A/N: I do not own the Teen Titans, etc. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only.
"Alright, if we're gonna find everyone, we need to figure out how they're being taken in the first place," Cyborg began.
"It could be ghosts," Beast Boy suggested. He felt a shiver run down his spine and secretly hoped Raven would point out how stupid the idea was.
"B, just because it's Halloween doesn't mean the perp is a ghost."
"Why not?"
"Arguing will not help us," Raven stated harshly, sensing the start of an unnecessary squabble. "We need to keep calm and look out for anything suspicious."
"I've already looked everywhere. There's nothing in this ballroom," Cyborg explained.
"Then, maybe we need to ask our hostess for directions."
"You sayin' she's responsible for all this?"
"I don't know," Raven admitted, "but she seems especially nervous." She gestured up to Madame Parise, who was speaking in hushed tones to a group of her security guards.
"Yeah, so's everyone else," Beast Boy added.
"Alright, then." Cyborg looked at Raven. "Let me talk to Miss Parise, since she doesn't seem to like you very much. You see if you can get anything out of the guests. Maybe there's some connection we're not seein'."
"Want me to come with, Cy? I can be quite the charmer," Beast Boy asked, ruffling his hair just a bit.
Raven made a sound like cross between a groan and a snarl. "Just go search the area again. See if there's anything Cyborg might've missed."
Beast Boy didn't get a chance to reply before Raven headed off in the direction of one of the guests.
"Told ya," Cyborg taunted before sauntering off to meet Madame Parise.
Beast Boy stared after the two for a moment, not entirely sure what it was he'd done this time. He really needed to learn to figure out that whole thinking before speaking thing. Although, he probably still would've gotten this one wrong. Maybe someday he'd convince Robin to teach him some of those super-secret detective skills. Giving up his most recent blunder as a lost cause, Beast Boy shrugged and morphed into a mouse.
He started by working his way around the perimeter of the room, sniffing and looking out for anything strange, though it was hard to tell what that might be in a place like this. He wasn't exactly familiar with fancy mansions and ballrooms. Still, he worked carefully, even managing to avoid causing too much of a ruckus in his rodent form. He only stopped when he heard Cyborg a few feet away.
"Listen, we just thought it would help if we knew how everyone might be getting out."
"There's nothing like that. Nothing that I know of," Madame Parise insisted.
"Maybe you could just show me around? If there's anything there, I'll find it."
Beast Boy heard her sigh. He knew he should've helped out and was about to change back to his handsome self before he heard Cyborg again.
"Please, Jacqueline?"
She let out another sigh. "Okay. I'll have Carl escort you around."
Beast Boy squeaked in a surprised manner. He supposed the Madame must have a thing for tall, mechanical black men. He pressed on, albeit a bit more cautious as he moved towards the center of the room. He'd found nothing at all so far and was beginning to think Raven had just asked him to look around so she could get rid of him. That was fine. He'd do double the work and go do her job too. He scampered over to where he'd seen Raven last, stopping only once he heard a slightly hysterical woman speaking.
"You need to find him! I bet anything this is some sort of terrible plot. That's what you do, isn't it? Deal with these kinds of things?" The woman didn't pause to allow Raven to answer. "My husband was on the verge of a scientific breakthrough, you know. They're probably after his research!"
"What was he researching?" Raven asked, her tone indicating she was less than pleased with the current conversation.
"Wouldn't you like to know? Something big I can assure you. I don't just go telling every second rate hero about it."
"That doesn't explain why my fiancée is missing!" a deep male voice interrupted. "We're supposed to be married next month. How on earth would she be involved in some sort of crazy plot?"
"Well, I'm sure I don't know."
Beast Boy could hear Raven's exasperated sigh from where he stood and quickly decided it would be in his best interest to get back to doing anything else. He didn't really want to be the one she vented her frustration out on. He began his search a bit more vigorously than before, holding up one of his ears against the floor in various spots around the room. His ears twitched when he heard a sound like an air current beneath them. He inched forward a bit and listened again. Though faint, the sound persisted. He was about to change back when he felt himself being lifted up unceremoniously by the tail. He squeaked and squirmed as he was carried off to the far end of the room. Before reaching the wall, he felt gravity resume its pull on him and morphed back to his human form before crashing to the floor.
"Please tell me you've got something," Raven droned, apparently unwilling to provide any explanation or apology for dropping him.
"Maybe. You kind of interrupted something, y'know," Beast Boy complained.
"You had time to eavesdrop. I figured you were done."
He frowned. "Well, I figured I could help."
"Beast Boy."
"Fine, there might be something under the floor. I heard air."
"Air?"
"Yeah, air."
She sighed. Another waltz began to play.
"I think Cyborg is checking out the other rooms. I heard him talking to Madame Parise," Beast Boy offered.
"Well, at least that's helpful. I can't see any connection between the people who are missing."
"D'you think there's really an evil plot?"
"Probably not in the way they think."
"It could still be ghosts."
She shot him a warning glare. "Beast Boy, even it if it were ghosts, we have no way of finding them and we don't know why only certain people are disappearing. Some people are missing husbands and betrotheds while others are saying entire couples and groups of people have gone. It doesn't make any sense."
Beast Boy's ears twitched. He knew this song from when Rita taught him to dance. He'd always found it sort of sad, but really pretty. The string quartet sure seemed to play a lot of waltzes.
"Rae," he said suddenly. "Dance with me."
"Beast Boy, this is hardly the time."
"No, I have an idea. Just c'mon." He reached out a hand towards her.
She looked up at him curiously, probably sensing that he was being a bit more serious than usual. With a roll of her eyes that was most likely more for show than anything else, she gave him her hand and let him lead her out to the center of the room. No one else seemed interested in dancing, so they had plenty of room as Beast Boy guided them in a weak attempt at dance steps he hardly remembered.
She followed with a surprising grace and he cracked a smile, hoping to elicit at least a smirk from her as they danced. She shook her head slightly, which was close enough. If his suspicions were right, she'd definitely be impressed. If not, at least he got to dance with her. He tried his hardest to memorize the feel of her hand in his and the curve of her waist while still remembering the dance. It was difficult, but he managed. For a moment, he even forgot the reason she'd agreed to dance with him in the first place and simply wished the song wouldn't end. He chanced a glance at her eyes, which were looking straight at him. He definitely hadn't expected that.
Before he could comment, their surroundings went dark. He heard a scream and the same rush of air and then felt a strange pressure, almost like the time he had turned into a bug and Star accidentally vacuumed him up.
The next thing he knew, he was being tossed against a wall.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"
He heard Raven's mantra and opened his eyes to find that both of them were currently being shielded while a strong current tried to push them along a hallway. He looked around frantically, but even with his superior night vision, he couldn't make out anything but the blue shawl and the sparkle on Raven's dress. Soon enough, the air current stopped and Raven dropped the shield.
"Where are we?"
"You tell me," Raven answered.
He paused to look around. There was no source of light anywhere, but he guessed they were in some sort of basement hallway. "Underneath the ballroom?" he asked. "It worked?"
She nodded. "I'm not sure who's more surprised. Can you see anything?"
"Kind of," he replied, shifting so he could stand up.
"Then lead the way."
He turned to face the direction the air had been trying to bring them. He could make out the shape of a door at the end of the hallway and began to make his way towards whatever was behind it.
