Disclaimer: See first chapter.
The Slightly Bizarre Challenge: Part 5
Beast Boy turned away and stood up. Oh, yeah, he thought. Real smooth. What are you doing getting all touchy-feely with Raven anyway?
He walked over to the box that had once contained the Swiffer and looked inside. "Do you think the exit's in here?" he asked.
Raven rubbed her cheek softly where he had touched her. It felt warmer than usual. "I think so," she replied. "I'm pretty sure the floor beneath it is hollow."
Beast Boy tried to move the box. Then he tried again in gorilla form. Finally, he turned into an elephant and crushed the box entirely.
That's one way to do it, Raven thought, moving to his side. Beast Boy knelt down and tossed a few broken pieces of wood out of the way. Beneath the rubble, there was what looked like a thin door. It was similar to the doors and Titans Tower: you couldn't really notice it unless you were looking for it.
"So," he asked, "How do we get it open?"
Raven began to focus. "We could always try your way." She shot a blast of energy at the floor and blew the opening... well, open.
Beast Boy looked back and forth from the perfect rectangle on the floor to his friend with a blank gaze. "That's one way," he said.
Raven examined the hole. "The only part of the room not inlaid with chrystium," she murmured. The opening was the exact size and shape of the bottom of what used to be the box guarding it: the length of a large TV and the width of a computer monitor.
"Think we can fit through there?" Beast Boy wondered aloud.
"You can turn into something small."
"And you?"
"In my ghosting form, I can fit through any hole air can."
Beast Boy stood again. "Well, okay then. Let's go." He was about to jump through, but Raven stopped him.
"What if there's another trap?"
Beast Boy paused. "Or another 'challenge'," he agreed. "I'll go first and check things out."
Raven frowned at him. "Why you?"
"Because, Slade already knows your weakness. Any trap he's set probably wouldn't be affected by your powers."
"And you?"
He shrugged with a grin. "Brute strength works on almost everything." Before she could stop him again, he turned onto a cat and leaped into the hole.
Raven listened closely. Not a sound. She couldn't even tell if he had hit the floor. If there was a floor.
Don't be stupid, she thought. If all it is is a big ditch, he can just fly out of there. Unless there really was a trap, and he got caught in it.
He dark thoughts were soon interrupted.
"It's okay, Raven," Beast Boy called from the hole. "Everything's cool."
Sighing with relief, Raven changed into ghosting form and slid down the hole.
When she sensed that there was enough room for her solid form, she became tangible again and floated until her feet touched the floor.
"Beast Boy?" She squinted into the darkness. It was black as pitch down there.
"Right here," he said from behind her.
She turned around and tried to make out his form. "I can't see a thing," she said, finally.
"I can."
"You can?"
He turned around. At least, she assumed he turned around, as a pair of glowing white eyes hovered before her, and she didn't think he'd been keeping his eyes closed.
"Sure," said the owner of the eyes. "I've got great night vision.
She frowned. "Hmm. I've never noticed that your eyes glow in the dark."
She guessed that he grinned. "Pretty cool, huh? C'mon. There's a passage we can follow."
"You sure it's the right one?"
"Must be. It's the only one there is." The eyes turned away.
"Beast Boy," Raven said irritably.
The eyes turned back. "What?"
"I can't see, remember."
There was a pause. "Oh, right," came the sheepish reply. "Here, give me your hand and I can lead you through."
Raven tentatively stretched a hand into the dark, then felt a gloved hand take it. "This way," he said, and began leading her through the shadows.
Gee, this is getting interesting. I wonder what happens next. R/R!