Disclaimer: I own the Teen Titans. And all Titans related paraphernalia. Only a small number of you have my permission to write fanfics. BTW, if you are wondering why I am writing fanfics, its because I am not a comic writer, I just own the Titans. I managed to get ownership by hostile takeover of a portion of DC comics. I'm a lucky beast. In fact, It was my idea to replace Felicia Henderson with J.T. Krul as head writer for Titans. You're welcome.
See if you can spot all the references!
This is a filler chapter of sorts. The next chapter will be much better. lots of action. and finally, Gar's affliction will be fully revealed. Sorry, I know I promised answers in this chapter, but it turned out too long.
Thanks to all my reviewers. Out of laziness, I wont do a list (its getting too long.) You know who you are, and I greatly appreciate you guys taking your time to let me know what you think of my story. Makes me happy and motivates faster updating. Anyway, thanks very much, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter. I honestly wouldnt mind if you guys skipped over this one. lol.
When Gar finally woke up the next day, the first thing he did was yawn, turn into a cat and stretch, and then check his clock. He jumped when he saw that he had slept in till almost 3:00pm. He scrambled to get some clean clothes, and he ran to take a quick shower before heading out into the Titans' living room.
All the others were awake except Raven. Richard and Kori were on the couch watching a movie. It took Richard a long time, but he finally got used to being out of his secret identity among his friends. Cyborg was in the kitchen, cooking some disturbingly large amount of meat. Gar noticed that Kori had already decorated everything for Raven's birthday. There were purple and black streamers, balloons, and other such party paraphernalia artistically scattered around the tower. A large "happy birthday" banner hung over the large windows. Gar smiled at the decorations, remembering he had a cake to make. He would get to it later.
"Yo BB, about time you woke up. What were you doing last night?" Cyborg asked while dousing his food in BBQ sauce. Gar froze at the question. "Uhm… I went out to a Rave? Yeah!" Cyborg raised his human eyebrow and Richard turned around and said, "I thought you and Raven went to that 24 hour waffle house?" Gar paled slightly, sweat forming on his forehead.
"Well, after we ate, Raven went to sleep, but I was so hyped up from syrupy sugar and such that I had to go dancing. Cuz I was so hyper! Form the sugar!" Gar said rather quickly. The other Titans were suspicious, but decided to drop it… for now. Gar went into the kitchen; trying to ignore the smell of old flesh as Cyborg began devouring his food. Gar began preparing a small plate of tofu when he finally said, "You know Vic, I can actually smell the rot on that meat." Vic froze, and looked at Gar.
"Whadda ya mean green genes?" Vic asked, putting the meat down. Gar smirked and said, "Well, when you buy meat from the store, usually it's been sitting for a while, or it's been shipped across the country or from places like China. So, it's actually already old by the time you get it. Dead things have a tendency to rot and smell bad, so before it's put out on shelves for customers, meat is usually drenched in bleach to kill bacteria and to rid the smell. It is then rinsed off to make sure the bleach doesn't poison the customer. So, you are eating rotting, bleached flesh." Vic froze in shock for a moment, and then continued slowly eating. Gar shook his head, and Vic said, "Hey, I've been eating it all this time, nothing bad happened. And if you don't remember, my stomach can handle the craziest things, so I'm gonna be fine."
After gar had his food ready, he ate it quickly, wanting to go find Raven. He decided to check if she ever left her room. "Hey, has anybody seen Raven today." Kori answered first, saying, "No, I have not seen friend Raven, though when I went to her room, I heard her meditating. Perhaps she needs some alone time?" Gar smiled at the alien. "Thanks Star." He got up; put his plate in the sink, and made a beeline straight to Raven's room.
As he neared, he could hear Raven chanting her mantra over and over. Knowing she did not like to be rudely interrupted, Gar projected happiness to alert her to his presence. The chanting stopped. Gar was still ten feet away. As he aged, he noticed his senses became even stronger, which was both a blessing and a curse. As his hearing became more sensitive, he became quieter, but only slightly. He continued to the door, and politely knocked. Raven soon opened and dragged Gar inside, slamming the door shut.
"Uh… Hi Rae." Gar said, surprised by his friend's behavior. Raven gave him a small smile and said, "Gar, I have a big problem." Gar had already guessed, and said, "You need to find a way to explain your new look to the rest of the Titans." Raven nodded, and said, "I've been here meditating since around eleven. I just don't know how to explain this" she gestured to her curvier body, "to any of them. I look like I've had too many implants!" Raven sat on her bed, a defeated look on her face. Gar sat next to her and said, "You don't look like that at all. Yea, you have a bit more… padding, but you don't look like you have implants. Implants look different and fake, you look natural. Don't worry Rae, you're beautiful." She blushed profusely at this statement and simply nodded.
"I have an idea!" Gar shouted, standing up. "Bear with me now…. What if we simply tell them the truth? They will understand, and not have any problems with it! Over the many years we've all been together, we've shared secrets, embarrassing stories, and much more. Seriously, compared to some of the unbelievable craziness we have dealt with, this is nothing new. Besides, remember when Kori was going through that Tamaranean change? She looked a billion times nastier than your demon form… Which isn't nasty at all! You look like a dark angel more than you look like a demon. I say we tell them!"
Raven thought to herself and said, "Would you help me?" Gar eagerly nodded, saying, "Of course I would Rae. Anything for you." Then Gar turned away, thinking, "Rae could tell the others about her problem, but if I mentioned what's going on with me, it'd be the Beast incident all over again. Locked up, everyone suspicious of me… best to keep quiet, for now." Raven picked up on his change in emotions, and she said, "What's wrong Gar? You are feeling very anxious." Gar turned and gave her a charming smile, saying, "Oh, nothing to worry about. Just planning out your birthday surprises and all." Raven smiled, saying, "You know I don't like surprises Gar." He smirked, saying, "don't worry, you will like these ones." He ran over, grabbed her hand and dragged her out of her room.
They began walking quickly down the hall, Raven struggling to keep up with her excited friend. When they reached the living room doors, Gar stopped and said, wait here till I get you, ok?" He waited, staring into her deep amethyst eyes. She nodded slowly, and both of them blushed when they realized they were still holding hands. "Uhhmm… I'll be right back." Gar said quickly. He gently dropped her hand, and ran through the door. A few moments later, he said, "Ok Rae, come in!" She obliged and was shocked at what she saw.
"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" The Titans yelled when Raven entered. Their yells were quickly stifled as they saw the changes that took place overnight. Shocked silence fell over the group, no one knowing how to continue. Richard and Cyborg were too embarrassed to mention that they noticed the changes and Kori wasconfused by the reactions of her teammates as much as she was by the changes in Raven. Gar quickly stepped forward, putting his hand on Raven's elbow and gently pulling her forward.
"Well my fellow Titans, from the awkwardness of the room, I surmise you all noticed that Raven looks a bit different. To give you all a real fast rundown, a new facet of Raven's powers has surfaced, causing the change you all see. The good news is we don't have to worry about Trigon anymore, and Rae can show more emotion now!" Gar said rather quickly. He looked to Raven, whispering, "Want to take it from here?" She nodded and stepped forward. "What Gar said is correct. Demons and half demons all go through a change, similar to when Kori had the whole chrysalis affair. It is called the Awakening." Raven continued, fully explaining the Awakening and her powers, as well as why the changes in her physical appearance happened. She couldn't help but hide under her hood when she explained this part. She purposefully left out the part about her new demonic form. She didn't want to scare them too much. After a few moments of tense silence, Richard stepped forward and said, "Ok then, as long as everything is alright, then we have no reason to be alarmed. You should just enjoy your party." He gave her a small smile at this.
She was touched by all the effort they put into decorating. Gar ran forward and said, "Ok, let's get this party started! Breakfast for lunch first, and then we can head for the movies, and then a few other places before heading back here for cake and ice cream!" Gar loved parties. Too much. He grabbed Raven's hand again, and dragged her over to the counter. Turning into a hummingbird, he flew over and shifted back to human. Turning to Raven, he asked, in a ridiculous French accent, "And what will you be having today mademoiselle?" Raven was a bit confused. "Uhh… Waffles? And eggs?" Continuing the French accent, Gar said, "Oui, a fine choice mon Cherie." Gar started cooking up the food quickly. Kori said, "I too would like the waffles please!" Gar winked at her, prepping more batter. Richard just began making himself a sandwich, and Vic said, "As long as it isn't that vegan stuff, I can go for some too." Gar smirked and said, "right-o chrome dome! Waffles for everyone!"
"Hey Raven, aren't you tired from waffles? Gar said you guys had a lot yesterday at the waffle hut." Richard asked, knowing now that this was a cover. Raven turned to look at him, a completely blank expression on her face. In an absolutely perfect monotone, Raven said, "My love for waffles burns brighter than a thousand stars, and I shall forever crave their delicious embrace." Richard was confused, but Gar picked up on the slight hint of amusement in her voice. Raven was joking. He laughed. Hard. The others looked at him. "What? It was funny!" Gar continued making food for the others, served them, and made himself a veggie and tofu egg omelette. When he was done, he sat next to Raven and started eating. She had already finished her waffles but hadn't touched her eggs. She looked at Gar's plate and uncharacteristically stole some of his omelette. She quickly ate it, chewing the tofu slowly. Jaws dropped as the Titans stared at her. Gar smirked as Raven let out a small "mmm." She swallowed and said, "That was delicious." Gar laughed again, and offered her more. She eagerly accepted, and he whipped himself up some more food.
"Hey Raven, why you aint eatin' your eggs?" Vic asked. She looked at him and said, "I'm not quite sure… the smell just isn't appealing to me right now. Could be a side effect of the Awakening…" Cyborg nodded and said, "Well, I'll take those eggs if you don't want them." Raven scooped them onto his plate, and they were gone in a flash. Richard and Kori were being very affectionate on their end, their food being long gone.
When all the Titans had finished eating, Gar shouted, "Alright guys and gals, get your civilian clothes out and lets go to the movies!" Vic put on his holo-ring and said, "Aw yea! Love new movies! What we watching? Cuz I kinda wanted to see that new joke movie about vampires." Kori flew forward and said, "Friends, did you know they made a movie about us? And are starting a comic book series?" The others stared in disbelief and Gar said, "That's strange… can they do that without our permission?" Richard stepped forward and said, "No they can't Gar. Don't worry, I authorized it. The Titans needed money." The others shrugged at this and Vic asked, "Who's producing the comic?" Gar jumped forward and said, "Yea, it better be a good brand." Richard raised his eyebrow and said, "DC." Gar jumped up, shouting, "YES! They're the best!"
"Back on movie topic." Raven suggested. Gar looked over at her and flashed a slightly devious smile. "Don't worry; I got us all tickets already for The Hyacinth House." Raven's eyes widened slightly. "Gar, how did you know I wanted to see that?" Raven asked. He replied, "Cuz I know you too well Rae. A mystery/horror movie that happens to be directed by your favorite director, who I also happen to know, is J. Morrison. Signs point to you wanting to watch it." Raven glared slightly. "Have you been spying on me?" Gar grinned. "Maybe slightly. Truthfully, these damn ears are getting more sensitive, so I'm hearing more of what's going on in your rooms." Gar looked over to Richard and Kori, a devious look in his eye. They both blushed profusely at this not so subtle clue.
"Anyway, let's go!" Gar said, putting on his own holo–ring. The others went to quickly change. When they returned, Kori was wearing a tight tank top and jean shorts, with pink sandals. Richard wore a black t-shirt and dark blue jeans, with leather boots. Gar couldn't help but stare when Raven returned. She was wearing a black skirt, long, and a tight fitting long sleeved black shirt. Her longer hair was left to fall in luscious waves around her shoulders. Raven noticed the stare. "What?" Gar mentally shook himself and said, "Just a bit surprising to see you in civilian clothes, that's all. Off we go!" Gar ran to the garage, followed by Vic. Richard and Kori walked hand in hand towards Richard's motorcycle. Raven followed slowly behind. "Gar has been a lot more caring lately… I wonder why that is? Does he like me, or is the Awakening doing something to him? Surely, after seeing my demon form, he couldn't like me… not after seeing that monster. But all those nice things he said… probably just to make me feel better. Gar has always been the nicest of us all." Raven continued thinking such thoughts as she went to the garage.
When she got there, she saw Kori and Richard suited up for the motorcycle. Richard gave a nod to the others, signaling that he would meet them at the theatres, and then he took off with Kori in the back. Raven saw Gar holding the passenger seat door of the T-Car open. He looked at her, a light smile on his lips, and he swept his arm toward the seat. Raven stepped in and sat down, muttering thanks as her face heated. Gar gently but firmly closed the door, and sat himself in the back. Vic sat in the driver's seat and said, "Alright y'all hang on tight. Time to test the civilian camo." He pushed a button and the car was shrouded in a black BMW hologram. "Sweet!" Gar said. They took off quickly.
After several minutes of light conversation, the Titans found themselves at the theatres. Richard and Kori were holding each other in front o f the theatres, waiting for their teammates. Gar checked his watch after they parked, and he let out a small shout of shock as he noticed the time. "Come on, we're gonna be late!" He grabbed Raven's hand, pulling her along. Vic let out a laugh as he followed them. "Those two better get together soon or I'm gonna smack that green bean upside the head!" Vic thought as they hurried along, laughing to himself. Vic thought as they hurried along, laughing to himself.
The movie turned out to be pretty amazing. Basically, an illegal gambling house called the Hyacinth house operated fine until a chain of murders began happening in its poker rooms. So the proprietor hired a detective named Leon to help solve it. Wherever Leon would go in the house, he would feel watched. During the course of the movie, Leon talked to a friend of his to help him figure out the case. Eventually, Leon finds Jack of Hearts symbols in the house, wherever a murder took place. By the end, it is revealed that Leon's friend is a figment of Leon's imagination, and Leon himself is the brutal killer of the Hyacinth house, suffering from dissociative identity disorder. So all in all, a pretty decent mindfuck.
"Damn, that was a crazy movie!" Gar said as they left the theatre. The others nodded in agreement. Raven spoke up. "I like how the director tried to bring in the idea of forgiving oneself to reach a state of peace." The others looked to her, and were surprised when Gar said, "Don't forget the coming of spring to symbolize rebirth and enduring peace. That was pretty cool. Very ahh… Dionysian. Gar gave Raven a big smile at that. She smiled back. "And since when you pay attention to subtlety?" Raven asked as they continued walking back to the car. Gar's smile shrank slightly, but he still looked quite happy. "Recent development." He answered. Gar checked his watch. "Hey Rae, Carpe Noctem is opening up for poetry night. That's your guys' next stop." The last part was for Vic. Raven looked confused. "You won't be joining us Gar?" He laughed, and said, "Come on Rae, me at a Goth club? Not a good mix. Anyway, I have some more birthday surprises to set up for you. With that, he turned into a raven and flew off toward the tower. Raven noticed Gar's chosen form, but before she could say anything, Vic said, "You heard green genes. Hop in!" Raven gave one last look to Gar's disappearing form before she stepped in.