Chapter 6

April 13th, 2017. 10:48 AM.

Damian wiped the sweat from his brow as he and Garfield walked out of the combat simulator. He had to admit, Gar's skills as a combatant were becoming somewhat impressive. It wasn't all about turning into a bear or a tiger and disemboweling his foes, as Damian had expected of the green boy; surprising enough, Gar's best performance was in the form of smaller primates, such as the lemur or the spider-monkey. In these forms, Gar could dart quickly in and out of the center of battle, and he used that speed to hit harder than one would expect from a creature so small. That's not to say that the boy didn't utilize the ability to become a gorilla or some other enormous creature. Those forms just weren't as impressive to Damian.

"Good work in there today, Logan," Damian grunted through a stretch. "That one move with the howler monkey really caught me off-guard. I'd love to see that trick in the field."

"Oh yeah? Thanks man," Garfield flashed a half-smile as he rubbed his eyes sleepily. It was evident to Damian that he wasn't sleeping right, but he wasn't exactly one to talk. Besides, Gar would eventually decide to open up and ask for help on his own. It would just take some time.

"Where did you even come up with that, anyway? That just seemed so far-fetched–"

The answer to Damian's inquiry popped up behind the two, throwing her arms around Garfield's neck. The two jumped slightly as they saw long blonde locks swish through the air, revealing electric blue eyes and a wide grin from behind the gold strands.

"It was my idea, actually," Tara said as the three stopped walking for a second, Garfield turning and pressing his cheek into hers. "I like monkeys, so Gar wanted to get good at being one."

"Jesus, Markov! Gonna hafta put a bell on you." Damian smirked as the joke left his mouth. Tara Markov was an anomaly that none of the Titans had expected: another metahuman teenager, right here in Jump City. Suddenly, another pair of hands wrapped around Damian's waist, and his smile shifted from smug to content as Raven's head came to rest on his shoulder.

"Wow, someone who can sneak up on you?" Raven's voice slid through the air in that special way it always did. "Maybe Tara should be the new Robin."

"Nah, tights just aren't my style," the blonde let go of Garfield, slipping her gloved hands into the pockets of her shorts. Damian didn't understand why she insisted on dressing like some kind of mountain climber, but oh well. Whatever works for her.

"That implies you have style at all, Markov," Damian raised an eyebrow at the girl. "That's a bit of a stretch, don't you think?"

"Mhmm, right. Keep talkin', turtleneck. Let me know when you buy a t-shirt." Tara winked as she walked ahead. "I'mma grab a drink. You guys want anything while I'm in the kitchen?"

"I'm good, T," Gar cracked his neck and grinned. "I'm gonna hit the shower. I'll be back in 20."

"Sounds good, think I'll do the same," Damian commented as Raven unraveled her arms from around him. He turned and took her hand for a moment, looking into her eyes. Things between the two of them were wonderful, if not… confusing. Neither of them had ever been in a relationship before, so neither knew how to come out and suggest that they make this… whatever it was official. But they were in a great place, and for the time being, it would do just fine. They enjoyed each other's company, and that was all they needed to know. They appreciated the simplicity. The two boys proceeded to the washroom as the girls headed on towards the elevator.

"So Garfield…" Damian addressed the other Titan as they each stepped into their respective showers and removed their clothes. "I couldn't help but notice you've seemed more… well, tired lately. Have you maybe not been getting adequate sleep?"

"Ah, it's nothing…" the changeling replied from his stall. As both of them turned on the water, they raised their voices so as to continue their conversation. "I'm getting a solid five hours each night, sometimes six. Plenty of sleep." Damian didn't object to the lower than ideal number; he and his father had trained their own bodies to attain in three hours the level of rest that normally comes from a full eight. But it was clear that even as far as the average person went, Garfield had not been getting nearly as much rest in his five to six hours.

"That may be true, but that doesn't mean you've been getting restful sleep," the Robin explained. He could hear the scritch scritch scritch of Garfield scraping his nails across his scalp, reaffirming his concerns. Gar almost always scratched his head like that when he was tired. "Those six hours won't do you any good if they're not restful. Are you sure you're doing okay?"

"It's just some bad dreams, man. I'm fine." Judging by his voice quickly adopting a notably stern tone, this was a subject that Garfield clearly didn't want to discuss right now. As the two continued to shower in silence, Damian couldn't help but worry that something was genuinely wrong with his friend. He had to do something. He really didn't like the thought of it, but he would do what needed to be done.

April 13th, 2017. 4:34 PM.

Damian crept down the hallway, careful not to alert anyone to his presence, and silently approached the door to Garfield's bedroom. Had it been a year earlier, he wouldn't object to this in the slightest. But his time with the Titans had planted some kind of sense of respect for others, and their privacy, in his mind. Damian stood hesitant for a brief moment, but eventually shook his head and opened the door, going inside.

What he found was… jarring, to say the least. Damian always assumed Garfield was less than tidy when it came to his quarters, but this was just… destructive. The whole room was covered in claw marks and fur, and all that remained of his bed sheets were tattered ribbons hanging loosely from his bed. Damian knew he was prone to transform in his room (which was completely fine, that's his business), but one thing caught his attention: Garfield had mentioned that he kept a framed picture of himself and Tara on his nightstand. He noted that after a particularly stressful day, he would stare at that picture until he was asleep. He said it helped him to calm down.

That picture was currently on the ground, the frame broken and in pieces at Damian's feet.

Garfield was hiding something, Damian thought. It's still unclear what exactly that is, but he's most definitely NOT "alright"…

As the young Robin processed all of this information, he heard footsteps approaching from behind him. Two sets, accompanied by voices stumbling towards the door. Damian scanned the room and, not finding a good enough hiding place, quickly slid into Garfield's closet, leaving the sliding door open just a crack just as the door to the hallway opened. In walked Garfield and Tara, falling over each other with laughter. They flopped onto the bed and kept on until their laughter trailed off. Damian felt his face turn red as he eased his breathing to become silent, still watching and waiting for the two to leave.

"Listen, T… thanks for today. I really needed it," Garfield smiled at the sweet girl beside him, who smiled back in kind. "I know I haven't been a hundred percent lately…"

"Hey, don't be so down on yourself about it," Tara said, sliding closer to the Changeling and placing her hand gently on his chest. "Whatever's up with you, it isn't your fault. If you don't wanna get into it, that's fine. But remember, we're all here to help. We care about you, Gar."

Logan gently held his head to hers, and the faintest shade of red showed through his cheeks. Tara looked into his emerald eyes, and gently pushed him into a laid back position, smiling down at him lovingly. He gazed up at her with a look of genuine affection he rarely showed anyone, and she slowly moved in closer, pressing her lips to his.

Damian looked away immediately, realizing what was about to go down. He made no movement within the closet for fear of making a noise and revealing himself, but he kept his head turned to the left, his eyes locked firmly onto the wall. Why now, of all times, did this have to happen? He desperately wanted to leave, but there really was nothing that could be done.

The two on the bed shifted around, and Tara slid on top of the Changeling, hugging his hips with her thighs. Her hands were cupped onto Garfield's face as she continued to kiss him, and his own hands slowly ran themselves around her waist, gently pulling her in tighter until she finally let her weight fall onto him, her exposed belly pressed against his own. Her legs began to wrap around his, and Garfield brought his hands up higher on her back…

All at once, Garfield's eyes shot open, every muscle in his body tensing at once.

"No…" he groaned, clearly in pain, as he pulled away from the girl. "No no no, not now… not now…"

Tara sat up straight, still straddling her green teammate. "G… Gar? You alright? What's the matter?" He let out a decently audible grunt as a reply, pushing the girl off of him and rolling into the floor. Damian looked back to see Logan in the floor, holding his torso up on his forearms, shaking violently as strained groans rumbled from his mouth.

"Tara… g…" Garfield struggled to make out the words. "… Get out."

As if on cue, his right arm bulged to almost twice its normal size, muscles and veins pulsing under his green skin. The groans of pain gave way to a menacing growl, and Tara's eyes widened as she gripped the torn sheets, too shocked to move. Garfield's tank top began to rip as his body underneath grew and shifted, his face contorting and twisting as it stretched out. His hands extended into claws, fur covered his body, and Damian looked on in horror at the terrible creature that his friend was turning into. Out of Garfield's lower back slowly stretched a long tail, covered in long fur. His teeth grew and sharpened into a fearsome shape, and slowly, he rose to his feet, which had morphed to a canine, digitigrade shape.

Garfield threw his head back, and from deep in his chest bellowed a long howl which echoed throughout the whole tower.

You've got to be kidding, Damian thought. He already turns into animals, now all of a sudden he's some kind of wolf-man.

Suddenly, Garfield's head whipped around, his eyes locking onto the trembling, mortified girl on his bed.

"G… g-Gar…. it's… it's me–"

Tara was cut off by a thundering roar that shook the whole room, and Beast Boy embedded his claws into the wall behind her, effectively cornering her. Tears began to form in Markov's eyes, and Damian decided that that was enough. The son of Batman threw the closet door wide open, bounded off the adjacent wall, and drove his foot into Garfield's side like a cannonball, knocking the beastly form across the room into the other wall, and bust a hole in it right next to the door upon impact.

"Robin!?" Tara shouted in a panic. "What are you–"

"I'll explain later, come on!" Damian said as he scooped her up and darted out the door, tearing down the hallway. Just as they got to the elevator, it opened up to reveal Jon and Raven.

"Dude, is everything alright? We heard something from upstairs, what's going on?" Jon asked, a sense of urgency in his voice. Damian put the still-shocked Tara down in the elevator, slamming the panic button on his way out. The elevator door shut quickly behind him, sending the elevator and its sole occupant deep underground. Just then, Garfield burst through the door at the opposite end of the hall, snarling and scratching at the ground.

"That. That's going on." Damian's voice was firm and commanding as the dropped into stance. "Something is wrong with Garfield, and he's after Tara. We have to hold him here."

"Wait…" Raven whispered, looking intently at the form Garfield had taken. Her eyes sparked with a bright purple flash, and she grabbed Damian's arm. "Damian, hang on! I think I know what's wrong with him!"

Raven flew quickly over to Garfield, whose eyes zeroed in on her immediately. She placed her hands on either side of his head and began to recite an incantation she'd learned long ago. Her eyes closed, and the two began to glow with her amethyst light, some sort of energy flowing between them. Garfield's burning gaze weakened, and his limbs began to shake. When Raven opened her eyes, he dropped, still transformed, but unconscious. Raven's knees began to tremble, and Damian raced to Raven's side just in time to catch her as she fell. She was awake, but her breathing was heavy and her whole body was shaking. Damian gently placed a hand on her face, and looked worriedly into her eyes. She looked back up at him with an expression that gave only grim vibrations.

"He's in trouble."