"Raven….," Beast Boy hisses, tip-toeing his way through the dank and dark sewer after me. He isn't alone. Terra is sneaking along beside him, just as pensive and edgy. "Do you have any clue where we're headed here?"

I march forward. I lead the path. And I groan: "Robin gave me charge over this branch of the team."

"So?"

"If we get lost…let me worry about it."

"Th-Then are we lost?" Terra bites her lip.

I grit my teeth. "We are alive…which is the least I can say about you if you keep interrupting my concentration."

"What concentration? Just what are you doing exactly?"

"I'm extending my senses beyond the turns in the tunnels of this sewer. If my calculations are right—"

"Hehehehehe," Beast Boy hoarsely giggles.

"……," I turn my head and glare back at him.

He wipes a tear from his eye, smiling. "Sorry….just you saying 'calculations'. You sound sooooo much like Cyborg."

"Hehehehe!" Terra utters beneath a breath. "Good call, B.B.!"

They high-five.

"……….," an artery pulsing in my temple, I turn and glare ahead. "I should leave you to the rats."

"We heard that."

"I know."

"How's this going to solve the mystery of the missing wax museum pieces? I mean…," Beast Boy shrugs and continues to test my nerves. "….it's too hot and stinky down here to keep any Marlon Brando statuettes solid for long."

"You are….breaking….my concentration….," I snarl.

"Rest easy a little, Raven!" Terra smiles. "What's the worst that could happen?"

SLOSSSSH! We fall down an inclined pipe in the dark that cascades with frothing sewer water down for a full flight and into the muck of the dark abyss below.

SPLASH!

I submerge, come up for air, and regret doing so…for my first breath is full of stench.

I close my eyes. Meditate. And try to calm down.

And then Terra and Beast Boy fall on me.

SPLOOSH! SPLASH!

Followed a split second later by their screams.

"DAAAAH!"

"WAAAAIEE!"

We all three come up, gasping. Sputtering.

Terra bites her lip. "If I inhale…..another breath….nngh….I-I'm going to cry….."

Beast Boy sniffs. "W-Way ahead of you."

"Mmm….," I hum and lower the hood of my cloak. My hair sopping wet, I clench my fists and wade forward through the sewer system. "We are moving forward. We are making process. And we are not distracting me…."

"Oh yeah!" Beast Boy rolls his eyes and barks at me from behind. "Blame it on me that you're a little tangle-foot and send us all tripping to our darkened slide of doom!"

"When I get home…," I start to hiss. "I will be taking a long shower….using soap….made from the ashes….of your ROASTED BODIES!" The last words of my exclamation are accompanied by a four-red-eyed glare in their direction.

Beast Boy is already hugging Terra, his eyes widely set on me as are hers.

"………..," he whimpers. "I think I soiled myself."

Terra mutters: "Does it matter here?"

We press on.

I moving forward.

The two of them following behind.

And suddenly….a huge spotlight illuminates us.

FL-FLASH!

I wince and hold an arm up, braving the brightness.

Terra and Beast Boy likewise wince.

"Wh-Whoah!"

"What the…?"

"Well…..come into my junkpile said the spider to the fly!" and obese voice floats toward us.

Beast Boy winces. "Oh jeebus…that voice…"

"Huh?" Terra innocently blinks, batting some water out of her ears. "Who's that?"

"Just perfect," I groan. I call out to the brightness: "Why don't you come out of the light so we can see you, Control Freak?"

Th-Thwoosh! The rotund rat leaps down and stands on a bricklaid platform above the underground sewage. He leans on a random pipe and smirks, twirling a remote in his hands. "So….the Teen Titans got themselves a new tomboy! What, wasn't your rosters angsty enough with you on the crew, Raven?"

"Hey!" I snarl….surprised as much as Terra is that she snarled the same thing at the same time as me.

"Hehehehehehe!" Control Freak twirls like a lopsided ballet dancer and strikes a Klingon pose. "The mimicry is strong with this one!"

"Stealing wax ornaments, Control Freak?" I frown.

"More like…..RENTING! Those priceless figurines deserve a better home!"

"One as filthy at this?" Terra snaps. She frowns. "Heh….guess wax sacks of a feather flock together, creep!"

I hold a hand up. "Quiet, Terra, I can handle this…."

"Hrumph!"

"Trust her, Terra…," Beast Boy whispers to the blonde newcomer to our team. "Raven knows what she's doing…"

"I see that you little mynocks need to respect my pond a bit more!" Control Freak smirks and fingers his remote.

Beast Boy: (to Terra) "Raven's brave….."

The obese villain aims his remote at the water and clicks. "Let's see if you outlive the Apocalypse faster than my little friends!"

CLICK!

Beast Boy: (to Terra) "She knows exactly what to….d-do….."

SPL-SPLOOOOOOSH!

RUMMMMBLE!

A cockroach suddenly enlarges to the size of a commuter bus and looms before us, tossing and flaying its mandibles: "SKREEEEEEEE!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Control Freak cackles. "Scatter, Titans! Scatter!"

I grit my teeth. "Terra…..Beast Boy…." I get into a fighting position. "Listen to me carefully…"

Facing the big bug, Terra and Beast Boy mimic my stance and raise their fists.

"Follow my orders to the period," I hiss…glaring with menace at the bug.

"SKREEEEEEEEEE!"

I take a deep breath. "………….FLEE!"

I turn and run.

Sploosh-Sploosh-Sploosh-Sploosh!

"………..," Beast Boy blinks.

"……….," Terra blinks.

They look at each other.

Terra simpers: "I-I like her strategy."

Beast Boy nods. "She's the best."

"SKREEEEEEEE!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Sploosh-Sploosh-Sploosh-Sploosh!

STOMP!-STOMP!-STOMP!-STOMP!

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"