A/N: To everyone still reading, THANK YOU! I know this story probably isn't as interesting being that it's not nearly as cannon but it means a lot you guys are willing to read it. I got bogged down with homework and had to take a break to get that done so sorry about the delay. Here's the new chapter though! I hope you enjoy! As always, you know what to do! Thanks again!
Faint voices like whispers pulsate through the cold air. They grow loud before quickly dying off making it nearly impossible to understand what they are saying.
They sound familiar though. Friendly even. Like a conversation between friends discussing something important.
Richard's eyes began to tremble as he regained consciousness. Everything hurt. His body, his jaw, his pride. Everything. He wasn't entirely sure what he was upset about but only that he did something.
Something he regret. Something devastating to him. His head was pounding and it hurt to think so he let his thoughts remain clouded. The only thing that was bringing him comfort at the moment was the cold barren floor he was laying on. It was smooth like laying on a frozen lake. It calmed his mind however so little as the voices continued to dance off the walls of the room he found himself in.
He continued to keep his eyes shut as his foggy memory about what had happened to him eluded him. Before long it all started coming back.
The beat down he received from a few of his former enemies. A retaliation for the way he beat them down. They didn't even deserve it. They hadn't done anything at the time. He did it just to get some information about where Starfire's attackers might be...
STARFIRE!!!!
Like a lightening bolt to his brain, the memory of her assailants flying away in a massive alien spacecraft overwhelmed his mind and his eyes shot open wide and he sat straight up on the floor to see a room he recognized.
It had 4 glowing walls and a door locked from the other side. Above the back wall was a small window for people to look down into the cell to check on the occupant and communicate with them.
"He's awake,"Raven's voice could be heard through the speaker in Richard's cell.
It became apparent that the speaker is where all the voices he had been hearing were coming from. The faint whispers echoing off the cell walls creating a sonic dance around him were actually his friends.
This cell was meant for Raven once upon a time. Though... she was never a prisoner. It was more of a protective barrier to stop her father from reaching her. Richard locked his sights on the window as he jumped to his feet knowing only they could open the door behind him.
"What's going on?!" Richard shout in anger. He was furious they weren't chasing down their new enemies but instead had found himself in prison cell and his friends were the wardens.
"We could ask you the same thing," Beastboy said in very serious tone.
"Mind explaining what that was?" Terra said also emphasizing her seriousness.
He jnew they were referring to their enemies with grudge to come after him. It was literally the reason Starfire was taken. If they hadn't been there occupying their efforts, they would have easily triumphed in battle. But there was something else they were nagging him about...
"Start explaining," Raven said as if continuing for Terra, "what did you do? And who was it that took Starfire? You shouted her name like you knew her and she even went as far as to call you by name..." Raven never missed a thing. She had always been very wise and a keen listener.
Richard grit his teeth. He was stuck. All the guilt for his actions before he lost consciousness came rushing back nearly making him dizzy again. He didn't want to deal with this right now. He still only had one thing on his mind and he still had the mentality of doing whatever it takes to get her back.
"Guys come on!" He shouted throwing his hands out wide infront of him as if pleading for help, "every second we waste Starfire gets further away!"
"You don't think we know that?" Cyborg respond through the intercom, "listen man, I understand you love her and want to get her back but you're completely out of control!"
"We don't have time for this!" Richard shot back, "we need to-"
"You're only delaying us more!" Raven shout as she cut him off, "spill it! Everything! No more of this mystery person we don't even recognize anymore!" He voice grew more intense as if she was hurt that she had to treat him like a villain but as of right now... he was.
Richard thought about it for a moment and gave in. She had a point. The longer they held him here interrogating him the more time they would waste and the less likely they would be able to catch up to Starfire.
Richard sighed and looked down at the floor in front of him in shame as he clenched his fists at his sides.
"Alright," he began, "her name is Ravenger. She works for Slade and I had a few run-ins with her as I was tracking him down."
"You called her Rose," Raven quickly respond sensing he was still hiding something.
Richard grew more irritated that they were knitpicking every little thing. It made it much harder for him to explain. Because it meant explaining in full detail revealing things he didn't want uncovered.
"That's... What I thought her name was," Richard admit with a sense of defeat. He thought back to his solo journey tracking down his nemesis and all the pain and suffering he through as he did. The other titans could see the expression on his face was like he was watching a nightmare haunt him in real time. After a moment he looked back up at the window where his friends stood and continued, "but she's nothing but a liar and she's just as evil if not worse than her dad-"
Richard stopped short after letting that last part slip out and his eyes went wide as he panicked over what he just said to his friends.
"Her dad?" Terra said confused.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa..." Cyborg said adding to the confusion, "back up... You tryin to tell me that this chick's dad is Slade?!"
"Dude... Slade has a kid?" Beastboy said also confused. He looked like his mind had literally been set off like a nuclear bomb.
"And she's not the only one," Raven add with her serious monotone. She was the only one besides Richard who knew about Slade's other child. She looked at the others with a stern expression, "his son is honorary Titan."
The Titans eyes went wide in confusion and slightly panicked as if there was no way that could be true. They looked around at each other making sure they all heard what they thought they heard.
"So what happened, Dick?" Raven urged him to continue.
"It's not important," he quickly deflected, "what's important is the fact she has Starfire and we need to figure where they are going! We need go after-"
"YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" Raven cut him off, furious that he was still hiding something from them.
Her aggression could be felt through the intercom. She shouted so loud the speaker in the cell pitched and whined causing Richard to grasp his ears tightly to protect his hearing. She couldn't believe how much he had changed and how little he trusted them anymore. It really was like he was a person they didn't even recognize.
The rest of the Titan's looked at her with heavy hearts. They didn't want to have to do this to their former leader and best friend but he didn't leave them any choice. Raven looked from Cyborg to Terra to Beastboy. Their expressions held no further arguments from the conversation they just had a moment ago. The one that Richard could only hear as whispers as he drifted in and out of consciousness. She sighed and lowered her voice before addressing Richard once more.
"Listen Dick," she began, "we will go after Starfire. We will find her and bring her home. You..." She sounded like she was scolding a child, "you will stay here and face the consequences of your actions when we get back."
"But-" Richard began to protest before getting silenced once more.
"You attacked people for your own selfish reasons and made things much worse than they had to be!" Raven raised her voice again not even giving him a chance speak anymore.
"You've totally lost your mind, dude!" Beastboy add backing up his girlfriend, "the Dick we know would never pull a stunt like that."
"Sorry, Dick," Terra said full of remorse, "but we just can't risk you doing something else you might regret."
"It's for your own good, man," Cyborg add, finishing the conversation.
Richard bowed his head in shame once more before slowly falling to his knees. He sat back on his heels and slouched his shoulders over his body as if he had completely lost his will to continue on.
They were right. They had no reason to trust him anymore. He had done things he should have never even considered. Now, because of those actions, his friends saw him as a liability. Not an ally.
What have I done? Richard thought to himself once more.
The team then regrouped and left the room above the holding cell that Richard occupied without another word.
The sun was rising as the team had gathered in the hanger where the T-Ship was being prepped for space travel. They all loaded up on board and the engines roared to life for take off.
"So... do we even know where we're going?" Beastboy asked over the inner comm link.
"I cross referenced the ship that took off with the data base I have on file for UFOs that we've come into contact with," Cyborg said answering his question, "I knew it looked familiar but there's one place that will know for sure if I'm right."
"and that is..." Beastboy said still wanting an answer.
"We're going to Tamaran, Beastboy," Raven said as if trying to silence everyone so they can finally take off.
The top of the Tower began split as if Moses himself had opened a pathway as the bright blue sky revealed itself. With the whir of the engines the ships jets explode in a firey discharge of intense power and the ship launched through the Tower's opening like a NASA space shuttle heading for orbit.
Richard still sit on his heels in a defeated and depressed state. He contemplated never moving from his current position again. Everything he's done since he had gotten back had only made things worse and worse and he had no one to blame but himself.
He didn't even flinch as the ground beneath him rumbled and shook as the T-Ship launched on take off. He looked as if he were dead inside. But then... Something shook him as the sound of the T-Ship faded into the distance.
"I thought they'd never leave," a sarcastic robotic voice echoed through the intercom in his cell.
Richard looked up at the window to see Red-X staring down at him with his arms crossed.
"Don't look so surprised to see me," X said as if Richard should have been expecting him, "you wanna get her back right?"
