CHAPTER ONE: FIVE YEARS LATER
The frosted grass crunched softly underfoot as he lowered into a crouch. His breath formed swirling puffs of crystallized moisture, the only thing that might give away his position. His prey stood some thirty meters away eating grass, completely unaware of the impending danger it faced. Quietly breathing in he drew the arrow back, the slithering, scraping sound of wood on wood barely audible. He exhaled, and released. In the distance the bharal twitched then fell. A dozen or so surrounding animals bolted in the opposite direction.
Garfield slowly stood from his cover, slinging the bow over his shoulder and began walking over to his kill. He had been hunting the herd all day, tracked it from the early morning through the foothills and up the mountain. He had nearly lost it a half-dozen times, and rejoiced when he found it again. He wasn't happy about killing the goat-like creature. Rather, he wasn't okay with the fact that he was actually very happy about killing it. It meant food for the week.
More than that, it satiated the other part of him. The part of him that loved the hunt, and the taste of hot blood and raw flesh. In the years since his departure from the civilized world it had only grown stronger, resisting him in everything. It wanted to hunt, to kill, to find those he hated and rip them apart. It was feral, and angry, and it would consume him. He realized he couldn't hold that part of himself in check. At least not indefinitely. Which was why he was here, alone, far from the world. So he allowed himself to hunt and eat, otherwise he'd lose his mind.
He reached the body of the beautiful animal, now lifeless, and knelt. His arrow had flown true, hitting its torso just behind the front leg, piercing the animal's heart. Garfield hoped it hadn't felt any pain. There wasn't much blood, so it's heart had stopped quickly, if not immediately.
My thanks, friend. he thought, placing a hand upon its head.
Eat.
The word formed itself in Garfield's mind, more of an urge than a thought. He knew its source well by now. The Beast wanted to sink it's teeth into the flesh, it didn't want to bother with skinning, or gutting, or cooking. Not now.
Garfield refused to behave like an animal. He gripped the arrow and pulled it from the corpse, then began the grim task of preparing the meat for transport. While he could bring the whole thing back to his home, he didn't want the lingering smell of blood to foul the air there. That meant he had to bleed, behead, and gut it here. And he had to do it quickly before any predators found him. He drew a hunter's knife from his belt and set to work.
It's always heavier than I expect. Garfield mused as he navigated the frosty mountain slopes a few hours later. The freshly killed bharal was now beheaded, gutted, and drained of blood. Even without its entrails and horned skull, most of the body was covered in a thick woolen coat, now dyed a rusty color with drying blood, add the flesh and bones of an adult male, and the total weight wasn't something to sneeze at. However, Garfield had grown much and the years of harsh living had carved what little fat he had off, so it wasn't a burden to carry the food. It just wasn't comfortable either.
Garfield contemplated what he did to the head and entrails. After cutting the belly open and hacking the head off Garfield had dug a hole and buried the parts he didn't use as a way of thanking and respecting the animal. While he had killed it he didn't like to think of it as taking away life, but rather as receiving life. He was simply becoming a part of the delicate ecosystem in place here. At least that's what he told himself to feel better. He stopped and adjusted the sling that carried his kill on his back, then looked up to the massive mountain tops in the distance, using his hand as a visor to shield his eyes from the glare of the setting sun. He turned to the right, hopped over a fallen tree, and began down a gravelly slope.
At the bottom, the forest opened up to a small lake that was partially frozen over. On the opposite shore a small wooden house stood surrounded by bushes and slightly obscured in a small grove of trees. It was actually not much more than a shed, just four walls and a thatch roof. Garfield pulled open the rawhide that hung slightly crooked in the makeshift door frame and stepped inside. With just a wooden table, a chair, and a pile of cloths and furs for a mattress on the floor, sparse was barely adequate as a description. If someone had said that Garfield, or rather Beast Boy, would ever live without modern conveniences it would've been taken as a joke, but Garfield had grown up like this. First as a child in Africa, then enslaved by criminals, and imprisoned by his uncle Galtry. Even under the care of the Doom Patrol he hadn't been allowed many luxuries.
He'd only ever known true comfort with the Titans. The years he had spent with them were the most comfortable, and carefree he had ever been. He hadn't wanted to leave them, but all good things must come to an end as they say. When it was time to go he had left without saying a word, mostly because he didn't want to get cold feet at the end, and partially because he didn't want to give anything away. Even then they had chased him, though he knew they would. They got pretty close too, in the beginning. But as he moved further away the easier it was to mislead and deceive them.
He placed the carcass in an old-fashioned icebox and grabbed a candle, lighting it then setting it atop the table. He yawned, stretching his arms and back, then went about cleaning his tools and weapons. If he let his things fall into disrepair then he'd have to replace them, and he didn't exactly make enough money to do that. In fact he really didn't make any money, just enough to buy supplies he couldn't get in the mountains. Selling plants and animal skins could only reel in so much.
Garfield put away his equipment and went to a small pantry to check his supplies. He pushed past various covered pots and jars, noting what needed to be replaced. Several spices and herbs, matches, and rope. The hard life he'd led until he had met the other Titans had trained him such that he could survive almost indefinitely without help. Still, He stood and rubbed the stubble on his jaw, I won't make life harder by denying myself the easy route. I need to go into town tomorrow.
Five years. In five years Raven had found only the barest clues as to where Beast Boy could be. Rather, she found where he had been and stayed long enough to leave a lasting impression. The path he'd had taken at first had been easy to track, since he had used conventional means of travel and didn't bother to hide. Raven sneezed in the increasingly colder and colder weather, and looked out the window. Back then the other Titans had been searching as well. Raven thought they had been close to catching him in London, and then they had just missed him in Palermo. They lost track of him and had to return home, pulled by the responsibility they had towards Jump City.
Time passed without the barest sign of Beast Boy until Nightwing finally came upon a story of an elephant saving a child from hyenas in Ethiopia, the elephant being described as green. They moved quickly, but arrived too late to catch Beast Boy, who had once again disappeared. They were, however, able to track his journey backwards through Sudan to Libya, learning that while he never ignored those in need of help, Beast Boy didn't linger in one place for long, and rarely spoke to anyone. The anti-social behavior was so unlike the Beast Boy they knew they almost doubted that they had the right guy. Again they had to abandon the search for Beast Boy, much to Raven's frustration, and tension began to grow in the team.
As the bus she was on trundled along, Raven thought of the deteriorating situation at home. They had started to fight not long after that, and not the friendly fighting they were used to, but real, angry fighting over petty subjects. These stupid, childish problems that meant nothing slowly started pulling them apart. Cyborg started spending more time out with his girlfriend, whose identity was unknown, though Raven had two suspects. Nightwing and Starfire remained together at all times, either in the command center or in one of their rooms. They were so caught up in each other that they barely noticed anything else. With everyone else otherwise occupied Raven became even more reclusive. They spent months like this.
It wasn't until two years later that Raven found a man in Bangalore who claimed to have met, and arranged transportation for a man matching Beast Boy's description, though the man said he only saw Beast Boy briefly. He had arranged for Beast Boy to sail with a shipment of raw materials to somewhere in Indonesia, but could not remember anything else specific. Raven called the other Titans, and they went to Indonesia. From one end to the other they searched the country, barely resting. They stayed for three months, but in all that time they heard nothing. Eventually the other Titans gave up, and Raven, obliged to help her friends and team, returned once again to Jump City.
While for the most part everyone had given up on finding Beast Boy after that, Raven was still searching for clues as to his whereabouts. The lingering feeling of loss was seeping into every aspect of her life. She couldn't eat, sleep, or meditate reliably. Starfire kept asking her if there was something wrong, if there was something that she could do, and Nightwing and Cyborg alternately took turns trying to interrogate or console her. It began to make her anxious and irritable. Raven knew what was wrong, what could be done, and was angry that the others couldn't see it. She found herself in Indonesia again, searching for signs of Beast Boy in earnest.
Months went by and Raven made so little progress she started to lose hope. What if she never found him, what if he was dead? Her mind was plagued by these dire and morbid thoughts. Little tales and legends of a man who embodied the spirits of the wild were the only thing that she had. The stories were vague at best, and rarely told, but Raven followed the few leads, however pitiful they were. She ended up on this rickety bus traveling through Nepal, though she didn't really know where to begin searching. If Beast Boy was even here.
Raven knew by now that Beast Boy would avoid cities, so that left towns and villages. There weren't that many, and she was pretty sure those that had a big population he would be sure to avoid. The bus slowed to a halt just outside the first village on her list. She got up from her seat, grabbing a small bag from the floor at her feet, and walked to the front. It was taking a while, but she was determined to find him. Raven stepped off the bus and turned towards the village, walking briskly. I will find you. Even if it means I have to scour the globe, I will find you.
Garfield had decided that, to be safe, he should avoid people in general, and cities specifically. However he was human, and in order to not go insane he realized that he needed to see and be around other people. So, about once a month, he dressed himself so that he could go into town. He wore long pants that tucked into his boots, a dark gray longsleeved shirt under a brown leather jacket, and gloves. He wrapped his head, nose, and mouth in a thick green scarf, smearing a muddy paste around his eyes and bridge of his nose to camouflage his skin. He doubted anybody would recognize him this far from modern society, but one didn't stay hidden by taking things for granted.
The clothes were relatively new, despite their shabby appearance. Garfield had made most of it from animal hide, or cloth he bought. The few premade clothes he had, he bought before coming here. Most of it was stained and dirty, with patches of cloth sewn here and there as repairs that helped him to blend into his surroundings. It fit together loosely, the materials were rough, nor were the clothes particularly fashionable, but they covered him, and kept him warm, and that's all that mattered. Scratching himself absentmindedly, he stood and walked towards the door. But damn this stuff is itchy.
Pausing only to grab a bag filled with items he would sell in town, Garfield started making his way down the mountain. It was a beautiful morning, the sun rising slowly behind him, the air clear and crisp. Snow had fallen during the night, covering the land in a soft white blanket, which he enjoyed disrupting. He amused himself by dragging his feet, or by shaking branches overhead as he walked down the mountain. Garfield loved all nature, from its dense jungles to its vast deserts, but mountains were his favorite. To him they exemplified how powerful and implacable the earth forest sang to him like no other place he'd been, here everything simply made sense. Garfield scooped up a handful snow and put it in his mouth, chewing.
It had been some time since he had arrived here in Nepal. He hadn't been keeping track, but it had been roughly two winters, now going into a third. He wasn't sure what month it was, let alone the day. It was hard to care about stuff like that, this far removed from society it all seemed pointless. A lot of things he cared about before seemed not to matter as much, if at all. Except for her.
Which begs the question, why did you leave in such a hurry?
Garfield sighed, jumping up onto a boulder and looking down at the village he was headed to. Lately that primal part of himself, the Beast, had been talking. It was concerning in a number of ways, because either the Beast was developing and growing stronger, or Garfield was actually going crazy and was starting to hear voices. Neither situation was especially appealing.
Dude. I really don't need your shit right now.
You desire her as much as I do, we are the same.
Trust me, you may live in my head, but we are nothing alike.
We could have made her ours.
The fact that you think that is hilarious, and only serves to prove my point. Garfield snorted, sliding down one side of the rock and continuing on his way. She would've killed me. And thinking that way throws out some really rape-y vibes.
You did not even try. For all we know, she would have welcomed it.
Seriously dude, you need to chill out with that. It's gross. A part of Garfield couldn't shake the nagging feeling that maybe The Beast was right and he hadn't tried, but that wasn't right. Besides, who's fault do you think it is I couldn't try? With you around I could not trust myself.
Please. You're a coward, scared of offending your friends and breaking rules. So you ran, rather than be forced out.
I happen to like my friends, and rules and laws are meant to keep order and decency.
Doctrine drilled into you by Mento. You think they're dumb.
I think a lot of things are dumb. I think you're dumb. And I don't think all rules are dumb, just the ones that are stupid.
In the end, your fear drove you away. You may not want to admit it, but I know you, I am you, and you can't hide the truth from me.
Garfield frowned at that. It was right, as furious as it may make him, the Beast was a part of him, and Garfield couldn't get rid of it. Not unless he wanted to be lobotomized, which he really didn't. So the next best thing was to learn how to control that part of him. The exact process of taming this wild second personality still evaded him, though not for lack of trying. It wasn't exactly easy trying to control an errant facet of your psyche. He wondered how Raven did it so well. He would've asked her if he wasn't near his breaking point when she was around. Shaking his head morosely, Garfield made his way around to the village entrance.
It was still somewhat early, so he didn't see many people up and about just yet, which suited him just fine. He made his way down the main road, staying to one side and keeping his eyes down. There was a store where he could sell the pelts and furs he collected at the end of the road, and then there was another shop next to it where he could sell various mountain plants. There was also a liquor store that also served as an all-purpose store. It was there where he'd buy the things that he couldn't get or make in the wilderness. The fact that all these stores were so close to each other was extremely convenient, and Garfield was grateful for that since it meant he didn't have to spend too much time here.
Even though Garfield had come to town to be around other people, he didn't like to linger and made a beeline for the stores. He made it about halfway down the road before he noticed it. It was a familiar smell, one that he gotten used to. His eyes widened, and he stood still, searching his surroundings for her. He made a hard left and began walking briskly down a path between two houses. If she was here then Garfield was in trouble. He hopped over a small wooden fence, mindful of the small vegetable garden on the other side. She was close.
He slowed his breathing as he crouched, and focused all of his attention on listening. A minute ticked by, then two, then three and Garfield still waited. After several moments he exhaled, relieved, then stood up and began walking again to the shops. She hadn't found him, which was good, but he still needed to sell his things, as well as pick up his supplies. If he could do that, and make it back up the mountain he'd be safe. He peeked out from between the houses to make sure the coast was clear, then headed across the road to the first shop. He pushed open the door and entered, some wind chimes jingling above his head. He looked down and pawed through his bag, bringing out some pelts.
"Hey, I've got some really nice furs for you this ti-" As he looked up he saw her.
"The thing is, Sikari, even if you hide from me I still know where you're going to go." She said, smiling. She was leaning up against the counter that the owner sat behind, who was calmly leafing through an old book, ignoring them.
"Ah, well…" Garfield said, one hand reaching up the rub the back of his head. "Hello, Kaili." He greeted her in simple Nepalese.
Kaili was a girl of nineteen that Garfield had saved from wolves a few months back. Since then she hadn't failed to find him every time he was in town. Garfield was beginning to regret that day, and he considered himself lucky she hadn't followed him home. Yet.
"I'm beginning to feel a little hurt, you try to lose me every time you're here." She pushed away from the counter and began sashaying towards him.
"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean…" Garfield placated as he backed away towards the door.
Her olive skin, petite frame, and fine features all lent themselves to make her very pretty, and she knew it. She looked up at him with her large hazel eyes as she drew near. Garfield was glad for the cold weather that forced her to dress warmly. He had no doubts that if the weather were more forgiving her looks would be even more lethal.
"You're not trying to hurt my feelings," she stepped closer, reaching out to play with the fringe of his jacket. "Are you?"
He flicked her hand away, and she grinned. She really doesn't know how thin the ice she's treading on is. Garfield steppeddeftly around her, and walked towards the counter. "How much do you think these are worth Nabin?" Addressing the man behind the counter, he pulled out the furs from his bag. The older man leaned forward and inspected them, feeling them between his fingers and eyeing them closely. It was all for show, Garfield knew the furs would not fetch that much, but Nabin like to pretend he knew what he was doing. Normally Garfield would be against selling furs, but with winter upon them he knew they would be needed for clothes, and to furnish some of the poorer homes.
Kaili leaned back against the counter next to him, tilting her head to one side to look at him. Her dark hair flowed down revealing an earring, a small downy feather colored white and brown. She had makeup on, he could see it on her lips, cheeks, and around her eyes. Garfield was flattered that she was trying to look so pretty for him, he knew makeup wasn't easy to come by out here, but he couldn't afford to indulge in that kind of relationship. Plus, he didn't even really like her.
Well, she may not be our mate, but she'll do nicely in the meantime.
Hey, how about we play the Quiet Game? You go first.
Garfield bit down hard on his tongue to center himself, and closed his eyes. He did a lot of things to satisfy the Beast. He ate meat, he hunted, and he lived in the wild. Garfield did a lot of things so that he could control himself, but he refused to go that far. He would not involve other people in his problems, and he definitely wouldn't take advantage of women. He inhaled deeply.
"So?" Garfield asked as he leaned a little forward over the counter.
Nabin gave him a critical look before setting down the pelt he was holding. "About eight thousand." He said, crossing his arms over his ample belly.
As he did the calculations Garfield began to frown. Eight thousand Nepali rupees was less than eighty American dollars. He wasn't expecting to make a lot. Anywhere else in the world he could make a substantial amount of money selling furs to the right people, but here they were pretty commonplace. Nabin however, was trying to scam Garfield. He considered trying to haggle for a better deal, but decided against it. He really didn't need that much money, just enough to buy what he needed. Sighing, Garfield stretched out his arm and opened his hand expectantly. Nabin looked surprised for a moment then opened his register, and handed Garfield the money.
As Garfield counted the money out Kaili said, "You're a very strange man Sikari."
"How so?" Garfield asked, stuffing the money into his jacket pocket. He thanked Nabin, and made his way back outside, Kaili trailing behind.
"Because you don't seem to care much about money."
"That's because I don't care."
"See, that's the thing. Out here everybody's trying to make money so they can get away, move to the big city. You don't seem to want to get away."
"You're right, I don't want to get away."
"But why is that?"
Garfield didn't say anything.
Kaili waited for a moment then sighed. "You are not very easy to talk to."
"Thanks. I try."
The bartender shook his head, and Raven could tell he wasn't lying. She thanked him and walked back outside, her fur-lined cloak doing little to block the bite of the icy wind. This was the third town she'd asked around in, but no one seemed to know anything. She'd asked for Beast Boy by name, by description, and by reputation. She had asked for any new people in town, for anyone that had helped out recently in some way, or anyone odd passing through. Nothing. Raven was frustrated, tired, and at her wits end. Also she was hungry. For someone who seemed to crave attention, Beast Boy was doing an awfully good job of staying out of the spotlight. Just then her communicator beeped, and she took it out. Oh great, now what?
"What is it Cyborg?" She asked as his face popped up on the screen.
"Yo Raven, where you at?"
"Out. Do you need something?"
"Just wondering where you are. Haven't seen you in, like, a week."
"That's because I'm out. I asked Nightwing beforehand, he said it was fine."
"I know, I know, I'm just a little worried. No one knows what you're doing when you go out. Or where you go." He said, "Also Starfire keeps trying to make some weird pudding to make you feel better, and it's stinking up the place."
Raven almost smirked at that. "Tell Starfire there's no need for pudding, I feel just fine. Don't ruin the kitchen."
"Too late." He said, grinning. "But seriously, I am worried. Is it something I can help with?"
"Well…" She hesitated. "No, not really. If something comes up I'll call you, but right now I think I'm better off alone."
"Okay. Well don't hesitate to call, and try to get back here soon. Bye!"
"Bye."
Raven sighed, slipping her communicator back into her belt before rummaging around in her bag for her map and a pen. Using a nearby wall to write on she crossed out the name of the town on her map, then folded it carefully and placed it back. The next town on her list was actually a small village at the base of a mountain nearby. Unfortunately she wouldn't reach it until the following day. She considered teleporting back to the Tower to rest and for a fresh change of clothes. Azar knows she needed both. However, the amount of energy needed for the journey would leave her too exhausted for it to be worth the trouble. The local inn would have to suffice for tonight, then after she searched the next town she would go back home. As Cyborg said, it had nearly been a week since she'd been back.
The inn was not a fancy affair by any stretch of the imagination. Maybe Raven was spoiled by modern living, but the room she'd been given wasn't clean. The bed she had was barely humane as the mattress was old and stained, and the bed frame was broken and rusting. The dresser in her room was little more than a pile of splinters held together by duct tape and good feelings, and she wouldn't be surprised to find lice in the carpet. But the worst thing about the room wasn't any of those things, but instead the light. The light fixture above her head was an old lightbulb hanging from a wire that flickered and buzzed as it swung ever so slightly. Raven was seriously considering teleporting.
Massaging her temples to relieve the building pressure in her head, she lifted her legs up off the ground to float in the lotus position. She began chanting her mantra as she let her arms drift down to her knees, slowly letting the tension bleed away. Meditation had always been her salvation in the past, but ever since Beast Boy had left its effectiveness had slowly diminished. While it still helped her maintain control over her powers it wasn't nearly as helpful with emotional or mental strain. Still, anything was better than nothing, and she meditated whenever she had a quiet moment. If I don't find Beast Boy soon I'm going to have an aneurysm.
That was also something that bothered Raven. Why was she so obsessed with finding Beast Boy? Before they had been friends of course, but she had rarely ever taken him seriously. Sure, they had had a few close moments together, but Beast Boy was a joker, always would be. If she wanted serious advice she'd go to Nightwing, if she wanted some brotherly comfort she'd go to Cyborg, and if she was really desperate for female companionship there was always Starfire. But Beast Boy? The only thing she'd ever found him good for was as a target for her anger, which was usually justified. Every once in a while he'd crack a joke that was genuinely funny, and he'd always be reliable to break the tension, but she never actually went to him for anything.
So why then did it feel like her world fell apart the night he left? She felt so abandoned, so deserted and alone. She also felt furious, at Beast Boy and the other Titans. Had her friendship with him been so shallow that he could cast it aside when it suited him? Hadn't they talked about it that very night? And the others, they had given up so easily. She would like to think that if any of them went missing they would take it as seriously as she was, but she could no longer have that hope. She felt so distant from them now. The fact that they couldn't even guess what she was doing when she went away was infuriating, and also confusing. She felt like this was the one thing that should be on all of their minds. Beast Boy had suddenly disappeared, without any reason or explanation, and no one seemed to care anymore.
Raven slowly realized her hands were balled up in white knuckle fists, her nails digging into her palms, and she was biting her lip. This line of thought was causing her to slip, and she couldn't afford that. When she slipped things tended to blowup, and with how angry and frustrated she was it would be an understatement to say the town was in danger. She released her hands and slowly let out the breath she'd been holding in. This much stress really wasn't healthy for her. She huffed a little to blow her hair out of her face, and sat down on the bed to try and sleep. It creaked loudly underneath her and she swore under her breath. I'm going to have a few choice words with the innkeeper before I leave tomorrow. She ignored the covers on the bed and wrapped her cloak around herself. Despite her discomfort she was asleep within minutes.
In the morning, after chewing out the innkeeper, and eating a small breakfast, Raven flew to the next village instead of waiting for the bus. It was a lot colder, but also a lot faster than the bus. Anyway the next village wasn't that far off so she could grit her teeth and bear it, at least for a little while. It started to snow lightly as she took off which only served to worsen her already dark disposition. She arrived some hours later, and landed in the center of town. It was quaint, with only a couple dozen simple houses and stores, and a couple dirt roads. People began to gather after her flashy entrance, and she asked the first person who didn't shy away about Beast Boy. They didn't know anybody by that name. She described him. They'd never even heard of a person being green. She asked if they knew of anybody new or odd in town. One man said he saw someone strange periodically at a store in town. Raven asked which store. The man told her.
Nabin lived a fairly quiet life in his shop with his family, where the only real concern was who his daughters would marry. His wife, Maiya, sat in the back room managing the logistics of actually running the store, and as far as he could tell was happy doing it. He had tried to help once, but after an hour of her yelling at him she had kicked him out. That was fine by him. He was much better in the front of the store anyway, where all he had to do was sweep every now and then, read his book, and sell or buy something at the best price when a person eventually came in. Today had been a good day, as the Sikari had come in with several animal skins, and he could always be relied upon to sell for the lowest price. He didn't even try to argue with, or seem offended by the price Nabin offered. Yes, today was a good day.
"I need to ask you about a customer of yours."
Nabin looked up from his book, slipping a finger between the pages so as not to lose his place. He was greeted with the sight of a beautiful woman, and several very curious villagers. The villagers he knew, but the woman he didn't, and she was very oddly dressed. She wore a blue fur-lined cloak, a longsleeved blue coat and gloves, and black pants and boots. Even stranger than her attire was the woman herself. She had short indigo hair, light gray skin, a small red chakra stone in the center of her brow, and piercing violet eyes.
"Wha-," Nabin coughed, then cleared his throat. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," she deadpanned. "I'm told every once in a while a man comes in here. A very odd man. Could you describe him to me?"
"I, I wish I could, but he never reveals his face. He always has it covered up."
"Could you see his eyes? What color were they?"
"Green I think. Yes, definitely green."
She seemed to perk up at this. "Did he ever say, or do anything weird?"
"No, nothing that I can think of…"
She didn't seem to like that.
"He did tell me a joke once. Though it wasn't very funny." He ventured tentatively.
Suddenly the woman had him by his collar, her face inches from his. "Where is he, where does he live?" She asked quietly, her gaze boring into his soul.
"You just missed him, he was here not two hours ago! I think he lives somewhere in the mountains!" Nabin whimpered, quickly telling her all he knew. He'd never been so afraid.
The woman let him go, and twirled around, grabbing something from her hip. "Nightwing, it's Raven. I think I found him. Who? What do you mean who? Beast Boy, of course!"
Nabin watched her as she flew away, yelling into the device in her hand. The villagers hurried out of the shop to follow her as his wife came out of the back.
"What happened? What was that?" She asked him as he pulled himself off the floor.
He stared at her dumbly before answering. "I honestly have no idea."
"Don't mope Sikari." Kaili told him as they walked back down to the village.
"I'm not moping." Garfield answered.
After finishing his errands in town Garfield had begun his walk back up the mountain, only to be intercepted by Kaili. She'd wanted him to accompany her on a trip to pick some special plants that could be found close to the village. Garfield had refused of course, he didn't need the trouble. Then she threatened to follow him home. So here he was, two hours later, carrying wildflowers down the mountain. The mountains are dangerous, I was protecting her.
Just keep telling yourself that. You weren't just blackmailed by a teenage girl, you were 'protecting' her. Chivalry, thy name is Garfield.
You're just mad because I didn't try to seduce her.
Even you have to see she's giving you all the signs.
She doesn't even know me. I honestly have no idea why she keeps pestering me.
The air of mystery you work so hard to keep probably has nothing to do with it.
What air of mystery? I'm, like, specifically trying to be rude to her, and she's not taking the hint!
"Are you listening to me Sikari?" Kaili was standing in front of him, hands on her hips. Garfield hadn't been listening to her, and she looked mildly annoyed. She must've been talking for a while.
"You keep calling me that. What does that word mean?" He asked to change the subject.
"Sikari? I guess in English it would mean 'hunter'." She said as they continued their way into town. She continued talking as Garfield grimaced under his scarf. He didn't want to be known as a hunter. He killed animals sparingly and only for food, not for sport.
What exactly do you think hunters do?
Dammit! I don't need your input on every little thing!
Garfield continued silently arguing with himself the rest of the short distance down the mountain. As they entered the village he noticed the crowd forming in the middle of the road. It wasn't a festival, the timing was off, and Garfield couldn't think of anything else it might be. He decided to ask Kaili.
"What's going on there?" He gestured towards the crowd with the bouquet of wildflowers.
Kaili pursed her lips. "I'm not sure…" She said, clearly interested.
Garfield sensed an opportunity to be rid of her, and he placed the flowers in her hands. "You should go find out. It'd be a shame to miss out on the big event." He said, giving her a gentle push.
"What about you? Aren't you curious?" She asked suspiciously.
"I'm not sure the villagers would take kindly to stranger intruding on what's clearly a town affair. You go, I'll stay right here." He pointed to the ground at his feet.
She hesitated, obviously skeptical, before giving in and running to join the crowd. Garfield waited for a moment, wondering if it would be so bad to actually stay. If it was here, and with her, he could almost imagine it. A normal life, with simple problems. He picked up a single wildflower that had fallen from the ground, little flecks of snow on its aqua colored petals. He saw it all, a little house, a respectable job, a wife and kids. Part of him wanted that, wanted it desperately. But he was an animal, barely caged, and dangerous. Not to mention green. And part of him knew that no matter what, he was a hero at heart. Garfield could never be satisfied with a 'normal' life, when he saw something wrong he needed to act. It was just who he was.
Garfield dropped the wildflower, and began leaving when he heard a disturbingly familiar sound. Like rolling thunder, it started softly and gradually grew to deafening. He looked up to the sky, his eyes widening in panic. This was the sound of a ship's engines, and not just any ship. He watched it as it came down out of the clouds, the sun glinting off it's metallic exterior. The T-Ship. How did they find me? I was being so careful! Shit! What do I do now?! If the team was here, then Raven was here, and if Raven was here then Garfield was in serious trouble. There was no more time to waste thinking. He turned sharply on his heel, and began sprinting up the mountain. He flew along the ground, dropping to all fours as he partially transformed to gain speed. He didn't have much time. If he could make it back to his house he could grab all the supplies he could carry and make it through the mountains to Tibet. He could do it, he just had to hurry. He still had time.
Garfield ripped the scarf from his head and let it fly as he swung from a branch to a cliff and pulled himself up. He needed at least a week's worth of food if he was to survive. There was more than enough stored, the problem was how to carry it. He could try and fashion a large bag out of some of things he had lying around, but that would take too long. Think Garfield, think! He burst out into the small clearing that surrounded his small lake, and paused to catch his breath. He would probably have to leave a lot behind, but luckily there weren't many items of value that he still carried. He sprinted the few steps to the edge of the lake, and leapt across, just clearing ten meters of open water to the other shore. Landing heavily on his hands and toes he dove into a roll, and popped up into a jog. Garfield stepped quickly up to his house, and flung open the animal hide hanging in the doorway.
She stood in the center of the room holding a few tattered pictures, facing the doorway. Their eyes locked on one another instantly, and all was still. She was gorgeous. Her short hair was now longer in the front than it was in back, her bangs pulled to one side to slightly hide her face. The hair on the other side was lightly braided, and tucked behind her ear. She was tall now, still taller than him he noted with some annoyance, but not by much, and she had the womanly curves to go with it. Garfield was defenseless, it simply wasn't fair how she could look so lovely. The pictures fell from her hand to the floor, breaking the frozen moment.
"Raven." Was all he could say, he was dumbstruck. How could she be so beautiful, even with that expression? That extremely livid expression. The hairs on the back of Garfield's neck began to rise, he could sense what was coming. Uh oh.
It hadn't been that hard to find the small shack from the sky. After Raven shot away from the shop she had flown into the air to scan the mountainside from above. It was a matter of minutes before she spotted the lake, and instinctively knew that if she was going to find anything relating to Beast Boy, she would have to start there. She hadn't been expecting to find his house though, that was lucky. And it was his house, Raven knew that for certain. Even though there was little to be found in this single room shack, it was still messy. Tools and knives lay strewn about on the table, furs and pelts were thrown haphazardly across the floor, and ash from a small campfire in one corner had been kicked around. But what confirmed that beyond a doubt it was Beast Boy who lived here was the pictures. On one end of the table they lay arranged, pictures of him and the other Titans. Raven picked them up gingerly. He had one group photo, and a few more of him and at least one of the others. In the center lay a photo of him and Raven, one of their closer moments.
Raven heard footsteps approaching, and looked up in time to see Beast Boy enter. He wore thick stubble that covered his jaw and cheeks, and his chin length shaggy hair looked like it had been cut erratically by hand. More than likely with one of the knives on the table. The messy clothes he wore were tattered, and barely serviceable. They looked like they'd been made by hand, and not skillfully. He looked wild, untamed, but most of all, he looked dirty. Despite this, Raven felt happy. She finally found him, it had all been worth it. Everyone else had given up, but not her and now she was relieved to find it hadn't been for nothing. A feeling of absolute serenity washed over her, a deep calmness that she hadn't felt in the last five years. She felt the pictures slipped from her fingers. Then she remembered all that she had been through, all the trouble that his disappearance had caused. She could feel the Rage boiling up from below.
"Raven." He said, breathless. She began walking towards him, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. Beast Boy began retreating to the outside.
"Wait, I ca-"
"No." She interrupted.
"But I have a really good re-"
"Shut up."
"Will you just let me-"
She slapped him then. She didn't slap him that hard, but he fell to the ground anyway, wearing a shocked expression.
"Beast Boy, I don't care. Whatever story you were about to make up, whatever lie you were going to tell, it doesn't matter." Raven kept her voice low and even as she spoke. She wanted him to know how deadly serious she was. "Two things are going to happen now. One, you're going to stay quiet and not make any trouble, and two, you getting on the T-Ship and you're coming home with us. Understand?" She narrowed her eyes at him.
He nodded dumbly, rubbing his cheek.
"Good."
Hey there, it's Mocha again. I'll try and keep the updates as frequent as this, but no promises. If it seems a little rushed at the end, that's because I was kind of losing my patience and wanted to get this out as fast as possible. Also if the Raven sections seem a little one-dimensional don't worry, I plan to explore character a little bit more in coming chapters. Thanks for any comments or reviews, I really appreciate those. Someone said last time that my use of punctuation was odd, so if you come across something that bothers you I apologize. It's a habit of mine to use punctuation to mimic the voice in my head. Alas, it is a poor substitute for the cadence, tone, and inflection that I wish to convey. Stay tuned for more chapters, the more you read the more it inspires me to write!