I don't own Teen Titans. We're coming close to the end, folks! I hope you've enjoyed the story so far, because now we're coming to the climax! Is Shade really gonna take off his mask and show Raven who he is… or is Robin going to spoil their plans? Find out today in part nine of eleven!
Part 9: Making a Mask?
Raven stood outside The Fireplace at high noon, looking at the tinted windows. Even during the day it was dark in there. The familiar place would be where… finally… she would unmask Shade. Raven pulled up her hood so she was sure to make a gothic entrance to her favorite place. She was well-known there, so she had a bit of a reputation.
She entered, and the little bell above the door tinkled. A dark, mellow scene greeted her, and the familiar setting was the way it always ways. Private booths were set up all around the room, and a few tables were here and there. Red, black, and dark brown seemed to be the only colors present. The big screen TV was on mute, just like always, on the news station. Looking around, Raven only saw the barkeep and two other people present. She recognized one, and the other was just as goth as the other customer.
"Hey, Ralph." She said softly, keeping the mellow mood of the place intact. She approached the barkeep. He was cleaning glasses. (A/N: Sound out the man's sentences slowly to understand what he says. I'm not making fun of Scottish people, but I think spelling things like the way they talk makes it more interesting… And don't ask why he's called Ralph. He just IS.)
"Ach, so yeh finally bahck, Miz Raevuhn!" He said. He had a nice Scottish accent, which made him well suited for the place. "How's ye sooper-erow life treatin' yeh? I wuz stahtin' teh think yeh'd fuhgotten abou' us!" He gestured around to no one, and Raven offered a small smile. "The yooshooal, I eck-spect? Tea and quiet?" he said, reachng under the bar for a tea kettle and hot water.
"Not today, Ralph." Raven said politely, eyeing the room carefully. "I'm waiting for someone."
"Ah, yeh'r bonnie lad is over there!" he pointed, knowing who she meant. His 'R' rolled across his tongue pretty hard, but she understood and turned the way was pointing.
There, sitting in the shadow of a private booth, was Shade. "Thanks." She said softly to the barkeep, going over to join him. She sat across the table from him, and there was a long silence. "…uhm…" Raven said a little uncomfortable. "Well?"
"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I can't take this off yet." he pointed to his mask as he spoke, but she could barely hear him.
"Why?" she almost shrieked aloud. He'd promised to, and he was denying her right when the moment of truth came! Why would he do such a thing?
"Don't look around." He whispered, pointing at her carefully. "But… Robin is watching us."
"What?" she whispered in disbelief. She fought the urge to search him out and blow him up, but she kept her eyes on Shade instead. "Why… how… how did he know?"
"He must've read my last riddle." Shade whispered back. "He's in disguise as one of the customers, the one with the hat on." Raven chanced a glance. Sure enough, a customer with a hat on had his nose deep in a book, keeping his face hidden. "I wouldn't be surprised if that book was fake, and it was actually a camera and long range microphone, that's why I'm whispering."
Raven cursed softly. "Why can't he just leave us alone?" she grumbled, resting her head on her palm. She made herself look bored, as though nothing amazing was happening right then. "So… I heard you were throwing a party." She allowed a tiny smile.
"Yes." He nodded once, and there was a smile in his voice that she detected. "On the night of the dance, I will take this mask off, Raven." He leaned and took one of her hands in both of his. "This, I promise you."
"The unmasking is at midnight. Is that when?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "I'm starting to get tired of being Shade." He admitted, letting go of her at last. "It won't matter if Robin is three feet away, or whoever is there at the party. At midnight, Shade will cease to be… and you'll meet…" he hesitated for a moment. "You'll meet the real me."
"I hope he's as nice as you." Raven teased him a little, her eyebrows tilting upward as she smiled.
"I hope you think so, at least." Shade whispered. He seemed unsure of himself, and Raven frowned.
"Why are you so afraid…?" Raven whispered. "You don't think I'll like you when the mask comes off?" He didn't answer, but looked away instead. She took his hand in hers this time, "You'll still be the same person, mask or no mask. You'll still be the guy I…… love." Her whisper had fallen even lower. He seemed shocked to hear her say that, and suddenly it was clear that the conversation was over.
Shade stood, and reached within his belt. His hand was trembling slightly, Raven noticed. "This rose is fake…" he whispered, showing it to her. It was white. The softest, most romantic white Raven had ever seen. It seemed to have a soft glow around it, and Raven picked it up right away.
"No riddle?" She asked, seeing no little piece of paper on any of the thorns.
"No more need for riddles." Shade said. "The next time we meet, you'll see the real me… and they'll be no need for all this secrecy." He turned to leave, but paused. "Could you do me a favor?"
"What?"
"Wear that rose instead of one of your brooches on the night of the dance." said Shade. Raven found it an odd request, but nodded. "I would be… honored, if you would dance with me right before the midnight unmasking." He gave a slow wave, and stood to leave. Raven watched him go, since there wasn't enough space for a disappearing act this time. As soon as he was out the door, though, she stood.
Raven made her way to the barkeep, whispering something in his ear. Robin, who was not far away, pretended to turn in his seat so the long-range microphone was pointing their way. He hadn't been able to make anything out during Raven and Shade's conversation, but maybe – his hat was lifted off his head.
Robin looked up, his black mask and spiky hair exposed. Raventowered over him and he sweat-dropped. "Next time, try not to hide when you're not in your own element." Raven said. "This is my turf." She made a gesture, and her powers clamped one of his hands to the table! He let out a yelp, and the barkeep was already on his way.
"Ach, is this the maroon, Miz Raevuhn?" Ralph wanted to know, taking his book. Robin couldn't get up to take it back, and watched rather helplessly. "The geenius of meh?" He read the title with his own thick accent. Really, it was called, 'The Genius of Me.' "Well, I cuhn fix this!" Pulling a kitchen utensil from behind the bar, he stabbed the fake book with a knife! It sparked and fizzled, little plastic pieces flying everywhere. The mechanical parts stopped working, and it went dead. He set the book, knife and all, on the table in front of Robin. Why there was a knife like that in a coffee shop/cafe, not even Raven wanted to know.
"And?" Raven said, smiling rather sadistically. Ralph produced a kitchen timer from behind the bar. She took it from him, and enveloped it in her powers. It turned black, and the little timer set itself for an hour and a half. She set it down in front of Robin and showed him the count. "There's how long you have to stay in time-out." She said. Robin glared at her, but she knew she was getting all the revenge she needed for the intrusion of privacy. "An hour and a half, and your hand will come free. Don't mess with the timer, or it'll reset." She shook a finger as he reached for it with his free hand. It sparked at him and he yelped, shaking his hand back and forth. Sure enough, the readout went back to an hour and thirty minutes. "Told you." Raven's eyes narrowed and she let herself have a small smile. "See you later, Robin." She set the hat back on his head, walking away.
"Raven!" Robin called after her, but he was stuck sitting at the table. "You can't just leave me here like this! Raven!"
"Ach!" Ralph gave him a hard slap on the back and Robin almost hit his face on the table in the recoil. "Yeh'd doo well not tehr make that one mad, eh laddie?" He stood, pulling out a little pad and pen. "Now, since yeh're here, what'll yeh hahve?"
Robin stared at him for a long time, but he looked serious. "Tea, please." He grumbled, resting his head on an elbow. His trapped hand was shrouded in black, and he wasn't going anywhere. At least, not for another hour and twenty-eight minutes.
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Raven was just in the door when Starfire found her. "Raven, have you seen friend Robin? I cannot locate him!"
Raven stifled a smile, pulling her hood up. "He got tied up downtown. He'll be home soon." Starfire seemed satisfied with her answer, but Raven got a private chuckle out of the deal. She returned to the hall where her room was, and suddenly she was stopped.
"Raven, I'm a vampire! Bleah! I've come to suck you're blood! Bleah! Bleah!" It was Beast Boy of course, in a dashing cape wearing fake fangs. "Fear my… uhm… fang thingies!" He hissed at her dramatically, waggling his fingers at her. She palmed his face and shoved him out of her personal space.
"It's a mask party,you idiot." Raven said. "You wear nice clothes, and a mask."
"But the paper said costume party!" He whined, spitting his fake fangs out.
"The mask is your costume, if you'd read the whole thing." Raven insisted. Beast Boy's elf-like ears wilted, and he thought long and hard.
"Hmm… vampire mask!" He said, thrusting a finger into the air. Raven sighed as he rushed off to create a monster. He would no doubt make a fool of himself. She found herself curious, and went to see Starfire. She'd been working on something too, ever since the announcement in the paper.
Raven approached her room and heard her humming. She knocked twice. "Enter!" Starfire chirped. Raven came in, finding Starfire amongst what looked like an entire art store. She was creating her own mask, but several of them were in the trash bin, rejected ideas. "Friend Raven! Do you wish to partake in the making of a disguise for the party of masks?" Raven sweat-dropped. Starfire had paint, pencils, concept drawings, scissors, glue, glitter, beads, feathers, and lord knew what else.
Raven thought for a moment. She did need to make a mask… "Why not?" she squatted down , sitting on her legs as Starfire passed her pencil and paper. "Draw it first, then make it…" Raven murmured, picking both up. "Hmm…" Raven drew a little comical version of herself, drawn chibi-style. Next to it, she drew several outlines for a mask. Looking at all the supplies Starfire had at her disposal, Raven started drawing…
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About two hours later…---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"It will be a most joyous occasion!" Starfire was smiling the whole time. Her mask was as red as her hair, dry feathers arranged in a pattern around the eye-holes. "Yes…" she murmured to herself, letting her girlish creativity take wing. "Mmm…" she whispering to herself the whole time.
"Robin's taking you to the party, right?" Raven asked, making girl-talk to pass the time.
"Yes. He is going to be my escort." Starfire blushed, pretending to look through her mask again so her face wouldn't be visible. "Cyborg and Beast Boy are going alone, I have heard them tell me… but I do not doubt they will find someone of the opposite gender to escort as well!" Raven sweat-dropped. That was probably true, and Beast Boy would take every opportunity to show off how popular he was with the girls… "Is it always a custom for the males on this planet to escort females to events such as this, Raven?"
"Yeah, I guess." Raven said, X-ing out her latest creation on the paper and trying again.
There was a long silence and Starfire fidgeted for a moment. Then, she summoned her courage to speak. "Then… the Shade will escort you?" Starfire asked timidly.
Raven looked at her, looking for any sign of a joke or an embarrassing remark. But, no… her face was serious for once. "Yeah… Shade'll be my date."
There was a sudden, loud knock at the door. "Enter!" Starfire proclaimed, smiling.
Cyborg stepped in, red in the face. He was dressed in what was probably the most broad-shouldered tuxedo anyone had ever seen. There was even a cape and a top hat. "Well…?" He murmured, staring at the floor.
"Mask too!" Beast Boy was just outside of their range of vision. Cyborg sighed, pulling out a small, half-mask. It was white like ivory, and he held it up to the metallic half of his face. It stuck with magnetism, and he looked at the two girls for judgment.
"Phantom of the Opera." Raven observed. "It fits." She gave him a thumbs-up.
"Joyous day!" Starfire squealed. "The small piece of plastic on your face is wonderful! You will surely find someone to escort for the party of masks!" She jumped up and hugged him to show approval.
Cyborg brightened, playing with the end of his cape. "Well, looks like I'm all set then." He gave a thumbs up, and went to take it all off so it wouldn't get messed up. Beast Boy trooped after him, leaving the door open.
Robin suddenly came into view, out of breath. Raven stifled a smile, and Starfire greeted him with a giggling smile. "Would you wish to partake in the making of a mask, friend Robin?" She held up the mask she was working on for him to see.
"I already wear a mask." Robin said, shrugging. "It won't be any different for me." Starfire frowned, and he left.
"You should probably make him one yourself, he's a little grouchy." Raven said wisely. "And a little too proud to do arts and crafts."
Starfire gasped. "A wondrous idea!" She nodded happily. "As soon as I have finished my own, I shall craft one for friend Robin!" Raven had given her another project, and it would turn out well… as long as she steered clear of the glitter…… Raven looked down at the drawing of herself, and realized that she hadn't made her cloak dark… the Raven in the picture was wearing white. The teen goth blushed just a little, erasing the brooch she'd given the drawing of herself. She replaced it with a white flower, a small smile coming to her face. "You have received another rose from… the Shade?" Starfire asked softly, seeing what she was doing. Raven regarded her closely, but then nodded.
"It'll be a part of my outfit when the time comes…" Raven murmured, reaching for the basic mask outlines Starfire had on paper. "This shouldn't take too long."
Darn it! Raven was so close to finding out Shade's identity… Why do I torture my readers so…? To make sure you come back and read more when the next part comes up, of course. Remember, I've already finished writing the story, so the parts will come at a steady pace. This is part nine, so there's only two parts left. The Jump City Mask Party starts in part ten, so don't be late! Next time it's part ten, The Final Countdown! See ya there!