I cannot apologize enough for my delay in updating. I have no real excuse other than my own laziness, and I hope you can forgive me. This chapter will be a little less serious due to the previous one being so serious, and it is thus far the longest of chapters. Hopefully the length will make up for my inexcusable delay.
Thank you to xXarcherXx for the suggestion that influenced some of this chapter.
"Dare I ask what this room is for?" Raven asked, peering emotionlessly at the setup before her. The large white room was empty save for five pairs of sleeping bags and pillows lined up in a row, each dyed the Titans' respective colors. A screen on the opposite wall came to life, and the Voice's shadowy form appeared.
"Interesting choice of words, Raven," he chuckled, "for this is what I have dubbed the Truth or Dare room."
Robin and Raven stared back at the screen blankly, Beast Boy putting a finger in his ear and Cyborg tapping the side of his head to make sure he'd heard correctly. Unlike her friends, however, Starfire brightened. "Like the Dare or Truth played at 'sleepovers'?"
"Exactly," the Voice confirmed.
Crossing her arms, Raven muttered, "Hence the sleeping bags."
The Voice did not address her, and continued. "After such a hard time in the previous room, I decided to give you all a break to play a traditional game for once."
"Can we decide what the game is?" Robin asked, mask shifting as he looked up at the television.
Raven lifted a hand. "I second that. Truth or Dare sounds unappealing to me."
"Yeah," Cyborg agreed, "I'd rather play 'escape from the villain'."
"But friends!" Starfire interrupted, sending the Titans a pleading stare. "Does not the game of Dare or Truth sound fun?"
"No," Raven grunted. "It does not."
The Voice's words echoed throughout the room. "Do not fear, Starfire! Just for you, I will make the game more interesting so your friends will want to play as well!" The bleep of a button was heard from the screen. "Now scurry over to your spots, little Titans, while I set the stage."
The team made their way cautiously toward the sleeping bags, faintly wondering how much Starfire was really against this particular challenge. The five teenagers came to a stop in a row, standing beside or on top of the sleeping bags and pillows. At the Voice's instruction, they each stepped into their said items, standing and tugging the bags up around their waists.
Beast Boy snuggled down into his sleeping bag, crouching and pulling the hood-like top over his head, shutting his eyes. "Dude, I'm so for just relaxing and taking a nap time. Anyone else with me?" Receiving multiple glares and eye twitches, he shrugged and responded with a grin.
"Hey, we look like we're gonna do that potato sack racin' thing!" Cyborg realized, struggling to fit inside his tiny sleeping bag.
"In a way, Cyborg," the Voice stated deep and ominously. "In a way. Now," he continued in a lighter tone, "shall we begin?"
The Voice pressed one more button, and the white room changed. The Titans rose up onto a large white platform, square and tall with a long path stretching across to the opposite wall. The outline of a doorway could be seen at the end. "Our little game of Truth or Dare will be played a bit differently. Although many of the rules will remain unchanged, I will be the only one providing the truths and dares, and you all will be my victims. Err, I mean-," he chuckled lowly," –volunteers." Movement from the television indicated his gesture toward the road in front the Titans. "This here will be your additional game of hopscotch. Lucky you! I'm feeling kind and adding yet another game!" In front of the Titans, faint square imprints faded into existence. The Titans had four each set in a line ahead of them, revealing sixteen squares altogether the path, every one leading closer to the door on the opposite wall. "And this will be the fun part! If you successfully complete your given truth or dare, you will move on! You get to hop forward in those sleeping bags to the next square."
"What exactly is the point of makin' us do that?" Cyborg interrupted, crossing his arms.
"It will be very entertaining to watch the Teen Titans hop around like rabbits," the Voice responded. "Now as I was saying, the dares will be dangerous, but the truths will delve into your very souls. I'd choose well. If you refuse to answer a question or complete a dare, or are not cooperating in general, punishment will follow." A chuckle followed. "I doubt a fall would do you any good, especially since none of you can fly anymore."
The Titans glanced the edges of the platform and exchanged uneasy looks. The Voice might truly be giving them a break and an easier task, but the alternative -and more likely possibility- was that this "game" would be the most difficult thus far. Of course, it wasn't as if they had much of a choice in the matter.
"What are the pillows for?" Beast Boy piped up.
"They are your passes." The Voice stated matter-of-a-factly. "You have one pass to avoid a truth or dare. It might save your life, or in the very least your dignity, so I'd-."
"Choose wisely?" Raven guessed impassively.
"Exactly," the Voice confirmed. "Now who wants to start?"
Surprisingly, the Titans did have a volunteer; unsurprisingly, it was Starfire. She wasn't stupid, and she knew the risks, but some part of the girl told her that this was her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Her friends had long since vetoed Truth or Dare as a way to pass the time, for the game brought more problems than it did fun. The only other possibility for Truth or Dare that Starfire could think of required a sleepover, and despite her many requests for a "girl's night," Raven denied her every time. Just because the Voice's game might have life-or-death consequences didn't mean she couldn't have fun. Starfire raised her hand. "I wish to do the Daring or Truthing first," the alien princess announced.
"Really?" The Voice coughed. "A-ah, yes! Starfire, truth or dare?"
Starfire considered it, tilting her head to the side and placing a finger on her chin. "I shall choose… the truth!"
A pause followed, and the shuffling of what could be papers followed. The sound stopped. "Starfire, do you prefer flying outside or inside? And remember, I can tell if you're lying."
The Titans exchanged looks; so maybe this game wouldn't be as difficult. Starfire replied with delight. "Oh, it is most joyous flying outside!" she cried, smiling. "You see, when I fly, I feel as if the sun provides me with much strength! It is as if its rays are absorbing into my body and powering me with energy. While I enjoy flying the doors of in, I must prefer the outside."
"That's the truth," the Voice said. "Jump ahead."
As their friend focused on not falling over as she hopped onto her next square, the team smiled, realizing the significance of Starfire's name. Star-Fire. The sun –also known as a star- was made up of fire, and that ball of flame in the sky made their bright friend feel alive. She radiated heat and warmth to those around her like she herself was a little sun.
"Next!" the Voice called, drawing their attention back to the television. "Robin, how about you?"
Robin stared at the screen a moment before answering, his white mask making it difficult to read his expression and predict what he would say. "Dare." It made sense of course; one could only assume that he wasn't foolish enough to respond with truth when the Voice's main goal was to learn Robin's identity.
There was no hesitance in the Voice's question this time. "I dare you to jump through a ring of fire."
The other Titans weren't sure what to make of this, but Robin simply smirked. "I would, but I don't see any ring of fire here. I guess I'll just have to move on anyway." He'd taken but a jump forward when the Voice stopped him.
"Or is there?" Without warning, a small platform carrying none other than a large, round, and burning ring of flame sprung up in front of Robin.
The Titan narrowed his eyes. "How did I not see that coming?"
"I was wondering the same thing," the Voice responded, adding in an almost smug manner, "especially since I thought you were supposed to be a detective." Robin said nothing, dropping the sleeping bag and approaching the ring.
"Robin, please be careful!" Starfire implored, her previous cheery attitude now absent.
"That's the plan," he replied, focused on the flames dancing back and forth. After few steps in retreat, Robin sprinted forward to leap through the ring. A few barely singed hair-ends later, Robin stood in front of his dare, sleeping bag and pillow back in hand.
"That was more difficult than it needed to be," the Voice declared, the television filling up with a dark blob as the villain leaned closer. "Next time it'd be easier for you to just answer truth. It might not be as hard as you think."
"It would be easier for you to convince me to jump over a pit of spikes," Robin retorted, glaring.
The Voice chuckled. "Don't give me any ideas."
Raven's decision came next, and, realizing how tough all the dares would probably be, paused. The Voice was specifically targeting Robin with this game, experimenting to find out how much it would take to break him and expose his secret identity. This provided an easy solution for the rest of the team; answer everything as a truth. Yet, leaving Robin to deal with all the dares by himself was not something Raven and the team wanted to do. Sensing the reason for Raven's hesitance, Robin muttered quietly, "Don't worry; I can handle it. Don't make this unnecessarily hard for yourself." His message was for the entire team, not only Raven, and the Titans all nodded. While they felt sorry for Robin, he'd caught a bit of a break during the last challenge and they all needed a breather. Besides, he was Robin; he'd survive, and he'd never want the others to put themselves in danger because of him. Because there was no other way to prevent it, they'd comply this one time.
"Truth."
"Raven," the Voice mulled, "my question for you is… what is the most terrifying dream you have ever experienced?"
"It's called a nightmare and not a dream," Raven corrected, crossing her arms as best as possible while in a sleeping bag. "It'd have to be the illusion that you put us all through a few rooms ago."
"And what exactly happened in this nightmare?" the Voice questioned.
Raven refused to show any hesitance, though the answer killed her on the inside. She did not want to share her worst fears with everyone, especially the Voice, considering he had been the one to put her and the other Titans in that situation in the first place, but she had no choice. Besides, Raven never was one to act afraid if she could help it. "My worst fears, as was your intention."
"A little detail would be nice," the Voice suggested.
The empath shot a death stare at the screen and jerked her hood up to hide her face. "Malchior somehow cast a spell on me that drew out Rage. In short, she chased my friends away and then turned them into Trigon's slaves. I caused their deaths." She said it simply, ignoring the soft intakes of breath from her teammates and walked up to her square, all the while dying a little on the inside. Raven knew her friends wouldn't think less of her, seeing as it was her worst nightmare that she'd never wish upon any of them, but still, the empath felt ashamed.
"Beast Boy," the Voice continued without commenting on Raven's answer. The green Titan's head snapped to the screen, his expression an odd mixture of unease and anger.
"Truth," he said shortly, dropping the sleeping bag's top off of his head, his humor gone.
If the Voice felt surprised at Beast Boy's unusual behavior, he did not sound like it. "Out of all the villains you've fought, which one do you dislike the most?"
Beast Boy scratched an ear, thinking and adjusting his weight. A humorless smile stretched up the side of his face as he tilted his head, peering up at the television. "Can I get brownie points if I say it's you?"
The Voice chuckled, for once a real laugh rather than an evil one. "Only if it's true."
"I kinda gotta know who you are first," Beast Boy attempted. Silence met his request, and the green Titan exhaled, lowering his arm to grasp the edge of his sleeping bag. "Worth a shot. Um… I think that I'd have to say Adonis."
A pause ensued, one in which darkened movement shifted the screen. Beast Boy, assuming he could go ahead to the next square, took a step forward, but the Voice's next words halted the Titan's progress.
"Are you sure?"
"Uh, yeah?" Beast Boy's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. His teammates glanced toward him, and he shrugged his shoulders.
The Voice tapped something the other side of the television. "That's not the whole truth."
Now the rest of the team really focused on Beast Boy, finding that he refused to look anyone in the eye. Several seconds of awkward shuffling resulted, curiosity and perplexity rising in those watching. After a while, the Voice spoke up, "Are you refusing to answer?"
"No, it's just…" Beast Boy wrinkled his nose and focused on the monitor overhead. "Adonis was a close second. It's Malchior." Out of the corner of his eye, Raven visibly jolted, and her eyes glued onto him. Beast Boy cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck, and then tried to not trip as he hopped forward so to land on his square spot. Beast Boy had lied because Adonis made more sense; in a way, the criminal was something of a personal nemesis. However, Beast Boy knew how deep treachery could cut into someone, and while Malchior hadn't seemed so horrible originally, after being deceived himself, Beast Boy had formed a special dislike for the dark dragon. Whereas the green Titan's own betrayal had ended on good terms, Raven's had not, and the mere mention of Malchior could cause Beast Boy's blood to boil.
He bounced to a standstill, and had turned to look at Cyborg who remained behind them all awaiting his truth, when Beast Boy realized Raven hadn't looked away from him. A slight red color shaded his face, and he coughed. "W-what?"
She chose not to reply, focusing on the many thoughts racing throughout her head, and dropped her gaze to the white path. Beast Boy bit his lip, wondering if he should say something, but the Voice cut him off.
"Cyborg," the villain began, and the flipping of paper reached everyone's ears. It would seem that the Voice possessed a book of truth or dare questions in his hands. A chortle of amusement came from the television. "If you had to choose one person out of everyone in this room, who would you kiss?"
"Uhhh…" Cyborg squinted at the screen, disbelief on his face. "Seriously?"
"Of course."
Had Beast Boy not been glancing at Raven with worry, he'd probably have been snickering quietly to himself. This was quite a dilemma for Cyborg; Robin would no doubt kill him if he answered Starfire, and should Cyborg answer Raven, she'd kill him. Both girls were out of question, and it wasn't as if his male teammates were an option, leaving no one for an answer. Never before had Cyborg even considered this question; both girls on the team had long since landed in his SISTERS category. How was he supposed to answer?
"Man," Cyborg grunted, frowning at the Voice on the television, "I can't decide! Honestly!"
The Voice laughed. "I can see that you're telling the truth. But humor me and just say someone."
Scowling, Cyborg ran his options over in his head again. Raven, Starfire, Robin, Beast Boy… He wished there were more options. Suddenly an idea occurred to him, and a small smile appeared on his face. "Man, out of everyone here, I'd probably want to kiss myself the most!"
Laughter rang out from Beast Boy's square, and Cyborg glanced over at him to find a large smile on the boy's green face. "Dude!"
Raven crossed her arms, muttering, "I don't know whether to be relieved, insulted, or scared." Robin was smiling, shaking his head and smirking while Starfire covered her mouth. Even the Voice found this amusing, but his laugh was distorted by the voice modifier, and it sounded fairly creepy. Before long, the villain realized he was laughing by himself.
His sound changed to a cough. "Go ahead." As Cyborg tried to hop forward without falling flat on his face -which was extremely difficult for him considering his size- Raven lifted an eyebrow.
"This 'hopping' is ridiculous," she stated in monotone.
"More ridiculous than that question?" Beast Boy grinned, and Raven exchanged a semi-amused glance with him.
The Voice addressed Starfire. "Your turn."
Naturally Starfire requested truth, and the Voice hummed. "What qualities would your future husband have to have?"
Starfire's face brightened once again, just as it had during her last question. Beast Boy's face looked surprised as did Cyborg's, whereas Raven just grunted and crossed her arms. "It's no wonder she wanted to play this game; she's getting actual questions that would be asked at a real game of truth and dare."
Starfire smiled, lifting her eyes to the television and wearing a bright expression. The others noticed, much to their amusement, Robin pretending not to pay close attention. "My future husband? I suppose I would do the wishing for him to be… kind. He would be always doing the placing of others before himself." She placed a finger on her lips, thinking. "Brave… A person of good…" Starfire trailed off, her face blushing. It seemed that she had someone specific in mind.
The Voice grunted for the alien girl to hop to her next square, and Robin lifted an eyebrow. Was it his imagination, or did the villain's response almost seem disappointed? He filed the thought in the back of his mind as the Voice spoke to him. "Robin?"
"Dare."
Unsurprised, the Voice responded accordingly. "Remember your earlier suggestion?" Robin scowled, predicting his upcoming task. "Your dare is to jump over this pit," the Voice instructed, the floor ahead of the young leader falling away into a deep hole filled with metal spikes. Robin dropped his sleeping bag, and the villain added, "With your sleeping bag and pillow. And your eyes closed."
"Fine," Robin stated, stepping out and earning incredulous expressions from his friends.
"Robin, why don't you use your pass?" Raven suggested, mouth a thin line and the only hint to her inner anxiety for her friend. The other Titans agreed, nodding together.
He rolled up the sleeping bag into a bundle, proceeding to stuff it inside the pillow's case. "I don't need it." He stepped over to the edge, the two items stuck under his arm, and examined the length of the gap. It was about six or seven feet across.
Hiding a smirk, Robin paced back a few feet and counted the steps, eyes darting up and down to measure the jump. Unknowing to the Voice, Robin's acrobatic background provided him with more than enough experience and muscle strength to clear the pit. The real difficulty would come from jumping at the right time. His mask shifted, eyes closing as Robin exhaled. There was a terrifying pause, and then he sprinted forward. Six steps forward, and on the seventh, his foot touching the very edge of the pit, Robin pushed off of the ground with all the strength he could muster. Much to the Titans' relief, he cleared it by a good foot.
As Robin caught his breath, the Voice called down to him, "Did you keep your eyes closed the entire time?" Because of the mask, no one had been able to tell whether or not Robin had been squinting or really closed his eyes.
"Yes," Robin breathed, inhaling and exhaling as his adrenaline died down. The pounding in his ears faded just in time to hear the Voice's disappointed grumble.
"Congratulations," the villain stated dryly before moving on. "Raven, you're next."
"Truth," the empath answered. She, just as much as her teammates, had nearly suffered a heart attack while watching Robin clear the pit. However, even her own natural pale skin couldn't compete with the deathly white on Starfire's face. Had she not known better, Raven would've thought the alien princess to be a red-haired ghost. She caught Robin and Starfire meeting one another's eyes, both coloring. Raven lifted an eyebrow, her version of a smirk. At least Starfire didn't look like a sheet anymore.
"What is the most irritating trait in each of your teammates?"
Raven's face remained emotionless, but interest showed on those of her friends'. Sighing, the dark girl gave silent thanks for her hood. "Everyone has irritating traits."
"But what are your teammates'?" the Voice prompted, amusement at her apparent attempt to avoid answering.
Raven said nothing at first, contemplating the question. A minute of silence later, sensing the Voice about to call her out on not answering, she opened her mouth. The others would understand; they had to know she had little choice. "Robin is extremely over-obsessive," she answered plainly, mentally stabbing herself in the chest with an imaginary knife. Raven forced the words out of her mouth faster than she believed possible, hating the bitter taste left behind in her mouth. "Starfire is too… girly. Cyborg exaggerates everything he does and feels, and Beast Boy needs far too much attention." She swallowed, her throat raw and painful. Each of the Titans adjusted their weights, not speaking a word. This villain was forcing her to hurt her friends. Raven was well enough aware of the saying "sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me." The problem was, however, that words did hurt: a lot. She'd learned that many times. Her fingers curled into a tight fist, knuckles white.
The Voice hummed in what might've been approval. "Go ahead." Raven didn't move, expression darkened by the shadow from her hood. The figure on the monitor coughed to get her attention, shifting as he moved back to her. "You can move forward," he repeated, voice deep.
"You think," Raven growled low, "that you can make me play this stupid game of yours, and you won't have any consequences in the end?"
"That's the plan," the Voice chuckled. His laugh caused Raven's stirring anger to rise, and if the sorceress had still possessed her powers, explosions would've destroyed the room.
Raven's friends looked at her, uncertain and confused. The empath's eyes flashed, her face restricted but livid all the same. Anyone who knew her personally could tell that she was beyond furious. "What is the point of this?" she hissed. "You aren't learning anything about us by asking these questions!"
"I'm learning more than enough," the Voice retorted, but Raven cut him off.
"What are you learning? How to make us hurt each other?! What to do to make us angry or upset?!" Raven seethed, shoulders drawing up to her neck. "That's not difficult to figure out, so why keep experimenting when you already know?" Fury burned throughout her body, hatred welling up inside of her. "Don't you dare say this room is to discover our secrets, because what you really want is for us to hurt one another!"
Her rant cut off in a sharp gasp when the square imprint she stood on suddenly dropped away. By pure luck she snagged the edge, cape billowing out around her and sleeping bag tumbling down to the ground far, far below.
"Raven!" Being the closest to her, Robin and Beast Boy sprinted to the opening and dove forward to grab her arms. Straining, together they managed to drag her back onto the path where she collapsed, breathing heavily. Starfire and Cyborg joined them a moment later, kneeling beside their friends.
The cold tone of the Voice reached their ears. "I told you that if you didn't cooperate, there would be consequences. There may not be any for me, but there certainly are for you."
Robin snapped at the hidden villain, clenching his fists. "When we finish your games, we certainly will find you, and you will go to jail."
"That'd be too kind, man," Cyborg scowled, glancing toward the television.
"I'd be careful, Titans," the Voice warned. "With just a push of this button, I could drop you all to your deaths. You should feel fortunate that I allowed you to help Raven."
"Dude, just shut up," Beast Boy snarled with such velocity and furiosity that everyone was taken aback. The group tensed, expecting the floor to disappear any second, but much to their surprise, the shadowed villain said nothing. Starfire touched Raven's shoulder.
"Friend Raven," she addressed softly, "are you alright?"
"I'm sorry," Raven apologized, the confession so faint that the Titans almost missed it. They focused on her. "The things I said; I know I have far more irritating habits than all of you put together."
Robin shook his head. "Raven, we knew you had no choice. None of us blame you. I've always known I'm over-obsessive."
Starfire piped up, smiling encouragingly. "And I enjoy the 'girly-ness'! It is alright that you do not."
Cyborg nodded in agreement, and Beast Boy squeezed her shoulder. Raven dipped her head. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Come on," Robin stated, rising to his feet. "We'll get through this together." Expressions determined, the Titans followed his lead and walked back to their spots. Beast Boy hung back, offering Raven a hand which she took after a moment of hesitation.
"So, I'm needy, huh?" he teased, grinning, his canine tooth catching the light.
Raven met his gaze, tentatively lowering her hood. "Yes," she exhaled, and Beast Boy scratched the back of his neck. "But I never explained that while the trait can be horribly irritating, it's also the reason I'm much more social compared to when we first met. Thank you," she murmured, turning away before she caught sight of his brightening expression.
"Beast Boy, truth or dare?" the Voice interrupted, and Beast Boy scurried back to his square.
"Ah, truth," he replied, feeling very repetitive. Still, he didn't exactly desire to perform life-threatening tasks like Robin's, and whereas his leader had the skill to achieve his dares, Beast Boy doubted he could; besides, his own questions weren't that hard.
"If you could have any occupation other than being a Teen Titan, what would it be?"
Beast Boy tilted his head, feeling as if his point about the inquiries had been proved. He faintly realized that Raven's truths thus far had elevated to a higher level of difficulty. The Voice seemed to have it out for her, though considering her constant snapping at him throughout the game did explain why. The green shape-shifter answered honestly. "I'd probably be a veterinarian so, y'know, I could help my animal buddies get better when they're sick and hurt."
Receiving permission to hop forward, Beast Boy moved up to his next square. Two more remained, but, remembering his pass had not been used yet, really only one question stood before him and the others with the exception of Cyborg who currently awaited his truth.
The shadowed villain cleared his throat. "If you had to choose between true love and one million dollars, which would it be?"
Cyborg tapped his chin, thinking. "Well, one million dollars would make life a lot easier, if there aren't any tax deductions or robberies… But then true love is even rarer than being given that amount of money. I think I'd pick true love." What he didn't mention aloud was if his unnamed true love turned out to be rich, he'd get both the million dollars and a happy ever after. Plus, while his answer was honest, it made him sounds a little better by saying true love. Probably aware of this fact, Beast Boy smirked and rolled his eyes.
Starfire's question was fairly easy as had been her others, albeit a bit stranger and unexpected. A pause occurred before the inquiry was asked aloud. "How many sleepovers have you been to where you and the other girls wore lingerie and had a pillow fight?"
Robin choked on air and fell into a coughing fit. Likewise, both Cyborg and Beast Boy flustered, a few sparks flying from Cyborg's mechanics and a hot blush coloring Beast Boy's face. Even Raven's eye twitched.
Starfire, however, simply appeared confused. She tilted her head, one finger on her lip. "Please, what is this linger-ie?" She looked to Robin, for he was consistently the one to answer her questions whenever anything on Earth confused her. Her leader finished coughing, a shade darker.
"It's, uh, girl's underwear, Star," he mumbled, having trouble looking her in the eye. Why on earth did the Voice want to know that?!
"Oh!" Starfire nodded, lifting her sights to the television where the Voice awaited a response. "I have only been to the sleepover once," she admitted, her big green eyes turning up sadly before brightening again. "But it was most enjoyable! I had much fun with friend Raven having the 'girl talk' and braiding of hair!"
The boys looked at Raven incredulously and she grimaced. "It wasn't planned, and it wasn't much of a sleepover. Starfire came into my room requesting girl talk and she ended up doing most of the talking."
The Voice cut in, voice low due to the voice modifier. "But what is your answer? Have you or have you not had a pillow fight in your lingerie?"
"We never had the fight of pillows," Starfire sighed, tilting her head. "But I suppose we were in our… linger-ie." The boys suddenly all looked like tomatoes they were so red, and Raven felt heat rising in her face as well.
"What-," -she spat-, "-are you talking about?!"
Starfire blinked, confused by Raven's agitated tone. "But we are at most times wearing our linger-ie, are we not? At this moment we are, correct?" Raven, realizing what Starfire meant and how she misunderstood, groaned and covered her own face with her hand.
"That's not… what he meant…," Raven grumbled, glancing at Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy. They all wore a similar dazed expression, and Raven blushed. Jerking her hood over her face, she snapped, "We were in our pajamas the entire time!"
"Yes, of course," Starfire agreed, still confused. "Is that not what he meant?"
Muttering inaudible words beneath her breath, Raven stalked over to Starfire and whispered in her ear. Starfire's face streaked a line of red across her cheeks and she covered an embarrassed smile. "Oh." Her voice now somewhat timid, Starfire called to the Voice. "We were not."
While Starfire moved up to her next square, Raven hesitated before walking over to Robin. Noting the distant glint in his eye, she promptly approached him and flicked him in the forehead. The slight but sharp pain brought him out of it at once, and his face darkened again before muttering an apology to the empath. She ignored him, approaching Cyborg. He looked more aware of what was happening, but Raven flicked him on the temple anyway. During which Cyborg rubbed the new sore spot on his face, Raven moved on to Beast Boy. Lifting an eyebrow, she took in his flushed appearance and evading eyes, and Raven smacked him upside the head.
"Ow! Dude!" Beast Boy protested loudly. Raven waited in front of him in silence as Beast Boy massaged the stinging spot, the empath unsympathetic. She made sure that the hit hadn't hurt that much, so she wasn't worried about his complaining. "Seriously Rae, why'd I get hit and they didn't?!" Beast Boy whined, pointing at Robin and Cyborg.
Raven leaned toward him, surprising Beast Boy and leaving inches in between them. Though her voice remained impassive, the quietness of her words scared the green boy more than anything. "Because your staring at me was completely unnecessary."
Beast Boy shrank into himself blushing, and Raven turned away, leaving the others curious about what she'd said. Even now without the usage of her powers, Beast Boy had no idea how Raven always seemed to know what he had on his mind. Raven stopped back on her square, arms crossed and expression unreadable beneath her hood. It wasn't that Beast Boy had done anything inappropriate, but catching his eyes drifting toward her was far more embarrassing than Raven would ever admit. She didn't understand what he'd been looking at her for, even if he was a male teenager. It wasn't as if Robin hadn't been glancing at Starfire, but they were an entirely different situation. Raven exhaled, giving thanks that Cyborg's eyes had stayed glued to the ground the entire time. At least one of her friends knew how to behave.
"Robin, your turn."
Robin pulled himself from his stupor, running a hand through his hair and the burning heat fading from his cheeks. "Dare," he sighed. Just one more left, he told himself.
A smirk audible in his voice, the hidden villain on screen replied, "I dare you to tell me your true secret identity."
Robin stared at the screen before holding out his pillow. "Pass," he stated. Nerves flickered through his stomach as he wondered why the Voice would make him use his pass before the last question. What did the Voice have in mind for him? A hole opened up in the ground, and he dropped the pillow into it before the floor closed again.
Robin moved forward to his next square with a mindful of thoughts to sort through, and the Voice moved next to Raven. The empath glanced down at the absence of her sleeping bag around her feet and felt her mouth curve up in a victorious smirk. She'd lost the item when the floor opened up under her earlier; at least one good thing had come of that situation. Her pillow had luckily not followed the sleeping bag, and Raven still held her pass.
"Truth," she said.
The question was voiced after more flipping of pages. The Voice was looking for a good one seeing as it would be her last Truth or Dare in the room. The thought of no more questions almost made Raven smile, but the next words from the television wiped the curve of her lips from her mouth. "What are the worst things that each of your teammates have said to you?"
Raven grit her teeth, glancing at the Titans who each gave her a nod of encouragement. The dark sorceress exhaled, reminding herself of what her friends had said before; they would get through this together and knew that she was being forced to answer the question. An idea struck Raven. Just because she was forced to say horrible things didn't mean that she couldn't add a few comments after.
"Starfire," she began, starting with the cheery red-haired alien. Starfire smiled a little, waiting, and Raven tried not to choke on her words. "When we were still getting to know one another and switched bodies because of the Puppet King, do you remember how you would not stop talking about how everything was hopeless and you would be stuck looking like me forever?" Starfire rubbed her nose sheepishly.
"I remember, friend," she replied.
"You've never said anything truly horrible to me, but when you wouldn't stop talking about how everything was hopeless, -even when I knew you didn't mean it- you struck a nerve. I've never been one to act optimistic, but during that time, I almost believed we really doomed." Raven sighed, lowering her hood, and surprising everyone, she kept her eyes on Starfire. "Truthfully, I was wishing to join you in meditation." The group looked at her in confusion, Starfire more so than the others, and Raven dipped her head. "When you and I started hanging out for the first time after defeating the Puppet King, that sentence was probably the best thing you could have said to me. You wanted to be my friend when I needed one."
Starfire's face broke out in a smile, and the Voice interjected. "I said the worst things. You don't need to say the best, Raven."
Raven glared at the screen, certain she was returning a scowl. "I know." She continued before the shadowed villain could comment or prevent her from saying the good things as well as the bad about her teammates. If she was going to deal out the bad, she would also serve the good. Her friends deserved that much, and a lot more.
Robin was next, and Raven lowered her head, quoting him quietly. "I have to stop him; I'm the only one who can. And I'll take down anyone who gets in my way." She allowed the room to absorb the words, and the air turned solemn as everyone recalled Robin's crazed obsession with Slade. The young leader had believed Slade was returned from the dead, and Robin's drive to stop the enemy had almost pushed him over the edge. The incident had not been his fault, but the memory still haunted them all, some more than others. Raven lifted her chin, smiling a little. "You're actually the most hopeful person I've ever met." She recited his words once more, causing Robin to smile back. Raven felt relieved, knowing he didn't blame her, but a nagging voice in the back of her head reminded her the worst was still to come.
Raven looked to Cyborg, lifting an eyebrow. "The worst thing you've ever said to me specifically: Stankball."
The Voice's disbelieving words came from the screen, and what he said caused the corners of Raven's mouth to turn up. "You aren't lying…" They really were like brother and sister, although the real exception was that they almost never fought. Cyborg, while having spoken words to others that Raven did not care for, had never said anything serious to hurt her; at least, not that she knew about or could recall. The only reason she decided to choose Stankball was because Cyborg and his Stankball game tended to interrupt her peace and quiet.
Speaking again, Raven quoted her larger friend. "He's green, half of me is metal, and she's from space. You fit in just fine." There it was again; her friends accepted her for herself, and they were starting to realize just how much their words gave to her.
Last of all, Raven faced Beast Boy. He was staring at the ground, trying to think of which incident she would speak of. He and Raven, out of everyone in the tower, fought the most, and even if it was about trivial things the majority of the time, they did anger one another more than either meant to. Was it a bad thing that he had so many possibilities for what Raven could claim as the worst thing he had ever said to her? Two clear choices stood out in his mind; one was the fight he'd started with her right before turning into The Beast. The second-.
"Why do you have to be so creepy?" Raven murmured, and Beast Boy actually flinched. It had been difficult to forgive himself for that comment, even after apologizing. Raven's voice dropped again, quieter and gentler, and Beast Boy lifted his head. "You think you're alone, Raven," Raven said softly, "but you're not." Even though they fought, argued, and got on one another's nerves far too often, they'd always find a way to make up for it. Because of that, the two had never drifted away; they would grow closer.
Raven received permission to move to her next square, happiness swelling in her chest. She couldn't explain why, but, after seeing the smiles on each of her friends' faces, each bigger than the last, Raven had been overcome by a sense of joy. Of course, the emotion failed to escape from Raven's emotionless mask, but the Titans could tell just by the relaxing of her shoulders that their friend was happy.
"Beast Boy, truth or dare?"
Beast Boy blinked a few times before smirking. "Truth, dude."
"If you knew you had twenty-four hours to live, what would you do?"
"Um…" Beast Boy scratched his ear. "Like, if it was twenty-four hours for everyone or just me?"
"You."
His gloved hand moved from his ear to his shoulder. "I guess I would… Well, I'd… I think I'd hang out with my friends and the Doom Patrol a bunch… I don't know if I'd tell them though… Maybe a few people who I think should know if I was gonna die ahead of time because it'd make it easier on them." His green eyes shifted up as he thought. "Dude, this is hard… I don't really know."
The Voice prompted him. "You wouldn't say anything to anyone specific? Perhaps confess your undying love to them?"
Beast Boy squinted at the television, the tips of his ears slightly red. "I don't know why I'd do that," he said, frowning. "If I liked someone and they were going to die, I wouldn't want to know that they were in love with me, and know I could've done something to explain my feelings before that point when it'd be too late anyway. And if I ever did and that person didn't like me back, you know how hard it would be for that person to say they didn't feel the same while knowing you were gonna die no matter what? How'd I know if they were lying or not?" He cleared his throat. "And I'd kinda hope that the person would say something before then 'cause they liked me, and not doing it because I was gonna die."
Cyborg smirked, gripping the edge of his sleeping bag. "Man, that was one of the most thought-out things I've ever heard you say." Beast Boy stuck his tongue at the robotic teenager, expelling the semi-serious air around him, and then hopped forward to the next square.
Moving on, Cyborg requested truth for his final question. The Voice, after a moment of thought, spoke. "If there was one thing in your past that you could change, what would it be?"
Cyborg's face grew sober, and he lowered his large shoulders. "I'd probably want to save my mom's life," he said quietly. The Titans glanced at their bigger friend in sympathy, having recently learned of his mother's cause of death which coincidentally also led to his mechanical transformation.
Even the Voice's tone wasn't teasing, and rather more curious when the villain asked, "You wouldn't want to stay fully human?"
A small smirk lifted up the side of his mouth. "Naw man, I'd rather be like this with my mom alive. 'Sides, if I hadn't become Cyborg, then I never woulda met all these awesome little fellas," the Titan replied, smiling at his teammates. The teenagers returned the expression, each mentally agreeing with him. Had they not been born on another planet, genetically altered, witnessed the death of their parents, or undergone horrific experiences in their pasts, the Titans might not have ever been formed. They were a family now, and none of them wanted to give that up.
All having saved their passes to skip the last question, Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg tossed out their pillows and reached the door at the far end without any more truths or dares. Robin remained, knowing his last dare would no doubt be the hardest and most dangerous. A glimpse of the nervous expressions on his friends' faces told Robin that the Titans knew it too. Yet, his only other impossible option would be to answer truth.
"Robin," the Voice asked silkily, "truth or dare?"
"Dare," Robin answered without hesitation. The air in the room felt heavier, weighed down with anxiety and anticipation.
The Voice did not laugh, instead responding in a serious and deep tone. "I dare you," he began as a square white box about the size of a small closet rose out of the ground in front of Robin, "to escape this box with only the objects provided inside. You cannot use your belt or any other tricks you possess."
Releasing a deep breath, Robin nodded and approached the box, stepping through an entryway that appeared on the side. He'd been expecting something more flashy and dangerous, but he wasn't about to be caught complaining. Before the white walls blocked his view, the Titan leader shot a quick reassuring glance at his teammates, and then disappeared into the box. The opening closed itself behind him, shutting Robin off from his friends.
The inside looked just like the outside: white, square, and cold. A rectangular table was the lone difference, and the small surface supported three items. A cell phone that looked like a brick, a television remote, and a child's alien-antenna headband sat on the table before him. Robin lifted an eyebrow at the items.
The Voice interrupted his thoughts, a thin layer of the wall sliding back to reveal a small screen and presenting Robin with the villain's shadowed form once more. "You have approximately five minutes to escape before you run out of air. Using only these three things, find the way out of this box. And remember not to use your utility belt; I'll be right here watching." The Voice chuckled a little. "Well, not literally here, but you know what I mean."
Robin had already shut the Voice out. Turning around, he pressed his gloved fingers to the wall, finding the faint outline of the door he'd entered from. Robin gave the wall an experimental push, unsurprised when nothing happened. Scanning the section of the wall, he observed light, almost unperceivable gray lines running vertically on the door. Following the faint contours with his eyes, the young leader noticed the smallest of holes located in the wall just at knee level. Stooping down, he squinted at it; a keyhole, although it was not possible to see through due to the airtight room. Nevertheless, the tiny opening was a keyhole, and one he should be able to pick.
Having located where to focus his efforts, Robin returned to the table. The cell phone looked like the first ever invented, now thought of by most teenagers as a myth or legend. Dull, tan, and the size of a brick with white plastic buttons sticking out, Robin faintly wondered where the Voice had gotten his hands on one. The remote lying beside it was much more modern, an everyday item identical to the one found in the Titans' tower. Last of all, seeming the most out of place, was the alien-antenna headband. Robin assumed he would have owned one as a child had his parents not died; according to television, back in the day, the toys were extremely popular. The headgear consisted of a green plastic strip connected to two curly wires topped off by a pair of miniature disco balls. It honestly looked a little uncomfortable to wear. Robin had to smirk. Two out of four of his teammates could be classified as aliens, both having been born on another planet, and the antenna headbands would do nothing to make someone look like Starfire and Raven.
The Voice's tone could almost be described as eager when the villain broke the silence suddenly. "Less than three minutes left," he sang.
Robin pushed his distracted thoughts aside, focusing on his task. Picking up the phone, he hit it against the edge of the table and broke the back off. A scramble of wires greeted him from inside the object, but he discarded it all and instead snatched up the plastic cover. A few rough strikes later, he'd broken it in half, one end sharp, narrow, and flat. Tossing the rest of the useless phone away, it clattered to the ground as Robin passed over the remote and picked up the child's antenna. Ripping off the glittery disco balls from the wire's end, Robin twisted the line off and bent the end.
The few seconds Robin took to relocate the keyhole sent nerve-wracking jolts through his stomach, making him realize that if he had not found the exit so quickly, the situation would have felt a lot more terrifying and stressful. As it was, however, Robin knew he shouldn't relax yet; picking a lock could take thirty seconds or thirty minutes depending on the type of keyhole, and he had maybe a minute left before his air ran out. Already Robin was undergoing lightheadedness, although that could've been from anxiety more than anything.
His mask narrowing, Robin knelt before the tiny hole and started to work.
"Friends, I fear for Robin's safety!" Starfire worried, clasping and unclasping her hands repeatedly. "He has been in there for such the long time!"
Cyborg shifted. "He's sure takin' his sweet time," he agreed.
"Dude, what if something happened?" Beast Boy whined nervously. Starfire shot the smaller boy a nervous look, and Cyborg elbowed him.
"I'm sure Robin is fine," Raven assured them, her voice emotionless but thoughts echoing her friends' fears. "He'll be out in no time." While the Titans did not know the details of Robin's dare, they were certain his life would be in danger one way or another, and thus with each passing moment, their level of concern increased. Starfire had, much to Raven's dismay, started pacing back and forth and chewing on her lip ever since losing sight of Robin. The empath's uneasy emotions were beginning to change to irritation, and she was about to open her mouth to tell Starfire to stop when movement from the box distracted her. Her apprehension and irritation disappeared as Robin exited the large white box, a broken piece of plastic, bent wire, and regular remote held in his hands. The young detective had barely made it out when Starfire tackled him in an unexpected, enormous hug. The other Titans blinked, having not even seen her start to move, and then smiled.
Blushing somewhat, Robin returned her embrace before drawing back and rejoining the rest of the Titans with Starfire. Raven quirked an eyebrow at the strange objects in his hands, but Robin shook his head, indicating he'd explain later.
"Dude!" Beast Boy grinned, bumping fists with Robin. "You totally kicked that box's butt!" Cyborg laughed, and Robin smirked, unaware of his arm still around Starfire's waist. If she noticed, she did not complain.
"You gave us a scare, man," Cyborg admitted, bumping Robin's shoulder with his arm. "Don't take so long next time, 'kay?"
"I'll try not to," Robin promised, and Starfire drew a little closer to him, smiling.
The group's conversing was broken up by the Voice, once again visible on the large television above them. If he felt disappointed by Robin's success, the villain did not act like it. "Congratulations on surviving the Truth or Dare room, Titans, but many more rooms await you. The next game will challenge you just as much as the others have," he declared as a door in the wall opened for the Titans to go through. The next room awaited. "If I were you, I'd prepare myself for-."
A remote flew into the television, cracking the screen and cutting out the image. The Titans looked at Robin who shrugged in response. "I was hoping it might mute him, but when the button didn't work, I decided to shut him up in a more satisfying way."
Cyborg and Beast Boy started laughing, and Starfire giggled behind her hand. Raven's mouth curved up. "And that's why you're the leader."
