The Principle


Beast's 'waking up' tactics got worse and worse over the week. Once, he dumped a bucket of ICE cold water onto Beastboy to wake him up, and he was awake for the whole day after that. Beastboy started to realize the alarm clock he had would come in handy to save his body from future morning torture. The lessons were even harder. Beast seemed to up his expectations on Beastboy each time they were together. Beastboy prayed for criminals to attack so that he could get out of the 'Beast school' as he called it. His friends started to get a little worried about him, but they just brushed it aside.

Now, for the longest, Beastboy was wondering why Beast was teaching him all the stuff he was supposed to be taught in school. Beast kept saying that it was a principle that could only be taught by experience. He said it was like a ghost you hate but can't actually hit because it uses your enemies and your friends. Beastboy kept wondering what that principle was. Unfortunately, Beastboy did learn the principle.

It was about 3:40 in the afternoon. It had been about a week now since Beast had been teaching Beastboy. Suddenly, the alarm comes. It was Gizmo and Mammoth. The Titans got down there and started to fight them. "Look, it's the comic book bad jokester," Mammoth laughed looking and pointing to Beastboy. For some reason, that hurt Beastboy more than usual.

"Eat this, green slob," Gizmo said as he fired his rockets at Beastboy. He quickly dodged them and fought them again. After the battle, the Titans watched as the two criminals were carried away by the police. Beastboy stared at them with his arms crossed and eyes locked in a frustrated thought pattern. Raven and Robin noticed this.

"Are you okay, Beastboy?" Robin asked. Beastboy shook out of his trance.

"Oh, nothing, just thinking about something someone said," he replied as he rushed over to Cyborg and Starfire who were going into the car. Raven and Robin just looked at each other with confusion. As they got back home, Beastboy got something light to eat and was about to go back to the library to continue with Beast's schooling when Cyborg shouted.

"Yo, BB! Want to play some games. I got Super Monkeys 14." This was tempting to Beastboy but he already knew what Beast's answer would be.

"Sorry, but no thanks. I got something to do," Beastboy answered. Cyborg got frustrated.

"Man, what's wrong with you? It's not like you're doing anything important," Cyborg exclaimed. Beastboy stopped in his tracks, but he didn't turn around yet.

"Yeah, in fact, you haven't cracked a bad joke or looked at TV in a whole week. What's wrong?" Robin asked. Beastboy turned around and looked at his friends with an amazed and saddened look. For some reason, Cyborg and Robin sounded a lot like Mammoth and Gizmo. Beast's words started to fill his head. 'the enemy has many faces.' 'like a ghost you hate but can't actually hit because it uses your enemies and your friends'. Beastboy finally realized what Beast was trying to tell him. Beastboy absentmindedly replied.

"Yeah, I'm ok," he said in a real soft voice. As he started to walk off, Raven stopped him.

"You seem more distracted than usual, and that's saying something," she said. Raven noticed the wince that Beastboy did when he heard Raven say that. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just need to be alone for now," Beastboy whispered as he brushed past Raven. As the door closed behind him, it actually pained Raven to see Beastboy like that. Beastboy stumbled back to his room in depressed sadness. When he got in his room, he plopped onto his bed as Beast appeared in front. Beastboy put his head in his hands as Beast sat beside him on the bed. Beastboy finally got the principle that Beast was trying to teach him. The principle of proving wrong the stereotypes and low expectations that others give you. The principle of proving that you are worth something wild. The principle that led mighty leaders to show the world that their people had the right to life, liberty, equality, and the innocent pursuit of happiness. The principle that would kill the ghost that haunted Beastboy. The ghost of him being a good-for-nothing green boy. That was the principle. The principle of true heroes.

"Now do you see the reason for learning?" Beast asked. Beastboy nodded.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" he asked.

"People learn better from experience and it was the best way to explain it. So what are you going to do about it?" Beast asked. Beastboy stood up and headed for the door.

"Come on, fur-ball. We have work to do," Beast smiled as he went out the door with Beastboy back to the library. There they started to learn about the reign of Ivan the Terrible and how a person can be an enemy to oneself.

"It's an interesting thing to read about considering the whole thing. A ruler went completely crazy after his wife died, but while in this deadly craze, he manages to lead Russia on its way to be a giant superpower," Beast commented as they read about world history.

"Considering ancient history, it's not all that surprising but still shocking. Anyways, I have that lesson down pact, next lesson," Beastboy said impatiently.

"Ah, patience young green one," Beast said wisely, kind of like a Chinese old man, "One can not accelerate fate, only delay it." Beastboy shook his head.

"Fine, let's just get back to work," Beastboy replied.


Five weeks.

Five weeks since Beast had appeared to Beastboy, and four weeks since Beastboy had learn the principle. In a way, he was completely different but still the same. He still went out, fought, ate, and hung out with the others but he did it less. That and Beastboy started to realize that he wasn't that much of a priority to the rest of the team. For instance, one time he didn't hear the alarm for an emergency and the others did perfectly well without him. Even Starfire stopped showing up at his door. Of course, there was one person that persistently came back to see if Beastboy was all right.

"So let me get this straight: if the nations hadn't been so prideful about themselves and not follow each other to the death, then World War I wouldn't have happened?" Beastboy asked his teacher.

"Well, that's a blunt way in putting it but yes. Halfway through the war, the soldiers were trying to survive not fight," Beast replied. Then there was a knock on the door. "I wonder who that could be," Beast said sarcastically, as if he didn't already know. Beast disappeared as Beastboy opened the door for the library.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," Raven said shyly.

"Are you okay?" Beastboy asked.

"I should ask you that," Raven replied evasively.

"You're avoiding my question," Beastboy said with a smile.

"So are you with mine," Raven said showing a little smirk.

"True, I'm fine. Nothing bad's going on. Just doing some reading," Beastboy replied. The first time he said this to his teammates, all of them, but Raven, laughed at him. But when they saw that he was actually reading, they were absolutely confused but they left it alone.

"Okay, just wondering," Raven said normally. Beastboy chuckled a little.

"I'm fine, Raven. Just fine," Beastboy replied as Raven started to walk back down the hall. When Beastboy closed the door, he saw Beast smirking. "What?"

"You know, I find it amusing that she keeps coming back for you. Maybe she likes you," Beast said mischievously. Beastboy rolled his eyes.

"She, unlike the others, just care about people. Nothing to be worried about," Beastboy said in a nonchalant tone. But Beast could hear his sadness in the tone.

"Hey, the others care about you," Beast argued. Beastboy stopped where he was and looked at Beast with a smile.

"You really believe that?" he said laughing, "It took them only one week to stop coming to my door, and then there was that alarm thing. They only care if they need me." Beastboy said smiling and laughing. That was another thing that changed with Beastboy. He would laugh at his own despair, his own loneliness and sadness. Beast questioned him whether or not he was trying to lighten the mood, but Beastboy replied that he just found it funny. It depressed Beast, though, he thought that Beastboy was laughing to hide the pain sometimes. "Anyways, let's get on with the lesson. Now to Peter the Great," Beastboy continued.


Felt like posting this one today. Enjoy.