A/N: Hello Everyone! One, the new Justice League vs. Teen Titans was amazing. And two this is a super long chapter with multiple POV's. Like the hospital chapter! And please review. It's encouraging and helpful since I did a POV I'm not comfortable with. With that, thank you to those who have patiently waited, followed, and favorited. To those that reviewed:
RPGPersona- Sorry! No tofu field, but I do hope you find this just as entertaining and interesting.
Kago-San -As you wish!
Eldrid Ragnarok- Thank you so much! And I do enjoy writing this. It has surprised me how long and loved it's become.
Lostxinxthexdarkness- The wait is over!
Thank you guys! All my readers are amazing and wonderful and I hope you all will read and REVIEW. But most of all ENJOY!
Disclaimer: I so wish I owned Teen Titans but I don't. :'[
Robin's POV
Robin observed the forest around him. It was dark and it seemed like it was hiding something. Trees and even some bushes were towering over him. Worst of all, he swore he heard voices whisper in the forest.
"You alright there Rob?" Gar yelled in curious concern. Little Garfield was walking next to Cyborg chatting away happily about pranks and jokes. Cyborg looked like he was listening but Robin saw the tense way he held himself. Robin knew he heard the voices too. "Robieeeeee, you there?" Gar sang right in front of him. Robin jumped a bit but composed himself quickly.
"Yeah." Robin said with worry. Then he heard a woman cry and began to run to her. Except he tripped on something and fell to the ground. Robin looked up to see that Gar tripped him. "Wha?" Robin replied in shock and breathlessness. Robin saw Cyborg's gaze switch between the source of the cry and Robin. Garfield was covering his ears and trembling.
"Gotcha!" Gar yelled cheerfully. Gar pulled Robin up and close. "Ignore what you hear and keep walking." Gar whispered coldly. Yet when he pulled away from Robin there was a sweet smile on his face. "Now let's skedaddle and catch up with the others." Robin was consumed by a sudden rage at Gar. Robin grabbed Gar's arm and roughly pulled them till their noses were touching.
"I am sick of this cheery facade. Tell me-" Robin's growl was interrupted by a gunshot. He let go of Gar and ran towards it. Leaves and twigs hit him as he ran, but he didn't care. He needed to stop whoever shot the gun. The woman cried again. Robin started to see what looked like an African village. Robin could see that some of the huts were on fire and everything was either brown or red. When he cleared the foliage in his way Robin was in time to see a sobbing woman jump at a burly brown haired man. The man shot the woman in the stomach. Robin froze. As the woman fell back, Robin saw his mother fall from the rope. He was powerless, scared, and he hated it. A warm energy seemed to fill him. Everything was turning red and Robin didn't care. He felt powerful. He felt angry. The animalistic rage growing in him gave him power to move again. Robin launched himself at the shooter with a roar. Except something tackled Robin to the side. Robin and his threat were thrown into a tree. It hurt but it barely registered in his mind. Robin faced his threat ready to fight.
"Rob!" It called. Robin's red vision began to clear but then he remembered the woman who was shot, his mother. He growled and attacked the teen in front of him.
"He has to pay!" Robin yelled. The teen was prepared for this and dodged him.
"Robin! Snap out of it! NOW!" This time the teen attacked Robin. He pinned Robin to the ground and held tightly, bruising Robin's skin. His teeth were bared and his green eyes held a contained fury. Robin 's red vision cleared as a shiver of fear passed through him. He shook his head as Gar's sandy blonde hair and striking green skin appeared in his view. Gar must've realized that Robin was claiming down since his face was human again but there was an apprehensive look in his eyes.
"I'm good Gar. I'm back." Robin said with a calm and weary voice. Gar stared at him for a few seconds then he put his head back and sighed in relief.
"Thank God! That cat would've killed me." Gar got off of Robin. Robin was still trying to clear his head. It felt like something invaded his thoughts and feelings. He could feel traces of that brutal rage but he couldn't understand what happened. "You okay?" Robin looked at Gar. His hand was out and a gentle smile was on his face but there was worry in his eyes. Robin now saw how Gar was a part of Beast Boy, for in that moment, he looked exactly like Beast Boy.
"Yeah, thanks." Robin grabbed Gar's hand and pulled himself up. When Robin was finish dusting himself off he glared at Gar. "What just happened?" Robin asked sternly.
"There's nothing that I can say or do that would make you magically forget what just happened, huh?" Gar was rubbing his neck. Robin's glare intensified and Gar cringed. "Figured I try." Gar took a deep breath and sat on a tree root that suddenly appeared. "You might want to sit down for this." Robin raised an eyebrow and ignored the shifting ground behind him. "Okay then. Look Rob, all of you guys are in my mind, well Beast Boy's mind. Our current state isn't at its best. In fact, I've never seen it this bad." Gar chuckled but Robin didn't like how dark it sounded. "Our own mind is hurting us. And now that you guys are in it, it has new chew toys." Robin felt his mouth go dry. Gar didn't notice. He seemed like he was on some angry rant. "That red thing has been trying to consume us and take over ever since it escaped."
"Escape?" Robin questioned quietly. Robin sat down as Gar nodded.
"It was locked away in a deep cave. We didn't know how to get rid of it, all we know was that the more human we were and the more we hung around friends and family, it would be quiet. We could forget it was there. We did forget. Then it almost escaped when we were fighting Rae's crazy dad but the Beast held it back. He's the only one that can. But even he can't destroy it. If we just kept the memories that trigger it at bay, it would be quiet. Now those memories are all that we remember. I can't remember my friends, my pack."
"But you said you did remember us." Robin didn't know how the parts of mind worked, but he did remember Beast Boy saying he remembered them a little bit.
"Only names. I don't have the memories. I don't have any current memories either. That little runt took them so he could fulfill his want. Everyone just ignores me." Gar whispered sadly. Robin couldn't help but squirm at seeing Gar looking so depressed. He never thought any part of Beast Boy could be depressed. Then he went back to being angry. "Then that red energy tries to take over. Trying to seduce itself onto us, promising power and safety." Gar spat.
"You don't want that?" Robin asked calmly. He remembered the draw to power, to rage.
"Hell no. I hate power. I want control over my mind. I want to live a normal life. And I was so close to that too. Even that stupid cat was finally accepting it but that thing had to come and remind us why that's never freaking possible and it destroyed the only safe place in here! Now we can't even change that much because it makes our mind more vulnerable." Gar growled baring his sharp teeth. "I could barely save you guys from that cheetah without losing my mind a bit! Now it's going after you guys." Robin couldn't stop his eyebrow raise in confusion. "It's some form of rage. It latches on to that and creates more to feed on it. Then it causes destruction and death wherever it goes. We've been fighting it off so it probably sees you guys as another avenue to escape." He explained offhandedly.
"And you guys powerless against it?" Robin wondered. He thought they were they only ones that were powerless. He hated being powerless but part of him figured that since it was Beast Boy's mind they would be safe. Obviously not.
"Yep. But have we ever been powerful?" Gar scoffed. Robin felt something cold enter his stomach when he saw the dark look on Gar's face. "We couldn't save the Chief and his wife, my parents, now you guys. I can't believe that cat was right."
"Who's the cat?" Robin questioned. Gar opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. Instead Robin saw a confused look grow on his face.
"It can't be." He whispered.
"What is it?" Robin prepared himself for a fight but then Gar had a growing grin. He jumped up and pulled Robin after him.
"Come on! I knew she could do it!" Gar yelled happily. Robin was utterly confused as a metal door appeared in front of them but he glanced at Gar and was relieved to see a genuine smile on his face.
Cyborg's POV
Robin ran towards the scream and Cyborg was going to go after him but Gar held his hand out.
"Take care of Garfield." Gar ordered, then he ran after Robin. Cyborg stood looking at the path both Robin and Gar went down. Cyborg didn't look at Garfield till he heard a whimper come from the little boy. Garfield was trembling in a small ball, resting on his hind legs.
"You alright there buddy?" Cyborg approached the small boy hesitantly. Cyborg heard him mumble something along the lines of go away but he wasn't sure. "Garfield?" Suddenly Garfield swiped a clawed hand at Cyborg. Cyborg fell backwards with a loud thunk. Cyborg didn't even have time to get up before Garfield pounced on him. Cyborg could barely hold Garfield back as he tried to maul and claw him with newly sharp teeth and claws. Cyborg saw that his eyes were red and bloodshot. It was scarier to see the red energy affect a human little boy version of Beast Boy than it was to see the actual Beast Boy affected by it. "Garfield! Snap out of it!" Garfield paused and Cyborg didn't take any time to flip him. over and hold him down. Suddenly Garfield's eyes turned back to the sky blue they were before. At first, Cyborg noted that Garfield looked like he was in a haze, still not completely there. Soon after, his eyes widen and he began to whimper and tremble in Cyborg's grip.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Let me go please! Please!" Garfield cried, his eyes shut and brimming with tears. Cyborg was shocked with the sudden change and let go of Garfield. He quickly scooted away from Cyborg and went back into his curled position from before, the stream of apologies spewing forth from his lips.
"Garfield, calm down." Cyborg said gently. He just wanted the kid to stop crying, but Garfield covered his ears, the stream growing into whimpers, and his eyes were shut tight. Cyborg was at a lost. Then suddenly he remembered the situation with Mad Mod. Cyborg observed Garfield tentatively. It was different than Beast Boy being hypnotized to brainlessness but it could work. Cyborg took a deep breath, scooted closer to Garfield, moved his tense and shaking hand, and gave Garfield a wet willy. Instantly, Garfield froze. Cyborg sat there, with his wet robotic finger still in Garfield's ear, worried. The boy froze like a statute. Then his head turned slowly towards Cyborg. Cyborg quickly took out his finger and smiled sheepishly back at Garfield. "Gotcha!" Cyborg laughed nervously. Soon Garfield joined in with a small chuckle. Their laughter grew into true laughs of joy. After their laughter died down, Cyborg wiped the tears of joy from his eyes.
"So you're not mad?" Garfield asked shyly. Cyborg looked back down at Garfield. They were both sitting on the ground next to each other, legs out in front of them. He wasn't looking at Cyborg but he was digging the dirt on the other side of him. Garfield may be more human and a little boy but Cyborg couldn't help his smile. Garfield was just like Beast Boy. Guess some things really never change.
"Nah." Cyborg finally replied nonchalantly, but Garfield still didn't lose his cautious mood.
"Scared?" This time Garfield seemed to tighten in on himself.
"Of you green bean?" Cyborg noticed how Garfield smiled and opened up a bit at the nickname. Garfield still nodded. "Of course not!" From his peripheral, Cyborg saw Garfield finally look up at him. "I would be scared of a rabid kitten before I was scared of you." Cyborg smirked at Garfield.
"Really?!" He beamed, but then quickly he composed himself and become more serious, his chest popping out. "I mean you should be. I'm scary." Garfield then made what Cyborg believed was supposed to be a scary face. Cyborg chuckled at Garfield's attempt to look scary and ruffled his hair.
"Sure you are kid." They sat in a comfortable silence. Cyborg realized that the depths of the forest began to look less ominous and the voices he heard stop. "Where are we?"
"My playground." Cyborg gazed down at Garfield in confusion. "Well, it is it now. Ever since we hit our head the tower was destroyed and I hid here. The other guys call call it the forest of memor or something. I call it the haunted forest. This is where we put the memories we didn't like." Cyborg understood why Garfield would see this place as haunting.
"So if you don't like this place why did you hide here?" Cyborg wondered aloud. Garfield shook his head vigorously.
"I didn't say I don't like it here. They others don't. They hate it. I like it. I mean it's scary and it makes me want to help Red but I get to see mom and dad again. When I forgot about you guys I came here. I just want to spend time with them again, you know?" Garfield gave Cyborg a pleading stare. Cyborg swallowed down his sadness because yes, he did get it. Oh boy, did he get it. The desperation to go through hell just to get that sense of normalcy. The only difference he could see between him and Garfield was that it was home for Garfield. Then Cyborg began to think about Beast Boy. He rarely saw him do anything alone. He was always with someone. Pestering them, trying to make them laugh, getting their attention anyway he could. Cyborg glanced at Garfield again. He was humming some tune and moving random body parts to the tune. He really hasn't changed at all. He's still a kid looking for a home.
"You know Gar-"
"OMG!" Garfield jumped up in excitement almost giving Cyborg a heart attack. Garfield beamed at Cyborg. "She fixed it! She fixed it! We can go home!" Garfield was jumping up and down, joy coming off of him like a kid on Christmas.
"Awesome." Cyborg wished he could join in the enthusiasm but he was still lost since the forest only looked a little different but he didn't see anything leading to this 'home.' "Now where do we go?"
"Follow me!" Garfield grabbed Cyborg's hand and began pulling. It was cute to see Garfield struggle to pull him. Then Garfield turned back to Cyborg with an angry pout on his face. "Okay, okay." Garfield smiled and began pulling again, but this time Cyborg allowed him to.
Starfire's POV
Starfire, Raven, and Changeling were going deeper into the forest. It reminded her of the main hunting ground her people hunted in but the hunters could also get lost in it or they became hunted by the forest itself.
"Stay close, and don't believe the things you hear." Changeling said in his rough voice. It deeply bothered Starfire the deepness and roughness of Changeling's voice. He sounded like a warrior, not the brotherly, fun-loving friend she knew. "Starfire!" Starfire looked up at Changeling, his cold ice blue eyes glaring at her. "Don't lag behind. Keep moving." With that, Changeling turned back around and kept going. Raven approached Starfire as she slowly walked behind Changeling and Raven. Starfire could see the concern lacing Raven's features.
"You okay?" Starfire couldn't help but give a small smile. It touched her deeply when Raven attempted to comfort her. Starfire considered lying to Raven and saying she was fine, but these chances between them were few and far inbetween.
"It greatly distresses me how unlike friend Beast Boy the Changeling is, yet he claims to be that. I do not feel safe following such a guide in an environment that reminds me of the Gutamic forest." Starfire ranted. The Changeling didn't respond to her rant even though he was only a few feet ahead of them. Yet, Starfire knew he was listening in. She felt bad at first, but the way he kept up his tense posture reminded her why she was distressed.
"Well, he is only a part of Beast Boy." Starfire saw that Raven wasn't looking at her anymore, she was observing him. "I don't know his exact function, but if I learned anything from this experience, it's that Beast Boy has a lot parts of himself we don't usually see." Raven said stiffly. Starfire stared back at Changeling then she saw it. The way he clenched his fist repeatedly, the way he turned his head slightly when he heard a noise, the way he would look at Raven with admiration and care. Those actions were what connected him and Beast Boy. "What is the Gutamic forest?" Raven's monotone voice broke Starfire's thoughts.
"Oh! I am sorry, friend Raven. The Gutamic forest was the main hunting ground that my people used. They had to be careful though. For the forest would try to hunt than as well." Starfire replied. Raven nodded in understanding. Suddenly Starfire heard Changeling yelp. He had tripped and landed in what she hoped was a pile of mud. She really did try to stifle her giggle. Then she heard a strained laugh. It was light and youthful. Just like Beast Boy's laugh, if he was hurt. Changeling got up and sighed sadly. He wiped the brown stuff off his face and Starfire was glad that whatever it was did not smell like fecal matter.
"Ha-ha Buddy. Good one. You can come out now." Channeling said investigating the area with his eyes. Starfire followed in pursuit. Then she saw something deep in the foliage, a swish of a green tail.
"Friends, I believe I have-AHH!" Starfire squeaked and fell back on her butt in surprise. A green monkey human hybrid appeared, wearing a torn Doom patrol uniform. He was upside down, hanging from a tree branch, with a funny look on his face. It angered Starfire that the newcomer would do something so childish, but a part of her was relieved too. That's how she knew Beast Boy. In fact this half monkey looked just like her friend and so Starfire assumed he was. "Friend Beast Boy!" She quickly got up and hugged him tightly. "I am so glad you are okay! We have had a tiring time in your mind and I was afraid that we would not be able to help you."
"Starfire." Starfire turned to look at Changeling who actually looked sad. "That's not Beast Boy."
"I, Buddy." The monkey hybrid said in a voice that sounded damaged. Then Starfire saw the biggest difference between her Beast Boy and this one was the scar on the look-alike's throat and edge of his right cheek. It looked like a claw marks. Starfire gasped as the look-alike pulled the collar off of his black and purple suit to show that the scars were left by something that wanted him dead. Changeling cleared his throat.
"Um, not that this is fun and all," Changeling came in between the girls and Buddy. "But I'm guessing you came to find me about something more important than pushing people on the ground." Starfire noticed that the look-alike, Buddy, blushed but he still nodded. He pointed in the direction they were going.
"Reds." Buddy said somberly. Starfire didn't like how Changeling growled and his eyes become feral.
"That was definitely more important than your stupid jokes!" Starfire couldn't help but step towards Buddy when he flinched at Changeling's yell. "Don't move." Changeling' ordered Starfire and Raven.
"I'm coming." Raven stated. Starfire felt that spark of something unexplainable whenever Beast Boy and Raven stared down. The stare only lasted for a second, but the spark was still there. Changeling nodded and turned to leave. Before Raven left she turned back to Starfire. "Will you be alright?" Again Starfire was touched by Raven's concern. Buddy answered first though.
"I protect." He moved himself in front of Starfire, chest puffed out. Before Starfire could protest, Raven nodded and turned around to leave. Starfire and Buddy stood in silence, looking at the way Raven and Changeling went. Starfire noticed that Buddy's demeanor seemed to be disheartened, worried. He gave a deep sigh and then his demeanor change back. Starfire even questioned if she pictured the sadden Buddy. He faced her, his face contorted weirdly. Starfire couldn't understand why he would do that.
"Are you all right? Are you in pain?" Starfire watched as Buddy pouted then he quickly began pacing. Starfire started following him. She knew he was thinking about something but she was utterly confused. "Is there something I can do for you part of Friend Beast Boy?" Buddy stopped pacing suddenly and Starfire almost smacked into him.
"If I get Beast Boy, you smile?" Starfire began to feel giddy and hopeful.
"Oh yes!" Starfire yelled happily. Then Buddy pointed at himself.
"He me. With Gar and little Gar too. But he mostly me." Buddy had a smile on his face, but Starfire could see how he rubbed his hands up and down his arms. He is in pain.
"If it hurts to talk you do not have to." Starfire didn't want any part of Beast Boy to hurt.
"You want me to talk." Buddy croaked. Starfire held in her pity. She didn't know how Beast Boy's mind works but she did know he didn't like pity. None of them did.
"It would be nice to get a better understanding of Friend Beast Boy's-
"I am Beast Boy!" Buddy yelled. Then he grunted and doubled over. Starfire caught him quickly.
"You should not talk, friend." Starfire didn't know exactly what to call him so she settled on her standard greeting. "It is not good to force your body." Starfire gently sat him down as he began to control his breathing. Starfire watched him catch his breath. It did unsettle her a bit that Buddy looked just like her Beast Boy. If it weren't for the monkey aspects, she would believe him when he said he was Beast Boy. Buddy's breathing became normal again. He looked at Starfire and gave a grateful smile. "Are you all right, friend? Did you, as they saw, have wind knock out on you?" His smile became sillier as he nodded and made a farting noise with his right hand and left armpit. Starfire chuckled, remembering the first time Beast Boy showed her that. She had been feeling homesick and when he saw her. He became determined to make her smile again that day. Then she began thinking about what Buddy was saying.
"Friend Buddy," He looked at her in surprise, soon the surprise was taken over with a smile. Starfire realized that this part of Beast Boy was the one she always saw. The part of him that wanted people to smile. "You do not have to hurt yourself to make me smile. I smile when you are being you." Buddy's smile dropped and he began biting his lip.
"You don't like Changeling. He doesn't make you smile. I can. I give what you want." He croaked happily. Starfire's heart squeezed as she realized that this was Beast Boy. The boy who would ignore his own pain to make people smile, the boy who begged her for days to forgive him for a prank gone wrong, her little brother that somehow knew exactly when she needed company to remind her of the joys of this home. She hugged Buddy tightly.
"Silly friend Buddy. I want you to be you. You do not have to hurt to make me smile. I cannot smile if you are in pain." She felt him hug back and bury his head in her neck. She felt his tears and it pushed some out of her own eyes. "I am sorry that I did not see you." They sat like that for a few more minutes. Then Buddy began to pull away but he didn't let go of her.
"You too." He whispered. Starfire tilted her head, trying to get what he said. He chuckled then winced in pain. Starfire tried not to feel as though he deserved the the little sting for laughing at her. "You can be you. You can be sad too. I always be there to make you smile." Starfire began to cry, but not from sadness but in joy. She hugged him tightly again.
"Thank you friend Buddy." He nodded against her shoulder. Then he jolted upwards, or at least tried to. Starfire was holding him too tight. Buddy began tapping her arms. She let go of him wiping her eyes. "What is it?"
"We got to go." He said. Starfire watched as the scar on his neck began to heal rapidly.
"What is-" She didn't have time to question anything before he grabbed her and pulled her towards the direction Raven and Changeling went.
"Trust me. I'm taking you to the others Star!" He yelled excitedly. "I'm going to get Beast Boy back for you." He said with determination. Starfire smiled with joy.
"I know you will."
Raven's POV
"So are you going to tell me why he looked so much like Beast Boy?' Raven asked with an accusing tone. She didn't want to but they had been walking to the tower for what seemed to her to be a good three minutes and he was ignoring her. Everytime she tried to say something he would run and she had to run too. Or he would make his presence more hostile, silencing her. Now they were near a damaged replica of the Titans' Tower. "Or you can explain why the Tower looks like the remains of a war zone?"
"It is." His deep voice held a heaviness to it, like he had been carrying the world for far too long. "Before the accident, we all used the Tower as a safe haven. A happy place. Practically all of us stayed there. Until one day we were fighting Slade and something he said triggered all of us to go out and look back in the forest of memories. When we looked back the red monsters would attack and they made us watch certain memories over and over. Trying to make us like them. I gathered the rest of what you would call emoticlones and we hid in the Tower. They found us, but our memories of you guys were too strong. Buddy was too strong." Raven felt the tiredness from before become regret and anger. "Buddy was a huge part of Beast Boy. Probably the biggest. Right before the head injury though, he began to back out. Not believing that he was doing his part, Gar took over, but he's an idiot. He wanted to act like everything was normal when he was probably the most messed up of all of us." They were at the Tower entrance and they stopped. Raven shivered at how uninviting the Tower looked. Windows were broken, letting the darkness of the inside out and there were many dents in the frame, giving the Tower extra sharp edges. Changeling sniffed the air. "They were here. Be alert." He ordered. Raven wondered how it was so easy for him to shut off his emotions and go back to the hostile hunter. Beast Boy was never like that. "He doesn't shut them off." He said suddenly. Raven held in a jump. She didn't expect him to know what she was thinking.
"How did you know?" She asked warily.
"Your eyes darken when you're thinking about yours or anyone else's emotions." He said simply. "And it's not shutting off emotions, it's compartmentalizing them."
"Compartmentalizing. That's the biggest word you ever said. Good to know that you're not that stupid." Raven quipped sarcastically. She was trying to hide how his wit and small observation of her wooed her. He opened his mouth to say something but then he tilted his head to the side. Raven stayed quiet. She didn't want to distract him, or bring attention to her blush. Because the more she thought about, she realized that he was always observing her. When she had a hard night there would be a perfect tea made for her in the morning. One day, the book she always wanted was on her bed. She did think about those instances, but she never thought it was Beast Boy. She wondered if he always watched her so closely. She knew it should freak her out but instead it made her feel safe. She blamed that on the fact that they were in a lowly lit tower with a possible threat. They continued walking. She saw claw marks on the wall and what appeared as dark spots on the wall. Yet, when she got closer to the wall she could smell rust. Blood. What was worse was that she could feel the volatile raging energy she felt when Beast Boy turned red.
"What happened here?" Raven whispered. She reached out to touch the wall when something grabbed her wrist. She turned towards the person prepared to fight but Changeling's glowing blue eyes reminded her of the guide she followed.
"Don't touch anything." He whispered harshly. Raven nodded and Changeling let go of her wrist. She watched as he scanned the area. He sighed and sat against the wall, the tiredness seeping into him.
"We became vulnerable with Gar in control. The red monsters began attacking, with the Red beast as their Alpha. The Beast could fight them, but we had to get a deep sense of protection or anger to fuel him. It was war. It brought memories into the Tower and we couldn't escape them. Then the injury happen. There was a crack and we all ended up separated throughout the vast memories in our head. I think the fear of not knowing anything made us fall back to little Garfield as the controlling part. Little Garfield and I were used ever since we were five till we were eleven. Now he uses us subconsciously, so when we had to take control it was easy. I found Buddy injured and I was actually afraid we would lose that part of ourselves. They prayed on him, knowing that he was the strongest. That he was Beast Boy." Changeling looked away and Raven felt a deep dejection in him.
"How many of you are there and what are your purposes?" Raven asked as she sat down crossed legged on the floor. She looked at him before she really sat down. He gave a small nod. When she was cross legged and comfortable Changeling sighed.
"There's five of us. We are not like your emoticlones that are one emotion that need to be expressed or control. We're worse. We're pure wants." For once, Raven was lost. She didn't understand how wants could be worse than emotions. "Animals are motivated by basic essential wants. They want to mate, eat, procreate, compete, survive. Throw in human experience in that and now the mind has memories to think about, to drive it. So we were created for the wants that drive Beast Boy. Little Garfield is the want for a family. He's the only one of us that actually likes to look back at our memories. Gar is the want to be normal. He and I don't get along. He has the tendency to be selfish." Changeling growled. Something Changeling said made Raven do a double take. She couldn't put her finger on it but it made her began to analyze both Beast Boy and him differently. He didn't notice her internal change and kept going. "Buddy is the want to make people smile. It was Beast Boy's main want."
"So he looks the most like him." Raven figured. Changeling nodded.
"Yep. He's the want that could drive and overdrive all of us, but for the most part he works well with all of us. Even Beast, whose the want to be more primal. He carries the more primal urges, so he's the least human. I'm the want to survive." That's it! Raven thought.
"No you're not." She said curiously. "You're the want to protect. The subconscious want that controls everything." She stated more confidently. Changeling gave another chuckle but this time it was lighter.
"Was I that obvious?" He asked mockingly, but Raven considered it.
"No you weren't. I just recognize the want to protect. I guess you could say it's my main want." She said thoughtfully. Raven went deep into thought. She wanted to protect her friends, protect the world, from herself. It also protected her from getting hurt. Just like Buddy's constant joking would protect others from seeing his pain, his weakness. He was like her. Beast Boy was like her. Raven observed Changeling again. She could see Beast Boy let the pain build up till where he had to fight them so that they wouldn't overflow. But he was also determined to protect others, to make them smile. She wondered how she integrated in those wants. Again Raven blushed a fiery red. How that thought entered her mind without any help from the other emotions scared her.
"What's up?" Raven squeaked at Changeling's sudden question. This only made her burn more. Changeling laughed.
"Stop that." Raven growled, but her blushed increased. Changeling stifled his laughter but Raven could feel his mirth overflowing.
"Sorry, I could smell you heating up. What were you thinking about?" Raven looked at him and began debating asking him her question. Her feelings were just as torn about it as her. "Raven," Changeling's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "I know you are debating over something and most things you debate with yourself over are important. So just spit it out."
"How do I play in?" Raven asked without emotion. Changeling stilled, barely breathing. She was scared of the answer but he said to spit it out.
"You, you are the only thing we agree on. You made things more complicated and more simple. You are something that we didn't expect but can't picture ourselves without. You are the only want that we'll gladly live and die for." He said quietly. Raven stared into the blue eyes of Changeling, yet she saw the forest green of Beast Boy's eyes. Raven was burning up but she was also deeply moved. He wanted her in his life. She was one of his pure wants, a need. This whole experience made her realize that she never really knew Beast Boy. She saw her opposite, the immature teen, the silly hero, but those were only pars of him. Just like she had so many hidden emotions, he did as well. And she wanted to know all of them. Her blush left, leaving her with a cool clear headed calm.
"I want to know you." Raven stated. Changeling blinked in confusion. "I want to know every part of Beast Boy. You, Buddy, Gar, Little Garfield, and Beast. I want to know every memory and every pain. You have seen what I've done hiding myself. It was you, and the team, who convinced me that I was safe. That I could be me. I want to do the same for you. We all do."
"But the red monster inside of me," Changeling gaped.
"Cannot be worse than my father. You were willing to lose your life to help me. Let me do the same for. Let us do the same for you." Raven wanted to touch Changeling but it didn't feel right knowing that he wasn't Beast Boy. So she touched the wall instead. A white light flashed as soon as she made contact with the wall. She covered her eyes but as soon as she covered them the light was gone. She opened them again and was surprised to see them in a lit hallway, no trace of the battle had occurred. "What?" Raven asked. Soon she heard a hearty laugh from Changeling.
"I can't believe it!" He yelled. Raven was shocked. The hostile that seemed to be apart of him was gone. Instead there was an abundance of joy, awe, and hope. He looked down at her with shining sky blue eyes that made her go brain dead. He picked her up and hugged her. She was stunned into silence. "You did it." He said feverently. He pulled away from her and the joy in his eyes was the joy that she felt when Terra told him yes to their date. The joy in his eyes was like the joy Robin had when he looked at Starfire. The joy in his eyes was what she came to know as Beast Boy. "Miujiza yangu (My miracle)." He whispered as his hand ghosted across her face. Raven realized that whatever he said was moment making. We're having a moment. Don't ruin it! Her emoticlones screamed. She didn't want to. She could wonder what he said later. They leaned in, she closed her eyes, and then, air. She felt air as Changeling pushed her back. When she opened her eyes, she was staring into ice blue eyes. Not the forest green she knew. She didn't have time to be embarrassed though, because right then a loud thunk echoed down the hall. "The others are here." Changeling walked away, stiff and tense, not like Beast Boy. Yet, Raven saw the red tips of his ears. But it's still a part of him.