A/N: Another chapter! Yay! Stranded was so awesome. My new favorite episode… that and X. Then Haunted. But that's just me. Glad so many people like this story. I hate to say it but this chapter's actually pretty rushed, but that's because well, this chapter isn't as good as the rest. But I promise the fluff in chapter five makes up for EVERYTHING. And my one-shots will all probably be up the week of the twentieth due to finals, softball games, and the last week of school. Oh and italics are flashback/dream/nightmare. And if my Terra backstory is off, it's just the way I think it should be and goes well with the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or Starfire and Robin would have kissed in Stranded. And Terra and Speedy would have met a while ago.
"I'm not."
"Yes you are. You've been avoiding me since yesterday."
"Well what was that back there yesterday? You actually thought you could beat him on your own in your condition?" The changeling was almost mocking me now.
"Now having lack of control is a condition? Might I ask you why you're green?" I sneered. This wouldn't end good, I could tell now. Plus we were right outside where Starfire and Robin were. That wouldn't result well at al.
"Stop it! You don't belong on this team. We all can control our powers but you can't. You're a project for us. A test to see if we can get better from training you. I don't want to train you and I'm sure the rest don't either. You don't belong here anymore," now he'd done it. Star and Robin were out here, looking utterly confused.
"Fine! I'll leave and come back when I've finished my own training and can control this on my own," Crap. What was that all about? No way I could teach myself all that… wait a second, I'll just do the drills and exercises Slade had put me through. Just no mad guy screaming at me for messing up. Before any of the Titans could stop me, I ran down the hall, leaving Titans Tower.
Where could I go? Not home. There was no home to go to. Slade's was out of the question, no way I'd ever go and be his apprentice again. Not the Titans. I'd just stormed out of there in a crazy rage. Too early to turn back. I kept running, realizing I was heading in the general direction of the sand, valleys, and caves where I had the run-in with the scorpion. I could stay in that cave I had the first time around and train on the cliffs and landmarks in that area.
Night had already fallen so that was fun, manuvering my way through caverns and dirt in the middle of the night. I did manage to find my old hideaway and my beloved flashlight. Not that it was any bit difficult, everything hadn't changed. Why should it? No one ever comes to these parts.
I sat against the wall of the cave, a few sharp rocks digging into my back. How comfortable. I was hugging my knees, silently thinking over all I had gone through. So far, things had gone almost as planned. Nothing too far off how it had been originally… except for my dealings with Beast Boy. As long as I was here, Slade's final battle with the titans wouldn't happen for a while.
The cave started to dim as I realized my flashlight's batteries had died. Oh joy. Now what was I supposed to do for lighting for the next few weeks? I didn't even know when I would have to go back. It was obviously inevitable. I had to die at one point. Before I could think of what to do, I found myself asleep…
…"Hey Tara! Tara! Mom wants you to come downstairs!" the small blonde boy cried, his dark blue eyes staring admiringly at my own. I lay across my bed, not even ten years old yet. Back then, I had been carefree, letting my long blonde hair run pretty wild. Back then I was not Terra, just Tara Markov, fairly normal kid who didn't know of her own gifts yet.
"Alright. Calm down Trent," I groaned, hopping off my bed and following my brother out of the bedroom, down the shaggy rugged carpet that covered the stairs. Whenever anyone say us together, they could always automatically tell we were related.
"Tara… Trent… come into the kitchen," my mom yelled. Trent practically ran into the kitchen while I walked, knowing exactly what awaited me. My father and mother stood next to the kitchen table which contained two boxes wrapped intricately with bows and newspapers as well as a giant chocolate cake.
My father was tall, burly man with soft blonde hair sprouting from his head and chin. A pair of wire-rimmed glasses hid the blue eyes that both his children had inherited. My mother was nearly his opposite, a small, skinny woman with one long blonde braid running down her back. Her bangs were always falling into her silver eyes. It was the only that kept me from looking just like my mother at times. We had different eyes.
"Happy Birthday, Tara!" All three of them cried. I smiled and blushed, taking a seat beside the cake. That been such a good cake too…
"Thanks guys," I was beaming now, blowing out the candles. We never sang Happy Birthday in my family because Trent would always try his hardest to wreck it. Just our tradition. I don't even remember the wish I made though. Probably something unimportant, like a pony. Trent used to laugh at me for always wishing for a pony. He was always wishing for racecars. After all, he was only six.
"I'll go get a knife to cut the cake," Mr. Markov walked off to the counter. My mom had her camera out and was taking photos of my fake smiles.
"Forget the cake! I wanna see Tara's presents!" Trent yelled, handing one box out to me. I took it, messing up my brother's hair with my other hand. Slowly, I opened it to find the goggles, still intact.
"It's for your swimming practices," my mother explained. Trent took them and examined them a minute before placing them back on the table.
"Open my one!" Trent cried, shoving the other box at me. I could only laugh and open it. Inside it was my hair clip. Yes, the very one Slade had now. It was still blue, still a butterfly, but it wasn't as special to me then. It wasn't until I lost something more special than that.
"It's for your hair. You're always pulling it out of your eyes," Mrs. Markov commented, flipping her own bangs out of her eyes. Wonder who I inherited that trait from.
"You should get one too!" I yelled, only joking though.
"Trent! You let Tara open her presents without me here?" Mr. Markov grinned, cutting a slice from the cake and handing it to me. All I got was single bite of cake before the ground started to shake violently.
My mother began screaming while my dad shoved Trent and me out of the room. Both of us managed to make it outside, watching pieces of our house start to crumble and hearing my mother's screams ringing through my ears. Then the house completely fell apart, my parents still inside and Trent and I watching. My first brush with my powers…
…I fell forward, my neck cracking a bit from being in the same position all night. Yet another nightmare, even after three weeks of being in the caves. When would this end? My training last time had gone until… The Master of Games and the Tournament of Heroines! Starfire and Raven had been there too. Uh, but the nightmare. I could never forget that day. The house collapsing, mom and dad getting crushed, Trent running back in and tripping, hitting his head. I had watched my entire family die while fiddling with that stupid hairclip and goggles. Those stupid gifts were the only thing that were saved, besides me.
My training felt complete. I was stronger and more in control. Though my powers were still acting up. That just meant the Titans were gonna be slightly upset with my powers. Joy.
"Welcome to the Tournament of Heroines!" The Master of Games introduced. I stood along with other super hero girls, listening to the rules of his phony tournament. It had been only a day since my lament over my progress. Raven and Starfire were there, whispering to each other about the game. There were others there too, but I didn't know or remember anyone.
"Friend Terra! You have been called here too? Wonderful!" Starfire cried once the master had finished explaining.
"How are your powers?" Raven asked darkly, pretending not to really care.
"Better. I've been training a lot since I left," I scratched my neck, not knowing how to explain my random strategies to help me gain control.
"You must come back!" Star cried, hopping up and down. Did she ever calm down?
"First we have to make it out of here. This Master of Games is really suspicious," Raven growled, placing her hood up and walking out.
"Guys, wait, I know all about him. I've seen him before," not a lie, but technically not true either. "He steals everyone's powers."
"Then let's take him down," Raven threw off her hood, running towards the Master of Games. Since when had she been so excited about missions? Usually it was Robin going crazy. She probably just wanted to get out of here. The other contestants would probably find us crazy but oh well. That's the price we'd have to pay.
"Wait! We must organize and fight with the others!" Starfire cried, looking slightly scared. Apparently Starfire was for the others too.
"Forget the others! Let's go!" I joined Raven, charging at the master. Starfire came behind, all three of us attacking at once. Let's just say we got him knocked out and all of us were back home where we belonged. And yes, I was allowed to return to my home most of the time, and by that I don't mean my cave.
But in the main room, there were four guys there to greet us. Three were normal but the other… wow. Orange-blonde hair, his eyes hidden behind a mask, looking just like a more outgoing version of Robin. Not bad. Not bad at all. Ah, but he definitely wasn't Robin.
A/N 2: This was short! I promise you the next one will be much better than this chapter. And Speedy and Terra can be all cutesy. I'll update next Saturday! Please review, just no flames.