Just made it. I thought I was going to miss today but somehow I made the deadline. So a continuation of the story.

Beast boy's POV

"Yeah, maybe you're right," I had said, trying to convince myself. Raven was smart, always calm and calculated, and when she gave advice, it was usually worth listening to. So that's what I did. I went to Lucy's place, and the words tumbled out before I could stop them. "I've got some stuff to take care of, so I won't be able to go adventuring with you for a while." I hated every second of saying that. The look on her face—a mix of disappointment, understanding but mainly the worst of them all, trust— which nearly shattered my resolve. She believed me without question, and I was lying right to her face. It was devastating.

A couple of days went by, and I tried to keep busy. I poured myself into training, setting up an obstacle course, lifting weights, pushing my powers to their limits just to see how far I could go. I thought if I got stronger, if I figured out a way to make sense of everything, maybe it would all be worth it. But every time I finished a workout or tried to focus, my mind would drift back to Lucy and the way I'd left things.

I checked in on her a few times, just to keep up appearances, telling her I was still working on myself. Each time, I could see the doubts growing in her eyes, the unspoken question: *Why are you really avoiding me?* But she never said it out loud, and I didn't have the courage to bring it up.

And then it happened. I was mid-way through another round of training when Raven's voice cut through my thoughs. *Beast Boy, that girl's in trouble. She's fighting off a boar and a pack of wolves on her own!*

I didn't waste a second. I shifted into a hawk, wings beating frantically as I soared toward her location. I pushed myself to the limit, flying faster than I ever had before. By the time I got there, Lucy was barely holding on, her blade dripping with blood, fighting off a wolf. I crashed into the pack as a tiger, clawing and growling, scattering the wolves before they could tear into her.

When the last wolf fled into the forest, I looked back at Lucy. She was on her feet, shaken but alive, blood and dirt streaked across her face. She didn't say thank you, didn't scold me for being late. She just looked at me with this mix of anger, hurt, and something that scared me more than anything—disappointment. I'd let her down. And it hit me harder than any claw or bite ever could.

I realized then that all my excuses, all my efforts to avoid her, had only made things worse. I had hurt her by not being there when she needed me, and I wasn't sure if this was something I could just fix by showing up at the last minute.

That Night

I stood outside Lucy's door, clutching a small bouquet of wildflowers in my hand. I'd never been the type for grand gestures like this, but I didn't know anyways to make things right between us and raven suggested this since lucy acted like a boy she wouldn't have gotten any flowers before, so it should help my case.

I knocked, feeling the weight of my mistakes settle in my chest.

The door opened, and there she was—Lucy, still tough as nails, though a bit worse for wear. Her eyes went straight to the flowers, and I could see the surprise flicker across her face and a bit hesitantly, like she didn't know what to make of it.

"Hey," I said, feeling more awkward than I'd ever admit. "These are for you and...can I come it."

"For me?" She held the flowers, not quite meeting my eyes. There was a brief moment where I thought I saw something soften in her, but it vanished just as quickly she moved to the side so i could enter the house.

I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to find the right words. "Look, Lucy, I've been avoiding you, and that's on me. I've been distant because... I needed some space to figure things out."

She raised an eyebrow, arms crossed, waiting for me to continue.

"I wasn't completely honest before, and you deserve the truth," I said, my voice steadying, I took a deep breath. "In my world, you were different. You were a villain, named Jinx—a powerful one. We fought more times than I can count, and you tried to kill me and my friends. But that's not the whole story."

I paused, trying to gauge her reaction, but her expression remained guarded. I pressed on. "You were dangerous, yeah, but you were also one of the most skilled and talented fighters I've ever seen. Fierce, determined… a woman that none of my friends would mess with unless they had to. And I respected you for that, even when we were on opposite sides."

Lucy's gaze hardened, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes—curiosity, maybe. She wasn't used to hearing things like this, not about herself, even if it was technically another version of her.

"I guess, part of me… I didn't know how to deal with having you here," I admitted, feeling a mix of frustration and guilt. "I was scared, not of you exactly well maybe a little but there was another different reason but that's not important now. I thought keeping my distance would help, but it just made things worse. You didn't deserve to be left hanging because of my issues."

She stayed quiet, staring at the flowers in her hand as if they held some kind of answer.

"So, here's the thing," I continued, meeting her eyes. "I'm done running away. I want to make things right, and I want to be there when it counts. I'll train with you, help you get stronger, and we'll take on whatever quest or monsters that comes next, together. And if you still hate me for all this…you can come at me."

Lucy looked at me, and for the first time, I could see she was considering my words. There was no instant forgiveness, no grand resolution, but there was something there—a small crack in the wall between us.

"What if I don't forgive you and try to kill you like the other jinks, can you take that risk with me"

"Yes, i can" I said instantaneous "you have been nothing but nice to me from the beginning and i was an asshole. So yes I can"

She nodded slowly, a silent agreement that things weren't fixed but that we could at least start trying. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I was ready to put in the work.

We weren't enemies, not anymore. And maybe, just maybe, we could build back the trust and maybe something stronger together.

The Next Day, The Training Began.

"Alright, Lucy. This is what I want you to do," I said, standing in front of her. She was armed with a wooden sword and a shield, her usual leather armor on. We were in an empty field, the wind softly rustling the grass around us. I kept my stance loose, ready for whatever came next. "I want you to come at me with everything you've got. Fight me like you're trying to kill me."

A smirk played on her lips. "That's not going to be a problem."

Before I could blink, Lucy rushed at me, her movements sharp and quick. She didn't waste any time with hesitation. The wooden sword came slashing down, aimed right at my shoulder. I sidestepped, but she was relentless. She followed up with a shield bash, forcing me to leap back to avoid getting slammed.

"Not bad," I muttered, circling her, testing her footwork. She moved well, aggressive and precise, but I could see openings—big ones.

She lunged again, this time lower, aiming for my legs. I moved my body slightly, allowing her strike to glance off harmlessly as I pivoted around her. The shield came up, swinging toward my face, but I ducked under it and rolled out of the way.

"You're fast," I complimented, backing up as she charged once more. She swung the sword again, this time feinting left before cutting to the right, but I saw it coming. I grabbed her wrist, twisting her arm just enough to disarm her, and the wooden sword fell to the ground.

She cursed under her breath and stepped back, but there was no frustration in her eyes—only focus.

"Come on, Lucy, is that all you've got?" I taunted, giving her the chance to regroup.

Without a word, she dashed forward again, this time leading with the shield. I braced myself, but she surprised me by dropping low at the last second, sweeping my legs out from under me with a quick kick. I hit the ground with a thud.

Before I could react, she was on me, sword back in hand, the tip of it pressing against my throat. "Looks like I've got you."

A grin tugged at my lips. "Looks can be deceiving." But just as she was about to ease up, I shifted into a snake, slipping out from beneath her hold in a split second. In my new form, I coiled around her ankle, pulling her off balance before transforming back.

She hit the ground hard, but not enough to hurt herself. Glaring up at me, she quickly scrambled to her feet, ready for round two.

"hey, no fair" she huffed, brushing off the dirt.

"Lesson one: Don't assume other's are going to fight fair," I said, grinning. "Now, again."

This time, Lucy adjusted her stance, a little more cautious, a little more methodical. She knew I could switch forms at any time, and she wasn't going to let herself get caught off guard again. Her strikes came in with precision—controlled, deliberate. She was learning, adapting quickly.

I let her push me, dodging and parrying, giving light jabs, punches and kicks but never fully engaging. I wanted her to get a feel for how I fought, for how quick she had to be. Each time she got closer, I'd shift into a smaller, more agile form—a hawk, a humming bird, a monkey—just enough to frustrate her, but also to show her the limits of her approach.

Finally, after what felt like hours of sparring, she managed to land a solid blow, the wooden sword connecting with my arm. I hissed in pain, but grinned at the same time. "That's more like it."

Lucy stepped back, breathing heavily, sweat dripping from her forehead. "You're a nightmare to fight, you know that?"

"I do," I said, shaking out my arm where she hit me. "But you're getting better. Faster. Stronger."

She didn't say anything, just nodded, her eyes still locked on me, determined.

"Alright," I said, lowering my stance. "One last push. This time, give me everything you've got. No holding back."

Lucy charged again, her moves now more precise, every swing of her sword sharper, more calculated. She wasn't just attacking wildly anymore—she was learning from every strike, every dodge, and every counter.

I smiled, feeling a surge of pride. This was what I wanted to see—the real Lucy. The fighter. The survivor.

And this time, when her wooden sword clashed with my arm, I didn't dodge. I took the hit, let it sting, and then stepped back, lowering my hands. "Good."

She stood there, breathing hard, but with a glimmer of satisfaction in her eyes. "Did I win?"

I smirked, rubbing my bruised arm. "Let's just say… you didn't lose."

"So, what do you think?" Lucy asked, still catching her breath from the sparring session. Her eyes were sharp, searching my face for any sign of how she'd done.

I paused, trying to gather my thoughts. The old memories of getting contrastive criticism by Robin and Mento flickered in my mind—harsh critiques, nothing ever good enough. Mento would tear you down so you could "rebuild better," and Robin... well, he was all about precision and perfection, no room for error.

I thought to myself as a smile came on my lips. *Yeah, just do the opposite of them and I am good*

"Honestly?" I started, meeting her eyes. "You were great out there. Fast, smart, and you adapt quickly. That's not something everyone can do, especially in the heat of the moment."

Her eyebrow raised slightly, like she wasn't expecting that. "But?"

I grinned. "But... there are a few things we can work on. You've got the aggression, which is good, but you need to focus on controlling it more. You leave yourself open when you go all-in. Like when you tried to bash me with your shield? I could see that coming from a mile away."

She nodded, listening carefully. "And?"

"And," I continued, "you've got to remember—fights aren't just about overpowering someone. It's about outthinking them, too. You're skilled, no doubt, but sometimes it felt like you were relying on brute force a bit too much, and it didn't feel like you were a strength build. you've more of a quick moving fighter."

Lucy processed what I said, nodding slowly. "So, work on speed and precision?"

"Exactly. You've already got the dexterity and the speed, but sharpening your awareness and control will take you even further. And the fact that you kept pushing, even when I shifted forms, shows you've got the endurance. Not many people would've stuck with it like you did."

A small smile tugged at her lips. "Thanks. That means a lot coming from you."

I scratched the back of my head. "Yeah, well, I mean it. You're gonna get stronger, Lucy. We'll keep working on this together. And who knows? Maybe one day you'll be the one beating me into the ground."

She let out a laugh at that, but I could see the fire in her eyes. She was ready for whatever came next.

"Why don't we call it a day and come back tomorrow. We can do a quest and we can try this again but with different weapons and train in other area's"

Ok guys that's a wrap. I know the chapter felt slow but I wanted to expand upon jinks and also have beast boy act as a teacher. The next few chapters will also have more to do about jink's training and the result of it all.

Current Chapter 25 September 2024

Next Chapter 30 September 2024