The Contest of Champions

by Alexpv22

Throughout the vast reaches of the multiverse, heroic champions are being summoned for an unknown purpose. Where will these champions arrive, who is calling out to them, what purpose do they have for them and most of all; will the champions work well together, upon meeting one another? All this and more will be answered, when the trials begin and the champions test their mettle

18. Chapter Eighteen: Scars of the Past

Scars of the Past

As everyone looked into the puddle, the Titans found themselves fascinated by the couple in the vision (who were revealed to Beast Boy's parents.) Deep down, the team felt that they looked so much like their son...yet still so different. The man was a strapping young fellow dressed in a zoologist's uniform, had short blonde hair cut in the same style as his son's and his eyes were as blue as the open sea.

Beside him was a lovely young woman with long, brown hair tied in a ponytail, soft green eyes and freckles on her cheeks. She was dressed in a safari jacket, cargo shorts and (in Nami and Valerie's eyes) firm yet stylish looking boots. From some of the couple's physical traits alone, it was clear that they were Garfield's kinfolk.

However, everyone appeared highly fixated upon the lad's childhood appearance; once he came into view in the pool, that is. One could not blame them for their curiosity, of course. After knowing him as the green lad he was for so many years; before this point, the Titans couldn't imagine him looking any other way.

Somehow, the spirit guides sensed the team's confusion and decided to do their best to help explain everything to them. "Long before he met you, children...before he lived the life of a hero; much of young Garfield's life was here...in the jungles of Lamumba within Africa" Tawaba's spirit explained, "the Elder Logans dedicated their lives to the wild, eager to revitalize the populace of many of its creatures that had been lost." As expected, some of the Gemfolk (mostly the Diamonds) found this information somewhat difficult to understand.

It was here that Luffy's spirit guide (Roger) offered them a simple yet blunt explanation. "He's sayin' that the Logans were tryin' to help repopulate these creatures' numbers" he stated, "y'know...help the males and females in the breeding process." Alas, the Diamonds still found all this difficult to understand; which signaled for Connie and the Crystal Gems to try and explain.

"You see...the animals of other planets, including Earth, are much like the humans; in some ways" Pearl stated, "they're organic in nature, require food and/or fluids to sustain themselves, live off their planets' natural resources...and both have very fleeting lives." It was here that she revealed how the animals, reptiles, birds and other organisms often lived shorter lives than humans did. "When a species' numbers are too low, they could be on the verge of what we humans call 'extinction'" Connie stated, "which means once the last of them dies out...they're gone forever."

Upon hearing this news, the Diamonds now fully understood the severity of "extinction" and recoiled in alarm. At the same time, they were suddenly reminded of all the planets their people had colonized across their universe over the millennia. Once this came into mind, Blue shed a tear for all the creatures she and her fellow Diamonds may have brought to extinction.

"I can't believe you're just realizing this now, lady" Zoro shouted, "what are you, stupid?!" The moment this comment reached her ears, Blue Diamond glared down at the swordsman and came close to soundly striking him. But before she could raise her fist even the slightest inch, Roger quickly appeared behind Zoro and struck him with "the Fist of Love."

"It is impolite to speak ill of someone's naivety, ya barnacle-brained twit" he growled, "besides...she and her mates didn't understand what they were doin' was wrong, at the time." Falcon Steven nodded his head in agreement and thanked the stars the original Steven helped show them the light. Alas, the moment the boy's name was spoken; all eyes looked over into the alley and saw that the younglings were still situated within their cardboard shelter.

Upon looking at Little Garfield's sad face inside of the box and seeing the smile he had within the vision pool, Raven felt sorely confused (which was rare for her.) "I...I just don't understand this" she murmured, "how can that Beast Boy over there be so sad compared to this one?"

In response to her inquiry, Tawaba offered a simple yet meaningful phrase; "sometimes, those who appear to be the happiest in life hide the deepest of sorrows or scars from those around them." This seemed to only make the Titans feel even more confused, which led to Robin demanding a straight answer from the spirit. "Very well...but permit me to ask you but one question" Tawaba said coyly, "are you not curious as to how different Young Garfield looks in appearance than how you know him now?"

Without hesitation, Brook raised his hand up high and responded back with a question of his own; "he wasn't green as a child...right?" Despite however simple-minded this response sounded, everyone realized he spoke the truth; Little Garfield looked relatively...normal compared to his teenage self. "Very good my skeletal friend" Roger chuckled, "now, then...how do you think the lad became green in the first place?"

As a quick follow-up question, Tawaba asked the Titans if they also knew the origin of Garfield's powers. Surprisingly enough, not one of them knew how to respond; even Robin was at a complete loss (which brought slight shame to his pride of being a "junior detective.") "Look into the vision pool and you will see the answer" Tawaba urged softly, "but be warned, what you will see may alarm any faint-hearted folk among you...Do you still wish to look?"

Without a second thought, Cyborg proclaimed that if it would help save his "BBFF" (Best Beast Friend Forever) and get him out of this strange place; he would go as far as to watch Starfire's beloved Hot Dog making documentary. "It is interesting to hear you say that, Mr. Stone" The Alchemist stated, "for among many other things...you will also learn the true reasoning behind young Garfield's vegetarianism." This statement filled the Titans with a slight combination of confusion and curiosity.

But they had no time to ask the meaning behind it and chose to focus more on looking into the vision pool. After Tawaba dipped touched his staff lightly upon the water, it showed the images of Little Garfield exploring the jungle near his home. "From childhood, Garfield was always rather curious" Tawaba stated, "always eager to see, touch, smell and experience the world around him however he could."

Upon saying this, the pool showed numerous occasions where Garfield became fascinated with the world around him. He loved the sight of the birds that flew overhead, the sounds of a rushing waterfall, the smell of the jungle flowers (that is, any of the sort his mother considered safe for humans to smell) and just about everything else. To the eyes of the Crystal Gems, this free-spiritedness reminded them so much of Rose or Steven.

Meanwhile, the Titans felt pleased and...slightly envious at how happy Little Garfield appeared. "Look at him, not a care in the world" Cyborg muttered, "are ya sure B's had it hard in life...because he looks like he's livin' it up here." Rather than be bothered by his tone, Tawaba repeated his inquiry from moments ago.

"Answer me this, everyone" he stated, "have any among you ever wondered how young Garfield ever became how he is now; green as a toad and able to transform?" The moment this was presented, the Titans suddenly found themselves utterly baffled; which to Raven and Robin felt was unheard of. As if sensing this, the spirits urged them to gaze down into the vision pool again; proclaiming that the moment in question was just about to happen.

Everyone adhered to the request, gazed down at the puddle and watched Little Garfield exploring the jungle bushes. Then, at that moment; the little lad came upon a truly astonishing sight...a little monkey with green fur. "HEY, that lil' guy looks just like me" Otto chuckled, "I didn't know you had green monkeys on Earth.

No sooner had the primate said this, Peridot proclaimed the idea to be highly illogical; adding that the appearance of the monkey in the vision must've been some form of genetic mutation. "Well...it's funny you mention that, lass" Roger chuckled, "this little creature has a rather astonishing secret, one that Garfield is about to soon discover...the hard way."

Several members of the crowd growled softly under their breath, growing evermore frustrated by the spirits incessant need to speak in riddles. Then, just as Yellow was preparing to demand a clear answer; the sounds of a monkey screeching madly in alarm suddenly echoed through everyone's ears. "What the hell happened" Usopp murmured, "what's making all that noise?"

Mere seconds later, the screeches were soon accompanied by the sounds of a child's screams of terror. When everyone looked down at the pool, they saw Little Garfield; pinned down on his back with the monkey gripping onto his arm. Before long, the creature proceeded to sink its teeth deep into Garfield's forearm.

Everyone cringed painfully, as young Garfield proceeded to scream in pain from the attack. After biting him; the monkey scurried up into the treetops, leaving Garfield behind on the ground. "When his parents found him, after hearing his cries; they saw a bruise where the monkey had bit him" Tawaba stated, "however, this particular bruise was unlike anything they had ever seen before?"

When asked what was so "special" or "unusual" about it, the spirit simply told everyone to look upon the aforementioned bruise very closely. But when they did, the only thing they noticed about it was the fact it looked like a green splotch. "Wait...hold on a minute" Connie said suddenly, "from everything my mother taught me about skin conditions; when a bruise is green, it only means the body's hemoglobin is healing the wound."

Upon taking this information to heart, Gibson and Maddie proclaimed the same thing; which led everyone else to assume nothing seemed that amiss with their friend. But as they looked at Garfield's wound again, they realized that this was unlike anything they've seen before. Then, in an instant; the visions in the pool suddenly changed to reveal Garfield lying atop an examination table.

At the same time, Mr. and Mrs. Logan appeared to be hard at work; reading all of their son's vital signs and injecting him with all manner of fluids. Needless to say, this all left everyone feeling quite concerned; especially the Titans. "What is happening" questioned Starfire, "what is wrong with our friend and what are they doing to him?"

Without hesitation, all eyes fell upon Tawaba and everyone begged/demanded him to explain what was happening. "To answer your concerns, I must remind you of the primate from earlier" he said calmly, "as Peridot suggested, its green appearance was in fact the result of a mutation...or more specifically, the after-affects of a disease." From here, he informed everyone of something known as Sakutia; otherwise known by local tribes as the Green Fever.

As expected, Gibson searched all parts of his computer memory for any record of this disease...but found no results. "I've never heard of it either and I studied about all sorts of diseases" Chopper stated, "are you just making this stuff up?" With a firm glare in his eyes, the spirit loomed over the wee reindeer and proclaimed that he was being very serious with his story.

"Sakutia is a rare disease known mainly in the jungles of Lamumba where the Logans made their home/research headquarters at this point in time" the spirit of the Alchemist explained, "as the name implies, those who become infected are instantly transformed at the genetic and molecular level." Sadly; while the likes of the Fentons (Jack, Jazz and Maddie,) Peridot, Gibson and even Chopper seemed to understand the spirit's words...everyone else looked as dumbstruck as a deer caught in the headlights.

With a frustrated groan, Roger stepped in and said that whoever became infected with Sakutia would instantly turn green from their head to their toes. "That's it...That doesn't sound too bad" Otto said with confidence, "I mean, I'm green and I think it's a nice color to wear." Slowly growing evermore frustrated with everyone's ignorance, Roger begged Tawaba to explain the issue for everyone in the most simple way possible.

"It is not the change in pigmentation that is the issue, everyone" he stated, "it's the fever that follows soon after it." Upon hearing mention of a fever, everyone's earlier moods swiftly became grim; resulting in a bone-chilling silence. It was here that the spirits urged everyone to look back into the pool, where Little Garfield appeared to be sweating profusely and letting out shallow breaths of air.

"Oh, my stars...Garfield is dying" Peridot cried in alarm, "can't they do anything to save him?!" The moment she asked this, the Gems glared at her firmly; as if to say "what do you think the Logans are trying to do?" "Mark and Marie Logan spent countless days alone trying to keep Garfield's fever down" Tawaba stated, "it took twice as long for them to cure him."

With a heavy heart, the spirit revealed that while Garfield was eventually cured; it came at a price. "While the disease was cleansed from his body, Garfield would bare his green coloration for the rest of his days" Tawaba said sadly, "his blonde hair, peachy skin...even his eyes, which his mother often said were bluer than the open sea, would remain green forever." This news came as a shock to the Titans, who immediately regretted every instance they ever made snobbish/mean-spirited jabs at his appearance over the years.

But then, Tawaba revealed that in spite of this change; the Logans never loved Garfield any less. "In case it wasn't made obvious to ya, those two loved their careers" Roger stated, "but they loved wee Garfield even more." As everyone looked down at the vision pool, they saw several happy memories shared between Garfield and his parents; before and after his change.

Truly, one couldn't find a happier family than they were in the world. "Then...the day came where Garfield's life would change forever" Tawaba stated, "firstly, while the real King Tawaba still loved him unconditionally; the other villagers proceeded to avoid him at any cost." He went on to say that every other man, woman and child within the village began to ostracize Little Garfield; going as far as to call him "Pepo Kijani" or "Green Demon" in their language.

"Why would they treat a child this way" White inquired, "it is not his fault he has such an appearance." With a deep sigh, Sam said that it was a common flaw all humans shared; the tendency to shun and/or belittle anything and everything that looked/thought/acted differently than them. "As I recall, White Diamond; you and your associates had the same mindset, long ago" Falcon Steven said bluntly, "treating Gems that weren't 'perfect cuts' as lesser beings, disregarding organic life and of course, your usage of slurs like the word 'clod.'"

Realizing that the falcon raised several valid points, White immediately held her tongue and gazed back down into the pool. In it, she saw Little Garfield running to his parents and woefully telling them about what had happened. It was then that Mrs. Logan smiled warmly at her little boy, brushed away his tears with her finger and kissed his forehead.

Not long after that, Mr. Logan got down on his knees and proceeded to ruffle Garfield's hair; before they started to playfully wrestle about on the floor. "Yes...the villagers suddenly ostracizing Garfield hurt the boy deeply" Tawaba stated, "but it was the unconditional love of his parents and the original Tawaba that kept Garfield's spirits high." After seeing and hearing all this for themselves, everyone couldn't help but shed a few small tears.

Even Raven, who often prided herself to be indifferent to emotions, found herself somewhat moved by these visions. "So...what happened next" Amethyst asked, "you said Gar turning green was connected to his powers...so, how is that possible?" Without hesitation, Tawaba waved his staff over the pool and a new memory appeared; one showing Little Garfield at play and Marie Logan in the kitchen of their house.

"It started out like any other day for the Logan Home" the Alchemist began, "then, while playing; Garfield caught sight of something entering his house...a Black Mamba." While this reveal came as a great shock for the Earthlings among the crowd; the Gemfolk, Hyperforce and Dragon Racers appeared rather confused. "To put it simply, a Black Mamba is a species of snake" Maddie explained, "more to the point, it is considered to be the most poisonous snake in all of Africa."

Upon hearing mention of poison, everyone suddenly became aware of the severity of the situation...save for the Diamonds and Off-Colors. "What is...poison, exactly" the Rutile Twins asked in unison, "is it something really bad?" While most felt that the conjoined Gem seemed incredibly naïve; Lars meanwhile, chose to be the patient one and decided to help explain the matter to his crewmate.

"It's not so much a problem for Gems like you, Rutile" he stated, "but...for organic life-forms; if we drink anything poisonous, get bitten/stung by anything poisonous or eat anything poisonous...we'll get sick and...possibly die in an instant." After hearing all this, both the Off-Colors and the Diamonds now understood the issue more clearly and gasped in horror. "Worse still, the Mamba's bite is able to kill a fully-grown elephant" Connie added, "you know, those big animals in the nature books I showed you?"

With all this information presented; the Gems, the Hyperforce and even the dragon racers felt the color drain from their faces. Then, they gazed down at the vision pool and saw the Mamba making a beeline straight for Mrs. Logan. "Little Garfield tried harder and harder to get his mother's attention...but she couldn't hear him" Tawaba explained, "fearing the worst, he closed his eyes shut and wished with all his might for something to come and save her."

While trying to be respectful, several people (like Peridot and Gibson) questioned what good wishing would do in such a situation. "If I were there, I could send that serpent away with a snap of my fingers" Desiree stated, "as well as maybe turn it into a mouse, send it flying out the window or...who knows what else." After acknowledging and thanking the genie ghost for her "suggestions," Tawaba said that Garfield only knew of one thing that could save his mother; a mongoose."

"OF COURSE" cried Connie in realization, "the mongoose is the natural predator of all snakes, it could devour the Mamba in an instant." No sooner had she said this, everyone looked into the pool and saw a most astonishing sight; Garfield's first transformation. In the blink of an eye, his entire body changed into the form of a small green mongoose; which resulted in his clothes falling off of him.

"What the...Why didn't his clothes stay on" Cyborg exclaimed, "come to think of it; these days, how do his clothes always seem to disappear and reappear instantly whenever he changes?" Not wishing to linger on the matter for very long, Tawaba said that the answer lies within the clothes itself.

"Garfield's current uniform was made by his old teammates, the Doom Patrol" he stated, "it's specially designed to either change with each form he takes or to merge within his body, somehow." As a follow up statement; Tawaba said that before he was given that suit, Garfield had many instances where he would accidentally lose or tear his clothes. "Enough with the fashion chatter, people" Sparx exclaimed, "look at what B's doin' now!"

The instant everyone looked into the vision pool; they were greeted by the sight of Garfield (in the form of a mongoose) charging directly at the Black Mamba, subduing it...and devouring it viciously. Upon seeing all this transpire, everyone felt their stomachs churn violently; none more so than the Titans. "Wow...BB's first kill" Cyborg grumbled sickly, "I guess it all makes sense now why he's so adamant about his vegetarianism."

The spirit of Tawaba smiled down at the mechanical teen and gave a light shake of his head, informing him that Garfield experienced a far more traumatic moment in life that pushed him towards his vegan desires. "More to the point, Mrs. Logan was quite surprised by Garfield's startling abilities" he stated, "when she informed her husband of what happened; at first, he did not believe her." At first, everyone felt the desire to laugh ironically at what the spirit had just told them.

But then; all too quickly, they realized that they've witnessed the other lads performing near similar feats of wonder. With this in mind, they chose to hold their tongues and continue looking into the pool. "In spite of all these changes in his life, Garfield remained an ever cheerful and loving lad" Tawaba said with a proud sigh, "and then, it came...the horrible day where he lost everything."

Before anyone had the chance to question his words, the skies suddenly echoed with the sharp crash of thunder. At first, everyone thought another rainstorm was about to occur within the mindscape. But then, they saw that the sounds were coming from the pool; which was showing a most horrific vision.

In the pool, everyone could see what looked like a raging flood; which (as expected) made them all quiver with fear. At the same time, they also caught sight of a small boat; which was trying desperately to dock itself on either side of the riverbank. Upon taking a closer look, they saw that Garfield (who now appeared two or so years older) and his parents were on that very boat.

"Oh, no...no, no, no, no" Lapis murmured fearfully, "if they don't find land soon, their boat could sink and then..." No sooner had she said this, nearly everyone (including Lapis herself) was sharply shushing her; warning the water gem not to jinx the situation. "I'm afraid it is far too late for that, everyone" Tawaba sighed heavily, "the flood proved too strong for the Logans to steer their vessel to safety...which left the elder Logans with only one sound course of action to take."

While her body shivered viciously with dread, Starfire proceeded to ask what they were forced to do. With a heavy heart; Tawaba revealed that while the Logans couldn't get the boat to safety, Garfield could still make his escape. It was here that everyone suddenly heard Marie Logan speaking to Garfield in the vision pool. "Garfield...sweetie, you need to do something for us" she whispered sadly, "Daddy and I want you to turn into a parrot...and fly, fly up into the trees for safety...understand?"

This suggestion not only shocked Little Garfield, it horrified the others as well; many of whom proclaiming Marie to be utterly mad. "Is she seriously asking her son to leave them to die" Zoro exclaimed, "BULLSHIT...I CALL BULLSHIT!" While not using the pirate's lewd terminology, everyone else still felt just as disgusted by Mrs. Logan's plan.

To make the matter all the more heart-wrenching, Little Garfield clung onto his mother's pant legs...and cried. "No, Mommy...please, don't make me leave" he sniffled, "I can still save you...I know I can!" While doing whatever he could to keep the boat steady; Mark, with a heavy heart, told his son that he could not save all three of them.

"We don't know the full extent of your powers...not even you" he said sullenly, "we can't risk seeing you get hurt...or worse!" Despite the logic in his father's words, Garfield still refused to leave. "Please, Mommy...I don't wanna go" he sobbed, "I need you!"

These words coupled with her child's pleading eyes made the choice all the more difficult for Marie. But with a heavy heart, she firmly urged Garfield to take flight into the trees for his own good. But before he could leave, Marie took Garfield into her arms and squeezed him with all her might in one final embrace.

Then, while still keeping one arm at the helm; Mark joined in on the hug as well. "Fly away, Son...go and live a good life" he said while choking back a sob, "and never forget that...we love you." To solidify this truth, Marie gave her son one final look in the eye and kissed his forehead; while also whispering "I love you" into his ears.

"I wuv you too, Mommy and Daddy" Little Garfield sniffled, "and...I...I'M SORRY!" With that said, he shape-shifted into a jungle parrot and flew up into the highest branches in one of the trees. Upon perching himself safely, Garfield watched in horror as the boat bounced and smashed hard up against the rocks in the river.

In time, it became too damaged to stay afloat and slowly sank beneath the water. As he watched this happened from the canopy; poor Garfield eased his head skyward and let out a shrill, anguished squawk into the sky. Meanwhile, outside of the vision pool; the crowd of onlookers struggled to maintain their composure after witnessing the tragedy for themselves.

"Since then; all his life, a small part of Garfield still blames himself for his parents' deaths" Tawaba's spirit stated, "he continues to lie to himself, believing that he could save them that day...somehow." For a moment or so, the Titans didn't know how to respond; due to trying to stifle their own tears and/or sobs. "Oh, Beast Boy...poor, poor Beast Boy" Starfire murmured, "to witness such a horrific tragedy unfold at such a young age is...is heart-wrenching!"

The rest of the team couldn't help but agree, including Raven; whose clenched eyelids looked as though they were close to bursting. Then, "Falcon Steven" hopped over and proclaimed that the boating accident was but the first of several tragedies in Garfield's life. "To start with; Mobu, the witch doctor of Tawaba's people, despised the Logans for quite some time for interfering in his business as the village healer" the spirit of Tawaba stated, "he went as far as to arrange for two Americans to kill the boy and would offer them all the gold in his tribe's most sacred temple as compensation."

This news utterly horrified everyone, particularly the Diamonds; who felt that organics slaying one another for gold coins and gems seemed illogical. "Greed makes people do pretty dumb stuff" Zoro murmured, "I mean...look at all the things Nami made us do for money." Understandably so, the young navigator was poised to strike him for his snide remark.

But before she could move an inch, the sounds of crumbling stonework stopped Nami in her tracks. In the vision pool; the treasure temple had collapsed and ended up killing Mobu, as a result. But before it fell, the two Americans seemingly "rescued" Garfield and took him away.

"Pay close attention to those men, everyone" Tawaba instructed, "for they are the cause of yet another tragedy in Garfield's life." In an instant, the visions in the pool suddenly faded and were replaced with what looked like a monkey stealing numerous valuables; such as small jewelry or wallets. Once the deeds were done, they would return to their hideout and divide the spoils.

"Hey, guys; look in the corner of the room there" Jazz said suddenly, "I think I see a pet crate." While trying not to seem rude, everyone proceeded to ask what was so "important" about a pet carrier. "Because there's something inside of it" Jazz retorted immaturely, "and I think it's...GARFIELD!?"

Startled by this revelation, everyone looked closely at the aforementioned crate and gasped. Locked inside, as thin as a twig and dressed in shabby clothes was Garfield; who looked as though he was sick with hunger. "These two thieves mistreated Garfield for months" Tawaba said in disgust, "forcing him to steal, locking him within that crate like a stray, beating him on occasion and...Oh, I dare not say it!"

Desperate for answers, the Titans shouted and pleaded for the spirit to tell them more; no matter how horrific the visions might be. "Very well...but be warned" Tawaba said firmly, "what you will soon see isn't meant for the squeamish...so, make certain you are emotionally prepared for what's to come." With that said, he urged everyone to gaze into the pool closely and to not turn away; no matter what.

Against their better judgment, everyone did as instructed and looked into the pool. There, they saw the two Americans approaching Garfield's crate with a pet dish. "Among their sins; these two believed that since Garfield was 'part animal,' he should eat like one" Roger grumbled, "thus...they 'fed him' the worst kinds of swill you can think of."

As one of the two Americans placed the dish upon the floor, everyone took a look at its contents and cried out in disgust. Inside was a collection of rancid fruits, rancid bits of trash and other inexplicable items. Though it was only a vision; from the look of it alone, everyone felt it must've smelt worse than it looked.

But then, what happened next made their disgust grow even stronger. With his eyes wide with hunger and his lips slightly dripping with saliva, Little Garfield dove at the dish and downed its contents without pause. "AWWW! OH, MY GOD" cried the Straw Hats in unison, "IS HE SERIOUSLY EATING ALL THAT STUFF!?"

Though the sight equally disgusted him as well, the Spirit of Tawaba remained firm and proclaimed that Garfield had little choice in the matter. "On more than a few occasions, these two would starve Garfield for many days" he stated, "but whenever they did choose to feed him...well, you've seen the truth for yourselves, just now." When she finally recovered enough from her earlier disgust, Raven questioned how this memory correlated with Garfield's disdain towards meat.

No sooner had she said all this, the visions in the pool changed to another moment featuring the duo and Garfield. Much like the previous one, the poor lad remained locked in his crate; waiting hungrily for the Americans to come and feed him. But the moment Garfield took a look inside of his food dish, he saw something that caused him to recoil in alarm; a severed human hand.

"SWEET MERCIFUL X'HAL, WHAT IS THAT" Starfire shrieked, "is...is that a real hand or simply one of those fake body parts we have seen at the pranking shop Friend Beast Boy likes to visit?" As much as it disgusted him to say it; with a heavy heart (and a great lump in his throat,) Robin revealed that the hand was in fact...real. "More often than not, the duo needed to...dispose of any evidence (namely parts of corpses) from wherever they've committed criminal actions" the spirit of the Alchemist stated, "which involved feeding poor Garfield whatever remains they have collected."

As they listened to this tale, everyone did their absolute best not to become nauseated; including the Gemfolk. But alas; hearing mention of all the limbs, trash and live animals the two Americans forced Garfield to feast upon was utterly appalling. "The worst of it all was...the lad had little choice on the matter, just as we said before" Roger's spirit stated, "he could either eat what was he was given...or starve to death."

Though the choice was, indeed obvious; it didn't make the situation any less disgusting for everyone. With every ounce of strength they could muster, everyone in the crowd desperately tried to keep their composure. But as they watched Garfield rip apart the severed hand with tears in his eyes, it finally pushed them over the limit.

"TAKE IT AWAY, TAKE IT AWAY" cried Lars, "IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT'S PURE, GET RID OF THESE IMAGES!" Not needing to be told twice, Tawaba tapped the head of his staff upon the water; which caused it to ripple. Within seconds, the image of Garfield feasting on the hand was replaced by him standing inside of a courtroom.

Beside him stood what Robin and Nami considered to be a rather devious looking man. He had short, unkempt black hair; a fierce look in his black eyes, thick eyebrows and was dressed in a rather fancy suit. From his demeanor alone, everyone could sense this man reeked of evil.

"Everyone...meet Nicholas Galtry" Tawaba's spirit stated, "he served as the attorney for the Logan Family's estate and was also, at one time, Garfield's legal guardian." At first, everyone considered this news to be a good sign for Garfield. But then, the spirits revealed how much Galtry utterly loathed the Logans; Garfield especially.

"The man took him in as his ward for only one reason, money" the Alchemist stated, "for years, Galtry embezzled money from Garfield's inheritance and placed it within his accounts; going as far as to lie to his own bankers about it." As expected, some among the crowd questioned what the term "embezzled" meant. To which Roger replied in saying that it was simply a "fancy man's" way of describing theft.

"You mean that asshole was stealing Gar's money" Nami gasped in alarm, "even I think that's low!" After taking a moment to relish in the irony of their navigator's words, the Straw Hats proceeded to ask if Garfield did anything to stop him. "What more could he do, mate" Roger said bluntly, "he was just a lad...couldn't fight for himself yet, much less defend himself from Galtry's beatings."

Upon mentioning the final word, the vision pool began to show Galtry mercilessly assaulting Garfield with any weapon he could find. The worst of it all was hearing the screams the poor lad would make, whenever he was being beaten. "Truth be told, Galtry was a mere stone's throw away from killing the poor boy" Clockwork sighed, "and then...they came and stopped him from committing any further felonies."

Before anyone could ask, the sounds of a door being broken into echoed from the pool and everyone saw a ragtag group of strangers enter the building. Three among them appeared relatively human, despite the third being confined to a wheelchair. As for the remaining two; one looked like some sort of automaton, while the other's face was wrapped up in thick bandages and sported a pair of sunglasses.

The sight of these strangers caused the Titans' eyes to widen in surprise. "YO! I know those guys" Cyborg exclaimed, "they're the Doom Patrol, B's old team!" Tawaba's spirit nodded slightly and declared the lad to be correct. "The team swiftly discovered Galtry's felonies and immediately brought him to justice, as is typical nature for 'superheroes' of their caliber" he explained, "and their actions did not go unnoticed by Garfield."

The next image showed Garfield, in the form of small animal (possibly a mouse or a bird,) sneaking into the mansion. As expected, he was soon discovered and apprehended by the team. At which time, Mento (the fellow in the purple helmet) desired to remove him from the premises; proclaiming that the mansion was no place for trespassers.

"THE NERVE OF THAT CLOD" Peridot growled, "doesn't he realize Garfield has no home of his own?!" the rest of the Crystal Gems couldn't help but agree, some of whom preferring to use...more explicit terms to describe Mento's behavior at that time. "Luckily for him, Fortune seemed to be smiling down upon Garfield" the Alchemist stated, "had it not been for Rita Farr, otherwise known as Elasti-Girl to her comrades, Garfield would've been cast out without so much as a second thought."

From here; Tawaba revealed that while he stayed with them, the Doom Patrol helped teach Garfield how to master and use his powers without harming himself. "It was a rough process, that much is understood" the original Dragon Booster stated, "but through it all, he persevered." Tawaba nodded in agreement and added how thankful Garfield felt in having a new support circle to help him through these times.

The next few images the pool showed everyone seemed to revolve around Rita and Garfield's time together. They trained together, played together and Garfield always came to her whenever he felt in need of help. Next, the pool showed everyone Garfield's bonding moments with the likes of Robotman and Negative Man.

Within one of these moments, Garfield's curiosity showed itself again; as he began to take Robotman's body apart; as if he were a tinker toy. Naturally, the fellow was cross about it...but didn't hold a grudge against Garfield over it. Of course, Mento saw all of this behavior as the team "babying" him and thus did whatever he could to force him into growing up.

"Garfield always felt...intimidated by Mento, to say the least" Tawaba stated, "even now, as much as he desired the man's respect; he secretly finds his behavior to be far more frightening than yours, Miss Raven." Upon hearing this, Raven didn't know if she should feel offended or complimented by such words. Then, the vision pool began to show the Patrol facing off against a group of equally strange figures; an ape, an elderly soldier, a rather lovely young woman and some sort of odd machine.

"I remember this; Beast Boy spoke to us about it, once" Starfire exclaimed, "it was when he last faced the Brotherhood of Evil with the Doom Patrol...and the last day he would fight alongside them." Feeling curious yet slightly wary, everyone asked what happened that would lead to their separation. "From what he said; when the choice came for him to either defeat the Brotherhood or save the team...Garfield chose the latter" Raven muttered, "a choice Mento claimed was 'selfish insubordination.'"

This reveal resulted in virtually everyone screaming with outrage, many of whom calling Mento's leadership "flawed" (among other...less civil terms.) Others went as far as to say that if faced with similar situations, they'd happily follow Garfield's example. "Sadly, Mento didn't see it that way and thus expelled Garfield from the team" Clockwork stated, "the events that followed...the Titans are already well familiar with."

With that said, the vision pool began to show everyone Garfield's memories with the Titans; some pleasant and others...not so. Among these memories were all the instances Beast Boy attempted to liven up everyone's spirits with either a joke, a game or a silly animal trick he created. It wasn't until they've witnessed Garfield being thrown from the highest point of the tower (for the "eleventeenth" time, in Cyborg's words) where everyone else suddenly glared daggers down at the young heroes.

"Uh...would it help anything if we said 'sorry'" Cyborg asked sheepishly, "because we really, really are!" Not long after this, Starfire also professed her regret for what she had done towards her friend. "True...I am aware of the mistakes that Friend Be...I mean, Friend Garfield has made" she stated, "but I didn't know he had such a checkered past...as the Earth saying goes."

The rest of the team proceeded to say the same thing, claiming that Garfield "hid everything well" with all his poor attempts at jokes. "That's exactly the point the native's tryin' to make, ya scurvy chum chewers" Roger roared, "all of the pranking, the 'bothersome' jests he would make and immature behavior...is nothing more than a cry for help from a lost soul whose only wish was to share some bonding moments with his so-called 'friends.'" The moment this was all said, realization fell over the Titans like a ton of bricks.

All Garfield ever truly desired in life was to feel needed and make those around him happy, even if it cost him his own joy or dignity. With this in mind, Raven felt that she owed a lifetime's worth of apologies for her friend and teammate; if and when he could speak to her again. At the same time, everyone else kept their firm glares fixed upon the Titans; which made the Spirit Guides feel quite bothered.

"Do not be so quick to pass judgment upon them just yet, everyone" Clockwork informed, "for you see...you are all guilty of the same sins they have committed." No sooner had he said this, he activated his staff and summoned several dozen portals; each one showing different moments they shared together with the six lads. Unfortunately, these consisted of either moments of humiliation or abuse towards them (be it physical, verbal or emotional.)

"Let us start with you Straw Hats first" Roger grumbled, "betwixt possibly losing Sabo at a young age, losing Ace later on in life, the two-year separation, his humiliating defeats at the hands of those like Akainu, Big Mom or Kaido, coming close to death on multiple occasions and the many beatings you lot subject him to...'tis a miracle he has chosen to keep you with him for all this time." With a fierce growl, Zoro rose to his feet and proclaimed that the spirit was being rather unjust towards them. "Sure, we...maaay be a little harsh on him, at times" he said with a light yet uncertain murmur near the end, "but hey, no one's perfect."

Soon after that, the rest of the Straw Hats proclaimed the same thing; making certain to reference every instance their captain's "recklessness" and "stupidity" got them into trouble. Unfortunately, the moment they spoke thus; Falcon Steven proceeded to "reward" them with a series of powerful pecks atop the head from his sharpened beak. "OW! WHAT THE HELL, YOU STUPID BIRD" Nami shrieked, "all we said is that or captain's recklessness almost got us killed sometimes!"

After giving off a fierce shriek, Falcon Steven proclaimed that they weren't being punished for calling their captain reckless; it was for calling him "stupid." "But he is stupid" Sanji shrieked, "I mean...this is the same man who thinks using the sun as a compass is a good idea!" The moment the crew agreed with him; they were, once again, rewarded with a series of pecks atop their heads.

"The next time one of you attempts to speak ill of the lad; I swear, I will claw your eyes out" Falcon Steven growled, "and I warn you...I just had them sharpened!" While mildly intimidated by the threat; Nami, while nursing the bumps atop her head, questioned why they were being punished for "simply speaking the truth?" "I must agree with my avian associate" Tawaba stated, "your captain and Garfield actually share something in common...they're both innocent souls."

From here, the Alchemist added that having such a strong sense of innocence often made folk appear "foolish" in the eyes of others. "To put it one way; Luffy, despite his age, is like a child at heart" he stated, "he's innocent, always sees the world around him in an exciting light, enjoys adventure and believes standing up for what he thinks is the right thing." With all this in mind, Tawaba said he was quite proud of both boys being able to hold onto their innocence; in spite of their struggles.

"Seriously...you think THEIR problems are so bad...I lost my friggin' mother figure, Bellemere when I was a little kid" Nami shrieked, "not to mention I was forced to steal for Arlong for half my life...what makes them so special?!" No sooner having said this, several others among the crowd began comparing their tragedies to those of the six lads. But yet again, the spirits stood unfazed by their behavior; save for Falcon Steven giving them a sort of "don't test me" sort of glare.

Once everyone had calmed down again, Tawaba explained how every individual has a different way of coping with their struggles. "For some like...you, Miss Raven; you find Meditation to be a good way to calm one's spirit and you are right" he stated, "meanwhile; others like Garfield, Luffy and even Steven in his youth felt making merry and doing their best to see the positive side of almost everything around them to be more rewarding." While for a brief moment, everyone felt this behavior was admirable; there were some who still refused to accept what they've seen.

"I mean...c'mon, we can't be as bad to Danny as you say we are" Maddie stated firmly, "you show us or name one time we've hurt our children in any way...and then, we will start to believe all this." With a weary sigh, Clockwork brushed aside all the time windows he created earlier and brought forth only one. Within it, everyone could see what looked like Christmas moment.

Upon seeing this, Jack and Maddie suddenly felt rather anxious and were prepared to slink away. But Robin, after summoning a few hands from behind them, swiftly brought them back. "Why so fidgety all the sudden, you two" Sparx asked suspiciously, "this something you don't wanna see?"

Before they had the chance to speak up, their past selves suddenly started ranting and raving at each other. Though it all sounded nonsensical, at first; a few people could hear faint mentions of someone named..."Santa Claus." "He is believed to be a figure of generosity to the children of the world, regardless of the dimension" Clockwork stated, "he also happens to be the topic of a most heated argument the elder Fentons have every Christmas."

Upon hearing this, Cyborg gave a sarcastic scoff; proclaiming that families arguing during the holidays was a very common thing. "Quite so, young man" the Alchemist stated, "but when the Fentons argued, they tended to...push things too far." When asked what the topic behind the couple's disagreement was, everyone could see Jazz trying to hide her head in shame.

"You're lookin' a little nervous there, Missy" Sparx said knowingly, "ya got something to say." For almost half a minute, Jasmine did not answer; both due to not wanting to reopen old wounds for her brother...and because the truth behind the incident still embarrassed her immensely. But in the end, she realized that the truth needed to be told; for her brother's sake.

"Some of you may think I'm nuts, some of you might actually side with my parents" she murmured in a shamed tone, "but make no mistake...everything I'm telling you is the truth." With that, she revealed that the sole topic her parents quarreled over every year at Christmastime...was the existence of Santa Claus. "My father's like a child and like all children, he holds on to the belief that Santa is real" she stated, "whereas my mother approaches things...'scientifically' and proclaims both his existence and his abilities to be a bold-faced lie."

As if on cue, hearing their say all this instantly brought the elder Fentons into having the aforementioned fight; which confused everyone. "I don't get it" Otto muttered absent-mindedly, "why's it so important to you guys if this...'Santa' guy is real or not?" Upon hearing this, Maddie turned towards the primate and proclaimed that there wasn't anything important on the matter; which she claimed was the initial point she tried to make for years.

"A being who circles the earth one night high above the air, unprotected in a sledge pulled by flying reindeer" she shrieked in exasperation, "it's pure hogwash!" No sooner had she said this, everyone around Maddie suddenly gazed at her with a coy look in their eyes; leaving her feeling quite confused. It was here that Greg revealed that he didn't believe in "hogwash" stuff like magic or aliens either.

"Then...I met Rose and my life was changed forever" he stated, "now; my life has magic, misadventures, space stuff...and I've lost count of all the times my son's powers turned into a baby right in front of me!" The moment the last example was revealed, everyone claimed that Greg was lying to them. "No, he's not" Connie said suddenly, "I've seen it happen to Steven for myself...several times!"

It was here that the Spirit of the Alchemist intervened by saying that things like science, logic and reason alone could never help anyone fully understand the complexities of the universe. "Yeah, it's like that...Descartes guy once said; 'I think, therefore I am'" Tucker exclaimed, "which kinda...sorta means if you believe that something exists; then, it does."

After taking a moment to get over her initial shock, Sam confessed that she could not decide which was stranger; what her friend said or the fact that he of all people said it. Regardless, Maddie still stubbornly held onto her scientific beliefs, proclaiming that such philosophies were unfounded. "More to the point, what does any of this have to do with us or our son" Jack interjected, "what did we do that made our son act the way he did in the arena?!"

Without a second thought or a pause, Tawaba gestured towards the vision pool and showed everyone the first of Daniel's "traumatic holiday memories." It was at a Christmas tree lot and both adults were trying to rally the townspeople into joining one on their beliefs and opposing the other's. While all this was going on; Danny, who was an infant at the time, was left unattended at the front gate.

At the same time; someone's pet dog suddenly felt the call of nature, approached Danny...and proceeded to relieve itself on him. As a result, he wailed loudly in both distress and anger; breaking the Fentons out of their "friendly debate." As everyone else gazed down at the pool, watching the hound piss all over Danny's face; the Fentons suddenly felt rather nervous.

"This was the first of many instances where this otherwise joyous time of year was ruined for the boy" Clockwork sighed, "no thanks to his parents' imbecilic behavior!" The next memory to show up in the pool featured Danny (as a toddler) and Jazz (who appeared to be a preteen,) seated in the kitchen for dinner. In the background, everyone could see the elder Fentons ranting and raving at one another.

But what really caught their collective attention was the state of the kitchen. Every appliance within the room looked as though it had been retooled by extraterrestrial life forms. But when she was asked about this, Jazz confessed that they were all former "ghost hunting" inventions that they made out of old appliances.

"The microwave, for example was something my dad called the 'Ghost Toaster'" she said with an embarrassed groan, "it was supposed to instantly fry up ghosts into ectoplasmic goo...if it actually worked." When asked what happened after any of the inventions were deemed failures, Jazz revealed that her parents "refurbished" them back into being "normal appliances." "That doesn't sound so bad" Peridot stated, "I've done that with some of Mr. Universe's broken machines all the time."

Several others couldn't help but agree that there was nothing wrong with "upcycling" ones old possessions. But then, they quickly realized what they were used for earlier and that was when the dread truly sank in. "There was so much ectoplasmic residue left on the inventions that anything we put in, they became possessed and tried to attack us" Jazz explained, "which is exactly what happened during Danny's 4th Christmas."

As everyone gazed into the vision pool, the oven suddenly started bouncing and crashing violently; which terrified the children. Then, all of a sudden; the turkey came flying out of the oven, armed with a fork and a knife. Instantly, everyone could see that the turkey was glowing green...and that it had, somehow grown a set of teeth; which meant that it was tainted with ghost essence.

"The thing would've cut up and devoured Danny for sure" Jazz stated, "if I didn't rush in to save him." No sooner had she said this; in the pool, young Jazz took hold of a broom and proceeded to assault the possessed fowl. But from the shocked expression on Danny's face, it was clear that the damage had been done.

Needless to say, in that moment; Jack and Maddie couldn't feel any smaller than they already did. "Wow, just...wow, it's no wonder Danny struggled at school so much" Valerie sighed, "he has to conserve his energy to survive ghosts and you brain-dead butt-clowns!" Maddie suddenly fumed brightly with anger, demanding that the young huntress learn to respect her elders.

"But how can she do that...when you two act more like children than your own son" Clockwork inquired, "thanks to you, his so-called 'dearest friends' and the corrupt society of your hometown; Daniel is reduced to THIS!" Upon making this declaration, he gestured back into the alley; where Little Danny tried desperately to keep out of the storm outside.

Upon hearing their whimpers and seeing the looks of terror in the lads' eyes, everyone felt on the verge of an emotional breakdown...that is to say, almost everyone. Once more, Moordryd professed his refusal to show any sympathy towards Artha or the other lads'; insisting that their struggles were nothing compared to everyone else's. "As much as I hate to admit it...Moordryd has a point" Kitt said with a shiver, "back in Dragon City; me and loads of other racers have the same stresses, insecurities, doubts and issues that Artha..."

As she neared the end of her tirade, Kitt found herself slightly droning on the last word. Then, all too quickly; realization hit her like a dragon tail swatting her in the face. While to a degree, she and other racers dealt with the same trials Artha did; as the Dragon Booster, he had a much higher level of responsibilities than anyone else within his community.

"Do you see the truth now, child" Tawaba inquired, "Artha and Daniel's paths are quite the same; they are tasked with protecting the world on a daily basis, are often forced to lie to their own people about who they are, suffer a great deal of bodily/psychological harm...all to protect their respective homes from threats that hardly anyone knew about; such as the Dragon-Human war that no one other than Mortis and Wyrd Paynn have extensive knowledge of." Upon hearing all of these, both Connor and the children suddenly felt a wave of regret rush over them. Lance felt particularly sullen, considering how often he wished to be the Dragon Booster himself.

Not wishing to linger on the matter for too long, the spirits showed a new vision within the pool; one featuring Danny being mercilessly assaulted by his peers in school. "Goodness...do all human children behave at this institution" Blue Diamond asked, "such behavior is one we've only seen in Warrior Gems. With a heavy heart, Jazz confessed that in the world of public school; it often was like going into a battlefield.

"Peer pressure, exams, body issues, awkward social interactions and worst of them all; bullies" she said firmly, "between ghost hunting and all of this...I, now understand why my brother feels so frazzled all the time." While some small part of her agreed with Jazz's sentiment, Sam proclaimed that she endured the same indignities that Danny faced and never once complained. "Seriously, Manson...you're still sticking to your 'stronger than thou' attitude" Valerie said dryly, "need I remind you of the lunch menu incident YOU caused, the time you brought robotic frogs to replace real ones for science class...and who could forget your many desperate pleas for individuality."

If Sam wasn't bothered by the earlier comments sent her way, she certainly was now. With a fierce growl, she lunged at Valerie and hoist her up off the ground; glaring at her fiercely. "Don't you sass me, Grey" Sam said with a cruel hiss in her voice, "as I recall, you were among the people that made Danny's life Hell in the first place!"

While remaining indifferent to their quarrel, Clockwork openly agreed to Sam's words and immediately presented the evidence to back up his claim. Within the vision pool, everyone could see images of Valerie haranguing Danny both inside and outside of the school. These images included moments like coercing her fellow popular kids into attacking him, every moment Valerie hunted for him as the Red Huntress and especially the moments where Tucker was often on the receiving end of her scorn.

"You once called Danny both insensitive and uncaring" Clockwork stated, "but it seems that for the longest time, you were far worse than he ever was; in that regard." Upon seeing the moments in question happen before their eyes, the Fenton Family also felt rather suspicious of Miss Grey. Meanwhile, Sam proceeded to question why Danny ever wished to date her so long ago.

"Wait...hold it, hold it" Lars interjected, "you and Danny...were a thing, what happened?" Before Valerie had a chance to speak up, Clockwork proclaimed that it was another story for another time and urged everyone to focus. "As I was saying; like Miss Grey, the students of Casper High School made life rather arduous for Danny" he stated, "but the teachers...they were no help either."

From here, Clockwork revealed every instance the staff of the school acted against their duty as educational instructors. These moments included playing favorites with the students, ignoring all acts of bullying that occurred within the halls, needlessly spending their budget on tedious things (such 5 Star lunch menus for the Teacher's Lounge) and choosing to punish Danny for any wrong-doings his parents may have caused. "With all these crimes against children like Daniel, tis a miracle the man still remains employed" Roger said with an ironic chuckle, "tis also a miracle that you and your spouse have not been put in chains for your actions, you over-feed walrus."

It didn't take long for even Jack to realize that this insult was directed at him. With an angry scowl, he them proclaimed that if he had the proper arms; Roger and all the other spirit guides would all be destroyed. "Oh, that would be terrible...if you were actually capable of doing your so-called 'job' properly" Johnny 13 said sarcastically, "face it; you two puss bags are too stupid to hunt even the Box Ghost, Red's a murderer and Danny's 'friends' are complete weaklings!"

All around them, everyone heard the ghosts proclaim that Danny Phantom was the only truly capable ghost hunter in their world; which sounded incredibly strange. "I mean...Jazz thinks too much, Tuck can't fight to save his life (let alone his hometown's) and without the Fentons' tech to help her, the Goth chick is useless on the battlefield" Ember stated, "and yet you think yourselves more capable than your supposed BFF?" In that moment, the trio didn't know which sounded more infuriating; the ghost questioning their abilities or her questioning their bond with Danny.

"Are you seriously saying we don't care about Danny as a friend" questioned Tucker, "I've known him since preschool...we practically grew up together!" Not long after this, Sam made the same proclamation while also adding their more romantic relationship into the mix. "What you two say is true, young ones" King Tawaba said softly, "but the sad truth of life is...as we grow older; the bonds we once cherished start to change and may not feel as wholesome as they once did."

Upon hearing him say this, Lars gave a heavy sigh and proclaimed that Steven found that out back in his world...the hard way. "But I told Steven that no matter where I'd go or where he might go in life, we'd still try to keep in touch and remain friends" he stated, "and we've kept that promise." No sooner had he said this, Clockwork mentioned how Sam gave Danny grief for wishing to choose a peaceful life over that of a ghost hunter.

"Sounds like something we once said to Artha" Parm murmured, "I, uh...I am starting to see a pattern between each of the heroes' struggles." With this statement, the spirits proclaimed that all heroes shared a common wish; to make the world safe enough for them to live a life they desired to live. "Do you really think Daniel wishes to spend every waking moment of his life hunting specters" Roger prodded, "that life may be good for his father and mother...but he begs to differ"

Not wishing to be backed up against the wall, Sam held her ground and tried to remind the spirits of all the good Danny accomplished. "We are well aware of that, as are the people of Overon back in the waking world" Clockwork said firmly, "but every hero in every realm has the right to choose whether or not to continue their career...including your friends!" At first, everyone tried to think of some form of retort to defend their argument.

But unfortunately, nothing that came to mind could dismiss nor contradict the time master's all-seeing knowledge. Once Team Phantom fell silent, the spirit of the Alchemist floated over towards the Hyperforce; where he proceeded to give his own lecture. "I applaud you, my dear monkeys for staying true to the purpose I have given you" he stated, "that being said, however...I fear you place too much stress upon young Chiro's shoulders."

After giving a respectful bow, Antauri said that he and the Hyperforce only wished to make certain that the Chosen One was prepared for anything. "HA! There is no such thing as a 'chosen one' or 'destiny,' ya feckin' chimp" Roger grunted, "if one simply waited for the universe to tell 'em they were 'special...' nothing would get done!" After saying this, he went on to tell the Hyperforce that whatever "plan" Fate or Destiny had in mind for Chiro, it was no excuse for them to close him out from the world.

"He may be a hero...but he's also a human child" he said firmly, "and like any other child; they wish to cause mischief, make merry...maybe even find a nice maid to spend some time with." This example caused Jinmay to blush furiously, before she proclaimed that no other girl was allowed to have Chiro. "I think what he's trying to say is...Chiro deserves the chance to live life while he can" the Alchemist explained, "but he won't get the chance if you and the team have him on duty every hour of the day."

No sooner had he said this; Gibson, while still attempting to sound "respectable" claimed Chiro had "far more important matters" to focus on than any "trivial human pursuits." "It's funny...you sound a lot like me from centuries ago, Gibson" Pearl chuckled ironically, "but I later learned that in order to properly protect humans, I had to learn to try and live among them as well...spend time with them." Without hesitation, Sparx said that the team spent "loads of times" with humans.

"Sure...the last time we've been around them, it was to save them from Formless Minions" he murmured, "but that probably still counts." Sadly, the spirits shook their heads in disagreement and said that they needed to spend quality time with the human folk; play games with them, share stories with them and other activities. But yet again, the Hyperforce insisted that their duties as protectors outweighed such "trivialities."

"You chimps must be more robot than anything" Ember chuckled, "ya can't rest, ya can't have fun...you probably don't even really care about Chiro, when the chips are down." With an infuriated screech, Nova was moments away from striking her with a "Knuckle Duster" strike. But with a wave of his hand, the spirit of the Alchemist quickly froze her in mid air and placed her back upon the ground.

"How dare you suggest such a thing, sister" growled Nova, "of course we care about Chiro, he's our leader!" No sooner had she said this, the spirits quickly pointed out how she chose to address Chiro as "leader" and not as "friend." But rather than linger on that, the spirits chose to resume their conversation.

"Because of your countless hours of training, all the days he spent risking his life and how little you get involved in his human needs; Chiro sometimes lacks proper means of associating with others" the Alchemist stated, "just as the Gems did with Steven." Yet again, the Gem Folk and Greg felt ashamed by their failure to give Steven a true childhood; something most "normal" children felt was the most precious part of life. Meanwhile, the Hyperforce only felt...a slight amount of regret from their creator's words.

"Think about it, ya damn primates" Roger growled, "did ya not feel even a sliver of joy from the human activities the lad invited you to join him on?" No sooner had he said this, the vision started to show images depicting several of the aforementioned activities. These included the Hyperforce swimming with Chiro, going to the arcade with him, attending a traveling circus, watching television with him, having burgers at Gackslapper's or just walking around the city together.

Upon seeing each of these moments pass by; Nova, Otto, Sparx and even Antauri himself felt rather nostalgic. Then, in an instant; these images shifted and changed into every hour Chiro spent either training, listening to lectures from Gibson or risking his life as a protector. As a result, the Hyperforce soon felt a chill of regret run through their bodies; a chill that made Nova feel especially uncomfortable.

When the vision pool cleared away, the Monkey Team took a moment to recover and contemplate on what they had just seen. "Perhaps...Perhaps we may have pushed Chiro too hard on more than occasion" murmured the silver monkey, "but...what are we to do, we must remain vigilant in case the city or any world in the universe might needs us!" While no one challenged him on this notion or felt put off by it, the spirits reminded the silver primate of an important life lesson; recognizing when one must sheath their sword and hang up their shield...forever.

"Okay...Okay, we all get it now" Sanji grumbled, "we've all seen and heard all the wrong we've done to our friends...what do ya want, an apology?!" With their collective faces remaining as stoic as ever, the spirits said that it wasn't them that needed to hear the apology; it was the boys themselves.

"But...we shall attend to that later" Tawaba stated, "for now...we spirits must reconvene with a friend about some important business." With that, the spirits suddenly vanished into thin air; only for them to instantly reappear in front of the boys' hideaway. The only one who chose to remain behind was Falcon Steven, who felt it necessary to keep watch over the younglings' "idiot friends."

Then, mere seconds later; the Crystal Gems' eyes suddenly formed into stars, as a new figure began to appear on the scene. Not long after this, Greg also felt rather awestruck; which left Lars and the Off Colors feeling out of the loop. "What's going on here" Rhodonite asked, "why are you all making those faces?"

In response to her plea, Connie gestured for her and the other Off Colors to look ahead of them. Once they did, they could see another spirit being approach the group. While her dress looked exquisite to Nami's eyes, it was her hair that caught everyone's else's eye; including the Gemfolk and Greg.

It was long, thick with curls and as pink as a cherry blossom in springtime. To them, there was only one being who had these sort of locks; Rose Quartz (or as she was more commonly known, Pink Diamond.) Everyone watched in anxious silence, as "Rose" and the other spirit guides all made their way into the alley.

When the six lads saw their approach, they whimpered like startled kittens and huddled together fore safety. "No...No...Please, go away" Little Garfield whimpered, "don't hurt us anymore, we promise we'll be good!" As the other boys started making similar pleas to the strangers outside, a soft sound suddenly filled their ears.

It was soft and faint, at first; which led the boys to think that it was only the wind blowing. But then, the sound grew slightly louder and Little Steven swore he could hear the sounds of someone humming outside. When the other lads heard it, a second later; they couldn't help but think it was the "pwettiest song in the whole wide world."

If I could begin to be
Half of what you think of me
I could do about anything
I could even learn how to love
When I see the way you act
Wondering when I'm coming back
I could do about anything
I could even learn how to love like you

Love like you
I always thought I might be bad
Now I'm sure that it's true
'cause I think you're so good
And I'm nothing like you

Look at you go
I just adore you
I wish that I knew
What makes you think I'm so special

If I could begin to do
Something that does right by you
I would do about anything
I would even learn how to love
When I see the way you look
Shaken by how long it took
I could do about anything
I could even learn how to love like you
Love like you
Love me like you

As the wee lads listened to the song, their hearts felt slightly happier and more at peace. This gave them just enough courage to poke their heads out to see who was looking for them. When Garfield caught sight of Tawaba's headdress, he gave a joyful gasp and hugged his legs tightly.

Not long after this; Luffy came out next and felt equally joyous at the sight of Gold Roger, the Pirate King, standing outside. When Steven took a look outside and spotted his mother, he didn't know whether to hide again or to leap into her arms for a hug.

"Don't be afraid, little Steven" Spirit Rose urged softly, "I only want to meet you...come on out." Slowly but surely; Steven came out of the box, approached her and simply stared up into her eyes. After a while; tears began to form in his eyes and then, he leapt into her arms for the strongest hug he could muster.

Upon seeing their friends look so happy; Artha, Chiro and Danny slowly stepped out and greeted the strangers respectfully. "Can you help us, strangers" Little Luffy asked, "we're lost, cold...and I'm getting hungry!" Back over with the others, the Straw Hats were amazed by how their captain could still think about food; even when he's in his head.

"Come with us, then; little ones" Tawaba instructed, "we shall have tea together and then, all will be made clear." With that simple request, the lads took hold of the spirits hands and proceeded to leave the alley. As everyone watched them go off down the "street," something new suddenly appeared; a small house.

Almost immediately, everyone recognized it as the old house Garfield lived in with his parents back in Africa. This led them to wonder if the Logans' spirits might appear. At the same time, they wondered what good making tea would do for their situation?

"Watch and see for yourselves, Humans" Falcon Steven stated, "perhaps...you may learn a few more things about your friends." Upon hearing this suggestion, everyone shuddered at the idea of seeing anymore tragedies from the boys' youth. But all too quickly, they realized there was little they could do to resist.

"Good luck in there, boys" Connie thought hopefully, "and...be careful"

(First AN: Quite an emotional overload this one was. How much more baggage do the boys have to unload before their minds can escape the darkness? How many more dark moments do they have locked away inside and what of their friends and families? Will they be able to look upon our heroes the same way, after all of this?

Tune in next time, to find out)

(Second AN: This chapter is in no way meant to say that our six protagonists are without flaw or had it worse than others in their lives. Truthfully, it's meant to explain how they've managed to keep positive and remain dedicated towards their respective causes; in spite of their struggles. Just thought I'd point that out, in case some readers might assume I'm "playing favorites)

(Third AN: Much of the events about Garfield's life before the Titans are found within the comics...save for one minor thing, his history with meat. While Beast Boy being captured by two Americans and being forced to steal was part of the original continuity. Them forcing him to eat garbage and random body parts is all based upon something from the Titans fanfic entitled A Taste for Flesh by Atheau.

In any case; if I were forced to eat meat the way they made Gar do it, I'd swear off of it as well. What about you, folks)

(Fourth AN: Sanji's example of Luffy using the sun as a compass is loosely based on a comedic moment from the Minecraft series made by Achievement Hunter; specifically in Episode 236: Voyage of the Dumb Treaders)

(Fifth AN: The song "Spirit Rose" sings to Steven and the boys is Love Like You, which is the ending theme for the original run of Steven Universe. I thought it would be the perfect song to help ease the boys' fear, after being reading the lyrics of two rather dark songs in the previous chapter. Love Like You is the property of Rebecca Sugar and Cartoon Network, not me)

(Final AN: If it feels like there are too many swear words within this chapter; remember, this story is Rated M and both the heroes and their loved ones are experiencing a lot of stress during all this. As such, certain things might cause them to be rather...explicit. I'm sorry if it all feels like to much to you, everybody)