Chapter 14: On the Flip Side

(11 pm in a Bedroom)

"How can you expect me to forgive you!" Terra blasted at Slade, "you raped him!" she cried, "you could've just killed him and ended the misery of him trying to catch you but instead you RAPE him!"

"I'm sorry," Slade repeated testily, "I hadn't planned to rape him," he told her, "I had originally wanted to just scare him," he said, "make him leave me and US alone," he added.

"Well he's going to be out for your blood NOW!" Terra shouted, "did you really think that raping Robin would make him too scared to come after you?" she demanded, "did you really think that after you raped him he'd just go back to the Tower and forget about it?" she asked frankly.

"I raped Robin because I was upset," Slade said calmly, "I raped him because he said something that pushed me over the edge," he revealed.

"What," Terra said in surprise, "what did he say?" she asked.

"I can't tell you," Slade responded.

"Tell me or I'm leaving you," Terra said seriously.

"Weren't you planning on leaving me anyway?" Slade pointed out.

"Oh, Um," Terra said since she was flustered, "Jesus Christ Slade!" she exploded, "I don't want to find out anymore sick and dastardly things about you from the papers!" she shouted, "I want to hear it from you," she told him, "I want to hear the words from your lips," she said, "not see it in full print on a newspaper somewhere!" she exclaimed.

"He said something about my daughter," Slade said suddenly.

Terra was silent for a moment. Her brain was momentarily took shocked and paralysed to let what Slade had said sink in. But eventually it all did.

"Daughter!" Terra screamed.

"I told that I have one child from a previous marriage," Slade reminded her.

"But you didn't tell me that she was here on Earth," Terra countered, "you said you had left Earth and you married and lived with a female from another planet and spent years with her before you had to leave her and your daughter and you eventually returned to your home planet Earth," she recalled, "you NEVER said that your daughter was on Earth Slade."

"She wasn't always," Slade confessed, "but now she is," he continued, "and she's a Titan," he added.

Terra simply looked at Slade in disbelief.

"Tell me it's not Starfire," Terra said immediately.

"No!" Slade shouted and he looked absolutely offended.

"So that leaves…" Terra started to say, "tell me your joking!"

"Raven's my daughter," Slade said simply.

"That girl's your daughter!" Terra cried, "but she has those powers and her skin's purple…" she started to list.

"The powers are all Trigon's doing," Slade stated, "and as for skin," he said, "it's obvious that we have very different skin tone," he said bluntly.

"Tone!" Terra shouted, "you two look like your from different Universes!"

"Maybe we are," Slade said coldly, "but she's still my daughter," he told Terra.

"And Robin said something bad about her?" Terra asked still confused.

"No," Slade admitted.

"Then what in the HELL did he say to possess you to lose all reason and rape him!" Terra shouted in exasperation.

"He taunted me about Raven wanting to catch me," Slade snarled, "you should've seen him," he said hatefully, "he was so scared of me raping him," he spat, "yet he could lie there and throw my DAUGHTER in my face!" he roared.

"But he didn't know that Raven was your daughter then," Terra pointed out, "the evening paper said so," she added quickly.

"That's no excuse," Slade said, "I would've let him go," he persisted, "if after everything else he didn't use my own flesh and blood to taunt me," he said with clenched fist.

"I forgive you," Terra said suddenly as she placed her hand Slade's fist and Slade looked at her in surprise.

"Why?" Slade asked in spite of himself.

"Because you obviously hadn't fully meant to rape Robin," Terra told him, "I'm still angry that you did it though," she said, "rape's a REALLY low act," she continued, "especially for someone as intelligent as you," she reprimanded him.

"So you're not cutting our engagement and leaving me?" Slade asked her softly.

"No," Terra decided, "I love you Slade," she said and kissed him lightly on the lips, "I just don't want anything to happen that will make me lose you," she whispered.

"Neither do I," Slade told her and pulled Terra into an embrace, "I love you too Terra," he said and kissed her back, "more than you'll EVER know or understand," he declared, "nothing can tear us a part."

(Following Day in a deserted area of Steel City)

Raven sat in the corner of a house, which was barely still standing. An earthquake had happened there three years ago and the land was declared unsafe for any form of building and housing since the foundation underground could barely help keep a wooden shack standing if another earthquake came. No more earthquakes came but everyone left. Not even street people ventured through the rusty fence to find shelter there. It was the perfect place for someone hated to hide away at. Someone like Raven.

"I can't believe I thought they were my friends," Raven chastised herself, "I never had friends," she whispered, "only long time acquaintances," she said but then thought of Aqualad, "I still have to be more careful."

Raven thought about everything that had happened since her Father raped Robin. It was unimaginable that earlier that same fateful day, she and all the other Titans still at the Tower were friends. Starfire's negative reaction was an omen like sign of things to come but Raven in her sudden burst of growing naivety refused to see it.

I really thought that they'd forgive me. What a joke. I did everything but kiss their feet and wipe their asses. I was totally pathetic and I might as well as claimed that I hated Robin and declare that my father should've raped him twice because I really doubt that it made much of a difference that I was actually SORRY about what had happened to Robin. I seriously need to stop dwelling on the past and my former affiliation with the Teen Titans. They all hate me now; my former teammates, and I just have to grow up and accept it. (Raven's thoughts)

Raven picked up her cup of herbal tea that lay beside her and started to drink it silently.

(Two Hours Later at 10 a.m. at the Tower)

Robin punched the punching bag again. He had been training since 2 a.m. and now he showed no sign of stopping. Fighting for justice was in his blood and he was going to get back in FULL shape for it and his job, no duty as leader of the Teen Titans.

"Robin?" Starfire asked suddenly as she entered the training area.

"I'm training Starfire," Robin responded.

"I know that you're pummelling the bag of redness," Starfire said, "but nourishment is also needed, yes?"

"I'll eat later," Robin told her, "I need to get back in top shape," he added.

"Slade's deed of wickedness has affected your physical well being?" Starfire asked.

"I just need to get back in shape Starfire," Robin reassured her, "I'll be alright."

That's a lie. I'll never be alright. Thanks to SLADE. (Robin's thoughts)

"Are you sure?" Starfire persisted, "you have been making the distance Robin," she said softly.

"You mean 'keeping distance'," Robin corrected her, "I just have a lot to think about Starfire," he told her.

"But bad man Slade will be captured and evil Raven's gone," Starfire reminded him, "everything will be the okay."

"No it won't Starfire," Robin stated, "things are, just different now," he said.

"Why?" Starfire asked.

"It just is!" Robin shouted and stopped punching to face her and glare, "I'm sorry," he apologized, "I just want to be alone."

"But…" Starfire started to say.

"I want to be alone," Robin said firmly and turned back to his punching bag, "please," he begged in a small voice and rested his head tiredly against the punching bag, "go away."

Starfire nodded and left the room as her eyes welled with tears.

End Chapter 14.

Reggae: Only three or four chapters MAXIMUM left in this story. Will complete in JULY. Now please review and thank you for reading.