IdontowntheTeenTitans!
Back on the mainstreet, the four odd collection of teenagers were standing outside of an abandoned video store. It was rundown. The sign had fallen and it was impossible to even tell what branch of video rentals it had once been. The parking lot was empty aside from a half filled metal dumpster on the other side of the parking lot. Ghost cocked his head to the side as if looking from a different angle would help him see this hideout Celestial mimmicked him while Crimson was indifferent with his hands in his pockets.
Adriana gave her biggest smileextended her arm like a showcase girl dramatically.
"Welcome to my humble abode," she said. The other three were quiet. Celestial looked to the others for any signs that it was all a joke.
"This is it?" Crimson finally spoke up. Adriana led the others to the back of the store. There seemed to be a door in the ground that looked like a basement. There was an airtight seal with a wheel to turn to open like the top hatch of a submarine. She turned the wheel three times and opened it as the rusty hinges creaked painfully. She started down the ladder. Ghost phased through the ground while the others followed her.
"The guy that used to own this video store was a very paranoid man," she told them. "The guy from the Starbucks on the street says he died six a couple years ago and everyone seemed to forget that he had an underground nuclear shelter for him and four other people." It was completely dark except for Ghost whose soul presence illuminated only part of the room. As soon as Adriana felt the ground she walked over to the wall and flipped a switch.
The lights flickered on and all around them was a room of titanium.
"Well, this is where I've been staying. I really hit the jackpot on this one," said the blue girl looking on at her place completely impressed.
"Its...um," Celestial started.
"Its a dump," Ghost said rudely.
"Agreed," Crimson said completely appalled that he was leaving footprints of clean in the dust behind him. Adriana sighed.
"Well okay. You try being homeless for three months and you'll see how great this place is," she said. There were six doorways each leading to different rooms. One of which led to a kitchen, another to a bathroom, and then there were four personal rooms. One Adriana had already taken herself. Ghost phased through a nearby wall to the only decorated room. Adriana followed him, using the door of course. Ice wallpapered the room ceiling to floor. There was a queen size bed in the center with faux fur blankets.
"So this is you room?" he asked becoming solid.
"Yes," she said. "Before I kick you out, Ghost..." Ghost turned, his black eyes meeting her blue ones. "Good work finding the team. I didn't expect it to go this well." Ghost's expression softened into one that was sentimental. She smiled genuinely at him.
"Thanks," he said sincere for once. He gave a cheshire grin and shrugged. "To be honest I didn't expect much either."
"Now get out before I freeze your butt," she said pointing to the wall. Ghost shrugged indifferently and phased through the wall. Adriana joined the group in the main room. Crimson had his hand in his pockets as he looked around. He gave a sigh in through his nose, out through his mouth.
"This place is filthy," he muttered.
"We can clean it," Celestial said. Crimson grimaced at the idea.
"Or we can get someone from the Agency to do it," Crimson suggested.
"You're so lazy," Adriana said. She took a rag that was in the sink in the bathroom and stuffed it in the drain. Then she walked over to the kitchen and stuffed a rag in its drain. "If you like the lazy way, I'll show you how I clean. Get the floor covered in water, let it mix in with the dirt, then I'll freeze it and levitate it out of here." Ghost looked upward toward the rest of the world.
"Hey guys, I gotta get out of here and eat dinner at home," Ghost said. Crimson's brow furrowed at this.
"You still live a civilian life?" he asked him.
"Simultaneously. I have my own talents smart guy. Good luck, guys," Ghost said making his way to the ladder and letting himself out. The hatch closed behind him. Crimson turned to the other members of the group, hands still in his pockets. Adriana shrugged.
"Sure, he leaves us with the mess," she grumbled. Crimson sighed.
"The Agency will book us rooms at a hotel. When we get back this place might just be liveable," he said.
Chris couldn't wait to get out of school, but this morning he promised himself that he would suffer the whole day at school bullying and all. He strained to focus in math and was about ready to jump out of his seat as the last seconds of history ticked ever so slowly to the bell. But instead of jumping out of his seat and charging for the door, his soul lept out of his body into the air freeing Ghost to his favorite state.
Running invisibly through students and the walls, he hollered happily into fresh air in search of his new secret hide out. He reached there at record time and phased through the ground.
Ghost became solid and hit the ground with a thud.
"Whoa," he said looking around.
Whoa indeed. There was a 70 by 70 inch screen hanging on the wall, beneath it was a keyboard and various switches. The channels flipped downward one by one. The titanium walls had been painted red with white trimming and there was furniture surrounding the coffee table he was currently standing through.
"Would you move? Or at least turn invisble so we can see through you," Adriana's voice said. He turned around and saw the rest of the hideout. There were names on each of the doors marking their own spaces. It almost looked lived in. Adriana was cross legged with the remote. Beside her Celestial sat with her black wings sprouting out.
"Hi Ghost," the angelic said sweetly. "How'd your pop quiz go?"
"I forgot the answers you told me," Ghost said still awing at the room. Celestial giggled.
"Yeah, I know."
"You guys decorated," he said plopping down in between them on the cushy leather couch.
"No, Agent Red's people did. Crimson made us go to a hotel while the place got redone," Adriana said never turning to acknowledge him. She threw the remote down on the coffee table in defeat. "Nothing's on."
"That's because it's three in the afternoon," Ghost said. One of the doors to the room opened and Crimson walked out. No one said anything as he walked right in front of them and up to the monitor, turning it off.
"Hey," Adriana whined. Crimson turned, hands behind his back.
"Alright," Crimson said. "I want to get one thing straight. First and foremost it is work, not play. Ghost, I understand you can live both your lives simultaneously if you leave your body."
"Yeah," Ghost confirmed.
"We'll talk more about that later. For now, we have a problem," Crimson said looking serious.
Dun Dun... Due to copy and pasting difficulties the rest will be delivered in the next chapter!