Hooray—chapter eight! This chapter was way too short at first, then I added some stuff, then I didn't like the stuff I added, and then I just decided to use the last bit of what I added. Now it's all pretty cool, but still a little short.
Oh, and before I go on, all of you that have read and reviewed "Monkey's Paw"—you guys are cool. I don't really have a chance to respond to those reviews, but I still like you guys, and appreciate that you took the time to leave feedback.
Hmm…a lot of people seem to think that Cyborg's building a mechanical arm…hmm….now what he would need one of those for. I was actually planning for him to make an electronic cheese grater, but if you insist… No, for real though, you get to see what he was building in this chapter, so you don't have to wait any longer than my author's note (if you even read them—and I know some people do).
Alright, time for Cop's chapterly allotted time to get off subject—woohoo, the End part 2 airs tonight! Rejoicing, as in townspeople! My sisters and I have been excited all week—my six year old sister has even been all "Guess what Saturday is" and the three-year-old will yell "Teen Titans." It's adorable.
And now for the disclaimer. I do not own Teen Titans. I do own the first part of the End of DVD (go DVD burners). Oh, and remember my big medical disclaimer a few chapters back, the one that was all like "I don't really know that much about medical stuff, so I pretty much guessed"? Well, there's a similar one this chapter—except this time, it's "I don't really that much about computer/technological stuff, so I pretty much guessed." Really, if anything like that doesn't seem realistic—I didn't expect it to. I tried really hard, though, so don't get too mad at me. Okay?
Finally, review responses.
Hope Rising – I never really watched Tru Calling, but as for JoA—yes, that was so evil of them to cancel it. And I love 4400—and once again, I haven't watched Monk, but I know the main character guy was in one of my favorite X-Files episodes, so that show is officially cool as well. Thanks for the review!
Dark Beast – I like Beast Boy a lot, too—but Raven still holds the favorite spot for me. And thank you for all of those wonderful compliments—they're making me blush a little, but still, I can deal with that. Thank you so much for your reviews—and I hope you like this chapter.
lovex3spell – Since you mentioned "Money's Paw" first, I'll answer those now. For one, you're not really supposed to know what Cyborg wished for—I just sort of leave it to you to decide. And as for the Silver Wing joke, it was BB's complaints about the monkey's hand getting cut off. Not overly obvious, and not exactly funny, but more like a reference than a joke I guess. That story was actually riddled with lots of little jokes, but mostly only ones that I (or my sister, who was in the room with me when I wrote it) would get. For example, the price that Cy paid for the monkey's paw, $25.50—the story was 25 ½ handwritten pages long. So see, I put that stuff in there for my own personal enjoyment.
As for "Silver Wing"--Hmm…a time machine. Possibly a better idea than the electronic cheese grater. Well, that's what this chapter is for, so you'll find out soon. Thanks again for the compliments, and the reviews—it makes this even more fun. I hope you like this chapter.
Cosmo3k1 – It was hard to get Beast Boy to act exactly the way I wanted him to… I even had to threaten his other arm. Ha, but anyway, thanks for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
teentitansrock – I like Cyborg, so he's the unofficial third main character of this story (and I gave him his own story). And as for Starfire…when I was writing that part, I wondered if I was going a little overboard, but I enjoyed that part so much that I had to leave it the way it was. I don't particularly like Starfire, but she is starting to grow on me a little bit—the scene was just so much fun to write. Thanks for the review!
doc-trigger – No, no prizes yet, but I might have another cookie opportunity later in the story. If not, I'll find a way to reward people. But you still get an update—and thanks for the review!
dragoon-bane – You'll find out what he's building in this chapter, so don't worry. Thanks for the review!
wolf of Raven – An awful lot of people are thinking that, too—you'll all find out this chapter. Thanks for reviewing!
Hotaru – I've tortured him a lot already—and the story kind of shifts after this, so things are gonna be a little different (but that's all the hints you're getting). But the painkillers thing is a really good idea—I know people with that exact problem. Thanks for the review!
Koriat – I have no idea how I'd react (and I don't really want know). You'll just have to wait and see what Cyborg's building. Thanks for reviewing!
CalliopeMused – Now that's a good way to get someone out of a depressed-stupor. And yes, I like Cyborg too, and also gave him his own story—but it was one-shot. Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter!
GreenMartian777 – Ah yes, I remember the rubber arm idea. And my sister is a BBRae shipper as well, but she's been all like, "sure, it's nice that she hugged him, but where's the romance?" She also hates Terra. I'm a fan of BBRae, too, but by no means a shipper. I'm not really big on romance at all. I'm more like…well, you can probably guess what kind of stories I like, based on this one. Anyway, thanks for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Sharon – Okay, it's been years since I'd worn elbow pads, so I think I was officially allowed to briefly forget they exist. Thanks for the review!
Chibi Scooby – Thank you, I really tried to load up on the depressing-ness of this chapter. Thanks for the review!
Kenji Star – Whoa, you're friend lost his arm? That's not fun. And a few people have mentioned Full Metal Alchemist, so even though I haven't actually seen the show, I know what you're talking about. You'll see what Cyborg was building in this chapter. And yay for tofu! Thanks for the review!
Whew…alright, now that that's taken care of, here's chapter eight.
Silver Wing
Chapter Eight: Replacing
"Well?"
"Well what?"
An aggravated sigh. "What do you think?"
"What do I think? Dude, this thing is--"
"Amazing? Wonderful? Fantastic?"
"Even better—it's shiny!"
"I guess it's that, too."
Beast Boy tested the metallic fist, clearly impressed. Cyborg looked on proudly.
"Just make sure you don't go losing any more limbs," Cyborg warned. "I don't want you cramping my style."
"Since when do you have style?" Raven was leaning in the doorway casually.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Look, Raven!" Beast Boy interrupted, waving to her with his new, silver arm. "It's shiny!"
She came closer to inspect it. "It's incredible. And…shiny. How does it work?"
"I have no idea. But it's awesome." Beast Boy continued to flex his silver fingers.
Cyborg crossed his arms and launched off into one of his long, scientific explanations. Raven guessed it had to be pretty high tech, because she only understood bits of his explanation, like "robotic" and "central nervous system" and "adaptive technology." Noticing the puzzled look on her face, Cyborg stopped and sighed.
"The sensors in the robotic arm are linked to the nerves in the upper part of his right arm," Cyborg explained quickly. "It mimics what the nerves are supposed to do."
"So, it's a part of him?" Raven asked, impressed.
"Works just like a normal arm," Cyborg said proudly.
"Will it morph with me?" Beast Boy asked, suddenly nervous.
"It's supposed to," Cyborg said. "Try it."
Beast Boy paused. "I'm sure it's fine."
Raven rolled her eyes. "Just try it, Beast Boy."
"Yeah, but if it doesn't work, then it won't be as cool anymore," Beast Boy protested.
"Beast Boy!" Raven and Cyborg said in unison, exasperated.
Without another word, Beast Boy shifted into a small, green hummingbird—with a shining silver wing. He flitted around the room happily for a minute, and then landed, human again, with a huge grin on his face.
"I told you it would work," Beast Boy said, still grinning. "Dudes, Righty 2.0 is so much cooler than the old Righty."
"Righty?" Raven asked skeptically. "You named your arm?"
"Why not?" Beast Boy shrugged.
"So, is that one Lefty?" Raven asked, pointing to his still human arm.
"Of course not," Beast Boy said, shaking his head. He suddenly morphed into a dog, with a silver leg now, and bounded out of the room, presumably in search of the other two Titans.
"Please tell me your arms aren't named," Raven said to Cyborg with a bit of dread in her voice.
"No way." Cyborg answered her. "Not Righty and Lefty, anyway."
0000000000000000
"Friend Beast Boy! You have regrown your arm after all. To think that the others said it was impossible!"
"Uhm…Star? I didn't grow it back—Cyborg built this one. It's robotic." Beast Boy replied.
"Oh. I supposed that is why it is so…shiny," Starfire said.
"Isn't it?" Beast Boy asked excitedly. "That's the best part."
Robin stepped closer to look. "So, this is what you've been working on all week, Cyborg. It's amazing." Cyborg grinned proudly.
Beast Boy made a beeline for the television. "Hey Cy, I bet I can still kick your butt on Game Station."
"Since when could you beat me?" Cyborg had a controller in his hands in an instant. "Like some shiny arm's gonna change anything."
Raven retreated to the kitchen, but still watched Beast Boy with a careful eye. His wounds had healed, but he was still a little paler than normal, and far too thin—Raven had all but force fed him for the past week. But for the first time since the fight, he seemed genuinely happy, and Raven suspected it was because he had hope again.
"How're you doing?" Robin was beside her, and looking at her seriously.
"Fine." Raven began searching the cabinets for a tea packet.
"You know, Beast Boy's not the only one I've been worrying about," Robin said sincerely, taking a step closer. Raven looked at him and sighed.
"I'm fine, Robin," Raven assured him, setting water to boil.
"This whole thing has been hard on you," Robin continued. "I know we haven't spoken much these past few weeks, but don't think I haven't noticed."
"Thanks for your concern, Robin—but you don't have to worry. I'm fine." Raven actually managed a smile for him.
Robin gave up, and decided to pursue another subject. He turned to look at the rest of the team.
"Do you think he's okay now?" he asked, looking back to Raven.
"He will be. He seems more like his old self already," she said as Beast Boy did a complicated victory dance while Cyborg fumed.
The rest of the day was uneventful. Raven spent most of her time reading, and the other four focused their attention on the Game Station. Raven even found the usually mindless entertainment mildly interesting, because for once, Beast Boy was actually winning.
"That's it!" Cyborg said finally, after losing to Beast Boy in every game they had at least four times. "Don't make me turn your arm off."
"You're just mad because I can kick your butt after three weeks without practice," Beast Boy gloated.
"Perhaps you should play the war-like game with the small, confusing pieces," Starfire suggest.
"Chess?" Cyborg asked. "Yeah, lets' see how much Righty helps you when I'm stomping you in chess."
Within fifteen minutes, Cyborg had about four times as many pieces on the board as Beast Boy did.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The silver fingers stopped above the knight at Raven's warning. Cyborg glared at her angrily.
"You can't use your mind powers to help him," he protested. "That's playing favorites. Why don't you give me any hints?"
"I don't need my 'mind powers' to see that's a bad move," Raven pointed out. "And you don't need hints, anyway."
"Hey!" Beast Boy frowned. He reached for his queen this time, but Raven shook her head.
"Raven!" Before Cyborg could complain further, Robin's communicator went off.
"A break in," he reported, snapping the lid closed. He studied his green friend carefully. "Beast Boy, maybe you should--"
"Please, Robin?" Beast Boy clasped his hands, one gloved and one metallic, together. Robin glanced over to Raven. Her frown expressed that she didn't like the idea, but she wasn't going to argue about it.
"Are you up to it?" Robin asked, and Beast Boy nodded fervently. "Okay then."
"Sweet!"
"Alright Titans, let's go."
0000000000000000
After the culprits were loaded up and taken to jail, the Titans headed to the T-Car to go home. Beast Boy lingered behind.
"Hey, are you coming?" Raven asked, turning back to her friend.
"No," Beast Boy said thoughtfully. "You guys go on—I'll catch up."
Raven nodded in understanding. "Alright. I'll see you later, then."
"Yeah."
As the T-Car pulled away, Raven looked back and saw Beast Boy shift to a hawk and take flight, his silver wing glinting in the fading sunlight.
Beast Boy flew around aimlessly for a while, lost in thought. So much had happened over the past three weeks—he wasn't even sure if he felt like the same person anymore. Today had been fun—he'd gotten to act exactly like he used to, and be himself again, but he still felt like he'd changed, somehow. He even looked at things differently now. Playing Game Station and kicking bad guy butt was nice and all, but there were better things, like flying. Or freedom. Or maybe just having hope.
He spotted the T-Car, and with his hawk's vision he could make out Raven, watching him glide through the open sky. She gave a little wave, and if Beast Boy could have smiled, he would have. The best thing of all was having friends—people who really cared, and a place to go home to.
TBC
Shiny arm!
Yeah, that last part may have sounded pretty final, and in a way, it is. The story isn't over yet, but things are going to head in a different direction, and…well, you'll just have to see.
Just a little note, I have another story (it's not a Teen Titans fic, but a JoA fic) where I leave a character injured and unconscious for a big part of the story, and, just like in this one, I woke him up in chapter six. I seriously had forgotten that when I wrote this story. And 6 in my numerology number thing (I don't really believe in that stuff, but it's still fun). Anyway, that's not really important.
Okay, there may not be an update until, like, next weekend, for two major reasons. One is because I have to reread all of the Harry Potter books by next Friday, but that doesn't really matter because I can just type in the morning and read later. But, because of all the power-reading I have to do, I won't get a lot of time to edit the next chapter, and believe me, there is going to be a lot of editing. I totally changed the plot for the next two stories after this one, and the end of this story has to lead up to this new plot.
So, don't kill me, and I swear I'll work on this when I have the chance. I went ahead and posted this chapter because it doesn't have a huge cliffhanger like the next one is going to have, and the one after that. Hopefully I can get the next part posted sooner than I think, but no guarantees.
Alright, so please review!
Child of a Pineapple