Author's Note- Okay, so on with the next part of the story. I keep getting the feeling that I haven't given the characters enough personality. I'm not sure if I have or not, but I'm trying. Any feedback is well appreciated by the way, oh and I have over 300 HITS! But 23 reviews. C'mon, I know everyone begs for reviews, but I want to know if I'm doing good. I mean I don't get as many reviews as CalliopeMused or BlueTitan or HappyRaven and stuff, so tell me what I should tweak about my writing that would make me get that good!
Note- Terra isn't a character in this story. So don't be confused. There is a scene that may take some explanation, but this is not a "Terra's Back" fic.
Chapter 4- Vindicated
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKIN" MAN?" Cyborg yelled as the Titans all followed Beast Boy into the Common Room. He'd just taken the magical orb off of the whimsical pedestal and entered himself into a mystical tournament that held the fate of Earth on the balance.
"Well, you guys said it yourself, Robin was injured!" He said, yelling back at Cyborg without turning around. Beast Boy kept walking toward the kitchen, with the rest of the Titans in tow.
"Why are you being so stupid about this Beast Boy! This isn't a joke, or a game, it's life or death!" Robin shouted. Beast Boy spun around quickly to glare at their leader.
"What? You think I don't know that? I was listening when Lucifer explained everything just like you were!" He retaliated.
"Yes Beast Boy, you were listening, but perhaps you had not heard as we did. Are you sure you're up for the task of Hero-ing?" Starfire asked, her voice still whimsical when it was being abusive.
"Yes Star, I'm sure I know what I'm doing. Why don't any of you believe in me?" He asked, his voice lowering to a growl.
"It's not that we don't believe in ya' man, it's that we know you. Beast Boy, this isn't a game where you get nine lives, you only get one!"
"I know that CY!" Beast Boy launched back. Why were they doing this to him? Why couldn't they just be friends and support him. Didn't he defeat the Brotherhood of Evil, weren't they indebted to him! Especially Robin's frozen ass!
"If you know it then why'd you grab the orb. This is something that's a group decision Beast Boys. We're the Teen Titans! Plural!" Robin shot back. Beast Boy looked over at Raven, who was standing silently.
"Well no body consulted me did they?" He shot back. Robin's eye's narrowed.
"Well nobody else grabbed the orb did they?" He said coldly. Beast Boy glared back, wondering about his next move. He was now a Champion, one who held the fate of the world in his palms.
According to Lucifer, in two days, at exactly midnight he was to meet on the roof and be teleported to the spot of the first trial. All the Titans could come, but only he could stand in the arena, and if anyone else can, the gate keeper of the arena would need a blood sacrifice; meaning the person who interfered.
"Guys, we're supposed to support each other and stuff, so why is no one supporting me? Didn't I prove myself already, where would you guys have been without me last winter?" He asked, referring to the Brotherhood of Evil and how he helped overcome them.
"Beast Boy, you can't throw that in our faces! We all helped overcome the evil siblings, and you're being a Khlorrbagg!" Starfire nearly yelled. Beast Boy stared at the four, they were supposed to have his back, but instead all they could do was show how little faith they had in him. He wasn't weak, and he was going to prove it!
"You know what, if you guys don't have faith in me, then so be it, but it's too late to change it now, so if you think I'm such a screw up, then you might as well go prepare for your last days on Earth. Either that, or you can have my back." He finished and stormed toward the door, pausing only a moment to glance at Raven as he exited.
Xxxxx
Beast Boy glared at her as he stormed out of the room, leaving all the Titans quiet. Why would he glare at her, it wasn't her fault he was such an idiot! There's no reason why he should think that he can just make big decisions without consulting the group. Besides, Beast Boy wasn't a hero, he was just . . . Beast Boy.
"Friend Raven, you are worried about Beast Boy too?" Starfire's voice floated through the dark Titan's thoughts.
"Huh?" She replied quickly, spinning around on the spot. Starfire looked at Raven with a mopey expression.
"Friend Beast Boy," She continued, going on with a subject Raven wasn't sure she wanted to talk about at the moment. "He is in danger, and you have been quiet. I was inquiring as to the connection."
It took Raven a moment to realize what Starfire had said. Normally it didn't take much to decipher, but right now her mind was split between all the things going on.
Was she worried about Beast Boy? Is that why this upset her, or was it just because he was acting immature with something so terribly important?
"No Star, the entire situation upsets me." She said tersely, walking past the Tamaranian without further comment. Raven exited the door without so much as a nod in parting with the rest of the group and headed straight to her room. She didn't know what was wrong, or why she was thinking so much lately, but she felt the need for meditation.
Xxxxx
Raven popped her eyes open suddenly, soaking in her surroundings. She glanced around and saw the night sky basking over the crisp waters surrounding the city. It took her a moment to remember why she was hovering in her usually lotus position, on the roof of Titan's Tower. I wanted to have check out the scenery. She thought to herself. Raven's mind immediately recognized this as a lie, she could sense the people in the tower, and one of the five were missing.
Beast Boy's still not back yet. She thought to herself, wondering where the hell he ran off to in such a hurry. Had they been too hard on him earlier, did he have a point about the Brotherhood of Evil, he did save them didn't he?
Raven floated downward to a standing position, glancing out into the open waters. Sometimes she liked to just enjoy the scenery, watching the water ripple against the shore, the birds flying high around the tower, and Lucifer walking around near the door again.
WAIT! Raven's eyes narrowed in on the man with the briefcase who was near the Titan's front door on his hands and knees. It was Lucifer, back once again, however, he was looking for something this time.
Raven raised her hands in the air, muttering "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos" before encasing herself in a black aura. It took the form of a bird by the same name and soared downward, landing near a large rock by Lucifer's current area.
Raven smoothly slid behind the rock and watched Lucifer stumble around until he found whatever it was he was looking for. He lifted it into the air, letting the moonlight shine on it. Raven gasped as it's crystalline figure sparkled in the air, it must've been worth a ton.
"What is it?" She muttered to herself. Lucifer glanced around suspiciously, and Raven pulled back, hiding herself behind the rock. Had he seen her? Did he have abilities that could sense people also?
"Alpha B to Frogstar command." She heard a voice say. Raven's spun around the rock again to see Lucifer talking into the small thing that he'd lost. Was he psycho, a crystal couldn't talk!
"Frogstar command here, continue operative." A voice that was crackled and harsh sounded through the night. It's origin was nowhere in sight, but Raven knew where it came from.
Lucifer was using the little crystal thing like a communicator. Much like the Titans had, only his was interstellar. Raven wondered why Lucifer would call command control, and why they called him an 'operative'.
"My mission hit a snag, sir." Lucifer's voice sounded weak, and submissive. Raven could tell by Lucifer's demeanor that it must take a worthy adversary to make him inferior. She continued to listen, her ears peaked.
"What kind of snag, operative?" The voice came from the crystal once again, only this time a little more harsh.
"Well, Robin didn't enter the tournament like planned. Instead, the other one did, the useless one."
"What do you mean? Explain!"
"Well, remember when we profiled all the Titans, the lowest ranking one, they call him Beast Boy-" Lucifer was talking rapidly when the voice cut him off.
"Ah, the green one."
"Yes sir, the green one stepped forward without consulting his friends. Now he is in the tournament, and since he took the orb it is a magical binding contract."
"Ah, Lucifer, you mustn't scare me like that. I was under the impression that something really bad had occurred. This just makes our job easier. It's simple Lucifer, the green one will fail, and the Earth shall be destroyed."
"But you-" Lucifer began, but the voice quaked him into silence.
"No buts! I want you to make sure this Beat Boy doesn't pass the tests, I want them hard! No, I want them excruciating, no one has ever survived the test of friendship have they? Or love, has anyone ever passed love before?"
"No sir." Lucifer said quietly. Raven's eyes narrowed as she tried to catch something he said under his breath.
"Lucifer! I will not tolerate such insubordination. You will give him the hardest versions of each test, no matter what you think he can handle. I want Earth gone, and I want my interstellar bypass built on time! The longer this planet stays in the way, the longer construction takes. Communication over!" The voice finished.
Lucifer sighed deeply and then looked around, shortly before walking off around the building and disappearing.
Raven on the other hand stayed right where she was. Had she heard correctly, they had tried to sabotage Robin, but Beast Boy messed up their plans. Now they were going to overwork him so he failed and they could destroy Earth to make way for an interstellar bypass? Something wasn't fitting right here. Wouldn't they want a weaker contestant, why would they want Robin? Beast Boy should be perfect, he was the weakest Titan.
'Did I just think that? Oh my god, he's right! We do look down on him. But then again, it's not our fault, somebody has to be weakest right?' She justified. Raven closed her eyes and let her soul self take form, lifting her away from the rock, and toward the Tower.
XXXXX
Beast Boy threw a few more punches at the drones following him before running up the nearest wall and backflipping on top of a fourth one. It's scanners went crazy as the changeling struggled to keep his balance. He glared around at the last two racing toward him. Taking a deep breath he puffed his chest out, and let his mouth roar.
His mouth grew in size, and his teeth sharpened, making a hole wide enough for a small ball of fire to shoot out. Actually, two balls of fire, and they weren't so small. Each ball of fire hit a drone and burst it to flames before Beast Boy's mouth shrank back to normal size. He looked down, and planted his fist directly down into the drone he was riding before pulling out all it's circuitry.
The drone spun around and Beast Boy leapt off of it as it soared right into a wall, exploding on impact. Beast Boy grinned, smiling at his performance. He'd expected less, but when there was an audience he tended to show off a little.
"So what's up Raven?" He asked, not turning toward the door. He knew she was there, he knew she'd been watching for at least five minutes, even without looking in her direction.
There were other ways to sense someone's presence, especially without eyes or psychic abilities. For instance, Raven wore a distinct perfume, one that smelled like chocolate raspberries. It was dark and smooth, it reminded him of Godiva Chocolate. There were other things of course though. Her feet made a distinct sound as she walked, Robin's steps were more brisk, and made less contact with the ground, and Cyborg's were louder. Starfire's footsteps had more space in-between, as if she were permanently skipping, and Raven . . . Well Raven just walked like Raven.
"When did you learn to spit fireballs from your mouth?" She asked suddenly, not looking at all interested. Beast Boy turned toward her, walking in her direction. He shrugged his shoulders, although he knew full and well when he learned how to do it.
"What do you mean you don't know. You know what, I don't care. We need to talk." She said swiftly, glazing her eyes over. Beast Boy squinty at her curtness, wasn't she so much softer a day ago? Was she angry about what he did too?
"Okay, talk about what? Are you going to tell me how stupid I am, because I've heard it enough today." He said, tiring of the conversation before actually having it. Raven shook her head.
"No, there's something more. I just went down to the shore okay." She began, and then proceeded to tell him about everything that had happened by the shore. Beast Boy listened to her story in awe. In complete amazement, when she stopped the only words from his mouth were surprised.
"Are you serious?" With a shocked tone. Raven stayed stalemated, replying with a uppity,
"I wouldn't say it if I wasn't. So what are you going to do?" She asked, expecting him to want out of the competition. That's exactly what she wanted, and she wasn't gong to get it!
"I'm going to leave, and not talk to you again." Beast Boy said, and walked past her. He hadn't gotten three steps when the girl materialized in front of him, shock evident on her face.
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Raven, I'm not a complete idiot!" Beast Boy stated, knowing that she couldn't possibly believe him if she'd try to tell him a lie that was so far fetched.
"I didn't say you were Beast Boy."
"You practically did when you told me such a stupid lie. Lucifer forgot a crystal that was really a communicator and went back to have a conversation with someone who wants to win to build an interstellar bypass! Even my gerbil conspiracies are more believable than that! Raven, I thought of all people you'd have faith in me! But you're just one of them." And with that he stormed off, heading for the nearest window; he had some flying to do.
XXXXXBeast Boy landed on the outskirts of a cave, transforming from an Eagle to a human. His eyes adjusted immediately, leading him down the narrow pitch black trail deeper into the caverns on the outskirts of the city.
He followed the dirt clad pathway, ducking under stalactites and climbing over stalagmites until he came to an area that he knew all too well. In front of him was the base of a statue- statue not included. There was a plaque engraved with a supposed final message to a supposedly fallen Titan- Terra.
The spotlights than ran permanently glared off the rock and showed the vastness of the empty room. Beast Boy sighed; he needed something, he needed someone. Someone who believed in him, someone who believed in Beast Boy as more than comic relief.
He walked over to the empty platform, sitting on the edge and burying his head in his hands. His thoughts mulled over the last day before he and Terra lost it all, he thought about the carnival, and the diner. He thought about apple pie and Ferris Wheels. He thought about all he'd lost.
"Try thinking about what you've found." A voice said from next to him. Beast Boy turned himself quickly, looking to his side. She was there, right there. Her long blonde hair flowed down to her sides and her crystal clear blue eyes penetrated his gaze. '
"Terra?" He said disbelieving. She was still wearing her school girl outfit, would she still continue her charade about being a different girl?
"Not quite Beast Boy, imagine I'm Big Brother and this is 1984." She said, smiling slowly at her reference. Beast Boy stared at her nevertheless, knowing that the remark made sense vaguely in his head, but realizing at the same time that right now it didn't matter.
"Oh my god, So it's you!" He reached out to hug her, to touch her and hold her. To feel Terra beneath his fingertips once again, but she held out a hand.
"Wait, you can't touch me." She said softly, looking down at the ground. Beast Boy sat there, confused, what did she mean?
"Terra, you are Terra right?" He asked tentatively. She couldn't deny it this time though, last time she got away with it, she got away from him.
"I'm whoever you want me to be Garfield." She said. Beast Boy hesitated; He'd never told her his real name. Nobody knew his real name as a matter of fact, the Titans knew now, but only because of the Doom Patrol, and he was sure they'd forgotten by now.
"What is that supposed to mean, and how do-" He started, but Terra cut him off, flipping her hair over her shoulder and turning toward him.
"Not now Garfield, there are more important things at stake. Things like you and the fate of the world." She began. Beast Boy just stared into her eyes, bright and blue with a glistening that was exactly like his memory of her.
"Okay." He nodded, going along with her.
"I believe in you Garfield. The Titans are your friends, and they believe too."
"They sure have a great way of showing it. Stupid jerks."
"Beast Boy, you didn't follow protocol. I'm not saying their right, but I'm not saying you weren't wrong either. Beast Boy, everyone makes mistakes. Robin became Slade's apprentice. Cyborg ditched the Titans. Starfire left the planet on the run, and Raven destroyed the world."
"But those were different. We had faith in each other then, no matter what we were on the other's sides. They're not backing me up this time, it's-"
"Beast Boy, you're missing the point entirely. I turned evil Garfield! I betrayed all the Titans, I betrayed the only person who I ever loved." Terra's head fell and she stared a the ground. Silence filled the caves with words that couldn't and wouldn't ever be spoken, but he knew already.
"Terra, you saved the day, you made up for it. You were-"
"Vindicated." She finished briefly.
"Yes, vindicated." He repeated, the word giving meaning to everything. Beast Boy smiled, knowing that it was going to be okay. He was going to prove he was hero material, it didn't matter about Robin, Cyborg or Starfire!
Most importantly though, he was going to prove himself to Raven.
The changeling looked back to Terra only to find she had gone. Not a word, or a sound in the place where she once sat. He quickly shook his head around the cave to find any trance of the girl; but there was none.
Beast Boy stood up, and started his trek back to the top of the cavern. He was headed home, and away from the most important conversation he'd ever had. The one that never really existed, but would stay with him forever. He was vindicated.
Author's Note- I swear to Bob you guys better have gotten that! I've been rereading 1984, so I'm in that state of mind. Anyone who reads that book knows what I mean. I just finished this right now though, so yeah, I'm trying for a Tuesday Update, but I don't even have the next chapter started, plus I started a new hosting job at Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co. at the Mall of America so there may be a few days delay for the next chapter, but I'm not sure. Love you guys!