Rocky Territory
By Letselina

Chapter Five
Clueless

"You let them see your appearance, Gaia," Slade's crisp voice scolded. "You failed."

"What?" Gaia cried, disbelief in her voice, "I got the job done, didn't I?"

Beastboy sat back in his cell, angrily watching the arguing villains. He felt helpless. There was never a time when he was alone. He could not break out of his cell without being smashed back in by Gaia, Slade, or more robots than he could handle. In his mind, he knew, he wasn't as strong as Cyborg. Not as brave as Robin. Not as powerful as Starfire. Not as dangerous to foes as Raven. He was nothing.

And now, everything was his fault. He didn't know why, but he knew he was to blame. His friends were trapped and he didn't know any of Slade's intentions.

He didn't even know how Slade was alive.

"You're nothing without me!" Gaia hissed. "You stayed in your little hole of a hideout for months before I came around."

"You wouldn't be alive without me, my dear. Remember, I created you." Slade seemed to easily keep his cool in contrast to Gaia's rage.

Gaia shook her head, slowly regaining her composure. "I did my job. The Titans are nonetheless confused."

"And if they assume you play the part of Terra?" Slade questioned, "Then what?"

"Trust me," Gaia smiled, "They won't have a clue."

Beastboy growled under his breath. "They will find out whatever your planning!"

"Is that so?" Gaia chuckled. "Just because they have an ounce of intelligence more than you, does not mean they can even come close to what's going on. After all, you've heard everything we've said, and you're still clueless."

The changeling clenched his fists and teeth, glaring at the blonde. "What do you want with Terra? Why do you need me?"

"Telling you would ruin the fun of watching you squirm in confusion," Slade laughed, exiting the room once again.

"Raven... Please awaken from your sleep now..."

"Starfire, she'll be all right. She just needs to rest."

"But I do not wish for her to need rest. I am worried of the things the doppleganger spoke of."

"Something BB... or whoever that girl was... Whatever he she said to Raven really made her upset."

"That is not what I meant."

"What did you mean Star?"

"I meant why would the doppleganger claim to be Beastboy fighting for Terra? Is Terra alive?"

"I don't know Star..."

Raven stirred from her sleep, the hushed voices of her three friends echoing in her head as her eyes flickered open. She felt a pang of cold shoot through her body and shivered.

"Raven?" Starfire's inquiring voice entered the silence.

Without a word, the empath sat up, rubbing her arms for warmth. "What happened?" she asked.

"We were going to ask you the same thing," Robin said gently.

"Turned out BB wasn't BB," Cyborg informed, "That girl we saw at Terra's cave apparantly has some weird power. She was able to take on Beastboy's appearance and use powers like his, as well as her own."

"Your burst of power must have reversed her power," Robin assumed, "But what made you do that?"

Raven's eyes trailed to her hands, "I'm not sure... When I was trapped in those rocks, I remembered Terra. I remembered when she tried to kill me, I was in a similar position. Yet, I felt something..." she brought a hand to her temple, "...inside my mind. Like someone was trying to get inside me... I can't explain it..."

"What did he say to you that made you so mad?" Starfire asked.

"I... don't remember..." Raven said quietly, "There was this voice inside my head... I couldn't think... I just wanted to find out why Beastboy was attacking..."

"I see," Robin frowned. "Whoever she is, she's powerful. We can't be too careful."

Raven sat back, listening silently to the Titans as they confered with each other, and attempted to piece together the large puzzle before them. She gently pulled her hood over her eyes, closing them as she leaned against a wall. Somehow, she couldn't tell herself it hadn't been Beastboy. He seemed too real to be a doppleganger. Even masters at the art of doppleganging still made flaws. Whoever she was, she didn't have any flaws.

In fact, she bettered the person she was doppleganging. She could use those earth-bound powers as well as Beastboy's shape-shifting gift. She was better at it, too. Beastboy wouldn't last a second in a battle against her, let alone the other four Titans together.

"Uh, Raven?"

The empath looked up, "Sorry. I was just... thinking."

"Are you sure you don't remember what Beastboy or whoever that was said to you?" Cyborg asked.

"I don't remember anything that was said," Raven replied, "Only the battle."

"The doppleganger mentioned something about Terra, and then you said said that you knew she was behind everything," Starfire said softly. "He then said, 'but not everyone's perfect like you.'"

"And then something about your birthday," Cyborg said with puzzlement.

"My... birthday?" Raven raised an eyebrow.

"Forget it," Robin waved a hand in the air. "We don't have time to figure that out. We have to find a way out of here and get Beastboy back."

Raven nodded, "Any ideas?" She looked around their cell-like area, puzzled herself. When Cyborg had said 'birthday', something came to her. Yet, as fast as she had remembered it, it disappeared. The word 'birthday' suddenly seemed foriegn, and she felt a pain in her head.

"We don't know what's waiting out there for us," Robin sighed.

"We can take anything thrown at us," Cyborg said egotistically.

"Unless that girl comes back," Raven put in quietly.

"We'll be ready this time!" Cyborg argued.

Starfire looked around, "Perhaps she can dopplegang other forms. What if we are tricked again?"

"We won't be," Robin shook his head. "We'll just have figure out our plan as we go." He stood up, looking outside the cell, "There's keys, and my weapons on that table," he pointed his index finger to a wooden table on the other side of the room. "Can you get them, Raven?"

"It seems too easy," Raven frowned.

Robin nodded, "But we have no choice."

"Yes," Starfire agreed, "I feel something terrible is going to happen soon."

"And I suppose we should follow Starfire's feelings blindly?" Raven raised an eyebrow, shaking her head. She didn't wait for a reply, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" A classic ring of keys was enveloped in a black aura and gently floated into Raven's hand. "Here," she said, jabbed the keys at Robin.

As Robin quickly flipped through keys, attempting to fit one into the keyhole on the other side of the cell, Raven began to ponder the situation. She remembered seeing a similar environment in a movie. It was usually a couple of people trapped in a cell, with the ring of keys hanging idly from a nail across the room. Miracously, there was always some kind of stick they could reach the keys with, and they escaped by creeping through the warehouse-like building they were trapped in.

Of course, none of them ever had telepathic powers. Surely, whoever had trapped them knew of Raven's powers. As the cell door popped open, sheer bewilderment overcame Raven's face. How was it not a trap? Silently and easily, the four Titans crept out of the room.

There were no guards. No cameras. Nothing. How could it not be trap? It was too easy.

The four continued through the halls of the large warehouse, but Robin stopped suddenly in front of them, motioning for them to be quieter.

There were footsteps. The footsteps were coming closer. Closer. Closer. Whoever was coming surely couldn't have expected to see the Titans escaping. The footsteps were unhurried, calm. The shadow coming around the corner even seemed cool and collected. There was no way the person coming was coming after them.

But there are always exceptions, aren't there?

"Hello Titans."

"You're friends sure seemed worried about you - until you attacked them," Gaia said, smirking. She leaned against the wall near Beastboy's cell, her arms crossed over her chest.

Beastboy sat in his imprisonment, feeling as worthless as tofu to Cyborg. He was clueless to everything around him, and Gaia's persistant taunting did not help. "Just leave me alone," he muttered. He glared at the blonde, still trying to work out the problems in his mind.

"Raven sure seemed mad," Gaia commented, ignoring his statement.

"What do you want with her?" Beastboy said suddenly.

"Raven?" Gaia raised an eyebrow.

"Terra." The green Titan stood in his cell, "Why do you take on her appearance? Why did you revive her? Why did"

"I don't want her for anything," Gaia interrupted. "I just follow the orders I'm given."

"Why does Slade want her?"

The blonde put her hands on her hips, her cerulean eyes flashing, "Do you honestly think I give a damn?"

'Stupid question,' Beastboy thought irritably. "Why do you need me?" he asked finally.

"That one I can answer," Gaia said, walking over to Terra's unconscious body. "This lovely young girl sacrficed herself to save you."

"So?"

"You're the only one she'll wake up for."

A/N: And the puzzle grows! I'd love to hear your guesses on those questions that BB had. I, of course, won't tell you if you're right or wrong, but if you do guess right, I'll give you a cookie when it's all revealed (Psst - it'll all be revealed in chapter nine). Well Happy Easter, enjoy your spring break! Review on your way out! - Letselina