~*~ YAY! REVIEWS! Thank you!! Whoo-hoo! I am so happy right now, Good
Charlotte won Viewer's Choice at the VMA's!!!!! Yippie! And my beloved
Marshall Mathers beat up a puppet..hehe that was SO funny-"Yay! You don't
write to your fans! Yay! That's wrong! Yay! Stan is dead! Yay!" Oh that
Eminem, he never ceases to amaze me ^.^ I am in love with the most random
people-Tyson Ritter *sigh* Eminem *sigh* Derek Jeter *sigh* Christopher
Masterson *sigh* and about a hundred more, but I won't bore you with that.
^-~ I'm actually frustrated with myself at this point because I wanted to
throw a song into the last chapter, but I couldn't decide between Weezer's
'Possibilities' or Good Charlotte's 'Wondering' and just left it out
completely. But, after much thought, I decided on Weezer, the lyrics just
fit better, in my opinion. Sorry to all you GC fans out there, but there is
a one-shot coming out about Raven based on their song, so be happy! I'm
excited, there are only 4 more chapters left! Wait, is it 4? .::stops to
count on fingers::. My mistake, it was 5 but I've been dreaming of writing
these chapters the whole time! I have it all planned out, eeee this will be
fun!! Then, after this, you know what you get...dun dun dun BEAST BOY/RAVEN
FIC! WHOOOO! Sorry, my little ramblings, just thought you wanted to know.
Ok, onward! ~*~
Starfire leaned against the window of the tower, her forehead pressed against the cool glass, gazing out longingly at the scattered lights sprawled out over the city. She sighed and glanced back at her friends, who seemed to be concentrating on other things. Cyborg was lying on a couch, listening to his walkman and unknowingly mouthing the words. He was listening to something called '50 Cent' he told her, but she didn't understand why a person would go by the name of currency. Beast Boy was ducked behind the fridge door, trying to inconspicuously eat something with no one the wiser. As he munched on the unknown product, he failed to notice the dark figure looming over him, until she ripped the food from his hand. "HEY! I was eating that!" he cried as he searched for his lost snack. Raven fiddled with the spoon that she just stole with disgust, and looked down at him with a repulsive expression. "You were eating COOKIE DOUGH?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Beast Boy stood and placed his arms in an akimbo position. "So what if I was?" he responded, craving the cold, sweet covered utensil that was so wrongly taken from him. She scoffed and pointed the spoon at him. "It's disgusting! You were eating RAW food! Don't you know that stuff can KILL you?" Suddenly, something dawned on Raven, and her eyes seemed to gleam a bit. She tossed the spoon back at Beast Boy, which he reflexively caught. "On second thought, eat it. Eat as much as you want. You won't see me stopping you." she uttered with a smirk, and skulked away into the living room. Beast Boy pulled the package of the stuff out of the fridge and beamed at her. "Gee, thanks Raven! You're the best!" he cried, excited. He happily sauntered to the kitchen table, but before he sat, he paused, mouth slightly agape, then finally whirled towards Raven's direction. "HEY! That was an INSULT, wasn't it?!"
"Good news team!" Robin greeted upon entering the room. The others diverted his attention to him. "I'm treating you all to a night at the carnival! And by 'treat' I mean 'I had the idea,' you've still gotta pay for yourselves. I mean, what am I, Mr. Moneybags?" he cried, flailing his arms in the air, overreacting. Cyborg removed his headphones and set them on the coffee table. "Sounds cool, dude, but I can't make it, since I have no more MONEY." he emphasized the last word and glared at Raven when he said it. She rolled her eyes at him. "Don't worry man, I can spot you the 5 bucks for admission." Robin remarked. Cyborg grinned. "Hey, thanks! Y'think you could get me some cotton candy, too?" he questioned. "Don't push your luck." Robin replied emotionlessly. "Carnival? WHOO!" Beast Boy tossed the dough behind him and everyone heard it hit the wall with a SPLAT. "Carnivals are sooooooo coooooooooooool! There's this ride and it goes really really fast and you go on it and it's like WHOOSH!" he said quickly, bouncing up and down on his heals. Raven mentally snatched the spoon out of his hand and set it on the kitchen table. "No-More-Sugar-For-You." she said to him slowly. Starfire skipped to the others and giggled, all too giddy. "A night out does sound delightful, Robin. I would be happy to join you!" she said smiling. "Raven? What about you?" Robin asked as he turned to the dark girl behind him. She opened her mouth to say something and raised a finger, but when she saw the eager expressions on all of her friend's faces, she sighed and let it drop. "Fine. Whatever." she muttered, pulling up her hood. The team cheered and left together to go out.
They arrived at the carnival a few minutes later. After a brief dinner consisting of enough grease to create the world's biggest Slip-and-Slide, Robin bought 100 tickets for everyone to share. But before they hit the rides, they decided it best to let their food settle and went to play some games. Starfire spotted an enormous stuffed bear at the stacked bottles game and instantly fell in love with it. She wasted most of her money trying desperately to knock over the bottles, as instructed, but even though she nailed them every time, the bottles would not budge. Starfire did not understand why this kept happening, but when it did, she felt incredibly saddened. Robin, from across the rigged entertainment field, glanced over to see her looking down with her eyes glistening. Immediately he stormed over to see what was wrong. "Hey! Buddy! Are you hurting my friend?" he asked the vendor in a threatening tone. An obese man with a scraggly beard and a large protruding stomach peeking out from his grease stained shirt scoffed at Robin and took a swig from a can of beer. "What? It's not my fault she throws like a girl." he replied, wiping some escaped foam away from his upper lip. "What are you talking about?! I could see from all the way over there she hit them every time!!" he cried, enraged. The man rolled his eyes and picked at his teeth. "Yeah, so whaddaya gonna do about it? You're just a kid." Robin was getting very annoyed with the vendor's ignorance. "Have you, by any chance, been living in a cardboard BOX under the train tracks for the past few years? We're members of the TEEN TITANS! Y'know, those kids who run around town all day stopping villains from destroying the universe all whilst suffering through raging hormones and the quest to find the always-missing remote? Huh? Heard of us?" he quipped, severely irritated. "Can't say I have."
Robin buried his face in his palm and groaned in frustration. He then gained his composure and leaned in menacingly towards the vendor. "Well, recognition or not, that doesn't deny the fact that we're powerful. She," he pointed to Starfire with his left hand, who all the while had watched him speak with awe, "can crush boulders with her fists. Not to mention her abilities to fly and fire powerful green energy orbs from her hand. She alone could crush you like an insignificant bug in 3 seconds flat, but lucky for you, she's too NICE for that. Me, however," he drew in closer, glaring, with an expression that would make Arnold Schwarzenegger pee his pants. "I'll have you beaten to a bloody pulp so fast your un-shaven, disgusting, waste-of-human-flesh head will spin." he growled, his voice dripping with hostility. He casually brushed his cape away to reveal the myriad of weapons his utility belt contained. The man audibly gulped, but glared back to hide how much he truly was afraid. He scoffed and put his hands up to bear in innocence. "FINE, fine. Take the stupid bear, no need to get violent." He removed the stuffed animal from the hook that held it and handed it to Starfire, who squealed in delight. "There! You impressed your little girlfriend! Happy now?" Robin backed off, visibly losing some of his victorious 'ha-I-just-shut-you-down-and-I-win-so-BOO-yah!' luster and reddened greatly. "She's-she's not my-" Before he could finish, Starfire cut him off when she unexpectedly jumped into his arms and trapped him in a hug. "Thank you, Robin." she murmured as she nuzzled her head into his chest. He didn't even have time to react before she released him, scooped up her prize, and trotted off to show it to the others. Robin laughed a little and scratched his elbow with a smile, then went after her to join the rest.
~Oh, oh,
Possibilities.
Take you home with me,
In your arms.~
The next stop they made was a roller coaster. It was called 'The Great Nor'easter' and consisted of 5 loops, 4 corkscrews, and a helluva lotta twists. (A/N-Hehe, I went on that when I was away last week w/ my cousin, it was really, really fun! ^-^) They all got in the suspiciously small line, and they all agreed that was because the ride seemed so intimidating. The ride was suspended, and Robin couldn't help but notice Star seemed a little nervous when she saw there was no floor and the only restraints were large overhead belts. "Step riiiiiiiiiiiiight up here! 5 tickets to ride the Great Nor'easter! C'mon, don't be shy! What doesn't kill ya makes ya stronger!" the operator cried, and slammed a button that launched the next round of unsuspecting passengers swiftly out of the starting gate. Starfire cringed as she heard them scream. Robin anxiously hopped towards the cars and sat, strapping himself in. He handed the vendor the tickets for everyone and shifted in his seat to find comfort. Slowly, Star imitated his actions and sat, her feet nervously swaying slightly in the air. Cyborg tried to sit in the car behind them, but once he did, the whole ride tilted under his weight, and everyone found something to grab lest they fall and hurt themselves. The vendor walked over to Cyborg with a curious look. "Sorry, boy, but the weight limit on this ride is 350 lbs. How much do ya weigh?" he asked. "Only about 2 metric tons!" Cyborg replied, hoping he would be able to ride. The man shook his head. "Sorry kid, you've gotta get off, unless you want to kill all these innocent people." He indicated the passengers who had filed in to the seats behind him, and when this comment was made, not one eyeball was normal-sized. "Get him off!! Get him off!" everyone called simultaneously. "Fine, fine. I'll wait for you guys at the exit." Cyborg grumbled, getting up and snatching his 5 tickets back. The ride lurched back into its normal position, and the group sighed with relief as the mechanical man despondently sulked away.
"I am NOT going on this pointless contraption." Raven muttered insolently. Beast Boy turned to her with pleading eyes. "Aw, c'mon Raven! It'll be fun!" he urged. "Precisely the reason that I don't wanna go. I'll be waiting with Cyborg." she said, crossing her arms to emphasize her point. Beast Boy sighed. "Fine. You obviously don't want to do something, and I respect that. You are a free person, and deserve to do what you please. You don't have to go on...hey what's THAT?!" he exclaimed as he pointed in the direction behind her. "Wha...?" Raven, for a moment, was confused, and turned to see what the boy had indicated. When she was distracted, Beast Boy grinned mischievously and seized Raven's wrist and before she knew it, he had whipped her into the car beside him and locked her in. She thrashed about angrily and beat the restraints in fury. "BEAST BOY!!!!!!! I'LL KILL YOU!!!!!" she shouted, quickly losing her emotionless act and replacing it with one of hate. Beast Boy merely grinned victoriously and leaned back.
Robin pointedly ignored the bickering 2 and turned back to the alien beside him, who was biting her lower lip anxiously. "Star? You alright?" he asked calmly. She tightened her grip on the restraints on either sides of her head and whimpered. "I-I have only seen these types of rides in books, and I am-well, I am a bit afraid. Are you certain this is safe?" she asked in a low voice. Robin smiled at her and nodded. "Of course it's safe, Star! I mean, who can you trust more than a carnie?" he asked with a chuckle. She did not giggle, but looked at her helpless legs in worry. "I still do not know if I want to be here..." she mumbled, fidgeting in place. Suddenly, she felt something gently clamp over her now-white knuckles. She gazed over to see Robin, smiling warmly, holding her hand gingerly. He gave it a squeeze of reassurance and all over her nervousness seemed to wash away, and she smiled back. The moment was ended when the operator sent them flying at top speed out of the gate, screaming their lungs out.
~ I never thought I'd do that,
Take me all away,
And let your body stay.~
The ride ended about 2 minutes later. The cars pulled in to let the riders out, but after it stopped, it abruptly jerked backwards, causing Starfire's head to slam into the hard headrest. She was staring forward with an emotionless expression, her mouth dangling open slightly, just barely panting. "Star? Are-are you ok?" Robin asked, feeling worried he had frightened the girl beyond no return. "Robin...." she whispered, still staring forward. "That...was.....IN-CREDIBLE!" she suddenly grew excited and bounced in her seat as she spoke and turned to face him. "Robin, that was amazing! It was scary and thrilling and death-defying and exhilarating all at the same time and OH can we go again?!" She gripped his hand eagerly as she beamed in pleasure. Robin smiled back as the belts were lifted from off their shoulders. "I'm glad you liked it! I knew you would! See, I would never let anything hurt you." There was a brief pause as she caught her breath, half from the ride and half from the flash they shared just before they took off. "C'mon, let's see what else is there!" he said, and they bustled off the ride.
Raven sat unamused in her seat, her cape completely drawn over her head and strands of her lilac hair peeking out from beneath the hood. Even with the blue cloak fully concealing her face, Beast Boy could still see the livid glint in the depths of Raven's mauve eyes. "Heh heh heh, fun huh?" he said meekly. She blew a puff of air out, blowing the cloak back into place, and fixed her hair back to her liking. "If I were you, I'd sleep with one eye open." she muttered, and left him wide-eyed and afraid, very afraid.
The next stop they made was the Merry-go-round. The operator here was a sickly skinny teenage girl no older than 16. She had enormous, thick braces complete with embarrassing headgear wrapped all about her face, and terrible skin, with large red bumps popping out everywhere. Her frizzy, dirty orange hair was pulled back into a messy braid, covered by a cap that read 'Keep on truckin'' When she spoke, she had an incredible lisp, spraying saliva on whoever was stupid enough to get close to her. "Ssssssssssssstep right up and sssssssssssssssee the wonderssssssss on the merry-go-round! It'sssssss great fun for the whole family!" Her appearance frightened many small children away, so her takers were all much older than whom the ride was designed for. Robin stepped up with Starfire first and slowly gave the tickets to the girl. "Thankssssssssss kidssssssssssss! There sssssssssshould be sssssssssssome available ssssssssseats on the other sssssssssside." she stated. Robin shook off the moisture on his clothes with disgust. "Yeah..thanks." he muttered, and Star giggled at him and began to help him clean himself off. "Y'know, I think you 2 make a really cute couple." the girl said with a somewhat smile. The 2 teens both straightened up at the same time and became rigid, staring at her in shock. "WE'RE NOT A COUPLE!" they cried in unison, then glanced back at each other, blushed, and scurried away.
~Oh, oh,
Take me by the hand.
Let me be the man,
In your arms.~
Cyborg stepped up next, although he was fully aware he couldn't go on because of his weight. He stepped over to the girl with a slight smile. "Hey, thanks, you did it perfectly." he said to her in a whisper. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, that'ssssssssss what they all ssssssssssay. Where'sssssss my compentsssssssation?" she asked him as she held out a hand expectantly. Cyborg grinned stupidly and pulled out a package of gum, the only thing he had to his name. The girl looked horrified. "Are you insssssane?! That'ssssssssss gum! My orthodondissssssssst will kill me!" she cried, smacking it out of his hand. Suddenly, she softened and looked at him seductively. "Hey, we can alwaysssssssss come to sssssssssome other agreement, if you know what I'm ssssssssaying." she muttered, causally running her fingers over his chest. Cyborg looked terrified and revolted at the same time. He jumped backwards and took off running in the other direction. "HEY! WHERE YA GOIN'?!" she shouted after him. "SOMETHING SUDDENLY CAME UP!!!" the robot replied, and sped off screaming in the distance. The girl scoffed and placed her hands at her hips. "Pff, men."
After the harrowing experience at the merry-go-round, the Titans tried some other rides, and were severely disappointed with all of them. They were now walking aimlessly through the park, as Robin counted the remaining tickets in his hand. "Well, looks like we're down to our last 10 tickets. Any suggestions?" he asked. Beast Boy beamed and zipped off, expecting the others to follow. They did, and he led them to a large, old house with fake cardboard ghosts and monsters popping out of the windows. "The haunted house!" Beast Boy said in a scary voice. Robin nodded in agreement. "I'm game!" he said, whipping out the remainder of the tickets to give to the vendor. "I'll do ANYTHING to get away from that crazy freak-girl from the merry-go-round." Cyborg muttered, cautiously glancing from side to side. Starfire smiled, not sure of what a haunted house WAS, but was willing to try anything that was new and exciting. "Finally. Something I might relatively enjoy." Raven said as she gazed up at it, walking towards the entrance.
They all went inside the dark house together. Spooky fog sifted in and out of the doorways. Starfire noticed several pairs of eyes on the paintings hung from the walls followed her when she walked. She whimpered nervously and inched in closer to the group. Cyborg looked at the cardboard cutouts of the demons with disappointment. "THIS is the haunted house? What a waste." he muttered. They approached a doorway shrouded by a long black cloak. A person covered in fake blood and with a pretend ax in their head stood next to it. "Enter, if you dare." he rasped in a frightening voice, and pulled the sheet away so they could pass. Obviously, the cheap details in the beginning were designed to throw those who ventured in off course, because within the room were much more frightening objects. They were in a dining room, looking old and decayed, spider webs draped every available corner and everything was buried beneath a fine layer of dust. A pale, wan butler stood at the head of a long table. Before them was a silver plate covered with an elegant lid. "Good evening, Masters and Madams. Welcome to Haunted Manor. I am Niles, your butler. You have just come in time to join us for dinner." he spoke with a flawless British accent. He lifted the plate quickly, revealing a person's head stuck in the plate. Hors'doevers surrounded him, giving him an appetizing appeal. "WAAAAAZZZZZAPP?!" the head asked. Robin, Raven, and Cyborg, having seen this trick done many times before, were not in the least scared. Starfire and Beast Boy however, were startled by the presence, and both shrieked like 3 year olds.
They continued the tour; the next stop seemed to be the living room. A fire place burned harmlessly in the corner. To the right was a large collection of books, to the left an old, red arm chair. Scattered papers lay over the floor, and a desk in the corner was cluttered. "I don't see what's so scary about THIS room. Cyborg said as he flopped down in the chair. A gust of wind blew through, though there were no windows. "Now where did I place my glasses? Ah, yes, here they are." a bumbling voice said out of nowhere. The Titans all whipped around searching for the owner, but found nothing. It was then they saw a pair of glasses floating unaided across the room and stopping at the bookshelf. Everyone, except for Raven, who merely rolled her eyes, tensed up and watched speechless as a book effortlessly floated towards the easy chair. "AhhhAAAhhhHAAA!" Cyborg cried and tumbled head over heals out of the seat. The invisible man apparently sat, a tiny groove was created in the cushion, and the book opened on its own. "Whoa. Creepy." Beast Boy whispered. Out of nowhere, the tiny warming fire burst into monstrous flames, crawling out of the fireplace and nearing in on the teens. Everyone, again, except for Raven, screamed and backed into the wall. The flames shot upward, starting to create an image. It formed a young woman with long, silky hair and a billowing, elegant dress. The friends could barely make out some tiny scars scattered all over her face. "Get out! Get out! GET OUT!" she shrieked, then, as they screamed bloody murder, she cackled, and dissipated back into the log. "That...was...AWESOME." Cyborg said after a long pause. "Please. Just some cheap effects and a sound system. Pathetic." Raven said, crossing her arms and continuing.
They went upstairs, closely knit together in case of another surprise. Indeed, there was; as they were walking, they came across a corridor that lead to a dead end. The walls were flourished with an ugly mauve paint, chipping away to emphasize how 'old' the house really was. At the end of the hall, 2 twin girls, no older than 6, stood holding hands. They wore very old 1940's style dresses-they were pink with a white bow tied across the middle, and a pink ribbon secured each of their hair. "Come play with us, Titans." they said together, slowly and eerily. "Come play with us...forever....and ever...and ever." Lights suddenly flashed, illuminating the once dark hallway, and when they lit up, the teens saw that blood was splattered messily over the walls and floor. Both the little girls were drenched in red fluid with severe cuts and large tears over their chests and dresses. Everyone screeched in horror, and in a flash, the lights flickered off, and the girls had disappeared. They searched the hall for them with their eyes, but they were gone. "That's it. I am NEVER having kids!" Beast Boy declared, and the others chuckled as they rummaged into an empty room.
It was a bedroom, the sheets on the bed were undone, the torn drapes wafted carelessly in the breeze, and a vanity sat lonely near the window. "Lovely room, isn't it?" someone asked behind them. Starfire visibly jumped and the others turned to see who it was. It was Niles, the British butler form downstairs. "This was the chamber of the late Madeline Wallchester." Beast Boy gulped as Raven shook her head; Beast Boy never could stand his ground when it came to the supernatural, even if it was as fake as this. "Late?" he squeaked. Niles nodded. "Yes, indeed. Passed in this very room, as a matter of fact. 1952. Very vain woman, always concerned with her looks. If I was you, I'd keep out of that vanity." he said, and left the room.
"Perhaps we should try another room...." Starfire said softly. "Aw, c'mon Star, that Niles dude is just trying to scare ya! I mean, seriously, think about it, nothing's gonna happen if I sit here. I'm sure of it." Beast Boy said, and went to sit by the mirror to prove his point. Feeling brave, he began fiddling with the things on the table. All of a sudden, the mirror fogged up, and the blurry vision of an older woman, perhaps in her late 60's, appeared, looking very angry. "You there! Boy! Get away from my things!" she cried, and batted at the glass with her clenched fist. Beast Boy yelped and stumbled backwards, crawling back to the wall where the other Titans were cemented. "I'll teach you to meddle with my things!" Madeline called, and seemingly pulled herself out of the mirror to attack them. Starfire, in fear, grabbed the nearest object she could find for support, which just so happened to be Robin's hand. He felt something lock itself in his fingers, and looked down to see Star's hand entwined with his. He smiled and gave her a little squeeze to know he was there. She looked down, saw him, and smiled back, her terror vanishing. He slipped his fingers out for a moment, only to lace them back in with hers, like the perfect couple would do.
~I never thought I'd do that,
Take me all away,
And let your body stay.~
No one noticed Robin and Starfire; the boys were high on adrenaline and were already venturing back out into the hall and going back where they saw the twins, peeking inside every door possible. When they found those were only props, they continued back downstairs into a refined ballroom. The tables in the corner were set for a banquet, but the food had long since gone bad and had fake insects crawling over them. The room was immense, with a slick wooden floor and a crystal chandelier looming eerily over them. A lone, grand piano sat sagging in the corner. "My mother trained me on the piano for several years. I was quite good. I could have played Carnegie Hall, had it not been for my....accident." Niles said, appearing out of nowhere and sauntering to the large instrument. He lifted the tails of his tuxedo, sat on the stool, and gracefully began to tickle to ivories, playing a classic Beethoven song. The second his fingers touched the keys, gangly green 'ghosts' passed through the walls, dancing together to the sweet melody on the beautiful piano. Starfire yelped softly, but Robin pulled her in closer, their shoulders now touching. Still holding her hand, he gently lead her to where the others were standing. Beast Boy and Cyborg looked a little queasy, but Raven only scoffed.
~Oh, you're gone.
Oh, you're gone.
You're gone,
You're gone to stay.~
Niles concluded his solo, and as quickly as the figures appeared, they vanished into thin air. Niles bowed to them, and in a flash was gone. The Titans stood in awe for a moment, before Beast Boy finally spoke. "Y'know, that guy reminds me of the butler in 'Mr. Deeds.' He is," he said the next part with a crude Puerto Rican accent, "very very sneaky, sir." There was a scattered chuckle from the others, but Raven only groaned as she proceeded to the next room. She found an elevator, and waited for the others there. They joined her, and watched in shock as the buttons lit up all on their own. They could see the numbers indicating the elevator was dropping growing closer and closer. Finally it stopped, and the doors slowly creaked open. A deluge of red fluid poured from the inside, spilling all over the hall and whoever got in its way. Cyborg moaned in disgust and lifted his foot to see the goopy blood-like substance completely covering his shoe. Starfire shrieked as the cold stuff slicked past her ankles. Robin let out a little surprised cry as well, but managed to clench Star's hand tighter, giving her reassurance. Beast Boy screamed in a high pitched voice and leapt 6 feet in the air, landing gracefully (and unknowingly) in Raven's arms, and they held each other Scooby Doo style. Beast Boy smiled, embarrassed, as Raven growled, giving him a scornful look. "Uh heh heh heh, hi?" She promptly dropped him, and he landed with a splash in the red mess beneath him. She pressed on, annoyance glinting in her bright eyes, with the others in tow.
"Ugh, this place is SO utterly pathetic. I have never seen so many crappy effects in my life." She scoffed and leaned against a nearby door in boredom. Suddenly, a shout was heard from behind it, which melded into a loud, strained grunt as an ax came flying through the wood. For the first time, Raven screamed, quite loudly too. She staggered backwards where the others stood, horrified. The ax retreated, only to come down hard 3 more times though the oak. A Jack Nickelson look-alike popped his head through the makeshift hole, grinning maliciously and clutching his weapon menacingly in his hands. "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE'S JOHNNY!!!!" he cried, and laughed as the teens screamed in fright. Raven shrieked in a tone the others were sure only dogs could hear, and in fear, jumped up onto Beast Boy's body, her arms pulling his head so it was pressed against her face and her legs both locked around his waist. He quickly grabbed her at the back so he wouldn't topple over under her weight. She was trembling, and her breath came out short and ragged.
"HA! Now who's scared?" Beast Boy said triumphantly, his voice slightly muffled by the dark girl's arm. He pulled his face away from hers so he could look at her, and so she could see his gloating expression. Raven cleared her throat, and typically scoffed, looking at the green boy like he was crazy. Unfortunately for her, she couldn't seem to stop shaking. "Pff, I-I wasn't scared. I was merely STARTLED by the sudden appearance of th-"
"You're still latched onto me." Beast Boy said with a grin.
Raven, realizing what she had done, released the shape shifter and set herself back down on the ground, her head hung in what the others guessed was embarrassment. She quickly paced out of the hall and towards the exit. Beast Boy smiled after her, cleaning his nails on his shirt in victory. "I hope you enjoyed that, cuz that's probably as close to second base as you're EVA gonna get!" Cyborg muttered into his ear, then, laughing, followed Raven in the direction of the door. Beast Boy scowled at him and chased after him, in a weak state of rage. Robin turned to Starfire, who all the while, had not released his hand. "Ready to go?" he asked her. She smiled and nodded, and together they walked out the door, their steps in sync and their tangled hands gently swaying back and forth. Niles greeted them at the exit. "So glad you were able to make it out alive, Masters and Madams. Do come back soon, if you dare." With that, everyone thanked him and went outside, squinting slightly under the new, bright lights that capered all about the fair. "That was FUN! Probably the best Haunted House I've ever been in!" Beast Boy exclaimed happily. "I couldn't sense much of a theme in there, but still really cool!" Cyborg commented. Raven shrugged. "Eh, it was alright." she said simply, but when Beast Boy pretended to imitate the ax-murderer, she cringed and glared at the same time.
~I never thought I'd do that.
Take me all away,
And let your body stay.~
"I really liked it! What about you, Star?" Robin said, turning to the fair- haired girl beside him. "I enjoyed it thoroughly! I believe it is fun to be frightened once so often." she said with a smile. Beast Boy checked his watch, only to look surprised. "Whoa! It's 11! We'd better get home!" he said, and started to make his way in the direction of the Tower. Raven followed, hovering slightly above the soiled ground. Cyborg turned to face the other 2. "Yo, guys, let's get a mo-" but he stopped himself when he saw them, and he couldn't help but snicker a little. "It's ok, guys. The big, bad, scary house is done, there's no reason to be afraid." he said in a babyish tone. Robin looked at him weirdly. "What?" he said in confusion. "Heh, look down." the machine said, suppressing another laugh. As instructed, the teens looked down at the same moment, and tensed up in mild shock of what they saw. They were HOLDING HANDS, a custom only those who were in a relationship did. They were both paralyzed, staring slack-jawed at Starfire's slender, smooth fingers laced with Robin's gloved ones. After a minute or so, they let go at the same time, chuckling nervously and fidgeting in place. "I-I must retrieve the prize you won for me, Robin." Star muttered, and sped off to the entrance of the house, where she left the bear upon entering so it would not be dirtied by the then-unknown contents within. Cyborg stared at Robin with a deviously smile. "Don't say a word." Robin commanded. Cyborg disobeyed the order. "You won her a BEAR?!" he cried, laughing hysterically. Robin glared, but when Starfire returned he stopped, and they all continued after Raven and Beast Boy.
"Finally! What took you guys?" Beast Boy asked when they arrived. "We had to-uh-take care of something." Robin said, shooting Cyborg a look. "Whatever. Let's just go." Raven mumbled, lifted a few feet off the ground. "Man, can't we just take the bus home or something?" Cyborg whined. Raven raised an eyebrow at him. "Why? We'd be wasting our money. Why pay for public transportation when you have the gift of flight?" she replied. Cyborg rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well incase you hadn't noticed, not ALL of us have that gift." he said, pointing to himself and Robin. "Y'know, I don't really have the energy to stay in a morphed form all the way home. Why not just take the bus then fly to the island when we get to the shore?" Beast Boy suggested. Raven sighed and touched down. "FINE. It doesn't make a difference anyway." She turned to face the approaching bus, which seemed to arrive on cue. They stepped inside, each dropping in some assorted change for the fare, and took the available seats in the back. Cyborg flopped into an empty seat alone, while Beast Boy and Raven sat in the seat behind him. They didn't speak though; Raven was gazing out the window, deep in thought, while Beast Boy had managed to start an argument with Cyborg. Starfire sat in the seat parallel to them, next to the window, and set her prize next to her. She noticed Robin searching the crowd for a place to sit, but none could be found. "Robin!" she called, and he faced her. She patted the remainder of the leather chair she sat in. "There is room here for you." she said, and Robin thankfully sat.
~Oh, you're gone.
Oh, you're gone.
You're gone,
You're gone to stay.~
Starfire yawned, the night out had drained her, and she was glad they were on their way home. She slumped against her bear, in an effort to make herself comfortable. Her head lolled on the bear's immense chest, and she inevitably closed her eyes to rest. It wasn't long before her breath had grown shallow and low. Robin smiled at the sleeping girl, she looked so adorable, he couldn't help it. He watched her until the driver called the last stop-the shore, which was their exit. He didn't want to wake her, but unless she wanted to awaken in a bus depot 30 miles away, he knew he had to. "Star?" he whispered, poking her in the side. She moaned and squeezed her eyes tighter. He gently shook her shoulder, and with this her eyes fluttered open. "C'mon, we're home." he said, his voice mellow and calm. He helped her up and carried her bear for her as she stumbled down the aisle, rubbing her eyes. They stepped off the bus, where a droopy-eyed Beast Boy, Raven, and Cyborg were waiting. They trekked down to the water, and Raven took off, effortlessly holding the flight-less Cyborg in her arms. Beast Boy changed to a hawk and followed her home. "Think you can give me a lift?" Robin asked the sleepy girl with a smile. She giggled and nodded, locking her arms around his waist. One would think that after all that happened that night that this would be awkward, but, having performed the procedure so many times before, they were both comfortable with it. As she took off, Robin looked up at her and smiled, though it was slightly concealed by the enormous bear. She gazed down at him and smiled back, touching down at the tower entrance with ease. She released him and, still grinning, they entered the tower.
~Oh, Oh.
Oh, Oh,
Oh, Oh,
I need you,
I plead you now!~
~*~ Wow that was a really long chapter! Hope you liked it! Few things-If you may or may not have noticed, I pulled a few things from 'The Shining' in the haunted house scene because its, in my opinion, the scariest movie of all time. Plus, Jack Nickelson ROCKS! ^-^ As I mentioned above, the song is by Weezer, they are awesome, so go buy their cd NOW!! Hehe. Last thing- DID YOU LIKE THE BB/R-NESS?!?! IT WAS FUN!!! WHOO! Ok, you know the drill, review! Thank you! Bye! ~*~
Starfire leaned against the window of the tower, her forehead pressed against the cool glass, gazing out longingly at the scattered lights sprawled out over the city. She sighed and glanced back at her friends, who seemed to be concentrating on other things. Cyborg was lying on a couch, listening to his walkman and unknowingly mouthing the words. He was listening to something called '50 Cent' he told her, but she didn't understand why a person would go by the name of currency. Beast Boy was ducked behind the fridge door, trying to inconspicuously eat something with no one the wiser. As he munched on the unknown product, he failed to notice the dark figure looming over him, until she ripped the food from his hand. "HEY! I was eating that!" he cried as he searched for his lost snack. Raven fiddled with the spoon that she just stole with disgust, and looked down at him with a repulsive expression. "You were eating COOKIE DOUGH?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Beast Boy stood and placed his arms in an akimbo position. "So what if I was?" he responded, craving the cold, sweet covered utensil that was so wrongly taken from him. She scoffed and pointed the spoon at him. "It's disgusting! You were eating RAW food! Don't you know that stuff can KILL you?" Suddenly, something dawned on Raven, and her eyes seemed to gleam a bit. She tossed the spoon back at Beast Boy, which he reflexively caught. "On second thought, eat it. Eat as much as you want. You won't see me stopping you." she uttered with a smirk, and skulked away into the living room. Beast Boy pulled the package of the stuff out of the fridge and beamed at her. "Gee, thanks Raven! You're the best!" he cried, excited. He happily sauntered to the kitchen table, but before he sat, he paused, mouth slightly agape, then finally whirled towards Raven's direction. "HEY! That was an INSULT, wasn't it?!"
"Good news team!" Robin greeted upon entering the room. The others diverted his attention to him. "I'm treating you all to a night at the carnival! And by 'treat' I mean 'I had the idea,' you've still gotta pay for yourselves. I mean, what am I, Mr. Moneybags?" he cried, flailing his arms in the air, overreacting. Cyborg removed his headphones and set them on the coffee table. "Sounds cool, dude, but I can't make it, since I have no more MONEY." he emphasized the last word and glared at Raven when he said it. She rolled her eyes at him. "Don't worry man, I can spot you the 5 bucks for admission." Robin remarked. Cyborg grinned. "Hey, thanks! Y'think you could get me some cotton candy, too?" he questioned. "Don't push your luck." Robin replied emotionlessly. "Carnival? WHOO!" Beast Boy tossed the dough behind him and everyone heard it hit the wall with a SPLAT. "Carnivals are sooooooo coooooooooooool! There's this ride and it goes really really fast and you go on it and it's like WHOOSH!" he said quickly, bouncing up and down on his heals. Raven mentally snatched the spoon out of his hand and set it on the kitchen table. "No-More-Sugar-For-You." she said to him slowly. Starfire skipped to the others and giggled, all too giddy. "A night out does sound delightful, Robin. I would be happy to join you!" she said smiling. "Raven? What about you?" Robin asked as he turned to the dark girl behind him. She opened her mouth to say something and raised a finger, but when she saw the eager expressions on all of her friend's faces, she sighed and let it drop. "Fine. Whatever." she muttered, pulling up her hood. The team cheered and left together to go out.
They arrived at the carnival a few minutes later. After a brief dinner consisting of enough grease to create the world's biggest Slip-and-Slide, Robin bought 100 tickets for everyone to share. But before they hit the rides, they decided it best to let their food settle and went to play some games. Starfire spotted an enormous stuffed bear at the stacked bottles game and instantly fell in love with it. She wasted most of her money trying desperately to knock over the bottles, as instructed, but even though she nailed them every time, the bottles would not budge. Starfire did not understand why this kept happening, but when it did, she felt incredibly saddened. Robin, from across the rigged entertainment field, glanced over to see her looking down with her eyes glistening. Immediately he stormed over to see what was wrong. "Hey! Buddy! Are you hurting my friend?" he asked the vendor in a threatening tone. An obese man with a scraggly beard and a large protruding stomach peeking out from his grease stained shirt scoffed at Robin and took a swig from a can of beer. "What? It's not my fault she throws like a girl." he replied, wiping some escaped foam away from his upper lip. "What are you talking about?! I could see from all the way over there she hit them every time!!" he cried, enraged. The man rolled his eyes and picked at his teeth. "Yeah, so whaddaya gonna do about it? You're just a kid." Robin was getting very annoyed with the vendor's ignorance. "Have you, by any chance, been living in a cardboard BOX under the train tracks for the past few years? We're members of the TEEN TITANS! Y'know, those kids who run around town all day stopping villains from destroying the universe all whilst suffering through raging hormones and the quest to find the always-missing remote? Huh? Heard of us?" he quipped, severely irritated. "Can't say I have."
Robin buried his face in his palm and groaned in frustration. He then gained his composure and leaned in menacingly towards the vendor. "Well, recognition or not, that doesn't deny the fact that we're powerful. She," he pointed to Starfire with his left hand, who all the while had watched him speak with awe, "can crush boulders with her fists. Not to mention her abilities to fly and fire powerful green energy orbs from her hand. She alone could crush you like an insignificant bug in 3 seconds flat, but lucky for you, she's too NICE for that. Me, however," he drew in closer, glaring, with an expression that would make Arnold Schwarzenegger pee his pants. "I'll have you beaten to a bloody pulp so fast your un-shaven, disgusting, waste-of-human-flesh head will spin." he growled, his voice dripping with hostility. He casually brushed his cape away to reveal the myriad of weapons his utility belt contained. The man audibly gulped, but glared back to hide how much he truly was afraid. He scoffed and put his hands up to bear in innocence. "FINE, fine. Take the stupid bear, no need to get violent." He removed the stuffed animal from the hook that held it and handed it to Starfire, who squealed in delight. "There! You impressed your little girlfriend! Happy now?" Robin backed off, visibly losing some of his victorious 'ha-I-just-shut-you-down-and-I-win-so-BOO-yah!' luster and reddened greatly. "She's-she's not my-" Before he could finish, Starfire cut him off when she unexpectedly jumped into his arms and trapped him in a hug. "Thank you, Robin." she murmured as she nuzzled her head into his chest. He didn't even have time to react before she released him, scooped up her prize, and trotted off to show it to the others. Robin laughed a little and scratched his elbow with a smile, then went after her to join the rest.
~Oh, oh,
Possibilities.
Take you home with me,
In your arms.~
The next stop they made was a roller coaster. It was called 'The Great Nor'easter' and consisted of 5 loops, 4 corkscrews, and a helluva lotta twists. (A/N-Hehe, I went on that when I was away last week w/ my cousin, it was really, really fun! ^-^) They all got in the suspiciously small line, and they all agreed that was because the ride seemed so intimidating. The ride was suspended, and Robin couldn't help but notice Star seemed a little nervous when she saw there was no floor and the only restraints were large overhead belts. "Step riiiiiiiiiiiiight up here! 5 tickets to ride the Great Nor'easter! C'mon, don't be shy! What doesn't kill ya makes ya stronger!" the operator cried, and slammed a button that launched the next round of unsuspecting passengers swiftly out of the starting gate. Starfire cringed as she heard them scream. Robin anxiously hopped towards the cars and sat, strapping himself in. He handed the vendor the tickets for everyone and shifted in his seat to find comfort. Slowly, Star imitated his actions and sat, her feet nervously swaying slightly in the air. Cyborg tried to sit in the car behind them, but once he did, the whole ride tilted under his weight, and everyone found something to grab lest they fall and hurt themselves. The vendor walked over to Cyborg with a curious look. "Sorry, boy, but the weight limit on this ride is 350 lbs. How much do ya weigh?" he asked. "Only about 2 metric tons!" Cyborg replied, hoping he would be able to ride. The man shook his head. "Sorry kid, you've gotta get off, unless you want to kill all these innocent people." He indicated the passengers who had filed in to the seats behind him, and when this comment was made, not one eyeball was normal-sized. "Get him off!! Get him off!" everyone called simultaneously. "Fine, fine. I'll wait for you guys at the exit." Cyborg grumbled, getting up and snatching his 5 tickets back. The ride lurched back into its normal position, and the group sighed with relief as the mechanical man despondently sulked away.
"I am NOT going on this pointless contraption." Raven muttered insolently. Beast Boy turned to her with pleading eyes. "Aw, c'mon Raven! It'll be fun!" he urged. "Precisely the reason that I don't wanna go. I'll be waiting with Cyborg." she said, crossing her arms to emphasize her point. Beast Boy sighed. "Fine. You obviously don't want to do something, and I respect that. You are a free person, and deserve to do what you please. You don't have to go on...hey what's THAT?!" he exclaimed as he pointed in the direction behind her. "Wha...?" Raven, for a moment, was confused, and turned to see what the boy had indicated. When she was distracted, Beast Boy grinned mischievously and seized Raven's wrist and before she knew it, he had whipped her into the car beside him and locked her in. She thrashed about angrily and beat the restraints in fury. "BEAST BOY!!!!!!! I'LL KILL YOU!!!!!" she shouted, quickly losing her emotionless act and replacing it with one of hate. Beast Boy merely grinned victoriously and leaned back.
Robin pointedly ignored the bickering 2 and turned back to the alien beside him, who was biting her lower lip anxiously. "Star? You alright?" he asked calmly. She tightened her grip on the restraints on either sides of her head and whimpered. "I-I have only seen these types of rides in books, and I am-well, I am a bit afraid. Are you certain this is safe?" she asked in a low voice. Robin smiled at her and nodded. "Of course it's safe, Star! I mean, who can you trust more than a carnie?" he asked with a chuckle. She did not giggle, but looked at her helpless legs in worry. "I still do not know if I want to be here..." she mumbled, fidgeting in place. Suddenly, she felt something gently clamp over her now-white knuckles. She gazed over to see Robin, smiling warmly, holding her hand gingerly. He gave it a squeeze of reassurance and all over her nervousness seemed to wash away, and she smiled back. The moment was ended when the operator sent them flying at top speed out of the gate, screaming their lungs out.
~ I never thought I'd do that,
Take me all away,
And let your body stay.~
The ride ended about 2 minutes later. The cars pulled in to let the riders out, but after it stopped, it abruptly jerked backwards, causing Starfire's head to slam into the hard headrest. She was staring forward with an emotionless expression, her mouth dangling open slightly, just barely panting. "Star? Are-are you ok?" Robin asked, feeling worried he had frightened the girl beyond no return. "Robin...." she whispered, still staring forward. "That...was.....IN-CREDIBLE!" she suddenly grew excited and bounced in her seat as she spoke and turned to face him. "Robin, that was amazing! It was scary and thrilling and death-defying and exhilarating all at the same time and OH can we go again?!" She gripped his hand eagerly as she beamed in pleasure. Robin smiled back as the belts were lifted from off their shoulders. "I'm glad you liked it! I knew you would! See, I would never let anything hurt you." There was a brief pause as she caught her breath, half from the ride and half from the flash they shared just before they took off. "C'mon, let's see what else is there!" he said, and they bustled off the ride.
Raven sat unamused in her seat, her cape completely drawn over her head and strands of her lilac hair peeking out from beneath the hood. Even with the blue cloak fully concealing her face, Beast Boy could still see the livid glint in the depths of Raven's mauve eyes. "Heh heh heh, fun huh?" he said meekly. She blew a puff of air out, blowing the cloak back into place, and fixed her hair back to her liking. "If I were you, I'd sleep with one eye open." she muttered, and left him wide-eyed and afraid, very afraid.
The next stop they made was the Merry-go-round. The operator here was a sickly skinny teenage girl no older than 16. She had enormous, thick braces complete with embarrassing headgear wrapped all about her face, and terrible skin, with large red bumps popping out everywhere. Her frizzy, dirty orange hair was pulled back into a messy braid, covered by a cap that read 'Keep on truckin'' When she spoke, she had an incredible lisp, spraying saliva on whoever was stupid enough to get close to her. "Ssssssssssssstep right up and sssssssssssssssee the wonderssssssss on the merry-go-round! It'sssssss great fun for the whole family!" Her appearance frightened many small children away, so her takers were all much older than whom the ride was designed for. Robin stepped up with Starfire first and slowly gave the tickets to the girl. "Thankssssssssss kidssssssssssss! There sssssssssshould be sssssssssssome available ssssssssseats on the other sssssssssside." she stated. Robin shook off the moisture on his clothes with disgust. "Yeah..thanks." he muttered, and Star giggled at him and began to help him clean himself off. "Y'know, I think you 2 make a really cute couple." the girl said with a somewhat smile. The 2 teens both straightened up at the same time and became rigid, staring at her in shock. "WE'RE NOT A COUPLE!" they cried in unison, then glanced back at each other, blushed, and scurried away.
~Oh, oh,
Take me by the hand.
Let me be the man,
In your arms.~
Cyborg stepped up next, although he was fully aware he couldn't go on because of his weight. He stepped over to the girl with a slight smile. "Hey, thanks, you did it perfectly." he said to her in a whisper. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, that'ssssssssss what they all ssssssssssay. Where'sssssss my compentsssssssation?" she asked him as she held out a hand expectantly. Cyborg grinned stupidly and pulled out a package of gum, the only thing he had to his name. The girl looked horrified. "Are you insssssane?! That'ssssssssss gum! My orthodondissssssssst will kill me!" she cried, smacking it out of his hand. Suddenly, she softened and looked at him seductively. "Hey, we can alwaysssssssss come to sssssssssome other agreement, if you know what I'm ssssssssaying." she muttered, causally running her fingers over his chest. Cyborg looked terrified and revolted at the same time. He jumped backwards and took off running in the other direction. "HEY! WHERE YA GOIN'?!" she shouted after him. "SOMETHING SUDDENLY CAME UP!!!" the robot replied, and sped off screaming in the distance. The girl scoffed and placed her hands at her hips. "Pff, men."
After the harrowing experience at the merry-go-round, the Titans tried some other rides, and were severely disappointed with all of them. They were now walking aimlessly through the park, as Robin counted the remaining tickets in his hand. "Well, looks like we're down to our last 10 tickets. Any suggestions?" he asked. Beast Boy beamed and zipped off, expecting the others to follow. They did, and he led them to a large, old house with fake cardboard ghosts and monsters popping out of the windows. "The haunted house!" Beast Boy said in a scary voice. Robin nodded in agreement. "I'm game!" he said, whipping out the remainder of the tickets to give to the vendor. "I'll do ANYTHING to get away from that crazy freak-girl from the merry-go-round." Cyborg muttered, cautiously glancing from side to side. Starfire smiled, not sure of what a haunted house WAS, but was willing to try anything that was new and exciting. "Finally. Something I might relatively enjoy." Raven said as she gazed up at it, walking towards the entrance.
They all went inside the dark house together. Spooky fog sifted in and out of the doorways. Starfire noticed several pairs of eyes on the paintings hung from the walls followed her when she walked. She whimpered nervously and inched in closer to the group. Cyborg looked at the cardboard cutouts of the demons with disappointment. "THIS is the haunted house? What a waste." he muttered. They approached a doorway shrouded by a long black cloak. A person covered in fake blood and with a pretend ax in their head stood next to it. "Enter, if you dare." he rasped in a frightening voice, and pulled the sheet away so they could pass. Obviously, the cheap details in the beginning were designed to throw those who ventured in off course, because within the room were much more frightening objects. They were in a dining room, looking old and decayed, spider webs draped every available corner and everything was buried beneath a fine layer of dust. A pale, wan butler stood at the head of a long table. Before them was a silver plate covered with an elegant lid. "Good evening, Masters and Madams. Welcome to Haunted Manor. I am Niles, your butler. You have just come in time to join us for dinner." he spoke with a flawless British accent. He lifted the plate quickly, revealing a person's head stuck in the plate. Hors'doevers surrounded him, giving him an appetizing appeal. "WAAAAAZZZZZAPP?!" the head asked. Robin, Raven, and Cyborg, having seen this trick done many times before, were not in the least scared. Starfire and Beast Boy however, were startled by the presence, and both shrieked like 3 year olds.
They continued the tour; the next stop seemed to be the living room. A fire place burned harmlessly in the corner. To the right was a large collection of books, to the left an old, red arm chair. Scattered papers lay over the floor, and a desk in the corner was cluttered. "I don't see what's so scary about THIS room. Cyborg said as he flopped down in the chair. A gust of wind blew through, though there were no windows. "Now where did I place my glasses? Ah, yes, here they are." a bumbling voice said out of nowhere. The Titans all whipped around searching for the owner, but found nothing. It was then they saw a pair of glasses floating unaided across the room and stopping at the bookshelf. Everyone, except for Raven, who merely rolled her eyes, tensed up and watched speechless as a book effortlessly floated towards the easy chair. "AhhhAAAhhhHAAA!" Cyborg cried and tumbled head over heals out of the seat. The invisible man apparently sat, a tiny groove was created in the cushion, and the book opened on its own. "Whoa. Creepy." Beast Boy whispered. Out of nowhere, the tiny warming fire burst into monstrous flames, crawling out of the fireplace and nearing in on the teens. Everyone, again, except for Raven, screamed and backed into the wall. The flames shot upward, starting to create an image. It formed a young woman with long, silky hair and a billowing, elegant dress. The friends could barely make out some tiny scars scattered all over her face. "Get out! Get out! GET OUT!" she shrieked, then, as they screamed bloody murder, she cackled, and dissipated back into the log. "That...was...AWESOME." Cyborg said after a long pause. "Please. Just some cheap effects and a sound system. Pathetic." Raven said, crossing her arms and continuing.
They went upstairs, closely knit together in case of another surprise. Indeed, there was; as they were walking, they came across a corridor that lead to a dead end. The walls were flourished with an ugly mauve paint, chipping away to emphasize how 'old' the house really was. At the end of the hall, 2 twin girls, no older than 6, stood holding hands. They wore very old 1940's style dresses-they were pink with a white bow tied across the middle, and a pink ribbon secured each of their hair. "Come play with us, Titans." they said together, slowly and eerily. "Come play with us...forever....and ever...and ever." Lights suddenly flashed, illuminating the once dark hallway, and when they lit up, the teens saw that blood was splattered messily over the walls and floor. Both the little girls were drenched in red fluid with severe cuts and large tears over their chests and dresses. Everyone screeched in horror, and in a flash, the lights flickered off, and the girls had disappeared. They searched the hall for them with their eyes, but they were gone. "That's it. I am NEVER having kids!" Beast Boy declared, and the others chuckled as they rummaged into an empty room.
It was a bedroom, the sheets on the bed were undone, the torn drapes wafted carelessly in the breeze, and a vanity sat lonely near the window. "Lovely room, isn't it?" someone asked behind them. Starfire visibly jumped and the others turned to see who it was. It was Niles, the British butler form downstairs. "This was the chamber of the late Madeline Wallchester." Beast Boy gulped as Raven shook her head; Beast Boy never could stand his ground when it came to the supernatural, even if it was as fake as this. "Late?" he squeaked. Niles nodded. "Yes, indeed. Passed in this very room, as a matter of fact. 1952. Very vain woman, always concerned with her looks. If I was you, I'd keep out of that vanity." he said, and left the room.
"Perhaps we should try another room...." Starfire said softly. "Aw, c'mon Star, that Niles dude is just trying to scare ya! I mean, seriously, think about it, nothing's gonna happen if I sit here. I'm sure of it." Beast Boy said, and went to sit by the mirror to prove his point. Feeling brave, he began fiddling with the things on the table. All of a sudden, the mirror fogged up, and the blurry vision of an older woman, perhaps in her late 60's, appeared, looking very angry. "You there! Boy! Get away from my things!" she cried, and batted at the glass with her clenched fist. Beast Boy yelped and stumbled backwards, crawling back to the wall where the other Titans were cemented. "I'll teach you to meddle with my things!" Madeline called, and seemingly pulled herself out of the mirror to attack them. Starfire, in fear, grabbed the nearest object she could find for support, which just so happened to be Robin's hand. He felt something lock itself in his fingers, and looked down to see Star's hand entwined with his. He smiled and gave her a little squeeze to know he was there. She looked down, saw him, and smiled back, her terror vanishing. He slipped his fingers out for a moment, only to lace them back in with hers, like the perfect couple would do.
~I never thought I'd do that,
Take me all away,
And let your body stay.~
No one noticed Robin and Starfire; the boys were high on adrenaline and were already venturing back out into the hall and going back where they saw the twins, peeking inside every door possible. When they found those were only props, they continued back downstairs into a refined ballroom. The tables in the corner were set for a banquet, but the food had long since gone bad and had fake insects crawling over them. The room was immense, with a slick wooden floor and a crystal chandelier looming eerily over them. A lone, grand piano sat sagging in the corner. "My mother trained me on the piano for several years. I was quite good. I could have played Carnegie Hall, had it not been for my....accident." Niles said, appearing out of nowhere and sauntering to the large instrument. He lifted the tails of his tuxedo, sat on the stool, and gracefully began to tickle to ivories, playing a classic Beethoven song. The second his fingers touched the keys, gangly green 'ghosts' passed through the walls, dancing together to the sweet melody on the beautiful piano. Starfire yelped softly, but Robin pulled her in closer, their shoulders now touching. Still holding her hand, he gently lead her to where the others were standing. Beast Boy and Cyborg looked a little queasy, but Raven only scoffed.
~Oh, you're gone.
Oh, you're gone.
You're gone,
You're gone to stay.~
Niles concluded his solo, and as quickly as the figures appeared, they vanished into thin air. Niles bowed to them, and in a flash was gone. The Titans stood in awe for a moment, before Beast Boy finally spoke. "Y'know, that guy reminds me of the butler in 'Mr. Deeds.' He is," he said the next part with a crude Puerto Rican accent, "very very sneaky, sir." There was a scattered chuckle from the others, but Raven only groaned as she proceeded to the next room. She found an elevator, and waited for the others there. They joined her, and watched in shock as the buttons lit up all on their own. They could see the numbers indicating the elevator was dropping growing closer and closer. Finally it stopped, and the doors slowly creaked open. A deluge of red fluid poured from the inside, spilling all over the hall and whoever got in its way. Cyborg moaned in disgust and lifted his foot to see the goopy blood-like substance completely covering his shoe. Starfire shrieked as the cold stuff slicked past her ankles. Robin let out a little surprised cry as well, but managed to clench Star's hand tighter, giving her reassurance. Beast Boy screamed in a high pitched voice and leapt 6 feet in the air, landing gracefully (and unknowingly) in Raven's arms, and they held each other Scooby Doo style. Beast Boy smiled, embarrassed, as Raven growled, giving him a scornful look. "Uh heh heh heh, hi?" She promptly dropped him, and he landed with a splash in the red mess beneath him. She pressed on, annoyance glinting in her bright eyes, with the others in tow.
"Ugh, this place is SO utterly pathetic. I have never seen so many crappy effects in my life." She scoffed and leaned against a nearby door in boredom. Suddenly, a shout was heard from behind it, which melded into a loud, strained grunt as an ax came flying through the wood. For the first time, Raven screamed, quite loudly too. She staggered backwards where the others stood, horrified. The ax retreated, only to come down hard 3 more times though the oak. A Jack Nickelson look-alike popped his head through the makeshift hole, grinning maliciously and clutching his weapon menacingly in his hands. "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE'S JOHNNY!!!!" he cried, and laughed as the teens screamed in fright. Raven shrieked in a tone the others were sure only dogs could hear, and in fear, jumped up onto Beast Boy's body, her arms pulling his head so it was pressed against her face and her legs both locked around his waist. He quickly grabbed her at the back so he wouldn't topple over under her weight. She was trembling, and her breath came out short and ragged.
"HA! Now who's scared?" Beast Boy said triumphantly, his voice slightly muffled by the dark girl's arm. He pulled his face away from hers so he could look at her, and so she could see his gloating expression. Raven cleared her throat, and typically scoffed, looking at the green boy like he was crazy. Unfortunately for her, she couldn't seem to stop shaking. "Pff, I-I wasn't scared. I was merely STARTLED by the sudden appearance of th-"
"You're still latched onto me." Beast Boy said with a grin.
Raven, realizing what she had done, released the shape shifter and set herself back down on the ground, her head hung in what the others guessed was embarrassment. She quickly paced out of the hall and towards the exit. Beast Boy smiled after her, cleaning his nails on his shirt in victory. "I hope you enjoyed that, cuz that's probably as close to second base as you're EVA gonna get!" Cyborg muttered into his ear, then, laughing, followed Raven in the direction of the door. Beast Boy scowled at him and chased after him, in a weak state of rage. Robin turned to Starfire, who all the while, had not released his hand. "Ready to go?" he asked her. She smiled and nodded, and together they walked out the door, their steps in sync and their tangled hands gently swaying back and forth. Niles greeted them at the exit. "So glad you were able to make it out alive, Masters and Madams. Do come back soon, if you dare." With that, everyone thanked him and went outside, squinting slightly under the new, bright lights that capered all about the fair. "That was FUN! Probably the best Haunted House I've ever been in!" Beast Boy exclaimed happily. "I couldn't sense much of a theme in there, but still really cool!" Cyborg commented. Raven shrugged. "Eh, it was alright." she said simply, but when Beast Boy pretended to imitate the ax-murderer, she cringed and glared at the same time.
~I never thought I'd do that.
Take me all away,
And let your body stay.~
"I really liked it! What about you, Star?" Robin said, turning to the fair- haired girl beside him. "I enjoyed it thoroughly! I believe it is fun to be frightened once so often." she said with a smile. Beast Boy checked his watch, only to look surprised. "Whoa! It's 11! We'd better get home!" he said, and started to make his way in the direction of the Tower. Raven followed, hovering slightly above the soiled ground. Cyborg turned to face the other 2. "Yo, guys, let's get a mo-" but he stopped himself when he saw them, and he couldn't help but snicker a little. "It's ok, guys. The big, bad, scary house is done, there's no reason to be afraid." he said in a babyish tone. Robin looked at him weirdly. "What?" he said in confusion. "Heh, look down." the machine said, suppressing another laugh. As instructed, the teens looked down at the same moment, and tensed up in mild shock of what they saw. They were HOLDING HANDS, a custom only those who were in a relationship did. They were both paralyzed, staring slack-jawed at Starfire's slender, smooth fingers laced with Robin's gloved ones. After a minute or so, they let go at the same time, chuckling nervously and fidgeting in place. "I-I must retrieve the prize you won for me, Robin." Star muttered, and sped off to the entrance of the house, where she left the bear upon entering so it would not be dirtied by the then-unknown contents within. Cyborg stared at Robin with a deviously smile. "Don't say a word." Robin commanded. Cyborg disobeyed the order. "You won her a BEAR?!" he cried, laughing hysterically. Robin glared, but when Starfire returned he stopped, and they all continued after Raven and Beast Boy.
"Finally! What took you guys?" Beast Boy asked when they arrived. "We had to-uh-take care of something." Robin said, shooting Cyborg a look. "Whatever. Let's just go." Raven mumbled, lifted a few feet off the ground. "Man, can't we just take the bus home or something?" Cyborg whined. Raven raised an eyebrow at him. "Why? We'd be wasting our money. Why pay for public transportation when you have the gift of flight?" she replied. Cyborg rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well incase you hadn't noticed, not ALL of us have that gift." he said, pointing to himself and Robin. "Y'know, I don't really have the energy to stay in a morphed form all the way home. Why not just take the bus then fly to the island when we get to the shore?" Beast Boy suggested. Raven sighed and touched down. "FINE. It doesn't make a difference anyway." She turned to face the approaching bus, which seemed to arrive on cue. They stepped inside, each dropping in some assorted change for the fare, and took the available seats in the back. Cyborg flopped into an empty seat alone, while Beast Boy and Raven sat in the seat behind him. They didn't speak though; Raven was gazing out the window, deep in thought, while Beast Boy had managed to start an argument with Cyborg. Starfire sat in the seat parallel to them, next to the window, and set her prize next to her. She noticed Robin searching the crowd for a place to sit, but none could be found. "Robin!" she called, and he faced her. She patted the remainder of the leather chair she sat in. "There is room here for you." she said, and Robin thankfully sat.
~Oh, you're gone.
Oh, you're gone.
You're gone,
You're gone to stay.~
Starfire yawned, the night out had drained her, and she was glad they were on their way home. She slumped against her bear, in an effort to make herself comfortable. Her head lolled on the bear's immense chest, and she inevitably closed her eyes to rest. It wasn't long before her breath had grown shallow and low. Robin smiled at the sleeping girl, she looked so adorable, he couldn't help it. He watched her until the driver called the last stop-the shore, which was their exit. He didn't want to wake her, but unless she wanted to awaken in a bus depot 30 miles away, he knew he had to. "Star?" he whispered, poking her in the side. She moaned and squeezed her eyes tighter. He gently shook her shoulder, and with this her eyes fluttered open. "C'mon, we're home." he said, his voice mellow and calm. He helped her up and carried her bear for her as she stumbled down the aisle, rubbing her eyes. They stepped off the bus, where a droopy-eyed Beast Boy, Raven, and Cyborg were waiting. They trekked down to the water, and Raven took off, effortlessly holding the flight-less Cyborg in her arms. Beast Boy changed to a hawk and followed her home. "Think you can give me a lift?" Robin asked the sleepy girl with a smile. She giggled and nodded, locking her arms around his waist. One would think that after all that happened that night that this would be awkward, but, having performed the procedure so many times before, they were both comfortable with it. As she took off, Robin looked up at her and smiled, though it was slightly concealed by the enormous bear. She gazed down at him and smiled back, touching down at the tower entrance with ease. She released him and, still grinning, they entered the tower.
~Oh, Oh.
Oh, Oh,
Oh, Oh,
I need you,
I plead you now!~
~*~ Wow that was a really long chapter! Hope you liked it! Few things-If you may or may not have noticed, I pulled a few things from 'The Shining' in the haunted house scene because its, in my opinion, the scariest movie of all time. Plus, Jack Nickelson ROCKS! ^-^ As I mentioned above, the song is by Weezer, they are awesome, so go buy their cd NOW!! Hehe. Last thing- DID YOU LIKE THE BB/R-NESS?!?! IT WAS FUN!!! WHOO! Ok, you know the drill, review! Thank you! Bye! ~*~
