Chapter 1:
Meet the Cousin!
"Um Beast Boy- what are you doing?" Robin asked as he watched Beast Boy tackle the mess that was his room.
"Dude- can't talk now!" Beast Boy said as he transformed into a camel and pulled a mess of trash bags onto his humps and walked them to the trash shoot where one by one using his teeth he dropped them.
"Dear friends, what is Beast Boy doing?" Starfire asked
"I think he's cleaning his room…" Cyborg said tilting his head to the side
"Why?" Starfire asked.
"He started acting weird last week…" Raven said as she walked from the multipurpose room.
Robin thought back. "After he received that letter, right? Do we know who sent it?"
Raven shook her head; "No, but after that he was extremely agitated and he was doing his laundry every time we got home…"
"That is right! Beast Boy even decided not to attend a movie and pizza afterward four nights ago…" Starfire agreed in wonderment
They peeked their heads back into BB's room when they heard the noise of a vacuum and a psssh, sound matched with a squeaking noise.
Beast Boy was in octopus form and was vacuuming, dusting as well as cleaning his windows.
"Who ever is coming must mean a lot to him for BB to put out this much effort…" Robin said.
"What makes you think someone is coming over?" Cyborg asked
"Would you be freaking out if you got a letter from someone and-"
"Dude! Move it!" Beast Boy yelled as he raced down the hall, only to come to a screeching halt putting his cleaning supplies away and make a quick u-ey.
"Cyborg! Are those HEPA filters installed?"
"Uh- yeah…"
"Great! What about the sick bay and lab area? Are we fully stocked there? I mean like to put a person in quarantine and cure them?"
"Well-"
"You haven't? If you don't she could catch a cold and die! I don't want her to die! She's so susceptible to bugs and germs! You gotta! She could die! How could I face Aunty Sora if she died while she was here with me?"
"Beast Boy… Calm down-"
"Calm down? Calm down?" Beast Boy yelled as he jumped and clung to the front of Robin's uniform, grabbing two handfuls of it to keep him stable. "Robin, my cousin from Japan is coming today! She gets sick so often I'm surprised she's still alive!" Beast Boy turned suddenly, "Raven! I got a lot more of your tea 'cause you'll be sharing with my cousin ok?"
There was a honking from outside the T-tower and Beast Boy freaked out, releasing Robin, flinging himself from his person and rushing toward the window with a squeal. "Ahh! She's here! Guys- I don't care if you make my life a living hell after she's gone, but you gotta be extra nice while she's here!"
"Umm…. Sure." Robin said, as if they would make someone leave worse off than when they came to visit.
"Great! C'mon! Kagome's downstairs!" Beast Boy yelled as he rushed past the rest of the Team Titans and turned into a green cheetah to get down stairs even faster.
Raven shook her head, and using her powers manipulated the window open and making a platform under their feet drew them toward the ground where a petite girl with long blue-black hair was getting out of the cab.
* ( * ) * ( * ) * (
Kagome had just stepped out of the cab that had taken her from Jump City International Airport to The T-Tower in Jump City Bay. The cab fare was $27.50 which she paid with her converted money.
With her heavily accented English she thanked the cabby as he unloaded her baggage from the trunk. Then she was accosted by her very green cousin Garfield also known as Beast Boy.
"Kagome! It been forever! How you health? How you feeling? How you flight- you tired?" He said in his poorly spoken Japanese.
Kagome let out a relieved laugh.
"It is fine cousin. I berieve I speak Engrish werr enough… It is good to see you have not changed."
"Her R's and L's could use some work…" Said Cyborg, who blushed when Kagome turned in his direction. "Sorry…" He apologized.
"It is no Plobrem Cy-bo-r-g…" She said slowly saying his name, trying to get it right. It was quite obvious who he was with all the mechanics on his person. "I am awale that my pro-nun-ci-a-tion (She paused to think the word over{she got the 'r' right!}) is not quite Native for Amelicans…"
"Oh! Oh!" Beast Boy said waving his arms around in circles. "I talked to the Martian Manhunter and got this!" He declared proudly displaying a type of headset. "It's a translator and learning program!" It rested on the ear and looped around the back of the head.
"So?" Kagome said cocking her head to the side.
"You'll be able to understand faster and learn to speak better English with this on!" He said approaching her and placing it around her ear. "He said it would take at least a week before you could take it off, and still understand and speak English though…" Then he gave her a hug. "Good to see you Kags… Don't worry. You'll be fine as long as you're with us."
"Okaseri, Galfierd-kun…"
"Oops, got it reversed…" Beast Boy said embarrassed; flipping a small switch on the side of the headset to an opposing position.
"Uh- What are you doing?" Kagome asked raising an eyebrow in askance.
"Just making it so we can understand you when you speak…?" Beast Boy said in a questioning tone.
"Uh-huh…" She said not convinced. "Oh- thanks Driver…" She said as she took her bags from his hands and handed him another five dollars as tip.
"Not a problem miss… You're a friend of the Teen Titans?"
"Dude- She's my-" Kagome slapped a hand over his mouth.
"I'm Beast Boy's best childhood friend…" She said smiling. "But I am looking forward to getting to know the rest of the Teen Titans while I stay in the city…"
"Uh-huh… thank you miss…" He said tipping his cap toward her, getting in the car and driving off.
Kagome kept smiling waving him off until he turned a curb. "I don't like him… Something about that cabby just doesn't set right with me…" She said frowning. It was obvious that the headset was working correctly, as her English had improved since putting the device on.
"Pwah! Whadd'ya mean Kags?" Beast Boy said finally removing her hand from his mouth.
Kagome smiled at him before picking up her bags; "Hey- Can we go inside first- and scan my luggage? I think I've been bugged…" She whispered the last part to Robin and Cyborg.
"Oh- Yeah sure!" Cyborg exclaimed. "Say- you do… eat meat right?"
Kagome laughed as she walked inside.
"Your cousin looks to be in pretty good health for someone who gets sick all the time…" Raven said to Beast Boy.
"Must be on of her good days… When she hit her 15th birthday, things took a turn for the worse with her health…"
"But still- it does appear that she is in radiant condition…" Starfire said, cocking her head to the side in confusion.
"Are you kidding? Kagome's had everything from Apathic Neuro-glacial- pyrokinesis to Zedgeuffrein's regurgeheterozygomorphosis!"
"Huh?"
"Gesundheit?"
Were the remarks that Starfire and Raven made at the same time.
"I'll explain more inside! Now come on! She's here! She's gonna be amazed at the things we do!" Beast Boy said as he pushed them in ahead of him.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()(()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()(
Just around the curb the cabby stepped out of his car; and removed his mask revealing a man beneath another mask; this one orange and black.
"A new pawn for my game…" He said examining the device in his hand. "It appears the Robin will not only have his team-mates and the city to worry about but a very sick girl as well…"
(()()()()()()()()()()()()()((()((((()()))()()(()((()()()()()(()()()()()()()()(()()()()
Kagome set her bags down in the lobby of the T-Tower, and slowly spun in a circle. "Wow this place is huge!" She made a small nod to Robin who cued Cyborg who scanned her while she was spinning. With the sound turned off, the indicator only blinked a red light; with the closer it got to her, the faster it blinked until it was flashing so fast it's red light was constant as it neared her.
"You should see it from the roof- The view is amazing!" Cyborg said keeping up with the flow of conversation. With a quick frisk from Robin, three bugs were removed from her person and another six from her luggage.
"I need to get some pictures while I'm here or Souta will never forgive me…" Kagome said grinning at the heroes that were aiding in removing her from her odd feeling.
"Who's Souta?" Robin asked removing yet another bug from the side of her suitcase.
"Souta's my little brother- a real pain at times, but I can tell you this he is greener than G- Beast Boy!"
"Loves Superheroes that much huh?"
"When I turned 15 he was introduced to an amazing guy who was my best friend for the next year and a half before he died…"
"Oh- Sorry…"
"It's really not such a big deal… With what he was encountering on a day-to-day basis, it had to happen… Such is the life heroes lead right?"
"You're taking this awfully calmly…" Robin said.
"I was there… I went to his grave, nothing will bring him back, and his girlfriend now has the peace she deserves…"
"Whoa-whoa-whoa!" Beast Boy said as he entered on the latter point of the conversation. "Are you talking about that Dog-boy guy? The two-timer?"
"Not two-time, and he never one-timed me geesh! Some people!" Kagome exclaimed. Shaking her head.
"Okay- all clean…" Cyborg said. "But I gotta know- how did you know that you were bugged?"
"According to Aunty Sora- Kagome's always had the knack for knowing when something isn't right. She even tried to warn her father right before he passed away…"
"I extend my apologies, but who are you?" Starfire asked.
Beast Boy came to a screeching halt. "Ah! Sorry! Guys- this is my cousin Kagome Higurashi. Kags- these are my friends: Robin, our leader; Raven the group's most stable albeit slightly demonic member, Cyborg our resident techno-genius, Starfire, our resident alien princess; and then there's me: the good-looking comic-relief guy of the group!"
"Good to finally meet you guys…" Kagome said a smile on her face and after thinking a moment shook both Robin and Cyborg's hands.
"Oh It is glorious to meet a member of your family Beast-boy! Greetings cousin Kagome!" Starfire said lifting Kagome up and squeezing her. "But please- what is a cousin?"
Kagome drew a blank look on her face, "Uh- A cousin is if two siblings and their spouses have children. They are related through their parents who are related to one another. Literal explanation: An uncle's or aunt's child: a child of somebody's uncle or aunt or a distant relative: somebody to whom somebody else is related through the brother or sister of a grandparent, great-grandparent, or an even older ancestor…"
"Oh- I am not sure I understand still…"
"It's okay Star- I'll explain it to you later." Raven explained.
"Ah- so you have some form of psychic power Cousin of Beast Boy?" Starfire asked continuing the line of conversation from earlier.
"I wouldn't call it that…" Kagome said blushing, "please call me Kagome…"
() * () * () * () * () * ()
Later that night, after the Teen Titans had defeated Control-Freak, a villain Kagome had declined to accompany them on defeating, feeling tired after the fifteen hour flight she'd just been on plus the four hours with customs in Japan and another three with the Customs in America, she was exhausted. Once she was rested however, she did join them for the movie 'Wicked-Scary'.
"'...This movie is supposed to be cursed. When people watch it. Strange things happen. Evil things.'"
While watching it, Kagome tried her best not to laugh; it was so ridiculous. She'd seen scarier in the Feudal Era. So instead, she amused herself by watching the reactions of the Teen Titans while the movies continued. The Teen Titan's eyes were glued to the screen allowing Kagome to view their reactions. Finally the end of the movie came with the lead actress screaming in horror then the screen turned black with the red lettering "END." etched across the screen.
"'Is it over?'" Beast Boy asked from behind the couch.
"'I dare not open my eyes to find out.'" Starfire stated with her eyes glued shut and holding Robin's cape in terror.
"'Now I'm really sick to my stomach.'" Cyborg said his face even greener than before, but he was looking better since they'd come back.
"'I've fought psychotic villains. Robot commandos, and giant oozing monsters, but that is the scariest thing I have ever seen.'" Robin stated his eyes wide behind his mask.
…Laughter filled the room, Kagome allowed her laughter to combine with theirs but hers was more hilarity ensued than relief that the movie was over.
"'So did I tell you or did I tell you?'" Beast Boy asked triumphantly standing from his position behind the couch.
"'Thrilling Beast Boy! It was wonderfully horrible!'" Starfire exclaimed clapping her hands together.
"'Yeah when she went into the basement-'" Cyborg started.
"'- And it was right behind her and she turned and-'" Robin continued.
"'I was freaking out! I wanted to turn it off.'" Cyborg yelled then he tapped his index fingers together embarrassed.
"'So? Come on, Raven, admit it: You were totally scared.'" Beast Boy said coaxingly as he moved toward Raven.
Kagome hid a smile behind her hand, while Beast Boy confronted Raven. Who's statement was : "'I don't do fear.'"
Kagome shook her head, said "good night" (The team had forgotten she was even there; are were extremely embarrassed at that fact.) and went up to one of the guest bedrooms the Teen Titans had for guests, put in some earplugs and went cheerfully to sleep. That movie was nowhere near as scary as she was led to believe from Beast Boy's description.
() * () * () * () * () * ()
Kagome didn't wake up till Sunrise as was now her habit thanks to Inuyasha, and the rest of the Teen Titans had just returned to bed; clearly she had missed something while she was sleeping.
But she didn't give the thought much credence and after a brief exploration, found the entrance to the roof and watched the rest of the sunrise.
"Cyborg was right… The view from the roof is amazing…" Kagome said with a heartfelt sigh. She loved mornings that started out like this.
She leaned back on her hands. Too bad that her cousin had no idea what she'd been through; but she figured that demons would be too out of the ordinary for the Teen Titans.
That thought in mind she did some minor exploration, and found the gym, the evidence room, the lab, the sick bay (which she noticed was piled high with medical equipment and as she noted had a computer that as she accessed it, noticed had been completely updated with known diseases, their symptoms and cures. Poor Beast Boy, he was going to have an interesting time finding out that she never was sick.
She chuckled as she left the room, but made a quick path to the multipurpose room; where she found the kitchen, spotless for being with several teenagers. Kagome quirked her mouth up in a grin as she set a pot of hot water on the stove and set it on high to let it begin to heat up the water for some herbal tea. Once that was ready and she was sipping it, she forewent her usual breakfast of miso, tofu, flaked fish and rice and instead made some ramen which she took outside with her while waited for the Teen Titans to wake up.
() * () * () * () * () * ()
Robin was the first to wake up, a few hours sleep and he was good to go.(It was just after ten in the morning… ok so it was more than a few hours sleep…) He decided to check on their guest and when she wasn't there, made a quick search of the tower. When she wasn't inside, he went to the roof she wasn't there, but when he happened to look down he saw a person with black hair pulled up in a ponytail.
He went downstairs and stepped outside to see her knee deep in water having a splash fight with a fish.
"Having fun?"
"Gimme a minute would you? This fish is asking for it." Kagome said aiming a splash at the fish, only to get an ear full of water from yet another fish as is spat it in her ear. "Hey! Two against one is no fair!" She complained before she roped Robin into joining the splash fight. The water fight lasted twenty more minutes, before, out of breath, Kagome begged for a halt.
Laughing the two made it inside to be met with an angry mother-hen Beast Boy. He was honest-to-god clucking. Seeing that sent both Robin and Kagome into a laughing fit. Greeted by the loud ruckus that was being introduced to their ears, the rest of the Teen Titans rose from their respected bedrooms and encountered two soaking peoples in the multi-purpose room and a clucking Beast Boy.
"What happened?" Cyborg asked.
The two teens suddenly stopped laughing and Kagome nodded to Robin, obviously silent conversation was being exchanged.
"I was attacked." She said succinctly.
"WHAT?" Beast Boy yelped; "By what?"
Robin cleared his throat. "I couldn't see enough to tell you what it was exactly… But it looked like… a fish." He said
"Yeah- but fish don't normally attack people. At least not in the Japan I know…" Kagome said turning to Robin.
"And then there was the way that it was joined by that second 'fish'…" Robin said skepticism coloring his words.
"And the way that they understood the English language…" Kagome said horror dawning on her features.
"That lousy Aqua-lad! I'm gonna find him and give him a piece of my mind to chew on!" He said as he stomped out of the room.
A dark-energy grappler reeled him back into the multi-purpose room. "Beast Boy- Even I knew they were joking…" Raven said; a slight smile on her face.
An image appeared in Kagome's head of Beast Boy in human form being reeled on shore, after taking the bait; hook, line and sinker. She snickered.
"It's NOT funny Kagome!"
"Actually BB, it kinda is…" Cyborg said. "I mean- you get us with your practical jokes like all the time… The fact that your cousin and Robin got you was great!"
"Not great about being attacked it wasn't!"
Robin and Kagome shared a look before laughing again. "BB! We were joking!" They said simultaneously.
"Yeah- well say that when you get sick, I have to call Aunty Sora and explain to her why her only daughter is at death's door because she and one of my team-mates decided to get wet!"
"Aren't you being a little severe Beast Boy?" Raven asked. As she watched him drag Kagome up the stairs and into the guest bathroom where he ordered her to strip and get into a hot bath.
"Okay- How do I explain this to you?" Beast Boy tried to remain calm as he pointed out the towels and bathrobes to Kagome on the far side of the bathroom before closing the door on her and hearing it lock. "Her health is very delicate. She get's diseases at the drop of a hat! She's had Rhuemetoid Arthritis! She's had Gangrene, Arterial Thrombosis, McGufferin's disease, Blood poisoning, brain tumors, Chemo, Radiation treatment, radical brain surgeries… she get's sick so often and by nearly all fatal disease or incurable diseases!"
He said all of it with a straight face that only the wringing of Robin's cape still dripping water broke this silence.
"If…. She becomes ill so often, how is it that you and she are related?" Starfire asked.
Kagome answered the question as she stepped out of the bathroom, towel drying her hair. "If BB weren't green you'd see that we're related; we have the same color and shape eyes, that and our personalities are very similar. I'm ¾ Japanese and BB's ¼ Japanese. Our grandparents were married just after WWII. Our maternal side was Japanese, they had our father's who were ½ Japanese; my dad came to Japan where he later married my mom, while BB's dad stayed in America and married his American wife."
"So how did you two communicate?" Raven asked.
Beast Boy answered. "E-mails are a wonderful thing; especially when there is a translation feature included with the e-mail program…"
(A/N: Obviously they didn't share their adventures or they would be a lot more open with one another and Beast Boy wouldn't be so concerned with Kagome's health…)
"Our mother's did most of the communicating…" Kagome answered at the same time as Beast Boy.
"Ah-hah…" Cyborg said. "That makes as much sense as watching a movie for the first time with your eyes closed…"
"What time did you wake up?" Starfire asked Kagome.
"I think around the time you went to sleep; did something happen when I was out?"
"Raven made a haunted house for us."
"You did not hear anything?" Starfire asked.
"I wore ear-plugs…"
"The movie didn't freak you out?" Cyborg asked.
"It was more funny than scary for me… We almost always have scary festivals all year round… And we have a lot of haunted houses; not to mention having several loose spirits flying around and weird incidences. Half of Kuyshu got destroyed last week and there was no report, latent presence, no super powers; but there was a dark energy reported in the area by several psychics. So- no, the movie really didn't freak me out."
"So you are saying that you slept quite soundly and that you were not frightened at all by the movie?" Starfire verified.
"Yeah… I'll see you guys after I finish getting dressed. Should I wear anything in particular?"
"Something you can run in, but nothing too baggy. And if at all possible, can you wear a mask…?" Robin stated.
"Well I can- but why would I want to?"
"You get to have a secret identity…" Beast Boy said. "How does Miko sound?"
"Sounds like someone's been brushing up on their Japanese…" Kagome said with a veiled smile. "I think I have something that fit's that description, but no mask… Can I borrow one of yours, Robin?"
"I think I can manage that…" Robin said. "See you downstairs in ten minutes?"
"You only get to observe Kagome; no participation."
"Kill-joy." Kagome muttered but good-heartedly.
Well? What do you think? Please review!
