A/N: I do not own the Teen Titans, etc. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only and I (sadly) do not gain any monetary value for it.
Anyone who threw some fancy charity shindig on Halloween night had to be either really creepy or seriously hate real fun. Beast Boy had thought so the moment Robin told them about the formal invitation and he couldn't help but think the same thing now. It wasn't even a costume party and looking around at the ornate columns, hand-painted ceiling, and the string quartet performing from a low balcony, he quickly decided on the latter. Their hostess, known as Madame Jaqueline Parise, had greeted them with a strange mixture of admiration, delight, and frustration, though the last was probably due to Raven's oh-so-charming lack of proper praise at the high class atmosphere. It didn't take long for her to move on to other guests and the Titans were left to wander about on their own.
"Remember to be on your best behavior tonight," Robin had reminded everyone before being dragged off by a pastel purple clad Starfire.
Beast Boy was pretty sure the comment had been meant for him. Cyborg headed off quickly afterwards, only mentioning a bacon wrapped something or other, which left Beast Boy standing beside Raven, whose face was already graced with her signature scowl. He waited at least a full minute, to make sure no one came back, before finally turning to her.
"So, Rae, may I have this dance?" Beast Boy extended a green hand out to his teammate with the most enticing look he could muster, one eyebrow raised and a toothless grin, save the fang that always made itself known. Without the ridiculous expression, the offer might have been considered a bit romantic.
"I don't dance," Raven replied, not even glancing at him before gliding off towards the other side of the room.
Beast Boy's ears drooped and his expression briefly lost its sparkle. "Strike one," he muttered to himself, watching her wander about the perimeter of the room. He was still a bit surprised she'd come, even though Robin had told them it was mandatory. He was even more surprised when she'd gone shopping with Starfire earlier in the week, though she hadn't shown anyone the results of said trip upon their return home, choosing to instead to sneak into her room while Starfire distracted everyone with the glittering ball gown she'd chosen. At the time, Beast Boy had assumed Raven didn't want anyone to see the atrocious thing Starfire must've picked out for her. Now, even though she'd rejected him for the moment, Beast Boy was happy to see Raven in something so unusually fitting. It looked for all the world as if she'd taken the night sky and simply wrapped it around herself, then topped it off with a shawl both deep and bright blue to hide some of the stars' shimmer. His own tux felt awkward and confining and he tried to loosen his tie a bit while no one was looking.
"BB!" Cyborg slapped him on the back, causing Beast Boy to almost choke himself in his tie adjustment attempt. He held a half-full plate of hors d'oeuvres in his other hand. "Where's Rave?"
Beast Boy coughed and let go of the tie before nodding towards the far end of the room where a couple of large glass doors were open to the view of the back gardens. "Think she went outside."
"Scared her off already, did ya?"
"Dude, I just asked her to dance!"
Cyborg snorted in amusement and shook his head. "Why don't you just tell her the truth already?"
"Uh, because she's Raven."
"She doesn't hate you, man."
Beast Boy didn't answer, choosing instead to examine his shiny dress shoes. The quartet began to play a waltz.
"I think you might be surprised."
"Is there something you're not telling me?" Beast Boy looked up again to stare at his friend accusingly.
"No." Cyborg sent down a challenging stare of his own. "I just pay attention, green bean. Kinda like how I figured you out."
Beast Boy looked back towards the outside doors. "No one can figure her out," he muttered.
"Doubt that."
They stood in silence for a moment, both watching the crowd and thinking until Cyborg let out a chuckle.
"What's so funny?"
"Our fearless leader teaching Star to waltz."
Beast Boy turned to see Robin wince in pain as Starfire stepped on his foot, apparently not for the first time. Her gasp of horror echoed across the room and she quickly picked him up in an attempt to see if she'd broken something this time. Beast Boy wished he had a camera. The picture would be great blown up and mounted in the Main Ops room for everyone to see.
Just as he turned to tell Cyborg his new greatest idea ever, the entire room went dark. Beast Boy heard a sound like air rushing past them beneath the various screams of surprise and a thud that surely meant Robin had returned to the ground. Before he could react, the lights returned and he turned in confusion to look around for the source of the sudden disturbance.
"I don't like this," Cyborg admitted, his cybernetic eye scanning the crowd. "Go get Raven back in here. I don't see Robin or Star anywhere."
Beast Boy looked over to where the two had been dancing earlier to see nothing but a horde of confused party guests. "I can go find them—"
"B, just go get Raven," Cyborg huffed before wandering off into the crowd.
Beast Boy hesitated for a moment, watching Cyborg leave with a defiant frown on his face, before heading towards the back doors. The crowd quickly resumed their previous activities, the light trick being dismissed as nothing to worry over, which meant no one paid him any mind as he headed outside and into the cool night.
He spotted Raven leaning up against the railing on the patio, facing the gardens with the blue shawl pulled up over her head and bunched up around her arms like a thin blanket. Beast Boy approached cautiously, figuring she would sense him fidgeting behind her anyway, but definitely not taking any chances.
"I haven't changed my mind," she announced without turning.
"I know." He stepped forward to join her against the railing. "You didn't hit the lights just to freak everyone out, did you?"
Raven turned towards him this time. "Why would I do that?"
He shrugged. "Maybe my sense of humor finally rubbed off on you."
She snorted loudly in response and turned back to face the gardens. "I was down there when I noticed," she gestured to a bench further down. "By the time I came up here, everything seemed fine."
Beast Boy watched her, noting the slightly strained expression on her face, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. It wasn't like Raven to just dismiss potential trouble, especially if it meant her getting out of something as undesirable as a party. "You okay, Rae?" he ventured.
She ignored his question, turning around to face the party inside and letting the shawl fall off of her head. "Let's just hope we don't have to fight anyone in this ridiculous attire."
"At least yours is better than mine." Beast Boy tugged at the tie again, this time successfully managing to loosen it considerably.
"So, you'd prefer the dress?"
"No way, dude! I just don't like formal wear."
"Right, it's too clean for your taste."
He narrowed his eyes. "I wash my clothes."
"Regularly?"
Beast Boy harrumphed in indignation. His hatred for laundry was no secret, but he'd definitely gotten better at it. "I'll have you know—"
Raven shushed him and tensed a second before the lights inside turned off once more. Beast Boy heard the rush of air again, his ears twitching as they tried to follow the sound. He was almost afraid to go back in, but followed once Raven began to step towards the entrance. It was almost more startling when the lights came back, revealing the distressed guests still spread out on the dance floor.
"Maybe this is just some kinda Halloween prank?" Beast Boy suggested, failing to see anything out of place.
"No..."
"Rae! B!"
Beast Boy turned to find Cyborg pushing past partygoers to get to them.
"Where's Robin and Starfire?" Raven asked him.
"They're not here. It's like they just disappeared."
"That's what I was afraid of," Raven stated, closing her eyes for a moment to gather her thoughts. "They're here, somewhere. I can sense them, but it's like they're not even awake."
"You think someone's got 'em knocked out somewhere?" Cyborg questioned.
"Um, guys," Beast Boy interrupted, "I don't think they're the only ones."
A frantic looking woman in red was rushing around, her head turning back and forth as if she was desperate to find something, or someone. A man cried out for a girl named Penelope, getting louder once no one responded. Even the people who weren't currently searching for their missing friends began to turn about nervously. A couple dressed in blue and gold headed for the door, only to be met with a man in black talking into a Bluetooth and the distressed hostess herself, patiently reassuring them.
"So, I guess this means party's over?" Beast Boy quipped. The sudden tension in the room made him nervous.
"Sorry, B. I think this party is just getting started," Cyborg stated.
The quartet began to play another song, but no one seemed willing to dance.