7Chapter Four
My eyes snapped open, then squeezed shut again from the blinding light pointed at my face. "Ahh!" I said, pressing my hands over my eyes.
"Oh, you are awake," said a voice off to my left. My ear swiveled and caught the speaker's identity. Aeos-Starfire. She started walking towards me. Turning the lamp off, she asked, "Can you see now?"
I removed my hands from my eyes and blinked, looking around the room. I seemed to be in a sickbay of some kind. My translator and card decks were lying on the table next to me. "Yes, Aeos-Starfire. Thank you very much," I said quietly, after putting on my translator and looking at the bed. "Is this the medwing?" I asked in the same tone of voice, pulling up my knees and wrapping my arms around them.
"Yes... Is something wrong Kaelia?" she inquired, concern in her voice. 'Is something wrong?' Not only have I been casual with humans, I've advanced on your pre-mate, and another wants to kill me from reasons I don't even know yet. To top it all off, I find out that you are all Aeosai. No, nothing's wrong at all.
"Starfire? Is she awake yet?" Robin's voice floated from behind the door.
"Yes, Robin, she is... But I think there may be something wrong with her."
The door slid open. "Kaelia? Are you okay?" he asked, walking over to my bed. I watched him out of the corner of my eye.
I nodded in response, not daring to speak, or even look at him.
"Does your head hurt?"
I nodded slightly.
"Did something happen to you voice?"
I shook my head.
"Her voice seems to be fine, Robin. She was speaking to me just now," interjected Aeos-Starfire.
Aeos-Robin took my chin in his hand, looked directly into my eyes, and said, "Why won't you speak to me?"
I managed to hold his gaze while I answered. "Because my speaking to a leader of Aeosai like you would be the greatest show of disrespect that exists," I said softly. "I'm so far below you that I'm not even worthy to look at the ground that you walked on. For some humans, this is like spitting on the True Cross."
"...Oh," he replied, letting go of my face. "Look Kaelia, we're not better than you are. We're just different. In your culture, I would have the power to give you orders, right?"
I nodded, slightly confused at his way of thinking. I shifted uncomfortably on my bed.
"Then I order you to treat us as equals."
My heart skipped a beat. "Aeos-Robin, please repeat that," I said, disbelieving.
"I said, I order you to treat the rest of the team and me as equals."
I tried to accept that, and failed. I tried again, and failed. On the third try, I got a little closer.
"Kaelia? You okay?" asked Beastboy. When had he come in?
"Yeah, I'm just trying to wrap my brain around the order that Aeos-Robin gave me."
"There. See? You're following orders already."
"I am?" I asked, horrified that I could simply treat him like an equal so quickly.
He smiled. "And just now, again. I think you just need to relax."
I had made him smile. That alone was reward for the breach. When the leader is happy, his subjects usually are too.
Beastboy sat down on the bed next to me. "Wanna head to the mall with the rest of us today? It'd be a lot of fun with you around."
"Really?!" I asked, excited. The mall sounded like a perfect way to relax.
He nodded.
"Thank you!" I said, hugging him. It was a few seconds later that I realized that I was STARK NAKED. I dove back beneath the covers, muttering 'Oh Dalz, Oh Dalz, Oh Dalz...' "Ummm, where are my clothes and why am I naked?" I asked in a small voice.
"Well, you were passed out, and Robin never misses a chance to study something," said Beastboy with a wicked grin.
"Stop it, Logan!" He turned to face me. "Your clothes were soaked. We tried to dry them, but they fell apart in the dryer. How, I don't know, but that's what happened, or what Beastboy told me anyway. I sent Raven to get you some new clothes. She should be back any second now."
Right on cue, she walked through the doorway, holding a bag of clothing. "Here," she said icily, tossing it towards me. I managed to catch it one-handed and looked through it. A pair of modified jeans, undergarmets, a blue t-shirt, and a light grey sweater. I was grateful, but wasn't this a little...light?
She saw the look on my face. "I added in the factor of your fur. I figured that it would add the equivalent of an extra layer of clothing." I nodded. Well, even if my species didn't come from a cold climate, at least I did. That would help a bit. But I still needed shoes...
"Is there a way that I could get shoes? It really, really, sucks walking barepaw out there."
"Well, I don't really think so... I don't know any place where we could get shoes for digitigrade feet."
"I could make my own. It's not really that hard. Do you have any waterproof insulating fabric?"
"You mean like Gore-Tex?" asked Cyborg.
"Ahh! When did you come in, and how did I not hear you?!"
He shrugged. "I have some loose Gore-Tex if you need some."
"Sure, I'll take it. Thanks."
The metal teen walked out of the room and returned shortly, handing me a yard of the fabric, a sewing kit, and some thread.
I took it, frowning. "Where did this come from? Do you just keep fabric and sewing kits in strategically placed locations around the tower? Or did you somehow predict that I would ask for this?"
"Uhhh... The last one, I guess..." he said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Right...," I said, wrapping the blanket around me and starting work on my shoes. I put my foot on the fabric, estimated the amount needed for one shoe, and cut a circular piece of fabric. Then I cut out an identical piece using the first as a template. Threading the strings through the edges of the shoe gave me something like a bag with drawstrings. I slipped them on and tied the shoes shut. "This should be good for now."
The Titans were staring at me. "Is that what all shoes are like where you come from?" asked Beastboy.
""For everyone with feet like mine," I answered. "Now, boys, if you wouldn't mind leaving, I'd like to get dressed now."
"Oh! Sorry, Kaelia, we'll leave now." They left the room quickly. I dressed myself, put on my decks, then asked if there was a brush handy.
"Here you are," said Starfire, offering one.
"Thank you," I said, taking it. I sat down and started to brush my tail. "Guys! You can come back in now!" I called.
"Almost ready?" asked Cyborg, walking in with the others.
"Yeah, I wanted to make myself look some presentable," I answered, braiding my hair.
"I think you look great," said Beastboy. Raven fixed him with a glare that could freeze lava and several vials shattered around the room. I winced. Beastboy leaned close to me and whispered, "Don't worry about Raven. She doesn't like strangers very much." He gave a comforting smile, then mussed my hair. Raven walked over, clamped a hand on his shoulder, and dragged him from the room, saying "Garfield, I think we need to have a little talk. NOW."
"...Is he going to be alright?" I asked, watched Raven drag him from the room.
"He'll be fine," responded Cyborg. "She's probably just going to give him a tongue lashing and leave it at that.
"...Well, okay," I said, returning to my tail.
P.O.V. Shift
"What the hell are you doing, Logan?!" demanded Raven, releasing Beastboy's shoulder. "You know we can't trust her! Remember Terra?!"
"Who said I trusted her?," replied Beastboy.
"Then what are you doing?"
"I don't trust her, possibly even less than you. I'm assuming that you put tracers and bugs in her clothing."
Raven nodded, surprised that Beastboy was able to lie like this.
"I just put the same thing on her person." The empath's jaw dropped.
"When... when did you think of this?"
"Just after she slammed her head on the ground. I figured you'd go for her clothes. This way there's no way she can escape detection."
"I...never thought that you could do something like this, Beastboy. Usually you're so open with your emotions..."
He gave a half-smile. "I know how to survive, Raven and I'll do whatever it takes to do so. In the game of life there are no rules."
"But in love?" she asked, slightly worried by this revelation.
The shapeshifter pulled her into a tight embrace. "I love you Raven, and nothing will ever change that. I swear by all that is holy that no harm to you."
She smiled, returning the hug. "You have no idea how good that is to hear..." Raven whispered.
P.O.V. Shift
"Aww," I said, stepping out of the room and seeing the couple hugging each other. They stopped embracing when they heard me.
Beastboy smiled and said, "You ready?"
"Yeah, I really wanna check out the mall you have here."
"Alright then, let's head out," said Aeos-Robin, walking out of the room behind me.
The car ride there was fun, if a bit cramped. I've never ridden in a car like this before, but I'm fairly certain that said vehicle is supposed to keep all four wheels on the ground at all times. And judging from the other's reactions, I'd say that that was a correct assumption.
"Cyborg! That car was on one wheel back there!"
"That light is RED, Cy!"
"Ahh! I'm gonna die!"
"This is fun!" That last one was me. Death is something they prepare you for very throughly in the Academy.
We pulled into the parking spot inexpliacably and miraculously whole.
"Cyborg...you...are...NEVER driving...again," Aeos-Robin choked out, among other things.
"What, just because I had a bit of difficulties getting here?"
"A BIT of difficulties?! Cyborg, you hit at least five fire hydrants on the way here! Three cars tipped over! It's a wonder no one DIED!" shouted the leader of the Titans.
"Hey, I wasn't used to the weight difference," he replied, walking towards the entrance. "You coming?"
We had simply stopped at his excuse. I shook my head and followed after.
Afterthoughts
I know that I broke character with BB and Rae, but I really don't know how to fix it... Sorry...
Even more things to explain.
- I'm totally not sure how to spell the word "strategically.".
"Aeos-" prefix: A title of respect. Kinda like saying "-san" or "-sama"
Card decks: The main focuses for Kaelia's force fields. I will elaborate on this in later chapters