Author's Note: Wow, two reviews in one day. Okay, I must say: I couldn't stop grinning for like ten minutes. ^^ So happy. Well, I just couldn't help but write chapter two in response. Hehe!
On with the story!
Chapter Two
The Missing Leader
September 12th, 2008. Friday, 9:30 am.
The Teen Titans were an interesting group of five young teens; heroes that sacrificed their time to protect others and stop crime – stop those that would harm others in their greed or quest for power. Each Titan had their own pasts, their own skills, their own secrets that they wished to keep to themselves – Robin had been no different. Robin's friends each had their interesting abilities and quirks that kept them together in their uniqueness.
Cyborg was the oldest out of the group, being around seventeen years old. He was also the tallest of the group, being an ex-football player; but an accident changed everything for the older teen. Thus, it accounted for his appearance, being mostly robot – only part of his face, a right grey blue eye, sections of his arms, heart, and other vital organs were human flesh. With most of his body being made out of high powered robotics, his skills lied with immense strength and electronics. The chocolate skinned young man was very bright, being able to completely repair any damage that could be inflicted to his electronic body.
He was also second in command to Robin in leadership of the Teen Titans, although he didn't aspire to such a position, and much of the time acted like the older brother to each of the friends. But that didn't mean he didn't enjoy himself and spent much of his time with video games and sports; and with building numerous electronics.
Starfire was the next oldest, being fifteen. She was from another planet called Tamaran. Thus, Starfire wasn't quite used to earth customs; her use of the English language could be considered quite odd. She was the kindest of the group, being the ray of naive sunshine, yet also bore a soft maturity that held them together. Her powers were driven by her emotions; the greater she felt, the greater her power. She could fly and shoot powered star bolts from her hands. She also had inhuman strength of a thousand men. That being said, negative emotions many times had a poor affect on the young alien girl.
Starfire was also quite beautiful; her deep emerald eyes like gemstones, while the sclera of her eyes a lighter green. Her long burnt auburn hair reached to her hips and her skin was a orange shaded tan. She generally wore a purple sleeveless top which showed her midriff, a mini skirt of the same shade of purple, and purple boots that reached all the way to her thighs.
Raven was also fifteen, slightly younger than Starfire. Raven was half human and half demon. The story of her birth was a long one and a terrible one – a story in itself and a story for another time. Suffice to say, her father was a cruel, powerful demon. Raven could be considered Starfire's opposite. Raven's powers were also driven by her emotions; however, the more she felt, the more out of control her powers would become. Thus, Raven spent much of the time meditating to avoid being overly emotional; most of the time being monotone and sometimes sarcastic when she spoke.
Raven's appearance could be considered almost Goth like, yet at the same time, she too was attractive. Her skin was pale, almost grey in appearance. Her eyes were a deep violet; her short, shoulder length hair the same. On her forehead, she bore a red, black edged gemstone – the ajna chakra – which she had since birth. She wore a long sleeved black leotard; an indigo cloak, which she kept her face hidden much of the time with its hood; and matching ruffled boots that came to her ankles.
Beast Boy was the youngest of the group, being twelve years old – nearly thirteen in a few months. He was the light hearted member; always telling jokes – although, much of the time he was the butt of such jokes, especially when his own pranks backfired on him. His appearance was probably the most noticeable out of the group, having dark green skin, pointed ears, and fangs. As such, his skin color attested itself within his powers. Beast Boy was a changeling, meaning he could transform into any type of animal he chose.
Because of this, Beast Boy was a firm vegetarian, usually arguing with the others on this subject. He wore a black and purple uniform – a old uniform from his days on a different team, The Doom Patrol – which had gloves and sneakers with Velcro straps. Being the youngest of the group, Beast Boy tended to try harder with things, but usually he just ended up getting into mischief.
Each were special friends that depended on each other. However, none of them truly knew or understood the great and long trial that laid before their lives – a trial of sorrow, of pain, of growth, of change, and of hope; one that would change their lives.
Hopefully for the better.
Starfire glided happily through the air as she made her way to the main room of Titans Tower; humming lightly to herself. It was a glorious morning indeed. The sun was shining brightly, the birds chirping happily – indeed the perfect start to a glorious new day. She just couldn't wait to be with her friends. What new fun would they have today?
The door of the main room slid open automatically as she approached.
"Good morning, dear friends!" cried Starfire joyfully, lifting into the air as she smiled brightly. She was met by low, indistinct grumbles. Starfire frowned. That just wasn't right. Why weren't her friends happy? Was it not a beautiful day? Starfire floated towards Raven – who was sitting in a chair and reading a book – her feet landing gently once she reached the other girl. She hoped that her friend would explain the boys' unnatural actions.
"Raven, why does everyone have the gloom?" asked Starfire. Raven looked up from the book she was reading.
"Those two are still mad at Robin."
"Oh, we're not still mad – we're furious!" yelled Cyborg, slamming the fridge closed. In his arms were a number of foods; all perfect ingredients in the making of a sandwich. "Little dude totally didn't trust us. I thought we were supposed to be a team."
Cyborg dropped the food onto the countertop angrily. He stomped through the kitchen, grabbing a few spoons, knives, and a plate. Raven rolled her eyes and lifted her book to continue her reading.
"Yeah!" piped up Beast Boy indignantly, popping up from a spot on the couch. The video game he had been playing paused. "Look at my hair! Look at it!" Beast Boy pointed hysterically to his hair. There were still remnants of little red splotches through the short green hair. "How the heck am I supposed to get rid of this gunk? Not cool at all!"
Raven shut her book closed irritably.
"Enough," snapped Raven. "No amount of yelling and griping will change what Robin did. He made a bad choice. Accept it and move on. Choose to forgive him or choose to snub him. But whatever you choose – choose it quietly. The two of you are ruining my concentration."
Raven opened her book again and settled down in her seat, vanishing beneath its pages. Starfire noticed that the writing on the cover was upside down.
Cyborg grumbled something under his breath, but didn't argue Raven's point; continuing his work on his sandwich. Beast Boy huffed and whipped back around, resuming his fast paced video game.
Starfire bit her lip, looking sadly at her friends. She could feel the unhappy mood flowing through the air. It was terribly suffocating. She turned away and slipped quietly out of the room. She wandered the halls of the tower, slowly making her way towards Robin's room.
She understood the others' anger. She herself was not pleased with Robin's choice. But a part of her heart understood that Robin had only been doing what he thought was best. But, sadly, it showed everyone that he was not trusting of his friends.
Their friend Raven was right; they would have to do the forgiving of Robin. If they didn't, Starfire feared they would never be the same as a team again. She would have to do her best. If she could convince Robin to come and say the apologies, then maybe their friends would, in return, forgive him.
"Robin?" called Starfire softly, knocking on Robin's door once she reached it.
No reply.
"Robin? Are you awake? Come and join the others in the partaking of the breakfast," said Starfire in an encouraging tone. She knocked again.
Silence.
"Robin?" asked Starfire, opening the door. The room was silent and dark. She could see the many clippings of paper on the walls. She stepped inside hesitantly, flipping the light switch on.
The room was divided; the main area seemed to be Robin's workspace. There was a wall that parted the room without the use of a door. Starfire slowly made her way to the other section where Robin's bed lay.
It was empty.
Yet the blankets looked used and not the orderly way that Robin usually left his room in. The sheer curtains fluttered in the gentle morning breeze.
Starfire's feet lifted off the ground as she looked around the room. He just wasn't here. Her speed quickened as she left Robin's entire room, the electronic door sliding shut in her wake. Her soft, kind voice filled the hallways as she called his name.
"Robin? Where are you?"
Still no reply.
Starfire couldn't stop the panic that began to fill her chest. She began to zip through the air, frantically looking in all the places she knew he'd normally go. She flew through the entire tower, going through the rooms on all levels of the enormous building. She tried the room of working out, the basement, the roof, the room of cars, the rooms used for guests, the room of recovery – Robin was just nowhere to be found.
Starfire couldn't stop fearing for the worst.
"Friends!" cried Starfire frantically as she burst back into the main room. Raven hadn't moved from her spot, although her book was righted. Cyborg was sitting next to Beast Boy on the couch, scarfing down his sandwich with one hand and pointing towards the TV screen with the other.
"No, no, no, BB. You're gonna crash if you drive like that."
"Dude, I'm trying—AAH! Maaan, I crashed again."
"I'm telling you should've listened to me."
"You were distracting me!"
"Friends!" cried Starfire louder. The TV screen displayed a red flashing light, signifying Beast Boy's crash. Cyborg was in the middle of taking another bite of his sandwich. Raven's head popped up from behind her book. The other three Titans looked at Starfire.
"Starfire, what is it?" asked Raven.
"Robin is gone!"
"What do you mean, gone?" asked Beast Boy, raising an eyebrow. "He can't be gone, he lives here. `Sides, it's not like he'd go off without tellin` us."
"Not like he hasn't before," drawled Cyborg sarcastically through a mouthful of sandwich. He swallowed before continuing. "Look, Star. I'm sure he's off brooding inside his room over Slade again."
"He is not! I looked!"
"Training room?"
"Yes!"
"Starfire, listen to me. You need to calm down," said Raven. Starfire bit her lip anxiously before lifting into the air and flying over the couch to land in front of the large screen. She turned to face the other Titans.
"Oh, friends, I have checked everywhere. He is nowhere to be found. I fear that he has left us," cried Starfire, pulling her arms close to her chest in worry.
"Star, you sure checked everywhere?" asked Beast Boy.
"I have!"
"Just calm down, Starfire," said Raven firmly, lowering her hood. "I'll try to sense him. If he's in the tower, I'll know."
Starfire nodded and patiently waited. Raven lifted her legs and crossed them, floating about two feet in the air. She extended her arms outward and closed her eyes. She murmured softly, "Azarath, metrion, zinthos." There was a long tense moment of waiting before Raven opened her eyes.
"He's not in the tower."
The air in the room felt heavy as newfound worry and anxiety began to spill from each of the Titans.
Something was deadly wrong.
"Oh, we are bad friends for not knowing where our friend, Robin, is located," cried Starfire, the volume of her voice rising as her worry grew.
"All right, all right. Calm down already," said Cyborg with a raised hand. He set his half eaten sandwich aside before standing up. "We'll figure this out. I'll just check the camera feed outside Robin's room. That way we can see when he left his room."
"Please hurry," said Starfire, beginning to wring her hands together. "I fear there is something wrong; terribly wrong. I have the bad feeling."
"I'm sure it's nothing. Maybe Robin went out for some fresh air or something," said Cyborg, trying to give Starfire a reassuring smile. But it wasn't really working. With a sigh, Cyborg walked to the main computer, sat down in a chair, and starting working.
The other Titans gathered around behind him; clustered together as they leaned in. A darkened camera scene appeared on the large screen, showing the outside of Robin's room.
"Okay, I'm going to fast forward after he went to bed," said Cyborg, pressing the enter key. The nothingness of the darkness sped up. After a few moments, Robin's door flickered suddenly.
"Wait, you missed something," said Raven, pointing to the screen. Cyborg nodded, seeing it as well. The footage went backwards and Starfire saw Robin's door flicker once again. Cyborg stopped it and allowed the film to play out in real time.
There was a long agonizing moment of waiting.
Then, the door opened and Robin stood in the doorway. He stiffened just at the door opened and he whirled around. He seemed to call out into the darkness before stepping back into his room after a moment. Starfire caught a glimpse of shock and fury on his face as he turned. The door closed after a swift moment.
Raven frowned, her eyebrows furrowed. "Replay that, Cyborg."
The Titans rewatched the segment. Contemplative silence permeated the group afterward. They began to glance at each other, as if in the hopes of reading the others' thoughts.
"So… um… What exactly does this mean?" asked Beast Boy.
"It looks like something called Robin back into his room," answered Raven.
"But never left afterward," continued Cyborg, as he fast forwarded the footage to the point Starfire had visited only moments ago.
"That must mean an intruder used the window in Robin's room," concluded Starfire. "His window was open."
"Wait, what? Intruder? You guys think it's an intruder?" asked Beast Boy incredulously, yet a hint of frightened uncertainty. "Oh, come on. Who'd sneak into Titans Tower, huh?"
"Could be a number of villains," suggested Cyborg with a shrug.
"Why isn't there more footage?" demanded Beast Boy. "Now that we know something's up, look at the footage from Robin's room."
Cyborg sighed and shook his head. "That's just it. We don't have any cameras in our rooms. Ever hear of privacy?"
"Yeah, but…" Beast Boy trailed off and looked down at the ground. There was a long moment of silence between the group.
Starfire bit her lip nervously. She had rarely seen Robin look so angry, so hateful. She could only think of one person who ever brought such a look on his face; one who Robin was forever obsessed with bringing down for the safety of the city – yet one who was powerfully dangerous.
And that worried her greatly.
"I think… it is Slade," said Starfire, breaking the silence. The other three Titans stared at her, looks of disbelief all over their faces.
"Look, I know we just had a fight with the man, but that doesn't mean he… he kidnapped Robin," said Cyborg skeptically, but there was a hint of hesitation in his voice. "I mean, why would he kidnap Robin?"
"I have rarely seen such a look of fury on Robin's face. Only Slade ever brings such feelings to Robin's heart," said Starfire in a soft tone. "And Robin was never able to discover Slade's plans."
A feeling of somber gloom fell upon the group of teens. The thought of their leader, their buddy, their best friend kidnapped by a hardened criminal was a terrible, terrible thought to think. Starfire began to wring her hands again in worry.
"Friends, what are we to do?"
"I… I don't know," said Cyborg, his tone dropping into deep worry. "I mean, this is big. This is serious stuff. Robin's the one who usually does the leading with this kind of stuff."
"We need a temporary leader right now, then; until we bring him back," said Raven.
"Yeah, but—"
"We will bring him back," said Raven, overriding Beast Boy. She looked at Cyborg seriously. "I suggest you take over leadership, Cyborg."
"Me? Are you crazy, Rae?"
"I am not. You are second in command. We need to formulate a plan and I have confidence that you will lead us well."
"I fully agree!" piped Starfire. "We must hurry and rescue our friend, Robin, from the evil hands of Slade."
"I…" started Cyborg, looking uncertainly at the looks on his teammates' faces. Even Beast Boy seemed to have accepted his leadership, albeit temporary.
"All right, I'll do it," sighed Cyborg.
"Glorious!" cried Starfire, leaping happily into the air once. "Now we must find Slade and bring our friend Robin back."
Cyborg frowned.
"What would include Robin in Slade's plans?" questioned Cyborg in a low murmur. "Why steal him away in the middle of the night? And why just him? Why not all of us? It's like he isn't targeting us as a group."
"Just Robin…" nodded Starfire, her heart clenching once in her worry.
"Those are the right questions we should be asking. And we will find out the answers," said Raven in a low, yet determined tone.
ooOOOOOoo
Next Time: Chapter Three: Into the Haunt – Robin finds out a little more on Slade's motives.
Author's Notes: Thanks for reading! See ya next time! Reviews = love! ^.^