Retirement - Chapter 1: The Aftermath
Jump City had managed to find peace after the shock that occurred after what people now dub: 'The Beast Incident'.
The Titans had managed to calm the city and assure them that the problem was solved, that Beast was gone, that the two Beasts were cured.
However, that very night Raven found Beast Boy outside on his own looking very upset.
"He was the one that hurt you right, not me?" He had asked her as she approached.
She answered while rubbing her sore shoulder, "He broke into the tower to attack you, and ended up attacking me too."
Beast Boy told her that despite the cure he had received, Beast wasn't gone, he was still there, waiting to be let loose again.
She gave him a wise as always statement, "Having that thing inside you doesn't make you an animal, knowing when to let it out is what makes you a man."
This pleasant memory was soon fading and replaced by nightmarish visions, they soon evolved into twisted 'memories'.
Horrific variations that consisted of Beast taking over and killing everyone Garfield cared about, starting with his own parents, the nightmares were relentless since the Beast Incident, as if this personification of his rage and instincts were taunting him, torturing him, haunting him.
Flashes of blood and gory destruction, whispers that sounded so real and close, and sadistic laughter that belittled the green teen, he heard his abusive uncle's voice, "Garfield, wake up you freakā¦" The nightmares were always in first person, never seeing anything but the bloody claws, but now he looked in the mirror and woke with a scream.
(-)
Still shaking with fear, and reluctantly staring at his hands to check if the claws were bloody or not, checking to see if it were really a nightmare, he felt relief as he saw that his claws were still clean - he hadn't stopped shaking however.
It had been like this every night since the incident, each nightmare becoming progressively worse, he not only feared for his own sanity but for those around him, and being the selfless person he was, he would always put others before himself, and that meant keeping them safe, no matter what the cost, right now he was the danger as he saw it.
He had been thinking this over for a while now, at first believing that the nightmares were temporary, that they would soon disappear, he had been wrong, they only got worse.
It was becoming very clear that they may never leave him alone, may never stop.
Beast wanted out, and he was making it very hard to refuse, striking where it hurt most to gain satisfaction; satisfaction to drive the changeling into insanity if need be, as long as he was freed.
In his moment of thought he hadn't noticed the tears flowing from his face the whole time, all the other times he would just wipe them away as quick as he could, but not this time.
This time he let them flow.
Because this time.
He had a reason to cry.
Because.
He had to say good bye.
