Personal Demons (third in Destiny Series)

3) Beast Boy's Story

Raven looked down at the picture. It had creases, indicating that it had been folded. She could see the similarities between the boy and his parents.

He had his mother's blue eyes, and his father's blonde hair. To her knowledge, Beast Boy had never mentioned his parents in the years that she had known him.

"Weren't expecting that, were you?" the shape-shifter asked bitterly.

"Everyone has parents," Raven replied. "You've just never mentioned yours before."

"You know how I was part of the Doom Patrol before becoming a Titan?" Beast Boy asked her. Raven nodded. "Well they sort of raised me." Raven frowned.

"The truth is Raven..." Beast Boy's voice cracked. "My parents are dead." She had not expected that.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I bet that you never would have guessed that I would have a tragedy in my past," Beast Boy looked up at her, pain in his eyes.

"No," Raven admitted. "Never."

"I'm more like you than you know," Beast Boy shook his head.

"Garfield," Raven put her hand on his shoulder. "What happened?"

"I bet you wouldn't have guessed that not only are my parents dead," Beast Boy didn't seem to hear her question. "But that I killed them?" Raven blinked. "I've never told anyone this."

He blurted, "It's been eating away at me for years."

"Tell me," Raven instructed. Beast Boy took in a deep breath.

"This picture was taken when I was about four," he began. "My parents had taken me to the Amazon. My Dad, Mark, was a Doctor. Shortly after this was taken, I got sick. Really sick. My parents didn't know what was wrong. All they knew was this illness the animals were immune to. So my father injected me with the DNA of some of the animals. Hence my fear of needles. The shot destabilized my genetic code, and well..."

He trailed off. "I became how I am now." Raven nodded as the shape-shifter took in another deep breath.

"Anyway, my Dad owned a boat and on my fifth birthday he took me and Mom out for a ride. I had just started to feel better because of the injection that Dad gave me, and I wanted to drive, but he said no. Being a stupid kid, I threw a temper-tantrum. Said I could've died, really tried to guilt him into it. Dad wasn't looking where he was going."

Tears began to run down Beast Boy's face. Raven squeezed his shoulder.

She certainly would never have guessed at the pain that Beast Boy carried with him.

She considered that he hid his pain behind a mask of humor and happiness.

"He didn't..." Beast Boy choked.

"Take your time Garfield," Raven rubbed his shoulder. "You have all the time in the world."

"Thanks Raven," Beast Boy bit his lip. "I've wanted to tell someone about this for a long time, but I..." A sob escaped his lips. "I just couldn't."

His body began to tremble slightly, his breathing now ragged.

"I'm here," Raven assured him. Beast Boy nodded, squeezing his eyes shut against the tears that were running down his face. Raven wiped his tears away.

"Because I was crying," Beast Boy continued his story. "My Dad, he didn't..." He choked again, his hands balling into fists. "He didn't see...he..." Beast Boy's face contorted in pain.

"He didn't see the rock." Another sob escaped from his lips. "He was too busy trying to get me to stop screaming that he didn't see the rock. I..." He drew in a ragged breath.

"I ran off to find Mom, still screaming. Dad wasn't paying attention. He drove..." Beast Boy closed his eyes. "He drove right into the rock. He...he was killed instantly."

For a while he couldn't continue, sobs wracking through him. Raven continued to hold his shoulder. "Mom..." He spoke through sobs.

"Mom and I were...thrown from the boat. I became a bird and flew away, but Mom..." He shuddered. "I couldn't...I couldn't get to her and she...she..." He shook his head.

"I couldn't control my morphs. I couldn't get to her. She..." He took in another ragged breath. "She drowned."

It's not your fault," Raven said softly.

"It is!" Beast Boy retorted, tears streaming down his face. "If I hadn't gotten sick..."

"Then you'd be dead as well," Raven finished his sentence. Beast Boy nodded.

"Yeah," he scoffed.

"I don't see that as being a good thing," Raven said softly. Beast Boy laughed bitterly.

"I made them take me to the Amazon," he shook his head. "They wanted to leave me with a family friend. That's why it's my fault. If I had never gone my parents would still be alive..."

He shook his head again. "And I would be normal."