Slade's Tale

Alexnandru Van Gordon

(Still floating around upside down in a strange, dark, broken dimension.) Hello again, people. (Sighs heavily.) I honestly give up. I've been trying to avoid writing about Terra, but I can't if I want to get on with the story. Writing the story from Slade's POV means writing everything from his POV, and that means to the best of my ability. And attached to that is this—I can't get out of here until I finish this story, so it can't be avoided. Oh well…I'm sure Terra isn't so bad once a person gets to know her…I suppose. Sheesh, swallow your pride, Alex, and get on with it! Pretend you like the idea of her in the show.

DISCLAIMER: Do I own any of this…Nope.

CHAPTER EIGHT: A newbie

He had fun—that much he had to admit and he got something out of it too. He had a new ally and money to fund his newest experiments. Not only that, but he had a new name to focus on and a new weapon…hallucinogenic dust…It made him wonder what he was going to do with that.

Maybe he'd infect Robin with some and make him see his parents' death over, and over, and over again until he lost his mind. Wouldn't that be exciting to watch?

Well, now was the time to focus on more important things and that thing just happened to have a name.

Tara Markov.

But she had the habit of spelling it with two 'r''s and an 'e' to look like Terra. She had a lot of history to her and not a scrap of it escaped Miss Lovell's eyes as she researched everything about the girl and sent the information to Slade. Turns out, she was the illegitimate daughter of the King of Markovia, sent away to America on her own to avoid a scandal. Because of her royal blood, she had the ability to control the earth (to a degree). This was accomplished through the help of a scientist who went by the name of Helga Jace who also assisted Terra's half brother, Brion, in obtaining his powers and becoming the hero named Geo-force. The half siblings lost contact with each other soon after that and Terra wandered around the country in search of purpose and a place to call her home. But her efforts were in vain, for those powers she possessed where out of her control. Towns, cities, countrysides—all suffered from earthquakes and trembles from her powers when they went haywire on her and she became an outcast to the entire world, chased away like a leper in the olden days.

Bad luck was fond of this girl.

True to her words, Lovell somehow herded Terra in Slade's direction. He had, despite his dispute with Robin of the Teen Titans, returned to Jump City and created a new hideout in the old mines that ran somewhat under the city. From there he monitored the place and watched with ever-growing hate as the Titans continued on with their lives as though Slade had made no lasting impression. Robin, however, still seemed to be haunted, a little jumpy when it came to battles and a hell of a lot more aggressive. Without a doubt, robin still wanted his revenge and so did Slade.

Maybe things would return to the way they should have been.

It was one Friday, late into the evening, that he received a call from Miss Lovell. He had no idea how she managed to discover his number (it wasn't as if it was in the phone book), but, then again, she was the new head of a family of thieves. She knew how to get what she wanted.

"Miss Lovell." Slade said as he turned on the screen. It didn't show her, but it revealed her locations and told him who was calling before the woman could introduce herself. "How nice it is to hear from you again. I assume you have something important to tell me?"

"Indeed…?"

"Just call me Slade for now, seeing that you already knew that."

"Alright, Slade, I know you have the information I sent you, and here's the best part—she's on her way."

"Terra…" He sighed, thinking about her. Her powers were extraordinary and they interested him the moment he read over what Miss Lovell gave him. "You make the right decisions, Miss Lovell. I think you got exactly what I was looking for."

"Good, because she should be in Jump City tomorrow. She's probably taking the canyon route, so watch for her there."

"Just tell me one thing—how did you get her to come here?"

Miss Lovell laughed on the other side of the line and Slade arched an eyebrow. "I scared her, poor thing. I found her, sent some of my men over to her city, and set up a series of bombs in an old fault line that ran beneath it. Of course she thought it was herself and ran for the next city—Jump City. The little girl was crying, the silly goose. What fun you're going to have."

"Fun…" He echoed, thinking to himself. As easy as it was to manipulate people and aggravated them, he didn't know how to act gentle with younger children—particularly girls. Judging by how Miss Lovell reacted to a family death, how was a little girl going to react to a mercenary coming after her. She'd kick him the moment she lay eyes on him, that's what she'd do…and probably scream and run away while she was at it. And now, looking at it from that perspective, he realized Miss Lovell gave him the harder part of the job.

"Well, I hope you, Mr. Wilson, but I have important business to attend to tonight, and you know how pesky the caped crusader is. He'd have my head if I make a mistake."

In business, Slade knew she meant her deal with stealing. Even with a broken leg she was busy with crime.

"And just one thing, Miss Lovell…I pray for your sake that this girl has something special about her. I also pray that nothing goes wrong with the plan."

"As do I, Slade. I am well aware of what you are capable of doing with failures and I do not intend to join that list of unfortunates. I would dearly hate to see my name written right next to Eric Goring's…Goodnight."

The line went dead and the annoying humming sound was abruptly halted by his computer. He had work to do, and he'd have to be up bright and early if he wanted to beat the Teen Titans to his goal…

-break-

He hid in the dark fissure of a large rock, staring at the small screen on his wrist. The sun was just rising and his commandoes were hidden all around the canyon, secretly chasing the girl as they recorded what they saw and sent the shots directly back to Slade. It was wonderful weather out, but many would beg to differ in the hot suffocating air.

She was tall and lanky, a slim kid with long blonde hair and blue eyes, hiking shoes and mountain climbing clothes. Wild eyed and a fast runner, she dashed down the canyon like there was no tomorrow toward the Jump City Bay which held the T-tower. It was evident she was on her way to greet the Titans…if not for the unjustly large black scorpion hot on her heels.

A little bit bigger than a bus, the scorpion scurried after the frightened girl as she tried to run away. Gaining on her, it raised its deadly stinger and thrust it toward its prey—only to have the girl fall and drop a small butterfly barrette from her hair. It punched it's stinger into the earth again as she tried to reach for the cliff, but common sense finally came to mind and she continued the mad dash toward the end of the canyon, huffing for air and seeming pale to the face.

Swerving, she nearly missed the sweep of the scorpion's claw, trying desperately to put a safe distance between her and that which wanted to eat her. Still running…she reached a dead-end and turned around slowly to meet her doom. As its shadow loomed over her she backed up against the rock wall, sheer terror in her eyes as she watched the beast lower its head toward her small figure.

This was the end and Slade was sourly disappointed. He expected better from her—he expected better from Miss Lovell. The young lady was sure to hear from him again, and he might just as well be the last person she sees before God grants her six feet of earth. She should have done a better search…

"Titans, go!"

There he was again…back in action even after their little meeting. Robin and his band of vigilantes would dispose of the threat and save that girl who shouldn't have been born in the first place. How pathetic she was…

But before anyone could move, the girl took him by surprise. The ground began to tremble and a commando's camera zoomed in on the teenaged girl. Her eyes were no longer a pale blue, but a glowing hot yellow and a cruel smiled played its way onto her face as her hair blew wildly around her face from a harsh breeze that was non-existent at the time.

The Titans were seen in the corner of Slade's screen, all bracing as the rock beneath them began to break away from the edge of the cliff. Stepping back, they watched as another slab of rock was torn from its place on the other side of the canyon and began to move inward to cave the space in. The girl—Terra—strained from the effort and her hands began to glow as well as she tried even harder to move the rock. The scorpion, too dumbfounded to know what to do, just stood their as the rock finally collapsed down on top of it and, with one last spasm of its tail and a high pitched scream before death, the creature was flattened to nothing…

Maybe Miss Lovell was going to live a longer life after all.

Dropping her hands to her sides and sighing with a grin, she pulled a few stray hairs out of her face and stared up out of the canyon at the speechless Titans.

The Titans…they beat him to her. They came and now they were going to ruin everything…

"She was not in trouble…" The alien girl whispered in her surprise, turning her head to Cyborg.

"She was leading it into a trap!"

"The question is…" Robin said, looking more serious than pleased to see the girl do what she just did. After all that had happened to him, he still hadn't learned his lesson. Worrying too much can lead you out to deep waters…Such as worrying over finding your archnemises…

"Who is she?" The green one added, finishing off his fearless leader's sentence.

"Don't get too attached, my young friend." Slade said secretly to the young transformer. The girl wasn't going to be with them long if Slade had anything to do with it. "I saw her first…"

Still grinning, the girl dusted off her hands and, with a quick gesture, a large chunk of the rock she crashed came soaring past her. Jumping atop of it, she stood tall and powerful as it raised her up to the Titans before she finally stepped down to meet them.

"What? Haven't you guys ever seen a superhero before?"

The Titans, of course, were still a cautious bunch after Robin's kidnapping and apprenticeship to Slade, and did not move in the first couple of seconds before Robin stepped forward and extended his hand.

Always first to check for danger, aren't you? You could have had no worries if you stayed by my side, boy…

"I'm Robin." He said plainly, sounding powerful and friendly at the exact same time…Must have taken him weeks to perfect that tone of voice. "We're the—"

"TEEN TITANS!" She finished for him, rolling her hand into a fist and punching his own in a groovy fashion. She was apparently thrilled at meeting the legendary teen heroes. "Rock on! It's so cool to meet you guys! I'm Terra, and you're…" Her eyes fell on the others as she listed their names in order. "Cyborg, Raven,…Starfire, and…"

"Boy Beast! Uh…I mean, Bass Boot! No!"

Slade laughed and allowed for it to echo. The child had a crush on a girl—how cute…and how fit for the young teens who were stuck between youth and the point of growing up. It was only too bad the youngest kid had to fall held over heels in love with Slade's newest tool.

Yelping in his premature, high-pitched voice, the changeling transformed into a turtle and hid in his shell, bringing forth a laugh from the laid-back girl.

"Dude! He's hilarious!"

"Hilarious…?" The boy popped his head out of his shell. "Me? Really?"

No. But she seemed to have an odd taste in friends.

As the green one fainted, the alien girl stepped forward and leaned her face so close to Terra's, the human began to lean back. It was as though Starfire was inspecting her, searching for all the answer which she assumed to be written on the face. Then, like one long word, she started a run off of questions—

"Curiousity abounds. Please…Where-do-you-come-from—how-did-you-get-here—what-is-you-favorite-colour—do-you-wish-to-be-my-friend?"

Even robin looked a little surprised.

"Uhhh…Earth, walked, red, and…sure."

Starfire squealed and took Terra into one of her monstrous hugs. "Hello, new friend!"

"How's…it…going… (Choke!)."

Oh please—friends? If Robin would have been smart he would have listened to what Slade said, and now he had another kid to worry about. How many times did he have to say it—there are no such things as friends! They stick with you until you've out-lived your use and then they abandon you in a heart beat. There is no one in the world you can trust besides yourself.

But kids will be kids and so let them think what they like. In the end they will all see things differently…

They talked a short while more before bringing upon the question of her home. Quite frankly, she didn't have one—and that softened the hearts of Beast Boy, Starfire and Cyborg as Robin and Raven stared in mute observation. They didn't say anything, wanting to watch Terra in their wise ways. Those two always were the more cautious.

"You will stay with us!"

"Really, I-I'm…"

"Come on, we got plenty of room."

"Yeah! And I can make you laugh some more. I'm hilarious, remember?"

"Well…I guess I cold stay for one night…"

Now things were going to get difficult. How was Slade supposed to talk to Terra if she was staying in Jump City's top security building? Slade hated to admit it, but it would be quite the task to get a message in and out without being noticed. Cyborg was practically the right arm of the building, knowing whenever something went wrong. Slade could find a way in, but that would take some time…

"Oh glorious!"

"Yes!"

"Boo-yah!"

The three free-styled teens were in a happy frenzy as they dragged her back, all the while Robin and Raven lingering where they were. Robin knelt on the ground and picked up some of the dust, as though picking up a scent he didn't like…something that he recognized through unhappy memories.

"Everything okay?"

He dropped the sand and sighed, looking around on the ground with a small frown. "I'm not sure…Something just doesn't feel right…"

Standing, he and Raven moved to follow the others from a safe distance behind, talking quietly among themselves about something not even Slade could hear. The place they once stood crumbled away and fell into the canyon, destroying whatever Robin had found bothered him.

He was pretty good, and at least now he was more cautious. Maybe his imprisonment with Slade taught him something after all.

Maybe it would again, if the chance ever arouse that Slade could take him.

-break-

Even though he could not yet plant cameras on the inside of the tower, he could place as many as he wanted to on the outside. The Titans' island might have been small, but even, though done carefully, one of Slade's commandos could sneak there and hide a small camera. This Slade kept on for most of the day, waiting patiently for something to come up so that he could monitor Terra. Her profile was nice, but he wanted to see how much effort he would have to put into training her. She was okay when it came to setting up a trap, but even then her life had been at risk. And, with powers as uncontrollable as her own, Terra couldn't afford to make a slip up.

Night fell before anything happened, and it didn't concern much action. At it was Terra sitting on the shore chucking rocks across the calm water surface with her powers.

Then Beast Boy came along.

Slade had to sit down to watch this. It was bound to make him laugh.

"Come on…You know you want to stay. We've got cable, indoor pluming, and all the tofu you can eat."

He never really liked tofu. You couldn't blame a vegetarian for eating it, but it made a person wonder how you could acquire a taste for such a thing.

"Tofu? You sure know how to charm a girl. I—I guess I could stay for one more day."

Wasn't that just great…

"Awesome! We're gonna have so much fun! And I can't wait to see what your powers do when you 'really' cut 'em loose!"

Neither could Slade.

Then something interesting happened. Terra's eyes glowed fiercely again and her long blond hair flowed up as though she was caught in a strong wind. The rock Beast Boy perched atop was suddenly detached from the ground and sent the boy falling to the ground as it soared toward the water. Splashing in, it sent a huge wave over the changeling and soaked him from head to toe.

Slade gave a small laugh. It served him right for falling in love with a girl who could kill him. And Terra…now Slade had a general idea with what exactly he was dealing with…

"Sorry! I'm sorry, I'm so stupid! Don't tell! PLEASE don't tell!"

Apologizing and begging...Didn't these children ever learn?

"Terra, it's okay. You can't totally control your powers. So what?

"Promise you won't tell anyone—ever!

"Sure…"

"Swear it!"

"Okay! Okay! I promise…But really, it's no big deal. If my friends knew, they'd still like you."

Well, at least she was sharp when she needed to be—and the boy was wrong. Who accepts a freak? Besides, they already have had trouble enough with the demon girl who can't even smile in case someone's spin gets snapped in half. They wouldn't accept Terra like their own. Heaven forbid—when the Teen Titans first began they always tiptoed around each other. Robin must have had one hell of a time trying to get everyone on the team to be friends in the first place…

"You just don't understand…"

That's right, Terra. They don't…

After the two left to go inside, Robin and Raven came out to the combat field, sitting in the booth as they made some adjustments. Being the serious half of the team, the two of them were in charge of anything battle-wise, Robin being the leader of the team, and Raven tying with Cyborg when it came to second-in-command.

"We should try something new." Robin suggested, his hands working away at the control panel. "You know…maybe make it a little easier and to Terra's advantage."

Raven gave him the same curious look Slade would have given him had he been with them. "Why's that?"

"We already know she can fight, and even you have to admit she would be a nice addition to the team…but she doesn't think that. Maybe if she thinks she's good enough, she won't hesitate to accept the offer of staying?"

So Robin was preplanning…The boy must have known Slade has his eyes on Terra as a second apprentice, because why else would he be acting so concerned for him. Robin was harder than that…but he was also still just a boy who believed in kindness and second chances. After all, he had had the like shown to him by his friends before.

"Okay…whose first signed up on the course?"

"Cyborg called it—why?"

A small grin played on Raven's face before she could destroy it. "Oh…nothing…He loves to win, like you do. What are you going to do when it's your turn? I can't see you losing just to make Terra feel better."

"Ow…my ankle." He laughed and Raven hid another smile from coming.

"You just can't stand losing, can you?"

"Nope."

It was what made him a potential villain.

-break-

"Boo-yah! New course record!"

"Well, yeah." Raven cut in, killing to mood. "You're the first one to do the course."

Robin grinned; fiddling with the controls in the booth beside Rave, taking only a brief moment to make sure none of his comrades saw what he was doing. "Okay, terra—ready to show us what you can do?"

She stepped forward and whispered to herself. "I just hope you're ready to see it."

Then Beast Boy came up with some running compliment that she was great enough to do it, but even if she didn't she was still great, not that he was saying that she couldn't do it, but if it ever were to happen…Something like that anyway.

Pulling her goggles over her eyes, she listened to robin as he set the course.

"Countdown initiated! Good luck, Terra!"

He really was going to cheat for her, wasn't he? That proved the fact that he was better off as an apprentice than a leader—he could be pushed beyond the limits, but he hesitated to do so for others. That said it all loud and clear.

"Don't lose control. Don't lose control. Don't—"

She chanted, spazzing herself out as her friends cheered her on. Then the timer reached zero and she began…

Lasers cannons, steel fists…Terra just about fell from the levitating rock numerous times, just barely dodging some of the things thrown at her. Even with the course at an easy level, she still just making it through. He she made it through the first half unscathed was beyond Slade's understanding, and he even noticed Raven and Robin cringing briefly as she was almost knocked from her perch.

Robin pressed the next button, eliminating the look of worry on his face just before his comrades turned to face him. The other three Titans were looking at Terra with admiration, and even the two stiff-ies had to admit she was doing quite well for a first try. That notion seemed to calm them and they let the course continue on it's own.

Guillotine-like gates become the next challenge, receiving a somewhat scared look from Terra. Bringing up a trail of stones, she smashed through the blades of each gate as she passed through, but her riding rock was destroyed and she began to fall during an opened pit below her.

"We're going to need a new obstacle course." Raven said to Robin, Boy Wonder giving her a frown of authority. He knew such things happened and just triggered the next challenge, seeing—but ignoring—Terra as she fell, still screaming. It didn't seem to bother him that badly to think she could fall to her death.

Gathering her wits, she levitates stone before her and grabs on to each one, swinging forward as each one collapses in her hands. It was a strange struggle, but she finally found a new boulder to ride as the next task began.

Disc launchers came up from the ground and followed Terra as she stared at them in wonderment. Then they began to shoot and it was another struggle as she blocked each disc with her rocks. At least she began to get the hang of it as she landed, her rock crashing to the ground. She was thrown forward, but caught herself and landed like a gymnast would.

Just then, Slade's writs began to beep. He pressed a couple of buttons and smiled to himself at the thought of his next meeting with the Teen Titans. He was going to have his talk with Terra and, now that she had proved herself, it wouldn't be hard to take her aside from the others with a little fight.

In his free hand he held the butterfly clip she dropped earlier in the canyon. He knew how to show her he was a friend…he just had to wait.

"A little rough around the edges…" Robin began, out from the booth and standing before Terra. "But you're got some real talent there."

"You think?"

"With a little more training, you could—"

Sorry, Robin. But some things aren't just meant to be.

Communicators beeping, the Titans turned their attention away from the girl as Robin explained the cause for alarm.

"Okay…why is everyone blinking?"

"Slade…he's back."

Again with the attitude. As much as Slade would have loved to talk with his apprentice again, he had to focus on Terra for the time being. He could have his revenge later.

"Slade?"

Beast Boy's ears drooped. "Bad guy. Way bad…"

Really? Thank you.

"Got a fix on his location!" Robin cut in. "Titans—move out!"

The girl watched hopelessly as they left to do what they did best and Slade began to worry if Terra was going to lock herself up in the T-tower until they returned. That would ruin his plans of meeting her face to face today.

"Hey! You coming or what?"

For once, he found a good reason why Beast Boy was on the team. He could lure teammates to their captors.

-break-

There was a diamond mine not too far out from Jump City. It was still close enough to be considered property of the city and that was how the Titans got the message. It was too far from the city for the cops to come (leaving the Titans on their own), and it was an earth-dwelling place where a person could get easily lost and separated. In addition, Terra would be more helpful in the current environment, showing Slade what she was really capable of.

The miners began to run as Slade's commandos closed in on them. He was in one of the tunnels, watching from his wrist screen as his commandos monitored the enemy.

A disc zoomed into view and the cameras turned to the Titans as they entered the area. The birdarang returned to Robin's hand after knocking the laser guns from the commandos' hands, a nifty little trick that gave his team the upper-hand at the beginning of the battle.

"Tell your boss we'd like to have a word with him."

"Maybe later Robin. Right now you'll just have to be patient…"

"Titans! Go!"

Terra leapt onto a boulder and took flight to the sky as two robots came at her, trying to pull her down. The leader of the team, however, had the largest problems. Slade's commandos still had their old command of disarming Robin first in a battle and so many ignored the girl completely as a squadron of his robots swarmed up around him. Bo-staff extended, he fought his strength away as they came at his all at once and successfully took quiet a hand full before they piled over him and pinned him.

Maybe he would be able to have a talk with the boy after all.

The robots were suddenly thrown off Robin as he struck them away, taking in a deep breathe after nearly suffocating. Then he was at it again and so were his comrades.

The Titans held off fairly well, and even Terra was proving she was anything but dead weight. Tearing rocks form the ceiling, she shot them at the commandos with pretty good aim, but then something unexpected happened.

Eyes glowing, sweating and moaning, a suddenly white light broke out around her and the lenses of her goggles shattered as she strained to control her powers. She had quite a bit of strength when it came to her power, but in the ways of control…that was what Slade had to touch up.

Backing off into a tunnel, Terra tried as best she could from keeping the ceiling in place as the whole place shook dangerously. A rock fell atop of Beast Boy, presumably killing him, and Terra backed off further into the tunnel before it finally collapsed and formed a wall of stones between her and the Titans.

Now she was alone.

Almost

Goggles now around her neck, Terra sighed heavily in an attempt to calm herself and leaned against a wall for support. She had no idea that she was now in the same tunnel as Slade and that he turned off his screen as he stared at her through the darkness.

"Why can't I do this?" She asked herself, sounding as troubled and lost as Miss Lovell made her sound out to be.

Squeezing her eyes shut tight, he could she was fighting back tears as he ran in her direction. He ran past her to another tunnel, deciding it best to keep her as far from her friends as he most possibly could with the risk of them somehow saving her.

"Slade."

He heard her gasp and just continued running. In pursuit, Terra ignored her weariness and tears, and Slade allowed for her to catch up in a hundred or so yards before she collapsed the tunnel before him, successfully cutting him off from a none-existent exit.

It was always a bit of fun to fool around with your prey's head before flipping the coin. It was just as he had done with Robin, making him think he could catch Slade and making him think he could win…but Slade won in the end, and history was about to repeat itself now.

"Looks like I've got you." Terra said with a tab bit of pride in her voice. Did she actually think it would be that easy?

In one huge leap, he carried himself through the air over her and landed back the way they came. In his hand was one of his explosions which he threw to the ceiling to stick there as a little red light blinked.

"Actually…" The bomb went off and the way behind him caved in, trapping the two people together. "I've got you."

As the cloud of dust began to settle, he walked implacably forward toward the goal of the day. The emergency lights of the tunnel turned on right then and there and revealed his ominous figure as he slowly approached her. This drove fear into her hear, forcing her to scuttle backward somewhat as she stared into his one menacing eye. She looked just like a wounded animal, dying and at the mercy of the wolf. He wouldn't kill her, of course, but it was nice to think that was why she was afraid. Many people feared death most, and that was what he was using to fool her.

She reeked of fear and it brought a smile to his face behind the black and orange mask.

"Now, terra…" He had his staff ready in his hands now, watching as her fear escalated. "…you walked right into a trap."

People who joined the Titans often did.

Close enough to hit her, he looked down upon her slightly shivering figure and shook his head slightly. "You of all people should know better…" He began to block her in with his staff. "But at least you and I are finally getting a chance to talk."

He jabbed, rather slowly actually, and watch as she dodged it with ease by throwing a rock his way with her powers. A little tired, her aim was rusty and it zipped past his head instead of hitting its mark—his face.

He relaxed his muscles. He was used to fighting Robin who, though young, was a hard fighter. Robin was a fun challenge, but Slade would have to go easy on the girl until he could do something with her. Training would be brutal for her, but, then again, it would have been brutal on anyone if they became his apprentice.

"Hmmm…I see we have much to talk about."

"Mind if I talk with my hands?" She shot back, two snake-like columns emerging from the walls to attack Slade. He dodged these and landed, kneeling in a crouch at her feet.

Not many people liked to talk with him. Hmmm…Robin wasn't much of kind talker either…

"Good, Terra—but not good enough."

Swinging his staff, he followed up with a jab as she sidestepped both attack, somersault away. He swung down at her small form, but she rolled out of the way—only to be cut off with another swung. He was about to bring the staff down hard on her back, but tiny rocks shot up from the ground around her and knocked him back as she covered her head with her hands.

A shield of her own creation formed up around her as she stood, peeking through a crack as Slade approached once more. Taking aim, he watched as she shoved the rock wall toward him in another attempt to knock him away. It was a slow attack, however, and he planted one of his staff in the ground to pole-volt over it. His staff was snapped in half when the rock passed beneath him, but he landed with his balance and stood to face her once more.

"Impressive—unless, of course, you were aiming for me." He mocked and the fear fled from her eyes momentarily at the hate for such an insult. At least he knew how to hit her nerves.

Dropping the staff, he punched away many of the rocks she shot at him from the wall. Still advancing, he braced for impact as a boulder came his way. This he smashed and the effect of the blow sent Terra flying, she sat now by on the ground, back against the wall as she tried to accept the fact that she was going to die.

Well, that's what she thought.

"BACK OFF!" She yelled, mustering the strength to stand. "I'm with the Titans! They'll be coming to—"

"You don't belong to the Titans." He interrupted, sick of hearing that lie. If he thought he could manipulate people, just wait until you see what the Titans could do to convince you something.

"You don't know anything about me!" She argued; throwing a temper that could even beat one of Robin's.

Reaching to his belt, he pulled out the clip and held it out to her. Shock replaced every other look on her face as se stared, baffled, at the tiny object.

"On the contrary, Terra. I know everything about you. I've been watching you for quite some time, and…I know why you're always running away."

Because Miss Lovell liked to set off bombs down town to make it look like an accident…but the girl didn't know that—and half of the real earthquakes were do to her.

"I know you're secret, little girl."

"NO!" She screamed and charged in furry. She attempted to hit him with her hand but she was far too slow. In the blink of an eye he had her wrist pinned to the wall, crushing it in his grip.

"Earthquake. Avalanches. Mudslides—everywhere you go you try to do you. And everywhere you fail. So everyone turns against you…"

She turned her face away from him as he replaced the clip in her hair and backed off.

"But it doesn't have to be this way. I can help you, child."

He bent down and picked up a fist sized stone. Inspecting it, he knew what lay inside.

"Right now you are…" He tried to find the right words. "…rough around the edges. You need more than obstacle courses to overcome your problem."

Squeezing the stone viciously, the outer rock fell away to reveal a diamond which caught her attention in amazement. She was probably wondering how he knew…

"But…my friends told me you're…"

"You don't really believe they're your friends, do you, Terra?"

"They took me in. Gave me a home."

"And when they find out what's wrong with you, they'll reject you, like everyone else."

"Beast Boy—"

"—can't keep his mouth shut forever…He'll tell them…"

"He promised!" She argued; hands curled into white-knuckled fists.

"He lied."

The tunnel began to shake and a torrent of dirt and stone began to fly around her, forming a small tornado. "SHUT UP! Just shut up and leave me alone!"

Her eyes began to glow fiercely, but this was unintentional. She fell to her knees, hands grasping her head. "Don't lose control…don't lose control!"

Slade shook his head and the useless chanting. "Now, Terra…how can you lose something you never had?"

Behind him came the sounds of the rock wall giving way. He could hear Robin shouting and the others replying as they tried to save Terra.

"No one else understands you, Terra. No one else can help you…" He said before leaving, the green changeling coming into view down the tunnel. "I'll be waiting."

-break-

She left T-tower after that and, not having any bugs on the inside of the tower, he could only assume she left after an argument by the way she looked. But with a little meddling with his computer, Slade started to pick up something slightly masked with static from the bug he place in Terra's clip.

"Of course…more training…you have trouble controlling your powers…we can help…"

That would be Robin, and…

"You told him!"

"…didn't!"

"…promised!…lied to me!…lied!"

"Terra, no! …Terra…"

An argument indeed.

"I just figure it out…" Slade could hear Robin say before Terra was too far away to hear them. "I didn't know it was a secret…"

Robin…sometimes you're too good for your own good.

He watched her running from a separate screen, still smiling.

"Run all you like---because no matter where you go…every step brings you closer to me…"