Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Thirteen Hour Horrors
Chapter 3: 2 AM
2:02 am
There was an anxious silence among the Titans. Starfire had fisted her hands and pressed them tightly to her mouth to keep from crying out, her eyes were watery.
Raven chanted under her breath trying to keep the worst from her mind, now was not the time to be panicking.
Cyborg continued checking Robin's pulse and breathing every few minutes, and the rest would freeze hoping that he wouldn't look back with a grim face to deliver the words no one wanted to hear.
Beast Boy had lost his playful disposition, and it only brought the team down further, there was really a danger when the changeling couldn't make fun out of the situation.
And the tower had begun making creaking noises. Like light tapping across a chalk board that got harsher each time.
When it got to a crescendo there was movement from Robin.
The four jumped back like he was the living dead, and may as well have been. He sat up quickly and lurched to the side throwing up. The screeching died immediately.
Starfire was half way between happiness and concern at this, but dare not rush at him.
"I'll go get him something to drink." Raven said almost silently and turned to head for the kitchen.
Cyborg patted the boy lightly on the back and handed him a blanket to wipe his mouth on when he had finished emptying his stomach. Robin groaned and sat back.
"Are you feeling well?" Starfire inched closer, around where Robin had just gotten sick.
Robin opened his mouth to reply, and quickly had a coughing spasm that sent him bending over with the force.
Raven was there instantly pressing a steaming coffee mug into his hands. "Drink." She ordered.
The tower groaned again, pulling a small sound from Beast Boy as he looked about at the dark shadows.
Robin downed the mixture, only stopping when the mug was empty. "Better." He rasped.
Cyborg sighed. "We were really worried about you man." He then grabbed an extra blanket and cleaned the snow off himself before laying it over the mess of the floor.
"I'm…fine." Robin began trying to get back up, only to be sharply pushed back down by Cyborg.
"Don't."
"I'm fine." Robin growled a little more forcefully.
"No I mean, we should get you some clothes first." Cyborg added.
Robin looked over to see his pile of clothes folded neatly. "Oh."
"Beast Boy could you go get Robin another outfit?" Raven stipulated.
"Your sending me out…alone?" Beast Boy whimpered.
Raven shot him a sizzling glare. "I'll go with you, anyone else need anything?" She looked across the other three.
"I could use some batteries." Cyborg was smearing the ice off his light. "My light's getting dim and there's little chance of a power refuel."
Raven nodded before turning to Beast Boy. "Give me your communicator."
"What? Why?" He looked suspiciously at the girl.
"Because I lost mine." She said it as though it were obvious and held out her hand. Reluctantly Beast Boy handed over his communicator.
"I'll call if anything's up, and if we're not back in 15 something went wrong." Raven tossed over her shoulder and glided away into the dark. Beast Boy yelped and ran to catch up with her.
They left an awkward and worried silence behind them.
2:14
Raven had phased the two of them into Robin's room, the moon had lowered a little in the sky and shown through his bedroom window letting them at least see where they were going.
"You grab his costume, I'll be right back to get the batteries." Raven added and in a flurry of her blue robe she was gone. Beast Boy hadn't the time to protest.
Looking around a few times he moved to the closet he had once before found Robin's costume. He slid the mirror doors open seeing the brightly colored fabric hanging in unison.
He pulled one off the hanger and threw it over his shoulder. Down on the floor were the boots, he grabbed a pair marveling at their weight.
Satisfied nothing wrong had happened, Beast Boy moved to close the closet door. When he touched the mirror surface, something pricked his hand. Closely he could see a bit of blood rising against the green skin of his palm.
Jerking back quickly he looked at his reflection in the mirror, it was sharply distorted in many places.
"What the…" He moved closer to peer at its surface. A large spine work web had been broken into the mirror, its sharp edged reached to the end of the closet door. That hadn't been there before.
Beast Boy grabbed for his communicator, only to realize he gave it to Raven.
Carefully he backed away from the mirror pressing a finger to his cut.
There was the screech of nails again, Beast Boy threw his hands over his ears to ward away the sound. The glass slider shattered instantly, and pieces littered to the carpet, where they shone like small deadly diamonds.
He backed away further and reached for the door knob to Robin's room. It was locked. Whining he looked back at the glass, and something sliced his cheek.
Gasping he quickly moved to the side clamping a hand on his cheek, he could already feel warm blood, along with something sharp. Cringing he pulled it out, a small piece of blood stained glass lay in his palm.
2:16
Raven rummaged through Cyborg's junk looking for batteries. They had to be somewhere.
She worked quickly sifting through his piles of gadgets and such, she didn't like to leave Beast Boy alone.
Raven moved to his work bench that was stacked high with things, still looking for a pack, she had no such luck. Sighing, annoyed, she slid over to his computer and rustled some of the papers there. Nothing.
Quickly she pulled out the communicator opening a link to Cyborg. "Where's the batteries?" She demanded.
"In the drawer right under my computer." Cyborg responded. "Where's Beast Boy?"
"Getting the costume." She moved over to the computer and bent down.
"Should you leave him alone?" Cyborg looked worried.
Raven pulled open the drawer when a loud screech from the tower sounded. "Probably not." She cringed before snapping the connection closed. She spotted the batteries and snatched them quickly. If Beast Boy was hurt, it was her fault for leaving him.
Quickly pulling back something grazed her hand. She only got a glance of the shard of glass before she turned and hurried back to Robin's room, the small cut on her hand only speeding her chase.
2:19
Cyborg shut the com link after being hung up on.
"Wha-was that all about?" Robin pushed some of the blanket off so he could sit better.
Cyborg frowned looking across the shadows that had been steadily creeping closer. "I don't know, but they've got five minutes."
2:21
Beast Boy moved swiftly across the room searching for a way out, but Robin had sealed everything. As he moved shards of glass had began to hail at him from across the room. Some actually nicked him before shooting into the wall.
Gasping for breath he transformed into a bird, until a small shard cut into his wing.
He quickly morphed into a cheetah bounding up and around the room. Maybe if he could get out the window…
He jumped onto the bed, his paws floundering because of it's softness. Something sliced into his tail.
In mid-jump off the bed he transfigured into a monkey and ducked behind the bed.
There was silence for a second, then a sound of rushing wind. Glass bit deeply into his shoulder, coming from above.
Beast Boy yelled out, falling back into his normal state. He couldn't press a hand to the wound in his shoulder, a rather large piece of glass was still jutting out of the wound.
He could feel painful tears fall down his cheeks smearing the blood already there, where was Raven?
Using his other arm he pushed himself up, determined to get to the window.
He could feel small pieces slide by as he met the dagger wind. They grazed, punctures and poked him. The window, it was so close…
Changing finally into a small cat he leapt up and crashed through the glass of the window. It was like a knife stroking his skin, as he cleared the room, air rushed past his face and he felt light-headed.
And then he was falling, and his mind was so fuzzy.
2:26
Raven phased into the room. There was a broken mirror to the side, and no sign of Beast Boy.
She crossed the room spotting a broken window, the edges left were bloody.
Without thought she enveloped herself in shadows and dove through the wall.
Quickly she flew down, searching for a sign of green, a sign of anything. And just as she thought it too late, there he was, falling lightly in cat form, a bundle of green and red fur.
She reached out with her powers and stopped his decent just short of the shore-line, drawing him to her.
In her arms, the small cat was unconscious, from blood loss if anything. There was so much red, so much blood across its matted fur.
"I'm so sorry." She whispered pulling back up to Robin's room to grab the clothes and some bandages. The entire time she was oblivious to the communicator ringing against her hip.
2:27
Cyborg paced. Their fifteen minutes was up…where were they? He had already tried to call Raven again on Beast Boy's com, but the thing just kept ringing.
"Shall we go check on them?" Starfire was still seated beside Robin.
Cyborg checked his watch again. "We need to, but what about Robin?"
Robin let out a hollow cough. "I'll be fine, go." He ordered.
"We can't leave you alone." Cyborg glanced at Robin and then back toward the shadows.
"You have no choice, they could be in trouble." Robin argued.
"But you are not all well!" Starfire broke into the conversation.
"Your just going upstairs, I think I can handle a little darkness." Robin gave Cyborg a hard stare behind his mask.
Cyborg sighed as the minutes ticked away. "Fine, Star give him your communicator, we'll be right back. If anything happens-"
"Yea, yea, I'll call you right away." Robin took the communicator from Starfire and watched the two vanish up the stairs leaving him in the dark.
The darkness reminded him of his condition and he pulled the blankets closer around him, how close had he been to death?
The thought struck him funny. He always wanted to be the undefeatable leader, and yet his team mates had saved his life. Robin sighed and laid back down, he set the communicator beside him on the floor and crossed his arms under his head.
His thoughts seemed to echo in the silence.
2:36
Raven had just finished bandaging Beast Boy. She had taken him, along with Robin's clothes to her room.
Beast Boy had barely moved through the whole procedure, still fairly woozy.
He had bandages across his cheek, a large one wrapped under his arm to his shoulder, a few down his legs and a wide one across his stomach. The smaller ones she had purged with alcohol, despite the boys whimpering.
Cautiously she then levitated Beast Boy, grabbing Robin's suit and the batteries. Without another glance to her room, she phased them through the ground and down two floors, knowing Cyborg would be worrying himself silly by now.
When she landed, there was pitch blackness. That immediately sent warning signs, where was Cyborg?
"Hello?" A voice called from further down the room. A pause.
"Robin?" Raven called, lowering Beast Boy to the ground. The boy wobbled, but stood his ground.
Raven quickly moved toward his voice, recognizing the dark figure and lowered herself to his level. "Here, your clothes," She sat the pile beside him. "Where's Cyborg and Star?"
"They just left to find you." Robin abruptly sat up, causing Raven to lean back.
Raven groaned. "They shouldn't have left you alone."
"I'm fine, they even left me a communicator." Robin felt beside him for the device he had just sat down. Nothing.
"You lost it." Raven stated, she reached for the one Beast Boy had given her. It too was gone, she had left it in her room on the bed when she was bandaging Beast Boy. "That seems to be happenin to everyone."
"It was just here." Robin craned over further feeling across the floor for it.
"Forget it, get dressed now." Raven stood and backed a bit into the darkness to get Beast Boy.
"In much of a rush?" Robin commented and grabbed his clothes, unfolding them.
"The last time we lost a communicator it was followed by a snowstorm." Raven called a little ways off.
"Right." Robin pushed back his blankets, and cloaked by the darkness, pulled on his suit with a rushed vigor.
2:48
Cyborg lit the way as Starfire floated beside him. They had already checked Cyborg's lab and found it to be empty. Robin's room was now right in front of them.
Cyborg turned the handle and opened the door. The room was empty. All of Robin's possessions were in order, and even the closet door was closed. Had they even been there?
"I dunno Star, but I'm going to call Robin, see if they went back to the living room."
"Ok." Starfire moved closer to see the screen on his arm while he dialed Robin.
There was a moment the screen was fuzzy before a it flickered on. It wasn't Robin however.
The screen was black, a small tint of moonlight lighting it up just enough to see a small movement over to the side. Something was dripping…
And suddenly Cyborg recognized the liquid, it was a deep ruby shade, blood. He pressed the link off.
Turning to Starfire he was met with a frown, her face was ashen. "Let's go." Cyborg said unnecessarily, and the two of them turned to make a mad dash back to Robin.
Half way back, there was a sudden mind numbing sound that caused the two to stop and press their hands painfully over their ears. It was like it was burning through their ears and eating their minds.
Starfire fell to her knees, using her energy to keep the sound out. Cyborg looked frantically about, with both his cybernetic and real eye, trying to find the cause.
His eyes fell down to the clock on his arm, it was 2:54. They were getting dangerously close to the new hour.
He tried to ease his hand off his ear, they had to get going! The sound persisted, and instinct kept his hands in place.
Instead he tried to catch Starfire's attention. He moved forward a little hoping she would follow. She had her eyes clamped closed however, and didn't see a thing.
Cyborg opened his mouth to yell, and the noise stopped.
As quick and as ear splitting as it had come, it went. The silence was almost over-whelming when Cyborg removed his hands.
"Cyborg?" Starfire opened her eyes, they were glossy and almost hollow.
"I'm here Star, com'mon, we've got to go." He grabbed her arm and pulled her up gently. She made a soft noise, but stood.
2:59
Raven stood in front of the wall clock, listening to the last sounds of Robin buckling his steel-toed boots.
It was too late, almost three in the morning. She had a bad feeling that being separated at the turn of the hour would be all too misfortunate.
There was light footsteps, and a groan that sounded like Beast Boy.
"What time is it?" Robin asked, he was moving closer.
Raven turned away from the clock, a frown in place. She could see Robin's shadowed figured, a green bandaged boy stood next to him, he still looked out of it.
"3 am," She pronounced.
Mm, so they have all survived so far, with pretty mild injuries (compared to what's coming). You should notice, the more time goes by the worse their fortunes shall become.
The last omen was…
Snow Owl: If an owl looks in your window or if you seeing one in the daylight bad luck and death will bestow you.
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:Bloody Fae: