Chapter 2
It took over two hours to calm Raven down, and by that time, Cyborg had informed Robin and Starfire of what had happened since the meat incident.
"So, Beast Boy requires grooming?" Starfire asked, pulling out a large electric shaver from out of thin air.
"I really think we should find out why Raven is so upset before we think about shaving Beast Boy." Robin stated, leaning against the wall outside of Raven's room.
"She and BB have been in there for hours!" Cyborg grunted. "When is she gonna tell us what's up?!"
Starfire gave a concerned look. "We mustn't push her," she started. "Raven must be…nonupset when she tells us of the news."
The instant Star finished her sentence, the door to Raven's room opened, and Beast Boy's head popped out. He was looking more furry than before, and deeper in worry, if that was even possible.
"So? Are we gonna get some info now?" Robin asked.
Beast Boy simply nodded. "But don't press anything…" he began in a whisper. "She hasn't said a thing to me about it…so this is my first time hearing it as well, I don't want to make her more upset."
"Poor Raven…" Starfire sniffled.
Raven appeared in the doorway next to Beast Boy, holding his hand, and staring down at the floor. Her eyes were red and puffy and she looked as if she could break down again any moment now.
"Raven, are you sure you're ready to tell us?" Robin asked.
All the telepath did was nod, and everyone was off to the living room.
Raven sat down next to Beast Boy, gathering her thoughts and breathing in at a shallow beat. She was so upset, and no one knew why, but now, they too might feel the pain she does.
'I don't want to hurt Beast Boy with this news…but…his life from now on…' She paused her self thoughts as tears began making their way down her cheeks again. She felt a fluffy hand wipe her cheeks dry, and looked up to see Beast Boy smiling her way.
"It'll be alright," he said. "You can tell us everything."
Raven gave one last sigh. "Alright," she started. "It all began before I was a part of the Titans, back on Azarath.
Trigon, who was still alive at the time, had been creating a new breed of demon, one bred for the single purpose of destroying life on other planets. These demons were referred to as Dog Demons, or just plain Yashas. The Azarathians didn't know how these demons were created at first, that is, until my father sent them out on us. He would somehow turn normal humans into vicious beasts, with the blackest of hearts, and anger beyond control.
The Yashas were perfect killing machines, in fact, they almost wiped out all of Azarath in the war we fought against them. I had to fight all of them off, while the smartest beings we had finally came up with a vaccination which cured the demon blood that the Yashas developed.
Eventually, we had cured all of the Yashas, and they turned back into their normal selves. Surprisingly, my father never used them to attack us again, and till this day, the cure is stored away on Azarath."
Everyone stared at Raven, shock written all over their faces. Beast Boy had gone white as a sheet. "I-I'm turning into a…demon?…"
Raven bit her lip and stared at the floor once again, completely unable to look at the one she loved.
"Wait a minute Raven," Raven looked over at Robin. "How are these Yashas connected to Beast Boy growing fur, and the empty bottle in your room?"
Raven wiped away her tears once again. "T-That bottle was given to me from the scientific lab of Azarath. It is what Trigon poured over the humans to turn them into demons…" There was a long pause, until Raven broken down and started crying again. "Beast Boy, I'm so sorry! I should have never brought it with me! I-I thought I could examine the substance more clearly and destroy it somehow…b-but all I did was ruin everything for you! I-I'm so sorry!"
Beast Boy just sat there, unable to register any of this. "I-I'm becoming a demon…" he mumbled once again, before standing up. "I…I-I think I need to be alone…" With that, he broke out into a run, and a slam was heard as he entered his room.
***
Warm liquid tears formed in his eyes as he curled up on his bed, shaking uncontrollably. 'I can't be….I-It can't be true….'
He looked at his mirror and saw his furry face, instantly, he closed his eyes tightly. "This can't be happening to me…"
Images of what he might turn into seemed to flash through his mind as he heard Raven's voice in his head retelling the tale of the Yashas. 'I'll be so heartless that I'd attack my own friends….my own love…how can I beat something like that?…'
'It's no use crying over it," a voice in his head told him. He looked up, his heart seemed to be trying to tell him the answer. 'The only way to conquer evil, is with love, ya know that already, dude!'
"Raven…that's it," the green titan pulled himself up and whispered to himself. "I can't act this way, I can't show my pain, I have to hide it, everything, for Raven's sake."
***
A few hours had gone by, and the Titans were deep in conversation about the plans regarding their newest problem. Beast Boy remained in his room to collect his thoughts, and try to straighten himself out a bit. He was just about to get up and go see Raven, where a rapping came from his door.
"Beast Boy, we've figured out a plan, come out so we can explain it." came Robin's voice.
The changeling put his hand on the door knob and opened the door. No sooner than he did was he grabbed by the shoulders and lifted into the air.
"H-HEY! CY, DUDE, PUT ME DOWN!"
"BB, I'm sorry for this, but it's for your own good, man." Cyborg replied as he and Robin walked up the stairs and into the lab.
Inside, Starfire and Raven sat watching as Cyborg began to strap Beast Boy into a steel chair, making the green titan very anxious.
"W-What're you doing?…" No answer.
Robin opened a drawer on the far side of the room and began rummaging through it as Beast Boy fought to escape. "I'm sorry, Beast Boy, but this has to be done," Robin started as he turned around slowly.
Beast Boy's eyes grew the widest they could as he stared at the item in Robin's gloved hand. His mouth fell open, and from it, came the loudest scream possible.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Star, Raven, and Cyborg covered their ears as Beast Boy started crying like a baby, fighting Robin off with his feet.
"Beast-" Robin was kicked in the face before he could finish his sentence. "HOLD STILL!!"
The needle in Robin's hand drew closer to Beast Boy's restrained arm. Beast Boy noticed this and quickly changed into a cat. He slipped his paws free and scampered under a large file cabinet.
Robin let out an aggravated grunt, causing Beast Boy's heart to pound against his tiny furry chest. "Raven, could you PLEASE get him?"
The tiny cat saw Raven's legs coming closer to him from under the cabinet. Raven bent down and came face to face with the kitten. "Beast Boy, all Robin is trying to do is see if the demon blood got into your system."
Beast Boy blinked and started talking in meows, slapping his forehead with his paw when he realized he was still a cat. He changed back, his body taking up all of the space under the now very small cabinet. "Ow…You mean there's a chance it didn't work? I might not be turning into a demon?!" he asked, a hopeful look shimmering in his green eyes.
"Umm…." A sad look came over Raven's face. "A very small chance…" she replied in a quiet voice. The smile vanished from Beast Boy's face, and Raven quickly tried to gain it back. "But there's an even greater chance that the animal cells in your blood could destroy the demon cells and cure the whole thing!" Beast Boy looked back up at the girl he loved, still not smiling. "Please just come out a let Robin do the blood work…"
"But….Rae….I…."
"You what?"
"I'm…" Beast Boy motioned for Raven to lean in closer, which she did after rolling her eyes. "Deathly afraid of needles…."
***
"Okay, Beast Boy, you ready?" Robin asked as Cyborg held onto the changeling's arm so that it couldn't retract.
Beast Boy nodded and whimpered softly. He buried his face deeper in Raven's chest and closed his eyes. Raven sighed deeply and rubbed circles in her terrified boyfriend's back while rocking him back and forth as he sat on her lap like a baby. 'He's like a little kid…'
Starfire sat in wonder, confusion written all over her face. She had never seen a needle before, and was wondering what Robin was going to do with it.
"Alright….one, two," Robin stuck the needle in before the promised count of three, and of course, Beast Boy didn't even feel it. "Three, see, BB, nothing to be afraid of."
Beast Boy lifted his head up. "You mean it's done?" He looked over at his arm and immediately grew pale as he saw the vials of blood filling up, and the needle still sticking out of his arm. His eyes rolled back in his head as he let out a weak moan and fainted.
"That went well…" Raven muttered, staring at the unconscious boy in her arms.
Starfire had her nose an inch away from the needle and the vials of blood it was collecting. "Robin, that looks as though it may hurt." she gathered.
"Nah," Robin replied, pulling the needle from Beast Boy's arm and bandaging some gauze over it. "Alright, I'm gonna analyze this blood, Cy, you're staying here to help me, and Raven and Starfire can give BB that flea bath…he's been scratching all day. Teen Titans, GO!"
***
Starfire hovered over a giant tub, in which she was pouring the ingredients of the bath into. As soon as it was ready, the water turned a misty green color. "Ou, Raven, you must see! This 'flea bath' is beautiful!"
"I'm sure it is, Star." Raven replied, sarcastically as usual. She stood in front of a Chinese changing screen, holding Beast Boy's swim suit.
A green furry hand reached over the side and Raven handed it the trunks. "You're not peeking, right?"
"Beast Boy, for the thousandth time, NO I AM NOT PEEKING!!!"
"But you WANT to!" the boy laughed as he clothed himself. Raven gritted her teeth in rage as he stepped out from behind the screen wearing a pair of green swimming trunks. Raven's rage quickly turned to laughter as she saw Beast Boy. She couldn't help but let it out, as Beast Boy and Starfire gave her the most confused looks they could muster.
"What?" Beast Boy asked.
"Nothing, nothing!"
Looking in back of him as he went, Beast Boy slipped into the tub of flea dip. He instantly felt a whole lot cleaner and happier. He ducked himself under and popped up against to find Raven watching him. "This stuff isn't half bad! It feels nice!"
"Good, because Robin said you have to stay in it for at least twenty minutes."
***
Robin gave out a sigh as he looked through a microscope at a sample of Beast Boy's blood.
"How's it looking, Rob?" Cyborg asked as he spun around in a spinny chair next to the boy wonder.
"Not so good…" Robin replied, holding out his arm and stopping Cyborg's spinning. The hybrid gave a look of disappointment, but not for the fact that he was about to hear bad news.
"Dude, NEVER touch the spinny chair."
"Sorry," Robin replied without much care in his voice. "Anyway, it seems that Beast Boy's animal cells have…well, frozen over. For some reason, they don't seem to be functioning, which means he may be at a loss of his powers."
Cyborg's jaw dropped. "He's gonna be powerless AND a demon?! How's that gonna work?!"
"Well, he'll have his new demon powers, I suppose…but he won't be able to transform anymore, until we can get the cure, which Raven said is on Azarath."
Robin looked at Cyborg, grinning, as if he had something planned. Instantly, the hybrid caught on and shook his hands in front of his face.
"Nooooo way! Not me!" He stood up, knocking his chair over and walking backwards. "Robin, that's crazy! I can't go to Azarath!!"
"Face it, Cy," Robin started coolly. "No matter how you put it, this whole thing is your fault, and Beast Boy's your best friend. Don't you think you owe it to him to be the one to find the cure?"
Cyborg sighed. "Fine…I'm going into space…don't bother telling the others, I'm packing and going, now."
***
Starfire giggled immensely as she and Raven stood blow-drying Beast Boy's fluffy hair, which seemed to puff up the instant it dried. Star played with the fuzzy fur and laughed happily as Raven finished drying the last of it.
"There, it's dry," Raven replied.
Beast Boy sighed. "I feel like a Furby! Hurry up and get the dog clippers!!! I'm tired of all this fur! I wanna be normallllll!!!!" he cried.
"Gladly." Raven replied, handing a large dog razor to Starfire, and turning her's on.
It took nearly three whole hours to shave all of Beast Boy's fur off, but when he was done, he was back to normal.
"THANK YOU!!!!" Beast Boy cried as he leapt forward and hugged Raven tightly. Raven couldn't help but smile a bit, but she didn't dare hug back in front of Starfire.
"Oh Beast Boy, I am so happy for you!" Star said as she ran over to her friend. "You are no longer hairy!"
Raven snickered a laugh again.
"What?! Why're you laughing?!" Beast Boy asked, glaring at Raven.
"It's just-"
Before she could finish, Robin came into the bathroom and was about to speak, but then he noticed all the green fur on the floor and got distracted by it. "We could build a whole other Titan out of this…"
"Hey! Dude, I'm finally back to normal, and you gotta torment me still?!"
"I liked the fluff, Robin…can we buy a puppy?!"
"No, Star," Robin began. "I have more important things for you guys to be thinking about…"
The room went silent as Robin took a breath. "The results of the test are that the demon blood is taking over."
Beast Boy's heart stopped. He felt himself break into a million pieces. His ears drooped, and his eyes remained as large as they could be. Two huge green pools of sadness…
"I feel really bad to be telling you this…but your animal cells were also affected…"
"W-What?!" Beast Boy yelled, snapping out of his trance. "What'd you mean 'affected'?! What's gonna happen to me?!?!" He was starting to get frantic, and it was breaking Raven's heart just to see him this way.
"Well…you've lost your powers, Beast Boy….I'm sorry…."
This was all he could take. The changeling dropped to his knees. "No! No, that can't be right! It can't!" He tried frantically to change, as a small glow surrounded him. It quickly faded down, revealing nothing but Beast Boy's normal self sitting on the floor. "No…"
"Beast Boy…" Raven knelt down beside him, but he couldn't even stare at her. She felt tears build up in her eyes.
Star turned to Robin, her cheeks soaked in her own tears already. "But, Robin, Beast Boy is still a Titan, right? He cannot leave here, we will not let him, correct?"
"Of course he is!" Robin bent down to Beast Boy and put a hand on his shoulder. "BB, we'll be here for you through out the whole thing! Cy's already left for Azarath to try and find the cure!"
Even this didn't cheer up the green titan. He got to his feet. "I don't care…let me become a demon…it doesn't matter anymore…without my powers, I'm nothing…"
Quickly, he fled from the room and ran down the hall. "BEAST BOY!" Raven cried as she jolted forward, but was stopped by Robin's out stretched arm.
"Raven, let him deal with this in his own way…Give him some time, just a little bit, then you can go see him, I know it's hard, but trust me, alright? He's gonna be raged really soon, and I don't want you to get hurt, once he uses up all of his energy, you can go see him."
In an understanding matter, Raven nodded.
~Author's Notes~
Well, that chapter was full of lotza info, now wasn't it? I'm SOOOOO sorry for the long delay!! But I thank EVERYONE who commented on this story! It means so much to me, thanks a lot!! For anyone who reads all of my stories, look for an update in The Jewel of Azarath coming soon, and also look forward to a completely new fic, which I promise will be a treat ~.^
Anyway, next chapter, Beast Boy's changes are going to increase and he may find himself looking, well….not very green anymore! So please comment me and look for my new chapters and stories!! I wuv ya all!!!
BEAST BOY AND RAVEN FOREVER!!!!