Rule Number One

Chapter Two

...

"NO, NO... Shhhh... Shush... Shhhhh!" Garfield's frantic voice filled the room, cutting through the screams as he darted towards Beast Boy. He could only watch helplessly as his younger self's panicked wail crescendoed before abruptly stopping as the teen fainted, collapsing onto the cold floor.

"Okay..." Garfield muttered, exhaling sharply and shaking his head in disbelief. His tone was laced with exasperation as he knelt by his unconscious younger self. "And this is why we don't break rule number one."

Running a hand through his disheveled hair, he stood up and began pacing the room. His thoughts raced as he tried to piece together a solution to the colossal mess he'd just created. "It's okay... He—I... Ugh, Ugh, I hate time travel." Garfield groaned, the words tumbling out in a frantic spiral. His pacing quickened, his breaths coming faster as the weight of the situation bore down on him. "He...I...We'll just convince ourselves it was all a dream or something. Yeah, dream logic. Just tuck it away and hope we never think about it again." His voice wavered between desperation and forced determination as he tried to reassure himself.

Snapping himself out of his spiral, Garfield turned back to the task at hand. Returning to the rows of glass cases, he scanned the labeled boxes with a mixture of urgency and hope. His eyes darted across the labels until he found it, Warp's Time Machine artifact. A relieved smile broke across his face as he approached the case. But as soon as he reached it, the smile vanished. The case was empty.

"Shit..." The word escaped in a hoarse whisper as his chest tightened with panic. He took a shaky breath, trying to steady himself. "It's fine. Everything's fine. Maybe... maybe they moved it temporarily. Or maybe Vic's running tests on it. Or—" his voice cracked as dread seeped into his tone, "—or maybe he's destroying it right now, and I'm going to be stuck in the past forever!" He wept, his voice tinged with anxiety.

His anxious rambling gave way to a soft, defeated groan as he rubbed his temples. Garfield turned his attention back to the motionless form of his younger self on the floor and sighed heavily, shoulders slumping.

Kneeling down, Garfield carefully hoisted the unconscious fourteen-year-old onto his shoulder with ease. Reaching the door, he cracked it open just enough to peer out into the hallway. His sharp eyes darted left and right, scanning every corner for any sign of movement.

Seeing the coast was clear, he slipped into the hallway, his movements deliberate and precise. Every step was calculated, every turn taken with care as he checked his surroundings before darting forward. The labyrinthine hallways of the tower felt infinitely longer than he remembered, the tension making every second drag.

Finally, Garfield was able to reach his old bedroom door. He pushed it open and slipped inside, gently closing it behind him with a quiet click. Leaning against the door, he let out a long, exasperated breath, wiping the sweat from his brow. Relief washed over him, he had made it without being seen. But that relief was short-lived as his gaze swept over the room.

Clothes were strewn haphazardly across the floor, empty snack wrappers peeked out from beneath the bed, and an overwhelming musk of teenage chaos filled the air. Garfield grimaced, his nose crinkling in disgust. "Ugh, I can't believe I used to live like this." He muttered, shaking his head in disapproval.

...

Beast Boy's eyelids fluttered open, his vision blurry as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. Slowly, the room came into focus, the familiar array of movie posters pinned to his wall, and the faint glow of his alarm clock blinking in the dim light. Groggily sitting up, he raked a hand through his unruly hair, a chuckle slipping past his lips. That dream had been weird, even for him. Shaking off the lingering haze, he swung his legs over the edge of the mattress and stood up.