The Hybrid

The Attack of the Lophocytes

"A war going on in Goth Afa among the fallen monsters. Fallitur asked me to help. I did, but I received some minor inflictions in the end," Grootslang replied. His eyes haughtily closed as his head perked up. Garfield's eyes stared down the large black snake, placing his hands on his hips and pressing his teeth together.

"Grootslang, you have scales to protect you from being hurt. Anything that could get past that and cause you to bleed is something worth worrying about," frowned Garfield. Raven could see the fierce rage in the green teen's wrinkled eyebrows.

Grootslang hissed, still looking away from the wizard. "They're just scratches that came too close. I was... careless."

Beast Boy's eyes lowered to his eyelids to half-mast, raising his left eyebrow. "And if you had been killed, oh great snake?" Garfield proposed in English. The snake's eyes shifted towards Beast Boy. His large head was still fixed in its dignified state. A long uncomfortable pause ensued.

"I'm not a retired senile snake," Grootslang grumbled, looking down at the small teen.

"No, you're a beloved father," stated Beast Boy, dipping his head while he glared at the great snake and crossed his arms. "Remember that." The snake sighed with regret in his voice. The sad look in Kleinslang's eyes deepened the gut-wrenching feeling in the snake's stomach.

"You're right. I apologize for not telling you all sooner," Grootslang sighed.

"What's going on at Goth Afa?" Raven asked.

"Fallitur has been fighting new terrors that are proving to be more... burdensome. They're called the Lophocytes because of their crest mark on their forehead, kind of like the Moon"

Beast Boy grinned. "Well, let's go there and teach them a lesson," he said as he cracked his knuckles.

"No," shouted Kleinslang, "Daddy is staying here." She stood between her father and the four while her eyes bore in the people who would put her father in danger again.

Grootslang sighed, gently touching Kleinslang's small cheeks with the very tip of his tail. "Kleinslang." Kleinslang's glare did not change. Her grip clenched harder on the book. Beast Boy could have sworn he heard the buckling of the book breaking in her grip.

Kleinslang refused her father, "You are wounded and you need to heal. I'm not letting you go into danger again!" She declared. Grootslang's huge head jumped back while his eyes widened. The glare in her eyes bore into him. It looked like black fire stinging his soul.

Garfield gingerly touched Klein's shoulder. "Kleinslang, I think it's best that-" The humanoid whipped her head at him, bearing the same glare on her face. Po jumped behind Tigress while Tigress and Raven stepped back a few inches. Beast Boy gulped at Kleinslang's angry stare.

"He's staying here," Kleinslang restated.

Raven ventured up to the humanoid's side, resting her hand on her shoulder. Raven spoke softly yet warmly to her "I know you want to protect him, but you won't be able to if Afa Goth falls in the hands of monsters who don't know any better. Imagine if someone worse than Fallitur came along,"

Klein's steady gaze on the hybrid's small smiles stayed for a moment before finally shifting to the ground. "I don't want my father to be dead when you go there," sighed Kleinslang.

"Well, why don't you come with us?" Garfield asked as he walked closer to her. Everyone's eyes widened. "What?"

Grootslang whipped his huge head in front of Beast Boy, hissing violently as he bellowed, "She is not going anywhere near danger!" Beast Boy stumbled to the ground and shuffled away as the snake's head edged closer. "I should send you to Tartarus for suggesting such a thing! Or worse yet." Grootslang flashed the interior of his cave-like mouth.