Teen Titans Season 6:

Episode 1: Reckoning

Chapter One

"Beast Boy, GO!" Robin yelled at the top of his lungs, Beast Boy transformed into a rhino and rammed the monster in its guts through a truck carrying a fuel tank.

"Starfire!" shouted Robin, Starfire, on command, flew up and fired starbolts from her eyes, the tank was cut in half, in turn this caused liquid nitrogen to be spilled all over the monster. The monster stopped momentarily before beginning its advance again. Raven used her telekinesis to draw pipes up from the ground, which wrapped around the creature, restraining its wild movements. Taking this opportunity, Robin leaped forward and threw a disc bomb, sending it straight onto the struggling beast. In a split instant, it was completely encompassed in an icicle. "Now, before it adapts!" Robin ordered frantically. Cyborg aimed his shot, and hollered his favorite phrase: "Booyah!" as he fired. His sonic cannon blasted through the creature, shattering it into millions of tiny particles spilling across the the room.

"YEAH! Now that's what I'm talking about!" shouted Cyborg in triumph.

"Is it finally over?" grumbled Raven, pulling off her hood.

"Wait... Give it time," motioned Robin, with a move of his hand.

The Titans watched in nervous anticipation to see if the creature would somehow reform. Several minutes had past and still the splinters of what was left refused to move or shape itself. Starfire was the first to break the silence.

"Friends! Victory is assured. I believe we are in the clear!" She announced.

"I'm still confused. What was that thing?" Cyborg asked, palming a shard in his hand curiously.

Robin turned to Beast Boy.

"Slade..." Beast Boy trailed off.

The Titans gasped a little under their breath. Knowing the damage he had caused over the years since their team began. Slade had personally affected them all, especially Robin, but arguably the one among them now who had the most reason to hate him was Beast Boy.

Robin looked at him, not as stunned as the others, but visibly concerned. "Slade? What does he have to do with it?"

"I fought him. Or at least I thought I did," said Beast Boy.

This time Raven spoke up; "Why didn't you call for backup? You know how dangerous he is." concern lacing her voice.

"He had me cornered. It was all happening so fast," Beast Boy answered quickly. "But I managed to win. Or like I said, I thought. But it turned out to be one of his stupid robots."

Robin looked at him intently. Beast Boy then added, "I think he has something to do with it."

"Did he say anything to you?" Robin inquired.

"Maybe she doesn't want to remember…" The memories flashed across his brain.

Beast Boy hesitated for a moment then let out a sighed as he said, "No... Just his usual mind games. I don't remember it all."

"She doesn't want to see you anymore…"
The truth is Beast Boy did remember it, perhaps too well. There isn't a day that went by where he wasn't pondering the 'what ifs'. hopelessly feeling want and regret over everything that had happened. Maybe at times he even wished not to remember.

Robin placed a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder, in an effort to be reassuring. "Whatever he's planning, we're going to stop him. We've done it before and we're going to do it again."

Beast Boy looked at him with a gleam of assurance. They had their differences but if there was one thing he could count on, it was Robin's word.

"Where were you when you last saw him?" Robin asked in a serious tone.

"At the theme park," Beast Boy piped up.

"Then we'll start there. But in the meantime we should head home, get some rest. It's been a long day."

Beast boy nodded, promptly leaving ahead of his friends. His friends stood there, worry strewn across their faces. Starfire floated to the floor inquiring, "Our friend does not seem well. What could be giving him the trouble?"

"He just needs some time to process Terra's and Slade's return." Robin answered.

"We all do," Raven finished.

Beast Boy walked ahead of the rest. Remembering that night.

"Why did you bring Terra back?" Beast boy demanded.

"I had nothing to do with her return," Slade denied.

Ignoring his statement, Beast Boy continued to accuse him, "You did something to take away her memory and you took away her powers!"

"I did nothing, dear boy. If the girl does not use her powers, or claims to not remember. It is because she so chooses."

There was that, Slade addressing him as if he was a child. Boiling with rage. Beast Boy glared at the multiple reflections of Slade.

"WHY wouldn't she want to remember? She was a hero! She saved all of us!" Beast Boy cried with growing fury. He no longer stared at a single reflection but looked around him, anxious to sense Slade's presence somehow.

"Don't you see? She no longer wants to remember you." Slade's voice echoed from within the room. That does it! Beast Boy thought. Transforming into a bull he smashed through the glass room with a nearly uncontrollable fury, before transforming into a bear, to finish off the rest of the mirrors. "Even if it means I destroy this entire park. I'm taking him down…Once and for all!" he thought. Transforming back to his original form, he took a breather. He tried to calm himself, in an effort to find where Slade may have been hiding. Suddenly, Beast Boy heard something above him. As he jarred upwards he saw Slade plummeting towards him. Dodging just in time, Slade's fist crushed the floor that had just been beneath him. Stumbling to his feet, Beast Boy faced his hated enemy and shouted;

"I WON'T LET YOU HURT HER AGAIN!"

Slade, in his almost inhumanly calm demeanor, replied, "You're the one who's hurting her. Let her go."

The flight home was fast. As soon as they got back to the tower, Beast Boy was noticeably quieter than his usual self. Normally he and Victor, also known as Cyborg, took this time to "cool down," playing Game Station after a day of kicking villain butt. It was their way of kicking back and planning the week ahead of them. Victor was his best pal, but for an unexplainable reason Beast Boy could not bring himself to tell him what happened at Murakami High, Terra's school. Or at least not yet. So instead, he told him that he needed some time for himself. Victor was older then him, and most would say more mature. So instead of pushing the matter, he let him go.

"Good ol' Cy..." Beast Boy said to himself as he headed towards the top of Titans tower.

Due to several attacks on the Tower, Cyborg had outfitted a ridiculously complex security system. So advanced, that now, the Tower had an invisible shield surrounding the entire foundation itself. Nothing could come in even if it was by force, because anything that hit it, would automatically be deflected back towards the supposed attacker. Yet it did not mute the sounds or even block the wind from the outside. Beast Boy could never figure out how Vic managed that. Every now and then he would forget that Cyborg was part supercomputer. Even though half his body attested to that. Beast Boy chuckled to himself, and remembered how they'd debate about who was the weirder looking one. Vic would call him the little green martian and he would call Vic "The Big Bad T-800".

Sometimes Beast Boy, or better known to his friends as Garfield Logan, would come to the top of the tower to reflect a little.

"Like Raven. Only I don't lock myself up in a dungeon." Beast Boy smiled as he thought to himself.

He was watching the sun set over Jump City, holding his heart shaped box in his hand. Opening it up, he took a look at his emerald reflection. Beast Boy remembered giving it to her. The many hours he spent crafting the little box. He even remembers going "a little crazy with the glue gun." He remembered how hard he had kicked himself after she initially said no to his vague idea of a date. Only for her to appear by his window hovering on a segment of earth later that night, stretching her hand out to take him on what would be one of the most happiest nights of his life. As well as one of the worst.

"No... Don't think about that," he scolded himself. But he couldn't help it. It still felt fresh, as if it were only yesterday. Only yesterday that Terra had been with them. He wondered what might be if he hadn't done all the things he did back then.

"Slade was right. You have no friends." His bitter words to her echoed sharply in his head. He couldn't believe he had said that.
"If I didn't turn her away, maybe she'd still be here," Beast Boy thought to himself.

He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He felt something warm and wet streak down his face, and realized a tear had started to stream down his cheek. He heard footsteps heading towards him. Rushing to wipe his face, he turned around with a mock sense of cheer as he called,

"Hey, Rae! I didn't see you there. I'll be back down soon."

"Actually, I was coming up to join you. May I?" Raven asked.

"Yeah, sure! I just wanted to catch the sunset, believe it or not it's kinda like a hobby for me now you know?" Beast Boy said in his enthusiastic voice.

"I believe you. It's a hobby of mine too." Raven responded, getting down to sit next to him.

"Funny, I always thought you were more of a moon watcher type gal," Beast Boy joked.

"What gave you that idea?" Raven said, still staring intently at the sun slowly descending over the ocean.

"Well.. uh.. You see… I—uh… It's just that it's the first time I've seen you up here at this hour," Beast Boy stammered.

"That's because I have a perfect view of it from my bedroom window." Raven replied.

"Oh, yeah..." Beast Boy trailed off with a little embarrassment. He had been in her room before, but it wasn't like he had a good look at the whole thing, due to most of it being covered in darkness. There was also the fact that he and Cyborg just so happened to get sucked into a vortex by one of Raven's mirrors.

"But you're right," Raven said, to which Beast Boy looked at her confused.

"I am more of a moon watcher." She smiled softly, as the sun descended slowly.

"Yes, I was right! Alright on the first try too!" Beast Boy cheered. Raven just looked at him with amusement, scooting a little closer to him.

An air of silence had washed over them. Not an awkward silence, but simply an acknowledgment of each other's presence, while being captivated by the sun's final light cascading over the water.

Beast Boy's hand was still on his case. She put her's over it. Beast Boy who had previously been looking at the sunset, now noticed her hand on his. He jumped a little, he had a very slight flush of pink on his cheeks, mixed in with the green. It was not like her to show care in this way, especially not to him. He wasn't used to this sudden gesture. Having been a little lost in thought, Raven looked into his eyes, Beast Boy nervously returned the gaze.

"You don't have to hide it. I know what you're feeling."

She did, and Beast Boy had to admit it. It was nearly impossible hiding any kind of emotion from her. She was an empath after-all.

"I just want you to know... I'm here for you. You were there for me more times then I can count. Let me return the favor." offered Raven.

Beast Boy sighed, the same way he did before he had told the team about Slade's return. Raven sat patiently, waiting for her friend's reply.

"You see... I left out a bit. I actually found her again at her school. I talked to her and..." Beast Boy's voice trailed off. Raven had a feeling she knew what had happened, but she resisted the inclination to finish his sentence. So she kept quiet as her green-skinned companion struggled to find the words.
"She... She told me that things weren't the way I remembered it. That things change. That what I wanted from her was just a memory... She didn't even seem to remember all the good times we had together! It seems like everyone is telling me to move on... Even her. To just let her go. But it's not that simple! No one knew her like I did! How could it be like this? How could she just 'forget'? She was so happy then, before Slade came around and ruined everything!" At that last sentence, Beast Boy's hand clenched itself tightly around Raven's as he struggled to hold back tears.

Raven looked at her green friend with an expression that hinted at surprise and empathy. Garfield tended to wear his heart on his sleeve, but he was always good at hiding his more "complicated" emotions, at least from the other Titans. Maybe this was due to the fact that he himself couldn't put his own emotions in order. Whatever the case, Raven could sense any emotion, she need only focus hard enough. She didn't make doing so a habit out of respect for her friend's privacy. But looking at him now, she didn't need to have powers to understand what he was going through.

"But I guess I have no choice, huh?" said Beast Boy, in a hushed tone.

"She made her own choice..." Raven's monotone voice trailed away into the winding dusk.

"I just... I just miss her Raven. Is that so wrong?" A tear trickled once again down his face.

"No it isn't, I know, because I miss her too," Raven agreed with him. Beast Boy looked at her and then without warning, or thought, wrapped his arms around her tightly. Everything that he kept inside seemed to burst out of him. Raven was taken aback, but returned the gesture. She hugged him tightly as he burst into tears on her shoulder.

The last rays of the sun spilled across the sky just as it sunk out of view, meanwhile, the two Titans shared in their sober yet comforting embrace.

The next two weeks were back to the regular routine of their crime fighting. Beast Boy acted like his old self, more or less. But there was something different about him, something had changed. His demeanor had matured a little, he seemed to carry himself as if he were a tad older. Cyborg was the first to notice it. When Beast Boy lost again to him while playing their Gamestation. He reacted with less shock in failure, and instead with a casual laugh. It made it a little less fun to gloat, but inside Cyborg acknowledged that maybe his little buddy might be starting to grow up.

He felt proud. He also seemed to get along more with Raven, she even laughed at some of his jokes once or twice. This initially shocked the Titans, but Raven was quick to play it off, saying things like "it wasn't that funny." Beast Boy would respond with his usual banter in an attempt to catch lightning in a bottle twice. He'd never manage to do it, but he was able to crack a small smile from Raven, every now and again.

Wonder where that's going to go? Cyborg thought to himself with a smirk as he polished his equipment.

Robin didn't notice as much, as he was too busy with his newfound relationship with Star. Nothing changed much in the latter, other than the fact that the two were more open about it nowadays.

Yet not all was well. Two weeks had past since their battle with that white monster, and Slade's supposed reappearance. The fact that Slade had not made a move made Robin uneasy. So he poured himself into his investigation, trying to find new clues or leads. It was times like these, where Robin tended to get a little obsessive. It's funny, Robin himself had once mentioned that he had the same issues with his mentor Batman.

"Apple doesn't fall too far from the tree," Cyborg muttered to himself as he walked across the hallways. He found Robin still typing away on his personal computer on a table with a mess of scattered documents and papers, with quick sloppy print. He looked intently at the screen as if the whole world around him had gone dark, Robin was so absorbed in his studies that he didn't seem to notice Cyborg's footsteps approaching. Cyborg knocked on the wall, signaling Robin of his presence.

Robin hardly shifted his position. "Yeah, I know it's late... Just looking at one last lead," he grunted.

"Well, it's been two weeks. And have ya found anything yet?" asked Cyborg. Robin gripped his face in tired annoyance. The answer seemed clear enough. Slade had a reputation of being the most elusive villain they ever faced. He had never been caught, and there never was even a single slight trace of evidence left behind. Unless of course Slade willed there to be.

"Not enough. There's scattered bread crumbs, but no trail," Robin answered, shutting off the computer. "I don't get it. We've chased him for years, but he's always two steps ahead. Always."

"More like ten steps… But who's counting?" Cyborg joked. Robin looked at him, un-amused. Then Cyborg's manner shifted to a more serious note.

"Look, man, it's late. You've been working non-stop on this. If Slade does come back, we'll be ready for him. Like you always say." Cyborg took a breath of confidence. "Besides…" he continued, "it ain't like you're going to do much good fighting the bad guys if you're half asleep."

"What's the use of being 'ready' for him when whatever he's planning is going to happen anyway? Sure, we can stop him. But if it means anything, that psychopath would be behind bars right now," Robin added a bit disgruntled. It seemed pointless to push the subject with him. So Cyborg simply nodded and bid goodnight to his friend.

No matter how much Robin would like to deny it to himself, Slade reminded him of Bruce. Always thinking ahead of the enemy, always having a plan within a backup plan. He even fought like his old mentor, calculating and reading each move like an open book. But with Bruce there was always an endgame, a goal: "Protect Gotham", no matter the cost. Robin had yet to begin to understand what Slade's motives were. There was nothing for him to read beyond that cold, cruel mask. He was like a machine; every decision he made seemed like a carefully premeditated move in a game of chess.

It seemed logical to just sit back and wait, but that meant having to just react, and he hated being left on the receiving side of things. Being left at the mercy of mere circumstance was not an option. Robin turned and was just about to access the Titan mainframe again when his screen started to blink. First once, then twice, then static filled the screen before the computer shutdown. Bewildered, Robin sat up, thinking that it was some sort of glitch in Cyborg's 'near flawless' system. But as quickly as it shut down, it again powered on by itself.

His screen flashed and what emerged on the monitor made Robin's eyes widen in shock and disbelief. There right in front of him. Staring at him with that one eye that pierced into him like a razor-sharp dagger, was Slade...