Fan Fiction ❯ Beast boy's anguish ❯ Regret ( Chapter 2 )

In the last chapter Beast boy almost killed himself over his regret at having turned Terra away and the pain from losing her. Raven found out however that Beast boy is feeling guilty about something else as well, something from his distant past. Is he going to be able to get over his guilt and move on? Read on and find out.

 

It's been a few weeks since Beast boy's brush with death and he seemed to be recovering from his guilt nicely. Of course, Raven and Terra could see otherwise. Beast boy and Terra had gone out on a few dates since her return and he seemed genuinely happy during those times but whenever they were at the tower was another story. Sure he always seemed happy but there was just this hint, a small taint in his eyes that only Terra and Raven seemed to notice. They could tell through his jokes and smiles that his happiness was, for the most part, faked. Even after Terra returned and they started spending more time together something seemed to be haunting him, keeping him from truly enjoying the time he spent with his friends. The other Titans didn't notice this. At least it didn't seem like they did. It was pretty blatant to Raven and Terra, Raven because she was an empath and Terra because she made it her business to know how Beast boy felt, even if he was trying to hide it. Both of them wanted to say something but both knew that Terra was the best person for the job. They weren't urgent about the matter though as Beast boy wasn't nearly as bad off as he had been before he tried to do himself in. They weren't urgent but they wanted to do something quickly, at least Terra did. She couldn't stand to see him upset about anything and she was determined to find out what was eating at him, whether he liked it or not.

 

The day had been going normal, Cyborg and Beast boy argued about what to eat for breakfast and of course Beast boy ended up making his own food. They had all just finished eating and were preparing to clear their dishes away when a cold voice came from their monitor.

 

“Hello Titans. Remember me?” Everyone froze and turned to face the monitor.

 

“Slade.” Robin spoke with contempt in his voice.

 

“You sound angry Robin. I thought you'd miss me after all the good times we've had, especially that little gift I left you in my mask.” Robin growled.

 

“What do you want Slade?!” Beast boy demanded, surprising everyone. Robin was usually the one demanding answers from Slade.

 

“Such hostility. I merely wanted to check up on you. By the way, I see that Terra has returned. How is she? Has she forgiven you for the things you've done to her?” Beast boy's blood began to boil with anger.

 

“You know Slade, unlike everyone else here I'm actually glad to see you alive.” Beast boy's voice had taken on a menacing tone.

 

“Really? And why is that?” Beast boy smirked, though it was anything other than a happy one. Actually, more than anything else it seemed sadistic, almost insane even.

 

“Because that means that I get to enjoy killing you. I'm going to enjoy dismembering and torturing you for what you've done to Terra.”

 

“I've already told you, I haven't done anything to her that she hasn't wanted me to.”

 

“Don't think you can fool me with that garbage! I may act stupid but I'm far from it. You twisted her mind into thinking that only you could give her what she needed. You made her think that we were her enemies and that we would reject her.”

 

“And I was right, wasn't I? Isn't that what started all of this? You rejected her, turned her away and she turned to the only source of help she had left. Me. Can you really blame me for helping her? Such an innocent young lady deserves to have someone she can depend on and you proved that you weren't that someone. I hope you were happy with what you did, it was a work of art if I do say so myself.” Beast boy's eyes became the size of saucers as Slade said almost the exact same thing that he'd said while he was fighting him in his head.

 

“Why don't you tell us where you are so I can have some fun with you before you die.” Slade let out a mocking laugh.

 

“You speak boldly for being the weakest Titan. Perhaps I should meet with you personally and show you how foolish your words are.”

 

“Beast boy no. He'll kill you.” Beast boy turned to Terra and for a second she thought she saw a look of pure madness in his eyes, but it faded as quickly as it had come and was replaced by a look of love.

 

“No Terra. I have to do this. If he doesn't die then he's just going to keep tormenting people like he's been doing all along.” He turned back to Slade.

 

“Alright then. When and where?”

 

“You should listen to Terra you know. If you fight me you won't be walking away.”

 

“I'll be the judge of that now answer my question.”

 

“Very well then. Noon tomorrow at the docks. Come alone.”

 

“Don't worry about that, I intend to.” Beast boy then went over to the main computer and ended the transmission.”

 

“Good job Beast boy. Now all we have to do is find a way to sneak in without him noticing and…”

 

“I was serious Robin, I'm doing this alone.”

 

“Come on B, stop kiddin around. You do know that this is Slade we're talking about right? He'll slaughter you.” Beast boy looked at Cyborg with a look of hurt mixed with anger.

 

“Glad to see you have so much confidence in me Cy. I don't care what you guys say I'm doing this alone.”

 

“Beast boy think about what you're saying. We have to do this as a team.” Said Robin with growing concern. The only time Beast boy had been this unreasonable was when he had turned into the beast because of those chemicals he'd gotten on himself while fighting Adonis. Beast boy whirled to face Robin and he could see a look of utter rage on his face.

 

“For the last time NO! If I catch any of you following me I'll take you down myself.” He then turned around and stormed off, heading for the roof.

 

“We've got to make him understand what he's getting himself into.” Robin said.

 

“He understands completely, he just doesn't care.” Raven replied.

 

“I'll go talk to him.” Terra said as she headed towards the roof.

 

“Whoah, wait up a minute there Terra.” Cyborg called out.

 

“What is it Cyborg?” She asked, turning to face him.

 

“Be careful when you go up there. Beast boy may not be…himself.” She quirked an eyebrow at him before turning back around and heading up to the roof. When she got there she had to look around for a minute as she couldn't see Beast boy right away. When she did find him she could hardly tell that it was him. He was no longer in his human form, but Terra couldn't recognize the animal that he'd morphed into. He was now a good seven or eight feet tall and had a lanky, but muscular body. He had long arms that ended at vicious looking claws. At the moment he was facing away from her but Terra decided to change that.

 

“Beast boy?” She called out. He turned around and she could see that he now sported a set of nice, sharp teeth. He sniffed the air and walked over to her and regarded her for a moment. He seemed to be considering something and sniffed the air again before turning around and heading to the edge of the roof. He then turned around and began to make his way down the tower, using his claws to anchor himself to the wall. Terra ran over to the edge and peered down, but he was gone already. She turned around and it was then that she noticed the clothes. Usually when Beast boy transformed his clothes just disappeared until he changed back into his human form. Not this time. There were shreds of clothing on the roof as well as signs of what appeared to be a struggle of some kind as there were claw marks all over the place. She knelt down and examined them

 

“What's happening to you Beast boy?” Terra wondered aloud, running her fingers along some of the claw marks. She looked up to see that Raven had decided to accompany her. She walked up to Terra and knelt down beside her.

 

“So he's transformed after all. No doubt he'll use that form against Slade.”

 

“I've never seen him use that form before, what is it?” Raven sighed

 

“None of us are really sure. Not long after you became petrified we fought this psycho that called himself Adonis. During the fight Beast boy got some kind of chemical on him and it caused him to change. He became aggressive, hostile even and we almost got in a fight because of it. Afterwards I heard something banging around in his room and went to check it out when his door flew out of its doorway and a strange looking beast came out. We later found out that the chemical had changed his DNA and unleashed his inner beast. Cyborg gave him an antidote but it didn't work as well as we had thought. He only turns into that thing when he's extremely angry, so just let him be for a while. He'll come back.” Raven got up and headed to her room.

 

Terra stayed where she was for a moment longer before heading back to her own room. After a few minutes she decided to go looking for him so she snuck up to the roof, careful not to let anyone see her. She walked to the edge of the roof and called a boulder up and hopped on before taking off. She didn't really know where she was going so she let her subconscious mind guide her. She ended up at the fair, where her betrayal of the Titans had become complete and she'd truly gone over to Slade. She landed just outside the fair and walked around, remembering her date with Beast boy. She was enjoying the memories but then she saw it. The Ferris Wheel. They had almost shared their first kiss on that ride, but Slade had interrupted just as their lips were about to meet and everything went downhill from there. She shuddered as she remembered the ferocity with which Beast boy had fought Slade to keep him away from her. From what she understood, that made Beast boy the only Titan aside from Robin to ever take Slade on by themselves. Not only that but he'd actually managed to land a few good hits, more so than even Robin could attest to inflicting on the villain. It made Terra happy to know that Beast boy was willing to fight someone as powerful as Slade to keep her safe. She continued her search and found herself at the house of mirrors, where her betrayal had become complete. She heard growls echoing from within and cringed at the thought of having to go in there again but she did so anyways. She walked into the narrow hallway leading into the house and finally came to a fork. She stood there and waited for a moment and was rewarded with another growl that told her to go left. She grew nervous as she walked along, remembering the fear and confusion that had been running through her mind when she'd been running from Slade the first time she'd been here.

 

“Beast boy?” She called out timidly. There was no answer. “Can you hear me Beast boy?” Still nothing. Her fear and anxiousness continued to grow as she treaded further and further into the mirror filled rooms and hallways. A shiver ran down her spine as she came across a room in which all of the mirrors were shattered. She remembered Beast boy's shouts as Slade tormented him, slowly turning him against her. When she'd been Slade's apprentice, he'd told her how he'd installed a holographic projector in the ceiling of that particular room and had purposely lead Beast boy there so that he could taunt him. Outwardly she'd laughed and called Beast boy a fool for caring for her that much but on the inside the remaining pieces of her heart had broken at hearing what he'd gone through because of her. Needless to say she didn't sleep well at all when she'd been with Slade, her inner guilt tormenting her to no end. She tried to convince herself that she didn't have any regrets and she certainly didn't show it outwardly as doing so would surely bring Slade's wrath down upon her. Painful memories forced their way into Terra's mind, memories of her betrayal and her apprenticeship under Slade. She gripped the back of her head with both hands and sank to her knees crying.

 

“Go away!” She shouted. “Leave me alone!” She began sobbing uncontrollably. “Why?” She asked the air. “Why can't you just go away? Why couldn't you let me be happy with my friends…with Beast boy? You said you'd help me but you only hurt me. You made me hurt Beast boy and for that I hate you! Do you hear me Slade?! I hate you so damn much!” She felt a warmth on her shoulder and ignored it, hoping it would go away but it grew, seeming to encompass her in a protective and soothing cover. She hadn't realized that she'd closed her eyes until she felt a finger brush against each cheek, wiping her tears away. She opened them and saw that Beast boy had reverted to normal and was now holding her in a tight embrace as he sat on the ground rocking her back and forth.

 

“It's okay.” He whispered in her ear. “Slade is never going to hurt you or anyone else ever again. I'm going to see to that personally.” He turned her around so that she was facing him. “I'm sorry for what I said to you Terra, for turning you away when you needed me the most.” He laughed bitterly. “Everyone kept saying that you betrayed us but they were wrong. In the end, it was me who committed the betrayal.”

 

“Beast boy, you know I don't want you blaming yourself. I chose to go to Slade remember? Your words may have hurt me but that didn't give me an excuse to try to kill you guys.” Beast boy shook his head.

 

“But you didn't have any other choice. You needed help and Slade put another one of his plans into play. He made it look like he was the only one that would take you, he even tricked me into helping him. None of this is your fault Terra, this all falls on my shoulders and mine alone.” Terra stood up.

 

“Then forget it.” Beast boy followed suit.

 

“What?”

 

“Forget that we ever went on that date. I don't want you feeling guilty about this Beast boy. You were feeling bad about it before and look where it got you. You almost killed yourself. But that's not all is it? I want to know what else is bothering you.” Beast boy shook his head.

 

“I can't. Not right now anyways. I have to deal with Slade first, then I'll tell you everything. Is that alright with you?” She sighed.

 

“I don't like it, but I know you'll tell me when you're ready.”

 

“Thanks.” He said, glad that Terra understood. “Come on, let's get outta here, this place brings back bad memories.” They stood up and quickly found their way out of the mirror house but neither of them wanted to return to the tower just yet. They decided that they wanted to spend some time together so they just took a walk through the fair grounds. The place was still deserted as no one had yet come to reopen it after Terra took over the city. They left the fair after a few hours and went back to that little restaurant where they had intended to eat pie one their first date.

 

“Thank you Terra.” Said Beast boy as the waitress brought them their pie.

 

“Thank you? For what?”

 

“For coming back to me even after all the pain I've caused you.”

 

“Beast boy, you know I want you to forget about that and you never will if you keep bringing it up all the time.” Beast boy sighed.

 

“I wish it was that easy for me but it's not. You don't understand Terra. No one understands how lonely I am. Sure I don't look lonely but that's because I don't want to. Everyone else has enough of their own problems without me adding to them.”

 

“Beast boy we're your friends and we want to help you, but we can't if you won't tell us anything. You don't have to go through this pain all alone, just tell us what's wrong and we'll do our best to help you get through it. Even if you don't want to tell the others, you can still tell me.” They quickly finished their pie and paid the bill before leaving. They walked outside to discover that the sun was just beginning to set and they could see the first hints of color as it slowly sank towards the horizon.

 

“Man, we've been gone all day.” Beast boy said, surprised. He'd totally lost track of time.

 

“Yeah, we'd better be heading back before the others start to worry.” Terra added in agreement. She summoned a boulder and they both got on. They shot off towards the tower just as the bottom of the sun reached the horizon. They arrived at the tower and Beast boy made to get off but Terra stopped him.

 

“Let's watch the sunset from the roof.”

 

“Alright, why not?” Their boulder floated up until they were level with the roof. They jumped off and Terra let the boulder down gently just as they found a place to sit. They sat down and Beast boy quickly noticed that it was becoming chilly as his uniform was in tatters from his transformation. He shivered a bit and Terra snuggled up to him. They looked out towards the horizon and marveled at the mixture of gold, purple, and red.

 

“It's so pretty.” Terra commented.

 

“Yeah” Beast boy agreed, though he was talking more about her than the colorful sky. “We should do this more often. It's not often we get to be alone like this.” Terra giggled.

 

“Just make sure that your clothes aren't torn up next time.” Her face grew serious. “Promise me you'll come back alive tomorrow, even if it means running away from the fight.” Beast boy shook his head.

 

“If taking Slade down means I have to die too then I'll do it. It's the only way to make up for all the terrible things I've done to you.”

 

“Beast boy I've already told you that I forgive you. How many times do I have to tell you that I want you to forget it?”

 

“That may be good enough for you Terra but it's not for me. I'm glad that you forgive me but I have to forgive myself too.”

 

“But you promised to tell me everything. If you die you won't be able to keep that promise.”

 

“Then I'll just have to do everything I can to make sure I don't die, but I'm not going to run away. I won't be leaving that battle until Slade, me, or both of us is dead.” The sun had now sunk out of view, leaving the darkness of night to claim the city. Beast boy noticed this and stood up, offering his hand to help Terra up. She took it but lost her balance on the way up and started to fall. Beast boy opened his arms and caught her before she fell too far.

 

“Be careful.” Beast boy mock scolded. “I don't want you mashing up that pretty face of yours.” Terra blushed at the compliment and stood the rest of the way up. “Let's just forget about my upcoming fight for now. I want to enjoy my time with you, not spend it arguing.” He took her hand in his and led her back into the tower. They made their way to the operations room and found that everyone was sitting on the couch waiting. Beast boy cleared his throat and got everyone's attention.

 

“Look guys,” He said, scratching the back of his head nervously. “I'm sorry I blew up at you like that but this is important to me. If I take Slade down by myself then it'll help me forgive myself for turning against Terra. I know that she's already forgiven me but that's not good enough for me. Please just do as I ask and stay out of my fight.”

 

“Alright Beast boy. None of us will follow you if you really think it's that important.”

 

“Thanks Robin.”

 

“Are you two insane?!” Cyborg bellowed. “This is Slade we're talking about here. He fell into a pit of lava and survived, what makes you think that BB can take him down by himself?”

 

“Did we really see him fall into that lava? Or did we just see his mask? I don't think Slade actually fell into the lava, it would've been too easy.”

 

“You have to be careful when you fight him.” Raven said. “I have a bad feeling about this. Something tells me that you're going to be in for a big surprise when you fight him.” Everyone was shocked to hear this. The only other times Raven had gotten bad feelings were when Terra first showed up and couldn't control her powers and when she returned after running away and had been giving their secrets to Slade. When Raven got a bad feeling, it was wise to heed it.

 

“Alright Rae, I'll be careful.” Cyborg yawned.

 

“I don't know about the rest of y'all but I'm goin' to bed. Initiating lockdown.” Cyborg pushed a few buttons on his arm and the tower's security systems and alarms became active. Robin also yawned.

 

“I think I'll get some sleep too. You guys should too, especially you Beast boy. If you're gonna fight Slade then you need all the rest you can get.” He and Cyborg both stood up and left the room, though Raven and Starfire knew they weren't going to bed. They'd all agreed while Terra and Beast boy had been out that they should put a transmitter/tracker on Beast boy when he leaves to fight Slade so that they can get to him if he needs help. Robin had been telling the truth when he said they weren't going to follow, he just hadn't given all the facts. He knew that Beast boy wouldn't want a tracker on him so he and Cyborg were going to build a small one that Beast boy wouldn't notice. Hopefully Slade wouldn't either.

 

“I wish you all pleasant dreams.” Star said as she got up and headed to her room.

 

“Robin's right, I need sleep. Besides, I need to change out of this outfit anyways.”

 

“Can I sleep with you tonight Beast boy? Just in case you don't make it I want to be with you as much as I can.”

 

“Alright, let's go.” Beast boy took Terra's arm in his and they both headed to his room.

 

“Night Rae.” They said in unison. She merely grunted in response. Terra got under Beast boy's covers and turned away while he changed into a different outfit. He then turned out his light and got under the covers with her. They snuggled together and were soon asleep.

 

“I've got to meditate.” Raven said to herself shortly after Beast boy and Terra had left. She was very worried about his upcoming battle with Slade. When Robin suggested that he and Cyborg make a tracker she was one of the first to agree. This caught the others off guard as usually she wouldn't care either way about something like that. She'd told them that she'd sensed something amiss when Slade contacted them which made them want to make one all the more. What she hadn't told them however, was exactly how worried she was. Something had happened to Slade and it wasn't going to turn out good for Beast boy. She could sense that something big was going to happen when Beast boy fought Slade and if the others weren't ready to help, he would probably die.

 

“What have you done Slade?” She wondered aloud before shifting to the lotus position and beginning her familiar chant.

 

The next morning Beast boy woke up at eight and noticed that Terra was gone. He figured that she'd gone down for breakfast so after sitting for a few seconds to allow himself to wake up, he left his room and headed for the operations room. When he got there everyone was just sitting down to eat.

 

“Hey there BB. I figured you'd wake up soon so I made you some tofu waffles.”

 

“Thanks Cy, but why'd you do it? I know you can't stand to touch it.”

 

“I figured that since you've got such an important fight ahead of you that I'd just let the tofu slide for one day. Don't think that this is gonna be a regular thing though, I still hate the stuff.” Beast boy sat down at the only empty seat and found a plate with a stack of waffles on it. “Alright everyone dig in!” Cyborg shouted and the eating began. Half an hour later everyone cleared their places and Star began washing the dishes. She kept looking at Beast boy from time to time and noticed that he'd moved over to the windows and was staring out at the city. She put down a plate she'd been scrubbing and walked over to stand next to him. She also gazed at the city for a while before speaking up.

 

“I shall pay you six garbnarfs for your thoughts.” Beast boy chuckled at hearing this.

 

“If that's your way of asking me if I'm okay then yeah, I'm cool. It's just kind of scary considering who I'm going to be fighting.” He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder.

 

“Do not worry friend, you shall be victorious. I believe in you and so do your other friends. We just do not want to see you harmed and so we worry for you.”

 

“Thanks Star. Do you know where Terra went?” He asked as everyone else had left the room after putting their dishes in the sink.

 

“I believe she is training with Robin.”

 

“Thanks again Star.” He said, waving back to her as he headed out of the operations room. When he reached the training room, he could hear grunts and yells coming from inside and he put an ear to the door to listen.

 

“Come on Terra. I know Slade taught you better than this. Fight me with everything you've got, it's the only way for you to get stronger. He decided that maybe he could use some training himself. When fighting someone like Slade, you needed all the fighting knowledge and skill you could get. He opened the door and entered and saw that Terra was attacking Robin. She threw an uppercut at him and he attempted to dodge, but failed and doubled over on her fist. He threw his hands up in defeat.

 

“Good job Terra, you're getting better.” He stood up and saw Beast boy. “What's up?” He asked.

 

“Well, I've been thinkin' and I think maybe I should learn how to fight.”

 

“You mean marital arts?”

 

“Yeah. I mean, it is Slade I'm gonna be fighting after all and I don't know if I'll be able to beat him with just my powers. I know you won't be able to teach me a lot, but even a little is better than nothing.” Robin stroked his chin, pondering what to do when he got an idea.

 

“Terra would be a better teacher for you than me.”

 

“What are you talking about Robin? You've got way more experience with this than me. How could I be better?”

 

“Because you know Slade's fighting style better than I do. Don't forget, I already had training when I became Slade's apprentice so I already had a fighting style that I'd perfected. You on the other hand haven't gotten training from anyone else. If Beast boy were to learn Slade's fighting style, he'd know what to expect from him and how to counter it.”

 

“Well…alright.” She said, still not entirely comfortable with the idea. Robin looked up at the clock. It read 9:00.

 

“You guys should train for two hours so that Beast boy'll have an hour to rest before his fight. It's not a whole lot of time but it's all you've got. Good luck you two.” Robin said before leaving the room.

 

“Alright Beast boy, let's get started. I don't want you to morph if you can avoid it alright?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Good. Stand next to me and mimic what I do.” Beast boy nodded and moved so that he was standing next to her. Terra spread her legs to shoulder width and balanced herself so that her weight was spread evenly and turned her body so that her front was facing Beast boy, but her head was still facing the same direction. She then put her hands up, palms open with her left hand directly next to her face and held her right hand about a foot away from her.

 

“This is a defensive stance, it will allow you to react quickly to any attack that you can see coming at you. Also, standing like this will make you a smaller target. Balance your weight so that you won't be as easy to trip up and hold your arms out like mine so that you can react to either a longer ranged attack or a close up one.” Beast boy mimicked her pose exactly and she had him repeat it three times without her showing him.

 

“Good, now you have to learn how to throw a punch.” Beast boy arched an eyebrow at her.

 

“Anyone can throw a punch Terra, why do I have to learn that.”

 

“Try to punch me and you'll see why.” Beast boy shrugged and brought his right arm around in an arc, but Terra caught his fist and used it to flip him over her back.

 

“There's a right way and a wrong way to punch at someone Beast boy, and you just gave an example of what not to do. Punching like that takes more energy and is easier to see. You need to throw your punches straight at an opponent, like this. She cocked her fist back and tossed it forward. She then retracted it and did the same with her other fist. She then had him try it several times before moving on to something else. They continued like this for an hour and a half. During that time Terra taught Beast boy how to kick, several throws, and several counter attacks. Once she saw that they only had half an hour, Terra stopped Beast boy's training.

 

“You're doing pretty good Beast boy, you're a natural at this. Now I want you to fight me.”

 

“What?! Fight you? Why?” Terra smirked at him.

 

“Consider it to be a test. I want you to fight me at your best, don't hold back just because we're friends alright?” She received a nod in response. “Good. Ready yourself. I'll make the first move. Terra moved to a spot about five feet away from Beast boy and they got into their stances and faced each other. Without warning Terra rushed forward with a punch which Beast boy managed to avoid by stepping to the side. He brought a leg out to try and trip her but she expected it and jumped just as his foot was about to make contact with her leg. She then snapped a leg out to kick at his shoulder but he saw it coming and twisted so that he could bring up a forearm to block it. He went to grab the foot but it was gone as Terra had pushed off his arm and landed. He whirled around to face her and ran at her. He feinted a punch to her face and when she blocked it he rammed his shoulder into her gut, knocking her off balance and causing her to fall. She kicked both legs out and caught him in the face, making him back up a few steps. She jumped to her feet just in time to see a fist coming at her. She ducked under it and attempted to get him in the gut like she did Robin but Beast boy jumped back and she missed. He then grabbed her outstretched fist and used it to toss her over his back. She landed on her back with an oomph and Beast boy rushed over to her and held his hand at her throat with his fingers poised to strike.

 

“Looks like I just killed you.” He said confidently.

 

“Look again.” Was all she said as she grabbed onto his forearm and flipped him onto his back. She then jumped up and quickly sat on his chest and made sure that his arms were at his sides. She then put her hands around his throat as if to choke him.

 

“Don't ever take the time to boast when fighting Slade or you'll regret it. You have to concentrate completely on your fight or you'll end up dead. I've only taught you the basic moves so don't fight him like that unless you absolutely have to. Don't forget, your eyes are your enemies so you must rely on all of your senses to help you fight him. If you rely on your eyes too much he can easily hide from you and strike when you least expect it.” Terra looked up at the clock and saw that it was now 11:00. “Alright, time's up. You might want to take a shower to help you relax.” Terra got off his chest and extended a hand to him. He reached up and she helped him to his feet.

 

“Sounds like a good idea.” He said, sweaty and sore from two hours of intense training and fighting. Beast boy was in the shower for half an hour, allowing the hot water to soothe his tired and aching muscles. He came out feeling clean and refreshed and decided to go see what everyone else was up to. After dressing he headed to the operations room as there was almost always someone there. He walked in to find Starfire and Raven meditating, Robin listening to music, and Cyborg and Terra playing some racing game on the gamestation. Terra of course was making Cyborg look like an amateur with the way she was literally driving circles around his car. Beast boy walked over to the couch and sat next to Terra and watched as she drove Cyborg's car off of a bridge they were racing on and crossed the finish line.

 

“Are you sure this is the first time you've ever played this game? I play people on the net all the time and never lose.”

 

“Yeah I'm sure. Must be beginner's luck.” Cyborg brightened up at this and smiled.

 

“Yeah that's it, beginner's luck. How `bout you and me have us a rematch then?”

 

“I don't think so Cy, I want to spend some time with her before I go. I have less than half an hour you know.”

 

“Hey there B, didn't see you come in. Fine, whatever, but she owes me a rematch.”

 

“Any time Cyborg, and I'll kick your butt just like I did this time, beginner's luck or not.”

 

“Oh we'll just see about that little lady. Once he leaves it's just you and me.”

 

“I'm lookin' forward to it.” Terra giggled as Beast boy grabbed her arm and dragged her off. Cyborg silently fumed as he began racing and beating others from around the world. Beast boy led Terra to his room and they sat down on the edge of his bed.

 

“How are you feeling?” Terra asked.

 

“Pretty nervous. Something tells me that I'm gonna be seeing some new tricks when I fight Slade, tricks that I'm not gonna like.”

 

“Don't worry Beast boy, I have faith in you. We all have faith in you. Just promise me you'll be careful.”

 

“Promise. Cross my heart and hope to not die.” Terra laughed at his joke and leaned back, supporting herself with her hands.

 

“You know, I'm still getting used to it.” She said.

 

“Getting used to what?”

 

“Having a home. Until I met you guys, I'd been running pretty much my entire life. I was always trying to help people but the end result was always the same. I'd cause a mudslide or an earthquake or an avalanche and people would find out it was me. When they found out they'd always run me out of town and try to kill me. Then I met you guys and you didn't care if I could control my powers or not. When Robin mentioned that he knew I felt betrayed because of some things that Slade had said to me so I ran away. It was the worst decision that I've ever made and I'm glad that you guys have accepted me back.”

 

“Of course we've accepted you Terra. You realized your mistake at the end and did what you could to fix it. How could we not accept you after you saved us and the city? To not accept you after that would make us just as bad as Slade.” Terra suddenly tackled Beast boy to the bed and placed herself on top of him. Before he could react, she had brought her lips to meet his. She put her arms on his shoulders and he wrapped his around her waist and she deepened the kiss by inserting her tongue in his mouth. Surprised by this, Beast boy did the only thing he could think of and complied by doing the same. Their bodies heated up with passion as they expressed the true depth of their feelings for each other. They parted only when they started gasping for breath. Both were red as beets.

 

“I…um…wow.” Beast boy managed to stutter after catching his breath. Terra giggled at his apparent lack of brain activity and gave him a peck on the cheek. This brought Beast boy back to reality and he almost fainted. Terra looked up at the clock and saw that it was 10 minutes till he had to be at the docks.

 

“It's almost time for you to go, you'd better go out and say bye to the others.” She whispered in his ear. Beast boy nodded, his mouth still having not caught up to his brain yet. Terra took one of his hands and practically dragged him all the way back to the operations room. They entered the operations room to find that the others had been waiting for them.

 

“Okay, why is everyone just standing there?” Beast boy asked.

 

“We wanted to wish you the good luck before you left to fight Slade.” Star replied cheerfully.

 

“Yeah.” Robin said, walking over to Beast boy and wrapping his arm around his shoulder. He slapped him on the chest a little harder than necessary but Beast boy didn't notice as he was too surprised by Robin's actions to notice. Robin wasn't one to initiate physical contact, unless of course it was with Starfire. “We know you can do this Beast boy, just don't get distracted by Slade's verbal attacks. That's his main weapon.”

 

“Don't I know it.” Beast boy grumbled silently. Slade's tauntings were what lead to him turning Terra away in the first place. That wasn't going to happen again. Beast boy looked at the clock, five minutes until 12. “Look guys, I'd better get goin' now. See you when I get back.”

 

“Go get `im B!” Cyborg exclaimed.

 

“Show him who is the boss!” Star shouted excitedly.

 

“Come back in one piece.” Said Raven in her usual negative tone. Though she didn't show it, she was still quite worried about this fight. “Come back alive.” She said under her breath.

 

“Show him what happens when he turns the Titans against each other.” Terra said, hugging him.”

 

“You took the words right out of my mouth.” Said Robin. “You'd better get going now, you don't want to keep Slade waiting do you?”

 

“Heck no! He's gonna pay for everything he's done to us! I'll make sure of it.” With that Beast boy turned and headed towards the front door. The Titans heard him exit and saw him fly away as a falcon. Robin quickly ran over to the main monitor and typed in something on the computer. The screen turned on and went from black to a view of a moving sky. The tracker had been placed.

 

“This'll provide us with video, audio, and his exact location.” Robin said after typing a few more things in. “Now we just have to sit back and watch.”

 

Beast boy landed at the docks about two or three minutes early and decided to scout the place for any potential hiding spots. Not that he planned on hiding, but it may become a necessity later. Besides, knowing the area would help him if he somehow lost sight of Slade. Slade was known to hide in the shadows and attack when his opponent had their back turned. He finished scouting and landed in front of one of the many large warehouses that were spread through the area.

 

“Hello Beast boy.” A cold voice came from out of the dark interior of the warehouse in front of him. “I must admit that I'm surprised to see you. I didn't think you had the courage to face me. A foolish choice, but courageous nonetheless.”

 

“Come out where I can see you!” Beast boy demanded angrily.

 

“Very well.” Slade stepped out of the warehouse and Beast boy scowled. “My, such hostility and we haven't even begun to fight yet. Is that any way to treat the man who taught Terra how to control her powers?” Beast boy growled.

 

“You may have taught her control, but you've caused Terra nothing but pain and I'll make you pay for that!”

 

“Aren't we in a hurry to die. Of course, you don't yet know of my new…abilities do you?”

 

“What?”

 

“Observe.” A crimson S appeared in the center of the forehead of his mask.

 

“You could say that I'm…new and improved. Now you shall see the true folly of your choice to fight me.” In a flash Beast boy was flat on his back and Slade kicked him in the ribs, making him roll a few feet before he managed to get up.

 

There was an enormous gasp that could be heard throughout Titans tower when Slade attacked Beast boy.

 

“What's up with his forehead?” Cyborg asked nervously. Everyone present knew that any change on Slade was bad.

 

“How'd he get so fast?” Terra asked. “He's always been fast but I hardly saw him move.”

 

“I fear for Beast boy's safety, may we go and save him?”

 

“No. We can only interfere if he absolutely needs us. If we went there now Beast boy might never forgive us.” Raven gasped and everyone turned to her.

 

“It's dark magic. He's using some form of dark magic on himself. I knew something was wrong, I knew it.” Robin growled.

 

“I knew I shouldn't have let him do this alone!” He pounded his fist on the wall, leaving a small dent. “If he gets hurt, it's my fault.” He lowered his head dejectedly. He felt as though he'd failed not only as a leader, but as Beast boy's friend. Everyone turned their attention back to the monitor and saw that Beast boy had gotten up.

 

Beast boy morphed into a gorilla and ran at Slade, swinging his massive fists down to try and stun him, but he only left a crater in the ground as Slade nimbly leapt out of the way and spun in midair. Beast boy realized too late that Slade had extended a foot and it was currently rushing towards his head. He tried to dodge but he was too slow and the blow connected, making him stumble back a few feet. He roared in anger and once again swung his fists at Slade, but only hit air as the masked villain ducked under his fists. He then charged forward, keeping his head low and tackled Beast boy to the ground, causing him to revert to his human form.

 

“How disappointing.” He hissed in Beast boy's ear. “I was hoping for a real challenge to test my new abilities against but you provide less of a challenge than my droids. After I kill you I'm going to enjoy killing your friends, starting with Terra. Yes, she shall die slowly for attempting to kill me. I hope you know that this is your fault. If you hadn't gotten so close to her then she would've stayed as my apprentice and everything would be okay for her. However you gave in to your pathetic pubescent urges and grew closer to her than anyone. It's ironic how the weakling of the group could win over someone like Terra. I hope her death weighs heavily on your conscience as you slowly die, alone. Just like when your parents died.” Beast boy gasped. How could Slade have known that? That happened back when he was only eight years old and had first learned how to use his powers. Beast boy felt a primal tug within himself and unlike most times, relented to it. That didn't stop the pain though. Having his beast take over was an excruciating experience, whether he allowed it or not. Slade got off him and was about to attack but ceased however when Beast boy began writhing in agony. He managed to chuckle through the pain.

 

“Now you're going to regret what you've done to us.” He forced out through clenched teeth. Slade watched with interest as Beast boy morphed into the beast. When the transformation was complete, Beast boy let out a bone chilling howl of rage. Beast boy glared at Slade for a moment before charging him and swiping a huge clawed paw at him in an upward arc, dragging it along the ground and drawing sparks as he did so. Slade was hit with the full force of the hand and was sent flying several feet into the air. He revealed another new ability when he stabilized himself and floated in midair. He gently lowered himself back to the ground facing Beast boy and chuckled.

 

“Now that's more like it.” He said, cracking his neck. They stared each other down for a moment before Slade made the next move. He fisted his hands at his sides and crimson orbs of fire flared into life around them. He tossed them both at the same time, one low so that Beast boy would jump and the other one high so that it couldn't be avoided. As expected Beast boy jumped over the first fireball but the second slammed into his face, singeing it and causing him to yelp in pain while bringing his hands up to hold his injured flesh. Beast boy snarled when he removed his hands and quicker than the untrained eye could follow, got behind Slade and swiped at his back. Slade had seen him get behind him however and ducked under the swipe and swept a leg around in an attempt to trip Beast boy. Beast boy jumped over it and grabbed Slade's head upon landing. He then charged forward and slammed Slade's head into the ground, forcing his head further and further into the ground and creating a long crater that showed where he'd been dragged. He then threw Slade at the wall of a warehouse but he managed to recover and maneuvered himself so that he landed on the wall and pushed off at Beast boy. He thrust his hands forward and a giant fist of flame punched Beast boy, burning flesh and causing Beast boy to stumble back and fall. Beast boy weakly got up and charged straight past Slade and at the warehouse behind him. He then jumped and kicked off the wall and formed himself into a ball in midair, impacting with Slade's chest and knocking him off his feet. Beast boy then ripped a lamppost out of the ground and swung it at Slade who'd gotten back on his feet. Slade made no move to block the lamp and it merely melted upon making contact with him. Beast boy hurled the remains of the lamp at him but got the same results. Slade pulled out a bo staff like the one Robin used and it ignited as though made of wood. He twirled it around and held it in an attack ready stance. He then rushed at Beast boy and swung it down at his head. Beast boy crossed his arms to block it and growled at the pain caused by the flames enveloping the staff. Slade then lifted it and swung from the right, catching BB off guard and even managing to crack a few ribs in addition to burning even more flesh. Beast boy swung a fist at Slade, but he ducked under it and threw an uppercut in return. He connected, but due to Beast boy's much larger size and weight, it only caused him to stumble back a few steps. Slade took advantage of his distraction by swinging his staff up and then brought it down on Beast boy's head, dazing him and forcing him back to his human form. Slade brought the staff down on Beast boy's shoulder, dislocating it and eliciting a yell of pain. He then proceeded to mercilessly beat Beast boy. Slade stood over him menacingly as he once again charged his hands with crimson fire.

 

“I must say, this has been quite enjoyable. However, I'm afraid I must end it here. I do after all have the rest of your friends to eliminate after all, and I wouldn't want them to feel left out.” Beast boy weakly stood up, barely having the strength to even do that.

 

“No.” He said weakly. “I'm…not…finished…with you…yet.” He thought about what had been done to Terra because of this madman and what Robin had been forced to do and he suddenly found a strength that he hadn't known he'd had. The pain from his injuries seemingly disappeared as he thrust his good hand up and into Slade's gut, literally sinking his fist into the soft flesh and splashing blood. Slade looked down at him in surprise but didn't hesitate to grab Beast boy by the throat and squeeze. Beast boy desperately tried to break the grip but it was iron strong and unmovable. Slade tightened his grip and Beast boy found that he couldn't breathe. He clawed at the hand holding him but still couldn't get any results so he lashed out with his foot with a vicious kick that almost broke Slade's neck and distracted him enough to cause him to drop him.

 

“Guys we have to do something or Slade'll kill him!” Terra said, frightened for Beast boy's safety. Robin sighed.

 

“Terra's right. Titans! Go!” Everyone fled the room as quickly as they could. Star, Raven, and Terra ran out the front door and Robin and Cyborg rushed to the R-cycle and T-car respectively. Terra was the first to arrive at the scene, quickly getting off the boulder she'd been flying on and searched for Beast boy and Slade. She finally saw Slade, poised to strike but she brought her boulder and cut it into hundreds of small but sharp stones that she launched at him. Slade looked towards her and moved to dodge but was slow because of the injury that Beast boy had inflicted on him. Just as the stones were going to reach him, he erected a dome of fire around himself and the stones disintegrated before they even reached him. He would've counter attacked but a blue blast of sonic energy slammed into his back followed by an exploding disc and he fell forward before being pummeled by several hundred starbolts. Slade got up and found himself surrounded.

 

“Hello Titans. How long has it been? A day? A year? A millennium? I think it's about time we got reacquainted.” Slade cried out as Beast boy had managed to get back up and had morphed his hand into a paw with many sharp claws and had slashed him across the back. He whirled at Beast boy and kicked him squarely in the jaw, knocking him back over but he just wouldn't stay down despite all the injuries he'd sustained during the fight, many of which were bleeding and forming a puddle of blood at his feet. Beast boy leapt onto Slade's back and began hacking and slashing away until he was grabbed and thrown. He landed on his feet though and ran at Slade, but he put his palms together in front of his chest and thrust them out to his sides, sending a wall of fire out in all directions. Beast boy fell to the ground and didn't move. Terra saw this and barely managed to keep herself from rushing to his side. Instead she glared at Slade and put all her focus on him. He wasn't doing to well. He still had a large amount of blood coming out of his midriff where Beast boy had punched him and now he had several gashes adding to his blood loss. Cyborg snuck up behind him and punched him, sending him into a pair of eyebeams, courtesy of Starfire. He managed to stay on his feet but suddenly had to deal with Robin who had run up to him and was now dealing him an onslaught of kicks and punches. He caught one of Robin's fists and used it to hurl him at the wall of a warehouse, sending him crashing through it and into the warehouse. He emerged through his hole with his bo extended and ready to strike. He lunged at Slade and attempted to stab him with it but Slade had gotten his out as well and had once again charged it with fire. He brought it up and deflected Robin's staff, breaking it on contact. He swung at Robin but he dodged and performed a back flip kick that snapped Slade's head back and left him open to attack. This allowed Terra to summon up a rather large rock and sharpen it to a deadly point and launch it straight at his heart. The rock hit and pierced him and he let out an inhuman cry of pain. Slade fell to one knee but somehow managed to stand up. He raised his hands to the sky and collapsed as pillars of flame began shooting up into the sky.

 

“Titans! Retreat!” Without thinking Terra summoned a boulder and flew over to where Beast boy was and pulled him up with her without looking at him. She and the other Titans retreated to a safe spot further in the city to assess their wounds. Terra put Beast boy down and gasped when she saw her hands. They were covered in blood. The other Titans turned to her and then Beast boy and were shocked at the sight before them.

 

“No.” Cyborg whispered, voicing what all of them had been thinking. Beast boy was hardly recognizable in his current state. Almost his entire body was either burned, full of gashes, or caked with blood. Terra knelt at his side and checked for his breathing and a pulse.

 

“His pulse is weak and he's barely breathing, we have to get him to the infirmary now!”

 

“Right.” Robin said. “Star, you get him to the infirmary. Raven, you help Cyborg get there quickly so you two can get started on helping him. Raven nodded and grabbed hold of Cyborg before a swirling black portal opened in the ground beneath them. Star picked Beast boy up and flew to the tower at top speed. Terra got on a boulder and did the same. Robin pulled out a remote and pushed a button, signaling the T-car to head back to the tower on its own. He then hopped on the R-cycle and sped off.

 

When Terra arrived at the tower she rushed to the infirmary as fast as she could. When she got there, Beast boy was hooked up to all kinds of machines that were monitoring his various life signs. Cyborg was watching one of the machines and Raven was sitting in a chair at the side of his bed. They heard her enter and looked at her. Cyborg looked glum.

 

“How is he?” Terra asked, ignoring the looks on their faces. Cyborg cringed and sighed.

 

“We're not sure that he's gonna survive. He's got third degree burns and gashes all over his body. Not to mention that one of his ribs is shattered and has punctured a lung. It's lookin' pretty bad.” Terra shook her head in denial.

 

“No! He's not going to die! He can't!” Tears filled her eyes and threatened to spill. “He made a promise to me.” Her voice cracked as she said this. “He said he'd tell me all about himself after this was over.”

 

“Terra…” Cyborg began, but she interrupted him.

 

“I want to be alone with him for awhile.” Cyborg and Raven looked at each other and nodded. They'd done all they could for the moment so it wouldn't hurt. Raven stood up and they left together. Cyborg stayed outside the door to make sure that Robin stayed out and Star didn't try to come back. He'd shooed her out once Beast boy was in his bed so that he and Raven could work freely without interruption.

 

Terra walked over to Beast boy's bed and stood next to him and the tears she'd been fighting came flooding out. She grabbed his hand and kissed it. She then began to sob uncontrollably.

 

“No. Oh god please no! Don't let this happen please.” She pleaded, hoping some higher authority could hear her and would save BB's life. “Please BB don't die, I don't know what I'd do if I lost you. You made me a promise and you have to keep it. Please, just be okay. Before she knew it, Terra had cried herself to sleep. After she'd been in there about an hour with no word, Cyborg decided to check up on her to make sure everything was okay. What he saw tore his heart to pieces. He saw Terra asleep in the chair leaning forward with her head resting on Beast boy's hand. He could see her tear stained face and she had a look of utter anguish on her face, a look that no one should have in their sleep. He quietly left the room and returned with a pillow and blanket. He gently leaned Terra back in the chair and rested her head on the pillow and covered her with the blanket, taking care to leave Beast boy's hand in hers. A single tear slid down his human eye but he wiped it away and left the room. A few minutes later Robin entered the room and walked over to BB's side but made sure not to disturb Terra. The sight before him made him want to cry badly but he couldn't. Not yet. He was the team leader and he had to be strong for now. Crying would come later if it was needed.

 

“Beast boy.” His voice broke. “I know you can't hear me but you did good. Thanks to you we were able to take Slade down once and for all. I don't know…” He began. “I don't know if the price was worth it though. We all know that Slade needed to be taken down but is it worth this? Is it worth the loss of one of our comrades? Our friend? It would be a great injustice to this team, to each of us individually if you died Beast boy. Please, don't do this to us, to Terra.” He turned and walked out, heading to the training room to relieve some stress. This time Raven entered. She stood at the foot of his bed and just watched him and Terra for a moment before speaking. She put her hood down and sighed.

 

“Look Beast boy, as much as you may think otherwise, I don't want you to die. As difficult as this is for me to say you're my friend. I know you're strong enough to get through this so please, for my sake, for everyone's sakes, get better.” She turned and made to leave the room but paused in the doorway. “By the way. Thank you, for trying to make me cheer up all the time. I just wish I could return your kindness with smiles and laughs and maybe that'll happen someday, but not if you die here. Please, even if it's just to see me smile or laugh, come back to us.” Having said that, she left the room. About half an hour later Starfire decided to pay a visit. She stood where Robin had and softly cried.

 

“Please Beast boy, do not succumb to your injuries and die. We all wish for you to heal so that you may partake of the daily activities with us. If you die, who shall watch my favorite program of the television with me? Who shall make Raven blow up dinner by trying to make he smile? You are the only one who does these things and it will be boring if you are not here to do them. It saddens me to see you in a condition such as this and I wish that I could do something to ease your suffering, but alas, I cannot. We almost lost you once and we do not wish to repeat that circumstance ever again so please, do not make us.”

 

It went on like this for about a month. Each of the Titans would go in and talk to Beast boy and tell them of the criminals they'd taken down or they'd tell him of the general silliness that would take place throughout the tower. Really, Cyborg was surprised when he survived the first night, but was impressed that he'd managed to last this far. Perhaps he would recover. Of course, Terra stayed by his side the entire time and left only when she had to. Even then, she made sure that there was someone in the room with him at all times. She didn't want him waking up alone. After about another half of a month, Beast boy finally woke up.

 

“Where am I?” He asked himself upon waking up. He couldn't tell as his vision was extremely blurry and was just starting to focus. When he could see properly, he sat up and turned to see Terra upon hearing a sound of joy coming from next to him. He suddenly thought he was going to die again as he was pulled into an embrace of epic proportions.

 

“Oh Beast boy, you're awake! I was starting to think I'd never talk to you again.” She ran out of the room and Beast boy could hear shouts of “He's awake.” And “Get to the infirmary.” Starfire was, of course, the first one to enter the room. There was a shout of “Glorious!” before Beast boy felt himself in another bone crushing hug.

 

“Yo man, you had us all worried there for a while.” Cyborg was next to enter the room followed by Robin.

 

“Yeah. Next time you fight someone like Slade, don't rush off and do it yourself. We want to have as few of these types of episodes as we can possibly have.” Raven walked in and just nodded.

 

“How long have I been out of it?” Beast boy asked once everyone had entered the room.

 

“About a month and a half.” Raven answered.

 

“Alright B, I know you're probably gonna want to be gettin' outta that bed `n all now that you're better but I wanna keep you here for another week so that I can keep an eye on you. Got it?” Beast boy nodded.

 

“I don't really feel much like doing anything anyways. I'll be fine as long as I have my two T's. Terra and tofu.” Terra blushed but no one noticed as they were far too focused on BB. “Look guys, you don't have to stay in here. Just because I can't go out and have fun doesn't mean you shouldn't.” He made shooing motions with his hands and everyone filed out of the room except Terra. She sat down in the chair next to the bed and just watched him. “I meant you too you know. Go have fun with the others, I'll be fine.” Terra put a finger to his lips to silence him.

 

“This is what I want to do. Staying here with you will keep me plenty busy.”

 

“You sure?”

 

“Of course I am. Would I still be here if I wasn't?” Beast boy chuckled at his own obliviousness. “Besides, this is the perfect opportunity for you to tell me about yourself.”

 

“Alright, I guess now's as good a time as ever right? There's not really a whole lot to tell, but it isn't exactly the happiest story ever either. You ready?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Alright.” He began. “Just so you know, I was born looking normal. I was just another white kid. My parents and I had moved to Africa where they were going to research genetics. While we were there, I got sick with some rare disease that supposedly only animals could survive. My Dad saved me by using some untested machine of his that was supposed to do something with the bond between human and animal DNA. The machine worked and I recovered, but my skin and hair turned green as a side effect. We didn't find out about my ability to morph until a few years later when my Mom was being threatened by some kind of snake. Somehow I managed to change into some animal and scared the snake off. Several years later, we were out on the water in our boat when the engine exploded. I was thrown into the water and my Dad lost sight of my Mom so he searched our boat for her. Before he could even find her the boat exploded again and they were both burned alive. By then I knew how to control my powers so I should've been able to save them. It's my fault they're dead Terra. I should've been able to do something but I was too scared.” Tears began streaming down his face as he recalled the memories. I should've turned into a dolphin or something but I just let them die.” Terra pulled him into a hug to comfort him as he cried.

 

“Shh. Don't blame yourself Beast boy. You couldn't have been expected to just go in and save your parents, you were just a little kid.”

 

“But I had my powers. I knew how to use them and I didn't.”

 

“Little kids aren't expected to be heroes and save people Beast boy. Why do you think they still rely on their parents for everything? Young kids can't be expected to be fearless or brave, that's why they run to their mommies and daddies, for protection. You were too young to make a split second decision like that. Besides, how do you know that you could've even done anything? For all you know you might've gotten killed in the blast too. Trust me when I say that it isn't good to dwell on the past, especially if it's painful.” Beast boy wiped his tears and continued.

 

“That's not all though.” He said weakly. “I was taken in by the chief of the local tribe since he was a friend of my parents, but his witch doctor didn't like us so he hired two men to kill me. When we were in the temple it collapsed and the doctor died but the men kept me alive. They then brought me back to the United States and forced me to commit crimes for them. They eventually killed each other but then the courts made me stay with my parents' attorney. The guy was an evil brute and tried to have me killed. I ran away and joined a circus but the owner hypnotized me and made me steal from his customers. The Titans found out and we fought. After the fight, I recovered from the hypnosis and asked if I could join the Titans since I had nowhere else to go. That's basically the short version of my life. I've felt guilty about surviving my parents my whole life and I've constantly had someone trying to kill me. It's just too much for me to handle. That's why I went as far as I did when you were gone. I just lost control and couldn't stand life anymore.”

 

“Oh Beast boy, you don't have to feel that way. I'm sure that wherever your parents are now, they just want you to be happy and get on with your life. Remember your parents Beast boy, but don't dwell on the bad things, it'll just bring you down and I don't want to see that happen to you.” Terra took Beast boy's hand in hers and smiled at him. “Now I want you to forget all that bad stuff that's happened to you. I want you to forget it and make way for new memories of me and the rest of your friends. Can you do that?”

 

“I…I'll try.”

 

“That's all I ask. Come on, let's go talk with the others.”

 

“But Cy wants me to stay in here remember?”

 

“He can't make you stay in bed all the time, he just wants to be able to keep an eye on you is all. I'm sure he won't mind if you get out of bed for a little bit.”

 

“Alright. I guess I could get up for a little while, I just don't feel like I have a lot of energy.”

 

“That's not surprising. You had some pretty bad injuries and you almost bled to death. Actually, you could've drowned in your own blood too since you had a punctured lung.”

 

“Yeah, I really want to know how close to death I was when I just got done telling you my life story.” Terra giggled.

 

“Come on.” She said, practically dragging him out of bed and out the door. They went to the operations room and sat down on the couch next to Cyborg, who was playing video games. He noticed them sit down and reprimanded Beast boy.

 

“You shouldn't be out of bed. You're still not healed completely.”

 

“She made me.” Beast boy said, pointing an accusing finger at Terra.

 

“You can't expect him to stay in bed all the time can you?” She asked while throwing her hands up defensively. “And it's not like he has the energy to go out and fight or anything like that.”

 

“Yeah, I guess a little time out of bed won't hurt, but don't be doin' anything stupid ya hear?”

 

“Yes mother dear.”

 

“What was that green man? You say you want me make sure you have to stay in that bed for another week? I can arrange that.” Beast boy gulped nervously and Terra laughed. The moment was cut short however when the main screen came to life and a cold and sinister voice could be heard.

 

“Hello Titans. Have you been enjoying your false victory?” All activity in the room froze at that moment as all attention turned to the monitor.

 

“How can you be alive?!” Robin demanded angrily. “Your heart was pierced with that rock, I saw it with my own eyes.”

 

“Let's just say that there's a higher being at work here. One that will keep bringing me back until you get rid of it. In short, if you want to get rid of me, you have to get rid of someone else first.”

 

“Who is it?! Tell me!”

 

“Now Robin, you should know me better than to expect me to divulge information like that.”

 

“Then what are you up to? What are you planning?”

 

“Planning? I'm not planning anything. I merely called to inform you that you won't be getting rid of me so easily. Oh and Raven? I know of your upcoming birthday and I hope you're excited about it, because when it comes, I have a message for you that I'm sure you and your friends will greatly enjoy. Until next we meet, farewell Titans. Slade's image disappeared and the monitor shut itself off. Cyborg was the first to speak after an awkward moment of silence.

 

“Man, sometimes I wonder if that guy is even capable of dying. He's worse than a roach.” Beast boy ground his teeth in anger.

 

“What's it gonna take to bring him down?!”

 

“I don't know.” Robin admitted. “But we will bring him down. No matter what.”

 

“I don't know about y'all, but I'm headin' for bed.” Cyborg said tiredly as he shut down his gamestation.

 

“Good idea.” Robin said with a yawn.

 

“I believe that I too shall head for the bed of sleeping. Good night friends.”

 

“Goodnight.” Came the unanimous reply. The lights shut down as Cyborg activated lockdown and left the room. The others were quick to follow, leaving Beast boy and Terra who were staring out at the stars. Terra stole a glance at Beast boy and saw that he looked distracted. She knew what he was thinking and tried to comfort him.

 

“Don't worry, no matter what Slade is up to, we'll stop him.” She gasped when she saw how pale he was.

 

“I don't know Terra.” He said. “Something tells me that things are about to get bad, real bad and it scares me. Whatever is going on is bigger than just Slade, a lot bigger. I get the feeling that whatever caused Slade to come back isn't just going to threaten the city, but the very Earth itself.” Beast boy was visibly shaking so Terra hurried over to him and pulled him into an embrace. She pulled away after a moment and placed her lips on his. The kiss lasted for several seconds and they pulled away so they could breathe.

 

“Is this something that's just started bothering you?” He shook his head.

 

“No. It's been bugging me ever since Slade revealed his powers to me. Something just isn't right. I don't know what, but it isn't good whatever it is.”

 

“Come on, we'd better get some sleep. Just forget about Slade and all that. Whatever he's up to, whatever happens, we'll deal with it when it comes.”

 

“Yeah, I guess you're right.” They both turned and headed out of the room. However, Beast boy stopped in the doorway and took one last look out the windows. For a second, the sky burned a deep crimson. Beast boy blinked but it was gone when he opened his eyes again. He shivered and left the room. Had he stayed, he would've heard the faintest whisper of a familiar yet hated voice fill the room.

 

“Rest well Titans, and know that this is the beginning…of the end.” A crimson S flared into existence on the main monitor and did not fade.

 

Well, that's the conclusion of this story. I know that the ending was left open but I did that for a reason. Ending the story like that will leave the imagination to wander the possibilities of what could go different in Birthmark with Terra around. Obviously, some curious Titans are going to ask Raven about her birthday and she's not going to tell, leading to Beast boy's snooping around in her file.