AN: Wow! Ok, so you guys sorta like this little thing, huh? Yay! I'm so glad. I know the Karaoke thing gets done a lot, so I hoped you'd give mine a go. I'm so grateful to everyone who became a follower or reviewed. Thanks, y'all!
'Don't cry for me, my dear readers! The truth is I never left you. I had an O. chem. class, family issues. Here's the next chapter, the next should be faster…'
I got a request for a Rap night, and that will definitely happen, eventually. Stay tuned!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, sadly. But, "a few of these verses, well, they got me quite cross".
Two shadows flowed across the lawn in front of Titan's Tower. One was carrying what looked like a case of something, and, in fact, it was. The owner of one of the shadows raised a hand to ring the buzzer for the door, but the hand was halted in mid-air by the hand of the other shadow.
Jinx shook her head when her boyfriend gave her a questioning look, barely visible in the low light. "I don't know, Zippy. This seems way too simple. Are you sure?" the girl asked, more than a hint of skepticism in her voice.
Kid Flash gave her a huge, reassuring grin and replied, "Oh, yeah! It'll work because it's so simple. C'mon, Jinxie, you know the best plans require the least complications. And, just think of how great it'll be to pull this off! To best the 'Boy Wonder'!"
'Ugh, why is he so convincing? If he ever decides to start a cult, we're all in trouble,' the cat-eyed girl thought, but then she started to recall that feeling; that little buzz that came from doing something bad and getting away with it. Of course, now a days she found other ways, such as this, to get that rush, but it felt the same. His grin was just as infectious as his words, and, shaking her head once more but smiling this time, she said, "Alright. But, I'm throwing you under the bus if we get caught. I mean, I will practically be driving the bus."
Laughing, he said, "'No honor among thieves', huh?" with a good natured nudge and a wink. Then, he got to dodge a barrage of hexes.
From around the corner of the Tower, he yelled, "Sorry! I surrender! Do you know how much I love and respect you? 'Cause I do! You don't wanna break the bottles, right? I may have earned that, but leave the innocent out of it! They're in their prime, for goodness sake!" He finally got the courage to peek around the wall, but Jinx wasn't where he left her. He gulped loudly. 'Oh, God…She can be so quiet when she wants to be. Where did she-' his thought, breathing, and possibly his heart all stopped when he felt the case leave his hand. He turned slowly and froze again as he faced a sinister smile and glowing pink eyes. She leaned forward and his eyes went wide, but he stayed glued to the spot, held by that glow as solidly as if his feet had been turned to stone.
Jinx kissed his forehead, laughing at the bewildered expression on his face. "Just keeping you on your toes, Kiddo. Apology accepted. I mean, what kind of person would I be if I made jokes and couldn't take them? Now, you run home and get a clean uniform. I'm going inside," she told him, tapping his nose with her finger.
Kid Flash took a second to sag against the Tower and breathe, then ran to catch up to his girlfriend, snaking his finger over to the buzzer just ahead of her. He sighed and looked at her, then wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close with warmth in his eyes. "You are going to kill me one day. I'm betting it will be by heart attack," he told her, clearly kidding.
She gave him a half-smile and whispered, "I know CPR."
The red head smirked back. "Hnn. I think I'm going to need you to demonstrate mouth-to-mouth, just to be sure," he rumbled to her sexily. She obliged.
Starfire threw open the door, beaming, "Hello, friends! Welcome back to- er…" The Tameranian girl hovered in the air, unsure of what to do with the scene that greeted her. Too polite to directly call them out but also too excited to get on with the evening to just leave them to it, she decided a polite cough might be her best option.
Patting his chest with the hand that had previously been wrapped around his neck, the other still clutching the box of drinks, Jinx gently pushed away from Kid Flash. She smiled at Starfire and pushed past her to cross the threshold. "Sorry about that, girl. You know how it is, right?" she called over her shoulder.
"Well…um..ye-n…uh?" the other girl answered, still obviously at a loss. She felt like maybe she should say something else, like clarify or amend her answer, or maybe give them a lecture, but neither of those things were really in her nature.
Kid Flash laughed, said, "We'll take the stairs," and winked at her, earning a blush.
The alien watched Jinx disappear from the short hall in a blur of yellow and a quick burst of laughter, then floated over to the elevator, extremely relieved that she would be sparred the awkwardness of riding it with the pair so soon after catching them in an…interesting position. Truthfully, she wished she and Robin could be at least a little more open with their relationship, but she was shy and he had what she had gathered was an old-fashioned view of dating and how public certain activities (i.e. kissing) could be. She was still mulling this predicament over when the door opened and she drifted out on auto-pilot.
"There you are," Robin said warmly, gesturing for her to come over and take her seat. Starfire jolted a little, then blushed and chuckled nervously, getting a confused glance from her boy as she settled in next to him. She doggedly focused on the other members of the gathering until he gave a shrug and also started to regard their friends.
Bumble Bee had gotten to the Tower earlier this time. She and Cyborg had spent the day together, Bee having felt it was alright to leave her city and home to her team for a little bit longer. Still, she had turned her communicator on to its loudest setting, just in case (and she had been on alert for the 'in case' all day).
The half-man, half-machine teen was satisfied that he had showed her a good time, despite her preoccupation. They had gone to the beach, then the team's normal hangout for pizza (where he demolished four to her half of a large), and finally back to the tower to just chill for a while until the rest of the karaoke group ambled in. Yup, it had been a great crime-free day of fun. Those didn't happen too often, but every Titan made sure to enjoy them when they did.
The partners in crime opened their box to reveal the contents of their drink crate: carefully resealed and rebottled Fuzzy Navels, now disguised as a standard peach soda. They had spent a descent chunk of the last week brainstorming for smuggling just a touch of alcohol into the Tower, and this had been the plan to win out. "Alright, guys and girls," Kid Flash hollered, "who wants one?"
The next step of the plan depended entirely on Robin being as predictable as his red-haired friend hoped he was. Happily, he wasn't disappointed.
Instantly suspicious of any liquid that Jinx and Kid Flash brought after last week, Robin immediately took the bottle out of the Jr. Speedster's hand, opened it, and took a sip.
Kid yelped, "No need to get grabby! There's plenty over here." He passed a bottle over to Beast Boy, sneaking a wink at his girlfriend at the same time.
Robin was shocked and a little embarrassed to find that his drink was, in fact, just a peach soda. "Huh…that's ok, I guess," he admitted, settling his bottle on the table in front of him.
Jinx was a little surprised that this plan was actually working. Her boyfriend had been confident that the team leader would be the first to reach for a drink, to try to take the bullet, enabling him to be provided a non-alcoholic substitute. The real test was yet to come, though. They had only brought one real peach drink because Kid Flash was confident that, since Robin wasn't particularly fond of peach-anything, they wouldn't need more than one. Plus, having two meant they could get mixed up. As long as Birdy's tastes hadn't changed, and the rest of the Titans were less uptight than him, this might just go off without a hitch.
"No, thanks," Raven declined when Jinx tipped a bottle in her direction, "I'll stick to water."
The pink-haired girl wanted to grin, but fought the impulse down. There went another possible hitch. Raven didn't strike her as a snitch, but she was the most likely to say something to Robin out of responsibility.
Suddenly, Beast Boy was coughing and sputtering. Wide-eyed he looked at the visitors from Keystone City, who were both willing him to silence with their eyes, and managed, "T-that's got a-a little kick to it, *cough* huh?"
Tentatively, the rest of the group (sans Raven) took a swig of their own drinks, setting off an intriguing chain of reactions. Kid and Jinx were hiding behind their bottles, Cyborg's eyes got just barely wider but he stayed quiet, Bee set hers down and shot a grin to her sneaky friends, Starfire licked her lips and took another hearty gulp (draining half of hers in just two drinks), and Robin missed all of this as he sipped his once more and frowned. Finally, he just shook his head a little, dismissing the DJ's reaction as him just not expecting the carbonation or something like that.
Trying to hide their sighs of relief, Jinx said, "So, Grass Stain, what's-"
"Woah, woah, woah!" Beast Boy cut her off with a look of disbelief, almost as if he'd been violated or something, and replied incredulously, "You can't call me that! Cyborg calls me that!"
One eye got a little larger, the Bad Luck Queen's own personal way of quirking an eyebrow she didn't have, and she retorted, "Are you serious?" Then, she turned to the half robot at the end of the couch and repeated, "Is he serious?"
Cyborg just smiled and shrugged, "Looks like it to me."
Jinx just blinked at the two of them, then huffed. "Fine," she finally said, "Whatever! What are we singing tonight, Kermit?"
Green eyes danced as he noticed all of his friends giving their attention, each interested in finding out the night's theme. "Ok, dudes, I put a lot of thought into this one. I finally settled on… Musical Night! But, no Disney unless it's unique to the play," Beast Boy answered, hearing a few groans at the last part. He chuckled a little and said, "You'll thank me later, just trust me. Also, I'm going first tonight."
Kid Flash frowned and said, "Aww, but I'm ready, too! Why do you get to go first?"
"Dude, you went first last time! I get to go first because I went last and because I control the machine. You can't always have the first turn," the changeling replied. "Besides, my song actually fits pretty well if it goes now."
A well-manicured hand pulled him down to the couch and his girlfriend rolled her eyes. "He's right. Enough with the Ricky Bobby attitude, Kiddo," she told him.
The yellow speedster laughed and leaned over to kiss her forehead, saying, "I'm sorry the HIVE boys made you watch that. I know that had to be their idea." He watched his girl get a sort of far away look and heard her mutter something about "stupid movie" and "more stupid boys" and chuckled. Then, he gave Beast Boy an apologizing smile and added, "Sorry to you, too, man. I just get excited."
BB smiled back and said, "Don't worry about it, dude. I understand, it's cool," as he plugged in his number, pulled a black gangster era style hat out from behind the karaoke equipment table, and took his place on the stage with his back to the crowd while his music started.
With a smooth flourish, his face bearing a self-assured grin, the boy spun around and sang, "Give 'em the old razzle dazzle. Razzle dazzle 'em! Give 'em an act with lots of flash in it, and the reaction will be passionate."
Kid Flash yelled from the couch, "I'll vouch for that!" and Jinx elbowed him, making him laugh and rub his side even as he threw his other arm around her to draw her close while she shook her head in mock exasperation.
Bumble Bee leaned around her boyfriend and said to her former HIVE classmate, "You know, if you want to step outside and beat him, that would be alright."
Jinx seemed to consider it, then said, "Nah. Have you ever tried to get onto him? It's like kicking a puppy." She ruffled the hair sticking up out of his mask as he whimpered and tilted into the touch.
Bee rolled her eyes, "You guys are too cute. Like, sickeningly." This remark earned a quiet cheer and a high five between the couple.
On stage, Beast Boy turned to look dead at Cyborg and sang, "What if your hinges all are rusted? What if, in fact, you're just disgusting?"
"Hey, Grass Stain!" Cyborg yelled indignantly, as his friend just grinned, "I won't take that from the guy who eats tofu! Man, you wanna talk about disgusting…" A few of the friends chuckled, including the singer.
As his friend continued to sing, Cyborg was suddenly hit with a thought, "Hey, when did Green Bean –and that's another one to cross of your list, Jinx- even see Chicago?"
Robin raised one eyebrow. "You're kidding, right? This is Beast Boy we're talking about. If it's been on TV at least since he was born, he's seen it."
"Truthfully, I believe he watches the animals programs for battle ideas," Starfire added, returning to the couch from getting her next bottle. She licked her lips in anticipation as she opened her replacement.
Robin nodded his head once, in approval. At least part of his television time was devoted to something productive. He looked over and noticed Star's evident enjoyment of the peach drinks. He smiled slightly and added it to his mental list of things she liked. He might just get good at this.
The alien drained half of her bottle again and smacked her lips. "Friends Jinx and Kid Flash, you must bring these again!" she called to them happily.
Neither was really paying much attention, having turned back to Beast Boy's singing, and they responded with general affirmations.
Now, green eyes turned on his leader and he even pointed as he sang, "Though you are stiffer than a girder, they'll let you get away with murder!" his grin even larger than last time.
Immediately recalling last week's performance, everyone laughed hard, with the exception of Starfire who put her hand to her mouth and kind of coughed a little, Raven, though she did smile sort of large for her, and Robin. The last crossed his arms and frowned in only the way he could, but there was an edge of pouting to it also. He didn't like not being particularly good at something, and he was starting to contemplate a training program for karaoke night.
As the music built to its climax, Beast Boy closed his eyes and started juggling his hat in one hand. Well, it started as a hand, but kept switching to different types of paws and wings. His audience clapped and cheered and he opened his eyes, beaming. He trained those same eyes on Raven and sang, "Show 'em the first rate sorcerer you are!" and playfully winked at her. She shook her head a bit and lowered her eyes, but the corners of her mouth were turned up just a hair.
"Razzle dazzle 'em and they'll make you a star!" the green boy finished triumphantly, catching his hat in a suddenly human hand and holding it out as long as the note went, then flourishing it onto his head and spinning back around to strike a jazzy pose. He was panting some from the exertion (it was sort of difficult to hold a middle ground between animal forms and the note was supposed to be big and loud), but the sound of his friends very enthusiastic cheering made it all worth it. He turned back around, his whole face alight with the joy of it all. He bowed deeply, thanking them for their approval.
"Good job, Beast Boy!" Kid Flash yelled gleefully, "Now can I go?" He heard his girlfriend sigh, but he ignored it.
Beast Boy gave a single note of laughter and answered, "Hold your horses, dude. Raven? How about you go next?" He smiled at her encouragingly and held out the mic.
Raven looked as if she had been ambushed, but her friends all seemed to think it was a terrific idea. Even Kid seemed eager to wait if it meant she went next. Skittishly, she tried get out of it with, "Oh. Um. I don't know."
"Aw, c'mon, Rae. I picked this theme partly for you, like I said I'd try to," he told her. "I know for a fact you like at least one musical."
Raven quirked her eyebrow at him and said, "Really? Which one would that be?" fully expecting him to be bluffing.
Confidently, he replied, "Simple. Repo! The Genetic Opera. And, there are at least two songs I bet you'd sing great."
In disbelief the Azarathian just looked at him. "You? You know Repo?" she asked. There was just no way! Repo! was an underground sort of thing, really dark with lots of blood and no happy ending. It was no where near what she imagined when she thought of Beast Boy's entertainment tastes.
But, he gave her a serious look and a single nod, saying, "Zydrate comes in a little glass vial," as if it was the password to some secrete club. On the end of the couch, Jinx and Kid Flash also echoed the lyrics happily, showing themselves to be in the Repo Army, as well.
Raven looked at them and thought that that wasn't particularly surprising. Jinx probably saw it at some point (she at least seemed the type) and introduced her boyfriend. But, still, Beast Boy? "Ok, Wait. Before I even consider this, how did you find out about this movie?" she asked as she turned a hard inquiring gaze on him, thinking if he said he'd been in her room again she might actually kill him this time.
He smiled kind of sheepishly and looked away before replying, "Well, I saw you bring it in. Usually, you stick to books and scrolls or whatever, so when you brought home a movie, I noticed and decided to check it out. I had to watch it twice before I got a solid opinion about it, but I really like it." He fidgeted a little bit when she didn't say anything. Still nudging at her to perform, he finally added, "I have all the music," quietly, thinking he had lost this battle again.
The girl looked at him thoughtfully. He had actually noticed that? Then he did his homework on it. Crap, she thought in resignation. She took a deep breath and said only, "Genetic Emancipation," as she stood up and walked around the table in front of the couch to take the mic and, (gulp) the stage.
Beast Boy actually jumped for joy and gave a little cheer as he dashed for the karaoke panel. The rest of the group gave her encouraging applause and cheers. She had to fight a groan of embarrassment and a blush.
Her music started and Raven took another big breath as her cue came. In a sort of quiet, reflective voice she sang, "Years. It's been so many years. Resenting the years and my heredity. Oh, I have hated and loved you, I have hidden behind you. Now, I finally see. You I've mistaken for destiny but the truth is my legacy is not up to my genes. True, though the imprint is deep in me, it will always be up to me, up to me. Oh, oh, oh, free at last. Oh, oh, oh, free at last!" She stepped away from the microphone and took yet another huge breath. On the exhale, she let her head and shoulders droop, releasing tension she had only been vaguely aware of. It had only been about a minute and a half long (part of why she chose that one), but the whole time she had been a little hopeful for an emergency of some kind. She looked up and saw her friends looking at her in shock and surprise. She felt squirmy, instantly believing they had hated it.
Suddenly, as one, the group burst into loud cheers and applause, and none more loud than Beast Boy who was standing and yelling, "I knew she could do it! I knew you could do it! Ahahahaha! 'Atta Girl, Raven!" while he pointed at each of them and clapped alternately.
Finally, she couldn't hold back the blush. She closed her eyes and smiled, saying softly, "Thanks." Then, she took her seat back on the couch. Bee slid a water bottle over her way and she took it with thanks.
"No problem, girl," Bee said, "You gotta take care of pipes like that." Not knowing what to do or say to that, Raven took a drink of her water and shrugged.
Grinning, the DJ said, "Woo. I dunno who wants to follow that, but-" and he stopped because there was Kid Flash practically dancing as he waited for the green Titan to give him the go ahead. Laughing, he said, "Ok, dude, fine. I guess you waited long enough for tonight. What do you wanna sing?"
The speedster gave a little whoop of happiness and answered, "Yes! I wanna sing 'Take Me or Leave Me' from Rent. Jinx, my cotton-candy love, would you please join me?"
"Hell yeah!" the girl replied, "I love this song. I do have to wonder why you keep pulling me up her with you, though. Big, bad Kiddo scared to take the stage alone?"
He laughed at her, saying, "Not at all. I just can't stand to be away from you for the length of a whole song." He grinned at Bee and added, "We got sickening, so now we're going for nauseating," earning a laugh from Jinx.
Bumble Bee shook her head and threw back, "You're well on your way."
Jinx got to the mic and nodded to Beast Boy to go ahead and start the music, and he obliged.
Putting on his best smooth and sexy look, Kid grabbed the microphone from its stand and sang, "Every single day I walk down the street, I hear people say 'Baby' so sweet. Every since puberty, everybody stares at me, boys, girls, I can't help it, Baby." The girls snorted or shook their heads when he pointed to them, but the guys called out 'heys' and other indignations, making both performers smile like the cat that ate the canary.
Robin shook his head, "If he were in this city, he'd be in for a really good training session, really early in the morning."
Cyborg nodded in approval, "Man, you're the boss. Call him in! He's gotta come then, right?"
Again, Robin shook his head, but this time as a negative. "No. I lost about ninety-percent of my influence on him the minute Jinx switched sides. The last ten percent only works if he wants to do it. How bad do you think he wants an early workout?"
Cyborg sighed and said, "Well, it was a nice thought. I was picturing something with sudden pits, then, just before the finish line, a barrier." He smiled as if he was watching the resulting smack! actually occur.
The boy wonder smiled appreciatively, almost as if he could just see it, too.
"A tiger in a cage, can never see the sun," Kid Flash sang, prowling around Jinx in a predatory manner, "This diva needs his stage. Baby, lets have fun!" He snatched her up and dipped her, finishing the verse before planting a kiss on her forehead before standing her back up.
Starfire stood behind the couch and opened her third bottle as she watched the pair on stage. She was really starting to envy how open they were with each other and everyone else about how they felt. She took an unhappy swig of her drink, but quickly smiled as the bubbles and flavor chased over her tongue. The thought occurred to her that these might be a hit on Tamaran, and she was considering how to get them there when she settled herself back on the couch. Unconsciously, she put her hand on Robin's leg. His eyes got wide for a second, but he settled under the feel of it and didn't move away.
"It won't work! I look before I leap, I love margins and discipline. I make lists in my sleep. Baby, what's my sin?!" Jinx intoned, channeling her inner righteously angry girlfriend. Playing along with the song and her boyfriend, she started backing him up in a dance-like way, sing-ranting at him to the best of her ability. She sang the chorus this time, with him looking to the audience and throwing out little barbs about her.
They seemed to wash their hands of each other as they sang, "That's it! The straw that breaks my back! I quit, unless you take it back." Kid Flash looked to the men in the group and asked, "Women, what is it about them?" Then, Jinx addressed the girls with an exasperated face and said, "Can't live with him or without him."
Pretending to realize what the other had sang, they spun to face each other and crooned with mock anger, "Take me for what I am. Who I was meant to be. And, if you give a damn, take me, Baby, or leave me. Guess I'm leavin'. I'm gone!" And, as one, they planted their microphones in the appropriate stands and whirled to leave the stage in separate directions.
The assembly again applauded and cheered for their companions, and the couple met in front of the stage to embrace each other. They kissed in a way that made Robin cough his annoyance, then broke apart laughing. "Thanks, Jinxie! Couldn't have done it without you," Kid Flash said as he kissed her hand and lead her back to the couch with him.
Self-assured as always, Jinx smugly replied, "I know," but she handed him his bottle and took hers up to clink them together in a brief toast to themselves.
Bumble Bee shook her head and wrinkled her nose, "Congratulations. You just made nauseating," and the couple had the nerve to high-five again.
Beast Boy added, "I agree. That's enough of that for- oh, who are we kidding here- about two minutes if we're lucky, dudes. We need a mood killer, so c'mon up, Robin." The assembly laughed, but the Titan's leader frowned.
"As much as I'd just love to join in when you already think so highly of me, I just can't seem-" suddenly, Robin grinned. Honest to goodness, grinned and said with a happy note, "I've got a song!"
Raven jumped and got to her feet in a battle stance. The other Titans looked on in confusion, and she challenged, "You aren't Robin. I can feel it. Who are you and what do you want?"
Her friends moved into ready positions to back her up, but 'Robin' just grabbed the bottle of peach soda in front of him and put his feet up on the table. He held his hands up in mock surrender, "Take it easy, kids. Name's Deadman, and I'm on your side. Real perceptive of you to notice me, by the way. Not a lot who do," he said to Raven, tipping his bottle in her direction before taking a drink. His eyes lit up and he said, "Awesome, Peach! Don't get this too often. Anyways, I'm a ghost, right? So I float around here and there, possess a few people, right a few wrongs, take a break for my own mental health. I was just floating by your tower tonight when I stumbled on this little shindig and Birdy Boy's problem. Thought I could have fun and help, if you'll let me. Promise to leave after my song. I bet she could boot me out if I don't. Whaddya say?" Deadman concluded with a hopeful look.
Slowly, the team had relaxed and returned to their spots. They looked at each other for a little bit, then Beast Boy spoke up, "I say we let him do it. It sounds like he's got a good song picked out and we're gonna miss out if we don't."
Cyborg furrowed his brow, "I dunno, man. Robin ain't gonna be too happy with us."
Exchanging sly, almost conniving smiles, Kid Flash and Jinx looked back at the group and Kid spoke up, "On the other hand, poor Deadman probably doesn't ever get this opportunity and Rob was about to decline altogether. Why not let someone who wants it have it? It's only for one song anyway, then he floats on out. We say let him go for it, too."
Robin's face moved to smile hugely again and he said, "Always knew I liked the Flash crew. You guys know how to have fun and not take life too seriously."
The red-haired boy smiled and laughed, "Aw, shucks. Well, we try anyway."
The ebony skinned girl next to Cyborg shook her head and shrugged, "What the hell? As long as you don't pick something that will mortify the boy, you got my vote."
"Of course not," came the reply from the visitor who was looking even more relaxed as time passed.
Starfire frowned, "I do not like letting anyone use Robin without his permission to do so. Raven, can you ask Robin about this before we agree to anything?"
Raven nodded her head, "I feel the same way. Let me try." The girl closed her eyes and concentrated for a time, then opened them. "Robin knows what's happening now," she told them, "he says Deadman can sing in his place this once, but not again. He would prefer if you leave the Tower after your song. This is more for us, you understand. There should be a karaoke bar downtown for you."
Robin nodded, "Yeah, I can do that. Teens don't want the boring ghost adult hanging around, I get it. May hit up that spot downtown after all. So, since I got his blessing, it's a green light, right?"
Starfire smiled at him and replied, "With Robin's consent, please perform for us. We will be most grateful to hear it, I'm sure."
Robin smiled lopsidedly as he got to his feet to look up the number for his song. He glanced over his shoulder at the red-headed boy, "Oh, I see why he likes this one. Tell him I said he made a good choice there." He didn't see the girl blush and take another shy hit from her bottle, which was beginning to look empty. "Alright, DJ Yoda, play NTN 6, would ya?"
"Play, I will," Beast Boy responded, "Do well, you should."
Striking a determinedly 'rock and roll' pose, Robin put on a lop-sided mischievous grin as he held the mic loosely. He looked a bit dangerous and roguish, and Starfire found her heart thumping a little harder than usual.
"I am what you want me to be and I'm your worst fear you'll find it in me. Come closer, come closer," he quirked his head at the assembly, beckoning them towards him while he inched nearer, an alluringly ominous force.
"Hey, Robin's got a decent voice, too. Who knew?" Cyborg said, nodding in approval. He leaned over to the song book and added, "This says it's 'I'm Alive' from a show called Next to Normal. Anybody know what it's about?"
Bee replied, "Yeah, Argent had me look into it. Turns out she loves plays. She was trying to find a good one to drag Hot Spot to. This is about a woman who has a mental break down, or twelve, after her son dies when he's young and how the family deals with it. The mom sees him even though he's gone, and there's some debate over whether he's really in her head or if he's a ghost."
On stage, Robin was in full on rock-star mode. He gripped the mic for the chorus and sang, "I'm alive, I'm alive, I am so alive! And, I feed on the fear that's behind your eyes. And, I need you to need me, it's no surprise. I'm alive, too alive, I'm alive!"
Jinx had leaned forward to hear Bee's synopsis, then listened to Robin's song for a second and she was sold. She turned pleading eyes on her boyfriend and said imploringly, "Kiddo?"
He chuckled, kissed her head, and answered, "On it". Then, he was gone, leaving his girl smiling happily.
Starfire had just set down her bottle, which had about another sip in it, when Robin's gloved hand grabbed hers. She blinked dumbly a second, then looked into his eyes. She barely caught her gasp before it escaped. His eyes were absolutely smoldering!
"I am flame, and I am fire! I am destruction, decay, desire. I'll hurt you," Robin sang as he pulled her forward a little roughly for dramatic effect. Just as she was about to scold him, he brushed his hand behind her neck seductively and inclined her head towards his adding warmly, "I'll heal you." It occurred to Star that she might need to get her lungs checked, for she did seem to be having difficulty breathing all of a sudden.
Beast Boy whistled to get Robin's attention and said, "Dude, I would not bark up that tree if I were you!" Raven was also disapproving, but her only caution was the deadly look in her eye. Renting Robin's body was one thing, but cozying up to his girlfriend, someone Raven considered a sister, was another entirely.
The boy who was Deadman just shrugged and hopped back on to the stage to keep singing, leaving a somewhat bewildered Star to drain her drink again and blush as deep a red as Kid's hair.
"We've got tickets for Tuesday," the speedster said, throwing his arm over the back of the couch. "I also ran a pair to Argent and Hot Spot," he added, "That's what took the extra time."
The cat-eyed girl kissed him and said, "Thank you much, Kiddo. And, good thinking. I bet she'll call soo-". She broke off as her communicator buzzed. She smiled knowingly and flipped it open. "Kiddo says 'you're welcome'," she told Argent.
The goth girl laughed, saying, "I might have known he'd be back to you already, then. But, really, thanks, though. I've been dying to see this one." She looked away to some muffled yelling and shouted back, "Oh, bugger off, you! I bet you enjoy yourself!" then, turned back to her communicator and said, "Hot Head thanks you, too. Never fear! I'll chase him into some respectable clothes and have him in his seat by the curtain."
Jinx giggled back, "Oh, I know you will!" and the two snickered together.
Argent seemed to be craning to get a look and said, "What are you two up to, then? Are you at Beast Boy's karaoke thing?"
In answer, Jinx swiveled her communicator to show Robin singing, "You can try to hide, you know that I will find you! 'Cause if you won't grieve me, you won't leave me behind! Oh ho, woah! Oh, oh!" She turned it back around to show an astonished Argent.
"That's Robin singing? Are you serious?!" the British girl gaped.
"Well, yes and no. I'll fill you in later, alright?" Jinx said.
Her friend, still somewhat shocked replied, "Yes, you bloody well will! We'll have to come over for it some night. This looks like fun. Bye!"
Kid's girl said her good-byes as Robin was winding up to the last triumphant bit of his song. He sang his last "I'm alive" amid cheering and clapping. He winked and just as suddenly as it came, his grin vanished. Robin said, "-to know what to sing." He looked confused for just a split second, then yelled, "And, you don't ever do that again!" without knowing if his intended audience heard his warning.
Beast Boy laughed, "Dude, if it makes you feel better, he did great. Now, we know that you can do it if you'll ever loosen up some."
The fearless leader rolled his eyes as he settled back on the couch with Starfire, his friends still congratulating him and thanking him for letting Deadman play. He waved them off good-naturedly, choosing to turn to his girlfriend for an honest answer. "Really, though. His song was ok? He didn't do anything…embarrassing, did he?"
For reasons he couldn't fathom, but that made him nervous, Starfire blushed. "N-no! Not at all. He was very…entertaining. Most, um, enjoyable. Would you like another drink? Deadman drank much of yours," she changed the subject as she floated to the cooler for another herself. She sort of bobbed in the air as she went, but she didn't seem to notice.
Robin looked at his bottle with disdain and declined. He had though the taste in his mouth seemed fresh. Ick.
Bee flipped a few pages in the book, then called, "Ok, Animal. I'm gonna take things down a few pegs. Bring up LK 12 for me."
The green DJ doubled checked that she wasn't breaking the 'Disney Rule', then punched in her number and nodded for her to get ready.
Bee's song started with the CD's background singers singing something in another language. Curious, Raven said, "I'm not familiar with that tongue. I don't suppose anyone here knows what they just said?" She looked at the boy wonder, and was surprised when Beast Boy answered, instead.
"'This land of our ancestors is holy'." He grinned at her, adding, "It's Swahili. Did I ever mention that I used to live in Africa? Let me know if you want lessons, Rae."
She nodded an acknowledgement, determined not to reveal that she was surprised by Beast Boy for a second time that night.
"Shadowland. The leaves have fallen. This Shadowland, this was our home," the human bumble bee sang, getting the attention of the assembly with the first note.
"Woo, wee! That's my girl!" Cyborg said appreciatively. "And, can't she belt it out?" he asked his friends, who nodded and smiled their agreement.
She winked her thanks at him from the stage and continued, "And where the journey may lead me, let your prayers be my guide. I cannot stay here, my family, but I'll remember my pride."
Kid Flash's eyes sparked with recognition, "Hey, I know this tune! This was in the movie, right?"
"Yeah, you're right, Kid. I remember this, too. I always thought there should be words here," Jinx added.
Raven shrugged, "I just hummed along." Noticing everyone's eyes on her she got a little defensive, "What? Everyone has seen Lion King. I like Disney just as much as anyone, you know." She was in danger of getting angry when Kid Flash spoke up.
"So, Raven watches Disney, and Beast Boy is part of the Repo Army. Wow, the stuff you find out at these kinda things," he said. Jinx nodded solemnly beside him, and the two were so comically serious, Raven relaxed.
Bee sang along with the disk's singers for the second chorus, "And where the journey may lead you, let this prayer be your guide. Though it may take you so far away, always remember your pride." 'Shadowland' was one of her favorite songs from the moment she heard it. For one, it required a fair amount of skill to get right. But, it was also great for evoking a lot of emotion. The music just built to such a melancholy crescendo so many times it was hard not to feel something. Then, there was the combination of Nala and the other lionesses singing together. The support they offered her was just awesome. Yeah, the lyrics you could understand were pretty repetitive, but Rafiki's chant somehow made that alright. Well, all that, and Nala was a personal favorite character of hers.
As soon as the Swahili started again, Raven looked expectantly at Beast Boy and he obliged by translating Rafiki's blessing for her.
The African American girl sang the chorus once more with the backup choir, then promised to return in the song as they continued. She finally finished with a mournful, "Bese bo, my people, bese bo," as if she were really sad to be leaving. She bowed while her friends cheered for her, then sat back on the couch. Raven, smiling slightly, pushed a water in her direction, and Bee took it with a small laugh.
"That was beautiful, Bumble Bee," the green teenager at the control panel said genuinely. He smirked at Cyborg and said, "You aren't gonna let her show you up though, are you, dude? What're you singing?"
Cyborg grinned, "Well, Green Bean, I think there's only one song in all of Broadway that fits this guy." He glanced at the book to double check the number he had found and said, "Plug in G 9, please."
Beast Boy laughed. "Oh, I think I know where this is going…"
Cyborg's music started and he sang, "We'll get some overhead lifters and some four barrel quads, oh yeah! Fuel injection cutoffs and chrome plated rods, oh yeah! With a four-speed on the floor, they'll be waiting at the door.You know that ain't no shit, we'll be getting lots of-"
"Cyborg!" Robin hissed, pointedly cutting him off and gesturing to Starfire with his head.
Star was well into her fourth bottle though, and didn't seem to be paying that much attention. He had lost her at "overhead lifters" and the words she didn't know just kept coming, so she chalked this one up to unimportant-technical-Cyborg-stuff and decided to enjoy the music instead.
His girlfriend shook her head, "A car. Of course, he remembers the one car-themed song." Jinx patted her knee in mock-sympathy. She sighed, "No, no. It's fine. I should have expected as much, I guess. Honestly, I forgot about this song completely."
The partially metal boy kept going, trying to ignore some of the looks Bird Boy was giving him as his song progressed. "With new pistons, plugs and shocks I can get off my rocks.You know that I ain't bragging, she's a real p-"
"CYBORG!" Robin yelled this time. He looked completely outraged now. Was that smoke coming from his head? He looked at Star, but the Tameranian was more interested in procuring one more bottle of peach soda, having gulped the last of her other one.
"It's alright, dude," Beast Boy came to his friends rescue. "The song's just chorus from here on."
Cyborg pointed at the DJ to both agree and thank him as he sang, "Go Greased Lightning, you're burnin' up the quarter mile! Go Greased Lightning, you're coastin through the heat lap trial! You are supreme! The chicks'll , uh, dream! For Greased Lighting!" He decided singing that last part as intended might push Robin over the edge, so he adlibbed to save himself. Who was to say Bird Boy wouldn't give him Kid Flash's workout, instead? He finished a mixture of scared and thrilled. Even if he got in trouble, it was a good song and his other friends seemed to have liked it.
Robin plopped back in his chair as if exhausted. "Really, Cyborg? First, 'badonkadonk', now this?"
Cy shrugged. "Man, what other song was I gonna sing? Deadman bailed you out, so don't act like you don't know what not being able to come up with a song is like."
Starfire furrowed her brow, turning to her boyfriend. "Robin, it has just occurred to me, you still haven't explained the 'ba-"
"My turn!" Jinx suddenly announced, cutting off the alien's question. Seeing Robin squirm was fun, but she could tell this was something he really didn't want to discuss with her, so his normal antagonist cut him some slack. The boy gave her a grateful look, but all she could think was that those brownie points might come in handy in a second.
"Ok, I need all of the girls for a little pow wow in the hall real fast." Her female companions looked skeptical, and she rolled her eyes, "Oh, just come on! It's worth it, I promise."
Bee and Raven gave in and followed with no problem, but it took Star a second try to get off the couch.
"Whoops!" the green-eyed girl said as she got to her feet finally. She laughed a little at her own clumsiness, but walked over mostly steadily.
The Azarathian frowned with concern as Star tottered into the hall. "Are you alright?" she asked.
"Your concern is most touching, friend Raven, but I am quite fine. I am just slightly dizzy for some reason. Perhaps I stood too quickly, yes?" Starfire replied.
She looked alright, so Raven let it go, but decided to keep an eye on her just in case. She turned to the pink-haired girl and said, "Alright Jinx. What are you planning?"
Jinx smiled in that still sort of villainous way she had. "Three words: Cell Block Tango," she told them, absolutely pleased with herself.
Bee laughed a little at her, and she frowned. "Girl," her former HIVE classmate said, "You have got to learn how to count! There are 'six merry murderesses'. We only have four."
Exasperated, the ex-thief said, "So, two of us double up, then. Duh! I'll take two since it's my song and I really want to do it. Why don't you take the other double, Bee?"
Still chuckling, the Titans East leader shrugged and said, "Alright. But I call 'Six' and 'Lipshitz'."
"Huh…" Jinx wondered aloud, "I thought you'd take 'Squish' for sure."
Pretending to be indignant, Bee said, "Look who's type casting!" She then smiled disarmingly, saying "Actually, I like the other two way more. I thought Rae could do 'Squish' since she's new to this and it's a little shorter."
Raven quirked an eyebrow, "Thanks for volunteering me, Bumble Bee." She looked at the two girls who had offered to take two verses as they non-verbally begged her to participate. Eventually, she sighed, "Fine. I swear, you two are worse than Melvin's group, though," but she had a small smile as she said it.
"Yes!" Jinx cheered. "Ok, and I thought Starfire could take 'Ah ah', which leaves me with 'Pop' and 'Cicero'. So, we're set?"
Star raised her hand sheepishly, saying, "Uhm. Forgive me, friends, but I do not know this song at all."
The feline-looking girl nodded, "I thought we might run into this. Don't worry. The words will be on the board for the parts you do with us, so you can follow our lead there. For your main verse, just say something in Tameranian and I'll make sure you get your cues. The actual singer in your part speaks in her native language, so you oughta fit just fine. You can do it, Star! What do ya say?" Jinx smiled at her encouragingly.
The alien girl fidgeted a little, but finally said, "Well, ok. I will try my best. May I have my drink with me though? I feel it may calm any worries I may have."
Not realizing that this was in no way her first bottle, Jinx clapped her on the back and replied, "Sure! Whatever helps you," with a smile. She led her group back into the living room and yelled to Beast Boy, "Alright, cue up C 4, Kermit!" as they all took the stage, Star stopping to grab her drink on the way.
The girls lined up single verse, two verses, so that the order across the stage from left to right was Jinx, Starfire, Bumble Bee, and Raven. Star had been strategically placed so the person on either side of her could help if she got a little stuck. It also helped break up the chant part of the song in a more dramatic way, bouncing between the whole line rather than just going across it. They sang the opening together without a hitch, Star falling into rhythm with little problem.
When it was her turn, Jinx stalked forward in a slightly predatory way. It occurred to Kid Flash that she was good at that, even if it was intimidating as hell. For all intents and purposes, though, she was in to her role as the slightly unhinged 'Pop'. Voice dripping anger and frustration, Jinx sang, "So, I says to him, I says, 'You pop that gum one more time!'" As her character called for, she sighed in a way that said 'it just couldn't be helped' and continued, "And he did. So, I took the shot gun off the wall and I fired two warning shots…In to his head." She slipped back into line with the other three as they roared into the sympathetic chorus again.
Next, Bee strode up to the mic exuding confidence, like even though her fictional man had done her wrong, 'Six' was not a light to be dimmed by such a trivial matter. It had been handled, anyway. The only time her character's composed shell seemed to give way was when she divulged Ezekiel's polygamous nature, before it was dismissed by his religious affiliation. "So, that night I fixed him his drink, as usual. You know, some guys just can't hold their arsenic!" the singer said, letting a quiet dangerous note find it's way to her voice as she went back to her position.
Kid Flash smirked as he called to Robin, "Well, fearless leader, you sure are taking this little ditty easy. Could it be you gained a sense of humor?"
The other boy snorted. "Hardly," he replied, raising one brow, "But, this is Jinx's song. Being disapproved of, for her, is like pouring gas on a fire. I'm done singeing my hair for the night, thanks. I don't like this song, but it's probably some crazy 'girl-power' thing, anyway."
Cyborg laughed, "Man, you know it is. We should just count our blessings that they didn't do 'Lady Marmalade' instead." As the thought graced each male's mind, they raised their bottles and cheered for this not-Lady-Marmalade song choice with a manly snigger.
Their laugh was cut short as Raven came to the end of her verse. She called up some of the dark energy she usually used for scaring the watts out of Dr. Light, her eyes glowing menacingly as she said, "And then, he ran into my knife. He ran into my knife ten times." Her performance earned a satisfying shiver from the watchers and appreciative murmurs from her fellow singers. Bee even gave her a quiet round of applause.
"Ok, girl, just say something in Tameranian. Whatever comes to mind will work," Jinx told the alien to her left. She chuckled when the girl took a steadying gulp of her drink as she stepped up to the mic.
Star took a deep breath and launched into something she had wanted to say for a while now, anyway. Maybe saying it like this would as least get it off her chest.
Suddenly, Cyborg choked on his own beverage. He coughed and sputtered while some of the guys tried to make sure he was ok. He still remembered some of his Tameranian lessons, and he was catching just enough to let him know that Starfire was getting very wrapped up in detailing some of what she felt were Robin's romantic short-comings. Blushing, Cy tried his best to assure his friends that he was ok, also doing his best to cover his shock for his friend's sake. But, what on earth was possessing her to say this stuff? Even in her language! It was then that he noticed the four empty bottles in front of her spot on the couch and the fifth in her hand. His heart sank. "Oh, snap," was all he could think for a moment, but he thankfully soon got his act together. Reacting quickly, he turned to Kid and casually noted, "Boy, Star sure does like those peach sodas. Looks like she's got her fifth one up there."
The fastest boy alive jumped and quickly double checked his friend's count. He took a deep breath and thanked goodness that his girlfriend had once been a thief taught to always have a contingency plan. It seemed they were going to be putting her's into effect, after all. He just had to remain calm until steps could be taken.
Jinx was so caught up in the exchange she could see happening between Cyborg and Kid Flash and trying to figure out what had sent the Tin Man into a coughing fit, she almost missed giving Star her cue. As it was, she had to cut her off mid- well, whatever she was talking about. "Yeah, but did ya do it?" she asked.
Suddenly brought back to the present, Starfire blinked for a second then replied, "Ah ah. Not guilty!" before she, too, took her place back with her friends.
Raven noted she was still a little unsteady on her feet, and was starting to get worried.
Stalking back to the mic with a completely different personality than before, Jinx reclaimed the prominent position to sing Velma Kelley's verse. She even did a few simple dance moves in time with what the lyrics called for, just to help her performance along. At the end, she really seemed like she might not know what happened after all when she sang, "It wasn't until later, when I was washin' the blood off my hands I even knew they were dead." She held the dominant position this time, leading the chorus instead of joining it.
Beast Boy said, "Hey, Kid! I think she does that a little too well. You might wanna watch your back if you make her angry, dude!"
The red-head laughed, taking the good-natured ribbing well. "'If I make her angry'? Ha! That happens at least daily. The fact that I'm still here proves she loves me. I'd be a black smudge if not!" he told the green boy.
The DJ joined his laughter. He glanced at Raven for a split second and said, "I totally know how that goes."
"I guess you could say we broke up because of artistic differences," Bumble Bee intoned thoughtfully. "He saw himself as alive. And, I saw him dead!" she finished brutally, completely shedding the sweet demeanor she had a split second ago.
The girls' song built to its bombastic explosion of a finale, then ended with them chanting once more. The guys on the couch cheered and the girls clapped for each other, both offering praise for parts they found especially great.
Knowing there was no time to lose, Kid Flash put their emergency escape plan into action. (Actually, this was just one of them. God, it was good to have a well-prepared girlfriend.) He slid up beside Jinx as her group came down from the stage and asked, "Hey, Jinxie, didn't you have some civilian clothes you wanted to give Starfire?"
Immediately, Jinx looked at her friend's bottle collection. 'Civilian clothes' was the key phrase for 'possibly inebriated comrade', and the name told her who it was. Without skipping a beat, she replied, "You are absolutely right, Kiddo. Run her to Keystone, would you? I'll wait here."
Robin overheard and whirled to protest, but it was too late. The girl who had been by his side was already gone, presumably in another city already. "Now, wait a second!" he complained angrily to Jinx, "Just what do you think you're doing?"
The girl shrugged as a wind passed through the room and the alcohol bottles disappeared. In the next moment, she found herself in her ride's arms. "Expanding Star's wardrobe, of course. Don't worry, Mother Hen. We'll have her back her at a decent hour. Midnight is good, right? Ok, see you next week!" and with that, the two were gone, leaving a sputtering Robin behind.
Growling slightly, the boy grumbled, "I guess I'll just do some research while I wait for her to get back then. I'll be in the computer room if anyone needs me. Bye, Bee." He stalked out of the room without so much as a backwards glance. As he went down the hall, they heard him call up someone on his communicator saying, "It is now nine. You will have her back in this tower not a second later than eleven. Is that understood?!" and a muffled, but hurried affirmative.
Cyborg sighed, thinking how close that was, and turned to his girlfriend, "Your boys are probably waiting up for you, too. I'll walk you to your T-ship," he said as he slipped his arm around her waist, guiding her to the elevator while she called her farewells.
As the door's closed, Bee leaned against him. She smiled and said, "That was a wild end to a great day, Sparky."
"You're telling me!" he laughed.
Back in the Tower's living room, Beast Boy had put away the karaoke equipment again while Bee and Robin were heading out. Cleaning up the refreshments fell to Raven this time, and she levitated things back into order without a problem. She paused when she noticed a distinct lack of glass bottles.
"Beast Boy, where are the peach soda bottles?" she asked.
He glanced up thoughtfully from a cabinet near the TV stand and replied, "I guess Kid got rid of them before he jetted out of here. I didn't see Jinx grab them, anyway."
She gave a little grunt of acknowledgment and turned to leave the living room when she heard, "Hey, Rae! Wait…um-"
Raven stopped and angled her head back around. He looked a little nervous, so she answered kindly, "Yes, Beast Boy?"
The shapeshifter took a deep breath and charged on. "I know they're not really your thing, but, well, I kinda wanted to know if you maybe wanted to try playing a video game with me? It's a really fun one and pretty simple," he told her. Then, he panicked a little and added, "Not that you couldn't understand a harder one, but I just thought since you don't play these…" He sighed and bent back down to retrieve the controllers and game equipment bag. Shaking his head at his own stupidity, he said, "Never mind. It was a dumb idea."
Raven had turned the rest of the way around as her team mate fumbled through his request. The corner's of her mouth quirked a little at his uneasy attempted. Normally, he would ask and then beg her to try without ever really believing she would, then she'd get frustrated that he wouldn't back off and she would yell at him until he did. He would play by himself, and she would go meditate in her room to soothe her rattled nerves. But, this time, she could tell he was genuinely hopeful that she would join him. That combined with the awkwardness of it all melted her a little. She took a few steps back into the room and asked neutrally, "What game were you considering?"
Shock shone through his green eyes as he said, "Huh? For real, Raven?" She nodded once and he beamed at her. "I was gonna play Skylanders. It's a kids game, but it's also partly a collection. You put the little Skylander figures on this thing called the 'portal of power' and whoever you put on there goes into the game as your player," he told her, getting more excited as he went on. He grinned proudly, adding, "I have all thirty-two of them, so you can play whoever you want." He opened his bag and started digging out his collection, separating them by type, "Let me know if you want to know about any of them."
Coming around the couch, she regarded the little figurines as they just kept coming out of his bag. 'By Azar, he was dedicated to these, wasn't he?' she thought, gazing at the figures and trying to imagine the time and effort he must have spent to gather them all. She kept looking while he went unroll a couple of controllers for them. Finally, she picked up a blue, Tiki-man and quirked an eyebrow. "Who's this?"
Beast Boy looked around and chuckled, "That guy's Double Trouble. He can make little decoys of himself that explode, but I prefer to use the lightning in his staff." He got up and handed her a controller saying, "May I make a suggestion?"
She put Double Trouble back, then gestured to the figures with her hand, an open invitation.
He smiled at her and picked up a purple dragon with a skeleton on her base. With a little flourish that made her snort, Beast Boy said, "Raven, meet Cynder. She's a fan favorite and, in my opinion, the best Undead class character in the game. She was raised by an evil dragon that just wanted to use her to gain power, but with Spyro's help she was able to break free of that. She shoots lighting like Double Trouble, but instead of one little bolt this little beauty covers at least a quarter of the screen. Her other attack is a dash that sprouts little ghosts that attack nearby enemy's. Strategically, you can't go wrong with Cynder."
Raven took the little dragon and gazed at her, studying her. She had to admit, the character sounded like a good choice, and her backstory kind of made the girl from Azarath feel a connection to her. Finally, she said, "Alright, I'll try her. Who are you going to choose?"
Beast Boy congratulated himself in his head on his good choice for his friend. He thought Cynder would appeal to her. Turning to the task at hand, he looked at all of his characters and considered who would complement Raven's choice. He picked up a shark with rocks and crystals on its base and told her, "Me? I'm gonna go with Terrafin. Your character is more long rang, so I went with a close fighter. Mine can dive underground and hit enemy's with his fin, then bust out of the earth and bellyflop them for even more damage. If they're still moving, a punch or two oughta put the out of commission." Triumphant for more than one reason, he plopped Terrafin on the portal and Raven followed suit. As the game started up, the green boy thought to himself that this was going to be one of his most favorite gaming experiences ever.
Meanwhile, in Keystone City, Starfire was trying to absorb what Kid Flash and Jinx had just told her. She put her hands over her mouth and gasped, "You mean the drinks you brought did contain the alcohol in them?" They nodded guiltily and flinched a little when she gasped again, "Am I 'drunk'?" with worry practically dripping from her voice.
Jinx came to her rescue, seeking to ease both Star's worried mind and her own remorseful conscience. Of all of the Titans in the Tower that night, why did the one who had a little too much have to be the one who was so dang sweet it made their crafty trick feel like kicking a puppy. She sat beside the innocent alien and put her hand on her shoulder, comforting and reassuring. "The fact that you are worried about it tells me that you aren't. We think you are probably just what we would call 'buzzed', but we had to get you out of there before Robin caught on," she said. She had started to feel a little better about what she had done when her friend groaned miserably.
Starfire hunched forward and moaned, "Oh no…what is Robin going to think of me now?"
Catching sight of his girlfriend's frantic 'Help Me, Damn It!' look, Kid Flash stepped forward and added, "Well, the good news is, we are about ninety-nine percent sure he has no idea. And, I took a look at your medical chart. It said you have five stomachs? That's not only impressive, it's helpful. Without them, you might have gotten drunk since this is your first time and you had five drinks, but your system is processing them fast enough to keep you pretty level-headed. If Cyborg hadn't pointed out your bottle count to me, we probably wouldn't have even noticed."
Pleased with her boyfriend's instinctive ability to know the right thing to say in these situations, Jinx added, "Just so you don't feel too upset about Robin not knowing that you drank, everyone in the Tower except him and Raven were aware that the drinks we brought were alcoholic. We weren't the only ones who tricked him tonight. But, Starfire, we are really, really sorry we didn't think to warn you."
Starfire saw that her two friends honestly felt bad for putting her in this predicament. She took a deep breath and raised herself up again, resting her back against the love seat she was sitting on. "Very well," she said, "I forgive you. I am not going to tell Robin about this. I do not want you or our other friends to get in trouble, and Robin would surely lose his composure over this. No harm came of it, so I see no reason to inform him." The couple sighed their relief and gave her grateful smiles, but she did not return them. Her eyes lit up dangerously and she added, "However, you will not do this ever again. Ever. Are my wishes understandable?"
Kid Flash gulped. He glanced towards where his girlfriend sat and tried to estimate how long it would take him to snatch her off their little couch if the Tameranian let her anger go. He said, "Very," solemnly, and was completely relieved when her eyes dimmed.
"Good," Starfire huffed. She noted that the friend that had been seated on her right was a little further away, and had to stifle a little giggle. She had learned intimidation from the best (Raven), after all. Her eyes dancing with withheld excitement, she said, "Now…do you truly have a few outfits I may indeed be interested in obtaining, or was this also part of your trick."
Jinx laughed and held out her hand to help the other girl to her feet. "C'mon, Star. I bet we can find you something," she said.
The two girls headed towards Jinx's room as if it were always the true reason for their guest's sudden visit while Kid Flash melted into his nearby chair. He draped his hand over the side and it came back up holding the only bottle to escape the Tower that night. He opened his drink and took a small swig as he flipped the TV on to a movie channel, not really caring what was playing.
About thirty minutes later, the girls came back into the main room, Star holding a shirt or two and a pair of jeans. Smiling happily, she addressed her ride back to her own residence, "I am ready to return to the Tower now, if you don't mind, friend Kid Flash."
The boy got up, stretched a bit and said, "Sure thing. Be right back, Jinxie." He grabbed up Robin's girlfriend, and ran her back home in all of five seconds. He was a little fidgety as he put her on her feet, and he caught her attention before she opened her door. "Hey, Starfire?" he called.
"Yes?" she responded.
"You- I got upset that you seemed so close to losing it when Jinx was sitting beside you. You wouldn't really hurt her…would you?" he asked. Seeing the look on her face, understanding mixed with kindness, he immediately felt silly for even asking.
"Of course not, friend. It was merely for show, but I am sorry for causing you stress," Star answered. As playful and as rowdy as he could be, there could be no doubt that he loved girlfriend. She smiled warmly at that and thought to herself that Jinx probably felt the same way.
Kid Flash smiled a relieved smile and said, "No, it's ok. Just a little oversensitive when it comes to her I guess. Don't tell her, or she'll skin me," he laughed. Then, he pointed towards the door and added, "I bet you find your guy waiting up for you. You'll probably find him without a problem. See ya!" And, he was gone from her sight.
Back in his living room, he pushed his cowl off his face and ruffled his hair. As he settled back down into his chair, Jinx came back into the living room in some black sleep pants and a t-shirt of his clutching a blanket. He smiled at her, she smiled back.
Pink eyes slightly droopy, she sat on his lap, nuzzled against his chest, and pulled the blanket up around the two of them. Playfully she said, "Don't get any ideas, Kiddo. I'm just making sure you share that last Fuzzy Navel." To prove her point she picked it up off the table and took a drink.
He laughed deep in his chest. "Bull," he told her, "We both know this is your favorite seat in the house. I'm like your own personal space heater. Not that I'm complaining, mind you." He absentmindedly stroked her back as the movie played on. Suddenly grinning, he said, "Time for my share," and pulled her in for a kiss.
They eventually broke apart and she purred to him, "You know that was really cheesy, right?"
Kid Flash poked her side, earning a startled giggle, and returned, "Yeah, I know." Just before they truly settled in, he added, "Hey, Jinxie? Told you it would work."
She just tousled his hair roughly and pulled the blanket up tighter.
Starfire decided to just fly up the stairwell instead of taking the elevator. As she exited the door that led to the hall outside the living room, she noticed Beast Boy playing a video game with…Raven? A little stunned, she hovered quietly to watch them for a second.
"There's a drow spearman at your tail, Rae. I got him," Beast Boy said, Terrafin punching the bad guy and laying him out with a single blow.
Raven smiled, having just taken out a goliath drow and a chompy pod with Cynder's lightning. "Thank you, Beast Boy. Did you need any health? My character is alright and there's an apple over here," she told him. She was really surprised that this game was as fun as it was.
Looking thoughtful, Star drifted through the hall towards the computer room. Sure enough, she found Robin seated at a computer scrolling through pages entirely too fast to be reading them. She knocked on the door frame, calling, "Robin? I'm back."
He jumped and spun the chair around, "Hey, Starfire! You surprised me. I was just wondering when you'd get back." He smiled warmly and gestured to the clothes she was holding. "You found something after all?"
Excited that he noticed, she blushed a little and showed him a baby blue top that was a bit low cut and a pink long-sleeved v-neck. A little sheepish asked, "What do you think?"
Unlike many guys, he actually took the time to look at her new shirts. Then, he said, "I like the pink one best. I think it'll look great on you." He beckoned her into the room and pulled out a chair for her, which she happily accepted.
She arranged her new stuff on an empty portion of the desk. Brow furrowed in contemplation, she wondered aloud, "Robin, do Raven and Beast Boy seem to be getting…closer, to you?"
His face mirrored hers as he replied, "You know, now that you mention it, I think you might be right. After Tara and Malchior, I hope they find happiness if they look for it in each other." He chuckled a little and added, "Although, an odder couple I could not begin to imagine."
Starfire laughed quietly, "I must agree with you, Robin. But is there not an earth saying that 'opposites attract'?"
He smiled and nodded at her, "Yes, there is." He reached over and took her hand, giving it a brief, loving squeeze as he stood up. "I'm going on to bed. May I walk you to your door?" he asked her, the complete picture of a gentleman.
She smiled up at him and got to her feet, gathering her clothes with her free hand.
Once outside her door, he cupped his hand under her chin and brought her face closer to his, gently kissing her in a way that made every part of her tingle from the top of her head to her toes. She responded eagerly to his kiss and felt him smile against her lips.
He let go of her chin and sighed in a contented way that made her feel almost as good as his kiss. "I was thinking we could go out tomorrow night, if you wanted," he said.
"That would make me very happy indeed, Robin," she said, immediately thinking she would wear her new pink shirt.
The boy wonder grinned and said, "Good. Night, Starfire." He kissed her forehead, then turned for his room.
Starfire entered her own floating. She laid her new things across the chair, then drifted slowly on to her bed to lay for a bit before getting ready for some sleep. Silky was curled up on one of her pillows. She smiled at his snoozing form and said, "Perhaps we are not a showy couple like Kid Flash and Jinx. That is ok. We know what we have, and that is good enough."
Before she went to sleep, she sent a message to Jinx's communicator:
"Friend Jinx. Yes, I do know exactly how it is."
AN: Aaand, there is chapter two.
Again, I am soooo sorry it took this long. I swear I will get the next chapter out faster. I just had a lot of school stuff come up, and then my grandpa is not doing well. On the bright side, at least it was a good long chapter. Does that earn me a little forgiveness?
Alrighty, now for a part I bet you guys will love. I know what I am doing for chapter 3, but I'm going to give you a choice for chapter 4. Would you like to see: A) Disney Night; or, B) Michael (Jackson) Night. You can cast your vote in a PM or by leaving it in your review of this chapter. Look for a clue about who won in the next chapter.
Finally, I am still getting use to writing for some of the characters, so bear with me if I fumble with them for a few chapters. I'll get the hang of them eventually, I promise.
Later guys!
PS. If anyone wants to draw or create something based on this fic, you have my permission to go for it, but please link it to the story and send me a link to your creation so I can see it. :D