Chapter 2: Getting the Party Started
Author's note: Okay, I feel extremely stupid because I gave you guys the music link when there wasn't even any music, so I'm giving it to you again, right here:
.com/watch?v=nsUdZrG1Fpo&feature=PlayList&p=1008F7E4DA9012DD&playnext_from=PL&index=0&playnext=4
They both walked out together, and as soon as they did, the main room had turned into a dance club in minutes. Pretty much everyone was there, and all over the room, food was being eaten, everyone was enveloped in deep conversation (probably over the two things you're never supposed to talk about; religion and politics) and some having drinking contests. Orchid's advanced senses could smell the alcohol from twenty feet away. Her ears caught the sound of gagging and choking. She gasped but then sighed in relief when she realized it was just Mas and Menos.
Mas had just tried some of the punch, and immediately spit it out. "Oh, Dios mío! Este gusto terrible! ¿Cómo se puede beber esto?" meaning: Oh my God! That tastes terrible! How can anyone drink that?" She giggled, and moved on.
She walked side by side with Kid Flash and then a pair of chilly hands covered her eyes. "Guess who, Vange!" a voice said. A switch of recognition snapped up in her head and she knew the voice immediately. "JINX?" She squealed happily and turned around to hug her…a bit too…tightly…
The young pink eyes hero was almost completely off the ground, and she said through shaky breaths, "Vange...can't…breathe…"
Then Evangeline put her down. She giggled and her smile couldn't be any wider. "It's awesome that you came! Oh, and congratz on your new status, TITAN," she said.
Jinx blushed slightly. "Yeah, well…blame the flasher, here," she looked to Flash and he blushed.
"Hey! Jeeze, if you have such a problem with my name…" he faked annoyance and both the girls giggled.
"Oh, and can't wait to see your stuff out there, Vange. Mind if I cut in a few times or do ya want the entire spotlight?" she joked.
But Orchid's eyes grew even wider. "That's a fantastic idea! Yes, absolutely. You say the word, and that other mic will be up there waitin' for ya," she said.
Jinx didn't expect that, and blushed even more. "Well, good luck out there, and have a good time," she said, and skipped over to another group of titans, who were currently witnessing Speedy snort a gummy worm up his nose."
GUMMY WORMS? She thought, but just giggled. Blood couldn't believe how well this had turned out, and not just the party; everyone was here, healthy and in one piece, having fun and being together like a huge family. It made her almost want to cry. And she was so full of joy and adrenaline that her fangs had started to poke at her bottom lip, of which she ignored. She suppressed her need for blood for over two centuries; holding back was not a problem now.
Kid Flash gave her a gentle punch on the shoulder. "I know you're gonna do great out there, Eve. We're all here for you." His eyes were small ponds of blue, sparkling genuinely.
She nodded; she was having trouble with her speaking at the moment. And then her eyes snapped to a certain direction as she noticed something.
Yes, everyone was at ease, enjoying conversation, food and beverages, and hanging out in the comfortable environment; all except for Robin. He was pacing and walking to each little group that had formed and checked in to see how everyone was doing. His masked face was eager to see them, and yet was also relieved that everyone was safe and under his surveillance, so he could make sure that they stayed that way. But he wasn't really getting into the partying spirit…
Flash looked in her general direction and rolled his eyes playfully at the raven headed boy. "I'm on it, Blood," he told her. And started to walk in his direction, but before doing so turned one last time and gave her the rock and roll hand symbols, along with a heart-stopping smile. She smiled and returned it. She truly hoped that tonight would turn out as well as she planned.
But not before her friends got to her first.
The first was Beast Boy. "Hey, EVE!" he squeezed her in a humongous hug, for someone so small… "Don't you dare think we're gonna let you on that platform without wishin' ya luck." He said in his cracked adolescent voice. She smiled. She shouldn't have expected anything less.
Starfire and Raven both floated to her side as well. "I wish to bring luck to you and your performance," Star said, giving a bow to Blood and smiling.
Raven flipped her hood off to reveal her pale, elegant face. "Knock them dead, Evangeline," she said in her usual monotone, but then frowned. "Preferably Mas and Menos. They won't leave me alone." She glared at them staring at her with hearts in their eyes from a distance.
Orchid raised an eye brow. "Oh…kay…."she shuffled away quietly. "Thank you, guys! I'll try to do you all justice," she said quieter. This mini concert was to celebrate their victory; and to formally introduce her to everyone at the same time, though she already knew a few titans. It was also showing how wise Robin's decision was of letting her on the team. This was a big moment, here.
She smiled to herself. AND ACCORDING TO MY "INTUITION," IT SHOULD BE A BIG NIGHT FOR PLENTY OF OTHERS, TOO….
Cyborg then approached her and pointed to his mechanical arm. "I hooked up a D.J./Radio transmitter to my circuits, so we can do a little remixing' with the music."
Orchid's eyes widened and she couldn't suppress her gratitude. "Two words, Cy; BOO-YAH."
He grinned and said, "You've got that right!" He gave her a look of complete confidence, and went on the platform to connect his circuits with the DJ turn tables.
Orchid took a deep breath. That feeling came again; the feeling before every performance; the sickening feeling that she's going to fail epically, and the adrenalized excitement that went all the way to the tips of her fingers that told her the music would start playing soon, and the magic would begin. Her stomach hurt somewhat, but her body was eager to get up there. "Here it goes, Evangeline. You can do this…you've done it before…" she took a strand of hair and put it behind her ear, took another deep breath, and made her way towards the platform.
As she walked up the steps, the chatter had already quieted down. And by the time her pale white hand had grasped the mic, everyone's eyes were fixed on her.
She breathed in again. "Hello, everyone," she said tentatively.
She was answered with, "Hellos, Holas from the twins, wassups, how's it goin's, and how are you's."
The familiar voices made her smile. "I uh…I know you guys want to go straight to the partying…Speedy," she mumbled, and everyone laughed, his cheeks burning bright crimson for a minute before he regained composure. "But there is….a, uh…a few things…that I need to say," she continued, quietly but clearly. She was new at the whole, "speech" thing, but she knew she had to give it a shot. SHORT AND SIMPLE, YET SENTIMENTAL, she repeated to herself over and over. "I can't believe we did it. We… we defeated the Brain and…we're all here, safe and sound, all together. And we even have a new Titan. Congratulations, Jinx." At this everyone cheered and clapped, and Jinx looked down at the ground and blushed furiously. "We're all still here in one piece. We pulled through. But it wasn't our abilities, our strengths, or manipulative powers that got us through it. It was us. It was our teamwork, love, and faith that we would win that helped us pull through." She smiled and paused for a minute, taking in the genuine truth in her words. "I'm proud of all of you, and I hope you are too." She looked over to Cyborg, Speedy, and Bumblebee. They were on the platform, posed between instruments. Speedy playing the drums, Cyborg the DJ turn tables and stereo, and Bumblebee at the keyboard. Then she glanced at the second mic next to her. "Speedy, Bumblebee and Cyborg are here to help with the music as well," she said, "And I'll also accept a few requests for songs." Blood couldn't suppress her smile at this one, and she flinched as her fangs dug deeper into her lip. YOU'LL GET YOU'RE ADRENALINE RUSH IN A MINUTE, she told herself, slightly annoyed. "I uh...I hope everyone has a great time, and I hope you all will relish in this moment. This moment of victory…for the TEEN TITANS!" She pumped her fist in the air, her eyes sparkling, and everyone cheered along with her.
WELL, THAT DIDN'T GO SO BAD, she thought to herself, and then turned to Cyborg, putting a stray piece of hair behind her ear again. "Ready when you are, Vange," he told her. She nodded, and picked up her black guitar, and started playing.
"I thought that this song was more than appropriate to start the night off," she said into the mic, "And I think you all know this one," she couldn't contain her smiling. All of her brilliant white teeth were exposed and as the music started playing, everyone's eyes were glued to Blood Orchid.
Author: This is when you should click on the link I gave you, unless you just want to read the lyrics without the music, that's fine. )
When her voice sang out the first verse, everyone cheered and they couldn't' believe how great it sounded. SO IT BEGINS, she thought.
I've paid my dues
Time after time
I've done my sentence
But committed no crime
And bad mistakes
I've made a few
I've had my share of sand kicked in my face
But I've come through
And we mean to go on and on and on and on
We are the champions, my friends
And we'll keep on fightin' till the end
We are the champions!
WE are the champions!
No time for losers,
Cause we are the champions!
of the world
Robin had finally sat down on one of the sofas, and when Orchid started singing, and the music started flowing through his ears, he couldn't believe the beauty of how well it all fit together. Everyone was suddenly in a trance, and if they weren't dancing, they were singing along to the lyrics. Robin wasn't doing either, but he was tapping his foot and he couldn't resist smiling. And then a blur of yellow had temporarily blinded his vision.
On the armrest portion of the sofa, Kid Flash had casually crossed his legs and was leaning against the cushions, looking up at Robin. "Hey, Robs, how's it going? Havin' a good time?" His smile was devastatingly libidinous, and his red hair was playfully tousled to perfection. Robin flinched at first from the sudden appearance of another human so close in his proximity, but then recomposed himself. He nodded politely. "I suppose. I'm not usually one for this sort of thing, though," he admitted, still guarded and vague.
Wally rolled his eyes. "You mean FUN? Yeah, I can tell." He grinned mockingly.
I've taken my bows
And my curtain calls
You brought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it
I thank you all
Robin didn't give into his teasing ways, however, deciding he would be the mature one in this situation. "No, just for the…loud music, the dancing, the alcoholic drinks…not really my thing," he stated. Robin scooted just the tiniest bit farther away from Flash to give each other a bit more space.
Flash raised an eye brow in confusion. "How do you know one of us spiked the drinks?"
Robin smirked. "Because I specifically told everyone NOT to," he replied, and shook his head. WELL, NOT A DROP OF THAT STUFF IS GONNA BE IN ME TONIGHT, he thought.
At this Flash chuckled, and shook his head. "I'm not one for that sort of thing, myself. Well…that is, not NORMALLY," he said vexatiously, wiggling his eyebrows. "But this IS a party, so…I dunno. Maybe later on." He turned from Robin for a minute to look up at Evangeline. His eyes widened very animatedly to the size of dinner plates. WOW…he thought. Not only was her voice incredible, but her dancing…well…let's just say that every male's hormones were functioning perfectly well at that minute. It was graceful and seductive without being slutty, and it was mysterious and jaw dropping without being a little above the PG-13 rating.
Robin noticed and rolled his eyes through the mask. "She's extremely talented," he couldn't help but say. "I'm glad I asked her to join the team," he stated truthfully. Now that Jericho had moved to get another drink, Flash and Robin had the whole sofa to themselves. Robin took advantage of this and leaned his back against the other armrest, and placing his legs on the sofa he crossed his legs and crossed his arms comfortably. "You don't have to sit all the way over there," he said, Flash noticed the extra room and grinned, and then he zipped into a comfortable position seated a bit closer to Robin. Robin was in a position in which to move a little bit farther away would be a bit rude, so he stayed where he was.
But it's been no bed of roses
No pleasure cruise -
I consider it a challenge before the whole human race
And I ain't gonna lose!
And we mean to go on and on and on and on
We are the champions - my friends
And we'll keep on fighting - till the end!
We are the champions
WE are the champions!
No time for losers,
Cause we are the champions - of the world!
Flash smiled. "Yeah. In more ways than one." He looked at her hungrily for a minute, but snapped himself out of it. She was like a sister to him, after all. It was just the dance fever that was getting to him. The strong voice of the guitar, the addicting heartbeat of the drums, it was all just the atmosphere that was making him feel that way, he told himself. He ignored it. Wally looked back towards Robin whose head was turning his gaze in different directions simultaneously, checking on everyone from where he was. Flash rolled his eyes and chuckled softly.
The chuckling startled Robin out of his radar search, and he turned back to Flash. "What's funny?" He asked.
Wally gleamed and shook his head, chuckling harder. "Do you know the meaning of the word, "RE-LAX?" His eyes were dancing with joy and the reflection of the bright lights. Looking into them, Robin began to feel somewhat dizzy.
"I, uh…what do you mean? I'm fine." He shrugged, sitting up a bit nervously.
Wally looked at Robin, fully examining his face. It made Robin feel self conscious. "Not really," he said. "You're really tensed up. You're too worried about everything around you."
Robin frowned and narrowed his eyes through the mask, crossing his arms tighter. "No I'm not. I'm just making sure everyone's safe, is all. If someone gets injured, then it'll be on my hands And anyway, it's my job."
Wally smiled. "Not right now, it isn't. You're not responsible for everyone's well-being twenty four seven. If you were, you'd probably be dead by now."
This infuriated Robin. WHAT, HE THINKS I CAN'T TAKE CARE OF MYSELF? I'VE BEATEN THOUSANDS OF VILLIANS, PHSYCHOPATHS, AND THUGS. IF I did HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THE ENTIRE WORLD, I THINK I'D MANAGE JUST FINE. "I think I could do it. And even if I couldn't, I have my team to back me up, so I think I'd be just fine, KID Flash," he said, turning his gaze to the floor. That had ruined his somewhat "good" mood.
Flash's face expression changed from playfully blissed to genuinely concerned and hurt. Robin pretended not to notice. "No, that's not what I mean. I meant the stress of it all would eventually kill you. One person can only do so much to help people. I've seen you in action. You've already done more than what is supposed to be physically possible."
Robin didn't like where this was going. The entire conversation was now focused on what HE felt, who HE was, HIS physical strengths and limits. It made him uneasy. "That's my job, too…Helping others no matter what it takes. I'm a crime fighter, a detective, I'm the leader of a team, and THEIR lives are on my hands, also! All of the lives in this city, families, children, people like you and me-"
"—you're only human, Robin." Flash scooted a bit closer, crossing his legs in pretzel style and propping his elbows on his knees. "Grayson."
Robin's eyes practically popped out of his sockets at the mention of that name. His mask covered this. Richard. His name. His real name. Grayson. Richard Grayson. Dick Grayson. Robin. The Dark Knight's loyal sidekick, the best friend of Bruce…Alfred, Barbara, Commissioner Gordon…Batgirl…
Then his body completely froze as he got hot flashes from a time in his life he thought that he had completely suppressed. Images of the Bat cave…Alfred's cooking…Bruce's kind and sympathetic face when he offered to have him live with him and Alfred after the tragic death of…NO, He thought. DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT THEM….but he became so close to tears to realize he hardly even remembered his father's face anymore…HER face. The images came anyway. His father teaching him how to tie a knot, walk on a tight rope..ride a unicycle. How warm it felt when she would tuck him in to bed.
Then the villains' names and faces started resurfacing. Dr. Fries, Poison Ivy…some of them were completely ridiculous like the Penguin, Scarface, the Clock King, the Mad Hatter…but then there were ones like Two Face…The Scarecrow, Harley Quinn….which was…
He squinted his eyes hard, shaking his head slightly, trying to stop the name form popping up… then the face…those terrible red eyes….the green hair…his psychopathic laugh…that smile..no…no…don't think….not the name…don't think the name…
THE-
He stood up from his confortable position on the sofa, and grabbed his forehead. He was starting to feel sick. "I…I..one minute," he mumbled and ran for the nearest door. It happened to be the exit.
We are the champions - my friends
and we'll keep on fighting
Till the end
We are the champions
WE are the champions!
No time for losers!
'Cause we are the champions of the Wooorld!