Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans. What gave me away? The fact I've mentioned this every chapter?
'The T-Car! What's it doing up here? I thought Cyborg left it at the border!'
"Maybe Robin drove it up here," Shadow suggests, apparently reading my thoughts. "and hid it before he went to the relay outpost."
"I guess that makes sense." I say, Walking over to the car. I try to open it but it's locked.
"Is there an emergency override?" Shadow asks. "Some way for the car to know you're a Titan?"
"I think so." I say, searching my brain. "T-Car, override code 5565, authorization: alpha 436."
The is a brief pause as the car processes what I said. "Voice recognized: Beast Boy. Authorization confirmed." Says the car a distorted voice that sounds suspiciously like Cyborg. The doors unlock and I climb inside.
"I know Cy keeps a spare key in here somewhere for situations like this..." I say, searching everywhere. I finally find the key inside a secret panel built into the roof.
"Let's ride!" I shout.
"Where? Why?" Shadow asks.
"Umm... I don't know." I reply, embarrassed.
He sighs. "What else can the car do aside from drive? I bet there are other features."
"Yeah! It has an awesome stereo, it has a proton cannon, misses, and oil slick, it has a built in crime radar, and a locator for numerous signals such as: emergency calls, justice league communicators, abnormal energy signatures..." I recite all the features I remember Cyborg telling me about.
"It can trace Titan's communicators right?"
"You bet." I say. "But your contact already searched for our communicators and didn't find anything."
"He was using radio towers, those are hardly as good as Cyborg's scanners." Shadow says. "But we will probably still have to be close to the signals. So we might be going on a road trip." He finishes with a happy tone.
"VACATION!" I yell with excitement.
"Hardly," Shadow reminds me. "We're looking for the Titans."
"That doesn't mean we can't have fun while we do it!" I exclaim with barely contained excitement.
Shadow shakes his head. "I don't suppose you can drive?"
"I drove a moped once." I say proudly.
"So that's a "no."" He mutters. "Can you get me authorization to drive this thing? I may not have a license but it wouldn't be the first time I've had to learn something on the fly."
"I think I can." I clear my throat. "T-Car, new authorization by permission of authorization: alpha 436. New authorization: beta 228, Night Shadow." I state clearly.
"Input voice recording for new authorization: beta 228." Says the T-Car. There is a beep.
"I am the Night Shadow." States Shadow in a neutral voice.
"Voice recognition for authorization: beta 228 enabled. New authorization complete."
There is a pause as we wait to see if there are further instructions. Nothing.
"Soo, do we go now?" I ask.
"I guess so." Shadow replies, sliding into the driver's seat. I hop into the passenger's seat.
Shadow grabs the keys from me a turns on the car. There is the soft sound of a well kept engine starting up. He fiddles with the buttons on the dashboard and activates the scanner.
I note our charge level (the T-Car was electric due to my insistence that gas pollutes and was killing animals). "Looks like we might need some charge soon enough"
"How soon is "soon enough?"
I read the display. "Twelve hours if we go at quarter speed, so about 70 MPH. We are at 5% charge."
Shadow whistles. "This is one good car."
"Talk to Cyborg after we save his butt and he'll spend days telling you about his "baby" if you let him." I mutter.
Shadow laughs. "You make it sound as if that's a bad thing; it's okay for him to be passionate about something."
"But when he does it every time we get in the car?"
"Fair enough. Let's get some charge for Cyborg's "baby," and then we should move into Bob territory. That will probably be where the other Titans are being held."
"Forward march!" I cry as we drive down the path to the town.
We arrive into town and try to find a spot that has sufficient power to charge the T-Car. We also get the attention of pretty much everyone in the town.
"It's the Titans." Someone whispers as we pass.
"But why is it only Beast Boy and Raven?" Whispers another.
"Do I really resemble Raven that much?" Shadow asks me in disbelief.
"You wear a cloak. I guess that's close enough for them." I laugh.
"You think they would know the difference considering I protect Blacksoak city which is only seven hours from here." He mutters, somewhat insulted. "But we want to inspire them, so I guess I should try and act like Raven."
"Just speak in a monotone and insult me a lot." I joke as we drive along, looking for something to charge the battery with.
We eventually spot power lines.
"I hate to break the law, but this is important." Shadow says. He parks next to a support pole and hits a button on the dashboard. A small clamp pops out of the front of the car, shoots upward on a small pole, and latches on to one of the power lines. The T-Car starts siphoning electricity directly out of the line.
"This should only take one hour." Shadow states.
"We only have one issue then." I say.
"That is?"
"Our biggest fan is capturing all our other fans." I point out the army of Bobs capturing the townsfolk. "Can I say it?" I ask.
"Say what?" Shadow asks, getting out of the car.
"Our battle cry." I explain, also getting out of the car.
"Be my guest big brother." He says with an amused tone.
"TITANS GO!" I cry. We use our new favorite tactic: charging into the fray headlong. I smash through some of the Bobs as a bull and send them scattering like bowling pins. Shadow drives his left shoulder into one of the Bobs and follows with a brutal right uppercut, knocking the head clean off in a spray of tofu. He quickly executes the unfortunate Bob with smash of his left fist, cleaving the body in half. We clean up the Bobs rather easily, they have no weapons of any sort.
"They probably didn't expect us to be hear or they would have brought some of their old weapons along with a new surprise." Shadow reasons.
"But why did they attack the town at all?"
"Not the town, the people in it." Shadow says. "The Source must need them for something. That explains the tv reports that said there was no one in any of the towns that were taken over, they are probably being kept in underground bases like the relay outpost."
"But why are they needed?" I ask, worried.
"They are probably one of the alternative energy sources mentioned in the data from the outpost." Shadow guesses.
"We have to do something!" I cry.
"And do something we will. But even we can only handle so many Bobs at once. We need to find the other Titans first. Plus, they are probably being kept with the other prisoners, or at least close. We'll hit two birds with one stone." He says. Trying to make sure I don't act rashly.
"Okay... But we can still hurry!" I demand.
"Yes, but we must still be cautious."
"CAUTIOUS?! My friends might be in big trouble and you want me to be cautious?" I rage.
"Yes Beast Boy, because if you get in trouble, WHO ELSE IS IS CAPABLE OF SAVING THEM!?" Shadow roars. "YOU CAN'T BE SO BLIND THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO REDUCE THEIR CHANCES OF SURVIVAL JUST TO GET TO THEM FASTER, CAN YOU!?"
"I-I..." I stutter.
"WHO ELSE DO YOU THINK CAN SAVE THEM? ME? I'M ONLY SO STRONG BEAST BOY, AND I DON'T WANT ANOTHER "CLOWN" INCIDENT! I WON'T BE ABLE TO SAVE ROBIN, OR CYBORG, OR STARFIRE BY MYSELF! I won't even be able to save Raven." He finishes quietly.
I hang my head in shame.
"I suppose I went overboard there. Your determination is understandable, and actually inspiring. Just don't let it blind you." Shadow reassures me, sounding a bit guilty.
"Square Big brother?" He extends a hand.
"Square little bro." We shake on it.
"Good. We're all charged. Let's roll." Shadow says, somewhat grim now. "We have Titans to find."
We get back in the car, detach the clamp, and start driving towards enemy lines. We drive in silence. Our fight and the possibilities of the dangers the Titans might be in weigh heavily on my mind.
"We can't wallow in worries, it's not healthy." States Shadow.
"Music?" I suggest. I press a button and the radio turns on.
We continue along for several hours. We pass the hours listening to "Rock lobster," "Happy," and numerous other songs. At one point I search through our recorded songs and bring up the time all the Titans sang our theme; even Raven had joined in. We sing along to what songs we know, and just hum to the ones we don't.
Eventually, we are in sight of Perry Sound. The last spot the Bobs were said to be attacking. That was four days ago. We turn off the radio and boost the power sent to the scanner. Night is falling, and although Shadow fights exceptionally well in the dark, I don't. That, and I'm fairly tired. We pull off the road and hid in the brush.
"You sleep. I'll stand guard." Shadow insists, getting out of the car and jumping up into the trees. I lock the doors and lie down.
I fall asleep to the rustling of the wind through the summer leaves.
Chapter 7 complete. Beast Boy and Shadow are making slow progress, with plenty of difficulties along the way, and the worst is yet to come.