Chapter 9

Five minutes later, Beast Boy returned with two plastic bags full of chips, cookies, and soda. Once they were in the air, he wasted no time digging into his stash.

"Want some?" he asked Raven over the intercom, his mouth full.

"Pass," she replied cooly.

A few minutes of silence elapsed.

"So, uh... what did you think of that movie we watched the other night?"

"You mean the giant robot movie you and Cyborg made us all watch two weeks ago?"

"Was that two weeks ago?" Beast Boy asked. "Huh. Feels like it was yesterday. And it was the awesome giant robot movie we made you watch, thank you very much."

"Right," Raven drawled.

More silence.

"So... read any good books lately?"

The next half hour passed the same way. Every few minutes, Beast Boy would ask a question. Raven would supply a one word answer. Clearly he wasn't getting the message that she wasn't in the mood to talk.

Finally, he seemed to give up. Another half hour passed in complete, peaceful silence. Raven dutifully scanned the ground and checked the sensors, answering Robin's call when it came.

Eventually, Beast Boy broke the silence.

"Raven?" he asked.

"What?" she replied monotonously.

"Have you, uh, seen anything yet?"

"Don't you think you would have heard about it if I had?" she countered.

"Oh, uh, right." He gave a nervous laugh.

A few more minutes passed.

"Raven?" he asked again.

"Beast Boy, I'm starting to realize you can't go without talking for five minutes," she ground out hotly.

"Not really!" he replied, half-whining. "This trip is so boring!"

"It's not supposed to be a vacation. We're supposed to be finding Plasmus."

"I know, but we could at least talk about something. I've been trying for the last hour!"

"I'm well aware," she replied dryly.

"Yeah, well it hasn't been much of a conversation with your one-word answers!"

"Maybe because I don't want to have a conversation."

Beast Boy made a noise of offense, but was quiet for a few seconds. "Cyborg should have put an entertainment system in these things."

"Don't you have an i-something?"

"iPad. And I forgot it," he sighed. After a few seconds, she sensed a burst of excitement from his pod. Oh, fantastic, she thought sarcastically, anticipating whatever dumb idea he was about to propose.

"Hey Raven, why don't we play a game? You know, like kids do on road trips!"

"I don't know, why don't we? It sounds like such fun." Her sarcasm came out flatter than usual.

"Oh, come on Raven! It will be!" She could tell the wheels were turning in his head. "What do you want to play? I-spy? Would you rather? ...Wait, I've got it! Twenty questions!"

Words couldn't express Raven's aversion to playing a game with Beast Boy. "I'm not playing foolish games with you," she said firmly.

"Seriously Raven, you'll have fun, I promise!" He was quiet for a second. Evidently he was developing another idea.

"Hey, why don't we just ask each other questions? That's not really a game, right? I'll ask you ten questions and you can ask me ten questions. It's like twenty questions, only not exactly."

Raven simply stared at him over the video screen.

"What? It's a good idea! You've said before we don't really know each other that well anymore."

"I didn't say anything about wanting to change that status," Raven mumbled.

"We're stuck together on this trip for who knows how long. We might as well make the most of it. Besides, if my memory is correct, you have a little secret that you want to be kept, no?" he hinted mischievously.

Raven sighed. There are worse ideas he could come up with, she reasoned to herself. This one wasn't completely unbearable. It would be nice to get to know him a little better. As she let the thought sit on her mind, she realized it was true.

"Fine. Though this is the last thing you'll get out of that blackmail." She eyed him contemptuously.

"Sweet!" Beast Boy shouted, pleased with his victory. "Ok, here are the rules: I'll start by asking a question, then we'll alternate until we've asked 10 questions each, which, if I can do math correctly—" Raven raised a brow— "adds to 20 questions total."

"What if I don't want to answer one?"

"Uh, you can have one pass and so can I. But no asking embarrassing or personal questions." He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Somehow I'm not worried that I'll be asking those kinds of questions." She gave him a pointed look, which he ignored.

"Alright, since the game was my idea, I'll go first. So Raven," he asked, taping his finger on his chin as he thought, "if you could trade superpowers with someone for a day, who would it be?" He grinned, pleased with his question.

"I wouldn't," she replied cooly. "My powers are too difficult to control. I wouldn't place that burden on anyone else."

"Seriously, Raven?" he asked, startling her. "It's the first question and you're already ruining the game. This is pretend. It's never gonna happen. So whose powers do you want?"

She scowled at him. "Fine. I suppose I would trade with Herald. He can travel anywhere he wants effortlessly and has a quiet dimension of his own. That's more than I can say for Titan's Tower," she said, glancing at Beast Boy.

"Hey, it's mostly quiet. We give you your precious 'alone time' to meditate and do whatever it is you do." He paused expectantly for a second. "Okay Raven, it's your turn."

She thought for a second. She had no idea what to ask. "Um, what's your favorite food?"

"Easy," he scoffed. "Pizza. Veggie lovers, extra cheese."

"Really? I thought for sure it would be tofu," she said wryly.

"Nope. I like tofu as a substitute for meat, but nothing beats a melty, cheesy slice of pizza!" He grinned. "Speaking of pizza..."

"We're not stoping," Raven snapped.

"Okay, okay, worth a shot." He furrowed his brows in thought. "Hmm, my turn again... okay, I've got one I've always wanted to know, and no lying!" He narrowed his eyes. "Have you ever thought any of my jokes were funny?"

Raven rolled her eyes while she contemplated how to answer. She didn't want to inflate his ego, or worse, incur more joke-telling, but she didn't want to flat out lie either.

"I suppose a few of them haven't been completely unbearable," she conceded, but was quickly cut off by Beast Boy.

"Seriously?! I knew you thought I was funny! Which one's your favorite? Animals crossing the road? Ooh, what about the cookie and the doctor? Or—"

"Beast Boy I didn't say you were funny!" Raven shouted over his excitement. "Just because some of your jokes weren't totally lame doesn't mean—"

"Aww, admit it Raven! You think I'm hilarious!" he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Raven rolled her eyes again. "Yeah. A regular comedian." She simmered unhappily as Beast Boy continued to talk. Finally she thought of something that might shut him up. "Isn't it my turn to ask a question?"

"Why yes, it is! Shoot." Beast Boy crossed his hands behind his head contently.

"Why do you always try and annoy me? It usually doesn't end well for you," she added with a note of menace.

"I'm not trying to annoy you, Raven," he said, still grinning. "I'm trying to be friends with you."

Raven's expression shifted from one of irritation to one of confusion. Beast Boy elaborated.

"You're off on your own a lot and you can deny it all you want, but no one wants to be alone all of the time. I want you to know you have a friend if you need one," he said mildly with a shrug. Raven was taken aback. Here Beast Boy was, sounding kind and mature and very thoughtful. Beast Boy.

"I, um... thanks," she said, giving him a small smile. "I never thought about it that way."

"I wish you had. It would have been a lot better for my health!" Even Raven grinned at that. The game seemed stiff at first, with Beast Boy trying to engage her as she tried to keep the conversation moving, but it was falling into a more comfortable place. "Ok, my turn. Hmm... so I know that with your powers you can sense people, but can you like, read people's minds?"

Raven considered the question. "No, not exactly. I can sense a persons location if they're nearby, and any strong emotions, but I can only make contact with their minds with intense concentration. It's not like I pick up stray thoughts. I also have to be very in-tune with their mind beforehand to try it."

"So when you went inside Robin's head..."

"It took a lot of focus and power. It's not something I would be able to do everyday. My powers reacted to my increased emotions in the heat of the moment."

"Oh," Beast Boy responded. "Well, that's a relief. I wouldn't want you poking around in my head!"

"I would be scared of what I'd find," Raven retorted wryly.

"Humph!" Beast Boy snorted. After a few seconds of silence, he prodded her. "It's your turn, you know."

"I was hoping you'd forget," she sighed, but set her mind on formulating a question. "What's your favorite memory?"

Unlike the previous questions, to which Beast Boy immediately blurted an answer, only silence came from his part of the ship.

"That's a little personal," he finally said in a soft voice.

"Beast Boy," Raven said hesitantly, "I respect your privacy. I didn't mean to—"

"No, it's okay," he reassured her, though his voice was still heavy. "Most people's favorite memory isn't so... bittersweet." He paused and Raven waited patiently for him to continue. "I guess I don't have a specific moment. My parents are my favorite memory," he said gently. Raven looked at his face. He was looking out the window away from her, but she saw sadness in his eyes. "It was the time I spent when we were happy. And normal."

Raven had a very limited knowledge about Beast Boy's past. About any of her teammate's pasts, really, because they never talked about it. Ironically enough, they all knew the most about hers. Raven, the most secretive member on the team. Beast Boy had had a family once, but he was alone when the Titans met. She could only guess at what had happened, and from the look in his eyes, she wasn't going to find out today.

"I'm sorry. About whatever happened," she managed quietly. She didn't handle others' grief well and the current situation made her unsure and uncomfortable.

He turned his eyes back to the screen and gave her a small but genuine smile. "Thanks, Rae." He forced the last traces of the bittersweet nostalgia from his face and continued. Just as quickly as he had gone from his usual, boisterous self to being so downtrodden, he bounced back up into a lighter mood, ready to put the past behind him.

"Now," he said, "question number four..." He tapped an index finger against his chin. Suddenly, Beast Boy's face broke into a mischievous grin. "Alright, Raven, which member of the Titans do you think is the hottest?"

Raven shot Beast Boy a glare as if to say, "are you serious?" but couldn't help it when her lip turned up in one corner.

"Come on, is it Speedy? Bushido? Robin?" he asked, wiggling his brows.

"Aqualad." Raven smirked. "Hands down."

The look on Beast Boy's face was one of jealousy and shock. Priceless, Raven thought as she took it in. Was he really expecting me to say his name?

"Seriously?!" he exclaimed. "What is everyone's obsession with that guy? He lives underwater and smells like fish!"

"He does not smell like fish," Raven replied. "He's clever, brave, kind, and he's got a great set of abs," Raven said soberly.

Beast Boy spluttered for a few seconds, giving Raven an immense satisfaction. He wants to ask dumb questions? she thought. Fine. He better be ready for the answers.

Beast Boy, now recovered, went on the defensive. "Aqualad has nothing on me. Did you know that Teen Scene did a survey about which Titan you would want to date and fifty four percent of girls picked me?" he asked with pride.

"No, I didn't, but thanks for the data, Starfire." she replied sarcastically. "Besides, I doubt that survey was accurate."

"It was in the issue I was on the cover of," Beast Boy admitted.

"And the truth comes out." She smirked as she checked the monitors and scanned the ground again, thinking all the while. After a pause she asked, "Beast Boy, if you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?"

"Japan," he answered with a grin. Raven raised a brow. "Yeah, I know we've already been to Tokyo, but I'm cool with the tried and true." He stared into the clouds as he shared his fantasy. "I'd study with a few samurais, pick up an awesome ninja sword or two, then finish up in Tokyo in comic book heaven. Now that the whole Brushogun thing is over with," he amended.

"Yeah, I'm pretty much over Tokyo," Raven drawled, recalling their 'vacation.'

"Well, where would you go?" Beast Boy asked.

"Is that an official question?"

"Sure. But your favorite bookstore doesn't count," he replied playfully.

"Trust me, I'm aware that the world is much larger than Jump city." She thought for a moment. "Somewhere in Egypt or the Middle East. I could learn a lot about Earth's history."

"Why would you want a history lesson?" Beast Boy asked disdainfully.

"Because I like to be well-educated," she shot back. "And because I find Earth's history and culture to be interesting."

"Whoa, you sounded like Starfire! You always seem so knowledgeable. It's hard to remember you're not from Earth."

"I don't like to be naïve. I've read a lot. And my mother is from Earth, so she told me stories when I was younger."

"Your mom was from Earth? Wait, your mom is from Earth? Your mom is alive?!"

Raven clenched her teeth, angry at herself for mentioning what she did. She should have realized the door she was opening.

"I believe it's my turn to ask a question," she said forcefully.

"Fine. Ask one."

"Um...uh... what's your favorite color?" she blurted out in desperation.

"Green," he shot back without blinking. "Now what about your mom?"

"Pass," Raven replied cooly after a few seconds.

"Pass? You just told me your mom was alive! Why have you never mentioned that? Why have you never gone to see her? Is she still here on—"

"I said pass!" Raven bit out harshly.

Beast Boy clamped his jaw shut. A few moments of awkward silence passed between them. Finally, Raven sighed. "I'm sorry for snapping at you Beast Boy," she said softly. "My mother and I were never very close. Things were... complicated."

"I'm sorry Raven," he replied with his eyes downcast. "I just assumed that your mom..."

"I know. We didn't have the same relationship that you did with your parents," she said with a note of finality, ready to move the conversation in a different direction.

"Well," Beast Boy said, catching her tone, "since you just used your pass, it's your turn to ask another question. And please make it better than 'what's your favorite color.'" He smirked.

Raven shot him a mild glare then contemplated her next question. He waited patiently, checking his monitors and taking the opportunity to check out the ground below. His mention of color brought a question to mind.

"Alright, why are you green?"

Beast Boy smiled. "Ah, you're asking for my origin story."

"Your what?"

"Any superhero who's anybody has a good origin story," he said, like it was obvious. "Well, since I know a lot of yours, I guess it's only fair I tell you some of mine.

"When I was little, I lived in Africa with my parents, who were biologists. We spent years there while they did their research. One day I was bit by a monkey and contracted a deadly virus. In an attempt to save me, my parents injected me with altered animal DNA, because the disease wasn't fatal to animals. That's what gave me my ability to shape shift. The virus is what turned my skin green."

Raven was silent. She stared out the windshield, brow furrowed. He's been through a lot too, she realized. She knew that none of their stories were happy, as they were all on their own when the team formed, but to hear the details...

"Pretty freaky, huh?" Beast Boy asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

"We're all pretty freaky," she said softly.

"That's for sure," he muttered with a smile. "Well, I suppose it's my turn." His brows drew together as he thought.

"Don't think too hard, your brain isn't used to all of that activity. You could pull something," Raven warned.

"Ha ha," he shot back with a glare. "Seriously, though, I can't think of... wait, I've got it!" He beamed. "Tell me about how you go incognito around Jump City. You know, with the wig and all?"

Here we go, Raven thought flatly. "Haven't we already been through this?"

"Yeah but I want the details. How long have you been doing it?"

"A few months. But I don't go out very often."

"And what do you do when you're out?"

"That's two questions."

"Can I please have two turns in a row? You can take the next two."

Raven sighed. "Fine. I usually do normal, human things. Like going shopping at the supermarket or the bookstore or getting something to eat. I just like being anonymous."

"You already told me that before I blackmailed you," he said shamelessly. "Give me more details."

She narrowed her eyes at him, but continued. "I have a cafe that I like to go to. They know me there. Well, they know Rachel there. Wednesday nights they have a small band that plays. I try and go when I can for a cup of tea. Other than that it really is boring errands. Satisfied now?"

"Yep! Seriously though, I should have gotten a picture of that! It's hilarious!"

She glared, but went on the offensive. "And what about you? You asked me about my activities outside of the tower—I'll return the favor. Why do you and Cyborg feel the need to make asses of yourselves every Friday and Saturday night?"

"Ouch! That's a little harsh," he said defensively, but grew serious. "I don't really know. I guess I just like to have fun and be carefree sometimes, you know? Just live in the moment and not worry about fighting and bad guys and being a superhero. You put on a wig and run errands, I go get drunk in a nightclub. It's how I feel normal."

Although the logic made little sense to her, it was more insightful than she would have expected. She had to admit, playing this 'game' had been interesting. She was discovering a lot about Beast Boy. Mostly that somewhere under the child he wore on the outside was a thoughtful, insightful young man. She just hadn't talked to him alone for long enough to see him come out yet.

"Okay, your turn again," he said, a little lighter.

"Right. Give me a minute to think of something." She wracked her brain for another probing question, but nothing would come. Beast Boy tapped his fingers on the controls theatrically.

"That's not helping," she chastised.

"Come on, Raven, you're taking forever!"

"Give me a minute."

She turned her eyes skyward as she thought. This was her opportunity to keep an intelligent conversation going between herself and Beast Boy.

"Raven!" he exclaimed from his pod.

"I told you I'm—"

"No, look!"

Raven immediately looked towards the ground. A burst of adrenaline shot through her as she took in what was below. Houses, barns, and fences were torn up in a clear path. She could even spot purple goo in a few spots.

"Definitely Plasmus," Raven concluded. "I'll call Robin."

"No time!" Beast Boy shouted. "There he is!"

Sure enough, they were coming up on a small town that appeared to be in a state of chaos. Raven brought her ship down hard, feeling her stomach turn from the quick decent. She now flew over the tops of buildings, making her way towards the epicenter.

Standing in the town square was Plasmus, screeching and pouring sewer water into his mouth from pipes ripped from underground. The local police department surrounded him, though at a distance. They shot a variety of weapons at him, but all proved ineffective.

"What's the plan?" Beast Boy's voice sounded over the intercom.

"With Plasmus, all we can do is hit him hard and hit him fast."

"Great," Beast Boy huffed. "I'll circle around and hit him from the other side. Distract him for me."

"I'm on it," Raven replied. She brought her ship down on a side street and flew towards the center of town. She could see Beast Boy touching down on Plasmus' other side.

Raven didn't know how to get his attention; the witty one-liners were usually Robin's job. So she initiated the battle nonverbally.

Hands encased in her cool black energy, she lifted two street lights and turned them on their sides.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" she cried, thrusting them towards Plasmus' core and skewering him. She heard the gasps of the bystanders who knew nothing of his regenerative nature nor of Raven's presence.

Plasmus, on the other hand, let out a deafening screech. Raven flew higher and closer, levitating at the creature's eye level. "Plasmus," she drawled as he turned towards her. "Leaving Jump City so soon?"

At that he began blasting globs of his purple self at her. She expertly dodged them, weaving through the air as she flew closer. Hands drew together in front of her, she sent a blast of energy at his middle and flew through it, leaving a gaping hole between his two street lamp skewers. She looped up and hovered directly above him, powers reaching for various objects.

She took hold of mailboxes, flower pots, signs, and benches, pulling them into the air and pummeling Plasmus in a shower of projectiles. Raven thought her ears were going to bleed as he continued to screech. Of all the villains...

She grabbed one last trash can and threw it at him, then headed towards the street she came from. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Beast Boy, in human form, run into the town square. Good, she thought, I'm loosing energy fast.

She turned back towards Plasmus as he melted into the ground and reformed himself, leaving the objects previously embedded in him on the pavement. He shot his arms at her, extending them into streams of goo. She dodged them again, but just barely. Thankfully, Beast Boy reared up behind him as a T-rex, eliciting more gasps from onlookers. Plasmus turned to look behind him, but not in enough time to avoid Beast Boy's blow. With a flick of his tail, he cut the purple creature in two, forcing him to reform yet again.

Raven watched from the street as Beast Boy engaged him, waiting to build a little more strength. Her partner was doing well though, and hadn't needed her help.

Just then, Plasmus hit Beast Boy with one of his blasts, forcing him back to his human form. Never mind, Raven sighed. She raised her hands and centered her mind, preparing to chant her mantra and take action.

Before she even said a word, a hand clamped over her mouth from behind. Another snaked it's way around her waist, her captor restraining her against his strong body. Raven thrashed and struggled against him, but whoever it was had a solid hold.

"Don't worry," an all-too-familiar voice whispered melodically in her ear. "It's only me."

Raven's stomach clenched and her body went cold from head to toe. The voice was cold, taunting, and frightening.

And it was definitely Slade's.