Chapter 6
Beast Boy floated desolately through the tower, staring at the floor. The image of Raven clawing at her pillow, thinking that he didn't respect or miss them, refused to leave his mind.
He did miss them all. More than he could ever imagine. It was worse being able to see and hear them then if he had left completely. He had to complete those tasks soon; he didn't think he could take much more of this.
He concentrated hard, trying to figure out how many days he had left. He had completed the first task within eight days of coming back, and that had been two days ago. So, it had been ten days; he had twenty days left to make a good person from one who was taking the wrong path, and to make the person he loved happy.
A low growl escaped Beast Boy's throat. It wasn't possible! How was he supposed to make a good guy from a bad one when he couldn't been seen in the light, and he couldn't ask his friends for help.
"Aw, what's the matter?" asked a mocking voice ahead of him. Beast Boy's head shot up. A pale figure stood before him. Greased, grayish hair framed a thin, sneering face. Looking over the figure's garb, it looked like the teenager standing in front of him had just stepped off the set Greece, or The Outsiders.
"You're the ghost that lied to my friends!" Beast Boy snarled, recognizing the boy immediately.
"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" the anonymous ghost smirked.
"Yes, I do!" Beast Boy exclaimed, lunging at the boy.
He didn't think about what he was doing. He didn't consider that he might just fall through the boy, like he did with everything else. All he knew was that this ghost had made his friends upset, and spread lies about Beast Boy.
Lucky for Beast Boy, he didn't go through the ghost. Beast Boy pushed the ghost, causing him to stumble backwards.
"You wanna rumble?" asked the ghost defensively, flipping a switchblade out of his pocket. Beast Boy had to bite back humorless laughter as he looked at the slightly transparent weapon.
"Are you kidding me?" Beast Boy asked. "We're both already dead!"
Muttering, the ghost closed the switchblade and placed it back in his pocket. With the knife back in his pocket, the ghost looked back at Beast Boy.
"So, why did you have to push me like that if you didn't wanna fight?" he asked, ignoring the angry look on Beast Boy's face.
"Why the hell did you do that?" yelled Beast Boy, answering the ghost's question with his own. "You can't just go around possessing my friends, posing as an old, lost friend and lying about me!"
"Chill down, kid," the ghost replied, holding his hands up. "I was just having a bit of fun. You know, having a laugh. Being dead for over thirty year, there isn't really much to do."
"That doesn't matter!" Beast Boy bellowed. Before he could stop himself, his fist was crashing against the ghost's jaw. A loud crack sounded through the hall as Beast Boy successfully broke the unknown ghost's jaw.
Before Beast Boy could react, the ghost had taken his switchblade out again. Beast Boy watched as the ghost metal sliced into his skin. He didn't feel anything, even though the blade had cut through at least an inch or two of skin.
Fueled on by the knowledge that he couldn't be hurt, Beast Boy punched the boy again on the side of his head. Though the ghost's head jolted from the blow, and a sickening crack signaled a broken nose from another hit, Beast Boy knew that the ghost couldn't feel any of it.
Still, he continued flailing and punching at the boy. Every blow he made felt like he was letting loose all the anger, frustration and sadness that had been building up since his death.
He continued to beat the nameless ghost, and his unfeeling arms never grew tired. After a while though, the ghost was able to gently push Beast Boy off. Beast Boy was crying too hard to resist.
Leaning against the wall, Beast Boy rested his arms and head on his knees and allowed himself to cry.
"Hey, hey. It's okay," said the ghost, strangely soothing. "Tough guys don't cry, but sometimes there are exceptions."
The ghost placed a comforting arm around Beast Boy in a brotherly gesture. He waited patiently until Beast Boy had used up all his tears. Snuffling lightly, Beast Boy wiped his eyes and looked at the ghost, who offered a small, genuine, smile.
"T-thanks," Beast Boy mumbled, rubbing the back of his hand under his now running nose.
"No problem. I understand," the ghost replied. "I had me a girl before I died. She was a real doll too. I had to watch her grow up and forget about me. She married my best pal."
"I'm sorry," Beast Boy said, unsure of what else he could say after that confession.
"It's in the past," replied the ghost. He held out a pale hand "I'm Johnny."
"Beast Boy," he responded, shaking Johnny's outstretched hand.
"So, what's you're story? How'd you die?" asked Johnny, pulling a transparent box of cigarettes out of his leather jacket.
"Drunk driver," Beast Boy answered. "Huge pile up. You?"
"Big rumble," Johnny replied, lighting one of his cigarettes with a ghost lighter. "Took a blade to the chest."
Beast Boy nodded.
"So, what were you so angry about earlier? You know, when I asked what was the matter?" Johnny asked, sucking in a lung full of non-existent smoke. Beast Boy wondered vaguely why he bothered smoking, when he couldn't taste any of the smoke, or feel it, or whatever people enjoyed so much about smoking.
"Well, when I died, I was given these three tasks to do. I was told that if I did them all in a month then I could live again," Beast Boy explained. Johnny listened with wide-eyes. "But I know I can't do them. I only have twenty days left. I finished one, but the other two are just… impossible."
"Hey, listen to me Beast Boy, it's only impossible if you believe it is," Johnny told him forcefully. "You have no idea what I would have given to have chance like that back when I died. You can't just give up."
"You don't get it," sighed Beast Boy. "I have to make a good guy from a bad guy, and make the person I love happy. And I can't even ask the other Titans for help."
"So you can't ask all those living people for help," said Johnny, smiling. "That doesn't mean I can't help you."
"You'd help me?" asked Beast Boy hopefully.
"Yeah. Consider us pals," replied Johnny, punching Beast Boy lightly on the arm.
Beast Boy smiled and stood up.
"I still don't see how we're going to do this," said Beast Boy.
"We'll make it up along the way," promised Johnny, standing up as well. "We'll go along when the alarm goes off. Maybe we'll find someone to change there."
Almost immediately after the words had left his mouth, the tower began flashing red and a loud buzzing sound filled the air. Exchanging determined looks, Beast Boy and Johnny followed the other Teen Titans.
I'm so sorry! I haven't updated in a long time. But, I'm back now. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I kind of liked how it came out. If anyone is wondering, Johnny is not a character from either Greece or The Outsiders. I did get the name from The Outsiders (Johnny boy), but the Johnny in my story is my own creation.
Anyway, sorry it took so long.
Tammy Tamborine
