Chapter 4: I ain't afraid of no ghost
"What do you want to know about Raven?" asked Robin "And more importantly why would information about her be a condition for helping us?" Cyborg finished. "Because there's something that doesn't add up with her," said Egon sternly "she gives off huge amounts of Psychokinetic energy, and can battle with ghosts, which tend to coincidently appear whenever she's around. For all I know she could be the cause of all this." "We been through a lot hard battles with Raven and we trust her." Said Robin staring Egon down "She's not the cause of this." Said the boy wonder, adding some grizzle to his voice. The room fell silent for a moment as Robin and Egon continued to stare each other down. "Cyborg, Robin, you dudes better get up here." Said Beast Boy over his communicator, breaking thru the tense silence. "We're kinda in the middle of something here BB." Said Cyborg "I know but it Starfire, her heart rate is going bananas and…" without another word Robin ran for the elevator.
The Med bay doors woshed open as Robin hurried in with Cyborg and somewhat surprisingly the Ghostbusters in tow. The room was filled with a frantic beeping as Starfire laid down on a table franticly gasping for oxygen despite the air mask Beast Boy had placed on her just moments ago. "Starfire!" Robin cried out as he tried to figure out what was going on "Beast Boy what happened?" he asked rushing over to the heart rate monitor. "I don't know, she was sleeping one moment and then all of a sudden she starts twitching and gasping for air." "Cyborg, did you noticed anything wrong with her before we went downstairs?" asked the boy wonder "She had slightly elevated heart beat so I gave her a mild sedative, she's taken it before with no adverse reactions. " Replied the half machine teen "Starfire, you need to calm down and breathe okay." Said Robin as he grabbed the Tameranian princess' hand. She griped his hand tightly as a teardrop rolled down her eye, the sight of which broke his heart. "I'm gonna give her another injection of sedative, try to keep her calm." Said Cyborg as he prepared the syringe "Star, it's okay. Whatever it is I'll make it better, I promise." Robin said in a calm, even, loving tone as Cyborg gave her the injection through her I.V., Starfire's grip on Robin's hand loosened slightly as the meds started their way through her system. Soon her eyes started to close and her heart returned to its normal pace (Which is still higher than normal for a human)
About an hour had passed before Starfire started to stir a bit. "Ro… Robin?" she asked meekly "Starfire, Are you okay? What happened?" Robin asked as he rose up from his chair stand by her bed, he cradled the back of her head in his hand as she started to sit up and after clearing her throat she spoke again, this time with more strength "Cyborg administered a sedative which made me drowsy. I found myself falling asleep before…" she started to tense up a bit before taking a deep breath and letting her words and worries come out "I had a nightmare." "A nightmare?" asked Robin, confused why a dream would cause Starfire to react the way she did "Yes, I was running from ghosts but I could not escape. I found myself trapped, and had nowhere left to run, and was about to be consumed by the kraurfkah…" said Starfire rapidly spitting out words before Robin would calm her down "Whoa, Whoa, Star, what is the kraurkah?" he said looking into her eyes, in them he saw worry and fear that was deeply embedded in her, the type that lingers long after telling someone it's going to be okay. "It is nothing, just a story from Tamaran; you need not be worried for me." Said Starfire trying her best to sound like she was her strong, confident self, even though she knew Robin could probably tell she was lying she did not want him off his game because he was worried lest he fall victim to the Kraurfkah. "Okay." Is all he said as he nodded in agreement, deep down he knew something was wrong but he hoped he could just push that feeling as far into the back of his head as possible until this whole ghost thing ended.
"Star, how do you feel right now?" asked Cyborg "I am fine friend Cyborg, you should all be getting the shut of eye." She answered "Will you be okay tonight?" the mechanical teen responded. "Yes I will." A moment passed before Robin spoke up "Lights out in ten everybody." Robin stood behind for a minute as both groups of heroes made their way to the elevator "If you need something, anything, call me. Even if it's just a nightmare." He said just loud enough for her to hear. "I will." She replied looking deep into his eyes with a look of love which had been missing for the past few days. It made him more at ease to see HER eyes again. "I love you Starfire." he said squeezing her hand "I love you Robin." She said squeezing back.
The glow from a computer screen was the only thing that illuminated Cyborgs room: Venkman, Peter, List of offenses: Destruction of public property 10 counts, EPA sanctions 2, Held for mental evaluation 12/31/89, known associates Stanz, Raymond, Spangler, Egon, Zeddemore, Winston. As a member of the Titans (as well as basically being a living computer) Cyborg was able to run background checks on suspicious characters. After the argument earlier he had decided it might be a good idea to get a little more info on his house guests, judging from what he saw it turns out he was right. "Robin will have a field day with this." He thought out loud, KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK, "Who could that be at this hour?" asked Cyborg to no one in particular as he went to open his door. "Hey big guy, your awake." Said Peter with that trademark Venkman charisma. "Doctor Venkman? Why are you up here this late?" Cyborg asked while trying to block his computer monitor from Venkman's view. "Kid, it's 10:30. To a New Yorker that's like 7 O'clock, and I was wondering if you could hold on to something for me?" Peter said holding up a rolled up piece of paper. "What is it?" Asked Cyborg as he gingerly took the papers from Venkman "Just a few blue prints, I found them laying around the basement and thought you might be able to keep them safe for me." Peter said flashing his smile "Umm okay, sure, anything else?" Cyborg said unsure if this was some sort of con "No, not that I know of." Peter replied as he started to back away "well goodnight then Doctor." Cyborg said still a little confused "Call me Peter." Venkman said as he strolled into the elevator.
The doors closed as Cyborg turned around to lay the blueprints out. He was surprised as he read the title of the Schematics "Proton Pack v 1.0" and "Ghost trap v 1.2" Cyborg checked the percentage of his battery pack, it was low but nothing a 15 minute charge couldn't fix. It was going to be an all-nighter for him; thankfully he didn't actually need to sleep that often.
The next morning both teams found themselves in the living room awaiting coffee, breakfast, or in Raven's case herbal tea. Over on the far side of the room Peter was handling a call from Ghostbusters HQ "Janine just tell them we're booked until we get back in town. Well tell them not to use that shower. Then send Louis, he's been going on about how he's a Ghostbuster now too. Janine, Janine I'm letting you go now okay goodbye." As Peter hung up Ray came up to him "Peter, have you seen the Proton Pack blueprints? I can't seem to find them." Asked Ray "Did we even bring those? I thought they we're in New York." Venkman lied "No, I remember pacing them. If you see them let me know." Said Ray as they joined their fellow Ghostbusters at the breakfast table.
"I found our link." Said Egon as he looked over the designs of the haunted buildings "What is it?" asked Winston trying to get a different angle of the prints "These building have were all built just after World War One, and all by the same man." Said Egon "Don't tell me it is who I think it is." Said Ray shaking his head no "Ivo Shandor." The Ghostbusters all groaned in disapproval "Who's Ivo Shandor?" asked Robin "He's bad news if he's designing buildings." Replied Winston "Wait, if it's Shandor then how come we haven't run into some sort of demi god yet?" asked Peter "And why are the ghosts only coming thru now?" Ray followed up "If you look at the dates the plans were drawn, Shandor would only just be coming back to the states. He was probably still perfecting how to make portals to other worlds." Egon answered "So he comes here to Jump City to get some experience on construction, then figures it all out with 55 Central Park West." Said Winston "Yes, also something of note. All of the building Shandor worked on were recently remodeled by the Wilson & Wintergreen Foundation."
"Maybe someone accidently unleashed the ghost during the remodeling." Said Ray as he sipped on his coffee "Maybe it wasn't accidental." Winston quipped "I mean just think, there's a whole city worth of super criminals out there. Maybe one makes a deal with a demon who keeps may or may not keep his end of the bargain after he crosses thru." He continued. Things were silent as everyone went over what Winston said in their heads, his theory was solid and events similar to what he described had happened before "In any case I think we need to look into things a bit further." The alarm flashed as Egon finished speaking "It'll have to wait. There's something destroying the city." Said Robin as he pulled up info of the attack from the main computer.
"Let us go then." Said Starfire with a tone of resoluteness she had been missing "Wait, Starfire after last night I think you should sit this one out and rest. " Robin said as best as he could not to upset the Tamaranean princess, which he failed despite his best effort "But Robin, I am fine now. I merely had a bad dream." She said convincingly enough even though she was lying. "No Star, it wasn't just a bad dream. Something has been wrong since the fight at the nightclub, since the ghost attacks started. I don't know what it is but it there, I've noticed your body language, the inflection of your voice, the way you try to change the subject. I think you're afraid and it's not something you can control, and if that's the case then the team might in up in real trouble. So I ask you to please let us handle this." The room was silent as tension filled the air, no one wanted to stir the Kool-Aid in this situation.
"Fine, I shall do as you ask Robin." Said Starfire breaking the silence in a tone that told Robin that he'd was in for another battle when he got home, one he really didn't want. "Beast Boy, I want you to stay behind as well." Robin said still looking down the hallway Starfire had went down "Dude, what did I do?" the green skinned teen asked "I need someone to watch after Star and makes sure she remains calm, I don't think she's ever been under this type of stress and I'm worried so please help me on this one." Robin answered "Ah okay, but that means you owe me some help repairing my moped." Robin nodded yes to Beast Boy's request.
The two teams raced through downtown traffic which was admittedly easier with ecto-1's siren blaring. The street was a mess to say the least, cement and steel debris laid all around while the shattered specs of glass from the various store fronts glistened in the sun light, and right in the middle of the road was a large crater which was about seven feet deep and large enough to go from the left sidewalk to the right.
"Whoa! What could have caused this?" asked Ray as he and the Ghostbusters examined the area "I don't know, maybe it was…" Robin didn't have a chance to finish what he was about to a say as a loud crashing noise came from close by, both teams turned to see what was going on. Facing them was a giant stone golem with big, menacing, red glowing eyes. "Cinderblock." Robin growled out as he looked upon the stone behemoth. RAWWRRGG! Yelled Cinderblock as he ripped a steel beam right off the side of a building "Uh-oh he's found himself a toy" said Cyborg as Cinderblock wound up his swing "Titans move!" Robin Yelled as the steel girder was coming down, leaving a trail of split asphalt on the ground. The Titans were able to dodge the attack; the Ghostbusters however were caught by the seismic waves and tumbled into the crater "I've heard of bad architecture before but this is nuts." Venkman quipped as he rubbed his head.
Robin rushed at Cinderblock with a full head of steam and used all the momentum he could to plant a flying karate kick against the stone man's face. Unsurprisingly it was like trying to hit a brick wall and Robin bounced off like a kick ball "Try this on for size!" said Cyborg as he landed a huge right haymaker with everything he had, but Cinderblock was somehow able to absorb the blow with nothing more than his face. Cyborg stood in shock as Cinderblock sent him flying thru a store front wall after a shot from the girder.
Cinderblock laughed in a low, deep, rumble, however as he admired his own handy work he failed to notice the four door sedan that Raven had flung his way. CRAAASSHH glass flew about as the frame of the car wrapped around Cinderblock "Do you give up?" asked Raven, Cinderblock's reply was to charge at Raven with his fist cocked. "Azarath, Metrion, Zenthos!" Chanted Raven who shot straight up in the air as soon as she had. Cinderblock skidded across the asphalt and came to a stop almost where Raven had been, the stone mammoth looked up to find his target before putting everything he had into a gigantic jump. Raven was shocked to see her opponent face to face with her thirty feet in the air, RAAAGGGHH grunted Cinderblock as he landed a massive right hand that sent Raven bouncing off a billboard before hitting the ground.
"Raven are you alright? Raven!?" asked Robin as he and Cyborg rushed over to her, "I was just hit by a living pile of hardened cement how do you think I feel?" she weekly yet sardonically replied. The boys helped Raven to her feet as they all watched Cinderblock slowly start to levitate back to the ground "I think I know why the usual stuff isn't working." Said Cyborg "Then I guess we have to try something new." Robin replied "But we haven't even tested it yet." Cyborg said with worry in his words "No choice, he's tearing up the city as well as us. We need to bring him down." Robin answered.
The three teens spread out as to not give a single target for their enemy who now had a purple aura surrounding him GRWWAAAR he yelled as he looked across from the Titans. "Titans go!" said Robin as he threw three birdarangs did nothing but annoy Cinderblock, who turned to face the boy wonder. Robin backed away as Cinderblock stalked his prey "Cyborg now!" shouted Robin as his half machine friend formed his arm cannon, only this time it was not its usual light blue. No in fact it was a deep bright orange beam with blue lighting wrapped around it. ARRRRGGGHH cried Cinderblock as he tried to cover up from the blast "Raven!" Robin directed "Azarath, Metrion, Zenthos!" she chanted again this time releasing her soul self at Cinderblock, who collapsed after the wave of dark energy hit him.
WHHAARRRR screamed the class six possessor, the ghost was not a pretty sight. A long almost feminine frame with, long, thin, hands, arms, and neck. It's face was dragon and it's hair was mangled. "Robin quick, before she finds someone else!" exclaimed Cyborg. Robin acted without haste quickly tossing a disk on the ground right below the ghost, suddenly a beam of white light shot up from it and trapped the ghost inside.
Thing were silent as the Titans carefully examined both Cinderblock as well as Robin's trap "Hey, anybody up there, we could use some help!" yelled Venkman from inside the crater. The sun started to set as the last Ghostbuster was helped up "That was incredible, I mean with the living golem, and the superpowers, and how did you catch that ghost?" Ray asked with the excitement of a school boy "I'll tell you how Ray…" said Egon with an upset look on his face "They stole the blueprints for our gear." He said looking over each Titan "We did no such thing." Said Raven with a hint of anger coming thru her monotone. "Why should I believe you? Every time I check for ghost, the PKE meter jumps when it's in your direction." Replied Doctor Spangler
"I wouldn't be talking about trust, you guys have tons of legal problems. EPA violations, mental hospital evaluations, lawsuits over destroying public and private property." Cyborg said listing each offence "Those charges are a load of bull!" Ray angrily interjected "I knew it, these ghost didn't start appearing until you came to town. You're nothing but a bunch of con men I bet." Raven said loudly "That's not true! We came here because this city needs us to find out why ghost are crossing over to our world, and I think I've found out why." Said Egon as he stood toe to toe with Raven.
KABOOOMMMM off in the distance a loud explosion rang out, the groups both turn to see the top floor of Titans Tower missing a giant chunk and in its place a reddish orange beam shooting up towards the heavens. "Spangler that looks like the containment unit!" shouted Ray trying to get Egon's attention "Everything was fine this morning before we left. Unless someone turned tried to use his communicator "Starfire, Beast Boy, do you copy? What are your conditions?" silence was all that came back "Starfire? Beast Boy?" still nothing, Robin rushed off to the T-Car "We have to go now!"
Cyborg pried the top floor doors, he turned on his search light as he stepped over the rubble left on the floor "Not picking up anything on scanners." He announced. Robin ran past him calling out the names of his missing teammates, still no signs of anyone or anything. "Oh my god, it can't be." Said Cyborg as he looked over what would be the living room.
"NO. NOOO!" said Raven who collapsed to her knees when she saw it. A dagger was embed in a wall to hang hold up the map of Jump City that Egon had been marking off. There was indeed a pattern and someone else had finished it. The Jump City map had been printed with the mark of scath.
"I can't find Starfire or Beast Boy, do you…" Robin stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the map, he walk forward and took it off the wall to examine. On the back there was a message I have your friends Meet me at The Jump Tower if you want them back – A Friend Robin crumpled the map in his hand as he lowered his head.
"STARFIRE!" he wailed as lighting flashed, whoever was behind this was going to pay.