(Author's Notes/Disclaimer for this Chapter: Yeah, this is a very long chapter, and again I apologize to readers for the long lag. If you are reading this and you know you haven't submitted a review yet, please do! Thanks darkkitty for sticking with my story so far, I appreciate it! Yes, Brother Blood is definitely planning something; I assure you I'll make it as malign and clever as possible.
Ahem! You'll notice that the Opera ahead is packed full of Romeo/Juliet references, so as a chapter disclaimer, I'm announcing that Romeo and Juliet was written by Shakespeare an not myself (the scenario of two young lovers separated by a feud between two personal forces) and I mind as well say here that I don't own the Titans, but I shouldn't have to since this site is for fan fiction only and only a dolt would believe that I have copyrighted the story for myself.
And yes, I made up those Tamaranian words, and the Z Games are supposed to be like the X Games in Philadelphia. Part two will include the actual Opera.
Okay, without further adieu, here is the beginning of chapter 6! )
Chapter 6: A Night to Remember
Part One: The Invitation
The Eastern Jump City Mercy Hospital was unconditionally white, from the sleek tiled floors striped gray by the scraping soles of worried people's shoes and trudging medical persons, to the immaculate walls lined with health posters and calming pictures, and the ghostly pale curtains adorning the windows. Even the lights were not the sloppy yellow color you see in schools or libraries, but a pure cloud color, as if this place were the waiting room between heaven and earth. People sat in the lobby reading magazines, or with their heads held submissively in their hands, but the children, who are perhaps the most ignorant to the clashing of fates around them, stood bored, eyeing up sweets in the vending machines or running around the chairs squealing as their parents made a fuss trying to catch them.
In an emergency room that had once been bustling with activity, a moderate quiet blanketed the air save the hum of the oxygen tank or the squirting noise of the IV tube. The four backs of the Titans were encompassing a bed where Beast Boy's weary head was resting on a fluffy white pillow. He was snoring loudly, with a few bandages on his face and his chest practically mummified by gauze wrappings. The doctor's had treated his wounds expertly, and removed every trace of the harmful acid before it could do more damage. Thankfully, he would recover in time, and since he was still growing, they estimated only a small circular scar on his chest over his heart would remain a physical reminder of his deed.
The Titans had spent that Monday in the hospital; watching their fallen member's steady progression with worrisome eyes. They were all equally grieving that the ecstatic and lively Beast Boy was injured to the point of a subdued and fitful state; and Starfire stood feeling heavily guilty for her friends sacrifice, her eyes shining with emotion, while at the same time eternally thankful. The hour was 6:00 pm, and they had gotten little rest since their fight, making each one of them exhausted and irritable from their heads to their toes. Cyborg paced back and forth in front of the window, but instead of doing it out of worry for Beast Boy when he was being operated on, he was now impatient to uphold Robin's promise to Titan's East. The burden of not being there for the novice squad weighed heavily upon the androids shoulders; and he knew he would feel partially responsible if Bumble Bee's team was lacking in clues because they weren't there to assist.
Starfire yawned, careful not to do it disruptively, and stretched with her arms in the air.
"I would very much like something to eat, it is near dinner time. Does anyone wish to join me in the cafeteria?" She offered courteously. Raven stood up from her chair and, after the Tamaranian checked to make sure no one else wanted to accompany her and Raven; departed. Cyborg stopped his pacing and placed a hand on the windowsill, his grip on the smooth metal ledge becoming tighter and tighter. Robin watched this silently behind his friend's back; and when it looked as if the humanoid would crush the ledge, he said curtly:
"Cy', stop before you break it."
Cyborg let go and spun around, his expression clearly reading agitation. Robin walked over to him and then asked quietly, as to not awaken his sleeping comrade:
"What's bothering you so much?"
Cyborg's breathing was heavier and irregular; a very faint thing that only someone with keen eyes such as Robin's would have noticed.
"We were supposed to help the other Titan's investigate for evidence as soon as we were finished with Ternion." He said flatly. Robin was concerned with his friend's attitude; but he also knew the android felt bad for wanting to leave Beast Boy, deep down. He knew he had to be cautious with his words.
"I know you want to go to them and that you're afraid they can't hold together; that they aren't strong enough. I felt the same way when we the original team first formed; but now I know that you just have to trust and have confidence in your teammates. You can't stand behind them forever; you've got to give them the chance to walk on their own." He said. His words did not pacify Cyborg's fretting antics. Instead, the android snapped back:
"You don't understand, they need us, they need me, someone who knows Brother Blood's tricks more than anyone. Without our help, they could just be getting themselves into more trouble. I can't just stand here while that freak is on the loose…"
"Cyborg, there's no need to get edgy-"
"Who says I'm edgy?" Cyborg snarled. Now Robin was sure he knew what the virus was that was enveloping his friend in his strange 'fever': it was a disease he too had had, once, when Slade still lurked in the shadows.
"Are you sure you do not doubt their ability so much as you want to find Brother Blood?"
"Of course not!" Cyborg said, even more irritably. "They're just getting in water too deep to stand in."
"I've said this before: if you become obsessed with finding a criminal; it will consume you and lead you into no good. I really think it would be best that you did not go until they call for back up again." Robin replied to Cyborg gently.
The android couldn't get Bumble Bee's disappointed face out of his head. This only fueled his stress; and soon he became angry when he realized the truth. He was obsessed, completely.
"I just don't know what to do…I need to get some air, it's too cramped in here…" Cyborg muttered, and Robin watched him out of the corner of his eye when he left the room. He sighed heavily and flopped down into a chair, watching the IV fluid slowly drip down the tube. A half an hour passed by; and the Boy Wonder decided it was time to go. He gave Beast Boy one final glance before exiting the room; and the silence lingered.
When Robin found Starfire and Raven in the lobby; he approached them and noticed that his telepathic friend who usually minded her own business was looking at a colorful advertisement brochure; sitting in one of the chairs with her legs casually crossed. Starfire was busy trying to help a little boy get a bag of cookies out of the vending machine without simply blasting a hole in it. He stepped up to Raven's chair as nonchalant as possible and asked:
"What's that?"
Raven flushed slightly under her hood, bringing a tinge of rose to her pallor face, and held it up for him to see. She replied in her soft, calm voice as Robin skimmed over the calligraphy and exquisite pictures of costumes and dramatic scenes: "A new opera is appearing at the Theater of the Performing Arts. My favorite one, actually, though so far I have only read the script."
Robin read in the print that the group of foreign performers would only be there this week; and it was their final tour to America.
"So, what's it about?"
"A love story." Raven half sighed with the palm of her left hand on her chin. This surprised Robin greatly, and he was careful not to let it show, but Raven normally read strange, depressing or dark literature. Then it made sense when he heard her add: "…and a war, between demons and angels."
"And you want to go?"
"I…well, yes, truly. I know that's impossible now with Brother Blood on the loose." She replied dismally, whispering the last sentence as to evade prying ears. Robin frowned inwardly; there were rare times when Raven was willing to do something with the group outside of fighting and daily tasks, and now when she had finally come out of her shell, the opportunity was bleak. Maybe I can make this work out for her… Robin thought to himself.
"Well, we aren't going anywhere without Beast Boy. You can go tomorrow if you want." Robin offered, handing her the brochure back over her shoulder. He sat by her side as she said:
"Won't Cyborg be let down?"
"He'll get over it; he needs to cool down." Robin replied reassuringly. Then, he thought of an idea. "Would you care if all of us went?"
Raven's lips tightened as she thought over it. The opera was special to her; it was a work of art she had been reading ever since she was a teenager, and had provided influence and meaning in her upbringing, just as every other book and scroll was a part of her. Since Beast Boy was asleep, Cyborg was the next in line when she thought of who wouldn't really care for an opera. Starfire would probably enjoy the spectacle rather than the meaning since she wasn't very complacent with earth literature of that magnitude quite yet, and Robin, well; he was open-minded to a lot of things. Perhaps they would enjoy the distraction after their fight with Ternion.
"I'd like for the rest of you to go." Raven replied quietly, clutching the now crinkled brochure to her breast. Then, a new antagonist presented itself, and she frowned. "Robin, how will we get the tickets on such short notice?"
A heavyset man with slicked back hair, a comical black mustache, and a red plump face overheard their conversation and approached them. He had on a lavish tuxedo with a red silk sash around his belly.
"Well if it isn't the mighty courageous Titans themselves! Oh, well, minus two members that is, but I take it they aren't far off." Said the man jovially. Robin, Raven, and Starfire, who had now flipped over the vending machine with her alien strength and was shaking it like one shakes out the last stubborn grains of salt in a shaker (to the child's amazed amusement), looked at him. "Oh! Forgive me, but I couldn't help but overhear you talking about the opera in town. You wish to go?"
Raven nodded accordingly, not knowing what to say. To their surprise, the strange newcomer bowed to them most humbly. "I believe I should back things up a tad. You see; my daughter, Bethany Sanders, was in that particular part of town that tyrant of a monster ravaged, and if it weren't for you five she may have suffered more than a broken arm right about now. I am in debt to you."
"We were just doing our duty, sir. There's no need to bow." Robin told him, shaking his head but smiling, a little flattered.
"You mean Bethany Sanders, daughter of John Sanders?" Raven asked suddenly. The man nodded. "Than that means you…"
"Own the playhouse? Certainly! And to make amends for my boon, I'm inviting you and any of your friends to witness the opera tomorrow night."
It was Raven's turn to be abashed, and she flushed timidly. "That's unnecessary, really…"
"But I insist! Tell you what, I'll even make it box seats." John Sanders said, reaching in his coat pocket for something. "Now where'd I put that blasted…ah! Here it is!" He took out a golden sheet of paper. "This here's an invitation certificate. 'Fraid your party can't exceed 30, but you know, there's only so much room…"
"We'll take it!" Robin said gratefully, before the man offered up his house next. John Sanders handed him the crisp document.
"Thank you so much." Raven breathed as she looked over it. The man waved his hand and smiled.
"No trouble at all, young lady. I look forward to seeing you there. Do keep in mind that we have a strict 'no food, no drink, no animals' policy?" He joked as he walked off surprisingly fast for a man his size.
"I guess that means Beast Boy couldn't come even he wanted to." Raven smirked as she watched Mr. Sanders disappear around a corner.
Starfire reached her arm into the now right-side-up vending machine and fished for the bag of cookies, her tongue peeking out from between her lips in concentration, the little boy jumping up and down with enthusiasm. She smiled as she pulled it out and handed the boy the bag of snacks; who blushed heavily with shyness at her beauty and ran off. She joined Robin and Raven, sitting down, and asked:
"Please, inform me, what is this 'opera' you speak of?"
"Its like a play, only more sophisticated and longer. The characters are well developed and you get easily attached to them. It consists entirely of song; and the music is played by a live orchestra, oh, that's like a band, except they use classical instruments." Robin explained. Starfire gasped and smiled widely; doing a little dance of excitement.
"Like the traditional k'nugsplats played during the festivities of National Glorftag Day on my home planet; the ones that involve using one's toes to string the bottom portion, and using ones hands drum, while blowing into the tube of the upper portion, making a wonderful sound similar to earth whales? It is a glorious sound; and an art on Tamaran."
"Er, yea, just like that, Star." Raven replied shortly, somewhat agog at what else to say. Robin smiled, but it quickly vanished as Cyborg approached them.
"What's up?" He asked as he came over, apparently his mood had returned to normal.
"We are going to an opera tomorrow night!" Starfire announced joyously.
"An Opera? How come?"
"Raven suggested we go; she says it's a once in a life time chance. I hear it's a very famous one as well." Robin told him, hoping the Android would catch the hint in his voice not to be short. Fortunately, he was spared.
"Alright, will I have to wear a suit?" Cyborg asked. "'Cause I'm kinda difficult when it comes to getting fancy and all…"
"We'll figure out something." Raven said, smiling faintly, which made the others happy.
"You can always use Beast Boy as a fur coat." Robin joked, giving into temptation. The others snorted and tried not to laugh. They left the hospital content; with Starfire chattering on and on about Tamaranian music, and Robin keeping a close eye on Cyborg.
In his hospital room, whether from karma or coincidence, Beast Boy groaned as he had nightmares about being worn as a mink coat…
The Titans slept like dead things Monday night; exhausted from their fight Sunday evening and spending a day in the hospital to make sure their friend would pull it through. It was the same Monday that Gwen had pushed aside the manhole for the first time in a long time; and the day Brother Blood hypnotized Blake. A new dawn arose; magenta and purple on the horizon, and with the coming day Cyborg was the first to awaken. He made himself a quick breakfast, zapped some bacon and eggs in the microwave, and shoved the leftovers in the refrigerator before scribbling a quick note down. He had thought deeply before allowing himself to sleep last night, and decided he would spend the day helping Titan's East with anything they might have needed assistance with. He wrote that he'd be back in time for Raven's opera; and apologized for splitting on them, and rationalized that it was just something he felt he had to do. Robin had told him to follow his instincts, and after clearing his head, his instincts told him to go.
The T-car's engine purred like a cat waiting to be given a treat as Cyborg took it onto the highway. It was so early that traffic was scarce, and so he showed the gas pedal no mercy. As he crossed the great bridge leading Steel City, the sunrise peered up on the horizon, and he looked to his left as the great fiery orb arose in the sky, contrasting red against the blue ocean. It was a beautiful thing to see, living on the coast. He rolled down his window despite the cold winter air and inhaled deeply, the smell of a brand new day. He listened to some of his favorite bands on the authentic, one of a kind stereo system, as only a half-computer, half-human could invent.
After tearing up the asphalt for an hour, he reached Steel City. Driving through the white streets splashed with black salt and people scuffling back and forth, he rested his arm on the window and tapped his fingers to the beat of a song. Titan's East loomed in the distance, and he parked the car on the top of the precipice near the great tower before taking the elevator shaft down the cliff to the entrance. He knocked on the front doors, and a little screen next to him buzzed into focus. The scruffy and downright tired face of Aqualad appeared; dark circles under his already black eyes, and Cyborg lowered himself to the screens level and grinned.
"Mornin' sunshiiiiine!" He jeered, mocking Aqualad's haggard expression and waving cheekily.
Aqualad made a face, groaned something, and opened the doors, which slid into the wall with a 'shupth!' noise. Cyborg waltzed in and found Speedy half awake, lounging on one of the couches, the usually accurate archer trying to shove a doughnut in his mouth but it wasn't working out too well. Mas y Menos were sitting at the bar guzzling orange juice and talking fervently in Spanish, but very grumpily. Aqualad was now trying to get himself some breakfast out of the refrigerator; and Bumble Bee appeared to be the only one awake as she walked into the living room with her head held high and her transparent wings folded back with dignity. She shot a quick surveillance glance to the kitchen and across the living room, and spotted Cyborg near the door.
"Hey Sparky, what brings you here so early?" Bee asked huffily; her one hand on her hip. She wasn't going to let him off easy for not helping them; even if they were friends by now.
"How many times to I have to tell you NOT TO CALL ME SPARKY." Cyborg growled dangerously, gritting his teeth. He sat down on one of the sofas near Speedy in his frustration. "We beat Ternion; but Beast Boy got hurt and we had to take him to the hospital. He got banged up pretty bad."
Bumble Bee bit her lip and sat down with him and Speedy. Now you did it, she thought, you picked the wrong time to be annoying. She put on her serious face and folded her arms.
"Cyborg, I'm so sorry; I didn't know." She apologized, looking at him sadly. "Will he be okay?"
"Would I be here if he wasn't? C'mon, Beast Boy can pull through anything. The doctor's say he'll go home in a few days." Cyborg said. Then, he leaned back and put his shoes up on the coffee table. "So, you guys going to continue investigating?"
"No, we've got everything we could get, today we're just training." Speedy mumbled through a mouthful of powdered doughnut. He swallowed and took a huge gulp of milk to wash it all down, then wiped his mouth with the side of his hand.
"Where're the other Titans?" Bumble Bee questioned.
"They have other things they need to get done." Cyborg returned bluntly. To tell the truth, the fight had taken more out of them than they expected, and the rest of the Titans were probably still asleep. "Well, should we get started?"
Bumble Bee led him into a room where the computer was and showed him the little clues that they had found. Torn clothing on the fence, a trail of blood leading into the North Eastern wilderness, and a long black hair was all the evidence they had recovered.
"What's interesting is not the shreds of clothing or the blood, we know who's that is, but the hair." Bumble Bee said as she clicked on a window file to display the black hair and all information attached. "When I asked the guards about it, they said that the other fugitive that helped him escape was a female prisoner they were interrogating for possible murder."
"What's her story?" Cyborg asked as he gazed at the computer screen.
"Apparently it was near the slums. There was a building on fire, and a woman trapped inside. She leapt from her story high above and in mid-air she stopped falling, as if an invisible force had caught her. So the witnesses say."
"The fugitive caught her?"
"Yes. She used some kind of energy field to hold the woman up in thin air and prevent her from falling, but she was recognized as a heavily wanted criminal in the area by the police once they saw her face, and they tackled her, and the woman fell as if the shield popped, to her death." Bumble Bee explained.
"What kind of crimes did she commit to earn a bad rep' with the police?" Cyborg asked. Something didn't quite fit here.
"Petty theft; and starting fights, with the police or whoever." Bumble Bee snorted. "Which means that she was probably some poor girl just trying to make a living in the streets; another victim of poverty. What's interesting is that she isn't the only one."
Bumble Bee brought up a police profile and with a series of clicks had a collage of wanted files. There were no names given, only descriptions and a few outrageous sketch attempts.
"There are 6 of them total. A gang of older teens and young adults known to the authorities as "The Shadow Raiders" because they come at night and steal; then leave before daybreak. They've never stolen anything of great value, just whatever they needed to sustain themselves."
"So what's the big deal, then?"
"The deal is that these aren't just your typical thugs. They each have something wrong with them, or that's what the police say. A few officers that have faced 'em on duty recall that one of them looks like a half woman, half cat. Another officer says that one of them had the most abnormal, unfamiliar weapons he'd ever seen, like something out of a science fiction movie. They say that the leader, Gwen's her name, uses shields to block the bullets while the others grab the goods. Its rumored that one boy can manipulate ice and water. No one knows where their hide out is. They've formed into quite the team." Bumble Bee said grimly. "And you know who has a bad habit of sniffin' out teams."
"Blood." Cyborg muttered under his breath. "You're suggesting that when he and this Gwen escaped, they made some sort of deal that would lead Brother Blood to the gang?"
"Exactly. I'll bet they made a pact in prison when the guards were trying to open the door, her freedom in exchange for access to her team." Bumble Bee said, and shut the computer down. "He could be anywhere in the city. The Shadow Raiders have struck all over the place in the past; and now police haven't seen any suspicious activity since the escape."
"He's going to try and control them, and create a new team of assassins." Cyborg said somberly as they headed out of the room. For a few seconds there was no noise except for the clatter of their shoes on the floor. "How come they couldn't get any information to access their identities?"
"All 6 of their identities have been deleted from the government system." Bumble Bee said, a look of knowledge dawning on Cyborg's face. She couldn't help but smile.
"They have a hacker?" Cyborg guessed. His friend nodded her head accordingly and they entered the living room, where the rest of the team was geared up and ready for training.
Cyborg spent the day helping his friends hone in on their skills and sharpen the ones that needed attention. Aqualad practiced on concentrating his control over water into successful forms that could strike their target with a more potent force, and taught himself a few useful tricks such as creating a thin, slippery sheet of water on the floor, barely visible, that could make enemies slip and slide or even fall down. Bumble Bee practiced her aim with her twin B-shaped electric-pulse guns that were capable of firing stinging bolts of energy. Mas y Menos worked on moving objects using a tornado created from running in circles; and also on their stopping times. Speedy focused on quickening his reactions, such as firing one of his unique arrows after coming out of a flip in mid air where the target could be anywhere, so he had to shoot at odd angles. Even though they still did not know of Brother Blood's whereabouts, the Titans of Steel City felt content after a day of hard work in the advanced gym.
When they had finally finished, they replenished themselves and ate a quick meal. At around 2:30in the afternoon Cyborg prepared to leave, remembering his promise to the others to attend the opera.
"Alright, I gotta get going guys, call me if anything comes up." Cyborg said as he headed towards the door.
"Ay! Por que estas dejando mas temprano? Tu tienes mucho tiempo todavia." Menos asked in fluent Spanish, sitting on the couch and watching previous sports footage of the Z-Games, his brother playing with the white remote with glowing blue buttons idly. The two now looked up at him questionably.
It was times like these that Cyborg was thankful that he could install language programs into his computerized linguistics. He understood what Menos had asked him and replied over his shoulder: "I'm leaving because I promised the others I'd go to something with them; or else I'd stay longer." The two Hispanic twins could understand enough of Cyborg's words to groan with disappointment.
"Where are you going, anyway?" Aqualad asked, trying not to sound nosey, sitting at the counter.
"It doesn't matter, but I have to leave so I can figure out a way to get dressed up without ripping a bunch of rental suits in the process." Cyborg said, the thought of it starting to fluster him. Clothing didn't come easy for someone so robust as himself; Cyborg wore only the armor designed for him.
"I don't think they make tuxedos size 'equator'." Came Bumble Bee's joking, assertive voice as she walked into the lounge past the kitchen. Cyborg turned his head around slowly, his brow coming down in a childish, glowering glare similar to the one he'd given her when they were arguing in the halls of the underwater HIVE facility.
"Ha ha. Very funny." Cyborg grunted. He resumed walking to the door after he said: "It's been fun, but I really have to get going."
"Oh, well, bye then." Bumble Bee said briefly. Was there a hint of letdown in her voice? Cyborg felt another pang of what he assumed was guilt. Speedy, who sat on the couch near Mas y Menos quietly fixing one of his arrow tips, saw Cyborg's face then Bumble Bees, smiled and nodded secretively to himself.
"See ya around, Cyborg. We'll be sure to call you if anything occurs." Speedy told him assuredly; and then added: "Oh, and try and have fun." His words had the effect he wanted, for the android turned around and asked:
"Hey, any of ya'll want to go to the Opera with us on Providence Boulevard?" He exclaimed, and Mas y Menos instantly jumped up, not having any idea what an Opera was.
"Si!" They both whooped, dashing all around the room in an excited whirl. Aqualad tried to calm them down as he chased the speed demon kids, managing to reply a wheezing 'Yes, I'll gladly go'.
"So that's where you guys were headed. Why the Opera House?" Bumble Bee asked, a light shining in her deep auburn eyes.
"Raven invited us to go, its supposed to be really good from I heard, though I'm not really an Opera kinda guy." Cyborg admitted, rubbing the back of his part-computer head. Aqualad stopped chasing the white, red and yellow blur that was the twins running at unfathomable speeds. He took a moment to catch his breath, and then said:
"I'm not one for public events myself. Will we have to get dressed up, too?"
"Yeah, it's a rule of theirs." Cyborg said, and then an idea hit him. "Okay, I just figured out what I'm going to wear. Can you meet us at the T-Tower around 3:45?"
"3:45?" Bumble Bee exploded, regaining her pushy attitude and buzzing her wings in frustration. "That only gives me, like, a half an hour to get ready. I've got to pick out a dress, put make up on; fix my hair! Geeze! It's a good thing we all got showers before Cyb-stein decided to let us in on the fun…"
The others shook their heads and went to get ready; Mas y Menos confused between what they were supposed to wear and why Bumble Bee had been so angry. Cyborg drove off in a hurry to the T-Tower; many emotions he thought he'd never feel swirling in the least of places he'd expect it: his heart.