Whew! Looks like I'm finally back on track with this fic; I think I've resolved the writing problems I had. Thanks to all of you who have been holding a candlelight vigil for this! This here is basically a transitional chapter before some actiony stuff next, but it provides some interesting info into how the deal between Vivian and Harbinger works, as well as an emotional (and disturbing!) revelation. Also, please excuse the formatting on this one. For some reason, only plain text is currently working for document uploading. I tried to fix as much as I could, but I probably made a few errors.

Hope ya'll enjoy!

Chapter 11: Morning Sun

The rest of the night was uneventful, though rather restless for three of the titans. Beast Boy had, indeed, retreated back to his room after he realized the coast was clear, this time actually barricading the door. True, it wasn't forced open last time, but the action did make him feel safer.

But his mind still raced through the night, going over what he was going to ask Vivian, the things Harbinger had said, the past; all this mangled in his brain in a jumbled, confused mess. He glanced over at a clock and sighed. Six-thirty. When was the last time he was up this early and not on a call? Still, it must be daylight by now and he did want some breakfast.

The green titan grunted and slipped from the top bunk, quietly untangling his impromptu barricade and stepping from the door. Cautiously, he looked up and down the hallway before walking from his room down the corridor. Best Boy hesitated slightly by Raven's room, raising a hand to knock, then thinking better of it and going back to his original path. She was already angry with him. She'd be angrier if he disturbed her.

Beast Boy yawned tiredly as he headed towards the kitchen, stopping suddenly on seeing the dark figure of Harbinger reclining on the couch. Stunned like a deer in headlights, Beast Boy didn't move until she looked over her shoulder at him and smiled wryly, "Mornin', cutie."

Beast Boy blinked then blushed, clearing his throat before frowning slightly, "Why are you still here? Shouldn't Vivian be in control now""Awww, tired of my presence already?" Harbinger asked with a smirk before pointing to the window, "It happens at sun up. Don't worry, it'll be soon."

Beast Boy glanced towards the window indicated. While the sky was a light purple currently, she spoke the truth in that the sun hadn't risen just yet. "I'm just, uh... I'm just anxious to speak with Vivian."

"After she learns what happened last night, don't expect the feeling to be mutual," Harbinger remarked before widening her red eyes, "Ah! Here we go. First rays of Ra coming along in his chariot."

One section of the sky seemed to boil and turn an orangery red as slivers of light stabbed into the brightening sky. "See you later, cutie," Harbinger purred with a wink before she convulsed, her skin beginning to turn pale. Sickening snapping sounds like leather straps being pulled beyond their tolerances sounded as her form began to shrink, her back arched up against the couch. The wings began to retreat into her shoulder blades as her hair melted from the deep black into the messy brown. A bathrobe morphed outward from the skin tight black leotard, covering her body. A few moments later, the transformation was complete, Vivian collapsing back on the couch and breathing heavily.

Beast Boy stared with his mouth agape; that looked extremely painful. Not at all like his own shape shifting ability. Vivian groaned softly then let her eyes flicker open, squinting slightly. "What the... where... am I?" Absently, she let out a hand to feel beside her, "My glasses... where are they?"

"Vivian?" Beast Boy asked cautiously, tilting his head as he peered at her.

Vivian jumped, blinking several times blindly, turning towards the direction of the voice. She groped along the couch before staggering to her feet and stuffing her hands into her bathrobe, "B... Beast Boy? Is that you? What... um... w-what am I d-doing here? Where am I?"

"The Titan's Tower," Beast Boy replied, hesitating. So many questions. But which one to start with? "So... want some breakfast?"

"So you know, huh?" Vivian asked rather morosely, absently poking at the tofu eggs in front of her. "Yeah," Beast Boy said quietly, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Vivian gnawed lightly on her lower lip, bowing her head and staring down at the food in front of her. She remained silent for some time before sighing heavily. "What would you have said, anyway? What good would it have done to tell you?"

Beast Boy frowned slightly; he really didn't have an answer to that. "Do you remember anything about last night?"

"Bits and pieces," Vivian replied, squirming in her seat, "Nothing really definite. Usually, the Harbinger leaves me a message. Sort of a, um... a s-summary of the night's events."

"How long have you had her... inside you?"

Vivian shrugged absently, "A few weeks, really."

Beast Boy paused, stuffing a forkful of tofu eggs into his mouth and chewing thoughtfully. "How did you do it?" he asked after a moment."You mean invite her?" Vivian asked, "That's the term she used. There was an old inscription I found in an old copy of Archeology Now. It took me weeks to translate it. But I did and I got the components to summon her... and we struck the deal."

Beast Boy paused again, jaw tightening. Now for the million-dollar question. "Why?"

Again, Vivian paused, silence falling over the pair. Beast Boy was about to ask again when she spoke. "I wanted power. I wanted to be special."

Beast Boy blinked. "Power? Special? Vivian... you are special. You're one of the most unique people I've met!"

Vivian laughed bitterly, shaking her head, "Unique, maybe, but not special." She frowned deeply, crossing her arms over her chest and hugging herself tightly, "You, at least, m-might know what it's like. To be hated and reviled for who you are. Haven't you ever wanted to do something to those people who hurt you? To actually be able to fight back?"

"Is that what you get?" Beast Boy asked cautiously, tilting his head to one side, "The ability to fight back?"

Vivian hesitated. "Not... n-not consciously, no," she admitted, "The deal was for me to be able to fight back. But I have no control over how it happens, at least not directly. I get power, but no ability to wield it. Not really, anyway. She basically solves my problems as I desire, and in return she gets to use my body at night."

"That hardly seems a fair bargain," Beast Boy murmured softly, "You really seem to be getting the short end of the stick on this deal, Vivian. Can't you just cancel the contract?"

"No," the brown haired girl replied softly, bowing her head, "The deal was made. It can't be unmade. Even if I wanted to."

Beast Boy blanched in surprise, "You mean, you don't want to? Viv, this Harbinger demon is using you!"

"At least she's up front about it!" Vivian suddenly snarled, looking up at Beast Boy with glare, "She didn't try to lie or deceive me, unlike everyone else in my life." The brief flash of anger subsided, Vivian's head once again bowing, "She gives me what I want."

Beast Boy pursed his lips, frowning slightly. Now a question that was bothering him since he first found out about Vivian's nocturnal transformations. "Did you... did you hurt those people, Vivian? The ones we saw on our date?"

For a long, long while Vivian remained quiet, her hands slipping down to fold on her lap. "Y-yes," she finally stated after the lengthy pause in a shaking, nervous voice, "I... I think so, anyway. It's what I wanted to have happen to them and it did." She paused again before continuing, "I was so angry with them. I hated them both so much for what they've done to me over the years. I wanted them both to pay. You have no idea what kind of misery they heaped on me." Her voice became laced with sorrow, pain, and sadness, "I wanted revenge for all the times they made fun of me, spit on me, made me so helpless, so powerless against them. I didn't want to kill them; oh no. That would be too good for them. I wanted her to be ugly, ruined for life so that she couldn't lord her looks over anyone else again. And I wanted him to be crippled so that his hopes and dreams were rended asunder like mine have been every day of my life."

The green Titan sat, absolutely stunned at the admission. He didn't want to believe it. In truth, he really didn't even want to ask for fear of hearing something like this. The moral conflict raging in his mind prompted him to inaction; on one hand he wanted to recoil in horror at the utter vile viciousness of the act and be rid of her. On the other he wanted to console the tormented teen. In the end, he could do neither. The silence was finally broken by Vivian again, her voice trembling and broken and tears falling from her eyes and dripping on her hands at her lap, "I'm sorry, Beast Boy. I'm so sorry. I'm tired... is there a place where I can rest for the day?"

Beast Boy hesitated a moment before nodding, offering a hand, "Sure. You can stay in my room. It's a bit messy, but it's comfy. And besides, no one will bother you there. None of the other titans like going near my room."

Vivian sniffed lightly then looked up with a tear-stained face, though the faintest of smiles showed through, "Thank you Beast Boy. You're amazing. I've never met anyone like you before." She reached up and took the shapechanger's hand, rising.

The green titan grinned lopsidedly and shrugged his shoulders, "I try. Would you put that in writing so I can show Raven?"

Vivian smiled again as she followed him to his room, "Anytime."