A/N: Should I really be starting up something new when I have GB to worry about? The answer is yes. This won't be long, and unlike GB, I have all the details hammered out. Anyways, this story won the popular vote, so have at it.

Hellfire

1. Lesson of Changing

There were a lot of very curious kids on the airplane. They stared at him, unabashed, until one of their guardians stepped in to reprimand the behaviour. Even then, they'd sneak wide eyed looks whenever the elders were too distracted to notice. It wasn't like he minded. How could he blame them? He'd spent a good portion of his own childhood, and some of his adolescence, staring at his own reflection, trying to come to terms with the green skinned boy looking back. Besides, after a couple of years in isolation, far away from civilization, he was starting to feel nostalgic now that he was back in the company of people.

So, instead of being annoyed with their intrusive stares, Beast Boy winked playfully at the kids, mostly because he was not able to morph on the plane as easily as he would have liked. He'd have turned into a fluffy green puppy or kitten if it were possible, because that always worked well with the youngest crowd. Sometimes, he'd even change into a chimp and have a silly fit to crack a laugh from small children that were otherwise frightened of his unusual appearance.

Once the stewardess had politely asked for an autograph dedicated to her niece, she'd also shyly reminded him that policies and procedures in place required him to stay in human form, as well as in his seat for the duration of the takeoff and landing. Unless, of course, there was an emergency. In that event, he would be given free will to do whatever was needed to save as many people as he could. Beast Boy had replied with a warm, earnest smile, graciously accepting her terms with a nod of understanding despite her obvious discomfort in having to relay to him the mandatory protocols. It was all perfectly fine with him, much to her relief; he'd spent a large chunk of his time recently as anything but human, so he was grateful for the minor reprieve he was granted now that he was back amongst humankind. Most animals in the wild did not take too kindly to anything remotely resembling man.

After she'd walked away to attend to the other passengers, Garfield buckled himself into his seat, and briefly acknowledged the gentleman next to him.

"I don't like flying," the terrified man, who would be in his company for the duration of the long flight, had nervously confessed to him.

He appeared to be middle-aged, wearing a simple gold band around his left index finger while seemingly fidgeting in his seat at every turn. His skin looked pale and clammy, and he could not keep his hands still despite his best efforts.

Once he'd gotten Beast Boy's attention, he forced a smile. "But I have to admit; it makes me feel a little bit less anxious knowing you're on board," he added in a breathy whisper as he'd leaned in towards the concerned changeling.

Although his blue eyes still darted about frantically, he spared Beast Boy an easy expression to reinforce the notion that he would be fine, and not to fret over his phobia. It was just a case of the jitters, and it would only pass.

"Glad I can be of some help," Garfield replied sincerely, unsure of what more he could do to aid him any further.

Even in the company of strangers, Beast Boy felt right at home. It had been so long since he'd held any sort of conversation with an actual person, and as much as he hated to admit it, he was somewhat of a social butterfly; he genuinely enjoyed people. Despite all of their flaws and faults, he loved them, and that was why he was finally going home. He was at long last returning to his real place of belonging, to the family that he'd left behind.

Sure, he was nervous, scared even. He didn't know what to expect. So much time had passed since he'd packed up and left, and by now, surely things had changed. They always did.

He thought about them all; about Robin, Starfire, Raven, Cyborg. What had time done to them? Had it been kind? Had it been cruel? Would he be walking back into a broken home? How much would he have to fix? How many bridges had he burned by his impromptu decision? When he'd just about left, Robin and Starfire had finally confessed to their true feelings, Raven had opened up to her fellow teammates and friends, Terra had both moved on and forgotten about them, and Cyborg had felt like he was permanently losing a limb when he'd discovered that his favourite Titan was departing his company for an unforeseeable amount of time. Not to mention, Titans East had finally come together as a fully functional team, and were making quick progress as a force to be reckoned with.

All in all, it was on good terms that he'd decided to leave, despite the few, minor tiffs he'd had with Robin every now and again.

Not wanting to linger on those thoughts for more than he had to, Beast Boy figured he'd distract himself from his own nagging worries by engaging the man he'd be seated next to for the remainder of the flight, in casual conversation.

He learned that his name was Dylan, that he'd been forced to fly overseas for work, and that he'd been happily married for nine years now to a beautiful woman named Sylvia. They had two gorgeous children that he gladly showed off pictures of from his phone, and ever since he'd had his firstborn, he'd developed a terrifying fear of flying. Garfield could soon deduce that Dylan was simply scared of leaving behind his family. He couldn't bare the thought of never getting to see them one last time, or telling them that he loved them, before falling to his untimely death in what he would deem a terrifying, bloody explosion.

In exchange for tidbits on Dylan's somewhat more normal life, Beast Boy gladly offered to answer all of his questions, sparing nothing, not even the most awkward, personal ones.

No, it didn't hurt when he morphed. Yes, he was green everywhere. Yes, those were certainly fangs. Yes, that was his natural hair colour now, but he used to be blonde when he'd been purely human. No, he didn't have the greatest luck on the dating scene, despite being part of a superhero team. No, he never got to personally work with Batman or the Justice League, although they'd come close a few times. No, he didn't have any plans to rejoin the Doom Patrol anytime soon, although he did make sure to visit every now and again, especially on holidays.

All of those had been easy responses for Beast Boy; nothing he wasn't already used to. It was what came next that effectively left him tongue tied and uncertain.

"What were you doing all the way in the Congo?" Dylan queried once they'd both grown perfectly comfortable in one another's company.

Beast Boy visibly stiffened, somewhat taken aback by the question despite it's logical appearance. He wasn't entirely sure how to answer his new friend, even though it was an entirely harmless topic of conversation.

"Revisiting old roots, I guess you can say," he explained meekly, shrugging his shoulders.

Cyborg always did say that Garfield loved to talk; it was when he was short in his answers that it became obvious he was hiding something.

Dylan seemed to pick up on the shift in Beast Boy's mood almost as easily as Raven might have, were she in the plane with them. "I'm sorry if that was intrusive," he apologized, nervously picking at the buttons on his twill jacket, "I had just assumed it might have been for some sort of super hero work. My kids love the Titans; they'll be excited to hear these stories when I get back."

Beast Boy shook his head, soft tendrils of wavy, green hair turning almost wisp-like about his face. "It's totally fine," he explained kindly, "I grew up there, and its sort of where all this happened." He indicated himself, gesturing at his own green, lanky but lean form. It was the best he could do without delving too deeply into painful memories.

Dylan nodded. "Right, right. That one deadly virus, was it?"

Beast Boy postulated, "Well, the virus didn't necessarily turn me green on its own. My parents' serum, derived from the genetics of the Green Monkey, did that. It also gave me my powers." He grinned toothily, taking some pride in all he'd accomplished; "An unprecedented side effect, as I'm sure you can imagine."

Dylan gave him a sympathetic look then. "I can only guess what must have gone through your mother and father's minds having to see their child endure something so frightening like that," he commented grimly, obviously thinking of his own offspring being in a similar scenario.

Beast Boy merely shrugged off the implications of his airplane buddy's statement, because it was far easier than lingering on his own guilt. "In the end, I guess it paid off," he lied through his teeth.

It may not have been the most moral answer, but at least it was the more painless one.

"Yeah, I suppose it did," Dylan replied, turning in his seat, and readjusting his rimless glasses over the bridge of his nose.

From there on, it was smooth sailing the rest of the way. Occasionally, the turbulence would give Dylan pause, and a shadow of fear would creep over his humble features, but even that would disappear once Beast Boy talked about how awful the airplane's vegetarian options were. It became increasingly obvious that his small talk helped to alleviate some of the older man's worst worries.

Eventually, Beast Boy had even managed to engage some of the kids around them in story time once they'd grown bold enough to approach the currently decommissioned hero. He told them of their fearless leader, who was only human but had accomplished way more than any hero could dare to dream of. He told them of a beautiful alien princess who could lift the heaviest trucks over her head without any effort at all. He told them of a fearless man and machine hybrid that he considered his best friend. He even spoke of an all-powerful empath who had stopped an impending apocalypse primarily on her own.

They were fascinated with him and all the other Titans. Even some of the adults had tuned in to his tales of bravery, good versus evil, and fighting against all odds. Everyone wanted to know more about the heroes of Jump City and their many adventures.

Watching the way their faces lit up in wonder as their imaginations ran wild with visions of his teammates, tugged at Garfield's heart strings. It made him miss them even more, like a sore spot in his very soul, buried within the marrow of his bones, which ached at the mere mention of the second family that had raised him. He was filled with a mix of both apprehension and anxiety, scared and excited to finally be reuniting with them again.

By the time the plane had landed safely, he'd received a round of applause from his audience, and a few of the kids ran up to give him a quick hug, and maybe touch the tips of his pointy ears in the process. He'd wiggle them and make the children giggle before they ran off to join their parents as they all happily departed the stationary vehicle. He could still hear them retelling his stories to the adults with a newfound fervor, as if they hadn't been there to hear him tell it themselves. Beast Boy chuckled lightly to himself as he sidled out of the way for his companion to stand up and grab his bags.

Dylan shook Beast Boy's hand firmly before deciding to just pull him into a fierce embrace instead. "Thank you for everything," he whispered into his ear. "The best of luck to you and your team."

"Just doing my job, sir." Garfield saluted him jokingly, and then they both went their separate ways.

Years away from the very thing he'd spent his entire life doing had refreshed his perspective on his work. Feeling satisfied and ready for any of the oncoming battles that awaited him, Beast Boy gathered his meager carry-on bag from the storage unit above his seat, and made his way down the aisle towards the exit, where the flight attendants remained. He'd been courteous enough to allow everyone else to leave before him, so he was very well the last person to get off. He bid the three ladies farewell and adjusted the canvas bag's single strap over his shoulder, not truly knowing what to expect in the waiting area of the airport.

The place was bustling with activity, and for a moment, Beast Boy thought he was lost. He never did like airports. They were huge, super confusing, and always crowded. He may also have had an irrational fear of boarding the wrong plane, or missing his flight. Not to mention, he'd spent so much time among the simplicity of nature that the many scents and noises were like a sensory overload for his unaccustomed instincts. It was giving him a headache, and he just wanted to leave. He scanned the area around him for a familiar face while trying to steer clear of anyone's way. He was shoved around quite a bit until he'd moved to a part of the building that wasn't as congested.

He saw him then, a unique, friendly face he could pick out of a crowd as easily as anyone else could have. With one cybernetic eye and a human one, Cyborg tended to stand out just as much as Garfield did. The other Titan was waving him down with a robotic arm excitedly, wearing a grin as wide as the changeling had always remembered him having. Overcome with a swell of emotion at his best friend's appearance, Beast Boy rushed towards him, his face erupting into a genuine, giddy smile. He pushed past the people in his path as politely as he could before he found himself standing before his old teammate.

"Beastie!" Cyborg cried out, opening his mechanical arms in preparation for an embrace.

"Cy!" Beast Boy gushed, headbutting him into a tight hug that nearly knocked the two-hundred-pound man over. Garfield relished in the feel of the cold metal against his cheek, as familiar to him as the scent of freshly oiled parts.

"It's good to see you again, buddy old pal!" Cyborg stepped back and took in the green changeling's appearance like he was seeing him for the very first time.

His eyes scanned him up and down before landing on his face. "Dang, you've been doin' some serious growing, grass stain!"

Beast Boy shuffled his feet bashfully. "Yeah, I hit a tiny growth spurt," he confessed.

Cyborg waved him off. "Not that tiny. Can't exactly call you string bean anymore, that's for sure. You considered a name change? I don't think the 'Boy' in Beast Boy fits you right, either."

Garfield felt his face grow hot at his friend's keen observation, and scratched at the back of his head in response. "Yeah, well, years of living in the wilderness sort of does that for you. As for a name change, I can't say I've put any real thought to it. Animals don't really communicate quite like humans do."

Cyborg smirked. "You look good, B," he stated simply with an appraising look.

"Heh, thanks," Garfield replied awkwardly, flustered.

He wasn't exactly used to compliments, especially when it concerned his appearance, so he couldn't quite understand how to take them.

So far, things on his first day back to the human world had been going really well, and it was leaving Beast Boy feeling awfully good about himself. However, that feeling was quick to dissipate when he'd gradually come to realize that Cyborg had come alone to retrieve him.

He glanced about the terminal, hopeful that perhaps Starfire had gone to the room of the wash, or Robin was merely in line to grab some snacks for the ride home.

Catching his gaze and understanding exactly where Beast Boy's mind had wandered, Cyborg then sighed half heartedly, his shoulders slumping forward. "They, uh…couldn't make it, man," he admitted, averting his eyes to the ground.

"Oh," Beast Boy whispered, feeling the sudden increase in tension building between them.

"I guess it's probably silly to presume they're busy putting together a surprise, welcome back party?" Garfield grinned hopefully, trying desperately to lighten the souring mood.

Cyborg's expression remained the same; long and somber, as he shook his head slowly.

Beast Boy's ears drooped for the first time that day. "Off stopping crime, then?" He tried again with a little less conviction.

"'Fraid not," was Cyborg's gloomy response.

"So…they just didn't want to come?" He could feel the way his own heart dropped into his stomach, to be swallowed by the sharp sting of bile, as deadly as the information he'd just received.

Cyborg let out a drawn-out sigh. "It's…complicated. Let's just say that things have changed ever since you left on your soul-searching journey."

Of course they had; they always did.

"Changed how?" Beast Boy asked, becoming increasingly worried about the status of his team.

This was precisely what he'd been terrified of discovering.

Cyborg raised his hands up defensively. "Nothin' too serious. Starfire and Robin are still inseparable, Raven's still…well, Raven. Your boy, as you can see, is as fly as ever," he added in cheekily, taking the opportunity to falsely reassure his friend.

Beast Boy narrowed green eyes at him suspiciously before calling him out on his diversion, refusing to fall for it as easily as he might've, had he been a few years younger. "So, why didn't they come? What aren't you telling me, Cy?"

People were openly staring and whispering about them now as they started to become more obvious in the thinning crowds. This new form of attention had not slipped the older Titan's notice, so Cyborg sighed and relented. "Look, we can talk about it in the T-car. For now, I think it's best we get movin' before we're trapped here forever," he instructed as he spied a few of Jump City's tourists unabashedly pointing and gawking at the pair of them.

"Good idea," Garfield assented when he heard a group of girls giggling while shyly glancing in their direction.

Thankfully, Cyborg knew Jump City's airport a lot better than Beast Boy ever had, so he guided them out effortlessly and with little intrusion from the common rabble that surrounded them. By the time fresh city air had finally hit their face, they'd managed to escape the brunt of their crooning fans unscathed.

In somewhat of a hurry to still avoid the public eye, Cyborg was just about to open the trunk of his infamous car when he noted Beast Boy's lack of belongings. "Dude, what happened to all of your things?!" He exclaimed, taking note of his singular, small pack hanging by his hip.

"Do you want the lame truth, or some sort of wizened, meaningful fortune cookie lie?" Beast Boy teased before getting into the passenger's seat of his friend's vehicle.

Cyborg quirked up an eyebrow when he opened the driver's door and got into the T-car. "Both, but the lie first."

Beast Boy grinned excitedly. "I learned that material things are unessential in the search for one's inner conflict, so I left them all behind." He mimicked the tone of voice of an old, wise man in a horrible attempt.

Cyborg chuckled and shook his head as he started the engine and took to the roads for a long drive to Titan Tower. "And the truth?"

Beast Boy rubbed at the tip of his nose. "In Africa, What the baboons didn't tear up, use as toilet paper, or try to eat, I lost in a waterfall. Before that, there were raccoons and bears by the Rockies. I gave up on carrying anything after that, and just wandered around entirely in the nude," he explained plainly.

"Well, under my roof, you best wear some pants," Cyborg threatened, wrinkling his nose at the mention of Beast Boy's brazen lifestyle choices.

The changeling clicked his tongue. "Don't change the subject, Cy. You still have some explaining to do."

Cyborg laughed nervously. "But you probably got so many stories to share, B! Shouldn't we discuss those first?" He tried derailing his currently unimpressed friend.

"No," Garfield answered coldly.

Cyborg's face fell and he kept his eyes on the road even as he spoke, his voice slightly losing it's playful edge. "They wanted to come, I swear. Everyone's missed you more than you know. There's just…a lot goin' on at the Tower right now."

"Like what?" Garfield probed.

"Like, people are busy and no one stays behind minding the Tower in the event of an emergency," Cyborg attempted to expand on his previous statement.

"So, what you're saying is that Starfire and Robin can't keep their hands off one another, and Raven has to stay behind to babysit?" Garfield theorized, folding his arms over his chest.

A beat.

And then; "Somethin' like that, yeah. In any case, just know that they are all super stoked to see you again. I think Star was talkin' about having some sort of elaborate party this week, inviting all the honorary Titans and having a feast. But don't quote me on that."

The corner of Beast Boy's mouth twitched into a mischievous smirk. "Even Rae? I mean, she probably had a celebratory drink the night I left," he joked.

Cyborg didn't give the changeling the reaction he'd been expecting. Instead, he appeared indifferent. "We both know that ain't true," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Are you telling me that she might have actually missed me?" Beast Boy scoffed, somewhat shocked by the revelation.

Cyborg spoke in a serious, no-nonsense tone of voice. "All I'm saying is that we all felt your departure, in our own ways. It ain't ever easy losing a member of the team," he patiently affirmed.

Somehow, Beast Boy was realizing that maybe leaving his team behind for selfish reasons had left a sour taste in some of his friend's mouths, more so than he'd have ever anticipated.

Humbled, and now left staring into his lap because he was a coward, Garfield muttered a weak apology, knowing very well that it wouldn't make up for any of it. "I'm sorry, Cy. I missed all of you guys, too. There wasn't a day I didn't think of you."

Then, like a flick of a switch, the mood shifted. "Don't sweat it," Cyborg told him, lightening up significantly. Under normal circumstances, Beast Boy might have questioned his friend's uncharacteristic change, but he'd been gone for so long that he felt he had to earn that level of respect all over again before he could attempt something so bold.

By the time they'd reached the edge of the city, close enough to spot the Tower in the middle of the water, Beast Boy had forgotten how nostalgic the giant T shaped building was going to make him feel. Over the years, Cyborg had made a few tweaks and upgrades to it but, more or less, it appeared much the same as the day he had left. His palms grew sweaty as he thought about reuniting with the others, and he rubbed them anxiously against his jeans. How were they going to react? If even Cyborg, his best and most trusted friend, had been irritable with him, there was no telling what state he'd find Raven, Robin, and Starfire in.

"We left your room the way it was. I want to say Star and Rae were in there often, keeping it clean, but to be honest, I'm not really sure what they did in there most of the time. I'd help out now and again, too but…I guess it was a bit much for me," Cyborg disclosed during the silent and tense elevator ride from the building's garage.

The raw honesty hit Beast Boy like a knife in his gut, twisting ever so slowly. Before he could say anything to alleviate Cyborg's conscience, the elevator doors opened, and they both walked into the foyer of their home.

Nothing ever stayed the same, that much Garfield had always known to be true. Not even the place he'd once called home only a few years back.

They'd certainly redecorated a lot of the common room. There were tons of new gadgets and electronics, the older ones being replaced due to outdated tech and software, leading them to be unreliable. The Titans had also, at some point, gotten a newer sofa, although it was still very much red, only now more spacious and comfortable looking than ever. The flat screen TV was much bigger, and there were strange, alien like plants that sat on the windowsills; an obvious attest to Starfire's tastes in decor.

"You guys got upgraded," Beast Boy commented, still in wonder as he took it all in with wide eyes.

"He has arrived!"

Before Garfield could even register the voice, he was nearly tackled to the ground in a ferocious hug by a female body. His vision was instantly greeted with a blur of bright green stardust and vibrant red hair that smelled of wild berries and vanilla.

He patted the taller woman's back affectionately and smiled into her shoulder once he'd figured out her identity. "It's great to see you, too, Star." At least some things never changed, and that was a comforting thought.

The Tamaranean princess then lifted him off the ground with ease, and squeezed him tighter against her chest. "Dearest friend Beast Boy! We have all missed you so! Please, do not ever think of doing the leaving again!"

Beast Boy wheezed. "Star…you're…strangling…m-me!"

She let him go and he nearly slumped to the floor, taking in deep, long breaths of oxygen like his lungs couldn't remember what it felt like.

"Looks like you've gotten stronger," he croaked at her, cracking his neck while he surveyed the tall, orange skinned woman before him.

She'd easily outgrown her previous outfit, and now was dressed in something slightly more provocative. He notably blushed at the amount of skin Starfire exposed in the small, purple number that more than flattered her voluptuous figure. Robin was one lucky bastard, he thought to himself.

"You've grown quite a bit as well, Beast Boy." Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. It was Robin's voice that had carried over from behind his beautiful girlfriend.

Starfire turned to acknowledge the man who had come forth from the hallway, and Beast Boy had a hard time recognizing his old leader in his shiny, new, spandex getup. Gone was the infamous yellow, green, and red of the boy wonder, now replaced with a sleek, black body suit, only marked by a blue emblem of a bird on his wide chest. Richard had also sprouted quite a few inches in height, having caught up with Cyborg's size; yet they both remained somewhat dwarfed by Starfire's more impressive, Amazonian like stature.

Despite the fact that the two had left on somewhat rockier terms, there was still a great deal of respect between Beast Boy and the Titans leader, and that had been the reason they were genuinely happy to be in each other's company once again.

Robin, now formally known as Nightwing, extended a hand in warm greeting, and Beast Boy took it firmly.

"It's good to finally have you back on the team," Nightwing said, smiling at the reinstated Titan.

"It's good to be back," Beast Boy nodded curtly. "You'll be happy to know that this dog has learned a few new tricks. I'd love to have a debrief with you about it all sometime soon."

Nightwing shook his head. "There'll be plenty of time to talk shop later. Right now, let's just enjoy each other's company."

Starfire squealed excitedly, and Cyborg shouted out a loud "Booyah!"

Garfield grinned. "Looks like Star's softened you up a bit these days," he informed Nightwing, raising his brows suggestively at his leader.

That was when it came to his attention that something vital was still missing in their little reunion. Beast Boy glanced about the room, scanning for a familiar head of purple hair that he didn't see anywhere. He frowned, and brought it to the team's attention; "So uh, anyone seen Raven?"

Immediately, the other Titans' expressions changed, Starfire and Nightwing exchanging a concerned glance, communicating without the aid of words. It did not go unnoticed by Beast Boy.

"Did I say something weird?" He asked them, shrugging his broad shoulders, perplexed.

"Friend Raven is in her room," Starfire finally offered in a somewhat smaller voice.

Beast Boy couldn't wrap his head around the sudden change of attitude in his fellow teammates. Even Cyborg couldn't meet his eyes. "Did she miss the memo, or am I going to have to go and get her myself?" He asked them, growing more irritable by the second.

Beast Boy couldn't help but feel a little offended by Raven's supposed brush off, and the Titans' silence did little to assuage his anger. Without waiting for permission, he stalked down the hall with a groan, brushing past both Starfire and Nightwing in the process. They both simultaneously made an attempt to stop him, but their hearts weren't in it.

The green changeling went right up to the empath's door, the same one he'd spent outside of many times before, and knocked gently despite his bubbling agitation.

"Rae? You in there?" He called to her, keeping his voice reasonably calm.

The other Titans had followed after him, ready to play mediator if need be, like they always did. For the most part though, they hung back and became mere spectators. Day one, and already Beast Boy was off to a bad start with the temperamental empath.

Everyone seemed to be holding their breath in anticipation, and it felt like an eternity had passed before they got a response. Garfield had been gearing up to bang on the metal with a closed fist, feeling like he was one bad minute away from busting her door down instead.

Then, there was the familiar sound of mechanical locks moving out of place as the steel wall swished open to reveal the final Titan by the entrance. Raven, not quite as he remembered her, stood before the changeling wearing a look of both mild surprise and empathy. Her lips were parted, her eyes widening as she took in his presence like she couldn't believe that he was real.

Immediately, Beast Boy's anger was replaced with awe as he blatantly stared at her and her new…outfit.

Some things might have stayed the same. Others had evidently changed.

There was no more black leotard; instead, Raven wore a form fitting, sleeveless, high collared blue dress that reached the ground, with slits that ran up the length of her thighs and hips, only ending at her small waist where they met the rest of the fabric. It left a lot of her pale skin deliciously exposed, including her long, shapely legs. Her loose hanging, jeweled belt remained, as well as her infamous plum coloured cloak, clasped at the base of her throat by a single red gem. Her hair was styled much in the same length and color as it had always been, and she wore a pair of fingerless gloves that covered most of her forearms and matched the colour motif of the rest of her outfit. She paired it all with boots that reached just over her knees, making the entire ensemble somehow appear racier, despite the coverage.

Like most of the other Titans, she'd also gotten a bit taller, but not enough to be significantly noticeable, especially in comparison to Beast Boy, who was roughly around the same height.

"Beast Boy," she greeted, acknowledging him with a straight face, but there was a softness in her violet eyes that he could swear hadn't been there before.

"Raven," he said her name with a smile on his lips, forgetting all about his temper in order to make room for the swell of emotion in his chest instead. "Why are you hiding away in here?"

She shifted her gaze to the ground. "I had some things to take care of," she told him apologetically, her pale fingers intertwining against the small amount of fabric hanging over her legs.

Garfield, not wanting to wait for her to get comfortable around him again, immediately pulled her into his arms, taking her by surprise and making her let out a short gasp at the unexpected move.

"I'm hoping you missed me as much as I missed you," he cooed into her hair, being sure to take a long whiff of her comforting scent.

She tensed against his chest, but it didn't deter him from holding her closer. Something about her smell was new, and he wasn't sure yet if he liked it, or if it was offsetting instead.

That was when Beast Boy's worries were officially cemented. All the strange behaviour, the dodging of questions, the changes in his oldest friends. Something was wrong, very wrong, and he had a good suspicion that it had everything to do with Raven.

A/N: A slow start, I know, but I needed a good introduction chapter to help understand where it all begins. This story itself won't be spanning too many chapters (I've got maybe 6-10 planned). In case anyone is wondering, yes, Starfire, Nightwing, and Raven's outfits all allude to their comic book counterparts. :) Anyways, feedback is always welcomed, as per usual. Thanks for reading!