20. Beast Boy at Bat

Outside of the Tower and down the soft slopes along the NorthWest side there stretched a sandy beach that met the oncoming surf. Far beyond was the open bay with the suspension bridge in the distance. A few dots and specks of sail boats and cruising yachts completed the background of the scene; and the ambiance was filled by crashing waves, distant horns of freighters, and the occasional flock of seagulls or two.

Under the summer sun, Beast Boy padded out into the sand, barefoot, and carried a baseball bat in one hand and juggled a ball in the other.

"It's absolutely ridiculous," he said to me over his shoulder. "Someone of your age and height…and you've never played baseball?"

I scratched the back of my neck and shrugged. The beach breeze kicked at my hair and sufficiently cooled my body in contrast to the ever-warming sun.

"That's like an Amish guy never seeing a stagecoach by the day he dies!" Beast Boy blabbered as he found a soft spot in the sand and swiveled around to face me. At the moment, his costume was replaced by a Hawaiian shirt and swimming trunks. It's scary how skinny he was.

"Look, it's quite simple," he said, tossing the baseball up and down and leaning on his bat in the sand. "And I can easily show the ropes to you! I used to be an ace in my junior baseball league…until the coach and soccer moms all conspired to throw me out since I kept turning into a buffalo on the charge to home base."

I snickered a breath.

"Believe me, this should more than pass the time before Robin and the other two get better," Beast Boy remarked. "And there's no way in heck I wanna be trapped inside the Tower with that sick lot. Don't you agree?"

I motioned at his baseball bat.

"Fine…fine….let's get started," he relented. "This," he held up the bat. "Is a baseball bat! Notice that it's a bat. You hit baseballs with it."

I nodded furiously. I never told him for sure that I needed to learn how to pl--

"When you're the batter, that's when you hit the ball for your team. But you can't just swing the bat like any old stick. You've got to take the right stance, you see. Me, for example….," Beast Boy turned sideways and held up the bat with his left shoulder facing me. "…now I'm ready to take anything on. The home plate would be right before my feet. You should stand similarly unless…." A pause. "Noir, are you left or right handed?"

I held up my left hand.

"Hmmm….fancy that," Beast Boy said. "So it'd be reverse for you."

I scratched my head.

"Look at the way I hold up the bat. Can't you see yourself doing the same? Only with your right shoulder facing out?"

I nodded.

"Allrighty then."

He took some mental measurements, looked down at the sand, and counted his feet as he walked steadily away from my position. When he found an appropriate distance, he stopped, swiveled around, and smiled at me. "This isn't so bad. It's not quite Professional League or anything…but it's not like you and I are to care, right?" He tossed me the baseball.

I awkwardly caught it.

"Okay," he said and got into a batting position. "I want to show you how it's done. So you just do me a favor and throw the ball to m—WHOAH!!!"

He threw his body down into the sand as I soared the hardball disastrously fast over his head.

I winced, bit my lip, and expressed an apologetic face.

"You're pitching! Not launching a patriot missile!!" Beast Boy spat out some sand, got up, and brushed himself off. "Ahem…Noir. Just because you're a superhero doesn't mean that everything has to be hardcore."

I simpered, blushing.

He walked over, picked the ball up from a crater in the sand, walked back, sighed, smiled, and tossed me the ball again.

"Allright…take two."

I nodded.

"The pitcher is supposed to….ya know…toss the ball over the home plate. He could very well toss it anywhere when he wants to throw the batter off. But if I am to *hit* the ball right now to *show* you how someone is to play *batter*, then I suggest you toss the ball somewhere over the patch of sand in front of me. You ready?"

I nodded and palmed the ball.

"Allrighty," Beast Boy grinned and held the bat up. "Lemme show you how this is done. Pitch it."

I focused on tossing it lightly this time. After the throw, both of our eyes lowered as the ball hit the sand about halfway on its path towards Beast Boy and rolled to a stop against a dune.

"……."

I cleared my throat.

"I have an idea," Beast Boy said. He walked over, picked the ball up, came to me, and handed it over. He then forced my arm and wrist into a position. "Throw it like this. See?"

I glanced at my arm, raised an eyebrow, and looked at him.

"What?"

I gestured at my hand.

"Yeah, so it's underhanded. You're a beginner in my book. I just want you to get the ball precisely where I want it so I can bat it, k? Once you get accuracy and trajectory right, then we can do the whole 'fast pitch' and 'curve ball' jazz. Jeez, don't be impatient."

I looked forlornly at the ball in my hand, then glanced at him.

"What is it? Seriously, Noir! It's okay! That's a very……um……..manly way of throwing the ball. Yeah." He simpered and sweatdropped.

Okay…

He walked back to the 'base' as I watched. He turned around, raised the bat, and smiled. "Now…lemme show you—finally—what a good batter can do."

I rolled my black eyes. Brought my arm down in an uncomfortable manner, and managed an underarm pitch.

The ball rose, fell, and met Beast Boy's 'plate' at waist level.

"HA!!" He swung.

CRACK!!

The ball flew outward like a comet.

"Wooo! Hard drive to---oh crap!"

I blinked. The sun glinted against my shades for a split second, temporarily blinding me at a fateful moment.

I was impacting the sand beneath me before I had a chance to realize that the ball had struck square in the forehead.

And I was out like a blown candle.

------

"Any clue where he's from?"

"I couldn't tell you that. Cyborg has no idea either."

"I mean…is he human?"

"Oh, very. No doubt about that."

"And those….super powers of his…"

"I'm not sure, Raven. They did look a little bit like yours."

"Yes, they did."

"But when was the last time you could move that quickly?"

"I know. I can't. Something tells me we are not of the same ilk after all."

"There's no denying that—no matter what kind of stranger he may be—I'm thankful for his assistance."

"I noticed you didn't take his sunglasses off."

"Nope. There's no telling if he has a secret identity. It would be wrong of us to assume it's perfectly fine to remove them. It may be like a mask of sorts."

"You're one to talk, Robin."

"Don't need to remind me."

Silence.

"How long has he been under?"

"Ever since we got him here."

"All night?"

"Uh huh. Why do you ask, Raven?"

"Is there something wrong with him?"

"Cyborg says he's as healthy as any one of us. Just suffered a slight concussion or something when the robot duplicate of Cinderblock fell over."

"Then he'll recover?"

"Thankfully, yes. Any time now."

"Maybe he'll answer questions."

"He's not here to be interrogated."

"If he worked so hard to assist us, he would have to understand our curiosity into his person."

"Perhaps. But at the same time, I respect him for his assistance. I don't want to send him off running."

"Understood. I would just advice caution. His powers seem surprisingly dark."

"That fancies your eye, I gather."

"I only mean that—with the exercise of dark energy—there is room for concern."

"I'll see to it that he's perfectly trustworthy."

"I hope so."

Blinding light exploded through my eyelids. I immediately shut my eyes and stirred.

"!!!"

"He's coming to."

I braved my eyes open again, aware only of a painfully bright orb hanging directly over where I was lying. I flinched away from it and found myself attached to a myriad of wires under hospital sheets.

"Are you okay? How do you feel?"

I blindly pointed at the light and motioned away at it.

"What's wrong?"

"It's the light, Robin. He can't handle it."

"Oh shoot. Sorry."

-click-

Everything turned heavenly dark.

I took a breath, winced, and sat up. My eyes blinking under the shades.

Two figures came slowly into view. A masked teenager in a predominantly red costume and a young girl hidden within a dark-blue cape and hood.

I blinked again, rubbed my temple, and took a breath.

A green gloved hand reached out to me.

I regarded it curiously, and looked up.

"I'm Robin," the Boy Wonder said.

I hesitantly shook it.

"You're in the Tower of the Teen Titans," he said. "After that robot was defeated, you were knocked out cold. We took you here to help you recover. I hope you don't mind."

I slowly shook my head.

The girl with the cape said nothing.

"What's your name?" Robin asked.

I sighed, brought up two stiff hands, and gestured.

Robin stared. "…….um…."

I gestured again…realized the futility…and looked around the room.

It was an infirmary of sorts. Lots of metallic equipment and chairs and beds filled the place. I glanced over at a nearby table, and amidst an assortment of medical tools there rested a notepad and a pen.

I pointed at it.

They stared.

I snapped a finger and pointed at it again.

"Oh…I see," Robin walked over, picked up the pad of paper, and handed it to me with the pen.

I scribbled on it and handed them a sheet.

Robin held it up. The girl looked over his shoulder.

"Noir?" Robin remarked. A pause. He looked at me. "Your fighting name?"

I nodded.

"Are you a stranger to this city?"

To the point…

I scribbled again. Handed them a sheet. And waited.

"A nomad, huh?" Robin said.

"Do tell," uttered the girl. It was the first thing she ever said to me, and it was bitterly sarcastic.

"This is Raven," Robin said as if to explain her tone. "If you're in the hero business at all, she's no strange name to you."

I nodded slowly. I knew them……some way or another…

"What's a nomad doing here locally? Are you after Slade's android minions?"

I glanced at him with a question mark over my head.

"You don't know who Slade is?"

I shrugged.

"Are you unable to talk?" Raven asked.

I nodded slowly.

"How come?" Robin added.

I pulled the collar of my shirt down and pointed at my throat.

The two leaned in and looked.

Robin winced.

Raven was untouched.

After they had sufficiently seen the scar, I let the collar rise and scribbled on another piece of paper and handed it to Robin.

"Ouch," he said.

"No vocal chords," Raven remarked. "It must be easy to live a nomadic life."

I glanced at her.

She looked back.

"Ahem…," Robin cleared his throat. "I'm sure we have lots to talk about….like what your plans in this area were and all. But first off, we need to make sure you're properly rested and recovered from the recent battle. And as team leader of the Titans, I want to thank you for the assistance you provided. Normally, we don't ask for help from strangers. But in that instance, we definitely needed it. Thank you."

I bowed my head slightly.

"I'll go summon the others," Robin said. "I'm sure they'd be happy to see you."

I raised a finger and halted him. I scribbled something down on the paper and handed it to him.

He glanced over it. "You have….a few questions for us?"

I nodded. I sat up straight before the two…and removed my shades.

Both Robin and Raven were the first to see me. And their eyes widened.

----------

Warm beach breeze kicked at my hair.

I opened my eyes.

A bright sky littered down through my shades.

I sat up from the bed of sand behind me and winced, rubbing my head.

"Morning sleeping beauty," Beast Boy's voice mused.

I looked over.

He sat on a dune, hugging his knees and facing out towards the bay. He smiled lightly at my waking form with a turned head. "At first, I was utterly freaked out that you got knocked out cold by the ball. But when I felt your pulse and breath…I reminded myself of all the beatings you took in the past and told myself: 'He'll be up soon'."

I rolled my eyes and mouthed: 'Thank you.'

"Don't mention it!" he shut his eyes, blushed, sweatdropped, then cleared his throat. "Ahem…s-sorry about…..ya know…the ball hitting your head and all."

I nodded dazedly and wandered over to sit by his side.

Soon we were both looking out towards the sea. Peacefully. Quietly.

A minute or two passed as the sound of the waves and the feel of the breeze enveloped us. We were still exhausted from the recent adventures and didn't mind the spite.

Baseball could wait.

Eventually, Beast Boy said: "Ya know…when you first came to the Tower, we all were afraid of you."

I glanced at him curiously.

"Well, maybe not Raven. But the rest of us were pretty anxious," he smiled slightly. "Cyborg was really edgy each crime fight with his laser rifle. Robin kept walking by your quarters, spying. Starfire started biting her nails and me? Well, I started morphing into big dinosaurs more."

I smirked slightly.

Should I be proud?

"But ya know….I remember being scared the first time I met Raven," Beast Boy said. "And Robin can be pretty intimidating in his own respect too." A pause. "But…I've grown to admire them so much, along with everybody else. I've learned that….with being a Titan…you end up fearing and loving the people you work with all the same. And you have to, ya know? Cuz there're worse things in this world than each other to go up against. And we need each other to survive and make things a happy and safe place for everyone in this crazy city."

I nodded.

He chuckled. "I'm sure this sounds like one big tangent for my hitting you in the head with the baseball."

I sniffed forth a laugh and patted his shoulder.

"I just want you to know that…I-I didn't mean it. You're my friend, Noir. The same as everyone else. If not more so."

What could I say? I was flattered. Not like I could say it anyways…

"Thanks for…..hanging around with me," he said sheepishly.

I shrugged.

Silence.

"Garfield."

"???" I looked at him.

He smiled. "That's my name. My real name. Garfield. What's yours?"

I looked at him. In so telling me, Beast Boy had broken his vow of silence. He had disregarded the Confidentiality of Justice Accord, which Robin and the rest of the Titans upheld upon forming the team.

And it occurred to me that maybe the Titans were not about secrecy. That we were too much of a family to live under the same Tower's roof and treat each other like nomadic strangers caught in some maelstrom of public necessity.

I may have been breaking rules. I would probably end up being barked at by Robin and Raven for my decision….

But I gave in to the little green elf.

I bent over and drew lines in the sand with my finger.

Beast Boy 'read'. He looked up. "Jordan?"

I nodded.

He extended a hand. "Pleased to meet you, Jordan."

I shook it and mouthed a reply to 'Garfield'.

We sat back and watched the waves for a little while longer. Beast Boy talked about a few things, and when we were ready, we tried pitching and batting again.