Author's Note: Here is chapter 3 of Beast Boy's part of the arc! In this chapter, you guys are going to meet an old friend. –wink wink hint hint- I hope I did her justice, and I hope I piqued your curiosity.
Disclaimer: I doth not own the Teen Titans
Chapter 3
Broken
It was that time of the year. Spring time. Leaves were green, breezes were frequent, the temperature was warm, and the first remnants of spring love were in the air. The "Season of Love" had begun a month earlier, and Beast Boy noticed many couples around town, already lost in the throws of affection. He looked on sadly as one couple kissed passionately.
The girl reminded him of Raven. She had dark black hair, with an almost blue tint to it. Her eyes were a dark blue, and her skin was a bit paler than the average person's. She wore a black sundress and a silver necklace with an amethyst dangling from the chain. Her dainty hands were wrapped around her boyfriend as though her life depended on it, and her face was so calm, so serene.
The boy that she held on to was tall, at least six inches taller than her. His hair was a tousled blonde color, with a few brown streaks naturally mixed in, just like Beast Boy's had been before he changed. His eyes were a soft gray, his skin tanned slightly. He wore baggy jeans and a gray Hollister shirt. His left arm was wrapped around his girlfriend's shoulders while his right tipped her chin towards him in the kiss.
Beast Boy smiled a bit, happy for the pair. They seemed truly content with each other, and, by the look in their eyes, they were deeply in love. With a small sigh of jealousy, he continued walking down the street, gloved hands shoved in his pockets.
His chains clinked together as his legs moved, the cloth cross-overs tightening and loosening rhythmically with every step. He loved Tripp pants. They were just so nifty. He wore a dark purple shirt, though no one would know it because of the black hoodie. He wasn't sure why he had such a fascination with black. It wasn't like he was a Goth or anything. He was pretty sure he wasn't even alive when Rome was sacked. It was just such a dark, mysterious color.
He thought to himself, his head hanging, as he walked. It took him a full three seconds to register the crowd of girls headed for him. There were probably nine or ten of them, and each shoved a pen in his face as soon as they reached him. Since when did he have fans?
Shrugging off the question, he signed each piece of paper with a smile. A couple girls offered him their number, while others asked if he was embarrassed by his powers, while still others just stared in a horrified fascination. But one girl hung back.
Her arms crossed over her stomach, her weight shifting from the balls of her feet to her heels, and back again. She refused to look at him…at anyone. Her eyes remained downcast, and big, as though she had just spotted a previously undiscovered species of rock and was trying to think of a name.
Once the other females had left, he walked over to her. He stopped a few feet away, remaining quiet. She didn't look at him. In fact, she had flinched when he approached her. People bustled by as they stood in the middle of the sidewalk, some waving their fists in anger, some trying to drag their awe-struck children away. The girl dodged everyone who came towards her, but still did not look up. He held out a hand in a polite greeting, his characteristic smile on his face.
"Hey, I'm Beast Boy." He introduced himself, though he doubted it was needed. "What's your name?" Below him, he thought he heard sewer water bubbling, but he paid no attention.
"…Andy." She said simply, shyly. The girl took a hesitant step backwards.
"Nice to meet you." His expression softened a bit. "Is something wrong?"
"No." Again, her words were shy, and sounded restrained.
"Because if there is, I'll help you out."
Slowly, her head rose. Her dark green eyes had a deep glow to them, making look as though they were changing to black. Her brown hair hung over her shoulders in a tousled mess, and she had a few bruises on her cheek. She wore a long pair of jeans that looked a couple sizes too big, and a large gray shirt with a few holes in it. Apparently she didn't come from a good home.
"I'm alright."
"Here, let me look at your bruises." Beast Boy's arm reached for her chin, and she recoiled. "I'm not going to hurt you." He promised.
Without a word, she nodded. His hand brushed her face, but quickly pulled back. She flinched, but did no more. As Beast Boy inspected the marks, her arms drew forward, no longer hiding behind her back. He did a double take when he looked at them. There were several more contusions, along with a few cuts. His eyes wide, he cradled her limbs in his hands.
"What happened?" He asked, appalled.
"My dad's in jail now." Though it at first didn't sound like a direct answer, he understood what she meant.
"And your mom?"
"She died last year in a car crash." Tears welled in her eyes, which were steadily growing darker.
No longer could he ignore the gurgling sounds below him. He clutched her gently in his arms, pulling her away from the spot. Water began to stream out of the gutter in a form that looked like a hand. It clawed its way out, moving the sewer cover as it did so. People scattered, fear in their eyes. Andy struggled to calm down between sobs. She hiccupped a bit, and leaned into the changeling's chest. As her breaths began to come even, the water weakened, as if it were dying. Confused, the green boy pulled her away, looking her in the eyes. They were now a bright emerald, far different from the black they had been before.
"Are you okay?" He asked, concerned.
"I'm sorry." She began to cry again, and the water began to writhe.
"It's okay, it's okay." He cooed, rubbing her back. She again became quiet, as did the water. "Let me look at your arms."
He continued to inspect them, watching her to make sure she didn't have an emotional breakdown. She sighed softly, an edge of guilt and worry plastered to the sound. Beast Boy continued to whisper encouragements as he looked her over.
"You should go to the doctor." She looked down.
"I don't have any money."
"It's okay, I will take care of everything. Come on, I'll take you." He held her close as they walked down the street.
The hospital quickly came into view, rising as a beacon of hope. It reminded Beast Boy of Titan's Tower. It always seemed to climb on the horizon as if coming from the ground, glimmering in the sun's rays. The tall building they were headed for did the same. The pair walked through the doors, receiving many stares and a few whispers. The Titan walked Andy to the counter, asking for a doctor. The nurse, flabbergasted, rang up one of the pediatricians.
"He'll be right out." She said, her eyes wide.
Beast Boy thanked her, and the two sat down. He shifted, and so did Andy. They weren't the most comfortable seats. It was barely ten minutes before the pair was called back. Andy looked at her new friend hesitantly. He nodded encouragingly, and escorted her to the room. It was another quiet fifteen minutes before the doctor finally came. With a kind "hello", he walked over to the brunette, who was seated on the bed.
"So, what's been the trouble?" He asked, a smile spreading over his face. Beast Boy wasn't sure if it was staged or not.
Andy didn't say anything.
"She was mugged." He lied. A grateful smile was cast towards him from her, and he gave a thumbs up.
"I'm sorry to hear that. How long ago?" The physician looked at the cuts suspiciously.
"Two days ago." This time, it was Andy who spoke. Her voice was soft, almost inaudible.
"You should have come to me then." He sighed.
"I…" Andy struggled for an answer.
"She was too scared." Again, Beast Boy spoke for her.
"Yeah, we get that a lot. Let me have a look at your finger." He paused for a moment. "It looks like it might be broken. I'll get you a brace in just a moment. Wait in here, I'll be right back." He glanced at Beast Boy curiously. It was obvious that the speed of her assessment was only because he was here.
As the two sat next to each other, Andy clung to him for dear life. Her eyes were wide, her knuckles white with the strong hold she had on his arm. He smiled sadly down at her, praying he could help her. It scared him how beat up she was, and how no one was willing to do anything about it. He wondered how she would get along back at home, and how he could help.
As she looked at him, her brilliant jade eyes glistening with thanks, he knew how. He would take care of her, provide her with everything she needed, and be her guardian. He was going to be there for this broken girl, exactly the way her parent's hadn't.
Author's Note: So, there's part of Andy's past. I hope I didn't make it too bad. Huh, I just realized, Raven first met Andy in chapter 3 of Digging Deep, and now Beast Boy first met her in Chapter 3 of Childish Maturity. Cool.