Well, since I was so incredibly mean last chapter, I thought I'd go ahead and update. Yes, I realize that I'm a cruel author, and I embrace that. ;)

By the way, this is NOT my climax. Trust me when I say this is just the beginning. This story is probably going to end up being up to twenty chapters long. A little warning there.

I do not own Teen Titans. Yeah, I know. Mom said I'm not allowed to threaten officials. I don't think it's fair either.

Chapter Eight: Orange Goo

Raven was mesmerized. She had always tried to tell herself that material possessions, especially those that were only meant for beauty, were completely and utterly pointless, but this necklace, this beautiful amethyst gem, was truly breathtaking. She involuntarily leaned closer until she was just inches away from the jeweled spectacle.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Raven noted a distant scream, "Noooo!" but it just didn't register in time. She was hardly aware of it or anything else for that matter. Her world was centered around the pendent.

Sppppt - splash! Splat!

Suddenly Raven's field of vision erupted in a bright neon orange. She felt a sticky substance make contact with her face. Even before everything fell into place, Raven could already feel searing anger bubbling up.

"BEAST BOY!"

Beast Boy, pure terror in his eyes, stood up and backed cautiously away from the table. What had just happened? The situation before him just didn't make sense.

Raven was standing in a pool of some orange liquid that dripped off her face. Her features were mottled with the substance, lime green silly string, and cold fury.

"Beast Boy," her voice came out a dangerous hiss. "What kind of sick joke do you think this is?"

By now the entire restaurant has turned their eyes to the curious scene at the back table. Waiters and customers alike had even taken out cameras. But it was the whispers that caught the two Titans' ears.

"Did that girl just say 'Beast Boy'?"

"Wow, that kid sure is pale. Doesn't she look kind of like…?"

"OMG! I think those two are Titans! I've got to go call Janie!"

"Whoa, that's a mess."

"Ugh, this salad is disgusting! Why did we eat here again? This is all your fault."

Raven shot Beast Boy a look that could kill. "We should leave," she snarled so just Beast Boy could here. "Once we're away from the witnesses, then I'll kill you."

Beast Boy had a feeling she wasn't joking.

"Wait! Wait, Raven! Don't kill the pathetic green bean!"

"Hey!" Beast Boy shouted to the voice.

Raven looked up to see a tall brown-eyed young woman running toward her.

Oh, what now?

BB/Rae

Beth had seen it all. She watched in what felt like slow motion as the 'necklace' opened up to reveal a spray nozzle. Bright orange liquid squirted out along with lime green tendrils of silly string. It all reached out to Raven like gruesome hands.

And then, splash!

It all hit her face head on in a messy display. The splattered goo landed all down her nice blouse and her blue skirt. Beth flinched.

She saw Beast Boy backing away like a cornered animal and Raven coming toward him like a demented huntress. And that was where Beth came in.

"Wait! Wait, Raven! Don't kill the pathetic green bean!"

Beth ignored Beast Boy's protests and hurried toward Raven's side.

"Hi, you don't know me, but I'm Beth Hayes. I sold the necklace to Beast Boy, but there was a mistake. Beast Boy tried to buy an actual necklace, but I accidentally gave him a prank. Well, you know what the prank does. The silly string jumps out from the necklace, but I promise you that Beast Boy thought he had bought you an actual piece of jewelry. It's really not his fault! …surprisingly."

Beth said it all in one breath before Raven could blast her aside or send her to another dimension. When she was done, Beth waited for Raven's reaction.

The violet, no black, haired sorceress seemed to be thinking it over. Finally she turned to a cowering Beast Boy. "Is this true?"

Beast Boy nodded frantically.

Raven sighed. "Thanks for telling me before I killed him."

Beth visibly relaxed. "No problem."

Beast Boy, seeing the danger had passed, jumped up from under the table. "So…everything's cool? Awesome! Um, Raven, you want to go get cleaned up and then get out of here?"

Raven nodded. "Nothing would make me happier."

BB/Rae

Cyborg chuckled to himself as he reviewed the blackmail photos he had gotten with the hidden camera he had set up aimed at Beast Boy's and Raven's table. They were incredible! The look on Raven's face when she was squirted was indescribable.

"Rob, come look at these!"

Cyborg looked around the crowded street for his 'disguised' friend. The three of them had followed Beast Boy and Raven here. What Beast Boy was thinking was beyond Cyborg.

"Forget it," hissed a trash can.

Cyborg quizzically looked behind the corner dumpster to find Robin, trench coat and all, crouched behind it.

"Man, get out from behind there. You don't stand out that bad," he said reassuringly. Robin shot him a skeptical look.

"Friends! I have located Beast Boy and Raven. They are going toward the park of recreation," Starfire shrieked pointing to a supposedly normal teenage couple.

Cyborg looked up and confirmed their identities. "Yep, it's BB and Rae all right. C'mon Rob, time to move."

Robin groaned and slowly inched out from behind the trash can. "Let's just - just…go."

Robin sniffed and detected a sweet aroma. He looked across the street to a vendor and instantly felt his mouth water.

Caramel.

He shouldn't. He really couldn't. Robin knew that it would only cause trouble if he did. There was no possible way that he would…

"Hey, guys? Ya'll go on ahead. I'll be right back…"

Cyborg cast him a confused look but shrugged. Starfire followed the disguised half-robot to Jump City Park.

Robin, however, stalked off to the sweet stand.

"Hello…uh, Sir," the vendor faltered at the trench coat. Robin didn't blame him. "How can I help you this day?"

Robin scanned the display of chocolate and fruity pastries and…caramel. "Um, yes, you can. What all do you have that contains caramel?"

The vendor pointed to various groups of candies. "We have regular caramels, chocolate-covered caramels, peanut-filled caramels -"

The list went on and on. Robin hoped it only felt like he was drooling on his trench coat.

"Um, I believe I would like ten of the regular caramels. You know what? Make that twenty. And I want another twenty of the peanut-caramel clusters. And another twenty of the strawberry caramels. And ten caramel sticks. You know, I'll make this easy on you. Just give me everything that has even the slightest bit of caramel in it…"

The vendor was very very afraid.

Ha-ha. I'm not done with Robin's little crazed caramel obsession. But what did you guys think of the pranked necklace? I thought it was pretty funny. But anyway,

Please Review!