A HUGE thank you goes out to all the readers and reviewers of this story. And an even HUGER thank you goes out to World of Nightmares. This could never be posted without her!

Chapter Ten: Rude Awakenings

The next morning, Starfire was up early. Like, five AM early. And she was cleaning, of all things.

Well, more accurately, she was cleaning all things.

No matter where they were.

And as Raven, Beast Boy, Cyborg, or Robin will tell you, waking up with Star right in your face is downright scary. (The lime green eyes and super-waxed brows might have something to do with that… just maybe…)

But Starfire found that standing over someone until they woke up was easier (or at least, it worked better) than shouting (coughBeastBoycough)

The whole waking people up as she cleaned thing started when she ventured into the grimy depths of… DUNNN DUNNNN- Beast Boy's room.

"Beast Boy," she whispered. "Please wake up. We must do the cleaning of spring in preparation for Shadow and Nightmare's visit to the Tower."

The changeling didn't stir.

"Beast Boy," she said a little louder. "Please awaken. I shall need all the assistance I can get when I do the tidying-up."

Still nothing.

So she started to yell.

"BEAST BOY! PLEASE WAKE UP!"

He was still dead asleep.

So she stood over him angrily, about to shake him awake when-

"AHHHHHHH!"

Beast Boy awoke with a start and fell off of his bed.

"DUUUUUUDE, what is your problem?" he squeaked.
"I am sorry, Beast Boy. Please do not be angry with me. But we must make the Tower presentable for when the possible new recruits arrive."

"But if they decide to join and live here, then shouldn't they see Titans Tower the way that it usually is?"

"Yes, but I think that it would be a, what is the phrase again? Nice gesture, I believe,"

"OK, you can clean the rest of the Tower, but my room stays the way it is. I mean, its not like its ever going to be clean, right? I mean, like, ever. Besides, how am I supposed to find anything if its all neat and where it belongs?"

"I guess you are correct," said Starfire, sighing. "Well, I guess I shall go awaken the others-"

"OK, Star, you do that…" said Beast Boy, getting back in his bed and falling asleep immediately.

"OK, I shall simply ask the others for help!" said Starfire confidently, walking down the hall to Raven's room. When she got there, she knocked, but there was no answer. So, she did a brave yet very, very stupid thing.

She entered.

"Raven?" Starfire said, whispering again. "Are you awake-"

The second she had stepped on the threshold of her room, Raven woke up. Apparently not realizing who she was, she enclosed Starfire's neck in a force field of dark energy.

"Raven!" Starfire gasped through the strangling thing around her neck.

Suddenly, as if she had realized who she was strangling, Raven let Starfire go.

"Starfire- I'm so sorry- I didn't mean to-" Raven said quickly.

"It is ok! I am sure that if that had happened to me, I would have done the same thing!" said Star, returning to her normal cheery voice, but rubbing her throat all the same.

"It's just that…" Raven started in an unsure voice.

"What is it, friend?" said Star, now with concern in her voice.

"I just thought that… maybe Titans Tower was under attack again or something… I had a vision about it last night…"

"Is this bad? Do your… visions usually come to pass?"

"Sorry… I guess I was just dreaming…"

"As I said before, I forgive you!" said Starfire.

"Um… not to be rude or anything," said Raven quickly, "but why are you up so early?"

"Oh, I was just thinking that perhaps we should be cleaning the Tower in which we live for when the two possible new Titans arrive!" Starfire said.

"OK…" said Raven. "You're excited about this, aren't you?"

"Yes! Very excited! In fact, I am so excited that I could not fall asleep last night, so I remedied the problem by drinking several glasses of the bitter liquid that Robin drinks every morning, and I feel very energetic!"

"Well… that would explain a lot…" Raven muttered. However, she also still seemed a little guilty for trying to murder her best friend, so she said, "Ok… I'll go get started on the dishes."

Raven pulled on her cloak and walked out of her room.

Starfire left, too. Raven's room was a little scary, especially since it was still dark out.

Onto Cyborg's room.

There she woke Cyborg. He reluctantly got up… then decided to go wax the T-Car.

"If I'm gonna be up, why not do something worthwhile?" he said.

So Starfire went to Robin's room, to find that he was not there.

He was on the roof, staring over the water as the sun rose.

"Why are you up so early?" he asked.

"I thought that I should prepare the Tower for the arrival of our guests…" she said.

"Is everyone else up?"

"Yes,"

"Then why don't we go down and get breakfast started?"

The two walked down to the main room, where Raven had finished the dishes and was heading back to her room.

"So…" said Robin after an awkward silence had filled the room for a few moments. "What should we make for breakfast?"

Many miles away…

At Shadow and Nightmare's HQ…

"So… are you ready?" asked Shadow.

"I'm ready…" said Nightmare.

They both grinned evilly and laughed monotically as they went out into the foggy morning.