A Prickly Problem
Disclaimer: Yeah, I know. I'm supposed to put this in the beginning of the story. So I forgot. Anyways, so I can be all legal and stuffs, here it is.
'Ahem' I do not own Teen Titans. If I did, you would be reading this out of a proper comic book and I would have more money in my bank. You aren't, and I don't. Do the math.
Now back to the tale.
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Back at the Tower, voices were raised in the heat of an argument. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't Cyborg vs. Beast Boy, but rather Cyborg vs Starfire!
"I cannot believe you have done such a thing!" Star's eyes were flashing angrily, almost to the point of fighting strength. Cy had his hands up in defense against the onslaught. "After all, he -is- part of this team, no matter what form he is in!"
"Be reasonable, Star!" Cy protested. "It wasn't like I was driving cross-country or anything! Just back home! Short trip! And it didn't hurt him any!"
"It is the THOUGHT!" Star almost screamed. "To lock poor Beast Boy in the trunk was like…like…like treating him as if he were nothing more than a bag of flassgrid!!"
At this Cyborg folded his arms in defiance. "Yeah, but I bet a bag of flassgrid, whatever that is, won't poke holes in the leather seats! You know that can't be repaired. I don't care -what- those commercials claim, once leather is torn, that's it! And I'm not drivin' around with back seats covered with patches of duct tape!"
"Come on, you two. We seem to have a more pressing problem at hand," Raven interrupted. "If Beast Boy can't change back, we have to figure out why."
"Yeah." Robin knelt down and stared at the green porcupine, rubbing his chin. "I don't think it'll be easy, having something like this around. It's not like having a poodle or something. "
"It's different, anyway." Cy stared down at Beast Boy, who was beginning to shift his paws uncomfortably. While he usually liked being the center of attention, to have a failing like this in the spotlight was something else again. "Heh, some mascot we got saddled with!"
Beast Boy looked up with narrowed black eyes and grunted angrily. Cy ignored it.
Robin sat back in front of the porcupine. "Try it again. Maybe you just needed a bit more time to recover from that blast." he suggested.
As they waited, Beast Boy stood still, then shivered slightly. He closed his eyes, but still the green porcupine remained as he was. The others seem to droop as much as his quills.
"Now what?" Cy wanted to know. Robin didn't answer, this was far out of his league. Raven stood there, lost in thought while Star decided the only course of action was…food!
"I shall prepare something for us to eat as we ponder this predicament," she offered. "Perhaps it will help."
"Any pizza left?" Robin called after her. "I know we still got some nachos somewhere, unless Cy pigged out before we left."
"Oh sure." Cy snorted. "This from the guy who scarfed the last soda."
Beast Boy was forgotten for the moment, but he trundled after the others dejectedly. Star was considerate enough to get him a plate but was puzzled for a moment when she poured him a glass of soy milk. She studied it for a moment, then took out a bowl and poured it into that. Setting both on the floor, she cheerfully patted the porcupine as he hungrily dug in. Cheerfully until she hit a quill. "Yipe!" she jerked back. "Beast Boy! That hurt!"
"That's what happens if you pat a porcupine," Cy said over his shoulder. "They got needles all over. That's why -I- was supposed to carry him back. He can't stick me."
"What an odd creature," Star murmured, then she saw Beast Boy give her a hurt look. "Oh! I am sorry! I did not mean -you- were odd, just this form." Beast Boy turned back to his milk, mollified.
"Can't you drink that a little quieter?" Cy complained. "You sound like a fat pig, slurping like that!"
Beast Boy growled, rattling his quills as he purposely lapped even louder.
"Yeah? You wanna rattle -me-, pincushion?" Cy reached down and rapped Beast Boy on the head. The porcupine's nose went deep into his milk and he jerked up, sputtering the white liquid all over. Star was appalled.
"Cyborg! How could you?" Star mopped up the spilled milk and added more to the bowl.
"It's easy. Like this." Cy reached down and again rapped Beast Boy's head, who had turned back to his dinner after clearing his nose. Again he was dunked. Shaking milk from his muzzle, he reared up on his back legs and growled angrily at the metal youth, gnashing large orange teeth. "Heh. Cactus butt wants a piece of me!"
"This isn't helping any," Robin leaned back and stretched. "It's late. Maybe all he needs is rest. We all do." Here he added a yawn. "I'm going to bed. See you in the morning."
"It already -is- morning." Raven quietly observed. "Two in the morning, to be exact."
"Well, then I'll see you guys later in the morning. Good night. Or morning. Or something." Robin gave a wave and left. The others thought this a good idea and retired to their own rooms.
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When Beast Boy woke up, he was momentarily confused. Everything in his room seemed to have taken on an odd dimension. Then he remembered the events of the past night. He looked down and noted sourly that he was still a porcupine. He tried again to regain his normal form, but for whatever reason, he remained as he was. Closing his eyes, he tried again. Still nothing. The familiar feeling of changing continued to elude him.
This was beginning to worry him. Such a thing had never happened before. Morphing was so second nature to him that he never even gave it a thought. He just did it. Raven may have to concentrate on her spells and power and Star had to gather emotions for her abilities but changing shapes to Beast Boy was as natural as breathing. Just think of the animal and his DNA instantly tore apart and re-arranged itself so that he became that animal. Then think of his humanoid form and he returned to it. So what had gone wrong? Why couldn't he return? What if he was to remain a porcupine for the rest of his life? Beast Boy swallowed hard. He wouldn't be much use to the team if he did. After all, what could a porcupine do? Waddle about and stick people. He couldn't even play video games in this form. Was he to spend the rest of his days either tucked in this Tower as a mascot, or in a zoo? Beast Boy shook his head violently. No. He'd get back his true form, he just had to be patient and keep trying. Don't even think of failing now, BB, he told himself. Don't let yourself get depressed. You'll get back. The others will help. You'll see. You'll be all right.
After reassuring himself, he crawled out of his bed to attend to a more pressing need. He pushed the door to the bathroom open with his nose and waddled in, to discover yet another problem presenting itself.
He stared up at the toilet and thought 'Uh.How am I going to do this now??" The porcelain appliance looked much bigger than he remembered. He reared up but found he could only reach high enough to place his front paws on the rim. 'Yuch! That's disgusting!" Falling back down, he wove to and fro, thinking. 'Ok, now what? Man, I gotta go!' He glanced over at the bathtub. 'Ah. Disgusting yet again, but do I got a choice? I'll clean it up when I get back.'
He walked over to the tub and again reared up, but the smooth sides gave nothing for his claws to gripe. He scrabbled at the sides, then fell back, defeated. He sat down in the middle of his bathroom, painfully ruing the three bowls of milk he had consumed just hours before. He could think of no other way around this, so with a sigh he got up and returned to the door of his room. If a bear could do it in the woods, then so could he.
As he trundled down the hallway, he could faintly hear Robin's cheerful whistling in his own room. At least someone's in a good mood, Beast Boy thought bitterly. The whistle grew louder as the porcupine approached the source, then it was drowned out by the sound of water running as Robin turned on his shower.
Beast Boy's small black eyes widened in alarm at the sound. 'Oh man!' he whimpered as he increased his speed. Porcupines were not meant to run, he discovered. 'Thanks a lot, Rob.'
He slowed down a bit as he came near Cyborg's room. No whistling there, but he did hear movement as Cy was getting ready for the day. 'Clunk head,' Beast Boy grumbled, remembering the milk incident. 'Hope your batteries run down.' Again his eyes grew wide and he increased his speed on past as the sound of a flushing toilet reached his ears. 'No! No way! But then again…he -is- only half machine! Still, it's Not Fair!' he whined to himself.
When he reached the kitchen he could see the front door just a bit beyond. 'Almost there,' he sighed. 'Just a little further, BB, and relaxation at last!' He turned his head when he heard movement, but it was only Raven preparing her tea. He turned back to concentrate on reaching the door when she turned on the faucet to fill the kettle. Beast Boy closed his eyes tightly and uttered a low moan at the sound. 'Everything's against me today!'
He finally reached the door and looked up. To discover the controls far above his head. 'No.' he moaned. Then 'No! No. No. No. No. No!' banging his head against the door with each word.
"Beast Boy?" Star stood behind him, her hands clasped in front and her head to one side. "Do you wish to have breakfast now?"
'No,' Beast Boy thought desparately. 'I wish you to open this door!' He scratched at it by way of a hint. Star did not seem to take it.
'I have created a nice warm meal that I hope you shall enjoy! Come.'
Beast Boy paid her no mind, but continued to scratch at the door.
Scrabble scrabble scrabble scrabble.
Starr looked confused. "You wish to go out? But without breakfast? Why?"
Beast Boy's scratching became more urgent.
Scrabblescrabblescrabblescrabble.
Star brightened. "Oh! Perhaps you wish to take a morning walk first! How nice! Shall I accompany you? It is a beautiful day outside!"
SCRABBLESCRABBLESCRABBLESCRABBLE!!!
"Star?" Robin's voice came from the kitchen. "Can I see you for a minute? I need to know just where you were when you hit that creep last night. Maybe it'll help Beast Boy's problem."
"Yes Robin," she answered. "But Beast Boy is right here. I believe he wishes to go out for a morning walk."
The shrug was evident in Robin's voice. "Then let him out. And come here. I think I found something."
"Very well." Star hit the door control. "I am sorry, Beast Boy, but I shall take a walk with you some other time."
Beast Boy squeezed himself out the door as soon as it was wide enough to poke his nose through and hurried off. There wasn't much landscaping around the Tower but along the driveway someone had very considerately planted a row of thick hedges. Beast Boy forced his way into the midst of them and with a sigh of pure relief, was able to empty his overloaded bladder.