Doppelganger

I don't own the Titans

Author's Note: This chapter is kind of long because my internet has been out, and I wanted to finally get to the end of the episode "Terra"

Nevermoretheraven – Don't worry, no more references to Birthmark, this story is rooted in the second season and it'll remain there. As for when the storyline breaks away, it'll start doing that shortly after "Fear Itself". Getting rid of bodies is hard work and that particular episode really helps the storyline.

The Titan CSI – Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it :)

Chapter 7 – Dirt Tornados and Doubts

Doppelganger followed the teen heroes as they tracked down Slade to a diamond mine on the edge of Jump City. Luckily it had just started to get dark and it was easy for Doppelganger to follow the titans without being seen. By the time the titans go on the scene the miners had already fled in terror. 'Disgusting little human.' Doppelganger thought to herself as one of them ran past her, 'It's just like them, fleeing for their own pathetic lives.' Turning her attention away from the miners she followed the titans in, but stepped back in surprise at what she saw. Slade drones filled the room. Their featureless faces looked up at the titans without expression. "Tell your boss we'd like a word with him." Robin said. The drones seemed to recognize them as their enemies and moved into attack formation.

"Titans! Go!"

The Titans charged foreword and scattered in different directions. Terra took to the air on a boulder. "You boys ready to rock?" Dorinda rolled her eyes at the phrase, 'Puns are SO overrated.' Doppelganger smiled slightly as two robots jumped on the boulder with her and tried to knock her off. She slightly hoped Terra would get knocked on her butt.

Dorinda's attention was diverted as she heard Beast Boy's voice call out among the scuffling noises, "Raven! Look out!"

Deep emotion flowed into his voice as he rushed to help Raven. Several Slade drones had crept up behind her as she fought and no one had noticed except Beast Boy. Doppelganger had always been good at reading people and as much as she hated to admit it, she could still hear Beast Boy's affection for Raven in his voice. After all, Terra was in just as much trouble as Raven was, maybe even more and he didn't even notice. Dorinda couldn't help but feel slightly afraid. She was intending on taking Terra's place after she joined the team…but what if Beast Boy's affection for her was only temporary?

Beast Boy came to Raven's rescue as a stegosaurus and began crushing robots. Dorinda's jealously melted away as she watched Beast Boy fight. He was so brave, and agile. A few times she almost left the shadows to help him. The last thing she wanted was for him to get hurt. She'd rather die than to ever see him in any kind of pain.

Despite Beast Boy's size the robots began to corner him at the entrance to the tunnel of the mine. Terra had recently been cornered there as well. The two teens fought back to back for a few minutes and Dorinda's jealously burned. 'It should be me out there with him. Not that little witch Terra.' Without thinking Doppelganger took on Terra's form. As she watched Doppelganger (in Terra's form) could barely believe her eyes. There was something really wrong. Terra was losing control. Suddenly there was a flash of light around the two of them and the roof fell in on them both. Terrified for Beast Boy's safety Dorinda couldn't stop herself, "Beast Boy!" she screamed in Terra's voice as she ran from the shadows toward the cave in. Her own scream had startled her. She hadn't realized she'd transformed into Terra. It was lucky that she had. If she hadn't the other would have know she was there. As she ran toward the debris still as Terra's double, she dismissed her luck and focused on Beast Boy…he was all that mattered now. The other titans were already at the site and they were trying to dig them out. Suddenly Beast Boy broke through the rubble in the form of a gorilla. In fear of being seen Doppelganger quickly jumped into the protection of a nearby shadow. She was less than fifteen feet away. So as to blend into the shadows she transformed back into herself. Thankfully no one had noticed her presence.

"You okay?" Robin asked Beast Boy as the green gorilla rubbed his head. He nodded and transformed back into his self. True to his loyal personality he immediately asked "Where's Terra?"

The mention of her rival annoyed Dorinda, but his loyalty to his friends was on of the reasons she loved him so much. The other Titans shook their heads in reply to his question. None of them knew. He began to dig frantically through the ruins. The other started to help, but were interrupted as the drones continued to attack. The other Titan's spread out and began fighting once more, leaving Beast Boy to dig Terra out of the rubble. Despite several drones trying to attack him, Beast Boy continued to dig. Once the tunnel entrance was clear he transformed into a dog and followed Terra's scent. Even this far away he could smell something in her scent…it was fear.

While the other titans were distracted Doppelganger slipped past them and into the tunnel. She had to follow Beast Boy. 'His teammates might not care what happens to him, but I do.' By the time she got to the tunnel Beast Boy was already out of sight. She tried to follow the sound of his footsteps, but she lost track of him within a few minutes. 'I think he took a left here…' Dorinda thought to herself as she took a left down toward a series of tunnels. As she walked she started hearing voices, they were very faint at first but they gradually got louder and louder. When she got close enough to hear what was being said, a man was speaking, "You don't belong with the Titans."

Doppelganger was surprised to hear Terra's voice respond. "You don't know anything about me!"

"On the contrary, Terra. I know everything about you. I've been watching for some time. I know why you're always running away. I know your secret, little girl.

"No!" Terra yelled, in a pathetic attempt to deny it.

"Earthquakes. Avalanches. Mudslides. Everywhere you go, you try to do good. And everywhere you fail. So everyone turns against you." It was then that Doppelganger came upon a very strange scene. To see what was going on she had to watch through a small crack in a pile of rocks that was enclosing the room. Inside the room Dorinda watched as the man she knew as Slade cornered Terra against a wall. "You lack control, Terra. And when you lose control, you are more dangerous than anything I've ever seen." Slade put a little space between himself and Terra. From this angle Doppelganger could see Terra was once more wearing her butterfly hairclip. Doppelganger's face paled slightly at seeing it. She knew that Terra had lost it the other day in the canyon…Terra's memories had told her that…Terra's memories had also told her where she'd gotten the clip in the first place. Geoforce had given it to her the day she'd left…being the illegitimate daughter had its price, and she couldn't stay there anymore…not after what her powers had done. If Slade had that clip…he knew what it symbolized…he knew about her past…he knew about it all.

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

Terra's interest perked. She'd been looking for control ever since she could remember…she would give anything for it. "You can?"

Slade picked up a rock next to his foot. "Right now you are…rough around the edges." He held the rock out to her as evidence. "You need more than obstacle courses to overcome your problem." He suddenly began crushing the rock in his hand. "You need a teacher. A mentor. Come with me, Terra, and I can teach you to shine." He opens his palm to her to reveal an uncut diamond. It's obvious that Terra is confused and she begins to back away. "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."

'Just like her father.' Doppelganger thought to herself…even though the two were rivals, for a few fleeting moments, Dorinda felt sorry for the girl, but the moment is fleeting and she remembers her hatred. She needed to get rid of this girl…and Slade wasn't helping. If Terra went with him, Doppelganger wouldn't have an opportunity to take her place.

"Beast Boy-"

"-can't keep his mouth shut forever. He'll tell them." Slade finished for her.

The statement struck a nerve with Terra. She didn't want to believe Slade…but she'd known so much betrayal…Slade's theories had merit. She didn't want to believe that Beast Boy would do that. "He promised." She said, angry. The tunnel began to shake.

"He lied." Slade said, putting one last doubt in her mind.

"Shut up! Just shut up and leave me alone!" She screamed as wind and rocks began to swirl around her. The dirt tornado proved a strong barrier between herself and Slade…suddenly, she could feel it…her control was slipping away again. Frantically she tried to hold on as she dropped to her knees, "Don't lose control…don't lose control!"

From behind the dirt and wind Terra could hear Slade's voice clearly, "Now, Terra…how can you lose something you never had?"

Terra screamed out in pain as she lost total control. The dirt whirlwind continued on and picked up her small body. Within her mind Terra reached out for control. The mine began to shake harder as the cyclone's winds picked up. The pile of rocks that enclosed the room were shaken loose and Doppelganger had to jump back to keep from being crushed by them.

"Slade continued to talk, "No one else understands you, Terra. No one else can help you." Terra never responds. "I'll be waiting." He finishes as he runs out toward a collapsed part of the wall where Doppelganger had been hiding. Just as he came closer Doppelganger got a brilliant idea. 'If Slade takes her now…I can just come out of this tunnel as Terra…if Slade ends up using her against the titans later…I can always say that he cloned me or something…' It was perfect…she just had to convince Slade.

Stepping out of the shadows, Doppelganger took the disguise of a young red haired man she once knew. As Slade exited the main room, Doppelganger blocked his path.

"Who are you?" Slade said, a little stunned at his present company.

"That isn't important…what is important is you getting that girl out of here." Doppelganger replied.

"I don't play the hero. She'll get out…and when she's ready, she'll come to me."

"I don't want to take the chance of her going noble and staying with the Titans. Take her now because she won't be around later…not if I have anything to say about it."

Slade looked as if he was about to make a come back, but before he had a chance a large boulder fell from the ceiling between the two of them. Doppelganger took that moment to transform back into herself and jump into the safety of a shadow.

When the dust cleared between the two of them Slade was surprised to see no one else around. Annoyed he called out, "Stay away from Terra. She's mine and I'll take her when I see fit. I don't take orders from anyone!" With that said, he left.

Doppelganger was annoyed that he didn't take her…but she still had a few cards up her sleeve. It was at that moment that Dorinda hear Beast Boy's voice coming from the room where Terra was having her breakdown. She rushed back to the edge of the room to see what was going on. Beast Boy had somehow gotten inside the twister and was holding onto Terra's shoulder. From the edge of the room Dorinda could only watch in horror as Beast Boy held onto Terra for dear life. "It's okay, Terra. I'm here…I'm here." Beast Boy held Terra in his arms as the two slowly floated back down to the ground and the dirt tornado finally stopped. Terra was horrified, "You won't-"

"I'm not gonna tell anybody." Beast Boy said as he let her lean on his shoulder, "I promise."

Dorinda's heart felt as if it had been wretched out of her chest. It was one thing to be competing with Terra, it was another to watch Beast Boy hold her. Hot tears threatened to break out of her eyes, but she fought them back. 'Doppelgangers don't cry, only humans do…doppelgangers don't cry and neither do I.' she thought angrily to herself. 'This is a minor set back…I can still take over.' She convinced herself. After a few more moments Terra and Beast Boy got up and began walking toward the entrance of the tunnel. Unable to stop herself, Dorinda followed them both, more silent than a mute.

Back at the tower Terra was getting ready to be on her way. Doppelganger was slightly annoyed…she'd hoped that she could take Terra's place that night, but it seemed that after the Slade fiasco in the mine she was ready to be on her way. While this proved to be a small glitch in Dorinda's plan, she knew she could easily remedy it. 'I'll wait a little while after she's gone. If it seems that Beast Boy misses her more than he cares about Raven, I'll come back as Terra. I'll have to explain why I don't have powers, but with Beast Boy's knowledge of her secret it'll be easy.' She thought to herself as she watched Robin, Raven, Starfire, and Beast Boy crowd around Terra to say goodbye.

"Well, guys, uh, it's been real." Terra said as she slung her back pack over her shoulder and turned to leave. "Seriously, thanks for everything, but I should-" The door behind her slid open to reveal Cyborg blocking the way.

"Don't even think about it." Cyborg said smiling.

"Okay. What's going on?" Terra said slightly confused.

"Well…" Raven started.

"…we talked it over, and…" Cyborg continued

"…we wish for you to stay here, with us!" Starfire finished, giggling happily. Dorinda's heart dropped a few inches. 'Damn it! Can't these people BE PREDICTABLE! Every frickin' time I come up with a new solution they throw a wrinkle in my plan! Hell, it'll be December before I can take someone's place!' She thought, completely annoyed by having to resort back to one of her previous plans.

Robin continued to talk, "We think you'd make a great addition to our team."

It was finally Beast Boy's turn, "So…want to be a Titan?" he said, as Robin handed Terra a communicator.

"Me?" Terra said, apparently amazed, "Really?"

"Of course, you'll need more training." Robin said, "I know you have trouble controlling your powers, and we can help."

Terra's face went blank. "You told him!" she asked Beast Boy, feeling completely betrayed.

Beast Boy's ears dropped at the accusation, "I didn't!"

"You promised! You lied to me! You lied!" Terra screamed at him as she dropped her backpack and ran. Beast Boy tried to follow her but as she got to the edge of the island she took off on a boulder. 'She didn't even say goodbye…' he thought sadly to himself. 'She didn't even care enough about me to let me explain…'

He watched until she couldn't be seen anymore and finally looked down, defeated, at his shoes. As he glanced down he saw her butterfly clip laying on a rock. Sadly he picked it up. "Terra…"

"I just figured it out," Robin said, "I didn't know it was a secret." Beast Boy sat down, overwhelmed, "She didn't even say goodbye."

It was late that night when Beast Boy finally came inside. Doppelganger watched as he dragged his feet one after the other up to his room. Dorinda felt her body temperature rise as she thought about how Terra left. She hated Terra for doing this to Beast Boy…and what's more, she hated Terra for making it impossible for her to take on her form. She couldn't come back as Terra now, if she did there would be too many questions as to why she forgave them so easily…no, Terra had ruined this chance for her…now she had to go back to plan A: Raven.