Author's Note: I love the Beast Within, so this started out as a darker retelling of that storyline. I think in the confines of a kids show, one that really had a Rob/Star focus, they missed some opportunities for good horror and BB/Rae, my favorite ship. So here I am to rectify that! I'm going to try to keep it T, but the plan is to have Beast Boy really confront the animal within. And, of course, get a little romance in as well. Any way, enjoy!

"Come on Cy, just one night," Beast Boy whined, folding his hands in front of him and absolutely pleading.

He'd been at it for a good twenty minutes, begging his best friend to go out and do something with him. Anything. He just wanted to be out, to be around people and hear girls gush about the superheroes and feel his blood pulse though his body in a non-combat scenario. Cyborg, however, was having none of it. He was underneath the T-Car doing something technical that Beas Boy, frankly, didn't care about. But Cyborg did; he cared deeply. Beast Boy sighed dramatically into the silence and sat on the car's hood.

"Hey get off," Cyborg scolded, emerging from the dark underbelly of the vehicle to give Beast Boy a scalding look. "What do you think this is? Your butt is nowhere near good enough for my baby. She's under the weather."

"It's a car."

"She is not just a car! If you were paying attention you'd know that by now. Didn't you feel how sticky she was in the cold yesterday? Something's up and I will not rest until it's fixed."

"So that's a no," Beast Boy pressed, sounding at once hopeful and really let down.

"You couldn't drag me away. Go bother someone else."

"Come on Cy! You know Robin and Starfire have done nothing but make kissy faces at one another since Tokyo! I get nauseous just being around them!"

"Ask Raven then."

"Raven? Sure thing, I'm sure she'd love to go out with me."

Cyborg propped himself up on his elbows and gave Beast Boy a good eyebrow wiggle, causing the green boy to flush a deep scarlet.

"I mean- I didn't mean- of course I didn't mean-"

"Good bye Beas Boy," he said with a wave, still smirking.

"You suck," Beast Boy shot back, but he got the memo.

With a wave of his own he turned and exited the garage. For some reason, probably so Cyborg had easy access and the opportunity to build a cool elevator, the garage was on the main floor. There was a lot of extra space in Titans Tower, but the things they used often, the living room, the evidence room, their bedrooms, were all clustered in the horizontal cross of the T. Overlooking the city and the ocean. Sometimes when he couldn't sleep Beast Boy would just look out the window and listen to the waves crash. That had been more frequent since they'd returned from their Japanese vacation. He was happy for Robin and Starfire, and goodness knew the relief of sexual tension was welcome, but it also upset him. He hadn't been happy like that since, well, Terra. He was jealous and, frankly, feeling a little sexual tension of his own. He could still feel her arms around him when he thought about it. Her body next to his on the rocks where he'd comforted Terra that first time, reminding him that he was still human.

He couldn't pinpoint when it had happened, exactly, when she'd gone from creepy and aloof to something more. When they'd first met she'd laughed at his jokes, looked at him with a sort of gentile bemusement, and he'd been amazed at how she seemed more afraid of herself than of him. He'd been a child then and it hadn't been long before her walls had come crashing down. But still she'd thought he was funny, even if she didn't show it, and despite everything, she confessed that she at least liked him when he'd been inside her mind. He'd learned at first to admire her, her stoic strength and commitment to doing good. For him being a hero was the only thing available; what else was a green changeling supposed to do? Maybe go into acting? But Raven, she chose to be good, despite everything the people who'd raised her had said. She had to choose every day to be good. Then he'd turned into a monster himself and realized that he was making the same choice. Then admiration had turned to… something more. He'd pressed a penny into her hand for luck because he hadn't been able to tell her how much more he felt.

With Terra the attraction had been instant and mutual. With Raven… he couldn't decide when pretty had become beautiful. When exactly creepy had become elegant. All he knew for sure was that Robin and Starfire were finally being open about their feelings and he just felt- he wanted-

"Oh, Raven! Hi," he barked suddenly as the doors to the living room opened and her dark form emerged. He hadn't really meant to come here, yet here he was.

"Beast Boy," she greeted coolly, looking down her nose at him.

She was close, had been on her way out as he'd gone in. They'd practically bumped into each other literally. His heart pounded in his chest in response and a little flush creeped up his neck. Raven kept her feelings tamped down, in check, so she was hard for him to read. His fears told him she didn't like him, but the cool pressure of her hand on his arm when he fell in battle and the memory of her body pressed against his on the rare occasions when they'd hugged… the way she'd sometimes let him put an arm around her shoulder. Beast Boy hoped she liked him. He hoped there could be more. Like Robin and Starfire. Against all reason, against the clash of their natures, he wished for that.

"Do you wanna go out," he blurted, giving her an earnest look with those huge green eyes of his. The words were rushed and blurred together, incomprehensible. She cocked an eyebrow and he flushed deeply, trying again. "I mean, uh, I'm going out. Do you wanna, I don't know, maybe come with?"

"Go where," she asked, still in that gravely monotone. It wasn't an outright rejection and he beamed.

"Just out! Find a party somewhere and dance! I'm going stir-crazy in here; we've been cooped up forever!"

"We fought Cinderblock yesterday."

"Foreeeverrr," he elongated the word of emphasis. "Come on, Rae, it'll be fun! Just you and me, out on the town!"

"Give myself a headache with pounding music at some pointless party or go back to my room and read a book. How will I ever decide…"

"So you're thinking about it?"

"No. Good night Beast Boy."

She brushed by him, her cloak whispering across the tight fabric of his uniform. Underneath goosebumps pricked on his skin and he shivered. Her hands were cold but her body, like any human body, produced heat. They were close enough that, just for an instant, he could feel it, that heat. He wanted to grab her, insist that she come with him, then take her somewhere impressive. He wanted her to smile when did something cool on the dancefloor and laugh when he told a joke. Like Terra had… But that wasn't Raven. That wasn't going to happen. Her rejection stung even though he'd seen it coming and he stood for a moment in stiff silence.

"That's cool, no worries," he called after her, turning around and rubbing the back of his head. "I'll just take myself! It's gonna be loads of fun! You won't know what you're missing."

She waved dismissively over her shoulder, not looking back at him.

"She's gonna wish she'd come with," he muttered to himself, waiting for her to round the corner before heading back to his own room to change. If he'd known then how right he was, he wouldn't have gone out at all.

Beast Boy felt exposed, like he always did in public. He was a Teen Titan, a superhero, so people were used to seeing him. Still, their eyes lingered on his green skin and pointed ears. They whispered in tones they thought he couldn't hear things that weren't always flattering. In the group he was just one of the Titans, but alone he was, well, odd. Out of place. Not like them. He sensed it, felt their stares crawl across his skin, and he knew they weren't admiring his nice purple jacket or very stylish dark jeans. It's why he'd wanted someone to come with. Paired up the Titans were acceptable because no one was expected to interact with them. Best-case scenario the people of Jump were starstruck and shy. This was not best-case scenario.

He wondered the streets, up and down, shivering in the cold but unwilling to go back just yet. Right now he was feeling singed and rather like he'd like someone to come get him before he went back to the Tower. Feel bad for leaving him on his own. That wasn't going to happen; Robin and Starfire were too busy making eyes at each other to notice he'd even left, Cyborg was working diligently on the T-Car, and Raven… didn't want to be around him. He missed Terra, the way she'd looked at him like he was attractive. He missed her laughing at his jokes. No one else did that honestly, except for that pink Raven when he'd been in Raven's mind. That was the only way he knew she thought he was funny. That's right, Raven laughed at his jokes, even if she didn't show it. But Raven wasn't here.

"Excuse me," came an oily, female voice from behind him. "I'm sorry, you're Beast Boy, right?"

He turned around, surprised someone was actually talking to him. It was welcome, but a surprise nevertheless. She was cute too, with long brown hair and a pointed chin. She smiled at him beguilingly and he smiled back, feeling a need for positive attention satiated inside him. Her eyes were filled with admiration and… desire. Almost like a dog that had caught an appealing scent.

"Oh my gosh," she gushed, holding her delicate hands up to her mouth. "You are! You're him!"

"Good to know I remembered to put my green on today," he joked, pulling a bare hand out of his pocket and extending it in her direction. "Beast Boy, Teen Titan, Jump's resident changeling, at your service!"

"You have no idea how exciting it is to meet you," she chimed, accepting his hand without questioning the little points on his fingernails. "And on the full moon! It's like it was meant to be."

"Full moon," he asked, but she didn't seem to hear him. She was still holding his hand.

"Say," she said, still sounding very excited. "My friends and I are having a little party. It's just down the street if you'd like to come. They'd be so excited to meet you."

"Are you kidding? I've been looking for a party all night! Lead the way!"

Presumptuously, she interlaced her fingers in his and tugged him down the street. He frowned and smiled at the same time, shaking his head and wondering: why complain about the attention? It wasn't like he was getting any elsewhere. Though it was a little strange to be so familiar so suddenly. Most people stayed away from him. The others looked fairly normal, but him and Cyborg? There was no way they were going unnoticed. That was part of why they got along so well; they both understood what it meant to be completely and totally unable to blend in.

"I didn't catch your name," he said after a moment of intense walking. She turned him down an alley way, her hair bouncing with their brisk pace.

"It's Letha," she answered, keeping her eyes forward.

"Letha? That's pretty."

"It's wiccan. My friends and I, we're pagans. We're celebrating the full moon actually. It must be fate that you're here. We've been dying to meet you. You have no idea how long we've waited."

"Well, here I am!" His tone was sheepish and he let out an awkward sort of chuckle.

Of course he'd had people think he was cool before (who wouldn't?) but this was next level commitment. They were in a part of the city he'd never seen before when she stopped. Abruptly. He ran into her, catching a whiff of her hair. Lavender. Letha banged on a wooden door, which opened like someone was watching it. The sounds of thrumming music washed over Beast Boy along with the smells of dozens of humans all mashed together. The attendant took one look at him, smiled an overly elated smile, then welcomed them in. The music was loud and the lights were flashing blue and red. Strobing. Hands reached for his jacket and, ignoring his protests or maybe just not hearing them, stripped it from his back. Letha took his hand again and led him through the oscillating bodies to a set of tall tables at the far end of the room. Away from the speakers, Beast Boy found the music was only slightly deafening. He could hear himself think at least. Which was what he had wanted to get away from to be honest, but Letha was looking at him… hungrily. She poured a glass of yellow liquid from the pitcher on the table, added what looked to be a packet of sugar, then stirred with one of those little bar straws until the powder dissolved.

"Here," she offered, pressing it into his hand. "It's an elderflower punch. Most people prefer it sweetened."

"Thanks," he accepted, taking a nervous sip. "I see why, it's kinda bitter. Is it supposed to be like that?"

"I can add some sugar if you want. We don't usually put it out; most of our people prefer something less processed."

"Oh this is fine!" He took a long gulp and gave her a grin. "Honestly I'm just happy to be in out of the cold. It's wicked out there!"

"Winter tests our survival. It's when we find out who we really are."

"Is that, like, some kind of pagan saying?"

"One of my own. I like it when it's cold outside. I like coming into the warm."

"I hate the cold. It's hard to fight in and, you know, crime doesn't take a winter break!"

"No, no it doesn't. People are so selfish, always looking out for themselves, never considering the impact they're having on the world around them. It's disgusting."

"I wouldn't go that far," Beas Boy said with a hand wave. "Most people are good, just tryin' to get by with what they have. Not every city needs superheroes, you know; a lot get by with just the police."

"You really think that? That people are good?"

"I wouldn't stick up for them otherwise!"

He grinned innocently at her, taking another sip of punch. It was nice to be out, away from all his friends and their expectations, talking about his opinions with someone who was genuinely interested. And Letha was interested; she was leaning across the table to hear him better. Her eyes were huge and looked like they were glowing in the flashing lights. He hadn't caught their color, hadn't spent time looking at them until now. She was pretty, but she wasn't Terra. Her eyes had been sky blue and looking into them had been like falling up. He could tell instantly that she was hurting, that she needed him. He saw a different need in Letha's eyes, but a need nevertheless. It pulled him in, made him stupid. Raven didn't look at him like she needed him; her eyes were cold and controlled like her voice, so controlled he couldn't tell what she was thinking. It was nice to be looked at for a change, to be needed. He didn't notice the heat starting to build in his neck and face, didn't think anything of the bitter taste in his punch. Afterall, he was a Teen Titan! What did he have to fear at a pagan's party?

"My friends and I," she was saying, smiling at him and tilting her head beguilingly. "We're pagan, like I said. We believe in the power of nature, in the balance between humans and earth. There's a woman in Gotham who thinks only plants have a right to live, and we wouldn't go that far. But cities like Jump? Filled with selfish people who don't think twice about the destruction they cause? Something needs to be done."

Beast Boy nodded along, though truth be told he was having a hard time focusing over the music. He could feel the base in his chest like the sound waves were bouncing around off his ribs and puncturing the soft tissue of his organs. At a momentary loss for things to say, he downed the rest of his punch with a little face. She smiled, taking his glass, refilling it, and adding another packet of the white powder. He assumed it was some kind of sweetener, though really it wasn't sweet enough. Another mouthful brough a floral sort of bitterness to his tastebuds. The music was pounding in his head and the lights were flashing around him. Letha's face was sliding in and out of focus.

"I'm sorry, I'm ranting," she apologized. "We feel very strongly about this, but there will be time. How are you? Are you warming up?"

"It is warm," he commented with a little laugh, bringing his free hand up to the side of his neck. His pulse beat with the music under his palm and perspiration was wetting his skin. "It's really warm. Do you feel that? Is it just me?"

"No, you're right. What you're feeling is normal. I'm glad. We've been waiting a long time to meet you. We've had a long time to prepare."

He was sweating now, the heat bubbling in his flesh. Letha's voice was the exact right pitch to cut above the music and although he heard her perfectly, he was having a hard time understanding what she was saying. His stomach was churning and his eyes were dilating and he was really, really warm. Beast Boy set his glass intentionally down on the tabletop, but found his fingers didn't want to uncurl from the round plastic. When he finally did pry them off the lack of contact sent the world spinning and he grabbed the table edge with both hands instead. This was wrong- she was wrong, it wasn't normal. He closed his eyes and gave his head a little shake, but that just made it worse. For a moment he felt very stupid, coming out here on his own, accepting drinks from a stranger. But that too faded into the music and the room spinning around him and a little part of him realized his brain had stopped recording information.

"Many pagans follow the wisdom of the Triple Goddess, Maiden, Mother, and Crone, and seek tolerance and transcendence. My friends and I, though, we believe there's an animal inside all of us. We are the Children of Herne and we'll bring the Wild Hunt to Jump. But we can't do it on our own."

"What… what did you…" he tried to ask, but the words were sticking to his mouth, he swallowed and shook his head again, clinging to the table.

Hands came from behind him, grabbing his arms, supporting him and pulling him backwards. Letha's face had changed, elongated and emptied, the skull of a deer. The music was still pounding and the lights were flashing, but the movement around him was different. His eyes couldn't focus on one thing and what they were doing was happening in a blur. Desperately, he thought to change, to shift into something small and stumble away, but his body wouldn't respond. He rubbed his fingers together and had the strangest sensation of not feeling his own flesh. It was like he wasn't in his body, like the heat had boiled him out and he was just a vapor floating outside, watching it all happen.

"That's why we need you, that's why you came here. You don't know it yet, but we knew as soon as we heard about you. You are the Horned God, the fusion of animal and man. But they've caged you, made you think you're something you're not. We're going to set you free, and then you'll bring the great reckoning. There is no hunting like the hunting of a man."

The hands pulled at his arms and his legs gave out beneath him. I have to get out of here he thought, squeezing his eyes shut and grasping at the fear, trying to focus around it. Before they do whatever they're going to do. I have to get out of here.

"Don't try to fight, Beast Boy of the Teen Titans," Letha whispered, grabbing his chin and bringing her mouth to his ear. "This compound was made just for you, and just enough for tonight. I know you don't understand, not yet. Don't be afraid; we're going to help you."

He felt himself being dragged, heard a door open and close, then felt moisture on his skin. The hands released him and he crumpled to his knees, head lulling onto his chest and hands just barely bracing on the wooden floor. Only it didn't feel like wood, it felt mushy and alive. Was that his heart pounding in his palms or something else entirely? He couldn't get away; his body wouldn't listen to him. So he had to call for help. Fighting for consciousness, he pried one hand up off the ground and reached for the communicator on his belt. Someone would come for him, someone would stop this, he just had to hold out- Something entirely inhuman coiled around his wrist, halting its progress towards the communicator. Beast Boy willed his eyes open and struggled to make sense of what greeted them. There, just inches from his face, was a domed, fungal mass. White, like the full moon outside. As he stared at it it stared back, moving like there were bubbles beneath its flesh. Then it convulsed and released a white powder into Beast Boy's face. He coughed, sputtering, his arms giving out and sending him face first into the ground. The powder burned his lungs and, as consciousness finally left him completely, he felt it start to burn in his blood too.