After far too long, I'm finally updating. Hooray! --Throws confetti-- I managed to reread the first five Harry Potter books in eight days (sweetness), and read the sixth in a grand total of eight hours! The book was absolutely amazing, but it was too short—only 652 pages. The fifth was like, 860 some. Grr….but still, it was very good. After all of that, it's been hard to get out of a HP frame of mind and actually focus on this story.
I know I've said before that some of the chapters were hard to write, but this one is the king of hard-to-write-ness—I didn't even get it the way I liked it until I was typing it all up. It didn't exactly help that I've been debating over which way to take the story (and subsequently, the two sequels), and that this chapter is the point that decides which way it goes. I highly doubt if anyone will pick up on the part where the plot is decided for sure, because none of you have read the original version of this chapter. But I think everyone will be much happier with the new plot (I definitely am), even though you have no idea what the old plot was.
I'm kind of losing the hope of getting this done before I leave for Florida for a week—I'm leaving on the 29th of this months, and I've got editor camp from the 25th to the 27th. I'll try, though, and there are only three more chapters after this one, so it might be possible—but I still have to rewrite most of those chapters, because of my plot changes.
Disclaimer time—I do not own Teen Titans. For some reason, this makes me extremely sad when I actually sit down and think about it. I do own all three parts of The End on DVD, because of the spectacularificness of DVD recorders. Oh, and dreams are in italics.
Now, on to review responses. This story has finally gotten more reviews than any of my others (even 'Soundtrack of Sorrow' one of my JoA fics). I hope to get over 100 reviews, and if I do, everyone gets cookies and candy. So, if you want virtual treats, review!
wolf of raven – I can tell you now there is no romance…in this story, anyway. But keep in mind, there are two sequels, and I'm not saying there isn't any in those. Thanks for the review!
Cosmo3k1 – Well, I have to keep people interested somehow. : ) Thanks for the review!
doc-trigger – I love Harry Potter, and I wanted to refresh my memory before the sixth one came out. I've read them all so many times that I've lost count, so I didn't exactly have to read them, but I still wanted to. And I would pick to loose my leg, too, because loosing arms is just too creepy for me. Thanks for the review.
DarkBeast – Thanks—I work really hard to keep everyone in character, and Beast Boy is the hardest, because I'm forcing him into such a serious situation. Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this chapter.
oranfly – I couldn't cut his arm off and not give him a new one—even I'm not that cruel. Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you enjoy this new chapter!
lovex3spell – Yes, I like to fit my titles in the story somewhere. And for some reason the chapter just seemed short—probably because it was much shorter at first, and I didn't feel like I added that much. Thanks for reviewing, and for all of your support!
The Ubermann – You'll just have to see if Beast Boy fights Slade again. But you won't have to wait long to find out, so don't worry too much. Thanks for the review.
bunnysquirrel – I know, and I had a medical disclaimer thingy a few chapters back. I just decided that it would work best for my story, and since a lot of animals (other than humans) have different body temperatures, I figured it would make sense for Beast Boy's to be affected by his…uniqueness. Thanks for reviewing!
Chibi Scooby – Your random comments make your reviews so much fun. Thanks for reviewing!
teentitansrock! – It was fun to write happy Beast Boy—it makes me feel bad to be so mean to him, but that's just how I write. Thanks for the review!
Koriat – A shiny arm would at least be better than no arm at all. And hooray for being right about his arm! Thanks for reviewing.
dragoon-bane – Oh, don't worry, I make up for last chapter's nice ending with a cliffhanger this chapter –Laughs evilly--. Thanks for the review!
GreenMartian777 – Yes, yay for arms. And about the BB/Terra moments from part 2, I sort of liked it, because it was BB torment and, well, I obviously like to torment him, if you couldn't tell. Thanks for the review!
CalliopeMused – Yeah, I love the shiny, too. I've actually started imagining BB with a shiny arm every time I watch Teen Titans. It's amusing, in a sadistic, I-cut-his-arm-off-in-a-fanfiction sort of way. Thanks for the review!
Alright, that's taken care of, so on to chapter nine!
Silver Wing
Chapter Nine: Speculating
It had been nearly two months since Beast Boy lost his arm fighting Slade, and life had started to get back to normal. Beast Boy and Cyborg still fought about tofu, the Titans still fought crime, and Robin still spent endless hours obsessing over Slade.
It was very late one night, and Robin was reviewing every file on Slade that was stored on the Tower's computer—and it was like trying to put together a ten thousand piece jigsaw puzzle. He'd been through these files countless times, and he still couldn't figure out why Slade had come after Beast Boy. He'd known since the night of the attack that it wasn't random, but Slade's motives hadn't gotten any clearer since.
Already Slade had come after two of the Titans—Raven, when he was working for her father, and himself. In both of those instances, his purpose had been clear, or at least, had become clear over time. But unless there was some secret from Beast Boy's past that he didn't know about, he couldn't see any other meaning. There must have been some hint, some subtle message that they'd overlooked. They hadn't been able to stay and check out the scene, with Beast Boy in the state he'd been in, but Robin had returned a few days later. The storm had washed away any evidence, but Robin did venture to the rubble where they'd found Beast Boy's arm. To his grim surprise, it had disappeared. Robin hadn't yet told Beast Boy about that, and planned not to.
Maybe Starfire was right, and Slade was just attacking the team in general. But that still didn't explain the sword—Slade had never had any trouble bringing the Titans down, especially if he was only facing two of them. Robin guessed that Slade only needed it for what he'd done to Beast Boy.
His right arm…in a sudden burst of inspiration, Robin clicked on an image file, and a picture filled the large computer screen. It showed a group of six teenagers, but his eyes lingered on the blonde girl, the teammate they had lost. Terra had been Slade's apprentice, just like Robin had for a time, and he knew from experience that Slade's apprentice did whatever Slade asked of them—he'd been his right hand man.
Robin could see how Slade might blame Beast Boy more than the rest of the Titans for Terra's betrayal. In his eyes, Beast Boy had taken his "right hand", and Slade had returned the favor.
00000000000000000
"Help me."
The voice was soft and pleading. Beast Boy quickened his pace. He was back in the stone cavern, and a voice was calling his further and further into its inky depths. His tunnel suddenly split into three separate paths, and he stared down each in turn, unsure of which way to go.
"Where are you?" he shouted, frustrated. His call echoed through the stone room.
"Here…hurry…"
The voice was barely a whisper, and it came from the far right pathway. Beast Boy took off after the voice, sprinting down the tunnel, his heart pounding in his ears. The cavern was dimly lit, but his could still make out the figure on the ground ahead of him.
Terra was completely still and covered in blood. Beast Boy dropped to his knees beside her and took her pale hand in his own. She had lost nearly all of her color, and if harsh breaths weren't escaping her lips, Beast Boy would have though she was dead.
"Terra?" he whispered. "Can you hear me? Please, Terra, wake up."
She moaned softly and her head turned. Blue eyes flickered open and focused on Beast Boy.
"Hurry." Terra's voice was weak.
"I'm here," Beast Boy said soothingly. "It's okay."
"No. You have to find me. Please, Beast Boy." Her eyes closed again. "I need you now."
"Terra, I did find you." Beast Boy said, a little frantic. "I'm right here, and I'll get you help. Just hang on, okay?"
Terra's eyes snapped open, and she looked at Beast Boy, horrified.
"Your arm," she whispered, fear in her eyes.
Beast Boy looked down at his am and gasped. His right arm was only a stump, and he was suddenly kneeling in a pool of his own blood. Everything around him began to fade, and he felt himself fall face down on the ground beside Terra. Her last whispered word lingered in his ears, even as darkness claimed him.
"Hurry."
Beast Boy sat up in bed, covered in a cold sweat and shaking. Dreams about Terra had plagued him every time he slept since his fight with Slade. They were always similar—it was always in that cavern, he always found Terra covered in blood and dying, and she was always calling to him, leading him down that same path. The ending varied occasionally—sometimes he found himself fighting Slade again, or like this one, his arm was gone, and sometimes…sometimes Terra died as he held her. Those were always the worst.
But that dream was the first that she'd acted like that, telling him to hurry and find her when he was already by her side. It gave him chills just to think about it. Could she really be sending him a message? What else could two months of vivid dreams mean?
With that question in mind, Beast Boy found himself knocking on Raven's door at four in the morning.
"Hey, Raven?" he called uncertainly. "Uhm…can I come in?" No answer. "Oh…okay then. I'll just be…somewhere."
The door slid open, and a rather angry Raven was standing behind them. She didn't even bother to ask why he was there—just glared at him and waited for him to speak.
"Uhm…sorry to wake you--," he began cautiously, suddenly thinking this wasn't such a good idea after all.
"I'm sure you are," Raven commented dryly.
"--But something's sort of bothering me, and I needed to talk to you about it," he finished quickly, before he lost his nerve.
Raven's expression softened and she stepped back, allowing Beast Boy to enter.
"So, what is it?" Raven asked directly, watching her green friend carefully.
"Can dreams…mean things?" he asked nervously.
"Like what?" Raven was puzzled.
"Like…I've been having the same dream a lot," Beast Boy explained, "and I think it means something. I think somebody's trying to tell me something."
"Who?" Raven's voice was soft. Beast Boy looked down and didn't answer. "Terra?" she asked.
Beast Boy looked up in surprise. "How'd you know?"
Raven sighed. "After you got hurt, when you were sick, you kept saying her name in your sleep," she explained. "I'm guessing you've been having the dreams since then, right?"
"Yeah," Beast Boy said, nodding slowly.
Raven had to force herself to ask her next question. "Do you…love her?" she asked quietly.
Beast Boy frowned, but held Raven's gaze. "I don't think so," he answered finally. "I mean, I did once, I think, but not anymore. It's just, so much has happened, and I'm not sure I'm the same as the person that did love her."
Raven nodded in understanding. "In your dream, what happens? Do you see her, or do you just know she's there?"
"I see her," Beast Boy explained. "I'm in this cave, and she's calling to me, leading me to her. Every time I find her, she's all bloody and…dying and I can't do anything to help her. But this last dream was different—even after I got to her, she was still telling me to hurry, and that she needs me to find her now."
Raven frowned, deep in thought. "And it's always like that?" she asked.
"Close to it," Beast Boy told her. "Sometimes the endings change, but they're mainly the same." He suddenly looked frightened. "What if she's hurt somewhere, Raven? It could be too late already."
Raven put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "If your dreams do have a meaning, I'll help you find it," she promised.
"Thanks, Rae," Beast Boy said gratefully. "I guess I'll go now, and let you get back to sleep."
"I might as well stay up," Raven responded. "And something tells me you won't go back to sleep either."
"Yeah, you're right." Beast Boy's face suddenly lit up. "Hey, I could make you some tofu eggs!"
"I think I'll stick with tea," Raven answered, with a slight grin.
"Fine, but you don't know what you're missing."
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After his realization, Robin sat in silence in front of the now blank computer screen, lost in thought. He was startled out of his reverie when the elevator doors slid open, and Raven and Beast Boy stepped out. He looked at the time—4:23 a.m.
"You guys couldn't sleep?" he asked the pair. Raven looked over at him and frowned.
"You could say that," she answered, searching the cabinets for a tea packet. "What about you—have you slept?"
"No," Robin said, realizing there was no point in lying to Raven. At her disapproving look, he continued. "I've been reviewing all the files on Slade."
This caught Beast Boy's attention—his head swiveled and he stared directly at Robin, waiting for him to continue.
Instead, Robin paused, suddenly regretting that he'd spoken so soon. It was only speculation—but then he noticed Beast Boy's silver hand tightly clutching the carton of soy milk, and his resolve was strengthened. If anyone had the right to hear his theories, it was Beast Boy.
Robin proceeded to explain his idea about Slade, and how his attack could have been one of revenge. At the end of his explanation, Beast Boy was frowning deeply, and Raven was looking stormy. He felt like he was missing something, but he didn't have time to ask about it, because the screen behind him suddenly flickered to life.
"Aqualad," he said in mild surprise. "Are you in the area?"
The Atlantean on the screen smiled. "Actually, I'm outside your front door."
Ten minutes later, Robin, Raven, Beast Boy, and Aqualad were waiting in the living room for the rest of the Titans. Aqualad was eying Beast Boy's new arm, openly surprised.
"What happened?" he asked with concern.
"It's kind of a long story," Beast Boy told him as the elevator doors opened and Cyborg and Starfire joined them. "Maybe later."
"What brings you here so early?" Cyborg asked with a yawn.
"Sorry about the timing," Aqualad apologized, "but this is kind of urgent."
"Is there something wrong at your tower?" Robin asked him.
"No, things are pretty much the same." Aqualad shrugged. "In fact, I was sort of on vacation, and visiting my home. Anyway, my people in Atlantis have been noticing an increase in earthquakes. They're very minor ones, but still enough to cause some alarm.
"Earthquakes?" Beast Boy repeated, a little worried.
"Yes. Why?" Aqualad asked in confusion.
"That's another long story," Raven explained. Aqualad continued his tale.
"Anyway, they've been studying the earthquakes, and they seem to be moving, very slowly, towards this place. At least, that's what we've calculated." Aqualad looked at each of the Titans, waiting for a response.
"What if it's like that worm we fought before?" Cyborg suggested.
"Maybe." Robin frowned. "But I--"
Aqualad cut him off. "Where's Beast Boy?"
"I believe he headed towards the elevators," Starfire said, "after the mention of earthquakes."
"Then let's—" Once again, Robin was cut off, but this time it was by Raven's hand on his shoulder.
"Let him go," she said softly. "He'll come back." Based on the conversation they'd had, she already knew where he was going.
He did come back, nearly two hours later, all color drained from his face. It took him several minutes to force himself to speak, and when he did, his words shocked the whole team.
"Terra's gone."
TBC
Hahahahahahahaha! Evil cliffy! Evil cliffy!
Okay, don't hate me for being so happy about it, but hey, it's almost fun to do. And I promise I'll work very hard on getting the next chapter done so I can leave you with another cliffhanger—I mean, so you can find out what happens. Yeah….
I hope you liked this chapter, and if you did, please review!
Child of a Pineapple