To those who aren't able to clarify for themselves; Alice realizes that Robin has...GASP..revealed that he's quitting the team!
One: Slade shows up, but it's him in the body of a child him about 12 years old or over, haven't a clue .He wishes to be free of having to work for Roku. But is planning as we speak... -Roko the counter part of Richard's- counterpart; Rokuro was an evil side to the prince Richard/ Roku. His mother called his true self Richard and his counterpart evil dad's been calling him either. He was supposed to be one: a bad influence on the kids. Rob still does not know who Roku's lackey; the kid Slade is! Kay, Verra and Wiz were once handed over to Rokuro the god by his son. But he fell into despair and made a deal to have them babysit the son. Until they were destroyed as newly made demons...
And lastly: Becoming a helper of Lord Roku as an evil catalyst, he was a light catalyst to help his friends he met on his journey. Way before being tempted to meet his fate at the tower and to turn over his pals... That was how he met the guardians and was turned. Easier said than done right? Uh uh.
Arianna, Ravenna and the guardians, Alice and her old counterpart Arisu were all once allied or against the king or his son and family. Ok, so enjoy the story some more!
Find out right now! Here we go!
/A
Chapter 15: The Riddle; Blow This Town! Losses and Coffee Breaks.
Raven put her foot down. "Robin, you're hurt, I can heal you only if you'll...tell us the truth. What happened? What flame? When our bond severed, I thought he...was to blame...you did this didn't you? To save us? To protect-
"Yes and I don't know how it was done.. I have something to say to you all." The beats of all hearts stopped for one moment to listen, to wait for the announcement.
"I'm quitting the Teen Titans."
/
The flash back ended for Starfire as she cascaded into the depths of despair all over again...
/A
"Goodness Shoji, we have been together for so long." she had some sort of accent from a deep root of peoples. Raven guessed Someplace in the Central Americas. Though the route of the name was far from it.
"I am an old partner of Takahara Shoji's foundation. We used to work together." She replied as Raven got up to clean her dishes. Keeping a straight face she managed to get over to the sink in time for Bb and Cy to help bring more dishes. Mal went over to the sink, but Kay stopped him. Go clean up over there." The wizard man gave his foe a look but took up the request as his own. Kay decided to take perfect blame for failing to help Raven this time...
"I'll get the rest, worry not my dear-
"It's fine..."Raven brushed off the offer and continued to wash them clean.
/
Rini walked over to the girl as she found it no longer easy to find cover behind the knees of her teacher and caretaker. She came out slowly to look around and finding the words tried to smile."What's you're name kid?-
"I'm not a child."She pouted with her shoulders hunched up. Her ears exploded steam. "My name?" She tried to picture the letters out in her thoughts, processing was...Cooling down she thought...
"My name is Nina!" She grinned from ear to ear, beaming. Rini smiled too. "Hi Nina! I'm Rini, This is elf boy-
"What? No!-
Bb protested as he finished a comic on the sofa after having picked up his dishes.
"And this is my good pal Cyborg!" Going over to Cyborg Nina saw something in him that made Bb curious, Starfire and Raven pretty moody, Verra and Maya happy and overjoyed at the same time, and Cy was...
"Wow! You're an android,just like me!" The young tween pointed to her chest then to his own as she clarified the similar standards between them.
"Uh Uh, no way. I'm way more low tech than that, kiddo." Now she made him feel inadequate all over again.
"Noo," Nina said; objecting in a cheery tone. "You're really sweet Cyborg! Can...I call you big brother Cy?"
/
Beast boy and Now Calumon in his cute fluff ball form began to giggle then holler out in fits of laughter.
"Wh-when...d-did the-this turn in-into an anim-me! Hahaha!" He whooped aloud as Beast boy became a turtle and hid in his shell then, coming out of it.. and turning to his side and onto his back!
"Far from hilarity you two! Cut the stuff!" Mal waved an arm and made them blow bubbles instead of air. Bb turned back to his size and Calumon was all sticky with soap.
"Aah! That hurt!" His nostrils stung on the inside and Calumon began to cry. Beast Boy looked over and glared at Cal. The pretty white cushion was soaking wet! "How did he catch on to the television so quickly?" He crowded Raven as as he got up. "He's not a kid! OR your boy friend! Give him something to cry about...he deserves it, show off, bully, coward, liar-
'SLAM!' The door almost came crashing down behind the boy as he left to the next hall. Beast boy's face fell silent. Curling into a frown. He turned away to grumble too. And left in the other direction...
/
"Now look at the trouble his emotions have caused!" Raven called within the walls of her own room. Starfire...she had told her to not worry...but her feelings. They were very hurt. And Raven had left her sitting in the living area with a mug and not one single happy face..except for the talking scientists...
~They don't know, but...i do! I can feel it! Robin's never had supernatural, spiritual power of any given kind before!~ "They know, they won't tell me..."
Humph! Raven sat in the center of the floor; no longer stinking of evil powerful messenger rats from-
"No, I've got to concentrate! It's now or never..." her power generated as it was forced to go out into complete nirvana- a symbol of true power over the realms, traveling in and beyond time and space.
Robin...why had he not told them about his gift, that never kept him awake at night until now?
Gotham city...the town born of painful memories...horrid criminals, dastardly crime sprees gone wild- a muck! "Ok...why are you showing this to me? This city is use-
Without a second thought she dug deeper into the picture before her eyes. Her mind trembled a bit, her great power falling to its knees as the image began to form into a new shape. A circus tent.
/
~This...This, is Robin's past...~ "Why am I here? I want to be in his present day! This is wrong..."
Scrunching up her fists to her knees and wresting one arm to wipe sweat from her brow she was stumbling. She shook her head. Sighing wasn't helping. She had find the real reason, to being here! Of all places- wait...a new vision? A woman and a man were sitting at the sides where above the action was becoming a horror. To this day Robin wouldn't dare use the circus as a place for joyous fun occasions as Star might say. He had been away from there...that tent ever since they'd packed up to busy some other sightseers. Why he didn't make amends, that was his problem and if he needed help in it he'd ask. Right? The man and woman were so very suspicious from the looks of their clothes and that glint in the man's eyes...ugh...it was creepy!
She couldn't make heads or tails of the man, but- the woman for sure was lady demon Veronica...red eyes and hair to top that off. The vision shifted as the realm she'd entered soon became just that; a window of opportunity. It was fog ridden and raining in the city, by the looks of it it was present day.
"Finally...!"
She smiled with a deep sigh of relief able to escape her throat. "He's home...with them..." her meditation period had ended. It seemed that there was little danger, yet that lady demoness? Shew would be watched from amid the chaos. Watched like a hawk.
Rushing to the door with a few things as in items of magical proportion in hand, she shoved through her room's darkly encased tunnel while leaning onto her hope that still lingered there in her heart. Without flipping on a single switch she had lit all of the candles, his power was great. That Roku, dragon god demoted to demon king...she had more courage though. SHE, she didn't bother to cower in the dark so long. So deep that it stung.
/A
Alice was struck dumb with out a word. How could she continue like this? She wasn't messenger Alice anymore! No longer did she abide by a code of honor to a king...no...he did, that, that...
"UGHHHH! Why did you come back, why...Aaron?" Rain, the forecast called for lots of rain and fog. Great. School hadn't been great since he'd left, she'd been picked on constantly and peers she did and sometimes didn't get chances enough to talk to started asking when the guy- Aaron would be back...
~He...IS...GOOONNNE!~
Her head ached greatly by thinking too much about the same subject over and over. Or was it the little devil in her brain telling her to copy paper work and to not get over the perfect guy, to go aft-
"ARISU!"
That is enough! You will be sorry if you try to control me any more!-
~Or you'll do what? Papa, our father needs your energy princess. It would be a shame to waste it on baby-
huffing though knowing this would only make her weak in the eyes of the demon princess the raven headed witch only laughed. Her red and jasper darkened eyes sparkling truly. She only was able to be seen when she wanted those of the worlds to see her, she his within the mind and body of Alice. She was the messenger, yet the parts were about to be swapped by her cursed hand of fate. Her power over the childish princess of a lost aching memory had grown, dimming the light in her eyes from time to time. Also zapping her energy when it was of no use to her. What was this girl to anyone?
"He is a fool, he dreams of entrapment. A world sealed between to rocks-
"Make that three." The demon girl chimed in as she plucked a split end from her perfect head of hair. Oh, phooey." she whined now showing her example by acting out as a child might. My life is too short as a figure o-
She stopped her quarreling to herself, nothing but babble. This wasn't the time to turn to happy go lucky!
"You and I can do better, what if you had never left them behind..." Alice walked back into the pillows of the large sofa in her living area. Sitting didn't help, not like she wanted it to...
"I, will not be tempted wraith-
"Ah- The godly demon lady in the way of her kimono festive as it was seemed cold, winter was yet to appear in the way of snowflake after snowflake. Humph, you will soon be free of me. I promise you that as well. The demoness told Alice bluntly.
"Free? By his will?...What is he planning lady of darkness!" Alice's fire had almost made the demon girl freeze in her tracks. Back into the old noggin!
"Forget I said anything dear child..."the small high pitched voice pretended to care as the keeper frowned. With that the poor child blinked twice and there was no more to be said of it.
"Free?" Alice scrunched up into a ball on the couch. Hugging her knees to her chest. "Free of...them..?" she wondered.
/B
The glow of neon street lamps lit up all of the sea and sky, this plane was also Roku's. Trains passed through here on their way towards new destinations. Right now it was clearly night but he could see, Roku would never realize he- Aaron Brock ton the Third had taken a midnight train to the lady wolf, Aneiu.
Lady Aneiu was powerful in the ways of magic and shamanic prophetical predictions(tongue twister!) She wouldn't be able to fix this mess caused by a rift shifting in the balance of time space. Nope. Robin the poor boy blunder would just seemingly have to not exist any longer...
"She really cared for his safe return...am I?...jealous?"
Shaking his head he flew by the passerby with quickness in his steps. Once by the train he realized that his ticket was lined into his cloak pocket. "Here to get by, or away from oppression of the king?"
"None of you're business sir, I'm tied to this ride now. I have my ticket, it's here-
"You ain't no runaway are ya kid? Daemon feed on the week even in a place as sacred as sky villa and sky bridge..." The man only snatched up the ticket as the boy bundled into his cloak for warmth from an odd breeze...up in the air? Yes, but this was a honest to goodness weird breeze. It chilled you badly. Sending you to jolt onto the train car and pass through the door as if given a hard shove!
"Spiritual means...he's found me yet..." grumbled, the teen as he slipped the sorcerer's hood over his head and very few features he looked not back but below, because no one, not even the goddess could even peer into those eyes tonight.
/
"I..."
"Yes?" Starfire peered down to lean in towards cyborg as she left a hand over his cold cheek. Why was he so weary?
"Uh, dude? We're here for you, spit it out, C'mon!"
"It's Nina, alright? I can't let her become a replacement Titan, even if she is a...an android and a weapon...even though we just met for all my life I know what it feels like to be a test subject, even Rob should of known before he left...ugh..." He felt unwell at first but after a few bottles of water and a sandwich with pals of his he felt like he was ready.
"She feels like she knows me, I don't know who she is but I feel that I do, deep down. If I ever had a little sis, it'd have to be Nina-
"What about a little bro?"
Beast boy came into view raising his eyebrow and grinning. Cy just shrugged. "I dunno, though that's why I wanna protect her and her friend...Rini...and everyone I can until we find a way to contact Robin."
Starfire nodded in approval with a smile then cupped both cheeks. When she let go she had seemed much less enthusiastic, as if she'd been storing energy to give to him all along with that one response.
"That's one of Arianna's special healing powers."
"Rae?" Beastboy tumbled over into the solid cold floor as he fell upside down, in the form of a cat no less.
Ra-Raven? This is so sudden...we were not doing the-
"I know, Raven told them all with as much calm as she could dish out. She was scary, even in the light...
"Soo, are you done moping around...Ravenna?" Her heart was steely cold like icy again, then thawed for the first time in ages. Going from a brooding normal shade she usually wore around her cloak became blue- light and in waiting for training.
"Oh no! Raven, your power! Are you alright?"
"How'd this happen? Ha! It's just a side affect, don't worry. The affect was to test my ability not to drain it-
"Hardly what I'd call learning from past mistakes-
They swung around together with the mysterious Malchior of Knoll in the entrance way. "You forever lie between your teeth?-
"Mal, cut the crap we don't need it today! Raven's not in the mood either..." Mal placed his hand to his temples. "She's lying to you, you did see him...he's there? Alive and well-
"I was going to tell you...but the effect did drain my power when I crossed worlds-
Realms! I meant, time realm, I meant that." She groaned. Explaining to this guy her time in the world of shadows was like describing a good book that only you could understand. Hmm.
Drained power due to time travel and a rift shifting that you did not manage? Does someone else see sabotage here-
"You are too right! Murder mystery-
Beast boy was brought back to a seat by the back of his shirt or costume. "Awww!But...what if this is serious you guys? We need to know if he's ok-
"He's within justice league supervision as of now..." Cy had a link, It was Raven's quick thinking that brought things to life. She'd quit clamming up for the time being. "He's with his mentor, I made sure not to bother them, but the thing is that..."
Cy turned to her, as did every other Titan and the one outcast son. He clutched pride that they were sure he barely had in his fist. That boy...the gods wanted him gone, or then what else, clean and purified of demon aura? NO,NO!
Beast boy, she'd made sure to talk over the privacy factor with the team and Robin did the same once things settled down with the brotherhood.
I'll contact them once we have all the answers from the league members. Then we'll be able to step in. They, work with Bats..." He said off into a distant past somewhere, Cyborg yawned and let his hand fall onto the keys by one careless mistake.
"Uh-oh." Veronica popped up onto the screen, her powdered face as white as crystalline quarts.
By the way, if you press that key, it shall always allow me to hold power over your, machine...what's the matter? Not happy to see me?" she gave pout and put a hand to her cheek.
Starfire suddenly felt very embarrassed for doing that to poor Cyborg...he was her friend, and he was no more to her than a friend could be...
Malchior went up the the screen, he would blast it, that worrisome wench would be all alone with his old keeper...old ungrateful-
"Excuse me? You speak of many things, violence will not solve these troubles you hope to diminish, in due time my dears!-
"Wait!" Raven cried out as soon as the lady venom spitting spider was about to log off. "You were never there before! How did you weasel your way into Robin's memories? Answer me!-
Sorry? Couldn't quite catch that dear. Ask my lord if you wish to know more, he'll definitely help you...for a price..."
"." The computer monitor shut off like a light. She had left them to grasp the same words over and over...Was he still safe? Was Robin still safe?
Veronica waited until a bolt of lightening had passed through the sky, summer's eve, what a ways away. "Ronnie?" Bruce wandered into the den, the study was where he had previously been, more or less someone or two persons waited in two places for his open palm again. "Wh- Oh! There you are! Come on. I have some one you should meet, he's at the door right now as we speak-
"He is? Why, why didn't you say so? Let us greet him with warm arms outstretched-
C'mere you little runt! Veronica's laughter was dark and harmonized with the sound of a harp very light and amid the sense of creepy!
Bruce Laughed with a sigh as he took her hand into his own, as if by a binding magic spell. As if...
It...is slowly turning itself into a cliff hanger...oh well! We know where Alice is heading off to, to find her far off brother in Gotham to warn him about the other danger...And the newbie? Is she the real deal or is she going to flunk on her first day of classes at Titan's Academy For Heroes in Training? Where is Robin in all of this? Why is Starfire not talking to them about the replacement...you'll see, I'm only just getting started. Try to stay focused because the plot thickens with every twist and turn..review!