"Oooh, I am so excited!" gushed Starfire, clasping her hands together.
"We know," replied Raven dryly from her left.
Beast Boy leaned with his elbow protruding slightly from the window of the T-Car. He watched the trees whoosh past with a bored expression. "Are we there yet?" he whined, directing the question to the front of the car where Cyborg and Robin were sitting.
"We have almost arrived at our destination, no?" added Starfire eagerly.
"Y'all will know when we get there," explained Cyborg in a gentle voice, "Because the car will stop!" he yelled furiously.
Starfire was put off, but only briefly. "It will be wonderful to spend three entire days out in natural surroundings," she bubbled after a short moody silence had passed. "I think I am going to enjoy this 'camping'."
"We know," groaned Beast Boy.
Raven had been vainly trying to read a book for most of the journey, growing more and more irritated. Now she snapped it shut with a loud noise, causing both Beast Boy and Starfire to glance at her wide-eyed. "This had better be worth it," Raven warned Cyborg darkly.
"Don't worry," said Cyborg with a cheerful grin. "It will be."
"Even superheroes need vacations," Robin added with a laugh. "Cyborg," he said suddenly, pointing a gloved finger out the front window, "This is it."
"Looks good to me," Cyborg shrugged. He brought the T-Car to a halt.
The ans spilled out of the car, most of them stretching and yawning, weary from the far-too-long drive. They wandered from the gravelly road to survey their campsite, which was marked out with thin, worn wooden posts protruding from the ground. Small tufts of grass poked up through the dry earth, growing longer and lusher towards the edges of the clearing where they no doubt received more shade. Trees towered above them, swaying slightly in the breeze.
Starfire spread her hands up to the sky, taking in a deep breath of the fresh air. Her bell-like laughter echoed around the area. "Glorious!"
"Okay, Titans," declared Robin slightly dubiously. "Time to set up the tents."
"Uh – you know what?" said Beast Boy with a wide and hopefully convincing grin. "I'm gonna go take a look around. You know, check it all out."
Ignoring a raised eyebrow from Raven, he quickly changed into a hawk and soared away before anyone could object.
When he decided he had put enough distance in between himself and work, he swooped low to the ground, switching to human form as he dropped onto the forest floor.
"Mister Smooth," he congratulated himself smugly. "Now… where to crash until the tents are set up?" Beast Boy looked around. He was met by silence of the forest, broken only by birdsong from high up in the trees, and the nearby sound of running water.
With a small shrug, he started to head towards the sound of the stream.
Pushing through some bushes, to his surprise, he found himself on a small dirt pathway. It vanished around a corner. The sound of the water seemed to come from that direction.
Having nothing better to do, and needing to pass the time, Beast Boy began to stroll down the path. As he rounded the corner, the sound of running water grew even louder, and the stream came into sight
There was nothing much remarkable about the river. It was medium-sized, deep enough to be good to swim in, but not too wide. The path Beast Boy was standing on led to a small wooden bridge looking like it had seen better days, arching over a narrow part of the stream. There wasn't much remarkable about the bridge either; apart from the person standing on it.
She was quite small, and slimly built – slightly shorter than Beast Boy himself. She had quite dark brown hair, which was straight but for a curl near the tips. There was nothing unordinary about her hair, nor her clothes; she was wearing a darkish pink top which cut across her shoulders with three-quarter sleeves, a short black skirt, knee-length white socks, and black sandal shoes. Her deep blue eyes were fixed on the stream running below the bridge.
In short, she looked average. But things are not always as they seem, for one hand was extended, fingers splayed, out over the water. And, unfurling slowly as she moved her fingers, was a tendril of clear liquid.
Suspended in mid-air between her hand and the stream.