Spider-man Dimensional Lost
Chapter 18: Memories
Raven had just finished her mediation session after having a long, and honestly, awkward conversation with her emotions.
Together as a group, they all reached some conclusions and agreements.
For one, Raven herself admitted that she didn't really know Beast Boy that well. This didn't come as a matter of not caring about him, which Happiness and Love were so very eager to remind her, but more in line with the fact that besides the jokes, the vegan food, and the videogames, Raven never took the time to really think about Beast Boy as a complex individual. Especially his past. So, Raven made the compromise to learn more about him. Maybe asking subtly. If he didn't want to talk about the topic, then that was good for her.
Second, the half-demon promised to be a bit less judgmental of the green-furred hero. Discovering that he had a job prompted a whole gallery of questions revolving around what other aspects of his life she may have been unaware of. So, the agreement was made for Raven to try and figure out what other things she could discover about him. This wasn't because Love and Happiness' arguments were getting through her little by little, no no no no no. She just didn't want to look like a bad friend, of course.
Third, Raven would make the conscious effort to help Beast Boy around more. Being more open and more supportive of his ideas. Not that she was going to back up his every plan but, she would be willing to explore them a little bit. And of course, maybe not being so hard on his jokes. Some of them were tolerable. Sometimes.
Regardless after all of this, by the time her mediation finished, it was around 5:40 pm. If she remembered correctly, Beast Boy and the others were in the tower by this hour, so hey, maybe it was a good time to check on him? That's what people you try to help do, right? Or would it be too strange for her to do that? It's not like she didn't show kindness to the rest of the team, but purposely trying to show it wasn't something she was good at, that was more Starfire territory. Humm... Maybe she could ask her for some advice later –You know what? I'm just going to go make some tea, offer him a cup and see what goes from there. Yeah, something simple. Let's not overcomplicate things-
Raven got out of her bed and went for the door to leave her room. On the way there, she passed by a mirror she had on a little study table. She remembered that mirror. It was a gift from Starfire after the two heroines had gone shopping. It wasn't a full-body size mirror like the one her orange-skin friend had in her room but it was good enough for the empath to check her upper body. She looked at herself for a moment a noticed a strand of hair out of place. She fixed it right away. Then, she noticed her cape was a bit too much to her right. She adjusted it. For a moment, she could have sworn she saw something between her teeth but it was just her imagination.
She checked nonetheless.
The more Raven looked at herself in the mirror, the more imperfection she found and fixed. At one point she even adjusted her leotard a bit. After that, she settled.
-Ok, now I look good-
It took a moment for that thought to sink into her mind. Why did she want to look good? She was just going to check on Beast Boy and the others. Raven could feel her emotions trying to tell her something but decided to push that away and just leave. She looked at herself one more time in the mirror and noticed her cheeks had turned a little red.
-Stupid emotions- she muffled.
Raven went directly to the door trying to forget what she had seen. She grabbed the doorknob and was about to turn it when she felt something. Now, as an empath, Raven was used to feeling the emotions of people around her. The excitement from Cyborg and Beast Boy when they were playing video games. The joy Starfire and Robin felt when they are with each. Raven had become accustomed to the positive feeling around her friends.
The feeling that got to her at that moment was everything but.
Anger, despair, frustration, and fear all rolled into one. It all suddenly hit her like a rock to the head, making her brag her temples in pain for a couple of seconds. In the middle of all of this, she managed to hear the roar of some animals in pain which only could mean something, whatever was happening, it was coming from Beast Boy. Then, the storm of feelings subsided. Raven let go of her head and took a minute or two to recover. She gripped the knob firmly again and exited the room.
Though still dizzy, her first objective would be to leave the floor she was in and go and check on the source of all those raw emotions she felt. By her calculations, it was probably in the common room, which was two floors below.
-By Azarath, why did I ask for the farthest room possible?!- Raven cursed as she ran. She could feel her heart pounding and little by little, horrible thoughts were forming in her head as to what could be going on.
She just pushed them away and focused on the task at hand.
She could take the elevator, but there was no time for that, the emergency stairs would have to suffice. She went down as fast as her leg allowed her and she reached the floor of the common room. She entered a hallway and once she turned around a corner, she found two figures in front of a room.
Ahead of her, just at the entrance of Beast Boy's room, Raven saw Spider-man carrying her unconscious green-furred teammate.
Beast Boy, still in Peter's body, almost jumped out of her pants once he noticed Raven's presence.
"Dude, you scared me!" yelled Beast Boy after catching his breath.
"I don't care. What happened to Beast Boy, bug-man?" said Raven without much friendliness in her voice.
"Bug-man? Raven, it's me Beast Boy. We changed bodies, remember?"
-Oh….. right- Thought Raven recalling her morning experience -Wait, then how were the emotions I felt earlier? They were his?- "Sorry, I forgot" Said Raven a little embarrassed she forgot such an important detail. However, she continued "What happened?" Now without any hostile remarks.
Beast Boy thought for a second about his answer before speaking "I'm… not sure. We were just talking and then he suddenly turned into different animals, went crazy, and then just collapsed".
The half-demon took a moment to observe Peter. "Strange… that never happened to you" she commented. Immediately, she felt a combination of fear and resentment coming from Beast Boy.
Raven's gaze landed on him. Why was he feeling resentment?
Beast Boy who had averted her eyes felt Raven looking at him -Yeah, maybe it's not the best idea to start feeling angry in front of her. She may pick it up- The green bean then turned to meet Raven's eye "What"?
"...Nothing. Anyways" she said calming down "let's take him to the infirmary. Maybe Cyborg can help him out".
"I think I'll have him in my room" said Beast Boy walking again to his room's door.
Raven had to use all of her mental power not to scoff and laugh. Beast Boy's room and cleanness were completely opposite terms. "Beast Boy, Your room is always a mess. Not exactly the best place to take care of someone"
"I cleaned it yesterday, I'll be fine" said Garfield opening his door
"Hey, Beast Boy, wait" said Raven taking him by the shoulder. "At least let's go and tell Cyborg so he can check him"
"Thanks for worrying Raven, but he is recharging, it'll take him at least an hour to wake up" said Beast Boy as fast as he could. He then disengaged from her grip "I'll let you know if I need anything" and with that, he entered the room, still holding Peter, closing the door behind him, leaving Raven alone
In the hallway, Raven stood for a moment.
Then another
And then another
-WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH HIM?! I COME ALL THIS WAY RUNNING BECAUSE I'M WORRY AND HE TREATS ME LIKE THAT?!- The half-demon could literally crush the door and take Beast Boy and the bug-man by force but was doing her best not to. She breathed in and then breathed out.
Then again.
Then one last time.
-Remember…. more tolerant… less judgmental….Wait a minute, why the hell didn't I just fly here?!- Thought Raven, trying not to destroy something around her.
The empath took another moment to calm down and put her emotions in check. She prepared to leave the hall and go into the common room for some tea as she had originally planned. She put one foot forward but…. the other one didn't move. She tried to get away from the room but deep down, she wanted to stay. Why wasn't she moving?
-if Beast Boy doesn't want me to help him, I should respect that. And he'll call me if anything happens right?- Tried to rationalize Raven.
-Maybe you should spy on him to see what's going on- came a voice from inside her head. One of her emotions most likely.
-What? and Why would I do that?-
-You promised you would be more considered right? What if he is too ashamed to ask for help?-
-Well, he wasn't shy about closing the door to my face!-
-If he is in trouble, you will be right there to help him.-
-As if he isn't in enough danger just being in that hazard zone he calls his room-
-Be honest, you want to get in-
Raven eyed Beast's door once again. Spying on him was definitely wrong right?
-Then again, It won't hurt him if he doesn't know, right?- The half-demon bit her lower lip, turned into a shadow, and entered her teammates' room.
Peter found himself deep asleep. Snoring soundly, not really sure where he was or what time it was, just knowing that he didn't want to wake up. He felt someone approaching and shaking his shoulder lightly.
"Peter… Peter" said the person next to him. His voice sounded like that of an old man, wise yet caring. "Come on champ, you are gonna be late" said the man again with a little laugh.
Peter slowly opened his eyes, just to find he had fallen asleep on a desk. He looked around for a moment and bit by bit, he recognized the place he was in. Posters of D&D on the wall, miniatures and action figures, sciences books, and trophies. Peter was in his childhood room. Eventually, Peter's gaze landed on the man who had called him previously. His wrinkled face and grey hair showed the experience and knowledge he had obtained over his 68 years of life. His eyes showed humbleness and care.
Peter stretched a little before addressing the man "Uncle Ben…. What happened?"
"Well, didn't someone say he had to go to the library?"
"Oh… yeah" said Peter trying to remember. Yes… he was going out… but not to the library. He… was going to a wrestling match to win some money. Yes! To buy a car... and impress Mary Jane. "Sorry Uncle, I guess… I was just more tired than I thought. I-I'll get ready and meet you downstairs"
"I understand son" Before going down, Ben Parker took a moment to look at Peter. "Benjamin, is everything ok?"
The teenager was a bit hesitant to answer "Y-Yes, uncle Ben. Why do you ask?" said Peter trying not to look his uncle in the eye
"Well, your aunt and I feel like we haven't talked to you in a while. You are always in your room. You make this strange experiment and we are…. We are worried something is happening. And I don't know if you don't want to tell me or I'm... too afraid to ask".
Peter started to remember more. It had been a month since he got his spider powers. Had he really been that distant? Maybe he had really spent too much time alone. Peter looked back at the old man "No uncle Ben… everything… everything is alright". -Liar! Why didn't you tell him!?- Peter scolded himself mentally.
Ben Parker nodded a bit disheartened that his nephew didn't want to talk. "Well Benjamin, get ready and…. I'll wait for you in the car" said the man about to get out of the room.
His uncle was about to leave the room when guilt invaded Peter's heart. "U-Uncle Ben wait!"
The old man spot dead on his tracks and looked back at his nephew with concern
Peter looked at him, trying to find the right words to speak "I'm… I'm sorry Uncle Ben. Something is going on and I thought… It was better if I just kept it to myself"
Ben sat in the bed next to Peter. He nodded, indicating he could continue
"It's difficult to explain… I don't know where to start"
Uncle Ben then put his hand on Peter's shoulder. "Son, you are in the exact position I was when I was your age. I'm not talking about your body changing and all the biology about it. I'm talking about the moment when a young man decided the type of man he is going to be for the rest of his life. Thank you, Peter, for being honest. Remember, you can always be honest with your aunt and me and never be afraid to ask for help. Now" he said standing up from the bed and adjusting his shirt. "What if we find a nice place around the city, maybe a park, and then you, your aunt, and I talk, like a family?"
Peter smiled "I'd really like that uncle Ben. I think the library can wait"
Uncle Ben laughed. "I'll talk to your aunt and I'll wait for both of you in the car" and with a renewed smile on his face, he left the room.
Peter saw him walk out the door and couldn't help but feel an immense weight lift from his shoulder. He felt himself smile. Then he got worried. -Aunt May is gonna freaked out once she sees me climbing up walls.- Peter sighed, hopefully, it wouldn't be too much of a shock. Well, better not keep them waiting. The teenage boy got up from his desk and changed his clothing.
After a couple of minutes, he went downstairs and found his aunt May with a little purse ready to go.
"Oh Peter, there you are" Said the old lady with equally grey hair as her husband. "I was about to go up and knock on your door"
"Yeah… sorry about that" said Peter scratching the back of his neck.
Aunt May approached Peter and put a hand on his cheek "Ben told me you wanted to talk. I'm happy we can talk like we used to"
Peter smiled "Sorry about that too"
May shook her head. "Don't worry Peter. Remember we are always here for you. Now, let's get to the car, your uncle must be waiting.
Peter nodded and they both went to the exit.
As the pair walked, they saw the shape of the car through a glass window, next to the front door. Then, the shape of a man approaching the car.
"Strange, I thought your uncle was in the-"
BANG BANG!
Came the sound of two shots fired from a pistol. Then the scream of a man. The sound of the car's tires starting to spin and getting away from the house followed soon after. Peter didn't notice when he was at the door, opening it as fast as he could. His heart was pounding fast against his chest and a horrible thought was forming in his head.
He exited the house and his worse fear became true. Uncle Ben was dead on the floor
"UNCLE BEN!" screamed Peter as he once again woke up from a dream. This time, however, he was in a different location. Peter was lying in a bed; in a room he didn't recognize. Similarly decorated with comics and videogames and only one window. Peter panted as he tried to recover his breath, he was sweating and he could feel his fur getting all sticky. Fur? Oh yeah, he was still in Beast Boy's body.
"Had a nightmare? I really hate them" came a voice he recognized. His own. He looked around and saw himself, unmasked, sitting in a little chair on the other side of the room. By this point, Peter knew that he was talking to Beast Boy.
The arachnid hero grabbed his head. A little headache started to appear. "What happened?"
"Dude, you freaked out, started going crazy, turning into different animals, and then collapsed"
Peter scoffed "Yeah I remember that part...Why didn't you-"
"Cyborg was recharging and there was none else in the tower except Raven, so I brought you to my room to-"
"Not that Garfield! Why the hell didn't you tell me about the pain, huh? I felt every bone of my body breaking, my skin ripping apart. It was torture every passing second. And believe me, I have been tortured before!". Peter stood from the bed. Fist clenched.
Beast Boy just stared at him, regret written all over him. He tried to speak but no words came at first. "I'm… I'm sorry dude… you couldn't transform the whole day and I thought maybe we would have this fix before long".
Peter saw the guilt on his face and sighed. He took a moment to calm down. "Garfield, you should have at least warmed me"
"I'm sorry... I wanted to but...the others were always around."
"So what if the others were around?"
The green-furred hero took a moment to answer "… they don't know"
"What?"
"They don't know… that every time I change into an animal I suffer"
"Wait… why?"
"Why do you think Spider-man? Because then, they would just sideline me!" Said Beast Boy standing up from his chair "I cannot be just the idiot who cracks jokes. I'm a hero and I want help!... they would never let me do that if they knew that the only thing that made me special was torturing me".
Peter sat down on the bed, taking all the information in. "Jesus…. I'm sorry man, I didn't know"
Garfield shook his head and sat next to him "Don't worry. You're right. I should have told you"
Peter nodded "….."
"….."
"….."
"….."
"How long?" asked Peter
"What?"
"How long has it been like this?"
"Since I was 8, I think"
"It always hurt?"
"Yes"
"…. Ok"
"….."
"….."
"Why did you turn when I mentioned the Parkers?" asked Garfield.
Peter took a moment to answer "It's.… very complicated to explain but…. My name is Peter"
"Peter?" thought Beast. The name sounded familiar
"Yes…. Peter Parker"
"Peter Parker?... Dude, no way!"
"I told you"
"But their nephew died…"
"In this dimension, yes. But where I come from, my uncle Ben died when I was 15 years old. I had just gotten my powers and I try to use them for profit and…. He died because I decided not to act when I should have. The news of them getting separated after my death…. I guess it shocked me and made my turn".
"Dude that's…. that's tough. I remember at the beginning, strong emotions like anger or joy made me turn spontaneously. So… I guess that's what happened to you".
"Probably"
Beast Boy nodded
"…."
"…."
"… How did you get your powers?" asked Beast Boy
"...A radioactive spider bit me in a science tour"
"Really?"
"Yes… and I hurt like hell. What about you?"
"It's a long story"
"I think we have time. If you don't mind of course"
Beast Boy readied himself "My parents… they were biologists working in Africa. Helping animals, taking care of patients, trying to cure rare diseases, the whole deal. They were really good at it, too. We lived near a jungle, a bit far from everything. My parents used to tell me that it helped them concentrate better. One day, they were working in the lab. I was bored and there were some birds singing outside so I went out to see them and when I stepped on some grass, a monkey came out of nowhere. It bit me. Really hard too. My parent came rushing out of the house and found me having convulsions. My mom later explained to me that the monkey had infected me with a strange virus. Curable only on animals, but not on humans. My dad…. He used a new cure they were developing. They hadn't tested it yet but it worked. It saved me, but it turned my skin green and well, you know, powers and all".
Peter was just listening, careful not to interrupt
"I was the happiest I could have been at that time. Can you imagine an 8 years old boy turning into a bird and flying into the air? It was amazing. But then…. A group of hunters saw a strange green bird coming in and out of a remote home deep in the jungle. Then a zebra, then a gorilla. Then they came in with guns, demanding my parents to turn me in. My parents said no and…. They kill them" said Beast Boy turning away from Peter trying to back up his tears. "I don't remember what happened after. I just remember the rage and the fear and then….."
"You don't have to continue if you don't want to Garfield"
Beast Boy shook his head "It's fine. I…I just recall waking the other day deep in the jungle" Beast Boy's expression then hardened. "I was covered in blood."
There was no response for about three seconds
"Beast Boy…." Came Peter's low voice.
"It was my fault, Peter. Images of that day still play out in my nightmares. And since that moment… The Beast appeared."
"The Beast?"
"Yes. Did you hear a voice in your head when you were with Maria back in the hospital?"
"Yes….. but what was that?"
"I don't know what he is. But I think, he is a mix of all the instincts and impulses of the animals I turn into. Specially carnivores".
"So what? It talks to you every day?"
"Sometimes, sometimes is just a feeling. We've worked together in the past but…. I try not to listen to him too much".
"I can't image how difficult it may be. He… The Beast wanted me to…. uhm mate with Maria back in the hospital".
Beast Boy just rubbed his temple "That son of a…" He didn't finish the sentence. Or at least Peter didn't listen to it. He then looked at Peter "You were pretty strong to pull yourself back".
Peter scoffed "I barely managed. You help me out….How do you do it? Keep it at bay I mean"
"Years of experience, I suppose"
"Yeah… I guess…..You ok?".
"Yes….. it's good to talk to someone about this."
Peter smiled. "Glad I could help out"
The room fell silent after that. Beast Boy, though not sad, was definitely looking a bit down and Peter was trying to think of something to change the mood. He looked around and to his surprise, he found a poster of Dungeons and Dragons. It looked like one of the first editions of the game. Then, an idea came to his mind.
"So…. wizard or sorcerer?"
Beast Boy lifted his head to look at Peter "What?"
"What do you prefer to play as, a wizard or a sorcerer?"
"Dude, you play D&D?!"
"Well, it's been some time since I play but let me tell you, my Warlock/Paladin frustrated my DM more than once" said Peter Laughing.
"DUDE! I've been trying so hard to make the others play D&D with me but you know, either we are saving the world or training. Besides, Raven never wants to play, and having only three players is not ideal".
"Why doesn't she want to play? Does she know what she is missing out?"
"Believe me man, I've tried so hard! But I don't know, she seems to be allergic to fun"
Both Peter and Garfield laughed. Then Beast Boy got a bit nervous
"Peter hmm please don't tell her that last part. She may throw my through every window in the tower if she knows I said that"
"I promise I promise. So, Wizard or Sorcerer?"
"Wizard my Dude!"
Both heroes kept talking and geeking out about other topics. The more they talk, the more they discovered that, one they loved similar movies, they played the same videogames, and watched the same Tv shows. Two, their dimensions had the exact same actors, directors, voice actors, musicians. There were some differences in the names and ages but, it was pretty much the same!
At one point though, Beast Boy communicator started to go off, cutting of the good mood.
"Oh, give me a moment" he said opening the device. On the little screen on top of the communicator, Starfire's face appeared.
"Hello friends, Starfire here, do you copy?"
"Hey Star, Beast Boy here, what's up?"
"Spider-man? What are you doing with…Oh right. Sorry friend Beast Boy I forgot about your current situation. How are you doing the holding in your new body?"
"Nothing to worry about Star" said Garfield giving her the peace and love sing "Tell me what's up?"
"Oh yes, boyfriend Robin and I are coming back to the tower, I think we found out what happened to you"
"Hey, that's pretty rad!"
"Indeed it is. Did you have any problems this morning going to the hospital friend Beast Boy?"
"Not that many"
"Glorious news! I hope you tell me everything about that in the dinner. By the way, do you know where friend Raven is? I've been trying to call her but she isn't doing the picking".
Garfield put on a puzzling face "Weird, she is not one for not answering the communicator. I'll see if I can find her"
"Excellent idea friend Beast Boy. Oh, by the way. How is friend Spider-man?"
Peter got close to the communicator and waved.
"It is nice to see you are doing well friend! See you soon in the common room". And with that, the call ended.
"Well, bird boy and alien girl are coming back with some news" mentioned Peter.
"Yeah, maybe we can sort this all mess up"
"Hey, my body is awesome, don't lie!"
"Yeah but, I can't let you run around the city ruining my reputation with my fans. They are quite demanding sometimes" Beast Boy couldn't help but grin
"Lucky you".
The green-furred hero laughed.
The two friends got up from the bed and started walking towards the common room but before leaving the room, Beast Boy stopped Spider-man.
"Peter...…. Thank you for telling me about your family. I'll do everything I can to help you find out what happened to them"
"…. Thank you Beast Boy. I really appreciate it"
"Always dude. Also, my name is Garfield Logan and I indeed like lasagna" Garfield laughed and offered Peter to shake hands
Peter took his hand and shook it smiling "I figured".
Then, they both excited.
Before closing the door to his room, Beast Boy fell for a second the presence of someone inside the room. He looked inside, but found nothing. -Maybe it was just my imagination- With that he closed the door and left.
After a few seconds passed, Raven came out of a shadow and sat down on Beast Boy's bed.
Her facial expression was one of mixed emotions. Sadness, shock, embarrassment, guilt. Again, not enough to blow stuff up, but definitely one that showed a conflicted young woman. Her emotions weren't doing any better. She took a few moments to think about the implication of everything she had heard and felt. -I better go to the common room as well- She put her cloak up and disappeared into another shadow.
After arriving in the common room, the first person Garfield and Peter found inside was a recently recharged Cyborg getting out of his room. He inevitably asked what had happened, as the security system of the tower had informed him of Peter's transformation and passing.
The two heroes explained the best they could without revealing anything about Peter's past, with Beast Boy especially leaning more on the accident being more of an accidental occurrence. Cyborg apparently bought the story but insisted on running some test on Peter, just to make sure there wasn't anything wrong with his body. The arachnid, of course, agreed.
Soon after came Raven. Beast Boy was about to ask her where she had been but the empath had her hood up. Bad sign, so he didn't approach her. Raven looked around the room, staring a bit at Beast Boy, greeted everybody with a nod, and sit on a sofa. This was the typical ritual Raven made to signal she wasn't in the mood for talking. So maybe the questions would be better for later.
Right after, Starfire and Robin walked through the door.
"Greetings friends! Boyfriend Robin and I have returned successful!" Heard everyone in the room. Starfire's good attitude being as contagious as always. At least to most of the people there. Robin came with a rather joyful face. This was not strange when he was around with his girlfriend. He greeted everyone as well. After enthusiastically saying hi to everyone, the alien girl landed her eyes on Raven and she immediately flew to talk to her. She looked back at Robin. Robin understood the message and smiled. He stayed behind with the others. Starfire went ahead.
"Hello, friend Raven! I was starting to get the worries when you weren't answering our calls" said Starfire floating on top of her friend.
The empath looked at Starfire from inside her hood "Hi Kori"
Though it was common knowledge for the titan that Starfire's actual name was Koriand'r, no one called her that except for Robin and Raven. And every time Raven used her name, it was because she was feeling troubled. Starfire knew this and landed next to her.
"Do you want to go to my room to engage in the girl talk?" said the young alien woman. A bit of concern was noticeable in her tone.
"…. Maybe later Kori" Responded the half-demon standing up "I just need to distract my mind a bit. Let's see what the boys are up to".
Starfire nodded and floated next to her friend, filling her in on her investigation with Robin.
Raven smiled from inside her hood. It was nice having Star to rely on.
Back with the boys, Robin was retelling how his day had been.
"After interrogating Gizmo and the rest of the Hive Five, Star and I found out they obtained the dolls in an alleyway from an unidentified source. Strangely, they all said the place they buy the dolls from came out of a shadow"
"That's the number one place you go to find quality products" interrupted Peter. Beast Boy laughed.
Robin just glared at them.
"Hehe. Sorry, dude. Ahem, continue please" Spoke Beast Boy.
Robin glared at them for another second and then continue "As I was saying, we went to the location they mentioned but found nothing".
"Are you sure there wasn't anything there? The doll was clearly magical" said Cyborg.
"I called in a favor and she checked the place with us"
"She?" Said Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Spider-man at the same time. All of them with a grin.
"Yes!" came Starfire's voice once she and Raven were close enough. "A magician came by. She appeared in a puff of smoke. It was dazzling!"
The machine man, the changeling, and the wallcrawler all look back at Robin
"Zatanna" The boy wonder responded
"Oh" responded Beast Boy and Cyborg. Peter, of course, didn't recognize the name.
"Wait" came Garfield's voice with a devilish smirk "Wasn't she the first girl you started dating?"
"No, no, man" came Cyborg with an equally evil smile "That was Bat-Girl. Zatanna was the one after that".
Robin's embarrassed and angry face became more and more apparent as the duo kept mentioning other heroines Robin had allegedly gone out with. However, before he could express his emotion in a loud manner, Starfire's voice reached his ears. It sounded soft and sad.
"It's that true….Robin? That's why you call her? Did you have unforgotten feelings for her? ...Did I do something wrong?"
-Oh no- Thought the leader of the Titans without turning back to see her -Starfire only calls me Robin when she is either angry or sad- Robin took a look at his girlfriend and there were tears starting to form around her eyes -Yes, she is sad- He quickly turned towards her "Star, it's not like that! Zatanna and I…. We… we were just in a mission one time!"
"More like 5" came Cyborg's voice
Robin shot daggers at the half-machine man but he didn't seem too affected by it. He then turned towards Starfire again, picking up her chin. "Star, do you really think I would ever change her for you? You are out of this world. Quite literally".
"…You really mean that….boyfriend Robin?"
"100%"
Starfire then embraced him. Robin hugged her back. He just held her, letting his hands wrap around her.
"And I'm clearly more beautiful than that chika'unarslug, right?" Starfire whispered into his ear
"Undoubtedly" said Robin. Damn, how he loved having her in his arms
"Show me how much you like my later tonight" whispered Kori.
This sent a chill down Robin's spine that he wasn't expecting
Their tender moment came to an end with a flash from Cyborg's cybernetic eye "And that's is just going to look adorable in the next Titan meeting"
Robin's neck almost snap when he looked back furiously at Cyborg.
The aforementioned just laughed a bit "Ok ok, I'll stop…..for now".
After a good laugh from mostly everyone, Peter intervened. "So, did you find anything about the dolls in the end?"
"Apparently friend Zatanna could find light traces of magic but wasn't sure what they were" mentioned Starfire.
"That's why we wanted you to take a look at it, Raven" said Robin looking at the empath who had been mostly quiet during the whole exchange. Not that that was very strange. However, Raven seemed to be deep in thought.
"Raven?" Robin asked again
"….."
"Raven, are you alright?" Said Robin walking up to her.
The half-demon finally caught that someone was talking to her. She got started a bit, having Robin so close looking at her as well as the rest of her team. She tried not to blush from the embarrassment.
"What did you say, Robin?" She said trying to hide her face in her hood
"Can you check the dolls Gizmo used during yesterday's attack? Maybe you can find out how they function and change Beast Boy and Spider-man back". Said Robin talking the dolls out of his belt.
Raven, along with the rest of the Titans, never understood how Robin's thin belt could hold so many items and Robin would probably never tell them. The empath, however, pushed whatever was on her mind aside and took a look at the dolls. She covered them in darkness and brought them up to her. Once on her hand, she could definitely feel the presence of magic "This may take a while".
"We can wait" said Robin. All the other heroes nodded.
Raven nodded as well and floated to the other side of the room so she could meditate with the dolls in private
In the meantime, chit-chat was all around the group. Mostly towards Beast Boy and Peter as they recounted the events during the day. The games with the kids and how Beast Boy and Cyborg participated as well. Of them all, Starfire had literal stars on her eyes, just imagining all the fun with the kids.
"That reminds me of something" Said Peter "Robin, I think we may be…booked in a couple of days"
The leader of the Titans just turned towards the arachnid "What exactly do you mean?"
"Well….. there was this little girl with big Puppy eyes and this maddening hair"
"Oh, you mean little Ana?" said Beast Boy
"Yeah, her. Well the point is that we may….. have to go to the hospital for…..the meteor shower that is coming soon".
"….. what?" was everything Robin said
"Well dude, you know that puppy eyes are every child's most powerful weapon. I couldn't say no!"
Robin just stood silent. His expressionless eyes, just staring at him from behind his mask. "…..I'll think about"
"Come on Robin, we can't disappoint the….. wait, what?"
"I said I'll think about it"
"Oh…" Peter just looked at the rest of the group. They all had the same shocked expression. -Well, that was easier than I thought-. The arachnid then turned to the green-furred hero."By the way Beast Boy, you have to bring a gift for Maria too".
"Huh?" Said Beast Boy "Why do I….. Ohhh right…. Maria's birthday is on that day as well. Little Ana?"
"Little Ana" responded Peter
Garfield sighted "Well, I'll just have to see what I bring her. That little kid is a handful" Said Beast Boy laughing at the end.
"You can say that again" responded Peter. Then his stomach growled. He checked a clock that was hanging in the kitchen and noticed it was 8 pm. -Yeah, just about time- "So" said Spider-man again calling everyone's attention. "I don't mean to be rude but, can we eat something? I'm getting kind of hungry"
"Indeed friend Spider-man. I'm also feeling the hunger". Said Starfire "Who's cooking tonight?" She asked her teammates.
"Beast Boy" said Robin and Cyborg in unison pointing at Peter. Then they noticed their mistake and pointed at Beast Boy.
The changeling looked at them both "Alright, alright. I'll start making dinner". He said as he went to the kitchen and put an apron on.
"Please, don't stain the suit" Said Peter as Beast Boy walked
"Don't worry dude. I got this" said Garfield giving the arachnid a thump up.
Peter looked at the others for confirmation if Beast Boy could handle this. They all nodded.
"So…. what's his cooking like?" Ask the spider-theme hero to not one person in particular. Of course, trying to keep his voice low
"Uhm…interesting. Beast Boy is vegan" answered Cyborg
"Come one Cy! You know you like my tofu burgers!" yelled Beast Boy from inside the fridge. Apparently, he heard them
"Is it really that bad?" whispered Peter.
"Honest?" said the half-man, half machine.
"Yes"
"Pretty Bad"
Peter was about to say something to Beast Boy but the aforementioned spoke first.
"Don't worry Spider-man, I'll make you my special tofu hamburgers.
Crap, Peter couldn't back down now. He turned around and saw Cyborg and Starfire laughing at his misfortune. The arachnid just sighted.
All of this conversation brought something to Peter's mind. His backpack!
"Hey, by the way guys, where is my backpack? You know, the one I had yesterday before the…..battle….. I left it in that building, didn't I?"
"Don't worry" said Robin "We picked it up after you and Beast Boy passed out".
"Oh, well, thanks man. So…. Can I have it back? Maybe I can convince you of my dimension traveling story with it".
Robin meditated it for a second, stood up, and went to the nearest wall. He pressed a button that was there and a compartment opened from inside the wall. On it, was Peter's backpack.
"Catch" said the boy wonder as he threw it to Spider-man.
Peter caught it with a bit of difficulty due to not having his spider-sense anymore but, everything was fine in the end. He dusted it off a little bit. "So, ready for a magic trick?" Said Peter imitating an announcer's voice. Cyborg and Starfire nodded enthusiastically. Robin not so much.
"Hey Beast Boy, come take a look" yelled Cyborg
"Coming but don't complain if your food its's too cooked!" replied the green man getting out of the kitchen. He sat down next to Robin adjusting a little apron he had on.
"Cyborg don't take a photo" said Peter "Now, don't blink". With the press of a button on the back of the backpack. At first, the medium-size object that at first glance would look more like a fabric object started to separate into different, tiny metallic parts. Each moving individually. Expanding until they turned into a suitcase at least 6 times its original size, that was now resting on the ground. With handle and wheels.
"Pretty cool right?" said Peter
"DUDE!" said Beast Boy. The rest of the titans had a similar shocked expression. Even Robin.
"Yeah, I got this bad boy on the last dimension I went on. I even took some photos while I was there. Maybe I can show them to you later. Anyways, this folding tech was like nothing I had seen in my universe"
"You can say that again" mentioned Cyborg, getting a closer look "What kind of metal changes shape like that and still goes back to its original form without any deformation?"
"Well, it's more on the how rather than the what. It really is fascinating the technique they discovered. They even lend me enough to make my suit".
"Oh oh! Does it bend too?! How how?! Said Beast Boy jumping up and down.
Peter giggled. "Just pressed the spider-man symbol in the chest"
Garfield did as told and lo and behold, the suit bent into a small watch.
"DUDE!" the green hero then proceeded to turn the suit back and forth until inevitably, he got the scent of burned tofu and ran off to the kitchen.
After a good laugh, Starfire floated towards Peter.
"I think I can speak for the team when I say, we would be honored to hear the stories of your travel friend Spider-man". The other two heroes, Robin, and Cyborg nodded.
"Cool, then I think I can even make it a presentation, just have to connect my camera to your Tv and-"
"Before that" interrupted Raven from the other side of the room, having finished her meditation "I think I've discovered a way to change you back to your original body".
"That's good news" commented Cyborg
"It is" said Robin "Beast Boy, come in"
Garfield approached his teammates again. Less enthusiastic than before though. "My delicious tofu…. All burned out".
Raven looked for a moment at Beast Boy. There was concern in her eyes but then quickly change it. She didn't want to raise too much suspicion. However, her stomach growled. She then immediately turned to Cyborg.
"Already ordered pizza, don't worry" he responded.
Raven nodded; at least she would have a decent meal tonight. "Now" the half-demon continued "Beast Boy, Spider-man, are you ready?"
"Yes" Both said.
With that, Raven's eyes got dark as she brought forth the two dolls and covered them in her energy.
Little by little, the empaths' dark magic started to crush the dolls. From the outside, the other heroes could see how the dolls were resisting the magical energy being forced upon them. Raven tightened and pushed harder. At one point, Raven's energy overcame the doll's and completely crushed them into dust. The empath's eyes went back to normal after that. She even wiped out some sweat from her eyebrows.
Opposite to her, Beast Boy and Spider-man were experiencing something weird once the dolls became dust. Whereas the moment of their first change after defeating the HIVE Five was like a blunt hit that knocked them out unconscious, what they were feeling now was like getting vacuumed into a spaghetti shape. Their body started to levitate as everyone else saw their eyes shine. Both Peter and Beast Boy felt the air leaving their lungs as they suddenly dropped again to the ground.
Raven went immediately for Beast Boy, taking his head between her hands. Cyborg, though surprised at first for her quick action, was behind her in case something happened. Robin and Starfire went for Spider-man.
They seemed to have lost consciousness but were now opening their eyes.
Beast Boy's eye took a moment to focus on the person in front of them. Then the empath's figure appeared. "Hey Rae….please tell me I have my fabulous green fur back"
Raven tsked. An undeniable relief washed over her, however. "You got that and your silly pointy ears back, happy?"
"Come on Rae, you know you love them" said Beast Boy still a bit drowsy
The empath could be bothered by many things, but the one that annoyed her the most was when Beast Boy was right. She could feel Love and Happiness trying to reach out to him with screams of joy, to just hug him and dare they say it, kiss him senseless? Yeah, they would but as prepared as always, Raven managed to keep her body restrained. Her cheeks, however, were deep red.
Beast Boy noticed this, being so close to her, and blushed as well. -Wait, did that actually work?!-
The half-demon noticed Beast Boy's stare and quickly covered her face with her cloak, dropping Beast Boy to the ground and earning an ouch from the aforementioned.
-Ok, maybe it didn't work- Thought Garfield as he rubbed the back of his neck. Wow, it was good feeling the fur on his skin again. Beast Boy had grown used to the idea of being a bit taller in Peter's body but hey, you win some you lose some. After a moment or so, Cyborg offered a helping hand. The changeling took it and stood up.
"So, you are back to normal Beast Man?"
"You bet Cy. Soooooo Glad I have my body back. Now I can beat you at Mario Kart"
"Keep wishing green bean"
Next to the duo was Peter, who was getting up with the help of Starfire and Robin. The arachnid thanked them and stretched a little bit, bending and moving his appendages like a yoga master "Man, I missed being able to stretch like that". He then turned around to look at the green-furred hero "You feeling ok Garfield?"
"I'm feeling great! Kind of hungry though" responded Beast Boy
"Me too. How long until that pizza arrives Cyborg?".
"Uhmmm 25 minutes… I think"
"Bummer. It seems will have to wait. Hold it, did you mention Mario Kart?"
Unbeknown to Peter and Beast Boy, the rest of the Titans were a bit surprised by their display of friendship. All of them knew Beast Boy was easygoing and quick to make friends but, there weren't that many occasions when he would share his true name with someone.
"Raven" said Robin approaching the empath and getting her attention. "How did you know that destroying the dolls would change them back?"
The half-demon turned towards him. "After meditating, I noticed that the dolls were working like anchors connected to them and keeping them in the other's body. So, I figured if I destroy them, they would turn back. Similar to how it happened to Starfire and me that time" responded the female Titan.
Robin nodded in acceptance "That makes sense. Well done".
Raven smiled
"Well, now that I'm in my body, what about I tell you all about my adventures?" said Peter turning his suit into a watch.
"That would be wonderful friend Spider-man" Said Starfire "Boyfriend Robin, should we engage in the making of popcorns?"
"I think we have some left, let's check it out" comented the boy wonder
Starfire nodded energetically and followed Robin
With his body back, Peter went for his camera, which was in his suitcase, to get the photos out. But while rummaging through it, he touched a squared metal object. It was a little box, small enough to be in his palm. It was mainly red except for the golden lines on the edges that culminated in an equally golden button on top. Peter looked at it confused
"Dude, what's that?" said Beast Boy who had walked up to Peter.
"Oh er…. I don't know. It was in my suitcase"
"Let me see" spoke Garfield getting closer to it. He looked at the object for a moment and saw a little label on one of the edges.
"For Peter. A souvenir from Beacon. Hope you like it. Press the button". Read Beast Boy. He then just turned towards his friend and stared at him like saying So, you are gonna do it?.
The box was most likely something from Ozpin so, there was probably no harm, Peter reasoned. So he pressed the button.
Similar to his backpack, the box expanded itself, switching different parts until become an object Peter recognize immediately.
"It's an Expresso Machine!" Peter shouted holding the object. It was very similar to the one Ozpin had back in his office. Though this one had a spider symbol on the side. It came with two little glass coffee cups and based on the weight and sound the machine was making, it seems to be fully filled up. Peter couldn't be more excited.
"Umm.. congratulations!" said Beast Boy trying to pull a sincere smile over the rather strange gift.
Peter noticed this and tried to elaborate "You don't get it, dude. I wanted this machine sooooo badly in the last dimension I was in. The drinks this bad boy makes are beyond this world. Who wants some chocolate beverages?!" Offered Peter to the rest of the titans "Maybe be a little late for a cappuccino but believe me, it is worthy!".
One by one, the rest of the heroes lifted their hands and Peter went on to make each one a cappuccino. None of the heroes were especially savvy on coffee beverages but damn, this one was very good. Even Raven brightened up once she drank her cup.
At one point though, Robin spoke to everyone. "Alright team, I'm happy as everyone else for Beast Boy and Spider-man getting their bodies back, but we still have a job to do. I think we can discuss our plans for tomorrow while we wait for the food"
Everyone nodded. Some less energetically than others. It was good to enjoy a cup with friends, but the Titans and Peter were still heroes. A bit of pre-planning before going out was always nice to have.
"Ok first" said the boy wonder "Spider-man, you said you came through a portal, right?"
"Indeed chief" responded the webhead.
"Ok, and usually what happens next?"
"Oh well, you know the deal, rescue the damsel in distress, kill the bad guy and save the world"
Before anyone could express any discomfort, Beast Boy jumped in. "Dude, is that a reference to The Mummy 1999?!"
"You bet green bean! Thank God Brendan Fraser exists here too" said Peter. "Now, let's be real. Usually what happens is that after some time, the portal opens again and I go in hoping it's my dimension the next one I arrive"
Robin just glared at him for a moment "….. ok. Where does the portal open?"
"Usually in the same spot where it first appeared"
"Alright. Cyborg, can you check out the area where he landed?"
"You know I can" said the aforementioned sipping a bit of his mug "Yo, webhead, can you serve me a bit more? This is freaking good"
Nodded Peter and proceeded to fill up his mug.
"Ok, that helps solve one problem" came Robin's voice again. "Now, we need to know who created these dolls. Maybe Star and I can keep the track we have. Gizmo and the rest of the Five probably won't talk so we'll have to do some recognizance. Beast Boy, you wanna come with us? There may be a trial you can follow as a dog"
"NO!" shouted Raven. Everyone just stared at her. The half-demon realized what she had done and tried to pull up her hood so the others wouldn't notice her embarrassment. Especially Beast Boy. "Sorry. I didn't mean to raise my voice" -Crap, very good Raven, very good. Nice way to play dumb-
"Apology accepted" said Starfire "What did you mean to say friend"
The seconds turned into hours from the half-demon's perspective as her mind raced to come up with an answer. "What I meant was…" started Raven giving a quick glance at the changeling "I think maybe …Beast Boy and Spider-man shouldn't do anything tomorrow. The first time their body switched they were out for a long time. So…. maybe they should just play it... cool?"
Everyone took a moment to think
"Well, I appreciate the gesture Raven but I feel good" said Peter "What about you, green bean?"
"I feel fine dude" said Beast Boy giving a little shrug.
The pair of heroes then just glared at Raven.
-Shit, now what do I do?- she thought
Maybe it was luck, or someone watching her from Azarath, but someone came to help the empath.
"No, I think she is right" mentioned Robin "You guys should rest. We'll call you if anything happens"
"Oh…. Cool then" said Beast Boy
"No offense Robin but I-" Peter was about to try and argue against the idea but was interrupted by a gloved hand covering his mouth that belonged to Beast Boy. Peter just looked at him strangely and the changeling signaled him to go with him. The rest of the heroes just watched as the pair walked away from them, talked for a few minutes, and then returned. Once back, Peter spoke
"I'll also stay here to rest. Call us if you need anything"
Robin nodded. "Good then. Raven, given how you connected with those dolls, can you keep an eye on these two just in case?"
Raven nodded and couldn't help but feel… alleviated?. Yes, that was the word. Maybe tomorrow could be a good day for her to become more friendly with Beast Boy and get to know him better.
Just as the group was finishing some other details of their planning, Cyborg got the message that the pizza was already at the door. Peter went to look for it.
The rest of the night was pretty relaxed. Once again, the arachnid hero was at the stoplight, talking about his crazy journey. This time, however, he had pizza and photos on a big flat TV to talk about it. The part of him visiting Bella from Beauty and The Beast was the less expected and less believed as Peter just had his words as proof but still, they all had a good laugh out of it. Peter's encounter with the Flash and Team Arrow was the most controversial as Peter found out that those heroes actually existed in this new universe, which only lead to many complicated questions and confusion. Of course, it was fun seeing Cyborg, Peter, and Beast give their opinions on the matter, going from arguments based on Sci-Fi to more factual science.
-Dimension hopping can give you a real headache- was the thought in everyone's mind as the picture continue to go.
The visit to Beacon got everyone excited. A school design to train students to become warriors and hunt beasts? And everyone had a special power? Yeah, it was definitely interesting. Beast Boy's eye literally shined once he saw all the crazy weapons that turn into guns that many of Peter's friends had. During the arachnid's story, he and Cyborg had a little back and forth about how the tech worker. It was a bit difficult for everyone to follow. On the other hand, Garfield was soon to notice that in a good number of pictures, a certain blonde was the main focus. Peter explained that this was Glynda and that she was a defense professor in the academy. It was impossible for the spider hero not to speak with a tone of nostalgia and sadness when talking about her so Garfield decided not to tease him. At least not too much.
Other photos showed the city of Vale, a new environment for the Titans to observe, as well as new characters that Peter had to talk about, like Velvet and Doreen. Starfire got excited seeing all the clothing and articles that some people wore in the pictures. Even Raven commented on some cool designs in her opinion.
In the end, Peter himself decided to take new pictures of the gang together. Robin still kept his monotone face, but nonetheless enjoying himself.