Titan's Tower, 40 years ago

The dark night sky seemed determined to smother Titan's tower in all its glory. Yet it still stood strong as a symbol for Jump City. Inside one of its long corridors Beast Boy was playing one of his favourite video games on the Titan's supercomputer. This one a car racing game that he had pre – ordered, the moment that the parcel had arrived in the mail after dinner, Beast Boy had immediately raced up into the computer room and started to play.

He didn't know how long he had been playing, nor did he care, all he did care about was upgrading his car and gaining points. He smiled as his car came crashing into the finishing line, the electronic music blared cheers and loud applause.

Beast Boy knew better not to shout out for joy, Raven would crucify him for waking her up at whatever hour it is even if they were 'together'. Welp that's level 14 cleared' Beast Boy though as he yawned stretching his legs and rubbing his eyes. 'I'll give my eyes a quick rest, then I'll clear one last level then I will go to bed.'

He looked up at the cold dark metal ceiling and allowed his mind to wonder. Quite a lot has changed over the years. The Titans are among one of the most loved superhero teams in the world and Beast Boy relished his new status. It had managed to get him accepted into college to study Zoology, even though he could have obtained his diploma anytime he wanted. He could write an entire essay on any animal simply due to his experience. He thought of the team and all of his friends. Nightwing and Cyborg had already left the Titans leaving Starfire in charge of the Titans and even though her personality hasn't changed much over the years she had managed to be a bit more of a 'leader' and she had shown some signs of 'maturity'. Then there were the two Robins, Jason Todd who Beast Boy liked to Damian who is useful to have on your side whenever shit hits the fan but can really get on anyone's nerves. He thought of the other teammates from Blue Beetle to Aqualad all of whom Beast Boy has an 'up and down' bond with, then there was Raven. Beast Boys face turned red at the thought of Raven. Ever since he saved her from Trigon they had started being 'together' for almost a year now, and all his teammates have, for use of a better word, had 'unique' reactions.

Cyborg had bombarded him with so many jokes raging from 'What is Miss Demon Girl like in bed?' to 'What is it like to kiss a demon girl?' to 'do you need to turn into an animal that can't die in order to see her in all her glory'?' At least Nightwing, who had left the Titans only a year and a half prior had been more 'mature' and only congratulated Beast Boy for it. Starfire had been acting as 'Aphrodite' whenever he and Raven are in the same room still acting like her teenage self even though she was already in her early 20's. Damian Wayne's Robin reaction was, Beast Boy was clueless to think of a suitable word, interesting, he had responded without saying anything when the entire team found them embraced in a kiss in Raven's room, however he seemed determined to spy on them as if them being alone together meant that they were planning a murder, and whenever Raven or Beast Boy found him in his hiding place, Damian bombarded them with interrogation questions as if he was the 'bad cop' in a 'good cop, bad cop' skit. Jason Todd, who was indifferent about his team – mates love life, had to both literally and figuratively whack some sense into Damian. Blue Beetle had been 'supportive' and he found it wise not to talk about it unless if Beast Boy brought it up to him. The rest of the Titans from Kid Flash to Aqualad ranged from 'It's your relationship not mine' to ''goodish cop' interrogative'.

Beast Boy shook his head wildly to picked up his controller to start the game again when the screen suddenly turned black then turned red flashing like a siren. Beast Boy blinked rapidly. What was going on? A giant message appeared on the screen. It was a distress call from…Beast Boy blinked rapidly again in complete disbelief. Beast Boy had to put his nose to the screen to make sure that he had read the message correctly, the Justice League? Beast Boy's thoughts turned mad, what incident could be so bad that it could warrant the Justice League to call for the Titans? Darkseid? Alien invasion? Those nutters from another dimension? Then another distress message popped up, another distress message, from…the Doom Patrol!? Beast Boy felt as if he had been punched in the face. He had been a member of the Doom Patrol before he joined the Titans, and he had been confidant that the Doom Patrol could handle themselves, but apparently not. Then another distress call, Atlantis, then another, then another and another, and within seconds the entire 3-meter-wide and 5-meter-high screen was flooded with distress call from every superhero, every superhero team and more.

Beast Boy couldn't even comprehend what was going on? Is this a simultaious attack? On the superhero community? But that would mean…

The explosion hit Beast Boy so suddenly that he didn't have time to cry out. He was sent flying through the air like a rag doll, was thrown straight through the glass door which shattered instantly, almost stabbing Beast Boy several times in his unprotected areas and he fell into the hard wood floor of the corridor. Beast Boy's mind was a blur, his vision seemed to have gotten cloudy, all of his senses seemed to have been almost frozen as he heard a large hissing noise as what felt to be gas hit his face. Beast Boy cried out, his body felt weak, his limbs won't obey his thoughts and his lungs felt as if they were on fire and his ears felt like they had been turned into a foghorn.

He closed his eyes as he tried to command his body to obey his thoughts. 'Come on Beast Boy! Get up! The Titans need you!'. It was this that finally managed to make him regain control and Beast Boy finally got up and looked around him. The area around him looked like a full-scale war had happened. Half of the corridor was nothing more than debris, wires and pipes.

"Hello? Guys?" Beast Boy cried, his voice sounding like he had been shouting himself hoarse all day.

He turned to see the staircase that led to the lobby of Titans tower and he walked towards it like he was walking on a minefield. The first thing that hit him was a foul smell, an all too familiar smell of death. Moving more faster he stood at the balcony that looked down into the lobby and felt his eyes come out of their sockets.

The lobby in Titans tower was a blood bath. He saw all of the Titans in the lobby, Raven, Starfire, Blue Beetle, Jason Todd, Damian Wayne, Aqualad, Kid Flash, the Mexican speedster twins and all the rest. Dead. Standing over their corpses was an army of villains. Beast Boy had seen villains' team up before, but this is something else. Right in the centre of the room was Slade, and he was holding up the corpses of Jason Todd and Damian Wayne as if he was a director who had just won two Oscars, near him was Blackfire who was stopping on the corpse of Starfire as if she was a trampoline. On the other side of the room was what looked to be an alien looking down at the body of Blue Beetle as if it was a pot of gold. Appearing out of thin air was what appeared to be Reverse Flash and what looked to be two doublegangers of him were holding the bodies of Kid Flash and the twins as if they were garbage bags. Ocean Master was carrying a golden trident with Aqualad impaled on it and Ocean Master looked at it as if it was a marshmallow. Lounging on a large sofa was what looked to be if Trigon was shrunk down to the size of a 12-year-old boy, 'his son perhaps?' Beast Boy thought, and he was using the bloody pulp that was the body of Raven as if it was a footrest. There was a giant puddle of blood that covered the floor, creating grotesque ripples with each movement that the villains made.

Beast Boy felt his heart rate increase, he felt his breath go rapid, his thoughts was a giant mess, he didn't know how to react either to cry, to run away from this or to lash out in pure vengeance. He wanted to run, to get the hell away from here, but his legs refused to move. It was Blackfire that saw him first. Raising an arm, she pointed at Beast Boy as if he was a mildly interesting painting in an art gallery. "Hello, Beast Boy!" She cried as she flew up to him, an insane smile on her face "This is the big one!" She flew up heading straight toward him, her eyes glowing darkly aiming straight at him. Beast Boy immediately shifted into a wolf, feeling the intense strength enimating from his new form. Black fire chuckled "Do you know how many super – villains there are for every super – hero out there? Twenty? Fifty? It was only a matter of time before someone organised all that latent talent…"

Blackfire raised up her arms about to shoot, when Beast Boy pounced, he felt the cold air whip into his fur as he landed right on top of Blackfire. Blackfire was so stunned that she began to fall, and Beast Boy immediately took advantage of this. Everyone here had killed all his friends, his family, his lover. No way he was going to play nice, he wasn't going to hold back. He will kill everyone in this room or die trying to! He could see nothing but pure red rage. He raised his claws and slashed at Blackfire's throat. Blood was sent flying everywhere, the strong bitter sent and smell overwhelmed Beast Boy's senses, and he saw Blackfire's head flying off as if it was a champagne cork. He came to the ground with a crash as he growled an angry growl, a growl filled with hatred and fury sending a message to all of the villains in the room that they were about to die at the hands of Beast Boy as a punishment for killing the Titans.

Slade was the first to respond, dropping the body of Jason Todd he withdrew his gun and started to fire at Beast Boy, but Beast Boy was ready for this. He shifted into a peregrine falcon he flew at top speed towards Slade, dodging the bullets almost lazily heading straight towards him. Slade looked for a moment almost panicked as he lifted the body of Damian Wayne like a shield to protect himself, but Beast Boy didn't care, shifting into a lion, his claws ripped through Damian Wayne's corpse, almost ripping him in half. Blood splattered all over his fur, Beast Boy saw Damian's organs fly everywhere, with most of it landing on Slade. Slade only had time to remove Damian's heart from his eye to see Beast Boy slash at his chest, ripping up his armoured suit sending his bloody stomach and intestines come out of his body like candy from a piñata.

He turned to see Reverse Flash and his two doublegangers about to make a move, all three started to run towards him at tremendous speed. They started hitting punch after punch after punch at Beast Boy's lion body and he cried out in tremendous pain. Each punch felt like they had broken a bone, but he didn't care, he wanted them dead. He immediately shifted into a crocodile and began to bite rapidly in the air hoping that he would make contact and, crazily he did. On the first bite he tasted a bitter stong taste as he saw Reverse Flash come crashing down onto the ground, with his left foot completely removed. Beast Boy turned to the two doublegangers who froze on the spot, looking on at Reverse Flash who's leg was squirting out large quantities of blood rapidly. Beast Boy seized this opportunity, he shifted into a peregrine falcon again he shot up into the air like a canon, then shifting into an elephant, he fell, landing right on target with a sickening splat on the two speedsters. Beast Boy shifted back into his normal form, he can feel the blood all over himself as he stood up to see that they were nothing more than two deformed red stains on the floor.

The red alien goo monster came charging up at Beast Boy leading the attack with all the other villains including what he thought to be Trigons son all began to charge at him. Beast Boy began to panic, animal he was, there was no way he can take down an entire army of villains…unless. Beast Boy remembered the last time he had faced Trigon and how he had shifted into an animal that disintegrated an entire army of demons. Surely that would work here?

Beast Boy extended his arms as if expecting a hug, then he shifted into a giant bird. But not just any bird. A giant emerald green phoenix, Beast Boy found it futile to describe the exhilarating sensation of the phoenix, from its immortality that came as a new wicked healing factor for him to its soothing sing song voice but he was only interested in one of its abilities. He raised his colossus wings and gave an enraged cry of pure anger, fire came flying everywhere and it vaporized almost all the villains in the room, turning them into nothing but burnt out shells, the smell of phoenix flame was hynotising and dazing but Beast Boy wasn't interested in such trivial things. Two villains still remained, the alien and the demon but the Phoenix had done enough. The alien was no longer gooey but still looked out of this world from its body structure. It looked dazed, confused and weak and Beast Boy took advantage of this. He immediately shifted into a giant Asian styled dragon, and like a Boa constrictor, it wrapped its long body around the alien until he heard a soft series of cracks then a soft squelching sound and looking down at his new immense body Beast Boy saw that the alien was nothing more than a bloody pulp.

Beast Boy turned his attention to the last villain. Trigon's son. Beast Boy never met him, nor did he know that Raven knew him, but he didn't care. This one had killed his girlfriend, and the killer had also killed what could be their own half – sister. Beast Boy wanted this one to suffer to feel as much pain as possible before Beast Boy gave him the luxury and comfort of death! Which is why Beast Boy broke one of his number one rules. He turned into the form that he swore not to turn into ever again. The Beast. Trigon's son was stunned by the phoenix attack and why the time he regained control he saw a giant beast flying at him. Beast Boy attacked blindly, he saw blood, flying everywhere as he ripped off each limb, not caring if it came off completely or not. All he can feel was pure, red rage. He slashed and slashed and ripped everything apart. The demon tried to fight back, but Beast Boy only increased his ferocity of his attack. He felt it's right leg rip off, and her used it as a club to beat it up until the leg was left a usless pulp in his hands. Then he continued the bloody attack. By the time he saw the demon's eyes close, Beast Boy shifted back into his normal form. Looking down at the body of the murder of his girlfriend with complete disgust. All that was left was it's head still attached to it's falling apart neck, a mangled left arm and stumps where it's legs and right arm used to be was shooting out blood like a fountain.

"Beast Boy…" The demon said, slowly opening it's eyes looking at Beast Boy with pain in it's eyes. It lifted a hand to touch Beast Boy's face. Beast Boy was confused. The demon stroked Beast Boy's face, it's hand was surprisingly soft and smooth. What the hell is it doing? He had just brought it to the brink of death and yet it is acting like if they were lovers. "…I…I love you…"Then, it's arms went limp, the demons body went limp and it remained still.

A cold misty blue fog seemed to have drifted into the lobby of Titan's tower. Beast Boy's sences smelt the putrid smell of blood wich didn't go well with the cozy phoenix flame. Beast Boy could taste the disgusting taste of blood. Beast Boy spat out his saliva determined to get the taste out of his mouth as if it was poison. He was covered in blood. His arms was drenched in it, his legs up to it's ankles in it, and he can feel his hair getting dyed red by it.

He looked down at the body of the demon, and stared in horror at what he saw. Raven. The demon was Raven. All of her limbs were ripped apart as if by a savage animal, and her left arm was left as a mangled pulp. Her neck and the stumps where her limbs used to be was spewing out blood like some grotesque fountain, and her face looked as if it had almost been ripped off by giant claws. Beast Boy's claws.

"Oh dear…" A soft voice behind Beast Boy said. Beast Boy slowly turned his head to see who has spoken. The instant he saw who it was, everything made sense. Yet Beast Boy didn't know how to react. He only stared at the figure who was looking on at Beast Boy with an unreadable look on its face, and yet it had no face to be seen under it's giant mask. Scarecrow. Beast Boy had heard all about several of Batman's foes from Nightwing, Jason Todd and Damian Wayne but he never met much of any of them in person. Yet here is one of them now. Scarecrow and his gas that can make anyone see their worst fear.

"Did you really think that you can do this alone? Take down an entire army of supervillains? Talk about delusions of grandeur with a hint of fear and anger. But your friends. People who would hesitate. That is a different matter entirely. True I did restrain them, but I gave them a tiny fighting chance against you."

Beast Boy said nothing. He only looked down at the mangled corpse of his girlfriend. Unable to react.

"My name is Scarecrow." Scarecrow said unnecessarily, "My thanks on behalf of the criminal community." And with that he vanished as if he was never there. Vanishing in a puff of fog.

Beast Boy looked up around him hoping, beyond hope that he wouldn't see what he didn't want to see. He was wrong. Damian Wayne laid on the floor, ripped in two, his organs laying scattered eveywhere, with Jason Todd lying next to him completely disembowelled, organs, bones and his own blood was still flooding out of the giant hole in his chest. Both of their faces were blank with shock and fear. Starfire laid on a pool of her own blood, her neck ripped apart as if by a deranged wolf. Kid Flash laid on the floor, drenched in his own blood, completely still, his left foot completely chomped off, his face showing nothing but pure pain. Blue Beetle was nothing more than a burnt out bag of skin, a bloody pulp on the ground his skin was still on fire. Nothing remained of the two Mexican speedster twins, all that was left of them were two large red splotches on the ground, nor was anything left of the rest of the Titans. Everyone else was just a giant shell on fire that used to be a living being.

Beast Boy screamed.

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Nightwing stared at the campfire. He and Nightwing had setted up campfire near a large row of boulders before Garfield told his story. By the time he finished the night sky was showing the picturesque views of the night sky, flooded with stars and galaxies. The only sound that can be heard was Garfield's voice, the cracking of the fire and the soft howling wind. Garfield looked on at Nightwing expecting him to react violently for killing his two brothers, but he didn't say much of anything. Then he lifted his head up at Garfield and said "so…you murdered the Titans" there was no sign of emotion in his voice. No sign of anger, no sign of sadness, no sign of sympathy. Nothing.

"Yes." Garfield said hugging his legs and staring at the warm fire that lit up the night sky. "But I didn't know that it was them Nightwing. Scarecrow made them look, feel and smell different. I swear to god…I had no idea!" and at that Garfield burst into tears. Nightwing looked on at this and patted Garfield on the back. His face giving nothing away.

"What happened then?" Nightwing asked after Garfield managed to pull himself together.

"Who knows?" Garfield said sobbing "All I remember was walking through the woods, the trees, my tears dissolving me face and the blood running down my skin…It could have been hours…it could have been days…it could have been weeks…all that sticks in my mind was the leaves bein' wet, how the blood fell to the ground, and the taste of blood in my moth…and the animals…the animals were so scared of me. All of those battles, the battle of Vegas, Metropolis, Gotham…It didn't even register. They broke me so bad that I couldn't even think…All I wanted was to hurt myself. Pay a price for what I'd done…so I waited on a freight train…and killed Beast Boy dead…"

Nightwing sat down silently by the fire, unsure on what to say "But a train couldn't kill you." He said finally in a solemnly voice "Not with your phoenix healing factor."

"No…but it hurt…" Garfield said, tears cascading down his face. "…and sometimes that's enough."

Garfield thought of how the train had sliced off his head, every spark that it made, the sheering pain of it and the painful regeneration that came moments later. He remembered everything. How the wind blew into his ears, how the horn blared into his ears, and the rest.

Garfield felt the tears dissolve into his face as he looked up at Nightwing "Now you just try telling me that Beast Boy deserved to die. You just try telling me that I have been a fool to hide the animals for forty years!"

Nightwing cocked his head in confusion "I wouldn't dare…"

"I'm a farmer now Nightwing." Garfield said looking at his friend "This body aint do nothing but tend the land. So, don't even ask me to fight again. You hear me? I will never hurt another living soul! Your call brother"

Nightwing nodded "I understand." He said. There was a long silence as the two men listened to the fire as they thought about everything that led up to this moment. Then Nightwing said something that Garfield has been waiting to hear for forty years. "I don't blame you for their deaths Garfield. I don't blame you at all."

"Thank you…" Garfield smiled as he laid down, and finally allowed the abyss of sleep take him away.