The cavern was dark, very dark to be sure, and Beast Boy could barely see a few feet in front of him, even though the room was eerily lit from several small slits that let in thin beams of light. Yet, he could recognize that despicable voice anywhere.
"Save your strength, I came here to talk." Slade began laconically as he walked towards Beast Boy.
"I have nothing to say to you." Beast boy's voice was full of hate.
"Oh? But I do. I do." Slade continued on, with no change in his taunting voice. He proceeded to the center of the cavern, stopping just far enough from Beast boy that he could make out his silouette in the darkness
"I have a proposition for you."
"Not interested." Beast boy shouted back, transforming into a gorilla and throwing a slab of rock at Slade.
The masked man however, was quicker, and simply back flipped out of the way as the boulder exploded harmlessly into hundreds of pieces.
An uncomfortable silence settled now as the dust began filling up the cavern. After a few seconds however, it was quickly broken.
"Really now? I believe you will have little choice in the matter." Slade tossed a small object through the dust; and it bounced softly as it landed with a small scraping sound next to Beast Boy's feet. He opened his eyes in surprise as he picked up the butterfly shaped pin. A torrent of images now flowed through Beastboy's mind.....
"You were the best friend, I ever had."
"You'd said you'd be my friend no matter what. Remember?"
"What have you done with Terra?" Beastboy demanded firmly.
"I believe the real question is, what have you done for her? I recall it's been almost a year since our last scrape. Yet, she still sits there...petrified and vulnerable. And I thought you were friends."
That last remark opened up old wounds. It was true that it had been over a year, but through all the villains and fights, they had been trying to get her back. He remembered Robin testing out his new gadgets, to see if they could reanimate Terra. He had even spent several afternoons with Raven, trying to look up a spell in one of her many books, but nothing helped.
"Ironic, however, that unlike your friends, I have been finding a way to bring her back. Or is it that you don't trust her enough to bring her back?"
"Liar!" Beast Boy shouted with a deep felt rage. "We tried! We never gave up!"
"Yet. She still lies there." Slade's voice became more dark now, grim and oppressive.
"We'll find a way, and I won't need your help."
"On the contrary my friend, you will. Because unlike your so-called "Team". I have found a way to bring her back." The masked villain's voice was triumphant, fully aware of the fact that he had the edge now.
"And if I refuse?"
Slade's eyes shot a deathly glare. "I will leave that up to your imagination."
"What do you want?"
"A simple request, three to be precise." Slade held up three fingers mockingly in front of Beast boy. "I believe that is simple enough even for you."
"You're lying. We've tried so hard to bring her back and your expecting me to believe you found a way just like that?"
Slade gave a dark chuckle, picking up a small rock in his hand, as well as taking out a vial from his combat belt.
"You recall my Cronoton Detonator?" Slade spoke casually, while loading the vial onto a small gun. Then he looked up at Beast Boy with a dark smile. "Oh but of course you do, I nearly destroyed you with it."
"Get to the point." Beast boy couldn't believe he was doing this. He was talking with this...this maniac! This psycho! Who had caused so much pain, so much destruction, yet the thought of Terra falling into the hands of Slade again was too much. He promised he would bring her back, and he was determined to keep it. He watched with avid curiousity.
"Nanoprobes, you are aware, can destroy things at a microscopic level. I have taken that technology one step further, and created Nano-drones." The capsule was loaded into the gun now, and Slade pointed it at the rock in his palm, his eyes still staring coldly at Beast Boy.
The rock was engulfed in a blinding red light as Slade pulled the trigger, Beastboy watched as the rock slowly began...growing?
"Nano-drones are like the Nanoprobes, they can change matter at the microscopic level, as well as add onto it." He held out the rock now, and it slowly began changing shapes and size in his hand.
"Nanodrones however, can also destroy, just like nanoprobes." The rock began to crack and twist now, before crumbling into dust in Slade's hand. The demonstration was over.
"Three tasks Beast Boy, and I will bring your precious little friend back."
"What? You're gonna turn her into Jelly?" Beast boy said cynically.
"You are mistaken. Your friend is in a state of hibernation, alive, but trapped, inside a casing of pure obsidian. Your little friends could not find a way to bring her out. Because frankly, you had no way of safely breaking her out without harming her."
Slade had been correct, perfectly accurate in his assessment. And that only frustrated Beast Boy more.
"So the decision is up to you. Perform this favour for me and she will be free, unless you are willing to wait several thousand years before her obsidian shell prison erodes away."
"My friends will have a solution! I'm not going to depend on you!"
"Oh, but you will, you will see that there is no other alternative." He continued on derisively. "Go ahead. Crawl back to your little friends. In time, you will see that the only thing they will offer you is a shoulder to cry on. Nothing else."
"You're lying." Beast boy repeated again. "Besides, even if I do agree to your stupid favour, I won't be able to do it."
"You are referring to your little team? Do not worry about that, I have already figured that part out. All that is left, really, is your choice. How much do you value....a friend?"
A sharp explosion echoed the chamber now, small grains of sand already streaming from the roof.
"Beast boy! Are you alright?" It was Cyborg's voice. He was already drilling through the caved in rock. "Hang on B, I'm almost there!" more light was now entering the cavern as Cyborg made more progress with the rock.
"Your believe that your teammates can solve everything for you, can offer you support or whatever you seek. However, the reality is quite different. To gain something, you must sacrifice something else. Does your life even have a purpose? or are you content to be under the shadow of all your 'friends', the team fool? To be the butt of every joke?" Slade's voice was calm and careful now, as if he was speaking to a child now. He slowly began receding back, into the shadows.
"It is quite evident that your team has no liking for my former apprentice. What, then, will you do, when I revive her? Your Team, the Titans as you call it, are only shackles that bind you. They offer you promises, hopes, aspirations, and dreams but Nothing more. Cut off those worthless connections and you will truly gain what you seek. I can give you what you seek."
He could bring Terra back, but then what? The team would never trust her again. NO, he thought, shaking his head. I can't fall for another one of Slade's tricks. He's doing this on purpose. But still...he missed her so much.
Slade was disappearing now, and Beast boy watched silently as the last words echoed through the dark chamber.
"I will be waiting for you."
The rock broke loose and a much-relieved cyborg and starfire awaited him on the other side.
"Are you harmed?" Starfire asked with concern.
"No." Beast boy replied flatly. "I'm fine."
Cyborg did not know what to make of this, but he guessed BB was still in a bad mood over that rock on the head incident. "The worms got away, so we're regrouping. So let's go, my circuits are going to jam if we stay under here in this dust any longer."
And so they went back to the surface, while Beast Boy's thoughts were clouded with the revelation he had just heard. The future suddenly seemed dark, apprehensive and filled with uncertainty.
(Back at the tower)
"At the risk of sounding redundant, it looks like Slade is back." Robin grimly wiped the dust and soot off his costume.
"And he's got bigger toys." Cyborg commented as he continued repairs on his right arm. That worm he had destroyed really packed a punch.
"That never stopped us before." Robin continued on, while surveying the lounge. The last Earthquake had left the room in shambles, the TV was smashed, rubble and destroyed steel beams lay on the floor, while the remains of Beast Boy's leaning tower of Waffles continued to smell sweet under a mountain of concrete and steel, next to the destroyed fridge.
"We better clean up this mess while we think up some ideas." Raven suggested.
"Did Slade tell you about his plans Robin?" Starfire inquired. "He always seemed to."
"No. All he did was tell me that I was no longer his choice for an apprentice." Robin continued on, pacing the room in contemplation.
"That's a relief!" Cyborg replied. "No more calls at five in the morning eh B?" He gave Beastboy a friendly nudge.
"This is serious Cyborg." Beast Boy replied, and Cyborg look at his friend as if he had suddenly sprouted horns. The rest of the team looked on in surprise.
"Beast boy, for once, is right, we have to find out what Slade is planning." Raven broke the uneasy silence, maintaining the focus of the conversation.
"My guess is, that Slade will come to us." Robin said with an almost grim confidence.
"Then we shall be ready!" Starfire raised her arm up in a gesture of triumph.
Robin nodded. "I'll be monitoring the city for any activities, until then all we can do now is prepare."
"Beast Boy?" Raven asked, not in her usual dry tone, but in a surprisingly concerned voice. "Are you alright? You haven't made one stupid comment since the Quarry."
"I'm fine Rave, just...thinking."
"About what my friend?" Starfire asked sincerely.
"Well...It's been one year since we lost Terra. I was wondering how close we were to finding a cure." Beast Boy explained.
"Don't worry Beast Boy, we made a promise remember? We'll get her back. I'm working on a way." Cyborg replied.
"How can you be sure it will work this time?" Beast Boy said wearily.
"There are many bugs, but don't worry I can fix it in no time." Cyborg assured his friend.
"I have been researching a way to bring her back since you helped me a few weeks ago Beast Boy." Raven placed her hand on his shoulder. "I am sure there is a spell in one of my books, I just have to find it."
"Its all going to take time isn't it." Beast boy lowered his head. "Time, time. Always more time." He restrained himself from raising his voice. Yet his voice betrayed the pain of having to wait so long. The torture of knowing that they had let down their friend once again.
Robin stepped up now, the tone of the conciliatory friend. "Have faith Beast Boy, we'll find a way. Besides, we've got more immediate problems to worry about, like Slade."
"Slade...Slade, its always about Slade! What about Terra? She was our friend, one of us....We've promised her we'd bring her back! But things like these always get in the way! At this rate, we'll –"He stopped.... "I'm sorry."
"No..." Robin replied back, slightly embarrassed. "I should be the one apologizing, you are right Beast Boy, but, things like these take time. All we can do is wait, and keep hope and her memory alive."
"Be cheerful my friend! We will bring her back, when that day comes, we will all celebrate with a great feast of Glork!"
"Thanks Starfire." Beast boy said weakly. He turned away now, troubled thoughts already clouding his mind. Robin spoke of Terra as if she was dead. Keep her memory alive But she wasn't dead, he was talking as if he had given up. Had the team really given up?
"He just needs some time alone." Raven offered helpfully. Cyborg could only shrug, he didn't know what to do.
"Well, we might as well get ready, who knows when Slade will plan his next move."
Cyborg, Raven and Starfire gave an acknowledging nod, and then the titans went their separate ways. Robin dove deep into his work now, in his usual Slade-obsessed fashion while Cyborg checked the computer to see if there were any weaknesses in the Tower's security. While Starfire took up the task of doing of impromptu home improvement, clearing the steel beams while trying her best to fill in the cracks in the walls.
Beast boy went back to his room now, jumped back onto his bed as he looked beside him. The heart case that he had spent hours making for her still lay on his desk. He picked it up and opened it, watched blankly as he stared at his reflection in the glass. He felt a deep pain in himself, the realization of the fact that he had failed. He had broken his promise. He had always been the funny one, bungling his way through situation after situation, always escaping even the deadliest problems unscathed. But for the first time in his life, he truly had no idea what he was going to do......
"Terra, I'm Sorry."