Rogue: M'kay everyone! Here's the long awaited (by me) sequel to Bits and Pieces, Identity Crisis! It'll probably make sense without reading the first one but there are references throughout that talk of events that happened in 'Pieces'. Just remember Terra's back and you should be okay...This one's Beast Boy centric (mostly) so be warned.
Oh, and before I forget.
Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans. If I did would I be on here writing fanfictions? Well, seeing as the series is over maybe I would...Forget it. I DO NOT OWN TEEN TITANS.
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"Workin' at the carwash. Workin' at the carwash, yeah!" The words of the song blared from the speakers built into Cyborg's shoulders echoing off the walls of the Titans' garage. Of course the mechanic was working on his baby, a small blue computer chip lying on the hood of the T-Car as Cyborg waxed it with a forearm attachment. Too preoccupied with mouthing the words to the song to be paying much attention to anything other then his car Cyborg was oblivious to the green intruder who had just slipped into the garage. Emerald eyes glanced about curiously as he caught the grin on his best friend's face. It was nice that Cy had something he was proud of though Beast Boy sometimes wondered if he liked that car more then him. Nah, that couldn't be possible. Could it?
A green spider scuttled up the wall before reaching the ceiling. Beast Boy then morphed into a monkey and hung from the rafters by his tail. Head tilted slightly to one side he dropped to the ground alongside Cyborg, who nearly knocked over the toolbox standing next to him in surprise. "BB next time would you tell me when you're gonna do that?" Cyborg's robotic eye was glowing and if Beast Boy wasn't mistaken so was his human eye. The shape-shifter took a step back, now in human form, and held up his hands in peace.
"Dude, I was just gonna say you missed a spot." Changing into a lemur he leapt lightly onto the T-Car's hood, ignoring the vein popping out in Cyborg's head, and pointed one paw to a large smudge. Still on the car Beast Boy reverted to human form and crouched on all fours. "Maybe you could use a hand? Or a hundred?" He grinned lightly, thrusting out his arms and letting a slow morph into a centipede happen, growing multiple legs as he went.
Cyborg rubbed the back of his head with the hand holding a grease rag. His thoughts were clearly lingering on the last time Beast Boy had been in the garage. He'd nearly crashed the T-Car's hard drive singlehandedly with a can of root beer. Cyborg's mind seemed to linger on how bad he had felt after Beast Boy was recruited by Slade. That had been terrible. Opening his mouth to speak the titanium Titan was cut off by the sound of an entire drawer of his large tool chest crashing to the ground. Next to it was the green changeling with a sheepish grin upon his face. The face of evil. "Uh, I think I got it covered, Beast Boy."
His friend's face fell. Emerald eyes drifted to the floor as he began slowly walking back towards the main Tower. "Okay, dude. Just gimme a ring if you change your mind."
Both mechanical and human eyes lingering on Beast Boy dragging his feet towards the door. Cyborg felt guilty but the music blaring in his ears about cars seemed to keep him from changing his mind. "Maybe someone else needs some help, Beast Boy." The shape-shifter held up a hand at this suggestion before exiting the garage and leaving Cyborg to his mix CD, 'All About Cars'.
Beast Boy trudged through the hallways of Titans Tower at a slow pace. He'd been in this scenario many times before. Well, on the upside he wasn't running for his life this time. Ducking into the nearby gym he found the Boy Wonder furiously beating a punching bag hanging from the ceiling. If the changeling wasn't mistaken Slade's face was pasted on the front. Arching a brow slightly Beast Boy watched as Robin nailed a particularly hard roundhouse kick to the bag. The screws hooking it to the ceiling creaked and it fell to the floor leaving a panting Robin in its wake. "Dude," Beast Boy commented cautiously, "Angry much?"
Robin simply gave a shrug moving to wipe his face with a towel. He then moved towards a workout bench complete with dumbbell. The Titans leader easily positioned himself on it and began lifting taking only a moment before realizing this wasn't his bench. It was Cyborg's. The bar came down upon his chest and he felt the breath leaving his lungs. Beast Boy, always the quick reactor, moved forward and morphed into a gorilla before wrenching the weights off of Robin's chest. The Boy Wonder sputtered slightly, gasping for breath before managing, "Thanks a lot, Beast Boy. Good thing you were here."
The gorilla set the dumbbell down on the bench and returned to human form. He gave an offhanded shrug. "Just doin' my job." He cast a gaze around. Since the punching bag was destroyed he moved to a bar hanging from the wall and began doing pull ups. "So, want a workout partner?" Beast Boy paused when he managed to lift himself up eyeing Robin with a smirk. "Or a spotter. You know you should never lift without a spotter..."
Robin sighed slightly as he watched the changeling drop to the ground in a heap. "I know. I'm going outside to work on target practice anyway. Cyborg's gonna lift with me later." The masked boy slung his towel over his shoulder and headed for the door. Beast Boy was at his tail instantly.
"Well, uh, could I come?"
"Well, uh, you generally demolish the targets instead of just hitting them," Robin commented with a frown. "Remember last time?" Beast Boy gave a sheepish grin. Cyborg had had to rebuild the target practice field from scratch after he'd plowed through them as a T-Rex. "It's...more of a solo thing anyway."
"Oh," Beast Boy answered, voice dropping. "Okay." At the next crossroads Robin headed towards the stairs. Beast Boy simply continued his wandering. He passed the Titans' rooms without a second glance. No one would be in their rooms at this time of day anyway. No one except, "Raven?" The shape-shifter called cautiously as he knocked on the door. He knew how she liked to be alone. But maybe she'd like to be alone with him? If not he could always take another dive into her mind. That had been fun. Creepy, but fun.
He stepped back as he heard the distinct click of the door unlocking. The door opened a sliver and a violet eye stared at him from beneath a hood. "Did you want something?" Beast Boy grinned lightly letting her irritated tone roll of his back. At least she had answered.
"Just wondering if maybe you wanted to come out and, I dunno..." He paused trying to peer around her and into the room. "Do something..." He could make out chanting from inside. Beast Boy always found it sort of strange that Starfire joined Raven in meditation every once in a while. Well at least she wasn't alone in there.
"I'm meditating," Raven answered dully as if that ended the conversation.
"Well, couldn't you maybe meditate later? I mean-"
"No."
Starfire's voice filtered through the door from inside the room. "Raven, this ball of crystal is glowing...Should I touch it?"
"No!" Before Beast Boy knew what had happened the door was closed in his face. The changeling had one hand raised as if to protest though his face was formed into a deep frown. Ears drooping he trudged back down the hallway, past his room and towards the main room. Maybe there was something good on TV.
Dejectedly the green Titan flopped onto the couch and snatched the remote from inside a nearby cushion. Flipping the giant television on he found most, if not all, of their channels were suffering 'technical difficulties' and displaying those weird rainbow color grids instead of actual shows. The news station was working, talking about death and taxes. Beast Boy groaned in disgust before continuing to channel surf stopping at what seemed to be the only channel without a color grid or static. Lifetime, television for women.
"Or desperate teenagers," he muttered to no one as he rolled over and began fidgeting. Beast Boy couldn't seem to get comfortable. It might have had something to do with the buff guy selling insurance on the TV but he dismissed this thought. Instead he continued thrashing until he found a content position. Upside down. Legs dangling off the back of the sofa and body curled so his head was resting near the floor Beast Boy gave a low sigh. The insurance salesman had just been confronted by his angry wife. The shape-shifter was glad for the dizzy sensation of blood rushing to his head. At least it was harder to focus on this very strange movie. Was married life really like this? He sincerely hoped not.
Speaking of marriage, okay fine they weren't married, but Terra had appeared in the room. Now digging in the fridge for a soda she called to him, "Hey, Beast Boy." His heart skipped a beat. Several, actually, considering barely any blood was circulating back to his heart by now. How could he have been so stupid? In his blind boredom he had almost completely forgotten Terra was here, in the Tower, a Titan again. Well, no, he could never forget. But the being ignored by the team thing had been going on for months now. His usual routine was to go wander alone. Now he was glad he hadn't. Terra was here.
"Uh, hi," he managed as he heard the refrigerator door close. Beast Boy struggled to pull himself out of this not-so-comfortable-anymore position but failed miserably, simply flopping back after reaching halfway up.
Terra caught the odd tone in his voice, higher pitched then usual, and made her way across the room leaving her unopened root beer can on the counter. "Something wrong, BB?" She paused arching a brow as she turned her attention to the TV. She had distinctly heard the words 'french kissing in the bathroom'. She gave a playful grin before turning her attention to Beast Boy, whose face was burning scarlet. But that was probably because of his position, not the TV. Right? "Are you watching Lifetime?" She leaned over the back of the couch to stare down into his face.
Emerald eyes widened considerably as he struggled to create a suitable excuse. "The...TV's...busted!" He squeaked and Terra remembered why she'd come over here in the first place. His voice had sounded weird and she had all intentions of helping him up. Until the matter of french kissing came up. This would be the perfect situation to pounce on him. But she was Terra not the office chic from the Lifetime movie. Instead she leaned her weight onto his lower legs, pulling Beast Boy up like stepping on a rake.
"Sure it is, Beast Boy, and I supposed you were just bored out of your skull." He opened his mouth to answer only to find her lips pressed lightly to his. By the time the young changeling attempted to adjust his expression from shocked to calm she'd pulled away. He hated when she did that, teasing him with little pecks. "So tell me, why are you all alone?" Terra pulled back and rounded the couch. Beast Boy flopped back onto it when she removed her weight. She sat next to him as he mumbled an explanation into the couch cushions. In annoyance she shoved him off the couch.
When Beast Boy met the floor he gave a weak, "Ow..." before pushing himself to a seated position. Resting his elbow on his knee and his chin in his upturned palm he gave a deep sigh. "All the other Titans are going about their business, doing their hobbies." He used the term 'hobbies' loosely. Cyborg's hobby was his car and Starfire liked imitating Raven but what Robin and Raven were doing was work to a point. "And poor little me is left here all alone to watch Lifetime movies." He shot Terra a puppy dog pout over his shoulder. She was immune to this by now. Face fading back to normal Beast Boy rolled his eyes lightly. "Well the least you could do is watch with me. Then I'd have an excuse for watching the movies all those middle-aged women love so much!"
Terra fought the urge to challenge Beast Boy that not only middle-aged women watched these movies. After all he was watching one. Instead she leaned forward and plucked his ear slightly making him turn to meet her eyes and that same mischievous grin. "I got an idea..."
IC
Less then half and hour later the two Titans were casually walking through the city's streets. It was strange how they seemed to blend right in. Well, Terra did anyway. Either the citizens of Jump City had terrible memories and didn't remember she was the same girl who took over their city or they had forgiven her, too. Beast Boy preferred to think it was the latter. He, though, stuck out like, well like a green kid in a crowd. He could hear the muttering behind his back, questions of 'that green Titan' and what he was doing with such a nice, normal looking girl. The shape-shifter's eyes fell to the ground examining his Velcro shoes. It was times like this that he wished he could look like Garfield Logan again, how he wished he looked normal. Human.
Terra caught his gaze and shot a glance over her shoulder at the people whispering about Beast Boy. They stopped, aware that they had been caught, but as soon as she looked away it simply started all over again. "Beast Boy, forget about them," the geomancer halted. The green changeling took two more steps before realizing she had stopped. He was clearly not listening to her. "Listen to me, Beast Boy, you're great just the way you are." Terra moved forward running a gloved hand through his hair as she went. His eyes seemed sort of hollow though he tore them from the sidewalk.
"You mean that?"
"Green is the new pink." Terra winked lightly as he fell into step with her, hands folded behind his head. They passed the video store, the pizza place. Generally they were out of the Tower just to be out of the Tower. There was no set destination for them to end up at. As they continued walking Beast Boy noticed a change in Terra's posture. Her steps were smaller, slower. This time her eyes were drawn to the ground.
Head tilted to one side the shape-shifter turned his steady gaze from Terra to glance at their surroundings. His stomach dropped. They were just about to meet the gates of Murakami School. Beast Boy knew why Terra wouldn't want to go by. People would remember her, how she mysteriously vanished. He thought people would remember him, too, from that day. He was green after all. "Terra we don't have to-"
She shook her head lightly. "It's just a school. They're just people. Their words don't matter." Still, though, as Terra began to move slowly forward she grasped Beast Boy's hand tightly for support. Little did she know he needed it as much as she did. They walked slowly passed the gates. Students were already lined up there staring from the green Titan to Terra and back again. Two girls stood out in the crowd. Theirs were the only words Beast Boy could really make out.
"Isn't that Tara?"
"Isn't that the green freak who came looking for her?"
"At least they both got what they wanted."
"Yeah, two freaks together forever. At least she's not green."
Beast Boy could feel his cheeks burning. He quickened his pace and Terra complied, squeezing his hand gently in reassurance. He hadn't really paid much attention to those two girls when he had been trying to get Terra back. He'd obviously been preoccupied. But now their words stung. Whoever made up that saying 'sticks and stones can break my bones by words can never hurt me' probably wasn't called names. Or green.
Once they were a safe distance away from the school and the muttering of gossiping teenagers Terra slowed to a stop. Beast Boy kept walking, though, and his hand slipped out of hers. He stopped when he realized Terra was no longer beside him but didn't turn to look at her. His head was bowed and his eyes closed. "Beast Boy, come on," she murmured coming up behind him and laying a soothing hand on his shoulder. Terra rubbed it slightly and the changeling moved his hand to meet hers. "Don't let them put you down. They...they're just jealous."
Beast Boy actually laughed at this. What did they have to be jealous about? He was a short, green freak just like those girls had said. "Jealous of what, Terra?" He questioned weakly, turning his head slightly to stare at her. The hurt in his eyes startled her slightly. He really was sensitive about his appearance. "The fact that I'm green or that I haven't grown in two years?"
"I like green," Terra stated as if that would make it alright. She ran her fingers through his hair again before continuing in a soft voice. "I never knew Garfield Logan but I don't think he could be any better then my Beast Boy." He gave a small, barely recognizable smile at her calling him hers. She was his Terra and he was her Beast Boy. He liked the sound of that. "They're jealous because you're a super hero. You save the world on a regular basis. You live in a giant T-shaped Tower. You're a Titan, a great friend, and the funniest guy I know." Terra rested her chin on his shoulder and whispered into his ear. "Plus you don't have to go to school."
Ignoring the warm, tickling sensation of her breath in his ear Beast Boy offered her a heavy sigh. "Thanks, Terra. You always know what to say."
She shrugged lightly pulling her hand back and moving to stand in front of him. "I'm only paying you back for all the times you knew just what to say." Terra traced Beast Boy's jaw line with a finger before tapping his nose lightly. He nearly whimpered when she pulled away but it was drowned out by his stomach growling, much like the animals he turned into.
Terra gave a wry smile as he blushed lightly. "I didn't actually eat anything," Beast Boy murmured as he cocked his head slightly to one side. "Wanna grab a pizza or something?"
She considered it, turning and heading back the way they had come. The shape-shifter followed catching up to Terra just as she spoke. "One condition."
"What's that?"
Beast Boy partially suspected something cruel and unusual, like ordering the all meat experience. He should've known better. "This time I'm paying. I'm sick of you being all manly, BB." Terra locked her arms with his and began skipping towards the pizza place, passing Murakami on the way. Terra literally waved at the two girls that used to be her 'friends'. They stopped their 'chemical explosion' theory on Beast Boy's being green to stare. The changeling was too amused by the looks on the girls' faces to be hurt by their words now. He'd probably dwell on them later, when he was alone in the darkness of his room. But here and now Beast Boy was content, happy even, as he and Terra arrived at the pizza place.
He bowed when she unlatched herself from his arm and then scrambled to pull Terra's chair out for her before taking his own seat opposite her. Beast Boy ordered a cheese pizza with a bad Italian accent. She laughed along with him twirling the straw in their shared smoothie lazily. "You're such a gentlemen, Beast Boy," Terra murmured between sips. "Sometimes it scares me."
As if on cue the pizza arrived and the shape-shifter lunged for the first piece, the one with the large cheese bubble. Beast Boy was halfway through his first piece before Terra had taken her first bite. He gave a casual shrug before nearly inhaling the rest of his slice and snatching at the smoothie taking long sips. It was weird, he thought, how he could recognize Terra's lips by their feel, look, and oddly their smell. He could just tell she'd used the straw before him. It made him shiver slightly.
He turned his gaze on Terra before grabbing another slice watching as she patted her stomach and used a toothpick lazily. Beast Boy arched a brow before realizing almost half the pizza was gone. He knew Terra was a big eater but holey rusted metal, Batman. "Guess I wasn't the only one who was hungry," the changeling murmured as he ate his second slice. He leaned his chair back after this one, stomach being content for now. He caught Terra's giggle, though, and raised his eyebrows. "What? Do I like have something on my face?"
"Cheese," she answered simply. Hanging from Beast Boy's chin was a long string of cheese. The shape-shifter flashed her a playful glance pondering his options before simply slurping the cheese up into his mouth. Terra spun the pizza tray lightly. There were still a few slices left. They could always bring them back to the Tower. Cyborg always enjoyed a midnight snack. Then again maybe they could use them for something. "Wanna share a slice?"
Silence. The geomancer shot her best friend a glance eyebrow raised as she waved a gloved hand in front of his eyes. He didn't even blink. Beast Boy was staring at something reflected in the glass behind Terra. Apparently he saw something she didn't. She turned but couldn't catch the reflection. When Terra turned to face him again, though, she noticed a shrimpy guy in a jumpsuit running around armed with what looked like a tranquilizer gun. "Beast Boy...?"
By the time Terra had spoken the green changeling had launched himself into the air as a hawk and landed lightly in front of the villain in human form. "What's a matter, Adonis? Didn't get enough last time?" Beast Boy's voice was cold and harsh as he stared up at the cocky villain's eyes. He was taller then Beast Boy was but without that suit? The shape-shifter could rip him to shreds. He didn't, however, because Adonis's words snapped him out of his 'eat this dude' mode.
"That your girlfriend?" Instantly Beast Boy swerved around to see Terra hovering on a rock just behind and above him. "She's cute." The green Titan held in the growl in his throat before calling out to Terra.
"Stay back, Terra. I can handle this guy." Again he swerved to face Adonis, arms crossed lightly over his chest. "So," Beast Boy started eyes still locked on the villain's. He could see something in them, the Beast, just as he had a Beast inside him. It sickened him to think he was like that guy in any way. "What're you planning to do? Tranquilize me?" The shape-shifter nearly laughed. In his time as a super hero he'd dealt with many types of sedatives. He liked to think he'd become immune to them.
Adonis didn't answer but simply shot his weapon at Beast Boy from close range. "Not exactly my young friend." There was a yelp of pain and a cloud of green smoke engulfed the area where both Beast Boy and Adonis had been. Terra's rock hurtled towards the ground at top speed, nearly crashing into a building as she leapt to the ground.
Blue eyes glanced through the green fog wildly. Wait. Green? It didn't matter. Terra couldn't see a foot in front of her face. The only thing she could do was call out to him and hope answered. "Beast Boy!" Her voice trailed off uncertainly as familiar coughing met her ears. Stumbling forward blindly Terra stopped a few feet from a slumped over form. Relief washed over her as she caught sight of his purple and black uniform. It was him. It was-
"Beast Boy?"
