Author's Note: Sup!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans
Melting the Tower
Chapter two:
Baddd Day
Robin had woken up late with a blinding headache and a temper to match, but the sight of Starfire in the main room wearing nothing but a sleeveless tee that was at least two sizes too small and see-through pajama shorts quickly took his mind off of his troubles and into the gutter.
"Good morning friend Robin! Is this cold not wonderful for awakening the senses?"
"Um… er… yeah… Starfire?" Robin said – trying as hard a possible to stifle his lecherous thoughts.
"Yes friend Robin?" Starfire asked with her oh so pretty eyes starring widely at him.
It was at this point however, that Cyborg chose to walk in on the scene, and in typical Cyborg fashion, on seeing Starfire's attire, yelled in an extremely loud voice, "WOAH!"
This prompted Beast Boy to come running in and follow suite with a similar exclamation.
Whipping around wildly Starfire offered an extremely confused, "What is the matter friends?"
Robin (being the first to have recovered from seeing Starfire in such a state of dress… undress?) took it upon himself to explain the outbursts to Starfire. "Um… Starfire? Don't you think that that shirt is a bit… tight?"
Starfire seemed to partially comprehend her friends surprised shouts at this point, and answered Robin with a smile, "Yes, I do find it a bit tight, but when I purchased it in the mall of shopping it was the only size that they had, and I do so very much like the color!"
Robin couldn't help but notice that it seemed to be the same shade of pink that Starfire always wore…
Glancing at his friends for support he found Cyborg whistling and Beast Boy acting preoccupied with a non-existent stain in his uniform.
Useless, good-for-nothing…
Returning his attention to Starfire, Robin proposed as politely as he could, "Do you think Starfire… that you might want to change into something else? You know – 'cause of the cold?"
Starfire's frown turned into a brilliant smile as she swooped to hug the boy wonder. "Thank you for your concern friend Robin! You are most right! I would not want a cold of catch!"
Robin was just too much of a teenage boy not to blush after hugging such a scantily dressed Starfire, and therefore forgot to correct her grammar as she flew out of the room.
Oh yeah, he'd save that memory.
But as the excitement passed and Robin went to make his coffee, he noticed that Raven was nowhere in sight. Confused that the earliest of the Titans risers was MIA, he asked his fellow Titans if they had seen Raven that morning.
"Nope."
"Are you kidding? I got up ten minutes ago!"
Well that was that.
So Robin grabbed his coffee and began the trek toward Raven's room. Thinking over how he was going to approach Raven about her recently unstable powers, it didn't take long for Robin to arrive in front of her door.
Here we go…
Robin's knock was answered moments after it had ended, and a hooded head peered out into the hallway.
Peering into her room through the small opening, Robin found that couldn't make out anything, and therefore began his greeting, "Hey Raven."
"What?" came the tired and irritated reply. Bloodshot eyes dared him to continue.
"Er… right, so I didn't see you at breakfast this morning…" was just about all Robin could manage to say to the perturbed bird.
"Because I wasn't there?" annoyance clearly evident on her face.
"Yeah, probably…"
"Do you need something Boy Blunder?"
At this Robin took offense. He had every right as leader of the team to check up on its members, and Raven was behaving irrationally callous. He would show her a thing or two!
As Robin started to speak the door closed.
Knocking again did little good, so Robin chose to just let it go for the time being and deal with it later, he had other things he needed to do… like…
Oh shit!
Racing down the corridor Robin took the stair three at a time as he strove toward the main room.
"Cyborg!"
Arriving to find Cyborg and Beast Boy playing one of the various mega monkeys, Robin rapped the metal-man on the head.
"Hey Rob! Stop that!"
Robin didn't have time to say anything back however as he ran to the phone and dialed the number for the city bank.
"Hello, may I speak to Mr. Dolores?"
…
"No I'm not a telemarketer."
…
"I'm Robin of the Teen Titans."
…
"I'm serious!"
…
"Just let me speak to your supervisor."
…
Hi, this is Robin of the Teen Titans; may I speak to Mr. Dolores?"
…
"He's sick?"
…
"Ok, who's taken his place?"
…
"Yeah… I'll hold."
Both Cyborg and Beast Boy were watching Robin's exchange over the telephone with unmasked amusement. It wasn't everyday that the two of them got to see their reputable leader befuddled in a phone conversation. Indeed – it was an occasion for celebration.
As Robin began to pace while listening to a static-filled version of Steve Winwood's 'Higher Love,' Cyborg tried to get some information.
"So Rob, man, what's up?"
Keeping the phone to his ear Robin curtly replied with a, "I'm going to the bank. And you're coming with."
As Cyborg began to whine, the phone cut-in, and Robin resumed his previous conversation.
…
"I don't care if it's almost your lunch break I need to speak with your supervisor!"
…
"Huh? Hello, is this the supervisor?"
…
"Hi Mrs. Leeson, this is Robin of the Teen Titans…"
…
"That's very kind of you."
…
"I was wondering if I could make a withdrawal from the Titan's savings account."
…
"Oh, well… it's pretty big…"
…
"I have to come done there?"
…
"Yes, alright. Thank you very much."
As Robin finished with the phone conversation, he once again turned to Cyborg and mouthed the words, "T-Car – NOW."
With a furtive glance behind him, Cyborg began to walk towards the elevator. Robin at the same time turned to Beast Boy to find that he was once again on the game station. Glancing at his watch he decided that he had little time to spare, and therefore broke Beast Boy's concentration with a rather unpleasant order.
"BB, I have to run, but I need you to tell Raven that she's in charge until Cy and I get back – got it?" Robin knew what Beast Boy was going to say before he had even opened his mouth, and so put up his hand to silence the short green boy in front of him.
"Save it. This is an order."
Earning nothing but a scowl and grumbling Robin watched Beast Boy slide off the couch and start making his way to Raven's room.
With that out of the way Robin rushed down to the garage, and after a moment's hesitation, got inside the T-Car with Cyborg. He would have rather ridden his bike, but the Team could save money on gas this way, and if by so horrible stroke of bad luck his wonderful R-cycle got hurt – Robin shuddered – the team would go into serious debt in order to pay for the repairs.
SceneChangeSceneChangeSceneChangeSceneChangeSceneChange
The white washed walls and black tiling gave off a distinctly… 'bank-y' feel, Robin decided as he made his way up to one of the myriad booths.
A sort bald man sat behind what appeared to be a marble (but probably plaster) desk, and without even looking up at Robin said in a very tired-sounding voice, "Hello this is Jump City Bank. My name is Nathan Fields, you can call me Nate. How may I help you?" with this the man looked up to reveal a small brownish-gray moustache and a pair of extremely out of style glasses.
Robin smiled at the man as he began to speak, "Hello Mr. Fields- I mean Nate, I'm Robin of the Teen Titans and I'd like to make a withdrawal from the Titans savings account." Then Robin elbowed Cyborg as said under his breath. "Codes, account numbers – what are they?"
Cyborg told the Nate the various numbers and passwords to the Titans account, all while giving Robin a sour glare.
Nate turned to his computer and after typing furiously for a moment, responded to Robin's initial statement. "That's fine sir. Is there someplace you'd like to send it, or do you want cash?"
Feeling a little stupid for not having thoroughly explained himself, Robin spoke quickly to address his mistake. "I'm sorry Mr. Fiel- I mean Nate; yes, I would like to put the money into the main Titans account."
Nodding his head up and down Nate replied with a, "certainly, certainly!" Then after more furious typing he turned back to Robin. "How much would you like to transfer?"
"Fifty-thousand, please."
Nate raised his eyebrows at this but once again began to type on his computer. Cyborg on the other hand had his jaw drop.
"Dude! The way you talked I thought we were hard up! We've got that much!" Cyborg then jumped to his feet and did something that Robin swore moments after Cyborg would regret in training for the next year.
"Hey everybody! Party at Titan Tower!"
There was a flurry of movement as several press members who happened to be interviewing a security guard (due to a recent break-in, that – of course – the Titans had foiled), suddenly ran toward Nate's desk.
"What's that Mr. Cyborg?"
"How big of a party?"
"When is it being held?"
Cyborg stood there a moment in thought; even as Robin sputtered that no party had been planned. Finally he looked up and said, "In five days."
Just as Robin managed to gather his wits and began to tell the press agents (who were all now demanding details) that there was no party, an elderly woman leading a few young scruffy-looking children came up to the odd group and began to talk and gesticulate. "Oh this is wonderful! I do hope you make it child-friendly, because I'm sure the orphans I look after would love to come!"
Cyborg stood looking at Robin with a smug grin on his face, while Robin looked like he was wincing from actual physical pain.
"Oh… um – yeah… it'll be safe for kids…" Robin managed to get out before slumping in his chair.
After the crowd had dispersed and Robin and Cyborg were getting into the T-Car, Robin turned to him.
"Say, Cy? I've come up with a few new training maneuvers and I think that you'd be great as a guinea pig."
NextSceneChangeNextSceneChangeNextSceneChangeNextSceneChange
After arriving back at the Tower, Robin came into the main room to find…
Chaos.
Destruction.
Anarchy.
Almost all the windows were broken, and the sofa was overturned. Cans lay spread across the floor, cheetos and various other kinds of chips where mashed into every surface. And in the center of this giant mess lay a huge tub of chocolate pudding, and two bloated Titans.
"WHAT THE F–"
Cyborg managed to stifle his leader before he could finish his exclamation and kill Starfire and Beast Boy. When after a few moments of struggle Robin relaxed, Cyborg released him.
Beast Boy was now sitting up and had managed to awaken Starfire before Robin's tirade began.
"I leave you two for three hours and this is what happens? I'd expect this from Beast Boy," Beast Boy winced, "But not from you too Starfire!" Starfire looked down ashamedly.
"What were you two thinking! That I would be fine coming back to a completely destroyed living room? I don't even want to think about what the kitchen must look like!" Both Beast Boy and Starfire had enough tact to look guilty after the last comment.
Robin continued to admonish them for their complete lack of maturity before a thought hit him.
"Where's Raven?"
Beast Boy waited a moment before answering, "She never came out after I told her she was in charge."
Robin stood still silently before letting his shoulders sag and told them tiredly, "listen you two, when I come back down here in a few hours, I expect everything that hasn't been broken to look exactly like it did before I left. Is that understood?"
Starfire nodded her head as Beast Boy said, "Yes Robin."
Robin trekked his way up the stair and into the elevator as Beast Boy and Starfire began to clean things up, while Cyborg just laid back on the newly righted couch.
When Robin finally got to Raven's room he was exhausted and upset. He really needed a nap, and yet here he was – about to start a fight. He knocked on the door three times before Raven's head popped out where Robin could see it. He didn't bother to hide his evident displeasure as he told Raven, "I'm expecting you in the Evidence Room in five minutes. Be there."
Raven was about to give a curt reply, but Robin simply turned around and walked back down the hall.
Yet by the time he got to the Evidence Room and allowed himself a few minutes to relax into his reclining chair, no Raven had appeared.
It was just not his day…
After once again trekking up to Raven's Room and knocking three times, when Raven showed her face he dispensed with any and all pleasantries. Looking back Robin would say that he ought to have been slightly more diplomatic, but the fact was that Robin was just plain pissed.
"The hall – NOW."
Raven scowled before stepping into the hallway.
"Raven, I really have no idea what's gotten into this past few weeks but it has to end. I left you in charge today, only to find that the Main Room of the Tower had been hit by a whirlwind. You're being irresponsible! And ignoring my order! Who the hell do you think you are!"
Raven at this point looked at Robin furiously before spitting out, "Who the hell am I! Who the hell am I! Who the hell are you! I don't need this! Get those irresponsible twits to baby-sit themselves! I have MORE IMPORTANT things to do!"
Robin was just about to respond with a rant of his own before his was struck dumb with the strangest thought.
Raven looked hot.
Scratch that – Raven looked downright sexy!
With no cloak to hide her figure, beautiful violet hair splayed across her face, and with passion burning in her eyes; Robin couldn't help but notice the obvious.
Raven looked hot.
After staring dumbly at her for several moments Raven had apparently come to the conclusion that she had won the argument, but was shocked, stunned, and stung by what she heard next.
"I'm sorry Raven. But until I think regained your control, I'm stripping you of your rank as second-in-command."
Robin felt horrible in that moment, but he knew it was necessary. Raven couldn't act like this and retain her position.
Raven began to turn, before deciding against it and simply returning to her room – albeit slamming the door after her.
Robin sighed and began to walk toward his room. Where the hell had those thoughts come from? Robin shook his head and decided that a nap would be the best thing for him to do at this point
I like chicken! I like Liver! Meow-Mix, Meow-Mix please deliver! Oh! And the scene is changing!
Coming into the main room after having taken a refreshing but still too short nap; Robin found it to look much as it had before he had left to go to the bank. Thanking all the gods he knew of he plodded into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.
Nothing.
Great.
Robin walked over to the phone to order pizza while remarking off-handedly to Beast Boy (who was also – obviously – in the kitchen) that they needed to go grocery shopping.
When the pizza came, and was eaten in short order, Robin turned his attention to Beast Boy. "Hey BB?" Robin asked casually.
"Yeah, what's up Rob?" Beast Boy answered while stuffing another piece of pizza into his mouth.
"We need to talk." Robin pronounced. Beast Boy then nodded mutely and followed Robin to the Evidence Room.
Leaning against the wall Robin turned to face the fidgeting Beast Boy.
"Beast Boy, you know I've allowed you to get away with a lot," earning him a solemn nod in response, "but you're getting older and your antics are getting worse! This has to end!
Looking up Beast Boy nodded once again to Robin and with a, "I understand," began to leave. Robin was an observant leader however, and it was obvious to him that Best Boy wanted to say something.
"Wait a minute BB – what do you want to say?" Robin asked in as gently a big brother voice as he could muster.
Footsteps stopped as Beast Boy turned around and began to speak.
"I understand that things have gotten out of hand Robin, and that I need to tone it down a bit… But… It's like I feel as if I don't do things like this then our team will lose some of it's spirit. Every year we become a little less like we were the year before, and…," Beast Boy clearly in a moment of revelation, Robin chose not to interrupt him and allowed him to continue. "I'm afraid that if I stop doing crazy things, then the team as a whole, and I, will lose that part of who we originally were."
Deep.
Robin stood in stunned silence for a minute before addressing Beast Boy.
"I have to say BB, I really didn't expect this from our conversation," Robin informed him. "But I'm glad you said this. You are right – we are changing, and sometimes it doesn't seem like we're changing for the best; I don't think you should stop being who you want to be – if you want to stay as the funny little green dude then," Robin continued through Beast Boy's outburst that he was not little, "you should – but we all have to grow up Beast Boy, all I'm asking is that you stop wrecking stuff. You don't have to become some grim, brooding enigma–"
"Like you?"
Yes, like m– Hey wait a minute!"
After a little more playful banter both of the two boys decided to go off to bed.
But as Robin once again got under his blankets and began to dream. He couldn't possibly know that the bad luck that had seemed to come out of nowhere that day was going to follow him for the rest of the week, and get progressively worse.
Second Author's Note: So… what did you think? I thought it wasn't quite as inspired as the last chapter, but what are you gonna do? Oh, and yes, I am aware that the fact that the Heater's status had little to do with this chapter – it will have a bigger part to play in the rest of the story.
I must say I'm awfully sorry for how long this took, but I seem to have a horrible case of writer's block that's just not going away. I made a promise to myself that I was going to finish this story though, and by God I will! And if you noticed that this chapter is a bit longer than the last one, then way to go! I plan to make the all chapters at least this length in the future.
Lastly I'd like to thank all of those people who reviewed my last chapter, and that from now on I plan to write review replies (probably not for flames though…)
Go review!