Rocky Territory
By Letselina
Chapter Two
Shadowed
"The call was live," Cyborg said, shaking his head.
The green changeling sat with his face in his hands, "Terra's dead."
"So? That doesn't mean Slade is. We have no way of knowing if he died," Robin said. "We have to find him."
"He must have wanted us to go to see Terra," Starfire mused, "Why else would he make such a short and otherwise useless call"
Robin shrugged, "Slade must be planning something bigger. He wanted us to see that girl."
"Gaia..." Beastboy replied quietly.
"It still doesn't make sense," Raven said, walking into the rec room where the other four sat. "Why would Slade wait almost a whole year before showing up again?"
"Perhaps it is not Slade..." Starfire said. "Perhaps it is just a prank."
"We must have missed something," Robin punched his right fist into his left palm. "We have to go back to that cave and find out what."
"What if... that girl is there again?" Starfire inquired.
Beastboy stood up, "We'll find out exactly who she is."
"And if she attacks us again?" Cyborg questioned.
"We'll fight back," the green Titan said fiercely.
"You're sure of yourself," the dark haired girl muttered, adjusting the clip that kept her cloak around her shoulders.
Beastboy shot a glare at her, "I don't see you cowering in fear"
"We don't know what we're up against," Raven said coolly, "And I don't cower."
"Come on, you two," Cyborg interrupted, "Let's just go."
"Fine," Beastboy's shoulders slumped as he followed the meta-human's lead out.
Gaia brushed her hair from her eyes as she set down the unconscious girl on a white-sheeted bed. "Soon, we'll wake you up," she said gently, pulling one of the sheets over the blonde's body.
Standing to her full height, Gaia looked around the room she occupied. Plain, like a hospital room without the flashing lights and buttons. One area, however, was shadowed, and a dark silhouette stood tall in it. "Well, hello there," Gaia said, a smile on her face. She knew who stood in the corner with the fear of being seen. The figure shifted and she knew a man whose face was hideously burned and scarred was watching her.
"You've done well, Gaia" a crisp voice emitted from the shadows.
"You expect too little of me" she said, turning back to the unconscious girl. Gaia crossed her arms over her chest, looking at the pained expression on Terra's solemn face.
"Never" he replied quickly. "You are ready for the next step in our plan."
Ignoring his last remark, Gaia continued, "I wonder what she's thinking about..."
"Do not ignore me Gaia. Your independence can be dealt with," the man hissed.
Flipping a lock of her golden hair, Gaia shrugged, "Do that and I'll end up like this girl," she said, jabbing her thumb at Terra.
"Gaia," he said, half threatening, half warningly.
"Oh fine" she huffed, facing the shadows, "What task must I perform this time, O Great Master"
"You need to use that special gift I gave you, Gaia. I need you to bring me the Teen Titan with green skin. The one they call--"
"Beastboy," Gaia smirked. "The one who will awaken our little friend," she giggled childishly, patting the bed Terra lied on. She knelt closer to the unconscious girl's face. She set one of her hands on Terra's forehead, and her eyes began to flare not golden this time, but silver. She inhaled deeply as her entire body was enveloped in the aura. Her violet bikini top, followed by her blue vest jacket and tie-on sleeves seemed to explode in a flurry of bright lights that made her figure disappear in the aura, and her long denim jeans followed.
Starting at her head, the aura slowly dissipated, revealing its work. Her cropped blonde hair had grown inches in mere moments, and one side hung over her face. Two steel devices sat on top of her head, a faded glint reflecting in the light. Torn and ragged ribbons hung from her arms and legs, attached only by steel armor plates at her joints. A steel breastplate was cracked down the center, revealing a once white top under. It held a small round disc with an S for an insignia.
"Hmm," she looked at her appearance. Her voice was a bit different, not her own, but the voice of girl who slept. Gaia was now a duplicate of the unconscious Terra. "I can't really pull off the entire 'controlled-apprentice' look, can I?" she mocked.
"Your insolence is irritating, Gaia," the man growled, walking toward her. He stayed conveniently hidden in the shadows. Placing a hand under her chin, he gently bright her eyes to match his own. "You will follow my orders."
"And you will get your hands off me," the Terra look-alike said in a voice as threatening and crisp as his. Removing herself from his grasp, she turned swiftly, her long hair whipping the air behind her. "I'll be back soon with the boy."
Starfire looked to her left, where an irritated green changeling glared out the window, and huffed a sigh. Hoping for a better view, she glanced toward her right, where a dark haired telepath did the same. Huffing another sigh, she faced the front, crossing her arms. "I shall be forever confused at the reason for your constant bickering..." she sighed once more.
There was no answer, witty comment, or rude comeback; only silence. Starfire brushed it off as they stopped at their destination.
"We're looking for any clues of this girl we saw earlier today," Robin ordered as each Titan exited the T-Car.
"Clues?" Cyborg inquired, "Like what?"
"A butterfly clip," Raven chimed in.
Beastboy's head whipped in the general direction of Raven as they entered the dark cave, "She isn't Terra."
"Just putting in my two cents," Raven said monotonously.
"Will you two just quit it?" Cyborg demanded, annoyed.
"Yes, the battling of my friends causes my skull to ache with the pain of pounding drums..." whined Starfire.
Rolling his eyes, Robin continued. "I don't know what kind of clues to look for, just signs of where she could have gone."
"By she..." Starfire gasped quietly. "You do mean our friend Terra, do you not?"
"I mean--" the Boy Wonder looked up, uttering a gasp as well. They had hardly entered the area where Terra normally slept, and each of the Titans froze in place, a different look on each face. "...Where's Terra?"
"She's gone," Beastboy cried. He ran up to her normal place, reaching toward the area where she had once stood. He slid his fingers across the damp plaque, tracing the lettering that spelled Terra's name, and her title in their hearts. "She just disappeared..."
"She must have come back," Robin reasoned, "Gaia, that is. Whatever she was doing to Terra before, she was trying to free her or something."
"The girl must've come after we left and took her," Cyborg guessed.
Raven shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest as she stood before the platform. "No one but us knew about this location, that fact that a once-living girl stood here, not a statue. How did someone possibly find out about Terra?"
Silence and confusion reigned through the Titans as they looked at each other in doubt. The torches on the wall cast long dark shadows in the cave, darkening their faces. A source of water was present nearby, and a constant dripping echoed through the cave.
"Perhaps we are not the only ones who know," Starfire said quietly. "Slade would kn--"
"No," Beastboy shook his head violently. "Slade. Is. Dead. There's no way!"
"Dude," Cyborg sighed, "Who else could've planned this sort of thing? And pulled it off... I hate to admit it..."
Robin walked up to the platform, running his fingers across the slick surface. "There's not a trace of dust. She hasn't been gone long."
"Of course she hasn't been gone long" Raven spoke, "We were here only hours before."
"H-hello...?" a weak, tired voice called out.
Caught by surprise, the five crimefighters spun around quickly, jumping into battle position. A long shadow reached the back of the cave from the figure standing in the exit.
"W-who's there?" the stuttering voice spoke.
Beastboy was the first to drop his stance, inching near the exit. He didn't speak, but walked as if in a trance.
"Beastboy?" the voice whispered.
The changeling froze, gulping loudly as if he was facing a fear. His eyes ran up and down the figure, attempting to put a voice to the darkened shadow and voice. "It... can't be..."
"It's m-me, BB..." she whispered.
"Terra?" he choked. He lunged forward, as if being suddenly pulled by a giant magnet toward the figure. Stopping just short of a foot from her, Beastboy bit hard on his lower lip, reaching out as if in a daze. His fingers were mere moments from her face when he spoke again, "You're alive?" he whispered.
The figure nodded her head, revealing a pair of steel devices on top of her skull. "I'm back, Beastboy..." she cried softly.
Hesitantly, the green Titan threw his arms around her figure, squeezing tightly in a lethal Starfire-like embrace. "But... how?"
"I..." she trailed off, getting quieter as she spoke, "I..."
"You what?" Beastboy said gently, pulling away to see her face.
Her tired cerulean eyes stared up at him, her eyelids slowly falling. "I.." her head sunk against his shoulder, and her weight fell in his arms as she fell unconscious.
"What's wrong?" Robin asked after a moment. "What happened?"
"It's really her," Beastboy said, half ignoring his leader. "She's weak..."
"Let's get her back to the infirmary," Cyborg ordered, heading for the exit swiftly.
"Yes... Let us make our friend better," Starfire said quietly, floating behind him.
"Come on Raven" Robin beckoned.
"I'll be there in a minute," the telepath replied. She watched as the others helped lift the limp girl, and she frowned in disgust. She looked at the plaque, clenching her teeth in an odd emotion. "You think you can just come back and be accepted?" her acerbic voice growled. The plaque glowed with a black aura, and Raven clenched her fists. "You..."
"Raven!"
Her muscles loosened immediately, and her power left the plaque. She stared at it once more, "I'm coming," she answered, swiftly turning on her heel, exited the cave.
A/N: Wee! This chapter was fun to write. This story will take more twists and turns than a rollercoaster :D and you'll like it! I can't wait to see your reviews. Not much else to say, except enjoy and review on your way out- Letselina