Too Cold For You Here- Raven 5

The skin under Raven's hand may as well have been ice, and that wasn't even the thing that concerned her most. No, it was that Danny had at least 3 inches on Beast Boy, probably a few years too, yet the borrowed jacket could be zipped up with no problem. It shouldn't have been able to fit him.

She was grateful when Cyborg announced they were taking the two kids home.

"To the tower," Robin repeated harshly. "Our home."

"Yes," Cyborg confirmed. "I think we all deserve a little hot chocolate."

Liz hiccupped. "Don't feel obligated to help us. We're doing just fine on our own, thank you very much."

They obviously weren't, but Robin nodded. "The gas station sells hot chocolate-"

"Nonsense," Cyborg cut him off. "That sludge is an offense against flavor; it tastes like burnt water. It'd be criminal to subject you to it."

"Besides, you'll love the tower," Beast Boy said, dropping his shift. "It's all nice and warm, and Cy's hot chocolate is to die for."

Starfire placed her hands lightly on Danny's shoulders and steered him towards where the T-car was parked. Cyborg looped an arm around Liz, and together they shuffled after them. Beast Boy kept a steady flow of conversation, explaining the Tower's best amenities.

Robin watched them go with a sour expression. "Sure, fine, let's take total strangers home with us; that sounds like a swell idea."

Neutrally, Raven pointed out, "They can't stay out here; it's too cold. You saw what they were wearing- they need help."

"I'm not saying they don't, but there's about five other places I could think to take them before even considering bringing them to the Tower. But no, they're coming home with us because Cyborg says so, and he makes all the calls now, apparently." He didn't wait for Raven to respond, trailing after the team with a huff.

Robin didn't take his usual seat in shotgun. He offered it to Beast Boy and climbed into the trunk.

"You don't have to do that," Danny protested when he realized there were only five spots with seat belts; someone else had to ride in the back with Robin so everyone would fit.

"You don't have to do any of this," Liz added. "You can drop us off at a bus stop and we'll be fine."

"A bus," Cyborg scoffed, opening the back door for Starfire; she patted the seats next to her invitingly. "Buses don't have butt warmers."

Liz hesitated, eyes darting around like she was looking for an escape; Danny shuddered and her uncertainty vanished. She slid into the middle seat next to Starfire and pulled him in after.

Raven had no issue riding in the back- the trunk was spacious enough to comfortably fit her and Robin, even if she stretched her legs out. What bothered her was how Robin curled into a corner, taking up as little space as possible. She knew better than to comment on it; it was just one of the many quirks he'd developed since being rescued.

The first few minutes of the drive were chaos. Starfire and Beast Boy fought for Danny and Liz's attention, eager to demonstrate the car's customizable features. One second the heat would blast and the next the seats were vibrating as its massage program kicked in. Ultimately Cyborg had to shoo them away from the controls and set everything to auto-adjust. Starfire apologized for overwhelming them and subtly ensured all the heat vents were facing their way.

"What kind of music are you into?" Beast Boy asked, switching on the radio.

"Us?" Danny pointedly kept his gaze out the window, and Raven wondered if he was prone to carsickness.

"Whatever you want," Liz answered. She'd freed both hands from her monstrous sleeves, fingers drumming on her thigh anxiously.

The green teen lit up. "Oh heck yeah! DJ BB in the house!"

"You have no idea what you've just done," Cyborg joked.

'I Want It That Way' by the Backstreet Boys flowed through the speakers.

"Sing it with me, Robin!" Beast Boy turned in his seat, singing along obnoxiously. "Tell me why!"

Robin opened his mouth, and for a hopeful second, Raven thought he would join in. Instead, his eyes dropped and darted away. "Maybe later."

Beast Boy's ears dropped in disappointment, but Cyborg and Starfire were quick to start singing too, and he perked back up.

Robin used to love that song. He'd take pride in the groans he'd illicit by playing it every car ride, practically shouting the lyrics while the volume shook the car. It was a sweet gesture of Beast Boy, but the Boy Wonder didn't sing much anymore. The impromptu karaoke did relax Danny and Liz, if only a little. They didn't sing, but Raven caught Liz trying to hide a smile when Beast Boy's voice cracked on the high notes.

They rounded a corner and the Tower came into view.

"Omigod," Liz's jaw dropped.

Danny's eyes looked like they would pop out of his head. "It's a 'T.' It's a giant 'T.' Sure, of course. Why wouldn't it be?"

"Sick, right?" Beast Boy grinned.

Liz turned to look at Robin. "Subtlety isn't really your thing, huh?"

The corners of his mouth turned up. "No, not really."

They were speechless as the T-car entered the secret underground tunnel that spat them out in the garage, listening to Cyborg explain the best moments of trying to construct a letter-shaped building.

"Technically, the city couldn't stop us since we bought the island we're on, but you should have seen the look on the guy's face when I handed him the blueprints; I couldn't tell if he was excited by the challenge or if he wanted to quit then and there!"

"This is huge," Danny marveled. They were only in the hallway next to the garage, and he acted like he was in a palace throne room.

"Wait 'til you see the living room!" Beast Boy took on the role of tour guild, pointing out tiny details and giving unnecessary backstories. "If you look to your right- no, wait, my right- you'll notice a long stain along the baseboards. That is from the time Cyborg and I tried to make an indoor slip-and-slide with trash bags and whipped cream.

Starfire skipped along next to them, delighted to relive the best Tower mishaps and offer her own memories and commentary.

Robin and Cyborg were in the doorway, talking in hushed tones. Their conversation was tense, and Raven hung back in case she needed to diffuse the situation.

"What were you thinking?" Robin snapped.

Cyborg frowned. "I was thinking that those kids were gonna freeze to death if we didn't act fast. Why? What were you thinking?"

"That bringing two complete strangers into our home isn't only stupid, but dangerous too! It wasn't your call to make; if anything, we should have discussed it as a team before making a snap decision."

"There wasn't time for a discussion, and even if there was, we were all on the same page. I don't know if you noticed, Rob, but everyone else is on board. It wasn't safe to leave them out there."

"I know, but why bring them here of all places?"

Frustration melted out of Cyborg, replaced with soft-eyed concern. "Is there something more going on here? Something I don't know about?"

"What? No."

"Do you recognize them from somewhere?"

Robin pinched the bridge of his nose. "No."

"Do you think they won't be safe here?"

"No, Cyborg!"

"Then what has you so freaked out?"

"I am not-" Robin stopped, taking a deep breath and clenching his jaw. "Forget it." Without another word, he stalked away. Cyborg clearly wanted to follow him but didn't.

"I wish he would talk to me," he sighed sadly.

"We all do," Raven said.

She didn't understand why Robin was so against bringing Danny and Liz home beyond the initial wariness of strangers. He was the first to call out the exploitation and ineffectiveness of the city's resources. He personally enforced the legitimacy of the Wayne Foundation in Jump, but the other shelters were rife with corruption. As messed up as it was, Danny and Liz were more likely to be turned away for needing too much help. Logically, the Tower was the safest place to bring them.

Raven and Cyborg caught up with everyone in the living room. Starfire was pulling out every blanket she could find while Beast Boy rushed around the kitchen.

"Cy," He grinned. "We are so ready for your famous hot chocolate!"

"Yes!" Starfire spread the collection of blankets out on the couch. "I am most looking forward to it!"

Danny and Liz stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, lost. Their shivers had died down considerably, but weren't gone completely. Liz's hair was damp and Danny's jeans were just beginning to defrost.

"Tell ya what," Cyborg said. "Why don't you make our guests some cookies, Star? They can shower and warm up a little while they bake."

"Shower?" Liz echoed. "Like, a hot shower?"

"With perfect water pressure."

Raven took her to the showers down the hall in the gym locker room. Every bedroom had an en suite bathroom, but the gym was closer and the shower was bigger.

"There's no way this is real," Liz said as Raven showed her the towel warmers and turned on the heated tile floors.

"Hello!" Starfire poked her head in. "It occurred to me that you may appreciate a change of clothes- I hope these are acceptable." She held out a pair of pink joggers and a soft lavender hoodie; of all the Earth styles she'd been introduced to, loungewear was her favorite.

"Oh, wow, that's so… nice of you," Liz said with a small, hesitant smile. "Are you sure?"

"Of course!" Starfire beamed, pressing the clothes into Liz's arms. "If they are uncomfortable, I can find something else."

"No, no, these are great. Thank you."

"You are most welcome!" Starfire waved and left to tend to her cookies.

Raven showed Liz how to work the shower, gave her a few towels, and left her to enjoy the hot water.

In the living room, Robin sat on the couch, balancing his laptop on his knees. Starfire hummed as she baked, and Cyborg got the ingredients for his legendary hot chocolate.

"Which mug do you think Liz would like?" Beast Boy asked, sitting cross-legged on the counter, shifting through the mug shelf. "I already picked the 'I wish this was coffee' one for Danny."

"Give her the one that says, 'I'm a ray of fucking sunshine,'" Cyborg suggested. "I think it matches her vibe."

Robin huffed in frustration, knocking his head against the back of the couch.

"Can't find the answers you want?" Raven asked, sitting next to him.

"Not even a hint."

She peered over his shoulder; the database of all known people, creatures, or objects with powers scrolled across the screen.

"I was hoping to find something on the kids who showed up the other day," He explained. "The ones who froze Cinderblock."

"You can't find anything?"

"Nothing even comes close to what we saw. The combination of powers doesn't match anyone we've ever heard of, and there's no evidence that they're artificial. No lab is sophisticated enough to engineer something like that, and none of these artifacts match up either."

Raven frowned. She didn't know the details of how the database operated or where it got its information, but it had always held answers in the past. For Robin to find nothing was suspicious and unsettling. He tapped his thumb on the edge of the computer, glaring at the screen like he could intimidate it into giving him an answer.

"Is it possible we're the first to find them?" She asked. It had happened a few times; a villain would show up in Jump City no one had heard of, and Robin would rush to update the database. Generally, the database had enough information for them to figure out where their new foe came from or how they got their powers. This time, they didn't even have that.

"Maybe," his tapping got faster. "But you saw them; they were confident and in control, which means they've had their powers long enough to master them. Somehow, despite gaining powers and training with them, they managed to stay completely off the radar."

"They didn't want to be found."

Robin shook his head. "I thought so too, but they showed up with Cinderblock practically gift-wrapped and had no problem explaining how they did it. Why talk to us if they didn't want anyone to know they existed?"

"They didn't like it when we started asking questions," Raven said. "They ran away when we tried."

With a heavy sigh, Robin snapped the laptop shut. "I'm not going to find anything," He said, pressing his palms to his eyes. "And I don't know what I could submit to the database that would be helpful; I don't even have a good picture from the security cameras. There are bigger things to worry about."

Danny chose that moment to shyly walk back into the room. He wore black sweatpants and an oversized green hoodie that may have been Cyborgs.

"Hey, dude," Beast Boy ushered him to the kitchen table. "How ya feeling?"

"Warmer," he answered quietly, hiding his hands in his sleeves.

"Great! Now, let me walk you through our state-of-the-art toppings bar. We have classics like whipped cream and marshmallows, but we also have the elite stuff like toffee bits, peppermint sticks, every syrup flavor you could ever want..." The list went on.

Liz joined them halfway through Beast Boy's speech, pulling her chair closer to Danny's. "You take this seriously."

"The only thing more serious than hot chocolate toppings are frozen yogurt toppings," said Beast Boy. "Toppings in general are an art form that must be respected."

Ding!

"The cookies are ready!" Starfire announced, pulling two trays from the oven.

"Her cookies are great," Raven sat at the table while Robin poured hot chocolate into waiting mugs. "They're chocolate chip and hazelnut."

Danny hungrily watched Starfire stack the cookies on a plate; Liz accepted her drink from Robin, snorting when she read what her cup said.

"There's more when you finish," Cyborg said. "Eat and drink as much as you want; we can always make more."

Raven cringed watching the uncontrolled chaos that was Beast Boy customizing his drink. His mug was only half full because he insisted on adding a little bit of everything, and even with the biggest mug they had, toppings towered precariously over the edge.

Cyborg kept his traditional with only some whipped cream and marshmallows. Robin did the same but added a pump of caramel syrup and a sprinkle of toffee bits. Starfire snuck a splash of mustard into her and topped it off with a fluff of cotton candy and a handful of M&M's. Raven gave hers a dollop of whipped cream and grabbed a few cinnamon sticks.

"This is so cool," Danny grinned, drowning marshmallows and cotton candy with whipped cream and French vanilla syrup.

Liz watched, amused, stirring white chocolate syrup into her drink with a peppermint stick. "You're gonna have the biggest sugar crash later."

"Worth it!"

She added some toffee bits and wrapped her hands around her mug, inhaling deeply. "Worth it," She agreed.

Raven watched them eat; they were careful and slow despite their obvious hunger. Their outfits were baggy but couldn't hide Danny's sharp cheekbones or Liz's thin wrists. They'd been without a proper meal for a while.

"So," Beast Boy stuffed a cookie in his mouth. "How old are you guys?"

"16," they answered in unison.

"I'm two days older," Liz added, and Danny rolled his eyes.

"You're never gonna let that go, are you?"

She ignored him. "How old are you?"

"He's 15," Cyborg answered, pinching Beast Boy's cheek. "Still the baby of the group."

Beast Boy smacked Cyborg's hand and stuck out his tongue, blowing a raspberry.

"Gross, Beast Boy," Robin said, pulling his mug back to avoid stray saliva.

"Friends, I have a wondrous idea," Starfire stood up. "We should put on a movie!"

It typically took the team two hours of arguing before they could agree on a movie, but Cyborg latched on to the idea.

"Perfect, Star!" He grinned. "Danny, Liz, what d'ya wanna watch? We have the best DVD collection and every streaming service."

They settled on one of the newer Star Wars films, and everyone collected on the couch to watch it. Danny and Liz tucked themselves in the corner, and Starfire wasted no time burying them in the best blankets.

Raven kept an eye on them when the movie started. They finished their cocoa, and what little energy they had left vanished. The movie wasn't even halfway through before they were both asleep.

"Wow," Beast Boy whispered. "It's only, like, two o'clock. They must have been exhausted."

Cyborg had a different theory. "Did you put something in their drinks?" He asked Robin.

"Yeah," Robin said dismissively, carrying their empty cups to the sink and rinsing them out.

"What?" Beast Bot sputtered. "You roofied them?"

Cyborg's jaw dropped. "You can't just drug people against their will!"

Robin glared at him. "It was just melatonin."

Beast Boy breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, that's not a big deal. They probably need the sleep."

Cyborg was visibly agitated but didn't voice his concerns. Instead, he took the opportunity to scan their guests while they were still.

His software could only pick up basics- vitals, weight, x-rays- but the results were depressing. Both teens were significantly underweight and malnourished, which wasn't surprising, but upsetting all the same.

"Why would they live like this?" Starfire wondered, tenderly arranging them into more comfortable positions. They didn't stir.

"I don't think they had a choice, Star." Beast Boy tucked the blanket around them sadly.

"No one's looking for them," Cyborg informed them. "I ran their descriptions through the system; no missing persons reports or kidnappings."

"Someone must be looking for them," Starfire argued. "They must have family or friends somewhere who are worried about them."

Cyborg shook his head, scanning the x-ray results. "I doubt it. They have a lot of severe injuries that barely healed correctly. Wherever they came from, it wasn't friendly."

Concern flashed across Robin's face. "What kind of injuries?"

"Broken bones, mostly. And I mean broken- they didn't get these falling off a bike. I can see where the bones healed and some of them aren't perfect, like they weren't set properly. Danny also has a nasty bruise by his shoulder blades- I saw it when I brought him fresh clothes."

"That could be why they were in the park," Robin mused. "They don't want to be found by whoever hurt them."

"Then we will not allow them to be found. We will show them the kindness they deserve." Starfire placed two water bottles on the coffee table and dimmed the lights; she switched Star Wars to The Little Mermaid and planted herself on the couch. "I will stay and watch them."

"I'll make popcorn," Beast Boy said. "I love this movie."

Robin and Cyborg made no move to leave, so Raven refilled her mug and settled down to binge Disney movies.

Cyborg didn't let Danny and Liz leave the next morning when they woke up, using the continued snowstorm as an excuse. He supplied them with constant snacks, and they seemed content enough to stay. Beast Boy challenged Danny to a video game tournament, and they spent the day playing while Starfire and Liz binged horror movies.

He didn't let them leave the next day, when the storm was over, blaming the massive amount of snowfall and claiming a second storm may be on the way. They seemed hesitant, but agreed to stay with the promise of unlimited waffles for breakfast. Danny confessed to a love of space documentaries; Cyborg and Robin were happy to watch with him. Liz saw Raven's Shakespeare collection and they discussed books for hours.

The third day of their stay, Cyborg assured them they hadn't overstayed their welcome even though the snow had melted and the sun was shining. He offered to set them up in a guest room so they didn't have to sleep on the couch. When they refused, he got them to stay with the promise to make their favorite meals over the next few days. Starfire enthralled Danny with tales of her home planet and culture, while Beast Boy entertained Liz by turning into any and every animal she named.

Robin didn't sleep much those nights; Raven heard him walking the halls long after everyone else was asleep. She wasn't sure if he was still having nightmares or if he was paranoid about Danny and Liz. Whether they knew it or not, every member of the team took turns staying up, just in case they needed something in the middle of the night.

"When was the last time y'all went to an amusement park?" Cyborg asked as way of greeting the fourth morning.

Danny blinked in surprise. "Like, with roller coasters and stuff?"

"I think the last time I rode a roller coaster, I was nine," Liz said.

Beast Boy gasped. "Nine years old? Nine? That's, like, seven whole years ago!"

"I didn't know you could count that high," Raven snarked.

Cyborg handed out bowls of fruit and yogurt; since Liz had revealed she was a vegetarian, he'd gone out of his way to make exclusively meatless meals. "We're keeping it light today," He explained. "Once we're ready, we're going to the Pier!"

The Pier was one of the team's favorite places to hang out, and they went as often as possible. It was one of the few places that could appease everyone; with over two dozen roller coasters, smaller rides, and various carnival games, there was something for everyone to enjoy.

After breakfast, everyone excitedly packed themselves into the car. Robin sat up front and played 90's pop music.

"Welcome," Cyborg spread his arms wide at the entrance to the amusement park, "To the Pier!" Beast Boy vocalized the Jurassic Park theme song.

He stopped the team just inside the gates. "Alright, I have everything planned- I worked it out in the car. We'll hit the most popular rides first, before the crowds show up, then work our way through the rest of the roller coasters and re-ride our favorites. Then we can eat lunch. Once more people are here and the lines get huge, we'll hit the rides for all ages. It's a school night, so those won't be as busy. After we've ridden everything, we'll start tackling the games!"

"Booyah!" Cyborg cheered.

"Solid plan, Beast Boy," Robin praised.

"Do any of the rides go upside down?" Danny asked. "Those are my favorite."

Beast Boy grinned. "You, my friend, are going to love this place."

It was late morning, but the lines were only a few minutes long. Robin filled their waiting time by spouting off facts about the park, like when each ride was made and what had been replaced. Danny listened attentively while Liz played rock-paper-scissors with Starfire and Beast Boy.

When it was their turn, Beast Boy directed Danny and Liz to the seats in the front row.

"They're the best," He promised, sitting behind them with Robin.

A few summers ago, the park engineers had reinforced all the rides so Cyborg could go on them safely. He sat in the last row, behind Raven and Starfire, and the cart took off.

"That was awesome!" Danny pumped an ecstatic fist in the air when the ride was over.

"Wait and see what else we got," Cyborg beamed. "We're just getting started!"

It took hours to check off every roller coaster, and it was three o'clock before they stopped for lunch. Beast Boy showed Liz the vegetarian options and Cyborg took Danny to order a cheeseburger. Starfire sustained herself on cotton candy and funnel cakes. After making sure everyone reapplied their sunscreen, Robin went with Raven to get a corndog.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself," she told him.

"I am," he said. "I haven't had this much fun in a long time."

They began their circuit of calmer rides after eating. Liz screamed gleefully with Starfire in the haunted house, and Danny rocked the cage of the Ferris Wheel until Raven was sure the cart would flip.

The afternoon was cooling off when they headed for the carnival games. Robin dominated at anything with a target and had a lifetime ban from winning more than three prizes per booth. Typically he didn't want the prizes, but he accepted a unicorn squishmallow and gave it to Starfire. Beast Boy and Cyborg teamed up at the ring toss to win a giant stuffed chicken they were convinced Raven wanted.

She didn't, but the gesture was sweet. She repaid them with stuffed tigers holding plastic tankards she won at the Strongman.

Danny showed off his basketball skills by winning Liz a yellow teddy bear; she won him a stuffed dog wearing rocket-shaped sunglasses at the water shooting gallery.

Starfire surprised the newer carnies with her strength, toppling the milk jug towers with a single throw. She gifted Robin her plush Superman and dragged everyone to the duck pond. Every duck guaranteed a squishmallow keychain, and she painstakingly selected an animal for each of them; A red bird for Robin, a dinosaur for Beast Boy, an owl for Raven, a giraffe for Cyborg, a pink cow for Liz, and a frog for Danny. She picked out a matching unicorn for herself.

"This has been the best of days!" She exclaimed, hugging her unicorns.

"It ain't over yet, Star," Cyborg led them to the end of the Pier where stairs led down to small docks close to the water. "We're just in time to see the sunset."