Rescue

The Beast's claws tore into the door. It was made of four-inch-thick solid vanadium steel; it could've been silly putty for all the resistance it offered.

It was wrenched out of its mountings with a horrid screech of tormented metal that almost made the ears bleed, followed by an inhuman howl redolent of rage and vindictiveness. Before the door had time to clang heavily on the floor, the Beast was already upon the legion of Slade-bots waiting inside. He ripped and tore and maimed and ravaged his way through them, careless of the beams and slugs that struck his impervious hide. Any laser beam or high-caliber round that did manage to penetrate and do any appreciable damage only fed his fury; the scrapes and burns and wounds closed and healed almost as quickly as they were created.

Starbolts, sonic blasts and birdarangs mopped up any stragglers remaining in his wake as he moved ever forward, following her scent. His arms swept in wide, fearsome arcs, the razor-sharp talons shredding metal, plastic, concrete and glass with equal ease, sending an unending shower of debris and sparking robot parts all around to bounce off the walls and litter the floor almost knee-deep, slowly crackling and fizzling out.

The scent of his mate brought him to yet another metal door. A huge green fist slammed into it ferociously, crumpling it like paper and sending it crashing deafeningly against the opposite wall. He bounded inside, following the scent that took him unerringly towards the holding cells.

Tough steel bars were swept aside, bent and broken like noodles. Quickly loping over, he sniffed her anxiously and broke carefully the manacles that held her chained to the wall.

"I'm fine, Gar, calm down!" she croaked through a parched throat. The snarl on his face faded as his sense of smell confirmed her words. His talons went to her neck and crushed the power-dampening collar with utmost care, without leaving a single mark on her skin. He scooped her up lovingly and her arms went around his thick neck, barely able to envelop it completely.

"It's all right, Gar. I'm fine. I'm not hurt. Calm down. Relax," she hummed, feeling the Beast's rage and anxiety diminish and fade. Her hand scratched him behind the ear, bringing out a low, rumbling purr from deep in his chest. She smiled, knowing that he would unwind now that he knew she was safe. Her hand went to the clasp of her cloak and she removed it. He will soon need it more than she did.

Suddenly a whiff of a dangerous scent made his ears prick up and his head turn. His enemy was there, a weapon in his hands, observing them coldly through the only eye-slit in his mask.

The Beast snarled and lowered his mate down gently, then turned to face the threat. But before anyone could do anything, three mystic words rang out and a bolt of black power streaked towards the one-eyed mercenary. He threw himself aside, dodging the blast. The demonic energy struck the wall and obliterated it. The ceiling and the remainder of the wall collapsed and buried their opponent beneath tons of rubble.

The Beast breathed deeply and swiveled his sensitive ears, searching for signs of danger and finding none. Just as he started relaxing again he heard the footsteps of the other members of his pack approaching. He turned to them and growled menacingly. Packmates or not, right now no one was allowed near his mate.

The approaching trio stopped, heeding both the threatening growl and Raven's hand, raised in warning. A hint of apprehension enriched their combined scents and his growl deepened, fueled by the instinctive reaction of a hunter to frightened prey.

"Stop that!" an irritated voice brought him back. He turned his large head to look at her and rumbled dismissively. He had switched from protector to predator in a heartbeat, and right now he wanted to go hunting.

"Garfield!" There was a cold, sharp edge to her words. It reminded him of why she was his mate. "That's enough!"

He roared at the ceiling in frustration, without any effect on her except for the deepening of her frown. He snorted, his shoulders slumped and he bent his head, offering her his neck with a guilty whine.

"I'm not biting your neck, Gar!" she grumbled in disgust. "I'd be picking hairs out of my teeth for days!"

The huge head bent lower, butting gently against her shoulder. She sighed, rolled her eyes and scratched him again behind the ears. The deep, rumbling purr that came from his throat slowly quieted, and he shrunk into his human form.

She wrapped her cloak around him. As she expected, he was naked. The transformation into the Beast was unlike his usual morphing; it was practically a switch to all the animals combined.

Raven steadied him as he swayed on his feet, feeling dizzy. It was a normal reaction to the massive change he'd just undergone; his human side had to reestablish itself and it left him dazed for a few minutes until the process was completed.

"Y'all OK, little sis?" Cyborg's concerned voice made her look up.

"I'm fine. Whatever Slade wanted with me, he never got around to it."

"Are you sure, Rae? You never know with that one," their leader said, unconvinced. The only answer he received was an expressively raised eyebrow. He shook his head in defeat.

"I'll teleport Gar to the Tower. You can meet us there," Raven said in her best monotone, then a small smile tugged at her lips on one side of her face, making it ever so crooked.

"You don't need to hurry, though. Go and treat yourselves to a pizza." Her smile expanded with a definite note of mischief. "Make it a big one."

A black portal opened and swallowed the couple. Starfire giggled and Cyborg facepalmed. Robin tried to hide the blush he felt burning on his face. "You heard the boss!" he grumbled to the others and they followed him out.