Hello again, sorry if it took me a while… school… that's all that needs to be said. Anyway, here's the next one. This is one of the one I started before the reviews recommending ideas came in, so they'll be up soon after this if I can find the time. Thanks to all of you with ideas/prompts, I'll try to get stories for them written out and posted as soon as possible.

-Kat

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the clothing on my back, not the Teen titans especially.


"Hey Beast boy!" The cybernetic teen called to his younger friend as he fell into step alongside him, "where you headed? Robin said you were going on a little trip?"

Now, after having been friends for nearly three years and having lived in the same building for longer than that, it was only natural that Cyborg would catch the one instant of discomfort that passed through his friend at his questioning. To anyone else, the minor tensing of the muscles between the green boy's shoulder blades, the slight scrunching of his left nostril and the nearly invisible twitch that occurred at the left corner of his right eye, would have easily gone unnoticed. Most anybody wouldn't have suspected a thing… but Cyborg wasn't anybody. And, honestly, being part robot definitely helped with the tinier details.

Non-the less, the younger teen ignored the obvious, and acted as though nothing had happened.

"Just heading out to one of the labs out in L.A." He said with a smug air, that was noticeably forced and fake, "They want to talk to me about some stuff, do a few tests… it's a pretty big-deal. They sent out a message personally asking for me."

Cyborg glanced wearily at his companion as the neurons connected.

"Wait a second… is this at all connected to that time a few years ago?" He asked, a sinking feeling in his metal gut as he remembered the aftermath of his friend's last excursion to anything lab-like. Yet again, Cyborg caught the tiny nuances that showed his friend's fear. The flicker of the emotion behind those emerald orbs would easily be noticed by anyone… he's slipping.

Yet again however, those same nuances were gone within seconds of their near-appearance.

"What? No, no… just a little research, you know… make sure things haven't changed in the old green bean," Beast boy defended, shrugging casually. Cyborg knew instantly that this was something to worry about. He glanced up and down the hallways, scanning for any of their other teammates. When he found no one, he pulled his friend to the side, barring off his exits and essentially cornering him with great efficiency due to his large build.

"Beast boy…" He sad sternly, glaring down at the younger boy, "Don't lie to me… this is the same thing as that other time, isn't it?"

He watched as the battle wore on within the green teen. He was fighting with himself, trying to decide whether or not to feign cheerfulness and deny the accusation, or to simply come clean and tell the truth. The flaw with doing so, was that it made it obvious that he was hiding something. In the end, logic one over common sense, and he decided to come clean.

"Fine… yes it's the same thing as the last time," he sighed in resignation. He wasn't totally sure how the larger teen would take the news, but he had kind of been hoping he would never have to worry about it. He had every reason to worry.

"What!? Even after what happened the last time you went there!" the cybernetic teen exclaimed, suppressed anger present in his tone.

"It wasn't that bad, Cy," Beast boy countered, slumping against the wall of the hallway to try and get as small as possible.

"Wasn't that bad," He scoffed, "Since when was barely being able to stand for two weeks 'not that bad'?"

The smaller teen groaned and buried his face in his hands, continuing in his attempt to make himself disappear.

"So they took a few tests and the side-effects were… undesirable… if it's something I can do to help scientific progress, than it's a small price to pay," He said, finally meeting the taller boy's steely glare with his own determined gaze. Yet again, Cyborg scoffed.

"I don't see how donating half your blood to S.T.A.R. Labs and coming home sicker than I've ever seen you could be considered a small price," The older teen said, allowing his gaze to soften ever so slightly. When the green teen simply shrugged, he sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Beast boy, I know you want to do your part in making the world a better place, but you already do more than enough here, you don't have to keep putting yourself through hell," This time it was Beast boy's turn to scoff.

"It's not hell, Cy," He said.

"Maybe not to most people, but I happen to know you well enough to see that any place like the Labs is a living nightmare for you," The robotic teen growled, "I've tried giving you needles before, I've seen your reactions, and I also happen to know that S.T.A.R. labs is full of people in lab coats," Beast boy visibly winced at the mention of needles and grimaced at the thought of the stark white jackets worn by most medically trained people, only proving Cyborg's point further.

"Okay, so it's hell…" He groaned, pinching the bridge of his grass-green nose, "It doesn't change anything. Cy… you don't get it…" he sighed. The robotic teen's anger rose.

"What don't I get, Beast boy?!" He yelled, "What am I missing that makes you think doing this to yourself is okay?!" The green teen flinched at his friend's volume, his sensitive ears ringing.

"It's just… it's my-," Beast boy tried, but Cyborg cut him off.

"No, B! They're treating you like a lab-rat! You shouldn't have to-,"

"It's for my parents Cyborg!" Beast boy yelled, seething with frustration and anger. Cyborg was quickly silenced, staring wide-eyed at his friend. Beast boy never said anything about his parents.

Cyborg continued to stare at his friend in bewilderment, trying to make sense of his exclamation. Beast boy could tell just by looking at the older teen, that he was trying –and failing- to understand what little of an explanation he gave, so he decided he may as well be fair and build upon it.

"They were biologists," he sighed in defeat, "Famous biologists… award winning biologists… but things happened, bad things… and then I had to go and make things worse…" he sighed again, staring at the floor, "They made me who I am now Cy… they saved my life, but I was to afraid to save theirs… They lost everything because of me. All their work went to waste…" He finally looked up to meet his older friend's still bewildered gaze, "I need to make it up to them… and since we both know that I'm no good at science myself, the next best thing would be to offer myself up to research."

Cyborg stood silent for a moment, trying to connect the small fragments of Beast boy's life that had just been offered to him… but there wasn't enough. He remained confused, but had a slightly better idea about why Beast boy felt the need to be some random scientists pin cushion for the next to days.

"They're more than just tests to you," he clarified. The green changeling nodded, weary of his friend's reaction.

"It's the last thing I can do… to make up for what I didn't do before, Cy… it's worth the pain," he said with a soft smile. Cyborg frowned slightly, but at the sight his smaller friend's defeated appearance, he allowed his features to soften.

"I don't believe that you did anything wrong B… and I may not have known them, but I doubt your parents would ever expect you to go through all this just to make up for something you probably had little to do with," his voice was stern, but a small smile graced his features, "but… if it helps you feel a bit better… than I guess I'll let you do the damn tests," Beast boy chuckled.

"I don't remember you having any say in the matter," he smirked up at the taller boy.

"I don't remember ever needing one," Cyborg paralleled, a soft laugh edging his voice.

They continued down the hall way side by side, Cyborg still worried for his friend but willing to put it aside for the time being.

"So, what do you say to some tofu pizza and a Mega-Monster marathon before I go?" Beast boy asked cheerfully. Cyborg snorted.

"Tofu? Yeah right! But the movies sound good," The changeling laughed.

"Fine then, we'll have a half-meat, half-tofu pizza," and with a wink, he raced off toward the common room, with a fleeting shout of, "Last one there pays the bill!".