April 11, 2011
1508 words, unedited in 42.5 minutes
1529 words edited.
It wasn't every day that the Titans were afforded a holiday. But, that was what made it that much more special, and all the more fun. So, when the Titans East had come forward, requesting that the Titans cover their quadrant for the duration of a two week holiday to some fancy city somewhere, the Titans had reluctantly agreed… Until Beast Boy - Changeling - stepped forward and said that, so long as when they got back, they were prepared to cover their city for the duration of their own holiday that would commence two weeks after the Eastern team returned.
Surprised, Bumblebee agreed on her team's behalf, and her screen blinked out.
Everyone turned to look at Changeling in surprise, and he shrugged, smiling. "Why shouldn't we get a holiday?"
Nightwing opened his mouth several times in an attempt to come up with a comeback, to confirm why it was that they simply had to remain in the city instead of going on a holiday, but Starfire put a hand on his shoulder, her fingers curling lightly to grip, and she smiled. "A holiday will be good for us, Rich. We can all use a break. Our last get away was Tokyo."
"Exactly! And it'll be high summer by the time East can take over. I vote a secluded island, where no one can find us."
Again, surprised looks were afforded the green Titan, and again he shrugged. "If we're going on holiday, we should go all out and R-E-L-A-X, dudes. C'mon, you all know you would love to kick back on a deserted island in the middle of no where and not have to worry about anything at all. Am I wrong."
No one contested him, and Raven stepped forward, pushing her hood back from her face, hair slightly messy underneath, "I vote Island," she murmured. Gazes flicked towards her, "Gar's right. If we're going to holiday, let's do it right." Her bright gaze caught Starfire's, "Come on Kor, let's go shopping." She sounded both resigned (after all, it was going to happen) and amused. Might as well get it over and done with sooner, rather than later.
Starfire laughed, kissed Richard on the cheek, and linked her arm through Raven's, not quite dragging her friend who trotted to keep up with the alien.
"I suppose we should find somewhere to go, then," Robin murmured, but was once more beaten to the punch by Changeling, who grinned mischievously.
"I know just the place, Rich. Here, I'll show you," and he went bounding over to the computer's controls, tapping in several commands with quiet confidence (Cyborg watching silently from beside Richard, still somewhat bewildered by the turn of events) and brought up a screen, showing their tower in centre view. He tapped a couple more, and it drifted lazily away from the coast, and out to sea, before coming to rest on what appeared to be an ant sized Island in the middle of the ocean.
"It's quite big, over all, with natural fresh water sources and edible plants. There is a large tropical forest not far off the edge of the coast, which is mostly sandy on this side of the Island," and he pointed to indicate as he continued to explain, zooming in the image, "while this side is almost pure cliffs and jaggard rocks. Over here is a massive cave that we can shelter in, or we can set up huts. Whichever we prefer. This spot would be a good camp out, see, it's good walking distance from beach, forest, cave, water and food." He finished, and turned to smile at his two male friends who stared back at him in silent, pliable shock. Garfield tilted his head, and rubbed at the back of his head with one hand.
"Whoa. How long have you been working on this, grass stain?" Cyborg finally found his voice, and came a little closer to the screen, reading the analytic information that was summed up down one side of the image. "It really is perfect, Rich." He voice carried so many different emotions in it, that Changeling gave up trying to determine if he was more shocked or impressed.
"Well, okay then… We'll go there. I'm sure the girls will agree. We'll leave in four weeks."
"SWEET!" Pumping a fist into the air, Changeling then pelted out of the room, presumably in order to prepare for the upcoming holiday.
Richard looked at Victor, who looked right back at him. "Why do I feel like I've just walked right into a carefully laid out trap?"
"You too, huh? Ah well, might as well go with it, Rich. It has been almost seven years since Tokyo." Cyborg frowned slightly and counted back. "Yeah. Way too long. We should go for months, not weeks."
Richard laughed, but didn't reply as he left the common room, heading towards his private study to set about planning their vacation.
As the weeks vanished, and their vacation steadily marched towards them, the team made final adjustments; Cyborg finished updating the T-Sub and gave it one last polish, before attaching the specially made trailer that would allow the team to bring along all their items, without having to be confined within their private compartments for the trip. Nightwing updated Titans East on the goings of the city, which criminals were currently locked away, which ones were loose and which ones were in hiding, though they had some idea of their locations.
Starfire spent as much money as Nightwing would let her get away with, re-doing her wardrobe and re-packing at least three times a day, which was beginning to wear on her poor snorting bag creature. Changeling spent most of his time hidden from view, and the others weren't really sure what he was up to. He came out for meals, and while he wouldn't turn anyone away that came to his door to speak, he didn't invite them in, either (not that most of the Titans would dare enter his room, anyway). Raven also kept to herself when she wasn't being dragged around by Starfire to go shopping, or to ask if she though she should take or leave some item or another behind. She seemed almost lost as she wandered the hallways, nibbling on a piece of fruit, and would start when someone spoke to her. When questioned, she'd simply say she'd been thinking, but like their green team mate, she would not elaborate.
Finally, the day arrived when Titans East would take over, and the team gathered in the garage, piling their bags of personal items into the T-sub's trailer, atop all the random camping equipment that had been decided on to accompany them. Nightwing and Cyborg had made almost all the arrangements in that department.
When everything was loaded, the team climbed in, and the sub dropped, launching stomachs up into throats as the ship fell before landing with a splash in the water, and shot off in the direction of the pre-decided Island.
Not much talking went on; Cyborg was concentrating as he drove, and Nightwing kicked his feet up on the dashboard of his bubble and promptly fell asleep. Starfire was talking to Silky, whom she'd dragged along without informing anyone or asking anyone's permission, but then, no one had really argued the point either.
Raven had promptly buried her nose in a book, but almost as quickly grew bored and was soon curled up in her seat, head buried in her arms, which were folded across her knees, as she slept.
Across from her, Changeling was twirling a small ball on his pointer finger, his mind a million miles away as he dreamed of the two weeks that were going to be pure bliss on an island as far away from the rest of humanity as it was possible to get while remaining on their small planet.
It took them just over twelve hours to finally arrive at the island, and when they did it was dark, with the half-moon sitting low in the sky above them, while the stars danced around it, a thick scattering of blinking and flickering silvery lights. Occasionally, one would blink in and out of existence, moving with the steady speed of a plane or other human-made sky item.
Raven, who had slept for almost the entire trip, looked around with bright, clear eyes, her mind awake and full of curiosity at the new little world she was in. Starfire, clutching a sleeping Silky to her breast, stumbled sleepily behind Nightwing, who was also completely awake and looking around with wide eyes, trying to see more in the limited light than he was immediately being gifted with until Cyborg blinded them all when he jumped out of the sub, and bounded forward, suddenly lighting up the entire area with the flash light on his shoulder. He received several harsh comments from his team mates but ignored them. Changeling slipped up between them, whispering between their legs in the form of a small mountain cat, his ears flickering and nostrils quivering as he tasted the air about them.
He changed back. "Someone else is here."
I am unsure when I am going to continue this. I have plans for it, but I'll see what kind of responses I get before deciding on whether or not to continue immediately =)
