Aftershock
An Alternate Ending to Aftershock Part II
I stood above Beastboy, fighting with all my might not to let Slade control me. A jagged rock was in my power, ominously hanging above him. He was trapped underneath a rock. Everything... All of this was my fault.
"Attack, now Terra!" Slade yelled. But he did not force me. Yet.
"Do it and it'll be the last thing you do!" Raven growled behind me. I knew, without looking, that she had her powerful magic concentrated on me, ready to shred me if I killed their green friend.
"Terra! Stop!" Robin, the Boy Wonder, cried. He stood to my side, his weapon out and ready.
"Don't do it!" Cyborg ordered, aiming his sonic cannon at me.
"Please! Do not harm him!" Starfire floated just above me, her eyes and hands lime green - but I knew the fear in her voice.
Was this how low they thought of me now? I would never kill Beastboy.
"It's your choice Terra. It's always been your choice," Beastboy spoke over the caterwaul of the Titans.
I had to think and think fast. What could I do? If I went through with Slade's order, I would be killed by the Titans. Didn't he realize that? And how could I kill Beastboy... He was my best friend... Yet, I had 'killed' him before with no problem. I thought he was dead - and I had been happy. I said it had been fun. What the hell was wrong with me? Wait. I didn't have to... Slade was not controlling me right now. All I had to do was use my power to throw this rock at Slade. Yes!
"I'm sorry Beastboy..." I whispered. I saw the fear in his eyes - he thought I was going to kill him. I didn't blame him for thinking it either. "For everything I've done." Letting out a cry, I closed my fist, throwing it in the direction of Slade. I sensed his surprise, as well as everyone else's, but it soon disappeared when Slade spoke.
"I'm disappointed in you, apprentice," he said, his voice harsh.
I felt him stop the deadly boulder, just before him. No.. I felt him make me stop the boulder. "No!" I let out a strangled cry as he forced me to send the rock at an immense speed toward Beastboy. Tears ran down my cheeks as I fought to stop it - but I couldn't. I saw Beastboy close his eyes - everything moved in slow motion as the cry of the Titans echoed through the hall. 'I'm sorry...' I attempted to scream, but there was no sound from my throat but a sob as the rock slammed into Beastboy's body, more rocks piling on top of him.
I had killed my best friend.
For a moment, there was complete and utter silence as the Titans realized what I had done.
"Good, Terra," Slade clapped his hands gently, mocking the Titans.
Did he not realize I was going to die?
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven screamed, louder than I had ever heard her scream.
I turned to see her, and cowered as I saw two pairs of red eyes on her face, her cloak billowing around her. Her dark power throwing
"You killed him!" shrieked Starfire.
I felt a pair of starbolts blast into my back, knocking me to the ground as Cyborg's cannon threw me against the wall.
"Terra! ATTACK!" Slade yelled at me.
I couldn't even stand. Blood pooled in my mouth as I closed my eyes. I was going to die.
Raven's acerbic voice screamed at my crumbled body, "You were our friend! You killed Beastboy! Do you even know what you meant to him?!"
Yes. He hated me. I knew that much. And for a long time I had hated him too. He had broken my heart. But I had to do something... He didn't deserve to die... Opening my eyes, I let the ground pick up my wounded body, shielding me temporarily from the Titans constant attacks as I flew at Slade. My body was weak, but my powers were still strong. "Go back to hell!" I screamed at him as I slammed three towers of stone at him. He barely dodged, falling to the ground.
"Stop Terra!" he ordered.
I felt him try to control me, but I refused to let him anymore. "NO!" I shrieked, my body flaring the bright gold of my power. The ground trembled violently as I realized the Titans had stopped attacking me. I used my power to grab large boulders, throwing them at impossible speed toward Slade. He dodged many, but finally, I caught him. His entire leg was being crushed under a enormous stone.
"Terra!" he yelled, in fear.
I was going to win this one. I finally had gained enough strength to stand, and spread my arms, "I'm in control now," I spat, lifting a large rock and sharpening it to a deadly point. "Goodbye Slade." Forcing the rock down, I watched as it pierced through Slade's armor, killing him instantly. Closing my eyes, I felt my knees give in, and I fell to the ground. I didn't care. The Titans would destroy me, and they could hopefully be happy in a world without Slade.
No. I knew they couldn't. Beastboy was...
"Terra!"
Alive?! My eyes shot open as I looked up at the green changeling. "Beastboy..." I sobbed, unable to speak anymore. I wondered how he was alive, but I had no strength to speak. Blood still dribbled from my mouth as I looked up weakly. I was losing consciousness, and quickly.
I heard the Titans gather around him in a happy rejoice, then everything went dark.
"Is she going to live?"
"She should. The surgery will have weakened her greatly though."
"O-okay..."
I could hear the beeping of a medical machine as I slowly opened my eyes, entering a world of hurt. I inhaled sharply as I felt pain in my chest and other body parts. I noticed many needles and tubes hooked up to me, and I wondered just how close to death I was.
"Hi Terra," Beastboy stood above me, smiling softly.
"You're..." I could hardly speak. My voice was weak and I had trouble breathing.
"Shh," he hushed. "You didn't think I'd let Slade kill me, did you? Remember? I'm the shape-shifting wonder!" To prove it, he changed to an amoeba, then back to his human form.
'That makes sense,' I thought. An amoeba was small enough and the rocks probably missed him totally.
"I'm sorry about your condition."
I had to speak... "It's..." I breathed in, "what you would have done to me anyway..."
Beastboy looked down. "I don't think I would have."
I locked my cerulean eyes with his dark emerald ones. "You hated me.."
Beastboy nodded, "You tried to kill us... But I didn't realize Slade had been controlling you..."
"He wasn't at first..." I admitted. "I... did it on my own."
His hands trembled slightly as he took my hand, "Don't say that."
"But I did... He made me think you had hurt me and... in the truth, I had hurt you." I didn't even remember why I had hated the Titans so much.
The green one closed his eyes, "Terra..."
"No," I shook my head slightly. "As soon I can walk on my own I'm leaving... I don't want to hurt you again..."
"Slade is dead, Terra." Beastboy squeezed my hand, "With him gone, we know we can try to trust you again."
My eyes wandered to my chest, and widened as they noticed the breast plate that Slade had controlled me with had been removed. That was most likely why my chest hurt. It was probably a near impossible surgery... "I don't know..." my voice was hardly a whisper now.
"Shh..." Beastboy put a finger on my lips, "We'll wait until you recover more, okay?"
I nodded my head gently. To be with the Titans again would be wonderful... but I didn't know if everyone would accept me again...
The days went by and I was pretty incapable of doing much. I had been unconscious for a week but I still slipped in and out of consciousness for the week after. The other Titans made awkward visits which were spent in silence mostly. A month after my final battle with Slade, I was able to stand and walk on my own. The burn marks from Cyborg's cannon and Starfire starbolts left unsightly scars on my back which I protested against hiding permanently.
They were a reminder. They told me exactly who I had been, and who I didn't ever want to be again.
Same with the unpleasant 'S' figure carved into my chest. The breast plate had been near impossible to remove, and the 'S' that decorated it had been the control device. It was part of me. A part I wanted to forget but I would never allow myself to.
I stared into the mirror, looking at my reflection. I saw not the fearful girl I had been before I met the Titans, nor the controlled villain I had been, but a Teen Titan. Even Raven had agreed to it.
"Friend Terra!" Starfire's voice called from outside my bedroom door. "Would you like to venture to the mall of shopping with Raven and myself?"
"Sure!" I called back. "Be out in a minute!" I slipped into an outfit that I had worn as a Titan. Checking my hair, I glanced at my desk. The heart-shaped box that Beastboy had created for me still sat there, a butterfly hair clip its only content. Sighing, I placed the box in a desk drawer, remembering painful memories of my betrayal. Grabbing my goggles, I placed them around my neck, and left my room.
I wasn't quite sure why I always wore my goggles. I still had trouble using my powers, but I meditated every day with Raven to learn to control them again. I promised myself until I had gained total control over them that I would not use them, so I fought using the martial arts Robin taught me - and a few tricks Slade had taught me. "Hey Star!" I smiled as we walked downstairs to meet up with Raven.
Raven still doesn't fully trust me like she used to, but told me she would after she could get over our past. I didn't realize what great friendships I had thrown away by joining Slade. Even Cyborg and Starfire don't trust me like they used to. Only Beastboy believes in me fully, and for that, I thank him.
Being a Titan again is my dream come true. I'm happy again, and I hope it stays this way...
A/N: After watching Aftershock Part II last night, I wondered what would happen if Terra actually had killed Beastboy. About halfway through, I didn't have the heart to do it, and figured BB wouldn't have gotten killed even if Terra hadn't sent the big rock flying at Slade.
This is a one-shot, but I am planning a sequel, maybe even a series if people like them. Basically just the episodes after Aftershock re-done. My next one is definitely Haunted, because if Terra was still on the team, it could have changed the episode dramatically.
Well I hope you liked it, please oh please review! I want to become a better author and your reviews help
-Letsie
P.S. - Check out my other Teen Titans one shots and my fic "Rocky Territory"