About half an hour later, everyone at the docks had boarded the cruise ship that was now sailing the Jump City bay. With in that time frame, Icon had found at least one silver lining.
"Hey, Starfire," Icon was holding a now full plate of food. He was happily approaching Starfire who was stationed by a punch bowl. "Guess what, they have cocktail shrimp," he happily bit into a cool fleshy piece of cocktail sauce soaked goodness. Icon then pulled out a chocolate covered strawberry. "You've got to admit it, they really know how to—"
"Oh, Robin! Of course I'd love to dance with you!"
"Uh oh…" Icon's throat tightened when he turned to see Kitten dragging Robin to the dance floor. A slow song was playing. Icon hesitantly turned back to Starfire. Her eyes were glowing green again and starbolts were on the verge of firing off from her hands.
It was time for Icon to act again! "Uh, so, Star, what do you think of Earth food so far?" He was trying desperately to keep her attention from the scene before them. "Say, what flavor is that punch—AH!"
Starfire had turned her head at Icon and had unintentionally released a stream of starbolt energy from her eyes. Icon survived only because, in his startled state, he had tossed his plate into the air. The plate took the full blast, shattering into pieces.
"H-hey, watch it!" said Icon indignantly. He had fallen backwards and the burnt remains of food had fallen in his hair and clothes.
Starfire's anger quickly evaporated upon realizing just how close she had been to incinerating one of her teammates. "I am so sorry!" she gasped.
"Relax, I'm still in one piece," curtly said Icon as he picked himself up and brushed himself clean with his hands.
"I am just so—It's all very—" Starfire tried to explain herself, "I am feeling—"
"Angry? Upset?" suggested Icon.
"Yes," sighed Starfire.
"Ooh, goody! Another slow dance!"
Icon and Starfire turned their heads to see Kitten forcing Robin into another dance.
"But believe me," Icon stared at the scene in revulsion as he took a seat at a nearby table, "If I could do something I would."
Robin seemed half in mind to break away, but Kitten gave a devilish smile as she fiddled with a cell phone at her side. The message was apparent: keep dancing or I can have the whole city destroyed. Robin sighed and allowed Kitten to lead him back into a dance.
"I still can't believe she that she actually has a connection with that Killer Moth guy," huffed Icon.
"She is a clorbag varblernelk," stated Starfire.
"A what?" Icon was still getting used to Starfire's Tamaranean terminology.
"Never mind," Starfire felt that it would be best not to reveal the meaning of the term to Icon. She took a seat at Icon's table, never taking her eyes off of Robin and Kitten. Starfire then placed an elbow on her knee and laid her chin against her hand. She gave a depressed sigh. Starfire had dealt with super powered beings and criminal masterminds, and yet here she was losing to that manipulative gremplork who she should be able to deal with as easily as a gnat.
Icon in turn drummed his fingers on the table as he rested his head against his opened hand. Raven had told him everything about Robin and Starfire before sending him off. Out of the original five members those two were supposed be the closest. Ever since the day that the Titans had officially formed, Starfire had always been looking to Robin for guidance. In return, Robin had always happily received Starfire, taking time to answer any of the questions she had about Earth. Robin had been Starfire's best source of company in this alien world while she had brought joy into Robin's hard life.
In the short amount of time Icon had known Starfire, he had noticed her ability to brighten any room with her happy personality. Right now, Starfire was looking at Robin with a longing and looked far from happy.
Icon sighed. When he had first arrived, Icon believed that the emotion he would mainly be feeling would be terror from Starfire's jealous rage. But now wasn't the case. Now, Icon was feeling depressed. Emotions could be catching.
"Hey, I bet the others will be calling us any minute now to say that they've caught Killer Moth," Icon finally decided to speak up after an unknown duration of time.
"I do hope so," sighed Starfire. She then clenched a fist. "If only she did not possess the power to destroy the city in the palm of her hand."
"Yeah, just one phone call," uttered Icon. The two of them paused when they caught sight of a metallic glint in a sash that was around Kitten's dress. Inspiration had struck the two of them.
"Wait a minute, who ever said that Killer Moth has to know if Kitten had a bad date?" said Icon as a small smile began to spread across his face.
"If we could cut off her only means of communication, then—" Starfire was becoming too ecstatic for words. She looked at Icon with approval.
"I'm on it…" Icon got up and went to look for a discrete place.
XXX
At an event such as prom, one would normally expect to see decorative lights and balloons in the air. However, no one would have listed an invisible cloud of protoplasm as something to expect. Yet there it was. Icon had snuck into an empty bathroom and had used the Omnitrix to transform into an Ectonurite.
Using the Ectonurite's natural abilities, Icon was passing over the throng of students completely undetected. Spotting Kitten and Robin was not difficult on the account of Kitten's pink dress and blonde hair.
Bingo. Thought Icon to himself. He swooped down until he was only a few inches from behind Kitten's head, which was resting on Robin's shoulder. Now just stay where you are…Icon slowly reached down for the cell phone tucked away in the sash at Kitten's waist. He would have to be careful though. If he wished to handle a physical object, Icon would have to condense his protoplasm body enough for him to become visible again. It would have to be done quickly. If Kitten or someone else saw him, who knew what would happen.
When he was sure that no one else was looking, Icon shot out a solidifying hand. Kitten moved at the last second. Drat! Icon quickly pulled his hand back and dispersed his body's protoplasm, making himself invisible again while continuing to stay behind Kitten.
"Please tell me you guys have found Killer Moth," Robin had turned Kitten away as he held out his communicator at arm's length past Kitten's back. He was reaching his breaking point with this date and needed some reassurance that this experience would soon be over.
Icon scanned the area around him, making sure that his cover had not been blown. To the side, Icon saw Starfire looking expectantly in his direction from a distance. He would have to try again. Icon floated closer to Kitten and Robin with an outstretched arm.
Just a little more…Icon was so close that he could hear Cyborg's voice on the other end of Robin's communicator.
"Not yet. But we tracked down your girlfriend's home address."
"She's not my girlfriend!" snapped Robin into the communicator. Icon had just extended a solidifying hand when Robin spun Kitten around in his small fit. Icon had to suppress a frustrated growl; he had been so close that time.
Off in the sidelines, Starfire made a small swing with her fist upon in her own aggravation upon seeing the failed attempt. Both Icon and Starfire failed to notice the small smile that formed at the corners of Robin's mouth. Some more news had arrived through the communicator.
Suddenly, Kitten lifted her head from Robin's shoulder. In response to this, Robin quickly pocketed away his communicator.
An evil smirk spread across Kitten's face, a bad sign. "Kiss me," Kitten ordered Robin.
WHAT? Icon just barely prevented himself from saying his thoughts out loud. Starfire actually gasped in horror upon hearing Kitten's request.
"Sorry," said Robin, producing his own smirk, "I don't like you that way. Matter of fact, I just don't like you." Robin broke away from Kitten.
Icon choked down a laugh while Starfire pumped her fists in glee.
"What?" angrily shouted Kitten.
"Killer Moth's being taken down as we speak," Robin's smirk deepened, "We're done here."
"No, we are not!" Kitten's voice became dangerous. She tore off the corsage from her dress. The petals on the corsage then fell apart to reveal a hidden push-button controller. "Daddy's not calling the shots tonight, Robbie-poo. I am!"
"Daddy?" Robin was stunned at the revelation.
Whoa! Icon was equally taken aback. Father and daughter. That was the connection between Killer Moth and Kitten?
"And unless you want me to let those nasty bugs out for a late-night snack," Kitten grabbed the front of Robin's shirt, "You better pucker up—AH!" Kitten screamed in horror as she felt herself pulled up into the air by her shoulders, losing her hold on Robin. She looked over her shoulder to find herself looking back into Icon's single Ectonurite eye.
"I don't think so, toots," Icon tossed Kitten into the air and caught her around the waist with a single arm, holding her like a sack of potatoes. He proceeded to snatch the controller away from Kitten with his remaining hand.
"Let go of me you freak!" yelled a kicking and screaming Kitten.
"We'll drop you off at jail," said Robin, folding his arms in a satisfied manner. While he had not been expecting Icon to take action like this, it was still better than having to kiss Kitten.
"Hey, you!" shouted an unfamiliar voice.
"Huh?" Icon turned around as Kitten let out an excited gasp.
"Fang?" squealed Kitten. Icon's single eye widened in shock. Knocking aside chairs, tables, and prom guests alike was the man-spider that had been robbing the jewelry store earlier on.
"That's your boyfriend?" Robin's jaw nearly dropped off its hinges.
"You! Ghost-freak!" growled Fang. "Put down my girl!"
"Ghost-freak?" Icon was taken aback by the name. He felt an odd stirring within him, almost as if some other part of him had heard that name before. Icon was quickly brought back to reality when the hourglass symbol on his chest began blaring red. "Uh oh…" Icon resumed his human form in a flash of red light. After giving a classic Wiley Coyote look of horror, Icon fell to the ground with Kitten like a rock.
Icon had just picked his sore body up when one of Fang's sharp legs knocked him aside. Kitten pushed herself up to see that Icon had dropped the push-button controller, which had now rolled out onto the floor in front of her. She reached out, seized it, and scrambled to her feet. Robin leapt forward and grabbed Kitten by the wrist. In the midst of wrestling the controller away from Kitten, Robin unwittingly drew Kitten into a dipping position.
Fang saw this and abandoned his attack on Icon. Robin was forced to drop Kitten just to free his hands as Fang came charging at him. The young martial artist was successful in parrying off the first few strikes that Fang sent his way, but a particularly vicious blow to the side sent Robin sprawling.
"Didn't you hear?" snapped Fang. "Keep your hands off my girl!" Fang was suddenly sent back by a barrage of green starbolts.
"Keep your legs off my boy!" yelled Starfire, her fists and eyes glowing dangerously. Her anger died down when she decided to attend to a more important matter. "Robin, are you injured?"
"Best I've felt all day," happily responded Robin as he picked himself up and tore off his tuxedo, revealing his uniform underneath.
"Icon?" Starfire was now inquiring about her other teammate's health.
"I've had worse," Icon gave a wave showing that he was still in working order. His smile quickly vanished when he saw a large open tear along the side of his suit. "Oh great!" Icon grimaced as he fingered the torn suit. "Raven's going to kill me…"
"Fangie-poo!"
The three Titans turned to see that Kitten had arrived at Fang's side. Kitten dramatically threw herself over him. "You really do care!" she cooed.
"Let's never fight again, baby," lovingly whispered Fang. Kitten's eyes sparkled when Fang's spider legs produced stolen jewelry from his pockets, an offering of love.
"Oh, Fang!" exclaimed Kitten. She threw her arms around the young man-spider's neck and kissed him squarely on his segmented mouth.
"Crazy moth dad, psycho-daughter, and a jewel thief boyfriend," Icon turned to Robin and Starfire's direction, "Anyone see a pattern here?"
"Whaddya say?" growled Fang, breaking away from Kitten and getting up on his spider legs.
"Oh boy," Icon's eyes widened in alarm as Fang started approaching him. Fortunately, he then heard the sound of the Omnitrix signaling that it was operable again. "If it's a fight you want…" Icon engaged the Omnitrix, turned the dial, and enveloped himself in a flash of green light.
"…Then it's I fight you'll—get…" Icon just realized that his voice had become much higher and that he was now looking up at Fang at a much greater angle. Icon had accidentally transformed into a miniscule Galvan.
"Hey, why are you looking at me like that?" asked Icon edgily as he unconsciously began backing away. If Icon didn't know any better, Fang appeared to be salivating.
"No reason. I've just always wanted to try frog's legs," slurped Fang. Icon let out a high pitched scream and ran as fast as his little legs could carry him. "Snacky, snacky," cackled Fang as he made to pursue.
"I don't think so!" Robin leapt over Icon and planted a foot squarely in Fang's face.
"Th-thanks!" called Icon over his shoulder. He then tripped over a metal cylinder. Icon turned his head to see that it was the push-button controller; Robin must have dropped it when Fang had knocked him aside.
Icon got back onto his feet and gingerly picked the controller up using both of his small gray hands.
"Give that back!"
Icon turned to see Kitten's shoes thundering towards him. He hoisted the controller over his tiny shoulder and began hopping away.
"Come back here!" shrieked Kitten.
"Why me?" groaned Icon. He skidded to a stop when he nearly collided with a stray blast of purple energy.
Kitten also stopped upon recognizing the attack. She turned to see that Robin and Fang were locked in combat.
"Ooooh! Isn't it romantic?" Kitten was so absorbed by the battle that she forgot completely about the lost controller. "They're fighting over me!"
"They are not fighting over you!"
Icon had only a second to see Kitten's content face before she was bowled over by the juggernaut that was Starfire. Kitten quickly found herself pinned to the refreshments. "Icon," Starfire had turned head in her miniscule teammate's direction, "Do whatever you can to destroy the remote! We shall—" Starfire was cut off when a stray blast of Fang's adhesive spit struck the back of her head. She lost her hold on Kitten for an instant, which allowed the blonde to scoop a fistful of cake and smash it into Starfire's face.
Icon turned and ran with the controller over his shoulder. In this Galvan form, there was not much Icon could do except find a safe place and use whatever alien intellect he had to disable the controller. He turned his head around until he decided to run towards the ship's superstructure. Icon climbed up the superstructure sing his suction cupped toes and fingers, with the controller safely tucked under his arm. When he reached the top, he sat down near the edge and set the controller beside him. Icon needed to rest for an instant to catch his breath.
"Phew, some prom this turned out to be," panted Icon. He suddenly heard a harsh cackling noise. Icon's back stiffened, he knew what that sound was, it was a birdcall. He turned to his side to come face to face with a seagull. The bird had been attracted by earlier on by the food that was being served at the prom and had been roosting here for the night.
"Uh, nice bird," Icon gave a nervous smile as he slowly got to his feet. He knew all too well that, like spiders or man-spiders for that matter, seagulls were neither picky eaters nor vegetarians. However, the seagull was not as interested in the gray amphibian as it was in the shiny object next to the amphibian.
Icon saw just what the bird was staring at. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" panicked Icon. He grabbed onto one end of the controller at the exact same moment the seagull snatched it up with its beak.
"Give that—mph!—back!" Icon vainly tried pulling the controller away from the seagull. The bird was easily proving itself to be the stronger of the two. Eventually, the seagull became bored of the tug of war battle and decided to simply take flight in hopes of getting rid of Icon.
"WHOA!" Icon found himself having to cling to the controller for dear life as his feet dangled in the air. He swung his legs around and wrapped them around the seagull's neck to get a more secure hold. Icon resumed trying to remove the controller from the yellow beak ensnaring it. The seagull became annoyed at Icon's persistence and attempted to shake him off. After failing to get rid of its pest, the seagull made a sudden dive. Icon turned his head to see that the seagull was headed towards a buffet table. An idea sprung to Icon's head when he caught sight of a particular plate of food.
The seagull passed the dish closely enough for Icon to grab a piece of the food. "Hey, look buddy, shrimp!" Icon waved the said piece of food in front of the bird's face. Perhaps the seagull would abandon the controller in favor of something tastier. It took a few pokes and prods, but the seagull soon decided that the fight was more trouble than it was worth. The seagull released the controller and allowed Icon to stuff the shrimp into its beak.
"Finally—" Icon was about to celebrate his retrieval of the controller when his legs lost the hold they had had on the seagull's neck after a sudden swerve. He fell squarely into a bowl of punch with a splash. Icon poked his head out while licking his dripping lips. "Fruit punch," he mused, "Not bad—AH!"
Icon was forced to leap out of the punchbowl when he saw Starfire's face come crashing down into the contents. He landed next to a large chocolate cake and saw that Kitten had somehow flipped Starfire into the punchbowl in the scuffle between them. The liquid in the punchbowl quickly began boiling as an angry green glow became apparent in the punch. Starfire wrapped her legs around Kitten's waist and tossed her straight into the large chocolate cake.
"Uh oh…" Icon could literally feel the rage emanating from the moving chocolate covered mass before him.
Kitten opened her chocolate-caked mouth in a manner similar to a provoked crocodile. "You—ruined—my—DRESS!" She looked down to see Icon with the controller.
Icon made to hop away but Kitten, in a surprising demonstration of quick reflexes, snatched him in mid air. She deftly took the push-button controller from Icon's hands, set the device under her thumb, and pressed the button.
"NO!" shouted Icon and Starfire simultaneously. Starfire began forming a starbolt.
"Don't even think about it!" Kitten smiled devilishly as she held Icon out, her fingers wrapped around him in a crushing manner. Starfire glared at Kitten and allowed her starbolt to die down.
Icon struggled in Kitten's grasp. If only he could escape. But how? Kitten's fingers were around his body like a vice. Icon squirmed a little more before his mind came up with a simple solution. He opened his mouth wide and sank his tiny teeth into Kitten's hand.
"YEOW!" Kitten quickly released her hold on Icon and vigorously shook her hand to get him off of her.
In the midst of his fight with Robin, Fang heard his girlfriend's scream.
"What part of keeping away from my girl don't you get?" he growled. Fang scuttled towards Kitten and Icon, abandoning his fight.
"Let go you little—Augh!" After one final swing, Kitten managed to fling Icon off of her, sending him sailing through the air.
"I've got him, baby!" Fang prepared to fire a blast of petrifying venom. However, just as Fang was about to launch his attack, Starfire sent a starbolt at the man-spider. The starbolt struck Fang at the side, causing him to fire in a completely different direction. Icon safely fell into a second cake that was being served.
Kitten went as rigid as a board the instant Fang's attack struck her. Her stiff hands allowed the controller to slide out of her grasp and onto the floor.
Fang recovered from Starfire's attack and went white at the knuckles with rage upon seeing this. He directed his attention to Starfire. "You little—" Fang stopped when the eyes located near the back of his head detected movement. He turned his body around just in time for him to see Robin's foot come crashing down upon him. After a string of well-placed kicks and blows, Robin caused Fang to collapse like a load of bricks.
Stepping over his fallen opponent, Robin walked over to where the controller had rolled. He firmly placed his foot upon it and gave Kitten the most content look he could muster. "Consider yourself dumped…" Robin applied his full weight upon his foot and crushed the controller.
"Nooooooo!" Kitten managed to produce an angry outcry even with her stiffened jaws.
Icon poked his small head out of the cake he had landed in, completely covered in icing and crumbs. He took the scene in around him. "Glad that's over with. Ooh," Icon saw what he was covered in and happily began licking his fingers.
Author's note: Stay tuned for part 3