Hello everyone! And welcome to the next chapter of the Key to the Titans! I hope you all are having a great 4th of July and are staying safe and sound during these times. I apologize for the little break I took but I spent some time with my family and needed a little time off from everything. But now I'm back and ready to write again. So now, lets get on with the next chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Teen Titans.
Chapter 57: Hide and Seek
(Swiss Alps Mountains, Myrberg Bus Station)
It was a beautiful morning in the middle of the snow-capped mountains and the lush meadows surrounding a small station, a train track, and a dirt road. Standing in front of the station was Sora and Raven; she is standing with her arms crossed and an impatient face and he was standing next to her with a confused look on his face.
"We're not late are we?" Sora asked.
"No, we're right on time." Raven said. Sora looked down both sides of the road for the dozenth time.
"Where are they?" Sora asked.
"No idea." Raven replied, opening her communicator. "Raven calling Robin. Over." She asked, while Sora looked over shoulder. The screen was static for a moment before clearing up to reveal Beast Boy standing in a rocky landscape.
"Robin's communicator. May I help you?" Beast Boy asked, surprising them.
"Beast Boy, put Robin on." Raven said, annoyed.
"He's fighting crime at the moment. Perhaps I can be of assistance?" Beast Boy asked.
"Well, we're at the train station, but no one's shown up yet. Are you sure we're at the right place?" Sora asked.
"Yep. That's the pickup spot." Beast Boy replied.
"What if they don't show? Are we supposed to just hang around in the middle of nowhere forever?" Raven asked.
"Stay put. Robin's trusting you to meet that team and take them to the place where the Brotherhood of Evil can't get to them." Beast Boy replied. Suddenly, Sora heard a noise coming down the side of the road and he looked to see an approaching dust cloud.
"Look!" Sora said, getting Raven's attention.
"Finally." She replied, closing the communicator. A bus soon came into view and came to a stop in front of them, kicking up a lot of dust around them and obscuring their view a little. Just as quick as the bus stopped, it took off again, kicking up more dust around them. They fanned it away as best they could until the dirt was gone. They looked around to see no one got off the bus and looked towards the now departing bus.
"Wait!" Sora called out, jogging after the bus while Raven remained in place, watching the vehicle leave with a mild worried look.
"Now what?" Raven said to herself. Suddenly, she felt a small tug on her cloak, both literally and figuratively pulling her out of her thoughts and she turned around and looked down, making her eyes widen. Off to her side are three young children: the oldest is a six- or seven-year-old girl with blond hair tied in two pigtails; she wore a white shirt with a large magenta-colored M in the center of it, a cape and skirt of the same color and magenta/white colored boots. The second child was a four- or five-year-old boy with yellow-orange hair and freckles; he wore yellow shirt and tights with red gloves, shorts, and boots while his chest showed a small fireball with a T in the center of it and in his hand was a blue blanket. The third child was the youngest in the group, no more than two; he has a single tuft of blond hair and is dressed in a set of blue footie pajamas and a bib tied around his neck that had a large tooth marked on it.
"Are you Raven?" the middle child asked, gripping onto her cloak. Raven's face quickly turned red in embarrassment.
"You've gotta be kidding." Raven replied, while Sora ran back to her.
"Well, I don't know what we're going to do no-oh hi there!" Sora said, noticing the kids. They waved hello as Raven quietly backed away and opened her communicator.
"Robin!" Raven yelled sharply, though instead of the Boy Wonder, she got Beast Boy again.
"Robin's communicator. May I-?" Beast Boy asked.
"Put Robin on. NOW!" Raven screamed while veins throb across her head. Beast Boy looked behind him to see Robin dodging multiple laser blasts from one of the Brotherhood's robots while also slashing a Shadow Heartless.
"Uh, he's kind of in the middle of something." Beast Boy said.
"Well, tell him I don't do babysitting. Sora might, but not me." Raven said, looking over to see Sora entertaining the kids with one of his cheesy smiles.
"Raven told me to tell you she doesn't babysit!" Beast Boy called out to the leader. "Robin says you have to." Beast Boy replied.
"Can't someone else do it? Starfire likes people, or Cyborg. What about Rose?" Raven pleaded.
"Everyone else is on other missions. You're gonna have to- "Beast Boy said when suddenly some laser blasts streaked past him, breaking the connection. Raven breathes heavily while closing the communicator before letting out a sigh. She walked back over to Sora and the kids, who sat before them while showing off some of his magic.
"Oh Raven! So, this is Melvin, Timmy and Teether. They've been travelling for a while together to get away from the Brotherhood." Sora said as he stood up along with the kids, pointing from oldest to youngest.
"Is she gonna help us too?" The girl, Melvin asked. Sora nodded to her in confirmation while Raven let out another heavy sigh.
"Melvin, right? You're the leader of this team?" Raven asked.
"I guess. They're always following me around." Melvin replied.
"All right, Melvin. We'll take you and your team to the drop-off, but that's it." Raven said.
"Hey, look! The train." Sora said, pointing towards the approaching locomotive. Teether and Melvin take both of Raven's hand, making her blush in embarrassment while Sora took Timmy's hand.
"Aw, you look so adorable, Rae." Sora teased.
"Be quiet, Sora!" Raven gritted out. The keyblade wielder laughed a little until he noticed Melvin's left hand reaching out to an empty space.
"Melvin, whose hand are you holding?" He asked.
"Bobby's hand. He's afraid of trains, so I always hold his hand for him." Melvin explained. Raven raised an eyebrow while Sora looked confused.
"Whose Bobby?" He asked.
"My best friend. He protects us from bad people." Melvin replied.
"And yet, he's afraid of trains. Right. Let's go." Raven said in a skeptic/deadpan tone while walking towards the train with Teether and Melvin. Sora and Timmy walked after them as the train came to a halt. They climbed aboard, though Sora noticed the cart sagged a little when Melvin climbed on, and soon found a window seat; Sora and Raven sat on one side of the table and the children on the other.
"Just a two-hour train ride, and it'll all be over." Raven said. Sora took her hand, making her turn to look at him.
"We got this." Sora mouthed to her. She nodded slightly and looked towards the kids.
"You've all got powers? What can you do?" Raven asked, trying to break the ice.
"Bobby can dance. Wanna see?" Melvin asked. Sora and Raven shared a look of confusion.
"Could…we see him?" Sora asked. Melvin looked up at something before looking down.
"Sorry, he's still a little shy." Melvin replied. Sora nodded while Raven took another calming breath. A few seconds later, Teether takes out his pacifier while babbling happily before biting down on Timmy's blanket. Timmy tries to pull it back, causing a struggle to break out between the three, causing a migraine to quickly form in Raven's head.
"Uh, kids. Calm down. Timmy, just ask- "Sora said, accidently being pulled into the struggle, making his girlfriend's eye twitch angrily.
"QUIET!" Raven screamed, making everyone freeze and fear and sit back down while Teether lets go of the blanket.
"We're going to play a game. It's called 'Don't Bother Raven.' Rule number one…no talking!" Raven demanded. The four nodded quickly while Raven closed her eyes, meditating and chanting for a couple of minutes. Suddenly, she noticed how quiet the table has become and she opened her eyes, only for them to widen in shock. Sora, Melvin, Timmy, and Teether have disappeared from the table.
"Good idea, Robin. Put Raven in charge of the kids and the easily distracted goofball." She said to herself. She stood up and started walking through the cars of the train, looking for Sora and the kids as the train heads into a tunnel, casting a shadow around it. She walked into another car to find Sora kneeling next to a table, pulling on something.
"Sora? What are you doing?" Raven asked, walking over to him.
"It's Teether. He won't…let go…of the seat!" Sora said, pulling on the small child with effort. Raven kneeled under the table to see that he wasn't kidding: Teether was biting onto the edge of a seat, nearly pulling the stuffing out. Eventually, Sora pulled him free, and he fell to the ground with Teether in hand and a piece of the seat in Teether's mouth. "He has strong teeth." Sora said, standing up with Raven. The two then resumed their look for the other children while Sora held Teether close to his chest.
"Didn't bother telling me you were gonna explore with the kids?" Raven asked.
"T-they just disappeared, and you said not to bother you. I thought I could bring them back myself." Sora said. Raven groaned in response.
"I appreciate the effort, Sora. But, as much as I despise this mission, the kids are both of our responsibilities. We have to keep an eye on them at all times." Raven said.
"Got it." Sora said, smiling. Suddenly, they heard the sound of a kid crying and they walked into the other cart to see Timmy on the floor and screaming up a storm, drawing the attention of the other passengers. Sora could see a red wisp of frustration rising from Raven's head, so they quickly walked over and dragged Timmy away by the blanket.
"Sorry, everyone." Sora sheepishly apologized with a smile. They then continued through the carts until they reached the second-to last cart, filled with all the suitcases and carry-ons. The four passed by all the luggage to see Melvin sitting on top of a large suitcase while dangling her legs happily.
"Melvin!" Raven called out, making the girl look over to them. "What are you doing in here?" She asked, still holding onto Timmy's blanket.
"Bobby couldn't fit in our car." Melvin replied, gesturing to an empty space next to her.
"You know you can't just leave like that. We have to stay together remember?" Sora said, while also making sure that Teether didn't bite any of his clothes.
"Just squish your imaginary friend down, and let's go back to our seats." Raven replied, causing Melvin to stand up in anger.
"Bobby is real!" Melvin retorted, crossing her arms. She then looked off to her side as if someone was whispering into her ear. "Yeah. The blue girl is scary." Melvin whispered to the empty space, making a red tick appear on Raven's forehead again.
"Come on. You can leave Bobby here. He'll be fine." Raven replied.
"Timmy's gotta go." Melvin pointed out.
"What do you mean, he's gotta-?" Raven asked but her question was answered as she and Sora looked down to see Timmy hunched over and squirming wildly.
"Ohhh. I'll take him. Come on, Timmy." Sora said, handing Teether to Raven and leading Timmy to the restrooms.
"We'll meet you there." Raven said, holding Teether at a distance while he reached for her cloak. Later, as the train passes by a raging waterfall, Sora waits outside the restroom while Timmy is inside.
"You ok, Timmy?" Sora asked. His answer was a toilet flush, and the door opened, allowing Timmy to walk out. The keybearer smiled and took the boy's hand and walked over to where Raven, Melvin, and Teether were waiting for them.
"Are we done?" Raven asked and the two nodded in reply. "Good. Now can we get back to our seats please?" She asked sternly, walking back towards their seats while Melvin chuckled a little. They continue towards the seats when suddenly Timmy stops and points at something outside.
"Monkey Man!" Timmy yelled.
"Timmy, what's a monkey-"Raven said before she and Sora stopped, both coming to the same conclusion.
"Mallah!" They said, eyes widened. Sora quickly grabbed Timmy away from the windows as suddenly the giant ape smashes through the train walls in a giant crash.
"Give me the children!" Mallah demanded as he marched towards them. Sora quickly summoned his keyblade and shot blast of fire at the gorilla, pushing him back.
"Raven, get them out of here! I'll hold him off." Sora said, getting into his fighting stance. Raven hesitated a little but nodded in agreement as she led the children out of the car while Sora leaped and struck at Monsieur Mallah. Meanwhile, Raven ran with Teether in hand and Melvin and Timmy ahead of her as she closed the doors with her powers.
"Quick hide!" Melvin yelled as she and Timmy hide under a table.
"We don't have time for games!" Raven yelled when suddenly something large broke through the roof above her, making her back away. Raven got a closer look to see that it was a giant cat in a red and blue jumpsuit.
"Hehehe hahaha! Well, if it ain't the blue witch. And it looks like she's doing a little babysitting. Mind if I take those little runts off your hands?" Pete asked with a giant grin.
"You must be Pete. Sora was right, you're not that threatening." Raven replied, summoning her keyblade.
"Oh, I may not look threatening, but you never know what I'm hiding up my sleeves!" Pete replied before quickly chucking a red ball at her. Raven quickly caught it with her powers, but the ball suddenly exploded, pushing her back, though staying on her feet. Suddenly, the wall behind her broke apart as Mallah came crashing through and landing on the floor. Sora came leaping through the newly created hole with a swing, but the giant ape managed to grab him and slam him on the ground, next to Raven.
"You alright?" She asked, as Sora stood up, now back-to-back to her.
"Fine! Are the kids okay?" Sora asked, Raven nodded towards the seats and saw Melvin and Timmy huddled under the tables. He nodded before turning to the big cat. "Pete! Why am I not surprised? What, was Maleficent getting bored of you or something?" Sora asked, making Pete growl at him in anger.
"You won't be joking long when I pummel ya and take those kids, brat!" Pete bellowed, running towards them bringing his fist down towards the two Titans, separating them. The two split up and struck at both Pete and Mallah, knocking them further down the train cart. The kids take the chance to run out from the table and towards the next cart while Sora, Raven and Teether follow them. They keep running when suddenly several Soldier Heartless appear in front of them.
"Aah, scary monsters!" Timmy yelled out. Sora and Raven moved the children behind them and readied their keyblades.
"Leave these things to us, kids." Sora said. The two Titans quickly engaged the Heartless with both magic spells and combos but that gave enough time for Pete and Mallah to catch up to them. Raven quickly throws multiple tables and seats in their path while Sora freezes the furniture, creating a giant ice wall. The group continues through the next car until Melvin comes to a stop next to the door.
"Bobby! Come on!" Melvin called out.
"We can't stop now!" Raven yelled to her.
"Go! I'll get her." Sora said, pushing Timmy towards Raven while he ran towards Melvin. He grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the door.
"I'm not going without Bobby!" Melvin cried out.
"Don't worry, he's right behind us." Sora replied as they ran into the next cart where the other three were waiting. Sora let Melvin go while Raven handed Teether to the young girl, the two teens reading themselves for any possible attack. Suddenly, the walls exploded from Mallah and Pete crashing in, knocking Raven and Sora to the ground. They slowly rose from the ground but were pinned by Mallah while Pete stomped over to the children.
"Come here you little pipsqueaks!" Pete said, reaching for them.
"Bobby, help!" Melvin called out. Pete was just about to grab them when suddenly his hand froze and forced it into the air, surprising the cat.
"What the-?" Pete called before being hit hard in the gut, sending him flying and crashing into Mallah, knocking the two into the back of the previous car, separating the villains and the group. Something then cut the coupling between the two cars, leaving Pete and Mallah on the still moving train and leaving Sora, Raven, Melvin, Timmy, and Teether on the lone car. Sora helped Raven up to see the train moving out of sight.
"Yaaaay!" The kids celebrated.
"He did it! Bobby just saved us!" Melvin said, happily jumping up and down.
"We're stranded in the middle of nowhere and we've got a big gorilla and a big cat chasing after us. How are we saved?" Raven asked. The three kids share a small glance before erupting into tears at the situation they found themselves in. Raven looked annoyed while Sora tried to calm them down. After a few minutes of gathering themselves together and calming down the kids; they sat outside thinking of another way to the drop-off point.
"Choo-choo gone." Teether said, sitting on the ground and waving goodbye to the train.
"Yes, choo-choo is gone. We'll just have to carry you over the mountain." Raven said, creating a black platform underneath everyone.
"We can't fly. Teether's tummy gets dizzy." Melvin warned.
"Well, we don't have to go very far. He should be fine." Sora said. Raven nodded and slowly lifted the platform in the air while Sora carried Teether. Just as quickly though, Teether's stomach rumbled, and his face welled up as if he was about to puke.
"Uh-oh. Raven we better set down. Melvin wasn't kidding!" Sora quickly said, holding Teether at an arm's distance until Teether spit out a piece of the seat cushion from the train next to Sora's feet.
"Told you so." Melvin replied. Sora's face turned into a disgusted frown until he saw Teether's face go green again.
"Fine. We'll walk." Raven replied, lowering the platform back to the ground. They were about to walk until Teether reached over to Raven.
"Rae. I think he wants you to hold him." Sora said. Raven groaned in response but took the toddler into her arms, making him smile. Suddenly, Timmy burst into tears while running back and forth.
"Carry me! Carry me!" Timmy yelled out. Sora quickly grabbed Timmy and picked him up.
"Don't worry, Timmy! I got ya." Sora replied, walking ahead, with Raven and Teether behind him and Melvin holding "Bobby's" hand walking besides them through the slopes of the mountains.
(Later, into the night)
The group continue their long trek towards the drop-off point but the children and teens were growing tired as they went on. Teether was asleep on Raven's shoulder with his pacifier in his mouth, Timmy let out a long yawn while being carried piggy-back style by Sora, and Melvin was still awake but was close to dragging her feet.
"It's past Timmy's bedtime, and we missed dinner." Melvin relayed to them.
"Hey, look." Sora said, pointing further up the path and everyone looked to see a small, run-down cabin settled on a small foothill.
"We'll stop here for the night." Raven replied, walking towards the house with Sora and Melvin following her. She uses her powers to unlock the front door and she opens it, allowing everyone to walk in to see the house had some small furniture, a kitchen, and a fireplace. Sora sets Timmy down on the couch, making sure he was comfy, while Melvin joined him and Raven set Teether at a small seat. Sora created a small fireball and threw it into the fireplace, lighting up the dark cabin while the kids warmed themselves next to it.
"Hmm. What's for dinner?" Raven asked, checking the labeled cans in the kitchen cupboards. She brought them over to Teether, but he said no to each one she offered, making her set the cans down on the table and clamping a hand over her head as a migraine showed up.
"I don't know what he wants!" Raven yelled out in annoyance.
"Uh, Raven." Sora said, pointing at Teether's seat. She looked to see that the toddler wasn't in the seat anymore and they look around until they see the child gnawing at a ski boot that he found, smiling happily in response.
"Weird." Raven said while Sora had a raised eyebrow.
"He has quite the appetite." Sora replied. Timmy then walks up to them with a sad look on his face.
"My…blankie…you…see…my…blankie?" Timmy said in between sobs.
"What's wrong, Timmy?" Sora asked, kneeling next to him.
"My…blankie…see?" Timmy replied, holding up his blanket to them. Before he could show them what was wrong, Teether walked over, now leaving the ski boot alone, and joined in on the crying
"Uh, there, there." Raven tried to console but the crying eventually got to her nerves, and she covered her ears in an attempt to block out the noise. Realizing that the situation was getting out of hand, Sora picked up Teether and took Timmy by the hand.
"Leave them to me Rae. I'll figure something out for them." Sora said, taking them back over to the kitchen. She nodded until she felt someone tugging on her cloak and she looked down to see Melvin standing next to her.
"Raven, you forgot to feed Bobby." Melvin said.
"Bobby doesn't need food. He's not real!" Raven retorted.
"Yes, he is!" Melvin shouted back as the crying came to a stop. Raven let out a sigh in response.
"Fine. Bobby can have my dinner." Raven said, wearily.
"Bobby's not in here. He has to stay outside cause he's too big." Melvin pointed out.
"Of course. Booby's outside." Raven said. She quickly got a plate of food ready and walked outside, placing it down on the steps. "Eat up, Bobby." She said to herself, completely drained from today's events. She took a seat on the steps and let out another breath.
"We need backup." Raven said, pulling out her communicator and flipping it open. "Raven calling anyone!" She said into it. The screen was static for a moment before changing to Beast Boy with a grin on his face.
"Raven!" Beast Boy said happily while making a vein throb on Raven's forehead.
"Anyone other than Beast Boy." She demanded.
"Did you guys finish your mission?" Beast Boy asked.
"We had a little detour. We'll drop them off tomorrow…if I survive the night." Raven replied.
"Kids are easy. All you gotta do is make silly faces. Oh, a-and kids love jokes. This one never fails." Beast Boy continued while Raven had to use her free hand to keep her head propped. "Why did the cookie go to the doctor?" He asked but Raven didn't respond, leaving a long, awkward pause. "You're supposed to ask why." Beast Boy whispered.
"Why?" Raven asked.
"He went because he was feeling a little crumb-y. Get it?" Beast Boy asked while laughing but Raven silenced him by closing the communicator. She let out another sigh in response and leaned against the pole that held the roof.
"Hey, there you are!" Sora's voice said behind her, and she turned to see him closing the door and sitting down next to her, though now he was missing a shoe.
"What happened?" She asked, pointing at his now bare foot.
"Oh, Teether needed something big to gnaw on. My shoe seemed to be the best option. Besides, he's been staring at them all day." Sora said with a chuckle, making her smile lightly.
"And Timmy. What's wrong with him?" Raven asked.
"His blanket has a tear in it. I told him I didn't know how to fix it, but we'll find some way to. He's not crying as much but still." Sora said.
"Do they have to cry just to get that out?" Raven said.
"Well, they're kids. They don't know how to talk like you and me. Besides Melvin." Sora said.
"I…I don't know if I can do this. Criminals and monsters I can deal with, but…kids. Not so much. Robin should've gotten someone else." Raven said.
"Well, I think he made a pretty good choice." Sora said, making her look at him with a confused look. "Think about it. We're all kids and sometimes we act like them too. Sure, we have our mature moments but at the end of the day, we all act childish sometimes. And out of all of us, you're always the mature one, keeping a level-head in the most stressful situations. I think that's what Robin saw. That you'd be able to handle the kids better than any of us." Sora said.
"I guess…" Raven said, looking out towards the hills. Sora stood back up and held out a hand to her, catching her attention.
"C'mon. I think we've been away too long." He said with a smile. She smiled slightly and took his hand, pulling her up. He was about to walk in, but Raven stopped him with a hug.
"Thanks for being here, Sora." She replied, making him smile and return the hug.
"Of course, Raven. Now let's get these kids to calm down." Sora said, walking back into the house with her. They are immediately greeted by two loud crying screams from Timmy and Teether while Melvin sat on the couch trying to calm them down.
"Can you handle Teether while I fix Timmy's blanket?" Raven asked.
"You got it." Sora said. He walked over to the toddler and kneeled down next to him before bowing his head. He then rose back up with a giant, cheesy smile, making Teether calm down and giggle at the sight before suddenly bursting into tears again.
"Uh-oh. What's wrong, Teether?" Sora asked, worried.
"Teether's got gas." Melvin spoke up.
"Oh." Sora replied, picking the toddler up, leaning him over his shoulder and started patting his back. Teether suddenly burps directly into Sora's face, blowing his hair back and getting some saliva in his face, while Teether cooed happily. Sora smiled and shook his head, fixing his hair and getting rid of the saliva.
Meanwhile, Raven walked over to Timmy who was screaming up a storm and quickly grabbed his blankie. She looked around for any sewing tools but only found a nearby stapler. Deciding that it was better than nothing, she grabbed the office tool and stapled the blanket back into place. She quickly handed it back to the boy, who grabbed it with a giant smile on his face. After that, Sora, and Raven set Timmy and Teether on either side of Melvin on the couch, while they each took a breath.
"Good job, Rae." Sora said, making her smile and nod.
"You guys don't babysit much, do you?" Melvin asked.
"You can tell?" Raven asked, sarcastically.
"So, what should we do now?" Sora asked.
"Well, you could tell us a bedtime story. Kids like stories." Melvin replied, hugging Teether closer to her.
"I don't really know any stories." Raven replied.
"Want story, story, story, story, story, story, STORY!" Timmy yelled over and over.
"Okay, okay! Let's see." Raven said, thinking of a good story. "Last year on my birthday, my friends got me a cake and some balloons." She began. The kids paid attention while Sora looked worried at the story. "But I couldn't enjoy it because my dad Trigon, this scary red demon with horns, took over the world, and there was fire everywhere, and then this ugly guy Slade, who had a skeleton for a face, came after me and- "Raven continued but the kids looked terrified at the mention of Trigon while Sora stood behind them, motioning for her to stop the story. "-My friends saved me, and we all had cake. The end." Raven finished. The kids still looked scared of the mention of Trigon and the two Titans waited for a sudden response, but luckily the kids all closed their eyes and fell asleep on the couch, the events of the day finally catching up to them. Sora and Raven let out a combined breath that they didn't even know they were holding.
"We should probably get them to bed." Raven said. Sora nodded and picked up Timmy and Teether while Raven carried Melvin over to the bed. Luckily, the bed was big enough for the three of them and Raven pulled the blanket over them as she sat at the edge of the mattress, while Sora stood next to her.
"They are pretty adorable aren't they?" Sora asked.
"Hhm." Raven simply responded while a small smile appeared on her face.
"Is that a smile I see?" Sora asked, smirking. Raven blushed and tried to hide the smile.
"W-we need to get some sleep too." Raven said, standing up.
"I'll take first watch in case Mallah, and Pete try anything." Sora said.
"You sure?" She asked, getting up from the bed.
"Yeah, you look like you need it. N-not to be rude but- "Sora replied but Raven silenced him with a kiss to the cheek.
"Thanks Sora. Wake me when it's my turn, okay?" Raven said. The keyblade wielder walked outside while Raven settles onto the couch and falls asleep. Sora sits on the steps and looks around for any signs until his eyes land on the now empty plate that was meant for Bobby.
"Huh, that's strange." Sora said.
(The Next Morning, Cable Car Terminus)
After waking up and eating what food they could, the group continued their journey through the land until they reached a small station just below the mountain top with cable cars connected over a large ravine. They walk into the station to find a parked cable car waiting for them.
"We can take this over to the other side." Raven said, opening the door with her powers.
"Up ya go, Teether." Sora said, placing the toddler into the car. Raven did the same with Timmy, but Melvin remained outside while still holding Bobby's hand.
"Bobby says it doesn't look safe." Melvin replied.
"Don't worry, Melvin. It'll just be a quick safe ride to the other side. Come on." Sora said, climbing in with Raven. Reluctantly, Melvin climbed in but suddenly one end of the car dips down, sending everyone sliding across the floor, though Raven and Sora managed to catch themselves by the poles in the car.
"Melvin!" Raven said, sharply while another vein throbbed in her forehead.
"Wasn't me. It was Bobby." Melvin replied, pointing at another empty space. Raven sighed in response.
"Well, we better get going then." Sora replied. Raven nodded and used her powers to pull a lever near the control panel. The car starts to move and travel over the ravine by a long metal cable that reached across the mountaintops. All three kids were looking out the windows, admiring the view while Sora and Raven were sitting next to them.
"I love islands, but this is a nice view." Sora said, looking out the window, while Raven closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Monkey Man! Cat Man!" Timmy suddenly yelled, jarring everyone out of their sight-seeing and they looked out to see another cable car across from them and heading down to the station with Monsieur Mallah and Pete perched on the roof. The two villains leaped across from roof to roof, the impact shaking the occupants around. The metal on the roof is ripped away, revealing the two villains glaring down at them. Sora quickly summoned his keyblade and flew up towards them, kicking Mallah away while striking Pete in the chin, knocking the two away, and almost sending Mallah off the roof, though he caught himself with the cable. Pete managed to right himself and stand before Sora.
"Get those pipsqueaks, Mallah! I'll deal with the runt." Pete said. Mallah nodded and reached into the car only to be blasted away by Raven, sending him rolling across the roof. She soon flew up with keyblade in hand and landed on the roof, though she didn't notice that Teether was clinging to her cloak and when she flew up, he let go and was tossed into the air, landing on top of the car's support on the cable. Sora and Raven didn't notice though as they were focused on Pete and Mallah. Sora dodges Pete's punches and slams while getting in some strikes while Raven avoided Mallah's charges and attacks, using some kicks and spells to keep them back.
The cable car continued to swing and shake from all the punches from Mallah and Pete, making Melvin and Timmy hold on to the poles inside. Eventually, Raven was cornered next to the metal column of the car support and Mallah threw a punch at her. But she quickly ducked out of the way, letting the column take the hit, causing sparks to fly as the car came to a stop. The whole thing rocks back and forth, almost knocking the occupants off, but they managed right themselves as Sora managed to shoot Pete off with a blast of ice, sending him flying off, but he managed to catch the cables, saving himself. Raven did the same by ripping the metal from the roof out from under Mallah's feet, sending him tumbling off the car and onto the cable as well.
"Is everyone ok in there?" Sora asked into the car.
"Yeah, but Teether is still out there!" Melvin called out, making Sora and Raven look at each other in shock. They looked around before looking up to see Teether sitting on top of the car support and biting at the metal cable, actually cutting through some layers. They looked down the cable to see Pete and Mallah climbing across the cable towards Teether. Raven flew up and grabbed Teether before going back inside the car with Sora jumping in after her. They all sit together in the car, making sure that they were all safe.
"Monkey Man!" Timmy pointed out and everyone looked out the window to see the two villains getting closer to the car. Suddenly, the cable began to unwind from Teether's chewing, causing it to eventually snap in two and leaving the two villains, the car, and the group in the car, to start plummeting down to the snow-covered ground below. All five members in the falling car screamed in worry and fear as they huddled together, awaiting the crash that is soon to come.
They remain in free fall for a good minute or so until the car comes loose from the cable, sending it flying and crashing hard into the snowy mountain. They start sliding down the hills at high speeds and over a high cliff. Everyone holds onto to each other for dear life while Sora and Raven create a shield around them for defense from any debris. Suddenly, they feel another powerful crash rattle the car and a thick cloud of snow dust enters the vehicle. They lower the shields to see all the windows were destroyed, the doors hanging from their hinges and outside they were surrounded by trees.
"Is everyone okay?" Raven asked. Sora nodded, though rubbing his head slightly from the impact, Melvin and Timmy were face-planted in the snow, and Teether was still in Raven's arms, though his face was green, and he leaned over her shoulder to puke over her cloak, making her eyes pop and her head to hang wearily in disgust. Sora quickly summoned a water spell and tried cleaning her cloak to the best of his ability.
"Do it again! Do it again!" Melvin and Timmy called out with huge smiles on their faces after getting up from the snow.
"No 'again'!" Raven demanded. They soon step out of the crushed car to see that they were at the foot of the mountain in a dense part of the forest.
"That was too close." Sora said, holding Melvin and Timmy's hands.
"We should get moving if Mallah and Pete come searching for us." Raven replied, holding Teether close to her. Sora nodded and the group began they're walk through the snowy forest.
(Later, in the middle of the landscape)
It was nighttime now with the full moon hovering above them as the group tiredly walked down the open road.
"Are we there yet?" Timmy asked in a sleepy tone.
"Don't worry Timmy. We should be there soon." Sora said, though there was a bit of uncertainty in his voice. Raven had a similar look until she looked further down the road to see a large medieval-like castle awaiting them.
"There's the drop-off point. Finally. Come on." Raven said. Sora led Melvin and Timmy until Melvin let go of Sora's hand, making him stop and turn back to her.
"What is it, Melvin?" He asked, bringing the group to a stop.
"Bobby says he doesn't think it's safe here." Melvin replied.
"Well, it looks safe, and this is where you're supposed to be. It should be fine." Sora said.
"But Bobby says-"Melvin said but Raven whipped around to look at her.
"For the last time, Bobby isn't real!" Raven retorted. Suddenly, it looks like something pulls free from Melvin's hand, making her look behind them.
"Yes, he is! And you just scared him away!" Melvin yelled back before running after Bobby. "Bobby! Wait! Bobby, wait, come back!" Melvin called out. Raven groans and hands Teether to Sora, who remained with Timmy. Raven disappeared into the ground before reappearing in front of Melvin, making her stop with a startled gasp.
"There is no Bobby." Raven said, kneeling down and placing her hands on the child's shoulders. "It's you, Melvin. Your powers. You move things with your mind. You're a big girl now. You've got to take charge of your powers and stop blaming things on your imaginary friend." Raven said, standing up at the end. Though her speech did nothing to comfort the little girl, only bringing tears to her eyes.
"Bobby is real! You just can't see him because you're a mean lady!" Melvin yelled, running past Raven but only ends up being grabbed by the Titan and carried back to Sora, Teether, and Timmy. "Let me go!" Melvin screamed while struggling in Raven's grip.
"Nothing will make me happier." Raven said, only to get an elbow in the gut in response. "Ow!" Raven grunted out as she walked back up to the three boys.
"Is everything ok?" Sora asked.
"Let's just get this over with." Raven said, walking past him. Sora nodded and led Timmy while carrying Teether behind his fellow Titan. They soon reached the gates of the castle and Raven pulled on a rope that connected to a large bell above them, making it ring loudly. The gates soon opened, revealing three monks standing in a torchlit entrance hall on the other side.
"Welcome. I have been awaiting your arrival." One of the monks said.
"They're all yours." Raven answered, setting Melvin down.
"I shall take good care of them. You need not worry." The monk replied.
"Good. Go on ahead, kids." Sora said, nudging the kids in with Raven.
"Guess that's it." Raven said to herself as Timmy and Melvin cautiously walk into the castle. Raven suddenly felt another tug on her cloak, and she looked down to see Teether still standing next to her with a small handful of her cloak in hand. He pulls out his pacifier and holds it up to her as a gift. She kneels next to him and takes the pacifier. Teether then toddles over to the monk, who picks him up when the child reaches his feet. They all turn to walk away and close the gates while Sora and Raven remained outside.
"Bye-bye." Teether quietly said to them while waving goodbye. Sora waves goodbye as well as the gates close and they hear bolts dropping into place, sealing the castle. Raven and Sora start walking away while they hear the kids screaming and arguing again.
"I hope they'll be safe." Sora said.
"They're brave. And I'm sure those monks will protect them." Raven replied as they heard more cries from Timmy and Teether. "Teether's trying to take Timmy's blanket…" Timmy then stops crying while Teether continued his cries.
"Timmy just took it back." Sora replied. Suddenly, everything went silent, making them stop in place.
"Huh, things got quiet for once." Sora said. Raven looked down at the pacifier in her hand before her eyes widened.
"Too quiet!" Raven said, looking towards Sora in worry. He looked confused before his mind put it together.
"No!" He replied, worriedly. They quickly run back to the gates and start either pulling on them or pounding on them, hoping for any answer or response. "Hey anybody!" Sora yelled out.
"Timmy? Teether? Melvin! Raven called out as well. But neither got a response from inside the castle, so they take a step back and summon their keyblades, shooting two spells at the wooden gates, causing it to explode off its hinges and giving access to the Titans. They fly in to see the torches have been put out and the monks have been knocked out and were left on the floor of the castle. They fly over them and further into the castle until they land on a balcony overlooking a courtyard below them. They look down to se a giant armored halftrack-like vehicle with Monsieur Mallah and Pete piloting it and the three children sealed in clamps that covered them from neck to toe, only leaving their heads out.
"Hehehehe! Too late, ya bozos!" Pete laughed manically.
"Say goodbye to your friends." Mallah replied with a smirk on his face.
"Nobody messes with our kids!" Raven said, jumping over the rail and hurtling down towards the vehicle with Sora following her. Both had a look of determination on their faces as they fly closer towards the vehicle, which has now closed a hatch over the passengers and drove away. A rear-mounted laser turret appears on the vehicle and starts shooting at them, though they managed to avoid all the projectiles. Sora shoots several ice spells at the wheels while Raven uses her powers to raise several stone slabs from the ground in front of the vehicle. Mallah manages to maneuver the vehicle around the slabs while using them to get rid of the ice.
Raven then flies directly over the vehicle and rips the hatch clean off with her powers. Sora then lands inside the vehicle while Raven remained in the air. Pete got up from his seat and summoned some Air Solider Heartless as back-up before charging at Sora, bringing his fist down towards him. Sora dodged out of the way and managed to strike Pete in the chest, knocking him away. He quickly dodged a lunging kick from some of the Air Soldiers while Raven had to dodge some missiles from Mallah's vehicle. Seeing that he missed, Mallah made a hard U-turn, almost causing Sora and Pete to lose their balances, and turning the tables on Raven, making her fly away while Mallah drove after her, the turret performing a 180 and shooting at her. The kids watched their two guardians fighting their kidnappers in worry and anger.
"Don't hurt Raven and Sora!" Melvin yelled out.
"Bad monkey! Bad cat!" Teether continued.
"Stop it! Timmy screamed. Meanwhile, Raven dodges a few blasts that got too close as she comes to a stop, turns, and shoots several blasts of spells towards Mallah and the front grille of the vehicle. Her spells have no effect on the vehicle however, as the vehicle gets closer to her. She summons a shield around her, but the force of the vehicle managed to punch through the black dome, knocking her to the ground while the vehicle pulls another U-turn so that the front was facing directly at her, its pilot meaning to run her over. Meanwhile, Sora managed to defeat the rest of the Heartless until he saw Raven laying in the grass, unresponsive.
"Raven!" Sora called out. Suddenly, Pete grabbed him and lifted him into the air before slamming him onto the floor of the vehicle before tossing him out of the hatch, making him land next to Raven. He groaned in pain before crawling over to Raven, making sure that she was okay, only to see that she was unconscious.
"Now Mallah, I think it's time we got rid of these two, once and for all." Pete said, sitting back down.
"Oui. They have interfered enough, yes?" Mallah asked with a grimacing smirk.
"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! No! no, no,no,no,no, NOOOO!" Timmy screamed louder and louder until suddenly shock waves started emanating in all directions, making Mallah and Pete cover their eyes.
"Hey, stop that crying, ya little runt!" Pete yelled out. Suddenly, several high-speed projectiles go flying from behind them and they turn to see Teether chopping away at his restraints and spitting them back out like they were bullets from a machine gun. The projectiles damage the controls to the vehicle, making it speed up towards Sora and Raven. Sora creates a shield in front of them, getting ready to take the impact when suddenly an invisible force smashes the front end, bringing it to a screeching halt before tossing the entire vehicle in a reverse wheelie, sending Mallah and Pete flying. Sora watched as the vehicle fell to the ground with a loud crash, worried if the kids were alright when suddenly Mallah and Pete marched up to him and Raven. Sora summoned his keyblade at the ready when another voice spoke up, catching everyone's attention.
"Hey, you big animals!" Melvin's voice said and they turned to see the children unharmed and standing atop the wrecked vehicle. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size? Bobby, get em!" Melvin yelled, pointing towards Mallah and Pete. Suddenly, something blocked out the moon and Sora looked up, only for his eyes to widen in shock. Falling out of the sky was a giant teddy bear; it was brown, had patches and stitches all over him and large claws and teeth.
"Bobby?" Sora asked. Said bear landed with a loud crash and a loud roar.
"W-What is that thing?!" Pete asked as he and Mallah backed away fearfully. Bobby suddenly stomped towards them in a quick rush and a powerful slash, knocking the two down in the ground. Just as quickly, Bobby picked them both up by the feet and slammed them multiple times on the ground before tossing them towards their previous ride, making them crash into it. Meanwhile, the children crowded around Sora and Raven while Timmy draped his blanket over Raven. She stirs and raises her head, making Sora smile.
"Raven! Are you okay?" Sora asked as he embraced her in a hug. She slightly nodded and rubbed her head before finally seeing Bobby tossing Pete and Mallah around like ragdolls.
"Whoa. Bobby's real?" Raven asked, wide-eyed.
"Told you so." Melvin replied. Pete and Mallah try to stand to their feet but are quickly stomped back to the ground. Mallah grabs them both by the throat and gets ready to deliver more attacks until Mallah broke free by kicking Bobby's chest, backflipping out of his grip. Pete, meanwhile, threw a firecracker in Bobby's face, using the distraction provided to break free and regroup with Mallah. The giant ape presses a button on his harness, creating a propeller which lifted him into the air.
"This is the last time I work with children!" Mallah yelled, flying away until he was out of sight. Meanwhile, Pete created a portal of darkness for his escape.
"This ain't over!" Pete yelled, running into the portal as it closed behind him, Sora cast a cure spell on everyone before de-summoning his keyblade while Raven stood up and handed Timmy's blanket back to the boy.
"Thanks, Timmy. Thanks to all of you." Raven said.
"Thank Bobby. He's the one who saved us." Melvin replied as said teddy bear stomped towards them, standing behind the children.
"Thanks, Bobby. From both of us." Sora said with a smile.
"Sorry I thought he was just your imaginary friend." Raven said, looking a little down.
"Just because I imagined him doesn't mean he isn't real." Melvin replied.
"How come we couldn't see Bobby before?" Sora asked, with his arms crossed.
"Bobby was afraid of you at first, so he was hiding. But now he thinks you're okay. Don't you, Bobby?" Melvin asked. Bobby looked towards the two and smiled with a giant toothy grin. Suddenly, Raven's communicator went off and she opened it to see Beast Boy's face.
"Hey guys. Is everyone safe?" Beast Boy asked.
"Yeah. We're all fine." Raven replied.
"Good, cause Robin needs you guys right away for another mission." Beast Boy revealed.
"What? So soon? But we gotta watch the kids." Sora said, walking over to them. The kids walk over to them and touch their arms to get their attention. Sora and Raven kneeled next to them while she closed the communicator.
"Raven, Sora, it's okay. You can go. Your friends need you." Melvin said.
"But what of the Brotherhood of Evil come back? We can't just leave you kids all alone." Raven said.
"We're not alone. Bobby's here. And we've got each other." Melvin said as Bobby stood next to them. Sora smiled and reached into his pocket, pulling out another communicator.
"And you've got us…" Sora said, offering it to the children.
"…Whenever you need us." Raven finished with a smile. The kids smiled brightly and swarmed the two teens in a giant group hug.
"Okay, that's enough." Raven said.
"Just a few more minutes." Sora said, enjoying the group hug, while the monks walked over to them.
And that is the end! Ooh, I apologize for the long wait, everybody. Life has just been getting crazier and I've been feeling a little sick the past couple of days. Don't worry, its not COVID but it was enough for me to sleep and rest for most of the time. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Sora helping Raven with the kids and I hope you all are staying safe during these times. Now onto the reviews:
3bodyjaa: Will do my friend. Glad you enjoyed the chapter.
Zach Flare SOLDIER Class S: That's right. I just knew that everyone would quickly connect him to Captain America. But yeah he is Red Guardian. Thanks for the clarification.
NinjaFang1331: Thank you. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.
Althea Sirius: Yeah, Cy pretty much is. He always manages to either crush on a girl like Jinx or Kole. Yes, I do know the character you're talking about. His name is Jericho and Rose's brother, though from a different mother.
Guest1: She most definitely will, due to them being siblings.
Khy Dragon: Happy Father's Day and Happy 4th of July.
Guest2: As much as I would like to tell you, I don't want to spoil anything.
Guest3: Don't worry. Sora won't ever forget about Kairi and she'll always have a place in his heart.
Guest4: Hhm, good point. But I didn't wanna leave Sora just standing there and it seemed to be the best way to have him distracted so that Red-X could knock him out. But good point my friend.
Once again, thank you all so much for reading my story and giving it a chance. If you loved it and wish to see more, please favor and follow in order to stay updated. If you have any ideas or opinions to share, please leave a review or PM me at any time. I'll answer as soon as I can. Once again, I hope you all are staying safe and cool during this summer. Until the next chapter, I'll see you guys later. Peace.
