Disclaimer: I own no part of Teen Titans whatsoever.
A/N: I'm going to go ahead and give you a fair warning that it gets a little dark at the end. Don't like dark? Then please find yourself a classy lantern and dismiss yourself before you get too far into the story. Oh, and there's some BBxRae within. Again, don't like then don't read. This is just a little one-shot I thought of last night while I was at work. I hope you enjoy it.
Just another Day
I keep having these dreams…
Beast Boy slowly opened his eyes to the cluttered bedroom alight with the streaming sunlight coming through the uncovered window. He sat up and scratched behind his ear tiredly. "Time to get going for another day, I guess…" The teen yawned out, but moments after he looked around himself and grinned.
In a flash, he rolled off of the top bunk and landed amongst several empty cans, pizza boxes, and piles of discarded articles of clothing in the form of a green house cat. Beast Boy stretched his spine before quickly padding over to the floor length mirror leaning against the far wall. He morphed back into his original form and sat in a crouch peering at his reflection.
'Man, my hairs gettin' a little long… I'll just have Star cut it after breakfast. Well, after I totally kick Cy's ass in Space Racer!' Smirking to himself, Beast Boy struck a few heroic poses in the mirror. "Dude, today is gonna be awesome! I can just feel it!" The enthusiastic teen ran towards the door, shifted into an emerald green cheetah right as he passed the through the open doorway, and sprinted the rest of the way down the hall to the main ops room.
As soon as he burst from the corridor, Beast Boy changed his form once again and plopped onto one of the bar stools – that ever present grin still gleaming.
"Mornin' everybody! What's for breakfast?" He crowed.
Robin and Starfire looked up from the crossword puzzle they had been steadily working away at since the early mornings. With a smirk in his voice, Robin spoke up, "Uhm, Beast Boy, its way past noon. Breakfast is over."
"Yes, friend, you slept quite late again." Starfire placed a hand over her mouth to muffle the giggles that bubbled forth.
Instantly, Beast Boy's shoulders sagged and a pout marred his green features. "Aw, man… I was really wanting to make some tofu waffles, too…"
"Man, ain't nobody want some of that nasty-ass tofu stuff!" Cyborg yelled from the couch where he furiously tapped at the game controller in his hand.
A vein pulsed in the green teen's forehead. "I never said you had to eat any of it!" He turned away and crossed his arms. "'Sides, who said I was gonna make tofu waffles for you, anyway?" Robin rolled his eyes and went back to the task at hand.
Cyborg waved a hand at Beast Boy nonchalantly, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. You can have that sorry excuse for meat for dinner! Now, shut up and come over here so I can kick your grass-stained arse at Space Racer!" Almost as soon as his irritation had blossomed, it diminished and he sped across the floor to join his best friend on the couch.
"Ha! There's no way your tin-can is beating me today! I've been training!" The smaller teen grinned and picked up another controller. Barely a moment later and the two were button-smashing like their lives depended on it.
"How do you even train for something as pointless as video games? All it is is pressing buttons…" Raven muttered from behind her newest read.
Beast Boy tore his eyes from the screen to look over at the empath which brought up a swelling sensation in his chest. "Oh, contraire madam-wa… madam-oi…madam Raven! Gaming involves intense concentration, hand-eye coordination, and extremely quick cat-like reflexes-"
"Booyah! Beat ya again, grass stain!" Cyborg leapt from the couch and punched the air.
"Wha~!?" Beast Boy whipped toward the screen blaring 'CYBORG WINS!' in bright blue lettering. "Aw, man! No fair! I was busy explaining everything that goes into gaming!"
Raven snickered and let a small smirk appear. "What was that about intense concentration?"
The green teen sat back and pouted while he mumbled about 'cheating robots' as Cyborg demonstrated his victory dance.
"Who's the man!? Cy's the man!" He yelled out to the room.
"Hey, 'Cy the man', he's starting a new game without you."
"Aw~, Rae! Why'd you have to tell him!?"
"Hey! That's cheating!" Cyborg dove back to the couch and snatched the controller to try to catch up to the already speeding ahead green spaceship.
The two teens went back to their gaming and shouting without missing a beat.
A grin kept itself firmly planted on Beast Boy's face the whole time.
In those dreams, I'm surrounded by those I love…
"Dude! I almost had it that time, too!" The teen whined and collapsed once again onto the couch.
Robin, who had finished the paper's crossword puzzle with his girlfriend and was now leaning against the back of the couch, laughed and shook his head. "That's the seventeenth time he's wiped the floor with you, Beast Boy. Might as well give it a rest."
Beast Boy shot up and pointed at the leader of the group. "No way! I'm gonna beat him! You just wait! I'll-"
At that moment, red lights flashed with klaxons sounding throughout the building.
Quickly, Robin leapt over the couch to the main computer system to pull up the alert. Once he pulled up the file, a blown up picture of Plasmus filled the screen.
A collective groan carried through the air.
"Again!?" Beast Boy flailed his arms in exasperation. "How do all these guys keep breaking out of jail!?"
"I'll check with Jump Penitentiary's security afterwards. In the meantime, let's take him down quick. The sooner he's knocked out, the sooner we can come home and finish watching that movie from last night."
Raven groaned in agitation. "That sappy romantic one? Come on, that movie is so cheesy…" She muttered.
Cyborg huffed with indignation. "Hey! I picked that one out!" When he realized his confession, a blush covered the right side of his face and he quickly made to cover the slip. "Ah, well, w-with Star's help, I mean!"
Starfire tilted her head to the side in confusion. "But, Cyborg, I did not assist in-"
"Oh, would ya look at the time? Titans, go!" The older teen grabbed the floating redhead and sprinted to the garage.
"Don't grab my girlfriend like that! And that's my line, damn it!" Robin grit his teeth and chased after them. "Titans, go!"
Beast Boy slowly turned to the last remaining Titan besides himself. "Guess that's our cue, huh?" He chuckled slightly and made to rub the back of his neck nervously. Raven shook her head, pulled her hood up, and began to phase through the floor with one last, "Bunch of idiots…"
Shrugging, the final teen morphed into a cheetah once again to follow everyone else to the location of distress.
Plasmus roared and flung car after car at the evading Titans. What was presumed to be a quick an easy fight was soon turning into something a lot more time consuming and difficult. It was almost as if the mass embodiment of goo had grown immune to their attacks. This, considering how often they'd fought, wouldn't be all too surprising.
"Dude~, this isn't working! Rae, can't you just do that dark-glowy-magicy-thing again?" Beast Boy yelled at the girl crouched down behind a car two cars down from his own make-shift protective fort.
She rolled her eyes and held up a hand. "Number one," She ticked off one finger, "That takes an immense amount of energy. Too much for just a simple fight, and two," then ticked off another, "Dark-glowy-magicy-thing? Really?"
Beast Boy sputtered as he tried to make a response when Starfire's voice rang out over the street.
"Beast Boy! Look out!" He spun around to see a white sedan flying in the air right towards him.
'Oh, shit!' His mind began to race in panic and he scrambled backwards to get out of the vehicles path, but it seemed to be getting closer and closer.
Letting out a squeal when it looked like the sedan was right on top of him, Beast Boy morphed into turtle and shrank back into his shell in terror.
A dull crunching noise sounded above the quivering turtle. Shakily, the green turtle stretched its neck out and looked up to see a large shield of dark energy hovering a good twenty feet over him.
"Beast Boy," Raven ground out, "Move, you idiot."
Without another word, Beast Boy morphed back to his human form and ran to the empath's side. The mass of dark energy dissolved letting the car drop to the concrete loudly.
"Dude, that was close…" Beast Boy breathed and grabbed at his hair. "My beautiful body was almost crushed!"
Once again, Raven rolled her eyes, but then she sat back in a lotus position and closed her eyes as though she was to meditate. "Right. Stay behind the car. This is getting really annoying and more than likely I'm going to have to save your sorry butt again if we keep this fight going."
"Huh, why? What're ya doing?"
"I'm using my soul-self."
"Your what?"
Raven sighed pressed her fingers against her temples to try and alleviate the pressure of the headache that had started to form. "The dark-glowy-magicy-thing."
Beast Boy nodded in understanding. "Oh~, okay."
Shaking her head, Raven took a deep breath before repeating her infamous mantra.
A dark shadow-like form of Raven sprung forth and flew through the air straight into the chest of Plasmus. He gave a gurgled snarl right as purple goo splattered in every direction covering everything in its path leaving a scrawny man fast asleep in a pile of slime.
When her soul-self returned, Raven stood up wiping the mess from her face and shoulders. "Can we go home now? I really need a shower."
Beast Boy shot up next to her and shook the goo from his hair. "Yeah guys let's go! We can order a pizza when we get back!" Robin moved out from behind the car followed by Starfire and Cyborg.
"Yeah, sounds good to me." The masked leader walked over to the youngest Titan and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "It's a good thing Raven had your back, Beast Boy. We're all glad you're safe."
Raven blew a stray hair out of her face and mumbled, "Speak for yourself."
"Aw, Rae, you don't mean that!" Beast Boy grinned and slung an arm around her shoulder. "You know you love me! You wouldn't be able to last a day without me!"
The girl's face grew slightly red, but she willed it away and shrugged his arm off. "Oh, yes, how would I ever go on without your constant string of hysterical jokes?"
He pursed his lips and pointed an accusing finger at her. "You're being sarcastic again, aren't you, Raven?"
"What was your first clue?" Cyborg laughed and grabbed the two in a tight grip.
"Alright, you two, we're all glad grass-stain's safe and sound, so let's just head on back and order some pizza. I'm wiped out!"
Starfire nodded enthusiastically. "I agree! I am also most eager to finish the movie I helped friend Cyborg choose." She followed her declaration with an over-dramatized wink to her cybernetic friend, to which he promptly buried his face into the palm of his hand.
"Ya know, Star… We should really work on your subtlety…" He muttered.
Robin laughed and started to walk towards the T-car. "Okay, Titans! Let's head home!"
Shortly after, Cyborg walked towards his baby while re-explaining the principles of non-verbal communication.
Raven started forward, but paused and called over her shoulder. "You coming?"
Beast Boy grinned and nodded. "Yeah, I'll be right there!" He turned to look back at the crushed heap of metal and his grin toned down to a smaller smile.
'Yeah, Robin, I'm glad she had my back, too…'
He spun around and raced over to the T-car ready to head home.
I know that, in those dreams, I'm safe…
Hours later after finishing up multiple pizzas, watching the rest of that movie that Cyborg didn't pick out by himself, followed by a double feature of Wicked Scary and Wicked Scary 2, the Titans were ready to retire for the night.
Beast Boy was heading to his room when he caught sight of Raven walking to her door about to go into her room so he sped up to a quick jog to catch her before she'd left the hall. "Hey, Rae!"
She turned to him and shook her head. "You know, you've been calling me that an awful lot lately. Stop it. My name's Raven. I didn't think it was that difficult of a name, really." The younger teen stopped in front of her and scratched at the back of his neck.
"Heh, sorry, Rae- eh, Raven!" Beast Boy grinned somewhat sheepishly.
Raven leaned against the wall with a look of boredom. "Was there something you wanted? No offense, but I'm exhausted, and I…"
"Oh!" He straightened up and scratched the back of his neck again. "I, uhm, I wanted to thank you for earlier and everything! I would've been toast if you hadn't been there. So, uh, thanks, heh heh…" Beast Boy looked off to the side while he rocked on his heels slightly; heat slowly blooming across his cheeks.
Raven's eyes widened a bit and a matching blush took residence on the girl's features. "Oh, you're," She cleared her throat and looked towards the floor, "You're welcome. It's no problem. Just doing my job as a Titan…" The blush started to grow and Beast Boy definitely didn't miss it.
'Some other time. I'll get her for it another day.'
"Well, still, thanks." The teen grinned and headed towards his own room. "I'll let you go to bed now. Goodnight, see ya in the mornin', Rae!" He stopped in his tracks and winced – ready for her to snap at him about getting her name right again.
"Beast Boy," She started to correct him, but at the last second she changed her mind. "I… I am glad you're safe. Goodnight." And without another word, Raven ducked into her room leaving Beast Boy to stand in the hallway with that constant grin never leaving his face.
When I have these dreams, I end up feeling so…happy…
Beast Boy collapsed onto his bed and smiled up at the ceiling.
'Definitely an awesome day.' He turned on his side and took one last look at his room before letting his eyes slide shut – finally drifting off to sleep.
Unfortunately.
That's when I have to wake up.
"Mr. Logan." There's a quiet knock at the door and I turn away from the white wall to stare at the metal door waiting for it to open. Sure enough, not two seconds later, I hear the rhythmic beeping of the nurse tapping in the password on the lock and the door swings open.
Nurse Swill steps in carrying her clipboard with two tall men dressed in white scrubs follow her in. All three of them have those fake smiles that never leave their faces. I wish I could smile like that.
"Tests again?" I rasp out. My throats still raw from yesterday's tests.
Almost instantly, Nurse Swill's smile drops, replaced by some contorted look of pain and pity. "I'm afraid so."
I nod, completely used to this routine, and stand to follow the nurse to the lab.
"Let's get this over with."
We walk down the clean hallways crowded with doctors and patients and I say 'hi' every now and then, but mostly I just stay silent.
"Did you sleep alright?" The nurse asks me trying to make something of a distraction as we walk to the testing lab. I nod yet again. I don't want to speak that much. It kind of stings.
"What about dreams? Did you have any?" She tries again. I tense and look off to the side. On accident, I end up looking into the reflective glass doors leading into the rec room and I stop.
In the room I see them: Richard, Victor, Kori, and Rachel.
They're sitting in different places all over the room keeping to themselves mostly, and I can't help but wish I could change all of this.
Hell, I wish I could have stopped everything. My heart breaks when I think of Richard sitting silently listening to Kori, who keeps moving her hair to cover the burn mark stretching across from her jaw to the bridge of her nose to her temple that oddly resembles a star, read to him, and when I see Vic in that godforsaken chair just staring off into space and flinching every now and then as flashes of his car wreck, I'm sure, replay in his head.
But, then I turn and look at Rachel and I swear my stomach drops. I want so much just to be able to talk to her and for her to talk back. I've never heard her voice before, and I'm sure it's the same as mine: faint, scratchy, and constantly breaking, but I'd give anything to hear it. I think of the notes we've passed and bile rises in my throat as I think of what brought her here.
Finally, my gaze focuses on the reflection in the glass of the doors. It's my face that I'm looking at and it's nothing like those dreams. There's no green skin, no green hair, no fangs. Instead there's shaggy, dull blonde hair, pale and sick looking skin, and bloodshot eyes.
That's when it comes flooding back and it takes all I have not to throw up last night's dinner.
I am Garfield Mark Logan. I'm sixteen years old and schizophrenic. My parents were murdered when I was seven by rival scientists that worked with them in Jump City Labs and over the years my paranoia has grown to substantial levels. And with clinical lycanthropy there's no reason for me to be released from this hell hole where I'm put through tests that are meant to heal, but really, I think it just makes it worse.
I am Garfield Mark Logan and every night I dream that I am a Teen Titan and I save people from this kind of shit.
"…gan? Mr. Logan, is everything alright?" I blink and it's gone. The memories that I've created in my head. The dreams. It's just me, the nurse and her cronies.
That's when I realized I haven't answered her question. Like always, I shake my head. "I didn't dream."
She nodded and continued on down the hall. I trailed behind slowly dreading what was to come.
We entered the testing lab and on shaky legs I walked to the cold metal table. Nurse Swill leaves to fetch the doctor. I lay down and let the two men strap my wrists and ankles with the worn leather to the table. I bite my lip when I see the doctor walk in with the nurse close behind. I can feel the crease of my elbow start to throb in anticipation. You would think that after years of testing, I'd be used to this.
The doctor moves to my side with that same fake smile that everyone has – why can't I smile like that again? And he touches my shoulder lightly.
"How are we doing today, Mr. Logan?"
I stay silent, but he nods thoughtfully like I've given him the most intriguing response to such a simple question. Suddenly, I'm filled with this burning anger and I want to get away from this. Away from this cold metal table and go back to those dreams with Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy.
"Well, it'll be over soon, Mr. Logan. Just relax."
I feel the tip of the needle press into the inside of my elbow and I want to pull away, but I know better. The first and last time I got that bright idea, I was placed in the isolation cell for 'bad behavior'.
The needle breaks the skin and I can feel the burning sensation of the medication and it throbs everywhere. The burning just gets worse and it doesn't take much before the first scream leaves my throat. Then another, and another and before long all that's coming out are screams. Involuntarily, my limbs thrash to try and stop the burning.
I keep having these dreams...
My upper body lifts from the table and the two men have to grab my shoulders to keep me down. Another scream tears from my throat, but it's different.
"Stop! Please!" The burning intensifies and flashes of a huge T-shaped tower, smiling faces, and cheesy awful romance movies race like bolts of lightning through my head.
A sob this time instead of a scream spills forth. After that first one, they just follow out in a string of incoherent sobbing.
Beast Boy never experiences this kind of pain and I can't help but feel jealous of him as the burning begins to fade leaving harsh numbness in its wake. The sobs start to quiet and suddenly I am so tired. I'm so exhausted, but, God, I don't want to sleep. If I sleep I'll have those dreams that I've come to love and hate. I'll have those dreams of a false world that I've made in my mind to block out the fact that in a matter of hours, it'll be just another day of the same old things.
But that's all they'll ever be.
Well. I think that's quite enough. I'm sorry if it started to drag for you, or if it was confusing. Or if you didn't like it. Or if this somehow possibly offended you. That's all there is to it I suppose. It's late so… Thank you for reading!
Slightly Unkempt