The End For Us [An Evil Sapphire Saga]

[Deleted]

Everything was cold. The world was a haze of red-rimmed images. There were fountains surrounding him. But it wasn't water coming out of these fountains, it was a sickly sweet scarlet liquid that oozed rather than flowed, thick and unpleasant.

But there was no fountain here. It was just him. He was the fountain, his water being tapped by several pieces of steel.

Beast Boy struggled to keep himself awake, afraid to lose consciousness. His eyelids trembled, the only sign that he was fighting for his life. The rest of him was disturbingly still; even his chest barely moved, the rising and falling motions hardly noticeable in the melee surrounding the green changeling. He couldn't fall asleep. To do so would be to accept the warm embrace of almost certain death. But he was so cold. And darkness looked ever the more comforting.

Someone was moving him. Steady hands were gripping his body, pressing down on the space between his shoulder blades. They were clogging the fountain, and the added pressure sent a fresh wave of pain that flowed like fire through his icy veins. A barely inaudible hiss escaped Beast Boy, his fingers twitching from the contact.

Then he felt softer, feminine hands replace the rough, steady ones. The fountain was unplugged, the liquid left free to spill out as the blade was removed from between his shoulder blades. Beast Boy's face stretched into a grimace that lasted for about a second before his body went slack again. Even pulling a face was so tiring.

Raven was healing his wound, closing the fountain. He wasn't sure about the daggers stuck in his arms and legs--if he was alive enough the changeling probably would've made a comment about how he had been turned into a living pincushion--but by this time he had lost a lot of blood. It almost felt like he didn't have limbs at all, that he had been reduced to just a body and a head.

He had to keep fighting. The darkness was not welcome, the darkness was repulsive. Sleep was an enemy. Unconsciousness meant death. Sleep...

Beast Boy's eyes fluttered open for a moment. A purple and green haze hovered over him, almost like they were inspecting him. It was difficult to see exact shapes, but there seemed to be a lot of orange flying around. He felt like he should be warm, but he was cold.

Everything was cold.

Raven... he tried to move his mouth, command his lips to form the words to speak to the Azarathian that was holding him. His vision had cleared just enough to recognize Raven and Reflecto as the fuzzy purple and green things, and that the orange stuff was actually fire. Fire. Why was he cold, then?

He tried to lift his head, twitch his arms, move a finger. However, the act of moving brought on an onslaught of dizziness along with the sensation that he was going to puke. His senses were erratic--things would be extremely loud one moment, making him press his ears flat against his skull, and then everything would sound as if he were wearing a pair of sound-resistant earmuffs. At one point he thought he could literally taste the scent of blood in the air. Or maybe he had accidentally bitten his tongue and was tasting real blood--it was hard to tell. The one thing that was constant was the cold creeping up to his torso from his extremities, creating goosebumps on the exposed green flesh.

He was cold. So cold.

[Bry]

Reflecto ran over, settled by her side, was saying something about knowing first aid. Slade was attacking the computer, Robin was attacking Slade, and Sapphire was attacking everything. Batgirl was shouting, firing off punches, kicks, and Robin was joining her. Fire flew through the air along with shouts and curses, but it was all lost on the girl in blue.

"Come on, Beast Boy, come back to me...."

Raven was concentrating only on her green friend, cradling his head still in her lap; his eyes flickered, and Raven started a little. He was awake? Was he awake? Or was it a reflex? Glancing down the rest of his body, Raven noticed a knife poking from his arm, another from his leg.... She scowled; how could she have missed those?! Gingerly, she reached down and slid the knife from his arm, wrapping her fist around the wound as soon as it was open and sealing it with her own dwindling powers. She did the same with his leg, then looked back to his face, brushed a hand against his cheek, watched him intensely for any sign of life, and all the while chanted soft little whispers.

"Come on, Beast Boy.... Hold on, just a bit longer.... Stay with me...."

[Deleted]

Sapphire had already given up on herself. This was the end, it was her or Slade. And she had a feeling Slade wouldn't die.

"Robin... I can't be saved... even if I destroy him, I can't stay with you any longer." She was speaking what she thought to be the truth. Beast Boy had said they would never give up on her. But, Beast Boy also looked like he was going to die in front of her. Without him to mediate, she couldn't face the Titans again.

But she decided to try to save herself anyway. At least she'd find a new home and start a new life. She definitely didn't want to die today.

Heating her body up, the smell of burning flesh permeated through the air and although it stunk, it was a sign of freedom. Slade could do little now as his very flesh began to melt off, gruesomely. Slade shrieked in pain until the dark reaches of death overtook him and he was nothing but ash on the ground. Sapphire fired one testing blast at the computer, and when it exploded she was left alive and well.

Now she could focus on her "friend."

"Beast Boy! I'm so sorry. I never meant for you to die." Although she could no longer let her emotions free, visible concern was written all over her face. It was Hell on Earth. And she caused all of it.

"Please forgive me, Beast Boy!

Please...

Forgive... Me!" She was exhausted and she collapsed next to Beast Boy in some sort of trance where even her Nightmare couldn't wreak havoc.

Sleep sounded good...

[Deleted]

When the blue cloaked girl did not answer I watched helplessly as she tried to revive her fallen green friend that layed lifelessly on the ground before her. Though not too lifelessly for the green one did manage to make a few twitches. Still, that could have just been due to the body making unconscious, last minute reflexes. Dead bodies tended to do that sometimes especially that of the recently deceased. Yes, I was being very morbid right now. But I couldn’t even look at the poor boy now. He looked so close to death. I watched as Raven removed the knives that Slade had thrown at him earlier. I opened my mouth to give the girl in blue some comforting words of encouragement, but I sensed this was not the right time for such. She needed to be alone with him.

Then I overheard the fight wear one. Glancing up I watched as the fire starter turned on her own master, decimating him. And now the once powerful, mysterious man that caused so much fear and pain in the world was nothing more than a pile of ash on the floor. An ignoble death indeed. Then Sapphire destroyed the remains of the computer and ran over to us, despair in her eyes. Deciding to give her some time with Beast Boy I moved over some. And I watched as she apologized for having turned on all of them and then in the middle of it all she fainted right next to the fallen green changeling. All and all it was a mixed ending. The bad guy was brutally slain by his own apprentice and in turn his apprentice was freed, but their green ally still would not wake up.

[Silv]

“Sapphire! You have to try!” he wasn't sure if his words got through to her because they were garbled as he was once again thrown back by a blow from Slade. Now he and Batgirl were trading blows with the man but it was like when they sparred with Batman. Neither of them seemed to be able to touch the mercenary.

The smell of burning human flesh made Robin want to gag, especially when the smell of burning hair and clothing added into the mix. The smell was the first thing that alerted him that something was wrong. Especially since he wasn't sure if the smell was coming from Slade or Sapphire. “Sapphire!” he cried worried that it was her and rushing to attack Slade if he was causing her harm.

In what appeared to be his last feat of strength the masked villain grabbed Robin by the throat when the boy came too close in an attack. The Boy Wonder's masked eyes widened as he felt the hand close around his windpipe and his eyes swam as he struggled to breathe. He thought he heard a threat whispered in his direction but his world was slowly going black and it was hard to tell. Then, as suddenly as he had been grabbed he was flung away. Robin felt himself flying through the air towards the nuisance to Slade that was Batgirl. He landed dazed and wheezing on the ground. Robin didn't need to be worried for Sapphire, though, because it quickly became apparent that Slade was in agony. Robin had always wanted to hear the man scream, and now it seemed, in a disturbing sort of fashion, that he had gotten his wish.

Robin watched as the man caught fire, still crouched on the ground and throwing up his cape so as not to be burned. The boy wasn't sure if he ought to try and save Slade. As a hero it was his obligation to save people. But this was Slade the man who had put him against his own friends and who had made Robin serve him. He was the same man who had done terrible things to both Raven and Terra. If anyone deserved to die it was Slade. But then it was too late and the decision was made by his inaction. Slade was gone and Sapphire was free.

And yet, seeing the burned pile he couldn't help but feel a little bit lost and unsure. After all, Slade wasn't very good at staying dead. Of course, there were more important things to be dealt with, like the unconscious Beast Boy. Robin shot Batgirl a weak smile as he got slowly to his feet, letting her know he was okay...well, as okay as someone who had just taken a beating could be. His attention moved to the little firewielder and his two teammates. "Sapphire," he let his hand fall on her shoulder in a comforting manner and gave her a smile. "You did well." she looked exhausted, though and he watched as she collapsed to the ground next to Beast Boy and Raven.

His gaze then turned to Raven. "How is he?" he asked the empath. "We should get him back to the tower. I'm sure he needs a blood transfusion." Robin assumed the changeling was alive, mostly because he had still been alive when Robin had handed him off to Raven and he knew the Azarathian would never let anyone in her charge die. The Boy Wonder was also very glad he made the team keep a stock of their own blood in the infirmary.

The Boy Wonder then took stock of what was around them. There was the pile of ash that had been Slade and the ruins of the computer. There was blood on the floor: Beast Boy's, his and probably some of Batgirl's. He frowned as his gaze took in the heap of ash that was now Slade's worldly remains. Slade was dead. Robin didn't think for a second the man was actually gone. Death hadn't stopped him before. Robin didn't expect it to work this time.

[Aly]

As Robin and Sapphire exchanged words, Batgirl just continued attempting an attack on Slade. What Robin was quickly finding out, Batgirl was doing the same. They were getting nowhere with this. Even if Sapphire could destroy the computer while she was standing over there, how were they going to get around Slade? Even if Sapphire was freed, what would they do then?

When Slade picked up Robin by the neck, Batgirl went into overdrive, throwing punches and kicks like there was no tomorrow. She didn't know Sapphire that well, and neither did she really know Beast Boy. Both of them were in danger, and she wanted to save them. However, that was nothing compared to the rage that overcame her as Robin struggled in Slade's grasp.

"You-" punch "--little--" punch "Let--him--go!" kick kick punch

The next thing she knew, he was letting him go. In fact, he was throwing Robin right to her. The boy wonder nearly landed on top of her, both of them thrown back a couple of feet. She started to fuss over him, trying to make sure he was alright. With a nod, her hopes were confirmed.

She returned her attention to the mastermind at hand. "Slade." She growled, running back towards him. After just a foot, though, she stopped as the smell of burning flesh and materials overcame her. Coughing, she threw up her own cape as a shield from the sudden light that seemed to emit from Slade, throwing shadows across the room. The next thing she knew, Slade was just a pile of ash. However, she didn't rejoyce. She knew Slade would be back. It would just be a matter of time.

[Deleted]

Was he in Antartica? No, the bottom of the world was a wasteland of white. Beast Boy was in a place that was dark. And cold.

He felt like he was floating somewhere between reality and nonexistence, clinging to life by the slimmest of margins. His torso was beginning to feel cold, and his limbs were next to useless by now. He barely even felt the pain that seared through his arms and legs like a fiery brand when Raven removed the last of the daggers from his body. The changeling was healed, but he was nowhere close to feeling better. He had lost too much blood for a speedy recovery to occur; however, the wounds had been sealed, and his body was slowly beginning to recuperate.

Something strange suddenly invaded his world of darkness and frigidity. Something warm. Something...acrid. Beast Boy wrinkled his nose, his brow furrowing ever so slightly in response to the stench that wafted around his sensitive nostrils. Good Lord, what was that smell?

The aroma of burning flesh, hair, and clothing was enough of a stimulant to arouse Beast Boy. He was still cold, but the darkness was replaced with a tunnel of light. Wait, didn't everyone say to go away from the light? Too late--he was already drawn towards the brightness, running, running, running...

A pair of concerned purple eyes greeted the green changeling as he opened his eyes, thrust back into the land of the living. Wow, he felt strange. Like his limbs had turned into jellyfish tentacles. Had he shifted while he was unconscious? His gaze traveled down his body; nope, he was still the same, despite the random gashes in his uniform. He tried to lift his head, to curl his fingers, but the slightest movement felt exhausting. A small groan wheezed out of the changeling, his eyes casting about the cramped control room; he couldn't have been out for very long, but it felt like an eternity had passed by. And that smell wafting around the room was still utterly awful.

"Raven?" he mouthed to the girl that was holding him, barely a sound coming out from the mouth that usually produced such a loud, often obnoxious voice. He had managed to figure out that something was burning. Or someone. He immediately thought of Sapphire; was she alright?

A quick glance to the side answered Beast Boy's question. The fire girl was in one piece, though he had also managed to notice that the computer wasn't. His green eyes stretched wide with fear, thinking her dead, but a closer look determined that she was still breathing, and very much alive. The Titans must have won then; if he could have, Beast Boy would have broken out in a celebratory break dance.

The next thing he knew, Robin's face was right next to Raven's. A ghost of a smile flitted across the changeling's face. "Hey dude," he wheezed, his voice quiet and hoarse, before the Boy Wonder went away to do fearless leader things. Beast Boy's eyes returned to Raven's, an intense gratitude glimmering in their green depths.

"Thank you," he whispered, knowing that it was only through the Azarathian's actions that he was still alive.

[Bry]

The room was tilting slowly, like it couldn't decide whether to spin or stay grounded. Raven shivered, closed her eyes. That's what happened when she took over the pain of others; naturally, it became hers. But, she had not lost blood, she was not the one wounded and fighting for life, and she was not the that who needed her attention, so she blinked twice, and pushed it away.

Right now, her focus had to be Beast Boy, and Beast Boy alone.

Raven watched vaguely from the sidelines as the fight raged on and drew itself into a conclusion. Sapphire was powerful; Raven was impressed. But she couldn't help being reminded of a certain blonde girl a few years ago. The similarities were just screaming to be noticed and Raven only hoped it wouldn't end the same way.

That would be cruel.

And now Slade was burning, which was in itself sickening. It was a bizarre thought too, to think that one of the worst villains to live would be no more. Then again, burning hadn't stopped him before. Nothing had stopped him before. He'd be back, Raven knew, though she wished she didn't. Slade was a terror, a demon of sorts, and victories against the man never lasted. It was the sad truth.

When she ducked her eyes away from the man screaming in agony as he burned to death, she saw Beast Boy's eyes flicker ever so slightly and suddenly she was back on alert. He was stirring, he was alive!

Beast Boy opened his eyes and stared at her, and all she could really do was blink to show her relief. He mumbled her name in question, then embraced the heroic trait of checking on everyone else first. His eyes slide over to stare at Sapphire, but after a moment, Robin appeared before them and stole both of their attention.

"He seems to be okay," Raven answered her leader, hesitant to say more until she knew Beast Boy was truly on the mend. But then Robin said something else, something about the Tower, and she nodded her obedience to the Boy Wonder, wondering if that was even an option anymore. The Tower, as far as she knew, had been overtaken by Slade and Sapphire, but considering their current positions, Raven assumed it would fall back into their control. She readied herself to take them away from this horrid place, and Beast Boy whispered a 'thank-you' up at her.

It wasn't rare for Beast Boy to thank people, but it was something to hear his sincerity laid bare, completely void of jokes and laughter, and Raven was touched. She met his eyes and afforded him a small smile. "Don't mention it," she replied to him, then looked back up at Robin.

Already placing a hand on Sapphire to claim her as a second passenger, she asked the room at large, "Anyone else coming along for the ride?"

[Deleted]

Although she had no concept of time, she had a feeling a few hours had passed by the time she woke from her trance. She was laying on the couch, in the Tower, having been put there by who knows? Once Slade was "gone" the Tower was safe to return to. She was glad the Titans realized that. Sitting up, Sapphire rubbed her head, a migraine developed due to the trauma of the past events.

"I'm alive...? I thought...." She hardly recalled how it had ended. Noticing she was back in her own clothes, she wondered which Titan had decided to dress her. She deduced that it was most likely the Bat. After all, Batgirl was the only girl on this team not totally against people at the time being.

As soon as Sapphire realized she was alright, her concern went in another direction entirely. "Beast Boy!" She shouted to anyone in the room. "Is he... alive? Is he okay?" She didn't think about how she sounded. His life was more important than her pride.

Shame overtook her now. It was her fault the Tower was practically a parking lot. It was her fault the city was almost entirely cleared, a dark shadow of it's former, bustling self. It was her fault Beast Boy was hurt. And the others weren't in the best condition either. Mentally they were drained, physically they were wounded. Psychologically, they were probably wondering where Sapphire's loyalties lied. Was she a friend who got confused by the prospect of better controlling her powers? Or was she a villain who was still acting like the hero for a moment longer. At this point, Sapphire didn't even know who she was.

She was just bad at being good, she realized. She had a criminal record. She was still wanted for being a destructive force. Her nature was to burn. Oh, how she burned. She was like a flaming tornado. It wasn't like she aimed to attack others or to destroy homes. More like, it's just what happened. No way to stop it.

Was she the Titans liability? She was a skilled fighter, and knew battle strategies within seconds of entering battle. Her lack of control was the only thing preventing her from securing herself as a Titan. They had accepted her, but she had yet to accept herself.

She had to fix this, somehow. She had a feeling Slade wasn't truly gone. He had survived multiple meetings with death and she knew she wasn't nearly strong enough to kill someone like him permanently.

Swallowing the ever-growing lump in her throat, Sapphire stood up, feeling the ache from the metal that had melted inside her body. Wish I would have done that sooner. She mused. Stumbling to Beast Boy's door, she assumed Robin and Raven took him to his bedroom, she knocked lightly.

"Beast Boy? Are you okay? Can I come in?" Hopefully he didn't hate her. What would she do if he did? She was... in love with him. And she admitted that to herself.

Obviously that love was incredible painful with Iris also liking him and Beast Boy trying to be a ladies man like Speedy. But, at this point, what did it matter? Iris wasn't evil at least. Iris didn't send Beast Boy to a near death experience. Perhaps, she should stop fighting it and just pretend like she liked him as a little brother. As a friend. As.... what was he to her anyway?

More importantly, what was she to him?

[Silv]

The tower had been a mess when they had first arrived. Robin had made them go directly to the infirmary so that they could deal with Beast Boy and hopefully find that stored blood. It had taken a good deal of searching but Robin had managed to find them. They were spoiled. Cursing Slade to the lowest of hells Robin had turned instead to talk with Raven about what to do. Time was the best way for Beast Boy to heal. Time and food. Robin considered hooking the green bean up to a saline IV but in the end he just decided that they ought to find someplace for him to rest that wasn't as ransacked. Most of their rooms had been left untouched (except Robin's of course, and Cyborg's had been rifled through) and so Robin and Raven had taken Beast Boy back to his own room and set him up on the lower bunk because it was simply easier that way.

Robin had wrinkled his nose, because the place was hardly sterile, but it was in better shape than what was left of their infirmary that had slowly started being converted into...who knew what Slade was converting it into. That the masked villain had managed to take over their tower was a blow in and of itself. It would take days to undo the orange and black that had replaced some of the more Titanly colors but Robin was determined to wipe every trace of Slade from their tower and so it would get done quickly. After all, it hadn't taken them long to reclaim after the HIVE had taken over.

Once Beast Boy had been dealt with, Sapphire had been the next item of business. She was in better shape than BB but Robin was still worried about her. He had asked Batgirl to help her be more decent (mostly he just wanted that godawful uniform gone) before he had rushed off with Raven to help deal with Beast Boy. He felt a little bad leaving the redhead with that kind of a job, but someone had to do it and Babs didn't know about their store of blood anyway. He had come back once they had gotten beast Boy settled and had explained about how he did not want either Sapphire or Beast Boy to be left alone, and that they could work in shifts to monitor them. He had also strongly suggested to Reflecto that he stay in the common room because he didn't know the catman too well.

Robin had volunteered to take the first watch on Beast Boy and give Raven some time to rest after their trying experience. He had waved off any mention of his own injuries and now that he was sitting in the corner of BB's room and staring at a sleeping changeling it was hard to ignore the throbbing in his ribs or the way his throat still felt strange every time he swallowed. He had found his laptop, opened and drained of it's contents in what little was left of his room and was currently working on hacking his information back while he glanced up to check on the changeling on the bed every so often.

A knocking at the door alerted him to a presence before he heard Sapphire's voice on the other side. Robin stole a glance at the changeling before slowly getting to his feet and making his way over to the doorway. He opened the door and smiled halfheartedly at Sapphire. “He's resting,” Robin explained quietly but motioned for Sapphire to come in anyway. “How are you feeling? I wasn't sure what sort of adverse affect Slades...armor. would have on you.”

[Deleted]

Beast Boy had slipped back into oblivion not long after Raven transported him back to the Tower. His vision had started to get blurry again, and when he had tried to move, the effort was enough to make him pass out again.

Consciousness clawed its way to the surface after an indeterminate amount of time. The changeling found himself staring at the underbelly of his top bunk. Didn't he usually stare at the ceiling? Why was he sleeping on the bottom bunk? Using his peripherals, Beast Boy noticed that the pile of crap he usually kept on the bottom half of his bunk bed had been shifted to the floor to provide him temporary accommodations. He vaguely wondered why he wasn't in the infirmary--though it was hard to recall exactly what had happened to him for a while--when a knocking at the door interrupted his foggy thought process.

Beast Boy couldn't help but wince at the noise; the knocking, though gentle, was enough to make his head pound. He must be dehydrated. The changeling's pointy ears twitched in response to Sapphire's voice. She was alive? She was alright? He had to see this for himself.

Moving, however, turned out to be a mistake. No sooner had Beast Boy's head lifted from his pillow than spots started to swim before his eyes. Letting out a weak groan, he flopped back upon the bed, limbs splayed uselessly to the side. He felt like he was going to vomit. He took a few deep breaths, watching out of the corner of his eye as Robin answered the door for him. How long had Robin been here? The Boy Wonder's silent presence made Beast Boy feel strangely violated. He suddenly began wondering if he drooled when he was unconscious. His uniform had not been changed out since the attack, so there were still several gashes in the cloth and almost the entire thing was stained scarlet. The blood had long since dried, making the material stiffen. To the changeling's sensitive nose, the uniform practically reeked of blood.

Green eyes snapped over to Sapphire as soon as she entered the room, immediately scanning her body for injuries. She had already changed into a different set of clothing, which came as a relief to Beast Boy; he couldn't stand seeing her in the armor she had been wearing earlier. Considering what she had been through, she really didn't look any worse for wear.

"Hey, dudes," Beast Boy called out to Robin and Sapphire, surprised at the hoarseness of his own voice. He licked his lips and swallowed dryly, grimacing. "Are you guys alright?"

[Deleted]

We were in Titans Tower before I even got the chance to protest them taking me along for the ride. I just didn’t feel…comfortable being around a bunch of superheroes I didn’t even know. I didn’t like it. Made me nervous. I had never been very good on superhero teams.

But it hardly mattered for Raven seemed insistent on taking me along. When we arrived I wanted to complain to someone about this. I felt like I was being shanhinged after all. But Robin had insisted that I remain in their common room, but after all that…craziness I felt like I deserved some answers.

So I left to find my abductors er the Titans. After stumbling about their tower for awhile I finally found myself in a long hallway where apparently where their rooms were for I spotted the fire starter and Robin standing outside someone’s room. “Okay, will somebody please tell me what is going on…here?” I stopped short upon seeing how sad the two looked though I could tell Robin was trying to conceal his true feelings. Typical leader, I thought with a roll of my eye.

I frowned at the two upon seeing what they were so sad about. Their green teammate despite being saved by Raven was still very much hurt. I frowned weakly at the recovering green changeling. Feeling awkward I excused myself. “Uh, sorry, I’ll just leave you three alone. You can tell me everything later,” I informed them though I was speaking directly to Robin. Then turning on my heel I turned around and l headed back down the long hallway.

[Deleted]

Sapphire had came to talk to Beast Boy alone, and with everyone else around, she felt more than a little embarrassed. As she noticed the new hero walking away from the commotion. "Wait!" Well, she certainly was demanding, "what is your name?" She had yet to know the telepath's name, only that he had assisted the Titans in rescuing her from Slade's grip.

After he answered, she turned to Robin and was just about to tell him she'd come back later when Beast Boy came to and asked if her and Robin were alright. Stepping into the room, she knelt at Beast Boy's bedside and displayed a gentleness that no one knew she had in her.

"The real question being, are you okay?" Although Sapphire had been injured, it wasn't a fatal injury like Beast Boy's and she could put her own injuries behind her. Anything to forget that the aching in her muscles was a direct result of the armor Slade used to control her.

Beast Boy looked terrible, and he smelled of his own blood. Sapphire felt worse than before. "Perhaps I shall be leaving now." She knew that she'd have to leave soon after all of this anyway. So why were the Titans treating her as though nothing happened? She was bound to face a lecture soon.


(ugh, short again!)

[Silv]

Reflecto came by when they were standing in the hallway. Robin wasn't entirely sure what he thought of the catman who had proven to be as much of an ally as he could be a nuisance. When Reflecto said he was going to move on and would request the information later, the Boy Wonder nodded in affirmation. It seemed like the best idea to him. Sapphire, however, had other plans. Robin did not object. Maybe the catman could one day prove to be less of a nuisance and more of an ally.

“Beast Boy,” Robin turned when he heard the changeling shift and then ask if they were alright. Silly kid, always putting others before himself. But that was all of them, really. Sapphire was quick to shoot the question right back at Beast Boy and the Boy Wonder listened intently for an update. If things got worse he would have to call in Raven and together they would figure out what they were doing. Unless she sensed something was wrong without him having to call.

The concern on Robin's face was touching for the few moments he let it stay there. By the time he was by Beast Boy's side the expression was gone from his face and he had adopted his more professional attitude. “Beast Boy, you lost a lot of blood. You need to drink,” he grabbed the water bottle they had scrounged from their stocks and held it out to the changeling. “and you need to eat to regain your strength. Raven managed to close up the bleeding but it's up to your body to make more blood. We lost most of the medical supplies when Slade took the tower.”

He realized then that he was probably being too serious and too much at once and so he backed off with a last. “Let me know when you feel you can handle some food.” it was Robin's way of showing he cared.

[Deleted]

Beast Boy's round green eyes stared into Sapphire's, immediately noticing her anxiety. It was the first time he could remember seeing her emotions so plainly, stripped of any sort of defense. Her concern was touching, despite the circumstances. "I feel great, dude. Awesome," he replied with as convincing a smile as possible.

Lies. He felt terrible. His tongue tasted and felt like sandpaper, and his head was surprisingly buoyant and it made him dizzy. Didn't heads usually feel heavier?

A water bottle was suddenly shoved into his face, and the changeling, in a manner that very much suggested why he had been given the name Beast Boy, sniffed the bottle with wide, dilated eyes like a puppy being given a new toy. He lifted his hand, initially surprised at how heavy and useless it felt, and took the water bottle from Robin. He blinked at his forearm, noticing a gash in the cloth that normally covered it; there was a small, pinkish line in the green flesh. He sickeningly wondered how many more of those he had on his body.

"Thanks," he said, giving Robin a small smile before bringing his attention back to the water bottle. It took more effort than he cared to admit to open the darned thing, and he tried not to show how dizzy lifting his head made him. Beast Boy brought the bottle to his lips and took a few sips, struggling to keep from downing the entire bottle at once--that would probably just make him sick. Robin had said he'd lost a lot of blood; the changeling tried not to think of how much.

Recapping the bottle, he placed it in his lap and tried to sit up a little more. "So Slade trashed the place?" he muttered darkly, his voice less hoarse than it had been before. His green eyes scanned his room. It didn't look any messier than it normally did; it probably hadn't been worth rummaging through in the first place. Beast Boy would have hated to see the state of Robin's room, though.

Hearing Sapphire mention something about leaving, the green boy's pointy ears twitched and his gaze snapped back to her. "Leaving? Are you tired?" he asked, misinterpreting her statement. He believed she wanted to leave his room for a brief respite, and hadn't even thought about the possibility of her wanting to leave the team.