Teen Titans: Saurian Surprise
Chapter One
An Arrival Most Unexpected
Jump City
Titans Tower
The Beach
After a little land sculpting and modifications to the isle in which Titans Tower stood upon, the teenage heroes finally had their own private beach all to themselves. And with Robin being away in Gotham for the next several weeks, and the criminal activity at an all-time low in the city, the Titans decided to spend some time at the beach. However, unlike her fellow teammates, Raven merely seated herself on the beach, resting on a large beach blanket that was shaded by an equally large umbrella before resuming to read one of her novels.
It wasn't long before she was disturbed from her reading by none other than Beast Boy, who wanted the dark sorceress to join him and the others in their beach activities. He was always doing this, always trying to include her in on everything, always seeking to get her attention and make her feel accepted. Raven knew that he meant well, and she admired his determination, but that didn't change the fact that she had absolutely no interest in joining them in their game of beach football.
"Ah, c'mon, Raven! Have a little fun!", Beast Boy said, his charismatic grin displaying his lower canine tooth.
"Yeah, it's not like it'll hurt ya or anything!", Cyborg added, tossing the ball into the air and catching it with ease.
"Yes, please, friend Raven! Join us for games at the beach!", Starfire insisted, hovering in the air above.
"Yeah, like Star said. We can play beach ball, Frisbee, or we could even go swimming. Doesn't that sound more fun than sitting under an umbrella and reading a book?", Beast Boy replied, attempting to persuade the gothic heroine into participating.
"No.", Raven answered as she lowered her book for a brief moment.
"Please?", Beast Boy pleads, giving the gothic heroine his best pout.
"Hmm... let me think about it. And... no. Maybe next time.", Raven responds, her voice laced with dry sarcasm.
"Suit yourself, Rae. C'mon, Star! Let's play some football!", Cyborg replied, rushing off with the football in hand and his fellow alien princess teammate following close behind.
"But, Raven...", Beast Boy whined, drawling out her name.
"No.", Raven stated, continuing to read her novel.
"Please?!", Beast Boy almost begs, getting down to one knee, his hands clenched together.
"No.", Raven reinstated emotionlessly, not even bothering to glance at Garfield.
"I'll buy you a new book.", Beast Boy offers, grinning from ear to ear.
"You might as well stop while you're ahead, Beast Boy. There's no possible way you'll make me reconsider.", Raven informed, setting her book down on her lap for the time being.
"Oh, yeah? What if... I buy you a dozen books and box of those chocolates that you like?", Beast Boy inquired in offering, trying his best to persuade the dark sorceress.
"No!", Raven almost growls, activating and using her powers to levitate a bucket full of sand over Beast Boy's head before proceeding to dump it on him.
"Oh, okay.", Beast Boy sighed in defeat, shaking off the sand before walking away from the bad-tempered goth girl.
"I wish you would have some fun with me once and a while.", Beast Boy muttered to himself, unaware that the feminine goth heard what he said.
Releasing a heavy sigh, Raven picked up her novel and resumed reading it. She didn't enjoy using such a tactic to dissuade Beast Boy, but she didn't really have many options available considering the shape-shifter was determined to get her to join him and the others in their beach oriented activities. It was either the sand bucket, or sending him to another dimension. He would get over it. And he'd be back to torment her again. Despite herself, Raven couldn't help but let a smile form on her face at the mere thought of this.
"Let me guess. Raven refused, you begged her continuously, and then she dropped a bucket full of sand on your head. Am I right?", Cyborg chuckled as Beast Boy approached, shaking his hand to try and rid himself of sand.
"Yeah, dude. Pretty much.", Beast Boy replied, taking his hands through his hair to get the remaining sand out.
"Why do you try so hard, B?", Cyborg asks, tossing the football in the air and easily catching it without averting his attention away from the green bean.
"Yes, why do you wish to include friend Raven even though she does not wish to participate?", Starfire inquired, landing beside her animal-morphing teammate.
"I don't know. I guess I was just hoping that she'd say 'yes' for once. I mean, I get that she likes her privacy and all, reading books and meditating, but I'd like to see her have some real fun. Spend more time with me... err... I mean, spend more time with us. Yeah, that's it.", Beast Boy responds, the last bit coming out in a sheepish tone of voice.
"Oh, I see. Now I get it.", Cyborg laughs, a smug grin appearing on his face.
"Huh? What are you talking about, Cy?", Beast Boy demands, not entirely getting at what his friend was implying.
"Friend Beast Boy, do you have the crush on Raven?", Starfire giggled, eagerly awaiting her friend's next response.
"What?! No! I mean, what makes you think that?", Beast Boy exclaimed, his cheeks turning crimson.
"Well, for starters, y'all have been gettin' pretty close these last couple of months. You're always trying to make her laugh; she speaks to you more than any of the rest of us combined; whenever she's down you're always the first and usually the only one to be able to comfort her; and let's not forget that you try to include her in nearly everything that we do whenever we're not busting bad guys skulls.", Cyborg explains, making sure to point out every single detail in order to best support his claim that Beast Boy and Raven were attracted to one another.
"So, is it true? Do you like friend Raven, Beast Boy?", Starfire inquires, anxiously awaiting his confession of love for the dark sorceress, her green irises solely focused on the changeling.
Silence reigned as Beast Boy struggled to come up with a response. He never expected to ever explain his attraction to Raven to his friends. In fact, he thought none of them even realized that he liked the daughter of Arella and Trigon. It would appear that his secret wasn't much of a secret at all. Now that he was caught in between a rock and a hard place, or rather a teasing Cyborg and a joyous Starfire, Beast Boy would have to admit his attraction without sounding all mushy and sappy.
"I... I guess. I mean, it's not that I haven't thought about it. Raven's cool and all. She's smart, beautiful, mysterious. Just everything about her is so... different. And that's what I like about her, ya know. Just don't tell her I said that, okay? She'd probably kill me... or banish me to another dimension... or trap me in that mirror of hers. I still get creeped out just thinking about it.", Beast Boy answered, suppressing a shudder at being trapped in the mirror with Rage for all eternity.
But as Beast Boy continued to ramble on about what Raven would do to him if she were to find out, he was completely oblivious to the creature that rose from out of the ocean and approached him from behind. However, unlike their unaware animal-morphing teammate, Cyborg and Starfire could clearly see the beast as it came to a stop behind Beast Boy, towering over him. They needed to warn him, but how could they do it?
"Uh, B...", Cyborg utters, trying to keep his cool and failing somewhat.
"What?", Beast Boy asked, arching an eyebrow as he stared at his cybernetic friend and close ally.
"Friend Beast Boy, do not move...", Starfire urged, her voice faltering a bit.
"What are you guys... talking... about?", Beast Boy squeaked out as he turned around.
It was then that his eyes focused and widened in a mixture of awe and fear, for what Beast Boy was looking upon was a living dinosaur. The bipedal saurian creature stood at least 7'0" tall, two arms sporting dexterous four clawed digits. The saurian's scaly flesh was gray-azure in color, its eyes a fiery ember, its mouth lined with blunt carnivorous teeth, and on its back to its long tail was three rows of silver, diminutive dorsal spikes.
This dinosaur was the offspring of the most dangerous, fearsome, destructive and most powerful creature on the entire planet. However, unlike its father, Godzilla Junior was a placid and friendly creature. Now if only Beast Boy, Cyborg and Starfire knew this at the current time. All it takes is a sudden cry from the saurian to send them running for their lives.
Skreeeooongk!
"AAAHHH! SEA MONSTER!", Beast Boy shouts, tripping over and falling to the sand covered beach, attempting to crawl away from the dinosaur.
Godzilla Jr. approaches, its attention solely focused on Beast Boy, confused and intrigued by the antics of the human struggling to get away. Beast Boy, on the other hand, was frozen with fear as the saurian loomed over him. The dinosaur lowers its head down towards Beast Boy's face, gently inhaling his scent before resuming to stare at the green-skinned, animal-morphing hero for a few seconds. And while this was happening, Starfire and Cyborg watched on from a distance, uncertain what course of action they should take. If they attacked the creature while it was so close to their teammate, he could be hurt.
"Please, don't eat me! Seriously, I taste like rotten tofu-dogs!", Beast Boy squeaks out, closing his eyes tightly shut as he awaited the killing blow... which never came.
"Huh?", Beast Boy mutters, opening his eyes to discover the saurian creature staring at him like a lost puppy.
"You're not gonna hurt me, are ya?", Beast Boy said as he gets to his feet, the response to his inquiry being answered as the dinosaur gently nuzzled its face against his own.
"Heh! Hey! Star, Cy, it's all right! It's friendly.", Beast Boy called out to his friends, his hands gently caressing the scaly flesh of the saurian's head.
"Are you sure, B?", Cyborg asked as he and Starfire cautiously approached Beast Boy and the Godzillasaur.
"Yeah, he's like a big, scaly, dino-puppy.", Beast Boy assured them, gently scratching the reptile lower jaw.
"What do you think, Star?", Cyborg inquired, waiting to see how the alien princess would respond to the situation involving the creature.
"I am not certain, Cyborg.", Starfire answered, taking a hesitant step towards the dinosaur.
She reaches her hand out, gently caressing the saurian creature's scaly flesh. It has the desired effect of making the juvenile Godzillasaur utter a low, rumbling growl that also sounds like a purr. A pleased and joyful smile spreads across the Tamaranian's face, comfortable in knowing that the dinosaur intended no ill will to her or her comrades. Then, unexpectedly, the saurian leans its head close to Starfire's face and proceeds to give her a long, affectionate lick with its tongue. Despite having a trail of saliva along her face, it did little to deter Starfire's happiness and sheer joy at befriending this gentle saurian.
"EEEEEE! He's so adorable!", Starfire squealed in delight, her arms encircling the Godzillasaur's neck as she snuggled her face against the scaly flesh of the saurian creature.
"Told you he was friendly! Wait a second, guys! I've got an idea! Let's show him to Raven!", Beast Boy suggested, wanting nothing more than to surprise the dark sorceress.
"I agree! We must show him to friend Raven! She will be most pleased!", Starfire immediately agreed, snuggling her face against the snout of the purring saurian.
"Yeah, got to impress his dark, creepy girlfriend somehow.", Cyborg teased with a wry smirk, knowing that his shot would hit its mark.
"Dude, shut up!", Beast Boy cried, his cheeks becoming colored by a blush once again.
"Oh, Raven...", Beast Boy sing-songed, causing the gothic young woman to release an annoyed sigh.
"Beast Boy, I told you that I'm not interested in...", Raven began to speak, setting her book down, only to discover a most unexpected sight.
There, standing peacefully amongst her friends and fellow Titans, was a living dinosaur. Despite being quite surprised, Raven didn't let her features portray any emotion, keeping her face devoid of it. Rising to her feet, she looked to each of her friends before settling on the saurian. Why did she have a feeling that Beast Boy was responsible for all of this? Before she could contemplate on it any longer, the dinosaur unleashed a playful roar that disrupted her thought process.
Skreeongk!
"Surprise!", Beast Boy cheered, a wide grin plastered on his face.
"Uh, what is that?", Raven inquired, eyeing up the gray-blue saurian closely.
"It's a dinosaur. Beast Boy found him. Well, actually, it found us.", Cyborg answered in a nonchalant manner, as if finding a living dinosaur happened every day.
"Cool, right?", Beast Boy added, his face getting right into Raven's personal space and only backing away when Raven sent him one of her intense, chilling glares.
But Raven's intense expression seemed to have visibly no effect on Godzilla Jr. as the saurian creature walked up to her, without fear or hesitation, and began nuzzling the gothic heroine affectionately. Endearing as it was to witness the dinosaur being so close and affectionate towards Raven, the dark sorceress wasn't one to be won over so easily. And she certainly wasn't used to this type of affection.
"Please do not worry, friend Raven. It is friendly.", Starfire assures, her eyes twinkling as she watched the scene with a feeling of utter joy.
"I see. Too friendly for my liking.", Raven, attempting to push the Godzillasaur away with little success.
"Aw! He likes you, Rae!", Beast Boy cooed, much to Raven's disdain and displeasure.
"I'm so overjoyed.", Raven replied in a sarcastic tone of voice.
"Great! 'Cause we're keeping him!", Beast Boy stated.
"What?!", Raven exclaimed, her violet-hued eyes widening for a brief moment as she tried to keep her emotions in check.
"Oh, what a joyous day! Don't you agree, Raven?", Starfire cheered, spinning like a top in mid-air before coming to a stop in front of the dark sorceress.
"Have all of you lost as many brain cells as Beast Boy?", Raven inquired, almost glaring at them.
"Hey!", Beast Boy cried out in offense to her remark.
"C'mon, Rae. It might be fun having a dinosaur as a pet.", Cyborg said, attempting to persuade the gothic girl into accepting the saurian into their home.
"Yeah, about as much fun as dealing with Robin's obsession with taking down Slade.", Raven retorts in a emotionless tone of voice.
"Why do you say such things, friend Raven? The creature isn't dangerous.", Starfire said in an innocent, or in Raven's opinion naïve, tone of voice.
"We don't know that for sure.", Raven counters, sending a glare at the dinosaur who merely playfully growls.
"But he's so friendly, affectionate, and adorable! There's no way it could be dangerous.", Starfire insisted, enveloping the saurian's head with her arms as her hands gently caress its muzzle.
"Yeah, Star's right. I mean, how could you say no to a face like this?", Beast Boy adds, pointing to the Godzillasaur who was currently getting snuggled by Starfire.
"This is not a good idea, Beast Boy. We don't even know what it is, or where it came from.", Raven proclaimed, her voice taking on a more serious edge.
"Oh, you worry too much! What could possibly go wrong?", Beast Boy responds, shrugging his shoulders as he made his retort.
"When it's one of your brilliant ideas? Usually everything.", Raven deadpanned.
"Whatever, Miss Doom & Gloom. It doesn't change our decision. We're keeping him.", Beast Boy stated, crossing his arms over his chest and sticking his tongue out at the dark sorceress.
"Fine. Just keep it away from me.", Raven said in a low tone, her voice almost coming out as a hiss.
"Yay!", Starfire cheers.
"I'm just glad that Robin will be in Gotham for the next four weeks. Ya'll know he wouldn't take this too well. Silkie is one thing, but a dinosaur is something that even he wouldn't tolerate living in the Tower.", Cyborg remarked, his mind thinking of numerous ways of how the Boy Wonder would react... and none of them good.
"That's why we're going to take advantage of it, Cy. What Robin doesn't know, won't hurt him.", Beast Boy reasoned with a sly grin.
"So, friends, what do we call him?", Starfire said, stating her inquiry to her fellow Titans as they began walking.
"Well, he's a dinosaur, right?", Beast Boy said.
"Yeah? So?", Cyborg questioned, arching his one human eyebrow.
"How about... "Dino"?", Beast Boy suggested.
"Ugh! Seriously?", Cyborg groaned in response, taking his hand and wiping it down his face.
"No, wait! How about... "Sauron"?", Beast Boy suggests, much to the Cyborg's chagrin.
"Give it a rest, B!", Cyborg exclaims.
A light sigh escaped from Raven as she watched her friends march towards the Tower, her pace slower than that of the others as she followed them. She couldn't believe that they were going to do this, that she was even going to allow them to bring a dinosaur into their home. She had nothing against the creature, but a part of her mind was certain that nothing good would come out of bringing it into their home.
It was a moment later that she felt something give her a gentle nudge-like push, the action nearly causing the contemplative sorceress to nearly lose her footing as she fought to remain balanced. Turning around, Raven discovered the dinosaur staring at her, his tail gently swishing back and forth, as if expecting the gothic young woman to partake in the act of playing. For a second she merely glared at the beast, who merely shrugged off her attempt at intimidation and released a friendly growl-like shriek.
Raven's gaze softened, her expression returning to normal as she focused on the saurian. It was then that she noticed that the saurian creature's fiery ember-hued eyes held an inherit innocence and gentle nature, reminding her of Beast Boy for some strange reason. She knew that the dinosaur wasn't dangerous, that it wouldn't harm anything or anyone unless it were to be extremely provoked. Still, she couldn't help but feel that there was more to this saurian than meets the eye. There was something about its appearance, and especially those three rows of silver dorsal spikes, that seemed so vaguely... familiar.
Raven wouldn't get any further time to contemplate on the subject at this particular point, her thoughts disrupted as the reptilian creature licked her face with one long stroke of its tongue. With a low growl of exasperation, Raven wipes the lingering trail of saliva from her face with her right hand. She then attempts to push the saurian creature's head away with her hands as it attempted to nuzzle her with its muzzle in a display of affection.
"As if having to deal with Beast Boy wasn't enough.", Raven muttered to herself, resuming to walk onward with the juvenile Godzillasaur following her all the way to Titans Tower.
Author's Notes
I wanted to do something different. And since I'm a huge fan of all the Godzilla films and of the Teen Titans series, I thought I would create something that'd bring in the best of both worlds. And, yes, this will be a major Beast Boy x Raven story with Godzilla Jr. being one of the catalysts that brings them together. For a better look at Godzilla Jr., may I suggest checking out artist Matt Frank's Godzilla Neo version of the character on DeviantArt.
What's going to happen next? Well, I can give you a hint. One word: Nevermore.
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By the way, Happy Holidays to all of you!