Chapter 10: Ignorance The dark Titan Tower received its first rays of sunlight the next morning and a rested shape-shifter stretched cat-like on the floor before grabbing some breakfast and rushing outside.
After Beast Boy had rejoined his team, Robin ranted once again about trust and responsibility after he failed to reach him on his communicator when two inmates almost managed to slip through his fingers.
But now that he thought about it, maybe the tension was caused after the changeling said that he probably forgot it back at the Tower.
Or maybe Robin still felt that Beast Boy wasn't trustworthy if he kept his thoughts busy with Terra.
The changeling arrived at the school with a frown on his face and almost stomped through the hallway. "Calm down. Robin is nothing to get worked up about," Beast Boy murmured and simply saying this eased his anger and he found himself smiling.
He passed Terra's class and he sneaked a peek through the window pane…but it was empty. Yet…he didn't feel as disappointed as he did just a week ago.
Was…he probably moving on?
He shook his head as if answering his own question.
He would never move on!
The shape-shifter continued his stroll until he came to the library.
Could she be here?
The green teen entered the world of books, his eyes roaming over every corner before it stopped on a book with a hunting rifle displayed on it.
He stepped closer to the hidden figure, Raven's words from last night reeling in his mind. "Terra?" he murmured unsurely, not sure if she could stand seeing him anymore, even less wanted to.
"Dareda ka wakarimasu ka?" came from behind the book.
Beast Boy slowly smiled, not even caring right now what she said – he was happy enough to hear that strange language from her. "Tezumi…"
The book lowered and Tezumi saw Beast Boy sitting across from her and she smiled.
"What's shakin'?" he asked and she cocked her head confused while muttering something under her breath. "You know, I wondered…if we could…'talk' today again. But this time, how about we do it in Titans Tower?" Beast Boy asked carefully, avoiding eye-contact. He made sure to use his hands as much as possible so she would understand and after a minute or so, she nodded in understanding. "Iie," she muttered curtly and Beast Boy's face fell, knowing from her hard expression that she had probably declined his offer.
"Why? Is the tower not 'fun' enough? Can I at least show you around before we do something else?" Beast Boy almost cried in protest but tried to show that he could take bad news.
The Asian gently shook her head. "Kyo wa setsumei shimasen."
"So does that mean you changed your mind?" Beast Boy asked while slowly nodding his head.
She sighed, placing her book on the table. "Watashi wa kon'ya kari tsumoridesu," she stated matter-of-factly and Beast Boy's hopeful expression faded into grimness.
Tezumi smiled slowly, causing him to look at her in confusion and she took his hands in hers, squeezing them tightly. "Shinpaishinaidekudasai! Watashi wa, anata ga hyoji sa remasu."
He smiled back at her. "I have no idea what you just said."
This time, the dark-haired girl looked in confusion. "Nan to iimashita ka?"
Beast Boy joined in her confused expression and shrugged his shoulders and she understood…that he didn't understand something – either her or himself. Thinking this, she burst out laughing and the shape-shifter soon joined her.
And as she glanced over his shoulder, her eyes narrowed suddenly when catching sight of someone at the doorway. A blonde-haired girl stood awkwardly to the side of the doorway, as if not sure if she should enter the library. Her blue eyes looked in surprise…and shock at them before her gaze lowered.
Beast Boy looked at Tezumi in worry, realizing that she stopped laughing. His laughter died as well, seeing her…serious expression and he looked over his shoulder.
But all he could find was an empty doorway.
He turned back to her and he was received with a warm smile. "So…could we do something…tomorrow or maybe another day?" Beast Boy asked, his eyes on her hands that were still on his. He looked up to see her shrug her shoulders before she gave him an…almost annoyed expression.
She muttered something before she gave out a sigh and Beast Boy stood up and returned shortly with a calendar in his hand. "What about tomorrow?" he asked and pointed to the date one day from today.
And he felt heat rise to his face when he saw her smirk at him and her eyes gain that playful glint in them. "Anata ga shinu mae ni, watashitachiha otagai ga hyoji sa remasu."
He waited expectantly for a translation and she gave him a nod, causing him to squeal happily. "Sweet!" Realizing that he said that aloud, he blushed in embarrassment and looked to the side.
Her smirk turned to a grin.
What an idiot!
Tezumi stood up, surprising the shape-shifter. "You got class?" he asked and pointed to the door of the library and guessing the meaning, Tezumi nodded.
"See ya tomorrow!" Beast Boy waved brightly and the Asian hurried out of the library.
Meanwhile 4 heroes had finished with Breakfast and had gathered in the common room for some TV (except Raven who was reading a book in the kitchen). "Please let us see some of the 'romantic movies'," Starfire asked for the 3rd time.
"No! This time I'll choose a movie! And I say Sci-Fi is what's cooking right now," Cyborg said, waving his movie wildly in front of the alien princess.
"I refuse to watch something that is of no value to life and only displays excessive violence," Starfire protested.
"No value!? If there is something that has got no value, it's clichéd romance and something we call violence is girls scratching each other's eyes out over a guy too oblivious for his own good," Cyborg retorted.
In the kitchen, Raven rolled her eyes at their argument.
"Has anyone seen Beast Boy?" the voice of their leader broke in.
"Check the bathroom," Raven murmured.
"I did – in fact I've been looking for him all over now…but I can't find him."
"Maybe you got to look for him in places where he would normally not go?" Cyborg suggested and soon Robin found himself standing in front of the training room.
But something caught his attention – something he didn't like at all.
Suddenly red lights filled the Tower and Robin's team rushed to the mainframe computer. And as Robin's eyes took in the virtual map of Titan Tower, his anger increased and he pulled out his Titan communicator, trying to reach a certain green Titan once more.
But like before, there was no answer.
"What is bothering you?" Starfire asked.
And before Robin could answer, Beast Boy came rushing towards them. "Which bad guy should we send to jail town this time?" he grinned.
"How about the ones that managed to get inside the Tower? Robin said angrily and the changeling frowned at his tone.
"Dude! Did you get up on the wrong foot or something?"
"How about you tell me why you're not answering your communicator?"
"Because I forgot it here."
Robin called once again and Starfire and Cyborg tried to find the location of the yellow device – but there was no blinking of light and no beeping sound.
"Maybe…I dropped it somewhere…" Beast Boy muttered under his breath.
"Can you now tell me why our security system is shut off?" the Boy Wonder asked, his voice rising slightly.
"What? How should I know that?"
"Easy. Tell me where you were yesterday night," Robin asked angrily and glanced at Raven afterwards.
"I told you…I was on the roof!"
"Maybe I should ask it this way: 'With whom were you yesterday?'" Robin asked, his eyes narrowing.
Anger boiled beneath the shape-shifter.
This was personal stuff and Robin had no right to stuff his nose into his business!
"I tell you with who I was – with someone who gives me more respect than you do!" Beast Boy shouted.
"Beast Boy, I will make you-"
"It's Red X!"
Starfire's voice broke through the tension and Robin turned towards the T-Car.
"Starfire's…right! Let's focus on Red X. All except you, Beast Boy!"
"What?"
"It's your fault that we don't have security so you'll be looking out for the Tower until we come back."
"My fault!? I haven't—"
"Don't make me do something that I'll regret later on," Robin said before he walked through the hallway followed by Starfire and Cyborg.
Beast Boy stared at him in disbelief, Raven giving him an apologetic look before she also turned away.
The shape-shifter heard the T-Car speeding out of the garage and walked to the common room, venting his anger for over an hour on the Gamestation.
"My fault? So someone managed to get access to all codes and stuff and suddenly it's my fault!? And that only because I went out with someone!?" Beast Boy cried, smashing the buttons harder than before.
But the Gamestation managed to cool some of his anger and he made himself a big tofu sandwich. After that he watched some TV, at times wondering who his friends might be facing.
Evening slowly set in and the rest of his anger suddenly made him sleepy and he curled up on his bed and it didn't take long for sleep to set in.
The rooms and hallways grew dark as evening transcended into night.
Footsteps echoed through the hallways and Beast Boy's sensitive ears picked up the sound and he turned onto his side. His door slid open and Beast Boy's eyes slowly fluttered open, his eyesight still distorted and blurred.
"Robin? Can you come back later? I still feel beat from our superhero spree last night," he mumbled, turning to his other side and closing his eyes again.
But the footsteps continued until they were almost next to him and they were followed by whispered words muttered into his ear.
"Hoshoko suru jikan…"
Beast Boy's eyes snapped open.
After Beast Boy had rejoined his team, Robin ranted once again about trust and responsibility after he failed to reach him on his communicator when two inmates almost managed to slip through his fingers.
But now that he thought about it, maybe the tension was caused after the changeling said that he probably forgot it back at the Tower.
Or maybe Robin still felt that Beast Boy wasn't trustworthy if he kept his thoughts busy with Terra.
The changeling arrived at the school with a frown on his face and almost stomped through the hallway. "Calm down. Robin is nothing to get worked up about," Beast Boy murmured and simply saying this eased his anger and he found himself smiling.
He passed Terra's class and he sneaked a peek through the window pane…but it was empty. Yet…he didn't feel as disappointed as he did just a week ago.
Was…he probably moving on?
He shook his head as if answering his own question.
He would never move on!
The shape-shifter continued his stroll until he came to the library.
Could she be here?
The green teen entered the world of books, his eyes roaming over every corner before it stopped on a book with a hunting rifle displayed on it.
He stepped closer to the hidden figure, Raven's words from last night reeling in his mind. "Terra?" he murmured unsurely, not sure if she could stand seeing him anymore, even less wanted to.
"Dareda ka wakarimasu ka?" came from behind the book.
Beast Boy slowly smiled, not even caring right now what she said – he was happy enough to hear that strange language from her. "Tezumi…"
The book lowered and Tezumi saw Beast Boy sitting across from her and she smiled.
"What's shakin'?" he asked and she cocked her head confused while muttering something under her breath. "You know, I wondered…if we could…'talk' today again. But this time, how about we do it in Titans Tower?" Beast Boy asked carefully, avoiding eye-contact. He made sure to use his hands as much as possible so she would understand and after a minute or so, she nodded in understanding. "Iie," she muttered curtly and Beast Boy's face fell, knowing from her hard expression that she had probably declined his offer.
"Why? Is the tower not 'fun' enough? Can I at least show you around before we do something else?" Beast Boy almost cried in protest but tried to show that he could take bad news.
The Asian gently shook her head. "Kyo wa setsumei shimasen."
"So does that mean you changed your mind?" Beast Boy asked while slowly nodding his head.
She sighed, placing her book on the table. "Watashi wa kon'ya kari tsumoridesu," she stated matter-of-factly and Beast Boy's hopeful expression faded into grimness.
Tezumi smiled slowly, causing him to look at her in confusion and she took his hands in hers, squeezing them tightly. "Shinpaishinaidekudasai! Watashi wa, anata ga hyoji sa remasu."
He smiled back at her. "I have no idea what you just said."
This time, the dark-haired girl looked in confusion. "Nan to iimashita ka?"
Beast Boy joined in her confused expression and shrugged his shoulders and she understood…that he didn't understand something – either her or himself. Thinking this, she burst out laughing and the shape-shifter soon joined her.
And as she glanced over his shoulder, her eyes narrowed suddenly when catching sight of someone at the doorway. A blonde-haired girl stood awkwardly to the side of the doorway, as if not sure if she should enter the library. Her blue eyes looked in surprise…and shock at them before her gaze lowered.
Beast Boy looked at Tezumi in worry, realizing that she stopped laughing. His laughter died as well, seeing her…serious expression and he looked over his shoulder.
But all he could find was an empty doorway.
He turned back to her and he was received with a warm smile. "So…could we do something…tomorrow or maybe another day?" Beast Boy asked, his eyes on her hands that were still on his. He looked up to see her shrug her shoulders before she gave him an…almost annoyed expression.
She muttered something before she gave out a sigh and Beast Boy stood up and returned shortly with a calendar in his hand. "What about tomorrow?" he asked and pointed to the date one day from today.
And he felt heat rise to his face when he saw her smirk at him and her eyes gain that playful glint in them. "Anata ga shinu mae ni, watashitachiha otagai ga hyoji sa remasu."
He waited expectantly for a translation and she gave him a nod, causing him to squeal happily. "Sweet!" Realizing that he said that aloud, he blushed in embarrassment and looked to the side.
Her smirk turned to a grin.
What an idiot!
Tezumi stood up, surprising the shape-shifter. "You got class?" he asked and pointed to the door of the library and guessing the meaning, Tezumi nodded.
"See ya tomorrow!" Beast Boy waved brightly and the Asian hurried out of the library.
Meanwhile 4 heroes had finished with Breakfast and had gathered in the common room for some TV (except Raven who was reading a book in the kitchen). "Please let us see some of the 'romantic movies'," Starfire asked for the 3rd time.
"No! This time I'll choose a movie! And I say Sci-Fi is what's cooking right now," Cyborg said, waving his movie wildly in front of the alien princess.
"I refuse to watch something that is of no value to life and only displays excessive violence," Starfire protested.
"No value!? If there is something that has got no value, it's clichéd romance and something we call violence is girls scratching each other's eyes out over a guy too oblivious for his own good," Cyborg retorted.
In the kitchen, Raven rolled her eyes at their argument.
"Has anyone seen Beast Boy?" the voice of their leader broke in.
"Check the bathroom," Raven murmured.
"I did – in fact I've been looking for him all over now…but I can't find him."
"Maybe you got to look for him in places where he would normally not go?" Cyborg suggested and soon Robin found himself standing in front of the training room.
But something caught his attention – something he didn't like at all.
Suddenly red lights filled the Tower and Robin's team rushed to the mainframe computer. And as Robin's eyes took in the virtual map of Titan Tower, his anger increased and he pulled out his Titan communicator, trying to reach a certain green Titan once more.
But like before, there was no answer.
"What is bothering you?" Starfire asked.
And before Robin could answer, Beast Boy came rushing towards them. "Which bad guy should we send to jail town this time?" he grinned.
"How about the ones that managed to get inside the Tower? Robin said angrily and the changeling frowned at his tone.
"Dude! Did you get up on the wrong foot or something?"
"How about you tell me why you're not answering your communicator?"
"Because I forgot it here."
Robin called once again and Starfire and Cyborg tried to find the location of the yellow device – but there was no blinking of light and no beeping sound.
"Maybe…I dropped it somewhere…" Beast Boy muttered under his breath.
"Can you now tell me why our security system is shut off?" the Boy Wonder asked, his voice rising slightly.
"What? How should I know that?"
"Easy. Tell me where you were yesterday night," Robin asked angrily and glanced at Raven afterwards.
"I told you…I was on the roof!"
"Maybe I should ask it this way: 'With whom were you yesterday?'" Robin asked, his eyes narrowing.
Anger boiled beneath the shape-shifter.
This was personal stuff and Robin had no right to stuff his nose into his business!
"I tell you with who I was – with someone who gives me more respect than you do!" Beast Boy shouted.
"Beast Boy, I will make you-"
"It's Red X!"
Starfire's voice broke through the tension and Robin turned towards the T-Car.
"Starfire's…right! Let's focus on Red X. All except you, Beast Boy!"
"What?"
"It's your fault that we don't have security so you'll be looking out for the Tower until we come back."
"My fault!? I haven't—"
"Don't make me do something that I'll regret later on," Robin said before he walked through the hallway followed by Starfire and Cyborg.
Beast Boy stared at him in disbelief, Raven giving him an apologetic look before she also turned away.
The shape-shifter heard the T-Car speeding out of the garage and walked to the common room, venting his anger for over an hour on the Gamestation.
"My fault? So someone managed to get access to all codes and stuff and suddenly it's my fault!? And that only because I went out with someone!?" Beast Boy cried, smashing the buttons harder than before.
But the Gamestation managed to cool some of his anger and he made himself a big tofu sandwich. After that he watched some TV, at times wondering who his friends might be facing.
Evening slowly set in and the rest of his anger suddenly made him sleepy and he curled up on his bed and it didn't take long for sleep to set in.
The rooms and hallways grew dark as evening transcended into night.
Footsteps echoed through the hallways and Beast Boy's sensitive ears picked up the sound and he turned onto his side. His door slid open and Beast Boy's eyes slowly fluttered open, his eyesight still distorted and blurred.
"Robin? Can you come back later? I still feel beat from our superhero spree last night," he mumbled, turning to his other side and closing his eyes again.
But the footsteps continued until they were almost next to him and they were followed by whispered words muttered into his ear.
"Hoshoko suru jikan…"
Beast Boy's eyes snapped open.