Enøshima
Beast Boy - 2.8 - Beast and the Machine
It's at this point that me and Victor start sharing our respective stories. What's wrong with me, that I blurt out my life story to total strangers? It's kind of becoming a recurring problem. First with Tara, and now with Victor. Definitely not following the stranger danger guidelines my parents told me about as a kid. But you know what? It actually feels nice. They both have gone through similar problems, so it's been easier to relate. It feels like this huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders, just by talking about it with them.
"Dude, that's awful." I reply, trying to give my best pep talk. "I'm sorry you've had to go through all that, in such a short amount of time. Losing your mom, and almost dying. Then there's the whole thing of your dad experimenting on you... Which is totally messed up I might add, even if it did save your life. That's more pain than I'd ever wish on my worst enemy. I can tell you're still feeling guilty about not being able to do anything to save your mom. But as cliche as it sounds, there's nothing you could have done differently. Trust me, even if you found the driver responsible for the accident, hurting them wouldn't bring you peace. Like I mentioned before, Madame Rouge murdered Rita right in front of me. In that moment, I felt this uncontrollable anger inside of me. This of course led to me showing no mercy, ripping her to shreds. I wanted her dead, and that's what I got. Revenge for Rita. But you know the worst part? That didn't bring me peace. I still lost Rita, and killing Rouge didn't miraculously bring her back! The feelings of sadness were still there... Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that sometimes, life is just cruel to truly good people. I know it's tough, but your mom wouldn't want this for you. For you to carry this guilt for the rest of your life. She'd want you to let go, and move forward with your life. She'd want you to be happy, and I have no doubt that in time, you will."
"Thanks Gar. Honestly, I really appreciate you listening to me vent about everything. I'm just not sure where to go from here. Football was my dream. It's been my dream ever since I was a little kid. Not to be a scientist, like both of my parents. I was going to be the best wide receiver the NFL had ever seen! I'd be on that field the day of the Superbowl, with the crowd going wild. I dreamed of my dad being in the stands as we won, and telling me he's proud of me, for the first time in my life. I'd buy Katherine the perfect home, where we would build a family, and grow old together. But that dream died the day of that accident. My chances at being in the NFL are gone . All future prospects, out the window. And now Katherine can't even look at me without thinking I'm a monster ! And my dad..."
"You know what man? It's Katherine's loss! I mean seriously, if she's gonna bail because of that, she doesn't deserve you. Obviously, I didn't know you before the accident, but you checking on that driver told me all I needed to know. You have a good heart, Victor Stone. And if she doesn't see that, well sorry, but she's an idiot."
"I guess you're right. But it's easier said than done. She was someone I thought I would spend the rest of my life with. Even after she brushed me aside like I was nothing to her, I still care about her. The memories we shared, and those feelings I have, they don't just go away, no matter how much of me is now scrap metal. The annoying thing is that I can't even cry about any of this. No matter how much I want to, I physically can't. Another reminder that I'm not human anymore." He pauses, looking down at the ground, before continuing, trying to change the subject. "So... What are you going to do now? Since the imposter, and that 'Wildebeest' as you called it, have a pretty big head start.
"Not sure, to be honest with ya Vic. I wanted to make sure you were okay first, before chasing after them. I should make sure the Wildebeest isn't putting anyone in harms way. Though it was only trying to defend itself from the imposter. I also need to find the imposter, and put them behind bars. But, as you said, they have quite the head start, and New York City's massive. I wouldn't know the first place to even start looking." It's at this point Vic Stone starts smirking, before responding.
"I think I might be able help with that."
"Huh? How? Not to sound rude and all, but you being able to lift a car with your pinky won't exactly help us find them."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Beast Boy . " He teases, before continuing his train of thought. "Also, they could easily help us out. Just depends on who you ask. But anyways... Ever since the accident, I've heard these voices in my head. I didn't quite understand what they were, at first. But with some help, I've learned that I can, as weird as it sounds, communicate with machines. There's sort of a bond there, much like your bond to animals. Which just so happens to include school and traffic cameras. Give me a few minutes to ask around, and I'll hopefully have something to follow-up on."
"Wait, so you don't just have metal body parts. You can actually talk, with machines? And you hear their voice , in your head? You know how crazy that sounds, right? Should I be worried?" I tease.
"Says the green guy who can turn and talk to any animal imaginable. But yeah sure, I'm the crazy one." He replies, his voice deadpan.
"I mean, you're not wrong. Though I wish you would've led with that! Instead of letting me make a fool out of myself by saying you couldn't help." I groan.
"True, I could've. But where's the fun in that? Besides, I'm sure that isn't the first time you've dug yourself into a hole. Certainly won't be the last time either." He replies, with him once again smirking.
"Well, at least you're smiling. Even if it is at my expense."
"Thanks, once again Gar. For everything. It honestly means more than you'll know... Anyways, I'll be back in a few minutes." With that, Vic leaves, heading towards the school. Thankfully, everyone's left for the day, due to the attack. So it won't be hard for him to snoop around.
I end up flying several laps around the football field as a hawk, mostly due to boredom, before transforming back into human form and waiting on the bleachers. Once again, I'm bored out of my mind.
About 10 minutes pass by, before he returns.
"Got the Wildebeest's name and address thanks to the security camera catching the transformation, and the school's class rosters. The Wildebeest is none other than Noah Mendez. A freshman, with a perfect attendance record. It was rather disappointing to see Sebastian Cardona, a former teammate of mine, and someone I'd consider a friend, bullying the poor kid. He didn't deserve that, and I wish I noticed it sooner. But there's still time that I can make it up to him.
"There's no way for you to have known. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.."
"Yeah, okay Gandalf... Let's get going." He says, slightly rolling his eyes.
"So you know Lord of the Rings, but not Space Trek: 2022? We'll have to rectify that asap."
"What can I say? Katherine thought Legolas was hot, so being the good guy I was, I watched the movie with her. Happy girlfriend equals happy life. Or something like that. At least that's what I thought at the time. But don't worry Gar, I have all the time in the world now to watch your show. After all this is over."
"You realize, now that you've said it, you can't take it back!" I say with a grin.
"Yeah, yeah, I know." He replies, before stepping off the bleacher, and walking away, assuming he's heading in the direction of Noah's house. So of course, I follow him. This is going to take a while .
Beast Boy - 2.8 - Beast and the Machine
It's at this point that me and Victor start sharing our respective stories. What's wrong with me, that I blurt out my life story to total strangers? It's kind of becoming a recurring problem. First with Tara, and now with Victor. Definitely not following the stranger danger guidelines my parents told me about as a kid. But you know what? It actually feels nice. They both have gone through similar problems, so it's been easier to relate. It feels like this huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders, just by talking about it with them.
"Dude, that's awful." I reply, trying to give my best pep talk. "I'm sorry you've had to go through all that, in such a short amount of time. Losing your mom, and almost dying. Then there's the whole thing of your dad experimenting on you... Which is totally messed up I might add, even if it did save your life. That's more pain than I'd ever wish on my worst enemy. I can tell you're still feeling guilty about not being able to do anything to save your mom. But as cliche as it sounds, there's nothing you could have done differently. Trust me, even if you found the driver responsible for the accident, hurting them wouldn't bring you peace. Like I mentioned before, Madame Rouge murdered Rita right in front of me. In that moment, I felt this uncontrollable anger inside of me. This of course led to me showing no mercy, ripping her to shreds. I wanted her dead, and that's what I got. Revenge for Rita. But you know the worst part? That didn't bring me peace. I still lost Rita, and killing Rouge didn't miraculously bring her back! The feelings of sadness were still there... Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that sometimes, life is just cruel to truly good people. I know it's tough, but your mom wouldn't want this for you. For you to carry this guilt for the rest of your life. She'd want you to let go, and move forward with your life. She'd want you to be happy, and I have no doubt that in time, you will."
"Thanks Gar. Honestly, I really appreciate you listening to me vent about everything. I'm just not sure where to go from here. Football was my dream. It's been my dream ever since I was a little kid. Not to be a scientist, like both of my parents. I was going to be the best wide receiver the NFL had ever seen! I'd be on that field the day of the Superbowl, with the crowd going wild. I dreamed of my dad being in the stands as we won, and telling me he's proud of me, for the first time in my life. I'd buy Katherine the perfect home, where we would build a family, and grow old together. But that dream died the day of that accident. My chances at being in the NFL are gone . All future prospects, out the window. And now Katherine can't even look at me without thinking I'm a monster ! And my dad..."
"You know what man? It's Katherine's loss! I mean seriously, if she's gonna bail because of that, she doesn't deserve you. Obviously, I didn't know you before the accident, but you checking on that driver told me all I needed to know. You have a good heart, Victor Stone. And if she doesn't see that, well sorry, but she's an idiot."
"I guess you're right. But it's easier said than done. She was someone I thought I would spend the rest of my life with. Even after she brushed me aside like I was nothing to her, I still care about her. The memories we shared, and those feelings I have, they don't just go away, no matter how much of me is now scrap metal. The annoying thing is that I can't even cry about any of this. No matter how much I want to, I physically can't. Another reminder that I'm not human anymore." He pauses, looking down at the ground, before continuing, trying to change the subject. "So... What are you going to do now? Since the imposter, and that 'Wildebeest' as you called it, have a pretty big head start.
"Not sure, to be honest with ya Vic. I wanted to make sure you were okay first, before chasing after them. I should make sure the Wildebeest isn't putting anyone in harms way. Though it was only trying to defend itself from the imposter. I also need to find the imposter, and put them behind bars. But, as you said, they have quite the head start, and New York City's massive. I wouldn't know the first place to even start looking." It's at this point Vic Stone starts smirking, before responding.
"I think I might be able help with that."
"Huh? How? Not to sound rude and all, but you being able to lift a car with your pinky won't exactly help us find them."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Beast Boy . " He teases, before continuing his train of thought. "Also, they could easily help us out. Just depends on who you ask. But anyways... Ever since the accident, I've heard these voices in my head. I didn't quite understand what they were, at first. But with some help, I've learned that I can, as weird as it sounds, communicate with machines. There's sort of a bond there, much like your bond to animals. Which just so happens to include school and traffic cameras. Give me a few minutes to ask around, and I'll hopefully have something to follow-up on."
"Wait, so you don't just have metal body parts. You can actually talk, with machines? And you hear their voice , in your head? You know how crazy that sounds, right? Should I be worried?" I tease.
"Says the green guy who can turn and talk to any animal imaginable. But yeah sure, I'm the crazy one." He replies, his voice deadpan.
"I mean, you're not wrong. Though I wish you would've led with that! Instead of letting me make a fool out of myself by saying you couldn't help." I groan.
"True, I could've. But where's the fun in that? Besides, I'm sure that isn't the first time you've dug yourself into a hole. Certainly won't be the last time either." He replies, with him once again smirking.
"Well, at least you're smiling. Even if it is at my expense."
"Thanks, once again Gar. For everything. It honestly means more than you'll know... Anyways, I'll be back in a few minutes." With that, Vic leaves, heading towards the school. Thankfully, everyone's left for the day, due to the attack. So it won't be hard for him to snoop around.
I end up flying several laps around the football field as a hawk, mostly due to boredom, before transforming back into human form and waiting on the bleachers. Once again, I'm bored out of my mind.
About 10 minutes pass by, before he returns.
"Got the Wildebeest's name and address thanks to the security camera catching the transformation, and the school's class rosters. The Wildebeest is none other than Noah Mendez. A freshman, with a perfect attendance record. It was rather disappointing to see Sebastian Cardona, a former teammate of mine, and someone I'd consider a friend, bullying the poor kid. He didn't deserve that, and I wish I noticed it sooner. But there's still time that I can make it up to him.
"There's no way for you to have known. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.."
"Yeah, okay Gandalf... Let's get going." He says, slightly rolling his eyes.
"So you know Lord of the Rings, but not Space Trek: 2022? We'll have to rectify that asap."
"What can I say? Katherine thought Legolas was hot, so being the good guy I was, I watched the movie with her. Happy girlfriend equals happy life. Or something like that. At least that's what I thought at the time. But don't worry Gar, I have all the time in the world now to watch your show. After all this is over."
"You realize, now that you've said it, you can't take it back!" I say with a grin.
"Yeah, yeah, I know." He replies, before stepping off the bleacher, and walking away, assuming he's heading in the direction of Noah's house. So of course, I follow him. This is going to take a while .