Okay I lied. I will probably be spending a LOT of time on this story instead of A Titan's Troubles. I'm have a bad case of writer's block so please forgive me.
Chapter Four: The Beast
Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. If I did it would have been BB comforting her in Birthmark and going after her in The End.
(recap of last chapter)
"T-thank you." Raven whispered still fearful of this strange animal. She knew it was only Beast Boy but her friends had said he was out of control and trying to destroy everything. Now he seemed almost gentle and kind. The Beast reached out one large paw and lifted her out of the hole the set her down on the ground tenderly
"Raven!" a voice yelled. The other three Titans stood in the doorway open mouthed.
The Beast snarled at the Titans and stepped in front of Raven protectively
"Raven get away from him." Cyborg yelled readying his cannon. The Beast snarled once more and advanced slightly on the ground
"Guys wait. Don't attack, it'll only make him angrier." Raven said quickly trying to stand but her leg gave way and she cried out slightly. The others rushed over to help but the Beast blocked their way growling low in its throat
"Raven what happened?" Robin called still watching The Beast warily
"Slade made a walkway explode and a piece of concrete landed on my leg. I think it's broken."
"What about Beast Boy?"
"I don't know. I think Slade attacked him. He was trying to kill me."
"Beast Boy?"
"No!" Raven exclaimed trying to get up once more. The Beast came over and let her steady herself against his shoulder "Slade was aiming a gun at me and Beast Boy knocked him out of the way. I think he ran off though."
"So what do we do about him?" Robin asked gesturing to the Beast who was watching Raven with concern. She looked back into his eerie white eyes
"Let them help. They're your friends." the Beast glanced at the Titans then nodded slightly. Raven allowed herself a rare smile which was covered by her hood
"I think he'll let you come now." Starfire floated over towards the large animal and looked at Raven's leg
"I believe you are right. It is broken badly. We need to take you to the medical room and fix you."
"But how are we going to get BB home? I mean I don't think he's changing back anytime soon." Cyborg asked rubbing the back of his head trying to think
"I can teleport us there. Just help me to the car and we'll go home." the Titans helped the girl along while the Beast trailed after them slowly.
Raven drew a circle in the air with her powers and imagined the garage of Titan's Tower. Soon enough they were standing in the underground hanger where all the vehicles were kept ( she had to go there first to drop off the cars)
"Come on Rae let's get you upstairs." Cyborg said taking charge of the situation. He reached out to help her but the Beast was already helped her balance
"Okay BB you can take her up." he said after a moment.
Raven winced as she sat down on the bed. The Beast nuzzled her hand slightly before going to sit down in a corner watching everything carefully. Cyborg ran a scan over Raven's leg and shook his head
"It's broken in four places. Nothing's really out of place though. You'll just have to wear a cast for a few weeks. I don't think anything else will be a problem."
"Good now what about Beast Boy?" Raven asked. The former changeling was watching them all through half open eyes
"I'm not sure. It's almost like he's stuck like that. My scans say there's not anything wrong with him physically just a little bruised up around the ribs."
"Well we can not let our friend stay in this form. What if he attacks someone?" Starfire asked. The Beast snorted and growled lightly
"I think he can sort of understand us. But I'm not sure." Raven rubbed her forehead. She could feel a headache coming on
"Raven, perhaps you would feel better if you drank some herbal tea and got some rest." Starfire suggested
"I think that would be good. Cyborg can you start putting on her cast and me and Star will make something to eat for all of us."
"Just tea for me. I don't know if I can eat right now." Raven said as the two left. Cyborg began the process of pasting her cast on and she mediated lightly trying to make sense of her thoughts.
Her eyes flittered open and she looked around. Cyborg had left and there was now a large dark blue cast on her right leg. She levitated her black tea mug into her hands and took a sip. The herbs calmed her somewhat and helped her nerves. The Beast was still in the corner his head resting on his front paws watching her
"You're awake." a voice said
"Who's there?" Raven whispered hoarsely looking around in alarm. The Beast cocked its head slightly and Raven looked at it
"Raven is better?" the voice held a questioning note in its tone. Raven looked at the large animal more intently. It sounded like Beast Boy but more… mature
"I'm fine." she whispered after realizing she was somehow hearing the Beast's thoughts without trying
"Bad man almost hurt Raven but Beast Boy protect Raven. Beast Boy did good?"
"Yes you did good. If it weren't for you I might be dead." the Beast cocked its head the other way. Raven sighed then floated over to the bed that was closest to the corner. She sat on it and patted the Beast on the head
"Thank you."
"Raven is welcome." the Beast replied
"Can you do me a favor?" the Beast nodded its large head "Just watch over me while I go to sleep. But don't attack our friends." the Beast looked confused with this information but nodded in understanding. Raven laid down on the bed and pulled the blankets over her. Soon her breathing evened out and she was fast asleep.
Robin whistled under his breath as he moved around the kitchen fixing some late lunch-early dinner. Cyborg had just come back from fixing Raven's leg and giving her the tea
"She was still mediating when I got there. BB growled a bit but he didn't move."
"I do hope we can revert our friend back to normal. He seems so different. Even in animal form Beast Boy is always happy and carefree now he seems worried and untrusting."
"What I want to know is why he listens to Raven but he doesn't even remember us. I mean he listened to her when she asked him not to attack us."
"Perhaps that is because of how close she is to him."
"Huh?" the two boys said in union staring at the alien girl
"Please friends think back for a moment. Robin and I are always training or doing the 'hanging out' and Cyborg is always working on himself or his car. That leaves Beast Boy and Raven together most of the time. I have noticed that they do not fight as much and Beast Boy seems to be able to comfort Raven when we can not."
"Only cause he drives her crazy until she has to come out of her room to get revenge." Cyborg muttered to low for Starfire to hear. Robin glared at him.
Raven's eyes flittered open even though she still wanted to sleep. One of her arms dangled over the side of the bed and she realized the Beast was gone
"Beast Boy?" she asked lifting herself up on her elbow. She levitated herself out of the room then sought out her friend's familiar presence. He was in the hallway outside of his room. She sighed then floated to where he was. The medical room was pretty secluded from the other parts of the Tower and it would take her a few minutes. Suddenly an agonizing howl pierced the air coming from the direction on Beast Boy's room. She picked up her speed and ran into the other Titans
"Raven you are unharmed! We were afraid that Beast Boy…" her voice trailed off as another howl reached their ears
"Hurry!" Robin yelled taking off for their teammate's room with the others in close pursuit. The door was closed and it had a light dent in it that faced out into the hall like someone had punched it from the inside
"Beast Boy." Raven called as Cyborg tapped in a code for the door. It slid open and the Titans stepped inside. The Beast was rolling around on the floor holding its head and it seemed much smaller than before. More like Beast Boy's normal size. It howled again and Raven was hit by a wave of pain and confusion
"Easy BB, let us help." Cyborg said approaching his friend. The Beast jumped up and howled once more. It looked straight at Raven
"Raven help!" that was Beast Boy's voice. He was fighting to bring this thing under control
"Raven must be protected. You can not do that." the Beast's voice yelled back. Raven gripped her head. The two were fighting and she could hear them. She wasn't supposed to. She could only hear other's thoughts if she wanted to
"Raven!" that was Robin's voice "What is gong on?"
"It's Beast Boy, he's fighting for control." Raven whispered looking at the thrashing animal. Suddenly its teeth shrank and its body became more human like, its claws disappeared and its hair become short once more. Beast Boy's normal emerald eyes showed instead of the pure white ones. His uniform was torn to shreds and only the bottom half was there. He sat up gasping and looked at his teammates
"Slade! He's going to kill Raven!" he shouted. The telepath girl motioned for her friends to leave. They did and she shut the door
"Beast Boy calm down. I'm fine, you saved me." the changeling looked up at her in relief
"What happened? The last thing I remember was Slade pulling the gun and how'd we get in the Tower?" he asked looking around and realizing he was in his own room. Raven sighed
"You turned into the Beast." the changeling dropped the T-shirt he had been stating to pull over his head
"W-what? I didn't hurt anyone did I? I'm sorry Raven I didn't mean to!" he said noticing her leg "I swear didn't mean to!" he whispered falling back onto the bottom bunk of his bed
"Beast Boy calm down. My leg was under a slab of concrete. You didn't hurt anyone but Slade."
"But why did I turn into that… that thing?" Raven averted her eyes and pulled up her hood before answering
"I think you did it to protect me." she could feel a blush coming on but she kept her voice steady. Beast Boy sighed in relief then moved to stand but he dropped back on his bed and clutched his side
"Ow, ow, ow." he muttered through clenched teeth. Raven frowned and reached out to touch his side. The teen gave an animal like growl. He quickly covered his mouth then backed away from her slowly
"Raven please don't. I don't want to hurt you."
"Your not going to. Let me help you." Beast Boy scooted back over towards her. Raven closed her eyes and let her hands glow a light silver color. She touched Beast Boy's ribs lightly then pulled away
"Thanks Rae."
"Raven." she corrected automatically. She let her hood down now that her blush had disappeared. Beast Boy sighed and picked up the shirt he had dropped. He winced slightly as he pulled it on then rotated his arms
"Man, I'm sore all over."
"I didn't see any other injuries other than your sides." Raven said starting to pick up several items off the floor
"It's not that. If I stay in the same form for too long I get really sore. Especially if I have to go from something big or really little." Raven nodded then picked up a photo off the desk. It was Beast Boy and her at the amusement park. The Titans had coaxed her into coming with them last month and Starfire had taken pictures of them with her camera that Robin had gotten for her so she could work on her scrapbook
"Raven?" he asked waving his hand on front of her face. She blinked then looked up at him
"Yes?"
"Are you okay? You seem a little out of it." his green eyes held worry and concern "Maybe you should get some rest."
"I will but first I need to talk with Cyborg." she set the photo down then started to exit the room but stopped in the doorway
"Thank you." she said clearly before leaving. Beast Boy stared at the door for a long moment then got up to change into some pants that weren't torn to shreds.