The Second Curse: A TT Fanfic-CHAPTER 27

A/N: This is Chapter 27 of my OC Teen Titans Fanfic, The Second Curse. If you have not done so, please read the Prologue first, and then the chapters that precede this one. Note: there is no First Curse; this is not a sequel to anything. Hope you enjoy! : )


Sabbath still couldn't believe she was going through with it. The school day was over, and the hallways were nearly empty now. The rest of the Titans were at their chosen extracurricular activities, and Sabbath was no different. She stood silently in front of the door to the chemistry lab, glaring at its scratched, metal handle. Normally, she never would have joined any kind of school clubs, nevermind a science club. But it was either the chemistry club or the homecoming committee, and she knew she'd rather pretend to talk geek for an hour than glue pom-poms on brightly painted posters. 'Just get it over with,' she told herself. She took a deep breath and held it as she opened the door and entered the lab.

Her first scan of the room didn't reveal any familiar faces, and she released her held breath in a quiet sigh of relief. There were only four other students in the room; three boys and a girl. The girl was sitting at a lab bench with one other guy. She was leaning in close to him and talking quietly, occasionally gesturing to the papers on the bench in front of them. The couple ignored Sabbath, but the other two boys glanced up briefly from their seats at two other lab benches. One boy looked like a stereotypical nerd; tucked in button-up shirt, chunky watch, huge glasses, hair parted in the middle, the works. He'd been busy scribbling away in a notebook, and glared at Sabbath for daring to interrupt his train of thought with her appearance in the room. She arched in eyebrow, surprised by his attitude. The boy just scoffed under his breath and returned to his writing. The other boy in the room was dressed much more casually, wearing baggy sweatpants, a faded t-shirt and a hoodie. Even his hair was mussed, giving him that just-rolled-out-of-bed look. He looked Sabbath up and down with hooded eyes, not even trying to be subtle about it, before apparently deciding there was nothing to see and turning his attention back to his phone.

'This group looks like loads of fun,' Sabbath thought sarcastically as she took a seat at an empty lab bench, sliding her bag from her shoulder and tucking it under the table. 'How can this be a club? No one's even doing anything. And these guys definitely don't look like the villainous type at all. What a waste of time…Great idea, Robin.'

"Lucy!" a voice exclaimed cheerfully from the back of the room.

Sabbath flinched as she recognized the voice and slowly turned around in her seat, hoping she was wrong. But sure enough, there was Kara. She was coming out of a storage room adjacent to the lab, her arms full of plastic bins, rubber tubing, meter sticks, rolls of tape, and a bottle of dish soap.

"I'm so glad you made it!" Kara continued, setting down her supplies on a lab bench near the back of the room. "Today's the first meeting of the year, so we're doing a really fun experiment to get people interested in the club. Richard's even here to take pictures and write an article on it for the school paper," she said, gesturing to the angry nerd on the other side of the room. The boy didn't look up, but waved over his shoulder with his free hand while his other continued to scrawl madly across the pages of his notebook.

"Cool…" Sabbath said, still somewhat distracted by the items Kara was spreading out on the table. "So…what are we doing today?"

"You'll see," Kara replied as she dribbled dish soap into each of the three bins and started filling them with water. "You're totally gonna love this!" she added with an excited grin.

"Can't wait," Sabbath lied, turning her attention to the scratched, black tabletop in front of her as Kara busied herself with setting up…whatever it was they were going to do.

Kara carried a bin of soapy water to each of the three lab benches in the front of the room, placing beside each one a length of rubber tubing, a meter stick, and a roll of tape. She then attached one end of the tubing to a gas jet at each bench before turning to stand at the front of the room.

She cleared her throat in an attempt to get everyone's attention before announcing, "Hi everyone, and welcome to the first official meeting of the Chemistry Club! We've got something really awesome planned for today, so be sure to tell your friends. The more the merrier!" She paused for a moment to see if the others were listening. Richard hadn't looked up from his notebook, but the other guy and the couple were now watching her.

"What's with the rubbers?" the texting guy asked, referring to the rubber hoses and earning snickers from the other three students.

If Kara caught the boy's condom joke, she ignored it. Instead she continued to smile as she explained, "Today we're doing an experiment to explore the effect soap has on the surface tension of water, as well as the flammable qualities of gaseous propane."

The couple and the texting guy replied with dull, blank stares, though Sabbath now looked on with quiet curiosity.

"In other words, we're blowing soap bubbles with the gas and lighting them on fire." Richard said condescendingly. Then more quietly he added, "Snot brains…"

Sabbath scoffed at the boy's childish insult, though no one else even acknowledged him with a reply. They all seemed more intrigued by the idea of setting something on fire, and Sabbath had to admit that maybe she had something in common with the science nerds after all (except Richard, who just seemed like a miserable human being).

Kara now had (nearly) everyone's full attention. The couple no longer looked like they were about to make out, and the texting boy had actually put his phone in his pocket.

"But not until everyone observes proper fire and lab safety," Ms. Maranda said, coming out of the storage room in the back of the classroom. Everyone turned towards her, surprised at her sudden appearance. "Those gas jets don't go on until sleeves are rolled up, hair is securely tied back, and safety glasses are on." She looked pointedly at each student as she continued, "And these matches don't touch anyone's hands until that time." She held up the matchbooks to which she was referring before slapping one down at each lab bench next to the tubs of soapy water. "And I expect all three of them to be returned to me at the end of this meeting. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Ms. Maranda," they all muttered, rising from their seats.

Kara joined their ranks, and Sabbath followed the group towards a small, white metal cabinet in the back of the room. Kara turned the key that was already in the lock and pulled open both doors. Inside were several wire racks of plastic safety goggles illuminated by a bright blue light in the top of the cabinet. Everyone grabbed a pair at random before returning to their seats.

Sabbath plucked a pair from the cabinet at random and studied them. Their dingy, scratched surface appeared to be just plastic, and the surrounding part was rubber. 'What's the point? These would melt in a heartbeat…' Sabbath mused. After struggling briefly with the goggles –the tight elastic band pulled her hair and the edge of the goggles dug mercilessly into her face– she managed to fit them over her fake glasses with only minimal discomfort.

"You doing ok there, Lucy?" Kara asked, coming to stand beside her.

"Yeah, I got it," Sabbath muttered, still attempting in vain to adjust the goggles to a less painful position.

"Alright, everyone," Ms. Maranda said, pulling her own goggles over her face with practiced ease. "Two people to a station."

The couple approached the center station, Richard and the other student took up the one on the far side of the room, and Sabbath, who was still trying to adjust her goggles to a position where they didn't cut into her face as badly, approached the closest lab station to the door. Kara followed her.

"Have you ever done this one before?" Kara asked.

"Can't say I have," Sabbath replied. She was more than ready to set bubbles on fire, but all the unnecessary precautionary measures were ruining it.

"Well I did it in my science class last year, so I'll let you do the fun part."

"Alright, for those of you who haven't done this before, this is the procedure," Ms. Maranda began. "In front of you should be a bin of soapy water, a yard stick, matches, and a roll of tape. A rubber hose should also be firmly attached to the gas jet at your station. Make sure your jets are off at this time."

Kara grasped the handle of the jet and attempted to turn it clockwise. When it wouldn't turn, she turned her attention to Ms. Maranda and said with a smile, "All clear here!" Other students muttered their agreement.

Ms. Maranda then walked towards a red button on the wall by the door, put a key in it as if unlocking it, and pressed the button into the wall. "The gas main is now on," Ms. Maranda announced, walking back to her post at the front of the room.

'Could she draw this out any more?' Sabbath wondered, growing impatient.

"Now, tape a match to the end of the yardstick."

"Already taken care of," Kara whispered excitedly to Sabbath.

"The next part requires team work," Ms. Maranda said. "One student will dip the hose into the bin of soapy water, then lift it out and turn the gas jet on, creating a bubble of gas. The other student will light the match on the yardstick and use the flame to ignite the bubble once it's floating freely in the air."

"Here goes," Kara said, swishing the hose around in the water before raising it out and reaching for the gas jet. "Ready?"

"Almost," Sabbath said, fumbling with the matchbook. She'd managed to rip one of the flimsy cardboard matches out of the pack, but couldn't get it to light.

"…You have to strike it on the strip on the back…" Kara said, watching Sabbath's pathetic attempts.

"I know that," Sabbath snapped, quickly flipping the book over. In truth, she hadn't known that. She'd never learned to use matches. She'd seen them used, and knew there was something about scratching the head of it on a hard surface, but had never actually had to use them herself. She was tempted to light the thing her own way, but didn't dare with Kara breathing over her shoulder. She struck the match across the strip over and over, but it refused to light. The cardboard of the match merely bent under the pressure. 'This is getting embarrassing…' Sabbath thought. 'Why won't this stupid thing-' suddenly, the head erupted in a white blaze before quickly settling down into a smaller, orange flame.

"There you go," Kara said, sounding as if she were trying to be nice to a really slow child. "Now light the match that's on the stick with the one in your hand…"

"I got it," Sabbath said, frustration clear in her voice. "Just blow the stupid bubble."

Without another word, Kara turned on the gas long enough to create a fist-sized bubble, then shut it off again. She waved the hose gently, shaking the bubble free. As it floated towards the ceiling, Sabbath lit the match that was on the meter stick and extended the new flame towards the bubble. When the two connected, the bubble instantly disappeared in a silent, orange flash.

"Neat, huh?" Kara asked.

"...Yeah." Sabbath replied, disappointed. "Guess I was just expecting a bigger explosion."

"Don't worry," Kara said. "We've still got almost an hour left to keep trying."

Looking at the clock over the door, Sabbath saw that it was true. Somehow, she'd only been there for less than fifteen minutes. She could barely suppress a groan.

An hour later, the club meeting was adjourned, and the students were free to go, except Kara who volunteered to stay behind to help put things away. Sabbath was one of the first people out the door, eager to be anywhere else before Kara could ask her to stay and help clean up, too, or join another stupid club. Sabbath had come to the conclusion that there were no villains in the chemistry club, just a couple science nerds and a few poor souls who needed the extra credit. She'd spent over an hour making nice with nothing to show for it but twisted nerves and soapy hands. She'd been so eager to escape the room that she'd forgotten to wash her hands, and the dish soap residue that had occasionally splashed out of the bin had by now dried onto her skin and clothes.

Heading down an empty hallway towards the bathroom, Sabbath spotted a now-familiar tan face. She recognized him instantly, and felt an automatic smile cross her face.

"What up?" Beast Boy called, coming to walk beside her.

The sight of him did something to raise her spirits, but Sabbath still found herself in an overall sour mood from her chemistry club adventures. "Not much," she replied. "No evil-doers to report either. Well, not the kind we're looking for, anyway…" she added, wondering how much better that club meeting might've gone if Kara hadn't been there. "I'm just glad that's over with. This day has dragged on forever. "

"I dunno, the comic book club was pretty cool," Beast Boy said cheerfuly. "Too bad they only meet once a month."

'Atleast someone had fun today,' Sabbath thought, still trying in vain to rub the soap residue from her hands. The two teens continued walking in silence for a bit, with the late afternoon sunlight streaming through the windows of the doors they passed, cutting across their path at low angles and filling the dingy hallway with a warm, almost fiery glow. Even the old, scuffed lockers seemed to shine. Dust motes hung in the heavy, late-summer air, glinting in the sun.

After a minute or two, Sabbath finally spotted the restroom sign up ahead. "I'll catch up with you and the others outside," she said as she veered towards the bathroom doors. "Need to wash up," she added, holding up her hands as evidence. 'And pee,' she mentally added as she headed swiftly through the door to the girls' bathroom.

The overhead fluorescent lights filled the small, windowless room with a cold, green glow; sharply contrasting with the warm ambience of the hallway. The light over the last stall flickered occasionally, and another stall had an "Out of Order" sign taped haphazardly to its door. There were three stalls in total, and a sink across from each stall. Hazy, water-spotted mirrors hung from the wall above each sink, the images reflected in them appearing fuzzy and distant.

The stall in the middle looked like the best of the three, so Sabbath headed into that one automatically. Once inside, however, she found that the door would close but wouldn't lock. She knew there wasn't much of a chance that anyone else would come in, but it still made her uncomfortable. 'Maybe I've got something I can wedge it shut with…' she thought. Sabbath opened her bag and began digging through it for anything to keep the door shut. A pen, a folded up piece of paper, anything.

Her mind was still trying to come up with ideas when she heard the bathroom door swing open. Footsteps echoed off the tile walls, and Sabbath watched a shadow cross the floor in front of her. Whoever it was stopped at the far sink in front of the flickering light. Sabbath heard brief rustling, and then silence. The stranger's presence somehow made Sabbath feel awkward, so she decided to wait until they left. There was a small flash. 'Bathroom selfies?' Sabbath wondered. 'Really? In this bathroom?' She couldn't imagine the bleak, creepy atmosphere made for the best photography, but before she could give it too much thought, the stranger left. Sabbath heaved a quiet sigh of relief. She still hadn't found anything to hold the door shut, so she decided to make use of the facilities as quickly as possible before someone else had the chance to walk in.

Exiting the stall, Sabbath slung her bag over one shoulder and stepped up to the closest sink. She reached for the faucets automatically only to stop half-way there. There actually were no faucets. At least, none with knobs. There were small, rusty clamps in place of where the knobs used to be, but Sabbath decided against it. She looked to the sink to her right, only to see it was full of hair and powdered make-up. A chewed piece of gum covered half the drain. 'Ew. What is it with this place?' Sabbath thought. She turned to the sink to her left, and saw that it was thankfully normal. Well, relatively speaking. The pipe underneath it was plastic instead of metal, clearly having been recently replaced, and water dripped slowly from the joints, but it was still better than the alternatives.

Sabbath turned on the water, pleasantly surprised to see that it was clean and clear. However, before she could wet her hands, she heard an angry sizzling and popping from the drain. It was soft, like pop rocks. Or was it getting louder? Pulling her hands away, Sabbath listened, hoping whatever it was would stop.

It didn't.

The popping got louder and smoke began to rise up from the drain in spite of the water. Then flames flickered deep in the pipe, and before Sabbath could register what was happening, the popping coalesced into one big explosion, shattering the plastic pipe under the sink. The shockwave knocked Sabbath back into the stall beneath the flickering light. She felt her head hit the metal door first, and then her back collided with the toilet bowl as she fell to the floor, unconscious.

Without the pipe's support, the sink crashed to the floor with a crackling groan as it broke free from the wall. The water supply hoses tore free from the sink altogether, swinging wildly as pressurized water gushed from their frayed ends and slowly flooded the room.

***Kara's POV***

Standing outside the bathroom door, she listened impatiently. After what seemed like forever, she heard the toilet flush, then the stall door swing open. 'Come on, come on…' she mentally coaxed. At last she heard the water turn on, and a grin spread across her face. Then came the soft popping, and finally the big bang she'd been waiting for. 'Yes!' she hissed. She could feel herself smiling so much it almost hurt. She couldn't control her excitement. That couldn't have gone more perfectly. But just to make sure, she paused for a moment and listened for any movement in the bathroom…nothing but the hiss of water and some residual popping. 'Perfect! I knew it would work!' A giddy laugh bubbled up inside her, and she didn't try to stop it.

"Ms. Kyne," a deep voice said, interrupting her moment of celebration.

Kara looked up, surprised that anyone else was still in the building. Brother Blood, headmaster of the prestigious HIVE Academy, stalked down the hallway towards her. He was still in his teacher guise, but his voice was unmistakable. She immediately pulled herself together, bowing her head briefly in respect as she greeted him. "Good afternoon, Brother," she said.

"I was looking for you," he said. "I told your father I would give you a ride home this evening. I have some important papers for him to sign."

"Thank you, Brother," Kara replied. Usually her father had his assistant pick her up from school. This was definitely a change.

Just then, Kara noticed water beginning to seep out from under the girls' bathroom door and out into the hallway, slowly pooling around her shoes. She looked up with a sheepish grin to see Brother Blood eying her closely.

"What's this?" he asked her knowingly.

"Nothing…" she said. "Just giving a certain Titan exactly what she asked for: a bigger explosion."

Brother Blood arched a disapproving eyebrow.

"Don't worry," Kara added with confidence. "They'll never figure out it was me. There won't even be anything left by the time those idiots get around to investigating."

"Good girl," Brother Blood said with a proud smile, patting her on the shoulder. "Now come along, we don't want to keep your father waiting."

"Yes, Brother."