Teen Titans Roster Day Off (7)

Light Activities

Robin

"It was GOOD to be back in the Command Center, While we'd been in space for those three weeks I'd felt cut-off. Adrift in the sea of limited possibilities. The only path in front of me the brooding depth of deep space!" I clicked off the recording device, wondering about the use of brooding. Could space have emotions? While the others stayed up in Starfire's room, or went about their day of fun, I had to answer to the adults. I'd just finished a huge dressing down by Grayson, after receiving Braniac's report on our activities on the Psion Station.

"Look, I understand that difficult situations require difficult decisions!" Dick had said over the comlink. He looked and sounded old, as though hearing Brainiac out had drained him of a decade. "But communiation is the crux of any team." He seamed to be checking something or someone off camera. 

Lowering his voice he explained, "Brainiac really didn't like that you three kept him out of the loop. He's kicking up a stink about your training, saying your all Lone Wolves and the Titans need leaders who are better in teams!" I had shrugged, most of what I'd heard in this interview was exactly what I'd expected. We had attempted genocide. Not only that, but this was their first impression of our species! Genocidal and emotional. Fully willing to free the slaves and wreck their markets.

I felt proud about that.

We lost the Jet, since Wonder Woman was now being required to spend more time looking after her kid. Plus, Starfire kinda made the jet unnecessary. We were also told we'd be doing "Optics" in the coming week. Publicity stunts, interviews, meeting and greeting other more experience hero teams.

"What I really want us doing is getting back out there! Dealing with full supervillains, fighting crime like the old days!" I had seen the reports Supergirl had got about ongoing cases! There was stuff I could obviously work on. 

"Then organise your team! You're leader, make the publicity stuff fit into your work flow!" Dick had answered.

That's what I was doing now, while I narrated my reports for the logs. "Coming back to work I find plenty to do. The chief interest to me are the kidnappings by Organism one, and a series of cases that could be Inscrutable Machine Jobs. The later being a series of break-ins by Ragdolls." I flipped through on the screen the reports. "The Zombie Ragdolls have only been used in three high profile jobs before. The attack on Mech's place of work, and as crowd control at both the Jazzapalooze event, and the Nuclear reactor. 

Seeing that the dolls had turned up in minor crimes such as B&E's had me interested. Could those crimes be more important than initially thought?

Our team was still going to be split for a while, but that wasn't important. What was important was our activities today.

I was going to be alone with Starfire, at least I would be after she dropped Sharkie, Supergirl and Raven to the court-house. "I should really show Starfire around properly. Like, the city but also the more human kid stuff. Schools, Concerts, fun places and things to do."

I mused over this, multi-tasking as in the background I started building a list of information about the Ragdoll break ins. "Maybe combine work and play. We can check out these sites, but visit fun places in between?" Slowly, the days activities came together.

~ ~ ~ 

We gathered in the common area of the Command Centre early the next morning. Everyone was in costume, even though Star and I would be doing fun stuff we'd still be representing the side.

"You settled on a skin tone I see!" Starfire wore a casual flappy skirt with bathers underneath and had her hair I in braids. Using the illusion belt of Braniac's, she had an islander look to her, not black but still dark. Other than the skin tone her features looked the same.

"Yes! Do you like it?" She smiled presently.
I settled on a diplomatic, "You look amazing Star"

"Are you sure you're okay with this headset?" Lena was fussing. She and Starfire were looking over a modified VR set that somehow was connecting via a cable to the magic telephone book Star kept on her back. The glasses were slim, not the kind that blocked out all light glowed faintly. 

"I only got to use the Psion nav thingy once, and as such didn't spend enough time to let it bother me. The one time I did use this, it felt like one of Charlie's video-games." Star was reassuring her. "Plus this will help me be more accurate!" This was her non-heart sensing way of using the Deep Dark. Some kind of game of 'Follow the line!'

"Everyone huddle up!" She commanded, and we complied. With a blink and a long held breath later we appeared at an intersection in DownTown LA. Amidst the morning workers, school kids and busy citizens sat three villains to our group of six. They sat on a wall that connected to the subways, legs swinging and wearing full supervillain gear, but acting for the world like truant school kids.

It was Bad Penny in her robot suit, minus all the bulky armor pieces, who approached first, "Thankyou for providing a ride, our transport recently got destroyed!" the robot explained, a very dramatic image of a comet appearing on the helmet's screen. "This court case will probably be boring."

We shook hands, greeting the enemy off the field felt weird. "Maybe The Original does something stupid and we get called in to deal with him!" I joked.

That got a hollow laugh from Charlie and Kara, who had been present when the hero went off the deep end.

E-Claire approached second, wearing a variety of her best dress that included dress shoes, leggings and  hat. She circle us, curiously and sniffed, and though tracking a scent.

"Anyhow, I have a favor for you. This is Miss A!" Bad Penny directed our attention, and I blinked. Full on blinked, having completely misunderstood. Instead of three super-villains I expected, Miss A with her cheer-leader inspired outfit was here, slumming it in all black and a leather jacket much like Reviled would wear.

"What kind of favour?" I wondered suspiciously, did these two know each other.

"Can I come with Star and You!" Miss A responded. "They don't want my statements in the trial just yet., and the League is saying, if I wanna stay hero after all the stuff with the Original is over, it's probably gonna be with a hero team! Thought I'd spent time getting to know you!"

I nodded. It made sense. So I wouldn't be alone with Starfire. Looking at Starfire's grinning face and pleading eyes I groaned my response, "Yeah! Okay, we're gonna be checking out some cold crime scenes!" I hesitated, then hedged a guess. "A series of toy-themed B&E's across LA!" I explained.

"What, Really? Not more copycats? I've had enough of those!" Bad Penny's reaction seamed completely innocent, and she pulled a phone out of a hidden pocket in the suit to tap some responses. With a Dramatic sigh and hands in my pockets I said, "Miss A, stand over here? Star will be back after she drops people off!"

This conversation was delayed due to antics. As though sniffing out a mystery, with Starfire giving her amused looks, E-Claire concluded, "Your Starfire! What did you do to yourself?"

"My face is the same E-Claire, I only used an illusion to make my skin fit with human norms!" The confused look on Starfire's face pained me.

"Star, I think what E-Claire means is that we prefer the real you to an illusion!" I suggested.

"OH yes!" The little bear girl went buggy red for just a moment before clarifying, "You look amazing! I mean that, but the two you is better than some trick from a machine! Always!"

The air hummed for a moment before Bad Penny coughed,  her helmet displaying a string of heart emoji's. "I'm so sorry to break this up,  but we really need to be going! Sorry E-Claire, you'll have to catch up another day!"

Minutes later and everyone was in place, the delegation to the courts on their way, then Starfire returned. I took the moments out of her presence to compose myself while Miss A laughed and giggled in fits.

After Star returned, along with my sanity, Myself and the two girls left to perform a doll hunt.