A/N: I haven't updated for a while... Once again, sorry about that. But it's been on my mind!
Cyborg closed his eyes… And opened them up again in a flash as several cars exploded just beside him. He ran past them as fast as he could. Light beams were shooting at him one after another. He ran and ran, trying to avoid them as much as possible.
He sped up and jumped into the air, turning around completely with his sonic cannon at the ready. For a second, time froze. He was just a few feet off the ground. His eyes narrowed and time unfroze. Before he had even touched the cold hard ground, dangerous, powerful Sonic energy erupted from his arm. He slid on the cold hard ground and quickly recovered by rolling himself up on his feet. He quickly looked at his attacker. had just dodged it at the last minute. He hopped off a hot dog stand and charged at Cyborg, with his arms bent and his hands open beside his waist. Blinding light conjured itself up from his palms.
Cyborg didn't even need to move, Raven landed in front of him and produced a full thick shield in front of them as the Light attack zoomed at them. It crashed with the shield with amazing force. The impact shook Raven's arms and made her groan. The light continued it's path on the street, the only thing that was breaking it was the dark blue force field.
It was a normal day in Jump City, except that there was a villain oppressing the city again. Well, maybe that was a normal thing after all. Cyborg and the rest of the Teen Titans were in the middle of the busiest street. They were struggled to bring down another criminal. He had apparently attempted to rob a bank. Robin landed on his feet beside them, his eyes inspecting their target. Without a word, he brought out his bo staff. No words were needed here.
The street was now filled with blinding light. Dr Light laughed at the chaos he had created. He cackled with laughter, his head back and his arms upraised. He had assumed that victory was his. But he was wrong, Starfire soared over his head and bombarded him with green star bolts.
She got him right on the head, knocking him down on his butt. His electric suit buzzed, yellow sparks flew everywhere around him. Robin seized this chance and ran up to meet him. Before he had even gotten up the Teen Titans leader flew at him with a flying knee kick. After receiving this blow, Dr. Light was sprawled out with his face into the ground. Robin turned him around cautiously. But it was a big mistake cause he was blasted about 50 feet away from where he was. Well, that's all that Cyborg and Raven could see from where they were.
Cyborg charged at Dr. Light with one red eye flashing bright red. He picked up a car as if it was nothing and spun around with it in his hands. He let go after he had gained enough power. Dr. Light just blasted the car, creating a huge hole in the body of the vehicle. But it was just a trick. Cyborg leaped through the middle of the car and punched Dr. Lights head as hard as he could. Dr. Light was knocked out into his living daylights. Cyborg rose up from his stance with satisfaction. It was over, once again.
Just like usual, it took a while for the citizens to get over the shock. Sure it was very normal for things like this to occur in Jump City, a maniac with powers and a villain with a mask now and then. But still, it was a nerve racking thing to see the city be damaged in a Titan's battle.
***In the Titans Tower***
The titans sat down in front of their huge tv and relaxed. Robin, however, got up and went to the ceiling- to-floor windows. He just stood there and watched. He saw more than just skyscrapers and buildings and bustling people in a city. His friends remained quiet, they recognized this behavior as a caring hero.
"The city is safe, but for how long?"
Beast Boy pushed himself up from the couch and walked over to Robin. He looked at Robin's hard face and at the city. He thought about how much Robin worried, and he couldn`t take it anymore, so he just said:
"Robin… We all know how much you care. We care to. But you can't keep stressing yourself out 24/7 about things being all right. We may be super-heroes, but we can't keep everybody safe their whole lives. And even if we did, what kind of life would that be?"
"Huh." Was all Robin said.
"That's it." Beast Boy said. He morphed into a gorilla and roared. This made Robin jump with surprise. Beast Boy picked Robin up with the collar of his shirt and slammed him down on the couch.
The green titan who was now in human form sat down beside him and handed him a video game controller.
"We're playing SuperSmash Racing Lite until your brain isn't capable of thinking or worrying anymore."
"I'm sure that's healthy for him." Raven said.
"Did I detect a note of sarcasm in there?" Beast Boy asked her.
"Of course not Beast Boy." Raven said sarcastically.
"Ok."
Raven slapped her forehead.
"What is wrong friend Raven?" Asked Starfire.
"Nothing's wrong Star."
"What's nothing Raven?"
"Nothing." Beast Boy said simply.
"Yes that is the word I want to learn about."
Cyborg chuckled at the confusion that was spreading itself in the Titans midst.
"Friend Cyborg why are you laughing?" Asked Starfire. "Is something funny?"
"Nah, it's nothing Star."
"Nothing? Who or what is a nothing?" Asked Starfire, who was now getting frustrated.
Robin and Beast Boy couldn't help but laughing at this point. Cyborg wondered whether or not Starfire was playing along to make everybody laugh.
"Ok let's play a game." Suggested Raven. "You're not allowed to say 'nothing', ok?"
"Ok." Everybody chorused.
The room was quiet for a while. The only sound that was heard was the screeching of wheels against asphalt. (In the video game). Cyborg tried to ignore this. He whipped out a cartoon laptop out of nowhere and started to type away furiously.
"Oh no, not again!" Raven groaned.
"What?" Asked Cyborg, innocently.
"You haven't put that thing down for hours!" Raven said, looking at the laptop.
"That's what she said!" Beast Boy laughed.
"SHUT UP!" Raven yelled, slapping Beast Boy hard on the back of his head. Who was laughing out loud with Robin.
"What does that mean Raven?" Asked Starfire.
"Nothing, Star."
"Raven, you just lost the game. You said nothing."
Starfire then got off the couch and put her hands together. "Friends, we must 'cheer up' our friend Raven as much as possible. She must be going through a stage of grief at this moment because she has lost the game."
Raven just sighed and put her palm on her forehead.
Robin and Beast Boy were crying from laughter.
Raven looked helplessly toward Cyborg. He tried to look back at her with a straight face but was unable. She glared at him and punched him on the human part of his arm.
"Ow! What was that for?" He asked.
"Nothing." Raven said, getting up to get a book.
"Friend Raven you just said the forbidden wo-" Starfire was interrupted by the sound of hard laughter coming from Beast Boy and Robin, their virtual cars were now trying to drive through a wall. Cyborg was about to laugh.
It was now the beginning of November, and Christmas was almost there. It was night time outside and all you could see inside the Titans Tower was a group of friends laughing their butts off. It was another day in the Titans Tower.
***Later***
Raven sat down on the couch with a book in her hands. Every once in a while she would flip the pages. The room was quiet again, to her convenience. Cyborg sat at her right, with his laptop in front of him, playing Chess again.
Starfire sat on her left, she had her legs curled up under her as she was drawing. She seemed really interested in her drawing. But only Cyborg would notice this when he looked up every once in a while. Robin and Beast Boy were lying on the floor comfortably, looking up at the huge screen. They tapped away at the controllers.
Cyborg placed his Queen in front of the opposing King.
"Once again, the leap's are victorius!" Cyborg thought.
"The who's?" Asked Raven, not taking her eyes of the book.
"Er... The nobody's."
Cyborg smiled to himself. He checked his stats. He was getting better and better. He had a few comments on his page now, from friends and people that he didn't know. He had a few hater comments on his page but he didn't let that bother him.
He went back to the lobby and played a few games, until he stumbled upon something. It was SugarPluM. He wanted to talk to him again, so he challenged him.
"Challenging player" The website informed him.
The table loaded and the game began. Cyborg moved his pawn forward like he always did. The feeling of the chess game was different this time. SugarPluM didn't play with Cyborg's imagination. It felt like any other chess game.
SugarPlum: hi
TheKnightofRight: hi
The game progressed.
Robin and Beast Boy had started to talk. But this was unnoticed to Cyborg because he was so deeply immersed in the game. But this didn't stop his curiosity.
TheKnigtofRight: so did your army throw a celebration party when they got home?
Cyborg submitted his reply and continued the game. SugarPluM didn't say anything for a while, which made Cyborg think that he didn't want to talk.
SugarPluM: huh?
TheKnightofRight: you know, we had a war last time, a fictional war
Cyborg moved his bishop to protect it from SugarPluM's queen.
SugarPluM: I'm not sure I know what you're talking about…
The teenage superhero checked his opponent's name. Just to be sure it was the same person he'd played against before.
TheKnightofRight: you talked to me just a few days ago, in October
SugarPluM: sorry, it's not ringing a bell
TheKnightofRight: r u sure?
SugarPluM: maybe it was someone else
Silence…
TheKnightofRight: oh I see what's going on here
He ate one of SugarPluM's pieces with his pawn.
TheKnightofRight: you're playing a joke on meh…
SugarPluM: I'm not playin' a joke on yeh… :P
TheKnightofRight: r u making mock of me? :3 why I am outraged and downright insulted!
SugarPluM: :P
TheKnightofRight: are you excited for 1999?
SugarPluM: what is there to b excited for?
TheKnightofRight: well… you know… the new millennium that'll come after that
SugarPluM: and why exactly is that something to rejoice for? That simply reminds us that we've spent over 2000 years on this planet. and we don't have an answer for why we are here
Cyborg thought about this for a while.
TheKnightofRight: huh
SugarPluM: what do you mean 'huh'?
TheKnightofRight: nothing, I just had to think about what you believe
SugarPluM: I never said I believed what I said
TheKnightofRight: then why exactly would you say it?
SugarPluM: does there have to be a reason for everything?
Silence…
TheKnightofRight: is there supposed to be a hidden meaning in that sentence?
SugarPluM: what do you think?
TheKnightofRight: I dunno…
SugarPluM: what do you want?
TheKnightofRight: what do you mean?
SugarPluM: you know what I mean. what do you want in life to be happy?
TheKnightofRight: I have to say, you're a bit different than other players
SugarPluM: how so? :)
TheKnightofRight: I've played several games here, and nobody's asked me something like that.
TheKnightofRight: I mean, it's not everyday that someone asks you a personal question like that, not only that, but you're asking me that over the internet. I mean, I don't even know you
SugarPluM: you don't know me, maybe that's the best part…
Cyborg looked at SugarPluM's reply and wondered what this meant. Was he guilty of any crime?
TheKnightofRight: What's that supposed to mean?
SugarPluM: Maybe that's the best part because you can say all you want to say without the fear of me judging you or making fun of you or using anything you say against you. It would be different if you knew me, you'd be afraid of telling me things. But when you don't know me, it's a no strings attached deal/conversation. You don't have to deal with the consequences because I'm somebody else, somewhere way away from where you are. So I can't do any damage
Cyborg studied this little miniature speech. He tossed it around in his mind.
TheKnightofRight: so you expect me to reveal a part of my mind just because I don't know you?
SugarPluM: well think about it, you can have a free conversation with someone without any consequences to deal with in the future. I'm just another player in another website somewhere else
even if I wanted to know who you were because of what you'd said, how would I finf you
TheKnightofRight: I get what you're saying, but it just doesn't seem that smart.
I'm a guy that's a bit interested in computers and the internet and stuff. But the point is, I've heard of many ppl losing their privacy because they idiotically put things that they shouldn't have out there on the internet.
TheKnightofRight: I mean, what's to stop you from taking this conversation and somehow putting it everywhere on the internet
Cyborg didn't bother to watch his spelling, he was just chatting, not writing a letter to somebody important.
SugarPluM: so you think I'm gonna somehow hurt you if you trust me and 'reveal' parts of your mind that you don't share with anybody else? You think I'm going to 'backstab' you in some way
TheKnightofRight: sort of, but it sounds stupid when you say it like that
SugarPluM: and what exactly would I gain from that?
TheKnightofRight: I dunno, ppl do it
SugarPluM: why?
TheKnightofRight: how the heck should I know?
SugarPluM: sorry, I didn't mean to make you angry
TheKnightofRight: don't worry, i'm not angry. I don't have a short fuse anyway
SugarPluM: so you have a long fuse?
TheKnightofRight: that's what she said!
Cyborg looked at the chat log, expecting a reply. But no reply came. He wondered whether or not he should have said that. He continued to stare at it, but nothing came, not even 'lol'.
About 20 seconds later, SugarPluM's reply came.
SugarPluM: omg, if you could see me… omg! I was rolling on the floor laughing so hard. I could barely get back up on my chair to type something 2 u. hahaha
Cyborg felt as if a heavy weight was taken off of his shoulders. He sighed in relief and smiled. He was happy his opponent wasn't mad or offended by him. He didn't know why but somewhere deep inside him, he had a feeling that if he lost SugarPluM he had lost something special. Things wouldn't be the same without SugarPluM for the night to turn out right.
TheKnightofRight: :)
SugarPluM: oh man I'm never gonna forget this nite!
TheKnightofRight: that's what she said!
***Elsewhere***
SugarPluM was once again rolling around hard on the ground. The online chess player clutched it's side. SugarPluM wiped tears away and laughed some more, getting up to sit on the rolling chair in front of the computer. This was a hard thing to do when your sides hurt.
SugarPluM's roommate looked at the online player. (The online player is SugarPluM, who is playing chess with Cyborg).
"Do you mind?" The roommate said, typing away at his laptop.
SugarPluM resumed the chess game with Cyborg.
SugarPluM: lol. You're really killing me here, gimme a chance to breath before you do it again
TheKnightofRight: that's what she said!
SugarPluM once again laughed loudly.
SugarPluM: STOP! STOP! Let my heart breathe for a couple of seconds, k? I'm having trouble breathing you know
TheKnightofRight: once again, that's what she said!
***Back in the Titans Tower***
Cyborg smiled at the computer. He was making someone's day. He'd always loved making people laugh. He beamed so much his face seemed to shine.
SugarPluM: you know how much times I fell on the ground during this chess game?
TheKnightofRight: :)
SugarPluM: I still can't stop laughing.
After this, the game kept moving on until SugarPluM cornered Cyborg's king and won.
SugarPluM: good game
TheKnightofRight: yeah :)
SugarPluM: c u around KnightofRight
TheKnightofRight: yeah u 2 SugarPluM
SugarPluM: :)
"SugarPluM has left the game"
Cyborg was still smiling. He was playing around with the settings of the gametable. He somehow ended up rereading the chat log. He wondered how their conversation shifted directions. Cyborg looked at the beginning. He scrolled up and down the small chat window, looking at how they started talking.
He looked one final time at SugarPluM's screen name and logged out. He shut down his laptop and shut it.
He put it down on the kitchen counter and went to the windows. The half-man teenager stared at the shining city under the night sky. There were a couple stars in the dark blue blanket that seemed to cover Jump City. He looked at them and smiled.
He noticed how there were so little stars in the sky. They were all miracles. Had he just stumbled upon one?
Starfire flew up behind him and hovered horizontally above his head. She pressed her hands against the cold glass, looking down at him.
"What bothers you, daawwg?" She asked, trying to imitate 'dawg'.
He looked up at her and smiled. "Nothing's bothering me, Star."
"Friend Cyborg you just said the forbidden wo-"
Once again, Cyborg heard a series of laughter.
A/N: I've always found writing/reading battle scenes in fanfiction was fun. It's cool to let the author narrate the fight in their own way and then let the reader take it into their own mind and translate it into the way they see it. Sort of like computers, you know?
Well I have to say this was the most-fun-to-write chapter out of the whole story up until now. There's still more to come imaginative fanfictionists! *chuckles and thinks about future plans*