This chapter is based on The Teen Titans episode, Fear Itself
Mount Justice; September 14th; 21:15 EST
"Alright people are you ready for the greatest movie night ever?!!!" Wally asked excitedly as he stood in front of the TV in the cave.
"Sure."
"Totally."
"Whoo hoo."
"Why did I ever agree to this?"
The rest of the team, namely Artemis, Aqualad, Robin and Raven, sat on the sofa, ready to watch the movie.
Conner and M'gann weren't there cause Batman had sent them on a mission to Belle Reve.
"So what kind of movie are we watching?" Artemis asked. "It better not be some silly romcom."
Wally glared at her. "Of course it's not, who'd you think I am?"
"Um….Wally? The same guy who flirts with literally anything that wears a skirt." Raven answered in her monotone voice, making Robin and Artemis crack up.
"Ah hah." Wally said sarcastically. "We're actually watching a horror movie."
"Horror, like with monsters and zombies and stuff?" Raven asked.
"Exactly. Think you could handle it?"
"The question is….can you?" Kaldur asked.
"Oh please, I've seen dozen of horror movies in my lifetime."
"Yeah sure." Artemis said sarcastically. "Like you didn't pee your pants each time a monster pops up on the screen."
"Listen here girly, I…."
"So what's the name of the movie?" Robin asked, stopping the brewing argument.
"It's called; It Came From Gotham Bay. And it is packed with scary monsters and hideous zombies." Wally replied.
"Heads up though, it's rumored that this movie is cursed. When people watch it, strange things happen. Evil things. Things that you can never even imagine to happen to anyone around you." Wally said in a menacing tone.
"Just start the movie." Raven drawled out boredly, making Wally frown in disappointment.
He placed the movie into the DVD, and walked over to the couch, sitting beside Robin.
The movie starts with it's title: It Came From Gotham Bay, in oozing green moss.
Throughout the movie, the teens had different reactions on their faces.
From horrified gasps, to silent screams, shut eyes, terrified hand holdings, unconscious cuddles, even a few laughs.
After about two hours, the movie finally ends with a final scream, and a red giant THE END on the screen.
The teens were silent, as Wally peeked out from behind a pillow.
"Is it over?"
"Yeah, it is." Artemis replied airily.
"I think I'm getting a sick stomach." Kaldur said, gripping his stomach
"I've fought psychotic villains, robot commandos, and giant oozing monsters but that is the scariest thing I have ever seen." Robin said.
Raven glanced back at him, before subconsciously rubbing her arms up and down her arm, shutting her eyes tightly.
"It was great!" Robin exclaimed, making the other three smile.
"I know right?" Artemis asked, also quite excited
"It was okay, a bit over the top, but not bad." Kaldur said.
"Did I tell you or did I tell you?" Wally asked smugly. "So Robin, in zombie movie scale, how would you rate that movie?"
"Ehn….I'd give it a 7." Robin said, sinking back into the sofa.
"There's a zombie movie scale?" Artemis asked confused.
"Well duh. Hey did you know that zombies exist in nature? There's a species of fungi that infects ants, causing the ants to attack plants that can release spores which in turn infect new hosts." Wally said, going on full nerd.
"Okay please, stop. Now I really feel like throwing up." Kaldur said, burping a bit.
"Oh man. I can still not unsee that movie. I mean like when they went down to the river…."
"Oh and it started bubbling…." Artemis said, continuing Robin's statement.
"And then they turned, and it was right behind them……."
"And then it took a bit chunk out of……."
Raven instantly got paler than she usually was, which Aqualad noticed.
"Raven….are you okay?" He asked, making her jump slightly, and bringing everyone's attention over to her.
"Of course she's not okay. She's terrified. Admit it pretty bird, you were scared." Wally said, smirking at her.
Raven pushed him away, glaring at him.
"I don't do fear."
Mount Justice; September 15th; 01:15 EST
Heavy rain fell with flashes of lightning, around Mount Justice.
Each of the teens slept peacefully in their own rooms.
Well, not everyone.
Lightning flashed just outside of Raven's window, jolting her awake.
The violet haired girl gasped, looking around her room frighteningly.
Then she calmed down, shaking her head, then scoffing.
"What's wrong with you Raven? It's just a thunderstorm. It happens at the house every time."
She sighed and settled back down to sleep.
All was quiet, until……
"Aaah!!!!"
An ear piercing scream echoed throughout the cave, making Raven snap her eyes open.
"Who screamed?" Raven asked, ae her other teammates stood in the main room, the lights back on.
"Sounded like something from the movie." Robin answered.
"Did we leave the TV on?" Kaldur asked.
"We didn't." Artemis answered, picking the movie up. "And the movie is right here."
Suddenly, the lights went out.
"Okay. That's creepy." Robin said.
He pulled out a flashlight, using it to look round the room, even extending it as far to the kitchen.
"The storm. Probably just tripped a circuit breaker." Kaldur offered.
"Okay Wally, whatever you're doing, stop!" Artemis said firmly, turning to the speedster.
"Why do you assume I'm doing anything?" Wally asked appalled.
"Who else who think of pulling a sick joke like this?"
"Listen I…." Wally paused when he glanced over Artemis' shoulder at where Robin was standing.
"What? What?" Artemis asked annoyed.
Wally ignored her. "Ah, Robin."
The Boy Wonder raised an eyebrow as Wally pointed to the weird thing on his shoulder.
Robin glanced down at it, to see that it was a tentacle.
He turned, pointing his flashlight behind him.
The team gasped as they saw what was behind them.
It was the monster from Gotham Bay, the same monster as in the movie.
It's skin was a bright green, with a tint of black. It had large horns on it's head, and four tentacles sticking out of it's back. It had an extra long tongue, and haunting red eyes.
The teens stood staring at it in terror.
Kaldur blinked twice, shaking himself out of his daze.
"Team attack."
Kaldur drew water from the kitchen tap, creating two water swords. He charged at the creature, slicing it with the swords creating slashes on it's stomach.
Kaldur watched stunned as the slashes slowly mended back, appearing as if there wasn't any injury at all.
"Kid! Go!"
Wally rushed forward, speeding round the creature as fast as he could, creating a tornado round it.
The creature roared, angered, using one of it's tentacles to whack Wally, sending him flying into a wall.
The creature picked up the couch throwing it at the team. Robin and Artemis jumped out of the way, while Kaldur sliced the couch through with his swords.
"Robin, Artemis!" Kaldur called out and the two teens jumped into action.
Robin jumped on the creature's right arm, running across it.
He got to the top, and gave it a roundhouse kick.
The creature reached up to grab Robin, but Artemis kicked it from behind, making it stumble.
Robin and Artemis then grabbed the creature's arms, restraining it.
"Raven! Now!" Kaldur ordered.
The purple haired hero then stepped in front of the creature.
"Azarath Metrion Zinth…." She cute herself off when she realized nothing was happening.
Raven looked down at her hands in surprise.
"My powers!"
Kaldur rushed forward to help the two teens, Wally running at it from behind.
The monster roared again, and then tossed the teens off him, suddenly disappearing into the darkness.
The teens panted slightly as they stood up.
Robin pointed his flashlight at the area where the creature was supposed to be standing.
"There was a monster here, right?" Kaldur asked.
"But where did it go?" Robin asked.
"And from where did it come?"
"Okay Wally, you've got us. Now stop!" Artemis said, glaring at the speedster.
"Um….hello Artemis. I'm right here. How do you expect me to pull a prank like that?" Wally asked.
"I don't know, you would have figured it out."
"Hey, listen. I might be the smartest one among all of us here…."
"That's highly debatable." Raven muttered, making Robin smile slightly.
"….but I won't be able to pull something as big as this, in such little time." Wally exclaimed, glaring at Artemis.
"Well who knows how long you've been planning this." Artemis retorted.
"Okay you two, that's enough." Kaldur said firmly, making the two turn away from each other.
"Wally has stated that he isn't the one doing this, so our next goal is to find out what is."
"Maybe it's the movie. Remember I said it was cursed, maybe this is the curse. The monsters crawl out and wreck havoc on it's victims." Wally said dramatically.
"Come on KF, stop being overdramatic." Robin said.
"Whatever's going on, we need to get to the bottom of it." Kaldur said.
"And also to find out why my powers aren't working." Raven added.
"Split up and search the cave." Kaldur ordered.
The rest of the team started walking in different directions, when Wally pulled them back.
"Split up? You think that's a good idea? Did you not see the movie? When you split up, the monster hunts you down one at a time, starting with the good-looking comic relief guy. Me!" Wally exclaimed, shuddering a bit.
"Are you scared Wally?" Artemis asked, smirking.
"No." Wally denied, glaring at her.
"You're overreacting Wally. The movie hasn't come to haunt us, and the monster isn't going to eat anybody." Robin said.
"He's right. There's nothing to be afraid of." Raven affirmed.
A violent lightning bolt strikes, just as she completed her statement.
Robin led the team down the hallway leading to the souvenir room, his flashlight in his hand.
Suddenly, a small voice was heard.
"Help! Help me!"
"This way!" Kaldur said, running to the front, leading the team down the hallway.
The team come to a small door, hearing the voice coming from there.
"Help me!"
Kaldur placed a hand on the door handle, then turned and signaled his team.
He yanked open the door, Robin and Artemis rushing in, but then they were covered in old equipment, and a few clothes.
The room was a small closet. A very small closet.
"Help me, help me, help me!" The voice kept calling.
Kaldur reached beneath the pile of clothes, and pulled out a small mp3 recorder.
"Help me! Help me!"
"Really?" Raven asked annoyed.
Artemis stood up, turning to glare at Wally.
"What?" The speedster asked.
"Cheap joke Wally." She said.
"Like I've been saying ever since, it's not me."
Kaldur sighed, and led the team out of the closet.
"Haha, you all thought it was something else." Robin said laughing.
"Yeah, pretty bird. You shoulda seen the look on your face." Wally said teasingly, pointing to her face.
"You mean this look?!?" She asked glaring her him, making him flinch.
"Nope, that's more angry than scared." He said in a small voice.
"I already told you, I don't get scared." Raven stated firmly.
The room seemed to turn darker, and then a loud growling sound was heard.
Raven's face paled in fear, contrary to her earlier statement at the sound of the growl.
The shadow of the monster loomed over them, and they saw it's tentacles moving towards them.
"Team! Move!" Kaldur ordered.
The teens run as the creature chased after them, it's claws scrapping the walls as it ran.
They run towards the souvenir room, Artemis pushing the door open, and they all rushed inside, locking the door behind them.
After a while, Artemis opened the door, peeking out.
"It's gone." She informed, and the rest stepped out.
"Okay, now I'm beyond confused. What the heck is going on?" Robin asked.
"I have no idea. But whatever it is, I hope it doesn't come back, cause…."
Wally is cut off as the tentacles of the creature grab him from behind, making him scream as he was being dragged away.
Artemis and Raven gasped horrified as Robin screamed. "Wally!"
Kaldur rushed forward, trying to rip the tentacles off him, but he wasn't successful, and the tentacles dragged Wally through an open door, the door slamming shut.
Kaldur yanked the door open, and the teens rush into the room, which turned out to be the library.
"Wally! He's……." Artemis started terrified.
"….gone." Raven finished her sentence.
"Give me some light." Kaldur said as Robin pointed his flashlight forward.
Kaldur led the team into the library, Robin pointing his torch at every single shelf.
"What are we looking for?" The Boy Wonder asked.
"Something that shouldn't be here." Kaldur answered.
The team look round the whole library, coming to stand in the middle of the room.
"Okay, I want to know what the heck is going on." Artemis demanded.
"Maybe someone's trying to prank us, like we said before." Robin suggested.
"Or maybe it's some form of exercise, from Batman." Aqualad added.
"Batman? Nah, I don't think he'd want to play a stunt like this." Robin dismissed.
"Well, whoever is doing it, they're not gonna scare us." Raven said making Artemis nod in agreement.
Robin thought hard for a moment, before snapping his fingers.
"Fear! That's it!" He turned to his teammates.
"The movie, the monsters, Raven's powers, the answer's right in front of us! If anyone's behind this, it's…."
Red eyes suddenly appear behind him, and then he was wrapped in tentacles, being dragged through the wall behind him.
"Robin!!!!" Artemis exclaimed.
Kaldur and Raven rush forward, trying to pry the Boy Wonder away from the creature's tentacles.
Other tentacles appear, swatting them away, and Robin is dragged away into the shadows.
Kaldur and the girls rush forward to the wall Robin was pulled through.
The Atlantean tried pushing it, but it didn't budge. Then he reeled his fist back, and gave it a powerful punch, breaking the wall.
Artemis picked up the flashlight Robin left on the floor, and pointed it through the dent, but saw no one there.
Kaldur sighed and turn back to the girls.
"I don't suppose either of you know what he was about to say."
Both shake their heads and the trio turn to look at the dent worriedly.
Mount Justice; September 15th; 04:53 EST
Artemis searched the kitchen, a flashlight in her hand, while Kaldur searches the lounge room.
"Robin? Wally?"
Raven walks towards her. "They aren't here. We've already looked here."
"We've already looked everywhere." Kaldur said, walking up to them.
"Almost everywhere." Raven pointed out.
The three walk into a giant room full with craters, and a small lake in the middle.
It was the grotto.
Raven led the way in, the three coming to stand before the lake.
"They don't seem to be down here." Artemis said, pointing her flashlight round the room.
"We need to investigate further." Kaldur said. "Come on."
The three walk further into the room, when Artemis saw something run past them.
"What was that?!" She asked, jumping slightly.
"What is it?" Kaldur asked.
"The floor! I saw something!" She answered.
"I didn't." Raven said.
Kaldur uses his flashlight to pan across the room.
"Nothing seems to be here. Let's keep moving."
He and Raven continue walking down the room, Artemis staying to use her flashlight pan throughout the area.
Suddenly, her flashlight went off, as other creatures zip past her, making her let out a small yelp, bumping into Raven.
"Calm down Artemis. There's nothing to be afraid of, all right? It's probably just a few rats." Raven said.
Artemis glanced up horrified. "Those are not rats!"
The other two look up at where she was pointing. A lot of red eyes open in the darkness.
Kaldur lifted his flashlight, revealing thousands of the bat like creatures, with blood red eyes and razor teeth.
"Run!" Kaldur ordered. "Run!"
They did so just as the creatures swarmed after them. Raven and Kaldur ran ahead, Artemis bringing up the rear.
The archer tripped on her foot, just as the creatures grew closer.
Her eyes widen as they rush toward her.
"Hurry! We're almost……" A scream interrupts Kaldur's statement, just as they reached the door.
"Artemis!" Raven exclaimed, her fear now clearly written on her face.
She starts to run back in, but Kaldur pulled her back.
"Raven! Wait!" She pulled away from him.
"What'd you mean wait?" She asked, glaring at him. "We should go back! Maybe there's still a way to save her!"
"We won't save anybody if whatever this is gets us too. We have to get outta here and come back with help." Kaldur said firmly, making Raven look down.
The two walk out of the room to the hallway, Kaldur still holding his flashlight.
The Atlantean looked back to Raven, seeing her head down, while rubbing her hands up and down her arms.
"We'll get through this, all right?" He assured. "Don't be scared."
Raven glared at him, pushing past him, and walking in front.
"For the last time, I am not afraid."
Suddenly, the light goes off.
"Aqualad, I could use a little more light."
Raven doesn't get a response.
She turned, surprised that no one was behind her.
"Aqualad?"
A cold air blows, making her shiver, as a screeching sound appeared behind her.
Raven turned around to see a giant man bat, with menacing red eyes glaring down at her.
The bat screeched at her, and Raven took off, terrified.
The bat chased her down corner, after corner, until she came to a dead-end.
Raven panted as the bat drew closer to her, it raised it's claws towards her, but Raven ducked under it, running away.
The bat still chased after her, and Raven raised her head, seeing a door just ahead of her.
She ran towards it, and slammed it shut, just as the bat reached her.
She locked the door, resting her back at it, as the bat rammed against it repeatedly, making her jerk forward.
The ramming stopped and it was silent for a while. Raven sighed, looking forward to see that she was in the locker room.
Raven walked further into the room, pulling her jumper closer to herself.
Then a bubbling sound was heard.
"No!"
Raven looks down to see green gelatinous substance under her feet. She watched as the substance disintegrated the lockers, drawing closer to her.
Raven turned around, yanking the door open, and running into the hallway. She doesn't watch where she was going, and she stumbled into the lounge room, falling by the couch.
Lightning raged outside, as Raven looked up to see a shadow growing closer to her. She crawled away just as the shadow came into the room, revealing the creature from the movie, in full height.
Raven stands up to run away, but the bat like creatures from the grotto block her path, baring their teeth at her.
Raven backs up trying to get to the kitchen, but the giant man bat blocks that path too.
They drew closer to her, as Raven backed up to a wall.
She turned right, seeing an opening and was about to run to it, when another shadow started forming.
"Stay back!" She exclaimed, her back now against the wall.
An animal shape formed, reaching for her.
"You don't scare me!"
The shadow took the shape of a giant wolf, with a falcon's head.
Raven turned away, closing her eyes.
"I'm not afraid...I'm not afraid." She sinks to her knees. "I'm not afraid!"
Light slowly starts to flood into the room, as Raven's eyes remained closed, her posture tensed.
After a while, the heroine relaxed, her eyes opening, finally coming to accept the truth.
"I...I am afraid. I'm afraid."
Her eyes turned pure black as she stood up, her confidence growing.
"But that doesn't mean I can't fight back!"
Raven's powers overtake her, as she rose from the floor.
She faced the monsters, glaring down at them.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"
A wave of black magic flowed from her towards the bat like creatures, instantly disintegrating them.
The creature from the movie screeched as the magic touched it, immediately evaporating it into thin air, along with the wolf and man bat.
Raven's wave of magic spread through the whole cave, shaking the entire mountain, as all the apparitions faded away.
Raven descended slowly, giving a sigh of relief. Her knees touched the ground, and she slumped, her vision fading into darkness.
Mount Justice; September 15th; 06:15 EST
"Raven."
Said girl slowly opened her eyes, seeing the Boy Wonder standing over her, looking down at her in concern.
She groaned and sat up, looking round to see the rest of her teammates.
"You're all okay?" She asked in confusion, as Robin helped her up.
"We were never in any danger." Kaldur replied.
"Say what?" Artemis asked.
"Did you not see the monsters?" Wally asked.
"We saw them, but they were never really there." Kaldur said.
"Huh?" Wally asked confused.
"Raven was afraid…." Robin explained. "But when she wouldn't talk about it the fear found another way out."
"Her powers!" Artemis gasped in realization.
"Once you accepted your fear, you regained control over it." Robin said, smiling at Raven.
"You mean pretty bird made all those creepy-crawlies by accident?" Wally asked, glancing at her.
"Uh...sorry?" Raven said, slightly blushing.
Robin's watch beeped, alerting everyone else.
"It's 06:20." He informed.
"The sun will be up by now." Aqualad said.
Wally yawned. "Can't we get some shut-eye? With everything that happened last time, we had no time to sleep."
"Wally's right. We should all try and get some sleep." Aqualad said.
The rest nodded, all walking away to their rooms.
"Good morning everyone." Artemis called out.
Wally yawned again, and the rushed to catch up with Raven.
"You know pretty bird, your haunted house was way creepier than that stupid movie. Any chance you'd want to do all this again for Halloween?"
Raven glanced at him, and then shook her head.
"I'm afraid not."