Chapter 1
"Dude wake up! Come on emergency!" Beast Boy yells to me from the floor. He continues to shake me.
It's been months since Beast Boy and I first met, and I live with them now. I live with the Teen Titans, and I couldn't be happier. I share a room with Beast Boy, Since no room were available at the time. I am so glad I could finally trust them. It just made everything better. I learned to control my powers, and I train with them. I'm a better person because of them.
I slowly open my eyes to see Beast Boys hand over my face, shaking it. He has awoken me up from a dream about my brother, he is lucky not to be dead right now. I shake his gloved hand off me, sit up, and look around. The green paint on the walls of our room make my eyes pop everyday, and all the messiness of his room lets me know I'm home. Coming back to my senses, I realize the warning light and alarm are on.
"Told you.... Come on!" We run out the door and hop in the elevator. I still hold a blanket around me. It gets very cold in the tower around midnight, so that must be the time. I shiver once or twice, and Beast Boy pulls me into a half hug.
"Dude, there's an emergency.... Will you at least say something to me?" He takes the form of a cat and looks up. His head brushes up against my leg. The added warmth feels good. As I bend down to pick him up, my blanket falls to the floor. Exposing my costume to the cold air.
"Yes, yes. I forgive you, it's not like it's your fault. You don't have to become a cat, but you should say you're sorry, I was dreaming of...." I sigh, and put him back down. He transforms back in the blink of an eye. A smirk is all I see before he takes the blanket I dropped, and wraps it over my head. I growl at him playfully and pull it back to see.
"Okay, I'm-"
The elevator stops with a thud. The gray doors with the giant black T slide open, and a few Titans are waiting for us. Robin standing there looking angry {what else?}, with Raven and Cyborg. They stare at us with anger.
"Stop fooling around! There's trouble downtown!" Robin chirps in from the dark stares.
"Anyone seen Starfire? This isn't like her to be late." Raven adds. Cyborg looks around again checking to see if she has arrived, she hasn't.
"I think I'll go see if she's up...." We walk out of the elevator, and Cyborg walks in. The doors close yet again, and he is gone. There is a moment of silence, while I scan the garage section of the tower. It's cold and full of parts from who knows what. Beast Boy lets me go, while Raven gives him a disapproving look, with a hint of disgust. I start my way towards a little table and fold up the blanket.
"What's taking so long? We need to get going now!" Robin yells. He makes his way over to a table of tools, and slams his fist down with anger. Raven walks over to comfort him.
Raven and Robin, I have only heard rumors that they would ever work out, but I never thought it to be true. I possibly never will, I know in my heart that Robin and Starfire love each other dearly. I know Raven could have those type of feelings, and if she did, no one will ever know. For, Raven is a quiet girl. Never really opening up to anyone, never really talking. If she were ever to find love, it would be with someone who she has a close bond to.
"Well, then maybe we should just go without them...we can get Cyborg to come, no big deal...." She's cut off by the sound of Robins communicator going off. He reaches for his belt full of fighting trinkets, and retrieves the little gadget. We all gather around him and listen closely.
"Yo, Robin, Starfire isn't in here! I checked everywhere, but she ain't here." Cyborg yells to him, doing what seems to be, running down the hall way. Robin gasps, as do all of us, and he reply's with an order:
"Run a scan on the whole tower! We need to-"
"Go out and stop who ever it is that's terrorizing the town!" Beast Boy interrupts, I agree, but I say nothing. I am to afraid to speak out.
"But, Starfire.... She might need our help...." Robin offers as a rebuttal.
"Well...maybe...the bad guy has something to do with it...?" I say trying not to be shy. I am taking a risk here talking out of term, but I feel I must.
Even if I've been here for months, I feel I am in no term to speak out of the crowd. Sure, everyone else does it all the time, yet for me, it feels wrong.
"Jewel is right! Maybe we should go see." Cyborg adds. I am relieved someone agrees, or else everyone would just be staring at me like I was on fire. Robin pauses, contemplating, my idea, it makes me uneasy.
"Fine.... Titans Go!" He cheers into the sky, and we're off!
We make our way downtown, our own separate ways. Robin on his motorcycle, Cyborg in the T car, Raven flying, I make a disc of air and fly along side her, and Beast Boy as a Cheetah. As we go by, the scenery changes quickly, faster then usual. I soon realize I am going faster then the others, for they have stopped already. I slow down, but it's to late. I slam my face into a tree and fall to the ground. My disc of air disintegrates before our eyes. Beast Boy switches back to human form and comes running towards me.
"Jewel are you okay?" He says helping me sit up. I nod my head while rubbing my face. I don't need a mirror to tell me it's becoming red.
Everyone else catches up, to check if I'm okay. They soon realize, there's nothing to worry about. I get up and shake off the pain, trying to pose as a big girl.
"Wait...! I can sense her presence. She's near! This way!" Raven says gesturing toward the right, I suppose my hitting a tree was a good thing. We make a run for it, but soon end up where we didn't want to be.
We come across a manhole, that leads to the sewer. The sewer has a secret passage that leads to a certain person hide out. We go down the ladder only to find construction workers...working. They don't seem to mind us being there.
Raven, with one swish of her cloak, transports us out of the construction workers way. Her dark magic takes us on a magic ride through, what I think, time, it's very self. Taking the ride through her portal is quite calming, in it's own way. The darkness surounds us, and what seems to be one-second, we are there. It makes me think about what she is feeling when this happens. What is going through her mind when her eyes turn that, deathly white? Can she see? Can she hear? Those are my questions. Like when Starfire shoots bolts, or when Beast Boy morphs. What does he and she feel? I know what I feel, I feel a jolt of energy flow through me. I feel a sensation, almost to powerful for words. Yet when my eyes change to a purple, nothing but danger happens. When that happens, other people have complete access to my body. I am like a sitting duck during an open season. If I concentrate hard enough I can leave my body behind, and travel, though I'd never recommend it. Raven can do something a little similar, but she has control.
Our new location; a door which opens to an old home. Oh how I loath to enter, but I am a Teen titan, I shouldn't be afraid of anything. Even though just a while back, I was an irregular girl living with my only family member left, my Aunt Elsie.
Robin attacks the door with his foot and breaks it down. He is the first to speak.
"Slade! Where's-"
"Starfire!" Raven screams in her monotone voice.
We enter the lair with wide eyes. Starfire is being restrained with ropes and a blind fold. She is yelling and struggling to break free, but from this angle, it doesn't look good. Robin stands there in disbelief with his mouth open. I join him in the sight of someone.
"Ah Robin, how...joyful to see you," The uneasy voice echos all around us. It's Slade, the all around bad guy with an extra burst of mean. "I see you're missing a Titan, perhaps a girl, an alien.... Well, if you want her, come and get her.
He utters a laugh of pure evil, and somehow disappears before our very eyes.
My head starts pounding, and it feels as though it's on fire. It aches and burns, and it hurts to move. I grab my head and fall to the floor. I start to twitch and order him to stop his trickery. Nevertheless the searing pain doesn't cease. Beast Boy hunches over to try to calm me down. Though it doesn't work, it's a jester worth recognizing.
Robin has already uttered, "Titans go!" Alas I stay on the ground. There is no way I can fight like this.
I need to get up but the pain refrains me from moving. I keep tight hold of my head, and by now I must've pulled out half my hair {Though thats an estimate}. I can feel my eyes change to that light purple I so fully dread. My head feels as if it is splitting open, and I feel exposed. I need to gasp for breath to even survive this impulse. I start screaming, there is nothing else I can do but scream. I lay there spread out and twitching, knowing that this isn't a new experience. Beast Boy is still by my side trying to talk me out of it. Saying things like: "Dude, Jewel wake up!" "Come on Slade, don't do this!" "Dude!"
I can here Robin try to free Starfire. So far from what I hear, it isn't working. I here Starfire struggling, and it pains me to here my friend in so much agony.
Right when I think the pain is over, the worst is yet to come. I feel myself getting lighter and lighter, and then heavier then a bag of rocks. I don't feel like myself. I feel like a different person, Anger seers through my body.
"I'm back...!" I whisper.
Beast Boys face lights up with fear and anger. Inside of me I am still me, and on the outside I am still me. Even though Slade has taken over my body, he can't control my thoughts. Just my movements. However, like the little voice inside his head, I will be there. I will fight for my right to my own body, I will stop him. What ever it takes.
"Dude! I think you need to come over here.... Now!" Beast Boy yells over to the other Titans. By this time I am lying in Beast Boys arms. His hand is cradling my head. My tired sagging face turns into a Smirk, so vicious and evil Beast Boy gasps. I look up at him and I am scared for him, I am scared for everyone, I am scared for me.... I know what will happen if I don't even try to resist.
"What's the problem?" Robin yells back over to Beast Boy. He seems a little busy trying to free Starfire. He can't come to help me, Starfire needs the help right now. She can't shoot star bolts, or use her eyes, And from the sound of things they don't have it under control.
"Um Jewel.... Purple...!" He utters a sound of anxiety. He is panicking, he know he isn't supposed to panic. I guess he isn't so used to my powers yet. Though it is scary, he needs to know how to focus.
This isn't the first time, he has even caused this to happen before.
He was trying to impress me, back then, he wouldn't show his emotions for me much. Cyborg and him started to "wrestle" each other on the floor. It was all pretend I know it, it had to be. Losing, Beast Boy tapped me in. At first I was hesitant, wary of fighting the giant half man, half machine, though I went in anyway. It was going well, I was pushing him down with my air attacks, and he was letting me win by the looks of it. Then, he stopped pretending, he tripped over Beast Boy's foot that was so, carelessly left out. Falling on me, I feared for my ability to breath, turns out I had everything to worry about. Gasping for air, I tried to get him off, yet even from my point of view it sounded like I was laughing. He refused for a while, yet when he got up, my eyes showed a deep trace of purple. I don't even need to have a real reason to go purple, it will just occur, and hurt me. Even if Slade doesn't need my body, it can be caused by pain.
Robin is wining the battle, between him and whatever is holding Starfire down. In an instant Starfire is freed, She glides to the top of the lair as giddy as ever. Until she notices Beast Boy holding me down. She and everyone else races over to determine what has happened. Yet by that time, the evil had just began.
I flip Beast Boy over my stomach, and arise from the floor like a zombie. The Titans gasp at my actions, and begin their charge for me. I look around merrily at myself examining my body. I am not, Slade is. There is a big hesitation with every move my body makes. If Slade wants me to move left, I will go right. I don't want to hurt my friends. I hope they have figured it out, I am in no condition to explain to them what's going on.
When I talk, they hear Slades voice, they will not, and can't hear me whatsoever. If only they could, it would be so much easier to help me.
"Well, Titans, it seems I have startled you. Oh, look! My mouth moves when I talk, how I've missed that!" He says in amazement. I guess it's been a while since he has been, a normal human. Robin stands there with his jaw practically to the floor. Cyborg standing there with his sonic blaster out, but slowly lowers it to the floor, Realizing I am a threat, but still his friend. Raven hovering near Starfire, with her hood up. I suppose she is thinking, her eyes are closed. Starfire is, at her own pace, making her way to the floor near Robin. Beast Boy is still on the floor, trying to get up. I suppose I hurt him more then I thought, please let this end now. So that I may cease causing pain.
"Jewel? Slade? Who are you at this point?" Starfire blurts out. She strides over to poke me, possibly to see if I am a hologram of some sort. Without hesitation, Slade, or I, obtain her finger and pull her close. So close her nose almost touches mine.
"You don't really want to do that, do you?" Slade says. His voice echoing throughout the lair. Starfire cringes in fear, I fear for what may come.
Breaking free of my grasp, she runs over to Robin and hides behind his cape, helping Beast Boy up on her way. Beast Boy utters a sound of pain, a whimper that makes me think of a puppy.
Please stop! I don't want to hurt them! Get out of me! I Scream at him, through my thoughts. He hears me, as if he couldn't, and chooses to talk out loud.
"Oh don't worry, technically I am the one hurting them. You are...sitting back and watching. Enjoy the program." The Titans are listening with anticipation. Leaning closer to me, holding on to every word.
I run over to where they are, and start the battle. Punching, kicking, taunting, and I was wining. I kick Robin in the face, and he falls to the ground. Starfire gets thrown into Raven, and falls into a pile on the floor. Beast Boy, tries to attack me, in a hesitant way, and I stop him. By picking him up, and holding him over my head like a trophy, ordering him to do the following:
"Lat it go green one! As if you'll ever get your little girlfriend back" He taunts. I throw him into the wall, my inside self cringing in fear. Once on the floor, he transforms into a bull. The time it takes Slade to force me to blink, he is on top of me, holding me down. I can't escape. I must remember to thank him, and tell him what a fantastic job he is doing. The other Titans regain their sense of awareness and get ready to help Beast Boy, only to find, he doesn't need it.
Beast Boy holds me down for a few seconds, it suddenly bursts into his head how to snap me out of my trance. He takes my face in his hand, and with the other.... Slaps me across the face. Yelling at me too stop this madness. Wether it was me or not, he was angry at someone.
Though I don't appreciate this, it had to be done. Though it's a small gesture, it work. One of Slades many flaws, his tricks are easily foiled. Slades spirit lifts out of my body, like a giant rock being taken off my stomach. I feel light, light like air, and then I feel like myself again. Not to heavy, and not to light. Beast Boy holds my face again, but this time not to hit me.
He takes my face and holds it at level to his. I squirm and I moan, and I make awkward sounds. I feel uneasy, there is now an aftershock going through my veins. My whole body tingles and stings with pain.
"Jewel? Jewel? Snap out of it!" He yells, shaking my head. The other Titans now circled around him and I, staring in confusing, and amazement.
I slowly open my eyes, the light hurts, and the fact that everyone is staring at me isn't helping.
"Are you okay?" Cyborg asks, crouching lower to our level. Looking at me with his red eye, he must be scanning for something, something like Slade.
"I'll explain later...if I can. Beast Boy.... Beast Boy, Get off!" I exclaim wiping my eyes and face, clean of evil. He looks down at me with puppy eyes, I think he doesn't want to get off. Maybe he enjoys holding me down, maybe he thinks something bad might happen.
"I can't, something bad might happen, he might go inside you again." The second he said that Jericho popped into my mind. His powers tie in with this in every way. His powers to go inside people, tie in with this distraction I call life. If he was here, things would make sense. He knows what to do when I go purple. He would save me, he would help me feel better. He would go inside me and give Slade what for, though that is a horrible idea. I wish I could see him again, just once. Maybe he could be a Titan in this tower. Maybe he could live with me again, I just want him back.
It all makes sense really, him being my brother. His powers being intwined with mine. To me this makes sense, though to everyone else...they probably wouldn't care.
"Beast Boy I think it's okay now-" Robin's cut off.
A howl is heard off in the distance, a howl like laughter. The ground shakes with rage, an army of robots comes out from behind Slade. There's an explosion, biggest one I've ever seen, that blows us back.
We slam into the walls, and poles of the lair. I hear loud thuds and moans of pain coming from my team mates. I hit my head off a pole, and I black out.