Teen Titans – Dangerous Dance
Disclaimer: Don't own Teen Titans and never will, so you have no reason to sue me.
A/N: When the Teen Titans are forced to go to a rich woman's ballroom dance party to do some undercover work in order to catch some long despised and dangerous criminals, things end up getting more than just friendly between two of the Teen Titans. But What happens when the party is crashed by criminals they are looking for and the two Teen Titans end up seriously injured and unable to contact their friends for help?
"I hate dancing!" came Beast Boy's voice echoing all over the tower.
"We all do," Robin and Cyborg said in irritated response, simultaneously.
"But that can't keep us from doing our job," Robin explained agitatedly. "And as much as we don't like it...going to that ball is the only way that we can catch the guys we're looking for. Here's how it's going to be. Raven, you'll be with Beast Boy. Starfire, you'll be with...me," He caught an excited glance from her before he shifted his attention to Cyborg "and Cyborg will be scoping out the other people there. All this will take place tomorrow night...and the invitation says, formal attire. So, don't forget to dress your best."
Robin' lips came together in a straight line and his eyebrows came a few inches up, then back down before he walked away.
"A dance...oh, this will be so much fun!" Starfire exclaimed.
"Speak for yourself," Beast Boy muttered.
Not hearing a word Beast Boy had said, Starfire continued, "And I shall do your hair, Raven."
"Um...okay." Raven said in the same dull tone as ever.
It was then that Beast Boy and Cyborg decided to follow Robin's example and leave the room when Starfire started to suggest cloths to wear for Raven. It was all too apparent as the hours of their last day of freedom ticked away, before they must devote their entire existence to getting ready for Mrs. Ruth Rankin's ball, that truly, none of them were excited about this except Starfire. And why she was excited, not one of her fellow Teen Titans could hazard a guess.
It was Starfire, naturally, who was up hours before everyone else started moaning and groaning due to their alarm clocks going off. She had been shifting back and fourth around the living area of the tower, picking up, looking at, discarding on the couch, and then picking up again-dresses...over and over again. She had a simple case of becoming like a teenage girl in the truest sense. Luckily for her, however, when she finally narrowed her choices down to a violet purple ball dress and a whitish-metallic-gray ball dress, her decision came rather quickly when she finally held the whitish- metallic-gray dress up in front of her to look at the mirror.
She lifted an eyebrow, "Absolutely hideous." She shook her head as if to fully agree with herself. "But it would work nicely on Raven."
Starfire put the whitish-metallic-gray dress down on the head of the couch, next to the other twelve dresses that didn't fit to Starfire's liking. Then, taking her chosen dress back to her room, she decided to get something to eat before continuing. By this time, however, the other Teen Titans--beginning with Raven--started coming groggily into the kitchen as well. When Starfire tried talking to Raven, being fully awake and completely giddy with excitement, Beast Boy grabbed a hold of Starfire's shirt.
"What have you done to Starfire?" He demanded, shaking her slightly.
Although, Robin was groggy and still felt as if he should be in bed, he pulled Beast Boy off of Starfire as soon as this had happened, telling Beast Boy that, that was Starfire and to calm down.
"This will be so much fun," Starfire concluded at last, earning her a sharp stare from everyone except Raven, who merely rolled her eyes.
"All the boys are going to be in...what was it called, tuxedos...and we, Raven, will be in dresses." Starfire said triumphantly.
Robin choked on the milk he was drinking and started coughing as Raven said to Starfire in her most dull voice, "I can't wait."
When Robin finally stopped sputter and coughing, he looked up at Starfire. He hadn't thought about it before, but she was right, he would have to wear a tux. Memories of the last time he wore a tux made a chill run down his spine. He could remember it so clearly. He had been forced to go to a young girl's prom. She had a very bad temper after having a fight with her boyfriend, before she had forced Robin to go with her. It had been an utter nightmare. Either he did whatever she told him to, or she would release a swarm of what he could only guess to be giant moths, on the city. Luckily, when he had utterly refused to kiss the girl, Cyborg and Beast Boy had found where the moths originated and kept them from destroying the city, while he promptly "dumped" her. Although, the night had ended with him dancing with Starfire, he still had to admit to himself how very uncomfortably close he was forced to become, to a complete stranger.
He also had to admit to himself that, since this was an undercover operation, he couldn't wear his mask either. That meant that everyone, including his fellow Teen Titans would see his actual face for the first time ever. It wasn't that he liked the mask particularly, but somehow felt that it awarded him some protection against the crazy, out-of-control outside world that he so often was fighting crime in. He would have never told anyone, least of all the Teen Titans whom he considered his best friends, that he was... scared. Scared to leave his mask behind. Scared to not have his small shield against his surroundings with him. Most of all...scared of what his best friends would think about him after they saw what he really looked like. The feeling of not being totally in-control frightened him, and he would never admit it to anyone, even if the world burst into flames because he didn't. Why? Because he couldn't even admit it to himself, and that made is already so much harder to let other people into his shielded armor than it should have been. Even though Robin was not an emotional detached boy...the fact also remained that he had a record for his intentions being misread, especially by his friends, and a sticky situation becoming more than just a small misunderstanding.
It was around noon by the time the living area of the Titan Tower was completely empty, and all the male Teen Titans were in Beast Boy's room, while the two girls of the group had retreated into Starfire's room. Starfire had grabbed the whitish-metallic-gray dress off the couch and had concluded by making Raven try it on that nothing could have fit the young sorceress more perfectly. Raven had simply rolled her eyes when Starfire had said this, but allowed her friend to continue helping her get ready, much to Starfire's delight.
Back in the Beast Boy's room, Robin was buttoning down his dress shirt, watching amusingly as Cyborg gave up buttoning his own, allowing Beast Boy to do it for him.
"This is ridiculous!" Cyborg concluded after Beast Boy had slid the last button into it's slit of the dress shirt. Robin smiled, tucking the now buttoned shirt into his trousers.
"I couldn't agree more, Cyborg, but just think. At least you won't have to do this ever again."
"I better not. This shirt is way too small for me..." Cyborg said as he uncomfortably fidgeted in it, trying to make it feel right.
"Dude, Cyborg. It's supposed to feel uncomfortable. That's why we don't dress like this very often," Beast Boy said, matter-of-factly. Robin chuckled lightly before grabbing one of the black bows off the back of one of Beast Boy's chairs. Beast Boy slowly reached the point where he too, along with Cyborg-with many complaints-were putting on their bows as well. Robin was buttoning down his tuxedo, and moved to look at himself in the mirror. He sighed and put trembling hands up to his face and slowly removed the mask that he had never taken off since the time he put it on, save for at night when he was alone. Robin turned around just as Beast Boy was helping Cyborg button down his tux as well. A calm twinkle came into his soft brown eyes as he watched them. Cyborg looked up and rolled his eyes toward Robin to indicate his discomfort when he jumped in surprise at Robin's new look. Robin put his mask on the chair where the three black bows had been only a few minutes before, then looked up at Cyborg's shocked face.
"What?" Robin asked, slightly agitated.
"Rob-Robin...your mask..." Cyborg said shakily pointing a finger of a shaky hand in Robin's direction. Beast Boy turned around, having completed buttoning Cyborg's tux along with his own, and jumped at the sight of Robin as well.
"Is off," Robin interrupted, "There was no way around it. The mask would have been a dead give away." Robin shrugged and turned back towards the mirror, producing a comb and hair gel out of his pant pocket. Cyborg and Beast Boy stared at him for a moment before they started their own grooming, although, Cyborg didn't have much work to do that way.
Raven was standing silent and still as Starfire took a large scoop of gel and put it in her friend's hair. Raven rolled her eyes and ended up closing them due to lack of interest in what she would look like afterward. Within a few minutes, Starfire had made her friend's hair into a giant upward fan that actually made Raven look very beautiful, with the exception of her expression. When this was completed, Starfire started on her makeup, applying blue Eye-shadow along with various other kinds of makeup to Raven's face.
When this task was completed, Starfire turned Raven around to see the mirror, telling her that she could open her eyes now. Then seeing that Raven seemed almost pleased with her look, Starfire took another scoop out of the gel and put it in her own hair. When completed, it was a slick, rolled inward-knot at the back of her head, allowing her bangs to fan in a sort of large curl above her eyes. Then finishing with her own makeup, she leaned towards the other mirror in her room to examine how she looked. She nodded her satisfaction at the mirror as if it had something to do with her appearance.
Starfire and Raven arrived in one of the two limousines sent by Mrs. Ruth Rankin---the person throwing the ball to begin with---while the male faction of the Teen Titans got out of a separate limo that was parked just in front of the girl's. Beast Boy, Cyborg, and the now unmasked Robin, made their way in front of the girl's limo and watched as the driver stepped out of the limo. He opened the door of the girl's limo, standing in front of it just enough to make it so that the boys couldn't see the person stepping out of the car at first. First to emerge from the car was Raven-- now with fanned hair, a whitish-metallic-gray dress, and white high-heeled shoes. All the male members of the Teen Titan's had their mouths open, and Beast Boy looked as if he were seeing the most beautiful thing in the world.
"Hi," Raven said shortly when she saw them.
When Raven spoke, it wasn't in the same emotionlessly dull dragging voice as she always had. Whether caused by Starfire or not, Raven's voice had taken on its own unique tone, but it was clear to see that it was indeed Raven's face and not another girl's, that they were looking at. Raven walked forward sweeping past Cyborg and Robin to stand next to Beast Boy, patiently waiting for Starfire.
When the driver finally stepped back again to allow Starfire to exit the limo, it was a moment before she could be seen. However, when she finally stepped into complete vision of her fellow Teen Titans, Starfire--now having her hair slicked into a rolled inward-knot, her violet purple dress and black high-heeled shoes on, and a blue netted scarf draped across her elbows and laced behind her back carefully—didn't hold any of their attention quite as intently as she did Robin's. Robin's mouth, fell open again at the sight of her, and was just about to walk forward and take her hand when he read the look of utter shock on her face as she looked at him.
"Robin. Your...your...mask," Starfire stuttered.
Robin smiled at Starfire. A twinkle came to his soft brown eyes.
"I can't really wear that on an undercover mission...can I?" He asked softly, not really caring for an answer. They hadn't noticed that the other Teen Titans had already left to go inside for the dancing and eating part of this mission, as well as to start looking for the criminals they were after. The limo also took it's leave, silently going to get more guests.
"No...you are correct, Robin. The mask would have been a dead give away."
Robin looked happily at Starfire for a moment, then said in a low, barely- audible voice, "It's too bad that we're here on business."
"What?" Starfire asked him with interest, not hearing his statement.
"Oh...nothing," Robin said, waving a dismissive hand in front of him. Then smiling, he took a step towards Starfire and bent his arm to her, offering for her to take it.
"Shall we?" Robin asked, his eyes beginning to twinkle again.
Starfire hesitated before smiling herself and taking his arm, nodding her thanks.
The two young Teen Titans walked towards the huge house in front of them, both with a smile on their face.
"Starfire?"
"Yes, Robin."
"Even though we have a job to do tonight..."
"Yes, Robin."
"...I have a feeling, that this will be a night to remember..."
Hi! This is my first attempt at a Teen Titan fan fic, so please review and tell me what you think so far. I haven't gotten into the main part of the fic yet, but I'm definitely working on it. I'm hoping that things will get smoother as I write more of this fic, but right now I'm just getting used to the series. My thanks to all who read and all who review!