Beast Boy flew over the city, overlooking all the miserable sights.

The Pizza Place was still being renovated for conversion, and there was no sign of a new place in town. No new candy shop. No arcade.

Just more construction of office complexes, business headquarters and other things that were of little use to him.

At least the city park was still there, but not for very long as he noticed a large sign which issued its closing soon to be bulldozed down and made way for yet another office complex.

“Urgh…!” Beast Boy groaned as he sat miserably on a park bench. “Can’t these people back off with all these changes? The city doesn’t need them!”

A lot of people looked his way as he shouted, many hardly took notice of him, and others chuckled thinking he was “Stupid” for scoffing at the “progress” the city was making.

Beast Boy felt really upset that no one seemed to care…

…And there was worse to come!

“Hey, you!” snapped a familiar voice.

Beast Boy looked up and saw Jackie and Jillian headed for him-- wearing sanitation uniforms and carrying roller-bins and pointy-sticks for garbage picking?

Much as he would have chuckled at their getups, he was too miserable to do so, especially since the girls looked furious at seeing him.

“What do you two want?”

“A little thing called payback!” sneered Jackie “Thanks to you, the news discovered about what happened at the museum, and so we got landed with one-hundred hours of community service to pay the museum back for the broken glass.”

“We also got two month’s detention at school!” sneered Jillian “Apparently, we sullied the reputation of Murakami High, and it’s all because of you, Barf-Boy!”

Beast boy cringed angrily for her slandering his name like that, but then he instantly scoffed, “You pushed me into the glass. You tried to let me take the blame, and you nearly got the Titans in a lot of trouble.

If you ask me, you two brats are getting what you deserve.”

The girls looked they were going to explode.

“Oh, it is so on!” snapped Jackie.

“We’re going to enjoy this!” agreed Jillian.

The two girls picked up their sticks, ready to fight, and this time Beast Boy stood ready to defend himself.

Suddenly, a big whistle blew from the girls’ officer. “You two, back to work, now, unless you want another hundred hours. This park is supposed to be cleaned up to get ready for leveling!”

The girls knew they were licked, but they gave Beast Boy a threatening stare telling that they’d deal with him another time.

Then they kicked up their bins and went off to work.

Then the officer angrily snapped at Beast Boy, “Don’t you harass my officers again! You got that?”

Beast Boy sneered deeply at the man, “Don’t mess with me, dude! I’m getting sick and fed up with being misjudged around here!”

Before the officer could warn him for being threatened, Beast Boy turned around and left.

As he walked through her park his head began to hurt softly like it did the other day, and the aching started to worsen as he groaned and moaned.

“What’s happening?!” he wailed.

An evil snicker was heard in his mind and that same voice calling to him, “Give in to the hate! Let your rage give you power! You know you can’t ignore it.”

Beast Boy struggled and groaned, and strangely nobody around him or nearby seemed to notice him or question him if he was alright-- like they couldn’t even see him!

Nevertheless, Beast Boy stumbled around in his anguish and pain, until suddenly, he stumbled round a bend and, WHAMM… bumped right into somebody and they both fell to the ground.

The impact helped him regain control a little, but as he looked up at whom he bumped into-- Terra, of all people.

She gazed at him, “Beast Boy?”

The voice in his head was perplexed, “What?! She can see me?! How is this possible?”


The voice didn’t seem to concern him now.

Beast Boy just gazed at her back, but then his features hardened, and much as he wanted to stomp off in a huff, he offered her his hand and helped her to her feet.

“Sorry.” he said deeply and cold.

Terra felt uneasy by his tone, but replied, “Me too.”

He then turned and prepared to walk away, but Terra began to feel cold inside, seeing the way he had just behaved.

“Beast Boy, wait!” she called as she jogged up to catch him, but he didn’t stop or even acknowledge her.

Terra expected he’d act like this, but kept right on up with him.

“Beast Boy, I need to talk with you.”

Now he stopped, and turned to give her an angry stare, “Shouldn’t you be in school?”

Maintaining her patience, Terra simply answered, “… It’s Saturday.”

Beast Boy rubbed his head having forgotten that, but regardless of that, “I don’t really think there’s anything to talk about.”

Terra clenched her fists, and a few pebbles by her feet rumbled softly. She rolled her eyes to the side feeling awkward at what she was about to say…

“Look, I just want to say sorry for what Jackie and Jillian did for you, and at least you’re off the hook now.”

She didn’t tell him that she was the one who wrote the letter to the museum proving his innocence from the incident.

Beast Boy didn’t seem the least bit touched, and said coldly, “Fine, you apologized. Now go away.”

Now she was starting to feel upset with him.

“What is with you?” she asked “Why can’t you just let go of things move on?”

He felt his anger rising, and his head starting to ache again.

Terra gasped in concern, “What’s wrong? Are you alight?”

He managed to shake off the pain and insisted, “Don’t worry about me. Just leave me alone!”

She wasn’t letting him get off that easy. “You didn’t answer my question. I don’t get what’s happening to you. You we’re so happy and fun-loving.”

He didn’t want to tell her, not even about his disowning the Titans as friends. He knew it would only cause her more grief and pain. He didn’t really want that for her, but it didn’t seem there was anything else he could say without causing it either.

So he cut his losses. He knew the perfect thing to say to her. “Things Change, Terra! The guy you want me to be is just a memory.”

No surprises, she felt struck by that.

“Look, I’m sorry.” she said “I’m sorry that I hurt you.”

“Then why did you do it?”

Terra was quivering softly trying to hide her pain and guilt, and Beast Boy didn’t know if he was enjoying seeing her squirm or hated that she was grieving.

“You know why I did it. I just wanted to put all behind me. I couldn’t stand all the things I did, and I just wanted to live normal and be safe and happy.”

Beast Boy nodded softly, “I understand that.”

She blinked in astonishment.

Then Beast Boy’s features hardened “…But that’s no excuse for what you did. You faked having amnesia. You told me, or rather implied, that you wanted nothing to do with me, after all the good times we had, and you insisted I let go of the past and you!

How do you expect me to react? You expect me to just get over it like that, smile, and pretend nothing’s wrong?”

He paused and gave her a deep, piercing stare. “Why are you even talking to me? You wanted me out of your life, and you didn’t care how I felt about it, just as long as I stayed away, and now here you are saying you’re still dedicated to how things are, and telling me to get over things.

Not to mention you still let your two friends get away with framing me for what happened at the museum. You just stood there, let them physically assault me, and did nothing!”

“I couldn’t!” protested Terra “If they know about my past they’ll shun me, I could get in trouble, and I’ll lose my normal life!”

She gasped at what she was saying and held her hand to her mouth, but it was too late to retract. Beast Boy’s point had been well proven; she was only thinking more of herself than him.

All he did was nod at her pitifully, “Goodbye, Terra, and good luck!”

Then he turned and began to walk away, rather than fly off.

“Beast Boy!” she called to him “Wait, I didn’t mean… please, come back!”

An elderly lady came strolling down the path and asked, “Who are you shouting at?”

Terra pointed down the path at where Beast Boy was, but the lady looked and said, “My eyesight may not be what it used to but there’s nobody there.”

Terra was confused “But… he…” she could see him clearly, until he had gone out of sight, out of the park.

Still, this didn’t help her guilt and shame one bit.

As for Beast Boy, he felt his head aching again as he thought, “Why did I just tell her off like that? I mean, sure, it’s the truth, but it didn’t have to be said!”

Then that evil voice softly hissed in his mind, “You cannot resist. The Hate rules over you.”

Now Beast Boy was really getting freaked out, thinking he had really gone crazy if he was hearing a voice in his head, he felt he needed help, but he didn’t know who to turn to. Certainly not the Titans, feeling they would only add more to his stress.


Speaking of the Titans, while they all went about their daily routines, Twilight observed them, taking notes.

She wished Beast Boy was around to observe him too, but the Titans figured they’d let him be until he cooled off more… which Twilight took note of-- showing sensible, yet rather cold attitudes.

She watched them train together in the dojo.

Robin attacked the dummies that popped up all around him.

Starfire shot flying targets with her star-bolts.

Cyborg ran an obstacle course, dodging many hazards and breaking his old record at the finish line.

“Booyah! Who’s D’man!”

As for Raven, she just meditated calmly, while strengthening her powers to lift large boulders like weight lifting.

“Okay,” said Twilight “So far, nothing out of the ordinary.”

Then it came to observing each Titan individually, and told each Titan.

She observed Starfire grooming Silkie in her room, and saw vast amounts of love and care.

“Do you and the others often hangout together?” Twilight asked.

“Oh, yes, we do.” replied Starfire “We often share in the enjoyment of games, go out for food or entertainment together.

…At least we used to.”

Twilight looked up from her notes, “Used to?”

Starfire nodded and explained the last time they went out for pizza a week ago was the first things they had done in months. “You see, being a superhero demands the responsibility, and even upon our arrival home after defeating our enemies, we have barely done too much together.”

“Hmm…” said Twilight as she noted this.

Then it was off to the garage where she found Cyborg tinkering with the T-Car, and he asked Twilight to pass him tools as he called to her, which seemed hard for her considering she didn’t know much about cars.

“…Torque-wrench” called Cyborg.

Twilight handed him a regular wrench.

“No, no. The one next to it…”

Twilight giggled nervously and handed him the right tool.

As Cyborg worked he asked, “How do you kids in your Equestria get on without cars, or TV, or internet, or all that stuff?”

“We just do, I guess.” replied Twilight “In Equestria we all prefer to just hang out with each other. You know, go on picnics, play in the park, or just spend quality time together, so we don’t really need all those things.”

This made Cyborg feel a bit down, “BB and I used to play games and hang and chill all the time.”

Twilight then asked, “Does he ever help you with your projects?”

“Heck no, I wouldn’t ask him to help. He’s no good with all this kind of stuff. He barely even knows a nut from a bolt.”

He then referred to the times Beast Boy did try to help him, not knowing what he was doing, and he ended up making a little mess of things, unintentionally of course, but usually resulting in Cyborg kicking him out to work alone.

Twilight didn’t like the sound of, even though it was understandable.

“BB’s not exactly the brightest tool in the shed, not good at too much.” Cyborg continued “But when we need him, he’s there.”

It was a good thing he was working under the car, or he wouldn’t have seen Twilight shaking her head shamefully as she took notes. “Being there for a friend when they need you is pretty much the basis of friendship.” she thought “But he makes it sound more like a convenience than a friendship.”

Next: she was with Robin at the main computer in the lounge, and noticed he was behaving rather seriously as he worked.

“So what are you doing here?” she asked.

“I’m trying to hack into the history museum security footage. Maybe I can get some clear images of what happened on the night the curator was murdered.”

The more he worked, the more serious he seemed, almost a bit like how Twilight would overdo it while researching.

“Got it!” cried Robin and the screen came on showing images of the museum like he wanted.

He zoomed in on the sword that was stolen, and there it was still in its pedestal.

Twilight could see the sword, and the fire emblem, which made her feel uneasy again, and the way the sword was designed, it looked ghastly-- evil perhaps.

Then, the sword just vanished out of sight-- popped off, just like that.

“Did you see that?” asked Robin.

“Yes. It just… vanished.”

Robin rewound the footage and played it back very slowly. “First you see it, and now you… don’t.”

“Maybe the footage malfunctioned?” suggested Twilight.

“Not likely. It’s playing properly to the millisecond.” He began to type into the computer, “Someone or something had to have taken that sword, and I’m going to find out.”

He ran every infrared, heat scan or special function the computer could get.

“I can’t believe this!” he growled in frustration “Absolutely nothing! I can’t detect whoever or whatever it was, and nothing shows up on the magical scans either.”

He pounded the console, making Twilight jump.

She had seen enough with Robin, for now, and would get back to him later.

Then came Raven, and she proved to be rather difficult to communicate with.

Twilight knocked on her bedroom door. “Raven, I’d like to observe you now for my notes.”

Raven opened the door, looking a bit scowling. “I was meditating you know!” she hissed grumpily.

Twilight felt a little timid, but cleared her throat, “Still, I’m trying to get a clear picture of all of you. Could you at least answer my questions?”

“Whatever.” said Raven.

Twilight was about to waltz in, but Raven held up her hand. “No one comes into my room.”

“Um… okay…”

She managed to convince Raven to come up onto the roof where it was quieter, and Twilight asked her questions.

“What’s your idea of fun activities?”

“Reading, meditating, studying-- Have I left anything out?”

Twilight thought it interesting. She and Raven had a few things in common, at least reading and studying.

“Do you have a favorite hangout place?”

“…My room”

Twilight blinked once, and she tried a trick question. “Would it kill you to smile?”

Raven actually tried, and barely managed a half, goofy smile. “…Maybe.”

Her lips curls down again, “Look, I’m sorry if I don’t seem all active and wild. It’s just not who I am.”

She explained to Twilight about her powers, and how she had to watch her emotions, and also about Trigon, and how the world almost ended.

Twilight nearly dropped her notepad in shock. This almost made her adventures in Equestria and all the evil she faced look like kid’s stuff.

While she didn’t understand what it was like to actually be Raven, she put her hand on hers, “I was once like you. I preferred to be alone, burry my face in a book, not exactly liking the company of many others.

But the day I met my friends, they showed me a whole new world of possibilities, and one of the very first lessons of friendship I learned: you have to try to open up to others.”

Raven sighed, “I know that, I learned the same thing from Beast Boy long ago.”

She recalled the times Beast Boy was annoying to her, with all his bad jokes, pranks, ignorance, not to mention calling her “Creepy” whether it was true or not.

“But, I guess… he was trying to help me open up a little.”

She then remembered that one very special moment they had, when he really got her to open up to him more.

“You think you’re alone, Raven… but you’re not.”

…And she hugged him. The warmest moment they ever had.

Raven couldn’t believe she had forgotten that moment until now.

Twilight felt she was really starting to get somewhere, and smiled with hope in her eyes…

…Only for Raven to start sneered, “That’s still no excuse for the way he’s been behaving lately. He’s acting like nothing but a spoiled brat all because one girl dumped him.”

Twilight compared all her notes, and this friendship case was starting to look more and more perplexing. It was as if both sides, Beast Boy’s and the other Titans, had their own sets of flaws, pros and cons that were each contradicting one-another and making the friendship seem more and more complicated.

…If only Raven had told her absolutely every single detail.

“Well, thanks for opening up… with me at least.”

Raven actually smiled better than she had before, but Twilight couldn’t pass any real judgement or make any decisions until she spoke to Beast Boy as well and got his side of things.

Cyborg then called to everyone, “Hey y’all, lunch is on!”

He had cooked up a real feast of burgers and fries for everyone, but Beast Boy had still not returned from his outing.

“I tried calling him on the com, but he doesn’t answer.” said Cyborg. “I even made a special tofu burger for him. It’s just sitting on the counter.”

Starfire hung her head low suggesting, “Perhaps he is still upset with us and does not wish to join us.”

This made Twilight feel concerned and worried. She was really hoping he’d come back to the tower so she could talk with him and complete her notes.

“Don’t you think it’s about time for you all to break the ice?” she suggested. “Someone has to make the first move if you’re ever going to help heal the problems.”

“You saw how he acted this morning.” said Cyborg “I don’t think he wants to make up with us, come to think of it, we’re still not too sure we want to make up with him until we can sort him out.”

Starfire and Raven nodded in agreement, which Twilight didn’t think was so enlightening.

“You know, if this keeps up-- if none of you are willing to talk to one another, things could only get much worse. You don’t want that, do you?”

“Of course we do not.” said Starfire “We only wish for the best, but Beast Boy does not seem to share our understanding, our way of thinking.”

“She’s got that right.” said Raven.

Robin didn’t seem to be paying much attention. He was reviewing all the recorded data on his communicator.

He was viewing images of outside the museum when the curator was murdered.

The security cameras at the door of the museum showed the curator standing by his car, and reading the small note from the story.

…Robin had no way of knowing how it really got there, as no footage was revealed.

Suddenly, without warning, the curator was slaughtered, and his blood gushed forth, but there was no sign of anyone who did it.

Stranger than that, just like the before with the sword, the later footage showed the body had vanished out of sight leaving only a pool of blood behind.

“Can you please not watch that while we’re eating?” grumbled Raven.

“I must agree with Raven.” added Starfire.

Robin apologized and flicked his com off, but looked more frustrated than hungry.

“Please eat, Robin.” said Starfire “You will feel much better.”

Robin agreed and finally began to eat, and he did feel better, and Starfire smiled at him.

Twilight enjoyed seeing this.

Suddenly, Beast Boy, as a bird, flew straight into the lounge through the open window. Everyone turned to face him, and he still looked just as cross, just as ready for a fight as he did before.

He marched his way over to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and just began nibbling on, or rather scarfing at something nobody could tell with his back turned.

The others all looked back and forth at one another, and finally Cyborg stood and called softly to him. “Um… Beast Boy…”

He turned to face them, with a few bits of whatever he was eating smeared on his face, but he glared at him sternly, striking a bit of fear, and cold facial reactions from the others.

Cyborg motioned to the meal on the counter. “…I made you some lunch.”

Beast Boy calmly replied, “No thanks, I’m fine.”

He took another scarf of his food and threw the wrapping away before making off for his room leaving everyone with a mix of sour and confused emotions.

“He’s still just being a jerk.” said Raven.

Starfire then asked Twilight, “Do you still wish to speak with him.”

“I have to.” said Twilight “I’ve dealt with tough cases before. There’s not a pony I can’t help break out of there shell.”

“Uh… we’re not ponies.” Robin pointed out.

“Oh, right. Force of habit.” said Twilight. Nevertheless, she got up and went off to talk with Beast Boy.

As for Cyborg, he got up to wash his used dish in the sink, when he noticed the package sitting by the garbage that Beast Boy had thrown.

He picked it up and gawked at it strangely. “…Beef sausages with pork?”

The others all stood and found that very odd.

“Beast Boy was eating those?” asked Robin.

“But he is a vegetarian.” said Starfire.

Even Raven couldn’t simply brush it off this time. “Something’s really wrong with him, and I don’t think even Twilight can fix this.”

As for Twilight, she followed Beast Boy down the hall, but he refused to talk with her, open up, answer questions or anything.

“I’m just trying to help you.” Twilight protested “I want to help you and your friends with whatever problems you have.

Don’t you want to make with them?”

“Why no, I don’t actually, and both they and you can just get over it!”

Twilight was losing her patience.

“Beast Boy, I’m not going to stop until you tell me what’s bothering you. You can’t keep up on this path of resentment and hatred. If you rediscover friendship you’ll discover--” she stopped when Beast Boy had covered her mouth with his glove.

“Stop… please…” he said very deeply and dark. “I don’t believe in friendship, and I don’t want anything to do with it...

…Period.”

He let her go and broke into a song to further cement his point.

(Slightly altered)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj-LU4ECmsk

Twilight then jumped in and sang her own version…

“Beats Boy, please…

The song ended, and Beast Boy snuffed, and then disappeared into his room, slowly sliding the door shut behind him, leaving Twilight worried, shocked, and perplexed, and she walked softly down the corridor.

She now realized Beast Boy was a much tougher case than she thought, but she was still undeterred and determined to help him and the Titans yet.

No sooner had she gone out of sight, and then from inside his room, Beast Boy was starting to feel very hot and sweaty as he lay down on his bed.

“I did it again!” he said to himself “I felt like I lost control back there.”

Then suddenly it all began to make sense.

“It was you…” he said referring to the voice he had heard before “You’re making me do all this stuff!”

His accusation was confirmed as the voice began to laugh sinisterly.

Beast Boy began to remember other things.

-Creeping into the museum the other night, unnoticed by any and all security, and taking the sword out of its pedestal with ease.

-Then it was out into the parking lot where he confronted the curator and, then there was the scream, the blood, and the evil laugh!!

“No!” he cried “No, I can’t… I… I--”

All this made his head begin to throb, and he couldn’t even scream or call out for someone to help, and he passed out again flat on the bed.