Wheee! –slides down on metal pole-
Well, that was random. Oh well. Anyway, here's the twelve chapter of Titan's Shadow! ( Obviously. ) And I really hope that activates the indents again... because now it looks reallybad. --'
Okay, thanks to everyone who reviewed, 'specially April 'cause she's always been there reviewing! n.n
Oh yeah… No. Way. Holy snap, reviwer Nevermore! That's kinda… freaky. Eh. –shrug- Oh well. I'll be waiting for your story! ( Hopefully they won't be too alike or people will get suspicious! xD )
Okay, disclaimer for this chapter will be… Robin!
Robin: -reads from script- 'Wingy doesn't own the Teen Titans, nor will she ever. She only holds the copyright to Phantom, and all the randomness that happens in this story.' –glare- That's a nice metal pole ya got there. Mind explaining where you got it?
Wingy: Ummm… Internet?
Robin: Liar! You stole that pole for Slade, didn't you?! It's for his plan to destroy the world, isn't it?! Give it here! –attacks-
Wingy: -runs away clutching pole- Hope you enjoy this folks!
Italicized words indicate flashback, in large paragraphs. The italicized words inside " ' ' " indicate person is thinking.
The Titans were all doing what they did best when no villains were around.
Nothing.
Okay, okay, maybe not really 'NOTHING' technically speaking, but you catch the drift.
Okay, you caught me again. There was a villain around, but at the moment she was slightly… bored out of her mind.
"ARGH!" A glass was thrown against the very hard wall of the hospital wing, where it shattered.
Silver coloured paws padded angrily around the room, the left limping slightly as another object was thrown against the wall, causing another loud shattering sound. Scattered and trampled remains of scrambled tofu egg and orange juice were joined by the new arrival.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!" A vase broke against the wall, as bandaged arms were thrown around in obscene and violent gestures as the ranting continued, "You help a 'crime fighting team' of moronic idiots along with their stupid 'little plan' to 'save the world,' by telling them your life story, telling them all you can freaking remember about your stupid old 'master,' and what do they do?! They lock you up in a stupid 'hospital' wing!" The Phantom roared angrily, kicking the wall, leaving a sizeable indent.
"They're going to pay for this…" Phantom ran a slender hand through her sleek ebony hair before looking around the room as her cold grey eyes locked on a laptop left nonchalantly in the corner.
Her mouth curled into a nasty smirk, "They're going to pay dearly."
-------------------
The Teen Titans were all piled in the Main Room, the usual amount of noise ricocheting around the room.
Beast Boy and Cyborg were tapping furiously at the controller keys of the Gamestation.
"Dude, I am SO going to beat you."
"Oh, that's what you think! I'm gonna pass ya-"
"What?! NO WAY!"
"Oh ho ho, look who's winnin' now!"
Starfire looked joyfully on, floating cross-legged in the air next to the boys, "Wonderful 'pass' Cyborg! Do not worry Beast Boy, I am sure you will pass… him… soon…" Her voice faltered as Cyborg punched the air in victory.
"Boo ya!"
Raven was balanced precariously on the border of control and anger.
"Relax Raven. They're going to have to stop sooner or later." She gritted her teeth and burrowed her face further into the book entitled 'So, your friend's obsessed with tofu.'
The leader of the team, Robin, was perhaps the only one at the moment actually working, papers strewn across a table in the kitchen, maps and blueprints scattered haphazardly.
Beast Boy slunk up towards Robin, as Starfire took his place at the Gamestation, to the dismay of Cyborg, the former winner now staring on in horror at the sight of his virtual car smashing off the track.
"Dude, are you all right?" Beast Boy asked, taking hold of the topmost map, a complete city blueprint as the vocals of Starfire's 'Victory!' rang triumphantly through the room.
"Fine. Could you hand that back to me? I was kinda in the middle of inspecting it." Robin held a gloved hand out to retrieve the map.
"Uhhh, sure." The green teen (A/N: Did that rhyme? xD) handed the map back and slid in next to Robin.
"So, ummm, whatcha workin' on?"
-------------------
"I can't remember exactly what Slade was working on; he never told me. Apparently he didn't trust me enough." Phantom rubbed her temples in the exertion of her mind.
"But it's something big. It's something that he wanted to be able to destroy the whole city and possibly the world with. And you guys, of course." Phantom indicated the Titans around the room with a nod of her head, "I was in the middle of stealing parts of it in Jump City when you guys interrupted me. I already had most of the parts, from other parts of the world, but strangely enough the final parts 'we' needed were here. Who woulda known?" She shrugged, and crossed her arms, closing her eyes.
"But why were you at the art museum?" Beast Boy piqued up.
Phantom smirked, "That was mostly just for me. I… I like art. So I figured, 'Hey, why not?' Slade allowed me to do it, I guess mainly it was because it was a chance to destroy you guys."
"Oh…" Beast Boy nodded, and Phantom continued on.
"It's underneath the city. His lair. I can't remember where though. Sorry. That part of my mind is… gone. Blank. Wiped out. But that's where Slade's working on the project. He called it the… the uh…"
"The what?" Robin asked.
Phantom opened her pale eyes, "I don't know. It's gone. But his hide out's somewhere underneath the city. Basically. Aside from my life story, that's all I can tell you guys." She grinned and leaned back in her bed, closing her eyes, "Guess I lied about saying I 'membered everything, huh?"
Robin shook his head, "Nope. That's fine. That's enough for now."
The Titans got up, the doors swooshing open.
"But you'll need to stay here for awhile, for further… observation."
Phantom's eyes shot open, "What."
Robin paused at the doorframe; "You'll have to stay her until further notice."
"Are you kidding me?!" Her eyes flashed as she leaped out of her bed and landed on her feet, wincing at the sudden violent pain, "I am leaving. NOW."
She got up and ran for the door, but Robin had been expecting this.
"Sorry." He stepped out of the door with sudden speed and it clicked shut, as Phantom reached it her fists slamming painfully against the door, "I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"
-------------------
Robin sighed and leaned back in his seat in the remembrance of two mornings ago.
"She's still raging up there, huh?" He asked, his head back and his hands rubbing the sides of his face, in sheer exhaustion.
Beast Boy nodded grimly, "Yep. When I took her her breakfast this morning, she just sorta… threw it into my face…" He added as an afterthought, "I thought she might have liked tofu…"
Robin grinned wryly, "Don't worry. She should calm down eventually."
"Yeah."
DING-DONG!
The loud and cheery sound of a doorbell rang through out the large T Tower.
"Uh… any of y'all expecting any visitors today?" Cyborg raised a human eyebrow while he paused the Gamestation.
"No… perhaps this is a surprising visit of the Nicholas man of Saints?" Starfire flew up at once, dropping the controller at the prospect of a visitor.
"Uhh…sorry Starfire. If you mean Santa Clause, he uhhh, doesn't come this time of year." Robin responded to the awkward silence filling the Tower.
Another cheery DING-DONG ran through the Tower, as Raven floated to the door asking flatly, "You guys coming or what?"
DING-DONG! DING-DONG DING-DONG-DING-DO—
The last bell was cut off the sudden destruction of the metal box that contained the doorbell as a large raven's claw clutched it.
"Dude…" The delivery man commented, adjusting his thick-rimmed glasses, "That must be some sorta special effect… maybe these guys really are with the Federation…"
The large door slid open causing the teenager to jump, revealing a very ticked off Raven and curious Titans.
"Uhhh… right." The delivery-boy saluted, "Delivery for the Teen Titans, 1700 Isle Avenue. Right here from Ebay." He jerked his thumb to the large crates behind him on a forklift.
"Um, we didn't order anything…" Robin commented while the man jumped behind the wheel and gunned the engine, leading to the total horsepower of 5 mph.
The guy shrugged as he parked in the middle of the hallway, taking a clipboard out of a slot in the forklift.
"Well, dudes, according to this," He shoved the clipboard into Robin's once empty hands, "You guys bought a couple of weird stuff." He sniffed his nose loudly before wiping it on his arm.
Raven gave him a death glare, while he stiffened at the look. Starfire was ignoring all the events going on, truly convinced that this Federation-obsessed acne-covered adolescent was truly the 'Saint of Nicholas.' She was floating up, down, and around the large crates, examining the word 'FRAGILE' plastered everywhere, and shaking the boxes lightly with her strong arms. (A/N: 'Member, she can lift a boulder with those arms! Aftershock, Pt. 1)
Cyborg and Beast Boy were also among the boxes, seeing as there were five brown-wooded crates now scattered around the hallway. Beast Boy sniffed cautiously as a bloodhound at the largest one, while Cyborg scanned the boxes with his, well, scanner.
Amid all this, Robin and Raven continued to converse with the deliverer, mostly Robin talking while Raven kept him intimidated.
"I told you, we DID NOT order ANYTHING from Ebay, NOR WILL WE EVER PLAN TO!" Robin yelled at the persistent hassler.
"Well it says here on the OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE SUPER SPEEDY DELIVERY EBAY ORDER," The delivery boy stabbed the order form viciously with emphasis, with his index finger, "That the Teen Titans ordered a black Baby Grand Piano, the complete works of Bach, and Mozart and some Clementi guy, along with a couple of orders of tuning tools. Oh yeah, an easel, a couple paintbrush kits," He counted them off on his finger, "some paint; different types of course, different sized canvas', and about 20 pounds of papayas. And… a black trench coat and black tinted sunglasses. Both very nice quality by the way."
The man leaned back against the behind of his forklift looking satisfied, slicking back his already greasy-looking brown hair. Now it was Raven's turn to shudder at this disgusting creature who walked the Earth.
"BEAST BOY!" Robin turned around and glared at the yelping Beast Boy, who held his hands palm-up in innocence.
"Don't look at me! Why the heck would I order a piano?! What is a Baby Grand Piano anyway…?" Beast Boy trailed off, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Cyborg?"
Cyborg shook his head.
"Starfire? Eh, never mind…"
Starfire was currently knocking gleefully on one of the boxes.
"Rae-"
Raven glared at him.
"Uh… right." Robin looked at the man, then at the boxes, "Who could have done this?"
Raven snorted suddenly, a very un-Raven-like thing to do.
All the Titans turned to stare at her, including the greasy man.
"I think you're forgetting another person Robin." She grinned wryly.
Robin dropped the clipboard as his eye twitched dangerously.
The other Titans slowly backed away in fear of Robin's temper.
He gritted his teeth, ready to explode when the intercom in the Titan's Tower crackled to life after some feedback.
"Hello hello Titans. I daresay that my packages have been received? Good, good. I was hoping that Ebay's 'delivery within two hours or your money back' would fail. Hah hah hah, that's right Titans. The total number of time it took for the Ebay delivery boy to deliver was two hours and ten minutes. Meaning you guys will have to pay otherwise you'll be involved in some sort of 'huge international Ebay scandal.' Tragic, isn't it? Too bad…" The infamous Phantom's voice changed to a more commanding tone, "Hey, delivery chump. There should be an elevator on your right. Use that for the forklift and all the crates, will ya? Floor Ten, take a left, right, right, left. The Titans will take care of that nasty and rather large bill."
She chuckled as the crates were being put back onto the forklift, and the greasy-delivery boy began driving the forklift to the elevator.
"Revenge is sweet, Titans. Oh so sweet." The intercom crackled and went out.
"Uhh… dude?" Beast Boy asked in a tiny voice, as Robin fumed silently, picking up the clipboard and then screaming, chucking the object into the air, where Cyborg caught it and cautiously flipped the page to where the cost was totaled.
Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire crowded around his shoulders, as all the titans yelped, "TEN-THOUSAND DOLLARS?!"
-------------------
The Phantom happily tapped the Middle C key, seeing if the last key of her new piano worked well.
"Hn. Perfect. Just as I thought."
The packing insulator, which was straw, was scattered everywhere, and several strands of it were stuck into her hair. The wood was splintered and broken, and the hospital wing looked less like a hospital wing than a Woodworks shop, with a large piano in the middle. The vacant beds were all pushed to one side of the room, with canvases near the window, the paint set up on one of the bedside tables.
The mangled and frayed ends of the wire she had used to 'hack' into the Titan's PA system were still crackling after her use. It was a pretty nice job if she did say so herself.
She kicked a few tools out of the way, wincing as the kicking resulted in the bruising of her foot.
"Stupid… tools…" She muttered. She sighed with bliss, and sat down at the bench of the piano. She lovingly ran her fingers over the keys, as a wave of nostalgia washed itself over her.
"What's it been…?" She asked herself sadly, "Seven years…?"
'Has it really been that long? I can't believe I haven't seen one of these babies for nearly a decade. I wonder if I can still play as well… I remember at my first concert. Mum and Dad were so proud. Lily didn't even listen. She had her Walkman on the whole time… mum and dad were so mad at her…'
Phantom smiled at her thoughts and memory.
Her right ear twitched at the sounds of pounding metal-clad feet.
She winced. "Whoops. Looks like Robby and the others have finally paid the bill." She chuckled, and glanced at the new trench coat sprawled out on the bed lovingly, before staring down at the black and white keys of the piano.
"I can do it…"
-------------------
"She is so dead! I can't believe she'd do that to us!" Robin's hands were clenched in angry fists, the Titans trailing after him, rather afraid of their leader at the moment.
Starfire was clutching onto the end of Robin's cape, (A/N: April, remember my review for that one fiction of yours…? xD) saying softly, "Robin. Do not fret. The sum of money was very large, but I am sure that the Phantom had a reason for such antics."
"We took her in, fed her, healed her, and what does she do?!" Robin's anger practically oozed out of him, leaving a trail of pure fury.
"I'm not so sure. I like it." Raven commented dryly and smiled, floating alongside the group.
Robin turned and glared at her, stopping suddenly and causing Starfire to run into him.
Raven said nothing but returned the glare with a look of her own.
Robin twitched and turned around again.
They were almost there at the door of the hospital wing, when Beast Boy leapt in front of Robin.
"Dude! Wait! Maybe Star's right! Maybe she does have a reason! It's not like we were using the money anyway…" Beast Boy smiled hopefully, giving him an innocent look.
The spiky haired boy stopped, his nostrils flaring, "We'll see."
He reached towards the sliding door, and as it slid open with a soft SHUSH, the most lyrical piece of music the Titans had probably ever heard (A/N: What kind of music DO they listen to?!) drifted into the hall.
-------------------
'Wow. This is a lot easier than I thought it would be.'
My hands flew calmly over the keys, slowly at first but then faster and faster till I could hardly tell what I was playing.
'It's like riding a bike I guess. Not that I ever learned or anything. I was more of a scooter kid anway.'
I smiled weakly, as I looked down at one of my personal favorites as a child, Beethoven's Für Elise.
'I guess things could turn out better…'
I reached the ending, the bittersweet finale of Beethoven's finest. It was telling me that again and again I would play. Play this beautiful piece until I could play no more.
'But then again… they aren't too bad now.'
The music calmly ended, and I smiled as the last chord was played.
"Dude…"
"AH!" I screamed, and literally leaped a couple feet in the air, landing on my feet somewhat weakly.
My eyes rested on the Titans, who were all standing rather awestruck in the doorway. I guess it would have been funny if the life hadn't been scared out of me.
"Marvelous!" Starfire was the second, after Beast Boy, to react, flying into the room with her arms outstretched, stroking the piano affectionately after giving me a wholesome look.
"Never before have I heard such beautiful music! It is even better than my Tameranian folk dance, the Shnarg-bagh!"
"Eh heh heh heh heh… right." I laughed nervously, getting to my feet and looking on helplessly as Starfire stroked my piano.
My face grew hot, and I weakly tried to nudge Starfire off, "Thanks…" I murmured.
"Phantom, when did you learn to play like that?!" Beast Boy exclaimed, running up to me, his face glowing.
"Ummm, well, you know… it was easy. I told you guys I learned when I was a kid…" I mumbled, staring at my toes.
'Gawd, I hate this… No wonder I never stood out as much as Lily…' I thought, turning my pale eyes to Beast Boy's wondering face.
"Oh yeah! Well that was awesome… anyway!" He grinned.
"That was pretty good. Even though it cost us over ten-thousand dollars." Robin and the other Titans came into the room, his arms crossed over his chest.
I grinned wryly, my attitude back, "Right. Well, you know. And eye for an eye… You keep me locked up in this stupid 'hospital' and I simply decide to make you guys pay for it."
I shrugged, and walked over to the bed and pulled on my jacket. "Seemed fair to me…"
"Well… don't do it again." Robin ended his threat rather lamely.
"Right." I rolled my eyes.
"And DON'T leave this room." He glared at me after seeing the status of the room.
"Okay." I shrugged, and turned to my piano to wipe off the fingerprints left by Starfire.
The Titans turned and left the room, leaving only Beast Boy and I.
"Ummm… yeah. That was… really good. I can't believe that you can play like that, I mean, not that I didn't think you could do it, but I did think you could, I just didn't think you could play something as good as that, but you can still… well… play…" Beast Boy trailed off… rubbing the back of his head weakly staring at my back as I used my arm to wipe off the smudges.
I stared at my reflection in the black shiny wood, smiling as I noticed the look of Beast Boy behind me.
"Thanks." I stood up, and turned at looked at him.
He smiled weakly closing his eyes.
Stupid dork. He had such a weird smile. And what was with the weird canine tooth?
'But he really is… a good guy. I guess. He comforted me when I woke up from that coma thing. Raven told me that he was always there, trying to get 'guard duty' when I was awake. He's taller than me too. I guess he really is kinda… cute.'
I shook my head. What was I thinking? He was a great guy and all… but still.
I started to walk towards the easels and paint area, hoping Beast Boy would get a clue and leave.
"Hey… Phantom."
He trotted after me, like some sort of puppy.
"What?" I stared at the blank canvas, holding a paintbrush already dipped in black.
"I… I guess this is kinda weird and all… you know." I saw him glance at the floor, shuffling his feet.
"What is?" I asked him, kinder this time.
"Well… how all of this turned out. I mean… this is just some kinda theory that popped into my head one day and well maybe… Maybe if this were a completely different life and you never met Slade and all… maybe we could have actually been… friends." He smiled at me, his green eyes sympathetic.
I relaxed, holding the still dripping paintbrush in my hands, where it plopped gently on the floor with a soft, PLOP PLOP.
"Beast Boy…" I shook my head gently, "How do you come up with these things? I know you had a weird mind and all but this…?" I narrowed my eyes, staring into his.
"But Phantom!" He grabbed my hands suddenly, causing me to throw the paintbrush onto the blank canvas, staining a large part of it black. He pulled them closer to himself, and I found myself giving in.
"Don't you ever think-"
"Yes. I do. Quite often sometimes." I grinned weakly, "Beast Boy… you're a great guy, you know that. But look at me."
I pulled out of his grasp, and walked out a few feet, extending my coat and showing the full extent of my body. My ears twitched attentively, my tail gently sweeping the straw bits across the floor.
"I'm a thief. Born and bred. I did have a home, a loving family, and a great future. But it seems like that's all second in place now…"
I turned my back to him, and stared at the piano, "I can't stop stealing. Slade awakened something in me, something that I never thought I could love! He was right… when I told him one day when I was young. I said that it was so exhilarating. He had nodded, and said 'Yes. It is. It's quite addicting. I know you're going to love it.' "
Beast Boy began walking towards me, when I twirled suddenly to stare at him, "He was right. I may have escaped his grasp, but it's like he never really left. He's still inside me, a little of Slade. I can't escape the thrill of stealing."
I laughed, my eyes brimming with wetness, "I guess you could say I'm a kleptomaniac. One who is obsessed with stealing. Can't stop. You get it."
I sighed, and took rubbed my temples, holding back the tears, "I'm sorry Beast Boy."
It was silent for a moment.
I heard footsteps cross the floor, and I heard his gentle breathing, as he put an arm around me, holding me close.
"I don't care Phantom. I don't care about those things. We can work it out, I know it. I just know… that I love you." He whispered into my ear.
I froze, stunned. 'He says he loves me. I haven't heard that in so long. My family was right. They always will love me. And now… I know they are. With Beast Boy.'
I put an hand into the crook of Beast Boy's arm, which was across my shoulders, "I think… I do too."
-------------------
Raven was meditating on the roof of the Titan's Tower. The night sky calmed her, she always liked the darkness and peace of the night. Her body rocked up and down slowly, her hood down and cape swirling out behind her.
"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos. Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos."
Her mind was in a state of total peace.
Malice, and anger. Hatred and blackness. Yet control despite the strange emotions.
Though something lingered in the back of her mind.
She stopped, gently tapping onto her feet.
"He's coming. Soon."
A sudden gust of wind blew itself around her, as her cape twirled around her body, under complete control of the wind.
"Slade."
Her violet eyes shot open, and glared at the bright lights of Jump City.
-------------------(A/N: Gee, this is a long chapter! Don't worry, it's almost over! Bear with me for a couple more paragraphs! :) )-------------------
It was morning. The Titans were slightly more tense than usual, after what had happened yesterday.
Cyborg was busy making waffles, much to Beast Boy's dismay.
Beast Boy, at the moment, was staring dazed at the Gamestation's screen, a distant look across his face.
'I can't believe she actually… loves me…' He thought happily, and blushed at the memory of last night.
"Friend Beast Boy…" Starfire poked him in the shoulder, "What in the name of Shnack-Arr-Barg are you thinking about? That is but the fiftieth time I have beaten you this morning! Friend Beast Boy…" She poked him harder, "Beast Boy…" She knocked on his head while his face and body remained unchanging in their positions, "BEAST BOY!" She pulled his ear to her mouth and shouted as hard as she could.
"Wah—What? Someone call my name?" Beast Boy perked up, his head looking around, rubbing his ear, which hurt for some reason.
"You all right?" Raven raised an eyebrow, putting her book on her lap. She had informed Robin of the strange presence she had felt last night, at which Robin only nodded grimly and said he was but a fraction closer of finding where Slade could be lurking.
"What? Oh yeah, fine…" He murmured, and gasped and yelped slightly at the words flashing on the screen: 'STARFIRE: 50 BEAST BOY: 0!'
The titans exchanged strange looks between them, their usual hyper-active green friend dazed and distant this morning.
Cyborg shrugged and began piling waffles on everyone's plates.
-------------------
Phantom was fondly painting the former blank canvas, piling paint onto different corners and empty spaces. Her face and arm were smudged with different colours of paint.
Faster and faster, she got excited and floated up in amazement, gasping as her hand and paintbrush went through the canvas instead of on it.
"Hey… what d'ya know? I'm strong enough to phase through now…" She smiled happily to herself, floating down to the ground and landing gently.
She put her palette and paintbrush down, and held her right hand in front of her, snapping her fingers.
A blue spark flashed before puffing out into smoke.
She brought her hand to her chest in a fist, muttering distinctly, "Curses…"
-------------------
"ALERT! ALERT! CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IN CENTRAL CITY! CRIMINAL IDENICIFATION: UNKNOWN!" The mechanized alarm rang out. The Titans dropped what they were doing, looking at the large monitor that appeared instead of the Gamestation.
It indicated a red flashing zone, while the sound of the explosions finally reached the Tower.
"Titans! Go!" Robin got up with the rest of the Titans, all of them running and or floating towards the main door.
"What about me?" A shadow floated down from the ceiling, blocking the large doorway.
"Phantom…?" Robin asked, as the shadow turned around, pushing a pair of sun glasses onto her nose, grinning slyly.
"Shyeah. Who else? I can bet anything that's Slade. And I can also bet that you're not kicking his butt with out me." She pointed her index finger as though shooting a gun, and nodded her head.
The titans were silent for a moment, then Robin grinned and nodded, "Sure. Just don't steal the show."
Ooo, what a clever line for Robin, eh?
Wow, this is my best and longest chapter! Please review and tell me your comments! :)