I don't own the Teen Titans.
The doors to the Ops Room flew open, mechanisms inside grinding at the black glow pulling them apart faster than they could open themselves. She flew into the room in a blur of purple, coming to a halt directly in front of Beast Boy, who almost seemed to be expecting her, looking up from his seat in the couch.
"What the Hell was that?!" she shouted to him. The sudden outburst startling the other three, who hadn't yet noticed her come in, thanks to her speed. Her face was scrunched in pure anger. He stood up, crossing his arms over his chest. His face was blank, which only boiled her blood more.
"What?" he asked calmly.
"That! Why is it that whenever I bring someone to the tower to meet you all, you always manage to say something to discourage them!? Or to embarrass me?!" she shouted, raising her hands in an exasperated motion.
"You don't think it's fair to tell your boyfriends the truth about yourself?" The question was sarcastic, and she knew it. Floating up to meet his eye level, Raven began shouting again.
"Telling them my father is the most feared demon to have ever existed and that he ended the world seemed a bit much for a first damn date! But that didn't stop you, did it?" His anger rising, he clenched his fists. "But hey, I'm lucky you even talked to this one! When I brought Mike here to meet you all, he left because of how cold you were acting towards him. He didn't feel welcomed! Why do you do this? Why do you insist on driving away people that make me happy?!"
He was jealous. He knew it. That's why he acted the way he did. So far, he'd managed to ruin 5 dates for Raven. But he couldn't tell her this. He couldn't just come out and say he was in love with her. No, not to Raven. So he thought for a moment. Then he answered as if it were the simplest question he'd ever heard.
"Because I feel like it."
A deafening silence rang across the room. Raven was in shock. Her face lost all of its anger, being replaced by hurt and betrayal. She had always considered Beast Boy to be her closest friend. And to have him just cast aside her feelings like this, after all of the years she had known him hurt. The remaining Titans looked back and forth between their two friends, anxiously awaiting either of them to make the next move. They had been awestruck by Beast Boy's words as well.
As hard as she tried, and as strong as she was, looking at her friend, who had stomped all over her heart, she felt her lip begin to quiver. Reeling her hand back, she slapped him with all her might. The crack of the contact echoed throughout the room. With that, Raven left the room, walking at a steady pace. She didn't allow the tears to fall until the doors closed behind her.
The room fell silent once more. Beast Boy was standing there, staring at the door. His hand was rubbing the now very sore spot on his face. His heart fell to his stomach. He didn't feel good about what he did. But he didn't know what to do. No idea what to say, much less how to say it.
It fell even further when he heard footsteps. Angry footsteps. Metal, angry footsteps. Before he had time to turn, he felt himself be shoved down onto the couch. Cyborg, standing irate before him.
"You wanna tell me what the hell that was?!"
"Cy-"
"Don't 'Cy' me. What was that?" he shouted with all his fury.
"I don't know!" came the changeling response, throwing his hands up in the air. He winced in pain, clutching the left side of his face. "I don't know." He was rubbing his tender jaw.
"You don't know?" Cyborg asked quietly. In an instant, his anger was back. "You don't know?!" He grabbed Beast Boy by his collar and hoisted him into the air, bringing him face to face, and continued shouting.
"Of all of the stupid, idiotic- Do you even know how angry I am with you?" He shouted in the changeling's face, who was squirming to get free.
"I'm getting the idea. Cy, please put me down." That earned him a firm shake.
"Put you down? Have you lost your damn mind? Of all of the people in the universe, you are the last person I would ever expect to hurt her like this!" Beast Boy was fighting harder against his grip now.
"Cy-"
"No! We are done when I say we are done! You're her closest friend! Why would you ever treat her like that?"
"Because!" His struggling turned into kicking the metal body. He was starting to panic.
Trapped! His instincts were screaming.
"Because? That's all you have? I thought you were starting to grow up! We all did! But now you're back to your old antics again, but instead of pranks, you're just doing emotional damage now?"
"Cyborg, back off a bit." Cyborg turned to his leader.
"Stay out of this! I have let it slide until now, but only because she never said anything about it. And now that she's spoken up for herself, you have no regard for her feelings!"
"I didn't mean it!" Beast Boy was hyperventilating now, frantically clawing at the armored arms holding him into place. "Cy, please!"
Let me handle this! The Beast roared inside him. If we cannot escape, we must fight back!
"You're lucky a slap is all she gave you! As a matter of fact" Cyborg reeled his arm back, his hand balled into a tight fist.
"Victor, no!" Nightwing shouted, diving and grabbing his arm. Starfire was covering her eyes as tears started to form in them.
Take the opening! The split second was all he needed.
With a loud, guttural Roar, Beast Boy sunk his teeth into the metal arm holding him into place. He began viciously gnawing on the appendage. Cyborg froze, looking at his best friend. Guilt settled into his gut as he saw the state of mind he was in. Feral seeming to be the only suitable description that came to mind. With a sigh, he unclenched his fist, dropping the changeling to the floor. He lowered his other arm, shaking it from Nightwing.
Beast Boy quickly jumped over the sofa, putting some much needed space between him and his teammates. After a minute or so, his breathing regulated, and the wild look left his eyes.
He felt something hot dripping down his chin and wiped it with his glove. Looking down he saw red blood staining the fabric, already setting deep into the fibers. He realized he must have cut his gums.
"Huh. How 'bout that…" He said to himself.
"Dick, Star, could you give us the room?" Cyborg asked. Nightwing nodded and grabbed Starfire's arm and guided her to the door. A look of sorrow on her face from what she had almost witnessed. As they passed through the doorway Beast Boy's keen hearing picked up the word Rekmas. Cyborg sat roughly on the couch, his back to his friend. "Sit down." So he did. "The couch, B." Beast Boy quickly stood back up and slowly climbed over the back of the couch.
"Cy-"
"Unless the next words out of your mouth are a vividly detailed explanation-"
"I'm in love with her." Beast Boy dropped his head into his hands, but flinched again from the slightly swollen hand print on his face. Cyborg kept his gaze straight ahead, too shocked to react. "God it feels good to finally say it." He swallowed loudly. "I am desperately in love with her and I have no idea what to do. I know it's no excuse, but the animals-"
"To hell with the animals" Cyborg said sternly.
"I wish it was that easy. You don't think I try? You think I want to do everything possible to drive her away?" He took in a long slow breath to calm himself. "I've been in love with her for years. And I've tried to accept that she is never going to feel the same way. But there are parts of me that are… less than willing to accept that fact." His eyes teared up, his voice cracking. "They think she's mine. That she belongs to me. And some of them want me to… to claim her. Show her she's mine." He sniffed, wiping away his tears with his unstained glove. "I would never. Sometimes it's like autopilot, though. The responses and reactions just come, only for me to really realize what I've said a moment too late."
Cyborg let his best friend vent. He had no idea. This explained so much. But still…
"You know this doesn't excuse your behavior." He nodded in response. Still sniffling.
"Sorry about your arm" He murmured, shame dripping from his voice. "I panicked. I was- I'm sorry."
"You tried telling me. I wasn't listening. Sorry for stressing you out like that."
"Vic, are we good?"
"Yes. But that's not what's important. You need to-"
"Yea. I do." He grabbed a tissue from the box on the coffee table and blew his nose. He then made his way to the kitchen and rinsed his mouth out a few times under the faucet until red stopped coming out with his spit. "Well, here goes nothing." And he left.
Cyborg sighed deeply. He'd suspected something was up with Beast Boy. But suspecting and knowing are very different.
"You may have really gone too far this time, B."
Raven sat on her bed, tears flowing openly. Her body was shaking as she sobbed openly. No longer caring if anyone heard her. She had finally gained full control over her emotions, so she knew outbursts of power wouldn't happen. Hell, the only thing that persuaded her to date was the fact that unbridled emotions would no longer be a danger. She could risk the ups and downs that came with a somewhat normal lifestyle, and it was liberating.
And so far, the risk hadn't been worth the reward.
"That no good, lying, green bastard!" She yelled through the tears.
He's supposed to be our best friend! Timid wailed.
His actions make no sense. This is beyond logic.
Lemme at him! He thought I was a marine before?
I'll skin him alive!
Ladies, please! She has enough going on…
The funny thing about betrayal is that it never comes from a stranger…
She blew her nose into a tissue and tossed it into the bin next to her bed. She spotted one of her most treasured memories peeking out from her closet. A stuffed chicken. It almost seemed to be mocking her, watching her breakdown.
A knock on the door removed her focus from the closet.
"Go away!" She shouted in a hoarse voice.
"Raven… it's me…" She heard. His voice barely above a whisper.
"I said go!"
"Rae, please…" he begged.
Rae? Oh, Hell no! She stood quickly and made her way to the door. It opened with a hiss.
"You have some damn nerve!" She was poking her finger into his chest. "You really do! Pulling the shit You pulled and you have the absolute gall to call me Rae? Just who do you think you are?" She was livid.
"Raven, I'm sorry." His voice was meek.
"Sorry? I would believe you were sorry if this was the first time. Or even the third time. Five, Garfield Logan. Five times you have gone so far out of your way to embarrass me, I'm surprised you didn't get lost on your way back!" She was moving her arms wildly as she spoke. But he just stood there and let her tear into him. He deserved it, after all.
"I don't know what else to say. I'm sorry." His hands were in his pockets, and his shoulders were slumped forward.
"I don't want your apology, I want an explanation!"
All he could do was stare, not having a clue what to say or how to say it. After all, he screwed up. He wasn't fair to her, and didn't respect her choices. So believing she would respect him would be foolish.
"Say something, damn you!" He stayed silent, and she took it as a show of defiance and disrespect. She raised a hand to slap him again, and when he didn't make a move to block or evade it, she froze. Slowly lowering her hand, she let out a deep breath. "Just leave me alone…"
She saw something in his eyes. Regret? Acceptance? Self-disapproval? He tried to speak, but couldn't. So he turned and left. His posture, the very atmosphere he carried about himself, was so different from how he usually was. She didn't need her empathic abilities to tell he was truly troubled. She was still angry, but a small part of her worried.
Days passed before the two share words, and even then, it's only warnings during battle. He left her alone, giving her that space she had been asking for for years. Not out of spite, but shame. He can barely stand to look at her now, guilt and sorrow burying itself deep in his soul. They passed in the hallway one day. She greeted him blankly, and all he offers is a meek "hey" before drawing his attention to the floor. She could tell he hadn't been sleeping well. He'd been avoiding as much interaction as possible. His shoulders, which used to be held strong and square, confidently, now sagged.
The atmosphere of the tower had been tense as well. Victor and Dick were fairly stiff around each other, almost as if they had just met. But she didn't ask about it. If they wanted her to know, they'd tell her. Starfire was the only one who interacted normally with everyone, besides Beast Boy. He was rarely seen around the tower. He would meet at mission locations, but disappear almost immediately after the problem was solved. It had been three weeks since the blowout, and she was getting tired of the tension.
If anyone would be a good person to voice her concerns to, it would be Cyborg. He had been a good ear for her troubles during the years, no matter the scale. And she was no stranger to returning the favor.
Pressing the button marked "G", she took the elevator down to where she knew Cyborg would be doing his Sunday touch-up to the T-Car. The bell let out a small ding, and the doors slid open. She could only see his feet hanging out from under the car, which was lifted so he could work on the undercarriage. His music was playing from a small speaker, so she wasn't surprised he didn't notice her.
Putting her foot on the creeper, she slid him out from under the car.
"Oh, hey Raven" he said with a smile.
"We need to talk." He paused his music, getting up from the rolling cart. He grabbed a rag and began wiping his face, then his hands. "What is going on around here?" She was using a strict, no nonsense voice. And he knew better than to beat around the bush.
"What would you like to know?"
"What happened between you and Dick? If I didn't know you two better, I'd say your families had been feuding for generations." She sat herself on one of the clean workbenches, her feet crossed at the ankles. Cyborg took a deep breath.
"After you left the room, I lost my temper. And I almost made a big mistake." He put his hands down on the table beside her, bowing his head. She noticed the scratches and holes in his left arm.
"What happened?" She asked, pointing to his arm. He huffed a small, humorless laugh out of his nose.
"B." She gasped. "Like I said, I lost my temper. I went and grabbed him by his shirt. Guess it made him feel like a trapped animal. He kept asking me to let go, but I was so mad, I wouldn't listen. So he kind of freaked out. It was my fault, really."
Raven took a deep breath. Beast Boy had told her many times during their late night chats over the years his fear of being trapped, and where it came from. She understood how being yelled at while being held into place could cause him to panic, but she had no idea it would make him this fierce.
"And with Dick?" She could sense his hesitancy, and patiently waited for him to answer.
"I was so mad I-I almost hit him." He looked at her, remorse written all over his face. "I went to swing at him and Dick held me back. That's when…" he gestured to his arm. "So that's where me and Dick are at right now. God I feel so stupid." Raven put a hand on his arm.
"I appreciate you coming to my defense, Victor. But I don't think it was necessary. I'm not a damsel in distress" She told him with a small smile, which he returned.
"Maybe not a damsel, but you were definitely in distress. Raven, you're like a sister to me. And I'd like to think you feel the same way." She nodded a bit shyly. "Seeing him do what he did, it was the last straw for me."
"He did come to apologize." She picked at the bench. "It didn't exactly…" She trailed off.
"Yeah, I know. He told me." She turned her head toward him quickly.
"I was under the impression he wasn't talking to anyone."
"He talks to me. Couple times a week. I doubt he wants to, but I think the more social animals in him make him seek out the company." He started cleaning up the tools he'd had out for the job he was working. He figured he wasn't going to be in the mood to finish it anyway. "He's not doing well, Rae. He's not sleeping. He's barely eating…"
"So whats he doing in his room all day?" The irony of her statement wasn't lost on either of them.
"He's not in his room. He's been in the gym. I'm worried about him but… he won't listen to me. I think, what little sleep he does get, he does in there too. He's sorry. He really is."
Good! He deserves it!
Poor Beast Boy!
That's not a healthy way to cope with depression.
But if he regrets it, why would he treat us so poorly?
He broke our heart!
"Enough!" Her sudden outburst startled Cyborg, causing him to drop a few tools.
"Jesus! I didn't say anything!" He said defensively.
"No, not you. The emoticlones. They're…passionate about the situation, to put it lightly."
"I think you should talk to him." He was picking tools up off of the floor. She perked up in annoyance.
"Why? He-"
"Won't listen to me. He won't talk to Nightwing. He won't even look at Star. He's in a bad place, Raven. If he keeps it up… He is afraid Nightwing wants to throw him off the team. You know he's always been weary about where he stands with him after the Beast incident. Even after he saved the world from the Brotherhood, Dick has still always kept him at an arm's length." He turned and put his hand on her shoulders. "He needs you right now."
She gave him a nod and slid off of the bench.
"Thank you for your time, Victor. You're an irreplaceable friend, and a tremendous help." With that, Raven made her way back to the elevator, pressing the button for the training floor.
While waiting in the elevator,she couldn't help but feel nervous. This was going to be her first non-Titan related interaction with him in three weeks, save the brief exchange of greetings. What could she do or say to help him?
He doesn't deserve our help!
What if he is mean again?
This is why we never dated him! If things go bad, it's not like anyone else! We still have to see his sorry ass every day!
I believe this to be-
The doors opened, and she quietly repeated her mantra to quell her stirring thoughts. Collecting herself, she walked to the training room doors, and silently pushed them open. She heard the rhythmic thumping and grunting of someone using the training equipment.
She saw him working with a punching bag, performing moves and motions Nightwing would be proud of. She stared a while, just watching. One of his punches faltered slightly, he acknowledged her without looking. He picked up her scent.
"Did you need something?" She is startled, forgetting his keen senses. "If you need the room, I'll leave." She took in his appearance. A short beard had begun growing, and his hair was shaggy and matted. He'd been neglecting his hygiene, and it was noticeable. At least his clothing looked clean. Stealing her resolve, and ignoring the smell of the room, she walked close to him.
"Why are you doing this to yourself?" She asked worriedly.
"Doing what?" He began punching and kicking the bag again, softer this time.
"This. Neglecting your health to punish yourself."
"Because I deserve it. I embarrassed you, disrespected you, and interfered with something I had no business getting my nose into. I made a complete ass out of myself" he replied dejectedly. He placed a hand on the bag. "Because this helps me feel better." She was taken back by his answer. Gone was the child he used to be.
She looked at the man before her. She hadn't really noticed how much he had changed. Matured. He did something stupid, but he showed regret. Remorse. He wasn't mad at her outbreak as he would have been before. He understood what he did. She tried to remember the last time he had actually tried to bother her, but couldn't. By now, he had turned back to punching the bag, more ferocious than before. The white gloves he'd been wearing were torn in the knuckles, and red, as if they'd been bled into. Not satisfied with his answer, she stepped forward.
"So you think this is suitable punishment? Not sleeping? Barely eating? Locking yourself away from everyone besides Cyborg?" He freezes mid punch. Slowly he turned to her.
"He...told you I was talking to him?" There was fear in his eyes. "What did he say?"
"Does it matter? He's worried about you. We all are." She couldn't help but notice how his outfit was loose on his body. He really hadn't been eating. "Garfield-"
"Raven, please. Leave me alone."
"You know I can't do that." She wanted to cry, looking at him. This wasn't him. It wasn't Garfield. Her best friend. This man was a stranger.
"Don't you get it! I need to be here. I can't be around you, Raven. I just can't." His breath was sharp.
"What's going on here? Really. Why have you been treating me like this? What do you have against me dating?" She asked, sitting on the bleachers beside them. He huffed in response. He began punching the bad with renewed vigor.
"Raven, we have been on this team for almost eleven years. It took me a very long time to get you to come out of your room." He spun a perfect roundhouse kick. "All of the time and effort and anger I received just for trying to get you to be part of our team. Our little ragtag family.
"And I was met with resistance time and time again. Year after year. Sure, you opened up and made incredible milestones during that time. But now?" He swung a back hand combo, the bag making a sound like it had been cracked. "Now you can actually feel! From top to bottom, every emotion there is! And I couldn't be happier." She noticed his pupils becoming slitted slowly as he spoke.
"And where does all of that attention go? To some random guys who hardly know you!" His sharp claws began breaking through his gloves, and he didn't seem to notice. Her face was impassive, but her worry was ever present. "They don't know you like I do! And it drives me nuts!" A lion-like rumble reverberated In his chest and a roar ripped from his throat and his claws tore and slashed into the bag. Just the chain hung from the ceiling, the casting and stuffing was strewn about the floor. And it hit her.
He was jealous. She couldn't believe she didn't notice it before.
Garfield was hunched over breathing heavily. His breath became raspy. He clutched at his chest, and she jumped to her feet.
"Garfield? Gar!" He looked at her, falling to his knees. He had tears in his eyes.
"Rae… help." His voice was pitifully weak and begging. He slipped into unconsciousness. Raven quickly reached for her communicator.
"Victor!" His answer was almost immediate, as she had done the SOS line straight to his arm.
"Raven? What's-"
"Victor, he collapsed in the gym! I'm going to bring him to the med bay. Please hurry."
