Chapter Four

Robin sweat profusely as he viciously attacked the punching bag with a fury of punches and kicks. His mind wasn’t on the bag, though, it was on other things, other people, Starfire. It was baffling him, how he, the great detective, the leader of the Titans, the head of the pack, was so easily weakened by this one person. Why couldn’t he bring himself forward? Why, every time he looked at her, he was pulled back down, chained to the floor as she drifted away?

He stopped the onslaught on the, now frayed, punching bag. His breathing was short and quickened, his hands and feet numb; his body limp, as he bent over, retaining his energy. He regained his composure, letting the cold sweat drip off his face.

Starfire had been watching him. She stood at the door, gazing in awe. Robin hadn’t noticed, as he paced over to the wall, drying his face on a near rag. He heard the click of her heel on the ground. His hairs jumped, his senses focused now. He looked over; there she was; his greatest adversary.

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Beastboy lay there in the dark of his room. Confined to the top of his bunks, he stared at his pale green ceiling in unusually deep thought. His arms rested, kinked behind his head and sandwiched in his pillow. A slight smell of ruddy, moldy old clothes filled the room. Beastboy had grown used to it by now though.

He spoke softly to himself, “I’m just trying to get her to open up, not impress her, yet Cy thinks…” He cut himself off, thinking of his answer in his head. Is he right? No way. No. Not Raven. There’s no way, she’s like miss solitude; she hates me.

But there was the other night…

He turned over on the bed, lying on his side, his hands bent in front. The bed creaked as springs jerked from his movements. He felt a soft vibration coming from the walls. Cyborg was playing his music downstairs. Cyborg was the only one who loved Techno, no one else seemed to really care for it, but Cy still loved playing it.

Beastboy felt the soft vibrations nonetheless of Cy’s music float into his mind. They soothed him, calmed him for the time being. What had happened that night? We were just talking…right?

A little ditty in the back of his mind told him that there was more though. His stomach plunged a bit, he felt sick. Why can’t I remember what I was really thinking about then? Had the thoughts of my parents really fogged my mind that badly?

Beastboy let his mind roam on all the events that had been happening within the short period of twenty-four hours called ‘a day’. From back the other night with Raven…

“I can’t, you know my emotions can’t allow it.” Raven monotonously crowed.

The words echoed in his mind. Had she really thought I was…? Was I even…? Beastboy kept pausing in mid thought of his own questions, not certain of wanting to hear the right answer to them. Cyborg’s music had grown louder now, and the whole room gently vibrated with the rhythmic quarter beats of the Trance. Beastboy’s mind wandered further, into the battle that had occurred earlier with Mumbo…

Beastboy was about to strike Mumbo, his sharp, exposed, venomous fangs angled out at Mumbo, who stood frozen in place. Beastboy thought for sure he had him, but Mumbo was an expert bluff. Beastboy was inches from Mumbo when he stopped, dead in mid air. His body fell to the ground moments later. Mumbo did a light tap-dance before skipping off as Cyborg began to blast at the crazed magician.

Beastboy recovered looking back at his now mangled snake body, twisted and tied against the street post. Raven was already there, trying to untangle the green snake. Beastboy recoiled and managed to break free, morphing back to his green-colored human form. “Thanks Raven”

Raven had opened her mouth to chord her usual reply when she helped her friends, but Mumbo had been on the prowl for more victims. He had slung a large stuffed rabbit at Raven. Neither Beastboy, nor Raven saw it coming. It stuck her, as she fell forward. Time moved slowly in the changeling’s mind, but not slow enough, as Beastboy couldn’t get out of the way in time. The dark, dismal, independent girl drifted helplessly for that brief moment of time, knocking into Beastboy’s arms.

Did I do it, or did it just happen? Beastboy pondered as he revealed to himself the following scene that had really been plaguing him the evening.

Raven’s head met on Beastboy’s as they collided and fell under the weight of the stuffed toy. Her lips met his in a brief moment. He hadn’t realized it at first; his mind was too busy concentrating on an attempt to get out of the way. It wasn’t long though before his mind came about the conclusion that there was an unusual feeling on his lips. It was brief, but extended moment for him as he saw her lips on his. That time was ephemeral; he had made no thought on the event. The next thing Beastboy remembered was himself rolling Raven and he out of the path of the crushing Bunny.

Raven had resumed her natural state once again, rising in her own independence, not showing any sign of the knowledge of their previous encounter. “I guess we’re even now.” She retorted after helping him up and drifting off into the fight again. Beastboy stood there a brief moment before succumbing to the fight once again.

Beastboy; his mind now back into the present, shivered in fear of the dreaded thoughts. “I can’t believe that happened,” the boy whispered aloud. The room grew eerily quiet after his voice ceased to echo; Cyborg’s music had stopped. Beastboy was drifting into a light slumber…

There was a loud ”Crash!” as Cyborg knocked…er…rather banged against the door. Beastboy in a frantic manner, morphed into a cat, clinging onto the ceiling. “REAOW!” it cried.

“Yo! Beast butt get out here I gotta show you something.” Cy beckoned from beyond the dark green shaded door.

Beastboy recovered and glided off his bed onto the floor. There was a loud thud as he landed rather awkwardly. He ran to the door, opening it, the light from the hallway blinded him; Cy was waiting there. “What Cy?” Beastboy choked, squinting through the brightness; he had looked as though he had been roused from a deep slumber. Cyborg stared for a moment, but then quickly remembered the reasoning behind the intrusion of his.

“Hey you know that big party we heard about from you know who?” Cyborg whispered into the vast rank chamber of the changeling’s room.

Beastboy’s ears pricked up immediately, and his face glowed vibrantly. “You mean!” He chimed.

Cyborg nodded, and looked about the hallways for any unwanted visitors, retuning the stare back to Beastboy, “Yep, I just scored 5 tickets to the ultimate party of the year. THE ANNUAL HALLOWEEN PARTY AT GOTHEM!” Cy, swiped out the tickets from behind his back.

Beastboy drooled in admiration and awe, “There so beautiful!”

“I know.” Cyborg dropped the tickets back where he originally stashed them and beckoned Beastboy to come with him to the main room with him. “Come on, I know you wanna tell the others.”

Beastboy jumped in glee following Cy out of his room. No sooner had he left the security of his room Raven appeared from the corner, gliding casually towards the duo. Beastboy froze in place. His mind was wandering again on the past events. Did she know what happened, when Mumbo…?

Cyborg noticed his green friends startled behavior and wondered confusingly why he was acting that way. He had never done that before with Raven. Raven stopped in front of the Tin Man, as he was blocking the hallway. “Cyborg,” she droned.

“Oh! Sorry Raven.” He moved to the side, allowing her to pass. She came up past Beastboy; not even giving him so much has a glance.

Beastboy broke the silence again, “Hey Raven! Wait!”

She stopped, not looking back, “What?”

“Well we just got five tickets for this awesome party on Halloween and we need you to come with us.”

“No. I don’t party on Halloween.” She said, turning to face the green one.

“Awe come on Raven you know you wanna,” Cyborg injected.

“Yeah Raven, come on!” Beastboy chortled. There was a brief moment of pause as Raven was considering the prospect. Beastboy thought of the one of his best ideas yet, “Hey Raven! If you’ll go and let me pick out the costume you wear, then I won’t make any more jokes for a month!”

Both Raven and Cyborg were blown away by Beastboy bargain. Even Raven wouldn’t turn down an opportunity like this. Beastboy pleasantly reminded himself.

“Fine.” She said before gliding out of site, leaving a brightened Beastboy and a confused Cyborg.

Now I can implement the best plan ever against her…

Beastboy turned to Cyborg, noticing his dazed look. “Yo Cy! Ready to tell the others?”

Cyborg snapped out of his confusion, shaking his head a bit. “Wait did she just agree to what I think she did?” He looked down at his beaming friend. “So what were you going to have her go in?”

Beastboy gleamed in triumph, “oh you’ll see.”

Cyborg shrugged his shoulders in basic agreement, and the two went down the hallway to go tell the other two titans. Cyborg was trying to figure Beastboy’s plan out. Then it occurred to Cyborg that something might have happened between the two. He thought he had everything put together now; why BB was so quiet around Raven recently, why Beastboy had just asked Raven what he did, why Raven even agreed. “So when did you two start…getting together?” Cyborg casually blurted.

Beastboy stopped, dead in his tracks. “WHAT! Cyborg! NO! WHY? What are you talking about? Me and Raven! What gave you that idea?” Beastboy’s mind was wandering furiously, looking for some explanation; some reason for Cyborg to ask that question. When have I ever shown any emotions for her? Why would he think that I even like her?

Cyborg, who had been several steps ahead of Beastboy, also pause and turned; his face was wrinkled from the laughter trying to escape his mouth. He couldn’t contain himself. He busted into hysteria and insane laughter, pounding the sidewall, clutching his ribs in pain. “This is rich, hahaha, too rich!”

Beastboy snarled angrily at his best friends behavior and walked up to him. “What are you laughing at?”

“YOU!” Cyborg spat, he face now red. He managed to calm himself down enough to stand on his own without the support of the wall. “You, I just can’t believe that you…like Raven.”

Beastboy stood there froze with a horrified look on his face. If Cy thought that, then what about the others? What about Raven? What if I really did like her? What’s going on? Beastboy whimpered in his feeble mind.