship is run by a sustainable fusion core that takes about forty years to degenerate into nothing. If I had to describe it to you, I would say it is similar to how your sun works. It will keep producing energy for an extended amount of time and then one day it will burn out, but before that it will have to be replaced."
"Awesome!" Cyborg's eyes were shining as he watched Dane manipulate the ship's controls to aim it at the bright sphere ahead of them.
"Indeed." Dane said, smiling wistfully, knowing his 'awesome' status with Cyborg would soon dissipate. "Awesome." Without another word, he shifted thrusters to full capacity, sending them hurtling towards the glowing sphere. "Hey Cyborg."
"Yeah?"
"I suggest you hold onto something."
"Why?" His question was quickly answered as they collided with the sphere of light and Cyborg was flung against the wall. Immediately he grabbed hold of the nearest handhold as the world around him spun.
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"Hey Star! Get into it will ya?" Beastboy said as the words 'WINNER' flashed across his screen for the twenty-third time in a row.
"I am sorry Beastboy. I am worried for our friend. She did not seem normal earlier today."
Beastboy let a laugh burst forth from his lips. "Raven? Normal?" Beastboy laughed some more. "Since when is Raven ever normal? She is just acting like her usual, anti-social self."
"She is not…" Starfire paused as she processed the word, "…anti-social. I worry for her, she has not exited her room once."
"Aaah, don't worry about it, Starfire. You are just looking too deeply into things. Raven's just being her normal self alright? Now get back to playing and at least try to beat me!"
Starfire looked away, clearly worried yet unsure of what to do. Beastboy forced a remote into her hands and she sighed as she gave in. "I suppose I may be looking too much. I shall not beat you schmoglorph!"
"That's what I'm talking about!" Immediately, Beastboy began the game and did not even notice as the ship began to pick up speed. However his ignorance did not last long.
Starfire and Beastboy both stopped their videogame as it was sent hurdling across the room, slamming into the wall with a resounding "crack."
"Oh no! My game!" Beastboy moaned as he clung desperately onto the couch and the world began to spin.
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Robin clung to the table in his room, which was firmly rooted to the floor of the ship. Now he knew exactly why there were very few things on the ship and almost everything was bolted down. "Thanks for the warning, Dane," Robin muttered under his breath.
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Raven woke with a start. She had been dreaming of nothing again as was usual. She sighed and got out of her bed, taking her long hair and unwrapping it from the braid she had put it into last night. For a moment she was at peace and she almost felt good. That was until she looked out the window.
Before her were desolate mountains, each forlorn and barren, completely unlike the mountains on Earth. There were sparse patches of trees, but they were young and had still not reached maturity. Once this place had been a field of ancient trees that housed life of various different forms, yet now she saw nothing but empty fields and lifeless plains. After so many years, life still had not returned to normal.
Her face blanched, her heart clenched, and she felt as if she had just been kicked in the gut by a mule. Welcome home. Rage snickered. Raven cringed and pulled her hood over her head. She had a long day ahead of her.
Author's Note: I am truly sorry it has taken me so long to update this story! I know that this chapter is short, but I will soon be coming out with another after I have finished editing it. Please read and review! Thank you all for your patience!