Chapter Ten

Here at My Car

It had been nearly two weeks since the Lizard attacked, and not much happened since then. Dr. Connors was sent back to New York, and Robin let Spider-Man pose as Ricochet so he could fight alongside the Titans. Since Venom didn't know about that persona, it was safe for him to go back outside. Naturally, the media took the fact that the Teen Titans had a new member and ate it alive. Even though Peter was an adult, he was still a teenager at heart. So with that personality trait, he fit in just fine. And since he wore a mask, that helped all-the-better. While in the tower, the Titans would just call him Pete or Peter to avoid confusion. But in spite of the fact that he was part of the team, Raven still didn't trust him.

But still, Robin questioned letting Ricochet stay. Even though Ricochet insisted that the only reason that the Lizard located him was because of his great sense of smell. His nasal glands were the size of footballs, and he could detect someone's body odor from miles and miles away. But that reassuring thought didn't stop Robin from wondering. If the Lizard found him so easily, what was to stop Venom? But more importantly, who were the puppeteers pulling the Lizard's strings?

Robin wasn't the only one in deep thought. Raven still wondered what became of Cyborg's nightmares, and why they just suddenly stopped. Every time she tried to ask him about it, Cyborg would either slither away or change the subject. Needless to say, this was very annoying. Perhaps he knew that the tea she him was drugged, and that he was angry with her about it. So she decided that tonight, she would sneak into his room while he slept, and hopefully discover the cause. So at the moment, Raven just sat at the couch in the living room reading one of her many books. Then...

"Raven?" a sweet, innocent voice said from behind her.

Raven took her eyes away from her book, and sure enough Starfire was standing right behind her. A look of worry played across her face, which in turn made Raven worry as well.

"What?" said Raven.

"I apologize for interrupting you," said Starfire. "But I do require your assistance. I wish to confront friend Cyborg about his mares of the night, and I wish for you to be with me when I do so. I was hoping that maybe the both of us would entice him to explain what occurs in his dreams. If you do not wish to do so, then I understand completely."

Raven sighed. "It's okay Starfire," she said as she stood up and marked her place in her book. "I'll go with you."

"Why not?" Raven thought. "I've tried everything else to get Cyborg to talk. I could use all the help I could get at this point."

"Glorious!" said Starfire. "Then let us locate Cyborg so that we may-"

"OH GOD!"

Raven and Starfire both jumped a little at the sudden outburst, and a pants-less Ricochet came running out of the hall scared out of his wits. Upon further examination, Raven and Starfire realized that his R2-D2 boxer-shorts were almost as ridiculous as his bunny slippers.

"Friend Peter!" said Starfire. "What has happened to you?"

"That worm-thing ate my pants!" he exclaimed as he pointed towards the hallway that he ran out of.

Sure enough, Starfire's pet Silkie emerged out of the hall with a piece of Ricochet's pants hanging out of it's mouth. Starfire wasn't the least bit pleased, and she quickly flew over to Silkie with a serious look on her face.

"Silkie!" she scolded. "That was a very naughty thing to do! What have I told you about ingesting our friends' articles of clothing?"

Silkie made a few gurgling noises that signified that she was sorry, and slowly wriggled backwards. But before she could get away, Starfire picked her up and flew over to the sink. Starfire then applied a few light pats on Silkie's back as she held her over the sink itself. This caused Silkie to regurgitate Ricochet's chewed up jeans, among other things; Beast Boy's sneakers, Cyborg's torque wrench, a bottle of Robin's cheap hair gel, and a small box of tea bags. Starfire then set Silkie back on the ground.

"Now then," she said. "I want you to return to your pen of playing and think about what you have done. I will come to check on you in half of an hour, and you had best be where I told you to go when I arrive."

Silkie made a few clicking noises as she nodded in agreement, and quickly wobbled back to Starfire's room. Starfire removed Ricochet's jeans from the sink, holding it by one of the belt straps with her thumb and index finger. She then made her way towards Ricochet and held the chewed up, partially digested pants in front of Ricochet's face. All the while, Raven looked on.

"I deeply apologize for my little bumgorf's behavior," she said. "I am afraid that she does not bode well with new faces."

"That's, uh," said Ricochet he took the pants in the same manner that Starfire held it. "That's...that's your pet?"

"No," corrected Starfire. "She is not my pet. Silkie is my bumgorf. The term 'bumgorf' is the Tamaranian word for child."

"And before you wish to ask," said Starfire with a humorous tone. "No. I did not give birth to her."

"Look," said an exasperated Raven. "I hate to interrupt, but Starfire and I need to find Cyborg. So if you'll excuse us..."

"Oh, Vic?" said Ricochet as he ringed the worm saliva out of his ruined jeans. "He's in the garage, but I wouldn't go in there if I were you. He's pretty pissed off right now."

"Why?" said Raven with a raised eye-brow.

"Beast Boy," said Ricochet as he put his home-made punker jeans on. "He thought it would be funny if he stuffed a flaming rag into a can of paint thinner. Needless to say, the can blew up and sent fire and thinner everywhere; ruined the T-Car's paint-job and melted it's tires. It took me and Robin to prevent Vic from killing BB."

"Thanks," said Raven as she left the room and headed for the garage, Starfire following suit. They took the elevator straight down to the basement, where the garage was located. When they made it there, they could already hear both Cyborg's angry mumbling and the sound of a pressure washer. They each slowly walked in the sound's direction, and to no surprise they arrived at the garage door. Cautiously, Starfire pushed the door open as she and Raven peeked inside.

"I know you're there..." mumbled Cyborg, obviously frustrated with his task. "Come on in..."

Slightly stumped, both Raven and Starfire entered and shut the door behind them.

"With all due respect, friend Cyborg," said Starfire. "How is it that you knew we were standing outside of the door? I do not believe that we made a sound of any kind..."

Cyborg set down the pressure washer, turning it off and hauling it back to it's spot afterwards.

"I didn't," he said as he turned and faced them both. "Pete called me up and said that you two were heading my way."

"Oh..." said Starfire.

It was then that Raven decided to take action. She decided that if there was a time to find out why Cyborg's nightmares stopped, it would be now. She stepped up to Cyborg, and gave him her sternest of looks. Starfire knew what Raven was doing, and quickly followed suit. She also gave a demanding look. As cheerful as Starfire was, nobody liked her when she was angry. Cyborg was no dummy, so he immediately knew that something was up.

"What?" he said.

"Look, Cyborg," said Raven in her serious, monotone voice. "I don't know why your nightmares stopped happening, but that doesn't change the fact that they happened. Need I remind you that you were supposed to tell me about them? I still want to know what they're about."

"Indeed, Cyborg," said Starfire, using a tone that a mother would use while lecturing her child. "We do realize that you wish to keep such matters to yourself, but we only mean well. Raven and I only wish to help you; nothing more."

Cyborg was pinned. How could he possibly refuse his two friends? He did feel better knowing that both the women of Titan's Tower were concerned about him, but he still didn't want to tell them about his dreams. His memories, more like it. There were some things in the world that just couldn't be talked about. And besides, what was in it for him? If he was going to tell them some of his deepest, darkest secrets, what would he get in return?

As Cyborg looked at the paint-stripped, wheel-less T-Car, he got one hell of an idea...

"Alright," said Cyborg as he smiled, his anger and frustration seemingly disappeared. "I'll tell you what. You two help me fix the T-Car, and tonight I'll tell you both about my nightmares and why they stopped."

"You'll tell us everything?" said Raven.

"Everything." Cyborg said back. "From the second I go to sleep to the minute I wake up."

Raven looked back at Starfire, who nodded in response. Starfire walked up and stood right next to Raven. They then both looked at Cyborg.

"Agreed." they both said in unison. This caused Cyborg to loose all his frustration.

"Alright then," he said as he walked towards the spot where the lifting jacks were kept, leaving the T-Car behind him. "I got all the old paint stripped off, so we need to put a new primer coat on it. But first, we need to replace the wheels. Star? Come here and give me a hand with these..."

Before Cyborg could finish his sentence, he heard something that sounded like eight thousand pounds of metal and muscle being hoisted into the air. He quickly turned around, and met eyes with a smiling Starfire...who was effortlessly holding the T-Car above her head by the drive-live. Cyborg then gave a sheepish grin as he rubbed the back of his head. He couldn't help himself. No matter how many times he'd seen her lift something bigger than a bus, he still couldn't remember that she was much stronger than she looked.

"Or," he said with a voice matching the look on his face. "You could just lift it over your head..."

Starfire beamed happily at Cyborg's statement, and continued to hold the T-Car perfectly still.

"Okay," said Cyborg. "Now we just need to replace the wheels..."

This time, Cyborg expected something to happen. Sure enough, Raven stepped forward. She observed the room, and noticed the spare wheels that Cyborg was talking about. Very expensive rims, and even more pricey tires on them. Nevertheless, she had her task to do. So she closed her eyes, and placed her arms over her chest in an 'X' formation. She then began to concentrate on what she wanted her powers to do...

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"

First, the wheels with the melted tires still attached to the T-Car were engulfed in her black energy. The bolts holding them in placed quickly came off, and without stripping the threads. The ruined wheels were then cast aside, and the new wheels and fresh tires were taken from their spot and bolted onto the T-Car. They bolted just right, so the wheels wouldn't be crooked when the T-Car drove. Raven's powers halted, and Starfire gently and gracefully set the car back down.

"Alright!" exclaimed Cyborg. "Thanks a lot, girls. You two just saved me about an hour's work."

"I am glad to be of service, friend Cyborg." said Starfire happily.

"...Glad I could help," said Raven bluntly.

"Okay then," said Cyborg as he took some plastic covers in hand. "Now it's time to paint it. First, I need to put plastic on the windows, chrome, and rims. After that I add a coat of primer, then the actual paint itself. Now I kinda like doing this part, so is it cool if you two just watch for a bit?"

Before Raven could answer, Starfire already blurted in.

"Of course!" said Starfire. "Now if neither of you mind, I shall go to the kitchen and retrieve beverages for after your task is done. I shall return soon!"

Before either of them could react, she flew out the door and headed up the stairway, going straight for the kitchen. Unbeknownst to Raven and Cyborg, Starfire had planned that from the very beginning. She really did care about Cyborg's dreams, but the important part was to get them alone together. When Starfire made it to the kitchen, Robin was there waiting for her.

"So?" Robin said as he opened his Pepsi. "Did it work?"

"Indeed it has," Starfire said with a smile, holding her hands together as she tilted her head to the side. "They are alone now, and I do believe that it is only a matter of time before they begin the process of pheromonal attraction."

"Good," said Robin with a smile. "Maybe this will help Cy out with his nightmares that you told me about. Did you get a chance to hear about them?"

"Unfortunately, no," said Starfire as her shoulders slumped. "I have tried multiple times, but he absolutely refuses to explain them to me, or anyone at all. Let us hope that friend Raven has a better chance than I had."

"Yeah..." said Robin.

Meanwhile, back in the garage...

Cyborg carefully sprayed the gray primer onto the bare T-Car, after having covered all of the parts that needed to be covered. Raven just sat at the bench, watching him put great effort into making absolute certainty that the coat was even. She couldn't help it. His movements were almost hypnotic. Just watching him move with such care and precision. It made her feel sleepy, and almost light-headed. Or maybe it was just the fumes from the paint getting to her head...

"Cool," said Cyborg, catching Raven's attention. "The primer coat's done. Now I just gotta let it dry, and I can apply the main coat."

"Good..." Raven said dully.

Cyborg set the sprayer down, and then made his way towards Raven. He sat a few feet away from her, and stretched out his arms. When he relaxed, he decided to have a chat with Raven while the paint on his car died.

"So Rae," he said. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you so interested in my dreams?"

Raven didn't say anything at first, nor did she look at Cyborg. She rested her chin in her hand, and after a slight pause she answered him...still not looking at him.

"Because I care about you, Cyborg," she said. "And I worry about you sometimes..."

"Worry about me?" Cyborg smirked. "You mean to tell me that big-bad-Raven worries about little-old-Cy? Someone pinch me!

Raven just rolled her eyes.

"Joking aside," said Cyborg. "I'm glad that you care about me. Nice to know that you got my back and all."

There was a slight silence between the two after Cyborg's statement.

"It's...more than that," said Raven, breaking the silence. "I..."

Raven then let out a long, drawn-out sigh as she finally looked at Cyborg. He noticed a look in her eyes that he had never seen before. Cyborg never thought in his entire life about comparing Raven to a sad puppy or kitten, but the look she gave him now brought that thought to mind. Now Cyborg felt a bit light-headed himself, and could feel butterflies in his mechanical gut. To an even greater surprise, Raven slowly scooted closer to Cyborg. This action caused Cyborg's mocha colored face to gain a slight flush of red under his human eye. It grew even darker when the side of Raven's hip touched his leg. Even though he couldn't feel it, he knew what was happening due to his reaction. And to top it all off, the mechanical components of his body almost went into overload when Raven closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest.

"I like you, Cyborg..." she said. "...a lot."

"...like me?" said a very flustered Cyborg. "You mean...like me, like me..."

Raven only replied by a simple nod of her head, a very small (but loving) smile on her face. Cyborg also gave a slight smile, his blush fading away. He put his arm around her, and let time go by. The T-Car could wait. Raven liked being held in Cyborg's arm, but at the same time cursed it. She knew that this was as far as they could ever go, thanks entirely to her emotion-fueled powers. She never told anyone, but she had a deep secret. Even though she acted as if she were repulsed by love and intimacy, in actuality she longed for it. But she couldn't have it. And for that, she hated it.

So all she could do was savor this moment...here at the car.

Back upstairs...

Robin, Starfire, Ricochet, and Beast Boy all stood in front of the surveillance monitor watching the garage. Starfire's face had the look of ultimate bliss, and Robin had a smile filled with pride for Raven and Cyborg. Ricochet was telling Beast Boy to pay up, for Beast Boy had made a bet claiming that Raven and Cyborg would kiss. Since they didn't, Beast Boy was now five dollars in dept to Ricochet.

"C'mon, BB," said Ricochet in a teasing tone. "I told you they wouldn't kiss yet! Now show me the money."

"Hold on, dude," said a defeated Beast Boy as he reluctantly searched his pockets. "I know I got it here somewhere..."

"Well look," said Ricochet as he patted Beast Boy on the back. "You find the money, I'm gonna go get something to eat. Be right back."

"Alright," said Beast Boy as he emptied his pockets of various items.

Ricochet left the room and headed for the kitchen, leaving the three behind. Robin and Starfire shortly followed, knowing full-well that Ricochet couldn't cook for the life of him. And Beast Boy continued to search his pockets, ending in vain.

"Maybe I left it in my room..." he said as he left and headed for his room.

Six hours later...

It was nearly 10:30 pm, and it was a dark, moonless, starless night in Jump City. As far as traveling went, it was quite horrendous for anyone going by car. The only light was what came from the buildings and street-lights, which helped in some way. Travel by plane was even worse. The rainless clouds were so thick that they blocked all visualization, and all flights were cancelled due to the inability to take off. All they needed now was snow, and then travel would be near impossible. For the average man, travel was impossible.

But for a renegade Hellspawn, these conditions couldn't have been better. The darkness cloaked him perfectly, and granted him the ability to move faster than he normally could. While virtually all forms of life were blind in darkness, he could see night just as clear as day. While this city was much smaller than New York, it was just as compacted. It was a lot like San Francisco, except it was much cleaner and more maintained. He knew what he was looking for, above all things. He searched for the base of operations for the Teen Titans. Like all superhero bases, it should be easy to spot. They were always more extravagant than the other buildings. When he made it to the area of the city closest to the coast, he realized just how easy it was. As he looked out to the ocean, he let out a sigh of disappointment and annoyance. Not because of means to get there; that was the easy part. It was just what it looked like that bothered him.

"Five teenaged superheroes living in a tower shaped like a giant T," said Spawn in malcontent. "Why am I not surprised?"

End of Chapter Ten

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yay, chapter ten is done! Hope you guys liked it. And about Silkie? Everyone I know says that Silkie is a girl, so I just went with it. And I bet the suspense is building up, eh? Spawn has arrived in Jump City, Venom's still at large, and the Titans have no idea what's in store for them! Stay tuned for the next chapter; The Road to Redemption.