The End of Tomorrow (Teen Titans Fic... feedback welcomed!)

[PressureCooker]

-Come with me
-Into the trees
-We'll lay on the grass
-And let the hours pass

-Take my hand
-Come back to the land
-Let's get away
-Just for one day

-Let me see you
-Stripped (down to your soul)
-Let me see you
-Stripped (down to your soul)

---Rammstein---


Chapter 1 "Stripped"

The sun slowly slipped over the horizon and the shadows in the city grew ever longer in the fading light. One by one the street lights flickered on causing the city to shimmer from end to end. The wind gently whipped his hair around and caused him to shudder in the cold. He continued to watch the city from his perch, ensuring that it was safe. After all, that was all that he did these days. Crime was at an all time low in the city... His city. His city that didn't even have so much as a litter bug in its midsts. He sighed. He looked long and hard at the sparkling oasis before him. It was going to be another long and uneventful night.
"Robin?" Asked an inquisitive voice from behind him.

"Yeah Star?" He replied without taking his gaze off the bridge in the distance.

"It is quite cold out here alone." She said as she rubbed her arms to keep warm. "Cyborg and Beast Boy are teaching me how to play the games of video and the need a fourth person to play. Would you like to join us?" she asked as she walked up next to him.

"You go ahead, I'll be along in a few minutes." He said as he watched the flashing red and blue lights of a police car pull over a speeding motorist on one of the main streets. A warm hand came to rest on his shoulder causing him to look up at its owner.

"Do not be sad Robin. Your city is peaceful, and that is what we work for." said Starfire. This caused Robin to look away briefly and scan the city again.

"I guess your right...It's not that I'm sad, I'm just disappointed." he replied as he watched the steel girders of the bridge glow in the twilight.

"Disappointed at what?" asked Starfire as she cocked her head unsure of her friends feelings. For Robin was Disappointed. Disappointed to the fact that there were no more challenges left in this city. He felt callus for thinking this way, but it was the truth. After the fall of Slade and the rounding up of all his underlings the city seemed to be in suspended animation. Time passed by at an agonizingly slow pace lately. The passage of the last few months felt like he had lived several lifetimes. A year ago he was at the top of his game. Leader of the Teen Titans; An unstoppable force that made villains cower by the mere mention of their name. But time had changed him. He was still the leader of the Titans, and they were still unstoppable and all... but he had changed.

Starfire tilted her head the other way and squeezed his shoulder. This caused Robin to realize that he had been silent for the past few minutes and he turned to face her once more. "I dunno... I guess it's..." Robin sighed and sat down on the edge of the towers roof. He stared down at the ocean below which had slowly over the last few minutes became slightly violent and was crashing on the rocks below. The seemingly endless stream of white lights that poured over the bridge had subsided as the minutes ticked by. The evening commuters were all heading out of the city towards their manicured lawns and single story ranch houses that made up the surrounding suburbs, not knowing that their movements were watched by Boy Wonder. God he hated that name... "Boy Wonder". Humph! He was no longer a boy. He was a man. A man that keep his city safe and free of crime. He should be known as-

His thoughts of self-torment were interrupted as Starfire sat next to him and wrapped her arm over his other shoulder. Robin turned to look at her but she had laid her head on his shoulder and was looking at the city off in the distance. Perhaps she was right. He did need a hobby... everyone else had one and they seemed to be happy. Cyborg has the T-Car, Raven has her meditation and studies, Beast-Boy has his eating contests and cooking duties (no matter how much the others liked it or not) and he had... he had, nothing. No. That wasn't true. He had Starfire; his ever faithful companion that fought along side him and also went to the movies with on occasion. She had asked him on several dates before, but there was never any time to go. The city always needed him, always needed saving from some evil plot or some vile act of evil... but not anymore. The town was quiet and so was his social life.

He replayed the image in his head as she tripped over every other word while trying to ask him to one of the fancy bistros in town. He even stifled a giggle as he remembered her face blushing into a slight shade of purple as she asked him to a Broadway play. And he downright laughed as he remembered her giving him a "decapitated Rose" because she saw it done on some reality show on TV. She really was fun to be around, and not just because of her inability to adapt to many of Earth customs or awkwardness of using these new customs. She actually kept him sane in his darkest hours. Back when the hunt for Slade was nearing a dead end and he would self loathe for hours trying to figure out what had gone wrong in his attempts to capture him and end the madness. Locked in his room for days he would study maps and newspaper clippings with headlines like "Titans Loose Villain Again" or "Teens not up to the Fight?" or his personal favorite "Robin Speechless as Criminal Once Again Got His tongue". At the point of no return when he wanted to throw it all away and leave town out of pure frustration, she would talk to him as happy as ever and get him to realize that the only way to find Slade was to go looking for him again. Truly she was that ray of sunshine in his metaphorical darkness.

He looked down to see if his fit of laughter had any effect on her, but her eyes were closed and her breathing had slowed down to an almost marked pace. "Hey Star?" Asked Robin as he lightly hugged the dozing alien that was leaning against him. He must have been thinking for at least an hour or two for the sun was now replaced by the moon and dark clouds gathered in the east.

"Hmmm..."Replied Starfire without opening her eyes.

"Um..." Robin paused for a second. "I was just thinking that maybe we should go to one of those shows you always wanted to see and get some dinner afterwards. What do you think?" He braced for a rib breaking hug and joyful laughter from his friend but was met with a solemn and soft response.

"That... would be... glor-e-us..." The last word drawn out and ending with a sigh. She was now fast asleep and her breathing had reached the slow metronome-like stage that you could set a watch to. He sat for a while longer with her laying against him before he decided it was too cold to stay up on the roof any longer. The moon was now high over head and the wind had picked up and started a gentle howl as it passed over the ridge of the roof. Robin stood up and gently scooped up the sleeping girl into his arms and headed toward the roof door. He was fiddling with the door latch when he was startled by the door opening outward. He stumbled back and almost lost his balance due to the awkwardness of his passed-out cargo. Raven steeped out of the shadowed entryway and into the grey moonlight.

"Sorry you guys, I didn't know you were up here." Stated Raven as she turned to go back into the tower.

"No Raven, it's alright. I'm just going to drop Star off at her room and then do some reading of the daily police blotter. The roof is all yours." He said as he stepped to the side to allow Raven to pass. Raven raised an eyebrow at him and walked past him. Raven was almost halfway to the edge of the roof when she turned to face robin and spoke. "You know, she really cares for you."

"I know." He said as he lowered his head to look at Starfire who now had her mouth open slightly and was almost snoring in a cute like way.

"and you care for her." said Raven as she turned to face the edge of the roof and sat cross-legged on the cold bleak surface.

"I know." Repeated Robin as he continued to look at the sleeping girl that was curled up in his arms.

"I can't display my emotions, not without dangerous consequences. The both of you don't have that problem... It would be a shame to waste all that." Said Raven in a monotone voice that never changed. Robin looked up at her but she had her back to him and was deep in meditation. Robin looked down again and thought about the feelings he had inside him and tried to hash them out one at a time.

"For not having any emotions, you sure are an expert about them." Said Robin as he turned to face the door again. Raven's eyes opened wide for a second and then she closed them and spoke in a soft voice. "I have emotions... I just can't show them." replied a saddened Raven.

Robin was already inside the tower and had closed the door behind him not hearing the pain his words carried to his comrade. Raven was left alone on the roof and she began her chanting to calm her mind as the wind became stronger and a rumble of thunder was heard off in the distance.

[BeastBoyWonder]

Damn, this is good! Great description, and you seem to have an excellent grasp of each of the three Titans featured so far. Good to see some new blood around here, and can't wait to see where you're going with this.

[Stu]

That was brilliant. For such a small scene, it worked incredibly well. I'm a big Robin/Starfire fan, and I'd love to see a scene like this in the cartoon.

Please do more

[PressureCooker]

O.K. You guys asked for it.

I'm putting the finishing touches on the rest of the chapter right now and I'm pulling an all-nighter. I will post the end of the chapter by sunrise Pacific time.

BTW, This isn't going to be a lovie-dovie, snap, snap, wink, wink, say-no-more, say-no-more type of story. Granted there will be romantic elements, character development and more twists than a daytime soap opera... but there will also be action, lots o fighting, scary monsters and lots of neat-o special effects (so I made up the last part ).

Be back in a few hours.

[PressureCooker]

Well true to my word, here is the rest of the first chapter. Also, there will not be a lyrical introduction (like every other chapter I have ever writen) to this part. I only do that for whole chapters... if anybody cares

___________________________________________________________________

The stairs lightly creaked with each step of Robin's boots as he descended the stairwell till he reached the main living level. He fumbled with the doorknob half expecting one of the other Titans to open it as they went milling about the tower. But when the door groaned open he was met only by the dark and lonely hallway. He stepped into the passage and started to walk to the end where Starfire's room was located. The light at the far end of the hall was flickering in the familiar fluorescent buzz-click-buzz that signaled the tube was in need of replacement. Robin stared up at it and furrowed his brow. Beast-Boy had forgotten to change the bulb today and it was causing a slow-motion strobe effect at this end of the hallway. Robin quickly forgot about the light as he nudged the button that opened the door to Starfire's room. The door slid open with a soft hiss and he walked into her private domicile.

The normally vibrant colored room was only drawn in varying shades of grey in the darkness. Even the various stuffed animals that were strewn half-hazardly about the room were only grey like the graphite tip of a pencil. Robin deftly navigated the minefield of teen magazines and stacks of photo albums till he reached the side of her bed. He gently laid the sleeping girl down onto the bed sheet and un-twined his arms out from under her. Robin lightly tugged at one of her purple boots and slid it off then did the same to the other. He glanced around the room for a place to deposit the footwear and finally decided that the only space available was the floor next to her desk. He slung the boots over his shoulder and with his free hand undid Starfire's arm bands. With all the skill and precision of a corner diner waitress he held onto the boots with one hand and balanced both armbands on his other arm like plates of food fresh from the kitchen. The afore mentioned minefield was no match for Robin as he blazed a trail to the desk and chair in the far corner of the room. He swung the boots off his shoulder and set them on the chair for the time being and proceeded to set the armbands on the only open space available on the desktop.

As he was setting one down, the other rolled off his arm and hit the desk with a resounding clunk. Then, not quite finished with it's defiance, the armband continued to roll till it collided with a stack of papers and sent them tumbling over the edge of the desk. Robin gritted his teeth and tensed up. He glanced back at Starfire, worried that this whole fiasco had wakened her... but she continued to slumber on the bed not noticing that Robin was single-handedly trying to destroy her latest attempt at a scrapbook. Robin stooped down to collect the papers that had fluttered down to the ground. As he gathered them up he stopped to take a look at them. They were drawings, sketches actually of many different things. Some were of Starfire herself, others were of the city and coastline, some were of the Titans themselves in various poses and scenes, and others still were ones he didn't recognize. Robin deduced that they were of her alien home world and the people (possibly family?) that lived there. He stacked them up as best he could on the desk and was about to make the trek back to the door when he noticed the last sheet he placed on top of the stack. He lifted the page up and held it so the moonlight would allow him to inspect it further and it came into focus. The picture he held was of himself and Starfire. They were both smiling and had their arms wrapped around each other and cheeks pressed together. Apparently they were having a grand old time together, due to the looks of happiness on their faces. He held the page closer to his eyes and tried to make out the background. This proved a formidable task as it was only roughed in right now. It looked like they were either in a horse-drawn carriage, or a ride at the boardwalk down by the pier, or even a photo booth (which would explain the wide goofy grins they both had).

He lowered the drawing away from his face and looked over at Starfire. She hadn't moved from the time he laid her down, the gentle rise and fall of her chest dictating that she was still asleep and using her share of oxygen. He looked at the picture again then sat it down on its place at the top of the stack. He thought about taking the picture, but decided against that. If she wanted him to have it, she would surely give it to him. He walked over to the window and stared long and hard at the bleak darkness that swallowed his view on the other side of the glass. Starfire wouldn't remember the last things he said to her in the morning... and perhaps it's better that way. Robin placed his hand on the cold transparent surface and let his thoughts boil over in his mind. Maybe he wasn't ready for a serious relationship right now, or maybe ever. After-all, he was a leader and leaders can't be bogged down with things like... like... like companionship or even love. He had seen warriors loose their edge after getting involved in relationships. It had happened to Batman and Beast-Boy, it could happen to him as well.

Starfire sighed and rolled onto her side, letting one of her slender arms drape over the edge of the mattress. Robin's inner demons shifted their song and were now praising the benefits of love and relationships. He shook his head and gently thumped his fist on the pane of glass. As he cleared his thoughts there was a light patter of sound as the glass became spotted with the rain of the coming storm. The sky flashed briefly as lightning leapt from one cloud to another and was followed by the rolling boom of thunder. He continued to stare out the window as the rain picked up speed and was now streaming down the glass in random trails, joining and separating at will. He watched the water as it would start it's journey at the top of the window till it disappeared below the sill, possibly continuing till it reached the base of Titans Tower. A bright flash followed by in immediate crack of thunder brought him back to reality. He turned back from the window and made his way to the edge of the bed where Starfire continued to slumber. Robin ever-so-gently slid the sheet up to her neck and tucked her in for the remainder of the night. He removed one of his green gloves and touched her gently on the cheek causing her to coo slightly and nuzzle her pillow. His fingers traveled lightly over her face as he brushed the auburn bangs away from her eyes. Starfire smiled in her sleep, mumbled something uninteligable and hugged her pillow even tighter. This display of affection toward a feather stuffed fabric caused Robin to crack a rather large smile. Possibly one of the most genuine smiles he had for the last couple months at least. He retracted his hand and replace his glove. He looked over at the stack of papers and once again shook his head deciding to leave it alone.

Stepping out of Starfire's room Robin let the door close behind him and stood motionless in the hall while his eyes adjusted to the flickering light. This whole situation was a little too deep for him to think about on an empty stomach so he decided to slowly wander the hall till he arrived at the main recreation area. As he entered the room he shielded his eyes from the lights that were brightly illuminating the area. Beast-Boy was busy stacking dirty dishes in the sink and didn't notice that Robin had walked in and was now looking around the room. Robin spoke aloud for the first time in several hours "Hey Beast-Boy. What are you-" His sudden voice startled Beast-Boy and he let out a yelp as the stack of dirty dishes came crashing down in the sink.

"Dude! Why must you constantly practice your cat burglar routine around me!" cried Beast-Boy as he looked at the mess of dishes in the sink.

"Sorry B.B. I didn't mean to make you jump" apologized Robin. "By the way, have you seen Cyborg? I needed to talk with him." Robin asked as he looked around the room and found it devoid of anyone else.

"Nope. He went to go recharge a few hours ago. Wanna wake him up?" replied Beast-Boy as he started stacking the dishes all over again. Robin looked at the clock on his communicator and realized it was already after 2:00 in the morning.

"Nah. I didn't realize it was so late already... Why are you burning the midnight oil?" asked Robin as he sat on one of the stools opposite Beast-Boy who had now finished re stacking the dishes.

"I couldn't sleep. I haven't been able to for a while now" Said Beast-Boy as he admired the leaning stack of plates, saucers and cups now towering over the lip of the sink. "I've been playing video games for the last few hours... that reminds me. Have you seen Starfire? She was supposed to come play Ultimate Freak-Out Wrestling with us." Quipped Beast-Boy as he crossed his arms and tapped his foot in a comical manner.

"Yeah. She fell asleep with me on the roof. I just dropped her off at her room before I came in here." replied Robin as he tried to think if he had any of his sandwich left from lunch still in the refrigerator. Beast-Boy looked out the far window at the maelstrom that was assaulting the city. "You were outside in that? What were you doing, singing in the rain?" asked Beast-Boy as he watched a bolt of lightning flick it's way down to the ground.

"No. I was in her room for a while." replied Robin.

"Oh really?" Inquired Beast-Boy as he leaned forward to get the juicy details. Robin quickly shot back a scow that informed the green changeling his current course of questioning was not approved of. "Hey man, I didn't mean to pry! Sorry!" squealed Beast-Boy as he waved his hands in a front of him. Robin retracted his scowl and replied in a somewhat frustrated voice "It's not like that... Why does everybody think that?". Robin slid off the stool and walked over to the refrigerator opening it to reveal a half-eaten sandwich. Beast-Boy rubbed his head for a second and replied "Because of the way she acts around you... and for that matter, the way you act around her. I mean it doesn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together."

Robin retrieved his sandwich and sat back down on the same stool. He unwrapped the snack and inspected it before taking the first bite. Beast-Boy had opened the pantry and was rooting around for something to eat. Several cans of soup fell and rolled out onto the kitchen floor as he emerged with a box of cereal and some sugar packets.

Robin continued to chew the first bite of the sandwich slowly and looked over at Beast-Boy. He swallowed hard than spoke in a quieter tone "Do you ever miss Terra?". Beast Boy who had been busy preparing a bowl of Frosted Sugar Bombs dropped the box as he heard the last word from Robin's mouth. He stepped back and looked at his feet as he shuffled one than the other. Beast-Boy remained silent as he picked up one of the orphan soup cans that had escaped the pantry. He held the cylinder in his hand and starred at his warped reflection in the top of it. "Every day." came a small voice that emanated from deep within his soul. Robin looked at his friend with genuine feeling and felt the same thing in himself. He feared if he ever became close to someone... He would loose them too. The sandwich had lost it's flavor and Robin decided he was no longer hungry. He wrapped up the sandwich and tossed it in the trash. Beast-Boy returned to his cereal and finished preparing his meal using the last of the soy milk. Robin ran his fingers through his hair and turned to face the door. He figured he had upset Beast-Boy enough for tonight. "Sorry B.B. I didn't mean to bring you down." said Robin as he walked to the door. Beast-Boy continued to eat apparently too self absorbed in his own memories to hear him. Robin sighed and walked out the door heading to his room to sleep off his train of thought.

[kat_meditating]

i love it! keep writing in fact im working on some of my own. this is great you really have a feel for the characters. but when exactly does this take place? because terra came back in season 2. anyways. good romance. this is just a suggestion but.... there should be a kiss. there has to be a kiss. a good one too.

[PressureCooker]

Soooo... Kat, you want a kiss eh? Would it be something like this?

____________________________________________________

The fight had left them both breathless and worn-out. He looked over at her, his shoulders finally dropping down ending the tension of the battle. She smiled at him, a warm smile that let him know it would be alright. And it was going to be alright, for the conflict was over and they were victorious. The minions of evil were dispatched to wherein they had came and the darkness of evil had been shattered by the light of good. He collapsed to the floor and rolled onto his back, laughing heartily. It was over, finally over. The epic struggle of good and evil, the unholy battle of Heaven and Hell, the story of human descent into chaos... all of them put to rest for eternity.

She walked over to him, offering her hand to help him back up. He took her hand and pulled her down to the floor with him. She screamed happily and fell on top of him causing them both to roll over onto their sides. She giggled for a few more seconds, then looked deep into his eyes. He could see his own reflection in her eyes, staring back at himself from deep within the recesses of her soul. He sat up and offered his hand to her which she took and sat up in front of him. He opened his mouth to speak, but gently closed it and leaned forward toward her. She watched him intently, hoping she knew what was coming but unsure if she was only dreaming it. He reached for her, slowly extending his hand until his fingers came to rest on the smooth skin of her face. He lightly dragged his thumb in a slow half circle tracing the line of her eyebrow till he dropped it down her face and finally rest on the corner of her lips. Her heart raced and breathing quickened, unsure if she would keep consciousness during the whole ordeal. He let his other fingers gently draw separate paths on her face until they met on her delicate little chin. Her head was slightly raised by his hand as he leaned in to kiss her. The heat of his breath cascaded across her nose trickling down past her pursed lips. Tiny arcs of lightning danced between their lips as her lips met his and sent shock waves of electricity throughout her body. The world de solved around them, replaced with the stars and celestial bodies of the heavens. They floated along, frozen in time as the basic function of nuclear fusion from deep within the core of the sun came to a halt. She closed her eyes as her body was overcome with energy she would surely faint now if not for his other hand that wrapped around her waist. She quickly hugged him desperately for fear that she would fall into the nothingness if not anchored to him. They slowly descended down to the floor and continued their embrace as the earth began to spin once again and the sun fired its furnace in all it's blazing glory. She opened her eyes just in time to see the world come back into focus. He gingerly pulled his lips off of hers and smiled. She couldn't speak, her hands shaking and vision blurry. He slowly slid his lips to her ear, his breathing caused her nerves to dance and shiver under its pressure. Her eyes watered and throat went dry as she buried her face into his chest, as he spoke the words she had longed forever to hear...

"I love you."

_____________________________________________________

Hows that? Yeah, I think I could do a kiss. And --NO-- . This isn't an excerpt from my fic. It's just something I made up on the fly (hence the absence of names, eye color, hair color... even individual feelings unique to the characters).

So if I keep getting feedback, I'll keep posting more.

[BeastBoyWonder]

Hahaha, damn, nice couple of entries. You've really got a way with description; particularly enjoyed the "With all the skill and precision of a corner diner waitress he held onto the boots with one hand and balanced both armbands on his other arm like plates of food fresh from the kitchen. The afore mentioned minefield was no match for Robin as he blazed a trail to the desk and chair in the far corner of the room" bit. The huge blocks of paragraphs get a bit excessive and you might want to consider breaking them up, but its all good.

[PressureCooker]

Yeah, sometimes I get a little carried away. I'll chop em' up a little more.

[kat_meditating]

Originally Posted by PressureCooker

He gingerly pulled his lips off of hers and smiled. She couldn't speak, her hands shaking and vision blurry. He slowly slid his lips to her ear, his breathing caused her nerves to dance and shiver under its pressure. Her eyes watered and throat went dry as she buried her face into his chest, as he spoke the words she had longed forever to hear...[/left]

"I love you."

beautiful. how long did it take you to write that? it was really great! thats my favorite part.hehe, keep up the good work!

[PressureCooker]

That little display of emotion took about 10 minutes to write, not including the hour I took proof-reading it. Having to write in wordpad stinks but after my drive crash I haven't been able to install Office XP. That is why some spelling errors and gramitical flaws sneak through (Like my run-on sentences that seem to go on and on with absolutly no end in sight except for the random chance that a passing Vogan space freighter might pick up the signal from my-- aww man, I did it again ) But at least I have something to write with. I'm also toying with Dragon dictation software, but I still need to teach it some new vocabulary words. Like "Starfire" will come out as "shirt on fire"... (funny, yes. annoying, yes as well). So I haven't used it yet.

Right now I'm pounding through some serious writers block. I'm halfway throught the next chapter... but the well has run dry.

Well, back to the salt mines...

[PressureCooker]

Of and I forgot, as for the timeline question with regard to Terra... Dont read this if you haven't seen the last 4 episodes and are waiting for them to air

Spoiler:

Terra betrays the Titans to Slade. In the final episode she gives her life to save them. She is turned to stone and the Titans are unsure if they can ever revert the process

[kat_meditating]

yeah i found that out already from someone else. pretty sad huh? have you read my fan fic yet?

[PressureCooker]

Bet you all though I forgot about this here fic (oh hoped I forgot about it )... But fear not, for I have another chapter for you!


-All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go
-I'm standing here outside your door
-I hate to wake you up to say goodbye

-But the dawn is breakin', it's early morn,
-The taxi's waitin', he's blowin' his horn
-Already I'm so lonesome I could die

-So kiss me and smile for me
-Tell me that you'll wait for me
-Hold me like you'll never let me go
-Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
-Don't know when I'll be back again
-Oh babe, I hate to go

--Frank Sinatra--

Chapter 2 "Leaving on a Jet Plane"


Sweat dripped from his brow as he dodged a blast from a nearby turret. The red beam seared a path into the ground as it followed Robin's quick attempts to evade it. In one fluid move Robin leapt into the air over the turret and slapped a limpet mine onto the top of it. He landed on the ground behind the device as it exploded into flames.

Two other turrets popped out of the sand and returned fire onto the attacker. Robin dove behind one of the nearby rocks as the beams criss-crossed the ground where he had just been standing. His communicator chirped while he ducked his head to avoid the beam that was now burrowing into the rock he was using as cover. Robin tapped it as he ran out from behind the rack and toward a bigger pile of rocks that would afford a better shot at the turrets. "I'm kinda busy right now!" He yelled as he skidded to a stop behind his newfound safety. "Yo man, sorry to bother ya but you have a message waiting for you." Replied Cyborg. Robin leaned out from behind the rocks and tossed a birdarang into one of the turrets. It erupted into a shower of sparks and sank into the sand, refusing to function anymore.

"Can't it wait?" Said Robin as he extended his staff and waited for the right moment to finish off the last turret.

"Normally yes, but it came in under priority one. And Robin..." Cyborg paused before he continued. "... It's from the Watchtower." Cyborg's words caused Robin to narrow his eyes and tighten the grip he had on his staff. Only one person would try to contact him from there, but what did he want? Robin retrieved the comm unit from his belt and spoke into it "Fine. I'm done here anyway. I'll be right there" He clicked the unit shut and replaced it on his belt.

Some rocks at the top of the pile exploded as the beam from the remaining turret vaporized them. With staff in hand Robin left his cover and ran toward the last target. The last shot from the laser was deflected by Robin's twirling staff as he closed in on it. He screamed as he brought the staff down onto the turret, crushing it's emmiter an sending shards of glass into the air. The turret spun wildly as it tried to fire it's now defunct cannon. Robin let out a yell with each blow he dealt to the machine, denting it in several places and causing a panel to fly off the front of it. The turret let out shrill beeps and sounds as it descended into the sand. Robin spun the staff in his hand and held it over his head like it was the mighty sword Excalibur. Not this time, you won't get away this time. He plunged the staff into the exposed innards of the helpless machine that was trying to retreat from him. The tip of the staff made satisfying crunching sounds as he continued to drive it into the dying device. Blue bolts of energy danced from the turret as it fell over backwards and crashed into the dry sand.

Robin stood hunched over with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. He stood there for several minutes catching his breath before he stood up straight again. He looked around at his handiwork that now decorated the beach. The ground was blackened in several spots and some rocks were still smoking from the battle. He retrieved his staff from the turret and looked down at the destroyed machine. The staff retracted and he replaced it onto his belt. The turret smoked and a few sparks jumped out of the cavity on its front. He scowled at the machine and let out a yell as he kicked the top of it, sending the copula rolling into the surf.

He ran his fingers through his hair and looked up at the tower. The sun had not yet risen and the sky was only lit by the cold grey light of the pre-dawn hour. Robin mulled over his thoughts as he began the walk up from the beach to the tower entrance. What did he want? It had been years since the last time they had spoke, and that conversation wasn't a pleasant one either. He had left Gotham City for a reason, why now? Why wait so long, or for that matter why didn't he wait longer? Robin gritted his teeth as he punched in the access code to the tower and stepped inside.

Cyborg whistled a tune as he washed the stack of dishes in the sink. He twirled a saucer on his finger as he changed his tune to the Harlem Globetrotter's theme. The saucer flew into the air and landed on his other finger as he continued to wash the dishes with his other hand. The door to the room opened and Robin came in. He looked over at Cyborg who was busy with two plates spinning on two hands. "Hey Cy. You're up early this morning... Are you going to try the three-point stack again?" Asked Robin as he remembered the mess they had to clean up last time.

"You know it! But this time it's going to be different. I've got a secret weapon." Replied Cyborg as he grinned. Robin sat down on the same stool from last night and watched as his friend tried another attempt at long distance dish stacking.

Cyborg tossed one of the plates toward the stack on the counter. It sailed through the air and landed with little fanfare on top of the stack of clean dishes. "Aw yeah! Only one more to go!" Boasted Cyborg as danced around the kitchen. Robin leaned forward to get a better view as Cyborg set up the final shot.

"It all comes down to this... There is only 2 seconds left on the clock... The crowd has fallen deathly ill, er silent I mean..." Cyborg leveled the plate with his eyes and let the last digit on his finger spin the plate to top speed. It hummed in the air as the design on the plate became but a blur as it spun faster and faster. "Common' baby, make daddy Cyborg proud". He consoled the plate as he released it into the air and toward the stack at the other end of the room. Robin and Cyborg watched as the plate made a arc in slow-motion from his hands to the top of the stack. "Yeah baby! And thats the game!" Shouted Cyborg as he beat his chest.

"Seriously Cy, I didn't think it would make-" Robin's congratulations were cut short as a clattering noise came from the far side of the kitchen. They both watched wide eyed as the plate that was still spinning wobbled on top of the stack. "Uh oh..." said Cyborg as the spinning plate jumped up and then down, causing the next plate down to shoot across the room like a discus.

"Runaway plates!" Cried Cyborg as he ducked the next plate that crashed into the wall. Robin howled with laughter as the plates were fired one at a time in random directions. Robin dodged a plate that aimed for his head. He dropped down behind the counter and continued to laugh as Cyborg crawled over to his position. "I think I used a little to much spin on the last one." Said Cyborg in a sheepish voice.

"Gee, do you think?" Replied Robin as he laughed.

"I guess we just wait till it runs out of ammo." Said Cyborg as he started to laugh. The door to the room opened again as a sleepy Beast-Boy entered and yawned "Hey you guys what's all the noise about? Do you know what time it is?" He asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"B.B. look out!" Shouted Cyborg and Robin in unison. A plate sailed over the counter toward the door and Beast-Boy who stood in front of it. Beast-Boy's eyes widened as he saw the approaching saucer. "Aaaaa! The U.F.O. is back, it's come back for me!" He squealed as he dropped to the floor in the shape of a mouse. The green mouse dashed across the floor till it reached the safety of the far side counter promptly turning into a more familiar shape. "Great. Let me guess, Cyborg went for another record?" asked Beast-Boy as he watched another plate zip across the room and into his stack of CDs. "Aww man! Thats just not cool!" sobbed Beast-Boy as his CD cases scattered over the floor.

"Yeah, sorry bout the CDs... but you should have seen the look on your face!" Cyborg slapped Beast-Boy's back and laughed with Robin.

"By the way Cy, how many plates did you stack?" Asked Robin as he noted that the plates were still flying about the room.

"Umm... all of them I think." Said Cyborg as he scratched his head. Just than the door opened and in walked Starfire. She stopped and watched the scene playing out in front of her. Objects were flying about and smashing into anything in their way. "Eeep!" Starfire let out a startled yell as she blasted a plate that came in her direction. She saw the three guys pinned down by the stoneware machine gun and came to their aid. Her eyes glowed green as she released a bolt of energy from her hand. The plates left in the stack were obliterated by the blast and the room rocked from the explosion.

The dust settled and Starfire went to see if her teammates were all right. "Friends, why did the place settings attack you? Are they displeased with Beast-Boy's terrible cooking?" She asked.

"Hey! I'm a great cook!" replied Beast-Boy as he got up and dusted himself off.

"Thanks Star. No telling how long we would be trapped there." Said Cyborg as he helped Robin to his feet. Robin looked around at the destruction in the room, noting it looked very similar to the training ground from this morning. "Guess we should start cleaning this place up" said Robin to nobody in particular. Cyborg went to a closet and retrieved a broom and dustpan while Robin started picking up the larger of the pieces. Beast-Boy went to his music collection and sighed at the sight of it.

Raven walked in through the open door and froze in her tracks. The entire room was in shambles. There were parts of plates all over, some on the floor, a few more on the counter and couch, even a small number were embedded into the wall in several places. "Forget it. I don't even want to know." She said as she walked past Beast-Boy who was still mourning the loss of his discs. Raven continued till she reached a bookcase and removed one of the large leather bound pieces of literature. Book in hand she retreated to the couch and brushed away some plate fragments so she could sit down. Starfire went to the couch as well and hunted around for the remote to the T.V. She dug into the cushions looking for the elusive device, but came up empty-handed. Not one to be put out by a setback, she went over to it and pushed the blinking red button. The screen flashed and displayed a few lines of text informing her that a message was waiting. "Robin, the T.V. says you have a message" said Starfire as she turned to look at him.

"Go ahead and play it, I'll be right there." He replied as he dropped some large plate pieces into the trash. Starfire pushed another button and the screen flickered as the playback started. Robin watched as the video started expecting to see Batman, grim as ever. But the person on the video wasn't the detective, it was Wonder Woman. This piqued his interest and he walked over to the screen.

"Robin, I know you left instructions not to be contacted by the League anymore... but this is important." Wonder Woman paused for a second before continuing. "We received a urgent message for help this morning. The message came from Tamaran." Starfire let out a startled gasp. "My home? What is wrong with my home?" The playback continued as Robin put his hand on her shoulder. "As of yet we don't know what is happening on the planet. We have tried several times to respond to the message, but there has been no response from the royal family. Normally Superman would go check out what is going on, but Batman said that you should handle it... due to your connection to the Tamaranian girl." Starfire's eyes clouded with tears as she watched the video play.

"We have several ideas on why the message may have been sent. The data we have on the planet suggests that it has a very political power system. One possible reason my be for civil war. Other information points to the fragile ecological system. There may have been a shift in the climate which could have wiped out almost the entire planet." Starfire cried out when she heard this news. Robin wrapped his arm around her as she started sobbing.

"This information is only preliminary, we have no real news yet. Contact me as soon as you get this message and I'll forward all the information we have. And Robin? Don't tell her anything yet. We don't want to upset her until we know what really is going on." The screen flickered and then went black.

Beast-Boy was the first to speak "A little late for that..." he said as he watched Starfire burry her face into Robin's shoulder. The entire team had stopped cleaning and gathered around them. She continued to cry, her sobbing made Beast-Boy's eyes water. He had never seen her cry before, never. Cyborg placed one of his massive hands on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. Even Raven stood nearby, not knowing how to console her friend. Robin stood silent as well. Her cries dug into his heart with every breath she took. He didn't know what to say, he couldn't think of a single thing that would make her feel better. All he could do is hold her. He pulled her close with his other arm and lowered his head till it rested on her auburn hair.

Several minutes had passed and Starfire's sobbing had been replaced with raspy breathing and the occasional sniffle. No one had moved, no one wanted to. Starfire sniffled once more then quickly broke free of Robin's embrace. She wiped her eyes and spoke in a shakey voice "I'm sorry friends. I must go... I must go now!" She flew over the couch and out through the door. Robin looked down and placed his hand over shoulder. His uniform was damp with Starfire's tears, cold and wet. He pressed the cool uniform to his skin and looked up at the rest of the team. "I'm going to go talk with her, you know what to do." He said as he walked to the door. Beast-Boy and Cyborg nodded and picked up the broom and dustpan.

The room darkened slightly and the shadows loomed in from the corners. Beast-Boy heard an unfamiliar noise behind him and turned to face it with an eyebrow raised. "Raven... are you crying?" he asked. Raven quickly flipped her hood over her head and turned away. "No." She said as she walked toward the side exit of the room and disappeared into the shadows. Beast-Boy was left scratching his head as Cyborg walked to the closet with the broom. "Huh, I could have sworn I heard her cry" he said as he shook his head and walked after Cyborg.

Robin emerged from the roof door and was greeted with the harsh morning sunlight. He looked over the roof and saw Starfire standing at the far edge. She had her little knapsack slung over her shoulder and she was looking down at the ocean below. Her shoulders still heaved as she tried to regain her composure. Robin walked up behind and stopped just short of her, waiting for the right moment to speak. "Star, please wait" he said as he walked up next to her. "I can not. It is a long journey and I must leave right away" she wiped her eyes with her arm as she spoke. "We want to go with you, we want to help" replied Robin as he looked up into the blue sky. "It is too dangerous, you could be eaten by a Vegmar or worse. I could never ask you to come with me. My world is a dangerous place and I would never forgive myself if something happened to my friends... or to you." Fresh tears started to stream down her face as she talked.

Robin stood silently for a second, then scratched his head while speaking "Well, you're not asking me... I'm asking you. Dangerous or not, I'm coming with you" He smiled at her and offered his hand. She looked at his outstretched hand for a minute then took it in both of hers. "Oh thank you Robin. I only wish the others felt this way." said Starfire. Robin gave her a grin and pulled her to the other edge of the roof. They stopped at the edge and he pointed down into the sand. "Don't be so sure..." he said as he laughed.

The ground shook slightly as a warning klaxon sounded. The sand fell away as two large doors open to reveal the subterranean launch bay. Starfire's eyes widened as the pad rose from the earth and revealed the Titan's rocket complete with the T-Sub strapped to the side. The massive rocket gleamed in the morning sun causing her to shield her eyes. The launch pad reached it's final position and came to a stop with a whoosh of vapor. A megaphone clicked on from the pad "Train one leaving track one, departing for the Watchtower, Tamaran, and all points west. All aboard!" Yelled Cyborg as he waved from the base of the pad. "Lets go Star, she seats five you know!" He yelled again, this time without the help of the megaphone.

Starfire jumped into Robin's arms and laughed "My friends... You really are my true friends." She spun Robin around as she circled several feet above the roof. Robin landed on the roof and grabbed her knapsack. "By the way... you're going to need more supplies than this little thing can hold" He said as he twirled the miniature backpack in his hands. They laughed as they ran toward the roof door and down the stairs.

[BeastBoyWonder]

I like pie.

Nice entry... one of the things I like about Teen Titans is that the lack of inclusion of adult superheroes means that it shows that these kids are able to support themselves and aren't undermined by their adult counterparts. You're playin' with some pretty dangerous stuff, but it looks like you're handling it tastefully and could prove to be verrrrrry interesting.

Keep up the great work!

[kat_meditating]

hmmmm...........interesting..................in a good way.........hehehhe

[PressureCooker]

Originally Posted by Steel

I like pie.

Nice entry... one of the things I like about Teen Titans is that the lack of inclusion of adult superheroes means that it shows that these kids are able to support themselves and aren't undermined by their adult counterparts. You're playin' with some pretty dangerous stuff, but it looks like you're handling it tastefully and could prove to be verrrrrry interesting.

Keep up the great work!

Not to worry, not to worry. The only adult superheroes being included in this fic will only help set up the plot, not get involved in it (not even in an advisory role). Trust me, this fic will stand on it's own two legs without help from the League.

Originally Posted by kat_meditating

hmmmm...........interesting..................in a good way.........hehehhe

I can honestly say this... "You ain't seen nothing yet" I have BIG plans in store for our little heros. Some stuff I came up with even shocked me, and I'm the one who thought of them

[PressureCooker]

O.K. So the next chapter is taking me a while to write... It's just not going in the direction I want it to. I've skipped ahead a few chapters and completed scenes and such, I'm just stalled on this one. I have Monday and Tuesday off this week so expect the next chapter sometime then (I hope )

[PressureCooker]

Originally Posted by PressureCooker

O.K. So the next chapter is taking me a while to write... It's just not going in the direction I want it to. I've skipped ahead a few chapters and completed scenes and such, I'm just stalled on this one. I have Monday and Tuesday off this week so expect the next chapter sometime then (I hope )

Heh... called that one wrong, didn't I? Better late than never!

Here is the next chapter, and it's total crap. Really, it is. I should print it out and burn it. But I'm too lazy to do that... so here it is for you to enjoy.
I just couldn't get the flow working on this one. The paragraphs sound half-assed and forced, because they were . I'm sorry for this abomination of the English language and wretched imagery I have caused. I only hope to atone for my deeds by burning in Hell for all eternity.

So on with the show!

-----------------------------------

-Ground Control to Major Tom
-Commencing countdown, engines on
-Check ignition and may God's love be with you
-Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five,
-Four, Three, Two, One, Liftoff

-This is Ground Control to Major Tom
-You've really made the grade
-And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear
-Now it's time to leave the capsule if you dare

-This is Major Tom to Ground Control
-I'm stepping through the door
-And I'm floating in a most peculiar way
-And the stars look very different today

-For here
-Am I sitting in a tin can
-Far above the world
-Planet Earth is blue
-And there's nothing I can do

--David Bowie--

Chapter 3 "Space Oddity"

The view changed from light blue to light grey and then finally black. The Titan's rocket peeled away from the grip of Earth's gravity and into the vacuum of space. The rocket continued to fire it's main engines and started releasing small blasts of vapor from the forward thrusters. Beast-Boy watched in awe as his view changed and he was rewarded with the entire western hemisphere. "No matter how many times we do this, I swear I get goose bumps." He said as he changed into a goose and honked into his microphone. Starfire giggled over the speaker and Cyborg and Robin both laughed too. Raven mearly rolled her eyes and continued to watch the planet drop away from under the T-Sub.

The hot plasma that erupted from the main engines since liftoff finally ceased to function. The interior of the T-Sub became quiet save the hum and occasional beep from the computers. Cyborg punched a few keys on the panel next to his seat and spoke into his microphone "Ladies and gentleman, this is you Captain speaking. We have reached our cruising altitude of 35,000 kilometers..." He paused as he looked over to see Beast-Boy collecting floating Skittles that had escaped from one of his pockets. "And as you can see, our stewardess has begun serving our in-flight meal." This caused laughter from the other passengers and a slight smile from Raven. "Hey! Thats not funny! I'd be a steward... Right?" Said Beast-Boy as he gathered up the last of the candy that flew around his seat. Cyborg continued to laugh as the rocket stopped rolling over and came to rest on it's belly.

Cyborg hit a few more keys and there was a dull thud and hiss that came from the bottom of the T-Sub. He eased the stick back and the craft slowly lifted away from the massive rocket that carried them into orbit. "Don't worry Bertha, we'll pick you up on the way home." He said as he waved at the new satellite that sat silently awaiting their return. "Whoops, almost forgot." He said as he pushed a key on the same panel. The booster rocket's navigation lights began to blink warning others of it's position. "We can't have the shuttle running into you now, can we?" He laughed as he nudged the throttle forward and began the change to the Watchtower's orbit.

The T-Sub continued it's trek till it passed over into the darkness of Earth's night side. Robin watched as the cities of western Europe glittered along the Meditation Sea and the Rhine River. He was reminded of the fact that Starfire had asked him to show her the city of Paris and it's "Frightful Tower". A smirk traveled from one side of his face to the other as he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. He was going to take her to France, Germany, maybe even Spain... But something always came up. Just like now, something had come up. Robin frowned and squirmed in his seat while he though about the previous attempts to get closer to Starfire and how they always failed before they even happened. Was this a sign that they should never be together? It was now the entire universe that conspired to keep them apart, and it was wining.

Robin opened his eyes and looked over at Starfire. She had her hand on the glass of her canopy and was watching as the Earth became smaller with the increasing altitude of the T-Sub. Robin tapped the button for the private intercom "Hey, everything all right over there Star?"

"Yes..."

"You don't sound to confident about that."

"I do, but I'm afraid of returning to my planet..."

"Why is that? Come to think of it, I don't know why you left it."

"I had... Problems. I'm afraid if I go there I will never return to Earth."

"You don't want to go back to your home?" Robin was puzzled by the direction of this conversation.

"Tamaran is not my home. Earth is my home now. I don't want to leave it... There is so much I still have to learn and lots I have yet to see." She sighed before continuing "I fear if I do not come home, I will not be with..." She stopped. "With you" is what she wanted to say, but she couldn't say that. She tried several times in the past to have Robin go on a date with her, but they never went. Perhaps Cyborg was right... He needed his "personal space". But it was so hard to leave him alone. They had been through too much together for her to keep a distance from the one person she felt a connection with. From the first day she met him he was always kind to her. He never laughed at her alien ways and actually helped her learn the customs of the people of Earth. Even when he was working for Slade he only attacked the team to protect them.

"What's the matter?" asked Robin as he watched a tear roll down Starfire's cheek. She closed her eyes and wiped her face with her arm and refused to speak. Robin placed his hand on the glass of his own canopy and spoke very seriously "Starfire, listen to me... I promise to get you back to Earth, to your home." Starfire blinked her eyes at him and inquired in a shaky voice "You promise?" Robin smiled and tapped his hand on the glass "I promise."

"So what do you think there talking about?" Asked Beast-Boy to nobody in particular. "None of you business I'm sure" Replied Raven as she glared at him through the two layers of glass that separated them. "Sheish! Why does everybody give me a hard time when I ask about them? It's not like they won't get together... Right?" Asked Beast-Boy. Raven and Cyborg sat silently continued to watch their friends talk to each other over the private intercom. Cyborg was the first to break the silence "I used to think the same way you do, but that was over a year ago. Things have been really quiet in Jump City lately, actually they have been the whole world over. Think about it... When was the last time we fought a villain? I mean a real villain. Not those purse snatchers and bank robbers we have been nabbing. I'm talking about the real baddies that we used to fight. I'm talking about-"

"Slade." Said Raven as she cut off Cyborg's speech. "The fact is Robin has been retreating into himself for the past few months. You've seen Starfire pine after him, but have you seen his reaction? He always has an excuse, or there is always something that gets in the way. Now this whole Tamaran thing is happening... I'm afraid that if he doesn't make his emotions clear to her soon, she may become unreachable." Raven looked away from her friends and stared off into the cold emptiness of space.

Cyborg sighed and continued to watch his friends chatter privately with each other. "Yeah, it's a shame. I mean Robin cares about her, but he just treats her like a naive little sister. He teaches her stuff and helps her out constantly, but..." Cyborgs voice trailed off as he lost himself in thought. Raven listened to Cyborg's voice for a minute then decided to give a little hope to her friends "You know... Last night was the first time I saw Robin caring for her. He was, different in his caring. You could see it in the way he held her, the way he protected her from the cold. He has deep feelings for her... Very deep. The only problem he has is showing those feelings. I'm sure he has a reason not to share his thoughts with us, a reason to protect himself." Beast-Boy shrugged his shoulders and continued to ponder what his friends were talking about.

The Watchtower began to loom in the distance as the T-Sub finally leveled off about a thousand meters away from it. None of the members of the team had been to the station, save Robin, and it showed. There were lots of "ooo's" and "ahhh's" from everyone as the main hangar doors opened. The radio came to life as a voice welcomed them to the Watchtower and directed them to land in a particular place. Robin recognized the voice as J'onn, the resident Martin. J'onn never seemed to leave the station much. For the brief time that Robin had spent on the station, J'onn seemed to be as common as the titanium that was used to build the station itself. Robin had become good friends with him over the course of time he stayed there.

J'onn would spend his waking hours at the watch station, monitoring video feeds from Earth that would give news of a disaster or evil deed. Robin felt sorry for him, he always seemed lonely and distant. J'onn explained why he felt so alone one day while they were eating in the mess hall. He was the last of his kind, "the end of the line" so to speak. After that conversation Robin would spend a few hours a day chatting with him as he performed his watch duty. He would even get him to smile once in a while with a joke at Batman's expense. It had been a long time since he saw him, or even sent him an email. It was going to be good to see an old friend again.

[kat_meditating]

hey i thought it was really good. except for the last paragraph. that stunk but the rest was great!