Chapter Sixteen-Way of Will
Sometimes remembering is hard, or the Titans think it is. Terra and Robin are trapped with no way out-or is there a way out? With a little help, they might can pull of a big escape...
Tears fell to the floor. She was surprised they stopped, because it looked as if the floor went on for forever, and she was just levitating. "Robin..." the monotone's voice said from the doorway, tears escaping from her eyes, but more so from her heart. She hadn't cried in nearly twelve years, but she was then. He was gone. Terra was gone. Where they were unknown. Dead? Alive? Well? Alone? Around the others, she was strong and acted like she was over their deaths, but alone...she could not hold it in.
'He trusted me...he told me what bothered him the most, about his power! He couldn't control his powers himself...and he entrusted me...not even Star knew, but I did...he trusted me...me...' She sat on my messy unmade bed, and stared at the posters suspended on the walls. Slade covered them, as well as Cinderblock, Plasmus, Mumbo-one in particular stuck out. She walked to it. 'It's Robin...but who is that behind him? Other superheroes?' The poster said "TEEN TITANS" at the top, but Cyborg had been the second, she had been the third, Beast Boy the fourth, Starfire the fifth, and Terra the sixth.
But they were replaced. With who? She untacked one of the poster's tacks, then put it back. She left the room in silence, closing the door that enclosed the research they needed. She went onto the roof. She went to meditate, but she didn't. She stared into the pink and purple sky as the sun set over the crystals below. She closed her eyes to remember the good times.
It had been a real struggle when she became a Teen Titan. 'Robin saw her on the street after a break-in at the Text Sector. He introduced himself and Cyborg, but Cyborg didn't trust her. He tried to convince Robin otherwise, but it never worked. She didn't have complete control over her powers at this time. Audition time came the next day. She was hoping that she wouldn't mess up and blow them to bits. The water came up in a tsunami and crashed onto the Tower. They had to completely rebuild the tower. She was ready to leave when Robin told her that she was a Teen Titan.'
That was years ago. She sobbed on the rooftop. Tears fell into the ocean below. She wiped them away, hearing footsteps to the roof. She raised her hood, and pretended to meditate. "Please excuse my intrusion, Raven, but I was hoping you might wish to talk. Might you?" Starfire asked. "About what?" Raven asked.
She sounded as if nothing was wrong, but the tear on her cheek said otherwise. Starfire noticed. "Something...troubles you, Raven?" she asked in reply to the tear. "No...nothing," Raven lied, wiping the tear away with the back of her hand. "You are...sure? Perhaps I might be able to help." Raven couldn't hide it. "Its nothing, really...I was just......thinking about Robin..." she sighed. The only reason she admitted it was because the last time she denied her emotions, the others were sucked into another dimension by a monster (niobe: see Fear Itself).
Starfire sat beside the girl hidden by a hooded cloak, the girl attempting to hide sorrow. "Raven, it is...okay to feel sorrow about Robin. We all do. But there is still hope. Robin taught me the first day I was a Teen Titan that you must never give up. He told me when you give up...no one gets anywhere. We must not give up. Robin would not have wanted us to give up or be sad. Robin would want us to be strong and...brave... I wish Robin were here, as well, Raven, but we must have faith in him. He will do what is best for us." I had never heard Starfire sound so much like me...yet so different...
A tear sneaked from my eye and fell to the concrete floor of my room in the factory. I looked over at Terra, whose eyes were trembling in sorrow, quickly filling with tears. "Thanks for that, Star...I needed that...I am going to meditate now..." we heard Raven's voice said, fading. The screen was consumed in static. Terra's eyes shimmered with tears in the static of the screen. "Slade can't watch them...only I can. I watched you last time for six years...I silently cried several times. I'm sorry, Terra..." I said. She was in my arms now, silently sobbing. She missed them dearly. Her pain leaked onto the copper of Slade's uniform. Behind my mask, tears fell.
We knew Slade wouldn't be coming because we poured some anesthetics into his drink that night when he ate. We were only allowed one meal a day-if we were good. "Is there anyway to save them?" she wept into my arms. I started to say no, but then I thought of a way. "Hmmm...if I can call them through my communicator, I might can tell them about the plot. About the tiny lasers. They can get rid of them, then we are home free!" Terra's face lit up at my plan. Starfire's voice called again. I answered without hesitance.
"Starfire! Where is Cyborg? Call everyone into your room." I heard her call them over their communicators. Slade would soon be over.
author's note: K...this one came out similar to what I had planned...All I can say is I have no clue where this is going, so I am in the dust as you are, my friends. Nother chap ASAP! Peace
Niobe