The Sixth Titan | Teen Titans

Chapter Forty-Six - Troq

    Hola! Just in case some of y'all haven't seen the series, this episode deals with a bit of racism. Just something to watch out for--it's not that severe, and carries a positive message at the end, but the theme's still there.

    I hold my cards in my right hand, resting the left and letting it heal further. A small cast sits on my wrist as well as my shoulder, broken in two places and annoying me greatly. The cast should have been off by now, and it would be if not for a combination of our constant missions, Robin's overprotectiveness, and Cyborg flaunting his guilt over me taking the blow as opposed to him.

    Combined, the two male Titans have proven to be an unstoppable force in ensuring that I heal my injury properly, despite my resistance. As we play the card game, they sit on either side of me, watching to make sure I don't somehow take any shortcuts in healing it. I know if I ask, though, they'll claim they're making sure that I'm not cheating.

    "Please, explain why it is bad to be the old maid?" Starfire's question breaks me out of my thoughts, but my attention is quickly diverted once more at the sound of engines blaring outside our window.

    "Whoa!" Cyborg exclaims as he, Robin, and I turn around. "What was that?"

    "Giant worms?"

    The vehicles fly over the Tower and away from us. "Uh, don't think so," Raven remarks, glancing at Beast Boy.

    "Titans! Go!" Robin shouts, and we all stand up from our seats and make for the door. Once we reach the roof, however, we do nothing but stare at the ship.

    "Whoever he is, the guy's a good pilot." Cyborg's voice sounds from behind me and I look at him.

    "Or whoever's chasing them are really bad pilots in comparison," I point out, looking back up as the first pursuer explodes in the air. I slow the falling debris, stopping any of it from landing on us.

    "That guy's a great pilot!" Robin exclaims, agreeing with Cyborg. We continue to watch as the pilot jumps out of his own vehicle--presumably setting it to an automatic setting--and clambers onto the other ship. It doesn't take long before his second pursuer is spiralling towards the ground. "Did he just take down that ship with his bare hands?"

    "Looks like it," Cyborg responds, and we're all forced to duck as the ship comes too close to the Tower for my liking. "Come on, man, you can do it!"

    Smoke continues to billow from the vehicle as it rides over the mountains and out of our sight. We all stare, transfixed, until thick smoke and red light flare from behind the hilltop.

    "Is he...?" Starfire questions.

    "Let's go find out," I say. Starfire grabs Cyborg by his armpits, and knowing I can't do the same in my current state, I pull from the ground a boulder big enough to fit two people on it. I don't need to say a word as Robin climbs on and we take off in the direction of the explosion.

~~~

    I fly Robin and I up the hill, both of us disembarking at the summit. My eyes widen at the sight of a large flame, and I walk up towards it slowly. I hold my hand out and begin to part it, but before I can do very much in the way of helping, a figure steps out heroically from the flames.

    "It takes more than a plasmatic implosion to bring down Val-Yor," a voice booms, and I'm blinded by a flash beside me. Turning around, I see Starfire guiltily pull a camera away from her face, grinning from ear to ear.

    The self-proclaimed Val-Yor seems to be of an alien species. He has a shining, silver glint to his skin, with the pattern of a red star embedded on his chest. He wears a purple jumpsuit that hugs his figure, and he isn't afraid to flaunt his muscles as he strides towards us confidently.