So this one takes place a week or so after my previous story "The Smell of Victory" I hope you likey! PS – If you're curious what a Flying V guitar looks like, just go wikipedia and search for 'Flying V' and click the first result.
It had been about a week or so since Raven and Beast Boy had started dating. Raven was still trying to adjust the idea of having a boyfriend for the first time in her life (she refused to count Malchior) and finding the concept to be rather enjoyable.
This particular morning was a sunny day in Jump City. It was Starfire's turn to do the grocery shopping, with Robin tagging along to make sure she didn't come back with 30 bottles of mustard. Beast Boy was in his old bedroom packing his possessions up to be moved into Raven's room, and Cyborg and Raven were on the couch in the Ops room.
Cyborg had always been sort of an older brother to Raven, as he was someone she could look up to and be there in times when she had no one else to talk with. She sat next to Cyborg who was playing GameStation 720 on-line as she sipped her herbal tea. It was fresh out of the pot, hot to the point where it singed your lips and back of your throat ever so slightly, which is just the way she liked it.
"Ya know, I gotta say, you and BB to make a cute couple." Cyborg offered, his eyes still calculated on the action on screen. Raven took another sip of her hot tea before replying
"Thank you, Cyborg. I have to admit, I never thought I'd see myself winding up with a guy like Gar. He's not at all what I thought I wanted."
Back in the gaming world, Cyborg just nailed his on-line combatant with a TRIPLE BLITZ WAVE BLAST giving the metal man a perfect victory. "BOO YAH! Take that JTODD from Gotham City!" he declared triumphantly, pumping his fist. He plopped back down on the couch before resuming talking to Raven.
"One thing I've learned, Rae-Rae, is that in life there's a huge difference between what we want and what we NEED, and you need BB just as much as he needs you."
Raven smiled at this statement, enjoying the confirmation that she was making the right decision with Beast Boy, though her thoughts were interrupted quickly by her communicator beeping. Flipping it open she was greeted with Robin, his brow furrowed, his voice tense and commanding.
"Titans, we've got trouble downtown! Get here now!" and with that, cut off the signal. Raven just groaned having wanted to spend the day with Beast Boy, but Cyborg was giddy like a kid in a candy store.
"Aww yeah! Now this is what I'm talkin' about! Been forever since we got to dish out a good ol' fashioned butt whuppin'! Rae-Rae, get grass stain and meet me in the garage, we'll take the T-Car." and with that was off to get his baby revved up.
Raven pulled up her hood as she hurriedly made her way to Beast Boy's old bedroom and soon as she had arrived she opened the door without bothering to knock.
Scattered around on the floor were large cardboard boxes with labels such as "STUFF", "MORE STUFF" and "COMICS." On top of one of the many boxes was Beast Boy's over sized boom box, the volume low enough so no one outside the room could hear it, but high enough so he could enjoy it.
At first, Raven could not recognize the song, due to the fact she didn't listen to much pop music, but she remembered hearing the tune from one of the many times Starfire had control of the television..
...Beast Boy was listening to Britney Spears.
His back was turned to her, so he didn't realize she was watching him as he gleefully attempted to mimic Britney's dance moves, singing loudly in a horribly off-key voice. Raven felt an all too familiar smirk spread on her face, as she spoke.
"You know, you look a lot cuter on TV, Britney." her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned against the side of his door. Beast Boy nearly jumped a foot in the air, squealing loudly, before wheeling around to confront her.
"Raven!" he exclaimed loudly "What are you doing here?" Raven's smirk had now spread to a broad smile as she had Beast Boy exactly where she wanted him.
"I came for the concert." she said flatly, "But it looks like I'm too late." Beast Boy's eyes grew wide as he stammered desperately to find an excuse at his choice of music. Sensing his desperation, Raven took pity on him, saying "I promise I won't tell anyone, ok? Especially Cyborg."
Beast Boy nodded and tightly hugged Raven, pulling her close to him. She didn't mind the hug, just kind of surprised he was that embarrassed over his musical tastes. Their moment was interrupted, however, by the beeping of Raven's communicator, flipping it open to see an irritated Cyborg.
"Yo, you guys makin' out or something? Get your butts down here now!" and with that, the two Titans made their way to the garage.
They arrived at the coordinates Robin had sent them, right in the middle of downtown Jump City in front of Angry Ted's CD Store. Cyborg could see Starfire hurriedly tossing starbolts at a target, causing a huge mess of flying debris and smoke.
When the chaos cleared, Cyborg, Raven and BB laid eyes on who had been the source of all of this...Punk Rocket He seemed to have surrounded himself in a sonic shield so the starbolts did little, if anything at all.
"Ah well, look at that right there!" the hard rocking villain snarled, "We gots ourselves three more blokes for the concert, eh? Well then, let's rock this bloody house!" And from his back, produced a solid black Flying V electric guitar.
Sneering a bit, he suddenly let loose an intense solo, the sound waves shattering nearby windows and sending Robin and Starfire flying back into Cyborg's car, with Starfire being slammed right in through the windshield. "
Ah shucks, poor lass couldn't take the music, eh?" he taunted. "Crying shame."
Robin gathered his senses and glanced over at Starfire, seeing her body covered with thousands of tiny, deep cuts due to the glass. Sensing his despair, Raven shouted "She'll be fine. I can heal her, but I need time. Keep him busy!" and the Boy Wonder didn't have to be told twice.
Now filled with rage, he extended his bo staff and charged head first into battle. "How bloody sweet!" Punk Rocket further taunted "Bloke is all willy nilly over his lady, eh? Touching!"
With a loud "Hyaaaaaa!" Robin swung the metal bo staff straight for Punk Rocket's head, only to have Punk Rocket send him flying back with another sonic blast from the guitar. Robin flew back and crashed his into a nearby dumpster, grunting as the wind was knocked out of him.
"You like sound, little man?" Cyborg threatened "Then listen to this!" and with that fired a concentrated sonic blast of his own straight for the angry punk. Punk Rocket merely chuckled before swinging the guitar like a baseball bat, smacking the sonic blast right back at him.
"Uh-oh..." was all Cyborg had to say before the reflected sonic destruction caught him square in the chest, sending him flying through several buildings. "Nice try Mr. Roboto, ya wanker." Punk Rocket added.
By this point Raven had fully healed Starfire who was now attending to an unconscious Robin. "It's my turn." the empath said, a voice as dark and forbidding as her powers. "AZARATH METRION ZINTHOS!" and several cars, dumpsters and light poles all became illuminated in black. With merely a wave of the sorceresses' hand the items hurled themselves at Punk Rocket.
"Oh oh oh! Lil' Blackbird thinks she can rock with the big boys, eh?" before falling to his knees to unleash a furious solo, the sound wave reducing the items to mere harmless fragments.
"My turn!" Beast Boy commanded, morphing himself into a snarling T-Rex. "Didn't ya know that Dinosaur Jr. broke up, lad?" Punk Rocket said laughing to himself. Beast Boy responded with a mighty roar and swung his tail at the rock and roll rebel, who merely jumped over the large appendage.
"Eh, nice try guvnah! Think it's time to call this gig to an end, eh? Don't worry none, they'll be an encore!" he said mockingly, before jumping on his guitar and flying away at a warp speed, disappearing into a speck in the distance.
Starfire helped Robin to his feet, as he shook his head trying to regain himself. "Are you ok, beloved?" she asked. Robin nodded with a faint smile on his face seeing Starfire. "Yeah, thanks hun." he said.
The leader of the Titans surveyed the carnage before him, sighing as he realized their defeat. "Is everyone alright?" he asked. "Where's Cyborg?" Cyborg slowly shuffled his way back to the group, various sparks emanating from his cybernetic body. "I'm here..." he said quietly.
"How did Punk Rocket get so much power?" Raven asked incredulously.
Robin merely shook his head in disbelief. "I don't know, but I do know we were no match from him today. He defeated us easily, but right now there's not much we can do. Cyborg is need of repair and we all could use a could rest. Cyborg, think you can handle the T-Car?"
Cyborg grinned as he replied "With my eyes closed!" and with that Robin hopped on his motorcycle, Starfire clutching on to him as they sped off.
Beast Boy was surprised. "Whoa dude, that's so not like Robin. Usually he'd tell us that we need to train more and how unprepared we were." Cyborg merely shrugged.
"It's 'cause of Star. All he wants to do is spend time with her now, since he's domesticated. You'll find out, I'm sure."
"I heard that." came Raven's icy cool reply. Beast Boy giggled softly to himself, as he opened the T-Car passenger door for Raven. "Thanks Gar." she said smiling.
Cyborg responded by making a whip cracking sound, but stopped when Raven's eyes flashed white...it was at this point that Cyborg noticed the damage to his car.
"Aw man! I gotta buy a new windshield now..." he moaned and with that drove off, heading back to the Tower.