Chapter Twelve: Shell

Quick Sticky: If you can find my references to LOST, LORD OF THE RINGS and HOLES in here, you get virtual eggs and bacon!

Dead. His father was dead and there was no way this man could be who he said he was. Horror filled Beast Boy as he stared up at Dr. Death's face. "No! You're not my father! My father died in a boating accident!" His voice felt strained and hoarse, he couldn't seem to force the words out of his mouth. The man stared back at him, his face seemed completely emotionless.

"You can't deny the truth, Gar," Dr. Death used his name again, just as he had in the Logan Estate building during their first confrontation. "You know who I am." He gave a mocking smile in response to his denial. "I'm impressed, really, with what you've done with the powers that I gave you. Look at you, a Teen Titan. And it's all because of me."

"You're lying, you're not my father. My father is not a murderer. He never stood for it; he wanted to save people, not destroy them!" Beast Boy's angry reply echoed through the room. Beast Boy stared up at this psychopathic man as he once again gave him a smile. But this smile was one filled with a sense of sadness, and he noted that his foe's demeanor had changed; no longer did he gloat or revel in his victory, but he seemed like one who had lost himself long ago in a past that he did not want to return to.

"Perhaps you're right, Gar. Maybe that was what I stood for, but no longer. Not anymore. I've seen and done far too much. Not even you would understand. You know who I once was, Garfield. I was Mark Logan, your father…"

"No, you can't be…" Beast Boy's voice sounded broken and hollow.

"Shut up and listen to me, I was once your father, but now…that man you knew and loved is gone, he's dead now." He turned away from him. Beast Boy stared at a skull like design embroidered into the lab coat. It was like the one that he had seen in his father's lab all those years ago. His father…he could only continue to stare at Dr. Death mutely, unsure of what the truth was.

"So…if you are my father, then why has it taken you 10 years to find me?" Beast Boy demanded. "10 years! You've been alive all this time and I never even knew! You didn't have the time in 10 years to tell me that you were alive and that I have a sister?"

"I have been taking care of some unfinished business," Dr. Death replied. His voice remained dispassionate as he continued his explanation. "You and your clever friends have probably figured out why I'm here."

"You came here to kill Nicholas Galtry, and Dr. Finlay," Beast Boy replied, filling in the rest of the details.

"You are a clever boy!" Dr. Death laughed aloud with amusement. "What a genius you are eh? Just like your mother, always the smart one." He sighed quietly at mentioning his wife, Beast Boy's mother. It was the first time he had ever spoken of her to him.

"W-what happened to mom? She's not here. Where is she?" Beast Boy asked. He hadn't seen her at all. He had a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Marie's dead, son. She died when your sister was born," Dr. Death said. His voice was filled with pain and sadness. "She died in my arms and I couldn't save her!" He whirled around to face Beast Boy. He clinched his fist angrily. "Do you know what that's like, not being able to save someone, and knowing that you had the power to save them?" he hissed in his face. "Do you know what guilt I feel?"

"Yes, I do know what that's like," Beast Boy answered. "I tried to save you! And I couldn't, I did what you said. You said I should go to King Tawaba and I did. What did it cost me? You! I abandoned you to save myself, and now look at what you've become, a murderer and a psychopath!"

"A psychopath am I?" Dr. Death stepped closer to him, getting in his face. "You think I'm crazy, Gar? Well, perhaps I am crazy. Of course, crazy people don't think they're crazy, they think they're getting saner. Perhaps I'm mad, perhaps not. Either way, what I do is perfectly logical."

"What do you mean by 'logical'?" Beast Boy asked. "There is no logic to what you're doing."

"Oh, but there is a logical reason to what I'm doing; you see, Gar, I never told you something about our family; a secret that I've never revealed to another soul. I'm a cursed man, Garfield."

"Cursed?" Beast Boy asked. "There is no curse on this family."

"Oh, but there is, Gar. There is. Do you remember Mobu?"

"Mobu? The crazy witchdoctor?" Beast Boy asked. It didn't really make sense to him. Why bring up Mobu? He had died when a temple collapsed on him. Although a pair of jewel thieves had saved him and shot Gar, he had still died insisting to Tawaba that Gar had been helping them locate a fabulous treasure in an abandoned temple. Tawaba didn't believe him and Mobu had died insisting he was innocent.

"He spoke a curse over us. I never told you because I didn't want to scare you. He said, "May your life be miserable as the ones you love perish before your eyes; may the one that saves lives destroy them; and the one who believes he destroys save them; and Mark Logan, if you yourself survive, may your house be divided…'"

"I don't believe you," Gar shot back. "There is no curse on this family."

"So you say," Dr. Death quietly. He went to a dark corner of the room and pulled something off a shelf. "Take this, see for yourself. See what your old man has become." He tossed him the holograph recorder.

Beast Boy caught it, looking at it in surprise; this was his father's holograph recorder. His journal, his scientific findings, his life, everything about him that mattered, that concerned his public image, it was here. Often, he had seen him recording entries and he knew that he was not permitted to interrupt him. Why would he give him this?

"Your journal?" he asked. "Why give me this?"

"'Cause it doesn't matter to anyone anymore," Dr. Death replied. "Mark Logan's dead, he doesn't exist. There is no life, in the void…Only…Death."

"You could join me, son. I could use your help. You are wise, cunning, smart. You could keep your life the way it is. I get my revenge, you keep your friends, and you get your sister. We all get what we want. No harm done, see?"

"Sorry Dr. Death. I won't join you. I care about my friends too much to give them up. And do you honestly think you can just get away with all this? Robin'll find you, he'll take you down. We always have and always will. We have never, ever let anyone escape us. You're not my Father. Mark Logan is dead. You're a deranged maniac and a psychopath. Either you let me go, or I will fight my way out. And if Marie is really my sister, she won't like the truth. The choice is up to you. What are you going to do?"

He turned back to Beast Boy. "I will let you go; I will let you live, my son. But bear in mind, you safeguard your friends; I have not touched them because I know how much you care for them. But if you reveal me, I will kill all of them, one by one until they're all dead." Dr. Death's gaze became that of a demon. "And Garfield," he yanked his son off the ground so his feet dangled in the air. "You'll be the last to die!" He threw him roughly to the ground.

Beast Boy climbed to his feet and began to limp out of Slade's hideout. Weakened from his wound he found it hard to concentrate. He began to stumble down the alleyway, trying to get back to his friends. He morphed into an eagle and took to the air.

Dr. Death watched him soar in the sky and whispered, "You're right, Gar. Mark Logan is dead. He's just a shell of who he was." Turning back, he headed into the warehouse; he pulled the hood over his face.

Beast Boy lost his focus, and fell towards the ground, smashing hard into the concrete. Groaning, he tried to rise again, but failed. Fumbling for his communicator, he signaled Titans Tower, calling for help.

Robin's communicator rang. He pushed the button and spoke into it. "Robin here," he said. The Titans gathered around him. Beast Boy had been gone for a few hours, and they had been starting to worry.

"Robin…Help me." It was Beast Boy. He sounded surprisingly weak. Robin didn't know what happened to him, but he sounded desperate.

"Beast Boy! What happened?" Robin said urgently through the communicator. "Where are you?"

"Dr. Death…fought with him…wounded…trying to stay awake…Pier 14…Come quickly!"

"Beast Boy, Beast Boy!" Robin called into the communicator.

"Get to the car, we need to find him," Cyborg said, they ran as fast as their legs could carry them. Tires squealed as Cyborg floored it out of the garage. "Come on, come on, baby!" he urged his car on as if it were a living being. "We have to save B.B.!"

Arriving at Pier 14, Cyborg and Robin were the first to jump out and rush to their friend's side. He had been inflicted with a slash would in his side, not too deep. It would not have been life threatening, if it had been treated sooner. But he had been hurt for a few hours, Robin estimated, and he had lost blood.

Robin scooped up the limp body of his friend, carrying him to the T-Car. Starfire gasped in shock as she looked at her green friend. "Friend Robin, will friend Beast Boy be alright?" the concern was written all over her face.

Cyborg noticed a holograph recorder lying near Beast Boy. Curious he picked it up and brought it with him to the T-Car.

"Let's hope so, Star," Robin said. "Hurry, Cyborg; we have to get him to the Tower as fast as we can!" Driving back to the Tower, Robin carried Beast Boy to the couch as Starfire spread blankets on it for him to lie on.

Raven stared down at Beast Boy as she began to heal her companion, her friend, she had to help him. She stayed for hours on end chanting, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," over and over again, trying to cure him. At long last, she saw him open his eyes. "Hey, you're awake."

"Hey, Rae, am I alive?" Beast Boy asked, trying to make the best of his situation.

"You'll be fine Gar," she gently whispered to him. "You just need to rest awhile. What happened to Dr. Death?"

"It's a long story," Beast Boy replied. He wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about it. Dr. Death's words still rang in his ears. "But if you reveal me, I will kill all of them, one by one until they're all dead." Dr. Death's gaze became that of a demon. "And Garfield," he yanked his son off the ground so his feet dangled in the air. "You'll be the last to die!'"

"Are you sure you're okay, Gar?" Raven asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Raven," he realized something. "You called me Gar."

"I did," she smiled at him. "It's your name, isn't it?"

"Yeah," his whispered, almost to himself, "that is my name…"

"Now you go to sleep, okay?" Raven said. "I'll check up on you in the morning.

"Rae," she looked startled at him calling her this. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," she smiled again. "Now don't call me 'Rae' in front of the others."

"That's fine by me," Beast Boy smiled. Lying back on the blankets, he let himself drift to sleep. He had no idea what would happen to him now. Now he would try to sleep and wait for the morning…

Quick Sticky: Okay, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm going to write another fan fic real soon. I don't know what I'll call it but here's a summery: John and Mary Grayson are sucked into the future by Warp, they arrive in Jump City, trying to make sense of it all when they meet the Titans. Robin's been keeping a dark secret that may be brought to light soon as Slade has plans for an unsuspecting husband and wife…

I will start this one WAY LATER, because I want to actually finish some of my stories. Please tell me in reviews if you really, really want me to start this.

Also, I will be updating other fics as well, but my main priorities are this one, NEVER LEAE, BENEATH THE BAT'S WINGS, I STAND IN YOUR SHADOW, and AFTERMATH CHRONICLES: TO SAVE AND SACRIFICE