I think we were all relieved when an alert came over the computer of a crime in progress. It was late afternoon and the others had finally realized they couldn't talk Starfire out of leaving. Without even waiting to hear where we were going Raven phazed out of the tower. Cyborg inspected the moniter and pointed, "Jump City bank has been hit." I nodded, checking to make sure none of our usual suspects were involved.
"Right. We'd better get there fast. Starfire, you're with me. Cyborg and Beast Boy meet up with us as soon as you can." Before I'd finished giving out orders I was already reaching for Starfire's hand. It closed around mine before she whirled us into the air. I loved flying with her, even though it made me look kinda silly being dragged along like a sack of flour. I'm an acrobat. I was born to be in the air, and Starfire makes it so much fun. But we were on a mission and I had to swallow back a whoop of excitement as we swooped over the Jump City Harbor on the way to the bank.
I heard the police sirens a block before I saw their flashing lights. They'd formed a barricade around the entrance to the bank. Judging by the drawn weapons and bullet shields there was an armed robbery in progress. Great...
"How would you have me proceed?" Starfire asked shortly. She was still a little upset with me for telling the others. Not enough to distract her, but enough that she didn't want to talk to me any more than she had to. I scanned the situation. The bank had a dark tinted glass storefront and skylights on the roof. It would be easy for Starfire to blast one open, but I didn't know how many hostages were inside or what kind of weapons the robbers had with them.
"Drop me over there by the side door and you distract them from the front. Don't engage until I give you the signal."
"Understood." We soared up and over the bank before she released my hands to circle back. I somersaulted safely into the forked boughs of the huge gingko tree. As I watched, Starfire did as instructed and landed smoothly in a deep crouch in the center of the cleared space. Everything got kind of quiet, you know apart from the squawking two-way radios and shrieking sirens. Slowly, drawing all eyes on her, Starfire straightened so that her back arched and the muscles of her legs rippled beneath the skin-tight boots. A soft breeze blew her hair across her cheek. She had a totally captive audience.
Using the distraction she had given me I slipped in through the side door. A quick scan with the infrared vision capabilities in my mask told me that there was only one person not lying flat on the ground. One I could handle with no problem.
Naturally the hostages saw me first. An old woman lying face-down on the floor caught sight of my boot and lifted her head with a gasp. So much for a sneak attack. I grimaced. The gunman turned, but I already had a birdarang flying through the air. He dropped the gun as it sliced across his wrist, drawing blood. In the time it took him to recover I had crossed the floor-dodging the bank patrons lying in the way-and sent a round-house kick aiming for his ribs. Somehow he managed to dodge out of the way and clip the back of my head with his elbow. Bright lights winked in front of my eyes. It was a lucky strike, but my knees buckled nonetheless.
Behind us there was a growl as the rotating door spat out Starfire, who was flying full-speed toward him. Her glowing hand closed around his throat and she held him immobile at arm's length. He had no superpowers, not even very good martial arts skills, so he was easily contained by her alien strength.
"It is the okay. You are safe now," she informed the hostages. Twelve men and women shakily got to their feet. Behind us the cops rushed in to take over the scene. A little embarrassed, I stood up and went to help the old woman who'd spotted me when I first came in.
"Figures he'd go for her," whispered someone behind me. "I knew he liked older women but I didn't realize he liked them that old."
"Excuse me?" I turned, pulling the woman up by her elbow. She pulled roughly out of my grasp with a small harrumph. I lifted an eyebrow after her.
The guy that spoke was in his early twenties and wearing a black t-shirt with a skull and crossbones across the front. He was leaning down to whisper to the girl next to him who had on a pair of ripped up jeans and a black tank top. She started to laugh, but covered her mouth when she saw that I'd heard him. Ignoring me, her boyfriend watched Starfire as she handed the robber into police custody.
"She must be a lousy lay if you'd rather be some cougar's boy toy."
My mind suddenly became very calm. A glass wall appeared, holding my anger at bay. He was trying to provoke me. He probably wanted to build himself back up in front of his girl after what had just happened. Still, he wasn't very smart if he was choosing to pick a fight with me to do it. I easily pictured about five different ways I could lay him out without even moving from my spot. Birdarangs were handy like that. Still, I stilled my throwing hand.
"Do you have to share her or is she one of the perks of being the leader?" The girl beside him gasped and elbowed him in the ribs. The consequencesfor breaking his nose in front of a dozen witnesses flashed before my eyes. I walked past them. If I stayed, he'd only keep getting worse. Already I wanted his throat in my hands. He wasn't the first guy to talk about Starfire like that in front of me though. Tough guys loved to try to provoke a reaction out of me by using her.
"Ms. Starfire, now that we've got you here we'd like to ask you a couple of questions," I heard one of the officers say as I approached. Innocently. Starfire turned to give him her full attention, but I knew what was coming and angrily shouldered my way between them.
"No." The cop blushed, not realizing I'd been paying attention. At a crime scene I see and hear everything. You never know when one innocent comment is a sign of a hidden accomplice. He hadn't exactly been whispering. His mouth turned down with disappointment. He was in his mid-thirties and starting on a beer belly.
"But Robin, this is a matter of-"
"The Titans have nothing to say at this time." I took another step forward, shielding Starfire behind me.
"I bet if Cat Grant was around we could get him to talk," muttered one of the other cops standing nearby. My ears burned and my fingers flexed convulsively.
"Robin...?" said Starfire softly. I couldn't tell if she was confused or anxious because I didn't turn around to look. Her fingers caught in my cape, pulling me against her. The warmth of her body heated my back. I was hyper aware of her curves pressed against me but I continued to glare at the two cops to pretend I didn't notice.
"She's the one you should be arresting, not me," spat the robber from the floor where they were searching him for more weapons. Starfire flinched.
"I read what she did. She's a monster. She needs to be put down!" Only one or two heads nodded in agreement, but it was enough to send chills down my spine. Had the public really turned on us that fast-after only one article? There hadn't even been any proof!
"She just saved everyone. Do you really think the Justice League and I would let her get away with it, that she's capable of something like that?" It was a mistake to engage him. It only drew attention to his accusations.
"I just have some questions I want to ask her. We can do this here or we can do it down at the station."
That deadly calm crept over me again. I glared at the officer.
"Under no circumstances are you going to take a member of my team." Over my dead body...or theirs, which was much more likely. The cop didn't like that.
"You're not above the law, Robin. She's a suspect in one of the largest kidnapping cases in history. We have every right to take her in."
"Good luck trying. You've got a cell you think that can hold her?" I was subconsciously settling into a battle stance. Starfire still had her hand over my shoulder blade. I felt a tremble go through her and it almost undid me.
"We'll take you both in for resisting arrest," said his blond-haired partner with arrogant certainty.
"Oh, we're under arrest now, are we?" I asked sarcastically. These morons didn't have a prayer of taking the both of us. There was no way Starfire would allow herself to be handcuffed and imprisoned, even if she could break out without even straining herself. It was the idea of captivity that still gave her nightmares. As for me, I'm not stupid. I knew that the whole thing with Cat Grant was pretty low on the list of info they wanted from me. Gotham's police had been trying for years to catch me in the hopes of using me to catch Batman.
"Don't act like you're innocent in this. We've got photographic evidence of your after hours activities. You may face down bullets for breakfast, but you're still a minor, aren't you? You are the Teen Titans, after all." The blond one was getting brave now.
"Starfire, I think it's time for us to go." I felt her nod as her fingers curled against my back. To my complete shock, both cops drew their guns and pointed them at us.
"Robin, Starfire, you're under arrest."
"You're making a mistake gentlemen." Starfire and I slid back a step. All eyes were on us now. Moving my hand subtly, I activated a distress beacon on my belt. Cyborg and Beast Boy needed to turn back before they got caught up in this mess.
The first cop lunged for my cape and I spun out of the way. Starfire stiff-armed his partner before catching my hand and shooting into the air. She fired a starbolt at the skylight directly overhead. Plexiglas rained down on us and she curved her body over mine to protect me as we shot through the jagged hole that remained.
"Titans, turn back. Friendlies have turned hostile. Turn back!"