Chapter Six
When the guards returned for the pensive Titans, they luckily didn't hound them into gaudy robes or any shade of purple. The team had been diligent with time and discussion and had hidden their books in the back of the closet. Robin was certain there was someone within the city walls who would not cower before the oppression. However, he slipped the letter from the mysterious woman into his pocket as the pounding at the door came. Robin closed the closet door and nodded to Cyborg. As they followed the guards for their afternoon lunch, it seemed more and more Tamaraneans were noticing them. But they averted their eyes just as quick, running off to do their next chore. It felt like round two for Robin as they approached the large and steep staircase for the castle.
Raven leaned in towards Robin, their shoulders brushing against each other. "We need to figure out the floor plan of the castle. I'll locate their current archives faster that way."
Robin tilted his head back to follow the winding castle built into the side of the rigid cliff. Somewhere in there, there were answers. He was certain the lunch would help provide some clarity and test the temperatures of their impending operation. The guard looked over his shoulder to inspect the four teenagers as they bobbed up the stairs. When they reached the top, where the wind had grown gusty, two other guards confronted the team. "Any weapons you have, discard them here in this chest."
"We didn't have to do this last night," Robin shook his head. "We are Starfire's friends. We have no reason to hurt her."
From behind, two guards seized Robin by the arms, lifting him up. Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg let out shouts and watched as the guard reached for Robin's belt, removing it from his thin waist. Another guard reached behind Robin's cape, revealing his combat wand. His weapons clattered into the chest and they released him. Raven's hood was forced off her head. The pale girl gave them a pensive look, her bold brow furrowed together.
"Hey, would you quit treating us like criminals?" Cyborg growled upon seeing the force they used on Raven. "We've got nothing to hide."
"We are following orders. No weapons allowed beyond this point," The guard told him. Robin ground his teeth together.
"Take us to Starfire," Robin demanded.
The castle was massive, with vaulted ceilings that reached nearly twenty feet tall. Golds and marbles splashed across the walls with rich paintings of rulers of past eons. Raven and Robin's eyes looked every which direction as they were lead up stairs and around corners. Raven peered out a window, taking note of an eastern wing with a tower. The hallways seemed endless. And there were countless to explore. Dozens and dozens of doors, as well. Raven and Robin glanced to each other, realizing the futility. Everything from the hallway looked the same. The signs could not be read. How would they possibly discover the library? And just how many people occupied the rooms of the castle?
They were lead out onto a spacious rectangular balcony that was nestled between two wings of the castle. The doors promptly shut behind the guards, leaving the Titans alone in the gusty breeze. Robin's black hair rustled back and forth and he squinted, tilting his head back to scan the windows. Beast Boy looked to the large table with five chairs. Only one sat at the head. Raven gazed over the edge of the railing, seeing a stomach-wrenching drop into a bland and orange desert. Cyborg watched the doors, wondering if this was some sort of set-up. Was Starfire really on her way to have lunch with them?
Beast Boy cocked his head back, turning in a circle. "This castle is massive."
"Even if they do have a library, I'll never find it in time before Starfire's crowning," Raven crossed her arms over her chest. "This castle could have two hundred rooms for all we know."
Cyborg pressed his hands to the stone railing, looking out over the barren landscape. "Is this all that's left of Tamaran?" He glanced over his shoulder at the contemplating Titans. "Only this small portion of the planet is inhabited? Is this how its always been?"
"I don't know," Robin shook his head. "To be honest, I was just thinking about how Starfire never really told us much about her life here."
"The last time we came, I remember how differently she reacted to seeing it, even when it was this... dead," Cyborg shrugged. "She still thought it was beautiful."
"I think Blackfire scorned her in more ways than we realize," Raven replied. "And with Galfore gone... there's no one here for her anymore."
Cyborg sighed and turned to lean on the railing, glancing towards his teammates. He crossed his arms over his chest. "You know, I am sure am going to miss the sick entertainment of watching Starfire chug a jar of mustard. She went viral that last time, remember, BB?"
Beast Boy smiled weakly, letting out an airy laugh. "Yeah... now I won't have anyone to tell new jokes to. Starfire always laughed, even when they were pretty crappy."
Raven lowered her onyx eyes. "When we did go out for coffee, it was always really... nice. Starfire could talk about anything."
Robin pursed his lips, his face stony. "Starfire's the glue of this team... I think we might have all killed each other if it hadn't been for her."
Beast Boy's eyes misted up a bit. "What's gonna happen to us if Starfire really does leave? Will it be like what Starfire told us when she time traveled?" He could only imagine his thinning hair.
"That was a world where she disappeared," Raven said plainly. "We'll be fine, Beast Boy. We can still visit Starfire."
Robin looked away. She was going home with them, he was convinced. In the next moment, the guards opened the doors and right there before the Teen Titans stood Starfire in a modest but regal gown. The guards promptly shut the doors but watched vigilantly from the windows of the hallway. "Friends," Starfire clasped her hands together, her green eyes glimmering in the afternoon light. "Oh, it is so good to see you." She wrapped her arms around Beast Boy, who stood the closest to her. The young green boy was frightened for a moment the guards would charge him. They remained in their stony poses from the other side of the door, however. "Please, tell me," Starfire grinned, placing her hand to Robin's arm. "Have you been having a good stay?"
"It's been... uneventful," Robin glanced towards Raven.
"Perhaps it would be more fun if you got to experience the moon muds!" Starfire smiled brightly.
"Moon muds?" Beast Boy echoed.
"It is good for the skin," Starfire told him. "Please, friends, lets sit and chat." Robin watched her slender body move gracefully for the table, as if she wasn't carrying the burden of an entire planet on her shoulders. After a moment, the Titans followed and they all scraped into chairs. On the table were pitchers of champagne colored drinks that even fizzled just like it. Cyborg turned his head around it, inspecting it closely. Scenes of last night played tortuously through his digestive tract. "That is called Garble Water," Starfire said. "It promotes healthy digestion." Beast Boy and Cyborg wearily exchanged glances. They took their bets, however, snickering like school boys as they filled their glasses up to take turns with each other's reactions.
"So, Star," Robin pressed his elbows onto the table. A gusty breeze came through the balcony and Starfire's dark red hair lifted. "How are you settling in?"
Starfire watched as neither Beast Boy nor Cyborg had any qualms about the digestive drink. She grinned lightly, looking to the leader. "Everyone has been most kind and accepting. I am anxious for the new moon, however. The moment I am designated Queen, it will be time to begin the search for Wildfire and Blackfire."
"Well, we want to help," Robin told her, glancing towards his teammates. "If Yalfore will give us detailed coordinates of the galaxy beyond here, we can join the search team. We're familiar with Blackfire, anyway. She can't evade us for long."
"Friends," Starfire's smile was somewhat sad in the next beat. "I must express my gratitude. You have come so far from your home, put your life on pause, just for me. I am sure Yalfore will be just as honored as I am to hear of your volunteer."
"If we did find Wildfire... would that mean you don't have to be Queen anymore?" Beast Boy arched his eyebrows.
"Presumably, I would become Princess again," Starfire nodded.
"So that means you can come back to Jump City with us?" Cyborg leaned his head in.
Starfire shrugged now and tilted her head. "Wildfire will need help making the transition. He probably does not remember Yalfore. He was but a very small child when he was sent away."
"Do you think Yalfore is a suitable adviser?" Robin furrowed his brow. "Does he really have good intentions?"
Starfire's head throbbed for a moment and she gripped the table linen in her hands beneath the surface. "Yalfore has been a family friend for decades, Robin. He was my own father's adviser."
"Then why is he following us around the city?" Beast Boy asked. "We're not even allowed to leave our room, Star."
Starfire looked to him as another wave of pain washed over her head. "I was not aware of this."
"Starfire, we're concerned," Robin told her. "The people here are so... scared. Nobody flies. Nobody wants to talk. The streets are empty by eight o'clock and... well..." Robin sighed, reaching into his pocket. Slowly, he withdrew the folded letter. "We did some looking around, Star. Raven found a box of your old belongings in the basement of the castle. This was in it." He set the folded paper on the table between them. Starfire's eyes lingered on it only a moment.
"Friends," She looked between them. "I worry that maybe you do not understand the customs of my people. We are not used to having guests."
"Believe me, Starfire, it's not what you think," Raven told her in her flat manner. "I believe Robin... we all do. Something much darker is going on here. I've found some books but I can't read them. Is there someone here that will translate the pages for me?"
"Books?" Starfire arched her eyebrows. Her head was throbbing horrendously. She was nearly seeing double. "What kind of books?"
"Just some history of Tamaran."
"Yeah, whose King Myand'r?" Beast Boy asked, sitting against the back of his chair.
Starfire was still for a moment, looking at nothing in particular. "King Myand'r was... my father."
"And Luand'r?" Robin held the note up. "Who is she?"
Starfire's temples throbbed. "My mother..." Slowly, she turned her eyes to look at the note flapping in the wind between Robin's fingers. "My mother wrote that letter?" She reached for it and carefully unfolded it. A wave of nausea came over her as the familiar bubbly lettering of her mother filled her vision. In that moment, she was overcome with a flood of memories washing past her. She remembered the days when she was so small, she could sit in Galfore's palm. She remembered the exciting days of her and Galfore playing make believe and having grand story times beside the fireplace with squishy tentacles doused in sugar. Starfire recalled the many times Blackfire was chastised by their parents. They practically plead her to be more relaxed, especially after she punched a boy for making a snide remark and sent him through two walls. But she remembered Yalfore would always comfort the dark haired princess. And they often went for walks together, Yalfore's hand pressed to her shoulder blades. Starfire shook it all away, however. Blackfire had needed some sort of a model. Yalfore's loyalty was only to that of the blood flowing through the royal family's veins.
"Well?" Beast Boy asked after the silence had gone on for an extended time. "What does it say?"
Starfire closed her eyes, trying to beckon the headache away, but still it waxed and waned across her tense forehead. "My mother wrote this to me... after I had been traded as a prisoner of war in exchange for the end of the Gordanian Invasion."
"And whose idea was that?" Robin asked, feeling a hatred in the pit of his stomach for the damage inflicted upon Starfire.
Starfire folded the letter, pressing it to her chest. "Blackfire made the decision. While my father was on the war grounds and my mother was arranging the volunteers."
"And Yalfore didn't stop her?"
Starfire nearly writhed in her chair from the pain overcoming her skull. She remained composed, however. "Yalfore had been drafted. He was with my father. As was... Galfore. To my knowledge, nobody knew of me missing until hours after the invasion. By then, I was already halfway to Earth."
The Titans were quiet. Only the wind whistled by them, rustling the few green, purple, and blue sprouts of fauna bordering the stone balcony. Robin sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. Nothing was quite adding up how he liked. Robin was still failing to find any concrete evidence. As he looked to Starfire, he could see she was upset. That hadn't been his intention at all. He pursed his lips. "Starfire, I'm sorry... I... we shouldn't have come barging in with all these questions. We're just... a little confused, I guess."
Starfire gingerly tucked the folded letter into the waistband of her dress. "I wish I could tell you more, Robin, or properly explain my people to you," Her green eyes fell on him. "But I am afraid I cannot. Not until I take the crown and this castle is my own. I will speak with Yalfore, however, about leniency during your stay. I do not wish for you all to be cooped up in a room. I will also make note of your want to help search for Wildfire."
Robin tilted his head down, frustrated with himself. He refused to believe his gut feeling was wrong about Yalfore. He only wished he could get through more to Starfire. "Will we see you again? Before your coronation?" Robin asked.
"I do not know," Starfire cast her eyes down.
"Well, we're going to be there in the front row, cheering you on," Cyborg told her with a grin.
Starfire managed to muster a smile up, too. "Thank you. You are all wonderful friends."
Robin's face was stone hard as the bowls of tentacles, wiggling black lumps, and twisted intestines were delivered to their table. He watched Starfire cautiously. Something was very very wrong in that moment. How could Starfire so easily brush off their concerns? Why wasn't she looking for her own reasons? He furrowed his brow, watching as Beast Boy nearly turned chalk white at the sight. Raven only watched with very calm, but disgusted, onyx eyes. Cyborg recalled the black wiggling lumps from his last visit and, without fear, reached for one. Starfire was playing it safe, Robin told himself as he folded his hands beneath his chin. Maybe she was onto something herself. Maybe Raven was right. She was putting the pieces together, but being cautious. Robin's body tensed, however, as he thought about her own safety. How could he or anyone else do something when she was packaged away, high in the top of the castle? He couldn't let anything happen to her. As Queen, she'd have a target on her back. Robin had to find more out. He wasn't going to sit by and let it all idly come together for him. By then, it would be too late.
...
The Titans were taken away from the balcony and the opposite direction from Starfire at promptly four o'clock. Robin glanced over his shoulder for one more look at Starfire, who had her own escorts. His heart thundered in his chest when she also looked his way, their eyes meeting before she disappeared around the corner. The four Titans were very quiet and much more observing as they followed the guard. Cautiously, Cyborg glanced around before carefully dialing a few buttons in on his arm. Promptly, he lowered it again just as the guard gave them another inspection. Robin craned his necks towards the hallways with the hope that just maybe there'd be a clue or sign of something to follow. Raven's eyes followed after the maids and help of the castle as they opened doors. Many seemed to be bedrooms. Did the nobles live here? Beast Boy wasn't quite sure what to look for, but he did take note of a large skylight in one of the hallways. It would be a good vantage point. When they returned to the massive grand foyer, the Tamaraneans presented Robin with his utility belt and gear. Pensively, he secured it around his waist. The teenagers stood passively in the foyer for a moment before Beast Boy turned towards the guards.
"Are you, uh, gonna take us home?" Beast Boy rubbed the nape of his neck sheepishly.
"Curfew is in four hours. Be home by then," The guard told them.
They all exchanged looks before finally, they turned and began escorting themselves down the curving stairs. "Well... that's somewhat discomforting," Raven muttered as the breeze rushed through her short hair.
"How could the order come down so quickly?" Cyborg shook his head. "Starfire didn't even talk to anyone."
"Yalfore was listening, no doubt," Robin said. "I wonder if he's spied on every ruler he's advised..."
"Well, he's definitely onto us," Beast Boy sighed. "You saw Star... she was avoiding everything we asked her about."
"I guess the fear theory is true, then," Raven glanced towards the marketplace as it came into view around the cliffs edge. "Even when Blackfire was the grand ruler, it didn't seem this militant. But Starfire trusted Galfore. How could things go this wrong in the matter of a week if it was really Yalfore's doing?"
"Why wouldn't Starfire tell us?" Beast Boy asked.
"Who are we to make her think of her people in that way?" Raven replied, keeping her eyes forward.
They reached the bottom of the stairs and Robin pressed his hands to his hips. "We should all split up again and try to figure things out. Raven, find someone who will read those books for us. Cyborg, Beast Boy, you two should try to find some information out on Yalfore."
"And what are you going to do?" Cyborg asked.
Robin pursed his lips, gazing over Cyborg's shoulder. "I'm going back into the castle. I gotta make some headway on the search."
"Well, you're in luck, friend," Cyborg grinned, holding his arm up. "I managed to download a general structure of the castle, complete with estimates of rooms and corridors." The team nearly bonked heads as they crowded in to see the rough blueprint sketch. "I'll send it to your communicator now."
"Thanks," Robin said, reaching for it from his belt. He flipped the communicator open, trying to memorize as much as he could.
"Robin, you have to be careful," Raven warned him as she came closer to him. He lowered the device. "Yalfore and his men know things, too. If you get caught, nobody will be able to help you. Not even Starfire. You're an alien breaching castle walls. Do you understand how big of a deal that is?"
Robin furrowed his brow, tilting his head. "It's a risk I'm willing to take, Raven. We're onto something. And you saw Starfire. We have to do something about this."
Raven pursed her lips, holding a tense eye contact with him. "Don't do anything stupid, Robin."
And with that, the team split.
...
"Um, excuse me, do you speak English?" Beast Boy asked a young woman who was pushing a carriage. She didn't even look to him, but she sure did pick up her pace. "Wait! Hey!" Beast Boy drooped his shoulders. Pursing his lips, he looked all around the marketplace again, approaching two crimson haired girls sitting on a bench. "Excuse me, do you speak English?" He asked them. "I'm trying to find something." Their green eyes were the size of saucers and they scrambled to their feet, ushering each other away. Beast Boy let out a sigh, tilting his head back. "Jeez, I know I'm green, but they're all orange!" Beast Boy turned to Cyborg, who was busy fiddling on his computer in the shade.
"Give it up, BB," Cyborg said, glancing towards a sign and grounding his teeth together. Frustrated, Cyborg tapped loudly against the buttons of the console built into his arm. "I can't get my translator to recognize the signs. It won't even let me manually code Tamaranean in. It's a no-go reading anything around here."
Man," Beast Boy crossed his arms over his chest. "What does Robin expect us to do?"
"Do you know... the spiky haired boy?" Cyborg and Beast Boy looked towards the fountain where a shy woman with short crimson hair stood beside a cart. They came closer to her and she glanced around. "The one with the mask?"
"Yeah, that's Robin," Beast Boy nodded. "How'd you know?"
Again, she looked around. "We must not speak here. It's dangerous."
"Where should we go?" Cyborg glanced towards a few guards beyond the fountain. They hadn't seemed to take notice yet.
"Meet me in the River Quarter, just down those stairs, tomorrow morning, as soon as curfew is lifted," She told them. "I... may know people who can aid your cause."
"We really need someone to translate some Tamaranean writings we found," Cyborg told her. "Anyone who can tell us more about Yalfore, Galfore, Myand'r- all of them."
"Tomorrow morning," She whispered. She began to push her cart away.
"Hey, wait," Beast Boy followed a few paces and she hunched her shoulders. "What's your name?"
Cautiously, she looked back towards the wiry short boy. "You may call me Forneah," She told him. She looked between Cyborg and Beast Boy one more time before rushing away with her jingling cart. The two Titans stared after her a moment as she took a sharp turn into an alleyway.
"Well," Beast Boy looked to Cyborg. "Seems like we've found our Underground Resistance."
"Who knew," Cyborg shrugged. "Hidden in plain sight right next to the stairs to the castle." The two laughed, giving each other a high five.
...
Robin found himself again on the balcony of Starfire's room. He let out a haughty breath as he finally made it to the top. He stretched his arms out, tucking his Batarangs away as he came to kneel beside Starfire's open balcony door. When he glanced in the room, he found it empty. Cautiously, he entered the room, keeping low. Robin looked over the meager bookshelf she had. Mostly children's fantasy stories, he denoted from the colorful cover. Glittering gems and golds of all shades were cluttered across the vanity. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Robin rifled through the closet and the nightstand drawers, but he didn't find anything interesting. When he carefully pressed the door open, he was greeted with the scene of an empty hallway. Tall portraits of gleaming oils depicted broad shouldered men with raging red hair and scarred faces. Robin barely paid them any mind as he flipped his communicator open, darting around the corner and staggering into the first room. It was only a guest bedroom. He stole across the hallway, opening another door. A bedroom, too. Robin furrowed his brow as the third, fourth, and even fifth doors were all just bedrooms, decorated in the same manner, without a single detail misplaced. He continued quietly navigating the hallways, scrutinizing every turn and corridor on the blueprint Cyborg had given him. So many rooms, where were they all for sleeping in? Why were the Titans staying in the city if they had this much accommodation in the castle? Robin opened another door and sighed, realizing it was the same thing. He crouched against the cool wall of the hallway, poring over the sketch once more. He felt like he was going in circles, opening the same door over and over again. It was like a confusing Mad Mod trick.
"There has to be a library or... a storage room, something," Robin muttered to his communicator and shaking his head furtively. Again, he headed down the hall, but it still just proved to be bedrooms in varying shades of purple, beckoning a good nights rest. After another hallway of the same thing, Robin again found himself knelt against the wall, wallowing in his confusion. "This can't be right..." He said to himself, using his finger to zoom in on the blueprint. The doors and walls all aligned with what Cyborg had generated. How could this be? Nearly twenty-seven bedrooms so far, all spanning from Starfire's royal chamber? It seemed utterly ridiculous and Robin again questioned his sanity.
"Robin, how wonderful for you to stop by," The dark hair boy gasped sharply, looking up to see Yalfore standing before him, his wiry arms folded behind his back. "I knew a mid-afternoon lunch certainly wouldn't squander your energy for the rest of the evening. I had a feeling you would be back for a chat."
Robin stood now, flipping his communicator shut. He kept his face stony and pensive. "What do you think I want to chat about?" He asked, barely moving his head.
Yalfore grinned. "Culture shock is quite a thing. I imagine you have many questions about Tamaran, our way of life, our people..."
"Where is Starfire?" Robin asked, glancing up and down the hallway.
"Ah, as the soon to be Queen, she has many things to do in preparation," Yalfore told him. "Speeches, a hair cut, a new dress... her hands are quite full right now."
Robin pursed his lips, tucking his communicator into his belt. "Why are these all just bedrooms?" He asked, gesturing towards the doors. "Isn't there a library I can go to to learn more about your people?"
Yalfore laughed politely. "If only you could read Tamaranean, Robin. I fear it is not easy to teach. Come, let us chat. I have a few moments to spare." Robin was hesitant for a moment before choosing to follow in Yalfore's steps. He glanced up and down the hallway once more, spying three guards now standing at the other end, creating a tall and menacing barricade. The next hallway they passed was the same scene of unmoving guards. Robin straightened his shoulders.
"Why are the guards following us?" Robin asked, keeping his eyes forward.
"Well, you did just scale the castle walls and breach the Queen's chambers," Yalfore told him plainly. "The guards don't take kindly to the breaking of rules. But sometimes, it fits the bill." Yalfore looked to Robin with a small smile. "Quite impressive a human such as yourself can climb those lengths. You must be quite gifted, Robin. I can see why Her Highness puts so much faith in you."
"I know Starfire will be a good Queen," Robin said, casting his eyes down. "Do the Tamaraneans have any volatile enemies?"
"It is natural to worry, Robin," Yalfore told him. "I am sure Princess Koriand'r has told you of our past wars. The recent ones, at that. But every planet has a natural enemy."
"Who are Earth's enemies?" Robin asked, furrowing his brow.
Yalfore laughed in his annoyingly polite way again. "Oh, Robin, humans are their own natural enemies. I assure you Tamaran is secure and prospering. You can rest easy at night knowing we are prepared for whatever this universe gives us. Princess Koriand'r will do a fine job, just as Galfore and Myand'r did in their days. Once we arrange for her to be betrothed and secure the bloodline yet again, Tamaran will be well on its way of healing from past injustices. All with due time."
"What about Wildfire?" Robin asked and Yalfore turned his eyes away. "I know Starfire has it at the top of her list to start a search party." The two men stopped in a hallway with walls drenched in tall windows. Down below, life in Tamaran flourished. "We want to help. Only thing is, we need updated coordinates and mapping for our ship's navigation. Can you help us with that?" Yalfore calmly placed his hands behind his back.
"I am sorry, Robin. However, you and your friends will not be permitted to aid in a royal cause when you yourselves are hopeless renegades."
Robin's eyebrows knitted together and he tensed. "What are you talking about? We're Starfire's friends and we're going to help her. You won't have the final say in two days, Yalfore."
"These are the matters of Tamaranean Security," Yalfore continued in his calm demeanor. "Queen Koriand'r will not be so foolish to allow criminals of our justice system to help aid in the search of the Lost Prince."
"We aren't criminals," Robin told him with a stony voice. "Blackfire only locked us up so she could get away with selling out your kingdom's blood."
Yalfore shifted the weight between his feet, his glazed eye studying Robin's pensive face. "We certainly wouldn't hold a grudge that long, Robin." He told him. "I am referring to the infractions you and your little friends have accumulated in only the two days you've been here. You four work quickly despite not having a clue as to what you're looking for. Taking books and belongings of the Queen from our basement. Trying to blackmail my people into speaking to you. And now I've found you snooping in our royal halls You might think there's something going on, Robin, but I assure you, you don't understand our people or our planet." He leaned in closer to Robin, lowering his voice. "And that makes you very, very dangerous. You're walking a fine line, Robin."
Robin ground his teeth together and was about to reply, when soundlessly, a pike came down, striking Robin in the back of the head. His eyes went for a spin and he staggered a few feet as he felt warm blood begin to trickle down the back of his neck. Robin reached for his head before collapsing. Yalfore and the soldier quietly approached his still body. Yalfore knelt down, wrangling Robin's communicator from his belt. He stared at the large T symbol covering the screen before he pursed his lips and stood. "Lock him up."
...
"Man, where is he!?" Cyborg paced back and forth, looking out the window every few moments. "Curfew was an hour ago!" Beast Boy and Cyborg had been excited to report their social connection and had told Raven all about it with lots of speculation when they returned to the room and found her poring over the Tamaran language. Still, as the afternoon waned on, Raven sat studiously at the table, jotting down notes in a way to decipher the foreign language. She looked up when Cyborg's ranting interrupted her train of thought. Raven tucked a lock of purple hair behind her ear, glancing towards Beast Boy who seemed riveted with anxiety from where he sat on the bed. "We shouldn't have split up," Cyborg shook his head. "I shouldn't have given him those blueprints."
"Come on, do you really think Robin got caught?" Beast Boy's eyebrows knitted together and he hugged a pillow to his chest. "Robin's usually the last one to get caught."
"Well, we haven't heard from him in six hours," Cyborg said, tapping through his console. "And he hasn't accessed the communicator in four and a half hours."
"Maybe he's with Starfire," Beast Boy stood up, tossing the lumpy pillow across the bed. "I'm sure he's fine, Cyborg. Right, Rae?"
The young girl was quiet as she looked over her translating work. She hadn't made much progress at all, it felt like. So far, she had discovered only half of what seemed to be a very elaborate alphabet. It had taken two hours alone just to translate the word 'the'. Raven took in a deep breath. "I'm sure he's alright," Raven finally said. "Even if Robin did get in trouble, he can take care of himself. Besides, I already said it was a bad idea. I'm not going to say I told you so." She tapped her pen to her book, making another hurried note.
"Man, Robin," Cyborg ground his teeth together, looking out the dark window. "If you're in trouble... you better have a way out of it!"