The battle had proceeded farther from the prison now, much to the surprise of the Titans. Instead of heading towards the cellblocks containing Cinderblock and Plasmus, Overload conducted a massive offensive, forcing the Titans back to the mainland with huge bolts of electricity as well as the occasional toss of the armoured car.
The prison was a smoking now, a result of Overload's previous rampage, and the guards were having their hands full with the escaping convicts. It was up to the Titans to stop this monster themselves.
"Raven! We need to move to a better location!" Robin yelled as he threw three explosives discs at Overload, which he quickly absorbed and shot back at Robin with an equally destructive force, narrowly missing him. The resulting explosion knocked another police car from the bridge, sending it to the icy depths.
"Already on it." Raven replied, her eyes glowing with her dark black chakra. She raised her hands as she began to focus her powers, concentrating hard in her mind.
The ground immediately below Overload began turning black now, and the patch grew, radiating until it surrounded all the titans and the monster.
"Azerath Metrion Zinthos!"
The black chakra curled into the air now, and completely shrouded the fight. Seen from afar, the black magical energies resembled a ball, a ball that quickly molded itself into the shape of a raven and flew off into the distance.
The guards at the prison watched with relief as the monster seemingly disappeared into the sky with the titans, and soon began rounding up prisoners again within the smoky ruins.
They landed in the forest.
With a loud less-than-gracious thump, the entire team touched ground along with Overload, and the fight resumed. They must have moved at least ten miles inland, to the edge of a forest that separated the city from the mountain range beyond. Huge cliffs dominated the battlefield, although the scenery was the last thing on their minds.
"Overload will destroy!" He gave a cackling roar, ripping a gigantic tree from the ground and preparing to toss it at the Titans.
"Let's see how you handle a sonic boom! Robin!" Cyborg gave the cue, and immediately both of them began running towards the towering Overload. Between Overload was a huge tree and a rocky cliff, just enough space for this next move.
Overload threw the tree now, and it hit nothing but dirt as Cyborg and Robin quickly peeled off in opposite directions, with Cyborg's cannon warming up as he ran. Running quickly, Robin quickly ran up the tree, doing an acrobatic somersault while Cyborg jumped off the walls. All this happened so fast that by the time Overload demolished the tree and shot the wall, the two titans were already above his head.
"Chew on this!" Cyborg fired, and Robin threw a hand full of explosive discs into the creature. Overload shrank from the enormous blow of the Sonic cannon, and the explosions from Robin's discs flattened the monster even more, as if he was being crushed into the ground.
"Have we succeeded?" Starfire asked curiously, floating above a puzzled beast boy and Raven. The smoke still obscured much.
They got their answer when Robin and Cyborg were thrown out of the smoke, followed by huge waves of electricity.
Beast boy immediately turned into a mole and dug underground while Raven and Starfire let loose a barrage of starbolts and black magic to hold the wall of electricity at bay. The impending collision of powers resulted in a gigantic explosion that sent both titans flying into the trees. Overload still stood amidst the smoke.
"Man, is it just me, or did this guy get tougher." Cyborg groaned, feeling his aching head.
"A lot tougher, Slade must have something to do with this." Robin, ignoring the pain, already had his next gadget out, a gigantic spherical bomb. The same one he used to take out Slade's army of Robots the last time he fought the villain.
Overload however was quicker, and using his control over electronics, the device was quickly pulled out of Robin's hands and levitated ominously in the air. The bomb opened up now, and the familiar sounds of electronics signified that the bomb was now activated.
"Take cover!" Robin cried out, jumping to a dazed starfire and pinning her to the safety of the ground, Cyborg did the same, hiding behind a large boulder, dragging an unconscious Raven to safety.
The resulting blast was so powerful that it ripped trees from their roots, disintegrating the Rock that the team hit behind, as well as creating a gigantic crater within the ground.
The team lay on the ground helpless now, too injured and dazed by the blast to immediately do anything. This was the moment he had been waiting for.
"Time for annihilation. Overload will annihilate!" Overload said sinisterly, then began raising his arms and charging up an energy ball to finally destroy the temporarily helpless titans.
Except that a T-rex ran right into the monster, plowing him into the nearby rocks at the cliff. This released a torrent of boulders, which began raining down on Overload.
Beast Boy transformed back into his human form. "Dude, you can at least stop with the whole third person thing, it's getting on my nerves."
"Overload always refers to himself in third person! Prepare to be destroyed!" He assailed Beast boy now with an onslaught of electric blasts now. Each shot was seamlessly dodged as Beast Boy transformed into a Cheetah, then into an eagle, and into a mouse. Explosions racked the mountain as Overload became more frustrated in the elusiveness of his target.
"Good work Beast Boy! Titans Go!" Robin regained his senses now, and the four titans now let loose their own barrage onto Overload. Cyborg fired his sonic cannon again, while Robin threw his explosive Bird-a-rangs. Raven and Starfire fired an endless stream of blasts.
Overload growled in frustration as the blasts forced him ever closer towards a rocky cul-de-sac, yet he did not turn his attention away from Beast Boy. He decided to finish this one off first. Overload's back exploded in a searing flash, causing the other Titans to fall back temporarily blinded..
"Now foolish biological. You will be crushed. You have nowhere to run. Overload will destroy!"
Yet Beast Boy attempted to run, swerving left and right, but each step he took, Overload sent a surge of electrical blasts to stop him in his tracks. Beast Boy backed away nervously as he saw that each blast had dug a clean neat smoking hole through the rock.
"Um yea...about that grammar thing, talk in third person all you want, I don't really mi-"
"Overload will annihilate!" The monster gave a louder, even more furious roar than before. He began glowing now, as if charging up for his next big attack...
"Beast Boy!" A new voice cried out now, and Beast Boy scanned the area, slightly confused. There was no one behind Overload, he then looked up and saw a gigantic boulder floating above the monster's head.
"Terra!" He cried out in surprise, yet deep down, he could not hide the fact that he was happy to see her.
"Hey Sparky! Up for a game of catch?" She gave a grunting shout now, and the huge boulder quickly dropped on Overload, flattening him into the ground.
Before Beast Boy could say anything however, the rock exploded and Overload began firing wildly into the sky, in some vain attempt to hit Terra.
"Hey! Don't think I'm out just yet." Beast Boy transformed into a T-rex again, and charged the monster with everything he had. Overload countered with his own charge, and the two gigantic beasts grunted with strain as each tried to overpower the other. Overload was steadily being pushed back now, throwing up trails of dust and dirt as Beast Boy pinned him against the wall.
"Is that...Terra?" Raven asked as the team emerged from the wood.
"Terra! My friend! She is helping us!" Starfire cried out in joy.
The team ran for Terra now, and saw that she was already closing her eyes, focusing on her next attack. The rocks above Overload and Beast Boy were starting to glow now, outlined in a bright yellow colour.
"Hold him there, Beast Boy. Almost got it!" She grunted under the strain, the strain of trying to control all those boulders at once. For some reason, it was becoming even harder and harder for her to control...
"Terra! Stop! It's too risky!" Robin cried out.
Terra was struggling now. She did not know what was going on. It was perfectly fine until a second ago. Her head was throbbing now, as if she could not concentrate anymore, what was going on? She let out a sharp cry of pain and quickly collapsed onto the ground. There was no more control, her head was clouded again and she could only hear one voice through the throbbing pain.
"Beast Boy! Look out!"
The entire cliff was unstable now, and soon fell down on both Overload and Beast Boy, hundreds of tons of solid rock tumbled down in abundance, as if it were hailing all of a sudden. It went so fast that even Raven could not stop it.
Overload gave a roar of pain as it became flattened once again under the rock. Beast Boy's t-rex immediately vanished beneath a cloud of dust and rubble.
"Terra! Come on! We have to get Beast Boy out." Raven said sternly as the team rushed past her, digging into the rock as fast as they could.
Terra however, just stood there, shaking. She looked at her hands, and saw that they were trembling. What have I done.... Memories flashed in her head now, memories of how she had destroyed her hometown when she was only a small child, how mobs of angry people forced her to leave wherever she went...that same angry voice that always seemed to haunt her whenever she tried to help, to do something good... Everything I touch goes wrong...
She didn't notice it, but she was crying, and for a moment there, she forgot about the team, about her history with the titans, even perhaps, about BeastBoy.
She ran away, deeper into the woods, hoping to get as far away from that incident as possible. It was something she had done for most of her life, running. And running away was the best thing she could think of doing at that moment, after realizing that she had seriously hurt her best friend...doing more harm than good...She could see it in them now, in Raven's voice, the hostility that they view towards her. Perhaps she was never welcomed...
She kept running now, and was already far away when the Titans began digging.
"We got to get him out of there." Raven said.
"Surely Beast boy will be able to protect himself." Starfire replied as she began blasting chunks of rock away with her powers.
"Yo! B! Can you hear me?" Cyborg shouted into the rubble as he began drilling.
Beast Boy, luckily, was unharmed, and the team grew relieved when they saw a green shrew jump out of the small spaces between the boulders. Beast Boy quickly transformed back.
"I'm alright." He said, slightly dazed. "Where's Terra?"
The team looked back now, and for the first time, they noticed that she was gone. "She's...gone?" Robin replied.
Beast Boy's face almost saddened now, as if Terra had abandoned them once again, but he quickly shook that off, it was a misunderstanding, had to be. "We got to get her back, there's no telling what will happen to her if Slade gets his hands on her again."
Robin nodded. "We'll fan out and search the city once we get Overload to jail." He pointed to the rubble of rocks, somewhere under there, Overload was still at large.
"I'll go first then," Beast Boy volunteered.
Robin nodded. "Don't forget your communicator Beast Boy, Here." Robin tossed an extra one to Beast Boy. "We'll catch up with you later."
Beast boy gave a nod, then transformed into a cheetah and disappeared into the woods.
"now...for Overload." Robin said, turning to the pile of rocks.
Overload was at the very bottom of the pile now, quietly blasting a hole through the mountain in order to make room for himself. He was planning on making the entire mountain of rock explode in the Titan's face, and remount his attack, when his communicator suddenly turned on. A cold calculating voice relayed a new message to the monster now.
"Excellent Work Overload, you have done well here. Now...proceed to phase two."
With a consenting growl, Overload condensed himself into a tiny ball of energy now, and began digging his way into the cliff and through the mountain on the other side. The battle, for now, was over.
They had split up, searching the city for hours in a vain attempt to find Terra. Once they had discovered that Overload escaped, Robin decided that it was wiser to look out for their friend first, in case Slade tried anything funny.
"Any luck Cyborg?" robin asked over his communicator, standing on one of the skyscrapers overlooking the city.
"Nope, nada. Checked the pier, the warehouses, the orphanages. Can't find a trace of her."
"Raven?"
"Industrial Sector's clear." Raven reported from the communicator.
"As are the city's bureaucratic and enlightening institutions." Starfire commented.
"Well keep searching, we can't let Slade get his hands on her again." Robin shut the communicator off. It was becoming a frustrating night. Not only did Overload escape, but Terra was missing again, and for all he knew she could be going to Slade... He shook his head. Could she?
No. He thought, and then instantly felt ashamed of himself. He can't think like that, not after what she had done to save them. But then again, he could never forget the last time they fought, how she had almost killed him, even after pleading with her to escape Slade's grasp. What if she really was working for that madman? And this was all a ruse?
Robin ignored the troubling thoughts in his head, and quickly deciding where to visit next, jumped onto the next rooftop in his search for Terra.
Beast Boy, unlike the other titans, had an idea of where he could find Terra, and that idea brought him to a place that brought back old memories. Some joyful, but others, painful.
The ferris wheel was gone now, buried within a deep crater that stretched for hundreds of meters below the surface. A momento of the close battle that he had last time when he became the first Titan, other than Robin, to take on Slade alone.
Aside from that, the carnival looked the same as it did before. Flags fluttered above abandoned tents, while the ominous creaking sound of rusted metal hung about the gates, which seemed to twitch as the wind blew the door open and shut. The rides remained as they were, except this time they were covered in cob webs, and rust.
He walked quietly, negotiating his way through the winding paths between the rides...until he heard a familiar sound.
"Terra?" He said softly, as he heard crying echo through the yard.
He found her now, huddling behind one of the counters in the ball toss booth. Only the choking of her tears interrupted her soft sobs.
"Terra?"
"Please...just leave me alone." Tears were streaming down her face. "Its probably best to stay away from me, I always seem to hurt people around me."
"Terra, no, look at me! I'm fine! Besides, you didn't mean it." Beast Boy offered helpfully, jumping over the counter and sitting next to her.
She stopped crying heavily now, taking the time to wipe the tears from her eyes.
"How did you know where to find me?" Terra asked softly.
Beast Boy gave a smile. "You told me about this place Terra, you said it was like a second home to you. Besides, you brought me here remember?" He stopped himself from repeating anything about Slade. The more she forgot about that mad man, the better.
Terra shook her head. "Truth be told, I still can't. I only came here because I felt like it... I ..still can't remember. I don't know what I should do." She said with gloom.
"Well...trusting us is a start Terra. Don't worry, we want to help, besides, they aren't mad at you for what happened back there." Beast boy replied sincerely.
"They aren't?"
"No Terra... we're your friends. You are one of the team. We've waited like almost forever for you to come back. We missed you. I missed you." He clasped her hands.
Terra gave a smile now, wiping the rest of her tears away.
"Thanks Beast Boy."
"Why did you run away so fast?" Beast Boy asked.
"Because...I was afraid that they would be angry with me. That has always been the situation with me..." Her face was saddened now, remembering all the horrible memories in the past. "I don't know Beast Boy, I just...always seem to be running."
"You're not running anymore..." Beast boy noted in a slightly joking tone.
"Yes, I don't know why, but whenever I am with you...I just feel...safe." Terra gave another soft smile, then leaned on a blushing Beast Boy's shoulder. Before he could reply however, that hated voice ushered from above them.
"How very touching."
The two titans immediately jumped up, and Beast Boy watched with horror and hatred as the menacing figure approached the booth. Although his face was obscured, Beast Boy by now knew all too well the familiar glint of that mask, even in the moonlight.
"Slade!" Beast Boy said with a renewed anger.
"I do hope I am not interrupting anything...am I Terra?" He gave her a casual glare.
"Who are you?" She asked in a horrified tone. Something about this man seemed hauntingly familiar, yet she could not place it.
"You don't remember me? Good...this will make things much easier." He approached Terra now.
"Run Terra run!" Beast Boy yelled, instinctively throwing himself between her and that madman.
"I believe she will find that quite impossible." He took a small cylindrical device from his from his belt now, and pressed one of the buttons on top of it.
The throbbing pain in Terra's head was back now, more intense than ever, and Terra let out a cry of pain as she quickly fell to the ground. "...Ugh.. my head. What's going on."
"Terra!" Beast Boy ran, catching her as she fell into his arms.
She fainted.
Beast Boy turned furiously to Slade. "What have you done to her!?" He demanded.
Slade gave an amused look. "Have you forgotten already Beast Boy? I freed her" He gave a slight smirk.
"What have you done to her..." Beast boy repeated again in angry frustration, Slade had not answered the question. The more important question was...how? Didn't they already purge Slade's suit from her? How was he doing this?
"Are you trying to control her again Slade? Is that it?" He asked impatiently.
"I have already told you, I have no need of apprentices. I have learned now, that they are usually flawed, unable to meet the expectations of the master." He pressed another button on the switch now, and Terra began screaming even more in pain, flashes of electricity surrounding her body.
"Stop it!" Beast Boy shouted again.
Slade stopped, merely grinned again and continued. "Robin's psychological profile fit my expections quite nicely, it was however...his priorities that led him astray, which I can only attribute to an inadequate mentor."
Beast Boy was not even listening, instead he was planning secretly in his head how he would tear Slade's arm off and take the controller himself. The masked man continued, in his usual cold and calm voice.
"Your friend, Terra, on the other hand," He looked down with distain at the now immobilized girl. "had magnificent power, but sadly, lacked the will to use it. Emotion was her one downfall, and it was her emotion towards you and your pathetic that brought her down."
"You still haven't answered my question Slade....What did you do." Beast boy was gritting his teeth, clenching his fist. It was taking everything he had and more to stop him from attack now. The only thing that did stop him was the fear that Slade might have a secondary trap planned for him. Or worse...he might harm Terra.
Slade's eye gave a deathly glare, implying that Beast Boy was in no position to rush things. Then the masked villain gave a small chuckle, consenting to an explanation.
"You remembered how I freed your friend in the first place? Then again, you are the one titan not known for your smarts are you?"
Beast Boy's fists were shaking now...Slade had been planning this all along...He had been tricked.
"Nanodrones, you are aware, can take years to degenerate in the body, and can remain undetected for the time without the proper equipment. And they cannot be removed unless you have the technological know-how and the Nanobot program. I am sure your robotic friend knows this, and that is why you cannot save her without this." He dangled a vial full of blue liquid in front of BeastBoy, almost tauntingly.
"This may seem like liquid, but it is actually billions of nanodrones, the same type which is in your friend. With careful study and time, a vaccine can be made from this."
"Do I have to do another one of your stupid plots again."
"On the contrary." He shot a dark glare, throwing the vial down onto the ground where it was smashed into a million pieces, to the horror of Beast Boy.
Slade's tone was deathly serious. "I have been benevolent with your team long enough. Far too long. No, I expect you to do nothing. Nothing but to sit and watch helplessly as I destroy your team from the inside out, with Terra."
"She won't do such a thing!"
"Oh she will have little choice in the matter. My nanoprobes you see, have access to her mind, and thus can release her powers at my will."
"My friends will find a way to stop you." Beast boy shot back angrily.
"Just as they figured out a way to bring her back? I am sorry, but that is not going to happen. Don't bother relocating her either." He gave an amused smirk.
"And if I try?" Beast boy asked defiantly.
"Then I use her powers to bury your precious city, as she has done with many others. Didn't she tell you? Then again, I suppose you are not really her friend."
"You're a liar! Terra would never do such things!"
"She almost destroyed you, didn't she?" The masked man replied in a taunting voice.. "Don't bother telling your friends. I will know if you do."
A smirk went across Slade's face now, implying to Beastboy that his network around the titans was so airtight, that there was no way he could do anything without him knowing.
"You just wait Slade..., I'll find a way." Beast boy replied, after all, he was never the one to give up hope.
"Ah Time." Slade said with relish. "Time unfortunately for you, is running short. She will begin having nightmares now, each nightmare spawning a series of earthquakes that will shake the city to its core. With each passing night, her nightmares will intensify, as will the aftershocks from her lack of control. Take time if you want, but she will destroy your city, and your team, one way, or the other."
Beast Boy's anger turned into a deep felt guilt now...it was all his fault...if he wasn't so gullible to begin with...if he only trusted his team more...
He bowed his head now, ashamed at letting not only his team down, but Terra... He felt guilty now, guilty at the fact that she was once again imprisoned under this madman's control.
Slade continued again, droning on in his taunting, cold, calculating voice.
"I recall you telling my former apprentice about how she had a choice. Well now, here, ... you have a choice. You can either take your friend back to the Tower, where she will undoubtedly require some medical attention. However...with me controlling her powers, you will also be endangering your friends."
Beast Boy's was angry now, not only at Slade but at himself, he had been tricked.
"Or...you can leave her here...at my mercy. So the real question is, how much do you value your friend here, or your pathetic team? The choice is yours."
Beast Boy said nothing. There was nothing left to say. He was outmaneuvered, outfoxed .
"It is rather fitting isn't it." Slade gave a mocking laugh. "You, taking on the task that I had Terra do before. Destroy your team inside out."
"I'm not going to betray my friends." Beast boy replied with growing hostility.
"Oh but you have, you have. You have betrayed them the second you stepped through my doorstep, and now, you have betrayed them in ways you cannot even imagine." Slade was finished now, and he turned away, oblivious to the fact that Beast Boy changed into a bear, ready to strike.
Just as Beast Boy was about to charge however, Slade held up his hand, showing how he dangled his finger threateningly above the button on the switch. Beast Boy backed down, he had no choice.
"Expect my company soon, then we shall see how loyal your team mates really are. Especially once they find out your part in all of this. I shall be enjoying this."
He was gone now, and Beast Boy was left alone with Terra.
"Terra! Are you alright?" He knelt down now, propping her up. Terra was groaning with pain, but her eyes were not opening. And her hand...it felt cold.
Beast Boy's own hand was trembling now, and it took him some time to find his communicator. It also took all his strength to stem the flow of tears that threatened to cloud his eyes.
He turned it on, and Robin was already on there, waiting for Beast Boy to say something.
"Guys, I found Terra."
Robin radioed back immediately. "Alright then, bring her back to the Tower and I'll see what we can do."
End of Ep 3
P.S
You can tell I really enjoy writing Slade :D Btw, thanks everyone for the feedback! And yea, im kinda writing excessively, but its because all my free time is this week and next week ill be very occupied with school. I don't want this story digging into my head everytime I try to concentrate ;) besides, I pre wrote chapters 1-5 before posting them :D that might explain why updates are so fast D Er yea, so if I don't finish it by the weekend, expect considerable slowdown in updates next week /