"Hello, Trigon."
"Why don't you call me father?"
"Because I have no father. But enough clichés, why did you call me here?"
"Simply because I have one question for you."
"Before you ask that, I have a question for you. Where are we?"
"Ah, do forgive me, my son. Let me make it easier to see." The dark void around Ken dissolved. Ken saw that he was in a dark, evil looking lair and that he was standing before Trigon, who was sitting on a black throne, although, the only visible part of his body was his eyes.
"And now for my question. Why haven't you completed you task yet?" Trigon asked in a dangerous tone.
"Oh, I quit ages ago. In case you didn't get it, here is my letter of resignation." Ken flipped Trigon off and proceeded to walk away from him. Seconds later, he paused, moved sideways, and stuck his hand out to catch a knife that was thrown at him.
"You expected that to connect?"
"No, but I expect that to." Trigon chuckled evilly as spikes ejected from the knife's handle, impaling Ken's hand. Ken merely winced as he took it out of his hand and threw it to the floor. The wounds in his hand quickly healed.
"Ah, so now, your soul is almost half shadow demon."
"Like you haven't been keeping tabs."
"So cold to your father, Ken…Do you know why I chose to bond you with a shadow demon?"
"Why do you ask questions when you already know the answer?" Trigon stood up and slowly made his way to Ken.
"Shadow demons were a powerful race. They wreaked havoc on earth several millennia ago. Even I used them when I was a demon lord."
"And now you're just a pathetic demon, walking the earth in search of ways to regain his power." Ken said, wiping the smile off of Trigon's face.
"By bonding you with one of them, I gave you great power."
"So great, you're afraid that it surpasses your own." A blood red aura and black began to flare up around Ken. His eyes turned the same blood red color as his aura. His eyes turned the same blood red color as his aura. His teeth changed into fangs, his nails into claws.
"Well I have news for you," Ken said in a demented demonic voice. "It does."
"Do you intend to prove your power by defeating me?" Trigon said as he flared his own aura.
"No, I intend to prove it by killing you."
"Do you understand what you're giving up? You could be the most powerful being in the universe! You could live forever! I thought a shadow demon was supposed to be ambitious!"
"That's a mistake you never learned from. Though I have the traits of a demon, my heart and mind remain my own. I can choose what path I want to go down, and I'm afraid we aren't walking down the same path."
"So that's it?" Trigon asked, anger and hatred radiating from every inch of his body, giving his aura an even more evil look. "You're giving up on the plan? Giving up on me?! SINCE WHEN THE HELL HAVE YOU HAD A HEART?!"
"I've always had a heart. You have just been too caught up in your little fantasy to notice. So I've quit this little business." Ken turned his back on Trigon and began to walk off, this time stopping and turning around to catch Trigon's fist.
"Stop wasting my time. My friends are getting home soon and I'd like to welcome them back."
"My dear boy," Trigon said as he snatched his fist back, "You're expecting a fight before you go. Your aura is generating so much energy, my lair is trembling."
"Because I know that you won't let me leave you while I'm still alive." Ken threw his hood over his head and got into a fighting stance.
"Of course, I can't stand up to you as is in that form, can I?" Ken merely stared at him.
"It's time to find out why you father was once called the greatest demon lord ever!" Trigon threw his arms out, but nothing happened.
"Was the greatest demon lord. I think you're getting weak in your old age, Trigon. What are you, about 8,000 years old now? I haven't been keeping track, unlike some people. You couldn't even tell that I was stealing your energy, much less powering up this attack. Now consider this a warning. Infernal Shadow!" Now using Trigon's energy, Ken's shadow separated from him and flew over to Trigon.
It wrapped its hands around Trigon's shadow's throat and lifted it up. The real Trigon left the floor and started to make choking noises.
"If you do," Ken's shadow punched Trigon's in the face with its left hand, keeping Trigon up in the air with its right. The real Trigon's face jerked to the right.
"One damn thing," Ken's shadow kneed Trigon's in the stomach. Trigon gagged and held his stomach.
"To Raven or any of the other Titans," Ken's shadow left the ground, taking Trigon's with it. Trigon's face turned a dark purple color as the life was choked out of him.
"I WILL KILL YOU!" Ken's shadow plummeted to the ground, slamming Trigon's shadow face first into the ground. The real Trigon followed suit.
"Now clean yourself up." Ken said as he materialized a rag and threw it onto Trigon's back. To his horror, the rag sank right through Trigon's body as the body faded away.
"Extraordinary thing, advanced cloning, isn't it?" Said a voice in Ken's ear. The next thing Ken knew, he was flying across the room from the impact of a hellish energy attack.
"Ironic, how the main weakness of the greatest warriors of hell is the power of hell itself."
"You knew that," Ken said, blood dripping from his mouth.
"You planned it. You knew that if I turned on you, that you could keep me in check." Ken inhaled sharply as he put a hand over his chest. Ken muttered under his breath his palms began to glow a faint white.
"What was that? Speak up, son. I can't hear your groveling."
"The day I grovel at your feet is the day I die! And thanks to you, that won't be for several millennia. Anyway, this has dragged on for long enough." Ken drove his hands into the ground. A small white blast emitted from under Trigon, enveloping him. Trigon screamed in agony as a now fully healed Ken stood.
"Funny, how after a decade, you haven't found a way to eliminate that fatal weakness. Goodbye, Trigon." Ken sank into a shadow behind him, leaving his father to writhe in pain.
"Where did he learn that from?" Trigon stopped his writhing slowly and stood up, wobbling hazardously.
"No matter," He grunted. "It's just the one. He shall pay for this…"
Meanwhile, back in Raven's room, a dark purple raven was now perched atop the book Raven was just reading. In a small burst of energy, the raven transformed into a dark-haired girl.
"Woo, I finally got the transformation down. Now I just have to find a way to hold it." Raven attempted another transformation, only to find that a few feathers sprouted out of her body.
"Energy running low…if I use any more, I might kill myself. Break time." Raven closed her book and headed to the Tower's living room, where she found Robin entranced with yet another video game.
"Hey Rob, which game is this?"
"Marvel vs. Capcom." He replied, not looking back.
"Mind if I watch?"
"Be my guest." Raven floated over to the couch and sat close to Robin. On the TV screen, she saw a man in a white gi fighting who she recognized to be the Incredible Hulk.
"So who're you?"
"The guy in white." Robin said as he made his character launch a fireball at the Hulk.
"Mind if I play with you?"
"Sure, lemme just get this second controller…" Robin made to grab the controller, but it zoomed over to Raven's hands just as he was about to touch it, which earned Raven a mock-annoyed look from Robin. He sat down and watched as Raven picked her characters.
'Hm…Captain Commando and Chun-Li…these two look strong.' As the game loaded the match, Robin looked over at Raven.
"I thought you didn't like video games."
"Now that I'm free to express emotions, I can openly show what I like and dislike." Robin looked back at the screen as the match started up.
"And you didn't play video games before because…?"
"I would get too caught up in the game and forget that I was supposed to be suppressing my emotions." Robin chuckled.
"So what can I look forward to you showing?"
"Definitely more action stuff. Also, I can now share in Cyborg's love of hip-hop and jazz music."
"Looks like this will be a change for the better." The smile on Robin's face slid away as Raven unleashed a massive combo on his Ryu, defeating him.
"Nice tag team move…" Raven tagged in Captain Commando and proceeded to beat down Robin's other character, Jin.
"So what made you want to play with me?"
"Taking a break, plus a little hint from Ken."
"What's the hint?"
"You can find out what type of person somebody is by fighting or playing a game with them, and from what I can see here, " She said as she input one last combo command, "You're not very smart."
"Wha--?" Robin double-taked as he was hit by two easily blockable super moves.
"CROSSOVER COMBINATION FINISH!"
"You could've done a super jump and an aerial super to cancel out my Captain Sword super, then landed and combo me into a super while I was posing."
Robin stared at her, mouth agape.
"How'd you know all that?"
"Searched your mind for the info. You really have to stay on guard. Oh yeah, your lack of intelligence wasn't the only thing I learned from playing you. The way you aggressively comboed me when you had an opening ('Which wasn't often,' Robin thought) tells me that you are very ambitious, but only when you have an opportunity.
"Also, the way you blocked until you had an opening tells that you always wait for something to come to you. That's not good. Sometimes, you have to just jump in there. So, where we goin' tonight?" Raven added before he could respond.
"Huh? Oh, right, that. Well, this new Italian restaurant opened up and I thought that maybe…Raven smiled slightly.
"I'd love to go. I love Italian food. So, wanna go another round?" She said, pressing Start on her controller.
"Sure. So why the sudden revert to the ice princess?" Robin said as they both picked two new characters.
"Super preppy school girl mode wasn't my thing. Even though I'm now free to show my emotions, I just like this better. Don't worry, though. You'll still be able to tell what I'm feeling."
"Cool."
"You, however, should try to make it a little more subtle that you're trying to see Chun-Li's and Morrigan's naughty bits." Raven said with a smug smirk.
'Ack!'
Back in the Bahamas, Cyborg had come up with what he called a brilliant plan to earn money.
"Come one, come all, and see BeBe, the wonder dog!" He said as he stood on a makeshift stage.
"Cy, I hate you so freakin' much…" Beast Boy said from behind the curtain.
"Shut up and get your butt out here." Cyborg mumbled through his teeth. Beast Boy transformed into a green Labrador and jumped onto the stage.
The crowd applauded as Beat Boy ran about the stage, jumping and flipping.
"Come on and give!" Starfire said as she hovered above the crowd with a small bucket.
"The more you give, the better the tricks. When we reach $40, BeBe will do his most dangerous trick." The bucket was quickly filled.
"$38, $39, $40!" Starfire said five minutes later.
"Y'all know what that means!" Beast Boy whined softly as Cyborg set up the last trick.
"For his last stunt, BeBe will jump off of this ramp, doing an inverted 900° spin with a double backflip!"
'That's not so bad.' Beast Boy thought.
"While going through these seven rings of fire!" Starfire flew above the seven gasoline covered rings with a match, igniting each one as she passed.
'Oh, I am biting the crap out of Cyborg later.' Beast Boy summoned all of his strength and shot up the ramp. The crowd watched with bated breath as 'BeBe' jumped.
'One ring, two rings, three.' Beast Boy thought as he spun and flipped.
'Four, five…I hope B.B. doesn't burn himself.' Cyborg thought.
'Last spin, last ring…' BeBe landed safely three feet away from the last ring. The crowd erupted with cheers as BeBe barked happily and sat down next to Cyborg.
"Another round of applause for BeBe!" Cyborg yelled. The three Titans bowed and walked behind the stage curtain.
"Great idea, Cy." Beast Boy said after he transformed back into his original form.
"We've got enough money to have a lil fun now."
"Why don't we go surfing?"
"Nah, I don't wanna have to clean salt off of me when we get back."
"We could go to a theater of movies." Starfire suggested.
"Nah, it looks too good outside to be cooped up in a theater."
"Well, we gotta do somethin'. We've only got four or five more hours here."
"How 'bout we just put some gas in the T-Car and ride around?" Beast Boy suggested.
"That sounds delightful! Maybe we can go sight seeing one last time." Starfire said.
"Hm…ok, let's go."
&&
"HYPER COMBO FINISH! K.O!"
"Well, that makes it 22-19 in your favor, Bird Boy."
"Yeah, you had me on the ropes a couple times…well, ok, all the time." He added as Raven cast a furtive look at him.
"Not bad for my first time, huh?"
"Yeah, so what training have you been taking a break from?" Raven froze momentarily allowing her new character to be hit with a super move.
"How'd you know I've been taken a break from training?" She said, retaliating ferociously.
"Because you just told me." Robin said with a smirk on his face. Raven mentally slapped herself.
"Where'd you learn how to do that?"
"Batman. He had this little trick where he'd make me confess to what I was doing. He'd take a look at my state and guess what I was doing. For instance, I cut myself with one of his batarangs and when I had to go help him in Gotham, he stopped me and said," Raven paused the game, which allowed Robin to put on his Batman voice and said,
"Robin, with which end of the batarang did you cut yourself with?' I looked up and said, 'How did you know I was playing with your batarangs?' He gave me a death glare and said, 'Because only my batarangs are sharp enough to make that deep a cut, plus, you just told me.' Then after treating my cut, he forced me to clean the bat cave for two whole weeks."
"Cleaning the bat cave? That doesn't seem so bad." Raven said, subtly unpausing the game. Robin smirked.
"You haven't seen how big it is. He made me clean the place so thoroughly that you could almost see you reflection on the floor…and the floor was nothing but stone." Raven chuckled.
"Sounds like he was a real hardass."
"Yeah, he was really hard on me, but it all paid off. You don't think I became the leader of the Titans on good looks alone, did you?"
"You could've." Raven said with a sly smirk.
"Wha--?" Robin was so taken aback at this, that he did a double-take, catching a glimpse of the TV screen, where his characters were being devastated by many powerful super moves.
"ROLL…WIN!"
"That's 22-20, now. Got any shooter games?"
"So cruel…" Robin said as he switched off the game console.
"No, no multiplayer shooters, but I've got Mortal Kombat: Deception."
"Then put that one on."
"So," Robin said as he opened the game case.
"You never told me what you were taking a break from."
"Oh, just practicing some techniques and learning new powers…"
"It was from that book Ken told me to give you, wasn't it?" Robin sat down again next to Raven.
"Yup. You didn't read it?"
"C'mon, Rae. You know me better than that. I respect you privacy." Raven smiled.
"Hope that respect doesn't fly out of the window when I kick your butt." Raven said as the 'Select A Kharacter' screen popped up.
"Bring it on, then."
&&
'Looks like I'm a marked man now.' Ken thought as he ran through forests in his beastly form.
'All Trigon has now are limited hell powers, so he's not much of a threat to me, much less Raven. The only thing that would be hazardous is…oh crap…He wouldn't think to do that, would he?' Ken immediately stopped and reverted to his human form.
"Scouting Shadow!" A dark shadow rose up from the forest floor.
"Keep tabs on Trigon. Never let him out of your sight, even for a second. Keep yourself hidden. Go!" The shadow bent itself into what was unmistakably a bow and headed in the direction of Trigon's lair.
"Man, I have to get back to the Tower ASAP." Ken transformed back into a wolf and ran off.
'I have to find a way to contact Raven and tell her to train harder…but a telepathic conversation from this distance will use up a lot of my energy…damnit!' Ken sped up, becoming a grey blur racing through the forest.
&&
"WOO!" Beast Boy yelled as he rode down the street in the T-Car, his upper body sticking out of the sunroof.
"Too cool, Cy! You don't know what you're missing!" Cyborg grumbled.
"I'm the only one of us that can legally drive. You never took driver's training and Starfire can fly."
"Who needs to get a license when you can fly?" Beast Boy transformed into a lion and gave a massive roar, making several pedestrians jump in fear.
"Too cool," He repeated in his normal form.
"Say, what time is it?"
"7:11. We got us a good forty five minutes before we need to head back out to the airport. Y'all wanna stop and get somethin' to eat?"
"Sure, there's a stand right there. 'Tropical Fruit Salads,' eh? Let's get a jumbo salad!"
"No, there is NO WAY I am eating a fruit salad."
&Ten minutes later&
"I cannot believe I am eating a fruit salad…" Cyborg said as he popped a pineapple chunk into his mouth.
"And likin' it."
"Indeed, they are very delectable. Almost as much as hot mustard." Starefire said in between showing apple wedges into her mouth.
"Star, have some decency." Beast Boy said through a mouthful of fruit.
"Look who's callin' the kettle black."
"Shut up and have some mango." Beast Boy gave an enormous swallow and passed the styrofoam container over to Cyborg.
"Roger that." Cyborg speared a couple fruits onto a plastic fork and ate them one by one.
"Hold onto your hats, 'cause I'm gonna punch this baby. We're gonna give the Bahamas a show they'll never forget!" Beast Boy once again stood in the sunroof.
"Bring it on!" Cyborg pressed a small button under the steering wheel. Two jets appeared on either side of the license plate.
"B.B, if I were you, I'd sit down for a sec." Beast Boy shot a puzzled look at cyborg.
"For wha—woah!" Beast Boy lurched backwards as Cyborg punched the gas.
"Now you're talking! Activate the jets!"
"Can't reach all this stuff and keep my hands on the steering wheel at the same time, man. Get down here and gimme a hand!" Beast Boy crawled down to the front seat, where he saw that the dashboard was now covered in buttons, levers, and switches.
"Ok, hit the button that has the 'J' label on it, and then the one with 'PH.'" B.B. followed Cyborg's instructions and almost screamed as the T-Car accelerated even more.
"Ladies and gentleman, we are now about to get crazy Please roll up your windows and refrain from screaming in terror." Cyborg turned on the radio and grinned as the song 'Smack my Bitch Up' started playing. Cyborg began swerving through the road, dodging car after car.
"Uh, Cy…" Beast boy said as they neared a beach.
"You're heading right for the sand…"
"That's why I need you to hit the switch that says 'T.T.' on it…right about…now!" As soon as Beast Boy touched the switch, he heard a clanking noise.
"What is this sound, Cyborg?" Starfire asked.
"The tires are being covered so nothing will puncture them. It's also good for going on terrain like this!" Cyborg swerved off of the road and onto the beach. The beach-goers screamed and dove out of the way as Cyborg made a beeline for the water.
"I'm gonna go up this hill of sand! When I say 'now,' hit the 'J' button again!" The shocked sunbathers watched as Cyborg accelerated more and more.
"Almost there…" Beast Boy's hand anxiously hung over the 'J' button.
"Now!" Cyborg said as the T-Car began going up the hill. Beast Boy hit the button and the car rocketed up into the air. Everyone, even Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire watched with bated breath as the car fell towards the water.
"Quick, hit the 'W.M.' button!" Beast Boy did so and the car's tires retracted in slightly and were covered by a smooth plate of metal. The license plate moved up and a rudder ejected from the hole the license plate had covered.
"Brace yourselves!" They hit the clear water with a loud splash. The transformed car began moving swiftly atop the water. They many beach-goers laughed and cheered as it went.
"Alright, B.B., I'm gonna close the sunroof and windows before any water gets in hre. If you're gonna do something, do it now." Before Cyborg could blink, Beast Boy was out of the car and jumping alongside the car as a dolphin. Starfire quickly flew out of the sunroof before it closed and glided above Beast Boy, her Starbolt-covered fingers running through the water.
"Time to make my mark." Cyborg said as he scanned the dashboard.
"Found ya." He grinned as he pressed a button that was slightly to his right. The middle of the head of the car slid to the side and a light shone out from it. In the sky, the light made a semi-transparent black T.
"Teen Titans, baby! Woo!" Cyborg's eyes fell upon the car's clock.
"Aw, crap, it's almost 8:00! B.B.! Star! We gotta get to the airport!" Beast Boy turned into a pelican and sat on the roof of the T-Car. Starfire flew above them as Cyborg left the water and rode back to the road.
"Alright," He said, turning off the T-Light and rolling down the windows. Beast Boy and Starfire flew back into their seats.
"Did y'all have a good time? I know I did." Beast Boy shook water off of himself dog-like and smiled.
"Yeah, we have to do that in Jump City sometime. Maybe even add some water skis onto it." Beast Boy said.
"Yes that would be good…Cyborg, could we hurry to the airport? I am feeling sick of home…" Starfire said.
"You mean homesick, Star, and yeah, I am, too. Let's get to the plane!" Beast Boy said.
"Alright, but no turning into a snake on the plane. I am sick and tired of these mother--" Cyborg was immediately cut off by a green hand to his mouth.
"Cy, you quote 'Snakes on a Plane' and I kick your ass." Meanwhile, back in the tower, a stunned Robin was gazing at Raven,
Raven was wearing black jeans with a matching jean jacket. Under it, Robin could see a dark purple shirt. She also had on black shoes and purple lipstick.
"You look…great…" He managed to say.
"Thanks, you don't look bad yourself." She said to the awestricken superhero, who was wearing dark green pants with a lighter shirt.
"So, how we gonna get into the city? I can't make portals like Ken."
"It's cool, we can take my motorcycle. There's an underground tunnel we can take and come out just in front of the shore."
"Totally forgot about that…To save time, I can teleport us both down to the garage. Grab me." Robin hesitated for a second before grabbing her forearm. Raven looked slowly from his hand to his face.
"Uh, Rob? That's cool if you want me to only teleport your hand. Grab onto me." Robin took his hand off of her arm and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
"Not scared to touch me, are you?" Raven said playfully. Robin's face turned a light shade of red as he threw his other arm around Raven and embraced her. A second later, he was enveloped in darkness and the in the middle of the Tower's garage.
"Woah, that was kinda creepy." Robin said as he let go of Raven. He walked over to his motorcycle and started it up.
"Why were you so hesitant to grab me?" Raven took a seat behind Robin.
"Oh…er…no reason…" Robin pressed a large button on the pillar next to his motorcycle and a wall shifted to the side, revealing a long, dark tunnel.
"Hold on tight." Robin shot into the tunnel, making Raven shriek slightly.
"Um, Robin? I've never ridden a motorcycle. What am I supposed to grab onto?" Robin smirked.
"You've never ridden a motorcycle before? Well, I'll let you learn for yourself." Robin sped up. Raven gripped his shoulders tightly.
"Not quite, Rae." He popped a wheelie, which caused Raven to shriek once again and throw her arms around his waist.
"Took you long enough to figure it out."
"Well…at least I didn't take a million years to grab onto you…" Raven said.
"So, are you sure we have the proper attire on? I was sure that this would be a formal clothing thing."
"Nah, we're good. But Rae, don't you ever wear light clothing?"
"Do you ever take your mask off?"
"Heh, I haven't taken this mask off for about two years." Robin went a bit faster as they went up a ramp and emerged just in front of the sandy shore.
"I'm curious, Rob. What color are you eyes?"
"You know, I've forgotten. I'll have to take a look one day…"
"How do you forget you eye color?"
"Funny story, really. I was Batman's sidekick, so when he first gave me this mask, I wore it every day. Eventually all I could remember of my eyes was the white of it. I think that this mask has fused with my skin now."
"Sometimes I wonder about you."
"And I wander about you. We're here." Robin slowed as he parked in the restaurant's parking lot.
"Nice place." Raven said as they walked over to the front of the restaurant.
"Lamborghini's Italia Di Mare…" She said, looking over at a large decorated sign that had the restaurant's name and special dishes.
"They say that this place has the best Italian in the city." Robin said, holding the door open for Raven.
"Thank you." She said as she walked in. After a long wait, they got to the front of the line of people waiting to be seated.
"I'm sorry, our last table has just been filled." Said the man behind the counter.
"You shall have to come back later, Mr…Robin!" The man said as he looked down at a list.
"Yes," Robin said in a sly voice.
Now then, what were you saying, my good man?" Robin slipped the man a fifty dollar bill as he spoke. The man quickly pocketed the money and rushed over to the table where the couple ahead of Robin and Raven were now sitting, knocking the waiter down in the process.
"Excuse me, sorry for the inconvenience, but you two have been moved to a special private booth, please follow me." The man led the couple though a white door. The poorly designed cover fell off, revealing a 'Men's Restroom' sign as the door closed.
"Here you are." He said, gesturing to a stall.
"Hey!" The couple yelled as they caught on, but the man had already left.
"Sorry about the wait, sir, please allow me to show you to your table." Robin smiled smugly at Raven.
"Manipulative little…" She muttered loud enough for only Robin to hear.
"A waiter shall be with you very shortly." The man said as Robin and Raven sat down.
"I can shorten our waiting time even more…" Robin said.
"And just how can you do that?" Robin looked over his shoulder and ran a few fingers over his mask. A waiter promptly left the table he was at and walked quickly to their table.
"Sometimes it's so cool to be me." He said as he looked down at the menu.
"What's not cool about being a Titan?" Raven said. "We can do whatever we want. We got the fame, the power,"
"The fanbase," Robin added as a large group of high school students in the corner of the restaurant begin squealing at the sight of them.
"Forgot about them." Raven said with a slight grimace.
"Bonjour," Their waiter said in a heavy French accent.
"I am Pierre and I shall be your waiter tonight. What--"
"Sorry, but why are you speaking as if you were French," Raven said in a colder tone than usual.
"When this is an Italian restaurant?"
"Well, um…er…" Pierre said, his voice breaking.
"Alright, I'm not French!" He said in a Brooklyn accent.
I'm trying' ta set a mood here, work with me!"
"I'm just messing with you, but if you're going to use an accent, why not adapt to the environment?"
"Si, si, ciao. I am Mario," He said, now in an Italian accent.
"And I-a shall be your waiter tonight-a."
"Much better." Raven said. Robin chuckled at her antics.
"I'll have the pollo pesto." Raven said.
"And I'll have the pescatore."
"Coming right up, that is, after everyone else on the queue has been served. Robin facefaulted.
'Emergency time shortening tactics?' Raven said to Robin telepathically.
'Oh yeah.' He thought. As the two prepared to move themselves up the queue, Beast Boy, Cyborg and Starfire were already aboard their plane.
"Bird Boy! Stop hovering above my head or I'll fry you!" The small green bird that was fluttering around Cyborg's head landed on the seat next to him and transformed back into Beast Boy.
"C'mon! First you stop me from doing my 'Snakes on a Plane' impression, now I can't even stretch my wings. Why don't you just cut off my--" He was cut off by a large hand to his mouth.
"Boy, finish that sentence and I'm throwing you off of this plane." Beast Boy knocked Cyborg's hand away.
"Fine, fine…" Cyborg put his headphones over his head and turned on his CD player. Beast Boy tried to entertain himself with a magazine, then by watching Starfire sleep.
'I can't take it!' He thought. 'The insatiable urge to annoy Cyborg is driving me insane! Must…resist…jokes. Must entertain self…magazine? No…Starfire sleeping cutely? No…watching that guy over there pick his nose? Not good enough…'He put his head in his hands and gave a small groan.
'Must not…give in…must not…no!' Beast Boy slowly reached out and tapped a singing Cyborg on the shoulder.
"Now walk it out, now walk it out, now…what?" He said, pausing his song.
"Got wang?" The deafening cry of anguish of the exasperated half-robot could be heard even by those on land far below the plane.
&&
'Anything suspicious happen yet?' Ken said telepathically to his scouting shadow.
'Not yet.' The shadow replied in a slow, whispering voice. 'The demon has been healing himself and letting his energy regenerate.'
'Have you checked any rooms of his lair?'
'No.'
'Well do it, but don't warp. Using any power might alert him to your presence.' Ken stopped momentarily to activate his Shadow Sight, which allowed him to see through his scouting shadow's eyes. He closed his eyes and began flying.
'Hm…dining room…entrance…a…torture chamber? A room with nothing but an ancient Azarathin holding cell…the ritual room…and a library. Woah, there must be over 100,000 books in there. Guess this is who Raven and I got our love of reading from.' The shadow's eyes slowly scanned the room from the dark ceiling. It stopped at a large table.
'There is…a peculiar aura…coming from this book.' It said, pointing at the only open book amongst the many scattered aabout the table.
'Go down there.' The shadow moved silently to the floor and looked down at the book.
'It is an ancient Azarathian text.'
'Read it.'
'Gon dost e vie…'
'The forbidden ritual to…'
'Siam at ka shieth…'
'Restore the power of the damned one…'
'Rya gon diablis.'
'The devil incarnate. Wonder who that could be?' Ken said sarcastically. 'Keep going.'
'Rycon tosh de ian at kian.'
'Requires many components, which are…the memories…of the pure? That's weird.'
'Takash cha gon kure gone neh dost tehn gess.'
'The blood of a part-human bonded with a demon. Hm…the survival rate for that is barely 10.'
'After that, sire, it goes into normal ritual components.'
'We can't let him keep this. Destroy it!'
'Alas, I can touch it with neither my hands or your powers.'
'Damn! Then resume surveillance. We can't take any risks.'
'Of course.' The shadow sank into the ground and moved about the lair. Ken broke the link between his mind and his shadow's so he could think properly.
'Hm….the memories of the pure is obviously Raven. Blood of a demi-human bonded with a demon…that could be either one of us. Raven, however…' He shook his head to rid him of the thought.
'If Trigon decides to attack, she's the main target.' Ken continued his pace as he only had a short way to go.
&&
"I have to admit, that was pretty good."
"Yeah, way better than cold pizza every day." Robin said as he and Raven got onto his motorcycle.
"So, we going back home?"
"Not just yet." Raven raised an eyebrow as Robin began riding into a part of town they usually avoided.
"Where are we going?" She asked.
"Not telling." Raven grumbled a bit and tried to read his mind.
'I said I'm not telling.' Raven heard in Robin's mind.
"I hate you sometimes, Bird Boy, you know that?"
"Love ya, too." Robin said smugly. "Hold on tight, we're going up a hill."
"Raven tightened her grip around Robin's waist as she felt her body lean back on the slope of the hill.
"Not the hug I was expecting, but it'll do for now." Robin said.
"Shut up." Raven muttered into his back. They finally reached the top of the hill and Robin turned off his motorcycle.
"Where are we? Raven asked as she got off.
"An old place I like to visit from time to time." Raven looked around, taking in the grassy, plain-like area. Its wild, long blades gave the impression that it was usually unattended to. Just beyond them was a steep outcrop.
"Best view of the city." Robin said, putting an arm around her waist and leading her over to the edge. Raven's eyes widened as she looked down. The radiant lights of the city shone exuberantly, reflecting in her eyes, making it seem as though her eyes were composed of jewels.
"It's…beautiful." She said.
"But not as beautiful as you are." Robin said. Raven gave him a mock annoyed look.
"Wow, that was one of the corniest things you've ever said…and you've said some corny things. No need to sugarcoat it. Just ask me already."
"Doesn't take a psychic to figure it out, huh?" Robin leaned in as he spoke.
"No, and yes I'll be your girlfriend."
"I hate it when you read my mind."
"No you d--." Robin pressed his lips against hers as she spoke. Enamored, oblivious to the world around them. Nothing mattered as they held each other, their kiss deepening by the second. It only lasted for a minute, but it felt like an eternity to them. They broke apart, cursing their humanly need to draw air.
An airplane flew overhead, but they paid no attention to it.
"Guess it's time we headed back."
"Y-You're kidding, right?"
"Of course." Robin said as he dove in for another kiss.
&&
"Ah, back in good ol' Jump City."
"I miss the Bahamas…" A slouching Beast Boy said.
"We stayed for a good while, so you should be glad to be back."
"Whatever…" Beast Boy grabbed his luggage and headed back over to the T-Car.
"Our friend, Beast Boy has the blues of the post-vacation, does he not?"
"It's just post-vacation blues, and yeah, he does."
"I shall cheer him up with my special Vorflenek pudding when we arrive home."
"Heh, I'm sure he won't be sad after eating it, Star…" After they got their luggage, they all got into the T-Car and began on their way home.
"So, wadya think Rae and Rob are doing back at the Tower?"
"Rae's most likely killed Robin by now." Cyborg joked, earning a frown from Starfire.
"Don't say that! I am sure that Raven and Robin are getting along just fine…"
"Hey, aren't we forgetting someone?" Beast Boy asked.
"Someone with a nice body and a cute face?" Added Starfire. Cyborg and Beast Boy stared at her incredulously.
"I heard Beast Boy say it." She lied. Cyborg cracked up as Beast Boy's jaw hit the floor.
"Man, I didn't know you liked me like that, B.B." The aforementioned half-demon said.
"Aah!" Beast Boy and Cyborg screamed.
"When did you get here?!" Cyborg yelled.
"Oh, I've just been hiding in your shadows for a while…"
"Dude, did you have to scare us like that?!"
"It's what I do."
"I wish you didn't…" Cyborg said, patting the metal plating over his heart.
"Say, you know where Bird Boy and Bird Girl are?" He asked.
"Maybe…" Ken said in a childish tone.
"So you DO know."
"I admit to nothing."
"C'mon, tell us."
"Tell us."
"No."
"Tell us."
"No."
"Tell us."
"No."
"Tell us."
"No."
"Tell us."
"No."
"Tell us, tell us, tell us, tell us, tell us, tell us!."
"No, no, no, no, no, NO!" He said, finally plunging his hand through the seat between Beast Boy's legs.
"Woah…good aim!" Beast Boy gasped.
"What are you talking about? I missed." Ken said eerily as he removed his hand, earning an "Eep!" from his green friend.
"Haha, finally! Someone that can shut fuzzy butt up!"
"Not funny." Beast Boy mumbled. As the four friends continued to chat, Raven and Robin held each other, the chilliness of the night unnoticed by them.
"Well," Robin spoke, "I guess it really is time we headed back."
"Yeah…" Raven said as they reluctantly let go. After hopping onto the T-Cycle, they sped off to the Tower. Unbeknownst to them, as they arrived, their teammates were already back.
"So," Raven sad as they got into the elevator.
"I had a really good time tonight."
"As did I." Robin smirked as he began kissing Raven. However, as they began to lose themselves in it, the elevator door opened, revealing them to their previously chatting friends. Their reactions said it all.
Ken chuckled and went back to shuffling the pack of cards they were playing with. Cyborg burst out laughing. Beast Boy's and Starfire's reactions, however, weren't so calm (in Cyborg's case, uncontrollable laughter meant he was calm).Beast Boy's jaw almost hit the floor and Starfire ran off, crying.
"Er…hi?" Robin said as he noticed them looking.
"Welcome back, Rae, Rob." Ken said. I thought she would've killed you by now! Looks like just the opposite. She been making you feel alive, eh?" Raven punched Cy lightly on the shoulder before hugging him.
"Hey, Cy." She said with a small smile.
"So Rae, do I even want to know what you two have been up to?"
"Nah." She said.
"Uh…is anybody gonna go see what's up with Star?" Robin said from behind Raven.
"Already taking care of it." Said the now semi-transparent Ken. Robin reached out to touch him.
"No touching. This is a weak shadow clone. Even a slight bump could dispel it."
"Why not just send in a clone to talk to her, then?" Cyborg asked.
"She needs something to cry on other than her pillow."
"Shoulder's the best tissue, eh?" Cyborg said, taking the deck of cards Ken had abandoned.
"Yeah, I just wish she'd switch shoulders. My entire left side is soaked."
"Heh, good luck in there."
"Well, I'm gonna go change…" Raven teleported to her room.
"Yo, B.B., pick up your jaw, or that spider is gonna crawl into it." As Beast Boy remained unresponsive, Cyborg poked him in his side, sending him toppling over his expression unchanged.
"Rob, we need markers. NOW." He said eagerly. Robin ran off to his room, leaving the anxious android with the shocked shape shifter. Robin came back a few minutes later and the semi-transparent Ken became opaque, albeit with a different shirt.
"Got them?"
"Oh yeah!" Robin said, imitating the Kool-Aid mascot as he handed Cyborg a handful of markers.
"Is Star ok?" He asked Ken.
"Er…yeah." Ken said quickly, his hands fidgeting a bit.
"Are you ok, man?" Cyborg asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine…" Ken took the deck of cards and began shuffling rapidly, his hands looking like a pair of off-white blurs.
"O…k…" Robin and Cyborg turned to Beast Boy and smiled maliciously. Cyborg decorated Beast Boy's eyes with various markings while Robin drew a speech bubble with the words 'I love cocks' with a chicken next to it.
"Ah, what a beaut'." Cyborg said in an Australian accent, admiring their work. He was about to put his marker down when a black ring wrapped around it and began rapidly drawing on Beast Boy's face. Cyborg noticed Robin staring at his own commandeered marker, which, along with his, was drawing a labyrinth.
"Woah, nice Ken."
"Hm?" Ken looked up.
"Your drawing."
"What? I'm not drawing anything." Ken spotted the markers as he spoke.
"But I wish I was now." At that, an eerie cackle spread throughout the room, sending chills down the spines of everyone except Ken, who resumed his card tricks. Hen then turned and threw the entire deck at the wall, the cards forming the outline of a woman above a nearby shadow, where Raven was rising out of.
"Am I good or am I good?" Raven said, sitting down next to Ken.
"Oh my gah." Ken said in a mock-female tone.
"Little Raven has a cocky side now?"
"Yeah, his name's Robin."
"Haha, how long did it take for him to notice you liked him?" Cyborg asked.
"Quite a while," She replied, flipping through TV channels,
"Although it would've been clearer to see if he took his mask off or--"
"Got his head out of his--"
"As I was saying." She continued, cutting off her brother. Cyborg was now holding his sides in laughter and even Beast Boy seemed to be coming back to life.
"So, how was it when he finally asked you?"
"It was nice and all, but he came up a bit short on some things. Tears began falling out of Cy's real eye as he toppled over in laughter. Robin left the room, grumbling to himself.
"Hehe, you guys really didn't…"
"No, I just said that because I knew it would get to him. I'd better go cheer him up again." Beast Boy's head turned as she left the room, finally getting up and running after her. Ken lazily teleported in front of him.
"Leave them be."
"Dude, you don't understand. I have to talk to her!"
"And why is that?"
"Well…um…" Beast Boy muttered, a pink flush showing on his cheeks.
"I just have to! Now let me get to her!"
"No!" Ken said firmly. Beast Boy narrowed his eyes and transformed into a kitten.
"Please?" It mewed. Ken sighed and transformed into a grotesquely large wolf. He brought his muzzle down to Beast Boy's face and said,
"Woof." Beast Boy screeched and ran off, Ken merely walking to keep up with him.
Back in Robin's room, Robin gave a sound of disappointment.
"That kiss was a bit short."
"Hey, it keeps you coming back for more. Night." She teleported into her room, and fell back onto her bed. She closed her eyes as a wolf pup appeared near the foot of her bed.
"Beast Boy act like just like you predicted?" The pup nodded.
"Think he's gonna leave me alone?" It shook its head.
"Hey, I've been meaning to ask you something. What's Trigon been doing?" Ken, back in his human form, tried his best to look nonchalant.
"Nothing big." He lied. "No need to worry about him. How'd your training go while I was gone?" Without waiting for her to answer, he quickly got up.
"G'Night, Rae." He said, teleporting back to his room, cursing himself for being so suspicious. Raven decided to question Ken about his eccentricities in the morning, wanting a good rest. For just a moment, all was well within the Titan Tower…until they were all awoken by a crash.
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DR: Cliffhanger omgwtfpigroastingonabbq!!!!
Ken: Do you realize that your serious lack of updates plus this cliffhanger will piss many people off.
DR: Your point is?
Ken: ...I dunno.
Raven: Shut up, then, and put on this ball gag so I can finish my movie!
Ken: Aw, sonofaslut...
DR: I'm gonna go now so I don't have to see this. Lil hint, the movie isn't one a straight guy would want to watch. Until next time people, R&R!
Ken: By the way, if any of you don't know, R&R means read and review.
Raven: WHY DON'T YOU HAVE YOUR GAG ON?!