Chapter 1:

Communiqué

(Huh. None of the Titans would guess that I know how to spell that.)

Have you ever been in a cave? Caves are unpleasant places. They're damp, cold, wet and tend to have bats flying around. I know, 'cause I've been one. Sometimes heroes hang out there, sometimes villains use it as their temporary secret lair. Either way, caves are a sign of something shady. And, at this moment in the story, I was in one.

I dashed across the lower cave wall, pulling a sort of Matrix move. Behind me was a blazing beam of energy, being shot by a furious Doctor Light.

"I'll kill you all!" he screamed.

It was obvious that defeat had warped his mind. Earlier today he had kidnapped Raven and countered her powers with some Jewel of Gavrok. Raven is hanging by her feet over a tank of sharks.

How original.

I jumped down to the cave floor and tumbled. Starfire was flinging bolts of energy, each exploding prematurely due to the Doc's mastery of light. Light blasted Robin with a blinding surge of energy and he rubbed his eyes, temporarily losing his sight.

Me and Cyborg ran up from opposite ends of the cave, which then became a dash. I leapt through the air, and, wind flying by, began to transform from a human into a monster. The instincts of my lion body took over and I dug my teeth into Light's arm. There was a flash of white light and I couldn't see. I heard a small beeping noise, and a horrified scream. There was an explosion of sound.

My vision gradually returned, and I saw the dark, dripping cave. The Doctor was knocked out, sprawled over the cave floor and covered with bruises and injuries.

"How did you--?" I began.

Cy pointed to his mechanical eye. "Heat seeking. I didn't need to see."

I grinned. "You know, you can be kind of scary sometimes."

We untied Raven, who's face was red from all the blood that had rushed to her head. "I'm fine, unless you count the fact that my head feels like it was smashed by a garage door," she murmured, cracking a smile. She glanced at me and her smile faded.

---

When we got back to the tower, we watched the second Star Trek film, "Vengeance of Blonk" or something. We had some popsicles. For some odd reason I remember who got what. I had grape (and turned into an ape for some classic cartoon humor), Raven had cherry, which was surprising considering how she used to (before the almost-apocalypse) hate popsicles, Robin took a risk and had grape, Star had cherry, and Cy had orange.

That was the stupidest thing I've told you so far.

Let us never again speak of it.

We were all about to turn in, so I brushed my teeth, spit and walked into my room.

Raven was sitting there on the bed. For a second I thought it was going to unfold like a mature fanfic, but it didn't. Thank you, Lord.

"Gar…you've been troubled lately. What's wrong?" she asked.

I stared at her, surprised. I turned that surprised look into amused. "I'm fine, Rae. I'm alright. Why'd you ask?"

Raven frowned, aggravated. "I don't mean to disappoint you, but I'm not going to be that easy to fool. I've sensed your emotions, and you're miserable. You have been ever since my last birthday. Why?"

"Why do you ask?" I inquired, trying to turn the interrogation on her.

"Stop it. It's Terra, isn't it? If you're wondering why I know you're so upset, and I know you are, it's because of the incredible amount of emotion you've had since then. For some time I didn't have control over my powers, but since we defeated Trigon I can chose what to do."

"Get out," I said in a low voice.

"I'm trying to help you! If you keep these emotions locked up, they could cause you to lose it! Listen to me, Gar--"

"Don't you call me that! It's Beast Boy for you! Only one person can call me that, and…"

I found myself unable to speak.

"I'm sorry…" Raven murmured in the silence, a look of horrible guilt on her face as she walked out of the room.

"Don't be!" I shot the words at her bitterly.

I expected her to say something back. More like hoped, as the guilt of what I said sank in. I hoped in vain, because she didn't come back.

I sank my head into my pillow. It felt like a cloud.

I was walking on clouds. All around me were bats dangling from pieces of string. They were school projects, of course. I eyes a particularly poorly drawn one, and it hissed at me.

"don't you call me that"

Raven was crying in a cave on the S.S. Enterprise. The captain, Doctor Light, sent her to the bridge to await execution. I followed, worried.

"I'm sorry," I pleaded. "I didn't mean to take your shoe!"

But that wasn't it. Wasn't it.

I reached the execution bay, and it was stained in purple blood. It was a cave. There was a statue there of a girl with white robes and long violet hair.

It all came back to Terra, and always would.

"why do you ask?"

I began to dash through the cave systems, running as fast as possible. Raven was stone and so was Terra…next they'd get the T-Car…

I shouted as popsicle sticks flew at me. One sliced through my arm and I let out a shout.

"You're weak. You never had a chance with Raven," said a voice I didn't recognize but I knew did not exist here, and never would. But none of this was about Raven…

The popsicle sticks flew by faster. One cut by my neck and I began to bleed popsicle juice.

"Terra…" I murmured, as Slade's axe went through my head.

I let out a scream for a second, then I stopped. Dream.

No…a nightmare.

The Titans Communicator in my pocket shook. There was a beeping sound, and a mechanical voice.

" :One: new text message. Displaying…"

I pulled it up from my pocket and flipped it open. I looked at it, and stared.

"go there" it read. "go there alone"

Somehow, I understood. Where, but not entirely why. I couldn't tell the others.

I closed my eyes, feeling my bones and muscles changing into that of a golden eagle's, and took off through the window.