The Beast Within - Teen Titans

Chapter 7:

The Titans paced around the Tower. "We have no idea of Slade's whereabouts. His old lair was destroyed, remember?" Cyborg explained. "We'll have to find him another way."

"Perhaps we must think what we would do if we were Slade," Starfire suggested. "Robin and Slade are similar, yes? Robin, what would you do?"

Robin's expression hardened, but he said nothing about the comment. "He might have found another spot under the city. Come on, we can check the streets and Cyborg can scan beneath them." He stormed off.

"Great going, Starfire." Raven said sarcastically as they followed Robin out of the tower.

The Titans were silent as they trekked across Jump City. Cyborg clicked a couple buttons on his arm. "I'll see if I can track signs of people from underground. Beast Boy's communicator is off, and Slade has always been off the grid," he said, letting them follow him down the street.

"He must be trapped somehow," Raven thought out loud. "It's either that, Slade has some kind of leverage, or..." her voice trailed off before she finished, "Beast Boy's torn between two sides of himself. One we know, and one that is new to all of us."

Robin shook his head. "We can't believe that's happened yet." They continued walking. Suddenly, Cyborg's arm beeped.

"They're in this area! Come on!" They ran as the beeping got faster and faster. "There must be some hidden way underground! Titans, search!" The team split up in search of their friend.

Meanwhile, Beast Boy opened his eyes. "What happened?" He rubbed his head and saw Slade walk toward him. His suit was covered in dents. "Impressive," he commented, "But you can do better."

Angry, Beast Boy got up to fight, but an invisible wall stopped him from stepping forward in any direction.

"You lost control while fighting me," Slade said with satisfaction. "I was able to trap you in that. It's a sort of forcefield, and only I can open it."

Beast Boy's hands banged against it.

"The Titans will be here any minute now," he continued. "You can't do anything without their help." Claws slid out of BB's hands, but then they sheathed back.

"No, I'm not going to lose control! You're just trying to make me mad!"

Suddenly, the wall smashed open. "There they are."

"Titans, GO!" Robin and Cyborg ran to Slade to fight. Raven and Starfire ran to Beast Boy.

"It's a forcefield!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "Only Slade has the controls!"

Slade began to yell across the room as he fought with Robin.

"Do you really need their help? Show them you don't need it!" As if on cue, the voice in his head agreed. But this time, it spoke in first person. And it was identical to Beast Boy's thoughts. I don't need their help. Slade is giving me the opportunity to be more than this.

As his mind changed, Raven yelled, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"

Her voice brought him back. "Ugh! This wall is somehow resistant to my magic." Starfire threw starbolts at it, but still nothing.

"The only way to turn it off is to find the controls," Beast Boy repeated. "Slade has been trying to make me angry. He wants me to break. I lost control earlier and it could happen again." His voice trembled.

"He wants you to fight for him," Starfire realized. Because he understands I'm strong enough to fight.

"We are going to get you out of here." Raven said angrily.

Who says I can't do it myself? "I can fight myself." Beast Boy said, the altered voice taking over his own. Raven knew what was happening immediately.

"No, listen to me-"

"You've never believed in me enough for anything!"

Raven raised her voice over his. "I know the real you is in there! Stop!"

"This is the real him," Slade said, making the forcefield disappear.

Beast Boy's newfound anger took over and he attacked. "No!" Robin shouted.

"None of you ever cared about me!" He yelled in the altered voice as he fought. While the other Titans held back as they fought, he didn't.

Slade smiled, and the wall resurfaced. BB yelled, his anger and ruthlessness growing.

"He will only become less like himself," Slade said. "And when he's gone, he is going to be my apprentice. Willingly."

"No!" Starfire gasped.

"He would never do that." Cyborg argued.

"But he won't be himself. He will become absorbed with anger, violence, irritation, aggression, hatred." he emphasized the last word. "Blinded by it, he will do everything I say. You all knew he had it inside of him."

They glanced at the forcefield. Beast Boy seemed to be yelling, but they couldn't hear him, and he couldn't hear them. He scratched the walls but nothing happened. He had an uncharacteristic look in his eyes.

"And this time it's not leaving. You can't undo genetics. The energy only sped it up."

"How do you know about that?!" Robin demanded.

"Who do you think gifted Dr. Light the weapon?"

"You little-" Raven's eyes glowed. Slade was thrown backward. "Look at him."

Beast Boy's chest heaved. The fighting had worn him out; but he wasn't done. As he breathed heavily, claws slid out of his hands. His angry gaze faced the Titans.

"I'll leave him there for a little longer. Let his evil build up. Until then..." A trapdoor opened, and the Titans fell out of the lair.

They were pushed to the right and then upward, back onto the street. Starfire ran back to the trapdoor they used to get in, but it was locked. "We fell right into his plan." Raven said, pulling up her hood. "We can't just barge back in, that's what he wants us to do. He's using us to aggravate Beast Boy. We have to find Slade alone." Cyborg frowned. "But how are we to do that? He's watching his every move. We need to get BB away, not Slade."
"We won't be able to distract either of them!" Robin debated. "We have to go back in and get him back right now before it's too late." He kicked at the trapdoor.
Cyborg grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back. "Even Starfire and Raven couldn't get that open. I'm starting to think this is less about Beast Boy and more about you wanting to get back at Slade."
Robin shoved him away, and then, as if just noticing what Cyborg accused him of, whipped his head around. "I want to get back at him for what he's doing to Beast Boy!" he exclaimed. "We're losing time."
"Beast Boy's smart. He's fighting back and he's going to get through it one way or another." Raven added.
"Did you just say Beast Boy is smart?" Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg did a double take.
"...On occasion." Raven grumbled. "This is hard to accept, but we have to go back to the tower. Come on."

A/N: This chapter took inspiration from how Morina controls Alex in TLOS, and how Slade hypnotizes Robin in the TTG movie!