Beast Boy - 2.10 - Haunting of Past Regrets

"Well, so much for that." I groan, as I go back to where Vic and Noah are sitting.

 

"Who was it??" Noah asks, managing to hear me.

 

"Buddy Baker; he's a uhm friend of mine. An Avatar of the Red, like us. I thought that he'd come by and help, as he knows more about the Red than I do, but... no, sadly. Which leaves me to try to give a more in-depth explanation. So, here goes nothing."

 

I spend the next several minutes telling Noah everything that Buddy told me about the Red. From the Parliament, to the Hunter's Three being corrupted by the Rot, and the fight between the forces. Anything and everything that I can think of, to help give Noah answers.

 

"Not to sound ungrateful and all, but what does this have to do with the girl that's trying to kill me? Is she a corrupted avatar or something? Is that why she's trying to kill me?"

 

"Hey, he's trying, alright? You want answers on why you transformed, and he's telling you what he knows." Vic remarks with a sigh.

 

There's a moment of silence, before I speak up, my brain finally having that aha moment.

 

"You know, I didn't consider that, but now that you mention it Noah, it's possible. Buddy mentioned that Jacob Mullin, her first victim, was an Avatar of the Red. Killing him as me, then going after you, another avatar. It makes sense. While I'm still not sure of the why yet, it's not a stretch to say she's going after avatars. Though, with her trying to frame me, it feels more personal than her being a corrupted avatar..."

 

"Great! She wants me dead over something I have no control over! I didn't ask for this. I was fine, without powers, being the background extra... Why would the Parliament choose me?"

 

"You're a good kid. You're right, you didn't ask for this. You see this power as a curse. I won't lie to you, I felt that way for many years. But in time, you'll be able to control your transformations, and see it more as a gift."

 

"Kid?! I'm only three years younger than you! Also, that's easy for you to say, you're a hero." Noah snaps.

 

"Sure, but for many years, I felt like a monster. The minute I got these powers, much like you, I felt as though my life was taken away from me. I didn't have the same opportunities as everyone else, I mean c'mon, I've got green skin, all the time. It's no surprise the other kids didn't want to be around me! When it came to auditions, I was constantly over looked, because I didn't look the part . It took many years, before I was able to accept myself. Even now, I'm still figuring out who I am, ever since the Doom Patrol disbanded. Everyone has their own struggles, Noah and that's okay. You may see yourself as a background extra, but whether you believe it or not, you matter. I know you'll get through this."

 

I hear a woman's voice seconds later, coming from inside the house.

 

"Well, that's our cue to get going. Don't want to scare your family and all. Don't worry, I'll be back, after I find the murderer and put her behind bars for what she's done to Jacob, and you. Of course, that's only if you want to talk more."

 

"I'll believe it when I see it." Is all I hear him say, before me and Victor leave the backyard, as I make my way back to Jillian's apartment.

 

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"You sure she'll be okay with this? A stranger crashing at her place."

 

"I don't see why not. I mean, she let me and Tara stay there, and Tara is pretty much a stranger to her. Though after today, who knows, they could be besties. That's beside the point. Yeah, it should be fine."

 

"Oh Tara, that's the Markovian princess you're crushing hard on, right?" He asks, as we enter the apartment complex.

 

"What are you even getting a--" I reply, getting flustered, stopping suddenly. Unfortunately, at times like this, I have a terrible poker face.

 

"Don't even try it Gar. That right there, tells me all I need to know." He teases, pointing at my blushing face.

 

"I think you might have your wires crossed there, chrome dome. Me and Tara are just friends." I say, vehemently denying my feelings for Tara.

 

"Whatever you say, Beast Boy..." He says with a laugh, before continuing; "sure, now you're just friends. I've known you for a couple of hours, and it's very obvious to me that you've got it bad for her. I know you've got a lot going on, but you should consider letting her know how you feel, after this is over. Just something to think about." He remarks, before we continue making our way through the hallway, until we reach Jillian's apartment.

 

"It's okay, I'm back! I announce, as I open the apartment door, after knocking.

 

"About time! Are you okay?" Tara asks, clearly worried as she comes to meet us in the entryway, coming from the kitchen. She's dressed in a black t-shirt and yellow shorts. The shirt has a yellow t on it, encased in a yellow ring. Vic notices me looking at her, and smirks.

 

"A few bumps and bruises, but other than that, we're fine. You should've seen the other guy!" I joke, trying to reassure Tara, as Jill approaches.

 

"We're fine?? Who's this?" She asks, pointing to Victor.

 

"Oh, right. Forgot the introductions. My bad! Jillian, Tara, this is my new friend Victor Stone. Vic, this is Jillian Jackson and Tara Markov." I say, introducing them all.

 

"It's nice to meet you Tara, and Jillian. Gar has told me great things! Nice place by the way."

 

"And yet we know nothing about you.. What exactly are you doing here?" Jillian snaps, ignoring Vic's compliment.

 

"Not to be that guy, but I told you she wouldn't go for it." Vic replies somberly, lowering his head.

 

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. So, Jillian, this is where I ask for another favor. Could you let him stay here, at least for tonight? He doesn't have anywhere else to go... Don't make me pull out the puppy dog eyes." I transform into a puppy, giving Jillian the classic puppy dog eyes look to help my case further.

 

"Gar, what do you think this is? An all-inclusive resort? My apartment's crowded enough, as it is. How do I even know this Terminator won't kill me in my sleep?

 

"That's quite the overreaction Jill... You're being oddly aggressive, even though you were fine with me and Tara staying last night. Besides, if for some weird reason Vic here wanted you dead, you'd be dead. He's a good guy, I promise. You just gotta trust me."

 

"Alright, alright fine, he can stay. I'm too tired to argue any longer. I've got work early tomorrow, so please, keep it down. Oh, and Tara, today was fun, we should do it again sometime."

 

"Yeah, that sounds great!"

 

"Aye aye captain! We'll be sure to whisper! Thanks Jill, you're the best!" I cheer, to which Jill only nods, before going back to her room.

 

I spend the next few minutes bringing Tara up to speed on today's events, making sure not to speak too loudly. It isn't long before my eyes close, tired from everything that's happened today, and I fall asleep.

 

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Waking up, I look around, to see Tara on the couch, still asleep. Victor however, is wide awake, looking out the apartment window. Getting up, I look around for Jill, but she's already gone.

 

"Couldn't sleep?" I ask, but Vic only shakes his head.

 

"I'll be honest, I don't know if I can fall asleep anymore. Ever since the accident. Ever since I became this."

 

"That sucks! I'm sorry man. There's not even a sleep function for your robot parts?"

 

"All good man, not like it's your fault. And no, not that I'm aware of." His frown quickly shifts to a smile, as he continues to look out the window, which piques my curiosity. Joining him in looking out the window, I notice a couple of kids playing football in the nearby park. There's a glint of metal that shines as one kid throws the football. It takes me a couple of seconds to realize he has a prosthetic arm.

 

"Looks like they're having fun."

 

"Yeah. These kids remind me of my childhood, when I'd play with my friend Ron Evers. When we were two kids, that didn't have the weight of the world on our shoulders. As much as I love football, I admit that as I got older, I would sometimes forget to have fun. It's been a while, since I've seen Ron too. Wonder what he's up to these days... Anyways, I hope that these kids can keep smiling, and having fun, even when the world wants to tear them down. Though I've got a good feeling, even if they do fall, they've got the strength to pick themselves up, and keep going."

 

"Sounds like someone else I know. Like those kids, you don't have to let this define you."

 

"Thanks man, I appreciate it."

 

We spend the next few seconds in complete silence. This is the happiest I've seen Vic since I met him. For his sake, I don't want this moment to end. He turns to face me, and breaks the silence.

 

"I just remembered there's a corner store near New Rochelle High, named Juniors Mini Mart."

 

"Okay and?" I ask, confused.

 

"Maybe they caught some of the fight on their security camera. Like maybe where the imposter went perhaps?"

 

"Ohhh! I'll blame it on my brain still waking up."

 

"Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night." He teases, as I go over to Tara.

 

"Tara wake up.. We might have a lead on the murderer."

 

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Juniors Mini Mart

 

Note to self, waking Tara up in the morning isn't the best idea. My face still hurts from the wake-up punch she gave me.

 

The three of us walk into the corner store, which as expected, gathers a bit of attention from the kids in the store, along with the employee behind the counter. Thankfully Vic's got the oversized hoodie on, to avoid even more attention.

 

"Hello, welcome to Juniors Mini Mart, how can I help you today?" An employee, named John, asks in a slightly tired tone as the kids leave the store, after buying different candy bars.

 

"Hey John. You know about the fight at New Rochelle yesterday?"

 

"Sure, who doesn't? It was all over the news"

 

"Right. We're trying to find the one responsible, and we were wondering if you could show us security camera footage from the store around when that fight took place."

 

"I uhh, I'll be right back." John replies, before going into another room.

 

Minutes pass, before he comes back, with another employee, named Marvin.

 

"When you told me Beast Boy was here, I didn't think you were serious about it! Beast Boy is here, in my store. I never thought this day would come. Hi Beast Boy, big fan. I hear that you want access to security footage."

 

"Yeah, that's right Marvin. More specifically from yesterday afternoon. 12:30- 1pm ish? It might help us track down the one responsible for the fight."

 

"Call me Marv! And for you, definitely. Lots of people have lost their trust in you, but I know you didn't do it! You're a hero! Always have, and always will."

 

"Thanks for always believing in me Marv, it means a lot! Keep fighting the good fight!" I say with a smirk, before he leads us into another room.

 

"Take as much time as you need, and let me know when you're done." He says, before leaving us alone with the footage.

 

It takes a bit, before we find the right time, with Vic helping it along. It isn't until 12:41pm on it that I notice something.

 

"Wait, play that back."

 

Vic plays it again, in a slower rate. Looks to be the imposter, switching forms in the corner of the screen. First from the moth, to imposter me, to a rat, and then finally some random person as she rounds the corner. While the crowd is in a panic, the imposter gets into a car, and drives away. We pause it right as the car passes by the store, so that we can see the license plate. Writing the plate number down, we watch as it continues through Flandreau Avenue, until it's out of frame moments later.

 

"At least we got a license plate to go off now. Actually, I got an idea." Vic pipes up, before we exit the room, and then the store after letting Marv know that we're done.

 

Victor leads us down the street to the next intersection.

 

"Mind giving me a lift up there?" He asks Tara, pointing to the traffic camera.

 

"Yeah, I gotcha." She nods, before creating a platform for Vic, raising it, until he's level with the traffic camera.

 

"Assuming direct control." He laughs, before touching the camera with his cybernetic hand. Vic starts making strange noises. It goes on for several seconds, before he speaks to us. "Accessing the network now." He goes back to making noises, as though it's his way of communicating with the camera. I know, this is so bizarre.

 

A couple of minutes later, he retracts his hand from the camera, and nods at us. "Got it. The car was last seen turning left onto Clark Street. There's an abandoned film set nearby, so that might be your first stop."

 

"Wow, that was fast! Wait, you're not coming with? It's thanks to you we even got this far!" Tara asks, as she lowers him down to the sidewalk.

 

"I don't think I'm really ready for a fight. This is all still so new to me. Though I'm sure the two of you will be more than enough to take her down. Besides, there's something I gotta do. Have to make amends. But don't worry, this isn't a goodbye. It's more like a I'll cya later."

 

"Alright, I'm holding you to it Vic! Good luck, and I'll see you soon." I blurt out, to which he only smiles.

 

"You got it! Oh, and don't forget to listen to your heart." He teases, before walking away.

 

"Listen to your heart? Is there something I don't know about?" Tara asks, somewhat confused.

 

"Don't worry about it Tara. It's nothing... Just an inside joke." I reply, trying to dismiss Vic's comment. He is right though; I can't keep my feelings bottled up forever. I should tell her, sooner than later. But first, it's time we put an end to this once and for all.

 

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10 Minutes Later

 

We arrive at the abandoned Premiani Film Studios parking lot. Switching into a bloodhound, I sniff around, hoping to catch her scent. I get a whiff of her scent, but it's rather faint. Luckily, it's enough for me to follow. Sure enough, it leads into the studio.

 

"Let's do this." I say with a smirk, to which Tara nods.

 

I get the strangest sense of dejavu as we enter. Something about this long hallway, feels familiar. I realize it a couple of seconds later, that this is identical to the Brotherhood's hideout. I can't help, but have this sinking feeling. To be brought back to such a terrible day. It even splits into two paths. One on the left, and one on the right. And of course, the scent has us follow the right hallway, to match what happened on that day. Someone's playing a sick joke on me, and I don't like it. This is just a set, this isn't really the hideout, I constantly remind myself, as we continue to the large, metallic doors. Whoever this is, using my face to murder Avatars of the Red, is the definition of screwed up. The doors open, leading us into the command centre. In the middle, is a swivel chair, with someone clearly sitting in it. I cautiously approach, with Tara following behind me.

 

"Well... It looks like our little Elephant Game is now over, Beast Boy! It's about time you found me." She says with a laugh.

 

"It can't be..." She spins around, and my jaw drops. Sure enough, this nightmare continues, as I face the woman I killed during that final mission with the Doom Patrol.

 

"Madame Rouge??! But that's impossible! She's dead!"

 

"You would know, since after all, you're the one who killed her! It's about time I returned the favor. An eye for an eye, as they say!" She yells, her voice seething in rage as she extends her arms out, trying to punch me, I'm able to transform into a skunk to avoid the blow, before changing into a ram, headbutting her, causing her to stumble backwards.

 

"I'm not proud of what I did, but I can't change what happened. But having her as a role model? Bad idea! She's a terrible person! She's killed thousands of people. She killed Rita."

 

"Right.. Poor Rita Farr." She taunts, shifting into Rita. "What's the matter Beast Boy ? You gonna cry? Looks like you can't bring yourself to hit me now." She laughs, as she continues pummeling me with a flurry of punches. I know that's not Rita, but even still.. She's right. I can't hit her in this form.

 

"Snap out of it! Fight back Gar! That's not her!" Tara yells, throwing rocks at her, but she's able to bend her body in a way that she avoids it. Tara's surprisingly hesitant in using the full extent of her power . Must be afraid of losing control, like she did back in San Francisco with the police officers.

 

"The diner in San Diego.. That was you."

 

"Awh you remembered. I was hoping that Galtry would finish you off, but alas, wasn't meant to be. I was a fool, for thinking he'd get the job done." Her words, full of anger and hatred, as she lunges towards me, swiping her arms at me, with me just managing to duck in time. I use her momentum against her, as I press my right foot against her right thigh, in a move called the spring hip throw. At least, that's what Cliff told me it was called. Kicking her thigh from under her causes her to lose balance, as my right hand is over her left shoulder. I proceed to flip her over me, with her landing on a 'terminal'. She grunts out in pain, as she shifts to a fly to increase the distance between us before shifting back to her evil Beast Boy form.

 

"Who are you?!"

 

"The names Gemini," She replies, as she switches her form once more. This time, she's dressed in black, with metal plating on her legs and arms. "Madame Rouge was my mother! And you killed her!" She yells, as she starts throwing various objects at me. I manage to avoid most of the objects, but not the table. It hits me with full force, which sends me crashing into the ground.

 

"I - didn't know she had any children." I reply, coughing in between words, as I'm looking down.

 

"Of course you didn't! You know, she wasn't always like this. Laura De Mille, was a normal person once. Until Caulder warped her mind, until only Madame Rouge remained." She says, convinced that's how it is. She shifts into a bull, and charges after me, but Tara causes the earth beneath Gemini to shake, resulting in her losing balance and falling over. "Thanks for the assist!" I say with a smile, and Tara gives me a thumbs up.

 

"Caulder? Who's that" I ask, looking back at Gemini.

 

"Oh, so they never told you about Niles Caulder. Interesting..." She offhandedly remarks while trying to catch her breath.

 

"Not sure who you're talking about, but you're getting your facts mixed up. The Brotherhood of Evil are the ones who brainwashed her. The Doom Patrol tried to help her!"

 

"More lies!!" The Brotherhood are the only ones who actually cared for my mother's well-being!" She shouts, wrapping herself around me, trying to suffocate me. I shift to an ant to free myself, before shifting back to human form.

 

"You've got it twisted. Look Gemini, I'm sorry that I killed your mom. I get how that could screw someone up.. Believe me, I still feel guilty about it. There's no justification for my actions then. I wish I could go back, and make a different choice. But don't you think there's a healthier way of dealing with her death? One that doesn't, I don't know, involve killing people."

 

"You can wish all you want. But that doesn't bring her back to me! She's gone, because of you! All that matters now is that I ruin your life, like you ruined mine. It took mere days to completely slander the Garfield Logan name. You'll die, with everyone thinking you're a killer."

 

"But why target Avatars of the Red? If you're mad at me, come at me, not them. They're innocent."

 

"Really Garfield? You're connected to the Red. I thought it was obvious. But I guess I was wrong. Not the sharpest tool in the shed, are you?" Gemini replies, clearly mocking me. It's at this point Tara gets extremely pissed off, and goes more on the offensive, sending a flurry of rocks, and other debris, at Gemini.

 

"Do not interfere, mademoiselle" A voice calls out to Tara, speaking with a french accent. A portal opens up in front of Gemini, which the rocks fly through. Another portal opens up behind Tara, and the rocks come flying at her with the same momentum.

 

"Watch out!" I warn Tara, but she already worked out what was happening, as she creates a pillar, which the rocks crash into.

 

"Forcing that girl to fight your battles for you. How pathetic." Gemini snarls.

 

The other voice that's not Gemini originated from behind her. A portal opens, and sure enough, it's Warp. Looks like he survived after all. Well, that explains her use of portals. Holding a ray gun, he flies after Tara, shooting at her. Tara defends herself with earth barriers, but he warps them out-of-the-way, inadvertently portaling them in front of me as Gemini lunges at me.

 

"Damnit Warp, you idiot! You just helped him." She growls, only for Warp to ignore her.

 

The barrier dissipates, and Gemini continues to charge towards me, shifting into a gorilla. I shift into a gorilla bringing my hands up in time to catch her fists as they come hurtling towards me.

 

"Act Three, final scene! Garfield Logan, formerly known as the hero Beast Boy, is sent to the electric chair, for the murder of Jacob Mullin, and the attempted murder of Noah Mendez!" I shift into a pigeon, flying above her, before shifting into a whale.

 

"Scratch that! Sounds like a box office flop!" I say as I start falling on her. She quickly shifts to a rhino, and uses her horn to send me flying through the air. Quickly shifting to a chimpanzee to lessen the impact as I hit the wall. Groaning, as I pick myself up, as she shifts back to human form.

 

"You can't win Gar. I'm better than you. I've prepared my whole life for this moment. I can shift into any animal, or person I want. Just give up, so I can make your death quick and painless." She says, shifting into a hawk, flying towards me. I leap onto her, guiding her towards the wall. She tries shaking me off, to no avail. I jump off at the last second, as she crashes into the wall.

 

"Yeah uh no. I'll pass on dying today. Still got too much to live for. But I'll give you props, you managed to convince the press, and mostly everyone else that I'm a murderer. You almost had me convinced Rouge had somehow come back to live. So, sure, you can transform into more things than I can but I young padawan, am the master."

 

We continue this fight for several more minutes, of us shifting between different animals, and her, also incorporating her various human forms to throw me off. Both of us are growing increasingly tired as the fight drags on, with each of us getting hits in here and there. However, since I'm more experienced, I'm able to land more blows than her. Though I barely dodge her fist as it comes towards me.

 

"This ends now!" Tara yells, as her eyes glow yellow. This causes the earth around her to move and turn into a small tornado. The earth, swirling around her. I notice Warp on the ground, already unconscious. If this keeps up, the room won't last long. She directs multiple pillars of earth straight at Gemini. Already worn out from fighting me, she doesn't shift in time to avoid getting hit. Crashing into the wall, she moans in pain, sputtering as she coughs up blood. I walk over to her, trying to keep my composure.

 

"This-- isn't over." She says, in between groans.

 

"Yeah, it is. Game over, you lost, Gemini." I reply, before I give one final punch, which ends up knocking her out. The fight's over, but Tara's tornado isn't slowing down.

 

"The fights over! You can stop the tornado now, before the building's torn apart!"

 

"I can't control it!" She warns, as she floats in the center of the tornado

 

"Yes, you can. You're Tara Markov, badass warrior princess from Markovia. Someone I can count on to have my back. I know, I got mad at you the last time something like this happened, and that was my bad." I say, walking towards her.

 

"Don't come any closer! I don't want to hurt you Gar. I care about you too much."

 

"It's okay, I trust you. You got this. Just take a deep breath okay?"

 

She nods, and takes a deep breath in, exhaling shortly after. It takes a bit, before the swirling of earth starts to slow down. But little by little, it does. Within a couple of minutes, the tornado dissipates, and Tara starts falling to the ground, unconscious. Turning into a gorilla, I catch her.

 

"It's okay.. We're okay... You did it Tara." I whisper, not that she can hear me now anyways. It's over. It's finally over

 

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Months Later

 

With Gemini, and Warp in prison, I was able to clear my name rather easily. Big thanks goes out to Victor, Tara, and of course Buddy who helped me through this. Part of me feels bad for Gemini. I know how she feels, in a way. Losing a parent, and knowing the one responsible is so close. She lost herself in her grief, which led her down this cruel path. Hurting so many people as a result. Here's hoping that she can get the help she needs, so that one day, she can move forward, and stand on her own two feet. It brought Noah some comfort, knowing the girl who tried to kill him is locked up for the foreseeable future. Speaking of Noah, it sounds like his family was given a large amount of moolah, and I've got a feeling I know who was behind it. So now Noah's mom only has to work one job, which means more time she can spend with her kids. Victor denies having anything to do with it, but I know better. It was his way of making amends, for Sebastian's cruelty. Me, Tara, Noah, and Victor celebrated the victory, with the four of us hanging out. Whether it was me teaching Noah tricks of the trade, or something as simple as bowling, the four of us enjoyed each other's company. Victor even told me about a new friend of his. I think her name was Tanya.. Tanya Spears or something? Anyways, she's been helping him out when he needs repairs, or really anything Cyborg related. I haven't met her yet, but she sounds like a good person. He really could use the win. Especially since I keep beating him in Super Smash Bros Melee. Better luck next time, counter spam Marth! Then there's Tara. I haven't forgotten what Vic said. We're in a good place, I think. But I still haven't let her know how I feel. I know, I know, what's wrong with me? I'll get on it, I promise. It's just a matter of timing. It's nice, to chill out now and then. Not have to worry about someone trying to kill me, or the people I care about. I'm enjoying the break while I can, before the next inevitable crisis.

 

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Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility

 

Today is like any other day, with nothing of substance really happening. I just sit here, in my cell, left alone with my thoughts. Thinking of the ways I'll kill Animal Man once I get out of here. Him and that annoying kid, Beast Boy . Unfortunately, unlike them, I don't have such power. That, and I don't see myself getting out anytime soon.

 

"Notional Man." A voice calls out.

 

"Who's there?" I respond, looking around

 

"It's time, to serve him." The voice continues, but I can't pinpoint where exactly it's coming from.

 

"What are you talking about? Serve who?" I ask, confused.

 

"You want power, yes? To get revenge, and kill the Avatars. "

 

"Avatars? I have no idea what you're talking about."

 

"Our interests align, Notional Man. We both want Animal Man, and Beast Boy dead. Those avatars threaten our existence. You want power, so you will be given power. You've been called to serve him. So, take up arms for him, now." It's then that a guard comes by my cell. Standing up, I make my way over to where he's standing. Reaching my arm in between the bars, I barely touch him, before he decays instantaneously. Moments later, a group appears out of nowhere, their leader dressed in robes and a bird mask.

 

"Welcome the newest Avatar of the Rot, Notional Man." The leader of the group announces, while his followers kneel before him.

 

"So, I hear you want those two shapeshifters dead as well. Count me in." I say with a smirk, before the leader taps me on the shoulder, and we leave that cursed prison.

Done