A/N: Hey everyone!
First of all thanks for the reviews, I'm very happy with the progress so far and even happier that everyone seems to be enjoying the story so far.
That being said, I'm all hyped up on coffee and Masterplan so let's do this!
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. This fanfiction is for entertainment only and is not for monetary gain.
The argument that erupted after Cyborg's ban of Beast boys powers was one that the Titans would surely remember for many years to come; mainly because in all the years they had been together, none of the had ever seen Beast boy downright furious. Sure Beast boy had been angry and he'd had his spats with the others; but when he was told that he couldn't help the team in combat, save those in need or use the abilities that had become part of who he was he just lost it. It took close to three hours and a heated walk around the tower corridors before the Titans finally managed to calm their friend down and get him to agree to Cyborg's terms. Cyborg had informed his friend that finding the reason behind his illness was going to be the only thing that the mechanical man would be focusing on.
After a while they went their separate ways and before long Beast boy's fury faded away, leaving him with an aching body and an overloaded mind. As questions and scenarios ran rampant through his head, his feet continued to move autonomously and eventually he found himself on the rooftop. He stared out over the bay and watched the waves gently lapping at the shoreline in the dim light of the moon. He was soon jarred out of his trance by a soft, monotone voice speaking from behind him.
"Can't sleep again Beast boy?" Raven said as she stood silently behind him, taking in his visibly hunched over form.
"Nope, too much junk rolling around the old noggin." Beast boy's response was all but completely devoid of his usual boisterous tone. Even as he gently tapped on his head to emphasize his words, his actions were slow and lethargic.
Raven noticed his out of character behavior and spoke again as she approached his side. "Mind if I sit with you?" Beast boy calmly gestured for her to sit before returning his gaze to the bay. Gently she sat beside him with her feet dangling over the edge of the tower. "I'm not very good at this Beast boy, but if something is bothering you and you would like to talk I'm willing to listen." Raven mentally cursed how awkward she sounded; but in truth, she was rarely one to volunteer for this sort of thing.
Beast boy turned his eyes towards Raven and looked her over for a moment, as if gauging her seriousness in the matter. A few seconds passed before Beast boy returned his eyes to the bay and began to speak his mind. "I'm scared Raven," Beast boy took a deep breath and let it out slowly before he continued. "I'm scared and I feel completely helpless. I don't think I've ever felt helpless before… but it's terrifying."
Raven turned to look at Beast boy. "I can understand being afraid Beast Boy, I don't believe that many people take news of medical complications without a dose of fear that comes with it. But why helpless?"
Beast boy locked eyes with the empath for a moment, unsure if she was mocking him; but after seeing only genuine concern and curiosity, he answered her question. "My entire being is up in the air Raven, everything I am is dangling over the void by a thread. If Cyborg can't find out what happened to me and how to fix it, the thread snaps. The very life I've come to love will break away and fall into the void." Beast boy's head suddenly sank into his open palms as his voice started to show to inner dismay. "All the while I can't help the team, I can't help find an answer, I can't even use my abilities! All I can do is sit back, watch and hope that everything doesn't fall apart in front of me."
Raven watched over her friend for a moment while mulling over what she could do to help. She soon realized that she was at a loss for words on how to comfort Beast boy and instead shifted to his side and draped her arm over his shoulders. Although he tensed up at her initial touch, he slowly melded into the embrace and the two sat silently looking out over the bay. A few minutes had passed before Raven slowly withdrew her arm and climbed to her feet. "Beast boy; you need to know that no matter what happens, bad or good, we have your back and we will always be your friends. Being a titan isn't about having amazing abilities or super natural powers; it's about being there for your teammates to the best of your abilities, maintaining a higher standard of morals and refusing to back down when times get tough. I know I don't say it much, but you are an amazing teammate and an even better friend to us. No matter what happens, that will never change." Before Beast boy could respond Raven had made her way to the tower entrance and calmly strolled inside, leaving the young changeling alone on the roof feeling just a little less distressed.
While Raven and Beast boy were having their heart to heart, Cyborg was busy in the tower lab keeping his promise. He had run Beast boy's blood sample through all of the usual tests and had come up empty handed with each one. He stared at the screen before him waiting for the DNA analysis to be completed while anxiously tapping his metal fingers on his desk. What seemed like an eternity passed before a soft tone emitted from his computer to alert him of the completed task. Cyborg turned to his computer screen and began to tear through the digital pages of results before him. He rubbed his head in frustration as he continued reading line after line of regular readings.
"I just don't get it! Proteins nominal, enzymes within range, stem-loops minimal… wait…" Cyborg read and reread a single line at least three times before he jumped out of his chair and raced to a nearby set of filing cabinets. "No, no, no… that can't be it, that CAN'T be the reason!" He tore through old files until he came across what he was looking for. Making his way back to his computer, he read a small portion of the older file in his hand.
Serum B27-G administered earlier today. Garfield seems to be responding appropriately and aggression levels have dropped significantly. Continued monitoring advised, but according to page 4, section 3; everything appears to be going as expected.
'Serum B27-G:
Stability: Nominal
Adherence: Nominal
Designated Target DNA Strand: B27
Affected DNA Strand: B27'
-P4, S3 of attached DNA analysis results
Cyborg looked up from the slightly aged paper and read the DNA analysis that currently stared back at him from his computer monitor.
Serum B27-G
Stability:Nominal
Adherence: Nominal
Designated Target DNA Strand: B27
Affected DNA Strand: All
Cyborg slammed the old file down on his desk and held his face in his palms as he began to realize the severity of the situation. After a few minutes passed and he had managed to collect himself, Cyborg stood from his chair and began to pour through old files in search of a resolution to the problem he had successfully identified.
Dawn broke over Titans tower and one by one the teens made their way into kitchen for their usual breakfast and lounging. As the afternoon began to come around Robin noticed the absence of Cyborg in their usual routine. "Hey, has anyone seen Cyborg this morning?" Robin asked the other titans as he sipped his second cup of coffee.
"Not yet, maybe he was up late doing research for me." Beast boy calmly said as he nibbled nonchalantly at his tofu breakfast.
"Perhaps he is still sleeping? I know that I did no sleep too well last night, maybe he had similar problems." Starfire commented.
The sudden beeping of Robin's communicator cut off his response. Swiftly pulling his communicator from his belt, he flipped open the screen to see a weary looking Cyborg of the small screen. "Robin, are you with the others?"
if Robin was taken aback by Cyborg's exhausted tone and appearance he didn't let it show as he responded. "Yeah, everyone is here. What's going on?"
"I figured out what happened to B, have everyone meet me in the lab." Cyborg's picture disappeared before Robin could say anything.
Shutting his communicator and placing it back in his belt he began to make the announcement but was swiftly cut off by Beast boy. "We all heard him Robin, C'mon no time to waste!" Beast boy led the group as they made their way downstairs to the towers laboratory. Upon entering the room, Robin immediately noticed how disheveled everything had become overnight. Medical books, stacks of older files and miscellaneous laboratory notes were strewn over every flat surface available; and Cyborg looked as though he hadn't slept or even recharged himself the previous night.
Each titan found a seat as Cyborg paced back and forth anxiously before them. Once everyone had settled in Cyborg began to relay the news he had discovered. "Alright guys, let's start." Cyborg said sullenly as he resumed his pacing. "As we all know, B's DNA has always been unstable due to his abilities. Overall this isn't typically a problem simply because his body has found a way to work with it naturally, however a while back his DNA was manipulated by a chemical reaction. The industrial grade chemicals that were spilled on him during our battle with Adonis a few years back caused with DNA to destabilize and mutate, thus creating a new gene that I've since labeled 'B27'. B27 soon evolved at an astronomical rate and released a primal form in Beast boy, obviously we've come to refer to this form as 'The Beast'."
Cyborg stopped pacing and began rubbing his eyes as he continued his explanation. "After identifying the exact gene behind Beast boy's primal form I created a serum that was specifically designed to subdue the gene from being able to act of it's own accord. Beast boy was able to access the gene in dire circumstances, but doing so was extremely taxing on his system. So fast forward to a few days ago and this is where the problem starts. Apparently B's DNA has slowly been evolving and characteristics of the B27 gene have been integrating into the rest of his DNA. As it stands today, Beast boy's entire DNA structure has small bits and pieces of the B27 gene interwoven within it. This has caused the serum I created to begin affecting his entire genetic system instead of the intended single DNA strand B27."
Cyborg paused for a few minutes while looking at his friends, prompting a very confused Beast boy to interject. "Cy, I think I'm following most of this... but what exactly does your serum have to do with what's happening to me?"
"B, the serum was specifically designed to neutralize a targeted strand of your abilities. With the way your DNA has evolved, the serum is now targeting all of your abilities because they all share a part of the B27 strand." Cyborg placed a nearby stool in front of Beast boy and sat down. He placed his hand on his friends shoulder and looked him in the eyes with a look of seriousness that immediately had Beast boy's full attention. "To put it simply, what I originally created to save you from the beast is now attacking your DNA every time you use your powers. Unless we can figure out a way to reverse the serum, using your powers will cause your DNA to break down and eventually your body will completely shut down from the strain."
So there it is, Cyborg's serum is killing Beast boy.
Will they find a cure or will Beast boy have to find a way to live the life of a normal citizen?
Stick around and find out!
See you next update!
-Mr. Rico