203. Gray Days part 3 Final
Di-Ding!
"Hello! Welcome to Carman's Dinerwhoah. You guys?"
"Hey, Lindsay."
"You aren't busy, are you?"
"Uhm…j-just waiting on two tables right now. Business is kinda slow this time of day, but it should pick up in an hour or two."
"How long's your shift for?"
"Till nine. Why do you ask? Is something up?"
"We just love hanging around with you, girl!"
"Well, if you guys don't mind. I kinda sorta have to do my job. I can't talk much."
"Eh…Carman's a sweet guy. He'll understand."
"Antoine's right. When's your boss ever yelled at you?"
"That's because I've never slacked off. And I'm not about to! Now excuse me—"
"Hold on, girl!"
"I'm serious, Lillian. I gotta—"
"We stopped by your apartment earlier, looking for you. Your mom said that you were working. So we came here. But not without delivering this…"
"…….wh-what is this? A package?"
"Your mom said it came in the mail for you while you were gone. There's no return address."
"Eeep! I know nothing about it! Gosh…I bet Mom threw a fit."
"Antoine sweet-talked her out of any suspicion. We supposed it was a secret admirer. Who's a parent to get in the middle of that!"
"Er…..y-you didn't have to do that guys. I have no secret admirers. I don't know who could have sent me that—"
"Maybe a certain fish-tailed hunk?"
"…………"
"Hehehehe. What does Carman say about blushing while on the clock?
"Don't you guys have jobs of your own?"
"Eh."
"Hasn't occurred to us."
"What a wyrd economy we live in…."
"Well, we're gonna go check on Bonnie. Want to give us a call later? It's Saturday night! We should do something…."
"Assuming all the theatres are back open. Man….I don't think Bayside Plaza's ever gonna be the same…."
"Uh….okay. I'll do that. But—please! Take this thing with you! I don't want a creep package lying around in Carman's diner! It's….icky."
"You'd better hang onto it, Lindsay. Or else Bonnie's gonna think we got her a present."
"She's lying on the couch in her house with her leg still in a couch and you guys still aren't giving her a present?"
"Well, Antoine's got a Babylon 5 tape he was bringing…."
"Was not!"
"Hehehe. We'd better go, Lindsay. You take care."
"Sure thing, Lillian."
"Cya, Lindsay!"
"Goodbye, girl!"
"See ya, Jack! Antoine!"
"Bye!"
"Bye!"
D-Ding!
"……………………………………….ick…..cardboard paper…….is a Christian schoolgirl stalker material these days or something?"
T-T-T-T-T-T-
November 20, 2004
Titan's Tower
Saturday
3:45 pm
T-T-T-T-T-T-
"Okay, Raven….," Cyborg walked across the huge training gym of the Tower's insides and planted a hand on the dark girl's shoulder. "Are you ready?"
"……..," Raven looked up. Her cloak was off. She stood in her black leotard. She took a deep breath. "Yes….."
Cyborg smilied slightly. He nodded, turned, and walked back towards the other end of the room.
Starfire and Beast Boy stood side by side in uniform. Watching. Patient….
"This will test your ability to use extreme, telekinetic powers on large objects…," Cyborg walked over to a huge, metal block. It was a gigantic cube of solid, industrial metal. The dark-gray surface was broken and lined with scrappy fissures. "We've all seen you move entire semi trucks and small yachts….but often in such cases, you've had some sort of kinetic energy or momentum on your side." He palmed the metal surface. A resounding echo filled the chamber. The hulking, metal object had to have weighed at least a ton and a half. "Today….you will be weightlifting. Weightlifting with your mind. And we're not talking about hollow vehicles that happen to be in your vicinity." He gestured to the huge metal cube…..
…and then gestured to an identical, equally heavy and hulking block of metal on the other side of the training area.
"We're talking about dense, intensely strong material. Spread apart. And certainly not child's play."
"I don't see any children here…," Raven droned.
"……..," Cyborg smirked. He turned to Beast Boy and Starfire. He nodded.
"Got it, dude," Beast Boy cracked his knuckles, morphed into a huge gorilla, and bounded over to the block opposite of the cube Cyborg was palming.
The Titan leader looked over. "Star?"
"Y-Yes?"
He pointed to a thick, silver cylinder on the floor. Like a heavy pole. "You know what do with that, right?"
"Yes, sir," She nodded.
Cyborg closed his eye, sighed, and smiled; "You don't have to call me….'sir'."
She bit her lip.
"Remember me? Cyborg?"
"Victor?"
"Heheheheh," Cyborg half-shrugged. "That'll do too."
Starfire smiled gently. "Affirmative…," she flew over and effortlessly lifted the huge cylinder with her alien strength.
"Nrghh….," the green gorilla uttered.
"Stand by," Cyborg said. He gripped the bottom edges of his huge block and looked over at Raven. "You ready, girl?"
Raven took a deep breath. She flexed her petite arms with the inhalation of her lungs. She then relaxed….closed her eyes….and folded her fingers meditatively. Standing on the far side of the room with either block ahead and on either side of her….the dark girl nodded.
"Okay, Beast Boy. On the count of three!"
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos…."
"One!"
"Azarath…..Metrion……Zinthos….."
"Two!"
"Azarath…………Metrion…………..Zinthos………"
"THREE!"
Cyborg strained. He lifted with his legs and let his bionic strength raise the huge, hulking block.
The green gorilla on the other side gritted his pointed teeth and lifted with emerald, burly muscles as well.
Both blocks rose up parallel to each other in the middle of the training room.
Starfire took a breath and flew up with her cylinder. THWOOOSH! As Raven meditated, the Tamaranian girl hovered between the two lifted blocks and positioned the cylinder so that both of its silver ends popped tightly into a hole in the facings of the cubes. The thing looked like a huge, disproportionate pair of dumbbells or lifting weights.
"It is fastened!" Starfire exclaimed. "The weights are joined!"
"Now, R-Raven!" Cyborg strained.
The dark girl's eyes flashed open. Bright, glowing gray. She flexed her fingers forward: "Azarath…..Metrion….ZINTHOS!"
FLASH!
Black energy encased both huge blocks. The two black-metal-boxes shook and wobbled for a second in the air until the ink-like energy covered them both and the cylinder between them. They became a cohesive body of heavy metal, secured perfectly in the center of the room.
Cyborg looked at Beast Boy.
The gorilla looked back.
Both nodded…and drew away from the metal blocks. Letting go and taking a few, sweaty breaths.
And Raven was floating the huge pair of weights. Levitating in the center of the room. Hovering in black, glass-like darklight.
Raven gnashed her teeth. Her whole body hunched over and her very fingers shook with bolts of black dancing off her digits. She struggled and strained and shook with the convulsing effort. Her temples throbbed and her whole face became like a tensely wrapped sheet of plastic over bone.
"Nnnngh…..nnnn-nnnngh!"
Beast Boy shrunk back into an elf. He gazed up at the two hovering gibraltars of metal and uncontrollably burped; "Whoah…."
Stomp!
Cyborg stood forward and pumped a fist. "Boo-ya! You got it, Rae! Don't let go! Concentrate! Concentrate!"
Beast Boy smiled and joined in. "Yeah! Go for the record!"
"Just one minute for now! Keep it steady! Keep it going!"
"You're doing great, girl!"
Starfire floated down and stood besides the two Titan boys. "Ode to the hooray! Do not desist, Raven! The two metal masses float most magnificently from your brain fingers!"
"Nnngh….I-I…..don't n-need you…..," Raven hissed. She sweated from her brow to her shoulders to her chest. "…t-to coach me!"
"We're just rooting for you girl!" Cyborg smiled and called out. "Keep focused! You got it!"
"Uhhh….dude?" Beast Boy pointed and gently muttered to Cyborg. "I don't think she got it…."
Cyborg bit his lip.
The metal blocks were starting to tilt side-to-side. Unevenly. Wobbling in mid-air.
Raven's legs started to buckle and her arms trembled. Her temples looked about to explode in two successive bursts.
"Hoo boy…..," Cyborg whispered.
"GO RAVEN!" Starfire leapt like an alien cheerleader and clasped her hands together. "Mind over metal shall succeed! He he he he heee!"
Cyborg put on a brave smile and joined the Tamaranian in shouting: "Just a little bit longer, Raven! You can lift more than this! This is just a snapshot of what your strength can really do! So chin up and kick ass!"
"I…..I'm doing that….can't you see!" Raven hissed.
The metal cubes started to teeter more and more….
Beast Boy bit his lip. He whistled innocently and stepped back with raised hands. "I'm out," he whispered.
Cyborg nudged him.
Whap!
"Ow!"
Starfire giggled: "Go Raven! Go Raven! Go--"
"Nnnnghaaaah!"
FLASH!
CRUNCH!
"……………….—Raven?"
Starfire blinked.
She and the boys looked, their shoulders slumping.
The two cubes had fallen hard to the training room floor. Forming cracks in the ground. The cylinder had detached and it rolled with cold echoing sounds to a stop by the leftmost cube.
Raven fell to her knees far away. Panting. The bangs of her hair a soggy mess.
"………….yeah…well….," Beast Boy planted his hands on his hips and smiled up at Cyborg. "Quite the throwdown, huh?"
"……….," Cyborg glared.
Beast Boy simpered with a sweatdrop.
Cyborg took a deep breath. He marched over past the cubes and knelt beside Raven. "Hey….are you all right?"
Raven panted, then hissed: "What does it look like?"
"You almost had it going there. Just a little more 'oomph' and you would have—"
"There is no added 'oomph', Cyborg….," Raven swallowed and breathed heavily with a shudder. "My mind can't handle it. The matter I'm trying to levitate is too dense. Too big. If the 'bar' in between them doesn't snap in two, then my head will!"
"That's not gonna happen, Rae!" Cyborg gently gripped her petite shoulders and lifted her to her feet. "You were concentrating quite find! You know what I think? I think your head's built with a sort of telekinetic gag reflex. Once your head knows that it's lifting far too much than you can chew, it'll cancel out."
"And that's just what happened—"
"No…," Cyborg shook his head. "You gave up!"
"I did not give up!" Raven hissed. Angry, violet eyes.
"Then do it again!" Cyborg pointed. "Show me that you can last longer!"
"This is pointless….," Raven hugged herself and glared towards the floor with a huff. "I fail to see how this will assist me in the public arena. Unless our enemies suddenly develop a fetish for huge blocks of metal—"
Beast Boy smirked and raised a finger: "Ya know…Slade seemed awfully turned on by steel. You forget that?"
"Who asked you?" Raven snapped.
"Heheheh…shutting up now."
Raven fumed. "I just….hate being weak."
A titanium finger under her chin.
Her gaze slowly lifted and met Cyborg's face.
He smiled down at her. "You, Raven? You would consider yourself weak?"
"………"
"How about this for a training session? I keep calling you cutie…and you punt me clear across the City with that head of yours."
Raven blinked.
"Hehehehehe…," Starfire uttered.
Beast Boy folded his arms and smirked.
Raven muttered: "You're a loser."
"Don't you know it?"
Raven sighed. She wiped her brow with a sleeve and gazed at the floor. "Sorry. I should have told you that I was losing my grip of the weights."
"Yes….," Cyborg nodded. "You should have."
She bit her lip.
"But only because we want to help you find a way to meditate better and succeed," he said. "That's what the training is all about."
"Yeah……"
A beat.
Cyborg suddenly brightened. Slowly, he smiled with a secret softness. He whispered: "Let's do it again, Raven. I've got an idea…."
She glanced up at him with a raised eyebrow. "What?"
"Just get into position like last time. Let's start by the book."
"Ugh."
"Well?"
"Fine…fine….hope your idea works….."
"Damn straight, girl. Beast Boy?"
"On it….," and an elf leapt into a green gorilla that treaded over to one cube.
Cyborg walked to the other. He glanced up: "Starfire? Oh, you got it."
She nodded, grabbing the cylinder and flying up into the air.
Raven stood at the far side of the room again. She took a deep breath. She centered herself. Her body relaxed…..
Cyborg and Beast Boy lifted the weights.
Starfire connected the two via the silver cylinder.
A countdown.
A chant.
Glowing gray eyes.
Raven parted her legs, stretched out her arms, gritted her teeth
"Azarath Metrion ZINTHOS!"
Cyborg and Beast Boy let go. Starfire floated away
FLASH!
The huge blocks floated. Wobbling in the air. Encased in black.
Levitating….Levitating…..Levitating……………..shaking……
Raven breathed deeply through her lips like a woman in labor. She then held her breath and concentrated. Her whole face tensed. Her eyes shut tightly. Her arm muscles tightened and—in time with the pulsing of her temples—black tendrils shot out
Flash!-Flash!-Flash!
Raven's shoulders heaved….heaved….heaved….
And suddenly.
A pair of titanium arms wrapped around her waist from behind.
"!" Raven gasped. Her glowing eyes wide. Still levitating the weights, she glanced over her shoulders. "Cy-Cyborg? What?"
"Shhhh….," he whispered gently above her ear and leaned into her back. Hugging her gently. "Keep still."
"………," Raven breathed. Blinking.
"Concentrate……you're not alone……"
Cyborg's left metal hand gently drifted up along her shoulder from behind and wrapped its fingers around her wrist.
"You can do it, Rae. These punk weights are nothing to you…."
"This….Th-This is cheating, Cyborg….," Raven panted. "How can I be 'training' when I'm not alone?"
"Do you ever fight alone in the field?"
"………"
"Be calm, Raven. Concentrate. Keep them up. Keep them in the air…."
"I…..I-I….."
"I know you think you can't. But I'm here to say you can."
"I am also here…," Starfire closed in. She gently hugged Raven's shoulder from the side. "You can do it, Raven."
Beast Boy crept up and warmed Raven opposite of Starfire. "Show us what you got…."
Raven trembled in the group hug of her fellow Titans. She swallowed and breathed raggedly as she strained and strained to keep the weights afloat. "Guys….please….you don't have to do this—"
"We want to, Raven."
"You're our friend. Our teammate."
"And we love you….," Starfire added.
Raven bit her lip. Something shook through her torso and nearly caused her wrists to jerk off angle.
"Don't you see, Raven? Feeling….Feeling gives you strength….."
"I……..I….."
"We're fewer than ever we were before, Raven….," Cyborg said. "Robin died. Tempest and Noir left. But even you have to admit….we're also stronger than we've ever been before…."
Raven's throat was sore. Her eyes glowed brighter. Her wrists relaxed.
The weights stopped wobbling.
Starfire smiled. She lovingly rubbed her cheek against Raven's shoulder. "Heeeee…..you are in the company of warm benevolence, no?"
"…………..," Raven inhaled through her nostrils. "….no."
Starfire and Beast Boy blinked.
Raven's lips were firm. "I am warm….."
And her wrists tightened as her fingers clenched into fists.
She raised her arms.
Cyborg looked over the blue head of Raven as the weights lifted higher and higher into the air.
Towards the ceiling.
Beast Boy's mouth dropped in wonder.
Starfire smiled pleasantly.
Raven clenched her teeth. She brought her two fists together.
The weights were encased in a solid sheet of translucent blackness.
"Nnnnnghhh…..," Raven concentrated…concentrated…..
A breath.
The others kept holding her.
"……..RAUGH!"
Her fingers parted.
CRACK!
The two weights broke through the cylinder, crunched into each other, and imploded.
CRKKKKKKKKKKK!
Raven jerked her elbows back.
The crumpled pieces of metal bowled out into a sphere, spun, and fluttered to the training room floor in a soft pile of dust-fine debris.
Raven slumped back against Cyborg's chest, panting. The android Titan gently hugged her and stroked her forehead from behind, whispering gently into her ear.
Starfire clapped her hands and jumped up and down. "Hoooray! Finely done! Finely done!"
Beast Boy walked over to the metal dust and scratched his green head of hair. "Well….that'll end a training session uber quick."
Starfire spun and smiled at Raven, her hands clasped together. "Congratulations, Raven!" A beat. Starfire's face melted into concern. "R-Raven?"
The dark girl's eyes were closed. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sniffed a few times and hiccupped.
Raven was crying.
"Dude…..," Beast Boy walked over, his mouth agape. "Raven….are you okay?"
"It's all right, Raven….," Cyborg patted her shoulder and held her close. "Relax…."
She sniffed. She clung to his shoulder and gazed at the floor. "I….n-never thought it possible…."
"……."
"……."
"G-Giving into feelings…..," Raven shuddered. Averting her eyes from everyone. "I never thought I could do it and not…..put myself….and e-everyone I love in danger….."
Starfire smiled warmly. She brought a finger up and wiped a tear from her green eyes before gently cooing: "You are not the demon you think yourself to be, Raven. I believe it is time you gradually embraced warmth for what it is. For what it has to offer you."
"I……," Raven clenched her eyes tightly and burrowed her face in her hands before shakily uttering: "I-I love all of you….I r-really do…..I don't ever w-want demons to consume you….."
"And I don't think they ever will, Rae….," Cyborg spoke over her shoulder, holding her tightly. He whispered: "Be happy, Raven. Be happy. At a time when there is so much tragedy—everyone is afforded at least one miracle."
Raven shuddered. She swallowed hard and panted as a few tears trickled through her fingers and down to the floor. She lowered her arms and leaned back against Cyborg. "Th-Thank you…..," she breathed. "Thank you all…."
"Eh…..it was the least we could do," Beast Boy winked. "Now….how about feeling happy with some cheese and crust!"
"Erg?" Starfire blinked.
"PIZZA TIME!"
Cyborg and Starfire chuckled/giggled.
Raven sniffed. Her lips curved slightly….
"Downtown! Let's head on out!"
"Hehehehe! Glorious!"
"Come on, man!" Cyborg half-frowned. "We're always going to that place! Can't we be a bit more original?"
"As long as we get moving! Dang!" Beast Boy tossed his arms. A beat. He brightened, smiled mischievously, and pointed at the dark girl: "I know…..let's let Rae decide!"
"Yes! Hehehe!"
"Whaddya say, Rae?" Cyborg eased back and rested his hands on the girl's shoulders. "Up to some therapy-pizza?"
"Therapy-pizza. My gawds…."
"Shhh! Let Raven speak!"
"………," Raven hugged herself and sighed. A beat. She looked up. Her cheeks were flushed. "Wh-Why should we go out for pizza……?"
"……………………," they all stared at her.
"…………………," she finished: "When we could stay here………….and make it?"
A beat.
Beast Boy blinked. "Dude….make our own pizza?"
"We have never travailed upon doing that before…," Starfire murmured.
"So?" Cyborg shrugged with a smile. "Who says we can't?"
"…….."
"…….."
"……..."
"Can I shower first?" Raven blurted.
"Hehehehehe!"
"Hahahahaha!"
"Heheheheh….sure, Rae."
"Glorious! This shall be of much felicity!"
"Gang way! Elf on a mission! I gotta prep the kitchen!"
"Oh no you don't! You'll conspire to tofu us to death!"
"Owie! Let go of me!"
"We go together, little man! Starfire, help Raven shower er—"
"Hahahahaha!"
"Cyborg?"
"Th-That's not what I meant, Star—"
"Hahahahahaha! Way to go, TEAM LEADER! Perv to the max! At least Robin was a freakin' eunuch compared to you!"
"I meant to say help Raven TO THE shower—"
"I think I can find my bathroom on my own, Cyborg. Thank you very much."
"Hehehe! Cyborg, does your mind linger in the City sewer liquid depository?"
"Huh, Starfire? Oh wait….you mean the gutter?"
"Don't mind him, Star. He's got showering Titanesses on the brain."
"Man, shut up dawg!"
"Ruff! Ruff!"
WHAP!
"Owie!"
"Hehehehehe."
"Allright. Kitchen time. Kitchen BITCHING time!"
"Stop dragging me! RAVEN! HELP!"
"Sorry. We're going to shower."
"What! YACK!"
"Meet you guys upstairs later."
"Heeee!"
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
At Carman's diner.
Break time.
Lindsay sat down at a small table in an even smaller backroom behind the kitchen. She slumped in a chair and let out a huge sigh.
A beat.
She slipped a shoe off and rubbed her heel.
Wincing….wincing…relaxing.
A beat.
The freckled girl looked at the table. Her lips firm.
"……….."
A brown package addressed to her apartment rested in open view where she had left it. Mysterious. Frightening, even….
Lindsay fidgeted.
The clattering of plates sounded off in the background of the eatery.
Carman shouting for orders.
The dinging of the entrance door.
It all surfaced in Lindsay's eardrums before drifting back into the subconscious ambiance yet again.
A beat.
She took a deep breath.
"Well….," she shrugged. "What the He—" Her eyes bulged and clamped a hand over her mouth. A beat. She nervously looked over her shoulder and squeaked: "H-Heck?"
Silence.
She exhaled. She took the package in gentle hands and turned it around a few times before finally grasping the paper and tearing it open. Strip by strip. Side by side.
She sniffed the air subconsciously, as if concerned about an awkward odor coming form the mysterious package. Something that would alert her and force her to immediately wash her hands or toss the package into a garbage can before running for cover from some terrible explosion.
She opened the package further….and nothing happened.
Save for when she had it unwrapped entirely….for that was when she saw the contents inside.
And when she saw the contents inside, she paused. Her lips parted and a breath escaped her. She reached her hands in and cradled in her smooth palms a crystal dolphin ornament. It was sparkly. Clean. Graceful. Bought for a high price.
"Wow…..W-Who…..?"
She barely had time to ask the thin air before the sound of the question itself faded away into oblivion. She turned the dolphin over and found a little, white note tied to the crystal animal's tail by a string.
She turned the note over, unfolded it, and read in tiny, handwritten ink:
'I'm still thinking of you, Lindsay. I am sorry to be gone. But I will not be gone forever. Here is something to show you that you are in my mind. Always.'
She bit her lip. A sniff. She smiled: "It's him………..It is him……"
A beat.
Her eyes traveled down the page more.
'I cannot tell you where I am now. I cannot tell anyone. But please know that I am gone for a purpose. I have found something, Lindsay. Something very important……though I cannot entirely explain it.'
Her lips parted. Concern washed over her eyes as she further read:
'I hear that Noir has left the Titans. If that is so, I can only hope by the whim of Poseidon that I run into him. Noir needs to see this. Something tells me he's the only other Titan right now who isn't blind.'
"Wh-What?" Lindsay exhaled.
'Pray for me, Lindsay. Pray for the Titans. Sincerely, Garth.'
"…………"
She hugged the ornament to her chest.
She exhaled.
A beat.
"………..Be with him, God. In the name of Jesus…I pray….," her throat went sore. "Be with all of us…."
T-T-T-T-T-T-
"Wait! W-W-W-Wait! Don't drop it!"
"I'm not dropping it," Raven droned. "I'm passing it to you!"
"That thing's too big!" Beast Boy fidgeted in a ridiculously large chef's hat. "How can I twirl dough that large!"
"Then change into something bigger and get a stool," Raven said. "I'm tossing it, so you better catch it."
"Uh uh!" Cyborg called out from where he stood on another stretch of kitchen counter space. He was busy spreading cheese over a pan of circular dough prepared earlier. "Don't be having him turn into a gorilla or nothing! I don't want green hairs in my dish!"
"Don't worry. I'll do a velociraptor or something," Beast Boy dragged over a table to the kitchen counter where a huge, crater-like mess of baking powder and kitchen utensils and toppings had formed explosively across the domain. The huge T.V. screen across the Main Room blared with a local band performance. The night was dark and cold outside, whereas everything was cozy: "Un animale senza pelliccia," Beast Boy insisted.
"I was only joking about the stool….," Raven blinked.
Beast Boy giggled. "Raven? Joking? Okay…we're making this pizza extra big! I don't want to survive eating it to see tomorrow morning turn upside down!"
"Hey! Whoa whoah whoah! Not so fast!" Cyborg called out from where he was fixing the first dish. They were all wearing white aprons. "We're not done with the first one yet, dawg! Can't you two wait?"
"You forget, Cyborg!" Beast Boy stood up on the stool. "That's the meaty pizza! This one's the veggie one! In other words…MINE."
"I might have some too," Raven droned.
"Well just don't rush it! Not that it matters much, cuz I'm not eating any of it," Cyborg winked a human eye.
"Har har….," Raven smirked.
Beast Boy clapped his hands together and held his palms out towards Raven. "All right! Put 'er there!"
Raven levitated the baking dough in the air, spread. "Velociraptor or no?"
Beast Boy rolled his green eyes. "Just toss the thing."
"Have it your way….," Raven flicked the dough at him with a black spark of energy.
Beast Boy nearly teetered before he caught it. "Whoah!"
"Easy, little man!"
"HA!" Beast Boy stood evenly on the stool and began tossing the dough overhead. "Crisis averted! Master chef Beast Boy in the house!"
"Did you just say Master Chief?"
"No. Master CHEF. Clean the wax out of your metal holes, dude."
"Uhh…"
FWOOOSH! Starfire flew in with at least six jars of toppings squeezed precariously under her aproned limbs. "Friends! I have brought the top of the pizza in all their homogenous glory! Shall we travail upon spreading them!"
Raven walked over and grabbed a jar or two. "Don't carry so much at once, Star. You'll drop them…"
"I have taken ample measures to be careful!"
"Hey…caution is the way to go!" Beast Boy said, eyeing the wheel of dough as he tossed it. "Look at me! I'm being an example!"
"You'll be a puddle if you don't hush up," Raven said. She set jars onto the counter along with Starfire. "Ready for toppings, Cyborg?"
"Am I ever? LOAD IT!"
"How shall we present the load?" Starfire blinked.
"Already got the first layer of cheese done," Cyborg said.
"Okay then….," Raven nodded. "Uhm….," she reached a clean hand into a jar. "Pepperoni…."
"Jalapenos! Jalapenos!" Beast Boy chirped. "All your jalapenos belong to us!"
"Shut up, man!" Cyborg barked. "This ain't even your pizza!"
"I'm being artistic!"
"Try making an art out of balancing that second dish and shutting the heck up!"
"Hehehehehe….you all ENVY ME for my elite pizzatronic skills!"
"This is your first time making pizza, Beast Boy," Raven droned as she spread slices of green peppers and sausage cuttings. "This is everyone's first time."
"Boo-Ya! Looking good!"
"Hehehehe!" Starfire giggled. "Might I suggest one final topping to complete the glorious edibility?"
"What's that, Star?"
She produced a glowing, gold jar. "The most heavenly nectar!"
"Uh oh…," Raven blinked.
"Ahhh…Star!"
"Planet Gross-Out! Help! We're being invaded by mustard!" Beast Boy cackled.
"Awwww…," Starfire pouted. "You do not share the same taste in fine, Italian ambrosia?"
"Mustard on a pizza, Star?"
"It is not delivery!" the Tamaranian beamed, brandishing the jar. "It is dijonaise!"
"Pfffft," Cyborg keeled over. "Bwa ha ha ha ha ha!"
Beast Boy giggled and nearly dropped the pizza.
Starfire blinked. "Did I say something amiss?"
"Was that a…..pun, Starfire?" Raven smirked.
"Hehehehehe…dude, that kicked so much ass!" Beast Boy shook all over in mid-toss.
"I……I think so?" Starfire blushed.
"Ha ha ha ha…wooo! Gonna be feelin' that for weeks!"
"Here, Star….," Raven took the mustard. "I have a solution."
"Hmmm?"
Raven spread the mustard over two slice-lengths. "These will be the pieces you eat. We'll slice them accordingly to you. Sound fair?"
"Glorious! Thank you, friend Raven!" Starfire giggled.
"I think I'm gonna vomit….," Cyborg moped.
"Save it," Raven capped the mustard jar closed and gestured towards the pizza. "All yours."
"Into the oven with you, foul foodstuff! I hope you emerge a better soul!"
"Less reeking and more roasting."
"Hehehehe!"
"Could you get the oven door for me, Star?"
"Most certainly…," the Tamaranian floated over and opened the lid.
Cyborg slid the pizza into the oven. "Therrrrrrrrre we go. Man, that's gonna be good."
"I had no idea that group cooking would be so enjoyable!"
"The more the merrier…..and the saltier," Beast Boy said.
Raven shook her head. She gazed over across the Kitchen Unit to the T.V. at the end of the Main Room. A beat. Her gentle smile left her as her lips parted. She waved a hand at Starfire. "Starfire! Quick!"
Starfire looked over. "Hmmm?"
"Turn the volume up on the t.v.! Hurry!"
"I shall!" the alien girl uttered in a concerned breath. She flew over to the t.v. station.
Cyborg looked over from closing the oven. His human eye blinking.
Beast Boy gazed up from tossing his dough. His jaw dropped. "Dude…."
Raven drifted over beside Starfire as the volume on the screen rose. The screen displayed the text: "Special Bulletin" beneath shaky footage from a helicopter of a city streets under the shroud of night being spotted with flickering flame and debris. Clusters of squad cars and rescue vehicles gathered around an extravagant building set of statues, palm trees, a Sphinx, and a Pyramid. What looked to be a crashed jet was at the center of the screen.
"This just in. Sources say that an undisclosed number of people are dead after a string of chaotic incidents rocked the streets of Las Vegas. Earlier tonight there was a high speed chase involving multiple crashed vehicles running north along Las Vegas Boulevard and—according to eyewitness reports—a harrier jet has made a crashed landing within the front pavilion of the Luxor Hotel……"
Beast Boy finally let the dough drop and drape over his arms. He watched with a gaping mouth and wide eyes.
Cyborg leaned over the kitchen counter.
Starfire and Raven huddled together. Blinking.
"……whether or not the Harrier jet is connected to incidents of explosions and fiery damage along the northern districts of Las Vegas as well remains to be a mystery. But from the footage being gathered as we speak, the extent of what has transpired recently in the city is enormous and unimaginable. Although it is far too early to estimate, officials are claiming that there has been damage incurred at over a billion dollars in repair. As to who or what caused these strings of chaos, no one is quite yet certain. We shall provide the news to you as quickly as the story develops. Please, keep tuned in."
"X'Hal……how many people were hurt in that….," Starfire murmured, two hands clasped before her sternum.
"Dagger?" Beast Boy breathed. "Could it have been….Dagger?"
"Las Vegas….," Raven droned quietly. A beat. Her eyes widened. She spun around and looked at Cyborg, panting. Horror twitching in her violet eyes.
Cyborg looked back at her just as concerned. But after a while….he shrugged.
Raven took a deep breath. She gazed down to the floor and hugged herself. Swallowing.
Silence…..
T-T-T-T-T-T-
Outside….
The moon shone down clearly over the Tower.
The waves were cold, but they weren't quite as dark.
And over the City, the stars were twinkling through the sky.
The sky…a dark blue.
Clear.