Normally Raven Roth wouldn’t find herself in places like these. An abandoned warehouse, just outside the outskirts of Gotham, smelling of cheap booze and a thick grey fog covering the tall ceiling with cigarette smoke. Too many people were closed in together, leaving little to no room at all to walk through. No, she wouldn’t, Raven rather be spending her Friday nights back at her dorm room curled up in bed reading a good book, getting started on next week’s homework before it even has been assigned, or just stream the latest show on Netflix. Unfortunately for her, Raven had lost an argument to her friend Donna Troy. It started with a little discussion that Raven doesn’t go out much throughout her first three years of college. Now that she was a senior, about to graduate Gotham University, one of the most prestige schools in the country. Donna exclaimed Raven had to start living! Whatever that meant.
Raven countered she hanged with both Donna and their third friend Jinx plenty of times. Though Donna explained that Raven needed more than friends, she needed a boyfriend.Long story short, Raven caved in by asking Donna to back down from her love life by agreeing to accompany her to this warehouse, where Jon -Donna’s boyfriend- was playing with a band. Raven didn’t know much but from what she heard from Donna and Jon, is that his band were known as The Titans. Raven wished she had done some research beforehand; she liked all genre of music but there were times she would catch Jon’s singing whenever he stayed over at Donna’s room. Let’s just say it isn’t the most pleasant sound to hear unmelodic screaming. She hoped not all the band sang like him or else she feared her ears would pop.
Coming back to the present, Raven felt Donna grabbed her arm and pulled her through the thick crow towards the stage. They stood before a wooden stage, looked rackety and almost at the verge of disintegrate if someone dared jumped on it. There were reds and white light fixtures chained on top, fixated on the center of the stage, illuminated three instruments already set up. A set of drums in the back, on the right side of the stage a keyboard, and on the left an red and white electric guitar. On either side of the stage stood some red very worn out curtains, probably that’s where the band members would emerge.
The Titans; were asked to do an opening song to introduce the other bands playing that night, or so she was told by Donna. According to Jon, The Titans had done some live performances already but never at this magnitude and if the band delivered well, they will be able to perform regularly at the warehouse like any other band playing later that night.
Raven was about to ask Donna, what Jon’s part was when the lights went dark and the crowd went silent.
When the lights came back four young men were standing on stage. Three of them were facing the instruments that had been there before. The one behind the drums was wearing some round black shades, with a dark navy-blue jean jacket, his blue shirt underneath with a giant red ‘s’. The keyboard had a man dressed in a complete dark blue denim outfit with black streaks on the sides of his thighs and arms. Behind the electric guitar stood a green hair dude in a white and red jumpsuit with dark green shades. Finally, the one standing right in front of Raven, was wearing a whole outfit of black leather. He had his back turned and his arms crossed from what she could tell. Just then the lights dimmed and someone off-staged shouted through a mic:
“Ladies and gentlemen. I give you The Titans!”
And the music started. First a few notes from the keyboard, then the drummer joined. The first singer; Raven could only assume finally turned; his eyes were covered with a sharp winged domino mask. He brought the mic to his lips and started:
“Hey, you. Yeah, I am looking at you,
You’re the most beautiful being I see,
Let me show you the world through my eyes,
I will show you oceans, lands, and endless blue Skies,
-
Girl, there something
I see in your eyes
That you can’t disguised
Don’t try to lie~”
-
The electric guitar joined.
“Hey – hey
-
Either text or call
you can reach me,
Girl, this is just the start
You will be mine in fall
-
But wait, I am getting ahead,
Let’s focus in the now than the future,
Sun’s gone down; do you know what’s the time?
Well no matter for I have the answer
-
It’s the start of the night,
And babe let me tell you,
The night is ours,
under the beautiful moonlight
-
Under the moonlight we can be lovers
Let’s dream of the tomorrow
Cuz I don’t wanna do anything else
But bring you all the worldly pleasures
-
Under the moonlight, my feelings will be true
Hear as my heart beats just for you,
Babe, you’re the air I need to breathe
My feelings no longer I can conceal
-
Under the moonlight, my heart is yours
For so long I roamed this plane all alone
But having you by my side! Alone I am no more
In you I have found a home…”
Raven couldn’t believer her eyes or her ears! The drummer was jumping into some syllables and he sounded like Jon! But he sounded better. Raven continue to be entranced by everyone’s playing but her gaze kept returning to the main singer who stood in the center of the stage. His voice was almost ethereal, a soft melody that fitted perfectly with the metalcore type of music they were gearing towards. It was so serene that Raven felt she was transported to another plane of existence. At she continues to watch their performance, Raven could have sworn the singer had locked eyes with her for a brief moment before jumping into the second chorus of the song. Probadly her eyed were playing tricks on her, there’s no way she would be noticed among the crowd.
Donna grabbed her arm very tightly and looked at Raven with a huge grin urging her to cheer for the band. Raven smiled at her and shouted at the top of her lungs along with everyone else in the room.
-- -- -- --
“Wow! Give them a hand folks! The Titans performing their song ‘Under the Moonlight.’” The same off-stage announcer said through the speakers hanging from above shouted as The Titans waved at the audience and existed the stage.
“C’mon Rae, let’s go and congratulate Jon!” Donna shouted as she yanked Raven through the crowd towards the backstage. It seemed Donna had been here before and she very carefully navigated them both to the back where a corridor had identical dark wooden doors on either side. Letting Donna lead her, Raven felt an unease consume her. She wasn’t the type to just mingle with anyone and feared she may make a fool of herself in front of Jon’s bandmates. She feared she will be a fool in front of him. The masked singer. She would really like to congratulate him but numerous thoughts were already running through her mind of things that could go wrong.
Both girls stopped before a door, labeled with the band’s name in white paint. Donna knocked lightly before a muffled voice from the inside gave them permission to come in. They stepped in, Donna still grabbing onto Raven’s hand as they saw the guitarist and the keyboard player sitting on a worn-out couch and the drummer standing next to a small round table with an open doughnut box and soft drinks.
“Hiya girls!” The drummer greeted them. That was Jon alright. “Babe, what did you think?”
Donna finally let go of Raven’s arm and ran into Jon’s opened arms. “You were amazing baby!”
Raven just stood there rubbing her arm as she cautiously darted her eyes very quickly around the room to find the masked singer wasn’t here. She let go of a deep sigh and stepped toward Jon, like he was an older comforting brother. That’s how Raven felt, given that she didn’t know who the other two band members sitting down were.
“Pretty amazing Jon. You surprised me.”
Still holding his girlfriend in his arm, Jon chuckled; “ha-ha, thanks Rae. I actually don’t go by my real name here. It’s Superboy.” He then pointed at his two band mates sitting on the couch. “And that’s Beast Boy, Blue Beetle and our leader is-”
