Teen Titans Fan Fiction ❯ The Adventures of the Teen Titans ❯ Close Encounters of the Tamaranean Kind ( Chapter 1 )

NOTE: This fic was formerly posted on another site. Old review responses and author's notes have been preserved. This is mostly because I don't feel like changing anything, but I also am noting the people who reviewed me because I appreciate them very much.

 

Blowfish: Most of the people who regularly read my fiction (I love you guys!) are stumbling onto this and thinking, “But Blowfish already has two other fics! Does this mean the updates will be slower on `Heroes' and `Much Ado About Titans'?” Well, the answer is: probably. The updates will (hopefully) be pretty consistent until school starts up. (Damn education.) At that point, all of my major typing will probably be on weekends and little bits after school. So, in months to come, I will be updating less often. But fear not, my friends! These fics will continue and finish. That I will promise you!

 

Anyway, the reason I'm posting this story is because I've had it in my head longer than any of my other fics. I just hadn't put it in order in my head yet. But now that I have, I can't hold it in any longer. This and “Heroes” are sort of my Teen Titans “brainchildren”. My big masterpieces (I hope). This one's much more angsty and violent than my other fics.

 

I was originally going to make my third story “Darkness Before Dawn”, a fic where Slade controls the city, but I decided there were enough of those around. (Of course, there are a lot of origin fics too, but…) Anyway, I decided to go for something different. A very dark, angsty origin fic. It doesn't delve into the Titans' whole lives from the get-go, but rather takes a more mysterious angle. There will be lots of appearances by the Justice League in the beginning, but once the story is past that, they will be seen very little. I'm going to try not to get all crossover-happy on you, I'm not a big fan of crossovers in the first place. Just try to go with it, and I really hope you'll enjoy it.

 

This fic is rated PG-13 for language, blood and violence, and lots and lots of teenage angst.

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans. (sniffs) I wish I did.

 

“talking” `thinking' @/scene change@/

 

#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#% #%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#

 

“So, what's up?” Robin asked his mentor. They were in the “watchtower” of the Justice League, the huge satellite that orbited the earth. Robin was confused. Batman helped the League a lot, but he had never taken Robin to JLHQ before.

 

“You'll find out,” Batman answered coolly. Robin glared at him, then returned his gaze forward. He had three theories of what this could possibly be about. One: The Justice League wanted him to join them. This was highly unlikely as he was only sixteen. Two: Batman had brought him here to be introduced to the League, and everyone would treat him like a little kid, as usual. He shuddered. That would just be embarrassing.

 

The third theory was the one Robin least wanted to believe: That the League needed help. This was a scary thought. They had at least a hundred superheroes now working with them, and if they needed help, whatever it was they were battling was likely to be unbelievably powerful. Robin gulped. Even if this was right, what could someone like him—a regular human—do? True, he was Batman's sidekick, and he knew the tricks of the detective trade quite well, but Batman was far better.

 

“We're here,” Batman said opening the doors to the main room. Robin managed to suppress a gasp. He had been expecting a few of the miscellaneous heroes he'd heard about, since the League most often worked in teams in an effort to spread their forces. But there were Green Lantern and Wonder Woman—two of the League's founding members.

 

“Glad you could make it,” Green Lantern said. “I see you brought the kid.” Robin scowled.

 

“I'm Robin,” he replied proudly. “I'm not a kid.”

 

“I see. Well, glad to have you here.”

 

“No problem, GL.”

 

Lantern cocked an eyebrow.

 

“Err…sorry, Mr. Lantern.”

 

“'Sir' will do,” he said sternly.

 

“Yes sir. Uh, sorry if I seem rude, but why am I here?”

 

“Well, three hours ago, an alien spacecraft was headed towards Earth. We brought it in with a high-intensity magnet, so as not to be detected by commercial satellites and cause panic. There was only one person on the ship, and she can't speak a word of English, or any Earthly language for that matter. She doesn't appear to have any harmful intentions, but she seems very scared of us. She looks to be physically around your age, so—“

 

“You think she'll feel comfortable with me.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Robin sighed. “Lead the way.”

 

 

 

The four heroes were walking down the hall, Batman and Robin a few feet behind. Batman leaned towards Robin a bit.

 

“You seem delighted to be doing this,” he whispered off-handedly.

 

“I'm a crime-fighter, not a babysitter!” Robin hissed. “I'm not gonna spend all day with some alien girl who can't speak a word of English!”

 

The door opened, leading to their destination, but Robin was still talking to Batman.

 

“Besides, she's probably—“

 

He looked up and stopped dead in his tracks.

 

“Beautiful…” he breathed.

 

She was the most perfect being he had ever seen. She had orangey-colored skin, and flaming red hair. She was wearing long purple boots, matching the tank-top and miniskirt she was wearing. On her arms were metallic gloves that went up to her elbows, and there was a similar adornment on her neck. On both of these was a round, green gems that sparkled brightly. Her eyes were a bright green. Not just the iris, they were green all the way through, except for her pupils, of course. The irises were a darker green, and the rest of her eyes were lighter, like a lime green.

 

Robin was speechless. That had never happened to him before. He always had a wise word, a cocky retort, a clever comment. Not this time. His vocal cords felt as if they were actually frozen. `She's like a goddess…' he thought. That was the only description that seemed to fit.

 

The girl was talking to the Martian Manhunter, in what Robin was surprised to find was near-perfect English. The others were stunned as well. Wonder Woman spoke up.

 

“J'on, how did you—“

 

“Her language, Tameranean, is very similar to Martian. I was able to convey what language you were using, and it turns out she knows it quite well.”

 

The alien girl looked embarrassed. “Forgive me. I have not heard what you refer to as `English' in some time, and I did not recognize it. I am sorry to have caused such a communication problem.”

 

“It's no trouble,” Wonder Woman said. “We're just happy we can understand why you're here.”

 

The girl looked even more embarrassed. “Well…I…err…I had no intention of causing a disturbance. I am sorry for that. I actually came hoping to take residence on this planet.”

 

“Why did you leave…”

 

“Tameran.”

 

“Why did you leave Tameran?”

 

This time, the girl looked more ashamed this time. “I…my planet…”

 

“If I recall,” J'on cut in. “Tameran is a very troubled planet, yes? It is at war with the Gordanians, and is actually on the brink of political collapse due to impending civil war. Am I right?”

 

She nodded.

 

Batman faced the Martian. “How do you know all this?”

 

“The Martians and the Tameraneans were once close allies. That is the reason our languages are similar. After the Tameraneans began war with the Gordanians, my people severed ties with them, not approving the ways of war. We learned about it the hard way,” he said bitterly.

 

“Wait a second,” Lantern said. “Mars fell thousands of years ago! You mean to tell me this war between the Tameraneans and the Gordanians has been going on all that time?!”

 

“Yes. I had hoped otherwise.”

 

“I fled out of fear,” the girl said, hanging her head. “I am a coward, and a shame to my family.”

 

Robin finally found his voice, but the wrong words came out. “Hey, you're afraid of dying. There's no shame it that.”

 

She looked up at him in a defiant manner. “I am not afraid of death. I do not wish to hurt anybody; that is what I am afraid of.”

 

“Oh,” Robin said quietly. “Sorry.”

 

She sighed. “It is not your fault. I am the one who should be sorry.”

 

“So, uh…I saw your ship. Sweet ride. Where'd you get it?”

 

The girl shifted a bit. “It was my brother's ship.”

 

“Oh, what—wait, I'm such a doofus!”

 

“…Doofus?”

 

“Idiot. Stupid person. I—we forgot to ask you your name.”

 

She smiled. “Koriand'r. My name is Koriand'r.”

 

“Koriandra—Kora—Koriend—got a nickname by any chance?” he asked, blushing.

 

“The English translation is quite rough, but I believe it is…Starfire. So you may call me Starfire…”

 

“Robin,” he said holding out is hand. Starfire looked at it confusedly. Robin took her hand, put it in his, and shook it. “It's called a handshake. It's how we greet each other on Earth.”

 

“I see.”

 

Green Lantern turned to the others. “Well, what now?”

 

“Why not let her stay here?” Wonder Woman said. “Until we can find a place for her to live. I have a feeling she'll need some help with adjusting.”

 

Batman smiled and looked over at Robin, who was deep in conversation with Starfire about the proper way to greet strangers and friends on Earth.

 

“I think we have a good teacher.”

 

#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#% #%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#

 

It had been a week since Starfire had arrived at JLHQ, and she was adjusting quite nicely. Robin was around almost constantly, keeping her company, teaching her the ways of Earth, and showing her various pictures and music. They greatly enjoyed each other's company, and it showed. They had shared a lot of things about themselves, and compared interests until they knew each other almost as well as they knew themselves. However, there was one thing Starfire had neglected to mention about herself…

 

It was a normal day on the JL satellite, and Starfire was looking at the stars through the massive window. Though she didn't know it, Robin was on the upper deck, leaning over the rail, looking at her. Batman walked over to him.

 

“Enjoying the view?”

 

Robin jumped. “AH! Good God, don't scare me like that!”

 

“Why aren't you in uniform?”

 

Robin looked down at himself. He was wearing an undershirt and jeans. Strangely enough, he still had his mask on. (A/N: Heh heh. Seriously, does that guy EVER take that thing off?)

 

“I just got out of the shower. I was just going to change.”

 

“Sure, right after staring at Starfire for another hour,” Batman said, giving his sidekick a playful punch in the arm in a most un-Batman-like way. Robin crossed his arms stubbornly.

 

“Shut up.”

 

Batman chuckled, and took the elevator down to the lower deck. He walked over to the window, and stopped where Starfire was sitting.

 

“Feeling nostalgic?”

 

“One could call it that, I suppose. I do miss my home planet.”

 

“Perfectly understandable.”

 

She smiled at him. “Thank you for letting me—“

 

Starfire was abruptly cut off by a scream. She and Batman turned to see Robin plummeting downwards from the upper deck.

 

“ROBIN!!!” Batman yelled. He was frantic. Robin couldn't save himself; he didn't have his utility belt. Batman pulled out his grappling hook, looking for something to latch onto. Before he could do anything, though, Starfire ran forward and jumped into the air. At least, that's what it looked like at first. Batman was shocked when she stayed in the air.

 

`She can fly?!'

 

Starfire sped through the air, and caught Robin fifty feet above the floor. Robin was terrified and surprised at the same time, causing his heart to go a million miles a minute. At this point, Superman and Wonder Woman had walked in, looking equally flabbergasted. Starfire landed and put him down.

 

“Friend Robin, what happened?” she asked worriedly. “Are you undamaged?”

 

“I—I leaned too far over the railing, and…you can fly?” he asked weakly.

 

“I do possess the power of flight. Did I not mention that?”

 

“No…you left that one out.”

 

“Oh…I am very sorry.”

 

“No, it's fine. Really. Thanks.”

 

“It was not a problem.”

 

“Do you have any other powers?” Superman asked. He was curious to see what else she could do.

 

“Yes, I can emit energy beams from my hands and eyes. I call them `starbolts'. I also have great strength; compared to a human, that is.”

 

“Can we see?”

 

“I do not have a target.”

 

“Shoot at me,” Wonder Woman offered. “These bracelets can block anything.”

 

Starfire nodded and stepped back a little bit. She raised her hands, which started to glow green. So did her eyes. She shot a starbolt, and Wonder Woman deflected it. Then she shot one from her eyes, which pushed Wonder Woman back a bit.

 

“Whoa, easy there,” she said.

 

“I apologize. I have only recently gained the ability to project starbolts from my eyes, and sometimes I overdo it.” She then picked up Batman with one hand and balanced him on her finger, to demonstrate her phenomenal strength. (A/N: Come on, if she can stop a flying spaceship, she can lift Batman.)

 

“Well, we came down here to ask for Batman and Robin's help with a new case,” Superman explained. “Since you have these powers, perhaps you could also help—if you want to.”

 

“I would be delighted to be of any assistance.”

 

Batman turned to Robin. “Suit up and come to the main room.”

 

“Right.”

 

#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#% #%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#

 

J'on (A/N: I'll just refer to him as J'on for the rest of this.) stood in the middle of the main room, in front of the main screen. Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Batman, Robin, and Starfire were in a semicircle around him. Batman turned to Lantern.

 

“Where's the big guy?”

 

“Got a call. Left J'on in charge.” J'on cleared his throat.

 

“As you may or may not know, Jump City has had several reports of unexplained coma victims. I have gone to each of these people, and have attempted to read their minds.”

 

“You couldn't,” Robin guessed.

 

“Yes. It was as if they had no thoughts or memories.”

 

“But that doesn't make any sense.”

 

“Unless…” Wonder Woman said. “They've had their souls sucked out.”

 

Starfire, Robin, and Green Lantern all gasped. “Who could accomplish such a thing? And why?” Starfire asked.

 

“A demon, maybe. They are certainly capable of it, and some eat souls as a regular food. We're probably just looking at a hungry demon.”

 

“Is there anything we can do for those who have already fallen prey to this monster?”

 

“It depends. We'll have to find the culprit quickly, and I don't know if that's possible. Maybe J'on would have better luck. Most demons have strange auras, or use telekinesis, so he could detect them.”

 

“You are very experienced with these `demons'?”

 

“I've had dealings with them a few times. As has Batman. But neither of us are experts. Like I said, maybe J'on could—J'on?”

 

J'on was standing very still, his eyes glowing.

 

“Guess he's two steps ahead of us, eh?” Robin chuckled.

 

“What is he doing?” Starfire asked, waving her hand in front of J'on's eyes.

 

“He's using his telepathic powers, most probably trying to find our demon.”

 

J'on opened his eyes. “There are too many to be sure, but a few particular auras have been quite bright lately.”

 

Lantern cocked an eyebrow. (Robin was beginning to think that this was his trademark expression.) “Translation?”

 

“A few particular demons have been using a lot of power recently. One of those is most likely the soul-sucker.”

 

Robin slammed his fist in his hand. “All right! Let's go kick some demon butt!”

 

#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#% #%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#

 

Blowfish: There it is. Sorry if the soul-sucking plot seems wacky, I've been reading a lot of Yu Yu Hakusho lately. Anyway, you won't see an update from this until my other two stories get updated. Gotta update my other ones, or the reviewers will have my head! So, for your pleasure, a preview! (As if you didn't already guess what's coming.)

 

Next time: On the trail of a soul-sucking demon, Robin, Starfire, and Batman come across the enigmatic Raven. Her powers are frightening, but she looks human enough. Why does Raven stand out from other demons, and is she the one sucking out people souls? And who is the mysterious man she hangs out with? Find out next time!