CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The titans all decided to head out for pizza to celebrate Beast Boy had returned.
When the waitress came by to take their order Beast boy ordered, “The mega meaty mountain-load, if you please.”
The Titans all gawked at him. “Beast Boy, that pizza’s loaded with meat.” said Robin.
“Yes, I know that.”
“But you’re a vegetarian.”
Changeling realized he was slipping already. There were still a few things about Beast Boy he didn’t know, but he covered up for it quickly…
“…Eh, out with the old, in with the new. I mean Things do Change after all.”
The Titans gawks grew wider, but then Cyborg felt cool with it. “Well, at least you’re tryin’ something new. Good call, man.” He gave him a small shoulder bop, which almost rather aggravated him…
…but Changeling took it with humour, not wanting to slip his cover.
When the pizza came, he practically gorged at it. He hardly left a single bit of meat behind. “Delightful.” he said.
“Oh, Beast Boy; you do not know how delighted we are that you have decided to return to us.” said Starfire “There is so much of the catching up we must do.”
“And speaking of which…” Robin cut in “…Beast Boy, we know about you and Terra now--about what happened and all that.”
Everyone fell silent, even Changeling as he kept up with his act, and before the other Titans could say a thing, “Let her go.” Changeling simply said which surprised the others yet again. “If she wants to live a normal life, that’s fine. There’s nothing I can do to convince her anyway.”
“Okay, who are you and what have you done with Beast Boy?” Raven asked in a rhetorical term.
Changeling snickered in his mind, but still didn’t blow his cover by saying, “It’ll be alright… I’m sure I can get over it, with all of you helping me now.” And he silently thought as he gazed at Raven, “Especially seeing as that girl means nothing to me. It’s YOU that I want, pretty Raven.”
None of the Titans or Changeling knew that Terra had been combing the city all evening.
She was now sitting atop a tall building to give her powers a much needed rest. So far, there hadn’t been many more robberies-- mainly due to the fact that all the banks and stores and other places had already suffered, leaving them virtually emptied out. The banks were even facing bankruptcy and foreclosure due to the officials not sending for more shipments; worried that even they would be robbed by the elusive thief.
At the rate things were going, all of Jump City was facing serious foreclosure, almost to the point where people were willing to just abandon their properties and find work and homes in other towns… though it would be easier had they the assets for it.
“I’ve got to find Beast Boy.” Terra said to herself, “Where could he be?”
Suddenly, she could see the Pizza-Place a few blocks away, and she was most certain that she could see the Titans eating on the upper patio… WITH Beast Boy?!
She pulled out a miniature telescope from one of the pouches on her belt and looked through it. She could see it plainly; Beast Boy was with the Titans, and all they all seemed to be having a good time as if nothing was wrong anymore.
She hadn’t seen him smile in such a long time. Usually he was all grumpy, or down in the dumps over all the changes in the city, yet that look on his face was undeniable. Also, it deeply concerned her. The Titans didn’t seem have the faintest idea that he was the thief who had been robbing the city.
She really wanted to go down there and warn the Titans, but still didn’t feel if whether or not she could face them just yet, not to mention Beast Boy, what would the Titans actually think when they found out…!
“What am I thinking, of course I know how they’ll react.” She could just picture it; the Titans being more shocked than ever before, and with no definite excuse they would most likely turn on him like a pack of wolves… and worse, they probably still weren’t aware that Beast Boy was, somehow, capable of magic!
She didn’t want to begin to think how rough it could be if the Titans tried to fight him like they did the other night when he robbed the bank.
Suddenly, she noticed the team leaving, having already paid their bill, obviously heading back for the tower in the T-Car.
She began to devise a plan, and silently followed the T-Car, but kept well out of sight so as not to be seen.
It was nearly dark by the time the Titans got home.
Changeling was escorted to Beast Boy’s room upon arriving back at the tower. He was rather appalled and disturbed by how messy it was.
“We had kept it exactly as it was when you had left.” said Starfire.
“Yes… I see…” he muttered softly, trying to hide his disgust.
“Oh, and before I forget…” said Robin and he explained to him about the thief they were trying to capture, “We’re going to make up a plan to find him and get him, but we’ll need your help. So just… stay on standby.”
“Sure, I’ll do that.” Changeling said, but then he thought to himself, “These fools don’t suspect a thing.”
The Titans bid him goodnight and all went off.
Changeling decided that he couldn’t stay here while the room was such a mess and smelled so stale. He reached in under his turtleneck and pulled out his amulet to magically clean the place up in an instant.
There was a knock at the door, and he quickly stashed the amulet away.
“Beast Boy…” Raven called.
Hearing her voice made him shiver with slight delight, though he was rather annoyed from being nearly caught. “Yes…” he called back without opening the door.
“Look… um… I’m just really your back okay and I… well… I’m sorry for how I acted before… when I tried to move in on you…”
Hearing that, Changeling’s insides were leaping with giddiness, but he still played it cool. “Thank you, Raven. Believe I understand.”
Outside his door, she was smiling lovingly, but of course, remembering what she had learned from the computer visions, she didn’t think it really right to even try to move in on him, especially remembering what he said to her that night… not being his type.
Then she walked down the hall, off to her own room.
While Changeling, now finally unobserved, used his magic to clean and re-freshen the entire room. “Ah, that’s more like It.” he said to himself, “I don’t how these humans can live in such conditions.” None of this seemed to matter to him too much now, especially since he knew Raven had feelings for Beast Boy. “This will make it all the more easier for me.” he said under his breath, and he began to fantasize of himself and Raven in a romantic scene…
…Or rather his own lustful, greedy scene.
There he was, sitting on a mountain stolen treasure, wearing expensive gold and silver robes, and Raven, dressed in dark blue harem costume, massaging his bare-feet.
“It sure feels wonderful being the richest, most powerful being in all dimensions.” he would say.
Raven would gaze at him and say, “Oh, darling. Is there anything I can get for you?”
“Yes… you can come a little closer.”
She would act flattered, and softly move closer and closer towards him and whisper seductively into his ear “You… complete me!”
They shared a deep, romantic embrace as the fantasy faded.
Changeling had a dopey look on his face, dazed with the very delight that all that would happen.
This suddenly reminded him that he should slip out and check on his treasure to make sure it was safe, but he decided to wait until it was very, very late when all the titans would be asleep.
That night, at about half past One, he decided to head out, but he slunk about to make sure none of the Titans were awake, and sure enough, the Tower was so quiet would you hear a fly cough.
The last place he checked was the lounge, and certainly no one was there. He was just about ready to reach for his amulet and teleport away, when a shadow loomed over him-- something was blocking the moonlight through the window.
He turned round and saw Terra standing outside the window on a floating rock.
“That girl again…!” he grumbled softly. He also noted how she was dressed and floating on a rock. “It looks like she’s turned an old leaf, but what brings her here?” he wondered.
She motioned for him to come outside and onto the roof. Changeling was very annoyed, but he complied and he raced to the roof where he found here there waiting for him. “What do you want, now?” he asked rather sternly.
“We need to talk.” replied Terra “Beast Boy, this may sound crazy… but I know…” she paused “I know what you’ve been through.”
“Oh, you do…?”
She nodded softly, “Look, I’ve done a lot of thinking, and I’ve come to realize… I just can’t do this anymore. Not to me, not to you, not everyone.”
There was a small moment of silence.
“Beast Boy, I know why I did was really dumb, but… I… I want to help make things right, and I want to help you.”
He seemed rather uninterested and just kept gazing at her with folded arms and a cold stare.
“Beast Boy, I’m going to level with you.” she paused, and she actually looked around despite there was no one around to hear. “…I know you’re the thief whose been robbing the town.”
He gasped softly, and his eyes widened. Now he felt concerned, and he would have tried to deny it but she told him “I saw you. I know what you’ve been doing.”
He was starting to quiver nervously but furiously, which more than confirmed Terra’s suspicion. “Beast boy, please… I just want to help. I know you’re upset, but we can make things better.”
She began to move towards him softly and gently, but he backed away, snarling softly like a creature ready to pounce.
“Beast Boy, please…” Terra begged, but then she noticed a soft glow emitting from under his uniform collar, and his eyes began to glow as well. That’s when she began to feel woozy… and she collapsed.
Changeling loomed over her out cold body. “I cannot have any witnesses.” He grumbled as he grabbed her by the legs and dragged her off.