The Beast Within - Teen Titans

Chapter 6:

Starfire chased after BB, only for the door to lock.

"He's activated quarantine mode!" Cyborg yelled. "We can't let him be alone! We might be the only thing keeping him together..."

Raven raised her hands and opened the doors with magic. The group followed her out of the tower, determined to do whatever it took, and ran into him in the hallway, hands on his head. He was fighting to keep his sanity and everything about himself.

Raven's eyes widened. "Garfield!" she exclaimed sharply, putting her hand on his arm. He swatted it away.

"Get away from me! I don't want to hurt you!!" he yelled.

"You have to let us help you."

"No-!" BB said, pain in his voice. Raven's voice was hard as stone.

"Listen to me, Beast Boy. You have to listen. You are transforming. You could become violent, aggressive, cruel, ruthless, and everything that you are not! Pulling away from us will only make the beast become stronger! And I am not going to lose you." Her voice wavered- "So look into my eyes and listen. We cannot let this overcome you."

Beast Boy shuddered and looked to Raven. "I'm just trying to pretend it's not happening but that makes it worse. But acknowledging it is accepting it."

"No, it's not. Knowing what's happening will give you the strength to fight it."

Before she could say something else, there was a loud crash and a familiar voice. "Hello, Titans."

Another crash. The lights flickered. Robin shook with fury. "Slade!" As the lights flickered, Beast Boy sounded like he was struggling. When the light came back, him and Slade were gone.

"He's gone!" Cyborg exclaimed.

"Slade took him!" Starfire added.

Almost immediately, the screen in the living room turned on. The Titans turned around to see Slade. Robin scowled. "What have you done with him?!"

"Oh, he's alive." He answered and snickered.

"What do you want with him?!"

"It's really not that hard to figure out. I'll leave you to it." The screen went black.

Robin paced. "I think I know what Slade's doing. He's going to say or do anything that will anger Beast Boy. And when he tries to fight back, or even if he gets frustrated enough..."

"He'll become the beast growing inside." Starfire finished.

Meanwhile, Slade was doing exactly what they predicted. But BB too knew what he was trying to do. While Slade talked, trying to find what pushed his buttons, he sat on the ground and covered his ears, even though he could still hear.

"The Titans haven't even come looking for you yet." Slade said. "They don't care about you."

Beast Boy said nothing. He knew this wasn't true.

"When they realize it's hopeless to get to you, they'll give up."

He shook his head slightly. They would never.

"After all, they'd be fine without you." Slade stepped closer.

"It's quite obvious you're the most useless member of the team. You're only the comic relief, using humor to hide the pain. The others are stronger, smarter, and better."

This hit him hard. He winced, and a small voice began to speak in his head, agreeing with Slade. It's the truth.

"They know you are the weakest. You amuse them. No villain fears you, not in the slightest. You're just a kid playing hero." He's right. Prove you're stronger than all of them.

"Aren't you tired of being nice?" Yes, you are.

"But you could be more than this. You could make them all know your name." Unleash your power.

The voices got louder and louder. He pressed his hands against his ears, but he couldn't block out the noise or his own thoughts.

"Because right now, Beast Boy, you are nothing. Nothing. A weakling no one will ever take seriously."

"You're lying!" He retorted.

"You can't even accept the truth."

Beast Boy stood up with anger and breathed heavily. "I'm stronger than you think!"

"Do you realize how delusional you sound? You can't even fight back. You're hopeless." Slade said.

"NO!" Beast Boy yelled in an altered version of his own voice. It was deeper, angrier, and more threatening. After hearing it, he gasped quietly in terror.

That wasn't me! But then the other voice spoke. But it felt so good.

His hands became bear claws.

"You will never be great. Never be enough!"

"You're wrong!" Beast Boy growled. His original voice and his changed voice began to alternate when he spoke.

"My friends don't think I'm weak! I'll show them that! No! You're wrong and you know nothing about me!" He shook his head in his struggle, his expression changing with his voice from fear to menace, until it settled on one.

Slade smirked.

"That's my boy."

(A/N: This is probably the most drama thing i've ever written! And notice, the last line is what Slade tells Robin in apprentice!)