WBH: Hey, I'm back! And if my prediction is correct, there are…counts on fingers
Raven: This could take a while…
StarfireLover: I actually don't know anything about Fruits Basket but all my friends read it so I just stuck it in there. But Inu-Yasha is TOTALLY AWESOME! Sorry, hyperness. Here is your update!
Sango TLS: No pressure here, eh? lol anyway, I guess I just need stuff to take my mind off of all the other events in my life, ya know? …OMG Naraku sings? LOL! I will finish that story and the one you just recommended. Btw, I can't do the La Catrina fic in script format 'cause it's against the rules, apparently. …You want me to write IY? Um, OK, I'll give it a shot. Thanx for everything, L-san!
Rea and BB fan: Thanx! And I haven't seen The Ring two so I can't do a story off of it. Otherwise I would…but anyway, until day seven, you will just have to hang tight, m'kay? You've been an awesome reviewer so far!
Coolcatjas: Yeah, I just did BB's last name 'cause it's a BBRae fic, and she's bound to be thinking about him, ya know? And yes, I knew about her last name being Roth, but the name Raven Roth never really appealed to me, so I just left it out (First time I saw the name I kinda thought, "Wait, hell has a last name…? Oooookay then."). Plus, it's funnier if she uses BB's last name! Btw, why do people use "Roth" and where did they get it? The original series? Meh clueless.
ILuVxSeSsHyx4eVa: Well, if you insist. Here's the update!
TeenRAVENtitan: Sadako is basically the Japanese version of Samara. And, if you remember the summary of this story, you have a tiny clue about the plot.
Fox: Heh…I update right after you review! How cool is that?
Raven: And on with the story, I guess…
WBH: Still talking to self …so, if I make this all one chapter, than that would be…
Day 5
"Whoa. It's not like you to be up this early, BB."
Cyborg approached the sofa and a groaning, exhausted, and bloodshot-eyed Beast Boy. He held an empty mug in his hand.
"Ugh…wha'cha say, Cy?" Beast Boy asked.
"Nothing," Cyborg answered. He took the cup from Beast Boy and examined it. "Jeez, man! I didn't know you drank coffee."
Beast Boy sniffled. "I don't."
Cyborg eyed the changeling. "OK, what did you lose this time?"
Beast Boy instantly sprang up. "Lose? Whatever do you mean?"
Cyborg laughed. "HAHA! Gotcha!"
"That was so not funny, dude."
Cyborg suddenly eyed him. "Wait a minute…"
"I'm serious, dude! I didn't lose anything last night, as weird and unusual as it may sound!"
"Well, what are we going to eat this morning?" Cyborg asked.
"Whatever, as long as it's not meat!" Beast Boy answered. Cyborg sighed.
"It's always the same answer, no matter how many times I ask," he thought. His thoughts were interrupted by Robin and Starfire entering the room.
"Friends! Good morning!" Starfire sang out cheerfully.
"Yeah, what she said," Robin said, but with a smile.
"Any suggestions regarding breakfast?" Cyborg asked. Starfire brightened.
"Yes! I have one, friend Cyborg—" Cyborg waved his hands back and forth, signaling her to stop— "Might I suggest Zorka berry pudding? Or perhaps my most famous recipe, Glork?"
"Actually, tofu is starting to sound really good right now," Cyborg muttered. "Not really!" he added angrily when he noticed Beast Boy's expression.
The arguing halted when Raven entered. She wasn't wearing her usual cape and leotard, but regular black jeans and a black top. The titans watched her walk by without so much as acknowledging them, prepare her tea, put it into a cup with a lid, and walk back towards the door.
"Wait, Raven, where are you going?" Robin asked.
Raven kept walking and merely replied, "I'm going out, and you'd better not follow me," before the door shut behind her.
"What the heck was that all about?" Cyborg asked. Beast Boy frowned.
"I can tell you where she's going…" Everyone looked in his direction.
"Please, Beast Boy, tell us!" Starfire said.
"…but only on one condition!" Beast Boy finished.
"What's that?"
"I get to make tofu for breakfast."
…
Raven made her way to the docks, walking like any normal person. She had decided not to fly as she might arouse too much suspicion. She had thought about teleporting, but she didn't want to just arrive out of nowhere at the harbor or accidentally pass the ticket booth, lest she get arrested. She adjusted her bag on her shoulder and crossed the next street.
"This is taking forever!" she thought angrily. "Maybe I should've asked Cyborg to drive me…No! What am I thinking? I have somewhere I need to be and I'm wasting my time thinking such stupid thought—"
She was mentally interrupted when she ran straight into someone. Papers flew everywhere and Raven's bag dropped, spewing all of its contents.
"Sorry about that!" A small boy wearing a large baseball cap kneeled and hurriedly gathered up his papers.
"N-no problem," Raven replied, still shocked. She picked up her belongings and stood up. She couldn't see his face, but something seemed strange and unsettling about him. She also noticed that he was wearing gloves and long pants, so that no part of his skin was showing. "Um…do you need help?" she asked.
"Eh? Oh, no, no, I'll do it, thanks!" he answered nervously, scooping up the papers and shoving them in his backpack. Then he ran off, dropping another piece of paper.
Raven picked it up and examined it. There were a number of strange characters written all over it, but one thing in particular caught her eye. In the lower right corner of the page, there was an "S" symbol, and this wasn't the first time she had seen it.
"Hey!" Raven called after him, but he had disappeared into the crowd. Raven put the paper carefully into her own bag and continued on to the docks.
Down the street, the mysterious boy looked back over his shoulder before turning down a dark and deserted alleyway. There, he pulled out a walkie-talkie.
"Yes? What is your report?" a sinister voice on the other end asked.
"She's headed for the docks."
"Excellent. Only a few more days before the titans' fates are sealed."
…
"One ticket to Jump City Isle," Raven told the man. Silently he handed her the ticket and took her money, then turned to the next customer.
Raven entered the waiting room and took a seat far in the corner. Then she took out the piece of paper that the boy had dropped and looked it over again. She still couldn't understand what it said, but she could tell it was written in the language of Azarath. She had left her home so quickly that she had never learned how to read the language. (A/N: Making that up, as well as the island name.) Now she cursed under her breath as she tried to imagine what it could possibly mean.
A sudden announcement for her ferry made her jump. She stuffed the paper back into her bag and got into line to board. She found herself slightly claustrophobic as she was pushed and shoved by the other passengers.
When she finally made it onto the boat, she broke away from the crowd and leaned against the wall, gasping for air. Then she found a place to sit and wait for the boat to leave while the rest of the passengers boarded.
Ten minutes later, the boat began to move. Raven sighed. "I just hope they didn't follow me…"
She knew the ride would take a while, so she shouldered her bag and walked around. She explored the many floors, learning where everything was and looking for familiar faces. Fortunately for her, she found none.
Then she began to look around the lower levels. There were less people around these floors, so it was quieter. Raven preferred staying down here rather than in the noisier, upper levels.
She stopped suddenly. She had heard a loud bang from downstairs in the cargo room. It persisted, and Raven began to worry.
"What kind of cargo makes that much noise?" she asked herself as she descended more stairs. She ignored the "Staff Only" sign on the door and entered.
Stacks of large crates met her eyes. Some were so large that they stood alone. One of them was rocking slightly and the noises were coming from inside. Raven cautiously approached it.
After a few more minutes of listening, she figured out that it was a horse inside the crate. It appeared to be thrashing and pacing its tight space.
"Um…"
At the sound of her voice, the horse seemed to grow more nervous. It paced more.
"Whoa, okay, calm down. I just came down here to see what all the noise was. I'm not gonna steal or anything."
The horse almost reared on its hind legs, but instead it tossed its head and stomped.
"Look, I can understand your claustrophobia, but it's no reason to get so ups—"
She was cut off as the horse suddenly burst out of its containment and ran around uncontrollably. Raven was rooted to the spot in surprise and fear as the horse abruptly changed its direction and came after her. She tried to fly, but some strange force had disabled her powers. The feeling in her legs came back just in time for her to run out onto the lower deck.
The horse charged at her and she dove out of the way just in time. A few staff members had come outside to see what all the commotion was about and tried to restrain the horse. The horse seemed to ignore them and it charged again.
Raven had been chased into the tip of the railing. She didn't have anywhere to go, and she couldn't use her powers.
Suddenly, she felt something lift her up by the shoulders and pull her out of harm's way. Then a sudden green and glowing flash whizzed by the horse's head, distracting it. It turned in that direction and jumped clean over the railing, into the sea.
"What…?" Raven began, but then she saw Beast Boy's smiling face and Starfire descending from the air. Robin and Cyborg rushed out from the cargo room a second later. They were all dressed like normal teens.
"Raven! Are you hurt?" Starfire asked worriedly.
"That horse almost killed you!" Beast Boy added.
"BB! Star! The horse went under the ship!" Cyborg yelled.
"Oh, no…" Starfire whispered.
"We're going to go to the back of the ship! Take care of Raven!" Robin called, following Cyborg through the cargo room door, along with the staff members from earlier.
Raven's vision had become blurry, and she was receiving what everyone was saying very slowly.
"Are you certain that she is all right?" Starfire asked Beast Boy.
"She looks fine, except for that really scary vacant look she has on her face," Beast Boy replied. He waved his hand in front of her face. "Rae? Are you OK?"
"Please answer us, Raven!" Starfire added.
"…that's getting really annoying," Raven mumbled.
"She's alive!" Beast Boy cried.
"Thank goodness!"
"How did you find me?" Raven asked.
"I found the phonebook still open on the kitchen counter, and I found the name from the comic book in it. So I figured out where the address was, and then told everyone about it."
"Yes, and he informed me of the things you kept a secret from me, Raven," Starfire said, her voice sounding cold.
"I was only keeping it a secret from you because I didn't want you to be afraid. And I'm sure Robin would've agreed," Raven told her.
"Actually, he did," Beast Boy said.
"Why did you guys follow me when I told you not to?" Raven asked again.
"Hey, orders weren't made to be followed. They were meant for breaking," Beast Boy joked.
"Oh shut up."
"Raven! You all right?" Cyborg asked, as he and Robin came running to them.
"Yeah, I'm fine, but…what happened to the horse?" Raven asked.
"Oh my goodness!" Starfire exclaimed, flying clear over the top of the boat to the back. Cries of surprise and awe echoed around the decks. Then Starfire's scream could be heard above them all.
"AAAAAAAIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE!"
"STARFIRE!" Robin cried. He dashed once again for the back deck. Bursting through the doors, he joined Starfire at the railing. Her face was a deadly white as she stared at the water beneath them.
"What happened? Star, are you OK?" Beast Boy called as Raven and Cyborg followed close behind. Together, the five looked at the ghastly sight before them.
"Purple water…" Raven muttered. Beast Boy passed out next to her.
"Oh…the poor horse…" Starfire whispered. She began to sob and Robin comforted her.
"That horse was driven insane by something. Otherwise it wouldn't have attacked Raven in the first place," Cyborg said.
"Yeah, well it's not my fault it almost killed me and killed itself in the process," Raven replied, struggling to hold up an unconscious changeling.
"I'm not saying it's your fault, I'm just saying that—"
"AH! Robin, what is happening?"
Everyone turned in Starfire's direction as she held a hand to her nose. When she pulled it away, it revealed a puddle of blood.
"Calm down, Star. It's just a nosebleed. We'll take you to the bathroom and get it cleaned up," Robin reassured the panic-stricken Tameranian. She seemed to calm down a bit and allowed him to lead her off the deck and upstairs.
The remaining (and conscious) titans stared at the water again, which was beginning to turn to its normal shade of blue.
"And to think our lives couldn't get any more complicated," Raven sighed.
"Well, it's not that bad, but hey, at least you don't have to deal with tofu every morning," Cyborg remarked. Raven gave him a "don't be a smart ass" look. "All right, so we've seen a scary movie, been experiencing unexplainable and creepy phenomenons, and I came extremely close to death," he said.
There were a few more moments of silence before Raven spoke again. "I didn't think it would come this soon…"
"What? What wouldn't come this soon?" Cyborg asked. "Raven, is there something you're not telling us?"
Raven looked puzzled, then turned to gaze at the sea again. "Just forget I said anything…"
"Nnngh…"
Beast Boy slowly opened his eyes. As soon as she was sure he could stand, Raven pushed him upright. This brought him halfway over the railing and face to face with the water.
"GAH!" he cried, passing out again. Raven had to grab his belt to keep him from falling overboard. She pulled him back onto the deck while an amused Cyborg watched.
"Hey, don't look at me like that. I was only doing my job," she said. Cyborg looked away innocently. "I'm serious," she growled.
"All right, then."
…
"Has the bleeding stopped, Robin?"
"No yet, Star. Are you sure we should be doing this?"
"It will be fine, Robin. As Raven would say, do not be so 'jumpy.'"
Starfire sat on a toilet seat with her head back and Robin handing her toilet paper to use as tissues. Starfire had insisted that Robin come in the girl's bathroom to help her stop her nosebleed, but Robin had been extremely hesitant and reluctant to do so. Now, here they were, in the largest stall, and Robin still a touch "jumpy."
"AUGH! I think I heard the door opening! Hold on for a second," Robin whispered, jumping onto the back of the toilet. Starfire giggled.
"Robin, there is no need to worry."
"Yes there is! If someone finds me in here they're gonna think I'm a total perv!" Robin complained quietly, listening for sounds. "Plus, I could get arrested, worst case scenario, but I'm not about to tell Star that!" he thought.
When he was sure that there were no people in the bathroom and after continuous reassurance from Starfire, Robin descended from his "hiding place." On the way down, however, he slipped and landed on top of Starfire.
"Ugh…Sorry about that, Starfire!" Robin said hurriedly, untangling himself from her.
"Please, do dot trouble yourself. I am perfectly all right, Robid," Starfire replied, plugging her nose with a tissue. A voice made them both freeze.
"Starfire? You in here?"
Starfire sighed in relief and recognition, but Robin tensed even more. "Yes, I am here, Raven!"
"Great. How is your nose?"
Starfire checked the tissue and replied, "It has indeed stopped bleeding. I will be out shortly!"
"OK, then. Would you by any chance know where Robin went off to?" Raven asked.
Starfire looked at the Boy Wonder's pale face and gave him a questioning look. Robin waved his hands rapidly and made cutting motions across his throat.
"I'm not here! I'm not here!" he whispered just loud enough for her to hear.
"He is right here with me and making the strange hand motions," Starfire answered. Robin paled even more.
"Oh really now?"
"Y-yes," Robin replied.
"Starfire, 'scuse me one sec…"
Raven's footsteps could be heard approaching the stall. When her black shoes were visible, the door was encased in black energy and the lock burst. Raven stormed into the stall and cornered Robin.
"THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING IN THE GIRL'S BATHROOM!" she yelled. She was so furious that her entire body burst into black flames.
"Please! Raven! It is not his fault, I invited him here to assist me with my bleeding of the nose!" Starfire cried. Raven's anger cooled and she once again returned to her normal state.
"Fine. As long as he didn't do it of his own accord," she said. Then she left the stall, adding, "I'll wait for you guys outside."
"Are you all right, Robin?" Starfire asked.
"I-I'm OK," he stammered.
"Then let us go join our friends outside," she suggested. Robin nodded and followed her out of the bathroom and into the lounge.
"You were so busted, dude!" Beast Boy teased as Robin emerged.
"Yeah, man! We could hear Raven all the way from out here!" Cyborg added.
"Oh shut up, guys. Had it been you it wouldn't have been so funny," Robin retorted. Cyborg nodded in agreement and Beast Boy's ears dropped in fear as the realization sunk in.
"Point taken," Beast Boy said.
"So, where exactly are we headed?" Robin asked.
"We're going to the island that Sadako lives on. I trust Beast Boy's told you all about that?" Raven asked. Everyone nodded. "Good. That saves me a lot of explaining."
"It's gonna be a long ride. Might as well make ourselves comfortable," Cyborg commented, collapsing onto a sofa. The rest of the titans followed suit and also sat down.
After a few more minutes of silence, Raven fingered her bag in boredom. Then she remembered the piece of paper the boy had dropped before she got to the docks.
"You guys might want to take a look at this," she said, bringing everyone out of their boredom modes (for Beast Boy and Cyborg, it was snoring). She removed the paper from her bag and handed it to Robin.
"What is it?" Starfire asked, looking over his shoulder. Cyborg, who was sitting on Robin's other side, also leaned in to inspect the paper.
"What are all those weird markings?" Beast Boy asked, when the paper was passed to him.
"I don't really know what they say, but I know they are written in the language of Azarath," Raven told them, taking the paper from Beast Boy. "And you might want to take a closer look at this." She turned the paper towards the other titans and pointed at a small red "S" in the bottom right-hand corner. Robin and Cyborg frowned and Starfire and Beast Boy gasped.
"I'd know that mark anywhere," Robin said grimly, taking the paper again.
"Yeah, and it can't mean good things for us," Cyborg remarked.
"It is the symbol of the two most threatening villains known to Jump City," Starfire added.
Raven spoke up. "It means Trigon, and…"
"Slade."
Who is the mysterious boy? Who is he working for? What do Slade and Trigon have anything to do with it all? The answers will be revealed in…LATER CHAPTERS! DUN DUN DUN!
Cliffy again! Sorry, I felt like putting that last part in. Oh yeah, and in the beginning with BB and Cy, in case you didn't get it, BB was up all night because he was spooked about Sadako. Just thought I'd tell you that. But seriously, you guys should feel privileged. That has GOT to be the longest chapter I have ever written! 8 pages on Word! WOOT! So anyway, review please!
HOURS LATER…
WBH: …got it! There are about 7 or 8 chapters to go for this story! …wait, how long did that take me?
Raven: Enough time to get through the whole chapter, idiot!
WBH: Hey! I'm not an idiot!
Raven: Sure…