The kids were quietly sitting in the back of the jet; something that was unusual for them. Every time that Raven looked back at them, they would be staring back at her with wide eyes, as though they were expecting her to change into Trigon again. The terrified looks they kept giving her made her extraordinarily guilty; and she wanted to explain to them who she was.
Or.. what she was.
Even though she wanted to say something to them, she didn't. What was she going to say that they would understand? Oh, guys, you may not remember this since I turned you into a bunch of little kids, but my dad is a demon, so I'm a demon too.
Raven gripped the steering wheel harder, biting her lip in anxiety. "So.. uh.. how are you guys doing?"
There was a moment of silence, and then Robin answered with a quavering voice. "Fine, Raben."
No one else answered, and the back remained stony silent. She had really messed things up this time- even more than the other times. Now they wouldn't even talk to her. They weren't even talking to each other; the tense silence rang loudly in her ears.
She racked her brain again for another question. Perhaps they would be more talkative if she could conjure up the things that they liked. She tried to remember what her friends were interested in, but nothing came to mind. Starfire was an alien, and her references weren't even understandable half of the time. Beast Boy was one for looking at different animals and changing into them, but Raven was clueless about the species of animals. Cyborg was always playing around with his rockets and Calculus things, while Robin was constantly trying to figure out different ways to make the team run faster, smoother, and better at kicking asses. But what did they like? What did they enjoy?
She wished that she had paid more attention to her friends when she had the chance. Hell, she didn't even know their favorite colors. The only thing she really remembered was Beast Boy's horrible, not funny jokes, and his immaturity that landed him in trouble with Robin- and that was because it had irritated her. There was this one joke that she remembered Beast Boy telling her, not too long before she turned him into a toddler.
She bit her lip. I can't believe him doing this. "Hey, guys."
There was a sluggish, timid answer from Robin again. "Yes, Raben?"
"Do you guys want to hear a joke? It's really funny."
She could soft whisperings behind her. Then Robin, the leader that was apparently speaking for them, answered. "Okay."
"Why did the cookie go to the doctor?" She asked, feeling stupider as the seconds ticked by.
This time, it was Cyborg who spoke. "Why, Raben?"
"Because he was feeling.. crummy." she said lamely, wincing at the way it sounded. But to her surprise, she heard Starfire giggle softly behind her. Maybe it was working. She thought harder to herself, trying to remember the other punny jokes that Beast Boy had told her over the years. "Why do ducks quack?"
Starfire giggled again. "I do not know, Raben."
"They get quacked up at funny jokes." Raven said. This time, both Robin and Starfire started to laugh loudly, saying the word 'quack' over and over again. There was even a real duck noise behind her, from Beast Boy, and that made her grin herself. It was more funny when she told the jokes. "Whats brown and sticky?"
"I dunno, Raben!" Cyborg crowed.
"A stick." she said.
Seconds after that, there was an explosion of laughter behind her. For some odd reason, the Titan children found the stick joke way funnier than everything else. Robin kept repeating stick and there would be maniac giggling from Starfire, and Cyborg and Beast Boy were just asking each other the same joke and snickering every time the punchline was said. Truth be told, Raven was a bit amused herself.
"Whats brown and sticky, Beast Boy?" Cyborg shouted, laughing uproariously.
"I dunno Cyborg!" Beast Boy giggled.
"...A STICK!" he screamed, and the entire back row of Titans burst into laughter, nearly rolling out of their seats.
Starfire gasped from her bursts of laughter. "A Earthen stick! Oh your jokes are very much amusing, friend Raben! Tis both brown, and stick-like!"
Raven raised an eyebrow at Starfire's broken down English. It was hard to try and joke around with an alien that didn't understand half the references, but at least this time she understood it. "Yeah, it is. Did you like those jokes?"
"Those were funny." she heard Beast Boy say shyly behind her. "Where did yous get those jokes, Raben?"
"I got them.. from a very good friend." Raven said, her voice a bit softer. She clutched at the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles almost white. "He told jokes all the time. I used to find them annoying.. but now I think they're funny."
"He sounds funny." Beast Boy said wistfully, and Raven could hear him stretch out in his seat. "I wants a friend like thats. We'd be best friends."
"I thought I was yo best friend!" Cyborg wailed. "Wes do everythin together, BB!"
"You is." the small changeling reassured him. "I pwomise."
There was now a constant stream of noise coming from the backseats, something that was actually relieving to Raven. She would much rather have them laughing and being noisy than sullen and silent. Cyborg let out an aggravated sniff at Beast Boy's reassurance, but the two seemed to get along okay. There were soft whispers that she couldn't make out, and then Starfire's unmistakable giggling.
"Friend Raben, is it possible for us to play of the game of Seek and Hide?" Starfire asked, tapping her on the shoulder. "It is a game played by the children of Earth, and Robin has told me much of this game. Tis when you hide, and the others must seek. It sounds delightful, may we plays?"
Raven looked at the GPS; only about half an hour remained before they arrived at the HIVE headquarters. It was enough to make her anxiety shoot through the roof. She took a calming breath and tried to focus on Starfire's question at hand. Might as well humor her.
"We can play it later, Star." she said softly.
"Have you plays it before, Raben?" Starfire inquired, obviously not willing to let the subject go quite yet.
Raven kit her eyebrows together as she thought about it. Had she ever played hide and seek in Azarath? "I don't really remember, Star. The place I grew up with is a lot different than what you guys are used to."
"Its prolly where she learned the scary monster thing." she heard Robin mutter. Starfire gasped, and there was the sound of a small fist hitting something.
"That not nice, Rwobin!" she scolded.
Robin uttered something sheepishly. "Sworry Raben.."
Raven shook her head. "Scary monster thing is one way to put it. It's alright, I'm used to it, Robin."
The entire backseat fell quiet once again, and then there was a small, timid voice from Beast Boy: "Is that yous superpowers, Raben?"
"Superpowers...?" Raven felt the words dangle off her lips, the words sounding ridiculous as she spoke them.
"Yeah, superpowers. Jus like Batman. An Superman!" he said enthusiastically, and Raven could hear the grin in the toddler's voice. "Rwobin tolds us of Batman's superpowers. He strong. He fight crime with his superpower, and no one gets in his way because he strong."
"No one beat Batman." Robin boasted.
"An since you can turn into a monster thingy, doesn't it make you a superhero too, Raben?" Beast Boy inquired.
Raven sighed and switched the jet onto autopilot. She turned in her seat so she could face the four small children. "I'm not a superhero, Beast Boy."
The changeling's face fell in disappointment. "Whys not?"
The others stared at her expectantly for an explanation, as though they would understand what Raven would be talking about. It was a touching gesture, but nonetheless a bit heartbreaking. She couldn't explain her monstrous ways to them, nor would they understand. They didn't even know the powers they had themselves.
"I come from a bad place." Raven said lamely. "My father is a evil man, who has done many bad things. The powers I have aren't supposed to be used for the good of people, but for the bad. That's why I can't be a hero. I can't pretend to be something I'm not."
Beast Boy took that in, thinking in hard. The other Titans slowly nodded as they tried to comprehend what she had said, thinking silently to themselves. To her surprise, Robin looked at her with a soft expression on his face. "Raben, that not true. You can be good, even if there's bad."
"It's a little more complicated than that, Robin." she said warily. Robin shook his head fiercely.
"Every good guy can dos bad things. Every bad guy can dos good things. My mommy and daddy disappeared and that made me cry, but Batman said that theys doing good things for peoples all 'round the world. So that okay, I be superhero jus like dem when I grow up!" Robin gave her a wide smile, holding out something that was clenched in his small palm. Raven took it gingerly, and she realized that it was a small heart-shaped locket, with a picture of three people inside. Two adults, and a baby.
Raven felt her chest constrict as she recognized the man. He looked a lot like Robin did, with the black hair and masked face. There was even a small engraving on the back of it that read: "The Greyson Family".
"I hopes to see my mommy and daddy again soons, cuz I miss them." Robin's face crumbled a bit, but then it sprang back to a wide smile as he looked at her. "Keep it, Raben. That ways if you ever feel like you not good, you can 'member!"
"Thank you." Raven said softly, putting the locket in her cloak pocket. And she truly meant it too, even if she didn't necessarily believe it. The Titan children were beaming at her with soft smiles, their eyes shining with the innocence of a child. She smiled back at them for a moment, thankful for the friends she had made.
Even if those friends were now currently five years old.
The GPS beeped once, pulling her out of the soft mood she was in. She turned in her chair and saw that the HIVE headquarters were now in the distance, looming like a dark cloud in all the sun. Taking ahold the wheel, she slowly pulled it back until the jet slowed down enough for her to land on the roof. After a few minutes, the jet stopped moving and it was safe for her to open the door and float out, the Titan children trailing behind her.
With a hushed whisper and strict orders telling them not to stray from her, she opened the roof's door and descended into the headquarters, praying that there weren't any traps that were laid in the halls.
But to her surprise, there was nothing. She had expected at least some guards, maybe some weapons, and even maybe some booby traps for enemies when they infiltrated. There was nothing- the entire HIVE academy had been abandoned, left behind and empty. The halls were littered with posters and discarded weapons. Raven recognized some of them as Gizmo's machinery, rusting in puddles on the floor.
Frustrated, Raven floated silently through the halls, holding tightly onto Beast Boy and Starfire's hand. The children didn't make a sound as they walked alongside her, instead they stared eerily at the ghost-school with wide eyes.
Where had everyone gone? First it was the Titans East, and now it was the school for villains. Had everyone decided to disappear all at once? Even the villains?
"Hello?" Raven's voice echoed darkly down the halls. There was nothing else, except for the rustling of papers as they walked. "Anyone here?"
"Raben, I scared." Starfire whimpered. "I do not enjoy this place."
Raven bit her lip, but started to turn back the way they came. So much for finding Jinx then, she was all on her own. She cursed herself for getting into such a situation.
Just as they were crossing through the dark halls to go back up to the roof, there was a loud cracking sound from above their heads. Raven looked up to see a huge pillar prying itself away from it's base, crumbling down in their direction, the white stone rushing down on them impossibly fast.
Sorry I haven't been updating as fast as you guys would like, I have school to deal with and other things. Yada yada yada. I do hope you're enjoying the way this story is playing out, I'm trying my best to make it cute, but with a more serious undertone.
Please, review. :)