"... and this Logan?"
"A watermelon Star." He pushed the cart.
"... and these Logan?"
"Ha... those are bananas Star." He grabbed a bushel and wrapped them in the plastic bag, before tying a knot.
"... and these Logan?"
"Apples... I think you'll like those." They just got there, and she couldn't stop herself from asking him about the strange food that was native to this planet.
"... does it bother you that i ask so many questions?" She asked, worried that he would tire from her constant questions.
He smiled. "No Star, it doesn't bother me at all." They rounded the corner of the supermarket. They watched out to not bother the overnight workers that were finishing up their shift. They were allowed to shop early in the morning, before opening, so they could shop for groceries without being bombarded by citizens.
"I bet if I was on your planet, I'd ask you a lot of questions too." He stopped and began to point in the air around him.
"What's that Star!" "OH, what are those Star!" "Star, can I eat this?"
They both laughed. She knew that he was not doing the mocking her.
"If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask." He smiled, then began to add boxes of pasta noodles to the cart.
She smiled at him.
It had just been a week since the Gordanian attack, and after some negotiating with the Mayor, they agreed to allow the new 'Teen Titans' to protect their city. He was glad for Robin's negotiating skills, as he would have totally screwed up the meeting between city council and the teens.
He volunteered to do the grocery shopping, when the others looked lost at the thought of buying food in bulk. It kind of felt good, his animal instincts were happy at the idea that he was providing for his 'pack.' And right after volunteering, Starfire asked to venture to the 'Market of Supers.' So after an hour, and twenty questions later, they had a full cart. They paid for the groceries with a debit card provided by the city for only food, then exited the market. They stood outside the store until Starfire looked to him confused.
"Why have we stopped?"
"We don't have a car..."
Starfire looked to the parking lot, then the road that had few vehicles traveling down them. Before she could ask why not carry the bags to their residence he asked her.
"Do you think it would be bad...?"
"... bad?"
"Bad if we stole the shopping cart?"
Her eyes opened wide, 'STEAL' the shopping cart!'
"NO NO NO! Logan, we cannot steal! We are the heroes! It is our job to do the stopping of thieves who would steal shopping carts!"
He then began to laugh, "It's a joke Star. I don't really want to steal the shopping cart." He looked to her confused face. "Hmm, jokes don't work on you either, huh? Oh well, I guess I'm throwing out my comedy gig." He began to gather some bags in his arms. She decided to not question his reasons and also grabbed as many bags as she could carry. She smiled as he tried to balance the bags in his arms, and return the shopping cart to its pen with his legs. Almost losing balance, he straightened himself, before giving out a loud huff.
"Finally! Let's go Star." She laughed.
"What?"
"How will you change into the animal, if your arms are carrying the bags?
He looked down to his arms...
"... you're real funny Star..."
-
Cyborg looked up to the large ship that would be there new base. It would be a tall order. No, it would be a giant order to change this place from an intergalactic battle ship to a tower that would represent 'justice' in Jump City. But with the cities approval, and financial aid from a mysterious backer, HE would get to design and build the new 'Titans Tower.' HIM. He was granted that honor when he drew a rough sketch of the plans for the tower. Plans that blew away the council, especially when it wouldn't hinder the city and lead to a quick change in the buildings main focus. So far, they lived in the ground floor of the ship, in small compartments, with event washrooms provided by the city until they installed plumbing.
He looked overhead and saw a yellow teradactyl begin to lower to the ground, with Starfire and a boatload of bags on its back. Once on the ground, Star dismounted with the bags, and the dinosaur shifted into Logan. He looked to Cyborg and said.
"I gotta change it up..." Cyborg exhaled. Then Logan and Starfire took the bags of food that would tie them over till they built their kitchen. He went back to staring at the building for some time, before he was interrupted.
"Hey Cy..." Logan walked up to him.
He looked to the shapeshifter, wondering what he wanted. "Yeah?"
"Do you mind if I ask you something?" He looked worried. Then embarrassed. So Cyborg thought it over, not knowing what he was gonna ask him.
"... sure?"
"I-I'm not great at these things." he gestured to the ship behind him. "Actually, I'm pretty dumb when it comes to technology in general." Cyborg scrunched his eyebrows together at Logans insult towards himself. "I was wondering... is there anything I can help you with?"
Realizing Logan was talking about the ship, he though it over. He was expecting ALL the Titans to contribute to building the tower. Or contribute in any way they could. He new that as their 'leader,' Robin would take on the role of the spokesman between the 'Teen Titans' and the city. He would be lead engineer and possibly their on-sight medical practitioner. Starfire, Raven and Logan would most likely be the 'muscle' in managing the teams affairs since they didn't specialize in any fields. But Logan was asking if he could do more...
"I was going to ask you and the girls to do the heavy lifting during construction, but if you're willing to do extra... I can maybe find something you can learn or manage." That seemed to be the thing Logan wanted to hear, since he smiled and released a sigh.
"Thank Cy... it's just. Its really amazing, you know?" Cyborg looked up again to the ship.
"Yeah... who would have thought we'd be living in a spaceship?"
"No... not that." Logan said. So he looked back down to look the shapeshifter in the eyes.
"It's just... it was barely a week ago when you found me in that alley." He paused. And Cyborg knitted his eyebrows. "And now... here you are putting a roof over my head." His confusion melted away to surprise, then to a feeling of appreciation for Logans words. "You're putting a roof over ALL our heads. We were all scattered, with no where to go, with no purpose, you know... But your giving us more than a base... You're giving us a 'Home.'" And Cyborg didn't know what to say to that.
"Thank you Cyborg. Thanks for all the things you've been doing for me... I hope i can repay you someday."
Even when he had saved a few people during his night watches, no one had ever thanked him for helping them. They were more afraid of the large figure that loomed in the shadows, even when he was the one to stop their mugger or thief. The look that Logan was giving him, it was genuine gratitude that his partner was giving him. And it really filled a part inside himself that he didn't know that he wanted.
"... thanks..." then a sphere of dark energy appeared on the beach, before disappearing to Robin and Raven standing together.
Starfire returned from inside the base of the ship, and with all the Titans present, they stood before him. Robin looked to Cyborg and said, "It's all clear, and everything's approved. We can start whenever you're ready." Cyborg looked the team over, before stopping at Logan.
'You're giving us a 'Home'...
He gave a short laugh.
"Then what are we waiting for?! We need a kitchen ASAP!"
-
They finally completed their base of operations. 'Titans Tower' stood proudly on the island that graced the coast of Jump City. They now understood what it felt like to live in a house while moving in AND renovating. After weeks of their closets being boxes, and eating their meals standing up, they could finally sit back on their large common room couch and kick up their feet.
"What great joy friends!" Starfire cheered as they lounged on the couch after just finishing unpacking. Everyone gave each other a smile, even Raven gave a smirk at all the chaos coming to an end.
"To celebrate, I wish to make a Tamaranian dish that my people feast after a hard battle fought." The others looked to each other with hopeful surprise. After weeks of eating cereal and frozen burritos, a homecooked meal sounded appetizing. They each looked at one another before turning to Starfire.
"That sounds good Starfire? Do you need any help?" Asked Robin.
"No thank you friend Robin, it is tradition that the warrior that calls for the feast be the one to prepare it. Please, be the patient while i do the cooking of our dinner." They nodded and relaxed into the couch watching TV, as Starfire began to go through their pantry. Raven sat at the edge with a book in hand, ignoring the light banging of pots and pans in the kitchen. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but a 'real' meal sounded good. So she read and waited for Starfire to finish cooking.
They heard chopping. Then scraping. Then sizzling and boiling. Then they started to smell something in the air. They looked over to Starfire who was humming along as she prepared dinner, before turning back to their activities. Then they heard snapping. Then grinding. And the smell was getting... pungent. Until the TV and their book couldn't keep their attention any longer.
"Uh... Star... How's it going?" Asked Cyborg.
"Oh, it is going the great friend Cyborg! Earth does not posses the vegetation of my home planet, but it's own ingredients are much more easy to cook with. I do not have to break or soak them to make our feast!"
She then opened a container of herb before pouring the entire bottle into a large bowl of pink goop.
"And it is the done friends! Please, seat yourselves to the table and I shall serve you!"
They hesitated, from where they sat, they could make out the smoke and sinister green steam that wafted from the pots and pans that were viciously murdered on the stove. They rose up, before slowly making their way to the kitchen table. Was the food moving?! They sat at the table when Starfire flew between them with a pot and ladle in hand. Before they knew it, bowls of various substances and lumpy textures were presented to them.
"Please friends, do the 'digging of in!" Starfire said with her hands clasped.
No one said anything, until Logan took a spoon and readied to dip it into his bowl.
"... Yeah. C'mon you guys. For Starfire..." He said while looking around the table. Guiltily, the others reached for their silverware before poking at their meal. They looked over to Starfire, who was already halfway through her first bowl. She thought after a few spoonful's, either nodded her head or gave a critical thought, then continued eating.
Braving forward, Logan scooped up a slimy orange glob and put it in his mouth. Sour. Killer Sour. He almost choked. He gaged though. And the others looked to him alarmed. He looked to them and gestured his head to their plates. They surveyed their meal for any parts that looked recognizable or the least offensive. After one small scoop onto their spoon, they tasted their food.
Robin's shoulders kept rotating. Raven was trying to stay upright in her chair, but an onlooker could make out the rapid eye movement that was going on behind her eyelids. And Cyborg coughed onto the floor. Logan was on his fourth spoonful, but looked more like he was seasick.
Finally, raven stood up and addressed Starfire. "T-Thank you for the meal Starfire, but I'm not hungry anymore." then she floated off to her new room.
Cyborg followed her example, "I've got more unpacking to do in our garage." He put down his napkin and spoon. "Pack it up and save it for later Starfire" He tried to give her a grin before walking down the hallway.
Robin watched the others go, then turned to both Logan and Starfire. "Thank you for the meal Starfire, but I'd like to head to the training room right now. I think it's best I start on our training schedule." He stood up, turned to Starfire and said "Thanks again." before walking towards their new gym.
Starfire's look shifted from confusion to worry as her friends left the table one by one. Then a look of sadness came over her. Until only her and Logan remained. There was silence.
"Do you wish to also leave the table Logan...?" She looked up as Logan struggled to eat another spoonful, not out of fullness though.
He hesitated, then lowered the spoon back into the bowl. He slowly pushed the bowl away from him, and Starfire dipped her head. She heard him push his seat back and then footsteps that headed towards the hallway. She was about to shed tears, when the seat next to her was occupied. She looked up to Logan, who was giving her a thoughtful look.
"... Star. We cant eat this." Her sadness and embarrassment hit her full force, and she was about to choke before she felt strong arms around her. Her eyes opened wide, before she realized that Logan was HUGGING her.
"Don't cry Star. Please..." He said to her. He was standing and leaning into her. She was starting to enjoy his warmth, when he pulled back.
"We appreciate that you cooked for us Star, we really do. But... The way you cooked it. And the things you put together. We're just not used to this kind of food." he finished.
She stared at him in wonder, before her sadness edged back into her, "Why did our friends leave without telling me?"
"They don't want to hurt your feelings Star... I admit. I wanted to tell you I wasn't hungry..." She looked more sad "but i couldn't hurt you like that Star. I had to be honest with you." She saw the sincerity in his eyes, and nodded.
"Then... i should not do the cooking for the team?" she asked.
"No... no Star. Not that. We'd be glad that you would still want to cook for us. I would be glad." And she got lost in his eyes.
"How about this..." He raised his hand and placed it on hers. She felt his warmth and kindness through his palm. "You know what cookbooks are?" He asked.
She looked confused, before shaking her head. So he continued.
"How do you know the recipes for the food you make at home?"
"The recipes are handed down from family to family back on Tamaran." She answered.
"Well.. here on Earth. We write our recipes in books, we even put them on the internet to share with others around the world."
"The internet?"
"I'll tell you about that another time." He smiled, but continued. "How about you and me go through some books and recipes that the others would be willing to eat, huh?
"You... you wish to cook with me?" Did he not know that preparing meals together was an intimate activity, shared amongst those that were family... and more?
"Sure! We can learn together, we'll all have to contribute something to the table. We can't have pizza every day now, huh?" He asked with a smile.
Slowly, a smile grew across her face. Which made him feel that he'd made the right choice in explaining the situation to her. She looked across the table, to the bowls of uneaten food left behind by her friends. And before the sadness could return, she turned to look at Logan.
"Let us discard the traditional feast of Tamaran then, and prepare one for our 'Titan Team,' yes Logan?"
"I'll feel bad about throwing away all your hard work Star." He told her with a guilty look across his face.
"That it okay Logan... I am looking forward to cooking with you."
He smiled then turned to gather the plates and bowls, all the while not noticing the happy smile that followed him at the table.
-
Robin looked at the Titans that were scattered across the gym. They had been in the gym for over an hour and he was seeing what the team was capable of in their physical training.
Cyborg was power lifting in the center of the room. He was testing out the maximum stress his joints and synthetic muscles could take under a heavy load. He was taking short breaks to analyze and review the results after each set of reps. Robin nodded his head and made a mental check mark at Cyborgs workout.
He then turned to the target practice portion of the gym, where both Starfire and Raven were. To the far wall on the left side of the room, dedicated to flying targets, Starfire launched her starbolts at both ground and air targets that flew and zig zagged across the field. Much like Starfire's course, Raven was also dealing with moving targets. But instead of launching her dark magic in offense, she was instead creating barriers to block incoming attacks and making shields to deflect non-lethal projectiles. Check... check...
Then there was Logan, to the right of the room dedicated to endurance training. Logan had been on the treadmill for... Robin looked at his watch... over fifty minutes. Fifty minutes of a light jog at low settings. All the while with a small content smile to his lips. He was curious what he'd do after his warmup on the treadmill, but Logan stayed put. for ten more minutes, then ten more after that. He'd ask the team to at least dedicate one and a half hours to their first workout as a team, and none of them made any argument.
He glanced at his watch again... an hour and ten had gone by. And Logan still continued to give a light jog without a care in the world. He turned to the others and saw that they were beginning to tire, but tried to hide their fatigue. So he'd let them break early for today, but later, they would have to really dedicate themselves to improving for any upcoming battles. So he walked up to Cyborg, who was toweling off after a set of lifting plates.
"I think that's good for today Cyborg, did you get any good results from your workout?"
Cyborg looked to Robin, then to his arm that gave him a reading of the status of his limbs.
"Yeah. I think i made a foundation that I can build off in my next workouts."
"I'd like to ask you about your capabilities." Cyborg looked at Robin defensively. So Robin continued.
"What I mean is, as the lead strategist of the team, I need to know all the ins and outs of what each of you are capable of. So in the event of an attack or altercation, I can correctly direct each of you on the field for maximum efficiency."
Cyborg gave a light glare to Robin before telling him.
"I have a cybernetic body with enhanced strength, and a laser canon for a arm."
"What else?"
"What else? That's what I'm bringing to the table. Other than my expertise in engineering and medical applications." He sternly replied.
"I'm talking about on the field Cyborg, there has to be more to you than your strength and sonic cannon."
"Anything else is my business."
"Well now its everyone's business Cyborg, my business. I need to know everything about you to fully utilize you on the field."
That was the wrong thing to say, as Cyborg stood up quickly while glaring down at Robin.
"I'm NOT telling you anything else. You cant come to me demanding I spill my guts about myself."
"I'm the team leader Cyborg. I HAVE to know-"
"I DONT CARE!" He stormed off and headed to the door to the hallway, he looked over his shoulder, "you may be the 'leader,' but i don't remember there being a vote. And just because you make up the plans, which we all agree to or disagree to, doesn't mean you can demand personal information about us." Then he disappeared behind the double doors of the gym.
Robin growled at the older teens back, before releasing a loud huff. He turned to the target practice area, where behind glass, the girls of the team continued their training. Oblivious to the argument between Cyborg and Robin. So he made his way to Raven when she stopped after a round of projectiles.
Ten minutes later, and Robin exited the target practice section of the gym with a glare to his features. He had a similar response from Raven about keeping her capabilities to herself. And Starfire told him just about everything he knew so far about her. Two out of three left the room in a bad mood, now it was time to either end this on a bad note, or break even.
He looked to Logan, and sure enough, he was still going at a light jog. Almost two hours and all he did was a pre workout, he didn't even sweat. As Robin approached the treadmills, Logan shut his off and dismounted to the gym floor.
"I heard your argument with Cy, and I also heard the little spat with Raven too."
Robin looked at him in surprise, then remembered that Logan was not too far from him and Cyborg at the bench press. He looked the shapeshifter over and said "You did a light workout."
"Yeah..." he answered with a small grin.
"Why? We have more bench presses, there's two more rooms to the target practice, we even have an obstacle course outside. Why did you just run this whole workout?"
"Running usually helps me think... but I didn't make much progress today." he gave a sheepish grin.
"I don't expect you to make much progress if you only stick to the treadmill."
Logan looked at him curiously, "What do you mean?" He leaned over the armrest of the treadmill he'd earlier stepped down from.
"Todays our first day of training as a team, and although they are still beginners in their workouts, the others made an effort to gauge and practice some part of their fighting style. I trained earlier this morning, so that gave me time to observe the rest of the team, but you. It's like you didn't take today seriously." Robin paused and waited for him to respond, but he didn't.
"I've seen your transformations Logan, and I'm really impressed with what I've witnessed. But we cant rest on our strengths today. We have to strive to improve ourselves. And that's taking our training seriously." Logan looked at him and nodded his head slowly.
"...I did take my training seriously..."
And they both didn't know what his words meant.
Logan stared past him, then after a few seconds, gave Robin his attention once again.
"You were gonna ask me something?" Robin took the situation as one of Logans odd behaviors.
Robin gathered himself before standing straighter than he already was.
"I was going around the team, asking them to give me a full list of what they were capable of on the field. I need this information to better prepare and plan our strategy's for upcoming battles." he finished, and was wondering if Logan would get defensive like Cyborg and Raven.
"Sure"
Robin was surprised, he didn't make any arguments about his abilities. He watched as Logan walked over to the bench that was to the side of the gym. Half way, he turned to Robin with an expecting look, before Robin followed him. They both sat down. Grateful that Logan was being civil, Robin started.
"You don't feel uncomfortable giving me this information?"
"... no, not really. You're not gonna use this info to hurt me, or anyone on the team, are you?"
"No." Surprised Logan would suggest such a thing. "This is just to strategize for the team. I wouldn't do that..." Logan smiled and nodded his head.
"Ask away."
"How long have you been active in fighting crime?"
"..." Logan looked lost again. They were already off to a bad start. "Honestly Robin, I don't know... but I CAN tell you. Its been for as long as I remember." Robin didn't know what to say to that, so he continued.
"I've seen you transform into eight different animals, is it safe to assume you can change into more?"
Logan smiled, "Sure can. If you name an animal, I can change into it, land, air or sea. So if you need me to break down a barrier, do reconnaissance on the field, or make a delivery. I'm your guy."
Robin liked that answer. "Are they regular animals, or do they have any special attributes to them?"
"I have enhanced strength, but not as much as Star or Cy. So my bulls hit harder, jaguars more agile, and my birds fly faster. My hearing, smell, vision and sensing abilities are also enhanced. Think of it as every part of the animal kingdom cranked up to the extreme."
Robin was impressed. Now that he thought about it, it made sense that Logan took it easy in the gym today. But was he being cocky and overconfident?
"Thanks for the info Logan, I'll use this to come up with strategy's for when we are called to defend the city."
"Now it's my turn to ask you some questions Robin..." Logan leaned back on the bench and rested against the wall of the gym. Robin was surprised to be surveyed, but nodded his head. If Logan wanted to know what his skills and expertise were, he'd gladly give them to him.
"Sure, I'll do my best to answer them." And Robin prepared to deliver his skills and work history.
"What are your intentions with this team?" Logan asked.
His intentions? What was he talking about? He tried to understand what Logan was getting at, but had to ask for clarity. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, how are we gonna function as a team? How will you lead us? What do we as individuals get out of this 'team' other than saving the citizens of Jump City?"
Robin was still confused by Logans questions, but decided to answer them individually. "I expect us to function as one unit, with me in the lead, at your suggestion." Logan nodded his head. "I will ultimately give the orders when we are out saving the city, so i expect that my orders are to be followed." "Sure." "As for your last question, you'll have to rephrase or explain it better to me." He finished.
"Everything you said, i agree with Robin... What I mean for the last question is..." Logan stopped to think how to word. "We're teenagers." With that sentence, Robin started to understand where Logan was going. "Now, I know where you're thinking I'm going with this is" he held up his hands, "but what i mean is that we ALL are ready to do what's needed to protect the city. We'll train, follow the chain of command, and give it our best. But we're still human Robin. We're young, living in a new place, in a new city, heck a new planet. We can't be a machine that rotates from training to fighting to resting and repeat."
"... Whatever you want to do in your free time Logan, your free to do it."
He shook his head. "It's not about free time or hobbies. It's about comradery."
"Respect and work ethics are good enough to function as a team. I wont stop team friendships... or relationships."
Logan didn't understand what Ronin meant by 'relationships,' but he stood up and looked down to Robin.
"You're a hundred percent right Robin, everything you've said and explained, i completely agree with. I just want to let you know that... I plan to not only make this a team, but a family..."
Robins eyebrows rose at Logans words, surprised he would say such a thing about strangers that just met two weeks ago.
"And I'm gonna do my best to make sure YOU are a part of it too. So if you ever wanna talk, hang out, or train together. Let me know." He said with a smile. Then turned and walked out of the gym.
Robin sat on the bench thinking about what Logan said. He wanted to make a deeper connection with the other Titans. He wanted friendship, or better yet 'family.' he wouldn't say no to those things. They were all free to do what they wanted when they weren't fighting crime. He wouldn't stop them.
"-do my best to make sure you're a part of it too." Something stirred in him at Logans words. He started to think of the family he had back in Gotham, the family he left due to suffocation, before shaking the thought away.
He got up and headed to his room's shower.
"I'll have to take him up on his offer to train then..."