Chapter Three
AN: Sorry for the delay in this update. I had a really difficult time with this chapter, I guess it has just been a long time since last I watched the Teen Titans. So there was a bit of research that had to be done in order to collect my thoughts. I thank those of you who have offered support, with the favorite/alerts, and as always I thanks those who have taken the time to comment. Now without further a due.
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The tower was silent. All of the other Titans beside Raven was still asleep. Robin was thankful for that, this way he could focus on his messages in peace.
First thing he required though was coffee. After the night he just had to suffer with reoccurring nightmares, and several hours of insomnia; he would have a difficult time functioning without that precious caffeine.
His hands just went through the motions of filling the machine with water, and making sure there was a fresh filter before adding the coffee grounds. Once that was finished, he went ahead and brought out his favorite coffee creamer, and set it next to the machine. It was a real challenge trying to keep the other Titans from using that special creamer; so Robin had created a different label for it. If he didn't then all of the Reese's creamer would be gone within the day. Making a different label for it wasn't hard though. Hell he had a nice computer program that practically did it for him, all he had to do was think up the name (Avocado Delight) and press print. Then bam! A new label that no one else would dare to touch! Robin was aware they probably thought he was taking his health to a whole new strange level, but he was okay with that. The special Reese's creamer never got touched again.
Robin brought a hand to his forehead to rub the tension away. His brain was over thinking again, if he didn't find a way to calm his ever moving mind he was going to go crazy. The lack of sleep alone was weighing on him.
The smell of the coffee brewing was so comforting. It was almost soothing enough to force his thoughts to slow. He was reminded of mornings living in Wayne manor, listening to another of Alfred's stories. Nostalgia hit him hard, so he moved from watching the machine and looked into the fridge for a quick meal. If he kept his hands busy then he wouldn't have to think about that time.
Their refrigerator was due for a decent grocery trip. He didn't see any bacon, or eggs, and the milk seemed to be close to empty. Looked like he was taking the last bagel, and the last of the cream cheese. So he set about placing the bagel in the toaster, and looked for a clean butter knife. Cyborg was on the list to do the dishes for the previous night, but they were still piled high next to the sink. Robin would do something about them just as soon as he finished his breakfast and coffee.
He was a bit upset though. What was the point of the list of chores and assignments if no one was going to follow them? He had worked hard on it.
Robin sighed, perhaps he was more exhausted than he thought. Normally things like the dishes didn't get under his skin, for he knew the Titans had very busy lives; so getting to do the dishes had to take a back seat on occasion. He would force his thoughts on other things, like spreading the cream cheese onto his toasted bagel. When that was finished he heard the coffee machine splutter out the last of the water.
He set his breakfast on the breakfast bar, then went and threw away the empty bag and container for the cream cheese and bagel. Robin then made his way over the tall cabinet and brought out his favorite coffee mug. It said 'Keep Calm Robin is Here,' his friends had got that for him as a joke for Christmas one year, so he couldn't throw it out. Over time it kind of grew on him. Now he preferred it, more often than not it was clean and ready for use.
So he doctored his coffee with the special creamer, and added two spoonfuls of sugar before he put everything away. Once he sat to start in on his meal, he heard the door to the main hallway open. He looked to see which Titan it was.
Raven walked threw and headed for the tea kettle.
Robin gave a half smile, pleased that it was her instead of one of the others. She was quiet, and at that moment he needed the quiet companionship. He still greeted her with a soft. "Good Morning."
She walked around the counter to join him with her tea cup in hand. "Good morning," she drawled. "I didn't think anyone else was going to be up so early."
"Had somewhat of a rough night," he said.
"I see."
"It's no big deal, I figured I'd go ahead and get a head start on my messages. The Justice League was going to send an update on our relations with the Green Lantern Corp. Apparently they want to send more here to earth. Something about training new recruits."
"Sounds important."
Robin huffed before answering. "Sure it's important if you're a part of the Justice League, they just wanted to keep us informed to see if they could get us to become baby sitters for the new recruits. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for helping people; but if we sent any of the Titans there to help, I would be concerned about keeping this city protected." He paused to sip his coffee. "I mean Slade is still out there somewhere, and finding him should be our first priority. After dealing with the Brotherhood of Evil, I have a feeling he might just want to make an appearance soon."
It was a real fear of Robin's. They were never able to find him after everything that went down with Trigon, and then all of their focus had to be placed onto the Brotherhood. There was no telling what Slade was up too in all of that time. He could have an army waiting to take them any moment, they couldn't spend time training people when he was still at large.
Raven was just sipping her tea and listening to him rant.
Robin was grateful that she was there. Just her presence made him feel like he could be himself around her and not be judged. She had just as much of a dark past as he did, and with their special bond it was easy to tell that she also valued his company. Raven must have also known about the dreams. With her empathy ability she could probably sense what he wasn't saying.
She set her cup down and shifted in her seat to give him her full attention. "If it makes you feel any better, I think you're right." She said it like a fact. Her tone steady, her voice hinting for him to continue.
He didn't have much more to say on the subject, but it was nice to know that he wasn't boring her. "Thanks, that means a lot."
Robin stood from his chair and brought his things to the sink so he could get started on the mountain of dishes. He didn't look when he heard her stand from the breakfast bar. His peripheral vision tracked her movement when she came to lean against the counter with her tea in hand.
"I saw something interesting today during my meditation." She said.
"Yeah? What was that?"
"A man was walking along the beach, and then he summoned a giant bird and flew away."
Robin almost dropped the dish he was holding.
Was that supposed to be some kind of metaphor?
"You're joking right?" He kind of chuckled.
"I never joke," she deadpanned.
He placed the dish back into the soapy water.
"Wait you're serious..." Robin turned to look at her.
Her entire expression was not amused. One of her eye brows were raised and she was making a 'yes I'm serious you dumbass' look.
He didn't know what to think about that. A man just strolling along the beach then summoning a bird?
"Did you get a good look at him?" He questioned with something like excitement in his tone.
"Not really, he was too far away." She paused, then took another sip of her drink. "I did feel some kind of energy coming from him. It felt like a very powerful chakra pool, the difference being normally chakras can't be detected that easily. It takes years of practicing and learning about the different chakras in the body, before one has the ability to manipulate it. But I'm sure that is the energy he used to summon the bird."
Robin trusted her explanation. If anyone knew about chakras it would be her.
All in all he would like to meet this guy. It wasn't everyday Robin heard about someone in the city who could summon animals. That was a unique ability in its own right, so he was curious to know if the guy had any other talents.
"Have any idea where he went?"
"I saw him disappear into the forest on the other side of town. I'm not sure if he is still there, or if he has already moved on."
Bummer, that was a real shame. He could of been heading to Gotham city for all they knew. Looked like they would just have to keep their eyes open for the next time he emerged... well, if he reemerged.
Robin went back to scrubbing dishes, and Raven just stood there offering her silent company. It wouldn't be long before some of the other Titans would awake, and Robin really wanted to get a head start on clearing out his email.
After he had completed about half of the mountain, Robin drained the dirty water but didn't bother filling the sink again. He had other things to do, and the dishes were just taking too much time.
"Raven, do you think you could enlist Starfire's help with groceries later? The fridge is damn near bare."
She placed her empty cup beside the remaining dishes, then started heading toward the main hallway. "I'll go wake her now," she paused by the sliding doors. "I'll try to bring the other two with us, maybe give you some more time to wake up."
Robin smiled. "Thank you."
He was relieved.
"Don't mention it," she intoned. The doors slid behind her when she disappeared into the hallway.
With the promise of extra time, Robin set to work waking the computer system in the living room. He liked to use that particular computer because of the very large screen. It made it easier to read over the messages.
The first email his eyes fell on was one from Batman.
It had been some time since last he heard from Bruce, and the prospect of reading what he had to say made Robin feel a bit bleak.
Bruce hadn't believed him about the Brotherhood until it was too late. By the time they received assistance, the battle had already been won. It wasn't the first time he had been let down by that man, and it probably wasn't going to be the last.
Best get the message out of the way to see what he wanted, so Robin could get on with the other emails.
Robin,
I have received a report from Zantara, stating that our dimension has been breached by an outside source. It appears there has been a rift opened allowing anything, or anyone to come through. The location is directly in the middle of Jump City, I've sent you the coordinates in an attachment. I trust your team will be able to handle the situation.
Good Luck,
B
A dimensional rift? Robin had learned of them during his studies, but never did he think there could be one in Jump City. The nexus points just didn't have enough energy to open one on their own. There had to be an outside force behind it. He would have to discuss this problem with Raven, once again putting the groceries on hold.
Robin saved the attached file to the main server, then closed down his email. He would have to clean it out later.
Pushing the button to the tower's intercom, Robin summoned the other Titans.
He didn't have to wait long for them to join him. They made themselves comfortable on the large sofa and waited for him to start the team meeting. Beast Boy was the last to emerge, he had hair sticking up in all directions, and his clothes looked a bit rumpled. It was obvious he had just gotten out of bed.
"Titans, it has come to my attention that there has been a disturbance in the middle of our city. Apparently a dimensional rift has opened, and we have been tasked with closing it." He watched their faces for comprehension.
It looked like everyone present was following his explanation just fine, except for Beast Boy. Robin hadn't expected anything less. So he opened the floor for comments and concerns.
Raven spoke first. "Are you sure it is a dimensional rift? There shouldn't be enough spiritual energy in the city for something like this to happen."
Robin nodded. "The source I got this information from is solid, I would trust their judgment."
Cyborg spoke next. "It's possible something like that could have been opened with advanced technology. I'll have to scan the area to make sure." He placed his hand onto his chin, deep in thought.
Robin looked around to make sure there weren't any more comments to be made. The silence hung for a few minutes before he clapped his hands together. "All right then Titans, let's head down to the location and figure this mess out."
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Beast Boy wasn't understanding anything that was going on. When it came to spiritual mumbo jumbo, it really just sounded like a bunch of gibberish. The technology aspect of it wasn't any easier.
No, Beast Boy's main concern was guard dog duty. Robin had ordered that he watch the portal thingy for anything that might want to get through. It was an important job, but boring. He didn't have much to look at, and watching the other Titans work... he just felt left out.
Cyborg was busy scanning the thing with some doo dad.
Raven was sitting in front of it with her eyes closed.
Robin was standing over Cyborg's shoulder offering suggestions and what not.
Starfire would occasionally shoot a star bolt through the portal just to see if that would make it change.
All in all, he wished he could be elsewhere.
Their favorite pizza place was right across the street... it wouldn't take that long for him to pop over and grab a bite before the others noticed him gone.
Beast Boy held his breath and waited for his opportunity.
There! Robin knelt down next to Raven, waving his arms about in excitement.
Now was his chance! Beast Boy changed into a mouse and scurried down the alley. He would be less noticed this way, and his little mouse feet were quite swift. It didn't take him long to reach the side of the street. The mouse form wouldn't be needed if he could stay out of sight from the alley. So he switched back to his human form, and started across the street. There weren't a lot cars out at this time of day, so he didn't have to dodge many.
The smell of pizza on the wind was enough to make his mouth water. He could just picture two slices of veggie pizza dissolving on his tongue, giving life to his hungry body. It was just too good to resist!
A blast of red energy sent Beast Boy flying through the air, smacking him into the side of a building. He had to blink several times to clear his vision. When he did, Beast Boy could see one of Slade's robots moving toward him.
He scrambled to his feet, holding onto his left side. Pain made him stumble.
The weapon aimed at him was charging up for another blast. Before it could be fired off a sword laced with electricity sliced it in half.
A man stood behind the robot. His hair was black, framing his face and spiked up in the back. His shirt looked like a white fancy bath robe, tucked into purple and black pants. A large purple rope was tied around his waist, and his feet were covered with some nice looking black sandals. His eyes were strange. Red with three black commas placed around the center pupil.
Beast Boy could almost taste the power charging the air. It made him want to bare his teeth and change into something a bit more capable of fighting. Say a lion, or tiger; but he wanted to watch what would happen between the newcomer and the robot.
The robot shifted its torso. Its fist made contact with the stranger's open palm.
He used the momentum to twist and throw it to the ground.
By that time the other Titans emerged from the alley. Raven came over to Beast Boy to check his injury.
"Who is this guy?" Beast Boy asked in a whisper.
Raven placed her hand over his side and summoned her healing ability. "I'm not sure, but I'm glad he was here." Her tone was quiet, but Beast Boy could hear the faint heat of anger.
He would have to apologize for leaving them, but he was too focused on the fight.
There were more robots filling the street, and Robin had ordered the other Titans to action.
Starfire had taken to the air. She picked off enemies with her star bolts. Her aim was perfect. Robot after robot collapsed onto the ground, twitching and sparking; more kept flowing into the square.
Robin had taken up post behind the stranger, keeping the robots from attacking his back. His Bo staff was the perfect weapon for keeping so many enemies at a distance.
Cyborg was acting like a shield for Raven and Beast Boy. He would blast whatever got too close with his sonic cannon. "Oh yeah! Take that, and that! Ha, you want a piece of me? BooYa! You ain't getting past me!"
Once Beast Boy's side was healed, he transformed into a raptor and jumped into the fray. He used his teeth and claws to rip robots into pieces. His speed and agility allowed him to fight his way into the center of the street. His goal was to offer support for Robin and the stranger.
Raven joined Starfire in the air and unleashed black tendrils of energy into several robots. They fell, but more continued to surround them.
The stranger hacked and sliced with his lightening sword, then paused and used one of the enemies as a shield. He discarded it onto the ground then formed a hand sign. "Chidori Stream!"
Electricity pulsed out from the stranger's body, shorting the circuits of the robots within twelve feet.
Beast Boy was thankful the chain of lightening didn't hit either him or Robin, for he could see the street scorch where it was hit.
When the robots fell, there wasn't many more to replace them. So the Titans took care of the few remaining. Beast Boy thought he saw some of the robots disappear into a few of the alleys; so he went to make chase, but Robin placed his hand on the back of Beast Boy's head.
"Let them go, we need to make sure no one was hurt." Robin's voice had that deep authority quality to it, leaving no room for arguments.
Beast Boy transformed back into his human form, then brought his hand up for a mock salute. "Sure thing Robin. I'll get right on that."
Robin might of rolled his eyes, but Beast Boy couldn't tell because of his mask.
The stranger was over next to the pizza building, helping an older man to his feet. His back was to the Titans, and his sword was back in its place.
"Thank you young man, my wife would kill me if she found out I was stuck in between a battle of the Teen Titans and robots. Not that she would believe me! No it's better if I don't mention it at all." He paused to right his clothes. "There wasn't any lasting damage anyhow thanks to you. If it wasn't for you young people out here fighting the good fight, we would be forced to move back to Gotham. Can you believe that? Anyway good day, but I better be off now."
Tall, dark and mysterious, shook the man's hand and watched him leave.
Robin took the opportunity to greet the stranger. "Hi, I'm Robin, leader of the Teen Titans. Thanks for your help back there, those were some pretty sweet moves." He offered his hand to the stranger.
The stranger studied him before shaking his hand. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha." His voice was deep and intimidating. His red eyes, faded into black.
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