Evolution

Disclaimer and Warning are the same.


Evolution

Chapter One: Regretteful Words


No matter how hard she tried, Raven just couldn't help but stare at Beast Boy. His apperance had changed so suddely...it was like he wasn't even the same person.

His hair was still a very deep, dark hunter green that shined when any light hit it, but now it was stringy with bangs so long that it fell well past his face and rested on either side of his face, the back longer that reached to his midback, right at the fold between his wings. Those grand, snow white wings that when fanned out, could take up a major part of the room, now were folded at the sides of his back...though at times they had spontanously popped out, once knocking Cyborg through an opening in the floor as they were cleaning the hall and Robin out of a window that they had been fixing up on the seventh floor, Starfire having to dive out and catch him. His eyes were now a very light shade of pale pink, the color matching the 'tatoo' that was snaked up both of his arms and the back of his hands. He had finally gotten some muscular tone, not much, but just enough to where you could tell there was a difference. His two fanged teeth no longer came over his top lip, though she had noticed when he smiled, he now had a set of fangs on his top row of teeth as well, which caused the bottom fangs to fit in place...much like the way her father's teeth did. The only reason she could even tell was...

"He said quackers!" he exclaimed, causing Starfire to burst into laughter while the other Titans glared at him with sweat drops, Raven's eye brow twitching.

"Those stupid jokes," she mumbled to herself. Yes, though his appearance had changed, his voice and personality sure didn't...something she slightly pitied and yet was thankful for.

"Tell me about it," Cyborg grumbled back as he passed by her, a large piece of glass in his hand. He fitted it in it's spot perfectly, Robin holding the side so it wouldn't fall and crash on the ground. "Starfire, give us a hand?"

"Certainly!" the Tameranian explained with exictment, floating just inches above Cyborg, her emerald eyes glowing brightly. As she began to seal the glass in place, Raven turned back to Beast Boy, who (as an elephant) lifted the new table with his trunk and placed it in the proper spot then morphed back into his new appearance, his wings folding back into his back.

He looked up at her. "What?"

Raven hunched slighlty. "Not used to you looking like that yet. That's all."

Beast Boy raised his eyebrow in what she guess was sedcutive manner...only she did have to admit, with his new appearance, it did rather fit, as he smirked. "You know you think I'm hot."

Raven gave him a skeptical look. "Not even close," she replied bluntly, causing him to frown up in a slightly pouty manner. Beast Boy took another look at the front room, which for the moart art was back to it's normal status, save a few pieces of furninature still out of place, just as Robin and the others were putting the final window in place.

"Guys...I'm really sorry," he replied.

"Really man, it's cool," Cyborg stated in a slightly annoyed tone. This wasn't the first time Beast Boy had apologized since he'd seen the tower.

"There was nothing you could have done, it wasn't your fault," Robin added in a muffled tone from the other side of the glass while watched Starfire finish the window.

"But I really should have been here...not out on some date with..." He paused.

Cyborg sighed. "You couldn't help that man. A date's a date. And besides, not like you knew this was gonna happen when it did. None of us really did."

"And you can't change the past so there is no use worrying about something you can't change," Raven added in her usual drowing voice, leviatating the couch where it belonged. "Just be better about it in the future."

"Yes, it is better that we found out now she was a glavogordian then later, when it might have been much worse," Starfire added. They all stared at her in blank, questioning stares.

"A "glavogordian", Star?" Robin asked.

"That is 'traitor' on Tameran," she explained. They all nodded. "Gotcha."

"In any case, now that she's shown herself to the tratior she is, we know what to do," Raven continued.

"What we always do," Cyborg nodded in agreement.

"Now that she is no longer an ally of ours," Starfire added.

"And works for Slade." Robin finished.

Beast Boy only stared from friend to friend, not really knowing what to say but nodding his agreement so as not to cause too much friction. All he could do was remember the last thing words they had spoken to one another before his transformation. 'You promised you'd be my friend...no matter what...' 'Slade was right. . .you don't have any friends.' Beast Boy closed his eyes. Had he really meant those words? Did even make the right decision? Yes, she'd betrayed them...but what if he had taken her hand? Could that have changed things?

"...Beast Boy!"

He snapped out of his thoughts, slightly startled, looking up at Cyborg. "Huh?"

"You awake now? You gonna explain this 'evolution' thing or not? We're taking a break from cleaning up to eat a snack."

"Yes," Starfire gushed happily, her arms full of snacks and sodas as she floated toward the couch where Robin and Raven were already sitting, Cyborg just sitting on the end. "The consumption of these unhealthy sweet foods shall cheer us all! Come friend and partake of the delight of that which is 'snacks' with us!"

Smiling slightly, Beast Boy walked around the crouch and sat on the right end next to Raven, his hand grabbing hold of the arm rest as he sat. As he watched Starfire lay the snacks out on the table and babble something about mustard, hose ose was alerted to the faint smell of something burning. Looking down in alarm, he realized he was burning a hand print into the arm rest. Starfire stopped as they all watched him try to cover the spot without them noticing with a couch pillow, only to have it explode in flames. Crying out again, he crossed his arms over his chest and began to stomp the fire out of the pillow, then with his teeth, grabbed another pillow and tossed itr thr the spot, finally looking up and over to his friends with a sheepish look that seemed to suggest he hoped they hadn't noticed anything that just occuried.

The entire group sweat dropped as Starfire came over and licking the tips of her fingers, put a strand of his hair out. "I saw that on a earth television show once," she replied with pride.

"Man, I just bought this couch!" Cyborg stated annoyed stly tly as Raven shook her head.

"Sorry bout that," Beast Boy replied. "Um...at least I didn't drool on it this time."

"Good point," Raven stated as she remember vividly laying on the couch once out of exhaustion only to have her face covered in Beast Boy's spit.

"So, you want to explain what exactly happened to you completely?" Robin asked as he watched the shape shifter laugh sheepishly, making sure to put his arms folded on his lap as he sat back down.

"I guess...well let's see...in my race on the sixteenth birthday, you go through what my dad said was an 'evolution'."

They all waited for him to finish but when it became apperant he wasn't going to say anything else, they glared at him with blank stares. "That's it," Raven asked. "That's ALL you know."

"Well...I sorta had to...pee..." he admitted sheepishly, still rubbing the back of his head. "So I kinda wasn't paying attention..."

Sweat Drops. "Figures," Raven grumb

"But I mean, it's obvious sort of right? My appearance changed and now I can do this touchy-burny thing. So I guess that's my evolution...oh yeah...that and you always get the trait of one of an animal that mostly represents you, hence the wings. That's my animal trait."

"Flighty and air-headed. That about suits you," Raven stated bluntly as she took a sip of her soda, causing Beast Boy to glare at her.

"So how come you're 'evolution' is so...pink?" Cyborg teased, pointing to his arms and his eyes with a Snickers bar. "Is that suppose to mean your traits are more 'girlish'?"

"No," Beast Boy shot back, though he wasn't to happy about the pink color either. "It goes to my knew power...which just happens to be fire if you haven't noticed."

"We noticed," Raven pointed out, eyeing the couch pillow on the floor.

"Still don't under stand why it's pink...couldn't it be red? Or Orange?" Cyborg continued.

"Or prehapes, an orange-red?" Starfire asked.

"Hey, it's not my fault!" Beast Boy said defensively. "It's just pink! And a pale pink at that...I mean it could be mistaken for white..."

"If you're far away," Cyborg added making Robin smirk slightly.

"Well at least it happens to blend quite nicely with my new pale green skin. Plus my eyes stand out now and look even cooler than before."

"And for you to even say that, I'm definately convinced it's a girlish trait," Cyborg teased in a serious, matter of fact tone. "That and that hair."

"Will you get off my appearance!" Beast Boy fummed as Robin and Cyborg both snickered lightly.

"Do you know how your new powers work yet." Raven questioned though it sounded more like a statement.

"And the wings," Cyborg added, still in a teasing manner. "Cause they're knocking crap off the walls and stuff."

"Friend Cyborg, stop picking on Beast Boy, it is not polite," Starfire scolded, glaring between him and Robin who were both, still laughing slightly.

Ignoring them, Beast Boy looked at Raven completely blank and hunched. "Not really. But on the bright side...I'm working on the wings thing though."

More sweat drops.

"So in the mean time, we just have to worry about you either burning down the tower, or knocking everything or everyone down in it. Yeah okay. I guess we can deal with that," Cyborg stated sarcastically.

"Does that happen all the time," Robin stated, looking intently at Beast Boy.

"Which part?" he questioned.

"You burning things with your hands and arms. Does it happen when you touch anything at any time or is it spontanous like your wings opening."

"Oh...that arm buring thing happens unless I touching myself. Can't seem to burn myself for some reason," he stated, looking down at his lap and noticing he'd burned through the thigh part of his outfit where his arms were rested but it didn't seem to hurt his skin.

"Hmmm...then I guess the first step is to get you a knew outfit," Robin stated.

"But..." Beast Boy's eyes got slightly wide and his lip quivered. "I like my old outfit!"

Raven rolled her eyes at him.

"Then you can keep the old outfit, but we'll have to make it flame resistant," Robin offered.

"As for the rest of the tower," Cyborg teased.

"I am NOT going to burn it down!" Beast Boy said defensively. "Or at least...not purpose anyway."

"But," Starfire began, eating a hand full of popcorn, followed by a sip of mustard. "With such a new power, not knowing how to control it could become quite disaertorious..." Beast Boy couldn't help but think it.

' Like Terra...'

"Don't worry Starfire," Robin assured her. "I'm sure we can help him figure out a way to control his powers."

"Or I just won't use them," Beast Boy hunched. "I've gotten along without them and since I can still shiftshape, I'll be fine. I mean if my suit is fire prove, it ought to be able to contain it right?"

"No, not right," Raven stated matter of factly. "Just because your suit will be fire proof doesn't mean a thing. It only means it won't be able to catch on fire, not that it will contain or control your powers. You could still have an outburst of power and accidently use it without you meaning to. You're still going to have to learn how to at least control your powers so they wont' be a harzard to yourself or others, even if you don't use them."

"Raven's right," Robin concluded, Cyborg nodding in agent.ent.

"And as friends, we shall assist!" Starfire beamed.

"Maybe I can give Hotspot a call, see if he could help out," Robin said thoughtful. "His power was fire right? He might have some useful information and tips for controlling it."

"Yeah...though a real happy, helpful, charming person, that Hotspot." Cyborg added, thinking back to when he, Robin, and Beast Boy had met him back in the "Hero'snamenament".

"No different from Raven---not that that's a baing!ing!" Beast Boy added quickly at seeing Raven glare at him.

Robin hunched. "It's worth a shot. Finding him shouldn't be hard, I did give him a comminucator. I could talk to him right over it. But that's after we finish the tower." He stood up , stretching his arms and picking up his soda, started for the hallway. "We still have some of the training rooms, the bathroom, the whole in the upper level roof and our rooms themselves to clean up. And it's already after noon."

"Yeah, and I better get to work on reconfiguring the secriuty system so Slade can't manage to slip another two hundred andriods to destoy us when we go to bed tonight," Cyborg added. "I'll probably just end up completely rebuilding the whole system but we'll see." He disappeared down the hall, after Robin.

"Guess I'll try and clean up the bathroom, lots a water there so I can't burn too much down," Beast Boy stated as he followed suit, chewing the last bit of chocolate bar he was able to eat after changing himself into a lizard and using his tongue. He looked down at his torn uniform. "Guess I'll change later...not that it'll matter much if I keep burning holes through it."

"I'll help you," Raven offered, hoovering after him.

"You wanna help me change?" Beast Boy asked surprised.

"No you moron, clean up the bathroom," she snapped. "There atilltill towels in there, scattered all over the place and with your luck, you might even manage to melt the metal faucets.

"Oh...I knew that," Beast Boy stated sheepishly as he watched Raven float past him and turn into the bathroom. Starfire walked past him, in the direction he saw Robin go in and disappear around the corner.

Beast Boy's face fell as his eyes found there way to the door that led to Terra's room, the doors fastened closed, though he knew it wasn't locked. hadnhadn't even bothered to enter the room since he had been back...almost to the point where it seemed he was avoiding even being near it. Though he knew eventually, the team was set to investigate her room to find clues to anything they should look from a future attack from Slade. And all because of Terra.

Terra.

The one word he had come to love...and now the one word that could just as easily bring misery to his heart. The small girl with blond hair beaubeautiful smile e ble blue eyes glowed and seemed to light up a room. All an illusion of what really lied beneath...underneath...she was a girl who had lied to his face everyday, pretending to be hims friend and smile that gental smile as she secretly planned his downfall, helping in a sinister plot to destory them...all of them. She was a girl who while he had adored with all he had and trusted more than anyone I've ever met...who they gave a place to call home and excepted her...still betrayed them. She was bad...and she was evil in reality, not the down to earth, sweet girl that he had first met. She as Slade's apprentice. She was their enemy...an enemy that thought she was saving him when she took him away from the tower before it was attacked.

Beast Boy frowat tat that thought. Why did she do it? Why would she have saved him...taken him away from the tower when she knew what was going to happen if she really was evil and out to destory him? Was he wrong? Had she actually consided him a friend despite everything? He remembered her words once again as they ran through is mind for the millionth time since she'd said them. 'Out of all the things I could have been doing tonight, I wanted to spend it with you...Would you be my friend, no matter what? Even if I'd done something really bad? Even if it's something really terrible?'

'She was going to tell me,' Beast Boy realized with sadness. 'She was going to tell me then...before Slade came. I should have know it was something like that. She was so sad then entire time...looked so troubled. She had even dropped hints. She counted on me then...in the house of mirrors. That looked she gave me as she held her hand out to me. It was a look of hope, of redemption. She wanted...needed to know that someone still cared about her, that someone would try to understand and help her. That she still had a friend. And I had promised to be that friend...'

"But I wasn't," he spoke softly to himself, his head down. "As soon as I found out the truth...I abandoned her. Just like everyone from her past did. And now she's going to hate me...and I'll have to fight someone I still care about." He smiled at his own stupidity. "Even after everything she did...I still care about her. And won't...I can't fight her."

"At least, not now anyway." a voice said quietly beside him. He turned to see Raven standing there, staring at him, with her usual emotionless face. They stared at each other before she spoke again. "Though you're going to have to face her again, now that she's our enemy." Again silence. "It's going to be hard on everyone really...but I understand why it will be espically going to be hard on you. Though I must insist you stop blaming yourself. You didn't make Terra go to Slade just like you didn't make her betray us. She chose to do that her own and in the end, she'll have to pay for her decisions. I'm sure, in time, you'll get over this, even if you don't get over her, but you'll be able to fight her if need be. But in the meantime, stop beating yourself up about someone's choices or you'll drive yourself...and the rest of us...crazy."

Beast Boy gave her a smile. It was weak and unsure, but it was still a smile. "Thanks Rae."

Raven hunched. "Don't mention it. Now let's try to clean the bathroom without you burning it down."

Beast Boy nodded. "Right."


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Author's Notes: Nothine much but that's all for now everyone. I'll try and update soon! Hope you enjoyed this and ta-ta for now!