Chapter 1: Return of a Titan

"That was a most wonderful shower of the baby, was it not?"

Starfire's hair slipped over her shoulder like a crimson wave, pooling on the infant she held in her arms. Cooing, she tucked the stray strands back, smiling as her child gurgled sleepily.

"Yeah Star. It was pretty cool."

Robin grinned. Titans East had been planning a baby shower ever since they had been introduced to Rosefire, as the infant had been named. Of course, everyone from Jinx to Kid Flash to Jericho had been invited…and they all had gifts. After running out of room in the trunk, Cyborg had secured the remaining gifts on the roof. After several hours of chatting, the Titans had all piled into the T-car and were on their way home.

"Yeah! It was totally aw-OW!"

Beast Boy's comment was cut short as the T-car suddenly slammed sideways, skidding to a halt about a foot from the sidewalk. Time seemed to stop for an instant, flowing back just quickly as a black aura engulfed the car, ripping the crumpled doors off their hinges. The teens stumbled onto the street, dazed.

Beast Boy gasped when he saw the cause of the crash, a former Titan, his friend, and the girl of his dreams, standing a few feet away with a smirk on her face. That however, was not what shocked him into stunned silence. Terra was wearing attire very similar to Robin's when he was an apprentice of Slade.

"Hey guys. Miss me?"

Flinching at the cold sound of Terra's voice, the Titans continued to gape.

Starfire turned back to the crushed remnants of the T-car. She reached inside and pulled the still form of her daughter to her chest, scanning her for injuries. She was vastly relieved that Rosefire was unscathed and was merely sleeping.

Glancing toward the other Titan's concerned faces, she nodded, indicating without words that Rosefire was fine. As she turned back toward the sidewalk, Terra's shocked features entered her peripheral vision, but she ignored her in favor of handing Rosefire to a woman who had children of her own.

In the moment it took for Starfire to hand her child to the woman on the sidewalk and walk back to her friends' side, Terra had had a quiet conversation with her master.

"You never mentioned Starfire had a baby! This changes everything! I am not going to rob that baby of its mother!" Terra hissed into her mike.

"Very well. Bring Starfire and the baby back to the lair but eliminate the others."

Slade's voice was cold. Even so, Terra distinguished a barely detectable note of triumph in his voice…and it gave her the chills. Nevertheless, she turned back to the Titans, her smirk back in place.

"Well, well. Seems you've been busy since I left. I always knew you two had a thing for each other."

She sneered at both Starfire and the Boy Wonder, both of whom visibly flinched. That's an odd reaction…Terra thought for a moment, but that thought instantly vanished in the adrenaline rush that always preempted a battle.

Hands glowing with a burning yellow glow, her powers hurled several jagged chunks of cement at her former friends.

Raven instinctively encased them in a black shield and the broken pieces of rock clattered harmlessly to the street. Upon lowering the shield, she fired several strings of ebony magic at Terra who, in an incredible display of acrobatic prowess, dodged every single one.

(stopped here)

Cyborg readied his cannon but just as he was about to fire, he felt the ground quake beneath his feat and was suddenly lifted into the air, crashing into the building across the street. Starfire hurled hundreds of green blasts at Terra who blocked them with a wall of brown rock. She then hurled a small chunk at Starfire, knocking her unconscious.

Infuriated, Robin charged at Terra, throwing several energy disks at her along the way. She dodged all but one, which caught her on the shoulder. Crying out, she hit him with a ton of bricks, literally. Robin was able to doge most of them but soon fell under a rather large pile. She turned to find Raven chanting behind her and found herself encased in an ebony cocoon.

She then saw a green triceratops charging at her. The impact knocked her into the outer building. BB turned back into human form. He walked over and grabbed her arm.

"Why are you working for Slade, Terra? What reason could you possibly have?" Beast Boy yelled at her, his eyes brimming with unshed tears.

He gripped her arm tighter, trying not to get lost in the memories of tears, overwhelming guilt, fear, rage, and tragedy. He was trying so hard not to remember that he almost missed Terra's reply.

"He took me in and helped me control my powers…and he kept his promises!" Her sad voice immediately turned into one of hate and anger. Her head snapped up, eyes glowing.

"Which is a lot more than you ever did!"

She hurled several small rocks at him and he collapsed onto his knees. He looked at her pleading.

"Terra…I never told anyone! …And you have to listen to me. You have to get out before it's too late. Slade is beyond evil…he…he…"

"He what Beast Boy? Took me from you? That was your own fault."

Terra once again threw several rocks at him once again, knocking him into the T-car.

Raven floated up, her eyes glowing white.

"Don't make me hurt you." Her voice held a warning note to it…and a barely distinguishable tinge of hurt.

Suddenly, the Robin smashed his way through the last of the bricks covering him, slightly tussled but no worse for the wear. Cyborg stormed out of the building he had been knocked into. Beast Boy walked up beside Raven. Starfire was still unconscious.

Terra's eyes flashed briefly with fear but she soon covered it up.

"Don't make me laugh."

She threw both hands up in the air and slammed them into the ground. Golden light rippled through the ground forming several puddles of light. From these puddles rose several creatures consisting of mud, rock, and murky water. Terra looked at her hands in surprise.

"How did I…?"

"You didn't." Slade interrupted. "Your suit is more than just a fashion statement. It is a sophisticated neuro-interface. We are one, master and apprentice. Now, I believe now would be an appropriate time to make an exit…and don't forget. Bring Starfire and her baby."

Terra hesitated a bit at this, but nodded nonetheless. She walked toward the woman holding Starfire's daughter. The woman immediately ran away. Terra placed a rock wall in front of her and used a small boulder to knock the baby out of her hands and carry her to her. She grasped the toddler tightly in one hand as she walked over to where Starfire lay. She raised a large enough piece of concrete to hold herself, Star, and the infant. Star's eyelids fluttered.

"How could you friend Terra?" Terra looked at her, uncertainty in her eyes.

"How could I what?" Her voice was cold, but still carried over some of the uncertainty showing in her eyes. Star's eyes opened wider. She looked Terra full the face. Terra recoiled immediately. She had never seen such pain in anyone's eyes…yet they held no anger. Star spoke again, softly.

"How could you betray your friends to the man who raped me?"