Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Robin walked into the Main Ops Center with a grim look on his face. His features were cemented in with irritation lining them, his mask creased. The only thing that was holding him together that day was the presence of his girlfriend as she trailed behind him.

“It is the all right Robin,” Starfire insisted as she hovered after the Boy Wonder, her vibrant green eyes screwed shut in genuine delight. She always did her best to cheer him up whenever he got too busy into his work despite his stubborn behavior. “Eventually, we will apprehend Slade.”

“ Eventually ,” Robin sighed as he walked into the kitchen and pulled out a glass to fill with iced water. He glanced at Starfire and waited until she nodded in confirmation and he withdrew a second glass to fill. “But eventually isn’t now . Slade needs to be stopped.”

“And he will!” Starfire was quick to fill, thanking him with a smile as he offered her the cold glass. She took a sip before continuing, “It is only the matter of time until we thwart his next plans. And then, we will stop Slade together.” She placed her hand on Robin’s shoulder reassuringly.

Robin felt a smile tug at the corner of his lip, placing the half-drained glass of water on the counter. He stole a glance at Starfire from the corner of his eye, breaking into a full-mouth grin. “You’re right. The next time he pops onto the radar, we’ll get him. Thanks, Star.”

Starfire beamed, delighted that she had managed to ease her fellow Titan’s mind of the madman. It was rare that Robin ever let something go.

Well… he never really let anything go—especially if it was related to Slade.

So for the young Tamaranean to soothe his mind free of the thought of the psychopath that threatened their city, Starfire felt rather proud. She placed her glass down beside his on the table, walking him over to the couch.

“Might I suggest the marathon of movies?” Starfire offered with glittering emerald eyes affixed onto the dark-haired teen. She sat down on the cushions and pulled Robin down to her side where she buried herself into his side. “The crime alert has not gone off all day, so it is safe for us to do the… relaxing, correct?”

Robin chuckled and nodded slowly. Though his instincts prickled inside of him that something somewhere in Jump was going wrong, the Boy Wonder brushed it aside for the night.

“I… suppose it’s fine if we sit down for a while,” Robin began after a moment of hesitation. His gloved hand reached for the remote where it sat on the cushion beside him. “But I don't want to stay up too late. Tomorrow is training day and we should be well-rested for that.”

Starfire nodded, linking their hands together. “Of course. I only request to watch a single movie with you tonight. Lately, we have not had… the ‘us’ time. We have been too busy searching for Slade.”

Robin’s brow creased at the mention of the madman, though his shoulders fell back as he relaxed. His grip around the remote tightened only slightly, though the sight of Starfire laying on him as support soothed the Boy Wonder.

“I-I’m… sorry,” Robin offered after a moment of awkward silence as he turned the television on. He felt Starfire remove her head from his shoulder and stare at him with confused green eyes. His guilty stare deepened as he drew in a deep breath.

“For making us hunt Slade down for so long. It’s been our mission for the last three days and… I’m just so determined to find him. We finally stop him and Trigon brings him back? It makes me feel like all of our work to apprehend Slade was for nothing.” Robin clenched his fist in frustration.

Starfire reached over to place her free hand over his fist, smiling when he released his tight grip around the remote. She withdrew their entwined hands and placed them both on his other, holding it up to her heart. “It is not fair how a bad man such as Slade gets a second chance,” Starfire sighed as she began, “but that is why we are here, is it not? We are here to stop the bad people—from Earth and other worlds. While it is not fair for him to continue to bring evil to Jump City, we will always be there to thwart him.”

“Yes, Star, but-”

“ But, we are just as determined as you,” continued the Tamaranean, interrupting Robin as he opened his mouth to speak. “We wish to see the downfall of Slade as much as you do, Robin. And that is why we have stayed with you even through the roughest of the times—when you were trained by Slade himself, when you were obsessed with him to the point of hurting yourself…”

Robin winced at the reminder of his obsessions with Slade. Granted, both situations were completely out of his control. He was being blackmailed by the madman with the threat of his friends’ lives and secondly, an outside source had triggered the enzymes that led to his episode.

Robin let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in. He opened his mouth to speak, though the door to the Ops Center slid open before he could begin his sentence.

Beast Boy and Cyborg stumbled into the Ops Center, the both of them complaining about their aching hunger. Robin felt his mask crease with slight irritation at the interruption, although he should’ve figured that one of the Titans would’ve sauntered in at some point. After all, they were in the Main Ops Room.

Robin rolled his eyes as he zoned in to their conversations; another argument about the superiority between tofu and meat. He sighed and turned to Starfire, noticing the look of agitation written upon her face as well.

Without another word exchanged between the two lovers, Robin pressed a button on the remote and his attention shifted to the television. The TV crackled as it changed channels, various scenes flashing over the screen as the Boy Wonder searched for a suitable movie for Starfire and him to enjoy.

As he settled on a movie—well, Starfire settled on a movie—Robin felt the hairs on the back stand up in annoyance at the distant conversation of Cyborg and Beast Boy. His fist clenched and unclenched as the volume of their quarrel seemed to get more audible with each passing second.

When they began to interrupt the movie, Robin whipped around with a scowl written all over his face. He lobbed the remote at the two Titans, frowning deeply as the device clattered to the ground at the changeling’s feet. Surprised, they turned to meet their leader’s stare.

“Could you two… I don’t know, keep it down? ” Robin hissed in a low voice as he caught sight of Starfire watching the movie, ignoring the interaction between the boys. He huffed as Cyborg tossed the remote back to him sheepishly. “We’re trying to watch a movie here.”

Beast Boy scoffed, “Dude, just go to your room. Cyborg and I are in the middle of an important discussion!”

Robin blinked, scowl remaining. “And that would be?”

“...About the superiority of tofu and meat.”

“As I assumed,” Robin remarked with another roll of his eyes. “But we’re just trying to watch a movie. Keep it down, all right? You can keep at your arguing, but at least keep it quiet enough so we can actually hear the movie.”

The green changeling grumbled something under his breath about the lovers, though Robin ignored it as he turned back to face the screen. While he could still hear the two Titans quarrelling, it was much more quiet which was fine by Robin’s standards.

The Boy Wonder flinched as Starfire began to squirm. He glanced down at her where she was already sprawled out in his lap, laying on her back. She smiled at up at him, giggling as she took note of his surprise at the shift in her position.

“If we are going to have the marathon of movies, may we acquire a blanket?” Starfire tipped her head to the side as she offered her boyfriend a sweet albeit sly grin. “I can withstand the harsh conditions of space, but the conditions in the Tower without a blanket are far worse.”

Robin let out a sigh, though a smile betrayed his true feelings as he gestured to the Tamaranean where she laid on his lap. “Star, how do you expect me to grab a blanket when you’re laying on me?”

“Oh,” blushed the Tamaranean, the same snarky smile on her lips. “I did not think of that. But I am far too comfortable to get up! Perhaps Beast Boy or Cyborg may retrieve the blanket for u-”

When the two glanced back at the dining table, they frowned upon noticing said Titans had fled the scene immediately to their respective rooms, assumedly. Robin slouched as he realized that he would have to get up to get the blanket.

Once the dark-haired teen began to shift and gently nudge Starfire off of him, the red-haired alien let out a whine and locked her hands around one of his. Starfire gave him a wide-eyed stare that he responded to with a raised brow.

“What?” Robin asked with a frown. “You said you wanted a blanket and neither of the guys are here. I need to get up if you want one.”

Starfire let out a dejected huff. “Then I will be fine without the blanket. You will have to do your best to keep me warm during the night of movies.”

Robin grinned, “What do you want me to do? Start a fire in the Ops Center?”

Starfire shook her head and pressed his hand against her cheek, releasing her grasp. She smiled and let out a quiet giggle when Robin’s glove remained pressed against her, cupping her face. “That is not necessary, Robin… but the hugs will suffice.”

“For an alien who can withstand the freezing temperatures of space , you’re pretty needy,” teased the Boy Wonder as he moved his hand down to intertwine with hers. “But hugs will have to do. Even if I don’t like them.”

“I always hug you,” Starfire pointed out, her brows furrowing as she raised her stare to Robin’s mask. “Do you not enjoy my embrace?”

Robin shook his head immediately. “No, no— your hugs I can actually stand. In fact, I think I kind of-”

His words were interrupted as the TV crackled with static. The two lovers flinched at the sight as their movie was changed to a live broadcast of the infamous villain they’ve defeated countless times.

His fat face appeared on the screen, peering at them with a cocked brow. Said villain gagged audibly, making Starfire and Robin glare at the sight of him.

“Control Freak,” grumbled Robin, his eyes narrowed in irritation. And all they wanted to do was watch a movie. “What do you think you’re doing? Spying on us? Causing more trouble?”

The red-head villain cackled, leaning back in a chair. “Of course not,” Control Freak sputtered as he backed away from the camera. “Not tonight, anyhow! But I’ve heard the rumors that a certain alien hottie and birdboy are… dating .” The last word was tainted with irritation as he scowled at the two, tangled in each other’s arms.

Starfire crossed her arms as she sat up, glaring at Control Freak. “Please do not call me… the ‘hottie’. It is most unpleasant.”

Robin placed a hand on Starfire’s shoulder reassuringly and sat up, storming over to the screen so he was nearly nose-to-nose with Control Freak (despite the latter being on the other side of a broadcast). “So you came here to see if Starfire and I were really dating?” He quirked a brow.

Control Freak let out a laugh that made the two Titans cringe. “ Obviously! That’s what your entire dynamic was about since day one! You and Starfire were meant to end up dating in the end. Even if she’s far too good for the likes of you …” The villain trailed off, grumbling under his breath about Robin.

Robin felt his fists clench at the mention of his undeservingness of Starfire. He rolled his eyes, knowing it was just another tact to irritate the Boy Wonder, but the comment truly got under his skin. “Well, if that was all you came by for, you can get going. But lay a finger on anything in this city and we’ll be on your tail the second you do.”

“ Ha! ” Control Freak’s sudden burst of laughter frightened the duo as they flinched, though Robin quickly recovered his intimidating demeanor. “I won’t lay a finger on your precious city , birdboy. But that won’t stop me from laying a finger on your girl! ”

Robin blinked as he took a step back, a brow raising as he spoke, “Wha-”

Before he could form a single word, a burst of electricity came from the screen and encased around Starfire. As Robin reached out a hand for her, his eyes widening beneath the mask. He turned back to the screen as the Tamaranean girl disappeared, gasping.

“ Starfire! ” Robin cried as he glared at Control Freak, banging his fists against the screen, teeth grit in fury. “What did you do to her?! Where is she?”

Control Freak cackled to himself and stuck his tongue out at Robin, only seeming to agitate the leader of the Titans due to his childish behavior. “Think of it as… a test of your relationship! You should be thanking me.”

Robin’s mask creased as he narrowed his eyes, his arms falling back down to his sides, instincts alert in case Control Freak decided to zap him as well. “I should be beating the answer out of you. I’ll ask you one more time: what did you do with Starfire? ”

Control Freak hummed to himself mockingly before he lit up. He raised a finger, opening his mouth to speak before breaking into a fit of laughter. “If you really cared for your hottie alien girlfriend,” he mused, “then you’d be searching by now! Best of luck, Robin .”

Before the Boy Wonder could press the villain for more answers, the screen faded to black and Control Freak disappeared from sight.

---

As the crime alert blared throughout the Tower, Robin paced around the Main Ops Center, one hand stroking his chin as the other was on his waist.

The other Titans piled into the Ops Center immediately, looking rather groggy as if they all had just rolled out of bed. Of course, the only one who looked lively was Raven—clad in her typical uniform without a speck of lint on her cloak.

Beast Boy and Cyborg, on the other hand, were yawning like crazy and rubbing at their eyes. The loud beeping and flashes of red seemed to keep them alert, eyeing Robin with drowsy stares.

“Dude, it’s like… eleven,” Beast Boy complained as he collapsed on the couch, eyelids already beginning to droop. “I’m exhausted! After you were talking about going to our rooms or something, I was planning on actually being able to sleep since you took the TV!”

Robin pounded his fist into the palm of his hand as he continued to pace in circles, eyes settled on the ground, lost in his thoughts. “Control Freak’s back,” he muttered in a grim voice, “and he’s taken Starfire. I don’t know where —he said something about a relationship test and-”

“Relationship test?” Beast Boy repeated with a groan. “Dude, this is something you should be figuring out! I don’t wanna get all up in yo relationship business! That’s weird bro.”

Raven shot him a glare, nudging the changeling in the side. “Not the time.”

Robin cleared his throat and continued, spinning to face the Titans so his cape wavered behind him before settling against his back. “We need to find Starfire. I don’t have a clue where she was taken so we’ll need to figure out a way to track him first.”

The Titans glanced at Cyborg as he let out a hum of agreement, having been tapping at the keyboard imbued into his arm while their leader gave the debriefing.

“I’m already at it,” Cyborg informed the other three, eyes glued to the screen that popped up. “I can’t get a track on Control Freak himself, but I think I’ve got something related to Starfire. It’s her communicator, but the signal is… distorted. Like her location is changing every few seconds, but I noticed it returns to the same place every once in a while.”

Robin nodded at Cyborg. “Mark that location and send it to our T-Coms. We need to find Starfire before the night ends. I haven’t got a clue what Control Freak could be planning with her, but it’s not going to be a pretty sight.”

The Titans didn’t need to say anything to agree, instead awaiting their dismissal.

Robin’s mask creased and he shouted out, “Titans, go!”

The four remaining Titans piled out of the room and to their respective vehicles—or at least, methods of transportation as Beast Boy and Raven flew out to the midst of the city.

---

“Her signal’s shifting again,” Cyborg’s voice came through the T-Com as Robin rode through the deserted streets, his eyes narrowed as he made sharp turns here and there. “It’ll probably go back to the same location, but I don’t know why the transmission is so unstable.”

Robin replied, “Split up! I’ll go to where the signal keeps returning, you three pick another point and look for any clues. Control Freak didn’t give me any idea on what he’s doing—he said I’d know where Starfire is. How helpful.”

The Titans’ voices crackled through the loudspeaker imbedded into the R-Cycle in agreement, leading the Boy Wonder to follow the location he pinpointed. A red line appeared on the screen of the R-Cycle, leading him to the marker Cyborg had sent to him.

Hang on, Starfire , thought the Boy Wonder as he made a sharp turn, teeth gritting as his hands gripped the handles of the bike tightly. I’m coming. I’ll be there soon.

As Robin approached the red marker, the R-Cycle screeched to a halt as he parked it to the side. Robin placed the helmet on the seat of the motorcycle and continued down the red-highlighted path on his communicator, occasionally glancing up.

The dark-haired teen glanced to his right and left at the dark alleyways, a brow quirked. He was curious as to what was occurring down those alleys, though Robin passed by with his masked eyes glued to the T-Com. His lips were pursed as he approached his destination.

Robin stopped as his location revealed he was standing atop the red marker. He glanced around suspiciously, a brow quirked as he looked for any hint as to where Starfire was being held. His mouth ajar, Robin tried to identify any out-of-place objects, upset when he couldn’t come up with anything.

For the greatest Boy Detective, he certainly didn’t have a clue as to where Starfire could’ve been.

Robin’s thumb pressed down on a button on the communicator, brows furrowed as he continued to glance at his surroundings. He spoke to his fellow teammates, frowning, “Titans, no trace of Starfire nor Control Freak at my location. Anything for you to report?”

A few seconds passed before Raven’s monotonous voice broke through the communicator. “Nothing here. The only strange thing is that it’s completely empty. There’s not a person in sight.”

Beast Boy’s obnoxiously loud voice was next: “Yeah! Same here! I tried tracking Star’s scent, but I came up empty-handed. And the pizza parlor is dead empty—lights out and everything. I thought this place was 24/7! ”

“Can it, Beast Boy,” Robin snapped in response, fist clenched. “We need to find Starfire. And we don’t have a lead whatsoever! Focus. Keep searching—there’s bound to be something that’s connecting all these locations together. Robin, out.”

He strapped the T-Com back onto his utility belt, raising his head to continue his search. The dark-haired teen walked down the empty streets, one hand ready to reach for a birdarang in case anything decided to reveal itself.

Robin sighed, hoping some kind of clue would pop up soon. He truly did not know where Control Freak was, nor Starfire. All he wanted to do was ensure her safety and return home after imprisoning Control Freak once more.

Hesitant, an urge built up in Robin to just call out her name. While he knew it was probably hopeless, the Boy Wonder stole a stare around the deserted area of the city. With nobody to embarrass himself in front of, Robin brought a hand up to his mouth to made his cry louder.

“Starfire!”

His voice echoed throughout the empty streets and Robin bit on his lip, defeated. He let out an agitated breath and his shoulders slumped before he stopped at a nearby lamp post.

Robin leaned against it and lowered his stare to the ground. His fist tightened once more, reminding him that he wasn’t about to give up on the search for Starfire so easily. He would never give up on her— he never gave up.

And especially with Starfire on the line? Robin would do anything to find her.

---

“You will set me free!” Starfire’s hands banged against the container she was trapped within, her eyes glowing brightly with pure rage. Her glare was directed to Control Freak as she grit her teeth, hands charging up starbolts. “My friends will surely stop you and your schemes!”

Control Freak giggled to himself mischievously as he appeared in Starfire’s line of sight, the wheels on the bottom of his chair working to slide him to the container. “ Please , they’ll never find you here!” The villain let out another bitter laugh. “This time, I was careful not to give a single hint about your location! If this all goes down exactly how it needs to—just as it did in the epic TV show, Villainous Minds —then my plans for tonight will succeed!”

Starfire banged against the glass once more, a low growl rising in her throat. Control Freak flinched back at the sudden noise, letting out the faintest of whimpers that Starfire found amusement in. Her eyes glowed even more vibrantly.

“They shall not succeed,” growled the Tamaranean, eyes narrow. “You do not seem to understand the risks my friends will take to find me. And you underestimate the lengths Robin will take for me! ”

Control Freak scoffed, “What do you even see in him?” he sputtered, throwing his pudgy hands up in frustration. “He’s like, what? Four feet tall? And he reeks of hair gel! Does he ever just leave his hair alone?! And that mask—he’s probably got a hideous tan!”

Starfire’s scowl deepened. “You do not need to know what I see in him.”

“Why? Because you don’t see anything, huh?!”

Enraged, the Tamaranean blasted various starbolts at the glass, irritated when it remained to stand. Control Freak, appearing somewhat afraid, shrunk back though let out a breath when the glass didn’t break. He continued to give her a knowing stare.

“Robin has taught me many things,” Starfire began in a dangerously low voice, eyes still glowing. “He has introduced me to the many luxuries of this planet! Robin has taught me about the… ‘being nice!’ He is sweet and he cares deeply for me and our friends—he would not give up so easily on any of us!”

Before Control Freak could reply with a snarky comment, Starfire began to attack the glass walls again, becoming more irritated when they didn’t show the slightest hint of cracking. She let out another war cry, banging her fists against the glass.

Control Freak rolled his eyes and hopped back into his seat, scooting away with a scoff.

“Alien girls,” he muttered under his breath, shaking his head. His hands stroked his pudgy chin as he pondered what to do with the Tamaranean while the Titans searched relentlessly. “Think they know everything! Bah! ”

As Starfire watched the villain retreat into another room, the fierce light in her eyes died down and she identified her surroundings—something Robin would advise during training. She took note of the tall concrete walls and the various screens dangling from them.

Each of the screens seemed to project a different movie or TV show that Starfire did not recognize. She bit on her lip and averted her stare, trying to find something that gave her a clue as to where she was being held captive.

Her green eyes landed on the computer that Control Freak typed away at furiously, his face screwed up as if in deep concentration. Starfire pursed her lips, eyes narrowing as she tried to read what website he was on, or what he was typing. She let out a breath when she decided the text could not be deciphered from her distance.

In a last resort, Starfire glanced down at the foot of the giant glass container she was held in. Her eyes widened at the sight of popcorn spilled on the ground beside various candies. As the Tamaranean noticed this, the rest of the messiness seemed to spark a connection in her brain.

The outlines of various rows of seats in the room became clear to her and Starfire could finally see the single giant screen on the opposite wall of the room. It was the only wall without any smaller televisions mounted onto it, remaining black as it awaited something to broadcast.

Starfire’s eyes lit up with realization. She was in a movie theater.

Making sure Control Freak wasn’t glancing back at her, Starfire reached for the T-Com strapped against her belt. She was glad he hadn’t searched her for any kind of weaponry or a source of contact with the other Titans, otherwise she would be out of luck.

Starfire flicked open the screen quietly, eyes blinking to adjust to the brightness the screen emitted. She lowered it down, occasionally raising her head to take note of Control Freak’s attention. She glanced at the screen, trying to discreetly type a message to any of the Titans.

Her tongue poked out in concentration as her thumbs worked at the digital keyboard, eyes narrowing whenever she made a typo. Starfire was halfway through her message when she glanced up again, eyes meeting Control Freak’s.

“What do we have here?” he mused with a smirk, stroking his chin again. Starfire squealed and attempted to hurry along with her typing, though the device was zapped with the same electricity that consumed her earlier. It vanished from her hold and appeared in Control Freak’s hand.

He rolled his eyes. “A plea for help? Ugh! If I was going to be defeated tonight, I was hoping it’d be by your hand! The alien powerhouse; the one, the only Starfire ! Deserving more than that stupid, stupid so-called ‘Boy Wonder’, Robin!”

Starfire opened her mouth to speak though was interrupted by a flash of smoke. Her eyes brightened as she could make out the silhouettes of four familiar figures, a smile overtaking her lips.

“What did you say about me?” Robin asked with a raised brow as he emerged from the smoke, his explosive disks readily poised in his hands. He glanced at the container that Starfire was held, a slight smirk on his lips.

Before Control Freak could sputter out a response, the smoke cleared and Robin threw his disks at Control Freak, grinning in satisfaction.

“Titans, go!”

---

A whole fight with Control Freak later, Robin and Cyborg worked at the glass that surrounded the Tamaranean. As Cyborg pressed at the keypad on the other side of the container, it gave a hiss before an exit emerged and the alien girl slid out, instantly embracing Robin in a tight hug.

“You have come to my rescue!” Starfire cried out of glee before she withdrew, noticing how red his face was. She beamed at her fellow Titans, grinning wide before returning to Robin’s side. “Thank you dearly, my friends! I could not escape the Control Freak’s containment chamber and he identified my communicator before I was able to send out my location.”

Cyborg nodded, smiling as well. “No prob, Star. If any of us ever get into trouble you know we’ll be there in a flash. No Titan goes unharmed without punishment.”

Starfire flew to the half-robot and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Thankfully, I am unharmed,” she smiled, “only… tired. I do not know for how long I was missing, but I am delighted to be found. I thank you again, friends.”

As they began the trek back to the Tower, Robin and Starfire decided to mount the motorcycle together while the other three hitched a ride with Cyborg in the T-Car.

Starfire wrapped her arms around Robin’s waist as he mounted the bike, expecting him to begin the ride home immediately. She frowned when he turned back to her, a brow raised as his mask creased. She tipped her head to the side.

“What is wrong?” Starfire queried, her own brows furrowing in response. “Why do we not proceed in the travel on the bike?”

“You don’t have a helmet,” Robin voiced as he began to take off his own. “If something happens, you could get hurt and get a concussion.” He continued to take off his helmet, ready to offer it to the Tamaranean girl.

Starfire tsked and shook her head, gently removing his hands from the side of the headpiece. “I can fly , Robin,” she reminded him with a giggle, “if your driving is reckless enough to crash, I believe my instincts are sharp enough for me to fly to safety. The helmet will remain on your head.”

Although the dark-haired teen looked as if he wanted to further protest, Robin let out a sigh of defeat and placed the helmet thoroughly onto his head. He revved the engine of his bike and grinned, eyes narrowing as the motorcycle raced down the streets into the night.

Chapter Text

There was a certain schedule that the Titans all adhered to, whether they liked it or not.

While Robin tried to push for more frequent training days, his suggestion was overruled by the other Titans—besides Starfire—as they demanded to have more “laid-back” days.

And so, Wednesdays and Saturdays were training days. Be it physical combat training, running the obstacle course, or simple one-on-one training, those were the reserved days for said activities. The remainder of the week was typically spent on their own time or hunting down villains.

It was rare when the Teen Titans actually managed to have a real “laid-back” day, with all the villains of Jump City breaking out of jail and running rampant. While they did have their relaxation sometimes, it was a brief occurrence.

When Robin walked into the Main Ops Center Wednesday morning, his stare bright and invigorating, he frowned upon noticing that only two of the four other Titans were up and ready. His brow creased in confusion as he approached Starfire and Raven.

“Good morning,” greeted the Teen Wonder, still frowning as he glanced around the Ops Center. “Glad to see you two up so early. But… uh, where’s Cyborg and Beast Boy? We’re going to do some team versus team hand-to-hand combat.”

Raven shrugged and sipped at her herbal tea, not raising her stare. She flipped a page in her book and lowered the mug back to the table. “No idea. I saw Cyborg this morning but no trace of Beast Boy.”

Robin frowned and flinched when he turned to see Starfire beaming at him. He returned the smile she shared, walking to the kitchen to grab a quick snack for breakfast.

“It is the best of mornings!” Starfire exclaimed with her typical enthusiasm, floating after the dark-haired leader as he poured a cup of coffee. “Today is another day of training! And we will do the team against team style of fighting? Glorious! ”

Pouring the cup of coffee, Robin nodded in agreement. “We’ve been working on physical combat for the last few days so I felt like it was only fair we spruce it up. Do something a little more… enjoyable.”

Raven’s quiet voice chimed from the other side of the room with a scoff. “I’m not sure if ‘training’ and ‘fun’ can go in the same sentence, but suit yourself.” She sipped at her coffee again.

A grin cracked on Robin’s face while Starfire frowned at the cloak-clad teen, flying over to her with a confused stare. Robin watched as the conversation went down, pouring the slightest bit of creamer into his coffee. He preferred it black, but a hint of sweetness wouldn’t hurt for the day.

“You do not enjoy the day of training?” Starfire asked, her emerald eyes settled on the half-demon as she flipped the page again. “But it is most delightful to spar with friends! On my planet, to grant one the time to spar was a big honor. It shows your dedication to the cause of fighting and the sharpening of the skills.”

Raven shrugged, continuing to sip at her tea. “I respect your viewpoints on fighting, so please, respect mine . Violence is not always the answer… even if it’s definitely the easier option. Sometimes it’s best to just… talk. Maybe you can reach an agreement with the other person.”

“But the sparring is all in good fun,” Starfire continued, trying to persuade her friend to think otherwise. “Nobody is harmed. The violence may be involved, but we do not intend to bring true harm to one another. I would never wish to hurt my friends.” A shiver ran down her spine at the thought.

Raven shrugged at the Tamaranean once more and continued her reading. Starfire, noticing the discreet dismissal that the purple-haired teen gave her, flying back over to Robin as the boy drained the remainder of his coffee.

Robin stood up from the stool and stretched his arms out, turning to Starfire with a smile. “Okay, well, I don’t wanna waste the morning waiting for those two. Do you mind getting them from their rooms?”

“I will return with Cyborg and Beast Boy shortly!” chimed the red-haired alien with a nod, flying down the corridor of the Tower without another word. Robin watched her figure disappear and turned to Raven with a faint smile.

“You up for training today, Raven?” Robin asked as he hopped the couch to sit beside his fellow teammate. He glanced over at her, watching her shrug again. His smile faltered slightly, realizing that Raven probably wasn’t in the best mood for casual conversation. After all, she was clearly trying to read a book.

To his surprise, Raven noticed his stare and shut the book gently, placing it on the table beside her mug of tea. She forced a small grin and nodded after a moment. “I… guess so,” Raven offered, “you know I enjoy training, but it’s not my favorite thing.”

“We all need to be prepared and at peak condition,” Robin frowned, fiddling with his gloves. “In case something happens. We can’t slack off otherwise we won’t be ready for the next time… especially me .”

Raven turned to him, a brow quirked. “What do you mean?”

Robin opened his mouth to speak, though the arrival of the other three Titans shocked him into silence. He raised his head to see Starfire flying into the Ops Center with Beast Boy trailing after her groggily.

“I have located friend Beast Boy!” Starfire announced with a gleeful tone, flying in a circle before landing beside the couch. “Cyborg is already in the training room. He has been awaiting us since the early morning.”

Beast Boy forced a nod, letting out a tired yawn as he rubbed at his eyes. “Dude said something about fixing his circuits before we started training. And tell me again why we need to do this whole weekly-training stuff? We’re superheroes! We don’t need training to kid the baddie butt!”

Robin looked uncomfortable when Raven glanced back at him, though the Boy Wonder cleared his throat and stood up from where he sat. “We need to train to be prepared ,” reiterated the dark-haired teen with a sigh. “Who knows what we’ll face next? And when we’ll face it? You can never be too prepared for a situation.”

While the green changeling looked about ready to argue, Raven hushed him with a glare as she got to her feet as well. “If anyone in this room needs the training, it’s you. So I’d stop whining if I were you and start making your way downstairs.”

Beast Boy’s cheeks puffed out in anger though the young changeling only grumbled under his breath and stormed down the hall with Starfire following after him. She stole a glance back at Robin, though he signaled at her to meet him down. She turned back down the corridor and continued to stride beside Beast Boy.

Robin was about to walk after them before Raven’s hand reached out to stop him. He turned back at her, eyes wide with surprise, blinking a few times beneath the mask as his stare settled on the half-demon.

“What’s up?” Robin asked, frowning. He waited until her arm fell back to his side, polishing the R-emblem of his uniform with a glove.

Raven looked as though she’d rather not ask whatever she was going to, though after a quick breath she gave him a puzzled stare. “Are you… okay? You were saying something earlier and I didn’t know if you wanted to ta-”

Robin’s eyes widened and he was never more thankful for constantly wearing a mask. He rubbed at the back of his neck—a habit that overtook him when he was anxious—and forced a laugh.

“I-it was nothing,” the Boy Wonder managed to spit out with a forced smile. He began to walk to the door awkwardly, glancing back as Robin waited for Raven to trail after him. “Just me thinking out loud, heh! Okay, well, we um, don’t want to be late for training! See you down there!”

Raven frowned as the door slid shut after him.

---

“Okay Titans!” Robin began, his voice loud and confident with authority as he stepped into the training room, Raven hovering in behind him. She took note of how his shoulders tensed up when she passed, though they relaxed once she took her place beside her other teammates.

Robin cracked his knuckles and eyed the other four. “Today we’re going to do some friendly team hand-to-hand combat. I don’t want anybody to get too physical, but I want you to take it seriously. Think of this as a time to try out techniques I’ve taught you or that you’ve learned; it’s combat practice . I’ll be splitting us into teams and will serve as the judge. Think of it… competitive, but only a friendly competition.”

From the corner of his eye, Robin could see Cyborg letting out a sigh of relief when he mentioned that he wouldn’t be competing. He cracked a slight grin, knowing how competitive he was when it came to anything somebody could win at. Robin cleared his throat to catch their attention once more.

“To make things a little interesting today… we’ll split into teams of boys and girls.” Robin watched as they rearranged themselves to stand beside their partners, sharing smiles and stares full of confidence. He grinned as well. “First team to immobilize their opponents wins the match. Understood?”

When nobody spoke, Robin raised an arm to the opposite side of the training room. He watched as they worked out who would be going to the other side, with Cyborg and Beast Boy trudging over. Robin eyed them as Cyborg’s arm shifted into his sonic cannon and Beast Boy got into a ready position.

When he glanced back at the girls, he grinned to see Starfire’s emerald eyes glowing vibrantly and Raven’s eyes white with power. He noticed how their hands began to charge with starbolts and dark energy, respectively. Robin raised his arm up.

“Ready… Titans, go! ”

First Beast Boy leapt into action, changing into a cheetah as he charged at Starfire with a ferocity burning in his eyes. Robin watched as Starfire skillfully evaded the swipe of his claws and flew into the air with a spin. Beast Boy glanced up at her before changing into a falcon, wings carrying him up to the Tamaranean.

Raven eyed Cyborg and summoned her astral self in the form of dark energy. The raven-shaped silhouette flew at the half-robot, letting out a shriek when it was blasted into nothingness by the sonic cannon.

Cyborg smirked, “You’re gonna have to do better than that, Rae!” He let out a battle cry and ran to the half-demon, blasting his cannon at her and grunting whenever she avoided the energy.

Raven hovered in the air, a clear target for Cyborg as he shot another blast at her. Pulling her energy-rich hands together, a black shield formed before her and allowed the demon to duck beneath the attack, lifting one of the training bags in the room and lobbing it at Cyborg.

Robin watched with masked eyes, resting his chin on a clenched fist. He longed to join the fight and trash all of them , but as their leader he supposed somebody needed to hold back and take notes on what could be improved.

And while Cyborg’s technique was… good , Robin took note that it could use more work. The way he relied on his sonic cannon was somewhat concerning, seeing as the Boy Wonder could point out various ways to best him in combat.

When Robin craned his head back to watch the spar between Beast Boy and Starfire, eyes settling on the positioning of their bodies as the Tamaranean evaded the changeling’s attacks and retaliated not long after.

Beast Boy shifted into a tiger in mid-air, aiming a swipe at Starfire but recoiled when he was blasted to the ground by her laser eyes. Forced back into his human form, he rubbed at the back of his head and looked ready to make some kind of cheeky comment, although he rolled out of the way as Starfire sent another volley of starbolts.

“Dude!” Beast Boy complained as he regained his footing, shooting a glare up at the alien girl. “I was trying to say something! That’s unfair!”

Starfire giggled mischievously as she paused in the air. “As Robin would say, you should always be on the guard!” She squealed as Beast Boy rolled his eyes and charged at her again, having shapeshifted into an eagle to pursue her.

Meanwhile, Raven was using the various items in the training room to hurl at Cyborg—not the best strategy in Robin’s opinion—while the latter either broke through them or dodged the throw. He ducked from a weight thrown his way, rising back up to shoot another cannon blast at Raven.

The demon’s focus was on the next few weights she was trying to throw with her magic, too distracted to take note of the blast headed her way. Raven’s eyes widened as the glow faded and the weights dropped to the ground, the blast hitting her square in the chest.

Starfire’s attention turned to her teammate as she let out a gasp, trying to throw the eagle trailing after her off her tail. Her eyes glowed green and she flew in to catch Raven, hurling a starbolt at Cyborg with difficulty as she attempted to keep Raven held.

When the cloaked Titan blinked open her eyes groggily, the glow in Starfire’s died down and she glanced at Raven. She smiled sheepishly when Raven shot her something similar to a glare. As Raven shoved her way out of Starfire’s arms, she gave the Tamaranean a thankful nod and shot energy blasts at Beast Boy as he followed them.

Robin didn’t even notice that he was standing out of his seat, eyes wide beneath the mask and fists clenched as he watched the showdown. Starfire’s recovery and care for her teammate was invaluable to their success, a note that Robin mentally praised. It was why he always cared to—or at least attempt to—catch his teammates should they fall.

Of course, he brushed aside the fact that he prioritized catching Starfire if she fell.

Robin’s eyes watched each miniscule detail; the way that Beast Boy effortlessly trailed after the two female Titans, shifting into form after form best suited for the moment. Be it a hummingbird for evasion, a falcon for speed, or a pterodactyl for offense.

Cyborg, even though grounded, he shot his cannon after the two, trying his best to avoid shooting his own teammate. While it was difficult to hit the moving targets, he’d gotten the solid shot on Raven earlier, taking advantage while her guard was down. Robin had tsked to himself when he witnessed Raven’s lack of instinct.

Speaking of the cloaked Titan, Robin was impressed with her skill in dodging the majority of Cyborg’s blasts. Even if his aim was subpar, Raven’s ability in evading the sonic cannon shots was remarkable. The only thing Robin had to critique was her lack of attention and instinct; she seemed to get distracted easily in the heat of battle.

And Starfire was doing amazing… not that Robin was trying to be biased.

During their free time—when it wasn’t a training day—Starfire would request to spar with Robin in hopes that she would hone her skills in preparation for battle. While Robin knew it was because of her warrior-like heritage that made her want to prepare for her future duels, he was glad at least one of the Titans requested to train frequently, outside of their training days. It being Starfire was just another pro.

He’d taught her a lot of the hand-to-hand combat techniques he knew, being the only thing he had over her. Robin couldn’t teach her how to shoot her starbolts, or proper flying patterns, but in the event that Starfire lost the ability to use her powers—like the time on that alien planet—she’d know some sort of self-defense.

And even if the Tamaranean girl had supposedly trained with some of the most ferocious galactic generals and warriors, they didn’t teach her much about Earthen fighting techniques. Robin was glad to be able to teach her something .

Sure, maybe Robin even learned a little something from her once in a while. But for the most part, it was him doing the teaching.

His eyes were studying the red-haired alien as she weaved through the air, body twisting and turning to evade the blasts from Cyborg and the swipes from Beast Boy. She retaliated with her own starbolts and eye lasers, occasionally scoring a hit on either of the boys. However, being so into the competition, Starfire hardly broke her facade to gloat.

Robin wasn’t even entirely aware when he heard the sound of Starfire’s voice beckoning to him, insisting that they were victorious. Blinking a few times to zone himself back into reality, he frowned upon noticing that Cyborg and Beast Boy were pinned to the ground by Raven’s dark magic. Starfire stood over them, victorious, the glow in her eyes having died down.

“ Oh ,” Robin gaped as he breathed out, lips turning into an approving smile. “Great job, girls! We’ll call it a day after we go over some of the techniques I observed during your spar. For one, Starfire, I noted the way you valued saving Raven instead of saving yourself . No offense, but if you had tried to take on Cyborg and Beast Boy on your own, then I’m not so sure if the match could’ve been won. Good thinking.”

As Starfire helped the guys back onto their feet, she puffed out her chest in pride at the compliment. She beamed, appearing to be proud of herself. “Thank you, Robin.”

The Boy Wonder nodded a head at her acknowledgement and turned to Beast Boy with a smile. “And Beast Boy, the way you handled your different forms was great. The use of smaller animals for evasion was great to avoid Star’s energy blasts. My only tip is maybe try to stay on the offensive side instead of relentlessly pursuing. You could’ve swooped in to help Cyborg with Raven.”

The changeling looked uncomfortable as he was critiqued, but Beast Boy sheepishly nodded his head and kicked at the ground in frustration. “Uh, yeah, dude. I’ll work on it next time… I guess?”

Robin turned his stare to Raven. “Raven. The use of your magic defensively is always remarkable, but I’ve noticed that you had trouble if you were trying to balance staying on the offensive side with the defensive. Your instincts are a little… delayed , but all you need is a little more training. Keep up the great work.”

Raven’s face remained emotionless as she studied Robin, the sight of her violet eyes settling onto him making the dark-haired teen shiver. He forced a smile and glanced at Cyborg.

“And Cy,” Robin began with a grin, “I love the sonic cannon, don’t get me wrong, but uh… maybe you could try a different approach? I get you wanted to stay offensive with Raven, but I’m not sure if the repetitive shooting of your cannon was the best way to go about it. I know you’ve got other weapons; why didn’t you use them?”

Cyborg huffed, “I mean, I was holdin’ back,” teased the elder Titan as he nudged Raven in a friendly manner. He let out a laugh, trying not to let Robin’s words sink into his skin. “Didn’t want to hurt the ladies.”

Raven scoffed. “Then you can see that you didn’t need to hold back from the way you guys lost, can’t you?”

“Yes!” Starfire chimed in with a giggle, hovering at Cyborg’s side as she rested a hand on his metal-padded shoulder. “We did the destroying of you in combat! The wager has been won; you and Beast Boy must clean the Ops Center!”

Robin quirked a brow. “When was that decided?”

“Prior to the spar of today,” Starfire filled as she turned to her boyfriend, a loose smile on her lips. “It was first decided with Beast Boy, but I informed Cyborg once you were finished with the debriefing. And we are victorious! Now I have more of the time to visit the mall of shopping!”

The Tamaranean turned to Raven, a hopeful expression on her face as she looked ready to ask her to come with. Raven returned her stare with a deadpan look, a frown etched onto her face. Starfire instantly recoiled and bit on her lip.

“Another time, Starfire.” Raven’s voice was gentle as she reassured her friend, not hoping to hurt her feelings. She just had other matters to attend to; namely the issue that Robin shrugged off earlier. “I’m busy this afternoon.”

Beast Boy scoffed bitterly, with all the Titans moving to the elevator to get to their respective rooms. “Dude, at least you aren’t cleaning the entire Ops Center! You can tell me about ‘busy’ once I’m done!”

Raven shot the green changeling a glare and he instantly went quiet, just as Starfire did. The rest of the Titans shared a muffled laugh as they rose up the elevator.

---

“Robin.” The sound of the half-demon’s voice shocked the Boy Wonder where he was in his room, fiddling with his birdarangs and smoke bombs. He turned to see Raven as she walked into the room, removing her hood.

She took note of his startled expression. “Sorry to drop in unexpectedly.”

Robin shook his head and brushed the devices to the corner of his desk, swiveling in his chair as he turned to face his fellow Titan. “No, no—it’s fine, just gave me a scare. I wasn’t exactly expecting anyone to come in seeing as the guys are cleaning the Ops and Star’s at the mall.”

Raven walked into the room, glancing around at the lack of decor. Robin’s room was always clean (surprising, considering how messy Beast Boy’s room was; she figured all guys would be messy) with a smell like air freshener present. Raven wasn’t sure if he actually had a freshener or if it was a byproduct of how tidy the room was.

“I wanted to ask you about this morning,” Raven began awkwardly, her voice low as she felt Robin’s stare on her. “You were trying to say something important to you. I could feel it. And then you tried to get out of the topic when I brought it up at training.”

Although Robin looked as though he’d rather be anywhere than in the comfort of his own room, he pulled at the collar of his cape anxiously. “I-I… well, uh , it wasn’t anything important.”

Raven quirked a brow, not buying his lie. Not to mention, Robin wasn’t exactly good at making up excuses on the spot. His nervous demeanor gave him away all too easy, or Raven had just been studying bodily movement too much.

“Unimportant?” she repeated, a slight tone of cockiness to her voice. “I don’t think it’s something you can brush off so easily. Don’t forget, we share a bond, Robin. I’ve seen you at your worst and you’ve seen me at mine. I can tell that this thing is bothering you.”

Studying the shifting expressions on the Boy Wonder’s face, Raven lowered her stare down to her hands, a kind smile overtaking her lips. “You can talk to me, you know.”

When Raven raised her eyes once more, she blinked a few times to see Robin sitting beside her with his face buried into one of his gloves. His brows were furrowed and the mask was creased as his eyes screwed shut.

And despite how uncomfortable the whole consoling thing made Raven, she reached over to pat his shoulder a few times, recoiling afterward.

Robin took a deep breath, lowering his hand back to his lap. His stare didn’t turn to the half-demon, affixed onto his shoes. “See, it’s just… well, each of you have something special that makes you… you .”

“Elaborate?” Raven urged gently, frowning. She didn’t understand what he meant.

“ Powers is a better word, I guess,” Robin suddenly blurted out, making the half-demon girl flinch back. He let out a shaky breath, shoulders slumping. “Beast Boy can turn into animals, Starfire’s an alien that can fly, Cyborg’s half robot, and you… you can do a lot of things that I definitely can’t do.”

Raven found her frown deepening. She fiddled with her cloak, waiting for him to continue.

“It makes me feel… a little bit inferior, I suppose?” Robin tipped his head to the side as he tested out the word, wrinkling his nose once he said it aloud. “No—not inferior exactly, but it just… I feel… well, um-”

“... Lesser compared to the rest of us?”

The dark-haired teen found himself nodding at her words. “Yeah. And it’s not your guys’ fault, I know that—you were born with powers, might as well use them, right? But that’s why it’s so important for me to keep training. To keep in shape; to stay fit .” His fist clenched.

“Because if I don’t stay at peak condition, I’m… useless .” Robin felt the breath he was holding in release itself. “I can’t do anything you guys can. I can’t fly; I can’t turn into a T-Rex; I can’t turn my hand into a cannon; I can’t say words that will make me more powerful. Without knowing how to fight hand-to-hand, I-I…” Robin breathed in.

“ I’m nothing. ”

“Robin,” Raven’s voice came out gentle, reaching over to place a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. When he turned to her, a smile was on her faces, eyes glistening. “You’re not nothing . You’re somebody. Somebody that we all trust with our lives. We trusted you to lead us; we could’ve chosen the person with the strongest powers but we chose you .”

Robin’s brow shot up in confusion, not understanding. It made Raven chuckle internally at the thought that she —maybe the most insecure one on the team—was comforting the person she thought was the most confident. It was somewhat ironic to her.

“Like you said, you know how to fight hand-to-hand! And we do too, but only because you taught us . We wouldn’t know how to deliver blows like you can or know how to fight if our powers didn’t work if you hadn’t taught us. And because we know you could easily kick our butts, we respect you. Besides, you’ve done so already.” A knowing smirk appeared on Raven’s lips.

“Hey, Slade said I had to ‘fight to win’,” reiterated the Boy Wonder with a roll of his eyes. A smile had overtaken his crestfallen expression as well. “If I didn’t fight to his standards, you all could’ve died. I did not need that on my conscience.”

Raven rolled her eyes. “Like I was saying, powers or not, you’re our leader . You might not think that the skills you have are special, but they are to us. We could never learn as much as you have in all the years of our lives, so feel good about that. And even though you think you’re just an ordinary person, you’re the only ‘ ordinary person ’ on a team of people with superpowers . I think having our respect and admiration counts for something.”

Robin felt himself smiling even wider now. He knew Raven wasn’t much for the whole talking about feelings thing, so her efforts were appreciated. He leaned in for a side hug, stifling a laugh when the half-demon flinched.

“Thank you, Raven.” Robin felt her arms wrap around him in return. “It means a lot.”

“Of course, Robin.”

Chapter Text

“Friends! I have received an important message from Tamaran!”

Starfire’s loud call startled the remainder of the Titans as she flew into the Ops Center at high speeds, making Beast Boy flinch from his position in the kitchen. Cyborg and Robin shifted their stares from the television to the Tamaranean girl with Raven pouring herself a cup of tea before she glanced over.

“What’s up, Star?” Robin questioned, pressing a button on the remote to pause the channel. He lifted a brow as Starfire studied the letter in her hands, eyes wide as they skimmed over each and every word. “Oh! Is the letter from Galfore?”

Starfire nodded eagerly, her emerald eyes lifting to meet that of her friends. “It is indeed! He speaks of his condolences, though it appears that I am required to return to Tamaran as soon as I am available. I fear that it is dire.”

Beast Boy’s jaw dropped as he slid the plate of fried tofu onto the counter, fork clutched in his hand tightly. “So you’re leaving us?! Forever?! ”

Starfire frowned. “I am not leaving forever, Beast Boy.” Her hands gripped the letter, the paper wrinkling under her touch as she guarded it close to herself. “But Galfore would not write me if it was not important. I must leave for Tamaran at the earliest convenience. Will you all manage well without my presence?”

Cyborg smiled and nodded, getting up from the couch to wrap an arm around her shoulders. “Of course, little lady! We are Jump’s finest, after all. You be safe during your stay in space, you hear?”

“Yeah!” chimed Beast Boy, having gulped down the fried tofu. He threw his fork onto the empty place, eyes glistening. “And bring me back a souvenir! Uh… no food, though. Unless you have vegetarian pizzas on your planet!”

Raven shot him a glare, rolling her eyes. “You’ve been to Tamaran. You should know that there aren’t any pizza parlors there, idiot.”

The usual quarrel between Raven and Beast Boy began, with Cyborg and Starfire watching on in amusement. The only one who didn’t appear happy about her departure was the Boy Wonder himself.

“Starfire, that’s great ,” Robin forced himself to speak, a fake smile on his mouth. “Um… but how long will you be gone? What if we need you back here? I want to know that you’ll be available if anything happens.”

Cyborg scoffed, “Let the girl visit her planet! Starfire can handle herself, and it’s not like we’re sending her on a wild goose chase through the galaxy! She’s goin’ home , Robin. You of all people should know we can handle the city with one less Titan on the team.”

Robin huffed, arms crossing over his chest. His mask creased, revealing his obvious discomfort. “I know, but… I guess I’m worried. Can’t we go with her? For safety purposes? Who knows if Blackfire’s back and this is all some kind of trick-”

“I do not know if Galfore would be comfortable with me bringing all of my friends, but I suppose he would allow me to bring you , Robin.”

The group turned their heads to where Starfire hovered beside Cyborg, still clutching the letter. A weak smile was on her face as she eyed the dark-haired teen. “He has heard much of you! We would write to each other on occasion and he is eager to share fighting techniques.”

Raven quirked a brow, sipping at her herbal tea. “That settles that.”

“Settles what?” Robin frowned as he turned his head to the cloaked Titan. His head tipped onto one side, brows furrowed. “I mean, believe me, I’d be humbled to talk about techniques with Galfore, but what about Jump? Who’s going to lead the Titans while I’m gone?”

“Obviously me , dudes!” Beast Boy piped up, puffing out his chest as he jumped onto the couch cushions, one leg pegged onto the backrest of the sofa. “Check it: Beast Boy-Wonder makes his mysterious return! The vigilante— the hero that Jump City deserves. ”

The Titans stared at him before Raven used her magic to hit him off the couch with a cushion. She turned her gaze back to Robin with the faintest smile at the corner of her lips. “We can handle it, Robin. It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve had to keep Jump City safe without you.”

Cyborg nodded in agreement. “And the crime has been on the down-low as of late!” he added, a grin on his lips. “Just those attempted robberies from the jewelry store in this entire week! And we stopped ‘em, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

Robin drove his knuckles into the palm of his opposing hand. “Yes, but what if the villains out there are planning something? We defeated the Brotherhood of Evil and we weren’t able to catch all the crooks that are still running rampant! Something big could be coming and you should have at least me there to help in case-”

“Dude, don’t you wanna go with your girlfriend on a private luxury trip to the middle of space?” Beast Boy teased with a snicker, rising up from behind the couch with the cushion in hand. “Come on! It’ll be like a date night for you two love-doves! Doesn’t it sound fun?”

“Look, now Starfire and I have been on countless dates-”

Cyborg interrupted, “And the stars are just beautiful from Tamaran’s horizon! Imagine how the sunrises look, Robin. We know you love your sunrises—especially when they’re with Starfire .”

“The view from the top of the Tower will have to suffice for me-”

Raven let out a loud groan, making her friends flinch as her eyes glowed white in annoyance. When the glare in her pupils died out, she crossed her arms, placing her mug on the counter. “Oh, quit arguing and pack your bags already! We will be fine. Get off of our planet already.”

When Robin opened his mouth to argue, Starfire took his hand with a blush evident on her tanned cheeks. She locked eyes with him (staring into his white lenses) and giggled. “Then we shall eagerly begin the packing of the baggage! We will leave tonight at sundown!”

“W-we will?” Robin frowned, letting out a gasp of surprise as Starfire trudged down the hallway, dragging the dark-haired teen along as she flew.

Beast Boy turned to the remaining three Titans in the room, face twisted with a sly smirk as he offered his communicator to Raven. She raised a brow, eyeing the device in his hand.

“So… party at the Tower while Robin’s gone?” Beast Boy giggled.

Raven glared and strut past the green changeling, taking her mug of tea with her.

Cyborg and Beast Boy exchanged a look.

“She didn’t say no!”

---

“Starfire, exactly how long am I supposed to be packing for this trip?” Robin asked through the door, frowning as he stood outside of her door, arms crossed. “A day? Two days? A week? I need to be prepared and have enough weapons and clothes.”

“Galfore was not specific,” Starfire’s voice chimed in response through the door, sliding it open and revealing herself as she dug out a luggage from her closet. Robin walked in as she threw the luggage on her bed, beginning to place neatly-folded copies of her uniform. “Though I am packing for at least the next month.”

If Robin had been drinking a glass of water, he’d have spit it out. Instead, he settled for sputtering as he stumbled with his words. “A— what? A… a whole month?! On Tamaran?”

Starfire nodded, not lifting her stare as she placed the last of her uniforms in the luggage, proceeding to pack a second pair of shoes and different outfits.

“I do not know the reason Galfore calls me back to Tamaran,” confessed the red-haired alien, shrugging her shoulders. “But I must assume that since he has called me home, it will be for time to come. However, I do hope that the trip will not be that long. I do not want to feel the sickness of home again.”

The dark-haired leader let out a sigh, shoulders slumping. “I’m not so sure about going with you then, Star. The Titans need me back here. I figured it’d be for a few days at the most—which they can undoubtedly handle—but for a month? I don’t think Raven could even be alone with the guys for that long without someone to ease the arguing.”

“You are most welcome to remain on Earth if you wish,” Starfire mumbled, the slight hint of enthusiasm in her voice fading. Robin could make out the frown on the corner of her lip. “Although, the company of my boyfriend would have been admirable…” she trailed off.

Robin felt himself produce another sigh. “I guess I could talk it out with Cyborg and he could take over in my place while we’re gone. But only if he is okay with i-”

The Boy Wonder flinched as Starfire engulfed him in a rib-crushing hug, burying her face into the crook of his neck. Robin smiled as she squealed excitedly, the lost enthusiasm now completely restored.

“Glorious!” Starfire exclaimed, beaming at him with emerald eyes. “Then make with the haste and begin to pack! We do not want to be late for our estimated time of leaving, and I have nearly completed the packing of my luggage!”

Robin nodded as the Tamaranean girl withdrew from him. “Okay, okay! I just need to have a talk with Cyborg about the whole leading-the-team thing before I start packing. I’ll meet you in the Ops Center once I’m done, all right?”

Starfire nodded in return and flew back to her bag, proceeding to pack whatever items she may find herself needing. “The sooner that we complete the packing, the sooner we are able to leave for Tamaran! I shall await your presence!”

As soon as Robin stepped out of the room, the door slid shut behind her and the Boy Wonder ran a hand through his hair. He frowned to himself as he walked down the corridor to the Ops Center, fiddling with his gloves anxiously.

He didn’t doubt the skills of the other three Titans, but sometimes it was obvious when he and Starfire’s assistance was necessary. They did well in standing against the army of mutant moths that Killer Moth had sent after them, but Robin noted that he did buy them time to thwart him.

So would they be able to manage without their leader for a month?

Robin was still thinking out how he would bring forward the proposal to Cyborg when he stepped foot into the Ops Center. The only ones present in the room were now said half-robot as well as a green changeling.

“Aye, Robin! You already finished packing for the getaway with ya girlfriend?” Cyborg teased, wiggling his eyebrows at him. He let out a snort of amusement as the dark-haired teen’s cheeks grew rosy.

“It’s not a getaway,” Robin huffed, visibly irritated. “It’s a mission. Starfire was initially called back to Tamaran, don’t forget that. I’m just going along because-”

“Because you were scawed that your girlfriend was gonna get hurt?” mocked Beast Boy between a fit of giggles, earning a stone-cold glare from his leader.

Robin cleared his throat and cracked his knuckles. “ No ,” he snapped, “because Starfire requested that I go with her. Besides, all of you were so insistent that you could keep Jump City safe without us.”

Cyborg scoffed, “And that’s because we can keep Jump City safe! Two less Titans than usual? No problem! Like I said, no baddie’s shown their ugly face for a while. When somebody pops onto the radar, we’ll take care of ‘em—piece of cake! It’s only for a few days.”

The dark-haired leader raised a brow, leaning on the backside of the couch with a frown. “A few days, you said? Well, what about a month? ”

Cyborg choked on his spit, sputtering, “A month? Dude! I figured it would be for a few days at a most, but y’all are going to be gone for an entire month? Look, I’ve really started to see this in a new light, so I don’t know if you should go to Tamaran for that long… alone. With Starfire.”

“Yeah! What do you think you’re doing—disappearing on us for a month?! No way we can handle keeping Jump safe for that long without a leader!” protested Beast Boy, his mouth ajar with shock.

Robin glanced at Cyborg, looking at his teammate up and down. “That’s what I came to talk to Cyborg about. Cy, mind if I have a word alone with you?”

Beast Boy huffed. “What am I? Chopped tofu?”

“You’re about as disgusting as it,” Cyborg remarked with a smirk as he rose up from the couch, trailing after his leader as they stepped out into the hall. As they disappeared from earshot, Cyborg could see Beast Boy whining back in the center of the room.

The door slid shut, separating Robin and Cyborg from the view of the changeling. Cyborg glanced down at the dark-haired teen, head tilted. “What’s up?”

“I don’t know how long this trip is going to be,” began the Boy Wonder, tugging at the collar of his cape. He fidgeted with his latex gloves, uncomfortable. “I’m hoping it won’t last for a month. Starfire doesn’t know how long we’re staying either, but she’s assuming it’s a big issue. If anything, I might come back early since we’re taking the T-Ship into space together. She can always fly home, too, but I don’t think Star would like if I bailed early on her.”

“And what you’re trying to say is…?”

Robin sighed, “The Titans will need a leader in my absence. You’re my second in command, Cyborg, so I’m entrusting the team to you. I’ll have a word with Beast Boy and Raven, but you can handle it, right? Being temporary leader?”

Cyborg rolled his eye, crossing his arms. “I’m perfectly capable of managing my own team, Robin,” he muttered, a hint of irritation obvious in his tone. “I ran the Titans East at one point, don’t forget. I think I can handle those two for a little while.”

Appearing unconvinced, Robin continued to fidget with the ends of his gloves, his frown deepening. He longed to remind Cyborg that the Titans East were under mind control by Brother Blood, though he bit his tongue. “I’m just making sure that you’re actually up to the job. There’s a lot that’ll need to be done while I’m gone—filing the paperwork and reports, making sure there’s no trouble, occasional cleanup duty for the city-”

“Robin. I can handle it,” assured the half-robot, his stiff tone having softened into one much more friendly. Cyborg could tell that the younger teen was simply worried about the likes of his friends and teammates, though he’d managed the Titans before. “We’ll be fine. Just keep in touch in case something comes up.”

Robin nodded, withdrawing his T-Com from his belt. He raised it up with a grin. “Of course. I just hope that Tamaran is within calling range for these things, otherwise we might have a problem.”

Cyborg shook his head, “We designed these. Alternate dimensions might be an issue, but a faraway planet is no issue for the T-Coms… or so I hope. I haven’t exactly tested it out, but we’ll just have to hope.”

“Yeah. Thanks again, Cy. If you need anything to file the reports or the paperwork, I’ll leave a sticky note with the password to my archives in the evidence room. Everything we have logged about every villain we faced is on my account. Do not do anything stupid to those files . Feel free to add information to files, but don’t delete any of them. Don’t move them, don’t even linger on them with the-”

“Robin, Robin!” Cyborg raised his hands up. “I get it! I won’t mess around with your archives. I’ll keep ‘em nice and polished with the latest information as it comes.”

The dark-haired leader nodded. “Good. Thanks, Cyborg. Now, I need to get packing before sundown or else Starfire’s gonna kill me for making us late. Is there anything I need to fix up in the T-Ship before we haul it out?”

Cyborg shrugged, “I’ll check it out for ya. Just get finished with your whole packing and then I’ll let you know if there’s any issue. Not that there will be, thanks to my genius engineering.”

Robin only let out a laugh as he turned on his heel and started down the hall. He winced when he could hear the sound of Starfire dragging her luggage down the hall, filled to the brim with her clothing and other items. Robin’s cape fell over his shoulders as he trudged down the corridor, already knowing he would get an earful for not being finished packing.

---

“You have everything, correct?” Starfire asked for the millionth time as Robin began to pack all of their luggages into the T-Ship. She observed, hovering beside him as he attempted to lift her profusely heavy bag into the ship. “Tamaran is limited on resources; what items we have on Earth may not be present on my planet.”

“I got everything, Star,” Robin managed to speak through his grunts, finally hoisting the luggage into the trunk of the ship. He let out an exhausted breath, turning to the other three Titans as they watched, awaiting their departure. “I’m more worried about them than if I forgot anything.”

“Robin, we’ll be fine,” assured Raven in a monotonous voice. She removed the hood of her cloak, hovering between Beast Boy and Cyborg. “Hopefully you’re not actually gone for a whole month, though.”

Cyborg nodded (but a small piece of him was hoping that his lunatic of a leader would be gone for that long). “For the hundredth time, we’ll be fine back here. I’ve got access to the archives and we’ll be long prepared in case anybody tries to show their face.”

“Exactly, dude!” chimed the green changeling with a wicked grin. He rubbed his hands together, expression going dark as he schemed just how he would kick the newest villain’s butt. “This will be a great time for me to perfect my spinning triceratops move! I’ve been working on it for the last few days and if some baddie pops up, I’ll finally get to use it!”

Raven crossed her arms. “That ‘move’ brings more danger to us than the actual villain. I’ve seen you practice it in the training room—your aim isn’t very good. You ram into the wall a lot.”

Cyborg gaped, “ That’s where the dent in the wall came from?!”

Beast Boy forced out an awkward chuckle, rubbing at the back of his neck. He grinned at the accusational stare presented to him by both Cyborg and Robin. “W-well, I mean, that’s the whole reason I’m trying to perfect it… ah, dudes.”

Robin cleared his throat, crossing his arms. “Okay, well just… make sure Beast Boy doesn’t wreck the Tower while I’m gone. Keep them in check, Cyborg.”

Raven narrowed her eyes, her shoulders slumping. “ I don’t need to be kept in check. Beast Boy, on the other hand…” Her violet eyes turned to study the changeling as he fiddled with his belt, giggling at the various noises it made. “We’ll keep an eye on him.”

A grin cracked at the corner of Robin’s lip. “Thanks, you two. Call me on my communicator if you need me to get home—but only if it’s an emergency . When I find out how long we’re staying, I’ll give Cyborg a message.”

Starfire nodded beside him. “If this matter is not of the urgency, I shall accompany Robin home should the trouble arise. I am capable of flying at the speed of light, do not forget.”

Cyborg smiled at the Tamaranean, opening his arms for a hug. As she flew in to embrace her fellow Titan, he wrapped his arms carefully around her. He winced, feeling the metal exterior of his body crinkle at her alien strength. “I’ll miss havin’ you around, little lady.”

“I shall be missing you dearly as well, friend Cyborg!” Starfire squeezed a bit tighter before she withdrew. She giggled, covering a hand over her lips as Cyborg studied the creases along his body. Starfire turned to Raven, her eyes glistening.

“And Raven, I will thoroughly utilize the method of meditation while we are gone,” Starfire noted with excitement glittering in her emerald eyes. “Is the peace and quiet always necessary for meditation?”

“It’s preferred, but not necessary,” advised the half-demon with a hint of a smile on her face. She rubbed at her arms awkwardly. “I’ll uh, make some time for us to meditate once you get back. Or we could just… go to the mall if you want?”

Although Raven wrinkled her nose at the proposal, the speak of such brought a light to Starfire’s eyes and she engulfed the fellow Titan in a hug, mindful of her strength this time. “Oh, I thank you very much! I would be most delighted to join you at the mall of shopping once we return from Tamaran!”

Raven huffed out a breath, trying to squirm out of Starfire’s hold. “ You—are—hugging—me! ” Her eyes glowed white as she became more irritated.

Black magic wrapped around Starfire and unraveled the Tamaranean from her body, exhaling as she set her down beside Beast Boy. She shot a glare at the alien girl when the magic dissipated, scoffing to herself in amusement when Starfire rubbed at her neck sheepishly.

Starfire turned to Beast Boy. “And Beast Boy, I shall seek out the most luxurious of souvenirs from my planet! I feel as though you would particularly enjoy the indulgence of the incinerated glorkaroaches; they are quite the meal!”

A shiver ran down the changeling’s spine as the other Titans wrinkled their noses in disgust. “I… uh, I think I’ll pass on the whole souvenir thing after all. A rock will do!” Beast Boy forced out a chuckle.

The red-haired Tamaranean turned to Robin and linked their hands together. “You are certain you are prepared? I know I will have some belongings awaiting me on Tamaran, but should you require extra weaponry or clothing, I suggest you retrieve it now before we-”

Robin hushed her with a shake of his head. “Star, I’ve got everything I need, don’t worry. I’ll manage to live if I happen to forget a uniform or something. Besides, I don’t think we’ll actually be gone an entire month… or so I hope.”

Starfire nodded, releasing her hold on his hand and flying up to her seat in the T-Ship. She waved at the Titans, a wide smile hiding the tears that threatened her eyes. “Farewell, friends! Robin and I will inform you of our arrival on Tamaran! We will miss you greatly!”

The other Titans waved in return, with Cyborg and Beast Boy occasionally shouting things back at her (along the lines of “We’ll be waiting for that call!” and “Remember, I don’t want the burning cockroaches!” ). Starfire gave one last wave before the lid of her cockpit opened and she slid comfortably into the seat.

Her eyes studied Robin as he hopped into his section of the ship, placing his headset over his ears. Starfire did the same and clipped on her seatbelt as he checked their mics. She responded with a simple hum and waited for Robin to start up the launch sequence.

“You ready for takeoff, Star?” Robin clarified over the line, his masked eyes studying the glass as the T-Ship was brought underwater on a platform. It arose sideways on said platform, thrusters pointed downwards as the nose of the ship faced the nighttime sky. “Our estimated arrival to Tamaran will be by dawn on Earth.”

Starfire grinned, “To Tamaran!”

Robin pressed on a button, smirking to himself in satisfaction as the thrusters blasted them into the air and pushed him back against his seat. He let out a quiet grunt, hands gripping the wheel tightly as the blue coloration of the sky melted into a soothing black.

Once the ship was safely out of Earth’s atmosphere, Robin glanced back at the sphere of blue and green before engaging the autopilot towards a point that Starfire had marked on the ship’s map.

Starfire remained awake throughout the trip to ensure they were headed along the right path while Robin took a “quick nap”. Her eyes studied the distant glow of the stars, gaping at the planets they passed by.

Her heart thumped anxiously in her chest.

Tamaran awaits me.