Disclaimer: Don't own Teen Titans, or anything else that needs a disclaimer.
Part 1
Chapter 4
Kory at home
Kory stared out her bedroom window looking at the stars, listening to Tamaranean pop music that was blaring out of the speakers of her silk worm looking Doc in station. She'd hate to know what Koma was doing out so late at night, it disturbed her in so many ways possible.
Why did their parents have to die? She asked herself this question constantly. More questions followed: why did the only person her and Koma could look to as a father figure die so suddenly? Why did Koma have to grow up so fast? Why wasn't she fortunate when it came to family?
Hearing the distant blare of a police siren she looked at the bright stars smiling. Everyone in Tamaran used to do everything involving stars. There were festivals under the stars, weddings under the stars, religious gatherings under the stars, plenty of things under the stars.
People of Tamaran loved stars because they represented a sign of hope. A sign of hope that things would change in a good way. If day continued to turn into night and life was in a whirlwind right now, it told you regardless of those things, bad things, you should keep faith. When the sky is so dark and lonely at night things eventually brighten at the spreading and sign of stars. Stars practically meant that things happen for a reason. They will always be there for you.
She looked at the apartment from across her window staring at it, wondering who lurked inside of it. Their curtains were drawn over their window.
Therefore, she shut her bed-room window drawing her purple curtains back to it's original position. Tonight she would decide to go ride her bike around Jump for awhile. It was only 7:30, she could make it back at an hours stretch. Opening the divider that separated her and Koma's sleeping areas or make-shift bedrooms, she grabbed her pumpkin colored bubble coat, tied her hair into two pigtails, put on her yarn cap ready to face the chilly fall weather. Before she left she put away the remaining HappyGlorph loaf on a plastic plate, under the stove-light after reheating it so Koma had something to eat when she came home from wherever.
Kory climbed out from her bedroom window jumping down on the hard cement ground. Once the chilly breeze hit her body she had second thoughts about having only her thin cotton pajamas under her outerwear. Looking up at the apartment window she made sure it shut by the wind.
She always left the small apartment room by going out the window because outside the small apartment room were blue-collared workmen and prostitutes who came from Arkham, Dakota, Steel, and Gotham. They were the crazies, drunks, hoes, crackheads, and gang bangers who lived in the apartment building as well.
Walking around a corner of the apartment building she walked over to the bike rack to see her familiar orange bike that looked drastically dated as if it belonged in a 70's classic film. Kory remembered a year ago when she begged for Galfore to buy her a bike. He had smiled gently and laughed that hearty familiar laugh of his and replied:" sure thing! you and your sister know I would go to the moon and more for you." After that been said he would give her one of those familiar grizzly bear hugs.
Kory wiped the tear that brimmed her right eye. She at that moment had witnessed a distant memory. She got onto the bike, put her hands on the handlebars and descended into the city, a chance she was finding her way somewhere, maybe she would stop by Kole's, Gan and Tavis's, or maybe just ride.
Kole at home
Kole was scared. Terrified. She knew her father was experimenting with Vertigo again. She hated going over to her father's house because he would do substance abuse.
After he'd take her to get something to eat and come back to the house, he would go back into his room doing something unknown.
Kole ate her sweet-potato fries while watching a rerun of some 90's show. At first she didn't notice it on the table but when she accidentally knocked her Brisk over on the table she ran to the bathroom to grab some napkins and clean it up. When she was scrubbing away non-gustily she spotted a purple and green capsule. At first, Kole thinking oddly thought it was candy; flavored grape and green apple. Then her instincts dubbed in and felt as though it were some kind of medicine her father would need or perhaps used. Leaving the napkins on the table she carried the capsule walking to her father's bedroom that was straight down the hall and taking a detour to the right.
She knocked on the baby blue coloured door.
No answer.
"Dad."
Kole knocked again.
"Dad."
She knocked a little louder.
Finally her dad opened the door his face-expression looked a teensy-weensy buzzed. Kind of "scary looking" was what Kole was thinking.
"Hi Pumpkin!" He said a little too happy but a bit gratingly. He wiped his hands on his brown corduroy pants. The powder looked to be green with little specs of black dots.
Suddenly she felt a little timid. Moving her feet uneasily. "Dad, I found this capsule on the table and I was wondering if you needed it. Now, I was going to-"
She was interrupted however when her father grabbed it gustily. She raised her eyebrow in complete disbelief. Why was he so fanatic over this little capsule? Noticing her father's hands had acid burns on them she gasped silently in alarm.
Before she could question him what those burns were from he thanked her, kissed her on the forehead, and went back to doing whatever. Her father not noticing the door opened to be ajar. Kole looked out the tiny opening of the door and saw her dad mixing chemicals that were bubbling in an electric skillet that were plugged in on the bedroom wooden floor. She smelt a strong odor that aroused her lungs really badly that her eyes watered and she found the sudden urge to start coughing but she swallowed multiple times to take away the urge.
What is my father doing? She thought. He was packaging those capsules into little ziplock bags having a Cheshire cat smile. He took one of the capsules from the container he was picking them from and popped it into his mouth.
Kole had the feeling like her dad was doing something wrong. Her feeling proved right. Her dad began shaking uncontrollably, his eyes rolling back into his eyes briefly before going back into the whites. He let out a sheer cry of pain but not so loud that if Kole had been back in the living room she would've not heard. Kole was scared.
She had begged her mother to let her stay home but her mother told her it was part of the divorce settlement, she had to stay over her father's at least once a week and every other weekend. Kole wanted to tell her mother he was using drugs.
Nevertheless, she didn't want to rat on him and never see him again; regardless of what he did, she still loved him.
Settling in her bedroom after finishing her tacos from Taco Springs she decided to make her first sound out of her flute. Yes, today after her last hour she received a school loaned flute. Even though Mr. Mod, the band teacher said it was unwise for her to be joining band, especially being a beginner in high school. Dilatorily, she were to get private practice from some highly gifted individual in band(she thought of Joey).
Aside from that though, Kole was going to self-teach herself how to play. She'll look at a few streaming teaching videos, get a Beginner Flute for Dummies book, and tie it all down with making progress. Gan self taught himself how to play the drummers throne(drumset, trapset.) How hard could it be?
Even though her father was a vertigo addict, and she was dealing with a divorce in her life right now she was enjoying playing the flute. Learning each note, phrase, and fingering diligently.
Garfield at home
Garfield ate his tofu stroganoff. It was veggie night so it meant he had the choice to request Rita what to make for dinner. And the choice was tofu stroganoff. He printed off a recipe from online. Even though Cliff had thrown a conniption over the food he settled for leftovers from two days ago which had been his choice: Meats Night which was a meat lovers pizza. Despite being defrosted and overheated he chose that over tofu stroganoff.
Larry could've cared less. Garfield was made to bring him lunch because he had needed to do some hardcore studying for his upcoming flight exam. When he received Larry's dinner and brung it to him his nose was practically in a textbook. Larry didn't even acknowledge him, with one wave of his hand Gar was out the door and back to playing video games on his Playstation. After Streetfighters it would be Boomshakalaka!
Five hours passed and the blonde haired boy had soon grown tired but before he went to bed he knew he needed to get a slushy at the gas station that was a couple streets from where he lived. In spite of the gas station being in the bad part of town it was the only convenient store that could make the perfect tigers blood slushy. Of course tigers blood slushies contained strawberry and coconut but the main ingredient that Gar loved about their slushies was spinach juice. His favourite colour was green, thus it coloured the slushy green. There was a large amount of sugary syrup in the iced treat that you couldn't even taste the spinach juice. Other gas stations served green tigers blood flavoured slushies but those contained Liquid chlorophyll, it didn't taste or look as good as the ones at V's.
Gar put on his lime green hoody and walked out his bedroom. He could hear faint laughter in the back yard. Cliff was drinking.
After making so much money from race car driving and have recently retired at age 28 he had nothing better to do than date gold diggers, drink in the evening, and work as an on and off assistant for Steve where he worked.
He passed Rita who was asleep on the couch. Her brown hair was still in that big ponytail of hers while sprawled across the couch a bowl of ice in her hand.
Rita loved ice. It was something she craved nonstop. She loved it so much she even took piles of snow into ziplock bags, stuffing a lot in the fridge. That had been about ten snow days ago, when he was nine and a half years old. Smiling at the memory he took the bowl from her hand and set it down on the table. He then grabbed a purple and black quilt from the love-seat and laid the cover on her. Now, she looked comfortable– enough, to Gar anyway.
Besides, nights like these everyone was sort of relaxed since Steve was all the way in Gotham at a meeting, which meant he won't be back in two days. It wasn't that Steve was a bad person to have around but it felt like everyone in the household were walking on eggshells. Steve hadn't been in the best of moods since Niles, or Dr Caulder died. He had been like a father figure to Steve and to unexpectedly die the way he did. Steve couldn't accept it.
No, Steve didn't turn to drinking, being highly obssessive, nor physically abusive. He just wasn't Steve anymore. He became grouchy, he started becoming extra strict, he critcized everything, and he didn't seem like a father figure to Cliff, Larry, and Gar anymore. He turned into more of a drill Sargeant.
It got to the point where Rita had started sleeping on the havoc on the back porch, Cliff started hanging out at the auto shop and bar more frequently, and Larry stayed in his study all day unless he had to attend school. Gar, himself, hung out at Tavis and Gan's a lot and stayed in his room most of the time playing video games, doing homework, and listening to music. The environment in the house had seemed to change itself. The musical happiness wasn't there, no smiling faces, and true happiness. Everyone wistfully escaping to their Edens.
Gar walked into the garage and turned on the light. He was able to locate his skateboard that was squeezed tightly inbetween Rita's Yoga mats and Cliff's cups and trophies. After a lot of grunting and cursing he was finally able to get his skateboard out.
Stepping onto his Sakteboard letting up the garage door using the remote, he rolled out into the cool fall air, tightening his hood around his head heading towards downtown to V's.
Rachel at home
The dark haired girl looked out the window smiling to herself. There weren't many days she'd faintly smile to herself but tonight she did. Rachel Roth felt motivated. She felt motivated to go to school tomorrow because she found something to look forward too.
To ignore all this loneliness she was feeling at home she could go to school happy. Her father hadn't come into her room tonight because he was out tonight doing things she never knew about. Maybe, getting his hands dirty that had cost her Mother to leave them a couple years ago.
After finishing her English assignment she walked out of her bedroom to her kitchen where the back door was. Grabbing her charcoal colored pea coat she walked out the door feeling the icy-cold air hit her face. A couple feet away from the expensive townhouse where she lived she looked back at it and tilted her head to the side. Thinking.
If her father were to come home would he notice she was gone?
No... He'll be too out of it to notice...
When she returned home after a couple hours, two- to say the least. Would she come home finding all her mother's things scattered about the house like last time? Her wedding dress, pictures, jewelry, broken perfume bottles, etc ... ?
Maybe, but my room may be in ruins again and he'll have it redecorated again; his way of saying sorry...
She walked down the street making her way to the abandoned building she truly called home. And that night she never thought she would welcome people into her safe haven and stumble across it as well.
Tavis and Gan at home
"Bro," Tavis whispered loudly to his brother, "did you hear that?"
"What...?" Gan mumbled shifting on the couch snoozing soundly.
"Bro! I think someone's trying to sneak into our house... Oh, shit."
Tavis then jumped out of his platform bed staring out the window, his gaze full of alarm.
That had caused Gan to immediately wake, sitting up on the couch lightning quick.
"Do you see anyone?"
"I... See, a van parked by the tree house," he replied, "but I don't see anyone."
"But you said someone was try-" Gan began.
"Yeah, I saw someone run to the front-"
"Tavis you're an idiot!"
Gan immediately got up from the couch and out the room because it was his role to take care of burglars and such. If it were him to call 911(albeit Tavis's role) or actually tangle with the intruder; he had to deal with it some way but not murder of course. And when both parents had gone away on vacation or business. The brothers had actually forgotten. Maybe it was either-or? Business? Vacation?
Tavis was admittedly scared. If something were to happen to his brother, or some armed intruder came in he wouldn't know what to do this very second.
After, maybe, five beats he heard Gan shriek in pain.
Hearing that immediately made him grab a lamp that was sitting on the nightstand yanking the plug out from the outlet and running to the front room.
"Gan I'm comin', just you-"
His face met with Mrs Mendez's fist.
"What the fuck?!" Holding his nose until the pain went away.
She shook her head in utter skepticism.
"Ooh, Tavis. When you start swearin'?"she teased, crossing her arms.
Tavis frowned. "Since middle school," he grumbled.
"Ah," she picked up the lamp studying it, "and usin' lamps like bèisbol bats, eh?"
Gan rubbed the forming bruise on his arm. "What are you doing here Rosabelle?"
She smiled and held out both hands to the twins helping them off the ground.
"Let's sit down shall we and we'll get to that."
She walked over to the sectional and sat down. Tavis lounged in the recliner whilst Gan decided to sit on the floor freaking out a little over how serious Rosabelle looked? Was it bad news? Had his parent's in a plane accident and died? There were a lot of possibilities for anything really.
"Well," she looked at them like she caught them cheating on a math test, "I know you guys have school and all. And you usually have a morning routine you boys have to follow by your parents orders but I might be adding a slight change to it for the next couple weeks."
Tavis and Gan looked each other in the eye before Rosabelle began speaking again.
"Well, I have to come to work earlier now, 'cause I've recently been promoted in my nurse job and I can't take Will to school..."
"Wait," Gan said, "didn't you marry your high school sweetheart, who you had that on and off relationship with? Was it Leo with another name I can't pronounce correctly? - he scratched his head quizzically - why can't he take Will to school?"
She sighed frustratedly. "He has to wake up way earlier before Willy and I do so... I'm asking you and Tavis to take him to-"
"We don't have cars,"said Tavis shrugging, "I guess we can't take him to school so, you have to ask someone else now, right?" The teen was lying about the not having a car thing, but he was hoping to avoid having to wake up early and taking a bratty kid to school.
"You guys have pièrnas (legs) don't you? You guys can walk him, meaning you two will have to wake up earlier, let's say 5:30, and at 6:30 walk over to my house which is five streets from this house and take him to his kindergarten class-the school three blocks away from my house-and should get him there by 7:15. You two are some-what responsible."
"Rosabelle, we need to be at school by 8:00." Said Gan quietly.
She, not understanding that Gan and Tavis were being added on to another responsibility clasped her hands happily. "Good! Here are the house keys; and don't lose the only spare I have."
Gan took the keys begrudgingly.
Tav was the twin who usually misplaced things.
"I know I have to drive on the bridge that goes past the pier and lake but a sign said coming back 'watch out for pot-hole' or somethin', what should I do?"
"Go the opposite way down the road, turning a right where you see the lake on your left side while drivin'", replied Tavis.
After Rosabelle left, having explained directions to her house and other things Tavis shut the door with an annoyed face expression.
"Even though she's our former babysitter, do we have to do this?"
Gan shook his head frowning. "I guess... It would be the right thing to do."
After a minute of silence the brothers gave each other an agreeing look and said at the same time, "joyriding!"
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Wally
Wally stared at his face in the mirror. He didn't have so much scars like he did when he was younger. Like the one jagged scar that used to be on his left ear that was barely even visible now. That one red scar that used to be on his left cheek and now it's a white line that blends in with his skin.
He remembered how each of those scars came to be on his face and body. There were bruises too but they were barely visible as well.
"Wallace don't run away from me!"
"You little shit! no one loves you!"
Taking a deep shaky breath he opened the bathroom door and walked to his bedroom. Trying to distract himself he decided to phone Roy.
After about five rings there was still no answer. Wally hung up the phone and walked to the kitchen to find something to snack on. He was still a little hungry even though Aunt Iris had served dinner over an hour ago.
Looking in the cabinets, fridge, and pantry he found there to not be any snacks meaning Iris was going to go grocery shopping tomorrow. Sighing in frustration he ran to is bedroom and grabbed his wallet. Looking through it he came across a twenty dollar bill and ran outside. Seeing his scooter he decided he'd go stop by his favorite diner: Big Belly Burger.
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Tavis and Gan
"Woohoo!" Hollered Tavis as they drove fast paced around the neighborhood with the windows, despite it being below sixty five degrees. The easily tempered brother was enjoying himself.
Gan on the other hand was tense. It was really late this time of night and he was speeding. Even though this is how they took their minds off of things, he now wanted to go home and sleep.
"Tave, I don't want to drive fast anymore, wanna go and get some junk-munch at V's?"
Tavis gave his brother an annoyed look sighing in frustration.
"Seriously Gauche?"
(Gauche is Tavis's nickname for Gan, he uses it occasionally. But when he's angry or annoyed he uses it. Gauche means being socially awkward and unsophisticated. So, it's insulting because Tavis is practically calling his brother awkward, a dumba**, or just plain stupid.)
"Well, bro..." Gan shifted uncomfortably in his seat his hands still on the steering will, "it's late, and I could get a speeding ticket from the police and they could get the wrong idea. Like that you're drunk... And I'm on meth."
And after that been said Tavis did something that always bothered Gan. It'd been something he started doing when they were thirteen.
'The voice.'
"Oh, well I think we're going to get in trouble and I don't feel right driving fast, and don't want to have fun with Tavis..."
Gan tried hard. I mean extremely hard to not get angry. Because 'the voice' would've probably worked on the most patient person in the world.
It's like Tavis would imitate his voice, and exaggerate it on purpose. He would make it all high pitched and he couldn't describe it. It was really, really frustrating.
Maybe his younger self would've probably punched Tavis, or slapped upside his brother's head but he had self control when it came to using his strength and fighting ability based upon his frustrations and such.
"Damn, Tavis we'll still ride for a little bit...!"
His other half smiled in complete victory.
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Richard had finished the last cigarette from the carton staring out at the sky from the balcony connected from his room.
It was pitiful in a way to relieve your stress by smoking. And Richard had always believed in that philosophy until last year.
Maybe he had a slight increased chance of getting lung cancer and other problems to his body yet, smoking helped him.
Putting it out on the balcony railing he stared up at the sky. Thinking his parents were in a better place.
His parents died a year and a half ago in a work mishap. They were the people who were the organizers, setter-uppers, and in charge of amusement parks; getting everything in order.
If that Ferris wheel hadn't decided to come apart the second they got settled in for a ride they would've never died. If he hadn't suggested they have some alone time since it was their wedding anniversary they would've never gotten on that Ferris wheel.
Richard was frustrated.
His phone vibrating he took it out from his khaki pocket and touched the answer button.
"Hey, Rich, how's it goin'?!" Roy said slurring.
Richard cursed silently to himself. He knew his brother-like friend was drunk.
"Where do you need me to pick you up?"
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"I'm not driving away from the cops okay?!" Shouted Gan looking cautiously behind him. "I don't want to be on Channel 6 news!"
"What the hell do you want me to do?" Tavis asked sliding down in the seat. Practically on the floorboard now.
It wasn't the least surprising to know their joyriding is not of much "joy" anymore.
When the brothers had heard the sirens and the police telling them to "pull over" and "stop the vehicle" they almost wet in their pants.
Maybe, the smartest thing to do was to stop driving but Gan wasn't doing that. And Tavis wasn't stopping him.
'Stop crying bro! We'll get through this!"
"Lord, help!" He was now a little over the speed limit.
Gan wasn't tearing up anymore and tried not to freak out. He kept driving forward, still hearing sirens.
"Okay, Bro... take a detour to the right. Maybe we can hide in an abandoned building for awhile or something!"
"I'm not Johnny and you aren't Ponyboy. We can't be convicts or somethin'!"
But Gan still listened to his twin and took a detour.
Minutes after, they didn't hear the police sirens anymore they let out a breath of relief. They were still a bit cautious though.
Tavis and Gan glanced at each other quickly. That was twin communication for silently agreeing with something. Compromising.
Passing a diner, the sports academy, a high school, a mall, and many more obvious places to hide in. They decided to stick with an old abandoned-looking building, that was a former library-or maybe it was still a library. They didn't know. Although they knew it was a place they went to when they were younger.
Parking the voltswagon across the street in a community parking lot they got out of it looking around frantically. They were unbeknownst to the fact to KNOW they shouldn't have taken this all too seriously.
The police officer who had chased them for a while in his police cruiser, dog tired he was, was now at a local diner, munching on a monster burger and some fries, talking to fellow police officers.
"A little after two-thirty we'll go home... but for now, let's lie low and stay here. We could read-"
"Sleep." Tavis interrupted.
"We will Bro, let's just go inside."
Then on, the brothers walked inside.
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When Richard walked inside of the house party. He honestly didn't know what to expect. Then again, he did.
As soon as he walked in he smelled a big waft of MJ and other substances he couldn't recall. There was loud obnoxious sounding music, some people he saw at school doing unbecoming things, temptation-seekers. Really, all expected.
Stopping in his tracks he spotted someone familiar looking.
When their eyes met he immediately knew who it was. Stephanie Brown. And she was pregnant.
Walking over quickly to him she gave him a welcoming hug. "Wow, Richard it's nice to see you again! I haven't seen you since the fifth grade."
"Nice to see you too...Stephanie," He said a bit awkwardly patting her back.
Stephanie was a bright young girl he knew in his childhood. She made good grades, was very athletic, and...had been very different compared to now.
But she was still bright and glowing. Sort of.
"So, when are you... you know," he pulled back from the hug and motioned towards her stomach. Stephanie rolled her eyes.
"I'm giving the baby up for adoption," she replied bluntly with a sigh. Not bright and smiley anymore.
Before she walked away, she stopped and said, "Roy's in the den."
Richard really wanted to stop her and ask her tons of questions, like why she was in this Hell-hole. He wanted to catch up on things and talk about old times, yet he bit his tongue and decided to go to Roy. Who he found in a lip lock with some Asian girl.
In the course of this smoked up-booze filled home, Roy was playing tonsil hockey. Roy didn't even tell him he was in a relationship with someone. Probably not even in a relationship.
"Roy, I'm here, let's go." He said patiently enough. Staring at a picture of arrows and bats shooting at a clown. Weird.
Expected. Roy didn't hear him. Him and the girl continued to make out.
"Roy, come on!"
Kissing... And kissing. Richard growing more frustrated.
"This is how you handle this!" An African American girl with a quick-weave exclaimed all-knowingly. She came fourth with a bucket of water shoving Richard out of the way, and splashed the bucket all over Roy and his make out partner.
"What the hell!" Roy yelled, intoxicated. "Couldn't you see I was in the middle of somethin'?" He pointed at the girl he was making out with seconds ago, who was yelling in some foreign language at the girl who held the bucket-that formerly had water in it.
Richard grabbed Roy's arm dragging him outside on the porch. "You called and said for me to come and pick you up. That's what I'm doing."
Roy shrugged and scratched his buns, clearly absent-minded at the moment. He then held his stomach over the porch in an up chuck-like position. Crouched over, looking green in the face.
Richard distracted himself by looking at his watch; checking the time.
It was late.
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Wally smiled happily with a full stomach cruising down twelfth street. Minding his own business. Looking on both sides he saw some houses that already had lights-out and a minority of the houses were having parties.
So when, by a chance. He saw Roy Harper vomiting on a row of American violets, wet like a mermaid, he stopped his scooter.
Especially when he saw Richard Grayson patting the puking teen's back yelling at him.
Author's Note: Okay this is a long chapter, next chapter will be shorter. But the reason why this chapter turned out to be so long was because there was a lot of scene changes and I eventually want the characters to be back in high school. I might show a couple scenes in the abandoned library but at school the bonding will be mentioned. You get me? Thanks for favouriting, following, and reviewing.
JP-Ryder: You guessed right (Phobia)...and I'm so glad you reviewed. I will accept the teacher recommendations cuz I did need to figure out what kind of teacher a comic book character would be. :D Yeah, you and Reed must think the same, because she suggested that I portray Malcolm a bit differently in that way.
Artemis Raven Courtney: Raven and the abuse is what can make High School AUs totally interesting, you are indeed right. But instead of abuse there is going to be something entirely different to the point where Trigon will be minor barely-even-there character. Wait– there might be bruises! BBRae will start being hinted at and they'll be the first to actually have a conversation that goes well...hopefully! Thanks for reviewing, I really appreciate it!
MSBlackmon: This is an EVEN longer chapter! So, I know you won't mind the length of it, and I'm glad you're enjoying this story! Appreciate your commentary! /BD (supposed to be a sunglasses smiley face!)