General Disclaimer: I Do not Own Teen titans or any of the Non-Origional charactors presnted within they are the intellectual property of another.
The Times had changed slowly, the world advanced by bits and pieces as time crawled by, though many things stayed the same, Starfire loved her Mustard, and Nightwing, previously known as Robin, obsessed over the percentages and probabilities of Crime. Raven Meditated, Cyborg worked on his car. Changeling, who had been Beast Boy until he stopped being so much a boy, had taken to video games as ever before. It was the same life it had always been, they would argue, make up and fight crime whenever the alarm went off, the still teen titans had settled into a staple, but that was what weighed on the Green boy's mind. He had sat a few nights a week and thought about this, he felt something stirring in him, and it definitely wasn't gas. It had taken him a long time, but finally he had worked out what it was. It was boredom. Life was growing monotonous and somewhat quiet, with Slade perpetually absent and the Titans Stronger than ever Criminals hardly put up a fight. There were days where only one or two of them would go, it was all that was needed now. Changeling continually found himself bored and more and more quiet, sure he still pulled something now and again, and the cheesy jokes still rolled as heavy as ever but there was a complacency that hadn't been there before. Just something that had faded with time and practice. Something needed to happen, and he decided finally he knew what it was.
He began without telling a soul, just a little bit now and again, taking off flying from time to time, no one thought anything of it. But he knew what he was doing, he was slowly getting rid of the trash, selling what he could and pawning the rest. He used it to build up a bit of a padded bank account in an international bank. He would fly, taking a small pack with him containing this and that, cleaning out the sty he called home. It was slow work, but each little bit gave him that much more to work with.
You see, our Green Hero was planning a trip… well not really a trip, more like a self-imposed exodus from Jump city, he planned to leave, they could handle everything well enough he saw it every day, he could go a week without needing to leave the tower. This was getting to be enough, and enough is indeed enough. However someone did take notice, it was Raven, she had noticed his behavior was slightly out of the ordinary, and had gleaned a sense of dissatisfaction from his mind, just a malaise of quiet unhappiness. She thought it a phase but as time went on and it continued it slowly became more and more clear that something was afoot. She knew going to Nightwing would be a mistake, as much as he was a good leader, interpersonal relations had never been his cup of tea. No she took it upon herself to watch the young man as he worked, watching him slowly clearing his room, and making room in his life, he went on missions even less than normal, often away when the alarm went off, it was odd, and slowly bordering on distressing. She was contemplating this very subject when someone advanced on her from behind, she turned slowly her face still carefully controlled to meet the black mask of their leader. The Dark Bird stood before her with a concerned look on his face but she got the distinct impression it wasn't about her.
"Raven, I need you to tell me something." He asked carefully before continuing obviously not done with his question. "It's about Changeling, I noticed you've been keeping an eye on him, and have to ask if you've noticed what I have." It sounded like a statement but she knew it was a question unasked 'raven what do you know about his weird behavior?' that was what lingered in the air and she paused a moment to collect her thoughts, there was a lot she could answer that with, that he had suddenly taken an interest in flying, that he might have gotten a girlfriend, maybe he was simply bored. It was hard to guess the real reason but she thought she might as well just say what he probably wanted to hear anyway.
"It's probably just his way of seeking a little space, and growing up." And with that, in her own typical fashion she turned to leave, but as she did so, her arm was caught in his grip, not roughly, but firm in his face held more than a few ounces of concern now.
"I don't think it's that, I think it's a little more, and I know that's not what you think." It was endlessly amazing how he managed to latch onto people's emotional state so easily and guess thoughts like that, she sometimes wondered if he might be an empathy and not even know it himself. But that was hardly the point of the question, she sighed inaudible, and almost invisibly before speaking again.
"something is bothering him, he's unhappy, deeply so. I don't know what caused it, or even what he plans to do. But it's something and it's going to be soon." She said and pulled her arm free of his loosened grasp as he looked worriedly thoughtful.
"I thought it was something like that, he's been cleaning out his room, his stuff was slowly disappearing…. It worries me, and I think we both know what he's planning." He let the words hang in air, but it was true she had been thinking along those same lines somewhere in her mind because the words rose to the surface far too easily. He's Leaving.
Their suspicions were proved, not a week later. Changeling had never come out for breakfast, he had never turned on the TV and started playing games, he wasn't laying pranks, and wasn't out flying, they had looked, the only place he could be was in his room. And finally the Titans assembled outside his room, and there, strapped to the door with tape were two things, his communicator, and a note, hand scrawled by the Tower prankster. It read rather well and it was obvious he had put some thought into what he was saying. The note was written on clean white paper as nightwing reached up ad pulled I down and slowly began to read.
"Friends, Titans, Teammates. I have decided I needed a change. Not just of pace, and scenery, but of life. I'm going; I don't know when or even if I'll be back. Don't worry about me, and don't look for me, I'm traveling light and moving a lot faster than most of you could manage. So please guys, don't make this any harder than this is. I'm going because I wan to, there is o plot, there is no conspiracy, I'm just….. in need of change."
He looked up solemnly to his comrades in arms, in peace and war with a sadness the titans had not scene in their leader in a very long time. He folded the note back up and handed it to Cyborg as he passed him, and just walked away, Star followed Nightwing quickly the normally jubilant alien quiet with a contemplative look on his face. Cybrog looked down at the note in his hand and closed his mechanical palm around the paper with a slight crinkle and also walked away, likely to his own room, he had some things to do, he had mumbled. Raven however had a little more on her mind as she stepped forward and reaching up a hesitant hand pulled down Beast... Changeling's communicator had held it's small weight in her palm she stared at it for a few moments wondering if maybe any moment it would crackle to life and the green titan's voice would come out yelling about how well he had gotten her but it remained silent. she sighed a bit and pulled the communicator into the darkness of her robes and with one last glanse toward his door she moved away back to her own room, he may have been annoying, he may have been crude, and he may have been odd, but he was her friend... once in her room, she nearly jumped when a bottle on her dresser flashed black and exploded a moment later, she settled her mind a bit and began to chant her mantra laying his communicator on the dresser in the recently vacated position, almost reverently, and the quiet of her room was broken by the solemn chant that had become her marker many times over.
Looking Back, at the city he was leaving was something weird, sure he had been outside Jump many times, but this was the first time he had no intent to come back. it was at once a lightening and a damning feeling. he had so many powerful memories of this city, and it's protectors. but now was time for something different, something new. a place where he can be anyone. he wasn't going to go too far down the melodramatic train bu he couldn't help but feel a touch of nostalgia for the good old days, and with a light chuckle he turned back to the plate of vegetables he had grabbed at a diner at the edge of town. This was the start of something Grand and new. He could feel it already stuffing a stalk of broccoli into his mouth and chewing with a dreamy expression. and Thus began something indeed new, and a turn in the lives of a great number of people all brought about by someone who was simply, In Need Of Change.
A/N: This story is my Break from Promises, so all people waiting for that please enjoy this little spur of the moment idea. There will likely be romance in Later Chapters. So please bear with my insanity! Unitl Next Time!