YAWN! Raven trudged the hallways of titans tower sleepily. Her 'Girl Talk' with Starfire had lasted till almost 2 in the morning. After she asked Star about Robin she went on and on about all the things she loved about him. Every one in the tower, except Starfire and Robin of course, knew that they should be together….it hasn't happened yet. Raven rolled her eyes and she remembered and extensive discussion on Robin's physical well-being. Talking about Robin like that with Starfire was a little disturbing to her. She felt like she was gossiping about a close brother…a very close brother, almost a twin.
She walked into the common room lethargically and sat down that the table. She put her head down and found the cool wood, strangely soothing. She heard the doors swish open behind her but she didn't move or even care. It was 7 in the morning and she figured it was Robin getting his coffee after going down to the doors to retrieve the newspaper.
Who ever it was, they hadn't noticed her at all yet or they were ignoring her. She heard the refrigerator door open and close and footsteps passing by her but then they stopped near the door. Raven figured it had to be Robin. The footsteps weren't loud and metallic like Cyborg, Starfire would float and Beast boy doesn't get up this early.
She did not hear the door open or close as he left, she didn't even hear his footsteps anymore, they just stopped. Then it hit her…why would Robin leave? He usually just sits down and sips his coffee…and since when is coffee in the refrigerator? She lifted her head and turned around to see the last person she expected to see this early.
Beast boy was staring at her with a bottle of water in hand and a look of curiosity and concern in his eyes.
"Hey are you feeling ok? This isn't like you in the mornings." he said, still staring at her. His concern was matched by her bewildered look.
"How do you know how I am in the mornings, you're always asleep." she said. Beast boy gave her a half-smile and laughed lightly.
"Raven I don't sleep in as late as you guys think…" he said. Raven merely quirked her eyebrow.
"Then where are you?" she asked suspiciously. Getting to her feet and walking toward him. She forgot how completely tired she was, he was too interested to know where he goes in the mornings.
He reached to the back of his neck and rubbed it uneasily. "I…don't want to say… It's kind of not like me…" he said
"Beast boy. I'm not going to judge you. Just tell me where you usually go, please." That was a word Raven never thought she'd ever hear herself say. Please. And in a begging tone at that, but this was interesting. She wanted to know where Beast boy goes. It seemed just too out of character for him to be the early bird. He sighed.
"Okay, don't laugh but…" he mumbled something under his breath.
"What?" Raven asked. He sighed again.
"I like to watch the sunrise." he said. That caught her a little off guard.
"Wait but I thought Robin goes up to watch the sunrise too. I didn't think he knew you got up that early." Raven pointed out, remembering the one time that she ran into him on the roof.
"Weeellll…I kinda leave the tower. There's this island a ways out that I really like to go to." he said. Then his eyes lit up and he smiled widely "Hey I could take you there!" he said. Raven seemed a bit taken aback by his excitement.
"Are you sure? How far is it? I might not be able to levitate pretty far. I didn't get a very good night's sleep, thanks to our chatty alien princess." Raven said sarcastically. Beast boy chuckled and downed the bottle of water in almost one gulp.
"So that's why you looked so tired. Shoulda known." He said, shaking his head "C'mon it's not that far, I'll carry you." he said. Raven looked at him curiously.
"If it's not that far then I can fly. You don't have to carry me." She said. Beast boy shrugged his shoulders.
"I know I don't HAVE to but I want to." he said, the words came out so easily, he had no idea how straight forward he sounded to Raven right now.
"Look, this arguing is pointless. If you want to show me then show me." she said with a slight smile "I'll be fine. I can fly." she assured. Beast boy flashed her one of his signature cocky grins.
"Okay, and don't worry, I know your supposed to be with Cyborg today but he doesn't get up till 10. I'll have you home early." he teased. He sounded like a boyfriend promising his girlfriends father to have her home before midnight. Raven gave him a half smile.
"C'mon, it's great." he said enthusiastically.
--
The flight there wasn't so bad. They flew straight into the sun which Raven wasn't to grateful about but there was little wind resistance. She found herself constantly stealing glances of the peregrine flacon flying a few feet away from her. Every now and then she would blush as she recalled the rather embarrassing conversation she shared with Starfire the previous night. It took only a few minutes but it was only now that she remembered how tired she really was and how much energy it took her to fly when she was like this. She had not meditated in three days and though she didn't need to, it was relaxing and it helped her in more ways than one.
She saw the green falcon descending to a small island, no larger than the one that Titans tower stood on, though there were many differences. Titans Tower stood on a rock-like island covered in moss and short grass. This Island had a few trees and lush plants growing on it. It seemed to be more soil than rock and there was some sand along the edges. It looked like a mini-forest with a mini-beach. Raven had to admit that she was impressed that Beast boy had found this place.
Once on the soil, the falcon transformed in to the green changeling she had come to know over the years…or at least she thought she knew him…until he said something totally off-kilter for him.
"Isn't it beautiful?" he said adoringly, staring at the trees, then turning his head out towards the ocean. Raven quirked her eyebrow.
"Wow, this IS really out of character for you." she said "I never heard you call anything beautiful."
He chuckled a bit and smiled at her warmly "It just so happens that I find lots of things beautiful." he said
"Like what?" she asked, her curiosity piqued
"Well…I really think that forests are beautiful, any kind of forest at all. I just love them. I think trees are beautiful, animals, the ocean, sunrises, sunsets, the moon, the stars, the rain, you…" he stopped dead in his tracks and looked away from her, blushing madly. Raven was certainly caught off guard at this as well and blushed just as deeply.
They stayed like that for a few moments, too embarrassed to say anything. Until Raven finally had the courage to ask if she heard right.
"Ummm…did…you think I'm beautiful?" she asked, hesitantly. Beast boy still faced away form her, afraid to tell her the truth but too afraid to lie to her either. He cleared his throat loudly.
"err….y-yeah…" he mumbled it so quietly that Raven almost didn't hear it. She did however and looked away, still blushing but also smiling somewhat. She decided to change the subject for his sake.
"So…why do you like forests so much?" she asked, sitting down. She was still pretty tired.
Beats boy's head snapped down to her, slightly relieved for the change in subject. He smiled lightly and sat down as well.
"Well…I guess it's because I grew up in Africa. I got to have a hands on experience with all the wildlife and plants." he confessed. Raven looked at him surprised.
"You grew up in Africa? Were you born there?" she asked
"Nah, I was born here in the states. When I was like four My parents and I moved to Africa to cure the diseases they had there and study the environment. They were biologists you know." he smiled proudly. Raven's expression went from surprised to impressed and then to curious.
"Interesting. Why haven't you told us about your parents before? You never talk about your past." she said. Beast boy laughed a humorless chuckle.
"Look who's talking. I didn't have one of the best childhoods and I always thought that if I told any of you about it or talked to you guys about it, you wouldn't think of me the same way or judge me or pity me…"he trailed off, his eyes becoming sad.
"Beast boy we're your friends. We won't pity you or judge you or think of you differently. All that matters is that you've come to terms with your past, if you haven't then it's best that you do talk about it. I can tell you from experience that it's best not to try to ignore it and hide it away." she said wisely.
She observed as Beast boy stayed silent for a few seconds, thinking over her offer. Raven took this time to look out over the ocean. The sun appeared to be rising quickly but it still made the waves, glimmer in a yellowish hue, she wondered what it was like in the early dawn.
"I got my powers while living in Upper Lamumba, in Africa. My parents and I moved there when I was 5."
Raven listened intently as Beast boy began to tell her all about his tragic childhood. She would be lying if she said she wasn't curious to how he gained his powers, so now she looked at him attentively, hanging on every word he said.
"My parents were working outside the lab they built in the forest. I know, weird place to conduct genealogy experiments right?" he joked. He was a little surprised to she that Raven didn't knew what he was talking about. Wow that's a first.
"Anyway, I was playing in the grasses near this tree. I can remember this part so clearly. I can still hear the monkey's screech in my mind…" he trailed off, leaving Raven confused. Once he caught himself, he started up again.
"Sorry uhhh….anyway. There was this monkey that was in the tree I was playing near. I was curious so I decided to try to call it down to me. It was interesting cause it was a green monkey. It came down to eye level with me and looked innocent. I remember reaching my hand out to pet it when it suddenly bit my arm. It hurt but the pain that followed was excruciating. Apparently the monkey carried a disease called Sakutia, or green fever. It's not all that common among animals but they can survive it. Humans however, can't." he paused, apparently reliving every detail as he explained it.
"My mother hurried over to me when she heard me scream. I remember her telling my father 'Mark, his skin is turning green. It's Sakutia'."
"They rushed me inside where my father gave me a serum that changed the code of my DNA. I'm technically not human. I'm literally an animal, but that was the only way to save my life. The result was my skin turned green and later I realized that I could turn into animals."
"I found out when my mother and I were faced with a black mamba, one of the deadliest snakes in the world. I remember wishing that I could save her life by getting rid of the snake. I was just hoping for a mongoose to come by and save us and part of me was wishing that I was a mongoose. I knew mongooses attacked and ate snakes and as soon as I thought of that I had an urge to attack it. I closed my eyes and I was soon eye level with the snake and….I ate it." he looked at Raven's expression which showed little emotion but behind her deep violet eyes he saw nothing but concern and sympathy, not pity, sympathy. He felt a little more courageous to go on.
"So the first animal I ever turned into was a mongoose." he smiled "My parents freaked out of course but they were used to it for a while. I used to actually practice my abilities by fighting with the older kids in the tribe that we lived near. King Tawaba would always encourage me and the other kids to fight to ready ourselves for manhood and when I got my powers, the kids would suggest an animal they wanted to fight and I turned into it. It was really great exercise and I made sure no one got hurt." his smile then faded.
"My life was actually pretty good until…my parents died." Raven felt a surge of emotion toward him, she wanted nothing but to hug him as he released all his pain from the past.
"I was with them on an expedition down the Nile River. Our boat sprung a leak and we were heading for a waterfall. My father told me to turn into a bird and fly away from there. He told me that they were going to be all right…so I left." his voice was slowly becoming angry as he clenched his teeth and tears were forming on the brim of his eyes.
"Goddamn it! I could have saved them!" he shouted "As I was flying, I looked back to see my parents watching me and…then they went over…I tried to find them at the bottom of the waterfall but they weren't there…they were gone." he stopped, and Raven knew that this is as far as he was willing to go. The pain was just too much.
She slid a little closer to him and rubbed his back to convey her sympathy, then he did something unexpected. He curled into her arms and began to weep. This caught Raven off guard but she wrapped her arms around him and comforted him. They stayed like that for about ten minutes before Beast boy's lung spasms stopped and the tears came to a halt.
He picked up his head from her and looked her in the eyes. "Thanks Raven." he said. He smiled at her softly and she returned the favor. "No problem" she said.
They sat in a somewhat awkward silence, still incredibly close and holding each other. Beast boy began to break out in a cold sweat while raven looked in the direction of the water nervously. Both were trying hard not to make eye contact and make the situation even more awkward but Beast boy couldn't resist. Raven was still looking away towards the sun and the water and Beast boy stared at her.
Her face appeared to be glowing in the light of the sun, she looked angelic and even more beautiful than he thought she ever could. The water reflected small ripples in her violet eyes, making it seem as if you could dive into the windows of her eyes and bathe in her soul. He smiled to himself and looked in the direction she was.
"It's amazing isn't it. " he said. Raven turned to him curiously. "The sun and the ocean are complete opposites but together they make complete harmony, and one of the mot beautiful sights I've ever seen." he said meaningfully.
Raven stared at him in shock. She was very impressed that Beast boy….BEAST BOY of all people could be so deep. It made her look at him and an all new light…and deepened her crush on him even further.
Beast boy then stood up and stretched. "We gotta go. It's almost time for your date with Cyborg." he smirked.
Raven rolled her eyes and stood up too "Yeah that's what it is. " she said sarcastically. Beast boy chuckled.
"Okay, c'mon Rae. Wouldn't want to keep Borgy Bear waiting" he snickered. Raven shuddered.
"Never say that again." she said. Beast boy rolled his eyes and took off in the form of an eagle while Raven levitated off the island, smiling all the way.
--
"Can you hand me the two by two? Then the number 3 wrench? And can you get me the 6 ½?" Cyborg asked. He was lying on his back underneath the T-Car while Raven was handing him the various tools he need4ed to do upgrades on his car.
They had been at it since Raven got home with Beast boy from the island. She was somewhat in a dazed state when Cyborg had come down and cooked up every last piece of bacon left (3 lbs. Beast boy of course barfed at the sight). She was still thinking about Beast boy and how he could have had such a hard life and be the annoying little prankster she knew all so well…well…at least he used to be. She was seeing changes in him and was wondering what was causing it. He was changing into an almost new person…and she liked it. He was still his goofy, jokey self at times, but she could tell that there was a distinct maturity change that was happening to him, like a metamorphosis. And she hadn't noticed it till he had gotten her the necklace.
"Uh hello? Raven?" Cyborg sang to get her attention. She jerked her head down towards the metallic man under the car, unaware that she was even looking away, and handed him the tool she was holding on too.
"Whatcha thinking about Raven? You got that look on your face." he said. Good thing Cyborg was under the T-Car otherwise he would have seen Raven blush slightly at what she as really thinking about and also because she didn't know she looked a certain way when she was thinking.
"Uh, nothing. Just a little tired, I didn't get much sleep last night." she said truthfully, she was still a little tired from lack of sleep and the short flight she took this morning. Cyborg chuckled half-heartedly.
"What, was Star asking too many questions?" he assumed.
"You have no idea how close you hit the target there." She replied sarcastically. "I asked her a question and she wouldn't shut up about it." Raven said, shaking her head.
"What question?" he asked.
"I'm not at liberty to say." raven replied simply.
"Awe, come one Raven I promise I won't tell anyone." he whined under the car.
"You? Master of all blackmail? I don't think so." she said
"oooo THAT juicy huh?" Cyborg snickered.
"I said no!" She said, banging the bottom of the car with her fist so it created an unpleasant sound that was a little too loud for Cyborg's sonic ears.
"Ow! Hey if that was about Tuesday, I said I was sorry!" he complained, sliding out from under the car, fresh oil stains on his blue fusion shoulders.
"No, I've completely forgiven you for that." she smirked "I just wanted to annoy you as much as you annoy me." she said simply. Cyborg groaned and asked for another tool and slid under the car once again.
"I thought BB was the one you take out all your annoyance on?" he asked.
"I don't take out all my annoyances on him." she protested. Cyborg let out a disbelieving laugh.
"Yeah, and I'm sure your gonna throw yourself at him and kiss him till he's one big hickey too." he said sarcastically. Though he didn't see Raven's pale complexion take on a red so bright it even put Christmas colors to shame.
"I'm serious! I don't do that…do I?" she said, her voice going from angry to ashamed in an instant. Cyborg caught this and slid out again to see Raven's guilty face.
"Awe, come on Rae. I'm sorry I said anything. I'm just telling you what it looks like form my point of view." he said, sitting next to her and wiping the oil stains off his armor.
"No your right. I treat him horribly, even when he doesn't do anything." she said, her voice cracking slightly. This warned Cyborg that tears were to come.
"Raven listen to me." he said sternly in an older brother type authority. "You are not horrible to him. He's just in the wrong place at the wrong time, like trying to talk to you when your already mad. If I were you I'd chuck him out the window too. " he chuckled. He stopped as he realized that he had just reminded Raven of exactly HOW she used to punish him for no reason.
"Uh…Listen. A lot of the time's he's deserved it okay. He should know better than to get on you bad side. I don't know why he just doesn't ease up and leave you alone." Cyborg lied, he knew every well why Beast boy never gave up on Raven.
Raven looked up at him, sadness and guilt still present in her eyes. She had not really expected to exercise Timid today. "No. I know I've been horrible to him over the years and he probably hates me for it" she said, despite that morning. Cyborg rolled his eyes at how untrue he knew that statement was.
"Raven, trust me on this. He could never hate you…he could never not like you. Just go with me on this one, he CAN'T hate you. " Cyborg smiled "My dad used to tell me that a true friend is someone who likes you for you. No matter what you do, no matter what you say, how you look, where your form or anything. A true friend is always there." he said. His human eye seemed a little glassy now that he was bringing up his father.
"You've never mentioned your father before." Raven stated. Cyborg smiled.
"Yeah, I don't even know where he is. I was in a car accident that killed my mother and my father worked for S.T.A.R labs. I was pretty beat up in the accident and he made me half robot to save my life. He used to tell me to forget how I looked and that true friends would look past that to see the person inside. All my old friends abandoned me when they found out what I became." he said sadly, looking down that the ground beneath his mechanical feet.
"I ran away and found Jump City. I thought that if I stayed here, I wouldn't need to face my father again, I was afraid that he would fear me and abandon me like my friends did……but I abandoned him." he said, falling forward and resting his head on his knees. Raven scooted closer and patted his back, unsure if he could really feel it through his metallic armor.
He sat back up after a while and smiled. "He really was an awesome guy you know." he said. "So that's why I think you should listen to him. Beast boy is never gonna hate ya. He never could okay. And he's been lightening up lately on the whole annoying you thing and you haven't tossed him out of the tower in like, 3 weeks." he said, getting off the table to rummage through his tool chest….literally. He opened a compartment door in his chest and took out his lucky screwdriver.
"So don't worry about it 'kay?" he asked. Raven smiled and nodded. "That's my baby sister." Cyborg said hugging her slightly so as not to crush her.
"Baby?" Raven complained.
"You know what I mean Rae." Cyborg said, rolling his eyes. Raven frowned.
"And stop calling me Rae, my name is Raven" she protested.
"You let BB call you Rae." Cyborg smirked, getting down on his back again.
"I do not!" Raven denied
"Oh yes you do. I hear it all the time and you don't say a word. That's why I thought it was okay to call you Rae." he explained
"I do NOT let Beast boy call me Rae." she said again
"Yes you do-o!" Cyborg sang, sliding under the car.
"No I don't!" raven almost shouted. Cyborg slid out form under the car again.
"Hey now can you tell me what Star was talking to you about for so long?" he asked/teased.
"UGH!"
--
"Hey Beast boy."
"WAAAAHHHH!" Beast boy screamed. He sprang form the couch and landed on the floor quite painfully. He turned around to glare at whoever surprise him like that. Robin.
"Uh, is this a bad time?" the leader asked. Beast boy shook away his glare and stood up and rubbed the area of impact.
"No, I just didn't hear you." Beast boy said. Robin raised his eyebrows.
"You? The one with sensitive ears?" Robin said doubtfully. Beast boy sighed.
"I was thinking okay. I've been known to do that form time to time." Beast boy joked.
"Ah okay, you nervous about your day with Raven tomorrow?" Robin asked, though it didn't sound like a question at all.
"Like you wouldn't believe. Today before you guys got up we met up in the kitchen and…"
"whoa, whoa, whoa." Robin interrupted "YOU were up before ME?" Robin questioned disbelievingly.
"Yeah…I didn't get much sleep." Beast boy lied. He didn't want anyone to know when he actually got up…though Raven he knew he could trust not to make a big deal out of it.
"Anyway…We went outside and talked and…God I feel so stupid for saying that!" Beast boy scolded himself.
"Say what?" Robin asked, a dangerous tone in his voice.
"Don't worry, I'm not stupid enough to insult her but what I said was kinda weird coming form my mouth." he explained.
"What did you day?" Robin asked, his tone of voice still dangerous.
"I was looking at her and…I made a comparison between her and the ocean, though I didn't say that. I said That the sun and the ocean were two totally opposite things but together they made absolute harmony. I was comparing her to the ocean and me to the sun. I'm the sun for obvious reasons, bright and energetic and blah blah blah. The ocean is just so different. It's incredibly beautiful at the surface but when you dive deeper, it gets more and more mysterious." he said
Robin stared at his teammate and friend completely flabbergasted. There was no way that this could be Beast boy. He's the silly little prankster of the Teen Titans that has only two main passions, videogames and girls. Yet here he was, mostly grown up and mature. Robin never thought he'd ever hear a metaphor or simile come out of Beast boy's mouth.
"You should have seen the way she was looking at me after I said that." Beast boy continued, snapping Robin out of hid doubts that this was really Beast boy.
"She probably thinks I'm an idiot now." Beast boy moaned.
"I think everyone thinks that Beast boy." Robin said sarcastically.
"Not helping." Beast boy snapped
"Okay, okay. She was probably just surprised or impressed or a mixture of the two. You know Raven, she was probably just didn't know how romantic you could be." Robin said. Beast boy looked at him strangely.
"That was romantic?" Beast boy asked
"Basically yeah." Robin answered casually.
"Awe, Rob didn't know you felt that way." Beast boy swooned.
"Shut up! You know what I meant." Robin scolded
"That's right, you save that stuff for Star." Beast boy whispered, this did not go unnoticed by Robin. His cheeks flushed a small pinkish color but as he was about to retort, the doors swished open.
"Okay now you sure you're going to do whatever I do?" Cyborg asked Raven, who made the mistake of asking her what she wanted to do and facing her annoyance that she was going to do whatever he wanted to do. It wasn't her day, she's not going to have HER day till Saturday. Why didn't anyone get that through their thick head!
"Yes, whatever it is…within reason." she warned, making sure she didn't do anything embarrassing. Cyborg rolled his eyes.
"Always within reason." he assured. He turned to Beast boy and Robin "YO! How bout a little 4 player action?" Cyborg asked.
"Sure"
"Totally"
Came the replies. Raven sighed 'of course' she thought. She and Cyborg headed over to the game console where Beast boy was looking through the controllers I a different basket. Robin was setting up the console and pulled out four games he was sure even Raven wouldn't mind playing and that were fairly easy for her.
"Bad news guys, we only have 3 controllers. Star broke the last 2 remember?" Beast boy said. The other three shuddered at what happened last time. Starfire had broken two controllers and after she broke the second one, she was so furious at the game that she blasted the whole TV window to smithereens.
"oh well, looks like I can't play." Raven sighed overdramatically, thinking that she was definitely out for the count.
"Oh no you don't. You're playing." Beast boy smirked.
"Beast boy, I know even you're smart enough to know that 4 people and 3 controllers isn't going to work." she replied
"Ha, ha. Make fun of my thinking ability all you want. You're not getting out of this. This may be the ONLY time you'll ever play videogames and I'm not about to let you pass that up. I won't play." Beast boy said
"Wow you must really be in love with her to give up videogames for her." Cyborg said out loud without thinking.
Beast boy's eyes widened and Robin's mask almost fell off his eyes were so big. Beast boy broke out in an enormous blush that browned his face entirely. He glared at Cyborg so hard it matched Raven's icy stare she was throwing him right now. Cyborg just thought about what he just said and his human eye widened as well. Thank god for Beast boy Raven thought it was just a joke.
"Oh, very funny Cyborg." she said, a slight tint of pink on her cheeks. Robin and Beast boy sighed in relief.
"Dude I don't love her!" Beast boy convincingly protested which was partly the truth. He really didn't know if he loved her of he was going to love her. But right now he liked her and Cyborg was going to pay later.
"Okay, okay!" Cyborg said quickly. Admitting defeat easily. Beast boy turned his attention to Raven for the moment.
"So you gonna play if I don't?" he asked. She sighed in aggravation.
"I don't know how to play, or even how to work the buttons. I would die instantly." she said. She was running out of excuses.
"C'mon a smart girl like you? You'll have them memorized in no time. Besides, I'll help you with the buttons and everything." he said. Raven sighed again. There was no backing out.
"Fine, what game do you want to play?" she asked the others.
"Why don't we have Beast boy pick considering he's the only party not playing." Robin suggested. Beast boy quirked his eyebrow as well as Raven and Cyborg.
"You're going to regret that decision." Cyborg whispered to Robin while Beast boy selected a game.
He walked it over to Raven and showed her. Then he leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Scarlet Night. It's a zombie and ghost game, totally freaky. It's also my favorite. I can give you some good advice on this game, I have the top three high scores. Cyborg and Robin are weak at this game, you'll beat 'em no problem." he whispered. When he leaned away Raven was blushing slightly. His moist breath tickled her hear as he explained his choice.
"Okay! The name of the game is Scarlet Night! The object, to clear each level of zombies and ghosts and find every one of the gems before your lives are gone. Got it!" he said loudly, stating the object for Raven's benefit. Cyborg and Robin both nodded their heads as Raven just shrugged.
"All right! Let's kill some corpses!" Beast boy said enthusiastically, as he put in the game and the black screen came up and the menu was written in bloody gothic letters.
Robin scrolled through the male characters and found he one he traditionally uses for that game. A long black haired assassin with large sunglasses, hair in ponytail and light brown boots along with several large gins that lay on his belt.
Cyborg chose the most muscular of the male characters, with several knives and a load of special bombs that crossed his chest. He was bald and wore a camouflage headband across his forehead.
Raven was disgusted to find out that the first female character was a leather clad ninja with a sword and several pistols. 'Typical' she thought. She was about to pass her up and move on to the next one when Beast boy leaned over to whisper in her ear again.
"I suggest her, she's all about stealth and that's what you need for this game. Trust me, when it comes to combat games Robin and Cyborg have the upper hand but believe me, when it comes to being sneaky, I'm your guy." he said. Raven looked at him curiously.
She figured that he actually was trying to help her and if she was going to play a videogame she was going to need all the help she could get. She sighed and choose the slutty ninja for a character, Robin and Cyborg raised their eyebrows at her choice but didn't question it.
Robin pressed Start (he was player 1) and the game began.
--
Robin and Cyborg were shooting their weapons furiously as hundreds of ghosts seemed to pop up out of nowhere. Raven had accidentally opened a forbidden chest that Beast boy had warned her too late would reveal an endless tirade of ghosts.
Beast boy had told Raven a quick combination of buttons and she obediently obliged. Her character jumped several feet into the air and landed almost cat-like on the roof of a nearby house. On the roof there was a special bomb that she could drop on the chest and the ghosts would dissolve.
Beast boy gave her a triumphant grin at her that told her just how much he actually knew about this game. She dropped the bomb and the ghosts faded away into thin air. Robin and Cyborg sighed in relief and groaned that they had lost a lot of life points. They turned to glare at Raven but Beast boy quickly defended her.
"Ah, ah ah. Remember, she's a first time player." he said tauntingly. Robin and Cyborg both rolled their eyes and continued forward. Raven gave Beast boy a grateful smile.
"Thanks for the tip to go on the roof." she said
"no problem." Beast boy smiled. Raven returned the smile then turned to glare at her controller.
"ugh! I just don't know how to draw my weapons!" she complained
"Just press X and O together." he suggested. Raven tried the combination but nothing happened.
"It's not working." she said pathetically. Raven was a little frustrated that such a stupid waste of time like a videogame could be so complicated.
"Here, let me help." he said smoothly. He reached his left arm our around her and took a hold of her hand on the controller. He did the same thing with his right hand. As soon as he touched her hands, he felt a spark of electricity. Not the static kind but more of a …numbing sensation. He blushed immediately and looked up at her. Apparently she felt it too cause her face was showed signs of a pink tint.
"…and you just press these two…" Beast boy continued a little more softly. He applied pressure to her fingers on the buttons and her character soon drew her sword, ready to fight.
"…and you press L2 to switch weapons…" he said, his voice still soft. He moved her left hand to the side of the controller and pressed the L2 button. Her character withdrew her sword and took out a pistol.
Beast boy stayed like that for a couple ore seconds, not moving his hands or moving his eyes away from her face. Raven was still looking at his hands holding hers, just as frozen as he was.
"AHEM!" Cyborg cleared his throat loudly to awaken the two from their trance.
Beast boy and Raven looked up at him immediately. He had a small glare on his face and nodded toward the screen. He and Robin were almost to the next level. Raven returned her look to her hands and then to Beast boy who got the message.
"Oh, sorry" he said quickly, retracting his hands and resting them at his sides, he and Raven were both flushing a deep crimson color but it was almost hard to tell in the dark.
Raven began running her way through the level, attacking and destroying every zombie and ghost she was faced with. Beast boy would whisper a couple cheat codes to her that would allow her to do multiple flips before attacking or giving her the ability to move so fats she would confuse the creatures than catch them by surprise.
Beast boy was right about more than one thing. He really WAS good at this game and he was right, she did eventually memorize all the codes until she didn't need his help so much anymore. Beast boy leaned back comfortably on the couch and watch as Robin and Cyborg were foolish enough to face the demons head on while Raven, cleverly distracted her prey and made a successful sneak attack. She had lost no life points so far and she had killed the most zombies and ghosts.
THE LAST LEVEL
"You ready for this?" Robin challenged his two playing teammates.
"I was born ready, don't cry too much when I win Raven." Cyborg teased.
"Yeah and don't stain the carpet with too many tears when I beat your ass." Raven said venomously. Beast boy chuckled and whispered.
"Calm down Rae, this is starting to turn me on." he joked. Raven rolled her eyes but she had difficulty hiding the blush in her cheeks.
"Don't make me beat you too." she smirked. Beast boy raised his hands in defeat and smirked back.
--
"C'mon, go go!"
"Not there move!"
"I can't believe you two."
Raven was beating Robin and Cyborg by a landside. Beast boy was watching with a cocky grin on his face. He was rather proud that he had been able to teach Raven to play his favorite videogame…and that she was good at it! Robin and Cyborg were constantly shooting at the ghosts and zombies head on. It never occurred to them to get a different tactic.
As the two guys ran through the streets after shooting down the last of the zombies, the last ghost appeared in front of them. A tall powerful Samurai that was three times the size of Cyborg's character towered before them in ancient red robes.
The samurai spit a mouthful of fire at the two. Robin countered the attack with his characters freeze discs. Cyborg began shooting the apparition with everything his computer animated self could manage, but he wasn't able to inflict much damage at all. The samurai cackled tauntingly and towered even higher. Robin and Cyborg had lost several more life points and that fueled the spirit's energy.
Suddenly a quick black shadow dropped down on the apparition, wielding a katana. Raven's character stood before the samurai before she fled and was hidden once again. The surprise attack weakened the boss ghost quite a bit but not enough. Suddenly the same person sliced through the spirit completely and weakened him even more.
"Cyborg, Robin. You may do the honors." Raven said smugly to her leader and teammate. They bother glared at her but didn't refuse. Robin shot the samurai with his gun and Cyborg chucked several explosives at him. He disintegrated completely and the game was over.
CONGRATULATIONS PLAYER 3!
The screen read. Suddenly the screen showed the top scores that were recently posted. A blank was at the top of the screen, showing where Raven was to put her initials. They were above several scores made by GML. Garfield Mark Logan.
"Well, well, well BB. Looks like she beat ya." Cyborg sneered, hoping that this would strike up some competitiveness in his green friend, but he only merely shrugged.
"So? That only means that we'll have to settle the score in a head to head, huh Rae?" Beast boy challenged, nudging her with his elbow. Raven smiled and rolled her eyes while she put in RRR in the top spot on the score board.
"I don't think so. This is the ONLY time I'm planning on playing videogames. I still prefer reading to this, but admittedly it wasn't as bad as I though it would be." she admitted. Cyborg looked at her strangely and whispered to Robin.
"See what I mean? She let BB call her Rae but she snapped at me for calling her that this afternoon." he said quietly. Robin raised his eyebrows and looked at her strangely as well, thankfully she didn't notice and stood up right away.
"I'm going to head for bed. I'll see you tomorrow Beast boy." she said casually, as she turned to leave.
"So you only address me? Must be eager to see me then." Beast boy joked, cocking his eyebrows. Raven rolled her eyes.
"No, tomorrow's my day with you remember? I'll see you then." she said, before turning towards the door and letting it swish closed behind her. Leaving a blanched Beast boy to turn to his friends in worry.
"Still nervous?" Robin asked. His answer came when Beast boy's eyes rolled up into his head and he fainted.