Author's Note: There's not really much I need to say about this chapter, other than my usual: Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoy! It's always an honor to write for the Teen Titans. Also, please feel free to leave a review/comment/criticism! I would love to improve on my plots, dialogues, themes, and overall writing! I appreciate it so much! Once again, thank you! Stay tuned!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans
General Superman! You might wanna see this!"
The captain drew his finger and traced the touchpad centered in the middle of the command center, translucent windowed and peaking over the entire galaxy. With a single touch, a green hologram spurted into the air and hovered, its pad projecting their ship's surroundings from beneath. Superman's eyes darted to the lime green silhouette following the marker detecting the ship's location.
"Our systems have detected a heat source fleeting from behind the ship."
Superman furrowed his brows, desperate to hide the fear pulsing behind his firm clench. "The Titans."
"PLEASE!" Starfire slammed her bonded fists against the vault! "LET!" Another blow to the wall! "ME!" Another slam as she drew in another monstrous breath! "GO!" She fell to the floor in exhaustion-head throbbing from hours of hurdling herself against the prison walls. The blood searing from her knuckles locked in metal begged her to stop! To give up! She gathered herself in a huddle, whimpering against the searing of pain. An image suddenly flashed! The image of her kingdoms spurted through her vision! A shriek and she shot up into a flight only to be yanked and flung onto the steel ground by her chains, gnawing at her ankles. She hit the chrome floor with a resounding boom, shaking her cell once more.
Ashamed of herself, she crunched on the floor, thinking of anything to drown out the images of tragedy the griped her mind and suppressed her to the floor: her homes smoking in horrid tragedy.
"Raven, Beast Boy, Cyborg," a tear seeped from her cheek, her whimpering, "Robin."
She unfolded and lied upon the floor, her heart exposed to the sky that wept above—the black, crusty bars separating the princess and the heavens from meeting. The heavens stared down at their princess in utter sadness, her earthen clothing ripped to shreds and replaced with new garments: the combination of a prisoner's and a princess's. A stainless white dress, mid-thigh length short and sleeveless, fell loosely around her body, a silver plate of layering armor clutched around her chest and shoulders, silver metallic boots strapped her around her ankles, and a black metallic crown framed her beaten, weary face. No purple she realized, the loss of royalty, it symbolized. For hours, she struggled in vain, trying to reach Robin's belt that hung just a few inches outside her reach—a trick a soldier committed for his amusement…
Her thoughts fell to the memory of the soldiers… her soldiers… Some had pushed, shoved, and spat upon her because of her undivided loyalty… undivided love… To them? Because of her betrayal. Others sat and watched, in silence… in shame…
Purple and green flooded across her body, forming bruises that shrouded the golden of her arms which had yanked for freedom, her forehead that collided with many walls since her arrival, and her feet that had kicked violently against her chains.
Upon queue, a gasp of misting black toxin refreshed the air, channeling Starfire's energy and suppressing it to a low degree, fizzing to electrify the girl if a starbolt ignited. The snaking gas slithered across the air and danced upon the floor, teasing its way to her lungs. With a last breath, she found her energy leaking from her body.
Her arms wrestled the gravity that seemed so strong. Her eyes fought to stay open. And her breaths… oh how they felt so limited. She found herself breaking. A tear in her faith… A break in her heart… However, a hope burned brightly, refusing to die. A hope breathed into her—the hope encouraged by her friends that were far away, praying for her well-being. She clutched her head and huddled upon the floor once more. She wept: oh how she promised him she would be safe, oh how his heart would break if he saw her wounds. She promised… she promised him… and broke it. "I am so sorry Robin."
She imagined his reflection, flickering upon the wall in front of her. She stared back at it, her to choke down sobs that turned into whimpers at the sight of the sight of his smile that beamed so bright. Upon the invasion of reality, his image swished away, her to hide her eyes into her hands.
"I wouldn't be sorry just yet."
Her shoulders jolted at the echo, she frantically scanning the stall. "W-Who is there?"
Her eyes scanned across an opening in the wall where two eyes twinkled from the darkness the rusted bars held back, a black glove pushing through, unraveling into a palm, warmly outstretched to the princess. A chuckle resounded from the chrome walls, "Must I give you a hint, Starfire?"
She quivered, her palm heaved up and around her mouth. "No… No you do not… " A smile broke in defiance of the toxin as his hands, from behind his bars, grasped the rims of her arms, pulling her back onto her knees. Her head fell upon the wall weakly as the gas gently sang her into a threatening slumber. Her voice weak, her eyes began to water, "Batman."
Robin clutched his head with wry, trying desperately to stop the shooting pain. He felt tension clenched upon his arms, forehead, and shins and had repeatedly checked his body, but found nothing wrong. This worried him—this worried his greatly.
"Robin!" Cyborgs voice sounded! "Come in Robin! UFE is changing courses and not towards Tamaran."
"Do we have any leads?"
"Not the slightest."
"Follow them anyway!"
"Shouldn't we stay on Starfire's path?" Raven chimed in.
"What threatens Tamaran... a-and Starfire... is the UFE. The war will be where ever they arrive!"
With a sudden thrust and maneuver, G force rocked the Titans—Beast Boy from his sleep-and they glided back under the tale of the Mother Ship, cloak activated and strong.
"Starfire… Starfire! Can you hear me?" A woman gasped, her voice strong and heavy-hearted. Worry struck! She lashed back, calling forth the remaining two crunched behind her and Batman! "League! She's not moving!"
The Flash whipped across the cell, knocking Wonder Woman from the frame, locking his eyes upon the still form that hunched upon blockade of rusting metal bars. He found her pulse hidden above the silver plate guarding her neck. "She still has a heartbeat!" With an echoing gasp from the far corner, he jolted his attention top of her cell, shrouded with a moon-less darkness.
Batman followed, quickly lashing back to another, "Lantern, give us a light!"
"I got it!" The Lantern gallantly stepped in, whirled his hands, and push out a green light that exiled the darkness, highlighting a venerator that spewed smoke into the cell-twisting itself into a cloud, constricting the princess.
With a sneer, Batman barked "An concentration of metallic chromium! Oh God!"
The Flashed whipped back, "How do you know?"
Wonder Woman pushed against the bar, rushing her strong arms against the blockade and cupping the princess's mouth. "Tamaraneans are affected by the element!" She whipped back! Clenched the knight's cape violently! She tore the fabric with tremendous strength, lassoing across the girl's mouth and hastly tying it behind her neck. Mid-knot, she called out, "I will repay you later."
Batman focused on the slumbering princess, her breaths hiccupping to recovery. Suddenly, his eyes darted to a light that slivered from the cracks, separating the five from freedom that rested beyond their bars. A pulse beat through an outdoor footstep, channeling into the palm on the knight. The shadow of a being eclipsed the light, casting the light's absence between the cracks.
"Team… Quiet… Listen…"
A voice shook beyond the cell, "You must know that what I do is not unjust."
…Kro'ka…"RAH!" A bullet of ferocity shot Batman, launching the man at wall that grunted back, he, smashing his fists against the chrome. "WHY DO YOU DO THIS?!"
"You are lucky to be alive, may I remind you."
The Flash zipped in and the Lantern lunged forth, "WHY DO YOU HURT HER?"
Wonder Woman swung in, "YOUR OWN PRINCESS?"
"She rests in peace, I tell you. Awakening she will, but I and the gas are to see that she remains pacified."
The knight gave out, he to crutch, to break, and to fall upon his knees next to princess: she, ever so gentle, ever so kind, and ever so pure. "Why?" He paused, rising his head to the air, channeling his words to the General that stood beyond the walls. "Just… Just why?"
The girl stirred, trying to break free from the slumber that bonded her.
"Your arrogance blinds you… "
The Lantern launched a light at the wall that absorbed it fully. "AND NOT YOURSELF?"
"Must I repeat? Your arrogance and pride blinds you… But not her…Her potential, you do not see…"