It was the holiday season in Jump City, New Jersey. Temperatures were dropping, people were pouring in from all over to see their families, tinsel lined the town, wreaths up on half of the lamp posts, and snow was forecast every day for the next week and on through New Years. Strangely enough the crime rate was the lowest it had ever been for that quarter, and as such, the city's resident guardians, the Teen Titans, were able to prepare for the upcoming holiday season with little distraction. At the moment most of the team was in the living room; Robin was reading the morning paper, Cyborg was hauling boxes into the living room from storage, Beast Boy was surfing the TV Guide for Christmas specials he wanted to record, and Starfire was floating above a trio of cookbooks making terran end-of-year holiday foods.
"Hey guys, I haven't seen Vent all day. Is he still in bed?" Beast Boy asked noticing the lack of brown hair in the group. They had all different heads of hair in the tower; black, red, blue, green, reinforced titanium alloy with a chrome polish, but no brown at the moment.
"Friends, Raven is gone as well," Starfire said looking around from her festive holiday cooking. Given the eggnog wasn't breathing, it seemed a Christmas Miracle was occurring a week early.
"If those two are off making out somewhere, just saying it right now... I totally called it," Beast Boy chuckled jovially. Ever since Vent and Raven went on that vacation together after the falling-out they almost had, he'd always crack jokes about how they were practicing for when they elope with one another. Not when Raven was around of course, because if she so much as heard him make those kind of jokes, she'd probably send him straight to Hell with her magic mirror. Either that or feed him to the evil chocobos that resided in her mind.
"Friends! I have found a note, here on the fridge!" Starfire called out pulling off a yellow sticky-note from their stainless steel fridge. "In friend Raven's handwriting it says that she went out with Ventus-"
"Called it!" Beast Boy chortled, raising his hand for a high-five. "Up top! Right here!"
"-to get his wisdom taken out," Starfire finished, making Beast Boy feel pretty darn stupid. "I thought it was the brain that made people smart. Not their teeth," she said confusedly, a large ? above her head.
"Wisdom teeth are the extra molars in the back of a person's jaw that need to be taken out sometimes because there isn't enough room back there," Cyborg stated as he flipped through the channels. "I should know. I got mine taken out when I turned 18."
"How old are you exactly?" Robin questioned.
"Moving on," Cyborg said completely brushing aside that topic, not wanting to feel like the old fogey in the group. "The anesthesia puts him in no position to move about on his own. Can't imagine trying to fly while you're doped out on narcotics, so it makes sense that Raven's there with him."
"I don't get it. Raven's our team's White Mage, right? Couldn't she just, I don't know, heal his mouth after removing his molars?" Beast Boy asked.
"I don't think she has a dental license," Cyborg deadpanned.
"I suppose we should just be glad they don't put tofu in pain medications," Robin said as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "A bipolar teammate is bad enough. One with a lunatic for a teacher and the ability to bend the air around us is something I do not want to have to put up with."
"You said it," Cyborg commented. After testing out the strength of the brunette's reproduced Kaze no Yaiba, he was the first to find out that it could cut through reinforced titanium, given a sharp enough blade.
An hour later in the Tower, Beast Boy was still leafing through the TV Guide and setting Christmas specials to record, when suddenly a black silhouette made its way towards their panoramic view window. A few seconds later a large shadow raven phased through the blast-proof glass before settling down in the living room, its wings spreading open as two figures stepped out.
"Hey. We're back," Raven said as she helped Ventus along, his arm strung over her shoulder and his head hung as she dragged him along by his belt. Despite her petite form, she was actually stronger than she looked.
"So. What're we talking in terms of meds?" Cy asked, remembering how rough it was when he needed to dope himself up from the extraction of his extra molars.
"Let's see..." Raven said laying Vincent down atop the table while drawing a bag of pill bottles from her cloak. "We've got Ibuprofen for the pain, Hydrocodone for the worse pain, and Promethazine for the nausea that the Hydrocodone will bring about."
"Huh. That doesn't seem so bad," Robin noted.
"Yeah... Turns out Slade made Vent somewhat immune to tranquilizers through tolerance training, so the surgeons had to increase the dosage of anesthesia for when they put him under," the bluenette deadpanned.
"How much we talking?" Cyborg asked.
"Death to the Templars! Death to sunspots!" the brunette suddenly blurted out as he threw his arms up into the air, before slumping back down onto the table with a low *whump*.
"That much... I should probably put him to bed," Raven said with a deadpanned expression as she threw his arm over her shoulder and began dragging him to the rooms by his waistband.
" . . . She knows she can use telekinesis to carry him, right?" Beast Boy questioned as the door *whoosh*ed shut behind them.
"I think it's the counting that thinks?" Starfire questioned.
"The thought that counts," Robin corrected, not looking up from his paper in the slightest.
"Hey Rae... Thanks for... taking care of me today," Vent slurred as the mage helped him to his room.
"No problem. I'm sure you'd do the same for me," Raven returned. "So Vent... This will be my first Christmas, given... you know... Think you could give me a heads-up on what to expect?" she asked, only for the brunette to grow deathly silent.
"Well... My parents didn't have a lot of money to spend frivolously, so my Christmas memories aren't all tinsel and miracle," Vent answered. "In a way this'll be my first real Christmas... and since it's yours too... I'll just have to make sure it's the best first Christmas you've ever had," he spoke with amazing clarity for someone doped up on tranquilizers.
"You... You really mean that?" Raven asked. Sure, she was used to the kindness he'd extend to her, but with how little she could reciprocate, or at least not without letting her other persona gain control of her body and have a repeat of the After-Prom Incident, she had thought he would've eventually given up on her; or simply find it easier to let her do her own thing.
"One hundred percent," he answered giving her a toothy grin. Four teeth less, but you'd never see those from a smile anyhow. "Now... I'm starting to feel a bit drowsy, so I'll just crawl into bed... make holiday plans with the others in the morning," he said extricating himself from Raven's grip and walking through his door... Only to fall face-first onto the floor. Shaking her head at her antics, Raven levitated him into his bed before drawing the covers over him.
The next morning Vent rolled out of bed at dawn, literally, and landed on the floor jaw-fist. Biting back the cry of pain threatening to leave his lips while two phantom images screamed in his stead, he dragged himself over to the desk in the center of his room, grabbed the first bottle of pills he could reach, and walked over to his mini-fridge before downing one with a few chugs of milk.
"Damn this bites... Shit, and I thought BB made the bad puns," he groaned as he pulled some pants on, falling flat on his back *whum* after losing his balance. "Damn Irish."
"Look at it this way. You put those four molars they took out under your pillow, and you can get at least five bucks out of the Tooth Fairy," Beast Boy joked that morning as the team all ate breakfast at the table. Vegan for him of course.
"They didn't give me back my teeth after they took them out. They went into biohazard waste," the brunette grumbled as he drank a nice cup of hot tea, courtesy of Raven.
"Harsh."
"Not that much. I was out for an hour while they went to work on my molars," the brunette answered.
"Alright guys, the mayor sent us a to-do list of things we can do to help bolster tourism and keep us above the quota of what we're required to save the citizens out of tax payer dollar," Robin said coming up with a clipboard. "First and foremost is the opening of the new shopping mall after its re-opening, and most of the other stuff we'll be doing today will take place there. Basically stuff like cutting ribbons, making public appearances, signing autographs, etc."
"Just another day at the office then?" Vent asked as he got up from his seat. "Alright. Let's get going then."
"Oh no you don't," Raven said pushing him back down onto the couch. "Doctor's orders: You're not to do anything strenuous for the next five days. Seven at the worst," she punctuated as she wagged her finger at him. "And before you say "this won't be strenuous", remember how often we get attacked whenever we're out in public. You're not to leave this Tower under any circumstance, is that clear?"
" . . ." Vent looked like he was about to argue, but then nodded his head. "Okay, Raven. I'll just housesit I suppose."
"Good," Raven said with a nod. "Robin. Tell the mayor Vent won't be able to participate due to medical leave. And before you say "everyone has to be there", remember that he's still recovering from surgery, and five out of six Teen Titans will be enough for this to go over."
"Alright, alright, I'll make the call," Robin grumbled as he headed for the phone. Seriously, ever since he chased Vent out of the Tower either him or Raven had been chewing him out whenever possible.
"Here, friend Ventus. While we go out to entertain the people, why not taste my first batch of Christ-Mass cookies?" she questioned as she held out a platter of cookies in festive holiday shapes from the kitchen. Practice makes perfect, after all.
"It's Christmas," Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy punctuated
"And they look delicious," the brunette replied with a smile.
"I'll prime the stomach pump," Cyborg muttered over his shoulder.
"Mmmm. Say what you will about Star's cooking, but every once in a while... she'll nail it," the brunette sighed as he happily pat his stomach, a few cookie crumbs on the plate in front of him. "I'm pretty sure the team's at the re-opening already, so I think now'd be a good time to see the news coverage," he said sorting through the nine removes the team had before finally finding the one that made the TV work. "Ah! Just in time... I see the mayor making his speech... now Robin's bowing as he accepts the giant scissors," he commentated as he followed the events on-screen, his personal line ringing moments later. Looking down, he saw a mewling cat decal on the Caller ID before knowing who it was. "Kathryn, afternoon. Is something the matter? Do you have a creepy stalker?"
"Vent, I was watching the news to see the Teen Titans commemorate the opening of the new mall, and you weren't there! I was worried. Are you alright? You aren't hurt are you?"
"I'm fine, just house sitting," the brunette answered as he kicked up his feet onto the table. "Needed to get my wisdom teeth taken out, and I'm not supposed to be doing anything too strenuous, so the others made me stay home in case a supervillain attacked."
"Ouch. Well, at least you're okay. I was really worried about you, though."
"Thanks for that. I appreciate the thought," the brunette returned. "Hey, Kathryn, you doing anything special for the holidays?"
"N-No, my daddy is still in prison so I'm on my own this season. Why do you ask?" she asked as she twirled her hair on the other end of the line.
"Well, I just thought maybe you'd like to stay here for the holidays and celebrate with us. You aren't Jewish are you?"
"No."
"And like that, the Titan's Christmas Bash is back on," the brunette replied. "If you want I can at least get a guest room ready. Of course I'll have to run this by the others, but I'm sure I can get them to agree. No one deserves to spend the holidays without any friends or family. Trust me I have been there and done that one time too many. Sorta."
"Alright!" she whooped. "I mean, I'll see if I can't pull some gifts together. Call you later, bye!"
"See ya," the brunette said as he hung up the line. "It's been months since that junior prom thing. I'm sure when I run this by him that Robin will saaay-"
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"
'Ohhh fuck this isn't going according to plan at all!' Vent thought to himself.
"Not only did she blackmail us into taking her to that stupid dance at the risk of having the city get eaten, but in case you don't remember, her father's also a wanted criminal!"
"Who hasn't given the maximum security prison any problems since his incarceration!" Vent argued back. "Come on, man, I thought you'd be more grown up about this. I mean, you're older than I am," he said as he crossed his arms. "That kinda means you have to be more mature, not less."
"First, don't you take that tone with me! Second, I'm looking out for the team's best interests, and I say Kitten is not coming into this Tower!" Robin argued, Vent looking at him blankly for a few moments before he started walking away. "And just where do you think you're going!? We're not done here!" the spiky-haired teen demanded as Vent walked over to the kitchen and began digging through the fridge.
"Robin, you're the authority on the team, and I respect that. However, it's also my patriotic duty to challenge that authority when you overstep your bounds," he said as he turned away from the fridge, having found what he was looking for. "Robin, don't make me do this. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry," Vent growled as he pulled out what looked like a chocolate-colored square on a stick.
"Dude, is that one of my home-made chocolate-covered tofu-pops?" Beast Boy asked from the background.
"Kitten is not staying in this Tower and that FINAL-wait what?" Robin shouted before whirling around.
*crunch-nom-nom-nom*
"Oh boy," Cyborg paled as Vent's throat bobbed, the sound of a leather glove being dragged down a bass guitar's strings soon ringing out through the Tower as a monstrous silhouette loomed over Robin. The next moment a gout of flame shot at Robin, Beast Boy screamed like a little girl-
"And that's the story of how I convinced Robin to let you stay with us for the holidays. The end," Vent finished narrating.
"Wow, that's just... wow..." Kitten said in awe. Both in the content of the story, and that he'd go so far for her when the others opinions of hers were less than satisfactory.
"But don't worry about present company. There are going to be a bunch of teen heroes pouring in to stay with us for the Holidays, so there will be plenty of fresh faces to talk to, some more understanding than others," the brunette continued as he waved his arm out at the row of holiday stockings nailed to the south wall. "Remember those tournaments we were forced to compete in? We did a bit of networking, and we decided to celebrate the holidays en masse this year. Maybe make it a holiday tradition if things pan out and we don't wind up killing one another."
"How many people can stay in this tower exactly?" Kitten asked as she counted the long row of stockings.
"With current space and resources, Titans Tower can house a total of five dozen occupants before elbow room begins to become sparse," Star answered.
"Accommodations aren't anything to write home about, but it isn't like you'll be spending too long in the room anyway," Vent said handing Kitten a slip of paper. "Here's your room number. The doors are automatic so you shouldn't have a problem getting in. If the door is stubborn, just call me up and we'll get you all set up."
"Right. Well, let me just get my bags then," Kitten said as she reached for her pink floral-patterned suitcase and backpack, containing enough clothing –festive or not- to last her for the holidays and her toiletries. Staying with the Teen Titans had been kinda sprung up on her out of the blue, so she had yet to get them any gifts. Still, she had some ideas as to what she could get them that they might like, so hopefully a goodwill gesture would ease things over with them after what happened.
"Here, allow me to help you with that suitcase," Starfire said taking the suitcase's handle in one hand, grabbing Kitten's wrist with the other and dragging both out of the living room.
"Well... I think that went rather well, wouldn't you agree?" Vent replied jovially.
"For you maybe," Cyborg grumbled.
"Yeah, dude. I could've gone my whole life without watching you go all Godzilla on us," Beast Boy shuddered in fright. And he could turn into a T-Rex!
"Oh pish posh, it wasn't like I was breathing fire or anything," Vent replied.
"You were swinging a vintage, Vietnam-era, gasoline flamethrower at Robin for the past hour before Kitten got here," Cyborg deadpanned.
"Yeah dude, where do you even get one of those?" Beast Boy gaped.
"Internet," both he and Raven answered, fist bumping before getting back to what they were doing.
"Ow! Star! C'mon, don't drag me around like this!" Kitten cried out as Starfire dragged the blond down the hall, the toes of her shoes barely touching the ground. "If this is about the prom thing, I'm sorry, alright!"
"Do you truly mean that, Kitten?" Star asked, towering over the shorter blond as her eyes began to flare up. "Because if I find you to be insincere with your words, or that you plan to bring harm upon any of my friends..." she growled as the glowing of her eyes intensified.
"Starfire, relax, I won't try anything," she said trying to diffuse the situation without having to resort to her plasma whip. "I only wanted to take Robin with me so I had some arm candy, and Vent... because he was really sweet..." she said as she fought the blush coming to her face. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm a RobStar shipper, so I won't get in the way of that," she defended as she took her bags back.
"That is good," Starfire replied with a nod as she moved to escort Kitten to the guest room. "I have just one question," she said stopping mid-float.
"What is it?"
"What is the shipping?" the Tamaranean asked, Kitten jaw dropping at the alien girl's naivety.
Though the setting for this story takes place within the universe of my other fanfiction Teen Titans: One of Four Elements, the events that take place in this story are not to be considered "FanFiction Canon", and as such the events here stand apart from the main storyline. The continuity of course can be interpreted however it may.
As for Vent getting his wisdom teeth taken out at the start of this chapter, it was inspired by real events (me getting mine taken out) to create buildup for what happened in the latter half of this chapter. That and because while I was blacking out from the narcotics they were putting me under, was when I came up with the idea to make this holiday off-shot.
On note of the "Damn Irish." comment, it was in no way meant to offend anyone of Scottish descent. It was a play on what Death said in Family Guy after Peter outran him with the two years of junior varsity track he had under his belt.
As for the "leather glove being dragged down a bass guitar's strings" bit at the end of the chapter, before the wonders of CGI and computerized special effects, the original Godzilla screech had to be made the old-fashioned way; by dragging a leather glove down the strings of a bass guitar.