32 Productions Presents…
A Teen Titan Fan Fiction The Teen Titans and Spider-man in…"Does Whatever a Spider Can"
Chapter Two
Titan Tower: Med-lab
Spider-man was in awe. The equipment here was amazing. Not on par with the stuff in the Baxter Building…or was that the Freedom Four Plaza? It was something like that…but it was impressive. Cyborg was messing with the equipment while Raven prepped a needle to take a blood sample. Suddenly she grabbed the webbing on her face and pulled. She even employed her powers. After a struggle it finally crumbled.
Raven: At last! I felt it starting to crumble. Ugh. Tastes terrible…
Spider-man: I'll have to remember to make it cherry flavored next time.
Raven grumbled, not finding it amusing in the least. Well, she had a way to even the score. She picked up the needle and rolled Spidey's sleeve back. Swabbing the spot with an alcohol soaked piece of cotton, she prepared the needle. Time to patronize.
Raven: Little prick.
Spider-man: No pleasing some women.
Raven: Wh…? …oh you pervert.
Spider-man: Who's the pervert? The one who comes up with the joke, or the one who gets it?
Raven: The pervert is the one who thinks it up. I get it because I'm living with four teenage boys.
Spider-man: …got me there.
Raven jammed the needle into his arm, making him yelp.
Raven: Was that too rough for you, big boy?
Spider-man: And you call me a pervert…
Raven shrugged and drew the blood from his veins, handing it over to Cyborg. Raven walked back over to where Spider-man was and leaned against the wall. Spider-man found the silence uncomfortable and began talking, as he usually did.
Spider-man: So…why so pale? You bathe in white out?
Raven: It's result of my genetics, genius. You've got spinnerets in your arms and you judge me for being pale?
Spider-man shook his head and waved his finger.
Spider-man: Ah, ah, ah. Webshooter devices on my wrists…which reminds me…you guys got a chemistry set around here? I need to mix up some webbing before I run dry. I used a lot on you guys.
Raven: …ask Robin. He's constantly making gas bombs and such.
Cyborg: I'm not getting much from your blood sample…other then what I'm guessing is from your powers.
Spider-man: Yep. I've got radioactive blood.
Raven: How exactly did you get to Jump City?
Spider-man: Well, I was fighting the Green Goblin…
The blank looks on their faces told him that they had no idea who the Green Goblin was.
Spider-man: Dressed like a green goblin in purple clothes? Flies on a bat glider? Throws pumpkin bombs?
Cyborg: Never heard of him.
Raven: …
Spider-man: He's one of my regulars. Anyway, he had stolen some teleporting doohickey and I was trying to stop him. During the fight I hit some buttons on the thing and "ZAPPO" here I am.
Raven: …zappo?
Spider-man: That's how it sounded to me. You know the rest from there. I saw the guy trying to steal the jewels and I fought him.
Cyborg: Hmm…maybe if we run a scan on you, we can pick up any energy signatures.
Main Room
After tugging and pulling, Starfire managed to rip the webbing off of Terra and Beast Boy. Terra rolled over and scratched Beast Boy's nose. His leg thumped on the floor, making her giggle. He shifted into a puppy and Terra sat up, scratching his stomach. Starfire joined her, much to Beast Boy's delight. Shade snorted from his spot from the couch, having finally removed the sunglasses…by breaking them. He had twenty more anyway.
Shade: Have some dignity.
Beast Boy shifted back and sat up, scowling. Terra sighed and rolled her eyes, knowing what was coming. This always happened. Starfire shrugged and left, deciding to see what her new friend was up to.
Beast Boy: Hey! I'm just having fun with my girlfriend!
Shade: You're degrading yourself.
Beast Boy: You're one to talk. You let Raven smack you around and tell you what to do…
Shade shrugged.
Shade: That's different.
Beast Boy: How?
Shade: She's degrading me. I'm not doing it to myself.
Terra: But you let her to it. Why not lay down some ground rules? I mean, she's got to respect you too, you know.
Growling, Shade clenched his fists. They were double teaming him now. Just what he needed. Ground rules…like she'd accept them. It wasn't her fault. She had demonic blood in her veins. Violence was in her nature. If she had to smack him a little to control herself around others, so be it. While her powers no longer went wild with her emotions, self-control was still an issue. If Raven became too angry, she'd shift into rage mode and attack what angered her. Too afraid and she shift into timid mode and run away. Too happy…well, that would never happen. Raven was too depressing. Besides…Raven provided him with something he never really had before. She was an anchor that kept him from drifting into the darkness in his own mind. Only she knew of his problem. Starfire had a vague idea and Robin probably suspected it, but Raven he actually told the whole thing to. Shade's power came at a price. It affected his mind and body. He controlled it well, but little by little he had been losing himself. Raven's affections helped hold him in the light. If she broke up with him…it would be like being in a whirlpool. As such he didn't like anything getting between them. Jericho was an extremely nice sort, and as such seemed to be somewhat flirtatious with the ladies. He wasn't though. Giving flowers, holding open doors, that was just how he was. Shade, however, mistook his actions as flirting…so he punched the blonde in the jaw. Raven was furious with him, both for hurting the poor boy and for assuming that she would think of betraying him over a daisy. …she liked black roses better. There was Raven being upset, and then there was furious. When she was furious, she didn't shift to rage mode…no, she would verbally rip him a new one for about five minutes before storming off and refusing to talk to him for as long as she was still mad. This could be anywhere up to a few hours to three weeks (longest to date).
Shade: I LIKE my relationship with Raven. Butt out.
Beast Boy: …I knew it. He's one of THOSE types.
Shade: What types?
Terra and Beast Boy exchanged glances.
Terra: Yep. Definitely one of THOSE types.
Shade: (annoyed) WHAT types?
The two bit back snickers. This would go on for a while.
Laboratory
Spider-man sighed, his mask lifted over to his nose. Robin tried to tune the conversation out. It was rude to listen in on somebody over the phone, after all. Spider-man had suddenly asked for a phone. Bruce had gotten him a cell phone for his birthday a while back, so he lent it to the wallcrawler.
Spider-man: They're working on it now, honey. Yeah, I know. I said the same thing. Yeah, I've never heard of them either. It'll be fine, trust me. They'll figure it out, fix the problem, and I'll be home in no time. Uh...um…just tell them I'm visiting a sick friend. That usually works. I'll be fine. Yeah, I will. …
Spider-man's voice dropped to a whisper.
Spider-man: (whisper) I love you too. (normal) Well, he's standing right there. It's embarrassing. Hello? Honey? …great…I'm in trouble.
Spider-man hung up the phone, sighing.
Robin: How'd she take it?
Spider-man: Pretty good, really. She's kind of used to it.
Robin: She a superhero?
Spider-man thought for a brief second. There was a joke in this somewhere. Nobody likes to leave opportunity getting all pissed off because it knows you're home and you're not answering the door.
Spider-man: Actually she's sort of a super villain. Once a month, she becomes all powerful and I can't hope to defeat her.
Robin stared at him for a minute, eyebrow raised. Spider-man sighed.
Spider-man: It's a joke. Man, I must be out of touch with the kids…
Robin: We're about the same age now.
Spider-man: …then…I'm out of touch…with myself…wow, that's a headache waiting to happen. So, what have you got here?
Robin went to the computer and pulled up the inventory window. Spider-man started going through it. It was a fairly long list.
Robin: That's everything since last count. Will this work?
Spider-man: I made my first batch of webbing in my room. With this stuff, I could make all sorts of webbing.
Robin: Actually, I'm curious as to how it's made.
Spider-man: Sorry, trade secret. I tell you, you tell somebody else, next thing I know, it's being sold on infomercials at one in the morning with a bamboo steamer.
Robin: …you remind me of Deadpool.
Spider-man almost dropped the chemicals he was holding. He whirled around, sticking his finger in Robin's face.
Spider-man: Hey, hey, hey! I was here first! Deadpool copied ME. …well, not the killing part. That he took from the Punisher. …and the healing thing was Wolverine…
Robin: You realize I have NO idea who you're talking about, right?
Spider-man: Really? Wow, you need to get out more.
Killer Moth's Lab
Kitten huffed, crossing her arms and drumming her fingers impatiently against them. When she said she wanted super powers, she meant she wanted them right then, not in a decade. Obviously this was a bit of an exaggeration, but Kitten was used to getting what she wanted WHEN she wanted it, not later.
Kitten: DADDY! What's taking so long?!
Her father jumped at the sudden screech, almost dropping the chemicals he was working with (seriously, I don't remember Killer Moth having any scientific ability. All he invented was a cocoon gun, right? Didn't he have to sell his stinking soul to get power?) He let out a sigh of relief when they didn't explode.
Moth: Honey, Daddy is working as fast as he can…
Kitten: Well work FASTER!
Briefly, he wondered if he could deadened her vocal cords with the formula he was making. …nah. He was trying to create super powers, not help the world. After another fifteen minutes he was finished. Kitten snatched the vial from him.
Kitten: It's about time! …so…what, I just drink it?
He snatched it back, grumbling.
Moth: I'm afraid it's more complicated then that.
Kitten gulped as her mutated bug thing father pulled out a hypodermic needle.
Kitten: Daaaaddddyyyy! I hate needles!
Moth: It's this or no super powers, Kitten.
Kitten grumbled and stuck out her arm, covering her eyes with her other hand.
Kitten: …OW!
She rubbed the spot she had been injected in, grumbling some more. …there's a lot of grumbling going on in this household today. She looked at her hands.
Kitten: …I don't feel anything…
Moth: That's because you haven't been blasted yet.
Kitten: Say what?!
Before she could react, Killer Moth shot her with a large ray gun. The beam was useless on its own, but if there was something…say the extracted DNA from multiple insects in the target, the DNA would be blended. Kitten felt her body charging with power. Her muscles tightened and she grew half a foot in height. When the beam stopped, she stood there, in awe at the energy she felt coursing inside her. Her reaction was similar to any spoiled child. She grabbed her father in a big hug.
Kitten: I even LOOK more powerful! Thank you, Daddy!
Moth: Exoskeleton…being…crushed…
She ignored her father, dropping him as she whirled around and snapped her fingers.
Kitten: I need a costume…
Moth: Don't you want to test out your other powers first?
Kitten: …what other powers?
Killer Moth gave her the list. She now had the proportionate strength of an ant (which is pretty damn strong), the jumping ability of a giant flea (which is pretty damn high), her nails could act like a wasps stingers (which means her scratches hurt and can cause death if she digs them in for long enough), her fingers and feet could stick to any surface (and what bug can't?)…but most importantly…she could…CLIFFHANGER! She decided to get to work on designing her costume. She certainly wasn't going to rescue Fang in the remains of her dress (it tore when she had her sudden growth spurt).
Titan Tower: Guest Room
Spider-man laid on the bed, sighing. Well, this was another fine mess the ol' Parker luck had gotten him into. Other side of the country, years shaved off his life…which normally would be a good thing, but his wife was still the same age…and that was bad…yes, things looked to be the suck for your friendly neighborhood Spider-man, true believers (I've always wanted to say that). There was a knock on the door.
Spider-man: It's open.
The door slid open, revealing Raven standing in the doorway, hood up. She cleared her throat, looking as though she was having trouble deciding what to say.
Raven: Uh…I…well, let me explain something first…may I come in?
Spider-man sat up on the bed and shrugged.
Spider-man: It's your tower.
Raven stepped into the room. For a moment it looked as though she was going to sit on the bed next to him, but instead she opted to float in the lotus position next to it.
Spider-man: Remind me to introduce you to Doctor Strange.
Raven: You know the Sorcerer Supreme?
Spider-man: We've done the ol' superhero team up now and then.
Raven was very impressed. As a studying sorceress, she had often heard of Doctor Strange and his sanctuary in Greenwich Village. She just knew it was filled with all sorts of mystic objects and tomes. It was enough to salivate over (not that she would). Sadly, you can't just drop by for a visit and her powers were nowhere near enough to get HIS attention.
Spider-man: …so you were saying?
Raven: Hmm? Oh! Right. …I have numerous powers, some I control, some not so much. It used to be much harder for me, but recently I've gained more self control…I used to blow things up…or melt them, or throw them around…when I allowed myself to feel an emotion.
Spider-man: Wait, wait, wait…any emotion?
Raven: …I could feel just a bit. Just a little and for a brief time. The instant it started, I had to squash it. Banish it away.
Spider-man couldn't even imagine that. His life had been filled with emotional times. To have powers like that…well, Jameson would be right. He WOULD be nothing but a menace.
Spider-man: How'd you control it?
Raven: Mediation…seclusion…
Spider-man: How'd you get powers like that? Are you a mutant?
Raven: No. I'm…
Raven paused. Should she really tell him? …oh well. It didn't matter anymore anyway.
Raven: I'm half-demon.
Spider-man: …pull the other one.
Raven lowered her head. For a moment, Spider-man though he hurt her feelings. Then she raised it again, throwing her hood back. She had four glowing red eyes, razor sharp teeth and hair that moved like serpents.
Raven: No, I'm being quite serious.
It all vanished before Spider-man's eyes as she reverted to normal.
Raven: My father was a powerful demon lord that sought to take over our plane of existence. To that end, he needed a portal to enter it. I was that portal.
Spider-man: He had you just so you'd let him in? You're basically his doorman?
Raven: And the door itself. On the day it was supposed to happen…I lost control of myself. I tricked Shade into working for me and with his help I let Trigon into our world. Then I turned on him and tossed him aside. Before I lost control, I had implanted all of my friends with a small portion of my power. That kept them from suffering the same fate as the rest of the world.
Spider-man tilted his head.
Spider-man: What fate is that?
Raven: Petrifaction as he sucked out every soul on the planet to feed himself. He needed time to regain his power and I was supposed to keep the others away so he could. But Shade had survived my betrayal and tried to redeem himself by holding me off while they attacked Trigon. …at least that's what he told them. In reality, he was trying to redeem himself by saving me from the thing that now controlled me.
Spider-man: How'd he do that? Talk you out of it?
Raven: I was beyond words. No…he let me kill him. He took everything I sent his way. I even impaled his shoulder with a metal pole from a parking meter. Seeing him lying there…it was enough of a shock to set me free. I attacked my father, my power fueled by the emotions I had long been denied…but I wasn't strong enough. In the end, one of our rouges saved us. He had created a robot for when it happened that would use a device to send my father into a pocket dimension. He's still there…ah, Azar, I'm getting so far off topic. What I was getting at was, one of my powers is to read the emotions of others.
Spider-man didn't like the sound of that. It was…intrusive.
Raven: I can't control it. Emotions radiate from people. I can't block out the emotions of those close by. I do have to concentrate to reach people at a distance though. …when you mentioned the Green Goblin…I felt terrible guilt from you. What could you have done to feel this way? Did you create him? I've had that happen before…
Spider-man was silent. Raven bit her lip. Maybe she had gone too far. Who was she to pry into his life that way?
Spider-man: …he killed somebody…somebody very close to me.
Raven: …and you feel like you could have prevented this.
Spider-man stood up, throwing his arms up.
Spider-man: I don't know! Maybe if I was faster…if I had aimed better…
He slumped.
Spider-man: …he threw her off a bridge…I tried to save her by webbing her leg…but the sudden stop…
Raven fought the impulse to cover her mouth.
Raven: …her neck.
Spider-man: …it was my fault.
Raven: Hardly. The fault lies with the Goblin alone. Mistakes happen in the best and worst of circumstances. They can't be helped. It's what we do intentionally that puts us at fault. …the thing that controlled me…that made me do those horrible things to my friends…it's a part of me. It's still inside me, weaker, but still there. It's my rage. My hate and anger. You might say I suffer from schizophrenia. My emotions are represented by different colored cloaks. There's a portal into my mind inside my room. If you went in, as a couple of my boneheaded friends did…though that was the day I learned what kind of good friends they were…you'd see different versions of me. Pink for happiness, Gray for sadness, Yellow for intelligence and reasoning…
Spider-man: Shouldn't that be fear?
Raven: …you'd think so, but no. Fear is also Gray. Green is courage and pride. Orange is…rudeness. Purple is love. Brown is…well, I'd rather not talk about Brown. But Red is hate. She's the one who attacked Shade that day…so…part of me WANTED to kill him. And I succeeded. Thank the Elders that when Trigon was defeated, the damage his appearance caused was repaired, including what happened to him. …but I will live with that image in my mind…the blood on my hands and clothes...I remember shaking him and silently begging him to open his eyes in vain. My nightmares are haunted by it…and there's always the fear that it could happen again…with a less then happy ending.
Spider-man was silent for a moment.
Spider-man: But he IS still alive.
Raven: …yes. And he has no memory of his demise.
Spider-man: Gwen is still dead…and not even cloning could bring her back.
Raven: Ugh…clones…
Spider-man: Oh, tell me about it. I don't even want to go into it. The point is…
Raven: The point is I know whether or nor I've been forgiven.
Spider-man: …exactly.
Raven thought for a moment. There was a way to counter this point…she just had to think of it.
Raven: …this Gwen…did she know who you were under that mask?
Spider-man: …no...at least I don't think so…
Raven: So what do you want to be forgiven for? Not telling her or her death?
Spider-man: …both…
Raven: What did the clone say?
Spider-man: What?
Raven: The clone of Gwen…what did she say? She had her memories, right? They always seem to…
Spider-man: …
Raven: If the clone doesn't hate you, why would the real one?
Spider-man sighed and sat back down.
Spider-man: I've thought of that before. It doesn't help…because I can't be certain.
Raven nodded.
Raven: Life is uncertainty.
Spider-man: …you're empathic, right?
Raven: That's the technical term for it, yes.
Spider-man: So not only do you feel people's emotions, you can control them, right?
Raven frowned, seeing where this was going.
Raven: It's not as simplistic as you might think. If I take away your guilt for past actions, I take away your guilt for future actions. In other words, with your guilt reduced, the idea of killing someone will be far less repulsive…not to mention other less then savory practices. Is the chance that you'll kill somebody on purpose worth a little less pain now?
Spider-man hung his head. Of course it wasn't.
Raven: Spider-man, there isn't a single person here who doesn't understand the kind of pain you're going through. I can't give examples…I just met you, after all…but trust me, we've all been there. There's only one real way to deal with it.
Spider-man: …what's that?
Raven: …with the love of those you've got. The friends and family you have. It took me over a year to learn that lesson. Looking back, I was a fool to try and deal with it myself.
Spider-man: Your friends and family all have super powers. Mine don't.
Raven: That's because I don't have the luxury of a secret identity. Look at me. Do you really think I can hide who I am?
Spider-man: Well, maybe if you wore a full body costume like me…
Raven: Too little too late, don't you think? Besides, everyone who follows the teachings of Azar wears cloaks like this.
Spider-man: …who?
Raven: She's was the founder of a pacifistic religion.
Spider-man: …yet you fight criminals.
Raven opened her mouth to reply, then paused.
Raven: …it's a matter of interpretation. The point is, don't you think I'd like to befriend somebody who had a normal life? Somebody I could just hang out with instead of risk my life along side of? If I had a secret identity, though it's difficult to maintain, I'm sure, I'd be able to go places…be with people without fear of attack…by either villains or rabid fans.
Spider-man snickered and shook his head. Raven raised an eyebrow.
Raven: What?
Spider-man: Fans attack you? What, like they attacked Elvis?
Raven bit back a grin.
Raven: …I did lose a shoe once. They probably bronzed it.
Spider-man: You're lucky. I bet you don't get front page newspaper articles about how you're a menace everyday.
Raven shrugged.
Raven: This is why you join a team. People will trust you more.
Spider-man: I was never a good team player. Had a tendency to disobey orders.
Raven: That CAN be a problem…
Raven glanced at the clock.
Raven: Damnation, look at the time…
Spider-man: …"damnation"?
Raven: Don't you start too. I got enough from Beast Boy and Cyborg about that when I first joined. Don't ask why I say it, I just do. …anyway…if you need to talk more…don't hesitate to seek me out. Good night.
Raven stood up and headed for the door.
Spider-man: Just a sec…why did you even come here? I mean, I could be wrong, but you look like the type who tries to avoid getting involved other people's problems.
Raven thought for a moment. It was a valid question, and he was right. She usually did try to avoid it. Having dealt with her own problems so often, she thought most people should try to do it that way. You go to others when there's no choice…or did she? Things had changed a great deal for her.
Raven: …I don't know. I guess it's because you don't have many people…if any…in your life that you CAN go to.
Spider-man: I've got a wife.
Raven: Yeah, but she's not a superhero. She can be sympathetic, but not empathetic. My friends have all been through things similar to me. Time and again, though I've tried to hide my problems, they've comforted me through them. I don't know what would have happened to me without them, and I'd prefer not to. I thought you deserved a chance.
Spider-man: …oh. Well…thanks, Raven. Good night.
Raven nodded and left. As she did, she bumped right into a solid…very solid object.
Terra: Jeez, what am I, invisible? Why does everyone always bump right into me that way?
Terra blinked. Raven tried not to swear aloud. Terra's eyes went from her, to the door Raven had come out of.
Terra: Wait a minuta…what were you doing in there?
Raven: I was talking to Spider-man, okay?
Terra smirked.
Terra: "Talking" you say? Just decided to go for a midnight "chat"? What, the whole "mysterious masked man" thing turn you on?
Raven rolled her eyes. If Terra thought that was going to get to her, she had another thing coming.
Terra: Or is Shade just not man enough for you?
Raven: More of a man then Beast Boy…hence the word "Boy" in his name.
It was an old argument between the two. During spring cleaning, Terra happened upon a black leather bound book. It was Raven's diary. Its purpose was written down on the first page. "I must banish all emotions from me…but one day…one day I hope to feel freely. If that day comes, I want something to feel. So I'll write the memories down, so when I read them, the emotions I felt then will be experienced anew. If anyone read this, I'll murder them. I promise I can make it look like an accident." Terra decided to ignore that last part and started reading. In doing so she discovered something most startling. Prior to her relationship with Shade, Raven had developed a crush on Beast Boy. In fact, it was possible that she still harbored such feelings for the green changeling. Raven came across her reading the diary and promptly flipped out over it. Despite the warning, she made no attempt to physically harm Terra…aside from flinging her down the hall, but that didn't hurt much anyway. Terra was constantly testing her, teasing her, and generally suspecting her of lusting after her Gar. Raven found it to be extremely irritating…and furthermore, if Shade ever found out…it was a thought that Raven didn't want to entertain.
Terra: He's also got the word "Beast" in there.
Raven: I'm not getting into this again. Good night, Terra.
Terra: Spoil sport. Good night.
END PART TWO