Chapter Nine: The Daughter of Slade
Rose immediately whipped a combat knife out of nowhere and dropped into a battle stance and Robin drew his bo staff. Starfire merely tilted her head while Cyborg openly gaped at Rose, and Raven only seemed to clench her fists.
"Hey birdbrain, put the stick down," Beast Boy said, putting a hand on it.
"Are you crazy? She's the daughter of Slade?" Robin exclaimed.
"Yeah, but she's not with him," Beast Boy said, rolling his eyes. "You really think I'd bring a civilian to a fight? I may be dumb, but I'd never put someone in danger."
"Beast Boy?" Valeria whispered. "What's going on?"
"Don't worry, I'll explain everything," Beast Boy said. "Rose here is on a vengeance quest. She's hunting down her dear old dad. But daddy knows she's in the city, looking for him. That first bomb was meant for her. Daddy sent her an invitation. They've been having a cold war of sorts. Why do you think there hasn't been any crime? You can thank Rose here for that. She's been prowling the streets looking for him."
"How could you possibly know that?" Rose asked, her eyes still narrowed.
"Your scent's all over the city. Along with the blood of several convicted felons. And by the way, you need to get better at lying. The whole buttering me up with compliments, then focusing on a particular villain? Weak. I'll admit, your story was thorough. And good improv. The fake blood was a good touch too. But the fact you came to me was the giveaway you weren't with Slade. Slade knows I've got a wicked nose. I never forget a scent. You didn't even try to hide your scent, and that fake blood beneath your eyepatch wasn't fooling anyone. Slade's always scentless. He's too careful to let you come to me," Beast Boy said.
"Well. I did not see that coming," Rose admitted. "But if you think I'm going with you, you're insane."
"If you think you're going to survive without us, you're even more insane," Beast Boy countered. "Slade considers you a threat. He's never thought of us as threats, but now that we've talked, Slade's gonna be gunning for both of us. Your only chance is to stick with us."
"If he doesn't consider you threats, why should I believe you can help me?" Rose said.
"Because we've beat him twice already. And dear old dad taught you a thing or two, am I right?" Beast Boy asked. Rose didn't reply, as much an answer as any. "So I say you give us a chance to help you kick his ass."
Rose eyed him and the rest of the Titans. She remained in her fighting stance, but teetered on her feet. A myriad of expressions crossed her face in rapid succession before she let out a long sigh, dropping her guard. "Fine. It's not like you left me much of a choice."
Beast Boy grinned. "Nope. I didn't."
"Don't make me kick your ass. I need to go back to my place and grab my gear. You're coming with me," Rose demanded.
"Sure thing. Rob, why don't you come with us? Cy, can you take Valeria back to the Tower?" Beast Boy asked.
"Woah," Valeria said, taking a step back. "I'm not in trouble, am I?"
"No, but I'm willing to bet Slade's watching us right now. You gotta have some insurance he doesn't snatch ya, right?" Beast Boy said.
"You bitch, I'm not some fucking tool for you to use. Fuck you Beast Boy," Valeria stormed off. Cyborg looked at Beast Boy disgruntled. He shook his head. He'd deal with her.
"Why don't you girls head back to the Tower?" Robin said. "We're going to have a lot to discuss."
Beast Boy and Robin followed Rose as she walked briskly down the street. Beast Boy and Robin had to nearly jog to keep up.
"Why the hell didn't you tell me about Rose?" Robin growled, glaring at the girl's back.
"Because you would've made her an enemy," Beast Boy said. "And we don't need enemies, we need allies."
"She's Slade's daughter," Robin hissed. "We can't trust her."
"See, that's exactly what I'm talking about," Beast Boy said. "You don't even know her. I've been following her for a week, and do you know how many of Slade's hideouts she's taken down? Three. That's three more than we even knew were in Jump City. Our city. We can't beat him on our own."
"She's a liability. We don't know anything about her. You say she's an ally but we have no idea who she really is or what her goals are," Robin said.
"So? We've been around the world, collecting allies. Most of them we only met for a few days at most, but they all stuck their necks out for us when we needed them," Beast Boy said. "Think of it this way. If she really is part of Slade's schemes, what better way to keep an eye on her?"
Robin glanced at Beast Boy. "Fine. But you're on dish duty and laundry duty for a month."
"What!? Ah man," Beast Boy groaned. They finally caught up to Rose, who was still tearing down the street, frightening anyone foolish enough to be in her way. She didn't look at either of the boys as they came up beside her. She led them to an apartment complex a few blocks away, on the third floor. The window faced an alleyway, and the roof of the neighboring building was only two stories up. As Rose wordlessly began collecting random things around the room, Robin decided he could not contain himself any more.
"How long have you been in Jump?" Robin demanded.
"Two months," Rose grunted, dumping a large duffel bag she pulled from a loose floorboard under her bed on the ground.
"What have you been doing here?"
"Hunting my father."
"Why?"
"To kill him."
"We don't kill."
"I'm not a hero," Rose said, observing the several bags laid out before her. "I'm a survivor."
"Survivors don't walk into hostile territory, guns blazing for the biggest threat you can find," Robin argued.
"Help me lug this shit over to your hotel, will ya?" Rose growled, hoisting a large bag over her shoulder. Robin looked over at Beast Boy and nodded. Beast Boy sighed. Yeah, he shoulda seen this coming.
Beast Boy grabbed the rest of Rose's stuff and followed Robin out to the street. "So we gonna have Cy pick us up in the T-Car, or we gonna walk all the way back to the Tower?"
"I'll call Cy and have him come pick us up," Robin said, pulling out his communicator. Beast Boy blinked, sniffing, and sighed, before a small grin plastered his face.
"He'll be here in– where did she go!?" Robin yelled. Beast Boy turned innocently to the spot beside him, which was now empty.
"Huh, looks like she ran away," Beast Boy said innocently.
"We need to find her!" Robin yelled, heading towards the closest alleyway, before he could go any further, Beast Boy grabbed his wrist.
"What the hell? Let me go!"
"Wait Rob!" Beast Boy argued.
"Let me go!" Robin said, trying to wrench his arm away.
"Just wait! Let her go!" Beast Boy said, his grip on Robin's wrist tightening.
"Are you insane!? We can't just let Slade's daughter prowl about the city unchecked! Who knows what she could do? She could kill someone! She's dangerous!" Robin yelled.
"She's not here for anyone except Slade! If she wants to go get him by herself, let her," Beast Boy said. An instant later, he was staring at the cement, his arm twisted cruelly behind his back.
"We are heroes, Beast Boy. It's our job to make sure this city sleeps safe at night. It's our job to put the bad guys in jail. Rose is a threat to the security of this city and her people. It's our duty to keep an eye on her, and you let her go!" The pressure on his back increased.
"She's her own damn person Robin! We don't have the right to take her freedom like that!" Beast Boy groaned.
"She's a criminal! She doesn't get a say!" Robin snapped in his ear. "What's it gonna take to get it in your animal ears? She's a criminal, Garfield!"
A fury tore through Beast Boy, and with a mighty heave, he threw Robin off him. Before he could react, Beast Boy grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the wall, the claw on his thumb pressed into his windpipe. "Don't you call me that. Ever."
Beast Boy dropped Robin and flew away from his leader.
Beast Boy landed on the roof, his feet thudding on the cement. Val startled and looked back at him, then sneered. "Go away Beast Boy. I don't want to talk to you right now."
"Please Val, just let me explain," Beast Boy pleaded.
"Explain what? That you fucking used me? No, I understand that quite clearly," Val snapped. "I don't need whatever bullshit excuse you can come up with."
"Ok you're right, I did use you, and I'm sorry," Beast Boy said. "But-"
"You're sorry?" Valeria laughed humorlessly. "You're fucking sorry? Is that what our friendship is to you? Something for you to use for your fucking schemes? Just a civilian? Am I just some sob story for you to make you feel better?"
"What? No-"
"You know Beast Boy," Val said, steamrolling over him. "When I first met you, I was so amazed by you. You were Beast Boy, a Titan. You were so cool and confident. You were huge to me. Do you have any idea how it made me feel when you would laugh with me or come visit me here? When you would put bandaids on my cuts? When you covered my ears so I couldn't hear my parents screaming at each other? You made me feel like I mattered in this fucking world. You were the Beast Boy, and you spent your time with me, some nobody from Pacific High." Valeria chuckled darkly. "But now I see this for what it really is. I don't matter to you. No, you're a superhero, and I'm a nobody. So go back to your big fancy Tower and play with the other Titans. Fuck off."
Valeria tried to push past him, but Beast Boy grabbed her. She struggled but Beast Boy said "Look at me." She did.
"I wasn't born green. When I was three, I was bitten by a green monkey with a rare disease. No one had ever survived it before. My parents saved my life, and consequently gave me the power to shapeshift into any animal I can imagine. They died two years later. I was there, and I could have saved them," Beast Boy said, staring Valeria in the eyes. "You're not my sob story. I know what it's like to not be wanted, to have people look at you with nothing but hate and disgust. I was lucky. I found friends that cared about me and a family who love me. I will always be here to wash away the blood and cover your ears because I care about you. You deserve to have people care about you."
"You asshole," Valeria said, punching him in the chest. "What, you think you can just trauma dump on me and make this all better?"
Beast Boy just looked at her, and she groaned. "Goddamnit. It's so hard to stay mad at you. Fine. Sorry I cursed you out in front of your Titan friends."
Beast Boy shook his head. "I should've told you what was really going on before I included you. I didn't realize you'd be so upset. I thought you'd be excited to meet the rest of the Titans."
Val chuckled. "I was. I was also a little freaked out when Rose pulled that knife out though."
Beast Boy grinned, sticking his hand out. "Friends?"
Valeria lunged for him, wrapping him in a hug. "Friends. But if you ever pull this shit on me again, I'll kick your ass."
Beast Boy just chuckled, wrapping her in his arms. "Fair enough."
The smell of meat searing over a fire made Beast Boy's eyes shoot open. A low growl escaped his throat before he could stop himself. He could feel his eyes dilating, mouth salivating at the delicious smells coming from the kitchen. He slapped himself, hard. The pain and shock got him back in control. That was when he realized there was another scent.
After his talk with Valeria, he had returned to the Tower and locked himself in his room. Cyborg had come banging on his door demanding to know what the hell happened. Robin had holed himself up in the lab, no doubt trying to track down Rose. Starfire flitted back and forth between the two boys, trying to coax both of them from their retreats. He could sense Raven stopping outside his door a couple times, but after a few minutes, she always left.
Beast Boy groaned as he rolled out of bed. He had woken up late. Luckily, Robin was probably still slaving away at his computer, too busy to notice what time it was. If he was lucky, the Boy Blunder would miss breakfast altogether.
Beast Boy walked into the common area, yawning as he took in the sight. Cyborg was cooking pancakes, Raven was reading on the couch, and Starfire was watching some cooking show.
"Good morning Friend Beast Boy!" Starfire greeted. "I am the so happy you have decided to exit your room of beds! Are you now willing to discuss the events that transpired yesterday between you and Robin?"
"We got into a little argument, no biggie," Beast Boy replied, yawning again.
Starfire frowned. "Forgive me if I do not believe you, friend. I do not believe you would bruise Robin's throat over a mere argument."
Beast Boy frowned. "Oh. Whoops."
"Hey there BB. I made pancakes and bacon, fresh off the griddle! You hungry?" Cyborg called from the kitchen.
"You know it!" Beast Boy said, rushing into the kitchen, followed by Starfire and Raven. Beast Boy grabbed two plates from the cabinet, putting one in front of him and the other in the empty chair to his right.
"You really think Robin's gonna come up? He's been going at it nonstop ever since he got home. Didn't even tell me what happened," Cyborg said, looking at his friend.
"This isn't for him," Beast Boy said as he grabbed a pancake from the pile.
Cyborg's red eye blinked. "Then who's it for?"
"Me, probably," someone growled.
All of the present Titans, excluding Beast Boy, whirled to see Rose glaring at the back of Beast Boy's head.
"I hope you like pancakes," was all Beast Boy said.
Rose growled. "You're lucky I do."
She strode over to the table and sat in the empty chair, snatching a pancake off the stack, ripping a bite from it, ignoring the wide eyed stares from the other Titans.
Cyborg was the first to recover. "How the hell did you get in here?"
Rose just shrugged. "My dad simulated you guy's security system as a warmup. This was child's play."
"Friend, I am so glad you decided to join us!" Starfire said, flying across the table to wrap the white haired girl in a tight hug Rose was not ready for. Her eyes widened into saucers as the Tamaranean Princess held her close. When Star finally let go, Rose was gasping for breath.
"Holy shit. I think my life flashed before my eyes," Rose panted.
"Ha! Welcome to the club," Cyborg said, slapping her on the back.
"Just cause I'm here doesn't mean I'm joining you. I'm here to get revenge on my father. That's it. Once I stick my blade through his rotten heart, I'm gone," Rose growled.
"Great, now we have two goth girls with daddy issues on this team," Cyborg muttered. A black encased bottle of maple syrup appeared over his head and poured itself out on the metal man. He shrieked, yelling about how long it would take to clean his gears out.
"What are you doing here?" Raven asked.
"I thought about what Beast Boy said. Maybe having allies wouldn't be so bad. Besides, this way I get more time to kick your ass," Rose grinned.
"W-what!? What did I do?" Beast Boy complained.
"You put me in a position I didn't want to be in. I think it's only fair I return the favor," Rose grinned.
"What have I done," Beast Boy groaned, dropping his head into his hands.
Just then the common room doors whooshed open, revealing Robin tapping away at his communicator. "Titans, listen up. We're going to do a perimeter sweep of the city. Starfire, I want you to take the industrial district. Cyborg, the Upper West End. Raven, the East End. I'll go downtown. Beast Boy, you're on standby for now."
"Sure thing boss. What are we looking for?" Cyborg asked.
"Rose, of course. Let's get going," Robin declared.
"Aw, all that just for me? I'm flattered," Rose said, putting a hand on her chest. "You know just how to show a girl some love."
Robin snapped around, dropping his communicator and throwing two birdarangs at her. They snagged her shirt and pinned her to the window. Robin vaulted over the table, knocking the pancakes to the ground, much to the boys' displeasure, and put an arm over her neck. "You are under arrest."
Rose just smirked. "On what charges?"
"Assault. Vigilantism. Breaking and entering. Stalking. Destruction of property," Robin stated.
"Yeah ok Boy Wonder. Fucking hypocrite, you've done worse than that," Rose sneered. "And you have no hard proof of any of that."
"I'm a Titan, I'm legally sanctioned," Robin said. "And you just broke into Titans Tower."
"And you were with Batman too?" Rose asked.
"Gotham's laws are different," Robin said.
"No they're not, you just didn't have the government behind you. You'd be doing the same thing here if the mayor didn't support you," Rose said.
"That's not the point," Robin said.
"I think it is," Rose interrupted. "We have the same goal. I want to kill my father. Then I'll be out of your hair."
"You're talking about murder," Robin growled. "That's a felony."
"Fine. I'll do it on my own. I don't need you," Rose said.
"You're not going anywhere," Robin said.
"I'd like to see you stop me," Rose said.
"Enough! Both of you! Robin, let her go," Beast Boy called out.
"You let her in?" Robin growled.
"No, she found her own way in," Beast Boy said. "Put her down so we can talk about this like rational people."
"You have ten minutes to talk before I take you to the police. Ten minutes," Robin snarled, taking his arm off Rose's throat.
"Thanks, you're sweaty," Rose stated. She plucked the birdarangs from her shirt and tossed them into the garbage can. "Let's get down to business shall we? If you guys are going to help me get rid of my father, there are a few things you should know. Firstly, he has seven more warehouses in Jump City that I've been able to find. I've got a map to show you all later. None of those are where his main base of operations is, but if we take them out it could cripple his supply. Secondly, my father found himself a new apprentice. I have no idea who it is, but they're crafty. They're the one who has been planting the bombs for him. Third, he gets his supply of androids from Star City. I haven't been able to track down who's producing them, but I've narrowed it down to Queen Industries, Amertek Industries, Lexcorp or Wayne Enterprises. I've been snooping around in places owned by those here in Jump, but I haven't found any connections to Deathstroke yet. Fourth, my father's got–"
"Whoa, whoa whoa, hold on. Did you just say Deathstroke!?" Beast Boy cried.
"Yeah. Did you guys not know my father was Deathstroke?" Rose asked, glancing at Robin confusedly.
"No! Slade is Deathstroke!?" Beast Boy turned to look at Robin, whose mouth was set in a grim line. "You knew?"
"Who is this Deathstroke? And why is he so dangerous?" Starfire asked.
"Yeah, what's so tough about him? We can take him any day," Cyborg boasted.
Rose started laughing, so Beast Boy answered. "Dude, no we can't. Deathstroke isn't just some small timer like Doctor Light or the Penguin. He's the world's deadliest assassin, he's gone toe to toe with people like Batman and Ra'as Al Ghul. He fought in Vietnam, and single handedly took out a dozen Vietnamese bases. He got over a thousand confirmed kills, and nearly single-handedly convinced the US to stay in the war. Ever since he's been an assassin and terrorist, completing impossible missions and leaving piles of corpses in his wake. He's like James Bond combined with Jason! He's on the Doom Patrol's top ten most dangerous humans list, up there with Vandal Savage."
Beast Boy whirled on Robin. "You knew Slade was Deathstroke?"
Robin didn't answer, his lips only thinning.
"Dude! What the hell? You didn't think it was a good idea to tell any of us!?" Beast Boy yelled.
"I'm going to have to ask you to calm down," Robin said sternly.
"Calm down? Calm down!? We've been Deathstroke's targets for five years and we didn't even know!? Fucking Deathstroke, man!" Beast Boy yelled.
"Beast Boy–"
"No Robin, you listen. I can forgive going rogue with Red X. I can forgive making mistakes. But this…you blatantly disregarded the safety of this team by not informing us who exactly we were up against. That's not just a violation of trust. That's negligence. That's endangerment. That is unforgivable," Beast Boy spat, storming out of the room. Robin called out for him again but he didn't reply.
Deathstroke. Slade was Deathstroke. Slade, the terrifying one eyed masked villain, who was always so confident in himself, always assured in his fights, was Deathstroke. That wasn't so surprising. It's not like they actually posed a threat to him. Not to Deathstroke the Terminator. The Ghost of Vietnam.
How were they even alive? If Slade was Deathstroke, and Slade wanted them taken out, they should be dead. It had to have been sheer luck that they were alive. And that luck might just run out, now that he changed the game.
The game. What was the game, actually? If Deathstroke wanted them dead, why weren't they? Why did he come after them with an army of robots and technology? That wasn't his style. He was a mercenary, an assassin, he killed quickly and efficiently. If he wanted them dead, he could have slipped into the Tower while they were asleep and slit their throats. It's not like the security could stop him, Rose proved that. And Deathstroke was ten times deadlier than his daughter.
Rose was Deathstroke's daughter. Holy shit. That explains why Robin was so freaked out.
With a growl, Beast Boy put himself back on his original train of thought. Why were they still alive? Slade could have ended them any time he wanted. Actually, he fought the Titans personally as little as possible. Beast Boy could count on one hand the amount of times Slade engaged them personally. The only reason they were alive was…
…Slade didn't want them dead. That was a chilling thought in itself. Then what was his goal? He claimed it wasn't world domination, and that made sense. If Slade wanted to rule the world, he wouldn't be here, playing games with some kids. He'd be in Metropolis, putting kryptonite bullets in Superman or setting fire to Martian Manhunter. No, he wasn't looking to rule the world. So then what was he doing here?
Let's look at what he's done here. He's tricked Robin into making a false persona to steal for him, he turned two forces of nature on them, he injected them with nanobots and forced Robin to work for him, hired the HIVE to attack them, kidnapped Terra and turned her against them, he trained her and set her loose on them, made a deal with an interdimensional demon then betrayed him to help them save Raven. And lastly, sent a robot to attack Beast Boy at the abandoned carnival.
Patterns? Apprentices. He tried to recruit Robin and turn him bad, with Red X as well as turning him into an apprentice. He brainwashed Terra and trained her, and controlled her using a suit. Raven, though that could have been more Trigon ordering him to turn her. However, he did attempt to force Raven to do his bidding. He'll count it. Also, he hired the HIVE.
So, was he looking for a successor? Someone he could train to pass on his legacy to? That didn't fit with his character profile. Besides, he had Rose, if he wanted a successor, why not focus on her? It's a possibility, but he should look at other options.
He wants to establish a power base. He's gathered resources, an army of robots, and has a lot of buildings under his command. But he also has a lot of competition. Not just in the Teen Titans, but the HIVE Academy, the various super villains, and not to mention the mafia Robin's been working with the JCPD to track down. If he wanted a power base, he would either start eliminating competition or making them subservient. Plasmus, Overload and Cinderblock were good henchmen, but they weren't much compared to the rest of Jump City's villains. Highly unlikely.
He just wants to cause chaos. Probably not. Slade is definitely a psychopath, but he's no Joker. He always has a plan, he's always in control. He has an end goal. So what is it? What does Deathstroke want?
Beast Boy straightened up. What does Slade want? He's an assassin, a mercenary. He gets paid to kill people. What if he was getting paid for this? What if this is just another job for him?
As terrifying as a prospect that was, it's the only one that made sense. It didn't seem like Slade was trying to kill them. As dangerous as he was now, he could always have done more. He was just as much a physical danger to the Titans as he was a psychological one. He got in their heads, breaking them mentally. That's why he was obsessed with Robin, if he could turn the Boy Wonder into a villain, would the rest of the Titans follow? Even if they didn't, having Robin would be an enormous asset to whoever wanted him.
Now, who would pay Slade to turn the Titans into villains? The Brotherhood of Evil? No, that wasn't their style. The Brain only saw things in black and white. Enemies and pawns. He wouldn't have bothered to try and turn the Titans. He would have taken advantage of their newness and taken them out.
Who else could it be? They might have hired Mad Mod too, if the hypnotism was anything to go off of. They'd have to be very wealthy, to pay Slade for an extensive stay in Jump City and access to a lot of resources to supply Slade with his army. It could be Lex Luthor. He was a notorious villain of Superman and the Justice League. Maybe he saw an opportunity to have his own team of heroes under his control. Or maybe it was Vandal Savage, with a similar agenda.
What about Brother Blood? He was a rich man, in charge of a school of young villains. He had tried to recruit Cyborg. Who's to say Brother Blood hadn't been the mastermind all along? Who's to say the HIVE Five had been paid for by Slade? What if it had all been an elaborate setup? He was a telepath who could control others' minds, and Mad Mod tried to hypnotize them.
Could Brother Blood have been the true villain behind Slade? If he had planned all of Slade's attacks and deceptions, it would make sense. It's a lot more like his MO than Slade's own. And Brother Blood never wanted them dead, just under his control. It made sense. Beast Boy just couldn't shake the feeling he was missing something.
Beast Boy groaned and stretched out on the boulder he was lying on. Fucking Deathstroke, man. They were so screwed. Beast Boy messed up. Does he think that the Titans kidnapped his daughter? Would he even care?
What had he done? The target on their back probably just tripled in size. Deathstroke was coming for them now. This was so much bigger than Dr. Light or the HIVE. It's like taking on half the Brotherhood of Evil's full might with only the five of them. Was it even possible to win?
All this thinking was stressful. He needed to blow off some steam.
Beast Boy hopped up from the rock and started going through his new training regimen. He wasn't at the Tower, so he couldn't use the course to practice, so he had to improvise. Turning into a silverback gorilla, if a silverback gorilla was 6 1/2 feet tall and weighed 575 pounds. Gripping an enormous rock in each hand, Beast Boy began hurling them in a rough line. Once his makeshift course was complete, Beast Boy started running the course. He didn't make his personal best for transformations, 15 in five seconds, but he did better than his average at 13 transformations in five seconds. Once he was warmed up, Beast Boy worked on his enhancements. These were getting better, feeling more natural. They were getting faster and weren't nearly as painful. He had figured out how to put human vocal cords into animals larger than a field mouse. He couldn't do insects, and even if he could he couldn't project his voice enough to make himself heard. He had begun altering his normal form, making himself taller (hell yes! He could make Raven the shortest now!), more muscular, enhancing his already absurd senses, strengthening his bones. He was able to incorporate some small features from other animals into other forms. Spraying venom like a spitting cobra, for instance, he was able to do in most forms, as well as have porcupine-like quills or scales. He could add octopus suckers to his hands and feet, so he really could climb up walls. He hadn't been able to make himself a centaur, or minotaur, or turn his fingers into prehensile tentacles and give himself an extra set of arms or anything like that yet, but Beast Boy predicted he only had a month or two before he'd be able to do so. He had already increased his abilities to an insane degree in such a short period of time. The level of growth he was achieving was absurd. After seamlessly combining forms, what would come after that? Splitting himself into multiple copies like Billy Numerous? He has already done it as an amoeba so it was definitely possible. Plants? Why not? They were just another kind of cell, why shouldn't he turn into plants?
But to get there, he had to practice. He was currently testing the various self made projectiles he conjured while in his normal form. Spitting venom, the urticating hairs of brachypelma smithi, the tongue of a frog, and a new development, he had developed a way to shoot spider silk from his body. It was similar to the way a bombardier beetle sprayed its acid combined with how spiders made their webs. He was able to make the webs themselves stronger, but a single string wouldn't do much. Maybe if he was able to somehow weave multiple strings together before shooting them? Maybe it would work, maybe not. Either way, he really was almost like spider-dude now.
A strong gust of wind made Beast Boy pause. He never forgot a scent. Beast Boy turned, scanning the cliffside for his observer. Using the eyes of an eagle, he quickly honed in on a tuft of white hair. Rose sat on the edge of the cliff about a mile and a half away, binoculars in her hand. To his surprise, Starfire was sitting next to her. Beast Boy waved to them, and shifting into a golden eagle, flew up to them.
"Hey guys, what's up?" Beast Boy asked as he returned to his human form to greet them.
"Impressive display," Rose said, leaning back on the cliffside. "Why are you hiding these abilities from your team?"
"I haven't perfected them yet. They're not useful enough in battle for me to use yet. It won't be long before they will be, but until then it's best to stick with what I know will work," Beast Boy said.
"Sounds like a practiced excuse. What's the real reason?" Rose asked.
"W-what?" Beast Boy asked.
"I'm betting it's the inferiority complex, combined with the distrust of authority figures," Rose casually stated, looking at Starfire who nodded.
"What? I'm not insecure!" Beast Boy exclaimed.
"Beast Boy, I did my research before coming to Jump. Obviously I didn't do enough, but I take the cards I'm dealt. Several villains, my father included, have noted that while you have few physical weaknesses, you are easily manipulated because of your weak mental state. You are incredibly susceptible to hypnosis, despite having a resistance to telepaths due to your training with Mento. You have clear signs of severe PTSD, abandonment issues, a very weak self esteem barely hidden behind a carefully crafted facade of false bravado and humor, and a deep rooted need for validation that likely stems from a lack of intimacy during childhood," Rose said.
"N-no! My parents were so great! They were scientists," Beast Boy said like that explained everything.
"I'm not here to argue with you. I'm simply stating facts. You are an incredibly dangerous opponent, and clearly more intelligent than you give yourself credit for. It saddens me that you're almost certainly going to revert to your docile, fragile shell because you feel safe in your current position," Rose said, standing. "Welp, I'm not your therapist, so I'm going to get going."
Like she hadn't systematically broken down Beast Boy's entire persona, Rose walked away, whistling a merry tune. Beast Boy could only watch her walk away, too stunned to move. Starfire offered him a small smile. "Come, Friend, sit with me."
Wordlessly, Beast Boy joined her on the cliffside. He stared blankly down into the valley. The same valley the Titans, three years ago now, had come across a young, blonde haired blue eyed teen. One who had for the first time in a long time made him feel seen. She made him feel important. Feel less alone in a place where everyone was so much better than him.
"Friend, I know this was difficult for you to hear. I do not expect you to do all of the processing now. But when you have realized Friend Rose is correct, I will be here to help you in the next stage of your journey," Starfire said, placing her hand on his shoulder. Beast Boy didn't respond, not that Starfire expected him to. She stayed with him until the sun was directly above them. Suddenly, a beeping sound echoed from their communicators. Robin was summoning them.
Raven watched as Beast Boy and Starfire entered the gym. Beast Boy seemed subdued, a faraway look in his eyes. He barely paid attention to where Starfire was leading him. Starfire flew lower than she normally did, just ahead of Beast Boy. Robin didn't notice, he was too focused on Rose, the white haired daughter of Slade, who came sauntering in behind them. She had changed into a workout suit, black yoga pants and a dark gray sports bra. Her forearms were wrapped expertly, and she grinned mischievously as she entered the room. Robin, of course, was in his full superhero attire, his mask seemingly sharper than normal. He gripped a clipboard in one hand so tightly Raven was surprised it hadn't broken yet.
"I thought I told you to watch her," Robin growled, glaring at Starfire.
"She did. Your door broke, so we went to see how Beastie Boy was doing," Rose answered with a small smile.
"You mean you broke the cell door, disabled the silent alarm and escaped Titan custody," Robin reprimanded.
Rose just shrugged, but Starfire spoke up. "Worry not, Boyfriend Robin, I was with Friend Rose at all times."
Robin continued to glower, but seemingly relented. "Fine. We'll talk about it later. For now, I want to see what you're capable of. Step up to the treadmill."
Over the next two hours, Robin recorded the results of a dozen different tests he had Rose complete. Raven was only half paying attention. Robin and Cyborg would get the full picture out of the new girl's talents. Raven was more inclined to see what this girl's mind had in store. She had attempted to reach out with her empathy, a skill that came far more easily than she liked to admit, but was blocked by a wall of mental fortitude. It shouldn't have come as a surprise that the spawn of Slade was trained to resist telepaths. After all, Slade himself was good at masking his mind. But she could focus on Rose later. It seemed they would have plenty of time to determine whether this girl was a friend or foe, thanks to Beast Boy. She was more concerned with Beast Boy, who had been sitting silently on one of the benches, staring aimlessly into space. Beast Boy was not one to sit still, or quietly, for any period of time. Something was wrong.
"Alright, that's enough," Robin called to Rose, who was currently swinging through the air like a professional trapezist. "Your final test will be hand to hand combat. Cyborg, be sure to have a good angle."
Unlatching his belt, Robin stepped into the sparring ring. Rose flipped off the trapeze rings, landing in the ring with barely a sound. Rising slowly, she entered a combat stance. Robin did the same. Raven saw Beast Boy perk up, eyes now focused on the fight that was about to commence.
Robin launched into the fight with a roundhouse kick aimed at Rose's head. When she dodged, Robin continued his assault with two hook shots to her body and a kick to her sternum. The kick knocked her back, but she stayed on her feet. Robin bounced on his toes for a second before advancing on her once again. This time he threw some jabs, which Rose blocked. Robin primarily stayed on the offense with Rose on the retreat. Robin's blows gradually got harder and faster until the two combatants were a blur of motion. Rose ducked, dodged, sidestepped, partied and blocked the majority of Robin's blows, but it was clear Robin had the advantage. That all changed when Rose abruptly kicked Robin's knee mid punch and delivered a powerful hook to the side of his head. Robin staggered back and Rose finished the fight in three moves; a jab to his nose, an uppercut to the solar plexus and a mighty kick that sent Robin sprawling out of the ring. There was utter silence as Rose dusted her hands dramatically. "That was fun. Who's next?"
Cyborg whooped suddenly, "Hell yeah Rose!"
He started clapping loudly, followed quickly by Beast Boy and Starfire. Rose smiled broadly and bowed dramatically.
Robin finally got to his feet. "Beast Boy."
"What's up boss man?" Beast Boy asked.
"Rose asked who's next. I answered. Beast Boy," Robin declared.
"Ah man, do I have to?" Beast Boy groaned.
"Yes," Robin replied. Beast Boy groaned and entered the sparring ring with Rose who was wearing a positively shit eating grin. As Robin called for the fight to start, he conversed quietly with the rest of the team.
"Heh, she sure got the best of you," Cyborg chuckled.
"No. The fight went just about how I expected it to go," Robin said. "And I think Rose knows that too."
"What were you looking for?" Raven asked.
"I wanted to see how Slade trained her. He did well. I could tell she was holding back during the other tests, I just wanted to see how much," Robin explained.
"Holding back? That girl is giving you a run for your money," Cyborg said.
"It was obvious. I suspected she would. It makes sense that she would hide her true abilities from her enemies," Robin said. Starfire glanced over at Beast Boy, an action that Robin did not miss either. His mask narrowed, but continued. "I wanted to test her defenses first, to see if Slade had bothered to teach her how to defend herself. Then I waited for her to retaliate. I figured Slade trained her like an assassin, to conserve energy and wait for an opening then go for the kill. I suspect in a real fight she would have gone for the throat and liver. I can tell she has experience in other types of fighting though, as you can see."
Robin gestured to Rose's fight with Beast Boy. The girl was relentlessly battering away at his defenses, only to back up and allow him to attack before parrying and brutally attacking Beast Boy, stopping a hair's breadth away from knocking him out, then repeating. It was a vicious cycle, one that Raven could tell Rose was enjoying.
"Rose is clearly a skilled opponent, and definitely Slade's protege," Robin declared. "You can tell she relies mostly on her skills rather than using gadgets. She would rather climb a wall using her own two hands rather than toss a rope over and pull herself over. She's confident in her abilities."
"Hey, don't you think Beast Boy's had enough?" Cyborg asked. The green teen was looking worse for wear, sporting several cuts and bruises on his face. And that was just what was visible.
"No, Rose isn't punishing him that hard," Robin said.
"So why are you?" Raven asked.
"Yeah, Beast Boy did good, I don't think it's fair that you're punishing him just because you're upset at him for finding Rose," Cyborg said.
"I'm not mad that he found Rose. I'm actually pretty impressed. I'm upset that he didn't come to me and explain the situation. Instead he put a civilian in danger and allowed for a dangerous individual to escape. If he had come to me, we could have apprehended her without unnecessary complications," Robin said.
"Beast Boy came to me," Starfire said.
"What?" Robin snapped.
Starfire turned a level stare at him. "Beast Boy came to me and explained his findings about Friend Rose. He believed she was not any enemy, and that if he told you that you would not give her a chance to prove herself. You are still treating her as an enemy, even though she has given us no indication of being one."
Robin growled. "Need I remind you she is Slade's daughter? The child of the most dangerous man we've ever met is standing not twenty feet from us and you expect me not to take any precautions? This could be a setup, or a trap. Have you all forgotten Terra?"
"No, we have not," Starfire said. "But we expect you to give Friend Rose what we gave her. A fair chance."
"Life isn't fair Star," Robin snapped. "I refuse to let Slade win because we let him in with open arms."
"You offered me a fair chance when I crash landed in your city and attacked you. I ask that you do the same for Friend Rose," Starfire said.
"She is a threat!" Robin yelled.
"She is a person!" Starfire shouted back. "When has that meant so little to you?"
"It means everything to me! I won't lose you because Beast Boy let another villain into our home!" Robin yelled.
The silence that followed was deafening. The sounds of battle had long since stopped, and now the two combatants were standing silently side by side.
Cyborg was the first to move. "Beast Boy is my best friend. I trust him with my life. If he says Rose isn't out for us, I trust him."
Robin stared at Cyborg in shock. Before he could recover, Raven stepped forward. "You have no evidence to back up your claims. You are allowing your anger to cloud your judgment. When you come to your senses, apologize to Beast Boy."
Robin looked to Starfire for support. The Tamaranean only smiled softly. "Robin, you must see that you have erred."
Robin's eyes widened in betrayal. Then they hardened, his mouth turning into a sneer.
And just like that, the crime alert went off.