//------------------------------// // Chapter 11: First Confrontation // Story: Friendship is Failure #3: Beast Boy in Equestria // by DakariKingMykan //------------------------------// CHAPTER ELEVEN It was very late at night in Jump City, but fortunately there was no school the next morning, which was slightly good for Terra. The poor girl couldn’t seem to get any sleep that night, she went out for a very late night stroll to try and clear her mind. It was the same story as usual; no matter how hard she would try she could not seem to get Beast Boy off her mind, but it wasn’t all that. Jackie and Jillian stopped talking to her since she spat at them and thinking she was getting sweet on Beast Boy. She tried her best to tell the truth, albeit she was pretty much trying to lie and deny her past once more. Now she felt more alone that ever, and it was badly affecting her school studies, which wouldn’t help her in a normal life. Why was this happening to her? Why was the world and nature still trying to torture her after everything she had already been through? More importantly, why couldn’t she stop feeling so guilty about all that happened between her and Beast Boy during the past week? Was she actually starting to regret what she did? Did she really care about him so much that she was really willing to give it just one more try and reclaim what she gave up? She held her aching head in frustration, “Why can’t it just leave me alone?!” she groaned softly. Then, she looked up, and she could see someone, wearing a robe and hood, high up on the roof a building. The moon was shining just bright for her to see. “Beast Boy…?” she peeped. There was no mistaking him. She recognized the robe and the slight hint of green skin in the moonlight. She also noticed several police cars and black vans parked along the street, all of them seemed to be pointing towards the way to the Second National Bank… the same direction where Beast Boy was heading. She felt a small voice inside calling to her, “Let’s go check it out.” “No, are you crazy? That isn’t my life anymore.” “Wow, and you call me crazy. Look, you can’t kid yourself. You know you at least want to see, so just get going!” Terra, unable to fight her better judgment, ran off through the alleys heading for the bank, but upon seeing all the police cars along the way, she knew she had to go higher to get a better view. Seeing no one was around, she grabbed two small rocks on the ground, “It’s been awhile; don’t let me down.” she said calmly to herself. She then clenched the rocks hard and used her powers to lift the rocks, pulling herself up, up, up and onto a rooftop that overlooked the bank down below in the street. The whole place seemed deserted, with hardly any security guarding the perimeter as mentioned in reports. Suddenly, she saw Beast Boy leap onto the roof of the bank, and she began to have a sickly feeling in the pit of her stomach, regarding the reports about all the stolen goods. “Oh, no… it can’t be!” she cried softly to herself. Changeling, unaware he was being watched and not really seeming to care about being too cautious, sighed as he stood on the roof, “Another night, another easy score. What do I have to do for some excitement?” Suddenly, bright lights shone on him from behind. He turned round and saw the Titans standing behind him, and Cyborg and robin flashing their lights on him. “We meet at last.” Robin sneered. He and the others obviously didn’t recognize him from within the shadows of his hood, but he knew who they were. “So you’re the Teen Titans I’ve heard so much about. You really don’t look like much to me.” The Titans felt offended “We may not appear as much to you, but you will be thinking twice when this battle concludes.” said Starfire. “Really…?” scoffed Changeling. More, brighter lights shone from below as police cars surrounded the entire area, and more officers popped up onto the roofs pointing guns at their target. There were even guards up on Terra’s roof, but she kept well out of sight by hiding behind large air-conditioning unit. “Freeze!” an officer shouted through a megaphone “We have you completely surrounded. Put your hands above your head.” Changeling snickered. “Oh, no!” peeped Raven. She could tell what was going to happen, but it was too late. “Like this…?” Changeling called as he quickly raised his hands, and sent out a magical wave. The waved knocked the Titans back a bit, and the magic shattered all the lights shining on him, and jammed every single police gun so none would fire on him. The officers tried to march in. “Stand back!” Changeling shouted as he snapped his fingers, magically conjuring a flame wall all around him and the titans on the roof. The Titans were the only ones standing with him now. “You’ve only now just seen a sample of my talents. Still think you can take me on?” “Titans go!” shouted Robin, and he and the others dashed forth. Robin lunged at him with his metal staff, but Changeling fought valiantly with his arms and legs like a skilled martial artist, and actually knocked the staff away, and kicked Robin hard in the chest. Starfire came at him firing her starbolts like crazy, but Changeling swerved and evaded each and every one. “My turn!” he chuckled, and he fire dark bolts, similar to hers right back at her, forcing her to retreat. “I got him!” hollered Cyborg as he came charging in with his cannon ready to fire. Changeling softly touched his amulet for luck, and then… just as Cyborg was about to hit him, he instantly warped to right behind him. Cyborg whirled round to hit him again only for him to warp again. He tried a few more times, but he couldn’t seem to land a single hit. “Ha-Ha! You have to be quick if you want to catch me.” Fuming like a raging volcano, Cyborg fired his shoulder missiles, but Changeling held out his amulet, and in a bright flash the missiles turned right back and headed straight for Cyborg, forcing him to run about to avoid each one. “Too bad…” changeling mocked. Then he was suddenly shrouded within a hollow barrier of dark light conjured by Raven. “Too bad for you…” she called to him. “That voice…” he murmured and he turned within the barrier to look at her, but he couldn’t make her out too well because of her hood and the dark light, but he could still see her clearly enough, and her magic was still no match for his as he demonstrated by glaring at her with his glowing eyes which shattered her concentration and knocked her back against the large air-conditioning unit on the roof. Her hood slipped down and he got a good look at her face. “Oh, my…” he said in a deep tone “So beautiful…” Raven’s features twisted, “Are you talking to me?” He stepped forth in a rather creepy like way, only to get shot at from behind. The other Titans stood glaring at him and Raven got up and refitted her hood. Changeling couldn’t stop looking at her though, and as much as he would normally continue to fight, he had a change of plan. “We’ll meet again…” he hissed at all the Titans, “Oh, and thanks for the spare change.” Before the Titans could react, the firewall swooped down in on changeling, and he and the flames just vanished without a trace. “He is gone!” cried Starfire. Robin felt worried by what he meant by “Spare Change”, and the Titans and the police inspected inside the bank, and no less than ten billion dollars in gold, documents and bills were missing from the many vaults… vanished into thin air. “He never even had to come inside the bank.” said Robin. Cyborg angrily punched the solid metal of one of the vaults, “All this time, he was just distracting us, and the worst of it is we don’t even know what he looks like. We didn’t even get a glimpse of his face.” Raven seemed more concerned with the power she had witnessed. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Even my power wasn’t enough to stop him.” “Do not despair so, friends.” said Starfire “We at least know now what is truly happening.” “Star’s right…” said Robin “We know a little of what we’re up against, so maybe we can devise a plan against that guy, and hopefully find where he’s stashed all the money and goods.” As all the police officers packed up their damaged weapons and supplies, and all went home in shame and worry for the city, Terra was soon left on the other building’s rooftop all by herself, and she felt tears coming to her eyes from what she had just seen. “Beast Boy… you are the one doing all this!” she said softly trying not to sob. She never felt so shocked, as if she had been betrayed. “What can I do?” she wondered “I know I should tell someone but… oh…!” Her insides were going positively crazy! If Beast Boy knew she ratted him out, given what she had already seen, who knew how furious he’d get. Then again if she didn’t tell he’d continue to steal and terrorize the town and possible move on to rob other cities, whole countries… which still hurt and baffled her; the fact that he had turned to international crime and vandalism. Of course, she was one to think that, being a former apprentice of Slade and nearly destroying the entire town because she was so misguided and manipulated. “Oh, great… now I’m thinking of that again!” she groaned. She had absolutely no idea what to think, what to do or whom to turn to. Meanwhile, Changeling sat in his cave. By this point he had stolen so much that he couldn’t begin to estimate how rich he was, but all he could do was think back to that girl… Raven. He had never seen a girl like her, and her voice-- so dark and almost eerie-- and her magic, though not much compared to his own, it only made him think more of her. “Perhaps that’s why I’ve been so bored…” he wondered to himself “I’ve been on my own a good long time. I’ve stolen enough to set for more than a-hundred lifetimes.” The more and more he thought about it, the more it began to sink into him. “Yes…” he felt “Maybe that’s what I’ve been missing. Someone I can have by my side. Someone whom will answer to my every will, and to think, with her powers combined with my own; the possibilities are endless!” He made up his mind, and imagined what it would be like to steal something he never had before: Someone’s heart… …Raven’s! He began to fall into a musical daze. I have come a long way, and now do I realize That the Teen Titan called Raven is the girl of my eyes I’ll shower her with gold and with treasures glittering bright, She’d be a fool to turn me down; I know she’ll do what’s right. I may be a dangerous crook, but once she takes look She will see how perfect we could ever be. One pound of gold bars, and a Ming Vase to the row A shining silver necklace, now that’ll make things go Mink coats so furry and a beautiful bronze cat A crystal ruby ring; oh, she’d go for that. I see us in a castle as a wealthy king and queen Surrounded by so many riches, you see what I mean. One pound of gold bars, and a Ming Vase to the row A shining silver necklace, now that’ll make things go Mink coats so furry and a beautiful bronze cat A crystal ruby ring; oh, she’d go for that. “…Raven” The song ended, and he snapped back into reality. “But how…” he wondered “How am I to get close to her without being suspected by anyone?” He thought and he thought while softly creasing his face, and then he remembered, and he dashed outside and looked down at his reflection in the waves of water that splashed onto the beach… he looked just like Beast Boy. “Yes!” he snickered “That will work!”