Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.

Warnings: ...the tears of Heaven falling... is a line break.

Chapter Five: Fire and Temptation

The smell of burning rubber filled the air as Cyborg slammed on the brakes, his T-car sliding to a halt in front of the apartment. As he got out of the car, Nightwing's N-cycle pulled up. Nightwing and Starfire getting off, Sel, Changeling, and Bumblebee landing while Mirror hovered in the air, her trademark silver/green glow surrounding the eagle she rode upon and the snakes wrapped around her fists. Nightwing took a look at the burning building, voicing what the others already knew.

"Slade." The wails of the fire trucks became audible and the leader quickly gave instructions. "Cy, Bee, help the firefighters. Sel, try to keep the fire from spreading. Mirror, Changeling, Star, we'll go in and get those inside out." The flames licked the darkening sky as they nodded. "Titans, go!" With that, they split.

Mirror flew in through the thick smoke, one hand over her mouth until she clear the poisonous smog. Fire. Why did everything Slade touch or do leave fire? Whether the flames of anger or the kind they were fighting now, something burned. Her fire was calming, helping her to focus as Raven's mantra did for her- but Slade… his fire killed. The terrified scream of a child caught her attention and she wrapped herself in a silver cocoon, ramming a shoulder through the wall. Emily ducked under a burning beam and scanned the blazing room. The sounds of weeping drew her to the tiny bathroom. Stepping in the doorway, Mirror called out tentatively as the heat threatened to scorch her flesh from her bones.

"Hello? Come on out- I've come to help you." As her gaze searched the cramped quarters, a curled shape stirred. Refraction took her hands away from her face and looked calmly at Mirror.

"Really." And before a second had passed, the two were grappling hand to hand, power swirling around them.

"Refraction!" Mirror gritted through her teeth. "I should have known." For what seemed an eternity they were equal, sparks flying from locked eyes. Then Mirror did something she never would have imagined doing- and used a dirty trick. Her left foot shot out and hooked around Refraction's, yanking the other teen's feet out from under her. Unbalanced, Slade's apprentice faltered and Mirror jerked her hand away from her sister's, bringing it to press her palm over the dull orange gem on her forehead. Blue eyes widened and then rolled up into her head. Slowly Emily let her sister fall to the floor and took a breath, drained. The hiss of growing flames interrupted her thoughts and she glanced up, eyes taking in the sight of the crumbling timber. Embers cascaded around the two and Em scooped up her sister in both arms, taking the unconscious teen into her shield. Then, with a wince at the effort, the Titan took a running start out the window as everything seemed to explode behind them.

No one was watching as one of the Titans brought another victim out of the building, drifting down to the ground. Carefully the green haired figure set the limp blonde up against an alley wall, fingers brushing once again across the discolored jewel. Then she slapped the girl. A second passed and Emily was about to do it again, when Refraction stirred. Mirror leaned over her, face unfriendly and cold.

"You're awake. Good. Now I can pay you back from what you did to Raven." Even as Slade's daughter started to call her magic, confusion raced through her eyes. Before Mirror could tell if it was real, Refraction brought her hands, and the energy swords in them, up. In a clash of sparks, Mirror defended herself with the two energy snakes she had kept ready. When the afterimage faded, the other teen was gone. With a sigh, her shoulders dropped. Then a call for help drew her back into the building, running once again.

...the tears of Heaven falling...

Muffling a cough, Changeling shifted into a hound and, ignoring the heat of the fire, padded quickly through the hallway, searching for signs of anyone still left inside. Something moved and he skidded to a halt, a half-charred beam landing where he would have been. Hackles up, he turned, head low to escape the noxious fumes. A dark figure moved out into the hallway and the Titan stopped, growling. Slade gazed calmly at him.

"Hello, Changeling." Shifting back into human form, Changeling watched him out of shadowed eyes.

"Slade."

"How nice. The shape shifter remembers my name." The eye narrowed. "How annoying." Changeling didn't reply.

"Tell me, Changeling. How's Raven doing? She won't survive much longer, you know. In fact, she's half dead already. I don't know what she ever saw in you. You can't even help her when she needs you most. And wasn't it you who drove her out of the Titans before? Pitiful." With an angry snarl that hid the hint of tears in his eyes, Changeling lunged.

Watchers would not have been able to follow the action without a camera to record it. Once might have been stronger at one point, but now time, experience, and anger drove the other on; as it had been with Raven against Slade. Snarls, roars, grunts echoed in the basement as shapes went flying and instantly got up again. The second Changeling hit Slade, the crime master realized something was different. Every time he had encountered the Titans, teens or not, they had weaknesses he had been capable of exploiting, used to defeat them. In crippling Raven, and then provoking Changeling, he had unleashed something hidden behind the rational, feeling human. If Slade had given it a name, it might have been The Beast.

Long minutes later the two were locked in a stalemate. Head to head, Changeling's claws were half an inch away from Slade's heart. Slade's hand was resting above a major nerve center.

"I should kill you," the half animal, half man growled.

"But you won't. Because I'm the only one who can save Raven, and you know it. If you kill me, she'll die." The claws flexed minutely and Slade calmly stared at him. "I can save her." Green eyes met a steel gray one.

"As if." But his voice wasn't as strong.

"I can bring her back to you, whole and sane. For a price, of course. But if you want to save her, who else could?"

"Whatever you wanted, I wouldn't be able to give you anyway." Changeling growled.

"Not quite. You would only have to hand over Sel."

"What do you want with him?"

"Personal reason. And he's still young enough to break. That's all, Changeling. That's my price- for saving Raven. Unless you want her to die?"

What do I do?

What price can I pay

To save you?

See the heartbeat

Of the one I love,

Revive?

To hold you in my arms again

And know you live…

Slowly, as if every muscle in his body was protesting, Changeling drew away from Slade and bowed his head, the flames of the burning building illuminating his hung head, and Slade's triumphant smirk.

Author's Note: Oh, how I do love to torture both my readers and my characters. I am evil... very evil. So next chapter will be Changeling betraying Sel to Slade; however, I will not post the sixth chapter until I have at least five reviews for this one. I don't feel appreciated enough. -ducks stuff from animeobessed-

Reviews: There's a rumor going around that Fanfiction is hitting authors who respond to reviewers. I don't know whether this is true or not; I can't find anything that suggests this, so I'm going ahead with the responses. If I get slammed, it's because of you guys. -smile-

animeobessed3191: Pairing? For this story? Other than the adults, what pairing can you get? And thanks for getting Dancing up. Writer's Block SUCKS.

Coralpaw: Thanks for reviewing! Sorry I didn't update sooner.