TATU
(A/N: yes, the band... you'll see why)
"HALLOWEEN! HALLOWEEN! HALLOWEEN!" The three children were running in circles, chanting their joy about the holiday. Although Teether, still learning speech sounded more like "Ha'ween!"
"Little ones!" Starfire futile attempts at controlling them were found comical by Jinx and Hotspot, "I want to carve out the lanterns of Jack!"
"Jack'o'Lantern," Terra corrected her from on the couch, Despite her best efforts, BeastBoy's death still taxed her emotions heavily. While Terra, although mostly from her training with Slade, seemed to be one of the most effective weapons the Titans had against Slade and his army. Although, she'd been rather introverted after she discovered she could control Cinderblock's body and unintentionally ripped him apart during the last fight. She shifted and had to adjust the flask she kept hidden in the elastic of her underclothes. She didn't want anyone else to know she drank; it was the only way she could relax enough to sleep at all. As opposed to what she had believed, it became harder and harder the longer she stayed with the Titans.
"You okay?"
Terra looked to see Kole smiling at her. The two girls had proven to be an unstoppable combination, Terra actually able to control Kole in her crystal form including changing her body position, much to the chagrin of Gnaark. The caveman's jealousy of Terra and Koles new friendship was childish, much like his competitions with Cyborg when they met. "Gnaark. Gnaark Gnaark?"
"No, I don't like her more than you," Kole said in a voice that suggested they'd discussed this before. "She's just a friend, you're my best friend."
"Gnaark."
"I promise to fight with you next time. Only you."
The caveman smiled.
"So," Kole asked in a sarcastic tone, "can I talk to her now?"
"There's nothing to talk about," Terra pulled her knees to her chest, "you were there, you know what's wrong."
Kole's smiled faded as she remembers Cinderblock charging with the arm of a back-hoe as a weapon right for Hotspot, who'd had his back turned. Terra, in an act of desperation, and knowing the nearest rock was thirty feet too far to make it in time, reached out with her powers. She found a grasp on Cinderblock's body, and acting on instict alone seperated the main joints. The monster fell howling so loudly that the entire battlefield, including: Nightwing, Cyborg, Raven, Starfire, Chanson, Syren, Hotspot, Teether, Melvin, Timmy, Jinx, Kid Flash, Kole, Gnaark, Overload, Plasmus, about fifty Terminators, and what was later found to be a robotic clone of Slade all turned to see what was happening. Terra frantically began to try and reconnect the living stone, but found that too much life force had left Cinderblock already for her actions to have any effect... "That's nothing to be ashamed of, Hotspot would have died if you hadn't."
Terra's rage at her killing someone being called 'nothing to be ashamed of' resulted in her smacking Kole right off the couch. She instantly apologized.
"Ow..." Kole looked up hurt and confused, "why did you hit me?"
Gnaark pushed Terra back and stood between them.
"I-I didn't mean it. It just happened."
"That's not okay!" Melvin suddenly scolded Terra from behind, "you can't hit the good guys!"
"Terra..." Starfire's face said that she understood, despite her disapproval.
"You shouldn't hit your friends!" Timmy stood next to Gnaark
"BAD!" Teether yelled.
"I SAID I'M SORRY!" Terra bellowed at the kids, startling Teether enough to make him cry. Her eyes filled with the sorrow her heart felt, "You guys just won't understand the pain I feel until you experience it yourself."
"Pain?" Melvin began looking for blood or a bruise, "did you hurt yourself?"
Terra turned towards the door and left without responding.
Starfire looked around trying to find something to break the tension left in the air. Spotting something that she was planning on saving for later, she grasped a bowl of candy. "Tell me! Who would like a treat?"
"CANDY!" all three kids had a glimmer in their eye as they leapt for the bowl.
Syren and Chanson both felt beaten and bruised. even combined they just couldn't beat Nightwing, he was too quick, too cunning and too ruthless. "I can't wait for tonight," Chanson was cheery despite her pained body.
"I know," Syren smiled, "It's been so long, i'm kinda jittery."
Chanson hugged Syren, "thank you so much"
"OW! that hurts!" Syren shook herself out when she was released. "Damn it... You're welcome. I'm gonna shower, see if i can't relax some of this out."
Looking up a few flights when she heard footsteps, Chanson spotted Terra. "Yeah, I'm gonna get some fresh air then do the same. See you later." Following the distraught blonde to the roof, she knew what was on her mind before she even reached down her shirt for the flask. Terra tilted her head back and took a strong swig. "Again Terra?" this was the second time she'd caught her.
Turning, Terra spilt some of the amber liquid onto the roof. Shame was in her eyes when she lifted the flask again, "we've talked about this."
Chanson walked over and ripped the flask right from Terra's lips. "This shit will be the end of you! Or somebody else!"
"It's the only thing that helps!"
Chanson sniffed it tentitively, "this really makes the pain go away?"
"Only a little. But it's enough to let me sleep."
Chanson tasted it, and began coughing. "How can you drink this?"
"It's an acquired taste," Terra admitted, sitting with her legs over the edge of the building. She looked out at Jump City.
"I've really come to like you in these weeks, I don't want you to get hurt." Chanson sat down, looking the other way. She coughed as she took another sip, "it really isn't very good."
"after all you've said," Terra chided, "now you're drinking it too?"
"You said it takes the edge off," Chanson said in a distant voice, "I miss him."
"You knew him for what? a week?"
"not even."
"how could you have gotten that attached?"
"I didn't love him if that's what you were saying. It's just, he was the first guy that was so honestly kind to me after... after my rape."
"I see," Terra took a swig, "so what, he was the first you trusted besides your sister?"
"exactly," Chanson held out her hand for the flask. This time she took a deep swig and forced herself not to cough. "He was like the reason i can talk to you and the other Titans." She took another hit before handing it back.
"You should take it easy," Terra warned, "this is kinda strong."
"Hmmm... Terra?"
Terra slipped the flask back into her sports-bra, "yeah?"
"What do you think of Syren?"
"She's pretty cool, I like her take charge attitude when we are fighting. And then she's pretty relaxed when we are at home."
"And what about me?" Chanson looked really serious as she analysed Terra's face.
"It's really nice to have somebody I can trust with a secret. And you are really cool in the way you try to protect everyone you can get to. It takes guts to fight for what you believe in, but the way you do it makes us all look like cowards."
"You can trust me... Terra can I trust you with something?"
"Sure."
"Promise not to get mad no matter what?"
"I promise."
"Really?" Chanson seemed nervous, "No matter what?"
"I promised, didn-" Terra was cut off by Chanson's lips pressing againt her own. The beginning effects of the alcohol flew from her mind as the shock brought her back to absolute soberiety.
After several seconds, Chanson sensed the shock of the blonde she was kissing. Her black hair whipped as she quickly pulled away, "I'm sorry! I couldn't hold back anymore!"
Terra still hadn't looked away from the spot she'd been looking at right before the kiss. The shock hadn't yet left her voice when she said, "no, its okay. I just wasn't expecting it."
"You aren't mad?"
"well, I'd have prefered some warning so I could've said no."
"I knew it," Chanson laid back onto the roof, defeated. "You're the first person I've ever fallen for. I knew I'd mess it up somehow."
"A girl your age has never had a crush on anyone else?" Terra was kinda honored that she was someone's first love, even if it was another girl.
"I've never felt anything more than just physical attraction to anyone else. But you; you're really pretty, you're smart, you're a great fighter, and a good friend..."
Terra didn't know how to respond, she'd never had to deal with the feelings of another girl. She'd shot down several boys during her time in school, but she'd never been approached about a same-sex relationship.
"But," tears gathered at the edges of the ex-pop-idol's eyes, "I must really be worthless if my first love fails before it begins."
"You know, we have something in common. Even though it's somthing neither of us really wanna talk about."
"What?"
"Although this was both of our first kisses... We've both already gone beyond that."
"You were raped too?" Chanson sat up
"That depends on how you look at it."
"What do you mean?"
Terra tilted her head back and looked at the stars, "it was such a confusing time for me," she sighed, with regret in her eyes. "He took me in, and it was easy for him to gain mental dominance over me. One night on a whim, he told me what would happen, and I allowed it. There was no love, not even kindess... It was purely physical... and not a minute goes by without me hating myself for allowing that."
"So, we are alike."
"Now that I think about it," Terra sighed as she laid against the roof, "I might not mind having a girlfriend. But the thing is, I'd have to like you that way before I could even try."
The sound of a throat clearing caused them both to turn to see Jinx, "I don't think you understand what that kind of relationship means," she put her hands on her hips as if scolding a child, "There are alot of people who openly disapprove of that kind of thing. I for one, don't approve, but I'm not the kind of girl that would get in the way. But there are alot of people that WOULD try to break you up, or worse, they could try to hurt you."
"I know that!" Chanson stood and stood defiantly, "but I feel the way my heart tells me to! Nobody else can tell me how to feel! And I like Terra that way!"
Jinx held her hands up in something between a shrug and a defensive motion, "don't get mad at me, I just said that I don't like it. It feels like bad luck to me," she turned and walked through the door, speaking loud enough that the girls on the roof could hear the echo, "and I know bad luck better than anyone."
"Her words won't change how I feel," Chanson informed Terra.
"You aren't afraid of what the world might think?"
"I'd protect you if they'd try to hurt you."
Terra smiled, "Talk like that will help you win a girl's heart."
"Maybe Kid Flash is rubbing off on me."
(A/N: Terra's experience was antoher comic reference... yes it happened, yes she's 15 and yes he would have been in his early 40's [FYI, Jericho was one of his kids, wtf i know]... but it's legitimate... unlike my version however, the comic had it completely consentual as i remember... BTW, Terra was a psychopatic freak in the comics.)
