These Black Eyes

by P0ST

The ongoing adventures and experiences of the Teen Titans, as witnessed through the eyes of a silent newcomer.

45. Dear Diana

45. Dear Diana

'Dear Diana,

Please do not think that the first thing I'm writing to you is a complaint, but I must confess that I find the form of address that you requested aimed at you to be somewhat unbefitting. That is to say, you yourself are a princess—or so the legend goes. Please know that I am very honored to take part in this correspondence. Though I have not had the chance to meet you in person, you have my eternal respect as a hero, a warrior, and a Regal Lady of the peace. Please forgive me for any grammatical errors or improper writing techniques I might employ. I am not used to long distance communication by hand, save for scant experiences with chat rooms. Oh lord, I'm rambling already. I had better start this letter on a better note.

I honestly expected Robin to volunteer for this job. Being the leader of the Titans, he is the most objective and task-oriented and he would have marvelous things to tell you with such a perspective of his. Second to him, I imagined Starfire would have been enthused to take part foremost in this endeavor. It's no great secret, but, you are a great role model for the Tamaranian warrior. You might think it trivial, but you mean the world to her. Then there are Raven and Cyborg. Raven—though a great founder of the Titans—is not very keen on interpersonal communication. Cyborg would have been game for it…and perhaps even Beast Boy as well, but for some reason or another, a small conference appointed me as the writer. I don't mind, truly. It's just that……well……I am still getting used to this place and I can't understand how a 'nooby' can represent the Titans.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

Just a few days ago when we first got your message, the day began uneventfully. I was out meditating in the Bayside sawgrass around the Tower. It was a beautiful morning. The afternoon previous, Speedy had left his visit in the City to go back to the Green Arrow. Raven was also meditating outside the Tower somewhere. Beast Boy and Cyborg were playing catch with a football. Starfire and Robin were in the Tower still.

"Be a little easy one me, Cy!! Sheeesh!!" Beast Boy frowned. "Not everyone of us has a titanium quarterback arm!!"

"Tis a shame," the android winked his human eye. "I know. I'll toss it against the wind this time. It'll make the traveling distance shorter."

"Allrighty then," Beast Boy shuffled to a safe spot in the sand and palmed his fist. "Now we're getting somewhere."

"You ready??"

"Yup!"

"FIVE HUNDRED!!!" Cyborg shouted.

Beast Boy's pointed ears twitched. "Wait a second, you bozo, the wind's shifting!!!"

The football went soaring high above the changeling's head.

"HA HA HA!!!!" Cyborg bellowed.

Beast Boy snarled, leapt into the air, and flew into a green pelican over the sands. He caught the football in his pouch of a beak.

"Hey!!" Cyborg ran and jumped up amd down at the distant bird. "No fair!!!"

The pelican 'chuckled' with a mouth full of pig skin.

"Don't make me use my laser rifle on you, ya cheater!!"

I perched in the grass dozens of feet away upon the edge of earshot. The morning sun of summer glinted off my shades. I had been posing in a painful position balanced on one ankle with a knee bent. Four minutes into it, I was just barely starting to strain. I bit my lip and inhaled slowly to strengthen myself. I felt the currents of smoke energy through the wood of Myrkblade and up into my fingers.

Oftentimes the other Titans ask me about my powers. They like to know what makes me tick. Why I can teleport on some occasions, and then turn invisible the next. How is it that there's no single strain of DNA or ounce of chemical mutation inside of me and yet I can run up the sides of buildings and walk on water. I guess it's just that I can't truly explain what I can do, or why I can do it.

I finally slid down into a crouched position, Myrkblade held high. I kept my knees bent and yet they never touched the soil. It was a squat that was ten times more painful than the pose previous to it. I always challenged myself. Always made the training and meditation strenuous. I had to. I had to…….

I am human, Diana. At least, by my own definitions I am. I was born among everyone I see around me. I share their emotions and their smiles and their tears. Only in two departments am I lacking—and if popular culture hasn't echoed it by now over the superhero-obsessed news or something, then I'd be surprised. My eyes and my voice. They are different. Completely different. And, you know what? It wasn't always that way.

I rocketed up from the squat, charged up Myrkblade, and swung outward towards the Bay. Dark energy warbled. The grass swayed and danced. Water rippled in a straight line towards the horizon. I took a deep breath and slowly lowered Myrkblade down along the center of my being. Centering myself.

There are so many things shut up inside the human being. This is so now, just like it was for me before I joined the Titans. When I was out on my own. When these superheroes inducted me into their flock, I was surprised that I wasn't probed from all corners to spill the beans of my past. I was allowed to keep and preserve my secrecy. I was……most thankful to say the least.

Robin and Raven are the prime reasons for this reality amongst the Titans. I do not know what it's like with the Justice League, but Robin had us all sign a Confidentiality Agreement. Basically, we could get to know each other so far as our secret identities or pasts weren't completely revealed or placed pressure on to reveal. For the most part, we have held true to this doctrine. But gradually—at least ever since I joined the group and had the chance to observe it—the Agreement have been broken by almost everyone. Only Robin and Raven are keeping silent about their true identities or backgrounds, though the rest of us have some inclinations into Raven's situation.

'It's funny that Robin and Raven—the ones who founded the Titans—are the most stubborn of our group. In Robin's case, I can understand. He is the apprentice of the Dark Knight after all. Well……one of his apprentices. And if rumors surrounding the Batman is true, he is not one to give away any secrets. You would know this more than I ever would.

I was done meditating. I sheathed Myrkblade and took a breath. It seemed to be getting easier lately. I smiled.

"Okay, Beast Boy!! I'm gonna count to three!! You'd better drop that football or else!!"

"Or else what?!" the pelican scoffed.

"You'll see!!" Cyborg frowned and charged up his laser rifle. "One….two….th---" BONK!! The football bounced down off Cyborg's head. "OW!!!"

"Hehehehehehehehehe!!" Beast Boy landed and giggled.

"Okay, little man!! HYAAA!!"

"WAAAAH!!"

Sand flew as the two tumbled and wrestled. The android playfully wrangled down into the ground a green elf, alligator, rhinoceros and ostrich.

I shook my head, smirking. I glanced over at the bluffs where Raven sat cross-legged.

Her face was scrunched amidst meditation. I didn't have to ask her to know she was having trouble concentrating.

Sometimes it's good to have a sword help you.

About forty minutes into the morning routine, Starfire flew in with a message from the Tower…

"Friends!! You must make haste to Robin at the computers!!" the Tamaranian said. "We have been hailed!!"

"Say what?!" Cyborg froze amidst shoving a giant, green squid into the ground.

"A mail that is not that of snails," the hovering alien blinked her pretty eyes.

"E-Mail….," Raven mumbled, quitting her meditation and dusting herself off.

"Yes, that is it!"

"Fan mail?!" Beast Boy smiled in elf form. He shook the sand off his hair like a dog and stumbled forward. "Letters from home?"

"I haven't heard from my old friends in ages!" Cyborg grinned.

"It does not come from anybody's home," Starfire explained and motioned us towards the Tower. "But rather, it is from outer space."

"Outer space?" Raven lifted an eyebrow.

I cocked my head to the side, curious.

"Something called 'The Watchtower'!"

Cyborg and Beast Boy exchanged glances.

They both beamed.

"Dude!! Let's check it out!" Beast Boy exclaimed.

The boys ran eagerly up the bluffs alongside Starfire. Raven and I took our sweet time.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

Don't take this personal, please, but at first it didn't strike my memory what exactly the 'Watchtower' is. And then I remembered the last time the world faced certain alien invasion or thermonuclear war and realized………'oh yeah!'."

"Well?! Well?!" Beast Boy hopped in the Main Room. "What does the Justice League want from us?! A meeting?! Autographs?! Commendation?!"

"Hmmmmm," Robin smirked slightly and typed away at the computer. "Perhaps a prelude to all three."

"Do tell!" Beast Boy leaned forward, his chin on propped hands.

Robin brought up an e-mail. A simple letter. Black text on white background.

Beast Boy blinked. "What?! No attachments?!" He glanced up at Cyborg. "Flash is on that team! You'd think they'd send us a link to where we can watch a cartoon hamster explode in an oven or something."

Cyborg shook his head. "Grow up, man…."

Starfire gasped happily, her hands clasped together. "It is signed by Wonder Woman!!"

"Well, alright," Cyborg smirked.

I squinted through my shades.

"Dear Titans…,"Raven—of all people—read: "After the last meeting of the entire Justice League, we have unanimously agreed. You are more worthy of our attention than ever before. Your efforts to bring down Control Freak, Killer Moth, H.I.V.E., Slug, Reload, Overload, and Viper all within a span of months is most commendable. You are no longer the nubile fighting force we had once envisioned, nor are you the experimental project we all assumed only Robin was pushing the effort towards."

Robin blushed slightly and rolled his eyes under his mask: "Gee….how flattering. Thanks, Batman…."

Raven read: "For the best interests in Justice and Peace worldwide, a correspondence between our two forces—allied against the same manner of Evil and Tyrrany—would be exemplary towards possible, future codependence on our heroic energies. Thus, Superman has asked me to approach one of you through writing to see to the fruition of this goal. Please consider our invitation and choose one of your numbers to act as a representative to relate to us the nature of your adventures and teamwork, and I shall attempt to present you with the same in representation of the JLA."

"Dude…that's sweet!" Beast Boy grinned wide. "We're all getting buddy-buddy!"

"Super….," Raven muttered as she walked away from the screen—and the e-mail. "All the Titans need are adults to answer to."

"Awwwww, it's not like that, Rae!" Cyborg exclaimed.

"Besides!" Starfire beamed. "It is Wonder Woman!" She glanced at the computer screen as to re-confirm her suspicion, and again she boomed: "It is Wonder Woman!! Heeeeeee."

Beast Boy sweatdropped.

"I, for one, think it's an excellent idea!" Robin exclaimed. "The more connections we keep with other heroes, the more security we may have in the future!"

"I beg to differ," Raven leaned against the kitchen bar and folded her arms. "Mass communication breeds mass confusion."

"You make it seem like some sort of bureaucratic nightmare," Robin smirked. "Didn't you just read the stuff to us, Raven? They're trying to make it sound as simple as possible. Just one on one communication between one of them and one of us!"

"You're so wise and pessimistic, Raven!" Beast Boy smiled. "Why don't you volunteer for the correspondence?!"

"No, thank you. It is all very much pointless," Raven droned. "Besides, I find something very fishy about them wanting to nose into our business."

"This is the JLA we're talking about….," Cyborg blinked.

"Awwww….it's just cuz she's not enthusiastic about having to talk to Wonder Woman!" Beast Boy smirked up at the android. He looked at Raven and gestured: "I bet you'd think differently if one of the men was writing to us!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Raven rolled her arms.

"Maybe Green Lantern! No wait! Someone mysterious and mystical and telepathic….Martian Manhunter! You'd write back to him if he was the one doing it, huh Rae?!"

"Hardly…," the dark girl muttered and looked away. She was blushing though…..

I glanced at her curiously.

"How about you, Robin?" Cyborg said. "You're the leader! You have most to say!"

"Too busy," the Boy Wonder shook his head.

"With what, exactly?"

"Let's say a less feminine member of the JLA is wanting a letter sent to him too," Robin said. "In regards to the technical reports of our defeating the last few creeps of the City."

Cyborg smirked and folded his titanium hands. "The Bat?"

"You said it."

"Jeez….that guy's got you on a leash!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "It must suck being a sidekick."

"It must suck having your teeth punched in."

Beast Boy cleared his throat and whimpered: "Shuttingupnow."

"I am far too unworthy to be the brunt of Princess Diana's writing!" Starfire exclaimed with a dramatic swoon that almost looked mocked. "I would forever be embarrassed if I so much as tried to correspond with her!"

"I'm sure it'd be fine, Star," Robin said. "You of all people seem most enamored with Wonder Woman."

"That doesn't sound right," Beast Boy winced.

"Agreed," Raven hummed.

"Well somebody's gotta take up this job!" Cyborg exclaimed. "It can't be too hard! Come on!"

"Don't be lazy!"

"We're not being lazy! We have lives too, ya know!"

"I'm out of this."

"We all know that, Raven."

"Why don't you write her, Cyborg?"

"Pffft….math I can do. Essays are female dogs, I swear to god."

"Nice excuse."

"Like yours was any better?!"

"Guys! Calm down! One of us is going to write, okay?! I want us on good terms with the JLA!"

"Yes! And her most heightness the Diana Princess!"

You know what? I just thought of something. I almost feel like I'm typing to a deceased, British Monarch. Never mind that, that was uncalled for.

To make a long story short, my teammates squabbled as they always do. It almost makes me thankful for not being able to speak. I do enjoy listening, though—as perverse as it may be. Just hearing htem…knowing they're alive. Be it in harmony or cacophony, they liven my days. I think it's their personalities that keep me from going back out on my own again. I'll have you know, the temptation has crossed my mind from time to time. Sound like a dark crime fighter that you know?

They argued and argued and circle and circled and fell and fell until the conversation tripped over the inevitable hump when everyone is scratching their head and sunk in their own perplexion. And it's typically at such a moment that either Starfire says something utterly adorable that makes us laugh and want to hug her (except for Raven) or Beast Boy gets that devilish look in his face of a malevolent epiphany and spouts out:

"Nooby!!!"

I winced.

Everyone looked at the changeling….then at me.

I blushed and scratched my neck.

"He'd be perfect!" Beast Boy pointed. "Hehehehe! Wildcard saves the day again!!"

"Naw, man!!" Cyborg defended me. "Why must we dump everything on the newcomer?!"

"He's got a point there….," Robin scratched his chin. "Since you're new, Noir, anything you tell Diana in mail will be fresh. Almost as if they're looking in. I hope you don't take offense to that, but it's technically true."

I nodded.

"Yeah….so…dump on the newcomer!" Cyborg frowned.

"Do you want to write her, Cyborg?" Raven asked.

"……….," the android stared. He walked off and muttered: "Fine. Dump it on the newcomer."

"Wooo hooo!" Beast Boy giggled.

I rolled my black eyes.

"You up to it, Noir?" Robin asked.

I lifted a finger and opened my mouth--

"Good! It's settled then. I suggest replying to her within the next three days!"

I deflated with a sigh.

"Hey…cheer up," Beast Boy nudged me in the shoulder. "Think of it this way….you're getting to know a really attractive babe!" A pause. "Well heck…maybe I should be corresponding with her!"

If I didn't volunteer before, I sure as Hell did then.

Beast Boy got the message.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

True, he can get annoying. I'm talking about Beast Boy. But, in all of his deconstructive character, there's something absolutely adorable. I don't mean in……that sort of way, of course. What I'm trying to say is, as much as Beast Boy tries, he can barely hurt a fly. He's most useful in the field of crimefighting as transportation or distracting the enemy. I know that sounds cold, but I really don't see a vicious butt-kicking personality in him. Please excuse the vernacular, Diana. I just don't know how else to treat the elf.

"So like….this is the oldest joke in the world. It's not exactly funny. It's more…um….cool then anything. But you'll like it, I promise you!" the changeling beamed.

I sat on a metal crate atop the Tower's roof. Wind kicked at our hair as I shuffled a deck of poker cards and started lazily playing solitaire. In the meantime, I danced my black eyes up and watched Beast Boy through glistening shades. He was balancing playfully on the very edge of the rooftop while giving his speech. If he fell off, he'd easily turn into a bird or something to fly himself to safety.

"There's this farmer, you see," Beast Boy began as he walked the edge of the Tower like a tightrope. "He's coming home from the market. This is like old France or something. Anywho, he bought three things at the market. A head of lettuce. A goat. And a fox. Don't ask me why he bought a fox in a market. Maybe he just wanted to make a coat or something."

I shrugged, smiled, and went through my game of solitaire as I listened.

"So, on the way home, he comes to this river, you see. And there's this tiny canoe inside. He can only carry one thing across the river at once inside the canoe. He can't walk around the river, so he has to go back and forth from one side of the river to the next with the lettuce, the goat and the fox. But there's a problem. If he takes the fox across the river first, he'd be leaving the goat and the lettuce on one side of the shore alone. The goat would eat the lettuce, right? Bad bombing right there!"

I breathed a chuckle.

Beast Boy spun around, balanced, and tightroped in the opposite direction. "And if he left the fox and the goat on one side of the river, then the fox would eat the goat! No milk that weekend, you dig?"

I nodded.

"So he has to do this in key steps. Can you guess what steps?! Huh?! Huh?!" he beamed at me with pearly white teeth.

I scratched my head. I shrugged without much time to think on the subject.

"Pfft! You're no fun!" Beast Boy stuck his tongue out. "So be it. I'll tell you! First, the man takes the goat across the river. When the fox and the lettuce are together, nothing happens! So after he takes the goat across, he comes straight back and picks up the lettuce. He leaves the fox alone and goes back to the goat. Then as he puts the lettuce down, he picks the goat up and goes back to get the fox. He leaves the goat back on the side that he started on and goes back to take the fox to the lettuce and-----oh crap."

I looked up at him. "?????"

He was scratching his chin in mid-balance. The wind toyed with his hair. "What's keeping the goat from running away when alone on a river bank??"

I cocked my head to the side.

"Okay…so the goat has an anchor tied to his neck! It keeps him from running off!"

I blinked.

"No wait….a goat and an anchor at once would be too heavy for the canoe to carry across the river…." A pause. "Okay, screw the anchor. The goat was schizophrenic!"

I did a double-take.

"Y-Yeah! I thought the earth bleed and the sky was holding a knife behind its back. So, like, it was catatonic schizophrenic with paranoia and wouldn't budge. That's why it didn't run off—but then, maybe it'd be a suicidal goat. It'd gladly leap into the jaws of the fox. And….pfft….who's gonna go to market to buy a catatonic schizophrenic goat?!"

I couldn't help it. I chuckled.

Beast Boy beamed. "Hey! You're laughing! I guess it was worth it after all!"

"That's not how the joke goes….," says Raven.

Beast Boy glared up at the crate atop which the dark girl had been perched the whole time, reading a book. "And just what do you know about jokes, Madame Morbid?!"

"Enough to tell you there's a joke even older than that in mythology," she droned, her eyes scanning the pages of her novel. "One that is much more creative."

"Try me!" Beast Boy folded his arms.

"'What crawls in four legs in the morning, walks on two feet at noon, and hobbles on three feet at night'?"

"………..," Beast Boy blinked. "What kind of neurotic moron wrote that?!"

"Just answer it."

"I don't know what the answer is!"

I smirked. I pointed at Beast Boy.

"Huh???" Beast Boy glanced at me. "The answer is me?"

I nodded. I pointed at myself.

"You too?!"

I pointed at Raven.

"Okay…now you're BOTH screwing with me!"

"Have you not heard the story of Oedipus' rise to power?" Raven looked up finally. "It's only the most intriguing of mythological tragedies."

"What about it?"

"You don't know the evil Sphinx that was plaguing Thebes and the riddle it asked everyone to answer in order to save the culture?!"

"………I don't watch PBS."

"Fine….," Raven grunted and returned to her book. "See if I care."

If there be a God, Diana---or in your case, Goddess—I imagine she sculpted my teammates perfectly to develop some sort of haphazard chemistry. You really benefit from living under the same roof as opposites. And believe me…there isn't much attraction involved. It's fun, nevertheless. When it's all light hearted, of course.

"What kind of name is 'Oedipus' anyways?!" Beast Boy made a face. "Sounds like a real wuss!"

"Well, he was a momma's boy," Raven said.

And the way she said it—laced with her trademark stoicism and unemotional detachment—I wanted to laugh my freakin' head off.

A gust of wind came in a downdraft.

My poker cards were tossed into the wind.

I gasped and dove for them.

They were too far off for Beast Boy to save.

They went fluttering over the Tower's Edge.

I bit my lip.

Suddenly, fields of dark obsidian enveloped them. They paused in mid air, floated, and zoomed back at me.

I sighed happily and held a hand out. They landed neatly in my palm, upon which I closed my fingers and turned around to smile a 'thank you' at Raven.

"Don't mention it….," she droned.

And she was back in her book like nothing had happened.

Raven is one of the most outstanding members of our team. Anyone who is either knowledgeable or fanatic about the Titans could recognize her in an instant, moreso than Starfire or Cyborg or Robin, etc. I'm not sure what it is that makes her so unique…since she does her best to be anything but noticeable. It's a little tough to realize she was a founding member of this team. Yet—as is so—she sacrifices her leadership despite her credentials. Since her backing down, Cyborg has more or less taken the reins as 'second in command' under Robin's leadership. But we still all look up to Raven for guidance, wisdom, and—most of all—stability.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"Now, Starfire, repeat after me."

"Okay, Raven."

"Azarath…Metrion…Zinthos…"

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

"Slower."

"Azarath……….Metrion………..Zinthos………"

"Azarath………..Metrion……….Zinthos…………"

The two girls hovered in front of a table where an urn of sort rested. They were inside a dark room sealed off from the rest of the Tower.

After a good deal of concentration and chanting, an orb of black and green energy formed above the orb as the two girls' powers mingled and produced an aura of strength and vitality.

"You can stop now, Starfire."

The alien girl opened her eyes. She gasped and clasped her hands together. "Oooooh! It is pretty!"

A flashing green and black sphere floated between them.

"You should see the one I made with Cyborg," Raven said with ever so slight a smirk. "Blue and black alternating colors. Certainly very……'pretty'….."

"Indeed…..," Starfire stared with glistening eyes. She blinked. She looked over at Raven: "Cyborg has also meditated with you?"

"Yup," Raven nodded. "He's pretty good with it too. For having so many confusing parts put together of flesh and metal, he's truly in touch with his chakras."

"Interesting," Starfire said. "I have not before conceived of him undergoing a meditative state."

"Boys will be boys," Raven mumbled. "But on few occasions, they can be astral."

"Does it bother you that so many of us have practiced your meditation with you, Raven?"

The dark girl looked at Starfire funny. "What do you mean by that, Starfire?"

"I mean…when I first joined the team, associating your secrets with another person seemed like the last thing you would desire to do."

"Meditation isn't a secret," Raven replied. "It's a key part to controlling one's emotions. Everyone can benefit from it. I've learned to master it from youth so as to keep my especially dangerous powers at bay. I didn't invent the process or anything."

Starfire nodded. "But when I first ever saw you meditating, I transfixed it to you. I was careful not to intrude by asking to partake until I was absolutely certain you could….trust me."

Raven squinted at her. "Do I come off as that…..dubious?"

Starfire's eyes trailed. "Well…you can be frighteningly pessimistic at times. If that's what you mean, then yes."

Raven smirked ever so slightly. "You're one for honesty, Star."

The alien girl giggled. "Then I shall be honest in saying that I enjoy your company!"

The ball suddenly disappeared with a FLASH!

Both girls glanced at it.

"……," Starfire blinked. "I-Is it dead?"

"It wasn't alive to begin with," Raven said. "It just ran out of juice. Plus, you and I were too busy talking to meditate its structural integrity together."

"Awwwww," Starfire frowned. "I shall miss it so."

"It's o-okay, Starfire," Raven placed a hand on her shoulder.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

In this cynical, modern world that we live in, it is so easy for us to stop believing in some form of transient good…or even that of evil. Existentialists say that there is no essence that breathes meaning into existence. But rather, existence leads to essence. Thus, every one of us in our chaotic lives must live in the present to find a moral code of right and wrong or good and bad. Such is the post-modern point of view prevalent in the Western Half of the human race.

Having lived and fought alongside this Tamaranian, I'm proud to say that existentialists are wrong. There is an essence of good and evil that defines existence. For one of them—the 'good' one—is a precious alien girl named Starfire. Her innocence and naiveté is overflowing with as much fervor as her endless well of joy and charitably. No matter how gruesome the fight, no matter how depressing the situation, no matter how despondent our souls—she is there to gather us in a gentle hug and reveal to our hearts once and for all that there is indeed an absolute Good that we are all fighting for in the urban streets of Hell every night. To just know that there are souls like her out there…trusting and free of guilt…it makes the quest for Justice twice as Just and twice as much worth questing over, if that makes sense, Diana.

I do not know what Starfire's purpose is with the Titans. She's been 'visiting earth' far longer than I'm sure any Tamaranian etiquette supports. And yet, she's still here. And maybe it's the act of 'being here' that is her purpose. For if she hasn't found a reason for staying on Earth…at leas she's found a person………

"Ta-Daaa!!"

"DAH!!" Robin nearly fell back from his computer. He breathed a sigh of relief with a hand over his chest as his eyemask shrunk back to normal proportions. "Star….y-you scared me…..wh-what do you want?"

The girl teetered around, her eyes clenched shut in a big grin. She was hiding something behind her back as she stood before Robin in his room. "Inquire as to what I have concealed behind my pelvis!!"

"Um…..I-I'm kinda busy here, Star," Robin sweatdropped and pointed at the report he was typing out. "In case you forgot, I'm doing almost as much writing as Noir! Gotta get on good terms with the JLA!"

"But it is something you will find most rewarding!" Starfire beamed.

Robin sighed. "Allright, Star. What do you have behind your pelv—er back?"

She whipped out a DVD case and held it upside down. "See?!?! Heee heee hee!! The Lord of the Kings, the Rerun of the Ring!" Viggo Mortensen's printed hair dangled upside down.

"Niiiiiiice!" the Boy Wonder smiled and took the DVD from her and held it upright. "I missed this in the theatres and wished I had seen it." He looked up at her. "You remembered, Star!"

"If it would so please you," she twiddled her fingers together and looked off bashfully, "I have a tray of edible stuff to 'nuke' in the microwave, as Beast Boy puts it. I think it would be most pleasurable to dine on it while viewing the film, would you not agree?"

"I dunno," Robin sighed and faced the computer screen again. "I'm busy…ya know. I think it'd be wrong to—"

"It is fish and macaroni of the cheese!"

Robin froze. He blinked. "M-Macaroni and Cheese?"

"Indeed!"

"Hmmmmm," Robin smiled. He stood up from his chair. "That sounds awesome, actually."

"Glorious! When would you like to view the D of the V of the D?!"

"How about a few minutes?" Robin smiled. "I'll catch up with you!"

"Sounds acceptable."

"Good then," Robin gave a thumb's up. "It's a date-----er….," he gulped at his last words spilling out of his mouth.

Starfire cocked her head to the side. "Date? What is a 'Date', in this circumstance, Robin?"

"Um….," He sweated, blushed, and rushed out of the room. "Gotta go change!"

Starfire stared after him. Blinking.

A pause.

"Raven is right," she sighed. "I must buy one of these earth books called a 'dictionary'."

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

Robin earns my eternal respect. He also summons forth my eternal perplexity. For as mysterious of a young man he is and as diligent to crime fighting he is, his awkward side keeps showing up more and more. Mostly around Starfire. I think I have an understanding as to the reason behind it all, but I shouldn't go out on a limb and assume things.

In so many ways, I want to be like Robin. I want to be fearless. I want to be badass (excuse me, Diana). And I want to balance all of this firmness with an ever-present concern for my friends like he exhibits. It's so exceptional; Robin's character. He's definitely the role model for all of us. I do not know if JLA has a role model or not. If you don't, I greatly pity you (that, I am not ashamed to say……ahem).

I think the Teen Titans is doing for Robin the opposite of what he anticipated. He founded the order with Raven to create a determined fighting force to stomp on crime and keep everything in an objective light. But…the longer Robin works and fights in our midst, the more and more………human he becomes.

Isn't it funny?

Starfire and Robin sat side by side on the couch. They were alone in the Main Room. Dressed in casual, evening attire (t-shirts, shorts). The huge t.v. screen/monitor flashed images against them, illuminating their lonely bodies on the soft leather. Two trays of macaroni, rice, and fish scraps rested on a table a couple of feet away.

The movie progressed into it's third hour. The two were absolutely still.

At some point or another, both of their eyes trailed off from the orc-slaying on screen and glanced at each other. No sooner, they jerked away—cleared their reflective throats, and resumed watching a blonde elf bring down a gigantic elephant of evil.

Minutes later.

Starfire's eyelids were growing heavy.

Robin was locked to the screen.

Again, their attention drifted. A few seconds later, they realized they were looking at each other.

Another jerk.

Another clearing of throats.

A blush or two and----

The movie rolled on through the climax.

Minutes passed…..minutes passed….

Poor Starfire. She had had a long, energetic day of finding that DVD for Robin and shopping for the microwave dinners. Her Tamaranian strength was fading on her. Her eyelids started to close. Her head began to nod. Soon, her body went limb. It slowly teetered back, rested against the leather seat, and slid.

Her body slid till it bumped into Robin's left shoulder.

The Boy Wonder jumped. He glanced aside, saw Starfire's head tilted back unconsciously, and smiled. Such a pretty picture. He had to look away.

The Boy Wonder looked beyond the T.V. screen at a blinking, red clock splayed across a lone computer monitor's screen. It was well past midnight.

"Must be exhausted….," he mumbled at the girl's head of flaming hair.

He tried to politely scoot out from under Starfire's lean.

But then something happened. Starfire leaned even more.

"Er….," Robin bit his lip. He tried to move faster.

SHUFFLE!

Starfire now was draped across half of Robin's chest.

"Ack!!" Robin cried out, then cut his voice short so as not to awake the unconscious beauty. He lifted a trembling hand to her shoulder and tried to push her back. And that's when he remembered: Tamaranians are over four times stronger than humans.

SLUMP!!!

Starfire slinked across his torso. She snored against his right shoulder.

Robin was being pressed down into the corner by her alien body. He sweatdropped. "Um….," he tried moving her. "Star??" He finally resorted to whispering her name. "Star?! G-Get up! You're falling all over me—"

WHUMP!!!

When it rains, it pours. Starfire was practically lying on top of him like a bed. She snored. Her soft body shook against his trembling thinness.

He grunted. He struggled to get her off him. He was embarrassed. "Star!! Please!! I'm begging you! Move!!"

He shoved hr shoulder. "Wake up!! Please!! I'm not kidding, Star!!"

"Nnnngh," the Tamaranian stirred in her sleep and spoke with her native tongue: "Hoobla korkin sada bargh….." She cooed and drowsily hugged the closest thing in her grasp……Robin's chest.

"!!!!!!" Robin sweatdropped immensely. "Star???" he whimpered.

She giggled sleepily and nuzzled her head into his neck. Soft red strands of hair against Boy Wonder goose bumps. "Soriglobb……"

Robin struggled to get out from the hug, but it only made the girl hug tighter…coo sleepier…and feel…..warmer.

"Not….g-good….," he was as white as a sheet.

Just then, the elevator doors opened.

Robin looked over from the couch. "Noir!!"

I stepped in.

I froze.

I saw Starfire's body stretched out against Robin's in an embrace on the length of the sofa.

"You've got to help me!!" he whispered hoarsely in the flashing glow of the t.v. screen. "Please!!"

I stared.

"……"

I turned around.

I walked back into the elevator.

"Noir!!!!"

I was gone.

"No good….rotten….," he mumbled.

"Mmmmmm," Starfire smiled in her sleep and nuzzled him. "Why yes, Robin, you can help get my costume on!"

The Boy Wonder's eyes bulged…and then—for the first time in his life—he fainted.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"DODGE THIS!!!! RAAAAUGH!!!" Cyborg shouted and threw a giant hulk of granite at me.

I flipped out of the way and slid to a stop on a patch of stony earth beneath the Tower. I smirked. I blurred towards him, Myrkblade outstretched.

The android stepped back and raised a titanium forearm.

CLANK!!!

My weapon showered sparks after striking up against his block.

He swung his fist at me.

I swiftly teleported behind him and swung my leg out, tripping him.

WHOOSH-CLANG!!

"Ow!!" Cyborg rubbed his butt.

A scoreboard at the computer station atop the bluffs bleeped a '1' under my name. Cyborg had a '0'. Raven looked up from where she was monitoring the training spar that morning. "That's one for Noir. Zero for Cyborg. First to three wins."

Cyborg got up, glaring at me. "Loser gets to become concrete casserole…."

I smiled.

"Woohooo! Get him, Cy!!" Beast Boy cheered on the sidelines.

Starfire giggld. "Yes! Make it a glorious spur!!"

"Spar."

"Spar!!"

Robin stood besides the two. He was silent. Something seemed to be clouding his awkward mind.

Cyborg spat into the ground, flexed his arms, cracked his neck, and smiled. "You had it coming, punk."

I blinked under my shades.

His back shot out a jet of energy. He came sliding at me, dust and pebbles flying. His fist flew at my chest. "HAAAA!!"

"!!!" Surprised, I barely sidestepped in time. I lost my balance as Cyborg flew past me.

He jumped up, landed against a wall of earth, bounced off, and came sailing down at me like a wrestler.

WOOOOOSH—WHAM!!!

I leapt out of the way. His huge robot feet formed a crater in the earth.

I backflipped, spun Myrkblade into a grip, and faced him from afar.

He flexed his titanium arms, took a breath, and charged.

I charged too.

We met at the center, swords and fists swinging.

Raven watched. She winced.

CLANK!!! My sword struck his forearm….and bounced off. His fist came through and grabbed my chest.

My black eyes bulged.

He smirked and tossed me high into the air.

I was sent flailing…trailing smoke energy…

He immediately lifted his hand up, switched it into a laser rifle, and fired at my airborne figure.

ZAAAAAAAP!!!!

Starfire gasped and covered his eyes.

SMACK!!!

The blue stream of energy struck me hard in the chest and sent me flying into the waters of the Bay a few feet off.

SPLASH!!!!

"PULL!!" Cyborg exclaimed. "HA HA HA!!!"

Bleep!

A '1' replaced the '0' under the android's name.

"Well…," Raven folded her arms. "That's certainly getting the job done."

I swam to the surface and sputtered. My long hair—drenched—clung to my neck and felt like a weight. It was rather annoying…

"Need a life saver?!" Cyborg cried out from afar. "Cuz your ship just sunk! HA!"

I smirked sarcastically.

'Cyborg can be…………loud. But I love him for that. Who couldn't love him for that? He was very much a source of energy and vitality worthy of challenging Starfire's. But while the Tamaranian girl was a symbol of innocence, Cyborg was a idol of support. Of camaraderie. Of strength. Motive. Family.

Rather ironic that he'd be an icon of 'family', for Cyborg has none left. With Robin, Raven, Starfire, and Beast Boy…it's all rather speculative. There be orphans among us. But Cyborg……with him, we saw the tragedy unfold. We felt the pain with him when his Uncle faded away and left Victor Stone to be the last of his blood.

Yet Cyborg isn't the weepy type. He's quite prone to anger and physical expression. But oftentimes it's when he's worried about us or trying to save our butts. You should have seen him when he thought Raven was hurt, Diana. He was practically ravenous. He's the sort of human being—metaphysical or not—whom you want on your team. And he is on our team. And we're most grateful.

As a matter of fact, I'm most grateful. I owe a lot of my sanity to Cyborg. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have stuck with the Titans. He showed me that there's no definition to the life or humanity of a superhero. There're only souls and darkness. And when working together, souls—of different ilk—shine with a light so bright, the dark has no choice but to cower. God, I wish I had strength like him. I really wish I did.

Anyways, back to the sparring……

"Come out of the water, Noir! The air's fine!! Heheheheheh!!"

I slowly stepped out of the Bay, dripping, shaking my feet. I cracked my dripping neck, flexed my arms, and spun Myrkblade into a fighting pose.

Cyborg smiled and motioned me to come at him before raising his fists.

I smirked evilly from under my shades.

"Round…..um….Three….I guess," Raven droned.

Cyborg charged.

I waited.

He ran.

I waited.

He stomped towards me.

I waited.

"RrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRAAAAUGH!!!!" a titanium limb flew at me.

I shut my black eyes. I finished meditating. Smoke shot out from under me and under Cyborg. I teleported right beneath him and shot up with my Myrkblade.

To say the least, it's a good thing Cyborg has no discernible genitalia.

SMACK!!!

The android was sent spiraling upward from my slash.

"No…fair….no…PORTING!!" he managed while sprawling in midair.

I held my breath. I blurred up at him. I swung Myrkblade.

His eyes were wide.

SLASH!!!!!!!

A bright flash of white emanated from the friction of my blade against his metallic body. No sooner had I slashed upwards and lifted his torso, I teleported to the opposite side of him and slashed down. Sparks flew. I teleported beneath him and slashed up. More sparks. Grunts. Gasps. All in a matter of two and a half seconds. I performed at least two dozen teleportations and sword swings. The result was a dancing marionette of titanium twenty feet above the sparring the grounds. I finished it with a silent growl and a huge downward blow that sent Cyborg's body sailing straight down into the dust and forming a crater. Half a second later, the two dozen sets of sparks caught up with him and littered the ground as I softly lowered a few feet away on a curtain of smoke….smiling.

Cyborg blinked. "Ow."

Bleep!

"Noir 2, Cyborg 1."

"H-H-H-Holy craaaaaaap!!" Beast Boy pulled at his hair and chuckled his head off. "Dang, that's got to hurt!! NOIR!! THAT WAS REALLY FREAKIN' COOL, DUDE!!!"

I winked at him through my shades.

Cyborg stood up, wincing, and rubbed his titanium skin. "Aw man!! That's gonna take me forever to polish."

I winced.

"Don't worry, Noir," he stood up and dusted himself off. "I'm gonna beat you to a pulp, is all."

I gulped and got into a fighting position.

So did he.

Friendly competition. I assure you. One thing about the boys here in the Titan Tower……they sure love to spar. You should see Robin and I go at it.

Then again, maybe you shouldn't.

"Round Four….," Raven hummed.

Cyborg smirked. He held up both hands….and both turned into laser rifles.

My eyes bulged.

"Surprise!!"

ZAAAAAAAP!!!!

ZAAAAAAAAAAAAP!!!!!

I dove to the side as two streams of blue energy warbled overhead.

Starfire gasped and looked away.

Beast Boy cheered.

Robin said nothing.

I flipped, somersaulted, and rolled out of the trailing blasts. I ran up the side of a rockledge and blurred a path just beneath the cliff—horizontally.

"EAT BLUE!!!" Cyborg shot.

The cliff shattered over me.

I tumbled…but managed to land with more or less grace.

Cyborg retracted one rifle back into a hand and came charging at me with his last one blasting madly.

There was no way I could outrun it, even if I blurred immediately. I spun Myrkblade, held it vertically in front of my torso, and dug my feet into the earth. I gritted my teeth.

ZAAAAAAAAP-FLAAAAAAASH!!!

I summoned smoke energy into my wooden blade and literally split the incoming blue stream in two. The sound was deafening. An invisible wind kicked at my jumpsuit, hair, and bandanna. What's worse, the light was intensely blinding as it screamed its way through my shades. Regardless, I held firm to the hilt of Myrkblade, summoned Destruction, and continuously split the charge of power sailing in at me.

Cyborg slowly stepped towards me during his long-range administration; which only made the intensity greater. I struggled to split the laser. My hands shook and strained around the weapon's hilt. Cyborg eventually came so close, I could notice his left side.

….his left hand was gone.

"?????" I looked surprised.

I caught a grinning face.

A rustling sound.

I glanced own amidst my struggle and saw a robot, titanium arm walking up via five fingers, 'look' up at me, and suddenly fly up my chin.

SMACK!!!!

I was uppercutted fiercely by Cyborg's cunning, remote arm.

Myrkblade flew from my blast.

I was vulnerable to---FLASH!!!!!!

The split stream was no longer split. It slammed into my chest in midair, threw me across the sparring grounds, and smacked me hard against a rock wall.

SLAP!!!!!

The stream cut and I fell to the ground, wheezing.

Blip!!

"Oh shoot!!" Cyborg retracted his hand and rushed over. "I didn't mean to pummel you that bad, Noir!" He knelt beside me. "You okay, pal?"

I winced, gathered my breath, and gave him a sheepish thumb's up.

He smiled. "Thattaboy." He helped me up with a hand. "Thought I got a little too rough on you."

I gave him a look. I walked over and picked up Myrkblade and then proceeded to dust myself off.

"Wanna finish the spar?" he asked.

I swung Myrkblade around and got into a pose.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Cyborg smirked.

So did I.

"Ohhhhhh man….this is gonna be so awesome," Beast Boy practically drooled..

Starfire smiled. She looked aside at Robin. "Robin? Are you not excited about the psuedo-fight taking place between your masculine teammates?"

"Huh?" Robin snapped out of it, looked at her, and blushed. "Oh. Sure. Starfire. Very excited. Believe me. Woo." He looked away, flushed.

"…………," Starfire stared. "……………………….huh." She blinked. She shrugged it off, smiled, and looked back at the fight with her hands innocently behind her back.

Robin gulped and kept to himself.

Did I mention this training session hurt……a lot?

I hid the discomfort as I faced Cyborg from afar.

He flexed his fingers and prepared for the ultimate.

"Noir 2. Cyborg 2. This is it. Final Round. Take it away."

Neither of charged.

We cautiously eyed each other.

Sweating.

Beat.

Paranoid.

He stared at the sword in my hand.

I stared at his deceptive hands.

It was somewhere between the distant shrieks of seagulls, the rush of the Bay's surf, and the overhead roar of a distant jet plane that someone—or both of the someones—thought 'screw it' and two Titans rushed at each other.

SWOOOOOOOSH—CLANK!!!!

He gripped the length of Myrkblade.

I struggled to pull it out of his grasp.

He was about to yank hard on his grasp.

Smoke warbled out from under my shades and I let loose a charge of Destruction through the blade.

FWOOOMP!!!

Cyborg was blown back.

I charged and slashed, slashed, slashed, slashed, slashed.

CLANK CLANK CLANK CLANK CLANK!!! He blocked each stab and swipe with his impenetrable arms and—when the moment presented itself—dove in with a fist.

I was clipped in the side. Air shot out of my lungs. I spun around, inhaled, and held Myrkblade up just in time to meet his rush.

CONG!!!

I hit him hard on the forehead.

"OW!!" He growled and grabbed my leg.

"!!!!" I gasped as he lifted me up by the ankle and prepared to slam me into the ground.

I shot smoke down his body, teleported straight out of his grip to a spot beside his hip, and elbowed him in the side.

WHUMP!!

He stumbled aside. "Hey! No fair—" CONG!! "OW!! DAMN YOU!!"

Beast Boy giggled.

So did I.

SMACK!!

A punch across my face. Two strong hands on my shoulder. Wrestling. Strangling.

I gritted my teeth and wheezed for breath between his titanium arms.

"You….deserve….a HUG!" my close friend mused.

I wrenched my hands free, gasped, grabbed Myrkblade, summoned up dark energy, and spiraled the blade towards the ground. I let loose a current of murk which pushed us on a dark magic carpet of smoke clear across the ground with frictionless speed, up a rock face, and straight towards the computer station.

"………," Raven blinked. "Um….."

"Look out!!" Starfire cried.

"WAAAAAH!!" Cyborg shouted.

My face fell.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!!!"

A huge black dome of energy appeared on the other side of the station as the two of us hulkingly soared up and---

SMASH!!!!!!

Bits and pieces of rock and computer panel flew everywhere.

It was enough to make even the delirious Robin wince. "Something tells me I'm paying for that."

The smoke cleared. Cyborg and I were sprawled out dizzily across a cliff. The computer station was in sparking shards. Raven lowered her hands. The black sphere around her faded. She was totally untouched. Not even a strand of blue hair was out of place.

"Ughhh…..," Cyborg moaned, rubbed his head, and sat up. "Simon was right. I should have refitted myself with an airbag."

Raven eyed the smashed circuits of the computer. "I'd count this as a draw and call it even," she said.

I sputtered, gasped for air, and shook the dust out of my hair.

"So much for Beast Boy's and my turn," Robin mused.

"Dude…I so would have squashed you."

"Sure you would have."

Maybe it's some sort of karma, Diana. Working with the Titans, I've learned to expect life to be full of anticlimax. It's amazing the number of battles we've won by stumbling over clues and somehow ramming our spiraling heads into the suspects. I wonder if any deity up there sees the friendship we all share, values it, and then decides to roll the dice of fate in our favor. It's a silly idea, I know. But I have no other way of categorizing it.

The JLA should be happy with your systematic puzzle solving and world saving and what have you. There's a lot for the bunch of you to be proud of. Us? We're happy, but it's not necessarily pride. At least, I don't think so. I think faith is a bigger virtue than pride. Then again, faith can be an even bigger sin than pride. But who am I to judge?

I was still sputtering. I closed my eyes, took my shades off, wiped the dust off them, and put them back on—clear. I looked up and saw Cyborg dizzily getting up.

"Someone stop the world, I have to get off."

"What can we do now??" Starfire remarked. "We can no longer bash each other if there is no counter for us to bash each other by!"

"I suggest a rematch…," Cyborg said…just seconds before tripping and joining me back down on the ground. "Erp….then again…."

I silently chuckled….wheezing.

"Um………," Raven looked over at the others. "Pizza?"

"PIZZA!!!" Beast Boy jumped.

"Glorious!!"

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

Rumor has it that all you on the JLA's Watchtower have some sort of anti-gravity coffee room where you commiserate between battles with all forms of evil to lower the tension of the atmosphere and regain your energy.

For the Titans, Diana, it's the City's Pizza Parlor. A tiny establishment just a few blocks south of Downtown. Along the hillsides where trolley cars surf the asphalt up and down. A little bit like another Bay Side town……only cheesier……er, if that makes any sense.

As I understand it, the Titans have been coming to this place to eat and relax and just simply be together long before I ever joined their ranks. I am more than blessed to be a part of the occasion nowadays. And none of them complains. After all, I'm not a finicky eater of pizza. I'll go for whatever the rest of the Titan go for. I even had the Tofu Vegetable Supreme that Beast Boy ordered for his birthday. I sacrificed more bites than the rest of the crew. I don't understand why they were so revolted……or why Cyborg—an android—threw up later that night.

Am I getting on a tangent, Diana?

"And so there I was," Robin smiled and gestured over a half eaten box of cheese and pepperoni. "Batman and Batgirl were on the far side of the warehouse. Two Face was standing on a balcony overhead. He had two pistols in his grip and was gonna blast their heads off. At the same time, there were two henchmen with crowbars slowly approaching my partners' flank. Now, these guys have been in the business much longer than I had at the time. Heck, I was only thirteen! For once in my still-young partnership with them, I realized they were vulnerable and only I could save them!"

"Whatever did you do???" Starfire stared, gasping.

Beast Boy and Cyborg leaned forward in earnest.

Raven slurped from a straw.

Robin smiled. His body formed a dark shadow against the afternoon sunset seeping down between the buildings in the distance. "I had only one batarang on me and one bolo. The bolo had three weights on it. Even if I flung the batarang with all my might, there was no physical way it could arch up—snap the pistols out of Two-Face's hands—then sail back down to incapacitate the two crooks with crowbars."

"Sounds terrible….," Starfire remarked.

"That's what I thought too. But we've all done the impossible before, have we not?" Robin smirked.

I playfully shuffled a deck of cards while leaning back in my chair and listening. Smiling.

"Okay…so I had to think fast. I didn't even have enough time to call out Batman's and Batgirl's names. I had only one thing I could do. And it was a stretch to work, I tell you that…."

Half of us leaned forward, curious.

Robin beamed with pride: "I spun the bolo around like a slingshot and flung it high into the air. So it was spinning horizontally like an airborne top, ya see." He gestured wildly with his gloved hands. "I then flung the last batarang I had straight up into the air so that it severed the cord of the bolo. The three weights flew out in random directions, but luck won out for me. Two struck Two-Face and knocked his wrists upwards so that his gunfire hit the ceiling and not my friends. The third bolo landed on the ground between the two men with crowbars, startling them long enough for me to slide in, jump up, and kick their filthy butts from here to doomsday!!"

"Yeeha!! Now that's kickass!" Beast Boy bounced.

"Glorious!" Starfire remarked. "And what of your costumed friends?"

"Oh, naturally they realized the tactical advantage Two-Face nearly had over them," Robin leaned back and balanced his boots on the edge of the table. His hands were behind his head. "So Batgirl took a grappling hook up to the second floor and showed the creep who's boss."

"Niiiiiiice," Cyborg smiled and leaned his metal chin on his hand. "God, I wish I could have been there with you to kick butt in Gotham."

"You'd have to get past Batman first," Robin mused. "He's not so thrilled about newcomers."

"Heh…sounds like someone else we know," Beast Boy said with bouncing eyebrows.

Raven glared. "Watch it."

"What makes you think I was talking about you?"

No reply.

"I am glad that you are talkative again, Robin," Starfire smiled at the Boy Wonder. "Most of the day, you've seemed most……..distant."

He cleared his throat and sat up straight. "Yeah, well," he said in a whispy voice. "I had a strange night's sleep."

"So did I….," Starfire nodded absent-mindedly, searching her mindscape out loud. "I had the most fascinating dream."

Robin twitched. He swiftly guzzled down a glass full of Dr. Pepper and exhaled.

Beast Boy and Cyborg stared at him, blinking. "That time of month, pal?"

"Pfft!"

"You do seem on edge," Raven muttered.

"Thanks, Rae. I'll contact you when I'm dead."

"Whatever."

"Dudes…we should do a night on the town!!" Beast Boy cheered, perching on two subtle feet in his chair's seat. "Go cruising around for girls—and men for the lady folk here."

"Hehehehe…"

"Bah."

"And also throw in a movie or something!" Beast Boy beamed. "Whaddya say?! Throw caution to the wind! Carpe diem and all that other mortal fluff!"

"I'd rather go home and do Xbox," Cyborg yawned. "Having a sparring session with Noir really makes me want to blow the dust off Soul Calibur II for a change."

I smirked. That made me proud for some reason.

"Noir!!" Beast Boy pointed. "We can use him!"

"For what?" Robin asked, eyebrow raised above his mask.

"For the cruising for girls part!" the changeling cackled.

"Oh please….," Raven muttered.

My words exactly.

"Jeez…I envy the guy!"

I mocked a Fabio pose.

Starfire giggled.

"Don't sell yourself so short, Beast Boy," Cyborg said. "Someday, you'll be a scorer with the ladies."

Beast Boy grinned wide. "I will?! Seriously?! You mean it?!"

"Nah….you just have my pity, is all."

Robin laughed.

Beast Boy frowned. "Meanie."

"I think you are cute, Beast Boy," Starfire smiled, hands in her lap.

Robin glanced at her.

"When you are the furry!" the girl added.

Robin nodded. "Of course."

"The furry?" Beast Boy made a face. He paused. "Oh!! The face!!" He switched into a super-deformed kitty kat of green fur that perched atop the table, looked up at the Tamaranian girl with big glistening eyes, and mewed.

"Hehehehehehehehehehehehehe!!!" Starfire instinctively threw her arms around the tiny mammal. "Rapturous cuteness omega!! I cannot help myself!!"

"Do a scorpion," Raven droned. "I haven't seen that one in a while."

The kitten turned into an elf in the center of the table. "You've never seen it…PERIOD!" Beast Boy stuck a tongue out. "For the last time…Stick. To. Vertebrates!"

"Coward." Raven huffed.

Cyborg chuckled.

"Well, now that I'm the center of attention…," Beast Boy reclined atop the table.

Starfire giggled again.

"Hey! Get off my pepperoni!" Robin complained.

"You weren't eating that abomination! Hush up, you big baby!"

"Baby's got a metal staff."

"Sitting down now," Beast Boy jumped back to his seat.

Cyborg cackled.

"This is why I eat alone…," Raven groaned.

"Come on! You love us!!" Beast Boy smiled. "And on the subject of love," he looked around mischievously. The bottle spun in his head and stopped, pointing at me. "We need to get you a girl, Noir!"

I did a double-take.

"Don't play shy!" Beast Boy pointed. "Tall, dark, handsome. Mysterious. Keeps to himself. Loves to play with his sword—"

Cyborg nudged him.

"Ooof! Ehehehehe," Beast Boy scratched the back of his neck. "What I mean to say is…you're one lonesome loner, dude! You need a missus to set you right!"

"Who's insisting?" Raven asked, eyebrow raised.

'Yeah', I mouthed.

"He's not impressed," Cyborg whispered to Beast Boy.

"So many lady fans at that field day a week ago!" Beast Boy moaned. "And you wouldn't even say 'hello' to one of them?!"

I gave Beast Boy a cockeyed smirk. I lowered my collar down and pointed firmly at the scar over my larynx.

"No excuses!" Beast Boy leaned forward. "So what's your type? Shy? Flirtatious? Hard to get??"

"Where're you going with this, B.B.?" Robin asked with a curious smirk.

"Never you mind!" Beast Boy retorted and then smiled at me. "I bet it's somebody famous. How about that tennis girl?!"

"What tennis girl?!" Cyborg made a face.

"Ya know….whats her face. The European Cornucopia chick!"

"Oooh! Oooh!" Starfire bounced. "The one with the million dollar buttocks, right?"

"We're talking tennis, Starfire," Raven mumbled. "Not pop music."

"You need to read Maxim Magazine," Cyborg chuckled.

"He's too young," Robin waved.

"HA HA HA!!"

"Oh shut up!" Beast Boy pointed at me. "I know! Batgirl!!"

Robin cleared his throat. "Stay out of the family, man."

"Eep…sorry."

Raven almost smirked.

"Ooooh, I know!" Beast Boy winked at me. "Along the same lines….Supergirl! Now there's a chick in everybody's dreams!"

"Poultry visits R.E.M. sleep?" Starfire remarked.

Raven didn't even try to counter that.

"You'd like to meet Supergirl someday, wouldn't you?" Beast Boy smiled at me. "One sunny day in Metropolis!"

I rolled my black eyes and gestured.

"He says 'Knock it off'," Cyborg spoke.

But Beast Boy was gasping. "Look!!"

Everyone looked at me.

"Oh my god! It worked! It actually worked!" Beast Boy stumbled his own victory with a laugh and pointed. "Look! He's blushing!"

I shook my head and glanced down at the table. I saw my face in the reflection of a glass of Dr. P and was flabbergasted. My cheeks were red.

"He's blussssssshing!!" Beast Boy giggled his head off. "He likes Supergirl! I just found Noir's weakness!"

I folded my arms in a pout and looked off. But it was happening. My cheeks were burning. I could feel it.

"Oh lordy," Cyborg ran a hand over his face. "This isn't happening…heheheh…."

"Noir likes Supergirl! Noir likes Supergirl!" Beast Boy sing-songed.

I shook my head, but couldn't help it. I blushed even more.

What's wrong with me?!?!

"Oooh! Welcome to Metropolis, Noir!!" Cyborg suddenly mocked in a high-pitched voice. "There seems to be a rip in my outrageously skimpy tube skirt! Mind if you help me kick ass in one hundred degree weather?!?!"

I glared.

"Oh my go-o-od," Robin pounded the desk and buried his hand in his shoulder, laughing. The Boy Wonder was laughing. "This is crazy…."

Starfire giggled. "Indeed, behold Supergirl and fear her, Noir!!"

Oh my god…she was in on this!!

I hid my face with a hand. I smiled bashfully.

Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Robin were laughing giddily. Everyone was going crazy.

"You're all immature," Raven muttered.

"Oh, live a little, girl!" Beast Boy said, his eyes streaming with humored tears. It was just the moment I needed to shoot murk under the table, teleport behind him, and grab a pitcher of Dr. Pepper which I promptly doused over his head.

"HA HA HA—" Raven covered her exploding mouth, cleared her throat, and composed herself back to safe stoicism. "Ahem. That was pleasantly ironic."

Cyborg's nose nearly bled, he laughed so hard.

Beast Boy spat out some Dr. P in a stream and smirked at me. "You're dead, loverboy. Not even Supergirl can save you."

I smirked. I spun around and bowed like a ringmaster.

Beast Boy gave up and giggled again. Cyborg was still laughing.

"People are looking at us….," Starfire murmured pensively.

"Man…we are SO going to get thrown out….," Cyborg wheezed.

"Who cares….," Robin's lips were sore. "Who cares….."

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

Okay, so we all have our little, ridiculous infatuations. But Supergirl?? Beast Boy's nuts. Why would I fall for a stereotypical blonde with blue eyes who could smash through robots and brick walls without so much as breaking………a………………sweat………

……

Ahem……s-somehow, I do not feel this is the subject matter the JLA had in mind when they requested to initiate correspondence.

So, to conclude this expository……that evening we walked off into nothingness and found……

The stars hung gently over the rushing surf. A few miles west of the Bayside Plaza, there was a famous stretch of beach open to public. There was a major film or gala event taking place on the mainland, so not a lot of night owls were on the sand that evening. Plus, the tide was high.

The six of us wandered the shallow surf as it ebbed and flowed, crashed and receded. The foam and surf reflected the heavens, and the distant illuminated 'T' of the Tower glittered against the foremost horizon. Home was far away and yet all around us at the same time.

I don't remember when the last time was that we simply….relaxed like this. It was heavenly. It was….

"Yes!! Found another one!" Beast Boy ran ahead, picked up a shell, and tossed it out into the ocean.

PLOP!

A tiny fountain sprouted in the dark air.

He jerked his hand. "Three points!!"

"That's one really big basket," Cyborg shuffled past him in the sand.

"Nuts to you. I bet you ten bucks it landed on Aqualad's head! Hehehehehehe!"

"I'm sure he's keeping his distance from you, man."

"Hey!!"

Starfire giggled and looked over at Robin as the two walked side by side. "I miss the beaches on my homeworld. But it is nice here in its own right."

"I'm glad for that," Robin smiled.

"I have family there," she said. "And friends here. Like the grand ocean….mysterious as the fabric of space itself….I feel strung between the two. But despite this conflict, I am more than willing to crash and slink back on either shore. In my mind or under my feet. It is a blissful state of mind."

"Wow, Star, that's really deep," Robin nodded. "Wish I thought of it."

"I am sure you have thought of it before," she smiled at him. "But, as friends, we can think of it together, no?"

He chuckled. "I like your logic, Star."

She offered him her arm.

He shrugged. He hooked their arms together. In such a fashion, the two walked the waves.

I watched the two walk off. I smiled. The wind kicked at my hair. It kicked at Raven's too. I looked at her and she took the moment to glance at me.

"…….so……Supergirl, huh?" she asked.

I blushed. I slowly nodded.

"I see," she spoke. A beat. She pointed at herself: "Martian Manhunter."

I mouthed: 'I figured as much'.

We both chuckled at the same time. Then sighed.

A beat.

We fidgeted and looked in opposite directions.

Eventually, Raven walked off to join the others in the shallow, toe-kissing surf.

I stood there. My eyes were fixed to the bobbing horizon of dark against dark.

I slowly took my shades off and glared into the unknown.

The stars came alone—blinding in their fury. They burned down and melted into the waves that appeared—to my sight—like a rippling wave of obsidian satin. It was beautiful.

Everything is beautiful, Diana. I have no other way to sum it up. Again, I wish Robin would have volunteered instead of me. Something tells me he's not quite the romantic at heart like I am. Though—honestly—that could very well be changing.

This City……this land……it is still beautiful. My friends and partners are still beautiful. There is an innocence that no amount of murdering on the part of the notorious Viper or threats on the part of the mysterious Dagger could tear asunder. And I am proud of that. As we all are.

In that—as we are the Titans, as we are a whole and the whole is one, there is perfection. There is completion. There is beauty, and then there is Justice and Peace forthwith.

I hope, Diana, that the JLA is more of a family than an organization. For in a world full of monsters and orphans, one needs unity to survive. To succeed. To eliminate evil in all of its ambiguous and/or transient forms.

I cannot explain this in any clarity, I'm afraid to say. I can only tell you what I see. I can only tell you what I feel. And over the next few months, I shall do my duty as correspondent to provide that to you, Diana, in whatever idiotic or ambitious form it may present itself. For as fate allows, I shall write of it. To do otherwise would be to lie. And I've done enough lying for a lifetime.

With my shades off, I turned my head to the side.

I saw my five friends…partners….soldiers…walking off in the glowing shadows of each other.

And they seemed so bright in these black eyes…so true.

So warm.

I was starting to feel cold.

I slipped the shades back on, dashed through the shallow surf, and joined them. We talked about a few things…joked about a few others…but at some point or another—rather subconsciously—we all joined arms in a human chain that slunk through the sand and surf and into the infinite night. I could have fallen asleep like that. And—who knows?—maybe I did.

Life—with all of its necessity and calling—is a short thing.

And……I'm actually glad for that.

Until later, Diana. I await your response with much anticipation for the furthering along of this project. May peace and prosperity be unto you and your colleagues as it is unto me and mine.

Sincerely,

Noir