Ten Little Titans

by Riles

One Titan dead, two Titans dead, three Titans dead... How many more must die before the villain is caught? Inspired by Agatha Christie’s “Ten Little Indians”, aka “And Then There Were None”.

9. Frizz

Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own the Teen Titans, but by the time I'm through with them, they're going to be dead, so I don't see how much good this does….

Chapter Dedication: Raven-Fieryblack and Nightlark

Undedication: May. She's not even reading this anymore. xD THIS IS WHY I SHOULDN'T TELL HER WHAT HAPPENS!

()TLT()

Ten little Titans went out to dine;

One choked himself and then there were nine.

Nine little Titans stayed up very late;

One overslept and then there were eight.

Eight little Titans traveling in Devon;

One said he'd stay there and then there were seven.

Seven little Titans were chopping up sticks;

One chopped himself in half and then there were six.

Six little Titans playing with a hive;

A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.

Five little Titans going in for law;

One got in Chancery and then there were four.

Four little Titans going out to sea;

A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.

Three little Titans walking in the Zoo;

A big bear hugged one and then there were two.

Two little Titans sitting in the sun;

One got frizzled up and then there was one.

One little Titan left all alone;

He went and hanged himself and then there were none.

()TLT()

Movement—darkness—another crash. He was leaving a trail. Beast Boy switched animals with every passing second, a new creature to fit the obstacle ahead. He became a cheetah to run the halls, a monkey to climb the walls. He was running.

Bumblebee was dead. Her scream made it an obvious fact. He had also realized that Robin would be after him, trying to kill him next. It was a part of a story that had yet to be written, but an ending so predictable everyone knew what was coming. One of them was going die tonight. The only reason anyone finished the story was because of a simple, unanswered question: who?

Beast Boy ran. Robin was coming.

()TLT()

There was another crash. Yes! He was getting closer! But why was Beast Boy running? Wasn't he eager to kill Robin, just like he had everyone else? Didn't he want to finish the job? So many questions, but none could be answered until he caught up with the changeling. Was Beast Boy afraid that he wouldn't be able to take Robin down without his little cheap tricks? He had used them on everyone else, after all. If he could murder eight people—seven, since he didn't murder Terra, which all made perfect sense now—in cold blood, couldn't he manage to kill Robin too? Even if it was head-to-head, should that be any different? He was clearly insane, so such a maniacal mindset should give him a maniacal strength as well.

There was even the part of Robin that didn't want to kill Beast Boy—another advantage for the changeling. There was the part of Robin that didn't want to believe it; couldn't—wouldn't—and yet did. He knew he didn't do it, so that left Beast Boy to be the murderer. But it was Beast Boy, his former teammate and good friend. Could Robin really end Beast Boy's life? There were only so many people Robin had had the desire to kill. The murderer of his friends had been one of them, but could he live with himself if he became just as bad as Beast Boy—a murderer himself?

There was another crash. Oh, yes, he was definitely getting close.

()TLT()

Beast Boy ran into the large room, grabbed a ball, and jumped into the darkness. It was a substantial room of immense proportions just under the roof. Inside was a basketball court where the boys sometimes disappeared to when they were under stress. Playing each other in this room had once been a source of relief. Now it was going to be someone's tomb.

The lights were still off. Beast Boy was in the shadows. In the silence he was now consumed in, he could hear Robin's footsteps against the stairs, and—though perhaps it was just his imagination—he would go so far as to say he could hear the Boy Wonder's heavy breathing. Beast Boy looked around him, unable to see anything through his eyes, though picturing the room with his mind. So this was where the final showdown was to begin.

()TLT()

Robin paused before the room. It was the boys' favorite basketball court. Would he be hiding in here? There was suddenly the sound of a basketball hitting the hard floor. Robin mentally prepared himself. He was here.

Stepping into the darkness, though not all too far, Robin left the door open behind him. The hallway's emergency lights were the only illumination into the room at the moment, and because of the unexplained power outage, it was all there would be. Robin made sure he was standing where the light illuminated him, however, as he wanted to talk to Beast Boy. It would make the murderer feel more comfortable knowing that he could see his prey, but his prey couldn't see his predator.

"Beast Boy," Robin said.

"Robin." The changeling's voice echoed in the frozen room, making it impossible to decipher just where he was.

Robin bit his lip slightly, hating the cold tone Beast Boy's voice had taken on. "She's dead."

"I know."

"So it's just you and me."

"So it is."

Robin paused here. When he next spoke, his voice cracked. "Why Starfire?"

"Why any of them?"

The Boy Wonder nodded. "But she was so innocent."

"Weren't they all?"

"You know what I mean." Robin's tone turned flat with annoyance.

"It surprises me you still have a heart."

"After it's been broken so much over the past week? It surprises me too."

"So why'd you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Don't play dumb."

"Follow you up here? It's got to end sometime."

In the darkness, Beast Boy rolled his eyes. "Yes, I guess it does."

"I'll never understand you."

"For running? There's a lot to understand there."

"I sense sarcasm, but I don't see why."

"Then for a brilliant murderer, you're pretty stupid."

Robin paused. "I guess killing you does make me a murderer."

"And killing you will make me one too."

Robin didn't say anything for a moment, but then suddenly began laughing. It wasn't his usual laugh, when he was happy and enjoying himself, but almost maniacal, and very uncharacteristic of him.

"What's so funny?"

Robin calmed his laughter to answer the question. "It's funny, but I don't want to kill you."

"The same here."

"After all, you're my teammate, and an awesome friend. Would I even be able to kill you?"

"I've been wondering that too over the past few days. Would I be able to kill who was left? And now seeing that it's you… I'm asking myself again. And honestly? I don't know."

"I suppose neither of us do."

"Then it'll be a surprise, I guess."

"To see who comes out on top."

"Will they be able to do it?"

There was a pause. "Wanna find out?"

"I don't suppose I have much of a choice," Beast Boy said. "But if I kill you, how will I get out of here?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten the security code."

"As if I changed it."

Robin looked confused. "But Cyborg couldn't work it."

"I guess he went stupid then, didn't he?"

Robin shook his head. "So are you going to tell me how it happened?"

"You want me to theorize? I don't even want to know how the mind of a killer works."

"Can't even fathom your own?"

"Stop insulting my intelligence, Robin!"

"I wasn't insulting you, I was trying to understand. But I suppose it doesn't really matter anymore, huh? So let's just get this over with." Robin moved away from the doorway and was immediately enveloped by darkness. He flipped the light switch in hopes of temporarily stunning Beast Boy, but he had forgotten they wouldn't work. At least his eyes were getting used the darkness. He searched the room for Beast Boy, looking everywhere for the changeling. Where could he be hiding? In this room of nothing but a basketball court, a cart of balls, and several benches, there were few places to disguise oneself. Then again, he could have been standing in the middle of the room, not hiding at all.

"See me yet?" His voice still echoed, but because of his change of position, Robin felt like he was able to distinguish it more. It was definitely on the far side of the room. That just left half of the area to search.

Robin didn't answer immediately, and wasn't planning on it so as not to be discovered. Realizing, however, that his voice would echo too, he said, "Not yet."

There was a pause where somewhere in the darkness Beast Boy smirked. "I see you."

Robin was suddenly hit viciously on the head, and he crashed to the ground. He swiftly rolled away and did a back flip so he was on his feet again. Slightly disoriented now, he sensed more than saw fists flying towards him. He lifted his hands to block the oncoming attacks, backing up as he did so.

"Can we do this forever?" Beast Boy whispered.

"Unlikely," Robin said, "but I'm not going to die."

"Then it should make for a great match!" Beast Boy suddenly desisted his attack as he jumped up into the air and into darkness through which Robin couldn't see. He stared determinedly up into the endless night, trying to distinguish where Beast Boy had disappeared.

Suddenly hearing something directly behind him, he turned around with a swift kick and hit his attacker. There was a clatter that Robin didn't understand, but he sensed another fist coming at him. The two began a fistfight, neither better than the other. Apparently Beast Boy had been doing some serious training in martial arts recently, for he was better than Robin remembered.

And then suddenly with a swift punch Robin fell to the floor. He jumped away quickly, but Beast Boy didn't pursue him. He tried to see, but between the two attacks, he had glimpsed the open door too much, which ruined his vision with every glance. For several moments nothing happened, but then he was hit on the back of the head again, and the fight resumed where it had left off.

"So," Beast Boy said, "you think you can win?"

"I know I can," Robin said. "I know I will."

"Well, I don't plan on dying."

"Lots of things happen you don't plan," Robin said, kneeing Beast Boy in the stomach. "That's why you've got to be prepared for anything!"

Robin suddenly held the advantage, and he took it. He hurt Beast Boy in any way he could, knowing that if he hesitated for a moment, Beast Boy would flee or return the favor, neither of which sounded appealing. But as soon as Beast Boy's name entered his mind, he stopped in mid-kick. This was Beast Boy, his friend, and he was trying to beat him to death. Could Robin sink any lower?

Suddenly Beast Boy vanished as he became a fly and flew away. Robin glared at the darkness, not knowing where the changeling had gone, and mentally kicking himself at the same time. Beast Boy was a murderer, the killer of seven people; and if Robin didn't kill him, he would become the murderer of eight. And suddenly something he'd said before returned to his mind.

"Is it all worth it?" he asked.

The changeling must have returned to his human form somewhere because there was an answer to his question. "I don't know, is it?"

"For a children's poem," Robin continued. "Killing for a children's poem. I suppose there was a point for all this death?"

"You expect me to know?"

Robin closed his eyes for a moment in despair. "I'll take that as a 'no'."

"You ready to give up yet? It'd make this a lot easier."

"You expect me to just give up and die?" Robin sensed Beast Boy's coming presence. "I can't." He smirked, the darkness suddenly giving way to his eyes. "Starfire would want me to live."

Swinging his foot up, Robin made to kick Beast Boy in the face. Beast Boy, however, anticipated this and grabbed Robin's foot a split second before contact.

"Terra would want me to live too."

Beast Boy flipped Robin over, and the Boy Wonder fell onto the ground. Expecting his quick escape once again, Beast Boy transformed into a bear and huddled over Robin, growling menacingly. He stabbed at Robin with his claws, and Robin had just enough moving space to ensure the claws didn't hit his heart. Apparently Beast Boy had no qualms with killing again. But he should have known this would be no different than the seven before him.

Letting out a short cry, Robin grasped the shoulder Beast Boy had sunk his claws into. Four claws now dripping with blood were held tauntingly over Robin's face, several drops of his own blood falling onto his nose and lips. It seeped into his mouth and burned his tongue with the taste. He was not going to die like this! Robin pushed up with both feet into the bulk of the bear, which apparently had some effect as the force of the animal upon him lessened.

Seizing his chance, Robin pushed the heavy animal away from him with an enormous amount of effort and raced away from the bear, sprinting over to one of the benches, almost tripping over it in his rush to get there. He sat down and listened to Beast Boy's growl, right arm covering the blood gushing from his left. His left arm hung rather uselessly at his side; though he could still move it, such an action had the effect of immense ache, and he didn't dare tempt pain too much.

There was another growl before a loud thump.

"You know," Beast Boy said suddenly, "I understand now."

"Understand what?" Robin asked, counting on the reverberation off the walls to hide his location.

"It's easy to kill as long as you don't think about it."

Robin paused and stared at the darkness where he knew just a few feet out of his vision Beast Boy sat. That was quite the horrifying revelation. "Yeah, I couldn't help but notice the attempt on my life just now."

"Well, you plan to kill me," Beast Boy said. "It's kill or be killed."

Robin shrugged. "You do what you have to, I guess."

"I guess," Beast Boy agreed. There was movement in that direction, and Robin could tell Beast Boy had stood. "Well, guess I'd better find you while you're still in pain."

"Exploiting my time of weakness, are you?"

"Kill or be killed," Beast Boy reminded him.

Robin was silenced, not wanting his hiding place to be divulged just yet. He could just barely hear the sounds of Beast Boy's shoes hitting the floor, though it was so faint he wondered if it was imagination playing tricks on him. Quickly forcing his brain to get to work, however, Robin attempted to do what he did best—form a strategy.

"Marco?" Beast Boy asked suddenly, and then couldn't help but chuckle. "There's a memory. Just like playing Marco Polo, or Hide-and-Seek, or Blind Man."

The renaming of such games made Robin remember what he always did when playing. He was rarely caught, so couldn't he use such simple game strategies for this? Robin stood and carefully walked over to where Beast Boy had stabbed him before, cursing his metal-toed shoes for any sound they made. Seeing as Beast Boy was still searching several dozen feet away, however—he could hear the movement of the basketballs in the cart—he thought he was okay. When playing games, if Robin wasn't "it", it was his foolproof strategy to move where the seeker had just looked. How many would look in the same place after they had just searched there?

And so, by using his strategy, Robin followed Beast Boy around the room, trying to keep his steps in pace with Beast Boy's so that if he was making any noise, Beast Boy might think it was his own footsteps. As soon as he was finished searching the basketball cart—as if Robin would be hiding in there—he moved away and around the walls towards the benches. At this point, being far enough away from the light and without glancing back, Beast Boy's ability to see in the night had returned to him and he merely glanced to see if anyone was sitting on them. Not daring to look behind him, however, for that was where the light was, Robin remained unnoticed. Now all he had to do was find the right time to strike.

He saw it coming about a minute before it actually came. Robin noted the basketball hoop that clung to the ceiling as it did on real courts, not thinking anything of it until he saw Beast Boy's route falling beneath it. If he could freeze the hoop and backboard with one of his disks, and then could somehow ensure its fall, it could fall on Beast Boy. Then he'd never have to worry about doing the deed directly. He had imagined being forced to stab Beast Boy with his own hands or something as dreadful as that, but this would be much easier on his conscious. He could avoid the more traumatizing nightmares.

Robin put his hand to his belt and felt for his freezing disks. After a moment of searching, he looked down and searched more frantically for the disks that were not there. He searched for his birdarang, but that was gone too. Robin anxiously hunted for anything still left on his belt, and was semi-relieved to discover his electrodisks. But where had the rest of his weapons gone? Had Beast Boy stolen them? But why hadn't he used them? And why leave the electrodisks?

"Titans Tower Lockdown Disengaged."

Robin's jaw dropped. "How did you do that?" he asked, forgetting he was a short distance from a murderer.

Beast Boy turned at hearing the voice, and as if initiated by the tower's announcement of freedom, the lights returned. "Have you been following me this whole time?"

"Doesn't matter," Robin said, though his strategy was already given away. He prepared himself for a fight.

Beast Boy, however, took one glance at the door that seemed incredibly close and bolted.

No! Robin thought, racing after him. He's going to get away! After murdering all of those people, he's going to get away! I can't let him. Not after all of our teammates, our friends, not after Starfire. He'll pay!

Robin chased the changeling around corners, the green boy always just in his sight, and up another flight of stairs. Suddenly Robin realized they were going the route to the roof, where Beast Boy could easily take flight and get away. He couldn't let that happen, and without his birdarang, he had no chance of following. He could pray for wind so that he could use his glider, but it wasn't often that the wind was strong enough to carry him.

Beast Boy opened the doors and entered the roof, a victorious smile on his face. Robin, close behind, pushed open the door just before it just shut again, almost tripping in his haste to catch the person ahead of him. He stumbled onto the roof and searched frantically, only to find his worst fear already confirmed. Beast Boy had taken flight as a pterodactyl and was already too far for Robin to reach.

Almost reflexively, Robin grabbed the only thing still remaining on his belt: his electrodisks. With swift movements, he had flung the object towards the flying changeling, Robin only able to hope it made contact. It seemed as if in slow motion where the disk twirled through the air, spinning madly. As if on cue, Beast Boy's words came back to Robin: "It's easy to kill as long as you don't think about it."

The electrodisk came in contact with a giant wing. Beast Boy stopped in midair, and almost like in a cartoon, seemed frozen for a moment, an electric shock running through him. Then he suddenly plummeted beyond Robin's vision. The Boy Wonder raced to the edge of the tower and just saw the splash of his friend falling into the ocean. He stared at the water for several moments before Beast Boy resurfaced. He didn't move, and Robin knew his electrodisks should've done the trick. Despite the assurances in his mind, he had to make sure.

He left the roof and dashed down the flights of the stairs, sliding on the railing to get downstairs faster. When he was three floors from the bottom, he jumped down the middle of the stairwell, running towards the door as soon as his feet landed on solid ground. He threw the door open and raced outside, taking a right to where he had seen Beast Boy's body. By this point there was the faintest hint of light on the horizon, and Robin had only that to guide him to the changeling. Locating the body, he jumped into the water towards it, determined to ensure he was dead. With long strokes that pained his left arm but the beating it had taken earlier and a swim of several dozen feet, Robin reached his upturned friend. He quickly grabbed him in a neck hold, just in case, but the limp form and slight shock that surrounded Beast Boy told Robin he was dead.

For a moment, Robin was uncertain what to do. Should he leave the body out here, and let the ocean take him away? But no, the police, as evidence of his death, could need his corpse. Robin would have to take it with him. Besides, Beast Boy was still his friend—sort of. It was a complicated subject.

It took Robin twice as long to swim back as it did to swim out there with the addition of Beast Boy dragging behind him. Since he was already dead, Robin didn't care all that much that he was dragging below the surface, though it did annoy him that he would occasionally kick the changeling while trying to swim. A minute later he reached the rocky edge, and Robin managed to push Beast Boy's corpse onto a rock. Without his arms to help him swim, he fell below the surface, but quickly returned for air.

Robin grabbed the edge of the rocks and hoisted himself up, hesitating on what to do. He could take Beast Boy inside and call the police. He could sleep. After a few moments of indecision, he settled on enjoying the sunrise—it was, after all, his first trip outside in over a week. Robin sat on the rocks, allowing one foot to hang over the sea, and watched as the sky changed colors, letting his thoughts drift. For the first time in a long time, Robin felt glad just to be alive. It was a feeling he wouldn't blame on his recent brush with death, rather liking to think Starfire had something to do with it. It helped the numb barrier he had created give way to some kind of happy feeling.

In time, when the sky was beginning to turn its cheerful blue, Robin stood. He picked up the corpse beside him and carried the remains of his friend into the tower. He turned to the stairs and glared up at the steps that eagerly awaited him. Resigning to his fate, however, Robin began to, one step at a time, trudge up the stairwell.

Having no real energy, it took Robin half an hour to get to Starfire's floor. It was pathetic timing for climbing stairs, even while carrying a dead body, but he didn't care. After all, now that he was alone, he had all the time in the world. He walked onto Starfire's floor and adjusted his hold, beginning his journey again. He hauled Beast Boy through the hallways the changeling had once roamed himself, pitifully taking such massive time for each step. When he finally reached his beloved Tamaranian's room, Robin paused at the doorway. He had recently forced himself to become detached from those inside just to numb the pain. Would seeing them again reopen those wounds?

Taking that chance, Robin stepped inside.

There they were, all exactly as he had left them. Robin could only look for a moment before he started feeling the hated emotion, so he trained his eyes on the wall to his left and took the painful steps forward. He didn't stop until he had almost run into the wall, and then turned and placed Beast Boy's body in the corner. For the sake of humoring the dead, he had to leave room for Bumblebee in between Starfire and Beast Boy.

Robin left the room much quicker than he had entered it, and kept his swift pace all the way back down the stairs again and into the training room where Bumblebee's corpse lay untouched. He picked her up bridal-style and tried to find the energy to move a bit faster than he had with Beast Boy. His resolution lasted until he met the stairs again, once more depressed by the task ahead of him.

As he reached the fourth floor, however, the journey of the stairs complete, his paced quickened again. He reached Starfire's room and strode briskly inside, walked immediately to his left, and set Bumblebee in between what was left of Starfire and the water-clogged remains of Beast Boy.

Now that Robin had set his pace, he walked over to Starfire's dresser and picked up the communicator lying upon it. He turned it over and opened the back of it, where in any normal electronic device, the batteries would have been hidden. Instead there were several wires, two of which Robin fiddled with for a moment before restoring the communicator to its usual appearance. Robin clicked the button that allowed him to speak in the device.

"Hello? Chief Anderson? I'd like to report some murders."

Static was his response. So the communicators were still jammed. Admitting defeat, Robin sighed and set down the device, smashing it with his fist to end the noise. He turned and looked at the nine before him. All had once been living, breathing people—all had once been his friends. Even in death, could he still call them that?

But they were dead, so it didn't really matter.

Because he still had no connection to the outside world, Robin would have to go across the sea himself to alert the police to what had happened in Titan's Tower over the last week. At the moment, however, sleep was a priority, and he had no reason to leave immediately to talk to the police. Besides, that would lead to long discussions where he would have to relive what had happened, and to do that, he would need to be well rested.

Too lazy to stumble to his own room, Robin collapsed on Starfire's bed. He could ignore the smell of the corpses around him, because if he buried his nose deep enough, he was sure he could catch Starfire's sweet scent. That smell would only be there for a limited time, and Robin wouldn't miss it. Moreover, it wasn't like anyone else was going to die.

But had Robin cared to notice, there was still one last part of the poem to be fulfilled.

---

A/N:

Hello everyone! I'm going to die. : D If you're into Final Fantasy, I encourage you to read "May It Be" by Annjirikah. Her regular screenname is Annjirika, and she has 26 stories on that one, but her horror story is on the one with the "h" on the end for some reason…. But anywayz, I know nothing of Final Fantasy, but a friend was telling me about this story and I was like, "OMG I MUST READ IT." So I did. Really, it's incredible. I highly encourage you to read it, even if you're not into Final Fantasy! I think I want to get into it now, just because of that story…. : )

So I hope you enjoyed the chapter! THIS ONE is my shortest yet. But you know what? It was hard to write! Even to make it this long is a surprise. It's much easier to write when you have lots of characters (which is why I don't understand how my first chapter could be so short!), and when you only have two, it's difficult to write. I'd have written more, but I need to save the majority of Robin's afterthoughts for next chapter.

Speaking of which! Next chapter… well, two things are happening. The ending to the poem (which you all could clearly guess) comes about, and what is this? Visitors to Titan's Tower? Such fun! I'm sure Starfire would be pleased. If she were alive to see it. Ouch.

My reviewers (whom I love oh-so-much and that was not sarcasm!)

Strodgfrgf- Actually this was based off a book… but there's a movie! I'm totally going to see it now. -runs off to blockbuster-

kay jolyn- How long exactly have you been following this story? And I'm glad you liked Robin and Starfire in the story. : ) But I would make a sick murderer? Well… okay, maybe. : P Let's all hope I don't become a murderer then!

White-foxx- What's not to understand? The murderer left, retrieved the bodies, and put them in Star's room while the other Titans were sleeping. It's not a job that required too much noise, unless the door was loud. Hope that explains it!

xox.Annie Potter.xox- Yes, a sequel. I can't wait to write it! But I have quite the to-do list until then… so at least I'll be occupied…. -sigh- And try not to dance into any more walls, okay? xD And naturally I LOVED Stranded. My favorite eppie. : ) Then Sisters, then Betrothed. I like Starfire episodes. Have you noticed?

Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, I think I'll mention this. The murderer is not Mas y Menos. I've had this mentioned a few times, but I figured I'd let you all know. Silly reviewers. : D

Reason for chapter dedication: My apologies to Raven-fieryblack. For my simple mind to go any farther past the pairings I love is very rare, so I apologize for my yelling last chapter. 8 O weird face. Anywayz, my apologies. I shouldn't have blown up, and Nightlark made a good point to me. Even if you DO support Rob/Rae, you've tolerated my Rob/Starness thus far. And so that makes me happy. : D So I hope you forgive me!

Thank you millions for reviewing. Really. I love it. -loves- And if you INSIST on not reviewing this chapter, make sure you do next chappie. Even endings have cliffhangers… and I'll want to know then more than ever what your thoughts are! But do try and review this chapter too, won't you? Thankx for reading!

Riles