Part 91: I AM CHANGELING!
Beast Boy was in his room, sulking. Out of all the Titans, he still hadn't gotten a cool upgrade. All he had was suit that could form armor for his animal forms but it paled in comparison to the upgrades the others had. To list it all up, each of the Titans possessed the following:
Robin had the Titan Gear.
Starfire had her Pactio Form and Starblade.
Raven had her Pactio Form and Scythe of Light.
Renia had her Locust Inzecter.
Terra had her Cutter Inzecter.
Jinx had her Scarab Inzecter.
Blackfire had her Fire Inzecter.
Cyborg had bigger and better weapons, was coated in Soul Metal, had a near infinite energy source and now could link up with the T-Car.
Draco had his Keyblade, the Hyper Inzecter, Perfect Inzecter and all those powerful forms.
Neko had Gekiryuken.
Shadowcobra had his Arch Vampangel Powers.
Kenzaki had recently acquired his Emperor Form.
And Pluto, well, had his nanobots which were constantly evolving.
The green changeling still missed the Dog Knight. Before, he would be helping out with Pluto's experiments as his assistant (read: guinea pig). Sure, there were mishaps and explosions but that was why it had been fun. Now, with Pluto gone, Beast Boy had to find other means of entertaining himself. Playing videogames wasn't doing it for him anymore and going on dates with Terra, though fun, didn't fill up the gap of missing Pluto.
Now, he wasn't just sulking, but bored.
"Maybe there's something here I can use to entertain myself," Beast Boy thought. Beast Boy wasn't the tidiest of Titans and his room had a weird odor that smelt like tofu. Regardless, it was still his room and not many, aside from Terra, ever dared to tread into the habitat of Garfield Logan.
Beast Boy opened up his closet and the clothes fell up, burying him up to his neck. He rummaged through the clothing, throwing stuff over his shoulder. He then found something hard and took it out. "A book? Why is this here?" Beast Boy said. He looked at the title. "Mythical and Magical Creatures." He then remembered, "Hey, Shadow gave me this book on my birthday!" Beast Boy announced. He flipped through the pages and stared at the pictures of the creatures in them. His favorites were definitely the centaurs and dragons.
He remembered why Shadow had given him such a book.
"Happy Birthday, Beast Boy," Shadowcobra said as he handed the wrapped up package to Beast Boy. It was covered in black wrapping paper with a purple bow on it. Beast Boy stared at it warily.
"This isn't going to blow up in my face, right?" Beast Boy asked regarding the present. He hesitantly took it and looked it over. "What is it?"
"Unwrap it," Shadow instructed and Beast Boy tore the wrapping paper to shreds, "I meant without the mess but it's your birthday."
Beast Boy stared and said flatly, "A book?" Books were Raven things. If it was a comic book then maybe Beast Boy would enjoy it but a thick old book. He read the title, which was in cursive, "Mythical…and Magical…Creatures?"
"It's a picture book with information on legendary creatures like dragons," Shadow looked over to Draco who was enjoying the cake. Thank goodness they hadn't gotten chocolate.
"Oh, cool!" Beast Boy opened the book. He then asked, "You have a reason for doing this, don't you?" Even the changeling had grown accustomed to Shadow's habits and since the Snake Knight was a businessman, he never did anything without something to gain.
"Logan," Shadow said softly, "You have a lot of potential. Your shape-shifting abilities can go much farther than you realize. I've seen you take on the forms of magnificent beasts from this world and others." He was talking about Beast Boy's ability to take on the shape of alien animals. "So, this book is to help you add on more options to your arsenal." Since the day they'd been forced to work together to face the Collector and rescue their friends, he'd grown to respect Beast Boy a little.
"You think I can become…" Beast Boy flipped through the book and then showed Shadow a page of a huge multi-headed serpent known as the Hydra. "This?"
"With practice and studying," Shadow affirmed. "I can see you have a potential, Beast Boy. Though you act like a clown, you can become a capable warrior."
"I won't disappoint you, dude!" Beast Boy grinned.
"Don't call me dude."
Of course, a few weeks after that, Beast Boy had misplaced the book and never took the effort to go look. Even if Shadow had been upset, he hadn't shown it, but Beast Boy felt that Shadow's respect for him had lessened a bit since then.
Beast Boy set the book aside, making sure it was in his sight, before rummaging through his stuff again. He came upon a shiny metal sphere. This was another gift from Shadow. It was known as…
"Here, a Deathtronian Puzzle Sphere," Shadow said as he handed it to Beast Boy. "Merry Christmas."
"Wow, thanks, dude!" Beast Boy grinned. It was a Christmas Party at the Tower and everyone was getting in the mood. Draco had gotten drunk on the eggnog. Obviously, someone had spiked it. "So, how does this work?"
"It's like a Rubik's Cube, except that you need to twist it around to get an image." The sphere had been twisted around so now the Deathtron emblem was ineligible. There were several sections that needed to be twisted.
Beast Boy sweatdropped. There was still that one Rubik's Cube he'd yet to solve and he'd had it for years now. He smiled sheepishly, "Thanks, dude."
Shadow frowned, "Don't call me dude. Now, enjoy your gift."
Like the book he'd gotten bored with it. At first it'd frustrated it and eventually he just gave up on it. The look on Shadow's face when he found out…
Beast Boy then saw something else and took it out. It was a photo album. He leafed through it and remembered what it was after seeing the pictures inside. There were pictures of Japanese girls.
"Now this brings back memories," Beast Boy smiled. "My fangirls. Wonder how they are?" He'd become quite the sensation in Tokyo after his impromptu Karaoke singing. Terra hadn't been too happy and that was why he hadn't told her about the photos.
This brought back another memory.
"You want me do what?" Shadow responded after hearing Beast Boy's request. The Snake Knight was standing in his doorframe with his cloak draped over his body. His face held a bewildered expression at his friend's odd request. After nearly a year, Shadow had gotten used to the strangeness which was Titans Tower.
His originally opinion of this place was to compare it to an insane asylum on several occasions. Sometimes he compared it to a youth hostel or even a frat house. Fraternity was far too up class to categorize the Titans. A frat house was the closest comparison since he'd witnessed the boys having a burping contest one time and other ridiculous rituals.
None as ridiculous as this.
"Terra has no idea I got these pictures, dude! I need you to hide them!" Beast Boy begged, holding out a pile of photos. They were vacation photos composed of the fangirls Beast Boy had collected in Tokyo due to his impromptu performance at a karaoke club. If memory serves, Terra hadn't actually been happy about it.
Shadow narrowed his eyes. "And why me? Why not Pluto or Cyborg? They're your best friends, aren't they?" Shadow wondered why Beast Boy couldn't ask the other two-thirds of the '3-Stooges'.
"Blackfire and Terra are kinda tight!" Beast Boy answered. "If Blackfire finds these in his room, she can get the truth out of him. Plus, Cyborg has sworn to never help me hide anything ever again."
"Is this about that magazine Sarah found in his room when she came over for a visit?" Shadow questioned. He remembered Sarah stomping away, fuming, as Cyborg pleaded for her to listen to his explanation. Shadow found out it'd been about a 'Playboy'.
"Well, you gotta admit Angelina Jolie is hot!" Beast Boy said lightly and then got panicky, "Please, dude!" He shoved the photos towards Shadow. "I'm begging you!"
Shadow was not only a hero and a businessman, but he was also a Deathtron. As much as he wanted to help Beast Boy, he also wanted to benefit somehow.
"What do I get out of this?" Shadow asked. Beast Boy gawked. "I wish to know what I stand to gain for helping you."
"Dude!" Beast Boy whined.
"Give me an offer, Garfield," Shadow smirked. "And make it good."
Beast Boy had promised to train himself harder once he found the sphere and book. Since Shadow had done his end of the deal, and even put the photos in an album for him, it was time for Beast Boy to do his part.
"Now, how do I do this again?" Beast Boy asked himself as he looked at the sphere. He gave a section a horizontal twist. "No, that's not it." He began to twist the sphere around a little more, eyes narrowing. "OK, I think I got it…" He twisted it vertically. "Damn." He was ready to chuck it but remembered his promise. "It's the least I could do," Beast Boy sighed. He picked up the book and went out of his room, without even bothering to clean up.
In the shadows, a large eye opened up. It looked around the room before fading out of existence.
Warren was in the living room, alone, watching TV. Actually, he was just flipping through the channels. Beast Boy came into the living room and the guest from another dimension looked over the backrest to see Beast Boy coming in. "Hey, BB!" Warren greeted.
"Oh, didn't know anyone was here," stated Beast Boy. He had the book in his armpit and holding the puzzle sphere in his hand, twisting it around.
"Hey, whatcha got there?" Warren asked, interested as Beast Boy walked over and sat down on the couch. He placed the book down between himself and Warren. Warren quirked an eyebrow at seeing the book.
"Never pegged you for the bookish type," Warren commented as he picked up the book. The only thing he'd ever seen Beast Boy read would be comic books, Playboy magazines, video game manuals and whatever was on the back of a cereal box. He read the title. "You into fantasy stuff now?"
"That was something Shadow gave me for my birthday," Beast Boy answered, struggling to solve the puzzle sphere. "Stupid ball thing."
"Is that a new toy Pluto left you?" Warren asked. He hadn't had the pleasure of meeting Pluto in person but from what he could tell the guy was an inventor, though he was also infamously known as a mad scientist. Pluto was actually pretty eccentric. However, the mishaps and explosions caused by his experiments and inventions didn't help with his reputation. The guy had so many inventions that he had to turn the basement into a lab. The basement lab was off limits since Pluto decided to stay on Tamaran. His room was locked too and his car was something nobody would there go near, knowing his reputation.
"No, it's something Shadow gave me for Christmas," Beast Boy answered.
"He did?" Warren questioned. Shadow was a lot like Nekrad, a vampire on Warren's team back on his world. He could be nice but not too often. A birthday AND a Christmas present? The guy must really like Beast Boy to go through all that trouble.
"But, I still haven't solved this!" Beast Boy grumbled, ready to throw the sphere in frustration.
"Let me see," Warren volunteered.
"Hey, be my guest," Beast Boy allowed, handing the sphere over to Warren.
Warren looked at it warily. "This thing won't open up a gateway that leads to another dimension inhabited by demons that see pain as the equal to pleasure, is it? Because I've had enough of those for one lifetime."
"Dude, Shadow's the one who gave it to me. I don't know what'll happen." That was true. One time, he and Cyborg had snuck into Shadow's room and well…Beast Boy shuddered. He didn't want another trip to the Netherworld again.
Shadow came into the living room. He could see both Beast Boy and Warren at the couch. The TV was on but neither of their attention was on it. Curious, he went to see what was going on. He smiled a bit when he saw the scene.
"So, you're going to try to solve it," Shadow stated when he saw the sphere. Warren may have been handling it, but Shadow knew that was because the green kid needed help. A Deathtronian Puzzle wasn't exactly child's play. In fact it was a tool to determine the intelligence of students in the Academy. He'd solved his in record time and now he'd given the same one to Beast Boy.
That had been last Christmas, which had been months ago.
"Well, it's the least I could do," Beast Boy replied. "I mean, you did give it to me. Would be a shame to just throw it away. It's still kinda cool, though."
Shadow also saw the book and asked, "Have you been studying those new forms?"
Beast Boy couldn't lie because Shadow could pick up on that. Instead, he chose to come clean, "No…I haven't."
Shadow gave him a neutral gaze. "I see." He walked over to the fridge to take out a bottle of water. He chugged the contents into his mouth before placing the bottle on the counter. "Ah, I needed that."
"So, what are you up to?" Warren asked, still twisting the sphere around.
"Raven and I are training," Shadow replied. "She's practicing with the Scythe of Light with me."
Warren winced a bit, imaging his own Raven with such a weapon. With that cloak of hers, she'd look like an attractive and sexy version of the Grim Reaper.
Despite the fact that it would be dangerous to let their guard down because of Katherine and her Horrors, morale had to be maintained. Thus, the other Titans were doing their own thing. Terra was taking a long nap in her room, Cyborg was fixing up the T-Car, Starfire & Robin had gone to the mall with Jinx & Draco, and Renia was in her room studying new Alchemical techniques no doubt. Kenzaki had left this dimension shortly after acquiring his Emperor Form. He said he had a lead on another big bounty that he had been after, someone named Gog. When asked about who Gog was, Kenzaki just brushed them off, saying it wasn't any of their concern. Neko, Rose and Cathy were out at the park, spending some quality family time together…
Neko was sent crashing into a park bench, breaking it in two. The holder of Gekiryuken groaned but her anger outweighed her pain. "All I wanted was to spend some quality time with Rosey-chan and Cathy-chan," she growled, getting back up. "Instead I get THIS!"
Cinderblock roared as he charged at the girl. Neko leapt up and bounded off Cinderblock's shoulders before doing several flips in the air and touching down between Cathy and Rose.
"And I didn't even bring my machete," Rose complained. She was in fighting stance. She could take Cinderblock. She'd been trained by her daddy. Cathy was also in a fighting stance, her tail flicking back and forth. Despite Neko's protests, they wanted to help out.
"OK, follow my lead, and be careful," Neko grasped Gekiryuken. "OK…NOW!" She charged forward, forming her sword. Cinderblock threw his fist but Neko jumped up to evade it. She landed on his shoulder and tapped his head with her finger. "Let me borrow something," she grinned as he skin turned rock hard like Cinderblock's. She'd discovered this secondary absorption ability by accident when she'd been sparring against Cyborg. As soon as her fingers brushed up against him, her skin transmuted to steel. Right now, her skin had transmuted to a rocky state. However, it didn't extend to her clothes or hair. Regardless, this would give her more defensive and offensive power.
She curled her fingers into a fist and smashed it into the back of Cinderblock's head. The force of the punch sent the golem falling, face first, into the dirt.
The golem pushed itself back up on his hands and knees but then got smashed in the face by a trio of fists, sending him falling backwards instead. Cathy flicked her wrist in pain from having to hit such a hardhead.
"OK, that hurt," Cathy flinched.
"And he's coming back up!" Rose warned as Cinderblock got back to his feet and roared. He swung both his fists down on them. Cathy turned invisible to avoid the hits as Rose and Neko somersaulted out of the way. Neko touched down in a squatting position as did Rose. Cathy reappeared next to them.
"Mama, are you okay?" Cathy asked.
"I'm fine, Koneko-chan," Neko assured her daughter. She got up to her feet, standing tall. "Now, let's take this thing down!" She rushed forward, yelling out a war cry, gripping Gekiryuken tightly. She jumped up as Cinderblock took a swipe at her before she started to land blow after blow on the titanic golem's body. It staggered backward from every slash that was chipping away at his skin. Neko then used a powerful frontal jump kick that sent Cinderblock staggering back before she leapt up and did a spinning backhand to his face.
Rose and Cathy watched. "Sugoi," Cathy let out.
Rose sighed at her girlfriend. "She's just showing off." She then ran to the battle. "Let's go help before she gets too cocky."
Too late for that.
"Hey, rocky, you're too slow!" Neko taunted as she ducked under a swing to her head. "Your momma was a brick wall!" She jumped back from a kick. "Hah, can't touch me!" She got too cocky and got punched and sent flying. She slammed into a lamppost which dented as her rocky body hit it. "Ow…" she groaned. Despite the thick rocky skin, that'd hurt.
Beast Boy and Warren, working together, nearly got the sphere. They could see something, like an emblem, on the surface of the sphere coming together after several twists and turns.
Warren handed the sphere back to Beast Boy, saying, "It's all yours, kid."
Beast Boy looked at the sphere hesitantly. What would happen once he solved it? Shadow had been the one to give it to him and he always had an ulterior motive in doing things. Whatever would happen after he'd solved the puzzle, did he really want?
Beast Boy's face showed resolve as he exclaimed, "Oh, what the hell!" He gave the sphere one last vertical twist and the Deathtron symbol was formed.
The sphere clicked.
The symbol glowed.
Beast Boy, yelling, dropped the object in surprise. It then…broke in half.
"Aw, man!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "I broke it!" He clutched his hair. Warren inspected the two halves of the sphere and lifted them up.
"Hey, looks like you've won a prize," Warren pointed out. He showed Beast Boy one of the halves. Both halves were hollow and inside one was what looked like…
"A watch?" Beast Boy took the aforementioned object out of the hollow sphere half. He looked it over. It looked like any old watch, but it was black with a metal strap, a silver ring around the face, and some small pictures around the face.
The 12 and 6 o'clock positions were blank but not the other 10.
In the 1 o'clock position was the image of a flame (fire).
In the 2 o'clock position was the image of a teardrop (water).
In the 3 o'clock position was the image of a mountain (earth).
In the 4 o'clock position was the image of a tornado (wind).
In the 5 o'clock position was the image of a sun (light).
In the 7 o'clock position was the image of a moon (darkness).
In the 8 o'clock position was the image of a lightning bolt (lightning).
In the 9 o'clock position was the image of a leaf (wood).
In the 10 o'clock position was the image of a gear (metal).
And in the 11 o'clock position was the image of a snowflake (ice).
The face was pitch black and had a yellow three pointed star in the centre.
Beast Boy quirked an eyebrow as he looked at it. "This watch doesn't even tell time!" There weren't any hands in the watch to show time. He did notice a black arrow on the silver ring pointing down on the blank 12 o'clock position.
"You should just wear it," Warren advised. "Shadow did give it to you."
Beast Boy thought about it. It wouldn't be nice to just throw it away, even if Shadow had been the one to give it to him as a prize for solving the puzzle.
Beast Boy put on the watch and as soon as he did the watch's face glowed for a second. It was barely noticeable but Warren noticed it. However, he didn't say a word as Beast Boy leapt off the sofa and towards the door. Shadow and Raven were in the training room last he remembered.
Raven had switched her white ensemble for her old black leotard but kept the white cloak. However, this cloak had black lining on the inside. Holding on her artifact, the Scythe of Light, she was poised for combat.
Shadow was wearing his Smart Brain uniform and without his usual cloak. In his hand was his Cobra Staff.
Both had sweat forming on their faces, evident that they'd been training hard. Both were panting hard as they eyed one another and circled each other.
Shadow made his move and charged forward. He jabbed with his staff and she sidestepped it. She attempted to slash at him but he turned invisible at the last second only to reappear behind her and using a sweep kick to knock her off her feet. He pounced on her and she raised the shaft of her staff up, horizontally, the block his blow. He discarded the staff and gripped the shaft of the scythe, trying to push it down on Raven. The half demon girl struggled as she pushed back up but her husband was stronger. As soon as the shaft rested near her neck, he leaned down and kissed her. He removed one hand from the shaft and ran it up and down her bare thigh, causing her to shiver.
"Point to me," he said arrogantly before she used her leg to throw him off of her. She flipped back to her feet, blushing.
Shadow remained lying on the ground before grinning. He levitated back to his feet and spun around. "Impressive, beloved," Shadow complimented as he strode forward. Raven banished the scythe once she sensed no hostile intent from him. He pulled her into a hug and pulled down her hood, nuzzling her fragrant hair.
"You're not so bad yourself," Raven returned, leaning against her husband. Husband. That was such a strange concept for her. She never expected to find love, much less get married, but here she was married to a man of her choice through Azarathean customs. Of course, his parents had arranged for a wedding ceremony too.
They weren't 'officially' married by any Earth laws but they didn't care. They were married and that was all that mattered.
Shadow gazed into his wife's purple eyes with his own red ones and smiled before leaning forward to capture her…
"Hey, dude!" Beast Boy called suddenly, forcing Shadow to let go of Raven and look to the entrance in shock. He hissed in annoyance. The changeling had ruined a perfect moment. From Raven's expression, it was obvious that she was annoyed too.
"What?" she asked, "What are you doing here?" Ever since she'd defeated her father, Raven had no need to restrain her powers or risk losing control. Of course, this also meant that she was much quicker to anger.
"Oh, sorry, Rae," Beast Boy apologized. A vein throbbed on Raven's forehead.
"Don't call me 'Rae'," she hissed angrily. Beast Boy gulped.
"What is it Beast Boy?" Shadow asked. Beast Boy showed Shadow the watch he'd put on his left wrist.
"Just to say thanks for the watch," Beast Boy explained. Shadow's eyes widened for a second. "It's awesome!" Shadow knew Beast Boy was lying but as soon as the shape-shifter knew of the 'watch's' true potential, that 'awesome' statement would become truth.
"I'm glad you like it," Shadow nodded.
"OK, now can you leave?" Raven said curtly. "Shadow and I were in training and-" The alarms blared as the lights flashed red. "Damn," she muttered.
"Let's roll," Shadow commanded.
For some reason, Cinderblock was much more difficult to defeat than expected. Neko, Rose and Cathy were in a pinch as the giant living statue roared and pounded his fists together.
"OK, I think we need a new plan," said Neko, her rocky skin cracking.
"Ojou-sama, I sense something off about this rock man," Gekiryuken warned.
"Horror?" Neko asked. It would make sense that Cinderblock had been infused with a Horror to give him such endurance.
"It's dark energy, but not a Horror," Gekiryuken replied, "At least I don't think so."
"Whatever," Neko replied. "The sooner we take this thing down, the sooner Cathy and Rose can get help." Rose had most likely broken her left arm as it hung limply by her side and a sprained ankle. Cathy, however, looked far worse as she was unconscious and bleeding from her scalp. She had most likely gotten a concussion.
"Gekiryu Hen-" Neko began but a fist flew into her and sent her crashing into a car.
"Neko!" Rose shouted. Cinderblock chose to ignore them and lumbered towards Neko who cracked one eye open in pain at the golem.
Suddenly, several missiles slammed into Cinderblock and exploded, knocking him backwards. Neko looked to see that the cavalry had arrived.
"About time," Neko groaned.
Shadowcobra was riding on the ZX-Shadow Basher with Beast Boy in the sidecar. Raven was levitating in the air holding her Scythe of Light with Terra riding a flat slab of rock like a hover board. Cyborg was standing next to the T-Car as Renia exited the vehicle from the passenger side. Warren then landed on the ground, having flown after the Titans.
"Are you alright?" the Snake Knight asked as he hopped off his vehicle. He ran towards Neko.
"I'm fine, but Rose and Cathy are hurt bad," Neko replied as Shadowcobra helped her to her feet. "And I don't think Cinderblock is ready to go down yet."
Cinderblock roared. Despite the cracks and craters on his body he still looked ready to throw down.
Terra rolled her eyes and said, "This is gonna be easy." Her eyes glowed yellow as she prepared to use her geokinetic powers to throw Cinderblock around like a rag doll.
Raven had gone to Rose and Cathy and started healing them. Soon enough, Rose's ankle and arm had fully healed as Cathy regained consciousness. The mutant girl may just suffer from a mild headache but other than that she was alright.
"Thank you, Raven," Rose said in gratitude. Despite their history as enemies, Rose was grateful.
Raven gave a nod and turned her focus towards Cinderblock. She had her powers and her Scythe of Light. Plus, all the Titans were ready to take Cinderblock down.
However, Shadowcobra commanded, "Stand down."
They all stared at him.
"Say what?" Cyborg gawked.
"You're kidding, right?" Neko nearly growled. "He beat up Rose and Cathy!"
Shadowcobra's expression remained passive as he moved his eyes towards Beast Boy. "Logan, show Cinderblock what you can do."
Everyone stared at the Snake Knight with wide eyes, assuming that he had gone insane. Beast Boy? Sure, he had powerful animal forms but he often needed the others to back him up. Shadowcobra was sending him alone. It was suicide!
"M-me?" Beast Boy stuttered.
Shadowcobra leaned down to Beast Boy's ear, "Let me let you in on a little secret; that watch is more than it seems." Beast Boy looked at the watch. If Shadow had given it to him, then it must be special. "Consider this a crash course, Logan."
Beast Boy stared at the watch as Cinderblock lumbered towards them. He pounded his fists together and growled before rushing at the Titans. Shadowcobra narrowed his eyes and tapped the end of his staff on the ground. Black chains lashed out from Cinderblock's shadow, binding him. The Titans got into ready stances and Shadow shouted, "Be patient!"
Beast Boy finally realized that the ring could be twisted. He twisted the purple ring so that the arrow was pointed at the flame picture and soon enough a hologram of a flaming humanoid appeared on the face, standing on it like a platform. "Cool," Beast Boy realized. He twisted it again and got a fish-man hologram when the arrow pointed at the teardrop. He twisted it another time and the arrow pointed on the mountain and a hologram resembling a humanoid made of rock and crystal appeared.
"Use that," Shadow instructed. Beast Boy looked at him. "Slam your palm down on the hologram. Do it!"
Beast Boy nodded and quickly slammed his palm on top of the display. There was a bright flash of light and the Titans had to turn their eyes away.
In Beast Boy's place was a tall humanoid being with a body made of dark purple stone. It had pink hands made of crystal with two pink spikes coming on his chest and six more on his back that were made from the same crystal. A pink crystal horn also extended from his head. The face was pink and it had a single green eye like a Cyclops. Though the arms and legs looked thin, they were anything but weak. The alien being had more of an athletic build than a bulky and muscular one.
"A Crystalsapien," Shadowcobra stated, identifying the alien being that had taken Beast Boy's place. Everyone stared at Beast Boy with wide eyes.
"Beast…Boy?" Terra began.
"Woah!" 'Beast Boy' looked himself over. Ever his voice had changed and become deeper, more adult-like. "What the heck happened to me!?" Cinderblock shattered the chains. "Well, let's see what this guy can do!" He ran towards Cinderblock and the two monsters started trading blows. Cinderblock got a lucky punch in Beast Boy's chest and sent the now alien shape-shifter skidding back several feet. Beast Boy grinned as he looked up. He'd barely felt a thing.
"Hah, is that all you got?" Beast Boy jeered. Cinderblock roared and charged straight at Beast Boy who charged right back.
"OK, what was that watch thing?" Terra asked.
"The Christmas gift Shadow gave him," Raven answered, glaring at Shadow.
"You gave him THAT?" Cyborg shouted, pointing accusingly.
"Yes, I did," Shadow nodded, unfazed. "It was in a puzzle sphere I gave him."
"It's true," Warren confirmed. "Of course, I helped him solve it."
"What kind of puzzle sphere?" Cyborg asked.
"Deathtronian," Shadow answered nonchalantly. "It's alien technology."
"You gave alien tech to Beast Boy!?" Raven shouted, aghast.
"I've seen what Beast Boy's capable of and I've seen how down he's been since we all got upgraded," Shadow explained. "I gave that to him on Christmas to help ease him a little."
"Well, from the way he's beating up Cinderblock, he's getting the hand of it," Renia admired. "Shouldn't we help him?"
Shadow smiled, "No, he doesn't need any help." Shadowcobra heard the sound of two motorcycles and looked to see Robin, Starfire, Jinx and Draco coming on their way. "Looks like the others are here."
Robin dismounted from his bike and apologized, "Sorry we're late." He removed his helmet and saw the two monsters duking out. "OK, let's do this." Shadow gripped Robin's shoulder. "Huh?"
"Hold on there, Robin," Shadow said. "Just stand and watch."
"What?" Robin asked. Two monsters were fighting and could be possibly dangerous and Shadow was telling him, the leader, to stand by and watch? He looked around and noticed someone was absent, "Where's Beast Boy?"
Starfire gasped, "A Crystalsapien!"
"You know what that is?" Draco asked.
"Yes, it's an alien species from a planet called Morotesi," Starfire explained. "What is it doing here?"
"That's Beast Boy," Terra answered bluntly.
Jinx, Starfire, Robin and Draco stared in shock.
"You're joking, right?" Jinx asked. "Since when can Beast Boy turn into aliens?"
"Since a certain Deathtron Commander decided that it was a good idea to give alien technology to Beast Boy as a Christmas present," Raven answered cynically. Robin, Draco, Jinx and Starfire's eyes all fell on Shadow.
"I'll explain later, but right now let's just watch and see how this ends, shall we?" Shadow requested. He would have them move in if things got a little difficult for Beast Boy.
Beast Boy was actually a match for the much larger and bulkier Cinderblock and was currently grappling with him. Both were trying to force the other into submission.
Shadow decided to lend a hand and ordered Starfire, "Starfire, blast Beast Boy!"
"What?" Starfire gasped. Terra was appalled and so was Robin.
"You can't do that!" Robin denied. "You can't make Starfire attack her own teammate!"
"Starfire, you must know what Crystalsapiens are capable of, correct?" Shadow inquired, ignoring Robin's tirade. Starfire nodded. "Go for it."
"Yes!" Starfire sent a beam of her energy flying at Beast Boy.
Terra shouted, "No!" However, she was silenced when the energy was absorbed into the Crystalsapien's body instead of sending him flying or blowing him up.
"I feel funny…" Beast Boy mumbled as his body glowed in multiple colors. Suddenly, his body reacted on instinct and he fired multicolor energy blasts from his hands forcing the golem to let go of Beast Boy's hand. The beams impacted against Cinderblock's body and the golem sent flying before he landed roughly on the park's grass.
"Oh yeah!" Beast Boy threw a fist up in the air. "That's what I'm talking about!"
Roaring in rage, Cinderblock got back up and rushed at Beast Boy. When he got close enough, Cinderblock threw a fist and at the exact moment Beast Boy threw a fist too.
SMASH!!
The sound of the impact was deafening…and then there was silence.
The two men of stone stood still as their fists connected with their faces. Neither budged…
Slowly, time passed. Seconds felt like hours…
Eventually, Cinderblock stumbled back and then collapsed onto his back, unconscious.
Beast Boy threw his arms up, "OH YEAH! WHO'S BAD? WHO'S YOUR DADDY?" Suddenly, the emblem began flashing red and in a flash of red light Beast Boy was restored to normal. He didn't seem too upset over changing back but he wished he could stay in that alien form a little while longer.
Robin turned his eyes towards Shadow, "You got some explaining to do once we get back to the Tower."
Shadow sighed, "I knew you'd say that."
"How did you get that thing?" Robin asked. All of them were in the living room now, ready to listen to an explanation Shadow had ready regarding Beast Boy's new watch and transformations.
"Remember Swindler?" Shadow reminded.
"You mean that arms dealer we caught a few months back?" Raven questioned. "How can I forget?"
"Well, when I had him sent to prison, all of his weapons were confiscated. One of those weapons happens to be that watch you see on Beast Boy's wrist." Shadow pointed to Beast Boy who was twisting the ring to admire all the aliens' holographic displays.
"You stole it?" Raven questioned.
"I prefer the term procured, really."
"So, it's some sort of weapon?" Robin asked.
"A powerful weapon," Shadow elaborated, "It was created by some Trikatron scientists during the Sabretron-Deathtron War and is the only one of its kind as far as I can tell. The DNA Change Watch we decided to call it. It has DNA sampled from 10 different alien breeds and has the power to allow the wearer to assume the form of those aliens." Shadow continued, "It uses the same DNA scanning and reconstructing technology that all Orions use to assume Beast Modes." He finished, "Of course, the scanning part had already been done."
"Why 10 aliens?" Terra asked, "Why not 10,000?"
"Because of the 10 Elements," Shadow answered. Draco's eyes widened. "Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Light, Darkness, Metal, Lightning, Ice and Wood," Shadow listed. "10 elements equals to 10 aliens, each matching the other."
"So why Beast Boy of all people?" Renia asked curiously. Beast Boy seemed to be the most unlikely of candidates.
"I guess it was because I also wanted to give Beast Boy an 'upgrade'," he used air-quotes when he said 'upgrade'. "Or maybe I thought it was time that Beast Boy got his device to call his own." Actually, it was because he trusted it more on Beast Boy than anybody else but he wasn't going to actually admit that anytime soon.
"But isn't it dangerous to leave it with Beast Boy?" Robin asked. "Maybe I should…"
"It's locked to his wrist," Shadowcobra interrupted. "Also, only he can use it since he was the first to put it on and activate it. The watch won't work for anybody else. It's a safeguard like the ones most of the Rider systems have."
"Sugoi," Draco admired. Cathy was impressed too. Terra had to admit that it was kinda cool.
"Also, speaking of Rider systems…" Shadow created a portal, reached inside, and pulled out a familiar looking briefcase. Cathy's eyes widened. "Here you go." He tossed the briefcase to Cathy who caught it.
"Does this mean I get to keep it?" Cathy asked.
"For now, at least," Shadow nodded. "You're still its designated user so I've decided that you should be able to use it again. You've earned it."
Cathy beamed. Neko frowned but then again there was nothing she could do about it. If Cathy wanted to fight, at least now she had the means to do so and now she could protect herself.
"Hey, what about me?" Rose asked. "I mean I don't have a Rider system either."
"You gave up your Zodiac Powers to Neko, right?" Shadow asked and received a nod. "As for your own Rider system, I'm not sure if there are any left at the moment."
"What?" Rose glared.
"Let me finish," Shadow continued, "However, I do have an extra set of Smartrooper Gear you can use." Smartroopers were the most powerful of Smart Brain's foot soldiers. They were nearly as strong as some of the Rider systems, though more simplified.
"OK, I'll take it," Rose shrugged. What Shadow failed to mention was that it was actually the prototype for the Smartrooper Riot Gear. Of course, he wanted to see the surprised look on Rose's face once she activated it.
"But, still…" Robin hesitated. "Beast Boy's got a really powerful weapon on him now. I'm not sure it's wise…"
"These are dangerous times so we need to be better prepared," Shadow said. "That's why we need these new weapons to help combat the Horrors."
Shadow was right. Katherine was a big threat now and the Titans needed to arm themselves better. Furthermore, Katherine was growing stronger and thus the Titans too needed to grow stronger.
Hopefully, it was enough.
"Hey, guys!" Beast Boy called. "Can I make an announcement?"
"What is it?" Robin asked.
"What is this announcement? Is it grand?" Starfire inquired.
"I've decided to change my codename," Beast Boy answered, hands to his hips. "From now on, you guys can call me Changeling!" He grinned widely.
Cinderblock was placed in a special containment cell. This time they had him properly restrained with adamantium cuffs and chains. He would not be able to escape no matter how hard he tried. The walls were also made of adamantium. A pair of guards was also posted outside his cell.
Cinderblock looked unresponsive. However, this was farther from the truth.
"Cinderblock-kun, you did very well today," spoke a voice in his head. Obviously, it was Katherine's and it was coming from in his head. He probably had some sort of radio receiver and transmitter installed in there there. "I saw everything. Don't worry yourself. You'll be freed soon. Just wait patiently and you'll get your revenge. Do you understand?" Cinderblock nodded and gave a positive grunt. "Good…"
Katherine flipped her SB-Cell closed and looked towards the large monitor in front of her. The conference room was dark with the only source of illumination being the large monitor which replayed the battle. She paused part of it and zoomed in…on Beast Boy.
"So, another one of those goodie-goodie Titans gets an upgrade," she scowled, eyes on the DNA Change Watch. "Wonder what other surprises they have in store for us?" She grinned, "Oh, but we have some surprises too…" She turned around towards a large round table where 7 other individuals who were shrouded in the darkness sat, though one in particular seemed to radiate evil energy.
Katherine had discarded her bow ribbon, considering it to be a childish accessory. Her new ensemble was a black tube top worn under a black leather jacket, a spiked choker, black gloves with retractable claws at the fingertips, tight black jeans and thigh high leather boots with red steel toes.
She addressed the 7 as followed:
"My Pride, my Lust, my Greed, my Gluttony, my Wrath, my Sloth and my Envy," Katherine grinned as she walked over to the table. One seat was empty and it was hers. She sat down on the chair and addressed the seven others with her. "My Lords of Sin…"
She had many desires. One of them was to defeat her the Dragon Knight (she refused to call him her brother), her primary one was to reabsorb Neko and take back Rose & Cathy, and the final one would be to win the Zodiac War. She already had a wish prepared once she became the victor.
The Titans, she suspected, were hiding something. She could sense it through her connection with her weaker half and once she found out what it was...well, the Titans would need everything they had to stop her once she put her plans into motion.
The next day, everyone sat in the Common Room, with Warren being the center of attention. He was about to take his leave once more. "OK, folks," he began. "As much as I'd love to stay here and help out, the wife is probably getting more than a little pissed." He cast a glance over at Raven when he mentioned his wife, who was an alternate version of Raven. A portal appeared behind Warren. "So, like I said if you guys ever need any help, feel free to call me up." He then stepped backwards into the portal. "Later!" he waved as the portal blinked out.
"Ja ne, Warren-san!" Draco said with a wave.
For a moment everything was quiet, until the emergency channel on all the Titans communicators activated. "Titans! We need help!" shouted a voice on the other end. The Titans opened the communicators to see Kumiko on the other end.
"Kumiko, what's wrong?" asked Neko, sounding worried. If Kumiko was worried, that meant something must have happened to Kenzaki.
"It's Kenzaki! We need to get him to the infirmary! We're out front!"
Immediately, all the Titans, with Neko in the lead, ran towards the front. They opened the door to see Kenzaki being supported by Okami and Kumiko. His clothes were torn and he was bleeding badly and barely conscious. "Ken-kun!" shouted Neko. "What happened!?"
"Gog is coming…" was all he could say before falling into unconsciousness.
"KEN-KUN!!" Neko screamed.
To Be Continued…
Beast Boy's "DNA Change Watch" is based on the Omnitrix from 'BEN 10'. Also, the following aliens are as followed: The symbol on the watch is the Trikatron symbol.
Element: Species (Name)
Fire: Pyronite (Heatblast)
Water: Piscciss Volann (Ripjaws)
Wind: Lepidopterran (Stinkfly)
Earth: Crystalsapien (Chromastone)
Light: Kineceleran (XLR8)
Metal: Galvanic Mechomorph (Upgrade)
Lightning: Megawhatt (Buzzshock)
Wood: Florauna (Wildvine)
Ice: Polar Manzardil (Arcticguana)
Darkness: Ectonurite (Ghostfreak)
Note: The names are for reference use since I may or may not be describing the aliens from this point onwards and Beast Boy/Changeling may just go by his own codename but we never know.
What do you guys think?
Question: Who are the 7 Lords of Sin and who is this 'Gog'?
Also, when I said I was taking a break, it was because I wasn't sure if I was gonna have the time to write or any ideas. Guess I was wrong about that.