Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans, or any of the songs I use within this story, they all belong to their respective creators and no one else.
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Hey everyone! Just a fun story here which is technically a really long lots-of-songs-fic but not like the traditional kind, it is not simply the characters singing, there is a plot and a story and a lot of twists and I will try to make read like one unlike the majority of song fics.
Songs in this Chapter
I won't back down - Jhonny Cash
Going through the motions - Buffy the Vampire slayer 'Once more with Feeling' soundtrack
I've got a theory - same as above
Enjoy!
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Alas for those that never sing,
But die with all their music in them!
Oliver Wendell Holmes
Music can noble hints impart,
Engender fury, kindle love,
With unsuspected eloquence can move,
And manage all the man with secret art.
Joseph Addison
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Garfield Logan, who for reasons of his own preferred his super hero handle of Beast Boy, sat in front of the large floor to ceiling windows with his back against the wall standing next to it. One leg stretched casually out in front of him the other pulled up. The only thing about it that was different from the ordinary was the acoustic guitar sitting his lap, one hand strumming away with a casual grace that betrayed what was surely years of experience and the other quickly and expertly moving along the wires to produce specific chords.
"Well I won't back down gonna stand my ground, won't be turned around
No I won't back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won't back down
And I'll keep this world from draggin' me down
gonna stand my ground
... and I won't back down"
If any of his friends were to enter the room at that moment, he knew, they wouldn't just be surprised they'd be worried. Beast Boy had been acting much different lately, about two months lately actually, and he knew it too but he couldn't tell them the reasons behind it.
His thoughts, as they often did these days, strayed to Raven, and his chest as it often did constricted in as much pain as there was pleasure, but as the song said love hurts and he knew that better then most. He wondered if she felt as bad about their secret as his did. He wondered how long it'd be before the others found out why he was acting different and she was acting different around him.
He wanted to tell the others, he wanted to make her talk about it to him, there was a lot he wanted but nothing insofar he was willing to do about it. He hated feeling this helpless, he hated that she had felt …
Nevermind that, he thought harshly to himself.
"Hey baby, there ain't no easy way out
Hey I will stand my ground and I won't back downWell I know what's right, I got just one life
In a world that keeps on pushin' me around
But I stand my ground and I won't back down
Hey baby, there ain't no easy way out
Hey I will stand my ground and I won't back down…"
The elevator doors whooshed open and Robin and Starfire walked into his eyesight, brought up short by the sight of Beast Boy up so early for something other then video games and holding a guitar no less, though Beast Boy had stopped playing when he heard the doors open. The last chord played hung in the air for a moment, vibrating with an urgency it couldn't understand only to fade back into stillness and silence.
Robin and Star exchanged looks with each other before she continued into the kitchen and Robin walked over to lean against the window and look down at his green team mate. "Hey Beast Boy," he said by way of greeting. "I didn't know you played guitar."
Beast Boy shrugged, "I learned when I was a kid but dropped before I joined the doom patrol, seemed like a good morning to revive it."
Silence.
"Look Beast Boy, I don't think either of us wants to beat around the bush here but we're worried about you. You hardly play your games anymore, you don't tell nearly as many jokes, and you always seem so preoccupied … so unhappy …"
Beast Boy smiled, amused at how nervous and awkward his fearless leader looked right now. "C'mon Robin, you know me, I'll bounce back in a while, don't worry about it. I've just got a lot on my mind is all."
"Can you tell me? Or if not me maybe Star or Cyborg…" he paused for a second, giving his friend a hard look, "or Raven?"
Beast Boy winced and knew Robin noticed it.
"So it is about her, Star had a feeling, she seems to think there's something wrong with Raven too, she's just better at hiding it then you."
"I appreciate your concern," Beast Boy growled, "but whatever issue is between me and Raven is between me and Raven, and as long as we don't let it affect our duties it doesn't involve you or the other two."
Robin pushed away from the thick glass, eyes narrowed, "you're our friends, both of you, it already involves us." That said he simply turned and walked to follow Star into the kitchen.
Beast Boy didn't even have time to feel guilty about it before the elevator doors opened again and Raven walked in, coming up short when she spotted him, her eyes met his for a moment before turning away abruptly. Two months later and she still felt ashamed, she still had trouble being in the same room as him.
He was getting tired of waiting for her to step up and be the person he knew she was under all that darkness and hostility. He'd given her enough space, enough time to deal, he had to get her over this before he lost her again.
Of their own accord his hands moved and the guitar strummed itself back to life, much as if it had never died. Beast Boy gave her a strong look, a stubborn look, she backed up and the elevator doors closed again, taking her back to her room and her self imposed solitude.
"No I won't back down."
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The day passed quickly, too quickly in Ravens opinion, around dinner time she'd felt something, a magick of some kind but only for an instant and could not find any trace of it afterwards. She didn't have a lot of time to solve the mystery before aggressively loud buzzers started going off.
"Titans trouble." Robins words were hardly needed with the alarms sounding throughout the entire tower but no one commented as they gathered in the living room. Trouble was getting few and far between since the brotherhood was put on ice and the titans organized.
"A couple minor villains and a hostage situation, something with a cult?" Robin reported. "Low level, so we'll split up and handle them all at the same time, Star you come with me to a bank heist taking place downtown, Cyborg Beast Boy you take the bomb threat on the East side, Raven are good to handle the cult alone?" She nodded, she was more then good to be alone these days. "Right then, titans go!"
Beast Boy hesitated, looking at the caped girl.
"Go on Beast Boy," she said, irritated, "I can take care of myself."
Wisely the changeling didn't comment and followed the other as Raven released her soul self and began her faster then flying pursuit of the coordinated still displayed on the screen.
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It was almost dark by the time Raven found the right spot, and wasn't surprised in the least to discover it was a rather large graveyard, but very well kept with old oak whose twisting limbs and roots seemed almost alive in the pre-night gloom and half-light. Music seemed to fill the air around coming from no where and everywhere at the same time, and for some reason she didn't seem in the least bit affected by it.
"Every single night the same arrangement
I go out and fight the fight
Still, I always feel this strange estrangement
Nothing here is real,
Nothing here is right
I've been making shows of trading blows
Just hoping no one knows
That I've been Going through the motions
Walking through the part
Nothing seems to penetrate my heart…"
At the center of the graveyard, to add some sort of artistic touch she was sure, there was a small hill with a large tomb at the top. The marble statue of an impressive looking Archangel standing watch above, and below, chained to the feet of another statue whose features had long since been worn away from wind and weather, was a man and presumably her hostage. Standing in a half circle around him wee three others in black cloaks each holding some rather creative looking daggers.
Landing silently behind them she unleashed her dark energy and threw the two closest about ten feet away in opposite directions, and then lashed out at the third who deflected it with some sort of shield and managed to knock Raven herself back a foot or so.
"I was always brave and kind of righteous
Now I find I'm wavering
Crawling out your grave you'll find this fight
Just doesn't mean a thing"
The first two got back up, and much to her surprise their hands started glowing with a fiery red aura. The one with the magical shield grinned. "She ain't got that swing,"
"Thanks for noticing," Raven was a good enough fighter to never be surprised twice in the same battle, or at least almost never. These thugs weren't the simple sort she mostly dealt with, even if they themselves didn't have any magical signature they had managed to acquire some powerful little toys that reactive negatively with her own powers. This could actually be a challenge for her.
The three, standing shoulder to should now held out their daggers and began some synchronized movements, but Raven soon realized it wasn't a spell they were trying to perform they were … dancing!
"She does pretty well with fiends from hell
But lately, we can tell
That she's just
Going through the motions
Faking it somehow,"
Raven was getting angry, more then that, they'd insulted her on the deepest level because she knew they weren't lying and if it was that obvious to these small time thugs…
And the music! With a sudden start she realized she had actually been singing, and the music wasn't coming from anywhere! What in the tenth hell was going on here! No longer interested in taking her time she let some of Rage bleed into her and through a shot at the center man.
"She's not even half the girl she..." He took the hit straight in the chest and fell back. His dagger, the source of his borrowed magic, shattered. "Ow…"
The other two stared at their fallen compatriot for a long moment before casting their daggers aside and fleeing, not that Raven would let. They're toys may have caught her off guard, but such petty magic was no match against the inherited power of both an evil God and a high priestess of Azarath. In barely a second they were dropped unconscious next to their friend.
"Will I stay this way forever?
Sleepwalk through my life's endeavour.."
A simple motion of her hand undid the restraints holding the captive against the statue and as he stepped forward he smiled brilliantly at her, perfect teeth fine chiselled features and the body of a harlequin God. "How can I repay You-"
"Whatever," Raven interrupted not caring in the least as she floated up to stand beneath one outstretched wing on the angel above them.
"I don't want to be
Going through the motions
Losing all my drive
I can't even see
If this is really me
And I just wanna be
Alive!"
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Raven was the last to arrive back at the tower, and found all five of her friends (Jinx was now a honorary titan after helping defeat the brotherhood but still seemed inclined to come and go as she pleased) sitting around the living room not talking, not even looking at each other. And all of them, except for Starfire who looked elated, looked worried. As she entered all eyes swung towards her.
"Raven." Robin began, shifting nervously, unsure if he was about to go walking on thin ice. "Did you by any chance … I mean, today or last night did you… have you been…"
"Did you cast any big spells today?" Jinx demanded, shooting Robin a withering look.
Raven shook her head, and narrowed her eyes. "This is about the singing isn't it, and the music."
"And the synchronized dancing!" Starfire announced, unable to control herself any longer. "Isn't it marvellous! We were on our way to prevent the robbers from-"
"We can fill in details later, right now we need to know what's going on." Robin stopped her, Star pouted but otherwise conceded. "Raven, do you have any idea what could be causing this?"
"Depends." The sorceress answered. "Is it a Titans thing or a city thing."
"A city thing." Cyborg and Beast Boy announced as one, and Jinx nodded confirmation. "Trust us," Cyborg continued, "We got to our place and the baddies joined right in, so did the cops and random people on the street, it was a whole song and dance routine Rea! It was horrible!"
"I gotta admit," Jinx added, "Seeing an old man dirty dancing with his young trophy wife is gonna be a vision of my nightmares for years to come."
"Honestly," Raven answered, aware from their looks that she was their last hope for making any sense of this quickly. "I have no idea what it is, a spell of this magnitude would require a powerful mage and with myself and Jinx off the suspect list there simply aren't anymore in our area, maybe even in the country, with the power to do this. I'll go check my books to make sure but I'm just as stumped as the rest of you." Then as an afterthought, "Jinx you come and help between us maybe we can think of something, the rest of you brainstorm."
"Wait, d'you here that?" Cyborg asked as music began filling the air again.
Robin sat forward suddenly "I've got a theory, That it's a demon A dancing demon
nughn something isn't right there."
"I've got a theory" Jinx continued, "Some kid is dreaming, And we're all stuck inside
His wacky Broadway nightmare."
Cyborg stood and walked towards the window, looking out in a worried fashion. "I've got a theory we should work this out"
Starfire and Beast Boy harmonized by adding at the same time. "It's getting eerie
What's this cheery Singing all about?"
Then Beast Boy snapped his fingers, jumping up with a grin, "It could be witches
Some evil witches," both Jinx and Raven crossed their arms and gave him cold looks, "Which is ridiculous 'Cause witches, They were persecuted Wicca good And love the earth And women power, And I'll be over here."
Starfire cleared her throat, thoroughly enjoying herself. "I've got a theory
It could be bunnies" crickets chirp
Robin tried again, "I've got a—"
"Bunnies aren't just cute like everybody supposes
They got them hoppy legs and twitchy little noses
And what's with all the carrots?
What do they need such good eyesight for anyway?
Bunnies, bunnies
It must be bunnies!"
Rubbing the back of her head and smiling Starfire continued a little more gently, "or maybe midgets?"
Raven watched and listened, more annoyed by the fact that she didn't know what was causing this or how to find out then by the rather … empathetic singing itself. Beast Boy was still giving her coveted looks, she knew he wanted to talk to her but she hadn't let herself get caught by him all day. If nothing else good came from this at least it would give the green changeling something else to worry about for a while.
"I've got a theory, We should work this fast." Cyborg cut into her thoughts, joined a moment later by Robin. "Because it clearly Could get serious Before it's passed!"
"I've got a theory…" Raven suddenly found herself adding, much to her own embarrassment and annoyance…
"It doesn't matter.
What can't we face if we're together?
What's in this place that we can't weather?
Apocalypse
We've all been there
The same old trips
Why should we care?"
The others all stood and joined her
"What can't we do if we get in it?
We'll work it through within a minute
We have to try
We'll pay the price
It's do or die.."
"Hey, I've died twice!" Raven was trying desperately to stop herself, to stop any more musical notes from leaving her mouth, every ounce of her power and control was going into it but it was no use, the music owned hr and she was powerless to stop herself from saying these things! The others were looking at her oddly, expect for Beast Boy who looked just as shocked as she felt. This was about the time the couch exploded.
They continued on despite Ravens words, the song would have its end before it released them that much was certain.
"What can't we face
If we're together?
What's in this place
That we can't weather?
There's nothing we can't face…"
Starfire got the last words, sitting down with a gloomy look. "Except for bunnies."
"Bunnies Star?" Robin exclaimed once the last notes of music faded leaving them into the relative normalcy of their lives.
Starfire nodded gravely, "oh yes, I have been reading the book of the fairy tales and there is one about a rabbit and a turtle and the rabbit is very mean to the turtle and not a nice animal at all."
"And the midgets?" Robin was almost afraid.
"There is another story about the 'Rumplestiltskin' and he is a most horrible little man."
Raven stood aside as Robin tried to explain to Starfire that the stories aren't real, and failed to notice Beast Boy slide up next to her. "You're in luck, no one seemed to notice that slip." He remarked quietly.
Raven bristled, true he was keeping her secret just as she was but he had made no secret of the fact that he believed she should tell the others. "Yes well, another slip and I may be so lucky."
"Why not just tell them?"
"Beast Boy look at me!" he did, "we both know what'll happen if they know, it won't matter it was two months ago, it won't matter that you …" she cut herself off before saying another word. Music was unique in its ability to play with a persons emotions, and Raven was no exemption, as the ruins of the couch protested. She needed to meditate. "Just trust me, please. It's better this way." She didn't allow him time to respond, she simply phased through the floor to find a place to reorganize her mind and reclaim her control. She had to find out what was behind this and stop it before anything happened.
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Shift here!
Well, I hope you liked this and just so you know I'm hoping that every chapter will have only one song as the theme to it, this as the premier is simply a special case, plus I had to introduce what all was happening. And to cut off any questions now, No Raven is not pregnant, and no she and Beast Boy did not sleep together, they're secret is something much more serious then teenage lust.
Anyway, let me know what you all think.
Likes?
Dislikes?
Review!