Cause and Effect
Chapter 1: Through the Looking Glass
There she was, as he remembered her. Happy. Home. Beast Boy sighed at the picture in his hands, a picture of a young blonde girl with the other Titans.
Terra. How long had it been since she had sacrificed herself to save the city? Beast Boy couldn't remember; but every once in a while he took a good, long look at that picture from her birthday party. He never wanted to forget, despite the pain it brought to his heart. A Teen Titan and True Friend, indeed.
Beast boy was suddenly jarred from his melancholy thoughts by the alarm klaxon blaring in the tower. With one last look at the picture, Beast Boy carefully placed it away then ran out to meet the other Titans in front of the large screen.
"Titans, trouble," Robin stated, adjusting some of the controls on the console, "Looks like someone new this time around." The screen focused on a wild-haired older man in a lab coat as he held up a bank with a strange looking gun.
"Dude, is that from K-Mart or something?" Beast Boy inquired, motioning to the weapon, "It looks like some cheap toy!"
"It's no toy," Robin replied grimly, typing at the keyboard to show an earlier video of the man zapping some resisting pedestrian with the same gun. In a flash of light, the pedestrian disappeared. "This was taken last week. Fortunately, the person came back an hour after this happened, but with no memory as to where he was."
"Neat trick," Raven stated flatly.
"So, what are we waiting for?" Cyborg exclaimed enthusiastically, "Let's go out there and shut him down!"
"I'd feel better about this if we could get more information on what that gun does," Robin replied with a faint frown, "But you're right, we have to stop him. Titans, Go!"
"Thank you, my dear," the older crook graciously said to the young bank receptionist as she handed over the last of the money, "You've been most helpful. Take solace in the fact that this wealth will help advance the cause of science. Now I'm afraid I must be going."
"The only place you'll be going is jail!" The man whirled around, coming face to face with the Teen Titans. A smile twitched on his wizened features before he let out a quiet chuckle.
"Ahh, the Teen Titans. I wondered when you might take an interest into my funding activities," the man replied, leveling his gun, "Understand that I bear you no malice, but I certainly can't have you well-meaning but disillusioned youngsters meddling with the advancement of society. So sorry."
"Who are you?" Raven asked in her customary monotone.
"So kind of you to ask, my dear," the man stated in reply, smiling graciously before bowing, "You may call me... Doctor Dimension. It has a nice ring to it, I think." He paused, "I don't suppose there's a chance you all will let me go, is there? Considering that I have the drop on you and everything."
"Titans, go!"
In an instant, the teenaged superheros broke formation and raced after the good Doctor who gave a cry if surprise before deftly ducking behind a desk in a manner much better suited to someone years younger. "I suppose not." With that, the Doctor began firing randomly, streaks of yellow light bounding from his gun as he purposely made his way towards the exit. Fortunately, Raven was able to shield most of the innocent spectators from the ravages of the device, though it did keep the others pinned down inside the bank.
"Going somewhere, 'Doctor Dimension'?" Robin asked with a smirk, blocking the older gent's way.
"Yes. Ta-ta!" With that, the man smiled and pointed the gun at himself. But before he could pull the trigger, he found himself knocked to the ground, wrestling with a green organ grinder's monkey for the weapon. "Bah! Get this monkey off my back!" The situation was quite comical. Even Robin couldn't help but let out a snicker; someone definitely had much to learn about super villainy.
But then something happened which caused all the laughter to stop abruptly. Beast Boy succeeded in wresting the gun away from Doctor Dimension, the device clattering to the floor. It then began to beep with increasing urgency as electricity arced over the surface.
"Beast Boy!" Robin called out, running towards the other Titan. But it was too late. In a flash of light, the gun discharged, sending a yellow bolt of energy right at the green Titan. He screamed, turning back into his humanoid form and watched the world seem to swirl around him as the lights faded and a cascade of black took over his mind.
Beast Boy floated in a void for what seemed like an eternity before he heard a distant, yet familiar voice calling his name. Slowly his eyes cracked open to reveal an out-of-focus environment, shadowed by various figures around him. As the area came more into focus, Beast Boy recognized it as the Titan Tower infirmary. A faint smile came to Beast Boy's lips as the figures grew more distinct; they were the other Titans keeping a bedside vigil over him. But then his eyes grew wide with shock and his heart nearly stopped as he saw one Titan in particular.
"Hey, he's coming to!" said the blonde girl, worry in her features giving way to relief, "Looks like Doctor Dimension didn't do that much damage, after all."
"... T-Terra?"