The room stared at the couple, envious of what they had. A strong love that seemed to face all the odds and struggles and somehow find a way to make it work. It was inspiring to the others.
Richard held out an elbow for Starfire to grip with her own and as she did they began heading for the exit and all the eyes in the room followed their movement towards the door.
"Goodbye friends!" Starfire shouted in a giddy voice as they began leaving, "if you should need any assistance please contact us at any time!"
Richard looked back at his friends and smiled before the door to the Tower closed behind him. As they approached his bike he picked her up with his powerful arms and placed her on the back seat with her legs bent on one side before he stratled the bike in front of her and started the engine. Starfire wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and Richard pressed a button on his bike. A narrow runway like a sidewalk rose from the ocean, connecting Titans Tower to the not too distant shore of Jump City. Richard twisted the throttle and they took off down the narrow pathway. Cyborg had built this entrance for Richard when he went solo incase he ever needed to get to the Tower.
After a quick ride through the city, Richard and Starfire arrived at the nice restaurant he wanted to treat her to and parked on the street at a meter. He quickly dismounted and lifted Starfire off the bike placing her on the side walk before paying for the meter.
Starfire couldn't help but smile with a blush as she watched him dance around his bike before they finally got to have some much needed time alone together. She took his arm once more and they walked through the giant glass doors with embroidered silver linings that framed the door with a sense of elegance.
The host seating tables was a tall and slender man. He stood at a small podium wearing a tuxedo with a sharp looking bow-tie and greeted the two heroes as they approached.
"Reservations?" He asked with a small grin.
"Yes," Richard said clearing his throat, "they should be under the name: Grayson?" He wasn't very comfortable using his birth name even though the people didn't seem to hold any resentment towards him. No one knew why he tried to avoid using it so much. His friends could only assume it reminded him of his past. A past that was filled with too much pain.
The tall man dabbed his index finger against his tongue and flipped the page of the Reservations book on the podium in front of him. After a few seconds he found the name he was looking for.
"Right this way, Mr. Grayson," he held a hand out in front of him directing the two towards their table.
"Ladies first," Dick said with a smile. He nod his head towards the host and Starfire giggled as she took the lead in front of him.
They sat at a table off to the side of the restaurant next to a calming water feature with a luscious garden of exotic plants all around it. It was easily the best seat in the restaurant.
"Wow!!!" Starfire exclaimed with her eyes shining like stars, "it is most magnificent!"
Richard didn't even notice the garden of exotic flowers or the calming water feature that looked like a small river flowing through them. His eyes were fixed on Starfire. Her excitment over the simplest things. Her smile that could light up the darkest room. Getting lost in her eyes... It was the most at peace he had felt in the time he had gone solo.
"Yeah..." Dick respond. He blushed and managed to mumble under his breath, "absolutely gorgeous." But he wasn't referring to the garden.
Back at the Tower, Raven and Terra sat on the couch next to Beastboy to watch TV with him.
"Hello ladies," he said with a smug smile, "care to indulge yourselves in some Clash of the Planets?" He said with a sarcastic seductive voice as he flipped channels to the Clash of the Planets marathon.
Raven grabbed her book off the coffee table and sat next to Beastboy. She sat a little further from him this time. Usually she'd lean against him and get close but this time she had a small distance as if defending herself from him.
Beastboy held up and arm for her to slide under and get comfortable but Raven only opened her book and began reading silently without acknowledging him. He felt a slight twinge of pain in his heart like she was punishing him for something. Usually he'd ask for forgiveness and admit his mistake... but he didn't know what he did this time.
"Which one is it?" Terra said sitting on the other side of Beastboy. She knew there was an entire trilogy of these movies but didn't know them well enough to point out which one was which.
Beastboy looked over at Terra and his ears perked up as his excitement for some attention was fulfilled, "the first one! It's almost over though... but it's a marathon! The next one will be on right after." He said with a wide smile looking back at the TV. Getting lost in a alternate universe of sci-fi fantasy was most certainly one of his guilty pleasures.
The film ended shortly after and the credits began to roll. Commercials began to play on one half of the screen as the credits continued to roll on the other half indicating the next film in the marathon was coming on next.
Terra looked over at Raven and saw she was troubled. Her mind was clearly distracted as she read her book. Seeing as how a commercial was playing, Terra thought this might be her best chance to talk to her...
"Hey... Raven?" Raven looked up from her book at Terra who called for her attention, "what did you mean when you told Star that something might have happened to Dick?"
Beastboy zoned in on this conversation completely ignoring when his marathon would continue. This was more important than missing his favorite TV programs.
Raven looked from Terra to Beastboy then back to Terra. Their eyes were fixed on her waiting for her response. She let out a small sigh and decided to just come out with it...
"Dick is struggling with something," she admit looking away from their begging eyes, "he's not as confident as he used to be. He kept in touch for a few months then just vanished completely," she closed her book and placed her hands in her lap fiddling with the hard cover of the thick fold of pages she held, "I can't know for sure..." she looked up at them making eye contact to show her seriousness, "but I think he might have gotten hurt... Seriously hurt," she paused as her voice filled with guilt, "and we weren't there to help him."
Terra and Beastboy looked at each other with concern. They didn't think anything could stop Richard. He had the strongest willpower out of any of the Titans. Out of anyone they knew. Nothing could ever break his determination or crack his mental state... But if Raven was telling them that something was wrong, they knew it must be serious.
"H-he seemed ok to me..." Beastboy said with a stutter knowing that Raven might snap at him.
"Yeah... I didn't think he was any different when I saw him..." Terra add defending Beastboy's point.
"I know," Raven shot back defensively, "but something's off. I could sense it. I'm worried I might have said too much and now Starfire is going to try to talk it out of him."
"And if we know one thing about Dick... He doesn't like to open up," Beastboy said connecting the dots. He could see why Raven was concerned. She feared she doomed her good friend's date to disaster.
"But you told her not to," Terra said trying lift Raven's spirits, "I mean c'mon... Starfire isn't that dense. I'm sure she knows not to press him on it..."
Beastboy and Raven looked at Terra like she should know better. If there was ever a time anyone was even slightly upset, Starfire was the first one to try to fix the issue however she could. Most of the time she wouldn't rest until she helped resolve the issue but if the issue couldn't be fixed it would take someone like Raven to scream at her to get her to back off. Starfire was relentless when it came to helping her friends. It was both her best and worst quality.
Terra stared back at their judging eyes with a little confusion. After a moment she couldn't figure out what they were trying to get across to her and forced her to ask them verbally.
"What?" Terra asked aggressively.
Raven and Beastboy looked at each other both concerned for their friends date.
Meanwhile back at the restaurant...
"And that is how we defeated control freak and The Hive members at the same time," Starfire finished her story with a smile. She was excited to tell Dick about her accomplishments while he was away hoping he would be proud of her.
"Wow," Dick said with an impressed look on his face, "you guys have been removing crime as a whole while I've been gone." He chuckled nervously... He was immensely proud of her but he also felt a little jealous that he didn't have the same kind of success in his own endeavors.
Dick sat across from Starfire with a menu open in front of him. Starfire had a menu open as well, however, she didn't understand what most of the entrees were. It was her first time in such an extravagant restaurant. It almost made her feel a little uncomfortable. But each time she'd look across the small table at her date she would relax and know all is well. Except... for what Raven had told her earlier...
I think something might have happened to him while he was away...
Starfire could see it clearer now. His posture wasn't as up-right and proud. He didn't have that assertive confidence he would usually wear on his sleeve. Something was off and Starfire bit her lower lip trying to keep herself from pressuring him on it.
"So... Um... I... Enjoy the abundance of your hair..." She stumbled over her words trying to engage in conversation.
Richard looked up from his menu and chuckled as he ran his right hand through the thick lengths of his hair from the top of his forehead to the back of his neck, "thanks! I uh... haven't really had the time to get it cut." He replied with a smile.
Starfire returned the smile but then lowered her head and her smile began to fade.
"Hey... is everything ok?" Richard asked softly seeing the distress on her face.
Starfire felt a jolt of panic... She knew exactly where this conversation would go but no matter how hard she fought it she still managed to say the things she knew she shouldn't.
"Oh! Everything is fine! How about yourself? Is everything, the fine, with you as well?" Starfire felt beads of sweat starting to protrude from her brow and the nervousness began to set in...
"Yeah..." Richard said with confusion in his voice, "everything is fine..."
"Then might you tell me where you have been and what happened on your travels?" Starfire couldn't believe what she was saying. It was like the words were pouring out of her mouth against her will. As much as she wanted the answers she knew that she shouldn't be interrogating her date like this.
"It's... A long story," Richard said lowering his head, "maybe some other time?" He asked hoping to put it off indefinitely.
"You know you can tell me anything," Starfire continued to insist.
"Star..." Richard said softly beginning to get annoyed.
"Please, I just wish to know what happened while you were-" Starfire was interrupted by Richard's raised voice.
"Star!" He yelled across the table, "can we just enjoy our dinner?" He finished his sentence softly as if pleading her to drop the subject.
The whole restaurant in the immediate vicinity was staring at them and the room quickly grew uneasy as a sense of tension filled the air.
"Oh... Um... yes." Starfire said with a somber voice, "forgive me," she stood up grabbing her small purse, "I must use the restroom." She stood still for a second as she turned from the table in her stunning dress next to the beautiful garden before she began walking firmly to the ladies room.
Richard watched her stunning beauty walk off and sighed heavily as he began to stare blankly at the menu he still held.
Maybe I should just tell her... He thought to himself.
Starfire pushed the heavy door to the bathroom open and walked over to a sink where a giant mirror that covered the wall stood above it. She leaned on to the long marble counter that held every sink and set her purse down next to the sink she was leaning over. She closed her eyes and hung her head low.
Oh X'hal... What have I done? Raven warned me this would happen, yet I still could not stop it from happening. What if he wishes to never speak to me again?
The sound of the bathroom door opening echoed through the room and Starfire looked up into the mirror to see another woman approaching behind her to the sink next to hers.
She wore a black and grey dress that had a business-like appearance. It shaped her hour glass figure perfectly giving her a very alluring appearance. Her hair was silver like a sharpened butcher's knife and flowed down over the top of her shoulders to her mid-back like a flowing river of grey clouds. Starfire was mesmerized for a moment as her prominent features dazzled her. This strange woman then pulled a tube of lipstick out of her purse and leaned towards the mirror to get a close look at where she wanted to apply a fresh coat of makeup.
The woman glanced over at Starfire who continued to stare at her in the reflection of the mirror. Starfire gasped to see she was discovered and turned back to her own mirror...
"Guy problems?" The woman asked with a chuckle as she lowered the lipstick and stood up straight to check her work in the mirror from a distance.
"Huh? Oh... why would you say that?" Starfire said once again stumbling over her words, flustered from the question, "I do not understand. What are these problems of the guy you speak of?"
The woman let out a quick laugh and turned to face Starfire while leaning on the counter with her right arm, "oh sweety... I've seen that look before. Usually right after a gal has had her heart crushed."
"Surely you are mistaken. My heart is... is..
..." Starfire trailed off as she turned to face the stranger who had an eyebrow raised like she wasn't buying anything being said to her. Starfire sighed, "I fear I may have pushed him away... and right after he just got back. I do not wish to lose him again."
"Is that all?" The woman exclaimed. She was shocked it was something so minimal, "that's an easy fix." She opened her bag and pulled put a different color of lipstick, "all we gotta do is give you a quick touch-up so he completely forgets all about it when he sees you." She pulled the top off the lipstick and twist the knob on the bottom producing a dark red color of lipstick. She then held it out to Starfire hoping she would accept her help.
Starfire looked down at the makeup being handed to her and hesitated, "oh... um... I have never used such devices before. I'm not quite sure how to-"
"Honey," the woman interpreted slightly annoyed, "it's lipstick. Real simple... Just take the pretty part and put it on your lips until you like what you see."
Starfire gave a small smile before taking the tube from the stranger and held it up to her lips as she stared at herself in the mirror. Just as she was about to apply some to her lips the tube made a hissing sound as if air was escaping from it.
In the mirror Starfire could see a small cloud of dark green smoke exiting the tube she held that was pointed directly at her mouth and nose. She finally began to realize what was happening. She tossed the tube at the stranger next to her but her arm fell limp and the tube landed at her enemies feet. Her vision started to blur and her knees grew weak as they buckled under her before collapsing completely. She landed on bathroom floor next to the dangerous tube of lipstick filled with knock-out gas. Starfire moaned in pain from the fall as she slipped into unconsciousness.
The strange woman stood over Starfire with a triumphant look on her face as if she had just caught the prey she was hunting for.
"That was too easy." She boasted with an evil grin.
