RR76: I have something to say before you read. And that is this:
Applesauce. It lies in all of us. Sleeping...waiting... And though unwanted... unbidden... it will stir... open its jaws, and howl. It speaks to us... guides us... Applesauce rules us all. And we obey. What other choice do we have? Applesauce is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love... the clarity of hatred... and the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without applesauce, maybe we'd know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow. Empty rooms, shuttered and dank... Without applesauce, we'd be truly dead.

...wait. I think I got it wrong...

"Passion. It lies in all of us. Sleeping...waiting... And though unwanted... unbidden... it will stir... open its jaws, and howl. It speaks to us... guides us... Passion rules us all. And we obey. What other choice do we have? Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love... the clarity of hatred... and the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion, maybe we'd know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow. Empty rooms, shuttered and dank... Without passion, we'd be truly dead."-Angelus

There we go. That was it.

Responses:

Queenie: Calm. Calm. Breathe. Breathe some more. Keep breathing...still breathing? Okay, now stop. Now BREATHE! Did you stop being freaked out about the vampire dream yet?

Rory: Lotsa people seem to like him. Someone wanted to marry him, actually...ah, yes. The science teacher. Co-author of the Book of Evility.

EMBER91: Top ranked offense of 2005, here we come baby! Sorry, Raider thing. Wait and see what happens to Terra...wait and see...are you still waiting? Good.

im in a kill people mood: Didn't mean to make him sound like anyone but Carson, but hey.

SaintH: They were meant to be bastards. Carson be back, and still ass kicking.

The Wild Ambition: Yes, lets not.

Don't own, don't sue, don't flame. Lest pain of toads and snakes and turkey sandwitches with mayo be brought upon you!

"Surprised to see me? I thought you would be," Carson said, folding his arms and leaning against the frame of the door. He had grown a bit and his voice was a bit deeper, but he still retained the piercing glare. At his side hung his trademark revolver and a katana, to replace his cutlass lost in his battle with the Titans. His wardrobe had changed a bit--his shirt was black, as were his shoes and pants, and a black cape hung around his shoulders, making him seem larger. He still wore the jacket he'd taken off of Johnny Rancid, but he'd cut off the sleeves to make it into a vest. His hair was cut shorter and a scar ran down his left cheek.

Robin took Carson's remark as a challenge and drew his staff, getting into a combat stance. Carson chuckled. "Robin, Robin...if I wanted to fight, you could tell by being dead already."

"How are you alive?" Beast Boy demanded. "We saw you die."

"You saw nothing," Carson snapped. "I escaped from the helicopter just as it blew."

"Forgive me if I seem skeptical," Raven said, stepping forward, "But it would be kind of hard to escape from an exploding helicopter."

"What can I say," Carson said with a smirk. "I'm hard to kill."

"Everyone, be quiet," Robin said to his teammates. To Carson, he said "Why are you here?"

"The same reason you're here. To fight for truth and justice, and love, and puppies, and Christmas, and whatever the hell else you do," the merc said, waving a hand dismissivly. "I came to help with your problem with Darkside."

Robin lowered his staff. "You know Darkside?" he asked suspiciously.

"We go back. Way back. Now, if you'll just listen to my explaination, I can get back to work saving your worthless lives and collect my fee. A guy's gotta eat, you know." said Carson, stepping out from the doorway.

"See, my employer, a man named Tri--Trionne, has taken a notice in the activities of Darkside. He sees him as a threat to him and his affairs, and these happen to involve the Teen Titans. You. Darkside was sent to assassinate not all of you, but just one. Terra."

"If it's just Terra he's after, why is he trying to kill all of us whenever he gets a chance?" Beast Boy asked.

"I didn't ask. Now, if we can just get on with this..." Carson pressed anxiously.

"In a moment," Robin said. "Star, Beast Boy, Terra, why don't the three of you speak to our guest...somewhere else."

The door slid shut behind the four teens, and Robin let out a sigh. "Well, what do you guys think?"

"He's hiding something," Raven said.

"Is that from you being a psychic?" asked Cyborg.

"It's from my woman's intuition. Last time we worked with Carson, we all nearly died. He's a threat to all of us." Raven replied, leaning against the wall.

"What if he is telling the truth? This Darkside guy is pretty tough; we could use all the help we can get," Cyborg pointed out.

Robin sat there, considering his options. Trust Carson, and he might end up with one or more of his friends dead. Don't trust him, and he might still end up with Terra dead.

He sighed again. Being the leader sucked.

"You still let Robin call the shots for you? Even after all the mistakes he's made? Red X, working with Slade, me?" Carson asked, smiling a bit at that last one. The smile faded a bit when he saw Starfire staring at him. "What? Something wrong?" he asked apathetically.

"I will tell you now Carson. This is the only warning you get. If you dare to harm any of my friends, I will kill you myself," Starfire growled, her voice thick with hatred.

After a moment, Carson chuckled. "Yeah...we all know how well that worked out last time, don't we? I esceped unharmed, and you had a hole in your side."

Starfire's fingers balled into a fist and she started to say something else when Robin walked through, Raven and Cyborg in tow. "Might wanna consider putting a leash on her Robin, that breed's been prone to unprovoked violence," Carson said tauntingly. He grinned and then said so only Robin could hear him "Or have the two of you not gotten to leashes yet?"

Robin shoved him back and Carson laughed. "Shut up dirtbag, and listen. This is against my better judgement...but I've decided to take you up on your offer."

Carson folded his arms. "Like you have a choice..." he muttered.

"Okay guys, same teams as before. Carson, you're with me and Star," Robin said.

"Actually, I'd rather be with Terra. Not to brag, but I happen to be the best fighter here. In an ambush, I'd be her best chance for her survival. It'd be a pity to die at the hands of inept bodyguarding," Carson interjected.

"Are you implying that I'm inept?" Raven asked bitterly.

"Do I need to spell it out for you?" Carson said with a smirk.

"Guys, just...shut up and move out. Carson, you're with Terra, Raven's with us. Now go." Robin said, exasperated (how many times can I use that word and get away with it...?)

"So...is there another reason you wanted to go with me?" Terra asked Carson with a smile.

Carson scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself. I came with you to protect you from certain doom. No other reason."

"Not even to pay back a debt you owe?" Terra said. Carson stopped walking and looked at Terra, remembering...oh look, a never tedious flashback sequence. Sigh...buckle up.

The rock encasement around Carson receded into the ground and he fell agains the hard earth. Terra walked up to his body nonchalontly and felt his neck for a pulse.

"He's...alive?" Terra said, looking at Slade with a look of confusion.

"I expected this," Slade purred. "Carson is notoriously difficult to kill. An entire army couldn't stop him."

Terra stood up. "What do you want me to do with him?" she asked.

Slade turned and walked down the tunnel. "Dispose of him properly."

Carson coughed, having choked on another gulp of water. He blinked several times to clear his vision. When he looked up, he saw Terra standing on a cliff overlooking the city, staring out at the skyline.

Carson tried to stand but found that his legs had lost all feeling. "What happened?" he asked Terra. "Why am I alve?"

"Because you're hard to kill?" Terra said, looking at him. "I don't know, I don't care. All I know is that you're on the lam. If Slade finds out I didn't obey him, I'll die and he'll get a new apprentice."

"Terra..."

"You should leave town. Change your name. You got any relatives you can stay with? Friends, family, random billionairs?" Terra asked, trying and failing to sound tough.

"Terra...I don't..."

"Don't say anything. As far as anyone knows, you're dead. Live the illusion." And without another word, Terra lifted off on a rock and floated back into the city.

"Yeah...I suppose I do owe you. Big time," Carson said to the geomancer. "'Course, you could say I already payed you back, after not ratting you out to your friends that you're gonna betray them."

Terra leaned against the wall and sighed. "It's not that I want to, I don't--"

"Liar."

"...Okay, maybe a little, but not all of them. Just Raven. And maybe Robin."

Carson looked at her.

"...and maybe Cyborg but that's it. ...fine. And Starfire."

"Not Beast Boy?" Carson pressed.

"I can't. I...you know..."

"I figured, yeah. The way he reacted when I mentioned your name." Carson smiled fondly at the memory. "I still kicked his ass though."

"Do you know what it feels like?" Terra asked, looking at Carson. "To have someone you love betray you?"

For a moment, Carsons' confident expression disappeared, a look of sorrow replaicing it. It was only for a moment though, and his normal expression returend. "Yeah. I do."

Terra turned away and sighed again. "Beast Boy. When we first met I made him swear never to tell Robin that I couldn't control my powers. He did anyway. I went to Slade looking for a way to get him back, and now I have to..." She buried her face in her hands. "It's just so much pressure and confliction, and I just wish it could all be over!"

Something cold and metallic was pressed against the back of her head. "I can fix that," Carson said coldly.

"What are you..."

"I wasn't exactly telling the truth when I said I was after Darkside. I am Darkside. That tip you gave me, change my name? Worked like a bloody charm. And I certainly wasn't sent here to kill myself. Just to kill Slade's agent in the Titans."

Sweat trickled down her neck as Carson spoke his next words, cocking the hammer of the revolver. "You wouldn't happen to know who that is, would you?"

RR76: More plot twists. Review now please. Or all will be cheese! Hey, that rhymes!