Warning: this chapter may contain some slight Terra bashing. Don't worry, it will all work out for our little earth-controlling friend, seeing as without this chapter she would never meet some very important people later on.
Disclaimer: My numerous efforts to own the Teen Titans have failed. Back to the drawing board…
Reunions: Chapter Thirteen-The Seventh Wheel"Starfire?" Robin asked, leaning across the couch to whisper in her ear.
"Yes?" she asked eagerly. Balancing here was tricky, but I had a perfect view of the main room from where I was perched.
"There's something I have to tell you." He took a deep breath. "I know I tend to push everyone away, but I don't really like to. Also, you changed all of us when you came here. I never opened up this much until then. You really mean a lot to me. What I'm trying to say is, Starfire, I-"
"Whoa, uh-oh, oof!" There was a loud crash as I toppled off of the refrigerator and landed on the kitchen table. I'm getting sick of falling flat on my face. Bruises and my perfect skin do not mix.
"Terra, where exactly did you come from?" Robin asked. In the corner, Raven was reading a book. Glancing over it, she quickly lowered her eyes, but at times the book would shake, and I knew she found all of this really funny.
"Will you buy that I was dusting off the top of the fridge?" Hey, a girl can try, can't she?
"No. Raven, did you know she was up there?" Robin questioned. I made frantic motions behind his back, trying to get Raven's attention. Perhaps she would take pity on me and spare me. Wait, who am I kidding? Raven, take pity on me?
"Yes. I just didn't want to ah, interrupt anything. Especially what we've been waiting for so long. Thanks a lot, Terra. If he said he loved her, I'd be fifteen bucks richer." Raven's comment caused Starfire to turn away and Robin to blush. Seeming mildly amused, Raven left for her room.
"Terra…get out of this room. Now." Robin practically shoved me through the door, wearing a scowl on his face.
"Well, fine! I can tell when I'm not wanted. You don't have to spell it all out for me." I stormed off. When I'm angry, I tend to be very stupid. So I didn't see Raven, engrossed in some stupid book which I could totally read faster than her. I bumped right into her, causing her to drop her book and lose her place.
"Watch it, Terra! I don't have a photographic memory, you know. Now I don't know where I was in that book." Raven gave me her evil death stare. I'll be honest, I half expected laser beams to shoot out of those eyes.
"Sorry. You really shouldn't be reading and walking at the same time, though." Really didn't need to say that. I really shouldn't have, too.
"You know Terra," she said while dusting herself off, "we're doing you a really big favor by letting a thing like you stay. We really didn't need to, but we did it because it was right. So I'm gonna say this once, and only once. Things have changed a lot since you left. I had my heart broken once. I don't want it to happen again."
"Really? You had a heart? And what's that supposed to mean?" I really need to learn when to shut up. Raven approached me. Keep in mind, I'm a stick skinny fourteen-year-old and she's a tough twenty-year-old. Grabbing me by the shirt collar, she pushed me against the wall.
"It means that you accept the results of your actions. Don't go meddling in other people's business. You gave up something really great. If you treat anyone like that, you simply don't deserve that person's attention, or affection for that matter."
"Oh," I said, smirking. "I get it, Raven. This is about Beast Boy. Say, do you have any suggestions as to who does deserve him?" Raven ignored me and pushed me further into the wall.
"Yeah," she spat. "Plenty."
I seized the opportunity and grabbed hold of a handful of her hair. Raven yelped in pain, releasing her grip on my shoulders. I ran out of the room with Raven in hot pursuit. She kicked me in the shin. I fell to the ground, howling in pain and clutching my hurt leg. Raven gasped, realizing how out of control she had gotten. Jinx rushed over to me, eager to see if I was okay.
"Terra," Raven stammered, "I'm so sorry. My emotions got out of control. I should have never let any fall through the cracks."
"It's okay. Now could you all back up? I need my space. The leg really doesn't hurt too bad." Raven helped me up, allowing me to use her as a support. Jinx offered to walk me back to my room. I lay down on my bed and picked up my latest issue of Fashion Weekly. Just as I was about to find out who Hollywood's hottest guys were, the alarm went off. I find that extremely cliché, but that's just me.
"Trouble," said Jinx. She was only going to be a member of the team as long as she could control her powers and remain an upstanding citizen. Still, she was grateful for any help, and agreed to help us in return.
"Okay," I sighed, wishing that for once the bad guy would give it a rest.
When we arrived at the scene of the crime, I was shocked. Hate coursed through me as I found myself staring at the dark pupil of a single eye, glaring out at the world with contempt. With half his face in shadow and all of it hidden, I couldn't tell which one it was. Being his apprentice, I had known all of Slade's nasty little secrets, including the family lineage. I had a feeling that it was Max, who would've recently come of age.
"Titans, go!" Robin ordered. Raven and I attacked Slade first, using our powers to lift earth and debris and propel them towards him. Slade fired a blast from a gun in his hands, which knocked Raven backward against a wall. She fell to the ground. Slade then turned to me. I summoned my strength and created a massive rift in the floor, separating us. Being a foolish boy, Max attempted to jump across, but fell in. It wasn't too deep, but he wouldn't be able to fight for the rest of the battle. Suddenly, the floor beneath me became slippery. I fell, once again flat on my face. Brushing myself off, I found myself staring at my attacker: a girl with blue eyes, light brown hair, and a serious attitude.
"Toni?" Jinx said in disbelief. I hadn't noticed her before, but I realized now that she was Max's apprentice. Toni took in a deep breath, then exhaled on Robin, who promptly froze. Jinx regained her strength and sent her flying with one blast of purple energy. A few more blasts and Toni was finished. The bank official put handcuffs around them both.
"Well, that was short-lived, eh, Max?" I taunted. I looked around me at the aftermath. Raven had a cut on her arm, and Robin was still frozen solid. Beast Boy pulled out a first aid kit, and attempted to wrap Raven's arm up, but wound up tangled in the surgical tape instead. Raven actually found this amusing, but finally helped him untangle and allowed him to fix her arm. A few times his hand brushed against hers and he had to pause to hide his blush.
Meanwhile, Starfire was attempting to defrost Robin. She used her starbolts to melt the thick outer shell of ice, then wrapped a blanket around his shoulders. He was still shivering, so she decided to try the "huddle together for warmth" strategy and threw her arms around his neck. This caused Robin to blush and then get a stupid smile on his face, but it did the trick.
Cy was congratulating Jinx on a job well done. He high-fived her, then proceeded in asking her about Toni. They became engrossed in a conversation about car mechanics and the Jump City Juvenile…you know the rest. Two very unrelated things, but somehow it worked out.
Suddenly, I'm feeling like the seventh wheel. Okay, so cars only have four wheels, big deal. But you know what I mean. Robin and Star obviously have each other. The team's known that since day one. And it was pretty obvious that Raven and Beast Boy would get together someday, obvious to everyone but themselves, that is. Now Cy and Jinx are talking like they're old friends. How come I'm the only one without a special friend? Someone who really understands me and cares about me, that's what I need. I continued to dwell on this depressing thought on the ride back to the tower.
