Breaking Free (BB Rae)

Midday snack

When Beast Boy woke up, he groaned and flipped over on his side, hoping to fall back asleep. He transformed into a cat and curled up under his blanket, poking his head out to breathe fresh air, and fell back asleep. He slept for a few more hours, being woken up by flashing red lights and a siren. He jumped out of his bed, still holding the form of a cat, and he scurried under his bed. He crawled into the corner and curled into himself, shaking as he held his paws over his ears. He wanted all the noise to stop. He hated the loud noises. He hated being scared.

He faintly heard footsteps leaving the tower and figured that there had been a crime alert. Not long after putting two and two together, the lights and siren stopped, and the tower went quiet. All Beast Boy could hear was his own breathing and the racing of his heart.

He slowly crept out from under his bed, turning back into his normal human form and taking careful, quiet steps. He looked around his room. The walls were a deep, dark green. The floor was a nice oak, and all of the decor had been hand-picked by Beast Boy upon Robin's request. Robin wanted Beast Boy to be comfortable, so he gave him his own room and let him decorate it however he wanted to. Beast Boy looked at the walls, the green comforting him. Despite his hatred for his own green hue, green was one of his favorite colors.

The boy sat down on a cushion in front of the large window. He sat criss-cross and stared out the window, looking at the city below. He saw some kind of struggle, most likely from the fight the Titans had left for. He looked away, turning his focus to the water.

He watched the waves lap over the sand that lined the island. He watched as blurry silhouettes of fish swam to and fro across the water. Fish were so free. They didn't have to worry about what he did. He could become a fish, but he'd still be himself. So nothing would change. He sighed and stood up.

Beast Boy's stomach got the best of him, so he decided to explore the tower to try and find some food. He turned into a cat and slipped through the cracks in his door. His small paws made tiny little taps on the tile as he explored. He stayed close to the wall. He didn't want to be out in the open. He pointed his nose up, sniffing the air for the scent of food. His ears perked up when he smelled turkey. He followed the scent and found the kitchen. The kitchen seemed to be the main room. All in the same room, there was a kitchen, a dining area, a large TV with a couch, and a small nook for listening to music on cds.

Staying close to the walls, Beast Boy opened the fridge quietly. He found a bag of sliced turkey and grabbed a few pieces, trying not to scarf it down like an animal. As he was enjoying his meal, he heard a loud sound, possibly opening doors. He froze, and the fur on his back shot up, his tail puffing up as well.

He heard footsteps approach him, pure terror building up in his heart. His eyes darted around the room and landed on the couch. He dashed towards the couch, his paws slipping and scratching the tile as he ran to hide under the couch. He hid under the couch and climbed up onto one of the wooden planks that ran across the bottom of the couch. His small feline form trembled and shook with such fear that he didn't hear anything anymore. All he could hear was his own heart racing.

~~~~~~~~

Raven:

The mission had been rather simple. The other Titans had taken down Control Freak without much need for Raven's help. The other Titans had suggested pizza to celebrate their victory, but Raven didn't see a point in celebrating. She informed them she would go back to the tower and not join them for dinner.

Raven walked up the quiet steps of the tower, taking in the wonderful peace and quiet, relishing the sound of her single footsteps echoing through the empty rooms. She loved quiet. She walked into the main room, the room where most of the Titans hung out. She quite enjoyed this room, but the other Titans were rather loud at times and could make her nerves tick.

Raven sat down on the couch, a book in her hand. She was going to read, but she felt a sense of fear. Not within her, but she felt someone near her, and this person felt scared. At first, she thought this was an enemy, but this fear felt different. This fear wasn't normal. She stood up, placing her book on the coffee table.

"Hello?" She called, ready to fight.

She heard a small whimper from under the couch. She took a deep breath and lifted up the couch using her magic, but nobody was underneath it. She heard the whimpering again, this time, above her. She looked up and found a strange, small, green cat cowering on a beam of the couch.

"What the..." she mumbled, peaking at the cat. The cat opened its eyes and stared at her. She saw the pure terror in its eyes. She put her hand slowly toward the cat. The cat backed away, nearly slipping off the wooden beam. Raven didn't want this cat to get hurt, so she created a small force field around the cat, prying the cat from the beam and lowering the couch. The small feline shook, so she took it to her room to try and calm it down.

~~~~~~

Beast Boy:

Beast Boy was trapped in some black ball, and he saw a shadowy figure holding it. He had been found. He would be going back to the men who took him. He would be getting an extra bad punishment for sure. He would probably be killed. He deserved it.

The figure set the ball down on the ground, and he saw the door close. He was going to die. He was sure of it. The ball suddenly disappeared, and he saw he was in an unfamiliar room. His eyes darted around, looking for any place to hide. As he was scanning, he heard a soft voice and turned around to fi d the voice.

When he turned around, he saw a hand close to him. He closed his eyes and blindly swatted at the hand, desperate to get it away. He heard the voice curse quietly and opened his eyes widely again.

He saw the purple-haired girl in front of him, holding a small cloth to her hand. Guilt washed over him. He had scratched her. He had hurt her. He had drawn blood on another person. His legs shook, and he found it hard to keep himself standing. His legs crumpled beneath him, and he buried his head in his front paws. Moments before breaking down, he felt a hand on his head and flinched.

"It's okay," the girl whispered softly, scratching his head gently. The touch felt strange, but it brought him immense comfort. He melted into the affection, and he felt himself... purring. He had never purred before.

She gently picked him up and held him in her arms. He wrapped a furry arm around one of her arms, trying to savor the contact. He had never known that touch could be a good thing. Touch had always hurt him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her.

"Excuse me?" The girl asked, startled, setting him down.

He looked at her. She was confused. Not angered, or scared, or ready to harm him. She was confused.

"I'm... I'm Beast Boy..." he admitted quietly, transforming into his human form. "I'm sorry... I was just hungry and I went out to go get food and then I heard a loud noise and got scared and hid under the couch and then you found me and then I scratched you and I'm so so so sorry I hurt you I'm sorry," he blurted, tears already beginning to fall sloppily.

"No... you're fine... but what's with you being a cat just then?"

"I... I got sick when I was a kid, and now I can turn into animals. It's... just something I do... I'm sorry," he explained through tears.

Raven looked at Beast Boy as he cried. She didn't know what to do, she didn't know how to comfort other people.

"Um... don't worry about it. We won't judge you... or anything. And I already know about you being able to turn i to animals. But what scared you that caused you to hide under the couch?" She asked cautiously, slowly stepping toward him.

He shook his head and cried.

"Don't tell Robin about this... please," Beast Boy begged.

"...I won't," Raven promised before Beast Boy ran off.

(End scene)