Well, it's been great. This is probably one of the best stories I've ever worked on (which isn't saying much, really, but still). I'd like to thank all my reviewers, as well as all those who read my story. Don't forget to review and tell me what you think! If you liked this story, who knows…I may decide to write a sequel. So review, and tell me what you think.
I don't own any characters except for the ones I make up.
Epilogue
After defeating the bank robbers, Terrane and the Titans had headed back to the tower. The party went very well, and Terrane got acquainted with many of the Titans. He even danced a little with the red-and-black girl, Argent. It had been a good night all in all. It was the best time he'd had…well, ever.
The day after, at about 3 in the morning, the honorary Titans left. Most of the Titans decided to get a few hours of shuteye after the hectic day they'd had. Only Terrane and Terra stayed up. After getting a drink from the Titans' fridge, Terra sat across the dinner table from Terrane. "Finally, a moment to talk," she said.
Terrane nodded. "We, uh…have a lot to catch up on, don't we?"
"Yep," said Terra. "So…what have you been doing for the past decade?"
Terrane sighed. "Not much. Most of it you wouldn't want to know about."
Terra raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And why's that?"
Terrane looked away. "Look…I haven't exactly been a model citizen in the time we've been away."
Terra still wore a confused look. "I don't understand."
Terrane looked back over at his sister. "Let's just say I've fought more police officers than I have crooks."
"So…you're saying you're a criminal, too?"
"Exactly." Terrane kept looking at his sister. "Are you…mad?"
Terra was silent for a moment. Then she said, "No. In fact, I already knew."
This thoroughly surprised Terrane. "You did?"
"I did," said Terra. "What, you didn't think I wanted to find you, too?" She chuckled. "I still remember hearing about your first robbery. When I heard the description, I thought, 'It couldn't be him.' But when I heard about his powers, when I heard that he could control the earth just like I could, I knew it couldn't have been anyone else." She took a sip of her drink. "You know, I guess I was mad when I first found out. But not anymore. You and I have gone through a lot, and I can understand that you were confused. I was too, which is how I ended up with Slade."
Terrane didn't say anything. Then, "You were all I had left. I never told you this, but I had seen our parents get killed. Before my very eyes. It messed me up pretty bad, but you kept me strong. I was destined to become a criminal, but you kept me from becoming one. When you were kidnapped, I just didn't know what to do anymore."
Terra was staring wide-eyed at her brother. "You…you saw them die?" she asked. When Terrane nodded, she walked over and hugged him. "I'm so sorry…it must have been hard for you just knowing they were gone. But to actually see them…"
"It would have been hard for you, too, if you had been a little older," Terrane replied. "You probably don't remember them very well, though. You were barely able to stand up back then."
Terra shrugged, returning to her seat. "I remember them a little, but not enough to miss them as much as you do."
There was silence for a minute. "So you like him a lot, don't you?" Terrane asked suddenly.
Terra was taken aback. "Uh…who?"
Terrane laughed and shook his head. "You know who. You like Beast Boy and you know it."
Terra blushed. "Well…yeah, he's been a good friend and all…"
"You two are more than friends," said Terrane knowingly, smirking. "I can tell."
Terra sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I do like him a little."
"A little?"
"Okay, maybe more than a little. He's just…amazing. He's charming in his own little way; he's funny, but no one else seems to think so; he treats me like a princess, when I barely deserve to have any friends at all."
Terrane nodded. "He seems to like you a lot, too. I'd say you've got a pretty good boyfriend."
Terra rolled her eyes. "He's not my boyfriend. We're just friends…for now."
Terrane smirked again. "Yeah," he said, "for now."
It was now Terra's turn to smirk. "Hey, I noticed you were taking a shine to that Argent girl last night."
"Uh…what gave you that idea?" said Terrane, looking from side to side nervously.
"Oh, come on, Terrane," Terra replied. "It's kinda obvious. I saw you getting nervous when you talked to her. And you fought so well when she was watching during the burglary."
Jump City Downtown Bank, last night
There were a lot of them. Terrane was currently hand-to-hand fighting with a particularly stupid-looking one, obviously not the one spearheading this operation, just someone to do the brute work. After toying with him for a little while, he kicked him square in the jaw, knocking him unconscious.
He looked over to the other Titans, who were handling themselves quite well. Jericho had taken over the body of one of the bigger ones, and was now dodging bullets and pulling off acrobatic moves that the crook probably didn't even know he could do. Bushido was deflecting bullets with his sword, moving in on another crook. Red Star didn't even have to dodge the bullets. They bounced harmlessly off his bulky frame. He was taking out at least to or three men at a time. The other five Titans were executing complicated team maneuvers. They took out whole groups of men at once.
Terrane then looked over at Argent, who was effectively blocking a gunman's shots with a red barrier placed in front of her. When the shooter ran out of ammo, Argent turned the barrier into a giant fist and whacked him into a wall, knocking him out. Amazing, thought Terrane.
Argent looked down at Terrane and smiled. Then she frowned and shouted, "Duck!" Terrane did as he was told. Argent swung the giant red fist over Terrane's head, knocking another crook into a wall.
Whoa, thought Terrane. Didn't see him there. He looked back over to Argent, who was now on the ground tapping her foot and folding her arms. "Uh, thanks," said Terrane.
"You owe me one," said Argent, a look of mock-annoyance on her face. "You'd better pay more attention or…"
Terrane's eyes suddenly widened. He sank underground just then and sprang back up right behind Argent. He spin-kicked an oncoming robber, and then did a front handspring kick into his chest. To finish him off, he threw his hands into the air, and a large stone hand pinned the criminal to the wall, knocking him unconscious. He looked back at Argent, dusting off his hands and grinning smugly. "We're even." He walked past the obviously impressed silver-skinned girl toward the door, as the other Titans had just finished off the rest of the robbers. Argent stood there for a second, and then smiled and followed Terrane out the door, letting the cops gather up the bad guys.
"Okay," said Terrane, "I guess she's pretty nice. But we're strictly friends."
Terra continued smirking. "For now."
"Ah, shut up."
Terra chuckled. "Well, you're right about one thing. She did seem pretty nice. She's pretty, too. Good choice."
"Didn't I just tell you to shut up?"
Terra shook her head, still smirking. "But seriously, you fought well on a team yesterday. I think the Teen Titans are thinking of recruiting you."
Terrane looked surprised. "You serious?" he asked.
Terra nodded. "Yep. They think you could be a real asset to the team."
Terrane laughed cynically. "We'll see how they feel when they find out I'm a crook."
Terra shrugged. "I don't think they'll care."
"What?"
"Lemme explain. You know who Jinx is, right?"
Terrane tried to remember. "Ah, yes," he said finally. "Jinx. The one who used to be part of the H.I.V.E. academy. What about her?"
"Well, she used to be a criminal, and yet the Titans have accepted her all the same. All you need to do is show that you're willing to help. Like Beast Boy said, they can forgive and forget."
Terrane thought about it. "Hmm. Okay, so maybe they will accept me. But how will I change from a criminal to a hero?"
Terra got up and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it. Just trust me."
Terrane was silent. Then, suddenly, he asked, "Would you like to go see them?"
Terra was confused. "Who?"
"Our parents," said Terrane.
Terra looked at Terrane inquiringly. "You know where they're buried?"
Terrane nodded. "So do you want to see them?"
"Of course!" said Terra. "So…I guess we'll go tomorrow, then?"
"Sure," said Terrane. He looked at the clock. "4 AM. We should probably get to sleep."
"Okay," said Terra. She yawned, walking over to the hallway of the Tower. She looked back at Terrane. "You wanna pull up a sleeping bag in my room?"
Terrane shook his head. "Nah, I'll sleep on their sofa. It looks comfy enough."
Terra shrugged a little. "Okay then. G'night."
"Good night," said Terrane. As Terra left, Terrane settled down on the sofa and shut his eyes. Maybe she's right, thought Terrane. Maybe there's still time.
The Jump City Cemetery, five hours laterTerra knelt down in front of the graves of her parents, setting a flower down on top of each of them. She had changed out of her old uniform given to her by Slade and was now wearing her signature black t-shirt with a light autumn jacket over it. She had traded her khaki shorts for a pair of jeans, as the air was beginning to get cold. Terrane stood behind her, his hands inside the pockets of the light autumn jacket he was wearing over a black t-shirt similar to Terra's. His jeans were baggier than Terra's, which were tight over her legs.
Terra, after a few more moments of silence, got up and looked at Terrane. "It's been so long since I've seen them, but I've thought about them. They're just two people on the long list of things I think about in my free time. I only have wisps of them left: what they looked like is a mystery to me; what they sounded like is unknown; even their daily habits have been buried here. You may be the only one left who remembers them. So tell me: what were they like?"
Terrane closed his eyes as he remembered them. "Let's see…Dad was a barrel-chested businessman, with blonde hair on his head and on his face, and a heart of gold inside a frame of muscle. His name was Sam. Sam's bride, Martha, was a thinner girl, with a beautiful face and equally beautiful blonde hair. She was Sam's everything, and the only thing that came close to being loved by him as much as her was us. Family was his first priority; business came second. He…was a great man."
"Did he have our powers?" asked Terra.
"Come again?"
"Did he have our powers? Did Mom have them, too?"
Terrane thought about it. "You know," he said, "I never really thought about that. They didn't seem to have any powers. They seemed like normal people. I never stopped to wonder how I got my powers, how you got yours…had too much to think about back then." He winked at Terra. "Anyway, I think this is worth looking into. Maybe you could get the Titans to look some info up for you."
"Or," suggested Terra, taking something out of her pocket, "maybe you could." She held out an honorary Titan communicator in her hand.
Terrane looked away from it. "I don't know, Terra. I mean, I want to and all, but what if it's too late for me?"
Terra put her hand on her brother's shoulder and turned him back toward her. "It's never too late, Terrane. They taught me that. The things I've done were horrible, but they took me in, and now I'm willing to be a Titan. The things you've done are equally horrible, but I'm sure they'll take you in, too. You just have to want to change."
Terrane looked at his feet. "What if I can't? What if I'm not like you?"
Terra put her hand under his chin and lifted his face up until their eyes connected. "You'll never know unless you try. Besides, people on the street always say we're a lot alike."
Terrane smiled. No matter how simple they were, Terra's words always managed to cheer him up. He hugged his sister, saying, "Thanks, sis. Let's hope they're right."
Terra held Terrane at arm's length. "So you'll join?"
Terrane nodded and took the communicator. "We'll see how it works out."
Terra was so happy she actually jumped into the air. "You have no idea how happy this makes me, Terrane. You won't regret it, I promise."
As Terra dragged him to the entrance of the cemetery, Terrane thought, She's never broken a promise before. Maybe this will work out for the best.
Back at the entrance, the Teen Titans were waiting for Terra and Terrane, the T-Car parked outside the gate. As Terrane came up to the five heroes, Robin walked up to him. "Listen, Terrane, we've been thinking…"
"Lemme guess," he said, interrupting the masked boy. "The five of you want me to become an honorary Titan."
"Well, yes…"
"I'll do it," said Terrane immediately.
Robin smiled. "Excellent. But we don't want you to be just an honorary Titan."
Terrane raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Maybe someone else can explain better than I can," said Robin, stepping aside.
A familiar figure stepped out from behind the T-Car. Terrane was adequately surprised to see her. "Argent?" he said.
The silver-skinned girl smiled. "Hello again, Terrane."
"Hey," said Terrane. Then, "Uh…what are you doing here?"
"I came here to talk to Robin about something," she replied. "See, he was impressed with how well we did last night and mentioned that there aren't any Titans patrolling a city southeast of here. He thinks we may be able to fill that position."
The surprises just keep coming, thought Terrane. "So, are you asking me to join your team?"
Argent nodded. "Yes, Terrane. With your help, we can make a new division of the Teen Titans: the Titans South. So what do you say?"
Terrane didn't quite know what to say. He looked over to his sister. She was smiling and nodding. Go on, her smile said.
Terrane thought about it and decided this team was the best investment he could make right now. He looked back to Argent and said, "Alright, I'll join your team. Who's leader?"
Argent beamed and thrust a thumb at herself. "You're looking at her," she said.
Terrane was only surprised for a second. I guess she is the best choice for leader, he thought. She has the most charisma of the group. Another side of him said, You just saying that because Terra's right? The first side responded, I sure hope not.
Robin, meanwhile, patted Terrane on the shoulder. "Well, that does it, then. Welcome to the team."
Argent jumped off the ground, floating. "Meet me at our new base tonight at five. There are directions on your communicator." She winked. "I look forward to working with you."
Terrane nodded, grinning. "Likewise."
Satisfied with his response, Argent saluted the blonde teen one last time and flew off. Beast Boy was giggling. "You liiiiiiiiike herrr…" he was saying. Terra elbowed him in the gut. "Ow! Hey, I was joking…jeez…"
Terrane silently thanked her by nodding. "Uh…will Terra be coming with me?"
Terra shook her head. "I'm with the Titans, Terrane. My place is here in Jump City."
Terrane looked at the ground. "It would comfort me more if you were close by."
Terra held up her communicator. "I will be. We'll be in touch."
Beast Boy put his arm around Terra's shoulder. "Don't worry, bud, your sister's safe with us."
"You know what?" said Terrane. "I believe you." He walked over to the green shapeshifter. "Take good care of her, grass stain. Will you give me your word?"
Beast Boy nodded. "Of course."
Terrane smiled approvingly. Then he leaned in close to Beast Boy. "That's good. Oh, and by the way, I swear that if you break her heart, I'll crush you underneath my feet like the dirt we're standing on. Comprende?"
Beast Boy nodded, laughing a little nervously.
Terrane backed away a little. "Did I make a joke?" he asked, his face straight. This caused Beast Boy's skin to take on a pale-green hue. Terrane winked at him, smiling. "You kids have fun. I've got an appointment to keep."
As he flew off into the distance, he looked back to his sister and her friends with a feeling he hadn't had in years: hope for his future.
Terrane Markov, Teen Titan. Yeah, that had a nice ring to it.
Elsewhere…Slade looked at one of his many screens, watching the battle surveillance of the past two days. This Terrance Markov was quite formidable indeed. Just as he had suspected. "It would seem this boy is everything his father was," Slade said to an idling Wintergreen.
"Yes sir," said Wintergreen. "He is the spitting image of his father, minus the brawn and plus the ability to move the earth."
Slade nodded agreement. "The next phase of the plan is ready to begin." He chuckled. "He thinks it's over, but it has indeed just begun. He will be safe for now, though. I have bigger fish to fry, as they say." He switched the screens to pictures of another teen. This one was a bit like Terrane. He was a criminal, and he fought for his little sister. This one didn't have powers, though. He got his power through another source.
What a coincidence, thought Slade. Like father, like son. He stood up, his hands behind his back as he walked up to the screen. "Get ready. I'm coming for you, Jonathan. Or should I call you Red X?"
The End…?
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Obviously not. If you want me to continue, this could very well become a huge Elseworld saga. Terrane puts it best himself: We'll see how this works out. Review, and maybe I'll write a nice little sequel to continue this new saga of mine.
