Chapter Three: Cloaked in Dust
"I guess they aren't as fast right now," Beast Boy stated.
"How do we know that this isn't a trap? That they didn't just steal the panic button of someone important?" Robin asked.
Cyborg shook his head and closed the panel. "It wouldn't be that simple. First, they would have to be on Justice League wavelength. Second, there's a very long and complex code that would trigger the alarm. Third, it's been encrypted with codes that-"
"Okay, we get it," Beast Boy said. "It's real."
"And the danger is also real," Starfire said as she looked at the mall.
Robin sighed and finally mumbled, "Titans, move out."
******
"Now we finally get to visit the mall together, friend Raven!"
"Uh, this really isn't the best way to act out that little fantasy, I don't think," Raven said. She was in the process of removing a lock from the roof- access door while Starfire was blasting one of the smaller spiders.
Using starbolts to push the arachnid off the roof, the redhead went on, "But I have waited for this day for so long! I have read so much about 'hanging' at the mall and I wish to do so very badly."
Raven shrugged off the sign of affection and said, "The lock's off, finally. They really aren't cutting corners on security here."
"Aside from letting many mean spiders in," Starfire said.
After a moment of hesitation, Raven said, "Good point. How are we going to get rid of these things, any way?"
"From the pictures I have seen, malls are made of narrow hallways, stores, and high ledges over the large, open court of food and ring of skating. If we draw them up to the top of the mall, we can push them off the ledges like I did with that one just now."
"You really have been studying the mall a lot, haven't you?"
Starfire nodded vigorously and headed inside. Raven took a cleansing breath and followed.
******
A green elephant charged down the main hallway of the mall, plowing through a dozen spiders. Just behind the powerful pachyderm, the team leader delivered flying kicks to eight-eyed heads. Cyborg provided cover fire for the therianthropic warrior. After just four of the spiders were defeated, the others retreated.
A civilian poked his head out of a shoe store and said, "Are they gone?"
Robin nodded and waved him out. A small group of mall-goers followed him and ran out of the building. Beast Boy switched back to his natural form.
"You think there are more inside?" the shape shifter asked.
"If the ones so close to the door got caught in here, I don't think the ones closer inside are any better off," Robin said. "We'd better check all the stores as we go through." Inhuman shrieks were heard from down the hall. "I guess that means they know we're here."
******
Musak drifted down the halls along with a kayak shrouded in darkness. Raven pulled the boat from a sporting goods store to use as a battering ram of sorts. Starfire admired stores as the heroes passed them.
"We must remember to go by there later. That place interests me as well. What is lingerie, friend Raven? The pictures outside that store are very pretty."
Raven, in turn, answered each comment. "Whatever. That's nice. Don't ask. Sure thing. What happened to all those spiders, any way?"
"Perhaps they fear us or are going to fight Robin, Beast Boy and Cyborg."
"Something's not right."
"I thought that large spiders weren't supposed to be at the mall. Why would them being gone suddenly be not right?"
"What? No, I don't- It's just that- wait, what? No, I mean-" Raven was stumbling with how to explain her previous statement, but at that moment they were attacked.
The spiders burst out from the windows which were covered in posters. They all jumped out simultaneously and began the attack just as fast. Some circled around to block off exit while others leaped straight from the shards of the windows onto the girls. The small boat which Raven had taken earlier was useful in swatting away the monstrosities. Starfire, however immediately had to grapple with one of the spiders.
The fright of the moment dispelled the feelings which supported her flight. Starfire hit the ground and more of the spiders crawled over her. Raven made her best attempts to assist her teammate, but the spell caster had an offensive going on against her at the time.
Just as the spiders seemed to get the upper hand over the pair, a distant boom could be heard. Feet marching in synchronization beat rhythmically against the sticky tile floor. The spiders began to scramble away from the sound, giving Raven and Starfire an opening to beat back the many-jointed creatures. Starfire threw the last of the spiders off and looked to where she had heard the sound. Reinforcements wearing police riot gear marched shoulder to shoulder down the passage.
"Oh, thank you, nice officers who scare the spiders!" the now-free Starfire said. The marchers stood silent and still for a moment.
Raven, however, was not so grateful. "Starfire," she said, "that's not the police."
"I guess they aren't as fast right now," Beast Boy stated.
"How do we know that this isn't a trap? That they didn't just steal the panic button of someone important?" Robin asked.
Cyborg shook his head and closed the panel. "It wouldn't be that simple. First, they would have to be on Justice League wavelength. Second, there's a very long and complex code that would trigger the alarm. Third, it's been encrypted with codes that-"
"Okay, we get it," Beast Boy said. "It's real."
"And the danger is also real," Starfire said as she looked at the mall.
Robin sighed and finally mumbled, "Titans, move out."
******
"Now we finally get to visit the mall together, friend Raven!"
"Uh, this really isn't the best way to act out that little fantasy, I don't think," Raven said. She was in the process of removing a lock from the roof- access door while Starfire was blasting one of the smaller spiders.
Using starbolts to push the arachnid off the roof, the redhead went on, "But I have waited for this day for so long! I have read so much about 'hanging' at the mall and I wish to do so very badly."
Raven shrugged off the sign of affection and said, "The lock's off, finally. They really aren't cutting corners on security here."
"Aside from letting many mean spiders in," Starfire said.
After a moment of hesitation, Raven said, "Good point. How are we going to get rid of these things, any way?"
"From the pictures I have seen, malls are made of narrow hallways, stores, and high ledges over the large, open court of food and ring of skating. If we draw them up to the top of the mall, we can push them off the ledges like I did with that one just now."
"You really have been studying the mall a lot, haven't you?"
Starfire nodded vigorously and headed inside. Raven took a cleansing breath and followed.
******
A green elephant charged down the main hallway of the mall, plowing through a dozen spiders. Just behind the powerful pachyderm, the team leader delivered flying kicks to eight-eyed heads. Cyborg provided cover fire for the therianthropic warrior. After just four of the spiders were defeated, the others retreated.
A civilian poked his head out of a shoe store and said, "Are they gone?"
Robin nodded and waved him out. A small group of mall-goers followed him and ran out of the building. Beast Boy switched back to his natural form.
"You think there are more inside?" the shape shifter asked.
"If the ones so close to the door got caught in here, I don't think the ones closer inside are any better off," Robin said. "We'd better check all the stores as we go through." Inhuman shrieks were heard from down the hall. "I guess that means they know we're here."
******
Musak drifted down the halls along with a kayak shrouded in darkness. Raven pulled the boat from a sporting goods store to use as a battering ram of sorts. Starfire admired stores as the heroes passed them.
"We must remember to go by there later. That place interests me as well. What is lingerie, friend Raven? The pictures outside that store are very pretty."
Raven, in turn, answered each comment. "Whatever. That's nice. Don't ask. Sure thing. What happened to all those spiders, any way?"
"Perhaps they fear us or are going to fight Robin, Beast Boy and Cyborg."
"Something's not right."
"I thought that large spiders weren't supposed to be at the mall. Why would them being gone suddenly be not right?"
"What? No, I don't- It's just that- wait, what? No, I mean-" Raven was stumbling with how to explain her previous statement, but at that moment they were attacked.
The spiders burst out from the windows which were covered in posters. They all jumped out simultaneously and began the attack just as fast. Some circled around to block off exit while others leaped straight from the shards of the windows onto the girls. The small boat which Raven had taken earlier was useful in swatting away the monstrosities. Starfire, however immediately had to grapple with one of the spiders.
The fright of the moment dispelled the feelings which supported her flight. Starfire hit the ground and more of the spiders crawled over her. Raven made her best attempts to assist her teammate, but the spell caster had an offensive going on against her at the time.
Just as the spiders seemed to get the upper hand over the pair, a distant boom could be heard. Feet marching in synchronization beat rhythmically against the sticky tile floor. The spiders began to scramble away from the sound, giving Raven and Starfire an opening to beat back the many-jointed creatures. Starfire threw the last of the spiders off and looked to where she had heard the sound. Reinforcements wearing police riot gear marched shoulder to shoulder down the passage.
"Oh, thank you, nice officers who scare the spiders!" the now-free Starfire said. The marchers stood silent and still for a moment.
Raven, however, was not so grateful. "Starfire," she said, "that's not the police."