Here is chapter six. The story is ending soon, but I might put in a sequel that is strictly a Beast Boy/Terra relationship fic. No, not a fluff fic, there will still be the action/adventure genre, but perhaps with romance instead of drama. Tell me in your reviews whether or not I should drag out this story for a little longer or not, but it is close to the end. With any luck, I'll add maybe 3-5 more chapters, but no more.
To NNY27300: I know Slade came to her, but I was referring to when she left after accusing Beast Boy of revealing her secret. And even if she didn't, it's Slade. He manipulates words to his advantage. Many thanks for the praise, and I would make this into a movie, if not for the fact that I can't draw stick figures that look like stick figures. But maybe Torres will read this and add it into the comic series (not the one from the 1960's, but the one they are running in conjunction with the cartoon). A fantasy, but there is a slim chance.
Anyway, I've started to feel that the story is getting stale. Perhaps to y'all it's not, but I can't shake the feeling that I'm trying to draw water from a dry well. It goes away once I get into my writing, but the first 2 pages or so just don't feel right. It's probably just me.
To all Cyborg/Raven fans: I'm sorry, but I can't find a way to set them together. I write what I see in my head, and them being together just won't work. However, in an attempt to pacify your sadness, I will add in tidbits here and there pointing toward their possible love relationship, but it won't become full blown smooching in a dark alleyway. But I will do my best to make it a point that there is something deeper than simple friendship between them. I'll do this with another reference to Stephen King.
With Terra being attacked by a mad dog, I was talking about the
"Gonna get you, Terra, gonna tear your heart out, gonna feast on your brains, gonna get you gonnagetyougonnagetyougonnagetyougonnagetyouGONNAGETYOU..."
line, but now that I think about it, it is a good reference to Cujo. But I stray from the point.
To those who don't know: Slade does have powers. They include, but are not limited to- ability to use 90% of his brain, enhanced strength and reflexes, and knowledge of almost all forms of martial arts.
To Hutchy: Is Terra a murderer? Read on, my friend, read on.
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Beast Boy had began to play the surprisingly undamaged Gamestation. He assumed that it was Cyborg's doing, since he was close to worshipping the device. Beast Boy was glad of his devotion, as it helped kill the time. As his character smashed his opponent into the ground, he did a silent victory dance so as not to wake the sleeping girl who was lying on the couch next to him.
Without warning, Robin whirled around the corner, staff in hand as he looked at Beast Boy, scouring the green changeling for signs of a struggle.
"You okay?"
"Of course. What's there to make me not okay?"
"Terra… Slade told us that…"
Beast Boy sighed, rolling his eyes at his leader. "You came all the way back here because Slade told you Terra was trying to kill me, right?"
"How did…"
"He gave the same speech to me. Now get your butts back there and whup him before I do it myself."
Robin backed out of the room, his face red with embarrassment. Why had he believed Slade, of all people? Retreating back down to the entrance, he was snatched up by Starfire before his foot touched the dirt that their home was on. "What are you doing?" He asked her, looking straight towards Slade's lair.
"We overheard that once again Slade fooled us, so we set back out. Raven and Cyborg are already on their way. We must catch up to them."
The two flew as fast as they could towards their waiting friends. Arriving back at the entrance, they were met up By Cyborg and Raven, who wisely decided not to mention the fact that Robin had been fooled by his arch-enemy.
Robin did not mention it either. In fact, he didn't say a word to any of them. He simply walked into the underground fortress, eyes burning with rage and hatred toward his most-hated foe. Starfire was about to attempt to pacify him when Cyborg's hand held her shoulder.
"I wouldn't try to calm him down, Star. He might tear your head off if you do. It's a figure of speech." He said quickly, seeing the look on her face.
Raven interjected. "But that's not the point. Just don't say anything and do as he says. He's not himself right now."
The three followed him into the gaping mouth of the entrance, jogging to catch up with their leader. He was still walking toward the control room, not even acknowledging their presence as he headed toward his mortal enemy. Two androids guarded the doors to the control room, but he simply threw two electric disks at them, and they crumpled to the ground. The door automatically hissed open. Stepping inside, he extended his staff. "You…" he roared with fury, "lying…" He raised his staff, determined to kill the man in one fell swoop. "little…"
He never got to finish, as the man he was attempting to kill kicked him in the chest. He went flying back to the others, and was caught by Raven. They stared on at the man who looked down at them with disdain.
"So you finally made it back. And in one piece. Impressive. Tell me, how bad was Beast Boy's body? I'm curious as to how she finished him off."
"He was fine." The Boy Wonder shouted back.
Slade shook his head. "All in good time, all in good time. But enough about her. Where did we leave off? Oh yes, you had met my supercomputer, that right. Now that we're all caught up, let us begin, shall we?"
He extended his staff. They stared at each other, waiting for the first move from the other. The Titans began the confrontation.
Starfire sent a starbolt his way, but he parried the green energy back at her, and they scattered out of the way. Now that they were split up, they attacked from all angles. Cyborg sent a fist at his head, but a swipe of the staff sent his arm away, and a kick to the gut sent the teen away. Starfire flew at him close to the ground, sending shot after shot at him, but he simply twirled his staff in front of him, sending the bolts in random directions. Starfire ducked to the side just in time, for one of her own bolts was sent at her chest. However, her dodge proved a mistake, as it left her open to the masked man, who took the opportunity to hit her in the gut with the point of his weapon. A spin kick sent her directly into Robin, and it knocked both of them back.
Raven tried to pull the instrument away from him, but he jerked on it hard, causing her hold to break. He struck downwards at her, but she dodged backwards. This was what he had expected. Sending the stick into her gut, he used it to throw her over his head to the ground behind him. He whirled around and sent the pointed end directly on her back, snapping her spine. He looked up in time to catch Cyborg's fist directly in the face. The enraged boy walked quickly over to him, eyes blazing with a cold fury as he advanced on Slade.
"YOU AIN'T SUPPOSED TO HIT GIRLS!!!" he bellowed at him, and shot his sonic cannon at the prone tactician. However Slade bounded up, cracking the staff on the mechanical teen's chin. Sailing over him, he kicked the back of his head, and Cyborg went flying into the wall. Slade immediately sent a sideways strike with his weapon behind him, catching the vengeful Starfire in the jaw. She skidded across the ground, and remained still after he threw her into the consoles.
Slade turned to Robin. "It's just you and me now. I wouldn't have had it any other way. Now the persistent Teen Titans shall die before my hands."
"What happened to the whole apprentice obsession?" Robin asked scathingly.
"An apprentice? Dear me Robin, you are losing your touch. An apprentice? I have no need for one."
"Then why did you make Terra and me into them?"
"It was all staged out. Your becoming an apprentice was to break the team's confidence in you. That didn't work quite the way I had planned, but it got the job done." Slade talked to Robin in a matter-of-fact tone. "You see, with the lose of their leader to me, the Titans were supposed to not let you back. It didn't work. But their trust in you was marred. Then along came Terra. She was another thing to throw you off track. You were fooled by her loyalty to me. You believe that I was actually going to help her? I intended to kill her when she had destroyed you and your friends. I knew that you would discover the mine I had implanted in her suit. I left a trail of clues that only you could follow here, to me. I wanted it to be that way. I wanted the pleasure of killing with my own hands the only complication between me and total conquest. And now that time has come. Terra will soon lose her mind, thanks to my fail-safe." He went to the damaged console and picked up a remote trigger. Pushing the single button on it, he activated the screechers he had implanted on Terra's head.
()()()
Back at the tower, Terra began to scream, the sound squealing in her ears painfully as the screechers that were integrated into the suit activated, the noise only being heard by her. Beast Boy ran over to her, trying to find the source of her screams.
"Terra, what's wrong?" he asked urgently, but she couldn't respond, the noise driving all thought from her as she held her hands over her ears in a futile attempt to stop the sound. It suddenly stopped, and with it, the pain. She looked at Beast Boy with a perplexed look on her face.
"I don't know, there was suddenly this loud…"
But she couldn't finish her sentence, as the sound returned, and she immediately covered her ears again. She began walking crazily into things, her eyes closed from the pain. "Make it stop, Make it stop!" she shouted at someone, anyone, as the squeal reverberated in her mind. Beast Boy grabbed a hold of her shoulders, and yelled in her face.
"What is it, Terra? What's wrong?"
"The noise, it hurts, it HURRRRRRRRTS…"
Again the sound died down instantly. She was breathing heavily, and she heard a voice in her head. It sounded like nothing she had ever heard.
"It won't go away 'til you do it."
"Please make it stop, it HURRRRRRRRRTS…"
"It won't go away 'til you do it." The voice repeated, unfazed by the anguish in her voice.
Beast Boy shook her. "What hurts, Terra. Tell me!"
"Beast Boy, it hurts bad. It won't go away…"
Beast Boy did the only thing he could think of. He slapped her in the face. The timing of his action was perfect, as the sound once again stopped as suddenly as it started. She gasped, and gingerly touched where he had struck her.
"Now tell me, Terra, What is going on?"
"I don't know. It's just this sound and it hurts so badly…"
She grasped her head again as it started up again. "Please, make it go away." She begged him. "Make it go away."
Beast Boy looked wildly around for the source of her torment. Then his sensitive ears picked up a slight squeal, coming from the two devices that Slade had planted on her head. Now knowing the source of her pain, he tried to find a way to remove them.
Meanwhile Terra broke loose from his grip as she staggered over to the counter. She walked straight into it, sending pain into her ribs as she hit them hard. Falling to the ground, she rolled back and forth, the pain slicing into her head like a knife.
For the third time, the sound stopped. She remained on the floor, lest her movement trigger another outbreak. Beast Boy persisted in looking for a way to remove the things from her head. The noise began again, and Terra screamed out in pain, tears pouring down her face as the noise ripped through her like a reaper. She curled into a fetal position and hoped that she would die soon.
()()()
Slade again removed his finger from the button. Looking at Robin, who was staring in horror at the monitors that were showing Terra suffer from the piercing sound that racked through her brain. He glared at Slade, who put the trigger back on the console.
"You see, she must obey my every command, or else. Quite ingenious, if I say so myself. Now all I have to do is keep pushing this button…" He demonstrated, and Terra began convulsing with agony as Beast Boy tried to find a way to stop her suffering. "…until she does as I say. Which is to kill Beast Boy. Care to watch?"
"You asshole!"
Robin charged the man, calling out a battle cry that would have frozen an ordinary man's blood into ice. But Slade was not an ordinary man.
He caught the charging boy's staff. Tearing it from his grasp, he threw it across the room. His other hand connected with Robin's stomach, sending him flying back as the man stood up from the chair he had been sitting in.
"Get you weapon, boy. Don't you know not to attack unless the other is ready? Shame on you. I thought you knew better. But no matter."
He flipped over the button so that the weight of the base on the console kept it pushed in. Terra began to spasm again as the pain returned anew.
"The longer you take to defeat me, the longer she suffers. Now let us begin."
Slade charged him, staff upraised to strike at the boy's head. Robin dodged the blow, and used the momentum to back-flip over to his staff. Snatching it up, he jumped back toward the man, a roar ripping through his throat as he swung at his foe. Slade blocked his attack with his own weapon, and he tried to jab him in the chest. Robin dodged him, sending an electric disk towards the other. The villain casually bat it aside, and it landed on Cyborg's body, but skidded off onto the floor next to him. Slade swung at him with his cudgel, but Robin parried his blow, thrusting at his exposed neck. Slade dodged to the side, and threw a small bomb at the Boy Wonder. It exploded near him, and the smoke clouded the area. Slade knew he had survived, and sure enough, a birdirang came sailing out of the cloud of smoke, slicing Slade's staff cleanly in two. But Slade had slightly retracted the two ends of his weapon, and with the staff in two pieces, he know had a perfect pair of kali sticks to use. Swinging them together at Robin's temples, the boy ducked out of the way, sending his weapon into Slade's stomach just as he smacked Robin in the back. Both backed off, trying to recover before the other. Slade's healing factor gave him the advantage, and he returned to the fray renewed. He swung his sticks this way and that as he aimed for all of Robin's vital areas. Blocking them all, he returned with some blows of his own, putting the masked man on the defensive, pushing him back as he attempted to strike him anywhere he could. A downward strike was caught as Slade used a cross block to stop the instrument cold. Kicking out with his foot, Robin recoiled, and Slade brought his kali sticks down on Robin's head, trying to crack his skull. Robin blocked this attack, and rammed his elbow into the other man's chest, while Slade countered with an upward swing from one of his weapons. Both combatants stumbled back, but quickly regained their footing. They again clashed as kali stick met staff as the two battled on, oblivious to all around them as they swung and blocked, knowing that this was the final fight that would decide whether the city would return to its former glory or crumble before the might of Slade. As their fight waged on, another was beginning back at the Tower.
()()()
Terra was now sobbing as she squeezed as small as she could get, trying to stop the sound waves that were slowly but surely eating away at her from the inside out. Beast Boy had given up on removing the modules and had settled for somehow shutting them down. He tried to keep the crying Terra still as he searched all over for an entrance. He couldn't seem to find one, but then Terra smacked him away with a strength he never knew she possessed. Staring at her, he saw the crazed look on her face, and he became scared of her.
"Beast Boy, run." She said, heading toward him as tears poured down her face, but whether it was from pain or sadness, Beast Boy didn't know.
"Terra, I'm trying to help you."
"I know, but it's back, and I can't stop it."
"Terra, what are you talking about?"
"Please, just run…"
Then he saw the sadness in Terra's eyes leave, and a malicious glint formed where it had been. Cracking her knuckles, she seemed to ignore the pain it sent throughout her body. More than anything, it seemed to be enjoyable. She turned her attention to Beast Boy, who looked on in horror as something else possessed her. Glancing at him, she seemed surprised by his presence, but quickly recovered, and a grin that seemed to Beast Boy to be the smile of a demon spread over her features.
"Ah, Beast Boy. To what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting? Oh that's right. Had to stay and…" her voice sarcastically gained the tone like she was talking to a child. "protect poor helpless Terra, who might need you at her every beck and call." She laughed maniacally. "What on earth made me want to be with you?"
Socks came up to her and began to purr as he rubbed against her legs. She kicked him away, sending the feline into the couch, where he looked at her with a mixture of pain and anger. He hissed at her, and Terra sent a rock at him, which the cat dodged, and ran down the stairs. Beast Boy stared at her.
"Terra, what's gotten into you?"
"Gotten into me? Only some sense. I realized that Slade was right. I do enjoy death, but for some reason or other I stopped liking it. Compassion took hold of me, despite my efforts to banish this feeble emotion from my being. I tried to find a way to repent from my fun."
She chuckled, not at all the friendly giggle the Terra he knew used. "Repentance for those weaklings? What got into my head? I don't need to regret anything. But I realized that I had started to enjoy saving lives instead of taking them."
She scoffed at herself. "I even hitched up with you of all people. But Slade has released my true side and well…" She spread her arms wide, still looking evilly at him. "what do you think?"
"Your not Terra."
She roared with laughter, the pain from it either being ignored or enjoyed as she shook with mirth. "You idiot! I am Terra. I will always be Terra. What you associated with was not me, but merely my conscience taking hold of me for a short while. An illusion, as my former master once told you." Beast Boy ground his teeth, and she got a mocking tone to her voice. "Awww, did I hurt your itty bitty feewings?" She popped her head one way, cracking her neck as she revealed to Beast Boy the horror she had been hiding from him ever since she had met him. "I revel in your pain…" Her head jerked to the other side, popping her neck again. "I revel in all pain…" She smiled. "And I will soon roll in ecstasy from everyone's pain once again."
"The real Terra wouldn't hurt anyone."
"You still don't get it, do you? I am the real Terra, and I would hurt anyone and anything. I used to use peoples' pets as target practice; their whines were like a symphony from Beethoven himself. How about all the times me and my weaker side would consider suicide, trying to find a way to do it easy and quickly? She would always chicken out at the crucial moment. If not for your meddling, we would have succeeded earlier. But that's not all. Perhaps about the times the good in me would cry and cry, trying her hardest to wish me away? Or when she would look over the destruction we had caused, praying that she would be struck down and end the so-called 'turmoil'? The Terra you know is weak, with no need to be on this earth. There is and will always be me. She is gone forever. Get over it, lover-boy."
Beast Boy clenched his fist, and she giggled evilly. "You're going to try and stop me? That would involve killing me, along with the fake Terra you grew fond of. So what'll it be, changeling? Me or the city?"
"I'll save both, if you don't mind."
"Then by all means, try. I shall enjoy killing my so-called lover." She sarcastically blew him a kiss, reminding him of when she betrayed them the first time. "So long, Beast Boy. It was fun playing with your heart, but it's time to face the light. Or the darkness, as the situation is."
Beast Boy saw that she really meant to go through with it, and he popped his own neck.
"So this is how it ends, huh Terra? Regardless of how I feel for you, I won't go down without a fight."
He smiled with as much danger as she and more, pleased to note she hesitated. "Shall we dance?"
He became a raptor, and hit her away from himself with his tail. Terra flew into the wall, and in seconds Beast Boy had her pinned to the ground as an ape. She summoned rocks to the open window, and sent them at the green changeling, knocking him off her back. With him getting up from the floor, she sent the rocks at him, but he smashed them all as he whirled back on her, grabbing her in his arms to throw her across the room. Becoming a python, he wrapped himself around her body and began to squeeze the breath out of her, not enough to suffocate her, but so that she couldn't catch her breathe. Terra felt her broken bones scream out as the python continued to squeeze her. As she ran short of breath, the noise intensified, giving her new strength as the broke through his coils. He quickly became a tiger and slashed at her chest. She jumped back, and then found herself in the jaws of a crocodile. His jaws closed on her, keeping her still but not puncturing the skin. Terra shoved upwards in desperation, the sound driving her mad. She kicked the reptile in the nose, and it became Beast Boy once again, holding his nose as he rocked back and forth. Terra saw her opportunity, and tried to grab his throat, but his foot slammed into her gut. Flipping her over his head, Beast Boy sent her flying into the wall. With suddenness, the noise stopped, and she instantly regained her sanity. Beast Boy, unaware of this, became a T-Rex and was about to scoop her in his jaws when she rolled out of the way.
"Beast Boy, stop!" She shouted at him, but he didn't hear her. Grabbing her by the throat, he cut off her air supply in an attempt to knock her out. Terra tried her best to signal that she had returned to normal, but couldn't, as his grip was extremely strong, since he had become a gorilla. Terra kicked him in the chest, which sent him off of her. Stumbling back a pace, he recovered almost instantly, but Terra waved him down.
"Beast Boy, it's okay. It's gone…"
The noise started yet again. She gripped her head, but did not become the demon that had taken her mind before. Beast Boy morphed into a human and again began to search for a way to shut down the devices that were torturing her. Terra felt that horrible voice come back, speaking to her like she was a child.
"Let me back. I will end this forever. There will be no more pain for you, only for him. It won't go away 'til you do it."
She whimpered as she strived to drive the sinister voice away from herself. Beast Boy could sense the struggle between her two sides, and he gave up on his search, figuring getting rid of the noise would be impossible if she became what she had been. He knelt next to her, putting an arm around her as he tried his best to help her with the horrors she was mentally waging war with.
Suddenly, it seemed as though the noise stopped. Terra looked relieved, and she leaned on his shoulder, mentally exhausted from the conflict that had been taking place in her mind. Beast Boy looked at her face, trying to find out anymore about the side of Terra that he had just seen.
"What was that?"
"You don't want to know." She replied grimly, but before Beast Boy could insist, the sound returned. The battle for Terra's mind began anew, while the battle for Jump City waged below.
()()()
The cause for the break in her torment was Robin knocking off the trigger from the console. Raising his staff to destroy the device once and for all, He was struck by Slade, who tackled him to the side and flipped the instrument back over with his foot in one graceful swoop. Landing in a crouched position, He stared at the Boy Wonder.
"Sorry, Robin. Terra shall suffer for her sins. And I won't let you interfere with her judgment. Now come, let us finish this."
Pouncing at the boy, Slade aimed his kali for his opponents face, but Robin hit them away, sending the other end into Slade's side. Slade countered with a kali stick to his shoulder, and Robin swung at him sideways. Slade blocked this with both of his weapons, and the two became locked in a power struggle as they tried to push the other away.
"Now Robin. Weren't you taught anything? Locking weapons with a staff is not the wisest choice. For you see…"
Slade turned around the side of the boy, and clotheslined him with one of his kali. Sending the other into his back, Slade then moved them quickly upwards to Robin's neck. Holding the boy like this, he slammed him to the ground. Slade flipped one of his sticks so that he was holding it upside down, with the length pointing at the ground that his target was laid upon. Sending it towards Robin's throat, it was stopped when Robin kicked him away. Slade used the momentum to flip over, and landed on the floor near Starfire. He glanced at her limp body casually.
"Why, I do believe she is dying, Robin. And Terra is still suffering. Your team has been annihilated, and the city is mine. What makes you think you can win?"
"Because it's my job to rid the world of scum like you."
"Touché, my friend. But you must see reason. I have won. All I have to do is call in my androids to wipe out your team, and then you. But I choose not to."
"Why not?"
"Because Robin." Slade's eye slit dangerously. "I'm not through with you."
He flipped over the remote that was torturing Terra. He threw it behind him, and it skidded over to the entrance that led to the supercomputer. The door slid open, and an android reached down and picked up the device. It walked into the room and stood in a corner, watching the two combatants silently as they tried to stare the other down.
"No more distractions, Robin. No teams to defend, no Terra to try and save, no nothing. Except for the fate of your little girlfriend. Those live wires must be eating up her energy like candy."
Robin charged the man. There was no warning, no shout of rage. Simply an advance towards the man, as Robin swung his staff with the speed of a master. Slade's kali moved just as fast, but not enough to stop all the blows. Slade saw he was losing, and silently signaled the android to push the button, which it did without hesitation. Terra's pain began again, and Slade took the split second that Robin was distracted by her shouts to send one stick into his head. Robin went flying towards Starfire and the console, but stopped short as he skidded to a stop, his crouched position stopping his advance. He whirled and snatched her from the broken machine, sending her over to land against Cyborg. Robin turned back to Slade, but he sent a kali at his head. It connected, and the Boy wonder went down under the stress. Slade stood over him, still as composed as ever.
"And so it ends. You put up a challenge, but now I will take your life, your friends' lives, and the mind of Terra in one blow. Now how many birds is that to kill with a single stone is that? No matter. Good-bye, Robin." Slade raised both sticks at once, preparing to bring them down on the others temple, but he was distracted by the green ape that slammed into him.
In fact, it took up all his attention.
Slade looked up at Beast Boy, who was transforming back into a human.
"What are you doing here?"
"Stopping you, Captain Obvious." He said smugly.
"Aren't you supposed to be…" He started, but Terra stepped out from behind him, where she had been lurking in the shadows.
"Ah, there you are. I saw your little… 'transformation', for lack of a better word. This discovery reveals much. No wonder you were the murderer that I perceived you to be. That side of you must be difficult to control. Perhaps so difficult, that it could be released if I do this?"
Slade pushed the button, and the noise started up again. Terra Remained standing, but it was obvious to all that she was having difficulty staying that way. Slade looked at her struggles, adding in his monolog in an attempt to change her once again.
"Now now, Terra, this petty resistance is futile. Do you not want to change? I can help you child. I can make you well. But first you have to show me. Come now, Terra. Let the killer come out and play."
His words crumbled her resistance, and the glint returned once more returned to her eyes.
"Very well, then. Now what? Perhaps a little demonstration?"
She sent two tendrils of stone at him, but he simply stepped a pace ahead, the two tentacles demolishing each other as they made contact.
"Better, Terra. But still not good enough."
Swinging his kali sticks at her, she blocked them both with her broken arms. She smiled maniacally at him, and sent the rubble at his back. It connected with him, and he stumbled past her, grunting as they struck him. She looked at him with contempt.
"This is all my former master can do?"
"Not even close."
Slade sent both his kali into her sides. Lifting them so that they struck her armpits, he flipped her and slammed her head into the ground. Kicking her in the stomach, she went sailing away from him, but she threw some more rocks at him, but a jump straight up sent them harmlessly under the man. Landing back on the ground, Slade jumped towards her, and swung outwards with his sticks. Terra couldn't stop this, and the force that it hit her neck was enough to paralyze her for a short while. Beast Boy then entered the fray, his hippo form smacking Slade away from her as his nose connected with his torso.
Terra sent a boulder into him, pinning him against the wall. "I didn't ask for your help." She growled at him, turning in time to see her opponent's weapons spinning towards her. They struck her on the head and chest. Slade, now devoid of any weapon, tried to jump-kick her, but her time under him had taught her a thing or two about self-defense. Rolling forward, she kicked behind her to catch him in the back with the heel of her foot. He lost his balance, landing on his back. She sent another pillar at him, aiming to crush his chest, but he flipped back out of the way. A sweep kick sent her to the ground again, and he grabbed her by the hair. Swinging her in a wide circle, he sent her towards the wall, letting go at the right moment to make her head hit first. She stood back up, but he was there in an instant, an uppercut sending her over his head to the ground behind him. She growled in frustration as he stood looking at her with the same contempt she had only moments ago.
"Is that all you got, Terra? Disappointing. Your other side is nothing like I expected. Even this part of you doesn't belong among the living, and not even the dead. Now what to do? Perhaps, we should ask the boyfriend. Tell me, Beast Boy, what shall her fate be?"
Beast Boy, who had unpinned himself from the wall. Looked at Terra. He saw the same look that had possessed her earlier.
"Well, lover-boy? What'll it be?" she asked, smiling smugly at him, awaiting his decision.
"That you go away and let the real Terra out."
She sighed. "I've told you once, I've told you twice, I've told you a thousand times, I am the real Terra."
"Prove it. Where you there in the beginning?"
"No, but…"
"Where you what her parents knew and loved before she began wandering?"
"No…"
Were you the one who would take over her real side and make her do those things?"
"Yes."
"Now tell me how you are the real Terra."
"Well… I…"
"You are merely her anger manifested as a separate entity. She was always the caring person I know. You would simply be set loose by accident every now and then. If you were the real Terra, she wouldn't feel remorse for what you did under her name."
"Shut up…"
"She wouldn't have been able to fight you back at all."
"Shut up…"
"And she wouldn't have become my friend!"
"Shut up!"
Terra jumped at him, but he simply became a gorilla and grabbed her by the throat. Setting her down. He began to combat the demon that had plagued her life for as long as she could remember.
"Come out, Terra."
"I am Terra!"
"Your stronger than this. Fight it. Don't let it take you."
Terra screamed, and sent a rock hurtling at his back. Jumping out of the way, the sinister side watching in horror as it came straight for her instead. She gasped as it hit her in the diaphragm, knocking out her air as it continued its plunge into her. When it finally stopped its movement, Terra was pinned under the rock helplessly, unable to move it due to the lack of oxygen to her brain. Beast Boy's gorilla form soon moved it, and once again becoming human, he stared at her.
"Terra?"
She looked at him through half closed eyes. "Beast Boy?" Her tone was normal.
She had thrown off the evil spirit that had possessed her once again, hopefully for the final time.
Slade made his presence known again. "So Terra finally has peace of mind as Beast Boy looks on at her demise. How cliché. I feel like I'm in some sort of drama story."
He put his hands behind his back. "Now where were we before this… touching moment began? Oh yes. Me and Terra were fighting. But seeing as how she will never fight again, shall we continue where she left off, Beast Boy?"
He took up a fighting stance. Beast Boy became a raptor once more, and the two began circling each other, looking for an opening in the others defense. Seeing none, Beast Boy began with a jump at him, fangs bared and claws poised to rip through Slade in a killing blow. Slade ducked to the side, aiming to chop Beast Boy's back. The changeling whipped back with his tail and caught the man in the chest. Slade went flying back, hitting his back on the wall. Standing up, his brain capacity allowed him to make up a plan within a split second. Letting Beast Boy charge him, he feinted towards Terra, and Beast Boy turned to attack. Going the other way, he zoomed around Beast Boy to catch Terra by the hair once again. He used her as a shield, stopping Beast Boy's rampage against the insane man.
"Come now, Beast Boy. Don't be surprised. Use every asset in battle. A quote from Sun Tzu's Book of War, I believe. Perhaps I should finish this now. Say good-bye to your little girlfriend."
Slade made ready to snap her neck, but Robin struck him like Hellfire. Smashing the man as hard as he could with his fists, he shouted orders to the others, who had finally recovered from their blows.
"Get out of here! Destroy the computer and get out!"
"Dude, what about…"
"NOW!!!"
Silently following his orders, They set off, Cyborg gingerly carrying Raven, trying to keep her back straight as he ran madly towards the exit. Opening the door, he handed her to Starfire, and sent a blast at a cooling vent on the behemoth. Alarms began anew, but the Titans were driven on by pure rage, sending all they had at what was left of the once most heavily defended structure in the city. Beast Boy lagged back with Terra, trying not to become a target as the others fought tooth and nail with the beast.
Starfire dodged through the drones that remained, with Cyborg providing cover as she fired at the cooling vents, trying to melt down the central core that would destroy the monster. Cyborg noted some lasers had targeted Raven, who was set behind the consoles, but she awoke in time to grab them and tear them from the massive creature.
Returning to his task, Cyborg fired at the turrets that threatened to hit the alien girl, but she flew around their bolts like she had been doing it all her life, even having them hit their own drones as she ducked and weaved through the forest of red lasers, seeking to annihilate the leviathan.
When all air vents were destroyed that she could reach without straying to far from her cover-fire, she zipped back to the top, keeping the drones distracted from her vulnerable teammates. Raven sent some bolts at the pests, but since she couldn't move, they were not at all close to her full potential. However, it was enough to annihilate the lightly armored security modules, and Cyborg and Starfire were able to take care of the rest.
With no way to take down the computer, they would soon be overwhelmed by sheer exhaustion from the countless drones and turrets that surrounded the behemoth. Robin provided the solution with all his explosive disks into an open cooling vent. The devices traveled down to the core, the shockwaves from the explosions rupturing the sensitive components that made up the central unit.
The alarm stream changed from signaling intruders to alerting of a core meltdown. Explosions began to rip across the surface of the thing, the groans and shrieks of metal giving way seeming to be like the calls of a dying animal.
Seeing as the only way out had been blocked by the lock-down, he used his last option.
Snatching up Raven, Robin leapt over the consoles, telling the others to follow suit. Starfire took Cyborg, and Beast Boy Terra as they plunged after their leader as he pulled a grappling hook from his coat, which was flaring out like wings as he continued his descent the floor below. Drones tried to pursue them, but were destroyed as a particularly large explosion tore through the armor of the creature, rupturing their armor and causing them to detonate themselves, raining shards of metal towards the Titans.
Within the space of a few seconds, Robin saw the ground come into view. Snapping out the cable, it wrapped around a turret, which held their weight as he let himself drop the rest of the way. Landing softly, He discovered to his horror that the doorway was open, revealing the biggest mass of androids he had ever seen. He jumped out of the way, and his timing was perfect, for just the an explosion tore through the hall, wiping out every single android completely as it tore into the room, the pressure keeping it contained to the space directly in front of the doorway. The others landed, and Robin handed Raven to Cyborg.
"Take the others and get out of here."
"Dude, where you goin'?"
"I'm going after Slade."
Cyborg decided it was best not to argue, so he flagged down Beast Boy and Terra.
"Come on, this way."
"What about Robin?" Starfire inquired.
"He knows what he's doing. Let's go."
"But…"
"Starfire, you want to argue with him like he is? Let's get out before this place takes us all with it!"
Cyborg turned and ran down the hallway, Beast Boy and Terra bringing up the rear. Starfire looked to where Robin had disappeared. She turned and followed her friends back to the entrance of the complex.
They met no resistance as they tore through the hallways, knowing their lives depended on speed.
()()()
Robin swung back up to the top of the room. Landing expertly back on the circular platform, he ran through the doorway and looked left and right for the masked man.
"Looking for me?"
Robin looked up in surprise to see Slade crouched against the wall using some form of martial arts that Robin had never seen before.
Slade dropped down, aiming a punch at Robin's face. Dodging to the side, the Boy Wonder stared at the man who had his fist buried in the ground. Pulling it out, he stared at Robin with the calm, collected expression he always had.
"So you've come to finish me off, eh? But as you can see, I'm still at my full potential. And you know you cannot beat me. Wasn't I about to finish you of not too long ago? No matter, I shall do it now. One last round, Robin. No weapons, no gadgets. Strictly hand-to-hand combat. This is the beginning of the end. My base is gone, but will I be? Come, Robin. Let us begin."
Robin flipped a switch on one of his gadgets just as Slade punched him backwards. Robin stood up, and with a hoarse yell charged into battle, their attacks moving like lightning as they sought to strike the other down. Soon, they backed into the computer room. Slade threw Robin at the edge, but he caught on, flipping himself up to deliver a kick to the chest in the same motion. Slade stumbled back, but recovered quickly, trying to jump-kick his opponent. Robin back-flipped out of the way, but Slade swept at him, sending him crashing to the floor. Slade made to plant his heel into Robin's chest, but the boy caught it, and shoved upwards. Slightly losing his balance, Slade stepped back a pace, and countered Robin's subsequent lunge with an uppercut. Robin went flying backwards, and Slade managed to catch him before he landed. Throwing him into a console, he kicked the boy in the gut, knocking the air from him. As Robin stood up, gasping for air, Slade grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Making to smash his fist into his head, he heard an engine behind him. Turning around, he saw for a brief second the R-cycle approaching him like a vengeful angel. It collided with him, which made him release Robin, dropping him to the ground. Robin stood up groggily, and looked out at where the man had disappeared. He saw Slade hanging by a hand on one of the cooling vents of his computer. "Slade!" Robin shouted, but the masked man continued to stare at him, the light of contempt back in his eye and tone.
"And so it ends. You win, Robin. How does it feel? Do you feel like a hero? Perhaps that all will be well again? You will never learn."
Slade released his hold from the vent. "Good-bye, Robin. 'Til our paths cross again."
The man known as Slade fell down towards the floor. Robin was about to go and catch him, but then an explosion shot upwards, knocking him back off his feet. Robin felt certain. That blast must have surely killed the man. He felt a twang of sadness for the man, but he remembered his current situation. Dashing to the R-cycle, he jumped on, jamming down on the starter. It fired up immediately, and Robin whirled it around as he rode back into the control room just as the computer detonated.
Flames spread their way towards him like fingers as he turned towards the main hall that would lead to the outside. Hitting on the gas full throttle, the sounds of his motor revving intensified as it and its rider sped towards the entrance. The flames followed them down the hall, seeming to take a life of their own as they spread towards Robin at a deadly speed, threatening to engulf him should he make a wrong move. He sped on his way, ducking his head to avoid the shots from androids that still remained. They were immediately vaporized by the advancing wall of flames, and Robin dared not look back as he went flying down the hallway towards his friends and fresh air. He felt small tendrils of flames lick at him as he saw the entrance come into view.
()()()
The others had been waiting for what felt like hours. Starfire flew back and forth restlessly, looking every few seconds at the entrance to Slade's lair. Terra noticed her irritation, and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry about it. It's Robin, after all. He can take care of himself."
Starfire nodded, but continued her airborne pacing, still looking down the entrance for any sign of the Boy Wonder.
Without warning she heard the motor of the R-cycle running, and another sound that put dread in her heart. It was a sound that the miners on her planet talked about. The survivors told of the sound of death speeding down towards them, like angry snakes advancing on a herd of baby pigs.
The sound of rushing flames.
The others heard it too, and all except for Raven, who couldn't move since her back was broken, looked into the entrance to see the Boy wonder running from the fire that would engulf him at any second. They saw the flames wrap around him completely, blocking him from view, and Starfire gasped. She then looked as he burst through the inferno and passed them as he zoomed out the access tunnel, followed by a pillar of blazing fire that passed them all, soon receding back into the passageway like a monstrous viper. Skidding to a halt, he stepped off his mount to be painfully embraced by Starfire, who hugged him as though he would go back if she let him go.
"Robin, you made it back, I'm so happy I could…"
Robin became alarmed. "Uh, Star? Could we leave out any, um… singing? I'm not really in the mood right now."
"Of course, whatever you wish."
She backed off, letting the others congratulate their leader.
"Boo-ya, the little bird returns to his team, ha hah!"
"Nice work, Boy Wonder."
"Dude, that totally kicked butt! Could you do it again sometime?"
"Good going, man."
Robin felt better than he had ever felt before. Slade was gone. The Titans were back together. Terra and Beast Boy had finally hooked up again, and he and Starfire also had something click between them. Cyborg backed off to Raven. He grinned at the Boy Wonder and the Alien, who were whirling around jovially.
"They're really hittin' it off good."
"You said it."
"Think it'll last?"
"I have no doubts. They'll be a good couple, but not like Terra and Beast Boy."
"I know, those two are like yin and yang. I ain't worried about them, their gonna be fine."
"We all are. There's no more threat. If it weren't for my back, I'd probably be out there with them if my good judgment lapsed."
"You dance? Now there's something for the papers."
Raven smiled. "I can see the headlines now…" She framed her head with her hands. "Raven dances, whole city in shock as she shows us how to do the Charleston."
Cyborg fell out laughing at the thought of Raven doing the Charleston, a dance that was created during the Roarin' Twenties.
"Oh, boy. With a picture of you dancing like that on the front page, captioned 'Raven awes audience as she demonstrates the Watusi to all who see her.'!"
The thought of that sent both teens into hysterics, their laughter mingling with the wind as it blew through the streets of Jump City, which were now devoid of any of Slade's creations. The six of them could almost hear the pitter-patter of feet hitting the sidewalk as the people who would soon return walked along the sidewalks, while cars once again drove down the streets, and the joyous sound of children playing that would come from the park.
They arrived at Titans Tower, standing at the entrance, trying to figure out how to solve the problem that now stood before them.
"Alright, good work team. We've beaten Slade, and the city is back to normal. Well, as normal as it needs to be right now. But there is still one problem that remains. How are we going to stop this permanent winter that Slade put on the city?"
There were several seconds of silence, when Terra spoke up.
"Slade told me about the computer, warning me not to enter the room for anything. He said that all functions were run by that computer. So chances are that it was run by the computer as well."
Robin pondered on this, but was interrupted by the most appropriate sight, something he hadn't seen for what felt like years.
The sun rose slowly, its power and grace like a god as it peeked over the horizon, shining down upon the city and its six inhabitants. They all stared in wonder at the beauty, silent as they watched the object bring light to once dark corners, seeming like a wondrous presence that brought peace and warmth wherever it went. As the star rose, the Titans looked away, as though it was God Himself that was making His presence over the horizon.
They all walked humbly into the tower, Cyborg and Starfire carrying Raven on a piece of wood into their home. Robin followed, and Beast Boy walked in, leaving Terra alone to think. She smiled towards the sun, silently thanking whatever higher spiritual being was out there that let her win her fight over her evil side. Beast Boy poked his head out.
"What's the hold-up, Terra? Come on, were gonna have a feast!"
"Not your junky tofu burgers!" She heard Cyborg shout from upstairs.
"Yes I am having my tofu!" He yelled, dashing up the stairs to fight over the main course of their meal.
"All right, be there in a sec." Terra called up to them. She turned back to the sunrise, and saw her parents standing there before her. Her mom's golden hair did not wave as a breeze picked up, while her dad's blue eyes shone down at her with the love only a parent could show. They waved at her, and disappeared behind a dust cloud that the breeze picked up. Terra smiled, and a tear fell down her cheek. She wiped it away, and turned back towards the door that led inside the tower. As she neared the top, she started to distinguish the heated argument between Beast Boy and Cyborg over the main course of their celebration banquet.
"Make me some tofu!"
"Naw, that'll ruin the meal!"
"Just do it!"
"Uh, guys? Couldn't you just each…"
"Shut up with your idiotic arguing?"
"Not quite what I was going to say."
Terra smiled happily. The elevator door opened, allowing her to be with her friends, her family, and her home. This was how life should be.
This was the life she had always sought.
The sun shone down warmly at the heroes who had given their all to save the city from the hold of its most deadly foe.
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This concludes the story "Titans Rising". Turns out there won't be 3-5 more chapters. I'll be working on a sequel, as well as a humorous songfic and a crossover with a video game called "The Suffering"
This story began as a simple fun activity and quickly became the thing that I focused on most from start to finish.
Terra's problem is slight schizophrenia with a split personality. Sort of like Gollum, only not as much conversation between the two sides.
There WILL be an epilogue setting up the sequel. Whether I write it or not remains to be determined.
My hopes for the third and fourth season are that
1. Terra comes back, or is at least mentioned.
2. That there will be as much good wholesome drama in the rest of the series as there was in season two
3. That Beast Boy will finally find that special someone that's out there for everyone that isn't secretly working for the main villain. And you know who I mean. The story tells you all.
Thank you for reviewing, and I'll see you next time. Good night, everybody! You've been a wonderful audience!
This story was begun to show the horrors of suicide and that it is possible to recover from it. Whether or not it accomplished this is up to you.
In loving memory of my father. God rest his soul.