Beast Boy didn't see her fist, merely felt the impact as one instant she was before him eyes glowing and in the next instant he was flying several feet before slamming roughly into a cave wall. He was able to catch her advancing on him and in a move taught to him by Slade he swept out his leg and caused her to lose her balance and fall to one knee. While she was rising Beast Boy followed it up with a vicious knee that caught her stomach and caused her to double over. Before she could react, Beast Boy placed his hands on her back and lithely pushed off of her and flipped to be on the other side of her. All that was running through his mind was the noise of the rushing water as he rushed for the waterfall and began to shift. A green eagle had just begun its flight out of the cave when Starfire leaped out of the cave and grabbed the bird, cradling it to her chest. Soon the eagle was a gorilla and they were grappling as she flew until they were beneath the waterfall and the force of the rushing water brought both careening down until they were plunged beneath the waters into the lake below. Beast Boy could see Starfire's face clearly even there as the moonlight flooded down on them, what he saw gave him pause as he noticed that there was sorrow in her glowing eyes. This did not seem to affect her however as before he even had an opportunity to shift back, he was being flown out of the lake and thrown harshly towards the ground. He impacted hard and was only able to roll away an instant before her fist smashed down where he just was, leaving a small crater and pelting him with a barrage of dirt and dust causing his remaining good eye to tear up. Blinded he morphed himself into a small butterfly and blindly flew wherever he could, just to get away from the angry princess. As his vision cleared he was soaring above the sky and could see that she was simply flying right next to him. For the first time in a great while Beast Boy felt terror run through him as the truth dawned on him that she was simply stronger. Worse, he was still hardly recovered from the last fight and had no way to call for help.

If she takes me back then all of this was for nothing, but if I give in he might kill her.

Beast Boy felt the feeling surge within him as the panic was replaced by a new feeling: rage.

Yes! That is it, rage, rage against life itself! Power is your only escape.

Soon Beast boy's features took on those of the Beast and Starfire had to duck a powerful swipe and she was wrapped up in the iron grasp of the Beast as they began falling back to the earth. She landed very roughly and they rolled back and forth fighting for dominance. Once the Beast was atop her and had pinned her arms he bared his fangs and lunged at her torso tearing through her clothes and leaving just a small bite in her side.

"Star….Run!" came Beast Boy's quivering voice as the Beast was fully frozen for an instant. Her response was to use the instant to launch a star bolt at the Beast on his blind side. A howl of pain pierced the night air and as his hand reached to the side it came back drenched in blood.

"You will come with me. That is the only way." She said in a grim voice.

In a panic, the Beast roared and with its strength fading leapt at the princess, this time he was able to just overpower her and land a more vicious slash that her arm absorbed, leaving red ribbons going down her left shoulder. For the first time ever, the Beast fled. Primal instinct drove it to use its amazing strength and speed to get as far away from the princess as it could as it went bounding towards the city looking for any escape whatsoever. Before too long bright green bolts were exploding all around the Beast as Starfire gave chase. With one amazingly powerful leap he was atop a building that was a mile away just seconds before, looking back however Starfire was trailing right behind him. There was only one spot the Beast knew and without any thought he was making a mad run for it, ever aware of the blood escaping from his wound. He made another leap, a soaring green figure against the stark black sky and bathed in the light of the moon. He was approaching the center of the city and could see the maze of buildings, lights of cars and throngs of people walking dozens of stories below him. As he turned his head to see if he had lost the princess a bolt exploded into his face with so much force that it sent him off the building. Within the next second the Beast gave way and Beast Boy was once again himself.

My eye! I'm blind! And…tired. I'm sorry Star.

The last sight Beast boy saw was the night sky as he limply felt himself falling, before he could even hit the ground he'd drifted off.

Flying to the building she'd just blasted the Beast from she landed and looked down where she saw him fall but was puzzled to see nothing there. She quickly flew down and searched the alleyway, but the only sign of Beast Boy's fall was a large fresh dent in a dumpster. Yet, there was no sign of Beast Boy, despite her seeing him only several seconds before. With a sigh of disappointment and the sinking feelings of defeat and failure, Starfire began a slow, lonesome flight back to the tower, reflecting on the entire night in her mind and thinking just how carefree and joyous she had felt when they went out that night. As she landed back on the roof of the tower she could not help but remember the last time that she and Beast Boy were alone on the rooftop, looking at the moon and the stars.

I will bring you back, this I swear.

"Alright Titans, given Starfire's new injuries, we'll have to delay the raid by a couple of days. We're already down Beast Boy and having to face him, we need to all be at 100%. She'll tell us in time what happened I suppose." Robin recounted to Cyborg and Raven. Starfire had simply returned that night and informed Cyborg she required first aid and after being patched up refused to speak with anyone or even leave her room.

"Cyborg, keep up surveillance on the place and I'll go out into the city and do some patrols." Robin said before walking out. Cyborg wordlessly also slid out of the room leaving Raven standing there, looking out the window and thinking on Beast Boy.

I don't care if it hurts again, I have to know.

She returned to her room and performed the familiar chants and meditation, once more focusing her mind on excluding all the things of the world and existence except Beast Boy. Within minutes she was once again escaping her own body and being projected out of the room and this time, instead of being launched across the city she was instead in another dimension entirely. This one was a familiar one. Yet, despite looking entirely the same it was devoid of the usual inhabitants that she was accustomed to seeing.

"What's going on with you Beast Boy?" she wondered aloud as she returned to the clearing that she was in the last time that she was there. The familiar shack was still in the clearing and she walked right up to it fully knowing what it was that she would find within it. It was still simply a single room, with images on all of the walls, however, this time there was no Beast Boy sitting down watching all of them. Nor were there any emotions present at all. The room, and the entire world outside were entirely still. On the walls were nothing but darkness.

"We failed" a sorrowful voice called out to no one in particular.

"There wasn't anything more that we could have done. Should have brought that communicator."

"No. You should have unleashed me far sooner. You of all people know that no benefit comes from trying to defy nature itself. And I am your nature."

"…Maybe. I can't see."

"Pathetic!"

The voices went silent and unfortunately Raven was no closer to learning what was going on with him. Besides perhaps that he was blind. Also, more alarmingly, he was becoming more Beast than himself, and she knew that Beast Boy would be miserable if he were to truly lost himself in that condition. She walked out of the shack and with some careful focus was able to float away from the jungle and cabin that was his mind and before her eyes her own room materialized in front of her again and she looked around, entirely surprised that hours had passed and it was dusk. With tears streaming down her face she dressed herself before going to the roof and taking a moment to collect herself. She slipped on her hood and began flying off of the tower and towards the city across the water.

He'd rather die than live like that. As a villain, a Beast. I fear that's now what it's come to.

Beast Boy felt his eyes were open but he was only greeted by pure darkness. As he tried to sit up he felt a stinging pain in his side and quickly lurched back down, suppressing a groan.

Where am I?

He tried to gingerly feel his way around the room, he could tell that he was in a bed, the floor was carpeted, and feeling his body his wounds were bandaged. There was a desk across the room and he soon felt a door that he slowly pressed his ear against and after several seconds he heard absolutely nothing.

Wherever I am, I've got to get out of here! I'm helpless!

He took a step through the doorway before smacking into a wall. He felt the new room further out and realized that it was actually a closet that he was in. As he was making his way back out of the doorway and into the room he heard very light footsteps approaching from a new direction, most likely where the actual exit was and Beast Boy, in a panic, quickly felt around for the door to the closet and shut it as quickly and silently as he possibly could. He could hear the figure into the room and stop dead at where he was laying previously. He carefully listened and counted out the slow, leisurely steps taken around the room. Then he heard nothing until all of a sudden the door was thrown open in the closet and the noise of the footsteps was drowned out by the powerful pounding in his chest as blood rushed throughout his body. He tried to assume the defensive position that Slade had taught him but the wound in his side was too raw and fresh to even bear that stance and instead he crumpled to the ground and braced himself for what was coming.

"Can't see?" a high feminine voice called out almost mockingly.

Beast Boy decided he wouldn't give them the satisfaction of begging and simply sat up, staring blindly and defiantly at the figure where she stood.

"Looks like you're in the middle of a run of bad luck." She said as soft hands grabbed either side of Beast Boy's head. The last thing he sensed was a bright and familiar color drowning out the black that his vision had been before and in that instant he'd realized who was standing in front of him.

But how?