TheUbu (I'd be Ubu but someone took it!)
I'm a crazy Canadian and some of my writing may reflect that. Don't be alarmed and run for the hills, I'm sure it won't hurt too badly.
So here it is! I'm writing by the seat of my pants here so it may be a little odd. Oh well, should be worth a laugh at least.
Disclaimer: I'm going to try to say this differently every time so it doesn't get too stale. I don't own the Teen Titans; any characters contained within are not mine and belong to their respective owners with whom I have no affiliation. Having said that, lets insert something completely random. That wasn't part of the deal Black Heart! WASN'T PART OF THE DEAL!
It's Tough To Be Me
Chapter One
It was summer time and Jump City was just starting to slip out of the grips of a weeklong heat wave that had been plaguing it's citizens. All of the Titans save for Raven were outside swimming and playing around on the beach on their tower's island. It had been far too hot to do much of anything that didn't involve cooling off.
Raven was content to stay in the common room of the Tower though. It was air conditioned and quiet since the other Titans were out. It was the perfect environment to read in.
The double hydraulic doors hissed open and Raven sighed.
'Great. There goes the peace and quiet.'
She expected someone to greet her and try to get her to come outside and 'have fun'. Like running around and splashing in the water was fun for her. Her idea of fun was a hot cup of herbal tea and a good book in solitude. No one greeted her but she knew that someone was in the room.
She looked into the reflection in the window and saw Beast Boy who was wearing a pair of green swimming trunks sneaking up behind the couch with a water balloon. Why did he try? He knew she didn't want to go outside or get wet. The others understood that, why couldn't he?
Placing her book down she closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose.
"Do it and it'll be the last thing you ever do." She said exasperated.
Despite the fact that Raven hadn't turned around, Beast Boy hid the balloon behind his back and grinned an innocent grin.
"Whatever are you talking about Rae?" Said Beast Boy with a put on air of innocence.
Raven closed her eyes even tighter. What didn't he get? His childish games may amuse him and the others but Raven was completely content to relax alone. Well, ok, that wasn't totally true. It did get lonely sometimes but that was the life she was forced to lead. It didn't bother her anymore, that's just the way things were.
Raven turned to face Beast Boy.
"Could you please not call me that? I'm Raven not 'Rae'. And could you just give it a rest? I'm not in the mood for any of your stupid games."
Beast Boy looked slightly deject but grinned again.
'Raven never wants to have fun with the rest of us. At least she says she never does. I know that's a lie though. She's got a happy side just like everyone else but she's always alone… So isolated…' He thought.
"Stupid game? This is no stupid game! There's a very important reason people play this game!" He stated happily.
"Right. And what reason would that be?" Raven asked incredulously.
"To cool off!" Beast Boy shouted as he threw the balloon at her.
The balloon stopped half a foot away from Raven's face as it was enveloped in a black aura. Raven telekinetically flung the water balloon into Beast Boy with enough force to knock him to the ground.
"I told you that I wasn't in the mood for your childish games! Why won't you leave me alone?" She shouted.
Beast Boy sat up and rubbed his lower back. This was not what was supposed to happen. Raven always reacted like this. It didn't matter what it was that Beast Boy did to try and get her to come out of her shell, it always ended this way. Raven never reciprocated. Every time he tried, every attempt he made, they were all shot down and many of his more extreme attempts often resulted in physical harm from Raven. Not that he was ever permanently injured, but it sure was a shock the first time he was thrown out a window.
'Why do I even bother? Something like this always happens!' He thought affronted.
"That's just it Raven! You're never in the mood for 'childish games'! You always put on that mask but I know you Raven! You have emotions just like the rest of us, you just never express them. I know you wanna have fun so just drop the act!" He angrily shouted.
"You think you know me do you? You don't know the first thing about me! So don't pretend you do. This isn't an act, this is who I am. Get used to it or get lost." Raven replied, her anger starting to build in her.
Several of the objects that were on the coffee table were beginning to shake and rise into the air as a testament to Raven's anger.
"Bullshit Rae! I know you have to ignore your emotions, but that doesn't mean you don't have them!"
"So what?" She spat becoming even more angered. "I do have emotions, but you should know better than anyone that I can't express them! Why can't you just leave me alone?"
Beast Boy wanted to yell and scream at her but all of his anger left him. What would life be like if you could never express your emotions? Hell, never even feel them! Raven was forced to lead a secluded life to protect the people around her. To protect the world. It's not like she chose that life, it was just thrust upon her at birth. Doomed from the very first breath she took to live ostracized from everyone.
Beast Boy bowed his head and replied in a quiet and sad voice. "No one wants to be alone Rae…"
Raven was taken aback by Beast Boy's sudden and radical change of attitude. Her anger quickly diminished and all of the objects that were floating behind her abruptly dropped to the floor.
"No." She agreed as she turned her head away. "But this is the way my life is. This is the way is has to be."
Beast Boy stood and walked to the back of the couch. He placed his hand on Raven's shoulder as a comforting gesture. To his surprise, she didn't shrug it off.
"You're never alone Raven, and you never have to be. We'll always be here for you… I'll always be here for you…"
Had he really just done that? Really touched Raven? Sure, he'd offered her his hand to help her rise off the ground or been thrown into her in battle but this was different. This small physical gesture conveyed far more than meager words ever could. Was it a mistake though? Raven was different from other people, almost like she was a delicate vase on a pedestal: something that was beautiful on its own and was never to be touched.
Raven looked up that the green changeling. The emotions she felt from him were so strong: Concern, compassion, and… and love?
'No. He can't love me, can he?' She thought. 'I'm always so distant. I push everyone away, especially him. Is that why he tries so hard?'
'Yea.' Another part of her mind bluntly stated. 'Isn't it obvious? He always wants to be around you. And don't try and tell me you don't like it when he is! You know you do!'
'You're kidding right? You think I like Beast Boy that way?'
'Duh! I'm one of your emotions. I know what you feel better than you do!' The emotion argued. 'He's so kind, sensitive, funny, and damn! He doesn't look half bad without a shirt on!'
Raven blushed a little and raised her hood. If she was lucky, Beast Boy wouldn't have seen it. The remote control for the television glowed a dangerous black and shattered into tiny pieces with a loud 'pop'.
'What the hell are you trying to do to me? Beast Boy's going to think I'm loosing control!'
'Well, you kind of are.' Her emotion stated. 'Just get it over with and kiss him already!'
Beast Boy pulled his hand away.
"Raven? Are you ok?" He asked referring to the remote.
She didn't respond.
"Look, I'm sorry about the water balloon and the fight. I was just being an idiot."
Raven looked into Beast Boy's eyes. Was it true? Did she have feelings for him? Yea right! They were both from opposite ends of the spectrum! She was the sad and quiet dark girl who would rather read by herself than hang around with her friends. He was the happy-go-lucky fool who practically needed to tell jokes to live. Maybe one or two of his jokes were kind of funny but the rest were absolutely horrible.
There was no way she could be attracted to Beast Boy. Why did she find herself drifting closer to him then?
It was true. She was mere inches away from Beast Boy and she could taste his hurried breath. She could almost hear his pounding heartbeat as she got even closer.
:-:-:-:-:
"Raven? Are you ok?"
'Crap! She must be pissed! Why did I have to touch her shoulder? She hates to be touched!' Beast Boy thought to himself.
"Look, I'm sorry about the water balloon and the fight." He said in an attempt to calm Raven should she be angry. "I was just being an idiot."
Raven aimed her gaze directly into Beast Boy's eyes.
'She doesn't look angry, that's a plus I guess. But what's she thinking?'
He noticed she was getting closer to him. What did that mean though? Did she have feelings for him? He sure had feelings for her. Ever since he was pulled into Raven's mind he'd begun to develop feelings for her that were stronger than that of just friends. When Malchior came and used Raven to escape from his prison of the book, Beast Boy was enraged. He'd played with Raven's emotions like they were toys! He knew he had to do something then, he told her that she wasn't alone. He said the same thing now and it seemed to have some affect on her.
She was still getting closer to him and he could feel his heart beating against the inside of his chest. His breath had quickened and he started to move closer to her, almost magnetically drawn by her eyes. He wanted to kiss her so badly and now he was so close. Only half an inch away, he closed his eyes.
The Titans alarm rang loudly throughout the tower and a map of the city appeared on the screen. Raven and Beast Boy snapped out of the trance they were both in and quickly took a step away from one another. A flashing red dot indicated the location of the disturbance. A prison break was happening at the Jump City jail.
'Damn it! I was so freaking close! Why didn't the criminals just wait five damn minutes?' Beast Boy mentally cried.
'What the hell was that? You almost made me kiss him!'
'I didn't make you do anything! That was all you. You wanted to kiss him, quit denying it.' One of her emotions replied.
'Once I get back from this disturbance, I'm going to come and straiten a few things out in Nevermore.'
:-:-:-:-:
After the other Titans quickly got into their uniforms, they were off to the scene of the crime.
"Who's escaping?" Robin asked into his communicator.
"Mumbo." The warden replied. "We've tried everything! It's that damn hat of his. We don't know how he got it back but anything we try is useless because he just pulls some stupid trick to counteract us!"
"Try to hold him up, we're almost there."
"Will do." Said the warden as he shut the communicator off on his end.
"Ok team, Mumbo is escaping. We need a game plan fast." Said Robin.
'Oh joy.' Raven dryly thought. 'Why did it have to be him? I hate him!'
"He gets his power from his hat right? We've got to get it away from him." Stated Cyborg.
"Yea but we have to be careful not to get sucked into his stupid hat world. I do not want to be a lamp again." Said Beast Boy.
"Agreed, the Mumbo can be a very dangerous opponent indeed." Chimed Starfire.
:-:-:-:-:
As the Titans reached the prison, they immediately saw where the trouble was. It would be hard for anyone to miss really. There were many different colors of smoke drifting through a large hole in the prison wall and the frantic shouting of the guards and blaster fire could be heard. There was a periodical cry of 'Mumbo Jumbo!' and more strangely colored smoke would flow out of the building.
"Remember, we have to hit him fast and hard. Do everything you can to get that hat away from him. Destroy it if you can." Stated the Titan's masked leader.
The Titans stormed through the gaping hole in the wall of the prison to be met with a small battle scene. Two-dozen armed guards were doing their best to take Mumbo down but they were doing little good. Several of them were bound up to the neck with long strands of multicolored cloth that were undoubtedly the results of Mumbo's magic. The free guards quickly evacuated their incapacitated companions to a safe distance for the Titans to do what they did best, unhindered.
"Give up now Mumbo and we won't have to use force!" Shouted Robin.
"Ah! So good of you to come Titans." He said with an amused tone in his voice. "You're just in time for the show!"
Mumbo said his two magic words and a fountain of playing cards shot out of both his sleeves and knocked Robin to the ground. Robin gave a muffled cry of "Titans, GO!" through continual flood of cards.
Starfire shot off like a bullet towards the opponent and quickly tore the hat from his head before he had a chance to react. However, it simply popped onto his head again seemingly out of nowhere. Starfire looked into her hands and found she was holding a bouquet of flowers.
"Swing and a miss! Nice try though little lady." Taunted Mumbo.
Raven rose up into the air before the would be escaping prisoner.
"I grow tired of your trickery Mumbo." She spat. "This ends now! Azerath Metrion ZIN-"
Her last word was cut off by a disembodied white glove covering her mouth.
"Now now now. None of that Raven. I know you want to steal the show but this is my act!" Mumbo said.
He called out his magic words once again and five long strands of the multicolored cloth shot out from his sleeve and tied all of the Titans in place.
"I'm not about to make the same mistake as I did last time Titans. Raven has some very powerful magics at her disposal, I'm going to make them at my disposal."
:-:-:-:-:
Five long pieces of differently colored and tied cloth came flying out of Mumbo's sleeves like snakes, quickly wrapping themselves around the Titan's where they stood. Beast Boy struggled against his restraints but found that the cloth held fast against his attempts. It was tight, uncomfortably tight.
Mumbo removed the hat from the top of his balding green head and directed it's opening at Raven.
'Crap! He's going to suck Raven into that messed up hat world of his again.' Beast Boy desperately thought. 'Think Beast Boy think!'
He wracked his brain trying to find a solution to their current plight.
'Got it!' He mentally exclaimed in triumph.
He began to transform into something larger. A hippopotamus, that would suffice. His bindings grew tighter and tighter showing no sign of yielding to his growing mass. It was becoming very uncomfortable and Beast Boy could feel some of the ribbons begin to cut into his skin.
A loud snap resounded through the shambled section of the prison. The cloth that had bound Beast Boy finally gave way and seemed to leap off of him as the tension was released.
Mumbo paid no mind to this as he focused on Raven and called out his magic words once again.
"Mumbo Jumbo!"
:-:-:-:-:
Raven jerked against her colorful restraints but knew little good would come of it. Seeing as her mouth was covered, she was unable to summon her powers to simply cut herself out of her predicament.
Mumbo pointed the open end of his hat at Raven.
'Damn it! I'm not going to let that fool get the best of me again.' She thought as the struggled against the colored cloth again.
A snapping of cord was heard but Mumbo Jumbo didn't seem to notice or care.
"Mumbo Jumbo!" The trickster shouted.
Raven felt funny. As though something was beginning to swirl and eddy inside her. She felt the odd sensation rise up in her chest and a dark inky black aura seemed to bleed out of her and ball up in a sphere in front of her. The odd sensation was steadily growing into one of intense pain that was only worsening with the passing of time.
Raven let out a muffled cry of anguish.
"Raven!" Shouted Beast Boy as he tackled her out of the air in an attempt to get her away from the source of her pain.
"Hey! Didn't your mother ever tell you that it's rude to interrupt people?" Mumbo asked Beast Boy. "Mumbo Jumbo!"
A giant white glove appeared and scooped up both of the falling Titans.
"You know? I always wanted to be able to turn into any kind of animal I wanted at will. You've sold me little man, I'll take your powers too! Mumbo Jumbo!" He shouted with an annoying air of excitement in his voice.
In a similar fashion to that of Raven, a green aura seemed to seep out of Beast Boy and pool in a dark green sphere just above his chest. The changeling screamed out in pain as his very essence was bled from him. Both of the spheres grew larger and larger until the colored auras stopped flowing from Raven and Beast Boy.
"There we are. And now they're all mine!"
:-:-:-:-:
Cyborg rubbed both of his arms back and forth. He could feel the cloth starting to fray against the cold metal of his sonic cannon.
'So close… Just a little more…' He thought.
Cyborg heard his friend's cry of pain and quickened his pace even more.
"There we are. And now they're all mine!"
Both of the colored orbs drifted towards Mumbo's hat and spiraled around in front of it as though they were two colored balls spinning around a drain.
The section of fabric finally broke and fell silently to the ground. Cyborg wasted no time in raising his cannon arm and firing. A blue wave of sonic energy refined into a directed beam tore through the silent air and found its intended mark. Mumbo's hat exploded in his hands and was reduced to nothing but shreds of black fabric.
"BOOYA!" Cyborg loudly exclaimed.
Everything that happened happened fast and instantaneously. The colored cloth that held everyone vanished along with the giant white glove that held Beast Boy and Raven. Unsupported they fell. Both of the orbs that had be drawn to the hat a moment ago shot back to the falling pair like bolts of colored lightning and before they hit they ground, the orbs struck them. The orbs struck the falling Titans with a force that can scarcely be imagined and a blinding flash of black and green filled the room.
Once the lights dissipated, Cyborg quickly scanned the room with his human eye. Mumbo, or who he was without the hat, was lying on the floor in an orange prison uniform. It looked as though the fall from the air had knocked him out. The flash of light must have been some kind of blast as well because both Beast Boy and Raven had been cast to opposite sides of the room. Beast Boy's green mass was closest to him so he moved to check him for injuries first.
"Star, can you check on Raven? I've got Beast Boy over here." He said looking at the Tamaranian over his shoulder as he approached his green buddy.
Starfire obliged and quickly flew to her pale friend but let out a loud gasp when she arrived.
"B-B… Beast Boy?" Starfire gasped in surprise.
"What the- Raven?" The metallic Titan breathed.
There we go! How 'bout them beans? I know Mumbo is one of the lamest villains that ever was but I couldn't really think of another situation the switch could work in. I have no idea how long this is going to be as I'm just writing as thoughts come to me but I know I can at least get six chapters in here.
Tell me what you think of it so far, did the method of their switching powers seem believable? I love reviews so please post one!
If any of you have read my previous story "Not Who You Think I Am" I'll be adding a new section to my authors notes! This section will be dedicated to the cans of Coca Cola who valiantly sacrificed themselves for the creation of the respective chapter. Four and a half cans of Coke were consumed by me during the writing of this first chapter (I'm still working on number five). Please mourn for them, their sacrifices will not be in vain.
Thanks for taking the time to read my story!