One

Rain splattered across the windshield, forming a thick sheet of water before the windshield wipers swept it away.

Thwump, thwump.

Thwump, thwump.

The rhythm of the windshield wipers accompanied the pitter patter of the rain to provide a sort of musical harmony in the silence of the T-ship, something the three Titans aboard were grateful of. After all, it provided a comforting blanket over their silence, making talking unnecessary.

Not that any of them wanted to speak. Robin certainly didn't. He clung to the T-ship controls, his knuckles numb from how tightly he gripped them. He was sure if his gloves weren't on, they'd be white. But he didn't care. The controls kept his hands busy, and busy hands were less of a danger.

Down below the T-ship, a carpet of trees rose up from the earth, peeking out from the foggy cover that spread across the land. It wouldn't be long now. They'd be there soon.

Robin wasn't sure if that was a relief or not yet.

He supposed it was, in some sense of the term. The sooner they arrived, the sooner they could complete the mission, and the sooner things could return to normal. And damn, how much he wanted things to be normal again. He didn't dare look down at the buttons for the empty slots of the T-ship. He couldn't bear it.

"What if we don't find them?" Starfire asked, her voice shattering the silence like a baseball bat hitting a vase. Robin winced at the sudden ringing in his ears, the grimace remaining as he contemplated her question.

He sighed. "I don't know, Star. I don't know."

Cyborg's voice crackled in his ears next, determination pounding through the headset. "We'll find them. I promise."

Silence. An uneasy feeling settled on the ship, and Robin let out a shaky breath. Things had been tense as of late, but he couldn't blame the team. They'd all been tense. Uneasy. Angry. It was to be expected in an event such as this, and quite honestly, Robin was right there with them.

This shouldn't have happened.

But it did. And now, they had to deal with it.

They approached their approximate destination, and began initiating landing procedures. Robin watched dully as the rainforest reared up at them, the dense vegetation acting as a sort of barrier to the forest floor. The environment changed radically as they descended, and soon they found themselves among the gigantic foliage, where only the strongest of the sun's rays reached. Robin tore off his headset and unbuckled, joining Starfire and Cyborg as they exited the ship. In no time at all, the three of them had their minimal equipment ready, and Robin flipped open his communicator. With the push of a button, a hologram of the surrounding landscape lit up in the air, a blinking red dot indicating their exact location.

"Here we are," Robin said, jabbing at the dot, "and here's where we need to look." He traced a wide circle around their dot, encompassing a large chunk of the rainforest and Brazil. "Starfire, you head east. Cyborg, you go west. I'll head south."

The two Titans nodded, turning on their own communicators as Robin spoke. He watched them a moment, before glancing out at the forest around them. There was a lot of ground to cover, and very little time to do so.

"We meet back by nightfall. Report immediately if you spot anything. Are we clear?"

He received a salute from Cyborg and a nod from Starfire, followed by a hesitant smile. Robin dipped his head in a nod, snapping his communicator shut. "Alright. Titans, move out."

~#~#~#~

Everywhere Robin looked, there was green. Occasionally, there was a brilliant flash of color, but it was gone within seconds, a fleeting and rare sight it was. He could hear the chatter of animals all around him, accompanied by the rustling of leaves and the dripping of water. The rainforest was thrumming with life, an excellent background to his silent march.

He checked his communicator. No alerts. Robin sighed, stuffing the device back into his belt. They'd been at this for what felt like hours now, and Robin hadn't seen a damn thing yet.

Nothing.

Part of him wondered if this was just some wild goose chase, designed to throw them off, before he shook away those thoughts. No. Any lead was a lead at this point, even if it was rumors.

Something caught his foot, and the Boy Wonder yelped as he pitched forward, a broad leaf smacking him in the face. He managed to catch himself, only to get a bit tangled in some of the flora all around him. "Dammit," he hissed, batting at the leaves and stems.

He hated the forest. He hated it and its stupid leaves and never ending foliage, the never ending expanse of it that made him feel so…alone.

And Robin hated feeling alone.

Sure, he was a bit of a loner. He was raised by the caped crusader after all. But he hated actually being alone, as being alone meant being able to think, and Robin didn't like thinking.

At least, not when it came to his failings.

The whole reason for this excursion was his fault after all. If only he'd been a better leader. If only he'd trained them harder. Watched closer. Been faster.

Maybe then, this wouldn't have happened.

Robin muttered some curses, whacking away at some of the vines on his path. Damn everything. Damn it all.

It was then that Robin's communicator crackled to life, ringing its high pitched ring that echoed through the rainforest. He fumbled with his belt, yanking the device free and flipping it open.

"Hey, Robin?"

Robin looked down at the screen to see Cyborg's creased expression, his red eye gleaming in the low light. "Yeah?"

"I think I've got something."

Robin paused, the silence around him suddenly deafening. It seemed that even the forest held its breath, waiting anxiously for his response. He sighed, shifting in place. "Hang on, I'm on my way." Without waiting for a reply, the young detective snapped the device shut and slung it back into his belt, before loping off in Cyborg's direction.

~#~#~#~

Robin stared at the scene before him. Stems and leaves laid broken in the earth, like fallen warriors in a mighty battle. Chunks of overturned earth piled around them, with no rhyme or reason to the chaos. Among the clumps of dirt lay massive lupine paw prints, distorted by what appeared to be impressions of massive claws.

Starfire entered his line of sight, her arm outstretched towards a wounded tree that was gouged with claw marks very similar to those scratched into the mud. "So, it is true," she murmured, her eyes wide. Robin nodded grimly.

"Yes. The Beast is here."

The three Titans stood in silence for a moment, their expressions grave as they surveyed the disaster before them. The rumors were true.

The Beast was here.

Robin wasn't sure if he was relieved or not. All he knew, was that he wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. He turned to Cyborg, his jaw set. "Do you have the tranquilizers?"

Cyborg held up an arm, patting the metallic casing with a smile that almost resembled a grimace. "Yep, it's all here." His arm dropped and he heaved a sigh. "All I need, is a clean shot."

Robin turned to stare into the depths of the forest once more, nodding absently. "All right," he said. "Let's go find him."

The three of them took off, following the trail of destruction deeper and deeper into the jungle.

~#~#~#~

They were close.

There was no definitive proof to verify such a conclusion, but Robin didn't care. They were close. He could feel it.

The others felt it too. He could see it in the way Cyborg squared his shoulders, how Starfire's gaze flitted about nervously. With every step they took, they drew nearer and nearer to the Beast, and nearer and nearer to the end of their nightmare.

Robin wasn't even sure if he wanted to think about how this would end. What he wanted wasn't possible; for this to have never came to be. And Robin had learned long ago, that he almost never got what he wanted.

A sudden crash forced the group to a halt. Robin turned to peer among the foliage around them, listening intently to the snapping of twigs. "This way," he said, gesturing to the right. The Titans crept through the undergrowth, heading directly towards the stomping.

Robin's heart hammered in his chest, and he tread across the earth like a cat stalking its prey. This was it.

They were about the find the Beast.

Behind him, Robin could hear Cyborg readying the tranquilizer. The mechanical clicking was almost comforting, like a shield against the rising tension within him. Starfire's warm hand brushed along his arm in quiet reassurance, and he tossed her a tight smile before diving deeper into the undergrowth.

Stomp.

Wait for it.

Stomp.

Easy.

Stomp.

Just another minute…

Stomp.

"Titans, go!"

The three sprang from the foliage, weapons blazing, only for them to stumble into a very surprised Doom Patrol.

Robin clutched at his bird-a-rang, suddenly grateful he hadn't chucked it yet. "Stand down!" he barked. Starfire lowered her glowing fist, and Cyborg lowered his gun-arm. He turned to the Doom Patrol, his sheepishness leaking into his voice. "Erm, sorry about that. We weren't exactly expecting you guys."

Mento chuckled, shaking his head with a bemused smile. "It's alright there, Robin. We weren't expecting you either."

"What brings you all out here?" Elastagirl asked, her gentle smile doing nothing to calm the alarm coursing through the Titans. The three of them shared a look, uncertain of how to proceed.

"Oh, and where's the other two?" Robot Man asked with a chuckle. "Hiding somewhere?"

Robin chuckled nervously. "Something like that," he muttered. Confused expressions stared back at him, and Robin cursed internally. What should he say? There wasn't really a rulebook for this sort of situation, and there was a reason he'd put this off.

He'd hoped it would never come to this.

The Boy Wonder opened his mouth to explain, to break the terrible news, when by some saving grace, a vicious roar echoed through the forest.

The Beast.

"There it is," Mento said. "I told you it was close." He turned to the Titans, offering a tentative smile. "I guess I should invite you kids along. Unless you're busy, anyway."

Robin tilted his head. "You're chasing down the Beast?" The name had slipped his tongue too easily, and he resisted the urge to kick himself. Luckily, Mento didn't seem to notice, instead grimly nodding his head.

"Yeah, it's been causing some trouble with the locals. I'm assuming this has something to do with why you're here?"

It was an invitation to explain, Robin knew. He brushed it off though, simply nodding. "Yeah, it is." He gestured to his Titans, brushing past the Doom Patrol leader. "C'mon, let's go."

The ragtag group tramped through the rainforest, fighting their way through the undergrowth with a stubborn determination. The Doom Patrol made a few attempts at conversation, most likely to get a few answers, but the Titans remained firm.

Robin was sure none of them had any desire to talk. Not now.

Definitely not now.

Robin raised his bow staff, poised to whack more undergrowth out of the way, when a low, rumbling growl made him freeze. Slowly, the young detective turned his head, a gleam of brilliant green eyes peering from the leaves beside him meeting his gaze. Another feral growl rumbled from the creature, and it slowly reared up to reveal shaggy, green fur and massive, glittering fangs.

The Beast.

Robin stumbled back, whirling his bo staff at the monster. "Cyborg!" he shouted. "Now!"

But before Cyborg could get a shot, some unseen force barreled into the creature, sending him crashing backwards. Robin jerked his head to see Mento storming after the Beast, a wild grin on the man's face.

"After it!" he demanded. The Doom Patrol followed suit, tearing after the Beast. Robin growled angrily, leaping after them.

"Shit," he spat. "Stop them, before they hurt him!"

Starfire and Cyborg needed no further persuasion, as they followed Robin into the fray. He watched the pretty red-head take to the sky, blocking Negative Man from landing a hit on the Beast.

Robin turned to Cyborg, gritting his teeth. "Get any shot you can get!" he shouted. "Star and I will keep them back!"

Cyborg gave a terse nod, flicking his arm into gun mode. Robin left him then, diving in to stop Elastagirl from landing a hefty punch. She staggered to the side, a look of shock crossing her features. "Robin?" she said, her voice addled by confusion. "What're you-"

"Don't attack!" he barked. "Just stay back!"

She opened her mouth to retort back, her eyes narrowed accusingly, when a deafening roar interrupted their exchange. Robin glanced up the see the Beast barreling at them, froth spilling from his jaws as he lunged. He leapt to the side, rolling in the dirt as the monster sailed past him, only narrowly missing him.

Robin pounced back to his feet, charging after the creature. "Cyborg!" he screamed.

"I can't get a shot man!" the metallic man shouted. "Get the Patrol away from him!"

"Mento!" Robin yelled. "Stand down!"

The Doom Patrol leader didn't respond, instead shooting a barrage of his mental powers at the Beast. The attacks threw the monster back against a nearby tree, the Beast landing with a sickening crack. Robin growled, furious, and charged, barreling into Mento. The two rolled across the ground, only for Mento to toss Robin to the side while shouting a variety of curses.

"What the hell, Titan!" he shouted. Robin paid him no mind, choosing instead to bark his orders.

"Cyborg, now!"

There was a pop and a roar. Robin watched in near awe as the Beast charged at Cyborg, only to falter and collapse in a heap at the feet of the cybernetic teen. He struggled to get up, bellowing angrily, before collapsing again, panting heavily. The Beast's eyes slid closed, and the sounds of bones popping and cracking filled the air as the Beast seemed to collapse in size, the fur and fangs disappearing as the creature reverted back to his true state; a human boy.

Robin ignored the Doom Patrol's utter shock and horror at the sight. His full attention was on his bruised and battered teammate that lay in a heap on the ground. He hauled himself to his feet, staggering over to Cyborg, who had scooped the green boy up in his arms.

"How is he?" he asked. Cyborg shrugged.

"Alive. Beyond that, I'd need to do a full examination before I can make a full prognosis."

Robin nodded. That made sense, but he still wished for answers.

"What the hell is going on?" Mento shouted. Robin turned to the Doom Patrol, who stood together with confused and fearful expressions. He sighed and looked away.

"I'll explain later. Right now, Beast Boy needs medical attention."

Mento nodded stiffly, his face still red with anger. He jerked his head to the left, speaking with a tight voice.

"Our ship's closest. This way."

Wordlessly, the Titans followed.

~#~#~#~

Robin's footsteps echoed noisily as he walked through the hallway of the ship, the clanking of the metal beneath his feet strangely comforting. The sight of the white med-bay door made him pick up his pace, his footsteps clipping louder.

"Robin."

Mento's voice dragged the Boy Wonder to a halt, and he turned to see Mento practically jogging to catch up. "May we…speak?"

Robin looked down at the floor, sighing. It had been a week or so since they'd found Beast Boy, and a week or so since Robin had sat down and explained the Beast fiasco to the Doom Patrol. They took it well, for the most part, with Negative Man even going as far as to joke that they should have known, given the green fur. Still, the group had seemed rather shell-shocked to learn of this event concerning Beast Boy, enough so that Robin hadn't had to go into detail as to why the Beast had shown up this time.

Of course, Mento had been trying to extract an explanation since the beginning. Robin had to hand it to the guy though; he could read minds, yet he actually held enough respect for the Titans' privacy so as to not invade it. It was remarkable development for the man, Robin had to admit, and his respect for the Doom Patrol leader had grown quite a bit as a result.

Still, he wasn't very inclined to explain the failures of their latest mission, respect or not.

"Sorry, Mento, but I've gotta check on Beast Boy."

Mento shot him a glare. "Cyborg's with him. Isn't that enough?"

Robin glared right back, his gaze hardening behind his mask. "I'd like to check on him as well, since I haven't seen him all morning." The unspoken refusal remained as such, as the two heroes stared each other down. Mento backed down, his shoulders slumping as he sighed.

"Fine. Just…tell me when he wakes up." He stiffly walked off, leaving Robin alone in the hallway once more.

Robin sighed again. "I will," he murmured quietly, before turning back to the ship's med-bay. He heaved another sigh and pushed his way inside.

A quiet, steady beeping greeted the young detective, providing rhythmic background noise that he found oddly comforting. Lights from the variety of machines painted the walls, giving off an eerie glow that seemed to enhance the shadows. And there, on the bed, was Beast Boy.

Robin's heart lurched at the sight. The younger boy was covered in tubes, wires, and bandages, making him appear smaller. His green skin was pale and sickly, with bruises and cuts adding heavy contrast. There was a gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, the sight of which was so relieving it was nearly dizzying.

"How is he?" he asked. Cyborg sighed, his clipboard clattering as he tossed it onto a nearby countertop.

"He's stable. Should wake up any time now."

"You said that yesterday."

"Yeah, and the day before that too." The Cybernetic teen paused, the dark circle under his human eye very prominent in the artificial light. "He needs time, Rob. You don't recover from something like this overnight."

Cyborg was right. Beast Boy's condition when they found him was shocking at best. The boy was malnourished, so much so that Robin could count every rib in his side. There were open and scabbing wounds on almost every inch of his skin, some of which were filled with pus and puckered from infection and inflammation. Robin had seen his fair share of violence in his time as a superhero, but this…this was awful.

There was even evidence of broken bones that had healed wrong, to the point that Cyborg feared the changeling would need surgery. Not to mention the severe dehydration and poor hygiene. The first day had been spent carefully cleaning and dressing his wounds, and hooking up IVs and a feeding tube.

Robin took a deep breath, crossing his arms defensively over his chest. He said nothing, unable to really pull any words together. A gentle hand draped across his shoulder, and he glanced up to see Cyborg warm expression.

"Hey, don't be too hard on yourself," he said. "He's here. He's safe. That's what matters."

Robin set his jaw, his brows furrowing. "Yeah, but we're still missing one." He dared not say her name, for fear of reality crashing into them both. Cyborg squeezed his shoulder, his gaze hardening.

"We'll find her."

Robin grunted. Of course they'd find her, he'd make sure of it. He just worried about how they'd find her. And what state she'd be in when they did.

A small groan cut through Robin's thoughts, and his gaze jerked sharply to the bed. Beast Boy stirred, his thin frame shifting beneath the blankets. Robin stood there numbly, watching as Cyborg darted to the boy's side.

"Hey there, buddy," he murmured softly, leaning over the bed. Beast Boy blinked his eyes, lethargy and confusion muddying his expression.

"C-Cy?" he rasped, stumbling a little over his words. The shapeshifter glanced around in bafflement, panic slowly creasing across his face. "W-where am I? Raven? Where's Raven?" His voice cracking. Cyborg shot Robin a desperate look before attempting to soothe the changeling.

"Hey, Grass Stain, everything's alright, okay? Let's just relax-"

Beast Boy flinched away from Cyborg, struggling to climb out of the bed. "Get away! Where's Raven? I-I've gotta find her!"

Robin stumbled to the bed, gently pushing Beast Boy back. The boy flinched again, turning to snap at him. Robin pulled back, his brows furrowing in concern at the younger boy's growling as he cowered on the bed.

"Beast Boy," he murmured. "You're safe. It's me, Robin. You're friend."

Beast Boy stared, his eyes wide and terrified. He slowly looked between Robin and Cyborg, visibly shaking with fear. The sight made Robin clench his fists and vow to beat the shit out of whoever was responsible. No one, no one messed with his team like this.

No one hurt his family and got away with it.

"It's alright, Beast Boy, I promise," Cyborg said, his easy smile taught on his face. Robin could see the anger broiling in the mechanical teen's expression, and knew that he was thinking along the same lines; whoever did this, was going to pay and pay dearly.

But that wasn't important at the moment; right now, they had to care for Beast Boy.

"This is real?" Beast Boy asked quietly. Robin and Cyborg shared a baffled glance.

"Yeah, bud, it's real," Cyborg said. Beast Boy's gaze flickered between them, the mistrust in his expression painfully evident.

"Really? Prove it."

Cyborg grunted. "Okay. One time, you put itching powder in Robin's shampoo."

"Wait, what? That was you?" Robin squeaked. Cyborg ignored him, his gaze still firmly fixed on the changeling.

"You asked me to erase the footage of you going into his room, and I did."

"What?" Robin asked. He remembered the itchy powder. And boy, did he wish he didn't. He was about to give Cyborg an earful, when Beast Boy let out a shaky sigh.

"I-it is real." Tears began to drip down the shapeshifter's face, quelling any anger in Robin's veins. His shoulders sagged at the sight, and he moved closer to Beast Boy's bedside.

"Hey, it's okay," he murmured. But Beast Boy didn't seem to hear him, instead sobbing wildly, his body shaking from the effort. Cyborg and Robin remained there, lending what little support they could. Eventually, Beast Boy calmed down enough to talk. Robin pulled up a chair and settled into it, taking a deep breath as he did so.

"Beast Boy, I need to ask some questions," he began, hesitating slightly at the shapeshifter's wide-eyed gaze. "I need to know what happened."

Beast Boy's brow furrowed, a deep from carving onto his face. "I-I don't know, it's all a blur." His hands darted up to his face and he trembled a little, from what, Robin knew not.

"I can't remember," he whimpered, his voice raising back to hysterics. "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know!"

Robin and Cyborg both jumped at his shout, sharing a concerned glance.

"Hey, B, it's okay, take it easy," Cyborg murmured. "There's no pressure here. We just wanna' get an idea of what's going on."

Beast Boy took a shaky breath, his gaze darting back and forth once more. "O-okay."

"Why don't we start from the top?" Robin suggested. "Maybe it'll help you remember."

The shapeshifter nodded, an inquisitive expression crossing his features. "Y-yeah, okay. From the top." He fell silent a moment, as if to collect his thoughts, before beginning.

"It all started when we first got the mission..."

Author's Note:

So, here it is; Beastly. Hopefully it's worth the wait, lol. XD Anyway, I won't muddy the word count with my ramblings. I hope you guys enjoy!

Thanks!

-vixensheart