Disclaimer: don't own'em...
Chapter 8
Slade's Plan
The Titans returned to the Tower, still stunned that Carcer had turned out to be Jason, and that Terra was now missing. They walked in silence to the living room and sat down on the couch, each Titan lost in his or her own thoughts. It was Beastboy that broke the silence.
"We have to find her. We can't just wait for Slade to use her to make his move."
The other Titans looked at their green friend, each understanding his urgency to find the missing Titan.
"We know that, Beastboy. But where could we look? I mean, it's not as if we can just use her DNA to track her down!" Cyborg said. Just then, his face lit up. "Or can we? Robin, I need your help in doing this. I have an idea!"
Cyborg leaped to his feet and started off towards his workshop, Robin following close behind, asking what his idea was. The other Titans watched them go, also wondering what Cyborg's idea was.
T SLADE'S HIDEOUT T
Rose and Jason walked through their Master's HQ in silence. Slade had called them over the intercom and told them to go to the planning room. Rose broke the silence, complaining loudly.
"Man, why does he have to have such a huge place as his base? We've been walking for the past five minutes and we're not even halfway there!"
Jason stared at Rose as the two walked along the hallway, a disgusted look on his face.
"Don't you ever shut up? All you ever do is complain. If you don't like it, leave. I can handle everything myself."
"Oh of course you can! Your Master's little pet, aren't you? Do everything he says! I'll bet you'd blow him if he told you to!"
Jason didn't even reply before throwing a heavy right hand at his partner, hitting her in the lower jaw and knocking her into the wall. He followed up with a brutal uppercut to her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Rose slumped to the ground clutching her stomach. Jason kneeled down next to his fallen partner and grabbed her gun out of its holster.
"I don't know why you're his apprentice. You can't fight for shit." Jason taunted, dangling the gun in front of Rose's face. "And hey, since you seem to be content with being on the ground like the dog you are, you can fetch your weapon!"
Jason stood and threw the custom made gun as far as he could back down the way they had just come.
"Better hurry and get it, wouldn't want to keep Master waiting, now would we?" Jason scoffed as he turned and started walking down the hall, leaving Rose humiliated and gasping for breath.
Jason arrived at the planning room alone. Slade was standing in the back of the room, staring intently at a digital map of Jump City that had several flashing red marks on it. Slade turned and faced his apprentice as he heard him walk into the room.
"Where is Rose, Apprentice?"
"She has seen your orders as a waste of her time and did not wish to come, Master." Jason said, staring Slade in his cold, blue eye.
"Did she now? Is that why you attacked her in the hallway?" Slade said, walking towards Jason.
"Uh…yes. Of course Master. She did not want to follow your orders so I thought it fit to teach her a lesson." Jason lied.
Slade stopped inches in front of Jason, still staring his apprentice directly in his eyes, his hands still clasped behind his back. Without a word, Slade's fist came out of nowhere and hit Jason in the throat, not hard enough to kill him, but hard enough to stun him and make breathing painful for quite a while. Jason fell to his knees, choking and gasping for air.
"I will not tolerate lies, Apprentice. You WILL work together whether you like it or not. Understand?"
Jason managed to gasp out what sounded like a "Yes".
"Good." Slade said, grabbing Jason roughly by his neck and dragging him to his feet. The doors opened just a second after, and Rose stumbled in, still having some problems breathing from the devastating punch Jason had given her. She was clutching her gun in her right hand, her face twisted into an expression of rage. Before she could do anything, Slade was upon her, grabbing her right wrist and twisting it, causing her to drop the gun.
"That is enough. Both of you sit and listen." Slade said, walking back up to the map. "This, is a map of Jump City. The flashing red points you see all over the map are fault points. These points form a line all the way through Gotham City and Metropolis, and many smaller cities on the way." Slade said, pushing a button on the computer keyboard, zooming the map out showing the red flashing dots leading through smaller cities and the two larger ones. "If one of these is hit with enough force, it will cause a chain reaction to the other points. All you need to do is to hit one. Any of them will do."
"Then why do we need Terra?" Jason asked.
"We need her, dear boy, simply for the fact that you alone are not powerful enough to start the chain reaction. The girl will serve her purpose in aiding us and then you are free to do with her what you wish." Slade replied.
"And how exactly, are we going to get her to help us, Master?" Rose asked, finally catching her breath.
"You will leave that to me. For now, do as you wish."
Jason nodded and walked out of the room, leaving Rose and Slade alone. Rose waited until the door was shut before speaking.
"He needs an attitude change, Master." Rose said, walking back to the spot she had dropped her gun.
"I know, Apprentice. As soon as this last plan is done, you may dispose of him. I will no longer need him. Now go and prepare yourself. We begin in a two days time."
Rose gave Slade an evil smile and turned and left the room. After Rose had left, Slade walked over to a different door and entered the next room, where Terra was. Now though, Terra was chained to the floor. She was lying on her side sleeping peacefully. Slade walked over to her and gave her a viscous kick to her lower back, causing the frail girl to yelp in pain.
"Time to wake up, Terra. You will soon be helping me with my master plan." Slade said in his usual calm voice.
Terra glared hard at Slade, her cerulean eyes burning an imaginary hole into Slade's forehead.
"I'll never help you." Terra said.
"You don't have a choice, girl. I'm sure if you think back far enough, you will remember that neural suit you had. I said it melted into your nervous system, didn't I?" Slade said as he walked closer to Terra.
Terra gave a small gasp and shrank away from her tormenter. She remembered all to well what that suit had done to her. It had taken all of her powers to break free of its control.
"Yes…you remember, don't you? I still have control over your nervous system, and thanks to Gizmo, it's even stronger then last time. Observe. Or rather, feel what I can do." Slade said, pushing a small button on his wrist.
Terra's body immediately went rigid. As Slade walked around the room, Terra did as too. As far as her chains would allow anyway. Slade pushed the button on his wrist again and Terra fell to the floor.
"You see, my dear, I still have full control over you, and could have taken you any time I wished."
Terra looked up at Slade, tears of rage in her eyes.
"Then why didn't you?"
"Well, that is for me to know." Slade said, turning and walking towards the door.
At the door, Slade stopped.
"In two days, Terra. Two days, you will help me with my plan. Do not think your friends will find you this time, Terra. Now, get some rest." Slade said as he slammed the door.
Terra sat there staring at the door, the pain in her leg leaving her for the moment. So this was why she couldn't use her powers to break out. The bastard still had control over her! Terra shook her head; not wanting to believe Slade could have taken control over her at any time.
"Beastboy…Where are you?" Terra called out in the darkness.
