Sideshow Freak

Chapter 3: Beast Boy's Story

A/N: For those of you don't remember; Radan is Beast Boy's real name and is what he is referred by.

Zelph was not normally a quiet, peaceful planet. Usually the sound of bloodcurdling screams filled the air as those foolish enough to approach the planet were tortured and blood covered the streets, creating a small river. But, today, something was happening that would change the course of Zelph's history. A child was being born. Now, while that wasn't entirely uncommon the circumstances were. Zeldina, the Queen of Zelph and a foreseer of the future, had received a very powerful vision upon receiving word of her advisor's unborn child. All of the preparations had been made and everything was ready for the arrival of the child. All that needed to happen now was for it to be born.

Zeldina paced back and forth in the hallway as she anxiously waited for news. She ignored the maid that was trying to fetch her a chair and continued pacing. The baby had to survive; it had to! It was essential to the rest of the world that the child live to grow up. A scream rent the air and she turned, red eyes anxiously focused on the door as it opened and the doctor stepped out.

"The child has survived," he announced.

Zeldina sighed in relief. Thank the gods! "May we see it?" she asked, gesturing towards herself and Seraph, head of the Royal Army and her personal bodyguard.

"You may," the doctor replied then headed towards the door at the opposite end of the room.

Zeldina paid him no attention but wasted no time in entering the room that he had just vacated. She went straight to the bed and looked at the pale purple female Zelphor lying there. "How are you feeling, Kaldija?" she asked.

"Weak," Kaldija replied weakly. "It's a boy. A green boy."

Zeldina nodded then froze as she absorbed the words. "A green boy?" she asked, tumultuous thoughts running through her head.

"Yes," Kaldiga said.

Cautiously Zeldina walked over to the crib where the baby was lying and peeked inside. There lay a baby Zelphor with green skin. "It's true," she whispered in awe. "The prophecies have come true. I suppose that means my vision will true as well," she said sadly as she hung her head.

"What is your vision?" Kaldiga asked.

Zeldina turned and looked at Kaldiga, having decided that the truth was the best course to go. "Your child will save the world from a demon."

"But why is that bad?" Kaldiga asked curiously.

"Because he will not be here on Zelph when he does so," Zeldina replied. "He will save the life of a Tamaranean and will leave Zelph for good. He will not destroy anything or anyone but will devote his life to protecting one of the primitive planets."

"No!" Kaldiga wailed. "Please say it isn't so!"

"I am sorry," Zeldina said sincerely. "You know what the prophecies say about the green Zelphors. They will be a disgrace to us and all of our kind. They will show everyone that we have a caring side to us."

"But we do," Kaldiga protested.

"But we don't anyone to know it. My advice to you, Kaldiga, is to get rid of the child before it disgraces you."

"No," Kaldiga said firmly. "I shall keep the child for as long as I can."

"It is your decision," Zeldina said finally. "You and you alone shall bear this burden. I shall arrange for you to be taken care financially and you can remain as my advisor. But under no circumstances is the child to ever enter the palace. Understood?"

"Understood," Kaldiga nodded.

Seven Years Later

Radan sat on a hill, watching as the other children screamed and played together. His green ears hung dejectedly as he tried not to cry. It wasn't fair. Just because he was green he wasn't allowed to play with anyone else. His mother said that it was because of some dumb prophecy that had been told about him before he was born but he didn't believe her. Why would everyone stay away from him just because some Lady had said that something bad was going to happen? Most of the time what they said would happen didn't so he saw no reason to start believing them now. Not that he would ever say that out loud though. No one bad talked the Queen and lived to tell about it. No one.

Seeing that it was almost dark he stood up and walked down the hill, taking the long way. He stopped halfway down when he heard a noise. It sounded like someone was crying. Curious he hurried up and found a beautiful woman sitting there. She was obviously Tamaranean with her bright red hair and green eyes. Tears streamed down her face as she tenderly cradled an injured foot, dried blood on her green dress.

"Are you all right?" Radan asked.

Startled, the woman looked up and gasped when she saw Radan. "Come any closer, Zelphor, and I shall blast you away," she warned, raising her free hand.

"I have no intentions of harming you," Radan replied. "Let me see your foot." Without giving her a chance to protest he took the foot and examined it carefully. Turning into a beast with sharp teeth he tore a piece of material from her dress then turned back into himself. He took the material and wrapped it around her ankle, licking it with his tongue as all Zelphors could heal someone with it.

"Thank you," the woman said in surprise.

"You're welcome," Radan replied. The sound of angry voices caught his attention and he glanced behind him. "You had better leave now," he said.

The woman rose and began to walk away but turned and looked back at him. "Thank you," she said simply then took off in flight, soaring across the sky. Radan watched her go then turned to face the palace guards standing behind him.

"Come with us," Seraph said. "The Queen wants to speak with you."

The Queen of Zelphor was an imposing figure. Her pure black skin contrasted well with her red eyes and white teeth. "Radan of Zelph, you have been found guilty of consorting with a Tamaranean and helping her to escape. Such a crime is worthy of death. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I merely did what I thought was right," Radan replied.

Shocked gasps filled the room but Queen Zeldina ignored them and focused her attention on Radan. "I see," she said slowly. "Radan of Zelph, for your crimes against this planet and against your people I hereby banish you from this place. You shall spend the rest of your life on the primitive planet known as Earth. You are not to ever return to this place. If you do so you and anyone who happens to be with you shall be tortured and executed."

"Mom!" Radan yelled as the guards grabbed him. "Mom!"

Kaldiga looked at him; tears brimming then lowered her head. She didn't look back up.

"Mom!" Radan yelled. "Mom."

Radan remained quiet as he was placed into a pod. It looked like a box but effectively immobilized his arms and legs so he couldn't move. The only way he could get of the pod was for someone to set him free.

The journey to Earth wasn't long; it only took a few days to get there. Fortunately for him the pod bounced off of several sharp objects, causing it to break. Warily he climbed out, his red eyes taking everything in. He crouched behind something that he identified as vegetation and peered over the top, his eyes barely visible. He watched in confusion as the strange looking creatures moved. He blinked then smiled when he realized that they looked almost exactly like Tamaraneans! Their hair and eyes were different but still; they looked almost the same. Focusing he closed his eyes and shifted. He opened his eyes again and beamed when he realized that now he looked like the other creatures. Except for the fact that his skin and eyes were still green but who cared? He could now blend in.

Too late he heard the sound of leaves crunching and barely had time to elicit a small yelp before rough hands suddenly grabbed him. "Well, well what do we have here?" a voice sniggered. "It's a freak."

"Actually," a dumb sounding voice said. "He kinda looks like us except for the skin and the ears."

"That's what I meant!" the first voice snapped.

After listening to them argue Radan took a chance and quickly transformed into a small fuzzy creature with ears that he had just seen hopping away moments before. He hopped as well but was quickly scooped up again.

"Hey look it's a rabbit!" the dumb voice said happily.

"It's that freak," the first voice retorted. "He turned into a rabbit. We'll take him to the circus master; he'll pay good money for him."

Something told Radan that he should get very worried right about then. Very worried.

Two Years Later

Radan sat morosely in his cage, staring at the ground. He was now a different boy than he had been two years ago. He was now smaller than he used to be due to the lack of food and water that all of the attractions in 'Gottleman's Traveling Circus' suffered. His home consisted of a small cage that was just barely big enough to hold him and his food and water dishes. The poster proclaimed that his name was Beast Boy and he was the amazing boy that could change into any animal that he saw.

Life had been hard for Radan; it always had been. But despite the alienation that he had suffered on Zelph he would give anything to be there once again. He wondered how his mother was doing; if she missed him at all. More than likely she and Queen Zeldina were in the Queen's private quarters discussing various matters that needed the Queen's personal touch. Idly he wondered how the Tamaranean woman that he had saved was doing. He hoped that she was still alive, was at least making his sacrifice worthwhile.

"Hey, freak, can you talk?"

Startled Radan looked down and saw two teenage boys standing there. Terrific. More 'fans'. Apparently everyone liked to pick on the green guy. He did his best to ignore them and, instead, concentrated on the bars separating him from them.

"Hey, freak, you can turn into any animal right?"

Ignore them. They will go away if you don't give in.

"If you can then why haven't you turned into a dinosaur?"

Dinosaur? Immediately Radan focused on them, curiosity shining in his green eyes. He wanted to ask what a dinosaur was but knew better than to speak to them.

Fortunately one of the boys picked up that he didn't know what a dinosaur was and decided to enlighten him. He opened a book that he was holding and showed Radan the picture of a big animal with fearsome teeth. "That," the boy said proudly, "is a T-Rex. It's the most fearsome dinosaur ever."

Radan cocked his head to the side, a plan forming in his brain. He ignored the two boys and concentrated. A dinosaur. It was a big animal. So big that it could probably crush his cage into pieces. He could finally escape!

Later that night a crash was heard in the otherwise quiet ground. Performers peeked out of their cages and watched as a green dinosaur ran for the woods. "He's escaping," one of them said.

"Let him," a feminine voice came from another cage not far from Radan's. "We should wish any of those that escape good luck."

"He should've taken us with him," someone else grumbled.

"Perhaps," the female agreed. "But he does not know where he is going or if he is going to come back. If he is caught then only he will pay the price and not us. But if he makes then one day he will return for us. That much I do know."

Radan blinked as the events of the previous week ran through his head. He couldn't think about that now. He looked at the four teenagers standing in front of him, waiting for a name. "Beast Boy," he said at last. He was no longer Radan of Zelph but Beast Boy of Jump City.

A/N: Please review and let me know what you think!