Hey everyone! I have a few things I'd like to discuss:
The chapter names all come from one song, well, let me say, one play/movie/musical. If anyone can guess what it is by the end of the fic, MAJOR props are in store. Also, if you are wondering, I'm planning to have a villain soon; it just may take a few chapters.
I've also decided that for every chapter I will give you a small preview of what is in store, and that is that this chapter includes a flame rose, a mention of Terra, a really bad storm, Apple and Maple Syrup Cider, and the truth.
Enough talk, on with the show!
Disclaimer: See chapters 1 and 2.
The tall metallic frame of the Cybernetic titan was silhouetted against the dark sky, the only shape among the lightning and the blurred visions of ebony clouds, exempt from another shape. As Cyborg peered out into the darkness of the night, he met a face that was unfamiliar to him, but not only unfamiliar. It was also eerie, for the teen's face was completely dry. Amidst a storm of crashing waves, rolling thunder and nearby lightning, the boy had no streak of water across his face, no dampened clothes, nor a wet hair on his head. Instead, as he stood there in his basking glory, the teenage stranger was illumined by a flame burst in his hand, in the shape of a bloody red rose. As it burned, it did not scorch the teen, nor did he take notice as Cyborgs jaw dropped in the spectacle.
Looking around his surrounding in slight confusion, Cyborg finally gained his stature and spoke. "Who are you?"
The boy merely grinned, his handsome features shadowed by the eeriness of the flame. "Sorry to bother you at such at late hour, but I was wondering if I might come in? There's someone I need to talk to."
Against any better judgment Cyborg had, he scratched the back of his head and held a hand out in front of him. "Uh...sure, man. C'mon, I guess."
The boy nodded in appreciation, stepping into the humongous stronghold of the Teen Titans. Cyborg closed the doors with a push of a button, looking strangely at the new-comer as he blew out the flame in his hand with a single breath. "How did you do that?"
"The same way you have the powers you have. An accident."
"Right…" said he. Walking ahead of the boy, he continued speaking. "So who is it you're here for? Robin?"
"Actually…" admitted the stranger, catching up with him, holding his head high and fixing the collar of his black trench coat, "I'm here to see Raven."
"Raven?" Cyborg puzzled, turning around to face him.
At the same time
Raven, curiosity spell-bounding her, slowly slid open the door to her private quarters and made her way stealthily to the main room of the tower. She could feel the essence grow closer, and with sudden anxiety she teleported into the room. As she entered, her feet lightly hitting the floor, she spotted the stranger amidst the crowd of curious and somewhat disgruntled titans.
"What are you doing here?" she said.
"I thought I might be able to find you here. I had a feeling you were Raven of the Teen Titans, but I couldn't be sure." Smugly, he caught her hand in his and gave it a quick squeeze. "I thought, if it's possible, that we could get to know each other a little better."
"Soooo…," Beast Boy drawled, leaning against the back of the sofa, "this is who you were hanging out with yesterday?"
A dirty glint her eye, Raven ignored Beast Boy's comment and walked towards the titans, the teen at her heels. A creeping crimson shade of her cheeks, Raven looked down at her feet, saying, "This is Figaro. Figaro, this is the titans." As she said this, Robin, Cyborg and Starfire exchanged glances, while Beast Boy crossed his arms across his chest and stuck his snub nose in the air with a 'hymph!' sound. Figaro smiled at all of them, his brown eyes glittering with fire behind them. No one spoke for quite some time, until Robin finally piped up.
"So where are you from?"
Raven rolled her eyes, unknowing to Robin, as Figaro swept his long brown-red locks away from his eyes. "Gotham. Before that L.A. Before that…." He paused for a moment, chuckling secretively. "Well, before that I can't even remember. Been too many places in so little time."
"So you just wonder around the country, crashing peoples' places while you're at it?" Beast Boy interrupted rudely, walking over to the other titans.
"You didn't seem to mind it when Terra did," Raven said, anger rising in her voice again.
Beast Boy, at the mention of Terra's name, looked hurt and furious at the same time. "That was different! Terra was our friend! Plus she needed help."
"Don't you mean she was our enemy?" Raven threw back, ignoring the titans around her.
"She was never our enemy! You're just saying that because you hated her!"
"And you're just saying what you are because you're jealous." Immediately regretting her words, Raven had the sudden urge to apologize for what she had said, or cover her mouth with her hand, but what was said was said. Raven had unfolded the truth and Beast Boy knew it, Cyborg knew it, Robin knew it, and even Starfire knew it. Worst of all, Figaro had been standing there the whole time, looking calmly on the scene and saying nothing at all.
"I don't have to deal with this," Beast Boy said, leaving the room with an air of humiliation and rancor. "Have a nice life." The door shut behind him loudly, the rest of the teens watched after him, just as confused as Raven was inside.
Raven had been sitting in her room for some time now, her thoughts as loud as the screaming she and Beast Boy had done that day. The hour was late, and the rain had finally stopped its constant wearing away of the paint job on the Tower.
Raven sat on her bed, her pale legs folded beneath her cape and her amethyst hair falling neatly about her head from nervous brushing. Although she was not one to be into things as superficial as looks and nervousness, she bought into the ploy and was condemned to sit in her dark room, restless and worried.
Upstairs, merely rooms down from where her own room was located, was Figaro. Raven, after having endlessly spoken with Robin and Cyborg, had finally promised Figaro a room of his own for the night, the weather being so terrible that no one could step outside. However, the teen didn't plan on leaving anytime soon. What the Titans didn't know, of course, was that Figaro had control of the elements water and fire, which made it very easy for his stay at the Tower to be overdue. He sat by the window of his room, which happened to have a lovely view of the harbor, and stared out into the water, allowing his thoughts to wonder. His plan was setting into motion finely. As the moon slowly descended from her throne in the sky, Figaro closed his eyes, a smirk of sinister thought rolling about his head.
Titans Tower was quiet once more. Beast Boy could hear the heavy breathing of three titans, sleep soundly occupying their bodies, but as he passed Figaro's room, he heard not a sound but of uneven breath and the graceful movement of occasional footsteps. Determined to find out this stranger's hidden identity, he shrunk down to the size of a hermit crab, and smoothly crawled under the door.
He looked up closely, walking over the teen with as much silence as he could muster. As he watched, Beast Boy saw Figaro standing by the window, facing the approaching sun with ultimate concentration. Contorting his face, he grimaced as a sudden sweep of heat overcame him. Falling to the ground, he began to glow a warm, orange color, until he shot up and directed his strength towards the sun. As Beast Boy watched, the sun began to dissolve into tiny fragments of light, leaving the ascending sun tattered across the sky. Moving the water clouds, the light was totally concealed, and the sky was once again a landscape of darkness and threatening storms. Smiling painfully, he stood tall, his brown hair cascading on his shoulders and his eyes reflecting the darkness of the midnight morning sky. Having seen enough, Beast Boy crawled out threw the space under the door and transformed back into his human form.
Beast Boy's mind was running with thoughts of madness, yet he knew the truth. Figaro was making it impossible for him to leave, but why? What could he possibly have to gain from staying here? As Beast Boy fumbled with accusations, he could hear with his sensitive animal hearing that someone was in the kitchen. He found Starfire, sitting at the table, holding a jug of apple cider and maple syrup.
"Morning greetings, Beast Boy," Starfire said quietly, attempting to promote a face of joyfulness. "I trust you slept well?"
"Nada," Beast Boy said sadly. "Starfire, would you believe me if I told you that Figaro wasn't who we thought he was?"
Starfire looked confused, staring out the window and sighing as a streak of lightning shot across the sky. "Beast Boy, you are my friend, and I would believe anything you say." She turned to face him, a small smile creeping onto her lips. "What is it that you saw?"
Beast Boy walked over to her and sat on a chair across from her own. "Okay, well, I was sort of…I mean, not 'sort of' it was more like, 'kinda', but I guess you could say I actually did…." At this point Starfire was growing anxious, and Beast Boy could tell she wanted him to get on with it. "Right, well, I saw Figaro make the storm come back. He seems to have the power of the sun, or rain, or something, but I just don't know what." Beast Boy looked sincerely into her eyes, almost pleading for her to believe him.
"Beast Boy…." She started quietly, hoping not to hurt his feelings, "do you think that perhaps, you might have been mistaken?" As she said this, she started pouring the apple cider and maple syrup into one glass.
"No! I saw him! He really did it! Starfire, I know what I saw, and we have to get him to leave! Who knows what he could do with power like that?"
Just at that moment, Figaro walked into the room, his hands behind his back and his gaze downcast, as if modestly walking towards the titans. He was silent for a time, until Beast Boy broke his silence and threw him a question of menacing descent. "What?"
He looked taken aback, removing his hands from behind him and placing them on the counter. "I just noticed the storm, that's all. It's too bad that it's going to be another day of misery," he commented innocently.
"How do you know it's going to be a full day of storms, huh? What if the rain stops?" Beast Boy had his arms crossed by now, and he had the strongest urge to morph into a horse and kick him where it hurt.
Figaro almost looked offended, his eyebrows twitching into a downcast. "I don't know that. And why are you being so rude to me?'
"Because you just got here, and already you act like you own the place! I mean, look at you! You're so…" As Beast Boy searched for the words to say, Robin was awaken by the scene and entered the room, stretching his arms out and yawning widely.
"What's going on in here?"
"Figaro-," Beast Boy started.
"Not again," Robin moaned tiredly. "Beast Boy, I don't know what you have against Figaro, but leave him alone. If the storm is still going to bad as it is, you two are just going to have to find a way to get along." Joining Starfire at the table, he made a face at the combination she was currently drinking.
"Robin is right," Starfire commented, taking a rather large slurp from a twisty pink straw. "Maybe your assumption is incorrect Beast Boy." Starfire looked apologetically at the changeling.
Sighing now, the green teen was bristling. As he walked out of the room, Figaro watched him leave and a line of worry etched on his face. "Look, titans, if I'm really that much of a disturbance, I really should leave. I shouldn't have come here in the first place."
Robin looked out the window as the rain splashed furiously against the windows. "The storm is as bad as ever. It would kill you to try and get outside. You can stay here until the rains stop," Robin offered kindly.
"Thank you so much. It really means a lot." Turning away from the others, he placed his hands in the pockets of his coat and left the room, drying a droplet of sweat on his brow.
Thanks so much to those who review! I really hope I can get more reviews than I did in my last chapter fic, so please help me out! It's really for a good cause! Also, in your reviews, please include suggestions, comments, whatever you think may help my fic take flight. I need all the help I can get!
Tell me, also, if you like the idea of a review of the chapter like I did in the beginning. I got the idea from Lemony Snicket, which I think is quite amusing and intriguing as well. Thanks to Ren and Rel:)
Tell me what you think!
I remain, reviewers, your obedient servant,
StakeMeSpike04
