((If you don't know what a blow-up doll is [or what type of blow-up doll to which I refer], you probably won't think parts of this are funny. But really, what's a good horror story without moments of sexual suggestiveness? And funny?))
Hello to the Night
Chapter Two
1
September 30th, 9:05 PM
The body on the floor wasn't Raven.
Was it?
On a hunch, Batman leaned down, snipped small chunk of Raven's purple hair and inserted it into one of the gadgets he never left the Batcave without.
The tiny monitor flashed the message: Substance analyzed. Results: substance is finely shredded plastic fiber, containing red dye.
Batman then snipped a piece of Raven's skin. A hissing sound filled the room, and he turned around automatically. Seeing nothing, he removed the fiber and inserted the skin. If he was right…
The monitor flashed, Substance analyzed. Results: substance is thin plastic, of a rubbery type frequently used in the making of inflatable toys.
He gave a half-smile. "That's not Raven, but it's a good trick. A very good trick."
"If that's not Raven," Flash asked, "then what is it?"
"It's a redheaded inflatable doll."
They blinked.
"And the blood is probably chocolate syrup."
"Wait, if that's a redheaded inflatable doll, then how can it have so many holes in it?" Aquaman asked.
Wonder Woman stared. "It's an illusion… a hologram, or something."
Flash mused, a slight smile lingering on his lips. "Chocolate syrup, huh? Only one way to find out, without over-using that gadget of yours." And with that, Flash bent, slid a finger through the dark substance, and licked it. "Yep. Chocolate syrup."
Superman laughed. "I can't believe we were fooled by something so simple as a blow-up doll and a hologram. For a minute, I thought that was really Raven's body."
"I did too." Aquaman agreed.
The elevator doors slid open again.
"It isn't really a blow-up doll, is it?" Superman asked as they stepped back inside. "It's just some sort of inflatable mannequin, right? Because if it isn't, you and Robin have something to talk about. Considering that he's only seventeen and all."
Batman paused and glared up at the Man of Steel.
The elevator stopped on another floor and the Justice League stepped into the computer room. The elevator doors closed behind them.
Of course.
Something on the ceiling began to move, and Superman sidestepped only just in time to avoid a shadowy figure with a long, spiky object. The figure began to move towards Wonder Woman. She backed away, and Flash grabbed onto it from the side.
"It's just a mannequin!" Flash laughed. "Wonder Woman, a mannequin wants to KILL you! Ah-wooooh!" He laughed more, making various 'spooky' sounds.
Wonder Woman turned, gritting her teeth. Her hand collided with Flash's cheek forcefully enough to whip his head to the side.
Aquaman's jaw dropped. Batman wasn't sure if Aquaman found Flash's rather dumb joke startling, or if it was Wonder Woman's vehement response.
"Geez, Wonder Woman. Sorry," Flash said. "You know I didn't mean it like that. You didn't have to slap me, you know."
"I… I know!" Wonder Woman gasped, wide-eyed. "But I… I didn't mean to do that!"
"What do you mean, 'you didn't mean to do that'? Seemed pretty intentional to me." Flash released the mannequin long enough to rub his cheek.
The mannequin, which had stilled in Flash's grasp, reanimated. It went straight for Wonder Woman again.
This time, she used the Lasso of Truth on it, and the mannequin finally powered down.
The Caped Crusader took out a flashlight and swept the beam of light across the room. The light revealed nothing else out of the ordinary.
The elevator doors opened, and they went back in.
"I meant," Wonder Woman told Flash in a low voice, "that I didn't mean to slap you."
The elevator stopped at another floor, and they stepped out.
2
Raven's lips quirked into the tiniest of smiles as the JLA entered the room the Titans had earmarked. The image of her corpse had disturbed them deeply. The mannequin in the computer room had startled them.
It was time to scare them.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos," she whispered, concentrating on the images of fanged black birds with red eyes.
.
.
.
Batman turned around slowly, trying to see into every corner of the room. The room was empty… wasn't it?
No, it couldn't be. This was a haunted house. Haunted houses didn't just take you into empty rooms. That defeated the purpose.
A shadow moved.
Wonder Woman gasped and backed away, towards the elevator.
He, Superman, Flash, and Aquaman turned in her direction to see a peck of black birds with red eyes.
Batman could barely make them out.
The birds opened their beaks, revealing shiny, sharp teeth, unleashing a strange, breathy sound.
And then they sprang.
.
.
.
Focus, Raven, focus. She told herself. Attack her, but do not touch her. Bring her here.
Her eyes snapped open.
.
.
.
The birds buried Wonder Woman in a writhing, shadowy mass of black and red.
And then, Wonder Woman was gone.
"My god!" Superman gasped.
Flash's eyes widened. "Freaking CRAP!"
Aquaman appeared to have been stunned speechless.
3
October 1st, 2:00:00 AM
The couch, which had been thumping and pounding, jumping and wrestling, and doing various impressive stunts (after eating Flash alive) suddenly slammed into the ground, assuming the standard couch position and becoming tame.
Batman and Superman stared, eyes wide and jaws agape, as the room changed. The blood effects vanished, the doors unlocked, and a table lamp turned on.
Down the hall, a door hissed open, and four sets of feet sounded on the floor, moving towards them.
Down the hall in the opposite direction, three sets of feet trooped towards them.
"Well?" Robin's voice asked. He glided smoothly into the room, Cyborg and Beast Boy behind him. Starfire floated beside him.
"Man, you should have seen your faces!" Flash laughed as he entered. "It was the greatest thing!"
"YOUR face when that tentacle monster dragged Aquaman off wasn't too shabby either!" Wonder Woman reminded him, entering behind him. "And I'll bet all of our faces were probably entertaining when those bird-things dragged me off."
"The not-rats in the basement were good," Aquaman laughed.
"So, it's a good haunted house?" Cyborg asked. "Did you like the Killer Couch?"
Batman turned to face him. "Yes and yes."
Laughing, Superman told Cyborg, "I definitely liked the Killer Couch. But those fanged birds? And when Wonder Woman slapped Flash? Priceless."
Robin allowed a smile. "All courtesy of Raven."
"I'm glad you liked them," Raven informed them all in a monotone. With that, she stalked towards the corridor on the opposite end of the room. "And now I'm going to bed."
…
…
They're out of order in war
They're out of order in love
They need to feed, they both agree
The hawk and the dove
-- Eddie and the Tide, Power Play