Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.
Warnings: ...like we do so many times... is a line break.
Chapter Six: Accuse the Betrayer
Mirror and Sel walked down a hallway, chatting and groaning at the other's bad puns. As they were talking, Changeling exited his room and came up behind the two young Titans. Both stopped, Emily turning her head to look at him apprehensively. Ever since coming back from the fire, she had sensed that something was wrong with her father, and it had something to do with Sel. His normally smiling face was tired, and there was an aching resignation in his eyes. Placing a gloved hand on Em's shoulder, he spoke.
"Can I talk with you, Sel?" Sel and Mirror exchanged a quick glance, confusion reflected in both pairs of green and amber eyes.
"Sure…" Sel replied, shrugging minutely to Em. Changeling passed between them, gesturing for Sel to follow. Obeying, the teen walked up the stairs to the roof behind the green skinned man. Changeling sat on crates that were placed in the middle of the roof, silent for a long time after Sel had sat beside him.
"What's your connection to Slade?" Sel jerked out of the half trance he had slipped into. Looking at the man who in turn was studying the stars, he frowned.
"I used to live in a place like this," he started slowly. "I was also part of a team like the Titans. Then Slade came. He seduced several of my teammates to his aid with promises of power, riches, the whole thing. Turned them 'gainst us, eventually. In the end, he destroyed them- and us. I was the only to live." His fists clenched as the air wielder fought against the pain of memory, bitter tears pricking his eyes. They weren't memories he tried to remember, for good reason. "He tried to snag me, but I managed to escape with the help of my dying sister. And then I stalked him, swearing that he would never hurt anyone else like he had hurt me. That's how I was able to find and help Mirror- though it looks like by the time I got here, he had already harmed you." Silence filled the nighttime air as Sel's head dropped, the teen trying desperately not to let his emotions loose.
"What would you do if I told you I was going to hand you over to Slade?" Sel jerked his head up, turning disbelieving eyes to Changeling, who had shifted to watch him with hollow eyes and place a hand on his shoulder. "If I told you I was betraying you to save Raven?" Frozen, Sel stared with horror at the Titan he had thought would understand, and that he could trust.
Someone moved out of the shadows into the light of the lights on the roof. Slade looked approvingly at the two.
"Thank you, Changeling. Honestly, I didn't know you had it in you. But then, love does strange things to people." Sel couldn't take his eyes off Changeling, bewilderment in his face. How? How? Changeling's hand tightened on his shoulder, a quick, firm – reassuring? squeeze. And then the older Titan turned to face Slade, abruptly standing upright and losing that defeated air. His tired face vanished and a confident, proud one took it's place.
"You were right, Slade. I don't have it in me- not for that, anyway. But for taking down criminals- any time." Slade hadn't moved since Changeling had stood up.
"You realize that Raven will die." The cold, menacing speech sent shivers down Sel's back as he took in the scene, still stunned at the quick change of events. Changeling nodded.
"I know what you say. I also know what she would want me to do- and it isn't giving into your machinations." The steel in the Titan's voice matched that of Slade's. Then it changed, as did his stance. "What is it, Slade? What drives you forward, makes you hate us so much that you scheme every day to bring us to our knees?" The tension built as the two stared at each other.
"It is jealousy. You have seen what we hold, that precious thing called friendship, and you know you can never have it." Starfire stepped out of the shadows, a cool anger on her determined face. " Ever since the day you first saw us laugh together, work together, know that we would make it through, you realized what you had been missing. And you were jealous."
"You were jealous because you were alone. You were alone because you thought things like friendship were pointless, that there was no such thing as love." Bumblebee moved forward, head held high as a hand rested on her hip. "You were all alone in your world, Slade, because you wouldn't take a helping hand. Trust was only made to be broken, after all."
"You don't trust because you only depend on yourself." Nightwing stared at his nemesis in the stark light of the roof. "You think that by yourself you're better off, that in the end it's only your personal strength, your own wits, your own instincts. Because someone else will never understand, or they'll let you down."
"You're afraid they'll let you down because you've done it to yourself. You refuse to give anymore, to try and reach beyond the limits you set." Cyborg advanced, no mercy in either of his eyes. "And when we go beyond, passing whatever you've set for yourself, you hate us all the more. And that's why you're jealous."
"We have faith in Raven, Slade. Faith in each other. In what you don't have." Changeling stared defiantly at Slade. "And that's why you will always, always, lose."
During this, Slade had been slowly backing up a step at a time towards the edge of the helio pad. His one eye had widened in rage and pure hatred until his pupil had narrowed to a mere dot in the white.
"You'll pay for this. All of you. Raven will die, and you will follow her down to the depths of Hell! The Titans WILL. DIE." A swirling pool of purple magic opened beside him at some unheard command and Refraction stood unsteadily in the center, her blue eyes unfocused and pale skin flushed with fever. Slade took no notice but stepped into it, one last snarl of rage echoing before Refraction took them away.
...like we do so many times...
Silence filled the cool air as the adult Titans stared at where he had disappeared before looking up at each other. Sel almost felt their determined will as a physical force and he watched as Changeling turned to him, an apology in his eyes.
"Sorry we didn't tell you, Sel, but we weren't sure if you could pull off a convincing act when Slade showed up. I would never betray you. Trust me." His gaze softened for a moment, and a remembered pain came into his eyes. "If you can."
And the teen, instead of feeling his shaken trust fail, felt it grow as he realized what they had done to protect him, and what Changeling had sacrificed to prevent betraying him.
"I- of course I do! But…" His voice dropped to a whisper as he remembered Slade's words. "What about Raven?" Changeling closed his eyes, quiet for a moment.
"I have to believe. Believe and trust." He quirked a smile. "It sounds corny, but it's true." Then his eyes turned to the doorway into which the other Titans had disappeared. His green eyes met those of a horrified teen who stood in shock, Em staring in disbelief at her father.
"Mirror…" Changeling moved towards his daughter, but she backed away a step.
"You were going to betray him." The shape shifter shook his head.
"You know I couldn't, Mirror. I've been betrayed before, and I never want anyone else to go through that." And, instead of flying into a rage like she would have only a few short weeks ago, Mirror broke down into tears. Instantly Changeling wrapped his strong arms around her, and Sel put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
As the tears finally dried, she blinked gratefully at the two next to her. They turned together and walked back down into the Titan's Tower, as a girl with more power and love than she knew was comforted by those who cared for her.
Author's Note: I just realized that this entire story is riddled with false appearances. And cd lover says I'm evil. I think I quite agree, and you will too when you see the next (and LAST) chapter!
ATTENTION: If anyone has ideas for a third story in the series, feel free to suggest it. Otherwise, this story will end in one chapter and Mirror, Refraction, and everyone else will never be seen again. So talk to me. If only for their sakes.:ATTENTION
aftran: I left it at a cliffie because I'm pure evil.
animeobsessed3191: ; Nooo, I'm not being secretive... Mirror and Sel are more like sister and brother to me, but am I wrong? I hope not... I have something else planned for Sel. And he got a bit of screen time this chapter. Good for him. I can't think of a third story idea, so I'm just going to end it here if no one else can think of anything. -le sigh- I really don't want to... Well, we'll see.
Swizz: Wow! Another person who liked my story! Thanks so much for the compliments; they made my day. Seriously. You really think I write Slade acceptably? I just kinda write him how I think he'd respond... but then, he's going to snap in a chapter. Oops! I did not say that... -shifty eyes- I'm pure evil. Which is probably how I can write Raven and Changeling's predicaments so well. This update soon enough?
Sinner666: Well, this chapter should answer your question.
cd lover: As soon as I got your review, I started getting this ready to post. Thanks for reviewing; I was waiting on one more person to review. Anyway, I think you might start yelling at me for this chapter... Or not. Who knows? You do. I don't.