I4.6
Chapter 13: Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Adult themes. DO NOT read if you are underage or dislike controversial things.
Author's Note: Ohhh, the plot thickens.
The sound of Rachel's bra hitting the floor barely registers in Richard's mind. The two members of the Titians are hyper aware of their youngest member who is trying to get out of bed. Richard is the first person to step out from behind the curtain to check on him. He and Beastboy might be at odds right now, but that doesn't mean that Richard wants him to injure himself more than necessary. There is no telling how this drug will impact someone whose powers are as volatile as his.
"Hey there, Beastboy. How are you feeling?" Richard gently asks with his hands up in a placating manner. Hopefully, if he stays calm, the unstable man will respond in kind. The sharp way that Beastboy snaps up his head at the sound of Richard's voice makes his body tense. Locked in the middle of his fight or flight response. But, it was the look in Beastboy's eyes that gave him pause. The changeling looks so dazed and confused by what is happening to his body that Richard kind of felt guilty for doing what he did. When Richard drank the teaspoon of I4.6, he did so knowing what will happen to him, so he did not fight the effects and just let it happen. Beastboy doesn't have that kind of background knowledge and it shows in how helpless he looks.
"Robin…," comes the green man's groggy voice, "What's happening to me? Everything feels so strange and...cold." That is when Richard notices that his teeth are slightly chattering against one another and the green man was shivering. He feels a presence behind him and knows that it is Rachel...with her shirt on. She is staring at her comrade in concern and moves to help him sit up fully in the bed. Richard watches closely as she helps him maneuver his legs over the side of the bed so that he is in a seated position.
"Do you think you can walk, Beastboy?" she asks gently. He shakes his head in the negative. He starts working his jaw as though he is trying to put words together but it is taking more effort than it should. Richard has had first hand experience with this feeling. It's almost as if everything is under water and in slow motion. When he was under the initial effects of the drug, his mind was fully alert, but his body refused to follow along. It made for a very frustrating situation.
Beastboy slurs, "I...I can't control my body. It...it's like...don't wanna move."
That statement is followed by an aggressive head shake which just makes him dizzy. Richard knows that the best thing he can do is lie back down and just wait for his body to purge itself of the drug. But first, he walks over to one of the larger cabinets in the medic bay. Inside, there are various blankets of different sizes and materials. The changeling is complaining of the cold and Rachel is nodding and cooing to the distressed man as her eyes track their leader. Richard could feel her gaze on his back as he pulls out an electric blanket. What are you thinking? The thought of his beloved thinking about him and the moment they just had makes him happy and helps to cool some of his anger towards her and some of the jealousy he feels at seeing her nursing their teammate. Even in this high intensity and uncertain situation, she is looking at him. Thinking about him. Responding to him.
He eyes the pair as he makes his way back over to them. Beastboy is slouched over on the edge of the hospital bed while Rachel is standing beside him and supporting some of his weight. The changeling looks at though he is trying to keep the room from spinning while sucking up as much of her warmth as he can. His head is resting on her shoulder and he is mumbling something that only she can hear. She is nodding her head in a placating fashion as though she is just agreeing with him to put his mind at ease. That's when Richard realizes that she is not wearing her bra. The fabric of her dark shirt hides it well, but the medic bay is kept colder than the rest of the tower for sterilization purposes. Twin nipples are standing at attention under Richard's attentive stare. He actively suppresses the urge to lick his lips in anticipation. This was not the time or the place for those livacious thoughts, but he couldn't stop himself from smirking when he noticed that those very same nipples hardened even more under his gaze.
Richard glances up to Rachel's face and their eyes make contact. She looks away but is slightly frowning with a blush on her face. He can't tell if it is from worry over Beastboy or because she caught him ogling her braless breasts. She is still not looking at him as she quietly whispers to the man in her arms, "I promise. I'll stay away. Just rest. You are not well. Just rest, Beastboy."
"...stay away...he...dangerous...like a predator," are the unintelligent things that the patient is saying to her. Who is dangerous? Who is like a predator? Surely not him. He is the trustworthy and ever dependable Richard Grayson. The leader of their team. The man with the plan. The one they look to for leadership and to provide them with a moral compass. He is not a danger to anyone...who is not the enemy. However, if Beastboy wants to make an enemy out of him by not keeping his trap shut, then so be it. Rachel is already on edge because of his more aggressive advances towards her. They were disguised as friendly, well meaning gestures, but he is sure that she has picked up on the sexual undertones by now. He was just trying to take her pants off while admiring her curves and rubbing vitamin k cream on the bruises that he gave her.
Richard will do the right thing by Beastboy for now. He hasn't done anything too far out of the way besides warn her to be careful and maybe attempted to kiss her the other night. Until he shows that he can't be trusted at all, Richard will still look out for him like a good leader should. It's not like he hates the changeling, but their relationship with one another has become more complicated in recent years. When the team was originally founded, they had a working relationship. Countless trials and tribulations had evolved that relationship into a loose friendship, but ever since Beastboy started puberty, he has become more defiant. An alpha male personality has started to emerge. He had began his mini rebellion by grumbling and complaining under his breath about the assignments and training regiment Richard has assembled, but as time went on, he became more openly oppositional and vocal about the management of leadership. He is the only one with any real complaints about Richard's governance of the team, yet, he cannot offer up a better way to do things. Everyone just wrote this off as a change in hormones and the growing pains of youth, including Richard. That was until he realized that the growing changeling is also experiencing his sexual awakening and had set his sights on Rachel. Richard didn't care about whether or not his interest in her is genuine or if he saw this as just another opportunity to push against the authority figure in his life. When he first noticed this interest, Richard's disapproval stemmed from a place of protectiveness over his fragile friend. Now, his open hostility and borderline distain for the green man is pouring out of a well of possessiveness that even he can't fully explain. He just knew that the green beast should tread carefully and not step too far out of bounds.
Until then...he will wear the mask of Robin, the good leader who is willing to look pass the petty faults of his trusted teammates. These are Richard's thoughts as he wraps the electric blanket around the patient and helps Rachel situate him back in bed.
"Listen, Beastboy. I know you're anxious," Richard starts as the changeling tries to focus his eyes on him, "but Cyborg is running some tests on your blood sample to figure out what is wrong with you. Do you have any idea how this might have happened?"
Richard knew damn well how this happened, but he has to play the part and ask the questions. He watches Rachel take the clawed hand of her friend and gently stroke the paw. Her low voice asking, "Anything that you can remember? You were fine this morning."
The Adam's apple in his throat bobs up and down as he attempts to swallow before answering, "Water?" Rachel nods her head to his request and makes her way to a mini fridge in the corner of the room. There is juices and shakes that are packed with electrolytes, protein and any other thing a patient might need to get better. She grabs a small water bottle but before she can break the seal on the cap Richard says, "That water might be too cold for him. He's been complaining about being cold, that's why I brought him the electric blanket. You should give him tap from the sink."
She nods in realization and Richard turns his attention back to the man on the bed. They lock eyes with one another before the changeling looks away. Richard half wonders what is going through the young man's head. What dangerous and rebellious thoughts are lurking there? He shifts his gaze to the machines that are hooked on to Beastboy. His vitals seem to be stable, but his temperature is lower than it should be and his breathing is labored. His kidneys and liver are stable and are working to filter out the drug from his system. If Richard's estimation is accurate, then Beastboy would be back to himself in two to three days, in the best case scenario, and a week if something unexpected were to happen. In the mean time, he should be on strict bed rest, but Richard did not want Rachel being his nurse. The changeling seems to be enjoying himself too much as she gently supports his head so that he can swallow the room temperature water. His raspy voice breaks the silence.
"I dunno what happen. I was fine...in kitchen, then I felt...I felt dizzy. Like...my eyes couldn't focus," there is a deep breath followed by a few slow blinks. He is working on putting his thoughts together as he stares at the ceiling. His eyes are starting to droop as though he wants to go to sleep. Richard knew that it was best to leave him alone so that he can concentrate on getting better and reaches for Rachel's hand to pull her closer to him. The sudden movement catches Beastboy's eyes and when Richard wraps his hand around her thin wrist there is a low, violent growl that rumbles in the green beast's chest. His teeth are bared and pointy, his hands and feet are shifting into claws and he begins hyperventilating.
Both teammates take a slow, cautious step away from the bed. There is no telling how he will react. He can feel Rachel pulling on her power, but he gently tugs on the wrist in his hand and shakes his head "no." Such an action might cause him to feel more threatened which, in turn, might cause him to attack one or both of them. Thankfully, she catches on to his message and allows her powers to recede. Instead, she tries talking to her sick companion.
"Beastboy, you're alright. It's okay. You're among friends. There is no one here who wants to hurt you," she says in a calming voice. "You just need to allow yourself to relax. Dick and I will take care of you."
The mention of Richard's name has the changeling growling as his claws tighten around the metal bedrails on the small hospital bed. The sound of scraping metal filling the air. His green eyes have narrowed into slits and are bouncing back and forth between the two birds who are still holding hands. Rachel notices that it is Richard's hold on her that is causing Beastboy to react so violently. Every time his eyes land on where they are joined, there is a hiss or a growl from the enraged man. She is not sure why that is the case, but she attempts to break free of her friend's hold in an effort to calm their patient. Her attempt is thwarted by Richard who refuses to let her go. In his mind, letting her go now, would be the same as giving her up. This moment is a power play move of dominance for the two males in the room. Richard understands that Beastboy, in his state of delirium, is reverting back to his baser instincts. If he were to yield and let go of her hand, then he would essentially be giving the beast what he wants. He would be teaching the changeling that he would give up in the face of his aggression. This isn't just about a woman anymore. It is about power, leadership and who owns it.
All of these nuances of the situation flies over Rachel's head because she doesn't quite understand what is at stake. She just knows that there is a sick Titian, who is incredibly powerful, losing control of his mind and his powers. That same titian is baring his fangs at Richard. Fangs that are dripping with saliva and promising pain. Eyes that are narrowed into slits like a predator. Ears that are extra pointy and pulled back in a show of aggression. Hands are fully formed in the shape of claws with the faint markings of tiger strips starting to ghost over his green skin. She is afraid. Not of her friend, but for her friend. She has no idea how Beastboy became sick, what exactly is happening to him, how to fix it or even how to calm him. She is even more unnerved by Richard's response to all of this. He doesn't seem as worried or concern as he should be, in her opinion. She couldn't put her finger on why. All she knows is that she needs to bring this situation to an end.
"Dick!" she hisses at him as she tried to yank her hand out his grasp while not taking her eyes off Beastboy. Richard still refuses to let her go, even in the face of this danger. The danger that is crawling his way out of the bed and onto the floor on all fours. Half human, half animal. For some reason, Beastboy doesn't seem to be able to shift all the way into his customary tiger form. She tries to twist her wrist out of Richard's hand as they both back away from the bed.
"Don't let go, Rachel," Richard says, "that's what he wants."
"I don't think it's such a bad idea to give him what he wants right now," she retorts as there is another low growl from the angry man stalking closer to them. The tips of his extended claw clicking on the tiled floor of the medic bay.
"If we give him what he wants, then he will start demanding more," Richard quietly replies.
"...I don't know what the hell that means, Dick," she says. She doesn't understand that this show was just that. A show of displeasure. Almost like a deadly temper tantrum from the green beast. His body seems to be functioning on instinct, right now. He appears to be unable to hold a singular form for very long and it is his appendages that are shifting. Eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hand and limbs are starting to change again, but his torso is still humanoid. This time, instead of growing fur, he is sprouting scales. His tongue flicks out of his mouth once...twice...and on the third time it is forked like a snake's. The shape of his head flattens a little and the structure of his jaw begins to morph into something more reptilian. His low, rumbling growls have transformed into high pitched hisses. Richard looks on with fascination while Rachel is staring in horror. Oh the notes he will make in the database tonight!
"Dick...what do we do?" Rachel urgently asks. She has maneuvered her hand in his grip and is now holding Richard's hand. Her moment of fear and panic at the changes happening before her very eyes has her seeking comfort from her leader. Her leader, who is suspiciously as cool as a cucumber in this insane situation. She is not sure if she should feel relieved or concerned with Richard's demeanor and general reaction to this situation. There is a nagging suspicion floating around in the back of her head that she doesn't want to acknowledge because it just doesn't make sense. She spares a glance his way and is thoroughly disturbed by Richard's expression of excitement? Glee? Fascination? All of the above?
"Don't look at me like that. Keep your eyes on him, Rachel. We don't know when or if he will attack," is his response as he laces his fingers with hers. "If he does attack, I need you to use your powers to contain him."
She is frowning in response and suddenly tries to pull away from him again. What she is seeing doesn't match with what she knows about her leader and dearest friend. There is hardly any worry or concern about their teammate who is withering on the floor in pain and confusion. Instead, she is met with the sight of a mad scientist in the middle of an experiment that is going well. She is both shocked by what she is seeing and appalled when he would not release her fingers.
"Stay focused! We don't know what will happen next," Richard barks at her as his grip on her fingers become painful. He looks into her eyes and realizes that he is letting too much slip in the heat of this moment, but still refuses to let go of her. At this point, Beastboy is no longer paying attention to either one of them because he is curled up in a ball on the floor besides his hospital bed. His whimpers sound sad and pitiful to the ears. He looks atrocious. Like an abomination from a genetic mutation gone wrong. His body is covered in fur with scaly green patches poking through. His hands are curved in the shape of talons while his feet have morphed into hooves. There appears to be a horn trying to grow out of the left side of his head, where his ear should be. The tears streaming down his face and the raspy gasps of air as he cries for help pull at the heart strings.
Even Richard, who has been morbidly fascinated by the effects of I4.6 up until this point, feels sorry for the suffering young man. He had assumed that the drug would just have cut off Beastboy's ability to shift, not make it so that he could not control his powers. It appears as though he still has access to his abilities, but it is governed by his emotional state. When he was calm, he experienced many of the same symptoms that Richard did, but once he felt a strong negative emotion, like jealousy, his powers responded like a reflex. A reflex that the green beast has no control over. The more unstable he is emotionally and mentally, the more unstable his connection and control over his abilities become. This is a dangerous mix. The chemical compounds of this drug are going to need to be reevaluated.
A painful and pitiful moan snaps Richard back to attention. This was not at all what he had intended. He lets go of Rachel's hand and carefully makes his way to Beastboy's side. Ready to jump back to safety if the young man shows any signs of hostility. But, the green beast is quivering like a new born puppy from the cold. His talons are trying to hold his face as he cries, but he is slicing open his skin in the process. His hooves are curled up beneath him as a tiger's tail curls around his body as he tries to comfort himself. Richard is at a lost as to what to do in this situation, but he does know that he has to keep him warm and calm him down. This situation has gotten too far out of hand and extremely dangerous.
"Rachel," he quietly says so as not to add more chaos to this moment. Her head snaps to attention at the sound of her name and she wipes the tears away from her eyes as she looks to her leader to lead her. "He is still dangerously cold. I'm going to spread the blanket on the bed and when I'm done I need you to gently lift him onto the bed. Can you do that?"
She vigorously nods her head and begins summoning her dark powers. The air becomes denser and more oppressive which makes Beastboy whimper. He is starting to hyperventilate from the heaviness in the air, so Richard moves quickly to spread the blanket on the bed. When he has everything situated to his liking he says, "Now Rachel."
She uses her powers to gingerly lift her suffering comrade off the cold ground and float him into the warm bed. When his body hits the surface, Richard turns to Rachel with even more instructions.
"Get Cyborg on the communicator. I want to give him a tranquilizer to help him calm down, but I don't know how much to give or even if there are other drugs in his system," Richard says. This is somewhat of a lie. He knows that there are drugs in Beastboy's system. He knows what the ingredients are. What he doesn't know is how the changeling's body is responding to the concoction internally and if giving him any more chemicals would harm him even more. Or worse, kill him. Make no mistake, Richard doesn't want the youngest member of his team to die. He doesn't want him to suffer irreparable damages. He doesn't want him to hurt this badly, either. What he wants is for this fool to back down before Richard's authority and back away from Rachel.
"Got it," she says with a shaky voice as she initiates the call on her communicator. Her eyes never leave Richard and the patient as she waits for the metal man to pick up. She saw a side to her best friend that scared her just now. A side that is so different from what she is seeing right now. Right before her eyes, Richard is gently cradling Beastboy's head and situating it more comfortably on the pillow. He is brushing the hair out of his sweat and blood soaked face before moving to wrap his shivering body more securely in the electric blanket. He is carefully reattaching the IVs and monitoring equipment before tucking the deadly looking talons close to the changeling's body. Then, he tightly draws the blanket across his chest. Richard is, essentially, swaddling the patient like a new born babe. This makes sense to keep away the cold, to help keep him calm and to keep everyone a little more safer incase he becomes erratic again.
"What's up, Raven?" The deeper voice of Cyborg pulls her eyes back down to the communicator in her hand. She has to force herself to relax her grip on the device before she cracks it. "How is Beastboy?"
"Um...there was an incident. You should come back to the medic bay and bring some tranquilizers with you," she responds, "we'll fill you in when you get here."
There is silence on the other end of line before a deep sigh is heard and a tired, worried voices says, "I'm on my way."
There is a beep as the call is ended and Rachel is looking at Richard again. Was what she thought she saw just a figment of her imagination? There is no way that her empathic leader could be capable of such a maniacal expression on his face at the suffering of someone else; much less a fellow teammate. No, that couldn't be possible. Not when she lays eyes on the amount of concern shining through Richard's face and body language in this moment. Beastboy is tucked firmly inside the blanket and Richard is wiping the cold sweat off the of the green man's forehead. He is analyzing the grooves of Beastboy's face and checking to see how well his eyes can focus on his finger. He is also softly asking the sick man questions to determine how lucid he is as he is soothingly stroking his green hair.
"Do you know what today is, Beastboy?" Richard barely whispers to him.
"I...I think it's Tuesday?" comes a weak reply.
"Can you describe what you're feeling right now?" he tenderly asks. Rachel wants to approach the two, but it worried about ruining this calm moment. It is best for Beastboy to focus on only one person at a time.
"Dizzy. Cold. Tired," there is a sad sob before he asks, "Why can't I see clearly, Robin? What is happening to me?"
"We're going to find out. Cyborg is running some tests. He'll be here in a minute," Richard coos to him. There is a slight nod from the green man on the bed as the leader of the Titians continues to stroke his hair. Maybe Rachel had imagined what she saw earlier? Maybe the uncertainty and fear of the moment caused her to misjudge the expression on her dearest friend's face? That wasn't real. It couldn't have been. She has known Richard for a very long time. She has seen him happy, sad, stressed, depressed and just about any other emotion you can think of. She had never seen maliciousness contort his handsome features before. She must have imagined it. But, if that were true, then why does her hand hurt so much? His grip on her was like steel. Was it because he didn't want her to get close because of the danger? That sounds just about right. It was an uncertain moment and neither one of them knew what to do so he clung to her for...comfort?
Rachel's thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the medic bay's metal doors swooshing open. There is a gust of wind that causes Beastboy to shiver a little. His body temperature is lower than it should be. Cyborg comes up beside her with three tranquilizer needles in hand and turns to her to ask, "What happened?'"
"Beastboy...I think he lost control of his ability to shift properly. I'm not sure how to explain it," she frowns as she tries to figure out how to start the story. She is not too keen on telling the metal man about what she and Richard had been doing behind the other curtain. They weren't doing anything "wrong" per se, but that moment felt too intimate for just administering medicine to a wound. His hands had felt like they were exploring her whole back instead of targeting the impacted area. What Rachel doesn't realize is that Richard is listening in as the patient begins to doze on the bed.
Rachel continues, "When Beastboy woke up, he was struggling to get out of bed. Then, he saw Dick and I and just went feral. He started growling at us and then hissing. He was trying to shift, but it was almost like he couldn't decide on what to shift into or just couldn't hold it. He was aggressive for a few minutes, but didn't attack us. Then, he started shifting into what you see on the bed and kinda collapsed. Dick and I got him on the bed and that's when we called you."
Cyborg has been watching the interaction between their leader and the youngest member of the team as he listens to Rachel recounting the events. He wasn't there to see what she saw. Well, what she thinks she saw. The picture before her is that of a kind and caring man, trying to help someone in need. Cyborg is probably thinking the same thing as he makes his way closer to the bed to check in on his friend. He gingerly lifts the edge of the blanket to see the talons of Beastboy's hands. The hooves are peaking out the bottom side of the blanket. He shakes his head at the unnaturalness of the situation.
Richard breaks the silence with, "I think it might be best to put him under for a little. Just so that he can get a good rest. Did you get the lab results back, yet?"
Cyborg shakes his head again, "I'm waiting for the machines to finish doing their thing before I collect all the results, but there doesn't seem to be any red flag chemicals. I don't see why we won't be able to give him a little. Just to help ease his nerves."
Both men are nodding their heads in agreement, but Rachel pipes up, "Are you sure that's a good idea? We don't really know what's in his system, yet. Wouldn't it be better to wait until we know for sure?"
"That would be ideal," Richard begins, "but you saw what he was like just now. If he is overstimulated by anything, he might lash out again. It's better to be safe than sorry for all of us."
She understands his point, but the thought of putting even more chemicals into their green friend just didn't sit right with the empath. She thinks of just healing him with her powers, but she has never had to purge's someone's system of poison before. That's assuming that he was even poisoned in the first place. She watches on, helplessly, as Cyborg administers a small amount of tranquilizers into Beastboy's IV. The changeling's eyes are slowly starting to droop and his labored breathing is evening out. Within minutes, he appears to be resting peacefully on the bed.
"Rachel," Richard calls to her and she responds by raising her head in his direction. "You should rest for now. You have the 3rd shift. Remember?"
"Yes," she says. There is a part of her that is exhausted by what has happened and just wants to escape this room and there is another part of her that wants to stay and watch over her sick friend. She is still lost in thought as she turns away from these two men and slow walks to the door. She turns her head one more time and looks at her leader. Shakes her head and walks out the door.
When she is gone, Richard turns to Cyborg and says, "You don't have to stay. I can stay with him until you're done in the lab."
The metal man puts his hand on Richard's shoulder, "It's alright. There isn't much I can do in the lab until the machines finish running the analysis. I would just be sitting there and worrying about him. I might as well just sit here and worry about him."
"Are you sure," Richard says as he frowns up at the older man. "I know you're just as tired and stressed out as the rest of us."
"It's fine," comes the good natured response, "You should go check up on Starfire. Fill her in on what's happened here and check in about the city."
Richard nods his head. He has first hand accounts of what I4.6 can do to a shifter. He can get anything else that he needs from the medical reports that Cyborg will put together. Besides, there are two other teammates that he really needs to talk to. He turns to Cyborg one more time and says, "Call me so I can come back when you need to go back to the lab. I'll come relieve you, so that someone is with him at all times."
"Thanks man," he replies and turns his attention back to Beastboy. He rolls the stool besides his best friend's bed and sits with a heavy sigh.
Richard walks behind the curtain that divides Beastboy's section and the section where he was attending to Rachel's injuries. Sure enough, the tube of vitamin k cream is on the floor and, kicked under the bed, is Rachel's abandoned bra. He picks up the black garment and studies it as he thinks about the best way to approach her about what happened today. He had let his mask slip a little bit too low and while he is remorseful that his experiment took a turn for the worse, he doesn't quite regret it. He now has valuable information that could be useful in the future, but he knows that he needs to do some damage control before Rachel's mind paints a very different picture of him.
You MEAN before she recognizes the truth about you!