Chapter 5: Open Mic
Raven stopped the car, put it in reverse and swung it back into the lone parking spot on the street. She shut the car off and pulled the keys from the ignition. Cyborg looked out of his window at the darkened street.
"We're here," she dully announced. "Are you gonna get out or sit in here all night?"
"Um, where are we?" he looked out unsure of his surroundings.
Raven opened the door and let herself out then slammed the door and quickly made her way around the back of the car and onto the sidewalk. Cyborg looked out his window and sighed then opened the door and stepped out.
"Are you gonna tell me where we are or what," he said to her slightly exasperated.
"We're going to D'Angelo's," Raven announced. "It's down the block a bit; this was the closest spot I could find."
Cyborg looked around at the darkened street. "Is it safe?"
Raven sighed in frustration, "Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark too."
"Of course not," Cyborg replied. "I just don't want my baby to get keyed or something worse." He walked over and gently stroked the hood of the T-car. The car's lights blinked and a high-pitched double chirp echoed in the street. Cyborg jumped at the sudden noise. Raven smiled as she dangled the keys in the air. Cyborg strode over and flashed her an annoyed look as he swiped them from her hand.
"If anything happens to my baby," he said to her menacingly.
"Chill out," Raven interrupted his tirade, "you're acting like a child."
"Don't lecture me young lady," Cyborg countered. Raven cast her eye's skyward then turned and walked away. "Hey, you come back here. I'm not done." Raven continued to walk down the sidewalk unaffected by Cyborg's verbal threats. He turned back to the T-car and held up his hands. "Its cool baby, I promise to be back soon. DON'T NOBODY THINK OF TOUCHING THIS CAR WHILE I'M AWAY!" he loudly announced. Cyborg looked around satisfied that his threat would keep his car safe while he was away. He turned and jogged to catch up with Raven.
Raven heard her friend's footsteps slow as he caught up with her. "Gee, you didn't say anything about my parking skills; how many girls do you know who can parallel park?" she queried her friend.
"Don't try and distract me girl," Cyborg replied slightly cross. "Why do you always drag me to these dives in the worst part of town?"
"Because they've got character," she replied. "Maybe some of the grittiness will rub off on you. Life isn't all pink and whites you know." She paused before a rundown red-brick house with a red neon sign in the window. "Here we are," she grabbed the door handle then paused as she saw some hesitation on her companion's face. "Do you want me to hold your hand?"
"Shut up and open the door," Cyborg replied resigned to his fate. It was going to be a long boring night. With his luck they'd be stuck here for awhile.
Raven smiled then pulled the door open and walked into the darkened room. Cyborg followed her. The room was a bit larger than he expected. There was a small dimly lit stage in the front with a bar stool. Someone was perched on the stool slouching over a guitar as they strummed soft chords. Most of the tables were full of darkly dressed people; some were facing the stage in rapt attention, others were engaged in quiet conversation. The ceiling was strung with small blue Christmas lights; several ceiling fans spun slowly swirling the smoky air. Cyborg spied Raven making her way towards the back of the room. He turned and carefully followed her to an empty table against the back wall.
Raven sat down at a worn wooden table with a small candle burning on it. She looked up and watched Cyborg warily take a seat across from her. The chair screeched as he pulled himself up to the table.
A young man with short dark spiked hair and a diamond stud in his left ear approached them. He wore a tight sleeveless shirt with faded and ripped blue jeans. A pair of pink converse high tops finished off his outfit.
"Hey Raven," he said in a slight lispy voice. "The usual?"
Raven looked up casually, "Yea and can you crack the back door open; the smoke's bad tonight."
"Already did," he quickly replied. "Here you go." He produced a small silver teapot that steamed slightly, and then quickly placed a saucer with a wedge of lemon and a matching cup on the table in front of her.
"Thanks Jacob."
"Sure thing toots. What'll your friend have?" he turned to Cyborg who was still aghast at their casual conversation.
"Jacob this is my friend Cyborg," Raven introduced him.
"Pleased to meet you," Cyborg extended his hand. Jacob took it and gave it a light shake.
"Likewise," he replied.
"Do you two know each other?" Cyborg couldn't resist trying to figure out how these two knew each other so intimately.
Jacob let out a short laugh. "Absolutely. Raven's always here for open mic and poetry night. She's got a beautiful voice but her poems are always so dark," He quickly turned to Raven. "Girl you really should lighten up." He lightly nudged her. "Any way what do you want?"
"Some coffee and something to eat," Cyborg said with a half grin.
"I can get you the coffee but the kitchen's closed," Jacob replied. He saw Cyborg sigh in disappointment. "Hey, perk up I'll see what I can scarf up for you."
"Thanks, I appreciate it," Cyborg replied. Jacob turned and quickly made his way towards the doors that led to the back kitchen area. Cyborg turned and grinned at Raven as she flashed him an annoyed look.
"What?" she said.
"Singing and poetry?"
"I don't ask what you do with your time, don't ask what I do with mine," she mildly lectured him. "Besides I plan on starting a lounge act in Vegas when I'm done with this gig."
Cyborg looked at his friend in disbelief. "You're kidding right?"
"Of course I am. I only read poetry when I'm inspired and Jacob got me up once on the Karaoke machine."
Cyborg shook his head then looked back towards the kitchen.
"Jacob seems like a nice guy. Why aren't you two seeing each other?"
"I don't think I'm his type," Raven replied with a slight smile.
"What, you too dark for him?" Cyborg chided her.
"No," she calmly replied. "Wrong gender."
"What do you mean?"
Raven smiled at her confused friend. "Jacob leads an alternative lifestyle."
Cyborg stared at her for a moment before what she said sunk in. "Oh, I get it now."
"Does that bother you?"
"Um, no not really, I guess."
"I'm sure he'd like your cooking," Raven said suggestively.
Cyborg shot her an agitated look. "Girl, do you get off shocking the hell out of people?"
She smiled wryly, "Hey how do you know I don't lead an alternative lifestyle."
Cyborg stared at his friend trying to gauge how serious she was. He sat back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. "Well I guess that's your business isn't it?"
"Easy Cyborg, I'm just pulling your chain."
"Well stop it, will you?"
Raven snickered to herself. She looked up and saw Jacob exit the back kitchen area. He had several things on his tray. He pulled up to the table and quickly placed the items on the table in front of Cyborg.
"OK, here's your coffee. I found some peanuts and some veggie sticks in the back and a bit of ranch dressing. Sorry, we fired our cook last night or the kitchen would be open."
"You don't have any chips or something?" Cyborg asked anxiously.
"That stuff will kill you," Jacob lightly punched him on the shoulder. "This stuff is much better for you. OK I've got to go and get the next act ready. You two enjoy and I'll check back on you later." He turned and weaved around the tables as he made his way towards the stage.
Cyborg sighed and looked down at his meager offerings. He grabbed a couple of peanuts and cracked open the shells then looked around unsure where to put them.
"Shove them on the floor, that's what everyone else does," Raven replied as she poured tea in her cup then squeezed the lemon into it. She looked up and tried to see who was on stage.
Cyborg picked up the shells and put them back in the basket. "I'll just stick them back in the basket. My mother didn't raise a slob." The music was almost as dreadful as food in front of him. He shuddered as he considered how relatively early it was. A call over his communicator would be his only escape from this dismal place. Somehow he knew he was going to be stuck here a long, long, long time. A tear rolled down his cheek.
Raven looked over as the music ceased and noticed a tear in Cyborg's eye. Scattered applause rose up from the crowd. "You alright over there?" she inquired curious as to why her friend had been so affected by the music from the stage.
"Oh its nothing," Cyborg quickly rubbed the tear from his eye. "I'll be alright in a moment."
Raven looked back towards the stage to see who was going on next. She could see a thin silhouette setting up.
"Test, test one two three….Test, test."
There was something familiar with the voice but Raven couldn't place it.
"Hey Cyborg, do you recognize that voice?"
Cyborg paused then listened. "Yea, it sounds familiar now that you mention it."
"OK," said the voice from the stage. "Let's get this beru ha ha going shall we? I'd like to dedicate my first song to a couple of old friends of mine in the back. Hey Raven and Cyborg, ya recognize your old chap up here on stage don'cha?"
Raven and Cyborg looked at each other in shock. "Punk Rocket!" they said in unison.
With that Punk ripped his first chord sending a shock wave through the small room. Raven and Cyborg clasped their hands to their ears fighting off the intense pain. Others in the audience quickly did the same. Raven tried to use her powers to disable their foe but the noise was overwhelming and she couldn't concentrate properly. Cyborg pulled out his sonic cannon but there were too many people in the small space to use it safely.
Punk Rocket continued to strum his sonic chords as he leaped from table to table closing in on his helpless opponents. He sang a short verse as he casually made his way across the room.
"No help for the homeless,
…No jobs for the unemployed,
…Got no favorite past times,
...Teach your children to destroy!"
Punk Rocket stood in front of Raven and Cyborg's table. Both heroes had collapsed to their knees pressing their hands to their ears seeking any relief from the deafening noise. Punk Rocket hit another chord as he prepared to take them down. The sound suddenly ceased as the lights cut out leaving the feeble candle light to illuminate the dark room.
"Oh that's a bugger it'n it?" Punk meekly said as Cyborg quickly stood up and faced his stunned opponent. Raven looked up as her ears rang.
"Raven, please tell your friend punk rock is soooo over," Jacob's voice rang out from the darkness. "Like most of the Ramones are dead and Iggy Pop sold out to Volkswagen years ago."
"Your guitar please," Cyborg sternly said.
"Right," Punk said. "Here ya go chap." He handed his guitar over to Cyborg. "You'll be easy on me right govna?"
Raven stood up. "Jacob, did you cut out the lights?"
"Yes I did," Jacob replied in a happy melodic voice. "Its open acoustic mic night sir," he said sternly as he gingerly made his way through the crowd of stunned people towards their table.
"Great work Jacob," Cyborg congratulated him on his quick thinking.
"Nothing any smart superhero wouldn't have thought of," he replied nonchalantly.
"So what are we going to do with him?" Cyborg asked as he looked over Punk Rocket's guitar.
"I've got an idea," Raven replied with a wicked smile. "Have a seat." She slid a chair in front of their captive. Cyborg grabbed Punk's shoulder and pushed him down. Raven used her powers to wrap Punk Rocket's amp cord around her seated opponent.
"Hey what gives," Punk said slightly concerned. She floated their bound captive to the front of the room towards the stage. Cyborg and Jacob smiled at each other as they quickly figured out what Raven had in mind.
"She's such a little devil isn't she," Jacob commented.
"You don't know the half of it," Cyborg replied. "Who's next on your play list?"
"Beatrice's and her Babes; it's a sister act," Jacob explained. "They're very talented; play mostly 70s TV show themes, you know Gilligan's Island, Love Boat all of those corny shows you see on late night TV."
"Sounds great," Cyborg quickly interrupted. "I hope you don't mind but I'm really hungry. Raven and I have got to go and get something to eat."
"Oh sure I understand," Jacob said. "You'll come back sometime, right."
Cyborg pulled out his card, "Send me message the next time you know Raven's going to sing. I wanna see that, but don't tell her I'm coming; I want it to be a surprise."
"Right," Jacob gave him a sly look. "We'll sneak you through the back door."
"Cool," Cyborg laughed to himself thinking how many cameras he would bring.