Chapter Eight
The sound of clanking metal arose in Robin's ear, as if he was hearing it through water. His head bobbed, but he felt a cold and callous hand grip his forehead, directing him backwards. That's when the younger leader gasped sharply like he was emerging through the waves of his consciousness. Staring directly back at him was the reflection of his poor condition. His jaw was swollen in purples and blues. From beneath his mask jutted the tired lines of bags and injuries that glowed red and irritated. The blood across his lips could almost be sloppy lipstick and his forehead was crusty, his hair matted in his blood. Robin's chest rose and fell as his bleary vision found his wrists and ankles confined beneath leather belts. Again, the calloused hand gripped his forehead, slamming his head back against the chair.
"Humans are so wriggly," He clucked as he drew a worn and peeling leather belt across Robin's forehead, gingerly tucking his dark hair back.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Robin sneered, tugging with all his might.
"Oh, you're awake?" In the next moment, bright purple eyes filled his vision. "I guess we didn't give you enough of the good stuff."
"What are you doing?!" Robin asked again, trying desperately to move his head.
"My job," The man said sarcastically, approaching the mirror to grab a wash cloth. His black hair was finely gelled across his forehead and he was diligent in his work. "Adviser Yalfore wanted to have you cleaned up for the Queen's Crowning."
Robin cringed as the man carefully worked on his throbbing lips. "Oh, I get an invitation even though I'm incarcerated?"
"Well, you are the Grand Ruler's most honored guests," The man shrugged.
"Yes... so honored," Robin muttered, his mind wandering to what was happening outside of the castle walls. Or maybe even just a couple floors above him.
...
After Raven and Cyborg extracted as much information as they could from the hesitant group, she decided it wasn't safe to walk out of there. The Tamaraneans were quite surprised when she enveloped her and Cyborg into an inky orb, slinking through the ground. They emerged into their own private accommodations where Beast Boy was sitting at the table, cradling his head and staring at his communicator, willing it to ring. He looked up with surprised green eyes as Raven folded her hood back on her head and reached into her satchel, withdrawing her journal of notes.
"Anything?" Beast Boy leapt to his feet. "Do you know where Robin is?"
"We're assuming the royal prison," Cyborg told him, approaching the window and watching the meager and rigid life of the aliens down below.
"Starfire said she'd look for him at the castle," Beast Boy reported, watching as Raven thumbed through the journal and seated herself at the table. "The crowning is tomorrow. We're running out of time, guys. What is Yalfore's plan? Starfire is going to know somethings up if Robin isn't there."
"I hate to say it, Beast Boy," Raven slowly lifted her onyx eyes, her lips pursed tightly. "But right now, we can't trust Starfire."
"What?" Beast Boy looked bewildered. "I swear I'm not in the same universe anymore! Why would you say something like that?"
"It's part of Yalfore's plan," Cyborg crossed the room and seated himself on the foot of a bed. The mattress groaned under his weight. He pressed his elbows to his knees, shaking his head. "You should have seen the people we met with, BB. They might be trying to form a resistance but they're terrified. For themselves and their families. Galfore died under suspicious circumstances. You saw Starfire this morning. How was she acting?"
Beast Boy was quiet for a few moments, his green eyes darting all over the rug. Raven and Cyborg could both see he was in the throes of his mind, absolutely heart broken. Beast Boy let out a long sigh, deflating into the stool beside him and pressing his shoulders to the wall length window. He frisked his hands through his short hair and shook his head. "She wasn't acting like the Starfire I knew but... no one's been acting like themselves since we got here. But she seemed... I dunno... sick? I thought maybe it was just anxiety. Or, well, that's what she chalked it up to." Cyborg and Raven shared a look. "What?! What does that mean?"
Raven sighed, looking over her notes once more. "It's becoming clear that Yalfore wants Tamaran for himself. I don't know if he's working with anybody, but with Galfore, Blackfire, and Wildfire out of the picture... the only person left is Starfire." Raven glanced to the solemn Cyborg before laying her eyes on the obviously hurt Beast Boy. "Galfore was most likely poisoned. And... I think Yalfore is doing the same to Stafire."
"Then why are we just sitting here when we know Starfire is becoming less and less of herself by the hour?!"
"We can't start a revolution, Beast Boy," Cyborg told him, folding his arms over his chest. "Especially not when Yalfore is still technically in charge. We have to wait for the crowning tomorrow night before we can do anything. Starfire needs absolute power. Yalfore can't put any of us in jail for treason if Starfire is the Grand Ruler."
"Well, surely you can get into the prison, Rae," Beast Boy turned his emerald eyes on her, nearly pleading.
Raven's face was still but exuded a listlessness that set the young man on edge. "It's not that easy, Beast Boy," She sighed, lowering her dark eyes. "Finding the underground library was hard enough. I have to know where it is to appear into it. I have to go room by room and figure out the layout of the prison." She paused in the next moment, though, sitting up a little straighter.
"Ah, yeah, Raven's got an idea," Cyborg grinned, coming to his feet.
"What is it, Raven?" Beast Boy sat forward anxiously.
"Robin and I..." Raven looked between the two men. "We have an aura bond."
"A what?" Cyborg's eyebrows creased together. Raven stood and crossed to the window.
"There's a mental rope that tethers us together. I can see through his eyes, he can see through mine, if I allow him," Raven explained. "Remember when Robin was hallucinating Slade? None of us could see him. But when I went into his mind, I could see everything through his eyes, and could see Slade was very much real to him. I might be able to find Robin through the bond."
Beast Boy got to his feet. "You gotta try, Raven. Even if it's just to make sure he's alright."
"Yeah, BB's right, Rae."
"I know," Raven crossed her arms over her chest. "This is a very sacred and unusual bond we share with each other."
"It's not violating his privacy if we're just trying to find him," Beast Boy told her. The young sorceress lowered her eyes for a moment before she nodded. In the next beat, she swooped her legs up beneath her, hovering against the window. She closed her eyes, poising her hands against her knees. Beast Boy and Cyborg watched intently, waiting for a miracle.
Robin? It's me. Behind her eyelids, Raven was suddenly soaring forward through massive hallways with high vaulted ceilings and lush running carpets. She swung left and right, darting past roaming guards and maids, completely oblivious to her presence. Raven's brow furrowed deeply in concentration as she found herself seemingly lost in the castle. Robin, can you hear me? Her mind was beckoned in several directions before she found herself whirling towards a staircase partly obscured by a long red drape. In the corner of her vision, she caught a glimpse of a window that overlooked the barren landscape beyond the city walls. Down she was taken through a winding stone staircase that was dark and dank. It spiraled endlessly, she thought. But soon, she emerged into a spacious basement, one that brought forth a memory of when they had last visited Tamaran. The jail cells were simply pools of light that kept the supposed danger within. Raven found herself being catapulted further, drifting past the cells filled with people lacking any emotion or drive. They were crumpled beneath the light, seemingly given up. Robin, where are you? The basement stretched farther than Raven would have imagined and soon she approached a door. That's when her mind paused and suddenly in her chest, she felt another heart beating in time with hers. Raven's face curled in concentration as she forced herself through the door, to a dark room with very few candles. Raven inhaled sharply as her vision swirled like a whirlpool before suddenly, she was looking at the reflection of Robin in a dusty mirror. He was tied to a chair, his face swollen, bruised, and covered in dried blood. He seemed to be nodding in and out but his body tensed when he felt the change. He felt the second heart beating in his chest. Robin lifted his sore face to look at the reflection.
Raven...
Robin, where are you? Raven asked, unable to move his body. She noticed the belts containing him. What are they doing to you?
Apparently I'm in no condition to go to a party looking like this, Robin told her, staring intently at himself. Cyborg and Beast Boy watched Raven in her trance. Her face was beginning to contort into pain. Everything Robin was feeling was seeping into her own body.
What have they done to you? Raven asked tensely in his mind.
I'm a trespasser... I committed treason. This was all Yalfore. Raven, he's powerful. Even more so than Blackfire. His starbolts are electrified.
Do you know how to get into the prison?
No... In that moment, Robin directed their attention towards his knees where Raven saw how bruised his arms were. I was unconscious when they brought me here.
We're going to get you out, Robin, Raven told him. Yalfore is behind Galfore's death. He's poisoning Starfire. Her body tensed with his, as if she was his puppet on a string. If they're letting you attend the coronation, the moment that crown is placed on Starfire's head, we'll act.
Robin wiggled beneath the belts and Raven felt them sand against her own skin. What will we do, Raven? Anything we do will start a war. Even with Starfire as the Grand Ruler, it's not a war we can win hands down. Yalfore's plan has to be bigger than just Starfire. He has to be working with someone. This isn't his own agenda. Why would he kill Galfore, crown Starfire, and kill her, too? Why go through all the trouble, especially when he has no bid at the line of succession?
Raven furrowed her brow, tilting her chin down as she keep her eyes squeezed shut. You're not suggesting...?
Blackfire.
Yalfore and Blackfire working together... Raven's voice brought great ease to Robin as he sat alone, waiting anxiously for the next thing. Together, they'd create a militant world. One driven by fear and total allegiance. A planet of people reduced to revenge against everyone who wronged them. For all we know, Wildfire is already dead. And if their plan goes on unhindered, it won't be long until Starfire is dead, too.
Robin's hands curled into fists and he lifted his eyes to look at the reflection. You, Cyborg, and Beast Boy have to act quicker, Raven. We can't wait for the crowning. Starfire might be too far gone at that point to save.
What can we do? The slightest mistake on our part will get us placed in the prison, too. Then it's checkmate, Robin.
Robin's eyes looked around the dark room. On the edge of the flickering orange light, he saw a table with many different jaws and sharp looking objects. The man in charge with 'fixing him' had stepped out briefly to mix a foul smelling substance. Leave Tamaran. You have to find Wildfire. And if you do find Wildfire, you'll probably find Blackfire, too.
We're not leaving you here, Raven tilted her chin up in that moment. Cyborg and Beast Boy continued to only stare at her, not even daring to blink. Besides, the T-Ship has no coordinates beyond Tamaran. We could get lost in the deep galaxy.
The Gordanians left a fleet of ships on Tamaran, remember? Robin told her. Those ships have to have coordinates that Cyborg can download onto the T-Ship. It's our only option, Raven. If we can find Wildfire, expose Yalfore and Blackfire's plan, then maybe we have a better chance. Think of all the people who would drop the fear and find their anger. Yalfore is stealing the Tamaraneans lives, Raven. We have to give them a reason to fight back for themselves. And that's by finding their Lost Prince and restoring order to the crown. Yalfore has to be ousted.
Raven let out a sigh through her flared nostrils, her body still emanating with his pain. What about you, Robin?
What about me? He looked to his reflection. I'll be fine. I promise.
Raven was about to object when the sound a of heavy door rang out in the room. Emerging from the edge of the light was a lanky Tamaranean with gelled black hair. In his hands, he held a mortal and pestle that was bubbling and stewing. "Sorry to keep you waiting," He grinned with his devious intentions. "Now this is for the bruises. It's going to hurt... a lot." He dabbed a brush into the green sludge and held it forward towards Robin. "Have you ever felt your blood vessels constrict?" He didn't wait before painting it along Robin's bruised arms. The Titan tensed immediately, jerking against the chair.
And in the next moment, Raven gasped sharply, as if emerging from water, and fell forward. Cyborg and Beast Boy were there to catch her and lowered her against the plush carpet while she tenderly touched her temple. Her wrists burned from the tight belts, her body ricocheting with pain. Raven sat up, bending her knees to her chest, as her shoulders rose and fell heavily. "What happened, Raven?" Beast Boy tenderly gripped her sore shoulder.
"Robin's in bad condition," Her onyx eyes were trained forward out the window, watching the mid-afternoon go by. "They've beaten him half to death. I'm still not completely sure where the prison is..." Raven shook her head, her purple hair falling to frame her pale face.
"What do we do?" Beast Boy asked, an urgency coming across his face.
"Robin had a plan," Raven replied, keeping her eyes cast down as she recovered.
"Of course he did," Cyborg came to his feet and paced a few steps. "What was it?"
"It requires some hacking," Raven looked to Cyborg.
He grinned despite the grim circumstances. "Now we're talkin'."
...
Starfire's stomach was greatly upset as she sat on an ottoman in her private chambers, watching the sunlight wane. She didn't know if Beast Boy would return to her or not. If he didn't, then Starfire could assume Robin finally showed up. She didn't know where he could have gotten off to, but it was strange for Robin to not check in. He couldn't be in the royal prison, though, she tried to convince herself. Starfire had been clear that the Teen Titans were honored guests, certainly not threats. Starfire's head began to pound heavily in that moment and she crumpled forward, cradling her head in her hands. She knew it was a trying time for Tamaran. The past ten years had been nothing but turmoil and curve balls. Yalfore had seen it all. Starfire knew Yalfore had every reason to be cautious, to hold dearly to the very meager bits of Tamaran that remained. Starfire feared he did not trust her. She had much to learn about being the Grand Ruler, she digressed, but she wished Yalfore would allow her to expand in her role more and be calm to the idea that Starfire only wanted what was best for Tamaran.
Her stomach flopped, however, and the internal confliction waged on in her. Starfire loved Tamaran. She could not forget who she was or where she came from. But continually Starfire wondered if this was right, if this was who she was truly meant to be. As a child, she had never received the attention of becoming a Grand Ruler. When Wildfire had been born, all of that honor had been bestowed upon him. Blackfire may have always been jealous, but Starfire chalked that up to being the oldest sibling of three. She reflected on her childhood in that moment, remembering the vibrant flora and fauna that burst with colors and fragrant perfumes, spanning as far as the castle could see. She remembered the happier times when the massive Galfore would place her on his shoulders and take her exploring. She recalled the silky touch of her mother's embrace and her father's kind loving eyes. They had been a happy family on a seemingly happy planet. But when the invasion happened, it felt as if Starfire's entire world had been yanked out from beneath her, no more than a rug of charades. Where was Wildfire? And what exactly had changed in Blackfire to make her seem so cruel and heartless? Starfire's head throbbed so badly, though, she couldn't quite process everything.
The door to her chambers opened in the next moment and in slinked Yalfore's lanky figure, holding a silver platter with one cup on it, filled with bubbly water. Starfire held in a sigh as she came to her feet, trying to be presentable. For a moment, she thought she'd toppled over. "Good evening, Your Majesty," Yalfore grinned. "I've brought you your digestive drink. Supper will be served within an hour."
Starfire ran her clammy hands along her velvet sleeves before she cleared her throat. "I apologize, I am not feeling well, Yalfore, and therefore, I would not like to drink the digestive aid."
"Not feeling well?" Yalfore echoed, arching his bushy, gray eyebrows. "Why, this will help, Your Majesty. I promise you, it is all just the jitters one gets before becoming Grand Ruler."
Starfire's eyes followed a bubble in the glass, traveling to the surface. "Perhaps I should lay down before supper instead? My parents always drank the digestive aid at the table. We may forgo the modesty, Yalfore."
Yalfore stepped towards her, holding the silver platter before Starfire. "I will not hear of it, Your Majesty. Having your drink before supper will be better, then you can rest. We must have you well for coronation tomorrow, after all."
She pursed her lips tightly before hesitantly taking the glass into her hand. "Yalfore... is there any update on Robin? I am worried, my friends have not seen him..."
"And how would you know something like that?" His purple eyes darted to her and Starfire nearly audibly gulped. "Your friends, they've been here?"
"You must understand, Yalfore," Starfire stammered over her words, fingering the lip of her glass. "We are like family. We are not used to being separated. They mean no harm, I assure you."
"Oh, sweet, Koriand'r," Yalfore sighed, pacing away from her. He disregarded the tray on a velvet couch and perched his hands behind his back. Each muted step he took to the carpet made the hair on Starfire's neck stand up. "I see great promise in you becoming Grand Ruler. You were always, in my opinion, the most stable and level headed child that had the gumption to lead this planet. But... I am fearful your heart takes too much into consideration. Surely you understand the immense burden you are taking on. The trials and tribulations of Tamaran are solely yours to inherit and it is your job to restore this planet to a prosperous state. I admit, it's much larger a task than ever was asked of your parents or even your sister. But I trust your instinct. You must remember how wonderful this planet used to be. I imagine it tears at your heart strings, such as mine, to see us sunk to such a low level of despair and inequality. But I fear your time on earth is obstructing your full view of what Tamaran is supposed to be. We are our own distinct people, with our pride and our traditions. You mustn't ever mistake that with your life on earth. You cannot let your friends dictate to you what is wrong and what is right. They could not possibly have a clue, dear Koriand'r. As Grand Ruler, you must put yourself first. No matter how close you believe yourself to be with your friends, they cannot know what is best for you and your people, Koriand'r."
"But they are not threats, Yalfore," Starfire lowered her drink. Yalfore stared intently at her. "My friends are not bad people. Just because they are from earth does not mean they have any underlying ill will against us. They want what is only best for Tamaran. And for me."
"I suggest you drink your digestive aid so supper does not upset you," Yalfore told her, somewhat cold and stony. "After supper, I imagine you have much to think about, Your Majesty. We certainly cannot have an unsure young lady assuming the helm of our leadership. And we also cannot have a sick one. This is an important time for you, Koriand'r. There is no room for undecided feelings. Your life on earth is nothing to consider any longer. And your friends will leave after you are crowned. It is time you prepare for your new life on Tamaran, where you will serve the remainder of your days. These people need you. You are the last hope in the wake of your brother's disappearance."
"We will find him," Starfire replied, tightening her grip around her glass.
"Maybe so," Yalfore shrugged flippantly. "But for now, you must take care of yourself and your people. Your friends, no matter how much you care for them, are no longer relevant to you, Koriand'r." He approached her in the next moment and her large green eyes looked to him. "As your adviser, I suggest you start taking my advice. I only want what is best for you. Do you understand?" Starfire's eyes shimmered in the bright evening light. "Have your digestive aid. Then rest. I shall station guards in here to look after you. Your friends are not to be here. Their welcome is limited."
"I... I do not like how you speak of my friends," Starfire told him. Yalfore paused in that beat.
"Drink your digestive aid," He replied briskly. "All will soon be well, Koriand'r." Starfire was hesitant, but she brought the glass to her lips and tilted her head back. Yalfore than guided her to her bed and laid her down. "Everything will make sense soon. You will be at peace again, I promise, my young one." Starfire nearly shivered as she curled up on her bed and Yalfore took his leave. He stepped out into the hallway and held his face like stone, turning to a soldier. "Find the Queen's friends. Make sure they are where they're supposed to be."