To Clean a Tower

A/N: I forgot to mention last time that I went on vacation, so that's why I haven't updated for a few weeks. This is the latest chapter, written while I was on the plane, and it features Robin and Beast Boy. Hopefully it's not too bad after not writing for so long.

Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be.

Robin was a very alert person. After all, he was the former apprentice of Batman and the leader of the Teen Titans. His martial arts and detective skills wouldn't help if any villain could sneak up on him, so Robin was always on maximum alert, vigilant, and watchful. Except, wandering alone down the Tower's long hallways towards Beast Boy's room, the Boy Wonder failed to notice a tiny but crucial detail.

There was a spider silently trailing him, wreathed in the shadows of the walls. And it was green.

If Robin had seen this green spider, he would've known it was Beast Boy. If Robin knew Beast Boy was following him, he would be suspicious. If Robin was suspicious of Beast Boy, then the carefully thought-out plan might fail. If Beast Boy's plan failed, Robin would probably make him run laps around the Tower for months.

So, spider-Beast-Boy reflected, he was rather lucky Robin wasn't looking at the walls, but instead marching resolutely towards the room at the end of the hallway. One more turn, and he would be at the door. It was crucial that Beast Boy was the one who arrived first.

His eight spider legs skittered across the wall, still hidden in the shadows. If Beast Boy wasn't currently an arachnid, he would've crossed his fingers as he carefully made his way past Robin, who still sensed nothing. For a little spider, the hallway loomed large and imposing. But there was light at the end of the tunnel—light peeking through the crack at the bottom of the door, where Beast Boy would zoom in and set the plan in motion.

A sense of relief washed over him as the spider entered his room and returned to normal human form. Beast Boy leaped over the stacks of magazines and comics, the piles of pizza boxes, and the heaps of dirty clothes to a little gray box. Delicately—at least, for Beast Boy—he reached inside the box and withdrew a small remote, with one round, red, button in the middle. Almost hesitant, he pressed it.

His appearance of his room transformed drastically.

Alright, this was it. Robin would find out in the next five minutes whether the Tower was going to be cleaned in a few days or a few months. He hoped for the former, of course, but they couldn't move on until Beast Boy finished cleaning his room. When it was done—

No, Robin corrected himself, if it was ever done, they could move onto the next part, which, to the leader of the Teen Titans, would be easier than cleaning the rooms.

He sighed. Would the Tower ever be cleaned?

Robin came to a stop in front of a door labeled 'Beast Boy'. He knocked.

There was the sound of fumbling, a crash, an "Ahh!", some stomping—and then the door slid open. Robin tried to look inside, but Beast Boy, small and scrawny as he was, still managed to block most of the view. "Hey, Robin!" Beast Boy greeted him brightly. "Are ya ready to be absolutely stunned by the cleanest room you've seen in your life?"

Robin frowned slightly. Somehow, he doubted Beast Boy's claim. "Are you finished cleaning your room?"

This time it was Beast Boy's turn to frown slightly. It only lasted a second, as moments later that bright grin popped up again on the changeling's face. "Duh, of course!" He leapt back gracefully, and gestured to his room with one sweeping movement. "Ta-da! My new and improved, clean, room!"

Not sure what to expect, Robin stepped in. Perhaps, he thought, the heaps and stacks of garbage would be piled against the wall, or maybe pushed under the bed, or maybe stuffed in the closet; then Beast Boy would just run a broom over the floor of the room and make sure there were no evil dust bunnies attempting to take over; or maybe Beast Boy—

His thoughts were interrupted as his eyes took in the scene before him. Then his jaw dropped audibly. It was a wonder it didn't fall to the ground altogether.

Robin whipped around to look at the door again; sure enough, the sign 'Beast Boy' was still hanging there. He was not standing in some other person's room, he had not been transported to another world, and after pinching his arm, he knew he was not in a dream.

But—"Wow," Robin said, looking around him. That was all he managed to say.

Beast Boy regarded him with a grin, his fang showing. "Ya like it?" Triumph shone in his green eyes.

"This is—this is amazing, Beast Boy!" Robin remarked. "How did you do it?"

The green elf ducked his head modestly. "I had some help, but mostly I set up—I mean, mostly I cleaned it by myself." Beast Boy was relieved that Robin was too awestruck to notice his slip. If the Boy Wonder had questioned him about it, then he was in trouble.

Once again, Robin looked around the room, but this time he took note of most of the details.

The floor was spotless, looking clean enough to eat off of. Light pouring in from the gleaming windows danced on the floor. Curtains framed the window, hanging neatly. Not one dust bunny was in sight, never mind piles and loads of what Beast Boy usually had lying around in his room. The bed was made, as if it was brand-new, the covers and pillow in their places without even a crease. The closet door was opened a crack, allowing Robin to see the uniforms hung up neatly, and even folded-up civilian clothes resting on their shelves. A wooden drawer was pressed against one side of the room, a framed picture of the team on the top. A desk as well as a chair completed the room, under the window with a small pencil case off to the side. The only hint that a terrible mess had ever inhibited this room was a faint smell wafting in the air, but that was excusable considering the rest of the room.

Robin didn't want to admit it, but it was almost better than his room, and he didn't say that often. "Where'd the desk come from?" he asked, pointing to it.

Beast Boy shrugged. "Cy said he'd found it someone. He fixed it up and gave it to me. I think it looks good there." He chuckled to himself. "That is, if I ever use it."

Robin walked over to it, inspecting the desk. If this was really Cyborg's handiwork, he had done a good job with it. Clean, without scratches or scapes, or even faint stains on it. He put his hand on it, wondering if it would feel as good as it looked. After all, Robin was looking for a new desk, too.

It felt flat enough, but also… sticky. Puzzled, Robin patted it.

The "desk" rustled.

Robin lifted his head to look at Beast Boy. The elf was wearing a blank face, devoid of expression. Raven would've been impressed.

"Um… Beast Boy?" Robin asked nervously. "Why is your desk rustling?"

Something flashed in his green eyes, but it was quickly contained. "Oh, the desk… Maybe it's not quite fixed. I'll ask Cy to take another look at it later. So I'm done now? Do I get the rest of the afternoon off? I've stuff to finish today." He changed into a kitten, mewed cutely, and then back as a human, asked, "Please, Robin?"

Seeing his room, and the effort he had put into it made Robin relent, even if the desk was somewhat weird. "Alright, since I'm impressed with your room. You get the afternoon off." He nodded to Beast Boy, and then with a final look around the room, left. The door closed behind him, and his footsteps faded.

"Phew," Beast Boy said out loud. "That was close." He reached behind the desk, and pulled out a remote. The red button glowed, and flashed when he pressed it.

As soon as he did, the appearance of the room began to flicker, as if there was static running through it. Then the hologram faded, and Beast Boy was greeted with the natural sight of his room, filled with its usual heaps and piles, with everything from old pizza boxes to faded, smelly clothes, lying about. Although, he had 'cleaned' a little bit. Cyborg had advised him to at least push everything to the side and spray some air freshener into the room, lest Robin accidentally brush against something that didn't appear in the hologram. That would definitely make the Boy Wonder suspicious. Some more freshener would have masked the scent completely, but Beast Boy wouldn't like it due to his animal senses.

With a grin, Beast Boy leaped up to his room and surveyed his domain, remote still in hand. Everything was going perfectly, and best of all, he didn't have to clean his room.

So obviously, that's when disaster struck.

The door slid open again and Robin came in, holding a small toolbox. "Beast Boy, I brought some tools. I think I can fix your desk—" Then he saw the room. His eyes bugged out, he let out a gasp, and his head whipped around to glare at Beast Boy. "What—"

Upon seeing his leader again, Beast Boy had been repeatedly jabbing at the red button, but somehow, it was stuck. "C'mon, c'mon," he whispered urgently. "Ya gotta work, I'm begging ya!"

After the tenth time, he knew it wouldn't work. And like the last time Robin had entered his room, he was still speechless and frozen. He was staring at the spot where a desk and chair used to be; now the two items had suspiciously disappeared, and in their place was a heap of old clothes topped with some old overturned pizza boxes. Something yellowish-white was languidly sliding down the side of the box.

Beast Boy saw his chance. As a panicked green swallow, he flew from the top of the door, over Robin's head, and out the door. Landing on the ground, he turned into a cheetah and fled blindly down the hall.

Suddenly, the room began to flicker, and a moment later, the appearance of a perfectly cleaned room returned. Robin blinked.

Then he blinked again.

And a single thought entered his mind.

Every occupant of the Tower—even Silkie—heard Robin's yell.

"BEAST BOY!"

Cyborg froze in horror, and then leapt into action. He grabbed the black box, not caring when the cloth cover slipped off. Then he pressed the OFF switch, threw the machine into his closest, and piled a hundred more little gadgets and trinkets over it. Finally, he slammed closed the closet door, and sat against the door, panting slightly.

I think I'm in trouble, too, he thought.

Thanks for reading and possibly reviewing, and see you next chapter.