67Author's Note: This is a sequel to Deadpan Love, taking place between the end and the epilogue. It may be read as a standalone presupposing an existing bbrae relationship.
Raven and Changeling stepped out of a dark portal and gravely regarded their destination. She gave the building a dubious look and was clearly reluctant to enter. He glanced at her, trying to not be obvious about it. He also tried very hard to conceal his amusement. "It's a school, Rae," he said.
"I know what it is."
They both still hesitated. "We have to at least look cheerful," he said. She nodded, clearly unhappy. "We put off leaving as long as we could," he said. "We'll be late if we stand here much longer." She nodded again and sighed. He held out his hand out and she took it, allowing him to lead her in.
They paused a moment, again, at the entrance. Rae looked cautiously through the glass in the door. The gymnasium was brightly and cheerily decorated. Crowds of middle school students milled about, tables filled mostly with sweets laid out neatly and awaited the coming assault. "Oh, god," Raven said. "I don't know if I can do this." Gar laughed, drawing a very annoyed look from her.
"They're just kids, Rae."
"I know what they are. That's what scares me."
Now he began to get exasperated. "They made a big deal about inviting us. It's cute."
"Then why are we the only ones here? I think Rob, Star and Cy could have at least..."
"They all had perfectly adequate excuses," he interrupted with just a hint of sarcasm that she acknowledged with a tight little grin. "Are you coming or not?" She glared and nodded. "I'll do the talking," he said reassuringly. He pushed the door open and the children began cheering and clapping as he waved and grinned.
"I bet it's like a petri dish in here" she muttered even as she smiled a patently fake smile. "We're going to get all the diseases."
"Stop it."
A middle aged woman approached with a wide smile. "Thank you so much for doing this. They're all so excited. I'm Amanda Butcher, the principal."
"Sorry we couldn't have all of us here," Gar said. "The others are all on important business."
"I'm sure," she said warmly. Turning to the crowd of students, she spoke in a surprisingly loud voice, "Ok, everyone, the Titans are here. I want you all to remember that they are here at your invitation and mind your manners. I want you all to also remember that if they have to leave suddenly, you can't be upset." There was a dutiful chorus of acknowledgment and she let the torrent loose. Gar was completely comfortable. He all but jumped into the burgeoning mass, grinning and high-fiving all around him. He gobbled treats right along with the kids now that the tables were no longer off limits. It didn't take long for him to begin complying with requests for various transformations. The T-Rex was, of course, first. He had to clear a space but he transformed into a slightly smaller version of the familiar form and the students began climbing all over him.
Raven walked slowly through the periphery, drawing far less attention. A few students, mostly girls, did gather around her. She smiled woodenly and sort of half waved. "You really don't like this, do you?" one of them said.
She considered for a moment. One of the things she most dreaded about this was that she had no idea how to talk to a child like a child. Everything that came to mind seemed condescending to her, so she finally decided to talk to them like people. "Not really, but it isn't because I don't appreciate that you guys wanted to have us here for your graduation party. I just… I'm not good in groups."
"You're shy?" one of the girls said, sounding a little incredulous.
Raven realized she had never actually thought of it in those terms. "I suppose I am."
"What does it feel like to have super powers?" another girl asked.
"I don't know. I've been able to do what I can all my life. I don't know what it's like to not have them."
"Is it true you're dating Beast Boy? The news and stuff all say so," another girl asked.
Raven was a little surprised at the question but realized she probably shouldn't have been. She hesitated a second but decided to stick with talking to them rather then down to them. "For over a year. He goes by Changeling now, by the way." It always annoyed her a little when someone used Gar's old name.
"You guys live together in Titan Tower," the girl went on. Raven tensed a little. From time to time, she and Gar still got negative comments based on their relative youth and the fact that they lived together. "I have a boyfriend and having to be around him ALL the time would drive me crazy."
That made her chuckle. "Oh, that happens." Much to her surprise, one of the girls suddenly barked out a loud laugh. Raven looked at her in chagrin. "What was so funny?" she asked, a little offended. Then another of the kids began giggling uncontrollably. Then another began to howl with laughter and suddenly doubled up, grasping his middle. All around her, laughter was rising, getting louder by the second. In growing fear, she saw the look of terror and pain in the children's eyes, the wide eyes and tears contrasting with the smiles. All around the gym, children were writhing on the floor and laughing and laughing.
Some of the adults were also affected but others were desperately and futilely trying to help in some way. Raven tried to formulate some plan of action that would do some good but the confusion and cacophony were overwhelming. Reflexively, she looked for Gar and saw that he too was racked in convulsive laughter but he was on his feet and staggering towards her. She ran to him and held him up. She had to shout to be heard over the noise, "What the hell is going on?" He shook his head, unable to speak through the gales of laughter. He convulsed so violently that his body wrenched from her grasp and he fell. Next to her, Raven heard a horrible, choking rasp and she saw the girl that had started laughing first suddenly stop, her face a horrible, frozen rictus that mocked a smile. Raven realized what was happening and it felt like her stomach dropped from her body.
Gar convulsed violently on the floor, drawing her attention from the horror around her. His laughter was starting to sound like a scream. Without really thinking, she fell to her knees and muttered her mantra, calling her healing powers. They weren't great but maybe they would be enough. His heart rate was terrifically high. That was the greatest danger. Her dark aura enveloped him and she concentrated on slowing his heart and on calming him. He relaxed a bit but the awful howling laughter kept going.
Distantly, Raven was aware of one the teachers who was unaffected making a desperate 911 call. She heard other adults trying to comfort or calm children who she knew were dying. She heard Mrs. Butcher screaming at her to help, to do something, to do anything. Every time she tried to ease off the support she was giving Gar, he began convulsing again and she had to keep going. By the time the sounds of the sirens could be heard, more then a hundred still bodies had frozen smiles that would never go away.
Robin had been privately gleeful that he had found an excuse not to attend the graduation party. He had sat through the morning with a nice hot cup of coffee and some sinfully good donuts while he worked on an outstanding case. As soon as the 911 calls were made from the school, it was relayed to him and he knew what the police did. An hysterical woman was screaming into the phone but the awful noise behind her was unmistakable to him. He had heard it before. With a strangled sound that was half shout and half sob, he ran for his motorcycle. By the time he arrived, Gar had recovered somewhat but was terribly weak and sick and every few breaths he would break into hysterical giggles that made him want to throw up. Raven was moving mechanically, trying to help the first responders as much as she could. When Robin can in, sliding to a halt and jumping from the bike, he took in the scene in an instant. He ran to Gar and and put his hand on the younger hero's shoulder. Through his cackling, Gar was able to get out that he would live. Raven approached them. "It was in the food. The candy," she said in a voice as cold and distant as any he had ever heard from her. "I didn't eat any." Robin nodded. He had known that would be the case.
"How did Changeling make it?" Robin asked curtly.
"I was able to heal him as it was happening. It was enough."
"Yes," Mrs Butcher said, surprising them. They hadn't noticed her approach. Her face was a mass of tears and rage and she said, "I saw you." She slapped Raven viciously across the face, once and then again, "I saw you saving your boyfriend while all these children died." None of the Titans spoke or moved as the woman turned her back on them and walked away. Breaking into the pained silence, Robin's communicator beeped in a pattern the other two had never heard before. He glanced at it and saw the message he had known was coming.
"I'm on my way. -B"
