“You’re kidding! Starfire sang about what she didn’t like about him? She actually DOESN’T LIKE STUFF?” Beast Boy said incredulously as the Titans moved through the streets of singing and dancing people.
“She thinks his eyes are beady.” Raven commented.
“Man, Robin has EYES? Man it’s hard to tell behind that mask…” Cyborg said.
“Enough. People are not only singing, they are singing their innermost feelings. This, considering humans, is dangerous. Robin and Starfire are embarrassed, but if this continues we are going to get a lot of humans who sing about all the little and big lies they have told people during their lives and this will cause a serious problem.” Raven said.
“Says the chick who never feels anything.” Beast Boy replied. The group was approaching a woman standing by her car as a cop tried to give a ticket. The woman didn’t like this, and they knew it, because she was singing.
Woman: I’ve been having such a bad bad day
C’mon won’t you put that pad away?
I’m asking you please no!
It isn’t right, it isn’t fair.
There was no parking anywhere!
I think that hydrant wasn’t there…
“You humans could learn from it. There’s such a thing as too much information.” Raven said as they passed the woman and went on, her song fading in the background.
Woman: Why can’t you let it GO?
I think I’ve paid more then my share
I’m just a poor girl, don’t you care?
Hey, I’m not wearing underwear…
A minute later Cyborg was contacted by Robin, who had some information.
“He died by WHAT?” Cyborg said.
“Spontaneous combustion. He literally burst into flames. With no apparent accelerant.”
“Think it was related to our little Broadway disease?”
“Maybe. But if it is, we could have a serious problem on our hands. Redouble your efforts, split into solos if you have to, to cover more ground! We need this problem solved YESTERDAY! Robin out!”
“You heard the boss. Let’s split up!”
It was a while later, and night had fallen, as Raven flew into the graveyard.
She had found out nothing, but when she had tried to raise the others something interfered with her com link. She had been about to turn around and head home when she had sensed one of her teammates nearby. Specifically, Savior, the man she…
No, she couldn’t go down that road. Bad things happened. She had to be strong, no matter how much it hurt.
Her, AND him.
She found him sitting by a grave, looking at it. A quick glance revealed a name that didn’t ring any bells, but Noel hadn’t been the most forthcoming about his life, so maybe he…
“Hello Raven.” He said. Raven started a bit. He was more alert then he thought.
“Who is this?” she asked.
“No one I know.” Savior said, getting up. “I like to hang out here. It’s quiet, and peaceful. And I could use some peace these days.”
The last line was covered with barbs, and Raven knew it. She also knew she shouldn’t respond. But she did anyway.
“Noel…”
“No no, let’s not talk about it. So, done any more performances? I seem to have gotten past it. Which is good.”
“Uh…Noel, maybe we should talk…”
“What are you going to say? That I was wrong? Oh Raven, I know I am wrong on more then a few things, but not what happened that night! I gave you CPR to save your life, not because I wanted an excuse to touch you. When you started breathing again I pulled away. YOU came to me, and I FELT that. You weren’t making a mistake. You were letting what you felt flow out, before you had to put a lid on it like everything you feel. God, maybe you should have been a robot!”
“Now THAT’S not fair Noel.” Raven replied tersely.
“Neither is what you did to me! I guess everything’s not fair.” Noel snapped, turning away. Raven felt her anger fade. She didn’t want it to be like this.
“Noel…maybe it is…”
“What? Better this way? Hell no! Maybe I’m making a mistake? It sure doesn’t feel like that! Maybe I’m mistaking what I’m feeling for you as transference for my other feelings? Like my mother, perhaps?”
Raven was silent.
“It’s not that way. This is not better, it’s not a mistake, and IT’S NOT any Freudal nonsense. I loved my Mom, but she’s gone. I just…but…”
“But what?” Raven said.
Noel: She died
It feels like years ago
You’re the first that makes me feel
There’s a reason it was so
But why do you always pull away
I think I finally know…
Mmmm-hmmmmm.
(Noel walks up to Raven)
Noel: You’re scared
Scared of what you feel
You claim that you can never love
You claim you couldn’t deal
Whisper that to your dark heart
But it doesn’t make it real…
But hey, that’s great
No, that game I will not play…
‘Cause being with you touches me
More then I can say
And since I’m only dead to you
I’m saying stay away…
And let me REST IN PEACE!
(Noel falls down before a gravestone)
Let me rest in peace!
Let me get some sleep!
Let me take my love and bury it
In a hole six foot deep!
I can lay my body down but I can’t
Find my sweet release!
So let me rest in peace!
(Noel gets up and kneels before Raven)
Noel: You know…you got a willing slave
And I can see you play the thought
To give in and misbehave
But until you do, I’m telling you
STOP VISITING THIS GRAVE!
And let me rest in peace!
(Raven turns to leave, but no sooner does she take a few steps then Noel is at her side. Nearby, some pallbearers bring a grave to a funeral site. The mourners have seemingly not notices the singing superhero)
Noel: I know…I should go
But I follow you like a man possessed
There’s a traitor here beneath my breast (take Raven’s hand)
And it hurts me more then you’ve ever guessed (puts in on his chest)
Feel my heart beat, it will break my chest!
But I can see you’re unimpressed
So leave me be!
(Noel turns around and jumps up on the casket)
Noel: Let me rest in peace!
(The pallbearers drop the casket from the weight, Noel tumbles off, springing up from a roll)
Noel: Let me get some sleep! (he starts throwing the chairs around, the mourners flee in terror)
Let me take my love and bury it in a hole six feet deep! (Raven tries to stop Noel)
I can lay my body down but I can’t find my sweet release! (they wrestle)
So let me rest in peace! (They fall in the open grave, Raven on top of Noel looking into his face)
Why won’t you let me rest in peace?
The song ended, and the two looked at each other: Noel in an accusing glare, and Raven in shock. Then she pulled away, floating up and out of the grave. The harshness faded from Noel’s eyes. He got up and saw her flying away at top speed.
“So…you’re not staying then?” he asked the dead air sadly.
“Still nothing?” Starfire said to Robin, who was standing in her door.
“No. I even contacted Batman, but still, no dice. I’ll uh, tell you if we have any new info…” Robin stammered, his face growing bright red. He shut the door and left, still very embarrassed about the earlier song.
Starfire sighed. She should tell Robin she didn’t care about his flaws. She cared about him, and only him. Every human had their faults. Relationships didn’t work because they were perfect, they worked because people could overcome their imperfections, at least briefly.
And she STILL hadn’t shown Robin her new necklace. She turned and looked at it in the mirror. It was SUCH a nice necklace too. You think someone would have said something.
Starfire: Does anyone even notice?
Does anyone even care…
And that was all Starfire got to sing as big wooden doll heads appeared in the mirror she was looking at. Starfire screamed in surprise and tried to turn around, but all she got to see was what looked like men wearing huge wooden doll heads before something slammed into the side of her head and she fell into darkness…