Chapter 24: Concerning A Shadow

(The Watchtower, the next day)

Tension is high at the base. Several of the heroes at their homes with Superman, Red Arrow, Batman, Robin, Batgirl, Blue Beetle, and several others being among them. Beast Boy had taken the news the hardest of all. His friendship with his fellow shapeshifter had become much stronger as time went on. When Gabriel wasn't on missions or with Katherine, he was usually with Garfield. BB is on his bed with his head under his pillows. His normal energetic self had lessened with Batman's news. M'gann had to beg Beast Boy from attacking the Dark Knight. Beast Boy believed he possibly could change into one of the many ancient animals after concentrating and feeling the change for some time. He received a knock on his door.

"Go away!" He growled halfheartedly. "Garfield, please open the door." M'gann called from the other side. "No!" He replied.

The martian girl moved through the wall and walked up to her…brother's bed. She sat down on it, looking at him.

"Come on Gar, none of us are happy about the situation." She said.

Beast Boy poked his head out of the pillows to look at her.

"None of us?" BB grunted. "…Batman didn't seem to…" She tried to say, but was interrupted, "Does he ever look happy to you"

M'gann sighed then shook her head. BB let out an almost inaudible growl before sticking his head back into the pillows. She groaned in frustration. The situation wasn't good. Gabriel had been kind of difficult to be around for many of the team and the League too. His presence in the Watchtower was an uneasy situation for quite a few of the heroes. But over time, most of the heroes began to like him. Even though they didn't agree with his methods, they saw the good in him. The shapeshifter had tried his best to be on good terms with everyone…but that didn't happen. Batman had no trust towards the youth for he was dead set against the way Gabriel had taken care of some criminals. Even though the killers Gabriel ended were not known by the Bat, Bruce still didn't approve of them dying even though they killed so many innocents and truly enjoyed it.

"I bet he's having a party in his cave...knowing he finally locked up Gabriel…" Garfield growled. "I'm not sure he holds his parties there." M'gann half chuckled.

Garfield got out of his bed and went to the door. M'gann followed him to the exercise area of the tower. Garfield had enjoyed quite a few basketball games with Gabriel and some of the others on the team. They found Conner and Mal lifting weights. Well, Conner on the extreme advanced set and Mal on the normal set. Garfield walked over to the punching bag. M'gann sat on a bench and watched her brother jab the bag. Conner had just finished his workout and walked over to sit by his girlfriend.

"Is he ok?" He asked. "Huh, no. He's furious with Batman. I mean the team could tell I was holding him back from attacking the leader of the League." She sighed. "He and Gabriel are good friends, but Gabriel is…" Conner tried to say, but couldn't really put his thoughts into words. "Gabriel is darkness among light." Mal said as he entered the conversation, walking up to them.

He had a strong point. Gabriel's hero name even had the word dark in it. The shifter had always stuck to the shadows, for the light would only expose him….and take away his freedom. The three turned to see BB growling. He wasn't letting loose his anger well enough. He changed into a tiger and swatted the bag, taking it off its chain. He leapt onto it and began tearing it apart with his claws. The young shapeshifter bellowed as he tore the bag apart.

"Wow…he took it down faster than I did." Mal gasped. "Considering he turned into an organism several times stronger than a man…"M'gann half chuckled. "Yeah, yeah…but still…I haven't ever seen him this angry before. I hope Gabriel gets out of that madhouse soon." Mal grunted. "Or thing swill get nasty…I heard he was trying his best to keep himself calm…but I don't think being in a cage will keep him docile for long." Superboy added.

(In the League's private meeting room)

Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, and Wonder Woman are watching the footage of Beast Boy's 'tantrum' on a holographic screen. Then Canary moved her hand down on the screen, making it disappear.

"Garfield's temper has gotten worse." Dinah sighed. "Yes, the boy's bond with our other young friend has caused him to temporarily stray from his more playful side." J'onn added.

Wonder Woman rubbed her chin, contemplating the situation.

"I didn't ever think one could be missed as much…as possibly Wally…though it seems being caged again is making the situation worse. It sets up a set of what some would call betrayal. The team might trust us much longer." Canary continued. "You can't seriously think that?" Diana asked. "It could happen even though it hasn't. One of the reasons Dick left being Robin was because he felt Bruce didn't take him seriously enough." Dinah replied. "Gabriel seems to have changed the entire atmosphere of the ties between everyone here. There's something about him that I don't understand…" J'onn said.

The two women nodded. Something about the shadowy youth intrigued all of them. Deep within Gabriel had changed everything. J'onn himself could tell without his mind reading, even if it worked fully on the shifter, that Gabriel barely understood himself.

"Trying to understand him is like a sheep trying to put itself into a wolf's shoes…paws…or whatever. The point is that there is a lot about him we don't understand." Canary added. "What about the genetic test?" J'onn asked. "Batman, Atom, and Bumblebee looked over his DNA several times…just a lot of animal DNA with and quite a bit of some dark…something. They believe it's the key to understanding Gabriel. But they say they haven't seen anything like it." Dinah answered. "Hmm…so Bruce doesn't have all the answers for once…interesting." Wonder Woman chuckled. "His answers concerning Gabriel sure weren't favorable. He must be so scared." Black Canary sighed. "I don't think he's scared." Diana said.

Dinah and J'onn looked at her in confusion.

"When I looked into his eyes deeply for the first time. I wasn't completely sure what I was looking at. But there are a few things I believe I know." She replied. "What?" Dinah and J'onn asked in unison. "He has the look of a warrior…but also the look of possibly a berserker…If he doesn't get out soon…He might just carve his way out." Diana answered.

To be continued…