Phantom Titans

The Transformation

Erin's POV: "And I'm telling you that the receipt is still good! Don't get on my bad side!" I yelled at the clothing store employee. "Do you have the item in question?" he asked in a deep monotone. He was a gangly beanpole of a guy, possibly no more than 20. "What do you think I'm wearing?!" I exclaimed, angrily removing and tossing down the leather jacket on the counter, along with the now crumpled receipt. "It's the wrong color, and your website didn't say that color was out of stock. You're taking this receipt, and giving me my refund, you, you... I'm so upset that I can't find the right insult, you oily skinned toothpick! There it is." I said. "There's no need to be hostile, ma'am. Let's see, $29.99 plus a 40¢ sales tax. Here's your money." he said.

"Thank you. Good afternoon." I said, walking out frustrated and frazzled. I took my phone out and turned it on. "Let's see if I have any messages or calls. Oh, a message from Lyle." I highlighted the message and pressed OK as the message played back. Immediately following the playback, I called Danny.

Danny's POV: "I mean I'm not saying that Raven is too dark, but even Kristen Stewart has better levels of optimism." I said, getting an empty burger bag tossed in my face for it. "I'm the daughter of a demon, what do you expect? Pass the ketchup." she said. Introducing the Titans to the wonder that was the Nasty Burger was going well. "This is just, wow." We don't have anything like this back in Jump City. We have a few restaurants , but they're... just okay. This is incredible! And it's all free-range?" Beast Boy asked, obviously pleased. I nodded. "Yup. And that's not even the--" I was cut off by my phone ringing. "Hold on a sec." I said, walking away to answer the call. "Hello? Oh hey, Erin. Lyle? What about him? Wait, you're sure? Okay, we'll meet you there. I'm with the Titans at Nasty Burger. Of course they're not going to make a mess...actually I can't promise that. Anyway, we'll be there. Okay, bye."

"Everything okay, bro?" Beast Boy asked. I shook my head. "We have to go, now. Something's wrong with Lyle. In the car, now." I said sternly. "You heard the man, let's go!" Cyborg said. The Titans and I exited the restaurant after I paid for the order through the e-payment system.

The Titans and I got back to see Erin crouched down by Lyle, comforting him. He looked like he was in a lot of pain.

Lyle's POV: I was feeling several things at once: pins and needles, burning, coldness. It didn't help that my body was changing rapidly. I felt tugging at both ends of my body. I felt my tailbone stretch and I felt like my skin was hardening and turning smooth. "You're growing scales? What's happening to you?" Erin asked. "If I knew I wouldn't be-- AAAGH!" I exclaimed. I felt the tugging at my head intensify as horns emerged. A dragon. I was turning into a dragon. Great.

After about 30 minutes of agony, calming words from my girlfriend, and absolutely no reactions from the Titans (big shock.), I'd transformed into a 7 foot tall crimson scaled dragon. Finally I got a reaction. "Woah. That's beyond anything I can do." Beast Boy said. Nothing much there, but it's something. Now there was the question of what to do now that I couldn't get out of the house without destroying it.