Titans: Elemental

Chapter 28: Date With Destiny

We see a dark pane of glass, which shakes a bit as several pairs of glowing eyes open behind it. It is part of a dimly lit room; tons of glass holding pens stuffed with strange and mysterious creatures; the whirring sound of many beating wings is heard behind the glass.

A man speaks with a distorted voice, saying, "patience, my children. Soon, you shall wreak the havoc you crave."

Standing at a worktable, we see a humanoid figure, covered with black and white fuzz with two pairs of striated insect wings sprouting from his back. This is Killer Moth, working under the illumination provided by an overhead skylight. He is in the basement of a house.

Killer Moth said, "soon, I shall have the power I deserve. Soon, the entire city will bow before its new master…. Killer Moth!"

His head is that of the aforementioned insect, and the fuzz stops short of his abdomen and legs; these are covered with a tough gray hide. He laughs madly, but a second voice cuts him off in a heartbeat. This one is young, female, and very petulant.

"DADDY! DAAAADDDDDYYYYY!"

We quickly go through the layers of the house and see who is screaming. She is a teenager, blond with a pink hairband, wearing pink pajamas and sitting on a bed. The room is done out in the same color, marking it as hers. This is Kitten.

Killer Moth smashes the door open and runs in.

Killer Moth groaned, "Daddy's working, Kitten. Can't this wait until-?"

Kitten begins storming back and forth, "no! He broke up with me. My stupid ex-boyfriend Fang broke up with me! And now, I don't have a date for the prom!"

As she storms back and forth in front of him, she throws objects around in rage. Including a telephone and a pillow, and then she pulls at her hair and throws herself facedown on the bed with a groan and then starts crying and yelling. Her father sits down next to her and holds his hand awkwardly out toward her back, not having much of an idea what to do in this crisis. Finally, he comforts her by patting her back.

Killer Moth said awkwardly, "uh…. There, there. I'm sure you'll find another date."

Kitten groans disgustedly and sits up, "prom is tomorrow, Daddy. I don't have time to find another date. So you're gonna find one for me!"

Killer Moth said, "now, Kitten, be reasonable! You don't seriously expect me to-"

Kitten said, "and I don't want just anyone. I want someone handsome, and popular, and totally cool. Someone no other girl could get. Someone who'll drive Fang wild with jealousy! I want-"

….

We see Dick in mid-leap. He lands neatly in the driver's seat of a dark blue motorcycle whose windshield hugs the front fender as it sweeps back toward him. A large bird is stenciled onto a circular protrusion near the footrest. This is the Night-Cycle, Dick's personal mode of transportation. He has a dark blue helmet held aloft and marked with the bird symbol on his chest. He brings it down onto his head, revs the engine, brings the chopper around in a tearing skid, and speeds forward.

Dick said, "range to target!"

On another street, the T-Car is rolling up fast. Raven is in the front passenger seat, with Vic at the wheel. Bryan and Rose are in the back seat.

Jack is flying alongside on a huge chunk of Earth.

Vic said, "five hundred and closing. Should have a visual any-"

We see Blackfire and Starfire in flight. BB, as a vulture, keeps pace with them.

Starfire exclaimed, "there he is!"

Raven said, "correction. There it is."

We see a hand reaching into a jewelry store window to scoop out the contents. As Vic's tires are heard screeching in the distance and his headlights blaze, it reveals that the thief has a teen male's body and a gargantuan spider's head. A complete carapace, with four legs, is attached to the latter; its legs are long enough to reach the ground.

Across the street, the Night-Cycle has pulled up and Dick glares at this creature, and Vic brings his vehicle in a moment later.

Bryan went wide-eyed and said, "nope! Nope! Nope! Nope! That ain't right! I don't do spiders, darn it!"

The thief raises a weapon and lifts his human body clear of the ground. Dick gasps in surprise, and he and Vic peel out in opposite directions to avoid the blast, which rips across the pavement. Both drivers skid to a stop; the cross-breed howls in anger and leaps straight toward the sky. He touches down on a roof and starts to bound away. Dick watches him jump across the street with ease.

Their long legs carry the store-breaker down the facades, and the Titans set off after him on wheels and in the air. Starfire sends a few starbolts toward him with her sister joining in, but he easily dodges and continues his sideways run; a huge leap carries him to the buildings on the other side of the street. Here comes Dick, gunning his engine and extending a blaster by each handlebar. He pops off a string of lasers that barely miss the semi-arachnid, who crosses the street again and keeps right on going.

Jack tries shooting balls of fire at the thief, but he is easily able to dodge them and continue their escape.

The T-Car pulls ahead of the Night-Cycle and opens its sunroof. Instead of the proton cannon, though, a missile pops out and is launched. It streaks through the evening sky and zeroes in on the thief, who jumps clear to avoid the impact and explosion. He does a 180-degree turn and spits a large wad of gray slime at Blackfire, Jack, BB and Starfire as they are in hot pursuit. BB takes the brunt of it and is engulfed in the goo, which splatters itself all over a wall at ground level. Back in human form, he pokes his head, one arm, and both legs out and struggles to get free of the super-strength spider silk that has not yet dried.

BB groaned, "super-loogie?! Uggggh!"

The shooter spews out another mouthful, forcing the others to get out of the way. Dodging one after another, they keep the pressure on. He spits a stream of adhesive back and forth, layering it to create a thick sheet that stretches to block the entire way. Dick and Vic are bearing down on this. Dick gasps, while Raven puts her powers to work and extends them over the entire block. Pavement cracks and a fire hydrant opens up, gushing water along the sidewalk; both vehicles sail up the incline created by the shifting roadbed and pass neatly over the barrier.

The smash-and-grab artist scuttles away, his human body waving in the wind, and turns to spit more silk. Dick swerves expertly to avoid BB's fate, but a load hits the T-Car's windshield and completely blankets it.

Vic said, "I can't see!"

Bryan said, "I see that as a win. Again; I HATE SPIDERS!"

Vic cuts his steering wheel hard to one side and skids to a stop as the Night-Cycle roars past. More sludge comes down on the windshield. Now Starfire, Jack and Blackfire start to catch up again, but a well-placed burst sends Starfire and Blackfire to the sidewalk and pins them. They try vainly to free themselves as Dick and Jack zoom by. They then cut through it with a handful of starbolts and return to the chase. The thief races down the street and around a corner; Dick, Jack, Blackfire and Starfire follow it to the end of a street that faces an elevated highway. Up comes the creature, making straight for a car parked to face the highway and jumping onto its rear end. A young man and his girlfriend are seen in the car, about to enjoy one another's company. They gasp as those four slender legs push off from the bodywork.

The thief keeps leaping over the highway. The four look up after him, then at each other, then get right back to the business at hand.

They are quickly interrupted again by the sound of the Night-Cycle's engine. A shocked stare and second gasp are all they can manage before Dick speeds in and onto the car's rear end, launching himself over the highway. As he sails through space, he fires off a grappling hook and is yanked away on its line, letting the chopper drop. The swinging trajectory carries him toward a wall, while the sides of the plummeting Night-Cycle extend outward from the body and each fire a beam from underneath. The vehicle descends smoothly to the curb and touches down with the help of these, and the emitters retract.

The man-spider charges down the facade, followed closely by Dick, whose line trails out ahead of him, and proceeds to climb the architecture on the other side. We follow him as he leaps from one rooftop to the next. Dick's hook shoots after him, the line pulls taut, and he is yanked along. The chase moves up yet another building, but the runner stops halfway up and spits a pair of short beams down at Dick to knock him loose. He drops toward it, his skin turning gray and his limbs frozen in place.

Dick groaned, "can't…. Move!"

The thief gains roof level and is soon out of sight, while Dick continues his paralyzed free fall.

Starfire exclaimed, "Nightwing!"

Starfire puts it in overdrive and catches him perhaps five feet short of a very painful meeting with the sidewalk. The other Titans come a little way over, BB free of the silk adhesive and back in human form as she lands and sets Dick down. Vic steps in to look him over.

Starfire asked, "he is okay?"

Vic said, "he will be. The venom's effect is only temporary."

Dick groaned, "ugh, getting away…. We have to…. Go after him! Whoa…."

Starfire rights him as he nearly falls over.

Blackfire said, "you mean, we have to go after him."

Vic said, "you need to chill until that stuff wears off."

Dick groaned, "but-"

BB said, "dude, we can handle it. The guy's got a spider for a head. Not like he's gonna be hard to find."

Bryan muttered, "if only…."

Jack said, "we should split up. Cyborg, you, Beast Boy and Blackfire go after the spider guy. Raven, Starfire, Ravager, Winter Soldier and I will get Nightwing back home. Some of us will rejoin you after we get Nightwing back to full health."

The others nod in agreement.

Dick has no immediate answer for this, verbal or otherwise.

….

Later, back at the Tower, Starfire is holding Dick by the ankles in the living room of Titans Tower. She stretches his legs and works them back and forth, eliciting several yelps of discomfort and causing his arms to flop around.

Rose and Bryan are making a snack in the kitchen as Jack and Raven watch Starfire working her magic.

Starfire asked, "better?"

His normal color returns, the venom that froze him is out of his system.

Dick said, "ah, much. Thanks."

Starfire said, "I welcome you", she lifts him up and down, "there are few problems that Tamaranean acupressure will not solve."

Rose said, "remind me to ask you for a massage one day. I've got a horrible pain in my-"

Bryan snapped, "Rose!"

Rose said, "what, I was gonna say neck!"

Bryan said, "oh, that's okay then."

Dick said, "now we can focus on solving our other problem", he pulls out his communicator and opens it, "Titans! Any luck finding our jewel thief?"

Blackfire said, "we found something worse."

….

We see Beat Boy, Raven, and Vic staring up incredulously. They are standing on the bridge over Jump City Bay, and the beating of millions of wings is heard. A horde of large hovering insects is there, every one of which is fighting mad. The eyes and the whirring wings give them away as the creatures that filled Killer Moth's holding pens.

As they move lazily through the air, several cluster up and munch at one of the bridge's cables. When they fly away a moment later, it has been gnawed through and the final strand snaps; the lower end lashes toward the roadway, and people scatter as a car is crushed under the wire rope. Among them are the couple who had been interrupted during their make-out session. The entire bridge begins to sway back and forth, creating oscillations that send vehicles sliding around the three Titans.

Now groups of moths start chomping on cable after cable, making short work of the outer covering and the twisted wires beneath. One of the bugs screeches in rage. BB and Vic are having a very tough time keeping their balance on the bucking pavement, while Blackfire floats a foot or two above it. In the air, a cable breaks and whistles downward; they dodge in three different directions. After skidding backward to a stop, Vic charges.

Vic exclaimed, "Titans! Go!"

BB becomes a pterodactyl and lifts off.

Blackfire said, "let's do some exterminating!"

As Vic runs up, she carries him higher toward the cables.

Vic exclaimed, "thanks for the lift, Blackfire!"

Once he is at the moths' level, she peels off and he jumps onto a cable, leaving the platform to disintegrate. One of them flies across behind it, and the view changes to show him surrounded by groups of gnawing moths, and he cries out a bit as he nearly loses his balance. Breaking out his sonic cannon, he blasts away one group and runs to the spot they were attacking. The cable's outer covering has been breached, and the two ends are starting to pull apart. One metal hand grabs a chewed edge, while the other pops out its fingertip acetylene torch for some emergency repair work.

BB stands his ground before a huge advancing moth, then sidesteps and becomes a monkey to hitch a ride. The gibbering green primate is swept here and there as the bug approaches the cables and weaves among them to try and buck him off. Next, Blackfire darts through the area and slams another platform into the face of one moth, but several others stay on her trail. She flies straight up toward the top of a support column, then puts on a burst of speed to give herself a little breathing room; BB steers the moth he has commandeered into the pursuers to knock them out of the sky.

Vic has pulled the edges back together and is now running his torch flame around them, bringing them to red heat and joining them once more. When he finishes, he jumps clear, avoiding several of the insects, and slides down the cable with his cannon blazing. A mighty leap carries him to another one, where he has to duck a stream of oncoming six-legged bandits; a second jump deposits him safely on the bridge in a backward skid.

Vic exclaimed, "boo-yah…! Huh?"

Above the buildings, a dense black cloud rises slowly into view, accompanied by the beating of countless wings, the full force of Killer Moth's armada. He watches, dumbstruck, as BB steers his moth down to street level and then turns into an elephant to crush it. BB returns to human form and stares with his eyes bugging out, while Vic lifts his forearm and addresses himself toward it, the onboard communicator.

Vic said, "uh…. We're gonna need backup."

….

Back in the living room, the others watch the window/screen, which is filled with his face.

Dick said, "we're on our way."

As they start to head out, the screen fills with static and changes to show Killer Moth. His words stop them in their tracks.

Killer Moth said, "don't bother. Even if you defeat a few of my children, you won't be able to stop me from releasing the entire swarm."

He pulls back a bit to show those masses of black, buzzing silhouettes behind him. The Titans gasp.

Killer Moth said, "unless you want your city reduced to a moth-eaten wasteland, you'll do exactly as I say."

Dick asked, "what do you want?"

Killer Moth said, "my demands are simple. The city will declare me ruler, the Titans will surrender, and NightWing…."

The mention of his name makes him straighten up involuntarily. On screen, Killer Moth backs up slightly to one side.

Killer Moth said, a little embarrassed, "... will…. Take this lovely young lady to her junior prom."

A window appears in the space he has vacated. Framed in it is Kitten, waving cheerfully.

Kitten exclaimed, "hi, Nighty-poo!"

The last demand hits Dick like a two-by-four upside the head.

Rose and Bryan both nearly fall over in a dumb-founded shock.

Dick asked, "um…. What was that last part again?"

Starfire asked, "NightWing, who is this girl? And why does she call you; poo?"

Raven and Jack both snicker at this turn of events.

Killer Moth said, "her name is Kitten", she puckers up, "and you will take her to prom!"

Starfire floats up to her window.

Starfire asked, "this prom is some manner of duel, yes? NightWing eagerly accepts!"

Dick clarified, "it's not a duel, Star. It's a date."

Her long, hysterical gasp gives away just. Dick scratches his head nervously.

Starfire yelled, "he does not accept! Do you hear? NightWing does not accept!"

She is yanked unceremoniously downward with a short yell. Though she still floats in midair, Dick is leading her away by the foot.

Dick said, "we're going to need a minute."

They move out of the room to talk, making the others feel awkward.

Starfire yelled, "Odium! Scandal! Atrocity! These demands must not be met!"

Dick activates his communicator.

Starfire yelled, "clearly, this demented madman has no idea with whom he is dealing! And if he believes-"

Dick said, "Victor, report. How bad is it?"

On the screen; Vic wrestles with a moth.

Vic said, "bad! Can't hold 'em off much longer!"

….

We see Vic on the bridge. Utter chaos still reigns here; BB, now a tiger, squares off against one of the insects.

Vic said, "if you're gonna do something, do it quick!"

….

Starfire yelled, "-out of his mind if he believes you would even consider such a distasteful-"

Dick closes the communicator.

Dick said, "I have to do it."

Starfire yelled, "WHAT?!"

His hair is blown flat by the force of her outburst.

Dick starts picking at his sleeve, "it's the only way to save the bridge", he sorts out his hair, "the only way to give us enough time to stop Killer Moth."

She just hangs before him, a few inches above the floor, the whole body hanging slack and eyes wide as dinner plates from the shock of hearing this decision.

Starfire stuttered, "but, but, but-"

He turns back toward the living room, leaving her to float half-slumped after him.

Dick said, "I have to, Starfire, no matter how much I don't want to", the door opens to admit them back into the area, "and I really don't want to."

He crosses the floor and stops in front of the screen.

Killer Moth asked, "do we have a deal?"

Dick said, "I'll take the girl to prom."

Killer Moth said, "don't tell me. Ask her."

Kitten smiles smugly.

Dick groaned, "you've gotta be-"

Killer Moth yelled, "do it!"

The others look embarrassed for their leader.

Dick steels himself.

Dick groaned, "Kitten, was it?"

Kitten said, "Meow."

Dick groaned, "right. Will you…. Go with me to the prom?"

Starfire snarls through gritted teeth at the indignity of this date by extortion. Her eyes glow more and more intensely.

Jack mutters, "dang, she looks like she's gonna explode."

Kitten said, "oh, Nighty-poo! I thought you'd never ask!"

Dick gives a thoroughly disgusted face as the call ends.

….

We see BB, now a gorilla, slugging it out with a few of Killer Moth's crazed insects. He is atop a bridge column. A group of moths are working their way through a cable and breaking it with ease. Elsewhere, Blackfire has her hands full with a few dozen others when the free end swings past her. She looks down wide-eyed after the dropping cable and follows it down.

Blackfire yelled, "kribble nibbits!"

She manages to grab the cable, when it is just short of crushing Vic. As she carries it away, he fires his cannon at will.

Vic said, "there's too many! We're not gonna….", the moths leave him alone, "... make it?"

Pull back to show that the black flying cloud is making a very rapid exit. Raven drops to ground level to stare after them, and BB jumps onto a wrecked truck, then down to join them as he returns to human form.

BB asked, "um…. What just happened?"

Raven activates her communicator; the others gather around.

Dick said, "I bought you some time. Killer Moth", the villain's face appears in place of his own, "he's controlling the mutant insects. Find him and stop him", he shows Kitten, "start your search with her."

Kitten's picture winks.

Blackfire asked, "who is she?"

Starfire said, "she is a manipulative gremplork not worthy of Richard's time!"

Dick said, "name's Kitten. She's got some kind of connection to Killer Moth. Find the connection, and I bet you'll find him", he glances at an indignant Starfire and continues, "Starfire will join you to help with the search. Rose and Bryan will be monitoring the situation from the tower."

Starfire grunts, "hmph!"

BB asked, "hey, what about you, Jack and Raven? Aren't you gonna help us?"

Dick said, "I can't. I have a date."

All three give very puzzled faces.

Jack said, "Killer Moth demanded that Dick go on a date with Kitten for a prom. Me and Raven are coming as backup in case things go south. Bryan and Rose will monitor the situation from the tower."

The three nod in understanding.

….

Later, we see a docked cruise ship whose horn sounds loudly. It is that same evening, and the dock is crowded with high school students in their best finery. Lights blaze from the rigging and cabin, and above the gangplank is a banner: "Junior Prom; Your Date With Destiny."

The party is in full swing, as is the music. The N-Cycle pulls partway into view and revs down its engine; Dick climbs off and removes his helmet. He has traded in his usual outfit for a tuxedo, though his mask is still firmly in place.

The world's most reluctant prom date adjusts his lapels, sighs heavily, and tugs at his collar.

Dick groaned, "really hoping she doesn't show."

Jack and Raven arrive, landing nearby.

Jack is wearing a dark blue tux, his staff strapped to his back, with a strap finally added to it so it wouldn't fly out of his hands so much.

Raven is blushing as she wears a dark purple, almost black, shoulderless dress that ends at her knees with a slit on the side, showing her leg a bit.

Both have corsages with hidden cameras in them for Rose and Bryan to watch the whole thing.

Raven said, "I wish I was wearing my cloak."

Jack said, "you'll be fine without it for one night. And besides, you make that dress look good."

Raven smiles and says, "thanks."

A lavender-gloved hand reaches into view and taps Dick's shoulder, instantly putting him in the wrong mood. He slowly swivels his head around in that direction.

We see a pair of feet poking from under the hem of a full-length gown and tilt up. The garment and shoes are a darker shade than the gloves, which extend past the elbows, and the hands cradle a carnation. When we reach the head, the owner of all these assorted body parts and clothing is revealed to be not Kitten but Starfire, silhouetted against the full moon and looking absolutely stunning. For someone who is still learning her way around Earth culture, she is certainly a quick study when it comes to formal wear. She has removed her neck piece.

Dick asked, "Starfire?"

Starfire said, "on such occasions, I believe it is customary to wear a dead plant?"

She pins it to his lapel.

Dick said, "Star…. You're supposed to be helping the others track down Killer Moth."

Starfire said, "your orders were to investigate the girl. I intend to investigate her thoroughly. Besides, you may require saving. This Kitten is perhaps some form of ooze monster in disguise. She certainly is ugly like a monster, yes?"

After she finishes, a car horn is heard honking. All four Titans stare in its direction, near the gangplank a pink limousine pulls up. The rear passenger door opens, and a pair of pink high heels steps out under the hem of a matching gown. It is Kitten, having gone strapless with a corsage of her own on display. She looks around for a moment, then waves.

Kitten exclaimed, "yoo-hoo! Nighty-poo! Your Kitten has arrived! Me-ow!"

Starfire stares popeyed as Dick cocks a very nervous eyebrow at the new arrival. He finally gets his feet moving.

Dick said, "on second thought, maybe I will need saving."

Jack is about to reach for his staff, but Raven stops him.

Starfire fumes silently, she glares furiously at Kitten as he leaves her.

Kitten exclaimed, "oh, NightWing", she drapes herself on him, "my date! NightWing! Don't you look handsome. Compliment me on my dress."

Dick said, "no."

Kitten exclaimed, "do it, or else!"

Dick groaned, "nice dress."

Kitten exclaimed, "oh, NightWing! You're such a gentleman! Not at all like my worthless ex-boyfriend Fang!"

She slides closer to Dick, elbow crooked, as he lets off a visible sigh.

Kitten said, "now take my arm, lead me in", Dick takes her elbow, "and would it kill you to smile?"

He forces a savagely lopsided grin onto his face, cheeks creaking and popping with the effort as if his whole face is about to split apart.

Dick groaned, "maybe."

He pulls her toward the gangplank.

Raven and Jack keep snickering as they see this going on.

Behind the crowd, Starfire floats closer, the toes of her shoes striking sparks against the concrete. More sparks fly from her grinding teeth as her eyes blaze and smoke with pure rage and jealousy; she brings one fist up and slams it onto the hood of Kitten's limo. The force of the blow ruins the entire front end and causes the car to flip briefly up onto that pair of wheels. When it comes down, the rest of the bodywork crumples and all the windows crack.

Jack said, "we gotta get some popcorn for all of this."

Raven said, "definitely."

….

Back at the tower, Rose and Bryan have already started munching on popcorn.

...

We see the ship sailing the waters of Jump City Bay. It has been set up with balloon-decorated tables and chairs, as well as a large open area for a dance floor, and many couples are taking advantage of the latter as a slow tune plays.

Dick and Kitten are seated at a table near the rail. He rocks back and forth irritably, while she seems to be having the time of her life.

Jack and Raven are sitting nearby.

After a few seconds, the smile disappears from Kitten's face as if someone had thrown a switch.

Kitten whispered, "ask me to dance."

He stops rocking.

Dick growled, "I don't dance."

Kitten comes around him loudly and cheerfully, "come on, Nighty-poo", she tries to pull him up, "you've never, ever danced before?"

Dick growled, "tried it once. Didn't like it."

Kitten said, "fine", she pulls out a cell phone, "then I can have the whole city destroyed…. Or…. We can just skip straight to the kissing?"

Jack whispered to Raven, "how old is she again? ,Cause I know that Dick is over 18."

Raven said, "she's 18, thank God, otherwise the kissing would've been grosser."

A nasty grin has creased Kittens face by now.

Dick growled, "... wanna dance?"

She nods, and with a yell, he is hauled onto the floor.

Kitten said, "oh, NightWing, of course I'd love to dance with you!"

Other couples move out of the way, and she giggles and sweeps him into a boisterous turn.

Starfire, about to dip from the punch bowl, literally cannot see straight as her irises and pupils have briefly disappeared. Her jaw hangs slack. Starfire's eyes and hands glow.

A male guest asked, "could we have some punch?"

The bowl steams and boils from the energy flowing through her hand to the ladle. As she edges closer to blowing her top, the speaker and his date come up on one side. Starfire turns to face them and lets off a bellowing animal roar. The young woman on the receiving end gasps in fright.

Jack is munching on popcorn as he and Raven watch the whole thing.

Raven asked, "wanna dance?"

Jack said, "no."

Raven said, "thank God. Me neither."

….

Bryan and Rose are dancing as they watch the whole thing going on.

Bryan said, "this is nice."

Rose said, "yeah, it is."

….

Out on the dance floor, Dick extricates himself from Kitten's hold as the music ends.

Dick said, "okay. That's over."

He walks away as a new song starts up, prompting a happy gasp from her.

Kitten said excitedly, "ooh, goody! Another slow dance!"

She yanks Dick back.

They start to go around again, her face showing subdued delight and his displaying no emotion whatsoever.

Kitten said, "from now on, Nighty-poo, this'll always be our song."

She rests her head on his shoulder; he responds by opening his communicator and holding it at arm's length past her back.

Dick groaned, "please tell me you guys have found Killer Moth!?"

….

We see Vic, on the other end of this call. He is in a darkened place, watching Dick's flickering image on his forearm panel.

Vic said, "not yet. But we tracked down your girlfriend's home address."

BB comes into view, then Blackfire, both inspecting different parts of the decor.

Dick growled, "she's not my-"

BB, who is poking at a small statue of a horse, cries out as it begins to topple on its base, but instead of falling over, its eyes glow and the section of floor it is standing on sinks out of sight. The piece of wall behind it flips down to cover the new hole, revealing a staircase that leads down into darkness.

BB said, "whoa…."

Blackfire said, "well, that's not suspicious, is it?"

The green klutz advances toward the area.

The light down at the bottom of the stairs is as bad as it was in the living room. BB is first to descend, his shadow stretching yards ahead of him on the bare floor as the others come down at a distance behind. Another section of this place, with a cord hanging from the ceiling. One by one, the three move over here for as good a look as they can get under the circumstances. BB blunders up against the cord and lets off a panicked scream, but he soon realizes that it poses no danger. A tug brings up the lights and reveals a holding pen filled with Killer Moth's multitudes behind them; this is his basement.

BB and Blackfire flip open their communicators, while Vic fires up the one in his forearm.

BB, Vic and Blackfire all said, "found him."

The lights begin to flicker as they hear Killer Moth.

Killer Moth growled, "yes, you've found me, but you'll soon be wishing you hadn't."

That huge insect/humanoid shadow throws itself over Vic, whose jaw falls open as he looks toward the ceiling. Killer Moth is clinging to the overhead light; a king-size example of moths' tendency to gravitate toward bright things, and he glares down at them with unbridled fury and lets go. He drops toward it with a loud growl!

….

Back at the prom...

Dick still has his communicator at arm's length to keep it out of Kitten's field of view. Her head is still nestled on his shoulder, but she soon lifts it and he tucks the device away as other couples dance past.

Kitten cooed, "kiss me."

She puckers up.

Dick said, "sorry. I don't like you that way. Matter of fact, I just don't like you."

Starfire, watching from across the dance floor, pumps her fist in joy and triumph upon hearing this.

Starfire yelled, "yes!"

Kitten yelled, "WHAT?!"

Raven and Jack glance at one another.

Raven said, "this is getting good."

Jack said, "indeed it is."

The force of her yell not only surprises Starfire, but also blows Dick's hair back for a moment, but he calmly flips open his communicator.

Dick said, "Killer Moth's being taken down as we speak", he tucks his communicator in his pocket and turns away, "we're done here."

Kitten tears off her corsage, "no, we are not!"

A few petals flutter down, revealing a push-button controller within the blossoms.

Kitten yelled, "Daddy's not calling the shots tonight, Nighty-poo. I am!"

Dick asked, "Daddy?"

….

Bryan said, "what a twist."

Rose said, "let's see how this goes…."

…

Kitten said, "and unless you want me to let those nasty bugs out for a late-night snack…."

She hooks her free hand into his shirt front and yanks him in close as Starfire watches, paralyzed with shock.

Kitten said, "... you better pucker up!"

Raven and Jack get up, ready to attack.

Raven asked, "this is gonna be gross, isn't it?"

Jack said, "most likely."

Starfire once again cannot see straight due to the surprise of finding out that Dick is dancing with Killer Moth's daughter.

She gasps as Kitten leans toward Dick, pursing her lips eagerly for a kiss. He is doing his best to keep any and every part of his face out of reach and shutting his eyes as tightly as he can. Opening one of them fully, then the other, he recoils even farther in horror. Now her mouth looks something like that of a fish gasping for air after being reeled into the boat. The attempted smooch is brought up short by his finger on her lips as he pushes her away.

Dick growled, "not even if you paid me."

That was saying a lot, considering he had Bruce Wayne as an ally...

One swift grab takes the controller from her hand into his; she gasps and tries to seize it, but he holds it out of reach. In a twinkling, the two have begun a back-and-forth struggle, with Kitten concentrating on that particular set of five fingers and how to unhinge them. She ends up hanging backward over Dick's other arm, looking upside-down at everything, and her eyes pop huge for a moment.

Kitten exclaimed, "Fang?!"

Dick looks that way; his eyes pop, too.

Dick asked, "that's your boyfriend?!"

She seizes the moment and grabs the button from his hand. Across the deck, prom guests begin to panic and flee as Kitten's ex-boyfriend approaches; he is none other than the thief who pulled off the jewelry store robbery. Despite his grotesque appearance, his voice is perfectly normal for a teenage boy. He knocks tables and chairs out of the way.

Fang yelled, "get your hands off my girl!"

Jack said, "man, and I thought Beast Boy had bad taste in dates."

Raven asked, "are you referring to Kitten or the literal spider-man?"

Jack said, "yes."

Dick drops Kitten like a ton of bricks in order to have both hands free. He blocks a few swings of those huge legs, but one knocks him aside. Fang steps over to Kitten and is about to help her up; before he can do so, a starbolt flashes into view and plows him away. Starfire is still by the punch bowl, with more shots ready to go.

Starfire said, "keep your legs off my boy", Dick stands up; she winds down, "NightWing, are you injured?"

Dick said, "best I've felt all day."

Jack and Raven run over to them.

Dick tears off the suit with one easy motion, revealing his normal outfit beneath his gloves and all, and drops it to the deck. Kitten runs over to Fang, who has fetched up against a table and upset it, but is now trying to stand.

Kitten cooed, "Fangie-poo", he lowers his human body to her level, "you really do care!"

Fang said, "let's never fight again, baby."

All his spider legs extend into view, holding out several stolen bracelets that make her gasp in delight. She throws her arms around his neck.

Kitten cooed, "oh, Fang!"

They kiss affectionately, which makes Jack look like he's about to puke. Raven rubs his back to calm him down.

...

Bryan actually does puke into a trash can as Rose says, "makes me wish I didn't have either eye!"

...

Dick said, "you know…."

Dick, Jack, Raven and Starfire stand ready for action. All of them are back in their usual outfits.

Dick said, "... you two make a really bad couple."

Said couple glares at him for a moment, after which Fang lets go of Kitten and charges in rage.

….

Back at Killer Moth's pens; Vic backs into view and dodges a swing, then gets driven to the floor when the winged evildoer climbs up his chest and vaults away. He and BB canvass the vicinity, but turn up nothing. Ditto for Blackfire, but in a moment, Killer Moth is leaping toward her. She floats up out of reach, grabs several bags of feed, and sends them down at him; he bats them away easily and jumps up to grab her shoulders. After his feet touch the ceiling, he slings her away and is promptly shot down by a blast from Vic's cannon.

As soon as he hits the floor, BB transforms into a wolf and lunges at him. The insect who would be king seizes both forelegs, letting go a scream that puts a surprised stare in their owner's eyes. Vic, rushes down one aisle, and the lupine Titan is hurled into view, bowling him over. All three get up in a daze.

BB said, "for a weirdo who lives in his basement, this guy's pretty tough."

Blackfire said, "and people say he's Batman's lamest foe!"

Vic said, "I think that title goes to the Penny Plunderer."

BB and Blackfire asked, "who?"

Vic said, "exactly."

….

Back at the cruise ship deck. Fang stands there, Kitten behind him as he spews a torrent of spider silk across the dance floor. Dick nimbly dodges the glop, but Starfire is hit dead on and driven back into the sky. He stops near the rail, where the couple previously seen at the punch bowl walk into view; the young woman is laughing.

Male guest, "let's hit the dance flo-"

They instead take a hit from Fang's venom and become living, gray-tinged statues. A second blast just misses Dick, and Fang sets out after him.

Jack starts using his powers to send some of the punch from the bowls, via his water powers, at Fang, but he dodges them as he quickly goes after Dick.

At the rail, Dick stops to face him and has to block a flurry of spider-leg strikes. He manages to grab all four limbs at once, setting off a tug-of-war between the two combatants. It ends when Dick heaves with all his strength and sends Fang tumbling overboard.

Dick looks past the rail expecting to see and hear the felon splash into Jump City Bay. Instead, his eyes bug out and he is left in confusion.

Jack runs to the railing to see what is going on.

Dick said in shock, "huh?"

With all four spider legs climbing up the side of the ship, Fang spits silk up at him and barely misses Deck level; the creature gets over the rail, wrecking a table, and leaps high above the planks. On the way down, he whirls his legs like a high-speed flail and forces Dick and Jack to back up while blocking the hits. The human limbs are now brought into play instead; Fang and Dick dodge each other's blows as Jack tries to find an opening to attack with his fire balls, the former swinging his human body high overhead to gain momentum. More furniture goes flying all over the deck in the course of this punching match, and Fang finally connects with a spider kick that sends Dick spinning through the air.

He catches a string of lights and hangs there for a moment; Fang hisses up at him, runs to the cabin, and scuttles straight up its wall.

Jack shoots a stream of fire at Fang, but he merely shoots Jack into the wall with a ball of webbing. Jack begins burning the web off of him.

A leap carries him up to the cables, and we see the hero and villain facing off with four wires between them. Dick swings from one to the next, dodging gluey spurts along the way, and launches himself into an incredibly high leap that silhouettes him against the moon. With one leg extended for a kick, he descends straight toward Fang; there is a flash when he connects. Fang drops into view and crashes down on one of the surviving tables; he has been knocked silly. The balloons attached to its centerpiece float free.

One of them passes by; behind its trailing edge. The view changes to show the entire bunch floating into the evening sky. Dick plunges out of them and toward Fang, who has come to and put up his spider legs to catch the spiky-haired Titan. The two grapple as Kitten watches at a short distance. Fang throws Dick across the deck.

Kitten cooed, "ooooh! Isn't it romantic? They're fighting over me!"

Starfire stands up behind her, peels Fang's adhesive off her face, and stares bug-eyed at the little blond terror.

Starfire yelled, "they are not fighting over you!"

Kitten yells and jumps at her, and the two roll across the refreshment table. Starfire pins her shoulders and reaches to snag the button, but Kitten gets a handful of food and throws it in her face.

Jack has just gotten free and ran over to Raven, who has started filming Starfire and Kitten fighting.

Jack asked, "what're you doing?"

Raven said, "filming a catfight."

Jack asked, "why aren't you helping fight?"

Raven said, "because I wouldn't be able to film any of this in case Starfire ticks me off."

Jack said, "... eh, good point."

In a blink, Starfire is the one pinned down, unable to see through the mass of cream covering her head. It soon starts to bubble, and Kitten backs off as energy beams from Starfire's eyes burn away the goop? She sits up with a wildcat snarl, throwing a genuine scare into Kitten, and clamps a hand onto her shoulder. The crazed girl is shoved along the table, sliding most of the way to the end, and soon finds herself staring up at a leaping, roaring Tamaranean teen ready to claw her eyes out.

Kitten screams and gets her legs up at the last second, catching Starfire with them and flipping backward to dump her head into the punch bowl. She puts her weight into forcing the face deeper. Kitten smiles savagely, while Starfire's eyes and cheeks bulge out from her held breath and a few air bubbles slip out between her lips. Her eyes blaze up, and we see her wrapping her own legs around Kitten's waist. The latter is slung over the bowl to crash into a large chocolate cake that has been set on the end of the table.

Starfire pulls her head out of the punch and flings her sodden hair back. On the deck before her, Kitten lies sprawled out with cake plastered all over her hair and body. She stands up, beyond angry.

Kitten yelled, "You…. Ruined…. My…. Dress!"

Her thumb comes down on the button.

….

Vic snapped, "start talking!"

In the basement, Vic has the villain bent over a table. BB and Blackfire watch.

Vic said, "how do you control the….", the alarms and red strobe lights go off, "... MOTHS!"

Responding to Kitten's triggering command, the front panels on pen after pen slide open, releasing clouds of vapor and the entire horde of Killer Moth's city-destroyers.

BB yelled, "run!"

Blackfire yelled, "no duh!"

BB makes tracks up a flight of stairs that lead to the street, but the hatch at the top slams shut in his face thanks to Blackfire dashing forward and slamming it shut.

Blackfire yelled, "we can't let them escape! Seal the exits!"

The two boys break in opposite directions. BB turns into a jellyfish in mid-leap and positions himself in front of an air vent, just in time to stop any moths from getting out that way. Elsewhere, thousands fly past Vic as he picks up a desk and throws it. The desk lands in front of the doorway and is quickly joined by another, cutting off that route. Meanwhile, bags of feed rise from the floor in Blackfire's grasp, and she stuffs them into the overhead ductwork. Her and Vic go back to back, as millions of deranged giant bugs swarm in the basement. He has his cannon at the ready now.

….

Dick rises into view and aims the sole of one boot straight at Fang. Caught flat-footed by the blow, Fang stumbles backward and tries to refocus his eyes. His perspective; seeing many images of Dick due to the compound-lens structure of his eyes, and the lids start to close. He moans wearily and loses his balance, crushing one more table as he falls and knocking its balloons loose.

Starfire and Kitten are facing off from opposite ends of the refreshment table.

Jack and Raven are watching, both filming the catfight, having some fun watching all of this.

….

Rose and Bryan are both excited to see this whole fight going on.

….

The mad blonde screams and charges straight down the table's length, but Starfire sidesteps and prepares a starbolt. This hits Kitten's hand, knocking the controller to the deck. She gasps and backs up to follow the thing as it skitters away. Dick's boot drops into view and stops it.

Dick said, "consider yourself dumped."

His boot again; a little weight, carefully applied at the toe, makes short work of the controller.

Kitten yelled, "NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

...

In the basement, Vic and Blackfire have huddled against each other to protect themselves from the flying army. Suddenly, the insects transform into large caterpillar/maggot-like larvae and drop to the floor, leaving the two Titans at a momentary loss for words. BB, back in human form, emerges from behind them. The things worm their way around the basement.

BB said, "okay…."

Blackfire asked, "why do I get the feeling that Starfire would love to have one of these things?"

What we know and they do not is that the metamorphosis was triggered by the destruction of Kitten's controller.

….

We see the cruise ship has pulled in to meet a couple of police cars and a transport van. Fang is escorted down the gangplank, his hands cuffed and all four spider legs shackled together above his head, and led to the back of the van by an armed guard. Inside, he gives a very puzzled look; the reason is quickly revealed; Killer Moth's visage, behind a transparent shield perforated by air holes. A mask has been locked onto his face to keep his mouth closed.

The winged father figure has been secured in a large display case, the sort that might be used to show off a butterfly collection, with his arms and legs clamped down. He groans wearily. We see Kitten, hands cuffed behind her back, in the grip of two guards who are escorting her toward the van.

Kitten yelled, "nobody dumps Kitten! Nobody!"

The Titans, at the rail, come into view.

Kitten yelled, "you're going to pay for this, Nighty-poo! YOU'RE GOING TO PAAAYYY!"

The guards put her in and close the door, muffling her words, and the van speeds off with sirens blaring.

All of the Titans are now gathered together.

Vic asked, "so, no second date?"

BB holds one of the larvae.

BB said, "you know…. Now that nobody's making 'em all mutate-y...", he pokes the larvae's stomach; it gurgles happily, "... these things might actually make good pets."

Raven said, "don't even think about it."

Dick leans over the rail and Starfire eyes his back as two guards slide the paralyzed couple across the deck. He steps over to them.

Dick said, "okay, well…. Sorry we pretty much ruined your prom."

Male guest, "are you kidding? This was the best prom ever!"

Female guest, "even if I still can't move my legs!"

The guards take them away.

Dick said, "yeah. That'll wear off."

Spotlights suddenly cross the floor; both Titans brace for action.

An announcer said, "and now, the moment you've all been waiting for….", Starfire warms up her hands, "... the king and queen of this year's prom are….", the spots stop on them; Starfire winds down, "... NightWing and Starfire!"

Surprise, then a smile from Dick.

Dick said, "I guess one more dance wouldn't kill me."

He takes her hand and leads her toward the center of the floor. The two start dancing together as the others watch.

Jack asked, "how much do you wanna bet they'll start dating one day?"

Bryan said, "I'll give it a few months."

Rose said, "probably after a really dangerous mission."

And with that, we close up another night for the Titans….

….

Reviews:

fmertens134: hmm…. I might do a fanfiction like this. What would the story be, exactly?

Bailey Radcliff: hi, glad you liked the chapter, happy holidays, and sorry about puppy not working out.

Dragonvanguard: thanks. Life has been very hectic lately, in addition to the site acting off. That's why I'm taking longer with publishing on this site. I'll try to have Alien Rebirth updated soon, but I don't know when exactly.

Canadude2029: yeah, this episode is pretty creepy. I do wish I'd published it on Halloween though. Would've been perfect. Thanks and happy holidays.

SuperSentai199: yeah, same here. Glad you enjoyed this chapter.

….

Happy holidays to you all!