Teen Titans – Side Stories and After – Snippets; Foxes Upon Foxes and Magical Girls Galore

/

SCREAM FOR ME!

/

AN ODE TO THE FILM ITSELF – SCREAM WAS GOOD, BUT THE BLACK PHONE WAS….AH, ANYWAY, WITH A PARODY OF CHARACTERS FROM THE ARCS AND WITH A FEW BATTY ONE SHOT MOMENTS MIXED IN.

ENJOY!

/

"It's….."

Ami munched on her caramel corn as the bowl tipped, spilling out some pieces while she awaited the climatic scene from her parents' childhood.

"IT'S ALIIIVE!!~"

"YES, MAAASTER, THE CREATURE LIVES! HEE HEE!!"

"Rejoice, for the mystery of life is now solved –

" Boring!! NEXT."

Dick Grayson turned to his youngest as her squinting blue eyes and generation Z vibes had ruined the entire bonding moment. Aiden groaned from the other side of the sofa while a knock came to the door, the cop getting up and checking his watch as he threw a hand to his face, upset that he'd miss Halloween night to veg out on the sofa with his still adolescent crew. Anna was off elsewhere in her quest to find her niche, while Ava Marie his eldest was now a queen of some fantasy winter wonderland. Despite the magical mellow drama, Kori was just coming home on her flight back from that month's latest fashion week, scheduled and finished showing in Star City. Cali was quiet on this side of the bridge as the man's police academy oath had him sighing, Aiden leaning by the wall as Ami poked her head out to also dis her daddy.

"You're leaving!?"

"I'm on the clock, sort of –

"But tonight is the biggest prank night." Ami complained. "You never stay in with us and probably never will…what if we get taken by an axe murderer and YOU aren't here? Huh?" Ami pressed on, making Dick feel too guilty, not this year too… yet Kori would be sending a sitter from what he'd been texted back. Only, they were half an hour too late. "Aiden is old enough, why does he need –

"Cause I don't use things like mom or Ava, like the oven…and I can't trust my powers yet." The boy rubbed his arm nervously, responding coarsely to his younger sibling, as Dick fully understood with a crooked chuckle his son's plight. "I'm not going to be out all night, you two. It's seven thirty now, so at ten I'll be here to wait on you until mom gets home and then we can gorge on some cho–

"Not a kid, bribe her but not me."

"Yeah!" Ami smirked as Dick rolled his eyes, grinning at how witty the two were together. "I'd actually try to lower the risk of being called a kid and ask for just the cake, but whatever." Dick shrugged; point made. "I'll bring a new movie for us to watch, how bout a real edge of your seat pick from the box of horror?" Dick promised, thinking Wicked Scary was a long shot if Kori found out he'd brought it into the house this year. "A better one that won't be inappropriate." He pointed out before his mind could go any further with the offer.

Ami huffed, knowing full well that she was still only twelve for another season. She practically died for the chance to binge watch "Bird Watcher; Night of Silent Echoes" a cult horror flick that was more effective in making you miss your run to the toilet than using the brown noise for in depth interrogations. At least, she thought the military used metal music on its inmates, once…

"What about the "Ringed one?" (The Ring copyright.) Aiden asked, the look a bit brighter than the cocky kid had seemed to give at the beginning of his dad's roast. He could deal with goofy stuff, but not ghosts or slasher films. Too almost – real. Curses were easier to stomach…mostly.

"Or "I Are Dragul!"(Not sure if it is I am Legend or Van Helsing.) "I wanna see kick - butt slayers in it!" Ami squealed gleefully, never guessing she'd ever meet a real vamp…. unless you counted the Dragon's allies who were vampire cousins, shadow riders. Or magical spirits that resembled gods and demons…

"You never let me see all the gory stuff." She whined to her dad, who knew that more gore to Ami's witchy brain right now would certainly not help with her inglorious sugar habit.

"You'd sleep in mom's bed untruly you're forty." Snickered the blonde teen. "That's why he makes you watch "Harriet Porter" instead, did it to us for years even after Anna turned thirteen before me." Aide patted the kid on the head jokingly as she growled and butted him off. "I will see it! And whatever dad brings, it had better scare the pants off of us!"

"Now, that is a challenge that I'll graciously accept, mademoiselle." Dick bowed in a mock style, Ami turning her head with a huff and fluffed up cheeks. Aiden ignored the girl's fit and really wanted to call his buddy from school Toby later. Not that his friend's little cousins hadn't stolen the other boy's time with trick or treating this year. They definitely might, like every year he'd known his main dude. Ami was on probation for freeing the gerbils from her science class – even when she said "magic" made it happen. Who would believe the fun-loving trouble maker if they were told that she was chosen by a holy Japanese sun goddess to look after the planet and given the powers of a future witch?

Richard softly kissed his youngest on the head, ruffling Aiden's messy blonde hair and receiving half of a hug before locking up and still…. a real serial event was going on in the city. Reports had gone on about a man with a bat riding on golden roller skates (borrowing Satoshi Kon!) He didn't tell his kids, but that didn't mean someone else couldn't fill in for him. Dick pulled out his cell and dialed the first number that came to mind.

"Hey, I know you're here in San Fran to see Roy this week. Feel like doing this "Dickie Bird" a short favor? Pretty please?"

/

Ami looked at Aiden, tapping her foot and expecting monkeies to appear with wings on their backs in her presence. "I'm picking what we do next, so you have to abide by the rules." She pointe like he was her servant, she the queen not fit to rule yet.

"Uh, no. I'm seeing if Toby's got real bars and he'll come over –

A steady knock* loudly sounded at the door, as the two jerked round to question the caller's timing.

"What -

"Answer the door!" Ami commanded her brother who put his foot down, going into full protector mode in an instant.

"No way, dummy." Aiden looked at the girl, her pout becoming a rather bad habit. "Dad said not to open it for anyone, not unless they –

A vibration from the hall; the landline sounded as the two gasped at that perfect excuse for a bad flick!

"Did that dude just…. hear us??" Ami gasped aloud. "Should one of us call nine – one – dad?"

" Don't you try anything, let me handle it." Aiden shot at the girl sternly. "It's not a big deal, this is…. like when things keep –

The knock sounded again, Ami squeaking out, frightened this time. "I don't want him here, big bro! Call dad or I'm using the emergency cell! Stop –

The line rung again and Ami screamed, running into the living room and hiding behind the sofa. Did she…

Aiden slapped his face and dashed after her.

"Window! Ami!" He whispered harshly. "Come out from there now...Don't freak out so much…sheesh."

Right then, a bang* of a hand had the girl cower in fear over the sound, the glass at the window threatening to fall away as if real monsters could take his sister outside into the night air.

"Get away from the window…. argh!" The boy bolted and going all out - combat style, he shuffled to pull his younger sibling away from the spot and to him…as the sound soon swapped….

"Back door??!?" Ami panicked and began to cry. "Did you lock it??? Did he –

A creak sounded and the two sent themselves to hide anywhere that they could, clunky boots moving quietly until a voice sounded as muffled as a masked stranger's presence. The words were hard to tell. Aiden threw a hand over Ami's mouth as they hid behind the sofa, the wall their only protection and his and her powers…useless to the fear….

Wait…he'd fought dragons last year, demons and even the gods that could destroy their world. Why was this "serial psycho" so mysterious? Was he –

"Mnnf?"

Aiden listened, Ami's breath on his palm making a stain of sweat appear, just like the boy's brow. "I think he's…. gone, let's get to-

The boots were getting faster, scuffing up a bit of the floor as the sound of glass breaking and a groan had the two dart for the door. Aiden jiggled the handle, not realizing he was going about it all wrong.

However, fear blinds and so it did the two children.

"That can't be a coincidence…why is it –

"What? What??..." Ami whimpered softly as she could, a grunt and those boots getting too close as they decided to hide in the upstairs, someplace with a wall they could use or even something to throw if they were stuck, cornered like rats. "Now I know why Dad won't let me watch anything this insane…" Aiden swallowed, Ami blinking in his direction. "What do you mean? You and Anna just turned sixteen this fall!"

"We so didn't like those movies; Dad knows that from how Ava almost exploded when she saw a cult classic the "giraffe man" when we were four. She was in first grade and it was the only thing playing so…. dang it…I'm sorry, Ami…"

"I know…" Ami clung to her brother as the footsteps were at the bottom of the steps. " Anng!" Aiden wrung his hands through his hair and groaned, seeing as the hall closet was the only place he could think of. "I refuse to go down without a fight! You and I fought…. demons! This guy isn't allowed in, so…. wanna get over being afraid? Then we can call Uncle Supes and say we're sorry for letting a crazy dude get the better of us? How about a tag team, sis?"

Ami bobbed her head determinedly as the two looked for things to throw. They scooped up a baseball bat, a foldable room decor chair, some of their dad's books on law and boxes of their mom's impressive thigh high boot collection. Pointed and ready to kill, the kids waited, a flashlight in the hand of….

Red….

"Uncle?"

" Awww! It was YOU??" Ami threw her weapons down and stomped her feet angrily. "Why'd you do it, Uncle Jason???" She demanded to know, his helmet popping off as she saw his expression turn to something of confusion. "Your dad asked me to swing by. The babysitter had to cancel; family emergency at the last minute. You…starting a war up there, soldiers?"

/

"So, you…. oh, crud." Jason sat with a hot pizza slice in hand and Ami the rest of her caramel popcorn. "Ah, so you…. aren't a crazed serial murderer looking for revenge on the cop that put him away?" Aiden asked, Jason snorting with a chuckle, "No, way. I just heard you guys needed a chaperone to watch a scary movie marathon. I am all about the gore – was a zombie once, you never live it down…So? How about…. The Sarcophagus?" (The mummy.)

"I didn't think you'd act like a groaning undead in there!" Exclaimed Ami as she saved a few pieces of her treat from ending up between the cushions before her parents found out tomorrow. "You should play the slasher in the next Wicked Scary remake! They would so hire you."

Aiden took a slice of pizza from the box on the coffee table in front of them, chewing quickly and sending the remote to Jason before Ami got her grubby candy hogging paws on anymore bright ideas. "Think we should tell your mom why her shoes are all in the wrong boxes?"

The front door soon clicked, as a sigh of not a slasher, but a woman had the outlaw to knit his brows together while the two young misfits beside him froze stiff where they sat.

"I have arrived home much earlier, and I brought –

Starfire looked over to see the three with their poses a bit more rehearsed. Kori's heels hit the wood as she tapped away, expecting an explanation. In her hand was a box with sweets from the only market with Halloween on the brain. Maybe, those could wait until Dick got back.

"Jason…did my hrmmnir call you to do the stopping on the by?" She asked the second ex – Robin, his eyes sweet as honey to her – just so he wouldn't be squashed like a roach and tossed out before his second slice of the night. "He did, Kor." Jason said with a straight face and the pizza still in one gloved hand. Ami stuffed the popcorn into her squirrel cheeks, while Aiden stole the remote from his uncle in a snap. "Harriet Porter it is!"

So much for a Wicked Scary preview, yet Aiden realized that he'd lived the life. Just like in the movies – in the real world. He was just glad to be home, safe and away from any real ghouls that stunk like the living dead.

"Next Halloween. I'm getting to choose our objective."

Yeah, and next year he'd BE a flying monkey going off to college, putting the world of fantasy and thriller novels behind him.

Or, so he thought as the opening credits stole their undivided attention –

"Why is the vase shattered onto the kitchen – Jason!!"

/

A little reminder that Raku wasn't in this because this was before new destinations new gen arc when the heroes went to save Ava. So, it's Halloween but not the same time. Ami was suspended for letting her powers out, Aiden isn't in charge of trick or treating so he's just lounging on his night to hang with his family later. Next year would be accurate because Aiden wasn't sixteen when he left for his dorm. Right now, Anna is probably with her special ops team and Dick is going after a real criminal on Halloween, possibly as Wing. Kori got home in the nick, and Aiden told Ami that he actually hates scary movies because he's not sure what is real or can happen since he's seen things like this as a child of some important people. Could he really disclose that to a smart alec like Ami Grayson? I think not…hope it was a fun one! Next will be food coma induced and sillier. Primarily? Chocolate. Oh, and the joke? Jason couldn't see so he knocked over a vase in the other room. Thus, the shatter of glass Ami and Aiden heard before. The real kicker was?

Jason, as in a horror film character in a mask! Hah !

/