Terra Firma
Note 1: Story written with considerable script doctoring from our good friend Bobcat. Love him, or else this would be endless angst.
Note 2: This takes place in my own personal canon, which had a lot of my own storyline events (like Terra not being a traitor). You don't really need to know it to read this, but if you're wondering who this 'Noel' guy is, well, that's why.
Note 3: No Southerners were harmed in the making of this story. Why am I stressing this point? Oh you'll see...
Part 1: Terra Incognito
Once upon a time, there was a girl named Tara Markov, who could control the earth with her mind. An apt power for her name, and easy to change for her title, Terra, Latin for earth.
In one world, she was a traitor, and a cruel soul whose veneer of heroism fooled several true champions who nearly died because of her. Her betrayal seemingly led to her own death, unrepentant to the end of the crimes she had committed…whether she truly died then, though, or perhaps later is a tale of much confusion, and one for another time…
In another, she was also a traitor, but far more innocent, manipulated by a far superior and malignant mind much more then holding any dark urges of her own. In the end, she died not as a screaming psychotic but as a hero, repenting her evil deeds with her life. But her death, like in the first world, was not as certain as death usually is, and perhaps she returned…perhaps with no memory, or perhaps with far too sharp a one. But that is another untold tale…
But in another world, circumstances lined up just slightly differently. The mind that worked with her in her betrayal in both was denied her. The flaws in her thinking were unexploited, and eventually began to heal…
But this new world was not without tests, and in the end Tara Markov faced one beyond her comprehension.
It was not without its costs.
But unlike the first two, she did not die. In some ways, she learned to live.
But the aftermath of the costs she did bear had their own consequences.
And so, for now, she did not walk with the family she had found. For now, she walked, in many ways, alone and much changed.
But just because you have left the world…does not mean the world has left you…
And sometimes, the greatest test is yet to come…
People think being a hero is all fun and games. Or rather, children think that and want to be us, and adults think that and tend to worry about us. More then a few don't stop at worrying.
I suppose they have reasons for it at times…
TERRA CALM DOWN YOU'LL MAKE THE WHOLE TOWER COLLAPSE…!
And they can be right. There are more then a few games to this way of life, and fun, well…what's better then saving the day with your friends, then going home and having pizza?
Well, parades. Medals. But that's less common. Usually you'll have to settle for the small stuff. Like hanging, or putting the beatdown on a supervillain together…when you can actually work together…
"Take the ugly one!"
"You take the ugly one!"
"I'll take the ugly one!"
"Which one's the ugly one?"
But people who think being a superhero is a kid's game, they're way off base. It's hard work at times. Incredibly hard. Especially when SOME jackasses are riding you…
"Do it better."
"What? Noel, I nearly got a bull's-eye…!"
"Which wouldn't do us a damn bit of good if we'd needed a bull's-eye. Real life doesn't hand out second chances like they're candy. DO IT BETTER."
…But there are worse things in this existence.
When people die.
When evil seems to have the upper hand.
When light just can't seem to break through the darkness…
The pain in her body was terrible, but it couldn't compare to the pain in her heart. She'd failed.
They'd needed her, perhaps more then they'd ever needed anything. And she'd tried. She'd tried as hard as she could, gone above and beyond anything she'd ever dreamed of being able of doing…and it hadn't been enough.
And, lying amongst the rubble of the city, her city, the city whose heroes had adopted her and given her more then she could have ever asked for, when she'd really needed to give something back…she'd blown it. When it came down to the wire, she'd failed in her powers just as she always did.
She'd let them all down, and now she was going to die. That didn't hurt as much as knowing her friends were going to die, countless innocents were going to die, and she could have prevented it, if only she'd been stronger, if only…
But of course I didn't die. That is the true blessing of a team: you're parts of a whole, and even if you fall short, there's always someone there to take the baton, or some times more then one.
Not that there are no consequences…
…………………
It was a strange lightness, that was how I think of it. Ever since that day. I never thought I'd be able to control her powers. I was wrong. But even that…it wasn't enough for what I attempted to save the world.
And since then, my powers had been gone.
Once, I'd have wanted nothing more. But times had changed, and so have I.
So when I left, it hadn't been to flee, or out of shame for my supposed failure. I went for herself. I learned how to be a hero, now I want to learn who she was and if that's really who I am or just part of my life to move on from, on the way to find out who I really am. It was a question I've always been looking for an answer for, and I've been distracted by the superhero business long enough. Yeah, I need to think that…and some other things through.
…sometimes I think of the alternatives.
How chance had saved me, while elsewhere…
She'd thought she'd done the right thing but it was all a lie she'd been manipulated from the start she'd been weak and now everything was boiling she could feel the power in the volcano she'd awoken a fury that outstripped any weapon or bomb mankind had built and it would send Jump City to the same fate that had claimed Pompeii if she didn't do something but it was so powerful so overwhelming she couldn't match its power no matter the cost but she had to match it she couldn't…
That same burning she'd felt in another life.
Being the hero always came at such a terrible cost…
Oblivion. Golden oblivion…
With a start, Tara Markov awoke.
She nearly banged her head on the ceiling, so violent was her awakening jolt. She blinked the remaining traces of sleep from her vision as her brain adjusted to the wakened state of reality. She yawned and rubbed her eyes: she'd been having those musing dreams again. She didn't really care for them; it sounded more like someone was talking through her ABOUT her rather then her own mind describing her own self. No, she didn't care for them at all, especially the flashes of the alternate dimensions she'd watched on one of Cyborg's devices one time. Dimensions where she'd failed, had fallen into the clutches of Slade and become his apprentice, and paid the price by becoming a statue. Or worse, the one where she wasn't manipulated, the one where she was a self-righteous, self-loathing psychopath…ugh. It was true what one didn't know couldn't hurt one at times.
Tara opened the car door and got out and stretched. Some may have found sleeping in the front seat of a car uncomfortable, but compared to some of the places Tara had slept in her dark days before the Titans, it was as comfortable as a mattress full of down. She rolled her shoulders, cracked her neck, and then shivered in the chill dawn air and got back in the car, closing the door.
She felt the vehicle whir to life beneath her, as a screen in the dashboard popped on.
"Good morning Lady Terra." The computer chirped in a soft electronic tone.
"Morning Kitt." Tara replied, as she pressed a button. The stick shift in her car, a modified Pontiac Solstice convertible, slid aside as a bottle of water popped up. She took it and drank, glad for such conveniences. In truth, her car was really only a Pontiac Solstice in appearance: everything beneath it was custom built by Cyborg. He had a customization bug that just never went away: after building his T-Car and a few clones he'd gone to work customizing every other car the Titans had (which was surprisingly a lot: Tara could only wonder where Robin got all the money from to buy all the vehicles the Titans used on the job and off the job), sticking a million and a half gadgets under each one. Pimp My Ride on steroids, the modifications included a multitude of defense options (which is why Terra had no problem pulling her car over on the side of the road and just sleeping in it, if anything meant her any trouble she'd be well prepared and well guarded for it), attack options (though since this was supposedly to be a trip where she relaxed and introspected instead of looked for trouble, so she shouldn't have to delve into those…though she was tempted at times), and comfort options (including, if needed, a built in toilet, Cyborg thought of everything). These alterations included a personal computer for each car, though Cyborg picked the names. Tara was fine with that, thought for some reason she could swear the name KITT sounded familiar.
"Where am I again?" Tara asked, as she put the water bottle back in, and the mechanics hidden in every aspect of the car whisked it away as the stick shift slid back into place.
"You are 17 miles out of Sheridan, in the state of Arkansas. You are 27 miles away from the nearest town, Malvern, though you may find numerous tiny communities and villages along the way. You are 73 miles from Pine Bluff. You are 104 miles from Little Rock. You are 458 miles from Fort Smith…"
"Yeah yeah, ok, ok. Enough." Terra said, as she pressed her fingerprint onto the main screen, which started the engine (no one would be hotwiring THIS car). It looked to be about 8 or so in the morning.
"Do you have any destination in mind Lady Terra?"
"Wherever the road may take me." Terra said, as she reached out to fiddle with the radio.
"Lady Terra, if you are going to put the radio on, may I ask if you find something other then the Top 40?"
"Uh…what do you suggest?"
And immediately, Beethoven's 9th came on.
"…Nooo, don't like it, it's forcing my brain to make connections…" Tara mock-groaned.
"Fine. Sigh."
"My milkshakes bring all the boys to the yard…"
"Ugh! I'm sick of that one myself!" Tara said, and took the knob to try and find her music herself.
Whirrrrr-KLIK.
"London is flooding, IIIIIII live by the rivaaaahhh…"
KLIK.
"An' you light mornin' skyyyy, burnin' luhuvv…"
KLIK.
"Knew a crack dealer by the name of Petah, had to buck 'im down with my nine millimetah…"
KLIK.
"I miss the good old days." KITT lamented.
"…You were programmed last week."
"You got sick of that milkshakes song in a week. Things change in a week."
"Point. And people wonder why no one buys music any more, instead just downloading what they like from whatever file sharing service they can find." Tara muttered, and hit a button to make the roof go down. Once it was down, and the now warmer air was whistling through her long blonde hair, she tried the radio again.
"Don't tell mah heart, mah acky-breaky heart…"
"AHHHHHHH!" Tara yelped, and turned the radio off entirely. "Forget this. Kitt, go to autocruise."
"Yes Lady Terra." KITT said: she had programmed the type of address herself, for obvious reasons. The AI promptly took over driving the car, while Tara looked around in the glove compartment for a road map. While she'd earlier said she'd go where the roads took her, now she was more in the mood for a set destination.
"We're in Arkansas, right?"
"Yes lady."
"Right…" Tara said, trying to keep one hand on the wheel as she used the other to open the road map. This quickly became near impossible as she realized the road map had been folded roughly 10 jagillion times and when fully unfolded was roughly the size of the average football field. Well, maybe not, but it was damn big.
"Argh, who designs these things?" Tara said, as she took her other hand off the wheel to open the map and make sure she had a firm grip on it so it couldn't be blown away.
"I believe they are not designed to be read while driving, Lady Terra!" KITT offered.
"Yeah, but that's why I have you Kitt!" Tara said, as she opened the map in front of her, her vision completely consumed by the giant canvas. "Now, where am I going to go…where am I anyway, this damn thing is so small…" Tara said, as she turned the map around, squinting at it. "And who names these places? In five miles we've got Rebel County, Podunk County, Moonshine County, Lynch County, Earnhardt County, Grits County, Rebel Moonshine County, Lynch Rebel County…wait, are they all just running together? Is that just one long name there? KITT, do you have eyes?"
"Not in the car, no."
She heard a squeal of brakes as a car tried to overtake her, only to see the driver was a blonde reading a map without looking at the road or holding the steering wheel. Tara barely noticed: KITT was driving, and the AI could probably drive better then she could.
Of course, not everyone knew that…
Tara's head jerked up from the map as a siren sounded behind her, and she looked up to see a familiar pair of flashing red and blue lights in her rear view mirror. For a moment her stomach clenched, remembering bad times…
…But those were over. Surely she didn't have much to fear. After all, she was a Titan now…a Titan without powers on an official sabbatical…damn. Well, she stood for law and order, so it wouldn't look good for her to personally disobey it.
"Pull over Kitt."
"Yes m'lady." KITT said, and did so. The police car parked behind her, and Tara drummed her hand on the wheel as he got out and approached. He looked like any average policeman in a less traveled area, and by that we mean he looked like he had more then a small streak of redneck in him.
"…young lady, perhaps I was wrong, but were you jus' driving yer car while holding a road map right in front of yer face?"
"Uh, well, yeah, but uh…you see…"
"Little missy, that's incredibly dangerous. People could have been killed."
"Wait no no! You don't understand! This car drives itself!" Tara protested.
"Right, and I'm the Green Lantern." The police officer replied.
"…There are enough of them, I'm not 100 sure whether or not you're being sarcastic." Tara said before she thought her answer through.
"Get out of the vehicle ma'am."
"Nuts." Tara said, as she did so. "Really, the car drives itself!"
"Miss, please, cars can't drive themselves."
"Yes, I get that a lot." KITT said. The officer started.
"…Aheh…uh, I've got some good friends in the automotive industry?" Tara offered. The police officer began looking inside the car to see if anyone was trying to screw with him.
"While your suspicions are understandable, and your disbelief as well, I can assure you that her fantastical tale is quite true." KITT said. The officer jerked back as the car spoke.
"…Prove it. Drive and do a donut."
The engine roared and Tara's car took off, and then sharply turned as the car slammed on the brakes, spinning around in a near perfect 180 before roaring back towards the pair.
It stopped four inches from them, on a dime, making the officer jump again.
"…Ma'am, do you know that witchcraft is an offense punishable by death here in Dickery County?"
"I am a machine, not magic, officer."
"Look Devil Car, I believe it were Arthur C. Clark who said that technologah, sufficiently advanced, is indistinguishable from magic frum those what don't unerstan' it."
"…Wait…you understand that quote well enough to use it rhetorically…but not enough to understand what it actually means." Tara said in low exasperation.
"That's a bit of irony that made mah English teacher shoot hisself."
"…Ok, fine. How do you prove witchcraft?"
"Well, we toss the car in a lake. If it floats, it's a witch."
"And what happens if it sinks?"
"Then it's a good, God fearin' car. And we give it a state funeral. Which in Squidbilly County involves a 21 gun salute. 'Course, most of the national guard can't count, so odds are he'll get more."
"Lady Terra, I don't wish to confront my own mortality yet…" KITT said.
"Don't worry Kitt, you won't have to." Terra said. "…wait, Squidbilly Coun…? …And how do you plan to get the car there?"
"That does sound like a lot of work…well, since yer white an' all, I suppose I could assume yer innocent and letcha go. But DAMNED if my supervisor ain't been watchin' me like a hawk lately. Naw, I'ma gonna have tuh take yoo in."
"Here's fifty bucks." Tara said, producing some bills from a pocket.
"WHAT! That is an insult to mah honuh! The men of mah family have been police officers in Goocher County fer three generations!"
"Hundred bucks." Tara said, producing more money.
"I don't take yer liberal jew-run money! Now git in the squad car!"
"200."
"Honuh is worth about 150 on the open mahket. Deal."
"Done." Terra said, as she handed it over. "…Wait, I need to know, where is this? I thought this was Dickery County."
"We don't take kindly to back talk in Wiffle County!"
"Just what county is this? Do you even KNOW?"
"The countuh's name isn't germaine to this convuhsation."
"Fine. Where were we?"
"…Ah forget. Let's start over." He said, adjusting his sunglasses. "All the same ma'am, your magic car and the thing we didn't just do or not, I'll have to see yer license and registration."
"Uh…okay…but before you think it doesn't look anything like me, I was trying out something different the week I got that photo done…" Tara said as she handed over her license.
The police officer stared at it.
"…Is that a profanity tattooed on yer forehead?" The officer said, turning the card sideways. "And a dog collar? And black hair?"
"I was going through a brief phase where I listened to a lot of Creed." Tara said in a low embarrassed tone.
"…I'm afraid that due to the considerable differences I'm gonna have to see a signed letter from yer legal guardian."
Tara paled.
"Is there a problem?"
"Uh…I…don't remember who they are. I kinda…woke up on the streets two years ago…alone…with no memory."
"Oh, and now you have a magic talking devil car! A likely story! We have a place for storytellers in Bull Weevil County!"
"Ahhhh! No! I have a talking car because I joined a superhero group!"
"A superhero group? You look like a strong breeze could blow you over!"
"I am! I…just…wore out my powers…and they don't work now…"
"Another likely story!"
"Ahhhh!" Tara yelped, as she reached into her pockets and fumbled, producing a random ID in her panic.
"…A signed letter from Batman saying that you passed his basic 'minimal survival course'?"
"…Yes?" Tara replied, having no idea if that was actually on the paper.
"…Good enough for me! Enjoy yer stay in Possum County!"
Terra nearly facevaulted.
"I thought you just said this was Bull Weevil County."
"No, that's just where we keep the state prison." The police officer said, as he headed back to his car and drove off. Tara stood there, still a touch stunned.
"Well, that worked out about as well as could be expected Lady Terra." KITT said as Tara eventually got back into her car.
"Yeah, but all the same, I think I'll be keeping my stay in Cow Punch County or whatever the hell this place is called as brief as possible."
"If that was the border patrol for the Deep South, I have to imagine that what we may encounter in the interior will be worse."
"Kitt, what could be worse?"
A few hours and counties later…
"I did WHAT?" Tara yelled, having been pulled over by another cop who looked like he'd just left a casting call for Dukes of Hazzard.
"You didn't send a horse in front of your car to warn horse riders of your car's presence! We don't take kindly to that in Roadkill County!" The sheriff said.
Tara stared, trying to see if it was a joke. But the police officer's face remained completely serious.
"But I…you…never mind." Tara said. "And please, tell me are just making that name up."
"A smart mouth, eh? We don't take kindly to that in…"
"Uh, look, is that pig on fire?" Tara said, pointing.
"WHAT!?" The sheriff yelled, spinning around…as Tara leapt back into her car.
"Punch it Kitt!"
"Will do, Lady Terra!" KITT replied, and put the pedal to the metal.
"HEY!" The sheriff yelled as Tara roared off in her car, as he ran as rapidly as he could (considering his gut) back to his own and grabbed the radio. "Breaker breaker, this is Sheriff Scottsdale, we got ourselves a 1059!"
"A pig on fire!?"
"No, that's a 1060. A 1059 is a false reporting of a pig on fire."
"Damn! You need backup?"
"Hell yeah, get all the boys at the bar. Maybe the mayor too, if he's sober."
"Lady Terra, while I can understand the reasons behind your rash action, was it really wise to flee from law enforcement, even ones who were as enfeebled as those were?" KITT intoned.
"Trust me Kitt, they called me a smart mouth, well if that was a general examination of the state of the average government employee around here, anything that I said is pretty much a smart mouth," Tara said as she drove down the rural dirt road. "And people think I'm going to be stupid because of my hair color."
The siren sounded behind her, and Tara looked up at the flashing red and blue lights, feeling a sense of déjà vu.
"Ok Kitt, Cyborg gave you all those neat toys, why don't we bust some out to help me get away?"
"I'm sorry Lady Terra, but while you may disagree with the local law enforcement they are still law enforcement and hence I cannot utilize the defenses. Damaging their car or initiating a crash might still cause harm to the driver."
"Damn! Ok fine, use your Turbo Boost!"
"I would Lady Terra, but you used up all the power in the Turbo Boost batteries making smoothies."
"DAMN IT!" Tara cursed, and checked her rear view mirror. "Ok, not finished yet…but damn…damn…ok, what would Robin do?"
With an expert hand, Robin hurled Birdarangs that smashed the cop's windshield into a spiderweb of cracks…as he, with the other hand, hacked into the Justice League's Watchtower satellite teleportation system. A moment later, he and the car disappeared.
"…Ok, that doesn't help…what would Cyborg do?"
"THIS IS FOR SEGREGATION!" Cyborg bellowed as he armed his sonic cannon and blew the cop car away. "Man, that got me hungry. That's one nice thing about the south: no tofu!"
"…Okkkkkkkkk, not really appropriate. What would Starfire do?"
"Oh, flashing lights that accompany festive electronica music like the clubs of the cities! But the only vehicles of this planet I know who exhibit such behavior are…the trucks of frozen cream! I must halt immediately to purchase some iced lactation confections!"
"…Sigh. I love you Kory, but…ok, what would Gar do?"
"Wait, if I just turn into a bird and fly away, I can escape them easily!"
"Great, I'll just turn into a D'OH! Argh, ok, what would Raven do?"
Raven turned and glared at the police car. It were shrouded in black energy, then flung into the distance. Looking as pleased as she could, Raven turned and began meditating.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos…Azarath Metrion Zinthos…"
Unfortunately, the car had not been switched to auto-cruise, and hence crashed into a tree.
"I mean really, she's ALWAYS meditating…argh, doesn't help. Ok, what would Terra do?"
And Terra imagined herself imagining herself imagining herself imagining herself…
"Ow, my head!" Tara said, giving her forehead a light smack to bring herself to her senses. "Ok, not a good idea. What would Sophie do?"
"Dum de dum!" Sophie said as she drove. "I'm sooooooo hungry! I think I'll turn myself in for the food in prison."
"Heh heh heh…" Tara chuckled.
Jedi-And reached down from the heavens and gave the blonde a good smack.
"OW!!!!!!!!"
"At this point of the continuity, Nigel hasn't even been introduced, let alone Sophie. Behave."
Tara grumbled something about authors interfering where they didn't belong, and then sighed.
"Okay…ugh…what would…Noel do…" Tara said with great hesitancy.
And suddenly, Noel (in Tara's mind that is) popped up in the front passenger's seat.
"Look here Blondie. You should have known better then to negotiate with a human being. Humans suck and are flawed. Except for me. And the jury's out on Raven. But you? You suck at this. Just turn yourself in before you embarrass yourself. You suck. Blondie."
"OH SHUT IT!" Tara yelled.
"No." 'Noel' replied.
"Look, do you have anything USEFUL to say?"
"Rarely." 'Noel' replied. "But when I do, I figure out a way to beat the enemy. I think I'll quote you a book you've never read."
"You're a figment of my imagination. You can't quote a book I haven't read."
"…Touché. Blondie. Who sucks."
Tara punched 'Noel' right out of her car. He hit the ground with a crash, rolled a few times, and then looked up as the cop car drove towards him.
"I am reminded of the words of…"
The car ground Noel under its wheels, even as it swerved and came to a stop from the action of running over a body.
"Wow, never thought I'd wish Noel was here." Tara said, as she drove on. "Well problem…wait a minute he was a figment of my imagination, how could he possibly slow down a cop car? That doesn't make a lick of sense!"
The cop car suddenly re-appeared in her rearview mirror, now with several friends.
"D'OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Tara cursed. "Well…by process of elimination…what would Rob do?"
"YEEEEEEEEEEE-HAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" Rob bellowed in a rebel yell as he flew through the air after a mighty jump off a cliff.
A slow smile spread over Tara's features.
"Kitt, where's the closest gorge?"
"Why Lady Terra, there is one coming right up ahead, but please do not tell me you are…"
"LET'S BURN RUBBER!" Tara yelled as she threw down the stick and stomped on the gas. "EAT MY DUST!"
Tara's car jumped ahead a bit, though the cop cars were in close pursuit, but coming right up ahead was a sign pointing to an off-shoot of the road that lead to the gorge (convenient, that) and Tara yanked the wheel towards it and drove on. Thankfully there was no traffic on these roads besides her and the cops chasing her. How strange.
"Lady Terra, I really must insist…" KITT said in a pleading tone as Tara approached the gorge.
"Oh come on Kitt, you only live once!"
"No actually due to the fact I am a mechanical AI I really don't fall under the same guidelines of living as…"
And with that Tara drove off the edge of the gorge, and just like that she was flying through the air.
"Oh dear." KITT said.
"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Tara whooped, as the car soared across the gorge.
Well I don't know about you, loyal reader, but Tara Markov better know what she's doing, or sprout wings.
And one final reminder before you start sending angry emails: do you know what the words 'broad parody' mean? Think about that, y'hear.